The wind roared across the summit of Mount Solmora, rushing through the tall grass and bending the ancient trees that ringed the clearing. The air smelled of cold stone and distant rain. High above them, the sky remained brilliantly clear, sunlight pouring down over the mountain's crown. Lux stood silently, the monk's earlier words echoing relentlessly inside his mind. Umbra… the last descendant of the Dark Sovereign. The name felt heavier the more he thought about it. Nearby, Rose remained quiet as well. Her arms were folded tightly across her chest, but it wasn't out of irritation this time. Her eyes moved between Lux and the old monk, her thoughts racing faster than the wind around them. Umbra… Dark techniques… the Battle of Eclipse… The deeper the conversation went, the more she realized how little she actually knew about the world of ancient techniques. The old man slowly walked toward the edge of the cliff, his wooden staff tapping softly against the stone with each step. When he reached the edge, he stopped and looked out across the endless horizon. Clouds drifted slowly beneath the mountain like a silent ocean. His voice became distant, almost hollow, as if he were speaking not to them—but to memories buried centuries in the past. "Long before you were born… before even your master walked this world… there was a man feared by every technique user alive." Lux remained completely still, listening carefully. Rose leaned forward slightly without realizing it. The monk continued. "His name was Noctyros Umbrael." Lux frowned slightly at the unfamiliar name. The monk's voice lowered. "He was known across the world as…" A gust of wind howled past them, whipping the monk's robes and carrying his next words across the summit like a warning. "The Sovereign of the Eclipse." For a moment, even the wind seemed to quiet. Rose felt a strange chill crawl up her spine. The monk turned slowly to face them again. "He was the first—and the greatest—master of the Dark Techniques." Lux spoke quietly. "Was he evil?" The question hung in the air. The monk's expression hardened immediately. "No." The answer came so sharply that Rose blinked in surprise. Lux looked stunned. The monk suddenly struck his staff against the ground. THUD! A faint wave of radiant energy spread across the summit like a ripple through water. The grass flattened momentarily before rising again. "That is the lie history chose to remember!" His voice carried an edge now—something bitter, something old. Lux's eyes narrowed slightly. The monk continued slowly. "The Dark techniques were not created for destruction." He lifted his gaze toward the bright sky above. "They were created to balance the world." Rose frowned. Balance? Lux remained silent, listening. "Light, Fire, Water, Wind, Earth…" the monk continued, "all techniques draw their power from nature itself." The wind rustled through the trees. "But Darkness…" His voice dropped lower. "Darkness draws power from the void between things." Rose felt an uneasy shiver run through her. The phrase alone sounded unnatural. Like something ancient and forbidden. The monk continued. "Noctyros Umbrael never wanted war. He believed Light and Dark should exist together." His eyes slowly moved toward Lux. "Like day and night." Lux's voice was barely above a whisper. "…like twilight." For the first time since the story began, the monk gave a faint nod. "Yes." Rose glanced between them. Twilight… The word lingered strangely in her mind. The monk exhaled slowly. "But the other technique users did not see it that way." Lux's fists tightened slightly. The monk's voice hardened. "The Light warriors feared him the most." Lux looked up sharply. "The Light warriors…?" Rose also looked surprised. She had grown up hearing stories about Light warriors. Protectors of the world. Guardians of balance. Heroes. The monk nodded. "They believed Darkness would one day overpower every other technique." His grip on the staff tightened. "So they decided the world would be safer if Darkness disappeared entirely." Lux's eyes widened. "You mean…!" The monk finished the sentence without hesitation. "The Light warriors started the war." The words struck Lux like a blow. He froze. For years he had believed Light warriors were the protectors of the world. Rose felt her heart pound. No way… The monk continued. "The Fire clans joined them. The Water sages followed. Soon every technique user stood united." His voice grew quieter. "Against one man." Lux asked quietly, "And… what happened?" The monk slowly looked toward the sky again. "The Battle of Eclipse." Even the name felt heavy. His eyes reflected the sunlight. "The sky turned black for three days." Rose's breath caught. "Light and Darkness collided with such force that mountains collapsed… and oceans trembled." Lux felt a cold sensation crawl down his spine. The monk's grip on his staff tightened. "But in the end… the world united against one bloodline." He turned back toward Lux. "They slaughtered the Dark clan." Lux slowly lowered his gaze. The monk spoke again, his voice darker now. "Men…" His eyes hardened. "Women." His jaw clenched. "Children." Rose's eyes widened in horror. "None were spared!" The wind roared through the clearing again. But this time the silence that followed felt heavier. Lux whispered quietly, "…that means Umbra…" The monk nodded. "Umbra is the last descendant of Noctyros Umbrael." Lux's chest tightened painfully. Suddenly the fight replayed in his mind again. Umbra standing calmly in the chaos. Umbra's cold voice. "You might die." The monk continued. "If he discovered the truth about his family…" His voice became grim. "Then to him… the entire world is his enemy." Lux closed his eyes briefly. For the first time— He understood. Umbra wasn't fighting for power. He wasn't fighting for glory. He was fighting for revenge. Rose slowly looked at Lux. She could see the realization forming in his expression. Lux finally lifted his head again. "So… the Light warriors…" His voice trembled slightly. "…they were wrong?" The monk answered instantly. "Yes." The word hit Lux harder than any attack. The monk continued calmly. "Fear makes even the righteous commit unforgivable sins." Rose looked toward the horizon, imagining a war she had only heard about in myths. Lux looked out across the sky where Umbra had vanished after their fight. His fists clenched again. But this time not with anger. With resolve. "I need to find him." The monk raised an eyebrow. "To fight him again?" Lux shook his head firmly. "No." His expression had become serious—calm but determined. "To tell him the truth." Rose turned toward him in surprise. "Lux…!" The monk watched silently. Lux continued. "If Umbra believes the world destroyed his family…" His voice grew steadier. "Then of course he would see everyone as his enemy." The monk nodded slightly. Lux's eyes sharpened. "But if I can make him understand…" He looked up at the bright sky. "Then maybe this war can end before it begins." The wind rushed across the summit again. The monk stared at Lux for a long moment. Then—very slowly— A faint smile appeared on his face. "Interesting…" He picked up his staff again. "Perhaps there is hope for the Light after all." Rose blinked in surprise. Did… he just compliment Lux? Then the monk turned toward the steep mountain path. "But before you speak of saving the world…" His eyes suddenly glowed faintly with golden light. "You must first survive my training." Lux blinked. "Wait—" Before he could even react— The monk flicked his finger. BOOM!!! A massive burst of radiant pressure exploded across the summit. Lux was instantly slammed into the ground with crushing force. The earth cracked beneath him as dust shot into the air. "GHH—!!" Rose gasped loudly. "LUX!!!" She rushed forward instinctively but stopped when the pressure intensified even more. The monk sighed as if mildly disappointed. "Right now…" He looked down at Lux pinned helplessly to the ground. "You would not survive even one second against Umbra." Lux struggled to lift his head under the crushing weight. The monk's golden eyes glowed calmly. And the real training of Mount Solmora— Had just begun.
The wind roared violently across Mount Solmora as Lux struggled to force himself upright, his boots scraping against the cracked stone beneath him. Dust clung to his clothes and streaked across his face, yet his eyes burned with determination. A few steps away, the old monk stood perfectly calm, holding his wooden staff loosely as if the clash that had just happened meant nothing at all. His robes fluttered in the violent wind, but his posture remained unmoved—steady, patient, like an ancient mountain itself. Lux wiped the dust from his face and steadied his breathing. "I'm ready," he said firmly. The monk let out a quiet sigh, almost disappointed. "No… you are not." Before Lux could react—Aurelion vanished! The movement was so fast that even the wind seemed to lag behind him. A sharp strike landed on Lux's shoulder with a loud crack, sending him crashing violently into the ground. "Ghh—!!" Lux rolled across the stone and pushed himself back up immediately, refusing to stay down. In one swift motion he formed a blade of radiant light in his hand, the glowing weapon casting bright reflections across the summit. Rose gasped from the edge of the clearing. "Lux!! Be careful!!" The monk watched him quietly, golden eyes studying every movement. "Your power is impressive," he admitted calmly. Lux gritted his teeth and charged forward, his light blade blazing brighter as he swung with full force. "But your understanding… is shallow." The monk stepped aside effortlessly, his robe barely shifting as Lux's attack sliced through empty air. Lux's eyes widened in frustration. Another swift strike from the monk's staff slammed into Lux's side, knocking him off balance. Lux staggered, barely catching himself before falling. "How are you this fast…?!" he demanded, breathing heavily. The monk calmly walked past him as if strolling through a garden. "Because unlike you…" he said quietly. He tapped his staff against the stone. "I have fought darkness before." Lux froze instantly. "You fought Umbra?!" The monk shook his head slowly. "No." He turned toward Lux again, his gaze sharpening slightly. "I fought his ancestor." Lux's eyes widened with shock. "The Dark Sovereign…?" The monk nodded once. "Noctyros Umbrael." The moment the name left his mouth, the air itself seemed to grow heavier, as if the mountain remembered the legend. Lux attacked again with renewed force, a flash of radiant light bursting from his blade as he lunged forward. But the monk simply raised two fingers—and stopped the strike instantly! Lux stared in disbelief, his glowing blade halted effortlessly. The monk continued speaking calmly, as though the clash meant nothing. "Noctyros Umbrael was unlike any warrior the world had ever seen." Lux pulled his blade back slowly, his mind racing. "What made him so dangerous?" The monk answered by pushing Lux away with a sudden burst of light pressure. Lux slid several meters across the stone before regaining his footing. "His control over Darkness." The monk's expression grew serious now. "Dark techniques do not behave like other powers." He lifted his staff slowly. "Fire burns. Water flows. Wind moves." The staff struck the ground with a sharp crack. A pulse of brilliant light erupted outward across the summit. Rose shielded her eyes. "Whoa!!" But the monk's voice dropped lower. "But Darkness…" His gaze hardened. "Consumes." Lux stood slowly, breathing heavily. "You mean it destroys things?" The monk shook his head. "No." His eyes sharpened with quiet intensity. "It erases them." A chill ran down Lux's spine. The monk continued. "Noctyros Umbrael could erase entire attacks before they even touched him." Suddenly Lux remembered his fight with Umbra—the way his attacks had vanished as if swallowed by nothingness. The monk noticed the realization forming in Lux's eyes and pointed his staff toward him. "Yes." His voice was calm but firm. "That is what you faced." Lux tightened his fists. "So the Battle of Eclipse…" The monk sighed softly—but then suddenly attacked again! Lux barely raised his blade in time to block the strike. Their weapons collided with a loud flash, shards of radiant light scattering across the summit. The monk spoke while pressing Lux backward. "The world feared Noctyros." Lux strained to hold the block, his muscles trembling. "Not because he was evil…!" With a swift movement the monk knocked Lux away again. "But because he was unstoppable!" Lux hit the ground hard but rolled back to his feet immediately. Rose clenched her fists anxiously. "Lux, watch out!!" The monk looked toward the sky, remembering something distant. "The Light warriors believed Darkness would one day dominate every technique." His voice hardened. "So they decided to destroy it first." Lux hesitated. "You said they started the war…" The monk nodded slowly. "They attacked the Dark clan without warning." Lux's eyes widened in disbelief. The monk continued. "Noctyros had no choice but to defend them." Lux charged again, refusing to stop. This time the monk allowed the strike to land. Light exploded across the summit in a brilliant burst. For a moment Lux thought he had succeeded. Then the monk stepped out of the fading light completely unharmed. Lux stared in shock. The monk continued calmly. "The Battle of Eclipse lasted three days." Lux's breathing slowed as he listened. "During the final clash…" The monk raised his staff. The sunlight around them dimmed slightly, as if something ancient stirred within the memory itself. "Noctyros used his ultimate technique." Lux leaned forward eagerly. "What was it?!" The monk's voice grew heavy with the weight of history. "Abyssal Dominion." The very air around them seemed to tremble at the name. The monk explained quietly. "It was a domain where Darkness consumed all energy inside it." Lux imagined the battlefield—thousands of warriors surrounded by an endless void. The monk continued. "Even Light techniques were swallowed." Lux whispered, stunned, "So how did they defeat him…?" The monk looked away, bitterness flickering across his face. "Numbers." His voice carried quiet anger. "Hundreds of warriors attacked him at once." Lux slowly lowered his head. The monk continued quietly. "In the end… the world killed the one man who wanted balance." Silence fell across the summit again. Lux remembered Umbra's cold expression during their battle. Now it made sense. The monk suddenly attacked again! Lux blocked it this time, their weapons locking together with a sharp crack. Sparks of light danced around them as the wind roared. The monk stared directly into Lux's eyes. "Tell me, boy!" His voice was sharp now. "After hearing all this… do you still want to defeat Umbra?!" Lux paused for a moment. Rose watched him anxiously, holding her breath. Then Lux answered firmly. "Yes!" The monk's eyebrow lifted slightly in surprise. Lux continued. "But not because he's my enemy." The monk waited silently. Lux looked toward the distant horizon where Umbra had disappeared. "Umbra believes the world destroyed his family." His voice became calm but determined. "So of course he hates it." The monk nodded slowly. Lux tightened his grip on his blade. "But if I defeat him…" He looked serious. "Then I'll make him listen!" Rose blinked in surprise. "Lux…!" The monk smiled faintly. "You plan to defeat Darkness…" He pushed Lux back once more with a burst of pressure. "…and then reason with it?" Lux stood tall, refusing to fall again. "Someone has to!" The monk studied him carefully now, clearly impressed. "Interesting…" he murmured. He raised his staff again. "Perhaps you truly are different from the Light warriors of the past." The sunlight around them suddenly brightened, reflecting off Lux's blade like a blazing star. The monk pointed his staff directly at him. "But if you want to stand before Umbra again…" His golden eyes flared brightly. "You must become stronger than the warriors who once fought the Eclipse!" Lux steadied his stance, light gathering around him as the wind howled louder than ever. The monk smiled slightly. "Now then…" Light erupted around them like a miniature sun. "Show me how bright your resolve truly is!!!"