In a corner of the vast room, near the wall, muffled groans echoed back and forth. Kazien, Alvin, Allen, and Arken slowly rose to their feet. Their hands reflexively clutched their lower backs, feeling as though they had just been smashed by a wildly swung iron sledgehammer.
However, amidst the radiating pain, Kazien realized a nonsensical discrepancy. He touched his chest and stomach, which had just slammed into the wall at high speed.
"Wait a minute..." Kazien muttered with a shocked expression, his brow furrowed deeply. "Why isn't the front of my body injured at all? Crashing into a wall that hard should have cracked or even shattered my ribs. Why does only my back hurt? What is actually going on?"
Hearing her husband's murmurs, Allen, who was massaging his own back, also realized the same thing.
"You're right, My Love. Is this because of the effect of the energy in the divine realm?" the purple-haired youth replied, his confusion mixed with vigilance. "This is truly baffling."
Just as those words slipped from Allen's mouth, the figure of Goddess Nirfelia suddenly appeared right in front of them, without any sound of footsteps or shifting air. The four youths flinched in shock and assumed defensive stances.
"By my authority and power in this place, I have regulated its laws. You will only feel the pain resulting from the direct attacks!" the Goddess explained in a calm yet authoritative tone. "If your bodies are bumped, slammed, or fall as a result of being knocked back by an attack, you will not feel any pain from those impacts."
Kazien and his three spouses finally understood the reason behind their bodies remaining intact and not feeling the slightest pain after smashing into the wall so hard.
"However, do not ever think that this is a form of leniency." Goddess Nirfelia continued, this time her tone shifting to become extremely stern and intimidating. "Even though you do not feel pain from the impacts, it does not mean you can let your guard down. I will multiply the pain you experience many times over every time your bodies are hit by my attacks. That excruciating pain will continue to punish you, until the four of you truly develop a high-level sensitivity to attacks that are even invisible."
Alvin, who had been listening intently all along, swallowed hard. "Goddess Nirfelia..." Alvin called out suddenly, gathering his courage. "Can the Evil God Lunarias, also perform deadly invisible attacks like this?"
"A God can do things that are utterly impossible in the eyes of ordinary human logic and common sense." Goddess Nirfelia answered with absolute certainty. "As a simple example, he could create terrifying monsters out of nothingness that nearly plunged this divine realm into chaos in the past. So, it is absolutely certain that he can also execute unpredictable attacks, dimensional manipulation, and invisible strikes far more lethal than what I just performed."
Kazien, Alvin, Allen, and Arken fell silent. They tried to process the sheer magnitude of the threat and the disparity in power they would have to face later.
However, right when their minds were digesting that information and their mental defenses slightly loosened...
Thud!
An invisible blow once again landed squarely on their backs.
"Ugh...!"
The bodies of the four youths were violently blasted away again, hurtling through the air and crashing face-first onto the floor. Immense pain, now multiplied by the Goddess, rapidly spread through their entire nervous systems.
"I told you, stay focused!" the Goddess shouted, her voice thundering and bouncing across every corner of the room, vibrating their eardrums. "On the battlefield later, your opponent will not give you time to think! He will definitely eradicate the four of you instantly if you let your guard down for even a second!"
Panting heavily and gritting their teeth against the pain, Kazien and his three spouses forced their bodies to stand up.
Yet, the moment they were upright...
Thud!
The invisible attack mercilessly smashed into their backs once more. They stumbled forward. Kazien immediately spun his body around, trying to utilize his combat instincts. He detected a slight anomaly in the air and yelled, "Dodge!"
The four of them reflexively leapt to the side, finally managing to evade one sudden attack from behind.
However, that relief lasted only a fraction of a second. Before their feet even touched the floor, another invisible blow came from the front, striking their solar plexuses without pause.
Thwack!
"Khhaak...!" Arken coughed, clutching his stomach, feeling as though he had just been pierced by an invisible cannonball.
"Do not let your guard down!" Goddess Nirfelia yelled, issuing instructions without giving them a moment to breathe. "Your opponent's attacks will never stop just because you managed to dodge the first one or two!"
The spectacle inside the room turned into a one-sided torment. Kazien, Alvin, Allen, and Arken were truly battered by the invisible attacks launched mercilessly by the Creator.
"With your immortality and magic in that world, the four of you are indeed the strongest existences." Goddess Nirfelia said while continuously unleashing her divine pressure from all directions. "But if you fight against a God, the status of being the strongest in the human world is nothing but a joke! The four of you will die instantly if you keep relying on your physical eyes!"
Seeing the four youths continuously falling, getting up, and being pummeled relentlessly, Goddess Nirfelia, who could read their minds, knew they were beginning to feel frustrated.
"This is only the initial stage of your training!" the Goddess continued, her tone provoking. "Use your brains, not just your muscles! What makes something invisible detectable and tangible? Remember... what was my purpose in ordering you to focus and let the holy power from the lake earlier adapt to the mana flow in your bodies?!"
Hearing the crucial hint shouted by the Goddess amidst the pain, Kazien's eyes instantly widened. His mind immediately caught the correlation. The same thing also happened to Alvin, Allen, and Arken, who were soul-bound to Kazien.
In that instant, a new understanding opened up in their minds.
The holy energy in our bodies... the holy energy in this room... they are the same thing. Kazien analyzed inwardly. If we radiate that energy outward and merge it with the air, every movement... no matter how small, inside this room will feel like ripples of water against our skin!
Even as their bodies were still being battered by a barrage of invisible attacks, they immediately closed their eyes and focused their minds. They stopped relying on their mortal sight.
The holy power, which previously only settled within their mana cores, now surged violently and spread outward, creating a thin aura field that enveloped their bodies and expanded into the surrounding area.
As if merging with the divine nature within the room, their senses transcended physical limits. Whether it was Kazien, Alvin, Allen, or Arken, they could suddenly feel extremely subtle energy fluctuations right before an attack arrived. They could 'see' the trajectory of the attacks heading toward them.
Zap!
Using Blink magic, they successfully evaded the first attack.
Zap!
The second attack aimed at their chests was successfully dodged.
Zap!
The third attack coming straight from above was successfully avoided.
A faint smile almost bloomed on Kazien's lips. However, the Goddess did not allow them to be complacent.
"Good understanding. But, do you think Lunarias will attack at such a slow speed?"
Instantly, the atmosphere of the room grew vastly heavier. The speed and volume of the invisible attacks multiplied tens of times over in a flash.
Thwack! Bam! Thud!
The four youths were once again battered. The perceptual defense they had just built crumbled to pieces because they couldn't process the attacks coming so rapidly from all directions. They were once again subjected to a barrage of deadly blows without being able to dodge.
Crazy! This is absolutely crazy! Alvin screamed in his heart. The High Elf bit his lower lip, trying to endure the pain throughout his entire body. It feels like every bone segment in my body will be crushed and shattered by these attacks. But... for my husband, and also for the world we call home, I absolutely cannot give up here!
It hurts!!! Allen screamed inwardly. The purple-haired youth coughed as a solid punch slammed into his chest. Yet his hands remained tightly clenched, enduring the pain wracking his body. This battle against the Evil God is truly beyond my comprehension! The scale is far too terrifying. But, I don't want our world and our future to be destroyed. I must rise... I can definitely complete this hellish training!
I must be strong! Arken shouted in his heart. His eyes radiated an unprecedented determination. I am no longer a weak child who always needs protecting! For my husband, for my new family, and for all the innocent people in the world... I must master this power!
Amidst that storm of attacks, Kazien felt the exact same agonizing torment as his three spouses. His entire body felt crushed by the merciless barrage launched by the Creator. He saw his three partners falling and getting back up, enduring the pain for his sake.
Think, Kazien! Hold on! he urged, strengthening himself internally. He once again forced his mana circuits to work beyond their limits. You must be able to do this and adapt to the speed of a god! You can definitely do it! The fate of the family you love so dearly and the countless lives in the world are now right in the grasp of your hands!
Their bodies, minds, and souls were being forced to the extreme to evolve. They had to achieve a level of absolute sensitivity toward lethal attacks that were invisible, silent, and came without pause.
Hovering in the air, as if possessing not a shred of mercy for her son and her three sons-in-law, Goddess Nirfelia continued to stare at them with cold eyes. She did not lessen the intensity of her attacks in the slightest, continuously battering and forcing the four youths to break through the absolute limits of their true potential.