Chapter 363 Learning The Raven Style


    Alicia couldn''t help but let her mouth fall open slightly in surprise. n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    "What''s up, Junior?"


    Standing there with his hands braced on either side of the doorway, he smiled, his gaze fixed on Alicia''s crimson eyes. His pure white hair clung to his skin, damp with sweat. His amber eyes, bright and clear like precious stones, sparkled with curiosity as he looked at her. Dark amberic marks were faintly visible beneath his eyes.


    Despite his changed appearance, Alicia recognized him immediately.


    Amael Falkrona—or now, Amael Idea Olphean—who was the younger brother of Christina and Connor, the youngest son of Thomen and Alea, and thest heir of the Olphean House.


    "The bet is won. You are free now, Junior."


    She recalled his words to her after he had beaten Adrian Dolphis. It left her uncertain how to feel. To say she wasn''t grateful would be a lie. Adrian''s obsession had been eating away at her, no matter how hard she tried to hide it. She felt a deep difort and disgust whenever he touched her, yet she had resigned herself to it. That was the life Cyril had chosen for her.


    In her mind, the engagement was set in stone, immutable, and unchangeable. No one would dare oppose it. Everyone knew Cyril Raven was behind it, and no one wanted to antagonize him.


    Yet, Amael had made that bet and won it.


    She hated being dragged into a bet without her consent, treated like a puppet once again, but the oue had been in her favor.


    Then, just as they were about to face Alvara in the Third Round, an incident urred, and Amael vanished. It had been two weeks since shest saw him.


    Thest thing she expected was to see him here, in the Raven Pce''s territory.


    "Junior?" Amael waved a hand in front of Alicia''s face before grabbing her hand and pulling her into the room.


    Caught off guard, Alicia stumbled inside, and the metallic doors nged shut behind her.


    The room was like any other training room, equipped with various technologies for different types of training.


    As Alicia''s eyes roamed the space, theynded on the back of a man in a sports shirt and shorts. Despite his altered appearance, she recognized him instantly.


    "The break is over, Amael. We will resume—huh!" James Raven turned around and froze at the sight of Alicia standing next to Amael.


    He stammered briefly before a bright smile spread across his face. "Alicia."


    Alicia didn''t return the smile. "I''ll just eat and leave, as always. I''m heading out," she said, turning to go.


    She was curious about what was happening between her father and Amael, but that was all.


    "No, stay a bit," Amael intervened, shaking his head and blocking her path with his arm.


    Alicia nced at Amael, her expression nk.


    "Don''t give me that look, Junior. I promise you''ll learn a lot if you watch," Amael insisted with a smile.


    Alicia remained silent, seemingly unsure of what to make of his words.


    Taking her silence as agreement, Amael moved to join James Raven.


    "Then let''s start, Professor," Amael said.


    "Right…" James was at a loss for words, but at least his daughter hadn''t left immediately. Better yet, she decided to stay and watch for a bit.


    ''Even though she always refuses me…'' James thought, ncing at Amael, who had a knack for influencing others with both his words and actions.


    "Start whenever you''re ready," James said, taking a stance with his fists up.


    Amael nodded, clenching his fists and adopting the same stance as James. One fist was poised for defense and counterattacks, while the other was ready for aggressive strikes.


    Amael studied James for a moment beforeunching off the ground, shooting toward him at an astounding speed. Alicia was taken aback, not just by his speed but by the way he moved.


    That absurd speed,bined with a thirst and aggressiveness, was characteristic of vampire fighting styles. But this one, in particr, was drawn from the Raven Martial Arts she had been taught since childhood.


    ''How?''


    She figured her father must have taught Amael, but how long had it been, and how had Amael managed to master it so quickly?


    -Booom!


    Amael''s fist whizzed past James''s face, cutting through the air.


    Opening his palm, Amael grabbed James''s arm, threw him aside, and pulled back his leg. A blood-red aura enveloped his leg before he kicked out.


    -BAM!


    The lightning-fast kick, backed by abnormal strength, sent James sliding several meters away. However, James''s absurd regenerative abilities quickly healed his injuries.


    Alicia watched in awe, her curiosity now fully piqued.


    "Ah. I think I nearly broke my leg there," Amael muttered, shaking his right leg. "I heard a little crack."


    "I told you not to focus so much on the strength of your kick. Control over your blood is essential if you want to progress faster," James said.


    "Right," Amael nodded, closing his eyes.


    It had been two weeks since he began training with James.


    Amael had honored his end of the deal by breaking off the engagement between Alicia and Adrian. Now, it was James'' turn to uphold his promise by teaching Amael the Raven Style—a martial art exclusive to vampires, reserved for the most talented among them.


    James had repeatedly exined that the Raven Style wasn''t suitable for a human like Amael, despite his mixed Falkrona and Olphean bloodline. But Amael didn''t care and insisted on learning.


    To James'' shock, Amael was managing to learn the Raven Style, though he adapted it to suit his own body. With his eyes closed, Amael concentrated on his heartbeat and the blood pulsing through his organs. Once he felt a familiar symbiosis, he raised his sword, gripping the hilt tightly.


    "Raven Blood Art."


    Alicia''s eyes widened in shock as Amael muttered those words.


    They weren''t empty boasts.


    What Amael was emanating closely resembled the power of her and her brothers.


    A blood-red aura coated Amael''s sword, and red veins started appearing all over his arm. Some of the veins burst open, staining his white shirt with blood and tearing it apart.


    As the veins reached his right eye, a single tear of blood streamed down Amael''s face. Then he shed down with his sword.


    The powerful sh shot out at incredible speed, tearing through the air like a red de. Everything about the aura and Amael''s Raven Style seemed sinister.


    James sensed the threat and quickly drew a sword of the void, shing down powerfully to cut the de in two and dissipate the force.


    There was a brief silence until Amael, exhausted, sat down heavily. "Ha... I can''t anymore..."


    "You did well. The three hours are over now," James said.


    "I think I broke my arm, by the way," Amael groaned, showing his left arm hanging limp.


    Alicia observed Amael as the red veins vanished from his body. At first nce, they looked like curses, but they were actually a manifestation of Amael''s Raven Style.


    Amael couldn''t use the Raven Style in its pure form, so something had happened to his body, allowing the Raven Style to adapt to him.


    "Alicia, can you apany Amael to get him treated? I''ll get ready, and we can eat afterward," James said, using Amael''s injury as a pretext to prevent Alicia from leaving.


    Alicia saw through her father''s tactic, but feeling somewhat indebted to Amael, she reluctantly agreed.