Alex’s ultimate goal for this training was to defeat the dummy at 90% power, 10% more than what Kaelios had initially required of him.
If he wanted to stand a chance against the other Chosen Ones in the future, this level of strength was the bare minimum.
After centuries of growth, some of them could potentially rival gods or even surpass the one they were linked to.
That meant Alex couldn’t just settle for being stronger than a typical Chosen One, he had to be on par with Kaelios himself.
The main advantage Chosen Ones had was that they inherited some of the abilities of the god they were linked to.
But unlike the gods, they weren’t bound to only those powers.
For example, Kaelios wielded the overwhelming force of [Destiny Powers].
Even though they were so powerful that he hardly needed anything else, he was still restricted to that singular domain.
Alex, on the other hand, had inherited a portion of those abilities while also possessing other powers, such as [Bleeding Dragon Claws], his [Blood Arts], and his Grand Mage spells.
This flexibility was what allowed some Chosen Ones to surpass even their own gods.
However, they could never truly betray them: if the god they were linked to was killed, they would die as well.
That was the ultimate leash preventing true rebellion.
But that was a concern for another day.
Right now, Alex focused on the golden aura dummy standing before him in [Training Mode].
‘Alright, let’s test these new powers.’
The training dummy stood motionless, waiting for Alex to make his move.
He didn’t hesitate.
His first test would be one of his three newly synthesized spells..
Flames of Oblivion!
A skill formed by fusing every fire-based ability he possessed through [Synthesis].
It had taken a ridiculous amount of effort to create, but now that it was complete, Alex had a feeling that it would be one of his strongest tools.
[Flames of Oblivion]
[Description: A cataclysmic fire that transcends reality, merging abyssal destruction, divine wrath, and soul-consuming flames into one apocalyptic force.]
[Effect: Summons a colossal storm of annihilating fire, scorching a 1-kilometer radius with unquenchable flames that bypass all resistances.]
[Deals: 3,000,000,000 + 5000% Spirit as damage. The flames consume both body and soul, ensuring absolute erasure.]
[Mana Cost: 15,000,000; Cooldown: 20 minutes.]
Of course, due to his mana reduction, the cost was only 7,500,000 mana, making it far more efficient.
Not to mention, his cooldown reduction meant that instead of waiting twenty minutes to use it again, he only had to wait five.
That was much more reasonable.
And now… it was time to unleash it.
Alex raised his hands to the sky, his aura surging as a swirling mass of flame began to form above.
At first, it was just a single wisp of fire.
A mere flicker.
But in an instant, that flicker expanded.
The flames twisted and churned, spreading outward and consuming everything in a one-kilometer radius.
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The fire wasn’t normal, it flickered between colors, shifting between crimson red, deep orange, abyssal black, and an eerie, divine blue.
It was a chaotic fusion of all the fire-based skills Alex had merged into it.
The sky above turned blood-red as a massive wave of flame erupted.
FWISH! BOOM!
In an instant, the entire area was engulfed.
The flames stretched as high as one hundred meters, creating an inescapable inferno that ensured nothing would survive, not even if it tried to flee into the sky.
The sight before Alex was breathtaking.
Even he was stunned by the sheer power.
The golden aura dummy was caught in the center of it all, its body slowly burning as the flames mercilessly tore away at its existence.
But what shocked Alex the most… was that the flames were touching him too.
Yet, he wasn’t injured.
[You are immune to the Flames of Oblivion.]
That realization sparked a new idea in his mind.
‘If I can move freely within the flames while my enemies are blinded and burning…’
This wasn’t just a destructive ability, it was also the perfect battlefield control spell.
If enemies were struggling to see inside the storm, then Alex could move through it unnoticed and strike from the shadows.
He immediately put that idea into action.
Summoning his [Bleeding Dragon Claws], Alex vanished into the firestorm.
The dummy remained trapped in the blaze, continuously taking damage.
Using the scorched surroundings as cover, Alex moved unseen, weaving through the inferno like a phantom.
And then…
SLASH!
His claws ripped through the dummy’s back.
A few more moments passed, and the flames finally died down.
Smoke lingered in the air, rising from the charred remains of the training area.
The dummy, still standing, released a faint wisp of steam from its burnt body.
Alex smirked.
“Did you notice me going behind you?” he asked.
[No.]
Perfect.
This confirmed it, [Flames of Oblivion] wasn’t just an ultimate destruction spell.
It was also a stealth and ambush tool.
Since he had a very few number of skills, finding ways to combo with them was essential to ensure his victory.
Feeling satisfied, Alex prepared to test his second new ability.
“Alright, next skill,” he muttered.
This one wasn’t just an attack, it was a control-based ability that could shift the entire tide of battle.
“Okay, next, I want you to actually try to defend yourself.”
“Don’t use any skills, just use the same reflexes as Kaelios to block or dodge my attacks.”
“You can counterattack, but only at close range,” Alex instructed.
Ding!
[Defense Mode Initiated…]
“Good.”
He stepped back and took a deep breath.
Then, he activated it.
Celestial Judgment!
[Effect: Calls down twelve holy swords from the sky, each one homing in on an enemy and dealing true damage.]
[Consumes 10 million mana; Cooldown: 5 minutes.]
A golden aura surged around him as the ability took effect.
And then…
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
A series of thunderous explosions shook the battlefield as the sky turned golden.
Suddenly, twelve swords of light descended from above, crashing down like divine meteors.
They hovered around Alex, spinning in an intricate formation, glowing with pure holy radiance.
[You need to command the Holy Swords.]
Alex grinned.
“Alright, let’s do this.”
He dashed toward the dummy, the twelve swords following him at full speed.
The dummy, now using Kaelios’ reflexes, reacted instantly.
It dodged, its movements precise, predicting Alex’s trajectory perfectly.
Alex swung his claws, but the dummy deflected the attack with ease and countered with a strike toward his face.
At this speed, dodging was impossible.
Of course, Alex could use [Destiny Shift] to undo the hit, but in actual battle, he wouldn’t want to waste Destiny Points for something that could be avoided.
And so instead, he commanded.
‘Defend me.’
One of the holy swords immediately spun at blinding speed, positioning itself between his face and the dummy’s fist.
CLANG!
The attack was blocked.
‘Holy shit… that’s insane.’
Taking advantage of the moment, Alex surged forward and landed a clean strike on the dummy.
As he backed away, he clenched his fists, staring at the twelve swords floating around him.
“This ability is insane,” he muttered.
It wasn’t just for offense, it was an incredible defensive tool as well.
No wonder Arceus had said that Grand Mages were still terrifying in close combat.
But now, he needed to test it even further.
His goal was clear: master [Celestial Judgment].
And after that… Push himself beyond 90%.
“Here goes!”
He charged forward again.
The real training had just begun.