For a few seconds, there was nothing but the crackling of the fire and the smell of burning stone.
The dust and ashes slowly settled.
Then, the flames died down.
And
Venti was still there.
Standing.
Motionless.
Exactly in the same spot.
His coat wasn't burned.
His skin was untouched.
Not even a trace of soot on his face.
The only difference was the verdant glow that now surrounded him, a translucent, almost living halo that rippled gently around his body like a visible breeze.
FFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFffffffffffffffffffffffffffffff
The wind.
A pure, calm, but incredibly dense wind.
Abyss Lector: "...".
"What?"
The Lector froze.
His flames, usually restless, hesitated for a moment, as if recoiling from something they didn't understand.
Abyss Lector: "…Impossible".
Venti slowly looked up at him.
Abyss Lector: "How?"
His gaze was puzzled, almost curious, as if he were observing an interesting experiment.
Venti: "Hm…"
He murmured.
Venti: "I thought it would hurt a little more."
Around him, the Anemo Barrier still vibrated faintly, dispersing the last embers.
FFFFFFFFFFFFfffffffffffffffff
This wasn't just a simple defense:
The wind's energy had deflected, absorbed, and dispersed the heat of the explosion before it could reach him.
Outside the circle, Bram's eyes widened.
Bram: "He… he didn't take anything?!"
Kael gritted his teeth.
Kael: "This isn't just a dodge."
"That's an elemental mastery that's far too clean."
The Lector recoiled half a meter, without even realizing it.
Abyss Lector: "You should have been reduced to ashes."
"No adventurer of your caliber can withstand an abyssal flame."
Venti tilted his head slightly, the green glow fading but not disappearing completely.
Venti: "You know…"
He said softly,
Venti: "The wind is very good at avoiding unpleasant things."
Abyss Lector: "...."
Silence fell once more in the room.
For the first time since the start of the confrontation, the Lector's arrogance cracked.
Abyss Lector: "You."
And in his flames, something new appeared.
Mistrust.
In reality, without realizing it, the Lector had just witnessed the first use of one of Venti's abilities.
The only one he had never used before.
Intangibility
Explanation:
At the precise moment the fireball struck him, he hadn't thought to protect himself, nor to flee.
Venti had simply focused on using his ability.
All he had to do was have the will to avoid being hit.
His body had simply reacted, as if driven by an instinct older than his memories.
For a fraction of a second, he no longer truly existed in a physical sense; the fire hadn't been stopped… it had passed right through him, as if Venti were nothing more than a passing breeze.
So that's it… he thought to himself.
End of explanation:
Venti: "I can become untouchable."
'Literally.'
Bbbbbbbzzzzzzz
His adventurer's crystal still vibrated faintly against his chest, proof that the skill had just been activated for the first time.
Venti: "Level 1, maybe barely stable... but functional."
And now, Venti had a clear objective.
Venti: "If I have to fight... then I'll at least make sure this skill reaches level 3 before the end."
Abyss Lector: "How did you survive an abyss flame?"
Facing him, the Lector had no idea what had just happened.
For him, the scene was incomprehensible.
Abyss Lector: "Illusion?"
"Displacement spell?"
"No..."
FFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS
His flames The irritation intensified slightly.
Convinced that Venti had survived by chance or some minor trick, the Lector raised his hand again.
Abyss Lector: "Make no mistake, wretched bard."
"I only grazed your flesh."
FFFFFFFFFFFFFFFSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS
This time, several bolts of fire shot from his spellbook, swift and precise, aimed at Venti's torso and head.
Calculated attacks, but deliberately limited:
The Lector had no intention of wasting a large amount of energy on someone he still considered insignificant.
And that was the problem.
The reason the flames passed through Venti despite his skill being only level 1 was because his enemy had considerably lowered the power of his spells.
He didn't understand that, precisely, the more weak spells he cast, the more they would pass through Venti, and the more powerful the skill would become and the higher its level would increase.
FFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS
The flames reached Venti.
FFFFFFSSSS
And passed right through him.
The air warped slightly around his body, as if his silhouette were becoming blurry, translucent, almost unreal.
FFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFSSSSSSSSSSSS
The fire projectiles continued their trajectory before crashing against the wall behind him in a shower of sparks.
But
No burns.
No impact.
Nothing.
FFFFFFFFFFSSSSSSSS
The flame passed right through him and disappeared into the void, cooling in the air.
Abyss Lector: "...WHAT?"
The Lector paused, its flames flickering for the first time since its appearance.
It attacked again, barely increasing its power, still convinced the problem lay in its accuracy or timing.
Same result.
FFFFFFFFFSSSSSSS
The attacks passed right through Venti, as if his body had become an empty space, a void occupied only by the wind.
Venti: "Maybe I'll reach level three faster than expected."
Outside the circle, the group watched the scene in astonishment.
Lyra: "His attacks... they don't even touch him."
Lyra murmured, her voice trembling.
Kael: "That's not a defense..."
Kael added.
Kael: "It's like he's not really there anymore."
Bram clenched his fist, his eyes fixed on the bard's silhouette.
Bram: "And to think he's supposed to be the weakest of us..."
Meanwhile, Venti remained calm.
Venti: "He's been trying to touch me for at least a minute."
He could feel the skill working, but also its limitations.
Intangibility lasted only a few seconds with each activation and required precise concentration.
He had to feel the flow of the wind, synchronize his body with it, and accept momentarily detaching himself from the material world.
Each use was an effort.
But each use made him more at ease.
Venti: "Just a little longer."
He thought.
Let him continue.
Venti: "Underestimate me again."
The Lector, frustrated, clenched his teeth.
Abyss Lector: "You're only delaying the inevitable."
"No matter your tricks, you can't reach me."
He still didn't understand.
Venti: "This guy really has an inflated ego."
His arrogance blinded him, preventing him from unleashing his full power.
And as long as he continued to reduce the strength of his attacks, they would remain insufficient to disturb Venti's intangible state.
In the heavy silence of the room, one thing became clear to all who were watching.
This fight, which the Lector thought would be an execution...was turning into a lesson.
And Venti, a barely perceptible smile on his lips, had just found the perfect training ground to grow.
The Abyss Lector gritted his teeth, or at least made his flames vibrate in a way that clearly betrayed his irritation.
Around him, the air grew heavier, saturated with abyssal energy.
He refused to acknowledge what he was seeing.
Abyss Lector: "Enough!"
BAM
His grimoire slammed shut, and this time, the flames were no longer just projectiles.
Rune circles lit up around Venti, etched directly into the floor of the room.
Tongues of fire erupted from multiple directions at once, forming a converging attack, designed to leave no escape.
Venti immediately sensed the danger.
This was no longer an isolated attack, but an entire area saturated with flames.
Venti: "It's increasing the frequency... not the power yet."
He understood.
Venti: "But it's enough to force me to react more often."
He activated his Intangibility again.
FFFFFFFFFFfffffffffffff
His body lost its solidity, becoming almost translucent.
FOUCH
FOUCH
FOUCH
FOUCH
FOUCH
FOUCH
FOUCH
FOUCH
Flames erupted around him, passing through him, intersecting where he had stood a moment before.
The ground cracked, blackened, but Venti remained untouched.
However, this time, he felt the difference.
A slight resistance, as if the fire was beginning to interact more deeply with his intangible state.
Nothing painful… but a warning.
His crystal vibrated again.
Venti: "I'm making progress."
He thought.
Venti: "But he could understand too."
"He must be truly blind not to stop."
The Lector watched intently.
His attacks continued to fail, but he now noticed a detail:
Each time Venti "disappeared," the air around him warped, and the wind changed direction.
Abyss Lector: "This isn't an illusion…"
He murmured, more to himself than to the others.
Abyss Lector: "You're altering your own existence."
Venti: "He finally understood."
"....."
"Wait, actually, this isn't a good thing."
Venti felt slightly tense, realizing his enemy might see through the deception, but, for some reason, he was still relieved that his first powerful foe wasn't some mindless fool who fought without thinking.
Despite this partial realization, Abyss Lector's pride prevented him from acting correctly.
Rather than unleashing a devastating attack, he chose to accelerate, bombarding Venti with a continuous rain of abyssal flames, hoping to force him into making a mistake.
Fire bolts, incandescent arcs, localized explosions…
FOUCH
FOUCH
FOUCH
FOUCH
FOUCH
FOUCH
FOUCH
FOUCH
FOUCH
FOUCH
FOUCH
FOUCH
FOUCH
FOUCH
FOUCH
FOUCH
FOUCH
FOUCH
The room transformed into a field of destruction.
Venti, for his part, alternated.
Intangibility
A step to the side.
A gust of wind to reposition himself.
Then Intangibility again.
Each activation was smoother than the last.
FFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFfffffffffffffffff
His body was adapting, his mind too.
He was learning to anticipate, to trigger the skill a fraction of a second earlier, to maintain it slightly longer.
Outside the circle, the other adventurers held their breath.
Eron: "He... he's taking everything."
Eron breathed, incredulous.
Lyra: "No."
Lyra replied, her eyes shining.
Lyra: "He's simply not getting hit."
Bram gripped the hilt of his sword with both hands.
Bram: "That kid… he's using the Lector as training."
"He's definitely practicing one of his skills."
The Lector, meanwhile, was starting to lose patience.
Abyss Lector: "You're playing with fire, bard!"
"You're going to get burned soon."
"How long do you think you can keep this up?"
Venti calmly looked up at him as another attack passed through his shoulder without causing him any harm.
FOUCH
Venti: "I was just wondering the same thing."
He replied softly.
Venti: "But I have the feeling… that I'm holding out a little better each time."
Bbbbbbbbbbzzzzzzz
At that precise moment, his crystal vibrated more strongly than the previous ones.
A shiver ran through his body.
Without seeing it, without even being fully aware of it, his Intangibility had just reached a new level.
The transition between the material and immaterial states had become clearer, more stable.
The Lector felt something change.
And for the first time since the beginning of the fight, he understood that he had made a mistake.
He was no longer punishing an arrogant adventurer.
He was allowing a monster to grow.
Bbbbbbbbbzzzzzzz
Suddenly, Venti's adventurer's crystal emitted a glow more intense than ever.
The green light pulsed repeatedly, like a beating heart, before stabilizing.
An additional symbol was briefly etched onto its surface.
Intangibility — Level 1 → Level 2
Venti felt it immediately.
This wasn't just a technical improvement:
His body transitioned between states with less friction, as if the boundary between the tangible and the intangible had become thinner.
FFFFFFFFFFFFfffffffffffffffffffff
Maintaining the ability required less effort, and most importantly… he could now perceive the elemental flows that interacted with him when he became intangible.
Venti: "Yes…"
His gaze fell upon the Lector's abyssal flames, their unstable, almost living structure.
At that precise moment, an idea germinated in his mind—clear, swift, dangerous.
A subtle smile stretched across his lips.
Venti: "If the skill progresses based on exposure and mastery…"
"Then we might as well speed things up."
Without warning, Venti placed a hand on his crystal.
Stat Boosting
FFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFfffffffffffffffff
A wave of wind unfolded around him, unlike any he usually used.
This time, it wasn't directed outward, but inward.
The air condensed, charged with anemo energy, and pale green runes briefly illuminated along his arm.
His stats were altered.
Instantly, the world seemed to slow down before his eyes.
He no longer simply saw the Lector's attacks:
He saw how they were born, how the abyssal energy gathered before taking form, how the flames sought to interact with matter… and how they failed against his Intangibility.
The Lector launched another salvo, denser, more aggressive.
Abyss Lector: "AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHhh!"
This time, Venti didn't just endure.
He remained motionless, letting the flames pass through him, but analyzing every fraction of a second.
FFFFFFSSSSSSSS
He felt his intangible body vibrate at the touch of the fire element, as if the two were trying to impose themselves on each other.
Venti: "Yes… that's exactly it."
With each attack, his Intangibility recalibrated.
With each crossing, his mastery increased.
The crystal vibrated again, more faintly this time, but continuously, a sign of accelerated progress.
Outside the circle, the other adventurers understood that something had just changed.
Lyra: "His presence… it's different."
Lyra murmured, sensitive to elemental currents.
Kael: "He's not just surviving anymore."
Kael added.
Kael: "He's in control."
Bram, arms crossed, gritted his teeth.
Bram: "He's forcing his own evolution in the middle of combat… this kid's crazy."
"But it's good."
The Lector, meanwhile, was beginning to lose his composure.
Abyss Lector: "WHAT?!"
His attacks always passed right through Venti, but now he felt something slipping away from him.
As if every spell he cast strengthened his opponent instead of weakening them.
Abyss Lector: "You're growing stronger because of me…"
He growled.
Abyss Lector: "Insolent."
He then gathered more energy, ready to finally increase the power of his attacks.
FOUCH
FOUCH
FOUCH
FOUCH
FOUCH
FOUCH
FOUCH
FOUCH
FOUCH
FOUCH
FOUCH
But Venti, surrounded by his enhanced green glow, calmly raised his head.
Venti: "Continue."
He said simply.
Venti: "I still need it."
And for the first time, the Abyss Lector: Fathomless Flames hesitated.
For he had just realized something essential:
this fight was no longer a test of survival for the bard.
It had become a race against time—
And every second now worked in Venti's favor.
The atmosphere in the room shifted abruptly.
The Abyss Lector: Fathomless Flames abandoned all restraint. The flames around him suddenly erupted, forming a blazing vortex, and the abyssal energy began to howl like a wounded beast. The red and black runes etched onto his body lit up one by one, pulsing violently.
Abyss Lector: "ENOUGH!"
[Venti's Stats — Visible only to him]
Name: Venti
Level: 11/100
Max HP: 3200
ATK: 740
DEF: 410
Elemental Mastery: 180
Identified Skills:
- Telekinesis — Level 2/10
- Stat Boosting — Level 2/10
- Intangibility — Level 2/10
- Flight — Level 2/10
- Soul Manipulation & Lie Detection — Level 2/10
- Elementary Anemo Mastery — Level 3/10
- Illusion Creation — Level 2/10
- Resistance Reduction — Level 2/10
- Stat Reduction — Level 2/10
- Mass Increase/Decrease — Level 2/10
- Teleportation — Level 4/10
- Wind Communication — Level 2/10
Stock exchange: 19000 Moras
Chapter 32: Intangibility VS Fire
The End