Chapter 133: Chapter 133: Training Ground Chapter 133 – Training Ground In the Domain of Lust—within the main training ground— A fierce battle was underway. "Ice Spears." Black spears of ice rained from the sky, hurtling straight toward Leona, who stood unmoving. She was now in her original form—her hybrid dragon form. Slowly, she raised her hand toward the incoming attack and— "Hand of Corruption." A black mist poured from her palm, swallowing the attack whole. But suddenly, her shadow twisted—and jagged spikes made of darkness pierced her from below. "Sh—!" She immediately leapt back, creating distance. The shadows twisted again, and Ester’s form emerged from them. Neko appeared beside her, and together they stood facing Leona, who had joined Dominique. A two-on-two. "Weren’t you so proud of your so-called hybrid dragon-demon form?" Neko sneered. Leona never stopped boasting about her unique bloodline. It was exhausting to listen to. Leona’s lips twitched. "I’m not even going all out. If I were, things would be different." "Yeah, yeah. Of course," Neko rolled her eyes. Leona turned to Dominique. "Why aren’t you doing anything?" "Hey, my power lies in charm and mental magic. But—" She looked at Neko and Ester, who stared her down calmly. "It doesn’t work on them anymore. Neko blocks it with her black flames. Ester can just turn into a puddle of shadow." She clicked her tongue in frustration. She had been dominating them at the start. But now? They’d found ways to counter her. The worst part? She still hadn’t found a way to counter them. Not far away, Lilith, Lucie, and Lucius were watching. "Why aren’t you letting me fight?" Lucius asked. "You want to fight with them ?" Lilith raised an eyebrow. "Why not? Let me give them a taste of what it’s like to fight someone with talent similar to mine," Lucius said confidently. Lilith looked at him. "Fair enough. Go on." Lucius grinned and jumped straight into the middle of the fight. Boom—! He landed in the center of the four girls. "Ladies, no need to argue. Come at me—all of you." His arrogance was unmistakable. As if— "Is he trying to imitate Noah?" "Looks like it." "What an idiot." "So embarrassing." Lucius’s eyes twitched. He clenched his fists, and a black sword appeared in his hand. The moment it did, the surrounding area went void of mana. "Fine." He took a battle stance—perfect and steady, showing clear signs of serious training. "I’ll show—" "Little boy, calm down," Dominique cut in, her voice laced with charm. But Lucius’s anti-mana zone weakened its effect. Still, it wasn’t over. "Let’s see how long your zone lasts under pressure." They attacked. "Flame Explosion." "Shadow Bind." "Hand of Corruption." "Unholy Fragrance." The attacks came all at once. Black flames exploded, devouring everything. Ester’s shadows solidified and bound Lucius to the ground. The Hand of Corruption began eating away at him. And the worst of all—Dominique’s Unholy Fragrance—struck directly at his core. Lucius, being the lustful bastard he was, was already weakened by the prior attacks. The charm-based spell hit hard. Smoke billowed over the battlefield, making it impossible to see clearly. When it finally cleared, Lucius was still standing—but barely. His anti-mana zone was gone, broken. His body was battered and bloodied. Black flames flickered over him. His eyes were glazed over with lust. But he quickly acted—coating his head in anti-mana. His eyes cleared. Huff... He exhaled deeply, steadying himself. Then he looked at the girls and gave a sheepish smile. He had underestimated them. Badly. Lilith stepped into the battlefield. "See now, Lucius? Your talent is incredible—but it has limits. You don’t use mana—you use anti-mana. But even that runs out." She gestured toward the girls. "If you fight with such a recklessness—or multiple enemies at once—you won’t keep up. Not unless they’re far weaker than you." "Did you really underestimate them that much?" Lucius nodded. "Yeah. I did. This was a necessary wake-up call." He turned to the girls, rubbing the back of his neck. "Sorry for underestimating you." They nodded. They didn’t mind. It gave them the chance to hit him properly. "Now," Lilith smirked, "how about you all fight me instead?" "Let’s get—" She stopped mid-sentence. Everyone froze. They turned—and saw them. Standing tall were Noah and Zara, and behind them was Isac and Albert. Ester instantly melted into shadow and reformed beside Noah. ’I missed you, Master,’ her voice echoed in his mind. Noah smiled. ’I missed you too, my dear shadow.’ Neko jumped up onto his shoulder in beast form, rubbing her head against his cheek. "I missed you too, my dear beast," Noah said, scratching her back gently. She purred in contentment. The rest of the group gathered. Dominique stepped beside him, kissed his cheek, and said softly, "Welcome back, love." Leona bowed. "Welcome back, Master." Lucius, still drinking a health potion, gave a lazy wave. "Yo. Took your time, huh?" Lilith approached with Lucie, now perched on her shoulder in her crow form. "I missed you too, Mast—dear," she corrected herself quickly. But this time, everyone noticed. Noah nodded to them all. "I missed you all." He glanced at Lucius. "Except you, of course." Lucius’s lips twitched. "How was the training?" Noah asked. "It went well. The girls were motivated," Lilith replied. She continued, "We followed your orders regarding Mammot. We figured out what he really wants." "What is it?" Noah asked. 𝘧𝓇𝑒𝑒𝑤ℯ𝑏𝓃𝘰𝑣ℯ𝘭.𝘤ℴ𝘮 Lilith rolled her eyes. "An artifact. That greedy demon just wants something that gives him passive income." "He’s even more obsessed with money than Belzebuth." Noah blinked. Seriously? Of course. Typical. ’Creating something like that will be tricky... I’ll need the right materials.’ [There’s a beast called the Treasure Hunting Rat. Its body could work.] Noah acted fast. "Do you have a beast called the Treasure Hunting Rat here?" he asked Lilith. She tilted her head. "Yeah. It’s a beast any demon lord have because of it’s usefulness. Why?" "You mind if I... kill one and take its body?" "I don’t mind." Moments later, Noah hunted and killed the beast. Using his Creation Affinity and his title, The Creator, he forged an artifact from the body. Name: Money Giver Effect: Grants 5 gold coins every day by giving it mana. In a world where the currency goes: copper → silver → gold → platinum—that was huge. He handed it to Lilith. "I’m counting on you." "Don’t worry," she said. "As a fellow Demon Lord, he’ll give me face." Noah turned to Lucie. "You coming with me?" "I’ll stay and make sure everything goes smoothly." "Alright." He looked at Dominique. "I’m coming with you," she said without hesitation. Noah smiled. As expected. He took a breath. His companions—his women—gathered around him. Zara at his right. Dominique at his left. Ester in his shadow. Neko on his shoulder. Leona behind him, loyal and ready. Lucius nearby, surprisingly cooperative. They were ready. And so— "Let’s head back to the Academy." —End Of Chapter 133—