Chapter 213 — The Path Through Lightning
The moment that terrifying pressure descended upon Evan, the clouds above the SkyPeak Mountain began to crackle.
Thunder rolled across the heavens.
One after another, violent flashes of lightning illuminated the dark mountain range, as though the sky itself were warning him of the death that was about to descend.
Evan looked upward.
Then toward the small cave he had created earlier.
Too far.
There was no way he could reach it before the lightning struck.
His expression hardened.
"Then I'll take it head-on."
His mana surged.
The earth beneath his feet violently rose, wrapping around his body and forming a crude shelter of stone and soil.
At the same time, Evan activated Radiant Sanctum, allowing the healing aura to continuously circulate through his body.
He knew that the earth barrier wouldn't stop the lightning.
At best, it would weaken the impact.
That was enough.
The clouds suddenly fell silent.
For a single moment, the entire mountain range became eerily still.
Then—
BOOOOOOM!
A bolt of lightning descended from the heavens.
It struck the earthen barrier directly above Evan.
The supposedly solid earth was pierced through in an instant, collapsing as though it were nothing more than paper beneath a blade.
The lightning continued downward.
Straight toward him.
"ARGHHHHHHH!"
Evan's scream tore through the mountain range.
Lightning flooded through his body.
Every muscle convulsed.
His organs were jolted violently as the lightning tore through him from the outside inward, penetrating deep into his flesh and bones.
His vision went white.
His body became completely numb.
Yet the pain remained.
It was as though thousands of blades were stabbing through every inch of his existence simultaneously.
The lightning lasted only a few seconds.
To Evan, it felt like an eternity.
Then it vanished.
His body remained standing for a moment.
Steam rose from his charred skin.
Blood dripped from the corner of his mouth.
His eyes rolled back.
Then his legs finally gave out.
Thud.
Evan collapsed onto the scorched ground.
The green and golden radiance of Radiant Sanctum immediately engulfed his body.
His wounds began to heal.
Slowly.
Far too slowly.
Above him, lightning continued to flicker through the clouds.
But there was no second strike.
Whatever presence had been watching Evan had apparently reached its conclusion.
He couldn't possibly survive another attack.
The gaze withdrew.
The clouds gradually became silent once again.
Several minutes passed.
Then the fingers of the charred figure on the ground moved.
Evan's consciousness slowly returned.
His breathing was weak.
His entire body felt as though it had been crushed beneath a mountain.
He barely opened his eyes.
The first thing he saw was the sky.
His expression immediately changed.
"No..."
With the last bit of strength he had, Evan raised his hand.
The earth responded.
A layer of soil and stone rapidly formed above him, sealing away the view of the sky.
Only then did he finally relax.
'If that thing is watching me... I can't keep exposing myself like this.'
The healing continued.
Ten minutes.
Twenty.
Thirty.
It took nearly half an hour before Evan's body finally recovered enough for him to move.
By then, his mana reserves had been almost completely drained.
He slowly pushed himself upright.
His body still hurt terribly.
Yet there was a smile on his face.
Not one of relief.
A grin.
Because his eyes were fixed on his status.
Something had changed.
The suppression affecting his attributes had previously recovered to around eleven percent.
Now...
It had reached fourteen percent.
Only three percent.
To anyone else, such an increase would have been insignificant.
To Evan, it was hope.
'It really works.'
His eyes gleamed.
'The lightning is weakening the curse.'
His strength had increased noticeably compared to before.
The curse hadn't disappeared.
But its grip had loosened.
And that was enough.
His current status reflected the change.
__
◆ HP: 4,040
◆ MP: 7,140
◆ Strength (STR): 58 {+32 Red} [456]
◆ Agility (AGL): 44 {+35 Red} [496]
◆ Vitality (VIT): 84 {+28 Red} [404]
◆ Intelligence (INT): 00 {+51 Red} [714]
◆ Endurance (END): 03 {+27 Red} [378]
◆ Stamina (STA): 85 {+28 Red} [404]
◆ Spirit (SPT): 86 {+6 Red} [96]
◆ Unassigned Stats: 600 [🔒]
◆ Attack Power: 1,142.4 (Physical) | 1071(Elemental)
◆ Defence: 782
◆ Storage Summon:4,958/6,860[🔒] [13/960]
__
Evan stared at the numbers.
Then his grin widened.
'Just wait, you green-headed bas*ard.'
He slowly clenched his fist.
'Next time we meet, I'll personally smash that staff of yours over your head.'
Despite the pain still running through his body, Evan couldn't help but feel excited.
He had finally found a way forward.
"So that's it..."
Evan looked toward the mountain.
"The only way to recover my strength is to endure that lightning."
His expression became complicated.
"Which means I need to find a way to reduce the damage."
He wasn't suicidal.
There was no point repeatedly allowing himself to be struck by lightning if every strike left him half-dead.
He needed a method.
A way to survive the lightning while still allowing enough of its power to reach him and weaken the curse.
His gaze settled upon the peak.
Lightning continued to descend around it.
'All this suffering...'
Evan's eyes narrowed.
'I'll make someone pay for it.'
He sat down and began examining everything available to him.
Skills.
Talents.
Items.
Abilities.
Anything that could help him withstand the lightning.
His options were painfully limited.
His skills were mostly sealed.
Among his usable abilities, Bone Armour was one of the few things capable of directly protecting his body.
His Radiant Sanctum could continuously heal the damage.
His elemental manipulation could also help him manipulate lightning to some degree.
And then there were his stored summons.
Evan's eyes suddenly stopped.
'The weapons.'
He immediately pulled one of the worn blades belonging to his skeleton summons from his storage.
He drove it into the ground.
Then he manipulated lightning through it.
Electricity travelled along the blade before entering the earth.
Evan watched carefully.
'It works.'
But barely.
The blade could conduct some of the electricity away.
The efficiency was far too low to make a meaningful difference.
He discarded the idea.
Next came Bone Armour.
Evan activated the skill.
Bones rapidly formed around his body, assembling into a protective armour.
He then deliberately sent a small amount of lightning into it.
The bones endured.
His eyes narrowed.
'Interesting.'
He increased the amount.
The armour still held.
But when he attempted to conduct the lightning through the bones and into the ground, the result was disappointing.
The electricity barely moved.
Evan stared at the bones.
Then suddenly realised why.
'Dry bones don't conduct electricity.'
He rubbed his chin.
"Then..."
His eyes shifted toward the ice element.
A new idea appeared.
He coated one of the bones with ice.
Then plunged it into the earth.
Lightning surged through his body.
This time...
The electricity travelled through the frozen bone and into the ground.
Evan's eyes brightened.
'Better.'
Not perfect.
Not even close.
But better than the sword.
At least now he had something.
He spent the next few moments experimenting with different combinations.
Bone.
Ice.
Earth.
Lightning.
Radiant healing.
Slowly, he assembled the best protection he could create with his current resources.
It wasn't enough to completely negate the lightning.
But it might allow him to survive.
Evan sighed.
'That's probably the best I can do.'
He looked toward the mountain.
"If I have to endure that hell every single time just to recover this little strength..."
His expression became bitter.
"...then I'd rather go back and fight those Goblins."
He stood.
Bone armour covered his body.
A thin layer of frost spread across it.
Then Evan circulated his own lightning attribute through his body, attempting to suppress the incoming electrical force.
The result was a strange figure.
A corpse-like warrior covered in pale bones and frozen armour, with faint lightning crawling across his body.
Evan checked everything one final time.
Then he removed the earthen barrier above him.
The moment the sky became visible—
Evan felt it.
That gaze.
His entire body tensed.
He looked toward the peak.
The presence was there again.
Watching.
Waiting.
The clouds began to churn.
Lightning crawled between them.
But this time...
The thunder was louder.
The pressure was heavier.
Evan's expression slowly turned grim.
"...You're making it stronger?"
The mountain answered with thunder.
BOOM!
Evan clenched his fists.
His eyes burned with determination.
"Fine."
He raised his head toward the storm.
"If this is what it takes..."
Lightning illuminated his figure.
"...then bring it."
Evan stared at the sky with a strange expression.
"Maybe I really did piss him off."
He glanced at his HP and MP.
Both had already recovered to almost full.
'I'm pretty sure the next strike won't be just one bolt.'
A faint grin appeared on his face.
His mana reserves had recovered enough for him to feel confident again.
At his current strength, most beasts in the forest were no longer a threat.
As long as he didn't encounter a Lord or a Tier 1 existence, Evan was confident he could handle them.
And considering the environment...
'There should definitely be some.'
He remembered his previous life.
Trials like this never created an environment without stronger beings.
There was always something lurking beyond the obvious dangers.
But for now, his attention remained on the sky.
Evan stretched his hand forward.
Earthly energy began circulating through his palm.
The ground beside him trembled.
Then the lightning flashed.
At the exact same moment, four massive pillars of earth erupted from the ground.
They twisted upward like enormous serpents, coiling around one another as they surged toward the descending bolt.
Evan knew they couldn't stop it.
That wasn't the purpose.
He merely wanted to weaken it.
The four earthen serpents collided with the lightning.
They lasted for barely a few seconds.
Then they exploded.
The bolt tore straight through them.
And continued downward.
Straight toward Evan's head.
BOOOOOOM!
Lightning slammed into him.
But this time...
Evan was prepared.
Unlike the previous strike, his body wasn't weakened.
His Bone Armour was already covering him.
Ice coated the bones, forming a conductive layer connected directly to the ground.
And most importantly, Evan was actively circulating the lightning through his body.
The moment the bolt entered him, he redirected part of its power downward.
Lightning surged through his torso.
Across his bones.
Through his legs.
Then into the ice-covered bones that had been driven deep into the ground.
For the first time, his method actually worked.
One second.
Two.
Three.
Four.
Five.
For five entire seconds, Evan endured the lightning.
Then...
The circulation collapsed.
The balance was disrupted.
The lightning flooded back into his body.
CRACK!
His Bone Armour shattered.
Evan's entire body was thrown downward.
When the lightning finally disappeared, black smoke rose from his skin.
His body was charred.
His clothes were practically destroyed.
Yet...
He was standing.
Evan blinked.
He looked at his hands.
Then at his body.
He was still conscious.
His HP was almost completely full.
Only an uncomfortable tingling sensation remained throughout his body.
His hair, however...
Was standing straight upward.
Evan slowly touched his head.
"..."
He looked ridiculous.
His entire face was blackened.
His hair was sticking upward like he had been struck by lightning personally designed to humiliate him.
And through the soot covering his face...
His white teeth were visible.
He looked like some bizarre hairless black ape.
Even a green-headed Goblin might have laughed at the sight.
Fortunately...
There was no one around to witness it.
Evan couldn't care less.
Golden and green radiance suddenly spread throughout his body.
Radiant Sanctum activated.
The lingering lightning effect began disappearing.
His charred flesh rapidly recovered.
The numbness faded.
Evan exhaled slowly.
'At least the healing can handle this.'
His eyes then shifted toward his status.
And his grin immediately returned.
The numbers had changed.
The suppression had increased.
14% → 16%
Evan's eyes gleamed.
'Another two percent from a single strike.'
That meant the more lightning he endured...
The more of his original strength he could recover.
His grin slowly widened.
He looked toward the clouds.
"Hey, you fool hiding up there."
His voice carried across the mountain.
"If you've got the guts, then show me what you've got."
He raised his finger toward the sky.
"This lightning only tickled."
The moment the words left his mouth...
The clouds erupted.
RUMBLE!
Evan's expression froze.
"...Oh."
The thunder became deafening.
The clouds churned violently.
Then two bolts of lightning descended simultaneously.
Evan's eyes widened.
"Wait."
He instinctively summoned Bone Armour.
At the same time, earth surged upward around him.
"Hold on!"
BOOOOOOM!
The two bolts struck.
The earthen barrier collapsed instantly.
The Bone Armour shattered.
The lightning crashed directly into Evan.
He didn't even have time to scream.
His body convulsed violently before being slammed into the ground.
Smoke rose from his skin.
His entire body had been burned black again.
His hair stood straight upward.
Evan looked less like a human now and more like a roasted creature someone had forgotten to take off the grill.
His passive healing immediately activated.
Golden and green light flowed through his body.
Slowly...
Very slowly...
His injuries began to recover.
Evan's eyes opened.
They were bloodshot.
His face was completely black.
His expression was murderous.
He checked his status.
Then paused.
16% → 21%
His eyes widened.
"...Five percent?"
A grin slowly appeared beneath the soot covering his face.
He almost laughed.
'I'm getting there.'
Twenty-one percent.
He had finally recovered a meaningful portion of his suppressed strength.
Still nowhere near enough.
But enough to give him hope.
'If I can reach at least fifty percent...'
His eyes narrowed.
'Then I can return to that settlement.'
He needed roughly half of his original strength before attempting the eradication mission.
Anything less would be gambling with his life.
And Evan had no intention of dying because he got impatient.
His mana pool had also recovered.
His talent's execution effect grew stronger alongside it.
The healing aura surged again.
Evan slowly pushed himself off the ground.
He raised his head.
The storm was still raging.
Lightning continued crawling through the clouds like countless silver serpents.
Evan stared at it.
Then...
BOOM!
Another bolt descended.
Straight into him.
"Ah!"
His body instantly became charred again.
He fell backwards.
Thud.
A notification appeared before his eyes.
[Curse Effect Subjugated: +1%]
Evan stared at it for a moment.
Then slowly raised one hand.
His thumb pointed toward the peak.
"...Thanks."
He gave the mountain a thumbs-up.
Radiant Sanctum immediately began repairing his body.
And so...
The cycle began.
Lightning struck.
Evan endured.
His body burned.
His talent healed him.
The curse weakened.
Then another bolt descended.
Again and again.
Time gradually lost meaning.
The mountain became a battlefield between a storm and a single stubborn human.
Evan didn't know how long this gamble could continue.
He only knew one thing.
He wasn't stopping.
Because the presence watching from the peak was not ordinary.
Something capable of controlling the clouds and wielding lightning of this magnitude...
Something carrying the faint markings of a dragon...
Could not possibly be a mere Tier 0 existence.
Evan expected at least a Tier 1 being.
Perhaps something even more troublesome.
But that didn't matter.
He needed strength.
At least fifty percent of his suppressed power.
Only then would he return to the Goblin settlement.
Only then would he fulfil his promise.
And as another bolt of lightning descended from the heavens...
Evan gritted his teeth.
"Come on..."
The lightning swallowed his figure.
"...just a little more."
For the first time since entering the Trial...
Evan was beginning to feel genuinely tired of it.
Not physically.
Mentally.
He had no idea how long this trial would continue.
No idea what awaited him at the mountain's peak.
And no idea when the hidden existence would finally reveal itself.
But one thing was certain.
Evan Windstone had no intention of leaving empty-handed.