Mob Arachna !

Part 1 ; Chapter 8 : Nexus training

It had been 4 since Luna woke up. Her bruises were healing, and she was adjusting to her new environment surprisingly fast. With Xavier, Malek, and Hendrix keeping her company, she never felt too alone. The four of them had grown close in a short amount of time.

At the same time, Evan decided it was finally time for Xavier, Malek, and Hendrix to undergo proper training. They were no longer just kids caught in the middle of something bigger than them—they needed to become assets in the battle to come.

To ensure they learned how to properly use Nexus, Evan put his son, Drako, in charge of their training.

[3 PM – Training Room]

Drako stood in front of the three boys, who were lined up and waiting.

"My father decided that you three needed to step up your skills," he started. "So today, I'm in charge of teaching you the basics of Nexus."

"We're all ears," Hendrix replied.

Drako held up three fingers. "Today's lesson is divided into two parts: Coating and Attacks" He scanned their faces. "Can anyone tell me what Nexus Coating is?"

"Nope," Malek answered immediately.

"Nah," Hendrix added.

"Idem," Xavier shrugged.

Drako sighed. "Coating is the art of focusing your Nexus energy on a specific area of your body to minimize or block damage in that spot."

"Huh... I swear I've heard that somewhere before."

"Isn't it kinda like Nen?" Malek asked, like the absolute nerd he is because he cannot stop pointing things out for my readers to see.

"No idea what that is," Drako shrugged because I told him to.

Xavier raised a hand. "How do we focus our Nexus energy?"

Drako folded his arms. "Just focus your vision on your hand, for example. After a few seconds, you'll feel a tingling sensation. Once you do, just... I dunno, do it. It's instinctive."

Xavier didn't look convinced, but he tried anyway.

He raised his hand slightly and focused. After a few moments, a soft white glow wrapped around his palm.

"Whoa... this feels like a concrete glove," he muttered.

"Exactly!" Drako grinned, pleased. He turned to Hendrix. "Alright, throw a lightning bolt at him."

Hendrix didn't need to be told twice. His hand crackled with red electricity.

"Think fast!"

He launched a bolt straight at Xavier.

Xavier instinctively raised his coated hand. The energy clashed against it before the coating shattered on impact.

"Okay, this is extremely useful," Xavier admitted, flexing his fingers. He turned to Malek. "You should try it next."

Drako nodded. "Coating is a vital tool in fights. You'll use it in almost every battle. But that brings us to something else you'll need just as often—Nexus Surges."

"Wait, I remember," Hendrix cut in. "That's what Evan yelled when he fought Ryker!"

"Yeah," Drako nodded. "But to be completely honest with you, none of you will be using that technique for a long time. It requires insane precision—even I have only managed to land five in my entire life."

"For the sake of it, though, I'll explain how it works."

"We're all ears," Xavier said.

Drako crossed his arms. "A Nexus Surge is a technique where you send pure Nexus energy directly into an opponent's body. It destroys internal organs and is basically a one-shot kill."