The Second Son of The Marquis Runs Away from Home ~ Lacking Talent, He Abandons Everything and Becomes an Adventurer ~ - 71

Chapter 71: Head-On

“Oh…”

As the swirling dust began to settle, the Eight Thunder Gods let out a voice of admiration. Standing before them was me, with a pristine white gauntlet deployed on my left arm.

“You withstand our lightning? Are you perhaps of the dragon kind?

…No, that’s not all. Within you lies something extraordinary, doesn’t it?”

The Eight Thunder Gods grinned as if intrigued. Maintaining their battle stance, they questioned me further.

“Even with such power at your disposal, do you still seek more? With your strength, you could surely handle the Gate of Yomi without us. Besides, it seems one who wields an ancient divine artifact is among you.”

One of the Thunder Gods’ eyes shifted toward Rakul and the others behind me. I raised my right arm, now clad in a jet-black gauntlet, and held my ground.

“You’re right; I probably could handle it. I trust this power, and I’ve never doubted it for a moment.”

“Then why?”

“Isn’t it obvious?”

I struck my black and white gauntlets together. As a high-pitched clang echoed through the air, accompanied by a flash of lightning, I answered firmly.

“Because that’s not good enough.”

I deflected the lightning they unleashed as I spoke.

(Rakul’s Perspective)

Before my eyes, Serk clashed with the entity that called itself the Eight Thunder Gods. It wasn’t exactly a fight—rather, the Thunder Gods were testing Serk, and he understood this, choosing to face them head-on.

The Thunder Gods launched bolts of lightning from their surroundings and their four arms, but Serk deflected, redirected, and countered each strike with precision using his fists. As the intensity of their lightning increased, so did Serk’s ability to handle it.

“How… how can he respond so perfectly?”

Beside me, Amelie muttered as she watched the scene unfold, clearly puzzled by how Serk had avoided a single misstep against the barrage of lightning.

“He’s predicting the signs before they strike,” I explained.

“Predicting… signs?”

Amelie looked briefly surprised but quickly composed herself and asked for clarification.

“Everything requires preparation before it happens,” I said. “For example, the Thunder Gods will next strike from the area near their right shoulder.”

As I spoke, the air around the right shoulder of the Thunder Gods crackled and exploded, releasing a bolt of lightning. Serk parried it with precision and pushed forward.

“Just like how one swings back a sword before striking or draws a bow before firing an arrow, magic requires the gathering of energy. Serk picks up on those signs and counters them.”

While the human eye can’t perceive lightning directly, predicting its timing and direction makes it possible to react in advance.

Hearing my explanation, Amelie began observing not just Serk’s movements but also the entire battlefield. At this rate, she might soon be able to detect the early signs of magic as well.

(Still…)

There was something strange about the Eight Thunder Gods’ lightning. Compared to the first strike, the later ones seemed deliberately telegraphed, almost as if they were being made easier to predict.

Was it part of their test for Serk, or did they have another purpose altogether?

As I pondered this, I continued to watch their clash unfold.