The Glitched Mage-Chapter 93: Phantom Step

Riven strode through the Academy courtyard, his thoughts lingering on the duel's aftermath. Cassiel Vaigne. A name that had burned itself into his mind, not just as an obstacle, but as the embodiment of the power that had razed the Shadow Kingdom to the ground.

He exhaled through his nose, forcing his abyssal flames to fully settle beneath his skin. The rage was there, simmering, but it wouldn't serve him now. Not yet.

Nyx moved beside him, silent but watchful. Her presence was a quiet, steady force—one of the few things he didn't have to second-guess in this wretched place.

"You're brooding again," she muttered, eyes flicking up at him. "Thinking about him?"

He didn't bother denying it. "Observing."

Nyx scoffed. "I'd call it studying your prey."

A shadow of a smirk tugged at the corner of his lips. She wasn't wrong.

They made their way through the dim, winding paths behind the Academy, moving with practiced ease toward the mausoleum. The sun had dipped below the horizon, casting the world in muted twilight.

The air turned cooler as they neared the entrance, an ancient doorway embedded into the hillside. Vines curled around the weathered stone, and the faint scent of damp earth and decay lingered in the air.

They stepped into the familiar chamber, the air thick with the scent of dust and age. The faint flicker of torchlight cast jagged shadows against the stone walls, illuminating the crumbling table in the center of the room.

Riven made his way toward it, his thoughts heavy.

Seeing Cassiel today had been a reminder—a bitter one.

He wasn't strong enough. Not yet.

He needed more spells. More weapons.

With a sharp exhale, he sifted through his inventory, his fingers moving with precision until he found what he was looking for.

A book, its cover worn and dark, pulsing faintly with abyssal energy.

[[ You have obtained a Skill Book! ]]

[[ Skill Book: Phantom Step ]]

[[ A technique that allows the user to shift between shadows instantly, making them untouchable for a brief moment. Advanced users can extend this duration or move greater distances. ]]

The prompt appeared before him.

[[ Would you like to learn this skill? ]]

[[ Yes / No ]]

Riven didn't hesitate.

[[ Yes. ]]

The book lifted from his palms, its pages flipping open on their own, the air around him shifting.

Abyssal tendrils coiled between him and the tome, binding them in an intricate weave of dark energy. His body lifted slightly off the ground, weightless, as the first traces of power surged through his veins.

Shadows curled at the edges of his vision.

Nyx took a step back, lowering her head slightly in respect. "Good luck, my king," she murmured, positioning herself beside him to stand guard while he learned.

Riven exhaled, his mind already reaching forward.

'System, activate Created Training Space.'

The response came instantly.

[[ Activating Created Training Space… ]]

The world vanished.

Darkness swallowed everything.

—x—

The world fractured.

Riven's consciousness plunged through the abyss, his body weightless as the system pulled him into the depths of his Created Training Space.

Shadows warped, twisted, reformed—until suddenly, solid ground materialized beneath his feet.

When he opened his eyes, he was no longer in the mausoleum. Instead, he stood in a realm shaped by his own abyssal mana.

[[ Created Training Space: Active ]]

[[ Learning Acceleration Engaged ]]

[[ Generating Training Scenario… ]]

Riven flexed his fingers, feeling the raw pulse of mana surging through his veins. The skill had already begun integrating itself into his body, but knowledge alone wasn't enough. He needed to push it to its limits.

The system pulsed.

[[ Task: Survive for 10 minutes against the Phantom Wraith using Phantom Step. ]]

The air shifted.

A deep, unnatural sound reverberated across the battlefield—like a whisper stretching through an empty void.

Then—

From the swirling abyss ahead, something moved.

A figure melted from the shadows, its form fluid, distorted, barely distinguishable from the darkness itself. Its body flickered between solid and incorporeal, wraith-like, but its eyes…

They burned with a haunting, silver glow.

[[ Phantom Wraith ]]

[[ A creature of pure shadow. It cannot be harmed conventionally. Only movement—only the mastery of the skill—will allow you to survive. ]]

Riven exhaled, his abyssal flames flaring briefly at his fingertips.

So, no attacking. No countering.

Just dodging.

The wraith lunged.

It moved like liquid darkness, flowing toward him without sound, without warning—a streak of pure shadow slashing toward his throat.

Riven reacted on instinct, twisting his body to the side—too slow.

Cold ripped through his chest like a blade, his entire body flaring with sharp, burning pain.

He staggered, gasping. The wound wasn't physical. The wraith didn't cut flesh—it cut through existence itself, unraveling his very form.

The system pulsed.

[[ Incorrect Execution. ]]

[[ Phantom Step requires full synchronization with the shadows. Your body resisted the transition. Adjust. ]]

Riven gritted his teeth.

Another attack.

The wraith flickered, disappearing into the void before reappearing directly behind him—a blade of shadow aimed at his spine.

Riven forced himself to let go.

The shadows responded.

The moment the wraith's attack connected, his body dissolved into darkness, shifting seamlessly into the void.

For a brief second—

He was nothing.

Untouchable.

Weightless.

Then, just as quickly—he reappeared, several feet away, untouched.

Riven steadied his breath.

That was it.

That was Phantom Step.

He smirked. "Again."

The wraith didn't hesitate. It surged forward once more, faster, its movements becoming more erratic, unpredictable.

Riven didn't run. He embraced the void.

The moment the wraith attacked—he vanished.

Then reappeared.

Then vanished again.

Each transition grew faster, smoother. The moment he stepped, the world blurred, his body shifting through the abyss like a ripple through water.

The wraith lashed out—but struck nothing.

Riven's confidence sharpened.

This is mine now.

He pushed the skill further.

Not just dodging—but positioning.

The wraith lunged—he flickered behind it.

It slashed again—he phased through the attack entirely, reappearing in the air before dropping lightly onto the ground.

Faster. Smoother.

The wraith snarled—a soundless, distorted noise—as its prey continued to slip from its grasp.

Riven grinned.

The timer on the system flashed.

[[ 9 minutes survived… ]]

The wraith made one final, desperate attack—its entire form expanding, engulfing the battlefield in shadow.

Riven exhaled.

And then—

He stepped into the abyss.

The entire world blinked.

For one brief moment, Riven wasn't just moving through the shadows—he was the shadow.

Then—

The wraith's attack ended, the darkness receding.

Riven stood completely untouched, several yards away, his body thrumming with energy.

The system pulsed one final time.

[[ Task Complete. ]]

[[ Skill Progress: Phantom Step ]]

[[ Task: Survive for 10 minutes against two Phantom Wraith using Phantom Step. ]]

Riven sighed, rolling his shoulders. His breath remained even, but the weight of the training was settling in. Two wraiths now.

His movements had improved, but there was still resistance—hesitation. The system had made it clear: Phantom Step wasn't just about moving through shadows; it was about becoming them.

The two wraiths flickered, their bodies shifting like liquid darkness. Riven barely had time to prepare before they lunged, one from the front, the other from behind.

He stepped.

The world blurred—his form flickered between reality and abyss, shadows swallowing him whole. The attacks missed by inches, the wraiths slicing through empty air.

Visit fгee𝑤ebɳoveɭ.cøm for the best novel reading experi𝒆nce.

He reappeared further away, his stance steady. Faster. More fluid. But not enough.

They adjusted instantly, relentless, their speed increasing. Riven could feel it now—the system adapting, forcing him to push further.

He exhaled. Again.

The cycle repeated. Attacks. Vanish. Reappear. Dodge. Move.

Minutes passed. Then hours passed.

Riven flickered through the training field like a phantom, his form dissolving into darkness and reappearing in an instant as hundreds of wraiths lunged at him from all directions. Shadows writhed, silver eyes burned, and abyssal claws slashed through empty space—never touching him.

Riven's breath came in steady, measured exhales, but his body was drenched in sweat. His robes clung to him, heavy with exhaustion, yet he moved relentlessly.

Flicker. Vanish. Reappear. Step.

He was no longer dodging on instinct—he was controlling the battle.

Hundreds of Phantom Wraiths surged toward him, their forms merging with the darkness, their claws tearing through the void.

It didn't matter.

Riven was the void.

He vanished the moment an attack neared, reappearing miles away in an instant, his movements fluid, instinctive. No longer resisting the shadows—embracing them.

The wraiths adapted, their attacks growing sharper, faster. But Riven was beyond them now.

A wraith lunged—he flickered behind it before it even realized it had missed.

Another swiped at his back—he stepped into the abyss and appeared in the air, gravity barely catching up before he shifted again.

He pushed Phantom Step further. Faster. Sharper. Deadlier.

His stamina burned. His vision blurred. His dark mana raged within him, but still—he moved.

The system pulsed.

[[ Task Complete. ]]

[[ Skill Mastered: Phantom Step. ]]

The wraiths froze. Their silver eyes dimmed, their forms disintegrating into mist. The battlefield stilled, leaving only Riven standing amidst the fading remnants of the training space.

He exhaled.

Then he vanished—one last time—reappearing at the very edge of the battlefield, a perfect execution of Phantom Step, flawless and effortless.

A slow smirk curled at the edge of his lips.

He had won.

"Exit Training."

The world fractured and the system spat him back into reality.

—x—

Riven's eyes snapped open as his consciousness returned, his body still thrumming with energy from the training.

The familiar torchlight flickered in the underground chamber, the scent of damp stone and dust greeting him like an old friend.

Nyx was already watching, arms crossed, crimson eyes locked onto him the moment he stirred.

"How's the spell?" she asked, her voice edged with curiosity.

Riven didn't answer.

Instead—he vanished.

A blur of motion. A whisper of shadows.

In the blink of an eye, he had moved from the center of the chamber to behind her, silent as death.

Nyx tensed for just a fraction of a second before she turned, her lips parting into a slow, wicked grin.

"Oh," she murmured. "I really like this one."

Riven flexed his fingers, feeling the shadows coil and pulse beneath his skin.

"Me too," he said. "Because with this, no one will ever see me coming."