Solo Cultivating in Superhero Academy
Chapter 133: Direct Hit

Chapter 133: Direct Hit

Elius and Keith, the two sons of Radiant Man—the so-called brothers from the Solarion Empire—walked deeper into the heart of the dungeon.

Side by side.

Their steps echoed in the steel-lined corridors, surrounded by flickering red lights, hissing steam vents, and the heavy, mechanical breathing of distant monsters. The further they went, the darker it became. The air turned thick, almost choking, as the dungeon twisted and warped into more complex patterns.

Keith was still catching his breath from the earlier battles. His knuckles were red and cracked. His jacket torn. But his eyes burned with stubborn fire.

"I’m good," he muttered.

Elius glanced at him. "No, you’re not."

Keith didn’t answer.

Soon, a new monster appeared. Unlike the previous robotic beasts, this one was bigger. Stronger. Its body was plated with reinforced steel and glowing scars. Sparks danced across its claws. When it let out a roar, the walls trembled. It looked like a panther made of fire and iron.

Keith ran forward anyway, fists ready.

He dodged once. Twice.

But the third time, the monster caught his arm and slammed him into the wall.

"Urgh!!" Keith coughed up blood.

Elius sighed, raising one hand. His sword shimmered into the air, but he didn’t use it. He was watching. Studying. Measuring.

"You’re still too weak," he said flatly.

Keith gritted his teeth. "I can do this."

"No," Elius said, stepping forward as the monster retreated back into the shadows. "You can’t. Not yet."

Elius knelt beside him and handed him a small energy vial.

Keith took it with a grunt, drinking it in one go. His breathing eased. The bleeding slowed. But the bruises stayed.

"You’ve only fought F-rank heroes before this," Elius said, sitting down cross-legged nearby. "They’re kids playing games. Outside, everything’s limited. Safe zones. Training pads. Friendly fire off."

He looked around at the metal corridor.

"But here? Inside the dungeon? Every mistake costs blood."

Keith leaned back against the wall.

Elius’s eyes narrowed.

"If you really want to fight," he said softly, "you need to learn. And fast."

So began the training.

Not intense. Not too formal. Just... real.

It started with movement. Elius placed small rocks and parts from the destroyed robots into rows and lines, forcing Keith to run through them. Fast. Over and over. While monsters sometimes appeared in the distance, Elius scared them off with his swords but let Keith keep moving.

He didn’t shout.

He didn’t bark orders.

Instead, he explained things in short sentences.

"Keep your balance."

"Watch your heels."

"Don’t swing wide."

"Wait for the opening. Always wait."

Keith stumbled at first. His steps were heavy. He tripped. He cursed. Sometimes he even looked at Elius like he wanted to punch him.

But he kept going.

And slowly—bit by bit—he got better.

His feet became lighter. His arms quicker. His reaction time sharper.

Next came strikes. Elius pointed out weak spots in a dummy he made using broken robot parts. "Don’t punch the center. That’s where the armor’s thickest. Always aim for the neck, the back joints, or the lower gut."

Keith practiced.

Again. Again.

Hundreds of times.

Until his arms shook.

Then Elius taught him how to evade. He summoned small flying swords, blunted and controlled them to move slowly toward Keith. They glided like insects, pushing him to dodge, twist, duck, and jump. They sped up with time.

Keith was covered in tiny scratches.

"Too slow," Elius said.

"I’m trying!"

"Don’t try. Do."

More hours passed.

The dungeon’s strange time flow made it hard to tell how long it had been. But their bodies felt the toll. Keith was drenched in sweat. Elius never looked tired, but he knew the limits were near.

Then, suddenly, Elius stood up.

"I’ll tell you what to do next," he said.

Keith blinked. "What do you mean?"

He didn’t have time to question further.

BOOM.

A door opened.

A massive steel creature stomped through it—nearly three stories tall, built like a tank, covered in red-hot plating, and breathing out flames. Its eyes glowed orange. Its arms were like furnaces. Its back trailed smoke. The heat grew so fast that the metal floor beneath it melted slightly.

Keith took a step back, stunned.

"What is that?!"

Elius turned to him and grinned.

"Your next lesson."

Keith stared at him like he was insane.

"You want me to fight that?!"

"Yes," Elius said. "Go."

The fire creature let out a roar—WHUOOOOOOOOOOOM—and the temperature spiked by ten degrees.

Keith ran.

Straight into danger.

No weapon. Just his fists and legs.

The fight began.

Elius didn’t interfere. He stood behind and watched, like a commander watching his soldier train in real time.

"Left!" Elius shouted. Keith jumped left.

"Roll!" Keith rolled just in time to avoid a flaming claw.

"Get closer! Its joints are weak!"

Keith ducked low and punched the creature’s knee joint. It sparked. The creature staggered—but only for a second before it whipped around and swung a blazing fist.

BOOM!

Keith was sent flying, rolling across the ground.

"Damn it!!"

"Get up," Elius said.

Keith coughed and rose again.

The fire beast was slow. Massive. Like a giant oven with claws. But when it attacked—it moved fast. Its strikes were like explosions. Its punches caused mini shockwaves. Even a graze cut the skin or burned it.

Keith kept dodging. Barely.

Elius kept yelling directions.

"Back!"

"Slide right!"

"Jump—NOW!"

Sometimes Keith was too slow.

Sometimes he moved too late and got burned.

His arms were covered in red lines. His shoulder was blackened from a near-miss. His legs shook.

But Elius didn’t stop the fight.

He kept watching.

"You want to be stronger, don’t you?" he called out. "You want to make our father proud? Then endure. Fight."

Keith’s eyes locked onto the monster again.

And he charged.

He aimed for the creature’s ribs now, smashing into them with a low kick. It cracked. The creature screamed and slammed both arms down—

CRASH!

Keith barely escaped.

"Climb its back!" Elius shouted.

Keith ran and jumped off a broken pipe—bam!—landed on the monster’s back, and started slamming punches into its upper spine.

The flames grew hotter.

The body thrashed.

BOOM! It hit the wall. BOOM! It rolled.

Elius kept giving instructions like a voice in Keith’s head.

"Use your momentum!"

"Drop your weight with the hit!"

"Don’t overextend!"

But Keith was slowing.

His arms were too heavy. His breathing ragged. His legs trembling. His body was covered in sweat and heat marks.

And then—

The fire beast twisted its huge body, lifted one burning arm—and swung it down.

"Evade!" Elius shouted.

Keith tried.

He moved—but his body didn’t respond fast enough.

He was too tired.

BANG!

The blow landed.

A direct hit.

And the dungeon shook.