Over the next week, Raiden continued his secretive routine, slipping away for five hours each day to train. As the days passed, his training sessions grew increasingly intense, and he discovered new depths to his abilities.
Not long after mastering [Flicker Flash], he received a new notification, just before drifting off to sleep that night.
*****
[Congratulations! Skill Mastered: Flicker Flash]
[New Option Unlocked: Skill Advancement]
[Description: Mastered skills can be upgraded to the next rank using skill points. The upgraded skill retains its core functions but amplifies its effects based on its new rank.]
[Cost: 15 Skill Points]
_____
The idea of skill advancement thrilled him. Unlike fusion, which combined two different skills to create a new hybrid ability, advancement preserved the essence of a skill while making it faster, stronger and more efficient in terms of its capabilities.
[Flicker Flash] would remain fundamentally the same but grow faster, last longer, and become more precise. It was the kind of power boost that excited Raiden, though it came at a steep cost: fifteen skill points.
Raiden spent his entire reserve of skill points to advance [Flicker Flash] to D-Rank. The very next day, as he tested the improved version, he noticed the difference immediately. The burst of speed was more intense, and he could feel a new sense of fluidity in his movements.
'It's worth every point,' he thought, even as he prepared to do it all over again with another skill.
_____
On the second day, Raiden turned his focus to [Silent Step], an E-Rank skill that allowed him to move without making a sound. Mastering it required painstaking focus since he needed to become hyper-aware of every movement his body made.
He spent hours sneaking across different surfaces—stone, wood, gravel—all while maintaining complete silence since each surface demanded its own approach. Each step had to be deliberate, his body balanced and controlled.
By the end of the session, Raiden had achieved complete mastery, but upgrading it was out of reach.
18 skill points.
That was the cost of upgrading the skill.
It was too steep for now, and he knew he needed to be patient.
For the moment, his goal was clear—master more skills. One at a time.
_____
Today marked the seventh day of Raiden's training spree, and he was determined to push his limits even further. His challenge for the day: mastering a D-Rank skill: [Echo Voice].
The skill allowed him to project his voice across long distances by channelling mana. The cost of using it was proportional to the area it covered—seven mana points for every square meter of coverage.
Raiden began small, projecting his voice over a single square meter area.
"Testing, testing. Can anyone hear me?"
His words echoed faintly through the chamber, but when he checked his progress bar, he saw it increase by only 0.5 points.
Frustrated, he gritted his teeth. 'Fine. If small doesn't work, I'll go bigger.'
He increased the range to ten square meters, channelling a surge of mana through his vocal cords in a focused burst.
"HELLO!"
His voice boomed, shaking the chamber walls. The effort drained seventy mana points—but this time, the progress bar jumped by four points. Encouraged, Raiden continued experimenting.
For hours, he projected his voice in various ways. Sometimes, he mimicked the deep, commanding tones of a king: "Bow before me!" Other times, he went for a sinister edge, letting his voice drop into a menacing growl: "Flee while you can." And when he grew bored, he tried ridiculous voices, like a high-pitched merchant hawking his wares: "Buy my magical trinkets! They're the best in the land!"
At one point, Raiden broke into a dramatic monologue, his voice resonating with faux gravity. "The hero stands alone… surrounded by darkness! But fear not, for I shall prevail!"
He paused, then laughed at his own absurdity. 'If anyone could see me now, they'd think I'd lost my mind.'
Nonetheless, the silly theatrics served their purpose—every use of [Echo Voice] brought him closer to mastery. He even practiced evil laughter, letting it reverberate through the chamber in waves.
"Mwahaha! Tremble before the might of Raiden Goldheart!"
By the end of the session, he was thoroughly exhausted. The progress bar for [Echo Voice] read (35/100).
Mastering D-Rank skills was no easy feat, and it would take many more sessions to reach full mastery. Still, he was satisfied with his progress.
_____
As Raiden emerged from his training chamber, he felt the weight of exhaustion pressing down on him. His clothes were soaked in sweat, and every muscle in his body ached. But there was no time to rest. He walked back toward the main building as the late-afternoon sun cast long shadows across the path.
He moved slowly, savoring the cool breeze that brushed against his skin.
As he neared the entrance, he saw Kent stepping out, his face set in a frown. 'Of course,' Raiden sighed inwardly.
"Where have you been?" Kent demanded, his eyes narrowed and voice sharp with suspicion. "You've been disappearing for hours every day."
Raiden felt a flash of annoyance but masked it with a grin. "Out to get some milk," he said, his voice dripping with sarcasm.
Kent's frown deepened, and he crossed his arms. "This isn't a joke, Raiden. Father hasn't noticed yet, but I have. What are you doing?"
Raiden forced himself to remain calm. He couldn't let Kent get too close to the truth. "Maybe I'm just more interesting than you give me credit for."
"Or maybe you're up to something," Kent said, his tone icy cold. "I'll find out."
Raiden's jaw clenched, but he forced a laugh. "Good luck with that."
With that, he turned and walked past Kent, his heart pounding. 'I need to be more careful. Kent is too smart, too observant. If he pushes too far, everything will come crashing down.'
As he stepped inside the main building, Raiden let out a slow breath. 'I'll deal with Kent later. For now, I have more training to do.'
The thought of mastering another skill, of pushing himself further, filled him with determination.
He climbed the stairs, already planning his next training session. The path ahead was long, and the mission given to him by the goddess still loomed over him.
Defeat the Seven Great Evil Beasts.
The thought was daunting, but Raiden pushed it aside.
"I'll cross that bridge when I get there," he muttered, closing the door to his room. "Right now, I have more important things to focus on."
He sank into his chair, letting exhaustion wash over him.
The journey had just begun, and he knew that every step, every skill, and every bit of mischief would bring him closer to his goals.
'The Seven Great Evil Beasts?' He grinned, closing his eyes. 'They'd better be ready.'