"Now, I'm sure everyone's rested."
"I'm not…" Tamer muttered, scratching the back of his head. Faint dark circles clung under his eyes.
"Well, you were tossing and turning all night," Kael grumbled, rubbing his own eyes. "I couldn't sleep because of you."
"Doesn't matter," Riven cut in, his smile sharpening into something dangerous. "You're all training today, whether you like it or not."
"Oh, yeah," Kael added with a yawn, "I forgot to warn you earlier, Tamer. Riven becomes… a completely different person when it comes to training."
"What do you mean?" Tamer asked, frowning.
"Explaining would be a drag," Kael said, slinging his bow over his shoulder. "You'll just have to see for yourself. Bye." Without waiting for a reply, he jogged deeper into the forest.
"…Where's Kael going? And come to think of it, I haven't seen Ny all morning."
"She left at dawn for her own training," Riven explained.
"Ah."
Riven sighed and leaned back against a tree. "Ny's healing magic is nature-based. She doesn't need to train her body physically like you or Kael. For magicians, magic is drawn from something — a source — and their power depends on their connection to it."
"Meaning," Tamer said, cutting in, "they don't need to train their bodies as much, but they need to forge a stronger link with that source to grow in magic."
"Exactly," Riven said, a flicker of approval in his eyes. Smart kid… for someone new to magic, grasping that so quickly is no small feat.
"But aren't there different types of magic? Different attributes?" Tamer asked.
"There are… but we'll save that talk for later."
Riven's tone shifted, becoming firm. "We've seen your Aegis Record. Now it's time for you to accumulate access to aura. Sit down. Cross your legs."
Tamer hesitated but did as told. "Alright… but what exactly are we—"
"Be quiet," Riven interrupted. "I'll pour my own aura into you and force open your meridians. That way you'll be able to use aura without resistance."
"…And that will hurt?"
"This will hurt really bad."
"Wait, what—"
"Even through the pain, you'll need to guide my aura. First to your heart. Then your abdomen. Then your brain. Those three cores will be the foundation for your aura circulation."
Before Tamer could protest further, Riven's aura burst into him like a floodgate opening. At first, it was strangely warm, almost comforting, like being submerged in a hot spring. His body loosened, tension fading—
—then the pain hit.
White-hot agony ripped through his veins, a burning so deep it felt like his bones were melting. His muscles spasmed, his breath hitched, and sweat streamed down his face.
"Ahhhhhh!"
"Hang in there!" Riven's voice cut through the haze. "If this fails, you might not make it."
Tamer bit down on his lip so hard he tasted iron. He refused to scream. Instinctively, he reached for the same energy ripping through him — Riven's aura — and tried to mold it, redirecting it to ease the torment in his body.
"…Clever," Riven thought, feeling the shift.
"We're almost done. One last push!"
Tamer's vision blurred. His body was trembling, every heartbeat threatening to pull him into unconsciousness. But then — as suddenly as the pain began — it dissolved, replaced by a deep, pulsing warmth.
Riven's eyes widened. "Well, now… that's interesting."
Tamer's entire body glowed with a rich blue light, brighter than before. His once-lean frame had subtly filled out, muscles forming where there had been only skin and bone. And deep inside, a wellspring of pure energy throbbed with power.
Tamer stared at his hands, amazed. "This… this is aura?"
"Congratulations," Riven said with a satisfied grin. "You're officially awakened."
Before Tamer could respond, the Aegis Records flared to life before his eyes, this time brighter, more imposing. Lines of text scrolled down the screen, symbols pulsing like a heartbeat.
[Aura Capacity — Initiated]
[Physical Parameters Updated]
[Potential Rank Evaluation — In Progress…]
"What's all thi—"
"You'll check the system later," Riven interrupted. "For now—" his expression sharpened, "—what weapon will you be using?"
"I… like the sword. I've always wondered what it felt like to hold one."
"Well," Riven smirked, reaching behind him, "one of your dreams is about to come true. CATCH!"
A sword flashed through the air toward Tamer.
"Wh—what the—are you insane?! What if it landed blade-first?!"
"Shut up and let's begin already. You endured unimaginable pain opening your meridians… now it's about to get worse. We're starting with basic swordsmanship."
"Wait—right now—"
In an instant, Riven vanished from sight and reappeared behind Tamer, the tip of his blade grazing Tamer's back.
Tamer's eyes widened. "What… what was that?"
"Basic swordsmanship technique: Moon Steps," Riven said casually. "A movement art that lets you vanish and reappear with blinding speed. It'll be your first lesson."
"Can I… be as fast as you?"
"Not right away. It takes time, practice. But no better time to start than now."
"Are you at least gonna give me a hint?"
"Sure. The secret to Moon Steps is footwork. No wasted movements. No extra weight on your legs. The rest is up to you."
Footwork… lighten my legs… avoid unnecessary steps…
Tamer smirked. "Got it."
He focused, letting the blue aura from before coat his body. Slowly, he condensed the energy around his legs, making them feel lighter. His breathing steadied.
"…Not bad," Riven thought. "He figured out the first step in minutes. Now comes the hard part."
Tamer paused, thinking. How did Riven do it?
The realization hit him. He unsheathed his sword, aura flowing more sharply now, and in a sudden burst of speed, he vanished — only to reappear several steps closer to Riven.
Riven was astonished by what just happened. You keep surprising today, how did you do that, riven clapping at tamer's achievement
Well i figured that footwork is needed yes but i also added distance to the equation.
Really, well i don't follow, explain in detail.
Well when you first used moon steps, it seem that your target was me or distance in other words. So i unsheathed my sword and condensed my aura for increased temporary speed and simply dashed towards my target... even though it fell short.
Amazing.
While it no where near perfect it still counts as a pass for today righ...t.
Tamer then passes out without finishing his sentence.
This kid,not only is he smart but his intuitions are always on point. He calmly accesses the situation at hand and deals accordingly for the best results possible.