Nathaniel was stunned and surprised. His mind raced, a storm of curiosity and excitement mingling with a small pinch of fear. Words seemed to stick in his throat, weighed down by the magnitude of the lesson he had just received. The air around him seemed heavier, as if even the bunker was waiting for his next words. Finally, after a moment that felt like an eternity, he managed to speak:
"How do I know what kind of energy I have?"
Eddy's gaze softened, and he leaned slightly closer, his eyes reflecting both patience and a spark of excitement. "The color of your aura will reveal it," he said, his voice calm but commanding. The faint hum of the underground training room seemed to emphasize the importance of his words. "Yesterday, after training, I perceived your aura. First, you need to know that magic presents itself in a pure, white, brilliant, luminous form… Everything that refers to divinity is magic."
Nathaniel nodded, trying to picture a glowing white aura enveloping him, radiant like sunlight breaking through clouds. He imagined his entire body cloaked in that brilliance, shining so brightly that darkness fled before him.
Eddy continued, painting the picture with more detail: "Xenos, on the other hand, encompasses darkness, blackness… It appears in a color similar to black, dense and heavy, as though it swallows light itself. Ether, on the other hand, has no color. To discern the color of ether, you would need an affinity with the spiritual plane. For us, who have that affinity, the color of ether is a hint of gray, like smoke twisting in dim light."
Nathaniel's eyes widened. He tried to imagine three invisible colors swirling inside him, each one whispering a different power. It was like trying to see inside his own soul, a mystery both frightening and irresistible.
"In other words," Eddy said, his tone carrying the weight of certainty, "if you have magic as an attribute, your energy will be white; if it's Xenos, it will be black or dark; and if it's ether, it will be gray. Yours is complex and difficult to discern, but I would say that you can use both magic and Xenos. As for ether, I couldn't discern the information, which is strange."
A smile of pure joy spread across Nathaniel's face. His heart thundered with pride, and his small hands clenched involuntarily at his sides, vibrating with excitement. "I'm strong, then!" he shouted, unable to contain himself. Every muscle in his body seemed to hum with energy, eager to be unleashed.
Eddy nodded, a gleam of pride in his eyes. "Yes, you are! First, I'd like you to use your magic and try to attack me. Take this sword and release all your energy into this wooden sword, then attack me!"
Nathaniel's face lit up. He stepped forward eagerly, gripping the sword tightly. The wood felt rough against his palms, its weight unfamiliar yet thrilling. Concentration etched across his features, he funneled his energy into the blade, imagining it as an extension of his very soul. The moment he struck, the sword exploded instantly, splintering into pieces that scattered across the floor like shrapnel.
Nathaniel blinked, stunned. His mouth hung open. "But why?"
Eddy shook his head, smiling faintly. "That's how it is. The wooden sword isn't resistant enough to contain the power of your magic. In reality, you poured all your energy into it at once. The resistance threshold was exceeded, and it exploded. Try again with this one."
This time, Eddy tossed him a sword made of Sual, the diamond-hard metal that formed the very walls of the bunker. The weapon gleamed under the bluish light, its edges catching the glow like frozen lightning. Nathaniel gripped the new sword, feeling its cold, unyielding weight in his small hands. He could almost hear the metal humming, as if it recognized the energy pulsing through him.
He channeled his energy once more. The sword resisted the initial force, its surface vibrating under the strain. Then, to Nathaniel's shock, cracks appeared along its surface, thin and jagged lines that snaked across the metal like lightning in a stormy sky.
Eddy's eyes widened in surprise. This kid is capable of creating cracks on Sual, which is harder than diamond? Impressive…
"Come on, you wimp! Attack me with all your might!" Eddy barked suddenly, his voice sharp as a whip. "If it's too weak, no dinner tonight! Your mom wasn't stupid enough to give me a kid as weak as you! If I were your real father, I'd be ashamed — I'd throw you in the trash!"
The insult struck Nathaniel like fire. His small chest heaved as fury surged through him, a dark, hot energy that coiled around his limbs. His blood boiled; his vision blurred at the edges. He gritted his teeth and focused every ounce of his being. The sword in his hands began to glow faintly, its edges trembling with raw energy.
With a roar that seemed to shake the walls of the bunker itself, Nathaniel charged at Eddy like a wild animal, sword blazing with the energy he had accumulated. The very air trembled and distorted around him; space itself seemed unable to contain the force, bending and tearing with every movement. Sparks leapt from the blade, scorching the ground beneath his feet as though each step burned reality itself.
Eddy remained calm, almost unnervingly so, but Nathaniel knew the calm was deceptive. He knew Eddy could handle any attack, but he didn't care. This time, unlike before, the training from yesterday had strengthened him. Unconsciously, Xenos had merged with his magical energy, infusing the sword with a power that felt alive, intelligent, and unyielding.
The sword blazed through the air, igniting and destroying everything in its path. Objects, matter, molecules, and even subatomic particles seemed to disintegrate under its force, leaving nothing but void in its wake. The bluish glow of the bunker flickered violently, panels short-circuiting under the strain of Nathaniel's unleashed fury.
Eddy watched, his eyes narrowing, understanding fully why the government feared hybrids capable of wielding both Magic and Xenos.
The blade struck Eddy with full force, sending him hurtling through the Sual wall at the back of the training base. The impact tore a path through the bunker, debris flying in all directions like shrapnel from an explosion. Eddy's body rolled for dozens of kilometers across the terrain outside, leaving a trail of destruction in his wake. Yet the sword, still embedded in his body, refused to stop, its energy continuing to drive forward like a relentless tide.
Finally, Eddy deactivated the power with a thought, and the sword became inert, docile, its destructive potential fading instantly. He stood, brushing dust and debris from his shorts, a smirk tugging at the corner of his lips. Despite everything, he was satisfied — Nathaniel's power had surpassed even his own expectations.
Turning, Eddy's gaze fell on Nathaniel — and he froze.
The boy had changed. His eyes burned black, a molten fire of rage and energy that seemed endless. His face was twisted with fury, muscles taut and coiled like springs ready to snap. A dark aura enveloped him, radiating danger and the promise of annihilation. The air around him warped, vibrating with the sheer intensity of his presence.
Nathaniel had lost control. Every step, every breath exuded power that could annihilate all in its path. Eddy realized the cause instantly: his taunts about Nathaniel's parents had triggered an unprecedented emotional surge, fusing anger, magic, and Xenos into a devastating force.
"You… you dare insult my parents?" Nathaniel growled, his voice trembling with wrath, yet carrying an otherworldly resonance that made the ground itself shiver.
Eddy's smile faltered. He knew he had gone too far. "Nathaniel, calm down! I didn't mean to—"
But Nathaniel no longer heard him. The young boy's rage was a living, breathing storm, a hurricane of black and white energy colliding violently. The bunker walls shook as cracks spread across the Sual, the indestructible metal groaning under the impossible strain.
His aura exploded outward like a shockwave, rattling the earth, distorting the air, threatening to tear apart the very foundation of the base. In that moment, Nathaniel wasn't a boy anymore — he was a force of nature, a raw embodiment of destruction and fury.
Nothing could stop him now.