The Abyssal Water Flow Technique
"Abyssal Water Flow Technique, eh…" Anos said with a murmur as he stopped in front of his mother's door.
"Anos? Something amiss?" Celestia Ruth's soft voice carried through, startling him.
Anos blinked. "Uh… how did you know I was here?"
The door creaked softly open to reveal his mother's smile. She laughed softly, her eyes sparkling with amusement.
"You ought to come in before you speak, my son."
"Mm, okay," Anos said, entering the room.
He had always pictured his mother's personal chamber as being mysterious, yet it was elegant and plain. There were rows of books on the shelves, their covers packed with knowledge of the Soulspire World. There was one polished table near the window, placed upon it a dainty tea set.
'Mother hardly ever lets me in here…' Anos pondered, his inner curiosity scanning the bookshelves before pausing to rest upon her. She sat with immaculate poise, that serene smile never wavering from her lips.
"So," Celestia said, her hands folded neatly in her lap. "You are interested in knowing how I knew you were there, aren't you?"
Anos nodded hastily.
"Easy, really. Sensory training." She leaned forward, tapped his nose, and then his ears. "Learn to sense the world, not merely observe it."
'Sense, eh…' Anos pondered. He wandered off into a thinking pattern, reminiscing about the breathing art that he had just combined. 'Wait… the Abyssal Water Flow Technique.'
He didn't hesitate, taking in deep breaths, filling his lungs with measured precision.
Celestia cocked her head, intrigued.
'This style… it's not Shadow Breathing or Turtle Spirit Breath. But there's something like both.'
Her eyes opened wide with realization.
"Don't tell me… you combined them?" she breathed, placing her hand over her lips.
Anos' body relaxed into serenity. His senses came alive—the sound of pages turned on the bookshelf, the subtle tea scent, even his mother's constant heartbeat—it was all razor-sharp. His breathing was even, his soul serene, his perception heightened.
Celestia's chest puffed with pride as she observed him.
'Genius… he's so unlike any child. Even I never came to this clarity at such a young age.'
"How does it feel?" she asked at last, voice tinged with interest.
Anos grinned, his cheeks faintly flushed. "Amazing… I really can't say anything better than that."
"I see." Celestia nodded slowly, looking at him with a mother's affection and a teacher's keen eye. "You mixed the methods I taught you, didn't you?"
'Crap.' Anos told himself, fighting the temptation to smack himself on the head. He paused, then gave a reluctant nod.
"Mm… yes. I mixed them.
'Technically three… and Zara did the fusion, but I can't tell her that.'
Rather than punishing him, Celestia's face filled with happiness. She knelt down and embraced him tightly.
"Hehe, my son really is the best."
Anos felt relief swept over him. 'Safe…' he thought, letting himself indulge in her hug as he let out a sigh in his heart.
_____________________________________
Two Years Later
The streets of Sunrise Village were teeming with life. Merchants shouted, children darted through with baskets on their hands, and the smell of roasted meat and fresh bread wafted through the air.
Anos, who looked like a six-year-old at just four years old, strode at Celestia Ruth's side.
"The village has expanded so much in the last few years," he said, gazing at the new stores and filled gates.
Celestia nodded, her gaze observing the caravans coming in.
"Mm. Its proximity to the empires renders it the ideal rest stop for traders and travelers. Expansion was a certainty."
Anos' brows furrowed, mind wandering. 'She is right. The village rapidly evolved. And in another two years… my awakening martial spirit will evolve everything too.'
Zara's voice interrupted him at the moment.
[Host, there is something that can be of use at that stall.]
A radiant arrow materialized in his line of sight, directing him to a tiny stall wedged into the depths of an alleyway.
'Hmm? Fascinating…' Anos thought, pulling on his mother's arm.
"Mother, can we investigate that stall?"
Celestia looked over at him, then along his pointing finger. "Sure."
The two moved forward. The stall was disorganized, a jumble of used products and discarded trinkets. Anos' gaze flashed across the objects until three caught his attention.
First, a boulder of stone, half-buried under hardened mud.
[Name: Cold Iron Ore]
[Type: Material]
[Grade: Uncommon]
[Description: Denser and tougher than ordinary iron. Perfect for forging weapons, armor, or accessories.]
'Not bad,' Anos thought, already thinking about how he would use it.
His eyes moved to two tattered books stacked haphazardly.
[Name: Cherry Blossom Sword Style (Incomplete)]
[Type: Sword Art]
[Grade: Low-Rare]
[Description: Elegance used by a solitary swordmaster in days of yore. Half the method was lost to time, but what is left cuts with sharp beauty.]
[Name: Lightning Sword Art]
[Type: Sword Art]
[Grade: Low-Rare]
[Description: A thunderous sword art. Concentrating solely on speed, it emulates the lightning's strike itself.]
Anos' lips twitched into a small smile.
'Jackpot. Rare sword arts are not something that one would normally find in a place like this. My Reincarnator status is rewarded once again.'
He pointed a finger at the rock. "How much for this?"
The merchant was a sly-looking man with a forced smile. He answered smoothly, "Two gold coins."
Anos scowled. "Two gold? For a rock? This thing's worth ten copper tops."
The merchant's smile faltered. Celestia's eyes narrowed, her very look causing the man to shiver as cold sweat broke out at his temple.
"And these books?" Anos asked, indicating the sword arts.
"Four gold coins," the merchant remarked nonchalantly.
Anos glared at him. "Where did you even find them?"
"Cemetery," the merchant shrugged like it meant nothing.
'This deceiver…' Anos thought, annoyed. "Let's go, Mother. He's attempting to swindle us." He took her by the hand and began walking.
But then stopped halfway, turning his head with a sly grin.
"Hmph. I'll just tell the village housewives that you're scamming travelers with junk. Let's see how long your business survives."
The merchant's blood drained from his face. He knew the terror of housewife gossip in Sunrise Village—it spread faster than wildfire and ruined reputations overnight.
"W-Wait!" he blurted, desperation replacing arrogance. "Fine! I'll sell all three items for two gold coins."
"Seventy silver," Anos countered without hesitation, his voice calm but sharp.
Celestia arched an eyebrow, entertained by her son's bargaining skills.
"One gold, seventy silver!" the merchant attempted once more.
"Fifty silver."
"One gold, twenty silver!"
Anos moved in closer, smirk growing. "I'll report this to Aunt Anna Walker, then. You know how she speaks."
The merchant was about to fall over. He pounded his hand on the table, face contorting. "One gold coin! That's my minimum!"
"Deal." Anos smiled, catching his mother's eye.
Celestia just smiled and passed over one gold coin. The two of them walked off with the ore and the two sword arts, leaving the merchant to remain behind.
The man looked at the coin in his hand and sneered in derision.
'Hahaha! Foolish child. Those things aren't even worth three silver coins.'
If he only knew the worth of what he had just lost, he would be spitting up blood in despair.