Tepo nodded excitedly. Finally, he was about to start his training for real.

Wave also noticed that the new recruit was close to losing his patience. She began explaining:

“This artifact before you is called a Force Sensor. It will help you feel as many forces as possible, to find the one most suitable for you.

Without it you will at most be able to feel four or five forces if you concentrated, with the Force of Carrying Winds overwhelming the others.

Which force to train in isn’t extremely important for most warriors. Only if you want to be among the very best, a force suitable for you is needed. A high synergy will help you train faster, and you will be able to use the fore to boost your attacks.

Many warriors start with the dominant force of their world before switching if they somehow become successful.

Another point to take note of is that the force corresponding to your core doesn’t always have the highest synergy with your body. Just feel it carefully and figure it out. Unfortunately, you don’t have unlimited time as the Force Sensor can’t bear the strain for too long.”

After a long lecture, Wave fell silent. Tepo’s gaze was fixed on the violet ball.

“If you’re ready, just put our hand on it and communicate with your core. Good luck!”

“Good luck!”

As Quill’s and Anvil’s voices sounded out, Tepo took a deep breath. He stepped forward and reached out with his hand. Now, everything was up to luck.

As soon as Tepo’s hand touched the ball, the Core of Time immediately steered. It didn’t wait for Tepo to contact it. It was even more anxious than its host.

A core without force was like a human without food. It felt so useless, weak, so far from the power it should possess. Now that it awakened, it was time for the world to worship it again!

A shock shot through Tepo’s body. He trembled. The Core of Time rotated slowly. Gradually the young man’s vision blurred. The world strangely dimmed. Darkness engulfed everything.

But within the darkness a gorgeous display of lights could be seen. Green, red, blue, warm, sharp, lively. The immense variety overwhelmed Tepo. He had to stabilize his mind before searching for a suitable force.

Suddenly, his chest lit up. An image of the golden circle appeared within the darkness. The whole space steered.

All the forces suddenly turned chaotic. It was as if a world-renowned star had appeared on a crowded street.

Some forces came closer, seeking attention. Some retreated, annoyed that their peaceful existence was disturbed. Some only did their best not to be squashed by the crowd.

But Tepo was more interested in a particular group. Those forces stayed aloof, floating above all others. The young man clearly recognized one of them. A warm, white light, which appeared to be well received by the others.

It would be great if Tepo could train in this force, but he understood that it would be impossible. Those forces were most likely the supportive forces, which couldn’t be absorbed.

Furthermore, his core seemed to have a definite plan. Although Wave said that the force corresponding to a core wasn’t necessarily the best for him, Tepo trusted the Core of Time. So far it proved to be more knowledgeable than its host.

And indeed, the Core of Time was already asserting its will. A colorful consortium of forces had gathered around it. It took the core some effort to pressure all of them into staying away from it. It was seemingly scanning the crowd, searching.

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Suddenly, new movement came in the crowd. Waves pushed and pulled as someone forced a path to open. Like a bully a certain force shoved everyone away as it neared the core.

Tepo eyed it curiously. He couldn’t differentiate the forces, only watching a violet light advancing steadily.

Soon, it had reached the crowd’s front. But it didn’t stop. A joyous feeling emanated from the Core of Time. Like the reunion of old friends, the violet force spined around the Core of Time. Tepo realized that he had no say in this. The decision had been made.

A few seconds later the core and force were done celebrating. The violet light pulsed once before directly shooting into Tepo’s body.

Immediately everything before Tepo’s eyes changed. He was back on the tower. A stuffed feeling filled his chest. He looked up at Wave’s body. Gradually the beast lost its luster. Its scales dimmed.

Tepo was confused. He turned his head to Anvil and Quill. Their bodies seemingly shrank, taking on the figures of kids. Similarly strange things happened to the fishes in the ocean. Everything in Tepo’s vision turned chaotic. Confusing visions blended his eyes.

Until suddenly, everything stopped. The world turned back to normal. Instinctively the name of the force he absorbed plopped up in his mind: Force of Time.

Tepo took a deep breath. This didn’t sound too bad, right? Confident, the young man smiled behind his mask.

“Hmm, you are done already?”, asked Quill with a hint of surprise.

“Yes. I found what I needed.”

“Alright. Your call.”

Tepo nodded as the others congratulated him. Finally, he was a fully-fledged warrior! He could start training now!

Quill and Anvil could emphasize with the new recruit. They knew he was eager to advance as a warrior. Thus, they gave him some tips on the elevator on the way down. As soon as they reached the third floor, Tepo thanked his friends before locking himself into a training room.

Gradually the young man calmed down again. He recalled Quill’s words.

Relax your mind. Remember the state you were in when you touched the Force Sensor. Feel the forces around you. Your force should be prominent now.

Tepo regulated his breathing. He concentrated on his core. He urged it to begin with absorption.

Happy to oblige, the Core of Time moved and began its work.

Abruptly, Tepo’s vision was filled with a faint violet brilliance. It didn’t permeate the entire room, rather wafting like a faint nebula. Coerced by the Core of Time, it slowly moved towards Tepo’s body.

Amazing. What a strange feeling. Unfamiliar but comfortable. I can see how warriors can spend a long time in this state.

Gradually Tepo lost himself. The Core of Time worked tirelessly, absorbing the Force of Time and strengthening itself.

Suddenly Tepo frowned slightly. He focused, forming a projection of his body.

What is happening? Quill told me to slowly guide the absorbed force to fill the bridges and establish my spell circles. Although this will take some time, but shouldn’t at least the first bridge gradually appear? Where is all the force going?

The fresh warrior was confused. He focused on the Core of Time. All the force was absorbed by it, vanishing immediately.

Somewhat annoyed, Tepo tried to communicate with his core, urging it to form the first bridge. But only an equally annoyed feeling spread back to him.

Come on, what are you doing? I don’t see the Force of Time strengthening you. Are you just storing it?

Line tried multiple times to affect his core, but it stayed stubborn. Vaguely, a feeling of patience radiated form it.

You are telling me to stay patient? Whatever… I hope you know what you are doing.

With no other options the young man had to continue meditating, hoping for some change to happen.

Gradually the end of the day came closer. Tepo sat in the training room, exhausted. His head slowly turned dizzy. He knew that his mental strength would be used up soon.

Smiling bitterly, Tepo could only stop his training. He hadn’t made any advancement at all. Until now the Core of Time was only storing the force without using it for anything.

Slightly disappointed the young man left the training room. Anvil and Quill were nowhere to be seen, busy with their own training as well. Only the lively elemental spirits lifted Line’s mood a little. With their help he made some food before falling into his bed.

The next day Tepo woke up again, ate, trained, and went to bed. This was his entire routine for the next week. He was once again in this awkward situation of having all the tools but not making any progress. He was almost desperate to advance. But nothing changed.

Until one week later. Tepo looked bedraggled, sitting in the training room. He stubbornly continued absorbing the Force of Time, still clinging to hope.

Suddenly, movement came from the Core of Time. Even this special natural entity was feeling uncomfortable. If only it could explain itself better to its host. But fortunately, Tepo held on until now.

The Core of Time pulsed slightly. It radiated a feeling of fullness. Tepo was excited. Was his core finally ready to help him advance?

Apparently, the answer was yes. The Core of Time bulged slightly. The Force of Time formed a fierce vortex. Suddenly, as if trying to blow out the candles on a cake, the core shrank violently, shooting most of the force into its surroundings.