“That's what I am talking about. A thing of beauty and power isn't it? A fist seems to be your fate, it seems.” Roman tells outside of William's attack radius. The amount of debris that shot from this block, barely big as William itself, leaves quite a mess around.
Hearing his words, William asks after reclaiming his hand beside his body. “Why do you say so?”
“It could be a natural form of your Emblem. Who knows? I am not an expert on anything but how to kill monsters and train Walkers. It's a hunch, being for the natural way of your Emblem.”
“You know? That is already quite expertise you've got her, Roman.” William tells, after figuring his Claw isn't half bad a long time ago.
“Humph! That's a great thing to say. Now, go onto the Mindless Eyes training that you wanted for a couple of hours. Figure out what you started before. It should be right around your mind if that is my guess.”
“Is that right? I just destroyed this single concrete block.” William says with a dubious look at the other block.
“Yea. Let the other rest. I won't let you destroy both of them in a single day. This one is enough for the results, while the second one was here if your claw would be better.” Roman tells, scratching his head as if he is figuring something out. “Are you really of 75 affinity? You are quite a fast learner if that's the case.”
Hearing the sudden praise, William can't question or answer it at all. His mood is getting better from this praise, so he goes to the basic sitting position, going to the frenzy of what he already knows.
Sitting beside the destroyed block, Roman is thinking about the basics of how this boy quickly got this to his head. He didn't even need to remind him of this basic posture which is best for this sort of training, which could either mean his experience in combat. It seems he will have to ask him some things about his past, so he could think of better ways to train him.
As for his fist, Roman considers it a passing grade for the time being, considering the concrete, that is. William barely started with the motions of improvements about his Vector Claw. So he could have big potential for massive improvements in the remaining amount of days.
“Could it be... that 9 days will be much better when I think about it? Wait! That's great! I'll be able to leave if everything is great a few days prior to the Trials.” Roman guesses in a sudden revelation, thinking of ditching this instructor thing as a whole. He continues doing so for the next hour, and a second one afterward.
Meanwhile, William is closing to his 4th try at comprehending the Emblem Type. He is no longer getting better, as he fails 2 times in a row by the sharp, pained jolt, which makes him stop and unable to continue.
Roman notices it, but like him, the flow of Mindless Eyes isn't something that is good to explain by words. One has to experience it, get better at using it, and train with it. It will never disappear after all, so any amount of early experience is just the tip of something much bigger.
Roman couldn't know about his harsh struggles, since his own Mindless Eyes training is nothing like his. Even when William noted the notice of his 35th-minute mark, Roman thought little about it. Almost dismissing it, he forgets numbers are important. William was close to comprehending the emblem, yet he already surpassed the limitation of half an hour. What stands before him is a mental wall for the final push to finish it once and for all.
“This feels like... I don't know. A mental block when one is lazy and doesn't want to go out of bed?” William guesses, resting his mind after the 4th attempt being a failure.
“2 hours are up. No changes?” Roman asks, getting his mind out of his wandering mind.
“I think I am close, but it feels far away. I will manage it later today, or at worse, tomorrow. Shall we move to Skills this time? I am interested in them for sure.”
“Alright.” Roman chuckles. Getting to his feet, he stands before William.
“Do you know how to activate the Skills?”
William shakes his head.
“Explaining it will be a bit hard, as the Skills are extensions of the Emblem, through the System. Some are even outside of your claw to be exact. Like some defensive kinds, or unique ones. For the most part, they allow you to have certain aspects, while also giving you a whole different strength.”
“Like my Velvet eyes? It says it's a support and offense type of Skill. It happened when I reached Rank 1 with it.”
“Yes. That is a great example. After feeling better, summon your Mindless Eyes towards the complete focus on your eyes. Do so by focusing on the Skill in your System's screen along with that.”
“Isn't it like... focusing on two different things? Righ... how hard it could be, am I right?” William assumes the oblivious, going right at it after about 5 minutes of rest.
Feeling a bit better after his failed attempts, the flow of the Mindless Eyes isn't that bad for something like this. At least, it's much better than going past 30 minutes into part of his Type comprehension. As for changing his attention towards 2 different things, it is difficult, but not much. He goes at it for 15 minutes without stopping because he is yet to feel any burden.
That is, until the jolting pain is searing his eyes away from the inside. His vision turned crimson, until a bit like a piece of velvet color, that is more clear and shinier than crimson.
William clutches his fist, maintaining his straight back and his head in one place. He feels like wanting to smash his head into the concrete but refrains from doing so in front of Roman. His head, and particularly his eyes, feel completely different from going past 30 minutes of his previous training.
Watching him, instead of worrying, Roman notices the sudden change. Clicking something in his pocket, he keeps looking with both hands inside his coat's pocket. He notices William's eyes that change colors, while a sliver of Vectors is escaping his eyes. It comes from his iris, while pain could be well imagined since it is a very physical reaction.
“Good. Continue. Hold still until it will completely calm down. Your eyes will be quite something if you do so.” He tells, easing William's mind a little.
Though, it does nothing.
“Eyes... Frickin... Ghost! Meat! Kebab! This hurts like hell!” William curses the world inside his mind. At least he managed to listen to Roman's voice, but it doesn't help him at all.
Minutes go by, while another even longer minute passes. William doesn't feel that great about the thing he does, but at last... his vision and pain switch up a notch.
All of a sudden, amid his crisscrossed seated position, the world turns strange.
Everything is changing into a velvet color that almost feels cohesive with his vision. It still looks like a concrete bunker, but there are some changes. The light appears more detailed around the ceiling. It almost seems as if the light is made from small rays, which isn't wrong, but human eyes aren't meant to process that.
Right now, William's eyes are no longer what could be considered normal. They get a velvet sheen, while the Vectors fused with his eyes to certain benefits. It's all according to the initiation of the Skill called Velvet Eyes.
Right before his different eyes, there is, after all, something new.
That is the System's screen, with a brand new message.
Rank 1 Skill: Velvet Eyes
Initialization of the advancement is successful.
Strengths, weaknesses, and abilities are accessed by the System.
Type and Abilities
Offense - Mental Attack: Allow the user to send a powerful mind blaze towards the enemy. Mild concussion, disorientations or headache are potential damage, depending on the target's defenses.
Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings.
Support - Enchanted Vision: Allow the user to see the world in a new light. All types of Arcanite properties are better noticed, combat enchanting is interconnected, but not enough to make it noticeable.
More experience is necessary to uncover more physical possibilities.
Training, hunting, and use of the Velvet Eyes are highly recommended to improve this Skill.
“How pretty,” William mutters, looking more around himself than seeing the System's massage.
“Seeing a better world? That is great. Initiating the Rank 1 skill is already a great start for the 1st day. I wonder how long will you keep this Skill up. Does It say something about retention?” Roman asks, figuring out William's different succession after seeing his bewildered face.
“Retention?”
“You can't have the Skill activated all the time. You just did something great. It's the same with your Vector Claw. They are draining the user of energy and vitality for a prolonged period of time. One needs to get very familiar with them if one wants to use them for a long time. When you successfully make the System's advancement, it's only proper to use it with Mindless Eyes. Breaching the full initiation is the source for upgraded Skill.” Roman explains.
“I will try to think about it later,” William replies. “I need to see the Skills through the Mindless Eyes if I want to improve and see their benefits, so I get it. It is the same as the Emblem type, I suppose, so I will do it today... I swear.” William decides for himself but cannot calm his mind.
His Velvet Eyes went surprisingly easy. The reasons aren't as strange as one would guess, since the eyes are very important. William already spent dozens of hours figuring things out with his eyes. They are used for everything and they are connected to the Mindless Eyes, which is one of the major factors of any comprehension. They make the processing of information better. It is a similar story to his brain, but William doesn't know anything about that. For the time being, he is happy about his successful Initialization of Rank 1 Skill. More changes shouldn't affect it, right? It's only a Velvet Eyes Skill.
He couldn't guess more about it, but the clarity of his vision is apparent.
His vision enhancement is part of this Skill, but his offensive attack is also revealed to him through the notions of the Mindless Eyes. It's akin to some form of undodgeable attack, but he doesn't have the worry about trying it right now.
Watching his surroundings, he even turns around to look at Roman, who appears... clearer? Stranger? William saw the strange current in his eyes too, while... something beyond its back? Shoulders? He wasn't sure, but he doesn't want to spy on people because of his better vision. Instead, he gazes around. To the ceiling, lights, and floor to see how long he can manage.
5 minutes pass, while he is still feeling great. After 10 minutes, the strain of maintaining his eyes returned. Similar to the way his Initialization started. By the end of the 15-minute mark, he could no longer continue, so he switched everything off with his palm, and call of his mind. Rubbing his eyes with his left hand, William feels victorious, yet somewhat... bothered by this pain.
“Is everything supposed to be so damn painful?” he asks out loud.
“Not really.” Roman smirks. “Unless you go beyond the limits, which happens a lot in actual combat of life and death. It's a good place to see your limits, and the path in the System makes it clear to get some results. You get it, right?”
“I would rather not... Let me rest... 5 minutes before returning to the Mindless Eyes and my Type.” William says, feeling somewhat under the weather, but it doesn't stop him.
Like this, the many strange turns of events lead to another, while Roman is sometimes left speechless, but otherwise, very pleased with William's personality, talent, and stubbornness.
He complains. Like... A lot, and he could see the reason for that. Yet, throughout that, he always prevails, which is praiseworthy. Who knows, if it's because of his
stubbornness, willingness, or sheer stupidity for not wanting to give up.
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Out in the institution, further bunkers lead to the surface. Walkers occupy some, while others are used for teaching what William does as well.
A few dozen Walkers managed to have 70 and above affinity this time around, so they all have their respective bunkers. Few choose the path of less pain, while the majority want to see the chance given the academy's dignity.
In the buildings of the institution, a laboratory isn't that far from the bunkers. All kinds of machines, cables, screens, and so on are around this big place that resembles an open space. It's a rather worn-down space, yet in workable condition nonetheless. It is more for the owner of this laboratory who is Tom Hough.
He is currently scrambling in madness, looking at many screens, and trying many calculations on the papers. His constant mumbling under his nose leaves one to wonder if his head is alright. Well... it isn't, but who would care for that?
He never knows what to know, yet it should be there. Somewhere. Whatever he is looking forward to.
“Calculations were wrong? Right.... or not. Is there something that I haven't thought about? Impossible... so many decades were spent in the making of the accelerator and so many experiments... Is there... Could it be different than any other?” Hough wonders in many thoughts as he calculates, and storms his brain for ideas.
In front of him are also many papers, hundreds of them. Graphs, calculations, diagrams, and so on. All of this revolves around the idea and his personal experience of what he saw with his own eyes.
“William Gale. Through the calculations... it is Vectors... Full of Vectors while there were some other factors... but I am unsure about them. How... or why? That's the correct way of thinking... Why the Accelerator couldn't read the proper flow of him?”
As he is storming his idea, his assistant comes into this room, briefly stopping him from his mindful reverie.
“Mister Hough, there is something that you would be curious about.”
“Shut it” Hough shouts. “Tell me already. You are wasting my time. I have no time for your wordy affairs.” He tells after the brief stop of thinking. His assistant complies since that's how it's done here.
“Regarding this research, William Gale is in the Bunker 5.”
“Is he? What does he do there? He shouldn't worry about it unless he has some problems, or...”
“... he went there with a customary instructor of the Academy Trials for 10 days. He will go with the Academy, so the Federation provided him with someone named Roman. After some digging around, I find he is a Rank 7 Walker who is fond of Japan and wasn't in the Federation for a while. He was quite famous here, and one thing that is interesting is his first case of Annihilation, which is the same as the current problem of yours.”
“7, and first Annihilation?“ Hough rests his head upwards, revealing his haggard appearance and bags under his eyes to his assistant. “Does the boy has some issues or talent? His Awakening went well, but the calculation is all over the place. 75 isn't correct at all, and you know it.” Hough tells his truth, which is questionable to him since he wasn't able to see everything with his own eyes. Although he was inside the Veil of Crimson, his brief unconsciousness made his memories a bit blurry. If it wouldn't for the many reports from his assistant and many other scientists, he would never recall them afterward.
“I know... It couldn't be stopped, so how about solving some of this now, mister Hough?”
“I don't like where this is going, Sammuel. I will spend another day here to figure out more about this freaking emblem who isn't like the others... It's so damn strange... I swear I will figure it out. Swear it.” Hough mumbles again, turning his head back to his work, where he goes into the frantic research.
Sammuel is left standing behind his back, sighing. He rather decides to go away, as his work is about done. Until...
“Take a look at the boy... Do small research about him, and make me a brief report.” Hough says, at last, giving Samuel a task. In a slight gesture to his chest, which means acknowledgment, he leaves the room.
“I will do so, sir.”