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CHAPTER TEN

The water was cool, like a thousand soft fingers caressing Al's skin. His body, fully submerged in the healing drum, felt weightless. He could feel the gentle pull of the water, its restorative magic flowing into him, mending bruises, regenerating strained muscles, and—most importantly— as he opened his mana pathways. The delicate balance between pain and healing was something Al had grown accustomed to over the past few days, but today felt different. The hum of energy was stronger, more vibrant as if the water itself had begun to resonate with his very soul.

Beside him, Shin breathed quietly, his form still, eyes closed in meditation. The two of them had been submerged for what seemed like hours, maybe longer. Time had become irrelevant. Every moment felt like a step forward, a tiny inch closer to mastering what they both needed to survive.

The stillness was shattered by a sudden, unexpected grip on their shoulders. Al gasped as his body was pulled from the water, and Shin followed quickly behind. The air outside the healing drum felt almost suffocating compared to the liquid coolness that surrounded them.

Standing before them was Alexandri. His towering form blocked out the light, his presence as imposing as ever. His eyes, sharp and assessing, scanned the two boys, lingering on them as if he could see every change, every improvement.

"Impressive," he said, his voice deep and almost casual, though there was a glimmer of approval in his tone. "I didn’t expect you two to take advantage of the situation so thoroughly. You’ve both grown... better than you were just an hour ago."

Al nodded slowly, sweat beading on his forehead from the exertion of the cultivation. He could feel his mana pathways slowly expanding, stretching out like the roots of a tree reaching for the earth. It was working. The healing properties of the water had allowed him to push further than he ever thought possible.

But they both knew what was coming next.

Alexandri’s gaze hardened, his expression turning serious, almost predatory. "Now, enough of this relaxation," he said, his voice like steel. "You know what comes next."

Al’s heart sank. Another round of punishment—another round of grueling physical torture designed to break them down and build them back up stronger. It was the same as always. Pain, suffering, pushing the body to the edge of its limits. A procedure meant to help them attain the aura ability of ultimate defense.

But this time, Alexandri's words lingered in the air. "You’re about to get something more this time, though," he continued, eyes glinting with an unreadable expression. "I’m going to teach you about *aura attributes*."

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Both boys froze at the mention of the term Aura attributes. They knew already about Aura, the energy that was the foundation of everything in combat—strength, speed, defense—had been something they'd barely scratched the surface of. Alexandri had always hinted at its importance, but until now, it had been something just beyond their grasp.

The man crossed his arms, his gaze never leaving them. "Aura attributes are closely tied to your mana attributes, but they’re not the same. There are five major attributes: fire, water, earth, light, wind, and lightning. Everyone has an affinity for one of these, but some rare individuals are attuned to more than one. And each has its strengths and weaknesses."

He paused for a moment, letting the words settle. "For instance, fire and water are incompatible, a bad match. But fire and wind... they complement each other. Lightning and water, on the other hand, are a strong pair, but lightning is weak against earth."

A flash of something strange danced in Al's chest as Alexandri continued, "Then there’s one I’m not going to talk about in-depth just yet—spirit affinity. It’s a rare ability that’s typically found in magic users or a few other races those blessed by the goddess. *Medrain*, the goddess of healing, is associated with spirit power, but we won’t be going into that now."

At the mention of Medrain, a sudden wave of disgust churned in Al’s stomach. His mind flashed back to a memory—a violent, vivid memory. The stab wound from his past life he got in his chest, the searing pain, the cold eyes of Sylf, and that face—*her* face. The goddess, smiled serenely as Al’s life faded and his blood spilled onto the cold stone beneath him.

The anger surged, raw and unchecked. His entire body tensed as a primal, killing intent seeped from him, an aura of death, of wrath. For a brief second, everything in the around him seemed to freeze. Shin stiffened beside him, a chill creeping up his spine, and even Alexandri’s gaze sharpened, his expression unreadable. But it passed just as quickly as it had come. Al’s breath was heavy, his pulse thundering in his ears, but he managed to clamp down on the surge of emotion. The moment passed, and his body relaxed.

Shin, his voice low and cautious, muttered, "What was that? That sudden chill... I felt like something dark just passed through the air."

Alexandri, noticing nothing but the calm after the storm, continued speaking as if nothing had happened. "Spirit affinity is mostly used in magic, and elves are the most common wielders of it because of how akin and close to nature they are. But let’s focus on your training. For Al, your mana attributes are tied to your aura, so your first task will be to learn what it is and how to imbue your weapon with both. For Shin, your style is similar to mine, which means you’re more suited to fighting with your body—fists, strength, defense. You’ll be learning how to imbue them on your fists and feet or around your body to suit your fighting style. I have the earth attribute Alexandri said, which also enhances both my defense and my combat prowess."

Shin steeled himself. He always wanted to be strong and this was going to help him get closer to that. This was one of the reasons he wanted this training after the fight with the commander, what Alexandri had promised would take them to the next level.

"Now, enough talk," Alexandri said, his voice turning steely. He grabbed the wooden mace that rested against the wall behind him, its weight a symbol of the pain to come. "Get into position."

Before they could react, the mace descended in a blur of motion. The impact was brutal, faster than either boy could block. The sound of the strike echoed through the chamber, and both boys grunted in agony as the force of the blow sent them tumbling to the ground. It was pain, pure and raw, but it was different this time. Al could feel his body, his muscles —he wasn’t as weak as before. The blow hurt, but it didn’t break him like it did an hour ago.

Alexandri grinned, his eyes alight with approval. "Back into formation, boys. We’ve got a lot of work to do."

With strained bodies and hearts still pounding, the two boys got back up, positioning themselves once again. This time, they welcomed the pain. Because, deep down, they knew that every strike, every ounce of suffering, was pushing them one step closer to mastering their true strength. Knowing they’d get soaked in the healing drum.

And when the night was over, they would rise again. Stronger. Better. Unstoppable.