After a quick introduction, filled with disbelief and confusion on the behalf of his students, Ezekiel quickly got to work instructing the gathered Void Mages, and had them demonstrate their current abilities to Wolken for review.
Starting out with a spar, during which he had to reprimand his students for failing to focus under Wolken’s observation. Needless to say, they smartened up when they realized that their failure today might mean consequences for all of them later.
“Together now! Fight like I showed you and try to land a hit!” Ezekiel called out, and immediately ducked under a lunge from one of the men he had mentioned to Wolken earlier.
The larger Mage was older than Ezekiel and had obviously been trained with a sword since maybe even an earlier age than Ezekiel had started. With that in mind, it was obvious that he would be one of the leaders in this group.
“Good! Just like that! Take every opening presented to you,” Ezekiel twisted his torso slightly, flipping Shine around to deflect one of the other Mage’s sword thrust, sending the man sprawling, “but be ready for it to be a trap!”
Three more Mages rushed him all at once, this time the woman he’d previously told Wolken about led the charge. Each of them was focusing their mana through their bodies. Reinforcing themselves to the point where they greatly surpassed even the strongest of mundane physiques.
Surrounding him on three sides, Ezekiel could tell that it would be difficult for him to get by without taking a hit. It’d be incredibly simple if he wasn’t holding back so much. Not allowing himself to surpass the physical abilities of the Mages he was sparring with.
‘Relax.’ Shine’s voice rang through his mind, and he relaxed his grip from where he had reflexively tensed up. ‘Even without magic, your body is stronger than anything they can bring to bear.’
Avoiding the first two strikes, Ezekiel blocked the third before he relaxed his stance, which forced his attacker to stumble forward to try to catch herself.
Suddenly, Ezekiel threw himself to the side, and a sword spun past his previous position, but no one was holding it. Looking toward the source, Ezekiel realized that it was one of the problem students. If there were three students that were close to forming a Spirit, if his theories were correct, then there were four, maybe five, that he believed would never form one.
The Mage who threw his sword, who placed his partner into harm's way, with no regard for its well-being, and no means of recovering it, was one of these failures.
But as much as he hated to admit it, this attack did provide an opening to allow the woman who had fallen to the ground to reflexively swing her sword at Ezekiel’s leg, too fast for him to avoid.
A loud thwack echoed through the room, as Ezekiel’s leg nearly buckled as he was struck behind the knee. For any other Legendary that wasn’t wearing their Spirit Armor, this would have been a very debilitating injury. One that would’ve left them open for an attack that would’ve led to their death if they failed to get away or recover fast enough.
“...Good job, Tama, make sure you keep utilizing such openings in the future.” Ezekiel looked around the room and saw that everyone had stopped moving.
This made sense, as it was the first time any of them had landed a clean hit like this.
A few of them looked worried, Tama, one of the top three, included. After she realized that her winning strike had only happened because of a thrown blade from elsewhere in the room.
“You, on the other hand, will do a hundred laps around the training area. You will continue until you finish, and you will not use your mana, or you will restart from scratch!”
Ezekiel pointed at the Mage who threw his sword. The man’s face turned pale, before going red in anger. But Ezekiel wasn’t going to let the man speak.
“The first rule I gave you all, and which I did not exempt you from in this match, was that you were to never lose hold of your weapons!” Ezekiel’s voice was a low roar as he let his mana exude pressure on the man. “In this situation, you had back up, but in the real world, if you lose your weapon, you lose your primary means of offense and defense. Our element doesn’t allow us to fight freely without a weapon like the others. Now go!”
The anger was still there, but now there was more worry and concern. A glance toward Wolken with hopeful eyes turned to dread when the Mythic glared at him.
“What are you looking at me for? I heard the rules before this match started, the only exception was that you were allowed to use mana to reinforce your bodies. All prior rules were in effect. Run. Now!”
A gust of wind pushed the man toward the edge of the training room. Where he begrudgingly began running, though didn’t bother hiding the glares that he shot Ezekiel and Wolken. Both of the stronger men ignored this, as they knew that the man would account to nothing thanks to his attitude.
“Alright! Next up is mana channeling! All of you get into your meditative positions and begin channeling your mana through your blades and back into your bodies. I really want you to push your heart and soul into this!” Ezekiel watched as the Void Mages lined up and sat on the ground, placing their pseudo-Void Spirit’s across their laps. “Remember, your ‘will’ is everything! Do not forget that this blade is your partner. There must be a bond between you that cannot be severed. Imagine that your blade is like Shine! It will follow you into battle and fight alongside you, just like a bonded Spirit!”
These were the words that he had said to his students multiple times. But there were only a few that bothered listening to him. The three that were currently leading the pack when it came to magic.
“Tama, Cory, Lumen!” The three best students perked up at their names. “This applies to all of you, but you three in particular, I want you to think of your dreams and goals while you do this. It will be hard, especially with everything else you need to do, but I think you can do this.”
The three looked at Ezekiel, confused as to why he was changing things up. But he could tell that they would try. Each of them had faith in his abilities and experience.
The others looked just as confused, but while Ezekiel had hopes that they would eventually succeed, it was only those specific three that he believed had a chance of forming their Spirits today.
“Begin.” Upon his command, the Mages, barring the one doing laps, began their meditation and mana channeling.
The room fell into silence, more so than usual, as Wolken approached and put up a sound barrier with his control of the air.
“I must say that, while my doubts are not dispelled, they are much less than before.” On his neck, Wolken’s Spirit nodded. “During the fight, I could tell that there was a lingering ‘will’ within most of their blades. More so in those three, and less so in those four.”
The man who was running laps was included in the latter. Something that Ezekiel was happy to see matched his own observations. Even if his disappointment in the four failures was something that ate away at the prideful feelings.
“I almost wonder what might’ve happened if I had told them about their true goals from the beginning.”
This had been one of the worries that had eaten away at Ezekiel’s confidence regarding this experiment.
“I don’t think it would’ve mattered. A Spirit cannot be born a slave. That is not what the Ancient Void made them for. If the writings are correct, then your words just now are not far off from what the Ancient said about the Spirits when first creating them.”
Ezekiel knew what Wolken spoke of. The words from the Ancient Void were that Spirits, once bonded, were to be lifelong partners that should always be held as dear and precious to their Mage.
The lack of innate care for their weapons, or the ulterior motives, had they been informed of the truth, would’ve tainted the creation of the Void Spirit, and something wrong might have come about.
“It won’t change things if it succeeds, then. The possible negativity involved in the ‘will’ of the Mage might cause the Spirit that is formed to be warped. Or otherwise not form at all.”
Wolken remained silent. So far, things had turned out well, and all of Ezekiel’s expectations had proven to be true, until this point. Now, it was time to see if the trees he had planted would bear fruit.
They could deal with the fallout afterward there was a success.
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Tara felt herself dive deep into her mindscape, opening up portions of her soul to her consciousness as she focused on channeling her ‘will’ and mana into the sword placed within her hands.
It was easy for her to visualize the way the mana flowed into, through, and out of her sword, returning to her own reserves, only slightly diminished. The loss was negligible, but the possibilities were not. Not when she knew where the mana went.
While she wouldn’t be able to claim she was as smart as Ezekiel, the man who had turned the world on its head multiple times, and revolutionized Void Magic in its entirety, she did think she was capable of connecting the dots. More so than her fellow Mages, at least.
Though she had to admit, Cory and Lumen outclassed her when it came to combat and book smarts, respectively.
‘I wonder if anyone else has figured it out?’
She imagined that someone else in the class likely had some idea, probably Lumen, who was the only other person who was better than her at using the spells Ezekiel had taught them. To the point where he had actually managed to figure out a couple more than she did. Having figured out Shroud, whereas the rest of them only knew Void Slash and Stab.
Tama mentally shook her head. Now was not the time for distractions. The amount of mana that had built up in her sword, that had remained there, rather than fade away, was reaching the cusp of Tier one Step one.
She had assumed she had figured out what Ezekiel had wanted from them a few weeks after the first bit of mana had finally remained within the sword. Binding itself via her ‘will’ after the first time she had truly attempted to put her soul into the sword.
The crystal dust she figured was drained, pure mana crystal remains were slowly shaping itself into something she recognized. Something that all humans and Spirits had. Though unique in its own way and developing differently from her own.
Spirit Pathways, the channels found within the soul that allowed mana to flow freely. The cornerstone of any Spirit or Mage’s ability to use magic.
When she had realized this, she had almost wanted to confront Ezekiel about this, and ask him why they hadn’t been told what they would be doing. They were basically making souls. Making Spirits, that would be bonded to them upon creation. Why weren’t they told beforehand?
Before she could ask, however, she looked at her fellow students. After really thinking about it, she realized that a part of her didn’t think that all of them were worthy of having a Spirit. Something that Ezekiel would certainly have figured out as well.
That’s when she realized that this was a test, to see who deserved to have a Spirit, and who did not. Since they were making Spirits of their own, there was no choosing procedure like what happened in the wilds with other elemental Spirits.
But at the same time, whether or not they bonded with a Spirit would rely entirely on themselves, and who they were as a person.
‘A bonded Spirit is one with oneself. You must treat these blades as if they are a part of yourself. Never throw them away. Never leave them to rust. Your life is reliant on this blade, just as its life is reliant on you.’ Tama repeated some of the words that Ezekiel had said to them before.
She hadn’t understood them at first but had grown to comprehend their true meaning. If they could not treat their swords as if they were a bonded Spirit, without it being an actual Spirit, then they would never form the bond necessary for their Spirit to form.
Metaphorically taking a deep breath, Tama focused everything on the blade in her lap. On the pathways of mana that had formed during the countless times she had channeled mana through it.
Over and over and over again. A dozen times, a hundred times, a thousand times. She let her mana, and with it her soul and ‘will’ pass through the blade. The mana within it grew stronger and stronger, until it finally broke the threshold of Tier one Step one.
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For a moment, Tama held her breath, but nothing happened. She nearly began to panic but didn’t allow herself to lose focus. Thinking about everything that Ezekiel had told her before now. Searching for some sort of hint, a clue, a sign of what she was missing.
‘... Dreams and goals...’ she muttered the final words that Ezekiel had said to them before they had begun their meditation.
She continued to channel her mana, this time more intensely as her emotions began to flow as well. Memories of her past, the discrimination, the foolish children who bullied her, the parents that looked at her disappointedly, but never with hatred and anger, just pity.
All the times she had been left behind or left out because people assumed she was incapable due to her element. Always chasing, never catching up.
A desire she had long since crushed rose up within her. The desire to not be left behind. To not be told she can’t do something. To never be nothing but a failed follower again.
The desire to lead and be followed by others instead.
‘I wish to lead the charge!’
The words reverberated through her soul, resonating with the spiritual pathways flowing through the sword. A click, and a searing pain that quickly disappeared, as a piece of her soul, filled with her desires, bound itself to the blade.
A connection suddenly formed. Something had changed. No longer could she feel the pathways within the blade like she did before. It was like there was a doorway between them. But one that wasn’t locked. So, she opened it, and felt her soul become more complete than ever before.
‘Who are you? Who am I?’
A voice that wasn’t hers filled Tama’s consciousness. Demanding answers, but not unkindly.
Unseen by the outside world, her soul wept with joy. Her Spirit now alive and bonded to her in full.
The second Void Hunter was born.
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Compared to the other Void Mages training under Ezekiel, Cory knew that he was somewhat of an odd-man-out. He was nearly twice Ezekiel’s age and was the oldest of the group by at least a decade.
Given that he was also the only peak Tier one Void Mage as well, this made some sense, given he was the most experienced outside of Ezekiel. It was the only thing that kept him ahead of the pack, but even then, he still knew that Tama and Lumen were better than him in their own ways.
Born to a family of Guild members, with parents of opposing elements, it was always known that there would be a high risk that he would be a Void Mage. Much like Ezekiel, his parents didn’t care, nor did the Guild that his parents were a part of.
Growing up, he was trained and taught to eventually become a support member of his family’s Guild. At least, that was the plan, until their Guild was taken over by one of their rivals, whose Guild Leaders managed to break through to Legendary, and begin taking over the Guild that opposed them.
His was one of the Guilds that were silently removed on a number of jobs gone wrong. No proof was ever found, of course, so when he was just a teenager, he was forced to leave his hometown. His family? Buried in unmarked graves on a roadside somewhere.
Whenever he was asked about his life, Cory would always respond that his was the life of a novel protagonist. Only without the powers, and secrets that helped the hero overcome his shortcomings.
Not smart enough to join the Church, and with no more backing from his family, he was forced to do labor jobs for most of his life. Going on the odd mercenary mission every now and then and putting the sword skills he had learned as a child to good use.
As he got older, he found that, even without mana, he was strong and fast enough to survive a fight against weaker Tier one Mages. Hunters, not so much.
It was a hard life, but it was better than the life of a Void Mage in the Empire. So, jobs were always available, even if he was never the first option, just the cheapest.
Things had changed, however, when a decade prior, methods for Void Mage Meditation were released by the Church of Ten. Methods that Cory was able to use to eventually reach the cusp of Tier one, and through odd jobs for the Church of Ten, finally gain access to a pure mana crystal to break through to become a Tier one Mages.
From there, he trained like mad, doing all he could to learn the spells that were made available by the Church, though he only understood Void Slash and Stab.
The dedication to his training and meditation panned out, however, and his own experiences got him to the peak of Tier one within a decade, without the additional use of a mana crystal. Something he only used for his breakthrough, nothing more.
This growth, and the magic he could now use, also led to his new faith in Ezekiel. Who, as far as Cory cared, was basically the chosen child of the Ancient Void. Not that he would ever say that. Ezekiel was, from everything he had seen, a calm and caring person, who didn’t like to be the center of attention.
This made sense, since most of the attention he had gotten came from those Cult of Light bastards.
But it did mean that when Ezekiel gave him instructions, he followed them to the letter.
‘My sword and I are one. My sword is like my Spirit. My life is in the hands of the blade. The blade is cared for and given life by my hand. My bond with my blade is as deep as a bond with one's Spirit.’
This was the mantra Cory had made for himself. It was something he repeated over and over again while channeling his mana through his sword. Which he noticed got easier and easier the more he did it. From what he could tell, the amount of mana that had somehow remained in his blade, rather than fade away, had reached the first Step of Tier one a while ago.
He didn’t understand what this meant, but he knew that something had happened. Even if he didn’t understand what. Nothing seemed to change for him, however, so he just continued to do as he had been. Following Ezekiel’s orders and instructions.
Today, they had been given new instructions.
‘Desires and goals.’
Cory had long since given up anything he could consider selfish desires, beyond that of learning Void magic, but that desire was fulfilled. Even now, he still learned more under Ezekiel’s tutelage.
Goals? He thought about helping Ezekiel and paying him back for all that he had done for both himself and the other Void Mages of the world. But Ezekiel didn’t need that.
‘The Void Mages of the world...’
The thought began to resonate within him. His emotions grew stronger as he thought about his life, the loss of his family, and the loss of his Guild.
He didn't want revenge. The Guild that had destroyed his own was hunted down not even a decade after he had been forced to leave his home. So, there was no point in that.
But as a wanderer that did odd jobs wherever he could, he hadn’t had a home since he lost his first one. He also knew that that was the case for many Void Mages around the world.
‘I want to build a home for the Void Mages around the World!’
Cory’s declaration was filled with emotions and ‘will’ as he channeled his mana. His heart and soul filling the blade he held across his lap. A tearing sensation filled him momentarily, like ripping out a nail, but it faded almost as soon as it appeared.
Something was there, in the place where his soul had seemingly torn. A gateway to the blade that was suddenly closed off to him. One that he knew he could pass through without issue.
Doing so, he felt a connection settle into place. He felt something embrace his soul, and a comfort, like being huddled under a blanket in front of a hearth in winter, filled him.
‘Greetings!’
A warm and welcoming voice filled Cory’s mind. For the first time since he was a child, he felt like he was home.
The third Void Hunter was born.
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Lumen couldn’t help but sigh as he found himself inside his soul once more. His consciousness displayed weariness, and a bone deep exhaustion filled him, even as he went through the motions that Ezekiel had instilled in them over the past few months.
‘Just a little bit more, and it’ll all be worth it.’
The exhaustion Lumen felt was from the treatment he received from the other trainees. The failures, at least. The ones who were able to beat him in physical combat but were so far behind in the magical side of things, that they still failed to outpace him in the non-existent rankings.
‘I wonder what you’ll be like...’
His musings stemmed from his understanding of what they were trying to do. Something that he knew Tama had figured out, but no one else had. Except for him, of course. Though he wondered about Cory at times. The man was quiet and knew more about the world than Lumen did.
As a Church of Ten Apprentice, Lumen had been doing quite well in his studies. Something that had had improved when he had finally broken through to Tier one, and eventually Step four. Placing him solidly in the middle when it came to advancement.
As a Void Mage that lived a fairly sheltered life, one that didn’t involve getting dragged into one of the Void Gangs, that were still more common than they should be, Lumen didn’t have many friends outside the Church. Even then, those folks were less friends, and more colleagues.
Originally, he had no desire to enter this training program. He knew full well that, even though he was a Void Mage, his physique was not so great, even compared to other types of Mages. So, undergoing training that included a great deal of combat practice wasn’t a consideration for him.
At least it hadn’t been. Up until the point when his mentor told him the true purpose of this training. A secret that only a select few Scholars were made aware of. Scholars that were particularly skilled in the creation of enchanted weapons and had a certain level of understanding when it came to Void magic.
Given his mentor was also his aunt, it was no surprise that he was given a sneak peek. Even if it did mean that his aunt was reprimanded and punished in several ways. It would be years before her budget got back to the level that it once was.
But still, Lumen gave his thanks, and promised to take jobs for his aunt at half price, so long as the intentions of this training panned out. Which he was happy to say, seemed to be going well.
Though, he did still have questions pertaining to why they weren’t told originally. But since he didn’t want to lose out on this possibility, he didn’t raise a fuss. He’d find out later, after he succeeded.
To have a Spirit of one’s own was the dream of many, after all. Lumen was no exception to this. Which was why, even though he wasn’t certain why it was necessary, he was as sincere and dedicated as possible when doing what Ezekiel told them to do.
It was hard, at first, but he got the hang of truly putting his soul into it when he channeled his mana. His innate desire to have a friend, not a tool, not a pet, but someone who he could rely on, and who could rely on him in turn, was something he honestly craved more than anything else.
‘Please... I want to meet you...’
Lumen had been channeling his mana for what felt like quite a while now. But even though the amount of mana had long since crossed the threshold of Tier one Step one, nothing had changed. His ‘will’ was infused into every mote of mana, and his soul lingered as the sword teetered on the edge of something greater.
But nothing changed, and his mana was running out. Wisps broke off and faded into nothing as they were expended and failed to materialize in the physical world.
‘Why? Why won’t you form?’
There was a desperation in Lumen’s voice as he nearly started begging. He went over everything he could think of. Every word that Ezekiel had said to them. But no matter how much he desired it; his Spirit wouldn’t form.
‘... Is it because of what I want? Are my desires too small for them to take hold and manifest?’
He thought about it for a second and realized that that didn’t sound right. It was just a feeling in his gut, but he knew he was wrong. His desires were strong enough, it’s just that they weren’t right.
‘The Spirits are there to aid us. But only if they feel like we are a match for one another.’
It was something he read when he had been studying Spirits at the Church. Unless forced into it, something only those cultist bastards did, a Spirit only ever chose a Mage to bond with if there was some sort of resonance between them.
‘I see... I need a goal that you can help me with. My current goal won’t work, because it would be fulfilled the moment you were born. You would have no purpose past that point. Something you need, at least for now.’
It wasn’t something he had any proof for, but the more he thought about it, the more he felt certain he was correct. But what sort of goal did he have? What desire was as strong as his desire for a Spirit to bond with?
Thinking harder and faster than before, Lumen realized that he was almost out of time. Perhaps he could try again later, but he didn’t think that doing so would be as honest as doing it right now.
‘... Magic... I want to learn more magic!’
It was something that he hoped was enough but was also something he felt deeply about. Lumen was proud of very few things, but his skill in his spellcasting was something he loved. Something he wanted to grow, and discover more of, so that others could learn from him in the future. Just as he was learning from Ezekiel right now.
Apparently, this was just enough, because he felt something click into place, even as a searing pain filled him. A portion of his soul sheared off and settled into his blade. It merged with the nascent spirit pathways that had formed within it. A new soul born from the ‘will’, desires, mana, and soul of Lumen.
Cautiously prodding the newly formed connection with his Spirit, Lumen found his consciousness came into contact with another.
‘Hello. Can you tell me what’s going on?’
An inquisitive voice that sounded nervous, but still willing to speak up, filled Lumen’s mind, and for the first time in his life, the man felt like he had found a person just like him.
The fourth Void Hunter was born.
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It had been nearly half an hour since the group of Void Mages had begun their meditation. Little had happened during this time, but that didn’t mean that Ezekiel or Wolken slacked off when it came to their attention.
Meanwhile, in the background, the man that had broken Ezekiel’s rules was still running. Panting for breath as he barely kept moving forward. But he didn’t allow himself to stop. The hungry glare of a feathered serpent made sure he was properly motivated.
“He’s not gonna last much longer.” Wolken observed.
“He doesn’t need to. He can stop when he collapses, and start where he stopped when he recovers,” Ezekiel replied. “I only said that he needed to start from scratch if he used his mana. Not if he stopped for a break. So long as he continues, and doesn’t leave before he finishes, that’s fine.”
Wolken snorted in amusement at Ezekiel’s method of punishment. Though he could see the practicality in making a person punish themselves. It would mean that they would start thinking more in the future.
Suddenly, Wolken’s Spirit turned its head toward the meditating group. A frantic hissing sound filled Ezekiel and Wolken’s ears. The Mythic Hunter’s eyes widened in surprise.
Cautiously spreading out his senses, Ezekiel tried to find something that he hadn’t noticed before. But didn’t know exactly what he was looking for.
But just before his senses could cover his students in full, an opalescent light filled the room.
Within Tama’s hands was no longer a steel enchanted sword. Instead, a blade that greatly resembled Shine’s appearance filled her lap.
Ezekiel immediately threw up a barrier around the group, blocking all sound from entering, and caused Wolken to look at him in confusion. At least until the shocked yelp of fright and amazement filled the room. The two Hunters glared at the man who had stopped running. His outburst had the potential to disturb the meditating Mages. Something that might have caused them to awaken before they were ready. Which could have ruined the other’s chances of forming their Spirits.
“Sit down and stay quiet!” Ezekiel’s words floored the man who had been running. He nearly passed out from exhaustion and shock, but stayed awake, gazing wide eyed at the meditating Mages.
A second flash filled the room. Followed by a period of silence where Ezekiel and Woken watched the Mages for any more changes.
Ezekiel couldn’t help but feel a sense of pride as he watched Cory’s sword undergo the same transformation as Tama’s had.
Several minutes passed with no further changes. Wolken looked to Ezekiel again. They both knew that the meditating Mages would be running out of mana soon. Their channeling would expend most of it.
“Well, two out of three isn’t--”
A third flash filled the room. This time from Lumen.
Wolken sighed. “You’re an annoyingly intelligent man. You know that?”
Ezekiel just smiled widely. Happy that he had once again turned the world on its head.
Thoughts of the amount of paperwork and essays he would have to write, detailing the exact process and means used to achieve this feat never crossed his mind.
In addition, the sheer joy that filled the bond he had with Shine was more than enough to overcome it all.
No longer were they alone. No longer were they the only Void Hunter, and Spirit, in the world.