Spirit cultivation is simply the accumulation of origin energy within one’s spirit. This naturally occurs when one gains an icon, seal, familiar or several other perks that fuse themselves with the spirit. Without these perks, it is nigh impossible to reach the peak of advancement without encountering a limit forced upon individuals by the system itself.
Awakened advancement theory.
Introduction, page 3.
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Fortunately, no nightmares plagued his sleep, and Aodhán awoke feeling refreshed and strengthened. It was only a few minutes past five a.m., so he decided to check his notifications but was disappointed to see that Daruk hadn’t replied to his message yet.
He disentangled himself from Varéc’s sinuous body and made his way to the bathroom. Twenty minutes later, he was dressed in his uniform and signature storm scarf.
After a moment of contemplation, he shoved his official uniform into his spatial storage and was finally ready to go, but his clock indicated that he still had about thirty minutes before gym, so he climbed back into bed and began reading the text on Awakened Advancement Theory.
He’d only read about a page or two before coming to the conclusion that AAT would be one of his toughest classes this semester. The topics weren’t exactly hard, as they mostly pertained to advancement, but they were broad and filled with complex theories and hypotheses that date back several centuries.
Before he could delve into the intricacies of spirit cultivation, his alarm rang, indicating that he only had about 15 minutes left, so he stepped out of his room and made his way down the stairs.
When he got to the living room, he wasn’t too surprised to see that the house had repaired itself. It only proved that he’d made the right choice in choosing runic theory as a course for the semester, as he hadn’t even sensed the runic scripts on the wall.
Surprisingly, the living room was empty; either his housemates had already left or they were in their individual rooms.
A text came in from Andrew as Aodhán stepped out of the house, and he replied with a sigh.
No, he hasn’t replied to my text either, but I’ll check up on him when I get to his house.
Andrew replied, —I’m closer; I’ll check up on him. After a few minutes, Andrew texted again. Nope, he’s gone. He’s either too shy to face us directly or he’s a cold fucking prick.”
Unfortunately, Aodhán had no idea what Daruk was currently feeling, but he soon pushed his worry aside. Since Daruk wasn’t home, he would be at the gym, and they were headed there anyway.
He met up with Andrew a few minutes later, and after exchanging pleasantries, they made their way to the gym. The gymnasium was a circular building similar to the arena in size. It was made entirely of Romanian glass, and by its grand entrance, a heavily built man stood with a notepad in hand, his corded muscles bulging through his uniform, and as they approached, he gave a toothy smile that contrasted deeply with his looks and said. “Welcome boys. You’re two minutes late, so that means an extra lap for you both.”
Aodhán and Andrew grumbled, but eventually agreed. An extra lap around the gymnasium was nothing, especially at their tier of advancement.
The coach’s smile widened at their response, and although that should have clued them in to the fact that things weren’t quite as they seemed, it wasn’t until they stepped into the hall that they realized just how wrong they’d been.
“Holy fuck, Raol, forgive me.” Andrew exclaimed, while Aodhán simply gaped in astonishment. The hall stretched out for miles, farther than his eyes could see, farther than was naturally possible even with the amount of Romanian glass used in its construction, which suggested that further alterations had been made to it.
Encircling the hall were race tracks, each meticulously marked with white lines. Each track was wide enough to accommodate half a dozen people walking side by side, and its surface was a blend of synthetic turf and shock-absorbing material.
A ceiling of foggy black glass reigned above them, obscuring their view of what lay beyond, and Aodhán wondered if it was another hall, perhaps for the 2nd and 3rd years. That would make sense.
“Come this way.” A muscled woman called out to them from one corner of the hall, and as they hesitantly approached, two black cuirasses appeared in her palms. She handed them over and instructed. “These are made of null steel, which means that they get heavier the longer you have them on, so I suggest you finish these laps as soon as possible. Everyone is expected to run two laps, but the coach gave you one extra, so that makes it three.”
She fiddled with a tablet for a moment before handing over two black wristbands with the number 3 written on them.
“Just great. Now we can’t even cheat!” Andrew muttered angrily as the woman slapped the band to his wrist and helped Aodhán with the null armor. When they were both fully fitted, the woman gestured towards the tracks. “You may begin.”
The track stretched on for miles, but with their improved strength and speed, they completed the first lap in a little under twenty-five minutes. As they began the second lap, Aodhán pressed forward, leaving Andrew behind when he realized just how much weight the null metal was gaining with every passing minute, and by the time he finished the second lap about forty minutes later, he had his tongue out and was panting like a dog.
He’d even run across Daruk, and although they hadn’t spoken, it was a relief to see a spark of regret in his distant blue eyes. Daruk looked much better than he did the day before, and the indifference that had filled his eyes was now mostly gone.
When Aodhán finally completed the third lap, his entire body was so heavy that he had to fight the urge to simply lay down and die. Not everyone had been able to resist the urge, and Aodhán passed several passed-out students on his way to the finish line.
He didn’t blame them, as he would have done the same if it weren’t for his enormous pool of willpower. Fortunately, the coach wasn’t too cruel, and he somehow deactivated the armor the moment a student passed out or stumbled.
The moment he reached the finish line, the armor deactivated itself, and Aodhán collapsed to the ground, his weakened legs unable to hold him up for a second longer.
“Congratulations.” The coach addressed them a few minutes later. “I have been instructed to take it easy on you guys for the next few weeks. For this reason, we’ll stick to using the null armor for now until you’re able to run a total of two laps in less than twenty minutes.
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I assure you that as torturous as this exercise seems, it is for your own good.” The coach admonished with a smile. “Now get up, everyone; I’ll lead you in a series of stretches that’ll help prevent your muscles from cramping.”
Aodhán groaned alongside the other students as they struggled to their feet and began contorting their bodies in ways that caused their muscles to spasm and twitch in protest. After about ten to fifteen minutes of stretching exercises, the coach finally dismissed them.
“You’re free to use the private stalls in the bath area to freshen up and prepare for your classes. I and assistant coach Greene will see you all tomorrow. Have a nice day.”
Aodhán groaned as he pushed himself to his feet once more, but rather than make his way to the stalls, he decided to wait for Daruk. He didn’t have to wait long, as only a moment later, Daruk walked up to him and hugged him.
Aodhán squeezed tightly in response as Daruk let his emotions out. “I’m sorry, truly; I didn’t mean to put you guys in danger.”
“It’s fine, Daruk.”
"No, it’s not. I feel so guilty for what happened and how I reacted after. I am truly sorry.”
Aodhán pulled back and smiled. “It’s fine; you just need to be more careful.”
“I know, I will.” Daruk replied somberly, but a moment later, he chuckled. “You should have seen your faces, though. Real. Epic. Moment.”
Aodhán scowled, and Daruk raised his hands in surrender. “I get it; it’s too early to make a joke out of it yet. I gained a lot from it, though.”
“I saw.” Aodhán laughed softly. “Your parents would be proud.”
Daruk shook his head and hugged him again. “Our parents will be proud.”
"Okay, that’s enough.” Andrew cut in angrily and shoved himself between them. “I deserve an apology too. Aodhán isn’t the only one who almost died.”
Aodhán scowled. “Can’t you see we were having a moment there?”
“It’s fine.” Daruk chuckled and turned to Andrew. “I’m sorry that I almost froze you death, but it’s a real shame that you survived.”
Andrew scowled. “I hate you, both of you, but I also managed to create the skill I wanted, so thank you, but fuck you.”
“You plan on testing it?” Aodhán laughed, and Andrew placed his arms on both their shoulders before whispering. “I plan to challenge the tower today, so I’ll test it then. What about you, Daruk? I’m sure you’ve got a ton of new skills you want to test out."
Daruk nodded. “I do. I’ll also be challenging the tower; I’m curious to know how strong I’ve become.”
“Well, I’ll be rooting for you both.” Aodhán replied, and after a thorough bath to wash away their grime and sweat, they went to the cafeteria for breakfast.
After a quick meal, they made their way to the classroom for the next class. The semi-circular structure was better described as a hall and was basically a smaller version of the arena.
Surprisingly, there were only a few students in the hall when they arrived, and this time Andrew dragged them to the front row, mumbling something about forge points and being in the lecturer's direct line of sight.
The seat they chose put them beside a burly girl with blue-black hair and reddish skin. Immediately, she saw Daruk, She growled threateningly and placed a bunch of books on the seat he’d been about to occupy.
“I don’t want you sitting next to me.” The girl said with a glare, and Daruk hissed. “You cannot tell me what to do, and I can sit anywhere I like. I choose here!”
“Maybe we should just find somewhere else.” Aodhán started, but Daruk cut him off with a resounding no.
“I will sit down here.” He continued. “I will not let this flame monster tell me where to sit."
The girl scowled. “Always so stubborn, like the cold that inflicts you.”
“Okay, what is going on?” Andrew asked, his gaze darting from Daruk to the girl in confusion.
“I think they’re both still suffering from the aftereffects of a seal.” Aodhán whispered as he watched the entertaining display.
Both students glared at each other for a long moment before they suddenly released their auras. Aodhán and Andrew stumbled back immediately, their close call with death still fresh in their minds.
Both auras clashed, causing frost to form and melt at a rapid pace. The other students turned to stare in confusion and amusement, but before the aura battle could go too far, a voice suddenly rang out.
“Would someone separate these two idiots? The steam is grating on my nerves.”
They all turned to see a man dressed all in black, leaning nonchalantly against an invisible wall on the stage. Daruk and the girl immediately ceased their squabble, and the students rushed to take their seats.
Daruk ended up sitting to his left rather than right, while Andrew sat beside the unpleasant girl whose aura still leaked out in anger.
“Now that the aura posturing is over, let us begin.” The man turned, staring intently at each student before introducing himself. “I am associate professor Dalle Alaric, and I have been saddled with the responsibility of training this class for the rest of the year.
Fortunately, this will be the only class on awakened combat that’ll be taking place in the classroom, and soon we’ll be using alternate stimulated reality (ASR), a fine invention from the 8th sector. Real nifty thing."
Professor Alaric chuckled slightly before he continued. “As soldiers, it is essential to understand the principles of combat and how to wield your abilities effectively on a battle field.” He waved his hand, and a chair construct made of a concept Aodhán couldn’t recognize manifested before him.
Professor Alaric sat and continued. “In this class, we shall discuss the importance of focus and concentration during combat. Your mind is your most potent weapon, and it will be honed to a razor-sharp edge by the time I am done with all of you. We shall also discuss the significance of control, precision, and clear intent in any battle, be it against monsters or other humans.
The first thing you should know is that no matter what element or concept an individual possesses, it can be used in a battle and cannot be underestimated, even if it’s a simple concept like sketch.”
There was a smattering of chuckles and snickers in response, but Professor Alaric glared at them. “Have I made a joke? Or do I look like a comedian to you all?”
The chuckles died immediately as Professor Alaric pointed at Andrew and asked. “Since you find it so funny, you will tell the class how the sketch concept can be used in combat.”
Andrew froze for a moment before replying. “I’m sorry, I’ve never actually heard of such a concept before.”
“Ignorant.” The professor spat, and Andrew grumbled. “Why is my luck so shitty? Why couldn’t he have asked a simple question?”
Aodhán chuckled softly as Professor Alaric pointed to a girl seated at the back of the hall. “You tell us.”
The girl stood up, wringing her hands nervously. “I've heard of them, but I don’t really know how their abilities can be used in combat.”
Professor Alaric shook his head and yelled. “Is this class filled with fools, or is there someone who can provide an answer to my question?"
Aodhán winced, as he had no idea either; in fact, just like Andrew, this was the first time he was hearing about such a concept. Surprisingly, there were about a dozen people who knew the answer, including Daruk, and after a moment, Professor Alaric pointed to Alesh Vilaris, who responded in a voice that felt like sandpaper.
“Although the sketch concept is not a combat-oriented concept, sketch awakeneds have the ability to animate, control, and empower their sketches, which are only limited by their imaginations.”
“10 points Alesh, for that very detailed response. For this reason, sketch talents are considered quite dangerous, as they almost always have a sketch for whatever you might throw at them, the prepared ones at least.”
As the lecture continued, Professor Alaric gave countless examples of seemingly useless concepts and how several individuals have managed to use them dangerously. Aodhán was honestly impressed, as some individuals had managed to create skills that stretched the limit of their concepts, some even going as far as twisting their skills in such a way that they barely functioned as their concepts or elements anymore.
“In this class, I will help you broaden your understanding so you can push the limits of your skills and abilities. It is not impossible for ice to burn or for fire to heal; it is only difficult. Understanding your element or concept will help you use it to its fullest potential; understanding will grant you seals from your origin planes, which will in turn improve your understanding of that element or concept.”
“Finally, it is important to note that in this class, if you’re not winning battles against opponents two tiers above you, then you’re cannon fodder, and you’ll be killed in the first battle you step foot into without even realizing it.”
Aodhán sighed as the lecture took a dark turn. It was obvious now that the academies were simply preparing them for the war. They hadn’t escaped it; they’d only bought themselves more time.
“Your mindset towards combat plays a vital role in any battle.” Professor Alaric continued. “It determines your failure or victory. The class continued for a few more minutes, and although professor Alaric wasn’t really teaching, Aodhán still jotted down a few things.
When the class finally came to an end, it was on a somber note, as all their excitement and fervor had been leeched out of them by talks of war and death, leaving each student with a sense of fear and grim determination.
“Wish us luck.” Andrew muttered as they stepped out of the hall, and Aodhán smiled. “Good luck, although I doubt you’ll both be needing it.”
Daruk nodded, his expression determined. "Well, tower of ascension, here we come.”