After his breakthrough in cultivating both Mana and Aura, Lucas felt a new energy coursing through him. The next morning, as he, Melius, and Silas were preparing to leave the city, they noticed a group of robed figures watching them from afar.
Silas nudged Melius. "Do you see them, Melius?"
Melius scoffed, rubbing his beard. "I may have one hand, but I've got both eyes, you old fart. Told you already, there's a dark current running through this city. But you refused to leave."
Silas sighed, a hint of helplessness clouding his eyes. "I planned to, eventually. But seeing the talent in this boy…" He glanced at Lucas, who was busy petting his mare, Cookie, with a smile. The horse responded to his touch, almost as if understanding him.
"I don't want him to become just another backwater village mage," Silas continued, his tone soft.
Melius chuckled, a rare smile tugging at his lips. "The boy's something, Silas. I'll give you that."
Both men observed Lucas in silence for a moment. Silas broke it with a smirk. "I wasn't sure you'd show up to join us, Melius. I half expected you to run off to another city."
Melius's expression darkened, the weight of old memories pressing down on him. "If I were younger, I probably would've. But an old mercenary knight, living with lost honour, has no easy place to run." He sighed. "The revenge we sought... it ruined our lives, Silas."
Silas nodded, his face a mix of melancholy and regret. But Melius, ever the stubborn one, let out a booming laugh. "Worth it though."
Silas shot back with a smirk, "And you—you greedy bastard—you charged me for it! Made me hire you. I thought you were in it for the gold! But no, you sick fool, you were chasing some twisted revenge. Don't even bother explaining, I don't want to know."
Melius cracked a grin. "Ale and women weren't cheap, Silas. What can I say?"
Both men burst into laughter, the tension easing as they rode out of the city. The forest they ventured into was remote, far from the prying eyes of the city's dark undercurrents.
Later, in the thick of the woods, Lucas began his Mana and Aura tempering session. He sat cross-legged, eyes closed in deep focus, as the energies within him flowed. The AI guided him carefully through the Helix Method, directing Mana through his spiritual nodes and Aura through his physical ones.
Beads of sweat formed on Lucas's brow, and soon enough, his body was drenched, impurities leaking from his pores. The stench was foul—worse than a goblin's armpit, the kind of smell that could drive away lesser men. But Lucas endured, pushing through the strain.
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Silas and Melius watched from a distance, their expressions shifting from curiosity to shock.
"This kid… he actually fucking did it," Melius muttered under his breath, disbelief washing over him. "Well, fuck me sideways. He was right."
Melius, who had been holding back his usual curses around the boy, couldn't help himself now. His words spilled out like a river. Silas, however, remained silent, deep in thought.
How did this boy manage such a thing? Silas mused. If anyone saw this, they'd think he was some kind of demon.
After what felt like hours, Lucas finally opened his eyes. His body was drenched in sweat, and the impurities clinging to his skin had turned into a thick, black goo. His breath came in heavy gasps, but there was a glimmer of triumph in his gaze.
AI, show me my stats, Lucas thought.
The AI beeped.
"Scanning the body…"
Beep.
"[Lucas (Age: 7). Strength: 0.4 | Agility: 0.45 | Vitality: 0.5 | Mana: 5 | Aura: 3 | State: Post-Awakening]"
Lucas blinked in surprise. Over the past two months, his Mana had grown steadily, though slowly. But in just one session of Aura tempering, his Aura had surged to an impressive 3.
Aura's easier to cultivate than Mana, Lucas realized, a hint of excitement stirring within him.
After the grueling three-hour tempering session using the helix method, Lucas stood with a mix of exhaustion and triumph. Both Silas and Melius approached him, their faces showing a range of emotions.
Silas, with a rare and genuine smile, finally broke his stunned silence. "So, you succeeded. Impressive."
Lucas beamed with pride. "Yes, Grandpa! It worked just as I hoped. I just...."
Silas, however, quickly interjected, his expression serious. "It's better for a Magus to keep some secrets. The specifics of your method won't help me. But remember, having a few mysteries up your sleeve is part of the journey."
Silas then instructed Lucas to wash up in the nearby river. Once refreshed, Lucas resumed his rigorous sword training with Melius. Days rolled by, and for almost twelve days, the only notable events were the black-robed figures keeping their distance, trailing them from afar. They posed no immediate threat, so both Silas and Melius chose to ignore them.
Lucas's training continued at full throttle. Silas had advised him not to cast any spells until he reached a mana threshold of ten points, so Lucas focused solely on tempering his mana and aura, alongside intense swordsmanship drills.
At the end of these days, Lucas's stats were as follows:
[Lucas (Age: 7). Strength: 0.5 | Agility: 0.55 | Vitality: 0.55 | Mana: 7 | Aura: 10 | State: Post-Awakening]
Lucas noted that his mana was progressing slowly compared to his aura, which surged at an impressive rate. During this period, he mastered the use of aura for coating his sword and briefly enhancing his physical strength.
After one of their sword training sessions, Melius announced, "It seems you're ready for the next step. We can start sparring now. Let's see if you can at least hold your ground against me. Tomorrow, we'll dance with swords."
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The clearing was bathed in the early morning light, the air thick with tension. Melius stood at one end, gripping his greatsword, Honeyblood, effortlessly in his single hand. Despite his age and missing limb, he radiated a killing intent that could make even seasoned warriors freeze. His one good arm held the massive blade aloft, its dark edge gleaming with the promise of death. Melius, ever in control, lowered his power from the terrifying strength of a Blade of the Ember, a second-grade Aura Knight, to the level of a Dawnblade Disciple, the first rank of Aura mastery. Even at this reduced strength, his aura was overwhelming.
Lucas, across from him, clutched his dull iron sword, a gift Melius had mockingly called "a stick for swatting flies." It was barely enveloped in a faint layer of Aura, flickering like a candle in the wind—unstable and weak. His AI silently worked in the background, guiding his movements, plotting counters and evasion paths, but there was one undeniable fact: Lucas's body wasn't fast enough to keep up with Melius's overwhelming speed and precision.
Standing in the background, Silas watched the sparring with tense eyes. His knuckles were white as they gripped his staff, worry written on his face. He trusted Melius, knew the grizzled knight wouldn't truly harm Lucas, but seeing his grandson face such killing intent—even for training—was a test of his nerves. He had to trust Melius would hold back enough, despite the intensity of the fight.
Melius's voice cut through the silence, rough but calm. "Boy, if you lose focus for even a second and miss enveloping that sword in Aura, it'll snap in half, and I'll slice you clean through. You understand?"
Lucas swallowed hard, nodding. His heart raced in his chest, but his mind remained sharp. He could feel the AI calculating—timing each of Melius's steps, gauging every twitch in the veteran knight's muscles. But knowing the next move and being able to react were two very different things.
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Without warning, Melius lunged forward, faster than Lucas had anticipated. His greatsword, Honeyblood, cut through the air with a savage grace, aimed directly at Lucas's midsection. The killing intent was real, but Melius had enough control to stop himself from actually harming the boy—though only barely.
AI, help me intercept!
"Attack trajectory calculated. Suggest 15-degree blade angle. Prepare for impact."
Lucas raised his sword just in time, angling it to deflect the blow. The sheer force behind Melius's swing sent a jolt through Lucas's arms, his legs nearly buckling under the pressure. He managed to divert the strike just enough so that Honeyblood scraped past his side, missing by mere inches.
"Good!" Melius barked. "But you won't last long if you just keep parrying!"
Lucas gritted his teeth. His Aura was flickering dangerously, barely coating his blade. He needed more control. Melius swung again, this time overhead, with all the fury of a seasoned warrior. Lucas sidestepped, barely dodging the blow, the ground where he stood moments before now carved with a deep scar.
I need to turn his strength against him.
"Advise lateral deflection. Angle the strike to minimize impact. Strike from below."
Lucas adjusted, angling his sword downward to catch the next swing. This time, he didn't block the blow directly. Instead, he diverted the path of the greatsword, guiding it past his side with a calculated flick of his wrist. The maneuver worked, but only just. The force of the swing still sent Lucas stumbling back.
Melius grinned. "Clever. But I'm not even at half my strength yet."
With a single motion, Melius switched his stance, drawing upon the strength of an Aura Knight. His Aura surged, rippling like a violent storm around him. Even at the reduced strength of a Dawnblade Disciple, his Aura was crushing.
Lucas's eyes widened as Melius closed the distance, faster than before. Honeyblood came down in a crushing arc, and this time Lucas knew there was no chance of blocking it outright.
AI, calculate evasive path!
"Roll left. Immediate counter suggested."
Lucas rolled to his left, narrowly avoiding the strike as Honeyblood crashed into the ground, sending dirt and debris flying into the air. Without hesitating, Lucas lashed out with his own sword, aiming for Melius's exposed side. But Melius was already a step ahead, pivoting with impossible speed and bringing his sword up to intercept.
"Too slow!" Melius barked, his sword deflecting Lucas's strike with a casual flick. The impact of the parry sent Lucas reeling backward.
Lucas felt the weight of exhaustion creeping in. His Aura was barely holding, flickering on the edge of collapse. Each swing of Melius's sword was a test of survival, and Lucas knew he was running out of options.
I can't keep up with him in a straight fight. I need to be unpredictable.
"Suggest unorthodox feints. Use terrain to disrupt opponent's momentum."
Lucas's mind raced as the AI fed him information. With Melius charging forward again, he knew he had to gamble. Instead of directly countering the next attack, Lucas lunged low, sliding beneath Melius's next swing and kicking up dirt in the process.
Melius cursed as his vision momentarily blurred, and Lucas, using that split second, lashed out with a thrust aimed at Melius's knee. It wasn't a strike designed to do damage—it was designed to throw the larger man off balance. The dull iron blade, just barely coated in Aura, connected with Melius's leg.
Melius grunted, the surprise evident in his eyes as he stumbled, but he recovered quickly, swinging Honeyblood in a wide arc to force Lucas back.
"You little snake," Melius growled, though there was admiration in his tone. "You fight dirty. I like it."
Lucas grinned through the sweat and fatigue. His AI was feeding him every possible move Melius could make next, but his body was nearing its limit. Even with the AI's perfect guidance, his speed and strength couldn't match Melius's overwhelming power.
Melius's next strike came with enough force to split a boulder. Lucas angled his sword to deflect it, but Melius's sheer strength sent a shockwave through the blade. The Aura coating flickered, and Lucas could feel the iron sword on the verge of snapping.
If I miss the Aura for even a second, this sword is gone.
"Warning: Aura instability detected. Immediate reinforcement required."
Lucas channelled what little Aura he had left, barely enveloping his sword in time to withstand the next attack. The iron groaned under the strain, but it held. He sidestepped Melius's follow-up swing, the AI guiding him step by step.
But Melius was relentless. He moved with the precision of a predator, each strike calculated to push Lucas to his breaking point. Even as Lucas parried, dodged, and diverted the blows, he knew it was only a matter of time before Melius's strength would overwhelm him.
And then, as if sensing the end, Melius launched a final, crushing blow—a downward strike with enough power to cleave Lucas in two. The AI screamed warnings in his mind, but Lucas didn't need them. He acted on instinct, ducking low and driving his sword upward in a desperate attempt to divert the force.
His sword connected with Honeyblood, the clash echoing through the clearing. The dull iron blade, barely holding onto its Aura, shuddered—but miraculously, it held. Lucas twisted his body, diverting the massive sword just enough so that Melius's strike missed him by a hair's breadth.
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Breathing hard, Lucas staggered backward, his limbs trembling from exhaustion. Melius stood over him, his one good arm lowering Honeyblood to his side, the killing intent fading from his eyes.
"You didn't last long," Melius said, a smirk tugging at his lips. "But you didn't die either. And for that, boy, you've earned my respect."
Lucas dropped to one knee, gasping for breath, but a small grin broke through his fatigue. He hadn't won, but he had survived—and in the eyes of a hardened Aura Knight like Melius, that was victory enough.