Chapter 4: Training and Potential.

After a few checkups by Bjorn's mother, and two days' forced rest for Bjorn, he was allowed to start his training with his father.

That morning, he and his father went to the family guards' training field. There weren't many guards training on the field. A little distance away were guards' quarters, in the corner of the estate. Some were coming out of their quarters and some were going in.

When he entered the training field, there was someone waiting for them, it was Guard Captain, Corbin. He was a man in his late 20s. He was wearing a standard guard armor. Arm guards, torso plate, shoulder plates and leg guards.

He bowed as both of them got near.

"At ease, Corbin. You don't need to bow every time." His father said as he thumped Corbin's back.

"Greetings Master, Young master. And that will not do, master." Corbin said.

"You don't need to call me 'young master', Uncle Corbin." Bjorn said a little embarrassedly.

'Dang, so this is how feels to be called 'young master'. I dunno how that 'peanut gallery' likes it in wuxia novels.' He thought inwardly.

Corbin looked at the father-son duo and smiled helplessly.

"Hehe, well done son, I think he'll at least listen to you. Right. We're going to start your training from today." His father said as he walked and stood beside, Corbin and faced Bjorn.

"As you know, there are 3 ways you can cultivate yourself." His father started explaining.

"First, body cultivation. By cultivating mana in to your body, which grants you basic, raw strength, speed and regeneration up to certain extent." His father said and took out a dagger. He slashed his palm with it.

But to Bjorn's astonishment, the wound started regenerating! The blood stopped flowing after a few seconds and the skin too had regenerated!

His father smiled and continued, "Second as you've seen your mother, a Mage. Being a mage grants you a powerful soul, a trained mind and the power to control and covert the all-encompassing mana to certain extent.

You can also inscribe runes, after being a mage. Alchemist, Healer, Rune master…many fields open to you after that."

Bjorn took that in mind and pondered for few seconds. Then he heard Corbin clear his throat and he looked towards him.

"Ahem. As master has explained to you other two ways, I'll explain the third. It is by harnessing the power of elements itself, being an Elementalist." Corbin explained with a serious expression.

"An elementalist? But how do you directly harness the element? Can't we do it by being a Mage too?" Bjorn asked, confused.

"Yes, young m- Bjorn. But a mage leans more towards utilizing mana and training the mind. But the elementalists wield the elements itself. Like this." Corbin said as he took 2 huge, rectangular, metal shields from the nearby weapon rack.

He faced to the side and slammed them on the ground. And immediately the metal shields started connecting link by link, as though they were growing branches and attaching themselves to each other.

"See? That's the way you can do it. I am an Earth-metal elementalist. I specialize in defense, so I dedicated my focus to the metal aspect of Earth element." Corbin said.

Bjorn was awed by it. He had never seen such feats aside from simple healing or light spells, his mother used.

"These are the three ways, Bjorn. So what do you think?" his father asked.

"It's very wonderful father! But all of them look useful? I can't pick only one!" Bjorn said, excited then a little panicked.

"Well, you can't do all of them, son. But, you certainly can choose 2 of them." His father consoled.

"But what are you, father? And mother? And Uncle Corbin? What ways you guys cultivate?" Bjorn asked questions, one after another.

"Well, I'm a Body cultivator and Mage. Your mother is a Wood Elementalist and a Mage. Corbin here is a body cultivator and Elementalist." His father explained.

"Now, Bjorn. Tell me. What way would you choose?"

Bjorn pondered about that. Still, every way looked good. Being mage gives many options. Body cultivating would grant him a good physique and strength (and muscles?). Element harnessing gave him the power of elements itself and had a certain coolness factor to it.

"But what about the drawbacks father?" he asked his father.

His father smiled and nodded.

"Very good, Bjorn. You should always ask all information needed before making such important decisions."

"Right. The drawbacks are not noticeable when you hear about the benefits. But when you advance further in your cultivation, you cannot step out of certain thresholds…" His father then continued to explain.

In summary it was like this,

Body and Mage: Less time for mental training and often one cultivation is ignored.

Mage and Elementalist: Requires extreme control on mana and elements inside body. Moreover, the number of elements a mage can control gets restricted.

Body and Elementalist: Harmony between the body functions, strength, mobility and element nature is necessary.

After much thinking, Bjorn decided to be a Body cultivator and Mage.

His father after said that his training would conducted by his mother and Corbin, as his father had to look after their trading company.

Bjorn wanted to get started immediately, but his mother was busy in research and Corbin had guard drill training. So it was scheduled for the next day.

Bjorn could only sigh and get back to his studies.

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Next day. In morning. In the mansion's big hall.

Bjorn was standing in front of his mother.

"Bjorn, from today we're going to start your mage training. But before that, I'm going to ask you some questions, okay?" his mother said.

Bjorn nodded obediently. His mother was speaking seriously and he did not dare act carefree.

His mother asked some basic questions to test his understanding of a mage. After she was satisfied, she started giving introduction about the stages of cultivation and how the help the individual.

Basically, it was all about mana and effort. All beings had mana in their body. Whether they cultivate or not, the mana inside naturally prolonged the lifespan of that individual.

Further explaining about the cultivation she said that, body cultivators, mages and elementalists had 9 stages.

For mages it was Mana circles.

For body cultivators it was ranks.

For elementalists, it was immersion stages or stages.

"Now, we'll start by learning how to circulate mana. Before you even start thinking about using spells or control the external mana, you have to familiarize yourself with it." His mother said sternly.

Then started his training. His mother instructed him how to circulate mana in his body.

It was a surreal feeling. It was like- something was moving in his body.

From his torso, head, lower body…it was going everywhere at once.

"No! You're not doing it right…" his mother corrected him.

And slowly that way he was able to correct the rampant mana in his body to circulate, within few hours. His mother did not correct him after that. She let him practice by his own way.

--After few hours--

Mana was circulating through Bjorn's body in a circular and fluid motion. There was slight sheen of sweat on his forehead.

He was feeling hot in his abdomen, and breathing was getting little harder. After some seconds, he couldn't go on.

He gasped and opened his eyes. And splayed down on the spot.

"You did very well for your first-time. How do you feel?" his mother smiled and said as she looked up from her book.

"I-I am little tired. But i-it feels r-refreshing." He said still gasping.

His mother then proceeded to check him by asking many questions regarding what he did.

"The reason I let you do it your way, was because everyone's understanding and feeling trigger for mana is different. If you do everything as I did, you wouldn't be able breakthrough the circles easily.

"Good. You did everything correctly. Remember that hot feeling? When you're circulating your mana, stop after you feel that hotness. It's an indicator that it's your limit." His mother explained.

"What happens if I go further?" he asked his mother.

His mother grew serious and told him seriously, "Never. Ever. Go beyond that line. Okay?"

He frantically nodded as he saw that his mother's face getting kinda scary.

Taking a deep breath, she said, "Okay. Now rest for some time. We'll practice this until you get familiar with the circulation."

Bjorn nodded and returned to his room.

Brennah sat on the nearby chair and closed her eyes.

"As I thought this boy learns fast. That would've taken any other person a full day just to complete 5 circulations. He perhaps went over what? 20? He even found his trigger on his own. Perhaps he has quite the potential."

Brennah said to herself a little proudly.

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Author: Shantanu Bondre. (ID: Sam0207)