Chapter 5: The Ether Curse

The next morning, a dazzling sun could be seen high in the sky, illuminating every corner of the military camp. Dozens of students were preparing breakfast and their uniforms for the upcoming day. Some students looked completely fatigued and sore; the night's sleep was not enough to fully recover, and most of them belonged to the path of the hechicero.

"My whole body hurts, I can't walk properly," said a girl with blue hair and disheveled hair, while tidying up her resting place.

"That's what you get for being so lazy. As a bard, you should have good physical endurance because in battle, you're required in many places at once, so you must be constantly on the move," Bruno retorted, looking neat in his clean uniform, sharp swords, well-ordered hair tied in a ponytail.

"You'll have to make an effort today, Tania. I don't want to be next," Lina reminded, recalling the punishment given to the stragglers. She turned to Tania with a murderous look and a wicked smile.

"That was terrible. Some came back completely beaten, not to mention those who lost; I saw them entering the camp half an hour ago, they probably didn't sleep at all," added the little Luis with a solemn and regretful tone.

"You're so cute! I'll try hard for you, little one," Tania approached Luis and pinched his cheeks, looking at him as if he were a cute little brown kitten.

Luis quickly moved away from Tania's clutches and tidied up his uniform, his face completely red with embarrassment.

"Where's Kaller? Is our sub-leader still sleeping?" Tania walked silently to Kaller's tent to play a prank on him.

"He's training," Lina said suddenly, causing everyone to turn to her with faces of disbelief.

"But we did a lot of training yesterday..." Tania felt dizzy at the mere thought of training.

"Wow, he's really diligent," Bruno said casually, looking around in all directions trying to catch a glimpse of Kaller.

"So he's already gone," Luis thought he had a long way to go compared to Kaller, despite being at a higher level.

"It's just his daily routine. My grandfather instilled in him the habit of getting up early every day to do exercises and train in his battle arts. As you know, fighters don't use weapons, so their bodies must be pushed to the limit to make them the best weapon," Lina said calmly as she combed her hair, feeling a little jealous of Kaller. Discipline had never been her strong suit.

In a corner of the military camp, a tall boy with dark hair was kicking and punching a log repeatedly.

"One, two, three, four, fiv-" as he tried to chain the fifth attack in his combination, his right foot slipped, causing him to lose balance and miss the last attack.

"Damn... Ha... Ha..." beads of sweat ran down Kaller's forehead as he looked at the log with some annoyance.

"That was a good combination, but if you put too much force into your lower part, you can slip or even fall when performing those attacks quickly," a green-haired boy appeared behind Kaller, with a charming face and delicate features giving him a rather handsome appearance. At first glance, he didn't look like someone from South America; perhaps he was European or North American.

"Sorry for intruding, my name is Mathias Flamegood. May I know your name?" the handsome-looking boy stared straight into Kaller's expressionless eyes.

"Kaller."

"I see, an interesting name."

"It's just a nickname. I don't have a first or last name, unlike you," Kaller cautiously tried to gauge the unexpected visitor.

"Last names are merely honor bestowed by our ancestors. What's important is to continue validating that honor with our skills, and that is not defined by titles," Mathias, who was wearing a military uniform just like Kaller's, stood beside him while closing his eyes.

"The Flamegood family is European. What are you doing in South America?"

"Simply curiosity. I'm a first-year student, and my father is quite close to the Reaper, so I wanted to meet his granddaughter," as he spoke, a wave of heat began to emanate from Mathias' body, still with his eyes closed.

"Although during my stay, I heard that the Reaper had taken on an apprentice, so I couldn't wait to meet him."

"...," a sudden silence filled the area. Kaller realized that this boy beside him knew him and Lina. Mathias' father was the tenth world power and the last to receive nobility, Alexander Flamegood, a phase 5 wizard expert in fire manipulation. He was of European origin and had made multiple contributions on the African front, preventing its complete collapse. People around him cheered him as a hero and nicknamed him "supernova."

Kaller had seen the "supernova" two years ago when he first met Lina's grandfather. He rescued him and took care of him. During the process, they discovered that he had a defective ability, so the old man tried to help him in various ways. That's when the supernova, who was passing by, personally visited him, but they didn't achieve anything.

"Flaming Dance!" Mathias opened his eyes as a warm, red aura enveloped his fists.

One, two, three, four, five, six, seven consecutive blows were launched in quick succession and without delay. The blows were strong and precise, to the point that when one ended, another came quickly, the fluidity between the movements hypnotizing the spectator as if it were a dance. The wooden dummy was hit on both arms, both legs, the stomach, the chest, and the face, ending up completely charred.

"How was that?" he said confidently, sporting a proud face.

"It was a perfect execution," Kaller responded, reading clearly the overflowing emotions of this boy; he was challenging him to a small competition.

Without delay, Kaller got into an attacking position with both legs apart, raised his arms, and extended his hands in a palm shape.

SMACK

A strong slap landed on the dummy's forehead.

SMACK

As if it were a hook, another slap slapped the dummy's temple.

SMACK

He quickly contorted and a kick connected with the dummy's chin.

Using the force of the kick, he somersaulted backward and bent his body like a spring to gain momentum, then jumped into the air, rising quickly above the dummy that was flying.

SMACK

A strong kick hit the dummy's face, and it plummeted to the ground, breaking into hundreds of pieces.

Clap Clap Clap

Mathias began to applaud happily as he watched the situation. The young man before him was quite skilled, and a strong fighting spirit arose within him; he wanted to fight at all costs.

"That was incredible. I see it's quite an agile and acrobatic move that someone related to wind would perform. Did the Reaper teach you that?" he asked Kaller.

"I learned it on my own by observing. He never taught me advanced moves, only basic attacks and tactics in battle," Kaller responded honestly.

"Very impressive. You're a phase 1 fighter, right?" the path of the fighter had fairly clear and easy-to-understand conditions. To reach phase 2, it was necessary to master your innate ability and integrate it into your battle art. Mathias could control fire, so by integrating it with his battle art, he was able to manifest a partial fire aura, greatly increasing his combat power.

"Yes, my ability is currently defective, so it's impossible to advance."

"Don't tell me... are you an Ether Cursed?" Mathias asked with a surprised tone and a look of disappointment.

"You could say that. I have an ability, but I can't control it," Kaller responded indifferently as he brushed off the dust to head back to camp.

Adapting to the ether causes permanent changes in the body. One of the main ones is the appearance of the etheric signature, a kind of soul that all living beings possess when subjected to the properties of the ether. This gives them strong bodies, sharp minds, a higher spirituality that enhances their senses, and lastly grants special abilities that vary among different individuals. However, there are cases where this ability is absent or comes with problems. People affected by this condition were called Ether Cursed.

"What's the problem?" curiosity and disappointment were evident in the young Flamegood's face.

"I can't turn it off. Within a certain range, I constantly perceive the emotions of the people around me. Isolating myself isn't a solution since it's not limited to humans; mutated beasts and animals are also part of the equation," Kaller responded indifferently while wiping the dust to head towards the camp.

"I see, it's a shame..." Kaller perceived how the emotions gradually faded away, replaced by a deep pity.

"No problem, besides, you still have Lina. She doesn't have any problems, so she'll be a good match for you." Kaller's expressionless face surprised Mathias; it was as if the issue of his ability was someone else's concern.

"There's something wrong with this person," Mathias said to himself as he saw those emotionless eyes.

"Farewell," raising his right arm while facing away, Kaller bid farewell to Mathias as he headed back to his squad.

The day passed quickly, and hundreds of students suffered under the scorching heat. Fatigue and exhaustion were felt in the air as they performed the assigned exercises. Cries of pain and frustration were like a symphony to Commander Stevenson and the other soldiers. The main affected were the wizards; their low physical ability was being put to the test on every occasion.

"I CAN'T TAKE IT ANYMORE!" Tania collapsed on the ground covered in sweat and rocks, the pain and blisters formed on her hands and feet were nothing compared to the muscle pain she felt.

"JUST A LITTLE MORE, DAMNIT!" Lina responded angrily. She felt quite tired, but she didn't want to go to the night jungle without eating.

"Waaah! Waaah!" Tania lifted her body and continued with push-ups while crying in frustration. Meanwhile, Luis and Bruno were completely focused on their exercises without any complaints, ignoring Tania's screams.

On the sidelines was Kaller, sitting with his legs crossed. This training ground was hell for him; he felt all the emotions of the tired students, causing him constant headaches. He had long lost his own emotions due to this defective ability.

The sun set, and the darkness of the night invaded the area. The singing of crickets could be heard in the surroundings, and the starry sky was instilled overhead. The day came to an end, and the situation from the previous day was repeated. Punished students fighting each other for a plate of food. However, each occasion was tempering the will of these students, slowly transforming them into soldiers. The immaturity that could be seen on their faces was being replaced by determination; the first few days had been the most difficult, but once they got used to the rhythm, the following ones passed in the blink of an eye.

7:00 AM, seventh day of the exam.

"Soldiers, I see the desire to improve and determination in your eyes. I like that attitude. Little by little, you are becoming men and forging your character. Today's test will be of great value to you; you will be able to test your acquired skills."

The students looked eagerly at Commander Stevenson; the training was going to change, and it was likely some kind of combat. Most of the boys had a desire to prove their worth as individuals to others, and a common way was through the display of their skills, so this opportunity excited dozens of combat addicts, including Mathias Flamegood.

"Today, in the afternoon, each of you will be assigned a combat partner. The rules will be simple and clear: the use of abilities is prohibited, and the one who manages to subdue the other wins. However, today's physical training must be completed in the morning, or you will be punished."

Hundreds of faces turned pale at once. They were going to have to fight with fatigued bodies and without much remaining energy. The wizards wanted to cry at the situation and complain that it was unfair, but none thought they couldn't do it; their mentality had undergone a slight change.