10 Chapter 8: Battle energy source

It was already afternoon when Theo woke up. He didn't have lessons in the academy today, so after stretching his body and dressing in his leather training outfit, Theo was quick to finish meals, gave several commands to Arthur, and left his manor with a space ring in the direction where guardian knights were living and training.

Freinos family had a special unit, consisting of thousands of knights and mages known as guardian knights. They were carefully selected talents that had potential, proved loyalty, and were considered as the best of the best in Freinos inner domain where overall talent to magic or battle energy was higher than in other parts of the city. In short, they were the battle elite of the city. Besides, each direct member of Freinos family had his personal guard, consisting of guardian knights as companions.

Arriving there, it didn't take long for Theo to find the commander of his personal guard - an old veteran Silo together with his other guardian knights. He was busy talking with Neo and Bartolomeo.

Silo was one of the veterans that began serving as one of the companion knights of his father, he looked like a man in his prime, had a scar on the left side of his face instead of an eye, was bald, had red-colored pupil, and was a sword knight. Neo and Bartolomeo were one of the eldest knights in his guard, Neo looked younger, a bit elder than Theo had long orange hairs, yellow eyes, and was a spear knight while Bartolomeo looked a bit older than Silo, had grey hair, mustaches, blue eyes, and was also a sword knight as Silo.

All of them had tall, wide, and strong bodies and were dressed in armor, made of black iron, and were one of the famous warriors of Freinos family.

Noticing Theo, they stopped talking and bowed to him.

Theo was dressed in a leather training outfit, and they quickly realized why he came here.

"Young Master, you want us to help you with training?" asked Silo.

Theo looked at them and stopped his gaze at Silo and Neo.

"Yes, I wanted to train and would like to ask for your help to evoke my battle energy source, now since the problem with my mana heart is solved, and it wouldn't harm me as it was before I feel that I can evoke it after some training."

Three knights exchanged glances between each other for a moment, and a bit of dissatisfaction and unreadiness was visible in their glances.

"By the way, I wanted to apologize for what happened with my knights," said Theo with a guilty expression on his face, he tightly clenched his fists, "It was my fault, if I didn't go hunting because of boredom, they wouldn't die there, you and Neo wouldn't get hurt because of me. If only I was stronger,"

Three guardian knights sighed and changed the way they looked at their young master.

"Sure, it would be an honor for us. Our comrades would be glad if their deaths helped our master to grow up a bit," said Silo, looking at Theo with his sole red-eye, before looking at Neo and Bartolomeo, "You can leave, me alone will be enough to help our young master, a training plan can be intensified for new recruits,"

Several moments later when two knights disappeared in different directions, Silo looked at Theo.

"So, what do you want to start with? Exercises, sword sparring, or maybe trial on your battle skills and survivability?" asked Silo with a curious expression on his face.

"Pressure cave," said Theo with resolute flame in his eyes.

Instantly, Silo's glance changed, and he thought that he misheard.

"Can you repeat, I am getting old already," asked Silo, concentrating his full attention on Theo.

"I said pressure cave," repeated Theo.

Hearing his words, concern appeared on Silo's face.

"Why? Young master, your body is still too weak to endure the weakest pressure in there, you should know that you should be at least a square a step from Knight's realm to have enough strength to stay there. Why don't you start with exercises, and wait till your energy source would evoke by itself?"

Theo shook his head and looked at Silo's eye.

"No! I have already lost so much time because of my previous condition, don't worry, I have already gathered many potions and pills that would help me to stay there for a certain period of time. I need you to be with me and control my condition, and take me out of there when I would be at my limit."

"But you aren't even a squire, it would be tremendously painful for you even with the help of potions and pills, are you sure that you want to do it? Does Lord know about it?" asked Silo with increasing concern on his face.

Theo sighed, understanding his knight well, if it wasn't for his confidence that he would be able to endure the pain, and the fact that he needed to get stronger as soon as possible, he would take a slower approach as Silo was suggesting. But, he needed strength to fight with his future enemies.

"Silo, I know about my body condition better than anyone, years of the problem with my mana heart affected my energy source, it wouldn't evoke easily as it would with others, mine would need a serious external factor and the cave pressure as an ideal place for that. I know that it would be very painful, but I am ready to bear some pain for the chance to get stronger. I need you there so that nothing unexpected wouldn't happen with me there." said Theo, pausing and looking at his knight with his resolute eyes.

Silo pondered for several moments before sighing.

"As you wish my master, I will accompany you in your training and would make sure nothing bad happens to you,"

Theo smiled, delighted with his reply, and moved to the direction of Guardian knights training grounds.

***

Guardian knights training grounds were divided into 4 main areas: magic ground, battle energy ground, dueling ground, and physical training ground. Each area had specific usage and goals.

Training grounds were created by a traveling Great enchanter and many of his students-enchanters as his last work at the end of his life and was finished several hundred years later in the time when 1st Freinos family ancestors still lived.

Thanks to the efforts of the enchanters, Guardian knights training ground became one of the reasons for the overall strength of Freinos family retainers. Any knight or mage could get access to them in exchange for merit points. Every year, the territory around the castle would be opened to others except guardian knights to let people train in there.

Passing through several manors, and other structures, Theo was approaching his destination - physical training ground.

Entering into the territory of the physical training ground, he saw a group of young people moving in a row with big stones above their heads, other people exercising in other areas of the training ground, overall many knights were training.

Theo's appearance with Silo attracted some attention, but he didn't pay attention to them and increased his speed towards the pressure cave.

Soon, Theo and Silo were standing in front of the caves that had "Pressure" written on their signboards with several people standing near the entrance to the cave.

Servants responsible for keeping records of everyone who entered into the cave, and their results, were fast to approach Theo and Silo.

"Greetings, young master, commander Silo." said two servants bowing to them.

Theo threw his glance at them before looking at the cave.

"I need a room there with minimal pressure," said Theo.

Two servants got confused when they heard him, and one that was older and more experienced than his colleague was quick to react.

"Young master, in case you don't know a person that wants to train under minimal pressure should be at least a step away from becoming a knight. It would be too early for you to train there." explained the old servant, throwing a concerning glance at Theo.

"Don't worry, Silo will come with me and help if anything unexpected would happen, I also came prepared," said Theo, taking several potions and showing them to the servant.

Servants looked conflicted, but after several moments they sighed, seeing Theo's resolute glance, commander Silo, and after the old servant exchanged several words with his colleague, he moved to register them as visitors.

Moments later, Theo, Silo were following after one of the servants that moved through the cave in the direction of nearby free room.

***

Sometime later when everything was ready, Theo was already sitting in one of the rooms together with Silo.

Theo was almost naked except for certain places on his body.

"Take my ring, Silo, I will need your help with pouring my potions on my body, there are hundreds of healing potions, so pour them every time you feel that I reach my limit," said Theo, closing his eyes.

Moments later, a non-sizing force began appearing in the room, and with each passing moment, it became stronger and stronger.

At first, everything looked like nothing changed, but a minute later from the start sweat began appearing on Theo's forehead while he felt how a certain force was slowly pressuring on his body from all sides.

Half a minute later, he began gritting his teeth while the whole body was covered in sweat, the pressure and pain continued to increase.

Another half a minute later, Theo felt how his bones and other body parts were aching, and blood began coming from his nose, but he continued to grit his teeth, bearing the pain while Silo was carefully observing any changes that were happening with Theo, and was ready to help at any moment.

Another half a minute later, the blood began coming from eyes, ears, and other areas, while Theo felt more and more shelters, appearing on his bones, muscles being torn, while the pressure and pain continued to increase following after each other.

Theo was feeling tremendous pain, had problems with breathing, and felt pain from other organs in his body, but he continued to grit his teeth, bearing the pain.

During the process, while his body was slowly collapsing with each new moment, a still sealed energy source began showing its first signs of evoking, it became a bit brighter, and changed its color from black to grey.

At first, Silo believed that it was just a bravado of the young boy, and he will quickly give up after, feeling some pain, and forget about his previous words, but now his glance changed as he watched how a boy in front of him gritted his teeth, bearing the pain and pressure, while Silo's opinion about Theo improved further and further.

Another half a minute later, Theo felt how strength began leaving his body, and how his consciousness was weakening, so he opened his eyes and looked at Silo.

Moments later, a healing potion made by family enchanters was poured on him. The healing potion was strong, and could easily return Theo to his peak condition, so it was an ideal way for Theo that wanted to buy some time to stay as long as possible under the pressure to affect his energy source.

So, he closed his eyes, feeling a return of strength, and the decrease of pain while his energy source continued to change.

Such procedure continued for 9 times, and with each potion usage the time difference between them decreased significantly, and the effects of potions started becoming weaker and weaker under increased pressure that inflicted more damage than was healed by potions.

A space around Theo was covered in blood, he was no longer able to stop his blood with potions anymore, while the pressure almost reached its maximum for the weakest training mode.

Silo watched after the boy with increasing concern, as he knew that the closer it got to maximum, the more damage would be inflicted that potions wouldn't be able to cure momentaneously and fully. He even wanted to take him out of the room by force if the boy doesn't stop soon.

Theo also realized his worsening condition, and he was surprised that his energy source hasn't evoked yet, so he could only continue to bear the pain.

After another half a minute, Theo was reaching his limit, even potions became ineffective now, so Silo was pouring them in huge portions at once to help Theo, so he even prepared his battle energy to take the boy out of the room by force.

Theo was reaching his limit, but so did his energy source, it has already fully changed its color, became bigger than it usually looked, and was finishing formating.

Finally, after a moment, the pressure reached its maximum, Theo began shivering right at the time when his slightly different energy source finally evoked, releasing the battle energy across his veins, and helping to struggle with pressure. He became 1st rank squire, and his battle energy was currently improving his body and making some changes in the process.

The feeling was so good that he made several relieved sighs, giving his everything to fight against the pressure.

Watching Theo reach his goal, Silo thought that he would finish his training, but was shocked when he saw him continue struggling, so without any more thinking, he stood up, grabbed Theo, covering him with his battle energy in the process, and jumped at the door out of the room.

***

Just as Silo took him outside of the room, Theo lost consciousness right in Silo's hands, while the battle energy in his body continued to make more changes.

Looking at his young master, Silo poured several potions, healing him of his wounds, before dressing, and taking him on his shoulder out of the cave.