Chapter 3 - Training Ground

Feeling the tingle of what he suspected was "Mana", he decided to move on to the next book, before trying to make things up for himself.

He had a vague feeling that he could create an Aura core himself, but it would be better to reduce the risks.

Opening the Human Anatomy Book. He went in search of his interest sessions.

meridians

The meridians acted in the human body like veins, which allowed the passage of Aura throughout the entire length of the body.

Seeing an image in the book, they looked like the roots of a tree, which mostly concentrated in the center of the body and gradually spread out along its limbs.

The process of creating an Aura core requires the Apprentice to have a solid body foundation, as their own cup would not support the Aura strengthening.

A Beginner Apprentice. He would have a strong enough basic muscle set and stamina before he could move on to training the internal organs.

The internal organs could be trained under strong pressure, in the depths of a lake, under a waterfall or even by mutilating them, which would make the process much more painful.

Bone temperament is essential. So that there are no cases where the user wraps his muscles with Aura and with the pressure exerted, causing his bones to break.

Hence the need for a solid foundation.

Sensitivity to Mana as an Apprentice is of great help. Since Mana, when consciously absorbed in specific parts of the body, brings healing properties, making the whole Apprentice process faster.

Mana sensitivity is one of the most debated topics in academia. It is said that it can be obtained through meditation, with the unblocking of the pineal chakra, your perception of mana will potentially appear. But there are cases of people who have meditated their whole lives and still have not gained sensitivity to Mana.

Drake, taking note of these facts and assessing himself. He noted that he would probably be in the Intermediate Apprentice stage.

He had a proper muscular build, he felt he could easily do some stunts, which involved just his body weight, but he wasn't so sure about his organs.

Closing the book, he walked over to the shelves and placed the books in their proper places.

"Did you get the information you were looking for, Young Drake?" Condis asked with a slight smile.

" I think so, I believe that this time things will be different " Drake replied.

" I'm going to say goodbye Condis, there are some things I want to test, see you later "

" See you later " Condis replied shortly.

Drake walked toward the library exit.

He spent about 2 hours on his studies. It was now approximately 7 am. The sun progressing on its path across the sky.

As he walked through the halls. Through the windows, he could see soldiers training in what appeared to be a large training ground. There were young and old, of almost all ages. His activities involved physical training, sparring, running, etc.

Drake's eyes glowed brightly at such a sight, igniting his battle instinct. Drake smiled and decided to introduce himself to his training buddies.

His goal was to go down, so it wasn't too difficult. He only needed to follow the stairs to the lower floor and soon, he reached the hall on the first floor. As he walked, no one greeted him or questioned his actions, so he headed towards the exit.

" Hey, look who came back to life " Said a voice in a mocking tone.

Looking toward the voice, Drake saw a young man. He was around 13 years old, he had dark brown hair, his green eyes sparkled with a certain mischief. He had a well-built body, about a head taller than Drake. His handsome appearance would make him stand out from the crowd.

Drake had a serious look on his face, pondering how he should behave around the teenager.

" Who are you anyway? " Drake asked in a serious tone.

The young man opened his mouth and his expression showed that he was quite irritated.

"My dear brother, did you hit your head and become retarded?"

So this was my second oldest brother?...

Claude Crimson. He and Drake were children of different mothers. Claude's mother was the current wife of the Patriarch's eldest son. Which made them quite hostile to Drake, for being the bastard child.

He retained great fame for being a "genius" from an early age. Claude at age 13 was already a Novice Knight, not counting the fact that his Aura emitted a green color, representing one of the 4 natural elements, the wind.

"I'm just following the example of the second oldest brother," Drake replied with a smile, as he looked directly into Claude's eyes.

Claude was a little shocked, but he didn't let it show in his expressions. His younger brother Drake, who was constantly bullied and was known to have a weak personality. Suddenly, he was confronting him. Which gave him a feeling of discomfort.

"Looks like you gained some courage after your brush with death," Claude said as he maintained his superior posture.

Drake assessed Claude thoroughly, his every presence caused an overwhelming feeling in Drake, perhaps because he had already awakened Aura or his combat ability. The feeling he had, was as if he was looking at a giant.

Yet his gaze did not waver. Inside him, something kept him from looking away or lowering his head.

After the brief visual confrontation. Claude, who contained a sharp look, abruptly turned around.

"I'm going to train, if you want to solve this, I'll be there" his voice sounded a little cold.

Drake was silent as he watched his brother's back retreating.

After his brother's words, he became somewhat obvious. He was indirectly calling him to a duel. Which made Drake crack a savage smile.

'You fucking brat, you managed to drive me crazy'

After a few moments, Drake followed the same path his brother Claude had taken.

Leaving the castle hall. He saw a small garden, but his focus was on the training ground in the distance.

Currently there were a lot of young people around 15 years old, men and women, being commanded by a tall guy, who more resembled a bear. He was 2 meters tall, with tanned skin and brown hair.

" 5 more laps you softies "

Drake seeing him concluded.

That has to be the coach, Vance Crimson, one of his uncles. He was an Advanced Knight who used a large battle axe. He was quite intimidating just for his size.

"What are you doing here Drake?" Vance asked in a booming voice.

"I came to work out a bit since I overslept" Drake replied with a smile.

"Hah, I see, it would have been tragic to die to a wild beast HAHAHA" Vance laughed shamelessly.

"Unfortunately, I was anxious to leave this family as soon as possible" Drake tried to mimic Vance's cheeky tone.

Vance and Drake laughed.

" So boy, will you want to accompany the new batch of recruits? " Vance asked seriously.

" I don't think so, I'll be alone for a while until I rehabilitate " Drake replied.

"Alright, good luck boy, it's good to see there's life in your eyes" Saying and pulling away Vance started screaming again.

" Everyone form your pairs and start sparring! "

Drake headed towards a shed, which contained all the training weapons. There were all kinds of weapons, from wooden weapons to blunt steel.

Drake spent some time testing all the weapons. He felt familiar with all melee weapons, but when his hands touched a sword, the blade seemed to have become an extension of his body. It was a one-handed sword, its blade was about 70 centimeters and 5 centimeters wide.

Feeling your weight and giving some basic cuts. Drake smiled.

Leaving the shed, he sought a secluded spot where he could warm himself without being disturbed.

Drake positioned himself at his base instinctively. Holding his sword in two hands and raising it above his head, a swish followed ripping through the wind. The swing felt satisfying, but it was still far from a perfect hit.

Drake continued with some basic strikes, vertical, lateral, horizontal, nothing too complex. Slowly and progressively, his blows were perfecting at a speed visible to the naked eye.

With each blow, with each cut, a sensation inside him grew stronger. It was something warm, something like a voice, an instinct. Who seemed to want to influence his movements.

As he followed that voice, a nostalgic feeling filled him. He was in a sort of trance. He no longer depended on his senses, it felt like his blade was moving on its own.

In his mind there were enemies ahead of him.

All his blade did was cut. Translucent bodies came and went, enveloping his blade in blood. His feet moved in synchrony, looking like a dance. With each step, with each cut, his path became clearer.

Suddenly the world returned to its original colors.

Drake's eyes were clear, no emotion or inner conflict could be seen. Beads of sweat fell from Drake's face, wiping it off with his shirt sleeve, he instinctively looked in one direction.

There were some people staring at Drake in a mesmerized way, while others ignored him, but there was one look, which was giving him an uneasy feeling.

That look belonged to Claude Crimson, who was standing in a training ground arena.There was no one in front of him who made his intentions clear.

I think it's time huh.

Drake, without considering the consequences, advanced toward Claude, his expression indifferent, but his eyes held a wild fire.

Vance, who had a wide eye over the entire training ground, observed everything clearly. To avoid unnecessary headaches, he decided to broker this duel. The rivalry between these two brothers was old, leaving him on alert so that nothing happened.

Approaching the arena, Vance said.

"Claude, I'll broker this duel, just take it easy on your brother" Vance said as he sighed.

Vance's hands were tied too, it wasn't in his will to let an Intermediate Apprentice fight a Knight. But being the son of the next patriarch, few had enough authority to scold this young master.

Claude just stood silently, arms crossed, as a saber rested at his waist. He looked at the slowly approaching figure.

step

step

With the sound of footsteps, Drake soon came into view, until his feet touched the edge of the dueling arena.

The wind ruffled his hair, exposing his dark eyes briefly. who looked straight into Claude's eyes.

Many passersby around stopped what they were doing, just to watch the spectacle that was about to unfold. The duel between the two youngest sons of the next patriarch.

Vance who was feeling uncomfortable said.

"Are you both ready?"

Both young men nodded their heads.

"Fight"