Teacher and student

He woke up still in the arena, but now lying on the ground.

Atlas could tell he'd had no chance in that fight from the beginning. Even with his warping ability, which almost made him feel invincible, and his limited foresight, which gave him a slight edge in reaction time, there were still beings out there capable of killing him.

He shuddered at the thought of facing a Paragon again and felt lucky to have survived.

That entire situation had been pure luck, with a simple flower capable of taking down something as powerful as that.

It hadn't seemed fair to fight an opponent of that rank to begin with, and he wondered if fate had some balancing mechanism.

No. Atlas knew fate offered no such fairness.

Rising again, he dusted himself off and found Ivan.

This time, Ivan sat on a rock, hands clasped in a prayer-like gesture, mumbling something about blessings and gods. Beside him were bowls of food, looking delicious.

Atlas's mouth started to water at the sight of meat, mashed potatoes, and some vegetables.

He approached and reached for a bowl clearly set out for him. But as he did, Ivan grabbed his wrist.

"You're ungrateful to the gods; it's a pity."

Atlas paused, looking up at the sky, willing to play along. Raising his hands, he announced toward the heavens,

"Blessed am I to eat this food from the gods."

He glanced at Ivan, who released his wrist approvingly. With no further restraint, Atlas dug into his food.

***

On the second day of training, Atlas sparred with Ivan again, focusing on the basics of combat techniques. He was instructed to use Aether, but only to reinforce his body, not for warping or foresight. Atlas took it seriously, determined to master the art of fighting.

If there was ever a time to learn, it was now, being taught by someone experienced and willing.

They started sparring again soon after.

Mid way through a fight Atlas thought about what he should to improve himself. He was just smacked in the stomach again almost making him cough up blood. He really did not want to puke and be out for the count again.

Ivan attacked him once again.

This time, the strike landed on Atlas's shoulder, but he concentrated a large amount of Aether at the impact point, reducing the force that put onto him. Instead of being thrown back, he was only slightly pushed.

Internally, Atlas celebrated, but the moment was short-lived; another strike came from Ivan's good leg, landing on his ribs. Having focused Aether on his shoulder, he was sent flying.

Picking himself up, pain coursing through his body, he thought about his strategy.

Ivan was overwhelming—fast, strong, and smart.

The only option was to gamble, directing his Aether to specific points to absorb each blow's full impact. Rather than creating a thin shell that offered minor protection all over, he concentrated his Aether in targeted areas to maximize defense where it mattered.

It was an all-or-nothing strategy, but without it, Ivan's strikes would be too much for his body.

It amazed Atlas that even without using Aether, Ivan's base strength was this formidable, as if he wasn't even human but a monstrous being wearing human skin.

He knew that completing a Door trial could change one's body, but to this extent seemed impossible.

After taking more strikes, their sparring session paused for a break. Atlas seized the chance to ask questions of the man who had somehow survived in a jungle beneath the sea for who knows how long.

After blessing the gods for his water, of course.

Ivan didn't drink but instead observed Atlas, who decided to initiate the conversation, not one to waste time.

"How long have you been down here in these jungle depths?"

Ivan didn't seem to mind the question, but his answer was strange.

"I've been here since the beginning. Not banished, but chosen by the Wisest of the gods. My book of life should have ended long ago, but it has been rewritten by their will."

Atlas got almost no real information, and it sounded more like the rambling of a madman.

"The gods have chosen you to be here, and you still want to leave? How do you plan to escape from our situation?"

Atlas had to ask, given that it seemed neither he nor Ivan had made any progress toward that goal.

Ivan gave that familiar smile that made him look like a lunatic.

"Well, it's simple. There are three keys, and I've been blessed with the knowledge of where they are."

Atlas was stunned to hear that Ivan might actually know how to leave. Excitement spread across his face at the prospect of returning home. Eagerly, he asked,

"Where are they, then?"

Still smiling, Ivan replied, "One is here with us, in the temple of a god lost to history; another will come to us after a great loss; and the last awaits us, to rise above it all and enter heaven."

Atlas's excitement dwindled, but maybe Ivan was actually telling the truth. Why should he doubt him? Ivan had given him an ability to peer into the future, so the man's words might hold some truth.

Yet, if he trusted Ivan too much, would he lose his mind and become another god-worshiping lunatic? Or would he begin to see the real truth?

Or maybe he was already unraveling, bit by bit, without realizing it.

After pondering this, he threw himself back into sparring.

A week passed in a blur of sleeping, eating, and fighting. It was a cycle.

Each day, Atlas learned in leaps and bounds, honing his abilities, and at the end of each day, Ivan pushed him to his limits allowing him to use every ability at his disposal, testing how long he could last.

One day, he managed to hold out for a full minute without being hit—until he exhausted his Aether by warping over ten times in quick succession, draining his reserves.

Unable to warp, he was finally struck.

Today, his goal was to last even longer.

Just as he was preparing for another round, Ivan stopped him.

He put his hands together as if he was a priest talking to some lost soul.

"I think it's time you learn what I must teach before we set off on our journey. We have only one week left of training—any longer, and the gods will intervene, denying fate its course."

Ivan grew serious.

"This is crucial and should be your main focus. In the realm of the living, this knowledge is guarded. Only the privileged learn it."

Looking at Atlas, he smiled again.

"I shall be the gods' proxy in teaching you…

how to permanently enhance your sight and hearing with Aether."