Dark Illusion

"Master, it's time for class-" Lucy came in to wake me but I was already up and training.

"One hundred and ten! One hundred and eleven!.." Push-ups were too easy with my strength level so I moved up to handstand push-ups.

[Physique Stat +1]

"I'll be done in a minute, Lucy."

"Yes, master!" She blushed at my bare upper body and left with a bow.

I suddenly noticed something strange on the floor.

"A letter?" I picked it up and opened it.

It read:

To her son. You have done well returning to your horrible father's crude family, under their guidance you will build great strength. This letter is a greeting, the following ones will be more to the point and teach you everything there is to know about the secrets of the Gray Family.

-S

'What a strange letter, I'll ask Lucy about it later, I have a class to attend in a short bit. If he does send some letters I'll let them pile up first.'

[Quest [Settling Home] complete!]

[A new skill [True Martial Physique]: Genius talent in all physical things. Passive.]

[This is a unique story-quest reward, further quests will not grant skills.]

'Woah!' I felt my ligaments, muscles, and bones shift, grow, and solidify in a precise manner, my physique became wider, thicker, and stronger.

Each skill surprised me more.

I got ready and left the house, this time the destination was [Combat Mastery], set in a hall at the center of the Ville. I looked around on the way but couldn't spot anyone other than the other successors and their attendants.

The inside of the hall was different, it consisted of a large dueling stage surrounded by a display holding multiples of every weapon imaginable, modern and ancient. The students were already there and I arrived just as the instructor did.

A one-armed woman with short crimson hair and an especially well-toned and powerful body, her face was covered with a mechanical mask and her armor was light and tight-fitting carbon-star steel. Her missing arm wasn't replaced with an advanced prosthetic instead the armor wrapped around it.

She rested a sword on her shoulder and started explaining after all gathered 6 students.

"My name is Instructor Dupont, I'll be teaching all of you [Combat Mastery], all main weapons and some rarer variants will be studied to perfection in this class." She waved her hand and servants brought in and distributed books to us.

Three books, one titled [Gray Sword Art], the [Gray Aura Manual], and the [Gray Family Weapon Art].

"The focus will be on the sword for it is the lord of war. The class is simple, you are to duel once a week and master at least one form for each weapon per month to pass this class. That is all. Begin by forming an Aura Core and memorizing the techniques!"

She sat down in the middle of the stage and entered a state of meditation as the students started browsing the techniques.

[Flash-Quest [Aura Core Formation]: Form an Aura Core before the other students.]

[Reward:20 Points.]

I calmed down and opened the [Gray Aura Manual] first, each word was engraved into my mind after the first reading. The talent I had gained was terrifying. After only a few minutes I sat down crosslegged and prepared to form an Aura Core.

The instructor looked towards me with her eyes still closed.

"Young master John, are you sure you've memorized the entire [Gray Aura Art] yet? It's dangerous to attempt core formation until you do." She said slowly.

"I made sure to engrave every word in my mind, Instructor."

"Hmm.. proceed."

I focused myself and calmed my heart and then I began breathing and chanting in the method of the [Gray Aura Art].

With each chant, the Aura in the air shook, a vacuum seemed to form in my abdomen and suck in all of the nearby Aura.

The instructor was surprised.

"Such talent!"

Even the other students had to move away and give me space. Slowly but surely, the enormous amount of Aura I was gathering started condensing into a Core.

I focused further and continued. The talent I gained from the [True Martial Physique] was truly unprecedented, the way everything went and felt right on the first try was euphoric.

*BOOM!*

A dull explosion resounded from my body.

[Flash-Quest completed beyond perfection!]

[40 points granted for the creation of an Apex-Rank Aura Core!]

I stood up and breathed in the refreshing Aura as it flowed into my Core.

The instructor stood up hurriedly out of her meditative state and rushed towards me. Before I could even realize it, she cut apart my shirt and revealed my upper body.

'Huh? What's going on here?' I was so surprised I didn't know what to say.

She examined my body thoroughly. The symbol of infinity appeared on it after my Core formed.

"This body, it's as if the gods carved it for combat! And this symbol, it is an Apex-Rank Aura Core!!"

The other students were shocked as well, some of them grinding their teeth in envy.

"Instructor, isn't this a bit inappropriate" I had to say.

She looked down at her hands on my body, my torn clothes, and the students around and flashed away with a red face.

"AHHH!!"

Her speed in retreating was truly remarkable.

"*Cough* *Cough!* I was just a bit surprised by the legendary Apex-Rank Aura-Core, as the third in the history of the Gray Family, it's a great achievement, Young Master John. You're dismissed for today." She gathered herself quickly.

"Thank you." I left quickly to distribute my points.

"Young master, your shirt?! That symbol!"

Marc was surprised upon seeing my Aura Core and bare upper body.

"It's okay, the teacher was just surprised by my Aura Core." I calmed him down and focused on a more pressing matter.

"Status."

The panel materialized instantly:

[John Gray]

[GIFT]-[The Heart]

[AURA CORE]-1 ⭐️

[STATS]: PHYSICAL-39  MANA-00 

CHARM-22  Aura-45

[POINTS]-40

[SKILLS]:[Status Check],[Cold Heart].

"All points to the Physical stat!"

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