The unsettling grip in the elder’s heart!

"Do what?"

Suddenly, an old and rasping voice sounded behind them, making all of them flinch in shock.

"W-What!?" Amber spun around, eyes wide, and there stood Sigfor, hands clasped behind his back, wearing a simple red robe. "S-Sir Sigfor! When did you get behind us!?"

All of them looked at him in shock; they did not sense him approaching at all.

"I just arrived," he said, his tone flat.

"Oh..."

Hearing this, all of them heaved a sigh of relief. If Sigfor had overheard Daniel, they all knew there would be consequences. "Anyways, follow me, I will take you to your new training area."

Sigfor said as he clicked his tongue and left, with the group following behind him.

They followed him to an array formation. Sigfor activated it, and they were transported to a new location.

By now, they were accustomed to the teleportation arrays and the odd sensations they induced. The initial nausea and disorientation had become minor inconveniences, easily brushed off.

Be it nausea or something else, they eventually got used to that feeling in the end, so it did not bother them as much as it used to in the past.

They were once again back to the familiar hall they were in at the beginning, meaning they were at the base of the mountain, the very bottom where they all started.

"Alright, let's not waste time. We begin now," Sigfor announced.

"Sir Sigfor, what are we be doing first?" Evelyn asked.

"The first thing I want you to focus on is improving your teamwork. By now, you all must be aware that you will be entering the Perpetual Plane from your clans. While that place is a land of opportunities, it is anything but simple. The dangers there are just as terrifying for your level," he paused, allowing the gravity of his words to sink in. "Nothing is free—especially treasures and resources. To gain power, you must face trials."

A silence enveloped the group as they listened.

"So the most appropriate approach for you lot is to travel in a group or team when you enter that place. Not only will it increase your chances of survival out there, but you will also have more probability of chancing upon great treasures."

"Which is why I will help you coordinate with each other and improve your teamwork as well. With varying elements, it is going to be difficult initially but nothing close to impossible," he told them in a calm voice.

"How will that work?" Daniel asked, curiosity in his eyes.

The old man cast him a side glance, remembering the dumb boy from before, his antics still the same.

"We will be using some talismans for that," he replied in a light tone.

"Talismans?" Daniel looked at him with a puzzled expression.

"Each of you kids will be infusing your elemental espera in these talismans, first learning how to control the flow of your espera and supply it into a delicate talisman—making sure not to destroy it in the process."

"The circuit inside the talisman is a complex thing, and learning the flow of your espera to control it and guide it inside is necessary to maintain its stability if you ever want to use it."

Sigfor explained. He snapped his fingers, and a wooden box appeared in his hands. Inside were talismans with intricate engravings and runes.

There were a bunch of talismans with complex engravings and different runes etched into them, making them look like a collection.

He put the box down for the group to see.

"Sir Sigfor, these talismans look of great quality," Amber said with interest as she looked at the talismans. "If I remember the patterns properly, one of them should be for creating barriers, and this one here should be for summoning elemental constructs or launching an elemental attack."

Hearing her speak as if she was familiar with the talismans, Oliver had a certain light in his eyes. It seemed she was genuinely knowledgeable about such things.

He could later ask her for references or see if she knew how to make them.

Sigfor's eyes gleamed with approval.

"Good kid, what was your name?" Sigfor had a pleasant expression on his face.

"You can call me Amber," she said, thinking of something before introducing a bit more about her background, "I am from the Blue Crown Clan."

"No wonder! Now I see why you are aware of this stuff. Your clan is unparalleled in this field, hahaha!" Sigfor laughed as he traced a hand over his beard. "Still, for a mere kid, you were able to recognize the patterns. It's quite impressive, I must say. The clan heir is indeed talented."

Amber did not say anything and just listened to his rare praise. Her lips couldn't help but curl slightly. She secretly cast a glance in Oliver's direction only to see him lost in his own thoughts while staring at the talismans.

He was completely oblivious to the praise.

'He is not even listening...' she thought with a frown.

"Damn! This old man actually praised her?" Daniel whispered to Alphonso, who nodded solemnly. They both clearly did not expect this old man to praise them ever. They were surprised by Sigfor's compliment

To them, the old man had a black heart.

"You brats! What are you whispering amongst yourselves! Say it out loud if you have something to speak!" Sigfor barked, his eyes sharp as he turned his head around to look at the two brats acting weirdly and whispering to each other.

Were they ignoring him?

"No, no, Sir Sigfor," Alphonso stammered. "We were just curious about how the talismans will help with our teamwork."

Sigfor looked at him and shook his head. "It's simple," he said, taking out a talisman with a rune etched on its papery surface. "You will first learn to control your elemental flow, and once you all have achieved some level of control, I will assign you into pairs, two of you in one team."

He grazed his thumb over the smooth texture of the paper as he looked at them.

"I will be dividing your little group into teams of two. The two team members would then be tasked with filling the talisman—a blank rune talisman designed for elements."

"Your task will be to combine elements with your teammate and generate a combination attack, a mix of the two elements. I will be judging the output your team is able to generate in the end according to my standards. The more synergy between your team, the better." Sigfor paused, "And... the winning team will get a reward too."

The group suddenly turned excited. Not only was this incredibly interesting to do, but they might also even win a reward if they performed well enough.

"Note that this isn't easy. Carelessness can lead to injury. Matching your partner's elemental flow is crucial," Sigfor warned.

"Anyways, for now, work individually. Take a talisman from the box, but don't touch the purple ones; they are off-limits for now. After taking a talisman, take a seat at a desk behind and start channeling your espera into it. If you damage it, then take a new one. Most of them are dummy talismans, so feel free to use them."

Sigfor said as he summoned a chair from his storage ring and put it in front of them, calmly sitting on it.

Oliver turned around and saw a bunch of wooden desks and chairs behind him. The open hall gave a view of the outside to some extent, so it was a refreshing scene in general. He picked a talisman and sat at a desk, gently channeling his water-attributed espera into it. The others followed suit, focused on their task.

The rest of the group followed suit and picked up a talisman for their own use.

Sigfor carefully observed them. He was able to see who had more control over their espera while they filled the talisman with it.

Sigfor watched closely, noting those with exceptional control. 'That white-haired kid… His control is frighteningly sharp. And the golden-haired girl… Equally impressive.'

He could not help but feel they were too good for their age.

However, his gaze lingered on Oliver. An inexplicable discomfort stirred in his heart whenever he looked at the boy

His brows furrowed whenever his eyes scanned Oliver. It was not because he could not believe that a child his age could have such superior control over their espera, but something entirely different.

It was just his intuition, an unsettling intuition that he could not shake. It was as if his heart was being suffocated by an invisible grip that he could not pinpoint even with his sharp senses.

Not to mention, he had gotten used to searching or scanning those weaker than him.

But earlier, when he first met Oliver at the mountain's base, he probed him only to be met with a blockage or a strong force messing with his senses the moment he tried to probe inside his body.

It was incredulous how he was not able to map the true extent of the boy's abilities at all.