Chapter-9 KO

Two weeks after meeting Nadia, his new mentor, she had been training him rigorously to harness the power of his royal bloodline. Despite numerous failures, she encouraged him to persist, teaching him various techniques related to his bloodline. Eventually, he grasped the skill of conjuring fireballs, mastering the fireball to the point where he could obliterate practice targets effortlessly.

During his training sessions, he couldn't shake the feeling of unease. Kira, who had initially approached him, never returned to talk to him again. Despite searching for her, he couldn't find her. Even though Nadia mentioned that Kira kept to herself, he was eager to understand why she had approached him in the first place. He longed to know her better.

The training took place in a special room designed to enhance control over one's bloodline and spells. Nadia often brought him there to hone his abilities. As Lennox swiftly moved around the room, casting his azure fireballs at magical dummies to test his power, Nadia observed his every movement with a critical eye.

"Stop!" Nadia commanded, bringing the training session to a halt.

Lennox halted his fireball mid-air, absorbing it back into his hand, and turned to Nadia with a puzzled expression. He wondered why she had interrupted his training when he was aware it wasn't time to stop. Walking over to her, he inquired, "Yes, Mentor Nadia?"

Nadia cleared her throat before speaking, her tone casual. "I've taught you Three different fire attacks," she said. "But I haven't taught you any defense."

In the two weeks of training, Lennox had learned two new skills besides the basic fireball technique Inferno Blaze and another skill, but he wasn't as proficient in them as he was in the fireball. He rarely used these new techniques. Despite this, Nadia noticed his rapid progress. He moved swiftly from the fireball technique, and no matter how many times he failed, he always persisted. She believed he was becoming the best among all her students.

Excitedly, Lennox nodded at Nadia. "Yes, what's wrong? Do you have a defense technique to teach me?"

He was aware that having only attack skills wasn't sufficient. Learning a defense technique was crucial, even if it was a simple one.

"Well, have you ever noticed that when using a fireball, you don't feel the nexus energy in it?" Nadia explained. "You might have thought you felt it, but it's not there."

Lennox realized what Nadia meant. While he could feel the energy in his veins when creating a fireball, it never resonated with the nexus energy in his core. He had suspected something was different, but now he was sure.

"Yeah, is there something different between the two, or is it designed that way?" Lennox asked, intrigued.

Nadia extended both her hands; in her left, a small orange fireball flickered, smaller than Lennox's, and in her other hand, a sphere of silver energy glowed brightly.

"Look at the difference," Nadia explained. "One is made of fire, and the other is nexus energy. Both can be used for attack and defense, but nexus energy is stronger because it's pure, coming from everything in the realms."

Lennox comprehended the significance. Nexus energy in their cores was connected to the unseen veins in the air and linked to the realms, empowering everyone.

Nadia then brought her hands together, the fireball and nexus energy ball still in her grip. "Now, watch what happens when you combine them," she said. As she spoke, the fireball and nexus energy intertwined, the fire still contained in a ball but now showing traces of the nexus energy, making the ball slightly larger.

Lennox took a step back, feeling the powerful energy pulse released from the ball. The air rippled around them, and he noticed a slight struggle on Nadia's face as she held the ball. 'That energy is strong,' he thought to himself.

"By combining nexus energy with anything, it becomes stronger, just like with our bodies," Nadia explained, releasing the ball. "But today, I will teach you how to create a fire shield," she said quickly, noticing Lennox's excitement. She extended her palm towards the air, and a fire materialized, shaping itself into a circular shield. "There are multiple ways to create shields, even with different elements," she added.

Nadia patiently guided Lennox through the process, explaining how the fire shield could transform from a square to an oval and various other shapes. With a flick of her finger, she created a circular mirror-like shield in her hand, demonstrating its flexibility. "Now, you try it, choose any shape you prefer," she instructed.

Lennox, determined to master the technique, took a deep breath. Concentrating, he focused his energy, summoning fire to his fingertips. Despite his initial struggles, he persisted. Each failed attempt only fueled his determination. He clenched his fists in frustration but pushed through, knowing he had chosen one of the most challenging shapes.

Nadia observed him from the side with an admiring gaze. 'He keeps pushing through, even though he knows it's difficult. He understands that this connection between him and the fire is unique if he can figure out his mistakes,' she thought, impressed by his perseverance.

In the midst of his struggle, Lennox had a revelation. 'Why am I starting off with something large? Just like controlling a large fireball is difficult, a large shield would be hard to control too,' he realized.

Inspired, he decided to start small. He brought the fire to his fingertips once more, moving his hand in a focused circle. On his first attempt, he successfully created a 5-7 inches circle. Nadia nodded inwardly, recognizing that he had quickly identified his mistake and adjusted his approach.

Eager to share his success, Lennox looked at Nadia with excitement. "Look, I did it!" he exclaimed triumphantly.

While Lennox's fire shield wasn't perfect, releasing flickers of small fires, Nadia deemed it good enough for his first attempt, considering the difficulty of mastering the technique. She chuckled gently. "Good, now keep practicing it," she encouraged.

Lennox nodded, determined to improve. He continued to practice, and with time, he became more proficient. The flickering fires became less frequent as he honed his control.

"There's one more thing I want to teach you," Nadia said, interrupting his practice.

After Lennox completed his fire shield exercises, he felt invigorated. Even though he knew that elements didn't typically use physical combat, he could feel the nexus energy coursing through his body, strengthening him.

"I noticed how swift you move during your practice," Nadia remarked. "I want you to try and hit me," she said, her body relaxed and defenseless.

Lennox was taken aback by Nadia words, trying to comprehend what she meant. He understood he couldn't use his elemental powers to fight, but he didn't understand why. He recalled his explorations around the academy and realized he hadn't seen any students training in hand-to-hand combat or with weapons. Perhaps it was a matter of grade or specific mentors conducting such training. Regardless, he was intrigued by Nadia's request.

Lennox had never been in any fight in the past but he saw some so he brought up his both fists in the air, as he watched Nadia in her eyes noticed she had a look of readiness even with her body relaxed as he unleashed a sloppy punch aimed straight at her face he felt his body moving faster because of awakening his nexus energy. But it wasn't fast enough before the blow could land, the she expertly sidestepped, her body flowing like water.

"Very Slow" With lightning speed, Nadia closed the gap, her palm striking the Lennox with a force that made his teeth rattle. Staggering backward, he tried to regain his footing, but then she was relentless. She swiftly followed up with a sharp elbow to his jaw, snapping his head to the side. 

Seizing the opportunity, she ducked under his flailing arms and delivered a powerful uppercut that sent him soaring into the air. Time seemed to slow as he flew, his muscles contorted in pain. The impact echoed through the room, and he crashed to the ground, momentarily stunned he gasped feeling the wind knock out of him.

With his vision blurry and his head spinning, Lennox looked up at the grey ceiling, a little reluctant to rise. Suddenly, he saw multiple images of Nadia towering above him, all looking down at him. "Get up," she instructed, her tone firm yet encouraging.

"Why did she hit so hard, and with only one arm?" Lennox wondered, feeling the impact of her blows resonate through his body. Despite his desire to stay down, he pushed himself to turn over and managed to get up on all fours. Then, in an unexpected move, he felt Nadia sit down on him, causing him to shout out in pain.

"What are you doing?" Lennox protested.

"Why were you about to give up? Don't hold back, and don't fear," Nadia asked sternly. "Remember, it's not just about speed; it's about technique and timing."

Her words reverberated in his mind. Determination flickered in his eyes as he nodded, realizing that he needed to push past his limits, embracing both the physical and mental challenges of his training.