Chapter 9: Off to work, becoming a true apprentice

Yesterday i broke 1500 views, and so today the chapter shall be an extended chapter along side two other chapter releases.

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They each walked outside, after the cleaning for an hour or so it was already half to noon. So they decided to sit on the edge of the building and take in the last of the morning. Yuki was excited to go back to basic alchemy and learn more about plants. Spectre was thinking about what his Boss would teach him today, all of yesterday he was taught about the functionality of magic and the application of it for tool's and craft. Apollo was readying himself and his now energy packed limb's after Yuki gave him a Vigorous potion for the day.

The three were ready for whatever was in store and with each step they took to the ladder down, each of their smiles brightened even more.

"Ready guys?" Apollo asked with a cheeky bright teethed grin.

"Damn right we are!" "Hell yeah!" The two replied.

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As they parted they waved to one another and set off on their separate journeys to their work and learning.

The first to arrive was Apollo who was only several blocks from the main entrance, as he walked out being about 25 minutes early, he saw the martial teacher meditating upon a rock. He opened his eyes and gazed towards Apollo before beckoning him over.

"You know… most of the other kids who come are late or right on time. To be early? That's a good thing. For that I'll let you in on a secret, today even though it's only the second day, were going to have a martial training match between the different boys. I'd like to see the perception you each have for fighting, then I'll stick you each into team's that will play martial games of capture the flag, team battle's and maybe another game if it permits. Have you ever trained at all?" He asked after saying it all in a breath.

Apollo sheepishly smiled, "Sadly no senior… I have not, I would wrestle with my brothers and climb since I was very young. I've always found fitness good and have walked, ran, and did what I could since about 5 years old to make myself fit. That's why I could run a little farther then most even for my age. "He said with ease, to not show his confidence in self, even though he knew he was younger and more driven it was more in a matter of fact way.

"That's good, most of these lads haven't even an inkling of wanting to train and were forced by their parents to come, although that woman who came by seemed to have forced you as well in context. When you showed up you surprised me with actually loving this. A drive and determination to break your limit… You will definitely exceed in this class… but because of that, the rest of them will also hate you for it. Be wary of that fact, in the world those that are strong rule, those that are weak cling to power or group mentality. Remember this."

"Yes senior" Apollo took this to heart.

"Go and take your pick, before the rest of them are dropped off and arrive, of one of the wooden training weapons we have today for you, the class, to use."

"Thank you!"

"Don't thank me; choose what your heart tells you. Not what looks powerful or the most lethal looking. It is not practical, do what you like." He closed his eyes again.

Apollo looked over to a couple barrels full of staffs and different carved swords and weapons. As he went closer he noted: Staffs, glaives, dull headed spears, swords, a great sword, thin sabers, daggers, all well-made and carved with different woods. Some were flexible, some were very stiff. He picked up several, but none of them interested him much. He didn't get that heart pull the Martial teacher talked of. Although the teacher said to not just grab the flashy things, he looked at the one and only great sword that was 1 and a half times his height. He touched its 2 handed handle and felt a fighting spirit start to well up. This was it! It was curved about 6 inches from the top steeply rather than with a long slow draw to the top like most swords or sabers.

As he tried to lift it, he felt it was heavy. This was a lot more wood then the other carved instruments around it. As he poured his heart into thinking of the different ways to utilize it, smashing it, large sweeps, thrusts, over the head swings. He closed his eyes, and started to swing with the most strength he had. It was hard at first and wonky since he hadn't wielded anything before.

The more he did though as each minute ticked by the more he felt it was like flowing water, he compensated his movement to allow the momentum to drive rather than his muscles. It also allowed him to move it with a little more accuracy as his bodies momentum was the direction, the strike would be the stopping point.

Without realizing it, the bands on his right arm started to give off a little heat, the great sword started to lessen in weight until it was like lifting a feather. His eyes shot open at feeling this, "What the…?" He felt the heat on his arm, 'This must be what it does! It takes weight! This will make this so much easier.' He was beyond happy for this, compared to Spectres disk or Yuki's gourd, this was perfect.

'I wonder…' he started to think of the weight of the greatsword, how it flowed and the momentum he was giving it. He thought of it gaining a heavier weight, within seconds the great sword started to gain weight. It didn't stop until it what almost double it weight, this lasted for a couple seconds before it went back to its normal weight.

'It must store the weight, which can be used later for the time it was stored. This could mean for 6 seconds of half weight, for 6 seconds I could add that half weight to it. Or for 1 second make it 6 times as heavy by compacting the weight in a burst?'

"That old man really is smart. He knew us three so well…I wonder what their items do? Especially since I can use this in so many different ways, they must be able to too!" He was ecstatic; he looked at the band on his right arm, wondering its purpose. He didn't feel the same heat as the weight band on it. He thought if the two bands could store effects, then this one must be different then weight.

But what would it store? He thought if the right band stored the weight of things around him, then the left band could maybe store his weight? He had to try to see. He focused, and the left band began to heat up. He jumped and didn't feel any lighter. Although he did notice that it was harder to lift the sword, with the weight normal unlike before, this was at least double the weight. Except he was storing the weight currently not pushing it and thus could only mean his strength was weakened!

"What!" He shouted out. The martial teacher opened an eye. "Uh…sorry to disturb you senior.'' He closed his eye again. His left eyebrow going back down from curiosity, but he didn't pester Apollo.

'It stores strength! That means I can exponentially increase it by compacting it.' He had been storing it for several seconds now, so he let it rip and unleashed it. He felt a surge of strength go through every point of his muscles like a steep tide of adrenaline was coursing through his veins. He swung the sword and heard a faint whistle as the wood pushed the wind. He felt there was a limit to this gain though and realized unlike the weight, the strength stored was pertinent to what his body was capable of already. If he became stronger, the more strength he stored would exponentially rise with what it could output. He breathed in a cold breathe of air.

"I need to get stronger, and then it will show its effect more." He sat down, fully storing the woods weight away, he couldn't store a lot as it was like s fresh horse that needed to be trained, and this was the first day of being that horses tamer in his life. He also stored his strength, he could feel a mass drain on his body, like his muscles were all tightening on themselves and his blood was draining away. It was not a pleasant feeling, making him want to hurl.

'I guess there is a drawback…but if I do this periodically, it shouldn't be as bad.' He had been storing it for about 5 minutes when he heard the martial teacher get up from the rock, seeing him peer out. Apollo turned his neck with difficulty and saw the other boys were beginning to show up until they all had finally arrived. They saw him sitting on the ground looking weak; he must've got here early to try out the wooden training weapons. Over exerting himself, he must've over done it.

He even chose a great sword? Apollo could hear the sneers and laughter as they looked at him.

The martial teacher saw this and said nothing, he told Apollo to expect this, and wanted him to learn from it and rise above the majority. Apollo knew this, and didn't mind it at all. He slowly stopped storing the strength, and got up from the ground, his complexion coming back to his face. He stood straight, and held the great sword facing down. It didn't tip at all, because he was storing its weight it was easy to control.

"Today we will be having martial games; we will still do our routine as I said yesterday. Afterwards, we shall begin them. Ready yourself! 35 laps! Let's go!" He shouted, stopping the boys from talking. He then started to go around the outside of the grounds; Apollo was the first to follow. None got in front of him, as they didn't feel the need to exert themselves and started to jog. Whereas Apollo did his best to keep behind the teacher.

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"What a fool…that little shrimp thinks he can be the best in the class when were almost all 5 years older than him. Pathetic." One boy chimed as he was jogging, the followers behind him nodding their head in agreement. Some were even laughing at Apollo, rather than admiring his tenacity they looked down upon him.

After a lot of them fell out and had to stop at about 26 laps, some only breaking their record by a lap, Apollo continued to run, even holding the Great sword in his hands. He lowered the draw rate on the weight by only a few pounds rather than the entirety so that he would have to push himself to run.

He was panting by the time he completed the 35th lap. He didn't pass out like yesterday, but he felt himself close to it. He smiled however, taking in the feeling of pushing his limits. He had agitated the soreness from yesterday but continued to move as the teacher instructed, he took the break they had between each exercise to move slowly and keep the body in motion. This kept him from passing out, as well as calmed the muscles. When he would need it, he would give himself a strength boost. During the breaks he would put that much back in.

Before too long, the afternoon exercises had ended, they had a half hour before the martial games would begin. He took this time to lie down on the ground with the great sword next to him, his aching muscles wanting to shut down. He put a couple pounds of strength into the band and proceeded to close his eyes.

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Yuki had just arrived in front of the Botany house several hours before, it had just turned noon, he had taken the time before hand to get all of the trimming or plants ready and fed. He walked past where the laid back sleeping man was before and hadn't seen him there. As he went to the desk and looked into the backroom, a wall was ajar on one side.

'A secret room?' He thought slowly, 'Could that be where rare plants or things are?' He felt his heartbeat rising up a little bit in excitement but then calmed himself, if the man was in there he would have to be quite. He slowly and tepidly began to move crouched down beside the equipment table.

As he looked through the hidden wall door, he saw stairs going down into the ground. Each stepped looked carved, but also as if it had been carved long ago. 'Strange…'

He proceeded to go through and down the steps one at a time, he didn't hear the hidden door silently close behind him as he rounded the spiral staircase. The walls were an obsidian texture like glass, and the steps that were dark stone became slowly covered in a type of red moss. It was soft, but also gave off a strange energy. He plucked some and put it into a small bottle storing it into the ring.

The walls had not flame, but luminescent plant's growing upon them reaching to the ceiling. Growing to create what looked like an upside down astral river of spectral light. It was mesmerizing. Before too long, he had reached the bottom, with the amount of steps he took he guessed he must be at least several floors beneath the ground. He reached a purple wooded door that had a root for a handle, he slowly opened it and peaked inside.

He saw the laid back man sleeping on a shrub chair, made of what looked like balls of soft silk that grew from its many stems. He slowly opened the door, which was silent as a feather. The room must be at least several hundred feet wide! It was a cave! He could see countless rare plants in little zones meant for cultivating them. They had strange magic floating around them most likely creating the environment in which they came from. The ground, grass, dried leaves, or rock, must've been taken from those same places as to not disturb the roots.

He was wide eyed, his heart racing. This was a treasure trove, he slowly stepped in to peer over at large equipment of varying sizes, and many tables displaying jade glasses, bottles, and weird machines. He was currently back faced to the man who he hadn't noticed opened his eyes. Yuki was fully immersed in the plants and gear. He hadn't even heard the man slowly step beside him. His foots steps and movement not creating even a movement in the air.

"Fascinated?" He asked nonchalantly.

"AH!" Yuki yelped jumping back. "I...I'm sorry senior! I was just so curious. These plants are the rarest I've ever seen. Like that dragon willow there, or that red leaf cascading roman…or that aquais tiger lily…'' He drifted off as the man gazed and smiled.

"You know your plants, the last boy who came to work here merely sat all day. You seem to enjoy these plants and the art of alchemy. I know you were making the potions upstairs Yuki. You did well too, surprising me. You follow the steps of their creation to the point meticulously without error, you even can name these plants meaning you must've read a lot of the books in the library as those come from different books." He looked proud of Yuki, giving him an easier feeling around the man's bearing which was like soft water without ripples. This man really was the easy going type.

"You left the hidden door open on purpose knowing I would come in wouldn't you?" Yuki asked.

"Yes, it thoroughly shows you are the curious type that will venture where he knows not in search of better plants and knowledge. It means you are indeed someone who can become a good alchemist…However…You don't have a teacher do you?" His words revealing a hidden meaning that Yuki locked onto.

"wou…would you become my teacher?"

"Oh? Well since you asked, I guess I could do that. The dangers are explosions, sickness and even death. That's the dangers of refinement and learning, are you still willing?" He asked non chalantly again.

"Yes!" Yuki said without hesitation, causing the man to smile more.

"Good, you start today. Go over to that chest over there and grab the purple bag inside, should be about your size. Then go over there…" He pointed to tools set on the cave wall, "and choose one that your heart pulls you too. Not something flashy, something you feel is what you are pulled too."

Yuki looked up at him and then back at the wall. He strode forward and saw many different instruments, scalpels, bows and arrows, bottles with strange liquids, sling shots even. He assumed these were the tools an alchemist would use in nature. He didn't feel much for these though. Not the heart feeling that he was told to grasp.

He looked around the wall, and found nothing to his interest although some of them were very cool.

"Nothing to your liking?" The man asked.

"I'm sorry senior but no… none of these give me that heart feeling." He said without a bad tone, but more of an assured reasoning.

"Hmm, then go over to that box at the end of the wall and look there…" He said casually wondering if he would find something there he felt Yuki might like.

"Okay..." Yuki strode over to a small chest about his height and width. He opened it and saw even stranger instruments, a large syringe, hand claws, even a folding scythe. When he gazed over to the edge of the box where the lid was, as he opened it he hadn't seen the Blowgun on a rack but looking up and finding it his eyes glowed. That's the ticket.

He picked it up, it was a bamboo. A root had grown into the beginning of it as a handle. Above the handle where it met the pipe there was a cylindrical piece with a hole with thread upon it. It looked to be used and have potions connected to it. At the base that vertical cylinder was a mouthpiece most likely for blowing.

"That is a prototype I created and never felt a heart towards. If you like it however, you can have it. Maybe you will have great use for it." He walked over twirled it in his hand, and then handed it to Yuki.

"Have you ever used one?" As he looked down to Yuki, "uh…no actually. I haven't." Yuki said frankly.

"Then let's have you learn of the uses first, he pointed to a black bag for him to pick up. Contained within were small darts, needles, and different blow gun ammo.

"Take one of those, and place it in the hole near the handle, then on the side, press the stopper and blow it with all your might at the mannequin across from you." He gave directions as Yuki hadn't even seen an instrument like this before.

"Okay…" Yuki did as he said and grabbed a needle, and then leveled it and blew with all his might. The needle shot forwards through the tube silently and flew out hitting the mannequins lower left side. Just barely close enough from missing.

"That's just the start" He asked and grabbed it from Yuki before getting a needle himself. He leveled it and blew through it, Yuki saw a shimmer in the air.

"Where did it go?" He asked confused.

He pointed, "Go take a look at the mannequin, here take it" Giving the blowgun back he pointed.

Yuki walked over and scanned the mannequin, he barely noticed that in-between its eyebrows was a small hole.

"No way! That's deadly accurate!" He exclaimed in surprise.

"Well I have had some practice with it; my cultivation is higher than yours too. With more powerful lungs, the force driven is greater. As you train yourself, you will get better too, and much more accurate. I want you to never use this on someone unless you have to, as when you learn of salves, oils and elixirs you can apply to it, this will become a deadly and very silent weapon. Understand?" He said with a serious tone Yuki had never heard before.

"Ye…yes! I promise on my heart." He meant it too.

"Practice for a while, while I prepare somethings for today's lesson." He said while walking away to the alchemy table, arranging things and gathering some lower grade plants for refinement.

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Spectre walked around the bend in the hill to the door he had met just yesterday. He grabbed a hold of the small hole to open the smaller door but stopped himself from pulling it open. He looked at the large handle from before, and decided to use it instead. He had to use his legs and this was in a sense training for when he left and came. It took him awhile, and he got a large enough crack in the door open before slipping through, pulling with all his might the door to close it.

"Hahaha right on time boy, good, since you learned most of what I can say yesterday. Today we will work with creation, ready?" As he was speaking, Spectre was already running over to the over the shoulder hammer holster and grabbed 2 gloves for smithing.

"Yes!" He was pumped for whatever was to come today, awaiting any commands he stood there.

"Today, we shall be crafting you something. It's good to make an image in your mind, and then craft it. This way, you can articulate the process and with an image in your mind becoming reality have a deeper sense towards that creation by your own hands. Once you reach a higher level of it, you will go into an ethereal state and your body will act of its own accord to your thoughts. That is a way away, and even I have not mastered it. Still, this is a training of one's mind as well as body. You are in a sense forging yourself." He said proudly.

"Thank you for this knowledge Boss" Spectre replied, taking note of what he said deeply.

"Good, go grab an ore. Let's see how far you've come since yesterday with what you can manipulate." Spectre ran over and choose a dark steel ore, one of the ones from yesterday he had an easier time manipulating. He jumped on a billow and created heat as he drove the steel through it time and time again until it was molten. He brought it over with great will as it was a very heavy metal alongside a cloud steel box to hold it.

He calmed himself, and began to will it to float in front of him. A ball the size of a fist slowly lifted up in front of him. Boss was surprised because this was at least 10 times the size of yesterday's bearing!

This meant he had a tremendous affinity for metal, not just a typical genius who could manipulate at an early age like some of the lucky inner court disciples of some prodigious place.

To be blessed with a student of this level, when he rose to the skies one day he would be able to one day become a peak existence. Meaning when he was known to come from here, Boss would receive many rewards and maybe land! This child was a fortune of flesh. One which he must work hard to temper.

"Boy! You surprise me each day. This is just enough steel for a dagger, what would you like to do with it?" He asked, proud of Spectres ability.

"I….how thin can a sword be forged?" He asked in wonderment.

"Oh, well you can't forge a greatsword, or saber with this much, but you can create a katana, or a light sword of that caliber. Its length won't be as tremendous though. Although…there is a way to duplicate the effort with double the result. What kind of sword would you want?" Explaining in detail so that Spectre could understand what quantity to creation was capable.

"Well, I was thinking…why not a dagger and a sword!" Spectre with great effort spoke his thoughts.

"Both? But how can a sword and dagger be the same thing? Do you mean a short sword? That would make sense." He mulled over thinking to himself.

"No no, I mean a transformative weapon! A dagger that can become a sword." He had had this idea in mind for a while.

"Without magic to reshape the metal that would be difficult, I don't personally have the expertise or magic arrays to do so laddy" The boss said sadly but frankly of his skill.

"You'll see! I'll make ya proud, help me forge the handle and half step of the blade. Then you'll understand no magic is needed I promise teacher!" He said with great confidence. He took out a piece of paper and wrote notes alongside a sheepish drawing he had. It was meticulate in the math needed for quantity to each part. He had mulled over this last night in case he had a chance to forge it, since boss said today's lesson would be of a weapon he crafted himself, Why not go all out?

As boss saw each note as well as the drawing, his large eyebrows furrowed and his mouth was agape.

"This is what you meant! That's a very creative idea! Let's do it! But you in return must let me keep this piece of paper." He said with surprise.

"That wouldn't be a problem Boss; I can always draw it again." He ran off to gather a second soft ore for the inside fold of the blade. He ran back with and placed it on the hard stone table.

"You choose dark vigilant copper for the inside? Not a bad idea lad, this ore might have a low heat resistance, but it does have the ability to absorb shock easily. It'll make it tough to forge because of that and require twice the amount of tempering to forge. Be ready this might take a while…"

He picked the ore up in his hands. Turning to Spectre and handing it to him, "let's cool this other ore, and fold it 1000 times. That is the true point for a Katana's strength and sharpness. "He reached over and picked up the cloud steel block with his bare hands, as he did so his hands touched the table and thin stone viel gloves crossed them. He picked it up and walked to quenching water and dropped it in, before taking it out and handing it to Spectre again, "Except, I will only teach you. You will be forging your weapon today."

"Yes Boss." He picked up the block with difficulty and walked back to the furnace, he dropped it out of the block and it slid out in a perfect square shape. The furnaces here were meant for this purpose, to melt ore and then shape it for folding; however, he went and picked up an unheated ore. By melting it, the impurities were kept inside as well. This made forging easier but also the quality lower. He decided it be best to start from here.

'What a good lad...' Boss thought to himself watching Spectre move back and forth preparing things and tools, watched as he set his hammer on the stone table readying it for tempering. Spectre began to heat the furnace at a slower rate, keeping the ore in the coal till it was red hot. He then brought it to the table, and began to hammer away at it, tempering it down with each stroke. It was very difficult to lift the hammer as he was a small person. His will is what drove it, as well as his heart into his creation.

Unlike when someone choose a weapon as most did, a craftsmen would pore his heart into his creation. Wielding it would be at double the effect as it was as if it was already a piece of their arm just like the hammer that created it. He took time to breath, this process was arduous, and to get it to a 1000 folds for him would take several hours.

He was covered in sweat, but finally after those several hours were up was it done. He had finally folded it 1000 times. This was absolute training swinging the hammer constantly, and then lifting the ore into the furnace and back out to do it again within the time of it being red hot. He drank some water before walking over to the Vigilant copper and began to temper it, this would take far longer because it would take twice the hits. However since he needed it only as a soft inside he smelted this one, since it usually wouldn't have as many impurities. He swung the hammer countless times before stopping.

The moment had come, he split the steel in half, and folding the copper into one half and back around until it became like a sandwich with an enclosed side. He folded the side without copper within it. He then began to hammer the side with it back.

Boss at this point watching him decided to give him an example seeing this profusely sweating kid.

As he did though however, Spectre said no. He would like to complete it of his own will and heart fully! Boss was surprised at his tenacity that no other kid his age would have. An actual fucking tear almost came down from his eye! Spectre hadn't noticed this, and Boss rubbed it away. '*Sniffle* He is such a good lad, Boss laughed out loud before walking back.

Pointing towards edges to bend it with the hammer hits, allowed Spectre to learn of final tempering, the art of shaping. Spectre finished the bottom half before grabbing the other half, curving an edge and using a press to give the top half with ore in it serrated edges.

"OooOooh that's gonna be cool" Boss said with amusement.

Spectre used a different press at the base of the 1000 fold ore with copper imbedded in it to create a divide on the inside like a hollow canal. He then used a heavy engraver to create a path on both sides of the lower blade, using a grinder he sharpened both blades until they were sharp enough to slice through paper just by dropping it on it.

"It's ready…" Spectre voiced his thoughts out loud. Boss was happy with him, beyond happy. This kid had spent the last half a day forging this. With all his heart and effort, it took quite a while because he was just too young to wield the hammer without needing constant breaks. Regardless he had done it.

Spectre grabbed both halves and took the lower half and slid it into the upper half, without pause it slipped in as snug as a bug. Perfect. He used a shallow rivet in the upper half to snape into the pathways on the lower half. Then he hammered on a locking mechanism in the handle he slipped on. With a press of the lower finger and then top finger, it disengaged the rivet lock allowing the blade to slide up and snap into place. He had done it!

He had created a Dagger Sword! It wasn't perfect, but it was his. This was what it felt to put a heart into the blade. He touched it up, and oiled the blade to keep it from rusting before sweeping it back and forth hearing the wind whistle as it cut through the air.

And…he used his will, and the Blade began to float. It had even less of the ore then before because of the fact the impurities were tempered out. It weighed now about 2/3rds of the ore it did before. This was his first creation, so he had to name it.

"I'll name it…the Dagord, Dagger sword. Is that good?" He said with pride.

Boss laughed "A name as clever as the creation. I like it. When you go home, I'm going to mull over your drawing for a while. It gives me some deep inspiration; I won't create a sword as you have, because that is your origin creation. It's late enough now you could go home for the night, I'm very proud of you today Spectre. You're a good lad" He smiled proud of his student, making in turn Spectre smile back.

"Thanks boss." Spectre went over to the main door, because his arms were so sore he sadly had to use the smaller door just this once.

"This boy…What a strange one, and also what a limitless one!" Boss exclaimed out loud after Spectre had left. 'Now…about that drawing…I was thinking about a spear...'

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Spectre was walking to the meet up point for his brothers as dusk was descending. He saw Yuki in the distance and waved over to him, Yuki was running towards him and waved back except…he was waving for him to come over. Spectre ran over with a bewildered facial expression.

"What?" Spectre asked curious.

"Hahaha you are not gonna believe this dude." He started running towards the front gate. As confused as he was Spectre followed.

As they reached the entrance, Yuki and Spectre gazed out across the training grounds. Yuki was smiling, Whereas Spectre was surprised.

"How in the living holy fuck did he piss them off that bad."

"I don't know, but he also had a smile on his face so that's why I didn't run in to defend him."

They could see Apollo had 5 people in front of him, the leader of the 5 was yelling at him.

"You cheated! There is no way that I would lose to you in a sword fight, mine is shorter and faster too! With that big greatsword, even I would have a hard time wielding it. Let alone you shrimp! It must be hollow and that's why you choose it you little cheat, I never lose and now you're saying I am a bum trying to save face?! Screw you!"

The boy swept his wooden sword out, however to his amazement Apollo lifted the great sword with ease and met it. He then swung it round house style using momentum as the driving force. The boy went to block it but found the great sword felt as if it weighed that of a house. He was thrown over 20 feet back. "h…how??" The boy wiping the dust and groaning on the floor asked.

"Will is key, and the key will never be seen by you let alone the door." He proceeded to walk away towards his brothers awaiting him. They were currently laughing, Apollo once he met them joined in on the laughter as if to mock the boys behind him further.

"Was that a technique? How did you do that??" Yuki asked in amazement.

"Once we get back to the raven nest I'll tell you" He said with pride.

They strolled back until they reached the grove, they first met with the old woman and ate a hearty dinner. A meal larger than any of them had eaten before. Helga served them mostly porridge and vegetables her husband would bring back. Yuki only ate the porridge, but never meat when it was offered on very rare occasions. They thanked her with bright smiles before going to the ladder and climbing up to their abode. Spectre took the longest since his arms were beyond sore. This was imaginable though as he had only ever swung an ax to cut wood back at the old house. It was his job to cut wood, as well as do the heavy things like moving them as well.

He had done this every night since he was 4. This was why his arms were probably the strongest amongst the three, Apollo had used all of his body as he moved around, while Yuki had tended to the vegetable and fruit garden.

The three went towards the Nest as they peered over the edge looking at the stroller bys of the night city scape. It was peaceful.

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"So uh… yeah I may have gained some abilities today…" Apollo said sheepishly, with a note of pride that Yuki and Spectre obviously caught onto.

"Yeah bro? What is it? Do you shoot flames out your eyes, or fart noxious gas? Well I guess you already do one of those two. Hahaha" Yuki laughed, with a hint himself of curiosity.

"No you bum, I can gather and store strength and from my best guess exponentially release it later for use. If I store half my strength for say an hour, for the next hour I can give that to myself giving me one and a half times my strength normally. It severely exhausts me and draws on myself to store it though. I believe if I become stronger, the stored amount will thus be greater. Meaning even more power output when released as I gain in level." Apollo said with deep thought, having been considering it all day while training with it.

"I also have a limit to how much I can release. It isn't just what I can store, but also what I can utilize. Too much pumped out could harm my body or even burst it. So I need to be careful with that." He finished, leaving Spectre and Yuki amazed at such a thing existing.

"That is fucking…badass!" The two exclaimed only less than a half beat off from each other.

"So both of the bands you received allow you this skill?" Spectre finally asked after some thought.

"Well actually that's just one of the bands… The other stores weight! I can also exponentially release the weight of it. When stored it can become weightless to me, up to a one ton rock is the limit. Which also seems to be a reserve I have to slowly gain in size through use just like strengthening my body. I have to strengthen what I'm capable of wielding, I can't carry one ton, but if I touch the rock I can still take the weight from it. But it isn't as much, maybe a 1/100th of its weight. For the wooden great sword I can completely store its weight, so I do know that 10 pounds to 55 pounds can be completely held. Which is also the limit of my strength currently with the ability to still wield it."

"I see..." Spectre took this in and began to ponder over the uses of it, "What have you explored so far in its uses?" He asked to confirm a possible outcome.

"Well…" Apollo sat down and took over a water sack from Yuki to drink from." So far just wielding it and storing its weight….

The catch is that arm has to be touching the object I am storing, the strength cannot be applied outside of my body as well…

Lastly the weight can actually be stored within the object for the time I took weight from that same object. Such as if I make it weigh a certain amount for an hour, then give it back to the item for the same duration... although I'll lose the portion of what was stored in a larger portion in the band." Apollo said as he gulped down water.