Chapter 5: Potential and Progress.

In the evening.

Bjorn after for few hours of rest went to the training field to join Corbin to start his body cultivating.

Corbin was waiting for him on the training field. As soon as he arrived on the field, Corbin greeted him.

"Good evening, young master. I hope your mage training started well." Corbin said.

"Yes, it went well fortunately. I got how to circulate mana inside my body and complete a circulation." He answered.

"Ooh! That's very good, young master. How many circulations did you complete?" Corbin asked smiling.

"Oh? Hmm…. I think it was 20? No, it was 21. What do you think? How did I do?" he asked.

"Oh…20? What!?" Corbin asked clearly not expecting that.

"Yes. Was that too low?" he asked concerned.

'I thought mother would be honest! I didn't know she would soft in this regard.' Bjorn exclaimed inwardly.

"Ah…that. Mistress didn't tell you?" Corbin stuttered a little.

"No…She just said that I did everything correctly. She didn't say anything about how many circles I did." He said.

Corbin paused at that.

'I guess, mistress didn't want him to get arrogant after his progress. It's happened a lot of times that people started well and got careless. Alright then. I'll hold back in some regards.' Corbin thought to himself.

"It-It's in average range, I guess." Corbin, clearly not used to too much lying.

"Oh? That's too bad…I thought I did well. You must've did this much better than me right?" he said as he sighed.

"O-Oh I? W-Well I think I did better? I can't quite remember." Corbin said as he sweated.

'H-How would he know that I had to grind so much to get here? T-the beatings I got in the spars against my father still haunt me.' Corbin shuddered a little inwardly as he thought that.

Shaking his head a little at that, he said, "Right, enough of the reminiscing of the past, young master! Comparison sometimes hurts ones growth. We should start your training.

Well, cultivation and mage training in some aspects. Tolerance (or resistance stat) and mana control are those aspects. Y

You need mental tolerance in mage training and pain tolerance in cultivation.

Mana control for spells and in body/muscle strengthening…"

After that Corbin started explaining further technicalities of basic level cultivation.

After that then started a hell that Bjorn had never experienced. Not in his past life and not in his 8 years of life this time.

Warm-up, stretching and running…oh the running. And moreover he had to do it while mana circulation. It heated up his body real fast.

If he was able to do mana circulation for a few hours while sitting in a fixed position, he couldn't do the same thing while physical training even for 2 hours.

1 hour. 1 hour is what took him to be splayed on the ground, shirtless and covered head to toe in sweat.

Corbin nodded after seeing that. He went over to Bjorn and helped him sit-up.

"Well d- I mean you did everything correctly. I hope you keep this up."

Bjorn nodded, breathing heavily.

Seeing that, Corbin put a hand on Bjorn's back and something flowed in to Bjorn. Bjorn immediately felt better. He felt like he could go on half or one more hour in training.

"Calm down, young master. That was just to make you feel better. The fatigue and mana in your muscles is still there. You have to take appropriate breaks." Corbin said to him.

He nodded and asked, "Uncle Corbin, what was that? It felt like I could run for half an hour more! Amazing!"

Corbin smirked at that and said a little proudly, "When elementalists cross the 3rd-4th stage threshold, they can absorb the elemental essence inside their body or store it inside them.

And naturally I can do it as I'm 4th stage Earth-metal elementalist."

Bjorn nodded at that, clearly showing he was impressed.

"Right, young master, now you need to go back and rest. Also, it's getting dark, so I need to carry out my duties. I hope you have a pleasant rest." Corbin said to Bjorn.

"You too, Uncle Corbin. And thank you for training me." Bjorn said, nodding. After taking his shirt back, he went back.

'I've completed today's training. I wonder will there be any changes in my body?' Bjorn thought to himself.

But as soon as he thought that, he felt silly. How can he make progress in just one day? How can only a single day's effort make a difference? He will need to constantly put in the effort.

While he was thinking, he got near his room, but his mother was waiting in front his room door, for him.

"Good evening, mother." He said to his mother.

His mother smiled.

"Good evening to you, too, my dear. How was your training? "She returned the greeting and asked.

"It went fine, I think? I couldn't go on more than 1 and 1/2 hour. I how I'll be able to increase the amount of time I can do the training." Bjorn replied.

"Hmm, but do not exceed the instincts your body has. Remember what I told you. Now, rest okay? I'll send someone to call you for dinner." His mother said as she kissed his forehead.

"Oh yes. Mother, thank you for the training."

Bjorn quickly went in and after that he cleaned up.

After some time, he laid down on the bed and stared at the ceiling.

'How much time it'll take to reach 1st rank and circle, I wonder? I feel no different. How am I supposed to know how much vie progressed?'

Still pondering about such things time passed.

-------------------------

After a week.

Bjorn was running around the training field, panting heavily. After some time he stopped running.

Hands on his knees, sweat dripping down his face. His clothes were also soaked.

"H-How did I do? Uncle Corbin?" he asked.

"You did slightly better than your first time, young master. You lasted for 2 hours. I think you can do better as time passes." Corbin said.

Bjorn nodded at that.

"How much time do you think I'll need to reach rank 1?" he asked.

"I can't tell that in your case, young master. You've already forged 10% of your mana circle.

And that is already incredible. But cultivation is different. It sometimes feels like great potential but I think it depends on you, young master." Corbin answer, also mystified.

The growth Bjorn showed in only a week wasn't sufficient to infer anything but his body seemed to accept mana easily and its integration looked fluid. Perhaps it was his mage training.

After that he went back.

When he was cleaned up and resting on his bed, he got a notification from the Guide.

=====================================

[Mana Condensation- E --->D]

---

Body- 1% (Rank N/A)

Mage- 10% (Circle N/A)

Elementalist - 0.1% (Stage N/A)

--

Ursus Physique:

Potential awakened: 5%

=====================================

'Oh?' Bjorn thought as he looked at the notification.

So, Guide can show the progress too?

'But what is up with the elementalist and Physique progress? I'm not going for elementalist path?' he asked the guide.

{After finding the elemental essence inside the host, it was absorbed. When you reach 1%, you will get to choose the element you wish to harness.

Physique potential, is amount of its benefits you've absorbed and used.}

'So triple way cultivation is possible?' he asked incredulously.

{Very few people in Inguz practice with this method of triple way cultivation.

But history records that, no one of them reached great heights or died while carelessness while training.

Naturally, host can cultivate without any qualms. But host will need to put in 2 times the effort than the traditional method.

Guide's presence negates the cons of it.}

He nodded. He was scared after hearing about the people who died but sighed with relief when he heard the guide completely.

'Oh? Then what more can you do?' he asked.

{Guide can grant the way to cultivate in all three ways.

Can give quests that will help the host to achieve the Main Quest.

Show progress of the host himself and distribute the progress in all cultivations.

Privilege to see the cultivation progress of his allies*.

A good talking partner.

*Should be acknowledged by both sides.}

He nodded at that and chuckled at the last one.

'Just this guide? I thought you would give more privileges.' He asked.

{Guide is nothing but a guide.

All decisions, efforts and actions only will help him be stronger.

And besides, if Yggdrasil had that power, the Nine Worlds would have survived.

That's why, host, put in the effort to be stronger to complete your quest.}

Bjorn sighed at that. The 'Main Quest' was something he had to do. How? He absolutely had no idea.

He closed his eyes and waited for someone to call him for dinner. The night passed.

And just like that, following the routine, a year passed.

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Author: Shantanu Bondre. (ID: Sam0207)