Real Training!

Soon, the table was covered with a thick, black, sticky substance that swallowed Eli, a stark contrast to the sterile white surroundings.

"Are you sure he will be fine?" Rock asked, his tone filled with scepticism. His eyes were narrow as he observed Eli, who was now completely covered in the sticky, black goo.

"Yes, Father..." Aadya replied, stepping back and removing her mask. Her expression was one of exhaustion, her entire body drenched in sweat. She couldn't believe she had used every bit of her mana just to pull out all the waste from Eli's body.

She wiped her forehead with the back of her hand.

'H-His body is really something...' she thought, marvelling at the sheer resilience of Eli. As she had mentioned earlier, if it were anyone else, they would have died by now.

Eli's body had been filled with mana impurities that had clustered over time, making the procedure incredibly taxing.

"He is a fine piece of art, isn't he?" Rock said, his gaze thoughtful as he studied the pile. He crossed his arms over his chest, deep in contemplation.

"Yeah," Aadya smirked, recalling how Eli hadn't screamed in pain even once. Her lips curled up in admiration, Rock noticed this and smirked, mumbling to himself, "I wonder...."

"Hmm?" Aadya frowned, taking the towel that Nova handed her. She wiped her hands and face, trying to shake off the lingering fatigue.

"Nothing," Rock said, dismissing his thoughts with a shake of his head, "Just an old man's musings."

Crack

Suddenly, the pile of impurities cracked, making a loud, unsettling noise.

"It's done," Aadya nodded, just about to help Eli when—

Sssshhhh

A pink gas suddenly released from the crack, hissing ominously.

Aadya immediately stepped back while Rock stepped forward, creating a barrier around the table with swift precision and capturing the gas.

"What is that?" Rock asked, frowning as he scrutinized the mist. 

".... Maybe impure mana stored in his lungs is dissipating in gas form. Better collect it within the barrier and release it into the sky, Father," Aadya suggested. Although it was uncommon for the lungs to also be affected, it was still a possibility. 

Rock nodded, collecting the gas within the barrier before disappearing with it. 

Crack

Eli soon emerged from the shell of impurities. Both Aadya and Nova watched him with curious expressions. Although there wasn't much physical difference, one thing stood out—his skin was glowing brightly, radiating a healthy sheen.

He turned a little hotter now!

"I feel really good..." Eli mumbled, looking at his hand in amazement.

He felt an unprecedented ease in his breathing and movement, 'So I had been killing my body all this time...ah,' he thought. Turning to Aadya with a grateful expression, he said, "Thank you, Miss Aadya," slowly pulling his body free from the remaining impurities.

Aadya smiled gently before saying, "It's my duty to help my disciple..." her words trailing off as she stared at something.

"Hmm? What happened?" Eli asked with a frown, moving away from the table and stretching his body, 'Damn, I think I could do gymnastics now without breaking my body...' he thought, revelling in the newfound flexibility.

Feeling the dead silence, Eli looked up and saw Aadya and Nova staring at him with horrified expressions, their faces a deep shade of red.

"What happ—Fuck!!" Eli screamed, realizing his "elephant" was in plain view. He quickly covered himself with his hands and shouted, "W-Where is the bathroom?"

Both Aadya and Nova snapped out of their stupor and subconsciously pointed towards the side.

Eli immediately dashed towards the bathroom, not forgetting to grab his uniform on the way.

"..."

"..."

Nova and Aadya glanced at each other with red faces, desperately trying to change the topic.

"H-How is your study going, Nova?" Aadya asked, clearly feeling awkward. She shifted her weight from one foot to the other, avoiding eye contact.

"...I-I am doing big—I mean great!" Nova blushed, biting her lip in embarrassment. She twirled a strand of hair around her finger, trying to distract herself from the awkwardness.

Suddenly, Rock materialized, noticing the girls talking to themselves with red faces. His entrance was sudden, making them both jump slightly.

"Where is he?" Rock asked, looking at the pile of impurities.

Aadya pointed to the bathroom. He nodded, then asked with a curious expression, "Did you see his elephant?" He pointed to the black underwear stuck on the pile.

"...."

"...."

Both girls' mouths dropped open before they shouted in unison, "What the hell is wrong with you?"

Seeing their reaction, Rock grinned mischievously. "So, you did see... ah..." He nodded several times, his grin widening, "Is it big?"

Nova covered her face, unable to hold back her embarrassment. She wanted to delete the image from her mind, but it lingered... 'Ding, Dong'....

'Arrrhh!' she groaned inwardly, her face turning an even deeper shade of red.

Aadya, however, with a flushed face, gritted saying, "I think Mother is really lonely without you. Why don't you help her?" As she spoke, her hands moved, and a huge, pressurized arrow appeared, glowing with energy.

"W-Wait!! Dear, I was just teasssiinngggg!!!! AARRGGGG!!"

BOOOM!!

...

...

When Eli emerged from the bathroom, he was shocked to see Rock lying on the ground, covered in wounds, 'Is he dead?' he thought.

Upon noticing Eli's presence, both Aadya and Nova blushed deeply, their embarrassment palpable.

Clearing her throat, Aadya quickly composed herself and said, "Let's start the lesson."

Eli wanted to ask about Rock's condition, but Aadya seemed uninterested, so he shrugged and decided to focus on the lesson.

"For soulless people, in ancient times, there was a technique called 'Mana Breathwork,'" Aadya began, holding up five fingers to illustrate her points,

"Mana Breathwork consists of five basic Arts."

She continued, listing them with clarity:

"Cyclone Arts: Air Element

Flame Arts: Fire Element

Ocean Arts: Water Element

Terra Arts: Earth Element

Plasma / Lightning Arts: Charged and Heated Elementals.

Each art is divided into 3 Forms / Stages:

1st Form: Controlling the surrounding Elements.

2nd Form: Muscles have their own consciousness by storing Mana.

3rd Form: Understanding the concept of Elements and being one with Elements"

Eli listened intently, his surprise evident. The book he had received from his father hadn't mentioned these Arts or their respective forms.

"That's why I destroyed your manual," Aadya explained, her expression serious, "It was a flawed technique where you only inhale mana to strengthen your body beyond its limits. I'm certain anyone attempting it would have died by now. It's surprising to see you still alive and kicking."

Eli smiled wryly and replied, "Maybe I'm just really lucky, then..."

Both Aadya and Nova exchanged shocked glances.

Aadya managed an amused smile and said, "If it's luck well, You must have a crazy amount..."

Eli smiled and said, "Okay, Teach wou--"

"Teach?" Aadya raised an eyebrow.

"Yeah, you're teaching me, so teach!"

Aadya's lips twitched in annoyance, "Call me Master. I am your Master, and you are my Disciple."

Eli nodded with a smile but wisely said nothing more, causing Aadya's annoyance to grow.

Suddenly,

Rock's laughter echoed through the room. "Hahahaha.... You've got a rebellious Disciple, my daugh—"

BOOM!

Rock was slammed to the ground by an unseen force before he could finish his sentence.

"Is he even alive?" Eli wondered aloud, staring at the crater formed around Rock.

"Now, let's begin your training!" Aadya declared, her voice firm as she refocused on the task at hand.