The Calm Before The Storm (1)

I made my way to the training grounds to meet with Chiron and the rest of the main cast. It was time for our weekly training session, something that had become routine since our first quest a few days ago.

Things had started to settle down, and the main cast had grown closer after that first quest.

The night Nadia came to the camp, she was quickly claimed by Artemis. Adriel and the others requested that Chiron add her to our group, so now our group was complete, with all the main cast members together.

After a short walk, I arrived at the training ground, finding it empty as usual. I was the first to arrive, as always, with the rest of the main cast typically showing up a few minutes later.

"Hey, Blake! What's up?"

Adriel's greetings had become more frequent since our first quest, making it difficult for me to ignore him. I gave him a casual wave, hoping to keep him satisfied.

Behind Adriel, the trio of girls followed, greeting me in the same manner. I guess after practically saving their lives, they started acting more friendly toward me.

"Why did Chiron call us?"

"Oh, Right. This is your first training session. So what we basically do is that once in a while we gather here and do a lesson with Chiron as our mentor."

Eleanor answered Nadia's question and went on to explain what the lesson would cover. As their conversation wrapped up, Chiron arrived.

"Good! Everyone's already here. Let's get started with today's program. First, Nadia will choose her weapon and check her status window if she hasn't done so already."

Nadia headed straight for the weapons and quickly found the bows. Without a moment's hesitation, she selected one that felt right for her. It wasn't surprising—being Artemis's daughter, she was a natural sharpshooter. After that, she checked her status window, and we moved on.

"Okay, good choice. The next thing on the list is-"

"Chiron, I wanna change my weapon too."

Amelia chimed in. Everyone turned to look at her, and I was caught off guard too. I knew her switching weapons was part of the plot, but it was supposed to happen later. Though this wasn't necessarily a bad thing since this could make the main cast stronger, it wasn't something I expected right now either.

"Is that so? Which weapon are you thinking of then?"

"Sword."

"Are you sure? Switching weapons too often might mess with your progress."

"I know."

"Alright then. Go ahead and make the change."

Everyone watched as Amelia replaced her bow with a sword. Adriel seemed puzzled, clearly wanting to ask Amelia about her dramatic choice. By now, Adriel and Eleanor knew Amelia well enough to understand she was afraid of close combat and the harsh realities of battle. So, seeing her switch to a sword was unexpected. With these questions lingering in their minds, the lesson carried on.

"Today, we won't be doing duels," Chiron announced.

"Instead, we're going to focus on controlling your divine energy. I thought it would be interesting to change the setting a bit. So, just for today, we're heading to the gulf."

"Yes!"

"You are the best mentor!"

The main cast started cheering like little kids. I was pretty content with this decision too, especially because of the lesson's content. Even though I had an abstract understanding of divine energy from the novel's descriptions, I still had a lot to learn. This lesson was a chance for me to gain new insights into divine energy.

As we made our way to the gulf, Adriel finally got the chance to ask Amelia about her choice. While we walked ahead, Adriel and Amelia slowed their pace to have some privacy, but I could still catch snippets of their conversation.

"Amelia. Why did you switch to a sword?"

"What do you mean? The bow didn't suit me as I thought, so I changed it."

"I'm not talking about that... I thought you avoided the sword because you didn't want to face monsters up close." Adriel pressed.

"I know..."

"Then why?"

Although Adriel was obviously worried about Amelia, he was pushing too hard with his questions. Finally, her patience snapped, and she let out the emotions she had been bottling up.

"Because... because I can't even use a bow! Haven't you seen it? I couldn't shoot a single arrow at that monster. And..."

Her voice trembled, and her eyes began to tear up.

"And... because of me, you almost died..."

"No. It wasn't your fault. We were caught off guard—"

"Stop..."

"What?"

"Stop trying to comfort me with sweet lies. I am fully aware I was just a burden."

She threw a glance in our direction for a split moment, then continued speaking.

"If not for Eleanor and Blake, we would've died there. Because of me..."

"No, no. That's not right." Adriel insisted.

"..."

"Still... Switching to a sword... It's dangerous for you..."

"Adriel. I know you are worried about me. But please try to understand me... I don't wanna cower behind others, hoping for safety while doing nothing out of sheer dread. Something needs to change, and I'm left with no choice but to face my fears. I don't want to lag behind. I want to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with you. I can't let you guys babysit me forever."

She drew in a breath, steadying her quivering voice.

"I refuse to feel weak again..."

After a brief silence, Adriel digested her words and then offered a kind smile.

"I see... If that's truly what you want, I have nothing else to say."

"Thank you..."

Amelia averted her eyes, her gaze falling to the ground. A faint smile tugged at her lips as if a burden had been lifted from her shoulders.

Eavesdropping on their conversation, I couldn't help but notice the parallels to the novel. Just like now, Adriel and Amelia would have a similar discussion in the story. While this development occurred sooner than expected, the outcome remained nearly identical.

Normally, for Amelia to change her weapon, Adriel would have narrowly escaped death. This would have prompted Amelia to blame herself for being useless and almost causing Adriel's demise, leading to her decision to change her weapon. However, due to the plot change and the recent monster ambush, a similar event had occurred, where Adriel's life evaded death by a few strands of hair, triggering this development earlier.

'This should be alright...'

Adriel and Amelia caught up to us after a while, and we finally reached our destination. The ground beneath us gradually shifted from soil to sand as a vast expanse of water came into view. It seemed like a huge lake but It wasn't—it was a gulf.

At the opposite end of our position, a passage linked this body of water to the vast expanse of the ocean. The shore wrapped around the gulf until it merged seamlessly with the ocean. The tranquil sound of the water lapping against the shore and the serene ambiance made it an ideal setting for focused concentration. It was no wonder Chiron had chosen this spot for our lesson.

"Find a spot on the sand and start channeling your divine energy. I'll observe and provide individual feedback." Chiron instructed.

With that, everyone settled onto the sand, each of us beginning to manipulate their divine energy in various ways. I focused on enhancing my physical abilities, enveloping my body in a deep black-red aura. A surge of energy flooded my muscles, sharpening my senses and heightening my awareness.

After a few minutes of maintaining the flow of divine energy within my body, I noticed Chiron approaching me with a bemused expression.

"Blake, from what I can observe, it seems you're not effectively circulating your divine energy within your body. It's as if you're not directing it through your natural built-in channels but rather forcing it inside." he pointed out.

"Try to locate your innate divine energy channels and utilize them."

"Got it."

Chiron moved on to assist Adriel after giving me feedback. While I was already aware that my divine energy circulation needed improvement, his articulate explanation made me realize a crucial fact.

This world was dualist, meaning there was a physical body coexisting with a metaphysical soul. The soul served as the locus of consciousness, the seat of divine energy control. Hence, the pathways of circulation were crafted by the soul or the mind.

Ideally, the body and soul harmonized seamlessly, creating a unified system. Consequently, the channels within the body, through which divine energy flowed, were defined and shaped by the soul. Thus, when the soul commanded the circulation of divine energy, the pathways within the body would align with its directives.

However, in my case,

'My soul is not aligned with this body...'

That meant when I tried to circulate my divine energy, it felt like an imposition, forcing its way through my body because my soul wasn't for this body. My soul struggled to guide the divine energy to navigate through the natural channels of this body, which were crafted by the original owner of this body.

This led to a decrease in output and longer casting times. The solution was clear: I had to create my own channels from scratch.

"Alright! Good work, everyone! You are free for the rest of the day. See you next week!"

As Chiron dismissed us, I realized I'd have to tackle that task tomorrow.