Atticus lay on the ground, his chest rising and falling with the rhythm of his exhaustion. The intense battle had taken its toll, and his body was wracked with pain.
A fleeting thought crossed his mind, a tempting notion of taking his own life and coming back without any pain, capitalizing on the fact that he couldn't die in this realm.
Despite his physical weariness, he couldn't help but ponder the red aura that had empowered him earlier. During the fight with the life weapon's avatar, when he had been pushed to his limits, this energy had suddenly surged through him, elevating his power to new heights.
And before, while his primary focus had been on saving Ember, he had also noticed its presence during his earlier confrontation, when he had unleashed the full power of the first art.
'Red aura... Is it my will?' Atticus wondered inwardly. He was aware that, in rune engraving, the fusion of his will with mana resulted in a crimson hue. But he doubted it was his own will that had generated the aura.
Atticus knew the extent of his will's strength, it was little. He couldn't fathom how it had suddenly empowered him to such an extraordinary degree.
Lost in thought, he considered how he had activated it. He hadn't consciously summoned the aura, and he didn't know how he would tap into its power again.
Just as he was about to experiment and see if he could use it, he noticed Cedric approaching, muttering under his breath.
"He can't be human. Yes, yes, that's why," Cedric mumbled as he drew nearer to Atticus.
"I passed the test, right?" Atticus's question pierced through Cedric's reverie, prompting him to snap out of his daze and respond.
"Yes, you did," he affirmed, momentarily shaken by Atticus's astounding abilities. His thoughts ran wild as he tried to piece together the puzzle. "Are you a runesmith?" Cedric asked.
Atticus answered promptly, "Yes."
The revelation hit Cedric like a shockwave. "When did you start engraving runes?"
"About three months ago. Why?" Atticus inquired. Cedric's reaction was nothing short of perplexing.
"Three months, and you can already use will aura," Cedric muttered to himself. His mumbled words gave way to a bout of laughter, although it sounded more like a somber, almost melancholic response. "Hahahahaha."
Atticus observed Cedric's bizarre behavior with furrowed eyebrows. He couldn't help but wonder, 'What is wrong with him?'
But then, one of the words Cedric said registered in Atticus's head, 'Will aura? Was that what it was?' he thought, the realization hitting him. The red aura was, in fact, an extension of his will.
The question that now lingered in his mind was, 'But how?' Even though his will had grown stronger in the past few months, it still felt inadequate to empower him that way.
Another peculiar aspect dawned on him. 'And why am I not depressed after using it?' He knew from experience that whenever he harnessed his will to engrave runes, it left him feeling despondent, but that didn't happen after he used it.
Puzzled, he decided to ask Cedric, who was still chuckling and muttering like a madman.
"What is will aura, senior?" Atticus asked.
The words brought a sudden halt to Cedric's peculiar behavior. He turned to look at Atticus with bewilderment written across his face.
"Senior? Me?" Cedric pointed at himself, clearly taken aback by the term Atticus had used.
He began chuckling again, and Atticus peered at him with an arched brow, utterly perplexed by his strange conduct.
After chuckling for a few seconds, he spoke, "With everything you've done so far, I'd be embarrassed to call myself your senior," he said.
Cedric regained his composure after that peculiar bout of laughter and decided to provide an explanation for Atticus's question.
"As you're well aware, with each increase in rank, there's an accompanying increase in various stats, including intelligence and others," Cedric began, "Now, theoretically, every higher-ranked individual with sufficient will could become a runesmith."
He paused for a moment before continuing, "But not everyone takes that path because rune engraving is a time consuming and arduous process. The worst part is the feeling after engraving the runes – it's excruciating, and not everyone can handle it."
Cedric elaborated, "For those who decide to follow the runesmith path, those who persistently utilize their will, something extraordinary can happen. It's not entirely dependent on reaching higher ranks or having exceptionally high will.
There have been documented cases throughout history where individuals with relatively modest intelligence and will were able to use their will to empower not only their runes but also their own bodies."
Atticus, feeling a mixture of curiosity and confusion, frowned and asked, "So how does it work, and why isn't everyone doing it?"
Cedric's smile widened as he addressed Atticus's query, "Well, that's the mystery of it. We don't fully understand how it happens or why it occurs in certain individuals. But it usually happens when one finds something they hold very dear to them, something they wouldn't give up on no matter what."
Atticus, taking in Cedric's explanation, nodded thoughtfully. Hearing this, he reached a significant conclusion: he needed to learn how to use this power as soon as possible.
Atticus turned to Cedric and inquired, "You said I can stay here for six months, right? And the time outside wouldn't have changed much?"
Cedric smiled and nodded in agreement, recognizing where Atticus was heading with this.
"Good. It looks like I'll be spending the rest of the time here training," Atticus decided resolutely.
He then brought up another question that had been lingering in his mind. "I've been meaning to ask, but how is it that whenever I train here, it affects my real body. It's my consciousness here, right?"
Cedric took a moment to provide an insightful explanation. "Yes, that's true. But this can be explained through the unique nature of the life weapon's realm and the connection between your consciousness and physical body."
Cedric gazed at Atticus and continued, "The life weapon realm isn't just a mere mental construct; it's an alternate dimension closely connected to the real world. The connection between them isn't purely one-way. There's a subtle, bi-directional link between your consciousness in the life weapon's realm and your physical body in the real world."
"In this interconnected relationship, your consciousness within the katana realm can influence your physical body through psychosomatic effects. When you train and gain experience within the realm, your body in the real world reacts, thanks to the tight connection between the two."
"I see. I understand," Atticus said thoughtfully. He had been listening intently to Cedric's explanation.
"When can I come back next?" he inquired. The prospect of spending six months training in the life weapon's realm while only seconds passed in the real world was incredibly enticing. He hoped to visit the realm more frequently.
Cedric understood Atticus's desire and answered with a hint of regret, "Sorry, kid, you can only come here if the weapon decides you're ready to learn the next art." He had to quell Atticus's hopes of frequently entering the realm.
Atticus accepted the limitation with a casual shrug. If it wasn't possible, then it wasn't possible.
"What do you recommend for me to do in order to use my will aura?" he asked. Atticus wasn't too proud to seek help when he needed it. He recognized that Cedric possessed a wealth of knowledge in many areas, and it was wiser to ask for guidance expecially at something he wasn't knowledgable about than to try and figure it out alone.
Cedric offered a reassuring smile as he replied, "You've already done the hardest part, awakening your will aura. The next steps should be easier. Look within yourself and identify what you'd never relent on, no matter what. Try to remember what you were feeling when you first called upon the will aura."
Atticus nodded appreciatively and then started walking to the white building in the middle of the hall to begin his training.
For the next three months, he diligently absorbed mana, practiced the second art and his other art, and trained tirelessly until he could hardly move a finger.
After this intense period, he stood in the middle of the room, gazing at his stats with a resolute expression.
============
Character Profile:
------------------------
Name: Atticus Ravenstein
Age: 10
Gender: Male
Race: Human
Attributes:
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Strength: 89
Agility: 97
Endurance: 98
Vitality: 99
Intelligence: 28
Perception: 15
Charm: 21
Will: 10
Level: Advanced- New!
Talent: Mythical
Bloodline: Primordial Elemental Bloodline
- Level 2
- Fire: 17.1%
- Air: 16.5%
- Water: 14.3%
- Earth: 16%
Abilities:
------------------------
Innate Skills:
* Conceal [Potential: Mythical]
- The ability to conceal your level from anyone regardless of rank. You may choose what level you want to be shown.
- Current mastery: Mythical
Life Weapon Skills:
* Transcendent Slash: Godspeed Grace
* Endless Strike
Normal Skills:
* Arcane Barrier [Potential: Transcendent]
- Current Mastery: Advanced-
* Elemental Mimicry [Potential: Transcendent]
-Current mastery: Novice+
*Ethereal Clock [Potential: Empowered]
-Current mastery: Novice
=============