Elias, foreseeing that no other trainee would be returning soon, instructed Atticus to make his way back on his own. As he retraced his steps, his thoughts couldn't help but circle back to a particular red-eyed girl. 'I didn't see her at all.'
With his limited knowledge of Aurora, Atticus understood her to be highly competitive, and it was unlikely she would have been trailing at the rear if she had a choice. 'She must have been too exhausted to keep up,' he surmised.
After a few minutes of navigating the camp's familiar paths, Atticus finally reached his room. He promptly shed his sweat-drenched clothes and sought solace in a refreshing shower. The sensation of warm water cascading over his weary body was a brief respite before he succumbed to exhaustion, collapsing face-first onto his bed.
Although he loved training, even he acknowledged the necessity of rest after enduring such a brutal training session.
Hours later, the intrusive sound of his doorbell startled him from a deep slumber. He groaned, rubbing the sleep from his eyes before reluctantly rising to answer the door. There, on the other side, stood Ember, bearing a tray of food in her hands.
A genuine smile spread across his face as he greeted her, "You're a lifesaver, Ember. Thank you," and he gestured for her to enter.
Ember, ever the epitome of aloofness, simply nodded and walked into the room. They settled down at the table, sharing a meal while exchanging words and catching up on recent events.
As the hours passed, Atticus decided it was time to visit the Emporium, and Ember decided to tag along.
Together they exited the room, making their way toward the Emporium. The Emporium was situated on the western side of the camp, and their journey led them through the lively camp grounds.
Soon, they arrived at the bustling front of the Emporium, its entrance teeming with white haired youths coming and going.
The Emporium was one of the largest buildings in the camp, as many trainees visited it daily to buy various items. It was no surprise that it had become a bustling hub.
As Atticus and Ember approached, they couldn't help but notice the curious glances directed their way. Everyone in the camp already knew that Ember was from the main family, and recently, they had also discovered that Atticus was the son of the family head.
Many had tried to approach Atticus but of course, one cold look from him sent them away. He had no time for trival nonsense.
Undeterred, Atticus and Ember entered the bustling entrance of the Emporium. Inside, the place was a hive of activity, with multiple counters, each attended by a camp employee.
They approached a vacant counter, where a friendly attendant greeted them with a warm smile. "Good day, how may I help you today?"
"Hello," Atticus responded, "I would like to see the list of items for sale."
The attendant directed him to a scanner on the counter and instructed, "Alright, scan your device here, and you'll get the list."
Atticus promptly followed her instructions and received a notification on his device. He quickly perused the list, exploring the various categories of items available.
Among the categories, he found the two that he was interested in. One was related to combat arts, and the other focused on potions.
Turning his attention to the Arts category, he discovered a range of martial techniques and styles, each with its own price tag. With the points the 1st rank was entitled to plus all the hunts he had been on, he had gathered quite a bit. Checking his current points, he found he had accumulated a decent amount:
[Contribution points: 2900]
Satisfied with his points, Atticus contemplated his choices. He had long desired to expand his combat repertoire beyond the katana. 'There are times when I won't use my katana. I should learn how to use my hands,' he thought.
As Atticus perused the available martial arts, Ember's voice reached him from behind, "Elemental Mimicry."
Turning to look at her, he saw her gazing intently at a specific section on the list. He followed her gaze, finding that she was focused on the movement arts section.
"Is it that good?" he inquired. Ember nodded, her usual aloof expression undisturbed. This was surprising because Ember was not one to be insistent about anything, making her recommendation all the more noteworthy.
Suddenly, Atticus recalled something. 'Wait! Wasn't that what Hella muttered before she used that technique?' His curiosity piqued, he quickly clicked on the movement art section to investigate further:
.....
Elemental Mimicry [Potential: Transcendent] - 2000RP
Description: Elemental Mimicry is a dynamic art that melds the user's bloodline element, enabling the user's movement to mimic the characteristics of their bloodline element. The elemental properties you can mimic depend on your bloodline element.
…..
The description left Atticus awestruck. 'How on earth is this so cheap?' It was a transcendent potential art, and its low price astounded him. His mind raced with possibilities, trying to figure out why it was so cheap. Eventually, he settled on two theories:
'Either the family decided that learning this was important for us earlier on, so they put it on sale at a low price despite their losses, or the art isn't really that costly to begin with.' Atticus thought.
He decided to stop speculating and promptly purchased the Elemental Mimicry art, a surge of excitement coursing through him.
Moving on to the potions section, he noticed that only basic potions were available. However, this restriction made sense.
'Potions can be dangerous depending on how they are used. Given that fights are allowed in the camp, they will of course limit the types of potions available to ensure safety.'
Atticus simply purchased a few health potions and decided to leave the Emporium for now.
After parting ways with Ember, he returned to his room to learn his new art.
Entering the training room, he quickly sat cross-legged and brought out the art.