Seated cross-legged in the center of his training room, Atticus held the newly acquired art in his hands. Channeling his mana into the art, he absorbed its knowledge into his brain, causing the book to crumble to dust after a few seconds.
The art he had bought this time was an Empowered potential art, that cost 18,000 Raven Points.
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Ethereal Cloak[Potential: Empowered] - This art enables an individual to mimic the unique mana signatures of his environment, effectively camouflaging his presence, rendering the individual invisible to the naked eye and senses.
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Atticus regarded this art as invaluable due to its versatility. He believed that being able to blend seamlessly with the surroundings could prove useful in countless situations, especially when facing unpredictable challenges.
He had always been cautious, and he felt that he should have a skill that would help him escape if needed.
With the information now ingrained in his mind, Atticus closed his eyes and began the process of learning Ethereal Cloak. The art consisted of several steps, and the first requirement was to have precise control over mana, which Atticus didn't lack.
Taking a deep breath, he initiated the first step to envelop his entire body with mana. He concentrated on the mana stored within his core and willed it outward, causing it to flow from his core and spread across every inch of his form.
An observer would notice a blue glow enveloping Atticus, representing the mana coating his body.
After a minute, he felt he had gained control over this aspect, and decided to move to the next step. The next step was to attune his own mana signature to that of the environment, allowing him to seamlessly merge with his surroundings.
Atticus took another deep breath and focused intensely. He could feel the interaction between his mana and that of the environment.
His own mana possessed a distinct character—it was more volatile, firm, and rigid compared to the environment's mana, which flowed more freely and adaptively. His mana naturally repelled external influences, while the environment's mana blended harmoniously with its surroundings.
To master Ethereal Cloak, Atticus needed to make his mana mimic the exact signature of the environment, a task that initially posed significant challenges.
Achieving this required an intricate understanding of the diverse mana flows in different locations and the skill to replicate them with pinpoint accuracy.
After a few hours of relentless attempts, Atticus finally managed to achieve a rudimentary level of proficiency, albeit barely.
He could sense himself becoming more attuned to the environment, almost as if the surroundings began to accept him as one of its own. The blue glow enveloping him had turned transparent, with his presence becoming faint.
However, his control was far from perfect, and he struggled to maintain this state for more than a few seconds at a time.
Atticus felt happy that this art didn't demand an excessive amount of mana but relied more on concentration. Given his innate intelligence, he thrived on such challenges.
He continued to practice, repeatedly coating himself with mana to align with the environment's signature, pushing himself to become more in sync. And as he continued practicing, he felt his mana becoming more in tune with the environment.
'Without my intelligence, this would have taken longer,' Atticus thought. He knew that if it weren't for his above-average intelligence, which allowed him to control and manipulate his mana easily, it would be much harder for him to make progress this quickly.
After feeling that he had gained a good grasp of it, he attempted to stand up. However, immediately, his focus wavered, and his mana dispersed.
Atticus initially didn't understand what had happened, but after thinking for a second, it made sense. The environment was constantly changing every time he moved.
Whatever he imitated in one spot would be different in another spot. Therefore, using this art required him to maintain complete focus at all times.
He sat back down cross-legged and started the process all over again. Within a few minutes, he felt his mana becoming more attuned to the environment. Maintaining intense concentration, he stood up slowly.
As he moved, the mana in environment was constantly changing. Although the properties of the environmental mana remained the same, the density was different in each spot.
An individual might not normally notice this, but because this art required one to constantly interact with the mana in the environment, it was noticeable.
With every movement he made, Atticus had to adjust the density of his own mana to match that of the environment. It wasn't easy, even with his intelligence, but he kept practicing.
After several hours of training, he decided to take a break and resume his efforts the following day.
The following day, Atticus headed to the morning training session as usual. He noticed Nate and Lucas on the side of the training ground, with Nate looking at Erik determinedly.
'Looks like he's recovered,' Atticus thought. He knew Nate had taken a significant blow to his ego when he lost to Erik. He believed that Nate needed to overcome such setbacks independently.
Atticus had always liked to be friends with like minded individuals. What he hated the most was being friends with someone so weak minded that he would have encourage him/her everytime something little happens.
Although he recognized that there some instances where it was necessary, it was still better for it not to be too often.
Atticus scanned the training grounds but couldn't find Aurora anywhere. Even after Elias arrived at 6 am, Aurora was still absent. Elias also noticed this, and Atticus could perceive a subtle sadness in his eyes.
Nevertheless, Elias began the training session by shouting, "Let's move!" They started running toward the base of the mountain, going through their usual routine before ascending the mountain.
After an hour and a half of rigorous training, Atticus returned to the starting point, where Elias, already accustomed to Atticus's impressive feats, awaited him. Catching his breath, Atticus turned to Elias and asked, "Where is she?"
Elias was initially taken aback by the question but responded, "She had something to do today." The subtle sadness in Elias's expression didn't escape Atticus's notice.
He simply nodded and left without saying anything, leaving Elias with his thoughts.
Elias was aware of what was going on with Aurora but he couldn't intervene in the matter.
He couldn't help but let out a heavy sigh.