Ronan stood in front of them, arms crossed, eyes glinting in the morning light. His usual smirk? Nowhere to be seen.


    That was never a good sign.


    “This,” he said, voice steady, “is where you two stop being rookies.”


    Elion and Jordan exchanged glances. They had fought beast-men, barely survived poisoned claws, and unlocked their Third Mana Gates—how much harder could this possibly get?


    Apparently, a lot.


    “The Beast Slaying Arts,” Ronan continued, “are what separate True Slayers from people who just happen to have a beast ring.”


    He gestured toward his own, the golden-black metal glinting ominously.


    “Most Slayers slap a ring on their finger, get some beast traits, and think they’re warriors. And for a lot of them? That’s enough.”


    Jordan squinted. “Wait. So, you’re saying most Slayers aren’t true Slayers?”


    Ronan’s lip curled. “Not even close.”


    Then, he turned and placed his hand on a large rock.


    “Watch closely.”


    Without warning, he flicked his wrist.


    CRACK.


    The rock split in half—not from a punch, not from a blade, but from the sheer force of his movement.


    Elion’s breath caught. Jordan swore.


    Ronan turned back to them, completely unbothered. “Beast Slaying Arts,” he said simply.


    Elion stepped forward, staring at the shattered rock. “Okay. What the hell was that?”


    Ronan’s smirk returned. “Aura manipulation. A basic technique.”


    Elion’s brain stalled.


    Basic?


    Jordan scratched the back of his head. “So… you’re saying we can do that?”


    “Not yet,” Ronan admitted. “But with training? Absolutely.”


    Jordan grinned. “Oh, hell yeah.”


    Elion, still staring at the broken rock, shook his head. “Alright, back up. If this technique is so powerful, why don’t more Slayers use it?”


    Before Ronan could answer, another thought hit Elion. “And… why didn’t you use it during the fight?”


    Ronan’s smirk faded.


    For a second, his fingers flexed slightly at his side—so small, most wouldn’t have noticed. But Elion did.


    “…Because most Slayers are lazy,” Ronan said. His tone was even. Too even.


    Then, quieter, almost as if admitting something he didn’t want to, “And I’m just not good enough to use it in this world.”


    Elion narrowed his eyes. That wasn’t the full answer.


    But Ronan wasn’t in the mood to explain. Instead, he continued like nothing had happened.


    “Most Slayers rely on their rings,” he said. “They let the beast power do the work. The rings amplify their strength, speed, endurance—whatever they need. The stronger the ring, the stronger the Slayer.”


    He glanced over his shoulder. “But the True Slayers? The ones at the top? They don’t need their rings. They can fight without them.”


    Jordan looked like a kid on Christmas. “So you’re saying we could get so strong we won’t even need the rings?”


    Ronan shrugged. “It’s possible. But having a ring will always be an advantage. If you master both—your own strength and the ring—you’ll be unstoppable.”


    Elion was listening carefully, absorbing every word. But something still felt… off.


    Ronan wasn’t telling them everything. His words were too controlled, too careful. Like the Beast Slaying Arts held a deeper truth—something Ronan wasn’t ready to share.


    Elion wanted to push him for answers. But now wasn’t the time.


    They were still in the middle of nowhere, still being hunted, still trying to get back to the city.


    For now, the goal was simple: learn, get stronger, and survive.


    Elion exhaled, rubbing his forehead.


    He had a mother waiting for him. A bookstore job that—let’s be real—probably wouldn’t survive him ditching work for two days straight.


    He needed to let them know he wasn’t dead.


    But deep down, he already knew the truth.


    His normal life?


    It was over.


    Ronan’s next words snapped Elion out of his thoughts.


    “Aura is the foundation of the Beast Slaying Arts. If you don’t understand it, you’ll never master the rings. More importantly—you’ll never survive against the real beasts out there.”


    Elion narrowed his eyes. “Is aura… like life energy?”


    “Close, but not quite,” Ronan said. “You guys already knew about mana. It’s what fuels your inner strength—your spells, your stamina, your beast ring usage. But aura?” He smirked. “That’s the world’s energy. It’s external. It’s everywhere.”


    You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.


    Elion processed that. “So, mana is something we generate, while aura is something we tap into?”


    “Exactly.” Ronan crossed his arms. “Mana is what fuels you. Aura is what fuels everything else—the air, the ground, the life force of people, beasts, everything.”


    Ronan added, “And the stronger your ability to sense it, the more you can predict movement, sense attacks, and detect enemies.”


    Jordan’s eyes widened slightly. “That’s how you could sense the beast-men coming, isn’t it?”


    Ronan smirked. “Bingo.”


    Jordan frowned. “So, if we get good at this, we could sense attacks before they happen?”


    “More than that,” Ronan said. “Aura perception allows you to see what’s hidden, feel what’s coming, and react before your opponent even moves. It’s what separates an amateur from a real fighter.”


    Jordan, as always, didn’t seem bothered. “Alright, fine. Let’s get to it, then. How do we start?”


    Ronan crossed his arms. “First, you need to learn how to feel aura. If you can’t feel it, you won’t be able to use it.”


    He gestured at the forest around them. "Now that you have opened the Mana Gates, you can better understand your surroundings and sense auras."


    Elion and Jordan followed his gaze, seeing only trees, the faint morning mist, and scattered patches of sunlight.


    Jordan scratched his head. “Okay, so how do we see it ourselves?”


    Ronan smirked. “Close your eyes.”


    Jordan blinked. “What?”


    Ronan raised an eyebrow. “You heard me. Close your damn eyes.”


    Elion sighed, doing as he was told. Jordan hesitated before following.


    “Now,” Ronan continued his voice even. “Forget about what you see. Focus on what you feel. The air. The ground beneath you. The wind on your skin.”


    Elion furrowed his brows. It sounded simple, but the moment he tried to focus, his thoughts scattered. His mind was too used to relying on his sight.


    Ronan continued his tone firm but patient. “You don’t see an aura with your eyes. You feel it with your whole self. Right now, you are too focused on what you see."


    Ronan exhaled and cracked his neck. “Alright. Since you two are new to this, let’s keep it simple.”


    Elion and Jordan stood in front of him, eyes closed, were ready but also slightly confused.


    “Every ten seconds, I want you to sense me. Point and tell me exactly where I am.”


    Jordan raised an eyebrow. “That’s it? Just point at you?”


    “Yep.” Jordan crossed his arms. “That doesn’t sound too hard.”


    Ronan chuckled. “Oh, it will be.”


    And before either of them could say anything more—he was gone.


    Not gone gone. But moving. His steps were light, smooth, and completely effortless. He was circling them, weaving between trees, changing his pace and rhythm at random. One second, he was to their left; the next, he was behind them, and then suddenly—silence.


    Elion strained his ears, trying to catch even the slightest sound.


    Nothing.


    Jordan, beside him, turned his head wildly. “The hell? I can’t hear him.”


    “You’re not supposed to hear me,” Ronan’s voice came from somewhere ahead of them. “You’re supposed to sense my aura.”


    Elion took a deep breath and tried to focus. He closed his eyes, blocking out distractions. And slowly… something changed.


    At first, it was subtle, just a shift in the air. A weight that shouldn’t be there. It wasn’t something he could see or touch, but he felt something.


    Something moving.


    Jordan, meanwhile, was still completely lost. “This is stupid,” he grumbled, pivoting in circles. “It’s like playing hide and seek with a ghost.”


    Ronan laughed. “That’s because you’re trying to find me with your ears instead of your sense.”


    “Sense? Do you think I’m an animal?”


    “Beasts hunt by sensing presence,” Ronan pointed out. “You wanna fight them? You better learn to do the same.”


    Elion ignored their back and forth. He focused on that feeling—that presence shifting around them. It wasn’t clear, not like a solid shape, but more like… ripples in the air.


    Was this aura?


    He raised his hand, pointed in a direction, and took a chance.


    “…You’re to my right,” he muttered.


    A moment of silence. Then—


    “Not bad.” Ronan’s voice was exactly where Elion had pointed.


    Jordan’s jaw dropped. “Wait, WHAT?”


    Ronan stopped moving, stepping back into view. His golden eyes studied Elion with mild interest. “Most first-timers are completely clueless, like Jordan over here.”


    Jordan scowled. “Hey.”


    Ronan ignored him. “But you’re picking it up fast. Which means…”


    Without warning, he quickly moved to a different location, reached down, picked up a small stone from the ground, and flicked it straight at Elion’s head.


    Elion’s brows furrowed as his body moved on its own. His arms snapped up and blocked the incoming pebble before he even fully registered what had happened.


    For a second, the world stood still.


    Then Elion''s brows furrowed. He opened his eyes and looked at his own hands in shock. “Wait. What was that?”


    Jordan, too, opened his eyes and looked around, completely lost. “What was what?”


    Ronan smirked. “Seems like Elion’s perception is waking up.”


    Jordan turned on him. “Okay, hold on—WHAT?!”


    Elion was just as confused. He hadn’t seen the stone coming, but somehow, he had felt it.


    Ronan studied him for a moment longer before nodding to himself. “You’re more suited for this than I expected.”


    Jordan’s eye twitched. “No. Nope. I refuse. There’s no way this dude is ahead of me in this Slayer thing.”


    “Jealous?” Ronan teased.


    Jordan huffed. “He had higher speed, wisdom, and mana. Now you’re telling me he has better aura sensing? This is too much, man.”


    Ronan chuckled, shaking his head. “Calm down. The more frustrated you get, the harder it’ll be.”


    Jordan clenched his fists but exhaled, trying to shake it off. “Fine. Whatever. Just tell me what I need to do to surpass him.”


    Ronan grinned. “Good. Now, let’s try again. Close your eyes.”


    He turned to both of them, his stance relaxed, but his presence somehow heavier. “This time, really focus. Don’t just guess—sense. Feel the way the world moves around you. Every ten seconds, find me.”


    And with that, he disappeared again.


    Elion closed his eyes. This time, he wouldn’t just rely on a hunch. He would really know.


    Two hours had passed.


    Elion and Jordan were drenched in sweat, their clothes sticking uncomfortably to their skin. What had started as a simple exercise in sensing aura had quickly escalated into something far more brutal.


    It wasn’t just about feeling Ronan’s presence anymore.


    It was about reacting.


    Dodging.


    Blocking.


    Surviving.


    Ronan didn’t hold back. The moment they started to get a feel for the aura, he ramped up the difficulty. What had once been harmless pebbles turned into full-force strikes, sweeping kicks, and feints designed to trip them up.


    Elion had barely managed to block half of them.


    Jordan, despite his superior physical strength, was struggling even more. His frustration showed in every missed dodge, every late reaction.


    And Ronan?


    The bastard looked like he had just gone for a casual morning jog.


    “Alright,” Ronan finally said, clapping his hands. “That’s enough for now.”


    Elion and Jordan practically collapsed onto the forest floor, gasping for breath.


    “Holy hell,” Jordan groaned. “That was torture.”


    Elion wiped the sweat from his forehead. “I thought we were just sensing aura, not dodging death.”


    Ronan grinned. “You learn faster when you have consequences.”


    Jordan glared up at him. “Consequences?! Dude, you attacked me.”


    “You didn’t block it,” Ronan said with a shrug.


    Jordan groaned again, rolling onto his back. “I hate you.”


    “You’ll thank me later.”


    Elion sat up, stretching his sore arms. His body ached, but he had to admit—he felt different. His reflexes were sharper. His awareness had expanded.


    He could feel things now.


    Not just physical things—the world around him. The life in the trees. The movement of the wind. The presence of things he wouldn’t have noticed before.


    And Ronan?


    His aura was terrifying.


    It wasn’t just strong—it was controlled. Precise. Lethal.


    Jordan huffed. “Okay, so what’s next? More dodging? Or are we finally learning how to use the ring?”


    Ronan checked the sky, noting the position of the sun. “It’s already nine.”


    Elion blinked. “Wait, what? We’ve been at this since dawn?”


    Jordan groaned dramatically. “No wonder I feel like I got hit by a truck.”


    Ronan rolled his shoulders. “You two have made some progress. At least now, you won’t get completely blindsided if something jumps you.”


    Jordan sat up, cracking his neck. “I dunno, man. I think I’d still get jumped.”


    Elion smirked. “Yeah, especially with your big mouth.”


    Jordan scowled. “Screw you, man.”


    Ronan ignored their bickering and turned toward the direction of the city.


    “We need to move soon,” he said. “We’ve spent enough time here.”


    “Before that,” Ronan said, holding up a beast ring between his fingers. “It’s time for you to learn what makes a Slayer truly dangerous.”