Week 1 - Physique Training
Riden''s training had officially begun. Dran’s voice echoed through the training grounds like a relentless drill sergeant.
"100 MORE PUSH-UPS! DON''T BE WEAK!"
Riden was pushed beyond his limits. He endured intense cardio, weightlifting, and even had to carry a massive 10-ton boulder. Dran showed no mercy.
For 12 hours each day—out of Atherium’s 48-hour cycle—Riden trained tirelessly. By the end of the first week, he found himself staring blankly at the giant boulder in his hands, which now had additional weight added to it.
Dran approached him. "Hey, kid, what''s wrong? Focus on your training!"
Snapping back to reality, Riden shook his head and resumed his workout. But Dran had noticed something—throughout the training, Riden had often seemed distracted, his expression lost in thought.
After another 10 grueling hours, Dran finally addressed it. "Riden, you keep zoning out. What''s going on?"
Riden turned to him, his violet eyes shifting to a deep blue as he pointed around. "Master, after pushing my body to its limits, I started seeing these blue particles floating everywhere… and somehow, I think I’m absorbing them. This didn’t happen before."
Dran raised an eyebrow, his fingers twitching slightly in surprise. "Kid, tell me—what sizes do you see? How do they vary?"
"Some are as big as a basketball, while others are as small as a tennis ball."
Dran’s lips curled into a satisfied grin. "The fact that you can see these blue particles is already impressive. Most Inretors can only sense and absorb them, not actually see them. Though… your vision of them is still incomplete."
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Riden tilted his head in confusion. "But the blue seems… different. Like it’s mixed with black and white, almost fading in and out. Is that normal?"
Dran’s eyebrow twitched, but he quickly dismissed it with a sigh. "It’s probably just your imagination. Ignore it for now. Focus on your physical training. When we reach the second week, I’ll teach you more about ‘Mana.’"
Riden nodded and returned his focus to training, his resolve strengthening once more.
From the sidelines, Arden, who had been silently observing, cheered them on. As the 12-hour mark arrived, signaling the end of the day’s session, Arden clapped his hands together. "Alright, training''s done for the day! Well done, young master!"
<hr>
Inside Dran’s Chambers
Arden set down a warm cup of tea, a small tray of sugar cubes beside it. "Master, please drink. You look exhausted… and honestly, you are exhausted."
Dran let out a deep sigh. "To think that my fate would be tied to someone who looks older than me but acts like a child… it makes me feel like a loser."
He tossed two sugar cubes into his tea and took a sip.
Arden chuckled. "Master, you are brilliant, both in intellect and in battle. If you’ve placed your faith in this child, then I believe he is worth it. You have never been wrong before—not once, since I have served you."
Dran smirked slightly. "Thanks, Arden. But tell me something—do you think there could be another color besides blue that represents the particles we call ‘Mana’?"
Arden’s expression turned serious as he slowly shook his head. "Not that I know of, Master. If it''s a color other than blue, then perhaps what he’s seeing isn''t Mana at all… at least, not how we define it."
Dran gazed up at the ceiling, deep in thought, sipping his tea. "You might be right. But I never liked being limited by definitions. ‘Mana’ is just a term we created. I can only hope that something new emerges—something that finally lets me break free from this stagnation..."
The conversation continued late into the night until Arden finally excused himself and left the room, his footsteps echoing through the empty halls.
As he disappeared into the darkness, he muttered under his breath, "After a thousand years… finally…"
And with that, the night swallowed his words, leaving nothing but silence.