Right on the next day, Rick was sent to training. In a holographic arena, Ares faced him with a calm face.
"Come at me boy, I must see all you can do." With a smile on his face stomped on the ground a rock flew to his hand before he push it towards Rick who was completely unprepared for the attack.
"Concentrate, Concentrate..." Trying to call upon that blue power, the rock was about to hit his face when blue light lit inside his eyes and he finally realized everything was moving slow.
"No, it is no the rock that is slow. It is my mind that is faster." Feeling his his speed of thought had increased by a dozen times. He could quickly calculate a couple of things before moving his head a little to the side and grabbing the rock with his hand, taking advantage of the strength put on the rock by Ares and launching back with twice the strength.
"His hand was bleeding a lot but a faint blue smoke left his hand as they injures slowly closed by themselves.
"Wow! Rick is amazing." Artemis could not help but exclaim. Athena, Hermes and her were watching everything on a screen and even Athena was surprised.
"Increased thought speed and healing. Those two innate abilities a lightning element master has is really good. Rick also seems to have a good foundation as a fight which makes him pretty good for a starter."
"Let me everything you can offer, blue light. Reinforce!" The light inside his eyes increased and sparks of lightning gave him a mysterious air. Deep blue light spread all over his body. Seeing his change made Ares smile, a an earthen yellow light burst forth as each step of him was as heavy as a mountain.
"Let's see how you react under this." Waving his hands, hundreds of stone spikes flew at him. Rick could not even think as his body moved by itself and dodged each spike by a thin difference. Running around Ares, even the spectators were startled by his body speed.
"Good, nearly faster than wind element masters. Now we should try close combat." A massive punch was thrown at Rick, and like a heavy mountain he could not dodge this time was shot into a close wall.
"Chief, isn't this a little too much? I just awaken this power and you are hitting me so hard... ukk!" Rick cursed as Ares hit him in the guts. Hours passed and they battle continued, mostly with Rick being kicked from one side to the other and his injures healing at a visible speed.
"Your healing is even faster that water element master and each hit from you carries a simple but effective paralyzing effect that could be a problem for wind and fire element masters. You can return to you room and take a shower now." Ares finished talking and turned to the door when he heard a loud howl and a voice.
"Chief, it is not over yet!" Thunder and lightning burst forth.
Boom! Rumble!
"Aha! I knew it, the power used this time was too weak compared to what I saw that day on the docks." Artemis yelled and Athena's mouth slightly opened. Hermes was looking at the boy full of disbelief, his face became a little pale instantly. With lightning bursting out of his eyes, he took a single stone from the ground and prepared to throw it.
"Take this!"
Boom!
A thunderbolt broke the silence as a stone bathed in lightning flew at amazing speeds toward Ares who used his hand to defend himself. Ares was intact while the thunderbolt was split the arena in half. Rick was half-knelt on the ground after throwing the stone, and a burst of blood spurted out from his mouth.
"So strong!" Rick looked startled, and got up in a hurry before running at Ares.
"Chief, are you alright?" He asked uncertain, but he quickly relaxed as he noticed that even his clothes were intact.
"Brat, you really scared me. What was that? No first stage elemental master could pull off something like that." Ares smacked his shoulder as he looked very happy.
"No idea. I just felt a feeling of overflowing energy inside me and that I had to release it someway."
"Overflowing? The way you described made me remember a special state that only happens if a elemental master is fighting in a place surrounded by his element. Like a fire element master having a battle inside a volcano, they is a chance they energy will overload and their bodies will be bathed into fire. In this state even a first stage could beat a second or somebody who just advanced to the third stage."
"Yes, but Rick is different because his energy comes from himself."A female voice spoke from the side and Athena came in followed by Hermes and Artemis.
"Athena is right. An ability like this could be a blessing for those who learn how to control it. And Rick, go to the reception on the first floor after this. You will receive your first assignment there."