In the blink of an eye, a week had passed since Nathan had arrived at Khan. He had been training with Dilliard every day all week, improving his reflexes and learning the basics of the essence. Things he had generally never learned with Boreas.
Like the old man, Dilliard said that the way each person felt the essence was different. The man explained to Nathan how he felt it, but it only confused him more than he already was.
In the end, Nathan would have to learn how to feel it for himself and how to improve his control over it. Dilliard also gave him some advice, which was to use his technique to try and make the learning process easier. The problem was that Nathan had no way of using his technique, at least not yet.
He had no direct confrontations with Dilliard and he doubted that his technique would have any effect on him. Boreas had explained to him that techniques like his, which affected people's subconscious, were less likely to work on people of higher ranks or with more refined control of the essence.
In short terms, Nathan was just starting out, and he had stumbled at the beginning.
But everything takes time, and Nathan knew that he could only improve his understanding of the essence on his own if he tried hard enough.
Saturday came and it was Nathan's first day off, Dilliard had something to do so there was no training that day.
Nathan took the opportunity and wandered around the compound looking for the place Syril had told him about where the cadets met to fight and challenge each other.
Syril's information turned out to be correct, and Nathan was able to identify the place as soon as he saw it. Several meters below the surface, as if a large area had been dug out, there was a stone platform of 20 square meters divided into four parts, at the sides of the arena stone steps used as chairs by the cadets who watched the fights.
Nathan stood on the edge of the first stone step and looked down into the arena where four fights were taking place simultaneously.
It was the first time he had seen a fight between people of the same or similar age, so he was quite interested.
But not even half a minute had passed since he arrived and the whole place was already in complete silence watching him, even after a short while the fights stopped, and the fighters looked at him with surprised expressions.
For a week Nathan had been training in the jungle most of the day, so he was only seen when he left the complex in the morning or when he returned in the evening.
So, technically, this was his first public appearance.
Nathan wore tight-fitting black cargo pants and a black sleeveless shirt with the cadet insignia he had been issued. Aside from his mask, that was the most striking aspect of his attire.
Unlike the military uniforms of formal soldiers with stars, the cadet insignia had no ranks, they were just that, cadets. Even if they did have a rank of power among them, apart from anything else.
It was hot enough on the island to drive him crazy wearing his coat, and after a few days he started wearing the sleeveless shirts, as they were the ones, he could get hold of more easily. Mainly because he was losing a shirt a day to Dilliard.
Nathan was a little disappointed, he had come to watch the fights but now it was all stopped because of him.
'Don't worry about me and get on with it' was what Nathan wanted to say, but he was a little embarrassed by the hundreds of stares he was getting.
So, he just sat back and watched the platform. Meanwhile, he began to listen to the cadets' conversations.
"Is he going to fight?" said a cadet carrying a spear.
"I don't know... but I'm interested to see how strong he is. Maybe he can outdo Lloyd" said another cadet who used a bow like Dilliard.
Nathan had been thinking about something all week while training with Dilliard.
'Maybe I should ask him to teach me how to use a bow, maybe my technique will work with arrows'
Technically, each of his attacks had a fear influence, and although he had hardly tried it, it was possible that long range attacks would work as well.
Nathan's mind began to race with ideas as he listened to the cadets again.
"Do you think if I ask him, he'll duel with me?" said a female cadet holding a saber.
Her friend snorted and shook his head.
"Not a chance, he only has to accept those in the third category. We are nothing in his eye'
Nathan almost fell forward.
'If they only knew I was barely first category...'
At some point, the cadets on the platform had gone back to fighting. Nathan didn't know it, but their presence had lit a fire in many of them.
One thing he had noticed was that most of them enjoyed fighting, and he had unwittingly spurred them on to improve themselves just to face him and beat him.
Nathan focused on the fights that took place and began to study them as best he could. This was what he had been waiting for a week and he could finally find out how far behind everyone was.
One of the couples fighting was quite peculiar, they both used a long sword, but their styles were different.
One was more aggressive, with stronger attacks, while the other was more delicate, with lighter but more precise attacks. There was no clear winner, both had their strengths and weaknesses, Nathan could not know the exact power behind each blow, but he could analyze their movements and speed.
He assumed that everyone here could use their essence, so he also assumed that their bodies were now more powerful than normal.
A few minutes later, the fight ended in a draw and both cadets left the arena a little disappointed, but also motivated. They both looked at Nathan at the top of the stand.
Nathan could only sigh, as if they were looking for something from him. Or as if they wanted to show him how talented they were.
Unfortunately, Nathan didn't care, he just wanted something to compare to, and one fight wasn't enough, so he just sat there and watched the other fights.
Almost an hour had passed, and Nathan had learned a lot, there were too many fighting styles and surprisingly the katana was popular. Those who used katanas he could more or less compare to himself, and his skills and he came to a conclusion.
'At least I can beat them in skill...'
It wasn't because he thought he was better than the others, it was just that Nathan had only been training his skills for six years, so he understood what he was doing very well and could see himself in the position of the others.
Even if the other cadets were good, they still had a way to go, a way he had already travelled.
But even if his skills were better, he wasn't sure he would win. From everything he had seen, Nathan realized that controlling the essence was, to say the least, essential to winning a fight.
Not only would improving his physique give him a huge advantage over his opponent, but his use of technique would be more fluid and therefore stronger.
As he watched the fights intently, Nathan noticed someone sitting next to him. But before he looked, he was able to identify the person by their voice.
"I thought you were never coming"
Syril looked at him with interest as she ate a skewer of meat.
"I haven't had much free time" Nathan replied, not taking his eyes off the fight.
Syril smiled and took another skewer from a bag she had with her, then offered it to Nathan.
"Do you want some?"
Nathan sniffed at the skewer and turned his head, he was really hungry, and the skewer looked especially good. But it wasn't as if he could take his mask off in public to eat. So, he had no choice but to swallow it.
"...No thanks"
Syril shrugged.
"Your loss"
With that, she stuck the skewer in her mouth and pulled out a piece of meat.
Nathan clearly knew that Syril had done this with the intention of getting him to take off his mask, he just didn't understand why. She had already seen his face, so it was possible that she already knew his identity.
Nathan had no idea what she was thinking or planning.
Suddenly, Syril smiled and nudged his arm.
"You should pay attention to this fight. All the previous ones have been between the first and second categories, this one will be between the third categories"
Nathan looked at the two fighters who had entered the platform. Unlike the other fights that took place on the four platforms, this one used the entire platform.
The fight he was about to see was between the elite cadets, the ones he wanted to compare himself with.
'Well... let's see how strong the third categories are'