Elijah sat beneath a towering tree, his energy growing. After a while, he opened his eyes, a silver glow still present as steam rose from his body. "Seems like the power gap is too vast to close quickly," he mused.
Stretching his body, he leaped down. "I should try to master that new attack. But what to call it?"
As Elijah pondered, walking around, he muttered, "Death beam or something. But it was born from my understanding of the sky beam. Maybe I should call it an improved version." He scratched his head in frustration. "Why is this so hard?"
Turning around, he addressed someone nearby. "Miss Amy."
"This is the first time you sensed me. Good," Amy commented. "But don't rely too much on sensing people's Ki. Some can hide to the point we can't detect them." In that moment, just when Elijah thought he was improving, Amy's presence vanished completely.
Sighing, Elijah muttered, "You are the worst."
Amy chuckled at his saddened expression. "Ki is the flow of life energy in people. Though separate from mana, they can influence each other. The same goes for Chi, something only you can cultivate for some reason.
You've been training to sense Ki for better reads on people's moves, but in the match with the Spirit woman, you found it impossible to read her moves."
One reason being her incredible power and the strange energy he felt before, making him unable to sense and predict her moves. That's what he felt with Amy, who then said,
"I know you're curious, but for now, focus on reaching D rank, and then I'll teach you how, or your master will."
"My master..." Elijah began, but before he could ask, a smirk appeared on Amy's face.
"Young master, your hair has grown."
"You witch!" Elijah turned and attempted to flee. "You'll never catch me!" But soon, he realized he wasn't moving. "You must be a demon under that skin."
Amy chuckled. "Why do you care so much about your hair?"
"It's a man's pride. You wouldn't understand," Elijah said, tears welling in his eyes.
"That doesn't matter, but a man must look presentable," she chuckled again, cutting his hair. "Let's make this quick. Miss Ava is waiting."
"Ava is waiting for what?" Elijah questioned, recalling, "She lied to me. She said we were starting yesterday, but I didn't even see her. And did you mention something about a master?"
"You'll see," Amy replied cryptically.
Some time later, Elijah and Miss Amy ventured deep into the forest surrounding the area, reaching a hill with a hidden entrance. Entering, they descended to the bottom, which took longer than expected.
Elijah sighed, realizing he could have just jumped and run down. Finally, they reached their destination. Sighing, Elijah saw an altar with runes on the ground. "Is this some kind of ritual?"
"You could say that," Amy replied. "When you were away, we discovered that, even if not showing, your death is approaching, Elijah."
"Wait, what?!" Elijah stopped, his expression complex.
Amy chuckled, and Ava smiled. "She's just joking with you." Elijah sighed in relief and asked, "Then what is this for?"
"It's a ritual done with every young master in our history, called the Death and Revive ritual," Ava explained.
"By drinking this liquid essence, you'll meet my grand grand grandfather. That's when the real test of becoming the young master begins. If he deems you unworthy, you will die. But if he finds you worthy, he will bestow his power upon you. This is why our family has never lost its title as the strongest family."
"So, I'm going to die, meet an old guy, and then come back? Simple enough," Elijah said, trying to understand.
Amy wanted to say something but then shrugged. "Pretty much."
Ava chuckled, then approached Elijah, raising her hands to touch his face. "You'll be alone on this one, and there's nothing we can do to help. Promise me you won't die."
"I won't," Elijah replied with a smile.
"Good. Maybe he'll gift you with a smart brain and a limit to your hunger," Ava teased, and Elijah frowned.
"Are you calling me stupid?"
"I'm not calling you stupid, it's just that you are," Ava said, teasing him again before becoming serious. "Good luck." She stepped aside, and Amy had already finished preparing the liquid.
Elijah removed his shirt and approached the altar. It glowed, and its surface turned to sand before him. "Just lay on the sand," Amy instructed.
Nodding, Elijah complied. Amy poured the purple liquid into his mouth. As he drank it, he felt his body heat up, veins showing before everything went black.
End of Volume 1 Young master