Feeling the tingling of what he suspected was "Mana", he decided to move on to the next book before trying to do things for himself.
He had a vague feeling that he could create an Aura core by himself, but it would be better to reduce the risks.
Opening the Human Anatomy Book. He went in search of the sessions that interested him.
Meridians
Meridians acted in the human body as veins, which allowed the passage of Mana throughout the body.
Looking at an image in the book, they looked like the roots of a tree, most of which were concentrated in the center of the body and gradually spread along the limbs.
The process of creating an Aura core requires the Apprentice to have a solid bodily foundation, as their own cup would not support Aura strengthening.
An Apprentice would be ready by having a set of basic muscles and physical resistance strong enough before being able to create an Aura core.
Hence the need for a solid foundation.
Sensitivity to Mana as an Apprentice is a great help. Since Mana, when absorbed consciously in specific parts of the body, brings healing properties, making the entire Apprentice process faster.
Sensitivity to mana is one of the most debated topics in the academic field. It is said that it can be obtained through meditation, with the unlocking of the pineal chakra, your mana perception will potentially appear. But there are cases of people who have meditated their entire lives and still have not achieved sensitivity to Mana.
Drake taking note of these facts and evaluating himself, noted that he would probably be in the Apprentice stage.
He had an adequate muscular build, he felt that he could easily do some stunts that only involved his body weight.
Closing the book, he walked towards the shelves and placed the books in their proper places.
" Did you get the information you were looking for, Young Drake? " Condis asked with a slight smile.
"I think so, I believe that this time, things will be different" Drake responded.
"I'm going to say goodbye Condis, there are some things I want to test, see you later"
" See you later " Condis replied shortly.
Drake walked towards the exit of the library.
He spent about 2 hours on his studies. It was now approximately 7 am. The sun was rising into the sky slightly.
As he walks through the halls. Through the windows, he could see soldiers training in what appeared to be a large training camp. There were young and old, of almost all ages. His activities involved physical training, sparring, running, etc.
Drake's eyes glowed brightly seeing such a sight, igniting his battle instinct. Drake smiled and decided to introduce himself to his fellow trainees.
His goal was to go down, so it wasn't very difficult. He just needed to follow the stairs to the lower floor and soon, he reached the hall on the first floor.
As he walked, no one greeted him or questioned his actions, so he headed toward the exit.
" Hey, look who came back to life " Said a voice in a mocking tone.
Looking towards the voice, Drake saw a young man. He was around 13 years old, had dark brown hair, his green eyes sparkled with a certain mischief. He had a well-built body, he was about a head bigger than Drake. His handsome appearance would make him stand out in the crowd.
Drake had a serious look on his face, pondering how he should behave in front of the teenager.
" Who are you? " Drake asked in a serious tone.
The young man opened his mouth and his expression showed that he was quite angry.
"My dear brother, did you hit your head and become retarded?"
'So, that was my older brother...'
Claude Crimson. He and Drake were sons of different mothers. Claude's mother was the current wife of Dante, the Patriarch's eldest son. Which made some people hostile to Drake for being the bastard son.
Claude had a great reputation for being a "genius" from a young age. At the age of 13, Claude was already a Novice Knight, not to mention the fact that his Aura emitted a green color, representing one of the 4 natural elements, the wind.
"I've just been following big brother's example" Drake replied with a smile, as he looked straight into Claude's eyes.
Claude was a little shocked, but he didn't let it show in his expressions. His younger brother Drake, who was constantly bullied and was known for having a weak personality. Suddenly, I was confronting him. Which gave him a feeling of discomfort.
"It looks like you gained some courage after your brush with death" Claude said as he maintained his superior posture.
Drake evaluated Claude completely, his entire presence caused an oppressive sensation, perhaps because Claude had already awakened Aura, or even the survival instinct alerting him. But inside Drake, something kept his head from bowing in submission.
His gazes were focused, not even blinking as they assessed each other.
After the brief visual confrontation. Claude, who held a sharp gaze, turned around abruptly.
"I'm going to train, if you want to solve this I'll be there" his voice sounded a little cold.
Drake was silent as he watched his brother retreat.
After his brother's words, he became somewhat obvious. He was indirectly calling him to a duel. Which made Drake smile.
After a few moments, Drake followed the same path his brother Claude had taken.
Leaving the castle hall. He saw a small garden, but his focus was on the training ground in the distance.
Currently there were many young people around 15 years old, men and women, being led by a tall guy, who looked like a bear. He was 2 meters tall, with tanned skin and brown hair. From his appearance one could speculate that he was between 30 and 40 years old.
"5 more laps, you weaklings"
Drake seeing him concluded.
He must be the trainer, Vance Crimson, one of his uncles. He was an Advanced Knight who used a large battle axe. He was quite intimidating just because of his size.
"What are you doing here Drake?" Vance asked in a booming voice.
"I came to work out a little because I slept too much" Drake replied while looking around.
"Hah, I see, I heard you were mauled to death by a wild boar HAHAHA" Vance laughed shamelessly.
"Unfortunately, I was eager to leave this family as quickly as possible," Drake tried to imitate Vance's sassy tone.
Vance and Drake laughed.
"So kid, do you want to keep up with the new batch of recruits?" Vance asked seriously.
"I don't think so, I'll be alone for a while until I rehabilitate myself" Drake replied.
"Alright, good luck kid, it's good to see there's life in your eyes" Saying and walking away.
Vance started shouting again.
"Everyone pair up and start training!"
Drake headed to a warehouse that contained all the training weapons. There were all types of weapons, from wooden weapons to blunt steel.
Drake spent some time testing all the weapons. He felt good with all melee weapons, but when his hands touched a steel sword, the blade seemed to have become an extension of his body. It was a one-handed sword, its blade was about 70 centimeters and 5 centimeters wide.
Feeling its weight and making some basic cuts. Drake smiled.
Leaving the shed, he looked for a secluded spot where he could warm up without being disturbed.
Drake instinctively positioned himself at his base. Holding his sword with both hands and raising it above his head, a rustling sound followed tearing through the wind. The strike was satisfactory, but it was still far from being a perfect strike.
Drake continued with some basic strikes, vertical, lateral, horizontal, nothing too complex.
Slowly and progressively, his strikes were perfected at a speed visible to the naked eye.
With each blow, each cut, a feeling inside him grew stronger. It was something warm, something like a voice, an instinct. Who seemed to want to influence his movements.
As he followed that voice, a nostalgic feeling filled him. He was in a kind of trance. He no longer depended on his senses, it seemed as if his blade had come to life and was moving on its own.
In his mind there were enemies before him.
All his blade did was cut. Translucent bodies came and went, enveloping his blade in blood. His feet moved in sync, looking like a dance. With each step, with each cut, his path became clearer.
Suddenly, the world returned to its original colors.
Drake's eyes were clear, no emotions or internal conflicts could be seen. Drops of sweat fell from Drake's face, wiping it with his shirt sleeve, he instinctively looked in one direction.
There were some people looking at Drake mesmerized, while others ignored him, but there was one look that gave him an uncomfortable feeling.
That look belonged to Claude Crimson, who was in a training arena. There was no one in front of him who made his intentions clear.
'I think it's time, huh.'
Drake, without considering the consequences, advanced towards Claude, his expression was indifferent, but his eyes contained a wild fire.
Vance, who had been keeping an eye on the entire training ground, observed everything clearly. To avoid unnecessary headaches, he decided to mediate this duel. The rivalry between these two brothers was old, leaving him on alert so that nothing happened.
Approaching the arena, Vance said.
"Claude, I will mediate this duel, just go easy on your brother" Vance said as he sighed.
Vance's hands were also tied, it was not in his will to let an Apprentice fight Novice Knight. But being the son of the next patriarch, few had enough authority to reprimand this young master.
Claude just remained silent, with his arms crossed and saber at his waist. He looked at the slowly approaching figure.
Step
Step
Step
With the sound of footsteps, Drake soon appeared, until his feet touched the edge of the dueling arena.
The wind ruffled his hair, briefly exposing his dark eyes. who looked directly into Claude's eyes.
Many passersby stopped what they were doing, just to watch the spectacle that was about to unfold. The duel between the two youngest sons of the next patriarch.
Vance, who was feeling uncomfortable, said.
"Are you two ready?"
The two young men nodded.
"Fight!"