"What's wrong? You're weaker today."
Jin studied the summoned Sword Golem, his relentless training partner.
The golem remained unfazed by Jin's taunt. Lacking any emotions, it continued its task without hesitation or guilt.
Without delay, the golem lunged forward, executing a high-speed thrust. Jin, however, had adapted to its attack pattern. Dodging had become instinctive, though it had taken him countless hours to read the golem's movements and react in time.
'Why am I not earning any harmony points after defeating them?'
Master cannot gain harmony points from targets without harmony cultivation.
Cube's voice echoed within his mind.
'Just as I thought.'
Jin realized he couldn't level up by fighting the golems alone-they were mere soulless constructs.
Lost in thought, Jin failed to dodge the golem's next move. A powerful kick landed squarely in his gut, sending him hurtling backward.
"Ugh!"
Gritting his teeth, Jin planted his katana into the ground to regain control, halting his momentum just in time.
"Damn it... this isn't working."
"Hey, didn't I tell you your task today was to deceive the golem?"
Albedo reminded Jin of his assignment while lounging comfortably under a large umbrella in a rocking chair, a glass of fruit juice in hand. Beside him, Jay and Luke sat on dining chairs, sipping their drinks.
"And how am I supposed to lie to something that doesn't even have a brain?"
Jin snapped, clicking his tongue in frustration.
"You idiot, the art of deception isn't just about tricking the simple-minded. A true master of deception can make the entire world believe a lie is the only truth. A true deceiver can even fool a stone. And here you are, struggling to outsmart a golem with basic intelligence."
'Fooling a stone... was that sarcasm?' Jin wondered.
The golem attacked again, giving him no time to catch his breath.
"Why isn't it getting tired?"
Luke asked, slurping on his straw.
"He's consuming his own spiritual energy to sustain his body."
"Sustain?" Luke asked, puzzled.
"Yes. Just like we need food and sleep to keep our bodies functioning, he's using his spiritual energy instead. By continuously channeling it as nourishment, he doesn't require food or rest."
"No wonder he never eats! I thought he had a skill for that," Luke said, his mouth agape.
"There are skills like that," Albedo replied with a shrug.
"But doesn't using energy like that all the time drain a lot of spiritual power?"
"It does, but it's no issue for him. Beside he's done it so often that it's become second nature—he probably doesn't even realize he's doing it. He likely thinks it's just part of his ability."
"That must be amazing! I wish I could do that,"
Jay, who had been quietly listening, spoke up.
"You can, but it'll take a lot of practice."
"Hm."
Realizing he'd spoken his true thoughts out loud, Jay shook his head, a bit embarrassed.
"Oh, that reminds me—how's your training going?"
"Oh… my training? It's going fine. But I'm still not good enough to use an Art yet."
Jay removed the straw from his glass and gulped down the rest of his drink.
"So, what exactly is an Art? Is it just manipulating spiritual energy?"
"Well, at its core, yes—that's a big part of it,"
Albedo replied, setting his glass on the table.
"But there's more to it than just control."
He raised his hand, lifting four fingers and closed one living three fingers.
"There are three fundamental Schools of Arts: Battle Arts, Mystical Arts, and Spirit Arts. Battle Arts focus on physical enhancement—strengthening yourself or an object you're touching. Techniques like fist strikes, palm techniques, and movement skills fall under this category."
Albedo nodded toward Jin, who was enhancing his strength with Battle Arts, which Jay watched with fascination.
"Then there are Mystical Arts, which are like a magical techniques. And lastly, Spirit Arts—where you manifest spiritual energy in a tangible, physical form."
Jay's eyes lit up with curiosity.
"But I've heard of other kinds—like healing Arts, or illusion Arts. And there's Sword Arts, too."
"Yes, there are many branches, but they all fall under these three core schools,"
Albedo continued.
"Healing Arts and illusion Arts fall under Mystical Arts, while Sword Arts fall under Battle Arts. But…"
He paused for emphasis, drawing Jay's full attention.
"But?" Jay leaned in, eager for more.
"There are also Elemental Arts, which don't belong to any of the three basic Schools."
"Hey, I'm the teacher here,"
Albedo grumbled, losing his train of thought as Luke chimed in.
"You were making it too dramatic," Luke replied.
"Besides, he could look it up in any book."
"But what are Elemental Arts, exactly?" Jay asked, still confused.
Luke explained, "They aren't the natural form of spiritual energy but rather an attunement you can add to your Arts. That's why they don't fit into the basic Schools."
"But I wanted to explain that!" Albedo muttered quietly.
"I get it now. So, how do you actually cast an Art?" Jay asked, turning back to Albedo.
Albedo cleared his throat, pleased to be back in the spotlight. "Alright, let me show you."
Raising his left hand, he began.
"The process involves four steps. First, control. Guide your spiritual energy to the point where you want to perform the Art."
His spiritual energy flowed to the center of his palm.
"Second, command. You shape the raw energy into a form—this is called code generation. If it's an Elemental Art, you add an elemental attribute at this stage."
A ball of fire ignited in his palm.
"Next, amplify it with more spiritual energy."
As he poured in more energy, the fireball grew in size.
"And finally, release it."
He launched the fireball in Jin's direction.
[Elemental Art: Fireball]
Startled, Jin swiftly coated his katana with red spiritual energy and sliced the fireball cleanly in half.
"Hey, watch where you're aiming!" Jin shouted.
"Always be aware of your opponent," Albedo countered with a smirk.
Just then, the golem charged at Jin, forcing him to parry with his blade.
"But why can't we just use raw spiritual energy as it is?"
"Think of raw spiritual energy like crude oil—it's powerful, but unusable in its natural state. Refining it into an Art is what unlocks its true potential."
"Fascinating."
"There's one more thing—Paths," Albedo continued, resuming his explanation.
"Paths?" Jay echoed.
"Imagine you're standing at the bottom of a deep pit, but you see countless stairs leading to the top. It's pitch-dark, though, so you can't see which way to go. Paths are like guiding lights—they enhance your talent in a specific School of Arts, but only on certain 'stairs' or stages along the way."
"Huh? Could you explain that a bit simpler?"
"They boost your talent in a particular School," Luke clarified. "For example, the Path of the Martial enhances your skills in close combat."
"Oh, that makes sense now," Jay said, nodding.
"Luke, stop interrupting my explanations!" Albedo grumbled.
"Sorry."
Just then, a loud explosion echoed through the area.
'How can I fool a mindless golem?'
Jin studied the golem's movements, searching for any exploitable pattern.
'It does have some intelligence, like predicting my moves… but that's probably just how it's designed.'
This golem was different from typical ones, which were usually built for raw power and durability. Instead, this one was crafted for speed, precision, and agility. Jin had already tried to target its usual weak points, like the joints, but to no avail—the golem countered every attempt with ease.
'I can't just attack recklessly. It knows when I'm open and when I'm holding back… Wait—it reacts when it senses I'm off guard. This could work.'
[Battle Art: Accelerate]
With a plan forming in his mind, Jin shot forward in a blur, striking repeatedly at its joints. The golem, sensing no immediate threat, didn't bother to respond and instead positioned itself for a powerful counterattack. Judging by its stance, Jin recognized the setup for a high-speed vertical slash.
'Just what I need. Now I just need a powerful attack for a win.'
The golem brought its blade down in a crushing arc, but Jin anticipated the move and barely evaded it, leaving the sword to smash into the ground with brutal force, gouging a deep crater. Jin repositioned himself directly in front of the golem, holding his katana steady, channeling his spiritual energy into the blade.
"What's he doing, just standing there? Is he trying to get himself killed?" Luke asked, baffled.
Albedo chuckled, watching with a knowing smile.
"I think he's ready to end this."
Seeing what it believed was an opening, the golem charged, its blade raised, ready to finish Jin off.
"Jin, look out—it's coming!" Luke shouted, worry flashing in his eyes.
'Born with unmatched ability, he never had to rely on his battle instinct… but now, without those advantages, his instinct is finally free to blossom.'
Albedo thought, admiring Jin's battle instinct.
The golem surged forward, only to stumble as its footing slipped into the crater it had just created—hidden by Jin's clever use of Illusion Art. Caught off balance, its blade swung wide, leaving its core exposed.
With precision and power, Jin seized the opportunity, thrusting his katana with full force into the golem's vulnerable core, cleaving it in half.
"That's my second kill,"
Jin said with a quiet satisfaction, watching the golem crumble.
"He did it again!"
"Amazing…"
At that moment, Albedo's lime-green eyes flickered as he glanced into the distance.
Mira, can you hear me?
Using telepathy, he reached out to Mira.
Yes, my lord.
Something has crossed the Final River. Go and investigate.