Yuder had borrowed the book from one of the Cavalry members returning home the day before.
He recalled that the man, a devout follower of the Sun God from a pious family, always carried multiple holy texts. Mistaking Yuder for a fellow devotee, the man had eagerly lent him a copy.
While not everyone deeply believed in the deity, most people on the continent had grown up closely observing and interacting with the temples of the Sun God from a young age.
Therefore, even commoners with limited literacy were generally aware of the holy book's contents. It was common knowledge. This was exactly why Yuder had chosen the holy book as Kanna's first training tool.
"Well, do you understand now?" he asked.
"Huh?" Kanna blinked in confusion.
"Kanna, if you want, you can limit the scope of the information you read," Yuder clarified.
At his words, a sudden realization dawned on her face.
"Oh... I see. I didn't know that. I never thought about it before..."
Of course, she hadn't. Until now, Kanna had been satisfied simply by reading anything she could get her hands on. That had been enough for her.
But to truly hone an ability like hers, simply reading wasn't sufficient.
Absorbing too much information without control would eventually overwhelm her. The way she often stopped abruptly after reading just a few scattered words was likely due to her lack of direction in using her ability.
"So, you need to start by setting a clear goal. Begin with a narrow focus. First, practice reading small, specific details, then gradually expand your scope. Over time, you'll be able to select and absorb only the most critical information."
It was similar to learning speed-reading. Initially, you would read each line thoroughly, but with practice, you'd learn to skim while still identifying the essential parts.
Of course, this wasn't a skill she could master overnight. It would take consistent daily practice. Only through time and effort would she see the results.
"Start by practicing with books. At first, just touch the book and try to read only the information related to its contents. Then, check how accurate you were. Once you're comfortable with that, move on to things like the author, the date the book was written, or its previous owners. It might be easier if you start with the most recent person and work your way backwards."
"Ah..." Kanna nodded eagerly, her determination growing as she tried to commit Yuder's advice to memory.
"Should I do this every day?"
"Yes. And there's something else you need to try."
Yuder pulled out a thin cloth from his pocket, wrapped half of the holy book with it, and placed it on the ground.
"Now, try reading the information from the book in this state."
"...But won't I only be able to read the information of the cloth?"
"Place half of your hand on the book and the other half on the cloth. Which one do you think you'll read?"
"Well..." Kanna's expression shifted, deep in thought,
"I'm not sure," Kanna replied hesitantly.
"Try it. If you feel the information from both the cloth and the book coming in at once, focus only on the book. This will help you practice selecting the information you want. Since you've already read this book once, it should be easier this time," Yuder instructed.
"I... I'll try."
Following Yuder's suggestion, Kanna placed her hand so that it covered both the cloth and the book. She closed her eyes again, concentrating. The formless energy that burst from her hand was more intense and clearer this time, pulsating with a strong rhythm.
Sweat trickled down her forehead, a sign of the mental strain. The energy fluctuated, growing and shrinking in size several times as she struggled to control it.
"Uh..." she groaned softly.
"Keep focusing. Don't give up," Yuder encouraged.
"My head... it hurts. I had no idea choosing what to read could be this hard," Kanna admitted, her voice strained.
It was no surprise. Growth often required pushing oneself to the limit, advancing only in small steps.
However, the moment when one's ability reached its limit was usually when danger arose. Many Awakeners grew only when teetering on the brink of life-threatening situations.
Yuder had learned this flaw in their methods much later in his life.
'If you push yourself in the right direction, continuously stimulating your limits without endangering your life, you can still grow,'
The key was to keep testing the boundaries of one's abilities, not to actually put oneself in danger.
After watching Kanna struggle diligently for a moment, Yuder turned his attention to Gakane, who had been observing them with his mouth slightly open. The young man quickly straightened up when Yuder's gaze fell on him.
"Gakane, you're next. Are you ready?" Yuder asked.
"Of course! Just tell me what to do!" Gakane responded eagerly.
It was admirable to see such enthusiasm. Even in his past life, Yuder couldn't recall a junior with such a strong desire to learn. Seeing Gakane's passion with the heart of a former Commander, Yuder nodded approvingly.
"First, summon your shadow."
Before Yuder could finish speaking, Gakane's shadow sprang to life, standing upright beside him. The black silhouette matched Gakane's height and build perfectly.
"How much have you tested the limits of your shadow?" Yuder asked.
"Limits...? I'm not sure. It just moves as I think," Gakane replied, glancing at his shadow clone with uncertainty.
Gakane believed that by strengthening his own physical abilities, he would naturally gain better control over his shadow. As a result, he had focused more on swordsmanship and physical training, rarely using his powers.
That was a valid approach, but Yuder, who had clashed repeatedly with his own limits and reached the peak of his abilities in his previous life, knew it had its downsides.
'Blindly training the body without understanding the full potential of the shadow clone is like a horse running with its eyes covered. It can run, but it won't reach its destination easily. It's too reckless.'
Yuder had observed Gakane's shadow clone lift several long spears at once without effort. That alone showed its physical strength far exceeded that of an ordinary human.
Moreover, when the shadow had come into contact with the Red Stone, the arm that had exploded from it was absorbed back into the shadow. When summoned again, the clone returned to its original form, undamaged.
If a shadow clone could recover from damage in such a way, wouldn't it be natural to explore its full potential and limits?
"Have you ever struggled to control your shadow clone?"
"Um... no, I don't think so,"
Gakane shook his head, recalling his memories.
"Good. Then today, let's find out how far you can go before it becomes difficult," Yuder said, his tone casual.
He unsheathed the training sword from his waist. It had no sharp edges, but that was enough for what he had in mind. With a simple application of power, red flames ignited along the blade in an instant. The intense heat and energy made Gakane's expression harden with unease.
"From now on, I'll be attacking your shadow clone. Do not move your main body. Stand still and use your shadow to block and evade the attacks," Yuder instructed.
"What?" Gakane's eyes widened.
"Let's start."
Without giving him any time to process, Yuder lunged at the shadow clone. His flame-imbued sword swung with precision, and though the clone attempted to dodge, it was too slow. One of its arms was severed cleanly by the fiery blade.
"..."
The shadow, however, did not react like a human would. There was no scream, no sign of pain. The severed arm simply vanished as though it had never existed.
"Defend properly," Yuder said calmly. "If your clone is damaged, revert it to shadow form and summon it again. We'll start over."
"Ah, got it. But... how am I supposed to block a sword with a shadow?"
"How is it possible for your shadow to carry multiple people?" Yuder countered. "You've been doing things unconsciously without realizing it. Concentrate."
"...Ugh..."
"Control your clone purely through your will. Don't speak to it. Don't move your body."
Even as Yuder spoke, he swung his sword again, unrelenting. The shadow clone, slower than a human, couldn't keep up with his attacks. It took hit after hit, disintegrating piece by piece.
As Yuder's sword came down for a final blow toward the shadow's head, Gakane closed his eyes tightly, bracing himself. He swallowed hard, willing his shadow to do something—anything.
And then, something remarkable happened. The shadow clone lifted its remaining arm in a flash, shielding its head from the strike.
Yuder's sword clashed against an invisible barrier. It felt as though he had struck a wall of wind. The force of the blow was deflected, a strange sensation traveling up his arm.
"Wha...?" Gakane was left speechless, his eyes wide with disbelief.
Yuder nodded at Gakane's stunned expression which said 'I can't believe I just did that'. "Good. Let's continue."
"Wait! Just give me a moment to figure out how I did that! Wait!" Gakane protested.
There was no moment to be had. Yuder resumed his relentless assault on the shadow clone, ignoring Gakane's pleas. Meanwhile, Kanna grew increasingly frustrated, her concentration disrupted by the constant noise. Watching the scene unfold, Kishiar calmly sipped his tea, a look of pure amusement on his face.
"Look, Nathan. Isn't this something? It's like watching a swordmaster train a novice," Kishiar mused. "I was curious about Yuder's teaching methods when he confidently asked for training authority. I suspect the dreams of the squad members coming back from vacation will be shattered. Hahaha."
"...It seems that way," Nathan Zuckerman replied, his tone contemplative.
From a swordsman's perspective, Yuder's swordsmanship was not particularly refined. However, the fire and water constantly pouring from his weapon, combined with his impeccable battle instincts and judgment, were undeniable.
How much practice did it take for him to master such an unusual combat style, blending the abilities of neither a mage nor a swordsman, but something in between?
Even if Yuder had awakened two years ago, it seemed impossible to develop such skills in such a short time.
Ever since their first encounter, Nathan had been investigating Yuder Aile's background. But just as his lord had predicted, there was nothing suspicious to uncover. His past was impeccably clean.
The only undeniable fact was that, as an Awakener, Yuder was a prodigy—one that anyone would envy.