"How about you try to find me where I'm hiding? You'll have one good chance to guess where I am, and if you guess right, I'll help you and stop discouraging you," the man's voice said coldly.
Vince poked his tongue against his cheek.
He only had one chance to guess, so he couldn't make a mistake, right?
"How about you make it two chances? You're so stingy."
"In battle, your enemy never gives you a second chance to strike. People, in general, rarely give second chances, so one should treasure the chance they are given. That's how the world works."
Indeed, whether in life or with people, second chances were not often given to many.
Vince was lucky enough to have been given a second chance by fate. He shouldn't waste it.
"Okay, one chance it is."
He had no choice. Nyx seemed stubborn, the kind of person who wouldn't bend once he'd given his word.
"So, you're a shadow master, huh."
Vince had familiarized himself with almost all magic affinities, and seeing that Nyx had vanished into thin air and was hiding somewhere nearby but couldn't be seen, he knew that the man must have made himself one with the shadows.
"Is that a gift or your magic affinity?"
Even in this world, it was unfair. Not every awakened person had magic affinities, and yet some people with affinities also had other abilities.
Besides magic affinity, a person could have a gift—something exclusive to them. It wasn't common, and only a small fraction of awakened creatures was lucky enough to have one.
Magic affinity was discovered when someone was awakened, but a gift was something a person was born with.
The power of a magic affinity could evolve and grow as one's power class ranked up, but a gift was unchanging. Its degree of power couldn't be classified in grades.
Shadow manipulation could be a magic affinity or a gift, which was why Vince asked out of curiosity.
"It's my magic affinity. I don't have a gift," Nyx replied.
"Oh well, that must be the reason why you're a well-known fighter."
Vince had read about shadow manipulation magic and knew it had its own advantages and disadvantages. But knowing Nyx was a Regnant, he figured he must hold a high-grade magic affinity and wield it well.
"Even the most powerful people have weaknesses. In a fight, you shouldn't focus on your enemy's strength but instead look for their weakness. I'll give you ten minutes to find me."
"Ten minutes? Dang. That's too short!"
Vince gritted his teeth, and his face turned serious.
"Close your eyes and focus on your surroundings. Feel the energy of nature and don't resist it. You need nature's energy for your soul force, but if you can't even learn how to sense it, let alone draw that very energy from nature, then you might as well forget about awakening your power core."
Vince was annoyed by Dracula's bossy voice, but he knew he was right.
He had to learn how to do it, or he'd be cast aside like a bug!
Leading an ordinary life in an extraordinary world was a big no for him. He might as well die trying.
He closed his eyes and breathed, using the breathing technique Raine had taught him.
"Once a person gets a good grasp of nature's energy, it becomes very easy to hide their own energy," Nyx said.
Vince kept his eyes closed as he spoke.
"Is that the reason you failed to find the criminal yesterday? You couldn't sense his energy because he managed to hide it. He also had a good strategy for masking his scent."
There was a touch of mockery in Vince's tone, taking the chance to poke fun at the cold guy. After all, if it weren't for him, the city guardians wouldn't have known where the criminal was hiding.
"Even if you hadn't told us, there's no way he could have stayed hidden for long. Bellmory was surrounded by city guardians, and he had nowhere to go. Now stop talking and keep your focus. Time is ticking."
Oh right. Stay focused, Vince.
Inhale.
Exhale.
Breathe properly. Feel the energy of nature.
A full minute had passed, but Vince still couldn't sense anything with his eyes closed.
Everything in the world contained energy. In the books from Raine's house, it was described as dots of light invisible to the naked eye, but perceptible once you closed your eyes and focused on your surroundings. It was always flowing, with a certain rhythm, as if dancing in every corner of the world—lively and pulsing.
But Vince couldn't feel or see any of that.
With his eyes closed, all he could perceive was the blinding darkness, the light brush of the wind, and the sounds of insects.
What was he supposed to do?
'Okay, let's focus on what we can hear first.'
The rustling of the wind and leaves.
The calm breathing of the forest, the sounds of insects.
The birds chirping, the quiet noises of hiding animals.
The faint sound of a stream running somewhere...
All of them must have energy. Even the ground beneath his feet.
'Come on, let me feel it. Let me feel it.'
Then it came—a sound, a force that stole Vince's attention.
With his eyes still closed, Vince's hand shot up to his face, catching the wooden dagger at the last second before it could hit his head.