As Thalor turned and ascended toward the doors, his mere departure felt like a powerful current receding, leaving the trainees momentarily breathless.
They instinctively stood to pay their respects, bowing low as his overwhelming presence slowly dissipated,
taking with it the invisible weight that had suffused the room.
Each trainee's shoulders eased as the atmosphere softened, yet an unspoken tension lingered, a potent reminder of Thalor's words.
"You all shall honor his words," Demetrius spoke firmly, breaking the silence.
His gaze swept over the trainees, as if challenging each of them to show their commitment.
"And to add, before we disperse," he continued,
"And to add, before we disperse," he continued, looking sharply around the room,
"if you feel you are not satisfied with your commander, you may challenge him at any time in the presence of the senior warriors."
"If you win, you shall be the leader."
!!!
At these words, a ripple of emotions spread across the trainees.
Some remained unfazed, their expressions stoic, while others exchanged glances—murmurs flickering to life,
particularly from those subordinates eyeing their own commanders with renewed ambition.
In several groups, a few trainees even grinned in secret, sizing up their leaders as potential targets.
Rico noticed a few sly smirks, particularly from certain trainees who seemed all too eager at the prospect of a challenge.
Demetrius' gaze swept over them one last time.
"With that, finish your meal and return to your residences."
"You are expected at the training field every day for the same duration as today," Demetrius concluded.
His words had a finality to them, signaling that the evening's assembly was coming to a close.
The room settled as Demetrius fell silent, but the stillness was quickly interrupted by a raised hand—Lysander's.
"Yes, Lysander?" Demetrius acknowledged, allowing the floor.
Lysander rose smoothly, placing a hand on his chest in a respectful salute.
His eyes flashed as he met Demetrius's gaze.
"Commander Demetrius," he began, "are we permitted to challenge another group of trainees in a group battle?"
Demetrius's eyes glinted with amusement as he considered the question.
Interesting. He catches on fast, he thought to himself, seeing an opportunity for Lysander to prove his mettle.
"Yes, you are allowed," Demetrius replied aloud, his tone sparking excitement among the trainees.
!!!
I thought that was supposed to be part of the Mock Battles scheduled after a month of training,
one of the seniors communicated to Demetrius telepathically.
Just watch—we're about to witness something interesting, Demetrius replied.
A battle between an Ascender and a heavenly-born noble.
Meanwhile, Lysander settled back into his seat with a grin, looking quite pleased with himself.
His eyes flicked momentarily toward Rico, who caught the glance and understood that a rivalry had just been set into motion.
Rico finished his meal with heightened awareness, aware that his days here were about to grow more challenging.
With that, the trainees quickly finished their meals and began filing out of the hall, their thoughts filled with both anticipation and a growing sense of rivalry.
Returning to their residence, Lycus turned to Rico as they entered their room.
"Lysander is after you. Be careful," he warned.
Rico smirked slightly, a spark of excitement lighting his eyes.
"I figured as much."
Lycus raised an eyebrow. "You seem to be… interested."
"Ah, nothing," Rico replied, quickly masking his eagerness.
But a hint of a battle-hungry grin betrayed him.
"Right… nothing," Lycus said, giving him a knowing look.
He then gestured toward the manuals piled on Rico's table.
"So, which of the manuals are you going to choose?"
Rico glanced over at the stack of heavy books, each one thick and imposing.
"Not sure yet," he admitted, eyeing the elaborate symbols on their covers.
Lycus shrugged, a bit too cheerfully.
"Well, I want to start right away. Why don't we choose together? We both have the same set of ten manuals, after all."
Rico raised an eyebrow.
"Huh. I thought you were planning on sleeping, with how you looked earlier."
Lycus chuckled.
"Let me let you in on one of my secrets, Tiyaga: I'm actually a very lazy person."
Rico stifled a laugh, thinking to himself, That's no secret; it's obvious.
But Lycus continued, his tone oddly serious.
"See, as a lazy person, I've learned it's best to chop the tree as soon as it sprouts."
With that, Lycus lined up his ten manuals across the bed,
each one thick and brimming with knowledge,
as he and Rico stood side by side, ready to delve into them.
Rico could tell from Lycus's sudden focus that he wasn't taking this lightly.
Each manual bore a title etched in deep, worn letters across its cover.
They seemed to resonate with the aura of warriors past, containing ages of knowledge in each word.
Manuals:
The Wrathful Strike of Ares – Techniques for explosive attacks, teaching powerful strikes to overwhelm the opponent and force openings in their defenses.
Shield of Fortitude – Defensive stances and maneuvers meant to absorb enemy attacks, focusing on channeling divine energy to increase endurance.
Dance of the Evasive Wind – Step-by-step footwork drills and agility exercises for dodging attacks, enhancing speed and reaction time.
Spear of Glory – Offensive moves that hone in on precision and accuracy, ideal for piercing through defenses, regardless of armor or protection.
Crushing Might of Olympus – Techniques that emphasize using raw physical strength, transforming even ordinary attacks into devastating blows.
Titan's Grip – Methods to control and neutralize an opponent's movements, focusing on grappling and immobilization techniques.
Inferno Rage – Channeling divine energy into temporary but fierce bursts of power, enhancing one's physical abilities drastically.
Divine Power Harnessing – A comprehensive guide resembling a structured prayer, teaching techniques for gathering and storing divine energy for both combat and survival.
Echo of Thunder – Techniques that combine speed and strength to create shockwave-like effects in attacks, disrupting an opponent's rhythm.
Eyes of the Hunter – A manual on cultivating acute senses, teaching awareness drills and mental exercises to read opponents' movements and intentions.
Lycus studied each manual, his eyes slightly narrowed as he strategized.
Holding his chin thoughtfully as his gaze roamed over the descriptions.
After a few minutes, he finally straightened up, satisfied.
"For now, I'll go with these four," he said, sliding his selections to the front of his bed.
Lycus's Choices:
Dance of the Evasive Wind – aligning with his laid-back demeanor and nimbleness, focusing on speed and precise movement.
Inferno Rage – a burst of temporary strength to balance his otherwise relaxed nature, giving him an edge in short, intense battles.
Eyes of the Hunter – enhancing perception and awareness, fitting his easygoing but observant personality.
Shield of Fortitude – a solid defense manual, playing into his preference for enduring in battle with minimal exertion.
Damn, studying again. I thought in heaven we'd just be praising God and singing every day, Rico thought.
"Huh, you went with four?" Rico asked, scratching his head as he looked at the array of manuals, unsure where to begin.
Lycus gave a slight shrug. "Seems like a good number to start with."
Rico glanced at his own stack, feeling the weight of it.
How am I supposed to choose? he thought, daunted by the idea of serious studying.
Just then, Luna's voice echoed gently in his mind,
[We choose all of them.]
Rico's eyes widened.
"Huh?" he blurted out before catching himself.
Lycus looked up, smirking slightly.
"Having trouble choosing, huh?"
"No, no, nothing like that!" Rico replied quickly, keeping Luna's suggestion to himself.
"I think… I just need a bit more time to decide."
He moved to his own bed, sitting down at the small wooden chair across from his table where the manuals were stacked.
Meanwhile, Lycus was already flipping through his chosen manual, immersed in its content without wasting a second.
The focused look on Lycus's face added to the pressure Rico felt, nudging him to start studying as well.
Turning to Luna in his mind, Rico whispered, What do you mean by 'all of them'?
[Just open one of the manuals, slowly,]
she instructed with a calm confidence.
Rico reached for The Wrathful Strike of Ares and carefully opened to the first page.
Running his finger across the heavy parchment.
As he did, a peculiar sensation washed over him;
Luna's presence sharpened, and suddenly, he felt a surge of knowledge and understanding pour into him.
The words on the page seemed to blur, then sharpen, and he realized he could instantly recall every technique and maneuver as if he'd practiced it for years.
The images and instructions weren't just words anymore—they were vivid memories, movements that felt as familiar as breathing.
In stunned silence, he flipped another page, and once again, Luna seamlessly captured the information, integrating it directly into his mind.
Rico stared at the manual, hands almost trembling.
"Huh… is this even allowed?" he muttered under his breath, hardly believing what he was experiencing.
Every time he flipped a page, Luna absorbed the details, feeding him each technique and movement with startling clarity.
It wasn't just reading;
it was as if the techniques were becoming an extension of himself, directly embedded into his muscle and mind.