December 30, 3104
With Windweave Vision, things became much easier than before, but the weighted jacket continued to make my life difficult, so my results hadn't drastically changed.
Morning route time: 5 hours
Jumps: Forward 2m, Right 1.5m, Left 1m, Backward 1.8m
Archery: I could shoot from 100 meters, but with the chaotic currents, predicting the arrow's trajectory was tough. Out of around 500 shots, I only hit the target 30 times.
Evening route time: 6-7 hours
Breathing technique: I managed to form the aether circuit, but could only maintain it for 3-4 minutes.
At this stage, the aether released from my body is still of the fire element. As I continue practicing the breathing technique, it will gradually shift to a neutral state, eventually becoming wind-element aether. My constitution will only be considered "Ventus" when all aether released is solely of the wind element.
Master also started asking me about medicinal and poisonous plants, so each night, after my exhausting day, I had to read botany books before bed.
January 10, 3106
A year has passed. I turned 13.
I've continued to make progress, and my weighted jacket has become heavier—now 35 kg.
The monthly improvised hunts are still the same. I still haven't managed to catch Master.
I wanted to move on to the next stages of my techniques, but without achieving the Ventus constitution, that wasn't possible. The fire element in my aether has been almost entirely replaced, but there are still traces of it in my body that prevent me from fully transitioning to air mana.
I'm tired of this lack of progress.
I've reached the current limit of my body's capabilities. I need ManaArmis, but it won't form without the proper constitution.
With the 35 kg jacket:
Morning route time: 3 hoursJumps: Forward 3m, Right 2.5m, Left 2.5m, Backward 3mArchery: Practiced at 100 meters, now with multiple moving targets at varying speeds and heights. Occasionally, targets appear along the route, which I have to hit; failing to do so means running an additional lap.Evening route time: 4 hours
I still had about one-third of my body left to purify and shift to non-elemental aether. Master mentioned that my pace was remarkable, with his initial estimate of two years reduced to around one year and five to six months. But even with this progress, I was growing impatient.
Today's meditation felt different. I could now sustain the aether circuit for 25-30 minutes, but today I pushed past that, reaching 32 minutes. Yet, it wasn't just the duration that felt unique—the speed of the circuit began to increase on its own, as if it had its own desire to move faster. Intrigued by this change, I let the circuit continue undisturbed. I knew that if anything went wrong, Master Evans would be there, watching and ready to intervene if needed.
By the 40-minute mark, the circuit's speed stabilized at a level that felt almost... comfortable. Then, I noticed that the remaining parts of my body that still emitted pure ether were quickly shifting, converting at an accelerated rate.
At 55 minutes, only a few patches remained unchanged. However, a new challenge arose as the circuit's speed picked up again. It became harder to maintain, and I started running out of aether. I felt the strain in my chest as my body struggled to keep up.
Just as I was reaching my limit, Master sent a surge of aether-filled air directly into my lungs, allowing me to keep the circuit active.
At 60 minutes, nearly my entire body, except for my right hand and leg, was in intense pain from overexertion. Sustaining the aether flow with such intensity was grueling, but it was worth every moment. The entirety of my skin was now covered by Mana Ventis, infused with wind mana. As a final confirmation, the once-static aether within my Mana Ventis began to flow, forming small vortices.
The Ventis Constitution was complete.
The following week was one of celebration and newfound strength.
The very next day, I managed to activate:
Archery Technique: Tornado Archery (4 ☆)
Stage 1: Guided Arrow
Imbuing the arrow with wind mana, it started to glow faintly green—a sign that the technique had been successfully activated. It wasn't perfect yet, but even so, the power and speed with which the arrow shot toward the target were vastly greater than before.
It took me a little longer to master the movement technique, but five days after completing my Ventis Constitution, I succeeded.
Movement Technique: Wind Kingdom (4 ☆)
Stage 1: Territory Formation
A hemisphere appeared around me, with walls defined by the wind. It wasn't a solid barrier; rather, it marked the outer limits of my territory. The wind's presence was like an extension of my senses, outlining the area I could control in a single movement.
But the most exhilarating moment came on the seventh day.
I was meditating, focusing on forming armor on my left hand. Since my aether channels were now fully opened, the energy flow didn't close as easily, except during significant breaks in concentration.
After 15 minutes of channeling nearly all my aether into my left hand, I achieved a high enough concentration. The wind currents there began to condense, spinning into an enormous vortex before finally stabilizing. And then, it appeared:
ManaArmis Left Hand (Minor) - 1st Form
It was an early manifestation, just the base form of my armor, appearing as a transparent dark green hue. It wouldn't take its final shape until I reached the 2nd stage of my breathing technique.
At the center of the armor, a swirling tornado symbol could be seen from above, almost resembling a black hole. Smaller metal plates covered the fingers, while the palm was adorned with designs reminiscent of wind patterns. The joint between my hand and forearm was protected by a more metallic-looking structure etched with wind symbols.
Finally… I've seen my armor again.
That feeling of growth—I had missed it. Once you've experienced it, you can't live without it.
Master Evans approached me with a contemplative expression.
"Kail, now we need to decide what to develop next."
In a typical situation, I'd simply continue forming the minor armor components. But unlike others, I only had one more minor component left before needing to think strategically about my focus.
"Master, what do you think I should do?" I asked, seeking his guidance.
"Once you complete the minor armor on your leg, it would be wise to shift focus to your right arm," he advised. "Right now, you use a standard bow, which is adequate for training. But in real combat, you'll need a more powerful bow, and that will require strength in your shoulder and back. The armor will grant you that strength, but…"
"You'll need a reinforced exoskeleton to protect your fingers from a high-quality bowstring, or you'll slice right through them," Master Evans continued.
"As it stands, my clan owes me two three-star exoskeletons, so my only challenge now is to open the middle armor in my arm."
"Excellent. From today onward, in addition to shooting at targets, you'll begin hunting. You must learn to kill living organisms—but remember, for every second your prey suffers before death, you'll run additional laps."
And then, to top it off, Master reminded me of the laps I owed for my recent incorrect answers. I had about three or four questions wrong, so he added a few more laps to that.
The very next day, I tracked a wild boar. I found its trail and followed it, eventually spotting it about 35 meters away—a manageable distance for me. I took an arrow, drew the bowstring, aimed carefully at the boar, and released the arrow.
But just as the arrow left my grip, the boar sensed danger and bolted, and the arrow only managed to hit its hind leg.
Without hesitation, I began to chase it, but the boar was clever, using trees to block my line of sight. Still, with an arrow in its leg, it couldn't gain much distance, losing stamina and blood with every step. Eventually, it stopped weaving through trees and sprinted in a straight line. This time, I took aim and fired another shot. The arrow struck true, and the boar collapsed.
When I approached, the boar was still breathing, suffering with one arrow lodged in its thigh and another in its abdomen. I couldn't let it suffer any longer. I took another arrow and drove it into its skull, ending its pain.
I didn't feel grief or guilt over the kill, but disappointment overwhelmed me.
All that training, and I still made such a mess of it. Pathetic.
Master Evans appeared by my side.
"He sensed your intent to kill. That's why he ran," he observed.
"Why didn't you use any techniques?"
"It's just a boar. I thought I could handle it without them."
"You misjudged. Never underestimate your prey. When you go in for a kill, always use your full power. Always."
"Understood."
"You owe me 120 laps. Starting tomorrow, you'll run three laps in the morning and two in the evening. But today, you'll run until I tell you to stop."
"Yes, sir."
I accepted it—I deserved it.
That night, I ran through the forest, thinking over how I could improve. I couldn't let myself repeat the same mistakes. As I moved through the dark, I plotted and planned, vowing to become a more efficient hunter.
I lost count of the laps I ran—maybe five or six—but by the time the sun's rays began to break through the trees, I finally heard:
"Enough. Go sleep for three hours, then start the exercises again."
The circle I practiced jumping in increased from 3 meters to 5 meters. Now, I was required to perform three types of jumps: with both feet, on the right foot alone, and on the left foot alone. I wasn't allowed to use any techniques.
For now, my focus was on adapting to the techniques I'd learned:
Archery Technique: Tornado Archery (4 ☆)
Stage 1: Guided Arrow – My goal was to increase the concentration of aether in the arrow and reduce the activation time, which currently took 10 seconds.Movement Technique: Wind Kingdom (4 ☆)
Stage 1: Territory Formation – I aimed to expand the territory from a radius of 3 meters to 5 meters.Breathing Technique: Tempest Flow (4 ☆)
Stage 1: Wind Circulation – My target was to open the armor on my legs.