Aura.
It is a type of energy that is generated by the warrior's own body to strengthen itself.
And it is a unique type of energy that would always carry the signature and traces of the user.
It is a very crucial asset for a warrior that is fighting since it enables the fighter to reach higher strengths.
However, for those who have just awakened their aura, controlling it is a lot harder than for those who started their path as a mage.
As the one-star rank knight, a person's aura would only envelope their whole body.
Specifically, strengthening a place is not an option at that time since the aura is just awakened.
With reaching the two-star rank, not only a person's strength of aura would increase, but their control over it would also increase as well.
However, still making complex techniques and using your aura with a lot of paths would be impossible, being still not flexible enough.
It was around the three-star band of strength that a person would start controlling the aura around their body with more precise controls.
And this would make the person being able to make complex moves with their aura, using it more effectively.
"Huff….. Huff…."
Which is the reason why I am standing on the ground with heavy breaths coming out of my mouth.
"How was it?"
"It is very hard."
"Right? Although I don't know much about your past, it feels like you are instinctively trying to use your aura. Seeing it like this, you have never learned how to use your aura before, haven't you?"
"No. I haven't."
"I see. Now, relax and observe."
Saying that he took his position again.
A bright silver aura started spreading from his body.
But there was one thing different.
It wasn't that all his body parts were being covered.
No, the aura was circulating around his body like a wave.
Sometimes reaching its peak, sometimes not reaching.
"Huff….."
"School of Iai, Heaven Flash."
Muttering the name of the move to let me have a better understanding of which one was this, he flashed his sword.
/SCHLINK/ /SWOOSH/
With a fast and precise movement, the air in front of him was split.
/CRACK/
"Hmm?"
But that was not only that.
The supposed out-of-reach area of his sword was cut, with a crack forming there.
"Did you see?"
"I did."
"How much?"
"Because of your precise control over your aura, you didn't waste it on spending on your body parts but first focused it on your rear shoulders to increase the speed of your sword by amplifying the explosive strength there. Am I right?"
"Good, continue."
"And then, when your sword reached such high speed, you changed the place where your aura was applied from your rear delts and back towards your sword, making its range of attack bigger. That was the reason why the ground was cut."
"That is right. This is exactly what I did. However, figuring something out is a lot different from doing it, isn't it right?"
"It is. Although I said like it was something easy, the thing you did requires a very precise usage of aura as well as fast thinking. Because you have almost nonexistent time interval between changing your aura from your body to your sword, you need to be fast, and you need to focus your aura onto only one face of your sword to increase the effectiveness."
/CLAP/ /CLAP/
"As expected, you figured everything on your own. Now, I will leave you alone. Because I won't be able to help you much with your aura training, stemming from everyone's aura being different."
"Understood."
"We will start sparring again tomorrow, so make sure to be in good condition."
"Understood."
Saying that he left.
And then, I took my position and started moving my aura around my body while swinging my sword.
"Huff…."
Relaxing my breath, I started focusing my aura on my body, increasing my strength in my lower part.
"Not enough."
However, lots of my aura was being wasted, showing how lacking I was.
/SWOOSH/ /SWOOSH/
With my sword raised, I started stabbing the trees around, making slight cuts, and training my efficiency.
"I should have at least ¾ of his control level before I go to that dungeon."
With that slight mumble, I lost myself in training.
*****
In a place where a bunch of trees was covering a river, a group of people was traveling.
"What do you think? How is his progress?"
"He had already exceeded my expectations."
"Really?"
Two men on top of the horses were talking with each other, one being bulky and the other one being slightly slender.
"Yes. He is absorbing the knowledge like a vortex. I have never seen something like this before."
"Is it really that much?"
"It is. You have seen how he did use his aura before, right?"
"I did. It was only on the level of 2-star."
"Yes. Although he had just reached the three-star mark, most of the time, nobles would already have been taught by their parents how to use their aura techniques before they even reach three-star."
"Right. So, you are saying he had never been taught by any other people until now."
"Exactly. But the thing is, he had already halfway figured out how to use the techniques I have shown him on his own."
"I see…. "
"Moreover, he had already started applying precise aura movements on his own sword style."
"That one he showed."
"Yes. The one that was the combination of my teachings and the sword style he used before."
"What a monster."
"He is."
"Then….. Do you think he can beat it?"
"I don't know. But, he is our last card. I don't know how much longer I can hold this."
"Sigh….. What a troublesome family you are. You Renshou's"
"It is what it is. I hope he can finish this cycle soon."
With his right hand raised towards the upside, he said with a sad expression.
"I don't want my children to live such a cursed life either."
"Then, let's bet everything on him."
"Yeah."
Just like that, the two men continued their travel, not doing anything else.
----------------------Author's Notes-----------
Now this chapter has a bit of foreshadowing. Next three days or so, I will end this sub-arc finally, and another huge time skip will be coming.
The academy arc will start around 120-130 chapters, probably because I am planning to introduce another heroine(villainess), and she will have her own sub-arc as well.
Hope you have enjoyed reading my novel so far. I am open to any type of criticism.
