The academy grounds were filled with morning light. Training banners rippled in the wind, their golden runes glowing faintly under the rising sun.
Today was the first day of the Wild Hunt preparation. Students lined up across the field, weapons laid out before them a shining row of steel and spirit-forged wood.
Instructor Kael stood at the front, his calm eyes scanning the group. He raised his hand, and the courtyard quieted.
"Before you enter the forest," he said, "you must learn how to fight not just with energy, but with form. A blade without control is a danger to its wielder. A spear without balance is just a stick."
He motioned toward the weapon rack beside him. "Every disciple will choose a weapon to focus on. Try each one. Feel how it connects to your Flux. Let it tell you whether it belongs to you."
Rin's gaze drifted across the choices swords, spears, staves, bows, and short daggers. Each shimmered faintly with a light Flux coating, waiting for a wielder's touch.
The students rushed forward, picking what felt natural. Some chose elegant swords; others, heavy halberds.
Rin waited until the crowd thinned, then stepped closer.
[Analyzing Weapon Set...][Sword : Primary Focus: Arm/Wrist Channels. Fast reaction, moderate control range. Ideal for quick Flux discharge.][Spear: Primary Focus: Full-body kinetic transfer. High reach, momentum-based. Best for rhythm cultivation.][Dagger: Short-range burst type. Emphasis on reflex, precision, agility.][Staff :Balanced conduction. Excellent for learning pure Flux circulation.][Bow: Long-range channeling type. Weak in melee; strong resonance if Flux control stable.]
The System's soft voice murmured in Rin's mind, invisible to everyone else.
[Recommendation: Begin with spear. High adaptability for body-based cultivation.]
Rin reached for a long training spear. Its shaft was made from polished vine-wood, the head dull but perfectly balanced.
He spun it lightly the motion steady but unpolished.
Kael's voice carried across the field. "When you hold your weapon, it must feel like an extension of your pulse. Don't grip it too tightly. Don't let it drift. Control is not about force it's about rhythm."
He demonstrated, moving with the smooth grace of years of mastery. The spear blurred through the air each strike a blend of timing, breath, and weight.
"Now, try," he said.
Students spread out. Rin copied the motion, slower, letting the System record every frame.
[Analyzing Instructor Pattern...][Flow Stability: 91%][Weak Point: Step delay / Breath cycle mismatch][Optimized Sequence Generated.]
Rin adjusted his footing. His movement became smoother natural.
A student nearby noticed and frowned. "Huh… you're copying his moves fast," she said.
Rin just smiled slightly. "I'm just trying to keep balance."
The System kept working silently.
[Scanning nearby structures...][Student A — Sword Pattern: Linear Burst. Efficiency 62%.][Student B — Staff Pattern: Unstable Pulse Flow. Recommend vertical rotation correction.][Data logged.]
It was analyzing everyone quietly mapping their movements, comparing rhythm, breath, and stance. Rin pretended not to notice, moving from one weapon to the next.
By noon, the sun had climbed high. Sweat darkened their uniforms.
Kael called a break, but Rin stayed behind. He set the spear down and picked up a short sword.
[Weapon Change Detected: Short Sword.][Suggested Grip: Index support low center hold. Increases control by 8.4%.][Effective Range: 1.2 meters.][Best Used For: Counterattack, short feints, disarming.]
Rin tried a few slashes. The blade felt light but unbalanced for his form.
[Observation: Current physique not optimized for short-weapon rotation. Recommending switch: mid-length weapon.]
He put it back and picked up the staff. It was simple a long rod with faint Flux lines carved into it.
[Weapon: Staff.][Flow Resonance: Excellent.][Note: Ideal for training inner energy direction. Limited offense, high defense.]
He swung it once the hum of the staff resonated through his arms. It wasn't strong, but it felt right. Balanced.
Kael noticed him from across the yard. "Good control," he said. "Few use staffs now. But they teach you how to feel the flow. Don't discard it."
Rin nodded. "Yes, Instructor."
As the day continued, Rin rotated through each weapon. The System's analysis unfolded in his vision like quiet blue light:
Dagger: Excellent for speed bursts. Requires wrist precision. Not suited for long fights.
Bow: Complex Flux threading. Harder to stabilize. Requires calm focus potential for long-range support.
Spear: Balanced for rhythm-based users. Perfect sync with body cultivation flow.
Sword: Versatile, wide technique base. Best suited for Root Seal users.
[Recommendation Summary:][Primary: Spear][Secondary: Staff][Support: Dagger]
Rin exhaled softly. "Understood."
He stored the data mentally. Around him, the students were talking, laughing, comparing weapon resonance readings. No one noticed the quiet boy whose eyes tracked every movement like a living scanner.
Evening came. The training field dimmed under the orange light of sunset. Kael gathered the group one last time.
"Remember," he said, "weapons are not about power. They're about connection. Your Flux, your stance, your breathing all must move as one. Master that, and any weapon will answer you."
He dismissed them for the day.
Rin lingered again, sitting alone under the fading light. The System brought up the day's summary.
[Combat Analysis Complete.][Weapon Data Recorded.][Efficiency Graph Generated.][Observation: Student combat structures vary widely — no optimized baseline found.]
Rin tilted his head. "So… the academy's methods aren't perfect?"
[Affirmative. Techniques are functional, but not optimal. They emphasize Root synchronization, ignoring adaptive body flow.]
He thought for a moment, then smiled faintly. "Then maybe… I'll build my own method."
[Acknowledged. Project Tag: Adaptive Flow Combat Style Initialized.]
The System saved the record silently.
The night breeze cooled the air. Rin picked up the practice spear again, spinning it once more. The motion was cleaner now, lighter.
He didn't know it yet, but his quiet analysis that evening would change how he fought and one day, how the academy itself viewed cultivation.
The stars shimmered above, reflecting faintly in his eyes. Somewhere, deep within the Weave, the hidden Architect Protocol observed in silence.