Morning light bled softly through the manor's glass corridors.Elara sat near the window of her chamber, her thoughts drifting back to the words spoken the night before.
"Let him use Ether freely,"Lady Agaria had said, her voice carrying the tone of command masked as counsel."Do not suppress it. It will harm him more if you do. Let him breathe it, shape it, live it. Sarah will watch over him."
Elara had nodded then, unsure if she understood the weight of that instruction.
The old lady had looked exhausted — her skin pale, her breath shallow.
"The road from Cydonia to the Light Empire drained more of me than I thought," Agaria had added, smiling faintly."I will remain in my chambers to recover. Sarah's presence will be enough."
And so it was.From that day, the serpent's aura began to saturate the entire manor — a quiet, constant hum in the air. It was invisible but undeniable.The servants felt it, a faint pressure on their skin, like unseen waves.The boy felt it most of all. His Ether responded instinctively, resisting, adapting, reshaping itself against the oppressive force that lingered in every corner.
What no one told him was that this pressure was training.Sarah was tempering his Ether — teaching it to stay within its vessel, to move with discipline, not instinct.
The Training Yard
The clang of wood against wood echoed through the courtyard.The young master's small frame blurred across the training floor, his steps light but swift.His Ether rippled faintly beneath his skin — steady, contained.
The Lady Knight crossed her arms, watching him with an approving smirk.
"You've got the movement down," she said. "Lightning Step… not bad at all. A week to master it? Guess you really are his son."
He looked up at her, breathing softly but smiling.
"Today," she continued, lifting her wooden sword, "we begin the first chapter of the Lightning Stance — the foundation of your father's sword style."
She tapped the flat of her blade on the ground, leaving a faint spark of static in the air.
"This chapter focuses on deflection. You take the momentum of your opponent's strike — their force, their intent — and turn it into your own advantage. Against weapons, monsters, even spells."
She raised her sword slightly, eyes gleaming.
"It's designed for low- to mid-ranked void beasts — Z to double-X classification. Anything higher, and you'll need technique and element."
The boy tilted his head curiously.
"Double-X? Like the monsters in the books? The one called Tokolosi?"
The Lady Knight froze mid-motion.
"How do you know that name?"
"It's in the books," he replied innocently. "In the study."
For a moment, she just stared — then laughed softly.
"You really read everything, don't you?"
Narration — The Ranks of the Void
In the world of Arian, monsters were ranked from Z to Triple Z — the lowest of the Voidspawn.Above them were the A-ranks, the horrors of the field, and beyond those, the named beasts — creatures that shaped empires.
The Z to Double-X ranks were once humanity's first trials after the Collapse, five thousand years ago. They were the reason techniques like the Lightning Stance existed — arts born from desperation, refined into legacy.
Where the Gaia System gave skills, these techniques gave survival.
The First Chapter — "Keraunos"
The Lady Knight lifted her sword again.
"The first chapter is called Keraunos — meaning 'Thunder's Reversal.' It's a countermeasure technique, but unlike deflecting with strength, you align your Ether with your opponent's flow. You feel their strike, then redirect it."
She stepped forward, demonstrating the motion.Her body moved in rhythm — a single turn, a clash, and a silent glide.The air crackled faintly where her blade passed.
"Remember, boy — Lightning doesn't resist. It flows. It bends, then strikes where the air breaks."
The young master gripped his wooden sword tighter.
"Keraunos…" he whispered, imitating her movement.
He struck forward — and fell short, tumbling to one knee.But instead of frustration, there was curiosity in his eyes.He stood again, adjusted his posture, and tried once more.
The Lady Knight smiled faintly, muttering under her breath,
"He learns fast… too fast."
Narration — The Year's End
And so the year passed under twin tutelage — the sword and the serpent.By day, the young master followed the teachings of the Lightning Stance. By night, his Ether danced within Sarah's invisible domain — reshaped, restrained, refined.
The serpent's aura wrapped around the manor like mist. Each pulse of its energy forced the boy's Ether to respond, to adapt, to grow stronger without spilling over. It was a cruel method, but effective.
Through it all, he never once complained. Only trained. Only learned.
And when the final sunset of the serpent year fell upon the Light Empire, the boy who once burned too brightly now glowed with control.
"He's ready," murmured Sarah, from the shadows of Agaria's room, her golden eyes gleaming faintly in the dim."When the next moon rises, his awakening will begin."
[End of Chapter 14 — The Tempering]