Astraeus woke before dawn, his body still aching from the previous day's exertion but his mind sharp with anticipation. He'd spent the evening reading the skill book the God System had provided—Basic Combat Techniques—and absorbing its contents. The knowledge had flowed into his mind like water filling a vessel, instinctive and immediate.
[SKILL LEARNED: BASIC COMBAT TECHNIQUES]
[DESCRIPTION: Fundamental fighting forms, footwork, and tactical awareness for magical combat]
[PROGRESS: 1/100]
He'd also allocated his three new attribute points, choosing to invest in Intelligence again. His essence pool was his most valuable resource, and expanding it took priority over everything else.
[INTELLIGENCE: 16 → 19]
[ETHEREAL ESSENCE POOL: 65 → 80]
The increase was significant. Fifteen more points of essence meant more spells, longer fights, and greater margin for error. Combined with his Intermediate Ethereal Manipulation skill, he was becoming genuinely dangerous.
Nervous? Kha'Zul asked as Astraeus dressed in his cleanest robes.
"Excited," Astraeus corrected. "This is the first time I'll be training with other mages at my level. Or above it."
Remember: you're supposed to be an Initiate with spontaneous awakening. Don't reveal too much too quickly, or they'll start asking questions you can't answer.
"I know. I'll hold back."
Good. But not too much. You need to prove you belong there, or Marcus will look foolish for recommending you.
Astraeus left the inn while the city was still dark, the streets empty except for early-rising merchants and bakers preparing for the day. The air was cool and crisp, carrying the smell of fresh bread and morning dew. By the time he reached the guild hall, the eastern sky was beginning to lighten, painting the horizon in shades of deep blue and pale gold.
The training yard was behind the main building, a large open space surrounded by high stone walls. The ground was packed earth, marked with circles and lines for various exercises. Training dummies stood at one end, their surfaces scorched and battered from repeated magical assault. Weapon racks lined the walls, holding practice swords, staves, and other implements.
Six people were already present, stretching and preparing. They all wore guild robes of varying colors—green for Apprentice, blue for Journeyman. Astraeus's Initiate robes were plain gray, marking him as the lowest rank present.
Marcus stood near the center of the yard, consulting a notebook. He looked up as Astraeus approached and nodded. "Good. You're early. I like that." He raised his voice. "Everyone, gather up. We have a new participant today."
The six mages stopped their preparations and moved closer, studying Astraeus with varying degrees of curiosity and skepticism. Marcus gestured to him.
"This is Astraeus Ren, newly registered Initiate. He's here on my recommendation despite his rank because he's demonstrated advanced capabilities. I expect you all to treat him as an equal during training."
A young man with sandy hair and Journeyman robes smirked. "An Initiate in advanced combat training? This should be interesting."
"It will be, Garrett," Marcus said mildly. "Especially when he demonstrates the dimensional sealing technique he used to stop a Voidborn incursion yesterday."
That got their attention. The skepticism in their expressions shifted to interest and respect. A woman with dark skin and Apprentice robes stepped forward, extending her hand.
"Lyra Venn. Apprentice, third year. If you actually sealed a Voidborn portal, I'm impressed."
Astraeus shook her hand. "I had help. And luck. Mostly luck."
"Luck is a skill in itself," an older man said. He wore Journeyman robes and had the weathered look of someone who'd seen real combat. "Darius Cole. If Marcus says you belong here, that's good enough for me."
The others introduced themselves: Garrett Thorne (Marcus's nephew, which explained the attitude), Elena Frost (quiet Journeyman with ice affinity), Kira Ashwood (enthusiastic Apprentice), and Thomas Reed (serious Journeyman who looked like he'd rather be anywhere else).
"Now that introductions are complete," Marcus said, "let's begin. Today's focus is combat adaptation—fighting opponents with unknown capabilities while managing essence efficiently. You'll be working in pairs, rotating every ten minutes. The goal isn't to win, but to learn."
He gestured to the marked circles on the ground. "Standard rules: no lethal force, no permanent damage, yield when you're beaten. Essence shields are mandatory. Any questions?"
No one spoke.
"Good. First pairing: Astraeus and Garrett. Let's see what our new Initiate can do."
Of course he'd pair you with the skeptical nephew first, Kha'Zul said dryly. This is a test. Garrett will try to embarrass you to protect his uncle's reputation. Don't let him.
Astraeus and Garrett moved to opposite sides of a circle. The others gathered around to watch, their expressions ranging from curious to amused. Garrett rolled his shoulders, essence already gathering around his hands in flickering orange flames.
"Don't take this personally, Initiate," Garrett said. "But I need to see if you're actually worth my uncle's faith, or if you're just good at talking."
"I understand," Astraeus said calmly. He raised his hands, silver-blue essence flowing around his fingers. "Come at me whenever you're ready."
Marcus raised his hand. "Begin!"
Garrett attacked immediately, launching three fireballs in rapid succession. Fast, aggressive, designed to overwhelm. Astraeus had seen this pattern before—it was standard academy combat doctrine, meant to force defensive responses and create openings.
He didn't take the bait.
Instead of raising a barrier, Astraeus sidestepped, his footwork smooth and efficient thanks to the Basic Combat Techniques skill. The fireballs passed harmlessly by, scorching the ground where he'd been standing. He gathered essence as he moved, shaping it into a single concentrated sphere.
Garrett launched another volley, this time spreading the fireballs wider to limit Astraeus's movement options. But Astraeus was already moving forward, not back, closing the distance between them. He released his sphere not as an attack but as a flash of brilliant light, temporarily blinding Garrett.
Good, Kha'Zul approved. Use his aggression against him.
Astraeus was inside Garrett's guard before the Journeyman could recover, one hand pressed against his chest, essence gathered and ready to release.
"Yield," Astraeus said quietly.
Garrett blinked away the afterimages, realized his position, and stepped back with a rueful grin. "Yield. Well played."
The watching mages murmured among themselves, their expressions shifting from amusement to interest. Marcus nodded, making notes in his book.
"Good adaptation, Astraeus. You recognized Garrett's pattern and exploited it. Garrett, you relied too heavily on overwhelming force. Against a skilled opponent, that's a weakness." Marcus consulted his notes. "Next pairing: Lyra and Elena. Astraeus, observe and rest."
Astraeus moved to the sidelines, his heart still racing from the brief exchange. It had lasted less than thirty seconds, but it had been intense, requiring complete focus and split-second decisions.
You held back, Kha'Zul observed. You could have countered with force instead of light. Could have ended it even faster.
"I know. But Marcus said the goal was to learn, not to win. And I didn't want to reveal too much in the first match."
Smart. Let them underestimate you a little. It gives you advantages later.
Astraeus watched as Lyra and Elena fought. Their styles were completely different—Lyra used earth magic, creating barriers and projectiles of stone, while Elena wielded ice with precision and grace. The fight was longer, more technical, both mages probing for weaknesses rather than committing to aggressive attacks.
Elena won eventually, her ice magic proving more versatile than Lyra's earth techniques. But both had demonstrated skill and tactical thinking that impressed Astraeus.
The training continued, pairings rotating every ten minutes. Astraeus fought each of them in turn, learning their patterns, adapting his approach. Against Darius, he focused on defense, recognizing the older man's experience and waiting for openings. Against Kira, he matched her enthusiasm with controlled aggression, teaching her the importance of pacing. Against Thomas, he found himself genuinely challenged—the serious Journeyman fought with cold efficiency, no wasted movement, no obvious weaknesses.
That match ended in a draw, both of them depleted of essence and unable to continue.
"Well fought," Thomas said, offering his hand. "You're better than your rank suggests."
"Thank you. You too."
By the time the rotation was complete, the sun was fully risen, and all seven of them were exhausted, sweating, and significantly lower on essence. Marcus called them together.
"Good work, all of you. Astraeus, you've proven you belong here. Your essence control is excellent, your tactical thinking is sound, and you adapt quickly. Those are the marks of a skilled combat mage." He paused. "But you're also holding back. I can see it. You have techniques you didn't use, capabilities you didn't reveal. Why?"
Careful, Kha'Zul warned.
"Because this was about learning, not winning," Astraeus said. "If I'd used everything I had, I wouldn't have learned anything about my limits or my opponents' capabilities. Holding back forces me to be more creative, more efficient."
Marcus smiled. "A wise answer. But remember: in real combat, there's no reward for holding back. When you face a Voidborn or an Ethereal Lord, you use everything you have, or you die. Understand?"
"I understand."
"Good. Training continues tomorrow, same time. Dismissed."
The group dispersed, most heading toward the guild hall to rest and recover. Lyra fell into step beside Astraeus as he walked.
"That was impressive," she said. "Especially the match with Thomas. He's one of the best Journeymen in the guild, and you fought him to a standstill."
"He was better than me," Astraeus said honestly. "I just lasted long enough for both of us to run out of essence."
"That's still impressive." She hesitated, then added, "Some of us are going to the Copper Bell for breakfast. Want to join us? It's tradition after training sessions."
Astraeus glanced at her, surprised by the invitation. "I'm staying at the Copper Bell. I'd be happy to join you."
"Great. Fair warning: Garrett will probably try to buy you a drink to apologize for being an ass earlier. He does that."
Astraeus laughed. "I'll accept graciously."
They walked together through the morning streets, joined by Darius and Kira. The common room at the Copper Bell was busy with the breakfast crowd, but they found a large table near the window. Garrett and the others arrived shortly after, and true to Lyra's prediction, Garrett immediately offered to buy the first round of drinks.
"I underestimated you," Garrett admitted. "That was stupid of me. You're clearly skilled, regardless of your rank."
"No offense taken," Astraeus said. "You were protecting your uncle's reputation. I respect that."
"Marcus doesn't need me to protect his reputation," Garrett said with a grin. "But I appreciate the sentiment."
They ordered food and settled into easy conversation. Astraeus learned that most of them had been with the guild for years, working their way up through the ranks. Lyra was studying earth magic specialization, hoping to eventually work in construction and fortification. Darius was a former soldier who'd discovered magical talent late in life. Kira wanted to join the king's mage corps. Elena rarely spoke but listened intently to everything.
"What about you?" Lyra asked Astraeus. "What are your plans?"
"Honestly? I'm still figuring that out," Astraeus said. "A week ago, I thought my life was over. Now I'm here, training with skilled mages, working for the guild. I'm taking it one day at a time."
"The spontaneous awakening Marcus mentioned?" Darius asked.
"Something like that. I nearly died, and something changed. I don't fully understand it yet."
"Well, whatever it was, it made you dangerous," Garrett said. "In a good way. The guild needs people like you, especially with the dimensional crisis getting worse."
"Speaking of which," Kira said, leaning forward, "is it true you actually saw a Voidborn? What was it like?"
Astraeus described the encounter in the warehouse, leaving out the details about Kha'Zul's involvement but capturing the horror of the creature itself. The table fell silent as he spoke, their expressions shifting from curiosity to unease.
"That's terrifying," Kira said quietly. "And there are more of them out there?"
"Hundreds, probably. Maybe thousands. Every weak point in the dimensional barriers is a potential entry point."
"Then we need to get stronger," Lyra said firmly. "All of us. Because if those things start coming through in numbers, the guild will need every capable mage we have."
The others nodded in agreement, and the conversation shifted to training techniques, skill development, and shared experiences. Astraeus found himself relaxing, enjoying the camaraderie. These were people who understood the stakes, who were willing to fight to protect others, who took their responsibilities seriously.
For the first time since his resurrection, he felt like he might actually belong somewhere.
Don't get too comfortable, Kha'Zul warned. Attachments are weaknesses. These people could become liabilities if you're not careful.
"Or they could become allies," Astraeus thought back. "People worth protecting."
Perhaps. Time will tell.
The breakfast eventually ended, and the group dispersed to their various tasks and responsibilities. Astraeus returned to his room, exhausted but satisfied. He'd proven himself to skilled mages, made potential allies, and gained valuable combat experience.
He pulled up his status screen, checking his progress.
[LEVEL: 5]
[EXPERIENCE: 280/250]
[HEALTH: 130/130]
[ETHEREAL ESSENCE: 35/80]
[STAMINA: 40/100]
[SKILLS:]
•Intermediate Ethereal Manipulation (25/200)
•Basic Dimensional Sealing (1/100)
•Basic Combat Techniques (15/100)
He was growing stronger, but slowly. The path to godhood was long, and he'd barely taken the first steps. But he was moving forward, learning, adapting, becoming more than he'd been.
"Kha'Zul," he said quietly. "Thank you. For your help during training. Your tactical advice made a difference."
I have three thousand years of combat experience. It would be wasteful not to share it. A pause. You fought well today. Better than I expected.
Coming from the demon, that was high praise.
Astraeus lay back on his bed, staring at the ceiling. Tomorrow would bring new challenges, new training, new opportunities to grow. But for now, he would rest.
The journey had begun and he was ready for whatever came next.