Overusing Soul power could lead to physical and mental exhaustion, and in severe cases, unconsciousness for several days.
However, there was a method to aid in recovery from such fatigue: providing the victim with an infusion of Soul power.
Oliver knew how challenging it was to naturally recover from the exhaustion caused by overusing Soul power as he have been in a similar situation himself in the past.
Since he has resolved to treat Val like a member of his own famiglia, Oliver decided to provide Val with an infusion of Soul power, which would not only alleviate his fatigue but also speed up his recovery process.
“Let’s get you patched up.”
Oliver placed his hand above Val’s chest, his eyes closed in concentration as he visualized a picture of him healing Val using wizardry in his mind.
As a result, his own Soul power flowed from him into Val, like a stream of invisible energy.
Gulu! Gulu!
Val, although unconscious, readily absorbed this energy. It was akin to a drought-stricken land greedily soaking up the long-awaited rainfall.
As Oliver infused Soul power into Val, the pale expression that Val had exhibited due to the side effect of wizardry gradually receded, and was replaced with a healthy ruddiness.
[System Notification: Host’s condition is stabilizing due to external infusion of Soul power. The physical and mental fatigue is being addressed. Estimated recovery time: 8 hours.]
The system notification popped up in front of Val, but as he was unconscious, he didn’t see it.
“This should be enough.”
Satisfied with the improvement in Val’s complexion, Oliver ceased the flow of his Soul power.
Now, all that was left was to wait for Val to regain consciousness.
However, the exertion of healing Val using wizardry had taken its toll on Oliver, causing him to feel so drained that his surroundings began to spin as if he was on a roller coaster, the feeling of fatigue overpowering him.
With such a strong feeling assaulting him, he was unable to hold himself upright any longer.
He collapsed onto a chair next to the bed Val was laying on.
The second he settled into it, his eyes closed shut, the overwhelming exhaustion pulling him into a deep sleep almost immediately.
Hours later, Val regained consciousness. He opened his eyes and was met with two notifications from his system. After going through them, he looked around, taking in his surroundings.
He found himself lying on a large, comfortable bed inside a king-sized bedroom,
Seeing him awake, Oliver, who had woken up some time ago, yawned so lazily that he didn’t bother covering up his wide-opened mouth before greeting Val, “Welcome back to the world of the living.”
“What happened? Why did I lose consciousness?” Val already knew the answer, thanks to the system notifications he had read upon waking, but played ignorant to avoid raising any suspicions.
Oliver sighed, leaning back in his chair. “You experienced the backlash of overusing your Soul power. Wizardry is not to be abused, Val. Otherwise, there will be consequences.”
“I will be more cautious when exercising wizardry in the future,” Val nodded, understanding the severity of his mistake.
Actually, it wasn’t entirely his fault. It was his first time using wizardry and, being unaware of the side effects, he had been so engrossed that he forgot to be cautious. If Oliver had told him that there were side effects of overusing wizardry, he wouldn’t have done it.
Oliver felt pleased upon hearing his words. He stood up from his chair and said, “Good. Now, if you’re feeling up to it, follow me. It’s time to pay up what you owe me.”
Without another word, Oliver strode out of the room.
Val sat up slowly, his muscles protesting at the sudden movement. Pushing the discomfort aside, he got out of bed and followed Oliver.
Soon, the two of them found themselves in the fenced backyard of Oliver’s house.
This area was simple, with a single tree and a rack filled with both wooden and steel swords.
Oliver plucked two wooden swords from the rack, holding onto one while casually throwing the other towards Val, who deftly caught it in his hand.
The quiet area, overshadowed by the towering house, soon became a bustling training ground as the two engaged in a mock battle.
Their roles had switched: Val was now the teacher and Oliver the student.
While Oliver had a solid grasp of the fundamental of wizardry, his swordsmanship skills were noticeably lacking compared to Val’s. He could learn a lot from him. Thus, he didn’t find it shameful to learn swordsmanship from him. 𝑜𝑣𝓛xt.𝑐𝑶𝑚
Oliver launched an attack, his sword arcing towards Val with great speed.
“Your strike is too wide and readable. It is easily dodgeable and leaves your sides exposed,” After sidestepping his attack by taking only one step to get out of the trajectory of his sword, Val pointed out, demonstrating with a swift counterattack that Oliver failed to dodge. “Try to keep your strikes tighter,” he advised Oliver.
Oliver nodded, adjusting his stance as Val instructed.
Clang!
They resumed sparring, their swords clashing and sparking.
This time, Val noticed a flaw in Oliver’s footwork.
“Your steps are too heavy, and your pace too slow,” he commented, lightly tapping Oliver’s ankle with his sword after ducking the sword Oliver had swung. “It’s important to stay light on your feet.”
Having his mistake pointed out once again in such an embarrassing manner, Oliver felt a bit flustered, but he followed Val’s advice nonetheless and adjusted his footwork just as he had instructed.
As a result, he moved with more fluidity, mimicking Val’s agile steps.
Clang!
Their swords met again, the clash ringing out in the quiet yard.
This time, Val took a moment to watch Oliver’s sword handling.
“Your grip is too tight,” he advised Oliver while demonstrating the optimal grip, which was tight but not to the point of over exertion. “A tighter grip doesn’t equate to better control. It’ll just tire you out faster.”
“I understand,” Oliver said as he slightly loosened his grip on the sword.
The training session continued, with Val pointing out various shortcomings in Oliver’s swordmanship and correcting them.
Oliver took each of Val’s advice to heart.
With Val’s guidance, he improved his sword technique with each passing moment.
Thanks to Val, Oliver found himself improving more in this single session than he had over months of self-practice. The corrections Val suggested, while minor individually, together made a significant difference in Oliver’s swordmanship.
“Alright, that’s enough for today,” Val finally said, tossing the sword away with such precision that it flew directly into the weapon rack.
Oliver dropped the sword, panting lightly as he wiped the sweat from his forehead.
Val studied him with a pleased expression. “You’re making progress faster than I anticipated.”
Despite his exhaustion, a sense of accomplishment lit up Oliver’s face. “Thank you. Your pointers are truly insightful. I’ve been practicing for years, but I’ve never been able to analyze my own technique as clearly as you do.”
Val just gave a noncommittal shrug. “Perhaps it’s just a different perspective. Anyway, you should understand that the key to improvement is consistency. So make sure to practice these corrected movements until they become second nature.”
“I will,” Oliver assured him earnestly. “Thank you, Val. I’ve learned more than I thought I could today.”
“Well then, I will get going,” Val said as it was turning dark.
“Goodbye,” Oliver bid him farewell as they parted ways.
As Val left Oliver’s house, he realized that it was located in the central district.
This revelation came to him because he had passed by this very house earlier in the morning while making his way to the training ground, which was situated in the center of the central district, to attent the training event that he won.
Val noted the size and grandeur of the house, recognizing that only wealthy individuals could afford such a spacious residence in such a prominent location, but Oliver was too young to have this type of wealth. This realization led him to infer that Oliver hailed from a powerful and influential family, which might be similar to his own background or even more impressive!
‘I wonder what his surname is,’ Val wondered. ‘Should I ask him the next time I meet him?’
Surnames held great significance as it revealed one’s family and heritage. Knowing one’s surname was enough to know which family they belonged to!