The group had a pleasant time, sharing a meal, and then getting on with some chores like planting crops in the adjacent farm and assisting with various tasks here and there.
While Mr. Kron did assign them a considerable amount of work, it never felt like strenuous labor because he was mindful not to overexert anyone, and rest was permitted if someone was fatigued. Interestingly, Raze observed that nobody grumbled about the work.
‘I wonder if it’s because they don’t want to upset Mr. Kron, or is it because life here is much better than being alone out there with no one to care for you.’
During meals, Raze and Safa were naturally seated together, although they didn’t converse. However, Safa used hand signals to request some dishes from the table.
Unconsciously, Raze comprehended and passed her the requested dish. Mr. Kron excused himself from the table to attend to something, which made everyone feel more at ease.
“Aha, so she’s mute!” Gren exclaimed, snapping his fingers. “I was wondering why she was so quiet. I thought she had some mental issues, but she’s just mute. That’s great for a wife, since she can’t talk back.”
“Hey, that’s not cool, man,” Simyon interjected, shooting a quick glance at Raze to gauge his reaction to the comment about his relative. “We all live here, so we’re like family. Would you say that about your family?”
“We are not family,” Gren retorted immediately, almost as if offended by the suggestion. “You have dark skin; I have light skin. Even the disabled girl could tell we’re not family.”
Raze continued eating, feeling a wave of unease, but it felt foreign, as if it wasn’t his emotion but something else stirring within. He noticed Simyon’s clenched fist, not surprising since Gren was known for being obnoxious and usually made such remarks when Mr. Kron was absent.
The room quieted down when Mr. Kron returned.
“Once you finish eating, take a break to digest, then meet me in the courtyard for training,” Mr. Kron instructed.
All the children, even the youngest ones, brightened up at the announcement, some even raising their hands in excitement.
‘I guess even the little ones are enthusiastic about learning martial arts… it reminds me of my own excitement as a child.’
Instead of a happy childhood memory, an image of a five-year-old Raze, bruised and weak with hair obscuring his eyes, flashed in his mind.
‘Stay focused on the goal,’ he reminded himself.
——
After a brief rest, everyone congregated in the expansive courtyard in front of the main building, which was large enough to have its own track and obstacle course.
“As we have newcomers today, I have a few words before we start,” Mr. Kron announced, hands clasped behind his back, reminding Raze of military mages he had encountered before.
“The world outside is dangerous, especially for you all. Although many of you wish to avoid the Pagna, there is always a risk they will infiltrate the general public.
“Therefore, everything I teach you is essential for maintaining a peaceful life out there. What you decide to do with these skills after you leave is your choice. Do you understand?”
“Yes, sir!” the children responded in chorus.
“Excellent. Gren, lead the warm-up!” Mr. Kron commanded.
Gren bowed before beginning the warm-up, jogging around the entire courtyard with the other children following suit. Raze and his sister joined in at a comfortable pace. 𝑂𝐯ℯ𝑙xt.𝗇𝓔t
They continued to jog in a square pattern, round and round until Raze felt his feet dragging, his lips parched, and his chest ready to burst from the exertion.
‘What is happening?’ Raze wondered as an eight-year-old child sprinted past him, having already completed an entire lap around him.
Everyone managed to overtake Raze, including his sister.
‘I know my old body wasn’t athletic, but I’m in a teenager’s body now. Shouldn’t I be somewhat capable? Why am I trailing behind everyone? Why is this body so weak?’
A troubling thought crossed his mind. Was it because of the spell he had cast in the past? To strengthen his body to withstand 9-star magic, he had engaged in some forbidden practices, which turned his hair white. The current body also had white hair; did that mean the spell’s effects transferred to this body as well?
At that moment, Raze paused, his hands resting on his knees as he took a deep breath.
‘Screw it, it’s clear, this body is not suited for martial arts.’ Raze thought. ‘But it doesn’t matter, as long as I can still do magic, everything will be fine.’
Mr. Kron had been watching Raze and his sister as the new arrivals.
“Alright, Gren, continue on to the next steps, Raze, Safa, come over to me.”
Gren continued the basic warm-up that the kids would proceed to do. They then moved on to body weight exercises such as push-ups, sit-ups, and squats.
Seeing how hard they were working, Raze was relieved that he wasn’t going to be a part of that.
“Eventually, the two of you will be able to do the same as them,” Mr. Kron said. “But as it’s your first day, you don’t want to overexert yourselves to the point that you won’t be able to exercise again. Both of you sit down, with your backs facing away from me.”
The two did as they were told and sat down. Soon after, they felt Mr. Kron place his hands on their backs.
“Both of you have never practiced martial arts before. What I am about to teach both of you will be the foundation of your martial arts; it’s what we call Qi.
“Qi is the internal energy inside your body. It comes from your dantian, an invisible force centered around your stomach. When we use our skills, from the steps we take to the air we breathe in, we are always using this power of Qi.
“That’s why it is important to strengthen the dantian. Think of this as the plate, whereas the Qi is the food. What I am going to teach both of you first is how to feel your Qi. The energy from the world, the energy around you in the plants and such, to fill in your dantian.
“These two things go hand in hand, and as you improve them both, it will increase your rank as a warrior, but that’s all up to you in the future.”
It was quite amazing what the teacher was saying because Raze thought that this Qi was quite similar to mana. The difference was, mana was energy from the world, and one’s skill level was determined by how much mana they could control.
This was dependent on how strong one’s magic core was around their heart. However, magic cores allowed one to control the different types of energy in the air, depending on how well groomed it was to certain affinities.
“As you know, we are in the Dark faction, and what I am going to teach you is the basic Dark faction cultivation technique, the Dark Essence absorption technique. Once you have learned this, you must cultivate and use this technique each day to grow your dantian, allowing you to use more Qi in your techniques.
“With this, I give you a warning. Never go beyond your limits. If you absorb more than your body can handle, it can have detrimental effects on your mental state and morality if not practiced with caution. If either of you were to go mad, I would deal with you myself.”
Inwardly, Raze couldn’t stop smiling. What was this, was it Dark magic that he was learning? What they said about one learning dark magic was the same. Mad? Had he ever gone mad? No, he was always sane and always knew what he was doing.
If the Dark magic that was meant to make him go insane had no effect, then he would welcome this Dark Essence cultivation technique with open arms.
‘What an interesting teacher, to threaten new pupils with death, who he’s just met. If it’s so dangerous, then why is he teaching it to us? This world is starting to get a little interesting.’
“I will now, begin!”