As he continued to experiment with the new technique, Erik found himself becoming more and more immersed in its intricacies. He began to understand the subtle nuances of manipulating the mana, weaving it in and out of his body in precise patterns.
It was challenging but also incredibly rewarding. He felt his powers growing stronger and more refined with each passing moment.
And then, something unexpected happened. As he focused his thoughts on the technique, he felt something shift within him. It was as if a door had been opened, and a flood of new possibilities had rushed in.
Erik began to realize the true potential of the technique. With the ability to train multiple powers at the same time, he could become unstoppable. He could master multiple powers and their abilities in very short amounts of time, becoming a true force to be reckoned with in this world of oppression and violence.
Erik continued to try the new technique for what felt like hours, despite only ten minutes going by; the sweat pouring down his face as he concentrated on weaving the mana in the precise ways the system had taught him.
As Erik dove deeper into his mana training, he began to see the energy as a sort of fluid, constantly flowing and shifting. It was like a river, winding and weaving through the landscape, moving around obstacles effortlessly.
In his mind, he saw the mana intertwining with his body like the branches of a tree reaching out to touch the water's edge. He quickly learned to sense the ebb and flow of the energy inside his body, recognizing the subtle currents and eddies that made it up. The mana could, in a sense, also be described as a piece of clay, and he was the sculptor molding it slowly.
He carefully shaped and molded the mana, shaping it into a form that suited his needs. Just as sculptors were used to taking great care to mold and shape their creations, Erik focused on manipulating the mana to achieve the desired effect. The mana seemed to come alive with each movement, flowing and bending at his will.
Despite the difficulty, he found himself unable to stop. He was driven by a sense of excitement and possibility, fueled by the knowledge that he had just unlocked.
But eventually, Erik realized that he had been training for too long. He had almost lost track of time and needed to get ready for his meeting with his friends in the cafeteria. With a sigh, he stood up from the bed, stretched his stiff limbs, feeling the tension accumulated due to the posture, and eased out his muscles.
As he left the training room and headed into the apartment's main living area, he saw that Benedict was still asleep but on the couch. Erik smiled wryly; his friend had always been a heavy sleeper, but it was weird for him not to be in his bed.
"Hey, Ben," Erik said, nudging his friend's shoulder. "Wake up, man. We gotta go!"
Benedict groaned and rubbed his eyes, sitting up and yawning widely. "What time is it?" he asked, his voice groggy.
"It's late. We must go have breakfast before the lessons start. Let's go!" Erik replied, gesturing towards the door. Benedict nodded, still rubbing the sleep from his eyes. "Right, right. Let me just get changed real quick."
As Benedict headed towards his room to get ready, Erik wandered into his room and grabbed a bottle of water from his backpack, taking a long drink.
Benedict quickly got dressed and gathered his belongings. He grabbed his bag and slung it over his shoulder before walking out of the room with Erik. The two of them made their way through the halls and corridors, weaving their way through the crowds of students heading to the cafeteria in a hurry.
As they walked, Benedict checked his phone for any messages, but there were none. He sighed and slipped it back into his pocket, feeling a bit disappointed. It had been a while since he had heard from his family, and he missed them terribly.
"I swear, sometimes it looks like they don't give a shit about me!" Benedict said. Erik knew what was going on in Benedict's mind, as he had talked to him about this in the past.
"Man, I bet they are simply busy… Don't worry too much…"
"Yeah, but I mean, a phone call is too much to ask?" Benedict said, leaving Erik sighing deeply.
The two kept walking for a little bit, but then Benedict's look started to grow serious until he asked Erik a question: "I wanted to ask you this, Erik, but are you really sure about challenging Anderson for your next inner-ranking fight?"
Erik did expect that question from Benedict or his friends for all that mattered, but it was clear that someone was going to ask it sooner or later. The awakener looked back at Benedict and replied confidently, "Yes, I'm sure. Anderson agreed to it; besides, we want to see who's stronger now. There won't be any problems."
Benedict nodded slowly, still looking concerned. "I know you've been training hard, but Anderson is no pushover. He's one of the best in our class, and he's been working just as hard as you have. Are you ready for this?"
Erik nodded back and said, "I know what I'm getting into. And I'm confident that I can win."
Benedict sighed, "Well, I hope you're right. I don't want to see one of you get hurt."
Erik patted Benedict on the shoulder and said, "Don't worry, I'll be fine. Besides, it's just a fight; it's not like it's a life or death fight."
Benedict gave a weak smile, "Yeah, I guess you're right. Let's just hope it doesn't end up like last time," the young man said sarcastically.
Erik grinned, "Anderson's last name is not McConnel."
"Hahahaha, you are right!"
The two friends continued walking towards the cafeteria, discussing their upcoming fights and other things on their minds, until they finally reached the place. They were actually late and noticed how their friends were already eating their breakfast.
"Hey, you didn't wait for us!" Benedict said.
"Hey, don't blame us for your snooze button addiction; you're the one who wants to start each day in a coma!" Floyd suddenly remarked.
"Just shut up…" Anderson said but with a half smile on his face. Erik and Benedict quickly sat, and the awakener briefly glanced at Amber. Both smiled a little bit, and no one noticed—all but Gwen. She had keen eyesight and wits and was too smart not to notice those smiles, so she immediately started thinking about what was happening between the two, with one of her eyebrows raised.
Things went well between Amber and Erik in these past four days; the two kept their relationship a secret, which was frankly exciting. Besides, the two were exploring sex together, and this was something only the two of them shared.
But it wasn't all sex for the two; Amber had been in love with Erik for a long time, and although the young man had accepted her feelings only recently, he quickly learned that he had them in him all along; they hadn't just surfaced yet. The two couldn't often meet due to their training, but they managed to spend some time alone to be together and do what all couples their age did.
During the brief wait, Gwen started a conversation that Benedict and Erik continued after placing their order.
"So, did you really decide to have your fight today?" the young woman asked.
"Indeed," Anderson said.
"But why? It doesn't make sense. You will only lose your rank…"
Benedict looked over at Erik and shook his head. "I told Erik it was stupid," he said.
Anderson chuckled. "It's not stupid; it's just a friendly competition. We both want to improve and test our skills. We have a mutual understanding that our goal is to grow and learn from each other without any ulterior motives or expectations beyond that. Nothing more…"
Erik nodded in agreement. "Yeah, besides, it's not like we are that far apart in ranking. It's a good opportunity to see who's stronger now. I think it's important to approach this with a growth mindset and focus on improving our skills rather than just winning or losing."
Gwen added, "Yeah, but you could have done it by simply sparring."
Floyd chimed in, "Oh, c'mon, leave them to do what they want…"
Amber didn't say anything but was looking at Erik with shining eyes; Gwen's suspicions grew. Gwen wondered why Amber was looking at Erik like that and if there was something going on between them. She decided to keep a closer eye on their interactions from now on.
As the conversation continued, Benedict and Erik's food still hadn't arrived, causing Benedict to grumble about the slow service.
"How long till breakfast arrives?" Benedict said.
"Stop complaining, you bottomless pit!" Floyd replied.
Soon after, the food arrived, and Benedict thanked the gods. The circle of friends quickly ended their breakfast, and like that, they left the Red Palace to go attend their classes as usual. However, both Erik and Anderson were on hyperdrive, the two eager to finally fight, as they never did.
Updat𝒆d fr𝒐m freew𝒆bnov𝒆l.c(o)m