Chapter 300: 300:Training.
The first rays of the winter sun had barely begun to creep over the eastern mountain of the Court, but Atheline was already awake.
The palace remained unusually quiet at this hour. Most servants had only just begun preparing breakfast, while the councillors and officials who filled the halls during the day were still in their quarters.
It was one of the few moments where the enormous palace belonged almost entirely to him.
He quietly dressed in a simple black training outfit instead of his royal attire. The clothing was light enough to allow unrestricted movement while still providing warmth against the cold winter air.
His bow rested across his back, his sword hung comfortably at his waist, and a small pouch of arrows was secured behind his hip.
The white fox watched him from the bed with sleepy blue eyes.
"You can sleep a little longer."
The fox tilted its head.
"I’m only going to train."
The little creature yawned before curling back into a fluffy ball beneath the blankets, moving closer to the still sleeping Lilith. Apparently, training before sunrise was one habit it had no intention of adopting.
Chuckling softly, Atheline quietly closed the bedroom door behind him.
The walk to the royal private training grounds took a little bit longer than normal. This time, he didn’t go to the training room inside the palace, but one located outside since he needed a freer location than normal.
Even before stepping through the gates, he could feel the familiar traces of Aether lingering in the air. This was where Lilith practiced.
Every strike she made, every spell she cast, left behind an invisible impression upon the surroundings. Even after weeks, the lingering pressure hadn’t completely disappeared.
He took a slow breath before walking to the center of the field. The snow crunched softly beneath his boots and cold air filled his lungs.
He closed his eyes. For several moments, he simply stood there, only breathing.
Ever since becoming king, his days had become increasingly occupied with meetings, reports, diplomacy, and governing an entire kingdom. Training had become one of the few times he could empty his mind completely.
The world around him gradually faded away and only the rhythm of his breathing remained. Then, he opened his eyes.
A single gust of wind stirred around his feet, it was subtle, barely noticeable. Yet unlike before, Aether answered him immediately more smoothly than it used to be.
He raised one hand.
A small sphere of wind condensed above his palm. Rather than releasing it, he simply observed it, the currents remained perfectly stable without a single fluctuation. He slowly dismissed it before summoning another element.
Water.
Tiny streams gathered from the moisture in the air, spiraling gently around his wrist before forming a perfectly clear sphere.
Then ice.
The water instantly froze into an intricate crystal, each edge impossibly smooth. A faint smile appeared on his face.
"It really is becoming easier."
Months ago, switching between different elemental affinities had required concentration. Now, it felt almost instinctive. He no longer thought about changing elements.
His Aether core simply understood. One became another then another.
Fire ignited within his palm, replacing the ice without melting it first, lightning crackled around the flames and earth rose from beneath the snow.
Finally, wind returned, carrying all the other elements away as though they had never existed. The transitions were seamless, fluid, and felt natural.
The system quietly appeared before him which had started to become a norm whenever he trained. It gave him an overview of his progress and was clearly encouraging him to train more. Atheline found it a little alarming but he still held onto it.
It was better than blindly estimating his progress.
[Body Adaptation Progress]
{Current Adaptation: 24%
Physical Compatibility: Stable
Aether Compatibility: Improved
Estimated Safe Output: High SSS Rank
Warning:
EX-Rank Mana remains sealed. Continued physical conditioning recommended.}
He read the notification carefully.
’Only twenty-four percent?’
It sounded small, yet he could already feel the difference compared to several weeks ago. His muscles no longer ached after using large amounts of Aether and his breathing recovered faster.
Even maintaining multiple elemental affinities simultaneously had become noticeably less taxing. He dismissed the screen.
"There really aren’t any shortcuts."
The pill had granted him unimaginable potential but it hadn’t granted him the body capable of using it. That, he had to earn, one day at a time.
He reached for the bow resting across his back. It had always been his preferred weapon; the sword was useful, necessary, even. But the bow felt natural in his hands, like an extension of himself.
Several wooden targets stood at varying distances across the training field. Some remained stationary while others rotated slowly through the use of mana-powered mechanisms.
He selected the furthest one first, nearly two hundred meters away. Drawing an arrow, he inhaled deeply.
The world immediately became quieter and his heartbeat slowed. Every distraction disappeared, only the target remained.
His fingers released the string. The arrow cut through the freezing air almost silently. And a heartbeat later, it met its target, directly through the center.
He smiled faintly.
Without lowering the bow, he drew another arrow. This time he infused it with wind. The arrow accelerated dramatically.
He released.
Another perfect hit.
A third arrow coated with lightning.
The projectile flashed across the field so quickly that it almost disappeared from sight. Again, dead center.
One after another, arrows flew from the bow; some carried fire, some ice, and some earth. Each element altered the arrow’s behavior slightly.
Fire increased destructive force, wind emphasized speed, lightning sacrificed stability for explosive acceleration, ice improved penetration, and earth dramatically increased weight.
Each possessed advantages and weaknesses. The true challenge wasn’t learning each element individually, it was choosing the correct one instinctively during battle.
That was what he practiced, decision-making.
His arrows continued striking target after target until every practice dummy bore dozens of impacts. Only then did he lower the bow.
A light layer of steam rose from his body despite the freezing temperature.
Next came the sword. Unlike archery, swordsmanship demanded complete commitment. Distance disappeared and mistakes became fatal.
He drew the blade smoothly. The polished steel reflected the pale winter sunlight. Without hesitation, he began moving through familiar forms.
The first sequence emphasized precision. Every strike remained compact and efficient.
The second focused on movement. His feet glided across the snow with increasing confidence. Wind naturally gathered beneath each step, making him lighter and faster.
The third sequence combined swordsmanship with elemental control. Water flowed along the blade before instantly freezing into a razor-thin edge. The ice shattered with the following swing, replaced by dancing flames. Lightning followed, then earth, and then wind once more.
By the time the sequence finished, his breathing had become heavier. Yet, his body no longer trembled as it once had.
His muscles had accepted the strain. They were slowly adapting, exactly as the system predicted.
Several palace guards quietly observed from the edge of the training grounds. None dared interrupt; instead, they watched with quiet admiration.
One younger guard spoke in little more than a whisper.
"His Majesty trains every morning."
An older knight nodded.
"I’ve yet to see him miss a day."
"Even after council meetings?"
"Even then."
The younger guard looked back toward the training field.
"...No wonder he’s so strong."
The older knight smiled faintly.
"People see the results, they rarely see mornings like this."
At that moment, Atheline planted his sword into the snow before dropping into a series of physical exercises.
Push-ups, squats, and core strengthening, simple movements repeated over and over; just physical conditioning.
The older knight folded his arms.
"The Queen once said something."
"What was it?"
"Power is useless if your body collapses before your core does."
The younger guard watched silently. For the first time, he understood what she meant. Atheline wasn’t merely becoming stronger because of talent, he was earning every step forward.
