Chapter 304: 304:Training V
This time he attacked without hesitation. His sword flowed naturally into a thrust and the thrust became a sweeping slash.
Fire transformed into ice, then ice into wind, and then wind into lightning. Every transition happened instinctively.
He wasn’t consciously selecting elements anymore, his body simply chose whichever affinity best suited the moment.
Lilith defended each attack with remarkable precision, yet inwardly she found herself becoming increasingly impressed.
He’s no longer thinking but adapting. That was considerably more difficult to teach. Many talented warriors spent decades trapped by overthinking every decision.
He was beginning to trust his instincts, exactly as a true battlefield demanded. She gradually increased her own pace once more.
Immediately, he felt the difference. Her attacks became heavier and sharper. The pressure surrounding each exchange intensified.
His arms trembled from repeated impacts and his breathing grew heavier. Sweat formed beneath his collar despite the freezing weather.
Yet, he didn’t slow down; instead, something inside him responded. A warm sensation spread outward from deep within his Aether core like a sleeping beast lazily opening one eye.
The system quietly appeared at the edge of his vision.
[Body Adaptation Detected]
{Physical Synchronization Increasing...
Current Adaptation: 25%
Aether Flow Efficiency Improved.}
The notification vanished almost immediately, he barely registered it. His attention remained entirely upon Lilith, yet he could feel it.
His body suddenly seemed, lighter. The exhaustion weighing upon his muscles lessened and his breathing had steadied. Aether flowed through his channels more smoothly than before.
He smiled unconsciously. Lilith noticed immediately.
"You felt it."
He nodded once.
"I did."
"Good." She smiled back. "Then stop holding yourself back."
At the edge of the training grounds, another figure quietly arrived. Simion had intended only to continue his own morning practice; instead, he found himself stopping in complete silence.
Before him, the King and Queen moved across the snow-covered battlefield with a speed that blurred the eye. Elements erupted one after another, flames danced across frozen ground, stone walls rose only to shatter moments later and lightning illuminated the winter air.
Yet despite the spectacular display, neither monarch wore expressions of anger. They were smiling.
The noble watched quietly. Even without understanding the technique before him, he had come to accept that the gap remained far too large.
Instead, he watched because every exchange carried another lesson, mainly about power, discipline, and trust. Neither attacked to win.
Both attacked to help the other grow. For perhaps the first time, he understood why the Queen insisted that strength alone was never enough to become a ruler.
Across the battlefield, Lilith lowered her stance ever so slightly. Atheline recognized it instantly.
His smile widened.
"So..." he adjusted his grip on his sword. "We’re finally getting serious."
She gave a small nod.
"You’ve earned that much."
The instant both of them moved, the distance separating them vanished. Snow burst into the air as their weapons met with a resounding clash, the force sending a ripple across the training grounds.
Unlike the earlier exchanges, neither tested the other now. Every strike carried genuine intent, demanding a response in return.
Atheline flowed naturally between his weapons and elements. His sword became an extension of his arm, while Aether shifted instinctively from one affinity to the next.
Wind accelerated his movements, earth reinforced his footing, lightning sharpened his reflexes, and brief bursts of fire or ice altered the rhythm of his attacks.
For the first time, there was no hesitation, he trusted his instincts completely.
Lilith met every attack with remarkable composure. Her movements remained economical, never wasting a single motion.
Shadows answered her commands effortlessly, swallowing flames before they spread, diverting arrows into darkness, and forming invisible footholds beneath her feet whenever she changed direction.
The duel became less about power and more about understanding. Every exchange revealed another lesson and every mistake was corrected immediately.
At one point Atheline deliberately abandoned his sword, drawing his bow in the middle of an exchange. The transition was so smooth that even Lilith’s eyes widened ever so slightly.
Three arrows left the string in rapid succession, each carrying a different elemental affinity: wind, ice, and lightning.
The arrows approached from different angles, their trajectories bending unpredictably as wind currents shifted around them.
For the briefest instant, Lilith chose to move. She stepped backward then sideways.
Her shadows carried her between the arrows before they struck one another in midair. Ice exploded into a cloud of frozen mist while lightning danced through the moisture, filling the battlefield with crackling blue arcs.
The opening lasted less than a heartbeat but it was enough. Atheline closed the distance, his sword stopping only inches from her shoulder.
Lilith’s dagger rested gently against his neck. Silence followed. Neither had truly won nor had truly lost.
She lowered her dagger first.
"You’ve improved more this month than you did in the previous three."
He sheathed his sword before letting out a tired laugh.
"I still couldn’t touch you."
"You forced me to move several times." She looked him directly in the eyes. "Against most opponents, you already would have won."
He smiled, breathing heavily.
"I’ll settle for that."
Simion approached only after the duel had clearly ended. His expression betrayed equal parts admiration and disbelief.
He bowed slightly.
"My queen, your majesty... I don’t think I’ve ever seen training like that."
Atheline accepted a towel from one of the attendants before tossing another toward the young noble.
"That’s because this wasn’t normal training."
"It looked terrifying."
"It usually is."
Lilith gave him a sidelong glance.
"You say that as though you’re forced."
"I keep coming back, don’t I?"
"You do." He shrugged with an easy grin. "I suppose I’m becoming addicted to losing."
Simion laughed, surprising even himself.
"I’ve never heard anyone say that before."
Atheline rested the practice sword across his shoulder.
"You learn much faster when someone stronger keeps pointing out your flaws."
The noble considered those words quietly before nodding.
"I think... I’d like to train with you both more often."
Lilith answered before Atheline could.
"Then come."
Both men looked at her.
"As long as your official duties permit it, you may join us."
Simion bowed immediately.
"...Thank you, Your Majesty."
She simply nodded.
"There will be no special treatment."
"I wouldn’t expect any."
Atheline chuckled. "Don’t get your hopes up, she rarely visits the training grounds. You happen to stumble upon her on a good day."
Simion bowed slightly. "Then I will wait as long as it takes, your majesty."
