’What sort of training is this?’
Eldric stood alone in the middle of a vast, stormy expanse, the sky dark and swirling with ominous clouds. Thunder rumbled above him, its deafening roar shaking the ground beneath his feet. This was his trial, the "Nine Tribulations Thunder." He had already attempted it countless times, each attempt ending in failure.
No matter how hard he tried, the lightning would strike him down, leaving him defeated and frustrated.
The trial was relentless. Each time Eldric called upon the power of his lightning sword, the storm would intensify, unleashing bolts of thunderous energy that crashed down around him. He was supposed to harness that power, to make it his own. But every time, the lightning overpowered him, searing his body and leaving him gasping on the ground, defeated.
Now, after what felt like an eternity of failure, Eldric stood again, his body trembling with exhaustion. His sword was in his hand, glowing faintly with a dim, flickering light. The storm above him crackled, as if mocking his inability to conquer it.
"I can’t keep doing this," Eldric muttered under his breath. "Every time I get close, it breaks me." His frustration boiled over, and he slammed his sword into the ground, sending a small shockwave through the earth. He had always been confident, sure of his skills as a swordsman and a mage, but this trial was unlike anything he had faced before.
The sky rumbled in response, and a voice echoed through the storm, cold and merciless. "You have failed again and again because you seek to control the thunder without understanding it. Power is not meant to be dominated. It must flow through you."
Eldric looked up, his brow furrowing. Flow through me? He had been trying to impose his will on the lightning, trying to bend it to his command. But maybe that was the problem. He wasn’t meant to control it in the way he thought. The lightning wasn’t just a tool; it was a force of nature, raw and untamed.
Taking a deep breath, Eldric closed his eyes, focusing inward. Instead of trying to dominate the storm, he decided to feel it, to let the energy of the thunderstorm resonate with him. His sword hummed faintly in his hand, and as he lifted it toward the sky, he could feel the air change, charged with electricity.
When the first bolt of lightning struck, it no longer felt like an attack. It felt like energy, coursing through his body, connecting with him rather than trying to destroy him. Eldric gritted his teeth, letting the power surge through him, but not resisting it this time. Instead of fighting against the storm, he allowed it to become a part of him.
The second bolt came soon after, then the third, each one stronger than the last. But Eldric remained steady, his mind clearer now. The tribulations were testing his patience, his ability to synchronize with the raw force of nature. Every strike that hit him no longer felt like an assault, but a lesson. His body ached, but his resolve strengthened.
"It’s not about defeating it," Eldric whispered to himself, feeling the truth settle in. "It’s about becoming one with it."
The sky lit up once more, and this time, the fourth bolt struck directly onto his raised sword. His body surged with power, and he could feel the lightning fusing with him, flowing through his veins, empowering him rather than tearing him apart. For the first time, he felt like he wasn’t just surviving the storm—he was part of it.
Eldric’s breath came in sharp, controlled gasps as he prepared for the fifth bolt. His confidence was growing, not because he had mastered the trial, but because he was finally beginning to understand it. Each tribulation wasn’t just a test of strength, but of understanding, of harmony with the forces he sought to wield.
The sky rumbled once again, preparing the next wave of thunder, and Eldric stood ready, his mind focused, his heart open to the lesson the storm was teaching him. Bit by bit, he was beginning to grasp the true meaning of the Nine Tribulations Thunder, and though he still had a long way to go, for the first time, he knew he could pass this trial.
It wasn’t about defeating the storm—it was about becoming the storm.
As the fifth bolt struck, Eldric smiled grimly. He was ready.
....
The Vice Chancellor, ascended the winding path up the isolated misty mountain. The air was thick with fog, obscuring the landscape around him, but he knew this path well. It led to the hidden retreat of the Academy’s elusive Chancellor. Few ever saw him, and even fewer had the privilege of speaking to him directly.
But the letter the Vice chancellor had received concerning Kaelen demanded immediate attention. The words "He is the One" still haunted him, leaving him with a growing sense of unease.
As he approached the peak, a stone archway materialized through the mist. Beyond it stood a small, ancient temple carved into the mountainside. The doors were already open, as if expecting him. The vice Chancellor straightened his posture, took a deep breath, and stepped inside.
The interior was modest but filled with a strange, serene energy. In the center of the room sat the Chancellor, his back to the Vice chancellor, meditating on a large stone platform. His robes were dark, embroidered with symbols that seemed to shimmer in the faint light filtering through the mist. The Chancellor’s presence radiated calm yet commanding authority.
Without turning, the Chancellor spoke, his voice deep and resonant. "Reeves, you have come." He shifted slightly, but still did not face him. "You are troubled by the letter, I presume?"
Reeves hesitated for a moment before speaking. "Yes, Chancellor. The message was brief but... unsettling. It said that Kaelen is the one, but what does it mean? What could possibly connect a student to such a mysterious legend?
The High Order, the Dragonyx... it’s beyond anything we’ve dealt with."
Read 𝓁at𝙚st chapters at ƒrēewebnovel.com Only.
The Chancellor finally stood, his tall figure moving gracefully through the misty chamber. He turned to face Reeves, his expression unreadable, though his eyes held a sharp, knowing glint. "The signs were always there, Reeves. You just didn’t see them."
Reeves blinked, caught off guard by the Chancellor’s words. "You knew?"
"I suspected," the Chancellor said calmly, stepping down from the platform and walking toward the open doors of the temple. The mist swirled around him as he moved. "Kaelen’s very bleak background, his connection to the Blade of Eternity... all of it has been leading to this. The High Order is not something we speak of lightly, nor something we can avoid. And Kaelen is now at the center of it."
Reeves clenched his fists. "But the danger—Doran is already after him. The Dragonyx family—"
"Doran is a pawn," the Chancellor interrupted, his voice firm. "There are forces far greater at play. I will handle it personally. But still, I never believed the Town of old will be so deep into the waters"
Reeves looked at the Chancellor, his concern deepening. "What do you intend to do?"
The Chancellor turned his gaze back to Reeves, his expression softening slightly. "Kaelen’s journey is his own, but there are battles that cannot be fought alone. The forces after him know this. They are moving faster than I anticipated. I fear that they might have already arrived at the place he is in right now"
"Oh no, what should we do if that actually happens? Should go to him right now?" Reeves quickly asked with an anxious look on his face. He was the one who brought Kaelen into the Academy so it was expected for him to worry about Kaelen since he is more like his guardian.
He paused, then added, "I will go to him. His path will bring him to me soon enough. When it does, I will guide him through what must come."
Reeves exhaled slowly, taking in a breath of relief as he asked again. "And the Academy? What should I do?"
"Gather all the secret and open guards and prepare secretly." the Chancellor said simply. "Ensure the students remain safe. Doran’s ambitions are only the beginning and I think there might something else that Doran is planning which we don’t know of. The real threat lies beyond."
"And make sure you inform the pillars about this"
Reeves nodded, though his heart still felt heavy with the weight of the revelation. "Understood, Chancellor."
The Chancellor gave him a final, reassuring glance before stepping out into the mist. As the fog closed in around him, his figure disappeared, leaving Reeves alone in the ancient temple. The Vice Chancellor took a deep breath, the unease still gnawing at him, but he trusted the Chancellor’s judgment.
As he turned to leave, the words on the letter echoed in his mind again. "He is the One." Whatever Kaelen’s role was in the events to come, it was clear now that nothing would be the same.