CLEAVER OF SIN

Within seconds, both Elowen and Asher turned into a blur as they moved toward one another, their frames tearing through the air as their fists collided.

This time, both of them deliberately reduced their strength to the barest minimum.

Otherwise, the beams and poles beneath them would have shattered under the sheer force of their attacks. Even the speed behind their movements was drastically lessened, but that didn't make them any slower. On the contrary, they became even more agile, as though they had traded speed for finesse and agility.

Their bodies moved like those of wild felines, graceful yet deadly. Their feet shifted rapidly from one beam to another as their wrists clashed again and again. Simultaneously, they both weaved through a flurry of arrows that shot in from the sides.

Asher had intentionally suppressed his Omni Perception during the fight. He was training his natural instincts and reflexes alongside his hand to hand combat techniques.

Suddenly, the beam beneath Asher's feet began to sink into the earth as though it had been caught in a quagmire, breaking him from the rhythm.

But Asher's reaction was swift.

His muscles coiled, preparing to launch him upward. However, Elowen wouldn't allow that. Her fist appeared in his trajectory, calculated and sharp, forcing him to stay and potentially fall with the collapsing beam.

But Asher's senses flared at the last moment. Instead of leaping forward, he shot to the side, narrowly evading her strike. His body slammed into another beam, and Astra surged into his palm, anchoring him in place with barely a sound.

Elowen stared at him for a few seconds, then smiled. The trainees had all been taught how to channel Astra into their feet, but Asher had taken it a step further. He had learned to infuse it into his hands as well, an innovation that saved him in that very moment.

Elowen said nothing, offering no comment on his brilliance. After all, Asher wasn't the first to come up with this. Without a word, she shot forward again, her figure a blur. But Asher was ready this time. He moved gracefully and landed atop another beam.

Yet again, something unexpected happened. An arrow shot upward from below, an angle that had never occurred during the past six months of training. It nearly caught him off-guard.

But Asher reacted quickly, twisting his body mid-air and narrowly avoiding the strike. Unfortunately, Elowen had anticipated this maneuver. She used the brief opening to lunge, her palm aiming straight for Asher's left shoulder.

At the very last moment, she stopped.

Asher looked at her with a smile and spoke, "It seems we have a draw, Instructor Elowen."

Elowen smirked in response. "Until next session," she replied smoothly. And with that, she vanished once more, her movements clean, swift, and effortless.

She had stopped her attack simply because the allotted time for the movement and balance training had come to an end.

Asher shook his head, fully aware that had it not been for the time limit, he would have lost. He dropped down from the beam, landing with deft ease.

Without saying a word, he proceeded toward the next training hall. As soon as Asher stepped in, he didn't need instructions, he already knew where to find the instructor. His gaze naturally drifted upward, and there on the ceiling was Virek, deeply engrossed in an erotic novel.

'Can't he just stand on the floor and read like a normal person?' Asher thought but chose not to say anything aloud.

Seeing the arrival of the trainees, Virek sighed heavily, then closed his book, which disappeared into his space ring. His body dropped from the ceiling with ease, and he began to speak.

"All of you, continue from where you left off last time," Virek instructed lazily.

Then, turning his gaze to Asher, he added, "I'll be teaching you something different today."

A small stone materialized in Virek's hand, and without warning, he tossed it at Asher. With ease, Asher caught it midair in his palm.

"This training will focus on catching the stone using nothing but Astra control," Virek explained. "Think of it as a form of telekinetic manipulation."

Asher would've preferred that the instructor demonstrate the technique, but he kept his thoughts to himself. He knew his own capability and believed he could master it in record time.

Technically, this wasn't even the next formal step in their training. After mastering walking on walls and water, the natural progression was to learn how to lie on them. After all, if one could walk on such surfaces, why not lie on them?

But Virek hadn't taught Asher that, because Asher had already figured it out on his own.

He was the kind of student who, when taught one thing, would use it as a foundation to create something more. He didn't wait to be instructed; he learned by observation, instinct, and relentless practice.

Hours seemed to blur as the Astra control training came to an end. Virek returned to his preferred perch, the ceiling, book once again in hand.

Asher joined the rest of the trainees as they entered the weapons training hall, overseen by Instructor Clinton.

Without hesitation, everyone assumed their sparring stances and began to train with one another. Clinton paced between them, carefully observing their movements and offering corrections where necessary.

He adjusted their strength, refined the angle of their thrusts, and corrected their swings. He taught them patiently, always working with the pace each student could handle based on their individual aptitude.

Before long, that session ended as well, and the monster subjugation training began.

Drake, as usual, floated above the field like a divine entity, indifferent to the very earth beneath him.

Explosions erupted across the terrain, shockwaves rippled outward, and chaos reigned as various levels of destruction unfolded across the battlefield.

Drake's assistant moved tirelessly, summoning monsters for combat and healing trainees who required urgent attention.

After completing their individual subjugation sessions, the trainees exited the field. Asher walked alongside Ella, Tom, and Hito as they made their way toward their living quarters.

Curious and eager, they asked Asher about the details of his True Awakening. Surprisingly, he didn't hold back. He answered their questions openly.

His revelations left them stunned and shocked. They realized the horrifying truth, that if they had been in Asher's place, their chances of survival would have been practically nonexistent.

Ella, unable to contain her curiosity, asked about a rumor she had heard. She wanted to know if the Wargraves awakened an additional ability, or abilities, after surviving their True Awakening.

Asher simply laughed and replied with a firm, "No."

With a few more words and laughter, the trio bid Asher goodnight. He continued his walk alone. As always, Lyra was behind him, walking with quiet grace.

The moon hung in the sky, casting its silver light over the world, a silent blessing from above.

Time seemed to fly, slipping through their fingers like grains of sand. Hours turned into days, days into weeks, weeks into months, each moment streaking by, silent and swift.