Chapter 14
"Aether is one of the energies that emerged on the Green planet after a massive vibration caused by a space explosion thousands of light-years away. The impact of the explosion created vibrations that led to the Skyfall phenomenon we observe everywhere today.
In the aftermath of the chaos, the government established training methods to enhance the human body, both physically and mentally. Additionally, humans can harness another magical energy to develop superhuman abilities. However, Aether remains the most commonly chosen energy by human practitioners, considering its advantages and disadvantages.
Practitioners of these various energies are commonly referred to as Espers. Human Espers have eight different grades that reflect the strength of each practitioner. The ladder begins with the Mortal practitioner, followed by the Baron, Viscount, Count, Marquis, Duke, King, and finally Emperor practitioners.
Within each grade, there are nine sub-levels, which are further divided into initial, intermediate, and advanced stages..."
Inside the classroom, a well-educated male teacher was delivering a lecture to the students. Ray entered the classroom and listened attentively as the teacher imparted his knowledge.
"Hey, Ray, it's still early. Why do you look so worn out?" Hamar asked suspiciously.
Ray, engrossed in listening to the lecture, remained silent, paying no attention to Hamar's inquiry. After all, this was the supernatural knowledge he had been eagerly waiting for since the previous week. So, why should he let himself get distracted by a buzzing moth nearby?
Feeling ignored, Hamar furrowed his brows with suspicion. "Hey, my friend, be honest... Did you sow so many seeds last night that you're on the verge of collapse? Take care of yourself and don't waste your youth!"
Hamar whispered in Ray's ear with a serious expression and a hint of concern.
Upon hearing this, Ray suddenly coughed. "Cough!"
Whether it was due to the shock of Hamar's comment or his lingering injuries that triggered his anger, Ray's cough echoed loudly, causing the entire class to pause.
The teacher, witnessing the interruption, halted his lecture and glanced at Ray with a quizzical look. "What's wrong, Ray? Are you feeling unwell?" he asked expressionlessly.
Ray, hearing the teacher's inquiry, glared at Hamar with annoyance before responding in embarrassment. "Ah, no, sir. I just choked..."
"Did you eat something in class?" the teacher asked, narrowing his eyes suspiciously.
Quickly trying to dispel any suspicions, Ray hurriedly answered, "No, sir, I was choked by the wind!" He opened his mouth to demonstrate that he hadn't consumed anything.
Observing this, the teacher nodded expressionlessly and resumed his lecture. Ray, witnessing this, felt relieved in his heart.
"Brother, did you waste so many seeds last night? How uncultured!" Hamar commented mockingly.
Ray, being judged by his friend, could only roll his eyes and cast a resentful gaze at Hamar. If they weren't childhood friends, Ray might have fallen for Hamar's antics.
Don't assume that the other party can say nice things with a straight face. On any regular day, this young man would be drooling at the sight of someone slightly above average in appearance. Even Ray believed that his friend would be infatuated just by seeing a well-groomed male goat.
"Shh... shut up, we'll talk after class!" Ray snapped unkindly at Hamar.
Hamar, seeing this, could only agree and refrain from causing further trouble. Ray continued to listen attentively to the male teacher's lecture without any further disturbances.
"Alright, you are now eligible to practice the practitioner's breathing exercise. The government has provided free breathing exercises that have been researched for thousands of years."
Almost imperceptibly, the male teacher thoroughly explained the overall concept of practitioners. After a lot of explanation and theory, it finally led to the practical aspect that every student in the class would engage in.
The students in the class began to sit up straight, aligning their posture before peacefully closing their eyes. Unlike in novels, the breathing practice didn't require sitting in the lotus position. Practitioners were free to perform the breathing exercises in any position—standing, sitting, lying down, or even on their stomachs. It didn't matter at all.
The key focus for practitioners was to draw in aether energy from the air through their breath and channel it along specific pathways in their bodies. This control of aether was akin to venturing into an untouched virgin forest. Initially, the forest had no paths and was covered in grass. However, as more people walked through, the grass would cease to grow along the path, gradually widening it with increasing foot traffic.
The goal of aether control was to enable the flow of aether throughout every corner of the body, with the hope that it would strengthen the body and materialize magical phenomena. It was similar to fire—without fuel, energy, and oxygen, there would be no fire.
Children were not taught breathing techniques from an early age because they had yet to develop their "ocean of consciousness." Only individuals with an ocean of consciousness could effectively practice breathing techniques since the energy in the body could only be controlled through the mind.
People might have empty or untalented altars, but they possessed an ocean of consciousness. This allowed anyone to become a practitioner. However, the talent present on the altar determined whether a practitioner would become exceptional or mediocre.
With talent, newly awakened individuals could excel in combat, making their journey much easier. However, even those with weak combat talent or no talent at all could become formidable practitioners—it all depended on each person's mentality.
"Huft..." Ray sighed helplessly after opening his eyes.
"It seems that there is indeed a significant gap between people. Despite practicing basic breathing techniques for so long, there have been no noticeable improvements in my body..." Ray exclaimed, feeling slightly disappointed.
But after a while, Ray continued to mutter to himself. "
Even though I'm not a genius, my talent still contributes to the effectiveness of the breathing training. What if I were like those helpless people, awakening no talent at all?
The thought sent shivers down Ray's spine, horrifying him. He had complained a lot about his talent before, but now he felt a bitter taste in his mouth, realizing that things could have been worse if his talent suddenly disappeared.
Lost in his dark thoughts, Ray was finally awakened from his nightmare by an unpleasant voice.
"Hey, how's it going?" Hamar asked with a straight face.
"What do you mean?" Ray responded.
As the two men were conversing, Agni and Clara approached them.
"We're curious about your limp," Hamar explained.
"Oh..."
With that, Ray began to narrate his adventures that would make any boy envious.
"Are you serious?" Agni asked, excited.
Hamar, upon hearing this, posed the same question, but an expression of disbelief was evident on his face.
Ray, noticing their reaction, slightly opened his shirt to reveal the wounds that were symbolic of his bravery.
"Wow!" Clara exclaimed in surprise upon seeing them.
Unconsciously, Clara used her talent to bathe Ray's body in the moonlight, providing a healing treatment. Feeling the familiar warmth and comfort, Ray sincerely expressed his gratitude.
Ray then proceeded to impress them by offering each person no more than 100ml of liquid honey.
"Ray, that sounds fun!" Agni exclaimed with excitement.
"Well, it is fun, but also a little dangerous."
"Can you take us camping and hunting too?" Agni asked, hoping for a positive answer.
"Yes, yes, yes! I want to come too!" Hamar chimed in, not wanting to be left behind.
Clara, who watched her two friends behaving like children, remained silent. But in Ray's eyes, he could see that she was probably even more thrilled than the other two.
After contemplating for a moment, Ray responded with a warning.
"Hmm, alright. You can come next time, but we have to prepare everything properly. We shouldn't let any of you get injured over trivial matters like me."
"Yeah, you're right. We need to make thorough preparations. I'll follow all your orders when the time comes!" Agni shouted in agreement as if he didn't want Ray to change his mind.
With their enthusiasm, the four of them walked to the cafeteria, eager to eat and share stories.
...
After school, Ray headed straight to the gymnasium for his organizational activities. It didn't take long for him to reach the place he had visited first upon crossing over.
The gymnasium was filled with a group of people making preparations. However, it wasn't crowded because the organization Ray belonged to wasn't very popular. Not because it wasn't good, but rather because other organizations were more suitable for students to join, based on the world's practices.
Looking around, Ray finally spotted the familiar figure of the beautiful woman he had in mind. He walked slowly and calmly until he stood right beside her.
Sensing Ray's presence, the girl looked at him questioningly. Ray, standing beside her, stared at her with a serious expression.
...
The previously light atmosphere somehow became heavy and tense. Not wanting to prolong the awkwardness, the girl took the initiative to start a conversation.
"Wh-"
Before she could finish her question, Ray abruptly knelt in front of her, wearing an exaggeratedly dramatic expression. This sudden change in attitude left the girl shocked.
...