Matthew stood before Aidan, one hand resting on his sword while the other hung loosely at his side. He opened his mouth, saying, "Aidan, let me introduce myself." Once Matthew spoke, his tone was relaxed for a moment before turning strict.
"Listen carefully. Your father was my master, Aidan—that's also why he chose me to teach you. The man was a monster who made fighters look like they were playing with sticks. He was one of the greatest geniuses in the world."
Aidan felt pride at Matthew's words—not for himself, but for his father. Just how much of a monster were you, Father? He wondered. Will I even be able to touch the back of your clothes?
He wasn't sure, but he had every intention of reaching that level… and surpassing it. His chest puffed up, unable to hide the smile at Matthew's praise for his father.
"I don't expect you to reach that level," Matthew said, noticing Aidan's smile but not commenting on it. "But I want you to take this seriously. If you reach even half his level, I'll be satisfied—you will surpass ninety percent of fighters, cementing yourself as a genius and not letting your father down."
He paused, then added,
"You might not know this, but many people have their eyes on you, Aidan." Matthew's gaze sharpened. "From royals and nobles to other races, they're all eager to see what the future heir of House Wilson will be like. Will he be a monster like his father… or a rusted blade?"
He paused before speaking again, his tone becoming a bit softer. "I've heard rumours of your intelligence, but none of it matters until I see it for myself. Do you understand?" he questioned.
"Yes, I do," Aidan said, excited to learn and understand what aura, mana, and Ranker were. At the same moment, he was happy to see that his father's student was going to teach him. It made sense why his father chose him—he was a being cut from the same cloth as him.
"Good," Matthew replied, turning toward the large field. "Your initial training will focus primarily on three things:
First: Combat Basics—where you learn fundamental combat skills like footwork, hand-to-hand combat, and weapons training (swords, spears, and bows).
Second: Aura Building—where you condition your body to withstand and channel mana. This includes stamina, strength, and endurance training. This is a phase where you train to create a core within you and sense aura.
Third: Infusion—we won't focus on this yet, as it only becomes possible after you condense your core. It's the final step before one becomes a Ranker."
Aidan, walking beside Matthew, stopped. "What is a Ranker, exactly?"
Impatient, Matthew muttered before saying, "Let's sit before I begin." He dropped onto the dirt ground first, with Aidan following suit. There in the middle of the training field, as other recruits continued their drills while casting occasional glances their way, Matthew prepared to explain.
Matthew rubbed his chin, collecting his thoughts before speaking. "Rankers are beings who undergo a transformation in their life essence to become a higher existence. Every rank is a reflection of that transformation."
Aidan nodded in understanding as he leaned closer, his trousers sticking to the ground, dirt clinging to them. The morning sun reflected in the sky, its shining rays warming the earth as recruits' sweat mixed with the soil. A drifting smell spread across the field.
Matthew extended his right arm, pointing two fingers. "To undergo a life essence transformation, one needs to harness two key resources." He closed one finger. "The first is aura." Then he closed the second finger. "The second is mana." Opening his hand and clenching it into a fist, he finished,
"Only then can a person undergo a life essence transformation."
Matthew paused. "Any questions until now?"
"No," Aidan replied, gesturing with his hand for Matthew to go ahead.
"Alright," Matthew said as he once again entered a lecturing tone.
"I will explain aura first," Matthew continued. "Aura is an internal force that flows through every living being, and it's also the catalyst for us to use mana. The second phase that I mentioned is when we condense a core within you with the help of aura. It's the channel that connects your internal world to the external world, letting you harness mana without dying or becoming a monster."
"Do you understand what aura is now?"
Aidan didn't answer immediately, taking a moment before he said, "Yes."
"Now we come to mana." Matthew took a breath as he began. "Mana is what flows through the world—the rocks, the rivers, and even through us. But we're unable to use it until we form a core, as there's no catalyst for us to process that mana beforehand.
Mana grants what we call attributes. It's a manifestation of what we're closely aligned with. For example, a person who is always angry is likely to have fire or lava attributes."
Aidan asked, "When can a person use their attribute? And how does one know which attribute they have?"
"To answer your first question, it is after the infusion stage—when a person infuses mana for the first time into their core—that they become a Rank 1 being, able to manipulate mana and their attribute.
For the second question, attributes are something one becomes innately aware of."
"What about a second-rank being? How does one become second rank?" Aidan asked.
Matthew shook his head. "That is not something you should be concerned with. Understand?"
Aidan didn't dwell on the refusal, as he had many more questions to ask. He shot one after another.
"Are there limits to the number of attributes a person can have?" Aidan asked.
"Not really, but the most number of attributes seen on a one person isn't more than four."
"Ahh." Matthew clicked his tongue as he said, "I forgot to tell you about the rarity in attributes. Common ones are fire, water, earth, and wind. Rare attributes are like lightning, ice, metal, wood, gravity, storm, darkness, light, etc.
There is one more rarity," Matthew said, "the most powerful one."
Aidan held his breath, heart pounding, waiting for Matthew to name the most powerful rarity of attribute.