The morning sun filtered through the tall windows of the Ardenthal estate, painting golden stripes across Sho's training room. Despite the grandeur of the room, his focus was entirely elsewhere — on the pulse of mana inside him, the one he had barely controlled during the Minotaur fight.
> Domination Pulse… it's too powerful to waste.
And that energy… the one from the ball and the fight…
Sho knelt on the polished floor, eyes closed, hands hovering midair as he concentrated. His system glowed faintly, its interface appearing automatically before him.
[System Status]
> Name: Sho Ardenthal
Level: 15
Mana: 98%
Skills:
– Burst Impact (Active)
– Mana Bind (Active)
– Arc Burst (Active)
– Domination Pulse (Hidden, LOCKED)
Resonance: 9%
> The resonance spike during the Minotaur fight… and during the ball… it wasn't coincidence.
Sho took a deep breath. He could still feel that subtle pulse — distant, almost like someone's heartbeat synchronized with his own. Arisa.
> Why…?
Why do I feel her energy, even when she's far away?
He opened his eyes, the system window flickering. "Domination Pulse… activation conditions unknown. But I need to understand it if I'm going to survive what's coming."
Sho began experimenting. Small wisps of mana floated from his fingertips, wrapping around training dummies and nearby objects. At first, they obeyed him partially, trembling and shifting just enough to feel controlled.
> It's like influencing living things… but distance matters. And power drains fast.
Sho frowned, recalling the Minotaur. That brute had resisted part of his control — but only because it was too powerful and too far at the moment he tried to dominate it.
> If I can increase the radius… maybe I can affect even stronger beings.
Hours passed. Sho's movements were precise — a combination of martial discipline, analytical observation, and raw magical intuition. He tested the Domination Pulse in increments: small animals, then larger ones, always noting how far the effect reached and how long it lasted.
He paused mid-motion, hand still in the air.
> And Arisa… that spike during the ball.
Her mana must have reacted to mine… it synced with my pulse somehow.
Sho tilted his head, frowning. "Does resonance affect the Domination Pulse? Could her presence… make it stronger?"
The thought excited and unnerved him at the same time. If the Domination Pulse could interact with someone like Arisa — even faintly — that meant its potential wasn't just in controlling others. It could connect with someone meant to resonate with me.
Sho rose to his feet, pacing slowly. He knew this power was dangerous. Even at his current skill, one wrong move could drain his mana completely — or worse, harm someone unintentionally.
> But I have to master it.
If I can't… then I'll never be able to protect anyone. Or myself.
He clenched his fists, blue mana swirling around his palms.
> Resonance… hidden skill… the pulse. Everything's connected. And if I don't understand it now… I'll never be ready for what's coming.
Sho inhaled sharply, feeling the calm focus of his father's training, his mother's guidance, and the instincts from his past life blending together.
> Time to push beyond limits… again.
Outside the window, the wind carried a faint scent of flowers from the palace gardens. It reminded him of the quiet strength he had glimpsed in Arisa — a calm yet radiant presence that seemed to pull at something deep inside him.
Sho's lips curved into a faint, determined smile.
> Light and dark… resonance and pulse… I'll figure this out. And I won't fail.
The room was silent except for the hum of his mana and the faint whisper of a system notification:
---
[System Notification]
> Skill Insight: Domination Pulse — 2% unlocked.
Effect: Slight radius extension achieved. Energy feedback minimal.
Warning: Full activation may cause extreme mana backlash.
---
Sho nodded, gripping his fists tighter. Tomorrow, he would test further. And when that time came… he would truly understand the pulse.
And somewhere, far away, the world — and perhaps Arisa's own heartbeat — was quietly waiting for the moment their forces would converge.
---