The Only Son Amongst The Daughters Of Eros

"So you found out?" Aeric asked with hands folded.

"It's hardly a secret. Even your mother knows," Alzera replied. "She probably hasn't brought it up with you yet."

Aeric looked away thoughtfully, then began studying the room they were in.

Alzera smiled. "Bet you didn't know places like this existed in the Castle," she said, gesturing around them. "This is the Crystal Chamber, one of the Castle's premier training dens. High-quality equipment, the best of its kind. Many Awakened Players dream of training here, but few get the chance."

She gestured at the rest of the team. "Guess we're the lucky ones."

The training expanse within the Castle of Starlight was a symbol of unrivaled prestige and innovation, renowned across all Regions for its cutting-edge facilities and state-of-the-art equipment.

In fact, many Awakened Players and Knights believed it surpasses the training grounds of other Regions, even Moonlight's that was once known for creating the most powerful Knights.

The training expanse attracted many Awakened Players far and near, who dreamt of honing their skills within its walls.

At the heart of this legendary expanse was the Crystal Chamber, the most sought-after section, famed for its dynamic environments, advanced simulations, and ability to push Players beyond their limits.

If a knight or Awakened Player told anyone they trained in the Castle of Starlight's training expanse, they would be given a high level of respect, simply because of the facilities present.

They almost assured that every trained Player or Knight would be a one of a kind.

Aeric looked around in awe. "I do remember Rosette leaving this place when I was younger, " he admitted.

"I see," she pouted. "But let's get back on topic."

Alzera began her explanation. "Physical Divinity is not something just anyone can wield. Only the most powerful Players, those with exceptionally high potential or maxed-out growth of their high potential, are capable of controlling it. Why? Because it requires perfect attunement between your Divine Body and your Divine Core."

"It's not just about having a lot of Divinity in your reserves; it's about the mastery of the flow, shaping it into something tangible. Most players never get that far."

Aeric furrowed his brows. "Physical Divinity and regular one are the same thing right? What makes them different? Or is it just like water and ice?"

"Regular Divinity is energy," Alzera explained. "Abstract and formless. It amplifies your body, strengthens your strikes, or fuels your Skills. Physical Divinity, though — that's raw power given form. It's solid, tangible. It can be shaped into barriers, weapons, or blasts, but it requires an immense amount of control and energy."

"So think about it like ice and vapor rather than water." she said with a thoughtful lean.

"More so, physical Divinity reveals itself in different colors." She said, lifting her hand. "It reflects the color of your soul core, which, in turn, mirrors the Region you're descended from. Bloodline is everything."

Aeric nodded slowly, processing the information. 'I did read that in a book, I'm sure.'

Alzera smirked, looking at him with interest. "Now, for the part that I'm most intrigued to see, let's see exactly what you can do. Create some physical Divinity — a small ball should do. Focus on your body, reflect through your core and channel the energy into your palm."

Aeric wanted to begin, but then he raised a finger to excuse himself. He then pulled out the small vial of Condensate Elixir from his pocket, uncorking it with a soft pop.

He took the daily three measured sips, and squeezed his face before capping the bottle and returning it. Your next journey awaits at empire

Alzera arched an eyebrow. "A Condensate Elixir?" she asked curiously. "Those are pretty rare. How'd you get your hands on one?"

"Reward for clearing a Mock Dungeon," Aeric replied casually.

Alzera grinned. "Ah, so you cheated," she teased. "You used the knowledge from our Dungeon raid to ace something that was supposed to be your first experience."

Aeric shrugged. "No one said it had to be my first experience."

"Fair enough," Alzera said, laughing softly. "Now quit stalling. Show me what you've got."

Aeric extended his hand, focusing on his palm.

Then, he began to draw energy from his Divine Body, using his core to measure and reflect how much Divinity he intended to extract. Then, he channeled it outward.

Due to his exercises and Essence Condensation, it was now fairly easy to do. A small, glowing orb of red light appeared above his palm, crackling softly as it solidified into a smooth, translucent sphere.

The team watching were surprised.

"No way," Kael muttered. "He's still low-ranked. How...?"

Alzera's smile widened as she stepped closer. "So that's what you used to take down that Faceless Lizard in the Dungeon."

Aeric bit his lip but didn't deny it.

"Your Divinity's red," Alzera continued. "Just like the color of the Starlight Region. A perfect match to your bloodline and soul core." She lifted her own hand, and a much larger orb of similar crimson Divinity materialized above her palm.

Aeric raised his eyebrows. "You can create physical Divinity too?"

"Yes," she said simply. "But I'm nothing compared to you. At this stage which is already my max, I can only manage small blasts and shields. Certainly nothing large enough to take down a Terror like you did."

Aeric's face flushed. She already knows everything.

"Alright," she said, clapping her hands. "Let's start by testing your accuracy. Stand there and focus your energy. Aim for the targets."

Target training began.

Aeric took his position, trying to concentrate. The first set of targets were stationary dummies, having glowing bullseyes on their chests.

He summoned the first orb of Divinity and hurled it toward the first dummy. The orb struck dead center, the force splintering the target into shards.

"Good," Alzera called out. "Now keep going. Precision and speed."

He launched two more orbs in rapid succession, hitting the next dummies squarely in their marks.

But once they moved to moving targets, things grew more challenging. His first shot went wide, skimming the dummy's shoulder instead of its chest.

"Focus, Aeric!" Alzera barked. "Don't just react. Anticipate their movements!"

Numerous times, Aeric took deep breaths to recalibrate. He tracked the next dummy's erratic path and fired again. This time, the orb struck true, shattering the glowing bullseye.

"Better," Alzera said with a nod. "Keep going!"

He struck more and more moving dummies straight on the chest, and his accuracy was improving greatly.

"Up the difficulty!"

The targets moved faster, zigzagging unpredictably. Aeric narrowed his eyes, calculating their movements. He shot, he missed. He shot, he missed again.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

"Follow their trajectory!"

Aeric did just that, using his ears and intuition rather than just his eyes. He shot. Bullseye!

He shot once again. Bullseye!

His attacks grew sharper, his movements more fluid.

"Now it's my turn," Alzera said, stepping forward. She demonstrated her skill by moving around the chamber, firing reddish blasts at the targets with pinpoint accuracy.

Aeric saw how flawless her form was, each shot accompanied by a wrist movement that she clearly wasn't putting too much thought to.

When she transitioned to shooting at moving dummies while on the move herself, Aeric watched intently. She was a blur of motion, having precise and devastating strikes

"You try," she said, gesturing for him to take her place.

Aeric stumbled at first, missing his marks and struggling to find his rhythm. But Alzera gave him the same admonishment; "Don't overthink! Follow your instincts!"

Following her words, Aeric quickly found his flow. Running, stopping, leaping as he shot out blasts out Divinity at the moving targets.

His accuracy increased heavily, and after running through the Crystal Chamber and firing Divine Blasts, he left trails of red smoke coming out of the shattered dummies.

After receiving praises for his quick learning, they moved on to creating shields using physical Divinity.

Alzera explained the process in detail, showing him how to condense his Divinity into solid, defensive forms. "Timing and control are everything," she said. "Read your opponent's movements and block only when necessary. Wasting energy will leave you vulnerable."

They began sparring, Alzera attacking with rapid blasts of Divinity while Aeric summoned red, translucent shields to block. His first attempts were clumsy, his timing off, but Alzera pushed him relentlessly, forcing him to improve.

"Anticipate!" she shouted, launching another blast. Aeric summoned his shield just in time, and then blast! The impact reverberated through the chamber.

"That's better!"

Their duel intensified, the chamber filled with the crackle of energy and the sound of Divinity clashing.

As they continued, it was undeniable that Aeric's movements were growing sharper, his defenses more precise.

He saw Alzera slide towards him, using the smoothness of the crystal ground as momentum. Then she leaped up and fired a blast of Divinity.

He quickly summoned the shield, blocked it, and finally retaliated with a powerful blast of his own.

High in the air there, Alzera couldn't dodge in time. The red blast struck her squarely, sending her flying into the ceiling.

Blue rocks tumbled from the impact as she was comically embedded on the high wall of the chamber.

"That has to hurt," Ryn remarked.

Aeric's eyes widened. "Are you okay, sensei?!" he yelled.

From the pile of rubble, Alzera's hand emerged, giving him a thumbs up. "Not bad, Prince Aeric," she said with amusement. "Not bad at all."