Saga of Atlantis

Chapter 58  Mana And Aura Art's

I went to the training hall after taking a refreshing bath and changing into more appropriate clothing. It was already evening, and the entire structure had become silent, devoid of any other inmates.

Sylvia, who took my training very seriously, had abruptly expelled everyone living at the inn, declaring it closed for the next few months. It was clear that she was completely committed to my growth.

When I arrived at the training site, I noticed Sylvia standing confidently in the center. She wore her training outfit, which consisted of snug-fitting trousers and a shirt, with grace and diligence.

"Sit down and take your mask off," she said, motioning for me to do so. I did as she said, finding a spot on the ground and placing my mask on the side.

"Do I need to tell you about Mana and Aura Arts?" Sylvia asked me, her eyes filled with curiosity. n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

I shook my head, indicating that I was already familiar with the fundamentals. "They are required for a person to advance beyond Origin Level 5. It's impossible to reach Origin Level 6 without any Arts," I explained, explaining what I'd learned from the game.

Sylvia continued my explanation, delving deeper into the Mana Arts. "Before reaching Origin Level 5, every time you breathe, a small amount of Mana enters your body, filling your mana core. However, after you reach a certain level, you cannot advance by relying exclusively on the natural flow of Mana through breath. That is when Mana Breathing, also known as Mana Art, comes into action. It allows you to push your body's boundaries and absorb more Mana," she elaborated.

"Now, onto the main point. Every race has its own mana arts. The one I will be teaching you is the Mana Arts commonly used by the Phoenix and Dragon races," she said, leaving me clearly surprised.

"Isn't it forbidden to teach the mana arts of the Phoenix race to another race?" I inquired, perplexed by her decision.

"You know exactly why I'm doing this," she replied, smiling.

I reflected on her remarks.

'Does she think I've also awoken a Phoenix bloodline?'

It appeared to be the most reasonable explanation. After all, she had been watching me intently since I had awakened Phonecia's bloodline. I wasn't going to correct her misconception because it might benefit me in the long term.

"Now, let's talk about Aura Arts," she interrupted my thoughts. "You can only choose one weapon for Aura Art because it will change your entire body structure to make you most comfortable with that weapon, so Eden, let me ask you, are you sure you want to go with spears?" Her stare was fixed on mine as she looked me in the eyes.

"Yes," I said confidently, without doubt or second thoughts.

"Good," she said, moving her fingers to touch her index finger ring. She took out four bracelet-like items.

"First, we need to make your body strong enough," she continued as she tossed two bracelets and two anklets to me.

"What's this?" I inquired as I studied the bracelets thoroughly.

"A famous dwarf created them. They are known as gravity bracelets. They have gravity runes embedded in them. Every time you press the side button, the weight of the bracelets increases. Put them on," she said. I put on the wristbands as she instructed.

"Do dwarfs laugh when they move around a grassland?" I asked, trying to lighten the mood as I put on the anklets.

"No, why do you ask?" She appeared to be truly interested.

"I don't know; maybe their ball's tickled with the grass," he said. The weight began to push down on me as I finished the entire set. The increased gravity made it difficult to move, and I felt as if I were carrying a heavy burden.

"Arghh..Cough...".

I unintentionally coughed, spilling an unexpected mouthful of saliva, just as she delivered a crushing kick to my midsection. My mind raced in disbelief as I coughed and strained for air.

'Damn, was my joke really that bad?' I grumbled in the midst of the chaos in my chest, trying to regain control of my chaotic breathing.

"Stand up," Sylvia said coldly, her tone as cold as winter. The severe pangs in my abdomen gradually subsided as I sought to breathe precious gulps of air, but Sylvia's voice, like a whip-crack, startled me back to reality.

"I said stand up, Eden," she said again, her voice becoming even colder. I struggled to my feet despite the discomfort in my abdomen, my eyes meeting Sylvia's.

"You could have died last week if you hadn't been lucky." "Why aren't you serious?" Sylvia emphasized it with another strong kick, her words piercing my misery.

"Cough... cough..." As I stood up again, I strained to breathe, mentally bracing myself for whatever she had in store for me.

"You think this is some kind of game?" She threw me flying a few meters away with another tremendous kick. "You only have one life, Eden, and all I see in you is a person who is living for the sake of it; your fear for death is negligible."

"You don't have any clear goals in life," she said, grabbing my hair and looking me in the eyes. "You act as if you've lived enough, ready to go at any time with no regrets, and it's sad, Eden; it's pathetic." Her words were harsh, yet her eyes were filled with worry.

"Hah... what do... hah... you know?" I replied frustration was evident in my voice, my gaze fixed on hers. "My mother is the only one who truly cares for me, and everyone else is against me, they either want me to suffer or want me dead."

Sylvia tightened her grip on my hair. "I watched my whole family get slaughtered right in front of me just because I was talented. I had no one to rely on, but I still lived and moved forward. You have your mother and now you have me, so why are you so frank with your life?"

"Crack.."

With that, she slammed my face into the ground and moved away, leaving me to think.

Ever since I arrived in this world, many thoughts have swirled through my mind. Why am I doing this? Is living in this twisted world worth it? Why should I be bothered by what's going to happen to this world? Why don't I just sit back and watch it burn into ash?

The only reason I was trying this hard was for my mother. I wanted to see her smile again. And perhaps, just perhaps, I was doing this because I held onto a sliver of hope that I could also have a happy family.

"Arghh..." Groaning, I shifted my position and lay on my back, looking at Sylvia, who stood a meter away with her arms folded under her chest.

"What should I do, Master?" I asked, accepting my shortcomings. I had been running away all this time. I could have stayed with my family and tried to mend our relationship, but I didn't. I just ran away.

Do I regret that? No. They are going to pay for what they did and I have no intention of forgiving them, no matter what, but that didn't change the fact that I have been running away from my life as Eden Morton.

"First, we need to make you strong. In this world, the weak don't lead; they follow the strong," Sylvia said as she approached me. "Be honored, Eden Morton. I'm going to teach you my Divine Rank Aura Arts: Eclipsing Void."

~~~~~~~~~~~

Ranking of Aura Art and Mana Art:

Uncommon Rank.

Rare Rank

Superior Rank

Exotic Rank

Mystic Rank

Divine Rank

Celestial Rank