"So, each person with talent can acquire a different kind of ability? How does that work? Is there some special training, or does it just awaken?" Kane, truly curious, asked the elder, who laughed again.
"Ohoho, you're quite the curious young man. I see you have a sword with you, though it's a bit different. Abilities typically awaken based on what you're skilled at. I was, in my younger days, a blacksmith, always working with fire, so I awakened this ability. However, it requires hard work and a lot of training."
They then arrived at a larger house compared to the others. "Here we are, the village training center," the elder said in a more serious tone as he entered the building. Inside, the floor was covered in beaten sand, and the walls were lined with shelves holding wooden weapons and some made of iron.
"We're facing a complicated situation, young Kane. I was told you wanted to reach the city at the base of the mountain, coming out of the forest, correct?" Kane nodded as he entered the place. "That's right. I want to go to a big city."
"I see. We won't hold you here, Kane, but if you're not strong, you won't survive the journey. Our village is in constant conflict with the monsters in the forest, especially during this time of year when they become more agitated and aggressive."
Kane considered the elder's words. The man didn't seem to be lying, but even so, he wanted to go. "So here's what we'll do, young one: Have a spar with one of our guards. If you win, we'll let you go, but if you lose, you'll stay here until you can properly defend yourself. What do you say?"
Kane didn't expect that, not at all. A spar with someone from another world right off the bat? But he wasn't going to refuse, obviously. He had to test himself to see how weak or strong he was in this new world.
"That makes sense, sir. I accept the spar." Hearing the elder laugh once more, the man then spoke. "Freud, come here. I imagine you two are acquainted already. Freud is one of the village guards. He's strong enough to handle the journey to the city and back without many problems. He'll be a good sparring partner to test your abilities, young Kane."
For some reason, Freud had a malicious grin on his face, as if he didn't like Kane—though without any clear reason. "Don't worry, chief, I'll go easy on the kid." With that, he walked over to the weapon rack, grabbed a wooden sword, and tossed it to Kane.
Kane managed to catch it, but as soon as he did, the sword's tip hit the ground, sinking several centimeters into the sand. "Grr... What?" The wooden sword, despite its normal size, was extremely heavy, almost comparable to the weight of his katana.
It was something he had to handle with both hands, even though it was a short sword meant to be used with a shield in the other hand. "Damn. Why is this so heavy?" he thought, then remembered that since the local wood was more resilient, its weight was probably greater due to its density.
"Look at that! He managed to lift it. He's stronger than I expected, chief. Maybe he's got potential." The guard said with a laugh as he wielded a long wooden sword resting on his shoulder, then got into a fighting stance. "Let's go, boy."
And with that, the spar began. The guard moved toward Kane, who held the sword with both hands. It was difficult to handle, but he could still manage, though not as well as he'd hoped. As the guard approached with a downward strike, Kane threw himself to the side, managing to dodge the blow and quickly rolling back to his feet.
As he stood up, he made a horizontal slash, aiming at the guard's waist. It was a precise attack, but it still lacked speed and strength. The blow connected, but it was easily parried by Freud, sending Kane's sword flying.
"We can stop here," Freud said, pointing his wooden sword at Kane, who was breathing heavily, sweat dripping from his face. "Chief, he's going to need some good training," Freud remarked before leaving the area.
Kane sat down on the ground, looking at the scene. "I didn't think the skill difference would be that big." The elder then spoke. "Don't let that get to you, young one. Freud is already able to use aura to enhance his body."
"You can do that?" Kane asked, with a curious look.
"Yes, it's one of the first stages for those who wish to master energy and awaken an ability." The elder continued, sitting down on the ground and speaking further. "Here in the village, we're not proficient in energy training. There are many ways to train it, and many of the noble families keep these methods as secrets."
'So there are different types of energy training?' Kane thought, wondering if he could get one here. "Do you have any methods you use in the village?"
"Of course we do, but since we're just a small village, our training isn't very powerful and doesn't go beyond the first few stages of energy." Kane blinked a few times, looking at the elder. "Stages?"
"The energy we possess—the more it's trained, the stronger you become. I'm at the second level, which is called Energy Conduit. Freud, with whom you just sparred, is at the first level, Energy Initiate. Overall, our method only allows us to reach the first two levels. People like you, who don't have precise control over their power, are called dormant users."
[ Name of power level for the energy attribute updated. ]
[ Energy: Dormant ]
"I see, it's complicated then. But if I start training, will I be stuck with this method, or can I change it if I find a better one?" Kane asked after analyzing what the elder had said.
"Training methods can be switched if you don't go beyond the second level. Since our method doesn't surpass the second level, you'd be able to switch if you're lucky enough to learn something more advanced."
Kane was satisfied with that. As the elder said, their training only reached the first two levels, but there were more levels that could be attained. From what he understood, it was something similar to old games and stories where you had to train to reach a new "realm" of power.
"So, how many levels of energy manipulation are there?" The elder paused for a few seconds, then answered, "There are five known to mankind, but there are legends of a sixth level. However, currently, humans have only reached the fifth level, called Energy Grandmaster, where a person can split a mountain in two without much effort."
He mimicked a sword slash with his hand as he described the fifth power level. "Of course, it's something unrealistic to achieve without a royal family's training technique."
'Imperialism here too? In my old world, that system had been abolished years ago, only to return suddenly. That's why the united nations were going to war against them.' Kane sighed. The world he was in was probably very technologically behind compared to his.
But there seemed to be reasons for that, which came to Kane's mind.
[ With a civilization built and based on cultivating this energy, it's likely that a society formed around powers, possibly abandoning technological evolution entirely or partially. ]
Just as the AI analyzed and spoke in his mind, Kane had similar thoughts. However, the most important thing wasn't that. Kane looked at the elder, speaking with a spark in his eyes.
"Could you teach me how to train this energy, then? I can help you with whatever you need while I learn here in the village."