The months following my breakthrough into the fourth stage were grueling.
Between Kalia's new training regimen for Ysevel and I and the team combat mechanics she'd spent countless hours drilling into us, there was little time to rest. Then again, we were up against someone who called themselves The Undergod. There was no room for error, no time to relax, and most certainly, no mercy from Kalia when it came to combat.
Like with the third stage, Kalia suggested I maintain the fourth throughout the day to help me get used to it more quickly. It was certainly an effective technique, but the mental exhaustion I felt once I'd stepped out of it was astonishing.
However, as a result of her training, Athar and Irun broke into the third stage, while Ysevel and I were put through what I could only describe as mana manipulation hell. It was difficult to try to keep up with Ysevel since she was far more used to the fourth stage than I was. However, Kalia didn't seem to give a shit and relentlessly hounded me to surmount her expectations, as she put it.
She knew what she was doing, and we all recognized that fact.
"Faster," Kalia grinned, disappearing from my line of sight. "I'm already going as fast as I can," I grunted as I tried to chase her around using her movement technique. "You're only as slow as your mind perceives you to be," she began, halting a few meters away from me.
Oh, thank fuck. I can catch my breath, I thought as I gasped for air.
"Do you remember what I told you about the odoruki technique?" she asked, tilting her head. "The spaces you move through are the same as the ones you use to cast your spells. I know that, but it's much easier to use the dagger as a focal point," I sighed, having heard her scold me countless times already.
My answer must have shifted something in her thoughts because, after a few moments, she smacked a balled fist into an upturned palm. "I think I see your issue," Ysevel said, wiping the sweat from her brow as she approached us. She had already grown so much with the odoruki technique that she was rapidly nearing Kalia's level.
I couldn't have been prouder of her accomplishments over the past few months.
"You're too attached to the concept of having a focal point to reach. Instead, don't think of it as a point, but try picturing yourself seeing things from that perspective already and then lean into it with your mana," she explained, making strange gestures with her hands in the process. I looked at her curiously as I tried to understand what she was trying to tell me.
"I have to picture myself as the focal point?" I raised an eyebrow. "That's one way of putting it, sure. No different than what you would do with moving towards a dagger, only instead of following its direction, try to see yourself as already being there," she explained, putting one hand up to her chin pensively.
"I'm still confused," I admitted with a furrowed brow. "Think of it like creating a phantom where you want to go, but instead of sending your mana over there, step into the same path you would have used to send it there. That's the best way that I can explain it," Ysevel said with a shrug as my eyes widened in surprise since I finally understood what she meant.
I grinned, immediately feeling my confidence begin to spike.
Ysevel's explanation is about as close as it could be to the real thing. With that concept in mind, I want you to try to reach where Athar is, Kalia sent, gesturing toward Athar who was distracted with his spellwork. What if I miss and accidentally spawn inside of him and burst him from the inside out? I asked, suddenly realizing that might be a possibility. You won't if you control it properly, she replied with a knowing grin and a swift punch to my shoulder.
The look of pure, unadulterated shock on my face nearly put Ysevel in a fit of laughter.
You've tried it before, haven't you? I asked half-jokingly. Perhaps, but that's a story for another time. Right now, just focus on getting in behind him, she grinned with malicious intent. You've got this! Ysevel cheered between giggles.
I tried my best to envision where it was I wanted to go using the phantom analogy Ysevel told me about. It was difficult to manage at first since I wasn't as good with creating phantoms as she was, but I did my best. Like with any other spell using Wraith mana, I felt for that strange, de-focused feeling and aimed to find the spot that was close enough to Athar without the possibility of accidentally killing him.
While I knew I would still end up close, I figured there was no other option but to lean into it according to Ysevel's explanation. I allowed my form within both realms to lean into the strange, wave-like space between them. In less time than it took to blink, I felt a grin on my face as the back of Athar's head appeared in front of me.
As satisfied as I was, I knew there was still one thing left to do.
"Boo," I said hushedly. The resulting screech that came out of his mouth could easily have been confused for that of a dying glick. He jumped into the air, his body writhing wildly to try and shake off whatever it was that was behind him. I couldn't help but let out a hearty laugh due to his reaction and my completion of the point-free odoruki technique.
"What the fuck, Thoma? You scared me so badly I thought my core was going to shatter," Athar shouted, wiping the sweat from his brow. "I'm sorry," I chuckled as I raised a hand placatingly. "Lady Kalia put you up to this, didn't she?" he asked with both frustration and surprise that she would do something so childish.
"She did, but by the gods; that was worth it," I slapped my thigh in laughter. Athar sighed, putting his hands on his hips. "While I'm impressed you were able to do it, please don't do that again," he shook his head. "Alright, alright. I'll try not to scare you with it next time," I raised my hands placatingly before patting him on the shoulder.
That was beautifully done, Kalia sent. It's all thanks to you two, I replied, giving Ysevel a warm smile. I could feel both their pride rippling through our connection. Now, all you need to do is apply that concept to combat and you'll be a true force to be reckoned with, she continued smugly. Try it again, she motioned over to her right.
I leaned into the spaces again, and the world quickly lurched around me, letting me know that I'd successfully done it. "Ugh, that's a weird feeling," I shuddered. I still felt happy about my success, but I couldn't help but feel there was another reason she was teaching us this technique.
"You'll get used to it with time, but now that you know how it's done, I want you to do it repeatedly until you get used to it. Both of you," Kalia gestured to Ysevel as well. "We'll do our best," Ysevel nodded before grabbing my hand to pull me away. I could feel a sense of warmth coming from Kalia, but there was a slight tinge of worry laced within it that I knew I couldn't ignore.
We'll ask her about it later, Ysevel sent, ensuring the privacy of her comment. I nodded and followed her lead to the far side of the dome where our training would continue. We stood side by side and used the technique to race each other around the dome's octagonal rings, moving from point to point along their vertices in rapid succession.
In the weeks that followed, Ysevel and I would race each other while Kalia kept a tally of how quickly we reached each vertex before returning to her. We would start at the innermost ring, then move to the following outer ring once we completed each round.
"Ysevel wins again, but it was a much closer race this time around. Try to focus on chaining them together like she does," Kalia suggested. "You mean I need to find the next vertex before I land on the one I'm already going to?" I asked, hoping I'd understood her correctly.
"Heh, I guess Ysevel might have some real competition this time around," she said wryly. "Try to keep up!" Ysevel smacked the back of her hand on my chest before getting into position. "You, too," I quipped, diverting my focus to the next point. "Ready?" Kalia asked us, getting a nod in response. "Begin!" she shouted.
Ysevel and I leaned into the space between our point and the next, the world lurching around us as we went. I hadn't realized it before, but I could see her translucent form moving in the direction of the next vertex. Not bothering to give it much further thought during our race, I felt my foot tap the floor before immediately leaning back into the space for the next point.
According to Kalia, the technique's name translated to the feeling of dancing, which made sense when putting things into perspective. It essentially was a dance, but one that was wreathed in mana and traveled through the spaces between life and death. Ysevel, having been trained to dance in royal courts and other such formal events, had a natural talent for getting the timing down since her combat style also mimicked that of a dancer.
I obviously had no such training, but instead of treating it like a dance, I figured it would be best to time it to the one thing I knew best: sword swings.
As we raced from point to point, I began to understand how best to time each step of this strange dance. Drawing on my years of training under Taegin, Bernar, and my mother, I began to pick up the pace of each step. Point by point, I timed each step carefully and hoped to catch up to her. She had the advantage, but I wasn't going to let her win without putting up a decent fight.
Step, step, step, I thought in cadence, slowly but surely catching up to her. You know I can hear you, right? Ysevel asked. I suddenly realized something I hadn't before. It hadn't occurred to me that I couldn't hear her thoughts whenever we raced, and I mentally kicked myself when I figured out why.
She wasn't actively thinking about each individual step.
Sorry, but you just gave me the answer to beat you, I sent wryly, feeling a cheeky grin beginning to grow on my face. I put my head down, leaning into the spaces as fully as I could and began to move without calling each individual step out in my head.
I'd given her my comment with confidence, but deep down, I felt like an idiot.