Chapter 21 – Aric
The morning sun spilled into the safehouse's courtyard, its rays illuminating chalk-drawn diagrams sprawled across the stone floor. Circles, lines, and arrows crisscrossed one another, some smudged from Aric's constant revisions. He knelt in the center, a small piece of chalk between his fingers, brow furrowed in concentration.
Daren watched from the steps, arms folded. "Your magic will fail you if your mind falters first. Power without direction is wasted effort. So, show me—how would you position yourself if three system agents struck this safehouse?"
Aric tapped the chalk thoughtfully. He drew a square to represent the house, then dots along the outer perimeter. "If they come in numbers, they'll try to split me from you. I'd use the southern corridor as a choke point—it's narrow, and I could funnel them into single combat instead of open confrontation."
Daren's eyes narrowed. "Good. But what if they burn the house, force you outside?"
Aric paused, then circled the surrounding woods. "Then… I'd retreat into the trees. I'm lighter and faster than they are. Their heavy magic surges would damage the environment. If I draw them deeper in, they'd destroy their own concealment. Then I strike when they're scattered."
A faint smile tugged at Daren's lips. "Better. You're beginning to think beyond strength."
Aric rose, dusting chalk from his hands. "You always say strength is useless without control. But when I face them, I feel… small. Like every move I make is already calculated by the system."
Daren's expression hardened. "That's because it is. The system predicts, adapts, and constrains. To fight against it, you must create situations it cannot fully account for. Unpredictability. Deception. Strategy."
Aric nodded slowly, absorbing every word. His father gestured toward the far end of the courtyard, where three wooden dummies stood. "Show me," Daren ordered. "Imagine they are system agents. Execute your plan."
Aric drew in a breath, mana sparking faintly around his fingertips. He sprinted toward the first dummy, striking low with a burst of flame before feinting to the side. He pivoted, kicking a second dummy backward into the third, then raised a shield of condensed air to block the counterstrike he imagined would come.
But Daren's voice cut sharply through the rhythm. "Predictable. You struck head-on, relying on instinct. The system thrives on such moves. Again!"
Gritting his teeth, Aric reset. This time, he circled, using uneven steps, throwing minor sparks and harmless bursts in erratic rhythm. He pretended to stumble, baiting an imagined opponent into lunging. Only then did he release a concentrated lance of flame into the dummy's chest.
Daren clapped once. "Better. Make them underestimate you. Confuse them. A warrior's greatest weapon is not his blade or spell—it is doubt in the enemy's mind."
Aric's chest heaved as sweat rolled down his brow. "Father… do you really think I can fight gods one day?"
Daren stepped forward, laying a firm hand on his shoulder. "You will not only fight them, Aric. You will understand them. And when you understand an enemy, no matter how powerful, they can bleed. That is why you must sharpen both mind and body. Only then will you have a chance to break the chains of the system."
Aric stared down at the chalk diagrams once more, the smudged lines now appearing less like random markings and more like the first sketches of destiny. Every arrow drawn, every choice made, could be the difference between survival and destruction.
For the first time, he felt the faintest spark of confidence—he was not merely learning to wield magic. He was learning to think like the predators that ruled the world. And perhaps, someday, surpass them.