Chapter 124
"Master, how can I focus my Lu Core so that the slash of One White, Accompanied by Six Darknesses stays strong, but doesn't shake my body too much afterward?"
"Focus the energy not only on strength, but also on the rhythm of your breathing and your intent.
Don't force your Lu Core to work beyond the natural limits of your body.
Balance your movement and will, and the side effects will be minimal."
"Then how do I ensure that the six-direction formation of the slash doesn't damage the surrounding environment when I use it in a narrow arena?"
"Master the direction and momentum. Imagine the energy flowing like water through a narrow gap.
If you control its pace and point of release, the impact on the surroundings can be minimized without reducing the power of the attack."
"And for the Queenly Strength Technique, the Commanding Guardian—how do I make the slash hit the target accurately without bouncing off or losing speed when it's struck by the target's energy rebound?"
"Understand the target's center of gravity and the direction of their movement.
Use intuition and Lu Core control, not just swordsmanship.
When you align intent, resolve, and ambition with the direction of your strike, the slash will be precise without being disrupted by the rebound of energy."
"And if I maximize intent and ambition to strengthen the attack, but still want to stay safe from side effects, what should I do?"
"Prioritize balance in both body and energy.
Resolve and ambition can strengthen the attack, but don't let them sacrifice control.
Train each increase in power gradually, never all at once, and pay attention to your body's signals at all times."
The room remained wrapped in a calm atmosphere even as thin waves of energy spiraled around them, as though time itself moved a little slower to match the rhythm between teacher and student.
Theo sat with a composed posture, the pen in his hand dancing over the pages of a small yellow notebook, recording every question and reflection that emerged from Erietta.
Each written word was not merely a note, but a series of observations forming a delicate map of how his student channeled energy, maximized power, and balanced potential side effects for both herself and the environment around her.
The pen moved in a rhythm that was gentle yet certain, marking the seriousness of the learning process while still preserving the lightness that flowed naturally between them.
Time and again, Theo responded to Erietta's questions.
His words were brief yet full of meaning, offering direction without forcing, allowing his student to weigh each answer with her own awareness.
This atmosphere was not a simple exchange between teacher and student, but a subtle dance where instruction, observation, and comprehension intertwined.
Erietta watched every movement of Theo's hand and pen, observing the way he wrote, the way the rhythm of the notes flowed, and slowly began to understand that controlling power was not merely about physical ability or strategy, but about balance, self-control, and awareness of every energy one carried.
Erietta's curiosity and precision grew with every stroke of the pen, creating a shared rhythm that blended with Theo's patience and attentiveness.
Teacher and student moved in an unseen harmony, where questions, answers, and notes became a medium to align energies, balance power, and build a deeper understanding of limits, risks, and personal potential.
'Almost like the trace of someone's existence, but deeper, more personal.
Something untouched by ordinary human senses.'
In the room veiled by prophetic silence, Theo's pen danced for the thirtieth time over the yellow notebook.
Each curve of ink was not merely a note, but a thread of fate recorded in secret symbols.
Suddenly, a strand of foreign fragrance slipped into his consciousness, shattering the perfect concentration he had maintained.
Its scent did not belong to any world he knew, not from any flower ever recorded in any botanical study.
It was formed from an essence beyond the understanding of human senses, like dew from another dimension crystallized into perfume.
A strange sensation crawled across his body, raising every hair on his skin.
The scent was unfamiliar yet somehow familiar, like a memory from a life before life.
Theo felt a faint tremor in the air, as if space and time whispered softly to welcome the arrival of an unseen entity.
Every breath he took mixed with particles of the fragrance, carrying a message from another realm, hinting that the balance of reality he had worked so hard to uphold was beginning to waver due to an unexpected presence.
The yellow notebook before him seemed to tremble faintly, responding to the foreign energy accompanying the mysterious scent.
Theo realized that this fragrance was not merely a sensory disturbance, but a sign of something greater.
Something capable of penetrating even the strongest defenses of Flo Viva Mythology, something perhaps connected to the Administrator seed within Erietta — or perhaps something from beyond the game system entirely.
Thus every stroke of the pen halted for a moment, frozen by the possibilities more terrifying than the worst scenarios he had ever written.
'Why is she frozen like that, staring behind me with such a complicated expression?'
The room around them remained silent, but this time there was a different vibration, a small resonance that caught Theo's attention.
He glanced at Erietta, wanting to know whether she felt the same sensation coursing through him — the faint yet real waves in the air.
But the look he found made his brow furrow, for Erietta sat completely frozen, eyes locked on the space behind Theo with an unusual focus.
There was something in her gaze — a mixture of annoyance, irritation, and faint disgust — that made Theo fall silent, trying to grasp what could provoke such a reaction.
That moment drew Theo into a subtle realization about the complexity of his student's psychology — that every energy, every sensation, even the direction of a gaze could trigger emotional responses not easily understood.
He remained calm, resisting the urge to ask immediately, allowing Erietta to process her reaction without interference.
The space between them felt dense, not with tension but with a delicate curiosity, waves of observation overlapping one another in a rhythm difficult to describe.
"Hello."
"...."
The silence in the room was sliced by a flat voice, drifting weightlessly and emotionlessly, yet still enough to draw attention.
Theo, seated calmly with his pen poised above the yellow pages, turned slowly, his movements measured as he stepped back several paces.
His eyes swept across the newly opened space, catching sight of Aldraya standing in the distance, her posture upright yet relaxed, her indifferent gaze fixed on Theo without wavering.
The unique uniform of the Academy of Stars fluttered in the wind, flowing softly around her form, while her tied silver hair swayed gently with each passing breeze, creating an impression that was both still and alive at once.
Theo swallowed the sensation rising in his chest — a mix of surprise and the awareness that her arrival was no coincidence, but part of a larger rhythm within their world.
The energy around them trembled faintly, subtle waves perceivable only to those trained to notice.
Theo felt a new balance forming, the way Aldraya positioned herself in space and time — not only physically, but through the quiet energy she radiated without speaking.
Every detail, from the movement of her clothes to the shifting of her hair in the wind, became a subtle symbol of discipline and calm, framing Aldraya as someone capable of stirring a quiet awareness in Theo without uttering a single word.
To be continued…