Path to Transcendence

After discussing it with Orus, Julius decided that there wasn’t much reason not to take it. Even if he wanted to wait and see if there was another version of the skill he could gain, it would most likely be even more specialized to sword fighting. He would rather have something that could synergize or maybe evolve into a broader skill. Furthermore, he could remove it if the advancement options weren’t what he was looking for. So he decided to wait at least until the first evolution before making a serious choice. He only had two more slots, but was hoping for some of his skills to combine in the future.

Julius believed that [Arcane Construct] and [Pure Compression] had a good chance to combine, just because of how often he used them in tandem. He also thought that [Kinetic Augmentation] and [Savage Dance] could go well together, or even [Savage Dance] and [Fighter’s Will] might be nice. They were similar, but Julius didn’t necessarily want to merge his aura skill with something else yet. He wanted to at least see how it evolved down the line.

He contemplated it for a moment and made up his mind. So with a quick thought, he accepted the new skill.

Congratulations, you have learned the skill [Swordsmanship]

Julius took a quick look at his status.

Name: Julius Von Hyperius

Tier: 1

Skills:

• [Pseudo-Phoenix Renewal lvl 11] (Rare+)
• [Spatial Perception lvl 19] (Rare)

• [Savage Dance lvl 16] (Rare)

• [Arcane Construct lvl 11] (Rare)

• [Pure Compression lvl 12] (Rare)

• [Kinetic Augmentation lvl 10] (Rare)

• [Fighter’s Will lvl 13] (Uncommon)

• [Mana Manipulation lvl 7]

• [Swordsmanship lvl 1]

It was getting pretty full and soon he would have no more open skill slots. Now he was beginning to understand how precious skill slots were. He had previously assumed that ten would be enough, but now that he had only one left, he couldn’t help but wish for more.

With that being said, Orus did make an offhand comment about the possibility of getting more slots as you increase in tier. Julius tried to ask for more details, but Orus teased him and told him that he would learn it at the academy.

Julius only had a little more time before the entrance exam and wanted to see if he could evolve [Fighter’s Will] before that. It was currently at level 13 and was close to 14, he could feel it. The real question was how hard it would be to overcome the uncommon threshold. Some skills were more difficult to push over the line than others. For example [Spatial Perception] had been stuck at level 19 for what seemed like forever.

It wasn’t like he hadn’t been using it in dangerous situations. It was one of his most important skills when it came to combat. The ability to know where everything around him was at all times and be able to properly calculate distance even without looking was so important to his fighting style. Yet, [Spatial Perception] hadn’t evolved yet. It was as if there was something else that was needed to give it that final push.

---

Leading up to the day of the exam, Julius trained all day and all night. He got used to using [Kinetic Augementation] at half power and was confident that he would pass the entrance exam. He also sparred with Orus once or twice a day, leveling up [Swordsmanship] as well.

[Swordsmanship lvl 1 -> lvl 3]

Even when he went out to explore some of the city, he was training either his aura or his [Mana Manipulation]. His favorite exercise with aura had been trying to investigate random strangers’ auras on the street as he passed them. It was clumsy at the moment but it was good practice for more subtle uses of aura. Julius was getting more comfortable enveloping his body with aura, he was able to surround most of his upper body with it after many hours of practice.

The more he got used to it, the easier it was to expand to his entire body. However, he did realize that the more delicate applications, like how Declan could use his aura, Julius was missing. That was why he took several hours a day, walking around and probing people’s aura.

He didn’t try to intrude too deeply, but he wanted to observe them passively so that they had no idea he was doing it. A few people felt his probes, some of them having an aura skill of their own, but once they saw he was a young kid, they usually didn’t mind. He guessed that was a benefit of being a kid still.

[Mana Manipulation lvl 7 -> lvl 9]

[Fighter’s Will lvl 13 -> lvl 14]

He had reached the final levels of [Fighter’s Will] and [Mana Manipulation]. The entrance exam was tomorrow afternoon and he thought that if he pushed himself he could get both over the threshold by tonight or tomorrow morning.

He felt more confident in upgrading [Mana Manipulation]. General ranked skills required less upgrading an uncommon skill, but he could hopefully evolve both.

After he got back from his aura training, he walked up to his room to feed the seed. For some reason, the little thing was always hungry. It ate more often than he did. The shopkeeper said it would only require feeding twice a day, but so far Julius had been feeding the little seed four or five times. He wondered if he had gotten a gluttonous spirit instead of a life one.

The good news was that instead of three leaves, there were more small leaves growing out of the branch, also he could see small flowering buds beginning to blossom too. Julius made sure to continue talking to it, he had already decided in his own head that the spirit was already alive and found himself talking to it like one would talk to their dog. He liked to believe that the seed appreciated it.

He even took it out with him sometimes and let it overwatch him as he trained in the courtyard. Julius wouldn’t enjoy being stuck in a room all day, so why would the seed?

He had started to talk with some of the guards, at least some of the regulars who were training at the same time or eating when he was. They were nice, but they always kept him at arm's length. He did notice he was starting to garner some weird glances as time went on. Orus said it was because some of the guards thought that he was an odd boy.

Julius could see why they thought that. From their perspective, all Julius did was eat, train, carry around a plant, and hang out with Orus and their vice-captain. He didn’t play or hang out with other kids his age, he just spent his time either swinging a sword, punching a dummy, or sparring. He didn’t blame them.

It reminded him of some of the looks he got when he was younger around the mansion. Most of the workers thought he was odd as well. Hell, some of them even thought he was mentally handicapped.

Julius ate dinner with Orus, and Declan even decided to eat with them as well. He made sure to let his family know he wasn’t going to be home for dinner.

“Are you nervous about tomorrow?” Declan asked him.

“Not really, I feel pretty confident about my chances of getting in. Though I am feeling a little anxious about what school life might be like,” Julius admitted to him.

Julius attended a public school in his old life, so he didn’t know what to expect from a school where he would be living full-time. He knew that first years always had a roommate or two and he was curious how that dynamic might work.

After dinner the three of them went outside for a late night training session. Both of them had quickly gotten used to how often Julius trained. They had originally been surprised at how much of a training maniac Julius was but started to understand how Julius had become so strong at his age.

Julius started off by sparring with Orus. Julius was still only using half power for [Kinetic Augmentation] but he could feel himself improving rapidly over these past few days. Having skilled people to fight against was doing him a lot of good. He even felt like he could keep up with Orus if he went all out, but that would require him to use his more explosive constructs.

Orus was a brilliant swordsman. Declan was quite good as well, but he mainly used a bow and sometimes small swords as a backup. Orus on the other hand was focused on the sword and very skilled. He understood why Declan was apprenticing Orus to become the next vice-captain.

 

Sparring against Declan was different. While sparring against Orus was for Julius to get a better understanding of the sword, Declan helped Julius use his aura to supplement his close combat abilities.

Declan was truly a genius when it came to aura, Julius was beginning to comprehend that as he became more knowledgeable about it. Aura was like another extension of his body for Declan, he was able to use it in every way imaginable.

Declan was holding back his aura to keep it on the same level as Julius’s, but the skill gap was massive. Declan didn’t use any more aura than Julius but could smother Julius. Declan didn’t even need to use his hands, his aura alone could physically strike Julius from a distance. Even a slight nudge at the right time threw off a strike from Julius.

He was trying to teach Julius to fight using it the same way. The problem wasn’t that Julius lacking power from aura, but how fast he could transition and react with it.

It didn’t move as quickly as mana, so he needed to predict his opponent's strikes and already have aura in place. It was difficult but extremely rewarding. He didn’t get the last level in [Fighter’s Will] but he felt that he was close. However, he did gain levels in some of his other skills.

[Swordsmanship lvl 3 -> lvl 4]

[Kinetic Augmentation lvl 10 -> lvl 11]

[Savage Dance lvl 16 -> lvl 17]

Eventually, they finished for the night, Declan went back home and Orus had some paperwork he had to complete. Julius on the other hand went to the kitchen to see if he could grab a snack or some dessert.

He was surprised to see Rae there as well. It was late, so he had expected her to already have left. However, she smiled at Julius as he walked in and offered him some cookies. Julius never would deny a warm cookie and she immediately got him a nice plate full of cookies and a cold glass of milk and joined him with her own cookies.

Rae was a wonderful lady and Julius was going to miss her when he left for Goldencrest. He would make sure to see her whenever he came back though. He didn’t know exactly how the academy handled leaving campus during the semester, but he hoped he would have some time to do so.

While they were eating their milk and cookies she asked Julius, “How are you feeling about tomorrow sweetie?”

“I feel pretty good, I prepared as much as I could and now it is all about waiting. I am going to miss you though,” Julius told her.

Rae smiled as she heard Julius and said, “Well don’t be shy, you are always more than welcome anytime. There aren’t many people who appreciate my food as much as you do.”

“I still have to find out how often I will be allowed to leave, but I promise I will make sure to come visit every once in a while,” Julius said while smiling at her.

Julius had been blessed to meet such amazing people so quickly after coming to Heston. In the many years since he came to this world, he hadn’t made many friends outside of Lukas and Edwin. It felt nice.

After finishing his cookies, Rae and he talked for a bit more before he excused himself. He said goodnight, but he was only going up to his room to practice some more.

He made sure the little gluttonous seed got another serving of mana before he started on some mana exercises. He thought that it would be easier to evolve [Mana Manipulation] and then he might have time to get [Fighter’s Will] evolved as well.

He had a feeling it was going to be a busy night.