novelraw Chapter 161: First Step To Team Training
Chapter 161: First Step To Team Training
Arthur’s intent sharpened his perception.
Slowly he felt the mana around his body.
It was faint.
Almost like the feeling of warm air brushing against skin.
"That must be it."
He remembered how Lyra’s mana felt.
Dense, calm but protective.
Arthur tried to imitate that.
He guided his own mana outward carefully and gently.
The idea was simple in his mind.
Let the mana flow out and coat the body.
Just like a layer of armor.
But the moment he tried...
The mana slipped away.
Arthur opened one eye.
"...That’s harder than it looks."
He closed his eyes again and tried once more.
This time he moved slower.
Mana flowed through his chest and down his arms.
He pushed it outward.
For a brief second he felt it spread across his skin.
Then it collapsed.
Arthur sighed.
"Alright."
He reached for another small mana potion and drank it.
Warmth filled his body again.
"Round two."
He tried again.
And again.
Sometimes the mana spread slightly before fading.
Sometimes it didn’t move at all.
Arthur kept adjusting his breathing.
Guiding the flow through different pathways.
He imagined the mana forming a coat around him.
Like a shield or barrier.
Something similar to what he felt around the commander.
But reality refused to match imagination.
Minutes turned into nearly an hour.
Arthur wiped a little sweat from his forehead.
"Well... this is humbling."
Still, he noticed his awareness of the mana improved, even though the coating technique failed.
The flow of mana inside his body became clearer and his control sharpened slightly.
Arthur leaned back and looked at the ceiling.
"Small progress is still progress."
He smiled faintly.
Now that he was closer to Commander Lyra, he might even get a chance to ask her about it someday.
Maybe she would give him a few pointers.
That thought alone made the effort feel worthwhile.
Arthur slowly stood up and stretched his legs.
"Good enough for today."
His muscles felt stiff after sitting that long.
He rolled his neck once and walked toward the wash area.
A quick wash would help him relax before night fell.. as so he did just that
The cold water ran down Arthur’s shoulders as he leaned against the stone wall of the wash area.
He had chosen cold water on purpose.
The chill helped clear his head after the long day.
For a moment he just stood there, letting the water wash away the sweat from training and the quiet fatigue sitting in his muscles.
Today had not been as brutal as his last dungeon run, but it had its own kind of weight.
Meeting. Training. Too many eyes watching him.
Arthur ran a hand through his hair and sighed.
"Yeah... I needed that."
He finished up quickly and returned to his room wearing only light clothing.
The dormitory had grown quiet by then. Most explorers were either out drinking or already asleep, preparing for early missions.
Arthur dropped onto his bed without ceremony.
The mattress creaked softly under his weight.
Only then did he truly notice how tired he was.
He stared up at the ceiling.
"Guess I still pushed a bit today."
His mind drifted to the next morning.
Meeting the new squad.
Commander Lyra’s squad.
A small smile formed on his lips.
He was curious about the people he would be working with.
Excited even.
But the excitement didn’t last long.
Sleep came quickly.
It crept in the moment his body relaxed, dragging him down before he could think much further.
The next morning arrived with quiet sunlight.
A thin beam of light slipped through the window and landed directly across Arthur’s face.
He groaned.
"...Already?"
His eyes opened slowly.
Then suddenly he sat upright.
"Wait."
Arthur looked toward the window.
The light was higher than he expected.
"Shit."
He jumped out of bed instantly.
He wasn’t as early as he planned to be.
But he wasn’t late either.
Not yet.
Arthur rushed into the wash area.
Cold water again.
Quick and sharp.
Within minutes he was fully awake.
He dried himself quickly and began preparing his gear.
His armor pieces were laid out neatly across the table from the night before.
Arthur picked up the chest plate first and began polishing it with a cloth.
"Can’t show up looking sloppy on the first day."
He worked quickly but carefully.
Once the armor was ready he grabbed his dagger.
The blade caught the morning light as he ran a sharpening stone along its edge.
Scrape.
Scrape.
Scrape.
Arthur checked the edge with his thumb and nodded.
"Good enough."
He dressed quickly, fastening the armor pieces into place before strapping the dagger at his side.
Arthur grinned.
"That’ll do."
Then he stepped out of the room.
The stronghold was already alive.
Explorers moved through the streets with purpose.
Most of them were heading in one direction.
The mission hall.
Every morning the place filled with explorers picking up assignments for the day.
Arthur watched the crowd flow toward that direction as he walked.
Some people glanced at him.
A few whispered quietly.
Word had clearly spread from yesterday’s little display at the training hall.
Arthur ignored it.
He had somewhere else to be.
Instead of turning toward the mission hall, he walked toward the training hall.
Only a smaller group of explorers moved in that direction.
Most of them were heading there to train since they weren’t on any current missions.
Arthur joined them.
Soon the familiar hall came into view.
The private training halls used by higher ranking explorers.
Arthur had already been here before with Commander Lyra.
He knew exactly where he was going.
Inside the building the reception desk waited near the entrance.
And behind it sat the same man as last time.
The male receptionist looked up as Arthur approached.
Recognition flashed across his face.
Then his eyes narrowed slightly.
Arthur almost laughed.
He still remembers.
Arthur placed his badge on the counter.
The man picked it up and examined it for a moment.
His gaze lingered longer than necessary before he returned it.
"You again."
Arthur smiled casually.
"Morning."