CHAPTER 48: GOING BEYOND A SECOND [2]

Chapter 48: Going Beyond a Second [2]

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Arios’s heart leaped as he frantically spun around, the Azurine Blade disappearing back into his system with a quick shimmer just as he saw her. Standing a few feet away, her arms crossed and an intense look on her face, was Elisa Ravenscroft.

"Elisa," he said, his voice betraying a hint of surprise. He hadn’t expected to see her here, especially this early in the morning. This secluded spot was supposed to be his sanctuary for training.

"Don’t act surprised, Pureheart," Elisa said, her voice sharp and analytical. "I saw you leave the dorms. Your movements were... peculiar. I decided to follow." Her gaze was piercing, fixed on him as if she were trying to dissect his very being. "What was that? That... instantaneous movement. How did you do it?"

"Elisa," Arios said, he hadn’t expected to see her here, especially this early in the morning. This secluded spot was supposed to be his sanctuary.

"Don’t act surprised, Pureheart," Elisa said, her voice sharp and analytical. "I saw you leave the dorms. Your movements were... peculiar. I decided to follow." Her gaze was piercing, fixated on him as if trying to dissect his very being. "What was that? That... instantaneous movement. How did you do it?"

Arios cursed inwardly. Of all the people to witness his training, it had to be the most perceptive student in their class. He knew he had to tread carefully. "I’m not sure what you’re talking about, Elisa," he said, trying to sound nonchalant. "Maybe you just imagined it. I was just doing some... agility exercises." He punctuated his statement with a clumsy jump that looked anything but agile.

Elisa’s mouth formed into a skeptical frown. "Agility exercises? That was no mere jump, Pureheart. That was akin to spatial manipulation, an advanced technique that even upperclassmen struggle to master. How could someone still in the Mana Refinement stage, especially someone with your... academic record, possibly perform such a feat?" Her words were like carefully placed needles, each one probing for a weakness in his fabricated explanation.

Arios felt a bead of sweat trickle down his temple, despite the cool morning air. He knew Elisa wouldn’t let this go easily. Her mind was like a steel trap, and she had clearly identified something unusual. He needed a better strategy. "Look, Elisa," he said, trying a more direct approach. "It’s just a personal training method I’ve been working on. Nothing special."

"Personal training method that defies the very laws of mana manipulation as we understand them?" she countered, her eyes gleaming with intellectual curiosity. "Don’t insult my intelligence, Pureheart. I saw the flash of light, the way you seemed to... vanish and reappear. That’s not something anyone in our class should be capable of."

He could see the genuine intrigue in her eyes, masked by her usual analytical scrutiny. That gave him an idea. "Alright, Elisa," he said, a small smirk playing on his lips. "You’re clearly not going to let this go. How about this? I’ll show you again, and if you can tell me exactly how I did it, I’ll... try to teach you."

Elisa’s eyes widened slightly, a flicker of surprise crossing her usually stoic expression. The prospect of learning such a rare skill clearly piqued her interest. "Teach me?" she echoed, a hint of disbelief in her voice. "Someone from Class D teaching a top student?"

"Well, you did say it defies the laws of mana manipulation as you understand them," Arios retorted with a shrug. "Maybe a different perspective is what you need. But the offer stands. Tell me how I did it, and I’ll share what I know."

Elisa was silent for a moment, her mind clearly racing, analyzing the situation. The opportunity was tempting, but so was the mystery of how he had performed the skill in the first place. "Show me," she finally said, her voice firm, her gaze unwavering. "Show me again."

Arios plan was simple and intended to be precise. He would perform the skill in front of her, gambling on her perception. If she managed to figure out that he was using a sword treasure to perform the trick, it would confirm that his technique was not yet refined enough to be truly seamless, and those unsuitable to be used in the combat test. In that case, she would likely just dismiss him as a common cheater and lose interest, a minor setback. However, if her keen analytical mind couldn’t deduce the secret behind his ability, he would use her curiosity as a tool to finally develop a genuine bond with her, as she’s an identified bond candidate.

Then Arios nodded, taking a few steps back. He focused his mana, the familiar warmth spreading through his hand. Then everything happened in a flash, he quickly materialized the Azurine Blade, the ethereal metal cool against his skin. The runes pulsed with a faint azure light. He channeled his mana into the hilt, the humming sensation a familiar prelude.

He focused on a spot a few feet to his right, picturing the space in his mind. He activated Flash Step.

In a blink, he vanished, the air shimmering momentarily where he had stood. He reappeared instantly in the spot he had envisioned, the movement so fast it was almost imperceptible.

Elisa mind quickly reeled, reacting to Arios performing the flash step, What was that? It’s utterly impossible. His cultivation base shouldn’t be able to show anything of this caliber. This defies all known laws of spatial manipulation for someone like him. A mana refiner performing a blink? Are my calculations are wrong? Or are my sight waking? No, what I saw was real. But How?

Her expression was a mixture of astonishment and intense concentration. Her eyes darted between his previous and current positions, trying to grasp the impossible. He could see the gears turning in her mind, the logical part of her struggling to reconcile what she had just witnessed with her understanding of mana and cultivation.

"Well?" Arios asked. "Can you tell me how I did it?" He waited, the silence stretching between them, the only sound the gentle rush of wind from below the bridge. Elisa’s brow was now furrowed, her lips slightly moved as she tried to formulate an answer.