The Runic Alchemist

Damian had stared intently at the cave entrance. Seeing his expression, Kazak and the old fox confirmed his suspicion. Damian was eager to explore the cave, but they had a job to do. Once they returned, they\'d have access to the village\'s resources, including the dungeon.

In just a few hours, the incline became so steep that they had to use their hands to climb. It took too much time for everyone, so Damian used his vine spells to give them support. He had already revealed his wood-style magic once, and time was of the essence. The second rankers still looked at him with surprise when he used it for the first time though.

With that, and Kazak literally lifting those who struggled in the harder sections, the climb was relatively uneventful. By mid-afternoon, they had climbed a third of the way up. Damian had to use his wormhole spell to help them avoid wasting time on rough spots. Occasionally, the mountain flattened out, and during those peaceful moments, they took short breaks.

They were currently resting on one of those flat areas, just big enough for a single-floor building. There was a small cave-like opening nearby, but Damian could see it wasn\'t very deep. They settled in, enjoying the breathtaking view as they prepared to eat the lunches they\'d packed. Explore more at m,v l\'e-NovelBin.net

They decided to take an hour-long break there, as the mage Damian had brought and the wolf boy were out of breath from the climb. Even Sam and Einar seemed relieved to sit for a while. It was nice to see Einar show some emotion for once, though Damian wasn\'t sure if it was good for her or not for him to bring her along. At least it was a good change of scenery.

The wolf boy also seemed to have a bit more nuance in his expression than his usual gloomy demeanor. After a moment\'s thought, Damian realized this must be the boy the lord had deceived. He was probably blaming himself for it—well that was none of Damian\'s business.

After eating enough to satisfy himself, Damian stood up and walked toward the edge, taking a deep breath as he drew his sword. Unlike his work efficient copy-and-paste-style spells that needed just his beefy brain, aura control required constant practice to master. Damian trained at every chance he got, and although his progress was slow, he could feel his control improving.

It wasn\'t nearly as fast as his mastery of mana manipulation, but every little bit counted.

As he gazed over the beautiful valley, Damian continued practicing his sword swings, trying to connect with his aura. For some reason, seeing him practice, Sam came over and began practicing beside him, even though he clearly needed rest. Damian hadn\'t yet seen an esper who could learn aura control. Aura was different from mana—it didn\'t require a special lineage or secret chantings.

It was available to everyone, if they had the will of iron to pursue it.

"That\'s the wrong way to do it," a rough, deep voice said from behind Damian. It was Kazak, the leader of the beastmen, and a master of aura control. Damian stopped his sword swing and turned to face him, the advice could only help him - specially from a master.

"Aura is not mana. You can\'t force it or hold control over it," Kazak continued, noticing his gaze.

Einar, seeing them discuss something she had taught Damian, also joined them. "That\'s the most common practice for aura control," she said passionately, defending the techniques her father taught her. "I learned it from the best fighter I\'ve ever known."

Kazak, unfazed, asked, "Was your teacher a spellsword?"

"What does that have to do with anything?" Einar protested.

"A spellsword—or a mage, for that matter—believes they command the powers they were given. They think they control these forces. But a pugilist is different." Even the wolf boy, normally so gloomy, came closer to listen. Kazak smiled warmly at him, ruffling his hair before turning back to the others.

"Do you know how Aetharon, the Worldbreaker, became the first pugilist?" Kazak asked.

"Huh? Aetharon? Who\'s that?" Sam asked, confused.

Damian and Einar looked equally lost. Kazak and Neo stared at them in disbelief.

"You don\'t know about the Pugilist God? The one who forced the world to bend to his will?" the wolf boy asked, astonished.

Seeing their blank faces, Kazak took over. "Didn\'t your elders tell you the old tales?" Damian shrugged, so Kazak continued.

"When all the gods of \'The Empyrean Seat\' refused to accept Aetharon as one of them, because he was a mundane king. He trained and trained till his sweat became mist of blood, his veins to steel, he mastered all the martial arts and all the fighting techniques the world had to offer, and challenged the gods one by one..

they all defeated him, of course - not easily though, he bloodied many of them and even broke limbs of many, but in the end he lost to all.. He was so distraught and unsatisfied with himself he still continued to train, despite being at the very limit of human flesh, and vowed to never stop until he became powerful enough to defeat them all.

However, just as he picked himself up from the lowest of hell to start again with a new determination, he was rewarded by the world itself, who had witnessed all his struggles. Not because he had almost defeated the gods, no, he was rewarded because, his was the spirit unbreakable, he was rewarded with a new class made just because of him..

which he taught to thousands, becoming the god of pugilist - Aetharon, The Worldbreaker."

"What does that have to do with aura control?" Einar asked, though her voice was softer now. Damian, too, seemed to be drawing parallels in his mind.

"Can\'t you see?" Kazak said, stretching his hands forward to summon a ball of light. It was pure aura, glowing brightly. "Aura is not something you control. It\'s a response to your emotions. Don\'t try to clear your mind or shut everything out—that\'s the way of mages and spellswords, alone in their pursuit of strength. A true aura master feels.

He lets the world speak to him. He channels the spirit of all beings, becoming their protector. Those who cannot use the spirit themselves offer it to you, making you stronger and more worthy in their place. It\'s not a power, it\'s a responsibility.."