Chapter 47: [Swordsmanship]

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.

A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.

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.