บท 14: Chapter 14: "Aura Basics"

The silence that followed could have shattered mountains.

"What?" Eva's voice was sharp, Her gaze dropping to her slightly exposed thighs. Then realization hit her as her face darkened, her delicate features contorting into an expression that promised pain.

Dera's face froze. 'Oh no... not again.'

Dera barely had time to blink before Eva shot to her feet with a swiftness that made his heart skip a beat.

And before he could react, a slap landed across his face. The force of her palm echoed through the room, sending Dera's head snapping to the side. Stars danced in his vision, and a faint ringing filled his ears.

'Ugh... I deserve that' he thought, rubbing his stinging cheek. 'I should probably apologize.'

Then he opened his mouth and said...

"Why the hell did you close them?"

Eva froze. Her lips parted in disbelief, her expression morphing into confusion.

"What?"

"Spread 'em"

The words escaped before Dera could stop himself. His jaw clenched in horror as he realized what he'd just said.

For a moment, time seemed to freeze.

"Oh, is that so?"

The cold, sinister voice came from behind. Dera turned his head slowly, dreading what he would see. There stood the old man, arms crossed, his smirk radiating pure malice.

'Ah, crap.'

Before he could so much as flinch, the old man's fist collided with his head like a meteor, and the world around Dera dissolved into black.

Eva huffed, her cheeks flushed crimson for reasons she refused to admit.

"Hmph. Pervert." She stormed off, leaving Dera sprawled on the ground.

The sun hung high in the sky, casting a relentless heat over the training grounds. Dera stood outside, shirtless, his chest rising and falling with steady breaths.

His lean but toned physique glistened with a light sheen of sweat, betraying both nerves and anticipation.

"Today, your training begins," the old man announced, his voice grave. "I'm going to give you a training close to the level of an Arcane Hunters. But let me make this clear—if you're not ready, you will die."

Dera's fists clenched at his sides. He met the old man's gaze and gave a resolute nod. "I'm ready."

The old man's eyes gleamed with approval. "Good. We'll start with the foundation of Aura. There are three basics every Hunter must master:

"First, Observation Aura: This allows you to sense the Aura of others, giving you the ability to anticipate their movements and react accordingly.

"Second, Aura Shielding: This skill enables you to manipulate your Aura into a protective barrier. It can deflect or absorb physical attacks and significantly reduce damage.

"Third, Aura Concealment: The ability to suppress your Aura, making it nearly impossible for enemies to detect or track you. It's vital for stealth, surprise attacks, or evasion."

The old man's tone grew firmer. "Today, we'll focus on Aura Shielding. You must master this before progressing to the other basics. Are you ready?"

"Yes, Master," Dera replied, his voice steady.

"Good. Now, I want you to feel—"

Before the old man could finish, Dera closed his eyes. A sudden surge of energy rippled through the air. A brilliant red Aura erupted from his body, enveloping him like a translucent shield.

The old man's jaw dropped, his expression a mixture of disbelief and awe. He took a step back, stunned beyond words.

He had expected Dera to struggle for months, but the boy had conjured a perfect shield on his first attempt. Hell, the old man hadn't even finished explaining how the technique worked before Dera had instinctively grasped it, as though it were second nature.

From a perch afar, Eva who watched, was stunned. It had taken her three grueling months to properly shield herself with aura, but Dera had achieved it effortlessly, almost as if it required no effort at all.

"What the—? I thought he was just a pervert," she muttered, her eyes wide with shock. "But he's… a genius. No, this is beyond genius."

The old man shook his head, regaining his composure. A slow smirk crept across his face, his voice carrying a hint of pride.

"Well, I'll be damned. That was impressive, boy. I didn't expect you to nail it on your first try."

Dera opened his eyes and looked down at himself, his body bathed in a vibrant red Aura. The glow flickered like a living flame, warm and invigorating, coursing through his veins with an almost electric hum.

He flexed his fingers, marveling at the newfound strength pulsing within him.

CLING!

A metallic chime echoed in his mind.

[Aura: 50/50]

'Huh? My Aura doubled?' he thought, blinking at the shimmering screen hovering before him. His gaze darted to the old man, who remained stoic, seemingly unaware of the strange display.

'Wait... can't he see this?' Judging by the old man's expression, he couldn't.

"Alright then," the old man said, a mischievous smirk curling his lips. "How about a game of hide and seek?"

"Hide and seek?" Dera echoed, his brow furrowing in confusion.

The old man's smirk deepened into something almost sinister. "Yes. I want you to hide and conceal your Aura so thoroughly that I can't detect you. But here's the catch—every time I find you, you'll get a good spanking."

Dera's face darkened. "Spanking? Seriously?"

The old man shrugged nonchalantly, his tone unapologetic. "Think of it as motivation.

'This damned old man... what am I, his personal punching bag? Dera fumed inwardly, recalling the earlier blow that had knocked him out cold.

Determined to avoid further humiliation, he steeled himself.

"Move!" the old man barked.

Without hesitation, Dera bolted into the nearby forest, weaving between the trees with practiced agility. Then, just as he reached a dense thicket, he vanished.

The old man's smirk faltered as his eyes widened in shock.

' What… the… hell is this?' he muttered, scanning his surroundings. Just moments ago, he could sense Dera clearly, but now… completely gone—snuffed out as if it had never existed.

He strained his senses, certain Dera was still nearby. The unsettling feeling of being watched crept over him, but no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't pinpoint Dera's location.

Unbeknownst to the old man, this wasn't new for Dera. Years spent hunting deer and wolves in the forest had taught him the art of concealment. Like a lion stalking its prey, Dera had mastered hiding his presence until the perfect moment to strike. Who would have thought those skills would pay off here.

"Alright, I can't find you! you can come on out!" he called, his voice laced with reluctant admiration.

"Here," Dera said, stepping out from behind a tree mere inches away.

The old man spun around, startled to find Dera standing mere inches behind him. His breath caught.

'He was this close the entire time... and I didn't sense him at all.'

A chill ran down the old man's spine as realization dawned. 'I've found a monster of an apprentice.'

"Well done.. that was impressive" the old man said maintaining his facade.

"Now, let's move on to the final basic skill—Observation Aura," the old man announced, his voice firm.

Dera straightened, wiping the sweat from his brow.

"I'm going to attack you," the old man continued, gripping a wooden sword in his hands.

"You'll wear a blindfold and dodge my strikes. No sight. Just your senses. Feel my Aura and predict my movements."

Dera hesitated for a moment but nodded, tying the blindfold over his eyes. As soon as the fabric covered his vision, a sharp thwack! landed square on his head.

"Argh!" he yelped, clutching his skull.

"Focus!" the old man barked, swinging again.

Dera tried to sense the attack, but the strikes kept landing. Each hit stung, but none hurt more than his growing frustration.

While he could sense someone's presence—he even knew Eva have been watching him even now from afar but, it wasn't enough. The precision the old man demanded, the ability to pinpoint attacks and anticipate them before they struck, felt maddeningly out of reach.

This wasn't like stalking prey in the forest. This was... different. It reminded him of Chika, his brother, whose mastery of perception seemed effortless.

The hours dragged on, the moon climbing high into the night sky. Dera stumbled and swayed, dodging some attacks by sheer luck, but more often than not, the wooden sword found its mark. His body ached, each strike leaving a fresh bruise.

As midnight neared, the old man finally lowered his weapon with a sigh. "Hmm... I think we should take a break." he muttered, walking away.

Dera collapsed to the ground, ripping off the blindfold and gasping for air. Every muscle screamed in protest.

From her perch, Eva stepped forward, her tone laced with curiosity. "He still hasn't gotten the hang of it, has he?"

The old man shook his head. "No. And, to be honest, I'm not disappointed. Observation Aura is no ordinary technique—it's something only the most experienced hunters use in battle. Learning it takes time, pain, and sometimes... desperation."

He glanced at Eva, his expression grim. "Even you after seven years of awakening your Aura, still haven't mastered it. Even I only learned it in the middle of a life-and-death situation."

The air around him grew heavy, charged with an almost tangible energy. His gaze darkened, and his voice dropped to a grave tone.

"I think... it's time I used that."

Eva froze. "Wait... Grandpa, you can't mean—" Her eyes widened in alarm as realization struck. "You don't mean the Black Forest!"

The old man's jaw tightened, his expression resolute. "Yes."

Her voice trembled. "Grandpa, he'll die."

The old man's reply was cold and final. "Then so be it."