The trainees cast Nova a fleeting glance before turning back to their own drills. It wasn't disdain that kept their attention from him, rather, the moment they saw him wearing a page's training outfit, they dismissed the possibility of learning anything from his performance.

Yet Instructor Morai's gaze remained fixed on Nova as he executed precise thrusts, sweeping arcs, and powerful lunges with the spear. With every movement, Nova revealed his true abilities.

Average power, but speed above the norm. His fundamentals are good but there isn't a hint of Aura in any strike. He must've trained alone without any guidance, though that alone doesn't explain his technique. Still, it doesn't matter. If he can grasp Aura, he'd become a fine soldier. Instructor Morai's lips curved into a faint arc.

"That's enough."

Nova halted and met the instructor's gaze. "What can I improve?"

Morai's voice was slow and deliberate. "You're missing the most important element, what lets us stand toe-to-toe with mages."

Nova's eyes brightened with anticipation. "What is it?"

"Aura."

'Aura? I've never heard of it, and it's not mentioned in any of the booklets I've read...' Nova's head dipped thoughtfully.

Noticing the surprise flickering across his face, Instructor Morai stepped forward. "Aura is an ancient concept, discovered by knights who refused to be overshadowed by mages due to their inability to manipulate Mana. They trained with every conviction laid bare, until those very beliefs became the source of their power."

He paused, letting the weight of his words sink in. "Unlike Mana, which is limited to a few, every human can tap into Aura. It's far more widespread, though initially weaker in strength. We'll delve deeper into it later, but for now, understand this."

Pointing his finger toward his heart, he solemnly said "Aura comes from the heart. Think of it as a person's true desire, their deepest drive. To wield it, you must first grasp what that desire of yours truly is."

'My desire, huh?' Nova mused.

"Instructor, how will I know when I'm close to unlocking Aura?" he asked.

Instructor Morai nodded thoughtfully. "The closer you get, the more in tune you'll feel with yourself. I mentioned 'true desire' earlier, but that's just a way of speaking. After all, how often do we really know what we want deep down? What you truly need is an incentive, a catalyst that sparks the feeling of Aura within you. As for the 'true desire,' keep it in mind, but don't obsess over it."

He sighed softly, shaking his head. "It's something you discover in time, not something you chase."

'In short, I need to focus on a single thought until my whole body feels in tune. Easier said than done' thought Nova.

"Regardless, I'll demonstrate Aura for you now, try to learn as much as you can," the instructor calmly said.

Without hesitation, Nova fixed his gaze on every subtle movement of Instructor Morai, no twitch, no muscle contraction escaped his keen attention.

'With such abstract explanation you could've saved all that talk and just shown me this from the start,' he thought.

Suddenly, a faint pressure seemed to gather around Morai's body, and a thin, translucent layer shimmered just above his skin.

"This is my Aura. Not much to look at, is it?" Morai smirked for the first time, eyes gleaming as he met Nova's.

Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website.

"It doesn't look like much. I can't even tell if it's strong or weak," Nova admitted honestly.

"I'd be surprised if you could. You only learn to measure Aura's strength after you've experienced it firsthand. Now, stretch out your fist," the instructor commanded.

Nova nodded and extended his fist. Without warning, Morai bumped his own fist into it.

The moment their knuckles collided, a sharp ache shot through Nova's hand, his wrist tingled fiercely, and the force seemed to ripple up his forearm, settling heavy in his shoulder.

Wincing, Nova jerked his hand back, his arm slightly trembling.

'That strike might have packed more power than any Mana-infused blow I've ever thrown,' he thought, 'but there are unknown variables, his raw strength and his mastery of Aura, so I can't be sure how much of it was purely due to Aura. Still, I made the right call coming here instead of chasing after the mages. If I can learn how to control Aura, along with my Mana manipulation then no mage or knight in this portal will ever be my match.' His eyes locked onto the instructor's, filled with a newfound respect.

Instructor Morai's voice brimmed with pride as he said, "As you saw, this thin layer of Aura, combined with a light strike, almost shattered your arm. This is why we knights train our entire lives: to forge strength beyond mortal limits."

"I understand," Nova replied with a slow, thoughtful nod.

"Mhm. That's enough for today. See if you can awaken your own Aura," Morai said, then turned to the next trainee.

Nova stared down at his hand, now slowly healing, and muttered to himself, "Aura… so different from Mana, yet somehow... they feel connected."

After staring at his hand long enough, Nova shook his head and sank down onto the ground. 'From what Morai said, I need to focus more on my mindset than on physical training. At least he didn't criticize my body.' He took a deep breath. 'Alright, time to find a desire worth focusing on.'

Without hesitation, a single word flashed in his mind.

Freedom.

It was the sole reason he was willing to endure all the hardship and pain, the true desire that drove him relentlessly, the yearning that haunted his thoughts day and night during the life he once called normal.

Closing his eyes, he focused with all his might on that single thought, letting it consume him completely. For a moment, he even felt as if he were just a breath away from grasping something.

But as the sky faded to dusk, not even the faintest wisp of Aura stirred within him.

'It was just my imagination... Am I doing something wrong?' he wondered, but he couldn't find a clear answer.

'I'll ask for more guidance tomorrow. Taking a day or two to sense Aura must be normal. Still, I can't afford to waste too much time… but I won't throw away this chance either.'

A sharp bell rang, pulling him from his thoughts. He opened his eyes to see the sky darkened, yet a dozen trainees still persisted in the training grounds despite it being dinner time.

A soft smile tugged at his lips as he murmured barely audibly, "If only I could bring all of them back to the base with me…"

With a deep sigh, he rose and quietly slipped away.

Nearby, Instructor Morai watched Nova leaving and muttered to himself, "For a first day, such determination is commendable. I just hope he doesn't lose faith in the knight's heart and keeps pushing when he sees no progress."

While Nova believed a few days spent mastering Aura would be well worth it, Instructor Morai saw things quite differently. Had Morai known Nova's hopeful timetable, he likely would have become speechless at his thoughts given how hard it is to sense Aura for the first time.

Not feeling hungry, Nova walked quietly toward his room, lost in thought, when a voice suddenly broke the silence beside him.

"How was your first day? Who's your instructor?"

Nova turned his head to see Lopaz walking alongside him. Frowning at the interruption, he muttered, "Could you please stop talking while I'm trying to think?"

"I'm here to mend grudges, but you're acting like a stuck-up. Why don't you drop the act and just talk? We're going to be stuck together for a while, you know?" Lopaz snorted, shooting Nova a sideways glance.

"Who said we're going to be stuck together?" Nova asked, raising an eyebrow.

Lopaz scoffed. "Did you come here knowing nothing about knights? Or do you honestly think you can become one in just a few days? Let me tell you, unless something urgent happens, we're going to be here for at least the next three years. And that's if you're talented. Some recruits have been stuck here for over six years. So, what makes you think we won't be stuck together for a long time?

"In my opinion, we should use this time to get to know each other. That way, when we meet outside these walls, we can watch each other's backs."

Chuckling at the absurdity, Nova replied, "So you beat people, then tell them to happily stick together? Damn, you must be pretty popular around here." He theatrically glanced over Lopaz's shoulder, as if checking for hidden friends though none were there.

Flustered, Lopaz snapped, "That was the rule in the room! And you were the first to show up when the three of us became seniors!"

"Wait, does that mean..." Nova's eyes widened with realization, then he burst out laughing. "You followed such stupid rule and you got beaten?"

Lopaz hissed "Of everything I said, that's the only thing you understood?"

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.