Asher's body came to a halt as he performed his last linked motion. The air settled around him, soft and still, as though acknowledging the conclusion of that flawless sequence. He stood tall, posture straight, the rapier still held in his hand. His grip, though relaxed, carried a quiet assertiveness.

Slowly, he lifted his head, his gaze drifting upward toward the ceiling as he attempted to stabilize his breathing, which had begun to shift slightly out of its disciplined rhythm. His chest rose and fell in steady intervals. He did not pant heavily nor show signs of exhaustion, but even the smallest disruption in his breathing pattern was something he refused to ignore.

His purple eyes shifted from the ceiling, lowering back toward the ground below. His gaze swept across the chamber, taking in the faint glistening sheen that now covered almost every inch of the floor, his own sweat, scattered across the polished surface in thin trails and droplets.

Although part of him desired to move immediately into the next phase of his training without pause, Asher understood his own mind well enough. Now that he had consciously acknowledged the sweat on the ground, a subtle irritation had planted itself in his awareness. If he continued like this, that lingering thought would persist, gradually chipping away at his focus.

With that quiet acknowledgment, he turned and stepped out of the training chamber, entering his adjacent bedroom with purposeful steps. He reached down and picked up a rag he had left on the floor earlier, then returned to the chamber. Rather than bending down to wipe the floor by hand, Asher moved the rag with his foot. The cloth slid across the floor in smooth motions, wiping each section clean. He did not consider calling anyone from the cleaning department for something this trivial. He was not so helpless nor indulgent as to request assistance for what amounted to a minor inconvenience.

Once the sweat-stained floor was cleared to a satisfactory state, Asher returned to the center of the room. This time, he did not hold Virelass. Instead, the rapier floated in midair beside him, suspended in silence. It did not hum, nor radiate presence. It simply hovered, quiet and calm, as though fully aware that its master had entered a different form of training and that this was not the time for flamboyance or display. Virelass remained still, like a loyal sentinel awaiting command.

This part of his training was for something else, his elemental affinities.

The first matter he intended to address was the space element. He had gained a noticeable increase in control during his clash with Doris, and Asher intended to build on that progress. Some might argue that since Lightning was currently his strongest and most polished element, he should focus on honing that advantage further.

But Asher had no intention of allowing his other elements to lag behind. He remembered the apocalypse clearly, the chaos, the pressure, the overwhelming weight of survival. In that crucible, countless ideas and inspirations regarding his affinities had taken shape in his mind. Those insights required proper refinement, and refinement required training.

And Asher, lazy personality or not, had never been one to shy away from necessary work.

With that thought, he decided to recreate something he had only once managed to form, back in his battle against Doris, a space dome.

At that time, he had only managed to form a crude version of it, spanning a mere one-meter radius. It had served its purpose briefly, managing to hold against Doris's assault for a few precious moments. But that was all it had been, moments. After that short resistance, it collapsed like an eggshell crushed against stone.

Now, Asher intended not only to expand its radius but also to reinforce its structure. Durability and size, both had to improve.

With a calm thought, Astra pulsed through his Astra veins, flowing with steady circulation. Within a heartbeat, a dome formed around him, shimmering faintly in hues of black and blue. It spanned a one-meter radius, covering his form like a translucent shell. He did not attempt to expand it immediately. Instead, he maintained it at its original size, holding the formation steady with meticulous control.

In the next breath, he deactivated his Omni Perception, allowing that all-encompassing sensory field to fade away entirely. The world grew momentarily quieter in his awareness, but he did not flinch. He was not focused on what he lost, he was focused on what he intended to build. His mind anchored itself to the boundary of the one-meter dome, tracing the space within it, analyzing every subtle ripple and disturbance in the spatial field.

Asher remained motionless. His eyes closed once more as he allowed himself to blend with the surrounding space. He did not reach outward, seeking to observe the world. Instead, he centered himself inward, feeling the quiet stillness encapsulated within the dome.

Minutes passed.

Eventually, a faint smile formed on Asher's lips. His eyes opened, a gleam of subtle satisfaction reflected within them. He had succeeded in achieving a partial spatial sense, a refined perception derived not from Omni Perception but from a direct communion with space itself. Although Omni Perception was a formidable sensory ability, Asher had never allowed himself the arrogance of believing it to be perfect.

He was not naive. Somewhere within, he understood a truth that many ignored, there were countless abilities and phenomena in the world, both within and beyond the Zarethorne Empire, some of which might very well bypass Omni Perception.

With that understanding clear in his mind, Asher gave a mental command to Virelass.

'Attack me.'

He restricted his movement strictly within the one-meter radius. Virelass did not question him. It trusted him completely. A master who commanded his own sword to attack him surely had a purpose. Without hesitation, the rapier moved.

Its edges, sharp, refined, and keen like predatory fangs, slashed across Asher's shoulder.

Blood flickered into the air, forming a red arc. The sound was light, as though Virelass had held back, but that was not the case. The only reason the wound was shallow was because Asher had executed a last-moment spatial shift, partially phasing his body through the blade's trajectory.

Despite the sting of pain, Asher smiled. To him, the injury was not a setback. It was proof, proof that he had managed to react in time, even if barely.

Without delay, Virelass activated Crimson Pact, the wound on Asher's shoulder sealed itself, the flesh knitting back together with rapid efficiency.

Then training resumed.

The method was simple yet ruthless. Virelass would attack. Asher would use spatial manipulation to phase through the assault. If he sensed the incoming strike quickly enough, he would evade cleanly. If not, he would bleed.

The room echoed with the whisper of space shifting and the quiet bite of steel.

Time blurred once more as Asher gradually aligned his spatial awareness with the dome's radius. Each evasion became smoother, each adjustment more instinctive. His timing improved, reaction sharpening through repetition and controlled pressure.

'A passive spatial sense without the dome… and then perhaps integration into Omni Perception… not yet. That is work for later,' Asher thought, dismissing the idea with quiet discipline.

He did not allow future concepts to weaken his focus on the present.

With a controlled breath, Astra pulsed once more through his Astra veins. The space dome responded immediately, expanding outward. From one meter to two, five, eight, ten meters. The dome stretched effortlessly, like a living membrane unfolding, until it halted at twelve meters.

Asher nodded slightly. Twelve meters, that was the current limit without intentional strain. And this was merely controlled training, not a full exertion of his power.

'It is impossible to push a limit one has not clearly identified,' he reminded himself. Understanding comes before surpassing.

His mind continued to analyze.

'For durability… I could utilize multi-layered space weaving. Instead of forming a single compressed layer, I could fold multiple thin spatial membranes, like stacking layers of glass.'

Another thought emerged.

'Alternatively, I could directly refine the structural density using Perfect Astra Control in conjunction with my growing spatial proficiency.'

Then came the final decision.

'Why choose one? In battle, I can apply either depending on the situation. But when needed… I can combine both.'

_______

AUTHOR'S NOTE: Well... It seems we have no hope. We need over 70 golden tickets to climb to rank 18, from the current 19th rank we are on.

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