Wind brushed past both of them, and Rion stood ready to launch attacks with his spear on a moment's notice.

However, Haden didn't move right away; instead, he studied his stance and commented, "Asking your friends to devise counterattacks was a good idea, but it has one major flaw."

Rion frowned and asked, "What flaw?"

Haden stepped forward. Rion thrust at him, and Haden easily twisted his spear to block Rion's attack with the shaft.

Clang!

Rion staggered back a few steps, and his palm stung. His expression darkened drastically, and he looked at the ground and his spear with a puzzled expression.

'What was that?' Rion questioned himself, Haden hadn't used any force to block him, yet Rion was sent a few steps back, and he couldn't understand why.

Haden stepped forward once again and answered, "None of them is a spearman, nor have they fought any."

Rion thrust once again, but just like before, Haden blocked it without a hint of trouble. It was as if he wasn't even trying — which was true; he didn't have to try, he was Haden, after all.

'How is he doing this?' Rion wondered and swung his spear at him in rapid succession.

A few minutes passed, and the sound of metal colliding with one another echoed throughout the peak as Haden blocked all of his slashes, thrusts and strikes without even breaking a sweat. On the other hand, Rion was already bathed in sweat.

Rion jumped back, panting, his thoughts spiralling inwardly, 'What is going on...? Whenever Father blocks my attacks, it sends a vibration down my spine...'

He looked into Haden's eyes and finally decided to ask him, "How are you doing that?"

The corner of Haden's lips arched up into a smirk, and he commented, "Giving up already?"

Rion heaved a sigh and commented in his head, 'Of course. What would be the point of all this if he tells me everything?'

He shook his head and cleared his mind before striking once again. He didn't focus on Haden; instead, he focused on his spear.

Clang!

The spears met each other, and a vibration ran through his palm to his spine. Rion ignored it and swung again.

Metals screamed as the shafts collided.

Clang!

Rion attacked, and Haden blocked, but unlike the puzzled expression from before, Rion had a wide smile. He muttered, "I was trying too hard, wasn't I?"

Haden's eyes stirred slightly, and his lips arched up into a faint smile.

Rion's grip loosened; it was neither too tight nor too loose but a perfect grip.

He swung again, and Haden blocked it with the upper end of his shaft. Rion's arms shook from the vibrations, and that was it.

Unlike before, it didn't travel down his spine. Rion grinned, and his attacks became faster and sharper.

However, to Haden, they were no faster than a turtle's crawl. Yet seeing his son progress so fast he couldn't help but smile.

A few moments later, Rion came to the conclusion that was stopping him from blocking the vibration completely, 'He twists it just before the impact.'

He thrust his spear, and just as their spears were about to clash, he spun his spear to the opposite side of Haden's, but understanding something and being able to make use of it were two different things.

Clang!

A tremor spread from his palms to every part of his body. His arms went numb, and his lips twisted into a pained groan, but he gritted his teeth and pushed himself to continue.

The numbness went away, and he struck, but the result was the same. His timing was off, which meant his attacks were hurting him more than defending him.

Seeing that, Haden finally spoke, "Use your Will."

Rion frowned and stopped to ponder over his words, 'My will? Does he mean my aura? No, if he meant that, then he would've said so. Then what does he mean?'

Suddenly, a gust hit him from above, and he jumped aside.

Crack!

Dust rose and the stone ground cracked from the impact of Haden's attack.

He remarked evenly, "Don't stop to think. Do you think battle would allow you time to think?"

"Are you telling me to fight without thinking...?" Rion responded with a puzzled expression. Fighting without thinking sounded stupid to him.

'How would I come up with counterattacks without thinking?'

Haden stepped forward, and before Rion could even think, he lashed at him.

The spear reached him the next moment. Rion swung his spear and blocked, but Haden's spear continued to press forward. He gritted his teeth, and the veins of his arms bulged as he redirected the attack with the shaft of his spear.

Rion gasped, "Blasted hell—"

And Haden thrust his spear towards his head, his eyes widened, and his mind froze as the spearhead widened in his vision, but just as it was about to reach him, Rion parried it.

Rion blinked a few times and mumbled in confusion, "How did I do that...?"

The answer reached him as Haden spoke, "Your mind is already fast enough. You are just getting in its way — do not force yourself to think, let your mind think on its own."

Rion stared at Haden and thought, 'That sounds oddly familiar... is he talking about the zone?'

The flow or the zone.

He knew about it from the novels he had read in his previous life. It was said to be a mental state where one could spread their will — or intent — and sense everything within a fixed radius.

Another thought struck him right after.

'Wait! He said to use my will... Isn't that similar to Weapon Sense?'

Weapon Sense was akin to the Zone, but rather than sensing the space around oneself, it allowed a person to sense everything around their weapon.

His lips rose into a wide grin, and he remarked inwardly, 'Who would've thought that the things I read in those novels are actually possible here? Hehe.'

He closed his eyes and took a deep breath to clear all the thoughts from his mind.

Haden's eyes stirred in pleasant surprise as he felt the change within Rion, his lips arched up into a prideful smile as he remarked inwardly, 'He understood it even faster than I did.'

Rion's eyes snapped open, and he thrust forward.

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