“We will start by learning how to unsheath a weapon correctly,” Rohan had said.

  Vivi assumed that sentence had been a joke. Or at least, she didn’t think Rohan was serious. What was there really to practice in unsheathing a sword? Vivi didn’t even carry a scabbard for her weapons. Her swords were summoned right to her hands.

  It turned out, Rohan was serious. More than serious. He was totally obsessed. The first lesson revolved only around the act of taking a sword out of its holster and putting it back in.

  “During practice, you are forbidden from swinging your sword unless I state otherwise,” Rohan said. “Taking swings with incorrect technique will train you into nothing more than a wild savage. A knight’s strength begins from their feet. You will need to learn how to control your lower body properly. That’s why we will start from the most basic of tasks. Unsheathing your sword with the correct stance.”

  Thus, Vivi spent hours standing and playing around with a steel sword. She was forbidden from using a single wisp of ether to empower her muscles.

  Quickly, however, Vivi realized that Rohan was correct. Her fundamentals were missing. The position of one’s feet and the handwork with the sheath were more difficult than Vivi could have imagined. Up until now, she had simply filled her sword with ether, slashing at her opponents. This, according to Rohan, was a huge blunder that created dozens of weaknesses. Vivi wasn’t thinking about the strength and weaknesses of her weapons, nor about the effectiveness of her own body.

  “Too many hunters these days rely on ether and runeswords to make up for bad technique,” Rohan said. “With enough ether, even a sloppy swing will cause real damage. A proficient runesword will withstand great amounts of pressure, making up for poor technique where an ordinary sword would have snapped.”

  He sheathed his sword, then unsheathed it with force, killing an approaching ghost-blade. His movements were extremely solid. Next to him, Vivi was still struggling just to stand correctly. Without ether and with only a steel sword, her fighting skills could have very well been comparable to farmers.

  Practice continued. Rohan watched Vivi’s footing and her hands, telling her each and every thing she did wrong. And there was a lot of wrong. Merely the grip at which she held her weapon was apparently a result of bad habits. Everything she did went against the fundamentals of a great fighter.

  How many hours had she unsheathed her sword now? Two? Three? Her muscles ached all over. Without ether fueling her body, even simple training was surprisingly taxing. Vivi needed effort just to keep standing, let alone properly balancing her stance.

  “Are you sure this teacher is good?” Lucius asked. He was growing bored within Vivi. “We’d grow more by hunting monsters. What do we gain from this stupid practice? We don’t even use scabbards!”

  I think the teachings make sense, Vivi thought. We’re not just training to look fancy. We’re training to use leverage and physics. The goal of this lesson is not just to take the sword out of its sheath, but to work on our lacking fundamentals. I think.

  “You think?” Lucius asked.

  I hope, Vivi thought. Because if this is useless, I will be mad.

  Lucius sighed. “We should go hunting, then. We already defeated Rohan once. What use is there to follow his teachings?”

  Rohan fought well against us while barely wielding any ether, Vivi thought. We had over two thousand against his three hundred. It’s shameful that the fight was close. Rohan’s techniques are real. I want to learn them.

  Lucius pouted. “Fine. But if we don’t learn anything before the next collection day, I won’t sit idle. We don’t have infinite time.”

  The arduous practice continued for another short eternity. By the end of practice, Vivi’s calves were burning. She desperately wished to empower them with ether to keep standing for longer.

  This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source.

  Rohan kept pushing her through exhaustion, until eventually saying, “That’s enough. We will continue tomorrow. Your footwork is still lacking, but this is a good start. You’re taking learning seriously.”

  “I can still keep going,” Vivi said. “I want to learn.”

  “No, practicing the same thing over and over is useless,” Rohan said. “You will rest, and we will get back to scabbard-practice tomorrow.”

  More scabbard practice? Vivi thought.

  “You’re probably wondering what the point of all this is,” Rohan said. He stood proudly, facing Vivi. “Most knights don’t practice fundamentals these days. It’s more efficient to simply gather a lot of ether, and to practice channeling that ether. I somewhat agree with this state of mind. The most important fundamental any fighter can learn, even beyond stances and techniques, is ether. With enough ether, a sloppy fighter can overwhelm the best techniques in the world.”

  Wisps rose from Rohan’s eyes. He was still only carrying three hundred wisps. Still, his aura was clearly present in the room. With his muscles empowered with ether, Rohan unsheathed his sword and performed a swing.

  His sword flowed like the wind with the speed of a gnoll. From one swing to the next, his feet moved like a performer’s. Each swing carried the weight of a rolling boulder. A mere three hundred ether powered his muscles. Rohan made it look like three thousand. Watching him, Vivi wondered why Rohan had ever chosen to wear armor. Dancing now, in his leather coat, Rohan appeared like an entirely different person.

  Suddenly, a blade appeared in front of Vivi’s eyes. Rohan had redirected his blade, the tip pausing before Vivi’s forehead. She flinched, falling on her back.

  “A truly powerful fighter makes use of both technique and ether,” Rohan said. “I practice my fundamentals every day, and I channel ether at night. To combine the power of ether with technique turns good fighters into storm devourers.”

  Vivi watched in awe before pushing herself up. “I will need to practice channeling ether, won’t I?”

  “Yes,” Rohan said. “Humans can’t channel ether on their own. That’s the reason why humans have been forced to the upper levels. They simply can’t compete against demons who have channeled ether for millenia. It seems these spirits create exceptions. You and your spirit can channel ether together. But your auras are incomplete. Your ether reserves are great, nearly maxed out, yet you utilize barely a quarter of the power available to you.”

  Lucius frowned within Vivi. “He’s right. But that’s not my fault. The hunter and spirit must work together to shape ether efficiently. I was planning on teaching you after we reached maxed reserves.”

  Interesting, Vivi thought. We have a lot to learn.

  “Alisa agreed to help you get started,” Rohan said. “It’s difficult to teach channeling, as everyone channels their ether differently. Out of all the best fighters in the world, nobody will explain their techniques of channeling with the same words. Alisa is the best of the Hollows at channeling ether, and her concepts make a lot of sense. She will become your second teacher.”

  Vivi bowed. “I am in your debt.”

  “You’re a Hollow Phantom,” Rohan said. “Nobody here is in anyone’s debt. We help and we trust each other. The best you can do to pay us back is to learn well.”

  “I always give my best,” Vivi said. “I’m used to a tight schedule. Although, I might miss a few lessons for runesmithing.”

  “Runesmithing will take priority, yes,” Rohan said. “Nothing else can be used as an excuse. I will drag you to practice whether you want to or not.”

  Vivi saw movement in the western exit. Ven stepped in with his hands in his pockets. “You two finishing up?” he asked.

  “Yes,” Rohan said. “Vivi needs to eat. Feed her well.”

  “I can go on for half a day longer,” Vivi said.

  “No, you will eat now,” Rohan said. “That is an order. Practice is nothing without a good meal and rest after. Ven will show you the Union’s side of the dungeon, and he will take you to our cooks.”

  “Um I’d like to eat here,” Vivi said. “I’ve already met enough new people today.”

  “You’ll have to meet a few more, unfortunately,” Ven said, “By joining the Hollows, you’re also a part of the union. It’s good to make yourself known to members sooner than later.”

  Vivi hesitated. She still had a bounty on her name. Rumors about her had spread within the nimrods faster than she could keep up with. Vivi knew her name was stained with an endless pile of suspicion and badmouthing. That was how rumors always went. Once a person got onto the bad sides of a community, that community saw every little action as a point to criticize. The same rumors had undoubtedly spread to Aang’s union.

  Ven had already turned to leave, expecting Vivi to follow. She took a breath and joined him. Her eyes pointed toward the ground.

  “The union doesn’t like you,” Ven said. “Your presence is simply too suspicious, and Andre’s gang has done a great job painting you as a criminal. Admittedly, I believed the rumors when they showed up. However, it’s clear that you’re simply caught in the crossfire.”

  “Yes…” Vivi said. “I don’t really want to meet other nimrods. I’m fine being a secret member of the Hollow Phantoms.”

  “The Hollows are secret regardless,” Ven said. “A lacking presence in the hub and dungeon, however, will make you a point of interest for the Stewards. No nimrod should stay unseen for long periods of time. If the Stewards know you’re a member of Aang’s union, your presence in the lower levels will be far less suspicious. Not to mention, using the union’s facilities will make life a lot more pleasant. We have a few genius craftsmen in our ranks.”

  Vivi’s head remained down.

  “You will see,” Ven said. “I have an introduction prepared. Today, I plan to clear your name.”