"So… how exactly did you pull off this escape?"
Caius asked with an amused smile.
Elliot quickly corrected him, raising a finger with confidence:
"It's not an escape… it's a strategic withdrawal."
Then he puffed up with pride, as if narrating a legendary accomplishment.
"Well, it wasn't a big deal… I just didn't tell my father I was leaving, slipped past the servants, used a teleportation gate to the nearest city…"
He gestured dramatically toward the black car behind him.
"…and rented this beautiful thing. Then I drove here."
Caius let out a quiet laugh, amusement clear in his tone.
"I'm only curious about one thing… what will happen when your father realizes you vanished from the territory?"
Elliot's face paled slightly, his shoulder trembling.
"Well… let's not think about that. I mean… what's the worst that could happen?"
The reason for his "escape" was obvious to Caius.
Elliot's father was overprotective to a suffocating degree.
He didn't allow his son to take a single step without at least one shadow following him.
Caius patted his friend's shoulder in a reassuring tone.
"Don't worry. Soon you'll enter the Temple… and you'll finally be free from all those restrictions."
Elliot took a deep breath, as if wishing that day would come sooner.
"I hope so… truly."
Then he suddenly remembered something.
"Speaking of the Temple… the entrance exams are happening soon. Are you really not going to participate?"
Caius answered immediately, without the slightest hesitation:
"No."
Elliot stepped closer, placing both hands on Caius's shoulders as if trying to persuade a block of stone.
"I won't lecture you… you know yourself better than I do.
But there's something my father always says:
Losers… are those who never try."
Caius fell silent, a mix of expressions flickering across his face.
To be honest… he wanted to enter the Temple.
Who wouldn't want to join the greatest training institution in history?
But even if he passed the entrance exam, he knew he wouldn't keep up.
His talent was average both in combat and in cultivation speed.
And his ability, [Mind Anchor], didn't give him a real path forward.
Abilities were divided into two categories
Active Abilities
They required conscious control and training to be used effectively, and they consumed Essence upon activation.
If someone was talented or lucky they could evolve them into higher stages.
Passive Abilities
They worked like a second nature awakened inside the body.
They didn't evolve, didn't consume Essence, and required no training or control.
Like [Mind Anchor].
As its name implied, it strengthened Caius's mind or rather, made it more flexible and more resistant to external interference.
Was it useless?
Of course not.
It was a good ability.
But by itself, without strength or another ability to support it… it wasn't anything special.
When he awakened it at fifteen, his aunt told him it might be the prelude to something greater.
So he trained hard, hoping to awaken something better later.
After all, the method of awakening abilities was mysterious.
Some awakened theirs while sleeping.
Others in life or death moments.
Some during sudden moments of enlightenment.
And despite centuries of research, no one knew the true nature of abilities:
whether they originated from within humans, from an external source, or from the conditions of awakening.
Awakening Clearer but Not Easier
Unlike abilities, awakening itself was more clearly understood.
First, one had to sense the Essence spread through the world.
After sensing it, they had to interact with it and draw it in.
Once they succeeded in bringing a small amount into their body and maintaining it…
Their body would begin to change:
stronger muscles, sturdier bones, and a body that learned to accommodate Essence becoming a vessel for it.
And when a person succeeded in holding a meaningful amount of Essence inside them
without conscious effort…
Congratulations
They officially reached Rank 1: Novice Stage.
But it wasn't easy.
Out of every thousand people… only one succeeded.
… And then there were those who awakened without doing anything at all.
Extremely rare
but always favored by the world itself.
And standing right in front of Caius…
was one of them.
Elliot who awakened at thirteen without even trying.
That alone made many nobles gnash their teeth.
Anyway… the important part
After awakening, Elliot later unlocked three abilities:
[Distance Compression]
Allows him to erase the distance between two points.
[Gravity Manipulation]
Allows him to adjust gravity within a certain radius.
Both were active abilities that evolved with their user.
They might seem simple now… but later?
No one knew what they could turn into.
As for the third ability:
[Lucky] yes.
He had luck from another world compared to everyone else.
A passive ability.
And about the names of abilities
they weren't chosen by the user.
When someone awakened an ability, its name appeared in their mind like magic.
Why?
How?
No one knew.
There were theories… but none proven.
Elliot snapped Caius back to reality by giving him a gentle shake, dropping his hands from his shoulders.
He grinned, clearly trying to shift the mood.
"So, shall we go? Or are you planning to stand here forever?"
He gestured toward the car behind him.
Caius raised an eyebrow.
"You're not going inside."
And to be fair… he had expected it.
Elliot wasn't the type to sit quietly and sip tea.
No every time he came, he grabbed the chance to roam or explore a new city.
So Caius expected his answer even before he spoke:
"Come on… you know they'll come looking for me soon. And guess the first place they'll check?"
Elliot said it like an excited child eager to play hide and seek.
Caius sighed.
"Of course here."
Elliot didn't like that answer at all.
Which only made his smile grow wider.
"So let's go."
At those words, Caius reached into his pocket.
He found his communicator like a phone, but far more advanced.
He sent a quick message to his aunt, telling her he was leaving for a while.
Then he started walking toward the car, Elliot following behind him.
They got in Elliot behind the wheel, naturally.
"So…" Caius asked, "Where are we going this time?"
Elliot answered with excitement:
"To Azora the city near here, inside Astra Nova territory."
Caius recalled the information he had about Azora:
A small coastal city under the Duchy of Astra Nova, located near the border of their lands.
Not too far… around two and a half hours by car.
Which explained how close Astroweld territory was to Astra Nova.
As Caius drifted into thought, Elliot had already started the engine.
The seats vibrated softly with the roar of the car.
Caius reached for his seatbelt.
But before he could click it into place…
he froze.
Slowly, he turned to look at the person behind the wheel an expression of growing suspicion on his face.
He spoke cautiously, as if discovering a looming disaster:
"Wait… when exactly did you learn how to drive?"
At that question, Elliot burst into a wide grin.
"Well… around an hour ago."
And the moment he finished the sentence
the car began accelerating.
Along with it… Caius's heart sank.