I felt a hot sensation running down my spine as a heated energy entered my body. It was different from mana which was warm and gentle, this was hot, scorching like the sun itself had slipped beneath my skin and begun to live there.
"Why is it so hot?" I asked even though I already knew the answer deep down.
⌈It's an energy produced from the very core of a star, so of course it is hot, but don't worry, it will not kill you. The cosmos will assure you of that as long as you don't become too greedy, unless you want to melt your insides?⌋
"No sir, I wouldn't want that." I replied immediately, not particularly interested in becoming molten from the inside.
After understanding which energy I had to absorb, Virgil ordered me to absorb from the stars above now.
I focused my will on them, and they reacted instantly, as if they had been waiting for me. A large amount of energy came crashing down on me violently. It was unbearable at first, overwhelming and suffocating, but as time passed, I slowly got used to it and began absorbing it normally. I felt it filling somewhere inside my cores, as if I had gained another reservoir of energy that hadn't existed before. I felt strength seeping into my bones, quietly reinforcing me from within. Not only that, but I also felt a slight progress on my mana core as I absorbed the stellar energy, as if it too benefited from this foreign power.
⌈Good, just keep circulating it around your body like the way you do with mana, and don't worry, there won't be any clash since Stellar energy is part of your affinity.⌋
"So this is basically another breathing technique," I said as I followed his instructions and circulated it carefully around my body.
⌈Correct, but don't forget to not use it carelessly. Remember, you can only replenish it at night.⌋
"Aight," I said as I stood up properly.
⌈Now, let's start with the first technique.⌋
⌈The first technique, Phi, is a technique that requires strength and agility. You are required to perform 6 thrusts within one thrust.⌋ Virgil said quietly and yet his voice remained perfectly clear to my ears.
I frowned deeply. "How the hell am I supposed to perform 6 thrusts with one thrust?"
Virgil smiled.
⌈Simple. You just need to be fast enough. That's why I said you need agility.⌋
"I'm not that fast."
⌈Then I will make you that fast. Let me demonstrate.⌋
Virgil took a thrusting stance with his left foot slightly forward, grounded and stable. He pulled back his right arm that was holding the sword, his posture flawless. His left arm then blurred and thrusted forward only once at an uncanny speed towards the empty air.
And yet, when his arm had already drawn back, the space itself groaned as 6 thrusts appeared afterward, tearing through the air violently and swaying the white lilies around him.
I watched in awe at the demonstration, my eyes widening.
That was some terrifying raw speed. The power I felt from it gave me chills that crawled across my skin. Not only that, but I also noticed that he didn't use stellar energy. That was merely a physical attack performed with pure speed alone.
⌈Easy, isn't it?⌋ Virgil smiled cockily.
Easy my foot. I shot back mentally while crossing my arms in annoyance.
⌈I performed that without infusing stellar energy. Now I will show you the real technique.⌋
Virgil snapped his fingers and then suddenly the ground in front of us started trembling violently.
From the ground, earth rose upward and took shape, forming something huge at least 3 feet tall with two arms and two legs.
"A golem..." I said as I recognized what it was immediately.
⌈We need a test subject to properly show the technique, don't we?⌋ Virgil took a step forward toward the earth golem. ⌈Watch closely.⌋
Virgil took the same stance, but this time a bright orange-like energy gathered over Virgil's sword, wrapping around it like living fire. I suddenly felt intense heat radiating from it all over the place around me, and then something caught my attention.
The flowers around Virgil's feet started melting slowly from the heat released by the energy alone.
Then Virgil calmly said,
[Stellar Series First technique : Phi Lupi]
His sword shined brightly and then he moved.
His arm thrusted forward only once, but in reality he thrusted six times. He was so fast that to the naked eye it appeared as if he had only thrust once.
And then from the sword, six large beams of stellar energy were released, flying toward the golem at a terrifying speed.
The golem crossed its arms in an attempt to block the attack, but it was futile.
The six thrusts of stellar energy tore through the golem as if melting butter under intense heat. Two beams hit the legs, two hit the chest, and two hit the head and arm.
The beams, after melting through the golem completely, continued forward and struck the ground behind it.
An explosion followed immediately.
Boom!
I covered my eyes from the dust and debris.
After the dust settled down slowly, we could finally see the result of the attack.
A huge hole was left on the ground where the beams had struck.
"Gods..."
⌈You called?⌋ Virgil said with a smile.
I then looked at the golem, or better, what remained of it.
Only one arm remained. The rest of its body was completely pulverized into nothing.
This was insane. How could a basic technique be so powerful?
⌈You like what you saw, don't you?⌋
"Yes," I answered immediately without hesitation. I couldn't deny it. After seeing such a powerful technique, I started liking the cosmos affinity even more than before.
"Will I be able to perform such effects with the first technique?" I asked.
⌈Yes, but not at such magnitude compared to me, not yet at least. As you increase your strength, the strength of your techniques will grow as well. And plus, you need a large amount of stellar energy for that.⌋
I nodded in understanding.
Even if I don't perform like him, still, inflicting 6 attacks on your enemy at the same time would definitely incapacitate your enemy or kill them.
Techniques that deal multiple damage are really good, especially if you're facing a mob of enemies. It helps wipe them out faster and more efficiently.
⌈You got all of that?⌋ Virgil asked.
"Yes, I got it," I replied. "But I wanted to ask, is orange the colour of stellar energy?"
⌈Yes and no. You see, the stellar energy color depends on the star type and brightness. Take for example, Alpha Lupi's stellar energy is white-blue because it is a giant star.⌋
"So," I said while touching my chin thoughtfully, "as the techniques increase, the different colors will appear?"
⌈Yes, that's true.⌋ He then moved forward. ⌈Now I will show you the second technique.⌋
With a thought, Virgil reversed time around the destroyed golem, causing it to rebuild itself completely back to its undamaged state.
Damn, I wonder when I will be able to do that.
⌈For the second technique, you have to perform a downward slash meant to cut down your opponent in half in one swift motion. You will have to concentrate the stellar energy around your sword and compress it so hard that no stellar energy will leak. Then you'll be able to execute it properly.⌋
Virgil raised his sword up, its tip pointed at the space above. His grip tightened firmly around the hilt and then in a burst, orange stellar energy erupted from the sword like a volcano, shooting upward wildly.
The white lilies swayed violently under the force created by the energy.
He looks like he's about to perform Excalibur, I thought.
The stellar energy then suddenly compressed on the sword at Virgil's will, no longer wild but controlled and obedient.
[Stellar series Second Technique : Lota Lupi]
Virgil slashed down in a perfect vertical arc that tore through the ground at a terrifying speed.
The attack appeared as if someone was drawing a perfectly straight line with a pencil across reality itself, except this line could cut.
The attack reached the golem instantly.
The slash phased through the golem's front and came out from its back before it could even block, continuing into the ground behind it.
However, the golem remained standing.
"Huh?" I muttered in confusion. "Did it blo—"
Before I could finish the question, a perfect ninety degree straight line appeared across the golem's body from head to toe.
Then suddenly, the golem split into two clean halves and fell apart onto the ground.
"I spoke too soon. Holy," I said in complete astonishment.
If this were how powerful the first techniques were, I couldn't even imagine the last ones or even the Ultimates. To whoever reincarnated me, I'm really grateful.
⌈I'm too good, I know.⌋ Virgil walked back to me and stood at my side. ⌈Now that you've seen it, it is time for you to practice for the remaining time you have left.⌋
"Isn't it pointless to train here since I'm not here with my physical body but my soul?"
⌈Nah, in this space you can train with just your soul, but when you leave, your progress will automatically transfer to your body as if you trained here physically.⌋
"Now that's very helpful."
At least now my fear of losing this experience was completely gone.
⌈Expect nothing less from this deity.⌋ Virgil smiled proudly. ⌈Now start with the first technique. Practice the thrusts first. Only after you can perform 6 thrusts by thrusting once will you be allowed to infuse them with stellar energy.⌋
⌈But before that, let me heal your soul before you die on me.⌋
"What do you me—"
I stopped mid sentence as I looked down at my bloodied spectral form. It had many cracks across it as if I was made of fragile glass. Only then did I remember the earlier contact with Virgil's uncanny form.
"Right, I forgot about that..."
Virgil snapped his fingers again and then a cosmic latte colored energy wrapped around me, fixing my soul and cleaning away the blood completely.
I felt a part of me being filled again to completion. It was deeply satisfying.
I looked at my spectral body and saw that the damages were completely healed. There were no cracks and no blood left.
⌈Done.⌋
"Thanks."
⌈No problem. We can start now.⌋
Virgil waved his hand and the destroyed surroundings fixed themselves alongside the golem. Then Virgil materialized another sword for me.
I took a thrusting stance after him and copied each one of his movements.
Well, I tried to.
But I failed miserably.
Seeing and doing were completely different things. I tried to imitate him but failed multiple times, causing me to earn several smacks behind my head from Virgil.
Honestly, I didn't understand why masters couldn't just teach their disciples without beating them up.
At this point, I believed all masters secretly enjoyed beating their disciples for fun.
Hours passed and I was able to make some progress.
I was now able to perform 3 thrusts within a single thrust, but it still wasn't enough.
I thought time was running out, but Virgil told me that time in this place was different.
Days could pass here while only 5 minutes passed in my world.
That left me completely relaxed, because I had no idea what Alexandra would do if I suddenly went missing longer than intended.
Time continued passing as we trained.
Surprisingly, I was sweating despite being in my soul form, which was weird.
But then again, who was I to understand such shenanigans?
Eventually, I was finally able to perform 6 thrusts within a single thrust.
It wasn't as fast as Virgil's, nor as strong, but it was enough for now.
I found myself standing in front of the towering golem again, its yellow eyes staring directly at me.
It was giving me the creeps.
Taking a deep breath, I fell into concentration and took my stance.
My left arm pushed forward while my right arm holding the sword pulled back.
Virgil watched silently from a few meters away.
I pulled the orange stellar energy from my cores and gathered it around my sword.
I felt the harmless heat resting in my hand.
Here I go.
I thrusted forward while whispering,
[Stellar Series First Technique : Phi Lupi]
My hand blurred and performed a single thrust, releasing six stellar-infused thrusts in smaller beam forms toward the golem at a speed slower than Virgil's but still fast.
The thrusts hit the golem's chest and arms, and then a small explosion followed.
My attack didn't tear through the golem as Virgil's did, but it carved six deep holes into its body, releasing steam.
I panted heavily as I felt half of my stellar energy being consumed.
I still have a long way to go.
Then I heard Virgil's praising voice.
⌈Not bad. You can still improve, so don't be upset.⌋
Later, we moved on to the second technique, which I thought would be easier since it only required a single slash.
I was wrong.
It was actually harder, especially the part where I had to control and compress the stellar energy without wasting it.
So I made a mental note to never underestimate something just because it looked simple.
After hundreds of tries, I was finally able to do it.
Then I tested it on the golem.
Funnily enough, I only managed to cut off one arm instead of splitting it in half.
Still, it was great progress.
After receiving more tips and lectures from Virgil, the training session finally came to an end.
⌈It's time for you to go, kid. I'll see you tomorrow night.⌋ Virgil said with relief.
"Thanks for the training, oh your greatness. I look forward to our next training session," I said with exaggeration.
⌈Yeah, yeah, now scram.⌋ A corner of his lips twitched slightly at my words.
With a snap of his fingers, my vision twisted violently and I was teleported back to my world.
Virgil's eyes remained lingering a bit longer than intended on the spot where I had just stood.
⌈Funny kid.⌋
He then reverted back into his huge wolf form and fell into slumber once again, the quietness returning fully to his sanctuary.