By midday, he had already tried a couple of weapons. The result was the same with all of them: slow movements, a lack of understanding of how they were meant to be used, and a constant struggle just to swing them with force.
One failure after another, until past three in the afternoon. He was drenched in sweat, and even Liani insisted that he needed to eat—but Eden refused. His focus was fixed entirely on the moment.
"It's very heavy to use," Eden said, throwing the spear to the ground.
"You always say the same thing," Aren replied. "If what you want is something light and fast, then try the rapier. And if that doesn't work either, the best option will be to wait until you strengthen your body."
"Now that I think about it, Mister Aren, you haven't given me much information about this growth of the Ecos."
Aren crossed his legs to sit more comfortably on the ground and answered, keeping his back straight:
"It'll be easier once you experience it. You've already felt it once, haven't you? With the one that wounded your shoulder."
Eden instinctively touched his bandages. Aren continued:
"Ecos describe it as a tingling sensation, or chills inside their body. It's the feeling of absorbing the vital energy of the life you've just taken. That energy accumulates and strengthens your body."
Eden stared at the blade of his rapier as he reflected on Aren's words. He felt curious—eager to understand it, to experience it again. Aren added:
"From experience, my estimate for you is that your limit should be Level 3 accumulation. Anything beyond that will kill you, so get comfortable—your road ahead is long."
"What is a Level?" Eden asked.
"The growth of an Echo is far more complex than modern science can fully understand. It was simplified so everyone could grasp it. A Level is… the expansion of your strength limit. The more divine energy you absorb, the closer you supposedly are to becoming a demigod.
"Although that theory hasn't been proven—since even the strongest Ecos don't resemble Titans. Though, from a human perspective… well, they might as well be gods."
"Hmm. And why do you mention your experience? Have you spoken with other Ecos before?"
"I haven't just spoken with them. I've guided them, trained them—and even genetically modified Ecos."
"Aren," Nashira said, her tone and gaze stern.
"I know, I know."
Eden looked at Nashira, then back at Aren. His curiosity pushed him to ask:
"What happened?"
"Pretty eyes, that's not something you need to know right now," she said with a smile. "Besides, that topic belongs to the past. You promised you wouldn't do anything like that again, didn't you?"
Under Nashira's annoyed stare and deeper tone, Aren merely sighed and nodded. When he opened his eyes again, he said:
"The only thing I can tell you is that I can't have that life anymore."
"Why?"
"You're very nosy, aren't you?" he replied with a laugh.
"Um?" Eden murmured, tilting his head to the side.
Aren noticed the innocence within him, so he didn't mind answering:
"Let's just say I made very bad decisions a while ago. I was also betrayed in ways I never expected. That left me with an enormous financial debt—an amount that, even if I did the math, I couldn't pay back in five lifetimes. That's why my plan is to make money. But, well… for now, I'm not exactly at my best," he said, looking toward the village of Ahklar.
"A lot of money…" Eden repeated.
"Yes. A lot. Too much. My plan is to go to the continent of Omencia, make small stops in cities, and buy two ship tickets. I want to reach Treneo and live there."
"He wants to live in Treneo because it has the strongest economy and is far from here," Nashira added. "He makes things harder for himself. Our continent doesn't only have the capital of Siro—it also has Solrika."
"I'm banned from Siro for life, and Solrika is its economic ally. They'd find me easily there."
"That's not true. They only share distribution interests; they don't have alliances in corruption or crime. They wouldn't even look for you in Solrika."
"It's still too risky. And I won't live in Hera with its stupid, classist, racist people. Besides, the women are ugly. And don't even get me started on the kingdom of the goddess Imperia Olimpa—men aren't accepted there unless you're a woman's slave."
"Imperia will always be an ideal option for us," Nashira said with a flirtatious smile. "I already told you—I'd be a good mistress."
Aren turned his head away in disgust.
"I'd rather die than let a woman control me."
Nashira laughed softly, then turned to Eden and said:
"With a single pack lizard, it's possible to reach the city of Yumil in two weeks. It's the neighboring kingdom of the capital, and many famous Ecos live there—people with good status who want to be close to Siro but don't like the noise. Their only misfortune is that their queen is missing."
"That'll be our first stop," Aren said. "But first, I need to get the money to buy a pack lizard."
Aren looked up at the clear sky as the field's breeze tousled his black hair. After a moment of thought, he said:
"While I'm getting that money, I can teach you whatever you need to know about Ecos. Either way, I get bored in this village, and… well, guiding Ecos is both my job and my hobby."
Eden listened closely. He enjoyed the conversation enough that he didn't even realize he should still be trying to achieve his first hunt.
Naturally, a desire to travel and see the world stirred inside him. It was what his inner voice had been telling him since the moment he awakened. That thought motivated him. He stood up, gripping his rapier, and spoke:
"Then I have to… what did you call it? Something about a level."
"Well, it's the simplified way to measure your progress. Leveling up."
"Is there any way to tell when it happens?"
"Of course. You'll know immediately when it does. Ready to start again?"
"Yes! I feel motivated now. I want to explore the world and understand my purpose."
He dashed forward with the rapier in hand, chasing after the small boguros that had returned to feeding. Once again, however, it was nothing more than an inexperienced young man chasing birds.
Aren looked toward Nashira, and she nodded. They were thinking the same thing, but Aren was the one who spoke:
"We already know what Talent he emerged with."
Nashira hugged her legs as she sat about two meters away from Aren.
"The atmosphere with Eden feels very different from any other Echo we've trained."
"That's because we're not following protocol. This is more of a procedure now. We can be flexible with him—we don't have deadlines to meet."
From where they stood, they watched Eden fail again and again, still running after the boguros. It was like watching a child at play. Aren couldn't help but smile and say:
"Maybe I can enjoy watching his growth. It'll be the first time I do it without ulterior motives. At least while he's in Ahklar."
The distant roar of the Ahklar dragons caught their attention. Aren enjoyed watching the beasts fly around the mountain peaks as the cold wind soothed him.
'Maybe I still have hope.'