[One Week Later]
"So… tell me everything you have learned thus far regarding Ancient MajiK."
Logan sat on a chair, his legs crossed and his arms folded, as he stared intently at Rey.
The two occupied a vast room, sparsely furnished and filled with only the most basic of furniture.
However, each of those pieces looked pristine and gorgeous beyond words. They had a deep, dark lustre to them, reflecting the magnitude of nobility.
This was Logan's private quarters, and every day, for a few hours, Rey would come in here to undergo his special training—most of which involved basic physical training, breath exercises, and theoretical knowledge.
The latter was the most crucial, as it featured some conceptual and basic knowledge of the world and its principles.
Think of it as how the periodic table and certain scientific theories and laws are explored during introductory classes. From these alone, it became apparent that this was a completely different world from what Rey was used to, and he had to learn the most elementary concepts from scratch.
However, he persevered and diligently consumed everything he was told.
At the moment, he wore a sleeveless top and some baggy shorts, his slim and short frame made very evident, almost swallowed by the enormity of the room itself.
As for Logan, he had a deep, piercing purple gaze, with dark polished hair, and a fine mustache that he had the habit of twirling anytime his hands were unoccupied. At the moment, though, he had a stern expression and did not move a muscle.
He simply waited.
For Rey.
"Ancient MajiK is the power bestowed by the Ancient Gods upon the denizens of the True Realm, gifts meant to be used to serve them and exemplify their glory. The six Arts are born from the Authorities of the Ancient Gods, and they are fragmented manifestations of their divine will. Weaving Ether, the universal energy that flows through all things, one can summon these powers and imprint their effects upon the world." Rey began, his monotone voice echoing within the room as if he were undergoing a brutal recital.
He didn't stop there.
"The Six Arts of Ancient MajiK are: Spirit, Soul, Order, Curse, Null, and Chaos. Chaos Art is particularly revered because it represents the authority of the Ancient Chaos God, and all beings of chaos possess a natural aptitude for it. The opposite can be said regarding Order Art, as it is in direct contradiction to Chaos Art and its principles. Each Art also features all manner of Techniques under them…"
"Good… good." Logan nodded, clearly pleased by Rey's quick understanding. "Now tell me the properties of each Art."
Rey nodded, quickly obeying with a loud voice. "Spirit Art involves control over natural elemental attributes, as well as their component. Techniques in this category mostly deal with elemental abilities, from basic to complex. Soul Art rules over aspects of living entities such as life, death, the mind, and so on. Techniques under this Art deal with entities or forms that have the quality of life… that is, the Soul. Null Art deals with the negation and erosion of concepts or other kinds of Arts. It is an erasure kind of Art, and Techniques under this Art tend to interfere with or negate certain aspects of reality or another aspect of an Art. Curse Arts deal with words, whether written or spoken, and grant an effect to the words given. It grants either a positive or a negative effect on anything that is rendered the target. Techniques under this Art deal with imbuing something else with a quality. The two main types of Curse Arts are Binding Techniques and Projection Techniques."
To catch his already strained breath, Rey decided to pause for a moment.
In that second, he had a moment of reflection.
'These guys used a Binding Technique from the Curse Art to limit my actions, ensuring I cannot turn against my Master and act against his interests…'
Bonds made by Curse Arts are absolute and can only be negated by Null Arts or overwritten by a greater Curse Art. However, Rey was already prevented from freeing himself from these constraints, so even if there was a way to obtain his emancipation, he could not pursue it.
'A shame…'
Rey continued to regurgitate all he had learned, maintaining a calm gaze.
"Order Art grants control over laws such as gravity, time, space, and the like. Techniques in this category deal with specific laws and their specific components. Finally, Chaos Art offers control over the forbidden or unnatural, such as undeath, technique reversal, perversion, or corruption. While Null Art negates concepts, Techniques in this art usually deal with the upturning of natural principles into something different, changing existing properties into different states."
"Excellent!" Logan clapped, a satisfied smile forming on his face. "You've done well, good job!"
He even went ahead to rub Rey's head affectionately.
His warm gaze rested on the young lad, almost resembling a proud father's attention.
Rey observed all of this but didn't react.
He remained calm.
'For the past week, I have been learning many things under this man while going to the Coliseum every night, winning every round I am placed in within the Chaos Dweller Pit. Anytime I show up, it's a slaughter, and the grand prize is usually mine. Augustus also gets easy money, and I'm certain he would have signed me up for more rounds if not for the establishment's policies that limit the number of wins a patron can get to once per day.'
Despite how predictable and fairly comfortable his life had gotten, Rey could tell that such days were coming to an end.
He had already begun to sense his Master's impatience and greed.
He wanted more!
'He will most likely toss me into a more dangerous situation once my training is over. Might as well, considering I am also growing rather curious about a few things myself.'
In all honesty, Rey wasn't scared.
Spending a week in this bizarre world and learning all about Ancient MajiK had deepened his knowledge of this place. All his initial doubts and skepticism had vanished with the advent of new, useful information.
He felt more and more eager to begin his quest for vengeance.
He was thirsty for power.
He craved destruction.
Above all… he wanted to be free as soon as possible!
'But that requires learning how to use Ancient MajiK. But before that, I have to awaken my latent Ether Core, which will allow me to sense and weave the universal energy around me. It should also provide me with an affinity…'
Almost all denizens of the Land of Nether have a natural affinity towards Chaos Art.
However, the Art itself is difficult to master.
Only the elite can truly call themselves masters of the Art, and most Nethers actually practice one of the four other options. Order Art is out of the question, considering its high incompatibility with these beings of chaos.
That leaves only Spirit Art, Soul Art, Curse Art, and Null Arts.
'I wonder which one I will awaken…' Rey could only smile in anticipation.
"Now that you have gotten the basics down and your body has been optimized to be a vessel, I will now supervise your awakening. Honestly, I don't believe you are ready, and I would rather take my time to properly nurture you…" Logan stared at Rey with deep concern, displaying what could only be deemed to be genuine worry.
Anyone would feel moved by this.
But not Rey.
"… However, the Young Master insists that we hurry the process. So, rather unfortunately, we must proceed."
Rey reckoned that most slaves would feel a sense of dread, perhaps even loathing, towards Augustus for such a reckless move.
But Rey was actually on board with it, so he had no complaint.
'Let's do this!'
"Take your meditating position. I will now imbue you with some of my Ether, quickening your latent core. After that, your awakening should be complete, and you should not only be able to sense your Ether Core, but also the Ether around you. Do you understand?"
"I understand."
Rey said those words as he sat cross-legged on the floor, his heart thumping with expectation.
Then—
"Here it comes…"
An overwhelming surge of power suddenly flowed into Rey's body, coursing through his paralyzed frame like an electric shock.
Pain!
Well, not quite pain.
But an indescribable feeling of discomfort coupled with sheer agony wriggled into every facet of his existence. It felt like his blood was boiling, and a certain cast-iron brand was imprinted in the deepest recesses of his soul.
Time suddenly felt like an illusion—a cruel lie.
It felt like an eternity, encapsulated within the fraction of a moment.
Then, right as he was about to lose consciousness, Rey heard a voice—one bordering on the realm of shock, but also disappointment.
"A sole affinity in Chaos Art… how very odd."