Symphonic Odyssey
: Vol. Two: Beneath the Hawthorn Tree: Verse Sixty

Cypher excitedly fired off questions faster than Alvin could respond, but the man simply smiled and waited for Cypher to finish before he gave his answer.

“We will get to that in due time. Before that, however, I want you to start your classes and get a proper grasp of how things work around here. Once you do, we can discuss a few methods. I already have a decent idea of what might be good for you to start with.”

“Putting body training methods aside, it’s important to understand why you should train your body in the first place. Humans are weak and frail on their own. I don’t think I need to explain why. If we fall from too great a height or move too quickly and suddenly stop, we could easily sustain terrible amounts of damage. That is of course to say nothing of how weak our flesh is.”

“How then are we expected to fight against Zightbeasts who threaten our lands? As you will come to understand, Zightbeasts aren’t like humans or normal beasts at all. They are empowered by absorbing pure Zight from the environment as well as from their prey. We aren’t quite sure how they do this, but the results speak for themselves.”

“Most Zightbeasts have amazing abilities that aren’t far off from the spells we use. Some can launch gouts of flame from their maws, while others can condense the very wind into sharp blades capable of cutting through solid stone.”

Cypher remembered his battle against the Horned wolves and a shiver was sent down his spine as he remembered their joint attack which had opened a fissure in the very earth beneath his feet. He was also reminded of the immense strength of the Rank-Two that had almost killed him and the idea of fighting the Rank-Three terrified him.

“So it’s the Zight that makes them so strong and gives them their powers right? Can it also make them immune to damage?” Cypher asked, remembering how his sword had simply slid along the flank of the rank-two without even leaving a mark.

“As I told you the other night, a few weeks ago I went on a mission with Eiden and my instructor back at Galvan mansion to Gelrin Cliff. There we had to take out a pack of Horned wolves and while the Rank-One beasts had been easy enough to kill even in great numbers, a Rank-Two appeared while Jelroy was fighting the Rank-Three pack leader.”

“I had no choice but to fight it off as long as I could but my attacks did nothing to it. I swung my sword as hard as I could and it simply slid across the beast like it was nothing. I couldn’t even damage the thing and if it hadn’t been for a bit of luck it would have killed me easily.”

Alvin at first looked interested in Cypher’s story but then amusement crept across his face. He chuckled a bit and then shook his head before answering.

“It wasn’t that the beast was immune to damage. It was that you lacked the strength needed to inflict damage upon it. Advancing the rank of your body not only makes you physically stronger but also improves your natural defenses. For Zightbeasts this improvement only really begins at the second rank. Zightbeasts simply gain strength and speed after they have entered the first rank, and some can only gain access to their innate abilities after they reach this level.”

“Humans on the other hand receive incredible gains with each successive rank we achieve. The training to reach the first rank will improve your speed, and strength, as well as your resistance to damage. At the first rank, common swords and knives won’t be able to pierce your skin. A commoner would replace it almost impossible to hurt you, while a casual strike from you would inflict large amounts of damage to them. That is the kind of power that even the first rank of the body awards you.”

“Furthermore, after you reach the first rank and begin to step into the second, you’ll replace that you’ll be able to damage Rank-Two Zightbeasts, and even take a few hits from them if you’re skilled enough. You might not be able to kill them, but you’ll be able to actually inflict damage and protect yourself against them.”

“Fighting off Zightbeasts isn’t the only reason to train your body though. Spells as you will discover, have varying degrees of backlash depending on the strength of said spell and the amount of Zight you pour into them. If it were possible for you to launch say, a fireball of the second rank, you would replace that the arm you used to aim the spell would suffer a large amount of damage. You might even shatter the bones inside it. This would also affect your focus and thus your aim, and you’d be lucky if the spell even hit its intended target.”

Cypher hadn’t even realized that possibility. Magick had always seemed like this ethereal force that Conductors could control at will. The idea that simply firing off a fireball could have such a negative effect on the caster surprised him and made him grateful that he hadn’t chosen to use his spell.

How would a lightning bolt affect his body? If it had failed or if it had missed its mark, he would have most likely been killed that day, and Eiden along with him. He was glad that luck had been on his side that day, and that Eiden’s sword had been decently enchanted to keep its sharpness and durability.

To his surprise, however, Alvin quickly assured him by saying, “Of course, you’re lucky that you know a lightning-based spell rather than a fire-based one. It’s a bit difficult to explain, but putting it simply, lightning is a ‘lighter’ form of energy than fire. It’s quick and versatile and while it has higher piercing abilities it doesn’t pack as much force behind it as a dense orb of fire would.”

“You should be able to use your spell with no real issues. Of course, at your level, you can only reach up to the first rank in power anyways, so this limitation isn’t something you should concern yourself with just yet.”

“Ah, but I’ve rambled on long enough as it is. We will get to the different body enhancement methods and their effects on you later on in your training. In the meantime, I want you to work on your Orrium a bit.”

“Until now you’ve only ever used one spell, and at that time it was condensed into the Gaelin stone rather than properly launched. I can’t imagine that you’ve gained much growth from just that alone. The body is nourished through the use of Zight and control of its flow throughout your body.”

“If you want a powerful body, you need access to large amounts of equally powerful Zight. So if you wouldn’t mind taking a seat right there, we will go over how one controls the Zight in their Orrium to nourish the body at a basic level. This method won’t be able to increase your rank, but it will give you an idea of how to control that energy to assist in a real method.” Alvin said as he pointed to a spot on the ground before him.

Cypher moved into place and sat with his legs crossed, looking up at his instructor. Alvin crossed his arms and continued, “Good, now I want you to close your eyes and focus on your Orrium, we have a lot of work to do.”