84 || Facing The Strongest? Lapis Tome's Challenge!

"Hello, kids, I will be your instructor for your time here. This space mirrors the Adventure server, so we will have plenty of time to spar while Tara continues her private lessons!"

The teens balk at the figure before them, even Iris Ash and Gladiolus Rain feel fear. It was one thing to have Grandpa Boying before them, but this is the wall known as River Crosser. A miracle maker, force of nature, a Titan among humans for the past 40 years of virtuality. If he was Earth's second best player nobody would claim to be the first.

"Now, I will let you choose how this goes. Would you prefer to come at me at once with no restrictions placed on myself? Or one on one sparring while I give you a few tips on your respective Classes?" He asks, a smile on his face but mischief in his eyes as he sits cross legged. The wooden platform overlooks Tara's friends.

They are currently in the middle of a forest with rainbow leaves on the trees. They could all feel their internal Essence stir just from the elemental energies present.

"We'll do the individual spars, please." Gladiolus Rain says definitively, though her voice warbles.

"Do you have a specific order you wish to go in or are you volunteering young Qisma?"

A challenge, not a question. Her grip tightens around her shield's handle.

"I'll go first but I would like to witness all that you have." She returns the challenge and he laughs aloud.

"No hesitation towards something greater than yourself for the sake of your comrades. You have the markings of a good Commander and tank. Prepare yourself and then I will come to you." He says wisely as he pulls out a round buckler shield.

An eyebrow arcs to the sky at how fast the Water element gathers around Gladiolus. Forming a cyan blue pillar around her, she's certainly blessed by her affinity for a first campaign and without any prior training. A true natural talent regardless of the fact that something is boosting her ability. Boying can't help his curiosity as he uses his energy tracking Technique he created.

"I can't tell what exactly the energy bolstering you is, but I'm surprised to see you've already formed a rudimentary Soul Realm." He casts his gaze to her friends. Each one of them has a Soul Realm.

This surprises Boying greatly. Having seen a great many things in his journey's over the last few decades, some things stayed the same despite the various worlds and systems of virtuality. The different Classes, for instance, though going by different names had very similar functions. Similarly so were the selections of elements from Fire to Darkness as well as how to manipulate energies. A Soul Realm is simply a unique way to channel and purify the neutral atmospheric energy to match a person's Elemental affinity. It could be said to be a type of Retention Technique, though unlike the offensive and defensive yet active Techniques, this one was unique to each user while also being a passive support.

Gladiolus doesn't seem caught off guard that River Crosser recognizes her Soul Realm. Instead she uses the fact that he doesn't immediately know the Twin Sphere energy. She pushes her Solar Energy to 100 percent, as if she were going to fight a Sacred Beast. But in fact she's facing something much scarier. Gladiolus kicks off her dominant foot before rocketing forwards. Her shield glows cyan as she wraps the Water pillar around her shield, preparing to use Bash!

River Crosser sets his feet apart, squatting a bit before placing his smaller shield in front of his body. It also carries a familiar glow of Bash. After the collision, it is Gladiolus that's sent flying backwards. River Crosser is unmoved and unbothered, while their Commander looks ragged. He had ripped through her defenses!

"You've got plenty of physical power and your Essence control is very good for a new starter. With that odd energy coating your body aiding your defenses and regeneration, it's no wonder a 2nd rate Guild can't fight you on the same level." If he were honest, she was even better than most of the new recruits they filtered in from the martial competitions. Qisma has acute awareness of everything surrounding her despite not being a Sensory Expert.

"Now who can tell me why she lost in that confrontation even though Gladiolus here added her Resonance to the same move?"

It is Kingdom Lock who answers. "Is it because you fused something stronger?"

"A good guess! Here take a look, I'll cast Bash with ambient Essence and then go from there."

First is an octo-colored light with traces of all the elements. This is the ambient Essence in the environment. Then, he focused on that as the glow turned crimson red. This is an application of his Resonance from his Elemental affinity. Lastly, the glow was similar to candle a moment before, having taken the shape of a candle's flame.

"The final layer is me shaping the energy with one of the three pressures. This is called Consonance. If Resonance is addition, then Consonance is a multiplication. The performance of Skills and utility--the damage and defense--of weapons is completely different when you can shape it to your will. Summoners in particular have a stronger start at this."

"What do you mean by three pressures?" One of the group asks.

"Have you ever sensed danger from someone? Perhaps intimidated by their physical strength or charmed by their beauty? Or maybe even had your emotional state rattled by others? Since here in the virtual world where we have easier access to our facilitating energies and can combine them to form Skills thanks to Essence, these examples can manifest as tangible attacks. Intent for mental pressure, Impinge for physical pressure, and finally Inure for spiritual pressure."

"And are Aberrants naturally good at Consonance because they can easily use these pressures?" Gladiolus asks, as she pulls out a gray coin. It was the sealed Emblem she had been given from the loot after they defeated Chief Karei. The item, along with the six class specific Skills that had been given out, could not be used without a sufficient ability to control one's spiritual energy.

"You fought an Aberrant and didn't have your accounts ruined?" Boying is surprised.

When he had faced them during his third campaign, Aberrants were a true scourge to fight. They carried the antithesis of life energy, which combined with their innate ability to wield any pressure like breathing air, could erode not just Equipment but player's being!

"No, we couldn't lift a finger. Those of us that went, if we didn't have Starry River and our other Novelist friends we would have died." Gladiolus admits as she flicks the coin into the air before catching it.

The members of the Crossover Crew can't hide their shame at how useless and afraid they had been.

"You are well aways from subconsciously having true pressure, let alone actively using it. Unless you have a natural disposition, it'll take some time. However, it's not as if there's nothing we can do to train against it. Before that, I'll train you to get strong enough to at least protect yourself in the future." Boying firmly promises them as he notices their expressions as Gladiolus steps down.

Cycling through a spar with each person once, he matches any spell cast or weapon drawn. Boying has plenty of experience training with and against all forms of classes, so he picked up some tricks now and again on his journeys. He teaches each member a different foundational moveset for their class and a breathing exercise for mental as well as emotional stabilization. This was in order to temper bodies, minds, and souls for the future. There was also a hidden benefit they would not realize til later--what they were taught specifically targeted their individual elements.

After doing their exercises, he divides them up into different groups. Boying specifically separates Kingdom Lock and Flame Ribbon, watching their match with interest. Kingdom Lock had long changed out her previous offhand weapon, Caringer's Tip, for a rapier her Dungeon Running team received. Wind Piercer was a silver handled, green bladed Level 25 weapon that she shouldn't be able to use at level 19. However, she had been graced with a title known as Blade Princess after recently rescuing a one-armed beggar NPC from a group of nobles.

This NPC turned out to be a former Blade King, someone who had accrued high mastery in how to use a Sword--even to the point where he didn't need a weapon to use his sword based Skills. Kingdom Lock became his pupil, though she could only take lessons after crossing her first Tier Advancement. Still, the Blade Princess title let her ignore level requirements of swords by up to 10! And this was only just the starting form of the title...

Kingdom Lock was swift and strong in her movements, displaying a sense of positioning and spatial awareness. River Crosser knew this was from her being a part of Blueriver's weapon replication training program.

This was where youths of Guild members were taught how to wield realistic versions of their weapons they use in game. Even rod and staff users were taught how to use them offensively!

What surprises him about Kingdom Lock is that she never loses her balance. Certainly it is in part because of her Steadfast Nature, which ensures she never stumbles or loses her balance. It's more than that, however. Her stance and blocking techniques look familiar to River Crosser, but he'll address that later.

Flame Ribbon is even more of a surprise! Her control Essence, not taking into account her various gear and buffs, is well above the average person. Furthermore, the young girl was subconsciously displaying an ability that requires months even years of training: Silent Casting!

It was only with Flame Ribbon's basic spell Fire Arrow, but to be able to cast the Craft without a word was a huge advantage in both Player vs. Player and Player vs. Environment! Many people sought to be able to do this, even Masters with strong mentalities. Even if they could fuse a spell with a technique, it was not easy to form a Crafts without a word.

"Alright, stop." He says and both girls pause mid-action. After watching for some time while using an ocular Skill, River Crosser has figured out a few things.

'How is it you kids not only have individually crafted that matches your elemental affinity, but some of you have Class Set Equipment? I finally figured out that it was Solar and Lunar energy surging through your Soul Realms! What kind of luck did you all steal from the heavens?' River Crosser thinks internally. He takes about 10 seconds to replay their fight in his head once, ten times, a hundred times. After thinking for a moment, he tosses Kingdom Lock a black sheath encrusted with white gemstones.

"From now on, Kingdom Lock I want you to focus solely on deflecting Flame Ribbon's spells with this sheath and your sword. Flame Ribbon I want you to continue to Silent Cast until it becomes second nature. Once you've both mastered that, I'll teach you each a Retention Technique."

"What's a Retention Technique?" Flame Ribbon asks, innocent and confused.