Understanding Conceptual Power Part 1

After arriving at the training facility within the estate, both Uncle Kael and I stood opposite each other.

"So, how exactly are you supposed to test me?" I asked, genuinely curious.

Flashing me a confident grin, Uncle Kael replied, "Well, don't worry. For the test I'm about to give you, we'll be doing it in a different place."

As he spoke, he reached into his spatial storage and pulled out an object. It was a cube, glowing faintly with a deep, purple hue. The moment I saw it, I immediately understood what he intended to do.

"I assume I don't need to explain what this is?" Uncle Kael asked, his smile widening as he held the object aloft.

I nodded in understanding.

"Good. Then get ready."

As soon as he said those words, the environment around us shifted entirely. Reality seemed to dissolve like watercolors running in the rain, replaced by a void of endless possibilities.

Bright flashes of light erupted in every direction, and the very fabric of space around me warped and twisted before solidifying into a new form.

"Well, tada!" Uncle Kael said, his tone amused. "This is the training program I made for you."

Before me lay a sprawling complex of arenas, each one massive in scale and distinct in design. Above each arena hung holographic labels, each identifying its purpose. The one directly in front of me was marked as Battle Art Section 01.

"So, what am I supposed to do here?" I asked, my tone laced with curiosity and a hint of skepticism.

"Well, you see," Uncle Kael began, folding his arms casually, "learning and mastering conceptual arts is far from easy. Even your prodigy of a father took 15 years to master it to a high level. And that's with his unnatural aptitude for such things."

I raised an eyebrow. "So, how am I supposed to speed up what even took him years?"

He smirked. "Simple. You won't be learning it through boring theory or repetitive drills. Instead, you'll be facing opponents who can only be defeated using conceptual power. No shortcuts, no cheats—just raw, brutal experience."

He paused, letting his words sink in before continuing.

"Also," he added with a malicious grin, "since we're using the Creative Void Space, even if you die—and trust me, you will die many times—it won't matter. Everything here is as real as it gets, but it's all reversible. Think of it as a safe space for lethal mistakes."

His grin widened at my expression. I think he was enjoying this a little too much.

I took a deep breath, absorbing the information. I understood now. Uncle Kael wanted me to learn through the fires of combat, where every mistake carried the weight of death—even if only simulated.

This wasn't a game, even if it was a virtual space. The Creative Void Space, as he called it, was a marvel of magitech. It used a medium called the Void Cube, an invention of my family that fused advanced magic with ancient runic sorcery.

The cube was a masterpiece of technology, making what we'd call "full-dive VR" from my previous world look primitive in comparison. Thanks to magic, the simulated environment was indistinguishable from reality. Pain, taste, touch—everything was replicated perfectly.

The Void Cube came in three tiers, with the least expensive and most common being the Blue Cube, which was widely accessible to the general population. The one Uncle Kael was using, however, was the rare and highly coveted Purple Cube, capable of crafting hyper-realistic training programs tailored to its user's needs.

This magical device wasn't just used for combat training. Its versatility was unmatched. People could use it to simulate having abilities they didn't actually possess or experience life as a completely different race. Some even used it for more... intimate purposes.

A mage could be like a warrior here and warrior could be like a mage here, basically It's space where one can do whatever they desire and It's only limited by their imagination.

But for me, it was a tool to polish my skills. In this space, I could push my limits, face scenarios I'd never encounter otherwise, and hone my abilities in ways the real world couldn't offer.

"Let me give you some advice," Uncle Kael said, snapping me out of my thoughts. "In this environment, your talent means nothing unless you're willing to put in the effort to refine it. Talent is just raw potential. Without polishing your craft, you'll never unlock your full capabilities."

I nodded, his words striking a chord. Even with all my natural gifts—my enhanced body, my powerful soul, and my absurd number of mana cores—I knew that without discipline and hard work, I'd eventually hit a wall.

Even for me i am currently stuck at only Advanced level proficiency at the BlightFall mana arts. Though i doubt I'll soon reach expert maybe this training is good rather relying on pure mana elemental force i could fine tune my control and shaping as well as make use of my powerfull soul to increase my spirit and polish my conceptual arts. It's like Hitting many birds with one stone.

Uncle Kael gestured toward the arena marked Battle Art Section 01. "Your first task is simple: defeat the opponents in this arena. They've been designed specifically to force you to utilize conceptual power. You won't be able to brute-force your way through this one."

I stepped forward, my heart pounding with anticipation. As I crossed the threshold into the arena, the atmosphere shifted. The space around me felt dense, charged with raw energy that hummed against my skin.

A holographic interface materialized in front of me, displaying my stats and a brief overview of the upcoming challenge.

Objective: Defeat the Conceptual Wraiths using conceptual arts.

Conditions: No external tools or enhancements. Victory depends on understanding and applying conceptual techniques.

The description was vague, but that was by design. Uncle Kael wanted me to figure it out on my own.

As the challenge began, several figures materialized before me. They were humanoid in shape but featureless, their bodies composed of swirling black smoke. Each one radiated an aura of menace, their forms shifting and warping as if they were made of liquid shadow.

Uncle Kael's voice echoed through the arena. "These are Conceptual Wraiths. They exist in a semi-physical state, immune to normal attacks. You'll need to unravel their essence and strike at the core of their existence. Remember, conceptual power isn't about brute strength—it's about understanding and shaping reality itself."

I clenched my fists, the weight of his words sinking in. This wasn't going to be easy, but when has life ever been easy.

The first Wraith lunged at me, its movement fluid and unnatural. I instinctively dodged, narrowly avoiding its claw-like appendage. Summoning a burst of mana, I retaliated with a precision blast aimed at its center using pure mana to fuel my attack but in the heat of the moment i forgot because my reliance on mana ever since i was born in this world so this was an instinctual response.

The attack passed harmlessly through its body.

Uncle Kael chuckled from the sidelines. "Didn't I just say normal attacks won't work? Try again, Arax. Use your mind."

I gritted my teeth, frustration bubbling within me. This was going to take more than brute force. I closed my eyes, focusing on the energy radiating from the Wraith. If physical attacks wouldn't work, then I'd need to approach this from a different angle.

I reached deep within myself, tapping into my soul's power. I could feel the threads of reality around me, delicate and intricate. The Wraith wasn't just a creature—it was an idea, a concept given form. To defeat it, I'd need to understand and unravel that idea. In It's true form these wraiths are also made of something even if they seem immune to Both physical and energy attacks. Concepts can not be destroyed like energy they can only be changed to different form using other concepts to counter them.

With renewed determination, I opened my eyes and faced the Wraith again. This time, I wasn't just looking at it—I was analyzing it, breaking it down to its essence.

The battle was far from over, but i got a feeling this time, I felt like I was beginning to understand what it meant to wield conceptual power, it wasn't just fancy higher level of power it was about understanding something accepting for what it was and then unraveling it using the same kind of power it made from.

Uncle Kael's voice echoed again, his tone laced with amusement. "Not bad, kid. Let's see how far you can go."