Training my Talents (2)

Ariase tried again as he inhaled and exhaled, this time focusing on a single leaf from a nearby tree.

He severed out everything else—his surroundings, his lingering excitement—and zeroed in on that one leaf.

With a deep breath, he extended his will as he commanded, "Come."

The leaf trembled slightly, resisting at first, but then...

Snap!

It broke free from its branch and floated toward him.

Ariase's lips curled into a satisfied smile.

"Whew, I finally succeeded."

Wanting to test his limits, he extended his focus to a second leaf.

This time, he had to divide his attention—keeping the first leaf afloat while pulling the second one toward him.

It required more effort, but he managed.

Feeling a surge of confidence, he gulped and reached for a third leaf.

His mind began to strain. A dull weight settled in his head, his control slipping with every second.

Yet, with gritted teeth, he persevered and soon, three Earth Grade leaves floated in the air before him.

Beads of sweat formed on his forehead as he muttered, "T-This seems to be my limit for now…"

Three leaves might not seem like much—but Ariase knew better.

"This is considered a progress. After all, quality is still better than quantity."

And these weren't just ordinary leaves—they were Earth Grade treasures, wherein each single leaf held immense power.

Though he could not fully discern its tier level since his talent was only Tier 1, he knew that it was beyond Tier 3.

Soon, he continued, determined to find a way to wield them properly.

Though Ariase's mind felt heavy from the strain of controlling such high-tier leaves, a wide grin stretched across his face.

His excitement drowned out the mental fatigue as he continued practicing.

The feeling of having control over something—something fully connected to him—fueled his perseverance.

He tested his control range, bending the leaves' paths mid-air, curving them like dancing blades.

He experimented with sharpening their edges, making them gleam with a dangerous sheen.

He even pushed the flight speed to its limits, feeling an intoxicating thrill as the leaves cut through the air like silent daggers of an assassin.

With each drop of sweat and the relentless strain of mental fatigue, his thirst to discover his limits and his desire for growth only intensified.

He was so focused that he failed to notice one Filipino after another, undergoing their own awakenings.

Even Kalikasan, the Elder Spirit of Nature, had stopped in her tracks, watching in stunned silence.

Her golden eyes narrowed slightly as she observed him.

"This human… never ceases to surprise me."

Ariase was casually manipulating Tier 6 leaves, something that should have been impossible.

"Normally, such leaves would be resistant to control, especially since they had been bathed in the presence of Sir Divine Tree, pushing them dangerously close to Semi-Divine Grade."

"And... yet, this boy wielded them as if it were natural. Just what kind of human is he…?"

...

As time passed, Ariase completed his initial training, refining his control over the leaves in various ways.

By now, he had increased his limit to four leaves, a small but significant improvement.

Raising his hand toward the sky, he willed the four leaves to spin rapidly, their edges becoming razor-sharp.

Then, with a swift motion, he clenched his fist—leaving only two fingers extended—before sharply lowering them toward a nearby tree.

Like throwing stars, the spinning leaves shot forward in an instant, tearing through the air with incredible speed.

A second later, a small branch of an Earth Grade tree snapped off, cleanly severed.

Ariase grinned as he evaluated his progress.

"Great. I finally have some leverage in a fight and have partially mastered my Tier 1 talents."

For now, he decided this was enough.

"I'll practice Season Enchantment and Essence Extraction outside using lower-grade leaves. But before that..."

His eyes glimmered with mischief as he glanced at Kalikasan.

The Elder Spirit of Nature was preparing to leave again, opening a transportation gate to fetch another human.

This was his chance.

Waiting exactly ten seconds after she stepped away, Ariase sprang into action.

He dashed toward the nearest Earth Grade trees, activating [Foliage of Four Seasons] to maneuver and store as many leaves as possible.

His strategy was meticulous—he didn't just strip one tree bare, which would be too obvious.

Instead, he moved from tree to tree, ensuring that each one only lost a few leaves to make his theft less noticeable.

In mere moments, tens—no, almost a hundred high-grade leaves had vanished into his storage bracelet.

Ariase would be lying if he said he wasn't nervous.

The possibility of getting caught loomed over him like a dark cloud.

Every time he plucked another leaf and stored it away, he couldn't help but glance around, half-expecting Kalikasan to reappear or the Divine Tree to make a move.

Yet… nothing happened.

The Elder Spirit of Nature didn't return and the Divine Tree remained silent.

Taking a deep breath, he wiped the sweat from his forehead and reassured himself.

"Ehem… I'm pretty sure these trees would understand my intentions."

He straightened his posture, feigning confidence as he placed a hand over his chest.

"I'm not stealing. No, no. I'm simply… borrowing nature's gifts."

With that self-assured thought, he continued his covert collection mission with just a little more confidence.

But... deep inside, guilt gnawed at Ariase.

"Mom… Dad… I know you raised me better than this, but I really need these leaves. So, I hope you understand and I'm very sorry!!"

Despite his mischievous actions, he silently asked for their forgiveness—especially from his mother, who had always taught him about morals and ethics.

Just then, he felt the space ripple slightly.

His instincts flared.

Immediately, he stopped what he was doing, shifting into a more natural pose—acting as if he were simply practicing his leaf control.

Yet, his hands trembled slightly, and his breathing was a bit unsteady from the sudden panic.

At that moment, Kalikasan returned, leading a young man with prescription glasses toward the Divine Tree.

She casually glanced at Ariase and spoke, her tone carrying a hint of amusement, "Guest, I suggest you take a break. Too much effort is never good. Just look at your breathing and hands."

Ariase forced a nervous smile, wiping his sweat as he stammered, "Y-you're right… Whew. I'll just take a small break, then. Thanks for the reminder—"

However, a cold realization struck him, 'Wait a minute… Kalikasan is the Elder Spirit of Nature… and she has an utmost connection to nature itself…'

His pupils slightly shrank.

'Wouldn't she have the ability to communicate with plants?!'

A bead of sweat rolled down his temple.

'How could I forget about that?! I... I better leave—NOW!'

Not wanting to push his luck any further, Ariase quickly stood up before the spirit could sense anything amiss.

With a polite bow, he spoke hurriedly, "Nature Spirit, I think I'll get going now. Thanks for your hospitality."

Kalikasan nodded, her lips curving into a sweet yet strangely satisfied smile.

As Ariase turned away, she subtly kicked the four-eyed boy forward, sending him stumbling toward the Divine Tree without so much of a glance of worry.

Inwardly, she sighed in deep relief, 'Finally!!! This brat is actually leaving. Peaceful hours are coming again! Mother of All, I thank you from the bottom of my essence for answering my prayers!'

Still, on the surface, her face remained serene and angelic, her hand placed over her chest in an elegant gesture.

With the voice of a benevolent guide, she spoke, "It is my duty to lead humans who awaken the Nature Element. So, don't worry too much about it… After all, you are also a guest of Sir Divine Tree."

Her gentle smile remained, but deep inside, she was practically celebrating his departure.

Seeing the spirit's reaction, Ariase couldn't help but force a smile, his mouth twitching slightly from her actions.

'What's with this spirit? Acting like a saint after straight-up kicking that kid into the Divine Tree… She really has the nerve to be this shameless…'

But then, he quickly brushed his thoughts off.

'Well, I'm not one to talk. I just managed to borrow a whole lot of leaves… So I'll just forget what she did and agree with her.'

Just as he was about to make his exit, Kalikasan suddenly spoke, her voice casual yet laced with something deeper.

"Before you go, would you like me to erase your memories of the awakening?"

Ariase froze mid-step, "Huh?"

Kalikasan continued nonchalantly, "Humans tend to find the awakening process a bit… traumatic. So, we erase their memories without their consent after they leave our domain. But since you're a guest, I'm giving you a choice. Do you want me to sever your memories of this place?"

Ariase's mind reeled, "Wait… what?"

He was already prepared to leave, but the spirit had just dropped a bombshell that made his curiosity explode to its absolute limit.

His thoughts ran wild, 'So this is why my uncle and teacher never mentioned anything about what actually happened during their awakening?'

'It's because they can't remember it?!'

'I always thought it was weird. A twelve-year-old experiencing the gruesome feeling of being stabbed in half just to awaken their element? No one talks about it? No one remembers it?'

The more he thought about it, the more questions flooded his mind.

After a moment of deep contemplation, Ariase slowly spoke, his tone deliberate.

"Now that I think about it… no matter how much I searched for details about the awakening, no one seems to know anything about it. Nor do they know anything about what exactly the Grand Altar of Endless Star is."

His gaze sharpened.

"Is erasing our memories... really just because you spirits don't want humans to suffer trauma?"

"Or is it… because—"

Before he could finish his sentence, Kalikasan's thoughts turned into a full-blown internal scream.

'AHHHH!! This damn mouth of mine!!!'

She was mentally cursing herself.

'Why did I say that?! Of course, this kid wouldn't want his memories erased!!!'

'I should have just let him go. Now we're back to ZERO!!!'