Blue Blood

Stepping out of the train station, Lucas let out a breath of fresh air.

The center of the city was as lively as the other parts of the city. Hunters entered left and right, one establishment to another.

Some strong Hunters could even be seen walking in the midst of the city, their presence powering through the crowd.

Moreoger, rising from the heart of the city was a vast spiraling tower, glowing lights scattered across its towering structure.

The Sanctum Arcanum—Sage Kahlarkhun's sanctuary.

Just in front of it stood the statue of the Sage himself.

The Sage wore flowing robes, a staff in one hand and the other raised as if in silent command.

His gaze was stern, eyes that looked at the distant universe with curiousity and contempt.

This was Sage Kahlarkhun!

A person so great a city was founded after him, a discipline was attributed through him, and his name continues to be sung even after his death.

Lucas raised his head, eyes full of energy.

A Sage-level figure!

Beneath the emperors, they were unmatched.

In the future, he was going to be as strong—no, he was going to surpass that level.

He needed to work hard for it to happen, even with his talents.

He shook his head and calmed down.

After walking for a while, he finally arrived at his destination.

He looked up at the sign above the door.

"Blue Blood Dojo."

Ever since Lucas had awakened his second talent, he wanted to find a dojo right away.

Dojos had complete techniques and skills stored in them, only accessible by members that pass their test.

With his newly acquired talents, he believed that he would have no problem learning any technique or skill.

He started searching last night for a dojo that fit his requirements, and he only found two dojos.

The first one was a city away, and the second was the Blue Blood Dojo.

After some research, he found that the Blue Blood Dojo was a second-tier dojo.

Not the strongest by any means, but it had made a good name for itself in recent years.

Lucas didn't hesitate anymore and walked inside the dojo.

He couldn't wait anymore.

***

When he walked inside, he was greeted by the sound of a fierce battle taking place.

He glanced at his left and saw a public arena being used by two hunters.

They were in the middle of an intense duel.

They traded blow after blow, exchanged techniques, and seemed to be evenly matched.

Notably, both were women.

Just as the match was about to be decided, the receptionist called out to him, taking his attention away.

"Hello sir, how can I help you?"

Lucas glanced at the counter before pulling out his Hunter ID.

"I'd like to stay for a week."

Most second-tier dojos and above don't accept memberships through payslips anymore.

Instead, they have their own selection process.

From what he found, he needed to reach entry-level on three of Blue Blood Dojo's techniques before he could become a member.

Thus, he could only stay for a temporary amount of time.

"Alright. That'll be 5,000 credits. Cash or card, sir?"

"Card. Use my Hunter ID."

The receptionist took his Hunter ID and slid it on the scanner.

After a second, the amount was successfully paid.

The receptionist gave back his Hunter ID and bowed her head slightly.

"Thank you for using Blue Blood Dojo. You may stay for only a week, and only in this branch. Moreover, you can only access the public arenas and the dojo's outer techniques."

"Reaching entry-level on the three of the techniques will automatically make you a third-tier member…"

"For private practice, you are assigned to Room #144..."

"Finally, any damages done to the dojo's private property must be repaid in full. We accept cash or an item of equal value as payment."

The receptionist briefed Lucas about the rules before she let him go.

Lucas nodded and went further inside, taking his Room ID with him.

Finding his own assigned room was rather tedious, it took him a couple of minutes before he found it.

He went in and locked the door from inside.

Click!

Surprisingly, the dojo's room was larger than the hotel room he rented in last night. There was even a bathroom.

As expected of a second-tier dojo.

But the most eye-catching thing was the VR Capsule placed in the middle.

"So they have a Mindframe for solo practice?"

Lucas exclaimed in surprise. He couldn't help his curiousity and immediately wore it.

The Mindframe was developed a few years ago by the Edwards Science and Technology Inc.

It simulated brain waves, letting people experience a complete virtual reality.

Its main purpose was to help hunters practice for dangerous situations, while not risking their lives in the process.

But gradually, it was adapted by dojos and most techniques are now passed through private Mindframes.

Once he wore it, there was only one app on the interface called "Blue Dojo".

He pressed it and the screen quickly generated a list of outer techniques.

Looking through the list, he randomly picked one.

At that moment, he felt a slight shift in his brain. Then, he was transported to a white space.

He saw a genderless figure perform the technique.

The figure moved fluidly, without wasted motion.

Once the figure struck, the punching bag jolted, hit twice in the same instant.

A red and blue hue flashed on impact, flaring one after the other, perfectly overlapping.

The technique was called "Red and Blue Strike."

Information and the visual process of the technique was transferred to his mind instantly.

After the figure's turn, an option to try for himself appeared.

Lucas thought for a moment before agreeing to try it for himself, replacing the genderless figure in the white space.

'Let's see if this talent lives up to its name..'

He closed his eyes for a moment before opening them again.

Then, he stood up.

He assumed a stance, tightened his fist, applied most of his weight on his back leg, and breathed out slowly.

He moved.

Woosh!

A single, sharp strike.

Flawless.

The air trembled. A faint ripple spread out from his fist.

The punching bag jolted back twice.

Exactly like in the vision.

—No, not exactly.

Lucas exhaled.

There was no color in his strikes.

From the technique's information, he understood why.

This technique required the ability to use aura and mana at the same time.

He had mana, but his aura has yet to be awakened.

He returned back to the real world. He went off the Mindframe and let out a deep breath.

He had tried to awaken his aura in the past, even buying a technique solely for awakening his aura.

But he couldn't do it no matter how much he tried.

It was as if he was missing something crucial.

Now, with Divine Comprehension aiding him, Lucas tried again.

He closed his eyes and followed the instructions.

There were two ways to awaken one's aura: through meditation or through a life-and-death inspiration.

The first one was the option for those who can't find the inspiration no matter what.

He let out a deep breath as he focused.

He visualized his "spirit" and surprisingly, unlike his past attempts, it came naturally.

A vast, endless ocean.

This was his spirit.

He just needs to draw it out and his aura would be awakened.

Everything seemed to be going smoothly.

But then he stopped.

"No," Lucas muttered. "This can be improved."

It was an intuition of his.

Guided by this feeling, he adjusted the technique.

Instead of drawing out the spirit he visualized, he forcefully added some things to it.

Visualization was a process that let you see what your spirit looks like, but that was actually incorrect.

The spirit is formless, unshaped, and immortal.

The spirit can be whatever he wanted it to be.

In the vast, endless ocean, he added an island of flames. A deep green forest…

But then, he came across an issue.

It was too diluted.

How could he combine it while maintaining its purity?

'Why can aura be awakened in two ways?'

'And why is the aura of those who awaken it in battle are stronger than those who don't?'

After some thinking, Lucas suddenly realized something and struck his chest, causing his heart to stop for a moment.

His mind halted, and the visualization process crashed.

The ocean, island of flames, and forest all shattered. But before they broke completely, he drew it out to his body.

Then…

What resulted was a perfect combination where all elements were equal.

Once that equibrillum was achieved, he merged it with his blood. His blood boiled, heating his body up.

A quiet pressure suddenly emanated from his body.

Lucas stood up.

He assumed a stance, applied most of his weight to his back leg, and breathed out slowly.

Then, he moved.

Woosh!

A perfect, single sharp strike.

The air cracked.

Red and blue flashed one after another.

Lucas opened his eyes, a smile gracing his expression.

He successfully performed "Red and Blue Strike"!