Cassidy led Belial through the winding trails of the forest outcropping behind the guild, their boots crunching against fallen leaves. The evening air was crisp, carrying the faint aroma of pine and damp earth. The two moved at a leisurely pace, their conversation filling the quiet woods.
"So," Cassidy began, his cyan dreads bouncing as he walked. "How long have you been here... in the human realm?"
Belial glanced up, considering the question for a moment. "About two months now," he replied evenly.
Cassidy nodded, his gaze shifting to the trees around them. "Not long, then. Adjusting alright?"
Belial hesitated, but then nodded. He knew Cassidy wouldn't dare to try anything reckless—Cole's protection ensured that much. Still, there was an edge of caution in Belial's tone as he spoke.
"It's not that different from the demon realm aside from cultures and technology."
Cassidy chuckled softly. "I see. Well, the human realm has its quirks. You'll get used to it."
Their conversation dwindled as they reached a small clearing bathed in the soft glow of the setting sun. The open space was perfect for training, surrounded by towering trees that seemed to form a natural boundary.
Cassidy rolled his shoulders and tied his dreads into a loose bun, stretching his arms above his head. "Alright," he said, his tone casual but businesslike. "What do we need to work on? Take as long as you need—Cole's footing the bill for this."
Belial couldn't help but sigh internally. I think he cares more about the pay than the training, he thought.
"In most of my fights, I keep running into the same two problems," Belial admitted. "My ether reserves and my constructs."
Cassidy rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "Hmm... we can definitely work on your constructs. But the ether issue..." He trailed off, his expression turning serious.
Belial furrowed his brow. "What about it?"
Cassidy crossed his arms and began explaining, his tone measured. "A person's ether capacity is like... a storage limit for stamina, except it's for ether. Normally, you'd train to expand it by exhausting your reserves repeatedly over time. But for someone like you—a demon—that process is... different."
Belial tilted his head, confusion evident in his gaze. "Different how?"
Cassidy sighed, clearly weighing his words. "Because of your nature, you age slower. For demons, the process of increasing ether capacity through training would take _years._ Decades, even."
Belial's shoulders sagged slightly. "So I'm stuck with what I've got?"
"Not exactly." Cassidy smirked. "There's another way to do it—by obtaining talents."
Belial's expression shifted to one of curiosity. "Talents?"
Cassidy nodded. "Yeah. When you obtain a talent, your ether capacity automatically increases to accommodate it. Think of it like your ether pool expanding to support the new abilities the talent grants you."
Belial considered this, the gears in his mind turning.
_So how much does it increase by?_
[Answer: It depends on the rank of the talent. Common talents might only give you a small boost, while unique or highest-ranked ones provide a significant increase.]
[Take your case, for example. When you gained the common talent {Tenacity}, your ether capacity increased by about 1%. Not much, but noticeable over time. But when you obtained the unique talent {The Oracle}, your ether capacity jumped by a solid 10%. That's a big leap because of the talent's rank and complexity.]
Belial's eyes widened slightly. "So the more talents I gain, the higher my ether capacity grows?"
"Exactly," Cassidy confirmed. "Getting talents are actually more beneficial since they are tailor made to help with your hax, But talents aren't something you can just pick up at a store. They're rare, often tied to experiences, Ambitions challenges, or... well, fate."
Belial let the information sink in, his mind already strategizing. _If I can't rely on traditional training, then I'll need to seek out more of these talents. It's the only way to get stronger fast enough._
Cassidy pud off the tree and gestured toward the clearing. "But for now, let's focus on what we _can_ control—your constructs. Show me what you've got, and we'll go from there."
Belial nodded, stepping into the center of the clearing. As he readied himself, Cassidy's voice cut through the air once more.
"Oh, and one more thing," Cassidy said, his smirk returning. "Don't hold back."
Belial smirked back, his crimson eyes glowing faintly as he summoned his ether. "I wouldn't have it any other way."
The forest seemed to hold its breath as the training began.
The air was still, heavy with tension. Belial's crimson eyes narrowed as he summoned his weapon—a blade forged from the pure essence of darkness. Shadows rippled and twisted in the space around him, forming four additional swords that floated menacingly by his side. With a single step, he dad toward Cassidy, his main sword gleaming with an otherworldly, black energy.
Cassidy, calm as ever, slipped his hand inside his jacket, producing a slender dagger. The sound of metal meeting metal rang out as he parried the oncoming blow effortlessly.
Belial grunted in frustration, pressing the attack with a flurry of strikes. Yet, Cassidy moved with practiced ease, deflecting each blow with precise, almost lazy movements. At one point, Cassidy held out his free hand, conjuring a small bead of water that hovered in the air before bursting outward in a controlled pulse. The force shattered Belial's floating swords instantly, leaving only his primary weapon intact.
Belial cursed under his breath, considering his options. His battle art, the one technique that might turn the tide, came to mind. But no—it was a killing art, not something to be used in sparring. And besides, he was supposed to train his ability, not his lethality.
He couldn't wield the Dance of Death with its full potency unless he was teetering on the very edge of death itself. It was only in that fragile, fleeting moment—when his breath hung on a knife's edge—that the true power of the technique would awaken, unleashing its deadly grace. Without that dire threshold, its potency wont be as deadly.
He pressed forward, exchanging blows with Cassidy. The difference in their skill became apparent with every swing. Cuts began to accumulate on Belial's arms and torso, and he could feel his ether reserves dwindling. Sweat dripped from his brow as he tried to catch his breath.
Cassidy finally stepped back, pausing the fight. His expression shifted, his smirk replaced by a thoughtful frown. "You know," he said, conjuring a small dagger made entirely of water, "our abilities are similar in terms of versatility. But yours—yours is more intricate."
Belial tilted his head, confused by the statement but too drained to respond.
"Hold on a sec," Cassidy added, reaching into his jacket once more. This time, he pulled out a small silver ring, its surface engraved with intricate patterns. With a flick of his wrist, three shields materialized before him: a small round shield, a kite shield, and a massive great shield.
Belial blinked in disbelief. "Uh...what are we doing now?" he asked, lowering his weapon.
Cassidy rested one of the shields against his leg and leaned casually against a dead tree trunk. "I think your constructs would work better if you had a deeper understanding of the objects you're creating. Their weight, durability, size, balance—all of it matters." He gestured to the shields. "So take your time and study these."
Belial froze mid-step, his Lavender eyes widening as the realization struck him like a thunderbolt. _The storage ring._ Gael's storage ring. How could he have forgotten? The chaos of the Guild Wars, , the relentless battles—it had all blurred into a haze of adrenaline and fury. But now, in the cold stillness of the aftermath, the oversight burned in his mind like a brand.
Belial's jaw tightened in annoyance.
With a begrudging nod, he let the dark blade in his hand dissipate and focused his energy on replicating the shields.
Cassidy relaxed, leaning further into the tree trunk and closing his eyes as if he intended to nap. But the peace didn't last long. Within moments, Belial stood up, holding perfect replicas of the small shield, kite shield, and greatshield.
Cassidy's eyes snapped open, his face betraying genuine surprise. "You've gotta be kidding me," he muttered, standing up and examining the shields more closely. "That fast?!"
Belial shrugged, his expression smug. "Oracle did most of the work."
"Of course it did," Cassidy grumbled, shaking his head.
Before Cassidy could comment further, Belial raised the small shield, prompting Cassidy to test it. Without hesitation, Cassidy formed anothis bead of water and launched it at the shield. The impact sent ripples through the dark construct, causing a slight fracture, but it held firm.
"Not bad," Cassidy admitted.
Encouraged by the result, Belial crafted anothis dark sword and launched himself at Cassidy again. This time, his constructs felt sturdier, more reliable. Each exchange of blows echoed through the forest, and though Cassidy still maintained the upper hand, Belial could tell he was closing the gap.
Their sparring intensified. Cassidy's water-based techniques were fluid and relentless, forcing Belial to adapt his tactics. The dark shields took blow after blow, cracking but never shattering completely. For every move Belial learned, Cassidy countered with something new, his movements precise and deliberate.
As the fight wore on, it became clear to Belial just how vast the difference in their power truly was. Cassidy was faster, more experienced, and his ether reserves seemed almost limitless. Every strike Belial landed felt insignificant compared to the devastating counters Cassidy delivered.
Eventually, Belial's legs gave out, and he collapsed onto the forest floor, gasping for air. His ether reserves were completely depleted, and his limbs felt like lead.
Cassidy stood over him, barely winded, before letting out a long sigh. "You've got potential, Belial. You just need to know when to stop pushing yourself."
Belial grumbled something incoherent, too tired to argue.
Cassidy sat back on the dead tree trunk, pulling a flask from his jacket and taking a sip. "Not bad, though. Your constructs are definitely more durable now."
Belial rolled onto his back, staring up at the canopy of trees. The afternoon sun filtered through the leaves, casting dappled shadows across the ground. Despite his exhaustion, he felt a small sense of accomplishment.
After a few moments of silence, Cassidy spoke again. "You know, you're lucky to have Oracle. Most people would spend years trying to master what you did in minutes."
Belial chuckled weakly. "Yeah, well, it doesn't feel like it sometimes."
Cassidy shrugged. "You'll get those. Just remember—power without control is nothing."
Belial groaned and sat up, rubbing his sore arms. "You sound like one of those old guild masters."
"Maybe," Cassidy said with a grin. "But even they have a point sometimes."
The two sat in companionable silence for a while longer, the tension of their earlier battle dissipating. Though they had sparred, there was a mutual respect growing between them—a recognition of each other's strengths and potential.
Belial eventually lay back down, letting the cool earth soothe his aching body. His mind raced with thoughts of how to improve, of how to close the gap between himself and fighters like Cassidy.
Belial glanced at Cassidy as he shrugged off his jacket, his shirt unbuttoned halfway to reveal a tattoo on the left side of his chest.
"Hey, since you know my little secret, why don't you tell me yours? What's the story behind that tattoo?" he asked, his voice full of curiosity .
Cassidy looked down, his fingers tracing the edge of his own sleeve. glanced back at him, then turned his gaze to the forest beyond.
"It's not much of a secret really.." began, his voice trailing off as memories flickered in his eyes.