Kai let himself float lazily in the glowing temporal waters, arms stretched out, eyes half-closed. For the first time since arriving in the Primarium Castrum, he felt truly at ease. No Leviathans, no training, no pressure.....just the warmth of the energy-infused water seeping into his bones, replenishing the reserves he had nearly drained dry. Then, his Chronolink materialized at his wrist, its crystal pulsing with a faint azure glow. Kai groaned. "Oh, come on. I was just starting to enjoy this." "That thing never lets up," Zyren muttered, not even bothering to move. "Better check it. Maybe someone died."
Kai rolled his eyes and tapped the crystal. A small hum filled the air before a holographic projection flickered to life in front of him. Lorith's image took shape, standing with arms crossed, his expression unreadable at first. Then, his gaze lowered. There was a beat of silence. Lorith blinked. "Kid. Why the hell are you half-naked?" Kai glanced down at himself, realizing he was still in the bathing trunks. He scratched the back of his head. "Uh… waterpark?" Lorith narrowed his eyes. "Water...park." "Yeeeeeaaaah." Kai said slowly. "You do realize you're a Time-Keeper, right? Not some guy on vacation?" Lorith snapped back. "Zyren said it helps with-" Kai began to say Lorith cut him off with a dry chuckle, shaking his head. "I don't even wanna know. Look, fun time's over, bucko. Get your ass to the atrium. Yer gonna train with me next."
Kai let out a long sigh. "Right now?" "No, next century. Yes, now. What, you think you get to shoot finger guns for an hour and call it a day?" Lorith snapped back. "Fine, fine," Kai muttered. As he climbed out of the water, his body and clothes instantly dried, shifting back into his combat suit in a seamless ripple of energy. He flexed his fingers, still getting used to how the suit adapted to his needs so effortlessly. He glanced at Lorith's projection. "How do I find my way back?" Lorith gave him a look like he had just asked the dumbest question in existence. "Kid, you got a Chronolink. It's not just for looking pretty." He sighed. "Touch the crystal and tell it where you wanna go. It'll do the rest."
Kai hesitated before placing a hand over the glowing crystal. "Take me to the atrium." Immediately, a small holographic arrow materialized in front of him, hovering in the air. It bobbed slightly before floating forward, pointing him in the right direction. Kai huffed. "Well, that's convenient." "Yeah, yeah, less talking, more walking," Lorith said. "And if you take too long, I'm doubling your training." The projection cut off before Kai could respond. Zyren chuckled from the water. "Guess you're on a tight leash now, rookie." Kai shook his head. "Yeah, and I have a feeling it's about to get a whole lot tighter."
Kai followed the glowing arrow projected by his Chronolink. After what felt like minutes, he reached the atrium. Lorith was already waiting, arms crossed, standing like an immovable statue in the center. His crystalline body glowed faintly under the golden light, the jagged edges of his form reflecting sharp, fractured patterns across the ground. The sheer mass of him was imposing: eight feet tall, built like a living siege weapon. Kai stepped forward, already bracing himself. "'Bout damn time, kid," Lorith grunted. "Hope that little pool party didn't turn you soft. 'Cause this?" he spread his massive arms, "this ain't that kinda training."
Kai exhaled, "Alright. How do we start?" Lorith's lips curled into a knowing grin. "By breakin' you." Before Kai could process that, Lorith slammed his foot into the ground. Instantly, the atrium shifted Kai barely had a second to react before his entire body became unbearably heavy. His knees buckled, his boots digging deep into the ground as if a mountain had been dropped onto his shoulders. His arms trembled as he tried to push himself up, the air around him thick like molasses. Lorith stood unaffected, watching with his usual amused smirk. "If you can't even stand, you sure as hell ain't fightin' right." Kai clenched his jaw, focusing on his breathing. He forced his body to adapt, channeling his temporal energy just enough to counteract the intense pressure.....but then....the weight vanished.
His entire body became weightless. Kai's footing wavered. His arms flailed as he struggled to keep steady, his balance completely thrown off. Lorith chuckled. "That's more like it. Welcome to adaptive gravity training. If you can't fight when the battlefield's workin' against you, you're already dead." Kai grit his teeth, forcing himself to adjust. He spread his stance, flexed his core, and gradually steadied his movements, no matter how wildly the gravity fluctuated. His control over his own body was sharpening with each passing second. "Not bad, kid." Lorith nodded approvingly. "Now let's see how you do when you're takin' hits."
Kai barely had a second before Lorith rushed forward. The punch came like a wrecking ball. Kai skidded back, his body screaming in protest as pain exploded through his ribs. He coughed, doubling over slightly, before he felt it: his temporal aura mending the damage. His body healed itself instantly, the pain fading just as quickly as it came. Lorith cracked his knuckles. "Your body's immortal, but your pain ain't." Before Kai could straighten, another fist slammed into his gut. He staggered but didn't fall. Lorith grinned. "Good. You're learnin'." Kai's mind raced. He had to push through. Adapt to the pain. His endurance wasn't just about healing anymore, it was about fighting through the damage.
Lorith didn't let up. He continued his relentless barrage, each strike sending ripples through Kai's body, forcing him to rely on sheer willpower to stay standing. By the time Lorith finally stopped, Kai was panting, but he wasn't broken and Lorith seemed somewhat satisfied. Lorith took a step back, his massive crystalline hand glowing with white energy. The air around them shifted. Kai blinked, suddenly everything felt slow. His arms felt like they were moving through water, his thoughts sluggish, his entire sense of time distorted. "Welcome to your next lesson," Lorith said. Except his voice sounded fast. Warped. Kai gritted his teeth. Before he could adjust, Lorith snapped his fingers. Everything sped up. Suddenly, Kai was too fast. His body moved ahead of his own mind, each step an overcorrection. He nearly lost his footing entirely.
Lorith watched with that damn smirk. "Your enemies ain't just gonna fight fair, kid. You gotta learn to fight when time itself is against you." Kai forced himself to adapt, drawing from the earlier gravity training. He focused on his internal balance, on stabilizing his own flow of time rather than being thrown off by external forces. His movements sharpened. His perception aligned. Lorith chuckled. "Yeah. That's more like it." Lorith lifted a hand, and massive crystalline structures erupted from the ground. Towering and infused with temporal energy. Kai stared at them. "Let me guess. You want me to fight these?" Lorith grinned. "No. I want you to break them ." Kai stepped forward, gripping his fist tightly. His temporal energy flared, surging through his muscles. He punched the structure with everything he had. Not even a scratch.
Lorith let out a sharp laugh. "You ain't just swingin' a sword, kid. Every hit you throw should be a damn force of nature. Try again." Kai narrowed his eyes, adjusting his stance. He let his energy flow correctly this time, minimizing wasted movement. His aura concentrated. He struck again. CRACK! A visible dent formed. Lorith nodded approvingly. "Now you're gettin' it." "Final test," Lorith said, stepping back and holding his hand out. A surge of raw energy flooded through Kai's body, his veins pulsing with an azure glow. His entire form felt lighter. Sharper. Stronger. But....overwhelmed.
Lorith watched. "Yeah, you feel that?" His voice was calm, but his eyes were sharp. "That's your body tryin' not to tear itself apart. Now hold it." Kai clenched his fists, struggling to control the power surging through him. His body wanted to burn through it all at once, but that would leave him drained. He focused. Gradually, the energy settled. Lorith grinned. "Heh. First time and you didn't collapse? You might actually be worth somethin' runt." Kai exhaled, his body still tingling with residual energy. He had improved his control over his temporal energy. Lorith clapped a massive hand on his shoulder, nearly knocking him over. "Not bad, kid. Not bad at all."
Kai's breath was steady as he stood opposite Lorith in the atrium. The training had already pushed him to his limits, but Lorith wasn't done yet. The massive crystal-covered warrior exhaled. He raised his massive arms, his entire body glowing with a radiant white aura. The air around him hummed with power, the sheer density of his temporal energy distorting the space around him. "Time to teach you something real useful, kid," Lorith grunted. "You ever wonder why I don't bother dodgin'?" Kai watched as Lorith slowly crossed his massive arms in front of his chest. His aura didn't just flare, it collapsed inward. Instead of radiating outward, it condensed, forming a crackling barrier of temporal energy in front of him. Kai's eyes widened. "That's-"
"-a temporal shield," Lorith finished. "Ain't no use spreadin' your energy thin tryin' to tank hits all over. You condense it. Keep it solid" Kai took a slow breath and mimicked the stance, crossing his own arms in front of him. He willed his energy to gather, not disperse. It felt unnatural at first, his instincts told him to let it flow freely, but as he focused, his azure aura condensed in front of him, forming a faint barrier. Lorith smirked. "Not bad." Without warning, Lorith swung his massive fist. Kai staggered back, his shield cracking like glass before dispersing entirely. The impact sent a sharp jolt through his arms, but he was still standing. Lorith nodded. "That's the trick. Shield ain't supposed to be invincible, it's meant to soften the blow. Lemme guess, took less damage, yeah?"
Kai flexed his fingers, realizing that the usual jarring force of Lorith's punch was reduced. His arms weren't numb this time. He exhaled. "I see. Instead of trying to tank everything with raw endurance, I let the shield absorb some of the impact." "Exactly." Lorith cracked his knuckles. "You learn to do that instinctively, you'll last a helluva lot longer." Kai nodded, his mind already committing the technique to memory. Lorith wasn't done. Lorith stretched his neck, his crystalline body crackling as he shifted his stance. "Alright, next lesson. You're wastin' too much damn energy."
Kai blinked. "What?" Lorith rolled his shoulders. "What're you doin' right now?" Kai frowned. "Standing?" "Wrong." Lorith jabbed a thick finger toward him. "You're burnin' energy even when you ain't doin' a damn thing. Your aura's flowin' all over when it don't need to. That's sloppy." Kai opened his mouth to argue but stopped. He could feel his aura spread evenly across his body. His entire form was enhanced.....but did it really need to be? Lorith grunted. "Instead of wastin' power by enhancin' everything at once, you focus it where you need it. Overflow energy into different parts of your body depending on the situation." Kai listened carefully as Lorith raised a massive fist, his energy surging into his arm. "When you need raw offense, you overload your arms."
Kai nodded. "And for speed?" Lorith was already moving. His legs pulsed with temporal energy, and in a blink, he blurred forward, crossing the distance between them almost instantly. "You overflow your legs," Lorith finished, standing right in front of Kai before stepping back. Kai inhaled sharply. He had barely been able to track Lorith's movement. Lorith crossed his arms, his expression turning serious. "And when you gotta defend? You reinforce your core." His entire torso flared with white energy, making him seem even sturdier. Kai clenched his fists. He understood now. Don't spread energy thin. Concentrate and Overflow it where needed. Lorith smirked. "Try it." Kai nodded, closing his eyes. He focused, redirecting his temporal energy. He funneled it into his legs.
The world blurred around him as he shot forward, his speed nearly doubling. He stopped himself, pivoting quickly, then refocused. He funneled energy into his arms. His aura burned as he swung his fist at a nearby crystal construct, shattering it completely. Kai's eyes widened. The difference was staggering. Lorith let out a low chuckle. "Not bad kid, now, you and me are gonna spar, one-on-one."