Tave returned to his own home, as Lily had an afternoon class at the academy. That particular lesson didn't apply to him since he was still in a lower class, with fewer education hours than his sister.
He headed straight to the training hall at the back of the house. It was a spacious room, though the ceiling wasn't as high as the training halls at the Knight Academy. This was where his father had trained both him and Lily in martial arts.
The floor was made of solid wood, polished smooth, with various dummy weapons placed around the room.
Tave settled himself in the center of the space, sitting cross-legged. There were a few things he needed to confirm, his Gaia Stage and the condition of his body.
He took a deep breath, closed his eyes, and focused, reaching out to sense the Gaia Force in his surroundings.
Gaia Force was, practically speaking, a form of natural energy. Something akin to Qi in Eastern fantasy or Mana in Western fantasy. They shared certain similarities.
In simple terms, those who had an affinity for these forces could perceive elemental particles in the air. This typically happened when they were half-closing their eyes, in a semi-conscious state, or fully concentrating.
Once awakened, a person could absorb the forces, containing them within their body. The energy would accumulate and center around their heart.
Yes! The heart was the first part of the body to undergo transformation. That was why, when slaying a monster, one could find a Monster Core. It was a condensed form of Gaia Force, marking the creature's evolution. The same process occurred in humans as well.
Though in most cases, when a human was killed, their core shattered, leaving nothing behind.
The progression of Gaia Stages followed this order:
Novice → Apprentice → Guardian → Master → Grand Master → Champion → Archon → Sage → Mystic → Transcendent.
As the Gaia Force evolved a person through each stage, they granted special upgrades and unique abilities, taking the form of sigils, elemental affinities, and other enhancements. However, each Gaia Stage also provided unique, stage-specific upgrades that varied from one level to the next.
For example, a Gaia Novice began experiencing physical enhancements, increasing their strength and agility.
A Gaia Apprentice gained the ability to reinforce their body with elemental magic, which was marked by the awakening of their Elemental Affinity.
Unfortunately for Tave, even after advancing to Gaia Apprentice, he hadn't awakened any elemental affinity of his own. Without his new acquired sigil, he wouldn't have access to elemental abilities at all. Something that would have severely limited his potential.
Upon reaching Gaia Guardian, a person could begin using Gaia Force externally, manifesting it beyond their body. This allowed for techniques like elemental attacks, such as Lily's Water Blade, or the healing abilities used on her earlier.
As one ascended further, their connection to Gaia Force would deepen, unlocking even greater abilities and access to more advanced powers.
To increase their gaia stages, a person had to reach level 10 within their current stage and then break through to the next. There were four key methods, all of which needed to be balanced for optimal growth.
Honestly, it would be much easier if leveling up was just about killing monsters, but the Gaia Force system was far more complex, altering the human body and introducing advanced mechanics at higher levels.
The four main methods were:
First, training the Body.
Strengthening the body improved synergy with Gaia Force, allowing for better energy channeling and stronger techniques. While leveling up naturally increased physical condition, intense training further boosted endurance, speed, and raw power, helping the body handle the strain of high-tier skills.
Second, training the Mind.
Mental discipline and meditation enhanced control over Gaia Force, improving precision, casting speed, and energy efficiency. A focused mind led to smoother execution of techniques and heightened awareness of surroundings.
Third, training the Spirit.
Unlike mind training, which focused on control, spirit training deepened one's connection to Gaia itself. Activating elemental skills repeatedly helped refine efficiency and mastery over abilities.
Fourth, forced Absorption Through Battle.
The most dangerous and controversial method. By slaying monsters or defeating other Gaia Awakeners, one could forcibly absorb their Gaia Force, accelerating growth beyond what traditional training could achieve.
Simply put: Body = Physical Strength through physical training and combat techniques, Mind = Control through meditation, Spirit = Resonance through elemental skill practice, and Combat = Absorption through real battle experience.
Balancing all four was crucial. Neglecting one would limit progress, while mastering all would unlock Gaia Force's true potential.
Tave took a moment to analyze his current condition. His body was well-built, having undergone intense physical training. His martial arts and swordsmanship were solid foundations. It was an undeniable advantage.
For elemental skills, now that he had an affinity with the Dark Element, all he needed was to keep honing more techniques related to it. Problem solved.
For combat experience, he had only one option, hunting monsters. He could take on small hunting missions near the city and, of course, his upcoming Rift Expedition would be a major opportunity.
Now, for the Mind.
He closed his eyes, focusing, trying to sense the Gaia Force in the air.
Darkness. Just like any normal person closing their eyes… but then, faintly, he finally saw them. Elemental particles, drifting around him, glowing with a soft white light.
Oh, this is amazing!
But just as suddenly as they appeared, they vanished.
Ah, damn… Keeping focus and concentration was harder than he thought.
He steadied himself again, attempting to bring those elemental particles back into view.
Right… there they were.
Normally, meditation involved calling these particles into the body, drawing them toward the heart, where they would condense and strengthen the core, allowing for the absorption of more Gaia Forces over time.
Alright, he needed to try this. Summon the particles. Pull them in.
Come on… come closer… please…
He reached out. He focused. He tried to absorb them.
…Nothing.
The elemental particles didn't respond to his command.
Wait.
Was this the reason the Original Tave struggled to level up? Because the Gaia Force refused to respond to him?
Damn.
This was solid proof. His talent for using Gaia Force was practically nonexistent.
And that… that was a massive problem for someone trying to grow as a Gaia Awakener.
Tave kept trying, convincing himself that this was a problem of the original Tave, and that maybe, just maybe, he could do something about it now that he had taken over this body.
He focused. Again. And again.
Time passed. He kept concentrating with everything he had… but the elemental particles refused to respond.
Hours passed. Then another. Then another.
Tave gritted his teeth, hands clenched into fists. No matter how much he focused, no matter how hard he tried. Nothing changed.
It was like trying to grasp air. His fingers closed around emptiness, over and over again.
For the first time, doubt crept in.
Was this truly impossible?
His hopes crumbled. This body truly had no natural talent for absorbing Gaia Force.
For a normal person, this would be a dead end. They would have no choice but to give up.
But that didn't apply to him!
Because he had an alternative. A way to overcome this flaw.
Because he knew more. He understood things beyond what anyone else in this world did.
Well… this also meant one important thing.
The original protagonist had figured this out too. It happened somewhere along the journey.
Because later in the story, Theo discovered a new method to level up Gaia Force. And since he regressed, that information should have still been fresh in his mind. Sigh.
And that one new method was… yes.
It was extreme, brutal, even.
Because anyone who chose this path was practically abandoning their foundation as a human.
This method was called… The Bloodline Override.