After resting quietly for some time, the exhaustion in my body slowly began to settle, though the dull ache in my forehead still lingered. The calm atmosphere inside the house made the silence feel more noticeable.
After a few moments, Charlie turned his head slightly toward me.
"Young master, you killed the beast using your ability, correct?" he asked calmly, his tone gentle yet curious.
I slowly opened my eyes and looked toward him. "Yes," I replied quietly.
Charlie remained silent for a brief moment, as if organizing his thoughts, before speaking again.
"But how were you able to create the energy sword?" he asked. "Is your ability not shield?"
I exhaled softly. My body still felt heavy, and even thinking about using my ability again made the dull ache in my forehead slightly more noticeable. Still, it would be easier to show him rather than trying to explain.
I slowly raised my hand while remaining in a lying position.
"I am still exhausted," I said calmly. "But it will be easier to show you."
Refined energy began flowing from my forehead toward the book hidden inside my shirt. As the connection formed, I could feel nature energy from the surroundings responding to my intent. The familiar invisible thread like link settled into place, and the gathered energy slowly condensed above my raised hand.
The energy gradually took shape.
First, a faint outline appeared in mid air, hovering just above my palm. The shape became clearer as I focused, and within a few moments, a translucent sword formed completely. The blade shimmered faintly, its structure identical to the sword I usually carried.
I reached up and held it lightly.
The sword felt solid in my grip, though there was still a subtle difference compared to a real weapon. It felt slightly lighter and less grounded, yet stable enough to use.
After holding it for a brief moment, I released my control.
The sword immediately began dissolving. The blade broke into faint fragments of energy that dispersed into the air, disappearing completely within seconds.
Charlie watched silently as the sword dissolved into faint fragments of energy. His gaze remained fixed on the spot where the blade had disappeared, his expression thoughtful as he carefully processed what he had just witnessed.
For a few seconds, he did not speak. His eyes narrowed slightly, as if he was trying to connect this with what he already knew about abilities.
After a moment, he finally spoke. "Young master, I think your ability is not shield… but energy manipulation."
I remained silent for a moment, considering his words. The thought had already crossed my mind earlier, and hearing Charlie say it aloud made it feel more concrete. After a brief pause, I slowly nodded.
"Maybe," I replied quietly.
Charlie continued, his tone thoughtful. "But I never knew there could be this type of ability. I have never heard of anything like this before."
I turned my head slightly toward him. "You never heard of this ability?"
Charlie shook his head slowly.
"Yes," Charlie replied calmly. "There are many different types of abilities in this world. But nature energy is usually used only for cultivation, to strengthen the body and refine the energy core, which in turn improves control over one's ability. I have never heard of someone directly shaping nature energy into weapons or objects and using it as an ability."
He paused briefly before continuing. "At least, I have never encountered or heard of such a thing before, young master."
I remained silent, letting his words settle in my mind.
Energy Manipulation huh...
The term echoed quietly in my thoughts.
The more I thought about it, the more it seemed to fit. The shields, the sword, the spear… all of them were simply different forms shaped from the same energy.
A faint smile appeared on my face.
The exhaustion from the day slowly took over as I relaxed further. I closed my eyes, letting my thoughts gradually fade, and before long, I drifted into sleep.
---
The next morning, I woke up early as usual. The faint light of dawn filtered through the wooden walls, and the quiet atmosphere of the village gave a calm start to the day. After washing up, I sat near the great tree and began my daily cultivation.
I closed my eyes and focused, guiding the refined energy within me. The process felt steady and familiar, and the calm morning air made it easier to maintain concentration. The surrounding nature energy felt gentle, and the quiet environment helped me clear my mind after the exhausting events of the previous day.
After completing my cultivation, I slowly opened my eyes and stood up.
Charlie was already awake and moving around slowly, attending to the usual house chores despite his fractured leg. His movements were careful and slightly uneven, and he supported himself against nearby surfaces whenever needed. Even so, he continued working quietly as if it was nothing unusual.
Since he could not walk properly, I did not ask him to join me for practice. Instead, I decided to practice my ability control alone.
I stepped outside and made my way toward the pond. The area was calm, with the still water reflecting the soft morning light. A faint breeze moved through the trees, and the surroundings felt peaceful.
Standing quietly near the pond, I focused my mind again. Refined energy began circulating from my forehead toward the book hidden inside my shirt and nature energy from the surroundings began gathering under my control once again.
I thought of my sword, recalling its length, shape, and the familiar feel of holding it during training.
A faint outline appeared first, hovering in mid air. Gradually, the structure became clearer as the energy condensed further. Within a few moments, a translucent sword identical to mine formed completely, suspended quietly before me.
I reached forward and grasped the handle.
The structure felt solid in my hand, almost like holding a real sword. Still, there was a subtle difference. The grip felt slightly lighter, and the weight distribution was not exactly the same as my actual weapon. Despite that, it was stable enough to wield comfortably.
I swung it lightly a few times, testing its balance and movement. The blade cut smoothly through the air, responding to my movements without delay.
After a few moments, I released my control over the sword. The blade dissolved into faint fragments of energy that slowly dispersed into the air. Without wasting time, I focused again and thought of a spear.
Within seconds, a long translucent spear formed, hovering steadily in mid air.
I reached forward and held it firmly.
The spear felt solid in my hand, though slightly lighter than a real one. I swung it lightly a few times, testing its reach and balance. The longer length required a different movement compared to the sword, and I adjusted my grip accordingly while making controlled swings.
As I continued, I felt a slight sting in my forehead.
Forming different types of weapons required more concentration compared to shields. The energy structure was more complex, and maintaining its shape demanded greater control. The strain appeared earlier than usual, and I could feel the pressure building gradually.
Still, the pain felt manageable, and I had already grown somewhat used to it. I continued practicing for a few more moments, adjusting to the feel of the spear before releasing it and then decided to try forming another weapon.
I thought of Vaela's bow.
I recalled its shape clearly in my mind. The curved frame, the length of the bow, and the way Vaela held it during hunts all came back to me. The more I focused, the clearer the image became.
Slowly, the gathered energy began shaping itself in front of me. A faint outline appeared first, hovering quietly in mid air. Gradually, the structure became clearer as the energy condensed further.
Within moments, a translucent bow formed completely, hovering in front of me.
I reached forward and held it carefully.
The bow felt solid in my hand, but there was still a noticeable difference. It looked very similar to Vaela's bow, yet it lacked the natural feel of a real weapon. The surface felt smoother and lighter, and the weight distribution felt slightly off compared to what I had observed when Vaela used hers.
Still, the structure remained stable, allowing me to hold it comfortably while examining it further.
Then I focused again and attempted to create an energy arrow.
Slowly, the outline of an arrow appeared, and within moments, a translucent energy arrow formed, hovering quietly next to the bow.
As soon as the arrow stabilized, a stronger pain appeared in my forehead.
Controlling two different shapes at the same time created more strain than I expected. I could feel the refined energy flowing more intensely as I maintained both the bow and the arrow simultaneously. The pressure around my forehead increased, and maintaining my concentration became more difficult.