Chapter 192: Academy Training IV

Kaiser continued experimenting with Shattered Soul, gradually becoming more familiar with the Rule’s energy.

However, as time passed, the training puppet grew increasingly powerful. Its movements became faster, and its attacks carried enough force to make even dodging difficult.

Kaiser narrowly avoided another punch before releasing a burst of Shattered Soul toward the puppet’s chest.

Crack!

The defensive barrier trembled, but it remained intact.

’Still not enough.’

Kaiser clicked his tongue inwardly. His comprehension of Shattered Soul was only at one percent, so he couldn’t expect to unleash its full potential. Even so, he had already discovered that the Shatter aspect could interfere with energy defenses.

He wanted to test whether he could go a step further.

Instead of releasing a concentrated burst of energy, Kaiser tried to spread the Rule’s power across the barrier and disrupt it from several points at once.

The black energy spread over the surface.

For a brief moment, the barrier flickered violently before stabilizing.

Kaiser immediately understood the problem. His control was too weak, and the Rule’s energy dispersed before it could produce a meaningful result.

’If I want to shatter something, I need to understand how it holds together in the first place.’

That thought made him pause.

Shattering wasn’t simply about releasing enough power to destroy something. At least, that wasn’t necessarily the only way to use it. If he could identify the structure holding an object or energy together, perhaps he could use the Shatter aspect to attack its weak points instead of overpowering it directly.

It was only a theory, but it gave him a new direction to explore.

The puppet didn’t give him time to think for long. It rushed forward and swung its fist toward his head.

Kaiser leaned backward, narrowly avoiding the attack, before moving to the side. He raised his hand and released another burst of Shattered Soul, this time focusing on the same spot where the barrier had flickered earlier.

Crack!

A small fracture appeared in the barrier.

Before Kaiser could follow up, the puppet’s next attack forced him to retreat.

’That’s promising.’

He had finally managed to produce a more noticeable effect. Although the fracture disappeared almost immediately, it suggested that concentrating the Shatter aspect on a specific point was more effective than spreading it across the entire barrier.

Kaiser continued testing this approach while dodging the puppet’s attacks.

As the battle dragged on, the puppet became increasingly difficult to handle. Its strength and speed had risen considerably, and Kaiser could no longer afford to experiment carelessly. He had to balance his attempts to understand Shattered Soul with the need to avoid being hit.

After several more minutes, a heavy punch grazed his shoulder and sent him stumbling backward.

Kaiser steadied himself and looked at the puppet.

’This should be enough for now.’

He had learned several useful things about the Shatter aspect, but he still lacked the control needed to apply it consistently. Continuing the battle until he was seriously injured wouldn’t necessarily help him understand the Rule any faster.

Just as he was preparing to end the session, Abigail’s voice rang out.

"That’s enough, Kaiser. Come out."

Kaiser lowered his hand, and the black aura around his fingers gradually disappeared. He stepped away from the puppet and left the training area.

Abigail studied him for a moment.

"You spent most of the battle testing your Rule instead of trying to defeat the puppet. Did you discover anything useful?"

Kaiser nodded.

"My Rule has two aspects: Shatter and Soul. Since the puppet doesn’t possess a normal soul, I focused on the Shatter aspect. I found that I could interfere with its defensive barrier by concentrating the Rule’s energy on a specific point."

Abigail’s eyes showed a hint of surprise.

"You discovered that much with only one percent comprehension?"

"It was mostly trial and error," Kaiser replied casually. "I still can’t control the energy very well, and the effect disappears almost immediately. But I think there’s more to the Shatter aspect than simply destroying things with brute force."

Abigail considered his words before nodding.

"That’s a reasonable conclusion. Remember, though, that a theory isn’t the same as a proven application. You’ll need to keep testing it against different kinds of defenses and abilities. Don’t assume that what works against a training puppet will work equally well against a real opponent."

"I understand."

"Good. Your comprehension is still low, so don’t expect to make rapid progress every time you train. Focus on understanding the Rule rather than chasing a particular percentage."

Kaiser thanked her and returned to stand beside Alex.

"So, how did it go?" Alex asked.

"I learned a few things. What about you?"

"Blood Sap works well with my vines, but I still need better control. I can strengthen them, but using the Rule efficiently during a fight is harder than I expected."

Kaiser nodded. Their Rules were different, but they faced a similar problem. Comprehension alone wasn’t enough. They needed to understand how their Rules worked and learn to apply them under pressure.

He glanced toward the training area, where another student was preparing to fight.

’One and a half months to reach five percent comprehension.’

Kaiser had initially thought the requirement wouldn’t be too difficult. After all, his soul was far stronger than that of an ordinary person his age.

However, today’s training had shown him that comprehending a Supreme Rule was not something he could accomplish through raw talent alone.

He would need to experiment, fight, and gradually uncover the principles behind Shattered Soul.

And if he wanted to reach five percent in time, he couldn’t afford to waste a single day.

Soon, all the other students had also received treatment, and Abigail gathered everyone together.

"Now it’s time for dungeon diving. We can’t neglect your levels while focusing on Rule comprehension," she announced.

She paused for a moment before continuing.

"Form groups of five. Each group will enter a dungeon and clear it today. These dungeons are Rank 4 dungeons with non-Rule-type monsters. Since most of you are Rank 2, they should be manageable for you."

She looked around at the students before explaining the rules.

"However, you are only allowed to use your Rules during the dungeon exploration. You cannot rely on your classes, Soul Bonds, or other abilities. The purpose of this exercise is to help you become more familiar with your Rules through actual combat."

Several students nodded as they listened.

"We’ll be monitoring you throughout the dungeon. Anyone caught using abilities other than their Rules will be disqualified from the training," Abigail added.

Kaiser raised his hand.

"Does that mean I can’t use my undead either?"

"No, you can’t," Abigail replied without hesitation. "You can only use your Rule. Astralians won’t give you the luxury of relying on your usual abilities, so you need to learn how to fight using your Rules alone."

She then explained the reason behind this restriction.

"Astralians possess strange powers connected to stars, space, the void, and other cosmic forces. They can be extremely difficult to fight because their abilities don’t always follow the principles we’re familiar with. That’s why learning to use your Rules is so important."

She paused briefly before continuing.

"With the right Rule, you can resist or even interfere with some of their abilities, including spatial movement. But that depends on your comprehension and how effectively you apply your Rule. Don’t assume you’ll be able to counter everything just because you’ve comprehended one."