Chapter 57: Training with Abilities Part I

Chapter 57: Chapter 57: Training with Abilities Part I

The next morning, Penelope felt someone poking her cheek.

"Rise and shine sleepy head" she heard.

She swatted the hand away.

"Penn, seriously, wake up." she heard again.

She groaned.

Who was disturbing her so early morning?

"C’mon Penn, it’s time to get up. Erik is waiting for us." Kai groaned as he shook her awake.

Penelope’s eyes flew open, it took her a moment to shake the drowsiness off.

Suddenly, she sat up. Looking around frantically.

Last night, she had brought Lya to her house. Where was she?

She couldn’t see her in the house. Had she gone into hiding?

’Oddy!’ She called out.

"yes, host."

’Scan the whole space, give me Lya’s whereabouts.’ She commanded.

’Scanning.....

Scanning complete.

Lya is currently residing in the golden cave up the stream.’ Oddy confirmed.

phew - Penelope signed deeply.

She turned to Kai and said in an irritated tone. "Why are you waking me up so early!"

"Early??" Kai asked incrediously. "Penny! Dear! You have slept for a whole day and night." He said.

Penelope looked rattled. A day and a night? A whole day and evening???

"Honestly, Penn." Kai continued. "If Erik hadn’t checked on you yesterday, we would have thought you stayed outside. Accompanying Killian" He stated as he poked her cheek again.

She swatted his finger away and said "why would I stay outside?"

"Because you are overly concerned about your boss." Kai said matter of factly. "Don’t think we didn’t noticed it."

"Why are you here, waking me up?" Penelope changed the subject.

"Well, dear big little sister. It’s time to train. Erik said you, out of all of us, need to start training with your abilities."

Penelope felt her heart tremble when she heard that statement. Training. Again with the Training.

"What are my chances of skipping training?" Penelope asked.

"Zero" Kai responded as he bit into a red apple.

"Where did that come from?" Penelope asked.

"From your kitchen? I know. I also found it weird to see your fridge stocked up with actual groceries and not just take out." He said.

"Must have been the groceries Killian." Penelope mumbled.

Kai raised his right eyebrow. "Okay, enough dilly-dallying. Erik said you must be at the training grounds in less than 30 minutes. So....Chop-Chop." Kai said, patting Penelope’s back.

Penelope groaned and run upstairs towards her bedroom. She didn’t mind training, she was just exhausted. She wanted to sleep more.

By the time she made it downstairs, Kai had handed her a quick breakfast wrap he had whipped up.

"Training consumes energy, and today...you will need lots of it." He said with a playful wink.

Penelope took a bite and couldn’t help but marvel at how delicious it was.

They walked towards the training ground while Penelope ate her wrap.

The training grounds occupied a large clearing near the stream.

Unlike the peaceful atmosphere surrounding the homes, this area had already begun showing signs of use.

Several wooden targets had been erected.

Large stones had been arranged into makeshift barriers.

The ground itself bore signs of repeated impacts.

Someone had been training here.

Frequently.

Penelope wasn’t surprised.

She immediately spotted Erik.

The blonde man stood quietly in the center of the field.

Arms crossed.

Expression calm.

Waiting.

Ben stood beside him.

Unlike Erik, Ben looked nervous.

Very nervous.

The moment they arrived, Erik glanced at Penelope.

"You’re late."

Penelope looked down at her wrap.

"I was eating."

"You had thirty minutes."

"I used twenty-nine."

Kai immediately looked away.

Because technically—

She wasn’t wrong.

Erik sighed.

Then pointed toward the center of the field.

"Stand there."

Penelope obeyed.

Kai immediately retreated.

He had no intention of being caught in whatever Erik had planned.

Ben, unfortunately, wasn’t so lucky.

"Ben."

The young man immediately straightened.

"Y-yes?"

"Stay."

Ben looked like he wanted to cry.

Penelope suddenly felt better.

At least she wasn’t suffering alone.

Erik looked toward the two of them.

Then spoke.

"Before you learn how to imitate abilities, you need to understand what abilities actually are." Erik had the best understanding regarding abilities all thanks to his rigorous training since awakening. He was a firm believer of discipline.

Penelope’s expression became serious.

"So listen carefully."

The playful atmosphere immediately vanished.

"I’ve come to understand that every awakener possesses a spiritual root."

"If I am correct, which I am sure I am, then the spiritual root determines affinity."

"Fire.

Earth.

Lightning.

Water.

Wind.

Metal.

And countless variations."

Ben quietly nodded.

Kai had explained something similar before but not in detail.

Erik continued.

"Your spiritual roots absorb energy from the world.

That energy circulates throughout your body.

Nourishing your organs.

Strengthening your physique.

Enhancing your senses."

Penelope frowned.

"Like cultivation novels?"

Erik paused, tilting his head as he realized the similarities.

Then nodded.

"Yes, quite similar."

Kai immediately looked vindicated.

"I knew it."

"No." Erik calmly corrected. "You guessed."

Kai deflated.

Ben almost laughed. Almost.

Erik ignored them.

His attention returned to Penelope.

"Close your eyes."

She obeyed.

"Feel your body."

Nothing happened.

"Feel the energy circulating through your meridians."

Still nothing.

Penelope stood there feeling rather stupid.

Five minutes passed.

Ten.

Nothing.

Finally—

"I feel sleepy."

Silence.

Kai immediately choked.

Ben covered his mouth.

Even Erik’s eye twitched.

"Again."

Penelope sighed.

And tried once more.

This time—

She focused.

Ignored the wind.

Ignored the sounds.

Ignored Kai’s suppressed laughter.

Gradually—

Something appeared.

A strange warmth.

Deep within her abdomen.

Her eyes widened.

"I feel something."

Erik nodded.

"What does it feel like?"

"Warm. Alive."

The blonde man nodded.

"Good. That is your energy calling out to you."

Penelope’s heart trembled slightly.

Because for the first time since awakening, she felt a connection.

She could actually feel it.

Not imagine it.

Not theorize about it.

Feel it.

"Follow it."

She obeyed.

The warmth moved throughout her body.

Like a river.

Flowing through invisible pathways.

Circulating endlessly.

The sensation felt strange.

Yet natural.

As though it had always existed.

She had simply never noticed it before.

"Good."

Erik finally seemed satisfied.

Then he looked toward Ben.

"Ben, come forward."

Ben froze and couldn’t help but ask "why?"

"Because you’re next." Erik said with a deadpan expression.

Ben immediately became suspicious and replied: "I don’t like that answer."

Unfortunately—

Nobody cared.

Ben reluctantly stepped forward.

Erik looked toward Penelope.

"Your ability differs from ours. Ben, Kai, posses one root, while I possess two. How many do you posses? Can you see it?"

Penelope blinked.

"None?"

Erik nodded. "So you have none...which means you can become anything."

Silence.

Erik continued, "It also means you begin with nothing."

Her excitement immediately vanished.

"Wonderful."

Kai burst out laughing.

Erik continued.

"To imitate an ability, you must first locate the spiritual root."

"Where?"

Ben asked.

Erik pondered for a moment and then tapped his chest.

"The consciousness?"

Both Penelope and Ben froze.

The consciousness?

Erik nodded.

"If this our abilities are being compared by cultivation novels, then every spiritual root exists within a person’s spiritual consciousness."

"And your ability...well, we aren’t really sure how it replicates. So, for today, we should learn how to replicate an ability."

His gaze landed on Penelope.

"Perhaps, we should follow how cultivation novels state and have her enter our sea of conscious?" Kai offered. He had read plenty of cultivation novels to understand where Erik was going with this.

A chill ran down Penelope’s spine.

That sounded invasive.

Very invasive.

Apparently Ben felt the same.

"You want her inside my head?"

"Temporarily."

"I don’t like that."

"You’ll survive."

Ben looked unconvinced.

Erik ignored him.

"Attempt it."

Penelope stared.

"How?"

"Reach for him."

"With what?"

"Your consciousness." said Kai.

Silence.

"That explanation was terrible."

Kai immediately nodded and agreed.

"It really is. But it’s what we got."

Erik sighed.

Then pinched the bridge of his nose.

The day had just begun and he was already feeling tired.

"Close your eyes."

Penelope obeyed.

"Focus on your energy."

She found the warmth again.

"Now direct it toward Ben."

Penelope concentrated.

Slowly—

The warmth extended outward.

Like invisible threads.

Searching.

Reaching.

Then—

Snap.

The connection shattered.

Penelope stumbled.

"What happened?" She asked.

"You failed." Erik responded.

"Thank you for the detailed explanation."

Kai laughed.

Even Ben smiled.

Erik remained expressionless.

"Again."

And so she tried.

Again.

And again.

And again.

Every attempt ended in failure.

By the tenth attempt—

Penelope wanted to scream.

By the twentieth—

She wanted to throw something.

By the thirtieth—

Even Ben looked exhausted.

Finally—

Something changed.

For the briefest moment—

She felt it.

A door.

Hidden deep inside Ben’s consciousness.

Ancient.

Heavy.

Made of stone.

And beyond it—

She sensed something immense.

Stable.

Unmoving.

Powerful.

Earth.

The connection immediately collapsed.

But Penelope’s eyes flew open.

Her heart pounding.

"I felt it."

For the first time that morning—

A smile appeared on Erik’s face.

Small.

Brief.

But genuine.

"Good."

Then he pointed toward Ben.

"Now do it again."

Ben groaned.

Penelope groaned louder.

And standing next to Erik, arms crossed -

Kai laughed so hard he began experiencing abdomen pain.