Chapter 54: Body Shaper

For someone who had just been eliminated from the tournament, Eran had a huge grin on his face. Well, why wouldn’t he? Although his removal from the Endurance Test was a pity, Eran had finally reached Noble Class, though the greater reason for celebration was his gift awakening into something better.

The healer had confined him in the infirmary for a while, checking for any residual injuries he had gotten from the severe endurance test. But the moment he was released, I ambushed him on the path.

Eran’s lips broke into a wide grin upon noting my presence. “Did you see it?” he asked. “My gift is useless no more.”

After my crafting test, I did have a moment to watch him, but it was from afar, and with the amount of metal plates and burden attached to his body, I could barely observe any change other than his advancement into Noble Class. “Is it a strength or endurance type gift?”

My friend tilted his head. “More or less, I’m not sure. But you wouldn’t believe what it's called.”

I eyed him quizzically.

“Body shaper.”

“Body shaper?” I repeated the term. “That doesn’t sound like a strength or endurance type gift.”

“I thought so too,” Eran said, already having done some experiments on it. “In one part, it can harden any part of my body into cast iron. Even the bones. But I also can make them mellow like rubber.

“Here, pull my arm.”

I needed no more invitation. Clutching his wrist, I pulled it towards me as Eran activated his gift. Through my fractal sight, I could see all sixty-four threads moving towards his arm in a marvellous weave until his arm stretched like a rubber band. Even his bones were nothing but flexible. I curved, twisted, and even bent it a full one hundred and eighty degrees, but there was no cracking noise. It was as if I was working with an elastic material.

“Don’t go more than that,” Eran cried. “I think that’s my limit.”

I had barely pulled it a foot and a half, but he had only just reached Noble Class. His limit would surely be boosted as he progressed further down the path. “Does it hurt?”

“A little when you overstretch it, but other than that I don't think it’ll hurt much even if you are to punch me at full force.”

Under the scrutinising gaze of the passers-by, we put that to the test. Eran’s endurance and pain tolerance were already quite high for his age, but now with this gift of his, he was completely unfazed. Well, his muscles spread against my fist, but it felt like punching dough.

“Can you strengthen it?” I asked.

Eran complied. Immediately, the arm returned to its original state, even bulging out a little, becoming chiselled akin to dark ironwood. Even the hair on his hand grew stiff. Perhaps it would even make a clanking noise if I struck it with my sword.

“I can probably crush concrete with a bare fist,” he said, testing his grip. “Sadly, it seems I’m limited to altering a smaller part of my body. If I try to stretch it, the effect becomes meagre.”

“You probably need to reach Prestigious Class for full body enhancement,” I said. “Thankfully, you can already move the essence threads all over your body. Most Augmenters seem to learn it once they are high up in the Noble Class.”

Eran smiled sheepishly. “I guess all the stupid meditation and essence unification came to some use.”

“Well, from now on, you might have to put more hours into those boring practices.” We turned towards the stand to break the news to both of our families. My parents and Uncle Dalin had surely noted it already. “It’s a pity, though, that they eliminated you from the competition. It’s not your fault that you advanced to Noble Class at the very last minute. I bet the other boy was suppressing his rank for a week now.”

Only at my reminder did Eran seem to remember the competition. I thought he’d be more depressed about getting eliminated at the brink of winning it, but his elation at finally awakening his gift seemed to overshadow the loss.

“No matter,” he said, still grinning ear to ear. “I will get them next year in the Noble Class category.”

I returned his smile. The advancement had surely made him more confident. It suited him better. Though the name of his gift made me believe it would evolve into some kind of shape-shifting ability.

Aunt Risna had already heard the good news and was eagerly waiting for her son. So when Eran came, she pulled him into a bear hug, tears flooding down her face incessantly. He played around with Lillia, letting her stretch and bend his arm in whichever direction she could. At one point, the little girl was seething in sweat, though she didn’t seem at all bored with the game.

“I think I’ve seen a fellow who could stretch his body like yours,” my father said. “He didn’t have the toughening aspect of your gift, though he could stretch his body for metres, could grow taller or shorter at will, and even change his facial features.”

“I can be taller?” Eran asked, his eyes gleaming.

“You are already tall enough.” I snorted at him. Despite me being two seasons younger than him, there seemed to be little hope for me to catch up to his height. And I was particularly tall for my age, already reaching one hundred and sixty centimetres. But Eran could perhaps even beat my father in stature once he reached a mature age.

“Considering the name of his gift,” Aunt Emi interjected, “I suspect your gift will awaken more physical aspects at Prestigious or Fabled Class.”

That sounded even better.

“Now, though, you might have to change your fighting style based on your gift,” Father said. “Swordsmanship will still do, since your gift isn’t powerful enough yet, though it's best to add a session or two of unarmed combat.”

Eran nodded solemnly.

“What about aura?” I asked. “I think the resonance of Heaviness and Swiftness will work best with Body Shaper, no?”

Now that he had reached Noble Class, he had also awakened his aura. It was but a meagre amount. Perhaps it could only help him in sensing some turmoil in his surroundings. But that would change through progressive training, especially under Father, who could help him forge his aura as he did with me.

Eran was also eager for some aura training, already having seen what I was capable of.

But Father had something else in mind. “For now, it's best to keep you limited to Aura Sensing practices while you get used to your gift.”

“I still want to learn swordsmanship,” Eran said zealously. “I know I have little talent compared to Arilyn, but I still want to carry on with it.”

“You are plenty talented, lad.” Father smiled, exchanging a quick look with Uncle Dalin. “I guess we can put you up to the same training after you get through the basics.”

While we talked among ourselves about Eran’s breakthrough, a group of stone shapers remodelled the field for the Agility Test. For the final round, they had been putting in too many hurdles along the path, be it steep curves, jagged terrain, deep craters, or shifting high beams. Unfortunately, the rugged terrain they made was so elevated it obscured the view for the audience in the lower tier. From our stand, I could barely see half of the race track.

Priam was already pacing around the field, memorising all the hurdles he’d have to face, whereas Eran, Diana, and I moved to a higher-tier stand to get a broader view.

“So you have already lost two gold Leafs today,” Diana said. “Think you’d lose more?”

I eyed the stage, looking for the lanky figure upon whom I had placed my bet. Leaf was pacing along with Priam, stretching his limbs for the race.

“I don’t think so,” I muttered. Although the swindler seemed like an unreliable fellow at best, it was all but a façade, as he likely hadn’t even used half of his capabilities during both the agility test and the duels. Not only did he reach the finale of the agility test, he had also prevailed undefeated in the duels so far.

I really have some tough opponents up ahead.

As the competitors readied themselves on the starting line, I got more company, noting Tera creeping towards us with her friend, Elsbeth, in tow.

“Did you come to tell me that there is still one round in the crafting competition?” I asked.

From the way she glared at me, it seemed I had hit the mark. Or she could still be annoyed about the frame.

“Celebrate all you can for now,” she said, rolling her eyes. “I will see you fail in the final round.”

“So you did come to disparage me after all.”

“No,” she said, her pupil narrowing in irritation. “I came to introduce you to my friend Elsbeth Solvyn. I’m sure you have heard of her. Anyhow, she seems to have been smitten by that painting of yours and wanted me to introduce her.”

The fair-skinned girl shot a pointed look at her before greeting me. “It was impressive to paint something so magnificent in less than an hour. And here I thought Tera had no competition in her.”

“Thank you,” I said with a nod. One hour might sound like little if you had little inspiration, whereas I only drew what I had seen and experienced. Still, even with all the Will and essence at my disposal, one hour was about the cutting time for a rune painting of such complexity. I managed to complete it only by showing seven of the fingers, with many parts shrouded in clouds and mist. But that only added to its mystique, as the praying hands from a centred point of view would look much duller. Also, I drew it from my mum’s perspective, channelling the vision of the first time she discovered the apparatus.

“So what do you plan on doing with the painting?” she asked.

I looked towards the stage where all the speedsters were taking their positions at the starting line.

“Well, first I’ll see if I can recover it from the Artisan Guild.”

“I’m confident you can at least get the painting,” Tera interjected, “but can’t promise anything about the artefact. Although, knowing Madame Aurine, she would likely want to have both the painting and artifact on grand display in the guild.”

“We will see about that.” My wish would be to recover both, though if not, I would at least want the painting for Mum.

“The Prefectus,” Tera continued, eyeing her friend, “and some other noble houses might want to have it too. Everyone loves some artistic pieces to enrich their place, even if they couldn’t make head or tail of it. And after your illusory display, I reckon the bid is going to be mighty high.”

While they were all concerned about who would get hold of the items, I was relieved that they didn’t recognise what the praying hands actually stood for. Perhaps someone older in Tera’s family would have a greater idea, as the grand apparatus was one of the nine mythic relics. Only the Waygate System and the Dreamscape Tower at the Oracle Academy could match its rank, though little of the mystery.

With an announcement and a round of cheers, the Agility Test finally commenced.

At once, all eight sprinters’ figures disappeared from the starting line. My eyes darted to find Leaf, who, as I had imagined, was running at the very front. Gone was all his façade and concealment of his gift. Within a few seconds, he had led all seven other contestants by a hundred metres, and he wasn’t slowing down.

Even Priam wasn’t performing badly, alternating between third and fourth position, but by the time he completed a lap, Leaf had already completed his second, overtaking everyone by a landslide.

Well, that already concluded who the winner of the competition would be.

Of the hurdles, the craters, the high walls, the shifting beams, or the rugged terrain, none seemed to faze him. He shifted through them all like a breeze, finally showing the full extent of his capabilities.

Among the raucous uproar of the audience, he completed the eighth and final lap while everyone else barely managed to reach the fifth.

“Looks like I have more than made up for what I lost in the gamble,” I muttered. Though more than earning the coins, I was intrigued by the display of raw speed. Leaf was clearly not the farthest along the path, so why was he more agile than anyone?

I guess I’ll figure it out once I meet him in the duels.

It would likely be tomorrow, after my bouts against Melina. With his raw speed, there was no way the swindler would lose in the group of sixteen. Tomorrow, he would be even swifter, already earning an Honour from the Agility Test.