The day of the academic test. Rogalia School. Acarnis.
Aron sat at his desk, surrounded by holographic screens displaying an array of study materials.
The subroutine neural link fabric embedded in Aron’s mind allowed him to access and process information at an incredible speed. He smiled to himself before he started to write his answers on the spectral screens.
The multiple-choice questions were a breeze as the neural link fabric provided him with the right answer even before he went through the options. For the rest of the questions, Aron let his hands get controlled by the neural link fabric itself. He then introduced some minor errors to make the answers more believable.
Since Aron had given assurance to Klain that he would pass the tests with flying colors, there was no hesitation in his mind. He made use of the neural link fabric thoroughly for his theory exams, not leaving things to chances.
This was the same ability that the hero Theo was missing out on at this point for the first time after he was introduced to Aksai’s clone. It was now Aron’s turn to come into a small limelight by scoring big in the theory subjects.
The days of the exams were pretty hectic for Aron even though he had the help of the neural link fabric.
He cracked one written test after another, his fingers flying over the virtual keyboard, answering questions with precision and efficiency. Each correct answer brought a surge of satisfaction.
After acing the written tests, Aron shifted his focus to the practical exams. He moved to the training grounds, a spacious arena equipped with state-of-the-art facilities. The air was filled with the hum of Aether energy as other students practiced their skills, their Aether Wisps flickering and glowing around them.
Aron summoned his Aether Wisp, a manifestation of golden flame. The flames danced around him, illuminating his intense expression. This golden flame, once the original Aron’s, was now under Aksai’s control. He launched the Spell Domain, concentrating on manifesting the flames all around him at a moment’s notice.
Each day, he pushed himself to the limit, his head throbbing from the strain.
***
Spirit cultivation had a more or less defined path in its earlier realms. This path was set by the ancient Spirit cultivators and followed by the masses of Spirit cultivators. It had some fixed rules and regulations with only a few exceptions.
However, Aether cultivation was different for everyone. Since everyone’s minds were different, there was no known fixed method to train and cultivate in the mind cultivation.
It didn’t mean that the path of the mind cultivation was limited and less developed than that of the Spirit cultivation. On the contrary, the path of the mind cultivation could be pursued in different ways, using infinite numbers of methods.
Each mind cultivator could develop their own unique path. And discover the same truths that were found out by earlier Aether practitioners in a different way.
Unlike Spirit cultivation, which relied on spells and formulas, Aether cultivation required the creation of Aether Runes within one’s Mind Palace.
The Mind Palace was an ethereal realm within the practitioner’s consciousness, accessible only after awakening an Aether Wisp. In this space, practitioners developed Aether Runes, which acted like the layouts for Aether spells.
Aron spent countless hours honing his abilities, knowing that the more he used his Aether Wisp, the more would be the possibility of developing Aether Runes in his Mind Palace. Each new rune would enhance his capabilities and bring him closer to mastering his Aether cultivation path.
In the Mind Palace, Aron found an absolute void, a vast expanse of nothingness. This was of course not his Mind Palace but the Mind Palace of someone he had possessed. His consciousness had basically infiltrated into this place after taking complete control of the original Aron.
For mortals, the Mind Palace might have been an imaginary place where thoughts and memories took shape. But for Aether practitioners, it was a tangible reality.
After Aksai took control of Aron’s consciousness, he infiltrated this void, discovering a barren land engulfed in golden flames.
These flames, initially hostile, were tamed by Aksai’s soul energy. He found the original Aron’s soul chained by the Essence Equations of the Soul Possessing Technique inside the Mind Palace, rendering him unable to resist.
Aksai, appearing in his original form, strengthened the runic bindings on Aron’s soul before practicing control over the Aether Wisp within the Mind Palace.
Aksai raised his hands, concentrating, and the sea of golden flames parted, revealing a path. He walked further, shaping the flames into various forms.
Seconds turned into minutes. And minutes turned into hours. Aksai kept practicing.
Exhausted by the effort, he experienced intense headaches, forcing him to rest before continuing his practice the next day.
Each day followed a similar routine. By the fifth day, the eve of his practical exams, Aksai revisited Aron’s Mind Palace and discovered an Aether Rune levitating in the air.
This rune, tens of meters long, floated above the imaginary ground that stretched infinitely. Intricately designed, it represented the first Aether spell Aksai had unlocked on behalf of the original Aron.
Aron’s eyes gleamed with satisfaction as he observed the rune. This was a tangible sign of his progress.
With renewed determination, he knew he was ready to face the practical exams and prove himself as one of the top students at Rogalia School.
Of course, Aron knew he wouldn’t be able to score too high in the practical exams just because he had managed to develop one Aether Rune inside his borrowed Mind Palace. Many young kids in his batch had more than two Aether Runes.
However, by developing an Aether Rune just the day before the practical exam, Aron ensured he had an edge over other ordinary students. His progress was especially surprising considering that he would not have been able to have an Aether Rune inside his Mind Palace for another two or three years if it weren’t for Aksai’s clone that had possessed him.
Aron didn’t need to excel in his practical exams. He knew he had done well in his theory exams. As such, he only needed to make sure his physical tests did not bring the value of his theory scores down.
And that’s what he did. Aron managed to secure the 1st rank in his batch in terms of the theory papers, and he performed better than average in his physical tests as well.
At this point, something completely opposite had happened to the boy genius named Theo. Compared to his previous theory paper results, Theo had performed poorly. His saving grace was the fact that his physical tests were a bit better than others of his generation.
However, Theo was still applauded for clearing all his tests just because he had suffered in the abduction incident.
And just like that, the Rogalia School community started talking about two rising stars within its midst—Theo and Aron.
One of them was famous for dealing with the abductors braveheartedly.
The other came into the limelight when he mastered an Aether Spell just before the physical test and scored surprisingly well in the theory papers.