A few years later.
City of Rogalia. Acarnis.
The Rogalia School cafeteria bustled with activity as students chatted and laughed over their lunch.
Among the crowded tables, two figures stood out: Aron and Theo. They sat across from each other, engrossed in a conversation that drew envious glances from their peers.
Aron, who looked to be in his late teens, had grown into a confident and composed young man. His mature demeanor and sharp features commanded respect.
Opposite him, Theo, a few years younger, displayed a more boyish charm. Despite his youth, there was a fire in his eyes, a determination that matched Aron’s own.
As they talked, other students couldn’t help but murmur about them.
“Can you believe Aron? He was so behind a few years ago, and now he’s almost in the Wisp Blooming realm,” one student whispered.
Aron’s rise to fame was so sudden that most started considering him to be a completely different person. They jokingly said that he was possessed by an old expert’s soul.
“Yeah, and Theo’s not far behind. He’ll hit the Wisp Control stage soon,” another added, clearly impressed.
Wisp Control was the last stage in the 1st realm of Aether cultivation, the Wisp Awakening realm. Only some of the most elite practitioners could achieve this realm before their 20s. After crossing the threshold of the Wisp Control, one would enter the 2nd Aether cultivation realm AKA Wisp Blooming realm.
As such, the Wisp Control stage was a significant milestone in an Aether practitioner’s life. This was the stage in which one set their foundation. The earlier one entered this stage, the more talented they would be considered in terms of the Aether cultivation.
***
Aron took a sip of his drink, looking at Theo with amusement. “You’ve really come a long way, Theo. It seems like just yesterday you were struggling with basic Aether manipulation, and now you’re about to hit the Wisp Control stage.”
Theo grinned, leaning back in his chair. “Thanks, Aron. But I’ve had a great example to follow. Your sudden surge in talent really lit a fire under me. I couldn’t let my big brother figure leave me in the dust.”
Aron chuckled, shaking his head. “I’m no big brother, but I appreciate the sentiment. You’ve got a lot of potential, Theo. I wouldn’t be surprised if you surpassed me one day.”
Theo was a born genius. He had dragon-type Aether Wisp and was very natural when it came to creating Aether Runes in his Mind Palace. Compared to him, Aron was a fake genius who made use of his subroutine neural link fabric to have an edge over his peers. Over the years, he had started using the decoding capabilities of his neural link fabric to know the mysteries behind the Aether Runes themselves.
Aron had managed to create various Aether Runes in his Mind Palace after he started studying the Aether Runes. He made ideal use of the school’s resources and knowledge to progress at a rapid rate in his mind cultivation.
Even though his Aether Wisp wasn’t that impressive, he had made it versatile by creating various forms and types of Aether Runes inside his Mind Palace. These Aether Runes turned into Aether Spells, giving Aron the ability to dominate most peers in his class with only a few exceptions.
Of course, Aron himself didn’t go overboard in defeating his peers in the school test. As such, his real battling capabilities were still shrouded in mystery.
Furthermore, Aron had also made use of the resources given to him by New Dawn in secret. These resources aided in his Aether cultivation and enriched his database.
Aron was playing the dangerous game of acting as a double agent between the two sides. However, he played this game with such finesse that nobody could get a read on his real intentions.
Aron accepted the resources from both sides without an ounce of guilt. His recent performances in his academic career were proof enough for Klain to invest in Aksai just what the latter had asked him to do.
Klain believed that he would be able to make ideal use of Aron once the latter got hired by the Acarnis World Government after his graduation. Or rather, it was Aron who made Klain believe that he could be used as a valuable pawn for New Dawn.
Aron received many Aether crystals from Klain over the years. He also got access to some forbidden knowledge of Aether Runes and ways to use them to do mass damage and destruction.
Aron accepted all of this knowledge without developing any sense of bias. He didn’t think that technology and knowledge of any kind, as long as it was based on reality and truth, was wrong or bad.
After all, one couldn’t label all kitchen knives as murder weapons. It was the intentions behind the use of the knife that made it good or bad.
***
Theo’s eyes sparkled with determination. “We’ll see about that. But seriously, how did you manage to improve so quickly? It was like you flipped a switch.”
Aron shrugged, a knowing smile on his face. “Hard work, a bit of luck, and some good guidance. I realized I needed to step up my game if I wanted to achieve anything worthwhile.”
Aron had gotten quite skilled in using his Soul Possession Technique over the years. He had gotten rid of any form of minute discrepancies in his possession, turning into a real Aron without there being any form of suspicion over him.
Aron’s growth, no matter how exaggerated it might seem to commoners, was in the realm of possibility. He made sure not to go overboard and reveal more trump cards than he needed to in a foreign world that was actively hostile to Spirit cultivators.
Aron had indeed surprised everyone with his rapid advancement. From lagging behind his peers to mastering an Aether Spell just before his physical tests, his journey had been nothing short of remarkable.
Now, standing on the brink of the Wisp Blooming realm, he was a testament to the power of perseverance and dedication.
Theo, for his part, had also proven himself. Despite the trauma of the abduction incident, he had shown incredible resilience, steadily climbing the ranks of Aether cultivation.
With Aron’s mentorship and his own unwavering resolve, Theo was on track to reach the Wisp Control stage soon.