Chapter 136: The Weight of Strength [ Bonus - ]

Chapter 136: The Weight of Strength [ Bonus Chapter ]

The next day Jer arrived at the Darkstar Guild enormous training gymnasium.

Hundreds of Awakeners occupied the reinforced arenas, their weapons clashing beneath the supervision of instructors while others practiced controlling their Divine Runes against specially constructed targets.

Jet made his way toward one of the private arenas, where Alessandro Orsini stood beside a rack of training weapons, examining a wooden axe.

"Good morning, Guildmaster," Jet greeted him as he approached.

Alessandro glanced up with a smile. "Good morning, Jet. I see yesterday’s lesson hasn’t frightened you away."

"Not yet," Jet replied, smiling. "Although I’m beginning to suspect you enjoy pointing out my mistakes."

Alessandro chuckled as he returned the axe to its rack. "Of course I do. Finding mistakes is considerably easier than correcting them. Unfortunately, you’ll have to do most of the difficult work yourself."

Jet laughed before setting down his bag.

His injuries had continued improving, although Safiya had warned him against exhausting himself.

The previous day’s training had left him pleasantly tired rather than injured, and he’d spent part of the evening practicing the Mana circulation exercises Alessandro had demonstrated.

The results were encouraging.

He hadn’t experienced any dramatic increase in strength, but his movements felt slightly more controlled, and his Mana expenditure had become noticeably steadier.

Alessandro examined him briefly before selecting two wooden axes.

"Today, we’re going to discuss something more important than striking power," the Guildmaster announced. "The ability to recognize when using your strength is actually necessary."

Jet accepted the weapon. "Combat judgment?"

"Partly," Alessandro replied. "But judgment extends beyond choosing when to attack. It includes understanding what your actions will cost you, your opponent, and everyone unfortunate enough to be standing nearby."

He gestured toward the center of the arena.

"Come. I’ll demonstrate."

------

Alessandro positioned three reinforced training targets at different distances across the arena.

The first stood directly ahead, the second several meters behind it, and the third near the arena’s protective barrier.

"Imagine these represent three enemies," Alessandro explained. "The first is attacking you, the second is preparing an ability, and the third is retreating toward a crowded street. You have enough strength to destroy all three targets with one powerful attack. What do you do?"

Jet studied their positions.

"That depends on what abilities they’re using," he answered. "And whether destroying them would endanger the civilians."

Alessandro nodded approvingly. "Good. You’re already considering something beyond whether you can win."

He stepped toward the first target and raised his wooden axe. "Now suppose you have no time to gather more information. The first enemy attacks immediately. Would you unleash everything you possess?"

Jet shook his head. "Not if a smaller attack could stop him."

"Exactly," Alessandro replied. "Power should answer necessity, not replace thought."

He demonstrated a short, controlled strike against the first target. The wooden axe struck its center without damaging the surrounding floor.

Then Alessandro repeated the movement with considerably greater force.

A thunderous impact erupted. The reinforced target shattered, and a deep fracture spread across the arena floor before the protective barriers absorbed the remaining force.

Jet stared at the destruction.

Alessandro lowered his weapon. "Both attacks defeated the same opponent. One accomplished its purpose without unnecessary damage. The other consumed more strength and created additional problems."

Jet understood the lesson immediately.

During his confrontation with the assassins, he’d repeatedly relied on overwhelming force because his opponents were stronger. His Eight-Armed Asura allowed him to unleash extraordinary physical power, but he’d rarely possessed the luxury of considering how efficiently he was using it.

Alessandro watched his expression.

"Your Divine Rune grants you considerable physical strength, doesn’t it?" the Guildmaster asked.

Jet nodded. "Yes, Guildmaster."

"Then you must learn to control that strength before it begins controlling your decisions," Alessandro advised. "The stronger you become, the greater the consequences of every careless movement."

---

Their next exercise focused on weapon control.

Alessandro instructed Jet to strike a series of suspended wooden targets without allowing the axe to touch the objects positioned immediately beside them.

At first, Jet found the exercise almost embarrassingly simple.

His Weapon Master ability allowed him to handle the axe with remarkable familiarity, and his Intermediate Axe Proficiency made ordinary movements feel natural.

However, Alessandro gradually increased the difficulty.

The targets began moving.

Some swung unpredictably, while others rotated around reinforced poles. The spaces between them narrowed until Jet had only a few inches of clearance.

"Don’t slow down simply because the targets are smaller," Alessandro instructed. "Maintain your usual combat rhythm while controlling where the weapon stops."

Jet adjusted his grip and swung.

The axe struck the intended target cleanly.

However, its momentum carried the blade into the neighboring wooden marker.

A sharp crack echoed through the arena.

Alessandro raised an eyebrow. "That neighboring marker represents someone you’re supposed to protect."

Jet grimaced. "Understood."

"Again," Alessandro instructed.

Jet repeated the movement, this time reducing the force behind his strike.

He hit the target without touching the marker.

Alessandro shook his head. "Better control, but you’ve sacrificed too much power. An enemy won’t politely fall over because you’re concerned about damaging the surroundings."

Jet frowned thoughtfully. The Guildmaster stepped beside him and demonstrated the movement.

His axe traveled with impressive speed, struck the target, and stopped almost immediately afterward.

There was no wasted movement.

"Control doesn’t mean weakness," Alessandro explained. "It means deciding exactly how much strength to use and where that strength should go."

Jet watched closely before attempting the movement again.

His first few attempts were imperfect. Gradually, however, he began adjusting the position of his wrists, shoulders, and feet, allowing him to deliver stronger attacks without losing control of the weapon’s momentum.

Alessandro observed his progress with growing satisfaction.

"You learn quickly," the Guildmaster remarked. "But don’t confuse understanding a principle with mastering it. Repetition is what turns knowledge into instinct."

Jet nodded. "I’ll keep practicing."

---

They moved on to Mana efficiency after a short rest.

Alessandro placed several reinforced weights around the arena and instructed Jet to carry them between marked positions while maintaining a steady circulation of Mana.

The weights weren’t particularly heavy for an Awakener, but the exercise required Jet to repeatedly accelerate, stop, turn, and change direction without allowing his Mana expenditure to fluctuate unnecessarily.

"Most Awakeners focus on increasing their reserves," Alessandro explained as Jet began moving. "That’s understandable. More Mana generally means greater endurance and stronger abilities. But two Awakeners with identical reserves can perform very differently depending on how efficiently they use what they possess."

Jet carried the first weight across the arena.

He maintained a steady flow of Mana through his arms and legs, carefully resisting the urge to increase it whenever he accelerated.

Alessandro watched from nearby. "Good. Now change direction."

Jet turned sharply. His Mana circulation wavered.

"Again," Alessandro instructed.

Jet repeated the movement. This time, he maintained better control. After several minutes, Alessandro increased the weight and shortened the distance between the marked positions.

Jet began sweating. His breathing grew heavier, but his Mana expenditure remained more consistent than it would have several days earlier.

When Alessandro finally called for a halt, Jet placed the weight down and examined his remaining reserves.

The difference was unmistakable. He had accomplished considerably more while consuming less Mana.

"Not bad," Alessandro remarked. "You’ve improved since our first lesson."

Jet wiped the sweat from his forehead. "I can feel it. I’m not wasting as much Mana whenever I move."

"That’s the foundation," Alessandro replied. "Eventually, you’ll need to maintain the same control while fighting, defending, and using your Divine Rune. That’s considerably harder than moving weights around an arena."

Jet nodded thoughtfully. His thoughts briefly returned to the Asura Mask.

That ability granted him tremendous power, but its consumption and backlash remained dangerous. Better Mana efficiency wouldn’t eliminate those limitations, yet it might help him preserve enough strength to survive the moments before and after its activation.

---

By late morning, their training had concluded.

Jet sat beside Alessandro on an observation platform overlooking the gymnasium, drinking water while watching several veteran Awakeners exchange blows inside a reinforced arena.

His communication device vibrated. A message from Marcus appeared on the screen.

Adesewa’s counteroffensive had continued through the morning. Another suspected intermediary had been identified, and several financial accounts connected to the assassins’ operations were being investigated.

Jet read the message carefully.

"Something important?" Alessandro asked, noticing his expression.

"Adesewa’s investigation is making progress," Jet replied. "She’s putting pressure on the people responsible for the attacks."

Alessandro’s expression became serious.

"I’ve received reports about some of the disturbances," the Guildmaster admitted. "Several properties connected to suspicious security contractors have been attacked over the past two days."

Jet glanced toward him.

"Do you think the people behind this will stop?" he asked.

Alessandro considered the question.

"Not simply because they’ve suffered losses," he answered. "Organizations willing to employ assassins usually have reasons for taking such risks. But pressure can force mistakes, and mistakes create opportunities."

Jet nodded.

Alessandro continued, "Just remember that the people directing these attacks may be considerably more dangerous than the ones carrying them out. Don’t underestimate someone simply because they prefer using others to fight their battles."

Jet understood. Their enemies possessed money, connections, and enough intelligence resources to identify people who had only briefly associated with the expedition survivors.

Whoever commanded them wasn’t an ordinary criminal.

After a moment, Jet looked toward the Guildmaster. "Can I ask you something, Guildmaster?"

Alessandro smiled. "You seem particularly fond of questions today. Go ahead."

"With your strength, is there anything you’re still afraid of?" Jet asked.

The older man fell silent.

For several seconds, he watched the Awakeners training below.

"Of course," Alessandro eventually answered. "I’m afraid of failing the people who depend on me. I’m afraid of making decisions that cost innocent lives. And I’m afraid of becoming so accustomed to power that I forget what it means to be powerless."

Jet listened carefully.

Alessandro turned toward him. "Strength doesn’t remove responsibility, Jet. It increases it. When you’re weak, your mistakes might hurt you and the people closest to you. When you’re powerful, a single mistake can destroy an entire neighborhood."

Jet thought about the ruined buildings left behind by Adesewa’s battles.

He had witnessed what 5-Star strength could accomplish. And he understood that Alessandro wasn’t exaggerating.

"Then I suppose becoming stronger means learning to carry more responsibility," Jet remarked.

Alessandro smiled faintly. "Precisely. That’s the weight of strength."

When Jet eventually left Darkstar Headquarters, those words remained with him.

He had returned hoping to improve his combat abilities, and he’d accomplished that much.

But Alessandro had taught him something else.

Extraordinary power was valuable only when accompanied by the judgment, discipline, and responsibility necessary to wield it.

And as Jet prepared for the challenges awaiting him, he understood that mastering those qualities would be just as important as awakening another Divine Rune.