(The Eternal Garden, Next Day, Veyr’s POV)
Next day, around the same golden hour that marked late morning in the Eternal Garden, Raymond appeared once again, stepping out from between the crystalline branches with the same smooth confidence as before, his calm aura rippling faintly through the still air like an unseen tide.
Veyr, who had been sitting cross-legged beneath one of the glass trees, opened his eyes slowly and greeted him with a nod, his tone neutral yet steady. "You came," he said simply, as Raymond inclined his head in acknowledgment before gesturing toward the open clearing ahead.
"Let us begin," Raymond replied, his words quiet yet carrying the faint authority of someone who had long grown used to being obeyed.
"The move I’m about to teach you today," Veyr began, rising to his feet and dusting off the faint shimmer of pollen from his robes, "is called [Enhance]."
Raymond’s gaze sharpened at once, his interest apparent as he folded his arms across his chest and waited for the explanation to unfold.
"Using Enhance," Veyr continued, "you can temporarily increase the strength of any muscle within your body dramatically. It’s best used for sudden bursts of movement or when you need to endure blows that would otherwise be difficult to meet head-on. Think of it as a short-duration buff, a surge of power that lets your body exceed its usual limit for a brief moment in time."
He demonstrated the stance with calm precision, his posture straightening as his body suddenly drew in mana from all corners of the mana circuits and redirected them towards his arm, tightening the fibers of his muscles until the veins beneath his skin glowed faintly.
The air around him pulsed, vibrating softly before settling again into quiet stillness.
"It’s not a technique meant for recklessness," Veyr explained, relaxing his stance. "Used properly, it can turn defense into offense, and offense into survival."
Raymond’s eyes glinted with a spark of admiration as he listened. He already knew of a similar move within his own repertoire, one that could also temporarily amplify muscle output, yet that version came with a severe drawback.
Once its energy faded, the body would enter a state of brief exhaustion, its strength plummeting for several seconds— a fatal window in real combat.
But this technique, the one Veyr was describing, carried no such limitations.
It seemed cleaner, more refined, a version perfected through subtle understanding of mana flow rather than brute manipulation of energy.
’A superior variant,’ he thought, his mind already dissecting the principles behind it. ’No recoil, no fatigue. Interesting.’
For the next two hours, Veyr guided him through every subtle motion, every breath adjustment, every layer of mana control that formed the backbone of the technique. Yet unlike Shapeshift, this one proved far more complex to execute.
Raymond struggled to grasp the exact mana distribution within his body.
As whenever he tried to activate it, his mana either flared too wildly or collapsed inwards, leaving him gasping from the pressure.
"Too forceful," Veyr remarked calmly, shaking his head as he circled him. "You’re treating mana like a whip when you should treat it like blood. It must flow through you clean, not jerkfully."
Raymond exhaled, nodding slightly as he tried again, this time with more restraint.
But although his form steadied, the effect still flickered out midway.
"You’re learning quickly," Veyr said, his tone measured, "but this one won’t be mastered in a single day."
Raymond chuckled faintly at that, his lips curling into a faint, self-aware smile. "So it seems," he admitted, turning his gaze toward the tranquil sky above.
"We have been at this for two hours already, but I’m nowhere close to mastering it. I suppose I’ll have to take my leave for now. If I linger any longer, my father will sense something to be amiss."
Raymond admitted, as Veyr nodded in quiet agreement and watched him disappear through the crystalline veil that guarded the Garden’s inner layer.
—-----------
The following day passed, and then another, their lessons continuing in much the same rhythm.... patient repetition, silent progress, and small bursts of shared understanding.
Until finally, on the third day, Raymond stood before him again, and this time, Veyr could see him closing in on the breakthrough.
By now, he had understood the concept of [Enhance] completely and could now redirect mana from his entire circuit towards one particular organ in an instant, which was the fuel necessary to carry out enhance.
The only thing missing was the last step, the understanding on how to use all that fuel up fast for enhanced muscle output, but Veyr did not feel too worried.
It seemed like Raymond would figure out that part pretty soon.
*BOOM*
A low rumble followed as the air itself seemed to vibrate with restrained power, and when Raymond clenched his fists, the ground beneath his feet cracked softly in response.
*Crack*
He exhaled, a faint smile crossing his lips as he did not push further, for trying moves like jumping or unleashing his strength would make it obvious that he was training, and would be hard to conceal from his father.
"This is a worthy technique," he said, his voice calm but edged with quiet satisfaction. "Thank you for teaching it to me."
Veyr raised an eyebrow, his tone sharp yet light. "No, no, no," he said, wagging his finger once in mock disapproval. "A thank you isn’t enough. We made a deal, remember? If you think my technique is worthy, then you owe me the knowledge you promised."
Veyr demanded, as Raymond’s laughter echoed faintly across the clearing, smooth and low, as he folded his hands behind his back.
"Very well," he said, his eyes glimmering with that same dangerous composure Veyr was beginning to recognize. "I’ll tell you something that only Demi-Gods and Gods discover once they reach that stage of power."
He paused, letting the air between them grow still, his tone lowering into something grave yet magnetic.
"There are three absolute laws in the universe," he began, "that mortals can never understand, while even among the demi gods, few will ever master...
But since you’ve given me strength, I’ll give you a headstart on them..."
He said, his words drawing Veyr’s full attention, as the young dragon leaned forward slightly, his expression curious, his pulse steady but his heart filled with intrigue, ready to hear what kind of secret could only be known to the beings who had touched the edge of godhood.