activa-t Chapter 35 - 5 Times
Chapter 35 - 5 Times
Chapter 35: 5 TimesPrince Eric smiled at his trainer, Roald, feeling a bit more normal after the strangeness of the night and the System Window’s explanation.
But as he looked closer, he noticed Roald wasn’t quite meeting his eyes. The sturdy man shifted his weight from one foot to the other, his usually cheerful face looking a little troubled. Something was clearly on Roald’s mind.
Eric stepped closer to him, his own smile fading slightly into a look of concern. "Roald?" he asked gently. "Is something wrong? What is it?" Roald was more than just a guard; he was the one who had taught Eric swordsmanship since he was small, his main sparring partner. It was unlike him to seem hesitant.
Roald finally looked up, meeting the Prince’s gaze. He seemed unsure how to say what he needed to say. "Prince Eric," Roald began, his voice a bit lower than usual. "Actually... yes. The King... your father... he gave me a special task just a short while ago."
Eric raised his eyebrows in surprise. A special task from his father, the King? That was unusual. The King himself had assigned Roald to be Eric’s personal trainer years ago, recognizing Roald’s skill and loyalty. It was rare for Roald to be pulled away from training Eric, especially for secret tasks. "A special task?" Eric repeated, curious. "What kind of task?"
Roald took a small breath. "Well, Your Highness," he explained, "the King has ordered me, along with a squad of other Royal Guards, to go and... investigate one of the noble families."
He didn’t say which family, and Eric didn’t ask. He understood immediately this was connected to the King’s shocking announcement from the night before – the kingdom-wide check-up on all the nobles.
"It means," Roald continued, looking genuinely apologetic, "that I won’t be able to train with you for several days, depending on how the investigation goes."
Hearing this, Eric didn’t feel disappointed about missing training sessions. He understood the King’s orders were the most important thing. Instead, he gave Roald a reassuring smile.
"Don’t worry about it, Roald," Eric said kindly. "Your duty to the King comes first. You go do what you need to do." He puffed his chest out slightly, trying to look confident. "And don’t worry about me slacking off. By the time you get back, I’ll be even stronger! You’ll have a hard time keeping up when we spar next."
Roald looked at the Prince for a few seconds, his expression thoughtful. Then, a wide, genuine smile broke out across his face, chasing away his earlier worry. He chuckled softly. "I don’t doubt it for a second, Your Highness," Roald said warmly. "I look forward to seeing just how much stronger you’ve become. I will look forward to our next sparring match very much." He gave Eric a crisp bow. "Until then, stay safe, Prince Eric."
With another nod, Roald turned and walked out of the Prince’s chambers, his footsteps firm and purposeful as he went off to fulfill the King’s command.
Eric watched him go, the door closing softly behind him. He stood alone in his room for a moment, the morning sunlight streaming in. Roald’s words echoed in his mind –
’I look forward to seeing just how much stronger you’ve become.’ Eric let out a long breath he didn’t realize he was holding. "Stronger..." he murmured to himself. "I need to see if I really am stronger... if it’s just..." He didn’t finish the thought.
He turned and went to his wardrobe, quickly changing out of his sleeping clothes and into his usual comfortable training outfit.
He then walked over to the weapon rack near the wall and picked up his favorite wooden practice sword. It felt familiar and solid in his hand. With the sword held loosely at his side, Eric left his room, wanting to find out the truth about his own abilities.
He headed towards the palace gardens, a huge, beautiful area spread out behind the main building. As he walked along the gravel paths, several royal gardeners tending to the flowerbeds and trimming the hedges noticed him.
They immediately stopped their work, bowed low, and smiled warmly at the young prince. Eric offered them a polite nod and a small smile in return as he passed, his mind on finding the right spot to practice.
The gardens were very large, with wide-open green lawns, sparkling fountains, and fancy arrangements of flowers and trees.
But Eric wasn’t looking for pretty view. He needed privacy. He needed a place where no one would watch him, where he could try things out without worrying about people seeing him or guards asking questions.
He walked further into the gardens, moving away from the main paths people used and towards the quieter parts near the outer palace walls.
These thick, high stone walls separated the royal grounds from the busy capital city outside. After several minutes of walking and
[System]: Yes. I Analysis you more closely. When I help you fight to keep you safe, it makes you stronger afterward. It wakes up hidden power inside you.
Eric frowned. "When you took over my body?"
[System]: Yes. Every time that happened, it left some power behind, making you stronger all the time. Right now, you are about five (5) times stronger than you used to be. That includes your body and your magic power.
Five times stronger? Eric’s eyes went wide. Five times? Could that really be true?
The System Window had more to say.
[System]: Also, the energy that swordsmen use? You have much more of it flowing inside you now. It’s easier for you to use. The warm feeling you felt? The wind puffs from your sword? They are happening because you have more of this energy.
Eric stared at the screen, reading the simple words over and over. So, the energy was real. And the wind puffs were real too. He wasn’t imagining it.
The System taking over hadn’t just saved him; it had somehow kick-started his own hidden power, making him much stronger and waking up skills he never knew he had. He wasn’t just imagining things; he was different. He was stronger. Five times stronger!
A big wave of excitement, mixed with disbelief, washed over him. Five times... He looked down at his hands, then back at the wooden sword. He had to try it more.
Filled with a new feeling of wonder, Eric gripped the sword tightly. He started swinging it again, not just single, careful cuts, but fast moves one after another – slashes, quick pokes, blocking moves – going through the basic sword patterns Roald had drilled into him for years.
But now, everything felt different. His arms felt faster, lighter, but the swings felt much more powerful. And with every swing, the air around him seemed to buzz.
Whoosh! Swish! Fwoom!
Strong waves of wind burst from his sword with each move. The puffs of wind got stronger and happened more often as he moved faster.
The leaves on the trees around him started to shake wildly, not just rustling, but whipping back and forth like they were in a strong wind.
Small twigs and loose leaves rained down from the branches above, caught in the little windstorm Eric was making with just his wooden practice sword. He felt the energy flowing through him, following his movements, making his swings stronger in a way he couldn’t have imagined before. It felt amazing!
Meanwhile, in Adam’s Domain
Adam watched Eric. He saw Eric practicing in the garden, saw the surprise grow on the boy’s face, and felt the natural energy flowing better through Eric’s body. Adam nodded slightly to himself.
’Interesting,’ Adam thought, watching the energy flow. ’Taking control opens up his body’s pathways for magic, I knew that. But for the natural energy, the kind swordsmen use, to build up like this... that’s different. Very special.’ It seemed Eric had a rare gift Adam hadn’t fully seen before.
Adam kept watching Eric’s powerful sword swings, noticing how they affected the trees. He was thinking more about this surprising development when suddenly, he felt something else.
He froze. His focus snapped away from Eric. Adam felt... a presence. Somewhere near Eric in the palace garden. It was weak, but Adam could feel things much better than normal people. He focused, trying to understand the feeling. It felt... weirdly familiar. It was a type of energy, that felt strangely like his own special energy.
Warning bells went off in Adam’s mind. Someone with power like his own, near Eric? This was not expected and could be very dangerous.
"Millenia!" Adam called out urgently in his mind, using the System’s real name. "Millenia, listen! I feel someone else near Eric! Their energy... it feels like mine!"
Right away, the System Window, known to Adam as Millennia, appeared before him in his quiet place.
[System/Millennia]: Yes, Master Adam. Checking the area around Eric now... Found it. I feel a strange energy near Eric. It feels like your energy, Master. I don’t know if they are friendly or not. Could be dangerous.
Adam’s face turned serious. "Tell Eric right now! Warn him! Someone dangerous might be nearby!"
[System/Millennia]: Okay. Telling Eric now.
The System image vanished from Adam’s place.
Back in the Garden
Eric was still enjoying his new power, swinging his wooden sword faster and harder, making leaves fly everywhere. He laughed out loud, amazed at what he could do now.
Suddenly, with no warning, the blue System Window popped back into the air right in front of his face. It startled him so much he stopped swinging and stumbled back a step. He lowered his sword, his heart suddenly pounding with worry instead of excitement.
He stared at the screen, surprised.