15 15. Training

'Should I meditate?'

Orion contemplated his options. He had heard that in ancient times, people concentrated while meditating to control their inner selves.

However, his main reason for considering meditation wasn't solely based on this. Instead, it was largely influenced by the numerous novels he had read, where meditation was depicted as a method to easily control one's powers.

'Might as well do it.'

Seated cross-legged, he managed to calm himself entirely, but at that moment, a thought occurred to him.

'If I calm myself down then how will I be in despair to activate Electrostatic Disruption?'

Once again, a problem arose, but he chose to ignore it, opting to focus on the present moment instead.

'Whatever, I will just be in despair and try to see if I can control the energy or not.'

With that, he surrendered once more to despair, grasping a sword tightly in his right hand. His intention was clear: to wield the power of repulsion within this blade.

Closing his eyes, he concentrated, allowing a torrent of negative thoughts to flood his mind.

Before long, he found himself enveloped in the darkness of his despair, a void where nothing seemed to exist.

Yet amidst the eerie silence, his gaze was drawn to something—a flicker of light amidst the shadows.

Turning around, he beheld two orbs of light gleaming in the darkness. One radiated a pure white glow, while the other emitted a mesmerizing blend of red and blue hues. Yet, despite their brilliance, they paled in comparison to the oppressive darkness surrounding him.

Fixing his gaze upon the orbs, Orion became certain that the red and blue ones belonged to the Electrostatic Disruption.

Focused intently on the red and blue sphere, he advanced step by step, drawing nearer to it.

Suddenly, as he closed in, the sphere began to tremble and pulsate erratically before erupting into a dazzling display of blue and red particles, scattering them throughout the darkness.

It was as if a fireworks display had ignited, casting a radiant glow that illuminated the entire void.

'I am back?'

Soon after, he found himself inexplicably emerging from the darkness, as if transitioning seamlessly from mesmerizing the spectacle of shimmering red and blue particles to suddenly returning to his own body in an instant.

'Something happened to the Electrostatic Disruption ball of light there. It scattered into the darkness all of a sudden. But what can it mean for me? Can I use my powers effectively now?'

With a determined gaze, he focused his attention on the sword in his grasp, willing it to be repelled backwards.

To his astonishment, crimson hues of light began to emanate from the blade before it was forcefully wrenched from his grip, soaring through the air until it impaled itself into the wall directly across from him.

'It worked!'

Excitement surged within him as he beheld the sword firmly lodged in the wall before him.

'Let's try attraction.'

With intense concentration, he directed his focus to his right hand, which soon began to emit a gentle blue glow.

Next, he turned his attention to the sword handle, causing it to also illuminate with the same blue hue.

Before long, the sword embedded in the wall began to quiver uncontrollably, then swiftly flew out from its position, disappearing in a flash before reappearing in Orion's waiting hands.

Witnessing this remarkable feat, his eyes sparkled with excitement and wonder.

'It's so cool.'

Filled with excitement at the discovery of his newfound abilities, he realized the potential of harnessing attraction and repulsion to great effect.

Throughout the night, he dedicated himself to training these powers.

It was not only Orion who was training, but Ryfin and Famir were also practicing refusing to rest as they remained vigilant, wary of the potential threat of another monster encroaching upon their territory.

***

In the morning of the next day, the trio went on a searching mission for monsters—monsters that they could kill.

"Guys, I think this cave or whatever we are in is definitely the place for those skeletons; otherwise, we wouldn't have encountered them here."

Famir glanced at the other two, then proceeded to share his thoughts.

Ryfin, wearing a serious expression, chimed in with his own thoughts on the matter.

"What I know from games is that skeletons usually don't come to life all by themselves. They have to be revived by some necromancer or someone like that."

Orion frowned at Ryfin's words.

"So, are you saying someone attacked us last night and it wasn't just a mere accident?"

Ryfin nodded, his suspicions growing stronger ever since their initial attack.

He pondered the possibility that, just as they had acquired powers like space magic and the ability to wield lightning, there might exist individuals capable of raising the dead to serve their whims.

Although it was merely speculation, something else had occurred to him that bolstered this belief.

Ryfin turned his gaze towards Orion and Famir, explaining to them why he found this notion increasingly plausible.

"Remember the giant we killed last time?"

Orion and Famir nodded in understanding as Ryfin continued.

"It had dropped skill books, weapons, and that spherical core we used it to upgrade, but this monster didn't. Maybe I am wrong. Maybe all the monsters don't drop things, but what if I am true?"

Orion and Famir's expressions shifted to seriousness as they listened to Ryfin. His words carried weight, suggesting a plausible truth rather than mere speculation.

"That's why I decided to kill monsters. That way, we can also gain experience in fighting and will also know if what I said is true or not."

As their conversation continued, they emerged from the cave into the vast expanse of the jungle, its dense canopy of trees stretching out endlessly before them.

Famir gazed at the towering trees, inhaling the crisp morning air, before turning to Orion and Ryfin, his expression shifting to one of seriousness.

"I think all the other kids who were with us and the pirates were also stuck on the island. So, we have to be careful if we encounter them. Also, our goal for today will be to find some food, hunt some monsters if we can, and finally move towards the center of the island, where that tall wall is, in the hope that we can escape this hell."

Orion and Ryfin nodded with a grave expression.

Amidst a forest teeming with monsters, their driving force was the hope, however faint, that at the heart of the island, they might discover something—a potential means of escape from this perilous realm infested with monsters.