Time passed, and with it, a week quietly slipped by. It had been seven days since Kaios had returned from the trial.
Still he didn't slack off in these days. Just as his master had said, after one day of rest Raion began the training of Kaios.
Currently, beneath the open skies, on the grassland of Illuoid, two figures stood apart.
The sea of green blades were sweeping by the wind, while glistening under the sunlight. Raion stood firm, his presence as unshakable as a mountain— while the tail of coat drifting behind him. And a few meters away, Kaios stood in his training stance, his breath steady but his gaze burdened.
"Again," Raion's voice came, calm yet that of command.
Kaios clenched his fists, Psion energy hummed faintly beneath his skin, as a order was given to the serpents of alloy beside him.
Then just as the Psion was injected, the semi liquid serpents began to solidify, even the shape of their began to shift.
Moments later, three colossal alloy sheets towered Kaios from behind. The front of these alloy sheets were so smooth, that there were reflecting the lights like a mirror. In the middle one the back of Kaios was reflecting back, while other two showing the figure of Raion.
"Decent," Raion said before flickering his hand, "Shift it again."
The mirrors shattered as Raion flickered like these were made up of glass not alloy.
A drop of sweat fell from the forehead of Kaios, as he stretched his hand, and tried to manipulate the alloy fragments. The fragments on the ground began to hum. Before they began to twist forming into many weapons, with reflective surface.
These weoapons were then hovered around the Kaios, stabilzed in the air, pointing at Raion.
Raion observed this carefully, "Keep them changing in every 10 second." He instructed Kaios.
Kaios didn't utter a word—only gave a brief nod in response.
For the next ten minutes passed, he continuously shifted the forms of his weapon— blade changing into spear, spear folding into knife, then the knife expanded back into sword.
Then suddenly the deep voice of Raion echoed, "You can now rest for a while."
When Kaios heard it, he stumbled back. He landed on one his knee, while panting. His long crimson hair clung to the head, while being drenched in sweats.
"You're too focused on strength," Raion said, lowering his hand. "For now just focused on the refinement not on the strength."
Kaios looked up, wiping the the sweat with his hand, "I will keep it in my mind, Master"
"Hmm.... That will what you will be trained for this week," Raion stated, his tone still calm but his gaze sharp. "Master the forming of alloy constructions, while keeping a reflective surface."
As Kaios heard it, his mind wandered to the conversation he had with Raion on the first day of his training.
On the same grassland both Kaios and Raion stood.
"Listen Kaios, you asked that time how you will learn my teachings when the path you followed is different than." Raion said, as he streched both of his palm.
In his palm materialized two hovering rectangular object— both were looking identical to each other.
Raion then looked at Kaios, as he asked "Can you spot the difference between them?"
Kaios, upon hearing his master's question, studied both objects carefully. His violet eyes were flickering between one to another, catching his own reflection in each.
Yet, no matter how closely he observed, he found no difference— both mirrors reflected his image perfectly, without a single flaw.
Without finding Kaios shook his head, "No master."
A smile formed on the face of Raion, as he heard the reply of Kaios, "And that's how you will learn my techniques."
Kaios became confused, "What do you mean by that, Master." He asked.
"You see Kaios, these two had the essence of reflection." Raion explained, "This one is made up of glass." He said as he raised his left palm slightly.
"But this one....." This time raising his right palm, "is made up of alloy."
Kaios finally realized what his master was trying to convey— that to walk the Path of the Mirror, one didn't necessarily need to follow glass path.
Raion who saw this chuckled slightly, "That said do not think it will be easy." Before adding again, "Though it was not your main path, so you should be learning the techniques that will compliment yours."
Kaios nodded, "Understood Master."
Back to present.....
"Kaios, take out the artifact that I gave you when you became my disciple."
Kaios complied and retrieved a silvery mirror from the spherical storage orb attached to the back of his belt.
The mirror was shimmering under the sun, there was not single blemish on its smooth silvery surface.
It was the best artifact from the two artifacts that he had. So much so that, if someone asked him to chose between this and 0.5 second time stop artifact, he will chose it in a heart beat.
It was because of it's overpowered ability. The name of the artifact was Eidolon Mirror.
Its ability was known as Engram Requiem—an ability that allowed the user's body to experience a single moment repeatedly, until that was permanently engraved into the very body of the user.
However, it also had demerit to it— if the moment you chosen was flawed, that error too would be etched permanently into the body. Moreover, inscribing a new moment in the artifactwould overwrite the previous one entirely, erasing all traces of it.
Back then he got this artifact just before the trial, Kaios used this to engrave many stances and techniques to use them instinctively. That was why he said it was an overpowered artifact, you just have to get one perfect moment among hundreds then etch that into your body.....and viola.... You now had the perfect form.
Raion who took the Eidolon Mirror, held it in his hand, before giving it back to Kaios.
"Here, I engraved the perfected basic techniques that you can etch in his body." He said, "This will help you grasp the technique before you truly start to practice it in the future after you advance to the Terra Dominion Realm."
Kaios nodded, he took the artifact from Raion and stored it in his spatial orb.
"The training for today is ended, you can now go to the home." Raion said, then he added something. "Also there is a surprise awaits you."
He said with a smile, before teleporting Kaios to his room in the palace of Grimwold.
As always Kaios appeared in his room, as the silver light faded. He exhaled softly, before stretching his arms, relieving himself of the tiredness from the training.
Then he went to the take bath, be fresh. After a while Kaios came back freshen up, and changed into a lighter indoor clothes, tied his long crimson hair back.
Completing his after-training routine, Kaios made his way down to the dining room below. And just as he descended from the staircase and stepped into the dining room, a flash of shock crossed his face.
There, seated gracefully on a chair, was a woman of very striking beauty. Her pale orange hair cascaded gently over her shoulders, and her face was adorned with a warm, loving smile.
"M…Mom!" Kaios stuttered, his voice trembling with a mix of shock and joy.