Chapter 5 - Training

Wesley walked through the dark hallways of the palace toward his room. Although the royal palace always kept its corridors well-lit, with each step Wesley took, the lamps around him began to dim. As he approached, they would go out completely. If anyone had seen this spectacle, they would not have noticed Wesley himself; instead, they would only see a steady wave of darkness creeping toward them.

Wesley soon reached his room. This time, he made sure to lock the door, wanting to avoid any interruptions like the earlier incident with the servant. With the door secured, Wesley sat cross-legged on his bed and muttered something under his breath, causing a small shadow to appear in front of him. He reached into the shadow and retrieved the five or so books he had received from Rale.

The first thing he noticed was that three of the books had dark covers and emitted a faint, ominous aura, each containing about fifteen pages. The other three had plain brown covers and were slightly larger, though not by much. He opened the first of the dark-covered books, titled *Refining Darkness*. This book outlined specific refining techniques for those who use dark magic to refine mana. The second dark book, *Embracing Darkness*, contained several advanced techniques. The third was simply titled *History of Darkness*.

Wesley then examined the three brown-covered books. They all appeared to be technique books titled *The Silent Sword*, *The Silent Dagger*, and *The Silent Step*. Wesley immediately understood why Rale had given him these non-magical books: they were highly compatible with darkness magic and would also help conceal his magical abilities.

With a clear understanding of what he had received from his master, Wesley immediately started reading *Refining Darkness*. This book outlined a refining method specifically tailored for dark mages. The first technique detailed was called the "Dark Globe." Unlike the large Dark Globe he had created earlier, which covered a two-hundred-foot radius, this one only needed to cover the user’s body. While maintaining this smaller Dark Globe, the user would begin refining. This process continuously depletes their mana, but because they are refining simultaneously, they never fully exhaust their mana. This balance allows the mana pool to grow over time, and as it grows, the range of the Dark Globe also expands.

Next, Wesley read *Embracing Darkness*. This book described advanced versions of familiar techniques: *Dark Globe*, *Dark Warp* (the technique Wesley used to teleport), and *Dark Dimension* (the technique he and Rale used to store items in darkness). These techniques were complex, and Wesley realized they were too advanced for him to master on his own. He resolved to visit Rale frequently to train in these techniques under his guidance. As for the three *Silent* techniques, he knew they would only require consistent practice on his part.

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For the next three years, Wesley’s life became a relentless cycle of practice and training. He spent one-third of each night sleeping and the remaining hours refining his mana according to the *Refining Darkness* method. During the day, Wesley dedicated three hours to practicing his Silent techniques, a few hours reading *History of Darkness* and other books, some time with little Delan, and then attended lectures from various tutors. Each evening, he visited the West Tower to learn advanced Darkness techniques from old man Rale. These three years of constant training led to a tremendous increase in Wesley’s understanding of Darkness and the growth of his mana pool, as well as steady progress in his physical training.

His rigorous training schedule was rarely interrupted. As the second prince, Wesley was not required to attend many meetings or parties—particularly since King Edmund wanted to avoid a repeat of the embarrassment when Wesley was mistaken for the crown prince. The king also believed Wesley was too lacking to push toward royal responsibilities.

Despite being only ten years old, Wesley was already a head taller than other children his age due to the physical conditioning of his Silent techniques. Since these techniques focused on agility, his body remained slender and lean. His skin was pale from spending so much time indoors, which made his blue hair and jade-green eyes appear strikingly vibrant.

This afternoon, Wesley was in the library, listening to one of his tutors lecture about tactics and strategy. Although he had little interest in such topics, he was required to attend as the second prince. And even though he wasn’t inclined toward warfare, he paid enough attention to gain a basic understanding.

After the lecture, Wesley returned to his room to read for a while before heading to the West Tower to meet Rale. Once in his room, he locked the door—a habit since the day a servant had barged in unannounced. He invoked *Dark Dimension* to retrieve his *History of Darkness* book. Unlike the other two dark books, this one contained no techniques or methods; instead, it was filled with information about famous dark mages, myths surrounding dark magic across the ages, and various miscellaneous details about Darkness.

After three hours of reading, Wesley closed the book, set it aside, and prepared to head to the West Tower. Muttering a few words, he caused the shadow on the wall to deepen, then stepped into it, reemerging a few seconds later inside Rale’s room. Although the distance between Wesley’s room and the West Tower was at least four hundred feet, three years of practice had increased his *Dark Warp* range to a maximum of five hundred feet—though it still consumed a third of his mana, so he used it sparingly.

As usual, Rale’s room was engulfed in darkness, but Wesley was unfazed. Bowing respectfully, he said:

“Master.”

“You have come. Good, good.”

Rale, seated in a small chair, spoke without looking up from his book. Wesley’s *Dark Warp* hadn’t surprised him; as a dark mage himself, he immediately sensed the technique being used nearby. Since dark mages were rare, he knew it could only be Wesley.

Closing his book, Rale looked up with a glimmer of laughter in his eyes, which surprised Wesley slightly. His teacher was almost always impassive, but Wesley kept his own face stoic and waited for Rale to speak.

“You turned ten a short time ago, didn’t you?”

“Yes, Master.”

“Good, good. It seems you’ll be receiving news from the king soon.”

Rale’s voice carried a trace of mockery and amusement, piquing Wesley’s curiosity. Before he could ask, however, Rale continued:

“You’ll learn about it soon enough. For now, return those three dark books to me; you may keep the other three.”

“Yes, Master.”

Wesley had known he would eventually need to return the books, having already absorbed everything they offered. He invoked his *Dark Dimension* and pulled out the three dark books, then handed them respectfully to Rale, who promptly stored them in his own *Dark Dimension*.

“Good. Now I have a few things for you as well.”

Rale reached into his *Dark Dimension* and withdrew a few items: a long, thin black sword, a short black dagger, and a book. Handing them to Wesley, who regarded them curiously, Rale said:

“Now, go back to your room and begin refining. You should hear from the king soon. And also, there’s no need for you to come here for the next few weeks. Continue refining until after your meeting with the king.”

Wesley was a bit puzzled. He didn’t understand why his master wouldn’t want him to come for several weeks, but he was more intrigued by this upcoming meeting with the king, which seemed to amuse the otherwise impassive Rale. However, he didn’t question his master. Storing the items in his *Dark Dimension*, he bowed politely and said:

“Understood, Master.”

With a nod, Rale returned to his reading, and Wesley invoked *Dark Warp*, reappearing in his room a moment later.