Primordial Heir: Nine Stars

Meanwhile, the princess, engaged in training with her illusionary opponent, abruptly halted. Her blazing spear came to a brutal stop, creating a vacuum above the river’s surface. Elreth glanced at her smart bracelet, which had vibrated, and noticed their score had risen by 26 points—only a few points behind the leading team. A chuckle escaped her lips.

”I guess he can’t stop himself. I thought he was doing well, but I knew he couldn’t hold it for too long. Well, that works in my favor. Tomorrow will be fun,” she grinned. Having grown up alongside Lux and the others, she understood them to some extent. She was aware of Lux’s darker persona that emerged when he faced monsters, and she was curious to see how much he could hold back. During their hunt earlier in the day, he had managed to keep that side of himself in check, but tonight, it seemed he had lost control and embarked on a killing spree.

While it was a good thing for their score, bringing them closer to Nero’s team, Elreth recognized the larger picture. Normally, she could have seized the opportunity to hunt at night and surpass them, but that wouldn’t be wise. They needed rest, and more importantly, the night could be utilized for recovery and further training rather than wasted on a nighttime hunt. If they exhausted themselves, they would struggle to keep up with the competition when day broke. It was a simple logic, one that she understood well, and she was determined to play the long game.

”Let’s refine my skills some more!” Elreth declared, feeling wide awake despite the late hour. She resumed her practice, focusing on perfecting her spear techniques. With the new type of flame she had unlocked—the pale blue flame—she had gained significantly better control. This flame was hotter and deadlier than the previous orange flames, capable of inflicting more damage, but it also drained her prana far more quickly. Determined, she continued refining her abilities to use this new flame effectively in combat.

As she practiced, a sudden idea sprouted in her mind. ”It would be incredible if I could move through the sky. Let’s create wings made of flame to facilitate aerial combat!” The thought excited her, and she immediately set to work on implementing it. However, as she began to mold the flames into wing-like structures, she quickly discovered that it was easier said than done.

Elreth focused intently, channeling her prana into the flames as she envisioned the wings taking shape. She crafted a rough framework, trying to shape the flames into elongated forms that resembled wings. As she concentrated, the pale blue flames flickered and danced, but maintaining the structure proved to be incredibly challenging. Each time she felt she was making progress, the flames would sputter out or lose their form, slipping from her grasp like water through her fingers.

Hours passed as she struggled, and by late into the night, she had only managed to create a rough outline of the flame wings. The framework glowed brightly for a moment, but it lacked stability. Each attempt drained her reserves of prana more rapidly than she anticipated, leaving her increasingly fatigued. The energy required to sustain the flames and shape them into wings was far greater than she had accounted for, and she found herself grappling with the limitations of her current abilities.

Frustration began to seep in as she realized she wouldn’t be able to complete the skill tonight. She needed a better solution—perhaps a different approach or a way to conserve her prana more effectively—but that would have to wait. With a heavy heart and reluctance, she finally acknowledged her exhaustion and went to sleep, knowing that the dream of her flame wings would have to wait for another day.

°°°

Back at Nero’s location, more precisely at Khione’s position, she was currently floating high in the sky. Her white crystal wings emanated a chilling energy, glistening like frost under the moonlight. She had conceived this idea even before the princess did, and tonight, after completing her breathing exercises and pushing her core to its limits, she had successfully created these ice wings. The process hadn’t been easy; she had attempted it multiple times, facing failure after failure before finally achieving her goal. Yet, her face remained expressionless, a testament to her composed demeanor even in the face of an exceptional accomplishment.

Using her Sub-Law of Water: Ice, Khione channeled the frigid energies within her. She began by visualizing the wings, focusing on the intricate structure and the way ice naturally formed in nature. She drew upon her understanding of water’s properties, manipulating the elemental essence to manifest solid, crystalline wings. The initial attempts were fraught with difficulties; the ice would either shatter under the strain or fail to take shape altogether. Each failure was a learning experience, forcing her to refine her technique and adjust her approach.

Through a series of trials, Khione experimented with different methods of generating the ice. She learned to balance the temperature and the prana flow, discovering that too much energy would cause the ice to melt, while too little would result in fragile constructs. After numerous attempts, she finally managed to produce a stable pair of wings. The moment they solidified, she felt an exhilarating rush of power and control.

With her wings now complete, Khione began to practice various maneuvers in the sky. At first, she was clumsy, struggling to find her balance and coordination. But through persistence and trial and error, she slowly refined her movements. She practiced gliding, ascending, and descending, adjusting her prana flow to ensure that the wings responded fluidly to her commands. As she gained confidence, she began to experiment with aerial sniping, honing her aim as she targeted imaginary foes below.

Although she achieved her primary goal, Khione was not entirely satisfied. She recognized that there was still much work to be done to perfect her ice wings, particularly in reducing prana consumption. She knew that optimizing her technique would enhance her endurance and allow her to maintain flight for longer periods. Still, she felt a sense of accomplishment; tonight’s efforts had yielded significant results.

As she settled down to sleep, a satisfied smile crept across her face. If her rival Elreth knew that she had achieved such a feat in just one night, the princess would surely be enraged. But that was life; some succeeded where others failed, and this was nothing new for Khione. With her achievements in mind, she closed her eyes, ready to dream of the heights she would reach with her newfound abilities.