Chapter 37: • The Way of A̶e̶t̶h̶e̶r̶ Void
There was a trick he could use. Not necessarily a trick, but a method. One that he had written into the novel and showcased through a particular veteran Voidmancer, who was teaching a student how to tame the dark energy.
The trick wasn’t about controlling Void directly but about reshaping the way one thought about it.
Deremiah did his best to remember as much as he could. He took pride in the power system he had created, and had memorized almost everything about it. Including this creative way to best manipulate Void energy.
It was almost impossible to control Void through force or willpower. It was too chaotic, too destructive. Instead, the Voidmancer had likened it to a wild beast, something that couldn’t be tamed but could be guided.
But... one had to have a strong imagination to pull this technique off.
The trick was to create a "container" within the mind — a mental construct strong enough to hold the Void’s power without being overwhelmed by it.
The Voidmancer had used the image of a blacksmith’s forge, envisioning the chaotic energy as molten metal being poured into a mold. The mold didn’t fight the metal; it simply shaped it, directing it into a usable form.
If one attempted to forcefully control the molten metal by their own natural means, it would burn them, just as Void would.
The mold was the container. And it was necessary that Void remained in that mold, and whatever shape the mold took, Void would follow the shape and produce the result.
The shape = the will. What the Voidmancer is trying to do. If he is trying to jump high, that is the shape, and rather than controlling Void himself, he leans on the mold to create the shape (his will) and for Void to follow.
Deremiah latched onto that idea.
He closed his eyes again, taking a deep breath. This time, instead of trying to force the Void to flow smoothly, he envisioned it as molten chaos.
Hot, steaming, red and orange.
In his mind, he constructed a forge, its walls reinforced with the steel of his determination. He visualized the Void pouring into the forge, wild and unruly, but contained.
The difference was immediate. The energy no longer clawed at him with the same ferocity. It was still wild, still dangerous, but it was manageable.
Of course, this ’mold’ didn’t really exist. The whole idea of this technique was based on the illusion of confidence.
Humans usually lacked the confidence in themselves, but easily found confidence in other things because they believe that thing is strong enough to defeat that particular challenge.
So this mold was only a mind construct. Created by the Mancer’s hope in something much more powerful than himself, believing that thing would be strong enough to hold the Void energy.
Even though, in reality, they are actually the ones controlling it themselves.
It was a trick for beginners. At least until they grew to have more confidence in themselves, let go of the mold and ascend to be the moulder themselves.
Feeling the energy of Void pouring out of his Core and into his channels, Deremiah slowly opened his eyes, steadying his grip on his sword.
Taking only a single step forward, he dragged his blade up and swung it sideways in a clean arc, channeling the Void into his strike.
In response, the air that followed the blade solidified, turning into an arc that was created by the swift slash. This arc then flew forward in a brisk, struck a glowing mushroom, and dissected it into two.
Elora’s eyebrows lifted slightly, though she said nothing. To her, it likely looked like he had simply begun to grasp the basics of Aether manipulation. But to create a slash attack on his first try was very impressive.
...Especially for a One-Marked. Her eyes narrowed at him.
Deremiah turned to look at her. ’Mhm?’ he raised his brow at her silence. ’I hope I didn’t overdo it or anything.’
"That was very well done," she finally said, nodding approvingly. "You’re starting to understand."
Deremiah replied with a short nod, spending most of his focus on maintaining the forge in his mind.
Then, he got back to the training. He kicked, she jumped, he stabbed and sliced. Each movement, each strike, was an exercise in balance. Even though they were not anywhere as powerful as Elora’s, Void surged within him, and made all his movements stronger than they naturally would have been.
And Elora, none the wiser, believed he was simply learning the basics of Aether.
She watched him as he practiced. Even though she knew she was supposed to be looking at his limbs and his posture, she spent more time watching his face.
It was a very alluring face in her defense. Her eyes followed his silver locks as they bounced around while he swung his sword. At some point, she looked down at his shoulders and then his hands, they way he moved them with the blade.
He was surprisingly a fast learner with the sword, and from what she saw, he also had too much potential. There was vigor in the way he held and struck the sword, and how quick it was for him to manipulate Aether that it was difficult to believe he was only One Marked.
Who was this guy? She wondered. Apart from his strangely familiar last name, there was nothing she could discern about him. Apparently, he was from the slums, but he barely even acted like it, and before her, he barely even looked like it as well.
Why had fate put the both of them inside this Corridor? Even though Trial assignments were random, she still felt something that strung them together.
She cleared her throat, grabbing his attention which caused him to stop.
"Well done," she said, stepping down from the mushroom she was sitting on and walking towards him. "You have more control over both Aether and your sword than I expected."
Now standing in front of him, she continued. "But it still seems like your control over Aether is a struggle for you, like you are having difficulty balancing the energy within you. Aether is harmonic, don’t be afraid of harnessing it as you wish."
Deremiah said okay. But he sighed internally. If only she knew that it was the disruptive energy of Void he was struggling with.
"The best way to polish your control is to have real life combat experiences," Elora added. Then she gazed at the sky once again. "We have very short time till the Dawn comes. We will use that time to spar."
Deremiah’s brows creased. "Spar?"
"Don’t worry. I will suppress my Aether as much as possible as to not overpower you, but it is your job to keep up."
He nodded. "Okay."
Elora didn’t say anything else. She walked backwards a bit, then as Deremiah watched, she turned around, walking to the furthest edge of the clearing.
He noticed the crown of thorns she had been wearing now resting securely in a specially designed circular slot on her back. Her sword was positioned diagonally across it in the swordhold, matching her obsidian armor, as she walked with a feminine sway of her hips.
Deremiah took a deep breath.
Then she turned around, raised her hand over her shoulder and withdrew her blade. "Let us begin," she said.