SYSTEM NOTIFICATION

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  ORION A. VOIDWALKER

  Class: Empiricist [C-rank]

  Level: 40

  Mind: 146

  Attunement: 143

  Body: 16

  Traits: Mana Manipulation [C-rank]; Verification Principle [C-rank]

  Winning against Jordan brought considerably more benefits than the previous duels. Most of the extra experience came from his development of [Noether’s Lock], which, although only a tier one spell for now, had many inefficiencies and kinks that had yet to be worked out, was extremely advanced and only possible because the CC managed to figure out in real time how to make it work.

  The rest was because he had finally understood how the Radiant Vigil’s body enhancement worked. At least, he was pretty sure he had, but he couldn’t exactly try it out in their stronghold.

  But that doesn’t mean I can’t do it now, nor that I cannot modify it enough to make it my own. They won’t be able to complain that I independently developed a similar method if it clearly works differently, right?

  Maybe that was a bit flimsy as an excuse, but most scientific progress has come from iterative improvements, and while he would never dismiss the significance of flashes of genius, he wasn’t trying to reinvent the wheel here.

  “Alright, let’s see. What most are doing is little more than force-feeding their bodies extra energy after strengthening the cellular structures enough to prevent rupture. Nothing groundbreaking, but done well enough that it looks impressive, especially considering the sheer variety I observed.”

  Pacing around “his” lab, Orion tapped a finger against his chin, trying to recall every variation the squires had demonstrated, and what little he’d been able to learn from the passive enhancement the stronger paladins were using while watching the duels.

  “There are three main styles I’ve observed. Some blurred the line, but those were outliers, and their results weren’t significantly different enough to justify including them in the data pool.”

  The first and most common method, which he referred to as Type One Body Enhancement or Type One for short, was a straightforward upgrade across the baseline, providing extra speed, strength, and endurance.

  It wasn’t particularly impressive in its basic form, but Orion could see how a master could adapt to any situation using it.

  Type Two was, perhaps, the most interesting one. What had initially looked like a simple endurance-focused enhancement turned out to be much more once better samples were obtained, letting Orion determine its true function.

  It was essentially a metabolic accelerator combined with constant, low-intensity healing, which allowed for vastly increased stamina, oxygenation, lactic acid clearance, and for stress to be compartmentalized without issue.

  The end result was fighters who not only tired less but also maintained a higher mental baseline, allowing them to utilize their new speed and reflexes for longer periods, with the ability to unleash single bursts whenever needed.

  Lastly, there was Type Three, which was the most spell-like. At first, Orion had hesitated to even call it a variation of the same technique and was tempted to separate it from the rest, but eventually decided it was simply a heavily mutated form of the basic enhancement, taken in a completely different direction.

  Instead of infusing the flesh and strengthening the body, Type Three actually created a very subtle dermal lattice made of Light mana, which essentially allowed users to wear a second armor over whatever they were already wearing.

  This mana armor functioned similarly to an assistive exoskeleton, a technology that was in the early stages on Earth, but which showed great promise in military applications.

  It allowed the user to significantly improve their performance by adding magical strength to their own physical power, which, in a group as dedicated to martial training as the Radiant Vigil, was quite impressive.

  Despite his strong interest in Type Two enhancement and his conviction that it would give the biggest boost to his body if he could master it completely, Orion chose to use Type Three as the foundation for his latest project because of its clear compatibility with his current method.

  Coupled with the CC, he could anticipate a notable increase in his capabilities. He just needed to figure out a way to make it truly distinctive.

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  “Well, I have to say, I didn’t expect you to trash us so badly when I invited you,” Jordan grumbled as they walked away from the training grounds, though there was no real anger in his tone, only dissatisfaction with himself.

  “You forced me to bring out the better stuff,” Orion replied, awkwardly trying to comfort the person he’d so soundly defeated.

  Snorting, Jordan shook his head and looked up, eyes shining with newfound resolve. “I haven’t lost this badly since sparring with Sir Yon. I guess this is just another roadblock I will have to overcome!” He then turned toward Orion and grabbed his shoulder, bringing their faces closer. “I don’t know when you’ll leave, but make sure to come by before then. Whether it is a week, a month, or a year, I will wait for another chance, and I will show you what being a squire of the Radiant Vigil means!”

  Orion smirked, adding a challenge to his tone, “I see. I will be expecting a better performance, then. I have around a month in Valderun still, so be sure to train as hard as you can in the meantime.”

  “I will!” Jordan roared to the sky, already fired up enough to almost cause a disturbance in the Mana Field.

  Orion smirked, walking off with the knowledge that he’d done what he’d set out to do.

  “This wasn’t what I set out to do,” Orion grumbled, staring blearily at Jordan’s cheerful smile.

  Somehow, his newest friend had managed to get permission from both his own superiors and, even more impressively, Elder Yue, to enter the Sanctum’s embassy and challenge him to a duel whenever he wanted.

  During dinner a few days earlier, Asteria had hinted that there was more communication between their factions than in many years, but Orion hadn’t expected things to move this quickly.

  It had only taken Jordan five days to get approval, and apparently, he was more than ready for his revenge, judging by the confident air he sported.

  Orion guided him through the maze of warping corridors until they arrived at the embassy’s back gardens.

  They weren’t exactly meant to be used for sparring practice, but he’d seen more than one witch practice their less-destructive magic here. Considering that they were being followed by a gaggle of curious women and a few men who were trying hard not to seem overly interested, he thought it would work out just fine.

  Before he could do anything to create a separate space for their duel, however, mana gathered around him out of nowhere, and glowing lines etched themselves into the grassy ground until a clearly defined alchemical circle appeared where he’d intended to fight.

  “If you truly have to fight, do so in there. It will stop any magic from spilling out and prevent lethal damage from occurring,” he heard, and turned to face Elder Yue, staring at him with an unimpressed look.

  Orion shrugged. “Alright.”

  Jordan had lost some of his boundless energy and was watching the woman with cautious eyes, but Orion patted him on the shoulder and signaled for him to follow. “She knew this would happen the moment she gave permission. Don’t worry too much about it.”

  After one final concerned look, the squire shrugged and followed the order, taking his place at the far side of the circle.

  Orion took a moment to study it, but ultimately decided it was too complex for [Verification Principle] to understand anything beyond the basics, so he assumed his own position.

  He was tempted to repeat his previous performances, but something told him Jordan would be ready for that after being subjected to his spells so many times; so, he decided to try a surprise approach.

  Just as Jordan was unsheathing his sword, Orion’s eyes began to glow as his body enhancement magic took effect, causing a few soft gasps to erupt from the onlookers.

  There was no referee this time, but neither needed a countdown, as they launched toward each other in a sprint.

  Jordan was clearly surprised by his shift in tactics, and even more so when what could only be described as a long stick appeared in Orion’s hands.

  It was too thin to be a spear and too long to be a baton, but considering how much Light mana he had packed into it, it was still pretty impressive.

  Especially because his strength had just been significantly boosted by [Light Exoskeleton], allowing him to reach Jordan before the other could get to the midpoint of the circle.

  With little grace, Orion swung his construct down and was met with a perfectly executed parry that threatened to throw him off course.

  Luckily, the increased physicality also improved his reflexes, helping him stay on track. Once more, he swung, putting all his weight into the blow, forcing Jordan to defend.

  The difference in weapons skill quickly became clear, as the older boy had little trouble holding him off and even managed to interrupt his flurry more than once. However, the enhancement spell was so powerful when cast through the CC that even Jordan, who had probably thousands of hours of practice with his, couldn't go on the offensive.

  That is, until Orion started taking bigger risks, letting his light stick vanish at will to evade counterattacks and trying to conjure it quickly enough to strike through an opening.

  Soon enough, he had a sword crackling with golden lightning at his neck, and no way out that didn’t require using way more power than a spar called for.

  “Ah, I lost,” he admitted, allowing [Light Exoskeleton] to dissipate and stepping back with a wry smile. “That last attack might have been a bit too arrogant.”

  Jordan, however, was staring at him as if he’d never seen him before, with an almost wild look in his eyes. The deathly silence around them alerted him that the spectators were just as shocked by what had happened.

  A moment later, Jordan blinked and smoothly sheathed his sword. “Good match,” he muttered. “I’ll see you soon.”

  With that, he turned around and quickly left the embassy as the crowd of witches started dispersing in silence.

  Only one thing could be heard from the squire as he left. “What the fuck?!”

  Sitting with his legs dangling over the edge of the balcony, Orion looked up at the night sky. It wasn’t nearly as beautiful as the view above the Sanctum, not with the amount of light pollution Valderun created through magical and mundane lighting, but it felt oddly nostalgic precisely because of how poor it was.

  “Have you come to scold me? Mother already told me how reckless it was to engage a martial class directly. More than once, at that,” he sighed, feeling the fabric rustle behind him.

  “I fear I might have overestimated your intelligence, if that is what you got from your mother’s worries,” Elder Yue replied, voice whisper soft.

  In the semi-darkness, she was almost ethereally pale, and Orion was pretty sure she could have passed for a vampire if it weren’t for the burning light hidden in the recesses of her eyes.

  “No, I know. But I don’t understand why everyone’s so worked up. I lost, so what?”

  Yue sighed, “This is why I tend to stay away from smart children. It’s even worse when they are deliberately obtuse.”

  Orion felt a twinge of annoyance at her tone but didn’t look away, letting her know he wouldn't apologize for something he didn’t believe he had done wrong.

  Perhaps that was foolish, considering that this woman could squish him like a bug, and that he depended on her for protection, but he doubted she’d enjoy fake simpering any more than defiance.

  “The big deal,” she finally said, “is that you, a magical class with no martial training whatsoever, managed to engage the brightest hope of the Radiant Vigil and push him, using a body-enhancing ability never seen before. Certainly not among those of your level.”

  Her words carried a weight that told him that wasn’t all, and almost instinctively, Orion activated [Verification Principle] and his glasses.

  “So the question has to be asked. What, exactly, are you?”

  [Yue ??? - Lv. ???] [??? - A-Rank]

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