Beast Evolution Forge - Chapter 121

Chapter 121: Training
The training grounds were packed with players who came to watch Vell’s open training. Players of all levels stood around the main area where Vell waited.

[Alert: Found enemies in crowd]

[They are hiding in different spots]

[Should we watch them?]

‘I already saw them,’ he thought as he looked at the crowd. He could easily spot Sara and her friends trying to hide among the other people.

“Everyone’s looking at us,” Ada said quietly. The power under her skin moved as she got nervous.

“That’s good,” he said. “We’ll show them what we can do. Are you ready for your first public lesson?”

She nodded, but her black eyes showed she was worried. She had learned to control her power better, but doing it in front of people was scarier.

“Hey!,” he called to the guild leaders standing around. “Bring the first group.”

Ten players walked forward. Some were beginners, others had some experience. Henry was among them.

“Today, we’ll show that real strength comes from sharing power, not keeping it.” He looked right at Sara in the crowd. “Watch carefully. You might learn something.”

He turned to Ada. “Show them the basic move we practiced.”

Ada took a deep breath and held out her hand. Dark power came from her skin, but instead of exploding like before, it made a smooth line around her arm like a snake.

People in the crowd started whispering. Sara’s group got tense and touched their hidden weapons.

“This right here, is corrupted mana,” he said as he walked among the trainees. ” I am sure many of you are aware of it but have never seen it used by a human. It not an evil power, like any power, it depends on how you use it. Ada?”

She nodded and sent her power toward a training dummy. The darkness wrapped around it, not breaking it but showing where to hit it best.

“This is real training, not just fighting, but understanding. Who wants to try first?”

Henry stepped up, trying not to look scared. “I will, sir.”

“Heh, look who it is. Very well then.” He pointed to Ada. “Help him.”

Ada tried to teach him how to feel corrupted mana but failed, he was not compatible. This continued with all the trainees, none of them were able to handle the mana which made Vell a bit disappointed but he expected as much.

“Well, that sucks but no worries. I will just train you to use the mana you already have more effectively. Observe carefully.” He opened his hand and pointed it at the training dummy. A second later, the dummy exploded.

“What? We didn’t see any attack, what did he just do?”

He smiled at their confusion. “I compressed normal mana into a tiny ball and shot it. The smaller you make it, the more powerful it becomes.” He made another small ball of light appear in his hand. “See? Simple.”

“But how did you do it so fast?” someone asked from the crowd.

“Practice,” he said. “Lots of practice. The trick is to feel your mana, not just throw it around.” He looked at Henry. “Try it. Make the smallest ball of mana you can.”

Henry held out his hand and tried. A large, messy ball of light appeared. “Like this?”

“Too big. Smaller. Think about squeezing it together.”

He tried again. This time the ball was a bit smaller.

“Better. Ada, show them your version.”

Ada created a perfect tiny ball of corrupted mana. “Like this?”

“Exactly. Now watch carefully everyone.” He walked to another dummy. “The key is control. Most players waste energy making big attacks. But small, focused hits…” He flicked his finger and the dummy’s head exploded. “…work better.”

The crowd gasped. Even Sara’s group looked impressed, though they tried to hide it.

[Alert-]

‘Shh, not now,’ he thought. He focused on the trainees. “Henry, try again. This time, aim for the dummy’s arm.”

Henry concentrated hard. His mana ball was smaller now, about the size of a coin. He shot it at the dummy.

BOOM!

The entire dummy exploded, not just the arm. Henry fell backwards, surprised by his own power.

“Ha! Not bad,” Vell laughed. “But your control needs work. You put too much power into it.” He helped Henry up. “Don’t worry, that’s why we’re here to train.”

One by one, the trainees tried. Some did better than others, but they all managed to make their mana balls smaller than before.

“Sir,” a young player asked, “if we can’t use corrupted mana like you and Ada, how can we get stronger?”

“Good question, corrupted mana isn’t the only path to power. What matters is how you use what you have.” He created several tiny mana balls that floated around him. “Normal mana can be just as strong if you learn to control it properly.”

“You are amazing, I will to be as strong as you, so that I can protect you and everyone.” The player said with a smile on his face. Vell stared at him for a bit, he has always had a soft spot for kids and this one was no different.

“What’s your name kid?”

“Alex, sir!” He replied with a proud look in his eyes.

“Rank?”

“Human rank, sir.”

He looked at the kid’s worn out sword and smiled, “you want to be a swordsman. Alex?”

His eyes lit up and he answered, “Yes sir, it has been my dream since I was a kid!”

“… Show me your best stance and attack, don’t hold back.”

“Yes!”

He gripped his old sword tight and got into his stance. His feet were too far apart, and his grip was wrong, but his eyes showed real determination.

[Pathetic, I have never seen such bad form.]

‘You are right but that look, that’s a warrior’s look, I like it.’ He thought, walking around Alex, studying his form.

“Attack me whenever you’re ready,” he said.

Alex charged forward with a yell. His swing was wild and uncontrolled. Vell didn’t even need to dodge – he just caught the blade with two fingers.

“Hmm.” He held the sword in place. “Your grip is wrong. Your stance is weak. And you’re putting way too much power into one big swing.” He let go of the blade. “But you’ve got good spirit, I like that.”

Alex looked down, embarrassed. “Sorry, sir. I know I’m not very good…”

“Hey.” He put a hand on his shoulder. “Nobody starts out good. Even I was terrible once.” He looked at the worn sword. “First thing you need is a better weapon. This one’s about to break.”

He reached into his inventory and pulled out a sword. It wasn’t anything special – just a basic training sword, but it was well-made and properly balanced.

“Here. Consider it your first lesson. A warrior needs the right tools.”

Alex’s eyes went wide as he held the new sword. “But sir, I can’t pay for this!”

“Who said anything about paying? Now, let me show you the proper stance.”

He moved behind Alex and adjusted his position. “Feet closer together. Back straight. Grip the sword like this – see how it feels more balanced?”

“Yes sir!” Alex copied the position exactly.

“Good. Now channel your mana into the blade, just a little bit. Like making those small balls we practiced.”

He concentrated. The sword started glowing softly.

“Perfect. That’s how you start. Small, controlled amounts of power.” He stepped back. “Try attacking the dummy again. Remember – control over power.”

This time, Alex’s swing was smoother. The blade cut cleanly through the dummy’s arm instead of exploding it.

“Now that’s more like it!” He nodded approvingly. “See the difference?”

The crowd watched with interest. Even some of Sara’s people were paying close attention now.

“Sir?” Alex asked, still practicing the stance. “Will you teach me more?”

[Alert: Emotional response-]

‘I said be quiet,’ he thought, but he couldn’t help smiling. “Yeah, kid. I’ll teach you more. In fact…” he looked around at all the eager faces in the crowd, “I think it’s time we started a proper training program. Not just one lesson, but regular classes.” He turned to the guild leaders. “Set up a schedule. Different times for different skill levels. Make sure everyone who wants to learn has a chance.”

“Yes sir!” they replied quickly.

“Alex, you’ll be in the beginner class. Three times a week, starting tomorrow. Don’t be late.”

“Yes sir! Thank you sir!” The boy’s face was beaming with joy.

Ada stepped forward, her mana swirling calmly now. “Should I help teach too?”

“Of course. You’ve learned enough control to start sharing what you know.” He addressed the crowd again. “This is what real strength looks like – helping each other grow, not holding others down.”

He could see Sara’s face in the crowd, her expression a mix of confusion and suspicion. She clearly hadn’t expected this kind of lesson.

“That’s all for today,” he announced. “Sign up sheets will be posted in the main hall. And remember…” his eyes met Sara’s directly, “my door is always open to those who want to learn.”

[Should we pursue them?]

‘You know, I might just shut you off if you keep this up.’

[Haha, let the system do its work master.]

‘sigh, at this right I will end up going mad.’

As the crowd began to disperse, Alex was still practicing with his new sword, his face full of determination. Vell watched him with an odd feeling in his chest. It reminded him of… the old days.

But for once, he didn’t try to suppress it. Maybe this was exactly what he needed – not just students, but a chance to build something new, something better…

‘Yeah right, the plan continues.’ He turned and left, his eyes glowing red.