Chapter 150 - 149: The Shape of Unspoken Power
Three weeks had passed since their battle with the Viscount.
The midday sun filtered through the treetops above the elven encampment, casting dancing shadows over the clearing where the trio had made a habit of training. Birds chirped in the distance, but within the ring of smooth stone and packed soil, the air was still, focused.
Lumberling sat cross-legged, his posture straight, hands resting loosely on his knees, palms open. The Concordia Cycle ran through him like a measured pulse, mana flowing in rhythm with breath, drawing in, refining, releasing. Around him, the faint shimmer of controlled aura drifted in and out of sight like a heat mirage.
Aurelya tilted her head, brows furrowing. "You... how did you suddenly improve?"
She had suspected it for days, small tells: the increasing clarity of his control, the faint resonance of mana around him that was sharper, cleaner. But now, watching the cycle stabilize with unnerving ease, she could no longer deny it. His progress had leapt forward.
From the side, Thessalia’s gaze narrowed. Silent but equally observant.
The Concordant State, something that should’ve taken him decades of rigorous training given his meager talent had been reduced to a matter of years. It was as if his very aptitude had been rewritten.
Thessalia crossed her arms, her voice calm but edged. "You’re not just refining mana anymore. Your understanding has shifted. I’ve noticed you applying principles I’ve never taught."
Lumberling slowly opened his eyes, his breathing even, his expression neutral. "Maybe... my talent’s finally waking up," he said, feigning a half-smile.
But neither elf accepted the deflection this time.
Aurelya stepped closer, arms folded tightly, golden eyes searching. "You were struggling with elemental balance two weeks ago. Now you’re harmonizing like someone years into formal study. You’re adapting too fast."
Thessalia’s voice dropped lower. "Your mana has changed."