A little over three years have passed. I grew impatient over that time and advanced through those key “baby breakthroughs” a little earlier than I probably should have. Although it allowed me to begin training my Orb and weaponship much earlier, it sort of labeled me as a “Child Prodigy.” 

While there were some benefits of being the second prodigy of Highstar Aphelion, the unnecessary attention got in the way. For example, megalomaniac nobles traveled from all over the Empire to try and impress me with their achievements. It was their way of building connections, I suppose. Then there were the excruciating events I had to attend with my father. Speaking of, here he comes.

My father hadn’t aged a bit. He walked confidently from the porch behind our manor as he headed towards where I stood in the middle of our family's training grounds. 

The training field was a massive yard, easily bigger than multiple Football stadiums combined. Composed of beautiful emerald sod, it was infused with mana to prevent it from deteriorating. The outer regions even had thick forests to help aid in all forms of combat.

My father took his final steps as he began, “Hello Son.”

“Hello Vincent,” I replied innocently.

The quick twitch of his mouth hinted that he didn’t appreciate me not using formalities, but nevertheless, he relented. Instead, he simply snapped his mana-infused fingers, and a weapons rack appeared from under the ground.

“Let’s see what your teachers have taught you, shall we,” he gestured towards the rack.

Without wasting a word, I examined the rack. It was full of various blunted weapons. Swords, Maces, Nunchakus, Sais, Hammers, and even my sister's favored weapon… the Kusarigama. However, I opted for my personal favorite weapon.

A Partizan-a traditional spear with two additional points stretching out just below the main blade-which had always been a personal favorite of mine in my old life.

My father smirked at my decision. He had never really been a fan of the spear.

My father opted for a more generic weapon, a sword.

There have always seemed to be many misconceptions about spears. Even in my old world, it was generally looked down upon compared to the sword. However, the spear is almost always superior.

Granting more reach and precision, the spear allows its wielder to keep its distance from its enemy. In addition to that, spears are quite versatile in how they can be used and are generally superior in most major combat situations. What people claim to be its shortcoming is when it comes to close-quarters combat. While its maneuverability is rendered, it is still much more effective in tight spaces. The sword needs room to make cuts and slashes while the spear can still thrust… as long as their enemy is only in front of them.

The only major downside to spears comes in terms of durability and facing heavily armored opponents. Conveniently for me though, this world allowed me to infuse mana with my weapon, preventing said shortcomings. All and all… the Partizan was the perfect weapon, especially since firearms weren’t as big of an issue.

Firearms were the sole reason for the downfall of spears during combat. However, while firearms are still around in this world, mana shields and other equipment negate the effectiveness of such weapons.   Thus allowing for more traditional options to be used as well. 

Clearing my thoughts, I took a deep inhale as I locked eyes with my father. He nodded his head. 

Exhale.

The earth shot out from underneath where my father had been. I grit my teeth in anticipation of the shockwave that soon followed. In less than a second, my father had dashed serval meters as he attempted to strike my left flank. The wind thrashed around us as I barely managed to block his attack with the staff of my weapon. My father seemed to have no concern with the fact that I was a mere 5-year-old child.

So be it.

I leaped back as far as I could, just like I had practiced so many times before. I took a defensive position as I studied my father, who had begun to circle around me. A twitch. A lingering eye. I was looking for any hint that could help me anticipate the next attack. But no such sign came. My father once again blitzed me, this time aiming for a clean upwards slash to my nose. 

My instincts were the only thing that saved me. Knowing I couldn’t afford to lean back and lose my center of gravity, I instead managed to sidestep the attack. Preparing to parry, I raised my elbow to strike the side of his head… but he was already meters away again.

This was the power of the Lightning Attribute. Granting wielders near untrackable speeds, it allowed for quick and decisive blows. If my father hadn’t been holding back, I would be on the floor by now. Or worse.

“Impressive,” my father stated matter of factly, “Let’s see how you handle this.”

No longer making use of his mana, he stared with an unexpressive look as he slowly approached me. Then, he lunged with a barrage of swift but precise attacks upon nearing three meters. Even without the mana to reinforce him, he was still much faster than me, and the sheer impact of the clashing of our weapons began tearing open the calluses on my hands. 

Sweat poured down my face as I continued to anticipate and block the series of feints and slashes that were all aimed at vital parts of my body. I wouldn’t be able to handle this intensity for much longer. Knowing I needed to do something, I let my instincts take over as I looked for an opening. 

There it was.

Every time my father slashed upwards across my body, he left his back exposed. I would have less than a second to counter, but I had a chance. I waited and waited for the perfect moment. Finally, my father’s body began the familiar motion of the strike that left him vulnerable. 

Instead of blocking as I had normally done, I twisted my body to avoid the sword. My father was left defenseless by his own momentum as I accumulated all my strength and thrust my spear at his Teres Major.

However, just as my spear was about to connect, my entire body was abruptly stopped. Blinded by my own determination, I had not noticed it was my father who had found the opening. His massive left hand was crossed across his body as it held my entire arm in place while his sword rested just above my trachea. 

If I wasn’t so young.

“It was a good attempt,” my father said deadpan as though reading my thoughts, “But your eyes betrayed you far before your body's incompetence.”

He was right. I continually gazed at his back as I prepared for the opening. A rookie mistake indeed, I would need to adjust if I were to become stronger. 

My father let go of me and tossed his sword to the side, and I did the same and watched as they were sucked under the ground and returned to the weapons rack. “That's enough for today Cronus,” my father continued, “But know, I am proud of how far you have come so quickly.”

I watched as a slight gleam of pride darted through his eyes. 

“If you keep at this pace, you may just catch your sister one day.” 

“Thank you. Father.”

My father let out a quick smile as he turned to walk away. Then he stopped. “One more thing.”

After he didn’t continue, I asked, “What?”

“Prepare your belongings; you’ll be attending The Summit with me.” 

A long pause filled the air.

“We leave tomorrow.”