The next day After the Talk...
The soft echo of footsteps bounced off the polished stone walls as Alex made his way through the eastern wing of the Walker estate. The hallways here were quieter, less decorated—meant for focus, not ceremony. At the end of the corridor stood a set of thick, reinforced doors carved with swirling patterns of interlocking space runes. The Spatial Training Chamber.
Two guards stationed at either side saluted respectfully but said nothing. They knew who he was now.
Alex paused before the doors. His tiny hand pressed against the cold metal, and the runes shimmered in response—recognizing him, responding to his newly awakened bloodline. With a faint hum, the doors parted.
The training room was vast too vast that it's looked like from the outside.
"Spatial expansion, figures" he mused as he took in the room.
The walls pulsed faintly with mana, layered with defensive enchantments. The ceiling rose high, nearly invisible in the dim ambient light, while the ground was smooth, etched with ancient sigils that seemed to breathe.
Alex stepped in, letting the doors close behind him with a quiet thud.
For a moment, he just stood there, breathing in.
This was his space now.
Let's see... what exactly can I do? But first.
He sat down cross-legged at the center of the chamber and closed his eyes.
Let's take a look…
With a thought, his consciousness sank inward, diving into the core that now pulsed within his body. There it was—gleaming, radiant, and unlike anything he'd ever read about.
A beautiful, smooth sphere floated at the center of his chest pulsing alongside his heart. Its surface shimmered with flowing silver-blue runes—delicate, fluid, and alive. The mark of his space talent.
But wrapped around that were deeper etchings, glowing runes of hazy blood-red nestled within a field of deep, endless purple. They pulsed with an ancient rhythm, wild, but powerful. Primordial. These had become part of his talent— elevating it to something else.
Something that had changed him.
This…isn't the core a little bit too big! According to the book dad left me mystic cores are around the size of a basketball about 25cm!! Then the rumoured beyond an origin core is around 50cm but then…." He said in incredulous.
What the heck is this! He exclaimed. Looking at the staggering 100 cm orb simply staying still like a planet.
Is this because of what the primordial energy did to me, but still" he said looking at the exaggerated size of his core beating and pulsing alongside his heart. "It's too big"
Cores above the advanced grade opens a special dimension were the size don't affect the physical world, it's in a unique state of fake and real, illusion still affects reality.
Having read the book his dad gave him that night, he found out about the core above mystic to be origin, a core that was only spoken of in legends were achieved by the special descendants of his generation. But despite reading the book to the end he hasn't seen any mention of a core like his. Origin core are identified by the origin runes it embedded with same with his but with the additional purple runes he has.
"So the Primordial energy definitely mutated me which explains the race and core and judging as how the elders and my dad weren't able to detect anything it means two things; either they aren't strong enough which he doubt then it must mean they can't" Alex speculated.
But this…..These markings weren't just mere decorations or for just a bonus mutation, it's feels like something more.
He could feel it. The strength flowing through his muscles, the sheer density of his body.
This thing didn't just give me a power boost—it rebuilt me. Perfected me.
He stood slowly and walked to the far end of the chamber, where rows of training dummies stood idle. One in particular—metal-framed with a glowing circle on its chest—was calibrated to measure physical force. Standard equipment for young talent bearers.
Alex took a breath, then stepped into position.
He didn't channel mana. No techniques. Just raw physical power.
With a sudden twist of his body, he drove his fist into the dummy's center.
BAAMM!
The impact reverberated through the room. The dummy groaned and sparked, the force gauge flashing erratically before freezing.
He glanced at the readings.
He blinked. Fifth stage Core genesis realm, That… was unexpected, isn't this the output value of a origin core grade? Is it not supposed to be higher?.
Although Alex is still only at first stage core genesis realm considering his core to be above a origin grade he expected it to be more powerful but reality is cruel.
"So the lousy energy just enhanced a little and gave me a more mana pool which also means more work and time if I want to full it, damn" he became agitated when he realized he had been cheated.
Taking a deep Breath in and releasing it, he tried to calm down and look at the positive side.
"More mana means more work… but it also means more freedom."
He paused, then allowed a faint grin to curl at the edge of his lips.
"Yeah… that's the tradeoff, isn't it?"
A larger mana pool wasn't just a burden. It was a resource. Most people had to ration their spells, measure every attack, hold back just in case a fight dragged on too long. But him?
If he learned to control it properly, he wouldn't have to think twice.
More mana meant more room for mistakes.
More space to experiment.
More margin for risk.
More time to outlast an opponent.
More power to sustain complex techniques longer than anyone else.
Having thoroughly convinced himself Alex grinned faintly. "Yep positive thinking is always the answer so….. let the real test begin"
Raising his hand, he exhaled slowly. The air shimmered faintly around his fingers.
Space.
It responded easily, like muscle memory he didn't know he had. He focused—not on trying to do anything conolex, but on pulling something toward him. A dummy off to the side jerked and flew toward him, stopping just a few inches from his palm.
Telekinesis. Easy.
He pushed it back. The dummy flew across the room.
Next, he fixed his gaze on a nearby spot and focused. A twitch in his mind, a shift in intent—and in the blink of an eye, he stood there but he stumbled forward a bit.
"Freaking awesome!" he said with a wide smile
Blink. Short-distance teleportation. It felt like stretching and snapping back in a single instant. His body didn't resist. There was no lag, no disorientation. He tried again—this time faster. Blink. Blink. Blink.
Every movement clean and smooth, he no longer stumbled as he got used to it. The world folded and unfolded around him with effortless grace.
He stopped after a dozen short-range teleports, feeling only a meager drain on his core.
"Still not tired... This space affinity is insane."
With a thought, he tried something new. He held his hand shaped like a knife and imagined a cut in the air—something to displace matter, and with a simple swipe a thin silver line formed midair, then sliced forward, cutting through a target dummy cleanly,
Shhhink!!
The top half falling with a metallic clang.
Alex exhaled, a little stunned. "Okay, that's definitely sharp."
He grinned as he stared at his hand. "I thought it'd be harder…"
Perhaps it's due to my talent, I am also using elemental mana instead of pure mana, though the book said it's because only origin core are able to use elemental mana at the get go".
Alex mused before getting back to what he was doing
"Let's see what else you can do, Eclipsing Horizon," he whispered to himself, using the title he knew was tied to his Talent.
Finally, he raised both hands and pressed outward. Space twisted in front of him, shimmering like heatwaves, then hardened—solidified into an invisible wall. He struck it with his foot. Nothing moved. It held.
Space solidification. For defense.
His eyes gleamed.
"Now I have an attack, movement, defense and crowd control technique. Am all set" he giggled
Everything felt natural, like his core wasn't just supplying mana but instinct. As if space itself had always been a part of him, just waiting for permission.
Every technique he tried flowed not from strict technique or memorized movement, but from instinct, concept. He finally understand why he hadn't seen any spell structure ever since—this world power wasn't limited by rigid structures. It wasn't a spellbook of "what you can do"—it was a palette.
Imagination and strength.
That was all he needed.
And somehow… he had both.
"Having watch alot of animes in my past life, imagination is the least of my concern" Alex chuckled to himself.
But even as excitement built, a whisper of caution returned.
Elder Myra's words... it's dangerous to be too showy.
A pulse ran through his core again, the blood-red runes shimmering faintly.
Alex slowly sat back down to the floor.
No more flashy things—at least, not for now. He needed to learn control before raw strength.
He sat cross-legged at the center of the room, the space around him gently humming with his presence. A quiet resolve settled over him.
"This is my path now," he murmured. "If I'm going to be strong enough to protect the people I love... I need to master it. All of it."
Above in the darkened observation alcove, Avalon stood high in the observation alcove, his expression unreadable but his gaze sharp.
"He's progressing rapidly," he murmured.
Behind him, Amelia stepped beside him with a small smile. "But still very amateur."
Avalon nodded. "For now.
.....
Alex sat quietly, eyes half-lidded, body still. The silver-blue runes within his core pulsed faintly—gentle waves of space mana brushed against his skin. The deeper he meditated, the clearer it became: his mana flowed smoother, his grip on space tighter. Subtle, but real.
His breaths steadied, and with a slow exhale, he opened his eyes.
The air warped slightly at his fingertips.
"Better control," he muttered to himself, fingers spreading. "Less mana, same result."
He stood to test it, spatial energy weaving between his hands—but before he could do more, the heavy chamber doors creaked open.
"Training by yourself?" came a voice—deep, solid.
Alex turned to find Elder Vonn standing in the doorway, arms folded across his broad chest. The older man's eyes were like twin blades—sharp, unyielding.
"Greetings elder, yes," Alex said. "Just exploring what I can do."
Vonn stepped into the room, boots echoing against stone. "You'll learn faster with pressure. Come at me. No holding back."
Alex hesitated. "Wait. You want me to fight you?"
"I won't break you." A thin smirk. "Probably."
Oh, this is going to hurt.
Alex nodded slowly. "Alright."
He gathered space mana, let it hum around his fists. His body tensed—and then he charged.
His first strike was wild, clumsy, clearly telegraphed. Vonn didn't move. Just turned slightly, letting the punch whiff past his shoulder. Alex gritted his teeth, spun with a kick—Vonn caught it mid-air and hurled him across the room.
Alex slammed into the ground, rolling twice before scrambling to his feet, panting.
Okay. That hurt.
"Again," Vonn said calmly.
Alex narrowed his eyes and blinked behind the elder throwing a punch at his exposed side.
Vonn didn't even turn. He reached back and grabbed Alex's fist mid-air.
"Predictable."
The next few minutes were brutal.
Alex blinked. Swung. Dodged. Got flipped. Got punched. Got slammed. Again. Again. Again.
He tried space cut—Vonn simply side-stepped.
He tried spatial distortion to throw off the elder's sense of aim—Vonn walked through it like mist and knocked the wind out of him with a palm to the chest.
Every technique Alex used, Vonn countered with raw experience and power. And yet—
He didn't stop.
He blinked sideways, tripped over his own foot, and rolled. But this time he used telekinesis to throw a dummy at the elder's back. It made Vonn flinch—not out of threat, but out of surprise. Alex capitalized, dashing forward.
He missed again, but he learned from every failure. The fight became a storm of blinks, feints, and desperate dodges. Alex wasn't winning, not even close—but the tempo of his movements began to shift. Sloppy footwork became cautious steps. Wild swings became targeted jabs.
Still—every mistake cost him.
He tried to blink too fast. Got disoriented. Took a hit to the side and flew like a ragdoll. He formed a space wall wrong—too thin—and it shattered under a single tap from the elder.
By the fifth minute, he was on his knees, arms trembling, vision swimming from bruises.
"Isn't this just pure child abuse, for God's sake am only two!!" Alex lamented bitterly in his mind.
Elder Vonn stepped forward, looking down at the battered child who refused to give up.
"I've fought monsters," he said slowly. "Trained geniuses. Sparred with awakened prodigies since I was your age."
He knelt, eye-level with Alex, and stared hard into those silver-white eyes.
"But none of them learned this fast. You're not strong. Not yet. You fight like a toddler. But your mind—your will—your potential…"
He stood again.
"You're a monster in the making."
Alex coughed, spat out a bit of blood, and managed a crooked grin. "Thanks… I think."
Vonn's face didn't change. "Don't get cocky. You'll lose. A lot. And every time you do, you'll learn the price of weakness."
He paused, then added with a faint smirk, "And I intend to make sure you feel that price."
Alex nodded slowly, wiping blood from his lip, aching head to toe.
Good, he thought. If I don't suffer now, I'll break later.