Warrior Training System

Half a day had passed since Cassian and Cassandra began their escape. Seeing no signs of pursuit and knowing the journey ahead would take days, Cassandra finally stopped. Cassian, who had been asleep within her domain, stirred awake as he felt his body touch solid ground. The soft sound of water splashing nearby reached his ears.

"We're stopping?" he asked, yawning as he glanced around. They were by a river—not a large one, but its gentle flow reflected the starry sky and the glowing full moon above. The moonlight shimmered on the rippling surface, casting a blurry yet mesmerizing glow.

Cassandra, letting out a tired sigh, perched herself on a boulder. "Yeah…" she replied, her voice heavy with fatigue.

Days of staying awake and observing the Valtross testing facility and then the fight had taken their toll. Even as a 5th Circle Warrior, capable of enduring far more than most, she wasn't immune to exhaustion.

Cassandra sat on the boulder, exhaling deeply as she leaned back slightly. With a casual motion, she made her spear vanish into thin air. One moment it was there, gleaming faintly in the moonlight, and the next, it was gone—disappearing as if it had never existed.

He had read about the ability before—it was called Spatial Space, something warriors could achieve upon reaching the Third Circle. Mages had a similar skill tied to their own craft. The idea of weapons vanishing into thin air and reappearing at will fascinated him. Cassian couldn't wait to unlock that ability himself someday—it just looked too cool to pass up.

Not fully understanding how it worked, Cassian asked, "How does that even work?"

"What?" Cassandra replied, her tone casual as she slipped off her shoes. She dipped her surprisingly small feet—considering her height—into the cool river water, a look of pure relief spreading across her face as the chill soothed her tired muscles.

Cassian felt a sudden, unexpected pang of arousal as his eyes lingered on Cassandra's feet submerged in the river. It caught him off guard—he hadn't realized just how much he was attracted to such a simple thing. Then again, every time he'd touched a woman's feet in the past, it had led to sex, so the reaction wasn't entirely surprising.

Unable to resist the opportunity to steer things in a familiar direction with Cassandra, he reached toward her feet with a smile and asked, "The ability to store things in domains…"

Cassandra glanced at him, her lips curving into a faint smirk. "It's tied to our domains," she said simply, brushing a strand of hair from her face. "Our weapons are like extensions of us. Once we reach a certain level of control, we can store them within our domains—almost like anchoring them to our will. It's not magic, though it might look like it."

Cassian listened intently, his hand still inching closer to her feet, his mischievous smile lingering. "So, it's more like... you're bonding with the weapon on a deeper level?" he asked, his tone half-curious, half-teasing.

Cassandra raised an eyebrow at his question, but her smirk didn't fade. "Something like that. It's about synchronization, trust, and mastery. You can't just will it into existence without putting in the work. It takes years to refine that connection."

Seeing his hand on her foot, squeezing it gently, Cassandra furrowed her brows and asked, confused, "And why, exactly, are you touching my feet?"

Cassian, unbothered by her question, let his thumb glide down the sole of her foot in a slow, deliberate motion, tracing a wave-like pattern from her toes to her heel. "Well," he began with a grin, "you looked tired, and I happen to be pretty good at massages. Plus, since you saved me earlier, I thought I'd return the favor by giving you a little relaxation as thanks."

Cassandra's eyes narrowed slightly, though there was a faint flicker of amusement behind them. "And this was your grand idea of gratitude?"

"Of course," Cassian replied smoothly, his hands continuing their careful work. "A warrior like you deserves to unwind every now and then. Besides, I figured it's better than just saying 'thank you' and calling it a day."

Cassandra sighed, leaning back on her hands as if debating whether to let him continue. "You're lucky I'm too tired to argue," she muttered, though the corners of her lips twitched as if suppressing a smirk.

As Cassian's hands worked their magic on Cassandra's feet, she felt herself relaxing more with every passing moment. The tension that had gripped her body for days seemed to melt away under his skilled touch. A warm, soothing heat began to spread from her feet, traveling upward, as if his hands were coaxing her muscles into releasing all their fatigue.

She leaned back further, her arms barely supporting her weight as the cool night breeze brushed against her face. The contrast between the heat from his hands and the chill of the wind made her feel almost weightless, like she was floating in a state of bliss.

Cassandra let out a quiet sigh, her head tilting back slightly as her eyes fluttered shut. "… I didn't think a foot massage could feel this good," she murmured, her voice softer than usual.n/ô/vel/b//jn dot c//om

Cassian chuckled softly, his fingers working methodically along the arch of her foot, pressing gently yet with purpose. "Told you I was good at this," he teased, his touch moving closer to the tendons near her ankle. She flinched, a sweet sound escaping her lips as he applied just the right pressure. "Nghhh, that felt so good..."

Her face softened in surprise as she felt her mana begin to flow more smoothly through her feet, a sensation she hadn't expected.

What had started as a simple request for relaxation now seemed to be offering more than she had imagined. Her thoughts shifted as she became aware of the deeper effects his touch was having. Looking at him, she asked, a little breathless, "Can you massage my whole body?"

Cassian's eyes widened slightly, not expecting her to be the one to make the offer. He quickly masked his surprise with a chuckle, his tone light and playful. "Well, in that case, I won't waste any time," he said, already moving to help her settle more comfortably. "Let's get you out of those clothes first... it'll be easier to work the muscles that way."

Cassandra hesitated for a moment, not particularly eager to strip down, but the thought of using the massage to help ease the tension in her body and mind made her nod in agreement. "Alright," she said, though her tone was cautious, "but let's move to a safer spot first."

She pointed to the opposite side of the river, her finger indicating a small wooden cabin that stood about a hundred meters away. "There's a wooden house over there. We can head there. I stayed there while you searching for the academy's testing site."

"Okay, let's go..." Cassian said, already recovered from his earlier wounds and not feeling as tired after having rested. As Cassandra put her shoes back on, he took a few steps back from the river, then, without warning, he ran like the wind.

In one fluid motion, he launched himself into the air, rising almost three times his height. Cassandra watched in confusion as he began to fall, but something strange happened. Instead of plummeting, he seemed to slow down, almost as if he were floating. It was like watching a leaf drift in the breeze.

With an effortless step, Cassian's foot landed lightly on the river's surface, causing only a slight ripple. It was smooth, controlled, and graceful, almost as if he were walking on solid ground. He continued forward, not like a gale now, but more like a fast-moving wind, swift and direct. With another step, he had crossed the river entirely, leaving Cassandra surprised.

Amused and a little awestruck, Cassandra muttered to herself, "What a monster... Has he already mastered the footwork of his sword style?"

She tightened her shoes, watching him walk ahead, barely breaking his stride. Unlike Cassian, who had made a bold jump, Cassandra gracefully stepped back, gathering herself for a moment. Then, with a fluid motion, she leaped into the air. Her jump was different from Cassian's—it wasn't abrupt, but more like a beautiful star descending from the sky, soft and flowing. She landed near him effortlessly, barely making a sound as her feet met the ground, moving with a fluidity that almost mirrored the grace of his movements. Stay tuned to empire

She asked, "You've gotten better..." Her smile was gentle, a mix of happiness and sadness.

Cassian smirked, a bit of pride evident in his voice as he nodded. "I did..." He spoke, with a glint of pride in his eyes, the kind that came from knowing he was constantly pushing the limits of his abilities.

Cassandra, however, couldn't help but feel a mix of admiration and pity. As a Circle Warrior, she understood better than anyone that growth in this field came through facing increasingly difficult situations. The harder the challenge, the greater the reward.

She was certain that his progress hadn't come easily—he must have faced incredibly tough, almost hopeless challenges, and yet, he had triumphed over them. That was the source of his growth. But as much as she admired his strength, there was a sense of pity that followed. No one should have to endure such relentless hardships over and over again. Constantly facing situations that seemed impossible could wear anyone down, leaving them drained, disillusioned, and on the verge of losing hope.

Still, she reminded herself that they were Circle Warriors. Their essence lay in the strength of their will, and will, at its core, was simply another way of describing humanity's ability to never lose hope.