Marco projected another image, this time a stylized depiction of an Aethel warrior, clad in gleaming armor that seemed to shimmer with an inner light. The warrior wielded a staff identical in form to Starling, and around him, the air crackled with visible energy, elemental forces bending to his will.

  ?This is a historical representation of an Aethel Argentum warrior, from the era before the fall of the First City. Observe the manner in which he channels and commands energy, the effortless manipulation of elemental forces. This is the dormant power of the Argentum Core, the potential that lies nascent within you, Eli, waiting to be awakened.?

  The revelation hung in the air between them, sharp and dangerous, a double-edged sword of hope and terror. Eli reached up, touching his chest, feeling the faint, almost imperceptible hum beneath his ribs, the subtle warmth radiating outwards.

  So this is what Malek tried to shackle. This is why they hunted me. Why they killed my parents. The weight of that knowledge settled heavily upon him, a cold dread mingling with the fragile spark of hope.

  ?Theoretical interlude,? Marco announced abruptly, interrupting Eli's spiraling thoughts, efficiently redirecting his focus back to the training. The warrior hologram dissolved, replaced by complex diagrams of energy pathways, meridians, and flow patterns.

  ? L.I.S.T. Interface Update ?

  Argentum Sparks: Active

  Function: Data Analysis & Projection

  Neural Load: 28%

  Note: "Prolonged use of complex projections may strain the host's neural capacity. Please advise when you're done staring blankly at the pretty pictures."

  Eli blinked, dragging his attention back to the present, to the holographic diagrams swirling before him. He studied the intricate pathways, tracing the lines with his gaze, recognizing the familiar stance he'd been practicing, Comet's Trail.

  "Comet's Trail… it's about speed and precision, isn't it, Marco? Like… like a comet cutting through the night sky?"

  ?Correct,? Marco affirmed, the diagram highlighting specific energy channels in response to Eli's question. ?The First Form of Aethel Elting emphasizes linear force and concentrated power. It primarily activates the meridian pathways associated with what your people categorize as Fire and Air threads. When executed with proper technique and focus, it can generate statistically remarkable bursts of velocity and highly concentrated kinetic striking power.?

  "Like when Lira would combine fire and air threads," Eli mused, a flicker of memory surfacing, Lira in the training yard at Iron Hold, demonstrating Elting forms with effortless grace, explaining the intricate weaving of elemental threads. "She said they could create… explosions of force."

  ?Indeed. Your friend's 'Elting' technique appears to be a… localized, simplified interpretation of Ancient Aethel energy manipulation principles. A cruder methodology, perhaps, from a purely academic perspective, but demonstrably effective within its limited parameters. The correlation between her observed abilities and documented Aethel techniques is statistically significant.?

  Marco paused again, his single blue light focusing intently on Eli. ?It is a theoretical possibility that the cataclysmic event responsible for the dungeon's formation also fundamentally altered the baseline laws of this reality within this localized region, rendering such… simplified Elting techniques viable.?

  "Do you… do you think I could learn it?" Eli asked, the fragile spark of hope within him flickering, threatening to ignite. "Even with… with this?" He gestured to the binding spell at his neck, the corrupted golden threads still pulsing faintly.

  ?Current probability assessment: inconclusive,? Marco admitted, a rare concession of uncertainty in the usually data-driven AI. ?However, your demonstrated capacity to perceive the mana threads, even in their suppressed state, strongly suggests a latent potential for Elting manipulation. It is within the realm of possibility that we may be able to incorporate certain principles of her… 'Elting' method into your training regimen. To potentially enhance your intrinsic energy sensitivity, and perhaps, in time, even develop a counter-strategy to mitigate the binding spell's suppressive effects.?

  ?Chime: Auditory notification signal activated. Three descending notes, frequency pattern resembling shattering stained glass,? the L.I.S.T. interjected, a sudden, unexpected chime echoing in the training chamber.

  ? Breakthrough Alert ?

  ▲ Energy Perception: Flickering Candlelight ? Dim Torchlight

  New Quest: Follow the Golden Thread (Literally. Stop arguing.)

  Risk: Corruption +3% per minute (Worth it for progress, yes?)

  Note: "Your attempts to mimic the 'Elting' method are inefficient. But potentially useful. Proceed with caution."

  This was unexpected. A deviation from their meticulously planned training schedule, a leap into the unknown. But it was a welcome deviation, a spark of genuine progress in the oppressive darkness of the dungeon.

  It felt like they were finally moving forward, not just in physical training, but in something deeper, something more fundamental – their understanding of each other, of Eli's potential, and of the strange, dangerous world they were trapped within.

  Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author.

  As if sensing his renewed determination, the holographic display shifted again, dissolving the diagrams, resolving into a new sequence of fluid, dynamic movements. ?Recommended action: Attempt phase two of Comet's Trail form. Current physiological parameters indicate vital signs have stabilized sufficiently to proceed.?

  Eli nodded, a surge of adrenaline chasing away the lingering exhaustion. Eagerness, sharp and focused, replaced the earlier frustration. He moved back into the starting position, Starling held ready.

  As he began the sequence, something unexpected, almost surreal, happened. The binding spell's usual painful resistance, the oppressive constriction, seemed to… shift, to subtly alter its nature. Instead of actively fighting against his movements, the corrupted threads appeared to… resonate with them. To synchronize. To dance.

  The threads, once solely a source of agonizing restriction, now felt… different. Connected. Like twisted extensions of his own will, pulsing in time with his movements, his breath, the rhythm of his own heart.

  The pain was still there, a sharp, constant throb, but it was now interwoven with something else, something… almost… powerful.

  "Marco," Eli gasped, surprise lacing his voice, yet managing to maintain the precise lines of the Comet's Trail form. "The spell… it's different. It's like… it's dancing with me?"

  ?Analysis: Extraordinary,? Marco's voice responded, the synthesized tones now holding a distinct mix of fascination and a palpable undercurrent of concern. ?The corrupted threads are exhibiting a demonstrable synchronization with your movement pattern. This novel development strongly suggests the binding spell's operational parameters are significantly more complex and adaptive than initial assessments indicated. Continue the sequence, Eli, but maintain heightened awareness of any further alterations in energy flow dynamics. This situation warrants… cautious optimism.?

  ? L.I.S.T. Interface Update ?

  Argentum Sparks: Active

  Function: Real-time Monitoring

  Binding Spell: ? Adaptive Synchronization Detected

  Neural Load: 35%

  Warning: "This is either a brilliant breakthrough, a statistically improbable positive outcome, or the beginning of a catastrophic cascade failure of unknown magnitude. My enthusiasm is… barely contained, Eli."

  As Eli flowed through the Comet's Trail form, his movements becoming smoother, more fluid, more powerful, he became increasingly, almost hyper-sensitively, aware of the threads around him.

  The faint, multi-colored strands of ambient mana seemed to pulse in time with his own heartbeat, shimmering at the edge of his vision, while the corrupted black threads of the binding spell wove through them, a dark, intricate counterpoint in a complex, evolving melody.

  No longer just a painful restriction, the binding spell was becoming something else entirely – a conduit, a twisted, corrupted link to a power he was only just beginning to grasp, to understand.

  Then, for just a fleeting moment, an impossible alignment occurred. His movement, the faint mana threads, the pulsing energy of Starling, even the agonizing constriction of the binding spell – they all flowed together, synchronized, harmonized, in a moment of perfect, terrifying unity.

  In that fleeting instant, Eli felt something spark within him, deep within his chest, a raw, untamed surge of power that made the very air around him crackle and hum with unleashed energy.

  It was like nothing he'd ever experienced before, a dizzying glimpse of a world beyond the binding spell's suffocating constraints, a taste of true, unbridled potential. He felt… strong. Powerful. Invincible. For that single, glorious heartbeat, he felt like he could take on the whole dungeon, the whole world.

  CRACK!

  The moment shattered as abruptly as it had begun. The raw, untamed energy, surging through Starling, overwhelmed the staff's nascent channeling matrix. The Ironbark bucked in his hands, the river-stone core flaring violently, and the staff slammed into the training chamber floor, the impact jarring through his bones.

  A shockwave of displaced energy rippled outwards, buffeting him, and a perfectly formed comet-shaped scar was seared into the stone beneath his feet, smoke curling from its blackened edges, carrying the sharp scent of burnt stone and ozone.

  The impossible moment passed quickly, vanishing like a dream upon waking, but its effects lingered, a resonant echo in the air, in his body, in the workshop itself.

  The binding spell settled back into its usual oppressive, restrictive pattern, the corrupted threads resuming their agonizing constriction. But something fundamental had changed. A door had been opened, however slightly, however briefly, and through that fleeting aperture, Eli had glimpsed something vast, something terrifying, something… magnificent.

  Something of his true, untamed potential. The corrupted threads, once solely a symbol of his imprisonment, now held a different, more complex meaning. They were still a challenge, still a source of pain, yes, but they were also, undeniably, a possibility. A twisted, dangerous path forward.

  "Well," Marco said after a long, uncharacteristic pause, his synthesized voice regaining its usual composure, though a subtle undercurrent of… something… remained. "It seems we have… much to discuss regarding the evolving nature of your binding spell, Eli. And its… unexpected interactions with your Argentum Core."

  The AI paused again, then, a dry, almost amused tone entering its voice, "But first… perhaps we should address the… aesthetically striking, if structurally unsound, comet-shaped pattern you just… indelibly etched into my floor."

  Eli looked down in surprise, his gaze drawn to the smoking streak of blackened stone beneath his feet. Sure enough, there it was, a perfectly formed comet, seared into the training chamber floor, smoke still curling from its edges, the scent of burnt stone mingling with the ozone tang.

  He couldn't help but grin, a genuine, if weary, smile touching his lips, chasing away some of the lingering exhaustion. "Sorry about that, Marco."

  "On the contrary," Marco replied, and Eli could have sworn he detected a distinct note of… pride? …in the AI's normally monotone voice. "From a purely data-driven perspective, this outcome is… most promising, Eli. Demonstrably so. Though," the amusement returned, sharper this time, "perhaps we should prioritize energy containment protocols in our subsequent training sessions. I only possess a finite quantity of structurally sound flooring within this sector, Eli."

  ? Progress Update ?

  Form: Comet's Trail

  Efficiency: Charging Boar ?? Streaking Comet ▲▲

  Meridian Flow: Turbulent River ?? Whispering Winds ▲

  Binding Spell: ? Adaptive Synchronization Detected

  Argentum Core: ? Comet Glyph ? +1% Active

  New Skill Unlocked: Comet Dash - "Move fast. Break things. Try not to die."

  Marco's Note: "Impressive. For a novice."