Karl suddenly appeared in his training ground along with Kevin.
"What?" Karl asked as he clutched his stomach trying to calm down his stomach.
"Karl is your decision to annoy me?" Kevin asked Karl sharply.
"Which one? To use a kid as a chair? Not completely but yes it was somewhat." Karl spoke pricking his ear clearly knowing that is not what Kevin meant.
"That is also something you should not have done. You need to learn to control your anger son. But that is not what I am talking about. About becoming an arhat do you know everything?"
"Yes I know it al-" Karl stopped as he remembered that the info he knew was all from novel.
"...I would like to hear it from you." Karl spoke after a pause.
Kevin sighed at Karl's answer but then started to tell the basics of arhat, arya and mage.
'Thankfully, it is the same. The only thing new is the process of forming mana and aura as it was not explained in the novel.' Karl thought as he heard Kevin's explanation.
"So I just need to put some kind of will into ether to convert into aura or mana?" Karl asked Kevin.
"It is not putting anything inside. Ether can not be controlled by... others. To form aura you need to sense ether and then try to use it with your physical body while to form mana you need to put your mind to use while sensing ether.
It is not something that can be formed by just adding two things. You need to just practice your body or mind while doing your best to sense ether. That is how it is done.
Of course the essence that scholars have found out that makes mana and aura different from ether is will power but this is still being researched. The will power in mana and aura are different thus giving them different properties." Kevin replied followed by Karl's nodding in understanding.
"So that is why they can co-exist in the same body but should be in equilibrium. If one type of energy becomes too strong then the will power will overmine the other type of will power making ether run wild and causing the blast." Karl said.
"Of course you genius. That is just one of the many reasons to not become an arhat. So now do you get it?" Kevin asked in a matter of fact tone.
"Yes I do. So when will I form both mana and aura?" Karl asked with a smirk.
"Karl this is not a joking matter. Death is something that can happen anytime if you can become an arhat. Do you want to see your mother sad due to your death?"
"Dad, I am not going to die. I will take it slow and steady." Karl said, reassuring Kevin.
"It will not make you a lot powerful either. With the level of talent you have you can easily reach my level but by becoming an arhat you might die of old age before you reach your full potential and you will always have slower growth than your friends."
"Dad, you know I can control ether right?" Karl asked back which made Kevin widen his eyes as if he had remembered it just now.
"I can become a lot stronger with just ether control. Being an arhat will just act as a cover for my powers." Karl said.
'Though if my talent is like novel, it won't be an issue to have faster growth than others my age.' Karl thought to himself.
Kevin looked at Karl for a moment before speaking.
"If you only want a cover, why risk your life by becoming an arhat?"
"I already said, I am not riski-"
"You might not want it but the risk always stays Karl. There are a lot of things that happen in life which you can not control.
And your mother and I will always know that you are always in the risk of death even if you are practicing by yourself.
Since you are so intelligent, you should be able to think how worrying it is for us."
Kevin's words hit Karl differently as he also started having second thoughts.
'Fuck. He is not wrong. I can be the strongest even if I do not become an arhat.
This is not a game. I am actually risking my life but...'
"Dad, as you said, there are a lot of things that happen in life which you can not control and that is why I want to do whatever I can." Karl spoke seriously his voice showing his resolve.
"Just because one can does not mean one should." Said a voice from behind Karl.
As Karl turned back to look at who said it, he saw the person he expected the most.
"Grandfather" Karl blurted in surprise.
Marcus gave Karl a nod as he continued.
"Even if one does whatever they can does not mean that they will be able to control their life. Power is something one must have to control their life and intelligence is another.
What you are talking of is something stupid and the path you are talking of will make your slow down your growth and will thus also not let you have enough power." Marcus said as he stared at Karl.
Karl looked at Marcus for a moment thinking about his words before he opened his mouth.
"My growth will not be slower. I am talented." Karl spoke in a matter of fact voice which made even Marcus frown.
"How talented is he?" Marcus asked as he turned towards Kevin.
"...He had 11 score in both physical and mental potential." Kevin said with a sigh.
Marcus's eyes widened at Kevin's words.
"Do you know what you are saying?" Marcus asked back to which Karl nodded with a wry smile.
"What does the score mean?" Karl asked curious about his capabilities.
"The machine that you went in gives score from 1-10. That is the max level of potential every being in Arhaven has. The number 11 is used to describe... something beyond." Kevin explained to Karl.
"Is there a 12?" Karl asked which Kevin denied.
"As I said the number 11 is not for beings of Arhaven. It is for outer beings. The machine shows any potential above 10 as 11."
Kevin's words made Karl frown as he asked something he found missing in the explanation.
"Are there being outside of Arhaven?" Karl asked which made Kevin sigh.
"Karl, it is not something you should know now. You will learn about it when the time comes." Kevin replied in a stern voice, leaving no room for further questions.
But his answer was enough for Karl to be shaken.
'What the fuck? There was no mention of aliens in the novel. Just how much did the novel miss!? Isurt is not just a world with magic and fighting arts!?
Calm down. As dad said, I will learn about it when the time comes but this tells me that I do not know shit about the world from the novel.' Karl concluded as Marcus spoke again.
"Have you really thought about your decision?" Marcus asked again and Karl nodded seriously.
"I hope you do not come to regret it." Marcus said as he turned around and walked away.
Kevin was a bit shocked when he saw Marcus give his permission but also understood where he was coming from.
"Karl is this really what you have decided. You can not change it later on. Even if you do not like it." Kevin said seriously and Karl replied with a nod, again.
"Ok, You can already sense ether right?" Kevin asked with a smirk and Karl also smirked in reply.
"I will send a tutor for you tomorrow morning. You can just take your classes from the day after tomorrow.
And Karl, I think you know it already but do not show your powers in front of others. It will cause a lot more problems than you can think of.
Even your potential report will be confidential let alone the ability to control ether."
"I beat a kid."
"That will just be justified as you being physically stronger than Taner. Taner is the son of army chief so what you did was still very stupid.
And that is also why I am asking you to form mana core and aura ring soon so that there will be an excuse for your powers.
And I am telling this just for your knowledge but your ability to control ether is something we call a trait. Traits are something which are very rare and exclusive to a person.
Make sure that no one finds out about your trait." Kevin said heavily.
"Why though? Won't it be more helpful for the family?" Karl asked.
"No. It will be very very bad for the family. You might not even be my successor if that happens." Kevin spoke his tone very serious.
"...Why? Aren't we a dukedom?" Karl asked absurdly.
"...People with traits are forced to join the forces of crown. You will not be forced to join the crown's force but will instead be kept under severe supervision." Kevin said complexly.
"...So if I then become the next duke, the crown will take the whole dukedom?" Karl asked sharply.
Kevin's eyes widened at Karl's quick thinking but he nodded bitterly.
"That is why you must not ever show it. I will get you a good tutor so try to develop your mana rings and aura core instead of your trait. Keep practicing it as living with constraints is still better than dying but never show it unless it saves your life."
Kevin said as he turned back and started walking away.
"Go back and sleep early. You should be here at 7 o'clock in the morning." Kevin reminded as he exited the training ground.
Karl stared blankly in the air for a moment before he also walked away and went to sleep, curious about what the next day holds for him.