Feed said, "In any case, you have managed to float. This completes the first stage. Now, can you swing your sword or throw a punch?"

"I will give it a try."

I immediately swung my sword through the air, but there was no force behind it. I sheathed the sword and threw a punch instead.

The result was clear without looking. I flailed like a drowning man.

"Ahahaha!" Maxim clapped from the sidelines, thoroughly amused.

This uncle is enjoying himself a little too much, isn't he?

"Ignore him," Feed said calmly. "Everyone struggles at first. Without the ground's support, your movements are bound to be unstable."

"Yes. No matter how much mana I put into my attack, I can't even reach half of my original strength," I noted.

"That's to be expected in your current state. Think about it. When I attack from the air, do I lose any power?" Feed asked.

"That..."

He was right. I had experienced Feed's attacks both on the ground and in the air. In terms of power or speed, there was barely any difference. If anything, his airborne attacks were more difficult to read.

"It is the wind." A breeze stirred from nowhere, lifting Feed silently. "The winged race is naturally favored by the wind. For us, the wind is a support and armor. At the same time..."

Feed took a stance and thrust his spear straight forward. There was a sharp explosion in the air, followed by a strong gust of wind.

"The wind can become a spear as well," Feed said. "Of course, it will be hard for you to grasp that right now. So first recognize it as a support, a pedestal, or even an invisible wall."

"A wall..." I echoed.

"Today, focus on feeling the wind and understanding its essence," Feed suggested. "I have something to do, so I will come back tomorrow."

I could only nod. "I understand."

***

The Hero Society was a surprisingly flexible organization. No one ordered me off the rooftop even after Feed left, which allowed me to claim the wide expanse as my own. From what I had heard, the only S-class heroes currently at the headquarters were the Headquarters Chief, Sky-Destroying Sword Maxim, and Heavenly Wind Knight Feed. The odds of anyone else showing up were slim.

I closed my eyes and floated alone in a space so vast that it almost seemed wasteful.

I focused all my senses on the surface of my skin but couldn't feel anything.

"Recognize the wind as a wall..." I muttered.

It was easier said than done. I reflexively grabbed at the air, but my fingers closed on emptiness. It was natural.

What does the wind represent? It symbolized freedom. It remained invisible to the naked eye, yet it existed everywhere. It flowed more freely than water, formless and untamed.

"This is much more difficult than swimming..." I mumbled.

At least, with water, I could feel its texture and understand the concept of buoyancy when I floated. I could disturb it, scoop it, or scatter it with my hands. If I used internal energy based on those tactile memories, I could likely walk on water. People called it the flying-on-water technique.

However, I didn't know how to handle the wind. Understanding it did not grant me the ability to walk in the air.

Ah, the Void Flying Path... I was convinced when I remembered one of my master's techniques, but it was far beyond my current self.

I exhaled slowly, fanned the air with my hands, and drew several steady breaths, yet clarity never came. I still couldn't grasp the underlying principle. That alone made it dangerous. Nothing was more reckless than wielding a power without understanding it.

Think. How did Feed fight? In my memory, wind always surrounded him, even when he stood on solid ground. It felt like an endless breeze circling him, I think?

When I attacked with my sword or fists, I could generate gusts of wind, but it somehow felt different from that.

Just then, a breeze drifted past and brushed my skin. It felt as if something nudged me backward in midair.

I was pushed back. In other words, I was moved. The moment I was reminded of that obvious fact, a faint understanding surfaced.

In the air, I can't freely move my muscles. There is no support.

Only one thing responded as it did on the ground: internal energy.

I crossed my legs in midair and started circulating it. The flow of energy racing through my entire body was no different from when I stood on solid earth. That made sense. Flight itself required the use of internal energy.

I waited for the next breeze. When it came, I released my energy with equal force in the opposite direction. I felt as though I stopped in midair and my muscles were strengthened. For a brief moment, I could assume a stance in the air.

So this is how it works...

To maintain balance in the air, I had to generate a countercurrent of wind. Only then did I understand why Feed didn't mention this method. Its efficiency was abysmal. Simply holding the stance drained a significant amount of energy. Any technique that required broader movements or greater force would demand even more internal energy. Even as it stood, my White Sun Eclipse already devoured an enormous reserve.

"This is a bit..."

If I fought like this, I would struggle to last even seconds, let alone minutes. I understood the principle, yet the uncertainty didn't disappear. At the same time, I suspected it would be impossible for me to command the wind.

Because of the winged race's traits and his blessing, Feed could manipulate the wind at will. He could summon it in any direction, which was why big and small wings constantly formed around him.

On the other hand, I didn't have that type of talent. I could float and fly, but it was meaningless if I couldn't fight in that state.

No. I may gain some results, but they'll be negligible. There's no point if I gain mobility in the air only to lose my combat ability. The wind... Why does the wind feel so strange?

The sudden question led me back to the First Fire Technique, the foundation of my power.

Wood, fire, earth, metal, water... Wind wasn't one of the fundamental five elements. Wind could fall under wood in a broad sense, but it wasn't a core element, so its importance wasn't high. At least, in the martial path I trained and established in my heart, wind was never a foundation.

Apart from that, I knew that wind was much more important in arcane studies and elemental arts.

Elementals... It was a concept similar to the five elements but also different. For them, the origin of all things was fire, water, wind, and earth.

Is this fundamental difference in worldview the reason that I struggle to control the wind? It is troublesome...

If so, wind would forever remain out of my reach. It was very difficult to uproot ideas that had already taken deep hold in my mind.

Let's change the direction of my thinking slightly. Fire and wind...

I couldn't say the compatibility was extremely good, but it depended on application. In the first place, they were an inherently poor combination. With the right intensity, wind could actually amplify the force of the flames. Of course, too much wind could extinguish the flames. This meant that control and balance were important as well.

There has to be a reason.

Why did I only grow one wing? Why did the concentrated energy on my acupuncture point coil around that wing?

Even Feed had no answer. It had happened to me, which meant that I was the one closest to the answer and the one who had to uncover it.

I spent hours floating in the air. At times I floundered. At times I used the White Sun Eclipse. I even used the Galaxy Sword with the Seven Sins Sword.

I kept my altitude low in case I lost control and fell. Even so, my internal energy drained steadily, and my muscles stiffened. Flight engaged muscles I rarely used. If that counted as a benefit, I would take it. It felt like discovering a new method of training.

The sun set, but I didn't feel tired. Apart from being physically tired, my mind remained sharp and lucid. I knew the reason. I had reached the state of facing a wall and was on the verge of breaking through it. It wasn't a coincidence that martial artists in this state often went days without food, constantly swinging their swords.

—Kikikik.

Therefore, the sudden peal of laughter made me doubt my ears. I hadn't gone crazy enough to have auditory hallucinations. At first, I assumed I had misheard, or that the Martial God was speaking through the Seven Sins Sword.

—Ahaha, hahaha...

However, the Martial God I knew didn't laugh like that.

"What?"

I was puzzled but not particularly alarmed. The laughter carried no malice, only innocence. In the first place, this was the headquarters of the Hero Society, one of the safest places in the empire.

—How interesting. You are interesting.

"Who are you?"

—Over here. I'm right here.

A light breeze brushed past me. I turned toward its source and saw a tiny creature. No. Could I even call it a living being? It was a small spirit, no larger than my palm. It had an androgynous appearance that made it hard to tell whether it was a boy or a girl.

—Hello.

"Hello. Who are you?"

—I am the wind.

"The wind?" Understanding dawned on me. "You are a wind spirit, aren't you?"

—That is what you call me.

I studied the wind spirit with quiet curiosity. This was my first time seeing a spirit. Those who had no aptitude for spirit magic couldn't perceive such beings.

Of course, I carried fairy blood, so my affinity with spirits exceeded that of an ordinary human. However, I was a Black Fairy, a derivative of the fairy race, and my bloodline was heavily diluted over the generations. I fell short compared to a pure fairy. I had heard that the Iron-Blooded Lord had formed contracts with all four elemental spirits despite such limitations.

Why did it appear now?

No field relied on talent more than spirit magic. In my previous life, I had never even glimpsed these beings. That alone proved my lack of aptitude for spirit magic.

So why did a wind spirit appear in front of me now? The only explanation I could find was the Crowtaker tattoo. The mysterious mark from the winged race's secret technique had certainly increased my affinity.

While I considered this, the small spirit spoke.

—That isn't how you ride the wind.

"Then how should I do it?"

—You have to let your body move naturally. Go with the flow. Just like dancing... Oh yes!

The wind spirit suddenly started dancing.

—You can dance too! Like this! Like this! Yes!

No one was around to witness it, so I tried to mimic the movements as best I could.

Nothing changed. Still, my mind cooled down, and my heart calmed. I entered an enlightenment stage.

"You know, why don't you help me directly instead of just talking?" I asked.

—Umm... What should I do? You are handsome, so I want to help you.

"I'm handsome?"

Did spirits share human standards of beauty?

—Yes! All those of Kuset's bloodline are handsome!

"Really?"

—You are a bit uglier than others of his bloodline, but that makes me feel more sympathetic toward you!

Was that a compliment? A faint sting rose in my chest, but I let it pass. I had liked plenty of ugly dogs more the longer I saw them, so I decided to let it slide.

Still, I couldn't help saying, "You can't make fun of people's appearances."

—Really? I'm sorry.

"If you are sorry, then help me."

—Umm...

It looked like it was hesitating again.

—I can help you, but...

"But?"

—You're too hot. I don't like being close to you due to the heat. I want to run away.

"Am I hot?"

—Yes.

Is it due to the First Fire Technique?

I drew back some of the energy enveloping my wing.

"How do you feel now?"

—Still hot.

"How about now?" I asked, withdrawing more of the energy.

—Wow! Good, good. It's warm!

The spirit danced happily.

—It is like the moment when the sun is the highest in the sky, when the grass is at its greenest and I am napping on leaves.

"I will keep it at about this level when you help me. How about it?"

—Yes. Okay!

The wind spirit laughed.

—What is your name?

"Luan Badniker."

—Then will you give me a name?

"You don't have a name?"

—I do, but I want you to give me a new one!

"Okay. How about Windbag?"

—My name is Salpha!

I looked at Salpha with tired eyes and nodded. "Yes. Salpha. Now, can you help me?"

Salpha nodded and smiled.

—Yes! Let's form a contract!