In the end, Raiden was unable to make his choice, and then he has dinner with his family while considering how each path would affect his basic fighting style.

"It is time to check the merits and demerits of each one," Raiden thought.

With the path of strength, Raiden could use Aura Force to amplify his physical strength, delivering powerful thrusts and strikes with his spear. By focusing on strength, he could pierce through heavy armor or deliver devastating blows that knocked opponents off balance.

with the path of agility, Raiden could utilize Aura Force to enhance his agility, enabling him to strike rapidly and with precision. He could dart in and out of range, delivering quick jabs and slashes with his spear while evading counterattacks.

With the path of perception, Raiden could use Aura Force to sharpen his senses and enhance his perception of the battlefield. This would allow him to anticipate opponents’ movements, react faster to incoming attacks, and strategically position himself for optimal strikes with his spear.

With the path of defense, Raiden could develop defensive skills using Aura Force to create protective barriers or deflect incoming attacks. With the Path of Defense, he could use his spear not only for offense but also to parry and block strikes effectively.

With the path of healing, Although not directly related to spear fighting, Raiden could use Aura Force for self-healing and to aid allies during and after battles. The Path of Healing would enable him to recover quickly from injuries sustained in combat, ensuring he remains at peak condition for spear-fighting battles.

Finally, with the path of manipulation, Raiden could manipulate the terrain using Aura Force to create obstacles or advantageous positions during combat. He could alter the battlefield to suit his fighting style, setting traps or forcing opponents into unfavorable positions for spear combat. Perhaps he could even manipulate his enemies.

"Yeah, all of them sound pretty good," Raiden thought. "I guess the best option here is to learn the basics of one path and then try another that seems the best and compare them."

Finding people who used the different paths and saw them fighting seemed like a good option, but that wasn’t possible. Raiden wondered if he could ask his Father and Mother their fighting skills. Lenore had this aura of power on her, so she certainly wasn’t just someone who needed others to defend her. Harth also looked like a natural leader, and people wouldn’t follow him without a good reason.

"Whatever, attacking fast, moving fast, and avoiding attacks with ease sounds cool, so I will focus on the path of agility," Raiden thought. "When in doubt, focus on coolness, and everything else will be fine."

Maybe not, but that was for Raiden to find out in the future.

As Raiden began to study the scroll detailing the Path of Agility, he immersed himself in its teachings, pretty eager to grasp its fundamentals. According to the scroll, mastering agility through Aura Force required Raiden to focus his energy on specific areas of his body.

Raiden could channel Aura Force into his legs to increase his speed and agility. By doing so, he could improve his ability to swiftly maneuver around the battlefield, evade attacks, and close the distance to his opponents with rapid movements.

Focusing Aura Force on his feet would enhance Raiden’s balance and footwork. This would allow him to maintain stability while performing agile movements such as pivoting, sidestepping, and leaping, which is crucial for maintaining a dynamic and unpredictable fighting style.

Agility isn’t just about speed; it’s also about fluidity of movement and quick reaction times. Raiden could focus Aura Force on his arms and shoulders to enhance his agility in weapon handling. This would improve his ability to execute swift strikes and parries with his spear, reacting swiftly to changes in his opponent’s movements.

"This is fine and all, but why there aren’t any real tips on how to use Aura Force like that?" Raiden thought when he reached the end of the scroll. "It looks like everyone here wants to learn things by trial and error instead of learning from their predecessors."

Raiden couldn’t help but reflect on the learning process within their village. Unlike some traditional methods where knowledge was passed down directly from predecessors, their village seemed to emphasize independence and discovery through trial and error, at least when it comes to the techniques.

While learning by trial and error had its merits, allowing individuals like Raiden to innovate and develop their own techniques, it also had its limitations. Raiden believed that if the village adopted a more structured system of passing down knowledge and techniques from experienced warriors to younger generations, they could accelerate their growth and become even stronger collectively.

"I guess it can’t be helped since they already do a lot with the towers of mastery," Raiden thought.

Raiden observed that their village pushed for independence among its warriors, encouraging them to forge new paths and techniques rather than relying solely on established practices. This approach increased creativity and adaptability but sometimes lacked the depth and efficiency that could come from learning from those who had mastered their craft over generations.

Raiden envisioned a village where the wisdom of experienced warriors was preserved and passed on systematically, complementing the spirit of innovation with a strong foundation of proven techniques and strategies. He believed that by combining the freedom to explore new paths with the guidance of experienced mentors, the village could achieve a harmonious balance that would elevate everyone’s abilities and make them collectively stronger.

"Still, considering how things worked here for quite a while, and they made progress, they don’t have any reason to change their ways," Raiden thought. "Nothing says that my ideas also would bear fruit. In the end, it is better to stick with what is working until it doesn’t work anymore."

In any case, it was time to stop thinking about that and focus on his own training. Things won’t be as simple as before, so Raiden had to obtain results as fast as possible. It was getting late, though, and he had to go to the tower of mastery the next day, so he decided to rest for the day.

Despite his worries, Raiden ended up falling asleep pretty soon and he woke up a bit earlier than usual thinking that he should do some training. Using Aura Force was easy, but trying to control it wasn’t and by a long shot.

"Trying to reinforce those areas with more energy isn’t that simple either..." Raiden thought after a few failures. "I guess using Aura Force as a basis is the key, but without activating the technique."

As Raiden focused his attention on reinforcing his legs with Aura Force , he initially felt a sense of anticipation. He concentrated, trying to channel his energy specifically into his legs, expecting to feel some response, perhaps a surge of strength or heightened agility. However, to his disappointment, he sensed nothing.

It was a familiar challenge. Just as learning to harness Aura Force had required patience, persistence, and a methodical approach, Raiden understood that mastering the Path of Agility would also demand the same dedication. He realized that expecting immediate results was just too unrealistic; instead, he needed to approach it with the same method he used to learn Force.

Reflecting on his previous experiences, Raiden recalled how he had gradually unlocked his ability to wield Aura Force through trial and error. He hadn’t succeeded overnight but had persevered, experimenting with different techniques and adjusting his approach until he achieved the desired outcome. This same approach, he realized, could be applied to mastering the Path of Agility.

When everyone at his home woke up, they expected to find Raiden ready to help a bit with breakfast, but he was nowhere to be seen. Everyone looked at each other and just shrugged... now and then, Raiden would do something hard to understand, so they weren’t surprised.

In the end, Raiden showed up at home just in time to have breakfast with them. He was covered in sweat, and his legs were wobbling as well.

"It seems that you have made your choice and already found a way to follow your path," Harth said. "Anyway, try not to collapse from overworking yourself."

"You’re already working a lot on your own herbs and plants," Lenore said. "You are young, but it doesn’t mean that you won’t be affected by stress and signs of overworking. At the very least, inform us if you feel anything off with your body."

"Yes, Mom and Dad," Raiden said. "I will be careful. "The last thing that I want is to cause trouble to us all. I am also aware that overworking myself could very well slow down my progress."

"At least you are aware of it. Leave the status of a troublemaker to your sister," Harth said.

"Aw, come on... I didn’t even do or say anything today, and I am already getting scolded?" Iri raised her left eyebrow, and then the others laughed a bit.