In the end, Raiden confirmed those connections during the duel... he focused on dodging the attacks and then landing some blows on Javier when he had the chance. Eventually, he saw Javier sweating cold.

"That is enough," Altria declared. "Some of you have already noticed how the paths are connected to each other, but it is still a good idea to feel that on your bodies."

In the end, Altria calls Ruth next to fight another girl who has a fighting style similar to Javier’s. Even though she couldn’t use a lot of sand around, she still could control a bit of the dust in the air to blind the opponent for a moment. She used that chance to punch her in the stomach. She didn’t cause much damage, though.

The opponent focused on defense for a while, and she charged at Ruth as much as possible until she had the chance to kick her in the leg and almost break it. Altria ended the duel right there.

"It will become more obvious the more you spar, but you should see the six paths like they form a circle. The first is the path of strength, and it is weaker than the path of agility," Altria said. "Weaker might be a strong word, but it is less effective. Some skilled opponents might avoid that kind of issue, but at your current level, that is very difficult.

After observing several more duels, Raiden felt he had absorbed all the crucial information he needed. Each battle provided a clearer picture of how the six paths interconnect and how different fighting styles can exploit or counteract each other. Despite the valuable lessons from these additional matches, Raiden realized that his primary focus should be on developing his own abilities.

With the knowledge he had gained, Raiden understood that the best options for his growth were to either enhance his path of strength or delve into the path of perception. The path of strength would improve his raw power and physical impact, making his attacks more formidable. On the other hand, the path of perception would heighten his awareness and reflexes, allowing him to better anticipate and respond to his opponent’s moves.

In essence, Raiden recognized that both paths offered significant benefits: strengthening his offensive capabilities or refining his defensive and tactical awareness. Choosing between them would ultimately depend on which aspect he wanted to prioritize in his training, whether he aimed to become a more powerful force in direct combat or a more perceptive and agile fighter.

"All right, time for self-training," Altria declared once everyone had the chance to spar. "If you want to learn a new path, come to talk to me."

Javier and Ruth went to talk with Altria, but this time around, Raiden stayed behind. Lenore’s fight left him very impressed; it was a cool fighting style, and he was able to avoid all attacks and knock down the enemy with minimal effort. 𝕗𝗿𝕖𝐞𝐰𝗲𝕓𝐧𝕠𝕧𝗲𝐥.𝚌𝐨𝚖

In the end, Raiden chose to focus on the path of perception, finding it to be the simpler and more strategic choice. Observing his mother’s skillful combat helped his decision, as he saw firsthand the advantages of heightened awareness and reflexes in battle. Raiden realized that mastering perception would provide him with a solid foundation, allowing him to better anticipate and react to opponents.

Additionally, he decided to initially gain some knowledge of all the paths. By understanding each path’s principles, he could later refine and enhance his skills according to his needs and experiences. This balanced approach would give him a broader perspective on combat while allowing him to specialize in perception as his primary strength.

"You took your time," Altria said when Raiden showed up. "I imagined that after seeing our leader in combat, your choice would be obvious, but maybe it would be too embarrassing to follow in her footsteps."

"That doesn’t bother me in the least. I want to learn the path of perception," Raiden declared.

"How surprising," Altria said while holding her chin. "Well, this path has some variations. They aren’t all like your mother’s style."

The path of perception encompasses several variations, each focusing on different aspects of sensory awareness and interpretation. In terms of techniques with the eyes, one could learn three types. Nocturnal vision allows the user to see clearly in low-light or dark conditions, enhancing their ability to detect movement and details that would be obscured to the naked eye.

Telescopic Vision enables the user to see distant objects with great clarity, similar to the effect of a telescope, making it easier to spot targets or hazards from afar. Microscopic vision, which provides the ability to see extremely small details, is useful for examining minute details or detecting small, hidden objects. Lenore probably improved the last one for combat...

There is the one connected to hearing, which increases the range and clarity of sounds, allowing the user to hear faint noises or distant conversations. This can be crucial for detecting sneaky opponents or environmental changes.

When the perception focuses on the nose, it improves the user’s ability to detect and distinguish between different scents, useful for tracking, identifying substances, or detecting hidden dangers.

Improved Touch, which heightens the sense of touch, allowing the user to feel minute textures and subtle changes in their environment. This can help in detecting hidden mechanisms or subtle vibrations. Refined Taste which Increases the ability to identify and differentiate between various tastes, which can be useful for assessing food quality, detecting poisons, or identifying ingredients for potions.Spatial Awareness which uses sound waves or vibrations to create a mental map of the surroundings, allowing the user to detect objects and obstacles even in complete darkness or obscured environments.Intuitive Perception which allows the user to sense and interpret the emotional states of others, which can be useful for negotiation, detecting deception, or understanding the motives of opponents.

It is quite the path with numerous options... all of them seemed interesting, and they could be useful in many aspects of life... Refined Taste would allow Raiden to create some new potions, and that got him very curious. Still, he knew that he had to focus on something more related to combat.

"I want to learn how to improve my vision," Raiden declared.

"As expected, you want to focus on combat," Altria said. "Still, I must warn you, this path is rather dangerous. Learning eye techniques is troublesome for obvious reasons."

Raiden could tell why. A single mistake, and he would go blind. Perhaps not permanently since his sister could use healing techniques, and his mother was the best healer in town. Still, nothing in life is certain.

"It looks like you are determined... Well, focus on the basics for now," Altria said. "Improve all of your senses a bit at a time by focusing your Aura Force on your head. Once your vision, hearing, sense of smell, touch, and taste improve a bit, we can focus on more specialized training."

"Understood," Raiden declared.

Raiden decided to do that, and soon he realized that he had chosen a rather difficult path... The intense focus of his energy led to mental fatigue, diminishing cognitive function and concentration before not long.

When he tried again, he realized that balancing and directing mental energy requires a high level of mental discipline and control. Mismanagement also led to diminished effectiveness on the training.

"I see now... it is kind of obvious, but Focusing energy on joints and muscles primarily enhances physical capabilities, while focusing on the head improves mental and sensory functions," Raiden thought. "Focusing on muscles and joints requires precise physical coordination and technical mastery, whereas focusing on the head demands mental discipline and control."

Physical energy concentration can lead to muscular fatigue, while mental energy focus may result in cognitive fatigue. Both types of fatigue require careful management to maintain overall effectiveness. Raiden was used to the first but not to the second... probably because he wasn’t used to studying a lot recently.

Eventually, Raiden returned home while suffering from a headache... he was too young to deal with problems like that, but it couldn’t be helped. He worked with his friends on the plants, but they looked a lot better than him... it looked like their choices weren’t that troublesome.

The group finally decided to split up to focus on their individual tasks. For the first time in a while, Raiden found himself completing his responsibilities with an unusual sense of detachment. The training had taken its toll, and he felt weariness settle over him. Without the usual drive to pursue further activities, he headed straight for his bed, seeking rest.

However, his attempt to unwind was short-lived. Not long after he lay down, Raiden heard the familiar sounds of his parents returning home. They had come back a lot earlier than usual, which was a recent pattern he had noticed. Curiosity piqued and concern stirring, Raiden got up from his bed. The unexpected change in their routine and the early arrival suggested that something was amiss or that there was more to the situation than met the eye.