The Transmigrated Author
Chapter 94: Hidden

[Pinnacle Academy, Stadium 1 - Arena A: Training Room 1#]

[3:35 PM]

SLASH!!!

Deep within the traininng rooms passing time, Valencia stood before a specialized training dummy, its toughened form designed to withstand even the most powerful attacks.

No matter how hard she tried, Valencia couldn't replicate the technique she'd glimpsed during Jan's fight with Louise.

"Those slashes..." she muttered, her brow furrowed in concentration.

"How could Jan release them so effortlessly? Generating aura is tricky, but for him, it seemed as natural as breathing..."

With a determined look in her eyes, Valencia gripped her katana. The familiar weight in her hand brought a sense of comfort.

Whammm...

She infused the blade with her aura, the clear, radiant glow enveloping the weapon.

"Maybe if I do this..."

She took a deep breath, focusing every ounce of her energy through her body.

SWING!!!

Standing several meters back from the dummy, she swung her katana.

It wasn't a physical strike, but a focused release of the aura she had gathered.

...

...

"huhhh?!"

Silence hung in the air, Valencia watched her blade release no type of aura, It looked more like she was fighting empty air.

Valencia frowned. All her hard work and the aura vanished! It wasn't fair.

"What am I doing wrong?"

she muttered, frustration lacing her voice.

"Is it even necessary to learn this against Rel? Those... flukes of his... they couldn't possibly work against someone like me right."

For a moment, she felt a sudden doubt. Perhaps this focus was misplaced.

Her match with Rel was getting closer. Was this practice worth it? Maybe she wouldn't learn the move in time.

But something stubborn inside her wouldn't give up. Valencia was nothing if not determined.

She remembered the purity of Jan's aura slashes. They were amazing, the kind of technique she wanted.

Valencia knew it would be rude to bother Jan right after his big fight. He needed time to rest. She'd figure it out herself until he felt better.

Suddenly, something clicked. "How the heck did Rel make it this far?"

...

...

[Flashback...]

[After the round of 16]

[Pinnacle Academy, Stadium 1 - Arena A: Allen's Cafe]

The atmosphere in Allen's Cafe was unusually quiet. Camila and Lyra, normally energetic and cheerful, wore defeated expressions after their Round of 16 losses.

Valencia, watched them sympathetically walk over to her table confused by their usual energy.

Getting up from her seat Valencia walked towards the two,

"It's okay," she murmured, gently patting their heads. "You two did well to make it this far."

Genuine smiles bloomed on their faces as they returned her affection with enthusiastic hugs.

"You're so cute when you're nice, Val!" Lyra squealed, squeezing extra hard.

"Yeah, this side of you is the best," Camila agreed, clinging to Valencia.

Valencia pretended to be annoyed and shoved them off, but a tiny smile twitched on her lips. "Get off me," she grumbled, "Can't breathe."

...

...

Valencia broke the silence when they sat down and ordered their usual stuff.

"So... What's got you two so down?"

Camila, eyes sparkling, couldn't help but gush.

"My match... it was practically a date!" she declared, getting dreamy.

"The way Jan caught me when I slipped, and that worried look... ugh, perfect!" She sighed.

"Too bad it wasn't longer..."

pffft....

Valencia could barely hold back a laugh. "That's great," she managed to say flatly.

She turned to Lyra. "What about you, pup? Who'd you face?"

Lyra slumped, her tail barely twitching with its usual enthusiasm.

"Noah," she sighed. "He's good. Really good. I ended up having to forfeit – I couldn't keep up."

"And you, Val?" Lyra returned the question, curiosity sparking in her eyes.

"Miya," Valencia answered with a dismissive shrug. "He was decent. Like Jan, but a little less worn down."

She deliberately downplayed her victories, her attention already drifting elsewhere.

Camila noticed Valencia staring off into space.

"Speaking of Jan... I saw him with Rel yesterday," she said, trying to sound casual. "They seem to be getting along."

"...!"

Lyra gasped. "Really? I've noticed them together in class, too. Jan even walked across the room to ask Rel for help on that last quiz..." Her words trailed off, a mix of surprise and curiosity in her voice.

Valencia had been silent on the topic, was still a little curious about him.

Rel, who was unknown always seemed to be at the centre of their conversations. This person… he was a mystery, a puzzle she couldn't quite solve. Yet, an unfamiliar sense of annoyance flickered within her as she tried to dismiss her interest.

Just then, Lyra's enthusiastic voice cut through her thoughts.

"Oh! Did you know Rel was first in his knockout bracket as well?"

Camila's eyes widened as she glanced at Lyra's watch.

"No way. Was he hiding his strength as well?"

For a moment, Valencia's interest was undeniably piqued as she glanced at Rel's record.

For a second, Valencia couldn't hide her interest. Twenty wins was super impressive for someone ranked so low. But then, forcing herself to look bored, she turned away.

He's just an archer. No way he'll use a bow against me. Everyone knows he only uses a crossbow.

Lyra waved her watch in the air, showing the tournament results.

[Group E Bracket:]

[(1) Rel Laurence - W: 20 - T: 0 - L: 0]

[(2) Christopher Kurtado - W: 14 - T: 3 - L: 3]

[(3) Melvyn David - W: 13 - T: 2 - L: 5]

...

...

[(14) Reece Keffy - W: 8 - T: 2 - L: 10]

[(20) Jazmine Mockerick - W: 1 - T: 0 - L: 19]

Lyra, sensing Valencia's subtle curiosity, seized the moment.

"Actually, that might not be the whole story…," she teased. "Did you know his opponents had average ranks of 700 to 900? Talk about lucky!"

"Really lucky..." Camila spoke.

"Could be," Lyra admitted. "I even managed to replace a few highlights of his fights… want to see?"

[Video Playing...]

> - "Rel Connects his fist at the centre of Christophers stomach!!! wow! He's not just your ordinary archer...

>- "Talking about accuracy... Rel had pierced the calf of his opponent and is no longer able to stand!"

[Playback end...]

As the video clips played on Lyra's watch, a strange feeling settled over Valencia.

Rel's victories were… underwhelming. Not due to lack of skill, but because his opponents seemed to collapse before he could finish them... was it luck?

It was an odd pattern, one that remained at the back of her mind, but she couldn't put her finger on why it bothered her so much.

[Flashback end...]

"..."

The flashback faded, leaving Valencia once again alone with her thoughts and the silent training dummy.

Her grip on her katana tightened as she revisited the snippets of Rel's fights. Those strange victories...

Maybe he was hiding his strength all this time... but it doesn't explain all of his fluke-like wins.

Valencia tried to figure it out. Maybe it was his crossbow? But that didn't make sense either. It wouldn't explain why he was winning so easily. Must be pure luck, she decided.

"That crossbow of his..." she wondered. "Wouldn't a bow use the same fundamental principles?"

A finger traced along the curve of her shining blade then drifted thoughtfully to her chin. A thought experiment began to form within her mind.

[dream harp sound effect insert]

A cloud bubble burst above Valencia...

"Both have strings…"

She visualized tight strings and the way they both have potential energy. "Both rely on tension and a release of force…" She recalled the familiar weight of a drawn bowstring, mirroring the way a crossbow is cocked for maximum impact.

"And the reloading process..." The image of the automatic arrow creator appeared as a recent innovation that magically generated standard, attributeless arrows directly into a weapon's area.

"It's the same for both. Whether pulled from a quiver or generated on the spot… the principle is identical."

Her eyes narrowed, the pieces of the puzzle beginning to click into place. "So, maybe the difference isn't so much the weapon... but the person wielding it?"

The idea swirled in her mind, teasing at a deeper understanding of the nature of combat.

"I'm just overthinking it..." She muttered looking back towards the silent dummy.

It was a concept that was interested her. Perhaps, she realized, her focus on Jan's aura slashes had been a distraction.

It wasn't the specific technique that mattered, but the underlying mastery it represented. Rel's victories were different, but maybe no less a testament to his own hidden skills.

Her gaze fell upon her katana once more. "Time to stop overthinking," she muttered, fueling her movements. "Focus on getting this technique right, Valencia..."

STAREEEEEEEEEE

A prickle of unease rippled down Valencia's spine.

The air in the training room seemed to thicken, this pressure was like no other.

What Valencia had sensed... it was danger.

"Who's there?"

Her voice, usually cool and controlled, carried a feeling of unease.

"...!"

____________

Authors Note:

- the word tail is just an exaggeration of Lyra being perceived like a dog with Valencia and Camila.

- Jan was having a hard time taking the fight between him and Camila seriously, as she tried to get close and personal with Jan... Especially when she told the academy she was a caster mage.

- Caster mages are supposed to stay back to give support in large-scale battles.

- Duelist mages are suited for all types of combat.