Zephyr exhaled sharply, watching the credits drain from his account like sand slipping through his fingers. But the anticipation of wielding Requiem, the modified Luminara Rifle, and the Kryon Dagger left him with a sense of satisfaction, despite his now meager balance.
'And now the last order of business— Hollow Art'.
"Alright, Elden," he said, rubbing his hands together. "One more thing before I head out. I want to know more about Hollow Art."
Elden's voice rose smoothly, almost as if anticipating the question. "Hollow Art is a derivative of Riftsprawn birthmark, utilizing the essence of Riftspawn to create unique abilities and enhancements. All Hollow Art stems from the Aether Imprint left behind by the world on the Riftspawn, when they are killed their birthmark changes to shard which when used bestow a hollow Art, or Forged to a Artifact."
Zephyr's eyes lit up with interest. "So, they're like...Techniques? Materials?".
"A combination of all three aspects of battle." Elden replied. "Hollow Art ranges from physical enhancements, such as enhanced speed or strength, to elemental manipulation, and even some designed for weapons. The type and potency depend on the quality of the Riftspawn it was harvested from."
Elden continued, "Due to its nature, Hollow Art is considered 'hollow'—its essence is fundamentally empty. When an individual learns a Hollow Art, it automatically adjusts to the affinity of the user. This adjustment process typically takes weeks, but a select few takes days or even hours."
Zephyr nodded slowly, his mind spinning with possibilities. "So, do I buy them like weapons? Or do I need to... find them?"
"You may acquire them through three main methods," Elden began. "One— Purchasing them from Booths or Instructors. Two— Harvesting them directly from Riftspawn during combat. And three— Winning them as rewards during Academy Events."
Zephyr's interest only grew. "Can I see a list of Hollow Art available for purchase?"
"Affirmative," Elden responded. The holographic screen in front of him flashed and reshaped, displaying an array of icons labeled with names and ranks. Phantom menace, Gale Rend, Veil Shift, Crimson Mark, Shourd... the list went on and on.
Zephyr scrolled through the endless rows, each one with a glowing description next to it—
Phantom manace— Allows the wielder to create afterimages to confuse enemies.— 4,000. (Wieldable by anyone from grade 3 of Zeta rank, applicable to weapons).
Veil Shift: Enables temporary phasing through solid objects for up to three seconds. — 1,000. (Wieldable by anyone from grade 3 of Zeta rank). Drawback— The wielder will face the brunt of anything he phases through after five seconds of using the Art).
Shourd: Increase stealth and reducing visibility to enemies.— 3,000. (Wieldable by anyone from grade 1 of Zeta rank, also applicable to weapons).
Gale Rend— releases a razor-sharp slash of wind. —2,000. (Wieldable by anyone from grade 1 of Zeta rank, also applicable to weapons).
Crimson Mark: A curse-like seal that weakens an opponent over time. — 2,000. (Wieldable by anyone from grade 2 of Zeta rank, also applicable to weapons).
Minor Aether Surge: Temporarily increases physical strength and speed by 10% for 15 seconds.— 2,500. (Wieldable by anyone from grade 1 of Zeta rank).
Zephyr paused, his eyes locked on Veil shift. "No wonder it's so cheap". When he first saw the name and the description he was amazed at the Art ready to buy it, who wasn't affected by Obito. But when he saw the price he got suspicious then he saw the drawback and realized why it was so cheap.
Something as little as distraction in combat was all that was needed to be killed. But something else snatched his attention.
"Elden". Zephyr didn't wait for the AI to respond as he continued. "I don't want to sound ignorant but what is the Grade 1 Zeta all about".
"Let me give you a basic rundown. Should I say it or produce it on the note pad screen in case you want to re-read it".
"Huh, writing it down is better".
"Please proceed to your notepad". Zephyr took his phone and begun to read though the new wordings.
Zeta Rank— Grade 1— It enables superficial use of Arts, basic control.
Minor enhancement to physical abilities.
Requires the use of both hands for invokation of Arts.
Advancement Requirement: Familiarity with the Art—understanding and accepting your role on your birthmark.
'so that's what happened back there'. As soon as he went through the information relating to Grade 1 Zeta he recalled his fight with Lunethra and d how he had suddenly gained a huge boost after he accepted that he was a jailer and not a prisoner. 'i think I understand this'. He turned away from his thoughts and begun to scroll through the rest of the information.
Grade 2:
Greater mastery of Art, with visible improvement in potency.
Slightly higher enhancement in physical abilities.
Can now invoke the art with one hand, displaying better Aether flow control.
Advancement Requirement: Deep understanding of the art and controlling the neutral and Elemental Aether to pulse in union for a moment and invoke a phenomenan called Aether convergence.
Grade 3:
Mastery over Art to the point where signs are no longer necessary—a mere flicker of intention can activate it.
Physical form now reflects their element in subtle ways (e.g., a fire user may emit heat; a shadow user might blend into darkness more naturally).
Advancement Requirement: The Hollow Art must become second nature, an extension of their own instincts and reflexes.
Advancement from Zeta to Elpison Rank—
To cross the boundary from Zeta to Elpison, one must maintain the phenomenon known as the Aether Convergence.
This is not just a test of control, but of synchronization—Neutral Aether and Affinity Aether must pulse in perfect unison, creating a Harmonic Aetherwave.
This wave must be sustained for a continuous period during combat or under intense situation, signaling to the user's soul and the world that that the individual is ready to ascend.
During this process, their Aether undergoes a transformation, solidifying from it's gaseous state to a liquid state—a more refined, purer version of their original Aether.
Physical resilience and elemental affinity are also magnified, enabling the user to manipulate their element on a larger scale and with much greater efficiency.
Apart from the slight headache from the intake of the large information but he gets it now.
"So I should be in grade 2 right now". Zephyr nodded in affirmation to his self question. And also. 'No wonder my clansmen hated me, an ordinary grade 1 Zeta could kill me before I could move back when I was still unawakened'.
Zephyr let out a sigh. 'Minor enchantment to physical abilities, but I feel so powerful after awakening'.
But something was also disturbing Zephyr as of now, for one.
'it said slightly higher enchantment at grade 2, but why don't I feel different from before'. With a frown he said to Elden.
"When I advanced to grade 2, I don't feel any different from back before advancing to grade two". Zephyr asked curiosity and a hunt of concern on his voice.
"That could be because you are not in intimacy with your Aether". Elden replied.
"What do you mean". Zephyr was more confused then he was few seconds ago.
"Have you ever felt you Aether consciously and intentionally before".
The question rang a bell in his mind, he had not for once felt his Aether, hell he didn't even know if it flowed or burned.
'The only time I had used my Aether is when I am invoking my Art'. Zephyr was baffled at himself. How could he have never interacted with something so personal, something so deeply connected to himself before. It was at the same primal level as a mother breastfeeding her baby.
"How do I feel it". Zephyr asked hurriedly.
"You just call out to it and it would respond".