{"id":720,"date":"2025-10-09T01:18:14","date_gmt":"2025-10-09T01:18:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sakuratranslation.com\/?p=720"},"modified":"2025-10-23T20:12:28","modified_gmt":"2025-10-23T20:12:28","slug":"the-gate-of-heaven-16","status":"publish","type":"chapter","link":"https:\/\/www.velvetink.xyz\/es\/chapter\/the-gate-of-heaven-16\/","title":{"rendered":"The Gate of Heaven 16"},"content":{"rendered":"

Chapter Sixteen: Initiation

“Clang!”

The steel sword, its edge keen, sliced heavily across the black rock, sending out sparks and cutting in to a depth of about ten centimeters.

Loran frowned, yanking the longsword free with force. A notch had been chipped out of the blade\u2014the strength of the black valley rock was indeed astonishing. Just by striking it with his bare strength, this was already the fifth steel sword Loran had ruined.

“Someone.”

Mikaela held the roster in her arms and smiled lightly. “Get Loran another sword.”

“Yes, Lady Mikaela!”

A trainee knight stepped forward and handed the other intact steel sword to Loran.

…

“It’s still a matter of fusion.”

Mikaela stepped forward and smiled softly, “Loran, keep trying to command the wind elementals, make them fuse with the blade \u2014 only then can you truly cleave through the black rock. And… you won’t waste so many swords. The smithy is going to be busy now~~~”

Loran scratched the back of his head and said, “Sorry, Instructor Mikaela.”

“No need to apologize, keep training.”

“Yes!”

In the early morning, sunlight poured down by the city wall, casting the mottled shadows of the latticed windows. A group of young trainees stood or sat cross-legged, each practicing, contemplating the art of fusing star-source power with their weapons. And Loran, the only trainee who hadn\u2019t yet mastered star-source power, sat alone in a corner, quietly sensing the presence of the wind elemental spirit.

\u201cHey, Loran!\u201d

Big Mond approached, a mocking smile on his face, and said, \u201cA trash who hasn\u2019t even awakened a star vein\u2014no matter how hard you try, you\u2019ll never cleave through the valley\u2019s black rock with a single strike. Why keep struggling like this? If I were you, I\u2019d save my energy and go report to the trainee knight camp early to serve as a squire. With all that brute force of yours, you\u2019d do pretty well as a servant!\u201d

Loran glanced at him and said, \u201cMond, if I were you, I wouldn\u2019t waste time spouting this nonsense.\u201d

“Hmph, don’t be stubborn!”

Mond stepped forward, making a move as if to shove him.

Just then, Mikaela, standing beneath the hero statue in the center of the square, frowned and said, “Mond, go back to your place. If I see you provoking Loran again, I won’t be so polite!”

“Hmph!”

Monde snorted coldly and cast a malicious glance at Loran, saying, “Don’t think that just because the instructor favors you everything will go smoothly, kid. We’ll be watching!”

Loran frowned and said nothing more. He knew Monde looked down on him for two reasons: first, he hadn’t awakened a star vein and was inferior; second, he was a commoner from a hunter’s family, even lower in status. In the eyes of a noble youth like Monde, someone like him had no right to become a full student, nor to have his name listed among the Scarlet Prison trainees.

…

He closed his eyes and quietly felt the wind elemental’s restlessness and tranquility.

Before long, slender whirls of air appeared in Loran’s palm, brushing his skin. From these vortices he felt, at times, a fury like a gale, and at others, a peace like a calm lake. These wind elementals seemed to take on a life of their own and began to grow closer to Loran.

“The power of insight surpasses all.”

Words his teacher Aierke had once said echoed in his ears, warming Loran’s heart. Back then, he hadn’t understood the sense behind Aierke’s words at all, but now, bit by bit, it was as if a new door had been opened\u2014he began to comprehend the painstaking care behind his teacher’s lessons. The course had laid the paving stones so that now Loran could grasp things at a glance and feel the presence of the wind elementals.

This was only the first step: sensing. The next was the second step: mastering.

“Rustle\u2026”

Loran gave a light flick, and immediately a swarm of wind-element sprites swept away, forming spirals of air around his fingertips with a cool, penetrating sensation. Then he spread his fingers again; their minds connected, and he sent a summoning thought to those sprites. For a moment, the wind elementals, like fallen leaves, drifted and adhered to his fingertips.

The second step, control, was already half completed.

Next, Loran tried to master these wind elemental sprites. When he spread his five fingers and moved his will, the wind elementals in the surrounding air surged in, swirling around his palms. One could even see the air fold and twist, but each time Loran made a fist, most of the wind elementals immediately dispersed.

The whole process took two full days of practice. When Loran clenched his fist again, there was a soft “pong” sound, and streams of airflow swirled around his hand; a wind elemental sprite was already within his control.

The second step was complete, and then came the final step: fusion.

To drive wind elemental sprites into a weapon\u2014only then could one unleash a genuine Storm Slash. But this process was even more difficult. It had taken nearly ten days for those wind sprites to grow close to Loran’s body; yet to make them trust him and merge with a steel sword would require a great deal more practice and understanding.

…

However, the first gate had been opened, and Loran felt as if he had stepped into an entirely new hall, filled with curiosity about elemental power. He immersed himself in training, spending almost all his time\u2014aside from the six hours he slept each day\u2014on drills and on deepening his comprehension of the wind elemental sprites.

Five days later, deep at night.

Loran stepped out of the dormitory, carrying his longsword alone to the training ground. Having made some progress in his practice, he was eager to see the results of his insights these past days. When he reached a stretch of black valley rock pitted with sword marks, he suddenly let out a low shout. The air around him “whooshed” and began to move faster, forming thin ribbons of wind blades that swirled around his body. Those fine wind blades then started to coil around the edge of the steel sword, almost imperceptible.

With one hand he swung the sword; in a sudden, powerful arc\u2014a heavy, forceful horizontal cut\u2014he struck the black rock!

“Clang!”

With a light sound, the wind blade on the sword kept slicing through the hard rock, driving the blade into the stone. With a “crack,” the blade stopped after cutting about two feet in, unable to advance even an inch further; its remaining force was exhausted, and the wind elemental power infused in the blade was drained as well.

“Rustle\u2026”

Slowly withdrawing the longsword, Loran glanced down. There wasn’t even the slightest nick along the blade, which sent him into wild elation. Is this the power of a combat skill? Back in his hometown, even the children of wealthy families hardly ever had the chance to learn the legendary combat skills. Now he actually knew Storm Slash\u2014admittedly only a little\u2014but the destructive power of this strike was already far, far greater than before!

“Clap clap clap~~~”

From behind came the sound of light applause. Loran turned to look and saw Mikaela under the moon. She still wore the women’s military uniform: the crisp shirt stretched taut across her chest, peaks and valleys evident, and the short skirt hugged a rounded, firm rear\u2014an beauty that made every boy in Class Seven involuntarily draw a sharp breath. Looking at Loran, Mikaela smiled slightly and said, “Congratulations, your Storm Slash has reached the beginner level. Loran, you’ve made your teacher see you in a new light!”

Loran was momentarily stunned, then a little dejected. “Teacher, I still can’t split the valley’s black rock with a single strike. Most of the students in the class can already do it.”

“Don’t be impatient.”

Mikaela replied with a soft smile, “The reason you couldn’t cut it through with a single strike is that the wind elemental power you can command isn’t rich enough yet. In other words, you need to comprehend more of the wind element. The more wind elemental power you can master, the more destructive the Storm Slash becomes. This is only the beginning\u2014take it slow. There’s still ten days until the first assessment; you have plenty of time.”

“Mm.”

Loran glanced again at the deep sword groove on the valley’s black rock. This slash was about two feet deep, while the rock’s thickness was roughly three feet\u2014only the final third remained.

“By the way.”

Mikaela smiled faintly and said, “Tomorrow, the entire day, Class Seven’s students will spend time in the underground trial space. You should prepare as well\u2014bring extra water. Tomorrow’s trial will be crucial in tempering each of your wills; the same goes for you. A strong willpower will grant you greater elemental control.”

“All right, thank you, Instructor!”

“Go on, get some rest early. I’ll continue the night watch.”

“Yes!”

…

Watching Mikayla’s graceful figure vanish into the dusk, Loran felt a touch of gratitude. He then picked up his steel sword and returned to his room.

The next morning, the whistle sounded.

All the boys rose to wash, while Loran took a waterskin that weighed about half as much as he did and stepped out. Every student carried the same\u2014heavy drinking water\u2014then followed Haimu and Mikayla into a long corridor, descending all the way down, the steps seeming endless, and the air thick with a drying heat.

Mikaela held the torch and walked ahead, leading the way for everyone.

Haimu walked at the rear, holding his sharp sword, and said in a deep voice, “The trial space lies about three hundred meters underground. It’s actually a geothermal chamber with thin air and extremely high temperatures; fire elementals are very active there. All students who enter the geothermal trial space must endure for a full day and can only come out after nightfall. If you can’t hold out, you are eliminated.”

The students were stunned, but no one dared to speak.

“Loran.”

Haimu looked at the youth in the back of the line and said, “You don’t have star-source power protecting you, so the pain you’ll endure will be many times that of others. You need to prepare yourself mentally.”

“I understand, thank you, Instructor Haimu!”

“Let’s go!”

…

After walking for quite a while, a scorching iron door ahead slowly opened. Two great knights bowed to Haimu and said, “Instructor Haimu, we’ll leave this place in your hands.”

“Thank you all.”

“Don’t be polite!”

Haimu nodded and said, “Alright, all trainees enter the geothermal trial chamber and find a place to train on your own. Mikael will guard the entrance; I will personally monitor inside the trial space.”

“Okay!”
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