Imp to Demon King: A Journey of Conquest

BAM

He facepalmed, cursing his own stupidity under his breath.

"Did I limit myself because I took this realm as a game when I first appeared? Fool!" He clicked his tongue, remembering Luna. "She's classified as a sorceress yet healed me more than once! How did I miss it?"

A gentle smile spread over Karna's lips as he observed his reaction. Then, he clapped his hands, the sound reverberating through the tunnel to stop him.

"Enough. You had no one to guide you and fumbled in an unfamiliar environment. You should raise your head at the level you reached despite the other lords' threats and the gods' pressure."

He gripped both of Adam's pauldrons, his scarlet eyes peering into his emerald.

"Even I searched for a mentor in my youth. The way it started was a mistake, but I learned a lot about archery under his tutelage." He chuckled and summoned his divine bow. "He even offered me his weapon after he saw my dedication before everything..." His voice trailed off, and his smile twitched. "Spiralled for the worse. But it's in the past.

I'm living another life in another world, far from the fate imposed on me since my birth."

He sighed, looking at Adam's trembling pupils and the curiosity furrowing his brows. Yet, he shook his head and banished his story, mistakes, regrets, and unfair end into the meander of his memories.

"Let's return to our lesson and why your choice was a mistake."

Despite the curiosity gnawing at him, Adam nodded and leaned forward to listen like a proper student.

"Destructive flames are a double-edged weapon." Karna started, a blinding white light engulfing his palm and condensing into a miniature sun. "This little ball will obliterate the tunnel and charr the forest to the ground if I fail to control it. Therefore, you'll start with the gentle flame and learn how to nourish instead of destroy." He raised his palm, stopping Adam from talking, and smiled.

"Once you become proficient enough, we'll develop your connection to nature and its chaotic elements since your class relates to them."

Blood rushed to paint Adam's face an eager scarlet as his fist whistled above his head.

"I'll finally learn how to use it! What do I have to do to generate gentle flames?"

Karna chuckled, pleased by the enthusiasm as his fingers engulfed the sun. Then, his peaceful voice echoed.

"You have a slight advantage compared to others with your chaotic, demonic essence. You don't realise it because of how fast it happens, but your flames' temperature constantly shifts from cold to scalding. So, focus on grasping the moment they are as soothing as the morning sun's rays."

Adam's eyes widened at the revelation as his fingers twitched. Dark flames flickered erratically on them the next second.

Eyes narrowing in focus, he worked on Karna's advice and tried to feel their shifting temperature. Yet, shadows danced on the deep furrow creasing his brows.

As he struggled, Karna's voice echoed in his ears.

"You're too focused on what you see. Feel your essence and let it guide you." He circled Adam and placed his warm hand on his back. "I'll increase your sensitivity to heat. Try to catch the moment the flames manifest and the first time their temperature shifts."

Sensing his mentor's gentle touch, Adam closed his eyes.

'Feel my essence.'

Like he had trained in the past two weeks to master his abilities, he delved deep into his demonic body.

The noises of his blood rushing through his veins, beating heart, and fast breathing reverberated in his ears now that his sight didn't divert him.

Beads of sweat pearled on his twitching brows as he decomposed and questioned his essence's movements.

Why was this path more optimised? How fast did it travel through it, and how did it interact with the outside the moment the flames emerged?

As he slowly discovered the answers, the dark flames on his fingers danced and flickered more erratically than ever.

And five minutes later, his heart pounded against his chest. There! He felt a subtle change in temperature thanks to Karna's help.

But instead of jumping in delight, he gritted his teeth. As if to snatch the sensation, he outstretched his hands mentally and focused on it.

Despite the cascade of sweat flowing down his nose, his understanding of chaos increased with each passing second.

'Chaos isn't destruction or evilness. Instead, it represents the absence of rules and the concept of ever-changing, adapting, and evolving nature.

His fingers trembled with the realisation, and the dark flames' flickering slowed until a soft crackling reverberated in the tunnel.

He felt the heat through his fingers, soothing and pleasant, like the autumn sun chasing away a harsh summer.

As his lips curled into a smile, Karna's palm trembled on his back in silent approval.

"Good. Don't let the violent nature of fire overwhelm the gentleness."

Adam's brows twitched as he tried to keep the flickering at bay. But like a chained beast roaring at his fingertip, the longer he focused, the harder it pounded at his mind.

And after a few brief seconds, his eyes snapped open to see the flames flicker uncontrollably.

"No!"

Unwillingness twisted his lips, and his hands trembled as he engaged in a mental battle against the caged beast to regain control.

But Karna's voice echoed again, forcing his mind back into the tunnel.

"Take a deep breath and recover your calm. The fire isn't your enemy but a part of you."

Using the words as an anchor, he exhaled a mouthful of turbid air and closed his eyes again.

However, he changed his approach this time. Instead of fighting for control, he pictured the beast's rage like a wild torrent while he acted as the river guiding it.

Slowly, the flickering receded to give way to a flame more stable and brighter than earlier.

Meanwhile, Karna stepped back and observed the result with a proud smile.

"You have a good head on your shoulders. Well done, my lord. Now, you must train to summon them without thinking."

Adam's eyes fluttered open. He gazed at the flames, awe and relief melding in his eyes.

"I did it!"

However, Karna shook his head.

"Control during the unpredictability of battle is what matters, and you're still far from that level." He smiled, hiding his clenched fists behind his back. "But we'll get there sooner than later as long as you're diligent."

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AN: Gah! I hate writing training chapters. I hope you'll enjoy it, though.