Dawn barely painted the sky when Elio and his team gathered at the inner base of the wall. The crisp morning air made them shiver, but their eyes gleamed with determination.
"Alright, team," Elio began, his voice firm yet warm. "Today we'll practice what will bring you back to the top of the wall. Bring out your swifts. Ready for some climbing?"
One by one, the swifts appeared, fluttering around their summoners.
Kriz, unable to contain his enthusiasm, leaped forward. "We were born ready! Although, technically, we were born to stay inside the walls, so I guess we're defying our destiny. Does that make us cosmic rebels?"
Brok grunted, but a smile tugged at his lips. "If being a cosmic rebel involves listening to you philosophize, I'd rather stay on the ground."
Micah, with his characteristic sarcasm, added: "Oh, come on, Brok. Don't you want to be part of the great rebellion against gravity? It'll be fun, I promise."
Lila giggled, but Elio noticed her gaze constantly drifting towards him, a blend of admiration and something else in her eyes. Zara, observing the interaction, frowned slightly.
"Alright, cosmic jokesters," Elio interrupted, though he couldn't help but smile. "Watch closely. The key is to use the swift's momentum and then you continue with the rebound off the wall."
With a fluid motion, Elio summoned his swift and rose. The magical bird beat its wings forcefully, propelling him upward. Just before losing momentum, Elio turned and bounced off the wall, gaining additional height.
He repeated the process three times to let them get a clear idea, then let himself fall.
"See? The trick is in the timing," he explained as he descended gently. "Use the angle and moment of the rebound. You'll save mana if you do it correctly."
One by one, they began to practice. Aria was the first to achieve it gracefully, her swift and she moving in perfect synchrony. "Ha! Who says girls can't be agile?"
Zara, being the highest level among the apprentices, was the second.
Mei and Valeria followed, competing amicably to see who could reach higher.
"This is more fun than I thought!" Mei exclaimed, her laughter echoing in the air.
Brok, despite his size, demonstrated surprising agility. "It's like doing push-ups, but vertically," he grunted with satisfaction.
"Attention, everyone," Elio called, once they had caught their breath. "There's something else I need to show you."
The group gathered around Elio, curious. With a gesture, Elio summoned his penguin, Ice Ball.
"What you're about to see is extremely dangerous," he warned. "Only I can perform it for now, as it requires level 6. But it's important that you understand the theory."
Elio took Zara aside. "I'm going to teach you how to generate the explosion," he explained, creating a small sphere of nitrogen ice in his hand. "With this, you'll be able to create the necessary combination."
Elio proceeded to explain the process of creating the nitrogen explosion, demonstrating how to combine the elements. Zara, using her own elephant, helped visualize the process.
"Nitrogen is the key," Elio explained. "At level 6, you'll be surrounded by it."
The others watched with awe and apprehension. Lila, in particular, seemed fascinated, her eyes shining with admiration for Elio.
Zara observed attentively, absorbing every detail. When it was her turn to try, she managed to create a small controlled explosion.
The boom alerted some citizens below.
"Questions?" Elio inquired, once the demonstration was finished.
Micah, ever sarcastic, raised his hand. "Yes, how come you didn't die blowing yourself to pieces playing with explosive elements?"
Elio laughed. "The system's armor and lots, lots of luck."
They spent the rest of the day reviewing strategies, perfecting techniques, and preparing mentally and physically for what awaited them. As the sun began to set, Elio called an end to the training.
"Rest well tonight," he told them. "Tomorrow, we start the last training, then we jump."
As the group dispersed, Elio noticed Zara quickly walking away. Determined to clear the air, he followed her.
"Zara," he called softly. "Can we talk?"