A Will Sovereign Chapter 41: Chapter 41— The minds Eye.

Read chapter 41 of A Will Sovereign by Sloche on NovelPedia.

------ The first rays of dawn painted the summit of Martial Peak in soft gold. Soldret stood at the center of the training field, dressed in the simple yet sturdy white and Black martial robes of Martial Peak. The fabric felt different from his old clothes—lighter, more flexible, and somehow alive with faint essence. It moved with him like a second skin, a quiet reminder of how far he had come. Asterion perched quietly on a nearby tree branch, the little black chick's sharp eyes watching everything with quiet curiosity. Zephyr stood a few paces away, his golden-white hair catching the morning light. The usual gentle smile on his face had faded into something more focused, almost solemn. "Now then," Zephyr said, his voice calm but carrying weight, "let's talk about the second step of the Martial Pathway — Instinct Awakening." Soldret nodded, his heart beating steadily. He already possessed decent instincts thanks to his Unique Pathway, but he knew there was still plenty of room for improvement. Especially here on Martial Peak, where his Will Pathway abilities were suppressed. "Since you come from the mundane world, the Instinct Awakening you're familiar with is very different from the real thing," Zephyr explained. "In the mundane world, it's considered achieved when a practitioner's instincts are sharpened and their body reacts more to intent. It's basically just heightened senses. For you, that's of little use — you already have heightened senses from your Unique Pathway. But the Instinct Awakening of the Martial Pathway goes far deeper." "Once achieved, not only will your senses become sharper, but the very way you perceive the world will change. You'll gradually notice things you couldn't before, even with the help of your Unique Pathway." Zephyr stepped closer. Without warning, he raised both hands and gently tapped the lower eyelids on each side of Soldret's eyes. A cool, strange energy flowed in. The world went black. Complete darkness swallowed Soldret's vision. No light. No shapes. Nothing. He instinctively blinked several times, but nothing changed. "Senior Brother…?" Soldret's voice remained steady, but a hint of unease crept in. The sudden loss of sight made the training field feel vast and hostile. The wind on his skin, the faint creak of bamboo stalks, the subtle shifts in temperature — everything felt sharper, yet disorienting. Zephyr's voice came from slightly to the left. "To truly step into Instinct Awakening, you must let go of what restrains your instincts the most — your eyes. For this training, and until you master it, you will not use your sight." Soldret's heart rate spiked. A slight panic bubbled up in his chest. *I'm blind? Just like that?* He had endured Radahn's brutal beatings, the weighted cuffs, and months of suffering, but losing his vision entirely felt different. More vulnerable. More terrifying. He took a cautious step forward — and immediately stumbled. His foot caught on uneven ground he would have seen and avoided effortlessly before. He flailed for balance, arms swinging wildly, and barely stopped himself from falling face-first into the dirt. "Did I just fall… from walking…?" He tried taking another step but almost stumbled again. "This… this is harder than I thought." Frustration mixed with the panic. He tried another step, then another. Each movement felt uncertain, like walking on a tightrope over an abyss. The world that had once been so clear and predictable was now a maze of invisible obstacles. Asterion chirped worriedly from the branch, as if sensing his distress. Amidst his frustration and panic, a chilling thought suddenly hit him. *What if the training involves fighting as well?* The realization struck like a punch to the gut. *No — it *will* involve fighting. To awaken my instincts I will obviously have to engage in combat… but like this… I can barely walk.* Soldret clenched his fists. The slight panic was still there, but determination quickly took over. *If I'm going to have