Aeon selected a clear area near the eastern edge of the training ground, positioning himself where he would have plenty of space to experiment without interfering with the other students' practice sessions. The spot offered good visibility for Master Kellor's observation while providing access to one of the undamaged practice dummies should he need a target for testing.
Time to see what infinity actually means in practical terms, he thought, settling into a comfortable stance with his feet shoulder-width apart.
Drawing upon the same internal awareness he had used during his escape from the slave camp, Aeon reached for his infinity attribute. The response was immediate and surprisingly smooth—magical energy flowed through him like water finding its natural course, carrying with it the distinctive sensation of limitless potential that had become increasingly familiar.
A shimmering distortion appeared in the air before him, roughly two meters wide and three meters tall. At first glance, it looked like a rectangular plane of barely visible energy, similar to looking through heat waves rising from sun-baked stone. The barrier was translucent rather than opaque, allowing him to see the training ground beyond while clearly marking the boundary between normal space and whatever his attribute had created.
Interesting, Aeon mused, studying the manifestation with analytical interest. Default configuration appears to be a simple geometric shape. Let's see if that's flexible.
He focused his will on the barrier's structure, visualizing the rectangular plane curving inward to form a half-sphere with himself at its center. The change was gradual but steady—the straight edges began to bow inward while the flat surface acquired depth, creating a protective dome that extended roughly three meters in front of his position.
Malleable, he confirmed with growing excitement. The attribute responds to conscious direction rather than operating on fixed parameters.
The curved barrier retained its translucent quality but seemed somehow more substantial than its rectangular predecessor. Aeon could sense its presence like a second skin, aware of its exact dimensions and position without needing to look directly at it.
Now for the real test.
Aeon walked slowly toward the left edge of his barrier, watching carefully as he approached the curved boundary. At first, his movement seemed normal—one step, then another, each bringing him closer to the shimmering energy field.
But as he drew within arm's reach of the barrier, something extraordinary began to happen.
His pace slowed noticeably despite maintaining the same walking rhythm. Each step seemed to cover less distance than the previous one, as if the space between himself and the barrier was somehow expanding to accommodate his approach. After several more steps, he was moving so slowly that his motion was barely perceptible, though he could feel his muscles working normally.
Infinite distance, Aeon realized with wonder. The barrier creates a zone where approach becomes asymptotic—I can get closer indefinitely, but I'll never actually reach it.
He stopped trying to reach the barrier and stepped backward, immediately returning to normal movement speed as he moved away from the infinity field. The effect was precise and controllable—he could approach the boundary until his movement became negligibly slow, then withdraw at will.
Walking to the right side of his curved barrier, Aeon repeated the experiment with identical results. The infinity attribute was creating a genuine mathematical impossibility—a boundary that could be approached but never touched, regardless of the direction of approach.
This isn't just defensive magic, he thought with growing comprehension. This is spatial manipulation on a fundamental level. I'm creating zones where normal physics breaks down.
An idea began forming in his mind—a way to test the barrier's defensive capabilities that would provide valuable information about his attribute's practical applications.
"Master Kellor," Aeon called, raising his voice to carry across the training ground. "Could I ask for your assistance with an experiment?"
The instructor looked up from where he had been correcting a water-wielding student's stance, his gray eyes showing polite attention. "What do you need, Aeon?"
"I've created what appears to be a defensive barrier," Aeon explained, gesturing toward his half-sphere of distorted air. "I'd like to test its effectiveness, but I need someone to attack it. Would you be willing to direct one of your magical attacks at that practice dummy?"
Aeon pointed to the target that stood within his barrier's protective arc, about two meters from his position.
Master Kellor's expression shifted from polite attention to obvious bewilderment. "Attack the dummy? Aeon, I can see you standing right there, but I don't see any barrier."
Of course, Aeon realized with slight embarrassment. The infinity field might not be visible to others, or it might require specific viewing conditions to perceive.
"The barrier is there," he assured Kellor, "but it may not be easy to see. Could you try a simple attack spell aimed at the dummy? I want to observe how my attribute responds to incoming magical energy."
Kellor's bewilderment deepened as he watched Aeon's behavior. From the instructor's perspective, his new student was making strange requests about invisible barriers and asking to be attacked for experimental purposes.
The confusion only intensified when Aeon decided to demonstrate the barrier's existence through physical interaction.
I'll show him the infinity effect directly, Aeon thought, positioning himself to approach the barrier while remaining visible to Kellor.
He began walking toward the curved boundary again, moving his legs in a normal walking pattern but watching his forward progress become increasingly slow until he appeared to be walking in place despite maintaining obvious effort.
Then he attempted to demonstrate the effect with his hands, bringing his palms together as if to clap. But as his hands approached each other within the infinity field, they slowed dramatically, eventually moving so slowly that they appeared frozen in space despite the obvious tension in his arms and shoulders.
Master Kellor's Perspective
What in the world was the boy doing?
Master Kellor watched with growing bewilderment as Aeon began what appeared to be an elaborate pantomime routine. The student was moving his legs in a perfectly normal walking pattern, but his forward progress became increasingly slow until he seemed to be walking in place despite obvious physical effort.
Is this some kind of magical affliction? Kellor thought with mounting concern. A side effect of his unknown attribute?
The strange behavior escalated when Aeon raised his hands as if to clap, but then seemed unable to complete the motion. His palms approached each other with normal speed at first, then slowed dramatically until they appeared frozen in space despite the clear tension in his arms and shoulders.
He's trying to clap but can't, Kellor realized with alarm. Something is preventing him from bringing his hands together.
From Kellor's perspective, there was no visible barrier, no shimmer in the air, no indication of any magical phenomenon except for his student's increasingly bizarre behavior. It looked like Aeon was fighting against invisible constraints that prevented normal movement.
"Aeon," Kellor called with growing concern, taking several steps toward the boy's position. "Are you experiencing some kind of difficulty? Your movements seem... constrained."
To his relief, Aeon suddenly stepped backward and returned to completely normal motion, as if whatever had been affecting him had simply disappeared.
"I'm fine, Master Kellor," Aeon replied with enthusiasm that seemed completely at odds with his previous strange behavior. "What you're seeing is my attribute in action. The barrier creates zones of infinite distance that can't be crossed."
Infinite distance? That doesn't make sense, Kellor thought, his bewilderment reaching new heights. How can distance be infinite in a finite space? And what barrier?
He looked carefully at the area where Aeon claimed to have created some kind of magical construct, but saw nothing except empty air and the practice dummy standing in its usual position.
"I understand this might be difficult to visualize," Aeon continued with obvious excitement about whatever he thought he had discovered, "but I really would appreciate testing the barrier's defensive capabilities. Could you please direct an attack at the practice dummy? I want to see what happens when magical energy encounters an infinity field."
Master Kellor stared at his most unusual student, trying to process a request that seemed to make no logical sense. The boy was asking him to attack a practice dummy to test an invisible barrier that apparently created impossible spatial effects—effects that only Aeon could see or interact with.
What exactly have the elders placed in my care? Kellor wondered, struggling to formulate a response to the most bewildering request he had received in fifteen years of magical instruction.