A hobby, it was something people that people didn’t have a reason to do, other than their pure enjoyment, they liked doing it, it didn’t matter what it cost them, or how long it took out of their day. When they had the opportunity, they tried having as much fun with it.

It was something humans used to relax themselves from their tiring lives, maybe after a long day at work, or after studying for a long exam. Doing your hobby always brings a smile to your face.

It’s something you can overly enjoy without someone judging you.

Aether squinted his eyes, leaning over the rail of a long wooden bridge that connected two different platforms built around their own tree.

This place really was magical, walking on the many bridges felt straight out of a story, like he was reading words rather than actually living such an experience.

How sunny it was, almost like the sun never wanted to leave, like it was just another friend of the forest. Another visitor to drink tea with and talk for hours on end, as if time wasn’t something valuable.

‘Though, because time is limited, is why people tend to try doing many crazy things, to enjoy their life… I have seen a world that didn’t have to worry about time, and it was as hollow as a world can get.’

Most, and he wasn’t saying all because people like Elpis and Avrie, in Frozen Crown, were completely broken, they weren’t doing anything else than live, and they did this for days, weeks, months, years… even decades on end, hoping for time to come back.

‘Ironic, that the two sides of the coin wish for what’s on the other side, like they are completely blind to the struggles of the other side… well, I guess they can’t really meet, they are always facing away.’

Birds sang, like every day was wonderful, nothing to worry about.

But… if you think about it, for them, is there really a reason not to sing?

For such a species that has to do so little, which really doesn’t care for most things that happen near it, why would it not sing? When its voice is so wonderful, why should it care for a war?

When it feels so free, why should it fear being trapped?

‘I guess that’s a difference between humans and… birds.’ Aether chuckles. ‘We worry too much, and when were not, people say were too laid back… why couldn’t I have gotten an affinity that allows me to fly? It seems so relaxing.’

Though he had been close to flying already, by using half control that one time when he jumped from the trial in the Tides, but that was more like floating rather than flying.

‘The sun enjoys shining, and the birds enjoy singing… only I am alone without anything to enjoy… maybe the Abyss was right. But… at the same time, if I were to enjoy something, I would get distracted from my goal, and what if that turns out to be the reason why I never achieve it?’

…

Aether chuckled. ‘Well, I guess birds don’t worry that their singing could make it so they never reach their destination.’

…

…

…

To think that he would go out of his way to ask the King for something like this, if his younger self saw him, he would have never believed him; he would have thought that he had gone insane. Out of everything there was for a hobby, he chose this. Sure, he has joked about it, but he never considered actually doing it before.

Aether sighed as he took a closer look at his finishing rod.

‘What even is so cool about this? It’s just a long stick with a string and a hook attached to it, nothing else.’

Still, he walked over to the lake, a lake in the forest that was known to be a usual spot for fishermen in the civilization, and the only lake in the whole forest, well, at least the part that they owned in the city.

And yet, even with being the most popular, there wasn’t anyone here at the moment. He was alone, since he had left Lucien and Kade to be trained by the Will users under the King. Those two will probably become really strong by the time they are done, maybe even stronger than him.

‘Well its not like I can do anything about it, as a Reader, at the moment all I can do is try to either get skills, buy relics, which I doubt there are any usefull relics nearby, or gain shards, which I can’t do, since there aren’t any monsters nearby, so unless I want to go to war with the whole civilization of beast humans. I can’t get any stronger…’

It sucked.

The King had wanted to appoint him to train with the Knights, which maybe could have helped a bit, but at the same time, he really didn’t known what was with this world was and sword styles, maybe it was something that made people stronger specifically in this world, since he really couldn’t understand how someone with just a blade compete with a master of fire without getting some sort of power.

So if he had to say, the Will wasn’t the only power system in this world, but at the same time, it wasn’t like he could take advantage of the other system, since he wasn’t from this world.

Plus, he already had a style, so it was useless to learn another, since not only would it take a while, with how strict the Codex was with what mastering was sometimes, but it would also not help, since he would have to use a blade that is not a relic.

That training would have only helped him with the sparing, but he already had a way stronger opponent to spar with, and one that knew his own style better than him.

He was as strong as he could, it was sad but true. He had reached the max level of sync and was already a way too high rank, with too many shards already, and he had an ability, which you could say was where he was lacking, but it wasn’t like he could change that, after all, abilities are things you have a chance to get when your sync raises.

He had strong relics and good skills.

So he really was… done with his Reader progression.

The only thing that would make him considerably stronger would be clearing this Trial and becoming a Seeker, and when he does, that would be the end of his time as a Reader.

Aether sighed. He wasn’t here to cry about the fact that Lucien and Kade were getting stronger while he was stuck; he was here to see what enjoying something was like.

Taking a seat at the edge of the lake, he put a worm on the hook and threw it in the water.

…

‘And um… now I wait… for how long?’

Aether squinted his eyes, watching the waters. He knew that fishing required a lot of waiting, which was why he hated it so much; he didn’t understand why looking at a lake for so much time just to either not get anything or a small fish would be fun.

And now that he was doing it, he still didn’t understand.

Aether sighed, letting the rod down, and lying on his back, looking at the sky.

“Might as well look at the sky, it’s better than looking at water.”

…

“Is it?”

Aether’s eyes widened as he sat up and looked around him, where he was the shadow of a beast-human, sitting next to him. He should have expected that humans weren’t the only species that had lost, but it was weird seeing one of the beast humans.

“Um… yeah?”

The shadow chuckled.

“Then I must be the weird one, since I find it… so fun. Even if I mostly watch others, I try to imagine myself doing so.”

A Lost aware that it was a shadow, rare, but at the same time, its master was probably a fisherman.

“Why? I mean, you just sit and wait for hours for a small reward.”

…

“Yes, that is right, but it’s a reward you worked hard for, one that you got yourself, not someone else.”

…

“If you think of only getting fish, then sure, the process might be boring, but if you try to enjoy the same process, it’s quite fun.”

Aether’s eyes widened.

“Fine… I’ll try.”

…

…

It has been an hour since he first started trying to catch a fish. Aether held the rod steady in his hand, watching the waters with all of his attention… and out of the sudden, he felt something, his arms tensed, as he pulled the rod back.

A fish emerged from the water.

Seeing this…

An excited smile appeared on his face.

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