Again! I want you to tell me when she pulls the trigger” then Zhao Bing turned to the second lieutenant “Shoot whenever”

  This time lieutenant Yasemin waited five heart beats before she took the shoot.

  “now” captain Altan Niraj said just before the sound of the gun went off

  “How?” corporal kahil asked in wonder “is that even possible in the fifth tier?!”

  “I saw her pull the trigger” captain Altan Niraj replied, corporal kahil was stunned by the answer before he began to laugh, the others joined him even Zhao Bing chuckled a little

  “Not the idea! Turn around” Zhao barked after the chuckle “Tell me when she fires. Go ahead” he gestured to the lieutenant.

  This time she waited even longer.

  Bang

  The captain was silent, the audience looked at Zhao Bing but he only smiled

  “Do it again” he said to her.

  The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.

  Bang “now”

  The two were heard almost simultaneously, the audience looked impressed.

  “good, how did you do it?” Zhao asked

  Captain Altan Niraj shrugged “There was a small spike in her aether just before she fired. I noticed it but I didn’t realize till I didn’t see her shoot.”

  “the improvements to your senses from a tier four to a tier five scholar is substantial but that is not the main point. Did you feel anything else from her aether?”

  Captain Altan Niraj thought for a while but nothing came to his mind so he shook his head.

  “Okay, maybe it is because you already know her. Let’s try this.” As Zhao Bing said that, he order his aether cores -all five of them- to spin in his body. Immediately aether began to diffuse from them out into his body and even into the world around him.

  Everyone apart from captain Altan Niraj took a quick step back from Zhao.

  “What are you doing?” barked the first lieutenant worried

  “Relax! what do you feel?” Zhao Bing asked the captain

  “You are strong, sixth tier.” Captain Altan Niraj replied

  Zhao Bing nodded then caught himself “No! Not what I want to hear, focus, dig deeper you are looking for my aether's innate properties."

  Captain Altan Niraj did as he was asked. it was a while before he spoke again “Cold” Zhao Bing waited “the air feels colder, like the top of a mountain. Wait steam, you used steam in that fight! No, water,” Zhao Bing smiled but he didn’t notice, too busy putting the pieces together.

  “Cold.... Ice.” Zhao Bing nodded “You are an ice elementalist!” captain Altan Niraj said in a sudden eureka moment.

  “and?” Zhao asked

  “And?” captain Altan Niraj repeated, he settled down and thought for a while “You knew.... from the beginning, you knew.”