[Aspect Awakened]
Name: Minor Alignment
Type: Passive
Status: Active
Arthur read it once, then let out a small breath through his nose.
"Minor, huh."
It sounded underwhelming. The kind of thing people would skim past without thinking twice. Not speed, not strength, nothing that stood out.
He almost dismissed it.
Then something moved to his right.
The same small lizard from earlier surfaced near a rock, its body low, eyes fixed on him. This time it didn't hesitate.
It lunged.
Arthur didn't think. He stepped back, but the movement felt strange even as he did it. Not rushed, not panicked. Just… placed.
The lizard's claws scraped the ground just short of his foot.
Arthur blinked.
He hadn't dodged like that before.
The creature twisted mid-motion and lunged again, faster this time. Arthur shifted his weight, barely moving more than he needed to, and it missed again.
Not by a lot. Just enough.
He didn't feel fast. That was the strange part. It wasn't like he had suddenly gained speed. If anything, his movements felt smaller than usual.
But they were exactly right.
The lizard lunged a third time, more aggressive now.
Arthur didn't step back this time. He shifted slightly to the side, almost casually, and the attack slid past him like it had been aimed wrong from the start.
He paused, watching it.
"…no way."
He tried it again, this time paying attention.
The lizard rushed him.
Arthur waited half a second longer than he normally would have, then moved.
Just one step.
That was enough.
The attack missed completely.
No wasted movement. No extra distance. Just the minimum needed to avoid it.
Arthur felt it then, properly.
Not strength, not speed, but something guiding the way he moved. Not controlling him, just adjusting him, shaving off the unnecessary parts of every action.
The system updated again.
[Aspect: Minor Alignment]
Effect: Continuous micro-adjustment of movement, balance, and positioning
Arthur stared at it for a moment, then looked back at the lizard.
"…that's not minor."
The creature lunged again.
Arthur stepped forward this time, slipping past it instead of away, and his hand moved before he fully decided to act. He caught it mid-motion, fingers tightening in just the right place to stop it from twisting free.
The lizard struggled, its body thrashing, but Arthur adjusted his grip without thinking, applying just enough force to keep control without overdoing it.
No strain. No fumbling.
Just clean.
He held it there for a second, then let it go.
It bolted immediately, disappearing into the ground like before.
Arthur stayed where he was, staring at his hand. That felt different. It felt... efficient?. He looked down at the system again, then back at the direction the lizard had disappeared.
Even if that thing had been something bigger, something faster, the result wouldn't have changed much. That was the part that stuck with him.
It didn't matter how fast something moved if you were already where it wasn't.
Arthur let out a quiet breath and started walking again, slower this time, paying attention to everything.
Each step landed clean. No wasted energy, no awkward shifts. Even when the terrain changed, his body adjusted before he had to think about it. It wasn't something he had to activate or control. It was just… there.
Constant.
The husky kept moving ahead, calm as ever, like none of this was new.
Arthur glanced at it.
"You knew this would happen?"
No response.
He clicked his tongue softly and looked forward again.
"Of course you did."
Still, the corner of his mouth lifted slightly.
It wasn't flashy. No one watching would think much of it. Compared to something like raw strength or elemental control, it probably looked insignificant.
But the more he moved, the more it made sense.
No wasted motion meant no wasted energy. No wasted energy meant he could keep going longer. And in a fight, where one mistake could end things, not making mistakes mattered more than anything else.
Arthur adjusted his step slightly, testing the limit of it.
The correction came instantly.
He nodded to himself.
"Yeah, I'll take it."
Ahead of him, the husky didn't slow down.
Arthur followed, his movements just a little sharper than before, even if no one else would have noticed.