"Moonflower..."

Ju had an uneasy expression. The drink was meant for those who could use Essence to some degree, so it was much stronger than usual alcohol.

Ordinary people could be seriously injured if they consumed it. Moonflower could not use Essence yet, so Ju could not help but be worried.

Oberon shrugged his shoulders and poured more for the little girl.

"Ju, you should probably learn something from her." The large man teased.

Ju looked at his cup, which was still quite full; his expression hardened as he took another gulp, this one much larger than the last.

If the previous feeling was like a fire raging, this was an inferno. Every part of his insides screamed with a massive number of sensations; it was so much that he could not help but cough a little.

Everyone, including the indifferent Aron, chuckled at the young boy's helplessness. Ju normally had a frighteningly calm exterior and rarely displayed emotion, so seeing the boy so flustered because of the drink pleased the others in a way.

Even Moon Flower was smiling as she drank her portion with ease.

Gradually, the atmosphere became harmonious, and time flew by.

By the time they were about to leave, Tylen had already explained the next course of action to Ju.

"The group will meet at the outskirts tomorrow. I got the information for a high price; our target is no longer the foxes but a nest of golden falcons, which had already become spiritual beasts. The falcons have a leader who was very close to forming a core, and the beasts were already responsible for quite a number of deaths."

"But they would be able to fly; how are we going to deal with that?" Ju pondered for a moment and asked.

Tylen took another sip of his drink and continued.

"Their ability to take flight made them troublesome, making them difficult targets. The crux of the mission would be Zabel and her bow. The others would play supporting roles."

Ju was confused about how they could help Zabel get enough power to slaughter an entire nest.

"Don't worry, you will see."

Tylen, with a mysterious smile, said. Ju didn't ask anything further.

The teenager and Moonflower then left the restaurant. When they returned to the inn, it was mostly empty.

As usual, the Old Woman was at her counter, wearing the same crooked smile as the first day Ju saw her.

Ju gave a polite greeting and quickly went into his room.

Although she was still happy about their outing, Moon-Flower was already tired, and it didn't take long for her to go to bed. This was after she made Ju had to promise her that he would retake her to the restaurant and…bring her more Flame spirit wine.

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A request the young boy found to be quite disturbing.

"It's time to check it now."

Ju went to the drawer and took out the tempering formula. This time, he was much more familiar with the signs and symbols referenced in the manual.

Ju then sat cross-legged on the mat, slowly regulating his breathing.

According to theory and some descriptions he studied at the library, anyone who could use Essence had nine Spirit nodes: three in the glabella, chest and umbilical region, and two in each arm and leg.

Ju reasoned that he had awakened one Spirit node each in his two arms.

Leaving seven more to be awakened. Most people who didn't have a meditation technique were like this, because trying to open more Spirit nodes required more absorption of Essence in the wastelands, which was dangerous, as impurities also gathered around the Spirit nodes.

With every Node awakened, one came closer to becoming an Essence Artist. To become an Essence Artist, one has to awaken every Node and then try to condense a spirit source in order to create something out of nothing, like an artist on his canvas.

Mediation techniques were indispensable to attempt awakening more than one Spirit node. The tempering formula allowed the user to gather Essence through tidal waves. In other words, its greatest aspect was its accelerated nature of gathering Essence.

The moment one Spirit node was opened, Essence would rush into the person's body, and the tides would rise, overlapping each other and grinding against each Spirit node. Due to the harsh nature of the mediation technique, impurities were generally removed efficiently.

Because of this, the tempering formula was widely decimated for common people. Foot soldiers and sacrificial warriors in large clans and forces were trained using this art.

However, the drawback was obvious: Because of the tumultuous nature, using this technique was very painful. Depending on the number of tides he generated, the user might damage his body extensively.

So, the more one used the tempering formula, the more damage it could cause. In other words, just like the impurities the mediation technique was created to remove, the method was more difficult and deadly with the higher frequency of usage.

"Ironical." Ju thought.

Because of this hidden danger, no one used just the tempering formula to become an Essence Artist, that is, if they wished to progress further in the Essence arts.

Most people switch to another mediation technique when they are close to taking that final step.

This was why Tempering Formula was relatively easy to access, even in the Wastelands.

"But I do not have much of a choice." Other better meditation techniques were tightly controlled, and access required more than money. Usually, you would have to swear allegiance to the force or person providing the meditation technique.

Due to his personality, Ju could not take that route,y et he needed more personal strength for his future.

And the only way to get stronger was to open more Spirit nodes.

Following the instructions in the Tempering Formula, Ju imagined the Essence gathering like a lake. Slowly, he tried to gather waves. The tides were slowly rising.

Ju knew he had completed a cycle when he saw the first tide. Ju willed the Essence flow to the Node on his chest.

Bang.

A light crash sounded in the youth's mind as painful sensations transmitted throughout his body. Ju observed that the impurities were still very much present. He then tried to raise another tide, then another, and another.

Until there were three separate tides, the pain was so intense that the young boy could not stop trembling; tiny streaks of blood came out of his orifices. One of the factors that contributed to the pain and difficulty was the vast amount of impurities he had gathered when he used dark assault back then on his way to Ender town.

Ju's body was on the verge of collapse, but he still held on. According to the manual, the more numerous the tides, the purer the essence and the more straightforward it would be to awaken a Spirit node.

"I have to hold on."

Using sheer willpower, the teenager bit his tongue and directed the EEssenceagain to his chest node.

This time, the sound was much larger, and Ju could feel the resistance loosening; the Spirit node was gaining a bit of light.