FOLLOW ME

[Mind's Sanctuary]. Exclusive content © by Nô(v)el/Dr/ama.Org.

Leonel went through the ability quickly and picked up the Force Art as though it was as easy as breathing. This was the very technique that Noah had naturally awakened, and it was one that would protect his mind. It stopped others from easily prying into his thoughts through the Dream Plane and it was likewise a method that he could use in stages and tiers.

Noah had said that the only reason his expression was dull when he used this technique was that he wasn't proficient with it. The technique at this stage was best used when going to sleep so that you could be protected even while you weren't aware.

But who said it didn't have its uses?

With his Control Ability Index, Leonel was able to fake the dull expression if he needed to, but he would have a hard time faking the Dream Force waves within him. This technique would help him to do that if it became necessary.

He looked at the other techniques within the tablet, but he changed his mind after a while. He didn't have time to delve into all of these techniques right now. The best use of his time was his Constellation.

Leonel took a breath and exhaled. He sunk his mind into the deepest parts of himself and entered the Dream Plane.

It was a bit difficult, but it wasn't nearly as difficult as when he was under Mo''Lexi and Vivak's influence.

Surprisingly, he saw it almost immediately. It was a valiant warrior made of stars, wielding a spear prepared to pierce through the veil of the world itself. It was a gorgeous sight.

Leonel, though, felt like it was missing something.

He had seen the daunting auras of the Shadow Tail, the Dusky Steel Bat, and the Aurora Black Panda when he first grasped the dark side of his Lineage Factor. He had also seen the Snowy Star Owl in that vision when he first awakened the light side.

They had so much life, so much imposingness. It felt that the planets around him could be crushed with a single movement of theirs.

'It's not the same, though, right?'

Leonel was a bit conflicted. Somewhere in his subconscious, he felt that they carried some similarities. But logically, he felt that this was ridiculous.

One represented a living, breathing creature, while the other was just a manifestation of a family's pride. It was amorphous and nebulous, it had no real form, no real substance. It was meant to be a supplement, not an existence all to itself.

What was this discomfort, then?

'Stars...'

Star Force seemed to lay the foundation for so many things. The only reason that Leonel hadn't bothered to comprehend it separately, much like he had ignored Light Force, was because he already had two Star Force-related Forces that he had brought to the Impetus State.

But this...

Now that he thought about it, he could remember ever hearing of anyone using "Star Force." He had heard of pure Light Force before, pure Dark Force, he had heard of pure Spatial Force or pure Dream Force, but why had he never heard of pure Star Force?

'Universal Force?'

It all seemed to be building up to the stars.

The Four Seasons Realm, then Heavenly Body, then Natural Light, then Cosmos, then Constellation.

It felt like a disordered mess to him when he first learned about it.

Shouldn't it be Natural Light, then Four Seasons, the Heavenly Body, then Constellation, and only finally then Cosmos?

But he had been proved wrong about that and it opened up another Realm of understanding for him, but even that was just surface level.

He felt like there was something deeper, something hidden deep within-

"Leonel, someone is coming."

Leonel snapped out of his meditative state and left the Segmented Cube in a single step. But he frowned instantly.

'Three days? How did three days pass? That's impo-"

Knock. Knock. Knock.

Leonel got up and opened the door, finding a familiar woman wearing a lab coat waiting for him.

'Shit, this is a problem. What happened to Noah while I was out? How did three days pass so quickly? Was it because I was so focused on the Dream Plane?'

He didn't blame Anastasia. Whatever that feeling was, it was akin to an enlightenment that was easy to hear of and yet difficult to grasp.

Another person might have been enraged by this loss, but Leonel didn't feel it to be so. With his Control Ability Index, even if he lost that moment of enlightenment, he could perfectly replicate the series of feelings, thoughts, and emotions that had led to it.

Unfortunately, it seemed he didn't have the time to do so.

"You've been in your room for three days," the scientist lady spoke lightly.

Leonel smiled. "I didn't even notice the time. I was digesting all the information I got from the library and three days passed in a blink, I'm kind of surprised."

"Mm," the lady said somewhat coldly. "My name is Liana. You may call me Head Researcher."

Leonel chuckled inwardly. What an odd woman. Why introduce herself if she wasn't going to let him use her name?

"Follow me."

Leonel did as he was told, his senses on full alert. What Liana didn't notice was that a finger sleeve that was almost always with Leonel had disappeared. Of course, it was still there, just not visible or tangible.

Anastasia was using up ambient Force every second to keep herself within this intangible state.

They entered a lab, and it looked like it was plucked right out of Earth and placed here.

"Please strip. Everything, even your understanding. Lie down on the table."

Leonel's lip twitched. They really did want to treat him like some kind of animal.

"In a few seconds, you will feel pressure on your mind. This is a simulation event that I put all my patients through. It will separate your mind and body and make it feel as though you've gained a perfect clone of yourself.

"Do not resist."

Leonel's eyes narrowed somewhat when he heard these words.