Hours had passed since Zayzal had finished the “Mind’s Eye” technique. Sera had watched over Zayzal, curious about the change that seemed to have taken place within him. His features seemed more composed, the usual tension in his jaw gone. She had tried the Mind’s Eye technique herself and was eager to share experiences.

As Zayzal's consciousness stirred, he became gradually aware of the hospital room once again. His eyelids fluttered open, and for a moment, he was disoriented, not by the unfamiliarity of the place but by the new ‘sense’ that now inhabited his mind.

"You’re awake!" Sera exclaimed with a smile, anticipation evident in her tone. "How do you feel?"

He turned his head towards her, and his eyes locked onto hers. "I feel... different," he replied after a pause, his voice carrying a depth that wasn't there before.

"The technique, did it work?" she asked, leaning forward and resting her elbows on her knees.

"It did, more than I imagined it would. It’s like I’ve been living with a blindfold on and now it's been removed. I can feel the flow of mana within me, see the paths it takes," Zayzal explained before he closed his eyes to get a better feel for what was happening. However, before he could delve into it, he stopped himself and focused on Sera. “What about you? Did you manage to do it?”

Sera leaned back with a thoughtful look. “Eh, kind of. I’m not sure.” She replied. “I was able to do all the steps and could even form the third eye, but after I used it to examine a portion of my body, I lost control, and it all dissipated. I tried a few more times but lost control even quicker than the first time, so I just put it on hold.”

“...Interesting,” Zayzal muttered, falling into thought, but Sera interrupted him.

“Why? What happened to you?” She asked. Zayzal then went on to explain everything that he experienced. After recalling everything, her eyes shined like a kid in a candy shop. If she felt it would help, she would’ve immediately gone back to meditating.

“Wow! So, yours is actually permanent? And you can scan your entire body? Does that mean you can find your pathways and get stronger?” She fired one question after another, causing Zayzal to put a finger to his lips and ‘Shhh’ while pointing at Anders.

Sera nodded and quieted down, but she was still eager to know the answers.

“...I’m not sure what I can and can’t do with it yet. I just woke up, remember?” Zayzal smirked and shrugged, leaving Sera speechless. “Now, I’m going to try and figure that out right now.” With that said, he closed his eyes and ignored Sera.

Opening his Mind’s Eye, he first realized that he didn’t need to sit there and congregate mana in his center to use the technique. So, before he did anything, he did a comprehensive body scan, trying to form the most accurate picture of himself that he could.

After about half an hour, he stopped and looked at the 3-D image of himself. In there was everything that made up his body, from veins to nerves to bones and everything in between.

With that out of the way, Zayzal could now focus on these inner structures to try and see exactly what was going on with his body. He took a deep breath before he began his little study session.

‘Before I do anything, I wonder if I can find the location of my talents.’ He wondered. From what he’s noticed, everyone’s talent location is a little different. It largely depends on the color, but even within them, there are differences.

If he could locate his talents, he would have a lot easier time finding their unique pathways.

As the minutes ticked away, the room around him faded into irrelevance. Zayzal was completely focused on searching for these previously foreign entities by looking for any constant yet repetitive changes within sections of himself.

Within this introspective study session, he noticed the anomalies – two distinctive clumps of mana that were much denser than the mana within the rest of his body.

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The first was nestled within his brain, a dense silver cluster resembling a tiny spherical globule. It was nestled among the gray and white matter, close to the optic nerves, given its proximity to his eyes. It didn’t move around much, remaining mostly static. Zayzal's intuition told him this was the manifestation of his [Pathfinder] talent.

The second anomaly was different in hue and behavior. Deep within his core, nestled amongst the vital organs, was a purple clump of mana, shaped much like the first but acted with more vigor.

This cluster seemed to be the heart of a vast network, with minuscule streams of the same purple mana streaming outward toward every extremity before diffusing into every single cell. Unlike the silver mana in his brain, this was in constant motion, its tiny tendrils intertwining with his cells, infusing them with mana that seemed to alter his very existence slightly.

‘This must be my Adaptability talent.’ He mused, watching his cells change and adapt to his current situation. He wasn’t a doctor, but from the way they moved, it was as if they worked to keep him at a steady baseline. Not too stressed, not too calm, but just aware enough to where he could quickly respond to whatever may happen.

Cold outside? His talent worked to heat him up. New spear moves? New neural pathways formed, and his body structure altered slightly to maximize the mind-muscle connections.

‘How interesting.’ He felt he could sit here and study this for hours and not even scratch the surface, but that wasn’t what he was here for. Shaking his head, he shelved that idea. ‘I need to focus. I can study my body later, but for now, I need to get stronger. Maybe if I had Sera’s strength, I could’ve prevented Kaldrik from nearly killing Anders.’

***

He redirected his focus to the [Pathfinder] talent. ‘Alright! Show me what you can do!’ He physically and metaphysically closed his eyes, stirring the mana within him and focusing it on his Mind’s Eye instead of his real ones.

It took a few minutes for it to ‘understand’ his command before it congregated on that third eye, bathing it in a silver glow. From then, within minutes, faint silver pathways began to illuminate. It started with moving from his brain to his skull, then to the muscles on the front and back of his head. Once a network had formed, it worked its way to the rest of the bones and muscles on his head before moving lower.

These pathways sprawled throughout his body, predominantly leading to his muscular and skeletal systems. It was like an intricate and intimate circuit board only he could truly understand and navigate.

Each person's mana pathways were as unique as fingerprints, and now Zayzal was seeing his own for the first time.

He also noted the pathways within his [Adaptability] talent, although these were less clear. They seemed to focus more on the talent itself, like he was literally supposed to study it more, rather than the direct, purposeful streams of the [Pathfinder] talent system.

‘Alright, now it’s time to experiment. To grow stronger.’ Zayzal inwardly nodded with a growing smile.

He began to gather the ambient mana that flowed mindlessly through him, something that might not have been so easy if it weren’t for the Mind’s Eye technique. He drew in mana with each breath, directing it towards the illuminated pathways. The silver threads brightened with each passing moment, like circuits being charged for the first time.

Concentrating intensely, he channeled the mana into his muscles and bones. As the pathways didn’t neglect even the smallest of muscles and the tiniest of bones, neither would he.

In the back of his mind, a part of him thought that he was being led astray. That these weren’t ‘perfect’. That he could do better, but could he?

He had no idea what he was doing in this new world. Hell, without this [Pathfinder] talent, he wouldn’t have even realized he could grow stronger by absorbing mana. Even if he did, what if he did so incorrectly and permanently damaged himself?

Thus, he understood that it wasn’t about whether it was ‘perfect’ or not, as he simply had no idea what that meant.

‘Since my talent clearly works, then who am I to distrust it? It’s not like I have anything else to go off of.’ He firmed his resolve and pushed on, shoving these thoughts away.

As he worked, the mana began to merge with his physique. It was a slow process, with each muscle fiber and bone cell accepting the mana and becoming infused with its energy. It wasn't just about raw strength; it was about creating a foundation that was intrinsically stronger and more resilient than before.

He could feel the mana reinforcing him, his body responding and adapting to the internal changes. His already toned body was being enhanced in ways that traditional training could never achieve. He was fortifying the very framework of his being.

Hours passed, and his concentration never wavered until he could feel a sense of fullness. He couldn’t handle any more strengthening at the moment, even with his [Adaptability].

The pathways were now more defined, and the mana within him was more stable, strong, and denser than before. Zayzal opened his eyes, his vision clear and his body feeling different—more solid, as if he had been remade from within.

He flexed his fingers, feeling like they were taut rubber bands ready to explode. It was a subtle change to an onlooker, but to him, it was like he was a completely different person.

His gaze shifted to Sera, who had been quietly observing his process. Her eyes were wide with a mix of awe and curiosity. He offered her a knowing smile. “It seems it worked.”