Micro woke up on the floor of the guest room to the sound of a tea cup making contact with the hard surface of a small table nearby. As his eyes slowly opened, he was surprised to see the guest room nearly exactly as he remembered it from before he accidentally destroyed it in the process of reconstructing his core. The flowery scent of the tea tickled his nose to the point that he could no longer bear it, and he rose from the ground with a sneeze.

“Woah!” An unfamiliar boy’s voice echoed in the room.

Micro noticed Blue, a slightly different shape than usual, lying on top of his leg as he sat up and moved her back into his pocket as usual. He then checked his other pocket, where Trill was asleep with a terribly grumpy expression as always.

“Hello.” Micro greeted the boy as he reached for the cup.

“Thanks for the tea.”

“You- you- you’re the hero… with the pixie…” The boy stuttered as he inched backward toward the door.

“I’m not a Hero.” Micro corrected him between sips of tea.

“I’m a Micro. Completely different… Ah, this is nice.”

“Wha-” The boy tripped, bumping into the closed door. In a panic, the boy shouted as he fumbled with the door handle.

“Kel said to meet him at the summit!”

“Okay, thanks-” Micro began, but the boy had already flown through the door in a hurry.

“Oh well.”

Micro stretched his neck for a moment, then stood up to leave.

“Oooh…!” However, a crippling pain erupted from his stomach. He belched once and felt some relief, but moving across the room brought him more discomfort with every step. He greeted the bright morning sun with a groan and began his journey.

He pushed through the pain, and it did become slightly more bearable as he began walking up the steps, but he was frustrated by how slow he moved. By the time he reached the paved area where he had trained the previous day, sweat was pouring down his face and he was unable to stand up straight.

With his eyes on the rocky ground just ahead of him, he dragged his feet up the hill until he could finally hear the voices of Kel and Tae.

“What kept you, master?” Kel called to him.

“Was the attendant not specific as to the time of our meeting?”

“Pain…” Micro panted as a concerned Tae ran to lend him a shoulder. He pointed at his stomach and groaned.

“Here…”

Tae inspected him thoroughly with her Spirit Vision skill while Kel watched in fear, but a short laugh left her mouth which put him at ease.

“His core is fine, young master.” She assured Kel.

“But he and the little blue one he carries seem to have surpassed their limits last night after we left.”

“The cook has claimed two more victims then.” Kel said as he returned her smile and approached Micro.

“I was trying to think of a way to explain this to you, master. You must learn the limits of this new vessel.”

“Speed limit…?” Micro groaned.

“Perhaps.” Kel shrugged.

“Regardless of what form you took in your previous life, however much you may have trained, your body is presently weak and inexperienced.”

“So weak…” Micro agreed.

“Then your first lesson will be in efficiency.” Kel stated plainly, but he was surprised to see Micro’s mood suddenly improve.

“Efficiency?” He repeated with wide eyes.

“Yes…” Kel confirmed with a sideways glance.

“If you don’t mind…”

“Let’s go!”

Kel led Micro and Tae up to the highest point of the mountain, where there was just enough room for them to sit beside each other comfortably. The wind was still cool, but Micro was relieved that the weather had warmed considerably since his arrival there. His core also did much to protect him from the weather, but his current feeling was one mostly of nausea.

“Now then, master.” Kel began.

“You’ve learned to gather and make use of the energy around you, but you tend to burn through it much quicker than is necessary. Your battle with Mary of the Sparrow Sect was impressive, of course, but pouring every last bit of your immense energy stores into your shield from the beginning of the fight was shortsighted.”

“You also lost control of your emotions during the battle, though that is a common reaction for one who lacks experience.” Tae added respectfully.

“I may not be as efficient as I once was…” Micro sighed.

“And it seems like I discover a new emotion every day…”

“You may have had a wonderful master on your world, but you are your own master in battle.”

“I’m my own driver…?” Micro repeated solemnly.

“That’s too…”

“You must decide how much energy to use and when.” Kel Continued.

“You must choose when to attack and when to defend.”

“Can I choose to run away?” Micro sighed.

“That would be to choose death, master.” Kel said with an understanding smile.

“Now, about your stomach ache.”

“Yes?”

“Overeating is itself a sign that you lack self control.” Kel said sternly.

“However, you should be able to utilize whatever energy resides in you, whether it is your own internal energy or a foreign source of power.”

“A source of power…” Micro thought aloud.

“Fuel?”

“Precisely.” Kel answered.

“As cultivators, it is in our nature to make use of the energy we consume. I have a feeling this won’t take long for you to grasp, so take a moment and think about how you might go about transforming the excess beef in your belly into something you can use.”

Micro closed his eyes and entered a deep enough state of meditation where he could clearly see the energy around and within him. He glanced at the glowing green garage in his chest and smiled, then he looked around at the elemental forces that made up the world around him.

“The fuel in my belly…” He thought to himself as he focused on his stomach, where he was indeed able to perceive a large amount of stagnant life force taking up space in his gut. He studied its nature for a while before coming to the conclusion that, while slightly different from the energies he’d absorbed willingly up to that point, it should be easy enough to manipulate and circulate throughout his body.

Stolen novel; please report.

Slowly at first, he began to circulate his own energy, allowing it to pass through his stomach gently. He immediately began to feel some of the pressure in his stomach relieved as the stagnant life force was swept away into the current of his internal energy.

“Wow!” Micro exclaimed as he snapped out of his meditative state with a relieved expression.

“Much better…!” Blue’s voice rang out from his pocket, apparently having participated in the same exercise. She jumped onto his shoulder, her figure restored, and punched the air a few times to loosen up.

“Eating isn’t so bad after all!”

“As expected, master.” Kel nodded.

“And… good job… Blue…”

“Thanks, Kel!” Micro replied before Blue had a chance to say something rude.

“Keep that lesson in mind as you continue to grow as cultivators, both of you.” Kel continued.

“There are many sources of power available to us in this world. Some are easier to make use of, like a bowl of mountain fried beef, while others can be more chaotic and dangerous.”

“Wait, don’t cultivators hate magicians because they steal fuel?” Micro asked suspiciously.

“Isn’t that the same thing?”

“I can see the reason for your confusion, master, but please don’t be mistaken.” Kel replied with a hint of frustration in his voice.

“While it is true that the energies we use are fundamentally the same, the means by which we make use of that energy couldn’t be more different. While cultivators live in harmony with the world, magicians are a curse to whatever lands they inhabit.”

“They curse?” Micro repeated in confusion.

“Cultivators utilize energy by gathering it from the natural world, storing it in our cores, and then transforming that energy in our bodies. In doing so, we live in balance with our environment.” Kel explained.

“However, magicians are mundane criminals who forgo the formation of a core, whether due to their laziness, ineptitude, or evil wills. Without a core, the only way to utilize energy is through a catalyst.”

“A catalyst?” Micro asked.

“Like pixies…” Blue spat.

“Exactly…” Kel replied sadly.

“Pixies are just one of many creatures with a naturally high capacity for energy, meaning they are ideal for use in magicians’ evil rituals. Without a core, their only means to rival the abilities of a cultivator is to drain the life force of innocent-”

Kel suddenly stuttered on the word innocent as he met Blue’s eyes, but Tae continued in his place.

“They sacrifice the lives of any living thing they can find to perform their rituals, cast their spells, and summon their heroes.” Tae said solemnly.

“And that energy is lost to the void…”

“But wait, couldn’t I use their magic to go home? That’s how I got here! And what’s the void?” Micro frowned as the information quickly overwhelmed him.

“The true cost of magic is the toll exacted by the evil gods…” Kel spoke softly, as if he were worried somebody might overhear his words.

“Those cursed beings who dwell in the realm between realms and grant insidious wishes in return for the life force of this world. The sacrifice of helpless lives is evil enough, but for that energy to leave this realm as result of their horrible rituals threatens the balance of this realm…”

“An unbalanced load is dangerous…” Micro nodded, apparently in agreement despite his limited understanding.

“Nothing is more dangerous than imbalance, master.” Kel replied.

“But you will come to understand matters of this realm in time. First, you must learn to use your power. Tae, I think my grandfather’s favourite lesson would suffice.”

“But he doesn’t have a shield.” Tae replied, gesturing to the shield on her back.

“Should I lend him mine?”

“Would that suit you, master?” Kel asked Micro.

“Well…” Micro replied without enthusiasm, his eyes drawn to the poor quality metal work of the defensive tool on Tae’s back. Even at a glance he recognized the rust spots that adorned it. However, without a shield of his own, he reluctantly accepted the offer.

“Thanks, Tae…”

“May it serve you well!” Tae announced happily as she handed it to him.

“Excellent.” Kel began, walking several paces away.

“Now, you observed this a number of times during our quest, but I’ll demonstrate it once again.”

Kel took the shield from his back and held it in front of him with a graceful movement, and the shield began to glow. He waved it around to stretch his shoulder, then tapped it against the ground. Instead of the thin metallic sound it should have made, a hard thud resonated as far as Micro was sitting.

“Although I do possess the Spirit Shield Skill, which is vastly more powerful, any cultivator should be able to extend their aura enough to coat a weapon, shield, or instrument of any kind.” Kel said as he varied the amount of energy flowing into the shield, causing it to flicker like light reflected off a puddle.

“The armour you summon using the Turtle Art’s techniques is a more advanced form of this, but it requires much more energy. For now, try circulating your energy through the shield.”

“Okay.” Micro replied as he gripped the worn leather handle on the back of the shield. Blue watched intently from his shoulder as he slowly began to channel his internal energy through the shield and back into his body.

“It feels strange… But not uncomfortable…”

“Good, very good, master.” Kel applauded.

“Yes, it feels something like growing an extra limb when you shroud a foreign object in your own energy, but that is one of the advantages to this ability.”

“It feels lighter now, stronger too…” Micro said in wonder as he waved the shield around.

However, unlike Kel’s shield which was coated in a stable green aura that only shone more intensely as he willed, Micro’s shield was flashing so violently that it hurt his eyes. It flashed until it suddenly stopped glowing altogether, causing Micro’s arm to tingle for a moment as the circuit broke. Kel was about to console Micro’s failed attempt, but Micro suddenly smiled.

“Kel!” He shouted.

“What is it, master?” Kel asked.

“Are you hurt?”

“I have a turn signal!” Micro celebrated as he poured even more unstable energy into the shield, causing it to flicker as he moved it right to left in front of him with a grin. Blue tired of his marching and hopped down the ground, wandering a short distance away without a word.

“A turn signal?” Kel tilted his head.

“You know, to let people know which way you’re about to go.” Micro replied as he began to march around the summit with his flashing shield.

“Why would you need such a thing?” Kel wondered.

“For safety, of course!” Micro replied with a more serious tone.

“It prevents accidents, especially on busy streets with new cars flying by you by the dozen…”

“Of course!” Kel replied as though he’d realized something important.

“At such high speeds, verbal communication must be difficult, so you rely on lights to indicate a change in your trajectory!”

“Exactly!” Micro said, but he suddenly felt weak. He dropped his arm to his side as the shield faded again and sighed.

“That’s exhausting… How do you keep it on so long, Kel?”

“Though the amount of spiritual energy your core holds exceeds my own, you simply use it too quickly.” Kel answered as he raised his steadily glowing shield for Micro to observe.

“You must regulate the flow of your energy, or you risk running out before the fight is done.”

“Regulate…” Micro repeated, the word resting heavily on his mind for a moment.

“Regulate the flow… the current… voltage… Oh!”

Kel and Tae looked at each other with mutual understanding as they recognized Micro beginning to understand something on terms they wouldn’t understand. They each took a step back, not sure whether he was about to master a new technique or send them flying with an explosion of aura.

“Just like a voltage regulator!” Micro suddenly shouted as his shield began to glow steadily for the first time.

“I should’ve realized it sooner, but this is a lot like electricity!”

“Elec-” Kel stuttered.

“Never mind…”

Micro continued to explain the concept of a voltage regulator and electricity for a while before Kel finally raised his hands to ask him if it would be fine to continue the lesson. Micro happily obliged, and soon the three were standing calmly at the summit again.

“We shall now practice the traditional method for training the willful regulation of internal energy to external implements.” Kel stated plainly.

“What?” Micro asked without shame.

“It’s a traditional exercise.” Kel explained again with a smile.

“It will help you learn to control how much energy you put in your shield.”

“But I can already control it, see?” Micro answered as his shield began to glow a little brighter.

“Indeed, but you’re standing perfectly still on a beautiful day.” Kel smiled, his eyes narrowing slightly.

“What if something unexpected were to happen?”

“Like wha-”

Micro was unable to finish his question as Tae’s fist, shrouded in a dense aura, collided with the shield he held in front of him, sending him flying down the mountain with a loud bang. Kel looked down the mountain with a nostalgic smile as Micro tumbled and rolled. As Tae joined him in the nostalgic moment, a shout from Blue suddenly caught their attention.

“Hah, easy!” She announced as she coated a small leaf in energy and waved it around like a shield.

“Try that on me, why don’t ya?!”