As Tom reached the mouth of the cave, he hesitated for a moment. The darkness inside seemed even denser than the forest, and he couldn't see what lay beyond. But curiosity and the need for answers propelled him to venture further.

He took a deep breath, attempting to steady himself. "Let's do this," he whispered to himself, and cautiously entered the cave.

Inside, the darkness seemed to engulf him, and he fumbled to find a way forward. His eyes strained to adjust to the lack of light, and he knew he had to be cautious of potential dangers lurking within. He took slow and deliberate steps, keeping his senses sharp and alert.

His hand gripped the hilt of his sword tightly, ready to defend himself at a moment's notice. He was determined not to let anything catch him off guard.

As Tom ventured deeper into the cave, he became increasingly vigilant, paying close attention to any sounds he heard. His injuries made him vulnerable, and he knew that a surprise attack could be disastrous. He pressed on, his determination overpowering the pain that coursed through his body.

As he reached the end of the cave, a sense of relief washed over him. He could finally lower his guard, knowing there was no immediate threat in the cave. Sitting down, he winced, the pain reminding him of the battles he had fought.

Closing his eyes, he focused his thoughts on his training with Vista, recalling every detail about creating a resonance with the etherium. It had been a pivotal moment in his journey, unlocking a new level of perception.

After a few minutes of concentration, he began to sense the etherium particles around him. In the outside world, he could only feel their presence, but now, in the Trial, he had a deeper connection. He could almost visualize the intricate web of etherium intertwining with the fabric of reality.

As Tom focused on the particles of etherium around him, he tried to absorb them. Since he couldn't manipulate the etherium as he wished, he resorted to inhaling the particles, consciously drawing them into his body. While every living being naturally absorbed etherium just by breathing, Tom aimed to establish a conscious connection.

His goal was to resonate with the etherium, to synchronize his body and mind with its frequencies. Inhale and exhale, he repeated the process, trying to understand how the particles interacted with his body and how he could resonate with them. Tom persisted, hours passing while he remained in his starting position. Eventually, his efforts bore fruit as he felt a peculiar connection with the etherium. It was a sensation he couldn't explain, yet he sensed it vividly—he had become closer to the etherium.

Without delay, Tom began absorbing the etherium. However, unlike those without resonance, he attempted to guide the etherium's flow. As Vista had taught him during their training, he couldn't directly control the etherium; he could only guide it. And for that, the etherium had to be within his body.

He inhaled the etherium again, but this time, rather than allowing it to disperse throughout his entire body, he attempted to direct it towards his head. In most cases, the first seal was located in the head. Each individual's seals had specific locations, and for many, the first seal was positioned there.

Tom guided the etherium into his head, and as the etherium reached his head, he felt a refreshing sensation. However, it didn't last long as the etherium seemed to get stuck at a certain point and couldn't pass through. This location was a specific part of his brain where the first seal was hidden. Only with the etherium's help could one notice its presence.

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To unlock the first seal, all he needed to do was wrap the etherium around it, and the etherium would take care of the rest. Following his instincts, Tom guided the etherium to coil around the seal. It seemed as if the etherium devoured the seal, and as the minutes passed, Tom felt the seal's presence vanishing, overtaken by the invading etherium.

This went on for several minutes, and all was going well until suddenly, Tom felt an immense pain in his head. He was aware that pain was expected when unlocking a seal, but he hadn't anticipated it to be so excruciating.

Vista had mentioned that it would hurt, but he hadn't given it much importance. Now Tom was certain that this was the worst pain he had ever experienced.

The pain spread from his head to every fiber of his being, he could feel the pain slowly descending to his toes. It felt like the pain was engulfing him completely, and with each passing moment, his groans grew louder and more guttural as he was unable to contain the overwhelming agony.

"AAAAAHHHHHH..."

In the back of his mind, he knew he shouldn't scream so loudly and risk alerting the forest's inhabitants to his position, but he couldn't help it. The pain was simply unimaginable, so excruciating that Tom began to lose consciousness. "N-no, I-I mustn't... pass out," he struggled to think amid the agony.

In a corner of his mind, he knew that passing out during the unlocking of the first seal wouldn't be fatal. Many people had fainted during this process but woke up with their first seal unlocked, and they were completely fine.

However, something inside him urged him not to lose consciousness, to persevere despite the pain, as if he would regret it for the rest of his life if he passed out now. So, despite the unbearable pain, Tom fought to stay awake.

After what felt like hours—or an eternity depending on Tom's perception—a blindingly bright white light radiated from him. The intensity of the light was so powerful that it escaped the confines of the cave, illuminating the nearby parts of the forest. Then, the light gradually dimmed, and with it, Tom felt the pain subsiding.

The light eventually condensed, barely visible just a few centimeters from his body. As the pain decreased, Tom regained some awareness of what was happening inside his head. He sensed that the etherium had almost finished unlocking the seal.

Upon hearing this news, Tom felt both relieved and frightened. He was relieved because his ordeal was coming to an end, but he was frightened because normally, when the seal was finally unlocked, there would be a release of all the impurities contained within the body. Usually, this phenomenon caused a minor explosion around the individual, which wasn't too severe.

However, Tom was afraid because the unlocking of his first seal seemed completely different from others. He feared that the explosion, which might be insignificant for others, could be enormous in his case. Worse yet, this explosion could potentially cause the cave to collapse.

Unfortunately, Tom's fear proved correct. Once the intense white light that his body had produced retreated inside him and vanished externally, a tremendous explosion erupted from his body.

The pain this time was several times worse than anything before; it was as if his body was being torn apart. The explosion was so powerful that it resounded throughout the forest, alarming its inhabitants.

Luckily, it didn't possess enough force to destroy the cave entirely, but the impact left fissures all along its walls, and a ten-meter-wide crater formed around Tom's body. The pungent smell of impurities released during the process filled the air, further adding to the unsettling atmosphere.

Lying face down, Tom could barely catch his breath. He had managed to stay awake throughout the unlocking of the first seal despite the excruciating pain. But now that the process was over, he closed his eyes, seeking rest after the terrible ordeal he had just endured.

***

Several hours later, Tom woke up, expecting his body to feel weakened as it typically did after unlocking the first seal. However, to his surprise, he felt energized, brimming with vitality. His situation seemed to be vastly different from others who had unlocked their first seal.

Though he sensed significant changes in his body and mind, Tom decided not to dwell on them for the moment. 'I'll investigate these changes later. Right now, I need to focus on the situation with my first seal,' he thought.

He concentrated, attempting to discover the nature of his newfound power. However, what he learned shocked him to the core. His voice escaped him involuntarily,

"What the hell?"