"...You are trolling me right? Why wear a blindfold?"

"It is a form of training."

"You are a fucking cartoon character!" Marcel couldn't help but comment this. Anon simply smiled in response. He then asked about the aerialists.

Marcel gave him a 'knowing' look and told him about snake. This girl had been playing with the trapeze and doing poses in the air since she was nine. Her grandfather had her trained by the best professionals at a very young age. She was only 28. But she had been in this art for nearly 19 years.

She was called 'snake' due to her contortion skills. She not only excelled in contortion. She had mastered most of the tricks of an aerialists.

"How long are you guys going to stay in this town?"

Marcel stopped talking about 'snake'. He then frowned and told Anon they would be staying for 3 more months. Anon was quite surprised. He didn't expect them to be around so long.

Marcel pointed at the nets and complicated trapeze set-up.

"This in combination with the mechanisms for the show are a pain in the ass to move. We only hit up around four towns a year. We used to do nearly twelve. But we can't afford the construction fees anymore."

Marcel leaned in and whispered in Anon's ear.

"I personally used to make 40$ an hour. Now I make minimum wage. If this wasn't my calling... I would've quit long ago. Luckily, we are provided a place to live for free!"

Marcel started talking about all the perks and benefits. He had covered dental, medical, and vision! Anon didn't really care for this... but he was polite.

"So... when can I meet 'snake'?"

"Don't let her hear you call her that. She hates that name."

"So you introduced someone to me using a nickname they didn't like. I think I'll start calling you 'MuscleBrain'."

"... That name is a bit fire."

Marcel flexed his muscles and said:

"Even my brain is at the peak!"

"..." Anon was speechless.

An old lady pinched Anon's arms and muttered to herself.

"What a waste."

"Waste?" Anon was confused.

"Your body is imbalanced. If you are truly interested in becoming an aerialists. I suggest you reconsider. Your body is full of imbalances. Your posture is poor and your muscles are weak."

"This..."

The old lady paused and then said:

"This! This isn't right!"

She pinched his biceps and then squated down to the ground and poked his calfs.

"Why is it so contradictory!?"

The old lady pulled out a tablet with a keyboard and started typing away.

"What is her deal?" Anon asked Marcel.

"She used to be a legend decades ago. Her body is too old to perform now. But make no mistake. She knows what she is talking about! She has been doing this for over 40 years and is our on-site chiropractor."

"She has even helped me fix some of my injuries..."

Anon paused for a second. He then walked to the old lady and bowed. He held out his hand.

"I am Axiom. A humble magician. Can you fix these 'imbalances'?"

The old lady seemed to be pulled out of an illusion. She shouted and spit on Anon in excitement.

"I didn't think I would ever see it! You have CIPA, right?"

"CIPA?"

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"Congenital insensitivity to pain. I had theorized years ago..."

"There is a limit to the human body's conscious control. Humans can only use a fraction of the explosive power of their muscles. This is because the brain is trying to protect them."

"CIPA isn't a great thing to have. But in your case, it has given you an incredible gift along with its curse!"

"You have nearly perfect control of your muscles! You seem to be an anomaly. Usually, someone with such weak muscles, this type of physique. They wouldn't react to my test at all. But your muscles seemed to be hyperactive!"

"Your voluntary control of your muscles is quite high!"

"So I have potential?"

"Yes! But you have wasted years... If only I had found you a couple decades ago. I could've made you a living legend. Axiom it was? I am Ayil. It is a pleasure to meet you! I have no doubts that CIPA has shaped your entire personality."

Ayil grabbed Anon's hands and felt his palms. She looked at his fingernails.

"They appear normal. How interesting!"

"I don't actually have CIPA..."

Ayil gasped and looked at Anon from every angle.

She then grabbed Anon and dragged him into her office. There was a mat on the floor.

"You want me to fix these imbalances right?"

"Yes."

"Take off your clothes..."

Anon stripped down to his underwear and Ayil inspected his body.

"Lay down."

Ayil took out some acupuncture needles.

"You are going to feel some tingling. Please relax your body."

Anon did as he was told. Soon he was covered in needles while lying on his back. She took out the needles after a few minutes. She kept touching his wrist and chest.

"Your breathing and heart rate and muscle reactions are abnormal. This type of reaction."

"I have only seen it in skydivers and people who have trauma from near-death experiences. Your body is hiding hidden trauma."

Anon was surprised. He didn't know anything about this.

"I have indeed come close to death before..."

Ayil pulled Anon's head and a popping sound was heard. She then flicked various points on his body.

"I once studied in the dragon country. It was there I learned some traditional dragon medicine. Turn over."

Anon rolled over and Ayil started to massage his back.

She then punched at his spine. Anon felt a sense of danger from his extraordinary sense. He grabbed her hand from behind. His shoulder then popped out of place.

She dislocated his arms.

She clicked near his traps and started to punch across all around his body.

"You-!?"

"Relax. I am unlocking the hidden potential of your body!"

"This style of medicine was only taught to the family members of royalty in the dragon country. I studied it for eight years in my time there."

"The strikes to the spine can cause paralysis and unrecoverable injuries if done wrong. But if the person stimulates it properly. It can temporarily disrupt the blood brain barrier."

"This isn't a good thing. You seem to have sensed my malice from this strike."

"How weird. I dislocated your limbs and hit the proper points along your meridians. You should've entered a state of sleep. Your body is just full of treasures, isn't it?"

Anon laughed. He couldn't move at all. He was completely at the mercy of this person. He tried to move. But he found he was completely paralyzed.

Anon spoke:

"I don't really sleep."

Ayil was confused.

"I see. Emotional instability. You don't react normally."

"In truth. I am not hostile to you. This process is incredibly painful and it is a relief to be put into a state of unconsciousness first. Do you want to continue?"

Ayil was surprised by the abnormal reaction of Anon. He should've passed out. It was like somebody retaining consciousness despite the flow of blood being cut off to their brain. It was an impossibilitiy!

"Sure."

Ayil was surprised at Anon's calmness.

Ayil took out a golden acupuncture needle and pierced the kidney meridian. She then flicked the needle and did something to Anon's neck.

She took out three more needles in an instant. She then spoke:

"The meridians are in pairs. Every single organ is important. But your body is out of balance..."

"It seems that the yang meridians such as your stomach and intestines are inactive. This has thrown off the entire system."

Anon spoke:

"I don't eat food..."

"...What?"

Anon chuckled and then said seriously:

"I am actually thousands of years old..."

"I once destroyed the creation of a collapsed universe. I-"

Ayil rolled her eyes and ignored Anon's 'nonsense'.

"It would seem you have quite the sense of humour!"

Anon was telling the truth! But she didn't believe him at all.

"The stomach and spleen..."

"Hmm..."

Ayil popped Anon's limbs back into place. He was still paralyzed. She held his wrist and counted down:

"3..."

"2..."

"1..."

She pinched his wrist and Anon felt a hot sensation cover his entire body! As he felt this. Ayil arranged his body into the melting heart pose.

"This is a secret technique called 'return to the dragon'. Legends say that it can stimulate Qi in the body and re-balance it."

Anon asked:

"Is Qi real?"

"Ha! Everything has some basis in reality. But it isn't as magical as you might think. I once saw a master leap a couple meters in the air using it. But that was a long time ago. If you want to find such ancient secrets. You should explore dragon country."

The original pleasant stimulation increased in intensity. It felt as if Anon was on fire! He started to gasp. It wasn't exactly the painful feeling that shocked him.

It was like the pin and needles you feel when you try to walk on your leg after it has fallen asleep. It was incredibly uncomfortable!

Anon then felt something abnormal.

HUNGER! But... how?

He leaped up from the ground and realized he was no longer paralyzed. But the hunger was increasing! His body was a perpetual motion machine! Why did he feel hunger!?

"Your willpower is quite high. Normally, someone in this state will feel an impossibly strong hunger and will become overwhelmed with the feeling. They will turn into a fool that only knows to consume."

Ayil took out a orb.

"This is a special pill. It can relieve the hu-"

"Not needed!"

Anon could 'feel' it now clearly! When he awoke after destroying his hourglass. He felt there was some new type of energy being generated not necessarily in his body. But it was connected to it somehow.

Almost within soul where he couldn't observe.

But now he felt a energy circulating throughout his body! The hunger disappeared as if it was an illusion.

"What is this?"

A wave of information appeared in his mind.

"Animaxiom!"

"Anima? A 'soul relic'?"