After their first meeting, Nala had decided that Rifi was at least somewhat trustworthy. But, in truth, he didn't have many options left. Rifi was the first "Natural Body" he had sensed in the months since he arrived in this world. The odds of another walking into Nala's soul range were nearly impossible. And even if there were others, Nala could no longer leave this cave to search for them. His body, broken and steadily deteriorating, kept him tethered to this place.

Once, Nala had been a proud warrior, but his injuries were beyond healing. Even if he had regained his strength, there was still the ever-present danger of the devils who had nearly killed him when he sealed the portal between their worlds. No, Nala knew Rifi was his only option, and while he didn't know what kind of man Rifi truly was, he sensed one thing—Rifi wasn't evil. That, for now, was enough.

What Nala hadn't expected was Rifi's willingness to take on his family name and continue their fight. It reignited something deep within him—a flame long since extinguished. The Felis Silvestris family had been a warrior clan of immense pride in their home world, a cat-beast race known for their battle prowess.

In this world, humans reigned supreme, but soon enough, they would learn that they weren't alone. And the enemy that was coming was no ordinary foe—it was a race of pure evil. Nala almost pitied the humans, for they had no idea what was awaiting them.

The devils had no compassion for anyone, not even their own kind. Nala didn't know much about them beyond their ruthless nature. They weren't natives of his world, either. One day, they had simply appeared and began their reign of terror, isolating and destroying Nala's people family by family. By the time they realized the true extent of the threat, it was too late. Their pride had kept them from uniting until the very end, and even then when they united, it hadn't been enough. But perhaps in this world, there was still hope.

Nala had spent much of his time observing this world from his cave, and it wasn't much different from his own. From what he could pick up from the chatter, he knew that the humans here were divided into city-states, constantly at war with each other. Uniting them would be nearly impossible. That was something Nala would have to entrust to Rifi. What Nala could do, however, was impart his knowledge of energy—what humans called mana—and shape Rifi into a warrior strong enough to resist the devils.

It had taken Nala nearly a week to regain consciousness after exerting himself to save Rifi and bring him to the cave. In that time, Rifi's body had almost fully healed. His legs and the wound above his abdomen still needed more time, but the rest of him had returned to peak condition. If Rifi had access to a good healer from his city-state, his legs might have healed by now as well, but with Nala's time running out, Rifi couldn't afford to leave his side.

Nala wasted no time once he recovered. He began training Rifi immediately. Though, "training" wasn't the right word—it was more like teaching. Nala imparted his vast knowledge of mana to Rifi, guiding him occasionally in his physical combat skills. What Rifi received wasn't just the knowledge of a battlemage; it was the wisdom of a warrior who had once reached the highest ranks of cultivation—something only a handful of mages ever achieved.

Nala had been a mage who formed a soul space, something Rifi had never even heard of before. According to Nala, only White core mages typically achieved this, though a few talented Yellow cores could awaken a limited version of it. Nala's soul space extended over a two-kilometer radius, and it was this ability that had allowed him to escape his world and close the portal to Rifi's world. Though Rifi was still in the early stages of his cultivation journey, Nala insisted on teaching him about soul space while he still had time.

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"Most mages never even dream of reaching soul space," Nala explained one evening, his voice steady but tinged with urgency. "But it's essential if you want to stand a chance against the devils. You need to reach it—not just you, but as many mages as possible."

The knowledge burned itself into Rifi's mind. Nala had said it with such conviction that it left no room for doubt.

Controlling mana within the soul space was something beyond anything Rifi could currently imagine. Mages with a soul space could manipulate external mana, feel everything within their space, and become almost one with the world inside their soul space. It was how Nala had sensed Rifi in the first place, guiding him to the cave. And if Rifi wanted to fight the devils, mastering this ability was crucial.

After that lesson, Nala's strength began to wane again. But before he drifted into another recovery slumber, he taught Rifi the basics of body tempering—the same method his race had used.

"You need to expand your mana pathways," Nala instructed, his voice growing weary but determined. "You can feel your pathways already, yes? Every mage uses them to channel mana from their core to their body. But to gain true control, you need to build more pathways. Thousands, if not millions, of them."

Rifi frowned, trying to grasp the concept. "I understand, but how do I expand these pathways?"

Nala sighed, shaking his head slightly. "You humans can be so dense," he muttered, though his tone was more amused than annoyed. "Fill your existing pathways with mana. Then, in the area you want to expand, control the mana and force it to 'dig' new paths. Got it now?"

Rifi scratched his head. "I think so. No need to call me silly, though."

Nala chuckled, his whiskers twitching. "A silly genius, then. Happy?"

"A little," Rifi replied with a grin. "But I'll be a lot happier once you're asleep, so I can get some peace and quiet."

Nala let out a low laugh. "That's the spirit. Form as many pathways as you can. Connect them to every muscle fiber, every organ. Be diligent. I look forward to seeing your progress."

"Thank you, Nala," Rifi said sincerely. "I'll do my best."

With that, Nala settled back into the pond and drifted off into a deep sleep, leaving Rifi alone to continue his training.

Rifi wasted no time. He focused his mind, pushing his mana through his pathways, forcing it to dig new channels throughout his body. Near the mana vein, he could spend nearly all day cultivating without exhaustion. Only when his mind grew too fatigued did he stop to rest.

As he worked, a realization hit him. Wait… wasn't I already doing something similar with my lightning mana?

It was, in many ways, the same process. Except lightning mana was far more dangerous and offered no defensive properties. But this technique of expanding his mana pathways could be used to help channel his lightning mana more effectively. If he created more pathways, he could distribute the lightning throughout his body, targeting specific muscle fibers rather than overloading entire muscles at once. This would drastically reduce the chance of injury and improve the efficiency.

His eyes gleamed with excitement. This could change everything.

The more pathways he built, the better his control over his body would become. He could enhance every muscle, every neuron, making his movements faster, stronger, and more precise. He could even link his organs to these pathways, enhancing their ability to sustain his body during battle. And as his mana density increased, so would his power.

The potential is limitless, Rifi realized, his mind racing with the possibilities.

A sudden thought hit him, and his eyes widened. If I create enough pathways, I could even use both types of mana simultaneously—normal mana for defense and lightning for offense. Or switch between them as needed!

It was almost too much to comprehend. The power he could wield with this technique was staggering. It felt almost overpowered, too good to be true. But it was real, and he was on the brink of discovering it.

Closing his eyes, Rifi pushed forward with renewed determination. New pathways began forming throughout his body, slowly but surely. The pain was intense, each new pathway bringing a sharp, burning sensation, but Rifi welcomed it. The thought of growing stronger, of unlocking his true potential, was more than enough to keep him going.

And as the days passed, he dug deeper into his body, forging pathways that would one day turn him into a force that even the devils would fear.