*NARRATOR’S POV*
After the incident, was over, from the shadows present in the waiting room of the testing grounds, a figure emerged, it slowly formed itself until finally adopting the form of a child.
“Boss, Boss! I just saw something amazing!”-Drone, a boy part of the Chameleon Troupe, suddenly shouted at the air, as if talking to someone. “Guns! It’s a gift related to guns! Not only anti-magic pow-”-He said, before being interrupted by a voice that seemed to appear from nowhere.
[For now, return. I’ll listen to you later.]-It was Boss, who sent him here to watch over Kim Hajin, cutting him in the middle of his rant.
“…Okay”-Said the dejected boy, before texting someone through his smartwatch. Moments later, he then again disappeared into the shadows.
***
*KIM HAJIN’S POV*
After the incident, we all went towards the dorms.
It seems the results for this exam would be canceled, while the results from the duels were going to be kept. Cube, on the other hand, received a huge backlash. After all, a Serpent Dragon, a mythical rank monster suddenly appeared on the sea next to Cube, and even one cadet, Lee Wei, was critically injured during the exam because of some monsters.
Still, they could hide the fact that the attack was planned by Djinns, so the backlash didn’t go that far.
Still, the exam will have to be done again later. Apart from that, the other combat exam that was planned for tomorrow, and the Group Rescue Mission that was supposed to happen on Friday, were both canceled. As if this wasn’t too much, classes would be suspended for the next two weeks, until Thursday, giving cadets a nice two weeks holidays.
The forum of Cube was full of people asking for advice on places to visit, while some other cadets were going back to their homes outside of Korea.
Me, not having where to go back to, decided to stay in my dorm room, and use these weeks to train and go hunting with Mr. Park Soohyuk, need to accumulate as much money as possible to invest as much as I can while the stocks are still low on price.
With that said, I’m right now feeding Evandel’s seed, thankfully I took the gauzes drenched in blood that Cristopher used to clean Rachel’s wounds, so now I have a few sources of blood that I can use to feed the little seed.
“That’s it, eat to your heart’s content~”-I said to the little seed covered in a bloody gauze, which honestly, is kind of a weird sight, seeing how the gauze slowly turns white again. “Oh, right… What would happen if I feed Evandel with Cristopher’s blood…? He did say that he’s not normal, probably his blood would be a better choice to feed her…”
*ring~ ring~*
While I was pondering on that sudden idea, a message came to my smartwatch.
[Yoo Yeonha: Hi, I wanted to ask if you were right? I heard what happened today in the combat exam… It was crazy.]
“Mm? What does she want now?”
[Kim Hajin: Yes, I’m ok. Nothing that couldn’t be taken care of.]
[Yoo Yeonha: Yes, I thought so. You wouldn’t be in danger with just a few summoned monsters]
“What’s she saying now?”
[Kim Hajin: So, what do you want? You’re not someone to write me out of the blue.]
[Yoo Yeonha: Well… I’ve just been thinking, and it just doesn’t make sense. Who’s Cristopher?]
[Kim Hajin: What do you mean?]
[Yoo Yeonha: Come on. Winning against Shin Jonghak? In that way? It was almost like looking at some adult man playing games with a kid… Though… I must say, he’s nuts… With that maniacal laugh of his and those eyes that still give me the chills whenever I remember them…]
[Kim Hajin: Well, wouldn’t it be better to ask him?]
[Yoo Yeonha: …]
[Yoo Yeonha: I can’t… He and I don’t have the best relationship.]
[Kim Hajin: And you and I do have it?]
[Yoo Yeonha: …]
“Well… I won’t corner her too much… I’m also a little bit tired from today.”
[Kim Hajin: Look… He… He’s just nuts… Don’t try to understand him. There’s no way to do it. He’s an asshole for the sake of being one. Still, as a friend, he does care. Just… I would advise anyone to step out of his way and don’t pick fights with him.]
[Yoo Yeonha: He’s the one that’s always picking fights with his attitude.]
[Kim Hajin: … I can’t say anything against that… As I say, he’s sometimes an asshole just for the sake of being one… But… Words aren’t a problem, at much, he’ll just retort back with really foul language. Just don’t overstep it and don’t try to fight him. You already saw what happened… And as you said… He was just playing… At least from what I understand of him…]
[Yoo Yeonha: Just who… What is he?]
[Kim Hajin: That. You should ask him yourself. I don’t want to get in trouble with him. I’m leaving.]
I answered before taking out my smartwatch, I didn’t want to keep talking to her and give more crazy ideas or send her towards him more than what I already did. She answered after that, but I just ignored her.
{*sigh…* But… Really… That’s a good question… What is him…? He said he had power even before coming here, and that he was limited… But… Just what kind of power did he had before… And what did he go through to acquire it…?}-I thought before turning to look at Evandel’s seed that was still drinking the blood from a gauze.
“Maybe I should try and ask him for a little bit of blood… After all, having a powerful witch as an ally would help us in the future…”-I murmured while thinking about the future. “Mm? Did you eat already?”-I stood up and went towards the table where the seed was. The gauze was completely white again, with no more marks of blood.
“It’s kind of bizarre… Imagining a seed drinking blood until leaving a drenched gauze totally dry and white again.”
“UGH!!”-Just as I was looking at the seed, a sudden crippling pain invaded my upper left arm. “This… again…”-Raising my sleeve, I could see that another streak of stigma was being engraved in my skin, with blood coming out of my arm.
“Come one… Be calm… ugh… You’ve already gone through this once… It’s… just… a little bit of pain… UGH! It will give you more magic… power… ARGH!”-Whit that last scream of pain I went down to the floor while clenching my teeth, now it was impossible for me to keep talking or even scream, as little by little my consciousness faded away.
***
*CRISTOPHER’S POV*
“*sigh…* Finally back to my room!”-I said while dropping myself on the couch. “And I’ll have two weeks free of classes… Mm… I guess I’ll go hunting with Hajin and Park Soohyuk… I’ll also train by myself in the mornings, and Cube's training center would surely be still open… I would check it out tomorrow.”
*Vrr… Vrr…*
“Mm?”-I looked at my vibrating smartwatch.
[Rachel: Cristopher-ssi. I’m going back to England tomorrow. We’ll have to postpone the training…]
Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions.
“Oh, right… She’s supposed to go back home after this incident, after all, the target this time was her… Oh well…”
[Cristopher: Sure, no problem. I’m still keeping my word that I’ll train you for one month. Don’t worry about that.]
[Rachel: … I was thinking if it wasn’t possible for us to train today. (´･ω･`)?]
[Cristopher: No. You’re hurt. And even if your injury is slowly healing, you still have to let it heal completely.]
[Rachel: Ok… (┬┬﹏┬┬)]
“Hahaha… So funny… How can she be so different in person and texting? Oh well… Guess it’s not easy being a true royalty.”
[Cristopher: Don’t worry. Still… Try to train by yourself while you’re home, tomorrow I’ll teach you a method early before we have to go answer the questions for the investigation, what do you say?]
[Rachel: q(≧▽≦q) Yess!!! (≧∇≦)ﾉ]
“Pffft!!! Hahahahaha… Ow, man… Poor girl… *chuckle*”
[Cristopher: Well, see you at 10:00 AM, it’s okay with you?]
[Rachel: Yes! (≧ w≦ )7]
“Well, guess that’s it. Tomorrow I’ll teach her the method so she can start training with external Natural Energy while she’s not with me. While the efficiency won’t be even close to training with me, it’ll at least help her advance.”
*Vrr… Vrr…*
“I sure am popular today…”-I say while looking at the smartwatch again.
[Olivia: Hey, what are you doing during these two weeks?]
[Cristopher: Probably training and hunting for money, why?]
[Olivia: Let’s go to some other dungeons!]
[Cristopher: Do you think I know where every dungeon is in the world? Also, I was thinking more about training your ability than going to dungeons.]
[Olivia: Come on! I can train while inside a dungeon. And I’m pretty sure you do know some more dungeons, or at least can get some info on them.]
[Cristopher: Mm… Let’s go this Saturday, I have one in mind. You did say you wanted to go to South America, right?]
[Olivia: Wow!!! For real!? Nice!]
[Cristopher: Yeah, yeah, but be ready, it won’t be easy.]
[Olivia: Sure, sure! Let’s talk tomorrow about it then!]
[Cristopher: Nope, sorry. I’m going to hunt monsters tomorrow and Friday. Also, Sunday I’m going to the orphanage. Want to come? I’ll train the kids there. You could join them.]
[Olivia: Sure, no problem. See you on Saturday then.]
[Cristopher: Sure, 10:00 AM.]
[Olivia: Okay!]
“She already toned down her attitude. Oh, well, maybe I’ll pick a fight with her later. She’s fun to mess with.”-I said, before laying down to rest on my bed, ready to sleep. “Oh, right! I forgot.”-I said before once again turning on my smartwatch.
[1. ???
…
16. Duke Zepar/???/???/Enemy
...
32. King Asmodeus/???/???/???
…
44. ???
45. King Viné/???/???/???
46. ???
…
78. Lilith/???/???/???
79. ???
80. ???]
“King Viné, huh… Oh well… That’s a weird one. I hoped for the Djinn to be from some Devil I already had in my Devildex.”-I said before taking out my smartwatch and putting it over the night table beside the bed. And then going to sleep.
***
The next morning, I meet with Rachel in the forest close to our dorms. It was already like our usual spot to talk.
“So… Cristopher-ssi… What’s that method you’re going to teach me?”-She asked while looking at me. I swear I could see a few stars inside her eyes, probably excited to learn something to get stronger.
“Actually, it’s pretty easy, but hard at the same time.”-I said to her while sitting down cross-legged. “First, sit like this, cross-legged.”
She didn’t wait even for a second before sitting down.
“Now, I usually do it like this, but I’ve seen a lot of people with their own method of meditation, it all depends on the person. What’s important, is that you should be able to focus all your senses, except your sight, at their maximum capacity. Especially, magic sense.”
“Magic… sense?”
“Yeah. You’re able to feel your mana, right?”
“Yes…?”
“Well, it’s just a name for that sensation. It is what lets you feel your mana, and move it as another muscle of your body.”
“Oh… Okay…”-She nodded.
“Now. Once you’re in your meditative position. You close your eyes. And focus every sense in your mana. Feeling it flowing through your magic circuit.”
“…”-She didn’t answer, she just followed my voice.
“You have to perfectly grasp its movement, don’t alter its path, don’t try to move it yet, let flow inside of you.”-I kept talking. “Stop.”-I said after a little while.
“Mm? Why?”-She asks.
“Now. Did you feel your mana? Did you feel it go through your magic circuit?”
“Mm… I think… Yes… I think I did it.”-She answered after pondering for a bit.
“Great. Later you’ll have to train it, but for now, let’s keep with the method.”
“It wasn’t this?”
“Of course not. It’s not that simple. This was the pre-work. You first need to understand your mana, how it flows inside you, and have a firm grasp on it. Recognize it perfectly.”-I start. “With that said. Now we go to the actual training.”
“…Ok.”
“You remember the first time you asked me about that ‘weird sensation’ that surrounded you since the first time we started training, right?”
“Yes, why?”
“How’s the feeling now?”
“Well… It’s still there, but… Now I can just ignore-”-She stopped. “No… It’s not ignoring… It’s like I’m already adapted to it, and my senses are no bothered by it anymore…”
“That’s good. So. Now, you’ll have to be bothered by it.”
“Mm? Why?”-She asks while tilting her head with a cute expression of confusion.
“That ‘weird sensation’ you felt, was actually the environmental Natural Energy, I’m not sure if I told you that already, but well, that energy is everywhere. That’s why you feel surrounded, some people even feel suffocated the first time, depending on the amount of it.”
“Oh…”
“Now. The method itself is easy to explain, but hard to do.”-I said while lifting my right index finger. “You need to extend your mana out of your body and make it enter in contact with that energy surrounding you. That’s why you have to get a firm grasp on your mana, so you can differentiate between both energies.”
“…”-She opens her eyes wide. “But… How do I do that?”
“Well, thankfully for you, your mana already knows Natural Energy, thanks to me injecting it directly inside of you during our previous training sessions. So it will almost automatically do its job. What you have to do, is grab a bit of that surrounding Natural Energy, make it go inside your magic circuit, let it flow alongside your own mana without forcing it, and then let it out through your mouth.”
“You mean… Like when we train?”
“Exactly. Just that this time, I won’t be there to inject the Natural Energy. It’ll depend completely in your magic control and your own breathing.”-I said. “Extend your magic power out of your body, grab a bit of said energy, and take a deep breath to help you guide it inside you, then, let your mana flow as it usually does, and when the cycle is done, exhale, letting the Natural Energy go out of you.”
“…”-She looks down at the ground while pondering. “Will it be difficult?”
“Initially, yes. It will, normally you just need to breathe as I tell you, now, you’ll have to actually catch the Natural Energy surrounding it, and breathe it yourself. That’s a breathing method to train said energy.”
“Mhm.”-She nodded.
“Now. This is important. Don’t let that energy keep more than one cycle inside you.”
“But… Didn’t you used two cycles last time?”
“Yes. I did. But I’m not going to be there this time. So, we better be safe than sorry. There’s no hurry. You can take your time. Either way, the amount of Natural Energy you’ll probably be able to grab with your mana won’t be enough to do two cycles.”-I said while looking at her sternly. “Now. Understood?”
“Yes.”-She said.
“Well, I would recommend first meditating to feel your own mana for a day or two, then another day or two to learn how to grasp the environmental Natural Energy with your mana, and then start the breathing training.”-I said while stretching. “You shouldn’t have too much problem learning to grab the Natural Energy with your mana, thanks to it already adapting a fair bit to it. Also, try to not force yourself too much. Start with a few cycles, then go increasing it. Remember that this time you’ll be alone. Okay?”
“Yes… Thanks.”
“No problem. You paid for the training.”
“But… I… I just feel that it wasn’t enough…”-She said while looking away.
“Well, you can always pay me more if you feel like that.”-I said while shrugging.
Rachel turned to me with wide eyes.
“… Don’t tell me it didn’t come to your mind…”
“…”-She averted her eyes. “It’s just… That with everything that has happened… I haven’t had too much time to think…”
“Oh well, don’t worry… I would also be worried if someone tried to hunt me.”
“Wh-what?”-She looked at me with her eyes even more opened. “How… Do you…-”
“It was pretty obvious, you know? I mean… That attack wasn’t something out of the blue. It was perfectly calculated. Someone actually took the time to alter some Serpent Dragon to make a ruckus inside Cube, while also putting Djinns among the instructors so they could manipulate the exam… That’s too much of a hassle, and they actually waited until you got in there. And among the four, you were the only one actually attacked by a Djinn, we just received some summoned monsters.”
“…”-She looked down with a sad face. “I’m… Sorry…”
“For what?”-I ask, standing up. “You didn’t do anything wrong.”-I said while walking towards her. “So, don’t worry. I’m not mad at you. If anything, you made me a favor.”-I said while smiling and offering her my hand to stand up.
“…”-She looked at me with a slightly open mouth, before grabbing my hand and pulling herself up. “A favor…?”
“Yeah, you see. I have a few things going on against Djinns. So, let’s say that the more I kill them, the better I feel.”-I said to her.
“…”-She just looked at me, as if not understanding.
“Don’t worry too much. It’s not really your fault or anything if some psycho tried to kill you. So, I’m not accusing you of anything, understood? Well, let’s go. We have an interview for the ongoing investigation.”-I said while walking towards the exit of the forest.
“Thanks…”-I heard a faint murmur behind me before Rachel started following me.