Mealtime brought a semblance of variety, as each lum featured a different type of meat accompanied by vegetables. Eventually, Brian stopped inquiring about the meat's origin, realizing that he was being served various monsters he had never heard of before.

A couple of days ago, Brian had something called glurfen steak. The meat had a metallic sheen to it that made him feel as if he was about to munch on a silver ingot. It looked so polished you could probably see your own reflection in it. And it had a pungent, spicy aroma that reminded him of Thai curries, but with an alien undertone that made his nostrils flare. He half-expected it to taste like a mouthful of steel, but it wasn’t half bad. It had a gamey chicken taste, if chicken had been raised on a diet of ghost peppers and peppermint gum.

Most recently, prevlum, Elda served generous racks of Fenlith rib. A strange sight, appearing like a blend of sea urchin and pork ribs, spiny and streaked with red and blue. The first bite was... odd. Firm and somewhat rubbery, like well-cooked octopus. Yet, as he chewed, the meat released its own flavorsome juices. Each subsequent bite was an explosion of flavors, not unlike beef marinated in a subtly tangy sauce. Food experiences he never thought he'd have.

Sophia didn’t mind the culinary adventures. She was a foodie.

In the dining area, Brian, Sophia, Kael, and Jax consistently chose the same picnic-style table to share their meals, leaving the other untouched. They honored an unspoken agreement, with Sophia sitting across from Brian, Jax by his side, and Kael next to Sophia. This familiar seating arrangement brought a comforting sense of stability to Brian amid the chaos of his new life.

Everyone was progressing steadily across the board. Sophia, with her alteration affinity, had chosen an ability to teleport. This made her even faster than Kael during fights. The only problem was that she could only teleport five times before she ran out of valtite. However, the good thing was that her teleports were both unpredictable and lethal. It was impossible to win against her.

Jax, who also had an alteration affinity, had finally manifested his valtite and was now able to agitate molecules, heating them up, which meant he could melt things. He was terrifyingly pleased with his power. Brian, on the other hand, was relieved that Jax didn’t possess Kael’s speed.

Speaking of Kael, Brian and Sophia found in him not only a mentor but also a reliable friend. Unlike Jax's unpredictability or Darius's ill-tempered outbursts, Kael was a beacon of balance and patience. Also, his experience in various fighting styles helped Brian approach each duel from a different perspective.

Combat training wasn't going poorly. Although Brian had yet to win a duel, that didn't imply underperformance; his boost in dexterity ensured as much. In fact, half of his sparring sessions ended in a draw. On the other hand, Brian hadn’t made much progress manifesting his valtite.

Brian sat in the dining hall, picking at his lunch and contemplating his inability to manifest his energy; he wondered if humans simply lacked the capacity. It seemed like a plausible explanation. Perhaps human anatomy allowed for the body to be enhanced with valtite, but it didn’t permit its manifestation. That couldn’t be. Brian could sense the energy and even see it with his Oculus Core, and Sophia didn’t seem to have a problem. There had to be another reason for his struggles.

“Are you going to eat your petraviper skin?”

When Brian didn't respond, Jax called out to him again. “Hello!”

Caught off-guard, Brian turned to Jax. “Oh, sorry. Yes, you can have it.”

Jax's face lit up. “Sweet!”

Across from him, Sophia vanished with a soft whoosh and reappeared with a giggle, sitting beside Brian as if she had always been there. "Brian, you've been awfully quiet. What's been bothering you?" Sophia gently touched Brian's arm.

Brian nearly toppled from his chair. “You seem comfortable with your manifestation,” Brian said, still recovering from Sophia’s sudden teleportation.

“Yeah, it feels normal now. It was like learning to swim,” Sophia said.

“Well, I’m the only one who hasn’t been able to manifest their valtite. Maybe I should have switched to a simpler manifestation, but it’s too late now. I’ve already poured too much effort into void.” Brian was overjoyed for his classmates, but the creeping frustration of falling behind and the fear of never manifesting his valtite overshadowed his joy. A whole cycle—more than an Earth month—had passed, and he felt no closer to manifesting his valtite than on the first lum.

Jax, seated next to them, chimed in as he finished his petraviper skin. "Maybe you're just not holding your tongue right when you concentrate. It's all about the tongue placement, you know." Jax's eyes bulged as he moved his tongue back and forth, twisting it in inexplicable ways.

“Thanks, Jax. Your wisdom is truly unparalleled." Brian felt beyond cringing.

"Have you tried any meditation techniques to clear your mind, Brian? Sometimes the blockages we face are more mental than physical," Kael suggested.

Brian rubbed his chin, deep in thought. "I've tried a few, but I tend to over-analyze every little detail, and it's hard to achieve the necessary calmness."

Stolen story; please report.

"That's because you're not approaching it like an intergalactic puzzle, Brian!" Jax slapped Brian on the back cheerfully. "You see, every thought is like a star in the vast cosmos of your mind. Some are big and bright, demanding your attention, others are faint and distant, but they're all part of the constellation that makes you, well, you! So, instead of trying to push them away, why not try organizing them? Create your own mental cosmos, if you will."

Sophia playfully nudged Jax, then turned to Brian. "Don't be silly. You're human like me, so you'll definitely be able to do it."

"What worked for you?” Brian asked.

“I… think… I’ve adapted,” Sophia responded, her voice held a note of uncertainty.

“Oh, also focus on the valtite.” She took out a pair of SpectraSight V-Scanners. “When Darius gave me these goggles, that’s when I was able to understand the valtite. You said that you’ve been able to see it after you broke that… Oculus Core, was it?

Jax's jaw dropped, and he let out a low breath that sounded like half a laugh. “Holy shit Brian, you broke a valtite core, that’s hardcore!”

“Yes, but that was a long time ago. We don’t talk about that anymore.”

“Brian, no one breaks cores, they are super valuable.” Jax's face started twitching; he couldn't believe what he had heard.

“Thanks. Anyways, Sophia I don’t know what to tell you. You’re getting used to all of this better than I ever could.”

With a confident grin, Sophia flexed her bicep. "That is my superpower! I thrive in unfamiliar situations. That’s always been the case,every school, every job."

Brian could see it. Her outgoing nature, coupled with her calm intelligence and undeniable beauty, made it easy for her to feel at ease in any environment.

Kael leaned in, offering his own advice. "I believe that’s what’s holding you back. You're stuck on the idea of physically sensing an energy form that's fundamentally abstract. This could be distracting you from understanding it. Remember, the tingling isn't the energy itself. It's just your mind's way of interpreting it. Try to view the energy differently. Don't see it as a physical feeling. Instead, think of it as a presence or a fundamental part of your being, like your limbs or senses."

"Alright, I'll give it a try.” Brian considered Kael's suggestion for a moment, nodding thoughtfully. “Wait, that... actually makes a lot of sense," Brian said, slowly putting the pieces together. I have been caught up in the physical sensation. And it is a mental problem, it is kind of obvious. That is why the stats for valtite are wisdom and intelligence. “It's like... if I was trying to understand water just by the feeling of wetness. I was missing the substance behind the sensation.”

Kael and Sophia exchanged puzzled looks. No one else seemed to grasp Brian's rationale, but it all made perfect sense to him. He had been so engrossed in the 'how' of the process that he'd completely overlooked the 'what'. From now on, he would stop trying to forcefully seize the energy and instead let it naturally integrate with his being. "Thanks, Kael. I think you've given me a new perspective to work with," he said gratefully.

Everyone started gathering their things from the table as Darius approached the area with a hasteful stride.

“Are you four done yet? Hurry up, we need to finish the course. Missions are piling up and HQ is giving me a hard time. So we only have three more lums and then you gotta get out there.” Darius snarled.

“Three lums? I thought the program was supposed to last two cycles.” Brian said, turning his gaze towards Darius.

Commander Darius Keldorn stood over Brian. "Valtwood, It's time to face the facts. You may have the Dominion Affinity, but not everyone is capable of manifesting their valtite energy. Perhaps it's best to give up on becoming a Decimator."

Brian's jaw tightened. "I understand your concern, Commander, but I'll get it today… I mean LUMARY!"

Darius cracked his knuckles. "Very well. Lumary is your last lum. If you can’t do it, you have to leave, you are holding back the class, and my patience."

The group moved quickly to the gym area to continue training. Brian was ready. This is it, I’ve got this.

As he did some light stretching and prepared to put the theory into practice, he tried to recall everything he had read about his chosen affinity.

The books had explained thoroughly how constitution was the most important stat by far for masters of Dominion-based valtite manifestation. Constitution didn't just increase his vitality, giving him more health points, it also made his actual body more resilient. The books described it like having a sort of inner armor, effectively reducing any damage he might take. And as for the stat’s third benefit, higher constitution decreased the amount of valtite that was consumed whenever he used his manifestations. Or in video game terms, it reduced the mana cost of casting spells.

He understood why constitution reigned supreme for Dominion Affinities. Because Dominion was all about manipulating various powerful energies and forces, and only someone with high constitution could hope to withstand and control those volatile forces properly. He vividly remembered the warnings about how void energy in particular could easily seriously harm or kill its user if handled carelessly or without sufficient constitution.

Brian positioned himself before the radiant valtite fragment, extending both hands toward it. He put Kael's advice into practice, centering his attention on the energy pulsing through his veins. All of his concentration was set on tracing the path of energy all the way down to his fingertips. Beads of sweat were already forming on his forehead from the exertion as he decided to try giving his Oculus Core ability a go.

His Valtite Vision had two distinct modes he could switch between, and it had become almost instinctual to toggle between them now. There was the active mode that let him focus very narrowly on interpreting the intricate flow of valtite energy happening around him. And then there was the passive mode that just gave him a general awareness of his surroundings and let him know about any valtite energy spikes or other important occurrences nearby.

However, he had quickly realized that constantly staying in the active mode of his Valtite Vision proved extremely difficult to sustain. As he kept the ability active for longer periods, he could feel his own personal valtite reserves seeping out of his body at a rapid rate. Brian honestly couldn't explain exactly why, he just understood from experience now that overusing this Oculus Core ability drained his valtite dangerously fast and led swiftly to complete exhaustion. So he trained himself to balance its usage.

A sol went by and Brian made no progress. He stood alone, drained of valtite, with the fragment staring ominously at him.