The silence of the training chamber enveloped me like a meditative shroud. I sat cross-legged, eyes closed, my posture mimicking that of a monk in deep contemplation. Freed paced a slow circle around me, his footsteps muffled against the smooth floor, his voice calm and deliberate as he guided me through the delicate process of core refinement.
"First, center your mind," he instructed, observing my form. "Focus on your surroundings. What do you perceive?"
I reached inward, channeling spiritual energy around my body. It surged outward like sonar, scanning the boundaries of the chamber. My brows knit in concentration. "Nothing yet," I admitted quietly.
"Concentrate further," Freed urged. "Your energy must become sensitive, delicate. Feel how it brushes against the environment. Each collision will tell you something—listen to it."
Following his guidance, I allowed the energy to ripple through the space, like water flowing over rocks. Gradually, the outline of the training room formed in my mind's eye—an ethereal impression rendered in glowing strands of energy. "I think I see it now," I said, awe creeping into my voice.
Freed offered an approving nod. "It's not much different from sensing another's energy," he remarked, clearly pleased by my swift grasp of the technique.
"Feels like I've got x-ray goggles on," I murmured, marveling at the way spiritual energy wove together to map the room around me.
"Now," he continued, "draw that energy back into your core."
At his command, I reversed the flow, vacuuming the dispersed spiritual force into the center of my being. This was the first test—to prove mastery over my energy. Freed watched carefully.
"Excellent. You're progressing faster than I anticipated," he said. "Now, compress your core. Apply pressure until it condenses. From this, you will extract the purified essence—Rein. This process will place you in a deep meditative state that can last weeks, even months. But you," he paused with a faint smile, "you might finish in less than three weeks. I've arranged a leave of absence from school for you. Good luck, Deluke."
His footsteps faded, but I barely registered his departure. My mind had already plunged into the task. I began compressing my spiritual core, forcing the energies together until they clashed and twisted violently. Like a blacksmith hammering molten steel, I pounded my will into the chaos.
Then, from the turmoil, a droplet of pure Rein trickled out, forming a small sphere. It pulsed with energy—my new core, pristine and powerful.
Time became meaningless. I had no idea what was happening outside my mind. With each droplet of Rein, I felt a sublime sense of nourishment coursing through me—my body and soul rejuvenated to a degree I'd never known before.
"So this is Rein," I breathed, opening my eyes.
The moment I did, I collapsed, utterly drained. My limbs felt like lead. My mind throbbed from the sheer intensity of the meditation. Lying flat on the ground, I didn't dare move. Eventually, strength trickled back, enough to push myself upright. That's when I noticed the stench.
"Ugh, that's me?" I grimaced. I'd been sweating and unmoving for… how long?
Scanning the room, I found a handwritten sign planted in the corner: "New clothes and bath before you show your face out – Freed."
"Figures," I muttered, staggering toward the bath. The warm water was a godsend, washing away grime and fatigue. I extended my senses again, inspecting the Rein core within me. It was small—modest, even—but it shimmered with purity.
"With all the spiritual energy I had access to, this is what I produced…" I didn't feel disappointment. Instead, there was a rising thrill in my chest. I had taken the first step. The road ahead would be long, but I had begun it.
"Now," I said with a grin, "I can start learning Secret Arts."
Freshly bathed and dressed, I emerged into the main café, where the others were gathered around a table playing cards. Freed sat across from Shizu, who was glaring suspiciously at him, while Diana seemed to be passionately arguing over a play. Roger, as always, appeared unbothered, focused on his hand of cards.
"Hey, look who's finally back," Freed announced, pointing at me with a grin.
"Deluke!" Diana's cards flew from her hands as she leapt up and rushed to my side. "Are you alright? Are you hungry?" She fussed over me like a mother hen, patting down my arms and shoulders.
"I'm fine, Diana-san. Just hungry," I managed, trying to calm her down.
"Roger, grab something for him!" she barked without hesitation.
"On it," Roger replied smoothly, already heading for the kitchen.
Freed leaned back in his chair, watching me. "Seems your progress was solid," he noted, his gaze briefly flicking to my chest as if to measure the Rein core within me. "The size of your core's decent too."
His eyes danced mischievously as he looked over at Shizu, who huffed and averted her gaze. "Ehn-hm. Good for him," she muttered, drawing out the words in a half-hearted compliment.
"Don't be jealous," Diana said cheerfully. "You did great too."
Shizu's pride flared. "Hehehe, yeah… I guess I'm awesome too," she declared, puffing up.
Roger returned with a sandwich plate, setting it in front of me. "Here you go."
"Thanks," I said, diving in. "How long was I out?"
"Two full weeks," Shizu said with mock horror. "I thought you died in there!"
I nearly choked. Roger handed me a cup of water without even blinking, and I gratefully drank.
"Thanks," I gasped.
"You're welcome," he said, returning to the card game.
"Stop being a jerk, Shizu," Diana said playfully. "It took you one and a half months to create your Rein core."
"Diana!" Shizu shrieked, cheeks burning red.
"Can we please focus?" Freed sighed, holding up his cards. "I'm trying to win here."
"You mean you're trying to cheat," Diana shot back, narrowing her eyes.
"Excuse me?" Freed met her glare with one of his own.
"I'm watching you," Diana said, pointing dramatically at him.
I chuckled, taking in the familiar chaos. The warmth of the moment settled around me like a favorite blanket. I stayed with them until nightfall, laughing and playing until the day came to an end.
The next morning brought a return to routine—morning physical training, school, and then more training. At school, my return was met with cheers and a wave of questions from classmates.
"Where've you been?"
"Are you okay?"
"What happened to you?"
After class, I reunited with Nana and the rest of the Yuzuaras.
"Where were you all this while?" Nana asked, eyes sparkling with curiosity.
"I was in seclusion, creating my Rein core," I answered.
"You mean you just created it now?" Sam blinked, stunned. "I thought you'd already had one. With your power…"
"That's genius for you," Haruwa chimed in.
"Enough about me. How's everyone else doing? Did I miss anything?" I asked.
"Not really," Sam replied. "We haven't had any paranormal classes while you were gone. We've been focused on missions."
"Nana's reached Level 2 and is at EE-Rank. Sam and I hit Level 1 and FFF-Rank," Haruwa added proudly.
"Even Toto leveled up," Nana said with a frown. "He said next time he sees you; he'll be ahead."
"Sounds like I've got some catching up to do," I said, feeling the old fire reigniting in me. "Since there's no class, I might as well go leech spirit hunting—not that it helps with leveling."
"You haven't done any missions yet?" Nana asked.
"No, not really." I scratched my cheek sheepishly, recalling my first chaotic mission.
"We had to do six to level up," Sam added. "The system's a pain."
"Well, I'd better head out before someone snipes the spot I booked," I said, bidding them farewell.
At the hunting grounds, something felt off. The usual dense spiritual presence of leech spirits was absent. I moved cautiously; senses sharp, wary of anything out of place. Thanks to my Rein core, my physical perception was sharper than ever.
Soon, I came across a grisly sight—torn bodies of leech spirits scattered like discarded meat, bite marks covering their remains.
"Don't tell me…" I muttered, tension gripping me.
A cold, foreign energy surged toward me. Instinct screamed. I pivoted, barely dodging the incoming strike, and delivered a hard kick into my attacker's abdomen. It staggered back, dust and dirt clouding the air.
Two glowing eyes—jade green with crimson rims—cut through the haze. The dust cleared to reveal my attacker.
A zombie.
"Life as an awakened," I sighed, settling into my stance, "just keeps getting more stressful."
And with that, it charged.