Resonance [1]

The doctor in the infirmary was diagnosing Nathan.

Leon was very worried. He couldn't understand why Nathan's condition suddenly worsened.

Nathan had been healthy for the past weeks. Leon and Lilith had made sure of it by stalki-cough cough.

Anyway, they thought it must be related to when Nathan left the campus all alone.

Back then, Nathan had suddenly slipped from under their radar.

"Don't worry Dr. Spindrift is one of the best healers in the world. It was him who diagnosed Nathan before."

Leon only grimly nodded his head at Lilith's explanation. Cutting them in between Susan spoke to Dr. Spindrift.

"What is happening to him?"

Completing the diagnosis Dr. Spindrift sat and wiped his sweaty forehead.

"The Nether in his body is being removed. After his breakthrough, the density and purity of his Aura core tremendously increased. The increase was much higher than what is normally seen. After the tremendous increase in purity, his Aura is now trying to eliminate Nether from his body."

Leon and Lilith's faces shined while Susan's darkened.

From Susan's point of view, if it was this easy to heal Nathan, then he should have already been healed.

Sighing, Dr. Spindrift removed his glasses and covered his face.

"This wasn't supposed to happen."

"Can you explain?"

Dr. Spindrift looked at the speaker and squinted. Was Rank 1 associated with this cadet?

"Although it isn't on Enma-rank level, this kind of increase isn't supposed to happen in Iota-rank. Now his body is a battlefield for Nether and Aura. His life isn't in danger, but if he breakthroughs again…"

The danger to Nathan's life had already been known.

But because of Nathan's low potential, he could have never reached anything higher than peak Iota rank or, if he used high-grade herbs and elixirs, low Enma rank.

As such, Nathan's life wasn't supposed to be in danger.

Dr. Spindrift wasn't wrong in his original diagnosis. What he didn't know was that Nathan had an Ether core, not an Aura core.

Ether was an amalgamation of Aura, Mana, Demonic Energy, and many more types of energy. When Nathan ranked up, the increase in density and purity of his core was much higher than the norm.

"Does this mean nothing harmful will happen to him now?"

Dr. Spindrift looked back at Nathan's arm, at Susan's question.

"It depends if Aura or Nether wins."

Susan turned away and sat in the corner of the room. With her eyes closed, it looked as if she was in deep contemplation.

Minutes passed. In the infirmary, only the beeping of medical devices and tapping of Susan's feet echoed.

Suddenly Susan's eyes snapped open.

"I can help Nathan, but all of you need to leave the infirmary."

"Protocols doesn't allo-"

"How confident are you?"

Lilith, cutting Dr. Spindrift in between, asked.

"It depends on how long you take to leave the infirmary."

Lilith stared into Susan's eyes.

Susan's eyes held confidence second to none. Susan held no doubt in her ability.

Lilith faced Dr. Spindrift.

"Please listen to her. I'll talk to dad about this."

Dr. Spindrift frowned but ultimately agreed.

He didn't give up because of Lilith's dad's higher authority, but because he wanted to see what Susan Warner, the daughter of War Maiden, could do.

-Clank!

"Leon, stay here."

All three were about to leave when Susan stopped Leon.

Nodding at Lilith, Leon stayed back.

"What do you think makes someone Irregular?"

Susan lifted Nathan's hand and closed her eyes while talking to Leon.

Leon frowned. Why was she asking a weird question at such a time? There is time and place for everything.

But he answered nonetheless.

"Irregulars are people who can display abilities stronger than their rank. Being Irregular only depends on your Stigma."

Even if you have Grade-1 Art or Legendary-Grade Skills, the strength you can display will still fall under the same rank.

Only a stigma, bizarre abilities that defied common sense, can make someone Irregular.

"Are you sure that is the only way? At least you should be aware of the second method."

VROOOM-

The air inside the infirmary started moving at high speeds. Leon had to cover his eyes to protect them.

Leon squinted and peeked at Susan's action while protecting his eyes from the strong winds.

"H-how?!"

Leon's eyes shook and shock engulfed hus entire being.

A magic circle appeared on the ground with Susan at the center!

Creating magic circles was only possible with Mana. Not even stigmas can change this law.

Then how can Susan, an Aura user, create a magic circle?

"Physique. It is another way to become an Irregular and you. You have both methods. Am I correct?"

Leon's mind was plunged into chaos.

Why does she know? How does she know? Does she know about Physiques? Will she tell me if I asked? Is she an ally or an enemy? What does she want?

"You must have a lot of questions, but I only told you about this for one reason."

Susan stared at Leon from the corner of her eyes.

"Having a physique is rare and dangerous. Don't let the Goliath unit know about it. No, not just them. Don't let even your closest friends or family know about it if ....if you don't want to be caged."

Susan muttered the last part of her sentence in a barely audible whisper.

VROOOM-

The air inside the air churned faster, and the magic circle brightened.

Leon had to close his eyes because of the extreme brightness. That is why he didn't see it.

On Susan's back, suddenly another magic circle appeared.

After the appearance of the circle, Susan's output suddenly started diminishing. She began losing control over her magic circle, and her hands started quivering.

The magic circle on the ground started flickering.

Like a candle being burned on a stormy night, it was about to lose its brilliance at any second.

Meow~

Moments after a familiar cry rang out, the magic circle on the ground started brightening again.

Susan was still being restricted by the magic circle on her back. But this time someone else was aiding her to control the mana in the air.

'I wasn't wrong about him.'

Susan secretly smiled while looking at the cat sitting above Nathan's bed. The cat never moved its eyes and kept staring at him.

***

"I'm utterly…"

(…fucked)

I was sitting inside my soul while holding my head with both hands. Eth wasn't any better.

We were watching what was happening outside.

Eth could see what was transpiring outside, even while I was unconscious. And he was sharing his memory so I could watch live how badly the timeline of the story was fucked over.

"Why is showing her Physique out in the open!?"

(And why to Leon!)

"And why is she helping me?!"

(I don't even know her!)

Susan wasn't doing anything to the Nether inside my body. She should be suppressing my Ether core so that it doesn't fight against Nether.

It was one of Susan's Physique abilities.

Susan was supposed to reveal her Physique to Leon in 2nd year. She did that because she wanted Leon to help her break her cage.

As if what was happening because I ranked up wasn't bad, this was happening!

It was already bad that if I ranked up, I would die. The reason?

Unlike Ether, which would increase in quality Nether would remain the same. Ether after getting stronger will try to eliminate Nether.

Mind you, eliminating Nether is a natural order. Every energy will do the same.

"And when did Leon meet the Goliath Unit?!"

(When you were unconscious!)

"Yes, they met Leon when I was uncon-"

I snapped my head in Eth's direction.

"You know about this?"

For every step I took, Eth stepped back once.

(Look, doesn't it seem like it will rain today?)

"What rain? We are inside my soul."

I grabbed Eth's shoulders over his clothes.

"Looks like we have much to talk about."

(W-wait I have my reason!)

"Oh? I would very much like to hear, Sir. Eth's reason."

(I forgot. Te-he~)

My face contorted.

Seeing a 16-year-old boy doing a cute girly reaction was disgusting. More so when both of us looked the same.

(Your grip! Your grip! It hurts!)

I sighed and released Eth.

I didn't release him because I might dislocate his shoulders. Was that even possible with souls?

I didn't argue any further because he wasn't lying.

Thinking more, it wasn't Eth's fault. He couldn't remember majority of the things about his past 10 years.

Mentally, he wasn't even 7 years old.

The only reason he was able to behave naturally was because he had seen and learned from my memories.

"Leon and Goliath Unit meeting is…Fuck! Is it good or bad?!"

This never happened in the novel.

Goliath Unit is a special unit of Aegis and their secret weapon.

All of their members are pseudo-Irregular. This was because they use Prana, the life energy.

Unlike Aura, that only worked inside one's body, or Mana, that only worked outside one's body, Prana worked on one's soul.

As a result, although none of the Goliath Unit members are physically strong or use magic, their stigmas are strong.

Strengthening a soul will strengthen one's stigma. This was the idea behind the creation of the Goliath Unit.

(Huntress and Seer came to meet Leon after hearing that he defeated a Royal demon higher ranked than him all by himself.)

"Huntress and Seer, huh?"

So, Goliath Unit will already know that Leon was special. They wouldn't know why or how Leon is special, only that he is.

But the issue was even bigger.

"I don't know anything about Goliath Unit other than their code names and a brief outline of their abilities."

Goliath Unit in the novel was destroyed even before Leon has a chance to meet them.

This will happen a year from now on when they will go to clear the 'Golden Archipelago', a Stage-0 Dungeon.

Only a single member of the unit survives. That too, because at the time of dungeon subjugation she was undercover in Ward.

"It shouldn't be that bad. From what Isabella always told about the Goliath Unit to Leon, they shouldn't be bad."

Sighing, I patted Eth on the head.

(It's not like we can do anyth-Wait don't touch me!"

"What do you…Yawn..mean by….that?"

I asked, while my hand rested over Eth's head.

"Ywan..I want to ....sleep"

I think Eth was shouting something as I fell asleep.