Chapter 16: Needles and Patterns

A short but excruciating Doctor Elric visit later, I was officially cured of cracked ribs and every lingering injury. It still felt like my insides had been tenderized by a particularly vindictive chef, but at least I could breathe without wheezing.

Elric turned to the two girls who'd accompanied him. "These are my friends, Peter and Thea. Thanks for walking me here, but I'll be fine now. You two should focus on your guild duties."

The two exchanged glances, disappointment flashing across their faces. The one with sharp, calculating eyes crossed her arms. The other, softer and more reserved, fiddled with the hem of her sleeve.

"Neither of us have anything to do," the sharper one said. "Why don't we all just… hang out?"

Her gaze flicked to me and Thea, lingering on us like we were suspicious strangers loitering near her best friend.

Elric looked like he was about to politely decline, but before he could, I blurted out, "I think it's a good idea, but we've got some secrets we want to keep. If you want to come along… you'll have to pay."

I flashed what I hoped was a winning smile.

It was not.

Both girls gave me a look that could only be described as deeply unsettled. Like I'd just offered them candy out of an unmarked van.

"Peter," Thea said flatly, pinching the bridge of her nose. "Stop smiling like that. It's not a good look."

I coughed awkwardly and let my face fall back into something resembling neutrality.

Thea continued, "What he means is that we're teaching Elric a cultivation technique. Since he's already our healer, we don't exactly need two more. But if you're interested, and you've got points to spare, we're not opposed to sharing."

Both girls let out a collective sigh of relief, and I tried not to take it too personally.

"We're not running some scam, I know cultivation isn't exactly popular" I added quickly. "But even our Tank instructor bought the technique from us. You can ask him if you want—he'd vouch for it."

Elric stepped in then, his voice soft yet confident, and his smile… well, if charisma were currency, Elric would be swimming in gold. "Sia, Lyra—I trust them. The technique they taught me is incredible. My spells flow smoother, my healing is faster—it's like everything's finally in sync. I'm sure it could help both of you, too."

The sharper girl—Sia, apparently—crossed her arms tighter but nodded. "Fine. We'll pay." Her voice carried an edge of determination, but her suspicion had softened. "Also, I'm not a healer. I'm a flame mage."

Flame mage. Right. The class responsible for half the burned recruits limping around the Hall. But Sia didn't look reckless—her eyes carried the focus of someone who knew exactly where every spark would land.

The softer girl spoke up next, her voice light, almost melodic. "I'm Lyra. I'm a support healer. I can cast spells to boost combat effectiveness."

Elric turned to her with a fondness that was borderline unfair. "Lyra's skills are incredibly rare. Her buffs are the kind of magic you feel—strength, speed, clarity. She can turn an average fighter into someone who feels unstoppable. It's… amazing, honestly."

Lyra turned pink almost instantly, her gaze dropping to her boots.

Feeling like an intruder at a fan club meeting, I cleared my throat. "Right. Well, the cost is the same as what our commander paid—300 points."

Three voices, including Elric's, shot out at once: "What?!"

"You guys gave me something like that just for healing," Elric muttered, disbelief plain on his face.

"Elric, are you sure about this?" Sia asked seriously, her sharp eyes narrowing as if trying to read him.

He nodded firmly. "It's the real deal. I've seen the difference in their bodies after they completed it. And Sia, for someone with your control, this could be groundbreaking. You might not even need a conduit tool to cast smaller spells."

Sia's lips parted slightly, and something flickered in her eyes—hope, maybe? Curiosity?

"I know it's a lot of points," Thea said cautiously. "But—"

Lyra cut her off softly but resolutely. "We're not new recruits. We've been saving up points for a while. If Elric says it's worth it, I trust him."

Wait… How long have they been here? These two weren't fresh-faced rookies—they had the weight of experience in their expressions. Older girls, one not even from the healer class, hovering around Elric like protective older sisters.

It almost feels like he's the protagonist of this world. The golden boy with angelic looks, natural charm, and a fan club trailing behind him. Then again… he is my—well, Thea's and my—student… technically.

"Great!" Thea shouted, practically bouncing on her toes. Whether it was the thought of having more people to discuss cultivation with or the idea of officially becoming some kind of Grandmaster of Cultivation, I couldn't say. Either way, she was glowing with excitement, and honestly? That was good enough for me.

"Alright, let's head inside first. We'll grab a training room," I said, glancing around at our suddenly much larger squad. "Maybe a beginner room won't cut it anymore. Once we're settled, we can exchange the points, and Thea here—our local cultivation nerd—ow!"

She smacked my arm hard enough to make me wince, and judging by the sharp ache, she definitely channeled her inner force into that one.

"Will enthusiastically demonstrate the technique," I finished with a sheepish grin.

Thea huffed but didn't bother to argue, instead turning to our new recruits. "It's good timing, honestly. Peter and I are working on developing the next step. You'll be able to try out the first technique, and if you find it worthwhile, we'll continue teaching you as we refine the next phase."

"Wait… making the next step?" Sia's eyebrows shot up, suspicion and curiosity battling across her expression. "You two invented this technique?"

Thea's chest practically puffed up with pride as her lips curved into a self-satisfied smile. "Yep! Peter and I created it from scratch, and you two are officially our first-generation disciples."

I wasn't entirely sure how thrilled Sia and Lyra were about being referred to as disciples, but they seemed to let it slide. Thankfully.

We made our way inside the Hall, the cool air and faint hum of magical machinery welcoming us. At the training desk, I learned about the medium rooms. Apparently, they came with a system assistant that could display damage numbers, monitor energy flow, and offer tips on improving techniques. They also came with a heftier price tag—twenty points per session, plus an extra five points per additional person.

We decided to split the cost among ourselves, except for Elric, whose fee Thea and I insisted on covering as part of our ongoing deal. After all, he was our personal healer, and let's face it—he'd earned his spot in our little group.

Once the transaction was complete, I checked my orb: 145 points left.

As we stepped into the medium training room, Sia spoke up, her voice sharp and confident. "I've already reached the peak of the initial stage of cultivation. Lyra's at the same point."

"Good," Thea said with an approving nod. "That means I won't have to explain the basics. We can get right into the good stuff."

She pulled out her orb, and I followed suit. The two girls did the same, cupping their hands around their orbs like they were shielding precious gemstones. I noticed the commander had done something similar before, so I guessed it was common practice when handling point exchanges.

The transaction was smooth, and in a moment, my orb ticked up to 445 points, while Thea's glowed with 485 points.

"Alright, now that the business part is done, Thea can teach you, and I'll… uh… go sit over there and cultivate," I said, motioning vaguely to a corner of the room.

Thea wasted no time launching into her explanation, her storm-gray eyes alight with enthusiasm as she detailed the reservoir formation method. She moved her hands as she spoke, drawing invisible pathways in the air, her voice clear and confident.

"Always excited to teach, isn't she?" Elric said quietly beside me.

"Yeah," I replied, watching her work. "At least when it's about cultivation. She's passionate about this stuff. It's… impressive, honestly."

I glanced at Sia and Lyra, who were leaning forward slightly, hanging on every word Thea said. It was clear they were taking this seriously.

"Speaking of which," I said, turning back to Elric with a sly grin, "how exactly do you have so many followers? What's your secret, oh wise and sparkly one?"

Elric's face immediately shifted into what I could only describe as the politest version of avoidance I'd ever seen. "It's too bad you don't have your system yet. By now, you probably would've gained some kind of blunt damage resistance."

Oh, you've got to be kidding me. Resistances? Another system-exclusive perk?

Trying not to let too much bitterness slip into my voice, I asked, "So, I'm guessing the more damage I take of a specific type, the system rewards me with resistance to it?"

"Spot on, buddy," Elric said with a bright smile. "In fact, one reason mages end up racking up so many points is that people pay them to get hurt. Like, on purpose. Just to build up their resistance levels. Can you believe that?"

I blinked. "I pay you to hurt me."

Elric gave me a slow nod, his angelic smile turning just a shade too smug. "Yeah… weirdo."

We both burst into laughter. Across the room, Sia and Lyra both glanced over at us, starry-eyed and practically glowing at the sound of Elric's laugh.

I could practically hear the mental chorus of Ahhh… echoing in their heads.

Honestly? I couldn't even blame them. The guy could probably charm a dragon into giving up its hoard with that smile.

"Bastard," I muttered under my breath.

"Jealous?" Elric asked, his grin widening like he already knew the answer.

I paused, pretending to think of a witty comeback. When it finally hit me, I smirked and delivered it like a seasoned pro.

"…Maybe. So what?"

Elric cracked up, and for a second, the polished, refined facade he always seemed to carry shattered completely. In that moment, he wasn't the angelic healer surrounded by a fan club—he was just a guy, laughing like we were old friends hanging out after school.

And honestly? That made me laugh.

We sat there, doubled over, our shoulders shaking with barely contained chuckles. Elric's easy grin was infectious, and for a fleeting moment, the weight of our reality didn't exist.

Unfortunately, peace is fleeting, and so was our laughter.

"Peter?"

Thea's voice cut through the air like a blade dipped in ice.

I froze mid-laugh, my head snapping toward her like a deer caught in headlights. "Ye—Yes?"

Her smile was sharp, cold, and—oh no—it was an Elric smile. "Since you're obviously finished cultivating, how about we spar?"

Every survival instinct I had screamed at me to tread carefully.

I sighed dramatically, placing a hand over my heart. "Thea… you shouldn't learn bad habits from Elric."

Beside me, Elric completely lost it. His laughter came out in loud, wheezing gasps, tears forming at the corners of his eyes. From across the room, I caught Lyra and Sia—still sitting in their meditative positions—giving me two very enthusiastic thumbs-ups.

But Thea? Oh no, she wasn't happy.

Her smile widened, but her storm-gray eyes glinted with the kind of promise usually reserved for villains in horror stories. Step by step, she began walking toward me.

"Thea, it—it was just a joke. You know that, right?" I stammered, backing away slowly.

"Of course…"

She lunged.

What followed could only be described as a slapstick routine straight out of a cartoon. I bolted, skidding across the training room floor, with Thea hot on my heels. Round and round we went, her laughter mixing with Elric's uncontrollable wheezing and the quiet, amused smiles from Lyra and Sia.

I'd like to say I had some shred of dignity left by the end of it, but honestly? No. Absolutely not.

Thea and I collapsed onto the floor, drenched in sweat and utterly spent. Across the room, Elric, Sia, and Lyra sparred with varying degrees of grace. Mages and healers made surprisingly balanced opponents when they actually worked together.

I let out a shaky breath, speaking between gasps. "So… to condense a core… we just need to compress some energy. How much are we talking?"

Thea wiped her forehead with the back of her sleeve, exhaling heavily. "Well, I'd say about as much as we had at our max before finishing the Spiritual Reservoir Formation stage. So… maybe ten percent of the Grand Channel's capacity. Only with that amount can you condense it enough to form a solid shape."

Ten percent. An entire session's worth of cultivation, sparring, and consolidation—just to form one tiny, fragile needle. A single tool I could use to carve patterns into my Grand Channel.

I glanced at her. "What do you think? Should we carve the foci into the same points where the reservoirs used to be, or just focus on the hands and feet?"

Thea tilted her head in thought, her storm-gray eyes sharp even in exhaustion. "Hmm… I'd say we stick to the reservoir points. They were the most effective places for pooling energy before, and it doesn't make sense to change what already works."

"Agreed," I said with a nod. "Once we've marked those, I can etch spiral patterns around each focal point to improve the flow throughout the Grand Channel. Let's start with the sternum—it's central, and it'll let us feel out if the idea works. Spirals can come later."

She gave a tired smile and nodded, determination flickering in her eyes as we both pushed ourselves upright. The sparring noises in the background faded into white noise as we focused inward.

I closed my eyes, turning my attention to the Grand Channel within me. The vast, smooth conduit stretched through my body like an intricate pipe system, twenty percent of it filled with my own internal strength and the rest brimming with world energy.

Focus.

I began to gather ten percent of my internal energy at the center of my chest. It started as a slow trickle, then a whirlpool, swirling tighter and tighter as I compressed it into a single point. The sensation was dense, almost suffocating, as if the energy resisted the very act of being confined.

It was like swallowing a lump that refused to go down.

Then—it worked.

A needle. Long, thin, sharp—a perfectly condensed sliver of pure internal strength.

A needle. Long, thin, sharp—a perfectly condensed sliver of pure internal strength.

The moment it formed, I felt a flicker of triumph. But that flicker was immediately smothered by sharp, biting pain.

"Agh!" I let out a sharp gasp, my chest tightening as if someone had stabbed me with an actual needle from the inside. The pain wasn't unbearable, but it was raw and invasive, like getting a tattoo etched into the lining of my lungs.

My eyes shot open, and everyone in the room froze. Thea's storm-gray eyes locked onto me, wide with worry.

"What's wrong? Did something go wrong?" she asked urgently, her voice tight.

I exhaled shakily, forcing a weak smile through the discomfort. "No—no, I don't think so. But turns out, carving structures into an organ designed to circulate energy hurts. A lot."

Her brow creased, worry etched into every line of her expression. "Is it… bad enough to stop? Should we stop?"

I shook my head firmly. "It's painful, yeah, but I think it's manageable if we go slow. I just wasn't expecting it, that's all."

She stared at me for a long moment, scanning my face for any sign of hesitation. Finally, she nodded. "Alright. But if something feels wrong—anything—you stop immediately. This isn't something we can afford to mess up."

"Understood."

With a deep breath, I closed my eyes again and refocused.

The carving process was slow, deliberate, and painstaking. Each movement of the needle felt like dragging glass shards across the inside of my chest. Every dimple, every etched groove, required precise control and an almost meditative focus.

Ten minutes. Ten agonizing, sweat-soaked minutes for a single carving.

And even then, the needle itself was fading. Bit by bit, the energy I'd condensed into this impossibly sharp form was breaking apart, leaking out into my body. It coursed outward, seeping into my bones, tendons, and organs, threading itself through every inch of me. Like a sandcastle being slowly washed away by the tide, it was dissolving back into the ocean of the world's power.

I opened my eyes, meeting Thea's storm-gray gaze. She had finished her carving and was watching me closely.

"It's gonna take a while," I said through a shallow breath. "We'll need more time in the room."

"Yeah," she agreed with a tired nod.

Sia and Lyra stirred from their meditative states, exchanging glances before each handed Thea five points. She left to extend our reservation while I slumped back against the wall, catching my breath.

When she returned, we resumed our painstaking work. The carving process didn't get any less painful, but my control over the needle improved. Each precise movement, every careful stroke, became slightly easier. I was learning to guide the needle with less resistance, bending it to my will as it etched into the invisible walls of my Grand Channel.

After what felt like hours, I gasped softly as the final pattern clicked into place. The carved indentations hummed faintly with energy, faint pools forming in the dimples I had painstakingly created. It wasn't much yet, but the difference was undeniable—the energy settled more readily, like water pooling in tiny wells along a riverbed.

The needle, now completely spent, dissolved into a faint ripple of energy.

A moment later, Thea opened her eyes. Her chest rose and fell with deep, steady breaths, sweat plastering strands of chestnut hair against her forehead.

"Success," she whispered, her voice trembling slightly from the effort.

"Thea," I said, pushing myself upright with a wince. "The most important part is left."

She blinked, realization dawning across her tired face before she gave me a small, triumphant smile. "I guess it's my turn."

She paused, her brow furrowing thoughtfully. "How about… um—Grand Carving? It combines Grand Channel and, well… carving."

I smiled faintly, nodding. "Sounds perfect. But I think I'm done for now. We'll need to cultivate more energy anyway."

She nodded in agreement, leaning back against the cool stone wall with a sigh.

The remaining time passed in our familiar cycle—cultivate, consolidate, spar. The lost energy slowly trickled back into our Grand Channels.

By the end of the session, everyone had made noticeable progress. Elric was nearing the completion of his Spiritual Reservoir Formation stage, Thea and I had filled about thirty percent of our Grand Channels, and Sia and Lyra had successfully formed their first two reservoirs.

Our little group was taking shape—four cultivators, each walking their own path, but somehow intertwined with one another.