Chapter 22: Storm and Threads

"I'm a warrior!" Thea jumped up and down gleefully.

"Why wouldn't I believe that? You're a brute." I smirked as she swung at me. This time, I was ready and dodged easily.

"It's not just that," she said, her excitement bubbling over. "My blessing is unique."

Sia and Lyra leaned in closer as Thea dropped her voice to a whisper. "It's not like a swordsman or spear wielder. My blessing applies to any weapon."

Sia and Lyra's jaws dropped in unison, their shock evident. Meanwhile, I, who didn't know much about blessings, shrugged. "That's it?"

Thea rolled her eyes, clearly disappointed at my lackluster reaction. "Actually, no. My blessing is called Storm Heart. As I level up, all my attacks will be infused with lightning energy."

Oh, sweet heavens. She's going to tase me during sparring, isn't she? Fear must've flashed across my face because Thea grinned mischievously.

Lyra and Sia, however, seemed far more affected. Lyra's usual melodic tone was now laced with disbelief. "Thea… that shouldn't be possible. Warriors can't possess magical attributes."

Thea shook her head, her grin fading into something more thoughtful. "I don't really know how it happened, but this is the reality of it."

"Well," I clapped my hands together, breaking the tension and pulling everyone back to the present. "You guys should complete your dailies now. I'll keep an eye on Elric. Let's head into town afterward and find a place to rest. Oh, and your orbs—let me return your points."

We all exchanged points. I handed Sia and Lyra two hundred points each. They nearly argued against it, but I held up my hand to stop them. "Without you, we wouldn't have won so much. Just take it."

Thea nodded in agreement. "We're in this together. Just help us out again if we need it."

They nodded reluctantly and headed to the reception desk. Once they were out of earshot, I split the remaining points with Thea, leaving us each with 635.

"Did you ask about Elric having to fight?" I asked.

She nodded. "They said he can skip today. He'll just have to do two fights tomorrow."

"Alright. I'll wait here with him. Good luck in your fight."

"Thanks," Thea said with a grin before heading off toward the elevator for her match. No doubt she'd win.

After a while, Elric began to stir beside me, rustling against the wall where we leaned. His voice was groggy but stronger than before. "Where am I?" he yawned, sounding far less like he'd just escaped death.

"We're at the coliseum," I said. "How are you feeling?"

"Better than ever," Elric replied, though a cough followed, betraying his words.

"Sure—just rest up, man. You shouldn't have to worry about any of the morons again. At least the weaker ones," I said, leaning back against the wall.

He laughed, a little rasp in his voice. "It's only the weaker ones that bother me. Also… what happened to you? You look like you just came from a slaughterhouse—and took a bath there."

"Oh, this?" I glanced down at myself, my clothes torn and caked with dried blood. "I bought a bunch of berries and thought I'd try making juice."

"Idiot."

"Whatever, pretty boy." I smirked. "You should've seen the two girls. If I didn't step in, Rorik might've gone missing in a few days." Though thinking about it, with the debt he took on, his fate wasn't looking great anyway. Then again, maybe they'll put him to work. No point wasting resources on disappearing someone who owes you that much.

Elric shook his head and leaned back, his expression growing serious. "I need to cultivate."

"What? You need to rest."

"I'll recover as soon as I transform, right? And after that, I'll recover even faster."

I looked around the bustling coliseum. It had quieted down after my earlier theatrics, but there were still recruits coming and going, running to stalls and chatting. Not exactly the most peaceful place to focus. "I'll get us a training room, but we should wait until the others come back. It shouldn't take long."

I glanced over at him, but he was already closing his eyes, attempting to cultivate right there and then. Maybe his focus was stronger than mine.

Barely a few minutes passed before a sharp yell tore through the air. I turned quickly to see Elric crumpled over, his hands clutching his knees. Pained grunts escaped him, but then, just as suddenly, the sound stopped. Bruises that had stubbornly clung to his body began to vanish before my eyes, fading so quickly it was like watching time reverse itself.

He must have succeeded in entering the Energy Gathering stage—faster than I expected, though I suppose it only took Thea and me a couple of days too.

Elric opened his eyes, staring at me before his pupils darted around the room, taking everything in. "Wow," he whispered, astonishment plain in his voice. "This is… different."

"Now how are you feeling?" I asked.

He straightened, bouncing lightly on his heels as if testing his renewed body. "Better than ever. Everything feels… faster, like it's all flowing at once. This is insane!"

I extended my hand. "Hand me your orb then. You can sign up for a match."

He nodded, fishing it out and handing it over. I deposited two hundred points. "Now you can surrender whenever you want."

Almost as if on cue, the elevator doors opened, and the three girls stepped out, all looking spotless. Sia and Lyra immediately ran over, throwing their arms around Elric in an unrestrained embrace. If he had leaned in just a little, I swear they might've gone further. Instead, he lightly pushed them away with a polite smile.

Bastard.

"You're alright!" Sia exclaimed, joy lighting up her face.

"Yeah," Elric said with a grin. "Now just wait here. I'll sign up and be back in a moment." And with that, he was off, leaving the two girls watching after him with barely hidden disappointment.

Sia turned back to us, clearing her throat as if to shake off the moment. "Here," she said, holding out a piece of paper. It was a rough map of the town with a small square circled and a name scribbled beside it. "My mom owns this inn. Hand her this and tell her I sent you. She'll give you a good price to stay there. We live there too."

Thea chuckled, her tone teasing as she said, "Excited to live in the same building as Elric? You might even catch a glimpse of his bedhead."

Both girls turned beet red, sputtering as they tried to compose themselves.

"We have to go," Sia said hastily, "Lyra's got work to do."

Lyra chimed in, her voice calmer but no less determined. "We'll head back to the inn later. Maybe we can cultivate together there. Thanks to your method, I can give out far more blessings than before. We've been making back our savings quickly, so you can expect our next payment for the technique soon."

The two of them smiled warmly before heading off. I watched as they disappeared into the crowd—Lyra poised and professional, while Sia exuded a protective air that practically screamed, mess with her at your own peril.

"How'd the match go?" I asked Thea, turning my attention back to her.

"Annoying, but not too difficult," she replied with a hint of irritation. "Some sort of control mage—kept popping up barriers. As soon as I got within striking distance, he surrendered. But it took forever to close the gap."

I nodded thoughtfully. "Alright. I need to tell you something else about cultivating—something I didn't include in your gift."

Her expression shifted immediately, her stormy eyes lighting up with eager curiosity. "What is it?"

"I think I found it," I said, letting the weight of my discovery sink in. "Body Refinement. Real Body Refinement."

She gasped audibly, her excitement barely contained. "That—that's amazing! How do we do it?"

"I don't know yet," I admitted, trying to temper her enthusiasm, "but I think we've already started the process—or at least laid the foundation. I'll explain everything, I promise. Let's wait until Elric gets back so we can go over it together."

Her shoulders slumped slightly in disappointment, but she nodded. "Alright. I'll hold you to that."

I took a moment before continuing, watching her closely. "I also want details on the system," I said, my tone serious. "I want to know how stats work—what stats exist, how you increase them, skills, levels, missions… everything. I want to know it all."

She tilted her head slightly, curiosity replacing her earlier disappointment. "Why?"

"I'm hoping it can help me understand how to bridge the gap between cultivation and the system," I explained.

I didn't tell her, but I couldn't shake the question lingering in my mind—where does the energy come from? People talk about MP like it's just part of the system, but it has to come from somewhere, right? It works kind of like cultivation energy, but it's separate. Different.

I glanced toward the elevators. "Shouldn't Elric be back by now?"

"You don't think he fought, do you?" Thea asked, her brows furrowing slightly.

As if on cue, the elevator doors slid open, revealing Elric. He wasn't in pristine condition, but he didn't look terrible either. Definitely a step down from his earlier recovery.

Jogging over with a grin, he called out, "Guess which healer just won his first match legitimately? Didn't even pay anyone off."

"I'm guessing you?" I replied, though something about it tugged at my thoughts. How? Even after my transformation, I was still clumsy in fights. Could Elric really be more competent than me?

I was starting to feel like I was surrounded by main characters.

Elric—the raven-haired pretty boy with a hidden cruel streak to unleash on enemies, but a soft, protective side for his allies. A natural manipulator and fighter, already inventing his own techniques.

Thea—the stormy-eyed cultivation prodigy with a unique system blessing that elevated her above the rest. A seamless fusion of raw power and precision.

Sia—a fire mage, terrifying enough with her system alone, and now with cultivation? Who knew what kind of destruction she could unleash?

Lyra—a rare support healer with abilities that had already begun to surpass expectations thanks to cultivation.

And then there was me. Hopefully, my knack for comprehension and invention would measure up to their growing strength, because it certainly didn't feel like my power alone would.

"That's right," Elric said, clearly enjoying the moment. "I forced a surrender with my new technique. Unfortunately, the system doesn't let me cause any real harm."

I raised a brow at him, watching his excitement. Elric's understanding seemed high—too high, maybe. If he could already sense the energy flowing through other people's bodies well enough to manipulate and torture them… What would he be capable of once he mastered cultivation?

A new thought hit me: maybe Elric could be in charge of inventing techniques for us. His potential might be even greater than I'd realized.

I stood up, brushing off the lingering ache from the battle. "Congrats on the win, but before heading back, I really need to get cleaned up."

Thea rose too, a smirk tugging at her lips. "You don't think the inn will have a bath?"

"I bet it does," I replied, glancing down at my blood-stained clothes, "but did you see those kids on the street? Imagine walking around looking like this. They'd freak out."

"Good point," Elric said, flexing his arm as if noticing his own scratches for the first time. "I could use a clean-up too."

With a collective nod, we headed off. I went ahead to clean and repair my clothes, pulling out a fresh set I'd picked up during my last shopping trip with Thea. Then I made my way to the baths.

When I arrived, Elric was already there, scrubbing at his arms, the faint pink of healing skin still visible beneath the water. I sat at the nozzle beside him, letting the warm spray pour over me, washing away grime and dried blood—a sight I was, unfortunately, getting too used to.

"Elric?" I asked as we both leaned back under the cascading water.

"Hm? Yeah?" He tilted his head slightly, glancing at me through the steam.

"Are birthday presents a thing here?" I kept my tone casual.

"Here? As in training camp?" He gave me a curious look. "Not really. But parents usually give them out."

I hesitated. Should I finally tell him I'm not from this world? This interaction was starting to feel a bit strange without that context.

"Thea told me she's never gotten one," I said instead. "Is that… normal?"

Elric looked up at the tiled ceiling, his expression thoughtful. "Well, I wouldn't say it's unheard of. Some families are a bit… traditional. A lot of upbringings are less about celebrating and more about preparing. For, well…" He gestured around vaguely. "This. And war. Her family might've been like that."

"I see." I mulled over his words before glancing at him. "What about you?"

"Me?" He shrugged nonchalantly. "I was raised here, actually."

"Here? You mean the Town of the Fallen?"

"Yep." He nodded. "My parents used to live there, but they were reassigned somewhere else before I was sent to training." His voice was steady, but his eyes drifted to the wall, unfocused, like he was searching for something invisible.

"You… you know where they are, don't you?" I asked gently.

He let out a quiet sigh. "Most people never see their parents again after being sent here. It's just how it works. There are very few exceptions—sentimental families, mostly."

I thought of Sia, her mother's inn, and the invitation she'd extended to us. "You mean like Sia? She told us we could stay at her mom's place."

Elric nodded, a faint smile playing on his lips. "Yeah, that's rare."

We finished up, and I used up a good amount of soap and a few spritzes of the perfume. Elric and I left together, waiting only a short while before Thea emerged, looking refreshed.

"Ready?" she asked, her stormy eyes bright. "Let's head to the inn. Then we can cultivate some more—after discussing your new ideas."

"We can talk on the way," I said quickly, hoping to avoid any unnecessary jogging.

Following the map Sia had given us, we walked toward town. As we moved through the bustling streets, I shared my theories with Thea and Elric. I explained how intentionally failing core formation to perform the Grand Carving technique seemed to purify our bodies—bones, tendons, and even organs—allowing cultivation energy to adhere to them. The only problem was that I still didn't know how to make the energy stay. Even now, it dissipated after diffusion.

I also told them about the technique I'd invented, inspired by the Fireball system skill, though I admitted it was still crude and barely usable.

"Wow—we're so close," Thea said, her voice tinged with admiration. "I don't think we need to worry too much about refining the body right now. Let's just focus on purification and filling our Grand Channels. Maybe there'll be another transformation along the way that will give us more clues."

"That makes sense. I think you're right," I agreed.

Elric chimed in, his tone thoughtful. "Why didn't you come to me—or Sia—for the Fireball technique? You're focusing too much on condensing it inside your body."

I frowned, crossing my arms. "What else am I supposed to do? Isn't that the point? Build it up, then release it?"

"Yes and no," Elric said, shaking his head slightly. "The problem isn't the buildup—it's how you're imagining the release at least from what I read in what you gave Thea. You're treating the energy like it's supposed to explode outward, separating from your source of energy. It's not. You have to guide it, give it direction."

I tilted my head. "Okay… guide it how?"

Elric crossed his arms and leaned against the wall, his tone shifting to a more instructional one. "To guide it, you'll need to maintain your focus on the energy even as it leaves your body. Start by visualizing the energy forming a thread or line extending outward. As it moves, keep your mind tethered to it—like you're leading it to where you want it to go."

Thea chimed in, her eyes lighting up with understanding. "So instead of just shoving it outward and hoping for the best, you're essentially staying connected to it, shaping its path as it moves."

I nodded slowly, the concept beginning to take shape in my mind. "Alright, but how do I stay connected once it's outside me? Isn't it just… gone?"

Elric shook his head, his expression firm yet patient. "Not if you're doing it right. Think of it like throwing a rope. The moment it leaves your hand, it doesn't disappear—you're still holding one end. You just have to get good at telling that rope where to go. It's all about focus, extending your awareness beyond yourself. Of course," he added with a shrug, "you could always let the system handle it for you if you wanted."

I was struck by how clearly he broke it down. His explanation shifted my understanding completely. Form a thread with the energy, keep it tethered to my body. The idea of guiding its direction and force to cause actual damage suddenly seemed more plausible. Though, a shotgun blast of force still sounded cool to me.

Thea interrupted my thoughts as we approached a modest yet inviting building. The warm glow of lanterns illuminated a wooden sign hanging above the door, etched with the name Gathering Flame.

"Hello" Thea announced, pushing the door open. The faint hum of conversation and the comforting scent of baked bread spilled out.

As we stepped inside, a woman with kind eyes glanced up from behind the counter. Her gaze flicked to me, taking in my slightly battered appearance, and her smile wavered for a moment.

I felt a twinge of unease, but before I could speak, the woman said, "Welcome."

I exhaled, feeling the weight of the day start to lift. But even as I followed the others inside, the thought lingered: if I could master this, really master it, what could I do with it?