Chapter 102 : The First Step into the Unseen

Alden sat cross-legged on the training facility's stone floor, his eyes closed as he focused inward. The sensation Selene had stirred within him still lingered—a faint thread of awareness, delicate yet undeniably real.

Spiritual energy… Unlike aura or mana, it wasn't something he could force into existence. It was a reflection of the soul, of self-awareness.

Selene stood nearby, arms crossed, watching with mild amusement. "You look like a monk, but I doubt you're finding enlightenment that fast."

Alden exhaled slowly. "I don't expect it to be easy."

She smirked. "Good. Because if it were, everyone would be doing it."

Alden ignored her teasing and focused on his breathing. Aura swells, mana flows, but spiritual energy… moves differently. It wasn't about channeling power—it was about resonance.

Selene walked around him, the faint hum of her own spiritual energy radiating in controlled waves. "The body has natural energy pathways, much like mana circuits. But spiritual energy is different—it doesn't follow a set structure. It's tied to emotions, willpower, and mental state."

Alden's brow furrowed. "So how do I control something that doesn't have a structure?"

Selene grinned. "By understanding yourself. It's why many only awaken it through extreme emotions—life-or-death situations, deep meditation, or personal realization."

Alden's thoughts drifted. Understanding myself, huh?

He had already discarded his past identity as Eryk Veylan. He had rebuilt himself into Alden Blackwood, calculating, methodical, always in control. Yet, deep down, he knew—he wasn't invincible.

The emotions he buried, the ambitions he denied, the path he had chosen…

Something shifted.

A faint hum stirred within his chest, like a whisper just beyond hearing.

Selene's red eyes widened slightly. "You're close."

Alden didn't respond. He focused. The sensation was raw, untamed, like trying to grasp mist with his fingers.

Selene raised a brow. "You're still thinking too much. Feel it, don't analyze it."

Alden's jaw clenched, but he took her advice. He let go of logic, of calculations—just for a moment.

And then—it happened.

A pulse.

Not from his body. Not from his mana circuits. But from something deeper.

Like the ripple of a still pond disturbed by a single drop of water.

Selene's smirk returned. "There it is."

Alden opened his eyes, a faint glimmer of unseen energy flickering in his irises.

He had taken the first step.

But he knew—this was only the beginning.

The moment of awakening had passed, yet its effects lingered. Alden could still feel the faint hum within him—not quite mana, not quite aura. Something else entirely.

Selene watched him with a knowing smirk. "Feels strange, doesn't it?"

Alden flexed his fingers. The sensation was subtle, like a thread connecting him to something vast yet intangible. "It's… different. Less like controlling energy and more like sensing something that was always there."

Selene nodded. "That's the nature of spiritual energy. It isn't something you command like mana or wield like aura. It's an extension of your existence—an awareness of yourself and the world around you."

Alden's mind raced, already analyzing its potential applications. "How do I refine it?"

Selene grinned. "Slow down, Blackwood. You just took your first step. If you push too fast, you'll burn yourself out before you even begin."

He gave her a dry look. "I don't have the luxury of taking things slow."

Selene rolled her eyes. "Of course you don't. Fine. I'll give you the basics, but after that, you'll have to figure out the rest on your own."

She raised a hand, and a faint glow surrounded her palm—not mana, not aura, but something else entirely.

"Spiritual energy is linked to perception and willpower. The stronger your mind, the stronger your control."

Alden listened intently.

"To develop it, you need three things: Expansion, Refinement, and Application."

She extended one finger. "Expansion—strengthening your awareness. Meditation helps, but so does battle. Pushing yourself to your limits forces your spirit to adapt."

A second finger. "Refinement—shaping the raw energy into something usable. This requires focus, emotional control, and an understanding of yourself."

A third finger. "Application—finding ways to integrate it into combat, magic, or even daily life. That part depends on you."

Alden absorbed the information, his mind already forming strategies. "And how do you use it?"

Selene's smile sharpened. "You want a demonstration?"

He nodded. "Show me."

Selene raised her hand again, but this time, the air around her seemed to shift. Not with force, but with intent.

Alden felt it—an invisible pressure, not heavy like aura but piercing, like a blade aimed directly at his soul.

His muscles tensed instinctively.

Selene smirked. "Spiritual energy allows me to impose my will on reality. For someone untrained, it feels like an overwhelming presence. Against weaker opponents, it can paralyze them entirely."

Alden fought against the pressure, his newfound spiritual awareness barely holding him steady.

Selene lowered her hand, and the sensation vanished instantly. "That was just a fraction of what a trained user can do."

Alden exhaled slowly, his mind racing. "And if I master it?"

Selene chuckled. "Then you'll be able to do things no one else can. But mastery takes time, Blackwood. Don't expect results overnight."

---

Alden left the training ground with a mind brimming with possibilities. Spiritual energy… Unlike aura, which enhanced the body, or mana, which shaped external forces, spiritual energy felt like an unseen force that connected mind, body, and reality itself.

As he walked toward the secluded training grounds behind the academy, his thoughts drifted.

Expansion, Refinement, Application.

Selene had given him the fundamentals, but she hadn't given him a method to awaken his spiritual energy fully.

That was fine. He had his own ways.

---

The Training Grounds – Nightfall

The training facility was silent except for the distant sounds of students finishing their late-night drills. Here, beyond the academy's usual sparring grounds, was a place where few ventured—the Whispering Grove.

It was an area rich in ambient mana, where the veil between the physical and the spiritual was thinner. It was the perfect place to train his newfound awareness.

Alden sat cross-legged, closing his eyes.

First, Expansion.

He slowed his breathing, tuning out distractions. The first step was sensing—not just his body but everything around him.

At first, there was nothing. Only silence.

Then… he began to feel them.

The faint pulse of mana in the air. The quiet hum of life within the trees. The distant flicker of energy from the academy.

It wasn't like using mana sense. This was deeper, more primal.

Minutes passed. Then an hour.

Suddenly—

A spark. A feeling of something beyond his body.

Alden latched onto it, trying to pull it closer. The sensation was fleeting, slipping through his grasp like water through fingers.

Damn.

He exhaled, frustration gnawing at him.

"You're forcing it."

A voice.

Alden opened his eyes. His sword, Kurenai, hummed faintly in his mind.

"Spiritual energy isn't something you grip tightly. You have to let it flow."

Alden frowned. Let it flow?

He closed his eyes again and tried a different approach. Instead of seizing the energy, he let it drift.

Slowly… the connection strengthened.

He felt his presence extending beyond his body, like an invisible thread stretching outward. It was faint, fragile, but there.

Then—pain.

A splitting headache erupted as something pushed back against him. A backlash.

Alden gasped, his eyes snapping open.

"Tch… It fights back."

"Of course," Kurenai's voice echoed in his mind. "Spiritual energy isn't just about sensing the world. It's about understanding yourself. That's why it resists you—you don't fully know who you are yet."

Alden's eyes darkened.

Understanding myself?

He scoffed. "I know exactly who I am."

"Do you?"

The words lingered.

Alden fell silent, gripping his sword tighter.

He would figure this out. No matter how long it took.

---

The Next Step

Despite the setback, Alden had made progress. He could feel it—a connection waiting to be refined.

Tomorrow, he would try again.

And next time, he wouldn't fail.