A Background Character’s Path to Power Chapter 156 156: Dual Loci - Hybrid Resonator

"Hey," I said, my voice low. "It's happening again. That feeling... like sothing's building up inside."

Zephyr's gaze sharpened imdiately. He stepped closer, his tone calm but alert. "Then we don't have much ti. Your Locus is still forming."

"The Locus. That's… the core of everything, right?" I guessed, thinking it might be an aura core or sothing similar.

Zephyr nodded. "Right, but it's more than a core. It's your resonance origin. The place where your aura first pulses into existence and takes shape. Loci act like inner furnaces or aura engines. They anchor your aura and decide how it flows and evolves."

He knelt beside , drawing a simple circular pattern onto the ground with his saber. "They aren't always in the sa place for everyone. They form where one's soul and body most align. For so, that's the heart. Others, the spine. And so… It's their very breath."

I stayed silent, watching him draw interlocking rings into the floor.

"That feeling you have—it ans your Locus is forming, but it's not stable yet. You can't use aura until it stabilizes. If you try, you risk damaging it… or worse, distorting it."

I swallowed. "So how do I stabilize it?"

"There are many ways," Zephyr said. "So rush it with external energy—through crystals, aura beast essence, or guided rituals—but those are risky. Especially without a capable guide. The most common and safest thod is the Traditional Breathing Cycle."

I raised an eyebrow. "Sounds simple."

"It is. But it requires patience," he said, lips twitching in amusent. "It involves syncing your breath with the pulsing rhythm of your Locus until it matches your body's natural flow. It can take hours, even days for so."

He added after a pause. "...It also reveals how talented one is—their comprehension, their natural affinity for aura. The faster you stabilize, the deeper your connection to your Path."

I frowned. "So if I take too long, does that an I'm weak?"

Zephyr shook his head. "Not necessarily. So of the greatest Resonators took days. But they understood their Locus on a fundantal level. Speed isn't everything—depth matters more."

A flicker of warmth pulsed beneath my ribs again, stronger this ti. I exhaled slowly, trying to steady it.

"Then let's not waste ti," I muttered. "Show how to start."

"Ok, but before that," Zephyr continued, "you need to check whether you've awakened one Locus… or multiple."

I blinked. "Multiple?"

He nodded seriously. "Most people only have one. But so rare individuals awaken with two or even three Loci. We call them Hybrid Resonators or Multi-Loci Types."

He tapped the diagram. "A single Locus ans your aura is centralized, focused. Stronger in one direction. These people typically follow a pure resonance—Body, Energy, or Mind."

"But with multiple Loci," he added, drawing smaller rings on the edge of the first, "your aura is scattered across different regions. It's more flexible, more complex, more powerful, but also more difficult to control. These people can walk Hybrid Paths, combining aspects of two or more types. But the training is much harder—and so is stabilization."

Virion's tail flicked in amusent. "Jie jie~ It's also like having more furnaces instead of one! More potential, but also more ways to explode!"

"That's not reassuring at all, Master." I retorted lightly while absorbing every word.

Virion let out a booming laugh, his serpentine body coiling in amusent. "Jie jie~ Don't worry, you won't die! Your senior brother here has dual Loci—he'll teach you everything you need to know."

I wasn't surprised. "You're a Hybrid Resonator then? Probably Warrior and Channeler types," I said, studying Zephyr. "I knew you weren't that ordinary. Being able to open portals while fighting like a seasoned warrior gave it away."

Zephyr nodded impassively, then pointed at Virion with his chin. "Master was dual Loci too."

My eyebrows rose as I turned to the winged serpent. "Impressive, Master. But..." I hesitated, "is it the sa for your species? Or do ancient beings like you work differently?"

Virion chuckled, his tail flicking playfully. "Oh, it's quite different for my kind—and most aura beasts, for that matter. But that's a lesson for another ti." His erald eyes glead with mischief. "Right now, you should focus on your own awakening. I'll corrupt—I an, teach you properly later."

I nodded, then turned back to Zephyr. "So, how do I know if I have more than one Locus? Is there so test?"

Zephyr motioned for to sit cross-legged on the ground. Though I barely did it, and it was a bit uncomfortable thanks to the bandages.

"Close your eyes and focus on that warmth you feel. Don't try to control it—just observe where it cos from and how it moves."

As I settled into a more comfortable position, he continued.

"A single Locus will pulse steadily from one location. Multiple Loci will create competing rhythms—like two drums beating out of sync."

Virion added helpfully, "And if you feel like your insides are trying to rearrange themselves, that usually ans three or even four! Jie jie~"

"Not helping, Master," I muttered, but closed my eyes anyway.

The darkness behind my eyelids sharpened as I turned my attention inward. At first, there was only the faint, steady pulse beneath my ribs—but as I focused, sothing else... flickered.

A second warmth. Fainter. Erratic.

My breath hitched.

Zephyr noticed imdiately. "What is it?"

"I... think there might be two," I admitted, my voice tight with concentration. "The main one's in my chest, but there's... sothing else... near my spine. It's a bit weaker, though. But also a bit tougher, I think. Like stone beneath water."

Zephyr and Virion exchanged a glance I couldn't see.

"Interesting," Zephyr murmured. "That complicates things slightly."

Virion's tail thumped excitedly. "Jie jie~ Just like his senior! This calls for celebration! And by celebration, I an twice the training!"

I kept my eyes closed, trying to ignore the dread pooling in my stomach at Virion's words.

Didn't he say it was the most important part? Why is he ssing with ?

Shooing away the bad thoughts, I focused on the two distinct pulses within —one strong and steady, the other faint but tough and persistent.

And just like that, it was settled—I was a dual-Loci Resonator, sa as Zephyr. A warrior and channeler hybrid.

A small part of had hoped for more. Not out of greed, but... necessity and curiosity.

I was hoping to awaken as a Mystic after all...