The room was quiet, save for the occasional sounds of footsteps in the hallway. I sat on the bed, staring at my open palm, deep in thought.
I had power—I knew that now. The way those assassins had fallen before , lifeless, with barely any effort on my part… It had been terrifying. But more than that, it had been intoxicating.
I exhaled, flexing my fingers.
It wasn’t enough.
I needed to get stronger. Strong enough to survive my fate, to protect myself and Grandma, and to face whatever was coming next.
"There has to be another way," I thought. "Sothing more."
I hesitated before speaking aloud. "Damien."
No response.
I waited, staring at the ceiling.
Still nothing.
I frowned, tapping my fingers against my knee impatiently. "Oi, Damien, I know you’re there. Give so advice or sothing. How am I supposed to get stronger?"
Nothing.
I was about to give up when suddenly—
[Processing request…]
I sat up straighter.
A few more seconds passed before Damien’s voice finally echoed in my mind.
[…Noah, did you know? I actually have a system shop.]
I blinked. "A what now?"
[A system shop!] Damien repeated, now sounding oddly excited. [You can buy skills, arts, and techniques from it. Though, unfortunately, it’s not open yet.]
My eye twitched. "Then why are you telling this now?"
[Because I’m generous.]
I sighed, running a hand through my hair. "Useless. You’re absolutely useless."
[Aww, that hurts, Noah. But! There is sothing I can give you.]
I narrowed my eyes. "And you’re only offering it now because…?"
A long pause.
Then, in a suspiciously innocent tone—
[I’ve been busy.]
I deadpanned. "Busy?"
[Yes, busy.]
I exhaled sharply. "What the hell have you been doing?"
Another pause.
[…Stuff.]
"…Right."
I shook my head, deciding not to question the sentient voice in my head any further. "So? What are you giving ?"
[A body refinent technique!] Damien announced proudly. [One specifically suited to you.]
I raised an eyebrow. "Body refinent?"
[Yep. Even those who integrate with the Hollow need a body refinent technique. You can’t just absorb power randomly and expect your body to handle it, you know.]
I frowned. That made sense, but…
"Wait," I said, narrowing my eyes. "Why didn’t you give this before?"
[…I told you. I was busy.]
"Damien."
[…Fine, I may have forgotten.]
I pinched the bridge of my nose. "I swear to whatever god is listening, if you weren’t stuck in my head, I would—"
[ANYWAY! Let’s talk about your new technique!] Damien interrupted, his voice far too cheerful. [It’s called the Slave Body Refinent Technique.]
I froze.
I stared blankly at the wall.
Then, slowly, I repeated, "The what?"
[The Slave Body Refinent Technique!] Damien repeated happily.
I made a long face, looking as him almost blankly. "You seriously want to cultivate sothing with that na?" I asked, almost doubting my ears.
[Don’t underestimate it just because it sounds weird, Noah.] Damien huffed. [It’s perfect for you. Unlike other techniques which bulk up the body by strengthening their muscles with mana, this one is more focused on hidden strength.]
I hesitated. "Hidden strength?"
[Your physique is unique, brat.] Damien explained. [It grants you more ntal abilities than physical ones. But that doesn’t an you can neglect your body.
This technique will make you look scrawny and weak, but in reality, your muscles will shrink and beco lean, storing insane amounts of explosive power.]
I frowned. "So… I won’t look stronger, but I will be stronger? That’s ridiculous!!"
[Ughh, this idiot host of mine…] my ears almost twitched at the half insult as the sentint talking machine continued [Normal people cultivate their mana cores, but body refiners like you absorb mana directly into their bodies through breathing techniques and hardcore physical training.]
I mulled over his words. No core, no limitations. Just pure, physical strength reinforced by mana itself.
It sounded… powerful.
And dangerous.
"So you’re telling ," I said slowly, "that I have to beat the hell out of my own body and breathe in a weird way to get stronger?"
[That is… one way to put it.]
I sighed. "Of course."
[Oh! And before I forget—since this is your first ti, I’ll give you the first level of the technique for free!]
A sudden warmth spread through my chest as lines of foreign knowledge flooded my mind. I gritted my teeth, shutting my eyes as I focused on the information.
It was there—an entirely new way to cultivate.
A new way to grow stronger.
The first step of the Slave Body Refinent Technique revolved around breathing control and forcing my muscles to break down and rebuild at a rapid pace.
Unlike normal training, where strength ca gradually, this thod encouraged destruction and rebirth in cycles, compressing my muscles into sothing much denser than before.
It wouldn’t make look bulky or strong. Instead, it would make look… deceptively weak.
My muscles wouldn’t expand. They would shrink, but in reality, they’d be packed with insane, hidden power.
The realization made my lips twitch into an amused smirk.
This was perfect.
I slowly opened my eyes, exhaling through my nose. The sensation of mana in my body had shifted, subtly weaving itself through my flesh and bones.
I rolled my shoulders experintally.
A small part of had expected to feel so imdiate, overwhelming surge of power, but no—this wasn’t like the instant growth that ca from absorbing a Hollow’s essence.
This was different.
This was… patient.
It was like laying the foundation for sothing much greater.
I smirked. "Alright, Damien. You might actually be useful for once."
[…Excuse ??]
I chuckled, shaking my head. "Never mind. Let’s get started."
The room was small, and there wasn’t much space to move, but that didn’t matter.
I didn’t need a fancy training hall.
I didn’t need a special weapon.
I only needed my body.
Lowering myself into a stance, I took a deep breath—and began.
***
A/N:
limited ti offer:
1 Bonus Chapter for every gift worth 1000 Coins each!!
Magic Castle = 7 Bonus Chapters~
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