My eyes shot open, I looked around and struggled to recall where I was. I stood up carefully and made my way to the bathroom and went straight to the mirror expecting to see the lanky frail boy I always did.
Instead I was met with a completely different being: my white hair looked full and silky and was waist length now, my skin was without a blemish almost perfect and my body had filled out with lean muscle.
I had never been an athlete but the body in front me looked like he trained daily for combat sports.
"What...happened to me?" And then the floodgates opened.
It all came back to me at once; I hunched over and threw up where I was recalling the sensation of my skin being torn off my body while fully conscious, I clung to the edge of the sink while I spewed bile.
My eyes turned red from the sensation of throwing up so much. I reeled my head back and sunk deep into my thoughts.
While absentmindedly washing my face, I recalled the whole memory and rationality slowly came back to me.
I realized what he did was for the sake of my survival but if he gave me a choice to die quickly or endure that pain again I honesty wouldn't know my answer.
"Boy." This stupid old man is back, I bet he's just gonna brush past it and act like nothing happened. "I'm sorry."
HUH!? Am I hearing things, this arrogant old man apologized. I turned around to face him with clear shock ridden across my face.
"I'm sorry because I deceived you, I knew if I had told you precisely how painful this treatment was you, would have likely not taken it and I can not have that. You are my responsibility and you need to be able to go to the capital by all means. So forgive your master so we can go to the next stage of training."
I stood there for a moment and came to the conclusion not cooperating this far into the training would stunt my growth. I need to be strong enough to slap this old man at least once of course.
"I forgive you, but you need to bring me more of that food from yesterday then we're even."
Shiroi simply nodded then flicked his wrist, The same table with numerous plates of meat and fruits appeared.
After we ate and spoke for a bit, Shiroi led me outside the cabin which I only just realized was something akin to the Tardis from doctor who.
The inside was Like a grand hall of a mansion with eleven bedrooms, a barracks and a communications room while the outside looked like a shed. Shiroi saw my confusion and smiled in a amusement.
"My father, the head of the Elliard family, is more proficient in spatial magic than I am. He makes these for his majesty and every general has one under there control. When he retires, I will have to learn this ability and take on his role."
I nodded my head silently at his explanation. 'How strong does one have to be to condense space to such an extent.' Shiroi pulled me out of my thoughts.
"Now listen up, I will now explain why you went through what you did and why it was so important. Qi is a rampant force and when not controlled will destroy everything in it's path.
The vessel will need to be just as strong for it to be able to contain a certain level of Qi. What you took yesterday was a Rank 1 body reformation potion, its basically a cheat code and is mass produced by the alchemy family the 'Santclairs'.
You effectively skipped three years of body training and you are now allowed to safely absorb Qi. This potion was around 2,000,000 jelz which in Earth's currency should be around 2 billion USD."
My jaw went slack, he sacrificed that much money for a few drops of liquid.
"Now, it is time for you to absorb Qi." He flicked his wrist and a small spherical pill appeared in his fingers. "This is a pill that contains enough Qi to get you half way to rank one. I will show you a way to absorb and condense that Qi into a core deep into your solar plexus.
Close your eyes and make sure you ingrain every sensation you feel deep into your soul so you can replicate it. Remember to regulate your breathing or it will be a waste.
"Yes master" I spoke nervously.
Shiroi placed his hand on my back and the same energy that attacked me two days ago entered my body, this time I didn't collapse or throw up. It seems my vessel can indeed hold qi the way he said I could.
I started to regulate my breaths and focused intensely on how he was circulating the qi through my veins.
I engrained it into my memory, this was an easy feat for me as I use around 20% of my brain while a regular Human barely touches 10%. After 50 circulations, he removed his hand from my back and asked me.
"Did you manage to remember all of it, if you didn't it is fine I didn't expec-..."
I started to circulate qi the way he told me perfectly drawing in qi from the surrounding life energy of plants. Shiroi looked at me dumbfounded.
'Is this kid a genius? I must nuture him correctly!' Shiroi spoke inwardly.
He decided to act like what I was doing was normal so I didn't get a big head. Regaining composure he spoke.
"Good you may now take the pill and circulate the way I told you until all the qi in your body is absorbed."
I swallowed the pill immediately looking forward to making progress. "Yes Master!"
Ten minutes had passed and Shiroi could not believe his eyes; his student had effectively absorbed half of the pill within 10 minutes not leaking out any qi.
Normal students normally let 20% of the energy leak out because of inexperience but Shoto. Shoto was different, at this rate he will absorb 100% of the pill effectively taking him to half way Rank 1 in one day. Its unheard of, this is a true genius. Ten more minutes passed and like Shiroi guessed, he had absorbed 100% of the pill.
"How was that master, I don't feel anymore energy to absorb." I looked at the monster before me.
"Excellent my student, go and take a rest. Remember practice the circulation technique every night before you sleep draw in as much qi as possible. It's called the Moon God's Mantra."
"Yes master"
"Oh and Shoto, be on high alert while walking back, there are a lot of Rank 1 beats in this area."
"Yes master."
Shiroi watched the back of his disciple and muttered under his breath. "This information can't leak, the succession rights might be threatened by such a genius. I wonder if he will be able to defeat a beast a rank above him? Why don't we find out"
A horrific smile spread across Shiroi's face, unbeknown by Shoto of course.