"Wait! Can I create a breathing pattern so that the energy would stay in my eyes?"
With the new direction, Caelus started practicing.
He wasn't sure how long it took him. Having been given by Hikari donations of food inside his Inventory, he had his own new stack of food and water inside them. She additionally gave him extra just so he could survive in an emergency. And the emergency really happened.
He promised to repay her once he grinded enough GP.
And because of Hikari's insistence, he had no trouble staying in that Zone for a month or two. But he didn't want to take too long. He didn't want to worry his friends outside.
Being sent to a Hidden Zone and getting cut off communication with Sanctuary might start them to worry. He just hoped they would not recklessly abandon fixing Sanctuary Shelter and look for him.
*They would believe in me, right? They are needed in the shelter more than I need them. There are a lot of people who need a safe place to settle down. We need a sanctuary.*
Caelus paused. Suddenly realizing something he didn't think about before.
He was looking forward to meeting his friends again and spending more time with them. His sense of belongingness he couldn't find before was surfacing…
He was both scared and ecstatic.
Having confirmed his feelings, he felt lighter.
He had too much baggage in him.
He had no memories of his past. Although he dreamt of a lot of things that could be his memories, it didn't answer most of his questions.
Where was he from? Where was his home?
He knew he had a fiancee before. That he lived in a mountain, but what was the name called? What do his parents look like?
He knew this wasn't his home.
He also wanted to know what happened to his home. Even if his home was no more, he still wanted to know.
He also felt guilty once in a while for taking over the body of someone who was living. He was guilty of taking over Sho's life.
And then, he was also bothered about killing, as if he did, a beast inside him would awaken. And there's many more other things that bothers him.
But he was resolving them one by one just because he was moving forward.
He had set up his first Mantra: survive, following what his heart wanted and sticking to them to not lose himself.
After talking with Hikari, he felt closer with her. Not because she reminded him of his past fiancee. She wasn't just any heroic lady anymore for him. She was now a friend.
It was the same when he was talking with Miya and Alpha.
Asahi's presence was obviously tied with Sho's.
And there was Gouki and Akihiko, the weird pair. He also couldn't forget the newly acquainted Alisa and Chester. Slowly, he considered them friends. He found his sense of belongingness with them.
He wanted to protect them.
He felt an epiphany coming over him.
Second Mantra.
To protect those he cherishes.
It was simple, but it was an explicable feeling for him when he established the Mantra. He felt his whole being sighing in relief and saying: finally.
His head became clearer than ever. He became more peaceful than he thought he could ever feel.
And with peace taking over him, he started breathing the Qi Energy in the most natural way, guiding the energy towards his eyes and maintaining them…
*This!*
He felt shocked, it almost shattered his concentration but he immediately calmed himself. The epiphany he experienced wasn't something he could invoke at will. So he decided to use this chance to memorize and perfect the breathing he just did.
He knew many flaws to the breathing technique. For one, it didn't feel too different from normal, it just enhanced his eyesight making it perfect 20-20. Sho's eyesight wasn't too bad. But it wasn't perfect either. But now, maintaining the breathing actually made him see everything clearer. It was like wearing eyeglasses or contact lenses. But without any hassle.
And another good thing was he was able to maintain it as long as he used the breathing technique.
The downside was that it couldn't help him see through the Wandering Souls.
He knew it wasn't enough.
*Cultivating isn't as easy as those novels…*
He could only sigh as he knew it would take more epiphany before he could finally perfect the Qi Sight that his Overview skill wanted.
***
Two weeks later, Caelus exhaustedly dropped his body in the flat ground.
He could only release a sigh of disappointment.
He still couldn't do it.
He felt he was missing a key thing.
But he couldn't think of what it was.
He was slowly becoming frustrated at the lack of his progress. He knew he was far less talented compared to the previous Sho or his talented friends.
*Thinking about talented friends… damn! Everyone is so talented! Asahi is talented enough to lead a large group. Miya is talented in every aspect that she deserves to be called a genius. Gouki is talented enough to upgrade his skills in a short time. Akihiko is talented enough not to get noticed if he wanted to. Hikari is talented in both fighting and healing without even healing abilities, she's also talented at giving advice. And there's Alisa… and Chester… God! Everyone around me so talented? Why am I not like them?*
He really slowly felt depression creep.
It was a familiar feeling that the original Sho was very comfortable with.
"This won't do!" He quickly got up.
He chose to stay here with the unmoving body of the Prophet because he knew it was safer here in this cave. He could also just focus on practicing Qi to activate Qi Sight.
But he realized it wasn't a good idea anymore.
He badly needed fresh air. And some inspiration.
Before, he had Sanctuary's company. But now, he couldn't even connect with her. Though, he could still feel his link with her. It was just that the signal couldn't pass through this Zone.
He shook his head, wishing that his irritation would vanish with the shake.
But it didn't.
The more he walked the more irritated he became.
He stopped dead on his track.