Al's curiosity was piqued as he slowly turned the book's pages, revealing the symbol he had encountered in the recovery room. It depicted 24 interlocking rings forming a leaf, with the outline of the top five rings colored crimson red.
As he delved into the contents, Al discovered that the book contained various methods to strengthen and develop the body. A section dedicated to healing practices caught his attention, offering remedies for ailments, injuries, and poisons. In particular, a ritual stood out; it involved drawing a sigil and covering the body with mud. The ritual was to replenish the body.
While searching for breathing techniques, Al read that a teacher initiated their student into the path of cultivation. The teacher aimed to prepare the student to try to become a recognized disciple of a God Leaf. He and Cesar were at a disadvantage.
Skipping ahead to the first page, Al resolved to read the entire book, which seemed manageable. The first chapter, "Introduction to the Lower Trigram of the Physical Domain," displayed a large red pyramid.
Four hours swiftly passed, and Al found himself halfway through the book, aided by numerous illustrations. He discovered a common theme among the chapters he had read—an inclination toward extreme measures and pushing the body to its limits. The chapter he was reading no longer focused on body training; instead, it delved into detailed descriptions of the Physical Domain's Lower Trigram and how to master it successfully.
He read, "The Will is that which makes the illusion that is the body a physical reality. A body is given so the Will can manifest. Making one's body a reflection of one's own Will is the first step to taking ownership of what was given."
Al's understanding wavered as his head filled with questions, and he was uncertain if he truly understood the depths of his reading.
Al turned the page in the book before the bat-eared fox interrupted him. The fox apologized, saying, "I'm sorry, but your time is almost up. I do hope you found what you were looking for." Al returned the book to the shelf and replied, "Oh yes, I found much more than I expected. Unfortunately, it seems I ran out of time. But I promise, I will definitely be back."
The fox smiled and said, "It's a pleasure to meet you. My name is Otto Sitto, but you can call me Otto. I like getting familiar with my regulars."
Al smiled back, thinking to himself, "Otto Sitto... this little fox knows how to do business." He introduced himself, saying, "My name is Alexander Adamos, but you can call me Al. It's a pleasure to meet you, Otto."
Upon hearing Al's full name, Otto chuckled and remarked, "Ah, so you're the Al I heard about. Your time is up, but I wish you and your friend success in our 15th Blood Ring."
As they walked together, Otto led Al to the other end of the building. Approaching the wall, it opened up just as before, allowing Al to step outside, and swiftly closed behind him.
Al's hunger surged, and he started to feel lightheaded. He began walking slowly towards the Housing units, trying to recall everything he had read in the book.
After some time, rows of small dirt mounds, each about the size of a small truck, came into view. Reaching the entrance, a tall, dark woman stood beside a stone stele.
The woman noticed Al and greeted him, saying, "Hello and welcome to the Housing Units of the 15th Blood Ring. I haven't seen you before. If you want to enter, I need to see your C-stone."
Al took out his C-stone and replied, "Unit #58—Alexander Adamos." The woman grabbed his C-stone, seemingly ignoring his words until she remembered hearing the last name Adamos.
Her face brightened, and she smiled at him, saying, "Ahh, Alexander. I was expecting you, but I was never told you would be so cute."
Al smirked before shooting back, "I was never told I would have such a lovely lady waiting for me."
The tall, dark woman laughed, amused by Al's response, and said, "Slow down puppy. I'm Aliyah the 2nd in command of this Blood Leaf Ring. I'm a recognized disciple. The Great Orchid told us about what you and your friend did. It's impressive, but most won't even spit your way if you're not, at least in the Mental Domain."
Al paused momentarily and then laughed, saying, "That's fine with me. I'm not much into spit play either way." The woman giggled, intrigued by Al, and said, "You're a playful little puppy. I like you."
Al noticed Aliyah was wearing a cloak similar to Otto Sitto's but with the name "Malia" at the bottom.
A cold voice interrupted the conversation. " It looks like you two are getting well acquainted."
Al and the women quickly turned to see where the voice came from, and Al was shocked to see Romann, the white-haired boy who was captain of the 23rd Supreme Seed, once again.
Romann turned to Aliyah and reprimanded her, saying, "Aliyah, stop teasing the boy. You're too old to be still playing these stupid games."
Aliyah angrily retorted, "Who are you calling old? Hmph. Anyway, your timing is immaculate as usual, Romann."
Al was still surprised by Romann's presence. Romann looked at him and said, "You took my teacher's offering. Go settle into your housing unit, and in 24 hours, meet me in the training fields with the other guy you brought. Oh, and change from whatever you're wearing to something suitable for training."
Romann then turned to Aliyah, shook his head, and walked away.
Al turned to see that Aliyah's cheeriness had morphed into a scowl. She was clenching her fist tightly as she muttered, "That brat sure has a way of crawling under my skin. Those in the Supreme Leaf are so full of themselves."
After a brief moment, Aliyah composed herself and turned to Al, scrutinizing his appearance in the hospital gown. She smiled and said, "Now, where were we, puppy?" Al stared at her, confused, and asked, "Why did he call you old? Your beautiful skin looks flawless!"
Aliyah absorbed the compliments and replied, "Thank you, Alexander, but Romann isn't entirely wrong. I'm actually almost a hundred years old." Al's jaw dropped in astonishment, and Aliyah seemed to relish in his reaction.
She continued, "You do realize that we cultivate in pursuit of immortality, right?" Al looked even more astonished as he responded, "I do now. It explains a lot, actually."
At that moment, another person arrived behind Al, making a line. Aliyah handed Al his C-stone and softly said, "Good luck, puppy." With a smile, she moved on to attend to the next person.
As Al walked through the Housing unit grounds, lost in his thoughts, he walked by a young woman with gray hair who glared at him.
Al recognized her but continued walking. He searched for his assigned number while his stomach growled repeatedly. Dragging his feet, Al finally arrived at unit #58.
He approached the circular stone door and raised his C-stone to the door, mimicking what he had seen others do on his walk here. He felt a slight electric tingle, and the stone door flashed before rolling open.
After walking in, the door closed behind him, sealing him inside. Al exhaled heavily and proceeded downward, descending the stairs. The ceiling of the staircase was adorned with bright crystals that emitted a gentle glow.
Reaching the bottom, Al encountered two entrances. The left entrance was lit, while the one on the right led to a dark room.
Al instinctively entered the room with the light without giving it much thought.
It was a plain stone cave with a rock trough on the side containing water. Al rushed to the trough, dropping to his knees and eagerly drinking the fresh water. It had been almost a full day since he had last quenched his thirst. With every gulp, he felt his energy returning, and he continued drinking until he was satiated with water.
As Al looked around the plain stone room, his hunger-fueled thoughts made him consider the sustenance ritual he had read about in the red book. He didn't want to depend on Cesar for food.
However, no dirt was available for him to try the ritual. The room was devoid of soil, but at least there was water. Al walked back to the stairs and stared into the pitch-black room. Though he couldn't see anything, he could feel the cooler air emanating from it.
Al crouched down and extended his hand inside, exploring the stone wall. To his surprise, he discovered dirt when his hand reached the ground. Excitedly, he gathered a handful of the dark, fine soil and returned to the other room.
With a wide grin, Al removed his robe. Completely nude, he went into the dark room using his medical robe as a makeshift bag. He began hauling the soil back into the other room that had light.
Once he had accumulated a small hill of fine dark soil, Al began outlining a strange sigil on the ground, relying on his memory alone for the ritual.
Satisfied with his preparations, he walked toward the water trough, intending to immerse himself in it. However, he was stopped when he saw his reflection in the water.
In the water, he saw a thin, sunken figure, frail and vulnerable. It was a side of himself he had never seen before. Throughout his life, his father had cared for and provided for him, and his mother had showered him with affection.
In a trance-like state, Al raised his hand slowly toward the water, but as soon as his hand made contact, the reflection distorted. Suddenly, he slapped the water, shattering the reflection, only for it to reform once more. This time, his reflection seemed to mask any vulnerability, projecting a sense of strength and resilience.
Undeterred, Al slowly immersed himself in the water, beginning with his feet. To his surprise, his entire body could fit, and upon touching the bottom of the trough with his hand, he realized that the water was coming from the stone itself at the bottom of the trough.
Once fully submerged, he emerged shivering from the cold and walked over to the pile of soil he had gathered. He rubbed it all over his body, creating a thick coat of mud, ensuring every inch of his skin was covered.
Al sat down in the center of the sigil, completely covered in mud. Al began following the specific breathing pattern he recalled from his reading.
As he engaged in the practice and completed the steps he remembered, doubts crept into his mind. Would all this effort turn out to be a mere joke? Was there any truth to the ritual? Nevertheless, he persisted, determined to see it through.
At times, he thought he could feel something, a sensation flickering within him, but it quickly faded away, leaving him uncertain if it was a placebo effect.
Recalling his previous interaction with the C-stone when he first saw the map of the 15th Blood Ring in his mind. Al cleared his mind completely, focusing solely on radiating his energy toward the sigil he had drawn.
Suddenly, a small purple glow began pulsating around him, but it abruptly ceased as Al opened his eyes wide, exclaiming, "Whoa! I definitely felt that!" Eager to continue, he closed his eyes again, redirecting his attention to the sigil.
Hours passed as Al remained immersed in the ritual, concentrated on the sigil he had drawn.
Finally, after some time, Al opened his eyes again, the sensation having diminished. He stood up, shaking off the dry flakes of gray dirt that clung to his body. His stomach was no longer growling.