Among the trio of children, Mike had spent the most time in Rebellious. At the tender age of eleven, he became a part of its ranks, driven by the harsh realities of life, much like many others before him.
A youngster residing with his sole family member, his grandfather, Mike embarked on the school pilgrimage like any other child. Nothing out of the ordinary marked his days; everything appeared routine to him.
If something befell you, chances are it occurred to others as well. What transpired with Leon, albeit with some disparities, mirrored the experiences of his friend Mike three years prior.
Mike Fortune, a somber youth who tragically lost his parents at a tender age, resides with his grandfather, striving to maintain a cheerful demeanor in accordance with his elder's wisdom.
Neither affluent nor destitute, he is an average lad burdened with a sorrowful destiny.
Not all illnesses announce their arrival. One might feel fine one night, only to wake up feeling utterly wretched the next morning. Despite his grandfather being at Level 2 like everyone else, his body, aged eighty, was already more fragile than most.
People are indeed enjoying longer lifespans now, but such longevity favors the strong ones. His aged body, seldom exposed to rigorous training and merely toiling for sustenance, was destined to abandon him prematurely, leaving him bereft in the middle of his journey.
The additional ten years bestowed upon human life, coupled with immunity to sickness, had stripped the concept of a body on the brink of death of its significance. In the end, even your sole warrior, your body, would forfeit its ability to combat illness as time stretched endlessly onward.
Then, you'd be naught but a fortress awaiting conquest.
Unbeknownst to him, among those people that carried was his sole family member. Mike, as was his custom, prayed to the Goddess. Meanwhile, in a distant location, beneath the oppressive burden of the season and the labored breaths of the aged, a dripping sound echoed.
"Haah…"
Thud!
The final recollection left by his grandpa, witnessed by those around him, was the release of his last breath and the closure of his eyes for eternity.
To disrespect the Goddess was to be deemed a heretic and face punishment in accordance with the established decree, a truth ingrained into the very fabric of everyone's being.
Yet, amidst this reality, there existed people of goodwill who, moved by compassion, would momentarily offer assistance after the prayer, only to eventually summon a guard to rouse him from his reverie.
In that same vicinity, yet too distant to discern each other's presence, Mike lost the final member of his family—the sole man who had kept him tethered to life, the one who had endeavored tirelessly to nurture him.
His demise, ordained by the benevolent Gods' law, left him bereft and adrift in a world suddenly devoid of familial solace.
His last recollection: an empty house, a guard arriving to escort him to the morgue. Yet, before despair could consume him entirely, a hand reached out to him in the desolate alleyways where he sought refuge in his grief.
"Alright, guys. I'm heading to my room. Got some training to do."
Upon descending the initial steps to their floor, Mike veered in the opposite direction.
"Same here, Mike. See you later."
"Later."
Though their journey had been brief, it proved eventful. Despite the skirmish being scarcely worthy of the name, Leon found solace in the experience, nonetheless, and departed contented.
Experiencing even a mere fragment was a boon for him. A Pollyannaish mindset took root in his thoughts this time around.
This period of the day typically marked his reading time, much like it did for the other inhabitants of the base. While everyone maintained their own routines, this seemed to be the common practice, particularly among the newcomers.
Books covering a vast array of subjects, from history to finance, lay in abundance within the library, available for unrestricted use until the commencement of proper schooling.
To cultivate people with genuine critical thinking abilities, education must come first. After all, even prominent families and clans employ their own instructors to educate their members after regular school hours.
The most formidable organization, Rebellious, driven by their mission to overthrow the Gods, naturally boasted the cream of the crop among their ranks.
However, Leon still had time before delving into such endeavors, particularly within the Stone City branch. Although not entirely devoid of teachers, there was a scarcity, compounded by the necessity to educate both illiterate children and high school graduates alike.
To fulfill this daunting task, the higher-ups had to instate order. Failure to make substantial progress within a century meant the dissolution of the organization—a mentality Rebellious had already adopted.
However, now Leon faced a far more crucial quest. This was the pivotal moment for every race, the opportunity to manifest their racial traits. Before him lay a small crossroad between mediocrity and talent, a pivotal juncture in his journey.
Should he navigate this path successfully, he would gain access to what everyone coveted: magic.
After a brief refreshment, he settled into his customary meditation session.
"Huuf… It's as tough as they always say..." Murmured, yet his eyes remained luminous, undiminished by fatigue.
In contrast to the Level 1 and Level 2 advancements, which required meditation and a period of adjustment, this stage was solely dependent on one's skills. Furthermore, unlike the previous levels, it did not bolster one's energy core, as it was unrelated to it. And this remained true until they reached the genuine Level 3 stage.
Achieving mastery over both outer and inner coverings is what distinguishes someone as a true Level 3. Mastery over one or the other is akin to a pseudo-Level 3, indicating that the person has not yet attained genuine proficiency.
To achieve genuine Level 3 status, one must master both coverings and acquire a magical ability or their race's unique trait. However, in certain exceptional cases, such as for Yuorians, mastering both coverings is the prerequisite they must overcome.
For races capable of acquiring magical elements, mastering both coverings is essential to survive the process.
Magical abilities weren't simply acquired effortlessly; the journey was fraught with pain. To harness something perilous, one must first possess the ability to endure it.
As implied by its name, covering involves enveloping oneself with aura. Referred to as an aura, it actually represents the universal energy residing within everyone's cores.
The outer covering is indispensable in every battle between people of Level 3 or higher. It involves emitting a radiant aura from their energy core to envelop their body, known as the outer covering.
On the contrary, the inner covering sees less application in combat scenarios. While the outer covering protects the entire body like a shell, the inner covering is directed inward, safeguarding the internal aspects within the shell.
Indeed, this marks the most arduous phase of the journey to Level 3. It necessitates enveloping one's inner being in an energy layer, a crucial step on the path to mastering magic that confronts every aspirant.
To learn a magical element, one must internalize the essence of that element throughout their entire being. For instance, in learning the fire element, people literally consume fiery sticks and subject themselves to flames, quite literally immersing themselves in a fire.
The ice element is often regarded as the easiest among the non-tetra elements, particularly if the practitioner is in the northern continent, Arcticia, where snow and ice dominate the landscape. After all, immersing oneself in a frozen sea and allowing the icy waters to transform them into an ice sculpture is deemed the most effective method for learning this element.
The likelihood of perishing while attempting to learn an element was exceptionally high. This reality underscores the necessity for inner and outer coverings, engineered specifically to mitigate the mortality rate during the learning process.
If an individual has learned the utilization of inner covering, incorporating it into their skill set, their survival is virtually guaranteed during the learning process. They would inevitably succeed in learning magic under normal circumstances, barring any unforeseen attacks or disturbances mid-process.
With closed eyes, Leon settled into a quiet breathing technique, adopting a cross-legged position. Within the darkness behind his eyelids, he allowed his imagination to roam freely.
Imagination was the pathway that would unlock the doors to Level 3.
He embarked on the task of envisioning himself enveloped in his universal energy. The challenge lay in visualizing this energy encasing not just his outer form but also penetrating his inner being. While it sounded straightforward, achieving this feat proved to be exceedingly difficult.
His first step was to visualize his body, whether in first-person or third-person perspective.
Though the task necessitated visualization in the first person, for the time being, Leon found it easier to achieve this in the third person. It resembled observing a spectral form hovering over his own body.
In his mind's eye, he watched as his essence leaped into an oceanic expanse of blue, crafted from the very fabric of universal energy.
The concept was to envision the pond as his energy core and visualize his body becoming enveloped by it. Witnessing his body achieve this state felt like taking mere baby steps, a task he struggled to accomplish.
In the instant his body plunged into the pond, Leon initiated the process of absorbing it. Yet, his body faltered, unable to complete the absorption or resurface. Instead, it vanished into the depths of the pond, lost to his consciousness.
"Damn it…"
Imagining, dozing, then returning to the imagination—the cycle persisted until nightfall descended.
Although it was now time for genuine slumber, Leon found himself bereft of sleepiness. Instead, a simmering frustration brewed within him, evident in the expression of discontent etched upon his face.
Knock, knock, knock, knock, knock!!
"What!? Are we heading into battle!?"
"Hey, would you like to go to a missi-"
"F*ck you!"
Thud!