The mana transfer wasn't a gentle trickle, but a forceful process. After Killian's agreement, he immediately started pushing mana through his palms.
Killian's body tensed, his muscles straining against the sudden influx.
Kai hadn't gone through the pain personally, but he knew that it felt like a dam was about to burst within Killian, the pressure building behind his ribs, threatening to shatter bone.
Sweat beaded on his forehead.
The pain would increase as more mana got transferred and would reach its peak when he would try to move it around his body.
Then, Kai's touch lessened, the intense pressure easing slightly.
"Don't fight it," Kai said aloud; loud enough for Killian to nod briefly. "This is the first step. Your body isn't used to drawing in ambient mana, so I'm making it used to my mana." He paused, a hint of a chuckle in his voice. "Now, the real work begins."
He moved to push needles on different points of his body. They were there to make it easier for Killian to know where to push his mana. He groaned as the needles made their way inside his flesh, but it wasn't anything more than mild discomfort.
"Focus," Kai instructed, his tone suddenly sharp. "The needles— feel them. Each one represents a vault, a dormant point of power waiting to be awakened. There are seven of them. Find them. Move the mana into them."
If Kai was right, Killian would be sensing a glowing network of pathways, crisscrossing and branching to lead back to the vaults. Everything was linked together with each other. They were closed, but he would still be able to move his mana with enough force.
"Ah…" Killian gritted his teeth visibly. The crease in his forehead started pouring sweat buckets down his face. "I feel them," he said.
Kai nodded. "Good." He closed his eyes, knowing the real work was just about to begin. "Push the mana towards them."
Kai started sending mana in waves. One after another, the intensity of the speed increased.
His voice crackled with urgency, "Don't try to rush it. If you do, your body might break. In some cases, it might even explode. So, take breaths, feel my mana and slowly push it. Just remember the pain you will go through will be fleeting, but the power will be permanent."
He opened his eyes to look at Killian who was visibly struggling.
At this point, Killian was the one who had to be strong and resilient. Kai could send as much as mana that it would suck him dry, but if Killian isn't willing to go through the pain to break what's left for him to become an Enforcer, Kai's attempts would be futile.
Killian frowned, squeezing his eyes shut. A strangled cry escaped his lips as Kai felt the latter's muscles spasmed under his touch.
The way he shook his head aimlessly felt like he was about to give up. Kai's palms continued his efforts as Killian clenched his fists.
"Don't stop!" Kai barked, his voice tight with a mixture of concern and determination. "If you do, all the efforts are for nought!"
Fueled by a primal instinct for survival and a flicker of defiance, Killian pushed again.
The pain intensified, a monstrous vice squeezing his chest, threatening to shatter his bones.
Like this, he might simply give up before awakening any vaults. He thought, staring at the knight's expression.
Kai quickly closed his eyes and focused on the mana that was rushing through his veins. He knew if he closely focused on the mana he released, he could feel where it was headed.
He then inhaled deeply, grabbed Killian's hands and pushed another wave. It went right inside Killian and started swirling inside his heart.
With the point of contact, he observed his insides.
Kai was aware of what Killian could see. He should be able to see the vaults now that his focus was heightened.
"Are the Vaults becoming clearer? Those small chambers in your body?" Kai asked, getting a nod from Killian in return. "Okay, I believe you are trying to rush mana in all of them. It won't work like that, so do it one by one."
Killian's grunts continued to fill the air.
With a final, desperate roar, Killian focused on the mana, pushing it down towards one vault.
A searing crack echoed in the room, and then… relief.
The vice loosened, the white-hot agony receding like a tide. In its wake, a warmth bloomed within Killian, a power thrumming beneath his skin.
Kai felt all of it.
Killian opened his eyes, blinking away the lingering afterimages of pain.
A relieved smile broke through the worry etched on Kai's face. He kept his palm on Killian's body while trying to push mana to calm his racing heart.
"One down," he said, his voice gruff but lighter. "Six more to go. You feel it?" He asked in the heat of the moment.
"The unlocking— it took a lot of pain away, Lord Arzan. It was like… almost like a wave of pleasure. Should we continue?" he asked, breathlessly. His eyes brightened as he spoke.
Killian blinked as the sweat poured down his lashes before swiping it away.
"Yes, I can feel and sense what's happening inside your body… It's a part of the process. So don't worry, we shouldn't rest until you have all of them unlocked." Kai paused. "Let's continue now," he said and closed his eyes.
The next hour stretched into an eternity.
Each time Killian focused on a new vault, the process repeated.
Agony, a blinding flash, then a surge of warmth as the vault yielded.
The second and third vaults were harder than the first ones.
By the end of the third one, Killian was panting. He was drained, his body a trembling mess. The room's air was getting heavier as they both continued with the process.
The fourth and fifth vaults took more effort from them. Mostly, Kai. He had to drain himself while pushing enough mana for Killian to work on.
Killian remained unfazed by Kai's doings.
'One more to go," Kai said while stretching his neck. His bones cracked under pressure, but seeing more vaults opening gave him 'the go' to continue with the awakening.
"I'm ready, Lord Arzan," Killian said quickly.
In a heartbeat, Kai closed his eyes and focused on the mana swirling inside his Mana Heart. He started sending pulsating mana through his palms towards Killian.
Killian gasped as he realised how strong the last vault was. It was right above his navel, but the area surrounding it was tough to get through.
It was almost like attempting to breach a sealed vault with no keyhole in sight.
I have heard the last vault is the toughest one. Well, he should be able to push through it.
Without a word, Kai's mana flowed through Killian's body, trying to push through the final vault.
The sensations hit him left and right, almost as if he could open his body apart for how strong it was. A scream tore out of him as he pushed the mana, but the vault refused to budge.
Kai pushed in more of the mana, emptying his reserves and Killian kept at it, not giving up. Every second was daunting on his body and his shoulders were hunched from the weight of it. But as the final wave of pleasure washed over Killian, a sense of exhilaration coursed through him.
Kai opened his eyes. He looked at Killian and saw the shift in his aura.
He immediately felt… different. Stronger. He suddenly looked a bit taller and the aura he was giving was different than before.
It was sturdy, more powerful.
He looked up at Kai, a confidence in his gaze that wasn't there before. "I… I did it," he rasped, his voice hoarse.
Before Kai could say anything, his face turned pale and he fell on his knees as his stomach grumbled. Something came up to his throat and he let it all out.
Kai quickly got out of the way.
Black liquid like the poison Kai had removed from his body gushed from his mouth, a stinking smell filling the entire room. He kept throwing up for a while before it stopped and dragged his body away from the pool of black liquid.
"What was that?" He looked at the liquid with a strained face.
"Impurities from your body," he said. "That's normal with every awakening since Enforcers tend to cultivate their bodies, so the body repulses any sort of impurities that have been dormant." Kai offered a weary yet proud smile as he explained. "Either way, congratulations. You opened the pathways."
Killian nodded, opening and closing his fist before sighing.
Just by the theories he knew of, Kai guessed that there would be a lingering pain, a dull ache reminding him of the whole ordeal.
But it should pass.
A laugh, tinged with disbelief, attracted his attention. "I haven't seen this clearly since I was a child," Killian said and took long breaths, the words coming out sharp.
Kai chuckled. "You will see better as you make progress. You don't know half the things an Enforcer can do."
Killian frowned, sharpening his confusion. "What do you mean?"
"You will learn with time. The power you have awakened, you are at the first step of it. Though, power without control is a recipe for disaster. We need to learn to harness this ability, to channel it into something useful."
Killian flexed his hand, awareness tingling in his fingertips. "How will I do that? More training?"
"Something similar. You can call it training, but the official name is cultivation."
Killian, still buzzing from the aftereffects of the awakening process, straightened his back. His eyebrows perked up in confusion. "Cultivation? What does that mean?"
"Each vault acts like a wellspring of power," Kai explained, his voice filled with quiet intensity. "By absorbing ambient mana from the environment and nurturing these vaults, you'll strengthen them, allowing you to access greater levels of power. Right now, you're a First Stage Enforcer. A novice rank. You need to grow to truly show the full might of an Enforcer."
Killian frowned, a question gnawing at him. "Does that mean I can do certain things mentioned in the papers that I read before? Like, it feels unbelievable."
Kai hesitated for a beat, a flicker of unease crossing his features. "That," he said, his voice carefully neutral, "is a matter for another time. Trust me, Killian, there's much you don't know. But for now, focus on cultivating your vaults."
He clapped Killian on the shoulder, the gesture oddly forced.
Killian nodded, looking at him before something came up to his eyes. "Wait, Lord Arzan. How did you even manage to know things in such detail? Where did you get such knowledge from?" He asked, his eyes glinting with curiosity.
Kai barely managed to stop himself from frowning. When he had talked about things before, he had simply said he had read about it. Even with the Heat stones, people believed he invented them.
Maybe they just thought of him as a talented Mage. After all, he was a Duke's son, but right now, what he had shown Killian and Francis was something that would change the world if it got out.
He couldn't just say he invented it because Killian was never going to fully believe it.
There was just so much he could pretend to invent when the previous Arzan was extremely different and hadn't been a Mage for long. If he did, he was sure that Killian and Francis would simply think of him as an imposter which he was, but it might go the wrong way if they thought of him as a demon or a shapeshifter.
His identity wasn't a conversation he wanted to have right now.
With all that in mind, Kai replied, "I'm sorry, but I don't think I would be able to answer that. The knowledge didn't come from me. I did research about it, but the true origin of it is something I can't disclose right now. I could only assure you that it hadn't come from a sinful place and is meant to help you."
"Why not?"
"It's not the right time. When it comes, I will tell you everything myself."
The sincerity in Kai's voice, however faint, seemed to appease Killian for now as he nodded. His eyes clouded with an understanding.
"I believe you will. Anyway, this… feels very different," Killian looked at his own body once again. A smile tugged on his lips as he forgot the matters they were discussing previously. "I think I need to clear my head for a bit. Everything feels overwhelming…" He looked at Kai with doubtful eyes. "I should go for a run, see how these new legs feel."
Kai smiled and pulled him up from the ground. "Be careful. Don't go using up all your newfound energy in one go."
"Yes, I hope I don't get an injury. I don't think I will even if I crash into a wall. I will talk to you soon, Lord Arzan," Killian said, reaching for the door.
Kai looked at him from behind, a sigh leaving his lips.
He felt his energy low. The awakening went better than he had expected— and it was all for good.
Although his first reservations about leading an awakening—especially with an Enforcer, considering his lack of experience—were evident, Kai had backup plans. Had the awakening failed, he had options ready that would have just made Killian uncomfortable for a day or two at most. To his relief, though, the process went off without a hitch.
But now—thinking of negative scenarios wouldn't do anything. Kai sighed in relief once again, this time, the stress he bottled up left his body.
It went well… And that's all I could ask.
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