"Binding a weapon to my soul?"
Hiro repeated, the concept still foreign to him.
"Yes, It's not very difficult, really. It's better to show than tell. We'll try it with you."
Hiro glanced at Zenith, his mind racing with questions about how such a thing could even be possible. Was it some kind of magic? Would it hurt? He hoped not.
"Bring your armor here,"
"Okay,"
standing up. He made his way to his room, thoughts swirling in his head. As he walked, he tried to imagine the process.
'Would it require a ritual? Would it demand some kind of sacrifice? Or maybe... is it about willpower?'
Despite the mystery, Hiro felt a spark of excitement. If this worked, it would be his first step toward something truly extraordinary. He reached for his armor, determined to learn the secrets of soul-binding.
Hiro sat once again in front of Zenith, this time with the armor in hand. He placed it carefully on the table before him.
"First, you need to find your soul core, close your eyes and focus entirely on your body. Try to locate the point where all your energy accumulates, and concentrate on that."
Hiro obeyed, closing his eyes and tuning out everything except his own body. He became acutely aware of the rhythm of his breathing, the steady beat of his heart, and the subtle shift of his muscles beneath his skin.
This was something he had learned to do during his time bedridden, back when he first met Zenith. At that time, it had been a way to distract himself. Now, however, it was the key to something much greater.
Opening his eyes would break his concentration, so he kept them closed, searching deeper within himself. Hiro knew his soul core wasn't external, so he focused on his torso—his center of gravity, or perhaps his heart.
'Maybe it's near there…'
He searched throughout his body, checking every part, but nothing stood out.
'What was it Zenith said? To find where all the energy gathers… Energy…'
It dawned on him then. He wasn't looking for a physical point in his body, but a place where his energy naturally accumulated. Realizing his mistake, Hiro shifted his focus, expanding his awareness beyond the physical to the flow of his energy.
He started from his feet, where the energy in his body was often depleted and felt a strange tingling sensation that traveled up his legs and into his core. Slowly, it moved, threading upwards, until he felt it settle in a deep, centered place within him.
"I got it!"
Hiro exclaimed quietly, a triumphant grin spreading across his face.
Zenith smiled.
"I'm glad. Now, just the beginning. Place your hand on the armor."
"Okay."
Hiro moved forward and placed his palm gently against the leather armor that lay before him, ready for the next step.
"You probably felt the threads of energy within your body, those are your fate circuits. When you rank up, they'll allow you to manipulate fate itself. For now, they're weak and can only perform this one function."
Hiro nodded, focusing on the faint sensation of threads weaving through his body—his fate circuits.
'Soon enough, I'll be able to use them properly, he thought, determination sparking within him.'
"Now, concentrate on the circuits in your hand. Picture them as the roots of a tree, sinking into the soil—or in this case, the armor."
Hiro closed his eyes and imagined delicate roots extending from his palm, reaching into the armor like tendrils seeking nourishment from fertile ground.
"Now, pull the roots back toward you, drawing the armor into yourself,".
Hiro followed her guidance. As he visualized the roots retracting, he felt a new sensation—a soothing energy flowing into his body. It spread like warm sunlight, touching every corner of his being, until it finally converged at his soul core.
"When the energy reaches your soul core, open your eyes,"
He obeyed, opening his eyes slowly—and his heart skipped a beat. The leather armor was gone.
"Where did it go?!"
Hiro exclaimed, startled.
"Don't worry, It's now bound to your soul."
"Is it really?"
"Yes, try thinking about summoning your armor, and it will appear."
"Alright…"
Hiro hesitated for a moment, fearing he might lose the armor, his first gift from Zenith. But he closed his eyes and focused, thinking only of retrieving the armor.
In an instant, the leather armor materialized over his body, fitting perfectly as it always had.
He gasped, startled but relieved. A wave of gratitude and awe washed over him.
"I'm glad it worked," Zenith said with a satisfied smile. "But with this new ability comes responsibility. Remember, your soul is like a storage container—it has limited space. While it will expand slightly as you rise in rank, the increase is not significant. So, never bind anything useless to yourself. And unbinding something? That's a pain you can't even begin to imagine."
Hiro nodded earnestly. "Okay, I won't."
"Good. Now, let's talk about your next phase of training."
"Sure," Hiro said, leaning forward, his curiosity piqued.
Zenith stared at him intently, her emerald eyes almost piercing. "In the past, I told you that you'd start with mental training, followed by spiritual training. But I've decided it's better to combine the two. It will be far more beneficial to tackle them simultaneously."
"I'm up for any training," Hiro replied, his voice steady with determination.
"I'm glad to hear that," Zenith said with a nod. "For your spiritual training, you'll focus on long periods of meditation. Right now, your soul core is little more than a fractured vessel. You'll need to strengthen its shape until it's stable enough to rank up.
"This ties directly into your mental training. I'll provide you with an item similar to your mask—it will help focus your mind. Once your soul's shape is fortified, you'll meditate to train your perception, learning to ignore everything except the most vital details of the world around you."
Hiro listened intently, the weight of her words settling over him. Strengthening his soul and sharpening his mind—it was going to be a new challenge, but he was ready to face it head-on.
"Oh and also it's about time you did your fist hunt you up for the challenge?"