It had already been three days on the sea tower, which meant three horrifying and exhausting nights for Nier, filled with relentless fighting.
As for Annie, after hearing about their father's death, she initially seemed depressed. However, as her health improved and her injuries healed, a spark of brightness began to return to her demeanor. Nier had mentioned the warrior path to her, but she didn't seem interested, so he let it go.
"Hey, Nier! The food is ready. Come eat!"
As they sat down to share their meager rations, Nier studied Annie. She didn't look like someone who had been depressed just days ago; he could tell she was hiding behind a mask of smiles.
"Hmmm! What's wrong? Is there something on my face?" she asked, her mouth still full of food.
Nier realized he had been staring. "Swallow first before speaking," he said, shifting the topic. At least she was physically healthy again.
"Oh! I almost forgot!" Annie exclaimed after swallowing.
"What? Is something bothering you?"
"Well, it's not that something is bothering me…"
"Then what is it?" Nier had already finished eating and turned his full attention to her.
"Remember the other day when I removed my bandages?"
"Of course I remember; it was just yesterday! Why would I forget?"
"Well, I found a strange marking on my chest this morning."
"A what now?"
"A strange marking…" Annie stood up and lifted her shirt just enough for the marking to be visible. "Do you see it? Right here, just below my neck," she said as she leaned closer for him to see.
"I see it. Just stop moving so much." Nier placed his hand over the mark. The only way to understand what it was would be to use his ki to inspect it. During the three nights they had spent there, he had become quite proficient in using ki. Although he normally couldn't project his ki outside his body, he could sense other ki around him, allowing him to perceive things even in darkness. This ability had been invaluable during their time on the tower, especially during the constant nighttime battles that had forced him to learn this technique.
Concentrating all his ki in the hand resting on the mark, he tried to feel its energy but sensed nothing—an impossibility since everything must emit ki in some form or another. Ki was defined as the source of life force; unless something was a rock, it should emit ki—especially a mark on a living being. This was strange to Nier, but he knew he was still new to this and attributed his inability to sense the mark's ki to his own weakness.
"Is something wrong? You're looking all serious," Annie said.
Nier met her gaze, still lost in thought before finally snapping back to reality. "Oh! Sorry for making you worry; nothing is wrong." He removed his hand from her chest and pulled her shirt back down.
"Not sure if I believe you," she replied as she returned to her seat and continued eating.
"Why would I lie to you? Annie, I'm your brother," Nier said half-jokingly.
"You're a bad liar, you know that?"
Nier laughed as he got up but paused before leaving for training. "Is there something else?" she asked, noticing his strange movements.
"Do you have anything else abnormal? It doesn't have to be on your body."
Taking a bite of her food, she replied, "No, I don't think so. Although I feel like my mind is much clearer than before."
"Okay then. I'll be leaving now; if anything comes up, tell me."
---
Nier sat cross-legged, circulating his ki throughout his body. This practice helped stabilize his core; although it was already stable, it didn't hurt to make sure. After this session, he planned to learn the technique that had led to their father's death. Initially, he thought he wouldn't need to learn it after witnessing its devastating effects on his father. But now he was reminded of how weak he was and that the price of weakness could cost him another family member's life.
After all, Annie had developed those strange markings after healing from wounds caused by an octopus-like sea creature's blood. Nier now understood that this creature had been akin to a warrior since it could control ki. Thus, he needed to become stronger—even if it meant risking his own life—because saving his last remaining family member made dying seem less daunting.
Once he stabilized his core, Nier entered the Empiric book again and was not surprised when more words appeared from the stars. He finally discerned what that technique was: **The Eighteen Arhat Hands**. This technique consisted of eighteen stages of mastery representing the eighteen levels of the warrior path—though Nier wasn't sure if "level" meant "step" in this context. Each stage granted the user a unique ability represented by a hand.
The first thing Nier needed to do was take two-thirds of the blood in his body and spill it onto the Empiric book while simultaneously moving his ki through the blood and enveloping it around the book so that it could be absorbed by him. He instantly recognized that losing that amount of blood would bring him close to death's door; however, since he had already resolved to proceed with this plan regardless of its danger, he wouldn't back down now.
After leaving the Empiric book, he prepared for advancement into the first stage of Arhat Hands—the Hand of Devourer. First things first: he needed to ensure Annie wouldn't interrupt him mid-advancement because things were bound to get messy enough for her to think he had gone crazy.
He approached where Annie was busy sewing up torn clothes; she seemed extremely focused as if nothing else mattered at that moment.
"Hey Annie," Nier called out.
Startled She turned toward him. "God! Don't ever scare me like that!"
"Haha! Sorry if I scared you."
"No problem! So what did you want?"
"I just needed you to know that I'll be busy for quite a while; don't disturb me if you need something—I'll see it after okay?"
"Okay! I've got no problem with that," she replied nonchalantly while continuing her sewing.
"Thanks sis! You're the best." She smiled at that as he returned to his place.
Now that distractions were dealt with, Nier began the main event. He took out his dagger and placed the Empiric book before him, extending his wrist right above it. Inhaling deeply then exhaling slowly, he cut through his wrist cleanly.
"Shit! This hurts like hell!" he grunted as blood flowed from the deep cut—deep enough to risk losing his wrist but not so deep as to prevent him from spilling enough blood onto the Empiric book.
As blood streamed down onto the book, he led his ki outside his body through his blood. The Empiric began glowing—first sporadically—before its intensity increased until it started melting slowly into a stream of blood flowing into Nier's body. He lost track of time as pain numbed all other senses; especially when the book started melting—it felt like his entire body would fall apart—but he ignored it. Any time the wound began healing due to his enhanced recovery abilities, he slashed it open again.
Once all of the Empiric had entered him and healed instantly along with his wound closing up again, Nier's brain became overloaded with information about Arhat's first hand.
When he finally opened his eyes again, he found himself lying in a pool of blood with Annie standing over him looking furious.
"Oh hey Annie," he greeted weakly.
"What the hell happened here? Why are you lying there?"
"I was doing a little experiment and—"
"Experiment my butt!" She looked both mad and concerned at once while Nier smiled at her.
"What? Am I that funny?"
"No! I was just thinking about what a wonderful sister I have."
She blushed but quickly hid it from view. "You can't sweet-talk me into calming down; seriously—you should take better care of yourself!"
Nier pushed himself up from the pool of blood feeling weak and pale; considering how much blood he'd lost—it was a miracle he could even stand...
"Anyway," Annie continued with urgency in her tone, "that's not why I came here."
"Hmmm?"
"A ship is coming here!"
At this declaration, excitement surged through Nier's veins. "Really? Where is it?"
"Go wash yourself first! You reek of death—you know that?"
Reluctantly agreeing but still buzzing with excitement inside, Nier rushed off to clean up. Finally—this nightmare would end!