The rest of the meal passed in silence.
Then, Hayden retreated to his room after a long, steaming bath. But the warmth of the water did little to ease the tension in his muscles.
"Hu~"
His room was a small but comfortable space on the second floor of the manor. It was another uneventful day for him but he needed to balance his training and rest to improve his physique.
The manor was quiet now as the servants were either asleep or guarding their masters. He closed the door behind him followed by the soft click of the latch to lock his door.
Sitting on the edge of his bed, he activated the Ocularis Lens.
His left eye didn't give a faint glow like the true Ocularis Lens implanted on him in his past life. However, he knew that his pupils would turn black whenever he did this as he tried it in the mirror…
In any case, Hayden started with his daily check on his body.
Soon, the Lens provided information as it began scanning his body.
He had done this every night since his reincarnation but this time, it will be different.
[ Initiating full body scan. Analyzing physique and energy flow. ]
Hayden closed his eyes, focusing on the data streaming through his mind.
Though the Lens no longer required a battery that needed to be charged, each usage would actually consume his energy or stamina.
This time, Hayden already improved his body, so he believed that his full-body scan would finally find something that he needed.
The Ocularis mapped his body in intricate detail, highlighting areas of weakness and imbalance. This information was all seen by Hayden.
'It's here…'
His muscles were underdeveloped, his stamina lacking, and his energy flow—his meridians to be exact—were almost completely blocked.
It was something he couldn't detect before.
[ Anomaly detected. Meridian blockage at 92%. Primary cause: Ancient condition known as the 'Veil of Aetheris. ]
He finally knew the primary cause of his meridian blockage! Of course, he was glad to see that the blockage lowered from 93% probably through his various efforts.
Hayden's eyes lit up.
Scanning those books in their small library for the past few days had finally resulted in something. He believed that one of the books that Roan brought back contained some information about his condition.
It was a good thing he scanned over a dozen books this day with the help of his Ocularis Lens. It barely uses his energy after all.
The Lens may not be capable of transferring the knowledge to him, but it could at least help him store information that he could browse at any time.
Hayden wryly smiled at this since the Ocularis Lens of before was just being used to store his assassination plans, target lists, detailed strategies, and various survival information. The storage was very limited.
This time, however, Hayden couldn't tell what was the limit of his invisible Ocularis Lens.
"The Veil of Aetheris? What is that?" He finally asked.
The Ocularis responded by flashing more information in front of him.
[ The Veil of Aetheris is a rare condition that blocks the flow of aura through the meridians. It is often caused by a congenital defect or exposure to aura-disrupting substances during early development. Symptoms include weakness, fatigue, and inability to manifest aura... ]
"Fair enough… It looks like my condition…"
There was more information provided and it seemed that the Lens was comparing this to the existence of qi in his past life. In this world, however, it seemed that it was just called aura, a formless energy.
"Haaa~ So it's like that…"
Hayden frowned but he still felt glad that he found out what was really happening to his body.
That explained why his new body was so frail, and why he struggled to keep up with even the most basic training.
But why had no one in the Gray family noticed? Or had they simply not cared?
In his memories, he was certainly visited by a few doctors and found nothing…
"Those quacks…" Hayden grumbled.
Thankfully, the Ocularis Lens was also filled with information related to various medicines or treatments since everyone who used it would literally get injured almost every time.
After just a few moments, the Lens already made a possible treatment plan!
[ Treatment Option: Acupuncture.
By stimulating key points along the meridians, the blockages can be cleared, restoring aura flow. Warning: The procedure is high-risk. Insufficient stamina or control may result in fatal energy backlash. ]
Hayden smiled since acupuncture was something he could already do in his previous life even with closed eyes. It was one of the most basic treatments they could use to treat pain.
Hayden leaned back as he saw other treatment options flashed by his Lens but they weren't possible without high-tech equipment he could use.
"Acupuncture… I should be fine then."
Of course, he only knew how to use the needles taught to him by the Ocularis Lens before.
This time, however, he felt compelled to really study its principles and not just learn where to poke. After all, it might be useful someday considering the lack of advanced technology in this world.
Especially with the existence of those quacks who didn't find anything wrong in his body.
"Let's see…" He muttered.
What he knew about Acupuncture was a bit shallow. He was at least aware that this technique was originally used to balance the body's energy.
As for how it happens he had no idea about it at all.
[ … ]
Thankfully, the Ocularis Lens was able to explain a lot of information about it. It even mentioned that within this world, it was likely a lost or forgotten art based on the medical books he scanned.
"As for the needles… I don't think I can find it here… I have to make it or at least, someone to help me make one." Hayden squinted his eyes as he already had an idea of what to do.
Those needles were quite special and there was no way his seven-year-old body could make something like that.
He planned to ask the blacksmith of the manor who was the father of the stablehand he had befriended over the past few days.