Lilia giggled, a sound like wind chimes. "Oh, 'Dr. Smith'! So formal! You Earthlings are so funny. But yes, promptness! We're short on time, so let's get right to it. You've read the description of your ability, yes? Hunter's Eye,a mid-level branch of your unique power. Very focused, very analytical. Perfect for a calculative type like you, Tom."
"I have committed the description to memory," Tom confirmed. "The primary functions are Aura Tracing, Weakness Highlighting, and Predictive Kinematics. My concern is the execution: how does a newly Awakened control the flow of Essence to trigger a specific sensory overlay without incurring the neurological feedback—the 'drawback'—I anticipate?"
Lilia tilted her head, her smile unwavering. "Ah, the analytical paralysis! You humans worry so much about the how instead of the do's . It's all about the Core, Tom. Your Core Rank is 'Awakened'—a tiny, bright spark inside you. Think of the Essence in the air, the pure stuff that's everywhere now, as water. Your Core is the pump. Your ability is the faucet.whitch is very good because most individuals transported to the first realm are only of the fractured core rank"
She knelt and picked up a smooth, grey river stone, holding it up. "First lesson: Aura Tracing. The simplest use of the Eye. It's about seeing the Essence Signature. Everything living or Essence-infused radiates a distinct signature. It's like a thermal reading, but of the soul."
Lilia then tossed the stone behind a thick, moss-covered log. "I want you to activate the Eye. Don't strain, don't think about the 'Essence feedback.' Just focus on the intent: Find the stone."
He closed his eyes. Intent: Locate the anomalous, non-organic signature.
He felt for the Core—that nascent spark Lilia mentioned. It wasn't a physical feeling, but a mental awareness, like focusing on a quiet sound just beneath the threshold of hearing. He tried to draw energy from it, but the spark flared violently, causing a sharp, blinding pain behind his eyes.
He gasped, staggering backward and clutching his head. "The feedback is immediate. Lilia was instantly by his side, her cheerful demeanor briefly replaced by professional assessment. "Too fast! You tried to pull the water out with a bucket, Tom! It's a sip, not a gulp. The Hunter's Eye is delicate. It's an intellectual discipline, not a brute force one. Try again. Smaller current. Think of a single, fine wire extending from your Core to your eye, just for a moment."
Tom steadied himself, taking a deep, calming breath. He recalled the methodical precision he used in C.A.R.C. labs—the slow, exacting movements necessary when handling volatile essence containers.
He focused again.
This time, the pain was only a low throb. He opened his eyes. The forest did not change dramatically, but the periphery of his vision gained a distinct, ghostly blue overlay. He could see the faint, pulsating red outlines of squirrels darting up the oak, and the massive, stable green bloom of Essence surrounding Lilia's body. The log itself, a non-living object, had no glow, but the river stone behind it shimmered with a pale, low-frequency blue Essence—a leftover charge from being handled.
"There it is," Tom stated, pointing directly at the log. "Low-frequency blue signature. Inorganic residue, likely from your touch."
Lilia clapped her hands. "Excellent! See, you're already adapting! That's the Aura Tracing. Now, hold it. Hold that state for five minutes."
Tom's face immediately tightened. He could feel the pressure building behind his eyes. The world looked beautiful but violently sharp. Every shimmer, every pulse of Essence felt like noise.
Mental strain: 15 seconds. Headache onset: Minor. Functionality: 100%.
At two minutes, the headache spiked, and the lines of Essence became jagged and shaky. At three minutes, he stumbled, the world flickering between ghostly blue and normal vision.
"That's enough!" Lilia commanded, touching his arm. The Essence connection snapped, and the world returned to normal, leaving Tom dizzy and momentarily blind in the brightly lit forest.
"I lasted three minutes and twelve seconds before experiencing critical destabilization," Tom stated, massaging his temples. "The strain limits practical application to rapid, decisive scans."
"For now, yes," Lilia agreed, picking up the stone. "The Core needs strengthening. That will come with practice, or with a higher Core Rank. You need to Ascend, Tom."
Tom adjusted his spectacles. "Ascension. Is this a measured process? Is there a known methodology to increase the Core Rank efficiently?"
Lilia nodded, her expression becoming more serious. "Oh, yes. There are two ways to ascend. The Natural Way is just training—years and years of careful Essence manipulation. The required time increases the higher you go, which is why most people here are only 'Awakened' But then there's the Artifactual Way, through the Rift Towers. They were created by the world itself to contain the immense Essence overflow from the Rifts."
She lowered her voice. "Challenging one of those boosts your Core incredibly fast, allowing you to Ascend far quicker. You can also gain powerful items, equipment, and even rare Dimensional Echoes from them. But it's terrifyingly dangerous. The Essence is overwhelming, and the creatures within are brutal. I hear over eighty percent of people who enter don't make it out. It is the only fast way, though."
Tom cataloged the data: Natural Ascension: Slow, safe, time-prohibitive. Artifactual Ascension: Fast, high mortality rate, high reward. "Noted. The risk/reward ratio for the Artifactual method indicates high potential value but only if the combat algorithms are optimized. Let's move to the second function: Predictive Kinematics."