A gentle sigh escaped Phina's mouth as she laid below a tree on some grass. 'I think it was that dream again. Who in the world is Shira and why do I feel like she's so important? The more important question is, how do I only remember her name and voice?'
"It's okay, Sera!! I'll send you into a World inside my own! With the time dealation, you should be able to come back in time!! Hurry, Sera!!! I don't have much time! Claim the World's Core and come back me up, I won't last long on my own, he's a fucking monster!!" Phina recalled Shira's last words to her. That was all she recalled. Only her name and those sentences were in her mind before she met Fardo's group.
"You alright?" Jack said as he took a bunch of deep breathes. "Does your back still hurt?"
"Of course it does. Marrow said it'll take a few days to heal completely, but I should be able to move about by lunch time tomorrow." Phina sat up with difficulty. She laid her back on the tree behind her. "Does this really matter? Why are you teaching me how to use a sword? You should teach me all the Energy crap."
"Right now, this is more important." Jack used a towel to wipe his face. "You can overwhelm someone when you fight using that weird state you showed me. Nothing is impressive about a killing machine, that's no power. A weakling can easily buy a 10-star array to kill someone strong. Strong people can control their strength, they control their power to get the desired outcome. If you want to kill every person you try to fight, then let's move on to Life Energy."
Phina glared at Jack, who just glared back. Eventually, she sighed, "...fine, but there's no point in training with weapons now. I can't even stand for more than a minute on my own. Teach me about Life Energy. We'll go back to weapons after I heal up."
"Alright." Jack gave up. "Let's start with all the theoretical stuff. Life Energy, or Inner Energy, is the Energy in living things that make them...well...living. If you run out of Life Energy, you die. No exceptions. Humanoids tend to feel their blood pulsing in their heads after doing a laborious activity. That's because your body has used up a lot of its oxygen supply, so it's moving whatever's left to the important places like the brain. To control the flow of your blood, just flex your muscles. Flex the muscles that you want to have power, and with your trained body, you should feel something very warm there. That's Life Energy. Life Energy is the core of every action you take, so the most important task is optimizing your Life Energy control. Keep trying to sense it first. When you sense it, try to grab hold of it using your mind. It's hard to explain. Just imagine Life Energy as if it was another arm and move it. Once you get to that point, you'd be considered a Middle stage Adult-rank. Once you achieve that, call out to me I'll take a quick jog around."
"Alright...thanks Jack." Phina said lightly.
"What's up with you? Why are you thanking me?" Jack eyes widened in surprise.
"For...everything." Phina thought back to how scared she was when she entered their camp a few days ago.
"No problem." Jack smiled wholeheartedly. His smile then turned to a smirk, "If you really want to thank me, then get your memory back so that you can get us an in with the Enforcers' Exodia."
"You got it, boss!" Phina saluted as she began to practice.
Phina flexed her right bicep, then left bicep, then right and left triceps at the same time. She began feel her body warm up. 'Is this it?'
She mentally tried to reach out to it, yet the moment she focused her mind on it, her muscles relaxed. "Damn it! I was close."
"Let's try again." Phina closed her eyes and went back to it.
After a few failed tries, Jack returned from his jog.
"How're you doing?" he said as he sat to rest a little. He then smiled helplessly. "Don't tell me you already got it."
"God damn it!!" Phina cursed. "I can't get it to move!!"
"You can already sense it?" Jack raised an eyebrow in surprise. "I didn't think you'd actually get to it that quick."
"What's the point of sensing Life Energy if I can't use it?!" Phina said with a huff.
Jack chuckled lightly. He then stood up.
"Look at me, Phina." Jack smiled at Phina. "Now, close your eyes and focus on finding Life Energy again, but don't just focus on yourself."
'Focus.' Phina thought to herself. 'Focus!'
'...' just as Phina was about to give up, she found a red figure greatly resembling Jack behind her. 'There!'
"I can see yo-" Phina was shocked to find that behind her was actually the tree.
Jack came out from behind the tree with a smirk. "Since most things that can cause you harm are living, they can't hide their Life Energy completely, and that's a huge advantage. Though you're still a bit off, since you didn't see the tree. I even had to flare my Life Energy for you to detect it, but it's a step in the right direction."
"The tree?" Phina was confused.
"Plants are alive too. Everything that is alive has Life Energy as I told you." Jack explained. "That includes trees, grass, demons, angels, humans, elves, reptiles, mythics, mammals, and so on."
"I see." Phina nodded confidently. 'What the fuck's a mythic?!'
"Just keep working on it. Power is something you work for, not something you gain overnight." Jack smiled as he got the folded wheelchair next to the tree. "But for now, we should be heading back. If you breakthrough when I'm not around, take a small, I repeat, a SMALL amount of Life Energy and let it stay in your back for a few seconds."
"No problem." Phina struggled to get up.
Jack rushed to help her after unfolding the wheelchair. "Don't push yourself, we don't want you not being able to attend your little date tomorrow."
"Oh, grow up." Phina rolled her eyes as Jack helped her into the chair. "He's just a child."
Phina smiled blankly at Jack.
"Fuck you." Jack replied lightly as he started pushing the wheelchair.
They kept chatting while they headed back. Jack got her inside and helped her upstairs into Kara's room.
Knock! Knock! Knock!
"Kara!" Jack called out. "I brought Phina back."
He received no response. Phina said loudly, "It looks like she's not here, Jack! Let's go in and steal her makeup! Especially the Listerous eyeshadow!"
Bang! Bang! Bang!
The door opened as a disheveled Kara appeared behind it. Her eyes were still closed as she slurred her words. "Don touch ma Lishtrish eyeshadow!"
"Worked like a charm." Phina smirked as she stretched her arms. Kara checked her Listerous eyeshadow as she climbed back into her bed.
The Listerous eyeshadow was an unbelievably limited addition item made by the Listerous family's makeup company, Lightly Shaded. There were less than a hundred made and most were held by young Ladies of 1-3 families, while the rest were owned by Family Lords. Even though those Family Lords liked the makeup very much, they wouldn't have too many occasions worthy of it. It was Kara's most prized item, for the item was worth almost 60 gold. That was 15 times the amount they paid for renting a Royal-lineage beast carriage!!
"Well, I'll go back home now. Fardo says he has something he wanted me to do." Jack sighed. After the incident in the Party Pavilion, his opinion of his brother went down tremendously. He could barely look his brother in the eye.
"What do you do at home, Jack?" Phina asked as Jack helped her onto the couch. "All I do here is listen to Kara gush about her favorite things her dad bought her."
"I train." Jack said frankly.
"That's it?" Phina was taken aback.
"I do rest." Jack laughed.
"All you do is train?" Phina was shocked senseless. How can someone live like that?!
"What can I say? I like to train." Jack chuckled. "Anyway, I'll come get you tomorrow for the lunch. Who knows? You might be able to go on your own if you breakthrough."
"See you tomorrow, Jack." Phina waved to Jack before he waved back. "Now...back to training!"
After failing a few times, Phina looked to the now awake Kara. She was currently getting ready.
"Kara. Kaaaaraaaa." Phina moaned lazily. "Kara, get me a cup of water."
Kara sighed as she put down her Listerous eyeshadow. Kara whispered under her breathe, "What a pain in the ass!"
"Love you too!" Phina said as Kara left the room. "It'd be great if she cooked for me again like last time."
Phina began recalling meeting Kara for the first time, she was absolutely starving. Kara, like an angel having mercy on her, blessed her with a delicious cu-
"WAIT A FUCKING SECOND!!" Phina recalled. Kara had introduced herself as Kara Sanvi Link not Kara Kinus!! "KAAAAAARAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!!!!"
"WHAT?!" Kara came through the door with rage. "I can fucking hear you!!!"
"What the hell's your last name?!" Phina interrogated with vigor.
"It's Kinus, what the he-...did Jack tell you to do this?!" Kara asked with rage.
"Then who's the bitch called Kara Sanvi Link?!" Phina scoffed. 'Gotcha bitch!'
"I-I...I..." Kara's face immediately flushed red with embarrassment. She then proceeded to hurriedly explain, "I-I swear, I didn't mean to lie! I just thought that we'd go different ways after we reached the city, and I didn't want to risk it in case you were faki-"
"Oh, so I'm a lair now?" Phina interrupted.
"N-No! I-"
"I've heard enough, Kara." Phina said with a pained expression. "It's obvious you don't think of me as a friend."
"Seraphina! I-"
"If you want me to forgive you," Phina sighed, "you'll have to cook me another curry."
A look of realization donned the panicking Kara, "You bitch! That's not funny!"
"Hahahaha! You're right! It wasn't funny, it was hilarious!!" Phina laughed aloud. "You were so worried you looked like you were about to cry."
"You know what else is funny?" Kara smiled as she threw the cup of water on Seraphina.
"..." Phina looked at her, shocked. "I swear if my back was not injured, you'd be crying by now!!"
"Keep barking puppy!" Kara laughed as she went back to applying her makeup.
"..." Phina looked to the side in burning fury.
"What's the occasion?" she asked lightly. Kara was using the Listerous eyeshadow, it had to be a special occasion.
"It's our 5th anniversary." Kara smiled brightly. She was getting ready for her husband.
"Congrats." Phina said as she felt the cold water soak into her clothes, increasing her wrath. She immediately used Life Energy's power to heat her body for a bit, drying her clothes.
"...wait." Phina's eyes widened in realization. "I just used Life Energy!!"