Chapter 14: The Mortal Shadow and the Night's Touch
The greatest of talents... often comes with the deepest of abysses by its side...
The higher we climb... the more severe a single fall becomes...
And sometimes... the hand that catches us... is not our own.
— From "Confessions of a Fallen Genius"
The training continued intensely for several weeks.
Lunaria and I improved by leaps and bounds under Kaen's tutelage.
Lunaria... became an astonishingly balanced swordswoman and mage. She could cast fire magic to create distance... then use her dark elf speed to strike at an enemy's weak points with precision.
As for me... I became a "problem" in a way no one expected.
I could "debug" almost any basic spell... [Aqua Ball] was improved by me into [Aqua Jet], using less than half the MP... [Terra Wall] was restructured to be stronger with less earth...
Kaen had stopped teaching me "how to cast spells"... and instead switched to "giving me problems to solve."
"Faelix... the 'Wind Cutter' spell uses a lot of mana but dissipates too easily... Try to find a way to make it more 'compressed' and 'hold its shape' longer."
It was a challenging "assignment"... and the most dangerous trap for me.
I became lost in analyzing "aerodynamics" and "air pressure" in my head... losing track of day and night...
...And then... it happened.
"Faelix... you should rest," Lunaria warned. "You're looking very pale."
"Just a little more..." I replied without looking up. "...I'm close to finding a way to reduce the air resistance."
[ MP 215/1000 ]
[...State 'Hyperfocus' (from ADHD) is at peak efficiency...]
[...You are ignoring all surrounding warnings...]
[...Rate of MP decay increased by 50%...]
I shook off Kaen's hand as he tried to stop me and attempted to gather my MP to cast a spell again.
"Faelix! Don't!"
I didn't listen... and the moment I tried to "write the code" in my head...
[...MP below 20%...]
[...Effect of 'The Devouring Shadow' has INTENSIFIED...]
[...You have entered the state: [DEEP DIVE]...]
Fwump!
The entire world turned grey... I collapsed to the ground...
And worst of all... a warm fluid gushed from my nose...
[...Exceeding MP limit has triggered the effect of 'Fragile Blood Vessels'...]
[...You have received the abnormal status: [ Unceasing Blood Loss (HEMORRHAGE)]...]
[...Warning: This status is amplified by [The Devouring Shadow]. Conventional physical treatment cannot stop it...]
[...WARNING... If not treated within 5 minutes, it may lead to death...]
[...HP is decreasing rapidly...]
Kaen's eyes widened... As a veteran warrior, he was familiar with the [ Unceasing Blood Loss (Hemorrhage) ] status... but this was different!
He could sense a pitch-black, chillingly unnatural aura radiating from me... an energy that felt of "emptiness" and "annihilation."
"What in the world is that curse!?" Kaen swore. "Princess! Don't go near him! That energy is dangerous!"
But Kaen was too slow...
The second Lunaria saw the blood and felt that mortal aura... her instincts worked faster than thought... Adrenaline and the blood of the Ancestors of the Night sent her rushing towards me faster than Kaen could even move!
She knelt down... gently dabbing at the unstoppable flow with a cloth... before holding a fragrant pouch of "Night Lotus" near my nose.
But the blood... it still seeped out...
"Damn it... why won't it stop..." she murmured frantically, the ruby-red glint in her dark brown eyes now clearly visible.
She decided to do something no one could have expected...
She closed her eyes... and whispered a faint, ancient language...
[...Lunaria is using the skill 'Night's Touch'...]
Her fingertips, resting on the cloth, began to emit a faint, deep purple aura...
An icy sensation ran from the cloth to the bridge of my nose... and the once-unstoppable flow... slowly lessened... until it stopped completely.
[Abnormal Status: [ Unceasing Blood Loss (Hemorrhage)]... has been remedied...]
I stared at her, stunned...
She was breathing a little heavily... sweat beading on her forehead.
"My bloodline... it responds to 'life force'..." she explained faintly.
Her actions... her care that went beyond words... it was like an anchor dropped into the storm in my soul.
[...You have received the effect of 'Unhesitating Sacrifice'...]
[...The effect of skill 'Balance of Shadows' is at peak performance...]
I gathered all my remaining mental power... reached out my trembling hand... and gently touched hers...
"...Thanks."
[...You have overcome the [Deep Dive] state through 'Your Own Will'... Success!]
[...Special Condition Met: Unlocked a new skill...]
[ One Small Step - Ultimate Skill ]
• Effect: When in the [Deep Dive] state with MP below 10%, you can use all remaining mental power to successfully perform "one single meaningful action" (e.g., speak one word, use an item, take one step).
• Cooldown: 24 hours.
The world returned to color once more...
I looked at Lunaria's face... and at Kaen, who stood frozen in shock a short distance away.
(Scene cuts to midnight at the Shadow Guard's lodging)
Kaen was writing a report to Vulcan in a secret script.
"...Faelix's condition is more dangerous than we assessed... His mental power is directly linked to his physical body. Exceeding his limits causes a severe hemorrhage state, amplified by an unknown curse... It could be fatal.
But what is more astonishing is the princess... It seems the bloodline of the 'Ancestors of the Night' in her reacts to Faelix's power... She was able to stop his physical symptoms... It is as if... fate itself created them to support one another.
We must watch them both more closely than ever... Vulcan... these two children... they are no longer just 'hope'... they may be a 'new equation'... one that will change all the rules of this world..."