Some time later, Kyle began to recover from the partial paralysis induced by the manual during the Aftermath Stabilisation, the prescribed method of diverting surplus energy to prevent his body from collapsing under overload, as his spiritual energy had already reached their utmost limit at his present stage.
That process had left him half-paralysed.
Slowly, colour seeped back into his eyes, banishing the inky black that had filled them.
He glanced about, still somewhat dazed, and observed several alterations within himself, most notably an intensified perception, surpassing even what he had experienced upon first entering Stage One — the Foundation Purification Realm.
And this was prior to the dual cultivation with Na-Ri.
Cultivation was understood to consist of only five stages.
Until recently, he had remained Ungraded, at Stage 0, but now he had advanced to Stage 1.
The day had thus proved doubly rewarding: he had attained Layer One of Four within Tier 1, and secured a Bond Imprint from the enigmatic beauty.
"Ugh… Finally, a stroke of luck, perhaps." he mused sarcastically.
***
Kyle rose after dressing, a flicker of embarrassment shadowing his expression.
He crossed the room to the spot where he had hidden his bag and retrieved it.
"…Fucking hell. I should probably keep my distance from her… damn it," he muttered with a scowl, striding towards the exit of the theatre room while staring down at his hands.
For a moment, faint traces of frost danced across his palm before sinking back beneath the skin, and a biting chill spread through his body.
"So this is the Bond Imprint… Ice Control."
***
Skills: [Ice Control (Bond Imprint)]
Bond Links: [1]
***
Kyle clenched his fist, the air around him exhaling cold from every subtle fissure.
His eyes gleamed with amazement. If his reasoning was correct, he had attained only fifty per cent control over ice, which meant partial mastery at best.
That level of command would never allow him to construct with it, since construction with any ability required complete dominion, which he patently lacked.
At most, he could toy with ice for the time being.
Even so, it was not entirely worthless.
If he managed to obtain a personal skill or another Bond Imprint, he might be able to fuse them, transforming the result into an ability capable of delivering genuine damage.
The spark of excitement in his gaze dulled as his thoughts advanced further.
He was on the verge of leaving the room when a voice interrupted him.
"Where are you going?" Na-Ri asked in a nonchalant tone, stepping into the theatre room.
His heart faltered at the suddenness. She had already re-equipped her graceful armour and carried another backpack slung over her shoulder.
Kyle could not help but wonder how many she possessed.
He shook his head and watched as she crossed the room, lifting a chain and slipping it into the bag.
"I'm heading downstairs… Why do you care?" Kyle replied to her earlier question, then moved to leave.
"You might need more essence cores if you intend to sell them rather than consume them. So why not hunt together?"
Her words halted him in his tracks.
A cold draught swept past, forcing him to grit his teeth.
He scowled.
She was probably already aware that he had essence cores in his bag. But how had she discovered that?
The young man turned, only to see the alluring stranger approaching with her usual indifferent expression.
She cast a glance around the perimeter, as if surveying for threats, before addressing him.
"I think it would be wiser for you to consume those if you truly wish to grow stronger. Selling them… that would be remarkably foolish of you."
The words struck him like a blade.
For some time he had been too absorbed in his own weakness to realise that by consuming the essence cores he might increase his spiritual energy and rise in rank.
He raised the Qi monitor on his hand and noted his Qi level at one hundred per cent, identical to the reading displayed on the manual.
It could not advance beyond that at his current stage.
Since he had no clear indication of what would reveal whether he was near a breakthrough, he could not decide his next step with certainty.
If he consumed the cores, he still could not predict the outcome.
Perhaps it would propel him into Layer Two, or perhaps nothing would happen at all.
The matter was complex without anyone to guide him, especially given how new he was to wielding the manual.
Moreover, the little he knew had come only from his exposure in the ruined world and the people he had encountered.
Beyond that, he still had much to learn.
Realistically, someone in possession of a manual who had already achieved a breakthrough into the second stage would be the ideal companion from whom he could gain knowledge.
He lifted his gaze to meet Na-Ri's.
She was still holding his stare, perhaps waiting for him to agree to join her.
The sudden shift in her demeanour revealed that she was not what he had first assumed, but rather a lone wolf much like himself.
But... uhh... unlike him, her solitude did not appear to be born of choice.
"Well…?" she asked curtly, expecting some answer or reaction.
Neither of them trusted the other, and neither could be certain of what might unfold next, or who would make the first move.
He sighed, lowering his eyes to the gleam of her armour.
Perhaps he truly had no choice but to move with her.
However, one question lingered in his mind: why would she want a so-called 'weasel' like him at her side?
True to his nature, Kyle did not resist voicing it.
"Yeah, sure. I will only… join you if you tell me why I seem like a better choice for someone you could hunt with," he asked coldly, fixing her with an unflinching stare.
She rolled her eyes, turned away, and began walking ahead, responding to his question in a detached manner.
"Nope. You're not a better choice for me. I would just say you're… umm… important, I suppose. You did save my life, and even if I hate your weak self and almost everything I know about you so far, I still think you deserve a place in this world, even if the way you went about saving me was complicated."
A faint spark of amusement touched his eyes.
Was this truly the same deathly stranger he had encountered not long ago?
Such a sudden shift in her manner was surprising, even though she still kept her detached air.
"Umm… so that's it? By the way, are you really going to be foolish enough to go outside and just 'hunt'?" Kyle asked, matching her tone and giving her a deliberately stupid look.
The beautiful stranger turned to catch his expression, trying to gauge what he meant.
'...Does he think I am as weak as him, that I cannot even face Feral-ranked creatures?' she wondered with disdain.
Kyle blinked twice, then raised his bag containing the essence cores of Glassfang rats.
He decided to explain the supposed situation outside, though naturally through his best skill: lying.
"I think some random hunter killed the boss of this zone, which lifted the mind veil over every beast bound to it. Now they are all raging and prowling around every corner...
"...But of course, if you are powerful enough to kill fifty Feral-ranked creatures, each one being a Brute-type mutant, then by all means, lead the way, Ms Strong."
He sneered as he pressed his temples.
The young stranger shot him a glare, then lifted her gaze with a sigh and replied with calm confidence.
"Let's go."
Kyle's heart jolted with surprise, though he hid it well, not wanting to appear cowardly.
After a short pause for thought, he muttered his answer:
"…Umm, whatever."
With that, they turned their focus to leaving, already bound together as a duo by circumstance...