Hale was currently sitting cross-legged at the top of the stream, the sound of water rushing over stones filling the quiet night. The bitter taste of the pill Remy had given him still lingered on his tongue. Across from him, Remy was in the stream, bathing. Behind him, Rhea rested one hand lightly against his back, her expression once again calm and composed, as if the events earlier had never happened.
Hale had already used Pacify on himself again, forcing the haze in his head to clear.
"You haven't practiced any tribal arts to temper your body yet," Rhea said matter-of-factly. "But starting with a herbal bath and cleansing your impurities before building your foundation—it's actually a good thing. Many don't get the chance. You're actually lucky because of Blood Daughter."
Hale's lips twitched. "Thanks for the encouragement, sis. So… what do I actually do?"
"I'll guide you," Rhea said, her voice steady. "First, you need to find your energy center—Usually, it lies in the abdomen. That's where your mana gathers. Once you feel it, send a thread of it outward."
Her hand pressed gently against his back. "I'll show you the meridian paths. My mana will move through your body, tracing the meridians. Think of them like blue veins or glowing nerves stretching to every part of you. All you need to do is follow along, send your own mana through those same lines. Don't fight it—just match me."
"Usually, letting someone else's mana into your body is dangerous," Rhea said evenly. "If they carry malicious intent, they could cripple you with ease. But you—" her eyes lingered on him, cool and sharp, "you're like a toddler who hasn't even found his own meridians yet. Makes me wonder… which cave did you crawl out of?"
"Ahm…" Hale scratched his cheek, feeling oddly at home with her blunt jabs. "I trust you, sis. So don't worry about it…just start."
"Alright, close your eyes and feel your energy center."
Hale obeyed, though he couldn't help recalling earlier when he'd used his skills—he'd felt some strange energy slipping through him. That had been controlled directly by his system; the skills activated with nothing more than his intent. He wondered if the skill would even work if he were completely drained of mana.
He concentrated, trying to locate his energy center. Easier said than done. After all, he was an Earthling—suddenly being told to close his eyes and ascend to heaven like some cultivation novel was a bit much. He focused on his abdomen, thinking about his stomach, pancreas, intestines…well that didn't work.
"Try to keep calm and just feel inward," Rhea's voice cut through his frustration. "You can find your energy center easily. If not… well, you might as well dig a hole and bury yourself alive."
Hale's lips twitched, but he kept quiet—there was no way he was feeding her mood. She was probably still fuming over his little mishap with her hair.
He shut out stray thoughts and focused inward, imagining a void. Slowly, a sense of peace settled over him. Then, he saw it: a spherical light, like a star floating in the emptiness. White, radiant, and pulsing softly. That was it—his energy center. He honed in on it, feeling the pulse of energy within himself, illuminated like a miniature sun.
"I found it, sis," Hale said without opening his eyes.
"Good. Now follow your mana through the pathways—I'm sending my mana along. Make sure it flows through everything. With the herbal paste on your body, the impurities will gather on the skin. Once that's done, send your mana into your stomach to increase the pill's absorption and complete the process," Rhea instructed.
"Ah… sis, can we just do one step at a time?" Hale suggested, a hint of embarrassment in his voice.
Rhea let out a long sigh, patience thinning. "Just follow my mana with yours. Start from your energy center and focus."
Remy, scrubbing herself nearby, chuckled softly at the scene.
Hale concentrated, sending his intent through the energy center. Blue energy appeared in the void, forming pathways that he instantly recognized as Rhea's doing. Slowly, his own energy began to flow, streaming from his energy center and following the paths she had shown him.
Minutes later, Hale almost gagged. A pungent stench hit him, accompanied by a sticky, mucus-like substance coating his skin. Impurities for sure. Fucking hell, he thought, grimacing. This smells worse than Cockless's shit. He cursed the poor Cockless for no reason whatsoever.
Once Rhea confirmed he had followed all the pathways, she said, "Now, focus on the pill you ate. Send your mana to increase its absorption. Once that's done, the herbal paste bath will be complete."
Hale nodded, turning his concentration toward his stomach—where food usually ended up. He couldn't help but recall those awkward times when water or food accidentally went down the wrong pipe toward the nose or windpipe. That sensation was pure hell.
Soon, he located the pill's presence and carefully pushed his mana into it, urging it to break down and spread faster. Moments later, the pill dissolved completely, and a wave of warmth and coolness washed through him. His whole body tingled, as though he were stepping into a new world altogether. It was intoxicating—an exhilarating rush of power, raw and alive, coursing through every fiber of his being.
It was truly his first step into the world of body cultivation.
Hale slowly opened his eyes—only to frown immediately. His entire body was coated in a thick, black, mucus-like substance, as if he had just taken a dip in a drainage ditch. And the smell… that was just a cruel bonus. Then, a spark of inspiration hit him.
"Hey, sis," he said, voice hopeful. "What if I just walk into the Blood-Daughter's chamber like this? Pretty sure she'll kick me out before I even have to open my mouth. Problem solved."
Rhea gave him a look reserved for absolute idiots. "Just use your mana to burn it off. Then scrub down with the lotion there. If you actually showed up in her chamber like that, her guards would gut you before you even reached the door."
"…Oh." Hale sighed. It was worth a shot, at least.
He focused again. With his pathways already opened, he no longer needed Rhea's guidance. He simply willed his mana forward, coating his hands until pale energy shimmered over his skin. Wherever it touched, the black sludge sizzled away. Soon his entire body flared with white ethereal energy—like some half-baked version of going Super Saiyan. Not quite as flashy, but effective enough.
After a while of burning, scrubbing, and washing with Rhea's help, Hale was finally clean. He sat on the soft grass, completely naked, while his clothes—still stained from his earlier marathon and his unfortunate manhandling by Freka, were drying nearby. Thanks to a little push of mana, they were almost done.
"Mana as a dryer," Hale muttered to himself. "Truly, you learn new things every day."
Now, Hale leaned back on the grass, watching Rhea take her turn in the stream while Remy helped her wash. Two brown-haired beauties bathing together…it was a blissful sight, almost enough to make him forget the stench he'd just gone through.
He forced himself to calm down, dragging his eyes away from the scene. With a deep breath, he shifted inward towards his Soulspace and pulled up his stats, curious to see just how much they'd changed.
— ✦ —
[ SOUL RECORD ]
Tier: 0 [ Foundation ]
Level: 3 [ 75% ]
[ — Core Stats — ]
Strength : F- ➝ F
Agility : F ➝ F+
Endurance : F- ➝ F+
Vitality : F- ➝ F+
Intelligence : E
Willpower : E+
Mana : F- ➝ F+
— ✦ —
"Ho…" Hale muttered. Sadly, no stats jumped to S+. Just a single sub-point bump in Strength and Agility, while Endurance, Vitality, and Mana climbed by two. He figured it only increased this much because it was just a herbal bath, probably without any rare ingredients too. Not like the Blood Daughter would ever be generous enough to hand out rare resources for free. He wondered why she even bothered to give him the bath in the first place. She probably felt the impurities in my blood when she tasted it back in the cage, he thought grimly.
Whatever it was, Hale had no idea what Blood daughter's plans were for him.