The academy lights dimmed as night settled over the imperial grounds.
Most students were already asleep, exhausted from another long day of training, lectures, and spiritual conditioning. The dormitory halls were quiet, filled only with the faint hum of magical barriers and the distant chirping of night insects.
Kael lay on his bed, eyes open.
He wasn't tired.
Not physically.
Not mentally.
The Hollow pulsed softly inside his chest, like a second heart.
Three days had passed since the first lesson with Instructor Raizel. Three days of observation, analysis, and quiet preparation. Kael had followed the routine like everyone else, staying in the middle of the rankings, never standing out, never falling behind.
But internally, things were changing.
Every night, he allowed the Hollow to absorb small traces of ambient aura from the environment. The academy was saturated with spiritual energy, and even the air itself carried residue from thousands of students constantly circulating their power.
It wasn't much.
But it was enough.
Hollow capacity: 2.3%Body reinforcement: +6%Aura sensitivity: +10%
Still insignificant compared to true elites.
But no longer zero.
Kael slowly sat up, his movements quiet and controlled. He glanced around the dorm room. His roommates were asleep, breathing evenly, completely unaware.
Nyx manifested faintly near the window, her form barely visible in the moonlight.
"You've stabilized," she said. "Your body no longer rejects the Hollow's influence."
Kael nodded. "Which means I can finally test it properly."
Nyx's eyes narrowed slightly. "On a person."
"Yes."
Not murder.
Not harm.
Just extraction.
Kael needed real data.
Ambient energy was too weak. He needed to know how the Hollow interacted with living aura — circulation patterns, resistance, feedback.
And he already had a target.
Renn.
A commoner student with earth affinity. Not especially talented, but extremely hardworking. Renn pushed himself far too hard during training sessions, constantly forcing his aura beyond its natural limits.
Kael had been watching him for days.
Renn trained at night.
Alone.
Always in the same place.
The outer practice field near the forest line, where magical surveillance was minimal.
Perfect.
Kael left the dorm quietly, moving through the academy corridors like a shadow. He avoided main paths, slipping through maintenance routes and unused staircases.
The night air was cool and heavy with mana.
He found Renn exactly where he expected.
The training field was dimly lit by floating crystal lamps. Renn stood at the center, shirt soaked with sweat, his aura flaring around him in unstable bursts of brown and gold.
He was trying to reinforce his body with earth energy, forcing it through his limbs again and again.
His breathing was ragged.
His circulation was a mess.
Nyx whispered, "He's burning through his core. This level of output isn't sustainable for someone at his stage."
Kael approached casually, pretending to stretch near the edge of the field.
Renn didn't notice.
He was too focused.
Kael activated the Hollow.
Not fully.
Just enough to open a thin channel.
A microscopic connection.
Hollow engaged.Target: Renn – Earth Aura (Low Tier).Extraction rate: 0.3% per cycle.Detection risk: Minimal.
At first, nothing happened.
Then Renn's aura flickered.
His stance wobbled.
"…What?" Renn muttered, blinking.
He placed a hand on his chest.
His heart rate increased.
His circulation faltered.
The Hollow began feeding.
Not violently.
Not aggressively.
It siphoned energy the same way a parasite draws blood — slow, subtle, almost gentle.
Kael felt it instantly.
A dense, heavy sensation flowed into his body. His muscles tingled, as if microscopic particles were reinforcing his fibers from the inside.
His bones felt warmer.
Stronger.
Earth Aura Fragment acquired (Low).Hollow capacity increased: 2.9%Body reinforcement increased: +3%Stability rating: Improved.
Renn dropped to one knee.
"Hah… hah… what the hell…"
Kael rushed forward, acting concerned. "Are you okay?"
Renn looked up, pale. "Yeah… just dizzy. This happens sometimes when I push too hard."
Kael offered him a hand. "You should take a break. Overtraining messes with your circulation."
Renn laughed weakly. "Easy for you to say… some of us need to work twice as hard just to keep up."
Kael helped him sit down.
The Hollow disengaged.
The connection vanished.
Renn's aura stabilized almost immediately.
He recovered within minutes.
No pain.
No damage.
No awareness.
Perfect extraction.
Kael returned to the dorm later that night, heart steady but mind racing.
He sat on his bed and activated the Hollow's interface.
Hollow Inventory Updated:– Bronze Aura Fragment– Earth Aura Fragment (Low Tier)– Greed Core (Corrupted)– Determination Residue
Passive Effects:– Body reinforcement: +9%– Aura sensitivity: +14%– Recovery rate: +11%– Structural stability: Increased
Kael clenched his fist slowly.
The difference was obvious.
Even without releasing aura, he felt heavier, denser, more grounded. His balance was sharper. His breathing deeper. His body responded faster to commands.
Not explosive power.
But foundational growth.
The most dangerous kind.
Nyx observed him carefully. "You didn't just steal energy. You integrated it. The Hollow didn't copy Renn's aura — it refined it."
Kael exhaled slowly.
"So it's not just absorption."
"No," Nyx said softly. "It's evolution."
Kael stared at the wall, eyes dark.
"This academy is filled with thousands of cultivators. Each one polishing their power, their bloodlines, their souls."
Nyx nodded. "And you?"
Kael smiled faintly.
"I don't polish."
"I harvest."
Nyx felt a chill despite not having a physical body.
Far away, in another dormitory, Leon Astra suddenly opened his eyes.
He sat up, frowning.
"…Strange."
He pressed a hand to his chest.
"For a moment, it felt like something shifted in the academy itself."
Leon stared into the darkness.
"Like a predator just learned how to hunt."