CHAPTER:18 [Core Awakening]
After a long, tiring night, Kai woke up as usual. The moment he moved, he noticed something shocking — both of his arms felt completely normal. The partial merger with the Abyssal Shrouder DNA had healed his paralyzed right arm. For the first time in what felt like forever, he could feel it again.
He spent several minutes simply flexing and examining his right hand, a rare smile of relief crossing his deformed face. Then he went through his usual routine: changing clothes, eating breakfast, and heading to the academy.
He was sitting through another boring lecture on historical and mystical creatures when a familiar voice rang in his mind.
A white glitchy screen appeared in front of him.
Kai dismissed the screen, excitement bubbling inside him. He was one step closer to his goal.
Class soon ended and lunchtime arrived. Kai invited Feng Lin to eat with him. They chatted casually while eating, but once they finished, Kai made a surprising request.
"Feng, let's duel."
Feng smirked, clearly caught off guard. This was the first time Kai had ever asked for a spar. They made their way to a large white training room.
Both of them dropped into battle stances, eyes locked. After a tense silence, Feng relaxed slightly, pointed at Kai, and taunted,
"Bring it on, bitch."
Kai didn't hesitate. He channeled his Shapeless Shield into his legs for explosive speed and reinforced his knuckles. In a blur that left after-images, he closed the distance and slammed a devastating punch into Feng's gut.
The force sent Feng flying. He crashed hard into the far wall, creating a massive crack across the supposedly shock-proof surface.
Feng lay on the floor in a daze, blood dripping from his nose. The quiet, deformed guy everyone laughed at had been hiding this much power? He wiped the blood away, veins bulging on his neck and forehead, and grinned with pure excitement.
"Now that's more like it!"
He launched himself at Kai like a wild animal. The two clashed fiercely. Kai landed several solid hits, but Feng either dodged or redirected them, countering with brutal efficiency. After several intense minutes, both decided to end it with one final move.
Kai poured every last drop of mana into his right fist and lunged forward at blinding speed. Feng did the same. But at the very last instant, Feng tilted his head, slipped past the punch, and delivered a sharp inverted slap to Kai's chin with his left hand. At the same time, his right palm slammed into Kai's middle dantian with a powerful shock.
The "mana-dispersing palm" technique sent violent vibrations through Kai's energy pathways, forcefully ejecting his remaining mana out his back. The impact launched Kai backward into the cracked wall, collapsing part of it in a cloud of rubble.
Kai groaned from the debris, barely conscious.
"What… was that?"
Feng walked over, breathing heavily.
"That was called the mana-dispersing palm. It sends powerful vibrations through your vessels and forcefully ejects mana out your back."
Kai blacked out.
Panicking, Feng quickly checked his pulse. Thankfully it wasn't life-threatening. He lifted Kai and carried him straight to the infirmary.
......….
Far away, an old man with a receding hairline and straight hair watched the entire fight on a monitor. His massive, bulky frame was seated in a soft padded high chair. A deep frown creased his big forehead. He slammed his fist on the wooden table and called his dorm master.
Ring… ring… ring… click.
"Hello, Master Harold. Why are you calling me now?" Verda asked, clearly flustered. Harold had ordered her not to report minor things.
"Verda. Report," Harold said in a hoarse voice.
Verda sounded confused.
"Master Harold, everything is fine. There are no abnormalities. Everything is normal for now."
Harold leaned back, still frowning.
"Yeah… almost too normal."
Verda hesitated, then remembered something.
"Master, there is one small thing. A few days ago when I went to wake up Kai, he looked like he had been exercising. When I asked, he said he probably just had a nightmare."
Harold thought about it for a moment, then dismissed the idea. He hadn't sensed anything unusual when scanning the room.
"Alright. Keep a very close eye on him."
Verda answered in her professional tone,
"Affirmative."
END OF CHAPTER:18