I sat near a lava pool, lost in my thoughts.
I dipped my finger into the bubbling lava and watched it turn red-hot before slowly returning to normal. My body was changing. Before awakening, this simple act would have melted my entire finger, but now... not even a scratch.
A week has passed since I got here.
At the end of the first day, Arkas came down and tossed me a military bag. It had food, water, and two more pairs of uniforms. I only wore pants. The shirt and boots? I tossed them aside. After that Arkas did not visit again.
I glanced at myself. My body was jacked. Muscles defined and compressed, veins visible beneath the skin. I looked... strong.
In the past week, I only leveled up twice.
I was level 18.
After leveling up I poured all my points into Psynapse, reaching 51 points.
And that... completely screwed me over.
The moment I crossed the 50 mark, something triggered inside my head. My entire brain felt like it was being restructured.
I was about to go and find another orc when it happened. But the force of that change slammed me to the ground, forcing me to sit still for an hour.
I've never heard of this happening to anyone else.
My guess? It was because I crossed 50 points before acquiring my class.
When the process finally ended... I realized I was utterly screwed.
Everything around me rushed at me like a high-speed train.
The smell of sulfur and burning lava.
The sound of the volcano rumbling and the distant growls of orcs.
Even the faint pulsing of the pods I left behind... I could hear it all.
My eyes burned from the intensity of light and heat.
I wasted six hours just sitting there, adjusting to my senses.
It felt like I'd unlocked a cheat code but my body wasn't ready for it.
Even my thoughts ran at insane speeds now.
And when I activated [Psynapse Boost], despite it being only level 2, it felt way stronger than before.
[Psynapse Boost] leveled up to Level 3 right after that.
I had to spend two entire days retraining my body, my fighting style, and even my skills to adapt.
But... I wasn't complaining.
If Psynapse had such an effect at 50 points... I wondered what would happen when I pushed my other attributes across the threshold.
I yawned and stretched, the heat from the lava pool warming my bare back.
Seven days in this burning pit. Seven.
I dipped my finger into the lava again, watching it sizzle and turn red hot before cooling down.
My body was adapting. No burns. No pain. Just raw heat flowing through my veins.
"...Man, I'm becoming a monster."
I leaned back, ignoring the fact that the heat was slowly cooking my pants.
In the past week, I fought over many orcs, leveled up to 18, and somehow restructured my brain by pushing [Psynapse] past 50 points.
Which, by the way, was the worst experience of my life.
'At this point, I might as well start living here. Maybe I'll build a small hut next to the lava pool. Call it "The Orc Slayer's Retreat."'
Now I was just sitting here letting my body recover from my previous fights.
Next I planned to work on the [Essence Manipulation] skill with the help of my increased Psynapse.
I dipped my finger in the pool again.
"This is exactly what I needed," I muttered to myself, wiggling my fingers in the molten lava.
"A little me-time by a nice, relaxing pool of volcanic sludge. What could go wrong?"
I let out a satisfied sigh.
"Now that I think about it this is my first personal vacation. Who needs a fancy vacation when you've got a magma pool in your backyard? It's all about the simple pleasures in life."
I looked down at the pool, imagining it could hear me.
"Hey there, Mosby the Magma Pool,"
I said with a grin.
"How's it bubbling?"
No response.
"Silent type, huh?" I chuckled.
"That's cool, I can do all the talking. You listen, Mosby. They say it's therapeutic to talk to yourself, you know. Good for the mind."
I stretched out, the heat soothing my aching muscles.
"I must be the luckiest guy alive," I continued. "Some folks pay good money for hot stone massages, but I've got the real deal right here. All-natural, eco-friendly, and conveniently located."
Suddenly a few bubbles popped in the lava, I pulled my finger back, chuckling to myself.
"Alright, alright, I'll keep my fingers to myself. You're a tough crowd, Mosby, but I like you. Strong and silent, just the way I like my molten rock pools."
I closed my eyes, letting my body relax against the heat.
But the warmth...it reminded me of something.
A memory.
One buried deep within me.
My fifth birthday.
I remember sitting on my mom's lap, in front of the fireplace in our small house.
The flames crackled softly as my dad stood in the kitchen, trying to light the candles on my cake.
"Damn the candles are so weak," he muttered.
"Language," my mom warned him with a serious face.
"Right. Sorry. Damn the candles are so weak... ma'am."
I giggled as my mom ruffled my hair.
My dad finally managed to light the candles, placing the cake in front of me.
A simple chocolate cake. Small. But perfect.
"Alright, champ," Dad said, grinning. "Make a wish."
I stared at the flickering flames on the candles.
I remember feeling warm. Safe. Loved.
I closed my eyes and made a wish.
I wished to be strong.
Strong enough to make them proud.
To be the strongest.
I blew out the candles.
And in that moment, the fireplace in front of us flickered, flames shooting higher.
My mom and dad simply laughed.
But I felt something...
Like the fire had responded to my wish.
That was the last birthday I spent with them.
Two years later, they died.
Killed in action.
And I...
I was left with that wish.
To be strong.
I opened my eyes, staring at the bubbling lava pool in front of me.
"I'm getting there," I whispered.
Finally, I stood up.
I checked my Essence store.
10/10.
Full.
I stepped back and found a relatively safe spot where my pants wouldn't turn to ash and sat down, crossing my legs. Taking a deep breath, I closed my eyes and focused inward.
I directed my attention toward my heart, where the Essence flowed.
Last time, when I tried shaping the Essence, I barely managed to form an uneven circle. But this time... I was sure I could do much better.
I activated [Essence Manipulation] and slowly guided the Essence through my body.
Immediately, I felt the difference.
My enhanced Psynapse allowed me to perceive the flow of Essence with much greater clarity.
It was like moving from blurry vision to crystal-clear sight. Every thread of Essence, every pulse, every ripple, I could feel it all.
I nudged the flow, guiding it with ease. The resistance I felt before was almost nonexistent now.
The Essence responded to my will, flowing smoothly through my veins. It felt... natural.
This was what I needed.
Control. Precision.
But this... this wasn't enough anymore.
I wanted more.
I drew all the Essence back toward my heart, my true Generator core. I could feel the dense flow of Essence pooling there, spinning and rotating like a small storm trapped within my chest.
My breathing slowed as I focused.
Move it. Shape it.
I nudged the Essence, slowly pushing the chaotic flow into a single point.
The gaseous Essence resisted, slipping and dispersing the moment I applied pressure.
It was like trying to catch smoke with bare hands.
I gritted my teeth.
Again.
I pulled the Essence back and pushed it into the same point. This time, I applied more force, compressing it tighter.
The Essence trembled, vibrating violently as if refusing to be contained.
I kept going, forcing it into a smaller and smaller space until...
Something clicked.
The Essence shifted. It condensed slightly, becoming heavier, denser. I felt it slowly taking shape.
A small, unstable orb formed at the very core of my heart. It was faint and trembling, like a newborn flame.
I held my breath and pressed further, squeezing the Essence tighter, compacting it from all sides.
The gaseous energy around it swirled violently, pushing back against my control. But I didn't stop.
I dragged more Essence from my limbs and veins, feeding it into the core. The unstable orb grew denser, becoming more solid.
It began to float.
The raw, violent Essence slowly turned smoother, more stable.
I could feel it now.
A small, semi-solid sphere of Essence floating inside my heart.
It wasn't perfect yet... but it was there.
The remaining gaseous Essence surrounded the semi solid sphere.
I opened my eyes, sweat dripping down my face.