[Innate Skill Acquired]
[Essence Shift - Level 1]
[Essence Shift (Innate)]: Allows the user to convert raw Essence into a chosen elemental state and revert it.
That caught me off guard.
I'd come here to train, to unlock an attack skill. But instead, I got something else entirely.
"I got a skill," I said, turning to Arkas.
Then I explained it to him.
He laughed out loud.
I blinked. That was the first time I'd seen him smile like that since the volcano. Ever since I returned, he'd been strict, distant, and all business.
"Well done, kid. Well done."
He nodded to himself, then stood up.
"I'll leave you to it for now. I'll bring the staff and your next set of skills soon. But you've got one week to get your things in order. After that, I'm taking you to an Abomination nest."
With that, he vanished.
I stood up from my position and decided to test the new skill.
First, I extended my hand, palm facing up, and called on the Essence. It surged up smoothly, and I shaped it into a familiar sphere.
Then I activated the skill, [Essence Shift].
My focus locked onto the swirling mass of Essence as I followed the same procedure again, but this time, it came easier. Soon, the sphere blazed with fire.
The swirling flames fascinated me, twisting and shifting in circular patterns, but I wanted more.
A new shape. A new form.
I exhaled and narrowed my focus, pressing my will onto the spinning flames.
Instead of letting it remain a simple sphere, I stretched it, guiding the motion upward. The flames resisted at first, clinging to their original shape, but I pushed harder, twisting the rotation with more force.
The fire responded.
The once-round sphere elongated, stretching into a thin, spinning column of fire. It coiled and spiraled like a drill, its movement tightening as I refined the shape.
The twisting motion intensified, the flames pulling inward to form a narrow tornado of fire.
I felt the heat fluctuate, the rotation shifting as I maintained control. The core of the tornado burned bright, the edges flickering wildly but never breaking apart. The motion felt natural and fluid.
A smile formed on my face.
I held it for a few more seconds, adjusting the speed of the rotation, feeling the weight of it in my hand. The strain was there to maintain the shape, but it was manageable
Looking at the swirling tornado in my palm, a flood of ideas rushed through my mind.
I could add air to expand its size and shape. Pouring in more Essence might increase its power on impact. Maybe I could even introduce another element, lightning, perhaps—to amplify its destructive force.
My will pressed down, compressing the tornado even further, its color deepening into a rich, intense hue. The more I focused, the more it resisted, pushing back against my control.
Narrowing my eyes, I reached out with my will. The tornado shrunk slightly, its base tightening, but the spinning force resisted me. It wanted to stay wild, chaotic. My fingers twitched as I forced more control over it, focusing on its rotation.
I concentrated on pulling the flames upward, twisting them into a thin, elongated spiral.
The swirling mass began to stretch, thinning from a wild vortex into something more compact, more refined. I kept feeding Essence into it, reinforcing the rotation while shaping it further.
The base sharpened into a fine point, while the flames above curled into a tight, spiraling cone. The fire shifted from a roaring blaze into a deadly, controlled drill of swirling heat.
A spear.
I lifted my hand slightly, and the newly formed Fire Vortex Spear barely six to seven inches hovered an inch above my palm, spinning rapidly.
"Beautiful."
The spear spun fiercely, almost as if it were alive, the spiraling flames pulling in heat from the air, condensing further.
The longer it spun, the more stable it became, no longer flickering wildly but holding firm like a solid, burning drill.
Turning my head, I fixed my gaze on the puppet.
"Alright, let's test this."
Keeping a firm grip on my control, I rose to my feet and strode toward it, the sphere steady in my palm.
The fire vortex spear hovered just above my palm, spinning violently. I tightened my mental grip on the swirling mass, feeling its heat licking at my skin.
I flicked my gaze toward the puppet, locking onto its chest.
"Go."
With a sharp push of my will, the spear shot forward.
Or at least, that was the plan.
The moment it left my control, the vortex began to unravel. Its tightly woven flames loosened, twisting apart in wild, chaotic strands.
By the time it reached the puppet, it was no longer a spear, just a tumbling mass of flickering fire and unstable energy.
And yet, the impact was still enough.
The fiery mass slammed into the puppet's chest, and an explosion erupted on contact. Heat and force burst outward. The puppet flew back, its metallic frame twisting midair before crashing hard onto the ground.
Some scorch marks. But no real damage.
I exhaled, shaking my head.
"Well... that could've gone better."
Suddenly, notifications popped up in front of me.
[Skill Level Up!]
[Essence Shaping - Level 1 -> Level 2]
"At least I got something out of it."
That was useful. Experimenting with the sphere, then the tornado, and finally the spear had definitely refined my control.
The only thing left was to work on refining my control more.
I walked over to the control panel and sent the puppet back.
Noticing the time, I saw it was already close to 8 at night. My stomach grumbled, reminding me I hadn't eaten yet. Deciding to grab some food at the cafeteria, I pulled out my phone and dialed Steve.
The call rang for a few seconds before a breathless voice answered.
"Yeah?"
"Where are you? Let's get some food."
"No, you go ahead," he replied between breaths. "I'm just gonna have it delivered."
I frowned.
"Why? You training?"
"Yeah."
I paused then shrugged.
"Cool. See you later."
With that, he hung up, leaving me alone. I sighed, stuffing my phone back into my pocket.
"Well, that leaves me eating alone… hmm, hmm, oh, wait. Logan."
Pulling my phone out again, I dialed Logan next. He picked up almost immediately.
"Hey, Billion. What's up?"
"Food. You in?"
"Nah, already ate. Checking out some of the Elemental Rooms with a few others."
"Oh, okay. Cool. See you later."
I disconnected, exhaling.
"All right, all right, all right. I can eat alone."
I took a few steps toward the cafeteria, then hesitated.
'What about North?'
The problem was, I didn't have her number. But I was Billion Ironhart. That wasn't an issue.
Smirking, I pulled up my contacts and dialed our vice commander. Everyone had her number, but as far as I knew, no one actually dared to call her. Except me.
She picked up after a few rings.
I spoke.
"Hello, Vice Commander."
"Yes, Billion?"
"I need a favor."
A pause.
"What kind of favor?"
"I need North's number."
Silence stretched for a few seconds. Then she spoke again.
"You want me to give you North's number?"
"Yes. The commander told me that if I ever needed anything, I should reach out to you. And that you have full authority to give me whatever I need."
She didn't even hesitate this time.
"Okay."
Then she hung up.
A moment later, my phone buzzed with a text.
North's number.
I grinned, saved it, and called her while making my way toward the cafeteria.
After a couple of rings, she picked up.
"Hello?"
"Hi, North."
"Billion?"
"Yeah."
"Oh….hi. Wait, how did you get my number?"
"Commander gave it to me."
"My grandfather?"
"Yeah."
She paused, then scoffed.
"Why? Why would he give you my number?"
"He told me to check on you and make sure you had dinner."
She let out a short laugh.
"As if he'd ever do that. So, why did you really call me?"
"As I said, did you eat yet?"
"Not yet. I'm with Sara."
"Perfect. Why don't you both come over, and we can eat together?"
She paused for a moment, and I heard whispering in the background before she replied.
"Okay, we'll head over."
"Great. Want me to order something for you?"
She listed off a bunch of dishes, adding a few for Sara as well before hanging up.
I stared at my phone.
"Damn, she eats a lot."