The Essence Field was hidden deep within the forest that wrapped around the back of Zenith Academy—where light dared not tread and silence whispered louder than wind.
Jin had slipped through the night unseen. The stars above were faint behind drifting clouds, and the moon hung low, its light pale and watchful. Mist curled through the branches like wary ghosts. Crickets fell silent as he passed. Even the night beasts stayed hidden.
Few knew of this place. In his past life, it had been discovered by accident—claimed, drained, and fought over before the month was out. But now, in this timeline, it was still untouched. Still full. Still waiting.
Jin found it where he remembered: between the moss-cracked stones of an ancient boundary, hidden behind a natural curtain of vines.
He stepped through.
The world changed.
Mist clung to the grass like memory. The trees bent inward, forming a quiet dome. Blue particles danced lazily in the air—raw Essence, visible and vibrant. It clung to his skin, entered his lungs, sang against his soul.
He walked to the center of the field.
And sat.
---
Lotus position. Spine straight. Hands resting calmly.
He inhaled.
The cold air tasted sweet, laced with energy.
He focused inward.
His Core pulsed faintly. A flicker. Barely there. Weak—but now open.
He breathed in again, slower. This time he guided the Essence—not just into his lungs, but into the flow of his soul.
It obeyed.
Like ink drawn into a brush, it flowed.
Jin didn't smile. He didn't react. He simply did as he always had.
Efficient. Focused. Unshaken.
More Essence flowed in. And more.
It coiled through his veins. Gathered in his dantian. Strengthened his Core.
Minutes passed. Then an hour.
He felt warmth bloom in his chest. The flickering thread of Essence thickened.
He expected resistance. Strain. Pain.
But none came.
Instead… the flow increased. Surged.
His eyes snapped open—but he didn't stop.
Essence poured into him like water through a shattered dam.
His body tensed. Muscles ached. But still—it came.
More than what a Flicker should handle. More than what Rael's body should have allowed.
And then—
A pulse.
A deep, shuddering bloom inside his Core.
Something shifted.
In an instant, the amount of Essence he held tripled. Then doubled again.
He felt power rush through him—familiar. Weightless. Clean. Almost identical to the level he had held upon first entering the academy in his previous life.
His heart slowed. Breath deepened.
Jin exhaled.
The air trembled faintly.
---
When he opened his eyes, the blue motes in the field had dimmed.
Not gone. But reduced.
He stood slowly.
This body…
It wasn't just a blank slate.
It was something else. Something rare. Maybe even impossible.
The absorption rate wasn't just efficient.
It was abnormal.
"Was this… why Rael never awakened a skill?" he murmured.
It made sense now.
The body hadn't been weak. It had been too strong.
Too sensitive. Too uncontrolled.
Most likely, any attempt at cultivation would have flooded the soul and shattered it before progress could even begin.
But Jin had control.
He had walked this path before.
And now, with the field drained and the night deep, he turned back.
---
He returned to the dorm well after midnight. Quietly. Without ceremony.
His steps were light. His breathing even.
Inside his room, he lit a small flame crystal and sat cross-legged once more, this time not to gather—but to build.
He could feel it.
The Core was stable. Small, but compact. Enough for a single skill.
His skill.
He began to form the mental image. The Concept.
Not brute force. Not flashing light or loud thunder.
His skill was silent. Sharp. Controlled.
He whispered it in his mind like a mantra:
---
"A precise stroke.
Like a calligrapher writing on parchment.
Faster than light.
Deadlier than any poison.
Sharper than my opponent's will."
---
His finger twitched. A breath later, a faint blade of Essence formed in his mind.
It hovered there. Waiting.
The image was clear. The intention, exact.
Now he needed repetition.
Over and over, he ran the motion through his thoughts. Visualizing it. Feeling it. Etching it into his soul like a brand.
His body still needed conditioning. He was far from ready.
But the foundation had been laid.
Tomorrow would be hard. He glanced at the corner of the desk.
Class schedule.
Introductory Star Theory.
Taught by Instructor Liram.
A lesson Jin had already lived through in his past life. He could recite it word for word.
He sighed and slid under the blanket.
His bones ached faintly. His mind buzzed. His Core pulsed, still faintly drawing in fragments of residual Essence from the night air.
Tomorrow, he would have to pretend.
Sit quietly. Listen to things he already knew.
But that was fine.
Because hell was coming.
And whether he blended in or stood out—he would survive it.
He had no interest in climbing again. No desire to rule.
Just to live.
And to never be powerless again.