Ciel woke to sunlight filtering through the gaps in his curtains. Or rather, his enhanced Perception noticed the light even through the heavy fabric. His body ached in ways he'd never experienced, every muscle protesting the abuse of yesterday's training. But beneath the pain, something felt different. Stronger. More alive.
He lay there for a moment, remembering. The training. The completion of the quest. And the reward.
[Analyze]
The Unique Skill he'd earned. But what did it actually do?
"System," he said aloud, his voice hoarse from sleep. "The skill Analyze. What is it? How do I use it?"
He wasn't really expecting a response. The System had been helpful with explanations before, but it often remained silent unless prompted very specifically.
But this time, the mechanical voice responded immediately.
"Unique Skill: Analyze. This skill allows the Host to perceive the true capabilities of observed targets. Explanation will now commence."
Ciel sat up in bed, ignoring the protests from his sore muscles, and focused entirely on the System's words.
"Analyze measures three core statistics that define an individual's total capability."
Three categories appeared in his vision, displayed with clinical precision.
"First: Aether. This represents the total magical energy an individual possesses. It encompasses both current reserves and maximum capacity. Aether is the fundamental force that powers all cultivation and supernatural abilities. The measurement includes Aether Well percentage, indicating current fullness, and Absorption Rate, indicating the speed at which Aether can be replenished."
"Second: Physique. This represents the total physical capability of an individual's body. It is calculated by combining the Strength, Vitality, and Dexterity attributes into a single unified measurement. A higher Physique indicates superior physical performance, durability, and coordination."
"Third: Mind. This represents the mental and perceptual capabilities of an individual. It is calculated by combining the Perception and Willpower attributes. A higher Mind indicates enhanced awareness, mental fortitude, and resistance to external influence."
The System paused, as if ensuring Ciel absorbed the information before continuing.
"These three core statistics are combined to produce the Overall Stat. This number represents an individual's total power level at their current state of development. It provides a comprehensive measurement of capability across all domains."
A new concept appeared in Ciel's vision.
"Additionally, Analyze reveals Potential Capacity. This measurement indicates the theoretical maximum level an individual could achieve through optimal cultivation and development. Potential Capacity is determined by innate talent, bloodline factors, and soul quality."
Six tiers materialized before him, listed in ascending order.
"Potential Capacity is categorized into six tiers:"
"Low: Limited growth potential. Maximum development typically caps below Rank Five."
"Moderate: Average growth ceiling. Maximum development typically reaches Rank Five or Six."
"High: Strong future potential. Maximum development can reach Rank Seven or Eight."
"Prime: Rare natural peak. Maximum development can reach Rank Nine. Fewer than one in one million individuals possess Prime potential."
"Undefined: Potential cannot be accurately measured due to unique circumstances or capabilities beyond standard parameters."
"Limitless: No measurable ceiling. Growth potential extends beyond known boundaries. Rarer than Prime by several orders of magnitude."
The System's tone remained flat and mechanical, but somehow managed to convey the significance of that final tier.
"The Analyze skill activates through focused observation. The Host must concentrate on a target and consciously invoke the skill. Information will be displayed in a format similar to the Status interface."
"To test the skill's functionality, the Host should first use it on themselves. Focus inward. Think the word Analyze while concentrating on your own presence."
Ciel took a breath, steadying himself. This was it. His first real supernatural ability. Not just passive traits or system notifications, but an active skill he could use.
He closed his eyes, turned his awareness inward, and thought clearly: Analyze.
Something shifted in his perception. Not painful, but strange. As if he was looking at himself from outside his own body. Observing rather than experiencing.
And then, displayed in his vision with the same blue glow as his Status, new information materialized.
[Analyze]
Subject: Ciel Lee Silver
Race: Human
Rank: 0 (Mortal)
Aether: 0% Well | Absorption 0.9 A/s
Physique: 31
Mind: 21
Overall Stat: 52
Potential Capacity: Limitless
Ciel's breath caught in his throat. His eyes scanned the display, mind racing to process what he was seeing.
His Physique was thirty one. That made sense. Strength at ten, Dexterity at eleven, Vitality at ten. Combined, they totaled thirty one.
Mind was twenty one. Perception at eleven and Willpower at ten. Also adding up correctly.
Overall Stat of fifty two. The sum of his capabilities reduced to a single number.
But that last line. That final measurement.
Potential Capacity: Limitless.
Not High. Not Prime. Limitless. The rarest tier. The one that indicated growth beyond measurable boundaries.
His father had been right. Everyone who'd called him a prodigy as a child had been right. The talent was there, had always been there, waiting to be awakened.
Ciel stared at the display for long minutes, something warm and fierce building in his chest. This was proof. Undeniable, quantifiable proof of what he could become.
If he actually tried.
Ding.
The familiar chime pulled him from his thoughts. New notifications appeared.
[Daily Quest: Basic Physical Training]
[Objective: Complete the following exercises]
[100 Push-ups]
[100 Sit-ups]
[100 Squats]
[Run 10 kilometers]
[Reward: +1 Vitality, +1 Dexterity]
[Time Limit: 24 hours]
The same quest as yesterday, but with specific attribute rewards this time. Good. He'd do it again. Push through the pain and exhaustion.
But there was more.
[Special Quest Generated]
[Quest: Awaken the Aether Core]
Ciel's eyes widened. His heart rate spiked.
[Objective: Successfully form and awaken your Aether Core]
[Reward: +20 Channeling]
[Time Limit: None]
Twenty points to Channeling. Twenty. That was an enormous boost. His Channeling was currently nonexistent, marked with a dash because he had no Aether Core. But if he awakened it and immediately gained twenty points?
That would put him far ahead of where most Rank One cultivators started. Channeling determined efficiency in manipulating Aether. Most people spent years slowly increasing that stat through practice and refinement.
And he could gain twenty points just by awakening his core?
It seemed too good to be true. Too easy.
But then again, he'd always had exceptional affinity for Aether. Everyone had said so when he was a child. He'd channeled energy before his third birthday, something most couldn't do until five or six.
Maybe it wasn't too much. Maybe it was exactly what his natural talent warranted.
Still, the implications made his head spin. If he awakened his core today, if he completed this quest, he'd immediately possess Channeling capability that took others years to develop.
Ciel sat in his bed, processing the quests, his mind churning with possibilities and plans. How did one awaken an Aether Core? He'd stopped his cultivation training at five years old. The theoretical knowledge he'd possessed as a child had faded, replaced by nine years of deliberate ignorance.
He needed guidance. Information. Someone who could explain the process.
And there was only one person he trusted enough to ask.
The knock at his door came right on schedule. Belle's timing was precise as always.
"Young master? I'm bringing breakfast."
"Come in," Ciel called, his voice stronger than it had been in years.
Belle entered with her customary tray. Her clear blue eyes immediately assessed him, noting that he was already awake and sitting up. Not curled beneath covers pretending to sleep.
Progress.
She set the tray down and began arranging the plates, moving with practiced efficiency. Ciel watched her work, grateful for her presence. For her dedication. For the fact that she'd never given up on him.
"Belle," he said as she finished setting out the food. "Eat first. Then we can talk."
It wasn't a suggestion. Her tone carried the gentle firmness of an older sister who wouldn't tolerate argument.
Ciel nodded and began eating. The food was excellent as always. His body craved the nutrition after yesterday's exertion, and he found himself genuinely hungry rather than eating out of obligation.
Belle stood nearby, not hovering but present. Watching him eat with barely concealed satisfaction.
When he'd finished half the meal, Ciel set down his fork. He couldn't wait any longer. The question burned in his mind.
"Belle, I need to ask you something."
She turned her full attention to him, her expression open and receptive. "Of course. What is it?"
Ciel took a breath, choosing his words carefully. "How do you form an Aether Core?"
Belle went very still. Her blue eyes widened slightly, shock registering on her usually controlled features.
"You want to..." She paused, seeming to gather herself. "You want to awaken your core?"
"Yes." Ciel's voice was firm, certain. "I'm ready. I need to know how."
For a moment, Belle just stared at him. Then something shifted in her expression. Softened. A wave of emotion passed over her face, quickly controlled but not quickly enough to hide.
Pride. Joy. Hope. All mixed together in a look that said more than words ever could.
She moved closer, sitting on the edge of his bed so they were at eye level. When she spoke, her voice carried weight and significance.
"Your father did this for me. When he found me, I had no cultivation base. No training. He guided me through awakening my core, taught me everything I know." She smiled, warm and genuine. "And now I get to do the same for you. For my brother."
Ciel felt his throat tighten at the word. Brother. Not young master. Not lord. Brother.
Belle's expression shifted to teaching mode, her tactical mind organizing information for optimal conveyance.
"First, you need to understand what the Aether Core actually is. People call it forming a core, but that's not quite accurate. The core already exists within you. It's always been there, dormant, waiting. What you're actually doing is awakening it. Bringing it to life."
She gestured toward his midsection. "The core is located at your body's center, just below your navel. It sits at the intersection of your major energy pathways. Right now, it's like a sleeping organ. Present but inactive."
Ciel nodded, absorbing every word.
"To awaken it, you need to flood it with Aether. Draw in ambient energy from your surroundings and channel it directly to the core's location. Keep pushing Aether into it, building pressure, until the core responds and activates."
She paused, making sure he was following. "This requires immense concentration. You need to maintain focus for an extended period, continuously drawing in Aether and directing it to the precise location. Any break in concentration means starting over."
"How long does it take?" Ciel asked.
"For most people, two to three days of continuous meditation." Belle's expression turned thoughtful. "But you're not most people. You showed exceptional talent as a child. Your absorption rate is unusually high. You might manage it faster."
She stood, moving toward the door. "You'll need to be undisturbed. Completely focused. I'll make sure no one interrupts you. Food and water will be left outside your door, but the awakening itself must be done alone."
Belle paused at the threshold, turning back to look at him. "Ciel, when you draw in Aether, you'll see it. Feel it. Just like liquid light. Guide it toward your core and keep feeding it until the core ignites."
"Thank you, Belle." Ciel's gratitude was absolute and sincere.
She smiled at him one more time, then left, closing the door softly behind her.
Ciel finished his meal quickly, his mind already racing ahead. He had the daily quest to complete first. The exercises. Then he'd attempt the core awakening.
He left his room and made his way to the eastern training yard again. The morning was still young, the air cool and crisp.
The training was brutal. His already sore muscles screamed in protest from the first push-up. But he pushed through, driven by determination and the promise of attribute increases.
One hundred push-ups. Completed.
One hundred sit-ups. Completed.
One hundred squats. Completed.
Ten kilometers of running. Completed.
By the time he finished, the morning had turned to early afternoon. His body was drenched in sweat, trembling with exhaustion. But the familiar chime rang through his mind.
Ding.
[Quest Complete: Daily Quest - Basic Physical Training]
[Congratulations! You have completed all required exercises]
[Reward: +1 Vitality, +1 Dexterity]
[Vitality: 10 → 11]
[Dexterity: 11 → 12]
The warmth of growth flooded through him. His body adapting, strengthening, becoming more than it had been.
Ciel made his way back to his room, moving past bowing servants and respectful faction members. He washed quickly, changed into clean clothes, and prepared for what came next.
The Aether Core awakening.
He sat cross-legged on his bed, positioning himself in the traditional meditation pose his father had taught him so long ago. Back straight. Hands resting on his knees. Eyes closed. Breathing steady and controlled.
Belle had said to draw in ambient Aether. To guide it to the core location below his navel.
Ciel took a deep breath and reached out with his senses, trying to feel the energy Belle had described.
At first, there was nothing. Just darkness behind his closed eyes and the sound of his own breathing.
Then, gradually, he began to perceive it.
Tiny motes of light appearing in his awareness. Azure. Ethereal. Beautiful. They floated in the air around him like microscopic stars, drifting through space with gentle purpose.
Aether.
The fundamental energy of existence. The power that fueled all cultivation and supernatural ability.
Ciel focused on the nearest mote, willing it toward himself. It responded to his intent, drifting closer. He pulled it into his body through his skin, feeling it enter his system like cool water.
More. He needed more.
He expanded his awareness, reaching out to the Aether around him. More motes appeared, hundreds of them, thousands, all drifting through the air in complex patterns.
Ciel drew them in. Slowly at first, uncertain of the process. But as more Aether entered his body, the action became easier. More natural.
The energy flowed through his channels, following pathways he didn't consciously know but somehow understood instinctively. And all of it converged toward a single point.
The location just below his navel.
His core.
He could feel it now. A small, dormant thing. Like a seed waiting to germinate. It sat at the center of his being, connected to everything yet separate. Asleep.
Ciel pushed the Aether toward it. Fed it into the dormant core. The energy was absorbed, disappearing into the seed like water into dry earth.
More. Keep going.
He drew in more Aether. The azure motes came faster now, responding to his enhanced absorption rate. They flowed into his body in streams, all converging on the core.
Time lost meaning. Ciel existed in a state of pure focus, his entire awareness narrowed to the single task of feeding Aether to his dormant core.
The seed began to change. Slowly, imperceptibly at first. But change nonetheless. It was waking up.
Hours passed. The afternoon turned to evening. Evening turned to night.
Ciel didn't stop. Didn't break concentration. His Genius trait and Willpower stat combined to maintain focus that would have been impossible for most.
The Aether continued to flow. The core continued to absorb. And gradually, pressure began to build.
The seed was full. Saturated. But still dormant. It needed more. Needed to be pushed past its threshold.
Ciel drew in even more Aether, flooding the core with energy. The pressure increased. Built. Became almost painful.
Still he didn't stop.
The night deepened. Midnight came and went. The estate slept around him.
But Ciel remained in meditation, feeding endless streams of azure energy into the seed at his center.
And then, sometime in the depths of night, it happened.
The core ignited.
A spark. A pulse. A sudden eruption of energy that exploded outward from his center.
Ciel gasped as power flooded his system. His eyes flew open, glowing with azure light. The Aether he'd been carefully feeding into his core came roaring back, coursing through his channels with incredible force.
His body lit up from within. Azure energy visible beneath his skin, tracing complex patterns through his entire form.
The surge was overwhelming. Too much. Too fast. Too powerful.
But his Blessed Physique absorbed it, channeled it, prevented it from tearing him apart. The energy stabilized, settled, began flowing in controlled patterns.
His Aether Core was awake.
And the pulse of energy that marked its awakening radiated outward like a shockwave, spreading through the entire estate.
In a room several corridors away, Belle Silmaris sat bolt upright in bed. Her eyes went wide. Her trained senses detecting the surge immediately.
Aether. Massive amounts of it. Coming from Ciel's room.
She was moving before conscious thought, throwing on clothes and racing toward his chambers.
In another wing of the estate, Liam Crowcrest paused mid-step in his nightly patrol. His head snapped toward the eastern wing. His blue eyes narrowed.
That energy signature. That location.
Ciel.
He broke into a run, his Rank Four speed carrying him through corridors with supernatural swiftness.
Both of them converged on Ciel's room from different directions, arriving at almost the same moment. They met outside his door, eyes meeting in shared understanding.
The Aether emanating from within was undeniable. Powerful. Pure.
Ciel had awakened his core.
In one day.
What should have taken two to three days of continuous effort, he'd accomplished in mere hours.
Belle's hand hovered near the door handle, ready to enter if necessary. But she hesitated.
Liam placed a hand on her shoulder, stopping her. He shook his head slightly.
Wait. Let the energy settle. Make sure he's stable.
They stood outside his door, two of them, bearing silent witness to the birth of something that might one day surpass them both.
Inside his room, Ciel sat on his bed, eyes still glowing with residual azure light, feeling power flow through his body in ways he'd never imagined.
His Aether Core pulsed at his center. Alive. Active. Hungry.
And somewhere in his consciousness, a notification waited.
[Quest Complete: Awaken the Aether Core]