Kairo closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and dived inward. He found that pulsing star of energy within his chest—his base Etheron, now intertwined with the distinct, sharp chill of his Ice Elemental Type. Following the Codex's guidance, he focused on drawing all ambient and internal energy towards it.
Minutes stretched into what felt like an eternity. Slowly, painstakingly, he began to feel it – a subtle pull, like a nascent tide. The faint Etheron in the air around him, the residual energy in his own limbs, even the cool thrum of his ice affinity, all began to drift, then flow, then surge towards his core. It felt like his core was transforming into a miniature black hole, hungrily swallowing every mote of energy it could find.
The more it consumed, the more unusual the sensation became – a deep, resonant hum that vibrated through his entire being. He pushed on, losing all track of time, completely immersed in this internal world of flowing energy. Hours slipped by unnoticed. His core began to feel intensely hot, a stark contrast to the icy power now woven into it. A radiating burn spread through his body, not painful, but like a forge firing at its peak, refining him from the inside out.
Just as he felt he might be consumed by the internal blaze, he instinctively opened his eyes. The red emergency lights of the infirmary still pulsed, but overlaid on his vision was a new Codex notification:
[CORE FOUNDATION – CORE STABILIZED]
[Primary Etheron Core successfully formed.]
[Resonance baseline established. The fracture begins to pulse.]
[Progress: 46%]
[Objective: 100%]
"The fracture?" Kairo frowned. Another mystery to ponder. But the 46% progress was a clear sign: this was working. He also realized he was famished. He carefully pushed himself up. Through his small infirmary window, he could see it was already deep night. He made a quick trip to the nearly deserted cafeteria, grabbing a nutrient-dense meal bar and a hydration pack. He returned and ate quickly before settling back into his meditative pose.
The hours continued to bleed together, a relentless cycle of intense focus, burning energy, and the slow, steady climb of the progress bar. Just as the first hints of dawn were painting the sky outside, the Codex chimed with a note of finality.
[Objective: 100% — Core Foundation complete]
[Second Module Initiated: CIRCULATION AWAKENING]
[* Focus: Learning to consciously circulate Etheron through the body's meridians or energy pathways. The user maps their internal energy routes through trial and pain, pushing Etheron through clogged, unused, or dormant channels. Awaken the flow.*]
And so began the next phase. What followed was a grueling, introspective journey. The Codex guided him through ten distinct stages of Etheron mastery over the next six days. He trained day and night, a man possessed.
After establishing his core with Core Foundation, he endured the Circulation Awakening. This was a painful but enlightening process of forcing his Etheron through every minute channel in his body, clearing blockages and charting his internal energy map. Next, Pulse Synchronization taught him to harmonize his Etheron flow with his very heartbeat and breath until it became an unconscious extension of his being, as natural as breathing.
Then came Etheron Tempering. He deliberately overcharged these newly awakened pathways, widening and strengthening them to handle greater power – a risky process that left him trembling with exertion more than once. He then learned Etheron Pressure Resistance, meditating under simulated immense energy fields generated by the Codex, forcing his core to adapt and regulate against what felt like a crushing force.
The sixth training, Elemental Affinity Binding, was particularly profound. The Codex guided him to specifically attune his Etheron with his new Ice Elemental Type, deepening his connection to the frigid power. The cool thrum within him began to sing with greater clarity and control. This was followed by the complex Dual Flow Control, learning to manage separate streams of Etheron simultaneously, a dizzying feat of mental juggling.
The eighth and ninth stages, Spirit Lattice Engraving and Etheric Expansion, pushed his mental focus to its absolute limits. These exercises were supposedly carving pathways within his very spirit for faster Etheron recall and expanding his senses to feel the subtle currents of Etheron in the world around him. The final stage, World Resonance, was an attempt to synchronize his personal Etheron with the ambient flow of the world itself, making him feel like a part of something vast and interconnected.
During brief, exhausted breaks, he'd stumble to the cafeteria, grabbing food and sometimes exchanging a few strained words with his friends. They'd eye him with a mixture of concern and awe at his relentless dedication, but mostly left him to his intense regimen, sensing the depth of his focus.
After six relentless days and nights of this internal forging, as the sun rose on the seventh day, a final, resonant chime echoed from the Codex.
[All 10 Host Recovery Training Modules Complete!]
[LEVEL UP!]
[ALL SKILLS REACHED LEVEL 4]
Kairo opened his eyes. He felt… reborn. The dull aches and lingering fatigue were gone, replaced by a vibrant, thrumming energy. His Etheron core pulsed with a steady, immense power, and the ice affinity within him felt like a tamed blizzard, potent and ready to be unleashed at his command. He was Level 8. Fully recovered. And ready to move. Physical training couldn't come soon enough.
Meanwhile, that night during day six, in the sterile, top-floor command center of C.E.L.E.N. headquarters, High Commander Veylan watched a flickering, encrypted live feed from a stealth drone. The footage showed a dilapidated, sprawling factory complex on the city's outskirts, its broken windows like vacant eyes in the dim light.
"The intel is confirmed, then," Veylan stated, his voice calm but carrying an undeniable authority. He tapped a comm-link. "Zairen, target is confirmed. You are green to proceed."
On a darkened rooftop several blocks away, overlooking that same abandoned factory, Zairen acknowledged the order. "Yes, High Commander." He turned to the formidable assembly behind him: Natasha, her expression grim; two other S-Rank Etherborn, their power thrumming almost visibly in the night air; and six elite A-Rank operatives, all clad in C.E.L.E.N.'s midnight-blue combat gear.
"Alright, team," Zairen said, his voice a low command that cut through the biting wind. "You know the mission. Stealth approach, multiple entry points. We surround them, neutralize them. No escapes. Move out!"
Like shadows detaching themselves from the deeper darkness, the team launched from the rooftop. They flowed across adjoining buildings and through darkened alleyways with supernatural speed and silence, converging on the derelict factory. With synchronized precision, they breached. Different squads crashed through designated windows, skylights, and reinforced loading doors, expecting heavy resistance, a hornet's nest of Red Trace operatives. Instead, the vast, echoing interior of the main factory floor was eerily underpopulated. Standing calmly near the center of the cavernous space, as if awaiting their arrival, were only three figures: Varric, Kairo's father, an unreadable expression on his face; the tall, imposing male Red Trace operative Kairo had encountered before; and the agile female operative he had fought.
Varric clearly knew they were coming. The three of them stood beside a shimmering, unstable rift in the air – a dimensional portal, already active and pulsing with chaotic energy. The man next to Varric held a glassy box that pulsed with a bright, internal luminescence.
Varric offered Zairen, who had emerged at the head of his squad, a thin, almost melancholic smile. "Long time no see… old friend."
"Varric!" Zairen snarled, his hand dropping to the hilt of his own weapon. "Don't move!"
His team surged forward, a wave of elite Etherborn ready to pounce. But they were a fraction too late. With a final, almost dismissive nod from Varric, he and the two Red Traces stepped backward into the swirling energies of the portal. It flared violently for a moment, then collapsed in on itself, vanishing with a soft implosion that left only the scent of ozone and bitter frustration hanging in the air. Zairen reached the spot where they'd stood only an instant before. He slammed his fist into the grimy concrete floor. "Damn it!" he roared, the sound echoing through the empty, mocking space.
The next morning, Combat Chamber 7 thrummed with Etheron's electric tang, the air heavy with sweat and scorched metal. Mira's water vortex slammed a training dummy, its weighted base screeching across the grid, her teal vest clinging damply to her shoulders. Tarek followed, his blade dance a silver blur, carving an arc that hummed with mock-lethal intent. Orren, calm as stone, shifted through defensive stances, his gravity pulses rippling faintly, each move precise. Lira's jumpsuit sparked, her visor projecting a Veilspawn's glowing anatomy, her fingers tracing its weak points with a scowl.
"Anyone seen Kairo lately?" Mira asked, breaking the rhythm as she grabbed a water bottle. "Saw him scarfing food in the cafeteria yesterday, then—poof. Gone" Tarek scoffed, wiping his forehead with the back of his hand. "Guy's a ghost since.. " Lira snorted, the red trace's gravity punch flashing in her eyes "..Since those masked freaks beat him senseless." Orren nodded slowly, his stance loosening, "He's carrying a heavy weight. That incident… it could completely shatter your confidence" Mira's expression softened, her usual playful sarcasm giving way to genuine concern. "That's what worries me. Physically, he seems… fine, recovered. But he's too distant, too walled off. Like he's traumatized from the loss." She sighed, twirling her water bottle. "it's not our Kairo. Not the one who'd dodge Tarek's dumb throws and grin."
"Hey!" Tarek protested, though without much heat. Even he seemed to deflate a little at the mention of Kairo's distance.
"Three weeks, guys," Lira said, changing the subject, though the underlying worry for their friend remained. "Three weeks until guild assignments. Have you all actually decided? I know we've all looked at different options…"
Mira looked at her friends, a new thought taking root. "You know… I was leaning towards the Iron Vanguard… But seeing Kairo like this, and with everything else going on… maybe sticking together is more important than chasing individual glories right now."
Tarek, surprisingly, was the first to nod. "The Dawnforge Covenant has that whole 'glory in the flames' vibe I like, but… After what we've been through? Doesn't feel right." He looked at the others. "We work well together. We're a damn good team." Orren's quiet smile was thoughtful. "I was considering the Eclipse Sentinels… But I agree. Mira's right. Our synergy is a strength."
Lira tapped her visor, a thoughtful expression on her face. "I'd been looking into the Starweave Syndicate, trying to understand the 'golden threads' that connect events, you know? The bigger picture. But knowledge without application, without a trusted team to act on it… it feels incomplete." She met their eyes. "If we're talking about staying together, surely one of these guilds values versatile squads. Even the Nexus Authority, might have a place for a dedicated field team. Or perhaps the Voidspire Collective" A different kind of silence settled over them, not of individual ambitions, but of a dawning collective purpose. "So," Mira said, a hopeful light in her eyes. "We find a guild that takes all of us? One that lets us fight as Team Nova?" – she used the informal name they'd jokingly given themselves during the awakening trials.
Tarek grinned, the first real one in a while. "Team Nova. Yeah, I like the sound of that. Let's show 'em what a real team can do."
Lira's lips curved into a determined smile. "Alright. Let's recalibrate our research after training. Look into each one and find us the best fit." The unsaid question about Kairo still hung in the air, but now it was tinged with a new resolve: How do we bring him into this? How do we make sure he knows he's still part of our team, no matter what path he's on? They trained on, a renewed solidarity between them, a shared hope that they could face whatever came next.