"Mmmhh~" Baran was waking up from sleep. His mind was still foggy as he looked around.
This was his new home — or rather, his dorm room.
If he had to describe the room, it was simple. Baran had designed it based purely on his needs.
There was a very comfortable bed leaning against the wall, and next to it, a wardrobe that could hold every one of Baran's necessities. A simple desk and chair, with a pretty good laptop sitting on the desk. Beside the desk was a four-shelf bookcase. There was an L-shaped sofa with a coffee table in front, offering a cozy place to sit. Right next to the exit door, a digital screen allowed him to order whatever he needed. A very simple but fully functional room.
"Mmmhh~" Baran's mind was still hazy, and he knew the answer was a warm shower. So he headed into the private bathroom of his room, washed up, and finished his personal hygiene.
As he hung the towel around his neck to dry his hair, he grabbed a plain T-shirt and sweatpants from his wardrobe and went to the private training arena — a single-entry room once again.
Though he didn't show it, Baran was extremely happy to have his own training arena. The reason? His strange, or rather unique, training methods.
He only focused on parrying.
It was a training designed to fend off every kind of attack. Baran found this technique undeniably cool—and honestly, he had no other choice.
Yes, it made no sense for Baran to train in any other technique or base. He had existed without possessing what everyone else had.
How ironic it was. He had a vision for existence, but was deprived of the very thing that would make pursuing that vision easier.
Baran was energy deprived. From the moment he was born, he lacked the energies everyone else had from birth. Simply put, he was disabled. One of the deadliest kinds of disabilities—but stopping to mourn was pointless. So, he focused on developing himself academically. Theoretically, no one should be able to compete with him this term. On top of that, he trained his body far better than his peers. While he couldn't control every muscle, he was very close. Since his main focus was theory, not practice, he only trained his body enough to defend himself against energy users… maybe he overdid it a bit, but he had no regrets.
Moreover, thanks to his racial traits, he was quite prepared for fights. Probably among the top in close combat. Yet, a certain bitterness lingered inside him. Sometimes, he thought, "If only I had energy."
Energies gave people a tremendous advantage, and no matter how good Baran was, he couldn't help but envy them.
"Brrrmm" — the growl of his stomach snapped him out of his thoughts. He had gotten used to his mother always preparing breakfast, so he'd forgotten to eat.
"I should order something," Baran murmured, scratching his cheek. Using the screen next to his room's exit door, he ordered a breakfast that included German foods. Clearly, his appetite had grown with the prospect of tasting something new. He hoped it would be good.
While waiting for breakfast, Baran picked a book from his bookshelf titled "Human Energies." Without wasting any time, he began to read.
Chapter 1: Basic Energies
Humanity has two fundamental energies. The first is "Sacred Energy," and the second is "Degenerate Energy." These have been the two basic energies known throughout human history.
People receive one of these two energies at birth and can only use one. Which energy they get usually depends on their parents' energies. If both parents use degenerate energy, their child will most likely be a degenerate energy user; the opposite is also true. If the parents have different energies, the chances are 50/50.
Baran tightened his grip on the book. It was an unconscious action.
Before I explain the energies, I should tell you this: The names of these energies were established during the Middle Ages under the absolute authority of the Pope in Europe, and the people's acceptance of these names carried them down to the present day. So being a sacred energy user doesn't mean you're superior—quite the opposite applies to degenerate energy users as well. Using degenerate energy is not a disgrace.
Assuming you understand this, I'll start explaining how these energies can be manipulated.
Both energies are naturally produced inside the human body. Sacred energy users see an increase in energy production when they are happy, and the opposite applies to degenerate energy.
Our bodies form cores to better control these energies. Usually, between the ages of 10 and 12, these cores develop fully and settle in the chest cavity between the lungs and the diaphragm. Thanks to these cores, we can transfer energy more easily to our energy meridians.
Speaking of meridians, the human body has a total of 13 main meridians: 1 in the head, 1 in the medulla oblongata, 3 in the spine, 4 in the arms (2 per arm), and 4 in the legs and feet (2 per leg and foot).
Countless secondary meridians connect these main meridians, along with connecting meridians linking organs like the heart, lungs, and muscles.
Though these may seem unnecessary, they make understanding the basics of energy use easier.
Now that you know the basics, let's move on to the benefits energy provides, no matter what type it is...
Tap tap
Baran was startled by the knock on the door. He marked the page in his book and went to open it.
"Your order, sir," said a sweet, soft voice as a brown-haired, blue-eyed waitress appeared at the door. In front of her was a serving cart carrying the breakfast Baran had ordered.
Baran opened the door wide, letting her enter. Without hesitation, she arranged the breakfast on the coffee table and told Baran that after he finished eating, he could call the staff from the digital screen to clean up.
As the woman left, Baran looked at the table. There were freshly baked, golden Brötchen rolls; small porcelain dishes held butter and strawberry jam—classic sweet options. In one corner, sliced Gouda cheese and two steaming boiled eggs. A small bowl of yogurt with thinly sliced apples and grapes added liveliness to the table. At one end, the aroma of freshly brewed coffee filled the air.
"Brrrmm." After that sound that shook the room, Baran gave in to his stomach's demand and began his breakfast.