Mithra was still lost in thought.
No—she was contemplating.
But the newcomer had already noticed her.
The open space before the tunnel was vast, and she sat alone beneath a tree—unhidden, unguarded, and strikingly conspicuous.
"There's still a guard? So that tunnel really leads somewhere secret, huh?"
Redwyn grinned broadly, accelerating with a spring in his step—nothing like a man being hunted by a mob of furious villagers.
Mithra hesitated briefly, then rose slowly to her feet and lifted her stone hammer.
Unexpectedly, that simple act provoked an instant reaction.
While sprinting, Redwyn suddenly leapt high into the air, arms outstretched like a great bird spreading its wings.
Out of nowhere, a strange crimson ripple burst forth, enclosing Mithra within its glow.
What was that?
Her instincts jolted awake—the sensation was unmistakable.
Ki!
The moment the red energy engulfed her, her body froze—completely immobilized.
Redwyn flicked his wrist, releasing three slim throwing knives. Each blade shimmered with red light, whistling through the air with uncanny speed before slamming into Mithra's chest.
Her tall frame collapsed with a heavy thud. Redwyn vaulted over her effortlessly, calling out with a lazy smirk:
"Done~."
["Suppression": One of the fundamental Miracles of Ki. It channels internal flow, awakening dormant Ki to manifest externally, restraining living beings.]
["Object Manipulation": One of the fundamental Miracles of Ki. It utilizes one's Ki to control external objects—particularly effective on inanimate matter.]
[—With Ki, command objects; shape them at will.]
Turning his head, Redwyn extended his hand to recall his knives—but was instead met by the sharp hiss of air. The three blades shot back toward him, each wrapped in violent Ki currents.
They weren't being retrieved. They'd been returned.
"What the hell—!?"
Even at maximum range, Redwyn reacted fast. He unleashed Object Manipulation again, halting the knives mere feet before they reached him, crimson ripples pulsing outward.
But it wasn't over.
At some point, Mithra had already risen. With her footwork weaving in a spiral arc, she closed the distance in an instant. The stone hammer swung in a brutal horizontal sweep, stirring a wild gust that roared toward her opponent.
Thump!
Redwyn was flung backward, tumbling hard across the ground. He landed in a heap, face twisted in pain.
Crimson light seeped from Redwyn's body. The hammer strike had clearly landed, yet failed to inflict a fatal wound.
Mithra paid it little mind. She stooped down, calmly picking up the throwing knives her opponent had been unable to reclaim.
["Bodyguard": Miracle of Ki. By isolating external matter, it neutralizes or even severs outside interference.]
Redwyn's expression finally hardened. He rose to his feet and eyed her warily.
"An elite guard monster? I stabbed her just now—no injury at all…"
Then, to his disbelief, Mithra deliberately drove the three throwing knives into her own shoulder—one after another—before continuing her slow advance toward him.
A chill ran down Redwyn's spine. Something about this person was deeply wrong. After a moment's hesitation, instinct won out—he turned and bolted into the tunnel.
Mithra watched his fleeing figure without pursuit, then slowly turned her gaze behind her.
Several silhouettes were approaching. Most wore tattered villager garb, but among them were a few in cloaks like that of the earlier Believer—each marked with the same sigil: a vivid purple eye, their unmistakable emblem.
They halted upon arrival, staring at Mithra in confusion and unease.
"Who is she?" one Believer asked, frowning.
Another regarded her quietly for a moment before replying,
"We heard there was some anomaly in the mines—a dangerous Cursed Being, wasn't it?"
"She doesn't look like a Cursed Being, but…"
Both fell silent as they watched Mithra effortlessly move the knives still buried in her shoulder—her expression as calm as ever.
Whatever she was, she certainly wasn't human.
"Our people came to investigate earlier and died here," one Believer finally said grimly. "Most likely, this thing was the cause. Since then, we haven't dared send more. That infiltrator from the Enchanted Realm must've entered the tunnel—he's trying to use this creature to stop us."
Mithra regarded them with blank eyes for a long moment. Then, without a word, she stepped forward.
Her left hand glowed faintly as she invoked 'Ignition', pressing the miracle into the hammer's shaft.
The weapon burst into flame. A cold gust swept through, tossing her hair as the fire danced wildly in the wind.
The villagers immediately flinched and staggered back in fear. Only the two Believers held their ground, lowering into combat stances.
Mithra faced them squarely. For a long moment, none of them moved.
In an instant, all three invoked Vitality at once—and then charged.
Redwyn was wandering through the tunnels, hopelessly disoriented.
He swung his flashlight back and forth at the tunnel entrance, his head already spinning. The Gross tunnel network was a maze—twisting, uneven, impossible to map.
"The gatekeepers behind didn't follow… they must be fighting those villagers and cultists. Good. Good."
He ruffled his hair, muttering to himself.
Recklessness was second nature to him—but that thing should've died. Those knives had pierced clean through it, yet it had risen again, attacking with brutal, mindless ferocity.
If not for his reflexes, any limb struck by that hammer would've been shattered. A head strike would've ended him on the spot.
"That thing's no human… some kind of monster wearing skin."
He scowled, briefly reevaluating his own carelessness—when a faint glow flickered ahead. Firelight.
His eyes brightened instantly.
"Got it! I've looped around!"
He dashed toward the light—only to freeze in his tracks.
The tunnel opened into a chamber piled high with corpses.
Bodies stacked in grotesque layers. The air reeked of decay and burnt flesh.
The dim firelight didn't bring warmth—it only made the place feel colder, like an ice cellar.
Then came footsteps. Slow. Heavy.
Redwyn turned.
From the mouth of the cave, Mithra emerged—her hair disheveled, her face streaked with grime. Only her eyes still burned: dark, empty, yet faintly rippling with something alive beneath the surface.
Roll—
Something dropped from her hand and tumbled across the stone toward him.
Redwyn bent to look.
A head.
No—two heads.
Blackened, half-crushed like overripe fruit, yet still barely recognizable.
He inhaled sharply. He knew those faces—the two Believers who'd pursued him from town.
They'd caught up. During the time he'd been lost, this so-called gatekeeper had killed them both—and now she'd caught him.
Redwyn took a long breath, forcing his mind to steady.
He centered himself, heightened his senses, lowered his stance.
No panic. No hesitation.
Encounters like this were inevitable in the Dream Nexus—and he wasn't about to falter over something so small.
Mithra lifted her left hand, summoning Vitality once more.
Her legs slid into a front-and-back stance. The glowing hand brushed across her thighs, applying Vitality precisely where it was needed.
Thump!
Her foot drove deep into the ground, leaving a crater where she'd stood as she launched forward like a cannon shell.
A scarlet aura erupted around Redwyn. Several throwing knives burst from beneath his coat, whirling toward her under his Object Manipulation.
Mithra twisted mid-charge—sidestepping with fluid precision. The first volley of knives sliced through empty air.
Even as he redirected the hovering blades, Redwyn drew three more and flung them.
But Mithra weaved again—ghostlike, vanishing between movements. After a few rapid shifts, she slipped from his sight entirely.
Redwyn spun on instinct—only for his vision to be consumed by the descending shadow of a hammer.
His Ki Bodyguard flared to life at once, layers of red light forming between them.
Block the strike—then use her momentum to break away!
Redwyn was just about to act when he noticed something strange—the opponent's hammer swing was off-center, its motion powerful yet the impact oddly light, glancing harmlessly past his Ki Bodyguard.
A chill ran down his spine. He broke out in cold sweat, instantly channeling more Senseforce to reinforce his Ki barrier.
Mithra swung again. And again. The hammer moved with deceptive ease—each strike varied in weight and rhythm, sweeping from his head to his feet in a relentless barrage.
Redwyn had no room to breathe, no opening to retreat.
Still, he dared not relax. The feedback from his Ki Bodyguard told him enough—none of these blows matched the terrifying force of her earlier strike, but any direct hit would still crush bone.
While maintaining his guard, he extended a finger, sharply gesturing behind her.
The throwing knives he'd scattered earlier suddenly shot back toward Mithra's spine.
But she twisted like liquid shadow, spinning out of reach. The blades sliced through empty air and snapped back into Redwyn's waiting hand—only for Mithra's hammer to whip around in a vicious backhand, striking the very hand that had just caught them.
Ki Bodyguard and Object Manipulation interfered with each other's flow—Redwyn had no time to react.
"Ah—!"
Pain ripped through him. He felt the bones in his hand splinter.
Before he could recover, Mithra swept low. Her leg cut across his knees in a blur, and the next instant, he was on the ground, balance gone, hammer shadow descending.
She showed no mercy.
Redwyn rolled frantically, dirt and sparks flying, his hat torn from his head. Somehow, by sheer instinct, he dodged several crushing blows in succession.
"There's still a chance—still a chance! Just that one move!"
He screamed inwardly, gathering what remained of his focus. His hands came together at his chest, crimson energy boiling between them.
Mithra hesitated for a fraction of a second, sensing the buildup.
Redwyn seized the opening.
He stopped rolling, twisted on the ground, and thrust out his palm. A sigil ignited in his hand—a central flame rippling outward in concentric layers.
Ki Totem!
Sizzle—!
But before the pattern could fully form, a throwing knife buried itself through his hand, pinning it to the stone floor. The glowing totem shattered into nothing.
"Agh—!"
Redwyn's scream echoed through the tunnel.
One of the three throwing knives Mithra had earlier driven into her shoulder—was gone.
He tried to yank the blade free, but a foot pressed firmly down on his chest, locking him in place.
"Enchanted Realm?"
Mithra's voice was calm, almost curious.
Redwyn looked up at her, trembling, unable to speak.
"How many lives do you have left?" she asked softly.
The pain blurred his thoughts; words tumbled out unbidden.
"T–Two!"
"That's good, then."
Without hesitation, Mithra brought the hammer down.
Thump!
Crack!
A sharp, shattering sound rang through the cavern.
Redwyn's eyes flew open.
Air rushed into his lungs.
Mithra's gaze flickered in faint surprise.
As the hammer struck, a red dot had appeared on Redwyn's body—then burst apart. Immediately after, the dot reformed, and his entire body reset to its original, uninjured state.
Cling—clang.
The throwing knife pinning his hand shot free. The scattered blood was faintly pulled back, and the fragments of his shattered head swiftly reassembled.
Was that just… a life lock?
Redwyn, utterly shaken, scuttled backward until his back struck the wall. He looked up at Mithra in horror.
Mithra stood watching him in silence.
Redwyn stared back.
The air between them fell still—neither moved again.
Mithra, noting his terrified expression, slowly lowered her hammer.
Redwyn instantly shrank back. "No more! No more!"
Satisfied, Mithra set the hammer down. "Let's talk about the Enchanted Realm."
Redwyn cowered for a while longer before finally stammering, "Huh?"
"Alright, let's summarize."
"The Enchanted Realm is actually what you call Earth. On Earth, there's a unified Federal government. Civilization originally advanced through science and technology, until one day contact was established with the Dream Nexus. That discovery revealed you Earth people could freely traverse realms, and it also introduced the power of miracles—completely changing the course of your era."
Mithra's tone was calm and steady.
Redwyn looked much more cooperative now than he had upon reviving, though apprehension still clouded his eyes when he met hers.
"...Yeah, that's basically right," he said, nodding.
Mithra sighed. "So both are called 'Earth,' huh? Never mind—guess you'll just have to live with it. Could be worse."
"Huh?"
"Nothing. Anyway, you Earth people—like you—rely on having multiple lives, so you're this reckless?"
Redwyn's face turned red. He lowered his head and muttered, "Actually… this was my first death…"
Ah. So he really was just a fearless kid.
"Can life locks recover?" Mithra asked again, her tone casual.
Redwyn thought for a moment. "If you can extend your miracle transmission point throughout your whole body and reach full Sensory Synchronization, you can increase your life lock limit—and even restore consumed ones. Also, if you gather enough scattered Inspiration, you can heal by using external Senseforce."
Safin had mentioned scattered Inspiration before—a way to replenish Senseforce beyond natural growth. But Safin had also warned that relying on external Senseforce was the fastest way to lose yourself.
"How do you travel between realms?" Mithra asked next—the key question.
"Through Transmission Points," Redwyn replied. "They're a kind of point only we Earth people can see—blue-violet crosses of starlight. These points exist everywhere in both worlds. In the Dream Nexus, different Transmission Points can link to teleport between them, and each one can also connect to a Transmission Point on Earth."
"I see." Mithra nodded slightly.
She wasn't sure whether she could perceive them herself, but based on what she'd read when exchanging for the Eyes of Night—life locks and all—she was likely one of them as well. An Earth person. Or perhaps… an Enchanted Realm native.
She might even be able to see those so-called Transmission Points herself—and maybe one day, go to Earth to take a look.
Still, with things like that, Earth people really had it too easy in the Dream Nexus. She didn't know exactly how vast this world was, but it was certainly not small.
Using those scattered Transmission Points to leap instantly across great distances was truly astonishing.
And then there were the life locks.
Earth people were far too blessed here. If all this had been arranged intentionally by someone—or something—then Earth was definitely under some sort of divine protection.
Never mind. She was too lazy to think about such things. She'd deal with them when they came. Exploring world lore and background settings was the most bothersome part of anything.
"Alright. Thank you for your answers," Mithra said.
"You're welcome—and thank you for sparing my life." Redwyn, once defiant, now sounded thoroughly obedient.
Little troublemakers, it seemed, just needed a proper beating.
"There's one more thing I need to ask of you," Mithra added.
"As long as it's something I can do, I'll give it my all!" Redwyn bowed solemnly.
"Teach me the Miracle of Ki."
"Huh?"
Not long ago, this was the same man whose head she'd smashed. Now he sat cross-legged before her, seriously explaining the principles of miracles.
Redwyn himself could hardly believe it.
Since childhood, he had heard countless tales of the Dream Nexus—legends of explorers who entered, discovered fortunes or powers, and then rose to greatness. Stories like that appeared every year, sometimes even among people he knew personally.
Those stories had fueled the unending enthusiasm of countless Earth dwellers for exploring the Dream Nexus. Redwyn had been no different.
Even though teachers tirelessly warned about the dangers of this world, words alone could never quell the feverish dreams of youth.
But now, after truly dying once, the peril of the Dream Nexus was etched deep into his heart—a lesson he would never forget.
"...So that's how it is," Redwyn explained awkwardly. "For a beginner, you must remember—Ki is linked to blood circulation. It's the power carried within your flowing blood. It's life itself—the proof that you're alive."
As he spoke, Redwyn demonstrated with his own Ki, helping Mithra sense its flow.
His teaching method was crude. Safin often claimed he wasn't much of a teacher, but compared to this, Safin's skill would've seemed divine.
Mithra listened in silence, turning her attention inward while controlling the throwing knives still embedded in her shoulder.
First, she cast Calmness.
Ding~
Ki originated from the abdomen, spreading throughout the body—life energy influencing the external world.
Self-type miracles unearthed the potential within oneself for personal enhancement.
Ki, however, extended outward.
Blood possessed many unique properties, yet in connection with Ki, it seemed to embody concepts like "circulation" and "movement."
Even when the logic was sound, perceiving Ki was far from easy.
Mithra found that Ki was far more elusive than any other form of Inspiration.
Even while her body was in regeneration and she maintained Calmness, she couldn't quite grasp it. The sensation was completely different from the miracles she had mastered before.
After a long while, Mithra finally opened her eyes. "Still not getting it."
She said nothing more, simply fixed her gaze on Redwyn.
Her silence said enough.
Cold sweat gathered on Redwyn's forehead. "The Miracle of Ki is inherently difficult to learn!" he protested. "It's not that I'm teaching wrong! I'm definitely not holding a grudge or trying to sabotage you!"
After a moment of awkward hesitation, he added timidly, "Sometimes… you just need the right trigger. Ki becomes much more active under certain conditions than usual."
"Such as?"
"The easiest examples would be—uh—getting angry, or drinking alcohol…"
"I don't get angry," Mithra replied flatly.
Redwyn glanced at her expressionless face and silently agreed. From the moment she'd been provoked, to the point where she crushed his skull, her face had barely changed at all.
So, after a short pause, he reached into his jacket and pulled out a small, rectangular glass flask filled with clear white liquor, then held it out to her.
"This is…"
"Strong liquor," he said quickly. "It's a type of—"
"I know. How old are you?"
"Twenty-one…"
"Tch." Mithra, who had been about to scold him for underage drinking, missed her chance. Still, she had every reason to doubt that the brat in front of her was actually twenty-one.
She took the flask and turned it over in her hand, reading the label.
["Two-Bottles-Head" Brand Strong Liquor: A common, steady-priced strong liquor from the Enchanted Realm. Ingredients…]
Ordinary. Nothing special.
"I've got a really powerful Miracle of Ki that only works after I drink," Redwyn muttered, sounding embarrassed even to himself.
Coming from someone who'd just had his head smashed in, it didn't sound particularly convincing. Given Mithra's earlier speed, if he ever stopped mid-fight to drink, he'd probably be floored before he could even activate the move.
Mithra twisted off the cap and tipped the bottle back without hesitation.
The moment the liquor hit her throat, her face flushed red, and the harsh burn nearly made her cough it all back out.
Drinking strong liquor while in a heightened state of sensitivity turned out to be a bit too stimulating.
Mithra lowered her head, covering her mouth. Redwyn cautiously asked, "Are you okay?! I wouldn't dare take a gulp that big myself…"
Hiss—
A faint red fluctuation rippled from Mithra's body.
Redwyn's eyes widened in disbelief.
It actually worked?! Sure, what he'd said wasn't entirely wrong—but it was mostly just a lucky guess. And this woman had done it in one swallow!
The surge of power soon subsided, and Mithra slowed her breathing.
"Cough… good," she said, nodding slightly. Then she looked at Redwyn. "I sensed it. Next, teach me the specific miracle."
Redwyn could only nod, still dazed.
The initial difficulty of perceiving Ki was far greater than learning its basic techniques. Once one grasped it, mastery came almost naturally.
At Mithra's request, Redwyn began with the most fundamental skill—Object Manipulation.
Without much struggle, the red aura extending from Mithra's hand enveloped a small stone. With a slight tremor, she lifted it into the air, then drew it gently into her palm.
"Wow—you really learn fast," Redwyn said in genuine awe.
"It's alright. Feels strange though, quite different from other miracles," Mithra replied, turning the small stone over in her fingers.
"I mainly specialize in the Miracle of Ki," Redwyn said, clasping his hands behind his head. "Aside from that, I only know Vitality and Calmness. I've got no clue about anything in the Natural category."
"Is miracle inheritance on Earth that comprehensive?" Mithra asked.
According to what Safin had said, learning the Miracle of Ki in the Dream Nexus required either studying at the Holy Sanctuary's Ki Academy or traveling to the legendary nation of Mysteria.
"Basic miracles are probably all available, yeah," Redwyn answered. "I'm just a college student—I don't know everything. We're only allowed to start touching miracles in our third year of high school, and only Vitality and Calmness. After entering university, you choose a department based on your interest and strengths."
"I see. Are there many people who study the Miracle of Ki?"
"Not really," Redwyn admitted. "They say everyone has Inspiration, but very few can truly sense Ki. My school's Ki Academy only has one class—about twenty people total." He scratched his ear, then added quickly, "But my school's a nationally renowned university, you know!"
Mithra gave him a sidelong glance—then raised her hand, pointing at Redwyn's head. A red glow flickered from her palm.
Redwyn froze for a moment, then burst out laughing. "No way, 'Object Manipulation' only works on inanimate objects. In Miracles of Ki, animate and inanimate things are classified differently… Wait—what the hell! Why are you pulling my hair?!"
As Mithra tugged a few strands from his head, Redwyn's puffed-up pride instantly deflated.
Though she wanted to continue practicing, a few wandering Cursed Beings began to appear nearby. They posed no real threat to Mithra now, but the chaotic surroundings weren't exactly ideal for learning.
Mithra casually returned the throwing knives on her shoulder into her body, then led the still-shaken Redwyn back to Safin's cave.
When Safin saw her bringing Redwyn in, he immediately understood what had happened.
"Seems your luck's not bad—you've found yourself a companion," he remarked.
"Hard to say. Maybe it's just a coincidence," Mithra replied calmly.
Safin chuckled and shook his head. "I think you're about ready to return. The meat's almost done—you can eat straight away."
Redwyn sat down a bit awkwardly, not quite following the exchange between the two.
Safin turned to him. "If you don't mind, young man, join us. It's just some game meat."
Mithra ignored the small talk, sat by the fire, grabbed a piece of meat, and bit into it.
Her regeneration expenditure from earlier still hadn't been fully replenished by enemy blood. Those people had simply been too weak. She hadn't immediately chased Redwyn before because she'd wanted to use the blood of her pursuers to offset the cost of regeneration.
Unfortunately, she'd underestimated just how overwhelming her growing techniques were against those fledgling Believers.
In short—no blood meant spending Senseforce or eating more.
And eating was a blessing, so she chose to eat.
Redwyn cautiously picked up a piece of meat. "Uh… what kind of meat is this?"
"Bear meat," Safin said. "Mithra hunted it."
Redwyn shuddered.
He'd seen bears at the zoo before. Though he knew wild bears were dangerous, in his mind they'd always seemed like relatively gentle, honest creatures.
In school, they were taught that some people in the Dream Nexus might not adapt well to the environment—that it was best to bring your own rations if you stayed long-term, and never eat local food, especially if you didn't know its origin.
But… refusing might be seen as disrespectful.
After hesitating for a while, Redwyn quietly took a bite.
It wasn't good. The meat was tough and hard to chew.
Naturally, Safin and Mithra's approach to cooking game was simple and rough—if it was edible and wouldn't kill them, that was already a success. Anything beyond that was a luxury.
Redwyn silently accepted it, reminding himself to adapt to local customs.
After Mithra forcefully replenished her energy, she began chatting with Safin about her experiences outside—and particularly how she'd met Redwyn.
She didn't leave anything out, even mentioning how she'd smashed Redwyn's head with a hammer and taken one of his lives.
Safin listened, half amused and half exasperated. "You certainly have a talent for running into bizarre situations. Your way of handling them is… rather direct."
Though he said this, there was no criticism in his tone. From his perspective, Mithra's actions were completely reasonable—the Dream Nexus was far from a merciful world.
Redwyn hung his head, listening quietly.
Indeed, from Mithra's point of view, he really was just a clueless brat who'd run up to her, thrown a few knives at her vitals, and gotten flattened in return—entirely his own fault.
"If he'd said he had no life locks left, what would you have done?" Safin asked.
"I'd have just cut off his legs first," Mithra replied casually, still chewing on a piece of meat.
Safin chuckled.
Redwyn trembled harder.
He'd been lucky—her hammer had only grazed his hand and shattered the bone. If she'd actually gone for his legs… he didn't even want to imagine that pain.
Good thing he'd been honest and quick-witted back then.
"He's also proficient in the Miracle of Ki. Keeping him around will benefit you—no harm in that," Safin said.
Mithra nodded.
"Then I suggest you return to the Enchanted Realm with him to regroup. Don't turn it down. The Enchanted Realm's conditions are blessed—if you can find a place to settle, you'll have a far stronger foundation when you come back to challenge the Dream Nexus later. I can see the fire in you; you're clearly someone both mysterious and extraordinary."
Safin's raspy voice carried steadily as Mithra tried to interrupt, but he pressed on.
The two locked eyes for a moment before Mithra finally nodded slowly. "I hope you'll still be around when I return."
"That won't be a problem—as long as you don't completely forget about me. Though even if you do, that might not be such a bad thing," Safin said with a faint smile.
"Don't say things that sound so unlucky," Mithra replied impatiently.
Redwyn stared blankly at the two across the bonfire.
He understood the Dream Nexus's common language quite well, yet somehow, he couldn't follow this conversation at all. It was clearly private—something meant for neither outsiders nor newcomers.
Still, one thing he did understand: was this powerhouse beside him really going back to Earth with him?
He had long thought of her as some kind of hidden-script super NPC—but now, it turned out she was from the same hometown?!
Even so, it still felt… strange.
Redwyn's small head couldn't make sense of it.
The three of them soon fell into quiet, eating in silence.
After the meal, Mithra restored her Calmness, then continued questioning Redwyn about the finer details of the Miracle of Ki. Safin, intrigued, came over as well—treating the whole thing as an opportunity to fill in the gaps in his own knowledge.
Redwyn felt immense pressure under their combined gaze. His voice trembled as he spoke, completely drained of confidence.
Even so, Mithra's learning ability under heightened sensitivity remained astonishing. Before long, she had already mastered "Suppression."
"Suppression" and "Object Manipulation" might both belong to the Ki system, but they were fundamentally different in nature.
Just as Redwyn had said earlier—controlling inanimate matter with Ki and controlling living beings were two entirely separate leagues.
As basic Miracles of Ki, under the same Senseforce consumption, Object Manipulation could easily move or control objects with great flexibility. Suppression, on the other hand, could only immobilize a living target for a brief moment.
"That's because when you're trying to control a living being, your emitted Ki has to overpower the target's Ki first. This confrontation is far more complex than with objects," Redwyn explained concisely.
Mithra and Safin both nodded thoughtfully.
After waiting a bit and seeing no questions, Redwyn continued nervously: "Then… shall I move on to teaching Bodyguard next?"
"Bodyguard isn't necessary," Mithra cut in. "What I want to know is the powerful move you were preparing before I interrupted you—and that Miracle of Ki you said could only be used after drinking alcohol."
A technique like Bodyguard wasn't her style. Keeping distance was bad for counterattacks, which didn't suit the way she fought.
Redwyn looked embarrassed but still answered honestly: "The one I tried to use back then was called Ki-Siphon Hand. I haven't fully mastered it yet. The miracle allows you to forcibly draw Ki from a living target through direct contact. Once their Ki is taken, at best they'll go limp and collapse; at worst, their blood will stagnate and they'll die."
"That strong?" Mithra frowned slightly. Back then, Redwyn had even activated a totem to enhance Ki-Siphon Hand—a desperate move. Still, she'd sensed he was building up to something major, so she'd deliberately given him an opening.
Safin spoke up: "If it's difficult to control living beings, then simply plundering their Ki—does it amount to the same thing?"
Redwyn blinked. "Huh? I don't really know. It's just a miracle…"
Clearly, he'd never thought that deeply about it.
"My apologies, I spoke out of turn," Safin said, bowing his head slightly and leaving it at that.
Mithra cast him a glance, then turned back to Redwyn. "And the one that needs drinking?"
"That would be Pyroflux," Redwyn replied. "I'm not proficient at it either. After activation, your Ki gains a burning property. For a while, every Ki-based ability you use carries that fire—and it can even ignite another person's Ki. But it's also extremely dangerous. If you lose control, the flames turn inward and burn your body from the inside out."
After hearing that, Safin couldn't help but sigh. "Indeed… an inspiration where mystery and peril coexist. No wonder the Holy Sanctuary's Ki Academy refuses to include any of these Miracles in the basic curriculum."
Mithra, however, didn't overthink it. To her, they all sounded great.
Ki was inherently cool.
And in this world, Miracles of Ki came with so many ways to use them—that only made them even cooler.
"Teach me," she said flatly.
"Alright, alright!" Redwyn nodded in a rush.