Winston lay on his bed, staring at the ceiling with the Core System open before him. He thought about the strange supernatural abilities he had been experiencing lately.
Ever since those abilities had started appearing in and out of his life, he had been unable to stop thinking about them. While watching Bongani and Pirlo's match earlier, he had spent some time wondering about them.
I wonder if channeling the Nethen essence around my body is what triggers these abilities I've been experiencing lately.
Ever since I awakened, I haven't really taken the time to deeply understand them. I'm still not actually sure what they are capable of. But one thing I have realized is that, since this power is tied to my entire existence, I have no choice but to accept it and learn more about it.
Okay, Winston. Since you can feel the Nethen essence, try channeling it around your body and see where it takes you. But be careful. Don't overdo it. As Winston thought about it, his gaze shifted toward the window.
A light rain had begun pouring outside—he swept his gaze across the room, where the other youths lay sound asleep, their rhythmic snoring filling the dorm.
Winston swung his legs off the bed and sat upright. The problem is, I don't actually know how to channel the Nethen essence. I can feel it, but controlling it is a completely different matter. The last time I managed to channel or control it was while playing football and that was by mistake.
Winston rose from his bed and walked toward the window. He looked outside at the downpour and chuckled when he saw the rain-soaked field. The sight brought back memories of his childhood.
Whenever it rained, he and his friends would stand on his house's porch and watch the field slowly fill with water. The moment the rain stopped, they would race toward the waterlogged field and start playing football. That was where some of their funniest moments happened.
One time, Winston had sprinted ahead of his friends, only to slip and smack the back of his head against the wet ground. The other youths had laughed at him, but their laughter didn't last long. One after another, they slipped and fell on the water-filled patches across the field.
Winston covered his mouth, trying not to burst out laughing. Good old days. That was when I started studying football matches. Winston stepped away from the window and lay back on his bed. I need to focus on channeling the Nethen essence.
Okay, the last time I felt the Nethen essence to the point where I could control even small slivers of it was when I was with Haruto in his office. Most of the other times happened when I pushed myself close to the point of injury.
Damn. I forgot to take Haruto's book. I guess I'll have to experience this myself.
Winston looked at the ceiling with a wry smile, Then he closed his eyes and began doing slow breathing exercises while lying on his bed.
After his fifth breath, Winston felt something moving inside him. It traveled through his body, sending chills across his skin before a cool sensation gradually spread through him.
Okay, I can feel it now. Now I need to control it.
Winston tensed his body.
The Nethen essence flowing through him suddenly released a ripple, catching him off guard. He coughed and quickly loosened his muscles.
Nope. Wrong idea.
He took a few deep breaths and began his breathing exercises again. Lying on his bed with his eyes closed, Winston focused on the Nethen essence flowing through his body. It moved like a river, spreading through every part of him. For a moment, he became fascinated by the sensation.
So this is how it flows inside me...
Then he suddenly felt his body becoming lighter, almost as if he were levitating. Winston jolted and quickly opened his eyes. "Ugh, another failure. Damn, why is controlling this Nethen essence so hard?" he muttered. Maybe I should ask Haruto about these superhuman senses.
Winston flicked his hand, intending to close the Core System—his eyes suddenly widened. A faint smear-like afterimage followed his hand.
He froze.
Slowly, he raised his hand again and flicked it through the air. The same effect appeared—Winston quickly sat upright and repeated the motion several times, his surprise growing with each attempt.
What the...
He swung his legs off the bed and stood up. The moment his feet touched the floor, he felt the Nethen essence flowing through his body again.
Winston slowly clenched his fingers into a fist. He tightened them until his palm and fingers formed a hard ball. The sensation inside him changed, and he felt the Nethen essence gathering toward his clenched fist.
His breath caught. It's moving toward my fist...
A wry smile slowly formed on his face, Winston looked around the dormitory. After making sure that every youth in Building C was still fast asleep, he let out a quiet breath of relief.
Good. At least no one saw that.
Now I understand how it flows and how I can control it. What I need to do is channel the Nethen essence and allow it to follow wherever I want it to go. All this time, I thought I had to push myself to my limit and that the Core would do its thing and reward me with these abilities.
Winston quickly sat down on his bed and pondered for a moment. "Since I understand how to control the Nethen essence now…" He stood up and channeled the Nethen essence into his feet. Taking a deep breath, Winston leaned forward and jogged across the room. Then, without warning, he accelerated.
His heels lifted off the floor as he entered a turbo sprint. The sudden burst of speed sent a gust of wind through the dormitory, causing the youths sleeping without blankets to shiver in their beds.
Whoa.
Unlike what had happened in the celestial hotel stairway, Winston was able to control his speed this time. He stopped right in front of the bathroom door. A wry smile appeared on his face as he looked back at the sleeping youths. Some of them were still shivering from the cold wind that had just whooshed past them.
Winston quietly entered the bathroom and closed the door behind him. He turned on the tap and splashed cold water over his face. Okay, this is incredible. He looked at his reflection in the mirror. I can combine the Nethen essence with the Voltage Core to climb into the higher groups.
A grin appeared on his face, but it quickly faded into a thoughtful expression. He remembered the faint slivers of Nethen essence he had sensed coming from Sebastian whenever Sebastian removed his ankle weights.
Winston shook his head. If what Haruto told me back in his office is true… He folded his arms and leaned against the bathroom door. If Haruto's suspicion about Sebastian is correct, then I really need to be careful when I get the chance to play against him.
His expression hardened. I don't want to get caught in that strange aura again—the one that put me into a coma.
A knock on the bathroom door snapped Winston out of his thoughts. He opened the door and, to his surprise, saw Bongani rubbing his eyes and yawning.
"Oh, Wis. My bad. You can finish up. I'll wait for you outside."
Winston opened the door wider. "Nah, it's cool. I'm done."
He glanced toward the window and saw the morning sunlight seeping through the overcast clouds.
"How are you feeling about being promoted to Group C? I'm thinking of going to the ground for some morning exercise. You coming?"
With a beaming smile, Bongani rubbed the back of his head. "I feel fantastic. I still think I'm dreaming." He paused before adding, "Please wait for me. I won't take long."
Winston folded his arms and leaned against the bathroom wall, waiting for Bongani. "By the way, Wis, do you ever take breaks? You're always practicing. I'm asking because I've been wondering. You don't have a One-on-One Challenge this week, and today is Friday."
Winston stretched his body. "I do take breaks. It's just that I don't take them the way you would expect." He chuckled. "For instance, I normally get eight hours of sleep, and I usually take a few minutes of rest between training sessions."
He paused, a nostalgic smile appearing on his face, "You know, my sister used to make fun of me for playing football all day. I'd come home, eat, and go straight to sleep."
Bongani stepped out of the bathroom with his hands still wet. "Wow, you played football all day? I used to play football whenever our coach called us for training."
"Why weren't you scared that you'd get injured if you went three days without playing or practicing?" Winston asked, furrowing his brow.
Bongani answered nonchalantly, "Well, I would have loved to play more, but the neighborhood where we lived was infested with crime. I didn't want to leave my mother alone."
"What about now?" Winston asked, concern entering his voice. "Aren't you scared that she's all alone?"
"Don't worry. When I came here, I talked to Mom. She said she'll be staying with her boss in the suburbs."
Winston looked at Bongani with renewed respect. He raised his fist, and Bongani bumped it with his own. "C'mon. Let's go to the football field in Building D."