Everyone fell silent at Robin's extreme reaction. Since they didn't believe Shoun would harm a teammate without reason, they waited for the situation to clarify before acting.
—...So you can even do that... You're certainly... surprising—Robin finally said, rubbing their hand. It seemed like they wanted to say something stronger than surprising but held back to avoid being rude to Shoun.
—What happened?—Sein asked.
—Well, it turns out Shoun's ability exceeded my calculations a bit. What they just did was essentially rip the spiritual energy from my core—which hurts a lot—Robin explained. At that, everyone except Robin and Shoun was stunned. Deuz was the first to speak up:
—What's the true extent of your ability?
—Like Robin said, I can steal spiritual energy from a core. I can also take thermal energy from a body and the electrical energy transmitted by neurons... among many others. Listing them all would take too long. Of course, for any of them to work, I need direct contact—Shoun replied. Over the past week, they had researched their ability's limits. Its function was simple: it converted any type of energy into electricity, which they could then absorb. The interesting part was what happened after the conversion. Not all energy types behaved like ambient spiritual energy, which instantly refilled the space left behind. If Shoun drained energy from a core, it had to regenerate naturally. If they stole a body's thermal energy, hypothermia would set in quickly. If they targeted neural electrical impulses, the victim would be left paralyzed.
—That sounds incredibly powerful... How much does it hurt to have your core energy stolen?—Sein asked.
—Considering you're a new apprentice, you're lucky you haven't experienced spiritual energy depletion yet. As a Seeker, you know how awful it feels to run low, but you can still move somewhat normally. From the Apprentice rank onward, it's different—Robin explained—As you should know, our need for food, water, and air decreases slightly at this level because our bodies contain more spiritual energy. That's why running out leaves us completely stiff—no amount of food or water can supply what we need. With that said, to answer your question: it hurts tremendously. So much that for a second, I thought Shoun was going to rip my arm off.
Robin's final words left everyone sweating nervously, while Shoun grew even more uncomfortable.
—(This aspect of my ability is only useful for making people suffer. Wretches' bodies don't function like ours, so the biological applications are useless against them. While I could absorb their core, it'd be easier to just smash their heads in... meaning its only real utility is inflicting pain)—Shoun reflected on their ability until they noticed everyone staring—Hmm... well, that's why I didn't demonstrate much flexibility. Most applications are useless against wretches, and others, while useful, are ineffective in the mirror world, so I didn't use them either.
With that settled, everyone finished analyzing their test results. They discussed how to proceed with their training and agreed to continue mostly as before, with the only change being that they'd create more opportunities for Shoun to take the lead in attacks.
—What now? Should we take a mission or go hunting?—Sein asked impatiently, eager to test his new ability while snacking with the others in the dining room.
—Actually, I have a suggestion—Deuz spoke up, setting down their coffee cup—I'm curious about the place Shoun and Kaze went during their first mission. Maybe if we explore it, we'll find something related to the Chaos.
—Isn't that dangerous? From what we know, that place will be crawling with Brutes at the very least—Shoun countered while washing dishes, remembering the location clearly and how uncomfortable they'd felt during their brief stay.
—It might be dangerous, but we could also discover a lot. Besides, now that Sein's an apprentice, we can handle Brutes much more safely—though we might still end up as pulp in the process—Deuz replied.
—I say there's no harm in trying. Plus, if we confirm your house is safe, we won't need to walk to the park and risk accidentally attracting others—Robin chimed in, supporting Deuz. Sein and Kaze also didn't object, so they agreed.
—Fine, we'll go. We'll leave shortly, so make sure you're ready—Shoun said. Once prepared, they departed the base and made their way toward the vicinity of Shoun's house.
—(Just as I thought before... moving through the mirror world's streets feels more natural now)—Shoun observed the colorless landscape melancholically. They could feel the alien white light hitting their skin. Unlike in their home world, they didn't need to suppress their energy detection sense here—in fact, doing so would be counterproductive, as it might expose them to danger. Here, they also didn't have to worry about crowds or the daily nuisance of recruitment by the guild and government—(Maybe this place is horrible and merciless... but I might be starting to appreciate the disconnect it provides from everyday life's annoyances... Still, it's better to see it for what it is—a dangerous place where peace is fleeting. Not just to stay alert, but also to remember this isn't my home. Not where I belong).
Soon, they encountered the black smoke in the air. Though uneasy, Sein and Robin each analyzed it. The boy declared it wasn't a curse, poison, or anything similar, as it didn't trigger his ability. Robin, meanwhile, tried examining it with their tools but reached a similar conclusion. When they attempted to collect a sample for later analysis, they were surprised to find it impossible.
—How strange...—They pressed forward until they found structures seemingly infected by the black smoke, but whenever touched, they crumbled into unrecognizable white dust—For now, it's safe to say this smoke isn't dangerous, but if we stay here too long, we might end up like these buildings—Before proceeding, Robin stored some of the white dust as a precaution.
Soon, the five reached one of their primary objectives in this expedition—the place they'd temporarily dubbed the Black Smoke Zone. Their target was none other than Shoun's house.
In the other world, it represented order and cleanliness, meticulously maintained daily by Shoun with Kaze's help. In the mirror world, it was nothing but a twisted version of itself.
—It's... very different—The area where Shoun's house stood marked another shift in the Black Smoke Zone. So far, Clover Flush had observed three phases: the initial zone with only black smoke, a deeper area where the smoke had branched into structures, and now this third change—vegetation.
From the corners of walls to the edges of rooftops, countless black vines covered everything, blooming into a sinister array of creeping tendrils. Shoun's house was no exception, completely corrupted by roots from foundation to roof.
—Hmm... well, at least there doesn't seem to be a Brute or an Executor inside your house—Sein joked, approaching a window to peer inside. But when they touched the structure, something unexpected happened—instead of turning to dust, the roots surrounding the house became aggressive, lashing out at Sein. Fortunately, Deuz was alert and swiftly severed them with their shadows.
—Be more careful.
—Yeah, sorry guys—Sein apologized, backing away as everyone watched the severed roots transform into the same white dust from before.
—Guess we can't enter this way. The plants are aggressive when touched—Robin observed warily.
—Plus, I can't collect samples of these things either. What a shame... Should we keep going?—With no further objections, they pressed onward. Soon, they left the residential area and entered a district filled with buildings, all similarly covered in black roots.
—This keeps getting more dangerous... When exactly will we reach the Rank 4 zone?—Shoun asked Kaze, who simply shrugged.
—Not sure. Usually, I gauge areas by the concentration of wretches of each rank. Since there aren't any here right now, I can't say—Kaze explained briefly before falling silent again.
—In that case, maybe going further is too risky. What do you guys think?
—It might be dangerous, but we haven't found any clues about the Chaos yet—Robin mused, eyeing the root-covered buildings.
—Well, we might not be far from our goal. Why don't we look around a bit more?
—Wait... something's wrong. Something's coming—Before Shoun could finish, a black streak shot forward like lightning, slamming into them and sending them crashing through multiple buildings. The streak pursued relentlessly.
—Shoun!—Sein barely had time to cast their shield on them, feeling a fraction of the damage their friend took through the connection. They tried to run after them but was stopped by Deuz.
—Why are you stopping me, Deuz? We have to save Shoun!
—Tch, afraid we can't do that right now—Deuz said grimly. Above the buildings Shoun had been thrown through, a massive shadow loomed, blocking the street's white light. It landed with a crash, cutting off their path—Shit! Everyone, positions!