Trail and Error

Levi's heart pounded in his chest as he stared at the now-innocuous-looking cocoon, his mind racing to process what had just happened.

"What the hell just happened?"

It took him a full minute to grasp the reality of what had transpired. The realization that these cocoons were far more dangerous than he had initially thought hit him like a hammer.

"Telekinesis," he whispered, the word tasting bitter on his tongue. "These damn things have telekinetic abilities?"

He cursed himself for his recklessness. How could he have been so stupid? He should have known better than to underestimate anything in this Sanctum, especially after his harrowing experience on the first floor.

Levi's eyes darted around, surveying the numerous trees bearing the pulsating cocoons what he had initially seen as a field of opportunity to easily evolve now looked like a deadly minefield. Each cocoon was a potential threat, capable of turning any attack back on its attacker.

"So that's the catch," Levi muttered.

The move just now had been dangerous—but at least now he realized what the cocoons were capable of.

"They don't seem to move or attack directly."

Levi cautiously moved around the cocoon to test his theory.

"These things don't seem to have a tendency to attack. They wait for someone to strike, then use that force against them—basically defense-oriented."

It was a perfect defense mechanism, one that made the cocoons nearly impossible to approach or damage.

Then Levi grew curious as to what might happen if he tried to attack the black cocoon with his bare hands instead of using stones or sticks.

"I need to think this through," he said to himself, backing away from the nearest tree. "There has to be a way to deal with these things."

Levi found a relatively clear spot and sat down, his eyes never leaving the surrounding cocoons. He needed to analyze the situation carefully. Rush in again, and he might not be lucky enough to dodge the next attack.

First, he considered the nature of the telekinetic ability. It seemed to activate only when something approached with harmful intent. The cocoons didn't react to his presence alone, only to the spear he had thrown.

"So, they can't just fling things around at will," Levi mused. "That's something, at least."

Next, he thought about the strength of the telekinetic force. The spear had been sent back with frightening speed, but was that the limit of their power? Could they deflect larger objects? And what about their range?

Levi stood up slowly, picking up a small rock. He tossed it gently toward the nearest cocoon, watching closely. The rock sailed through the air, hitting the cocoon's surface with a soft thud before falling to the ground.

"Interesting," Levi murmured. "So it's not just a barrier. They only react to attacks."

This observation gave him an idea. If the cocoons only reacted to attacks, perhaps he could find a way to damage them indirectly. But how?

As Levi pondered this, his eyes fell on his shadow. An idea began to form in his mind—a risky one, but potentially effective.

"Let's see how you handle this," he muttered, reaching deep within himself.

For a second, there was silence. Then, without warning, a green aura surged forth from inside Levi, instantly enveloping the cocoon. The invisible energy pulsed and writhed, assaulting the dark surface of the cocoon with waves of chaotic mental force.

He was using Lunacy.

Levi gritted his teeth, maintaining his focus. The cocoon remained motionless, showing no reaction to the assault of mental energy. Undeterred, Levi pressed on, pushing his ability to its limits as he continued to assault the cocoon with his mind.

Seconds ticked by, feeling like an eternity as Levi poured more and more of his Lunacy into the attack. The whispers that usually accompanied his ability grew louder, threatening to overwhelm him, but he pushed them aside, focusing solely on the task at hand.

Thirty seconds passed, and Levi felt himself reaching his limit. The strain of maintaining Lunacy for so long was taking its toll. Sweat beaded on his forehead, and his vision began to blur at the edges.

With a gasp, Levi released his hold on the ability, stumbling back a few steps as the green aura dissipated. He panted heavily, his eyes fixed on the cocoon.

To his dismay and frustration, the cocoon remained unchanged. There wasn't even the slightest indication that it had been affected by his mental assault.

"Damn it," Levi cursed, his fists clenching at his sides.

Either the cocoon had high enough mental resistance that his Lunacy wasn't working on it, or it didn't even have a mind to begin with!

And both were disadvantageous as they rendered his Lunacy ability useless.

"Fuck."

Exhausted, Levi slumped down near a tree, careful to keep his distance from any hanging cocoons. As he sat there, trying to recover from the exertion, he couldn't help but feel a glimmer of hope.

Despite the intense effort, he hadn't experienced any extreme side effects from using Lunacy this time. It seemed like he could use the ability for almost thirty seconds without suffering any severe consequences—that was his limit for now.

Nonetheless, as Levi rested, his mind raced, searching for alternative ways to counter the cocoon's defenses.

Suddenly, another idea struck him.

"Will that work?" he muttered, doubt evident in his voice. It seemed far-fetched, but at this point, he was willing to try anything.

After allowing himself some time to recover, Levi stood up.

He retrieved the stick that was still stuck in the ground from his earlier attempt and then searched for another of similar size.

Finding one that matched, he gripped both sticks firmly in his hands.

Moving toward the same cocoon he had targeted before, Levi took a deep breath, steeling himself for what he was about to do.

Then, without warning, he suddenly threw both sticks at the cocoon simultaneously.

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Hey everyone!

I'm excited to share that a character illustration of Levi has been added to our novel page, and I've also updated the cover! I'd love to hear your thoughts, so please feel free to share your comments below.