The Calm Before The Storm (2)

I pushed the couches in the living room to the corners, creating an open space in the center. Crouching down, I closed my eyes and focused. A day had passed since Chiron pointed out the flaw in my divine energy circulation, and I'd spent that time brainstorming various methods to create my own channels. Now, I was ready to test one of those methods.

The plan was to condense all my divine energy into an incredibly tiny sphere, no larger than a single cell. If it were any bigger, it could be fatal. Once I achieved the right size, I would circulate this dense sphere through my body, emulating the normal flow of divine energy.

However, contrary to normal circulation, this sphere would be so intensely concentrated that it would obliterate anything in its path, carving out new channels within my body. These new pathways would align perfectly with my intended divine energy circulation, creating a seamless system parallel to my unique divine energy circulation pathway.

'In theory, it should work.'

***

'It didn't...'

Well, it wasn't that I didn't, but I simply couldn't. Condensing all my divine energy into a tiny sphere was excruciatingly difficult, demanding immense concentration and effort. Losing focus for even a split moment would render all my attempts useless. I had lost count of how many times I'd tried—100th, 150th, 200th... who knew? I had started when the sun was just peeking over the horizon, but now the moon had taken its place in the sky.

*Ggrrr..."

The growling of my stomach echoed through the living room like distant thunder. I hadn't eaten anything since morning, and my body was loudly reminding me of that fact. Resigned, I decided to head to the campfire for dinner.

'A hungry stomach has no ears...'

***

When I arrived at the campfire, most of the seats were already taken. Even my usual spot at the back was occupied by a group of friends.

'Guess I'm late...'

I grabbed my food—a juicy steak and a glass of wine. Demigods had a higher resilience to alcohol than humans, so even a demigod toddler could handle it without a problem. As I scanned the area for a place to sit, I noticed that the only empty seats were near the main cast, probably because their bloodlines put them higher up in the camp's unspoken hierarchy. I approached and took a seat at the far end of their table. Seeing me, Eleanor, her mouth full, shouted.

"Mmhm, you decishided to join uth now?"

"..."

"I didn't think you'd join our table."

"There were no other empty tables."

"Oh... So that's why!"

She exclaimed, pointing a finger at me like she'd uncovered some hidden agenda. I just shrugged and immersed myself in my steak. The camp's food was exceptionally delicious, but hunger made it taste a hundred times better. However, interrupting me in the middle of my delight, Nadia asked me a question.

"Blake, why do the other demigods seem to hate you so much? It's like they think you're a curse that needs to be exterminated."

My eyebrow twitched at her blunt but accurate remarks. I guess her skills of observation lived up to her title as the daughter of Artemis. I lifted my head from my steak and noticed everyone glaring at Nadia.

"You guys haven't told her yet?"

"Err..."

I wiped my mouth with a napkin and decided to fill her in.

"Basically, 100 years ago, a sister of mine betrayed the camp and caused some serious damage. Thus turning me into a potential doom, someone who could bring about the camp's downfall too. That's why I'm not welcomed here, which is pretty fair, to be honest."

Watching me talk so casually about such a heavy topic made the others frown.

"Eh..?"

Adriel jumped in to defend me.

"Well... we didn't tell you because it's just rumors. His sister's choices don't invalidate what he's done for us. You saw it yourself. Blake saved us from that monster."

The mood around the table darkened as everyone recalled the grim memories from our quest.

"I'm heading back first."

I said, standing up and leaving half of my steak uneaten. I tossed it into the campfire as an offering before walking away.

Back at my cabin, I decided to give opening new channels another shot. Sitting in the middle of the living room, I closed my eyes and concentrated.

I directed my divine energy towards my brain, where the body and soul connect. In the darkness of my mind, a tiny red sphere began to form. It spun faster, growing denser as I poured more energy into it. The sphere became opaque, and just as I used up all my divine energy, I felt it solidify.

My determination surged as I successfully created the sphere. Now, the final step was to circulate it throughout my body like I normally would. Inhaling deeply one last time, I began the circulation process.

*Spurt*

My throat burned, and blood gushed out of my mouth. The pain was excruciating, causing me to wince, but I refused to scream. As the sphere penetrated through my body, an unbearable agony surged through my nerves, as if my insides were being rearranged.

A low, guttural groan escaped through my clenched teeth. My veins pulsed with suffering, visible through my skin. Every breath became a battle for survival, each inhalation a reminder of the relentless pain. In that moment, I grappled with a visceral symphony of torment, a symphony that resonated through every fiber of my being.

My consciousness was slipping away but I forced myself to hold onto it. The pain obstructed my senses, but I still continued to circulate the sphere until it completed a full circle. After what felt like an eternity, the pain subsided, but the ache was still there. I could hardly stay conscious. Eventually, my mind gave in, and my consciousness fell into a deep slumber.

***

When I woke up, it was still midnight. My head throbbed uncontrollably as I reached for my phone.

"It's 3 o'clock... So I've only been asleep for three hours..."

But then my eyes landed on the date, and I shot upright.

"The fuck?! It's been two days?!"

I lay on the floor for a few minutes, trying to gather my thoughts. Eventually, I mustered the strength to stand, my legs shaky. Every movement sent waves of soreness through my muscles and bones. The sound of my bones crackling echoed in the room with each step. I decided to take a bath to calm myself down.

"Haah... This is great."

As I soaked in the bathtub, I hesitantly began to circulate my mana, my expectations high. I didn't want to have endured all that pain for nothing.

To my relief, I wasn't disappointed with the results. My divine energy flowed smoothly, circulating much more efficiently than before. I could feel a newfound control over it, and it seemed like I could handle more divine energy than ever before.

A sense of accomplishment washed over me, soothing the lingering discomfort from my ordeal.

'Status Window'

---

Name: Blake Norman

Bloodline: Son of Hades

Strength: F

Agility: F+

Stamina: F

Intelligence: F+

Divine Energy: E-

Charm: S

Daggermanship ==> F-

Ability ==>

Authority Over Earth (Bloodline Ability) --- The user possesses the authority over any type of earthly material. Correlated with the amount of divine energy supplied, the range and effect of the ability increase.

---

"Damn..."

I had expected an increase in my divine energy and intelligence stats, but discovering that my divine energy had increased by two sub-ranks was a pleasant surprise. It seemed that the misalignment between my body and soul had been holding me back all along.

Wanting to put my new channels to the test, I headed to the training ground after my bath. I dressed quickly, grabbed some snacks to fuel me, and set off.

Arriving at the training grounds, I found it deserted—it was still 3:30 in the middle of the night. The peace enveloped me, the only sounds being the distant chatter of birds and the gentle rustle of the wind.

I decided to test my pure divine energy power first. Approaching a straw dummy, I gathered my divine energy around my fist. Red and black threads began to form on the surface, flickering like a dark flame. It was definitely much denser than before.

With a deep breath, I punched the straw dummy with all my might. Upon contact, a wind current brushed past as the force pulsed through the dummy. A huge hole was engraved through its upper body, reducing it to nothingness.

Satisfied with the results, I moved on to test my ability. I commanded the large rocks on the ground to elevate themselves. With a jolt, I sent them hurtling forward, aiming at another dummy. The rocks pierced through the dummy effortlessly.

With a swift motion, I slammed my hands together. Two blocks of solid earth rose from the ground on either side of the dummy, hurtling towards it. They collided with force, compressing the dummy between them until it was completely smashed.

After resting for a while, I prepared for the final act of the session—a feat I wasn't even sure I could pull off.

Closing my eyes, I connected my divine energy with the earth below. Slowly, I extended my arms outward, feeling the tremble of the ground beneath me. As my hands moved farther apart, a tiny crack formed on the surface. But before it could expand any further, my divine energy ran out, leaving me drained both mentally and physically.

The crack snapped shut just as quickly as it had opened.

'Unsurprisingly, I'm still too weak for this...'

What I had attempted was to open a passageway into the underworld. As the son of Hades, I held authority over the Earth, allowing me to manipulate it to create a path into the underworld. By opening a deep enough crack, I would be able to reach the underworld.

Normally, it was forbidden for living souls to enter the underworld. However, being a child of Hades meant I had certain privileges. Not that anyone in their right mind would want to venture into the underworld. Still, in the future, I had plans to pay a quick visit for a couple of reasons. But that was a matter for the future.

With that, I returned to my cabin as the sun began to rise, preparing to head to the cafeteria. I had been sleeping uninterrupted for two days, and the training only made my appetite grow stronger.