Aura!

After arriving at their destination, the guide swiftly organized rooms for everyone, his urgency palpable as he rushed off, leaving the group to settle in.

As James turned to head back to his room, a young man clad in a vibrant orange fighting suit suddenly placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Hey there, friend! That orchid mask you're wearing is fantastic. Where did you get it? I want one for myself!" His voice was enthusiastic, almost childlike.

James shrugged off the hand, his tone icy. "It's none of your business."

"C'mon, don't be so cold!" the young man replied, raising his hands in a gesture of peace. "We'll be working together for the next few days. It's better to get acquainted. I'm Carmen, what's your name?"

"3206," James stated flatly before pushing open the door and stepping inside, leaving Carmen staring after him, bemused.

With a slight shake of his head, Carmen shrugged and walked toward the next room, a flicker of determination in his eyes.

Inside his room, James sank onto his bed, his thoughts lingering on the fiery personality of Carmen. He felt a strange warmth radiating from the young man, but he dismissed it, focusing instead on the technique he had purchased.

As he pored over the ancient text, he suddenly froze. "Wait a minute. Do I even have blood vessels?" The text explained the need to combine one's energy with the ambient breath to form pseudo-Aura, which would then flow through blood vessels and be refined into Aura for storage within the body.

Scratching his head in confusion, he decided to consult the system. Opening his panel, he read aloud:

[Host: James

Body: Death Scarecrow (0 evolution points)

Rank: F-grade inferior

Mentality: None

Growth value: 4361.2/10000

Talent: Life Thirst, Devouring Fear, Scythe of Death, Life Storage (430/1000).

Skills: Fear, Harvest of Life, Straw Binding,

(Severely injured, life force is being restored, remaining time 15:21:30)]

"Do I need to ask the system directly?" he pondered aloud, gripping the spirit crystal that contained the mental method. "Master System, how about you give it a try?"

Silence filled the room, the system offering no response.

James scratched his head absentmindedly, finding it oddly satisfying to run his fingers over the coarse texture of his straw-filled scalp. His mind wandered, frustration building as he thought about his system.

"This stupid plug-in of mine never responds to me," he muttered under his breath. He was about to close the panel and consider another task when, out of nowhere, a small red light blinked into existence in the lower left corner of his status screen.

"What's this now?" James asked, curiosity piqued. Without thinking, he tapped the glowing spot with his finger. As soon as he did, the tiny light rapidly expanded, filling his vision with vibrant information.

Suddenly, everything clicked. "So that's how it works… I see now!" James chuckled to himself, realization dawning. Yes, his body, made entirely of straw, lacked natural blood vessels. But the system had just provided him with a solution; he could 'create' fake blood vessels using the very straw that made up his body.

The light spot had gifted him all the knowledge he needed: detailed diagrams of blood vessels and how to replicate them within his own form. His eyes lit up with excitement, eager to test the method.

He threw himself into the process. Fail once, fail twice… but each time he came closer, refining the technique.

Time slipped by in a blur, and before he knew it, morning had arrived.

---

Outside the dormitory, the team leader surveyed the group of four already assembled. He glanced around, noticing one person missing. His brow furrowed in irritation. "Where's 3206?" he asked, a hint of impatience in his voice.

The leader couldn't afford to lose anyone, especially not someone as weak as 3206. He needed every hand for the mission ahead.

One of the men, who had previously tried to intimidate James, sneered. "Who knows? Maybe he got scared and ran off in the middle of the night."

Carmen, standing nearby, shot the man a disapproving look, shaking his head slightly.

Just then, the creak of a door echoed through the courtyard. "Sorry, I overslept," James said coolly as he stepped out, his orchid mask in place. He moved with a newfound confidence that wasn't there before.

Carmen's eyebrows shot up, and he couldn't resist whistling. "Well, well, look who decided to show up."

The leader glanced at him but didn't press further. "Alright, let's move. The front line is waiting for their shift change."

The sneering man clicked his tongue, visibly annoyed, and followed after the leader.

As the group started moving, Carmen sidled up to James, lowering his voice. "Wow, you've actually developed your Aura overnight. Not bad at all."

James remained silent, casting a sideways glance at Carmen. After spending the night practicing the mental technique, James had become more attuned to the presence of Aura. It was now as clear as day to him, and around Carmen, there was an unmistakable aura of heat, swirling and radiating like a furnace.

Whenever Carmen got close, James could feel the heatwaves coming off him. It was both impressive and unnerving.

James simply gave a slight nod, keeping his thoughts to himself.

"This must be the fire attribute," James mused, reflecting on the aura surrounding Carmen. As he thought back, he realized that Huang Laotou had once possessed Aura as well, though it had been weak and seemingly without any particular attribute, much like James's own when he first started.

James glanced warily at Carmen, taking a few deliberate steps to the side to put more distance between them. "What does that have to do with you?" he asked coldly.

Carmen, undeterred, smirked and shrugged. "Why so distant? Think about it, out of everyone here, we're the only ones who know how to use Aura. If something goes wrong, wouldn't it make sense for us to watch each other's backs?"

James's lips curled into a sly smile beneath his mask. "Oh? So you're saying you'd be willing to take the hit for me if danger strikes?"

Carmen let out a hearty laugh, his eyes glinting with mischief. "Hah! Let's not get ahead of ourselves. If things get dicey, I'll be the first to run. And while I'm at it, I might just break your knee to slow you down," he joked with a playful grin.

"Exactly why I want you to stay far away from me. I'm more worried about your fiery energy sparking me up," James replied, his tone half-joking but with an edge of truth. Without waiting for a response, he quickened his pace, widening the gap between them.

As he walked, James's mind returned to the difference between them. While Carmen's Aura blazed like a furnace, his own Aura was still meager. But it made sense; he had only been practicing for one night. The mere fact he'd managed to cultivate any Aura in such a short time was an achievement in itself.

But now that he had tasted the power of Aura, James fully grasped the importance of spirit crystals. Without them, the limited energy within his straw body would only be enough to fuel two cycles of Aura circulation. The spirit crystals, however, continuously replenished his energy, allowing for faster and more efficient Aura cultivation.

What James didn't realize was that others had an upper limit on how much Aura their blood vessels could handle before breaking down. But James had no such worry, his blood vessels weren't real, and if they ever broke, he could simply rebuild them with the straw that made up his body. This unique advantage gave him a potentially endless capacity for Aura development.

---

[Host: James]

Body: Death Scarecrow (0 evolution points)

Rank: F-grade inferior

Heart Method: Spirit art

Aura Value: 12 (The current upper limit of Aura can be increased by one point for each successful cycle)

Growth Value: 7623.5/10000

Talent: Life Thirst, Devouring Fear, Scythe of Death, Life Storage (1000/1000)

Skills: Fear, Harvest of Life, Straw Binding, Plunder (F-level spell), Gale (F-level spell)

Status: Severely injured, life force being restored (Time remaining: 03:11:56)

---

James glanced at his status panel and couldn't help but chuckle. His progress was steady, and there was potential for even more. He still had several blood crystals left in his possession, each one brimming with untapped energy.

The time was approaching. He would need to find the right moment to absorb those blood crystals and push himself beyond his current state, breaking through to the middle level of F-grade. With that extra strength, he'd be one step closer to facing whatever dangers lay ahead.

A plan began to form in his mind, and James's determination grew. This journey was only just beginning.