: First step

Going back in time, before the brat wakes up and right after recreating the lucky coin, I keep the newly created copy in my pocket, I'll study it later now what I'm going to study is my self created technique: eight mind demons.

I sit on the bed in the lotus position, it is not necessary to meditate, but it helps.

Synchroners don't necessarily have to sync with something physical, it's rare, but possible. Things like souls are usually barely noticeable, so they're basically out of the question, but emotions? These are noticeable, sometimes even too much.

that's what I'm going to use, focus my mind on the strongest emotion I feel: fear.

Memories flow through my mind, the room, the boy, the notebook, the wheelchair, the pills and my eyes reflected in the mirror. Calm down Kaz, this is just a memory, it's already happened, you're not that boy anymore you're stronger now than you ever dreamed of back then, it's just a memory don't drown!

Fuck, I mumble in my mind in a cold sweat, the eight demons are based on being immersed in eight specific emotions and the most efficient way to do that is to use a memory, or rather let yourself be immersed in one.

"Damn I can't sleep, shit."

A side effect of technique, or is the technique the side effect? Anyway, one of the consequences of using 'Eight Demons of the Mind' is that I unintentionally resonate with the emotions of people around me, in other words: I become an empath beyond sensitive.

Try to imagine all the emotions of all the people in a city, feel it without even a logical filter, formless fear, aimless anger, envy of what you don't know, directionless greed flooding your mind, not at all comfortable.

Of course, I've lived with this for half my life, I can usually sort out what's mine and what's not.

I could try to practice a third technique, but I hid because of one I was very dependent on.

The Six Paths, a Buddhist concept, which my technique was based on. It's one I haven't learned but it's part of me, and something else. Something else that I do not know the origin and purpose.

I do not like this.

I basically sealed off the abilities it gave me, and went on to create my own techniques, while investigating what or who gave me those powers.

But none of this helps with my problem at the moment, so I'm just going to do the basics: energy accumulation, cultivation.

This energy is usually called 'Ki' sometimes accompanied by a suffix or prefix to indicate its origin and nature.

In the case of humans, this energy is stored in a virtual organ called a dantian, and the different ways in which this energy is extracted from the environment are called cultivation techniques.

Synchroners tend to use techniques based on natural energy generation processes such as combustion.

In my case I can extract electrical, thermal, chemical energy and I am working to extract kinetic energy as well.

Like what I'm doing now, moreover, I've recently been testing if I can convert the eight demons' emotional overload into combat power, but the results have been disappointing to say the least.

And I continue that way until dawn, when I go down to the first floor of the inn, where four long tables were lined up with little space between them and old benches served as chairs.

The tables were still empty, I sat in a corner next to one of the walls of the place, made of polished stone, on the table fruits and bread were hidden under a small tablecloth, probably not to attract insects.

I start an impromptu breakfast, one thing being a Synchroner doesn't eliminate or reduce is the effects of stress, so enjoying quiet moments is almost an unwritten rule for one.

I hear someone's footsteps coming down the stairs, which I know who owns it even before I see it, it seems that Mingten has woken up.

Long red hair tied in a ponytail, green eyes and black clothes with no noticeable details.

This flashy hair doesn't make it easy to be discreet, but whatever.

With a signal I call Mingten to the table, after our meal we walk through the city, not even a guard watching us it seems he didn't pass the bribe, until we found a street artist.

The show was interesting, the artist said he could keep juggling no matter what was thrown at him, and he would even use what was thrown as part of the show, with a rule that what was part of the show became his equipment.

I think I saw a man throw a jewel and it became part of the show, poor thing.

When the show is over, Mingten and I argue a bit about how he would fare if he were a Synchroner, until she approached him and made an offer that stunned me.

"Let's make a bet!" She says pointing to the juggler, and he, as surprised as I am, points to his face trying to confirm if he heard right.

"Are you talking to me young miss?"

He speaks, his voice deep and calm, almost relaxing.

"Yes, you." Mingten speaks energetically.

"First tell me what we're betting on, before we agree to bet."

Sensible, but what the fuck is the brat doing?

"I'll bet I can break your rhythm in one play."

Hearing this the juggler raises an eyebrow, puzzled.

"What are the prizes?"

"If you beat me, this guy here will give you enough money to spend a comfortable week here." She says pointing at me.

Dammit, Mingten, why are you using other people's money as your own?

I hope you miss it, because I won't get you out of this one.

"And if I win, I only need two favors."

Holding up two fingers, she speaks.

"Interesting, I take the bet. Shall we start?"

Argh, I still called him sensible. He should have put in some rules to limit how much interference she could cause, and banned the use of Synchros, as it stands I shouldn't even have worried about the payment.

Honestly he's a little naive.

The juggler takes six rubber balls from the pile he's made earlier, looks around to measure the space and with a confident smile begins the juggling.

Mingten, on my side about ten feet in front of the artist with nothing in her hands, closes her eyes, out of curiosity I try to feel the energy fluctuations and the frequency she is using.

Interesting, so that's why they call themselves breakers, it's more literal than I expected.

Less than a minute since the small bet began, one of the rubber balls starts to vibrate wildly, the frequency of the vibrations increasing with each turn until on the third turn, when the vibrating rubber ball is at its highest point. Mingten abruptly closed her hand.

Plaff.

The ball burst and pieces of rubber were scattered in the winds, surprised the juggler loses balance, and falls sitting on the floor and the rubber balls come in sequence.

"Synchro. This one I didn't expect, I lost." the juggler says, still sitting on the floor "What are the favors? Just to make it clear I accepted because I thought you wouldn't ask for anything out of common sense, but now I have my doubts."

Seriously? I don't count on the brat's common sense either, but that doesn't change the fact that he was too careless to accept such a proposal without asking for the details.

"The first favor is quite simple and will actually benefit you." Mingten, as if she can sense my doubts, speaks up.

"Really? What is this favor then?" the artist asks.

Mingten smiles, with an air of childish malice, and answers.

"Become a Synchroner."

Hahaha, now the air of malice makes sense, becoming a Synchroner can be either simple or complicated depending on how you do it, considering I don't have the necessary equipment with me this is going to be…fun.

"I'm sorry, but I don't think becoming a Synchroner is simple, so how exactly do you expect me to do that?" The juggler says, understandable concerns indeed, and for the answer the brat points to me.

Damn, I'm not surprised, but this girl calls the shots so naturally I wonder if she's the reincarnation of some CEO.

"This guy here will solve this part, but let's make one thing clear" she says more seriously than usual "after that there's still the second favor."

The brat's more serious tone made him gulp, probably with imagination running wild.

Too bad the first favor is bad enough in itself.

"Let's get it over with you two, or do you want to do this in the middle of the sidewalk?"

I ask, to make them both walk.

The artist gathers what he can from the equipment into a cloth backpack, and starts following us.

Until we reach a deserted alley.

"How about we introduce ourselves before we continue?"

I speak before either of them has a chance to piss me off.

"My name is Baha Anun, street artist as you have seen and third of five brothers. And would you be?" Baha introduces himself first.

"Kaz, decent in the forge, even better in battle." I present myself as honestly and humbly as possible, by my standards of course.

"Mingten, this blacksmith's assistant." The last to come forward, and for obvious reasons the least honest.

"So how exactly am I supposed to simply become a Synchroner?" Baha asks the question he should fear but doesn't know it yet.

"Normally we would use a lapis sensus, an artificial stone made from the core of a beast to awaken your sixth senses, but as I don't have any with me and my time is limited I will have to use more extreme methods. It boils down to torture."

Baha looks at me visibly and understandably surprised by the sudden mention of torture, what a pity, but without a lapis sensus, the other methods of waking up as a Synchroner boil down to two extremes: slow and safe or fast and risky.

As I want to follow my schedule of about ten days of travel, of course I'm going to use the fastest method.

The first step of a Synchroner is to be able to feel the vibration and frequency of all phenomena in the world in a much more intimate and detailed way than the five senses normally allow.

One of the ways to do this is to carry a lapis sensus, always in direct contact with the skin, as the stone was made to harmonize the user's senses with a specific natural phenomenon and help Synchroners in the early stages to progress.

The safe and slow method is all about regularly getting in touch with the element or phenomenon you want to sync with, the more of the five senses you can use to feel the element the better, syncing with water is the default for using this method, and then continue until harmony with the element comes naturally.

As things like synchronization and harmony are similar to epiphanies, this method is somewhat dependent on the talent and luck of the practitioner.

The quick method, I won't go into the details but it boils down to survival instinct.

With a smile that totally fails to hide the sadistic excitement I'm feeling, my mind can only think of one thing.

Burn, survive and be reborn Baha.