Treatment!

"..... What's going on?" Eli asked, his voice tinged with confusion as he stood in his Division 2 classroom. He wore his standard-issue blue-coloured uniform, feeling a strange sense of unease.

Looking around, Eli frowned again. He was absolutely certain he had arrived at the right time, yet the classroom was completely empty, devoid of his classmates. The only presence in the room was...

Zzzzzzzzzz

An old man, fast asleep on a bench, his face etched with a tired and worn expression.

"Mr. Rock?" Eli called out tentatively when he recognized the familiar face of the elderly teacher.

"Arrrhh..." Rock groaned, slowly waking up and blinking at Eli. He rubbed his eyes and stretched, "Oh, you arrived? I thought you had run away."

"W-What do you mean, Mr. Rock?" Eli stammered, taking a step back in hesitation, 'D-Did he find out?' he thought, his heart racing with anxiety.

"Let's go, she is waiting for you," Rock mumbled, his voice still groggy. He reached out, grabbing Eli's shoulder.

In an instant, they vanished from the classroom.

Meanwhile...

"Tsk, that old bastard took him somewhere," the black-haired girl muttered under her breath. She was standing on the rooftop of a nearby building, watching Eli through her binoculars. Beside her, a golden-haired girl stared blankly at the spot where Eli had just disappeared.

"Did you see where they went?" the black-haired girl asked, lowering her binoculars and turning to her companion.

The golden-haired girl, her eyes still fixed on the empty spot.

"Sigh, let's go for now. We have lots of work to do," the black-haired girl said, her tone exasperated. She vanished in a flash of light. The golden-haired girl lingered for a few more seconds, staring at the spot with a forlorn expression before she, too, disappeared.

Meanwhile...

Upon arriving at their destination, Eli stumbled, clutching his head in pain.

"It's normal, young man. Teleporting for a soulless person would cause a slight headache and disorientation, but you will soon manage it," Rock said with a hearty thump on Eli's back. He then began to walk briskly down the corridor.

Eli sighed, trying to gather his scattered thoughts before following Rock.

He looked around, noticing that the place was far more grandiose than the old Division building's corridor. The air was filled with a sense of opulence and sophistication.

He saw a few people dressed in white garments adorned with intricate golden thread lines, which looked incredibly luxurious.

"Where are we?" Eli asked, his voice tinged with awe and curiosity. He couldn't help but marvel at the elegance of the place.

"We are inside the Nexus Academy," Rock answered, his voice filled with pride.

"Oh!" Eli nodded in understanding, though internally he was still amazed, 'Look at these bastards... This place is on a whole different level compared to Division...' he thought. Gathering his courage, he then asked, "Why are we here?"

"My daughter needs to treat you before she can begin teaching you," Rock explained, a mysterious smile playing on his lips.

"Treat? What kind of treatment?" Eli asked, his curiosity piqued.

"Yes, you will understand once you see her," Rock said with a reassuring smile. He stopped before a large, ornate door, glancing around as if to ensure no one was watching, and then entered the room.

Upon entering the room, Eli noticed it was quite large, spacious enough to hold 1,000 people. The walls were lined with elegant tapestries, and the air was filled with a faint, pleasant fragrance.

Standing inside, he could see a black-haired woman and a white-haired dark elf engaged in conversation, their laughter echoing softly.

Upon seeing Rock and Eli, the duo immediately stopped laughing, their attention shifting to the newcomers.

"My dear! I haven't seen you in a while," Rock shouted joyfully, his arms open wide as he immediately hugged his daughter.

She blushed and replied in an annoyed tone, "Father, we just met yesterday," while hugging him back tightly.

She then turned her attention to Eli, who was curiously observing her and smiled with a nod of acknowledgement. She glanced at Nova, who nodded back and immediately walked away to attend to some task.

"Now, before we start training you, I need to know how you learned that technique, and I want to see the manual," Aadya said, her expression turning serious as she addressed Eli.

"I... I basically learned by myself," Eli answered hesitantly, feeling a bit nervous under her scrutinizing gaze.

Both Aadya and Rock were visibly surprised by his response. 'Looks like he has a natural talent for it...' they thought simultaneously, exchanging a quick glance.

"As for the manual..." Eli rummaged through his backpack, eventually pulling out a small, old book, which he handed to her.

Aadya quickly skimmed through the book, her expression darkening as she looked at Eli and nodded, "Just as I expected... Is this book important to you?" she asked, her tone serious.

Eli shook his head, indicating that it was just a book he no longer needed, having learned everything it contained.

Sssshhh

Without hesitation, Aadya set the book ablaze, the flames consuming it in an instant.

"W-What are you doing?" Eli exclaimed, his face full of shock and disbelief.

"This manual is incomplete, and those who try to learn from it are most likely to die in the attempt," Aadya said gravely, her eyes scanning Eli's body with a concerned expression.

"..." Eli was at a loss for words. It took him a moment to process the information before he asked, "Seriously? People die from learning it?"

"Yes, seriously! This technique is extremely dangerous in its incomplete form," Aadya reiterated, her expression grave.

"Shit..." Eli cursed under his breath, his mind racing. 'My shitty father is truly useless until the end...' he thought bitterly.

"How curious... How are you even alive after learning this?" Aadya asked, her interest in Eli piqued even more. Her intense gaze sent a shiver down his spine, making him feel even more uncomfortable.

Just then, Nova entered the room, carrying a huge white box in her hands, "Professor, I brought it!" she announced, her voice calm and composed.

Aadya nodded and looked at Eli, saying in a clear, authoritative voice, "Now, strip."

"...." Eli instinctively covered his body with his arms, glancing nervously at Rock for some sort of clarification, 'What the hell?' he thought.

Rock sighed deeply, shaking his head before speaking, "My dear, you need to phrase your words more carefully. What would you do if he actually stripped naked and showed his elephant?" he said, a teasing grin spreading across his face.

Aadya's face turned a deep shade of red, her eyes narrowing into a glare directed at her father.

"Father!" she exclaimed, her voice filled with indignation at his vulgar language.

Rock raised his hands in a gesture of surrender, his face still amused, "Alright, alright," he said, chuckling softly, "I won't say anything more."

"Hehe---"

Nova giggled, unable to suppress her amusement, but quickly stopped herself when Aadya's fierce glare shifted to her.

Aadya turned back to Eli, her face still flushed with a mix of embarrassment and irritation. "Except for your underwear, remove everything and then go lie down on the table," she instructed, trying to regain her composure and professionalism.

Eli nodded, an amused smile playing on his lips. 'Well, she is certainly different,' he thought as he began to remove his clothes. Once he was down to his underwear, he walked over to the white table and lay down on it.

"What are you going to do?" Eli asked, settling himself comfortably on the table and trying to suppress the nervousness creeping into his voice.

Aadya, now wearing a surgical mask and gloves like a doctor preparing for a procedure, looked at Eli and began to explain, "You might have already noticed this... Are you feeling heavy and rusty inside, as if something is making you tighter from within? Do you feel an unusual weight pressing down on your muscles and joints?"

Upon hearing this, Eli nodded vigorously, "Yes, I have been feeling like this for the past year," he admitted.

He could feel the tightness in his inner muscles as if they were packed with something dense and unyielding.

Aadya nodded in understanding, "So, that's when you started to learn, right? That's when you began practising the technique?"

Eli pondered for a moment before nodding. "Yeah..." he replied, realization dawning on him. "So, all of this discomfort is because of the technique?"

"No, it's because of that incomplete technique," Aadya clarified, "Due to its incomplete nature, your body has become clustered and mangled with the mana you inhale from the surroundings. We need to remove this excess and let your muscles free, allowing them to return to their natural state."

"I see... so what are you going to do now?" Eli asked, his curiosity and apprehension growing as he tried to anticipate the next steps.

Aadya smirked behind her mask and opened the box that Nova had brought.

Inside were hundreds of small needles, each a reddish-blue colour, arranged meticulously in neat rows.

'Gulp,' Eli swallowed nervously, his eyes widening at the sight of so many needles.

"Clench your teeth and make sure not to cry," she instructed, her tone serious and slightly teasing as if challenging his bravery.

Suddenly, Nova pressed a button on the table, and Eli's hands and legs were quickly cuffed, securing him in place. The restraints were firm but not painful, designed to keep him immobile during the procedure.

Ting

Ting

Ting

Ting

"What the--" Eli began, startled by the sudden restraints and the sound of the cuffs locking into place.

"Don't worry, young man," Rock said, giving him an encouraging thumbs up. "You're in good hands with Aadya. She knows exactly what she's doing."

Chcckk

Before Eli could respond, Aadya swiftly pierced his sternum with the first needle. The motion was precise and practised, showing her expertise.

"...." Eli braced himself for a wave of pain, but to his surprise, he felt nothing more than a slight pressure.

"That's all?" he asked, his voice tinged with disbelief and curiosity.

Aadya smirked, her eyes glinting with amusement. Within seconds, she had placed hundreds of needles around his chest, each one inserted with meticulous care.

ooozzzzzz

"arr-----"

Suddenly, a blackish substance began to pour out from the needles, oozing from his pores. Eli clenched his throat, struggling not to scream as he felt his insides being pulled and twisted.

"Good," Aadya said, her voice calm and focused. She was surprised by Eli's resilience and smirked again, clearly impressed. With steady hands, she began piercing every inch of his body with the needles, ensuring no part was left untreated.

Eli gritted his teeth, his body tensing with each new needle.