Waking Up...

~Omniscient Pov~

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Yohan blinked, his vision blurry and unfocused, slowly sharpening as he came to. He felt like he'd been hit by a freight train, but as the fog in his mind lifted, he realized something—the pain was gone.

Rising to his feet, he noticed an unfamiliar sensation flooding through him. No, it wasn't just a feeling—it was raw, untamed power coursing through his veins, like nothing he had ever experienced.

'I feel... stronger. Way stronger...' His muscles tensed beneath his skin, his posture even felt more grounded. He didn't look any different at all, but he felt unshakable, as if his body had turned into something immovable.

"Hmm…" He brushed the thought aside for now. Testing this newfound strength could wait. For now, his focus shifted to the ability he had just gained. Thankfully, using these absorbed skills felt as natural as breathing.

'Here goes…' Concentrating on his arms, he felt it—an odd sensation deep within his bones. It wasn't painful, but he could sense them shifting, rearranging. Flesh parted seamlessly along his forearm, revealing a bone blade—curved and sharp like a sickle.

"So this is it..." He observed the blade with fascination. No energy cost, just a steady drain on his regeneration rate. Even though it was pure bone, its edges gleamed like polished steel, wickedly sharp.

'I can tell just by looking—this thing's deadly. And if it's really three times tougher than me…' His gaze shifted to the concrete nearby.

Fwish!

With a swift, fluid motion, Yohan sliced through a thick concrete column, cleaving halfway through it with ease. Yet, his brow furrowed slightly. 'Makes sense.' The issue wasn't with the blade—it was him. He didn't have the raw force to fully cleave it in half.

Thinking it over, he glanced at his arms again, 'Maybe I can infuse my energy into them?...' It was a theory, but logically, it made sense. These were his bones, after all. Closing his eyes, he focused, feeling the surge of energy within him—a well far greater than it had been before...

Soon, energy began flowing through his body, and soon his arms and then... A crisp sound came forth, 'It worked...' He looked at them, being covered in a white aura. 

He smiled wildly, 'This feels way more efficient than when I channel my energy through a sword, it feels as if it's at least twice, no three times more efficient!' 

'Was it because it's my own body that made it?' He knew that ordinary weapons couldn't accept energy, however, certain allows could, however most students didn't have access to such things, or advanced techniques that would allows someone to manipulate their energy like that.

Feeling satisfied, Yohan locked his gaze on another column of similar size. This time, he charged forward, his bone blades poised like weapons.

Fwish!!!

In an instant, the column crumbled, cleanly sliced through as if it were nothing more than butter. Yohan watched it fall, a smirk tugging at his lips... He could hear and feel the difference—the precision, the power—compared to his previous attempt. The improvement was practically undeniable.

However, he felt as if something was different other than just the change in energy. The way he had moved the second time around felt, better, than before. No, he knew it was better than before, and by a decently large margin too.

He sighed, 'I'll have to experiment with that later... Plus, I need to get home before Mom gets suspicious.' With a thought, Yohan willed his new blades away, and as he brushed off the dirt from his clothes, something caught his eye.

"Ah Damn it! My clothes! T-They're covered in blood!" He groaned, letting out another deep sigh, 'How the hell am I gonna explain this?' He thought begrudgingly.

Yohan looked down at the mess, shaking his head in frustration. "Great… just what I needed." He tugged at the fabric, the bloodstains sticking uncomfortably to his skin. He'd have to figure out how to clean up before heading home—there was no way he could explain this without raising questions.

'Luckily it's only on my shirt; I can burn it and close the jacket up, it'' help me out a bit.' He didn't take long to settle on the thought. In a quick motion, he slipped out of the bloodied shirt, held it at arm's length, and with a flick of his hand, summoned a small flame.

The shirt caught fire instantly, and within moments, it was reduced to ashes. He brushed the remains off his hands, zipped up his jacket, and glanced around one last time to make sure no one had seen.

"That should do it," he muttered to himself, feeling a bit more at ease. Now, all he had to do was get home without any more trouble. 

'Now it's time to head home before it get's any later than it already is...' Now having perks that boosted his movement speed, coupled his own training. He could run around 60+ mph at the moment, and maintain that speed for a long time...

~

'Yohan's quite late…' His mother's brow furrowed as she glanced at the clock. 'Ciest did mention he wanted to be alone for a while, but still...'

She stood by the window, staring out into the dimming evening, some worry creeping into her thoughts... It wasn't unusual for Yohan to need space, but tonight felt different. Something tugged at her instincts, making her uneasy. That was until she saw something approaching...

Her thoughts paused as she saw something—someone—fast coming in the distance. Moving far too quickly for any ordinary person, it was heading straight toward their home. Her heart skipped a beat...

Her heart raced as the figure closed in, moving at an impossible speed. She took a step back from the window, unsure of what she was witnessing. Just as the shape neared, it slowed, and in the dim evening light, she finally recognized the figure.

"Y-Yohan?" she whispered to herself, more in shock than relief. 

The door opened, and Yohan stepped inside, slightly out of breath but otherwise calm. His mother's eyes widened, her worry now mixed with confusion.

"Yohan, where have you been? And how were you moving so fast?" she asked, her voice both a blend of concern and bewilderment.

Yohan hesitated, tugging his jacket a little tighter to make sure the burned-shirt issue stayed hidden. "I was just… out thinking. Sorry I'm so late, I didn't mean to worry you." He laughed a bit nervously.

"Just... don't push yourself too hard. And let me know if something's wrong, alright?" she said softly, brushing a hand over his shoulder.

Yohan nodded, forcing a small smile. "I will, Mom. I promise..."

With that, he headed upstairs, with he first thing on his mind being a shower. Tossing his jacket onto the bed, he made his way to the bathroom, ready to wash off all the dirt and some of the dried blood from the day; he was more focused on feeling clean than anything else at the moment...

~

When Yohan finished showering, he thought of what had happened earlier when he cleaved that pillar in half. That feeling didn't leave him, rather it was the opposite.

He could still feel the sensation, as if it was pulsing in his veins, as if his body had been awakened to something new; something more. That precision, the effortless strength he exuded—it wasn't just a fleeting moment. It felt permanent in a sense, like he crossed a certain threshold of sort.

'Maybe it wasn't much of a fluke...' He was sure the result wouldn't change; that the boulder would still be sliced clean in half, but he doubt it would have required such a low amount of strength...

'I can test it out again, and it isn't like I have anything better to do...' walking over to the side of his room, he picked up his make-shift wooden blade to test out his little theory.

Now, he stood in the middle of his room, mind focused on the earlier sensation—the one that felt like his whole body had essentially leveled up, 'Let's see if that feeling wasn't just a one time trick.'

With a swift movement, Yohan swung the wooden blade downwards... There was no real target, but it didn't matter. The air itself seemed to part, even by the slightest just before him, as if it couldn't resist his strike. The force behind the swing sent a slight breeze through the room, surprising him. He didn't even need to strain, or put in extra effort; it just flowed.

'Yep… it's definitely real.' His lips quickly curved into a small grin, 'My skill has practically doubled... Just what the hell is happening here?' Even if he was glad he had gotten a boost, he was still wondering why his regular movements felt so, off. 

Looking back at his Panel, he could see the ridiculous amount of skills he had gotten over the last two weeks of coming to this new reality; almost 60 over all. Yet, he paid close attention to his Physique that allowed him to understand the blade, 'As I thought... it hasn't even improved, so what gives?'

He looked below his stats, perusing all the skills he had that could potentially have benefitted him, and after a minute, he found another skill, and it was a Talent...

He placed a hand on his chin, a bit curious about this, "This thing gives me a +200% increase in sword related learning and comprehension abilities... But, it doesn't feel like I got 20% more efficient in totality at all...' In his opinion, the boost felt far larger. A mere increase like this wouldn't boost him this much...

'Unless... No, that shouldn't be possible, right?...' He shook his head and immediately pulled out his phone, clicking on some new videos that gave tips on swordsmanship. Yohan scrolled through his phone, eyes glued to the screen as he found a video series on advanced swordsmanship techniques. His thumb hovered for a moment before he clicked play, letting the video fill the silence in his room.

The narrator spoke about stances, footwork, and angles of attack, but something was different this time as Yohan watched. Everything clicked. Far more than it should have. It wasn't just comprehension—it was like every concept, every movement, every bit of advice slotted perfectly into place in his mind. He didn't need to rewatch sections or slow things down; he just understood it all near instantly.

"Wait… what the hell?!" Yohan muttered to himself. He sat back a bit, letting the information sink in. The video wasn't exactly groundbreaking perse, but it felt like his brain was absorbing it all at a ridiculous speed, at least compared to before. He felt as if he'd been practicing these techniques for months, not just learning them for the first time....

"Still, there's no way a 200% increase does this..." He couldn't shake the feeling that something was very much off here. This new talent had definitely made a difference, but it was way beyond what the description had implied, or was it him who understood it wrong.

His mind ran a mile a minute considering some of the possibilities. 'What if it's not just the percentage boost? What if the skill I absorbed is somehow synergizing... Amplifying themselves beyond what their supposed to?' It was the only explanation he could come up with right now.

"No... It's too early to judge just yet..." 

~

Tap~

Tap~

Yohan's fingers tapped against the side of his phone as he mulled over the thought. He knew he was a genius now, not in the traditional sense at least; but this? It felt too fast, too instinctive. He could visualize every movement perfectly, as if his body had been trained through years of experience rather than a few hours of videos...

'I feel like this is something you would see in old Chinese cultivation novel where the mc has some overpowered talent...' It just felt too unreal, even compared to before.

Yohan sighed, his grip tightening around the sword as he glanced at the ground, trying to make sense of what he was feeling. It wasn't just muscle memory—it was something deeper, something ingrained. Every swing, every stance felt imprinted into his very being; almost like second nature, almost like he had been born with this knowledge.

"I've never been able to retain this much information before, not like this..." he muttered under his breath. His mind was essentially constantly processing, adjusting, analyzing each technique with what felt like absurd efficiency. It oddly wasn't even overwhelming, but it was definitely new.

He stood up and swung again, the air slicing in sync with his movements. Each time he moved, it felt slightly sharper, cleaner. 'And it's not just muscle memory anymore,' he realized. His mind was still actively learning, not from the videos,; but from his own movements... Optimizing the techniques with every motion.

Some movements felt too high, too low, too wide, too slow, too fast...

"Urgh... I'm not used to this..."

Stopping for a moment, Yohan let out a deep breath. "If I'm learning this fast now... what's gonna happen when I absorb even more talents? Will I even be able to keep up with em'?" The thought actually sent a shiver down his spine, not from fear; but from the sheer potential he knew was buried deep within him now...

He scratched his head, "I guess I'll just have to find out later."

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~Omniscient Pov, the next day~

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"Do you have to go to school? The doctor said you should wait for a few more days..." 

Yohan turned at the sound of his mother's voice, momentarily caught off guard by her sudden appearance in the doorway. She had her arms crossed, a slight frown creasing her brow... He could see the concern on her face from a mile away, mixed with a bit of frustration. too

"Uh, yeah... But I'm feeling fine now, really!" he replied, trying to keep his tone light. "I mean, I spent a few days in the hospital already."

His mother stepped a little closer, her expression softening just a bit, but her concern didn't waver. "You know how these things work, Yohan. It's not just about how you feel right now. Even if the doctor said you're fine physically..."

He ran a hand through his hair, a bit sheepish under her gaze, "I get it, Mom. But sitting around feels... wrong. Just trust me alright, I'm fine, I'd think I'm old enough to know when I'd need rest and when I wouldn't? Hmm?" He added.

She sighed, smiling, "Alright, just... Just be careful... I can't lose you too..."

Yohan's heart twisted at her words, "You won't lose me, Mom. I promise I'll be careful." He offered her a reassuring grin, though inside, he felt the weight of her concern pressing down.

"Just remember," she said, her tone shifting to one of gentle seriousness, "it's not just about you anymore. You have people who care. We're all in this together, okay?"

"Yeah, I know." He nodded, feeling a warmth spread through him at her words. "And I appreciate it. Really."

She stepped closer, placing a hand on his shoulder, her grip firm yet tender. "If you need anything—just say the word. I'm here."

"I will," he assured her, knowing full well he might not always take that advice. 

"Alright, see you later..." He waved he goodbye.

~

Yohan made his way to school, but he was running slightly late for his spar... 'Knowing Johnathon, he's probably there already waiting." This time, Yohan was was actually excited about facing his older friend. He felt like the gap in their skill levels weren't as big as as it was a few days ago...

But, while on his way there, he felt like everyone was looking at him for some reason...

'Just ignore it dude... Just ignore it...' He repeated.

As Yohan made his way to the arena, he could see Johnathon already prepped and ready to go... 'Figured.' He thought. However, this time, he felt a weird sensation emanating off his friend.

'That pressure... Was that always around Johnathon?' Yohan could see an invisible layer of energy radiating off Johnathon's body. 'Still... Why do I feel so confident in myself today...' Yohan shrugged away the thought.

But, for some odd reason... He felt like he'd do more than land a single hit...

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END