Rydel investigated the cube while laying down on his bed. It had a convoluted pattern that from the start went through each and every line. If he started from there, he’d illuminate the entire cube, eventually.

 

He concentrated and made a fine tendril of spiritual energy. He directed it to the starting point, lightly touching the cube. It went well for a couple of seconds, then, Rydel noticed that the lines varied in size. Some were thinner and some were thicker.

 

He realized with horror that he needed to constantly change the intensity of his spiritual energy as it goes through the cube. If he injected too much energy it would dissipate, and if he used too little, he'd waste more time, dwindling his energy reserves further.

 

He accepted the challenge. Rydel used his utmost focus. He had practiced his control for the last two years, he wasn’t a novice anymore.

 

He had no problems for the first third of the cube. He started to feel pressure when he was halfway there, it wasn’t just making his tendril continue, he needed to stabilize the path behind.

 

His energy reserves were enormous, so he could make some mistakes here and there. He noted a slight headache when he was two-thirds of the way. He wasn’t used to having to control so much spiritual energy at once, but he brushed it off. He didn’t want to give up.

 

As he neared the end, the headache only increased. His head had a heartbeat of his own, his back was sweating. He stopped when there were only a couple of centimeters until the goal, he still had a good amount of energy in his reserves. The throbbing in his head was unbearable, his vision was blurry and he was breathing hard. He wouldn't give up. Not now, not ever.

 

He made a mad push until the end and the cube illuminated in a beautiful azure light. Rydel heard a click before fainting.

 

***

 

Rydel woke up in his bed with a blanket wrapping him. The cube was on his bedside table. He inwardly thanked his mother and investigated the cube with curiosity.

 

A little button that wasn’t previously there stood out. He pushed it and the cube opened like a flower blooming. Inside, there was a pendant.

 

The pendant was made from lace agate, it was white with wavy blue lines. It was spherical, there was inscribed a half-moon pattern. Rydel bit his finger and painted the gemstone with a drop of blood.

 

After binding the pendant he put it on. He felt relaxed and peaceful, his spiritual energy was reinvigorated too.

 

This artifact had a healing passive, but the incredible part was that it made meditation easier. He needed less time to enter the necessary state of mind for cultivation and the results were better.

 

It was an incredible gift that he didn’t expect. He wanted to properly thank Roshia for this.

 

***

 

“Did you solve the beginner's cube already?” Roshia asked with curiosity.

 

They were in her home again, but before Rydel could thank her, she said that.

 

“What do you mean beginner?” Rydel said in an uncertain tone

.

“What, did you expect that for solving that little puzzle you were now a master at controlling spiritual energy? Naïve! Even I’m a frog in a well, let alone you.” Roshia snorted with contempt.

 

“So, there are two levels, beginner and expert?” Rydel said with hope.

 

“Wroong, four levels, beginner, intermediate, expert and master. Here, you can have the next level.”

 

Roshia gave him an octahedron with lines so small and interconnected that it seemed that it was painted in blue instead of having a pattern. Rydel groaned.

 

Roshia was satisfied with his look of despair and after chatting for a while, Rydel went to the school.

 

***

 

“You have hit a bottleneck in every aspect.” Galather stated.

 

“Indeed, it doesn’t matter if it’s my fighting capabilities, my Dao, or my spiritual energy control. I barely make any progress anymore.” Rydel said with some sadness.

 

He had been training for the last two years and a half. He sensed the limits that he could obtain without unlocking his class, but there was too much time left for that. He didn’t want to waste the next seven years.

If he continued practicing he’d improve, but the gains will be minimal. Galather measured him.

 

“There is a way. Before that, I need to know your resolve. Are you willing to risk everything in exchange for power?.” Galather asked him.

 

He put pressure on his words. Rydel felt compelled to answer the truth.

 

“No, I won’t do anything in the pursuit of power. I have values and lines that I will not cross. However, if it’s for my family, I don’t mind putting my life on the line.” Rydel said.

 

“Good answer.” Galather nodded.

 

He hadn’t thought of this in the past as there was no need. Did he truly want to forgo his morals for strength? The answer was no.

 

He won’t kill innocents, torture, or rape. Those were the worst sins of humanity, or elfkind in his actual case. He wasn’t a saint either, and this was a cutthroat world, so he was prepared to kill someone that threatened him or his loved ones. He wouldn’t go around the world bringing justice either.

 

If a crime happened next to him, and he had the capacity to help, then sure, why not. But he won’t be a busybody either.

 

He was neither a hero nor a villain. He preferred liberty and doing whatever he wanted. If he had to indulge in some of the capital sins, then so be it. If the situation called for it, he didn’t mind exercising the heavenly virtues either.

 

It wasn’t a matter of balance either, just that people were gray colors that held to their morals and code of conduct to deal with others. He was of the opinion that uncontrolled violence leads to nothing.

 

Now, if he had to punch someone in the face to demonstrate how much of an idiot he was being, he was the first to volunteer. Of course, he was prepared to be hit back. In that case, morals were biased and the other party was in the wrong. Just saying.

 

He has come to love the Elphyra Clan, his family, and everything that entails it. Maybe Rydel was an idiot for caring that much, but he did what his emotions told him that was correct.

 

If he had to risk his life, he put his entire trust in Galather that he won’t get him killed.

 

Now that he thought about it, he did think that uncontrolled violence was like throwing a tantrum. However, if someone dared to touch someone of their own… He will bring hellfire and wrath with no bounds. No one is allowed to touch a forest elf.

 

Galather asked him to come to the school before night-time. Rydel explained his plans to his parents and they agreed as long as he was accompanied by a responsible adult. Which he was, sort of.

 

He encountered a seated Galather in the arena. Rydel took a mat and put himself comfortably too.

 

“Are you prepared?” Galather asked.

 

“I am.” Rydel said.

 

“We are going to practice the transformation aspect of your Daodrop of Moonlight.” Galather said. Rydel looked surprised and hurt.

 

“Yes, your mother told me. She did it in good faith, she was worried for you doing something extreme and wanted me to protect you. Which I will, of that you can be sure.” Galather calmly said.

 

Rydel didn’t like that his mother breached their secret. But he understood, and it has been years since the incident. He closed his eyes and prepared mentally.

 

“Thank you.” Ryder said, he truly meant it. And not just because of this. Galather didn’t say anything.

Tonight there was a half-moon. The amount of energy that he received from the moonlight depended on the phases of the moon. The last time he did, it was on a full moon and he nearly died. Today, he had Galather as assurance.

 

Moonlight started to gather faster than last time. A thin fog gathered in no time, light tried to corrupt his being. He allowed it.

 

Moonlight kept trickling inside him. He had an uncomfortable sensation, like ants crawling inside his veins. He wished the Moon to become stronger, and She answered his prayers.

 

Something snapped, his entire eyes turned black. But this time he willed the transformation to stop, it was enough power. Growls sounded, but he persisted. Five minutes later, the transformation stabilized, he had succeeded.

 

“How do you feel?” Galather carefully asked.

 

Ryder stood up and stretched. He went to a nearby fountain to see his changed appearance. He saw nothing reflected in the water. He could see Galather next to him looking with interest, but there was no trace of himself.

 

“Interesting.” Galather said and described him.

 

His black sclera dominated his eyes, giving him a dangerous feeling. His skin was paler than usual and his blue hair now was dyed with white lines.

 

Rydel investigated if there was something different with his vision. It was all the same, he turned to Galather. Rydel looked at him and saw something. It was hidden behind his eyes, without thinking, he pulled it out.

 

Pure rage and madness, pressure descended on him and Rydel kneeled. His body was in extreme pain, he bled from all his orifices. It stopped as quickly as it happened.

 

Galather regained his faculties in barely a second. More than enough to kill someone like Rydel a thousand times. He was lucky that Galather didn’t lose all reason.

 

Galather was surprised and analyzed what happened.

 

“What did you do?” Galather asked while hurrying to heal him. Galather fed him a healing pill. Rydel didn’t have any serious injuries, with the pill and a couple of days of rest, he will restore to full health.

 

“I saw something behind your eyes, in the deepest parts of your mind. I-I just had to pull it off. My instincts screamed for me to do it. I had no choice.” Rydel said, still a bit shaken. When Galather lost control, the air shook and his mind was bombarded with negative emotions. He sat down, he needed to rest. It was an intense experience that he didn’t want to repeat in a while, ever if he had an opinion on the matter.

 

Galather had to think for a while to gather enough clues and discover what happened.

 

“I am not sure. But I think that it was my lunacy. Every person that has risen to power has a certain madness that they need to live with and control. It is impossible to have your hands washed in so much blood without any consequences. At that moment, I felt an urge to destroy everything in my path without care. Of course, the pull was too weak and not something that my willpower could not control, but as I wasn’t expecting it, it took me a second to regain my faculties. Now that I know what happened, I am protected.” Galather explained.

 

“It seems that there is a limit to what you can do too. The moment that you used your ability in me, your transformation ran off.” Galather added.

 

It was true, he felt weakened. And hungry, the healing pill had kicked up his vitality but it can’t regenerate injuries out of anything. He felt tired, his mind shaken. He relaxed a bit now that he was safe.

 

He felt too many negative emotions that just decided to nod to Galather and plop unconscious onto the ground. The Rydel of tomorrow can deal with all the matters at hand.