Banda swirled the turbulent sphere of aura within the meridian of the left side of his neck as it pulsed against the boundaries. Each steadily controlled knock pushed it wider and wider with perfect efficiency until it reached its greatest potential.

  The meridian trembled fiercely, but this time the others trembled with it. All twelve outer meridians flared in unison as they connected between themselves far more deeply, and finally settled at a new height. The peak of the second stage.

  Banda could feel the aura flow within him more precisely than before, like a river that had broken through a dam that had previously stunted its current. His martial arts and basic techniques would reach even greater proficiency with this, but more importantly, he could finally advance to the third stage.

  It was this stage that decided one’s path in cultivation, the nature of the power they held. Along with the first stage of Rank 2, it was the most important step of a monk’s journey.

  “We should start looking for an alchemist after we advance.” Eres spoke up. “I doubt we have more than the rest of this week until Tath goes completely mad.”

  Banda didn’t object. Even if the iron human was sane, there was not a second that the desire to eliminate this affliction didn’t swell within the core of his being. Any and all threats towards him were intolerable, without exception.

  Fortunately, they did finally possess something that could cure them. However, the Gloomcap was worthless in its unprocessed state. They needed a capable Adept alchemist, and such humans were not so easily found here.

  Though, sulking would do him no good. With eyes focused on the path to power, he once again headed towards the greatest threat of all within this town.

  ---

  “You two really are fortunate…” Otto commented with a subtle trace in his tone that set Banda a bit on edge. Though nothing came of it, and Otto retained his lazily sly demeanor. “This one takes some time, so do it somewhere else after I tell you. Listen closely because I won’t explain again.”

  The lord of the town didn’t bother shifting from his restful position at the top of the manor steps as he spoke.

  “This third stage is called Aura Gathering. First step’s the same. Cycle mana until it becomes your aura. But now you push it into your outer meridians. Cycle it there until the impurities are removed. Your meridians will do the work. Just hold it there.”

  “It’ll be obvious when the aura is purified. Gather it back into the center and push it into the attribute of choice. Body, Mind, or Soul. Or two of them equally, if you have a style that requires it. Or all three if you want to be mediocre.”

  “Takes some time to tell them apart, but it shouldn’t be that hard for you. Once you find it, imagine yourself as a jar and pour the purified aura in. Your attribute will handle the rest.”

  “This is an important stage, so don’t choose wrong.” He added, seeming both invested and indifferent to their success.

  “What are the effects?” Eres asked. That she would willing prolong their interaction with Otto showed just how crucial it was.

  Otto glanced at her. “...it strengthens an attribute, in the simplest of terms. The body becomes stronger, faster, more durable. Same for Mind and Soul. Up to three times greater for a single attribute. Two times for a pair.”

  “And it strengthens martial arts of those types. That Palm Blast would become more destructive… and that Iron Fist more durable.”

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  “That reminds me…” Otto continued. “I heard you two are doing work for Tath now.”

  Neither Eres nor Banda showed any reaction on their faces, but the atmosphere grew heavier.

  “Well… I don’t care what you get up to in your own time. As long as you do your jobs. But I hope you aren’t getting strange ideas. I’d hate to lose useful workers.”

  “...we aren’t dumb enough to side with someone like her.” Eres replied plainly.

  “I guess not.” Otto almost chuckled the words. “That’s all for this lesson. Find your way out.”

  “Also…” The pair started barely took a step before he spoke again. “I might have another task for you soon.”

  The two waited for a moment in the ensuring silence then glanced at each other before heading off again. This time they were allowed to leave without interruption.

  “Not even a hint of concern… even though this stage would make you stronger than him.” Eres said as they left the north manor behind. “I can’t tell if he’s bluffing…”

  “I will be a Shaman.” Banda declared.

  “Really?” Eres asked.

  “Yes.” Banda was certain.

  Of all the dangers he had encountered in the Tower, threats to his soul have stood out among them. And then there was the craft of Runecarving, which relied on the soul, and above all, the nature of his Trance.

  If that power came from the soul of Gugal overwhelming him, then if his own was the stronger of the two, he would be the one to dominate and that power would be truly his. And if such a power was under his full control, not even ten Humbabas would be his equal.

  The two arrived at a small two-room stone house. As their old one had been destroyed, they needed a new place to sleep. Though it was hardly an issue at all, there being no shortage of empty homes in the town.

  Eres handed him five Mana Crystals from her ring. Their recent hunting trip ensured they had no shortage of them.

  Between the gnoll tribe, the konru, the dire bear, and the harpy flock from before, they had amassed well over two hundred crystals. She had elected to combine two sets of a hundred into two Manastones and to keep the rest as smaller denominations for convenience.

  For the duration of the second stage, it had costed them two Crystals a day to cultivation properly. Given they were advancing, it would undoubtedly be more from now on.

  Banda found a spot in the house difficult to ambush from the outside and tossed the crystals at his feet as he lowered into a meditative crouch.

  Greedily, he absorbed the dense fumes of mana and cycled it through his network. His speed was twice as fast now with his fully opened and connected meridians, but the time spent converting mana into aura had increased sixfold in total as each of the twelve outer meridians had to be filled.

  But that did not bother him. He meditated patiently, steadily generating aura and pouring it into his meridians until all had reached their capacity.

  He spun the aura within them, just as he had done for this second stage up until now. But this time, the boundaries did not fight against him, nor did he try to buck and beat at them.

  At first nothing happened. But then it felt it. Traces within the swirls of aura started to change. Clusters of purified aura turned to azure strands in current, and those strands multiplied more and more until the the whole sphere was a sparkling azure.

  He gathered it all back into his center with difficulty. The stronger purified aura fought against his control, as if unwilling to be moved by him. It was slow and straining, but managed to retrieve it all into one large swirling mass.

  Banda stilled his focus, and felt for his soul. He remembered how it felt to be in his Trance. The pain of the Soul Seed and the damage from the Harpy Matriarch’s scream. He searched for a long time in the dark. And then he found it.

  A hazy outline that resembled himself, simultaneously within the bounds of his body and outside of it. It was faint, so he focused deeper. He searched for his mind and his body, distinguishing the two in order to distinguish his soul more clearly.

  Soon the hazy outline looked more recognizable. It’s form more obviously his own. And he poured the purified aura in.

  It was slow at first. Very slow. And demanded far greater effort than any step of cultivation he had experienced before. He could not rush it, but at the same time he could not relax his focus even a bit.

  Slowly, like a trickling brook he guided the flow until the last drop left the mass. A pain filled his soul, one that tempered it. Made him stronger. Then a warmth replaced the pain, and his soul settled to its new stage.

  Banda opened his eyes. He could feel the slight trace of his greater power, and a clearer awareness of the presence of his soul that was now constant. Once again, he had stepped closer to the peak.

  He glanced over to Eres as she opened her own eyes, bearing a smile of temporary satisfaction that would soon be usurped by endless ambition once more.

  “Let’s find our alchemist.”