12th September, 1507

As Seren concluded his examination of Susie's severed arm, his sharp eyes caught sight of something peculiar.

Upon closer inspection, he noted that Susie's arm appeared to have started regrowing but was abruptly halted midway through the process.

A realization dawned on Seren, leading him to formulate a hypothesis: Luna, despite possessing the ability to heal Susie's arm fully, had intentionally ceased the process, likely as a means of coercing Susie into joining the Ashborne family.

Though Seren found Luna's actions petty and morally questionable, but he would gladly exploit the situation to his advantage. Recognizing the opportunity to forge a deeper bond with Susie and earn her loyalty, Seren remained resolute in his determination to aid her in any way he could.

Drawing closer to Susie, Seren held the candle, casting a flickering light across her nervous form. "Are you prepared for this?" he inquired, his tone grave and earnest. Susie nodded lightly, her eyes betraying a hint of fear.

In a gesture of reassurance, Seren handed her a cloth and offered a word of caution. "Bite on this and try not to move too much during the procedure," he instructed in a calm voice. With a final glance of determination exchanged between them, Seren prepared to begin the delicate process of reattaching Susie's severed arm.

As Susie bit down on the cloth, Seren began the procedure. With a deft motion, he wielded a large knife, carefully cutting the overgrown section of Susie's arm, mirroring the precise cut she had made with her ninjato during the Rite.

“ARGHH!”

The air filled with muffled sounds of anguish as Susie endured the agonizing procedure, her determination to remain still warring with the intensity of her pain.

Seren had also attempted to create anesthesia, but it proved to be futile. His conceptual creation ability was limited to producing only simple solid objects, preventing him from conjuring the complex ingredients required to make the anesthesia.

Once the overgrown section had been removed, Seren wasted no time in bringing the surgical suction device to the site, its mechanical hum filling the room as it efficiently removed excess blood and fluids, clearing the way for a clearer view of the surgical site.

Next, Seren maneuvered the surgical microscope into position, its high magnification and illumination allowing him to visualize and manipulate the delicate structures of blood vessels, nerves, and tissues with precision.

By this point in the surgery, the room was colored with the aftermath of the procedure. Blood dripped from the bed, staining the pristine white sheets, while Susie's body glistened with sweat in the face of relentless pain.

With the precision of a seasoned surgeon, Seren meticulously examined Susie's arm under the surgical microscope, identifying any damaged tissue or bone with careful scrutiny. With practiced expertise, he delicately removed any dead skin, muscle, or bones, ensuring that only healthy tissue remained.

Next, Seren focused his attention on the network of arteries and veins within Susie's arm, employing microsurgical techniques to suture the ends of the blood vessels together. Despite the complexity of the task, he worked with steady hands, his movements precise and calculated.

Fortunately, the nerves in Susie's arm had been spared from significant damage, sparing Seren the need for extensive repair.

“ARGHHHHHHHHHH!” *Sob *Sob

However, as soon as Seren began to address the bones, Susie's screams intensified, echoing through the room with visceral intensity. She desperately shook her head left and right as she looked at Seren with tearful eyes, seemingly indicating she no longer wanted to continue but Seren ignored her pleas as he started working on her bones.

Suise’s muscles then stiffed like a statue, and she was on the verge of losing consciousness. Seren’s heart shook slightly when he saw the early signs of seizure that Susie was displaying. Recognizing the risk of going into a reflex anoxic seizure, Seren acted swiftly to alleviate her distress.

He placed a hand on Susie's forehead, leaned closer to Susie’s face and whispered in a soft, soothing voice. "Everything's going to be fine. I am right here for you," even going as far as letting his nose touch Susie’s soft cheek.

Moved by Seren's calming presence, Susie felt a wave of relief wash over her, her tears subsiding a little as she tried her best to make herself relax in his reassuring voice.

With painstaking precision, Seren then continued the surgical procedure, meticulously addressing any remaining issues with the bones before moving on to repair the soft tissues such as muscles, tendons, and skin.

After several hours of intense concentration, Seren finally completed the surgery, his gaze shifting to Susie's reattached arm with a sense of satisfaction. Despite the challenges they had faced, the procedure had been a success.

Wiping the sweat from his forehead and stretching his back, Seren took a moment to collect himself, his expression one of reassurance as he turned his attention to Susie. She lay before him, panting heavily and tightly clutching the clean towels, her eyes tightly closed in exhaustion.

Feeling Seren's gentle touch, Susie slowly opened her eyes, her gaze meeting his with a mixture of relief and fatigue. "I-is it over?" she inquired, her voice weary from the ordeal.

"Yes, you can go to sleep now," Seren replied softly, his tone calm and reassuring as he wiped the sweat off Susie’s body. "Do not try to move your arm for the time being. Tomorrow morning, go back to Elder Luna and ask her to heal your arm normally, and don't worry, she likely won't ask you to pay her for this."

Susie's tense muscles relaxed at Seren's words, a wave of gratitude washing over her as she surrendered to the welcoming embrace of sleep. Just before slipping into unconsciousness, she whispered a heartfelt "Thank you,"

...

13th September, 1507

As Seren made his way to the academy in the morning, Susie was nowhere to be seen. She had gone to seek healing from Luna, so she was likely going to miss the lecture.

The day's lecture progressed at a steady pace, but Seren found himself growing impatient because, unlike the other students who had to take notes to remember everything, Seren could rely on his perfect memory, so the lecture style felt slow to Seren.

During the break, he approached Aldric and inquired if the academy had a library where he could delve deeper into his studies.

To his delight, Aldric confirmed the presence of a library within the academy, separate from the one maintained by Orion. Seren wasted no time in heading over there and immersing himself in the vast collection of books, retreating to a secluded corner where he could study in peace.

Back in the classroom, it was lunch time and all the students were either happily chatting with each other or eating.

Lorien was eating berries from a bag. Finn who was sitting next to him was also eating but then he realized he had finished all his food. He looked over and saw Lorien still had plenty of berries left in his bag.

“Haaaa” Finn sighed. Lorien, unfazed, continued his berry feast.

“HAAAA” Finn made a louder sigh this time.

Lorien glanced at Finn, raising an eyebrow. “You good?”

“Yea, no I’m good it’s just that those berries you're eating reminded me of the time when my aunt used to share those berries with me, but she died a few years back” Finn said in a mournful tone.

“...Do you want some?” Lorien asked.

“No no it’s fine I can’t take your bag of berries n-.... Yea, I will take em” Finn snatched the berries from Lorien with a sly smile on his face.

Lorien just rolled his eyes, as if dealing with a particularly peculiar species of fruit-loving human. He then cracked open an orange juice box. The straw made a satisfying puncture, and he took a leisurely sip.

“Haaaa” Finn sighed again. Lorien tried ignoring him.

“HAAAA” Finn sighed louder.

“BRO! What do you want?” Lorien said in an annoyed voice.

“Oh me, no it’s nothing, just that my aunt used to always bring me an orange juice box whenever she would go out you know..... before she died” Finn replied in a depressed voice.

“aight man here, JUST TAKE IT” Lorien shoved the juice in Finn’s face.

“No no I can't do that, it's yours and I-.... I’ll take it” Finn said trying to sound generous, but his hands indicated otherwise.

Lorien then stood up and said to Finn, “I will go grab some extra snacks.”

“HAAAA!” Finn wailed, channeling his inner drama queen.

Lorien spun around, exasperated. “WHAT NOW?!”

Finn’s eyes glistened. “My aunt used to take me out to buy snacks. You know, before she…” He trailed off, glancing at Lorien.

“Well, it’s a good thing she’s dead, huh?” Lorien deadpanned.

“...” Finn stayed silent, and his sad face crumpled as he clutched the berries protectively. But Lorien had had enough. With a flourish, he smacked the berries out of Finn’s hand, sending them tumbling to the floor.

“Tell your aunty to climb a tree and shake some more berries down! Oh, wait I forgot, she’s 6 feet under the ground” Lorien said while making a smug face.

They continued arguing until the lunch break ended.

...

As the afternoon turned into evening, Seren emerged from the library, his mind buzzing with newfound insights and discoveries. Surrounded by towering stacks of books, he couldn't help but feel a sense of exhilaration at the wealth of information he had uncovered.

Through his studies, Seren had gained a deeper understanding of the world he inhabited, learning about the various types of relics, the intricacies of Lexarch combat styles, and the geopolitical landscape of the continent known as Nefaria.

The commoners usually do not have access to this information, so Seren was quite happy with what he had acquired.

Among the myriad of nations that dotted the continent, Seren learned that he was situated in the Crestfallen Confederation, a small-sized country nestled at the heart of Nefaria continent.

As Seren delved deeper into his studies, he stumbled upon crucial information regarding the process by which a Lexarch ascends to the next rank. He discovered that there are three distinct requirements that must be fulfilled for a Lexarch to advance in rank, each demanding its own unique set of challenges.

The first requirement is the accumulation of a substantial number of soul stones to refine one's Mind Core. A Lexarch's rank is divided into three tiers: lesser, intermediate, and superior. Advancement from lessor to intermediate requires reaching a certain level of refinement, achieved through the utilization of soul stones to bolster one's spiritual power. Currently labelled as a lesser rank 1, Seren understood the importance of this foundational step in his journey toward power.

The second requirement involves the selection of a relic with which a Lexarch will merge their soul. However, this decision must not be made lightly, as a Lexarch has to have a high level of proficiency in using the chosen relic before they can merge their soul, if any mishap happens during this step then there is a chance of soul collapse where a person’s soul dies while the body still lives. Furthermore, the chosen relic must possess the potential to advance to a higher Class.

The third requirement presents a unique challenge, a Lexarch has to connect themselves to an aspect of existence. These aspects, which include History, Knowledge, Artistry, Justice, Spirituality, Legacy, Destiny, and Imagination, each have their own criteria for advancement. For instance, choosing the aspect of History may require you to uncover and learn about lost fragments of the past, while selecting the aspect of Knowledge may involve acquiring profound insights into the mysteries of the universe.

Importantly, once a Lexarch selects an aspect, they are bound to it for life and cannot change their affiliation. The gravity of this decision cannot be emphasized enough as the chosen aspect will shape the Lexarch's path and influence their journey till death.

Lost in contemplation, Seren emerged from the library, his mind swirling with the weight of his next steps.

BUMP

Suddenly, he collided with someone, the unexpected impact jolting him out of his reverie.

As Seren looked up, he found himself face to face with Elise, the girl with long black hair and piercing cyan eyes. She appeared to be heading into the library, her expression cold and apathetic.

Realizing his mistake, Seren quickly offered an apology. Elise nodded in acknowledgment, before continuing on her way.

Seren didn’t think much of it and resumed his journey, his thoughts returning to the challenges that awaited.

...