"Ah... before I forget: in the underground level, there are two training fields—one for warriors and another for mages. And a special room where we are headed now."
Glenn quickly followed Lesley towards the underground, but his wandering thoughts were interrupted by a question:
"I assume you know what we're about to do, given that you come from an old noble family," Lesley asked.
'There it is. The question I can't answer.'
Let me explain something. Imagine a man from ancient Greece transmigrating into the body of a modern-day man, surrounded by cell phones, cars, airplanes, motorcycles, trains, and so many other technological advancements.
And in this process, he absorbs, like flashes from an old movie, all the memories of that man. Could we say that he has become a modern man? The answer is clearly no.
Biologically, our brain has a limit to how much information it can absorb in a given period. Glenn had spent thirty days trying to discern which memories were his and which belonged to the former Glenn.
The result? He knew that the old Glenn possessed certain knowledge—he had seen it in his memories—but his understanding couldn't process the information. The issue lay precisely in the word understanding: remembering something is not the same as comprehending it. Glenn was like a student who, instead of studying for a test and understanding the subject's fundamentals, had merely memorized the words and their order. If something was out of the memorized sequence, everything collapsed.
That was what was happening now. He knew there was a sequence to Awakening, but he didn't understand the fundamentals of the practice. He also knew that the result was what one could call superhuman power.
Glenn decided to remain silent and wait for Lesley to take pity on him and explain things.
"Phew," Lesley sighed, not expecting that response.
"Very well. The first thing we need to discuss is whether your energy pathways are fully formed," she stated. "You do know what energy pathways are, right?"
"Yes," Glenn replied. That knowledge was accessible in his memories. "They are an intricate network of channels that naturally form within our bodies. They cannot be developed externally nor improved or worsened by external factors. They are directly connected to our essence," he answered, as if reciting from a book.
"Correct. And what about the timing of Awakening and innate potential?"
Glenn assumed a thoughtful expression before responding.
"The timing is not standard. For some, energy pathways form early, around fifteen or sixteen years old, while for late bloomers, they may have to wait until around twenty-five. But in general, energy pathways are always mature by adulthood, at eighteen."
"Eighteen," Glenn replied.
"And what about potential?"
Glenn remained silent. Though he had a superficial understanding of the concept, he didn't fully grasp its fundamentals and waited for Lesley to explain.
"Phew... Alright. The way your energy pathways awaken is genetically linked to the type of energy user you will be. We demons are naturally prana manipulators. When your energy pathways are thick, you are destined to become a warrior, using prana to strengthen your physical body."
'A little different from what I know, but it generally follows the same logic,' Glenn thought.
"Why does having thick energy pathways make someone a warrior?" he asked.
"It's because thick and robust pathways, with dense walls, offer great resistance to the flow of energy moving from inside the body to the outside. As a result, you inevitably use the energy to enhance yourself internally."
A bit of clarity emerged in his mind. If the pathways were too thick, it would be difficult to release internal energy into the environment, likely for things like magic. However, it would be much easier to overload muscles, bones, and the circulatory system, since all of that was also internal.
"On the other hand, when energy pathways are narrow and delicate, with thin walls that offer little resistance, you are forced to become a mage, specializing in externalizing energy."
"What happens if someone with thin pathways tries to use the strengthening techniques of those with thick pathways?"
"They become crippled. The energy itself starts to destroy them from within. The pathways begin to rupture, and all their hard work is wasted. It's so intense that, if it happens, death is inevitable."
"The opposite is also true. Trying to use magic with thick pathways could result in conjuring a fireball inside your own body, due to the difficulty in externalizing energy. I wouldn't recommend it."
'Figured. Still similar to many cultivation novels I've read,' Glenn thought.
"Is it possible to cripple someone externally? Could a stronger person inject energy into a weaker one to destroy their pathways?" he asked.
Lesley looked at him with a strange expression, as if he had just said the most absurd thing in history.
"That's impossible! Every body has a unique signature to which its energy pathways are attuned. Any energy with a different signature would simply be ignored by your pathways. But that doesn't mean it wouldn't harm other parts of your body. Which, in the end, is far more effective."
'Okay, this is different from every cultivation story I've read. Normally, there's always some idiot who gets crippled, and fate makes them find some overpowered treasure that turns them into a super soldier with thousands of abilities.'
"What about you? Are you a mage or a warrior?" Glenn asked, curious. He recalled how Lesley always moved like a shadow, her presence almost imperceptible. 'I think she's a mage,' he concluded.
'Alright, what a messed-up world. Not even a single coincidence with my modern knowledge!'
Their walk was coming to an end. They had reached the underground level and entered the training field. It was immense, like almost everything in that tower, at least the size of six football fields.
'Is this the one for mages or warriors?'
"Over here," Lesley pointed toward a second door right at the entrance of the training field.
The door was actually the entrance to an elevator, similar to the one he had found in the mines within the volcano. A pulley mechanism slowly lifted and lowered the compartment.
They stepped into the elevator, which descended to a lower level. The faint sound of metal meeting the ground indicated that they had reached the deepest part of the facility.
The elevator door opened into a mystical room. There was a long, thick white stone table, with small glowing colored tiles embedded across its surface. On the table, two flasks filled with a shimmering silver liquid radiated a mystical light.
In front of the table, there were two large bathtubs, each five meters long and two meters wide, filled to the brim with thousands of pearls.
"Alright, drink this," Lesley handed him one of the silver liquids. "And lie down on the white jade table. Let's check if your energy pathways are mature."