Chapter 33 | NAP

Leon's room was a mirror image of the one aboard the cruiser. Functional and just large enough to accommodate a bed and a small desk. 

Yet, within this modest space, he had luxuries: his own bathroom, a recessed closet built into the wall, and inside it, three fresh sets of the standard gray recruit uniform he currently wore. Below the hanging uniforms, two drawers held his undergarments and toiletries, while a pair of spare brown boots rested atop them.

The walls were a flat, neutral beige, unmarked by the usual grime and patches of Lower Level dwellings. The bed, while narrow, had a firm mattress that supported his body without the lumps and springs of his old one. Even the air had a different quality; it was filtered and clean.

That was the best dinner I've had in ages. I can't believe they actually let us eat real steak.

Leon's mind replayed the memory of the juicy, tender steak he had savored earlier that was moist and perfectly cooked. It was only the second time in his life he tasted something so rich, and he told himself this would become a regular treat now. 

The dining facility had surprised him with its abundance of tables laden with food that would have cost months of wages in the Lower Levels but served freely to recruits as if it were nothing special.

Fresh from his shower, he sank into his bed's narrow frame, letting the warmth linger on his skin. His muscles ached from the day's activities.

His gaze shifted to the datapad resting on the desk.

I need that mana method.

Without wasting any more time, Leon grabbed the device and synced with it, commanding his CRI.

Access Imperial archives for mana absorption and saturation methods.

A prompt flickered on the screen, causing his brow to crease in frustration:

Not authorized for full access.

Did I phrase that wrong? he wondered. I need a mana absorption and saturation method.

Searching database for authorized methods... Search complete. 

Preparing body analysis for method compatibility. Proceed?

Yes.

A faint pulse emitted from the CRI implant and the nanites coursing through his bloodstream. It was like a gentle wave of mana flowing into him, cycling rhythmically from implant to nanites and back again. The sensation lasted thirty seconds, cool and oddly soothing, nothing like discomfort. A new prompt appeared:

Analysis complete. Best method for user within the database:
Neural Attunement Protocol (NAP) - Aether Flow

"Aether Flow?" Leon murmured, curiosity piqued as the CRI expanded on the method's details.

Neural Attunement Protocol (NAP) - Aether Flow

Access Level: Authorized Officers & Elite Track Recruits

Clearance Note: Disclosure to unauthorized personnel strictly prohibited.

Overview:

Aether Flow is an advanced neural-mana synchronization technique, reserved for elite operatives. It combines calibrated meditation with precise neural interfacing to align the user's cognitive patterns with ambient mana. The process transforms the mind into a finely tuned conduit and the body into a mana reservoir, enhanced through implanted neural interfaces and bloodstream nanites.

In combat scenarios, the implant activates a rapid override—Aetheric Combat State (ACS)—bypassing meditation to forcibly synchronize mana at an aggressive pace. This unleashes controlled bursts of mana through nanites, dramatically empowering the user at the risk of neural instability.

Practitioners use Breath-Pulse, coordinating mana absorption with their breathing or movement rhythms to sustain the flow during battle. Nanites prioritize mana output over storage, venting excess energy as heat or prompting tissue adaptation.

Caution: Prolonged use in combat risks neural overload, microburns, and loss of consciousness. Nervous system failure is a common cause of casualties.

The rest of the prompt outlined the exact steps Leon would need to undertake. His CRI implant would require a programming update, downloading new instructions to itself and the nanites before he could begin true absorption. 

The method seemed far more advanced than what he expected. Not just a simple technique but a comprehensive reprogramming of how his augmentations interfaced with his body and with ambient mana.

Proceed with method download via sync?

Leon hesitated, then laid back on his bed. He wasn't sure what side effects a download might have, losing consciousness was a real risk. The warning about neural overload and nervous system failure lingered in his mind. 

But with instructor Zell's words about the final exam still fresh he knew he needed every advantage possible.

Proceed.

A loading bar appeared in the corner of his vision. Minutes passed with no sensation of data transfer, just a slight pressure at the base of his skull. Then subtle changes began. When Leon concentrated on absorbing mana, the familiar prickling itch that once annoyed him was gone. His body was adapting, the nanites working more efficiently.

The process felt less like downloading a military manual and more like his brain was rewiring itself, forging new neural pathways. The sensation wasn't unpleasant, just strange, like learning to use a muscle he hadn't known existed.

Beep beep.

A notification snapped him back to the present. He glanced down at his datapad:

Report to training field 0600.

He synced to the map, tracing the route to the training grounds. The layout of Fort Ferros appeared in his vision. A grid of low, utilitarian buildings surrounded by various training areas, all encircled by a high perimeter wall.

It's not far from this building.

Leon glanced at the time on the corner of datapad and saw it was close to midnight.

Trying first part of Aether Flow shouldn't hurt.

Despite the instructions to wait until morning, Leon's curiosity got the better of him. He wanted to see what this method could do. He needed to know if it would help him survive what lay ahead.

Leon sat cross-legged on his bed, setting each hand on his knees, and closed his eyes, letting his body relax. He inhaled deeply through his nose and exhaled just as controlled, feeling the tension seep out with each breath out of his mouth. He repeated the cycle, his breathing steady and rhythmic, each pulse grounding him deeper into a calm, focused stillness.

In this trance-like state, he reached inward, silencing the noise of the world until only the steady cadence of his breath remained. 

Suddenly, a subtle hum intensified inside his skull as the CRI implant ramped up its output. The usual steady pulse sharpened, receptor nodes deep within his neural pathways flickering with heightened sensitivity. It felt like someone had fine-tuned a radio, eliminating static to reveal a clear signal that had been there all along.

The implant wasn't just active, it was amplifying, tuning his brain to the ambient mana with greater precision, unlocking pathways that had lain dormant until now.

His mind shifted.

No longer scattered with thoughts or distractions, it became an echo chamber for energy itself. He could sense it now, delicate and elusive, a shimmering flow brushing against the edges of his consciousness. The ambient mana rippled through this inner chamber, reverberating with each pulse of his breath.

For the first time, Leon understood what mana was. 

Not an abstract concept or a resource to be measured, but a living energy that permeated everything around him. It was like suddenly seeing an invisible spectrum of light that had always been there.

With every inhale, he drew in that intangible power; with every exhale, he wove it deeper inside. The energy began to internalize, spreading through the neural network and coursing alongside the nanites embedded in his bloodstream. It was subtle but still noticeable, a current flowing through him, strengthening with each breath cycle.

When he opened his eyes, he was surprised thirty minutes had already gone by. He clenched his fist and felt the lingering mana that he had absorbed, although it was barely any difference in terms of quantity. What he did notice was an increased clarity of his mind, as if a fog had lifted, leaving his thoughts sharper and more precise.

Why couldn't I absorb as fast and as much like in the chamber?

Leon didn't know if he was doing something wrong in executing his method. He remembered the assessment chamber, how much easier it had felt there, like standing in a downpour rather than this careful sipping of energy. 

He shook his head, reminding himself he shouldn't be doing this anyway since they were instructed to wait until training. The Imperial Army had their reasons for protocols, and after seeing the warning about neural overload, he understood why they might want to supervise first attempts.

He laid back down as he tried to keep himself calm and not push it. The last thing he wanted was to injure himself from being too impatient. He had come too far to risk everything for a few hours' head start.

The trance-like state he had been in earlier had cleared his mind. It was the first time in recent days when he had relaxed and had time to think about other things besides survival. The constant changes were taking a toll on his mind that he had not noticed, and he felt relieved that the method had helped him unwind.

In that quiet moment, Leon realized how much his life had transformed in just a few weeks. From a struggling Lower Level resident facing Foundation Level to an Elite Track recruit with military-grade augmentations, practicing advanced mana techniques in preparation for combat training. The trajectory was so steep it was almost dizzying.

As fatigue crept in, he found himself dozing off, remembering all the delicious food he had been having lately and could not help but be hopeful of trying different types of food in the near future. It was such a simple desire—to taste new things, to experience flavors he had been denied—but it represented something larger: possibilities that had never existed for him before.

In the space between wakefulness and sleep, Leon wondered what else might be possible now, what other barriers might fall away as he continued this journey. The thought followed him into dreams, where he stood atop a mountain under Ferros' copper sky, drawing mana from the air as easily as breathing.