Wow! The item-dropping rate is really high!

Bai E opened his eyes, and a faint glint of light flashed within them.

Even facing those bright eyes, Yue Ying still couldn't help but feel a shock to her soul.

For a moment, a vast, smoke-like aura pressed in from "behind" Bai E as though a tsunami, leaving one breathless.

Spiritual Energy!

Spiritual Energy!

The sea of Spiritual Energy, high-dimensional space!

Only that existence, which transcends time and space, encompasses everything, and seems both the true face of the universe and completely illusory, could give her such a terrifying sense of oppression.

Just now, in an indiscernible, indivisible instant, Bai E's will had successfully connected to that legendary ocean.

Awakener!

From a human-made man, initially repelled by Spiritual Energy, to an authentic wielder of Spiritual Energy... This human warrior had taken only two short nights.

An immeasurable shock arose quietly in Yue Ying's heart; even among her own Elf Race, those with no innate talent and even resistant to Spiritual Energy didn't awaken such power easily.

Let alone mastering the methods of the Elves with a human body.

One couldn't imagine how much he had changed to bring about this ultimate miracle!

The novel sensation brought by an unprecedented miracle surged like waves against her body, and her abnormally sensitive body climbed a layer of pale pink glow on this "heartbeat" moment.

A faint heat rose from every corner of her body, and even the maximized self-restraint unconsciously employed could hardly control the physical instincts activated by the sea of Spiritual Energy and the terrifying reality never faced before.

The overly sensitive body and mind gave the Elf Race their extraordinary talent for Spiritual Energy, but in a certain sense, it also made them always hover on the edge of being corrupted by extreme emotions emanating from high-dimensional space.

Yue Ying, somewhat beyond control, gently rubbed her thighs together, the granular friction of her clothing distinctly touching her fair skin.

The instincts, long suppressed, seemed particularly fervent now; the pleasing sensation from just the rubbing almost instantly spread through her whole body, shaking her sharply like lightning, and a soft moan nearly escaped uncontrollably from her throat.

"You... have Spiritual Energy now?" Unable to suppress herself, she had to try to divert her attention through speech.

However, Yue Ying didn't realize herself how much her trembling voice carried a sultry warmth.

Powerful Awakeners could easily infect others with their will, just as emotions from high-dimensional space could contaminate the thoughts of those nearby.

Bai E slightly lifted his head and glanced at Yue Ying concealed under the shadow of her hood, feeling that there was something odd about her tone of voice.

As if she were running...

"Yes," he replied calmly.

Not counting last night, just tonight alone he had spent 6300 points of experience; with such a massive expenditure of experience, not learning it would mean better to commit suicide.

The display on the panel clearly showed the ability that Bai E now possessed—

[Spiritual Energy]: 1/1

It was still a small amount, just starting out.

But going from nothing to something was undoubtedly a monumental leap for him.

As long as one has the method for training, every single minute and second meant growth, imperceptibly, continuously.

But for some reason, there was no "attribute" display.

Bai E, who had just stepped into the realm of Spiritual Energy, could only speculate based on his scant prior knowledge.

In a previously experienced panel concerning drop rates, both Yue Ying and Pansen, the Awakener who helped reclaim server relics, each had their own Spiritual Energy attribute.

Yue Ying's was "Sharp Cut," and Pansen's was "Heavenly Eye."

Although he didn't know what it meant, perhaps it was like a special attribute bonus related to specialized abilities?

Different "attributes" of Spiritual Energy have their own tendencies in ability.

Bai E spoke haltingly, wanting to inquire but unsure how to begin.

He couldn't explain how he knew that Spiritual Energy also had its own attributes.

"What… did you see in the moment of awakening?" Yue Ying's voice emerged with difficulty.

She knew something was amiss with her current state and needed to extricate herself quickly to calm her mind alone.

But an uncontrollable curiosity towards the newly awakened Bai E kept her from convincing herself to leave.

There is only one chance to witness one's awakening of Spiritual Energy in a lifetime.

That very moment is crucial!

The inspiration in that moment, the dim "visions" seen, will determine one's direction on the path of Spiritual Energy for life.

Humans may not place much importance on this, as they often select those naturally gifted with Spiritual Energy for training, who typically awaken in moments of routine childhood activities like eating, sleeping, daydreaming, playing… any inattentive instant might conclude this awakening-like event.

It is hard to trace back, and the vast number of humans means they don't concern themselves with individual development paths.

Only the Elves hold this moment with utmost regard.

The intense curiosity for the newly awakened Spiritual Energy made it impossible for Yue Ying to convince herself to leave just like that.

"What I saw..." Bai E murmured, his gaze vacant as if he were lost in memory, "I saw light... starlight..."

The origins of all things?

The river of time?

What has already happened.

What is happening.

What is about to be plotted.

In that moment, which seemed brief yet where time was incalculable, Bai E saw too much.

So many "images" and sensations, so dense that they couldn't be clearly expressed in words for a time.

As a means of exchanging information, language... is far too insufficient.

Due to an instinctual secrecy, he did not wish to disclose everything he saw.n/ô/vel/b//jn dot c//om

"Stars?" Yue Ying gently repeated, her focused thinking to some extent suppressing the odd sensations in her body.

As for the imagery seen at the moment of an Awakener's awakening, there were Elves in the Elf Race who had specifically studied this.

The mysteries of Spiritual Energy are ever-changing and elusive, yet it is precisely within this field of difficult research that Elves immerse their minds.

Through generations of heritage, they had developed their own unique way of interpreting the "imagery" observed at the moment of awakening.

And the stars...

"How many... did you see? What were... the color and brightness like?" Yue Ying's breath was still somewhat heavy, her exhales seeming to carry a sweet, pink tinge.

In the Elves' "imagery interpretation," stars represent a higher potential.

Each star seen could represent a different path of development.

The color indicates tendency, brightness indicates strength, and number... represents choice.

The development of Spiritual Energy requires personal will to guide it to a certain extent.

"How many?" Bai E hesitated.

He intended to ask the experienced Elf lady about developing his Spiritual Energy, but what she described was so far removed from what he had seen.

This made him hesitant to speak the bare truth.

He hesitated slightly.

Yue Ying did not rush him.

Not every Awakener could clearly remember and articulate the "imagery" they saw upon awakening.

Perhaps in that fleeting moment, an Awakener might have caught a hasty, blurry glance at some warm, dandelion-like orbs of light and thought them to be stars.

Or perhaps, they saw points of light twisted like pentagrams...

"Imagery" is diverse and ever-changing; what Awakeners see is not necessarily clear, what is clear is not necessarily accurate, what is accurate may not be remembered, and what is remembered might not be expressible.

Of course... what's most important is belief.

Even if one only saw a flicker like that of fireflies, if one firmly believes them to be stars, they might gain the power blessed by a host of stars.

In the realm of Spiritual Energy, belief itself is power.

After a moment of hesitation, Bai E decided to ask, "Normally, how many would one see?"

"That's uncertain... one, two, three..." Yue Ying enunciated each word with some difficulty, "...all are possible."

As she spoke, she needed her rationality to struggle to restrain her body in order to suppress the fleeting urge for a more intense sensation.

"What about more?"

Using the norm to aid in recollection was not uncommon among Elven Awakeners, and Yue Ying tried to help Bai E, "It's rare... No one has that many choices."

"..."

Bai E pursed his lips, "It seems like, two... one red, one white. The brightness, perhaps similar to tonight's moon."

In fact, they were brighter...

Of course, what Bai E actually saw was not just one star.

He believed he even saw the actual Milky Way.

...and the even more illusory river of time and space.

'As bright as the moon?'

Tonight's moon is quite bright.

This level of imagery felt like a surge of heat rising from below, crashing through Yue Ying's mind, instantly making her body feel unbearably hot.

As a result, her breathing grew even more chaotic, her exhales coming in bursts, "Very good... you are doing very well."

White often means salvation, red... might mean love or it could mean slaughter, or something else entirely.

The specific nuances would depend on the shades.

He himself might find it difficult to recall or describe those subtle characteristics.

"You must persist in your training and always... always scrutinize your heart."

The first step in awakening Spiritual Energy often means taking a step closer to the abyss.

From now on, the vast psychic sea of higher-dimensional space will constantly affect this newly entered soul.

"I should leave now... We can talk more about it when we meet tomorrow!"

The moment she received an answer, Yue Ying felt a great sense of satisfaction and fulfillment.

Curiosity is the most difficult desire for intelligent beings to overcome.

Fortunately... this desire rarely arises.

Watching Yue Ying hastily retreat, Bai E felt something was odd.

Ever since his awakening, the Elf lady had been behaving very strangely.

Her words were sticky and slurred, syllables blending into one another as if bound by some unidentified mucus.

Yet occasionally, her words seemed to be ejected with difficulty, one by one, in stark contrast to her usual cool and decisive demeanor.

Of course, what's more important is what he saw...

Even in the knowledge of someone like Yue Ying, there seemed to be no precedent for the sights he had witnessed...

Is it good, or bad?