However seeing her nearly unimpressed expression, while frowning deeply, in a rather solemn manner, Reign questioned, “Aren’t you sick of putting the fate of your loved ones in the hands of other people?” He was actually referring to her leaving the fate of herself, her family, and her friends on the hands of other guardians who mostly cared about Red-Crystals and benefits of themselves. But this instantaneously pulled Ella’s mind elsewhere instead.
Nonetheless, his question was immediately followed by another one, “Don’t you want to be powerful enough to protect your loved ones against any danger and especially from the monsters of the rift? Don’t you want to be a reliable person? A trustworthy woman?”
Thus, catching these inquiries which were evidently straight off targeted at her weak spots that even she didn’t know she had, promptly, an image of a certain golden beauty popped into Ella’s brain. This quickly triggered a strange feeling which started to bubble up within her, an extremely confusing feeling even she wasn’t aware of its existence within herself.
She could never quite thoroughly put her finger on whether she felt jealous, angry, and hateful, or weak and helpless every time she watched the two of them being extremely close and open to one another to the point of even nearly never leaving the company of each other.
She didn’t know whether she always felt despondent by the fact that Aizen seemingly trusted the golden beauty more than her. By the fact that he didn’t assume her to be someone trustworthy!
She couldn’t grasp whether she was, in fact, feeling disappointed in herself because of being so powerless and weak compared to the golden beauty resulting in Aizen needing and trusting her more.
Even right now, she was fairly muddled and lost when deliberating about all of these matters. But the one single thing that she firmly believed to have comprehended with utmost confidence was the fact that she didn’t want to experience this sensation ever again!
She didn’t want to be weak!
She didn’t want others to protect her loved ones!
She didn’t want to feel inferior anymore… to be tossed aside in the end just like she had been!
No… she had enough of all those!
Having long noticed the minute change within her eyes, showing a triumphant smile, Reign poked, “Are you willing to join us?”
Hearing this though, Ella didn’t agree readily, instead, she asked, “Is the [Dominators] guild really going to help me get stronger?”
“Yes! That’s why I’m here.” Nodding his head, Reign asserted.
Having received the satisfactory answer she was after, reaching out her hand, she replied back in concession, “Alright then, I’ll trust you guys for now! I’m in!”
This led to Reign falling into a burst of laughter, “Haha… Welcome to the [Dominators], miss Dell! You won’t regret your decision!”
Yet, caring about none of those words, Ella queried, “I hope so too. By the way… what now?”
“Now… first things first! First of all, you need to pass the Abnormal Association’s test and get your Guardian License before we talk any further and officially enlist you as a true [Dominators] member!” Reign concluded.
“Okay, then… I’ll call this number when I have my Guardian License. I have a class in a few minutes. So… laters!” Raising the contact card she had received at the beginning, Ella declared before turning around and leaving.
Meanwhile, staring at her disappearing figure, Reign deliberated, ‘Didn’t expect her to be such a beauty… this is going to be interesting!’
“Haha…” Letting out a loud laugh next, he also disappeared in the opposite direction.
___________________
BACK TO THE PRESENT
After eating the warmed up food which the golden beauty had prepared for him, Virus returned to his room and instantly fell asleep due to the extreme fatigue he was suffering from.
Many hours later, waking up in a refreshed state, he sat on his bed again as he utilized his special breathing technique at once.
Hmmm~ Pheeewww~
Haaaa~ Heee~
Days started to pass by once again.
Almost every two days, Virus would stop the process of trying to gain awareness of his internal energy as he would eat something and rest again before beginning his meditation session again!
Soon, in the blink of an eye, ten days had elapsed already.
“Ahhh… why is it taking so long!” Abruptly opening his eyes, Virus voiced in a little frustrated tone. For some reason, he was getting less and less patient these days.
‘Could it be that it’s taking so long because my Energy Pathways are different? It can’t be because this type of manually designed set of Energy Pathways doesn’t actually function since its mapping design was wrong and irrational, right?’ Honestly, it was exactly the ‘latter’ thought which was making Virus quite impatient these days, the possibility of him having designed something useless and futile!
“No… no… that can’t be… let’s proceed.”
With that, time started to fly by again.
…
TWO WEEKS LATER
Three days ago, as Virus continued to persist despite all of the obstructions emerging along his path, he had finally decided to completely ignore any fatigue or hunger he might feel from now on. He was now adamant about either entering the first level of Energy Disentanglement or passing out while trying!
And currently, three days later after reaching that resolute and unfaltering decision of his, with sweat and fatigue dripping from his entire being, he was still persisting through the struggle without giving up!
But unfortunately, he was nearing his absolute limit with each passing hour!
Two hours passed, but gnashing his teeth… he persisted through!
Four hours went by, at this point, Virus felt as if the whole world was spinning around him!
Six…
Eight…
Finally, after lingering at his utmost limit for ten hours, he was, at last, at a point where he moved beyond his limits!
And with that… he passed out!
However… the very moment he was drifting between the state of being conscious and unconscious, without him even perceiving it, suddenly, he entered an odd yet brief state which for some reason made him able to feel his inner body multiple times better!
And in that extremely short period of time which took around a single second or even less, a particular barrier which had been holding him back until now was…
Finally shattered through as the sensation of the very first infinitesimal tiny spark of energy directly transmitted into his subconscious mind!
