Volume 1: Path – [Academy Arc]
Chapter 22: Leym
"Some of you may already be familiar with this topic. But for those who come from common backgrounds or anyone who's never had a formal magical education, I'm going to explain it clearly, just like I did with the awakening process. Listen carefully. Ask questions only after I finish. If you zone out mid-way, you'll miss the logic that holds it all together."
He tapped the table with his knuckle, then looked up.
"In the world we live in, there are rules like gravity. Without it, we'd all float helplessly through the sky. And there's oxygen, the air we breathe, without that, no living being survives. These are some of the basic laws of the physical world.
But alongside the physical, there's another world called the spiritual world. A layer of reality invisible to all living beings, yet just as real. That's where Leym comes from. Leym energy is the invisible lifeforce flowing through that spiritual realm. It's like air flowing through the winds, the oceans, and even the stillness of stone; it's practically omnipresent. But in some places, this Leym energy is more concentrated, such as this academy and the other seven academies around the world."
Upon awakening, a human undergoes a transformation that activates their Leym Core which is a spiritual organ located within the heart. This spiritual organ is present from the moment of birth, though in a dormant state. When dormant, it is incapable of storing or manipulating Leym. However, during the awakening ritual, this core becomes active, transforming a Dormant Leym core into an Awakened Leym Core, which allows the person to absorb and store Leym energy from the environment.
Tarell raised a finger.
"This is unique to humans. Beasts, demons, and other beings may have their Ley Cores elsewhere, for example, some in their stomachs, others in their brains, and some even in their shadows. But for humans, the heart is both the seat of emotion and the gateway to power."
A few students are recording everything the instructor, Tarell Oron, says. Caelus listened quietly, eyes narrowing slightly as Aiv recorded in his stead because this guy knew all the knowledge from his master.
"Now here's something you all should remember, becoming awakened doesn't make you superior to humans who are living normal lives. You all came from being ordinary humans, so don't act arrogant. Awakening doesn't grant you immortality or a longer life. Until the moment you die, you are still human unless one of you goes mad and becomes a demon."
Tarell's voice lowered slightly, serious and grounded.
He gave a final nod as he saw the students responding to his nod by nodding back.
"Now that you understand what Leym is and how your core functions, let's move on to the ranks of each Leym Core. What are the ranks, you may ask? As you progress in storing Leym energy, you will encounter wall limits you cannot pass. At that point, you must undergo a breakthrough. Each breakthrough leads to the next rank."
"There are five main ranks in total. You begin at Rank 1 and advance up to Rank 5:
Rank 1: Spark
Rank 2: Form
Rank 3: Bloom
Rank 4: Ascend
Rank 5: Crown
Within each of these ranks, there are three sub-stages: Initial, Middle, and Peak.
And to break through each major rank, there are two core requirements.
First, you need to gather a certain amount of Leym energy to reach the threshold, which we call the 'wall of breakthrough.'
Second, you must comprehend your affinity on a deeper level. Without understanding your affinity's next stage, advancement is impossible.
But even meeting both conditions doesn't automatically grant a breakthrough.
There's one final, critical step: a process known as Core Evolution. This process involves evolving your current awakened core to the next level.
To do so, you must push both the accumulated Leym energy and your comprehension of your affinity to the next stage into your core, forcing it to collapse. At that point, the core breaks down, and all your stored Leym begins to leak out.
This is the most dangerous moment. Before the Leym fully disperses from your body, you must immediately use it to construct a new, evolved core.
In doing so, all of your previous Leym reserves will be consumed. However, if you fail to form the new core during a major breakthrough, you'll never get it back. That means you lose your right as an awakener and revert to being an ordinary person.
So, everyone must be extremely careful during core evolution.
For smaller sub-stage breakthroughs, like from Initial to Middle or Middle to Peak, you simply need to shatter the glass-like barriers within your core using Leym. This expands the amount of energy your core can store.
This exact process repeats for each major breakthrough from Rank 1 to Rank 5 Peak."
He took a slow, deep breath before concluding.
"Now, I will give you all five minutes to ask any questions. After that, we'll start again," Tarell said, his voice firm yet weary, as he eased down into the chair behind him with a soft creak.
Caelus, who had been paying close attention, rubbed his temples with a faint groan. His head throbbed like a hammer on stone.
'This feels like one of those massive power system lore dumps from a fantasy novel… sigh. At least I get the structure and how the whole thing works. I don't even have any questions, but just need a minute to breathe.'
Click. Aiv stopped the recording and turned to Caelus.
"Did you get everything, Caelus?"
"Yeah," Caelus replied with a grunt, leaning back, his body slumping into the bench. "I just need a break before another wave of info crashes over me."
The room was eerily quiet with no hands raised to question the instructor. Not because they fully understood everything, but because they were mentally exhausted. You could practically hear the tick-tick of the classroom clock echoing over the dull silence.
'Getting flooded with this much at once... It's overwhelming,' Caelus thought, closing his eyes briefly. He opened them just in time to see Instructor Tarell glance at the wall-mounted chronograph and push himself up with a light thud of boots against the stone floor.
"Alright," Tarell announced, his voice snapping the quiet like a whip, crack!. "Now that you've had your little rest, let's move on to the final topic. After that, we'll be doing some light practice before wrapping up the class. I know it's a lot, but this foundation is necessary. You're not kids anymore. From the next class onward, it'll be less theory and more hands-on training like controlling your Leym, and grasping the manifestation of your affinities."
As he said that, Tarell stepped toward the back of the classroom and tapped on the smooth black panel fixed into the stone wall. With a soft whirr and a mechanical click, a large digital screen activated, humming softly to life. With a wave of his hand across the console, another panel slid out, displaying a rotating digital projection of a human body in shimmering blue light, veins and circuits traced like glowing threads under the skin.
"Whether you seek to manipulate the Leym energy within you or absorb it from the world outside, you cannot do it through instinct alone," Tarell began, his tone measured and intense. "You need a technique. And every technique, no matter how complex or simple, relies on a trinity: the Core, the Mind, and the Body."
He pointed to the glowing core projected within the chest area of the digital human figure, "First, the Leym Core, which is located in the heart, is your spiritual engine as I have said previously. It stores submissive Leym energy that's been processed and made yours. Without the core, there is no cultivation. The stronger and larger your core, the more Leym energy you can absorb and refine. But remember, the core is only the end point of a Leym technique."
He then moved the pointer to the projection of the brain. The display shifted to highlight the neural pathways, and a soft glow pulsed through the skull area. "Next comes the Mind. Leym energy, especially from the outside world, are wild and resistant. Your mind is what subdues it by imposing will on the chaotic energy. Using the technique, one channels concentration and inner intention. Only with a focused mind can you shape the Leym energy, press it into form, and guide it into your core. Think of it like this: a strong man negotiates with a chaotic group and forces it to obey."
Finally, the image zoomed out to show a network of glowing Leym circuits stretching through the digital figure's body, all connecting back to the core in the heart. "The last part is your Body, which acts as the channel through which Leym travels. The Leym circuits, also known as spiritual veins, are woven into your physical nervous system from the moment you are born. However, these are awakened only when you awaken your affinity. Before that, these circuits do not function as the core in the heart is also not awakened. They are the primary pathways that allow one to use Leym. Using proper breathing, posture, and muscle control, you align your flow with nature."
"This is why these three, the Core, the Mind, and the Body, form the main trinity in manipulating and absorbing Leym energy."
[End Of Chapter 22]