Chapter 25 - 24 - Affinity of Destruction
Riven had long forgotten about time.
He didn’t know how long he had been sitting cross-legged in silence, completely immersed in the mana flowing through his body. His breathing was steady, every pore on his skin open, and his mind focused solely on one thing: syncing with the rhythm of the flow.
He absorbed mana slowly through the entire surface of his skin, letting it seep in, then guided it through every part of his body—coursing through muscle, bone, blood vessels, and even into the unseen gaps within. The coarse, wild mana, he gradually calmed, shaping it into something smoother, softer, and bit by bit, he gathered it at the center of his body—just below his navel. That point became a small vessel, where he stored all that he had absorbed.
And it all had to be done simultaneously.
He couldn’t just focus on absorbing. He couldn’t focus solely on guiding it. He couldn’t simply calm it or just store it. Everything had to happen in a single breath, under a single will.
His body still twitched from time to time as the flow struck unfamiliar channels not yet fully opened. But he endured. He met the stinging discomfort with calm resolve. And the longer it went on, the more his body seemed to accept it. He felt more sensitive—more attuned.
He could hear the beating of his own heart. He could feel every brush of the night breeze against his skin. Even the crackling of the campfire began to sound like a soft melody, resonating with the current inside him.
A faint smile tugged at the corners of his lips.
But then—it happened.
A delicate scent, like summer blossoms, teased his nose. A warm breath tickled his ear. And then, a cool, alluring voice whispered right beside him.
"Good. You’re doing it on your own now."