Serum

"Dirk! Thank the heavens you're okay."

Cecilia ran over as soon as she saw him, hugging him tightly. She quickly released the next moment though, forgetting that he still might be hurt. She checked all over his body, stopping at his face and head where wounds from his destruction cycle were still present.

"How are you doing, sweetie? Does anything hurt still?"

"No, mom, I'm fine. The doctor said I'm almost totally healed."

"Really? That's good. What about your face? Is this from that technique? To think you need to destroy the skin on your face..."

"It's fine. Doing the face is the last of what I need before I advance to Rank 3."

"So you really are close to advancing! You're doing a very good job, Dirk."

Cecilia gave him a kiss on the forehead. Since he didn't have hair, she couldn't ruffle it like she usually did.

Dirk and his parents talked for a bit, mostly about his recovery and if he needed anything. Eventually though, Ryker brought up the topic of Garel.

"Dirk, I want you to decide how to handle your teacher."

He looked at Dirk with a serious expression, though he wasn't being serious toward Dirk. He merely felt anger whenever he thought about Garel.

"This situation, believe it or not, isn't a new one. Garel is a young teacher who's been at the academy for around a decade. Even before he became a teacher, he was always known for how chaotic he is. His stealing potions from Master Sheng is actually a common occurrence, one that's never been of much consequence. But he's made an irreversible mistake now. Only..."

He paused for a second, thinking.

"...I'm not at the liberty to decide his fate, at least not completely. Hillshire wants your opinion on whether or not you wish to see him at the academy anymore. If you don't, I can have him ejected at once where he'll go on to fight for the empire. On the other hand, Garel is a very good teacher. Hillshire pointed out that you should get the best education available to you. If you should wish, Garel would go back to teaching you as normal. But if you don't, you will receive a new teacher as soon as you go back."

"..."

Hearing this, Dirk went silent in contemplation. 

On one hand, Dirk didn't appreciate how volatile Garel was. Hearing how this wasn't the first time he's done something like this was actually expected. Garel was basically insane. The man had no code he lived by, and seemingly no boundaries. He simply did as he felt. Dirk wasn't fond of people like that. 

On the other hand though, Dirk had to admit how skilled Garel was. In the short time that he had learned under him, Dirk was able to learn a lot. This was despite being taught without any books or curriculum in general. From Garel, Dirk was able to understand that the Dark element was fundamentally different from other elements. He came to know more about its nature. Garel's eccentricity actually helped with that. Garel was someone who lived by the ways of the Dark element. One could see the element through him. 

Plus, Garel didn't mean any harm. Dirk was his favorite student, and Garel felt strongly about him. Dirk couldn't blame the man for this mistake, even though he was conflicted about how he felt about Garel himself. 

In the end, Dirk came to a decision. He didn't want to have a harder time learning about the Dark element and he didn't exactly hold a grudge or anything. While he wouldn't allow Garel to do anything against his will like that again, that was about the extent of his animosity.

"I don't mind continuing to learn under Garel."

"Really?"

Ryker was surprised by his response. Dirk just shrugged.

"He means no harm, and I'm sure he's learned not to do that again, so I think it's fine. He has also helped me a lot with understanding the Dark element. He's worth more as my teacher than as a corpse."

"That's... right."

Both Ryker and Cecilia looked at Dirk, surprised by his ruthless and uncharacteristic words. Dirk also froze up a bit, realizing his mistake. Unfortunately, the ship has left the harbor. He just stayed quiet and hoped they didn't think anything of it. 

"...Anyway, I'll let Hillshire know then. Let me go talk to Hervet and see if Dirk can come home with us."

Ryker left as he spoke. Not long after, Dirk was allowed to leave, and they went over to his house in the academy. Since it was later in the evening, Cecilia prepared dinner. Rita also arrived at that time, and the family ate dinner together. 

After dinner though when the family left and Dirk was preparing for bed, a pair of eyes looked down on the house from a hidden place. The eyes were almost emotionless, but within there was a bit of curiosity. It was only around for a little while though before it disappeared without a trace. 

............

Two days later, Dirk was walking into class as normal. It had been 5 days now since he'd been to school. Even then, he had decided to do another destruction cycle, and his face was yet again destroyed, earning him all kinds of stares. But he ignored it and stuck to himself. This time, his teacher didn't question him about anything and acted like nothing was wrong. 

However, Dirk started hearing some weird whispers this time around. He tuned in to all the conversations around him.

"That's that kid, right? Wasn't he supposed to be dead?"

"I heard he exploded in a pool of blood. His teacher tried to kill him."

"How is he alive though? I know one of the guys in his class and he said that there was no way he could've survived."

"And what's up with his face? One of my friends had nightmares about his face the last time he was here."

All kinds of gossip was going around and it was as if everyone had learned about who Dirk was. Even some of the older kids were talking about him. People were saying that he had risen from the dead.

And Dirk didn't really blame them. He really should've died from all that. How he survived, he didn't know. Everything had just gone right. It was only natural that people assumed he was dead. 

After first class ended, he moved on to his second. Since it had been two days since his 3-day coma, Dirk was refreshed and prepared for all physical activity. However, that became the least of his concerns once he walked into the gym. 

Ava, who was already there, laid eyes on him and froze up. Seeing her, Dirk frowned as he remembered the one thing he forgot about. He prepared himself for what was to come, but surprisingly, Ava didn't lose control of herself. She simply went silent for the entire class, only nodding to him when he told her he was prepared to resume training in the evening. 

From there, Dirk went on to go through his earth and fire classes. While he had missed 5 days of material, it wasn't hard to catch back up. By the end of class, he understood what they were doing.

Then came the dark class. For that, Dirk was a little nervous, wondering if things would be different. But when he entered, he was almost relieved to hear that same enthusiastic voice.

"Dirk! See, I knew he wouldn't die so easily! Everyone, lets hear a round of applause for this tenacious soldier! Welcome home!"

With Garel's enthusiastic welcome, the 10 students that were present awkwardly clapped for Dirk. He just stood at the front with a neutral face, forcing down all embarrassment as if he were a robot. However, when he looked at Garel, he was surprised. 

'He lost his arm?'

Dirk looked at the shoulder stump on Garel's right side. Dirk thought for a moment before nodding. It must've been his father who did that. Little did he know, his father had only taken off half an arm. It was his mother who took the other half. 

After that awkward entrance, the class proceeded as normal with Garel not even acknowledging the missing arm. Garel went on to diligently teach and spill all the knowledge he knew on dark mana and its nature. In fact, there was one little tidbit that stuck with Dirk that day.

"The more you understand an element, and by extension, the more runes you can form for it, the easier it is to control. While this doesn't mean much in the lower Tiers, upon approaching the higher Tiers, it's absolutely crucial. One cannot go far without understanding all they can about their element. In this way, hard work can sometimes beat sheer talent."

Dirk memorized this line. This told him perfectly why he needed to learn these runes. It was more than just being able to form spells. It was being able to comprehend the nature of the element. 

With that, Dirk went home for the day. Upon arriving though, he saw Ava waiting outside. The two didn't say anything as they headed inside. 

"Today we should do some high intensity work. My body has undergone a bit of a change and I need to see just how much is different."

"..."

"...What's wrong?"

Seeing how she didn't respond, Dirk asked. He knew something was off with Ava, but didn't know how off. She was quiet for a bit before sitting on the couch and speaking with a slight tremble.

"How true were the rumors?"

"Hmm..."

Dirk thought for a second as he sat down next to her. He had heard plenty as he was walking down halls and listening in classes. Most of what he heard involved how he should be dead. The other comments were about how hideous his face was. People were even starting to give him names.

"...According to the doctor, the fact that I'm alive is a miracle. The potion I drank basically drained my body of all blood and life. Luckily though I was able to hold out long enough for it to rejuvenate me with its effects. If I hadn't been helped so quickly, I'd be a really cold corpse right no-"

"Can you not say that?"

Ava cut him off with teary eyes, and he went quiet. He did notice that he was getting a bit comfortable with his wording. To the emotional Ava, some things may be insensitive. It was an odd thing though, having to accommodate someone's feelings. Dirk just did his best to listen as she spoke.

"I just... sorry. I was scared. Everyone just started talking about how you died one day, and then you didn't come home. I wasn't sure if it was real or not, but then someone said that one of the teachers was sent to prison for killing a student. And then another person said that there was a medical bed soaked entirely in blood. And... everyone just kept saying you were dead. I-I didn't know what to do..."

Ava started bawling her eyes out. Meanwhile, Dirk was trying to figure out what to do. He didn't realize that he had such an impact on her. But he also wasn't dense. Since she was crying, he did the only thing he could think of. He moved over and hugged her.

Ava leaned into him, staining his shirt with tears. While he didn't apologize, this told her enough. Much of the time, Dirk was a man of action, not words. Like Cecilia, Ava came to understand intuitively how Dirk operated. Because of that, this hug said a lot.

It took a minute for Ava to calm down and stop her tears. However, she didn't pull away, instead sinking in a bit deeper. As another minute ticked by, Dirk became increasingly confused and a bit awkward. When was this supposed to end, exactly? Wasn't she fine now?

None of this awkwardness translated into action though. In many situations, his mind and body were completely in sync. But in others, like now, they were totally detached. He simply sat there with her in his arms, his mind awkward but body mostly relaxed as if this were normal. 

Finally, Ava was the first one to break. Dirk could feel her heart rate increase, and her breathing became conscious. She stiffened up as she became aware of every little movement of hers. But she still didn't seem to want to separate. Instead, using her awkward behavior as a cue, Dirk let go. 

"Anyway, I'm fine now, and we need to train. Or are you not up for that?"

"N-no. I'm fine. Just... don't scare me like that again. Please?"

"I won't try to."

"Can't you just say that you won't?"

"Getting hurt in the future is guaranteed, especially if I dungeon dive. I can't promise to never get injured."

"That's not the point!"

"Enough, let's workout. We can ensure higher chances of surviving perilous situations with training. That's the only real reassurance there is."

Dirk spoke as he pulled Ava up by the arm. She just sighed and went outside with him. While he was right, it was nice hearing a bit of reassurance too. 

The two started training, but Dirk was quick to notice how Ava had regressed in stamina. He attributed this to two things. For one, she likely didn't train for the 5 days he was gone. Two, he knew that being stressed was bad for physical health. He knew now that his disappearance affected her a good deal. 

But that didn't stop him from pushing her to her limits. By the end of the workout, she was heaving for breath on the floor. Dirk though was quite the opposite. Even when she was exhausted, he was still doing more and more. It was like his stamina was endless. 

"Why... Huff... how are you still going?"

Ava looked at him with incredulous eyes. Even when he was in top shape he couldn't go so long so easily. But now, it was like he didn't just almost die a few days ago. 

"I told you that my body changed. Although, I'm starting to see a problem."

"A problem?"

"I can't get tired."

"How is that a problem?!"

Ava shouted in injustice. Here she was panting like a dog while Dirk was complaining about not being able to. 

For Dirk though, it was indeed a problem. It wasn't like he couldn't get tired, only that it would take a long time. Dirk wouldn't be able to improve if he couldn't reach his limits. However, after thinking for a bit, he remembered something. 

'Interface.'

[Awaiting orders.]

'What were the results from the genetic scans?'

Dirk remembered that the AI had done deep scans after his recent change. He was interested in its results.

[Genetic scans indicate a mass alteration in gene sequencing for bone marrow and the vascular system. These genetic changes have resulted in enhanced overall stamina and enhanced blood delivery systems. The most drastic changes have occurred in the lungs and bone marrow. Your bone marrow is now capable of producing a much greater volume of blood in a short amount of time, and it has greatly enhanced your natural regenerative ability and immune system. Additionally, your entire vascular system has responded well to the infusion of mana, proving to be much less resistant to it than previously. However, your blood has yet to be identified. It has a new type of structure and operation pattern, so it cannot be classified under any previously known category. For now, it remains unclassified.]

'I see...'

Dirk nodded hearing the diagnosis. It seemed his genes really had undergone a change. This made him think about his Adaptable Genes trait. This trait had likely allowed his body to smoothly transform under the beckoning of the potion. If it weren't for that, Dirk's body would have likely rejected the potion, and he would have died under its oppressive power. This combined with Dirk's skill usage, Hervet's intervention, and Master Sheng's reduction of the potions physical effects helped to ensure his life. 

After verifying some more things with his AI, Dirk turned his attention elsewhere. He needed to solve the problem of his workouts becoming less effective. Luckily, he already had an idea of how to do this. 

'Pull up the technique from the Anima Resonance Destruction Technique.'

[Searching...]

Dirk's AI sorted through his scans of the manual. A few seconds later, Dirk was looking through a page in the book. When he had first read through it, he had no idea what this stuff meant. But now, he could understand and utilize it. 

As Rita said, his Anima manual did indeed have a technique within it. Dirk had planned to start using it, but he didn't expect to have a little sit down with death, so things changed. Now though, he could bring his attention to it. 

Technically, the first technique within the manual was the whole body resonation. The second technique though was aimed toward physical enhancement.

'Anima Channeling technique. Utilizing the anima in your body, you can boost and enhance your physical prowess. Not unlike with mana, anima will be expended in the process of enhancement. However, it can be regenerated over time. All sections of the body that have been enhanced will be capable of easily intaking and refilling their reserves of anima. However, any parts of the body that haven't been enhanced will take longer, and they can also be damaged in the process of channeling Anima. A way to avoid this damage is to condition your body so that your physical energy can be expended in exchange for protecting your body. This energy expenditure doesn't apply to parts of the body that have been enhanced.'

Dirk read through the technique. After reading on the details of how to channel anima, he found that it was rather straightforward. It consisted of activating the Anima in the part of the body one wanted to strengthen, and if you expended all that anima, you could channel anima from the rest of your body to supplement. It really was similar to magic in that one expended mana for various effects. 

After reading over the technique and grasping the details, he moved on to trying it out. Dirk activated the anima in his right arm. Immediately, he could feel strength flood his muscles. It felt surreal. Also, since he didn't resonate it with anything, it didn't do any damage to his body. 

Dirk got a bit excited as he felt that superhuman power. The next moment, he looked down to the ground and swung his fist with all his might. 

*Boom*

A low rumble shook the floor, startling Ava. Her eyes darted to his fist that was wrist deep in the ground. 

"What the... What was that?"

"An Anima technique."

Dirk spoke with even more excitement. When he punched, he could feel how much power was behind his fist. However, he could also feel an energy drain. That single move cost the same amount of energy as a whole half hour of workouts. But Dirk was fine with that. He could do several hours worth of workouts. However, he learned something else after throwing that fist. 

'I can't strengthen only one part of my body. If I throw a punch like that carelessly, I'll dislocate or tear something. Hmm, I wonder how I would hold up against a tree.'

Suddenly thinking of something, he looked around and spotted a tree by his house. Dirk ran over and activated all the anima throughout his body. Every fiber of his being was filled with extreme strength, and he swung his leg at the tree trunk with the force of his entire body behind it. 

*Boom!*

*Crack!*

Upon impact, the entire tree shook, and it bent sideways. Dirk's shin was like an axe as it cut through half of the trunk that was a foot thick. The tree promptly fell over.

"Oh my god..."

Dirk looked back when he heard Ava's voice. She was looking at him as if he were a monster. He just smiled. 

"I figured out how to use Anima."

"I... see that. But we haven't learned any Anima techniques."

"It's from my manual. Check if yours has one when you get the chance. Maybe you can use it. It would be good for training."

He spoke as beads of sweat formed on his forehead. That single kick took out a lot of energy. He already felt hungry as the fuel in his body was sapped away. He wasn't bummed though. He was excited now that he found a quick way to drain his body of energy. It would make workouts much more effective.