Michael blinked. Then blinked again.
A headache pounded at the back of his skull.
This bastard.
“First of all,” he sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose, “I wasn’t staring. I was thinking.”
“Oh, you think now? That’s new,” Samael mused. “Must be hard for you.”
Michael clenched his jaw, inhaling deeply through his nose. He’s not worth it. He’s not worth it. — he told himself.
Xaldreth, however, was far more invested in the conversation.
(His throat. You can crush it in one move. I’ll even teach you how to make it painless. Or not. Your call.)
Michael ignored him.
Dealing with one fool provoking him was exhausting enough. Two was downright unbearable.
Forcing himself to stay calm, he took a deep breath and spoke. “Alright, listen. I’ll start with the basics. Essence Circulation is a cultivation technique that allows you to absorb ambient spirit energy more efficiently and refine your body with it. When needed, you can also enhance your physical prowess by circulating it throughout your body.”
Samael smirked. “Thanks for telling me what we all learn by the third-standard. Very helpful.”
Michael smirked right back. “Yeah, I figured I’d start simple. You know, in case you failed third-standard and passed by donation.”
Samael shot him a deadpan look. “Continue.”
Michael paused for a moment, once again noticing how much this guy had changed.
The old Samael would’ve hospitalized anyone who dared to talk back to him like that.
But these days? He barely reacted to verbal insults.
Even against the royal twins and his sister, he took everything they threw at him with a calm expression… before burning down their apartment.
Okay, so he was still a vindictive bastard. But he had learned to control his emotions too well.
How?
Just what happened to him to change him so much?
Sure, he was just as arrogant as before — maybe even more so — but now, every single move he made seemed calculated.
He always seemed to have a hidden purpose in mind that he was striving toward, making him unpredictable to a large extent.
There was something unsettling about that.
His golden eyes had a certain sharpness to them — cold and unreadable.
Michael had spent months fantasizing about taking his revenge on him.
He imagined Samael as the villain he’d finally put in place. He daydreamed about making him grovel and apologize. He thought about making him suffer the way he once had.
But this Samael?
…This Samael didn’t even feel like the same person anymore.
Of course, Michael wasn’t in a position to talk. He also had changed so much. But at least he knew his own catalyst.
What was Samael’s?
‘The world isn’t so black and white, you fool. No one’s a villain in their own story.’
That was what Samael had said to him the day they returned to the Academy.
Michael muttered those words under his breath. ‘No one’s a villain in their own story, huh?’
Right then, Samael’s voice yanked him from his thoughts.
“Michael, why the fuck have you stopped talking? Oh, god! You’re staring at my back again, aren’t you?” the golden-haired boy cried out, still facing away. “I swear to god, if I turn around and see you hard, I’m attacking you.”
Michael rolled his eyes and wisely decided to just continue teaching. “The problem with learning Essence Circulation at [C-rank] is that most Awakened can’t feel Essence at this stage, unless they have a unique Origin Card that could solve this problem.”
Samael finally turned around, his lips curling into a knowing smirk. “And let me guess — you somehow just happen to have a solution.”
Michael ignored the bait and continued, “The reason Essence Circulation is normally restricted to [B-rankers] is that it requires a strong enough soul to sense and manipulate Essence naturally. But that doesn’t mean it’s impossible for a [C-ranker]. Even if at our rank we can’t feel the Essence itself, we could feel its presence. It’s just that the methods humans use are inefficient.”
Samael raised a brow. “And you, oh wise and magnanimous Michael, have discovered a superior method?”
Michael expertly avoided that snarky comment and resumed teaching. “To learn it, you first need to understand why the standard methods are flawed. The techniques taught in Academies and high-quality instruction manuals all follow the same basic principles with minor variations. You can understand it as they’ve come up with different solutions to the same problem, but in truth, none of their solution is entirely correct.”
He let that sink in before continuing, “Normally, after reaching [B-rank], you create an Essence Pathway in your body. You develop a single large loop to draw Essence in, refine it in your dantian, spread it throughout your body. Rinse and repeat.”
He paused. “It’s effective, but wasteful. Most of the energy is lost before it can even be fully utilized by the soul and the body.”
Samael tapped his fingers against his arm. “And your version?”
Michael’s lips twitched. “It uses two circulation loops instead of the usual one. In my method there’s a primary loop which follows the standard path, and a secondary loop which creates micro-channels — smaller than veins — allowing near-total absorption.”
A frown appeared on Samael’s face. “That does sound superior. But if it’s so easy, why hasn’t any human in history figured it out?”
“Because it’s not easy to learn on your own,” Michael nodded. “But I’ll get to that later. For now, all you need to know is that this technique exists and it works.”
Samael hummed. “So, what you’re telling me is… if I learn this, I get stronger, faster, and can fight longer like you suddenly can?”
“Not just that,” Michael said, his tone turning serious. “At higher ranks, you also get automatic combat adaptation. The technique shifts Essence flow instinctively to the parts of your body that need reinforcement most — arms while attacking, legs while dodging. The process becomes subconscious, eliminating the delay that comes with manually circulating Essence. There are also more benefits to discover as you grow stronger.”
Samael stilled, and for the first time in the conversation, he looked genuinely intrigued.
Michael smiled to himself. Teaching something to the great and mighty Samael Theosbane, making him listen so sincerely…
Yeah, for some reason, that felt oddly satisfying.
“Sounds too good to be true,” Samael finally said.
“It’s not. But it is difficult to master.”
Samael scoffed. “Try me.”
Michael smirked. “Alright, then. First step — stop breathing.”
Samael blinked. “…Come again?”
Michael crossed his arms. “If you want to master this circulation technique, you first have to unlearn the way you breathe. You rely on subconscious breathing patterns right now, and that can limit how you control Essence. From now on, you breathe only when you allow yourself to breathe.”
Samael stared at him. Then sighed. “Fantastic. I’m learning from a lunatic.”
Michael chuckled darkly. “Oh, trust me, I haven’t even started yet.”