The Light That Follows Darkness

As the days drifted by, I immersed myself in deep meditation, striving to enhance my mana retention and supply. Yet, no matter how fervently I pursued this goal, the outcome remained disappointingly lackluster. It was almost comical how minuscule the increase in my mana reserves turned out to be. If I were to quantify it, I'd say it was a mere 0.1% boost—a laughable fraction.

However, amidst this seemingly fruitless endeavor, there were silver linings. Through my dedicated meditation, I managed to infuse my kodachis with mana, granting me the ability to unleash waves of mana or even materialize them into slashing attacks.

The true effectiveness and speed of these newfound powers remained uncertain, but one thing was clear: each slash would consume a substantial amount of mana.

According to Eve's calculations, I could unleash a maximum of ten slashes. This meant I had to wield them sparingly, reserving their use for moments of dire peril, unless I had a death wish.

Leaving behind the frustrations of my recent struggles, my thoughts turned to the path ahead.

It became evident that the time had come for me to seize control of this facility. I had already unlocked all the necessary skills, and in my current state, I felt confident that I could single-handedly face an entire army, thanks to my mana-infused body alone. And that's not even taking into account the untapped potential of my other skills, waiting to be explored and utilized.

Yet, one question remained unanswered: how would I gather Ryuji and Lana together to explain my plans to them? As I pondered a solution, my heightened senses detected a familiar scent and voice approaching my cell.

However, this scent and voice were far from welcome. It was none other than Rick, and it seemed he had come to subject me to another round of torture.

As Rick and his goonies drew closer to my cell, I swiftly wrapped myself in bandages, utilizing my mana-infused body, and positioned myself in the wheelchair provided by Ryuji.

I assumed the guise of a soulless husk, while the twins, understanding their role, sat on the bed and chatted as if nothing was amiss.

Suddenly, the door to the cell swung open with a loud bang. Rick, accompanied by Carlo and his other lackeys, entered the room. Upon seeing my lifeless appearance and the twins conversing nonchalantly, a sick smile crept across Rick's face.

He looked at me, devoid of any expression, and uttered: “I came here today expecting this piece of shit to be dead, so I could have some fun with the twins. But alas, he's still alive and kicking, despite his sorry state.”

I tried to shrink myself as much as possible, hoping Rick wouldn't notice my growth, but it was futile. Rick turned his attention to the twins and angrily questioned: “Why did this piece of shit grow taller? Were you taking care of him or something? Weren’t you supposed to be using him?”

Hana, looking at Rick with disgust, retorted: “And what if we took care of him, huh? Are you an idiot Rick? If we didn’t take care of him and kept him alive, wouldn’t it be our turn next if he died?”

Ha-Eun, equally disgusted, added: “And what about him getting taller? Haven’t you ever heard of puberty you dumb shit?”

Rick, feeling embarrassed and agitated by the twins' responses, screamed: "I know that, you bitches! Who the hell do you think you are, acting all smart and confident like you own this damn facility? Want me to come over and beat you to death?"

Hana and Ha-Eun smiled, unfazed by Rick's threats, and replied: "You're welcome to try, you garbage. But let us enlighten you. Beating us close to death would jeopardize your chief's plan, wouldn't it? Imagine if Xeno dies today while we're injured from your beating. Wouldn't your chief use you as a test subject instead of us? Didn't think about that, did you, you idiot?"

Rick turning red from anger, and with a vein bulging from his head retorted:” Do you think that I wouldn’t fucking kill you right here and now? Do you think I’m that afraid of the chief?”

Just as Rick was about to pounce on the twins, Carlo intervened, grabbing Rick's shoulder. He calmly suggested: "Hey, Rick, even though they said it in an infuriating way, they're right. Let's channel all this anger towards that piece of shit lying in the chair. If he happens to die, so be it. We can then have all the fun we want with those two under the guise of torture, and later hand them off to the chief for experimentation. And if he doesn't die, we'll send him to the sick bay, let them patch him up, and then let the chief finish him off with his gene modifications. The chief would be so pleased that he might even allow us to do whatever we want with those two over there and use them as test subjects. Smart, ain’t it?"

As Rick simmered with anger, his face contorted with a mix of frustration and rage. He was ready to unleash his fury upon the twins, but Carlo's words seemed to strike a chord within him. Reluctantly, Rick took a step back, his grip on his temper loosening.

"You're lucky this time," Rick growled, his voice dripping with venom.

"But don't think for a second that I've forgotten about this. You two better watch your backs."

Hana and Ha-Eun maintained their composed expressions, their eyes locked with Rick's. They knew that their defiance had struck a nerve, and they were prepared to face the consequences. But for now, they had successfully diverted Rick's attention away from their true intentions.

As Rick turned his attention back to me, lying motionless in the wheelchair, a wicked smile crept across his face. He approached me, his eyes gleaming with vicious pleasure.

"Well, well, look at you," he sneered. "A pathetic husk of a man, completely at my mercy."

I remained still, my facade of lifelessness unbroken. The twins continued their casual conversation, their voices masking the tension in the room. They were playing their part to perfection, ensuring that Rick's focus remained solely on me.

Rick leaned in closer, his hot breath grazing my ear.

"You thought you could escape my grasp, didn't you?" he whispered, relishing in his perceived victory.

"But no matter how hard you try; you'll always be under my control."

I resisted the urge to react, to show any sign of life. It was crucial to maintain the illusion, to bide my time until the opportune moment presented itself. I knew that Rick's sadistic nature would eventually lead to his downfall.

With a final taunting laugh, Rick straightened himself and motioned to Carlo and the others. "Let's get this piece of shit out of here," he commanded. "We'll have some fun with him, and then we'll see just how long he can survive."

Carlo and the goonies approached; their eyes filled with anticipation. They grabbed hold of the wheelchair, ready to drag me away to a place of torment. But little did they know, their actions were merely paving the way for their own demise.