As Lucian and Raijin enjoyed the electrifying tingle of the yellow fruits, Lucian realized that the juice barely did more than numb his tongue. He looked at the yellow fruit within his hand and pondered on the Concepts held within. Drinking from it now was a far cry from his initial taste of the fruit, where it felt like he'd pushed a fork into an electrical outlet. The bittersweet taste of the stimulating fruit had been lost on Lucian before, but now he could actually enjoy it.

"I'm not sure I understand..." Lucian muttered, staring at the fruit for a moment before pulling up his [Microlink] menu. "My body feels a bit tougher since unlocking [Endurance II], but the physical change doesn't seem as drastic as with the [Initiate] or [Endurance I] Microlinks."

Lucian zoomed in on the Microlinks, finding that the descriptions of the Endurance path had changed since his initial purchase.

[Endurance I]

[Requirements: Initiate]

[Concept: Tolerance]

[Decreases the influence adverse effects have on Host's physical state and increases Host's stamina. Allows Host to tolerate more stress than body or mind would commonly allow]

The addition of the Concept and the second line to the Law's description were both new to him, but they helped explain some of the benefits that he'd gained. His stamina had undoubtedly increased, as he could tell from his daily exercises. He'd also been exhausted toward the end of the Second Wave, but his body hadn't even ached until it was over.

"Was that because of the Concept?" Lucian wondered. "Ed, can you explain the addition of the Concept to the Microlink?"

[A Concept is a piece of a Law. When unlocking a Microlink, Host must choose the Concept Path down which they wish to venture. Microlinks assist with a basic understanding. There are more advanced Concept Paths not contained within the Microlinks]

"Is a person only able to learn one Concept per Microlink?"

[Yes. An Initiate can only handle one Concept per Basic Law. To learn a second Concept requires a higher concentration of Psyons than an Initiate can withstand]

"Oh? Is that why it costs so much more to unlock the following Microlink?" Lucian asked curiously.

[Yes]

"Thank you, Ed," he smiled. It was the most information he'd gotten from the Educatus since learning the Menu's essential functions. He thought about what he'd just learned, and another question began to form. "You said that choosing a Concept only sets one on the Path... Can you go into more detail?"

[Example. Host has only just begun to grasp the Concept of Tolerance. Concepts can be treated as a muscle. As Host exercises the Concept, or as Host deepens their understanding of the Concept, the Concept becomes more powerful or more flexible]

"So [Endurance II] isn't necessarily a strengthened version of [Endurance I]. Unlocking [Endurance II] simply gave me the ability to start training in another Concept. Is that right?" Lucian asked, wanting to make sure that he understood Ed correctly.

[Yes]

"I see. Thank you again," he waved the Educatus to the side and focused on his newly unlocked Microlink.

[Endurance II]

[Requirements: Endurance I]

[Concept: Will]

[Further decreases the influence adverse effects have on Host's physical state and further increases Host's stamina. Allows Host to manipulate Psyons to further increase the body's endurance]

"What?!"

Lucian re-read the description to make sure he understood it correctly before his mind drifted back to the darkness where he unlocked the Concept. He recalled humming the tune to drown out the hateful voices screaming at him. The explosion of power he'd felt surge out from his body...

"Maybe that wasn't part of the vision?" he spoke softly, trying to recall everything he'd gone through. As his mind reeled, Lucian remembered something from the illusion that now struck him as odd. "Ed, sorry to bother you again. I remember feeling that I could have chosen Tolerance again for [Endurance II]. What would have happened if I'd chosen the same Path a second time?"

[There are many Paths to power. Not all who choose a Concept are able to progress on that Path without external assistance. In such cases, selecting that Path once again when unlocking the subsequent Microlink allows a Host to forcefully proceed down the chosen Path. Host's understanding and benefits from Tolerance would have drastically increased, but Host's overall potential would have decreased]

Lucian pondered on the answer for some time. It made sense. Choosing the same Path a second time would limit the number of Concepts one could obtain in a short amount of time. The cost of subsequent Microlinks increased ten-fold at every Tier, and it would be wasteful not to learn as much as possible in the early stages.

He had his answers. Now it was time to put those Concepts into practice. Though, he really wasn't sure where to start. Lucian closed his eyes and pictured the explosion that had drowned out the sinister voices. It hadn't been a single eruption but multiple ripples leaving his body that had gotten him out of that torment.

With each wave of energy escaping him, his body had become slightly weaker. Something that was already inside of him had trickled out, causing the anomaly. But what was it? Were those Psyons? If so, where were they coming from?

Lucian studied his body, thinking back to the immense muscle control he'd gained after puking up that black gunk on his first day in this miserable place. He'd spent hours relearning how to use his body. It hadn't taken him long to get used to it, and he hadn't thought much about it since learning the [Initiate] Microlink had caused it.

"Maybe I'm not using the [Initiate] Microlink to its full potential..."

He began flexing his muscles one at a time like he did when forcing himself to learn how to move again. Lucian started with the larger muscles in his chest, arms, and legs before working his way to the smaller groups. Darkness took over the Tile, but he didn't stop exploring his body's capabilities. Before long, he found that he even had some control over his various organs.

He forced his lungs to expand slightly more with each breath.

He made his heart beat faster and slower, feeling the differences as his veins expanded and contracted, allowing more or less blood to flow.

He focused on his digestive system and could feel the yellow liquid he'd consumed churning in his body. It was there that he noticed something strange. The juice turned into tiny particles that flew through the wall of his stomach.

Lucian focused on the tiny particles, following them as they traveled through his body as if they were being drawn by a powerful magnet. They soon reached their destination at a location just below his abdomen. He gasped, and he was sure that he'd found where the Psyons had originated.

"Ed..?"