In a hidden room named 'Day-Anecdote.'

His Master sat before him, bald of head, with a wispy Fu-Manchu beard piled into his lap. Brown, bespectacled eyes pierced straight through Quintin. The seconds ticked by and felt like hours here in his presence.

"I can sense you have some questions that stem from a bottleneck in your Martial Arts. But calm your breathing and focus," his Master, Bilal Abassi, slowly spoke while cupping his beard sagely and continued.

"It's time for me to impart the precepts for envisioning conflict and the world."

The Sozu fountain 'donked' in the background like a metronome to his deliberate speech.

"Envision a world of possible outcomes, now subtract the white noises and focus on the negative energies around you that wish harm. What does that look like? Picture their intents in your minds-eye and feel its subject,"

ta-donk,

"Some of these energies, like within nature, are naturally inclined to be antagonistic. Yet others are manufactured as well. One stomps on a beehive and manufactures ill-intent inside nature; while one is close to the source of ill-intent, it becomes easier to read. Further away? Uninvolved or unaware? These words are the concept of envisioning conflict-"

ta-donk,

"That which is invisible need not be fought earnestly; let the feints fall where they may. Death is decided straight away."

Silence lingered and made the constant rhythm from the Sōzu fountain more pronounced. It was the end of the lesson. Usually, he had an opportunity to ask questions, but today was clearly different.

Bowing and respectfully cupping his hands to his Master, he got a fractional head-nod in response that signified acceptance of the ritual. He walked back outside into the tranquil, well-maintained garden while lost in thought.

"One need not be a prisoner of one's worries and doubts. If one sees another for what they are, then there's no room for deception. The way to get closer to the source is to be strong enough to let the feints fall where they may and prepare for a final confrontation..."

Quintin pondered the nature of ill-intent and the source of negative energies while he strolled throughout the garden.

Before the memory faded to black,

Then,

eventually,

[Initializing display.

...

...

...

Cleaning up assets.

...

...

...

Calculating...

...

...

...

Requirements unlocked.

Concepts recorded.

New [Skill] added.]

to blue.

Job: [????] hidden requirements unlocked. [Job: ???? Requirements]

*[Class Lv. 25]

*Integration with five distinctly different materials. (3/5)

*???

*??? *New* [Skill]: [Sinisphere||Envision] - Perception - AOE - Activated-Aura

*[Sinisphere]: become aware of the blood, malevolent, killing and ill-intents

in a 20(+0)-meter radius around you.

*[Envision]: contract the aura inwards to create a thin mind's eye tendril,

which can be cast out up to 40(+0)-meters in a single direction.

*[Sinisphere Cost]: reserves 100[SP] until deactivated.

*[Envision Cost]: additional 20[SP] per 5 seconds.

Quintin groaned loudly upon awakening. His head felt like it had been repeatedly banged against the wooden floorboards at the training hall in the Monastery. He could've sworn just moments ago that the first beginnings of dusk had teased itself, but now as he rubbed his temples, the rays of morning light shone through.

One second I was checking out this spot. The next, I can't remember clearly.

Looking around inside the tree cavity, he found nothing of significance. A confused frown of worry pressed his face into a bunch, but try as he might, he simply couldn't recall anything after the moment he peered inside.

How odd. Something certainly happened; I just don't know exactly what. I somehow obtained a new [Skill], and somehow I also... Integrated with something? That just sounds nasty when put like that.

He was more perplexed now than ever before, even when he first began to sit in on his Master's teachings. By all accounting, he had merely slept peacefully with no outward signs of injury or distress.

I suppose it does me no good to dwell on it for now. These notifications are interesting, so at least I got something out of whatever happened last night. This [Sinisphere] skill seems like something I'll just want active all the time —

An intense growl of hunger interrupted his thoughts as it came to the forefront,

and I guess I should also use this new skill to scout out some food. A helpless grin and an even more mirthless sigh escaped him.

Things calmed down once he decided to put the mysterious happenings of the night behind him and focus on his quest for edibles. He searched across the land while he moved downstream, using [Envision] to range the area now and again. When he wasn't using that, he would use [Sinisphere] to warn of potential dangers on his route.

He consistently followed the brook, never wandering too far away. His hunger pangs were growing more and more pronounced, but finally, after seemingly hours of searching, he spied his desire at the edge of [Envision's] sight.

Healthy and abundantly ripe fruits grew within his mind's eye. They pin-pricked an area 40-meters away within a copse of trees that surrounded them. He couldn't help but focus on one, in particular, an over-large and prize-winning Uber Pumpkin, which looked like it had just been carted out at the County Fair to uproarious, enthusiastic applause.

The only difference between a Pumpkin and this monstrosity was that it had the makings of a Pineapple, replete with spines, and a green Mohawk-like top.

Quintin gulped down a mouth full of saliva and set off, almost at a run towards his prize. Only, there would be no award-ribbons given out on this fair morning — only mourning for the sweet and innocent. With a mock-evil sneer and a hungry eye, he broke through the underbrush to behold his banquet.

He took a few last and faltering steps as a few shapes broke through the outer detection of [Sinisphere].

Quintin was quickly starting to realize; nothing is ever easy here on Whorrl.