Kyon was lying in bed, staring at the ceiling, his hands behind his head. {So, it turns out that my name is missing in the database. Something tells me it must be Martin’s doing... I wonder what will happen when someone finds out. I’d better keep my mouth shut. I have enough food, and that’s something. Now I understand why Mob didn’t have any daily portion for me... According to the documents, I don’t exist at all.}

Kyon started analyzing the information he had memorized. (The information from chapter 19)

Without getting into details, he learned about the local customs and traditions. The planet was called Life, the two moons were its satellites. Yin was dark and Yang was light. However, they were usually referred to as the light one and the dark one.

Kyon had also read about the elements, the channel purity, how to connect with spirit and unlock the keys.

{It’s a rare thing to be a master of elements... What would I do without Synergy? I would have never cleaned my keys by 100% on my own. It’s impossible. Otherwise, only masters of elements would be parading about. I guess I can help others with key cleaning, though. On second thought, however… They will tear me apart for souvenirs!} - Kyon snickered to himself.

The books told him how to get more powerful in this world. It all came down to soul cultivation, which could be done only in a strong body. “Strong in spirit, strong in body,” that’s the basic cultivation rule.

There are only two ways to cultivate the body.

First, with the help of enzymes, microscopic energy balls that reinforce the cells. They can be found in products of animal and vegetable origin.

Feeding on enzymes rebuilds the body into a new, stronger and unique structure, improving all its characteristics, making the thorny path of soul cultivation easier.

However, there’s a downside: enzymes overload the body, in particular the kidneys, the liver, all the organs responsible for cleaning the blood. Enzymes are heavy stuff, they can be toxic in large doses.

It leads to another downside, which causes dizziness and headaches. In fact, enzymes are often defective and unsuitable for body renewal. They stay in the system for a long time with no use, slowing down the cultivation. That’s why food with low content of defective enzymes is always of great value.

Also, weak (sick or old) bodies don’t absorb enzymes properly, making it harder for the soul to cultivate. The cultivation speed slows down, freezes, and even reverses.

There is no need to get obsessed with enzymes at all. A strong soul can push the body forward, but it won’t become much powerful in the end.

There’s a side effect to the intensive body cultivation with no soul evolution. The soul will eventually catch up with the body and get stronger by itself.

Both sides pull each other like dogs on a short leash.

Second, nurturing a unique body that has a variety of characteristics and features.

There also exist innate unique bodies, like the one that Martin tried to find in Kyon.

Unique bodies can be nurtured one at a time. First of all, it’s required to take a unique body pill that serves as a springboard for its growth. There are different ways to raise the unique body rank, from special training to consuming specific things. The higher the rank, the more significant features the unique body gains.

Summing up: Body cultivation can be done with the help of enzymes or by nurturing a unique body.

Enzymes make the body stronger and faster. They help the mind become more efficient in making decisions, thinking, reflecting. The signals reach the muscles faster, making the organs work much more effectively.

As the unique body grows, it gains a variety of abilities or features, from particularly strong skin/bones to resistance to some elements.

The ways for the soul cultivation are the same.

First, setting cycles of energy consumption and recovery. Doing it during focused training, not just randomly, significantly increases the cultivation speed.

Second, consuming certain substances both of natural and synthetic origin. However, this method is useless without applying the first one.

Cultivating the body cultivation with useful enzymes, nurturing a unique body, following specific rules and energy cycles, doing training and taking useful substances will sooner or later result in reaching the peak stage of base phase (1), followed by the transformation, the transition to the next phase, which is the main objective of anyone who wants to get stronger, in other words, become more influential and respectable.

Kyon was impressed - {This world is amazing. It’s like playing a game, only it’s real. Each next level opens infinite possibilities to get even stronger, there is no room for complacency... I’ve discovered a world of endless opportunities. No virtual reality games come anywhere close to this... I'm 100% sure the environment is not simulated, no computer simulation could be this intense... They say it's impossible to recreate the details down to the atoms, even in theory.}

Kyon was right. In his world, it was impossible to create such a detailed simulation.

He reviewed all the information and caught himself thinking that it would be easy to keep his body in good health and strength with the help of Synergy. {As soon as I reach the student’s degree (2), old age will be nothing but empty words.}

Unfortunately, Kyon didn’t find any books on the elements and techniques. He would have to start from scratch.

Having sorted out the knowledge in his head, Kyon decided to take a break from mental activity and have a bite. He needed something nutritious to keep him strong for the impending big fight.

When his stomach was full, he started doing stretching exercises. He was making progress: another 30 hours of practice and his body would be in perfect shape. Synergy quickly healed all the microtraumas in overstretched muscles and tendons, so it didn’t take him long to recover. This entertaining activity kept him busy all day. It was already late evening.

Kyon rubbed his tired neck: he seemed to have over-exercised, after all. Then he remembered his old acquaintance, Mike, who had had a rough time... Kyon walked out of the bedroom, nodding thoughtfully to himself.

The common hall was empty. Everyone had already left and was now snoring in their beds. Kyon made his way to Mike’s bedroom and heard his measured breathing. Mike was sleeping. Kyon touched his carotid artery, sending a stream of Synergy through the bloodstream:

{The complete bone restoration has already started. However, he is far from getting better. With his lifestyle, there’s no way he will recover any time soon.} – Kyon shook his head and poured half of his energy reserves into Mike’s system. Synergy would activate and direct Mike’s body resources to heal the injuries. Tomorrow he would be able to go to work. Kyon had never had a disposition to benevolence, but he decided to ignore the mystery of his compassion: he had no time for self-analysis. {It costs me nothing, anyway.}

Kyon couldn't help yawning. It was far past his bedtime. «I guess my work here is done…»

Mike woke up when he felt a strange intrusion into his body and opened his eyes as soon as Kyon left: {Is he really... healing me?}

*dream*

…

Earlier that day, Martha had checked all the medicines and consumables, just like she always did once a month. She checked off the list which medications were enough, and which she was running out of, took a closer look at the expiration dates and the package integrity, checked the condition of the surgical instruments, among which there was a blunt scalpel (wasn’t it perfectly sharp last time?) that had to be sharpened. Martha counted the exact number of syringes, vials, bandages... Everything must be accounted for. The doctor was meticulous and thorough in her little kingdom: everything was in the proper place, reflecting her accurate records.

When Martha discovered one vial missing, she thought it must be some mistake. She double-checked, but the result was the same. It was weird. Who could have taken it? She always locked the office. The only one she allowed in her abode was Byron, but he had no reason to steal such a little thing, he could always ask her to give him anything. No one else had entered her office lately, except maybe...

Her memory conjured up the episode when Bob's crazy dog suddenly began chasing Kyon around the hospital. In the commotion, the boy rushed in the open door running away from the dog. However, he didn’t have enough time to take the vial, let alone fill it with anything. That’s pure nonsense.

Her gaze involuntarily fell upon the drawing that Kyon had given her. {Little brat...} She had to admit that his piece of art and his attitude were rather embarrassing. It was crazy of him to hug her like that! He hadn’t been feeling frisky since then, though. What was his problem? What had bitten him and made him get all handsy with her?

Thoughts about Kyon led Martha down memory lane. Martin's death made a lot of noise. She recalled that terrifying scene again: the lifeless body on the floor, and the old servant sobbing over his master. Pink’s mind couldn’t handle it. He wouldn’t stop crying, saying again and again that no one had ever died of a piece of bun and swearing to find the truth.

Martha shook her head. There was something disturbing point about that. Kyon’s bizarre behavior raised a few red flags: his bad feeling, his request to make a call during his conversation with Martin, a far fetched story about a mysterious curse... His bruise... Did he really think she would believe in this bullshit about the “curse.” Was she a doctor or a worthless bag of bones? Could she possibly fail to recognize a fresh bruise that suspiciously resembled the shape of a hand…

Led by her intuition, Martha went to the chiller cabinet with painkillers, tranquilizers, regenerative medicine... Here it was, a glass bottle with sedative. Her sharp eyes instantly noticed that some of the liquid was missing, which means that the disappeared vial wasn’t that empty.

This thought sent a shiver up her spine. Had she contributed to Martin’s death?! Could Kyon have secretly slipped into her office? He couldn't walk through walls, after all. Or maybe?…

A nasty worm of doubt appeared in Martha's soul. Her thoughts kept running back to the things she found missing. The scalpel went “suddenly” blunt as if someone was carving wood with it. Deep inside, the invincible worm of doubt was growing. Martha remembered a strange spot on her key that couldn’t possibly be there. She had always been exceptionally neat and tidy. What if the “spot” was a trace of modeling clay? What were the chances that Kyon had stolen her key and made a copy for himself?

All these doubts and suspicions gave Martha a headache. She must have read too many detective stories that gave her a load of nonsense. The blunt scalpel was just a blunt scalpel, the spot on the key could be anything, the vial accidentally broke, and the sedative evaporated. As for Kyon’s strange behavior, he was no ordinary boy, after all. It could be explained by puberty, hormones…

No matter how hard Martha tried to persuade herself, her conscience and logic demanded that she accepted the facts. The gut feeling that Kyon had taken advantage of her kindness only made her feel more miserable. Anger, doubt, fear, guilt mixed up inside her, getting her emotions running high. Martha couldn’t stand it anymore, she burst into tears, crying her eyes out.

Mob was standing behind the door to the hospital, hesitant to knock. He wanted to take Martha for a walk along mountain paths, tell her jokes, make her a surprise... But the plan stalled at the outset: he had to open the damned door, and he couldn’t bring himself to grab the handle. He took a deep breath…

«Who's there?» - Martha heard a noise from the corridor, but she was in no hurry to let the visitor in.

«It's me, Mob. May I come in?»

After a few seconds of silence, she said: «I'm busy at the moment.»

«It’s a matter of great importance.»

«Hold on. I'm coming.» - Martha sighed heavily, turning the key in the lock. - «Come on in, don’t just stand there.»

Mob was absolutely flabbergasted when he saw her tear-stained face. All the neatly-turned phrases he had prepared instantly slipped his mind.

«So, what was so important?» – Martha mumbled wiping her face.

Mob scratched his nose, emerging from the stupor.

«I... I lied. There’s nothing important.»

Martha stamped her foot angrily:

«Then why in the hell... are you keeping me from my work?»

«I just wanted to see you... To ask how you’re doing...» - Mob apologized while Martha was literally pushing him out of the hospital.

«If you’re that bored, go and bother our cook. She might return your feelings!»

This prospect – the mentioned cook weighed a ton! - made Mob shudder. But Martha's attempt to distract him and get him out of the door failed anyway. When they approached the door, Mob deftly ducked under her arm and got inside again.

«Hey, what are you doing?»

«I am not going.»

«You’ve got a nerve!»

«I have more than that!»

Martha rubbed her eyes wearily. She looked exhausted and depressed.

«Go away... Leave me alone. I have things to do.»

Mob stubbornly shook his head. Martha waved her hand and went to her office, hoping he would leave her alone there.

«Are you ok?» - Mob, the shrewd observer, followed Martha everywhere she went.

Martha stopped for a second, hesitant if she should discuss her worries with him. Finally, she said it in a vague way:

«What would you do if someone deceived you, someone you really like?»

«Hm...» - Mob thought for a while and said uncertainly: - «I would talk to her face to face, and if she didn't explain herself, I would teach her a lesson and never talk to her again.»

Martha nodded before entering her office.

«Who hurt you? Tell me!»

«No one… Forget it.» - She slammed the door in his face but didn't lock it.

Mob stuck his head in the doorway and murmured ingratiatingly:

«Whatever happened, you need to unwind. Come with me. Let's get some fresh air. I'll show you an interesting place.»

Martha sighed wearily.

«Yeah, maybe you're right...» - She didn’t find Mob unattractive, and there was no reason to say no to his innocent request. Besides, she definitely needed to clear her head.