A week passed since Miles returned to the Academy. He visited his friends and celebrated their New Year as well. He bought them small confectionery from the capital but didn’t accept any gift from them. The academy had limited opportunities, and wasting merits over gifts wasn’t logical.

The first thing he did was visit Dean Milosh. Evelyn sent a flash drive with some of the research she had over mechs. There was also a piece of energy equalizer. Since it was important, Evelyn wanted Miles to be the one to bring it. It was the reason why he was given the task in the first place.

The next thing on his list was, taking orders again. He already finished crafting all the items on his list before he left. Now that people saw his items, more and more people were interested in his crafts. Miles took the opportunity and gathered some metals in the capital while he was there. Although he could ask Zall and Xavic, it was still better for him to do the purchasing.

After finishing everything on his list, Miles was finally ready to use the second serum of F-Series. His energy was as dense as it could be. After using fruit, his energy quantity skyrocketed. After reaching a certain amount, it stopped rising. Miles thought that he already capped the quantity, and now had to increase the quality of his energy.

Other hunters would increase their mastery over superpowers to increase the quality of their powers. After all, the density of their energy was parallel to their superpowers. A fire elemental user could make his flames hotter and stronger to make his energy denser. And a person with sword hands would increase the hardness of his hands. People with superpowers could practice their superpowers and energies at the same time. Miles, on the other hand, had to increase his energy by exhausting it and replenishing again and again.

He of course could mimic their training with other techniques. Such as forming better weapons from energy. But it wasn’t as rewarding as using it in real combat. So, he would often practice his moves and replenish his exhausted energy to increase its density.

When he was in the capital, he finally felt that his energy couldn’t get any denser nor could he increase the amount. It wasn’t alarming to feel the barrier. It was only serving as a threshold. After he passed through this hurdle, he would be advanced to the middle-tier of Form-Rank.

At least, that was what he thought a week ago.

“It has been two weeks since I felt the barrier. Why can’t I break through it?” Miles asked as he sat on the ground panting. The last few days, like always, he was depleting his energy to the last drop, and replenishing it. But three days ago, Coin discovered something cataclysmic. His energy, for last week, had never increased.

His training method was usually similar. He would start with practicing his moves, then try to learn a few more. But last week, the number of techniques he used never increased. The number of techniques was exactly the same. It meant, his energy, be it in quantity or quality, haven’t improved at all.

Although he was feeling the barrier, the normal practice would be breaking through it slowly accumulating energy or by sudden stimuli. But he couldn’t feel anything. At first, he thought it might be a side effect of the fruit, so he went to visit Zall and Xavic, but after using the fruit, both had already advanced to middle-tier, and didn’t have any side effects preventing them from improving.

After racking his brain for a week, he could only ascribe it to his uniqueness. After all, he awakened energy without a superpower, and his energy was growing with his body. After he capped the fifth Strengthening Serum, his energy was also anchored. Now, if he could take the next serum, his bodily limit would once again improve and he could also train his energy.

“This is my only option now.” He said and attached the serum to his system. Coin was already floating in the air with all the necessary equipment.

Not long after the medicine mixed with his blood, the same familiar pain descended upon him. He gritted his teeth and moved his energy to alleviate the suffering, but for some reason, it was too intense.

“Something is wrong, Coin!” Miles shouted with his last breath. He could feel his muscles were refusing the medicine. The pain wasn't the same as before. Even the fourth serum didn’t cause this much anguish.

Miles could hardly concentrate. After shouting, he felt the medicine was moving towards his muscles like hungry wolves, while his muscles were dogs trying to protect their territory. A fight between two sides made him lose his consciousness.

“Miles!” Coin shouted to no avail. With no other choice, he activated the alarm system in the house. In no time at all half of the academy heard the alarm.

————

Miles opened his eyes but even his eyelids were aching. He noticed white walls and the quilt over him and opined he must be in a hospital. Well, the IV attached to his arm was also increasing the possibility.

“Miles, you are awake!” Coin’s voice reverberated in the room when he felt Miles’s movements.

“What happened?” Miles asked hardly. His throat was dry, his whole body was hurting.

“Let me explain.” A voice came and Milosh entered the room. “You almost died.”

Miles already realized that, so he didn’t answer and let the man continue. “Where did you get the serum?”

“Merlin gave it to me.” He answered. Milosh thought then discarded the idea.

“So, it is not the serum that is faulty, but you are.”