(The Extremely High Price of Leveling Up)
"What's really going on in your mind, Theodor? You seem unusually attentive to that boy, not like the man I used to know..." he asked with a look of curiosity.
"I don't know... maybe it's also because of the memories of my son," he replied, his voice slightly heavy, his face filled with a pleading expression.
Hearing that, James, the middle-aged man, instantly couldn't bring himself to ask more questions. It was as if he had found the root of the problem.
James could only let out a long sigh and say, "Huff... I know how hard it is to forget someone you love the most, but... You still need to be rational!"
"Yeah, I know," he replied shortly.
Not wanting to discuss something more painful and stir up memories that would only hurt him again, Theodor and Trion gathered with several others to discuss their battle strategy.
Meanwhile, Aaron, who was deep in focus, suddenly felt himself entering a world of his own within his mind. It left him stunned—and incredibly happy.
The joy radiating through his smile was something that hadn't visited him in years.
The worn-out look on Aaron's face, exhausted and lacking rest, vanished in an instant. Anyone who saw his smile would fall for it because that happy expression was so sweet, so warm, that it was impossible to look away.
"This... is this... are these the gifts I've received after surviving alone for years?" he said, unaware of the teardrop that formed at the corner of his eye.
Those watery eyes spoke of things that words couldn't express, as he gazed upon three dense black flames burning like shadowy fire.
Each was no larger than the palm of an adult, but thanks to Aaron's heightened sensitivity to energy, which had grown along with his level, he could immediately tell that they were soul cores.
Ordinarily, a person must first create ten soul fragments and combine them to form a single soul core, before ascending to the next level.
Yet somehow, Aaron already had three fully-formed soul cores. He had no idea why he was different from the others, who were required to manually forge soul fragments and cores, even the elites on Earth. That was why so many, despite having access to vast resources, found themselves stuck at a bottleneck.
Inside Aaron's inner world, there were even a few that looked like soul cores but appeared faded, with much weaker energy than the rest.
In that boundless space filled with stars, Aaron felt like he was floating freely in the vacuum of space.
"One, two, three... three! And three more! Hahaha... thank you, God!"
"These three flame-like orbs are weaker than the others... they must be soul fragments," he muttered aloud.
Seeing this, Aaron recalled Theodor's explanation about how to form a soul fragment, and he decided to give it a try.
Strangely, when he tried, Aaron couldn't gather even the slightest bit of energy. But the oddities didn't stop there.
"I can feel the energy around me—even energy farther out—but why can't I gather it and shape it into soul fragments? And if I can't create them myself, why are there already three soul cores and three soul fragments inside me?" Aaron asked himself.
This strangeness forced Aaron to think harder. He reviewed all his memories, taking time before finally finding an answer deep within himself.
"Alright, it seems everyone is ready. Let's continue the mission, Theodor," said Trion to Theodor after receiving a report from his troops while he, Theodor, and the others were finalizing their strategy.
But due to the long and intense discussion, Theodor almost forgot something.
"Oh, right! Let's go!... Wait—the boy..." he said, suddenly remembering Aaron.
"Seriously? You're still thinking about him?! We're in a critical situation! The more time we waste, the worse it gets!" James shouted, clearly frustrated.
Seeing the worry etched on Theodor's face, James could only struggle to contain his anger—he knew losing his temper here would demoralize the troops. Not to mention, he had to maintain his composure in front of the others gathered for the strategy session.
"Here's what I'll do: I'll stay here and protect the boy until he finishes whatever he's doing. The rest of you go ahead and strike the enemy as planned."
"Besides, I'm not directly involved in this operation. So once the boy's done, we'll catch up to you as fast as we can," said Fred, trying to prevent internal conflict from escalating into a bigger issue.
"No! Your position is still important!" said Trion, the tall hunter who had followed Theodor into the Forbidden Forest.
But when he saw how much Theodor cared about Aaron, Trion, as a friend, could only yield.
"Huff... promise me, no matter what, you'll catch up within half an hour!"
Though Trion was known for his explosive temper and came off as unpleasant to those who didn't know him, his friends understood his true nature.
That's why Theodor and the others never resented Trion for his temperament.
"Alright! Within half an hour, I'll catch up as fast as I can," said Fred.
With that, Theodor and the others swiftly prepared and led their troops into battle.
Fred stayed behind with Aaron, silently praying for the safety of his friends and the troops, as he watched their backs disappear into the forest in the distance.
In that silence, Aaron was still trying to unravel the mystery he was facing. His thoughts drifted back to the moment he first arrived in the world of Arkais—wounded and on the brink of death.
He remembered how he recovered and leveled up after being attacked by Ziva, the tiger beast.
"So that's how it is... In that case, I guess it's impossible for me to level up the way normal humans do," Aaron muttered.
"Hufft... this might be the most difficult and expensive way to level up," he added, recalling how he had leveled up thanks to Ziva's attacks and the rare Fire Mushroom she had given him.
Aaron's once-beaming face grew somber as he realized just how hard the road ahead would be if he wanted to grow stronger.