Arin opened the book and went through the first section carefully. It described the initial stage of cultivation, known as the body refinement stage. The explanation didn't begin with strength, but with adaptation.
The energy present in the environment carried a form of radiation. For ordinary people, the body adapted to it slowly and unevenly over time. Some areas improved while others remained weak, creating imbalances that limited further growth. Over generations, structured methods were developed to guide this process step by step, strengthening the body evenly and reducing weak points.
The stage itself was divided into five layers: skin reinforcement, muscle strengthening, bone hardening, organ adaptation, and neural enhancement. Each layer built on the previous one, forming a stable foundation before moving forward.
Arin read through it once, then again more slowly. The structure was simple, but the process clearly wasn't.
He focused on the first layer.
The method guided energy along the surface of the body instead of directing it inward. The flow stayed just beneath the skin, moving across the body in a fixed path. It wasn't about force, but control and consistency.
Arin adjusted his posture and began.
At first, the energy didn't hold. It scattered almost immediately, breaking before completing even a partial path. He slowed down and guided it more carefully, reducing the intensity and focusing on maintaining direction instead of pushing forward.
This time, it lasted slightly longer.
A faint itching sensation appeared along the surface of his skin where the energy passed. It wasn't strong, but it didn't disappear. Instead, it followed the flow, moving across different parts of the body as the circulation continued.
Arin kept going.
The itching deepened gradually, turning into a sharper sensation beneath the surface. It felt like something was being disturbed, not painfully, but enough to demand attention. He maintained control and followed the path described in the book as closely as possible.
The flow broke again.
He restarted.
The second attempt was better. The energy remained stable for longer, and the path became slightly clearer. It still didn't complete a full cycle, but the improvement was noticeable.
A thin layer of dark residue began to form along parts of his skin, mixed with sweat. It was faint, but it was there.
Arin didn't stop.
He continued for a while, repeating the process, but each attempt consumed more energy than he expected. His semi-core wasn't able to sustain the flow long enough to complete a full refinement cycle.
He stopped.
The result wasn't complete, but it wasn't nothing either.
The energy no longer scattered as easily as before, and the surface of his skin responded more clearly when he tried to guide the flow again. It was a small change, but it was real.
This wasn't something that could be completed in a single attempt.
Arin observed his condition carefully.
Something felt slightly different.
The energy demand was higher than expected, but the body handled it without collapsing. The recovery was also faster than it should have been at this stage.
He paused briefly, the thought forming on its own. Did I get some kind of special constitution… just like those stories…
He didn't reach a conclusion.
But compared to what the book described, his progress felt slightly faster. Not in strength, but in how efficiently the body responded to the method. The same effort produced clearer results, even if the overall progress was still limited.
He didn't think further.
If it was real, it would show itself later.
For now, it didn't matter.
Arin adjusted his posture again, but didn't continue immediately. The earlier attempts had already drained most of his available energy. A thin layer of sweat had formed on his skin, carrying a faint, unfamiliar smell. It wasn't impurities, just the body reacting to the process.
Pushing further wouldn't give better results.
Instead, he leaned back slightly and let his body recover.
The process was clear now.
It would take time.
After resting for a while, his attention shifted again.
The bracelet.
Arin picked it up and looked at it for a moment. Since it might be an old storage device, there had to be a method to access it. This time, he didn't try random activation.
He opened his terminal and began searching.
Basic storage devices.
Activation methods.
Old models.
The results were inconsistent.
Most methods didn't match.
Some required specific conditions.
Others were incomplete.
Arin tried a few simple approaches based on what he found, keeping the energy flow controlled instead of forcing it.
Nothing changed.
The bracelet remained unresponsive.
After a few more attempts, he stopped.
There wasn't enough information to proceed further.
Arin placed it back on the table.
For now, it wasn't something he could figure out.
The day had already passed without him noticing.
He didn't continue.
Tomorrow would be better.