As time passed, the pendant began to react.
A subtle pressure filled the room.
Then—
It intensified.
The air grew heavy, almost distorted.
Suddenly—
It stopped.
The light split.
Black.
White.
Separating.
And at that moment—
Something shifted within Eren's mind.
— — — —
Eren found himself standing in a world of dense white mist.
It felt… familiar.
Yet at the same time, completely foreign.
"I never thought we would meet like this."
A voice echoed through the mist.
Familiar.
But distant.
Eren turned.
A silhouette stood in the fog—unclear, unreadable.
"Who are you?" he asked.
A soft chuckle.
"Hehe…"
"The question is not who I am…"
A pause.
The mist shifted slightly.
"But what do you want?"
"What are you trying to achieve?"
"Or will you run away again?"
Eren's gaze sharpened.
"…What do you mean?"
"You understand."
The voice was calm. Certain.
"But that's enough for now."
"We'll meet again soon."
"Next time…"
A faint shift in tone.
"I hope we can speak face to face."
The mist distorted.
For a brief moment—
A vague male figure appeared.
A shallow smile.
The world twisted—
And shattered.
Eren's eyes snapped open.
The ceiling came into view.
Familiar.
The same one he had seen for the past nineteen years.
But—
He knew it wasn't the same.
Slowly, he pushed himself up and sat at the edge of the bed.
His gaze immediately shifted toward the desk.
The pendant.
Still there.
Exactly where he had left it.
He let out a quiet breath.
Relief.
Mixed with confusion.
Without wasting time, he stood and walked toward the bathroom.
The shower turned on.
Cold water poured over him.
The chill cleared his mind almost instantly.
After finishing, he stepped in front of the mirror.
A thin layer of condensation covered the surface.
He raised a hand and wiped it away.
Then—
He froze.
The face staring back at him…
Was both familiar—
And not.
Sharper.
More defined.
Jet-black hair.
Dark eyes.
A face that looked… better.
More refined.
Eren slowly lifted his hand.
The reflection followed.
His expression shifted.
Shock.
"…What happened to my face?"
He pinched his cheeks.
The sting of pain told him—
This wasn't a dream.
His gaze shifted downward.
His abdomen.
Defined.
Natural.
As if it had always been trained that way.
…Is it because of that ceremony?
Is that why no one reacted?
Because this… is considered normal here?
After a moment, he let out a breath.
I'll ask Li Shen later.
He dried himself and changed into a simple black shirt and jeans.
Before meeting him…
I should read something.
Maybe I'll find some answers.
He walked to the shelf, scanning the titles.
His hand stopped on one.
"Introduction to the Path."
He opened it.
The book explained that every individual is born with an Origin.
Some may share similar Origins—
But the paths they walk will always differ.
The moment one awakens their Origin…
They begin walking their own path.
Unique.
But filled with danger.
At some point—
Everyone is forced to question themselves.
Their past.
Their present.
Their future.
'The past huh.....' the question replayed back again.
The book didn't explain it clearly.
The meaning felt… vague.
As if it was meant to be understood differently by each reader.
Eren closed the book slightly.
…So the ceremony awakened my Origin.
But… is it normal for it to happen like that?
He exhaled.
No answer.
Closing the book, he returned it to the shelf.
His gaze shifted again.
Another title.
"Guide for Those Who Wish to Walk the Path of an Array Master."
He picked it up.
Then paused.
His hand moved to his pocket.
The pendant.
For a brief moment—
He hesitated.
Then slipped it inside.
"…I'll just look around."
With the book in hand, he stepped out.
He followed the guide from his device back to the dorm cafeteria.
Seeing where the line started, he joined in.
Not long after, he stood in front of a machine.
A panel appeared, displaying a list of items.
Eren quickly found the drink menu and ordered a simple float.
1 CP.
The panel prompted him to find a seat.
The item would be delivered.
He glanced around and spotted an empty table with two chairs.
Perfect.
Sitting down, Eren opened the book.
His gaze settled on the first few pages.
Simple structures.
Lines.
Patterns.
…It looks similar.
But not the same.
Why?
He narrowed his eyes slightly.
What does the difference change?
He closed his eyes.
Trying to reconstruct it in his mind.
A faint flow of energy moved instinctively.
Following the imagined structure.
A small flame flickered to life above his outstretched palm.
Eren's eyes opened slightly.
Then—
A thought struck him.
He adjusted the flow.
Reversing it.
Sending the energy from the end back toward the beginning.
The flame died instantly.
A sharp chill flashed across his palm—
Gone in a moment.
Eren's eyes snapped fully open.
'…Did I just do something dangerous?'
Reaching for the book again, he flipped through the pages.
This time, he read more carefully.
It described a basic energy-gathering array.
Simple in structure.
Designed to collect scattered energy and stabilize it.
Eren paused.
…So that's what it was.
The book continued.
With slight modifications, the array could incorporate a conversion structure—
Allowing energy to shift between attributes more smoothly.
Eren's gaze lingered on the page.
…Conversion.
So… if I add that…
He hesitated for a moment.
Then—
Decided to try again.
Closing his eyes, he reconstructed the structure in his mind.
This time—
Clearer.
More deliberate.
The energy responded.
Smoother than before.
He guided it carefully.
Building the gathering structure—
Then linking it to the conversion pattern.
A small flame appeared above his palm.
Steady.
Controlled.
Slowly—
He redirected the flow.
Feeding the flame into the conversion structure.
In his mind—
A snowflake.
Sharp.
Precise.
The flame slowed.
Its movement weakened.
Then—
It stilled.
The warmth faded.
Cold spread outward.
The flame collapsed—
Condensing into a small white sphere.
Radiating a faint chill.
Eren's eyes opened slightly.
…It worked?
Then—
"Are you a mage, human friend?"
Eren looked up.
A tall figure stood before him.
Nearly three meters in height.
Broad.
Solid.
A humanoid bull.
It had already taken the seat across from him.