Chapter 43: The Almighty Paige
I wiped a thin bead of cold sweat from my forehead. ’Note to self: don’t create food out of thin air until I’ve studied a biology textbook.’
"Let’s try something non-organic," Alistair suggested, handing me a heavy iron sphere. "Turn this into a longsword. It should be considerably easier, since you’re reshaping matter rather than recreating the complexities of living biology."
I took the cold iron sphere in my hands. This time, didn’t have to guess. I thought about all the medieval swords, combat knives, and historical weapons I had seen in movies, games, and forging shows back when I was working late night shifts. I visualized the sharp edge, the balance of the blade, the full tang, and the reinforced steel structure.
I gripped the iron sphere, closed my eyes, and willed the metal to flow.
*CLINK.*
The heavy sphere dissolved like liquid silver in my grip, flowing and reshaping itself instantly. Within seconds, the dark iron solidified into a sleek longsword with a polished crossguard and a dark leather-wrapped hilt. The blade glistened beneath the overhead lights, its edge so impossibly sharp it seemed to part the air itself.
Alistair took the sword from my hands, testing its weight and balance with a practiced sweep through the air. The blade let out a sharp, ringing hum.
"Magnificent..." Alistair murmured, genuine awe flashing across his face as he inspected the blade. "Flawless balance, incredible density, and an edge sharp enough to cleave through heavy armor like paper. All created in less than two seconds from a simple iron sphere."
We spent another thirty minutes running through various material shaping tests, turning stone into glass, altering physical shapes, and refining my control over physical matter within my one-meter radius.
By the end of the session, I was beginning to understand how my intent translated into physical change.
"Excellent progress for your very first day, Seth," Alistair said, handing the longsword off to a security attendant. "Now... let us finish today’s session by testing the apple-to-orange transformation one more time. This time, focus on the fundamental structure."
He handed me another fresh red apple. I took a deep breath, gripping the fruit as I prepared to focus my intent once again.
I held the red apple in both hands, closed my eyes, and did my absolute best to rewrite its fundamental structure.
I didn’t just picture the orange’s outer skin this time. imagined its cellular structure, its citrus juice, and its organic composition, trying to force the universe to recognize the fruit as a genuine orange down to the last atom. But the moment my intent pressed against the apple’s molecular framework, a sharp pressure throbbed behind my temples.
I tried again, pushing my focus even harder.
*Shift... crackle...*
The apple flickered, its skin warping into an uneven, half-formed orange before snapping back to red. The pressure behind my eyes exploded into a blinding headache. The overhead lights spun wildly, my vision went black, and my legs buckled beneath me.
...
When my eyes slowly fluttered open, I found myself lying on a soft medical bed near the edge of the subterranean training facility.
My head still throbbed with a dull ache. As I shifted on the mattress, I saw Mom, Dad, Val, Yerin, and Grandfather standing a few paces away beside a glass table, quietly reviewing holographic data projected from a sleek tablet.
I leaned my head back against the pillow, letting out a slow, silent mental sigh.
’Damn... Reality Manipulation really is messed up. I thought I could just snap my fingers and alter whatever I wanted. That purple bum lied!’
[Fufufu~ That’s because you’re trying to force raw, unguided intent directly into the universe, Seth!] Paige’s giggling voice chimed softly in my mind, sounding completely relaxed. [Reality doesn’t have a conscious brain to interpret what you mean. If your mental structure isn’t perfect, the friction backfires straight onto your soul! That’s why I act as your system mediator, boss! When you ask me for something, I process the intent, clean up the logic, and make sure everything works out flawlessly!]
I chuckled to myself, appreciating her presence even more. ’So you’re basically my personal cosmic safety filter?’
[Exactly!] Paige cheered, her virtual voice bubbling with pride. [So, do you want me to just take over and handle your Astral Soul’s reality warping from now on? You won’t ever get a headache again!]
’Nah, I’ll pass on that for now,’ I replied with a faint smirk. ’Trying to figure this out on my own is actually pretty interesting and exciting. Besides, if I ever get into real trouble, I know you’ve always got my back.’
[Aww! Seth!] Paige squealed in my head, practically bursting with affection. [You know it! I’m going to accompany you for all eternity, boss!!]
The rustle of the sheets immediately caught Mom’s attention. Her eyes widened, and she nearly dropped the tablet onto the glass table as she hurried over to my bedside.
"Seth! Darling, you’re awake!" Mom exclaimed as she sat beside me and quickly took my hand in hers, her face filled with concern. "How are you feeling? Does your head still hurt? Do you feel sick anywhere?"
"I’m fine, Mom," I answered with a reassuring smile, squeezing her hand softly. "It’s just a minor headache. It’ll go away with a little rest."
Dad walked over with Grandfather and Yerin, his sharp eyes studying me with calm professionalism. "It’s completely natural, Seth. You simply overworked your spiritual stamina."
"Overworked my spiritual stamina?" I asked, looking up at him.
Dad nodded.
"Every effect an Astral Soul manifests in the physical world, like your Reality Manipulation, draws its Authority directly from the Astral World. The medium through which that primordial power flows is your Astral Soul itself, the very core of your existence. Right now, your mortal vessel and soul haven’t adapted to channeling that level of power, so they reached their limit and forced you into unconsciousness to protect you."
Dad offered me a warm smile.
"Once you practice and learn to channel your Authority at Avalon, your Astral Soul will adapt, expand, and grow stronger. Eventually, you’ll be able to use your abilities without feeling even a trace of exhaustion."