"Houston, Darius, ready?"

"Whenever you are."

I nod as I sit cross-legged on the smooth white floor, still in the casual clothes.

I close my eyes and steady my breathing.

I visualize the pattern—the sword strikes blending as they arc through the nodes, each with its own rhythm and speed. Slowly, they connect from one node to the next, each set forming a sequence, and the sequences together building the full neural map that links to the Pillar.

As the waves begin to channel through the pattern, I start to feel it—the flow, the ease of transmission… and then the sharp rise in intensity.

Resonance.

The paths are linked. Energy transfer maximized.

I can feel it—the transmission lines between the nodes and the Pillar strengthening at a visible pace.

The connection deepens, widening the output from the Pillar while gradually enhancing my clarity. It's like the waves are scrubbing the fog from my mind, smoothing it out, making everything faster. Sharper. More efficient.

My waves are getting stronger. Clearer. And so is the ease with which I guide them.

The effect is so sudden, so vivid—it feels unreal. Like reaching the peak of a mountain just as the sun begins to rise on the other side.

And it doesn't stop. I feel the steady rise continue as seconds blur into minutes, and then more than an hour slips by.

Then, as I'm fully immersed in the flow, I feel it—a sudden barrier. The links have saturated. They can't be strengthened any further.

I've reached the peak of what the first method allows.

In other words, I've reached the First Pillar State.

I open my eyes.

The world around me feels different.

Details are sharper, more nuanced. My perception has shifted—I can register the information around me faster, my mind processing everything with a new clarity.

I smile.

Finally, I've made it.

There are similarities to Chiara's method, but the nature of this state feels more organic—more natural. Now that I've reached it, I understand why they can't coexist. Her model required constant force, continuous effort. This one runs on its own—passive and self-sustaining. And its performance is clearly superior.

According to Chiara, the First State—both Pillar and Body—grants a 49% boost to its corresponding features. The Pillar path enhances wave output, maximum frequency, and mental faculties like memory capacity and processing speed. The Body path, on the other hand, enhances physical attributes: weight, resilience, senses, and reaction time.

What's fascinating is how differently these paths interact with each person's Awakening. Chiara, for example, benefits far more than the average climber—thanks to her parallel minds, her Pillar boost reaches a staggering 108%.

Wang's Body training enhanced his unique physical conductivity. Imani's body weight and resilience increased by 78% instead of the usual 49%, while the rest of his parameters improved at the standard rate. Arjun experienced a noticeable acceleration in his perception of time, and Lukas's link performance saw unexpected amplification after reaching the First Pillar State.

Then there's Ayu.

Her progress along the Body path seems to be increasing her tolerance and self-sustainability in Overdrive. Her peak values aren't far from mine, and if the current trend continues, she'll likely surpass me sooner rather than later. With her Awakening fully amplifying her enhanced senses and physical traits, she's virtually untouchable unless there's a significant power gap.

Meaning I can go all out during our spars—because even if I wanted to land a hit, I probably couldn't.

So yeah, everyone has their extra thing. As for myself—

"Any changes, Houston?"

"Well, yes. We got that 49% boost just like you did," Houston chuckles. "And I must say, I can already see the virtual space getting more refined. Perhaps I can finally introduce an accurate replication of the senses of taste and smell."

"Oh, that's great! Anything else?"

"No. At least nothing I can quickly identify. As it stands, we seem unaffected by your progress in the Body Path and uniformly affected by your rise in the Pillar Path. That about sums up your Awakening's interaction with both paths."

"I'd prefer if you didn't call yourselves 'my Awakening', Houston."

"Oh, well—if you prefer the term 'voices in your head', I'm on board with that too."

I shake my head. "Right. Let me know if anything else changes. Good luck with the remodeling. Oh, by the way—now that we've climbed another floor, are you building your next level in that personal tower of yours? What's it going to be?"

"I was waiting for this boost before starting. But yes, I have an idea in mind. Let's keep it a surprise for now."

"Meaning you'll invite me in for tea at some point?"

"Perhaps. Anyway, I've already got some ideas forming for the Second Pillar State, so I'd appreciate it if you and Darius could start working on your 'unique approach' soon."

"I just had a breakthrough. Where's my well-earned rest?" I chuckle.

Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation.

"You had dinner, drinks, conversation, music, dancing, and sex yesterday. I'd say you got a full week's worth of rest in one night."

I shake my head, sighing through a faint smile. "Alright, take care."

I lean back on my arms.

The Second Pillar State, huh?

Considering the fact not even Chiara has reached it yet, it's probably going to take me a while.

Well, let's check it out.

I close my eyes and focus on the implanted knowledge from the last orb. I go through it and find the section detailing the guide toward the Second Pillar State.

The amount of information isn't vast—surprisingly short, actually. And just like I feared, it shares similarities with the path toward the Second Body State. Specifically, it increases the dimensionality of the problem, making it exponentially more complex.

According to the manual, the path builds directly upon the first. The original neural node structure is preserved, but now each node becomes a main node and must be linked to a new layer of smaller nodes—sub-nodes, for lack of a better term. I'm sure Chiara already has a proper name for them.

The challenge now is to match each main node with the most compatible sub-nodes. The problem? There's no clear rule for how many sub-nodes each main node requires, or which combinations are viable. Some nodes might not need any at all. Others might need several. The manual doesn't specify. It simply says that, when the optimal structure is achieved, a new form of Resonance will occur.

Damn.

Yeah… is this even doable?

Like, mathematically, what even is this?

Let's say there are n primary nodes, and each one could be connected to any number of m sub-nodes. That's not just a linear or quadratic problem anymore—this is combinatorial explosion territory.

If every node has to be tested against every possible subset of sub-nodes, we're looking at O(2^m) combinations per node, meaning the overall problem is O(n · 2^m) in brute-force terms. That's ridiculous.

And it gets worse if the number of connections per node varies or if there's interdependency between the nodes. Then we're into N^N-level complexity—or worse.

This… this is a nightmare.

No wonder even Chiara hasn't cracked it yet.

Though I'm sure there are subtle cues—some kind of warm-and-cold feedback, maybe—something that gently nudges you toward the right connections as you go. There has to be. Because brute-forcing it, even with our current Stage Progress, would take forever.

I exhale through my nose.

So… how can I translate this into my swordsmanship approach?

If each node is a path of the blade, then what are the sub-nodes it connects to?

My stance? Elbow? Wrist? The key points of my body involved in each movement?

But that doesn't make much sense. Too many elements of the body are engaged in almost every move. There's overlap everywhere. Almost every motion, even the simplest ones, involves the coordination of wrist, elbow, shoulder, hips, core—sometimes all at once.

So what then? Am I supposed to assign every node to every sub-node involved? That would just lead to noise—too many false connections. If every node ends up linking to the same sub-nodes, the system won't be able to differentiate, let alone resonate.

There has to be a better way to break this down.

Alright. What about sensations?

Maybe the sub-nodes are based on how each movement feels. The tension in the forearm. The shift of balance. The stretch across my back. Micro feedback from muscle memory. Internal cues.

That seems more personal… but it's too vague. Feelings shift. Fatigue changes them. Adrenaline, terrain, weather—everything throws them off. I can't build a consistent pattern off that. It's like trying to tune a radio with no fixed frequency.

I shake my head. Not the body. Not sensation.

Both paths lead nowhere. The first is too mechanical—too broad and messy. The second is too unstable, shaped by emotion, exhaustion, and a thousand subtle variables I can't control. If the goal is a structure that can support Resonance, I need something more stable. Repeatable. Definable.

Then… forms?

Traditional katas. Fixed sequences. Each node connected to the formal next step in a pre-defined movement chain. I could assign sub-nodes based on textbook transitions, like a diagram out of a sword manual. Blade sweeps here—body turns there—next form triggers next node.

It sounds clean.

But… I abandoned that kind of thinking a long time ago.

Real combat doesn't follow clean diagrams. It's messy. Fluid. If I build around fixed forms, the whole structure breaks down the moment I need to adapt.

So no. Forms aren't the answer either.

I let out a slow breath and lower my head, elbows resting on my knees.

What else is there?

There has to be a better way to break this down.

Unless…

What if… what if the sub-nodes represent intentions behind each strike? Not just the mechanical form, but the purpose—pressure, speed, control, delay, bait, kill.

Each blade path, each node, might resonate with a unique combination of tactical subcomponents. Not how I move, but why.

That would explain the lack of fixed rules in the manual. It's not looking for repetition, but for the development of internal logic. A structure of meaning, not just mechanics.

I close my eyes again.

Maybe I've been thinking too literally.

What if each node—the movement—connects to a chain of sub-nodes representing timing, angle, intention, pressure, and response? Things I adjust instinctively when fighting.

Not body parts. Principles.

And if I can find the right sets of those principles to bind to each movement—if I can feel the structure behind my style—then maybe I can reach Resonance. Not through guesswork. But by building a system that matches how I already fight.

I open my eyes.

It's going to take time. But perhaps… it's doable. At the very least, it's worth a try.

Let's go.

I stand up.

Should I duel with myself again?

That would be good—but I still need a clearer picture before even trying. And for that…

I connect my waves to the panel and send a short message followed by an invitation.

A couple of seconds later, Wang appears before me.

He's barefoot, dressed in simple training attire. A loose, cream-colored tunic made of light linen hangs comfortably over his frame, tied at the waist with a dark grey sash. The sleeves are three-quarter length, leaving his forearms free. His pants match the sash—straight-cut, breathable.

"Looks comfortable," I say. "So, how's it been? Lukas mentioned you all were having meetings with the squads."

"Yes, it's going well. One of my team members has actually made good progress toward the First Pillar State," he replies with a calm smile.

"Oh, which one? Mei?"

"Yes."

"Ah, I remember her. Chiara mentioned she was her best student. So what about you? I'm guessing it's even easier flying around now that your body's even more conductive."

"Indeed… though it took some time to adjust to the change."

"Anyway, I was wondering if you'd be up for a spar. I just made a breakthrough myself—bit ashamed to admit I was the last of the group to reach the First Pillar State, at least among those who tried. Got a few hints for the second and figured I'd try some things out. So… up for it?"

"You know I'm always up for a spar," Wang says, smiling. "Should we get the armor back on?"

"Yeah, we probably should."

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