Rivers of the Night

The memory flooded into Theron's mind as he clutched at his chest, sinking into the slab once again.

He had always gone running with his father not because it was something he enjoyed, but because it was something his father did. He had also only pushed himself because his father had asked it of him.

Thinking back now, it was thanks to those sessions that even without cultivation, he had managed to survive in the guild's trials. Though his intelligence and decisiveness had played a huge role, if he hadn't had the physical fitness, it wouldn't have meant a single thing.

Part of him felt that maybe his father knew it would come in handy one day. Maybe it was a man's role to prepare for the worst and be able to take on whatever challenges came with that.

Without him knowing, his father had always been preparing him even when Theron treated him like someone to appease.

Theron clenched at his heart even harder, his nails scraping against the inner armor and nearly chipping them in painful, weaving cracks.

That was the last sensation he felt before he was back in that sea of crimson, his body hovering in a limbo.

He felt a pressure from the world around his feet almost instantly. His mind felt foggy, his power waning. It was difficult even to focus properly.

And yet, there was a sharpness in his eyes that was only radiating all the more.

One Law after another began to wrap around him. This time, he didn't pull on the Law of Reflection. He didn't know what activated the plaque exactly, and he didn't have the time to figure it out.

In the outside world, there was no telling when another problem would arise that he would have to deal with. He wasn't in a position where he could wait for himself to recover, and he also couldn't afford any more mishaps.

This time… this time he would succeed.

Whatever success meant, he didn't know. What he did know, however, was that this was his only chance, and he had no intention of giving it up.

This life, until he got his revenge, he had to control to the best of his abilities. There was no one who would stop him, not even his own weakness.

Theron entered a state of unprecedented poise. Without even realizing it, he had slipped into Veinsong.

The blood thrummed in realization, but Theron was so focused on layering one Law after another around him that he missed the change. The thrumming sounds in his ears almost sounded like his own heartbeat, something he had heard a million times before. It was just that, in this case…

This wasn't his real body at all, so where was the heartbeat coming from?

In an instant, the three Laws had taken shape, wrapping around one another, forming a link and a relationship as they formed an armor around Theron.

SHUU.

Theron dropped down to his ankles in the blood lake. This was a tie with the furthest he had made it, but this time, it wasn't with the Law of Reflection at all.

The realization made Theron understand that it wasn't just about the Laws themselves. No, this was the second time that something similar had happened.

During his second attempt, he had pulled on the Law of Concentration, but he quickly sped by it because he was in a rush to add more Laws. However, because of that, the benefit was much weaker than the others had been.

This place wasn't just about stacking one Law after another, it was about doing it well.

Raan had proven that two people utilizing the same Law could bring out vastly different results with them. Unless you could grasp the intricacies of a Law, you would never be able to tap into that full scope of power.

The sharpness in Theron's eyes only grew. He didn't focus on sinking further anymore, not trying to find himself a path to crushing the blood around him, but rather instead trying to resonate with it.

Obviously, this was a world that relied on finesse rather than raw power.

But how? What really divided one's control of a Law?

Theron had spent so long learning how to control Water Mana, but he didn't know how to translate that to a Law…

Now that Theron thought about it, he never really considered how to use a Law with his Water Mana. He kind of applied it like a skin, using it to force his Water Mana to do things it wouldn't normally be able to do easily.

He prided himself in understanding things down to their smallest, most insignificant details. But did he understand Laws in the same way?

When he thought back even further, he realized why that was.

His first Law, the Law of Density, had been etched right onto his Core. Because of that, he didn't need to think when he activated it. It just made his Water heavier and denser, so he didn't really think twice.

But… was it natural for a Law to be etched into you like that?

He thought he was normal. But was anything about him normal?

He had noticed when he fought Raan just how much the latter struggled to use Laws, and near the end, when Raan went all out, he felt the latter fatiguing.

Theron's first instinct was to think that this was because his Third Eye was just so much stronger. But was that the case?

Or was it that his body made using Laws far easier because their secrets were etched right into his Core?

And if that was the case, then was he taking for granted something he should have studied with far more intricacy already?

Then… if he took things one step further…

Theron sank even further into Veinsong, his soul thrumming with life as his Silver Core came to life in ways it never had before.

Mana Control…

These Laws… they were just an extension of them…

And if he stopped treating it like a button to press and instead another tool to wield expertly…

It changed everything.

Theron sank further into the blood lake.