Sokram raised his hands, drawing wisps of Magi, Aura, and Vitha from the surrounding air.

At first, the energies moved lazily, Vitha’s emerald glow shimmering like sunlight through leaves, Aura’s crimson warmth spreading like a gentle flame, and Magi’s icy blue light crackling faintly.

Slowly, the three forces began to swirl together, chaotic and turbulent, until they stabilized into a pulsating orb of black energy shot through with veins of deep red.

The orb hummed softly, vibrating with an almost tangible power that sent shivers down the girls’ spines.

Their breath caught in unison as they stared, mesmerized by the raw potential emanating from Sokram’s palm.

“This,” Sokram said, showing the orb floating over his palm, “is Chaos Energy. It’s unpredictable, volatile, and incredibly potent. Mastering it will unlock doors you never thought possible. But remember, Chaos demands balance. Without it, it can consume you.”

Amber frowned slightly, her brow furrowing as she processed his words.

“So… it’s dangerous?” Her voice wavered, betraying a flicker of doubt.

“Yes,” Sokram replied calmly, meeting her gaze with steady confidence.

He paused briefly, letting his confirmation sink in. “But so is every step on the Path of Evolution. What matters is whether you’re willing to face the challenge.”

Savannah tilted her head thoughtfully. “And if we succeed? Will we evolve faster?”

“Not just faster,” Sokram said, his tone warming as he leaned forward slightly, emphasizing his point.

His silvery eyes gleamed with quiet excitement. “You’ll ascend beyond limits others accept as unbreakable. Amber, imagine weaving spells that bend the very fabric of reality. Savannah, picture runes capable of manipulating space and time. And Lucy…”

He turned to her, his gaze softening. “Imagine standing shoulder-to-shoulder with your mother, not just matching her strength, but surpassing it while in the same Tier.”

Lucy's cheeks flushed, but her eyes sparkled with resolve.

"I want that," she said firmly, her voice carrying a determination that was mirrored in the eyes of the other two as they nodded eagerly.

Sokram smiled, proud of their determination. "Then let's begin."

"First, I need to see the state of your Energy Cores," Sokram said, his silvery eyes shifting between Amber and Lucy. "Since the only one on Tier 4 is Savannah, you two will have an easier time achieving results than her, just because of your lower Tier."

His gaze shifted back to Savannah, who looked momentarily dejected.

"But don't worry," he added, flashing her a confident smile. "With my guidance, you won't be left behind. I promise you."

Savannah's expression softened, her worries dissipating as quickly as they had appeared.

Sokram's reassurance was enough to shoo away any lingering doubts.

"Alright, let's start with you," Sokram told Savannah, ignoring the jealous look Lucy shot him.

He patted the spot in front of him. "Sit here with your back turned to me."

Savannah hesitated for a brief moment, then moved to sit close to him.

As his warm hands rested gently on her back, her body twitched slightly at the unexpected contact.

But his soothing voice calmed her nerves. “You’ll feel my mana entering you. Don’t resist it, or it might hurt. I’m going to probe your Core. Trust me, okay?”

Savannah nodded, though uncertainty lingered in her expression.

She reminded herself of their blood contract, which protected her, and felt a wave of reassurance wash over her.

A cool sensation spread across her skin, seeping through her lungs, arteries, and finally reaching her heart, where her Energy Core resided.

Sokram’s eyes widened slightly in surprise as he discovered something unusual. Savannah had cultivated dual energy in a way he hadn’t anticipated.

Her Vital Energy and Mana were perfectly balanced, forming a Vital Energy Core nestled within her Mana Heart.

The amused smile on his face told Amber and Lucy that he was happy with what he found.

A slight rivalry began taking root in their hearts as they began to crave his approval as well.

"Good," Sokram said, withdrawing his mana from her. "I see I was mistaken. You won't fall behind. Instead, I believe you will be able to start using Chaos Energy very soon, but that will depend on your comprehension of Aura."

Next, he gestured for Lucy to take Savannah’s place.

Sokram wasn’t disappointed with Lucy or Amber either.

Despite cultivating only a single energy, Lucy's Aura Core and Amber's Mana-Heart were well-consolidated and free of flaws that might hinder the creation of a Chaos Energy Core.

Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings.

“Alright,” Sokram said, leaning back slightly. “Now that I understand where each of you should start, let me explain why my technique works.”

Once again, he formed an orb of Chaos Energy in his palm, its dark, swirling mass casting eerie shadows across his face.

“As I stated earlier, Chaos Energy empowers change on the Path of Evolution. However, without balance, this change can be detrimental because of how volatile this energy is.”

Seeing that he had their full attention, he continued.

“Take the Goblins in our galaxy, for example,” his voice taking on a somber tone.

“Once, they stood among the mighty races of the Brutus lineage: Giants, Titans, Orcs, Ogres, Nagas, and Medusae.

The goblins were once a real fruit of evolution, a perfect hybrid race, carrying the gifts from both the Primordial Gnomes and the Primordial Ogres, destined for greatness. But greed consumed them.

Driven by an insatiable hunger for power, they sought Chaos recklessly, attempting to absorb its energy directly from external sources.

It was like trying to drink from a raging river without a vessel; the chaotic energy flooded their minds, corrupting their bodies and minds while reducing their cognitive abilities to nothing more than primal instincts.

What remained were savages driven solely by lust and hunger, nothing but shadows of a race that was once Nhiria's pride.”

Savannah raised her hand tentatively. After Sokram nodded for her to proceed, she asked, “And how is the method in your technique different?”

“Simple,” Sokram answered, flashing his trademark confident grin.

“Instead of absorbing Chaos Energy from the outside, you’ll create it inside yourselves. As I mentioned before, Magi, Aura, and Vitha are fragments of Chaos Energy, just as Magi and Aura are fragments of Spirit Magic. To achieve success, however, you must maintain perfect balance among the three energies within yourselves.”

Amber raised her hand next. “So, does that mean we’ll have to cultivate all three energies simultaneously? Isn’t that dangerous?”

Sokram nodded solemnly. “Yes, it’s quite risky.”

Seeing their eyes widen, he added with a wink, “But only if you don’t know how. Fortunately for you, I do. So you’re safe.”

“The first step in our training will involve balancing the three energies and forming two cores inside your mana-hearts, which will become anchors. The outer layer will be your physical heart, which you will fuse with your Mana Heart, making them into one, while the Vital Core and Spirit Core will share their inner space. This would pose a significant risk if you were above the Reformed Existence stage, as a humanoid’s heart only has so much space. But since you’re still at the Common Existence level, I doubt you’ll even notice changes in your blood flow.”

Sokram summoned a few scrolls from his glove and handed them out.

To Savannah, he gave a scroll containing an Aura cultivation technique.

To Amber, he provided techniques for Vitha and Aura.

And to Lucy, he gave methods for cultivating Magi and Vitha.

For a while, he guided their cultivation step by step.

Once again, he was impressed by Amber’s learning speed; it took her only a couple of circulations to memorize the paths the energies needed to follow in her body.

Savannah, focusing on a single energy, found it relatively easy as well. Lucy struggled a bit more, but Sokram’s mastery and ancient wisdom allowed him to help her overcome her limitations in ways that bolstered her confidence.

After they had committed the techniques to memory, Sokram delved into the theoretical knowledge they needed to grasp before attempting to change classes.

He began teaching Savannah what she needed to know about Runic Magic, Rituals, Incriptions, and Symbols, ensuring she understood the intricacies involved.

The biggest hurdle was Lucy’s struggle with Magi.

Ferals had an innate aversion to understanding their logical nature, which stemmed from two factors affecting how their brains processed information.

Their super-sensitive sense of smell and hearing forced many of their cognitive abilities to become subconscious and tied to their Feral Instincts.

This made their thinking and rationalization far more emotion-driven than logic-based, a stark contrast to the cold calculations required for Magi.

Because of this, Ferals often relied on instincts rather than logic, especially when fighting, making it difficult for them to use magic cognition effectively.

Emotions and logic operated as polar opposites in the realm of Magi. However, Aura, being more connected to emotions and spirit, resonated better with Ferals, explaining their greater affinity for it.

But Sokram knew of ways to guide Magi through feelings instead of pure logic; Runic Magic was just one of them, as intent was much more emotional than logical.

Moreover, Magi depended not only on calculation but also on imagination, which could bridge the gap between logic and emotion.

When fused with Aura, Magi could be wielded through strong emotions rather than cold reasoning.

Guiding Lucy to grasp this concept wasn’t easy. But she managed to take a few crucial steps forward in grasping the complexity of the subject, which only accentuated her talent, leaving Sokram even more impressed.

After the theoretical introduction, Sokram reinforced the cultivation techniques, ensuring they had memorized them correctly.

They would need to gather energy constantly, even when he wasn’t around, and the last thing he wanted was for them to injure themselves.

Fortunately, the three of them didn’t disappoint him.

Each had memorized the techniques flawlessly, and it was clear it wouldn’t take long before they were ready to form their Chaos Energy Cores.

Amber marveled at how much easier it was to learn under Sokram’s guidance compared to studying alone.

Savannah and Lucy shared similar sentiments; despite receiving ample instruction from their elders, Sokram’s teaching felt uniquely accessible, as if he could break down complex concepts into digestible pieces tailored specifically for them.

Their study session came to an end as the starry northern sky stretched endlessly above, its countless twinkling lights reflecting off the snow-covered grass in Sokram's backyard.

The faint glow of nearby lamps cast a soft, golden light over the scene, their warm hues contrasting with the cool, silvery tones of the moonlight. The air was crisp and still as Sokram instructed them to stop meditating and head home to rest.

Before sending them off, he lent them books from his personal collection and assigned them reading homework.

He also taught Savannah and Amber a reading spell, one he had developed during his previous timeline for his many disciples along the way.

The spell was simple yet effective, and he knew Nhiria wouldn’t bat an eye at such a trivial creation.

After they left, Margiory arrived, and Sokram sat with her and the rest of his family to share more details about his plan for the barbecue the next day.

Both Margiory and Hannah were impressed and readily offered their support.

Hilda and Miralyn, however, couldn’t help but feel a bit left out, as most of the plan didn’t involve them.

Sensing their disappointment, Sokram reassured them that there would be plenty of things he would need their help with in the future.

Hearing this, Astrid's eyes lit up. “Even me?”

Sokram nodded confidently. “Of course. I might need your help very soon, especially if Mr. Figos' business continues to grow.”

Hilda and Miralyn pressed for more details, but Sokram merely smiled and excused himself, saying that only once things unfolded would he be certain of their roles.

After speaking with his family, Sokram spent the rest of the night cultivating in deep meditation.

The cold night air of the north wrapped around him like a blanket, yet his focus was so deep that he didn’t feel it.

The stars above seemed to shine brighter, their light filtering through the trees and casting faint, shifting patterns on the ground.

His family gave him space, their quiet presence a comforting reminder of the support he had.

By morning, he had already advanced halfway into Tier 2, the energy within him humming with newfound strength.

It would only be a matter of days before he reached it fully, and the thought filled him with a quiet sense of anticipation.