Chapter 26: Aura Ability (1)

-Does host want to proceed with the tutorial for using the aura ability?-

-Yes-, -No-

The rectangular notification box appeared once again in front of Matthew's vision.

'Why did you ask for my permission again? I already asked you to do it?'

But the system didn't reply to Matthew's question at all, so Matthew decided to just answer the question,

'Yes.'

And with Matthew's confirmation, the notification box disappeared once again and was replaced by another rectangular box that also looked familiar to it, but the content couldn't be more different. As the usual notification box is usually filled with text, this rectangular box has a 2D detailed drawing of Matthew's whole body.

While Matthew cared more for functionality rather than aesthetics, his wolf head now looked quite unsettling even for himself because of the lack of fur on it, and it was also covered by reptilian skin, and it didn't make it more pleasing to the eye at all. And the rest of his chameleon body is also portrayed in the drawing.

As Matthew wanted to ask the system, what is the use of the drawing, the drawing changed. The drawing of Matthew's body then started to fade slightly and in turn, Matthew could see an orderly line throughout his body that seemed like a pathway.

Soon after the lines were etched onto the drawing, Matthew could also see that a stream was running throughout those lines, and when Matthew followed the stream's movement, he could see that they all circulated throughout Matthews's body and returned to the center of his body before going on a full cycle again.

The middle part of Matthew's body that seemed like the thing that was pumping the white stream throughout his body, looked like a glowing ball of light which also gives the stream a slight white glow.

'System, is that...aura?'

'Yes,' The system replied, 'as host can see, this is the aura pathway that was unlocked during host latest evolution, and the glowing white ball at the center of host's body works just like how a heart pumps blood throughout a human's body, while the difference is that the glowing ball of white pump aura throughout host's body.

'Does this mean that my current body is already enhanced with the aura?'

'No, since host's aura is just laying there without being manipulated at all, it's just simply there existing within host's body without having any effects until host is controlling or manipulating them.'

'How do I do it then? How do I control them?'

'System only possesses the basic guide for using the innate aura ability, so the system will now guide host through the process. But for the other aura manipulation, host is required to discover them on your own.'

'Yes, yes, I still remember what you said last time about learning them on my own, now can you please teach me already? I can't wait to learn it!'

'Does host want to proceed with the tutorial?'

'Yes please, and even if you want to ask for another hundred confirmation, the answer is still yes!' Matthew said, slightly annoyed as the system just won't start teaching him right away.

'The system will now assist host in locating and feeling the center of Host's aura by enhancing host's sensitivity. Please cooperate and try to also locate them inside host's body, and do remember that a clear mind will help host significantly in succeeding in this initial process. The next step of the tutorial will begin after host succeeds in locating and getting a feel of host's center of aura.'

And after saying that, the system's voice is gone completely from Matthew's head, but the drawing of his body and the aura pathway is still in the middle of his vision.

Using the 2D drawing as a guide, and with the system's assistance, Matthew then tried locating the white glowing orb that existed within his body.

The first thing that Matthew does to try and locate his center of aura is by thinking about it a lot in his mind and trying to feel if there are any changes to his body.

Since so far, Matthew learned how to activate or deactivate his tongue's sticky property by remembering how to do it after he accidentally did it and repeated a lot in his mind what he wanted his tongue to do along recreating the feeling of the moment when he succeeded in doing so, and the process is also the same on how he learned to control his skin color-changing properties.

But this time, Matthew didn't know what feeling he had to recreate. Matthew then looked at the 2D drawing in front of him and tried to locate the aura center according to the drawing.

But no matter how much he tried to imagine a glowing white ball in his mind, he still couldn't feel it at all inside his body. And even after trying and trying hard, he still didn't get the feeling that he is searching for.

'Where is the assistance that the system mentioned? Why didn't I feel any help was given to me besides this 2D drawing and some advice before it's completely gone from my mind!'

Matthew then looked at his surroundings first to try and change his current mood, he looked at the sun that was still hanging high up in the sky indicating that Matthew still got a long long time before night time arrived and he could practice slowly and steadily in this part of the forest without being interrupted by another creature.

Before going back to his aura practice, Matthew decided that he wanted a change of pace first, and using his Tarzan-style tree swinging, he went into the direction of the lake, to take a sip from the lake and maybe it could help refresh his tired mind. But before, Matthew started his swinging,

'System, can you minimize the 2D drawing in front of me first? I can't see quite clearly with it taking a huge chunk of my vision.'

As Matthew gave his command, the rectangular box can be seen shrinking even smaller than the minimap at the corner of his vision, and it shrinks until it is only as big as a 2 x 3 cm rectangle and it was placed under the minimap.

'Now that's better.' Matthew said as he started swinging from tree to tree going into the crocodile lake's direction.

While Matthew's swinging method wasn't as fast as a wolf's full sprint, it is still faster compared to when he has to walk on the ground using his legs.

The first thing that Matthew does when arriving at the lake is to go near the lakeside and start drinking the lake water. Although Matthew couldn't say that the lake water is cool and refreshing since the afternoon sun is anything but cool and refreshing and it's also affecting the lake water.

While living in the forest, Matthew didn't need to depend a lot on drinking from the water directly since he also got hydrated from the food that eats, particularly from their blood. But he could also drink water directly from a water source like this.

After Matthew drank the water, he got a nostalgic feeling back when he was still a human living on earth. When he was feeling slumped from practicing his guitar all day, he would go out to take a walk and drink coffee or boba, but since he didn't know if such a thing even exists in this world and water is the only thing available in the forest right now, Matthew didn't complain about it but instead is savoring the nostalgic feeling that he got from it.

After being satisfied with drinking the lake water, Matthew then goes to sit under a large tree to hide away from the sun and try to think about the problem regarding his aura ability, but now with a much more relaxed mind from before.

Matthew tried to remember what the system had said to him word by word, and he remembered one piece of advice that he didn't remember earlier, which is to clear his mind.

'But what does it mean though? To clear my mind? By not thinking about anything?'

'Weren't I supposed to locate the center of aura inside my body? How can I find it if I don't search for it?'

Matthew then tried going back in time within his mind, back to when he first started to learn how to use his tongue and how to control his skin color.

While Matthew remembers that he is able to do them, by repeating 'Please come off, please come off, please come off!' when he tried to turn off the sticky properties of his tongue when he first fought the spider and he also does the same by repeating the word 'Change to brown, change to brown, change to brown' when he first wanted to blend in with the tree trunks, Matthew wasn't really sure if repeating the words in his mind is the real reason why he succeeded doing them.

Before Matthew tried to think too hard and stress himself out, Matthew reminded himself to not pressure himself too hard and just try finding the answer slowly by approaching it from another angle and slowly try to piece all the clues together to see if there's a connection between them.

And after repeating the scene where he succeeded in learning to control his tongue and his skin color again and again in his mind, Matthew then realized something.

He realized that he succeeded in doing them not only because he repeated the words 'come off' or 'change to brown'. He succeeded because the words actually only helped him in moving his muscle memory that he had felt before when he accidentally did them.

'But what does it have to do with the aura ability? I never accidentally activate my aura ability, so how will my muscle memory remember something that never happened before?'

But after Matthew tried to remember the other piece of the puzzle, he then remembered,

'The system said that it will enhance my sensitivity, and it also said to clear my mind… Then what else am I supposed to do? I shouldn't have thought too hard and just literally clear my mind!'

As Matthew's current position is already very comfortable under a shade of a large tree and his four limbs are resting on the ground, the only thing that Matthew has to do is just relax and block his mind from any distraction and thoughts.

Even though Matthew still didn't feel any difference after clearing his mind for a while, he kept on going. After Matthew succeeded in fully getting his thoughts out of his head, Matthew finally started to feel something.

He felt something inside his body is currently flowing all over inside his body in a fixed path. And Matthew, knowing what that path may be, followed the flowing sensation all the way throughout his entire body before he finally stopped in the middle of his body. Matthew decided to stop following the path since he could now feel that it is where the source of all the flowing things came from and it is also where the end of the path leads to.

And after he stayed in the same place for some time, he could finally feel something is changing as a white glowing orb started to form slowly in his mind. And looking at the orb, it glows exactly the same as the white aura that the boars and wolves emitted back then. And as the orb formed perfectly inside his mind, Matthew could finally feel the pulsing orb was pumping something that Matthew believed was the aura.

At the same time, Matthew could finally hear the system's voice resounded again in his mind,

'Congratulations, host has successfully completed the first step of the tutorial.'