Stubborn Will

Al started moving forward as soon as Romann finished speaking. This time, everyone watched with anticipation. The chances of Al possessing exotic or extreme will were unbelievably low, but they still lingered, creating an air of pressure in the room.

However, Al remained calm. After all, he had no intention of enduring thirty-something years in the 15th Blood Ring. All he needed was the strength to protect his mom and those dear to him.

"Exotic, Extreme... it's beginning to sound like they practice their will on each other more than those nightmarish creatures," Al pondered, handing his C-stone to Romann. The latter snatched it up, his eyes filled with curiosity.

"I recognize that rhythm; it's the music the heart plays when denied the chance to express itself," Romann mused quietly. "Perhaps he's still grappling with his friend's death. Maybe I was too harsh on him..." With that thought, Romann carefully placed Al's C-stone into the machine.

For a moment, the room transformed into a scene reminiscent of an all-or-nothing craps table at a seedy casino. The rings spun and rotated while planets twirled around the Sun and Moon. Yusuf and Jin watched with wide eyes, unable to fathom that they might be the only ones possessing common will.

As the moon ascended to its zenith, the sun gradually slowed and halted on the outer left side. Exhaled sighs of relief mixed with disappointed groans filled the air.

"I see now. So, that's probably what my teacher intended when he sent me here. It's truly incredible how he can discern the backbone of our Supreme Leaf from such an early stage," Romann whispered to himself.

This time, he didn't approach the book. Instead, he smiled, shook his head, and turned to face Al. "There's no need for me to consult the book. I recognize that formation instantly. It's the very foundation of my Supreme Leaf. Our Leafs' Supreme God himself was born with such a Will. Stubborn Will is the fifth most prevalent Will in the material plane. Like any Will that manifests in the material plane, you want to cultivate it in the darkness, in the dead of night. Its source is the divine Entity IA." Al nodded, his helmet bobbing in acknowledgment, before joining the rest of the group.

They all stood patiently, awaiting their teacher's next instructions. Romann could feel the weight of their gazes and their hearts filled with anticipation.

He let out a yawn and stretched briefly before speaking again. "Alright, everyone, there's still one more task before we commence your training. I hope you've all memorized the information about your respective Wills. The next step is what most God Leafs call harvesting one's Etheric Shell. Only the Lightning-Stone Leaf and Erosion Leaf term it as manifesting one's Etheric Weapon, but you'll discover they are not as conventional as the others. Nevertheless, that's beside the point."

Romann reached into a bag he had brought and pulled out six dreamcatchers, each adorned with two distinct patterns. He separated them into two sets of three. "Alright, those of you whose Wills reside in the material plane gather on the left. And those whose Wills reside in the energy plane assemble on the right," Romann instructed, waiting for the young group to organize themselves. He couldn't help but smile and think to himself, "It's incredibly beneficial to have such a harmonious balance of Wills, just like their ratios. We might witness a legendary generation emerge in the next hundred years!"

Romann observed the two rows of three individuals lined up, his gaze on Louise in particular. "I've made my decision, Louise. You will be second in command, with Yusuf, Al, and Jin reporting directly to you. Cesar will be the team Captain, and you will report to him. Cesar and Ellie, you two will report directly to me."

Yusuf clenched his teeth, feeling a pang of disappointment. His old teacher had emphasized the importance of gaining favor over his peers, and in his eyes, this appointment felt like a significant missed opportunity.

Yusuf could no longer hold his tongue and shouted, "Why must I report to Louis? My performance was better than hers. I'm older than her. I worked as a carpenter in my village for four years. I..." Yusuf abruptly stopped himself. Normally patient and humble, his ambitions were recently challenged by the harsh reality that he lacked the talent to fulfill his dreams.

He calmed down and earnestly asked, "Forgive me for questioning you, teacher. I am ignorant. Please enlighten this student why Louis was chosen as second in command over me."

Romann stared intently at Yusuf before turning to Louis, who appeared composed on the outside but seethed with anger inside. "Listen, this applies to everyone!" Romann declared. "The leadership positions are always up for grabs. They will be replaced if Cesar or Louis fail to keep this Phantom Seed operating at 100%."

He began distributing the dreamcatchers, and Louis couldn't shake off a sense of foreboding. She glanced at Cesar to gauge his reaction, but he seemed unfazed by it all.

Romann drew symbols on everyone's hand, taking a black pen from his bag. "The next step typically takes 16-19 hours," he explained. "Depending on your Will, you will find yourself in a place devoid of light or immersed in blinding brightness. You will draw a small amount of blood without causing harm and trace the formation I've drawn on your hand onto the ground in front of you. The formation must be at least 12x12 in size. Hold the dreamcatcher I just gave you close to your chest. As you fall asleep, you will feel like you are descending into pure darkness or ascending into pure light. You will encounter what appears to be an infinite expanse of swaying vegetation. Journey as deep as you can until you can go no further; there, you will hear a voice calling out to you. That is what we call your Etheric Shell. You will immediately wake up once you find and harvest it, ending the dream. When you awaken, you should possess the physical instrument that allows you to freely manifest your Will with ease."

Al examined the symbol on his hand, recognizing it as the same formation for his Will on the machine. "Alright, that's all for now. We'll reconvene in the training fields next time, hopefully with everyone's Etheric shell harvested. You all have 24 hours. Everyone except Cesar is dismissed!" Romann announced.

The group wasted no time leaving, eager to harvest their Etheric Shell. However, Cesar abruptly called out unexpectedly sternly, "Wait! Everyone, wait for me outside." His sudden change in tone surprised the others, but Cesar quickly regained his composure, flashing a shy smile. "I just need to learn your unit numbers, that's all. Please and thank you," he requested politely. They stared at him, but no one responded.

Romann swiftly intervened. "No, all of you can go. Harvesting your Etheric Shell should be your primary focus," he clarified. Upon hearing this, the group exited, leaving Cesar and Romann alone in the room.

Romann calmly walked toward the door, but before opening it, he turned to Cesar. "I needed you to stay behind and clean this room. There's a broom and mop in the corner. Don't leave until you're done," he instructed. Then, as an afterthought, he added, "Oh, I forgot to mention to them that to smoothly move within the energy plane, the mind must be open. Conversely, to descend the material plane, it needs to be closed. Could you please inform them, so they don't spend the entire week stuck in the Ethereal realm?" With that, the boy with short white hair opened the door and left, leaving Cesar alone in the room.

Cesar stood there, feeling frustrated and bewildered. "Ah, shit! Of course, this has to be a pain in the ass." he muttered to himself.

Outside the Alchemical labs, everyone had already left, except for Al, who was patiently waiting for Cesar. Al was uncertain about Cesar's newfound leadership role and the dynamics of going through Louise to reach him.

Lost in his thoughts, Al noticed Romann exiting the building. Their eyes briefly met, and Romann smiled before walking over to Al.

"The river of fate pushes everyone toward their destiny," Romann began, conveying wisdom. "Your friend Cesar has a long journey ahead of him. The same current that brought him to this point will propel him even further. Focus on finding your path with the hand you've been dealt."

Al absorbed Romann's words. As Romann departed, Al remained by the building, waiting for Cesar, contemplating the significance of the conversation. "His Will makes him remarkably confident in his ability to read people and their intentions," Al thought to himself.

Another 40 minutes passed before Cesar hurriedly emerged from the building. His previous excitement and happiness had given way to a serious and anxious expression. However, a bewildered smile appeared on Cesar's face upon seeing Al waiting alone for him.

"Al? What the hell are you still doing here?" Cesar exclaimed, not comprehending why Al had stayed behind. Al's helmet concealed his annoyance at the question, but his voice conveyed his reaction. "You told us to remember, remember? Although you already know my number, I wanted to talk to you about our housing unit change, so I figured I'd wait for you."

Cesar closed his eyes and let out a soft smile before speaking. "Al, do you consider us friends?" Al took a deep breath, uncertain where Cesar was going with this, but he responded honestly. "I would consider anyone I can trust my life with a friend, so yeah, I say we're friends. Why?"

Cesar agreed with Al's answer, his gaze filled with warmth as he looked at him. "This short time I've known you, you've been fixated on one thing. But what if your unwavering determination to change the unchangeable causes you to miss incredible opportunities? You and I understand what it's like to have those close to us think we're insane."

Al's frustration boiled over as he grabbed his helmet and forcefully hurled it at Cesar, who smacked it away. The helmet clattered onto the floor, but Al's smile remained as he calmly addressed Cesar. "See, the helmet was bound to hit your face, yet you managed to 'Change' that. Funny how that works, right? Anyways, I'm not stupid. I know my mom can't live forever. I just... I want to ensure she's happy for the rest of her life. That's all. After that, who knows? I might join the circus, for all I care."

Of everyone, Cesar was grateful to have Al by his side. He could never fully trust someone like himself, someone without a selfless objective or a home to yearn for. Cesar gently picked up the helmet from the ground and returned it to Al. They began walking back to the Housing Units, with Cesar recounting how Romann had made him stay behind to clean the lecture room alone.

He also shared what Romann had explained about emptying the mind into darkness for those with a material plane will or drowning the mind in light for those rooted in the energy plane.

"It seems like you'll be the last one to start harvesting your Etheric Shell," Al remarked, perceptive to Romann's deliberate choice of words. "Romann is firm and meticulous with his teachings. I believe he's giving you his first test and lesson in leadership." As soon as Al said that, a familiar expression of determination and excitement appeared on Cesar's face. He responded with amusement, "I think you might be right. Anyway, what did you want to talk to me about?"

They were nearing the Housing Units' grounds, and Al continued, "I switched rooms with you because I felt tormented by something in that room whenever I tried to sleep. But after moving to your room, nothing changed. However, after everything we learned about our respective Wills, I finally realized what has truly been haunting me today."

Cesar couldn't quite grasp the full meaning behind Al's words, but he didn't care; he was happy to hear that his friend had made some breakthrough.