Chicken-Bound Promise

Nathan met his mother's angry gaze.

"...That explains why I'm so hungry."

Anita glared at Nathan for a moment before letting a heavy sigh slip. She rested her forehead on her hand.

"Are you fine, at least?"

"I'm a little sore, but I'm the best I've been since my regression."

Anita shook her head.

"I guess training methods of the future really are different."

She left the room. Nathan finished the rest of his water and inspected his body.

He had lost a lot of water and weight during the five days he spent absorbed in the Sky Piercer Mantra. But his arms were healed. His muscles hadn't grown, nor had he become significantly stronger. But his body had become tougher.

If Nathan had to guess, the Sky Piercer Codex didn't directly increase his body's strength like some other Mystic Arts. Instead, it focused on fortifying his body so that he could endure the Sky Piercer Force swimming around in his body like an eel trying to escape its fleshy prison.

As Nathan felt the unruly Sky Piercer Force, he understood what the Heavenly Demon talked about. It was an arrogant Mystic Art, such that even its practitioner wasn't free from its domineering will.

The Sky Piercer Force was the essence of what the Sky Piercer Codex stood for, which, according to the Heavenly Demon, was to break the sky and become free and unfettered.

To the selfish Sky Piercer Force, Nathan's body was nothing but another prison.

Nathan smiled coldly. He also started to understand why the Heavenly Demon recommended the Sky Piercer Codex to him.

Nathan's body stiffened, and he locked the Sky Piercer Force in place. Nathan had experienced battles of will that were more than who would give up first. It wasn't easy to do, especially in his current state. But after the out-of-body experience from chanting the mantra, Nathan could control his will and grab the Sky Piercer Force.

There was no way he would let a foreign force act as it pleased in his body. If he was going to cultivate it, it would obey him like his limb. It wouldn't have its own instinctive will. It would be an extension of Nathan's will.

The full might of Nathan's mind, which had followed him back from the future, bore down on the fledgling Sky Piercer Force, cowing it into submission.

The will and killing intent of someone who spent decades killing, fighting, and aiding the destruction of the world was something even the Sky Piercer Force would need some preparation to defeat.

"Phew."

Nathan let out a deep breath as the Sky Piercer Force settled deep in his heart.

"...What are you doing?"

Sillia frowned as she waited at the door to Nathan's room with a tray of fried chicken.

"Just dealing with some indigestion."

"You haven't eaten anything for days. What bullshit indigestion?"

"In advance, obviously. Did you know it can be lethal to eat after starving for an extended period? Your body lacks the necessary bacteria, acids, and proteins to break things down, and the food gets stuck in your gut, which gets all twisted. Dead. Just like that."

"So you won't need all this chicken?"

"No. I would eat my mom's chicken even if it killed me. Give it here."

Nathan could still barely stand, so he gestured for Sillia to hand it over. However, Sillia didn't move from the doorway. She made no move to hand over the chicken. Nathan tilted his head as he waited for Sillia to explain why she was being horrible to a starving man.

"Sure, I'll give you the chicken. As soon as you explain a few things."

Nathan sighed. He wasn't in the mood. He just wanted to eat.

"Okay. I'll answer any questions you have. Just gimme the chicken!"

Sillia turned to the side.

"You heard that, right?"

Anita walked out from behind the corner and nodded.

"Yep. If he breaks his promise, he won't get any more chicken under my roof."

Since Nathan looked like he wanted to protest, Anita spoke again before he could.

"You agreed to it yourself. Take responsibility."

Nathan sighed.

"Fine. I always keep my word."

Satisfied with the response, Sillia gave Nathan the tray. Nathan started eating at once.

Sillia looked at him for a moment.

"Let's begin with the simple things. What were you doing these past five days?"

"Training."

Nathan spoke in between mouthfuls and kept his answer short so he didn't have to take a break from eating.

"What kind of training involves sitting still and starving oneself like this?"

"Mfystic Achrts."

"Mystic Arts?"

Sillia somehow deciphered the unfamiliar term despite Nathan talking with his mouth full of fried chicken.

"What's that?"

Nathan held up a finger to signal that he was going to finish chewing.

"Do you want the long or the short answer?"

"Let's go with the short one."

"It's a way to train and grow stronger endlessly."

Sillia raised an eyebrow and doubtfully looked at Nathan.

"What? And endlessly? What does that even mean?"

"Think of it like working out but you train yourself, mostly with the help of a natural language, instead of relying on weights or something."

Sillia frowned.

"Will anything you say help me understand this?"

Nathan shrugged.

"I don't understand it myself, either. I'm just repeating what I've been told."

"By who?"

"The Heavenly Demon."

"Who?"

"You wouldn't know them."

"Okay. So, this Heavenly Demon character taught you Mystic Arts?"

"Yeah."

"Are you stronger then? Now that you've trained this Mystic Art for five days?"

Nathan nodded.

"Yup."

"Prove it."

Nathan looked around his room before gazing at the window. More specifically, he focused on the invisible and intangible barrier just outside it.

"Open the window for me and…" Nathan glanced at his mother before turning to Sillia.

"Does she know?"

Sillia nodded.

"I told her since I could tell you were fine with my skill. I had a feeling you didn't want to go to the hospital or get checked on by a support-type hero."

Nathan nodded.

"That's correct. You did good, Sillia. Now, make your barrier as hard as you can outside the window. Concentrate your strength there."

Sillia raised an eyebrow as she looked at Nathan. She did as he instructed.

"I haven't been slacking off these past five days, either, you know?"

"Doesn't matter."

Nathan grabbed one of the bones from his fried chicken and held it in his hand. He guided his Sky Piercer Force into the chicken bone. It started crumbling and cracking instantly, so Nathan didn't waste time. He flicked the bone toward the barrier.

By the time the chicken arrived, it was barely more than a single splinter.

Still, that splinter pierced Sillia's barrier in an instant.