Chapter 67: The Beginning Of Riki Cultivation

Arthur, Rexi, and Alexis stood in front of their Riki instructor, Mr. Veyron, all three of them standing at ease with their hands folded behind their backs.

The old man stood several feet before them, his mechanical limbs completely still as his artificial eyes passed over each cadet.

"Today," he began, his voice carrying through the training hall, "we will officially begin your Riki training."

Mr. Veyron slowly raised one hand.

For a moment, nothing happened.

Then a faint bluish mist began to rise from his palm.

It curled around his fingers like smoke, trailing upward in thin, twisting strands before gradually becoming thinner and disappearing completely a short distance above his hand.

Arthur’s eyes narrowed slightly.

He could feel something in the air.

It wasn’t heat. It wasn’t electricity.

It was something far stranger.

Something that seemed to press against his senses without actually touching his body... Like he could feel it without actually making contact with it.

"This," Mr. Veyron said, closing his hand and allowing the blue energy to vanish, "is Riki."

He lowered his arm.

"Riki is a form of energy produced and manipulated by the mind. Unlike Chi, which primarily strengthens the physical body, Riki strengthens the very thing controlling that body."

His gaze moved from Arthur to Rexi, then Alexis.

"Your perception. Your thoughts. Your memory. Your ability to process information. Your mental resistance."

He raised four fingers.

"There are four fundamental types of Riki."

He lifted his first finger.

"Sensory Riki."

A faint blue glow appeared around his eyes.

"This type enhances the senses and the brain’s ability to interpret sensory information. Sight, hearing, touch, smell, spatial awareness, and reaction to external stimuli. At higher levels, a skilled user can perceive details that ordinary humans and iron angels would completely miss."

His second finger rose.

"Cognitive Riki."

The blue energy around his eyes disappeared, replaced by a thin layer of energy around his head.

"Cognitive Riki increases the speed and efficiency of thought. Calculation. Reasoning. Pattern recognition. Decision-making. The more powerful the Riki Handler, the more information their mind can process without becoming overwhelmed."

Arthur’s expression became slightly more serious.

...So it’s essentially increasing the processing power of the brain, basically making things like neural implants unnecessary for Riki handlers...

Arthur couldn’t help but feel relieved that he didn’t waste his points getting one in the end. He would have been so saddened coming to learn this right after.

Mr. Veyron raised a third finger.

"Memory Riki."

The blue energy flickered around his temple.

"This governs the mind’s ability to retain, organize, and retrieve information. A trained user can perfectly memorize vast quantities of information and recall it with extraordinary accuracy."

Finally, he raised his fourth finger.

"Will Riki."

The blue energy vanished.

Mr. Veyron simply stared at the three cadets.

"This is the most difficult type to master."

His voice became heavier.

"Will Riki strengthens the mind’s ability to endure pressure, resist mental interference, maintain concentration, and continue functioning when the body is exhausted and the mind is approaching its limits... In rare cases, even force your will on others."

He lowered his hand.

"These four types are not independent."

Mr. Veyron took a slow step toward them.

"They overlap. They support one another. A mind that can perceive information but cannot process it is useless. A mind that can process information but cannot remember it is inefficient. A mind with perfect memory but insufficient willpower will eventually break under pressure."

He stopped.

"And a mind with tremendous will but poor perception will simply endure its own mistakes."

Rexi’s eyebrows lifted slightly.

"So we need all four?"

Mr. Veyron looked at her.

"No."

Rexi blinked.

"You need all four to become complete Riki Handlers."

He folded his hands behind his back.

"But mastery is another matter entirely."

His artificial eyes gleamed faintly.

"Every person has a natural affinity toward one type of Riki. Your training will reveal which one."

Arthur remained silent.

Mr. Veyron’s gaze settled on him.

"And before you ask, no. Having a natural affinity does not mean you are limited to that type."

He turned away from them.

"It simply means that your mind will develop along that path more easily than the others."

The old man began walking toward the center of the training hall.

"Your first lesson is simple."

Mr. Veyron turned to face them again and raised one hand.

"I will place my hand against your temples and inject a small flow of Riki directly into your minds," he explained. "Your task is simple. Feel the flow."

He paused, letting his words settle.

"Do not try to force it away. Do not resist it. And most importantly, do not panic when you feel something foreign moving through your mind."

His artificial eyes moved across the three cadets.

"Once you can sense the flow clearly, you must attempt to take control of it. Guide it with your mind and make it respond to your will."

He lowered his hand slightly.

"The moment you succeed, you will have taken your first step into Riki cultivation. From there, you can begin properly developing your Riki and strengthening your mind."

Arthur, Rexi, and Alexis exchanged brief glances before turning their attention back to the instructor.

The three young men nodded.

"Yes, sir."

Mr. Veyron stepped toward Arthur, his mechanical legs making a faint metallic sound against the floor with each step.

Arthur straightened slightly as the old instructor stopped in front of him.

Veyron raised his hand and placed his palm against Arthur’s temple.

"Ready?"

Arthur nodded once.

"Yes, sir."

The moment Arthur answered, a faint bluish energy flowed from Veyron’s hand and entered his skull.

Arthur’s eyes widened.

He immediately noticed the difference.

It was strangely relaxing, almost like a cool breeze brushing against the inside of his skull. But unlike an ordinary sensation, it wasn’t coming from outside his body. It was moving through the inside.

Arthur remained completely still.

...So this is the flow of Riki.

He closed his eyes and focused.

He didn’t need Veyron to explain it again.

He simply observed it.

The flow had a certain rhythm to it.

It entered from Veyron’s hand, circulated through the insides of his skull, and gradually returned toward the point where it had entered.

Arthur followed the movement for several seconds.

Then he reached out with his consciousness.

The moment his awareness touched the flow, the Riki responded.

Arthur guided it.

The bluish energy immediately changed direction.

His eyes opened slightly.

...That was surprisingly easy.