I sat cross-legged in the center of the quiet hall, my eyes closed, breathing slow and steady. My thoughts were sharp, focused only on the collar around my neck.
I called forth my skill.
"Absolute," I whispered.
Essence shifted. A strange calm spread through my mind as the skill activated. The world around me felt clearer, sharper. But I didn't use Absolute on the world. I turned it inward.
"Enhance: Focus."
A wave passed through my brain, as if a heavy fog had lifted. My thoughts became faster. Cleaner. More precise.
Immediately, I followed it up with [Psynapse Overdrive].
The effect was near-instant. My perception spiked. I could feel the vibrations in the walls, the gentle thrum of Essence in the floor, even the subtle resistance of the collar around my neck. My body sat still, but my mind moved at a speed I had never felt before.
I directed my focus to the collar.
