A small rock rested on the ground, and a second later, it was flipped, an indiscernible green aura around it unless one look closer.

Cecil sighed, she has been flipping this same rock a dozen times, but she still couldn't find a way to toss or throw it. Everytime she tried it, it only rolls to the direction she commands to, and nothing else.

She continued with the flipping motion of her hand, watching the rock, pouting. She flicked her hand to the left once more, and it only rolled for her again.

Cecil lost her patience and she gritted her teeth, feeling something surging within her. She swung her hand aside in frustration, and to her surprise, the rock actually flew instead of rolling.

Despite it being only a second, it still flew.

"Wh...what? It...it flew?"

Her eyes landed on the tiny rock a metre away from her, there was still the tiny black dot from Kai's handiwork.

"It flew!" Cecil threw her hands up in the air, her smile bright. "How--how did I do it? Is it to do with feelings? Energy? Spiritual--"

"..."

"...oh right."

"..."

"...that's how I did it."

Cecil smacked her palm against her forehead. Even after reading the novel thrice, she still forgot some information since there was too much to recall for a novel of three thousand chapters.

The elemental energy in an individual's body worked like a dam. There was a threshold for every section, and after which, the individual is required to "open" the dam, like a gate.

Cecil hadn't even opened the first one, thus, she was only receiving a minimal amount. An amount enough to flip the rock and nothing more.

Until just now, where she forcefully pushed open the gates just for a nanosecond. The energy that leaked in was enough for her to toss the rock like she wanted.

Her eyes twinkled, she was ecstatic at the thought to open her first gate.

This isn't time to lament about the time I've lost. I have to open the gates!

For the sake of my great lord protagonist!

Cecil was jumping with joy on the inside, until another thought struck her.

Wait.

How do I open the gates?

It was probably forcefully opened just now, and that is definitely not the correct way.

Cecil instantly deflated.

Once again, that was not explained in the novel. Moreover, since it was the skill of the mind, it was even harder for Cecil to guess at the logic, even if she viewed it from the author's perspective.

"It seems like you understand the theory of elemental energy now, but you have no idea how to open it, don't you?" Kai stated, approaching Cecil.

Cecil was startled at his presence.

"You are here, again?"

"Because of you, Cecil." Kai admitted with his cute toothy grin.

Cecil coughed awkwardly, not responding to those words.

"The way you cheered to yourself was really cute." Kai added, and this was another blow to Cecil.

Kai, my dear protagonist!

Please say these words to Hana, and flirt with her in this manner. Not me!

Cecil cleared her throat, not looking at Kai. Seeing that she wasn't responding at all, Kai could do nothing and switched topics.

"I was wondering if you would be able to figure out the theory on your own, and you really did. It's impressive, and if you even unlocked the gates yourself, you might be a genius."

"You think too highly of me." Cecil stated, giving Kai a blank stare.

I am cheating, Kai, I hold the spoilers to the entire world in this novel.

I am not someone impressive...

Kai sat beside her, wearing his school outfit like always, he chuckled at Cecil's humble words. "I can teach you how to open the gates, if you would like me to."

"Please do so, if you wish to." Cecil answered almost immediately.

"Meditate, just like before and this time, withdraw and explore. What comes next, I'm sure you'll figure it out."

Cecil nodded, wanting to adjust her position to a meditating posture when Kai stopped her.

"You don't actually need use the posture enter that state. You just need to pull yourself into your mind."

Oh, that's right.

Xue was once like that, until he learned that he no longer needed to sit down and meditate to enter his own inner realm.

Cecil nodded in understanding, closing her eyes and she easily pulled herself into her own inner realm.

She was back in the same kneeling posture, her palm.

[ Congratulations, this is the second plothole of the story! It is a necessary plothole to fix!
Optional mission #2 : A proper explanation to the theory and process behind the elemental energy gates.
Objective : Learn how to open your first gate.
Reward : 15 points
There is no consequence of failing this optional mission. ]

"AI500, can you tell me how many plotholes are there in this story?"

[ There is no approximate amount of plotholes in this story. Our system has given up counting them. ]

Cecil laughed, it felt rather nice that the system was the one frustrated now. She was getting tired by their "trolling" again and again.

"The story trolls you too, good! Very good! How does it feels like to be trolled now?"

[ You are petty, Cecil Lan. ]

"Who says I can't be petty?"

Cecil retorted and the AI only answered with three dots, keeping quiet.

Cecil turned her attention back to her palm. Kai advised her to withdraw and explore, and she knew those were the two key points she had to learn today.

She had to withdraw but maintain the flow of her energy.

If she applied the logic of this world, from the author's perspective. It would be to keep the connection between her palm to the ground.

Just like how she transferred her energy to the rock to control it.

Cecil closes her eyes, forming an image in her mind of the connection between her and the earth around her.

A moment later, she withdrew.

Nothing changed, her energy stopped flowing.

I'll try again.

She tried once again, repeating the same steps.

Yet again, the energy stopped flowing.

I'll try again!

Once more, she did so and this time, there was a slight change.

The energy still flowed when her palm and was off the ground by half a centimetre. The moment she moved further away, it stopped.

It seems like I have to keep trying again and again, until I can get to the desired distance.

***

Cecil panted heavily, beads of sweat had already formed on her forehead, her hands on her knees. Some of them were even sliding down her face, staining her clothes.

She had managed to maintain a distance to explore, but she couldn't feel or see any irregularities within her inner realm.

The distance from the point of her palm, that has been marked with the earth insignia, was sixty steps away.

Cecil panted, taking a step forward and she could feel the strain on her body. It felt like a force was pressing down on her shoulders, and she was dragging her legs through thick mud.

It's so hard to move, and to even turn my body.

It feels like I've been at it for hours and hours.

I feel like collapsing.

"Sixty-one."

The connection still continued, her energy was still flowing.

Cecil managed a tired smile, this was her fifth time trying to reach this step.

"Sixty-two."

Still there.

"Sixty-three."

It was still there.

"Sixty-four, sixty-five."

She felt the connection trembling, the strain on her body becoming intense.

Maintain it, maintain it, maintain it, maintain it.

The connection was balanced now, she could clearly feel it and she took another step.

Thwack!

The sound of something breaking resounded within the depths of her mind.

Cecil was on the verge of crying as she trudged back to the beginning.

***

"Sev...en...ty." Cecil groaned out, her back drenched with sweat by now.

She still felt or saw no signs of irregularities, her hope dissipating.

She wanted to collapse onto the ground, her eyelids felt heavy, her legs were trembling and her shoulders felt immensely heavy.

There were dried tear stains present on Cecil's face, and she was too exhausted to even lift her hand up to wipe at her sticky face.

There's nothing here...even at the seventieth step. How long more...do I have to go on for...

Is this how the protagonist felt like, passing through the first gate?

The author only stated he was in this meditative state for three hours before he passed through the first gate.

...but Xue is gifted innately, I am sure that's how long I took to enter this realm.

Cecil instinctively took another step forward and she collided against an invisible wall. She gasped in alarm, and like a flame that has been reignited, the hope surged through her and she felt her fatigue disappear.

The irregularity!

I found it!

She paced around the entire space. All across the area, the seventieth step was the limit. She could go no further, it seemed like she was stuck in a box.

This must be the threshold!

The gates have to be here, and all I have to do is open it!

Cecil brightened up significantly, wiping at her sticky face. Her hair was already messy, sticking to her face as well, and she had fallen down a few times, but since it wasn't actually dirt in this realm, she still remained clean.

She began frantically pushing everywhere, but alas, there was no sign of a gate or door.

Cecil shook her head, she knew it wasn't so simple. She drew earth symbol on her right palm, pressing it against the wall, pushing against it.

This time, she wasn't frantically pushing, she took her time, composing herself. Being in this realm of black and white, filled with green lines, has made her sick and tired.

She missed the sight of the original world.

She was eager to return, but she had to open the first gate.

She needed to.

How about here?

Suddenly, the symbol from her palm grew brighter and the wall before her was highlighted by green lines.

A large earth symbol hovered in the air, and the green lines formed an image of an enclosed room. Within the enclosed room, there was a single line cutting through the where the symbol was hovering at.

The door!

Cecil gritted her teeth, pushing it open with a grunt.

The enclosed room instantly collapsed and disappeared without a trace. The black and white world with green lines was gone.

Now, it was a white world and the green lines replaced the black lines, carving out her environment. The green lines that stretched out across the ground and towards the horizon had vanished as well.

Cecil panted laboriously, awed by the different sight. It was still the same clearing she was in, but it was completely different at the same time.

She collapsed to the ground, motionless.

***

[ Optional mission #2 : A proper explanation to the theory and process behind the elemental energy gates.
Objective completed!
Reward : 15 points.
Reminder, your total points is now 50 points. ]

Cecil felt her body being jerked about, and there was the distinct feeling of a pair of strong arms around her, carrying her. The wind was also swept past her face, and her hair tickled at her forehead and cheeks.

Cecil opened her eyes, and they felt awfully heavy as she saw the notification. It closed by itself after a second, and Cecil finally had a clear vision, but it was a complete blur.

It reminded her the first time she had rode a motorcycle.

"Where am...I...?" Cecil struggled out, her voice hoarse, noticing how her throat was really dry.

"Cecil? You are finally awake?" Kai's familiar husky voice sounded above her.

Cecil then realised Kai was carrying her in his arms, dashing through the deserted town.

It was already dark.

Cecil gasped awake, glancing around and noticing it was night time. Being carried princess style in Kai's arms was the least of her worries now.

Kai slowed down considerably, concern apparent on his face as he observed Cecil.

"You fainted, but that is expected. The first gate is always the hardest to open, and fainting is common."

"How long has passed since then?"

"Ten hours."

Cecil widened her eyes in horror. "My parents...they are going to faint too."

"That is why I'm carrying you back to your mansion, don't worry."

Hearing that, Cecil wanted to faint again.

Hana was at the mansion, and Xue was no doubt there too, to spend time with Hana.

She could just imagine an imminent disaster.

"We are almost there."

"Ye-yes, I can see that."

Kai picked up his pace again, and Cecil unconsciously clutched onto his collar.

Fortunately, it has been three hours after dinnertime. Xue should not be in the mansion anymore, and Hana should have went back to her own mansion.

At least, that was what Cecil hoped.

She recognised the road Kai was running at, and it was definitely near the mansion.

It's not time for them to meet yet.

Hana and Xue, they definitely cannot see Kai right now.

If not, the plot would be thrown into a complete mess.

Cecil clutched on tighter.

Kai noticed her face growing even paler, becoming more concerned for her. "Cecil? Are you okay?"

They can't meet.

Definitely not now.

"I'm fine." Cecil bit on her lower lip as her mansion came into view.

***

《 start 》

Cecil finally opened her first gate.

The more I see her, and the more I spend time with her, the more fascinated I am about her.

She is the first woman I've seen that willingly drank Widerlich without attending any school.

She is also the first woman I've seen that is so passionate about training her elemental energy.

I only wanted her to be my girlfriend because she was interesting.

...but it feels more than that now.

《 stop 》