Bloodline Evolution: I Can Choose Opposing Paths-Chapter 114: Rejected by the Current

Aren and Daniel stood quietly at the edge of the lake, watching the massive column of water spiral upward into the sky.

"...Okay, that’s actually insane," Daniel said as he let out a low breath.

Aren nodded slowly, taking in the whole sight.

The natural energy here was overwhelming. Even standing at the lake’s edge, he could feel it. Dense currents of water energy flowing through the air that caused the river’s flow to reverse.

The more he thought about it, the more the phenomena of the Wildlands started to make sense.

The Reverse Waterfall dumps endless water into the sky...and that water condenses in the cold atmosphere...before shifting into a warmer place where it all comes back down.

So that’s it...that’s how the thunderstorm forms without fail.

Then he paused before thinking over the process again.

But that would only explain the rain, not the thunder...something else has to be going on.

Before he could think further, Daniel suddenly stretched his arms over his head.

"Well," the senior said casually, already stepping away from the lake, "I think I found my spot."

Aren blinked and followed his gaze. Off to the side of the clearing, beyond a thin line of trees, the forest opened into another small glade.

And right in the center of it—

Light...a perfect circle of it.

The ground itself glowed faintly, as if sunlight had been forced into a single point, bathing the surrounding trees in a gold hue. Even from where he stood, Aren could feel the pure light energy radiating from said area.

"...That doesn’t look natural," Aren said slowly.

"Natural or not," the senior replied, already walking to it, "it looks like my kind of training ground."

Aren watched the senior. The moment he got to the clearing, Daniel plopped down into a lotus position immediately.

Even from here, Aren could see the refining process. Light seemed to bend in an odd angle as it flowed into the senior’s body.

He glanced once more between the glowing clearing before turning his attention back to the towering Reverse Waterfall behind him.

It seemed Professor Sterling had been right. This place really was perfect for training.

From where he stood, the water looked unreal. Aren could see straight to the bottom—smooth stones, thin clusters of water plants, and small fish darting through the water.

"...Perfect," Aren murmured, setting down his gear and undressing his outside layers.

Without hesitation, he hopped in.

The lake embraced him instantly, cool and refreshing after the warmth of the lagoon. Ripples spread across the clear surface as he submerged halfway, water standing around his waist.

For a moment, he simply stood there.

Should I go for a swim?

His body moved before he could control it. Slowly, he let his body loose, laying flat on the water’s surface, letting himself drift.

Without thinking much about it, Aren let his eyes drift shut as he floated quietly on the lake’s surface. The sounds of the forest softened around him. As his breathing slowed, his focus naturally turned inward, slipping into the familiar awareness of his Internal Canvas.

Deep within his body, he was once again made aware of the large torrent of energy within: the Fertile Core.

Even with the dampener sealed tightly around it, the core was still alive with quiet hunger.

The moment Aren entered the lake, the surrounding water energy had began flowing into him, slipping through his body before being drawn straight to the core itself. It drank energy greedily, absorbing every trace of it like dry soil soaking up rain.

Aren observed the process calmly for a moment before a faint frown formed.

The energy wasn’t staying with him. Every bit of it disappeared into the core, slowly refilling the reserves that had been drained from his fight with the Siren.

The lake’s abundant energy was more than enough to sustain that recovery, but that was all it was doing—feeding the core. None of it remained for him to refine or cultivate for himself.

After a moment, Aren slowly opened his eyes again.

"...So even this isn’t enough."

The clear water shimmered around him as he floated there, but his gaze gradually lifted beyond the peaceful lake.

Toward the towering column of water rising into the sky. The Reverse Waterfall roared endlessly in the distance,

The moment Aren felt the pressure, he already knew. If he wanted a source strong enough to cultivate with...

That was where he needed to go.

With that thought settling in his mind, Aren slowly pushed himself upright in the lake.

The calm water that had been carrying him moments ago suddenly felt far less impressive compared to the roaring column of energy ahead.

Aren swam toward the edge of the lake and climbed out onto the smooth stones near the base of the phenomenon. Even standing a few meters away, he could feel the pressure of it.

"...Alright," he muttered.

Slowly, he stepped closer. Aren crouched slightly and extended his hand.

Mist from the waterfall clung to his skin as the roar of rushing water grew louder and louder.

Just a little...

The moment his fingers brushed the edge of the current—

WHAM!

Aren’s entire body was violently thrown backward as the current rejected him instantly. He skipped across the wet stone before splashing back into the lake several meters away.

Immediately, Daniel heard the commotion, sprinting toward Aren’s direction.

"Hey! Aren!" the senior yelled, crouching down next to the edge of the lake. "You alright?

Water erupted from the middle of the lake as Aren emerged, gasping for air.

"Yeah!" Aren coughed, wiping the water from his face. "I’m okay! Just a little incident."

"You sure?" the senior raised an eyebrow. "From what I saw, you just got launched fifty meters across the lake..."

"Yup, positive," Aren gave him a thumbs-up.

Daniel stood up, already heading back to his spot. "If you say so, Junior."

The lake was silent once more.

"...Okay," Aren muttered, tilting his head to let the last of the water out of his ears.

"This is going to take a while."