Evan approached Lirian; his eyes fixed on the impressive display of skill before him.

Observing how cheerful Lirian was while performing the grim task of dismembering a beast, he found himself pondering on the hardship and adversity that Lirian must have endured to master such a difficult and laborious craft.

He didn't know what he had suffered, but he felt the need to encourage him, and make his day better.

"Wow, Lirian, I'm really impressed," Evan exclaimed, admiration clear in his voice as he watched Lirian work. "You are really good at it."

Lirian looked up, a small smile forming on his lips as he met Evan's gaze.

"Thank you, Frostbite. I've been doing this for a long time, so it's become second nature to me." he replied, continuing his task.

At the time of his induction into the military, Lirian happened to be the youngest member of the Phantom Regiment. Despite his potential, he faced an unfortunate circumstance that is all too common among young recruits who join a group of seasoned veterans. The veteran members of the Phantom Regiment, perhaps due to his youthful and tender appearance, targeted him for their bullying tendencies. This manifested itself in the form of assigning him all the low-level work, such as cleaning toilets, effectively forcing him to endure the grunt work.

Despite the abuse he faced, Lirian kept this incident a secret. He didn't complain to Evan and Magnus, the two figures he considered family, as he found it too shameful. He felt that they had already done so much for him, and he didn't want to appear as if he couldn't live without depending on them and burdening them even more. It was a tough decision, but at that time, Lirian was determined to rise above the mistreatment he faced and prove himself through his hard work and dedication.

However, as fate would have it, Lirian's time spent performing these menial tasks was not in vain. During this period, he was able to cultivate and refine a powerful skill. It was during these long hours of toiling away at the low-level tasks that he learned how to expertly dismember beasts. Though the circumstances under which he learned this skill were less than ideal, Lirian emerged from this experience with a newfound sense of purpose and an invaluable skill set. He never wanted to be looked down upon again.

Lirian's eagerness to prove himself and the skill he learned during the worst years of his life proved vital in the battles he fought. His efforts helped him earn merits and glory, which catapulted him to fame within the empire. Soon, he became more popular than any veteran of the Phantom Regiment, and those who once bullied him were deeply ashamed of their actions. It was a classic case of picking up a hammer and smashing your foot.

While Evan gifted Lirian the status of Captain of the Phantom Regiment, it was his own hard work and dedication that helped him earn the approval and respect of the soldiers.

Evan nodded, "I can tell. The way you're able to maneuver through the scales and remove them so delicately, it's really something else."

Lirian's smile widened, his heart swelling with happiness at Evan's praise. He wasn't being praised by someone who was insignificant to him. He was being praised by someone for whom he would willingly march into the depths of hell. It was a vastly different experience. He felt validated and appreciated in a way that he rarely did.

"I appreciate the compliment," he said, his voice soft and grateful. "It's not often that my work is recognized."

Everyone knew that Lirian was the fearsome Captain of the Phantom Regiment, an 18-year-old youth with endless potential, but no one had bothered to learn about how much he struggled to get to this point

Evan reached out and placed a hand on Lirian's shoulder.

"Well, you deserve it," he said. "You've worked hard to perfect this skill, and it shows."

Lirian felt touched by his sincerity and worked ever harder.

Meanwhile, Evan's mind was drawn to what he had gained recently.

As he contemplated the use of the 20 experience points that he had amassed, his mind began to race with the possibilities.

He knew that by utilizing them, he could swiftly ascend to the second level of the Soul Manifestation Realm. However, upon further reflection, he recognized that such a decision could prove disastrous in a world devoid of soul energy. Opening a soul pocket in such an environment could cause him more harm than good, for without proper nourishment, it may wilt away like a fragile flower. One needed to be in a place with an abundance of soul energy for a few hours to stabilize their soul pockets, and Planet Avalon wasn't such a place.

The skill card, however, could help him get what he urgently needed.

He immediately put it to use.

[The auxiliary-type skill card of the lowest level has been activated!]

Evan activated the card and was immediately presented with an array of options. Hundreds of cards materialized around him, yet he alone seemed to be aware of their existence.

[Please select the auxiliary soul ability that you would like to learn!]

Evan extended his hand, grabbing a card from mid-air.

[The Energy Conversation Skill has been selected]

The card that he chose was the Energy Conversation Skill, which he promptly tapped against his forehead.

No requirement was needed to learn the skill.

Thus, he learned it immediately.

[The Energy Conversation Skill has been added to your arsenal of skills]

[The energy conversation skill allows you to convert the mana in your surrounding into 100 units of soul energy. After it's used, it will be temporarily unavailable. It has a three-minute cooldown]