Aren took his eyes off the stats screen and turned them to the black platform. Aren walked toward the platform.
The dummy across from him had been shattered repeatedly for ten days, returning stronger, faster, and more durable each time.
The dummy used a different fighting style every time.
Its current form resembled a shining pitch-black obsidian armor. The pressure it emitted could make an ordinary person with a weak will faint on the spot. The only thing that remained unchanged was the white wooden sword in its hand.
When Aren checked his remaining time, he saw he had 1 hour left.
'I guess this will be our last fight.'
The dummy attacked with superhuman speed, leaving a black trail behind it.
Aren's hazel eyes were calm. He dodged the dummy's attack by taking a simple step to the right.
Aren appeared behind the dummy like a ghost. He gripped the white wooden sword with both hands. He channeled all his body's power into his sword.
A sound of an explosion echoed rather than a cutting sound.
With the impact of the blow, the dummy's head had exploded.
Black fragments scattered into the air like shrapnel. The headless dummy trembled for a moment, then collapsed to the ground. And this time, it did not repair itself. It had reached its limit.
Aren took a deep breath. He lowered his sword.
"It's over."
Experience gained.
CONGRATULATIONS! Level 6 > Level 12
Your Stats have been increased by 6 points.
'I leveled up 6 times this time. I wonder how my level compares to others?' he thought.
Title: None
Level: 12
Name: Aren Khan
Race: Human
Physique: Flawless Physique
Bloodline: None
Age: 26 Height: 186CM
Weight: 83KG
Vitality: 35 -> 41
Strength: 40 -> 46
Agility: 33 -> 39
Endurance: 45 -> 51
Intelligence: 21
Wisdom: 21
Soul: 110
Mana: 12
Skills: Bloodlust (Passive), Intermediate Sword Mastery (Passive), Ghost Step (Passive)
Right at that moment, a melodic voice echoed in his mind.
"Not bad. I see you've finally gotten a bit stronger."
Maintaining his calm, Aren instinctively grabbed his sword and looked around. Then he remembered that the voice was coming from inside his head, not from the outside.
It was that mysterious voice that helped him. But this time its voice was clearer, more... lively.
"You..." Aren said, speaking to the empty room.
"You woke up."
"Of course I woke up." the voice said. There was a slight tone of a yawn in its pitch.
"It was impossible to get a deep sleep because of those pitiful screams of yours."
Ignoring the playful provocation, Aren said, "Thank you for helping me. But who are you and what do you want from me?"
"So you want to get straight to the point. Very well then."
Suddenly, a smoky silhouette, intertwining gold and red colors, appeared before Aren's eyes.
The silhouette didn't fully materialize; it just remained as a sliver of light suspended in the air, but Aren could feel the weight of two pairs of eyes fixed on him from within that light.
"I am so weak that I can't even show myself. What a pity."
The golden sliver of light slowly circled around Aren, its voice taking on a more inviting tone.
"I'll be honest. My soul has been shattered. For now, I have to live like a parasite in your soul sea. I need a tremendous amount of resources and your help to rebuild my own body."
"And why would I do that?" Aren asked calmly.
The voice chuckled melodically. It would have been enough to enchant people with weak wills.
"After all, our fates intertwined the moment I entered your soul sea. Of course, I won't ask for your help for free. In fact, let's consider this a business agreement."
"I will teach you the secrets of this universe, the intricacies of mana usage. Techniques no mortal could even dream of."
"A parasite in my soul." Aren said. His voice harbored no emotion.
"You must be the reason why my Soul stat suddenly increased, then. Also, you didn't ask for my consent to enter. And now you're offering me a 'business agreement'. Agreements are based on mutual trust, don't you think?"
The sliver of light rippled slightly. The voice sounded less noble and more like a bargainer this time.
"I was in no position to ask for your consent. I was about to die, and your soul... was my only sanctuary. But remember, if it weren't for me, you wouldn't have been able to defeat that dummy."
"That's called an investment, not help." Aren retorted.
"You kept me alive because if I die, you perish too. There is no 'favor' here, only a mutual necessity for survival. That's why you have to tell me a name, a purpose, and why you chose me over anyone else. Otherwise, I will view you as nothing but an enemy until I find a way to sever you from myself."
In response to Aren's words, the sliver of light flickered slightly. An ancient, ominous voice simultaneously echoed in Aren's mind.
"Insolent! I bother explaining all this because I want to be fair and not do you an injustice. Is my existence something a foolish mortal like you can defile?"
Right after these words, a tremendous pressure crashed down on Aren. Unable to withstand the force of the pressure, Aren coughed up blood and immediately dropped to his knees.
In an arrogant voice, "Even the way you speak to me warrants your death a thousand times over. But still, I, Seraphina Aurelius, known for her justice and nobility, will not bully a weakling like you."
The pressure suddenly vanished as if it had never been there.
"If I wanted to, I could have turned you into an obedient slave. But I didn't. Instead, I'm offering an agreement from which we can mutually benefit."
Aren wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth and stood up.
For Aren, who had repeatedly come face to face with death, this was nothing. Besides, the voice hadn't attacked to harm him, only to intimidate and prove its power.
As Aren straightened his clothes after the pressure on him lifted, there wasn't a crumb of fear or anger on his face.
Seraphina's display of power just now had only caused a new data entry in his rational mind.
'This entity is not just a source of information, but also an uncontrollable threat.'
"Seraphina Aurelius." Aren said, swallowing the taste of blood.
"You speak of nobility and justice, but your methods are no different from bullying. Still, you proved you have the power to crush me."
Aren put the white wooden sword in his hand aside and took a step toward Seraphina's sliver of light.
"Let's set the terms of the agreement. You will teach me the knowledge and techniques that will allow me to survive in this system. And I will gather the resources you need to repair your soul and body. But I have one condition. You will not interfere with my mind or my will without my permission."
The sliver of light settled down for a moment, then Seraphina's voice echoed in his mind in a calmer, even slightly appreciative tone.
"You walk on that fine line between bravery and foolishness, Aren Khan. Very well. I will not touch your will."
The sliver of light suddenly shrank and glided toward Aren's chest, whispering its final words before retreating into the depths of his soul sea.
"Don't worry, you won't regret it. When I'm done with you, you will be one of the most powerful beings in the universe."
'How does she know my name?' Aren thought.
Immediately afterward, a screen appeared in front of him.
QUEST: CONSUME THE MEDICINES AND TRAIN YOUR BODY. (COMPLETED)
DESCRIPTION: According to Sword Saint Aunger, a warrior's body must be as sharp and pure as his sword. Temper your body with these resources inherited by Sword Saint Aunger's sole student and surpass your limits.
TIME LIMIT: 10 DAYS.
REWARD: PASSAGE TO THE NEXT ROOM.
PENALTY: DEATH.
He looked at the newly opened wooden door with his eyes.
"Time to go."
Aren took his first step inside.
The moment he stepped, he felt a strange sensation. As if his body was wrapped in a strange layer of mucus.
The door closed behind him. Aren was again in that familiar, circular room covered in white quartz. The walls, the ceiling, the floor...
Everything was identical to the previous rooms. The silence of the room was intense enough to evoke a feeling of going mad in a person.
However, this time, right in the center of the room, suspended in the air three meters above the ground, there was a tiny, blue, round crystal, only the size of a pinky fingernail.
It was so small that if it weren't for the light it emitted, Aren might not have even noticed it. But the blue light radiating from that tiny point was flickering on the white walls of the room, making the air heavy.
"What is this?" Aren said, frowning.
"That thing you see is pure mana, compressed to the size of a fingernail."
Aren continued to look at that tiny, flickering blue light suspended in the air.
"What is mana?" he asked.
Seraphina let out a deep, condescending sigh.
"Mana is the most fundamental, purest energy of the universe. It is the source of all creation. Every being you can think of carries more or less mana inside. The purpose of this room is quite simple. With the pressure emitting from the mana core, to awaken the mana in your cells and open your clogged meridians. Thus, you will be able to feel mana."
Aren looked at the crystal more carefully. He was no longer looking at it just as a shiny stone, but as a dangerous reactor.
"So... That means this is the reason for the mucus layer I feel on me." Aren said.
"Do I just need to stand here and wait?"
Seraphina chuckled.
"If you choose the safe route, yes. Although it may take months, you can eventually awaken some mana thanks to that pressure. But I don't think we have that much time."
Suddenly, a screen appeared in front of him.
QUEST: OPEN YOUR MERIDIANS BEFORE THE TIME RUNS OUT.
TIME LIMIT: 10 DAYS. DESCRIPTION: Using the pressure of the Mana Core, open your meridians.
REWARD: ADVANCED SWORD MASTERY, BASIC MANA ART, PASSAGE TO THE NEXT ROOM.
PENALTY: DEATH.
"It seems I must achieve this within 10 days. Again." Aren said in a calm voice.
"Then start walking, this is going to be a quite painful process." Seraphina said.
"The only thing you shouldn't forget is that as you get closer to the mana core, the pressure will increase exponentially. From what I see, it's about 100 steps to the core. Taking 10 steps a day would be sufficient for you."
Aren paused when he heard Seraphina's words.
"Ten steps a day? The nutrition pills are completely gone. If I want to increase my chances of survival in the next room, I must preserve my body's energy and finish this as soon as possible."
Chuckling melodically, Seraphina said, "Your body must get used to that pressure gradually. If you rush, your cells will tear apart, and you will die in agony. Besides, your body is full of energy left over from the vitality potion you absorbed. Let alone 10 days, you will be fine even if you don't eat for 1 month."
"I understand. Then let's do as you say." Aren said, his voice calm.
Aren sat on the floor.
"10 days." he said.
About 1 hour later, Aren stood up.
While doing stretching exercises, he said, "I feel the mucus layer on my body lifting."
Seraphina said, "You are ready to take the next step, then."
After Aren nodded, he took a step forward.
Suddenly, he felt a much denser and heavier mucus layer covering his body compared to before. His body started to itch.
Seraphina said, "It's reacting to the mana around your cells. You better prepare your mind. It will get even harder in the next steps."
"I see..." Aren said, in an emotionless voice.
DAY 2
20th Step.
That invisible mucus layer inside the room was now the consistency of jelly.
With every breath Aren took, he felt as if a thick liquid was filling his nose and clogging his throat.
The itching had given way to a slight burning sensation.
When Aren sat on the floor, his body was drenched in sweat. But the sweat that came out was not clear, but a gray, murky liquid.
"Your meridians are being cleansed." Seraphina said.