Chapter 27: Price For Being Conceited (2/2)
However, different from all nine pools, stood a tenth elemental pool, colourless, dormant, silent—but at this moment it trembled and golden light flickered on it. Though after that it once more went into its dormant state. Assuming its mysterious appearance.
Kadyn glanced at the ten awakened stars, and his heart pounded in eagerness and anticipation. There was only a single step left to reach the rank beyond elementary.
Should I try? He asked himself, hesitating a bit. Then, he gritted his teeth and decided to give it a try.
At worst I will just fail...
He entered his consciousness inside the fire elemental pool and peered at the ten stars. After the last star awakened, all of them showed their true nature. Right now, they burned in flames. Kadyn could even feel the heat.
Without deliberating, Kadyn covered a star with his consciousness. After that he tried to split his consciousness and felt as if he was trying to tear his soul apart.
Damn, what is this? He cursed when the pain bolted through his brain. His mouth twitched in agony.
When the searing pain burst inside his head, Kadyn felt like giving up—he regretted his rash decision. Now he realised why so many people stuck at the elementary magus for their entire life.
However he couldn't stop here or else, his confidence would receive a huge blow. He slowly brought stars closer and closer—as they neared the repulsive force in between them intensified.
Kadyn sweated, his body drenched and dripped wetly. The excruciation was terrible but still bearable—in these ten days, he went into the practice room whenever he had time, just to get tortured and to improve his willpower.
”Boom!”
When the stars connected, a huge mushroom blast formed at the centre of contact. Kadyn paled and coughed a mouthful of blood.
No matter what I won't let you go.
He bit his tongue to make himself sane and continued to push his limits—when the clouds vanished, he saw the stars had overlapped with each other. This brought great joy in his shuddering mind.
Just half left, he murmured.
He pushed both stars, making them overlap each other more and more. Finally, the two turned into one—Kadyn used his consciousness and moved to do the same thing with another star.
The pressure suddenly multiplied by ten times. No matter how conceited he was, he couldn't help but quiver. The mountainous pressure crushed on his skull.
Come on! He screamed in his head.
The two stars neared every passing second. Kadyn's face had turned red, veins throbbed on his forehead, on his neck, and on his face. His hands shivered and his body shuddered, quivering in pain and agony. He looked terrible.
”Boom!”
”Arghhhh!!!”
Before he could realise the situation, a horrible spasm burst into his head. The two stars blasted and scattered in the distance. The one which had already melded with another star, broke into two, too. Dashing in a different direction.
Kadyn laid on the ground without any energy in his body, his body convulsed continuously and his mouth frothed. It looked as his entire energy was devoured by something, leaving only a shell behind.