Chapter 26 – A Painful Step into The Unknown

Maximus sat in a meditative position for an entire day, surrounded by a sea of spirit energy. He slowly guided it through his meridians, into his body, and into the seed nested within his abdomen, where it had merged with him.

At first, the seed resisted the overwhelming pressure of pure natural energy, but the more Maximus absorbed, the more it adapted, even beginning to draw in spirit on its own, forming what looked like a small vortex.

Maximus observed in astonishment as the seed began consuming more and more energy without his input. It was as if it had tasted something irresistible and now greedily sought to devour everything around it.

What is going on? The more it absorbs, the hungrier it gets… I can’t even begin to find its limit.

As the seed increased its absorption speed, a sharp pain shot from his abdomen straight into his mind, forcing his eyes open as he clamped his mouth shut to stop himself from screaming.

As his eyes opened, the world before him fractured, like glass struck by a thrown stone.

The spirit energy was still there, as was the mana, the pure and the colored, but now, layered atop them, were multiple radiant streams of different rich hues.

The most prominent were thick, liquid-like currents of dark yellow energy flowing through the ground and cavern walls, and deep crimson streams that pulsed with warmth, seeping in from outside.

Maximus gasped inwardly as realization struck him. Numina!

The elemental energies of the world, the root of all elemental spells, and something only elemental beings, such as dragons or spirits, could wield naturally.

He understood well how elemental magic worked: one would use elemental mana, mana that had passed through numina and taken on its attributes, and then shape it through formulas to produce the desired effect.

Elemental mana was far weaker than raw numina, but through spells and structure, it still allowed mages to command the elements. And in the case of the old Aurelius, who possessed near-limitless mana reserves, he had simply overwhelmed the gap, mimicking numina itself and casting spells powerful enough to rival dragons and elemental spirits.

Mana, in its pure form, carried no attributes. It was the energy of the universe, the force of creation, and the laws that governed existence, cold, absolute, and unyielding.

Spirit energy, by contrast, was the energy of life, of nature, and the forces that made realms habitable. It was wild, warm, and inherently destructive.

And then there was numina, the elemental essence itself. The force that gave birth to spirits, that existed alongside both mana and spirit while also blending with them, granting them qualities they did not originally possess.

Numina was what gave cold mana warmth. It was what allowed the spirit to exist. Without numina, life itself would not be possible.

Maybe… Through numina, I can bind spirit and mana!

If numina can interact with both, then there must be a way to use mana with spirit… Maybe even merge all three one day. Just wielding numina itself would make me stronger than I ever was before. Though that will be quite unlikely at this point…

Another surge of pain dropped him to the ground as he clutched his abdomen.

“Max! Are you alright? What’s going on?!” Felix shouted as he heard the heavy thud.

“I will be… Just let me focus,” Maximus groaned, forcing his awareness inward despite the agony.

Inside him, the seed had swollen to nearly three times its size, pulsing violently and sending waves of energy throughout his body, each pulse a fresh spike of pain.

I need to stabilize it… I need to ground it!

An idea formed, reckless, dangerous, and entirely insane.

Maximus forced his eyes open and reached out toward the earthen numina. He had never been able to perceive it before, but through the countless tomes he had studied, he knew how those blessed by spirits interacted with such energies.

Using spirit energy like a net, he grasped the earthen flow and dragged it inward, forcing it into his seed.

The moment the numina entered, the seed doubled in size again, now as large as an egg, and then it cracked and burst open.

Maximus screamed as spirit energy erupted through his entire body in violent waves. Each surge tore through him, the pain climbing beyond anything he had ever endured.

Desperate, he tried to draw in even more numina, anything to stabilize the chaos, grasping blindly at the crimson, fire-aligned streams and pulling them into himself.

The world spun.

And then everything went black as he lost consciousness.

***

Maximus awoke, soaked through and shivering, his entire body aching and coated in a thick black, gooey residue.

“Oi, mate. You still kicking?” Oscar asked.

Maximus groaned before whispering, “I am… In one piece, thank the heavens. How are you two?”

“We’re getting better. This place is unbelievable,” Felix answered.

“Bloody hell, mate, what have you done to yourself to end up looking properly vile like that?” Oscar chuckled.

“It’s a long story,” Maximus said as he slowly pushed himself upright.

“Yeah… By the looks of things, a very dangerous one,” Felix added as Maximus closed his eyes and focused inward.

Within his abdomen, the seed still floated, but now it was as large as his thumb and had sprouted roots. Dozens of thin, crystalline tendrils spread outward, weaving into his limbs, his head, even his internal organs; some had already begun branching further, attempting to pierce into his mana channels.

This is… Incredible.

You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.

The seed was now absorbing spirit energy through the roots from the environment around him, and it even released small amounts back into his muscles in steady pulses. More than that, it was attempting to merge with his channels, as if that were the next natural step.

Maximus was about to continue observing when something else caught his attention.

Within the seed, four lights rotated slowly in a perfect circle, two bright, two dim. One burned in deep yellow, another in crimson red, while the remaining two flickered faintly in blue and grey. They emitted no energy, made no movement beyond their orbit… They simply existed.

Why is numina inside me? What the hell did I do?

A wave of unease spread through him. He knew well that humans, no, even elves and most races, could not contain elemental numina. Only elemental mana could be wielded safely. True numina altered existence at the fundamental level.

Dragons of flame became the embodiment of fire itself. Elemental spirits were not users of their element; they were the element. Even many magical beasts could not contain numina without risking unpredictable mutation or internal collapse.

So, what does this mean for me? Will this body mutate… Or simply explode? Damn it… I need to finish that elixir as soon as possible. He exhaled slowly and opened his eyes.

“So then, what’s the verdict? We’re celebrating, or is it a complete mess?” Oscar asked, leaning in with curiosity.

“A bit of both. I did get stronger… But I’ve entered unknown territory. I… Don’t know what happens next,” Maximus admitted, both to himself and to the two before him.

“A perfect chance to learn, then?” Felix said, watching him closely, already understanding how his mind worked.

“Yes… Indeed, it is. What is life, if not an opportunity to discover something worth pursuing?” Maximus replied, his mood lifting slightly.

“Women! You could always chase the ladies, mate. That’s a proper life, that is,” Oscar cut in with a grin.

Maximus burst into laughter and clapped Oscar on the shoulder. “Never change, Oscar.”

“You can count on that,” Oscar grinned back, then jerked his thumb toward the rear of the cavern. “Oi… You might want to check on your little pal over there as well.”

At the back of the cavern, Sprout had cocooned himself within a thick, viscous shell of almost liquefied spirit energy, glowing like a small, pulsing green sun.

“Sprout… Buddy. Are you alright?” Maximus asked, but no response came.