Chapter 223: Advancement

The advancement potion wasn’t like he had been expecting at all.

Although to be honest, he didn’t have any expectations at all. He hadn’t been planning to use any potions or assistance tools while he advanced.

He had heard many times that some potions that helped with progression often came at the cost of long-term stagnation. For example, skill potions aided with the leveling of one’s skills. However, if one used them frequently, it was common to see a plateau of progression.

This was because it relied on external elements rather than internal comprehension, meaning at some point, one’s skill would be more advanced than the person using it knew how to handle. Effectively halting any more progress of the skill until they understood their skill more thoroughly.

Furthermore, it was a general consensus that those who relied on these types of potions were weaker than their peers. Their foundations were less established than those who didn’t.

There was also the fact that these kinds of potions affected your body and soul. Professor Youma explained to the students that these potions put a tremendous strain, not only on their bodies but also on their souls.

There were some extreme cases when people died from overusing these potions. People got addicted to them and would constantly consume them in the hopes of gaining a single level. Until they died just as how one would die from a drug overdose.

On top of all of that, Julius didn’t like the idea of taking skill potions for a more important reason.

It felt like cheating.

This advancement potion Julius thought was similar. It was only after Reinera’s explanation of the contrary that he decided to use it. Unlike most potions that accelerated one’s advancement speed, such as hastening the process of accumulating one’s mana with their body, which left impurities and foreign mana integrated into one’s body, this potion didn’t have any side effects.

It was apparently a commonly used item for wealthy people to give to their children. It was more like a natural accelerant rather than an artificial one. The zero side effects also meant it was much more expensive.

With that being said, Julius thought it would be a gradual build-up, not the immediate sensation he experienced. It was as if his soul was lighting up like a disco ball.

It was a bit overwhelming at the beginning. It felt like opening his eyes for the first after being stuck in a dark hole for days.

It wasn’t only that, but he felt a soothing blanket of calmness wash over him. He didn’t know if that was because of the potion, the room, or perhaps a combination of both. But he felt like he entered a meditative trance.

However, that same feeling he had been going through these past few weeks slowly came to the forefront.

If the divide between Tier 2 and Tier 3 had been like a fence before, now it felt more like an open door. It was as if all he needed to do was accept the welcome and walk through the threshold.

Additionally, at the same time, he couldn’t help but notice the outright terrifying amount of power he felt emanating from the other side of the door. A primal part of himself knew that the moment he entered through the door, he would have to endure whatever that followed.

There would be no coming back and there would be no re-attempt. At least for a very long time.

Stop being such a coward, he admonished himself. There is no need to be scared, Tier 3 is simply another step on my path.

He made sure that Drasil was all settled within his core, ensuring that he was also prepared for what was to come. Drasil shouldn’t experience any discomfort but he wanted to make sure he dotted all of his letters before beginning.

After he got confirmation from his resident life spirit, Julius smiled and steeled himself before taking that last step. Finally triggering his advancement.

At first, the energy surged at a steady pace throughout his core, body, and soul in equal measure. Each time, it would cycle between the three of them, ensuring that every time it did, the connection between them would strengthen.

He was combining his core, body, and soul into one single state.

It was only now that he was truly understanding what people had meant when they explained the process. Hearing about it and experiencing it were two very different things.

However, Julius quickly approached a very troublesome issue.

He was no longer able to go any further past this point. While he was slowly integrating his entire being into one, there was still were things he needed to do.

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That’s where my insight comes in, he realized.

He had been telling himself that he didn’t know his insight for a while now, but it was only now when his mind was in a complete state of calm he saw his folly.

In typical fashion, he wanted to believe that his insight would be something profound or impressive. He had enough self-awareness that he realized that he liked to surprise others with his power or impressiveness.

However, he knew that was not the case for his insight.

One’s Tier 3 insight was supposed to be something personal in nature. It was meant to be a mixture of who he was and who he wanted to be.

Previously, he had believed that he was missing something. But now that he was in this meditative trance, he realized that it was something he had already known well beforehand.

At least he subconsciously knew it. He just didn’t want to admit it because it didn’t sound particularly impressive or noble.

His path was one of power and strength. He knew that that had never been in question.