Sei looked up at the distorted pained expression that Yi Tan had on his face and wished she could take some of the pain away. But this was his body forging itself to become strong, and there was no way she could help. For her, taking in the souls and refining them for Yi Tan to use was a pleasurable experience. It also reinforced her own existence, making her once faded body become more solid. She was also now part of Yi Tan, so she knew everything about him. He was a young man who came from nothing and had always upheld his own idea of justice. Because of this connection, she felt much more attached to him.
Sei reached up and cupped her ghostly hand on Yi Tan's cheek as she softly whispered: "Stay strong. It will be over soon." She then curled up onto his lap, hugging him. She knew this would not help with the pain, but she hoped it would at least help him know he was not alone.
Yi Tan really never expected to ever be in so much pain. Every part of his body was as if it was being ripped apart and put back together down to the cellular level. He couldn't move or say a word. He could only grit his teeth and endure the pain. He could feel Sei hugging him. He wondered if she was doing it to try to comfort him. Either way, he could feel her concern for him.
An hour passed, and Yi Tan's body in the real world was now sitting in a pool of black filth. His pores had been thoroughly cleansed, and his sweat washed away all the black filth. But the changes to his stats showed just how much he grew with a single soul.
[Soul Power:] 0 → 0.2%
[Strength:] 5 → 7
[Stamina:] 8 → 9
Although it may not look like much, it was still a big jump for a human being.
Yi Tan opened his eyes back inside the mini world he made for Sei to see her still in his lap, hugging him. He reached up and placed his hand on her head, rubbing it gently. "I'm fine now."
"Mmm... Sorry. I should have warned you about body fortification souls. The first one you take in will always hurt the most. Mind fortification will also hurt the first time, and you may even pass out since the pain of that is reforging not only the mind but your entire nervous system. It will clear out any abnormalities as well as allow your brain and body movements to react instantly at the same time. But the biggest thing about mind fortification is that it will allow you to be more aware of your surroundings and pick up on many things." Sei raised her head and looked Yi Tan in the eye. "I'm sorry… I have no way to reduce the pain."
Yi Tan smiled and laid down on this back, causing Sei to fall with him as he put his hands behind his head. "It's fine. If it is to make me stronger, then I will deal with the pain. Although I would like to say that I was not ready for it this time around and will be able to endure next time. That kind of pain… Anyway, we still have six souls left, right?"
Sei blushed, thinking about the six other souls she still had to refine. She wished she could refine them without needing to be close to Yi Tan… She nodded her head and waved her hand, making the soul lantern fly over to her and land next to Yi Tan's head. "I am not sure which is which, so it may end up all the same."
"It's fine. But Sei, I could have sworn I heard something I probably should no…. Mupfh!"
"Forget what you heard!" Sei yelled out and covered Yi Tan's mouth. It was already embarrassing enough she did not need him bringing it up!
"Alright! I will not bring it up. But forgetting is a bit hard. " Yi Tan said shamelessly. He was still a growing boy, so hearing such things would always be imprinted into his mind!
Sei pouted and turned her head away, trying to hide the blushing red cheeks. "Are you ready for the next one?"
Yi Tan took a deep breath before nodding his head. "Yeah, ready."
While Yi Tan was about to take on another battle of endurance, Both Mei and Ana were lying on his bed staring at the ceiling. "Mei… We have only known Tan for a short time, but our feelings for him are already so strong. I do not get it." Ana bit her lip as she rolled over to face Mei.
"I think it is just because of how Tan is. A person's worth and true self will always be seen in the moment of danger. From the start, he has been good to us. He comforted us when we needed it most and protected us even at the risk of his own life. I never planned to be in a relationship. I only planned to be by your side, protecting you as you guard. But now, I wish to be by Tan's side and grow to know him more, and embrace the feelings I have blooming inside of me for him. I guess I am lucky that Miss feels the same." Mei reached out and held Ana's hand. In a world where human lives were easily extinguished, a man with multiple wives was normal. Ana was also a noble, so she was raised to understand this fact.
But no girl wished to be in a relationship with people they didn't know. As Ana and Mei had grown up together, they knew each other like the back of their own hands. "Hehe, I wonder what Tan would think if he heard us talking like this? I bet he would blush."
"That I am sure he would. When he gets back, we should go on the attack." Mei suggested. Her idea, causing her own cheeks to turn red.
"Let's just hope he can get back safe..." Ana's voice faded off as she fell asleep. Mei smiled and curled up as she prayed for the same thing.
---
"Hah! That was rough!" Yi Tan yelled out. All seven souls were body and mind fortification souls. He felt like he was going to die thousands of times over! In total, he had four mind and three body fortification souls. His current stats also went up as well.
[Name:] Yi Tan
[Age:] 14
[Sex:] Male
[Current Evolution:] Mortal
[Soul Power:] 0.2 → 1.2%
[Mana:] 10,000
[Power:] 9,999
[Strength:] 7 → 10
[Intelligence:] 6 → 10
[Stamina:] 9 → 11