After witnessing the images of thousands of people who had been harmed, his mind fell into silence. Not a single thought lingered in his head. It was as if the pain had never existed, but then...
"Good, that was the first step," Thalos remarked, gathering the same energy in his hand as he had done before. The only difference now was that the energy resided in both of his hands. Thalos placed both hands on Amon, and it seemed as if the dark energy was on the verge of devouring him. Amon found himself trapped in a black sphere, experiencing excruciating pain. His body instinctively absorbed the energy through his skin, feeling it course through his entire being. The pain was akin to his body burning from within. The energy flowed through every single one of his qi points, ultimately concentrating on the qi point near his solar plexus—the very point he had created to open the gate.
As the energy fused with the qi point, the agony intensified to the point where Amon wanted to scream. Blood began to flow from his mouth, eyes, and ears, presenting a gruesome sight. Soon, his entire face was drenched in his own blood. Even the feeling of the blood on his face was painful, as if it were melting away his skin.
"We are done, well, not exactly, but this was the second step," Thalos spoke in a neutral tone, seemingly oblivious to the fact that Amon's face was covered in blood. Nonetheless, he was proud of Amon's resilience, as he had not uttered a single scream. Thalos was pleased with the outcome.
"The tattoo will now take shape. It will take a month for it to emerge. But let me tell you that the pain you have just felt will seem bearable compared to what you will feel all month, especially at night."
Amon had been forewarned by Thalos that the training would be excruciatingly painful, but he hadn't anticipated it. He wondered why Thalos mentioned the nights being a literal hell, but soon discovered the reason. Whenever the tattoo continued forming, Amon experienced the same level of pain as during the so-called "second step." The pain struck at random times without any discernible pattern, interrupting even the most mundane activities like taking a shit, eating, or sleeping. Amon had been getting minimal sleep, as the pain would awaken him, and sleeping became impossible once the pain set in. The pain persisted for about one to two hours before abruptly vanishing.
Every time the pain resurfaced, Amon coughed up blood, despising every moment of it. Yet he knew he had to endure it; otherwise, he would remain weak, and that was his greatest fear.
It was currently 3 pm, and the pain had returned. Blood flowed from Amon's eyes and nose, adding to the already unbearable feeling. He had developed prominent eye bags and showed clear signs of exhaustion. Despite his fatigue, sleep eluded him due to the pain. Amon loathed every second of it, wishing for the last month of training with Thalos to pass quickly. However, only two weeks had gone by. He was tormented by excruciating pain and barely managed to get the bare minimum of sleep necessary to avoid death. Nevertheless, with each passing day, he drew closer to the day when the pain would subside.
Initially, Amon felt a pang of sadness, thinking he would likely never see Thalos again. But at that moment, he didn't care; he simply wanted the torment to end. A part of him longed to cry out in pain again, but he was forbidden from doing so by Thalos. Thalos had prohibited him from screaming due to the significance of qi. The stronger Amon became, the more the tattoo would manifest on his back, and refraining from screaming would test his worthiness to receive this power. Any screams would be met with diminished power. Amon was still uncertain about the nature of this power, but he knew that he desired to unlock its full potential.
And so the month continued, with the final day finally arriving.
"You made it, boy. You've achieved your goal of obtaining the tattoo, and on top of that, you never screamed even once," Thalos exclaimed, wearing a unique expression that suggested pride and mastery. Over the course of that year, Thalos had developed a fondness for Amon.
"Now, let's proceed to the final step—the step you've been eagerly awaiting: the assessment of your tattoo." As Thalos uttered those words, a wide smile formed on Amon's face. He had endured countless hellish torments for this very moment, shedding so much blood that he questioned why he hadn't bled to death long ago.
Amon removed his blue shirt, identical to the one Thalos had given him at the beginning of his training. He approached one of the ice crystals and caught sight of his tattoo—two wings on his back. The right wing resembled that of an angel, while the left resembled that of a devil. The tattoo's intricate details allowed him to discern each individual feather. Amon was more than satisfied with the outcome.
"The tattoo looks impressive. If you're wondering why you don't have the same stripes on your body as me, they will come in the future when you grow stronger. But don't worry; it won't hurt anymore," Thalos reassured him.
Amon felt a slight sense of relief that the pain would no longer be as agonizing, but he knew that the future held its own challenges. He would have to bid farewell to Thalos, uncertain if they would ever meet again. Thalos then spoke up.
"Hey, Amon, I dislike emotional moments." Thalos addressed Amon by name, indicating his respect for him. He extended his hand.
"Goodbye, until we meet again, and Happy Birthday." Thalos knew that their paths would cross once more, eagerly anticipating that future encounter. However, a particular event needed to take place beforehand, which lay in the future.
"Goodbye, my master," Amon replied, taking Thalos's hand with a smile. He added, "I'm looking forward to it." This was undeniably his most remarkable birthday, a truly unforgettable 16th birthday, occurring on February 25th.
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Three years later...