Aldrich opened his eyes to sense that a mana flow had been created inside his body.
He clenched his fists, trying to feel his newfound strength.
"This technique is terrific. It is more destructive than any technique I have used in the past.
"But I still feel something is missing" Aldrich could feel the absence of the Soulstream technique.
Aldrich remembered a conversation he had with Beast King in his previous life.
***
"U-WAH, Nothing feels better than a cold beer after killing some Dragons. ", The giant man put down his big glass of beer.
"Killian, come join me", the man passed one of the glasses to Killian.
"No thanks, the enemies might ambush at any time" Killian refused, but he walked and sat beside the man. "Beast king, how long do you think we can hold onto?",
The Drunk man looked at Killian solemnly, "Not for long. The casualties are far too great. Dragons are prideful creatures; they will never expend more force than necessary. I believe there are millions of dragons still waiting for us",
Killian looked towards Beast King before holding the glass of beer, drinking it in one go.
"Good.",
"Killian, you're the strongest human I have seen. And the only human I will ever respect.",
"Why being so nice today? You drank too much" Killian looked at the beast king.
"My men won't be able to hold on for long. I want you to learn my Skill; it will allow you to combine two different mana techniques.", The Beast King said before drinking another glass of beer.
Killian was shocked; combining two mana techniques was unprecedented, as the human body couldn't hold such potent mana.
"I know what you're thinking, but if it's you, you might be able to practice this skill.",
***
"That bastard died to protect his men. I need to save him in this life", Aldrich sighed.
"Did he know I am not completely a human? His family did have some soul skills.",
Aldrich stood up, ready to use the Skill given to him by the Beast King.
"This will hurt", but Aldrich knew this was necessary to beat his past self.
Aldrich had a determined look on his face as he took out a dagger from his pocket.
"Here goes nothing" Aldrich plunged the dagger into his heart.
[Host is severely injured]
[Host will die if injuries are not dealt with]
Aldrich ignored the notifications, or he couldn't check them, as immense pain ran throughout his body.
"Am I seeing things?" Aldrich could see a mirage of The Beast King standing in front of him,
"Circulate Soulstream", the mirage said.
Aldrich closed his eyes, furiously circulating Soulstream inside his heart. "This technique is based on how monsters and beasts circulate mana", the words of The Beast King were recited in Aldrich's mind.
"Just like a beast has to absorb mana from the environment, This technique will merge the two techniques inside your heart, absorbing the mana",
Aldrich could sense that the two different types of mana were raging inside his heart, both fighting for dominance.
"Harmony, the most important step" Aldrich tried to redirect both the mana towards his heart, slowly healing his wounds.
It was a painful process, but Aldrich sensed it was working.
[Your wounds are healing]
[Your wounds are healing]
"It's time for the final Step. Fuck you. Beast King",
The final steps of the technique rung inside Aldrich's mind, "You have two force the two mana's, to merge. "
"And how will I do it?", He asked the Beast King. All he got as a reply from Beast King was a devious smile.
"Bastard", Aldrich put his hand over his chest as he passed a mana pulse to his heart, stopping it.
Aldrich gritted his teeth, refusing to relent, determined to push the boundaries of his abilities. Sweat poured down his brow, and his muscles trembled from the strain. He struggled to find the delicate balance between the chaotic forces within.
His vision blurred, and he collapsed to his knees, gasping for breath. He felt as if he were being torn asunder, his very being unraveling like a frayed tapestry. Panic welled within him, and he realized the grave danger of what he attempted.
"Kugh", Aldrich fell down, trying to resist passing out. He knew it was over if he passed out.
The two different mana slowly started to merge as if trying their best to keep the body alive.
As the two manas merged, Aldrich's eyes opened as he realised the technique was a success.
Gasping for air, Aldrich lay on the ground, his heart pounding and body trembling with exhaustion. He had pushed himself to the brink, risking everything for the sake of more power
The two mana merged into one, rapidly flowing inside his body, healing his injuries.
[Host has combined two mana techniques, Aetherflow and Soulstream]
[Host has created Aether of Soul]
Aldrich slowly stood up, examining his body.
Aldrich clenched his fists. "I should be able to begin my plans with this", Aldrich said, ready to participate in the trial.
"But first", he sat on the bed and passed out, tired from this ordeal.
"Masochistic bastards", he spoke in his sleep.