After four agonizing minutes of enduring the relentless pain of purification and the stomach-churning stench of the impurities, the first session was finally over.
Herman stretched his arms and made a sharp clap, causing the golden threads embedded in Ariase's body to detach with an audible snap.
With a flick of his hands, the air shimmered as he summoned hundreds of luminous golden-green butterflies that swirled gracefully around Ariase, lifting his exhausted form and separating him from the small, vile pond of black liquid below.
Ariase let out a shaky sigh, his body too drained to move as he lay on the delicate bed of butterflies.
He closed his eyes, his face etched with a mix of relief and trepidation.
'Finally… it's over. I-I don't ever want to experience that again. That was horrendous.'
But his relief was short-lived as a grim thought wormed its way into his mind.
'Sigh… But, there are still two sessions left, aren't there?'
His expression darkened further.
He cracked one eye open, glancing at his uncle, who was busy cleaning the residue of impurities—and his vomit—with meticulous care.
Ariase furrowed his brows as the memories of vomiting over and over again flashed in his mind.
He had long lost count of how many times his body had betrayed him during the process.
Herman, meanwhile, moved with a calm precision.
Raising two fingers toward the pool of black liquid, he began swirling them in slow, deliberate circles.
The foul-smelling liquid obeyed, spiraling into six compact spheres.
With a sharp clap of his hands, the spheres compressed into solid black pills, which he deftly stored in a transparent bottle.
Ariase watched the process with weary curiosity, his mind struggling to keep up.
'Is he seriously collecting that and turning it into pills?'
His stomach churned with unease as he saw the bottle, almost full of black pills, and another thought struck him.
'Wait. Don't tell me…'
'Nah, Uncle can't be that cruel… right? Maybe he's just collecting it to dispose of later or to use on monsters... But it can still be used on humans, though...'
Distracting himself from his thoughts, Ariase turned his attention to his own body.
He flexed his fingers, examining the changes.
His once warm ivory skin had taken on a startlingly pale hue, almost translucent like that of an albino.
Even the fine hairs on his arms had turned an eerie shade of white.
Despite the unnerving transformation, Ariase couldn't help but feel a flicker of wonder.
"Woah…" he muttered under his breath, a faint smile tugging at his lips.
"After all that pain… and this transformation… now I'm sure this is not just a dream. This is my life now..."
With a soft chuckle, he whispered to himself, "I guess it's time to stop doubting and start preparing. There are still a month until the awakening rite. I need to be ready for it."
Herman's voice snapped him from his thoughts.
"Kid, can you stand up, or do you need me to help you?"
"I'll try," Ariase replied, his tone determined but his body not quite up to the task.
As he swung his legs over and attempted to stand, his knees and legs gave out immediately, sending him stumbling to the ground in a heap.
Seeing his nephew, Herman turned to the other side, biting his lower lip to suppress a laugh.
But his shoulders betrayed him as they still trembled at the sight of his nephew sprawled on the ground.
The scene was almost too much.
Ariase narrowed his eyes.
"Uncle… Are you laughing right now?"
"No," Herman replied with a straight-up lie and a deadpan expression.
"I was just… removing my mask."
He stepped forward to grab Ariase's clothes, maintaining an air of exaggerated seriousness as he helped his nephew to his feet.
But Ariase wasn't fooled.
He could see through the stoic facade to the mischief dancing in his uncle's eyes.
'Seriously, the audacity of this man…' he thought with an exasperated sigh.
'Uncle, will you ever grow up? Even in this world, you're still the exact same person as before…'
Despite his frustration, Ariase couldn't suppress the faint grin tugging at the corners of his lips.
Even amidst the trials and pain, there was comfort in the unchanging bond between them.
...
After healing and tending to the lingering strains in Ariase's body, Herman led them back to their apartment complex.
The moment they stepped inside, Herman wrinkled his nose and waved a hand dismissively.
"Ria, go take a bath for now," he said, his tone firm but laced with a rare softness.
"The stench of impurities is still clinging to you for goodness sake."
Ariase groaned but nodded, shuffling off to the bathroom.
While Ariase was busy scrubbing away the residue, Herman settled in the living room, reclining on the couch.
He rested his head against the backrest, staring up at the ceiling as a chuckle escaped his lips.
A small bead of sweat rolled down his temple as his thoughts wandered.
"That brat…" he murmured, shaking his head in disbelief.
"To think he actually endured the blood and muscle purification despite being so young."
His gaze grew distant, and his expression softened as he let out a small sigh.
"Brother," he murmured under his breath, "this kid of yours… he's quite something else."
"If he can make it through all three sessions, he'll naturally gain a semi-divine body talent without having to evolve it from scratch. Just how terrifying his growth would be..."
"Even if he awakened three or four talent slots, with this acquired body, he would be a monster in terms of halo progression—just like the monsters from my generation."
His smile faded, and his gaze darkened as the weight of those words sank in.
Closing his eyes, Herman clenched his fists as another thought emerged, unbidden and troubling.
"But…" His tone dropped to a whisper, laced with apprehension.
"If he awakens a forbidden element… just like that girl from the past, then it would be disastrous."
"Even I might not be able to protect him from the government. They'd label him as dangerous and imprison him forever..."
He let out a long, weary sigh, trying to banish the grim possibilities from his mind.
"Well, that's a problem for the future. I made sure he grew up in a warm, stable environment. The chances of him awakening something that sinister should be near zero."
Forcing himself to refocus, Herman straightened up and muttered, "I'll just worry about what I can control for now. Next, I need to prepare to heal his damaged soul and get ready for tomorrow's organ purification."
With a wave of his hand, the ring on his finger shimmered faintly, and five sleek black cases materialized on the ground before him.
Kneeling, Herman opened one of the cases and retrieved a crystalline sphere that faintly sparkled with vivid seven-colored energy inside.
"50 Tier 1 purified mystic stones should suffice for now, I even doubt he can finish all of these in just one day," he muttered to himself.
"Once he gets used to them, I'll just gradually increase its tier."
Satisfied, he grabbed a pen and paper, jotting down instructions with practiced efficiency.
When he finished, he changed his clothes, preparing to head out.
...
A few minutes later, Ariase emerged from the bathroom, his hair damp and sticking to his forehead.
His steps faltered when he noticed the five black cases in the middle of the room—and the absence of his uncle.
"Uncle?" he called out, his voice echoing in the quiet apartment.
No response or anything at all.
Ariase approached the cases and noticed a neatly folded piece of paper resting atop one of them.
His gaze fell on the five cases left in the center of the room, and a folded piece of paper resting on top caught his attention.
He picked it up and read it:
"Ria, while I'm out, start absorbing these mystic stones—one at a time. These are already purified, so there's no need to break them. Just eat one and it will melt on its own. And don't even think about using that ridiculous meditation thingy. You're not a cultivator or a mage, but a mystic user for goodness' sake. Though I'm still not certain why it works on you, but I'm pretty sure that method shouldn't even work in the first place. I'll be back in an hour, so stay put and don't cause any trouble."
Ariase's lips curled into a mischievous grin as he finished reading.
Setting the note aside, he immediately opened one of the cases.
His eyes widened slightly at the sight of ten smooth, polished mystic stones.
Each one gleamed faintly, about the size of a large jawbreaker candy—just barely small enough to fit in his mouth.
Without hesitation, Ariase picked one up, placed it in his mouth, and sat cross-legged on the ground.
But instead of following his uncle's instructions, he smirked and grabbed two more stones, grasping them in both hands.
Ignoring the note's warnings, he shifted into a full lotus position, inhaling deeply and exhaling in steady intervals.
The technique came to him naturally, a rhythm he had discovered earlier in his room.
'Shouldn't work, huh?' he mused, his grin widening as he felt the faint stirrings of energy flowing smoothly through his arms this time.
The mystic stone in his mouth began to dissolve, flooding his glabella with a rush of world essence.
The energy surged through his body, warm and vibrant, like molten sunlight coursing through his veins.
Ariase's grin faltered as the intensity rose, but he steadied himself.
'Well, being cautious won't hurt for the least,' he reminded himself.
'If something feels off, I'll stop immediately. But for now...'
His expression sharpened, determination burning in his eyes.
'Let's speed things up, shall we?'