Inside a dimly lit room, two figures sat near each other: an old man and a young boy. The boy seemed to be less than ten years old, while the older man looked gruff and weathered, with a large beard and countless scars marring his exposed arms. The old man held a bowl of soup, slowly feeding it to the boy seated beside him. The delicate dedication with which the old man spooned the soup into the boy's mouth would have melted the heart of even the coldest soul. The wide smile plastered on the boy's face was evidence of that.
It took quite a bit of time for the old man to finish feeding the boy, but he didn't seem to mind.
"Are you full yet, Eli? There's a lot more where that came from," the old man said in a gentle tone.
"I'm pretty full, Grandpa. I'm ready for my bath now," said Eli cheerfully. Baths were one of the few places where his pain didn't flare up.
"Well, it's a good thing the herbal bath has been prepared and is waiting just for you, mister."
The old man stood up solemnly and went to lift Eli from his chair. He tried his hardest to minimize the boy's discomfort, moving slowly and steadily. It helped that he had years of practice; otherwise, Eli would be shouting in pain. The boy winced for a moment before relaxing once more. Grandpa walked with exaggerated care, which looked rather comical for such a large man.
He made his way to the bath and gently placed Eli in the water. The old man washed him carefully, ensuring every motion was soothing. He stayed with Eli until he was content, then carried him back to his room and placed him in bed.
Eli looked at his grandfather sitting beside him and hesitated, debating whether he should ask the question that had been on his mind for some time. Though his body was frail, his mind was sharp, and he prided himself on being knowledgeable—at least to a certain extent.
"Grandpa, is it possible for me to ever cultivate? I know it's a long shot, but maybe if I started cultivating, maybe..."
Before he could finish, a stern expression appeared on his grandfather's face. The old man interrupted sharply.
"I've already told you this, Eli: with a damaged soul core, cultivation will only worsen your symptoms and possibly kill you."
His voice softened, but the weight of his words remained. "I know it's unfair and unjust, but reality is more cruel than most would like to admit. Now get some sleep, young man," he said, kissing Eli on the forehead.
Eli remained stoic until his bedroom door was shut. However, his expression didn't hold for long. He buried his face in his hands and cried quietly, or at least he thought so. He hated the constant pain that wracked his body, even when he couldn't move. He also hated how immature he felt for crying, but the frustration of being trapped in a body that couldn't function was unbearable. He fell asleep with visible tear marks on his rosy cheeks.
On the other side of the door, the old man leaned against it solemnly. His eyes watered as he thought about how much anguish his grandson must feel. But there wasn't much he could do. He had already sought out the finest alchemists and healers to cure the boy, but none of them could help. All they could do was craft remedies to ease his pain—and that was all.
"Damn it. Damn it all. Why must he suffer like this?" he wondered while wiping his tears.
Deciding to blow off some steam, he left the house and activated the barrier surrounding the cottage to avoid disturbing Eli and to keep him safe while he was away. Once he was far enough, he took off into the night. With a resounding boom, a trail of azure fire blazed across the sky. He flew fast enough that the trail of smoke reignited behind him. After some distance, he located a suitable target: a massive wolf-like beast standing over ten meters tall. It was minding its business when it felt a murderous intent approaching at incredible speed. The wolf tried to react, but it was too late. Its head was engulfed in a magnificent azure blaze, and it collapsed instantly.
The old man landed beside the fallen beast, surveying his kill. "Hmph. Pretty weak for a beast in the Golden Core Realm. It must have just advanced," he muttered, while he retrived a sharp blade from his spatial ring. His flames weren't suited for precise, delicate cuts, so he chose to rely on blades instead. With a swift, precise motion, he cut open the beast's chest and extracted its core. Then, without hesitation, he took off to find more beasts, venting his frustration on every Golden Core Realm creature he encountered until dawn.
Back at the house, Eli was having a wonderful dream as usual. In his dream, he was running freely, fighting giant beasts, and even pretending to cultivate like he'd seen his grandfather do. Though he was trapped in his body while awake, Eli was adept at lucid dreaming, and his dream world felt vividly real. However, tonight's dream took an unexpected turn.
The cozy, familiar surroundings of his dream transformed into a grand hall, resplendent with orange, red, and gold hues. The walls and floors gleamed with intricate patterns, and towering pillars supported a vast ceiling adorned with elaborate murals. Eli tried to study the murals, but a heavy presence drew his attention. He turned to see an ethereal golden figure seated on a magnificent white throne. The figure radiated an aura of authority and power, its gaze piercing straight into Eli's soul.
"A damaged soul core, I see. Life must have been horrible for you so far, hasn't it?" the figure asked, its voice flat and monotone.
Startled by the sudden question, Elio blurted out, "Yeah, life has been fucking hell with a damaged soul core." He immediately clamped his hands over his mouth, embarrassed by his language.
To his surprise, the figure let out a hearty laugh. "Be at ease, child. I care not for your bruttish language. I'm here to help. I have decided to give you an opportunity… an opportunity to cultivate and heal your soul core."
Eli's eyes widened in disbelief. Though he was skeptical, a flicker of hope ignited in his heart. "Is there really a way to heal my damaged soul core? Will I really be able to move? To live without pain? To finally cultivate?" His voice grew more desperate with each question.
The figure observed him for a moment before answering. "You will be able to do all of that after I heal your core. However, everything in life comes with a price."
Those words sobered Eli up. He narrowed his eyes warily but listened as the figure continued.
"The price you must for me healing your core is steep and too grand for you to worry about now. Only after you ascend to the Divine realm will you be able to pay your debt."
Eli pondered the offer. It seemed favorable, especially since ascending to the Divine Realm was an incredibly rare feat. However, before he could finalize his thoughts, the figure added, "And don't think about cheating the deal by halting your cultivation or avoiding ascension. Such actions will result in dire consequences. That said, the deal isn't as bad as you might think—I simply can't reveal all the details until you ascend."
Cold sweat formed on Eli's brow as he realized the figure could read his thoughts. Ultimately, he decided to agree. The hope of living a normal life outweighed his fears of the unknown.
"Perfect. When you wake up, your core will be as good as new. Farewell for now, young mortal," the figure said, vanishing into golden light.
The grand hall began to crumble, and Eli was flung out of the dream realm. Moments later, he opened his eyes to find himself back in his room. Immediately, he noticed something was different. The dull, agonizing pain that had plagued him his entire life was gone. For the first time, he could feel his limbs. He tentatively moved his fingers, then his arms and legs. With some effort, he sat upright in bed without assistance. The sheer joy of this simple action overwhelmed him, and he burst into tears.
Hearing the commotion, his grandfather rushed into the room, alarmed. He froze in the doorway, his jaw dropping as he saw Eli sitting upright. Tears streamed down the boy's face, but this time, they were tears of joy.
"Grandpa, I can move! I...I don't feel any pain anymore!" Elio exclaimed, his voice trembling with emotion.
The old man's eyes widened in disbelief. He approached cautiously, placing a hand on Eli's shoulder to confirm what he was seeing. When he realized it was real, he pulled his grandson into a tight embrace, tears of his own streaming down his face.
"How is this possible?" the old man whispered, his voice choked with emotion. But for now, he didn't need answers. All that mattered was that his grandson was finally free from his suffering.