Reinforcement

Shortly after achieving his victory, Jake began to wobble in the air before collapsing heavily to his knees following a fall of several hundred meters. His Spirit Body was like a candle burning at both ends and the most prominent symptoms were the slowing and radical weakening of his psychic and neural activity.

The other less striking, but equally detrimental symptom was emotional emptiness. Devoid of joy and sorrow, he was in a state of utter mental neutrality that impaired his very drive to do things.

Because of the Digitization, his body also seemed to be at the end of its rope, manifesting the same psychosomatic disorders. Biting his tongue to keep himself awake, Jake didn't let go of his Vitality Aether, which was still preventing those Words of Power from healing away.

"Not yet. I can't relax yet." Jake repeated to himself, thinking about the plight of his companions as he pushed vigorously on the ground with his arms to lift himself up.