Core's Truth (5)

Lucas gritted his teeth, his body shaking as the relentless, searing pain from the Abyss Core fusion surged through him like wildfire. It felt as though his entire being was being torn apart, piece by piece. The agony was unbearable, and his patience was wearing thin.

"How long is this going to take?" Lucas finally growled, his voice laced with frustration. He was barely holding it together, sweat dripping down his face.

The system responded with its usual casual arrogance, completely unaffected by his suffering. [Hmm, if I were to guess? Probably longer than a year—and that's just for your physical body and everything else except your soul.] The system's tone was indifferent, as if it had just mentioned the time it took to cook a meal, not endure life-altering pain.