Chapter 25: Price of Purity

I watched her closely, not even blinking as she sat and absorbed world energy. At some point, the signs of stress began to show—a faint flush rising on her skin, her breathing growing slightly uneven. She was ignoring the nausea now, pushing past the body's warning signs like we'd discussed.

After a few moments, her skin began to turn a faint pink, indicating the strain she was placing on herself. As the moments dragged on, that pink deepened into a darker red, like the embers of a fire growing hotter. I could see faint bubbles forming on her skin, tiny blisters rising from the heat of the energy surging through her.

"Thea!" I shook her hard, my voice snapping her out of her trance. Her eyes shot open, slightly unfocused at first. "Doing alright? I think that's the limit."

She blinked a few times before looking down at herself, her expression thoughtful despite the faint sheen of sweat on her forehead. "It's really hard to stop once you ignore that initial feeling," she admitted, her tone distant. Her voice carried an edge of strain, but there was also something else—a flicker of determination.

"Did you find anything out?" I asked, leaning in slightly, hoping for some breakthrough.

She paused, her brow furrowing as she placed a hand on her chin, biting the side of her lip lightly in thought. "Yes… but it's not exactly what I wanted to find." Her voice was tinged with frustration, but she continued, her stormy eyes narrowing in concentration. "The force does enter the body, but it's not stopping for long on anything—not really. We want it to stay in our bodies: bones, tendons, organs… somewhere. But it just flows away after a moment."

She looked down at herself, brushing her fingertips over the red, overheated surface of her skin. "But I noticed something. As it touched the innards, it stuck for almost no time at all, like it was just passing through. Then, when it hit the bones, it moved a bit slower. And now—" she gestured to her flushed, blistering skin—"on the surface, it's lasting quite a bit longer."

I nodded, my mind racing. There was something in her observation, a pattern that seemed crucial, but I couldn't quite grasp it. "The more important question," I said, half-joking to break the tension, "will we be red forever if we make it stick for real?"

Thea stared at me for a moment before a small, amused huff escaped her lips. "You're impossible." But then her expression softened into something more serious. "If it does stick… it's going to change us in ways we can't predict."

"That's the point, isn't it?" I replied, shrugging. "My guess is this is the way to go, but we haven't purified our bodies enough through the Grand Carving technique."

We looked at each other for a long moment, the weight of what we'd discovered settling between us. "Thea, I think you just saved my life," I said, my voice steady with sincerity. I meant it—this was the final step I needed to stand a chance against the system. I didn't know how long I could hold out, but at least now I had a way forward.

"What are you talking about?" she said, brushing it off with a smile. "We did this together. In fact, you came up with most of the ideas. I just got lucky with this one."

She paused before adding with renewed determination, "Let's do some carving before we head back. Like you said, we probably need to purify our bodies more anyway."

We sat near each other, bracing ourselves for the pain that always came with carving. By the end, we'd each used up about twenty percent of our energy, but we had completed the entire upper body. The room was thick with the sour, acrid smell of purification sweat, and we were both drenched.

"You reek," I commented, grimacing slightly.

"My MP's back," she shot back without missing a beat.

"Reek like… roses," I amended nervously, trying to salvage the moment.

She smirked, shaking her head. "I think it's getting late. We should head back and clean up."

I nodded, relieved. "Agreed."

But then she stopped, a glimmer of curiosity sparking in her stormy eyes. "But first, let me check something."

She walked over to the display, placing her hand on it and calling for her status. As the glowing information appeared, I felt my jaw slacken, and hers dropped as well.

"Thea?" I asked cautiously, not entirely sure what I was looking at.

"It worked… IT WORKED!" she screamed, her voice rising into a banshee-like wail that I hadn't thought possible. Her excitement was contagious, though, and I couldn't blame her for the outburst. We'd theorized that this would work, but seeing the proof felt surreal. The best part? Her skin wasn't even red anymore—she looked completely normal.

The display glowed, showing:

Class: Warrior

Blessing: Storm Heart

Stats:

Strength: 20Agility: 20Stamina: 20Endurance: 11Magic: 5MP: 10/10SP: 10/10

Techniques: N/A

Titles: N/A

Missions:

Bottom Rank Level 1:

Objective: You have become a warrior. You will be in battles for the rest of your life. Prove yourself capable by participating in real sparring matches. 8/10Rewards: A greater understanding of your Storm Heart, 5 stat points.

Her Endurance stat—her defense—had risen by one point. Proof that the energy wasn't dissipating anymore. It was sticking.

"You're not diffusing your energy right now, are you?" I asked, my voice careful, trying not to let my excitement get ahead of me.

"No," she said, her voice almost trembling with joy. "Peter… we did it. We've changed everything."

We both took a deep breath, trying to calm ourselves and steady the whirlwind of emotions. "Okay, okay," I started, running a hand through my hair. "Let's just call this a day. We've got a path forward now, but we can't get overzealous. The process is still dangerous, and we'll need to watch over each other. That means it'll be slow."

She nodded, her enthusiasm tempering slightly. "You're right. Let's get back, shower, and rest. Tomorrow, we can finish our carvings and see if there's any purification left to happen. If not…" She grinned, the excitement returning to her stormy eyes. "Then we go all out on Body Refinement."

I grinned back, feeling the weight of the day lifting just a little. "Deal."

As we left the room, we waved goodbye to the large attendant downstairs, who was clearly doing his best not to notice the pleasant—or not-so-pleasant—odor wafting off of us. His polite smile strained ever so slightly as we passed.

"It's too bad there wasn't a transformation when we filled our Grand Channels to the max," I said, my tone carrying a hint of disappointment. The transformation that came after forming the spiritual reservoirs had been unparalleled so far—something that made me feel truly alive, truly changed.

"Maybe it'll happen after we finish purifying completely?" Thea mused, her voice thoughtful as we stepped into the cool night air.

"Maybe," I replied, a small spark of hope flickering inside me. If today had proven anything, it was that breakthroughs could come when you least expected them. For now, rest was the next step. Tomorrow, the path to Body Refinement awaited us.

We each went our way to clean up, ridding ourselves of the stench of sweat and purification. Returning to the room, I fell asleep almost as soon as I hit the bed. For the first time in days, I didn't wake up to the blaring horn that usually signaled the start of the day in training camp. Instead, a gentle knocking came at the door, followed by Ms. Star's warm voice.

"There's breakfast downstairs. Come soon if you want some."

Her words sounded like heaven to me. An actual meal in the morning—something cooked by a competent chef. I shot up at the sound of her voice and glanced around. Elric was already stirring, but Thea remained peacefully sleeping, entirely unaffected by the soft knock or voice. Maybe she'd grown too accustomed to the horn's harsh wake-up call, and now, anything gentler just couldn't rouse her.

"Thea," I said softly, shaking her shoulder.

"Mmm." She mumbled, shifting slightly as her hand moved to cover her eyes.

"Wake up, Grandmaster," I said with a grin, giving her shoulder a firmer shake this time.

Her stormy gray eyes blinked open slowly, her expression groggy and confused. "Peter? What's up?" she mumbled, her voice still thick with sleep as she looked around, momentarily disoriented. I guessed she'd forgotten we weren't sleeping in the woods anymore.

"Food," I said simply.

She shot up immediately, much to my amusement. I couldn't help but laugh.

"Elric?" I called, checking if he was still half-asleep.

"Up," he replied curtly, his usual calm demeanor fully intact, even this early.

"Could you cover today's staying cost?" I asked him sheepishly. Not that Thea and I weren't broke or anything… okay, we were broke.

"No problem," Elric said with a slight nod as he got ready to head downstairs.

When we arrived in the dining room, Sia and Lyra were already seated, looking bright-eyed and fully prepared for the day ahead. Their poise and readiness were both impressive and mildly irritating.

"Morning," they offered in unison.

"Hey," I replied, still trying to rub the sleep out of my eyes. Thea and Elric greeted them as well, though Thea's voice carried a touch of that lingering grogginess. I couldn't blame her; mornings weren't exactly her specialty.

The scent of something delicious wafted through the room, and my stomach growled audibly. Today, I thought, was off to a good start.

We enjoyed a short, pleasant conversation while eating fresh bread drizzled with something like honey and a large egg from a creature I didn't recognize. The combination was unexpectedly delightful, making for a hearty breakfast. As we finished, we waved goodbye to Ms. Star, who returned the gesture with her ever-warm smile. Elric paid the fee for our stay, leaving his orb with just ninety-five points. It was a reminder that we'd need to earn more soon, but for now, training took priority.

As we left the inn, we collectively decided to head straight to the training hall. Lyra and Sia were nearly done with their Spiritual Reservoir Formation, and Thea and I wanted to finish the Grand Carving technique. I also hoped to confirm whether further purification would follow. A thought struck me as we walked toward the Greats Training building.

"Thea," I began, catching her attention. "Once we complete purification, what happens if we try to form a small core? Can we still force a failure?"

She stopped just outside the building, prompting the rest of us to halt as well. Her expression turned thoughtful, her gray eyes focused. "As long as we don't try to stabilize the core at our focal point… it should be fine," she said. Her tone carried a hint of uncertainty, but the confidence behind it reassured me.

If it turned out differently, we'd handle it when the time came.

We entered the training hall, greeted briefly by the burly attendant at the desk, and made our way upstairs. Once inside the familiar room, everyone settled into their respective spots, ready to begin their routines. I turned to Thea.

"I think we should finish the Grand Carving technique first," I suggested. "Then we can check what happens next."

She gave a simple nod, her usual resolve shining through as we prepared ourselves.

For hours, we worked in relative silence, enduring the sharp, searing pain that came with each carve. By the time I had used up forty percent of my Grand Channel, I was nearly finished. The energy surged through me like a flood breaking a dam, rushing into the intricate patterns I'd painstakingly carved into my body and pooling in the small foci I had created.

And then… nothing.

No transformation. No immediate sign of progress. That is, until my very last needle began to dissolve. 

Suddenly—a wave of warmth coursed through me, starting deep in my chest and radiating outward to every corner of my body. It wasn't the searing, overwhelming sensation I'd feared; instead, it was gentle, almost soothing, like sinking into a perfectly heated bath after a long, exhausting day.

The warmth seemed to wrap around my bones, threading through my tendons, and curling into the very core of my being. Each pulse felt as if it were squeezing something out of me—dense, heavy, and deeply buried. I couldn't see it, but I could feel it, like shedding a second skin I hadn't even known I was wearing.

A faint pressure built just under my skin, and then, in tiny bursts, it released. There was no pain—only an odd, rhythmic sensation of something being purged. This wasn't just sweat; it felt deeper, more fundamental, like every impurity my body had clung to was being forced out from its very foundation.

As the warmth began to fade, it left behind a calm stillness. I didn't feel drastically different—not yet—but something had undeniably shifted. My breaths came easier, my chest expanding fully with every inhale, as though I'd been given more room to breathe.

And then… the smell hit me.

"Oh. Oh no," I muttered, my voice cutting through the silence of the room as my nose wrinkled. The air around me reeked of something foul—rancid and metallic, mixed with a sour, earthy undertone. "What is that?"

I glanced down, half-expecting to see grime coating my skin. Instead, there was nothing visible, but the stench clung to me like a thick, invisible fog. Whatever my body had expelled, it hadn't gone quietly.

Thea's eyes fluttered open, and almost instantly, she recoiled. "Peter," she choked, waving a hand in front of her nose. "What did you—oh." Her expression twisted as the smell hit her. "Oh, that's disgusting."

"Speak for yourself," I countered, pointing at her clothes, which were just as coated in grime as mine.

"Oh man! Both of you, get out," Elric said, his voice a mix of amusement and exasperation.

"Please," Lyra and Sia chimed in, nodding as they pinched their noses, clearly awakened by our… changes.

I didn't feel much embarrassment, but Thea, ever the princess when it came to hygiene, went bright red. Without warning, she shot up at a speed that, without my heightened senses, I almost didn't catch.

"Thea… that was—"

"Hurry up!" she shouted, her face flushed as she marched toward the door.

I took her meaning and stood as well, but the moment I got up, the realization hit me. Oh man. I've heard people say they feel weightless, but this—this was real. Real weightlessness. I don't know if Thea was too preoccupied with the grime or her hygiene obsession to notice, but it was undeniable. This was a transformation, no less significant than the first one.

Sure, my physical strength didn't feel any different, and my senses didn't seem sharper than they were after the last transformation, but the speed… I could feel it in the way my body moved, how effortlessly I adjusted my stance. I mean, the formula for force is straightforward, right? Mass times acceleration. And right now, I was ready to test just how much faster I could move.

"PETER!" Thea called from the door, her tone sharp and impatient.

"Coming, Grandmaster!" I called back, grinning as I followed her out. I was eager to test what this new lightness could really do.

We bolted across the road back to the inn and straight to the bathrooms, not even stopping to greet anyone. Probably for the best—at the speed we were moving, the smell wouldn't hit anyone until we were long gone. If we'd stopped, we would've been revealed as the source of that stench.

Man, the grime was something else. It wasn't just dirt and oil—it clung to my skin like threads of velcro sticking into every pore. I had to scrub like my life depended on it and practically drown myself in soap to get rid of it. After what felt like forever, I was finally clean. My clothes weren't so lucky; I'd have to burn them and somehow scrape together enough points for replacements. For now, my last spare set would do.

I stepped out, feeling like a new person, and waited for Thea. Soon enough, she emerged, looking as though she'd been through a war.

"Feeling better?" I asked.

"That was horrible," she muttered, her expression dangerously close to tears.

I laughed. "It's no big deal, Thea. We're all friends, and hey—no more grime. I still want to try making one more false core, just to be sure, then we can cultivate back to max and see how long it takes to finish body refining." I smiled at her. "Want to relax in the room for a bit? The rest will be fine without us."

She nodded, still looking like a sad puppy.

"Come on," I said, bumping her shoulder lightly. "If it makes you feel better, you smell amazing now."

She smiled despite herself. "Don't smell me, weirdo."

"Says the one who noticed the smell first," I countered.

"And you still do," she said, giving me a playful shove as she giggled.

We headed back to the room, and as soon as we sat down, I turned to her. "I'll go for one last needle. You wait. No reason for both of us to risk anything."

She frowned. "I have a system to support me. I should be the one to take the risk."

I shook my head. "I won't ever be as strong as you in this world, no matter what," I admitted. Saying it out loud stung a bit, but I had accepted it. "I'll need a bodyguard in the future. The last thing I need is a lightning princess with a defect."

"You're a defect," she muttered, smirking. As the mature adult between us—technically older, anyway—I ignored her.

Closing my eyes, I focused on forming a core, but the energy resisted. Really resisted. I could barely condense it. It was denser, thicker, almost unyielding, like it had transformed. I was sitting at thirty percent of my Grand Channel's capacity after all the carvings and without recultivating, but now? There was barely ten percent. That amount was enough to form a needle before, but now it wasn't even close.

I exhaled and opened my eyes. "Thea, something's different."

Her expression immediately grew concerned. "What's wrong?"

"I don't think it's bad… or at least, not yet," I replied, trying to put my thoughts into words. "The energy—it feels more potent. Thicker, denser. It's almost like it's condensed but stayed in liquid form. And…" I hesitated, "I can't form a core."

"What?!" Her eyes snapped shut, and she focused. Moments later, her nose crinkled—a reaction so unguarded that part of me wanted to poke it, but I wisely chose not to. Charred toes are hard to walk on.

"You're right," she said, opening her eyes. "But this is good. Our internal strength must be much more potent now, right? Maybe we can perform techniques much more effectively." Her tone shifted from worry to curiosity as she mulled it over.

I nodded, her enthusiasm infectious. "If that's true, we've taken a huge step forward. For now, no more digging grime out of our pores."

She grinned, the earlier discomfort fading. "Deal."