Chapter 79: The Seventh Cave’s Trial and the Path Ahead

As much as Arya was eager to reach the Eighth Cave and uncover whatever lay within, the overwhelming pressure inside the Seventh Cave made every step forward an immense struggle. Even with the little beast aiding him—its limited power offering what support it could—the force resisting them was almost unbearable. It felt as though a colossal hand was pressing against him, determined to hurl him back to where he came from.

Yet, Arya refused to back down. He had made it this far, and he knew that something vital—something that could elevate his strength—awaited him beyond this trial. This knowledge only strengthened his determination to push forward.

Just as he focused on advancing, a soft, melancholic voice reached his ears. It came from his right shoulder, where the beast was perched. Its tone carried an unfamiliar hint of sorrow, causing Arya to glance back at its face in curiosity.

However, when he looked, there was no visible change in its expression.

"What?" The beast asked, noticing Arya's gaze.

"I was just wondering why you suddenly sounded so emotional. We're nearly at the end of this cave, after all."

The little creature remained silent for a moment before speaking again.

"The thing inside the Eighth Cave… it was close to me for a long time. In fact, you could say it was the only thing that ever felt close to me."

Arya's brows furrowed slightly. "That doesn't sound like an object. It sounds more like… a living being."

He had a bad feeling about what awaited him in the next cave.

The beast let out a small sigh. "You don't need to concern yourself with that right now. Your focus should be on moving forward. The faster you reach it, the sooner you'll obtain its power and grow stronger. At the very least, that will make you a slightly bigger ant—which means I'll finally have a little more room inside you to breathe and stretch."

It smirked slightly before adding, "And once you reach level 31 and obtain your third Seed Stone, I'll be able to unlock more of my sealed strength. When you use Spirit Possession, you'll gain even more of my power."

Arya's eyes lit up. "Speaking of which, I just realized—I haven't properly tested how much stronger I've become after using Spirit Possession with you."

The beast chuckled. "You actually have… but you passed out before you could even feel it. I used a bit more strength than you could handle because you were so eager to see my true form. Have you already forgotten?"

Arya scoffed. "That doesn't count. I wasn't ready back then. Anyway, I was thinking of setting up camp early today. That way, I can recover fully and push straight for the Eighth Cave tomorrow. It'll also give me time to test how much stronger I've become with Spirit Possession."

But the beast immediately shot down his idea.

"I wouldn't recommend experimenting with Spirit Possession right now. Without a proper opponent, you won't be able to measure its true strength. On top of that, using my power will drain you faster than you expect. I've already limited my strength to match your body's maximum tolerance."

Arya narrowed his eyes. "So you're saying I can't use Spirit Possession for long?"

"There's no fixed limit," the beast replied. "It all depends on how much of my strength you can endure. My power is incredibly heavy for you, so the longer you stay in Spirit Possession, the more pressure you'll feel. Over time, that pressure will become unbearable."

It paused before adding, "However, if you value endurance over raw power, I can adjust my strength to match your tolerance. This will allow you to use Spirit Possession for a longer duration without exhausting yourself. But… the trade-off is that your strength will drop significantly. Instead of wielding the power of a high-rank spirit, you'll only have the strength of a low-tier spirit—about equal to a First-Rank Beast."

Arya frowned. "But before, even with your power sealed, I was already receiving the strength of a peak Second-Rank Beast."

"Exactly," the beast confirmed. "You have to choose: Do you want overwhelming power for a short time, or do you want sustained but weaker strength?"

Then, it added with a smirk, "Oh, and don't expect me to adjust my strength often. It's a complicated process, even for me."

Arya thought for a moment. "How long can I use your full power without feeling pressured?"

The beast tilted its head. "It's hard to say. No one can accurately measure another person's limits. But based on my observations, you should be able to last about five minutes without feeling too much strain. It could be a bit less—maybe two or three minutes—or it could be more, depending on how well you adapt."

"And if I push beyond my limit?" Arya asked.

The beast's voice turned serious. "If you force yourself to continue past your limit, you'll last about ten to twelve minutes at most. But after that…" It narrowed its glowing eyes. "You'll collapse. And if that happens in battle, you don't need me to tell you what comes next."

Arya nodded thoughtfully. "Still, six to ten minutes is a good range. Strength is more important to me than endurance, so don't adjust your power. I'd rather have raw strength for a shorter time than drag things out with weaker abilities."

The beast let out an amused hum. "Your choice. But if you want to increase the duration of Spirit Possession, there are ways to do it."

Arya's ears perked up. "How?"

"Your current training already helps," the beast explained. "Becoming more familiar with my strength and my aura's pressure will gradually increase your tolerance. The more accustomed you become, the longer you'll last in Spirit Possession."

Then, after a brief pause, it added, "And there's something else—you can also train your mental strength. The stronger your mind, the better you'll be able to withstand my power."

Arya frowned. "Mental strength? Is there even a way to train something like that? I've never heard of it before."

The beast scoffed. "Of course you haven't. You humans barely live long enough to grasp such things. You may be smart, but you're also… fragile."

Arya rolled his eyes at the jab, but the beast continued.

"For powerful beasts like me, mental training becomes essential after reaching a certain level of strength. It not only sharpens our intelligence but also fortifies our willpower." It then looked at Arya with a hint of amusement. "But you humans are born with intelligence, so I doubt you have any formal training methods for mental strength."

Arya remained silent, processing this information.

Then, the beast's voice softened slightly, as if reminiscing about something distant. "One thing is certain—any being that wishes to reach the true apex of cultivation must have both physical and mental strength. Without both, they will never stand at the peak."

There was pride in its voice… but also a trace of longing.

Arya noticed this but chose not to comment on it. Instead, he clenched his fists.

"Then I'll find a way to train my mind as well."

The beast smirked. "We'll see how far you go, little human."

With that, Arya took a deep breath, steadied himself, and prepared to continue forward—toward the unknown challenge that awaited him in the Eighth Cave.