Complete Comprehension
The battle resumed.
This time...
No one attacked recklessly.
Following Aster's orders, Ironwall no longer attempted to overpower the guardian.
Instead, he continuously redirected the massive shield, forcing Ashen Warden Baldric to waste energy with every heavy swing.
Cole only attacked when Baldric's hammer completed its arc. One precise strike.
Then she immediately retreated. Starveil abandoned his strongest spells.
Instead, he repeatedly launched smaller earth projectiles, aiming at the guardian's joints to disrupt its movements.
Lifebloom maintained Forest's Blessing, carefully restoring only the injuries that threatened the party.
No mana was wasted. Even then, the battle remained difficult.
---
BANG!
Baldric slammed its shield against the ground.
Living Bastion!
Countless stone spikes erupted beneath the party.
"Ironwall! Left!"
The tank immediately raised his shield. The impact sent him sliding backward.
His HP dropped to nearly half.
"Lifebloom!"
A warm emerald light surrounded him. His wounds slowly closed. Before anyone could breathe, Baldric's body glowed once more.
The cracks covering its armor rapidly disappeared.
Its health rose from seventy percent. Back to nearly eighty-five. Ironwall grimaced.
"We're losing more progress than we're making!"
Cole clenched her sword.
"It heals too fast!"
Aster remained silent. His eyes never left the emerald light circulating beneath Baldric's armor.
The Primal Codex continued to analyze.
---
Iron Body Foundation
Observation Complete.
Evolution Progress:
29%
---
The battle dragged on. Fifteen minutes.
Twenty.
The party's mana steadily decreased. Their stamina faded.
Meanwhile, Baldric remained standing like an immovable fortress.
---
Then, the guardian suddenly changed. It lifted its enormous shield high above its head. Green roots burst from the stone floor, spreading throughout the battlefield.
Nature's Bulwark!
Vines wrapped around Baldric's body. Its regeneration doubled. Starveil's spell struck its shoulder. The wound vanished before their eyes.
Cole frowned.
"This is impossible..."
Aster quietly inhaled. His breathing unconsciously followed the rhythm of the emerald light.
Inhale.
Circulate.
Exhale.
Strengthen.
Again.
Again.
Again.
The Codex reacted.
---
Iron Body Foundation
Evolution Progress:
52%
---
"So that's it..."
Aster whispered.
"It isn't regeneration. It is circulation."
The body strengthened itself by moving life through every part.
Blood.
Breath.
Muscles.
Bones.
Everything connected. The stronger the circulation, the stronger the body. It wasn't merely healing damage. It was constantly reinforcing itself.
---
"Ironwall!"
"Switch with me."
The tank immediately obeyed. Aster stepped directly before Baldric. For the first time, he deliberately blocked the guardian's shield with his own sword.
CLANG!
The impact numbed his arms. Instead of retreating, he felt the force travel through his body. His breathing changed. He no longer resisted the shock.
He redirected it.
His muscles relaxed.
His stance adjusted.
The impact dispersed naturally through his body instead of stopping at his arms.
The Codex trembled.
---
Evolution Progress:
71%
---
Baldric attacked again.
And again.
Each impact became another lesson. Each exchange revealed another truth. Life was not about resisting force.
It was about accepting it, circulating it, then becoming stronger because of it.
---
The party fought desperately. Ironwall protected Starveil. Cole continuously chipped away at Baldric's vitality. Lifebloom's mana gradually approached exhaustion.
Even Aster's HP steadily declined.
Thirty percent...
Twenty-five...
The elite guardian showed no sign of weakening. Then, Baldric raised its hammer for its strongest attack.
Guardian's Verdict!
The massive shield and hammer descended together. The entire chamber trembled. Aster stepped forward.
Instead of fear, he calmly closed his eyes.
One breath.
One heartbeat.
One circulation.
At that instant, everything became clear. The emerald light flowing through Baldric, the rhythm of his own breathing...
The pulse within every muscle...
They all shared the same principle. The final page of the Primal Codex turned.
---
Iron Body Foundation
Comprehension:
100%
Conditions Fulfilled.
Evolution Available.
---
Aster opened his eyes. A faint smile appeared.
"I understand."
He didn't evolve the skill yet. But he had completely grasped its truth. His breathing unconsciously became smoother. Every movement consumed less strength.
Every heartbeat carried renewed vitality. The guardian's next strike arrived. Aster sidestepped at the final moment.
"Twin Flash Step."
His body burst forward. Cole immediately understood. She followed.
"Ironwall!"
The tank rammed Baldric's shield from the opposite side. Starveil released his strongest spell.
"Earth Breaker!"
The spell struck the guardian's right knee. A loud crack echoed.For the first time, Baldric staggered.
"The core!"
Aster shouted.
A faint emerald crystal had appeared beneath the guardian's chest where its regeneration converged.
Twin Flash Step exploded once more. Aster crossed the remaining distance instantly. His longsword pierced directly into the glowing crystal.
CRACK!
The emerald light throughout Baldric's body abruptly stopped. Its regeneration ceased.
"Now!"
The entire party attacked without reservation.
Cole's blade.
Ironwall's shield.
Starveil's earth magic.
Even Lifebloom struck with her wooden staff after exhausting nearly all of her mana. The crystal shattered completely. Ashen Warden Baldric froze.
The green light faded from its eyes. Its massive body collapsed before dissolving into countless particles.
---
Elite Mini Boss Defeated
---
Golden pillars of light descended. Cole smiled brightly.
"Level sixteen!"
Ironwall laughed.
"I leveled up again!"
Starveil stared excitedly at his status window.
"Lifebloom too!"
Aster looked at his own panel. The experience bar rapidly climbed before finally stopping.
Level 18 [87%]
A smile slowly appeared on his face. The battle had given him something far more valuable than experience.
The truth behind Iron Body Foundation had finally been comprehended.
The path to its evolution had opened.