Chapter 417: Destruction and Recovery (2)
To undergo the process one time pushed Hex to his limits. To repeat it two more times? That meant breaking through his mental barriers.
’I can’t...won’t stop now. I just have to brace myself.’
Steeling his nerves at the following dawn, he repeated the process. Only, it turned worse the second time. He screamed in agony as his skin touched the fiery liquid. The first time the searing pain gradually spread through his body, giving him time to adjust to it. This time, however, the pain permeated through his core.
By the time he became aware of his surroundings, another day had almost passed.
’What happened?’ He lay beside the tub, panting. A mixture of powerlessness and vitality filled him. He felt...alive. More so than ever. The world, and its wonders, felt closer than before. At the same time he couldn’t move even a single finger.
Summoning the Knight’s Path, he went over the notes. Was he doing something wrong? It felt like it, though he was sure he followed each step to precision. There. A scribble on the side.
Newly-formed flesh is highly sensitive to each sensation. To put into perspective, the body will experience each sensation at least ten times stronger than a body used to the prickles of its surroundings.
’Thanks for putting that in miniature letters,’ Hex complained. It seemed like it was done on purpose. ’Perhaps it was,’ he mumbled with a frown. The baron wouldn’t shy away from putting him through the worst if he believed it was for Hex’s growth.
He spent the rest of the day recuperating. Sterling made sure his food was delivered to his room and that the rooms around his were cleared out. As Sterling put it, Hex was his investment in making it to gain recognition all around the world. Winning would make him the heir, so he preferred that. But if they failed to win, reaching the top three would guarantee a network with people around the world, helping him build his own merchant group.