Chapter 50: Close Call
While others had ventured down this path, none had succeeded; most had met their end trying, while others had become crippled.
Nero stood as the first to create a second core, a breakthrough that would send shockwaves throughout the world if anyone were to discover this truth. Not that he planned to share it.
He understood that several factors had contributed to this miracle; he felt as though only someone like him could accomplish it. It was as if Prana itself had allowed it to happen, facilitating his success, as though he had been blessed by it.
Suddenly, what Nero had foreseen came to pass. The ambient primordial energy began converging toward him, with him at the center, like a whirlpool. More specifically, the second core nestled inside his heart was voraciously sucking in the surrounding primordial energy, akin to a hungry baby nursing from its mother. This phenomenon was visible to the naked eye.
What should have been good news quickly turned into a nightmare. His body couldn’t keep pace with the rate at which the second core was drawing in prana. If this continued, it would undoubtedly result in his death, as his heart would rupture—an instant death sentence.
Nero, whose eyes were bloodshot and complexion pale, showing the signs of a serious issue, sat back down in meditation. He began using his breathing technique to try to regulate the intake of primordial energy, aiming to temporarily seal the ability of his second core to automatically absorb energy. While he longed to grow his core, not now—his body wouldn’t be able to handle it. It would be suicidal to attempt it. Thus, he needed to remedy this problem as quickly as possible.
After going through a few trials, he succeeded in sealing the second core’s ability to auto-absorb energy using the power of his special eyes. With his enhanced vision, he could see the flow of prana around him in intricate patterns. He focused on the core, visualizing the energy swirling into it. By concentrating on the specific pathways of energy flow, he traced the lines connecting to his core and imagined a barrier forming around it.
Using his willpower, he crafted a mental seal that would suppress the core’s automatic absorption ability. It took immense focus, but he could feel the prana gradually slowing as he successfully implemented the seal. The frantic pull of energy lessened, allowing him to regain control over the situation. The relief washed over him; he had managed to stabilize the core, averting the immediate threat to his life.
"Fuh!" Nero exhaled in relief.
"A little bit more, and I would have died. It was a close call. Fortunately, I reacted quickly. I never would have expected something like this to happen; I was shortsighted, not anticipating every scenario." Nero lamented, making a mental note to remain prudent in the future. He couldn’t afford to make mistakes like this again, or it might cost him his life.