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[#~System Notification~#]
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[#~WARNING~#]
[The amount of Qi within the host's body is rising tremendously!]
[The limit of energy that the host's body can endure has been crossed!]
[The host's body has begun to deteriorate!]
[If not dealt with quickly, Host will not be able to survive!]
---
Suffering under the gradually growing pressure, Lucian couldn't help but frown. No matter how much he gritted his teeth, the pain didn't seem to recede.
With each second, his veins swelled further—bulging through his skin. And as if that wasn't enough, his own body had begun to expand.
As his insides churned in turmoil, Lucian's muscles began to swell, unable to contain the energy. At the same time, the warmth within his abdomen slowly began to rise. Faint, low groans hummed through the air as his agony only grew.
Soon, his loose clothing was tightly wrapped around his skin, trying to keep his body within.
In such a dire situation, Lucian slowly opened one of his eyes. He wanted to witness the situation firsthand and analyze it, if possible.
Through his slightly parted eyelids, his dark irises peeked through the deep crimson hue of his bloodshot eyes.
First, his irises darted down towards his own body as if he wanted to check something.
'No needles!' His eyes widened, although only for a moment. Almost instantly, from the corner of his eyes, Lucian caught a glimpse of a red hue.
Upon raising his gaze, he saw the flickering barrage of system screens—each shimmering in the blood-red color of danger.
It was then that he was finally able to know of his condition as he quickly skimmed through the system screen.
'Wait, that's it!?' After reading through the system's alerts, Lucian was dumbfounded. For a while, he had been silently contemplating what could've caused his condition to grow dire in an instant.
While trying to keep his condition at bay, he physically struggled not to die. And yet, now that his body was on the verge of collapse, he came to know that what he had imagined to be a giant cliff was only a tiny ridge.
Whether to praise his fate or to curse it, he could not figure it out.
Then all of a sudden, he shut his eyes and straightened his slouching back.
Lucian's condition... It was similar to a cup.
A tiny, fist-sized cup made of earthen clay. The cup represented his physique, while the qi he had just ingested was comparable to a gallon of boiling hot water.
As the water was poured into the cup, at first, everything remained normal. But once the cup was full and it could not hold more, even then, the water did not stop. It kept pouring down onto the cup with the same intensity. After a point, the cup itself had begun to deteriorate due to the high-temperature water.
That represented his current situation. As such, Lucian had two paths to choose from for his survival. Either to throw the excess water out and consolidate his injuries throughout his entire lifetime.
Or, use the water's heat as a chance to destroy his cup and shape it anew.
Of course, the latter offered lesser chances of survival and even fewer if one were to consider staying sane throughout the process.
'Is that even a choice?' The corners of his lips slowly curled into a wide grin, slightly twitching in pain. 'It's about damn time that I created a new masterpiece!'
As the thought struck his mind like a thunder that cleared the lurching group of clouds, a sharp sound rang through his forehead.
At the same time, the pain within his body suddenly disappeared. At first, Lucian did not believe it. He simply brushed it off as his body being numb.
He sat in his meditative stance, patiently waiting for the pain to return.
'Uhm?' Seconds turned into minutes, and yet, he still sat there clueless. In the end, Lucian decided to open his eyes only to find a system window hanging right before his face.
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[#~System Notification~#]
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[Your will to continue improving yourself even in the face of death and to challenge death head-on has resonated deeply with your Element of Creation—Infinity—and its trait—Transcendence.]
[Both 'Infinity' and 'Transcendence' have noticed the Host's current situation!]
[As such, 'Infinity' and 'Transcendence' have begun to resonate with each other through the Host's will!]
[With the combined and harmonized effects of 'Infinity' and 'Transcendence,' you've been granted another chance!]
---
All of a sudden, a soft melody began to hum into his ears. At the same time, a soft, soothing warmth budded into his body. Unlike the warmth that pained him to death mere moments ago, this newfound warmth felt comfortable. Almost like a mother's embrace.
Then, a muffled voice comprised of many began singing a mysterious hymn within his mind.
From void to form, from death to dawn,
A mortal stands where gods have gone.
Flesh may fall, and time may fade,
Yet Will Eternal shall not be swayed.
O bearer of defiance, flame unbound,
The stars themselves in awe resound.
For you have walked where none should tread,
And claimed your life from the hands of dread.
We—Infinity, without an end,
And Transcendence, who shall not bend—
We weave anew what fate denied,
A shell reborn, where power hides.
Rise, O host, through boundless pain,
The cosmos kneels—your soul remains.
For you have earned what none could claim...
The right to exist beyond the flame.
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[#~System Notification~#]
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[Your physique has begun to evolve!]
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