As Nox was condensing ki inside his chest, he also enhanced the area as much as he could. Because of the abundance of the elixir's energy inside him, his ki recovery speed was remarkably fast, faster than he had ever experienced before.
He kept condensing his ki while his body kept recovering it at an extraordinary rate. A complete cycle was formed, a perpetual loop that would last until the energy of the elixirs ran out completely.
'I think I can form my core,' thought Nox, a faint smile crossing his pale face.
A person needs a tremendous amount of ki to form their core. Nox couldn't form it before because of his severe lack of ki reserves. But now that his recovery speed was so high, he believed he could make it, at least in theory. The elixirs had given him this one precious opportunity.
Nox kept condensing it despite his body being wracked with pain. The compressed ki started getting repelled outward with increasing force. The more he compressed it, the stronger the repelling force became, pushing back against his will like an invisible barrier.
He was also losing consciousness because of his mounting injuries. Nox bit his tongue with more force until it started bleeding profusely. He could taste the metallic tang of the blood filling his mouth, the sharp pain helping to keep him focused.
The energy inside him was being consumed at a tremendous speed, draining faster with each passing moment. Nox condensed his ki more and more with each second, pouring every ounce of concentration into the task.
'I think I will barely make it,' thought Nox, uncertainty creeping into his mind.
Either he would succeed in making his core or his energy would run out first. He was taking a gamble, and making a core was an inherently dangerous process because of its close proximity to the heart. If he suddenly lost control of his condensed ki, it could blast out with tremendous power, and it could damage his heart irreparably or even kill him instantly.
Nox had to be extremely cautious here. All that hard training Nox did to control his ki was paying off now. The core was starting to form, and the outline of a marble-sized sphere could be seen taking shape within his chest.
The condensation of the ki was becoming difficult by the second. The more ki he condensed, the more difficult it was becoming, as if the energy itself resisted being compressed further.
Nox couldn't relax for even a second. All over his body, his veins were turning a dark blue color, bulging beneath his skin. They were reaching their absolute limit, threatening to burst.
'I am reaching my limit. I can't stop here or all of this will go to waste, and I won't get a second chance like this again,' thought Nox desperately. It was a dangerous gamble. Even if he succeeded in forming his core, his injuries wouldn't just disappear magically. They would still be there, festering and potentially fatal. He could also damage some part of his body permanently, crippling himself for life.
The outline of the core was becoming more solid by the second. His core was just a vague outline before, barely visible in his mind's eye. Now it was becoming clear and defined, taking on a more concrete form.
The elixir's energy was nearing its end, and so was the completion of the core. 'It looks like the elixir's energy will run out first,' thought Nox with growing dread.
As Nox was busy refining the remaining energy, he suddenly vomited blood onto the floor and the wooden box, coloring them crimson red. It looked like he had received severe internal injuries from the strain. His face turned deathly pale, with eyes bloodshot and red, nose and ears bleeding freely, mouth and chin covered in blood. With the bulging blue veins standing out starkly against his pale skin, reeking of blood and looking utterly inhuman, he resembled a demon more than a human.
'I need to hold on. I need to hold on. I can't lose here. I must succeed,' thought Nox with fierce determination burning in his chest. Even when he was close to dying, teetering on death's edge, he didn't lose his determination or his will to survive.
The core was almost complete, nearly finished. But his fears came true. The energy of the elixirs ran out completely, leaving him empty. His body wouldn't recover his ki that fast anymore. The supernatural speed was gone.
Now he only had his own reserve of ki left, and that ki was also running out quite fast, draining away like water through his fingers. He had to make his core before it ran out, or all that agonizing process would go to waste, leaving him worse off than before.
He coughed more blood, spilling it over his already soaked clothes. 'Just hold on, only for a minute, only for a minute,' thought Nox desperately between violent coughing fits.
The room was filled with the overwhelming smell of blood, thick and cloying in the air.
Due to severe blood loss, he was on the verge of losing consciousness completely, his vision darkening at the edges. But the excruciating pain kept him awake, anchoring him to consciousness. The condensation became so difficult that he thought he would fail for certain. The repelling force reached its peak, fighting against him with all its might.
The progress slowed down to a snail's pace, agonizingly slow.
The core was almost completed, tantalizingly close. But the ki inside him was also nearing its end, nearly depleted.
Nox was desperately hoping the ki would last until he formed the core completely. But reality proved him wrong. He ran out of ki before he could form the core. The core was just a breath away from completion, so close he could almost feel it solidify.
"No, no, NO!" Nox started screaming hoarsely, his voice raw and desperate. The core became unstable. It started shaking violently within his chest. Nox put every ounce of his willpower to maintain the core's structure, but it kept shaking uncontrollably, threatening to collapse or explode.
Nox couldn't maintain it anymore and started losing consciousness, his grip on reality slipping away. He started to fall back. When he was about to crash onto the floor, he gathered the last dregs of strength and energy that he had recovered from every part of his body, scraping together everything he had left. He sent it all rushing to his core in one final, desperate push.
When Nox hit the floor hard, he heard a deafening explosion echoing through the room, and then he lost consciousness completely.
Nox found himself in a world of vivid colors swirling around him. 'What is this place? Did I succeed in forming my core? But I heard an explosion. Did my core explode? Or was it something else entirely?' thought Nox, confusion flooding his mind.
He observed his surroundings carefully. All around him he could see vivid colors mixed together in strange patterns, flowing and shifting. He couldn't make out his surroundings clearly. 'Where am I?'
Soon the surroundings cleared gradually, and he saw his courtyard. He was standing at the entrance of the corridor, looking out. 'Why does everything look so big?' thought Nox with bewilderment. He observed himself closely. 'Oh, now I understand why everything looks so big. It's me who is small, not the world that grew larger. But why am I here in my younger body?' thought Nox as he observed his small body that looked about five years old.
He was also holding a wooden sword in one small hand, the grip almost too large for his fingers. He tried to control his body but failed completely. 'Why can't I control my own body? Am I in a dream, or is it my life flashing before me before I die?' thought Nox with growing unease.
'The possibility of me dying is pretty high,' thought Nox grimly. He started observing the scene unfolding around him, unable to do anything but watch.
In the courtyard he could see a boy around fifteen years old training with a sword, his movements fluid and practiced.
'Brother Shade,' thought Nox with recognition. He recognized the boy as his older brother Shade, looking just as he remembered from those early days.
He remembered this scene clearly now. The young Nox's eyes were shining with admiration and wonder. Nox could feel his younger self's pure happiness radiating through him. The young Nox tried to imitate his brother's movements. He swung the wooden sword with childish excitement and determination. Nox could feel the polished handle of the sword in his small palm, smooth and worn from use.
Nox could even smell the flowers from nearby, their sweet fragrance carried on the breeze.
It felt so real and vivid that for a moment he thought he had actually traveled back to the past. He could even taste the lingering sweetness of the apple the young Nox had eaten before coming here to watch his brother train.
The scenes changed over time, flowing like water. The early scenes were of him trying to imitate his siblings over the years, following them around and copying their every move.
Then finally came a scene where he was standing in the courtyard alone. His age was around eight years old now. He was holding a wooden sword. It was bigger than before, sized for an older child. The sword was for training purposes. The weight of the sword was evenly distributed for proper balance. The handle felt a little rough compared to before, worn down by countless hours of practice. He could feel the warmth of the sun's rays coming from his right side, heating his face.
Opposite him stood a woman. She was wearing lightweight red armor with white clothes underneath, practical yet elegant. She was also holding a wooden sword with practiced ease. Her face was a little blurry, indistinct like his siblings' faces had been before.
She was demonstrating basic sword moves with precision and grace. Little Nox was repeating after her carefully, trying to match her form. 'Mom,' thought Nox, emotion welling up inside him.
Soon the scene faded away to be replaced by another memory. One after another, scenes came and went like pages in a book.
Then came a scene where Nox first failed to awaken his ki. 'Why am I seeing this unpleasant scene?' thought Nox with dismay. After that came many more similar scenes. In all of them he failed to awaken, over and over again. These were the darkest days of Nox's life, the time he tried hardest to forget. He could clearly feel the young Nox's turbulent feelings washing over him: the anger burning hot, the resentment toward those who succeeded where he failed, and the crushing sadness that threatened to consume him.
Then came a scene where his father finally awakened him using his own power. He was happy at first, joy flooding through him. But soon that changed, the happiness fading. In the following scenes he saw the younger version of himself struggling desperately to increase his ki, but to no avail.
Then came a scene where his father refined some of his own ki and transferred it to him, sharing his power. In the following scenes all he did was training relentlessly, just training day after day. Nothing but endless, grueling training sessions that pushed him to his limits.
Then came a scene where his father gave him the precious wooden box with its four elixirs. In the next scene he consumed all four of the elixirs back to back in desperate succession, only to fail at the very end despite his efforts.
As the final scene ended, so did the light surrounding him. Then everything was engulfed in complete and total darkness, swallowing him whole.