"Then, what is this glass?" Leyvi asked, pointing at it.
Dastan shrugged. "Don't know."
Leyvi turned to the seven pandas.
"We don't know." "It's always there." "Panda God, sit on it, best place in forest," the pandas replied.
"Wait, is it fine for me to use this formation? The other demonic beasts nearby seem to be staring at us. Are they angry that an outsider is trying to use this place?" Leyvi asked.
"Don't worry, don't worry!" "It's our turn to use." "We give our turns to Panda God!" the pandas replied.
"Alright." Leyvi trusted the pandas. They were under the influence of his Panda Affinity benefit, after all.
Leyvi slipped through the narrow gaps between the bamboos and entered the center of the nature-born formation, stepping onto the clear glass on the ground and walking to the center.
The glass sank slightly under his weight, emitting a soft glow that rippled outward, casting prismatic glints across the clearing. Leyvi felt the atmosphere shift—spiritual energy thickened, concentrating around him, his mind sharpening to crystalline clarity. The relaxing sensation surpassed even the bamboo forest's initial calm, enveloping him in a profound tranquility, as if the world itself cradled his thoughts.
"Hahaha! This really feels amazing. What a great place to meditate. Oi, Dastan, come here too. You guys, can more people enter?" Leyvi turned to the pandas and asked.
"Yes, yes. He can!" "Panda God's companion can enter, share!" "But the effect will be divided equal," the pandas answered, nodding eagerly, their heads bobbing.
"Is that so? That's still very good. Come, Dastan, don't be shy. A chance like this doesn't come often."
"No need," Dastan said, shaking his head. "This prince is already at the peak Core Formation Realm, so no need for this kind of place. You enjoy it. While you consume the Fire Essence Beads, this prince will explore the forest. Everything's peaceful here, so there won't be any danger." He turned, striding away from the formation, his figure blending into the towering bamboo, the mist swallowing his steps.
"Alright, no problem," Leyvi said. He spread his spiritual sense, covering the entire bamboo forest for a quick scan, ensuring the place was truly safe.
Surprisingly, Leyvi quickly noticed a difference in his spiritual sense. It was sharper and richer.
What? I can hear and smell through my spiritual sense again, like that time! he thought, excitement surging. Is this the formation's work? Hahaha! Last time, it was so sudden I couldn't savor it, but now it's different. The forest's sounds and scents flooded his senses vividly, as if he were physically present anywhere he focused. Leyvi rejoiced inwardly, focusing intently to etch this enhanced sensation into his memory, determined to emulate it later without the formation's buff.
Some time later, after he felt he had memorized the sensations, Leyvi stopped to focus on consuming the Fire Essence Beads.
Leyvi willed a Fire Essence Bead from his internal storage room, the beautiful, fiery orb appearing between his thumb and index finger, its swirling reds, crimsons, and oranges radiating potent Qi, casting a warm glow across the glass.
"What a beautiful bead. If this were turned into accessories, I bet it'd be popular," he mused.
While staring at the bead, he recalled how careful and sneaky he had to be to steal tens of thousands of beads in that inferno crater, unsure of the fire rock monster's strength. The beads were piled up around the slumbering monster.
It must have never thought any being could enter its inferno crater unscathed, and its alertness was likely nonexistent due to this for a long time. After three days, it finally noticed him taking the beads and smashed him out of the crater.
Leyvi sighed. It was a pity the fire rock noticed, or he could have grabbed more. He only got a tenth of the total Fire Essence Beads there. He wasn't sure how many would be needed to reach the affinity given by the Talent Bead, but he hoped the amount he had was enough.
Leyvi took a deep breath and exhaled. "Once I obtain a real fire affinity, I won't be in that much of a pickle even if I lose my Talent Bead. I could still use my favorite big bang attacks."
"Hmm… I really want to feel the difference before and after consuming the beads, how much my body's fire affinity increased when I try my martial skill later, but the Talent Bead's fire affinity'll make it hard to discern," he muttered, scratching his chin, his eyes narrowing in thought.
A sudden idea sparked. "Wait a minute, if my Handsomeness Slider can basically turn on and off, wouldn't it be possible to disable my Fire Affinity too?" His eyebrow raised, a grin forming.
"Yo, Toy Spirit, can I disable my Talent Bead's benefits momentarily and enable them again later?" he asked, voice tinged with curiosity, testing his suspicion.
[Yes, you can,] a feminine voice replied, cool and clear, resonating in his mind.
"Hahaha! I knew it. Then why didn't you tell me about this?"
[Because there was no reason to disable any of the benefits. That's why they're called benefits. You're the only host to ever request disabling a benefit. Congratulations, host, you obtained the title Retard Host.]
Leyvi rolled his eyes, shaking his head. This Toy Spirit's becoming a bigger troll now, huh, he thought, amused despite the jab. "Ahem… Toy Spirit, please disable my Fire Affinity benefit for now," he said, clearing his throat.
[Done. However, next time, the host doesn't need to call for me. Just will it, and the settings will be adjusted accordingly.]
"Hahaha! Good to know. Thanks, Toy Spirit."
"…"
"This Toy Spirit, leaving me hanging again," Leyvi said.
Wait, the Fire Affinity benefit is disabled now, let me see… Hmm… my body doesn't feel different at all from before, he thought.
He raised his fist, willing fiery Qi to charge it, but only his normal, attributeless Qi flowed. The effortless conversion to fire elemental Qi was gone. He tried again, forcing the conversion manually, and a familiar, frustrating sensation returned. The terribly slow conversion he experienced in the past was back.
Leyvi nodded. This was the reality of his body without the Talent Bead. His suspicion back then was correct. The benefits from the Talent Bead didn't physically affect his body; they were external and could disappear anytime.
Leyvi took a deep breath and exhaled. "God of fire, please give me as much fire affinity as possible! Let's go!" He flicked his finger, shooting the Fire Essence Bead into his mouth.
"Aaa! It tastes like super spicy candy," Leyvi remarked.
The bead dissolved on his tongue, releasing a surge of fiery Qi that flowed into his meridians like molten streams. His meridians tingled, warming as if a spark had ignited within their pathways. His skin felt a subtle heat, and he sensed a faint connection to the warmth in the air, as if his body was beginning to align with fire. For the next two hours, the sensation intensified. The fiery Qi coursed through his meridians, and he noticed his normal Qi converting to fire Qi faster than before, the flow amplifying slightly as it moved. The Qi surged quicker, smoother, making his body feel vibrant, as if fire was becoming part of him. It was thrilling, a quiet rush that sharpened his senses.
He consumed another bead. The spicy burst hit again, and the fiery Qi flowed, though the heat in his meridians was slightly less intense. His meridians still absorbed the energy eagerly, the warmth spreading, but the increase in conversion speed and amplification felt marginally weaker. Over the next two hours, his skin carried a faint warmth, and he could feel his meridians processing fire Qi more naturally, the flow faster than with attributeless Qi. The sensation was exciting, though the growth was less pronounced.
Bead after bead, every two hours, Leyvi continued. Each brought a spicy jolt, followed by a slow infusion of fiery Qi. His meridians pulsed with heat, the conversion to fire Qi speeding up and amplifying further, the flow becoming swifter, like a river finding its course. By the tenth bead, his meridians converted normal Qi to fire Qi with noticeable ease, the amplified Qi rushing through faster, making his body feel lighter. However, the boost in affinity began to taper off. The warmth was still there, but it felt like adding a small stream to an already strong current—effective, but less transformative.
After fifty beads, spanning five days, Leyvi's meridians radiated subtle heat even at rest. The conversion to fire Qi was swift, the amplified Qi flowing rapidly, as if his meridians were now tuned to fire's rhythm. He felt an innate closeness to fire, his breaths carrying a faint warmth. Yet, the beads' effectiveness waned. Each new bead added only a slight increase in conversion speed, like a breeze stirring an already rushing river. The spicy taste lingered, but the infusion of fiery Qi was more subdued.
By the hundredth bead, after nearly two weeks, Leyvi barely felt the increase. The bead dissolved, delivering its spicy kick, but the fiery Qi merged into his meridians with little effect. The conversion to fire Qi was already fast, the amplified Qi flowing smoothly and swiftly, but the additional boost was negligible, like a single drop in a full stream. He sat still, feeling the steady heat in his meridians, satisfied with the fire affinity he had gained but aware it had plateaued. The process had transformed his meridians' ability to handle fire Qi, yet he sensed the beads could take him no further.
"Alright! I think it has already reached the max. I wonder how much different my body's fire affinity is compared with the Talent Bead? Let's test it!"