Chapter 25 – Progression
Sunlight slipped through the cracks in the ruined walls, painting dusty golden lines across Seth's face.
His eyes fluttered open. A low groan escaped him as he sat up, every muscle stiff, every breath dragging against bruised ribs. Pain still clung to him, but it was duller than before. Manageable.
Testing his arm, he flexed the once-broken limb. It ached fiercely, but at least it held its shape. His ribs stabbed when he moved too quickly, yet the sharp edge of agony had eased.
Judging by the clear skys, he felt that two days… maybe three, has passed. Hunger gnawed at him like teeth, hollow and insistent.
But pain or hunger—neither mattered right now. He couldn't stay weak. Not again.
Dragging the makeshift pouch closer, he tipped its contents onto the floor. Glittering cores spilled out in a wave of faint light, scattering across the dusty boards. Even that small motion pulled at his ribs, pain flashing through his side, but he ignored it.
The system screen rose before his vision.
NAME: Seth
TRAIT(S): Weapon Mastery [+]
CORE: Initiate — Level Six
SATURATION: 4%
STATS—
Physique: 12.0 [+]
Spirit: 11.0 [+]
ITEMS—
Soul Weapon: Sword
SP: 57.0
His brows lifted. Looking at the SPs he felt the number was… absurd. It was more than he'd ever held at once.
Concentrating on the small message icon, a tally unfolded in front of him:
11 × Level Two cores
23 × Level Three
18 × Level Four
12 × Level Five
13 × Level Six
9 × Level Seven
7 × Level Eight
9 × Level Nine
And lastly—the lizard's core.
Seth blinked at the pile. It was a lot. Far more than he'd dared hope. If he hadn't left behind the weaker spoils during the Waterhouse trip, it would have been overwhelming.
His lips curled into a thin, broken smile. SP at its highest. Cores stacked high. He couldn't help release a satisfied chuckle.
He set aside the satisfaction. It was time to ascend.
Starting with the weakest, he aborbed the level two cores one by one. A faint warmth spread into him, little more than sparks—so small the system didn't even bother registering it. And if it did it would have to be in decimals.
Expected.
He moved on to the Level Threes. A subtle shift, a small but tangible rise—two points added to his saturation. Of course, this was including the…. Decimals from the level twos.
The Fours, then the Fives. His core stirred with each wave, glowing faintly, rising steadily until the system registered 17%.
His heart quickened. It was so….. low.
The Level Sixes carried him higher. 53%. His body flushed with heat.
Then came the Sevens. His hands shook as the rush surged through him—94%.
And finally, a single Level Eight. Enough to tip him over the edge. 100%.
He felt a familiar barrier inside him, a wall against which his power pressed and strained. Seth exhaled, lowering himself into a seated position, closing his eyes.
The breakthrough began.
The pain came first—searing, all-consuming. His core cracked, forcing itself open against the unyielding wall. Every nerve in his body screamed. He clenched his teeth until his jaw ached, fists trembling against the floorboards.
Then, bliss.
And the pain. And then bliss. It continued like this until…..
Like water bursting through a dam, strength rushed outward. Relief and agony tangled together as his body surged, his core stabilized, his spirit resonating in harmony. His skin prickled with vitality, bones humming stronger.
When it ended, Seth slumped forward, sweat dripping. His breathing was ragged, but a faint smile tugged at his lips.
He felt stronger. Lighter. Even his wounds mended faster, the edges of pain blunted as his body adapted to the change.
Level Seven.
For a while he basked in it. The feeling after a breakthrough was always intoxicating—like standing at the edge of a cliff with the whole sky open before him.
But the work wasn't done.
He resumed the absorption, moving through the remaining Eights and Nines. The flood carried him upward again, saturation climbing to 67%. More than halfway. But not enough.
His gaze fell on the lizard's core.
It gleamed faintly in the light, motes swirling inside like a captured storm. Different. Tempting. Unknown.
But….. not yet.
He closed his fist around it, then shoved it back into the pouch. This one, he would save.
His hunger gnawed again, though less violently now. Leveling up had dulled it, but not erased it. His body still needed real food.
Pushing to his feet, he tested his limbs with light stretches, punches, and kicks. Bones popped. Muscles groaned. His body was battered but workable. Enough—so long as another Novice didn't cross his path.
Then his nose wrinkled. A pungent stench clung to him—rot, dried blood, sweat. The odor was sharp enough to make him recoil.
"Damn, I stink," he muttered.
It wasn't his fault though. Days caked in blood and filth without a single wash would do that to anyone. He resolved to enter the forest and find the stream soon.
For now, food.
Seth slipped into the ruins outside, hunted, and returned with the headless corpse of a boar. He scavenged the surrounding houses until he had enough splintered wood for a fire, stacking it carefully before setting the meat to roast.
Flames licked the air, smoke curling upward. The savory scent slowly drowned out the stench of blood. His stomach growled.
As the meat crackled, he summoned the system screen again. The golden window hovered before his iris.
Focusing on the SP points he smiled.
SP: 57.0
It was time.