Emery sat cross-legged in the expansive void of the Khaos Space. Due to the never-changing atmosphere, the place felt isolated, away from the world. There was almost no way to tell time. He had concentrated for a whole day, yet he felt no increase in his spirit force.

"Your mind is distracted, kid! Concentrate!" The dragon snarled.

Ever since he gained so many points during his cultivation, the dragon has been paying more attention to him.

But now that they were in the same room for so long, he saw the dragon's expression less as words of concern and more like a person waiting for a piece of meat to become tender enough to be eaten. If anything, the dragon's words only distracted him further away.

The cause of his wandering mind was none other than the red-haired fey girl, Morgana. It appeared her last words to him affected him much more than he initially thought, leaving him unable to even try to concentrate.

In addition, he discovered the cause of the disruption did not lie with his mind, but with his body. Ever since his separation, his blood had not started stirring at all.

This only solidified his resolve to learn more about his fey gene. Even the patriarch of the wolf bloodline had said the fey bloodline was very rare in other parts of the universe. Thinking about it only made him realize he never asked about it to the High Priestess.

He took a deep breath and let everything out. Thanks to this, his mind started to wander off again and, if he let himself be distracted even further, he would just be wasting his time. It was high time to concentrate on his training.

Normally, the best way for him to concentrate would be to think about his fellow acolytes in the elite class. Gerry, the Violet Flame, Micah the crystal acolyte or Lodos the Maniac. They were definitely training really hard too and there was no way he would sit while they were leaving him behind.

Just that small thought was enough for Emery to let himself sink into the line between his mind and the outside world, where he was able to concentrate to the fullest. There was nothing, only himself, his dark core and the abundance of energy within the Khaos Space.

He took a few deep breaths, once more entering into a trance.

[Spirit Force increased]

Finally, the notification he had been waiting for appeared. He had promised himself not to leave this space until he could max out his spirit force.

[Spirit Force increased]

[Spirit Force increased]

Days turned into weeks. Everything felt like a haze, all he could sense was the dragon observing him from afar and the energy entering his body. Three weeks passed and he finally reached his goal.

[Spirit Force increased]

[You have reached the upper limit of spirit force for your rank.]

[Emery Ambrose]

[Battle Power: 70 (53)]

[Spirit Force: 500 (365)]

[Spirit Core of Darkness – Stage 5]

[Fey Bloodline – Rank 3]

[Acolyte Rank: 8]

He didn't just get a notification. Rather, at that moment, he could feel his dark core shudder and stir from within, along with a sensation similar to his heart beating too fast. It was clear: his core was at its maximum capacity. It was like a glass full of water that could topple and spill at any moment.

The dragon seemed to be able to sense it too. It opened its eyes and shouted.

"That's it! You are now ready to create your foundation, kid!"

Emery stood up, looked at the dragon, and asked politely.

"I am ready. Tell me how."

The dragon extended its claw and pulled him over. He cast spiritual energy and brought Emery to a dreamlike place, letting him stand before its faceless form.

This time, the two of them were floating near a massive, black sphere. On closer look, it was perhaps closer to a hardened void, as it looked like a dense crystal full of darkness that could absorb anything it touched.

"This is your dark core, kid."

Not only was it pitch black in color, it periodically trembled, showing as if it was about to explode.

"You are going to reach rank 9, another huge milestone that not just anyone can achieve. Look deeper inside yourself, kid. What do you see?"

Emery stepped closer and looked deep into the core, past the outer wall of darkness and felt a rush of energy. The energy roared fiercely and kept on pushing forward like a continuous wave of water. It was a strong, fierce river.

"Do you like what you see, kid? For spirit foundation, any human's normal spirit core always builds the foundation of power as a calming lake, but look! This is where real power lies! True energy will flow and roar, just like a fierce river!"

The dragon appeared to be way more excited than he was. At this moment, he had no other options to become stronger, as he followed the dark core route instead of a normal core, he was left at the dragon's mercy.

"Now, all you need to do is break the well that contains it and create your foundation with the energy you can gather from the flowing river. That is all, isn't that easy?"

Emery's eyes twitched. He could tell from the dragon's actions that what he was about to do was something really dangerous. He returned to being fully awake. To be safe in what he would be doing next, he needed to be fully in control.

He felt the strong currents of the river and imagined himself reaching out, before unleashing a force strong enough to break it apart.

Or so he thought.

At first, he could feel the fierce rushing river of spirit, but a strange force suddenly appeared and block it. The abrupt stop instantly damaged his inner energy. Blood pooled from his mouth and he spat it down, letting it disappear into the endless abyss.

"What did you do, kid? You fool! Can't you do this right?!"

He willed himself to stay calm. The last thing he needed was the dragon breaking his concentration. Once more, he focused on the river and gathered his strength, ready to break the container apart, but yet again, the river of power was abruptly blocked.

The second attempt only worsened things and his energy started to swirl chaotically. He spat out blood and felt himself drift away into darkness. Emery gradually fell unconscious.

----------------------------------

Written by Avans, Published exclusively by W.e.b.n.o.v.e.l,