Merge

My stomach growled at me for ignoring it today, I felt famished. So I went toward the kitchen and found no one there. Looking around I saw that there were still leftovers form today's lunch and I ate ravenously and to my heart's content. I even felt that my stomach swelled a little that the Limiter was forced to expand for the extra room.

Walking back to my room I slept like a baby. Today was exhausting even if most of what I did was just sitting around and assimilate.

Waking up early in the morning I began assimilating, there was no need for me to take a morning shower as I will just get dirty again after doing this so I might as well do both at the same time.

I broke through the first level yesterday and reaching the third level will let me use Nocturne's technique, then I will begin learning how to strengthen. I have much to learn and many things to know, and not much time to do all, I think a wise person said the statement 'Too many books, so little time' this was exactly my case, I have too much stuff on my plate I can't keep track of everything.

Sigh

Once I began assimilating I noticed the difference between my method and Nocturne's. He was able to absorb absurd amounts of that golden energy that he called Qi and fuse it to the flesh at a frightening rate, it seems that he was experienced in doing this… while I, on the other hand, am barely able to allocate a fraction of what he did, at this rate breaking through the second level will at least take two more days.

And so I sat, waiting, gathering, and harnessing the energy.

Once I felt that I was close enough to halfway point I opened my eyes and went to the showers once again. After finishing I went back to the kitchen took my breakfast and went back to the courtyard where I resumed assimilation. This continued for two days with nothing apparently happening. Once I managed to breakthrough for the second time I felt much relieved. There is not much time left for the start of the school year, and once that time has come I will need to be as strong as possible.

'Basara, you seem to have managed to break through and now you are at the third level. However, do you see the difference and vastness of the sea you will need to cross before you breakthrough again?' Nocturne asked

'What do you mean?' I asked.

'Look within yourself, focus your vision on your inner self, see like you did to that girl before then you will understand' he said

I closed my eyes and used monochrome vision, then I waited.

After a brief moment, I saw what he meant, there was a small globe of energy that was swirling within me, far smaller than what I had seen on Lady Akari.

'Reach for it' he said.

And I did, getting my vision closer to it, I was instantly engulfed by that gentle light and my world changed.

My vision opened up on a black void where only a yellow glowing orb was shining. Behind it stood a figure, far too big and far too imposing. It was Nocturne, he stood behind the orb both hands around it his skull face was reflecting some of its light making him look terrifying.

'This is your inner sea. It is a translation of your current ability, the strength within you and your power. This sea is a representation of your strength'

I then saw small specs of light that looked like dust flowing toward it

'Those specs that you see are the result of your Cultivation, those small glowing specs enlargen this sea and make you stronger. However, one cannot gather as much as he can, there is always a limit, and those limits once broke you breakthrough to another realm of power.'

'So that is what happens when I breakthrough' I said

'Yes, your next breakthrough will require you to enlarge this sea a hundred time more.'

'A hundred time?!!' I asked in surprise, I mean this thing was huge it was a mostly three-meter diameter, a hundred time gathering this energy that is a lot.

'Indeed, the next level will require you to enlarge this sea a thousand times more, every level will make itself harder and harder, but you have time and me as a mentor, reaching the final levels will not be as difficult for you as it is for everyone else.'

'Damn, this sure does sound like hard work' I said still unable to fully grasp the enormity of the task.

'Now this,' he said as he summoned a black swirling ball, it was quite ominous and quite frightening.

'This is the sea of your magic ability'he held both orbs one in each hand, however, the difference in size was apparent, it seems that the black ball of energy was about one-tenth the size of the other'

'the golden one represents your strength, the black one represent your magic, what you seek is a path that you can manage both at once, thus.' He said as he pushed both the globes into each other. They both transformed into a huge ball. It looked like a black sun that would consume all.

'This is the path that you will be reaching for, However, the condition that you need to breakthrough again have multiplied by tenfold.'

'That is absurd! No way will anyone be able to reach even the fifth level like this.'

'Like I said, I will be your mentor, this is indeed a hard task but I achieved the final breakthrough in my life with this, and so will you.'

'How old were you when before you died Nocturne?'

'I never died, Basara, I am only imprisoned, this form you see is the result of a mistake, but worry not, I will make sure nothing like this happens to you. As for your answer, it took me three hundred years to break the fifteenth realm.'

'Weren't there only ten?' I asked as I really remembered master Shen only mentioning ten

'Ten is the limit of what a human can do, once you reach it, you transcend. And become… something else…' he said.

I didn't even want to know what that something else… because truly, if it could survive three centuries then it is obviously something inhuman. I took another look at nocturne's physic and confirmed it… definitely not human.

'Once you awaken you will feel a grand difference in your body condition. Do not worry and do not fret, you will see things differently and feel things differently, but make sure that no matter what never use magic without my permission.'

Then I awoke.

As I was sitting around. I expected that my body would feel drenched with sweat, but no.

It was almost on fire, so hot yet at the same time, not painful it was refreshing.

I could feel my own pulse all around my body, my vision blurred a moment then turned sharper than I could have ever felt, I was able to see details with great efficiency.

I could feel a pulse of power emitting from my body, so strong that if I forced myself a little I would break the Limiter.

'You seem to have noticed the change'

'What is this?'

'This is what happens when your inner Qi and Mana harmonize, they fused together and are now empowering your body. This state is only available to those that have broken through the seventh realm of cultivation and have extraordinary magic ability. You, however, cannot use this power efficiently yet. If you try to force it, then your muscles will tear from strain and your mind will explode from the recoil of magic. You need to slowly build your mind and body for it to contain the power that you now hold.'

Master Shen then approached and as he got closer he instantly flinched.

"Don't tell me!"

"I broke through again Master Shen, I think I will be needing a stronger Limiter, this one is about to break…'

Master Shen could only look dumbfounded as he was unable to grasp what was happening.

I should go easy on him, too many shocks are not good for one's mental health…