Chapter 57: One step at a time

Reese jolted awake, his heart pounding in his chest. For a moment, he was disoriented, caught between the vivid intensity of his dreams and the mundane reality of his bed. He lay still, his mind racing, trying to piece together the fragments of his memory.

Suddenly, he remembered. With a sense of urgency, he emerged from the Amethyst Orb, reappearing in the familiar confines of his room.

His eyes darted to the digital clock on his nightstand. It glowed softly in the dim light, displaying the time: 6:00 a.m. on a Monday.

Reese let out a breath he didn't realize he had been holding. "Only 6 a.m.," he murmured, relief mingling with confusion. "Thank God."

He heaved a sigh of relief, but his tranquility was short-lived. As he realized, he went to sleep at almost 3 a.m. when he arrived, and now it was 6 a.m. That means he slept for three days inside the Amethyst Orb.

"Wait... three days?" he exclaimed. "I was asleep for three days."

He had been inside the Amethyst Orb for three days straight.

"I can't believe it," he muttered, sinking back onto his bed. "Three days? How is that even possible?"

Reese rubbed his temples, trying to make sense of it. "It must have been because my energy was completely drained after the fight. But still, three days…"

He stared at the ceiling, the weight of exhaustion still pressing down on him. "No wonder I felt like I was floating in a void," he whispered. "I pushed myself too hard."

His mind drifted back to the battle, the relentless clash of powers, and the sheer intensity of it all. He had barely made it back to the Amethyst Orb, collapsing into a deep sleep the moment he was inside.

"This is insane," Reese said to himself. "I need to be more careful. If I push myself like that again..."

He shook his head, resolving to find a better balance. "I can't afford to be out of commission for days at a time." Even though only three hours passed in the outside world, it was still a waste of time. He could have done a lot of training in those three days.

Suddenly, a thought struck him, making his heart race with excitement. "The lieutenants' bodies!" he exclaimed. "They're still inside the orb!"

Reese was ecstatic. He had almost forgotten about the two bodies of the lieutenants he had defeated. Immediately, he closed his eyes, focusing his energy to re-enter the Amethyst Orb.

Inside the orb, the bodies of the two lieutenants lay where he had left them, a grim reminder of the battle he had survived. He approached them, his eyes glinting with determination.

"I need to extract the mysterious black energy," he murmured, reaching out his hands. "I might be able to break through to the Medial Realm, the next major realm."

Just thinking about it made Reese shake with excitement.

With a deep breath, Reese began the extraction process. Minutes passed, and it was done. The bodies of the two lieutenants turned gray, and they started to crumble. Reese was surprised the last time; when he extracted the mysterious dark energy of Serpenthia, she did not even turn into this. "It must be that they are inside the Orb."

Then Reese stared at the large amount of mysterious, dark energy. It was five times more than Serpenthia.

"This is incredible," he said, his voice barely a whisper. "With this energy, I will definitely break through into the Medial Realm."

And with that, Reese willed the Amethyst Orb to transform the large amount of mysterious black energy into an Amethyst Aura.

Before starting his cultivation, Reese noticed something remarkable. He ran his hands over his body, realizing that all his injuries were completely healed. The cuts, bruises, and pain that had plagued him after the battle were gone, leaving his body feeling refreshed and invigorated.

"The Amethyst Aura is so amazing," Reese muttered, running his hands over his arms and chest. "Every injury... healed."

With renewed determination, Reese stripped naked, sat cross-legged, and began cultivating. He absorbed the amethyst aura, feeling the energy course through his veins.

After many hours of intense cultivation, Reese finally opened his eyes. The amethyst aura had been absorbed completely into his body, and he felt a surge of strength and clarity. However, as he assessed his progress, a sense of disappointment washed over him.

He had only reached the very peak of the Nether Realm, but he had not broken through to the Medial Realm as he had hoped. The vast amount of Amethyst Aura he had absorbed should have been enough to propel him to the next level, yet it wasn't.

"Damn it," Reese muttered to himself, frustration evident in his voice. "I thought this would be enough."

He paced back and forth, his mind racing with questions. "Why didn't it work? I did everything right. The energy was there; I felt it. What am I missing?"

He muttered to himself, "It seems like every time I break through to the next stage, I need more Amethyst Aura. A lot more."

Sitting down on the edge of his bed, he replayed the events of his cultivation session. "The first meridian was tough, the second meridian was even tougher, and now this. Each breakthrough requires an exponentially larger amount of energy."

Reese stood up, frustration evident on his face. "Why does it have to be this way?" He rubbed his temples, trying to calm his racing thoughts. "There must be a reason. Something I'm missing."

Reese's frustration slowly rose as he paced around the Amethyst Orb. Then he remembered his master's words about being patient when cultivating.

"Patience, Young Reese. Cultivation is a journey, not a race. Rushing will lead you astray," his master once said.

A brief memory flashed before Reese's eyes, transporting him to the time he met his master, an elderly man with wise eyes who instructed him.

"Young Reese," his master said, "each stage of cultivation is like building a foundation. A strong foundation takes time, but it will support you through the most challenging trials."

Reese inhaled deeply, allowing his master's wisdom to settle within him. He felt his mind and body begin to calm, the agitation of his earlier efforts fading away. As he exhaled, a sense of peace washed over him.

"Right," Reese murmured to himself. "Master always said that impatience can lead to dangerous mistakes."

He closed his eyes, remembering the stern yet kind face of his master. The old man had always emphasized the importance of steady progress over rapid gains.

Reese nodded to himself, the memory of his master's voice calming his restless spirit. "Rushing will only weaken my foundation," he said softly. "I need to respect the process."

With a deep sigh, he took a deep breath to calm himself. But as he took his breath, he noticed the unpleasant odor of impurities clinging to his skin, a stark reminder of his body's purification process. Wrinkling his nose, he muttered, "I always forget about this part."

Determined to handle it, he stepped out of the Amethyst Orb and reappeared in his room. The impurities, dark and oily, began to drip onto the floor, creating a small, foul-smelling puddle.

"I really need to get five blue barrels," Reese said aloud.

After taking a bath and cleaning himself as best as he could, Reese made a mental note to visit the market later to buy those blue barrels. He would be better prepared next time.

"One step at a time," he reminded himself, his master's voice a steady presence in his mind. "I'll get there."