Chapter 123: The Body Tempering Technique 2

“Why can’t I sense him? What on earth is going on?”

Niuniu was preparing to use the massive teleportation array at the Mage Guild’s headquarters to travel directly to Kent’s side. Big Nose had insisted on accompanying her, but no matter how hard she tried, she simply could not sense Kent’s presence.

Niuniu was frantic with worry. If anything happened to Kent, her own soul would undoubtedly suffer damage, which could have serious consequences for her future development.

Originally, she had intended to let Kent undergo a trial in the underground world so that he could broaden his horizons and gain some valuable experience. Never had she imagined that she would lose all contact with him.

After all, Niuniu was an angel of both Space and Light. When it came to understanding souls, few beings in the world could rival an angel.

In fact, had Big Nose not learned that Niuniu was planning to visit the underground world and insisted on tagging along, she could have used the soul contract between herself and Kent to teleport directly to his side.

But transporting that enormous, rotund fellow as well was another matter entirely.

“It’s all your fault! This is what happens when you eat so much and get so fat!”

Niuniu glared irritably at Big Nose’s round, plump body.

Big Nose’s tiny eyes filled with an aggrieved expression as he glanced nervously at her, clearly too afraid to argue back.

Meanwhile, after being brought onto the altar, Kent discovered that the concentration of magical elements in the surrounding air had reached an almost unbelievable level. They were so dense that they had practically taken on a liquid form.

Under the circumstances, he had no inclination to meditate or recover his mana. Instead, his attention remained fixed on the altar itself.

Now, at last, he could clearly see the true appearance of the being behind the mask-like face.

It resembled a ghost, but unlike ordinary ghosts, whose bodies were typically a ghastly pale white, this creature possessed a faint golden-yellow hue. Its form was not solid, either. Rather, it appeared hazy and indistinct, with an outline that vaguely resembled a human figure.

The mask-faced creature paid little attention to Kent. Instead, it began producing a large assortment of objects out of thin air.

Every one of them radiated an intense concentration of magical energy. Clearly, many were magical plants.

There were also numerous bottles and jars, each containing liquids of different colors. Their contents shimmered with enchanting magical light, yet strangely enough, Kent could not detect the slightest trace of magical energy emanating from the liquids themselves.

The mouths of the transparent crystal bottles were engraved with intricate magic arrays. Judging by their complexity, these were clearly the highest-grade sealing vessels available.

“What exactly is inside those sealed bottles?” Kent asked curiously, having momentarily forgotten the perilous situation he was in.

“Oh, those green ones contain the Water of Life. The red ones contain dragon blood—blood from a three-headed Golden Dragon of the Metal element. That smallest white one contains an Angel’s Heart, taken from a low-ranking angel. The brown one holds the saliva of a Cerberus from Hell...”

The mask-faced creature continued arranging its materials while casually explaining what each container held.

“Dragon blood? From a three-headed Golden Dragon of the Metal element? And an angel’s heart?!”

Kent was so astonished that it took him a long moment to repeat the words.

On the surface world, the value of even a single drop of dragon blood was beyond measure. Kent did not even know where the dragon clans lived on the continent, let alone how anyone could obtain such precious materials.

Even the blood of the lowest-ranking dragons was said to strengthen the body. According to legend, bathing in dragon blood could make one’s body virtually impervious to blades and spears, multiply one’s physical strength, and dramatically improve endurance.

A single drop of dragon blood could be valuable enough to spark an entire war.

And the Metal-element dragons were said to possess the greatest offensive power and strongest defenses of all dragonkind. The three-headed Golden Dragons, in particular, were rumored to belong to the royal bloodline of the dragon race.

As for angels, their rarity and extraordinary nature went without saying.

Unable to contain his curiosity, Kent examined the smallest white crystal bottle more closely.

Inside was something resembling a piece of white jade. Yet, upon closer inspection, it seemed to possess a faint, almost living rhythm, as though it were still beating.

Kent could hardly believe what he was seeing.

“Let me tell you something,” the mask-faced creature said proudly. “Those are no ordinary sealed bottles. They are Time-Sealing Vessels. Anything placed inside one of them will remain exactly as it was at the moment it was sealed. No matter how much time passes, its condition will not change in the slightest.”

Seeing Kent’s astonished expression, the mask-faced creature could not help basking in its own triumph.

Clearly, it was thoroughly pleased with the impression it had made.

“Could it be that time magic actually exists?”

Kent had never heard of such a sealing method before, and he could not help asking.

“When Space magic is cultivated to a sufficiently profound level, one can begin to comprehend Time magic. And by ‘level,’ I don’t mean one’s rank. I mean one’s understanding of the very Origin of spatial power. Enough. We’re ready to begin.”

Judging from its tone, the mask-faced being had finished making its preparations.

“All right. But could you explain what you’re doing while you work? I can treat it like listening to a story,” Kent requested one last time.

Perhaps the mask-faced being had been trapped here for far too long. It was rare for it to have someone to talk to, and surprisingly, it agreed.

“Very well. At least you’ll die knowing exactly what happened.”

Its voice carried unmistakable pride.

“The Body Tempering Technique is actually a branch of alchemy derived from the art of puppet creation. Its purpose is to continuously strengthen the physical body using every kind of magical material capable of reinforcing flesh and bone.

“But there is one essential prerequisite: an altar like this one.

“I searched far and wide for this altar before my physical body collapsed. Its principle is quite simple. First, the body is strengthened again and again, then deliberately broken down. Afterward, the magic array formed by the Life Stones and Water-element magic cores continuously repairs the damaged flesh.

“By repeatedly destroying and restoring the body in this manner, the strengthening materials can be pushed to their greatest possible effect.

“We begin by coating your entire body with dragon blood. After that, Cerberus saliva will be used to corrode your flesh. Throughout the entire process, this magic array will prevent your body from completely collapsing.

“This cycle of destruction and restoration will continue again and again. Once even the saliva of a Cerberus can no longer corrode your skin, it will be time to merge the Angel’s Heart into your body.

“At that point, your already formidable physique will become even stronger.”

The mask-faced being spoke as casually as if it were describing an ordinary recipe.

Kent, however, was already drenched in sweat.

Such pain was clearly far beyond what an ordinary person could endure.

“But how could my soul possibly withstand that kind of agony?” Kent asked doubtfully.

Pain alone, if intense enough, could kill a man.

“Heh, heh. The greatest advantage of this altar is that it can ensure your soul remains unharmed. Healing the physical body is merely one of its lesser functions.”

The mask-faced being answered with obvious satisfaction.

What it failed to notice was the slight shudder that passed through Kent’s body.

“All right, boy. You’ve already heard far more than you should have. Now, we begin.”

The moment those words were spoken, the mask-like face vanished. Only a faint mass of golden-yellow mist remained visible in the air.

“Ah!”

Kent was suddenly lifted into the air, his body suspended above the altar.

In the next instant, every piece of clothing on him turned to ash.

One of the bottles containing dragon blood floated into the air and opened by itself.

The moment the seal was broken, a terrifying pressure descended upon the altar.

The dragon blood rose from the bottle as though seized by a pair of invisible hands and hovered in midair.

Then various materials began flying toward it—magical herbs pulsing with elemental energy, rare ores, and all manner of strange and unfamiliar substances. One after another, they were thrown into the suspended dragon blood.

Once the mixture was complete, it spread evenly across Kent’s entire body.

At first, Kent felt a faint tingling itch across his skin. Then it was as though he had been immersed in hot water. Wave after wave of warmth seeped through his flesh and poured deeper into his body.

“Ah... that actually feels good.”

Kent could not help sighing in pleasure.

The crimson dragon blood was disappearing at a speed visible to the naked eye, gradually being absorbed into his body. At the same time, a faint metallic sheen began to appear across his skin.

The blood of magical beasts was naturally highly corrosive, and dragon blood was even more potent. The strange herbs, minerals, and other ingredients that had been mixed into it were precisely meant to neutralize part of that corrosive power, allowing Kent’s body to absorb its strengthening properties without being destroyed outright.

“Hmph.”

A cold snort sounded from somewhere above him.

“Don’t worry. There’s plenty more ‘comfort’ waiting for you.”