The Alchemist of the Heavens

Fixing Everything (2)

Even if he didn't notice it, his muscles were becoming more defined and powerful. The muscle mass in his body was becoming pure and stronger, just like his brother's, as if it would never break down.

The pain Desmond felt grew worse with each passing minute, but occasionally, though rarely, the pain would suddenly subside, giving him a few seconds of respite.

Certain changes had begun to occur in his body, from the tips of his toes to every strand of his hair. Black, disgusting, semi-solid fluids had begun to ooze from his body, and blood had started to flow from every pore.

The pain continued to intensify, and time passed.

When the pain completely subsided, the three hours were up. Although his body no longer ached, it still felt sore, and he could now breathe more easily.

Still, he no longer had the strength to stay awake. As his eyes slowly began to close and he began to lose consciousness, he heard one last voice in his mind:

[The body purification process is complete. Your body is now capable of cultivation. Every organ except your blood vessels, nerve cells, muscles, and heart has been brought to the "Sacred Level".]

After these words, Desmond simply passed out. He had forced himself to endure three hours of unimaginable pain and had succeeded.

Now it was time to sleep.

When he opened his eyes again, he suddenly jumped out of bed.

He covered his ears with his hands and practically buried himself in the floor of the room.

Even with his ears covered, he could hear so much noise. Really, so much noise. He could easily hear conversations at the far end of the village. He could hear hunters training, children playing nearby, chefs cooking inside the inn, and much more.

Despite it being nighttime, the town was too lively.

Not only that, his nose picked up so many smells. Every scent, from disgusting smells like cigarette smoke to the smells of delicious meat dishes, entered his nose.

His eyes could see the craftsmanship on the floor in the finest detail.

Even when he touched himself, his nerves became hypersensitive.

If his sense of taste was also like this, it meant that his body's five main senses had become incredibly acute.

When he got used to the sounds he heard, even if only slightly, he stopped covering his ears and then turned around to sit back on his bed, and what he saw would surprise him.

His bed was covered in blood. Not only that, but darkness, something that barely let light through, seemed to cover the bed, mixed with blood.

[You're finally awake,] a voice echoed in Desmond's mind suddenly.

“System…” the young man muttered, his own voice sounding very loud to him.

[Don't worry, sir, your body has undergone a tremendous transformation. You now possess the second Sacred Body to ever exist in this world. Of course, it will take some time to get used to everything, but eventually, it will settle to a level you can adapt to.]

“I understand…” Desmond replied. He really did feel very good. He didn't quite know how to describe the feeling, but... it would be accurate to say he felt freer.

Even though it was almost nightfall, he could still hear the children playing. It really was a very strange town.

When he went back to his bed and lifted the sheets, he saw that the stains had penetrated deep into the mattress. He muttered to himself, “I'll pay for it…” and lay back down on the bed.

“Please start the next process, system. You said half an hour. I believe I can endure it,” Desmond said suddenly.

The system itself replied, [I will do as you command. Please try not to faint,] and at that moment, Desmond's heart began to ache.

It wasn't an incredible pain; in fact, it could be described as comparable to the mildest pain that occurred when his body was being renewed.

It was, in fact, a throbbing, occasionally filled with a strange sensation as if someone were pricking him with a needle, and then this feeling would disappear.

“It's easier than I thought…” Desmond thought to himself. Still, he had no idea that these thoughts would change within minutes.

When nearly twenty-five minutes had passed and the procedure was nearing completion, Desmond's entire body began to tremble.

When the pain engulfed his chest, Desmond felt as if his heart had stopped beating. His eyes felt heavy, everything was blurry, and he couldn't move his body even an inch.

Still, this pain would not last long. On the contrary, as the minutes ticked by and another six minutes passed, a full thirty-one minutes since the procedure began, everything was fine again.

Desmond could now feel his heart beating again, quite healthily, and then he sat up from where he was lying.

The moment he did so, he realised once again that he could breathe more clearly.

[Both procedures are complete. I have already handed the system over to you, and my task is finished. We won't have much chance to talk in the future, so if there is anything you want to say to me, please say it now, as it will be very difficult for me to help you later.]

When Desmond heard these words in his mind, he actually felt a little sad. After all the help he had received, parting ways like this was a little sad. Still, he certainly had things to say and something else to ask.

“That skill area is empty, yet I know I have many personal talents. I'm good with a sword and very skilled at riding horses. How does that area work?” Desmond inquired.

[It's not possible to display those kinds of skills there. That area exists so that you can use those skills more easily and effectively once you gain them by levelling up, or once you learn spell techniques or cultivation techniques.]

“As I level up?” Desmond had said.

[Yes, exactly. The only thing you need to do to level up is to slay monsters. I don't think I need to teach you how to do that.]

With these words, Desmond had received the answers to his questions, and it seemed like it was time to say goodbye.