Chapter 31 : Eternal Body Craft
Sora sat cross-legged under a large tree, his muscles still trembling from the brutal self-inflicted training he had just endured.
His body ached, but it was the good kind of ache—the kind that came with progress. Wiping the sweat from his brow, he leaned back against the tree, staring up at the sky. His mind was racing, not with pain, but with the potential of what he had just achieved.
A series of system notifications blinked in the corner of his vision. He had been so focused on controlling his mana and pushing his body to its limits that he had ignored the alerts entirely.
"Let's see what I've missed," he muttered, pulling up the system panel.
The list of notifications scrolled before his eyes:
[Skill Upgrade - Regeneration (Perfect)] |
[Skill Upgrade - Bone Forging (Perfect)] |
[Skill Upgrade - Muscle Forging (Perfect)] |
[Skill Unlocked - Blood Forging (Perfect)] |
[Skill Unlocked - Organ Forging (Perfect)] |
Sora barely took a second to register the upgrades. Normally, the sight of new skills would have him eagerly reading each description, but his eyes were drawn to the final notification.
[Supreme Skill Unlocked: Eternal Body Craft] |
His heart nearly skipped a beat.
"A Supreme Skill?" he whispered in disbelief.
He quickly opened the description.
[Eternal Body Craft (Supreme Skill)] A unique skill created for a madman who forged his body with pure mana. Description: This Supreme Skill allows the user to tap into the essence of infinite physical potential, refining every part of their body. |
Effect 1: Essence Fusion – Merges mana with the body's cells, bones, muscles, and organs, constantly enhancing their structure and capabilities. |
Effect 2: Adaptive Regeneration – The body regenerates based on damage received and adapts to become resistant to similar harm. |
Effect 3: Strength Ascension – Each refinement permanently increases physical strength, endurance, and durability. |
Effect 4: Unlimited Body Potential – No growth limit, provided sufficient energy is absorbed, allowing the user to surpass natural physical boundaries. |
Warning: Supreme Skills cannot be affected by anything lower than Supreme level skills, including Innate skills, Special skills, or Racial Skills. |
Sora sat in stunned silence, his mind reeling from the implications. Another Supreme Skill? He had hoped to transcend the Martial Titan class, but this was beyond anything he had imagined. It felt like a reward for doing something insane—using pure mana to forge his body in ways that should have killed him. He had risked everything, trusting in his connection with mana to guide him, and now he was being rewarded for it.
He glanced at his body, still humming with the aftereffects of his training. He could feel it now—mana flowing through him, fusing with his cells, enhancing his organs, bones, muscles, and even his blood. The process was automatic, as if his body forging had become autonomous. The mana changed color, glowing faintly as it fused with his body, refining it at a microscopic level.
It was passive, working constantly without his input.
Sora tried sending more mana into the process, or stopping it entirely, but to his surprise, the colored mana was beyond his control. It was acting on its own. His body was now evolving without any conscious effort on his part. The result was not shocking as he was aware that passive skills were mostly out of his control.
And then it hit him—his body was being forged by a Supreme Skill. A skill immune to lesser abilities, even Innate Skills. Could this mean... if he reset, his body wouldn't reset with it? Or was his body strength still related to his level ?He would need to try it.
The thought sent a jolt of excitement through him. This was more than he had ever hoped for. His path of body forging, of pushing his physical limits, had led him here. [Eternal Body Craft] wasn't just about raw strength—it was about constant evolution, and infinite potential.
"Hiyoko," he muttered, glancing at the little bird perched on his shoulder, "looks like we've got some more training ahead of us."
Hiyoko chirped in response, puffing up proudly, as if sensing the shift in Sora's mood. His body was still tired, still aching, but his spirit was anything but weary. This was no small step—it was a giant leap forward.
He kept reading through the skill's effects, trying to wrap his mind around it.
Essence Fusion: As long as mana was available, his body would constantly improve by fusing mana with his physical structure.
Adaptive Regeneration: This effect had a dual function. Not only would his body regenerate based on the severity of the damage it received, but it would also adapt to that damage, building a resistance to it. If he faced similar harm in the future, his body would be stronger and more resilient.
Strength Ascension: This effect was profound. Every time Sora used body-forging skills like Bone Forging, Muscle Forging, Blood Forging, or Organ Forging, it would trigger [Strength Ascension], permanently increasing his physical strength, endurance, and durability. The increase seemed to slow down as he got further from his current level.
Unlimited Body Potential: The fourth effect was the most tantalizing. There was no limit to his body's growth. As long as he absorbed enough energy, his body could surpass natural boundaries, potentially reaching heights that no human had ever achieved.
Confused about the differences between effects 1 and 3, Sora did some tests.
Essence Fusion and Strength Ascension in Eternal Body Craft are both focused on enhancing Sora's physical body, but they operate in fundamentally different ways.
Essence Fusion: Constant, passive enhancement of the body through mana integration. It was always working to make Sora's body evolve, but the changes are more subtle and gradual.
Strength Ascension: Active, permanent increase in strength and durability that occured when Sora uses specific body-forging techniques. It was a focused and dramatic improvement tied directly to skill usage. The effect seemed to slow down as he kept breaking through new limits.
He took a deep breath. The sheer magnitude of what he had unlocked left him in awe. His entire body was now on an infinite growth path, one where each step forward was formidable. His previous frustrations about his body lagging behind his mana control evaporated.
This was the solution.
His focus had shifted.'Yes, resetting to unlock new skills from new classes might have been my path so far, but now, I have a new option. I have unlocked two Supreme Skills, and it seemed like the path to Supreme Skills might be the key for further growth. I want to see how far can this skill take my body level'
His regeneration was now intelligent, adapting to the threats he faced. Each fight, each injury would only make him stronger. And the fact that the Strength Ascension worked in tandem with his body-forging skills meant that his previous self-imposed training had paid off in ways he hadn't even realized.
His journey had only just begun, and he couldn't help but smile.
"Let's see how far I can push this," Sora whispered, determination burning in his eyes.
---
Sora kept his forging techniques active throughout the entire afternoon and night. Every cell in his body was in a state of constant refinement. The mana, flowing and fusing with his bones, muscles, blood, and organs, kept enhancing his physical structure. But ever since he created the [Organ Forging] technique, everything had shifted. His heart, now enhanced by the flow of mana, pumped life force and energy through his veins at an incredible rate. It felt as though he was overflowing with vitality, a wellspring of boundless energy coursing through him.
No matter how hard he pushed himself, Sora didn't feel fatigued. His body buzzed with an unrelenting force, as if he had unlocked a new well of strength that couldn't be exhausted. His Adaptive Regeneration not only healed his injuries but even replenished his energy reserves. Each time he strained his muscles, bones, or heart, the regenerative process seemed to kick into overdrive, restoring him instantly.
It wasn't an exaggeration to say that his body was practically incapable of getting tired anymore. Every breath was easy, every movement effortless, and the continuous flow of mana was like fuel, driving him further.
Morning came, and Sora finally stopped his intense self-training. His body hummed with energy, almost vibrating from the vitality that surged through him. The sensation was intoxicating—he was stronger than ever, and it was time to put that strength to use.
He left the inn early, the first rays of sunlight barely breaking through the horizon. The streets of Paris were still mostly quiet, and the Adventurer's Guild had only just started to stir with early risers. Sora moved swiftly, his mind sharp, as he made his way back to the guild. Today, he would meet his new teammate, Kara, and begin the quest that would test not only his abilities but his new body.
When he entered the guild hall, he immediately noticed Areva standing near one of the quest boards.
"You're early," she said, a small grin tugging at the corner of her lips.
Sora nodded. "I wanted to make sure I was ready."
Areva crossed her arms, giving him a quick once-over. "Good. The team will be here soon, and I want you to get a feel for them. This isn't going to be an easy quest, and I'm trusting you to help them through it."
Sora had already heard about the team's mixed capabilities the day before. Kara, Areva's disciple, was strong enough to handle herself, but the rest of the group was... less than impressive. Areva had made that clear. Sora wasn't worried, though.
"I'll keep an eye on them," Sora replied calmly.
Areva gave a nod of approval. "Good. When you see them, don't judge too harshly. They might not be the most skilled, but they've got heart."