NOVEL NEXT Chapter 196: Aura Advancement
Van took his time to rest and decided to return to Julia's private training ground at dawn of the next day…
The space had become something of a sacred temple for him. It was protected with formation arrays, silent, and completely isolated from the noise of slave duties…
"I will advance today…" Van muttered.
He stepped into the chamber with confidence. After a full night of rest and a carefully rationed food, his body felt stronger than ever.
He stretched his body and meditated for a moment.
Soon, his mind was clear, his focus sharpened as he knew that he was about to undergo a very important phase in order to advance to a higher level of Aura Mastery.
'I should give more to Xiel and Sarah later…' Van mused.
After all, the reason why he didn't have to do his servant duties was because of those two. In exchange for some gold coins, they were willing to do his tasks for the day.
Anyway, Van finally locked the door behind him and activated the internal formations Julia had shown him once…
The seals were then activated, shielding the space from magical detection and spiritual senses.
Even if a Three-Circle Mage walked by outside, they would sense nothing unusual.
Then, Van began his ritual.
He sat in the center of the chamber, placed the reinforced pill container on the floor beside him, and opened it slowly. A faint amber glow lit the space around him.
One of the twelve Aura Advancement Pills rested within, emanating gentle pulses of spiritual pressure. It looked unassuming. It was marble-sized, faintly translucent, and warm to the touch.
But he knew what lay within them… It was a restructured network of spiritual ingredients, alchemically bonded with purified Aura flow catalysts…
Van reached for the first pill and held it in his hand.
He didn't hesitate.
He swallowed it whole.
Gulp…
The pill dissolved immediately, as if sensing his Aura Signature…
'This feels better than I expected… Did I make a mistake?' Van mused as a strange warmth flooded his chest and sank into his core.
Then, he soon realized why the books said it should be a painful experience that one must endure…
"Urgh…"
It was like swallowing lightning.
Indeed, he had to endure the pain as his Ocularis Lens started monitoring any changes in his body…
[ Alchemical Agent Detected: Aura Advancement Pill ( Grade A ) – Assimilation: 12%... 28%... 54%... ]
Van's body convulsed slightly—not just from pain, but from the sheer force entering his body… Indeed, it felt like he had consumed a condensed energy that could destroy his body…
Thankfully, this shouldn't last that long. He just needs to retain his consciousness since passing out means death.
He had to circulate and refine the Aura entering his body after all! There was no way to do that if he fell unconscious!
"Ha!"
It was like a river of refined energy poured into his Aura Core. It was flowing through every inch of his meridian network, and it was quite overwhelming…
[ Aura Pathways: Inflamed. Flow Rate Increased: +37% ]
[ Micro-Blockages Detected – Clearing… ]
[ Neural Sync with Core Node – Enhanced. Core Expansion at 89% Capacity. ]
'Really… So the Lens can monitor even my Aura Core? Good…' Van mused.
The heat in his stomach burned upward like molten metal. His limbs trembled as every minor Aura Pathway pulsed, stretched, and expanded.
His vision blurred, but his consciousness stayed sharp, as it seemed that he was assisted by his Lens to keep his focus...
After a few minutes, more sweat poured from his forehead.
This time, it was no longer that painful—just overwhelming, like he was being hollowed out and filled again with a new form of energy…
It was definitely not comfortable… Still, he could get used to it.
Minutes passed. Then half an hour. Then an hour.
Finally, the burning glow in his chest dimmed.
Van exhaled a long breath as his body relaxed.
When he opened his eyes, the world felt… slower. Clearer.
His perception had sharpened. His Aura no longer felt like a weak current—it moved like a tide behind his skin, flowing through him like the beating of a second heart.
[ Aura Level: First-Level Aura Knight – Peak Stage ]
[ Current Progression to Second-Level: 98.4% ]
"Almost… but not enough," he whispered.
The pill had brought him right to the edge.
But the second step—breaking into the Second-Level—would require more than just momentum. It demanded critical force.
Maybe a stronger surge. And yet his own Aura, while strong, lacked that final spark... Supposedly, this Pill could already help him breakthrough, according to the books he read.
'Ahh… It must be related to my alchemy skills.' Van muttered. After all, he used Aura instead of Mana during the process of pill refinement. The fire and other equipment he used were also of low quality. Perhaps, aside from the flowers themselves, all the other ingredients he used were just barely passable.
'There's nothing I could do about that… But it's alright… Although it's not advisable to consume several Aura Advancement Pills, it doesn't really have negative effects aside from getting weaker effects if I consume them.' Van sighed...
"Three more… or maybe four…"
Van leaned back against the cold stone wall and closed his eyes.
His body was fatigued—not from damage, but from adjustment.
His Aura pathways were swollen. His meridians were adjusting to the surge in flow. If he forced another pill too early…
Well, it wouldn't kill him—but it wouldn't be pleasant either.
He let his breathing slow.
And he waited.
Three hours later, Van rested enough and rose once more.
His meridians had already stabilized, and he could feel the difference.
His Aura followed his will with more precision now.
Even his simple Aura Blade was more stable now… His reflexes were also sharper, while his perception was cleaner.
Still, he knew the second pill would be harder.
The Lens confirmed it.
[ Warning: Aura Pathways remain in semi-expanded state. Secondary dose within 3 hours may result in:
– Aura Pulse Spasms
– Temporary Neural Overload
– Muscular Inflammation
Proceed? ]
Van smiled dryly.
"If I waited another day, I'd feel safer," he said aloud. "But I've never had the luxury of time."
And so, without another moment of hesitation, he lifted the second Aura Advancement Pill to his lips.
And swallowed.
This time, the reaction came faster.
Where the first pill had been a flood, the second was a torrent.
It slammed into his core, then surged through his meridians like a tidal wave. Van bit his lip, gasping as he doubled over.
[ Assimilation Rate: 15%… 48%… 80%… OVERFLOW ALERT ]
[ Countermeasure Activated – Aura Suppression Mode: Partial Dampening ]
His chest ached. His limbs locked.
His muscles tensed violently as the Aura pushed past the limits of a stable channel.
It was like trying to fit too much energy into a too-small pipe.
[ Muscular Fibers: Micro-fracturing – Self-Regeneration Triggered ]
The pain was real now.
His back arched from the pain as his veins pulsed with light beneath his skin. His fingernails even dug into the stone.
But he didn't cry out.
He let the Lens guide him how to control the energy inside his body…
Then, he controlled his breath.
He remembered what his Instructor at the Dawnspire Academy once said:
"When you feel yourself about to break—that's the moment just before the breakthrough."
And then…
[ Aura Core: Stage Transition Detected – Condensation Initiated. Core Crystallization Imminent. ]
[ Aura Advancement Pill Effects Stacked: 176% Efficiency. Success Probability: 88.9% ]
Van's heart thundered in his chest as the core at the center of his being began to compress.
His internal Aura, once like smoke and wind, now felt more stable—becoming denser, tighter, more solid.
It was painful… However, Van felt excited…
And then, there was a sound not heard by the ears, but felt by his soul!
Crack.
[ Aura Mutation has been confirmed. ]
[ Signs of Second-Level Aura Mastery detected. ]
Van gasped as the pressure vanished… Then, he immediately meditated with his Aura Breathing Technique to stabilize his condition…
After a few moments, Van opened his eyes.
His senses sharpened again.
This time, it wasn't just perception. He could feel the Formation Arrays around him…
He could feel the different densities of the air pockets in the chamber…
Indeed, his control over Aura surged to an entirely new level.
He then used his fingers to create a small Aura Blade… Then, instead of an invisible Aura, his Aura extended outward in a thin blade of gray light… It was a very stable Aura!
Van grinned…
The second pill had done its job—but it had come at a cost.
His arms were sore, his Aura Circulation was still in a mess, and his body still ached from the strain of adapting to the denser core.
But he had done it.
[ Current Aura Capacity: +122% ]
[ Core Stability: 87% – Expected to rise with rest ]
[ Side Effects: Light muscular trauma. Recommended Recovery Time: 36 hours. ]
"Thirty-six hours… I can do that much…" Van muttered.
After all, he wasn't done yet. His plan was to reach the Third Level as quickly as possible. He might have to consume a few more of those pills but it was necessary.