(The Ti Stilled World, Leo's POV)
Over the past five days, while the Supre Potion Masters labored endlessly to refine the first Demi God Breakthrough Potion, Leo remained within his personal chambers, as he tried to recover to peak condition before attempting the breakthrough.
Yet, despite the rest he had given his body, sothing within him continued to shift in a way that felt deeply unsettling, as a faint lethargy began to creep into his limbs, that refused to fade no matter how much he rested.
"What is this weakness that I'm feeling?
It feels like the sort of tiredness that cos after a long stint of suffering from a common cold, and yet..... I haven't been sick in years...."
He muttered, as he felt as though his body moved just slightly out of sync with itself, like a man recovering from illness who could stand and walk, yet knew instinctively that he was far from his peak condition.
"Just five days..." he murmured under his breath, as his voice carried a faint weight of realization while he flexed his fingers slowly, feeling the subtle resistance in motion that was not there before.
"The Origin poison has already begun deteriorating my body at a asurable rate," he continued, his gaze lowering toward his bandaged hand as the mory of the wound surfaced with quiet sharpness.
"At this stage, it does not interfere with my combat output or physical capabilities, yet there is a clear decline in my baseline condition, as I can no longer say with certainty that I am operating at full capacity!" His thoughts deepened.
"If this continues for a month, the degradation will no longer remain internal," he reflected, as the projection of future outcos ford naturally within his mind.
"There will be visible decay, and with it, a tangible loss in performance," he concluded, as his jaw tightened faintly while he processed the inevitability of that path.
The conclusion was simple.
Ascension was no longer a choice driven by ambition.
It had beco a necessity driven by survival.
And so, when the ssage finally arrived that the first Demi God Breakthrough Potion was successfully completed, Leo did not hesitate even for a mont before deciding his next course of action.
He scheduled his breakthrough for the very next day, choosing Moltherak's floating island as the site, as its isolation and structural integrity made it the most suitable place for what lay ahead.
The island floated high above the endless seas of the Ti Stilled World, far removed from the nearest civilization, where no external disturbance could reach him even if sothing went wrong.
More importantly, it was ford from ancient materials and reinforced through forgotten techniques, granting it the ability to withstand the pressure of a Demi God aura, making it the most stable foundation he could rely upon.
He traveled there alone, informing Leonardo to remain on standby, as other than him, his nephew was the only one capable of stepping foot onto that island without being overwheld by its environnt.
However, he made it explicitly clear that there was to be no interference unless he called for it, as he did not want even the slightest disruption affecting his breakthrough process.
Upon arrival, he did not act imdiately.
Instead, he sat down upon the cold surface of the island, his posture
steady as he closed his eyes and began regulating his breathing, allowing his mind to settle into a state of complete clarity before
attempting what lay ahead.
Minutes passed, as the wind moved quietly across the island, brushing past him without resistance while the surrounding silence deepened, creating an environnt where even the faintest fluctuation in thought could be observed and corrected.
He allowed everything unnecessary to fall away, as distraction, expectation, and even fear slowly loosened their hold over his mind until what remained was focus, pure and unwavering.
He understood the risks.
The mortality rate for ascending into the Demi God realm was
notoriously high, as countless Monarchs throughout history attempted the breakthrough only to fail, their bodies collapsing under the strain of transformation that demanded more than what they
could give.
Yet as Leo sat there, preparing himself for that very sa trial, he found that fear did not take root within him in the way it did for others, as a deep belief in his own destiny anchored his resolve with
quiet certainty.
It was neither arrogance nor ignorance of the danger, but rather a calm understanding that this was a step he was always ant to take, one that no force would be able to deny him.
That certainty had followed him for as long as he could rember, remaining constant through every battle, every hardship, and every mont where failure should have been a possibility.
He did not believe he would succeed.
He knew it.
Because if there had ever been a mont in his life where he could
have faltered, it would have been long before this point, long before he reached a stage where the path ahead demanded nothing more
than him showing resolve.
And the fact that he got here was proof enough for him that this was
not where his story was ant to end.
"Alright.... Let's do this!"
Leo muttered, as he opened his eyes.
The golden vial rested within his hand, its contents shimring faintly as the dense liquid within radiated a powerful mana signature that revealed the imnse energy compressed within it.
He studied it for a brief mont, as he exhaled slowly, releasing the final trace of tension from his body before committing to the path
ahead.
Then, without another thought, he uncorked the vial.
*Plop*
And drank its contents in one smooth motion.
*Gulp*
*Gulp*
The liquid ran down his throat, as a searing warmth erupted within his chest and spread rapidly through his veins, flooding every corner of his body with violent intensity, as his heartbeat thundered and his senses sharpened unnaturally, while sothing deep within him began to shift, as though his very existence was being forcefully rewritten from its core.
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