Born In Ashes: The Enigma-Chapter 258: Epic Rank (Part 5)

’Now that my stamina points have exceeded 200, and considering that my Cold Blooded trait has evolved to Orange Grade, it should actually be easier than last time to raise the level of Unyielding Body,’ Azrael said to himself, his gaze thoughtful as he prepared himself.

Soon, the water in the bathtub turned muddy in color, boiling with the concentrated essence of various materials mixed into it.

Taking a deep breath, Azrael removed all his clothes and stepped into the bathtub, fully submerging himself, even pulling his head underwater as he needed to temper his skull as well.

Once completely submerged, he began using the method described in Unyielding Body to absorb the essence from the water.

The moment he started absorbing the essence, just like before, a piercing pain coursed through his entire body, making him tremble uncontrollably.

However, as he had anticipated, since his current stamina points had already surpassed two hundred, the pain was not as unbearable as last time.

Even though he still needed to rely on his Cold Blooded trait to prevent himself from frowning, the pain was manageable.

The essence of all the materials pierced through his skin, merging with his bones, flesh, and internal organs.

The middle level of Unyielding Body specifically targeted the internal organs, especially the heart and brain, as those were the most obvious weaknesses of any living being.

Holding his breath, Azrael kept his eyes closed and continued to absorb the essence from the boiling mixture, allowing it to temper his body from within.

He occasionally raised his head above the water to take a quick breath before submerging himself again, never staying out for long.

A few hours passed, and when the cultivation process reached its middle phase, Azrael felt the essence flowing along with his blood, gathering toward his brain.

Clenching his fists, he focused intensely, knowing that once the essence entered his brain and began refining it, even the slightest lapse in focus could prove fatal.

If he lost concentration for even a moment, his brain could explode instantly, sending him to the underworld.

Soon, the energy reached his head, and Azrael felt a tremendous impact, as if someone had struck his head with a giant hammer.

His body shuddered, and a skull-splitting headache assaulted him, nearly making him lose consciousness.

But under the influence of Cold Blooded, he managed to suppress his pain completely, maintaining absolute control as he carefully guided the essence through his brain.

Even while submerged in boiling water, cold sweat covered his back as the process of channeling the essence through such a delicate area was far more difficult than he had imagined.

After nearly half an hour of painstaking focus, the refinement was finally complete, his brain and skull had been fully tempered.

Azrael exhaled deeply in relief as the headache gradually subsided and even without testing his strength, he could already feel that his defense had become significantly stronger.

There was still some essence left in the water, so he continued to absorb it, further reinforcing his body, nearing the middle level of Unyielding Body.

As he absorbed the remaining energy, the water gradually returned to its normal color, though now mixed with traces of blood that had seeped from his pores during the refinement process.

It took Azrael nearly six hours in total to absorb every last bit of essence and perfect the Unyielding Body to the middle level.

When he finally finished—

(You have reached the middle level in Unyielding Body)

A notification appeared before his tired eyes, and Azrael sighed in relief.

Slowly, he stepped out of the bathtub, his legs trembling slightly before he sat down on the floor to steady himself.

’The pain wasn’t as bad as last time, but refining the internal organs was extremely dangerous...’ He thought, glancing at his status window.

====

Strength: 206 → 230

Agility: 200 → 220 (44)

Stamina: 215 → 260

Cosmic Energy: 356

Spirit: 130

Free Stat Points: 23

====

Azrael’s eyes first fell on his stamina stat and seeing it had increased by a full forty-five points, his lips curled upward slightly.

’Although my stamina is at 260 points, if I only consider my defense, it should be close to 300 at this stage,’ He thought with satisfaction, feeling Unyielding Body was truly an extraordinary skill.

Although it was difficult to practice, could potentially kill its user if mishandled, and consumed enormous resources, the enhancement it provided far surpassed that of most middle-level skills.

"Once I break through to Epic Rank, the stress caused to my body by Unyielding Body will lessen. Then, I will be able to advance it to the high level without much delay," Azrael muttered under his breath before standing up.

He took a shower to wash away the bloodstains from his body, and while doing so, he used Force Utilization to bring his newly increased strength under control once again.

’My power has increased greatly over the past few days, and it will rise even more once I reach Epic Rank. But relying only on Force Utilization isn’t enough, it won’t let me fully grasp my potential without real combat experience,’ He thought, recalling the Tower of Trials he had entered during the entrance assessment.

’I should go there if I want to master my power perfectly.’

Turning off the shower, Azrael dried himself off, dressed, and stepped out of the bathroom.

As soon as he did, his stomach growled in protest. He had already prepared for this, knowing the training would consume a vast amount of energy.

Taking out a variety of food items from his storage ring, he devoured them all within minutes.

Once his hunger was sated, he rested for a few hours, allowing his body to recover. When he finally felt fully restored, he stood up and made his way to the second floor of the mansion.

"Now, I can break through to Epic Rank without any worries," He muttered to himself as he entered the cosmic energy gathering room, his eyes gleaming with anticipation.