Primordial Heir: Nine Stars-Chapter 49: Second Core

Back in his room, Nero decided to take a shower. The water cascaded down like perfect rain, warm and steady, awakening his skin in all the right ways. After enjoying a refreshing bath, he changed into just his boxers, placing his uniform neatly on the bed. Unlike Adam, who should have been sleeping by now, Nero didn’t feel the slightest bit tired.

"Not only has my physical strength grown stronger, but my stamina has evolved as well. Otherwise, I wouldn’t be bursting with energy after such intense training," Nero remarked as he settled into a meditation pose. His stamina had increased significantly, allowing for rapid recovery. Even after enduring Balrog’s grueling drills, his muscles were only slightly sore, and he felt far from exhausted. In less than half an hour, and after his bath, he had bounced back remarkably.

He didn’t immediately enter meditation; he knew that in the upcoming class, their teacher would likely ask them to spar against each other—a mock battle, to say the least.

"I should give my all and secure victory against whoever my opponent turns out to be," He had no intention hiding the fact that he became able to use a Law, even though he could use a Law different from his bloodline inherent Law.

Nero smiled thinking about the incoming mock battle, his blood boiling in anticipation, a fierce desire for a fight surging within him, almost clouding his mind, he almost lost himself.

"That won’t do. I must not let this desire swallow me, turning me into its slave," Nero affirmed, reigning in his emotions as his battlelust threatened to overwhelm him. Ever since he had become capable of wielding a law, particularly the Law of Fire after inheriting Igneel’s flame, he felt something had shifted within him. He found himself easily excited at the thought of fighting, and if he didn’t keep his emotions in check, they would explode. It was almost as if he had become hot-tempered, much like the Law of Fire itself.

"Eh! I mustn’t let this happen," Nero sneered, vowing to gain better control over his emotions and not allow the Law to influence him.

He was not the only one facing this challenge; everyone dealt with it in their own way. Some succeeded in mastering their law to perfection, remaining largely unaffected, while others struggled and failed. There were special cases, such as Khione, who willingly fused with her law, adopting its inherent personality. In the first case, one could exhibit their law flawlessly, while in the second, they risked being controlled by it unable to fully display their law full capacity. In Khione’s case, it could be said that her situation was similar to the first, except she had taken a shortcut early on.

Nero finally closed his eyes and began his meditation. He initiated his breathing technique, slowly inhaling and exhaling in a specific pattern. Since he already possessed the final form of a core—a vortex—he didn’t need to draw in ambient Prana. Instead, through his breathing exercises, he controlled the small amount of prana he had access to, guiding it through his body. He had two goals for this practice: the first was to further temper his body, while the second—and most crucial—was to harness the vast, almost inexhaustible prana contained within his vortex, which remained sealed. He could only access a tiny fraction of it, so he figured, why not use this small amount to strengthen his body, storing it in various parts like additional reservoirs? By doing so, he hoped to bypass the limitations imposed on him and wield more prana.

He had this ambitious idea when he noticed that the tiny portion of prana he could draw would instantly regenerate—even after being completely depleted. However, he couldn’t immediately use this prana to wield a Law, so he aimed to store it within his body, effectively creating a temporary core. Once he depleted this stored energy, he could draw from the core in his lower abdomen, meaning he would wield double the energy he currently had—an experiment worth pursuing.

Nero set to work on his idea, but he faced several failures; the stored energy would vanish, seeping into his muscles instead. He then considered storing it in his heart. Typically, a core resides in the lower abdomen, in an area referred to as the dantian in certain cultures. Initially, his attempts to create a second core in his heart failed miserably, causing him to vomit blood and almost rupture his heart. Yet, he refused to give up; he felt that success was within reach.

Determined, he decided to try again, this time using the assistance of his special eyes to find a suitable spot in his heart. By following a specific line, he stealthily moved prana into his heart to create another core.

Bad ump! Bad ump!

His heartbeat quickened, pumping oxygen and blood as the new core began to take shape within his heart. Since it felt as if he were merely drawing prana for practice, the vortex didn’t sense anything amiss, allowing Nero, the thief of energy, to continue.

Soon, the super-compressed energy grew to the size of a peanut. Don’t be fooled by its small size; it was a super-condensed mass of prana, swirling with immense potential. The energy pulsated with vibrant colors, shimmering hues of red and gold, flickering like a tiny star trapped within his heart. It was dense and powerful, each pulse radiating waves of energy that resonated with his very being. This tiny core held the promise of extraordinary strength, waiting to be unleashed, and Nero could feel it—his heart thrummed in sync with this newfound energy, a beacon of possibility.

Nero paused after creating the core, his body drenched in sweat.

"Feh! I was aiming for a temporary core, but instead, I created a second core—what a pleasant surprise!" Nero beamed with pride. He was the first to successfully achieve this feat. While others had ventured down this path, none had succeeded; most had met their end trying, while others had become crippled.