Chapter 24: Ascension part 2

My head spun as information poured into my mind—stats, abilities, skill enhancements. It was as if I were being downloaded into, a vessel for data too vast and alien to comprehend. My body pulsed with raw, unrelenting power, my veins alight with something unfamiliar yet primal. My hands glowed, the light flickering between crimson and gold—fire and sunlight intertwined, surging like a storm barely contained.

“An ascension,” Godfrey muttered, his voice weighted with awe and an edge of dread. “He’s undergoing an ascension… and at this rate, it’s going to tear him apart.”

Kallus stood off to the side, arms crossed, his expression sharp with calculated interest. His molten eyes burned with quiet amusement as he tilted his head, smirking. “If it tears him apart, then he wasn’t strong enough to handle it. But if he survives…” His smirk widened, the heat of his presence seeming to intensify. “Well, maybe the kid’s finally worth training.”

“You already did this to him!” Godfrey roared, his voice reverberating like steel striking steel. His armor pulsed with a golden light, matching the anger that flared in his sharp gaze. His gauntleted hand hovered dangerously close to the hilt of his blade. “What do you even call choking him for hours? Exercise?”

Kallus shrugged, utterly unfazed. “Call it what you want, but it worked, didn’t it? Look at him now.” He gestured lazily toward me, as though my current state—overwhelmed and barely holding on—was evidence of success. “You don’t forge steel without heat, Godfrey. And sometimes, the heat needs to be… intense.”

“Intense?” Godfrey’s tone brimmed with incredulity, his hand tightening on his weapon, which sparked faintly in response. “His ascension had nothing to do with you, Kallus. It was the vial. He was dying, you reckless—”

“Enough!” The word tore from my throat, louder and stronger than I’d expected. It sliced through their argument like a blade. Both men turned toward me, startled into silence. I barely registered their reactions, consumed as I was by the storm raging within me. The energy flooding my body was overwhelming, a tidal wave demanding my full attention.

“I’m fine,” I said, though my voice carried a resonance that didn’t feel entirely my own. In truth, I wasn’t fine—not even close—but I couldn’t let their fight make things worse. “I don’t need either of you fighting over me right now. I just need… time.”

Godfrey hesitated, his frustration simmering just beneath the surface. Slowly, he lowered his hand from his blade. “Karlos, this isn’t something to brush off. If you push too hard—”

“Let him push,” Kallus interrupted, his smirk returning. “If he doesn’t, he’ll never find his limits. And limits, my dear Godfrey, are what separate the strong from the weak.If you need help, little bro I’ll be a good big brother and help like the old times. My aim’s gotten better as he pulled out one of His training tools, a grenade.”

“You don’t get it, do you?” Godfrey snapped, taking a step closer to Kallus, his golden armor shimmering brighter with every movement. “He’s not some experiment for you to toy with. If he burns out now, he’ll lose everything—maybe even his soul. And let’s not forget the aftermath: your father will kill you for killing him, and then your mother will kill your father for killing you. Let’s not start this.”

The weight of their words settled over me like a stormcloud, heavy and oppressive. I clenched my fists, trying to ignore the volatile energy surging through my body. The glow in my hands flickered erratically before steadying again. It felt like a dam was barely holding back the floodwaters.

“Enough,” I said again, my voice firm despite the chaos roaring in my chest. “Both of you. I don’t need a lecture, and I don’t need a fight. I just need to figure out what’s happening to me.”

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For once, neither man had a retort. They exchanged a glance, their philosophies clashing silently: Kallus’s fiery confidence versus Godfrey’s steady resolve. Still, neither pressed the issue further. The silence stretched between us, broken only by the hum of the energy crackling around me.

Finally, Godfrey spoke, his voice quieter but no less insistent. “If you feel like you’re losing control, tell me. I can help you ground it.”

“And if you don’t lose control,” Kallus added, his smirk taking on a sharper edge, “then maybe you’ll finally be ready to learn what real power feels like.”

Godfrey stepped closer, his blade now sheathed, but the faint glow of his armor lingered, radiating concern. “Karlos, this isn’t about brute strength or raw power. If you let this energy run wild, it’ll consume you. You need to understand your own body—how it works, how it connects to the mana you’re channeling.”

Kallus snorted, crossing his arms. “For once, I agree with the knight.” His fiery aura dimmed slightly, though his molten eyes still burned bright. “The power you’re feeling right now? It’s not just a gift—it’s a tool. And like any tool, if you don’t learn to wield it properly, it’ll break you. Or worse—it’ll hollow you out until there’s nothing left.”

Their words struck a chord, though they were easier said than understood. The energy coursing through me felt alien, like trying to hold fire and water in a single fragile pot. “How?” I asked, my voice tinged with desperation. “How do I control this? I can feel the energy, but I can’t… see it. It’s like trying to grab smoke.”

Godfrey knelt beside me, his tone softening. “Then you need to see it—or at least imagine it. Meditation will help. Picture the mana as something tangible, something you can manipulate. Focus inward. Find where you feel weakest, where the energy feels like it’s slipping through the cracks. Draw the mana into those points. Make your vulnerabilities your strengths.”

Kallus nodded begrudgingly, pacing as he spoke. “Or, think of it like forging a blade. Weak points in the metal shatter under stress. But temper them—strengthen them with purpose—and they become the strongest parts. That’s what you need to do: temper the energy. Shape it. Own it.”

I closed my eyes, trying to make sense of their words. Slowly, I drew a deep breath and focused inward, searching for the chaotic currents within me. At first, it was chaos—wild streams rushing in every direction. But as I concentrated, the streams became clearer, like threads of light weaving through me.

I began to guide them, channeling the energy toward the places of greatest strain: my chest, my legs, the base of my spine. Each point felt like a dam on the verge of bursting, but as I directed the mana, the strain began to ease.

The glow in my hands flickered brighter, steadier. For the first time, the raging power inside me felt… manageable.

“Good,” Godfrey said, his voice calm but encouraging. “Keep going. The more you practice, the more natural it will feel.”

Kallus chuckled, leaning casually against a nearby tree that shimmered with faint blue light. “Don’t get too comfortable, kid. The real work starts once you’ve got the basics down.”

I ignored his jab, focusing instead on the energy within me. For now, stabilizing the storm was enough.

“It’s an imperfect ascension,” Greg said, tinged with disbelief. “Does this normally happen?” Greg took a pause probably reading a chat.

I need a phone so bad. I could be watching and seeing what’s happening. I thought waiting for something to happen.

What do you mean none of you have him at max level?” Greg suddenly cried out. This what we doing now testing characters half-finished.

Before I could process that, another voice—a different one, mechanical and aloof—joined in. “I can’t help I’m rich: Donated 1 cent.” This one sounded smug, almost bored. “He was trash. Nobody had the time or materials to level him to max. That would be a bad investment. And I don’t make bad investments.”

The voice paused as if savoring the moment, then delivered its final flourish: “Because, say it with me: time is money, and a waste of time is a waste of money.”

The words echoed in my mind like the mocking laughter of some distant spectator, but I could feel it burrowing deeper, igniting a fresh surge of frustration and doubt. Was this… someone watching me? Judging me?

My concentration faltered, and the energy inside me churned violently, threatening to spiral out of control. My hands blazed with crimson and gold light, flickering erratically, and I could feel the fragile balance I’d managed slipping away.

“Focus, Karlos!” Godfrey’s voice snapped me back to the moment. He stepped forward, his golden armor glowing brighter, as if to anchor me. “Don’t let them shake you. They’re not here. It’s just noise. Breathe. Stabilize. It just delusions caused by the ascension. ”