Outcast

After a few hours of reading, and learning about the notable achievements the famous ancestors of my branch.

I finally got up and went over to Rentil, who was napping the corner.

"Hey, Vanor said something about a body refinement method?"

Waking up, she glares at me and grumbles something about throwing rocks at me before walking over to a different section of the library. Coming back, she sets down two more large tomes.

On one it says " Storm Gods Divine Body", and on the other " Cultivating in the eye of the Storm"

" These are the two training methods created by Taleos himself. They are uniquely suited for our branch to train in. Under no circ.u.mstances can these methods be taught to anyone, not of Taleos's lineage. It would cripple them for life, and possibly kill them"

She says before going back to the corner and sleeping mumbling about being the rock-throwing goddess.

Shaking my head at her weirdness, I, of course, open the Storm Gods Divine Body tome first. The description reads.

" Refines the body thorough repeated tempering of wind, and lightning. Eventually, the two elements bond with the practitioner's body allowing them to call on the element to heal them. At the peak gives you the body of a storm god"

Excited, I browse through the various teachings throughout the tome, before going to the first instruction.

: The First Tempering:

"Start by gathering wind, and lightning elements into your body. But instead of condensing them into a single location like you would for an attack let them flow throughout your body.

Continue to gather until your body starts to burn from overelemtization. Then control the elements in the pattern shown below.

Each time you complete the pattern is one circuit, every ten circuits are one tempering level. Its recommended to do this in an area filled with lightning, and wind elements to speed up the process."

After reading how to start the first refinement, I rush to my new room after putting the three tomes in my spatial stone.

Once I arrive, I start to pull out all the natural treasures I have that have wind, or lightning. I also make sure to grab the ones that were already in the room as well.

After surrounding myself with the natural treasures, I notice an odd tugging on my sense from the glass I got from Quez Ignoring it I take a deep breath and start cultivating. Noticing that in the air around me is filling up with the two elements.

I start to direct them inside me as the tome said. The elements quickly fill my body to the point of being painful. Imagine lightning arching all over in your body, while wind also cuts through it.

Gritting my teeth, I start the circulation route as shown in the tome. Instead of going away the pain increases. Cursing the author of the tome for forgetting to mention that little detail I struggle to maintain the circulation.

"Come on Valoris, this is nothing compared to the 1000 Hammer Refinement! You always said that endurance is your biggest strength so prove it! endure, endure to the very end!" I think to myself.

After several agonizing minutes, I complete the first circuit. Hissing, I force myself to continue.

....

...

....

An hour goes by, I'm shaking uncontrollably, wheezing from the pain. Finally on the 10th circuit, Growling I dig down deep inside myself, to the place where all my rage at the unfairness of the world, at the pain, and betrayal of being abandoned, at the anger of the constant looks of disdain, and pity.

I dig down to where I keep all that bottled up and use it to keep pushing forward! to keep going, to finally shut them all up!

There isnt any dramatic noise or burst of light. Just a slow quiet agonizing couple of minutes that I endure before finishing the first tempering. Once I finish, all of the elements in my body quickly begin to be absorbed into my body reinforcing it.

I fall to the ground, gasping for air as the pain fades to a dull ache.

After several minutes of me laying there like a dying fish, I slowly get up to put away my treasures. As I reach the first one to put away Vanor comes inside.

He looks me over with approval clear in his eyes. Just as he is about to speak, his eyes look at the treasures on the ground around me. When he sees the Heavenly Lightning Glass treasure I traded with Quez for the arm bone, he stops.

His face slackens in shock before whispering

"Where the Hellfyre did you get that?"

"I traded for it, the person I got it from said it contained a bit of heavenly lightning from a tribulation" I answer.

"They were wrong, That's the lightning from a storm Emperor, within it carries a bit of his own divinity. Can you feel how it resonates with you? That's because it's from a member of our branch." Explains Vanor, his eyes never leaving it.

Knowing he could take it at any time from him easily if he wanted, I decided to offer it to him.

"Do you want it?"

"....I really do, but seeing how hard you are working, and in the name of our agreement this is what we will do instead. The way to gain the divinity from it is by swallowing the glass. Instead, I will hold onto it, studying the techniques, and power within to gain an understanding. When you have reached wyvern I will return it to you. This way we both benefit"

"I obviously agree, Do you know who it belongs too?" I ask curious.

"The Storm Tyrant, Valumis Taleos Stormfury. My grandfather"