CLEAVER OF SIN Chapter 1118: Eight Months And Two Weeks

Asher stretched his body. He was tired; in fact, saying he was too tired was even an understatement. Throughout that time, he had barely slept, only sleeping to rest when the training he did was of a physical type and pushed him to his limits. Then there was the occasional resting or meditating when he felt he was mentally exhausted.

His Star Energy flowed as his heart pumped out the energy. It hummed around him as it enveloped him. He gazed at his hands and body as he marvelled at his new control. Although he had reached another level of control with the Star Energy, he didn’t gain an affinity or anything. But he wasn’t bothered; personally, he kind of preferred it this way.

While many might wish for many affinities and the likes, to Asher, these people wouldn’t understand that training each element required an immense effort, time, and even talent.

He had spent a month and two weeks at the Astra Vein Cultivation room, one month at the Physical Conditioning room, two weeks at the Swordsmanship room, three weeks at the Combat Refinement and Attunement room, three weeks at the Lightning room, three weeks at the Light room, two weeks at the Gravity room, three weeks at the Flame room and three weeks at the Space room.

He then spent another three weeks strengthening his Stanzas from the Song Of Virelass techniques, then created new ones. He spent another two weeks increasing his Star Energy control and trying to create a new Star Form.

In total, he had spent 8 months and two weeks here. It was literally insane. It was pure madness. He had come here only to train for three months, but it wasn’t enough; he had underestimated the actual amount of things he needed to train.

’It seems I was naive to think I could train everything within merely three months,’ he thought to himself.

And through the entire eight months and two weeks he spent here, he had only broken through a single sub-Life Rank. This showed just how hard it was to truly get stronger and how much time it took. And not only that, it would have taken longer if he wasn’t in this specialized training facility that his family had.

’Getting stronger isn’t really easy,’ he thought with a sigh as the Star Energy cloaking his body vanished.

He shook his head as he finally understood why people usually got to the Crownstar Life Rank by a hundred or around that timeframe.

If he didn’t possess so many elements, he wouldn’t have spent this much time here. Which goes to show that possessing too many elements without the talent and resources to match them would only slow down progress. It was simply the reason why people like Teo Swig chose to focus on Wind and Fire Elements, then training Water and Earth just enough to be useful.

’Finch, William, Ryaen and Vaelric only have five months left in their sophomore year,’ Asher mused to himself as he sighed and shook his head.

Although he had spent eight months here, he now possessed a comprehensive combat prowess. At this point, maybe, just maybe, he could finally match a Dust Voidstar without losing. In fact, he dared say he could take on a Spark Voidstar Life Ranker.

The moment he had that thought, he killed it instantly. He was sure it was that voice that was whispering again for him to do something death-courting. But oh well... he couldn’t know his current combat strength unless he actually fought someone at the Voidstar Life Rank.

With that, he turned around and walked out of the Elemental Control Training room. Stepping out, he saw other training rooms, staring at them for a moment, he sighed and turned around and headed towards the chamber where he had fought Runera.

Stepping into the open space, his eyes shifted towards the Altar of Souls. His purple eyes stayed on it for a moment, after a moment of hesitation, he walked towards the Altar of Souls, getting there, he placed his hand on it, but no reaction came immediately. He stayed like that for two minutes, yet nothing happened.

He cut his finger and let his blood drop on it like he did previously, yet once again, there was no reaction. He channeled Astra Energy, then Star Energy, still he got no reaction. He shook his head in mild disappointment as he turned around and walked away. He had planned to summon someone from the Altar of Souls so he could fight them and test his current strength, but the altar hadn’t reacted. It simply sat there as though it was a random slab of stone.

’It seems it only reacts when someone enters for a training session,’ Asher thought to himself as he touched the huge door.

It opened outwards as he stepped out, retracing his steps as he walked out. He looked around as he walked, he had been here eight months and two weeks ago.

’I wonder how long Father spends here each time he trains his Nebula Affinity,’ Asher thought to himself.

Malrik could use only the Flame and Light elements, while Azaron possessed more than that, if the man possessed fewer sub-affinities, maybe, just maybe he could have matched Malrik’s record of getting to the Crownstar Life Rank. But well... one had to consider that Malrik had to also train the Solar Energy. So maybe they tied in terms of raw talent?

’Elder Brother Malrik got to the Crownstar Life Rank by age twenty-nine, I’m currently nineteen, and I will be twenty in about four months, meaning I have nine years to match his record and eight years to break it,’ Asher did a mental calculation.

A smile couldn’t help but appear on his lips, eight years was too much, he got to this level in just over two years, well, in four months it will be three years. Having eight more years was simply too much time.

As he was lost in thought of breaking his brother’s record, he finally reached the staircase which he, Lyra and Zarek had descended earlier. The opening to the outside world finally opened up, he ascended it with slow steps.

Stepping out, his eyes fell on the dense green forest canopy before him. Trees stretched out, leaves dancing to the rhythm of the wind, the smell of soil, dirt and everything flooding his senses. The sunlight that poured from above seemed to flood his vision, but his eyes didn’t squint to adjust to the sudden change in lighting as the Absolute Physique already did that.

Asher took a deep breath as he inhaled and allowed everything to overwhelm his senses. He stood there for a moment as though he had forgotten this feeling, the feeling of the wind, the feeling of the sun against one’s skin, the feeling of just existing.

It had been eight months and two weeks since he had seen this, so he simply took his time to enjoy it. After basking in the feeling for a moment, his eyes, which were closed, snapped open, his Star Energy surged as he shot into the sky in a blur as he broke the sound barrier with ease as he raced towards the clouds. For the first time in months, he felt the freedom of the open sky once again.