Orion swiftly summoned his crimson greatsword, bringing Aerialia along with it.
Witnessing this, Aurora frowned, knowing it was unusual for Orion to summon her mother so abruptly.
"What's going on?" Aerialia asked, shifting her gaze from Aurora to Orion.
"I need to tell you both that I can now advance to the next stage and create another Vylkr container," Orion responded.
Aerialia and Aurora were both stunned by his words.
"But I thought you said it would take you until next month or early next year to create another Vylkr container?" Aurora asked, her gaze fixed on Orion.
"Me too. Does this have to do with the Vylkr vine variants?" Aerialia asked.
"Yes, it does. The Vylkr vine variants are significantly more potent than the common Vylkr vines. With their help, I no longer need to wait another month to create another Vylkr container," Orion responded, nodding.
A look of realization suddenly appeared on Aurora's face. "So you returned to quickly attempt to create another Vylkr container?"
window.pubfuturetag = window.pubfuturetag || [];window.pubfuturetag.push({unit: "64ce79d606107d003c23ea27", id: "pf-5140-1"})Orion nodded.
"How many Vylkr containers do you want to attempt to create?" Aurora asked, her expression solemn.
"Two Vylkr containers. Although I was tempted to create three, that would be reckless, so I'll stick with two for now," Orion responded, his tone serious.
"Will you be able to handle four Vylkr containers at once?" Aurora asked, frowning deeply.
"I'm not sure, but I have to try. If I find it too difficult to create two more containers at once, I'll quickly dispel the second one and stick to just one," Orion replied.
"But is that safe?" Aurora asked worriedly. She knew that while Orion and the villagers had developed a strong resistance to the effects of Vylkr energy, they weren't entirely immune. Their resistance relied heavily on the Primordial energy within them suppressing it. So, attempting to harness such potent energy could harm his body severely.
"Yes, you don't have to worry, I'll be cautious," Orion responded, nodding reassuringly.
He wasn't sure what would happen if he dispelled a Vylkr container halfway created, but he didn't want to stress her out since this was something he had to handle himself.
"Alright, we'll trust you," Aerialia responded solemnly.
window.pubfuturetag = window.pubfuturetag || [];window.pubfuturetag.push({unit: "64cc9e79c7059f003e4ad4b0", id: "pf-5109-1"})Aurora bit her lip, nodded, and said, "Let's get going so you can start immediately." She turned around and led the way toward the Divine Essence Lake.
Orion and Aerialia followed her. When they arrived at the Divine Essence Lake, Orion laid the Crimson Greatsword beside the lake and walked toward the water.
"Be careful," Aurora said, holding back her emotions as she looked at Orion.
It would be a lie to say she didn't want to send him away from her Garden to stop him from doing something so reckless. However, doing so would simply make him head to the farm to meet Anara, so it would only be a futile attempt.
"I will," Orion responded, pulling her into a brief hug before releasing her. He then shifted his attention to Aerialia and noddedwith a light smileat her. "You don't have to worry about my safety. I promise I'm stronger and more mentally prepared than I look."
He turned toward the Divine Essence Lake and instantly dived in. He swam deeper and deeper for fifteen minutes until he reached the lake's depths, where he finally halted his movements.
Orion then sat within the Divine Essence Lake, feeling no discomfort. His lungs could still draw air from the Divine Lake Essence around him, and the pressure of the depths caused him no harm.
Orion summoned the Vylkr energy from every part of his being—tissues, flesh, and bones—channelling it through his veins to concentrate it within his heart and brain, the core locations of the body, to create a Vylkr container.
A sudden wave of overwhelming dread swept over Orion, but he was all too familiar with the risks involved in what he was attempting. Pushing past boundaries he had never explored before was never meant to be effortless. Nevertheless, like a helmsman paddling his canoe towards a roaring waterfall while hoping for the best, Orion pressed on.
window.pubfuturetag = window.pubfuturetag || [];window.pubfuturetag.push({unit: "663633fa8ebf7442f0652b33", id: "pf-8817-1"})BANG!
A raw, ominous burst of Vylkr energy erupted from his body, only to be immediately subdued by the Divine Essence Lake surrounding him.
Feeling the ferocious surge of Vylkr energy violently coursing through his veins, Orion gritted his teeth in agony, struggling to rein in his emotions. He was about to create two additional Vylkr containers within his body, doubling the usual limit and inviting unimaginable agony, so naturally, he hadn't expected it to be easy.
However, the pain surpassed anything he had ever experienced. His body convulsed violently, muscles seizing as if being torn apart from within. His skin began to crack, fissures spreading like a spiderweb across his flesh, while his veins ruptured under the immense surge, blood mingling with the inky black threads of Vylkr energy.
He felt his bones grind and splinter, the agony searing through him as if molten iron and magma were being poured into his marrow. Every heartbeat was a furious, rapid drumbeat of searing pain, as though preparing him as a bride about to be welcomed into death's opened legs.
Each new container strained his very being, pushing his physical form to its breaking point.
"Argghhh!" Orion screamed, reaching the midpoint of the creation of his Vylkr containers.
His vision became blurry, and he could barely think, every fibre of his being focused on surviving the torment. His veins soon healed, bulged, and throbbed, darkening to a deep, black glowing hue before rupturing again, causing streams of blood mingling with inky black strands of raw, vicious Vylkr energy to pour down his limbs and from all his orifices.
The pain was unbearable, every second feeling like an eternity of suffering.
Suddenly, streams of the Divine Essence Lake surged into his throat, drowning his screams of agony and soothing his internal organs, allowing him to regain some of his strength and seal his trembling lips so he wouldn't drown.
Within twenty minutes, he was halfway done creating his two Vylkr vine containers and was nearing completion.
