Re: Tales of the Rune-Tech Sage

Chapter 44: Stalactite Milk

CH44 Stalactite Milk

***

’Should I or should I not?’

Alex asked himself the question again and again.

Anyone familiar with martial arts novels knew that stalactite milk couldn’t be taken out of its natural location. It was too volatile—losing its potency almost immediately once removed.

Alex guessed the hexagonal formation created by the six stalagmites was the key to keeping the milk fresh.

Perhaps the hexagon generated some kind of force field protecting the liquid at its centre.

Whatever the case, Alex had to decide.

’I will regret it forever if I don’t take this chance,’ he thought.

He had carried many regrets from missed opportunities in his previous life. He refused to live this one the same way.

Besides, deep down, he had a feeling Merlin wouldn’t let him get trapped here.

Even if that wasn’t true, the risk was one he was willing to take.

Alex made up his mind.

He stripped down to his birthday suit.

Then he stepped into the pool.

The milky liquid reached his sternum as he sat cross-legged, closing his eyes.

He began to meditate, following the tempering manual Merlin had given him—the same one he’d used to digest the Elder Dragon’s blood and heart.

His body roared in celebration as his pores opened, greedily drinking in the milk around him.

The energy in the liquid flowed rapidly through him, cleansing impurities and raising his body’s state.

It harmonized with the residual Dragon essence leftover from his previous tempering.

His bones refined further, becoming denser and stronger.

His blood thickened, glowing with an even more intense golden sheen, filled with renewed life essence.

His internal organs toughened and grew more resilient, their functions improving to support his now stronger body—and elevate it.

Even his brain wasn’t left out.

A rejuvenating energy swept through it, healing damaged nerve lines and encouraging the rapid formation of new ones—many of which would not have formed naturally.

The milk’s effects were subtler than those of the Dragon blood, but the changes were exactly what Alex’s body had desperately needed—changes even it wasn’t aware of.

Once his body had been tempered, the milk’s rejuvenating energy spilled into his Mana vessels, widening and strengthening them.

This was a function Alex hadn’t known stalactite milk possessed.

But it made sense.

Though mystical in nature, his Mana vessels were still part of his body—and since the milk refined his body, it would refine the vessels, too.

Another surprising effect was on his heart.

As it strengthened and refined his heart, the milk also purified and enhanced the Mana storage component within it.

The refinement to gain the Extreme Mana Capacity talent—which had previously stalled—began instinctively continuing as the milk washed over his Mana Heart again and again.

Alex took control and pushed his heart to its limits.

The more he expanded it, the more the milk’s effect took hold.

Expanding and rejuvenating, Alex used the milk’s power to rapidly train his Mana Heart.

Finally—

Badum! Badum!!

His heart throbbed strongly and then beat powerfully.

Instinctively, Alex knew he had reached the maximum expansion of his Mana Heart.

He had achieved the Extreme Mana Capacity talent!

As proof, his cultivation rank dropped from the peak Beginner Rank back to late Beginner Rank.

This wasn’t a demotion in power or Mana amount.

Instead, the capacity of his Mana Heart had increased so much that Alex now had even more Mana to cultivate before reaching peak Beginner levels at this new capacity.

Once his Mana Heart and vessels finished their refinement, Alex’s Spiritual Force joined the process.

Taking advantage of his brain’s refinement, his Spiritual Force drew some of the milk’s energy into his Mindspace, refining it as well.

Along with the Mindspace, the OmniRune Core—merged into his mental borders—also underwent refinement.

Alex wasn’t sure what this development meant, but he allowed it to happen. After all, there was plenty of stalactite milk left in the pool that he couldn’t carry with him. He might as well gain as much advantage as possible.

His already inhumanly durable Spiritual Force—for his level—became stronger and tougher.

If one were to look at his Spiritual Force alone, Alex could rival a peak Intermediate Rank Warlock, perhaps even an Elite rank.

Remember, Warlocks were a magical path focused on growing Spiritual Force.

It was almost impossible for a mage to have more Spiritual Force than a Warlock, just like a Warlock could never have as much Mana as a mage.

Thanks to the stalactite milk, Alex was breaking this accepted convention wide open!

His fear that the harmony between Body, Energy, and Soul might become imbalanced did not materialise.

If anything, the equilibrium was strengthened further, making it even harder for any imbalance to occur in the future.

This was especially true since Alex followed Merlin’s path of Astral energy, which combined Internal Energy (Body), Mana (Energy), and Spiritual Force (Soul).

The improved harmony also caused subtle changes within his two bloodlines.

Alex couldn’t pinpoint exactly what these changes were, as it seemed the stalactite milk had pushed the bloodlines only to their brink—not beyond the needed threshold.

Whatever transformations might come to his bloodlines, all Alex needed now was a small spark.

But such a spark could only be found—not sought.

He sighed in relief as the tempering slowed, then finally came to a stop.

Alex opened his eyes, and a golden sheen seemed to leap from his Truth-Seeker eyes.

He sensed a change in the Spirit Sight ability of his eyes, though he couldn’t yet put his finger on what it was.

Ignoring that for now, he noticed the refreshing scent in the air had significantly faded.

Then he realised the massive change in the pool he’d been sitting in.

The milk, which had previously reached the centre of his chest while meditating, was now only at his buttocks.

If he hadn’t been sitting on something wet, Alex might have argued he had used up all the milk in the pool.

Either way, he had no complaints. The results were more than worth it.

Checking the watch mark on the back of his left palm, he was surprised to see he had only spent half a day in the refinement.

’Is it because the milk is specially a body-tempering liquid? Or because my body was already at a state where it could be tempered rapidly?’ He wondered.

Whatever the reason, having more time was always welcome.

He climbed out of the pool—no, puddle—and put on his clothes.

As he considered whether he would have to crawl all the way back, something caught his attention—something he had overlooked due to the enormous fortune of the stalactite milk.

The source of the golden energy that had drawn him here was NOT the stalactite milk.

It was something else, even further into the cavern.

***