Return of the Woodcutter

Powerful energies fluctuated through Aito's body, saturating his mana circuits with power. The previous Khan's strength progressively flowed into his body, entering his soul core. 

The grey core in his hand broke apart. Like grains of sand, it escaped his grip, disintegrating into nothingness. Inside Aito, the Khan's soul met his. He could feel no resistance, only acceptance as he turned her power into his. 

Aito's core brimmed with energies.

He immediately ordered his soul to absorb it all. His soul pulsed in accordance with his will, assimilating the previous Khan's soul that posed no resistance or threat, willingly becoming part of Aito's power.

Using these energies, the core, already brimming with power, underwent a change. 

It shone brightly, expending slightly, using the energies it was given to grow stronger. Aito's soul pulsed to joy as it evolved, going past its previous limits. His auxiliary core was caught up in the momentum, cracking and expending. 

Dense mana shot up from inside him, flooding his mana circuits. So much power came from such a little grey bead. He could have never imagined a level 3 soul core would hold this amount of energy. One was enough for him to reach the next level. 

His core already had enough energy to level up. However, this wasn't what Aito and his soul wanted. 

'No! Digest and compress!'

His soul obeyed. The influx of power was redirected inside. Forced to a stop, it stagnated around the soul core, which sent waves of soul power to compress it and absorb it. 

'Now, slowly relocate everything and create a new auxiliary core.' 

Aito's soul pulsed in agreement, then started relocating the digested and assimilated energy. Aito felt extreme pain when a piece of his actual soul was torn apart to create a new auxiliary core. 

Compared to the first time, he could feel it with more ease, his soul's piece serving as the central part of his new auxiliary core.

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However, something felt wrong. It was feeble, weak, and wobbling. 

Aito's main core sent him a warning, but he did not listen. As always, he thought that taking risks when it came to gaining strength was his best bet. 

He chose to continue the operation. 

'Compress and store everything!' 

All the energy he had accumulated until now was redirected and used as fuel for the creation of the new auxiliary core. However, midway, his soul sent another warning, pulsing that it would not be enough to complete the new auxiliary core. 

The higher the soul level Aito had, the more energy he would need to form auxiliary cores. That was a given. 

Although the current energy contained in the level 3 soul core he had absorbed was easily comparable to the combined energy he had absorbed on the 5th floor during the Crimson Eclipse, it wasn't enough. 

The 2nd auxiliary core started taking shape. Cracks rapidly appeared on its still feeble surface as Aito coughed up blood.

At that moment, his main core pulsed a warning. It needed more energy to complete the 2nd auxiliary core. 

Aito had been able to absorb soul cores remotely on the 5th floor during the Lunar Eclipse. Although he didn't know how he knew it was linked to his soul's capabilities.

Hoping it would work again, Aito ordered his soul to absorb the other soul cores stored in the bags surrounding him in the room.

At first, nothing happened.

The room was filled with complete silence when suddenly, a loud pulse reverberated, calling out to the soul cores. 

The marble-sized items stuffed in bags shook strongly while the energies they contained rose into the air, forming a colorful spectacle. Energies rushed in Aito's body, passing by his mana circuits into his soul core.

Unlike the first time, he only sucked a limited amount of energy instead of absorbing everything around him. His body overflowed with the power of a raging storm that was sucked into Aito's cores that processed the energies, transforming them into his own. 

After that, they transferred mana and soul power to the newborn cracked auxiliary core that grew immediately. The auxiliary cored trembled when cracks progressively closed to stop mana and soul power from leaking out.

At that moment, Aito asked his soul to stop the growth of his 2nd auxiliary core. However, this wasn't how things worked. His soul pulsed in denial. It could not stop the process now.

[Hum, I expected as much,] Valinar declared. [There must be balance in your soul. Creating a smaller auxiliary core breaks this balance and, therefore, is impossible. Even you who create miracles cannot escape this balance.]

'Shit…,' Aito cursed internally. He knew he wouldn't have listened to her even if Valinar had warned him. 'Then what am I supposed to do now?' 

[You must find balance anew.] 

'Can't you be clearer?' Aito asked. 

[It means your new auxiliary core must be at the same level as the first one. You clueless mortal,] Valinar replied. 

Something throbbed in Aito's chest. New cracks formed on his 2nd auxiliary core. A sudden urge to vomit seized him. Incapable of controlling it, Aito threw up all over his bed that was repainted red. 

Blood. 

'What's... happening to me?' 

[You were too reckless. The piece of your soul you used to create your 2nd auxiliary core wasn't strong enough to retain this level of energy. So it is breaking apart.]

[This phenomenon is creating an imbalance that prevents the link between your new auxiliary core and the main one to form properly. Which is leading to foreign mana and soul power running wild inside you. You were too greedy, mortal. If you don't stop now, you will cripple your cores.]

'Shit…,' Aito cursed, vomiting blood again. The shock was such he almost let go of the healing bead in his hand, his sole insurance against an unforeseen incident, 'There must be another way.' 

[There is none that I can remember. You have to stop now,] Valinar replied. 

At that moment, his soul weakly pulsed a question which he had trouble understanding. It pulsed once again, the vibration clearer and stronger this time. 

Aito's lips arched up in a bloody smile while he replied, 'Yes.' 

[Yes? What do you mean? Be clearer, mortal.]

Aito did not reply to Valinar. Instead, he retracted his attention inside him. His internal injuries were becoming more severe by the passing seconds because of the raging energies ravaging his insides. 

'Do it,' he said to his soul. 

His main core and 1st auxiliary core vibrated strongly in reply. The soul piece housed inside the 1st auxiliary core cracked, separating into two parts.

The smaller part, around a quarter piece, flew out of the 1st auxiliary core to bring assistance to the new one. 

Aito grabbed his chest as if he was trying to dig out the pain, but ultimately forced his hand back to avoid injuring himself. 

However, a second wave of pain struck him when his main core, that was housing most of his main soul, cracked. One-tenth of the soul inside flew out while unbearable pain seized Aito again. 

[You… are you mad?] Valinar asked. [Do you want to die!?]

After seeing Aito's unconventional thinking times and times again, the goddess started to get used to his recklessness, but when she saw what he was doing, Valinar couldn't help but think this couldn't be called recklessness anymore but stupidity.

[Using your soul this way will get you killed! Do you hear me? Stop this instant if you cherish your life even a little!]

Aito did not reply. He could not reply. 

He had known incredible physical pain to the point it would overload his brain and shut it down.

However, pain from the soul was different. It attacked you from your very core like thousands of needles piercing your chest from the inside.

Aito couldn't even faint because the pain would immediately awaken him. All he could do was brace himself. He screamed his lungs out, his powerful voice resonated inside the room and beyond it. 

The two guards positioned outside his door jumped in surprise at this abnormal sound. Thinking someone was attacking the new Khan, they wanted to barge in. However, Krugan's previous order was clear.

No matter what they heard, they must not enter. 

Torn between duty and common sense, one of them went looking for Krugan, while the other remained posted outside. 

Unaware of the trouble he was causing the guards, Aito clenched his teeth through the unbearable pain.

His body was shaking uncontrollably. Unable to contain the shaking, his rattling hand let go of the healing bead that rebounded on his bed, then rolled on the ground far from his reach. 

He tried to stretch his arm, but fell in the process.

Back on his stone bed, the pain prevented him from getting up. He barely managed to roll on the side to vomit blood, preventing him from choking on his own vital fluids. 

Inside him, his main core weakly pulsed, trying to control the raging energies with the help of the 1st auxiliary core. The 2nd auxiliary core, however, was pale and silent. Streams of soul power and mana leaked out of it. 

The main core pulsed again, sending signals to the 2nd auxiliary core, trying to establish a new link. 

No response came.