Timeless Assassin

(Planet Juxta, Breakthrough Chamber, Leo's POV)

*Knock* *Knock*

A heavy knocking sound disturbed Leo's focus state of mind, as he calmly opened his eyes and turned towards the door, before gesturing for the soldier to come in.

*Tap* *Tap* *Tap*

The footsteps of the soldier echoed throughout the vast breakthrough chamber, as he walked up to Leo and carefully handed him the extremely pure Transcendent Breakthrough Potion.

"Good luck sir.... I hope you don't need them, but in case you do, medical staff will be right outside the door, monitoring your progress."

The soldier said, as Leo did not bother replying, but only gave him a sharp nod.

*Thud*

The door shut again, sealing the silence back into the chamber, leaving only a cocoon of isolation where triumph or ruin would unfold.

*Huff*

Leo exhaled softly, the calm breath steadying his body, as his eyelids drifted close once more as he returned to stillness.

His chest rose, then fell, as he let out a deep breath, the sound carrying into the vast chamber like a beast growling.

Slowly, he lifted the crystalline vial, its surface glimmering faintly with a purity that seemed almost divine, and with a single motion, he cracked the seal.

*Pop*

A faint, metallic aroma spilled into the air, raw energy condensed into liquid form, as he tilted the vial back and drank.

*Gulp* *Gulp*

The potion slid down his throat in a silken rush, yet the moment it entered his stomach it erupted like liquid fire, searing through his insides as though he had swallowed molten iron.

His veins throbbed, his circuits screamed, and his heart pounded like a war drum.

The potion dissolved instantly into pure mana, flooding every corner of his body in an untamed tide, battering against the walls of his circuits in a merciless attempt to widen them.

Leo's back arched as he clenched his teeth, forcing himself to endure the agony.

The surge rushed upward into his skull, burning through the delicate threads of his nervous system, fusing circuit and nerve together into one, while another wave cascaded downward through his bones, bleeding into his bloodstream until every droplet of his essence began to shimmer faintly with the glow of mana.

*Shiver*

His entire form trembled, a storm trapped inside flesh.

'Good. This is what I expected…' he thought grimly, his consciousness teetering on the edge of clarity, as he willed himself to embrace the pain rather than shy from it.

He knew the path of Transcendence was merciless, it demanded that he endure this trial without flinching, or be consumed in the attempt.

*FSSHHH*

Mana flooded his body, his natural circuits tore open, then reformed wider, threads of his nervous system knitting together with the channels, as if nature itself was reweaving him into something new.

The pressure was suffocating, yet his will stood firm.

The first instinct was survival, which prompted him to get rid of the foreign energy immediately, however, Leo knew survival alone would not tame this storm.

He needed to control and command the raging energy before it shattered him, but first, he needed to let it overwhelm his circuits to the brink of breakthrough.

*Inhale*

*Exhale*

One second passed, then two, then five, as it was only then that Leo started to make his move.

'Alright…. It's becoming unbearable now, I guess it's time to start getting rid of the excess energy.'

Leo thought, as he curled his fingers around his dagger and began summoning his techniques one after another in rapid succession, for it was the only outlet to keep the mana flow from destroying him.

[Thousand Phantom Slashes]

His arms blurred, phantom blades lashing out in arcs of shimmering intent, scattering across the chamber in bursts of afterimage, until the air itself seemed shredded by the assault.

[Enhance]

His body swelled with strength as he forcefully layered the technique upon himself, muscles trembling, bones groaning under the weight of unnatural reinforcement, sweat beading across his forehead even as the potion pushed him past his limits.

[Fade Step]

His form flickered, sliding between one spot and another in near silence, his aura retracting into nothingness and then reappearing like a whisper of death itself, as he fought to maintain balance.

[StormFlash Traverse]

His figure shot forward in a blinding line, movement like lightning slashing through the chamber before abruptly halting, his breath ragged as sweat beads danced across his skin.

[Astral Hook Bind]

Threads of mana lashed outward like chains, grasping invisible anchors, pulling taut, stretching the strain away from his circuits even as his body screamed from the overload.

Each technique bled energy from his core, each one a release valve against the flood that threatened to drown him, yet every time he expended it, the potion filled him again with even greater force, like a relentless tide that rose higher no matter how much was drained.

"My head…. It's turning dizzy…"

Leo muttered, as unexpectedly at this critical moment, he began to lose the clarity of his mind.

His vision began to shake, his mind slipping into haze, as the weight of existential overload crashed into him like waves upon stone.

"Fuck—"

He said, as he grit his teeth and tried to center himself, yet the focus faltered, his rhythm breaking at the worst possible moment.

[Celestial Veil]

He willed the protective cocoon of invulnerability to form, a skill he had practiced countless times, a reflex carved into instinct itself, yet nothing appeared.

His body twitched, his circuits seized, and mana that should have flowed outward instead rebounded inward, slamming into him like a hammer blow from within.

He had made a mistake while casting the move and as a result, he wasted precious time in getting rid of the excess energy that should not have been wasted.

*Twitch*

*Stagger*

His chest convulsed as he staggered, his breath tearing from his lungs, blood flecking the corner of his lips as his heart thundered erratically against the cage of his ribs.

The energy piled upon itself, building higher, refusing to release, his channels straining to the brink of rupture.

'Focus… I need to focus…'

The thought carved itself into the haze, sharp and unyielding, as if it was his only anchor left in this storm.

'I can do this…'

He assured himself, as he pushed his body into motion again.

[StormFlash Traverse]

His form vanished and reappeared, streaks of light tearing through the chamber, ripping mana outward as his body devoured the strain.

[Thousand Phantom Slashes]

His blades erupted again, not as controlled arcs but as wild, furious crescents, carving through air and stone alike, scattering the excess energy into the runes lining the chamber, each strike a desperate plea for release.

The chamber shook faintly under the barrage, the reinforced runes drinking in the overflow, stabilizing the space where lesser walls would have already crumbled.

Leo's chest heaved, his eyes wild for a heartbeat before steadying once again.

The smooth, wide mana channels forged by his unique Mana Heart had managed to bear the unnatural torrent, bleeding it into rhythm instead of collapse, allowing him to survive what should have been a fatal backlash.

However, he wasn't out of the woods yet.

Only half the ascension process was complete, and he needed to maintain his focus for at least 15 more minutes while his body transformed, and that too without making any mistakes.

'I cannot afford another slip. Not here, not now.'

The storm still raged within him, each surge of mana more violent than the last, circuits widening further, his body screaming, yet the anchor of his will held.

He had belief in himself that he would weather this storm.

Afterall, his destiny was too large for him to fail here.