Chapter 28: You Only Have Decades Left
Chapter 28: You Only Have Decades Left
“So, Nerine… will you come with me?”
“Where?”
“To a place where everything awaits you. A proper home, meals prepared just for you, an environment built to comfort you, and wealth beyond what you can imagine.”
Sigh. That same offering again.
As if it could ever guarantee my safety. Even Gramps Zach, far stronger and wealthier than her, had been humiliated in the end. And now she dares offer me a house that feels like a ticking time bomb.
Expect me to live there?
Absolutely not.
“But Mother… where are you taking me?”
I had no idea what kind of hell she meant, so I had to ask.
“Hehe… it is the land where my granddaughters forged an empire. An isolated place, rising proudly through the strength of my own bloodline.”
“Bloodlines? Do you mean distant descendants?”
“You could say it is a family with many branches, each one growing strong and connected in its own way.”
So it truly was her kin.
An empire ruled by her relatives, stronger than any kingdom. If she calls it an empire, then perhaps they truly possess the strength to rise above kings and queens.
“But Mother, please… I don’t want to go there. I’m so tired.”
“My dear daughter, don’t worry. Rest in my arms. I will carry you with ease.”
“No! That’s not what I meant!”
“Then why?”
She is persistent.
I know she cares, but I cannot go there. What I want is a quiet life, alone. I do not want to be surrounded by people who are dangerous and impossible to trust. Some fools might chase after that kind of life, but not me. All I want is peace, a hidden life where I can grow stronger.
I must refuse her offer, and I need only a simple excuse.
“Mother, it’s not that I don’t want to go with you. But right now, I feel weak. My head hurts. My body aches. I’m so tired, as if something is draining me.”
“Draining you?”
“Yes. I don’t know why I feel so weak.”
“Hmm… let me see for myself.”
Her calm expression almost made me laugh, but I sensed unease beneath it.
She moved closer on the bed, placed her hand on my wrist to check my pulse, and carefully examined my entire body.
I did not understand why she needed to do this when her eyes alone could see through illness, but her seriousness made me stay silent.
A moment later, she pulled back. Her face leaned close to mine, and this time her expression betrayed her.
Nervousness was clear, as if she had discovered something terribly wrong.
What happened? Did she find something hidden inside me?
Before I could speak, Szélanya’s voice cut through the silence.
“This is bad, Nerine. Your life force is damaged. You should have lived for over nine hundred years, yet now I can feel you have only a few short decades left.”
“Huh…”
Holy hell, what did she just say?
“Mother, what do you mean?”
My voice cracked with fear.
My chest tightened, and my hands grew cold. I could not tell what expression I wore, but her worried eyes pierced through me.
For a moment, my panic wavered, replaced by fragile calm as I waited for her reply.
“Do not panic, Nerine. I, your mother, will take care of everything. The Six-Tier herb I gave you may have been destroyed in our battle, but I can still restore your life force. I promise, I will fix it and ensure your lifespan is safe.”
“R-really?”
“Yes. Do not worry, my dear. Leave everything to me. Close your eyes and show me your back.”
“Ah… yes!”
I turned slowly, trying to find a comfortable position.
My hands trembled as I fumbled with the buttons of my bra.
My breath caught when it finally slipped open.
With my eyes squeezed shut and my heart hammering, I felt Szélanya’s hand press firmly against my back.
Mana surged into me.
It flooded my body, rushing through every vein and merging with my own energy. It moved carefully, harmonizing with my bloodstream, gentle enough not to harm my child.
Then it shot straight to my heart, where my inner core rested. It poured endlessly into the core, filling it so fast that my mind struggled to comprehend the power.
"I did not expect it to be this effortless," Szélanya whispered, awe filling her voice. "Your mana is so pure, more refined than I imagined. Its balance is extraordinary, almost flawless. At this pace, your mastery will not only be complete. It will surpass every expectation."
Her words struck deep, but I could not respond.
Every shred of focus was locked on containing the torrent inside me, keeping it steady and preventing even the smallest leak that could devastate my body.
My core stretched and expanded at frightening speed.
The difference was staggering. My countless hours of struggle had yielded only the barest growth, a fraction of a percent.
Yet now, under her hand, the expansion surged forward in massive leaps.
This overwhelming growth was shocking. Even for me, it felt incredible. With this boost, reaching the complete Primaris Realm no longer seemed impossible.
“Mother, is this enough to reach the complete transition?”
I asked, heart pounding, unsure if everything I needed was truly ready.
“Not yet, dear. I want to explain the conditions first so you will not be frightened. Focus on me, okay?”
“Yes.”
“Good. Then listen carefully.”
Szélanya began to explain the conditions to reach the perfect Primaris Realm.
I froze, not from shock at how amazing it sounded, but at the number of requirements.
I had only unlocked a few. Forty percent chance of failure loomed over me.
The Primordial Path required five conditions just to reach the first realm.
First, a perfect physique, strong enough to hold any unique energy.
Second, mastery of at least one type of natural energy, each with its own nature: mana, spirit energy, or demonic energy.
Third, a core of mid-grade tier or higher.
Fourth, reforming the heart and erasing all emotions to avoid madness.
Any lingering humanity could let overflowing emotions grow and drive me insane.
Fifth, a strong will, enough to control myself in any situation.
Alone, each condition seemed attainable. Together, they felt impossible. It was certainly not something ordinary humans could achieve; humans did not possess cores, after all.
I had not fulfilled the fourth condition. Could I succeed without it, or would I be forced to abandon my emotions and attempt the transition with only ninety percent certainty?
That path was even worse.
If I succeeded now, it would be nothing short of a miracle.
But if I failed, the price would not be small. Lifelong crippling was the only certain outcome.
Simulating countless outcomes in my head made my body freeze. If I stopped here, failure was inevitable.
If it did not leave me broken, then death would be the end that awaited.
"Continue, Mother. I trust you."
My words trembled with fear yet carried a sharp edge of determination.
Szélanya’s hand, pressed firmly against my back, shivered as though my resolve had startled her.
The moment passed quickly.
She steadied herself, her focus returning as her voice filled with conviction.
"Then, as a mother, I will not disappoint my child."
Szélanya took out two blue potions. She drank one with her right hand while her left continued pressing against me, steadily feeding me mana.
I could not tell what kind of supplement it was, though from the color it was likely a recovery potion.
I could not confirm it.
I had not used my Divine Eyes, and in my state I could not afford to. All I could do was focus on absorbing her mana without losing control.
I understood why she appeared weaker.
She had spoken of cultivating many bodies, and this avatar was clearly not as strong as the form I had first seen, the one that commanded natural energy as effortlessly as breathing.
Even so, I was grateful.
She believed I was her distant descendant because I carried the bloodline of her first daughter.
From that belief she gave me her devotion without hesitation. For someone who had lived as an orphan, that warmth pierced deeply.
It was not false.
It was not deception.
It was pure adoration.
Yet guilt settled in my chest.
Perhaps I was the one deceiving her. I needed her love, her strength, and her name.
In truth, I was nothing more than a parasite, fragile on the surface yet feeding on her care from within.
Even so, I forced the guilt aside.
What mattered now was to embrace her love, claim the benefits, and grow stronger.
To reach my goal, this step was necessary, no matter how selfish it made me.
"Nerine...!"
"Ah!"
My body jolted.
I was still in the middle of my breakthrough. If I faltered now, the price would not be weakness but death itself.
I steadied myself and forced my focus back into place. Szélanya’s mana surged again, ten times stronger than before. My hair stood on end.
The torrent of energy poured into me without pause, and the difficulty of matching its purity doubled. My blood strained under the weight, yet it grew tougher with every heartbeat.
Each cell adapted, each vessel hardened, and my blood energy thickened with power.
Bones, nerves, organs, and skin followed, strengthening with painful clarity.
My body was transforming, and if I wanted true power, I could not waste this chance.
I endured for hours, devouring mana, forcing control despite my trembling frame.
My swollen belly ached with merciless pressure, and sweat poured down my face in endless streams. Every breath burned, yet I refused to stop.
Three hours passed.
A sharp crack echoed inside me. White smoke curled from my skin, chilling the air as fissures spread across my flesh.
My surface withered and split, releasing no sound but silence.
Every strand of mana had been consumed, digested, and bound within me.
I opened my eyes against the weight pressing down. My hands were black as charcoal, my skin brittle and cracked like a mask about to fall away.
My limbs resisted movement, stiff and suffocating, but I pushed through the pain.
Failure now would mean ruin.
–––
Time dragged until dawn’s faint light slipped through the window.
The hour was past three, the quietest moment of morning.
Nerine floated above the ground, wrapped in radiant blue light. Charcoal skin peeled and fell in fragments, scattering across the floor.
The glow flared brighter, heat rolling through the air as the last of the dead husk burned away, leaving only new flesh beneath.
Szélanya sat by the window, a cup of tea warming her hands, her gaze steady on the sight before her. Lynn stood at her side in silence, watching as the transformation unfolded.
"It is done," Szélanya whispered. "She has officially stepped into the Primaris Realm."
Her eyes shifted toward Lynn.
"Did you finish the barrier?"
"Yes, Your Majesty. No mortal will sense this disturbance."
"Good. Humans may carry mana, but most cannot perceive it. Even without the barrier, they would never understand what has taken place here."
Her gaze lingered on Nerine.
A faint smirk touched her lips as her thoughts drifted into a haze.
The last fragments of Nerine’s old skin crumbled away, falling like ash into silence as she shed her mortal body.
Szélanya remained lost in thought, watching intently as she waited for Nerine’s transformation to reach its end.
•••
