“There are two ways to use Magma Marrow,” the metallic monotone began its explanation. “The proper way of using it is to expose bones which have bone marrow with surgical incisions and then expose the marrow with clean fractures. Administering three to ten drops of Magma Marrow will replace the existing bone marrow. Then wounds are painlessly closed with the aid of a Healing potion. If left untreated, infection and other negative effects, such as death, might occur.”
As the disembodied voice spoke, Wolf couldn’t make out half the things it said. The boy understood that if he didn’t use a Healing potion he might die, but since he now had Healing potions, he concluded that this was fine, and he wouldn’t die.
“The procedure itself can take as long as the user wants. You may complete it in several phases. To maximize the effect, finishing the procedure in as little time as possible is preferable.”
The artifact spirit paused. Wolf guessed it was probably so that the disciple could consider what they’d heard, but he didn’t really need the moment of silence.
Luckily, the speaker was aware of this and continued talking. “The benefit is that bone marrow is permanently replaced during the procedure. As a result, blood will also be replaced over a period spanning between half a year and a year. The improved blood will then nourish the muscles and over the course of ten years the subject’s strength and body mass will permanently increase by a factor of two.
“However, the most important thing about this approach is that this will open the ultimate Body Refining path for you,” the speaker said as enticingly as the restrictions of the monotone metallic voice allowed. “If performed correctly, this procedure is the first stage of the legendary Body Refining art known as Star Body. Once you follow this art to its final stage, you will have a virtually indestructible body with no anatomical weaknesses. By following this path to the end, you will gain the ability to devour stars.”
“How do I do that?” Wolf asked, but the metallic voice just kept on talking.
“The other method is only temporary and comes with negative side effects,” the voice ignored the boy’s question and continued its soliloquy. “The incorrect usage assumes diluting Magma Marrow with three Healing potions of Moderate grade, or one Healing potion of Greater grade.
“This would negate the lethal nature of the heart of fire at the cost of weakening its potency. Ingesting Magma Marrow in such fashion would still cause discomfort over the course of a month, which is how long your body would need to metabolize the medicinal concoction.”
Just like when it explained the first use, the voice paused, then explained the benefit. As for Wolf, the boy was mostly staring blankly by then.
“Magma Marrow’s effect is considerably different if administered in such a fashion. It would ignite and invigorate the user's blood. The user’s muscle fibers would grow denser, and even their skeleton would absorb some of the medicinal effect, resulting in a minor increase in toughness.
“These temporary enhancements would immediately increase the user's strength by a factor of three. Unfortunately, the effect on blood and muscles would slowly dissipate, steadily weakening by a fifth every decade until finally the enhancement completely wore off half a century after ingestion.
“The change to the skeleton, however, is permanent. Various minerals would continue to accumulate in the bones, causing their weight to grow continuously. Eventually, this change would result in a drop of the user’s mobility, outweighing the benefit from the boost in physical strength.”
Wolf had no clue what most of the important words meant. In fact, most of the words sounded important, such as “continuously”, “accumulated” and “administered”. This monologue was even worse than his father’s lectures. Especially when the voice described the first method.
The boy committed all of those big words to memory so that he could later ask Archibald what they meant. What little Wolf understood, or more accurately guessed, was that the second method was painless and temporary, while the first one hurt, but was permanent.
“Artifact spirit sir, I think I want the first one. Plucking the stars from the sky to eat them sounds really awesome and I don’t want my bones to be heavy. I just don’t know how to do the things you said. Can you help me?” Wolf made his choice with barely any consideration.
He had learned from his father that if you want to do things you either do them right or don’t bother with them at all. That means that as soon as the voice said that the first way was proper, Wolf was sold. Picking stars to eat was just a bonus.
As for what incision and clean fracture were, who cares about little things like that?
As soon as Wolf spoke the words, he realized he should’ve phrased his request more clearly. “Can you help me right now to do the things you said I have to do?”
Several moments passed in silence after Wolf had asked for help. Then he could hear dull thuds echoing from the hallway. While those heavy footsteps approached, the familiar choppy voice spoke.
“Personal Disciple, Honored Master knew few could perform the procedure by themselves. Thus, Honored Master left an assistant for the Personal Disciples.
“The assistant can perform the whole procedure all by itself. Personal Disciple simply has to endure the procedure. If at any point Personal Disciple cannot withstand the pain, all Personal Disciple has to do is shout ‘STOP’ and the assistant will stop the procedure. Personal Disciple unable to complete the procedure cannot become Honored Master’s Legacy Disciple. Personal Disciple is considered to have forfeited the remaining challenges. The same goes for those weak of will who chose the second option.”
By the time the artifact spirit finished its explanation, a six-armed puppet fashioned out of rock stomped into the room. The giant was well over two meters tall and had to bend a bit to pass through the door. The faceless thing had the general shape of a manling. However, it had three pairs of arms stacked one above another.
Its uppermost arms were massive. They looked stronger than the arms of the burliest man Wolf had ever seen, which wasn’t all that difficult to achieve. The middle pair looked like arms of a regular human, while the third pair was slender, like a cross between the gentle arms of a small woman and those of a child. All three sets of limbs were way too long and appeared sickeningly misshapen.
The creepy stone puppet halted in front of Wolf. Then it reached out with the two regular-looking arms and held them in front of Wolf, palm side up as if demanding something from the boy.
“The procedure will require three Moderate grade Healing potions, as well as the vial of Magma Marrow. Personal Disciple is to hand them over to the medical puppet,” the artifact spirit explained, identifying the monstrosity as a medical aide.
Wolf followed the instructions and provided the required items. Only then did the emotionless voice continue.
“Personal Disciple needs to strip first. Then Personal Disciple should relax as much as possible. Do not obstruct the medical golem while it performs the procedure. If the pain becomes unbearable at any point in time Personal Disciple should remember to shout ‘STOP’.”
After waiting for Wolf to strip, the metallic voice continued.
“Medical golem may begin the procedure,” the artifact spirit proclaimed.
The automaton’s thick arms shot forward with inhuman speed. The hulking sculpture made of rock moved soundlessly.
Before Wolf could figure out what was going on, two burly hands gripped his tiny arms. The puppet maneuvered the boy with uncanny expertise, positioning him so that he faced away from the puppet, with arms outstretched, securely held by those massive stone hands. Despite how painful Wolf’s position appeared, the boy only felt mild discomfort.
As soon as he was properly positioned, Wolf felt an icy touch as an incredibly sharp blade slashed the flesh of his shoulder blade. Despite its inhuman speed, the medical puppet had unparalleled control. It was so precise that, even though it had cut straight to the bone, it didn’t leave a nick on it.
The pain came suddenly. Wolf was about to scream in agony, but before he could even open his mouth, the stone room echoed with the sound of a bone cracking. The puppet had cleanly snapped Wolf’s shoulder blade with surgical precision. The feeling of his bone being snapped made Wolf forget about the mild sting he felt a moment ago.
A clean cut, when compared with this agony, was nothing. And then, before Wolf’s mind fully processed what was going on, things turned worse. An unbearable inferno started blazing within Wolf’s body. The boy felt as if his shoulder blade had magma coursing inside of it.
“Aaaaaargh,” he screamed, about to faint and escape the suffering when an unknown memory suddenly flashed through his mind.
Under no circumstance should you faint to shut out the suffering of the body. Ever! Even when you’re unconscious, your body will still feel it, but you won’t be able to act. Not only that, the mental trauma you suffer, along with the cowardice you have shown, could ruin your future as a warrior.
With the advice from an unknown instructor echoing in his mind, Wolf fought hard to stay awake. He didn’t even notice that the puppet had applied the healing potion to knit the bone and close the wound.
Even though the wound healed, the bone marrow inside Wolf’s shoulder blade still felt like it was boiling. Magma Marrow was burning away the organic matter as it took its place with excruciating slowness.
The puppet had already made the second incision, but Wolf failed to notice it. Even the pain of his other shoulder blade snapping was completely drowned out by the blaze which burned the first bone.
Then the puppet applied the second dose of Magma Marrow. The agony increased, but not by that much. The feeling was already unbearable and whether there were one or two sources made little difference.
Wolf’s throat was sore from screaming, his face was wet from tears and snot, while the floor beneath him was soiled with blood and waste. However, this was merely the second bone and less than ten seconds had passed since the puppet began the procedure.
As if to spite the boy, time dragged on with intentional slowness, drowning him in his torment. One would think that Wolf would slowly get used to it, but the torture only became worse as time passed.
At first, he tried to fight back against the rock puppet and squirm his way out of its grip. A futile effort and an utterly ridiculous notion, fighting a tormentor several hundred times heavier than he was.
After an unknown number of years had passed like this, Wolf could no longer howl. He weakly whimpered as drool, snot and tears ran freely.
He wanted to yell “stop” thousands of times, but he couldn’t even form a single coherent word.
Wolf’s body spasmed as if he was having a seizure. He didn’t notice when the puppet washed him and laid him down on a clean section of the floor.
The thing even left the room, causing a racket, but it failed to grab Wolf’s attention. By the time the procedure was done, pain assailed Wolf from all over as the bones of his torso boiled him alive. Even the air around him hurt, let alone his body.
The boy had utterly lost the connection with the outer world and shut himself into his Mind Hall. His Mental Aspect felt scalding heat as waves of raging fire went berserk in the mist, just beyond his sight. The inferno sought to crush the columns, Wolf’s throne and even his very being.
Wolf’s Mental Aspect convulsed and thrashed about in the Mind Hall. At some point, he accidentally touched the first column, the one that looked like a pillar of all living beings trying to reach the heavens.
As soon as the spiritual body touched the bony surface, Wolf felt a cool, calming sensation reinforcing his soul. While this influx of Soul Force failed to reduce the tempest raging in the mists, it provided Wolf with a benefit. The pressure exerted by the mist had drastically decreased.
“No, that’s not right. It didn’t decrease at all,” the Mental Aspect mumbled incoherently.
Wolf realized it was he that had grown stronger, and not the tempest that had grown weaker. However, even if the firestorm hadn’t weakened, he was certain that with this sudden surge of power, he could hang on to his sanity and life. Assuming his body didn’t fall apart and his heart didn’t explode from beating as fast as it did.
Archibald's lessons:
The currency of the Empire of Human is divided into copper, silver, gold and platinum coins. One platinum coin can be exchanged for one hundred gold coins, ten thousand silver coins or one million copper coins. Another common currency, which is used in parallel with coins are Rings of Holding.
sleepydad88 This chapter was edited thanks to the support from June and July patrons: Auron32, Carla Measner, Connor Kogut, GenericKane, Hammy, Jarloway, Joao Paulo Cambri Fiorin, Johnny Hines, Kai, Magnuss, MrrC, Nonie, Roland Thelefty, shabbybook, Story Seeker, Thundermike00, Tom and warmoger55.
“There are two ways to use Magma Marrow,” the metallic monotone began its explanation. “The proper way of using it is to expose bones which have bone marrow with surgical incisions and then expose the marrow with clean fractures. Administering three to ten drops of Magma Marrow will replace the existing bone marrow. Then wounds are painlessly closed with the aid of a Healing potion. If left untreated, infection and other negative effects, such as death, might occur.”
As the disembodied voice spoke, Wolf couldn’t make out half the things it said. The boy understood that if he didn’t use a Healing potion he might die, but since he now had Healing potions, he concluded that this was fine, and he wouldn’t die.
“The procedure itself can take as long as the user wants. You may complete it in several phases. To maximize the effect, finishing the procedure in as little time as possible is preferable.”
The artifact spirit paused. Wolf guessed it was probably so that the disciple could consider what they’d heard, but he didn’t really need the moment of silence.
Luckily, the speaker was aware of this and continued talking. “The benefit is that bone marrow is permanently replaced during the procedure. As a result, blood will also be replaced over a period spanning between half a year and a year. The improved blood will then nourish the muscles and over the course of ten years the subject’s strength and body mass will permanently increase by a factor of two.
“However, the most important thing about this approach is that this will open the ultimate Body Refining path for you,” the speaker said as enticingly as the restrictions of the monotone metallic voice allowed. “If performed correctly, this procedure is the first stage of the legendary Body Refining art known as Star Body. Once you follow this art to its final stage, you will have a virtually indestructible body with no anatomical weaknesses. By following this path to the end, you will gain the ability to devour stars.”
“How do I do that?” Wolf asked, but the metallic voice just kept on talking.
“The other method is only temporary and comes with negative side effects,” the voice ignored the boy’s question and continued its soliloquy. “The incorrect usage assumes diluting Magma Marrow with three Healing potions of Moderate grade, or one Healing potion of Greater grade.
“This would negate the lethal nature of the heart of fire at the cost of weakening its potency. Ingesting Magma Marrow in such fashion would still cause discomfort over the course of a month, which is how long your body would need to metabolize the medicinal concoction.”
Just like when it explained the first use, the voice paused, then explained the benefit. As for Wolf, the boy was mostly staring blankly by then.
“Magma Marrow’s effect is considerably different if administered in such a fashion. It would ignite and invigorate the user's blood. The user’s muscle fibers would grow denser, and even their skeleton would absorb some of the medicinal effect, resulting in a minor increase in toughness.
“These temporary enhancements would immediately increase the user's strength by a factor of three. Unfortunately, the effect on blood and muscles would slowly dissipate, steadily weakening by a fifth every decade until finally the enhancement completely wore off half a century after ingestion.
“The change to the skeleton, however, is permanent. Various minerals would continue to accumulate in the bones, causing their weight to grow continuously. Eventually, this change would result in a drop of the user’s mobility, outweighing the benefit from the boost in physical strength.”
Wolf had no clue what most of the important words meant. In fact, most of the words sounded important, such as “continuously”, “accumulated” and “administered”. This monologue was even worse than his father’s lectures. Especially when the voice described the first method.
The boy committed all of those big words to memory so that he could later ask Archibald what they meant. What little Wolf understood, or more accurately guessed, was that the second method was painless and temporary, while the first one hurt, but was permanent.
“Artifact spirit sir, I think I want the first one. Plucking the stars from the sky to eat them sounds really awesome and I don’t want my bones to be heavy. I just don’t know how to do the things you said. Can you help me?” Wolf made his choice with barely any consideration.
He had learned from his father that if you want to do things you either do them right or don’t bother with them at all. That means that as soon as the voice said that the first way was proper, Wolf was sold. Picking stars to eat was just a bonus.
As for what incision and clean fracture were, who cares about little things like that?
As soon as Wolf spoke the words, he realized he should’ve phrased his request more clearly. “Can you help me right now to do the things you said I have to do?”
Several moments passed in silence after Wolf had asked for help. Then he could hear dull thuds echoing from the hallway. While those heavy footsteps approached, the familiar choppy voice spoke.
“Personal Disciple, Honored Master knew few could perform the procedure by themselves. Thus, Honored Master left an assistant for the Personal Disciples.
“The assistant can perform the whole procedure all by itself. Personal Disciple simply has to endure the procedure. If at any point Personal Disciple cannot withstand the pain, all Personal Disciple has to do is shout ‘STOP’ and the assistant will stop the procedure. Personal Disciple unable to complete the procedure cannot become Honored Master’s Legacy Disciple. Personal Disciple is considered to have forfeited the remaining challenges. The same goes for those weak of will who chose the second option.”
By the time the artifact spirit finished its explanation, a six-armed puppet fashioned out of rock stomped into the room. The giant was well over two meters tall and had to bend a bit to pass through the door. The faceless thing had the general shape of a manling. However, it had three pairs of arms stacked one above another.
Its uppermost arms were massive. They looked stronger than the arms of the burliest man Wolf had ever seen, which wasn’t all that difficult to achieve. The middle pair looked like arms of a regular human, while the third pair was slender, like a cross between the gentle arms of a small woman and those of a child. All three sets of limbs were way too long and appeared sickeningly misshapen.
The creepy stone puppet halted in front of Wolf. Then it reached out with the two regular-looking arms and held them in front of Wolf, palm side up as if demanding something from the boy.
“The procedure will require three Moderate grade Healing potions, as well as the vial of Magma Marrow. Personal Disciple is to hand them over to the medical puppet,” the artifact spirit explained, identifying the monstrosity as a medical aide.
Wolf followed the instructions and provided the required items. Only then did the emotionless voice continue.
“Personal Disciple needs to strip first. Then Personal Disciple should relax as much as possible. Do not obstruct the medical golem while it performs the procedure. If the pain becomes unbearable at any point in time Personal Disciple should remember to shout ‘STOP’.”
After waiting for Wolf to strip, the metallic voice continued.
“Medical golem may begin the procedure,” the artifact spirit proclaimed.
The automaton’s thick arms shot forward with inhuman speed. The hulking sculpture made of rock moved soundlessly.
Before Wolf could figure out what was going on, two burly hands gripped his tiny arms. The puppet maneuvered the boy with uncanny expertise, positioning him so that he faced away from the puppet, with arms outstretched, securely held by those massive stone hands. Despite how painful Wolf’s position appeared, the boy only felt mild discomfort.
As soon as he was properly positioned, Wolf felt an icy touch as an incredibly sharp blade slashed the flesh of his shoulder blade. Despite its inhuman speed, the medical puppet had unparalleled control. It was so precise that, even though it had cut straight to the bone, it didn’t leave a nick on it.
The pain came suddenly. Wolf was about to scream in agony, but before he could even open his mouth, the stone room echoed with the sound of a bone cracking. The puppet had cleanly snapped Wolf’s shoulder blade with surgical precision. The feeling of his bone being snapped made Wolf forget about the mild sting he felt a moment ago.
A clean cut, when compared with this agony, was nothing. And then, before Wolf’s mind fully processed what was going on, things turned worse. An unbearable inferno started blazing within Wolf’s body. The boy felt as if his shoulder blade had magma coursing inside of it.
“Aaaaaargh,” he screamed, about to faint and escape the suffering when an unknown memory suddenly flashed through his mind.
Under no circumstance should you faint to shut out the suffering of the body. Ever! Even when you’re unconscious, your body will still feel it, but you won’t be able to act. Not only that, the mental trauma you suffer, along with the cowardice you have shown, could ruin your future as a warrior.
With the advice from an unknown instructor echoing in his mind, Wolf fought hard to stay awake. He didn’t even notice that the puppet had applied the healing potion to knit the bone and close the wound.
Even though the wound healed, the bone marrow inside Wolf’s shoulder blade still felt like it was boiling. Magma Marrow was burning away the organic matter as it took its place with excruciating slowness.
The puppet had already made the second incision, but Wolf failed to notice it. Even the pain of his other shoulder blade snapping was completely drowned out by the blaze which burned the first bone.
Then the puppet applied the second dose of Magma Marrow. The agony increased, but not by that much. The feeling was already unbearable and whether there were one or two sources made little difference.
Wolf’s throat was sore from screaming, his face was wet from tears and snot, while the floor beneath him was soiled with blood and waste. However, this was merely the second bone and less than ten seconds had passed since the puppet began the procedure.
As if to spite the boy, time dragged on with intentional slowness, drowning him in his torment. One would think that Wolf would slowly get used to it, but the torture only became worse as time passed.
At first, he tried to fight back against the rock puppet and squirm his way out of its grip. A futile effort and an utterly ridiculous notion, fighting a tormentor several hundred times heavier than he was.
After an unknown number of years had passed like this, Wolf could no longer howl. He weakly whimpered as drool, snot and tears ran freely.
He wanted to yell “stop” thousands of times, but he couldn’t even form a single coherent word.
Wolf’s body spasmed as if he was having a seizure. He didn’t notice when the puppet washed him and laid him down on a clean section of the floor.
The thing even left the room, causing a racket, but it failed to grab Wolf’s attention. By the time the procedure was done, pain assailed Wolf from all over as the bones of his torso boiled him alive. Even the air around him hurt, let alone his body.
The boy had utterly lost the connection with the outer world and shut himself into his Mind Hall. His Mental Aspect felt scalding heat as waves of raging fire went berserk in the mist, just beyond his sight. The inferno sought to crush the columns, Wolf’s throne and even his very being.
Wolf’s Mental Aspect convulsed and thrashed about in the Mind Hall. At some point, he accidentally touched the first column, the one that looked like a pillar of all living beings trying to reach the heavens.
As soon as the spiritual body touched the bony surface, Wolf felt a cool, calming sensation reinforcing his soul. While this influx of Soul Force failed to reduce the tempest raging in the mists, it provided Wolf with a benefit. The pressure exerted by the mist had drastically decreased.
“No, that’s not right. It didn’t decrease at all,” the Mental Aspect mumbled incoherently.
Wolf realized it was he that had grown stronger, and not the tempest that had grown weaker. However, even if the firestorm hadn’t weakened, he was certain that with this sudden surge of power, he could hang on to his sanity and life. Assuming his body didn’t fall apart and his heart didn’t explode from beating as fast as it did.
Archibald's lessons:
The currency of the Empire of Human is divided into copper, silver, gold and platinum coins. One platinum coin can be exchanged for one hundred gold coins, ten thousand silver coins or one million copper coins. Another common currency, which is used in parallel with coins are Rings of Holding.
sleepydad88 This chapter was edited thanks to the support from June and July patrons: Auron32, Carla Measner, Connor Kogut, GenericKane, Hammy, Jarloway, Joao Paulo Cambri Fiorin, Johnny Hines, Kai, Magnuss, MrrC, Nonie, Roland Thelefty, shabbybook, Story Seeker, Thundermike00, Tom and warmoger55.
