Chapter 396 - Beaten Until the Body Gives In (2)

"Wait a second, Mr. White Aster, you seem taller and bulkier than before..." Rose noticed something odd.

"Mm." Cassius replied absentmindedly to the overly curious girl but then recalled his previous musings on muscular illusion techniques.

He felt he should set Rose back on the right path.

A strong physique paired with sensory-blocking illusions was undoubtedly more potent and stable than relying on illusions alone. Most illusionists only focused on mental development because their talents were limited to the mind, and mastering high-level illusions was difficult enough without training the body. Rose was no exception to this common trait among illusionists. But with the Golem Seed, Cassius could grant anyone the ability to train their bodies.

Although Rose was just a tool to him, she'd been doing reasonably well over the past two days. Perhaps she deserved a small reward and a chance to experience something new. At the same time, it would allow Cassius to indulge in a bit of mischief.

"Rose..." Cassius put down the document and suddenly spoke up.

"Huh?" Rose snapped out of her thoughts and looked up at him, her eyes faintly tinged with red.

"Do you want strength?"

Five minutes later, Rose walked away, utterly bewildered. She felt a strange sensation in her body and a lot of bizarre knowledge in her mind, like information on "close-combat illusionists" and "muscular illusion techniques." The Illusionist Association might be leading her down the wrong path, but she didn't want to go astray!

The dual-core development that Master White Aster described was the real path to strength.

At 3:30 p.m., Cassius felt energy surge through his body and nodded in slight satisfaction. He got up from the floor and stretched his limbs. His palms rubbed together, causing dried blood to flake off.

"I’ve reached my limit after using sixty units of life vibration energy... It'll take about five days to adapt. Still too long; this body's base is far too weak," he murmured, stretching his arms outward, revealing muscles along his back and underarms that shone with a compact, honed strength.

"But the body's adaptation period seems like it could be significantly shortened if combined with the sacred spring water..." Cassius took the jar from the table and drank about a tenth. A warm sensation traveled down to his stomach, and he felt his pores open, releasing a flow of black-gray steam. This vapor contained moisture, impurities, and blood clots from his body, excreted as fine powder.

After two minutes, he checked his body's status again. Indeed, the adaptation period for physical enhancement had indeed shortened significantly. Today's enhancement was complete, and he'd be able to continue tomorrow.

Cassius immediately devised a plan: absorb sixty units of life vibration energy daily, drink ninety milliliters of sacred spring water, and alternate between the two. If he could do ten cycles over ten days, he was confident he could recover to the level of a Major Culmination pugilist.

If he could continue killing freely in the World of Calamity, he might even regain his combat artist status.

𝑓𝘳𝘦𝑒𝑤𝑒𝘣𝘯ℴ𝘷𝘦𝓁.𝑐𝑜𝑚

Once he reached the level of combat artist, Cassius's Qi would no longer be restrained by his body, and he'd be able to unleash his full combat power freely in the real world. He'd have the strength to come and go as he pleased. From there, bringing his physique back to the level of a top-tier combat artist would be nothing short of inevitable.

***

On July 3, Hongli Empire Calendar Year 969, the second day after his time-travel back.

Cassius returned from the World of Calamity to the Dark Hunter Organization's headquarters. He then alternated between life vibration energy and sacred spring water to enhance White Aster's physique.

The next day, he conducted a second physical enhancement under clear skies. His muscle density noticeably increased, and his skeleton grew to a height of 182 centimeters. His frame expanded by two or three sizes.

Veteran hunter Herb visited after two days and was astonished at Cassius's swift recovery and his rapidly strengthening physique. Herb didn't say much, but when he heard Cassius's claim of suddenly taking an interest in close-combat techniques, he left him a recipe for a strengthening herbal bath.

After Herb left, Cassius examined the recipe and realized it was a rather sophisticated bathing method. He narrowed his eyes, realizing there was more to Herb than met the eye.

***

On July 6, light rain.

After four enhancements and two hundred and forty units of life vibration energy, along with seven units of sacred spring water, White Aster's body broke past the limits of an ordinary human physique. He condensed his vitality to accelerate blood flow, reaching the level of a pugilist.

Herb visited again and observed the robust Cassius, who had grown from 175 to 185 centimeters. They spoke briefly, and Herb casually mentioned a Secret Technique called Blood Axe, asking if Cassius was interested. It was a bloody close-combat weapon technique. Cassius gladly accepted, even sharing the Yaka Blood Battle Axe secret technique he'd obtained from Black Rain Manor. Although primarily a fist-fighting combat artist, he knew that understanding other combat styles could only strengthen him.

***

On July 9, with cloudy skies and rising temperatures.

Cassius continued to toughen his body, forcing every cell to absorb more life vibration energy. After accumulating enough, he broke through the second accelerated blood flow node. White Aster's physique reached the level of a Minor Culmination pugilist.

Herb came by as usual. Since seeing Cassius demonstrate the Yaka Blood Battle Axe technique three days ago, he seemed more interested in Cassius. Through several days of interaction, he realized that this young Hunter not only rivaled but sometimes even surpassed him in combat knowledge and experience. Cassius' insights were often enlightening, giving Herb a profound sense of the young man's depth.

Initially, Herb had considered taking Cassius on as a disciple, but after seeing his expertise, he abandoned the idea and approached him as a peer. While Herb hinted at his own extraordinary past, Cassius seemed uninterested, and so Herb did not press further.

***

On July 12th, after the rain cleared.

In the private chamber's living room, a burly figure sat cross-legged, back facing the sunlight. Though he was seated, his aura remained as powerful as a slumbering bear. His robust and solid presence filled the room, and his breathing sounded like that of an ox.

Cassius suddenly opened his eyes and slowly rose to his feet. Now at 189 centimeters tall, his body appeared as solid as a tower. His muscles were finely defined and his clothing stretched taut over his broad shoulders.

A muffled sound echoed from within his body. The third accelerated blood flow node had been completed, allowing his blood flow to form a self-sustaining cycle!

Cassius's body had officially returned to the Major Culmination level of a pugilist. He glanced at the mirror in the room and saw a burly man with dazzling blonde hair, exuding a fierce and cold aura. However, his face retained a soft and somewhat feminine refinement, with an alluring blue sunflower pattern under his right ear.

One would never expect such a powerful physique to start beneath his strikingly handsome face. Such was the drawback of rapidly enhancing his physique; his head and body appeared mismatched, like a "macho Barbie."

But Cassius didn't mind; a mask would easily solve this. After all, everyone in the Dark Hunter Organization wore a mask along with their insignia. With his mask on, others would only be drawn to his formidable physique.

"Finally used up all the life vibration energy..." Cassius sighed in relief, ready to head to the washroom for a bath.

Knock, knock, knock...

A knock came from the door.

"Who is it?"

"It's me, old Herb..."