The Monster King's Legacy-Chapter 138: The Ritual Begins

The journey to the Chasm of Life was long and solemn, with not an ounce of haste. Lance flew atop Aelyndra, in the company of Kaelthara, while flanked by a procession of dragons and elders. The weight of the oath he had taken hung heavy on his shoulders, the glowing mark on his arm that had died down and disappeared faintly pulsing as if responding to the sacred destination ahead.

The landscape grew increasingly otherworldly as they approached. The jagged peaks gave way to rolling plains of shimmering crystal and glowing pools of ethereal energy. Lance could feel the hum of ancient power in the air, the kind that made his skin prickle and his breath catch.

"Is it always this... alive?" Lance asked, glancing at Kaelthara.

She smiled faintly. "The closer you get to the chasm, the closer you are to the dragon god's essence. It's said that no other place in the world holds this kind of energy, and that is true."

Kaelthara's voice then rumbled in Lance's head. "Focus. Awe will only distract you from what lies ahead."

…

When they arrived, Lance felt his breath hitch.

The Chasm of Life was not what he expected. It wasn't merely a pool but an expansive, glowing abyss carved into the earth, in the deepest part of a great gutter, big enough to make dragons appear like birds, though, their forms were restrained, its luminous liquid radiating a soft, golden light. The liquid rippled gently, as though it were alive, creating its own tides, its glow casting soft shadows on the jagged rock walls surrounding it, despite the seeming intensity of its shine.

The gathered dragons stood in a circle around the chasm, not directly next or close to it, their expressions solemn. Elder Thoryx stepped forward, his eyes glowing with authority. "Lance… you stand before the Chasm of Life. Its energy will test the limits of your body, mind, and soul. Should you falter, it will consume you... Otherwise, it will transform you."

Lance nodded, his resolve firm. "I understand."

Kaelthara stepped closer, her golden eyes locking onto Lance. "Once you enter, there is no turning back. The chasm will push you to your limits and beyond. Trust in the strength you've built and the willpower that's carried you this far. You possess a firm spirit, you should be fine." She said, receiving a firm nod from Lance.

He stripped down to the last garment, the underwear he had gotten from Elder Naerys, feeling the cool air bite at his skin as he approached the edge of the chasm.

The liquid appeared to glow brighter as he stepped closer, as though reacting to his presence, though, he couldn't tell if it actually did or whether that was just his eyes. Lance could feel its energy pulling at him, a strange mix of warmth and weight.

Elder Thoryx spoke again, his voice calm and assuring. "Step into the chasm, mortal, and let its power judge your worth."

Lance took a deep breath, casting one last glance at Kaelthara and Aelyndra. Both nodded, their expressions a mix of pride and concern.

Clearing his mind of any other thought, he stepped forward.

…

As his legs touched the liquid, his body slowly being submerged, the liquid felt warm, almost soothing as it enveloped his body. But as he sank deeper, the soothing sensation gave way to something far more intense.

A surge of energy coursed through him like an attack, sharp and unrelenting, as though every cell in his body were being pulled apart and reassembled. Lance gritted his teeth, his muscles tensing and jerking on their own in a continues painful process while the power of the chasm began to dig into the very essence of who he was.

The dragons watched in silence, their gazes fixed on the human who dared to challenge the sacred pool… well, not exactly, as Lance was now fully submerged and underwater, within the golden liquid.

…

Several months back, just as Lance had began training with Kaelthara, he had com up with an idea, in fact, a natural one at that.

At the moment, he was seated cross-legged in the dimly lit chamber, with Elder Naerys, across from him, observing him intently.

"So," she began, her piercing green eyes narrowing slightly, "you wish to make your healing ability function automatically? Without conscious activation?"

Lance nodded. "If it could activate on its own, I wouldn't have to waste time focusing on it in battle, and that could serve as an insanely potent healing factor." He said the last part under his breath and more to himself.

Naerys let out a thoughtful hum, shifting her massive form slightly. "A fascinating problem," she mused. "Few magical abilities operate without conscious control. Some, such as elemental affinities may respond to instinct, but a power as precise as healing? That is a different matter entirely. Nevertheless, this is a fascinating idea." She said with a draconic smile.

She lowered her head, studying him closer. "Let's begin with the basics. Activate your ability."

Lance nodded, holding out his hand. A soft, golden glow flickered around his palm, the energy pulsing gently.

Naerys extended a single claw, dragging it lightly across his palm. A shallow cut formed, and almost instantly, his ability surged forward, knitting the wound closed in seconds, while surrounded in the golden light, obscuring the process so as to remain a mystery how it actually achieves the goal of healing.

She tilted her head. "As effective as ever."

"But only when I focus on it," Lance pointed out. "If I were unconscious or too distracted in battle, I wouldn't be able to activate it in time."

Naerys considered this as she thought. "Then our goal is to separate the act of healing from conscious will. To turn it into something… instinctual."

Lance nodded. "Exactly."

With that in mind, they began experimenting immediately.

Naerys guided Lance through various exercises, trying to trigger his healing ability without direct thought, tying it to reflexes, even attempting to link it to his breathing and natural flow of mana. Yet, no matter what method they tried, his healing only activated when he consciously willed it.

At one point, Naerys proposed testing whether it could be tied to pain response.

Lance winced as another shallow cut was made. He forced himself not to think about healing, to simply let his body react… Nothing.

"Frustrating," he muttered, rubbing his arm as the wound remained open.

Naerys sighed. "Magic is deeply tied to the user's intent. It is possible that your healing ability is too bound to your conscious will. We may need to find a different approach. Perhaps, understanding how it works and formulating a magic circle of its own might help… though, awakened magic like this are mostly tricky to deal with."

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Lance agreed, healing himself swiftly with a touch. "That sounds good."

Slowly, days turned into weeks, and weeks into months.

Lance's visit reduced as his training under Kaelthara only grew more intense by the day, but it was no problem as he didn't need to be there with her everyday, after all, he knew nothing of magic theory or the first thing when it came to magic circles. He only needed to visit her once in a while, and that was enough.

At some point, even though theoretically, Lance had learned of the working principle of different magic types like passive enchantments, of self-sustaining spells, of magic that lingered without constant input. But even then, nothing seemed to apply to his healing.

The ability remained as stubborn as ever, refusing to work without deliberate activation.

Even after a full year, their progress was nonexistent. Yet neither gave up.

…

When Lance had heard of the chasm of life and how it could potentially rip his very body apart, he could only wish that they had been able to get his healing to be automatic, that way, his survival would be assured, but alas, the main day had now come, and they hadn't managed to achieve it.