I just wanted to watch TV! But now, I'm in a Fantasy World!-Chapter 73: Absorbing the Core

Thane opened his eyes.

With his Supreme Perception, he could see the magic move. Faint streams of luminous energy flowed through his arms, converging toward his chest.

But even in seeing, he could not pinpoint the specific area where he could feel the magic flow in his hands.

He knew that the magic was flowing in his heart, and that his soul was somewhere there. He closed his eyes and began to follow the breathing technique taught by Merodoth.

Spirit was moving in his body and his flesh. He could sense the vague power of Spirit emerging from his heart, and it was as if there was an invisible and intangible highway of energy that was flowing.

Thane kept his eyes closed and began to wield his Spirit, but alas, his Spirit could only touch his body.

There were two flows of Spirit in his body. But one was foreign to him.

It did not follow the same pathways. It did not cling to muscle or sinew. It existed somewhere adjacent to his being, brushing against him without fully entering. Like a shadow cast by something he could not yet turn toward.

"I see... The First Fold Breath of the Spirit is a physical power. It flows in my body and allows me to even envelop my weapons with it. It's like how Vayne and Sayla coated their weapons, giving them strength and sharpness... It's the same for my Spirit attacks. But to think that Mages would also have something similar... But how do I touch that magical highway?" Thane felt his way, experimenting and making his Spirit move towards the place that he thinks is where magic is.

But after several minutes, no progress occurred.

"How is he doing that?!" Thane was getting frustrated. Half of his thoughts went to Esau and told him to scout even further.

Esau's thoughts answered in the affirmative, while assuring his master that there was no one approaching.

"I have to hurry. I can't stay here for long... I guess we don't have a choice. Since I can't feel it, our option is... to make me feel it!"

"Make you feel it?"

"Libra! Make the magic flow in a way that it'll hurt me."

"What?!" Libra was surprised.

"Draw out some of the flames in the Core! Make it flow in me!"

"You're insane!"

"The magic circuit you made is something that I could barely sense. I need to really feel it. My eyes could see it, but I cannot perceive it!"

"The flames I would draw will force the Serpent to fight! It's basically that spell to kill those foes! Even if I draw out a small portion of this, it will fry your insides! If it reaches your internal organs!"

"If I find it, I can draw it with my spirit, and the energy will flow just as how Stud is extracting it. I can somewhat understand what he is doing. He is coating the magic with his spirit. Like wrapping it in, as if it were flowing within a pump or hose and drawing it in him. But I can't wrap something I can't feel or see!"

"That's only if you find it! Master, this is raw magic we are talking about! It will deliver great pain to you!"

"Libra, I'm a Five-Talent Christian. I've been through the worst forms of pain. Pain has always made me see things that I could not see before. Be it in my former life or this life. Count it all joy when you face trials of many kinds. This will just be another trial. And right now, I'm already rejoicing! Do it!" Thane ordered as he closed his eyes and focused on harnessing his spirit. Seeing was useless since his Supreme Perception was actually confusing him about where these sensations were!

"Fine!" Libra hissed and began to draw out the flames.

A strange battle occurred. At first, the Serpent Soul in the Core could see a circuit. It could not know what was happening outside, but now, the Spirit of Libra was forcing deep into it and extracting the magic.

The Serpent rose in anger.

Thane felt the core grow increasingly hot. He had to cover his hands with Spirit to block the burns.

"Hurry!" Thane cried as he felt the scorching pain.

"Fine!"

The flames of the Harmonic Core breached out of the core and tunneled into the palms of Thane. It felt like a nail was driving deep inside, and immense pain shot through his right hand.

Following the piercing pain was the spreading fiery sensation. It was as if hot, boiling liquid was injected into his hands.

Thane gritted his teeth and gnashed them with great force, but he did not scream. His eyes remained closed.

"I will... find you!" Thane vowed.

The fire spread out, and Libra could see Thane's hands burning.

"Don't you dare stop!" Thane cried as Libra was about to stop. Libra could only silently continue.

The fingers of Thane were growing red, and it was clear that his hands had been burned. The insides of Thane's right hand were also being cooked.

But then, Thane's gnashing expression turned to a smile. For in pain, he finally found the place that was not within the confines of three dimensions.

"Found ya...!" Thane laughed!

The Spirit that covered his hand began to coat the magic digging in, and slowly, the pain vanished.

Thane's expression remained half smiling, and half enduring the pain. But his Spirit finally felt the intangible and unknown flow inside of him.

His fingers could barely hold the Core, but through the covering of the Spirit, the Core seemed to stick to Thane's hands.

Thane opened his eyes as his Perception began to grow.

He used to be able to 'see' magic, but now, he could feel it! And by feeling magic, he was able to access a higher perception.

"I see... I now see! Even if I had Supreme Perception, I could only see things according to my own knowledge. Now that I can sense magic and Spirit... I can... do this!" Thane closed his eyes again and looked within.

It was as if Thane could see the insides of his body. He could see his own soul, and it was as if a vast emptiness and a lone star were floating in the empty galaxy. But now, a pathway of energy leaked out from the star and reached the furthest edge of the galaxy, and caught the fire energy.

It was like his Star connected to a star outside of his galaxy!

All of a sudden, the two hands of Thane managed to manipulate his Spirit and draw in the energy.

Thane's breathing changed. And his body began to glow as it was now manipulating the magic inside of him.

Thane could see it.

The serpent gazing at him from within the star.

It was the soul of the serpent. The consciousness that once lingered in the brain.

But as it gazed towards Thane, it froze.

For in its eyes, it saw a gigantic, malicious fog that covered the star.

Libra was this fog, right behind Thane's star, gazing at the Serpent.

The serpent looked in fear at Libra and then saw something step out of the Star.

Thane's manifestation appeared and stood in the dark galaxy where his Spirit resided.

"Master! You can... move in this place?"

Thane's eyes wandered around.

"Supreme Perception... I can now see... beyond the physical and into the spiritual." Thane answered blankly as if in a trance. He then turned towards the Serpent.

"I am the one who bested you. And I command even something far greater than you. I, Thane, call you to service! Come!" Thane commanded.

The Serpent saw Thane's command and immediately obeyed!

"This is... Soul Binding! But the soul... willingly went into servitude?!" Libra was shocked. He quickly left the body of Thane and stopped the flow of magic as the real soul of the Serpent would emerge!

The serpent beast left the star, which began to fade, and it slithered through the galaxy within Thane's soul and headed straight for Thane's star.

Like a comet, it shot towards the star, and as it moved, the star it once hid in began to shrink!

Outside, the Core itself began to slowly diminish. Its size also shrank at an alarming rate.

Thane did not care for the ongoing video playing out as Stud Myers faced his own struggle.

"Rebellious little bugger, aren't ya?" Stud Myers could be heard as he was wrestling with the soul inside the Flawless Grade Core.

"This is the problem with these Flawless Grades! The souls are so arrogant! It actually helps if you were the one who killed the creature. But it's a risky move. It would either fear you or hate you, making it almost impossible to absorb them... But just keep at it! It's a battle of Spirit! The stronger one wins!" Stud exclaimed as he summoned more energy on the screen of the TV.

Libra saw the struggle. The Core that he held was a Flawless Grade! Thane faced a more powerful soul!

The Core that Stud was trying to absorb perhaps only had half of the monster's soul. Thane had all of it!

But Libra could only turn back to Thane, who only gave one command.

And finally, the serpent reached Thane's star.

FLASH!

Instantly, the Divine Grade Core vanished from Thane's hands, and all the Power and Mana were immediately taken into the body.

An explosion occurred in the Spirit Realm of Thane as the Star began to manifest a strange ring that covered it like the planets in the solar systems.

Thane Soul also began to expand and grow.

Inside Thane's body, a physical manifestation of the Core appeared.

A bright yellow jewel, the size of a pebble, was attached to Thane's heart.

Life and vitality flowed out from the core and began to refresh Thane's body.

Spirit, Power, and Mana coursed all over Thane, and the burnt hands began to heal.

A series of notifications ran through Thane's Celestial TV as Thane assimilated with the Core.

But Thane was still in euphoria as he felt the power surge within him.

"HAAAAAA!" A powerful cry was heard on the Celestial TV as Stud finally managed to absorb the Core.

He then collapsed as if he was exhausted.

"I... I did it...! Hahaha! Garron Duskbane! I did it! I mastered the art that you spoke to me about!"

Libra could only shake his head. Stud looked exhausted. He faced a battle between Spirit and the Soul of the beast. Thane called the Soul of the Beast and made it Spirit.

"I was so poor before that I could never get a Core! Now that was my second Core! A flawless Core! I can still absorb 3 more! Look out, world! Here I come!" Stud laughed and laughed as the credits of the show began to appear.

Thane, on the other hand, was still seated crossed-leg, and the last of his wounds finally vanished.

VOOOSH!

Flames of blue color appeared on his hands as Thane manipulated and made the fire hold with his spirit. But the flames flickered from time to time.

"I see... Through Spirit, I could manipulate the movements of magic..." Thane was satisfied.

Finally, he opened his eyes.

A strange yellow light could be seen deep inside his eyes as the power of Blast Serpent flowed all around him.