Return of the Woodcutter

Aito's main core continued to pulse time and time again while preventing the accumulated foreign energies from going berserk. Sucking them in, digesting, and using the 1st auxiliary core to contain the volatile foreign energies.

Although those came from orcs, it was up to Aito's soul core to control them, otherwise, they would just run wild.

Feeling the pressure from more than a hundred souls, Aito ordered the release of half of them. 

[What a waste,] Valinar commented. That much power would have brought any level 1 challenger to the brink of level 2 or maybe even allowed him to level up.

Aito's core pulsed to approval and freed half of the energy he had absorbed. Blue stream with whirling transparent energy rushed out of his pores. 

A powerful shockwave spread to the surroundings, sending the furniture crashing. The loud noise alerted the orc standing guard outside who jumped from surprise when the door cracked. 

Although it was still closed, the orc guard could see fissures in its frames. He once again held himself from entering and check on the new Khan. 

Aito vomited blood, coloring his clothes red. 

He could feel some of his organs were damaged.

But there was nothing he could do in his situation. With his soul core busy mending the result of his recklessness, Aito could not even use his skills.

Nor could he move properly.

The storm inside him was still raging but was less potent because of the decrease in compressed energy. It receded. His main core took advantage of this situation to start digesting furiously, using the assimilated power to fuel its needs. 

It fed soul power and mana to the silent auxiliary core in hope of a response while repairing its own cracks. Meanwhile, the 1st auxiliary core rotated with vigor, storing soul power and mana.

The energies sent to the silent auxiliary core simply rebounded on it. Its injuries were severe. Cracks covered it. It looked on the verge of shattering into pieces. 

Inside it, two weak soul fragments that had been sent for help were fusing with the feeble one currently trying to spark life into this new auxiliary core. 

Once the fusion was completed, the 2nd auxiliary core pulsed very weakly. Soul force and mana shyly entered through the cracks, mending them little by little.

The cracks closed as more energies were sucked in. Like a hungry newborn child, the new core frantically absorbed every ounce of power provided by the main core. 

It started rotating.

Slowly at first, then faster and faster. Taking every speck of mana, soul force, and essence. The auxiliary core grew in size. However…

COUGH! 

Aito's body shook uncontrollably once again as he tumbled down his bed to the ground. Blood flowed down his every opening.

His bloodshot eyes, crying red, fogged his vision.

[Stop!] Valinar asked, worried. [Stop it now and heal yourself! Look at your injuries!]

He did not want to stop.

How could he stop when his goal was so close? Aito knew the toll on his body was great. That his stomach, lungs, intestines, and other organs were damaged. One of his ears had gone deaf, perforated by the raging storm. 

But if he wanted the formation of his second auxiliary core to succeed, he needed more fuel, more souls.

Paralyzed, his only shot at survival was to continue. He could probably stop now, but unable to move... how was he to heal himself? 

Hoping for a level up to heal his wounds, despite his state, Aito ordered his soul to absorb new soul cores around him. 

WOOSH! 

Foreign soul essence, force, and mana flowed inside his damaged mana circuits.

Aito's body convulsed and cracked under the toll of this uncommon gathering of energy. Meanwhile, the new core absorbed the fuel offered to it, trying to increase its size to the same level as the other auxiliary core. 

It bloated, fissured, expended, rebuilt itself times and times again. But the soul fragment it was made of was still febrile. It needed more time to absorb, digest everything.

The problem didn't come from the souls the energy originated from, for they were willing to be absorbed. 

The issue came from the weak soul fragment the new auxiliary core was made of. 

One soul should be strong enough before attempting to create a new auxiliary core.

Firstly, it was to avoid injuries that could lead to death or grave after effect. Secondly, and mainly, it was to allow the new auxiliary core to increase in size and strength. That process was meant to maintain balance in one's soul core. 

If that balance could not be attained... there would be no level up. Unfortunately for Aito, his soul was still too fragile to manifest a perfect new auxiliary core. After all, he had created his First Circle barely two weeks ago.

There was a reason the Second Circle should only be created before reaching the Awakened realm. 

Suddenly, Aito's 2nd auxiliary core that was barely half the size of his 1st auxiliary core stopped absorbing energies. Saturated and too weak to handle more power, it could not evolve further. 

'Shit…,' Aito cursed internally. 

Since keeping all the remaining foreign soul power, mana and essence could only lead to dangerous circumstances, his main core automatically stopped providing fuel to his new auxiliary core and released every ounce of energy in his body. 

A shockwave, less powerful than the previous one, shook the entire room. 

[Quickly! Heal yourself!] Valinar warned. 

Blinded on one side, he could only see from one eye. Perforated lungs, half-filled with blood, allowed for poor breathing. 

Nevertheless, he gathered his unflinching will as well as the remaining physical strength he still had, then crawled to his salvation. 

There, next to the room's sole door, was the healing bead shimmering of a green color he saw red due to his poor vision.

Aito's eye was glued to it as he weakly moved one limb after another, leaving bloody traces on the warm stony ground. 

Although he could not clearly see them, Valinar's notifications pressed him to hurry. 

It took Aito everything he had to reach his doorstep.

He stretched his feeble arm, pale from the lack of blood coursing through it. Gathering every iota of strength he had left, he reached forward… only for his hand to drop an inch from the healing bead. 

Blinded by blood. Tired and injured beyond what any earthly modern means could repair, Aito's hand could not move. His heartbeat slowed down, threatening to stop. 

Abruptly, the door to his room slammed open, revealing the imposing figure of a familiar orc who rushed to his side as Aito closed his eyes. 

The last thing he remembered before losing consciousness was a warm feeling spreading to his entire body.

***

Aito awoke the next morning in his room. The blood he had spilled everywhere yesterday was gone as if no traces of his reckless attempt at gaining more power remained.

His body looked physically in shape without any visible lasting deficiencies. Although he felt a weird compressed feeling in his chest, he could see everything was fine. 

"How do you feel, my Khan?" Krugan asked, sitting on a chair neat his bed. 

"Good… I think," Aito declared.

The orc quickly explained he had used the healing bead to heal him. Krugan had already been aware of some of the challengers' items thanks to his previous exchanges with Aito. 

Seeing how his Khan had been so desperate to reach that item last night, Krugan had quickly connected the dots that it was one of those magical items that healed challengers. 

Only a fool wouldn't figure out how important such an item was when seeing something crawling desperately towards it.

"I see…, thank you for saving my life, Krugan." 

"It is my duty to do so, my Khan," the orc replied. 

In truth, Krugan had contemplated the idea of letting him bleed to death last night since it would be due to Aito's own weakness.

This would have allowed him to seize power and become the new Khan.

However, Aito's previous revelations had quickly changed his mind. Now he served him because of the oath, but also willingly. Some of his previous cultural beliefs were already shaken. 

"I hoped you recovered enough to fight," the orc leader said. "Our people are waiting in the arena for your appearance, my Khan. Postponing this event would only weaken their already fragile trusts in you." 

Aito sighed. He had almost forgotten about that. Last night's event was occupying all his thoughts. 

"Indeed," Aito replied. "Give me five minutes. I need to check on something first." 

Krugan nodded and exited the room. 

As soon as the door was closed, Aito opened his status window to see if there were any changes to himself. 

—

[Aito Walker]

[I. General Info]

Death: March 20th, 2030

Species: High Human

Sex: Male 

Age: 25 

Height: 183cm 

Weight: 120kg 

Emotional state: Curious

[Lv Down!] Class: Lv 2 Ax Braver (Level Decreased due to damaged soul. This never before seen circumstance resulted in a default level attribution.)

Titles: Black Challenger, Father killer, Training addict, Masochist, Goblin Slayer, Khan.

[II. Attributes]

1. Gifts:

- Instinct 

- Strength blessed

- Fury 

2. Skills (5 unallocated skill points):

Passive:

- Ax Mastery Lv3 

- Shield Mastery Lv3 

- Marksmanship Lv2 

- Poison Resistance Lv1 

- Heat Resistance Lv2 

- **One Against Many Lv1** (Unique Skill) 

Active: 

- [Lv Down!] Domain Lv3

- Impact Lv3 

- Illusion Lv2 

- [Lv Down!] Durability Lv3

- Aura of Bravery Lv2 

- Cyclone Lv2

- Weight Control Lv3 

- Pneuma Lv3 

- ??? Lv? (No Data Found. Calculating.)

- [Lv Down!] Cleave Lv3 

[IV. System Rights]

- Orc Subordinate (The host is given the right to take in an orc subordinate he will be able to summon at any given time. After one hour, the orc will be unsummoned and the system right will be on cooldown for the next 24 hours. This system right can be upgraded using glory points at any divine places.) 

[III. Basic stats (5 unallocated basic stat points)]

- [Lv Down!] Strength: Lv3

- [Lv Down!] Body: Lv3

- [Lv Down!] Stamina: Lv3

- [Lv Down!] Agility: Lv3

- [Lv Down!] Mana: Lv3

- [Lv Up!] Destiny: Lv5 (cannot level up with Glory Points)

__

'What the hell?' Aito thought, wondering what all those Lv Down meant.