The Retired Hero is an Extra

"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH"

Jash screamed in pain for the first time since the process began, unable to hold it in any longer. It was one thing to have memories of pain, but another to endure it.

It was already a miracle he hadn't screamed or rolled on the floor earlier.

His heart ached not just from the physical strain but from the weight of his determination.

'NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO'

Shouting inwardly at himself to close his mouth and endure it again, Jash couldn't help but want to curse the author.

'Damn that author! What the hell is mindbreaking pain!? This is impossible!'

'If I ever find you, I will definitely strangle you, no, I will make you go through this pain!'

Even if it felt like Jash was venting his frustration at the author, it was done more so in a desperate attempt to distract himself from this new pain.

Though it wasn't to say he didn't mean his words.

Desperation clawed at his resolve, but he clung to his purpose as a surge of mana coursed through his brain and heart, transforming them just like the rest of his organs.

A pain that would break anyone's mind apart—that's what the author called it in the novel. Almost 60% of people who failed their awakening would fail at this point.

'Shit! Just 60%!? That has to be a lie!' Jash shouted inwardly as he gritted his teeth, recalling the description from the novel.

Despite the mind-shattering pain, he knew that the process of laying the foundation was more painful the longer it took.

However, at the same time, it was more beneficial to last longer as it would result in a better foundation for mana.

'The longer I persevere, the better it is for me,' Jash reiterated, though his condition suggested otherwise.

Tears streamed down his face, his breath hitched with each attempt to inhale against the stabbing pain in his chest and head.

'Endure... Endure... Endure... Endure... Endure... Endure...

Endure...' Jash recited the word inwardly.

Digging his nails onto his knees to focus on the movement of mana, Jash grew resolute to last as long as possible.

His suffering wasn't just physical; it was a testament to his unwavering will.

The pain reached astonishing degrees as his thought process crumpled with the only thought to continue.

If it were a normal person awakening, they would only endure it for 10 minutes before ending the ceremony, a genius might endure it for nearly an hour.

Yet Jash could be called a monster as over 3 hours had passed since he started awakening.

Unbeknownst to him, he was already close to the time of Caera's awakening. She had lasted for 3 hours 31 minutes before ending the process.

By no means that was bad—even a genius among geniuses would last around two hours—and that was enough for her to be in the spotlight.

However, there were already quite a few highly talented youths who had lasted around or even longer than Caera.

This just went on to say the number of geniuses that existed in their generation.

Naturally, Jash remained unaware of such things as he continued to hold one with all his being.

His mentality holding on to his vestiges of consciousness, preventing him from fainting.

Jash only had a single thought in his mind as his teeth clattered, and his eyes scrunched up due to the insufferable pain.

His body felt like it was on fire, his mind overwhelmed with the searing agony that threatened to consume him.

His heart beat wildly against his ribcage, increasing his blood flow.

At the same time, he felt like he was being electrocuted from his insides as his nerve endings sent shocks of pain, causing his body to twitch.

For Jash, time seemed to stand still as his misery felt eternal.

Finally, it crossed the four hour mark of his awakening as he unconsciously sat there, absorbing the mana and cleansing his body.

Thankfully, the pain had reduced after his brain and heart transformed safely.

Naturally, they didn't morph into something different entirely, but just a bit more enhanced and stronger compared to those with lesser time of awakening.

Of course, it wouldn't show much of an effect until a few rank ups way later.

Not that it mattered to Jash at the moment.

He even remained unaware as blood started exiting his pores to give room to his newly formed blood from the transformed bone marrows.

Even his veins were bursting and repairing at the same time, allowing for the fresh blood to flow smoothly.

All the fat on his body was now gone, replaced by tight muscles.

However, Jash had already become numb to the sensation of pain itself by now. He had no clue about his remarkable achievements.

It was just his subconscious desire to last longer, holding onto his consciousness albeit not realizing his precarious state.

Eventually, he even reached near the last record for the longest foundation process.

It was held by none other than Jash's grandfather, who was one of the 13 SSS-Rank hunters in the world and endured for 4 hours and 37 minutes.

During the entire process, Jash experienced pain he couldn't even understand or explain. It even made the pain from his last life pale in comparison.

He could only think so because he hadn't felt the excruciating pain of having your bones being taken out after his skin was ripped apart.

Alas, he only got the memories of it with altered emotions and feelings.

If his past self had allowed him to experience everything with complete realism, he would have most likely broken, becoming nothing but an empty shell.

After all, his previous life self didn't really care about the methods to become strong to achieve his goal except for sacrificial or sinister methods.

Pain used to be an everyday thing for him, though.

He had long lost his sanity at that time and didn't care about such a meager inconvenience.

Self-harming would be a depreciating word for the things he did. If not for the system, it'd be a surprise if he didn't die right after one fight.

Well, Jash had no clue about it and couldn't be bothered with unknowns, allowing him to focus on his goal of a slow and comfy life.

Yet it didn't really matter at the moment as Jash reached the 4 hour 30 minute mark, just eight minutes shy of breaking the world record.

Every second felt like an eternity, but each one was a step closer to his goal

His whole body was now burning red, steam coming out of it. Blood poured out of his body, staining his pants crimson, a small pool forming underneath him.

Even though the Mana Room removed any residue from his body, the stench of iron was heavy in the air.

Without any surprise, he crossed the eight minutes safely.

He had beaten his grandfather's record and was on his way to set a new record.

Even if it was a moment to celebrate, Jash's subconscious continued the process.

It only stopped at a total time of 4 hours and 59 minutes.

Ultimately, he could open his eyes to feel his newly set foundation.

He tried moving his body but his eyes turned droopy and he found his body too stiff to move.

That was when he knew he f—

Eh? What?

That was when he knew he had outdone himself.

'Shit! I messed up!' Jash screamed inwardly as he took notice of the color crimson through his blurry vision.

He had no idea how much time elapsed but by noticing his current state it wasn't hard to guess he did extraordinarily good.