Black Phoenix Heir

Chapter 47: Chapter 47 — Locked In

Chapter 47 — Locked In

Victor moved.

His body shot across the forgotten cellar before suddenly changing direction. Spiritual Energy gathered beneath his feet, and he disappeared again. This time, he reappeared near one of the broken stone pillars, immediately shifting his weight as he launched himself in another direction. Back and forth across the underground chamber, Victor moved between scattered pieces of stone and the ancient walls with far more precision than he had possessed when he first began practicing Flashstep.

His movements were still imperfect, but they flowed together now. He no longer simply threw himself forward and hoped for the best. Each movement had intention behind it, and each change in direction required control. Victor was finally beginning to find it.

At the same time, his right hand remained raised, a small black flame flickering above his palm. Victor’s eyes stayed focused as he moved. Spiritual Energy gathered beneath his feet while Soul Power flowed through his arm. Two different forms of energy demanded his concentration at the same time.

Victor shot forward, and the flame trembled. He changed direction, and it flickered. He disappeared again, then reappeared several meters away, his body immediately moving in another direction as the Black Flame continued burning above his hand. For several seconds, everything worked. Victor moved smoothly through the cellar, changing direction again and again while keeping the flame alive.

Then his foot struck something.

A loose stone.

Victor stumbled, and his concentration broke. The Black Flame flickered violently before disappearing.

Victor threw out his right hand, his palm striking the wall just before the rest of his body could follow. He remained there for a moment, breathing heavily, before slowly straightening. Sweat covered his forehead, and he wiped it away as he looked around the cellar.

A small laugh escaped him.

"Still better than when I first started."

He glanced toward the wall, then shook his head.

"But it’s still not good enough."

Victor lowered his hand. For a moment, he simply stood there, catching his breath as his thoughts drifted back to a few days earlier.

Inside the Library, Jack had stood nearby with a faint smile on his face.

"Hopefully this time you don’t waste more material."

Victor had slowly looked at him, unsure of what to say. Jack had changed. When Victor had first met him, the man had been frantic and constantly ranting, behaving like someone who hadn’t spoken to another person in who knew how long. Now he was standing there making jokes at Victor’s expense.

Victor had simply shaken his head and turned toward the ingredients. There was no point arguing with him. He had work to do.

Victor carefully began preparing the materials for the Spirit Accumulation Pill, handling each ingredient one at a time. Once everything was ready, he summoned the Black Phoenix Flame.

The first stage was Ingredient Refinement.

Victor carefully guided the flame around the medicinal ingredients. The heat slowly consumed the unnecessary portions of the materials, burning away impurities and useless matter while leaving behind the parts that contained the medicinal properties. His expression remained focused as the process continued.

It was going well.

Much better than before.

When Victor had first attempted alchemy, the ingredients had barely lasted long enough for him to begin. Now, he could actually control the flame. Once the refinement was complete, Victor moved to the second stage.

Essence Separation.

This was where things became more difficult.

Victor carefully adjusted the flow of his Soul Power, causing the Black Phoenix Flame to shift. Slowly, the medicinal essence hidden within the ingredients began separating from the remaining material. Victor guided the essence of the Spirit Shroom away first, then followed by the rest of the ingredients.

Each one required concentration, and each one reacted differently to the flame.

Sweat slowly formed across Victor’s forehead as he continued. The Black Flame fluctuated slightly, but Victor immediately steadied it. The medicinal essences continued gathering together as he worked his way through the ingredients.

Then he reached the final one.

Victor frowned.

Something wasn’t right.

The essence resisted him. Victor carefully adjusted the flame, trying to pull the medicinal properties free without damaging them. For several moments, nothing happened. Then, finally, the essence separated.

Victor pulled it away, but the moment it joined the others, he felt something was wrong.

Victor took a breath.

Then continued.

The third stage was Fusion.

The different medicinal essences slowly moved toward one another. At first, everything seemed normal. The energies began swirling together, forming a small vortex as Victor carefully guided them.

Then the vortex began turning faster.

The different energies collided.

Victor’s expression tightened as the mixture became unstable. He immediately tried to regain control, pouring Soul Power into the process while the Black Phoenix Flame wrapped around the swirling mass.

The vortex compressed.

The energy spun faster.

Victor’s eyes widened.

He could feel it slipping away.

"Jack—"

The mixture exploded.

Victor was forced backward.

For several seconds, the Library was silent.

Victor slowly opened his eyes and turned his head.

Jack stood nearby.

Soot covered his face.

Victor stared at him for a moment, trying to remain serious. Then he started laughing.

Jack slowly looked at him.

"I’m glad you can have fun at my expense."

Victor continued laughing as Jack grabbed a rag and wiped the soot from his face.

The memory faded.

Victor found himself standing inside the cellar again, a small smile still remaining on his face.

Victor shook his head.

Then his stomach growled.

The sound brought him back to reality, and his smile slowly disappeared. Seven days had passed, and he hadn’t eaten anything substantial during that time.

At first, it hadn’t seemed like much of a problem. As his cultivation improved, Victor had noticed that his body didn’t seem to require as much food as before. Now the hunger was finally catching up with him.

Victor looked around the cellar. He could continue training. He could spend another day practicing Flashstep or another day working on his Soul Power. But eventually, none of that would matter if he starved to death underground.

His eyes slowly moved toward the ancient statue.

Over the past week, Victor had returned to it several times. Each time, he had sat before it and tried to recreate the strange feeling he had experienced before—the feeling that had helped him understand something about his Soul Power.

But it never returned.

No matter how long he cultivated or how many times he tried, nothing happened.

Eventually, Victor had stopped trying to force it.

Maybe the feeling would return one day.

Maybe it wouldn’t.

Either way, he couldn’t stay here forever.

Victor looked toward the opening leading back to the surface.

The forest waited above.

So did the panther.

Victor’s expression became serious.

"Better to get mauled than starve to death."

He slowly walked beneath the opening before stepping back. Spiritual Energy began gathering beneath the balls of his feet, causing dust to shift across the stone floor. Victor lowered his body slightly as the energy continued building beneath him and his muscles tightened.

Victor took a breath.

Then released it.

Flashstep activated.

Spiritual Energy exploded beneath his feet, and Victor shot upward. His body passed through the opening and into the forest above before he landed on the ground.

For a moment, Victor remained completely still.

Then he slowly raised his head.

The forest stretched before him.

And Victor was finally back.

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