Tempering the Foundation
Ten minutes later, Victor had finally managed to calm his racing heart.
His breathing had returned to normal.
His thoughts were clearer now.
Unfortunately, one particular memory refused to leave.
Lane’s kiss.
The softness of her lips.
The faint sweetness that still seemed to linger on his tongue.
The warmth of her body against his.
Victor closed his eyes for a moment.
Then he shook his head.
"Focus."
He needed to clear his mind.
If he allowed himself to dwell on what had happened, he knew exactly where his thoughts would lead him.
And he had more important things to deal with.
Victor straightened his back.
"System, sign-in."
The moment the words formed in his mind, the familiar mechanical voice answered.
[Ding! Congratulations to the host for completing today’s sign-in. Reward: Internal Fortification Pill ×10.]
Victor’s eyebrows lifted slightly.
"Internal Fortification Pill?"
He repeated the name under his breath.
There wasn’t much mystery behind it.
The name practically explained its purpose.
If the pills were meant to fortify the inside of his body, then they should strengthen his internal organs.
His heart.
His lungs.
His liver.
His kidneys.
His stomach.
All the organs that kept his body functioning.
Victor’s eyes narrowed with interest.
That was actually useful.
Very useful.
He still had several hours before evening.
There was nothing urgent demanding his attention.
So why waste the time?
He might as well cultivate.
Victor reached for one of the pills.
It was small and dark, with a faint medicinal fragrance surrounding it.
He rolled it between his fingers for a moment before placing it on his tongue.
Then he swallowed.
The pill slipped down his throat.
For several seconds, nothing happened.
Victor waited.
Then—
Warmth spread through his stomach.
His expression changed.
The energy inside the pill suddenly burst open.
It wasn’t violent at first.
It was simply warm.
Almost soothing.
Then the energy began spreading.
It flowed through his abdomen and into his bloodstream before slowly reaching every corner of his body.
Victor immediately understood.
This was going to hurt.
He sat down and entered the lotus position.
His back straightened.
His hands rested naturally on his knees.
He closed his eyes.
Then the energy reached his heart.
His entire body stiffened.
Thump!
His heart gave a heavy beat.
Thump!
Another followed.
Then the pain came.
Victor’s brows knitted together.
His heart suddenly clenched.
The muscles inside his chest tightened as though an invisible hand had wrapped around them.
His breathing became uneven.
"Hng..."
A low sound escaped his throat.
The energy continued moving.
It entered his lungs next.
A burning sensation spread across his chest.
Every breath suddenly felt heavier.
Victor inhaled.
The air entered his lungs.
But instead of relief, another wave of pain followed.
His lungs felt as though they were being scraped from the inside.
Victor gritted his teeth.
"So that’s how this works..."
The process was similar to when he had tempered his muscles.
The energy wasn’t simply strengthening his organs.
It was breaking them down first.
The impurities were being forced out.
The damaged parts were being rebuilt.
And every step of that process came with pain.
Victor’s liver began throbbing.
His kidneys followed.
Even his stomach started twisting painfully.
His body felt as though every internal organ had suddenly become the battlefield.
Victor’s face tightened.
Sweat appeared along his forehead.
Then more.
Within minutes, his black hair began sticking to his skin.
His white robe slowly became damp.
But he didn’t move.
He couldn’t.
More importantly—
He didn’t want to.
He had already experienced this kind of pain during physical tempering.
Compared to then, this wasn’t completely unfamiliar.
That didn’t make it pleasant.
It only made it bearable.
Victor clenched his fists.
The energy continued flowing through him.
His heart beat faster.
Blood rushed through his veins.
His lungs gradually began adapting to the pressure.
The burning sensation slowly changed.
It was still painful.
But beneath the pain, Victor could feel something else.
Change.
His heart felt stronger.
Each beat carried more force.
His lungs seemed to draw deeper breaths.
His liver and kidneys were undergoing the same transformation.
Even his stomach felt different.
The strange energy continued circulating through his body, purifying everything it touched.
Victor’s breathing gradually became steadier.
He focused his mind.
One breath.
Then another.
He followed the movement of the energy instead of fighting it.
The pain surged.
Victor’s jaw tightened.
He endured.
Another wave came.
He endured that too.
There was no shortcut.
If he wanted strength, he had to pay the price for it.
Victor had learned that lesson long ago.
Power was never free.
His body had to be strong enough to carry the power he wanted.
His mind had to be strong enough to control it.
And his organs were no exception.
A powerful body built on weak foundations would eventually collapse.
Victor wasn’t willing to accept that.
Not anymore.
He thought of his family.
His mother’s warm embrace came to mind first.
He remembered the feeling of safety he had felt whenever she held him.
Then came the image of his aunt’s teasing smile.
Rias appeared next.
Her expression was always so cold.
Yet Victor knew there was warmth hidden beneath it.
Skyla’s laughter followed.
Sweet.
Bright.
Impossible to forget.
And then—
Lane.
Victor’s lips twitched.
He immediately remembered the kiss again.
"That woman..."
A helpless smile appeared on his face.
Even now, she was finding a way to distract him.
Victor shook his head.
No.
He couldn’t let himself get distracted.
Still, the thought of them gave him something else.
A reason.
He wanted strength.
Not simply because he hated losing.
Not simply because he wanted to stand at the top.
He wanted the strength to protect the people who mattered to him.
He didn’t want to watch another loved one disappear.
He didn’t want to stand helplessly by while someone else decided their fate.
His hands slowly tightened.
"I’ll become stronger."
The words were barely audible.
But his determination was unmistakable.
"I won’t let anyone take them from me."
The energy inside his body surged.
Victor’s expression hardened.
The pain became sharper.
Yet he didn’t retreat.
He endured it.
Then, once the first pill had been completely absorbed, Victor reached for another.
He swallowed it without hesitation.
The moment the second pill dissolved, another surge of energy exploded through his body.
His organs trembled.
His heart hammered against his chest.
His lungs burned.
His liver and kidneys ached.
Victor’s shoulders shook.
But he remained seated.
He continued circulating the energy.
Little by little, the changes became more obvious.
His heartbeat became stronger.
His lungs could hold more air.
His breathing became deeper and steadier.
His liver processed impurities more efficiently.
His kidneys became more resilient.
Even his digestive system seemed to function better.
The transformation wasn’t visible from the outside.
But Victor could feel it.
Something inside him was changing.
His body was becoming sturdier.
His foundation was becoming stronger.
And this time, the improvement wasn’t merely physical.
It reached somewhere deeper.
Victor continued.
One pill.
Then another.
And another.
Each time, the process repeated.
Pain.
Endurance.
Transformation.
Progress.
He didn’t count how many pills he had consumed anymore.
He simply continued.
The outside world slowly disappeared from his awareness.
The movement of the sun meant nothing to him.
The passing hours meant nothing.
He remained seated in the same position.
His breathing steady.
His mind focused.
Sweat soaked through his white robe.
Occasionally, his body trembled from another wave of pain.
But he never opened his eyes.
He had entered a state of complete concentration.
The world outside could wait.
Right now, his body came first.
His enemies came to mind eventually.
The people responsible for destroying his clan.
The people who had taken his father from him.
Victor’s expression became colder.
He would find them.
One day.
He would stand before them himself.
And when that day came, he wouldn’t be the helpless person they had once been able to crush.
He would make them understand exactly what they had created.
But that day wasn’t today.
Revenge could wait.
For now, he needed strength.
He needed enough power to protect his family.
Enough power to settle his debts.
Enough power to walk his own path without having to fear anyone standing above him.
Victor’s breathing slowed.
Another wave of energy passed through his organs.
This time, the pain wasn’t quite as overwhelming.
His body was adapting.
The first pill had opened the way.
The next pills were pushing him further.
His heart grew stronger.
His lungs became more powerful.
His internal organs became increasingly resilient.
His body was slowly becoming something far beyond an ordinary human body.
Victor could feel every change.
And that feeling made him smile.
Not because he enjoyed the pain.
He didn’t.
The pain was miserable.
But he loved what waited on the other side of it.
Progress.
That was what mattered.
Every painful breath meant his foundation was becoming stronger.
Every wave of agony meant he was moving forward.
Every drop of sweat represented another step toward the future he wanted.
Hours passed.
The sun slowly crossed the sky.
Victor didn’t notice.
He remained completely absorbed in cultivation.
His surroundings had become distant.
The scorched earth.
The wind.
The fading daylight.
None of it mattered.
There was only his breathing.
His heartbeat.
The energy circulating through his body.
And the steady transformation taking place within him.
Victor’s body trembled again.
The final surge of energy swept through his organs.
He clenched his teeth and endured it.
Then slowly—
The pain began to fade.
His heartbeat settled.
His breathing became calm.
Victor remained still for several moments.
He didn’t immediately open his eyes.
He simply sat there.
Feeling his body.
Feeling the strength hidden beneath his skin.
His organs were different now.
Stronger.
More resilient.
More capable of enduring the strain of cultivation.
A faint smile appeared on Victor’s face.
He had made progress.
It wasn’t enough.
Not yet.
But it was progress.
And progress was all he needed.
Victor opened his golden eyes.
There was no exhaustion in them.
Only determination.
He looked toward the horizon.
The day was already beginning to fade.
Victor slowly rose from the ground.
His body felt lighter.
Stronger.
More stable.
He clenched his fist.
The strength within it made his smile deepen.
He wasn’t at the top.
He wasn’t even close.
But he was moving forward.
Step by step.
Pain by pain.
He would become stronger.
For his family.
For his future.
For himself.
And when the day finally came for him to face his enemies—
Victor would be ready.
Until then, he would continue.
He would cultivate.
He would grow.
And he would never stop walking forward.
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