Andar discovered a horrific fact about the clouds at this level, every punch he made brought him pain, and the pain did not cease, it only compounded.

Every hit he made increased the pain he felt until it was as if everything he knew was pain. His stubbornness was what made him attack in a frenzy because he was afraid that if he stopped the pain would freeze him in place.

This was the first time in his entire life to experience something like this. This was the sort of pain that would kill an average mortal man ten times over, and only his strong constitution was holding him in place.

Andar collapses as the pain overwhelms his senses.

Mira’s eyes were wide, she knew of this peculiar nature of the clouds when you began to approach the base, it was the reason why she had Rank 0 Scripts. Usually, to push through the clouds to reach the bottom layers, you had to slowly claw your way through it. Yet they could not be too slow, because there was a time limit on the trial grounds.

It was the reason after millions of years, barely eleven people had made it to the last levels, as you did not just require strength, luck, and perseverance, you also needed the capacity to bear untold amounts of pain.

Andar was very powerful and talented, perhaps the most talented person she would ever meet, but it seemed as if he had not gone through any specific training to master pain. It was admirable he was able to push through to this level.

Who was responsible for training him?

Mira did not know that before now, it was generally acknowledged that Andar would never awaken his Spirit Matrix, and so he was not taught the process and what he should expect during awakening.

Also, every Great Tower had different Trial Grounds, and his master had no way of knowing the sorts of challenges to be faced in the Black Tower. Nevertheless, having seen the scope of Andar’s talent, he had faith that he would be able to succeed.

If Andar’s target was a Heavenly Fate Meditation Art, he would have been correct, because, at this level, you could find three powerful Arts that level, he wanted something more, or perhaps it should be said that Rowan wanted more.

Andar would have been delighted with a Heaven Fate Meditation Art, but for Rowan that was nothing. Anything short of a Supreme level of power was meaningless to him.

Mira hurriedly knelt by his side and cradled his sweating head that had begun to heat up, his veins threatened to burst out of his skin, as he groaned, the expression of pain on his face was so gut-wrenching she forgot herself and went to help.

She even forgot that Andar’s body was so powerful, that he could seriously hurt or kill her if he was not paying attention.

“Stay with me Andar, listen to the sound of my voice.”

“It hurts…it hurts. So bad… master, help me… it hurts…”

“I know, I know Andar, it is painful, but you have to push it aside, you are going to be a talented Mage and this sort of pain is nothing. Push through Andar.”

He gasped, “Mira? I don’t know how…”

She smiled in relief, finally happy she was getting through to him, “You are already on the path…. Listen to the sound of my voice. Make it everything you should think of. The pain is silence and darkness, while my voice is relief and light. Follow my voice to the light and leave the darkness. The pain has no hold over you…. The darkness has no hold over you… the pain has no hold over you… the darkness has…”

Andar began to slowly chant with her, “The pain has no hold over me… the darkness has no hold over me… the pain has…”

Slowly as he spoke, his voice began gaining in strength and volume, his eyes began to focus and he slowly stood up while chanting.

His adaptability and inner strength made Rowan smile in surprise.

®

The actions of Andar and Mira were being watched and assessed by all four projections of the Archmages.

Each of them was silent when they saw the organizational capacities of the Limit Breakers, there was nothing unique about that. Countless candidates had now formed teams and were beginning to push through the clouds.

What made them begin to focus on Andar and Mira was the moment Andar began to stand back on his feet after Mira brought him back from the edge of pain and madness.

That was something rare, most candidates would never recover when they receive pain at that level, and most would be begging for death at this time.

For it was important to note that when Andar returned to his feet, the pain did not reduce, he was just learning how to manage and function even through the pain.

As the two most promising candidates, their backgrounds were now placed under scrutiny, and Andar’s were revealed.

Nothing from the boy’s history would show any training in meditation or other esoteric arts to control pain. Outside his obvious talent, there was no indication of his talent grade or the grade of his Spirit Body.

What most Archmages craved was willpower, without it, no matter how talented he was, he would be nothing but a pig with a golden nose ring.

The pain the child was feeling at this time must have been like he was being doused in acid while being injected with a substantial dose of adrenaline. Every nerve would be on fire, and if he wanted to get to the best Heavenly Fate Meditation Art, he would have to be smart with his choices and request the aid of his partner.

Of course, they all heard of his outlandish claims to reach the Supreme Meditation Art, but children knew nothing of the world, and flight of fancy was their right.

A central figure among the Archmages began to speak. This figure had two heads, and his shoulders were broad, almost three times the size of an average man.

“The child has talent, but he is foolish and whoever prepared him for the Trials should be punished. His Constitution is ridiculous, why was he not properly fortified with Scripts before he came for this? Oracle, under which jurisdiction was this candidate selected? What is the grade of his talent and his Spirit Body?”