FA Chapter 20 Offer

Day 12/February/2973

Pain is the body's way of notifying the brain that there is something wrong with the place of origin.

Bosingwa had only ever experienced pain from prickly materials and wounds... Not this!

This was the most pain he had ever felt and was very certain that very very few people had ever experienced what he was going through. The pain was everywhere. It was like every cell in his body had gotten a gaping wound that was constantly being poked at. Even his spiritual energy couldn't curb this pain.

It was so much that he didn't even have time nor the brain capacity to care about his surroundings or even his image as he screamed with all he had, his eyes tightly shut, yet even his mouth, from his gums to his lips to his tongue, were under pain. Even his heart pumping blood was threatening to send him into a cardiac arrest as every beat was strenous and painful!

He felt a pain sliding down the sides of his eyes, knowing at once that he was crying, and his tears were stimulating his skin cells causing a stinging pain that compounded upon that which was already existing. Not to mention the fact that mere pressure from where his back was hitting whatever he was sleeping on was causing even more pain.

This was a nightmare. A nightmare he never wanted to experience ever again!

Another dose of pain, this one more intense than that already wracking his body, originating from his chest, almost caused him to kick the bucket right there and then. But after it, his awareness grew hazy until it was extinguished, severing him from the throws of pain.

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Day 13/February/2973

A dull ache wracked his body as awareness returned to him, dragging him from the clutches of unconsciousness and sleep. An urge to purr in contentment enveloped him as he remembered the previous ordeal, one where he was sure that death had been at hand.

Bosingwa felt that his eyelids were heavy, not just them though, but also his limbs. His body wasn't entirely in his control, with his senses dulled. Even trying to wiggle a finger was very very strenous and ultimately, he had to give up on the clearly impossible task.

But his eyelids, no matter how heavy they were. No matter how strenous it was to move them. They had to be opened. He had to see for himself whether he was in the land of the living, or the dead.

But before that, memories of the previous battle rippled through him, bringing with them a surge of excitement that increased the tempo of his heart. He had fought! He had survived! Even though it had been by the skin of his teeth.

Yes, seeing the white with blue striations of the ceiling, he was certain that he was in the world of the living.

It had been tight. It had been scary. He had been nervous. He had been excited. He had been terrified. But, Bosingwa couldn't deny that after a taste of that epicness, he wanted for more.

His life had been danger. He had even come face to face with death, yet, his heart was running itself ragged with the anticipation of another battle.

For a moment, he wondered whether he had become crazy. But he still dismissed that notion.

Virtual battles had nothing on real ones. Maybe it had been the lack of a pod, but he was certain that the virtual world could never come close to matching reality.

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He released a sigh from his mouth, feeling the parch in his throat.

With slow movements, he turned his head to the side, where a glass of water was standing, with a digital rendition of the date flickering on its side, alerting him to the fact that he had been down for at least two days. And now, it was noon.

"So, the prodigy finally wakes up."

The first voice that entered his ears appeared from the entrance of the room. And he would recognise it anywhere because of its distinctive lazy tone.

"I must say...its impressive that you managed to enter such a state with just a few words from me while the others failed. If you aren't a prodigy, then what could you be?"

It was a rhetoric question.

"Where am I?" Bosingwa asked, straining his throat to produce the words even though he had just drunk the glass full of water.

"Well, we are back here at your apartment, the one Bora assigned to you. You should count your lucky stars that you missed yesterday." There was grimace that flickered across the man's face at the last word.

In the end he schooled his expression before making it beside Bosingwa's bed gazing at him with a look that portrayed immense interest.

"So, how did you manage to pull off the feat of igniting all the energy in your cells?"

The question prompted Bosingwa to ponder. It had been an instinctual feeling. That he could do it. There had been no need for him to expend brain power into calculating how much to release or even worry about how to go about it. Instead, it had come to him naturally. With just a thought, he had triggered the state.

Now that he thought about it, he could still trigger it. Though, he shivered at the memory of what came afterwards. That was an experience no normal human would want to endure.

"Why are you sprightly then? I know you triggered the same power as me since there is absolutely no way you would have made short work of those people."

Bosingwa was more than curious. The man was standing beside his bed, hale and hearty...while he was lying in it with a weakness in his whole body. Why was the difference so big?

"You just haven't had enough practice. Your energy was released all at once. You are very lucky that Bora spared no expense in nursing you back to health. Otherwise, you would have become companions with chubby."

"(Sigh)... If I wasn't already self-made, and a prodigy in my own field, I would probably envy or hate you. Looking at that silly expression of yours, I can concur that you really don't have the slightest idea about how extraordinary, your feat was."

Bosingwa eyed the man with a gaze that radiated curiosity. Why? Because of the fact that what he had done didn't sound special to him! Surely the others should have discovered the possibility of unleashing... Or burning your energy to rival those of the liquid stage, right?

"You acted on instinct. Something that those with skeptical minds like myself, can't come to terms with. I can't rely in my gut feeling. Its a flaw... That I know, but that is my nature. I absolutely won't, no, can't allow myself to rely on something without any substantial data backing it!"

"Can you get to the point?" Bosingwa asked. He was certain that if he let the man talk any more, then the conversation might never end.

"The point, my dear Bosingwa, is that I want you to work with me after this month ends. I, Larssen have the highest chance of transforming your unlimited potential into strength!"

"Ohhhh! And what can you support me with? I don't believe you have some lab tucked away somewhere. And judging by the fact that you are working here with me, there is absolutely no way that you have money. So what can you offer me?"

"(Sigh)... Yes, I do lack those things, but what is important Bosingwa, isn't those things in the short term. Having those things without my knowledge is pointless! I am valuable because I have knowledge! You were only capable of unleashing your potential in battle because of my tips. Don't you want to shatter the known conventions! Don't you want to rise to the top with a legend of your own? Just like Musana?"

With every question that Larssen asked, Bosingwa's heart pounded within his chest with excitement. How could he not want that? A legend of his own!

Musana had created a tale that would only vanish after maybe a 1000 years in the future! And even then, unless something drastic happened, he would be remembered in the annals of history!

Bosingwa couldn't even fathom the plausibility of the man's legend vanishing from people's memories.

"What say you? Are you interested?" Larssen's voice dragged him back from his fantasies. The man had a gleam of anticipation within his eyes. And there was this confidence that he wouldn't be rejected.

"I refuse."

There was no reason for him to accept. Why? He hadn't known the man for long. Even though Larssen's words had hit all the right buttons, Bosingwa barely knew the man. Trust was a building that couldn't be finished in a day.

"Man! Why are you throwing away this chance?! You will be wasting your talent if you don't partner up with me!"

"We don't know each other that well, Larssen. Can I trust you? No. Can I place my life in your hands, no! I can't just agree because of your honeyed tongue."