The following weeks passed in a blur of challenges and discovery as Hayden’s abilities were tested and honed within the stormy confines of the Settling Storm Order’s headquarters. Under the direction of Elder Raelon, independent ascendants from across the Shattered Plains were summoned, each bringing unique techniques and strengths to push Hayden’s golem form to its limits.
Hayden quickly learned that his body was far more complex than he had initially understood. The ascendants attacked with various elemental and physical techniques, each strike allowing Hayden to test the mana absorption that had been woven into his stone form.
The steady barrage of attacks felt like an endless cascade, each one absorbed into his core, and with each successful defense, he felt his strength grow marginally. He discovered that while he could handle most attacks without too much trouble, there was a distinct threshold.
“You’re absorbing these attacks with ease, Hayden,” Elder Raelon remarked one afternoon, his tone both pleased and curious as he observed Hayden sparring with a mid-level adept ascendant wielding water magic.
Hayden selected the bursts of icy water and shards of hardened mana with minimal effort, the impact of each barely felt. From what I can see, your current level of cultivation is similar to that of an adept stage ascendant. But let’s push further, shall we? Let’s see what happens when you face an opponent of the magus stage.”
As Raelon brought in more advanced ascendants, Hayden began to notice his limits. Magus-level attacks took far more concentration, though he could still absorb them without significant damage…at least, at first.
Soon, the magus-stage attacks escalated. The strikes slammed into his stone body like a hammer against an anvil, each one resonating within him, their powerful mana flows rattling his golem core.
For a brief period, he managed to absorb them, feeling the familiar surge of power flowing into his core and strengthening it, but as more attacks landed, he felt a sharp pain deep within his mana channels, the vein-like structures that wound through his body. Soon, an unfamiliar sensation radiated outward, echoing like fractures spreading in pottery.
His core, the very essence binding him to his stone body, began to feel unstable. Wild flows of mana started whipping from it like striking snakes. The absorbed energy that had once flowed smoothly now clashed within him, creating a chaotic whirlpool of conflicting forces. Each subsequent blow amplified the imbalance, creating a cascading chain of failures in his construct, and throwing his mind, body, and soul into disarray.
Hayden’s mind pulsed with jagged pain as he struggled to stay grounded, but he was soon forced to contend with more than just the turmoil within. As water and ice techniques collided with his body, he felt the ice tearing at his stone form, chipping away at his armor. Small fractures appeared along his arms and legs, cracks spider-webbing outward with each successive hit. A concentrated ice blast struck his chest, leaving a fissure that ran dangerously close to his core.
Hayden expected Elder Raelon to stop the exercise, but he never did. He merely watched curiously before signaling the fire cultivator to attack.
The intense heat from a plume of fire seared across his shoulder, and Hayden’s eyes widened as he felt his stone flesh begin to soften and melt. The pain was agonizing, unlike anything he had felt before—an internal war within his core and an external assault that left his form crumbling under the onslaught.
Desperately, Hayden tried to hold on, to ground himself and stabilize the chaotic energy swirling within him, but his strength was failing. The magus-stage ascendants struck again, and Hayden felt the impacts reverberate directly into his core like a tuning fork. His vision blurred, his focus slipping as a final blast of mana struck, shattering the remains of his defenses.
He fell to the ground, his stone form cracked and marred, pieces of his outer layer crumbling away as he lay there, motionless. The last thing he heard before the world went dark was Elder Raelon’s voice, calling out sharply to cease the attacks.
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Days passed, and Hayden lay in a hibernating state, his shattered form eerily still. Raelon watched over him, his expression filled with concern and uncertainty. He had seen golems fail before, but Hayden was something unique—no simple construct. There was something fragile now, almost spectral, as though Hayden’s vital essence had been thrown into turmoil by the intensity of the magus-level attacks.
The elder could feel a faint trace of Hayden’s soul, flickering weakly within his fractured form, and realized the impact on his constructed core had been far deeper than he first anticipated. The disruption of Hayden’s spiritual connection to his vessel had left his soul vulnerable, nearly unmoored from his stone body. It was as if each crack and fissure represented not only a physical wound, but a spiritual one. Hayden’s presence was faint, and Raelon feared that if left untended, his soul might detach completely, leaving the golem lifeless.
Yet, as the days stretched on, Raelon observed something remarkable. Slowly, almost imperceptibly at first, Hayden’s stone form absorbed the ambient mana from the environment. The fractured stone knit itself back together, as if drawn by an unseen force, and the cracks gradually faded. The mana seeped into his core, restoring its stability and calming the chaotic energy within.
After several days of careful observation, Raelon watched as Hayden’s soul flared faintly, the once-fracture core now stabilizing with each new rotation of mana. His stoned body, though still bearing scars from the battle, had resumed its original form, hardened and refined from the ordeal. With a final surge of mana, Hayden’s sapphire eyes flickered to life, an azure glow sparkling in his crystalline gaze.
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It was at this moment, Elder Raelon knew that Hayden was no mere golem. Constructs like his order’s clockwork machines had souls that gave them their semi-autonomous nature. However, they could never grow in power over time. They were frozen one stage below their previous level of ascendancy. They certainly couldn’t heal themselves and he was certain normal golems were the same. Hayden was something in between. His golem vessel was directly tied to his soul. The two could be damaged, but they could also be strengthened.
Right now, this presented a unique weakness for Hayden, but it was the promise of unprecedented strength in his later stages of ascendancy. Typically, soul ascendancy was reserved for ascendants at the archmagus stage. If Hayden learned these techniques, they might strengthen his physical body at the same time. Unfortunately, the Settling Storm Order didn’t possess these techniques, and even if they did, he wasn’t sure it would be wise to make the Terravorn weapon too capable.
He cleared away his troubled thoughts and leaned closer to the golem. “Welcome back, Hayden. It seems you're far more resilient than I could have anticipated.”
Hayden’s telepathic voice, weak but steady, echoed in Raelon’s mind. “I…I didn’t realize…it could feel like that. I thought this body didn’t experience pain. The agony, the chaos. It was like my soul was being torn apart.”
Raelon nodded thoughtfully. “Your limits are becoming clearer. Magus-level attacks are within your reach to absorb, but not without consequence. The disruption was nearly fatal—your body and your soul need to ascend further before you can easily adapt to that level of power.”
Visibly relieved at the golem’s recovery, Raelon wasted no time in calling over eight muscular attendants. With a nod he directed them to bring in a large tub filled with a soul-strengthening alchemic mixture.
They heaved the large tub to the central courtyard where they had conducted the training and where Hayden had lain unconscious for the last few days. They set the huge metal tub down, the liquid inside shimmering with hues of deep blue and violet.
“Step in, Hayden,” Raelon instructed, gesturing toward the tub. “The alchemic mixture is meant to fortify your core and heal any lingering damage to your soul. We use this on our own clockwork constructs after battle. You should feel its effects immediately.”
Raelon watched as the Terravornian weapon cautiously lowered itself into the tub, his stone form settling into the alchemic bath with a faint ripple. As soon as his body made contact with the mixture, a whirlpool began to form in the liquid as it was quickly and directly absorbed into the golem.
Considering the clear connection between soul and body, Raelon had expected the mixture to repair any remaining fracture, but the reaction that unfolded was beyond even his expectations. The golem’s body drank in the alchemic mixture with a greedy, almost supernatural hunger, absorbing the strengthening essence at an accelerated rate.
The visible cracks and scars left from the magus-level attacks vanished almost instantly, and the faint glow of mana within Hayden’s core intensified, as if the mixture was amplifying his very ascendancy.
As the absorption continued, Raelon watched as the golem’s body physically transformed. His stone skin, once rugged and battered, became sleek and refined, the surface polished to a near mirror-like sheen. It was difficult for Raelon to discern, but he thought he could sense a deeper density to the golem. There was a radiating aura of subtle, yet undeniable strength that hadn’t been there before.
The golem lifted its hand, clearly marveling at the smooth polished surface. Raelon detected smoother movement and increased speed. The weapon stood up and stepped out of the now empty tub. When its feet hit the ground, a thin layer of stone turned to powder. The movement was practically graceful and yet there was clearly a subdued power waiting to be unleashed.
In a moment of experimentation, Raelon watched as the golem launched himself across the room, moving with a speed that rivaled magus-level cultivators. It stopped abruptly, looking back at Raelon, wide-eyed in comical amazement. “I…I never felt power like this.”
Raellon gave a nod of approval, though a glint of caution flickered in his gaze. “The strengthening elixir has had quite the effect hasn’t it?” he mused aloud, though his mind was already racing.
While the weapon experimented with its newfound abilities, Raelon’s thoughts turned inward. If strengthening elixirs were this potent on the golem, what would a weakening potion do? The alchemic mixture had been absorbed so readily, so voraciously, by the golem that it raised a possibility the elder couldn’t ignore. If the mixture had amplified Hayden’s power, what if a different concoction—a weakening one—could incapacitated him just as quickly?
Raelon watched as Hayden moved, testing the limits of its newfound strength and speed, its form flashing across the courtyard with ease. Outwardly, Raelon maintained a calm and approving demeanor, yet his mind cataloged this new insight, recognizing both its potential and its danger.
“Hayden,” he called out, interrupting the golem’s movements, “we’ll need to monitor how long these effects last. This strength you’ve gained may wane over time, or it may remain—a gift from the elixir. Either way, we must be cautious. Power of this magnitude requires careful control.”
Hayden slowed to a stop, his polished stone gleaming under the dim lights, his blue crystalline eyes glowing with intensity. “I understand, Elder Raelon,” he replied, his telepathic voice steady, but Raelon sensed the awe and ambition that lingered beneath. “I’ll use this strength wisely.”
Raelon gave him a slight nod, though his mind remained sharp with contemplation. Hayden’s growth had exceeded even his own expectations, and while this newfound power could prove invaluable, it also posed a potential threat to the Order. If it ever became necessary to rein him in, Raelon now had a solution in mind—a silent safeguard that could be deployed if Hayden’s power ever grew beyond their control.
For now, however, Raelon kept these thoughts to himself, his voice composed as he addressed Hayden. “Then let us continue your training, Hayden. But remember—true strength lies not only in power but in control. Harness what you’ve gained, and we may find our efforts in the Shattered Plains met with success sooner than anticipated.”