"ARGHHHHH!!!" Samael roared as his knees crashed against the steel floor.

He grasped his face as nerves began to bulge under his skin, especially around the vicinity of his eyes as his sclera began to morph into an onyx black colour.

Intense and sharp pain began to assault him as his head felt as though it was being cracked in two.

A loud bang ripped through the entire training ground as Samael's fist dented the nearby steel wall.

Clutching his temples, Samael's body began to tremble as he bit his lips, causing them to bleed as drops of crimson tainted the floor.

Training progress stage 1: 70% complete.

Samael gripped the nearby wall as he began to bend it. It was unbearable, as if his eyes were being cut open and set ablaze.

After a minute had passed, Samael smashed down, his breathing ragged as buckets of sweat trailed down his body, his skin glistening.

Staring at the ceiling, Samael couldn't help but wonder. Just what has he gotten himself into?

Stage 2 commences.

Samael's eyes widened as he jerked his head towards the Codex. "W-wai—"

"ARGHHHHHHHH!!!"

Samael's scream of agony thundered in the stadium as he catapulted himself to the other room, crashing against the wall.

Biting his arm, Samael could taste iron as his forearm began to bleed. But even the pain on his hand was not enough to alleviate the sharp pain in his eyes.

Closing his eyes did not help either as he rolled around the place, the pain slowly eating at his sanity.

As the seconds piled one after the other and a minute passed by, the Codex popped up in front of him.

Stage 2 is complete.

Samael plummeted down the ground as he barely caught himself, blood staining the floor.

Stage 3 commencing.

"Sh—"

"ARGHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!"

Samael smashed down the steel floor as his eyes felt as if someone was plucking them out slowly, inflicting as much pain as possible.

Punching the wall, Samael caused another deep dent as he kept on smashing his fist down.

Slowly, his vision began to blur as the pain seemed to be the only thing that mattered. It was consuming him, eating through him.

This was nothing short of torture.

You must not lose consciousness! The aftereffects will be fatal!

Stage 3 completion rate: 66%

Gritting his teeth, Samael mustered his waining strength as he began to stand up, steadfastly braving the waves and torrents of pain hurling his way.

It was painful, yes, but nothing he had not felt before.

Indomitable fighting spirit has activated!

Grinding his teeth, he focused his vision upon the marker of completion on the screen of the Codex, carefully watching as it rose up by 1 percent each passing second.

Soon, his eyes began to bleed as the crimson liquid trailed down his cheeks, falling down his clothes and the floor.

However, Samael's focus remained sharp as his vision began to darken, as if he were inside a tunnel, slowly closing and tightening around him.

94%

Samael's knee began to quiver as it smashed on the floor, then his other leg followed.

97%

Samael could barely see; his vision was dim, unlike anything he's experienced before. The pain was slowly overwhelming him.

98%

Unable to remain upright, Samael fell down, his back hitting the warm steel floor.

99%

The final stretch.

Clutching his leg, Samael's nails began to dig at his flesh as a small amount of clarity resurfaced in his eyes.

Stage 3 complete—

Samael's body smashed down with a loud bang as all sense of consciousness left his body.

This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.

***

A weak grunt echoed at the training grounds as Samael began to wake up, noticing the darkness of the sky outside.

Have I been asleep all this time? He wondered.

Rising to his feet, he made his way back to his room, a slight ache pestering his head and his eyes.

Looking around, he could only sigh upon the mess he caused.

Unsure of what to do and annoyed by the pain, Samael went on to meditate for the rest of the night.

When morning came, he cut his meditation short as he traced his way towards the forge where Olaf sat, staring at nothingness.

"You've arrived," Olaf said. "Let us begin."

A soft sigh escaped Samael's lips. Here he goes again. "Let's do it."

"Very well," Olaf said as he began to ignite the blast furnace, the heat inside the room rising every second that's passing.

Taking up a piece of steel rod, Samael approached the pit as he took a deep breath.

Inserting the steel, the flames began to dance in defiance.

It had begun.

"Focus boy, I will guide you for now. But there will be a time where you'll have to do it on your own," Olaf said.

"Understood," Samael said with determination burning in his pupils.

As the flames in the blast pit began to rise, Olaf spoke a sequence of words.

"Twist."

"Turn."

"Pull back."

"Push."

Samael sharpened his focus as he followed the man's order, twisting and turning his hand as he contested the burning flames. Before his eyes, he could see the rod begin to change colour from its typical blue hue to a more orangish tone.

"Keep at it, boy, it's about to retaliate," Olaf said as Samael's eyes narrowed.

Like lightning, the flames in the blast pit burst upwards, burning Samael's hand as he hissed.

"Move!" Olaf said. "If you fail the sequence, you get burnt."

"Push."

"Twist."

"Pull."

"Raise."

Samael gritted his teeth as he followed the man's guide, his hand moving without stop. However, Olaf's cues were beginning to pick up speed as he gave one command after the other within seconds.

Sweat began to trickle down Samael's forehead as his hand weaved back and forth, battling the flickering flames of the blast pit as it tried to burn him.

"ARGH!" Samael blurted as he dropped the steel on the floor, parts of it red in colour while some are orange.

Fortunately, the implants on his arms began to work fast as they distributed and evened out the heat inside his flesh.

"It is to be expected. You made it farther than when I first tried it, so do not be discouraged," Olaf said as he picked the steel with his bare hands. "Parts of it are uneven; it shows you're still lacking."

"No matter," Olaf followed as he threw the steel rod at the back. "Again."

Samael nodded as he clenched his fist before taking another rod. Like earlier, he pushed it inside the blast pit as the flames began to pick up once more.

Following the grandmaster's cues, Samael's hand began to follow multiple different sequences.

Dancing with the flames of the pit, Samael's eyes narrowed, his gaze sharpening at the movements of the flames. Somehow, he felt as though he could see the pattern unlike before.

With this newfound knowledge and Olaf's help, Samael began to move his hand with more precision as he not only used Olaf's cues but his reaction as well.

Unfortunately, he was still too weak, as once more, the steel in his palm smashed down, parts uneven in colour.

Olaf remained silent, his thoughts running wild as he looked at the rod. How can someone improve so fast?

Their previous attempt was already good for someone who does not have an affinity with flames or experience with the forge, but Samael's performance just now was completely better than earlier.

"What did you do, boy?" Olaf asked.

Samael shook his hand as he looked at the man. "I... watched the flames."

Olaf's brows rose. "You watched... the flames?"

"I suppose that's the only way to describe it," Samael said.

He could not fully understand what just happened, but for a brief moment, he felt in tune with the entire process. He felt as though he has been using this forge for so long that he instinctively knows the movement of the flames and even the proper movements that correspond with the specific rhythms of the fire.

"I see," Olaf muttered.

"Is something wrong?" Samuel asked.

"It's... nothing. We'll begin when you're ready," Olaf said.

"Understood," Samael said as he once more took another rod.

Like earlier, he contested the flames, but this time, his progress was greatly slowed as his eyes began to take a toll, causing him to make a handful of mistakes and end the session early.

"That's enough," Olaf said as Samael dropped the steel rod.

Samael groaned as he felt another headache assault him.

"As expected," Olaf said.

"What do you mean?" Samael asked.

"You're using something you are not ready for," Olaf said.

"Explain," Samael said as he gritted his teeth.

"It seems connected with your vision. Although you do not have the ability to sense the flames, you are able to in a way "observe" and "harmonise" with it," Olaf said. "Something that even we Mellaguns cannot. We may be able to control the flames but never harmonise."

"I don't understand," Samael said.

"Neither do I. But it is clear that you are not ready for whatever you are doing. For now, cease this observation of yours," Olaf said. "Considering your condition, I doubt we'll make more progress today, so for now our session ends here."

Samael sighed as he nodded.

"Before I leave, hand me your weapon. I would like to inspect it," Olaf said.

"Here," Samael handed the blade to the man as the grandmaster left.

Just what was that? He wondered. He has not encountered anything like it. Perhaps it could be connected with Mendez's training?

After all, the Void's power works well with ocular prowess. If that's the case, then wasn't this a cheat?

Making his way out the forge, Samael made his way back at the training grounds. Considering Mendez was most likely not in the training grounds again, the man must have separated their training grounds with Ajax.

Arriving there, it was as empty as always. It seems Mendez had no intention of checking on him for a while.

Sitting down, Samael began to take deep breaths as he spoke.

"Codex."

Codex is at your service.

"Show me my progress with Project Abyss Eyes."

Progress: Phase 1 of 10 is completed.

That was only phase one? This is insane.

"Does the intensity increase every phase? Will I be alright?"

Considering the lack of statistics, there is no valid answer.

A sigh escaped Samuel's lips. He has been sighing a lot lately. Well, things have been rough. But somehow, he was more hopeful for tomorrow.

"Begin phase 2."

As you wish.

As Samael's sclera began to change into pitch black, Samael wondered, How was she doing now?

Then the pain came.

Meanwhile, Lilith wiped the buckets of sweat trickling down her chin as her chest rose up and down.

"Something on your mind?" Aphemis asked, her arms crossed.

"It's nothing," Lilith answered as she instinctively held her necklace.

"Miss him?" Aphemis asked.

Lilith did not answer as she charged forward, adding yet another crater at their training ground.

However, they were not the only forces at work as shadows began to take shape over the horizons.

In the far reaches of the high table stood a tall pillar made of gold and below an army numbering in the thousands, increasing steadily by the day, like a plague.

Not of men.

Beasts.

Abominations.