Gravely Wounded

At last, heaven and earth fell completely silent.

He had won.

As a Level 5 Wizard, he had slain a fully intact Level 6 Wizard against the odds.

Watching that mass of gray-white mist vanish and dissipate completely, the taut string in Benjamin's heart suddenly snapped.

An overwhelming weakness swept through his body like a tsunami. He could no longer remain standing; his legs gave way, and he crashed heavily onto the cold, shattered ground.

The world spun before his eyes. Everything within his vision blurred, and all he could hear was his own ragged breathing, like a broken bellows.

What rose from the depths of his soul was no longer mere pain, but something even more terrifying and fundamental—a sense of "absence" and "tearing."

It was as though a huge chunk had been gouged from the foundation of his existence, while what remained was covered in cracks, ready to collapse completely at any moment.

Who knew how long passed? Perhaps a quarter of an hour, perhaps an even longer torment, before Benjamin barely managed to gather a thread of his scattered consciousness.

Trembling, he raised an arm that felt as heavy as lead. Using the last sliver of control he had over his Internal Grotto-Heaven, he took out several crystal potion tubes glowing with a gentle light.

His fingers shook so badly that he could barely hold the tubes. He simply shoved an entire test tube into his mouth, bit it apart, and swallowed the honey-thick liquid within, along with the crystal shards, in one gulp. It gave off a cool, refreshing aura.

This was a mixed Magic Potion of the highest-grade [Soul Spring] and [Life Essence], specifically used to repair severe soul damage and physical wounds. Each vial was worth over a billion Military Merit.

One vial, two