She is updating the book as I progress, Ruwen told Rami.
There are few things kept as secret as Harvesting related forms. This mechanism is genius. If this book fell into the wrong hands, she could wipe it clear with a command. It also allows her to control your knowledge, making sure you avoid foolish mistakes like jumping ahead.
Ruwen didn’t respond to that, as the truth of it stung. The new Refinement form detailed in the newly revealed pages differed significantly from what he did now. Currently, he managed twenty-four Streams, twelve leaving his Core and traveling via a path to a Meridian, and twelve Streams returning from those Meridians back to his Core. So, each Meridian had its own loop connected to his Core.
But the form detailed in the book had a single Stream that traveled into a Meridian and back, but instead of reattaching to the Core, the returning Stream entered the path of another Meridian. On and on it went like that, the initial Stream weaving in and out of Meridians until all twelve were threaded and the Stream finally reattached to the Core.
Ruwen memorized the sequence of the Divine Refinement form, closed the book, and stood. He stopped his current Refinement Streams in preparation to try this new one. Not knowing any other way to manipulate Spirit Streams easily, he used Sift’s parent’s form to affect his Core.
It took Ruwen nine tries to complete the Divine Refinement form, as some angles between the Meridians proved challenging. The new form began with the Order Meridian and ended with the Chaos Meridian. When the Stream, threaded through all twelve of his Meridians finally reattached to his Core, his entire body vibrated like a struck bell.
Ruwen’s Core reabsorbed the Stream with barely any resistance. When he’d used the old method, every returning Stream had slowed his Core Velocity, but now only one Stream existed, and his Core Velocity seemed unaffected.
The weave of the Stream through Ruwen’s Meridians felt like silk, and he realized why. The route the Spirit Stream took through his paths began with his widest paths. By the time the Stream reached his Dark and Chaos Meridians, it had decreased considerably in size because much of the Essence had already been removed. Since his Dark and Chaos Meridians were his smallest paths, this worked out perfectly.
Ruwen increased his Core Velocity and then increased it again. His chest itched from the massive amount of Spirit he could now Refine. The previous method of Refining had required him to increase his Core Velocity every eight hours or so as the drag of twelve returning Streams slowed it. But this new method didn’t seem like it required any maintenance. He continued to increase his Core Velocity until he felt pressure building and then looked at the value in his Profile.
Core Velocity: 10,628/12,000
The math said Ruwen was almost ninety percent efficient, and that seemed pretty good. He sat back down and opened the book again. While this new Divine Refining form was great, he already had a ton of Essence from absorbing the Spirit storm over Stone Harbor in the Spirit Realm. A new Fortifying method is what he really needed.
Ruwen turned the page, thankful the book allowed him to continue. To his great relief, he read the title of the next section.
Divine Fortifying Form
Not poses, but a form. Ruwen quickly flipped the page.
The next eighteen pages detailed the form along with how the movements combined with the Fortifying breathing technique. The book portion after the Fortifying form remained hidden as the pages wouldn’t budge. Ruwen memorized the Divine Fortifying form, put the book in his Void Band, and stood. He briefly considered adding his three pieces of Suffocation gear, but decided this first time, he would try without them.
Ruwen began the form, making sure his body movements and breathing technique matched the explanation exactly. These first steps would Fortify the area around his Fire Meridian, the left leg and foot. As he completed the movement, Spirit from his Core flared outward and drenched his left leg and foot. But unlike the poses, which surrounded the muscle and bone like a gentle fog, the form drove the Spirit deep into the structures of his body.
Excruciating pain exploded from Ruwen’s leg, and his Last Breath skill triggered to shield his mind. His leg buckled and he fell to the ground. The Spirit surge had already withdrawn back to his Core, but not before injecting Spirit deep into his muscles and bones. It felt like a hundred thousand snakes had bitten him and injected lava into his leg and foot.
Last Breath kept the pain distant and Ruwen’s mind safe. Divine forms were probably meant for gods, not mortals whose bodies still languished in the Metal tier. But Uru wouldn’t have given him this knowledge if he wasn’t ready. He knew the importance of increasing his Fortification level and that growth was usually painful.
Ruwen pushed himself up, restarted his Fortification breathing, and positioned his body at the end of the first movement. Safe inside the island Last Breath had created in his mind, he executed the second element of the form to Fortify his intestines which surrounded his Death Meridian.
The entire area between Ruwen’s stomach and crotch felt like it had melted. His body trembled from the pain, but he remained standing this time. He cycled through his breathing a few times, letting his body recover from the trauma of the Fortification. His leg still ached as well, and he wondered if he could manage doing all twelve Meridians.
As Ruwen continued, the island Last Breath had created for him grew smaller and smaller. Hundred-foot tall waves of pain crashed against his sanctuary. The last movement of the form Fortified his brain, which surrounded his Mind Meridian. His Core surged upward, striking his mind, and everything turned white.
Ruwen’s Last Breath island disappeared, and the full force of what he’d done to his body struck him. He gasped in pain and tears made his
