Book 19, Metamorphosis – Chapter 50, A Terrifying Tenacity
Within the quiet stone room, Linley lay there silently, four types of elemental essences lovingly swirling around his body. In the quiet stone room, aside from Linley, only Bebe was present. As for Bluefire, Reisgem, and Reihom, they didn’t disturb Bebe. They knew very well how deep Linley and Bebe’s affections for each other were.
Bebe quietly stood by Linley’s side, his little face covered in tearstains.
“Boss.” Bebe forced out a smile. “Two thousand years. In my heart, the person I’ve always admired the most was you. Honest! When we were young, I always slept or fooled around, but, you, Boss, always worked hard to train, never relaxing at all. I know that part of this had to do with your father, and also with Grandpa Doehring, but you never gave up, right?”
“In addition, on our journey together, we’ve met with many seemingly intractable problems. That King of Fenlai was powerful, right? You were just a youth, but you ended up killing that King, right?”
“Even the then-seemingly all-powerful Radiant Church was destroyed by you. You pulled it out by the root and destroyed it, right?”
“In the Necropolis of the Gods, when we encountered so many difficulties, and even seemingly fatal dangers, we made it all the way through, right?”
“We adventured together through the Infernal Realm, and we never fell down. We even fought our way through the Planar Battlefield, this most terrifyingly dangerous of places! And haven’t we acquired four commander badges?”
Bebe gnawed his lips, staring at the ‘slumbering’ Linley. “Boss, you won’t fall down now! It’s just a soul mutation, right? After overcoming so many challenges, you aren’t going to fall down on me now, right? I trust, Boss, that you will definitely succeed, because...you are my Boss. The Boss that I trust and admire the most.”
As Bebe spoke, his tears began to well up in his eyes once more. He forced himself to not let them fall.
The more confident his words were, the more panicked he felt.
In truth, Bebe had no confidence whatsoever! This was because Linley had four major divine clones. His soul mutation would thus be impacted by four types of elemental essences. This sort of situation was very terrifying. If he was to succeed...Linley would be, in the course of countless years and countless planes, the one and only person to have undergone a soul mutation with four clones.
But would he be able to endure?
Not a single person had done so in all of history!
“Boss, you’ll definitely succeed. Definitely.” Bebe murmured in his heart.
Everyone who knew Linley’s situation had no confidence in Linley being able to succeed. They didn’t even see Linley as having a 10% chance. Even Reisgem, Bluefire, and the others, upon learning that Linley was undergoing a soul mutation, felt their hearts sank. All they could do was to pray to the heavens and hope that Linley would struggle through.
The Yulan Plane. The Forest of Darkness. The metallic castle.
Two people were seated opposite from each other, one dressed in a long black robe, the other in a long white robe. One had drooping whiskers and small eyes; Beirut. The other had crimson eyebrows; Bluefire! The looks on the faces of both Beirut and Bluefire weren’t too pleased right now.
“What is the situation? Is there a chance of improvement?” Beirut said, frowning.
“The situation is very dire.” Bluefire let out a long sigh. “I really don’t have much faith in a soul mutation. If Linley is able to succeed, then it will be an unexpected surprise. But if he fails...Linley will never be able to reach the peak again.”
Beirut shook his head and sighed. “I was too impatient to reach my goals.”
“It has nothing to do with you.” Bluefire shook his head. “After my original body entered the Planar Battlefield, I originally stayed quite close to Linley, but after Linley made his breakthrough, I relaxed. Who would have imagined that Magnus would suddenly appear. Alas. It was my mistake. I didn’t get there in time to save him.”
A hint of a bitter smile was on Beirut’s face. “It was so hard to encounter an appropriate person. If Bebe were to learn the truth, he would probably hate me!”
“This isn’t your fault either. Who would have known this would be the case?” Bluefire shook his head.
“If my plans succeeded, Linley and Bebe would have been grateful to me. But given the current situation...” Beirut shook his head. “Once Linley’s original body and his three clones perish, then he will have lost his future potential. My plans would have completely failed as well. I will have no options but to find another suitable candidate.”
Bluefire sat there, a hint of unwillingness in his eyes.
“Beirut, don’t be in a rush to render your verdict.” Bluefire frowned. “The results aren’t out yet. Linley might be able to survive this.”
“If he really does survive it and successfully completes his soul mutation, then this will be a major cause for celebration.” Beirut lifted an eyebrow. “But if Linley truly becomes a Soul Mutate, then I’ll have to change my plans.”
“Are you saying...?” Bluefire was startled.
Beirut nodded slightly. “Right!”
“This...is this doable?” Bluefire was stunned. “It seems as though in the countless years of the existence of the universe, no one has ever succeeded.”
“Why isn’t it doable!” Beirut’s eyes flashed with a crafty light. “To be honest, if Linley were to succeed in his soul mutation, then my plans will have a high chance for success. And once we succeed...I feel excited just thinking about it. If the experiment is a failure, it won’t impact Linley much, nor will it impact me much, but if it is successful...”
Bluefire’s eyes revealed an eager light as well.
“But of course, we’re just talking right now. We’re just daydreaming.” Beirut laughed bitterly. “It’s still far too early. It’ll be good if Linley even manages to survive this current situation.”
“Right. Let’s see if he can survive this!” Bluefire nodded as well. “Success means Linley’s future prospects are limitless! Failure...you and I will have no choice but to ensure that Linley’s future life will be a peaceful one. He’ll never be able to rise to the top again, at the level of being able to causes tempests and waves in the world.”
“Nobody can help him now.” Beirut nodded slightly. “He will have to rely on himself!”
“It’s too late for regrets. We have to face reality!” Beirut’s gaze was hard and calm. “If he succeeds, his potential will be limitless. If he fails...that will not be our fault.”
Time flowed on. The Planar Battlefield was very quiet, with a few rare major battles. Almost everyone was awaiting the final battle’s arrival.
The thirty third day of Linley’s coma Reisgem and the others were gathered within the cave.
Bluefire walked out from Linley’s stone room. Reisgem, Reihom, and Bebe hurriedly went to welcome him. “What is it, Mr. Bluefire?” Bebe was the first to ask. Bluefire glanced at them, then shook his head and said, “Although the Fate-type Sovereign power of Magnus’ attack is gone, it used up a large amount of the energy of the Soulstone. Today, the Soulstone’s energy was completely used up!”
“Are you saying...?” Bebe was shocked.
“From today onwards, no outside force can help Linley.” Bluefire sighed. “In the past, with the assistance of the Soulstone, he was able to hold on. But now that the Soulstone is unable to help him...he will have no one but himself to rely on against the soul mutation.”
“But the Boss’ soul is so weak. Will he be able to hold?” Bebe was so worried, he was about to cry.
Bluefire, Reisgem, and Reihom were all silent.
Not long ago, when Bluefire had investigated Linley’s soul, he discovered that during the soul mutation, Linley’s soul was like a tiny flame that encountered a mighty wind time and time again. Fortunately, the black stone’s energy constantly replenished him, restoring energy to Linley’s soul, allowing him time and time again to hold fast against the clashing powers of the soul mutation process.
“Who knows?” Bluefire shook his head.
The atmosphere within the cave seemed so cold, so gloomy...
The thirty fifth day of Linley’s coma.
Bluefire emerged from the stone room. He shook his head somewhat disbelievingly. “I didn’t dare believe it. Linley’s soul, even without the assistance of the Soulstone, has been able to endure for three full days...but it seems as though the process is still quite early. Who knows how long the soul mutation process will take!”
Bebe, however, knew.
Originally, when Olivier had undergone the soul mutation process, he had been unconscious for multiple months. And Olivier had only two types of energy; there was no way his soul mutation could be compared to Linley’s. A soul mutation involving three types of divine clones was far more complicated than Olivier’s. As for a soul mutation involving four divine clones...
It probably wouldn’t end in just a matter of a few short months.
Bluefire and Bebe, along with Beirut, Delia, and the others in the Yulan continent, had been prepared all along, but the amount of time Linley spent in this coma surpassed their expectations.
Olivier had succeeded within a few months, but Linley would probably need several years.
Several years?
Linley remained in this coma...and quite quickly, more than ten years passed.
The eighteenth year of Linley’s coma.
Within the cave in the Planar Battlefield. Bluefire inspected Linley once every seven days now. Linley’s long coma had caused Reisgem and Reihom to no longer be as constantly worried about Linley as they had been; they were able to calm their minds and train and rest. As for Bebe, he paid attention to Linley’s situation every day..
“The situation is not good. Over the past eighteen years, Linley’s soul has been weakening slightly this entire time. Although he’s been able to resist this entire time, the weakening process has never slowed.” Bluefire said with a frown. “Although Linley’s soul is incredibly tenacious, and has never given up and has continued to endure...his soul is now too weak. I have the feeling that if this continues, he won’t be able to last for more than three more days.”
Bebe’s face instantly turned ashen.
“Three days. Just three days. Either the situation will improve, or he will die if it does not. Let’s see how things are these next three days.” Bluefire said, shaking his head.
Bluefire had the feeling that eighteen years ago, if Linley’s weak soul could be described as an ‘tiny flame’, then now, it was barely an ember.
“He definitely will be fine. Definitely.” Bebe said repeatedly.
These three days were quite hard for Bebe to endure. Originally, Bluefire thought that Linley would only be able to resist for three more days, but who would have imagined...that despite his soul having been weakened exceedingly, he was able to hold for eighteen days. Bluefire, too, felt that this was inconceivable.
On the eighteenth day.
“Bebe, come quickly, quickly.” Bluefire called out.
Bebe, Reisgem, and Reihom immediately entered Linley’s stone room. Bebe, terrified and nervous, looked at Bluefire. “What is it? What’s going on with my Boss?”
Bluefire turned his head, staring at Bebe and Reisgem in disbelief. “Inconceivable. Inconceivable! Linley’s soul is now beginning to strengthen. To strengthen! It is like an infant which is growing up. It is strengthening at a speed that I can palpably sense! It is growing!”
Bebe, Reisgem, and Reihom had looks of amazement in their eyes.
“Ahhhhhhh!!!” Bebe jumped up violently, so high that his head smashed into the stone roof, so hard that several rocks were knocked loose. Bebe hurriedly stretched his hand out, moving it in a blur and preventing the stones from falling.
“Wonderful, wonderful!” Bebe was utterly overjoyed.
The Yulan continent. Dragonblood Castle.
Delia and Sasha were together.
“Mother, is Father alright?” Sasha said, rather worried. “It is quite rare for Father to go into solitary meditation. Why is it that this time after he went into solitary meditation, he didn’t come out?”
“He’s fine.” Delia forced out a smile.
Linley’s situation was something he and Delia had not told their children. They didn’t want their children to worry.
“Huh?” Delia suddenly saw a figure emerge from the courtyard gate and walk towards them. It was the fire-type ‘Linley’.
“Father.” Sasha said hurriedly.
The fire ‘Linley’ smiled and nodded, and Delia looked expectantly towards Linley. “Are you done?” The nearby Sasha, hearing this, was puzzled and confused.
“I can sense...that things are improving.” The fire ‘Linley’ had a rare smile on his face. Divine clones could sense each other’s souls. Although the other four souls had lost consciousness, Linley was still able to sense that they still existed. Over the past eighteen years, they had constantly weakened, weakened to the point where even the fire-type soul was almost unable to sense them. But today, however, the four souls were growing stronger.
Linley’s souls had been weakening for eighteen years, and were extremely fragile. Now that they began to strengthen, however, the strengthening speed was far greater than the previous weakening speed. They rapidly gained in strength.
The Planar Battlefield. The cave estate. Linley’s thirty fourth year in a coma.
“Mr. Leylin, why hasn’t my Boss woken up yet?” Bebe was rather impatient now. Bebe was now no longer too worried, because he could clearly sense how powerful Linley’s soul had become. It was far greater than Linley’s soul had been prior to his injury. If Linley’s soul, prior to his injury, could be described as a lake of water, his soul now was a fathomlessly deep ocean.
His soul was so powerful, but Linley still didn’t wake up.
“Don’t be impatient!” Bluefire laughed. “He will definitely wake up.” Actually, Bluefire had a hint of worry in his heart as well. Linley’s soul was already so terrifyingly great; would it actually suddenly collapse at a critical moment? No one knew what a soul mutation with four divine clones would be like.
That same point in time, within the stone room.
Outside the room, Bluefire and the others were chatting. Within the stone room, Linley lay there quietly by himself. He had already quietly lain there for thirty four years, and his body no longer had elemental essences surrounding it.
Suddenly...
Linley’s closed eyes...
Opened!