I activated [Psynapse Boost].
In an instant, Essence surged from the core in my chest and rushed into my head. My thoughts sharpened, my senses became clearer, and the world around me seemed to slow down. My will grew stronger, focused, precise, ready.
Then, I turned my attention to the water bubble surrounding me. It was my only shield against the insane pressure outside, the pressure caused not just by the depth of the water, but by the swirling chaos of wind and space elements violently colliding.
Carefully, I began to shrink the bubble.
I moved slowly, steadily, keeping my focus tight to make sure the structure didn't collapse.
If it broke, the pressure would crush me in seconds. The space energy alone could tear my body apart. But I trusted in my control.
The bubble shrank, inch by inch, drawing closer to my body. Soon, it was just a foot away from me on all sides. The pressure outside grew stronger, but I didn't stop.
I pushed the barrier in even further, letting it close in until it was nearly touching my skin.I could feel the crushing force pressing in on me now. My muscles tensed, my breathing slowed.
The thick film of Essence that made up the bubble began to ripple under the strain, like a thin sheet of liquid trembling against a storm.
But it held.
It held strong.
Finally, I started wrapping the Essence film over my body, one part at a time.
I began with my back, letting the barrier slowly press against my skin. A sharp jolt ran down my spine as the pressure made contact, but I gritted my teeth and kept going.
The film stretched over my shoulders next, then gradually moved to my chest. It was like being wrapped in something cold and heavy, yet burning with raw energy at the same time.
I took slow, careful breaths as the film continued spreading, down my arms, covering my elbows and wrists, then my hands and fingers.
Every inch it touched felt heavier, like I was sinking into a weighted blanket made of energy and pressure.
I moved to my lower body next: my thighs, knees, calves, and finally my feet. The film hugged tightly, clinging to my skin but not piercing it. Not yet.
I kept my head back, still protected and untouched by the film.
The thin film slowly wrapped around my body like a second skin, smooth and glowing. I sat there cross-legged, naked and focused. The water around me roared in silence, pressing from all sides.
But inside the film, it was calm.
I started with my right forearm.
The film thickened there, just around the arm, and tightened little by little. At first, it just felt heavy. Then the pain started.
A slow, creeping pressure that pushed deep inside. I could feel my muscles twitching. My body was trying to fight it, trying to resist. But I didn't let up.
I kept the pressure steady.
Minutes passed. The pain grew. Blood erupted. My arm began to feel soft, tired, as if it didn't want to hold shape anymore. That was my cue.
I activated [Essence Shaping].
My will sharpened. Essence flowed through me like a living thread. I gathered it into a fine line, sharp and controlled, and sent it into my forearm.
It touched the surface of the bone.
The bone was still strong, but the pressure had done its job. Tiny cracks. Just enough.
I pushed the thread in.
Bit by bit, I carved. My breath slowed. My heartbeat echoed in my ears. I drew a long line from my wrist to my elbow, then made smaller paths branching out.
It wasn't random, I followed the vision. The same pattern the gray man had engraved. I memorized it for this.
The moment the first channel was done, I felt a shift. Essence ran through it. Not a lot, but it moved. That was enough.
I moved on.
Left forearm next.
Same steps. Tighten. Wait. Break it down. Endure. Carve.
The pain was worse this time because I already knew what to expect.
It wasn't surprise anymore, it was memory.
By the time both arms were done, I was shaking. My fingers didn't move properly. But I smiled.
This was progress.
I wrapped the film around my legs next. Calves first, then thighs. The pressure spread slow, careful, like a predator waiting to strike. My muscles burned. Knees felt like they would snap.
I let them.
Cracks formed deep inside. Essence was ready.
I shaped it again, sent the thread in, and carved. Long paths that ran up my legs, over my thighs, and toward my lower back. Every path followed the blueprint.
The pain was a constant wave now, but I welcomed it.
It meant I was doing something real.
I took a short break only to refill my Essence.
The film covering my body wasn't just squeezing me. It was pulling energy from the surroundings, feeding the Generator Core. My heart. It beat slow and strong, each pulse sending out a wisp of Essence.
I condensed those wisps using [Essence Shaping] into orbs and stored them around the core, letting them float like satellites. Each one held more than enough for the next part.
Next was my chest and back.
The pressure wrapped around my torso like a cage. I kept it light near the lungs and heart. Just enough to make things soft.
Any harder and I would risk internal damage. I wasn't trying to die here.
I waited longer this time. Let the muscles wear down.
Then I began the carving again.
Essence split into two threads now. One for the chest, one for the back. Both moved slowly, cutting tiny lines, building a web of paths that followed the same shape as the original vision.
It felt like I was drawing with fire on stone.
When I finished, I rested for a full minute, breathing slow.
Only the head remained.
I didn't use the film there. Too risky.
Instead, I leaned forward and focused everything into my will. No shaking. No distractions. I gathered the last of my Essence, shaped it into the thinnest thread yet, and sent it toward my neck, then up.
A single channel started at the base of the skull and went straight up, wrapping once around my head like a crown.
I didn't go too deep. This was for control, not power.
The carving took longer than I thought. My Psynapse was burning now, working at full power.
But I finished it.
My confidence came from the trait of my passive ability: Adaptive Skeleton. It was the one reason I believed my body could survive this.
And since I was using the purple Essence created by my Generator, each thread I carved wasn't just energy, it carried my will too.
I kept one clear thought in my mind while doing this: these channels were meant to let Essence flow freely through my body.
That idea had to be carved in just as deeply as the lines themselves.
I went over the channels I had already made, scanning each one with my senses.
There wasn't a single part that didn't ache or sting.
Blood had leaked from everywhere, and my skin felt torn and weak. My muscles, already beaten down by the pressure, now carried the marks of what I'd done.
But I didn't stop.
Even though my body was getting weaker from the blood loss, even though every part of me screamed to rest, I kept my eyes closed and focused.
I started the process again.
This time, I didn't create new channels, I went back to the old ones.
I carved through them once more, using slightly more pressure and a little more Essence.
I wanted to widen the paths, just enough to make the flow smoother. Just enough to make sure they wouldn't collapse under pressure later.
The Essence I used now was more condensed than before. It glowed brighter, sharper. Each thread felt heavier.
I guided them through every channel I had already made.
From the arms, down the legs, across my chest, and around my back.
I made sure to strengthen the lines in my neck and crown as well. Each path cut just a bit deeper, each edge smoothed and shaped with care.
It was painful all over again. But pain was just part of the process now.
By the time I finished, I was shaking again. My breath came in slow, tired bursts. But somewhere beneath that pain and exhaustion, I could feel it.