Chapter 50 The Casting Began

Untouched magic encased in ancient ice of five hundred years lay in front of Ricky; its towering height dwarfed his own figure and basked him in a luminous glow. He rested a hand on its hard surface as the relic's inborn light seeped through his thick skin and illuminated the redness of his blood and flesh underneath. Short puffs of white clouds came out of his breath as he exhaled, readying himself for the activation of his Devouring Skill.

Tendrils of wild winds started to circulate the area in dizzying speeds the more he focused on mobilizing his ability. The beginnings of pallid mist engulfed his body, growing thicker and thicker by the minute as he voraciously absorbed the dormant power beneath the hard shell of the iceberg. Prickling cold devoured the warmth of his temperature, robbing him of any solace to counter the freezing atmosphere. It permeated into the deepest depths of his being as it instilled inside his bones and racked him in endless shivers.

"T - The Quincentennial Magic Ice … Its power is r-r-really outstanding!" exclaimed Ricky, managing to squeeze out his words of awe through gritted teeth.

The agony of having the frost stop his blood's circulation turned his face into an unhealthy shade of white and dyed his lips to a sickening hue of blue. It was torture; one that he had willingly dived into, especially when he knew that the outcome of withstanding such unbearable pain thrilled him more than anything. He was determined to reach the Second Degree of the Nine-degree Body Refining Formula, and for that to be attained, he needed to form this numbing power into his own.

He grunted and spasmed as another surge of tremors washed over him. If it were not for his strategy in transferring the acquired energy directly to its new home in the Devourer Zone, he would have been reduced to an iced carcass as soon as he had absorbed a small portion of the magic.

He tried to move, and with great difficulty, his nearly paralyzed fingers took the Body Refining Pill from his pocket and raised it to his mouth, swallowing it as soon as it dropped. He had saved it specifically for this moment, knowing that the Pill would produce the best possible result when taken during the process of refining.

It took a staggering six hours for Ricky to conclude the whole process, the ice melting away as soon as he finished. He could not deny that there were occasions where trepidation tempted him to succumb to his impatience and need for a break from the misery. There was no shame in admitting that he had to fight against his weaknesses; he was still human after all, and his perseverance and greed were enough proof of validation for that aspect.

Sighing in relief and content, Ricky began stretching his limbs in preparation for another gruesome trial. "Good! It's time to start the refinement now," he muttered, standing upright as he wrapped up his last set of warm-ups.

He proceeded to take a meager part of the seized mana from the Devourer Zone and poured it into his regained spiritual meridian. It flowed ceaselessly in his bloodstream, filling up every crevice like liquid pulsing to grant him the chance at rebirth until he felt the magic settle inside him.

It was by no means a comfortable adjustment. It was excruciating, more so compared to the prior experience he went through. Perhaps, it was a given, what with the magic being tremendous to the point where even a warrior at the intermediate stage of Blood Purification might not be able to stand it. As a warrior stuck in the eighth grade of Skin Refinement, Ricky was understandably in a lot more torment that most would not even dare endure in their lifetime.

He felt as if he had reached the last level of hell. Trapped not in a blazing inferno, but in the unforgiving, frigid air of a vast icy terrain with no salvation in sight. Bare, trembling and barely competent in holding himself together after being torn apart mercilessly again and again. He could not relax for the slightest instant, certain that he would not be able to keep himself upright if he did so.

Overwhelmed by the sudden onslaught of trembles that shook him to the core, Ricky felt he did a wise decision by trans

"They aren't useful for you anyway, please? Won't you give them to me?" He pleaded, attempting to put on an innocent look that failed to hide his mischievousness beneath.

"Why do you want them?"

She squinted her eyes suspiciously. Sometimes, she had great difficulty in perceiving Ricky's odd behavior.

"I think it's time for me to practice casting!" Ricky answered with a confident voice. Loud chortles burst out from Heather upon hearing Ricky's claim, "Seriously? You must be kidding!" she refuted, unable to hold back another set of laughter from bubbling out from her chest. "I've heard that a very special spiritual meridian is a must for casting. You don't even have a--"

She cut herself off, her gleeful smile falling into a solemn one. She regretted her insensitive remarks immediately, realizing that she must have hurt his feelings after making fun of his lack of a spiritual meridian.

"I'm sorry, Ricky. I didn't mean that," she bowed her head, apologizing profusely for her rudeness.

"Hey, it's okay. I'm not angry," he soothed her, adding a joking lilt to his voice as reassurance that he didn't take any offense on any word that was said. Heather was younger than him, so in his eyes, he had grown to view her as a younger sister. Furthermore, she had always helped him in the past, and for that, he would always be grateful.

She must've felt extremely bad though, seeing as she didn't entertain his flippant tone and only hummed in cognizance.

Ricky wanted to comfort her but was distracted when Grace continued on, opting to turn into more pressing matters. "Casting is way more challenging. You must be well aware of that, Ricky," Grace stated seriously. "Even if you have a spiritual meridian, there's still a bigger percentage for failing. Imagine what situation you would be in without one.

I suggest that you not waste your efforts on it, since it would only be in vain."

"Thank you, Master, for your kind suggestion. I know that you only want to look after me. But I know myself the most. I swear that I'll succeed! Trust me, please."

Ricky burned with the fierce resolve of his will, and met Grace's gaze head-on to reflect his genuineness, "You're both right. I don't have a spiritual meridian, but so what? I still managed to get to where I am now! I won't disappoint you, I promise."

A tense moment passed, until the strained atmosphere was broken by an exasperated sigh from Grace, "Fine then, I know I can't stop you either way." Ricky let out a long exhale, appreciation gushing out of him. Seeing him so ecstatic, Grace felt the need to shatter it a bit, "You can take those scraps. But, you must pay for it. The fee is a thousand silver coins,"

Grace guffawed, taking pleasure on Ricky's dumbstruck face while Heather only smirked smugly.