The Stonehearted Knight-Chapter 442: Upgrading the soul

Hex opened the Sourcrout’s package. A mixture of sweet and sour aroma wafted out of it, pleasing his olfactory senses. There were seven pieces of the fruit, all attached to a single branch.

"A branch with seven of these fruits is the only one viable for harvest," the owner explained. "Any other number imbalances the spread of energy and as such can harm the soul. Never, and I mean, never harvest one with even numbers. They can injure or even tear the soul apart, depending on the potency of the fruits and the strength of the user’s soul."

Hex blinked wordlessly at Him and then back to the fruits. How deceptive. Not only had the aroma caused him to salivate a little, their appearance was mesmerizing as well. The fruits were like little purple stars, soft to the touch, their shapes were like perfect spheres, and their energy content evoked hunger in him.

’This one has seven, so not much to be afraid of. And as far as energy goes, I have my Heart. No type of energy can harm me as long as it can be refined by it.’

Hex glanced at the grinning son of a deity and bit all seven little orbs off of the branch in a single bite. How he wished to laugh at the owner’s frozen face but he couldn’t.

The fruits had dissolved inside his mouth upon entry. A strong mixture of sourness and sweetness exploded, assaulting his taste buds to such a degree, it even sent tingling sensations to his brain. His thoughts mushed into one, becoming a blur.

"Focus. Don’t lose yourself in ecstasy."

The voice seemed far, drifting even further with each word. But it worked. Hex, who had remained cautious, reacted to the words. His subconscious mind began increasing his heart rate, forcing the blood to pump faster through it, so every bit of the fruit’s soul energy could be harvested.

Little by little Hex started to become more aware of his dangerously fast beating heart. The mushy thoughts started to distill into clear fragments, helping him to be aware of another voice. A roar actually.

’Is...is the Dragon Bear Soul. Good job, partner.’

Like always, the bear’s defiance toward being dominated helped him pull through. The roars in his mind became louder and louder. And with each roar, his thoughts became clearer.

Once he regained some control over his thoughts, Hex began to redirect the refined energy toward the Dragon Bear Soul. It was easier this time compared to the past because of his bond.

’The Druid techniques sure are advantageous,’ Hex mused inwardly. From the corner of his eyes he noticed the owner taking a deep breath and taking His seat.

’You think I am done?’ Hex sneered. Without any delay he picked the Blood Devil Bear’s crystal and swallowed it.

"What are you doing?!" The owner jumped out of His chair, nearly knocking the white rabbit from His shoulder.

’That’s right.’ Hex grinned. He tried to. But the pain overwhelmed him. This time he was better prepared. As soon as his innards started to burn, a layer of Ice element flowed through his vessels, providing a protective layer.

’Damn. It hurts.’ The crystal burnt inside his stomach, raising his body temperature to dangerous levels. Even the air around him turned to steam.

"Is this guy an idiot?" Hex heard the owner curse. He couldn’t see. The pain had caused him to writhe and squirm.

With gritted teeth, Hex persevered. Huge amounts of energy released each second in his stomach. The chewed fruits had entered his stomach too.

Both energies mixed and caused an unstable reaction. It strained his stomach. He could feel his body starting to tear.

’This is too much. My body won’t be able to take this much energy.’

"You idiot. All my investment in you will be lost." The owner’s complaints fell on his ears.

Hex flooded his body with Ice elements to numb the pain. It worked. The pain didn’t subside but he could finally open his eyes.

Right in time too. The owner had used His ability, controlling the Space around to remove all heat. Not only that, Hex found himself sitting in a large tub filled with herbal water.

"This is the Verdant Bamboo ashes," He said, holding some green dried out dust in His hand. He put it into a censer with a meshed lid.

While he watched the owner work, Hex was doing everything to let every wisp of energy go to his inner space. Under his control the energy poured into the Dragon Bear Soul.

The changes were becoming apparent. A magnificent set of horns appeared on its head, growing with each passing moment. Its fur changed too. From white and blue to pristine white. And its size. It was a few meters tall. Now it seemed like it would end up being a hundred meters tall, if not more.

The Frost Dragon wasn’t far and circled around the Dragon Bear Soul, purring now and then. For a moment Hex feared she might incite the Dragon Bear Soul, putting it in jeopardy. But after a little observation, it didn’t seem to be the case. In fact, she appeared to be supporting it in her own way.

The Ice element he had in abundance was decreasing at a visible rate. Before he could wonder whether it would suffice, a calming smell appeared.

Hex exited the inner space and noticed a green smoke come out of the censer and flow toward him. It wasn’t eerie green. There was a calming look to it, pleasing the eyes and making everything seem magical.

The smoke numbed the pain better than the Ice element. It also helped his tears heal. They teared again but the healing happened without delay.

Hex’s abnormally regenerative powers had failed him this time but the smoke helped. His Dragon Bear Soul grew at a steady pace.

After a few hours, the rate of energy absorption exceeded the energy creation. He thought it was over. But then he sensed it. The Dragon Bear Soul was taking over the bond. His body was about to change. And he didn’t have any control over it.