The world was a swirl of shapeless colors.
As soon as I ripped the talisman, I felt my brain literally (well, maybe not literally, but more the modern type of literally) catch on fire. It was as though someone drilled a hundred holes into my skull, peppered them with gunpowder, and then put me behind one of those custom-made exhausts of a car.
A swell of knowledge exploded like someone cracked a dam and let loose an ocean full of rapid water. At the same time, the world lost is shape; the grassland faded into an endless void of white from which seemingly all colors on the spectrum then surged in the distance.
Concepts that I did not understand started storming through my mind, and the pain expanded. It started as a dull headache, the kinds you get after a stressful day when the boss pissed you off but you had to swallow it; before long, it was the splitting sort, the kind you get when you sleep for too little or for too long, rather than that specific two hour period that you are allowed to hit.
Within what felt like a few seconds at most, it tore away from that into the blinding ache--like a hangover in your late thirties, where keeping your eyes open was practically impossible, yet keeping them closed was somehow even worse.
That period of bliss, though, did not last long--thus came the storm.
It was how Yas' used to call it--the 'storm'. She described as having every hair on her head become a needle poking into the depths of her mind. There wasn't a singular source--like the front or the back or the top of the head, no. Everywhere was a source.
From within, from without.
I couldn't form a single thought, couldn't even voice a sound. The reality was collapsing, and the pain was so grave that I was certain were it a natural occurrence, I would have passed out immediately.
... which only made my heart ache more, realizing what she had suffered for over half a year towards the end.
The pain persisted, streaks of fire burning through my very soul, yet I couldn't pass out or use Qi to dull it. I just... had to endure it.
[The host is undergoing a Baptism of Dao][...][Analyzing...]
The window popped up right in front of my eyes but I could just barely make out the letters as my eyesight was now growing red with blood pooling.
[Enduring Eternity is qualified][Host will be presented with choices for each step of Comprehension; once a choice is made, the next set will be presented. Choices are permanent, they cannot be undone, and will affect all your Disciples practicing Enduring Eternity in equal measure][...][Minor --> Intermediate Comprehension][CHOOSE][Can completely distill all forms of sub-Divine Qi and convert them into ordinary Qi with no suffered backlash][OR][Upon first learning Enduring Eternity, all Disciples must choose a Qi type--they can only cultivate using that Qi type from there on, but the speed of cultivating is doubled]
The words floated in front of me as I wrestled with the headache that demanded death as a respite. It's not as though I could think much, if at all, but that was perhaps for the better; for the first time, I feel, in these 'CHOOSE' segments, there isn't an obvious versus bait option scenario.
Both of them are legitimate, as they simply denote completely different paths.
Unable to endure the pain as my teeth had started sinking into my gums as means of desperately trying to distract myself, I chose the first option. The entire point behind Enduring Eternity was that it was supposed to be an extremely versatile cultivation method that can cover for any kind of a gremlin that I've taken in or that I'm yet to take for the future.
[Intermediate --> Perfected Comprehension]
As those words propped up, the pain became even more unbearable. It splintered from the head and gradually began working its way down, reaching my lungs. I both felt like I was drowning and suffocating at the same time, all whilst the sensation of a thousand swords stabbing directly through me slowly just became the 'background noise'.
[CHOOSE][Every breakthrough using Enduring Eternity guarantees an upgrade of talent][OR][Every breakthrough using Enduring Eternity guarantees a major Trait of at least Epic quality]
Once again, a difficult choice.
But I can't think.
I can't do anything except just speedrun this shit and hope to God it's either over immediately or I just straight up die.
The second choice. Talent... talent can be upgraded, I'm fairly certain, a lot easier than acquiring new Traits is. I think. Or hope. Or something.
Goddammit.
[Perfected --> Harmonized Comprehension]
Speed the fuck up, you goddamn system!
[CHOOSE][Cultivation Speed is doubled][OR][Comprehension Speed is doubled]
--second, just choose the second. Next, please. Please, goddammit.
The pain had shot past my lungs and my abdomen and past the places that it should have never gone to, and was now rotting my knees inside out.
[Harmonized --> One With the Art Comprehension]
[CHOOSE][Practitioners of Enduring Eternity can sacrifice an X amount of cultivated years of Qi in order to immediately comprehend the next level of any art or method regardless of their tier. The amount of sacrificed Qi depends on the art's or method's tier and Comprehension Difficulty. Practitioners cannot sacrifice an amount of Qi that would push them into a major lower realm][OR][During a breakthrough into the Nirvana Realm and Nascent Soul Realm, a resonance with Dao is guaranteed. Both breakthroughs will be of the uppermost quality, will happen naturally and without obstacles, and will immediately create a perfect Avatar of at least True God Realm. Lastly, breakthrough into the Nascent Soul Realm guarantees that the practitioner will gain a random, but aptitude-appropriate, Dao-tier Trait. Note that the latter will only apply to the first 10 Disciples who break through using Enduring Eternity]
Despite the pain that had reached my toes and was ripping me apart from within and without, I had to pause and force myself to think. Again, two choices that went in a completely different direction.
Logically, the first one was correct... I know. It's not realm-dependent, it can be used by everyone all the time, and it can guarantee that I'd have an army of kids with arts comprehended to their maximum. But I felt like it was a trap. There's no provided cost, and though there was a safeguard of 'can't go a major realm lower', I didn't feel it was enough.
It's one thing to tempt fate, but when you have something within your possession that's essentially a goddamn lotto machine... it's just not safe.
So, I sided with the second one, hoping against hope that I won't regret it.
Whatever.
Just, please, get me to the end of this. I'm begging you. Please.
[One With the Art --> Dao][CHOOSE][Enduring Eternity is passively cultivated from here on out; ability to actively cultivate it is disabled completely and it can no longer benefit from cultivation speed boosting arrays, formations, talismans, and any other trinket. Each Disciple passively cultivates it per their utmost ability, but cultivation is disabled during active combat. If chosen, Disciples who use Enduring Eternity can eventually discard it, but doing so will remove all passively acquired Qi, reverting their realm][OR][Enduring Eternity can no longer be actively cultivated; instead, defeating opponents of the same or higher realm 'siphons' a portion of their Realm Qi. All breakthroughs become passive, though their quality cannot exceed what a cultivation would have achieved by themselves. If chosen, Disciples who learn and use Enduring Eternity can never learn another cultivation method. Secondary methods building on top of Enduring Eternity are allowed, but they cannot overwrite the basic function of cultivation][OR][None. Previous upgrades remain, but the method's comprehension is capped at One With the Art, forever disabling the potential ascension into '???']
Heyo everyone, hope you enjoyed the chapter!
Been a while since I added some of the after-chapter musings. For starters, I know that the recent chapters have slowed things down a bit, but we're about to pick up speed once again. The island isn't far off. Secondly, anyone watching the World Cup? Been kinda fire thus far, to be honest, especially yesterday's games. My home country made it out of the groups for the first time in our history (even if it is because it's now 32 teams instead of 16), so that's also been great. Anyway, hope you enjoyed the chapter, again, and see ya' tomorrow ^^