864: Wrong Shape

Wrong Shape

Leonel took another large breath. The spiraling of blue Star Force this time was even more violent and rampant. Every ounce of Force within ten meters surged toward him, filling his lungs to the point they seemed like they might burst.  1

'Not quite… Almost there…'

Leonel's mind spun, undergoing several calculations at a time as he continuously adjusted the Force Art. 

However, as Leonel progressed, he quickly realized he was approaching a bottleneck. His progress was slowing and he subconsciously felt that he would reach a barrier he couldn't push past with more calculations very soon. 

This wasn't' the first time Leonel had run into such a problem. While he was Force Crafting, there were many times the blueprints he thought of couldn't quite meet he mark the wanted them to. When things reached that point, the best choice was to always scrap the design and start anew because this barrier definitely meant that there was a fundamental flaw to his approach. 

'A fundamental flaw, hm…?'

Leonel's gaze suddenly sharpened as he took a heavy step backward. 

A blade of blue swung down heavily before him, missing the tip of his nose by just a hair. A fine line of blood trickled down and dripped from Leonel's nostrils, his pupils constricting to an extreme. 

This wasn't a kilometer. This was 500 meters. The parameters had changed again. Had he been just a moment late in his reaction, he would have been sliced in two. No… If it wasn't for his Dream Counter, he would be dead right this very moment. 

Leonel reacted quickly, his spear jetting forth so fast that it cast a inescapable net. 

Ding. Ding. Ding. 

The spirit countered with a deft skill, its speed far beyond Leonel's. If it wasn't for Leonel's own skill surpassing it, allowing him to use a single attack or defense to block multiple assaults, he would have been riddled with holes by now. 

Leonel's gaze sharpened, his short hair wafting about in a slight breeze as the spear etched onto his forehead grew ever brighter. 

Leonel stepped to the side, the blue illusory spear ripping a gash along his black compression shirt but missing just enough to leave not a single mark on his skin. 

Leonel spun his spear in one hand and clamped down his free forearm and elbow. After trapping the spirit's spear, he pierced its throat through, kicking it off his blade just a moment later. 

Exhaling a long breath, Leonel's brow furrowed. Was it going to be every 500 meters now? Did that also cut down the time he would have to think in between? 

Leonel decided not to make a rash guess. Since things were like this, he might as well wait here until the spirit appeared again, even if it meant he would have to take on additional weight once more. 

The time ticked by and in less than 50 seconds, the spirit reformed. 

Leonel sighed. 'Fantastic.'

Leonel shook his head as he began to battle the spirit again. At least the distance was also cut in half. If he had to cover the same distance in half the time, it would be even harder for him to restore his stamina. 

'I'm missing something… Still missing something…'

Leonel felled the spirit again, accepting the same penalty twice. 

He knew that he had to change something drastic. However, he didn't know how. 

When he failed with a Crafting design, there were any number of paths for him to take. He could try a completely new design, he could swap out the materials he used, he could even try a different tempering technique. 

But… What would he do in this case?

The equivalent changes would probably be to try and use a new Force Art language, maybe it would be more receptive to what he was trying to do. But… Leonel only knew two languages—three if he counted what he learned from that time he almost lost control of his body in the Joan Zone… A mystery he had still yet to properly solve. 

The first language he learned was in the Joan Zone incident. That was from the mysterious entity with the ability to turn abilities into Force Arts and bestow them upon people. 

The second language he learned was from his father and the Morales family teachings. 

The third language he learned was from Camelot's magic system and it was also the one he was currently using. 

At this point, the problem was obvious. The first language was restricted to the Third Dimension for Leonel. The second language was constructed for use in creating Crafts and though it could be adapted, Leonel was still certain that the third language was best suited to this.

Why? This was because Camelot's magic system and language was perfect for integrating the body and magic. If Leonel wanted to take Force and use it to energize his body, it was by far the best choice. And, if it wasn't working… That meant that Leonel had run into a dead end. 

Leonel's brows furrowed. He absentmindedly stared at the looming blue star in the distance that didn't seem to be getting any closer. Someone else at his strength level might have already felt like they were finished.

'Wait…'

Leonel's steps came to a grinding halt. 

The combination of body and magic? Was that correct? Or was it more accurately described as the body and mind? Didn't magic manifest itself from Soul Force? Wasn't that how Force Arts were drawn…? 

Leonel's pupils constricted. 'The battery… Is in the wrong shape… Is that the real purpose of this trial…? If that's the case, then where… Where should I put it…?'

All the while, Leonel's gaze couldn't be torn away from the blue star in the distance, his cold eyes giving way to a burst of passion that hadn't been there in a long while. 

Leonel ignored everything and suddenly took another massive breath. But, this time, he didn't seem into on stopping even as a tornado of blue Star Force began to form above his head, growing by tens of meters at a time. 

At that moment, a door had creaked open. 

As for what it lead to…?

It was the Fourth Dimension. 

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