[Do you wish to continue the tribulation to the second stage, or end the advancement here?]

A choice? I can stop now if I want.

Leon considered for only a single second before deciding firmly:

Continue. I'll never get this opportunity again.

The fourth lightning bolt descended onto him immediately after his mental confirmation.

CRACK! STRIKE! SEAR!

"Urgh!"

This strike was noticeably more brutal than the previous ones.

His skin visibly sizzled—the first actual physical injury significant enough that his natural passive regeneration wasn't sufficient.

Damage is exceeding my healing rate now.

He had to actively channel Life elemental energy to heal the burns as they formed.

HEAL! RESTORE! MEND!

The tribulation continued relentlessly.

The seventh thunderbolt descended with devastating force.

BOOM! STRIKE! RAVAGE!

This time, instead of just grunting despite his exceptional pain tolerance, Leon actually screamed audibly.

"AHHHHH!"

Blood poured from the corners of his mouth. His entire body was covered in severe burns, the damage reaching critical levels.

This is... this is really dangerous now.

But Leon healed himself back up almost instantaneously—his Life elemental affinity was actively working the entire time, constantly repairing damage.

GLOW! HEAL! RESTORE!

Another system message appeared:

[Do you wish to continue to the final stage of tribulation?]

Leon's response was immediate and unwavering:

"Continue."

But then an unprecedented follow-up message appeared:

[Are you absolutely certain? The final stage has resulted in death for 90% of attempted advancements.]

What the hell? Is the system actually trying to scare me into stopping?

He can't be mediocre; he needs to go above and beyond to live the way he wants.

Leon's expression hardened with absolute determination.

"I said CONTINUE!"

The storm clouds above expanded dramatically—now reaching an absolutely massive scale, covering nearly one hundred kilometers of sky.

EXPAND! DARKEN! CRACKLE!

Then the eighth tribulation lightning bolt began descending—

This one was fundamentally different.

BOOM! DESCEND! ENGULF!

The lightning was thick as a building, and Leon's entire body became completely enveloped within it—consumed by crackling energy.

He was trapped inside, screaming continuously:

"AHHHHHH!"

This tribulation was too drastically different from the previous ones.

His Life elemental healing and even his Light affinity's restorative properties were both working at absolute maximum capacity simultaneously.

HEAL! RESTORE! BURN! DAMAGE!

His skin was sizzling, becoming charred black. Blood leaked constantly from the corners of his mouth and from wounds across his entire body.

The damage-and-heal cycle created a nightmarish loop—getting wounded, healing, then immediately destroyed again.

"AHHHHH!"

His clothes had been completely incinerated long ago—by the third strike, he'd been rendered naked.

Endure! I have to endure this!

Leon's breathing became severely ragged as the lightning finally released him.

"Fucking... shit... that one was... too painful..."

However, he distinctly felt his body was dramatically more durable and fundamentally stronger now. His mana pathways were significantly more refined and efficient. His very essence—the fundamental nature of his being—was being elevated to a higher tier of existence.

Worth it. Despite the agony, it was worth it.

The clouds continued crackling ominously above.

CRACK! RUMBLE! CHARGE!

Leon knew immediately another strike was incoming.

Not done yet. One more.

His body became covered in a brilliant hue mixing green Life energy, bright Light element, and the three absorbed colors from the monster core's residual power.

GLOW! SHIMMER! RADIATE!

He was burning through his mana reserves without any limitation—spending hundreds of points per second just to stay alive and heal.

One thing I'm genuinely grateful for—I can feel I have more than enough total mana capacity now. Those level-ups increased my maximum pool substantially.

The final tribulation lightning began forming—

GATHER! CONDENSE! CHARGE!

Leon's small figure in comparison to the absolutely massive thunder column, which would soon engulf the entire area, was utterly puny.

I'm nothing compared to this force. Just a speck.

DESCEND! STRIKE! CONSUME!

"AHHHHHHHH!"

The pain was beyond anything he'd ever experienced—beyond torture, beyond the Phoenix Tears reconstruction, beyond everything.

So... painful... can't... think...

Leon gritted his teeth so hard they cracked, enduring through sheer willpower alone.

I have to do this! I have to survive and become strong! To fight against my damned Primordial Mark of Fate! To survive and live Life on my own terms! For that, I must not just survive but become stronger than anyone else!

"AHHHHHH!"

His body, covered in catastrophic injuries across every surface, had become grotesque—barely recognizable as human.

DAMAGE! HEAL! BURN! RESTORE!

The healing was desperately trying to keep pace, but it simply wasn't enough against this overwhelming, destructive force.

He was burning through hundreds of mana points every single second.

Don't stop! Keep healing! Don't give up!

The two observers hovering distantly up in the sky were holding their breath in genuine tension.

Even Korvek—who hadn't particularly liked Leon initially—seemed to have tightened fists and appeared to be genuinely rooting for the outsider's survival now.

Come on. You can make it, you shameless bastard.

Finally, mercifully, it ended.

FADE! DISSIPATE! SILENCE!

Leon's eyes were bloodshot. His body was comprehensively covered in blood. His bones were even partially visible through gaps in burned flesh.

Did I... survive?

But his powerful healing regenerated everything in minimal time.

GLOW! RESTORE! HEAL!

He slumped onto the rocky ground, completely exhausted.

COLLAPSE! BREATHE!

His chest was heaving with labored breaths.

I survived. I actually survived without even needing to use the Phoenix Feather.

Relief flooded through him.

He carefully stored the two Phoenix Feather Amulets and the Hourglass of Reversal back into his inventory for future emergencies.

Saved them. Good.

A triumphant system message appeared:

[CONGRATULATIONS! You have become an ASCENDANT!]

The strength he was feeling now coursing through his body—he couldn't adequately describe it with words.

This is... incredible. I'm fundamentally different now.

However, even after achieving Ascendant rank, the hydra's core wasn't finished—residual energy was still steadily entering his body.

But now Leon discovered he could actually control the flow rate properly. His mastery over mana manipulation itself had increased dramatically. Everything felt more natural and intuitive.

Complete control. Finally.

[LEVEL UP! You are now Level 31! [LEVEL UP! You are now Level 32!] [LEVEL UP! You are now Level 33! [LEVEL UP! You are now Level 34! [LEVEL UP! You are now Level 35! [LEVEL UP! You are now Level 36!]

In total, he leveled up six additional times before the massive core finally crumbled completely into worthless ash.

CRUMBLE! DUST! SCATTER!

Leon finally released a long, satisfied sigh.

"Phew. That was... a lot."

But then a wide, genuine smile spread across his face—the kind of pure joy that came from achieving something truly significant.

"But I absolutely loved every second of it!"

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