Sorcerer Potential

When Clea was unconscious due to being hit by a projectile from a certain creature, it became William's responsibility to keep them alive. If anything could save him in this horrifying world, it was to harness the energy of his universe that remained within him. He couldn't think of anything else, so he poured every last bit of his energy to protect Clea and himself.

He created a wall of fire hot enough to melt steel and hardened the ground to a diamond-like consistency. To protect Clea, he cast a healing spell to enhance her immune system's ability to heal the wound. But these actions were taking an immense toll on his body. The pain was so intense it felt like his bones were breaking every second. It wasn't just physical pain but also mental agony—pain that, if tolerated for too long, could cause nerves to break, leading to mental collapse or even paralysis in the worst-case scenario. This is the danger every sorcerer fears the most: the fear of reaching the limits of Flesh and Bones.

Many sorcerers go insane if they attempt to cast multiple spells simultaneously. Their bodies can't handle such strain, and their brain's nerve cells die, resulting in a complete loss of bodily control. At Kamar-Taj, students are prohibited from such acts without an instructor present. But in this moment, William's survival instinct kept him sane. His strong foundation in sorcery and years of meditation allowed him to cast these spells. Still, he was nearing his limit. For the first time, William felt the true fear of crossing the line.

First, his nose started bleeding, followed by his ears and eyes. He sensed that he was about to black out. His brain felt like it was shutting down, and his heart threatened to stop beating. His arms and legs began shaking, losing their strength. Despite everything, William clung to his will to survive. His determination to live was unbreakable, but his energy was rapidly depleting, leaving him with nothing.

The fire separating them from the flesh-devouring creatures began losing its temperature, and the ground beneath them started softening. William could sense the creatures digging through the ground, but he had nothing left. His body was at its limit, and his mind was going numb. The only thing keeping him alive was his human will to survive.

William thought to himself, "I am not dying to these stupid insects, and especially not on this nameless planet. If death wants to take me, it will have to wait. I was once stripped away from the people I loved and cared about. I won't be separated from them again."

When William had exhausted all his energy, something extraordinary happened. Suddenly, he felt both cold and heat at the same time. The energy he had lost made him feel cold, a sensation he recognized, but the heat was new. He felt a vast, crude, and uncontrollable energy entering his body, like facing a flood head-on. There was no time to think, so he started using this newfound energy. However, it was so raw that the strain on his body only increased.

It felt as though his flesh was being torn apart. The energy overwhelmed him, pushing his physical and mental state to the brink. The pain was unbearable, and he screamed in agony. His mind spiraled out of control, and eventually, his body shut down. Every sense was deactivated. This was the brain's way of protecting the body when death was imminent—numbing the prey in the face of death, just as a predator closes in for the kill.

------------------------------------------------------ After Becoming Concious -----------------------------------------------

When William opened his eyes, the first sound he heard was the crackling of fire, and he felt its warmth. These sensations relaxed him, and he soon drifted back to sleep. After more than eight hours of rest, he woke again.

Clea said, "You had the audacity to sleep again, and for ten hours straight! Even the sleep goats here do not sleep as much as you do."

William smirked. "Then ask your sleep goat to protect you. We are alive because of me, and now you cannot even thank me for it. You are from a civilization far greater than ours, and you are the daughter of the great Dormammu, the lord of this universe. And yet, what does it take to knock you down? A rock. A big one from some unknown creature. Here is some advice. Next time you want to brag about yourself, take a look around first. I will not always be here to watch your back."

Visibly frustrated, Clea shot back. "You are not the only one who kept us alive. While you went into your so-called sleep, who do you think protected you? You should have seen yourself in that state. You were bleeding like hell, as if every muscle in your body had been torn apart. Your eyes were blood-red, and your brain shut down from overusing spells."

She continued, "To keep the blood flowing through your body, I had to manually make your heart beat with sorcery. Otherwise, you would be dead. The nerve cells that were damaged, I had to pour my own life force into you to keep your brain from dying. And as for sustenance, I used my special syrups. Just one drop is enough to meet a whole day's calorie requirements, but you needed five doses. You consumed years' worth of calories in just five days. And during those five days, I did not eat anything, focusing only on maintaining the barrier to protect us from that harsh environment. So, tell me, who should be thankful, you or me?"

Hearing all this, a cold sense of fear rose within William. His face turned pale as he realized just how close to death he had been. Clea snapped her fingers. "Hey! Do not go pale on me. You look better with some color in your face. Do not worry. You will not die. Well, not yet."

As Clea spoke, William tried to use his hand for support, but his left hand would not move. It felt unresponsive, even though he could feel the blood flowing through it. With dread in his eyes, he interrupted Clea. "My left hand. Why is it not working?"

Clea's concern was evident as she explained, "It is a side effect of the damage I could not heal. When I was working on your brain's nerve cells, I could not fully repair the part that controls your left hand. Do not worry, though. I made sure the blood keeps flowing so the cells and nerves will not die. Once we get to the city, we will head straight to the central capital to heal it."

She added, "But before that, there is something else we need to address. Do you feel any other differences in your body?"

William, his face etched with sadness and a tear nearly slipping from his left eye, said, "Yeah. My left arm is not working."

Clea knocked him lightly on the head and tugged his ear. "Where is your smart side? I want to talk to the clever, cocky William, not this sulking version. If not, go back to sleep, and we will talk later."

Taking her words literally, William fell asleep again for another eight hours. When he woke up this time, it was not the fire's warmth he felt but Clea's fiery glare.

"Hey! You had another good sleep, did you not? If you sleep even one second more, say goodbye to the nice side of me that you have been enjoying for too long."

William grinned. "I know, I know what you are talking about. Just give me five more minutes, and we can talk later." As soon as he closed his eyes, he heard the barrier drop and Clea's footsteps walking away.

He instantly sat up. "Wait, I am awake! You can ask me whatever you want."

Struggling to use his right hand to retrieve a small box from his left pocket, he looked awkward. Clea laughed at the sight.

William said, "Why do you not smile more often? You do not look that bad, you know. Let me answer your question while we eat something. You must be hungry."

The box he held grew to the size of a lunchbox. "Please join me. It is not much, but it will do for now."

Clea did not hesitate. She immediately devoured the meal, leaving not a single grain behind. William did not interrupt her as she ate. After finishing, he handed her a small water bottle from the box.

After drinking, Clea asked, "Do you sense any difference in yourself now, in terms of sorcery? And do not mention your left hand. We will deal with that later."

William replied seriously, "I feel a new source of energy. When I use it, the surroundings grow colder, and I feel a surge of power. But the energy is crude and unrefined. Using it exhausts me more."

Clea explained, "That new power is what you would call dark energy. We do not use that term, but what you are feeling is energy extracted from your surroundings. Your universe, being in its early stages of creation, is brimming with refined energy. You never needed to draw from your environment before because you relied on the already available, purer energy of your universe."

Curious, William asked, "So how exactly do you extract energy from the surroundings?"

Clea replied, "Every atom and molecule around us has internal energy, and mass itself is a very dense form of energy. When we use dark sorcery, we start by consuming the internal energy of the surroundings. It is easier than converting mass into energy. That is why you felt the temperature drop. But using too much internal energy can be dangerous. If the temperature drops to absolute zero, everything, including the sorcerer, freezes and dies."

She continued, "As for mass, converting it into energy is far more complex. Breaking even a single atom requires an enormous amount of energy. It is a mastery few sorcerers achieve. When done correctly, the mass transforms into a massive burst of energy. The surrounding temperature first decreases by consuming all the internal energy and it is directed to the single atom, which when breaks release enormous amount of energy as a result it causes temperature to skyrockets instantly, boiling everything around you. This sudden cooling and heating happen in a fraction of a second. The resulting explosion can kill everything within a kilometer radius and send shockwaves five kilometers away. That is why it is such a dangerous technique."

William looked at her in amazement. "You are crazy about sorcery, are you not? Damn, creating energy from matter itself? I do not even have words for that. You have people who are literally walking nukes."

Clea then asked, "How are you tapping into dark energy? I am sure no one taught you dark sorcery."

William replied, "It is instinctive. I do not know exactly how. But the brain and soul can do incredible things when it comes to survival."

Clea said, "Hmm, okay. Let us go with that explanation. But we will need to walk the entire day to get home."

Just as she finished speaking, a stranger appeared, walking toward Clea. Sensing danger, William instinctively harnessed his newfound energy, causing the air to grow colder. Clea raised a hand to stop him.

"Do not worry," she said. "He is not a threat. He is an ally."

The stranger knelt before Clea. "Miss, I am Bragg of the Zeno family, a royal guard assigned to escort you safely to the capital. Please allow me to lead the way."

William, ignoring decorum, said, "Escort you safely? What a joke! Where were you before—"

Before he could finish, Bragg aimed a gun-shaped weapon at William's head and pulled the trigger. The movement was so quick that William could not react. However, Clea had anticipated such scenarios and deactivated the weapon in advance, thanks to her authority over her guards.

Bragg asked, "Miss, why have you deactivated my weapon? Who is he, and why are you tolerating his presence? We have no information about him. He is a potential threat. Please allow me to execute him."

Clea replied, "Thank you for your concern, but his life is not yours to take. He is not an enemy, so there is no need to worry. But he has a loose tongue, so feel free to punch him if he talks too much."

Hearing this, a devilish smile appeared on Bragg's face, and cold sweat ran down William's back.

They were then escorted to a vehicle unknown to William, heading to the capital city.

During the ride, Clea asked, "What was that food you gave me earlier? I have never had anything like it. It was spicy, and now I want more."

William smiled and replied, "Welcome to the world of Asian food, spicy yet delicious. Once you finish your duties, come with me. I will introduce you to meals so flavorful that you will not stop eating until your stomach is full and the only thing you can take in is air."

Bragg informed them, "Miss, it will take around four hours to reach the capital, so you can take a short nap."

Hearing this, both Clea and William fell asleep, preparing themselves for their arrival at the capital, where their fight for survival would finally come to an end.