Survival to Godhood 46 Stubbornness

Lucy had to rip him from the lantern multiple time when Leo would start to convulse. His body would go limp and then start twitching.

The being, Mind Fire, enjoyed torturing his new toy daily.

The problem wasn't the lantern spirit. It was Leo re-attempting the same thing daily. A few days ago, Leo stopped cultivating at night and just chatted with the people in the 3rd domain, or he would rest.

To fight off the attacks on his mind, Leo was using all his mana and willpower to combat him. The biggest problem for Leo was his ability to defend his mind was one of the lowest Mind Fire had ever seen.

Leo stubbornness was the only string keeping him connected to the real world.

After failing today, Lucy was yelling at Leo so everyone could hear. "Leo stop doing this to yourself. Please train using the book 'One of One.' If you do not switch, I will attempt the 3rd trial now and leave you." After finishing saying this, Lucy stormed out and down the hall. She stepped into her room and slammed the door.

Aarav came to grab Leo for dinner later that night.

"Is she still mad?" asked Leo.

"She hasn't left her room since she yelled at you. I think everyone could use a break from your ear-shattering screams, Leo. Why not try the technique before you go back to your torture training." Aarav was worried too. Over the last few weeks, Leo and Aarav bonded over stories of their childhood.

Leo looked down at his feet and sighed. He looked up at Aarav and said, "lets head to the library and I will grab the book to study it instead." Leo knew he had to compromise.

The next few weeks, Leo regularly trained and studied the new art. The problem is no matter how hard he tried he couldn't learn the new technique.

Late that night, Leo sat in his room frustrated. He stared at the book 'One of One' for hours. He felt utterly defeated. Ever since Lucy left him, she never returned. She stayed in her room all day and cultivated.

The only friend he had left was Aarav. Everyone else saw Leo as a loser and an idiot for attempting to train the 'Demon Heart' technique. Not even Chen Yun and Mei Ye would look his way anymore.

Leo looked over at the lantern and thought about attempting it again. He opened the lamp and decided to begin the training again. This time was different, as soon as Leo touched the flame he was in agony. Visions blurred and Leo fell unconscious.

Little did Leo know, this last attempt at the lantern almost killed him. He was pushed into a coma for over three months. The pain and strain finally took its toll.

A bright light crept into Leo's eyes as he opened them. "It looks like the room I was staying in the Library." Grasping for his head, Leo felt like he had been asleep forever. The grogginess and his tortured body were painful to sit up.

Leo looked around and saw his room was tidied up. He saw a note on top of the books he borrowed from the Libary. Leo picked up the letter and read it.

"Hello, Leo. I don't know if you will ever wake up, but I hope you do someday. You destroyed Lucy this time. No matter what she did, she couldn't heal you. She felt betrayed and attempted the 3rd trial. She of course easily passed it. I trained for a few weeks, and today, I have decided to attempt it myself. If you are reading this letter, then it means I passed. I hope to see you in the future. Take better care of yourself, Leo." At the bottom, it was signed by Aarav Kumar.

Leo cried a single tear. The only two people he had left went ahead without him. Leo walked back to the Library to look around. In there he saw the others, but no one paid him any attention. Leo strolled to the kitchen and grabbed him some food then headed back to his room.

The next month flew by quickly. Leo tried to attempt the other two techniques. One was way beyond his ability and the other he couldn't make work even if he tried. He went back to training 'One of One' and still failed. His mana reserve was just too small.

After being in the 3rd domain for months, Leo decided to resort back to training 'Demon Heart' technique. The damage would black him out and make him miss months at a time. The people that were once there slowly started to, and very few new people arrived.

Leo's body started to lose its vitality and vigor it once had. These long periods of recovery and comas were destroying him. Leo barely ate anymore.

Leo barely even knew how long he was here. After the first year or so, Leo had succumbed to his misery. He no longer had any hope. His friends left him. Leo attempted the 3rd trial after a while but failed.

In his trial, he was blasted with mind attack that threw him away from the Mind Pillar trial. No matter how many times he attempted the test, he would fail.

The year is 2479 AD, and Leo turned 170 years old. Thanks to his tempered body he had lived past the normal time of a human.

Leo had a long white thin beard. His face was also thinned out. His dark hair was now grey and white. His once tan skin was pale and lifeless. The husk of a body was beaten and tired.

His life force and mana were running thin at this point. He knew he could only withstand only a few more comas before he would never wake up again.

Staring at the lantern, Leo heard a voice he hadn't heard in years. "Do you give up Boy? If you submit now, I shall end your suffering early."

This was an insult to Leo's pride. He might be beaten, but he never gave up. He would never let anything stand in his way especially not this lantern.

Mind Fire saw this ragged old man stare at him with a strength in his eyes that he had never seen. How was this boy able to continue regardless over the past 160 years? The spirit thought to himself.

Leo uttered only three words. "Do your worse!" Then Leo plunged his hand into the lanterns fire with what would probably be his final attempt.

Chapter end