Earth's Greatest Magus

Chapter 2523  Balance

"I must hold on!"

Emery clenched his fists, channeling every ounce of his focus and willpower. He could feel the weight of the entire arena pressing upon him, the judging eyes of thousands, the turbulent forces of alchemy at war with his own essence. Gritting his teeth, he reinforced the concoction before him, pouring his spirit energy into it in a desperate attempt to stabilize the volatile mixture. Beads of sweat formed on his brow, trickling down as exhaustion gnawed at the edges of his consciousness. His energy was waning, the burden of maintaining control over the pill threatening to break him.

The artificial being, VIA, projected its cold, analytical feedback into his mind.

[78% integration]

[Warning, process interrupted]

The instability worsened. The flames roared hungrily, threatening to consume everything. Across from him, Baldoni, who had been assisting him, was visibly drained. His hands trembled as he struggled to maintain control over his half of the concoction.

Having already consumed a few stamina-replenishing pills, Baldoni reached deep into his reserves, summoning the power of the cosmos in one final desperate bid to stabilize his side of the process. However, the intense heat radiating from the cauldron only drained him further, pushing him closer to collapse.