Fifteen minutes passed as one brilliant flash of red light after another shone forth from beneath the statue of the demon goddess. A crescent-shaped stretch of molten stone flooring curved halfway around Anthony, the result of continuously discharging the energy from his sword.

  In his most optimistic projections of the future, Anthony had imagined he would someday create a total of seven nexus keys. That would give him precise enough control over his power to utilize around one fifth of the combat- and cultivation-related techniques in the world. So in practice, he would remain limited to only being capable of utilizing the least demanding twenty percent of techniques.

  That had never concerned him, however, because what restricted most cultivators was not their technique but the sheer amount of power they could generate—and in that regard, Anthony was first-class. Even if he was forced to use simpler techniques, he would be able to use his advantage to at least become as strong as the average cultivator.

  Moments ago, Anthony had successfully completed his twelfth nexus key, a total of five more than he had ever imagined possible. It might not seem like a drastic difference, but the addition of each key was not a linear improvement. Rather, the degree of control he could achieve over his power increased exponentially with every key he created.

  His haul was so great that he had to begin inventing new symbols on the spot, having only preselected the first seven images for future key creation. One minute later, when the telltale red glow of his sword marked the successful formation of key number thirteenth, the blue glow finally faded from his eyes. The natural treasure empowering his mind had finally been completely consumed.

  A sensation like thick tree sap pouring directly into his skull washed over him as the intense mental abilities he had access to over the last twenty minutes rapidly vanished. The memory of each of the thirteen keys that had been sectioned off in his mind resurfaced all at once, signaling the end of the incredible and life changing events that had just transpired.

  Anthony sat perfectly still for a few minutes, breathing heavily as the overheated stones around him gradually cooled and solidified once more. He took a mouthful of water from his flask, grimacing slightly as a growing headache spread through his mind.

  Even so, he couldn’t help but smile with budding excitement as he reflected on the past twenty minutes. A single fortuitous encounter had altered the course of his destiny, transforming him from a damaged young man, struggling with a tremendously difficult cultivation technique, into someone with endless potential.

  The limiting factor of control could no longer stifle his growth. In fact, with thirteen nexus keys, Anthony now possessed the potential to learn greater precision over his power than many practitioners of the more common cultivation methods. The implications of this were staggering. In a matter of minutes, his potential had skyrocketed from slightly above ordinary, to among the utmost elite of young cultivators.

  Of course, an immense amount of effort still lay ahead in order to form that potential into actual power—but hard work had never been an obstacle for Anthony. In his own opinion, as long as he wasn’t crippled or killed, his rise to the highest realms of power was all but certain.

  Anthony collected the two fractured halves of the Stone of the Mind, hoping the remains of the item might still hold some value as he tucked them away in his bag. Then, he turned his attention to the two demonic skeletons still standing guard a few meters away.

  He allowed himself a few minutes of meditation, letting his nexus regenerate the power he had expended while creating his keys. When the burning star of energy within him reached full saturation, his eyes shot open, filled with determination as his gaze locked onto the enemies before him.

  Rising to his feet, Anthony stepped backward toward the far side of the statue. Clenching his jaw, he swiftly slipped through two of the long arachnid legs, all the while never breaking eye contact with the threat. A slight grin tugged at his lips as the skeletons split up in response to his movements, rushing around the large stone platform toward him from opposite sides.

  “I’m not sure how much power I need to use to cut through your bones… So let’s try half!”

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  A familiar red blaze filled the room as his weapon hungrily absorbed the energy. Anthony felt his newly replenished nexus slowly draining as he prepared a half-empowered strike.

  The power of nexus keys merely dictated his body’s threshold for wielding energy, rather than the total amount stored in his nexus. So even when activating a key at half his power, the actual drain on his nexus was significantly less than half.

  Anthony observed the skeletons for only an instant before dashing toward the four-legged enemy. It moved much faster than its two legged companion, so it would reach him more quickly—meaning he would have a few seconds to face it alone if he chose to attack that enemy first.

  As he closed in, the monster snapped its jaws together with a bone-rattling clack and lowered its sharp horns, charging toward him with relentless fury. Anthony’s heart pounded in his chest as he rushed forward to meet it, time seeming to slow in the final instant before their clash.

  He kept the glowing red blade in front of him, using it as a bright, irresistible target to draw the creature’s focus. The moment he was close enough, he twisted sharply to the side, gripping his sword with both hands like a baseball bat. With all his strength, he swung forward, aiming straight for the monster’s skull.

  CRACK!

  A jarring vibration shot through his arms and into his body as his blade struck true. The power of the attack sliced off the creature’s nearest horn and sank halfway into its skull, carving clean through both eye sockets.

  The weapon's energy drained instantly, leaving it unable to slice further into the bone and becoming stuck. The trapped sword, combined with the skeleton’s powerful momentum, tore the unsuspecting Anthony off his feet. The two tumbled forward a few meters while crashing toward the ground and sliding across the smooth stone floor in a tangled heap.

  Scrambling to his feet, Anthony turned his eyes toward his second foe, catching the last flickers of black light fading from the four-legged skeleton’s eyes below through the edge of his vision. Without hesitation, he sent another surge of power flooding into his weapon and wrenched it free from the slain monster’s skull—just in time to block the sweeping claw strike of the remaining enemy.

  The long, black claws crashed against his sword, forcing Anthony back as a second attack came flying in from the opposite side without delay. The scene from the beginning of the fight seemed to replay itself as he parried one strike after another. This time, however, the blade in his hands burned with power, its glow intensifying by the second as he steadily moved up through his nexus keys one by one.

  He knew he had used enough power when, instead of being pushed back, the skeleton’s attack passed right through his sword without resistance. The creature kept swinging its arms for a few seconds, completely oblivious to the fact that all of its fingers and most of its hands had been severed, sliced cleanly away from repeatedly striking against the powerful blade.

  A moment later, the skeleton stumbled backward, raising its two ruined hands in front of the glowing black orbs that served as its eyes, as if searching for its missing claws in confusion.

  Anthony didn’t let the opportunity pass. Lunging forward, he drove the tip of his sword into the skeleton’s neck bone. The thin bone connecting its oversized skull to the rest of its body offered little resistance, slicing clean through as its head toppled toward the floor, bouncing against the dusty stone below with a loud crack.

  The body staggered backward while collapsing into a heap with a loud rattling sound.

  Anthony exhaled, the tension draining from his shoulders as he leaned against the stone platform beside him, pressing a hand over his pounding heart as he observed the remains of his slain foes. It had taken every ounce of his courage to charge into battle against two such terrifying creatures. His increased attack power had reassured him, but he was well aware that even a single mistake could have easily ended in his death. Destroying any hope of the glorious future he imagined.

  His left eyebrow rose up in mild surprise as he gazed toward the skull of the defeated humanoid skeleton. The black orbs in its eye sockets still glowed just as strongly as ever, while the disembodied head stared up at him, its jaw opening and closing in impotent fury.

  Reaching down, he grabbed the skull by the back of its head, careful to keep his fingers away from its snapping teeth. With his free hand, he rubbed his chin as he considered the strange scene.

  “Hmm… You might be worth some money to someone back in Highwarden. Wait here for me while I go fetch Elara.”

  He set the skull down on the stone platform beside the legs of the demon goddess, planning to retrieve it on his way out.

  The moment it touched the platform, however, the black orbs in its eyes were sucked from their sockets, drawn violently toward the statue’s eerily grinning mouth.

  Anthony watched on with narrowing eyes as the floating spheres of darkness seemed to resist the pull, writhing against an invisible force in a futile struggle, before finally vanishing into the statue’s maw with a sizzling sound.

  Glancing down at the now lifeless skull, he frowned.

  “I guess that’s why you guys didn’t want to touch the statue...”