The tempering effect of the Black Waterfall had already reached its limit. Raine had been desperately searching for a stronger force of nature—yet he had stumbled upon this lightning pool so quickly!
The Black Waterfall lay on the outer fringes of the mountain range, one of the few dangerous zones recorded within the army's notes.
But this place—deep in the interior—had no records at all.
This was practically a heaven-sent land for breaking into the second star of the Obsidian Golem Body!
Even so, Raine didn't charge in recklessly. He first activated the Obsidian Golem Body. A dark-golden aura flowed over his skin, and the golden patterns forged earlier glimmered faintly.
At the same time, he tightened his grip on Blackglow, ready to defend at any moment.
Boom—!
He drove power through his legs and shot toward the lightning pool's edge like a blood-red arrow, his spear tip aimed straight at the thundercrystal beast!
The thundercrystal beast hadn't expected this human to actually dare chase it in. In panic, it spat out a condensed lightning-point beam.
BOOM—KRAK!
Raine thrust Blackglow forward in midair!
Black radiance collided with lightning.
The shockwave blasted Raine back dozens of steps, his spear shuddering violently in his hands.
His gaze sharpened. He formed a seal with both hands.
"Blood Pact · Infernal Griffin!"
A ferocious aura slammed into the air.
In that instant, the thundercrystal beast felt an overwhelming fear!
Before it could react, a griffin-shaped phantom condensed from blood qi burst from the ground and lunged at it.
The thundercrystal beast stiffened and hurriedly formed a lightning shield to defend.
Yet the Infernal Griffin seemed to outright ignore the storm of lightning. Its talons pierced through the thundercrystal beast with pinpoint accuracy, slamming it viciously into the rock wall at the lightning pool's edge!
ROAR—!
The thundercrystal beast struggled wildly, lightning arcs surging out of control.
But the griffin's claws locked it down, and the pressure of bloodline suppression filled it with terror to the core!
Raine flashed forward and drove a heavy punch into its forehead.
Crack!
A dull, crushing fracture.
The savage light in the thundercrystal beast's eyes rapidly dimmed.
[Elite thundercrystal beast slain. bloodstone +2420!]
…
Raine stepped up to the edge of the lightning pool.
Staring at the pale lightning sea raging before him, he drew a deep breath.
"This is it."
He stripped off his torn uniform. The golden patterns across his body flickered in and out under the lightning's glare.
Next, he circulated the Obsidian Golem Codex and cautiously placed one foot into the pool's outer rim.
As if sensing an intruder, several wrist-thick lightning arcs struck down in an instant!
PA-KRAK—!
Raine let out a muffled grunt.
His entire right leg split open—flesh torn and skin ripped—so violent that even the areas covered by the Obsidian Golem Body were shredded.
Fortunately, he was still in his temporarily boosted Elite state. Otherwise, that single strike would have instantly crippled him—perhaps even killed him on the spot!
"There's still time before my rank drops… I have to adapt fast."
Without hesitation, he swallowed a life-regeneration potion and endured the lightning's continuous scorching and tearing at the pool's edge.
At the same time, he began circulating the secret art, guiding the lightning power to temper his physique.
Some alien races watched from the shadows. When they caught sight of the human silhouette inside the lightning pool, their scalps went numb.
Using this kind of world-destroying force to train the body…
This human was even crazier than an Abyssal Behemoth!
They glanced at the thundercrystal beast's corpse pinned on the rock wall, then silently withdrew into the darkness.
…
At the lightning pool's edge, time passed amid the hiss of lightning arcs.
Under the biting, tearing "snake" lightning, the golden patterns on Raine's skin spread from his limbs toward his torso, covering nearly half his body!
Each line seemed forged from dark gold, flowing with luster under the lightning's illumination.
The agony had become normal. In its place came a bone-deep numb itch and burning heat—
A sign that a newly born, powerful body was replacing the old constitution.
"Not enough!"
A ruthless gleam flashed in Raine's eyes.
The outer lightning impact was strong, but if he wanted to smash through the bottleneck in one push and enter the second stage of the Obsidian Golem Body, he had to attempt an even more violent, more fundamental baptism of thunder!
He checked the system timer: his Elite state had eight minutes remaining.
One gamble.
With no hesitation, Raine let out a low roar.
He spread every last trace of blood qi over his body and charged toward the lightning pool's center against the raging sea of lightning serpents!
One step—two—three…
It was as if he had entered a domain made of pure destruction.
Here, lightning was no longer scattered arcs—it had condensed into sheets of lightning slurry.
Viscous. Violent. Filled with the will to tear everything apart.
Pshhk!
The moment he stepped in, the blood-qi aura around his body shattered instantly!
Countless streams of lightning slurry surged into his pores like living creatures, ripping his fascia apart and searing his bones!
"GRAAAH—!"
Even with his iron will, Raine couldn't stop a tortured howl from tearing out.
His skin cycled between charring black and carbonizing. The instant blood seeped out, it was vaporized.
The golden patterns flickered violently under the savage impact of energy, as if they might snap apart at any second.
But he clenched his teeth and drove the Obsidian Golem Codex to its absolute limit!
His heart thundered like a war drum, forcing every strand of lightning into those golden patterns—into every inch of his body!
Devour!
Transform!
Reforge!
Crack! Crack!
A sound of shattering and rebuilding echoed within him.
The golden patterns covering half his body spread across him at an unprecedented speed!
Chest. Back. Skull…
When the final golden line closed at the center of his brow—
BOOOOM!!
It was as if a heavenly thunderclap exploded inside Raine's mind!
All pain was instantly replaced by an indescribable fullness—an overwhelming sense of strength.
All the charred dead skin and grotesque old scars on his body flaked away in sheets, revealing the new skin beneath.
It was metallic skin with a faint dark-golden sheen, brimming with power.
Beneath that skin, a complete network of golden sigils fully formed into a unified whole, branding itself deep into flesh and bone.
They were no longer mere surface light patterns—
They had become part of his body, continuously drawing in the free-floating Nex in the air.
Obsidian Golem, Stage Two—success!
[Ding! Physique, strength, and stamina greatly increased! Basic self-healing acquired (non-lethal injuries heal faster)!]
[Obsidian Golem Body passive resistances gained: Minor Dark-attribute Resistance, Minor Lightning-attribute Resistance.]
[Obsidian Golem Body has gained control of minor lightning power!]
Shhk!
Raine snapped his eyes open. A pale arc of electricity flashed through the depths of his pupils.
He lowered his head to look at his newly reborn body, clenching his fist and feeling explosive power far beyond anything before.
The hidden injuries and fatigue left from earlier battles were now completely gone.
At that moment, the temporary Elite state ended and his raw power dropped—but the two-star Obsidian Golem Body made him feel a full tier stronger than his former peak at the Formal rank!
With a thought, fine golden patterns surfaced across the skin of his arm.
He tried to guide the lightning power. Instantly, a faint pale electric spark jumped at his fingertip, crackling softly.
"Hah…"
Raine exhaled deeply.
Looking at the lightning pool—still violent, yet no longer able to threaten him much—his lips curved upward.
Two-star Obsidian Golem Body… resistance to darkness and lightning… basic self-healing, and the beginnings of lightning control…
This trip was worth it.