Chapter 618: Chains of Unyielding I

CH618 Chains of Unyielding I

***

"Weaken me?" Mogal frowned.

Alex nodded in confirmation.

His gaze settled on the Dravo tribesman before him.

Mogal was a hulking specimen— his physique a mass of dense, powerful muscle that would put even legendary bodybuilders like Arnold and Ronnie to shame, leaving onlookers in stunned admiration.

Yet, his build was not for show.

The Dravo tribe’s pugilist tempering method was designed with pure martial function in mind.

Its intimidating aesthetics were merely a by-product.

Unlike the exaggeratedly stiff physiques of burly hulking men often portrayed in fiction in Alex’s past life, Mogal possessed what Alex would describe as a herculean body—

A form built for total physical supremacy; Power, Speed, Agility, Endurance, Explosive force...

In terms of raw physical capability, Mogal was, quite simply... a walking cheat.

Of course, most warriors —whether from Pangea, Verdantis, or any other plane— also trained their bodies.

But the Dravo tribe’s approach was fundamentally different.

Take Pangea, for instance—

Warriors there absorbed mana through breathing techniques and diet, circulating it through their bodies to strengthen themselves and advance their rank.

Physical training existed primarily to ensure the body could withstand and contain that power.

Even Verdantis’ physique-tempering sorcerers followed a similar principle.

But the Dravo tribe inverted this structure entirely.

For them, the body came first. Physique tempering was the foundation.

Only after pushing their bodies to extreme limits would mana begin to accumulate naturally— as if drawn in by the body itself.

An inversion of the norm.

’It’s closer to how beasts cultivate,’ Alex mused.

’Through constant combat, they instinctively refine their bodies toward a preferred form... then draw in mana from their food and environment to reinforce that path.’

This wasn’t mere speculation.

Mogal’s habits supported the theory.

Rather than cultivating mana through structured breathing techniques, Mogal relied heavily on consumption—

Devouring mana-rich flesh.

He would train his body to absolute exhaustion before or after meals, forcing his system to rapidly digest and absorb as much mana for the meal as possible.

The resemblance to beast cultivation methods was unmistakable.

And Alex doubted it was coincidental.

The Dravo tribe’s defining ritual only reinforced this belief—

At the peak of each rank, members were required to hunt a powerful beast and use its will to forge a Beast Totem before advancing further.

It was almost as if the Dravo tribesmen used Beast Will to deceive the world itself— convincing it they were closer to beasts than men, thereby allowing their cultivation to progress along that path.

’But planar consciousness isn’t that easily fooled,’ Alex mused.

’It might work for a time... but not indefinitely.’

’Perhaps that’s why they must form a new Beast Totem at every breakthrough— to renew that deception.’

Whatever the truth, Alex had no intention of studying the Dravo methods to replicate them.

His goal was far simpler—

To understand them well enough to enhance Mogal effectively.

If Mogal were a sorcerer, he would undoubtedly stand as a perfect exemplar of the Physique Tempering school.

That much was undeniable.

And so, Alex leaned into that strength.

Drawing upon the insights he had gained from Heavenly Venerable’s Heaven–Earth–Man tempering philosophy, he began designing a Rune Tattoo tailored specifically for Mogal.

Mogal’s cultivation path inverted the conventional structure of warrior development—

So Alex followed suit.

He inverted his own design principles.

The result—

Unlike Kavakan’s Mark of Slaughter, which enhanced and supported its bearer, the Chains of Unyielding operated through suppression.

It weakened its bearer.

Alex smiled faintly at Mogal’s visible confusion, recalling the thought process that led him here.

"You’re surprised," he said calmly.

"I told you these Rune Tattoos were meant to strengthen you... And yet, this one weakens you."

He leaned forward slightly.

"I assure you, those two ideas are not contradictory."

Mogal remained silent, listening.

"From what I’ve observed, the energy within your body isn’t merely Internal Energy, as defined by Pangean warriors."

"It’s something more— a fusion of Internal Energy... and Life Essence."

He raised a finger.

"Internal Energy is relatively straightforward."

"As long as mana is absorbed into the body —regardless of the method— it can be converted into Internal Energy."

"But Life Essence..." His tone changed slightly. "That’s far more difficult to produce consciously."

"Yet your tribe has found a way around that limitation."

Mogal nodded slowly.

Understanding dawned in his eyes.

"The tempering method we use..." he said, "...is essentially a way of forcing Life Essence out of our bodies and then replenishing it."

Alex nodded inwardly.

The Dravo tribe’s method, at its core, was deceptively simple.

Every living being possessed a finite amount of Life Essence. And the most stable way to increase it was through advancement in rank.

But the Dravo had discovered a workaround.

Through their tempering method, they forcibly extracted Life Essence from their bodies—particularly from their flesh.

Life Essence was inherently stable.

The body did not produce more than necessary.

As long as it maintained a sufficient amount, it would not generate additional Life Essence —no matter the effort— unless one advanced in cultivation, in most cases.

So, the Dravo took a different path.

They combined the extracted Life Essence with Internal Energy, creating a unique hybrid energy specific to their cultivation system.

Their tempering method did more than just extraction—

It also reintegrated this newly formed energy back into the body— Into the flesh, strengthening it further.

A stronger body, in turn, improved the body’s ability to regenerate Life Essence.

Thus, a cycle was formed—

Extraction, Fusion, Reinforcement, Regeneration...

A self-sustaining loop that continuously enhanced a Dravo tribesman’s physique.

Of course, as one’s rank increased, this process became progressively more difficult.

Greater thresholds demanded more extreme methods.

Which was why Dravo warriors above the Saint level were exceedingly rare.

In Alex’s view, the Heaven–Earth–Man tempering philosophy could elevate this system even further.

But it was far too complex to explain directly.

Although Mogal wasn’t a stereotypical braindead musclehead, Heavenly Venerable’s philosophy would still be a bit difficult for him to wrap his head around.

So instead, Alex translated the theory into a Rune Tattoo.

"The Chains of Unyielding suppress your body’s output," Alex explained.

"While active, you will only be able to access roughly thirty percent of your peak power."

Mogal’s brows furrowed slightly.

Alex continued calmly.

"In exchange, as you continue training under this restriction, the excess energy your body produces —beyond what the suppression allows— will be stored."

He tapped lightly on the projection.

"That stored energy can then be released at once, in critical moments, to temporarily amplify your strength— by up to threefold."

He paused, then added, almost thoughtfully,

"...at the very least."

Mogal’s eyes sharpened as he processed the implications.

"So, this Chains of Unyielding stores the power I can’t use during normal training... and lets me unleash it when I need it most?"

***