Chapter 17: Courting Death

Joshua worked with the esper energy inside him until after 4 AM before finally falling asleep, drenched in sweat. It was clear that his body could barely hold the energy, and the Arcane Core in his brain hardly fluctuated. Forcing the thin energy to surge was futile. Only through life-and-death battles could he grow stronger, step by step, reaching the level of a divine esper. This would take time and patience. Loud knocks echoed through the room, waking Joshua from his restless sleep. He had...