The days slowly ticked by, but Leonel hardly noticed them. His body was as light as a feather, following along a natural progression that didn't even seem difficult to him.

Then, one day...

BANG!

SHUUUUUUU!

A hot steam shot all around Leonel's body.

Well, at first look it was just steam. But, upon second inspection, one would be shocked to find that it was actually Force. Tangible Force!

This wasn't the kind of Force only those with Internal Sight could see. Even mortals who hadn't come into contact with Force a day in their lives would very clearly be able to see it. This sort of shocking Crystallization was the likes of which even King Arthur hadn't reached!

Leonel took a deep breath.

All the dense fog around him seemed to surge into his body, entering through his pores and boring into his soul, leaving him feeling incomparably refreshed.

'I did it... This should also be the Strong Stage...'

Leonel realized that when his body suddenly sucked in all his Force like that, his body broke through another shackle and reached the Strong Stage.

It had to be remembered that refining one's Metal Body in the Third Dimension was split into five phases. The Weak, Standard, Strong, Superior and Perfection stage. This could be considered the foundation one laid to enter the Fourth Dimension.

This was another reason Leonel wasn't worried about not having the rest of [Dimensional Cleanse] just yet. Even if he couldn't progress to the Fourth Dimension with his Force, he could still do so with his Soul Force, he could still comprehend the Four Seasons Realm, and he could also bring his Metal Body into the Fourth Dimension as well.

Regardless of which of these three paths it was, each of them would give him the strength of a Fourth Dimensional entity. So, what did it matter?

As things stood now, if Leonel wanted, he could bring his Metal Body to the Fourth Dimension this very instant. But, as a person who opened all Nine Doors, how could he waste his potential like that? He had to reach Superior Stage at worst before progressing.

Leonel flexed his forearms.

In one swift motion, he unhesitatingly swung his head back and gulped down the whole vial of dew.

BANG!

Leonel's body suddenly expanded by a size. However, it wasn't proportional in the slightest. He looked as though he had suddenly gained a hundred pounds and that his body would burst at any moment.

However, under the strength of his Metal Body, he kept himself together as his face contorted.

Blood leaked from his lips, but he willed himself to focus.

In that instant, all the Force in his body rushed to two locations, carving out a Node Pathway with impunity.

Leonel's brow trembled, but he bit down on his teeth hard.

He compressed his bloated body, squeezing his muscles and flexing with all his might.

Cracks began to spread not only across himself, but even the floors of the Lab Setting. It seemed that he might implode at any given moment.

But it was exactly then that he felt the Node Pathways complete. One to his left kidney and the other two his right.

Just when Leonel was about to feel ecstatic, he suddenly felt as though someone had stabbed through the right side of his body and twisted the knife.

In that moment, a scar Leonel had hardly thought about his whole life suddenly lit on fire. From a faint mark near his liver, it suddenly exploded, radiating out with a blinding light.

"AGH!"

Leonel couldn't control his roar. The pain was so excruciating that his eyes rolled back until only their whites remained. His body convulsed uncontrollably.

There was no need to even mention his breakthrough attempt. He had completely lost control of his Force, his body bursting apart at its seams.

He flopped to the ground, his body spasming as blood leaked from his orifices. The scar continued to burn brighter and brighter, stretching up the side of his body as though to swallow him whole.

Leonel could have never thought that the reason he felt nine Nodes weren't enough was precisely because of this scar his father mentioned in the note he left to him all that time ago...