His brow was drenched in sweat and he felt pain across his body. There was not a place that was unharmed. After all, the World Energy nearly detonated his Channels and Core. Although they were unphysical, that did not mean they were any less damageable. That extreme strain transformed into physical and mental damage! Freon took several deep breaths and tried relaxing his muscles as he began thinking. This had never happened before, both to him and anyone else. It was unthinkable.
It was almost considered a backlash, if not for his unexpected gains… If he could attract World Energy like that again, would it not be easy to reach higher Core Levels? Much less High Gaseous Fog, even Condensed Drop might not be a farfetched dream. But alas, he knew that was courting death! There was no point on pondering why or how. It was more productive to focus on the upcoming fight!
He took ten minutes to calm down before inspecting his Core again. The defining line between Low and Medium Gaseous Fog was very vague. It was like the difference between being able to cast one spell or two. Much like Fundamental Realm, it was not like a person could transform from a rabbit to a tiger. Everything had a step-by-step progression. In the beginning, the improvements were barely noticeable. However, if one managed to break through to Perception Realm, their capabilities would truly transform! The same could be said about Gaseous Fog and Condensed Drop! It was even more exaggerated for higher levels. Although Protector Avin had yet to fully reveal his Blue Depth might, it would not pale in comparison to the Sword King's Instinct Realm. That was the difference between minor and major stages!
He could determine whether he was Low or Medium Gaseous Fog by performing magic and observing the decrease in his Core. Like scooping a cup of water to test if the container became bigger or not, if the spell were the same, then he could figure it out. If before he could perform five spells, but now he could do ten, then it was obvious he had advanced! It was a primitive method but effective enough. Thinking so, he pulled out his wand. Freon thought for a moment before settling on the fire-type spell, Fire Needles. This was the same spell he used in the fight hours ago. It was simple, but packed destructive might, perfectly suitable for his low Magic Energy reserves. The Magic Circle glowed and five red needles, about half the width of a finger, appeared.
Freon inspected his Core again and sighed. He was really Medium Gaseous Fog! Medium Gaseous Fog, the second minor level of the Gaseous Fog Core Level. In total, there were five levels: Low, Medium, High, Peak, and Half-Step. To take a few years what his sister could achieve practically instantly was especially depressing. Forget Nassandra, even his peers like Yuna at the First Celestial Magic University were breaching Peak Gaseous Fog! By comparison, he was slow, truly too slow. And to think he achieved Medium Gaseous Fog through such an unorthodox method as well… Freon felt tears of self-ridicule building up. It was really too shameful!
The carriage hit a bump, jostling him out of his thoughts. That was right. He had no time to worry about that. He had to resolve the matter of Gunther first! Just as he was about to continue planning, his body sent warning signals. Before he could think, a tremendous wave of pain exploded from within him. It might be half as painful as before, but his entire body was already in a pitiful state. This exacerbated his wounds to another level! Every limb was screaming out like he was being stabbed over and over again. He spat mouthfuls of blood while his nose bled crazily, and his eyes were bloodshot. He looked horrifying! He had no spare energy to think, much less move. He could only weather through the storm and pray! Soon, Freon could take no more and lost consciousness…
Splash! Drenched in cold water, the boy slowly woke up. He groaned since his every muscle ached. Freon could hear the carriage driver cursing a storm behind him. That was to be expected though. He spilled blood on the lavish interior while fainting himself. The man did not want to be held responsible if Freon died! Hence, he threw the boy out at first sight before driving away. With the icy rain pouring down his neck, his eyes began to regain their clarity. The pain in his body faded rapidly and the dried blood washed away. He sat up and massaged his sore body and numb head. He inspected himself and saw that he was relatively unharmed. Honestly, Freon had no idea what was happening. Today has been filled with surprises and he was getting tired of it.
If I get through today, I'm definitely taking a long break… Freon shook his head. I didn't fail the spell's activation, but it still backlashed. Thankfully, I remained as a Medium Gaseous Fog. If I fell back to Low Gaseous Fog, then it would be too… too… He was speechless.
Just as he was preoccupied in his thoughts, he noticed several gazes lock onto him. They were filled with curiosity and wariness. Freon had finally arrived in the slums! Many saw opportunity and watched him. If he looked rich, then they would rob him clean. They were like a pack of hungry beasts. A single wrong move would be enough to provoke them all. This was a true lawless district, filled with the dregs of society. Strangely enough, Freon felt at home in a sad way. After all, when his home was ravaged, his sister and him had to live off the streets as beggars and thieves. There were countless times he was beaten senseless for stealing moldy bread. Probably half of the people here were in the same situation, barely surviving after the war. Fortunately, no one made a move on him because everyone saw him being thrown out of the carriage…
Freon gave a wry smile when he felt his hairs rise. Killing intent! It was far deeper and richer than the beggars around him, drowning him in a sea of death. It might be less than Inari's full murderous aura, but he was an exception above exceptions. Inari had truly erased an unfathomable number of people from this world. However, the Third Hand was not far behind. As one of the limbs of the Whispering Shadow, they had also done many unspeakable acts! Therefore, when all this killing intent focused on Freon, it felt like a dozen wolves eyeing a sheep. He could only be torn to shreds!
I don't have a choice, do I? He tightened his fist.
Without understanding why his magic backfired on him, it was too dangerous to use it again. His primary fighting method was gone! Now that he came so far, it was already too late to change plans. Freon had to gamble on Shirley succeeding! He might want to solve this by himself, but he never forgot his priorities. Gambling with his life without any assurance was putting the cart before the horse. It would be the epitome of stupidity. Granted, he was far from an unshakable position, but planning all this and committing to it so quickly was unbelievably courageous. Or perhaps it was unbelievably stupid… Alas, at this time, he did not know that Shirley was currently incapacitated! She failed!
His expression grim, the boy began walking towards their appointed meeting location. He was on high alert, watching out for any suspicious people. However, he was nowhere close to achieving what Shirley could, much less the Perception Realm standard. In his eyes, they were as elusive as shadows. No, that was not quite correct… If they were shadows, he could still see them. However, he could not see a thing. Having a dozen enemies nearby, but no idea where they might be, was a terrifying thought. Since he arrived, Freon had already lost control over his life! He had to wonder why his opponents did not make their move yet…