"Young miss, a guest is here to see you."
"Who is it?"
"Lady Yuna."
Shirley made a thoughtful expression before agreeing. "Alright, I'll meet with her. Do you mind, mother?"
"It's fine, go meet with your friend," she waved her away. After Shirley left, her mother made a bitter and complex face. She needed some time alone.
Entering a separate room, Shirley spotted Yuna sat down with tea served. This girl was Yuna Cascadion, Freon's friend from the First Celestial Magic University. She was an exceptionally gifted Arcanist, having both high accomplishments at the university and in Core Levels. Together, they used to be acquainted with Gunther Paralun. Due to him, Freon's home was besieged and destroyed, giving Avin and Yuna deep injuries. The Whispering Shadow later acted, and the rest was history. Protector Avin massacred the Third Hand, while Inari and his partner killed the Third Shadow! Under the fierce retaliation of multiple parties, mainly the Alzar Kingdom, the Whispering Shadow was ultimately annihilated.
Gunther's Rellion Family, which was responsible for leaking information about the Arcellius Family to the Third Hand, were scared out of their minds. That was expected though. Although the Alzar Kingdom turned a blind eye to the Whispering Shadow, it was still one of the most expansive underground criminal organizations in the world! Associating with them was not a good thing, especially when the Rellion patriarch heard about the Third Hand and Third Shadow's abrupt destruction… How could he not go mad with fear? The Third Shadow was dozens of times more powerful, yet they were destroyed anyways. What to say about their weak Rellion Family? There was no doubt about it… They would suffer a far worser fate! Therefore, without saying anything, the Rellion Family packed up and left the capital overnight.
But karma always came back with a revenge. When they were traversing through a mountainside, packs of ravenous wolves attacked them. It happened too quickly and most of the guards perished, with few barely surviving. Just as they chased off the animals, a freak landslide came charging down. Everyone screamed and panicked, even the Rellion patriarch was no exception. The power of mother nature was unstoppable as it plowed through the caravan. Be it the trees, carriages, horses, or humans, they were all smashed to a pulp! The ones that survived were all struggled slowly and painfully, wishing for nothing but the sweet release of death. No one heard their mournful cries filling the valley, except for an ice-cold pair of eyes watching from a distance.
Since Yuna was unconscious when everything unfolded, she had no clue about Gunther's betrayal and death. That was probably for the better too. Unaware as she was, Yuna was actually inextricably involved with the entire affair. When she later heard about the heavenly phenomenon, and the rumors surrounding the Arcellius Family, she knew Freon was okay. That gave her an immense sense of relief. However, there was a touch of anxiety as well. Freon disappeared so abruptly without a trace that she could not help but worry. Months flew by like that… What if she would never see him again?
Seeing her emotions so obvious, Shirley laughed. "There's no need to be so worried about your sweetheart."
"What! What are you talking about?" Yuna cried.
"You're as red as a tomato," she continued to tease. "Do you think I didn't know? Don't underestimate a woman's intuition!"
"Honestly…"
Shirley smiled and shook her head. "There really isn't a need to worry though. Freon is protected by his uncle, that famous legendary Protector of the Arcellius Family. He'll be fine."
"You're probably right," Yuna took a deep breath and settled her heart. "But Lady Shirley… You've really grown stronger. You're much stronger than me."
"Really?"
Yuna shyly pointed her head down and whispered, "Your aura is… different. Before… I could not sense it, but… you feel scary now."
"Me? I'm scary?" Shirley was shocked. "I'm sorry, did I do something wrong?"
"No, it's not you… Well, it is, but…" Yuna grew increasingly quieter.
Shirley was confused. When did this happen? But Yuna was not lying. As the person in question, Shirley had yet to notice. Scaling a staircase step by step, each step seemed minor and insignificant. But when looking down, they would see that they came a long way! That was like right now. Shirley advanced in the Fundamental Realm by struggling every day before finally reaching Fundamental Realm Master! She did not realize that she accomplished so much! Through the baptism of fighting and killing, her aura became many times more refined, possessing almost a feral nature. Currently, even without exerting herself, her mere presence was akin to a hidden blade, ready to draw blood! It was far deadlier than Benedict without Martial Energy. It was no wonder Yuna felt threatened. True Perception Realms would feel wary facing Shirley, much less her.
"I'm sorry. I didn't mean what I said. I hope you can forgive me!" Yuna said surprisingly loud.
"It's okay," Shirley waved her hand. "We're friends already, aren't we? Don't mind the small details. I won't get mad over such trivial things."
"Thank you."
The two continued their simple chitchat, talking about various topics. Since Freon and Gunther disappeared, Shirley was the next closest friend to Yuna, leading them to meet frequently. Originally, Yuna's personality was simply too introverted and shy. They sat together often while Yuna would keep her head down and say nothing. That kind of extremely awkward situation was enough for anyone to crack, much less her. This made their meetings both short and stressful. It took a lot of effort for Shirley to create an environment where she would be comfortable in. Thanks to Shirley's hard work though, Yuna gradually opened up. One had to admit Shirley's interpersonal skills were truly worthy of admiration! The girl stayed for an hour or so before departing on happy terms. As Shirley stood at the door, looking out towards the deep dark sky, her thoughts wandered… Who knew what she was thinking?
***
At the same time, three figures emerged from a hidden crevice in the countryside. A middle-aged man stood tall and proud, as if he could stand against all adversity. Liquid World Energy was gathering around him, representing his immeasurable aura and unmatched Core Level! Unsurprisingly, it was Protector Avin Arcellius, a Blue Depth Arcanist and a Rank 3 King! A Rank 3 King, whether it be the human world or the greater world beyond, was still an incredible achievement. It was not easy to reach that point! He was tantamount to a strategic weapon, capable of destroying an entire city. Without a shadow of a doubt, Protector Avin was one of the strongest humans in history.
Beside him was Freon and Nassandra Adnire. Freon held onto his sister's hand and took a deep breath. As he manipulated his Magic Energy, a slight breeze circulated around him. A moment later, thin tiny wisps of rainbow light appeared, and like the center of a web, Freon was at the center. There were hundreds to thousands of these threads which entangled Freon in a dense net. It was ambient World Energy! Compared to his uncle, who could visibly condense energy into liquid form, it seemed pathetic, but anyone compared to Protector Avin would seem dull. In truth, Freon was at High Gaseous Fog Core Level, one step from Peak! He achieved it in just a few months of training, his efficiency was many times greater than at the university.
For reference, it took Arcanists normally ten years from awakening their Core to High Gaseous Fog! That was what inspired the creation of the Magic Academies and Universities into having five-year plans. The Magic Academy would awaken the Core and pave the foundation for Medium Gaseous Fog. The university would take it a step further and bring them to the High or Peak levels if they were talented enough. That was indicative of how time-consuming and strenuous everything was! Of course, there were additional underlying factors since Arcania knowledge, practice, and experimentation were all included. It was hard to draw a direct comparison between them and Freon. But… Looking back, Freon took many years only to stagnate at Low Gaseous Fog. To achieve what he did, by breaking through to High Gaseous Fog, in this short of a time was nothing short of miraculous!
Upon sensing his improvement, Freon felt conflicted. On one hand, he made large steps towards his goal. He wanted to become strong, so strong that his sister would never have to fight again! To do so, Condensed Drop Core Level was necessary. He had to become a Ten Dawn! On the other hand, his current strength seemed like it had little to do with him. Think about it. It was because of his Arcellius Family's Bloodline, no? He was one of the last descendants of that legendary Arcellius Family, which boasted monstrous Magic Potential! Did he not work hard before? Did he not try like mad? Yes, he did! Yet, he stagnated at Low Gaseous Fog regardless… Now, he broke through using the Arcellius Family? It made his efforts a joke!