Rank-9 of Warrior Path is something only the top 5% of aura pathfinders could reach. It was a point that only a few would be able to touch before ending as fertilizer.
One would need a long time and hard work to reach this level. But even then, nothing was guaranteed.
However, one Young Master who was lazing about in a clearing eating meat found himself at this level of aura pathfinding.
He was now ever closer to the second stage of pathfinding. Neun and his young prodigy of a student locked eyes as they found themselves unable to speak correctly.
Neun, especially could not say anything about Colt's meteoric rise to prominence.
"So… what do I do now, Teacher? Do I master Zara Manifestation or something?"
Colt asked while Fluff sat beside him. The cat was also not interested in their conversation. With Colt's improvement, the Dragon Pearl's first job was over. Now the second step would begin.
"Meow!" Fluff demanded to be placed atop Colt's head.
The human partner did not question the cat's demands as he placed its flabby belly on his head. Fluff would now begin helping Colt regulate the Dragon Pearl's power; this would usually be hard to do as Fluff would be messing with Colt's internal energy.
"Nyaaa, meiw!" it demanded Colt to give up control of his internal energy.
"You'll disperse the energy outside and then momentarily seal it? Wouldn't that be a waste?"
"Nyaa, meow mew!" it paws chopped Colt's head with a light head tap before explaining the situation.
"So, you're saying I'll explode if we don't do that?" Colt was silent as his body went limp, and he sat on the ground, "I don't want to die, so I'll leave it to you… but before we begin, I'd like to ask Teacher to protect me."
"I'll do it, don't worry." Neun said without even having been needed to have him ask, though there was something he wanted to know, "But tell me later what Fluff meant by Dragon Pearl, is it the Mythical Artifact used against the Terrestrial Beast God?"
Colt also had a question of his own concerning the name Terrestrial Beast God but chose to let it go for now, "It's indeed the Mythical Artifact, it's the thing that had been assisting me in my improvement…"
Colt had no qualms in explaining things to Neun.
Neun also had no interest in the Dragon Pearl despite being a Warrior of his own. He wanted a competent and strong disciple; he got that already in the form of Colt, so who gives a fuck?
'I'll have my name engraved in history as the greatest teacher…' that was his words to Colt when asked why he was trying to teach Colt, '… you're a good student is all.' Was his follow up answer.
With a sigh, Colt reached out to the Chick and looked it in the eyes, "Hey, can you go back home and tell Mina about my current situation?"
The Chick looked at Colt with slight mockery, "Are you still scared of your wife? Is she still not trusting you?" The Chick laughed as it swallowed the food it had in its mouth.
Colt heard it and flicked its head, "I'm not scared I just don't want Mina and the others to worry. As for Mina, she said she trust me that I won't cheat, so joke's on you!" Colt sounded proud at this rather strange achievement of his.
This should have been a given fact for a couple but for Mina to provide him with so much trust was eye-opening to anyone aware of her temperament.
The Chick sighed at Colt's words and then wobbled over at Neun, "Do you have any bird type beast? Oh yeah, that Phoenix should be yours, right? Can you let me borrow it for a minute? I'm going back home for the time being."
Neun found it weird that the Chick was speaking casually of a Phoenix. The Phoenix could be said the Sovereign of the skies and could be argued to be stronger than the beast known as the Roc.
Neun found this entertaining and called out Beta. The Phoenix flew out of the space it was held and then screeched. However, it abruptly stopped as it felt the presence of its Ruler.
Chick saw its shock and thought that this Phoenix may have been a beast from a time when Fluff was still in its original form, "Get down here." The Chick demanded with a flat voice.
The information sunk to its head. It finally put things together and realized what was happening. The Phoenix landed and buried its head on the ground from shame, "My KING! Forgive my impertinence for flying over your grace!" Beta said with tears streaming down its face.
Chick creased its brows as it asked, "Do I know you? The Children in my Nest and that Era should have died by now… do I know you, Young One?"
Beta, a Phoenix at the Demon-Class, a being that was considered strong enough to annihilate a City, nodded its head like a child before its favorite parent, "I-I am one of the Prism Phoenix that my King had looked after… I, I hatched under one of your wings and was supposed to be the replacement of the last Delegate of the Skies."
Beta explained, and the Chick finally remembered as the Chick came to a realization, "Oh, so you are the young one? That must mean you were one of the last Hatchlings? I didn't expect one to see one like this… it is good to see that you have managed to survive that unfortunate event."
Beta nodded its head repeatedly, "Thank you for your kind words, My King."
The Chick was happy to see something from its past remain alive in this life, "Although the Delegate System had been abolished by now, are you still willing to help this fallen King of yours?"
"It would be my honor, My King." Beta said with pride. It didn't think it would actually meet the King it was supposed to serve in this place.
As Beta lowered her head, the Chick hopped on and had commanded it to return to Wing City. All this happened with Neun's mouth opened wide.
The Teacher looked at his student with a flabby cat on his head to ask, "What was that?"
Colt shrugged his shoulders, "I don't really know either. I am still in the dark about these two. They don't want to speak unless I find their last sibling."
"Nyaaaa!" Fluff raised one of its paws to confirm Colt's words.
Colt then closed his eyes and realized something, "Fluff? Why didn't we just return home and do this there?"
"…Mew." The Lord Phat Fluff admitted that it forgot.
The night was long as Fluff began the process and dispersing the Dragon Pearl's power. This wouldn't have been necessary if Fluff had ordinary Zara. Sadly it and its sibling did not. This would help in their future endeavors like Zara Manifestation, so this was actually a good thing rather than not.
The night continued, Colt and Fluff did their best to dissipate the energy and after the night. Though Fluff did it best to communicate with one of its first children, it only found failure as the soul had already melded with Colt's.
The process ended at 10:00 in the morning. Colt opened his eyes and saw a tiny bird with rainbow feathers glaring at him.
"Are you the King's Partner?"
"Yes?" Colt was weirded out but still answered.
Beta got closer to Colt to take a few sniffs, "You smell like a Dragon… I don't like Dragons."
It wanted to bite Colt's nose, but then, a sleeping Fluff fell from Colt's head and landed atop Beta. Beta flapped its wings helplessly as she found herself unable to do anything that could possibly hurt the Lord of Earth… it shot Colt a glance, and with a completely different tone, it asked, "Please, help me?"
Colt sighed and quickly picked up Fluff. Beta stood with dignity as she turned to Colt with a softer expression, "I like you better now…"
It turned around and went to the Chick's side to serve its King.
Colt turned to Neun, who watched the entire thing to ask, "What was that all about?"
To which he responded with, "Don't ask me, I do not know where to begin."
===
In the Magic Tower of the Regulus Kingdom, the Mages trembled from fear as Lucille held onto several letters.
Her eyes already red from rage.
"W-we're sorry, Tower Master, we thought you would not appreciate it if we disturbed with something as insignificant as this—"
"INSIGNIFICANT!? YOU IDIOTS THOUGHT MY DISCIPLE'S MARRIAGE WAS INSIGNIFICANT!? ARE YOU IDIOTS TIRED OF LIVING!?"
Lucille's voice echoed throughout the Capital City as the Mages of the Magic Tower scrambled for their lives.
Lucille was pissed after knowing that Mina's marriage had passed.