Taking my mind off Erin, I continue at condensing Brute Energy.
10%
20%
30%
Taking in the condensed energy, it filled up my body from every corner. If a normal Brute Energy is in gaseous form, condensing it will turn it into a liquid. Then this liquid filled up every corner of my body. I have to fill it up before I can create an Augmented Skill.
40%
Slowly, from a few balls of condensed Brute Energy, it became a surge that it immediately flooded my body
50%
I overexerted myself last night until noon today. Now, I can feel myself getting exhausted again.
I shot another Psyche Boost to myself and it immediately refreshed my mind and enhanced my clarity.
65%
From my feet up to my waist, it's already filled up with condensed Brute Energy.
80%
From my waist up to my shoulders.
It's already 2 hours since I started. Erin already came back and was watching me. Doesn't she need to take a rest?
90%
Another hour has passed. The effect of Psyche Boost wore off resulting in this.
Because of my overexertion, I'm now close to collapsing.
But I have to persevere. Rest comes after this.
95%
Avelin also woke up and was now watching what's happening.
Am I making a commotion?
Ah. It doesn't matter anymore.
I concentrated to keep condensing the Brute Energy around me.
100%
Soon enough, I felt my body overflowing with Brute Energy.
The time to create the skill starts now.
I used what I read from the manual Erin showed me as a reference.
What she did on creating her Augmented Skill is to first visualize what she wanted. She thought of something that can let her sneak behind her enemy.
With that thought, her condensed Brute Energy took the form of a blanket.
Then that blanket formed from condensed Brute energy was enlarged and it started covering her whole body. When it settled, it activated her intended effect. The energy masked her presence.
The true form of her Shadow Concealment is just a blanket of condensed Brute Energy covering her whole body. Someone sensitive to the flow of energy can detect her but most of the time, it works for her. Even I couldn't detect her passively but if I exert my control over the inherent energy, it will be easy for me to spot her when she's using that Augmented Skill.
Now it's time for me to create mine.
What do I want? I'm already full of supporting skills. What I lack the most at this moment is a form of offensive power. I want something that can boost my attack. The Air Bullet is too weak. My swordsmanship isn't up to par yet. Then what is it that I have an excess but there's nothing to use at?
Of course, it is Brute Energy. Energy. I can control the energy of this world easily. If Erin shaped her condensed Brute Energy to a blanket to cover her and Avelin shaped it to become a wave of energy that can disrupt her target, I will be shaping this excessive Brute Energy into compressed balls of Energy that will explode on contact.
It can't be thrown but will be an added effect to my attacks. There are still restrictions at creating Augmented Skill. It should only have one purpose. I have to choose whether the balls can be thrown or not. If it is, it will just be some kind of range attack and I have chosen the latter, it will be like some sort of enhancement through my attacks.
Upon using it, a punch from me will have an added energy explosion upon contact.
If I stab or slash with my sword, its tip or the point of contact will immediately explode, obliterating the defense obstructing it, giving my sword a defenseless target or better, the explosion will hurt them.
With that image, the condensed Brute Energy gathered together and was compressed into small balls of explosive energy.
I felt it travelling to every corner of my body.
I stomped my feet and an explosion of energy happened before it landed to the ground. A small crater appeared and a print of my foot was left deep.
When that scene ended, my Augmented Skill was completed. The condensed Brute Energy occupying my body was absorbed by me. Strengthening every part that needs strengthening equally.
I succeeded!
Right at that moment, a system message rang out inside my mind.
[Advanced to 1st Stage Augmented Realm]
[Gained 3 Strength, 1.5 Endurance]
[Augmented Skill Created]
[Determine the Name of the Skill]
Let's see… Energy Ball?! Explosion Magic?! Void Magic?!
What the hell? Only now did I realize that my naming sense is this bad. But I have no choice now.
"Energy Explosion."
[Ding! Created a new column. Augmented Skills]
[Listed Energy Explosion under Augmented Skills]
There. It's already listed. At least I don't need to shout it out to use the skill and it's dependent on my Brute Energy.
I have an inexhaustible source of that as long as I'm in this world.
"You went from the 5th stage Mortal Realm to 1st stage Augmented Realm in less than a day. If you're not a monster, what are you?"
Erin breathlessly muttered.
I thought she would be used to my unbelievable progress by now but yeah, I'm flipping their world view when I cultivated from Pre-mortal to Augmented Realm in a little more than one week.
"He already caught up."
Avelin was speechless and that was what I expected.
It's good that I let her breakthrough first or it will really affect her.
"Sorry, I will have to sleep again."
A simple Psyche Boost won't cut it now. And I have to save it for Raiden. I already used 2 charges leaving me with 10 left.
As soon as my words ended, I fell down to where I am, unconscious.
I dreamt of Yuko in my sleep. The days when we were just cuddling in our room feels like it already happened a long time ago.
I dreamt of standing next to her, fighting that Smoke Giant together. She was holding it off while I kept on chopping a small part of him at every explosion made by my attacks.
We effortlessly killed it with just the two of us.
Such a blissful dream. It already ended so there's no way that will happen. I'm just satisfying myself thinking about what I could do if I had my current strength during that time.
Sounds of commotion were what made me wake up from that dream.
I have this Adaptability so even if I am sound asleep or have just woken up, my mind will immediately adapt to the situation.
I opened my eyes and heard sounds of combat happening outside the cavern.
The sky is already bright.
I looked around me, there are only the tribesmen who're too old or too young to fight as well as the injured ones.
Erin, Avelin and the tribesmen who can fight were outside.
Did we get attacked by wild beasts or?
No, judging by the sound of blades clanging when it hits each other, I'm sure the enemies are not wild beasts.
Well, no use guessing about it.
I immediately dashed out of the cavern and saw Erin, facing off against someone on par or maybe slightly stronger than her.
From his attire, he's a barbarian of some tribe. On his waist is some kind of belt bag. It looks full even from this distance. What's inside it?
They were surrounded by more barbarians with similar attire as that one and behind them, there was a man who stood tall enough to oversee the fight even from that distance.
Saint Realm…
And his look triggered some sense of familiarity.
Those eyes and the changes in his body. That's the same as that Priest…
A Corrupted Individual!
We were tracked? But why track a small tribe?
I looked at Erin and immediately understood.
They did not give up on her.
Avelin and her tribesmen were behind her, watching worriedly.
Even if Erin uses her Shadow Concealment, the enemy can still block on time when she reappears.
And well, even if she beat her opponent, those behind are all Augmented Realm experts. They give off the same pressure as Avelin and Erin.
I counted them. Five Augmented Realm of varying stages. The guy fighting Erin is the strongest among them but the real threat here is that Saint Realm behind them.
I stood next to Avelin and she showed me a worried face.
"Daisuke. Will we die here?"
I hit her head with a chop and scolded her.
"Stop saying that in front of your tribesmen. I still have my pledge to you. I won't let you die."
I'm not really confident but I have to raise their spirits at least.
Her tribesmen can only hold off one Augmented Realm by themselves. Only the three of us Augmented Realm against four Augmented Realm and a Corrupted Saint Realm.
Ah. The leader is corrupted, then these five are probably corrupted as well.
They're already cut off from the source of Brute Energy.
I see. Those belt bags contain balls of Brute Energy that was made by putting a native of this world into that Huge Cauldron.
I hold onto the necklace hanging from my neck, like Avelin asked, I wear it like this.
I immediately activated the Orb of Enhancement. Not only it enveloped me, but the yellowish aura also extended to Avelin and her tribesmen as well as Erin.
When that happened, her next attack blew her opponent back due to the added strength.
Erin looked back at me and smiled before she vanished again. She retreated to our side since the next battle wouldn't be one-on-one.
The other four Corrupted Augmented Realm took out their weapons upon seeing the change of the situation.
The Saint Realm behind raised his eyebrows but in the end, he stayed his hand.
He smiled, seemingly amused to the situation.
Then a Halo appeared on top of his head. It's shining darkly like it's also slowly being corrupted.
What is that Halo? Could it be?
He's the only Saint Realm here. Back at that welcoming party of Raiden, he finished his enemies with only normal attacks and finish it by using his ability, Temporal Acceleration.
That Halo is probably something only those at Saint Realm can have.
A darkish aura spread from that Halo towards the five Augmented Realm he brought.
He's not holding off to join the fray. He just wanted his subordinates to take care of us.
That aura is a buff! He's also enhancing them!
When they were enveloped, their muscles buffed up and a dark glint appeared from their eyes.
The pressure they're emitting went up. Our morale took a hit from that.
What the hell is this situation?