"This may be a little sudden but I would like for you to meet our tribe's guardian beast."
"I'll have to decline, I have remained here long enough and have some affairs to take care of."
This kind of meeting always ended the same way. The guardian beast would ask me for assistance against the solar empire and leverage some kind of realm authority to force me into accepting.
I'd be a fool to meet them now. First I'd have to reconvene with the others and discuss how we would proceed.
"I'll return to this exact place in a few weeks. Should you still wish to arrange a meeting at that point we can do that then."
Before any of them could react I opened a gate below me and connected it to the coordinates in the overworld from where I had entered. The sensation of falling into a gate and emerging from one was still a little uncomfortable for me.
It was currently night time and I wouldn't be meeting with the others until tomorrow. Actually, the owner of this place was now my subordinate so this mansion could be used as a convenient meeting place. It also had the benefit of me not needing to go somewhere else.
I sent a message into our group chat telling the others about my idea and attached the coordinates of the mansion. As expected the message was instantly seen by Yellow. Not unusual considering that she was online all the time while hacking the internet.
Only seconds later her Majesty replied that she liked the place and we'd meet there tomorrow morning. Apart from the strangeness of her being online at this time she also set the meeting time for 6:00.
No matter, I'd know why in the morning.
For now, I'd better go check on that old man. His rate of progress was largely dependant on his own efforts and determination. I couldn't help but wonder how far he had progressed these three days.
The raven god beast body secrets allowed one to step by step transform one's physique into that of a raven god beast. Circulation of that technique gave off a very subtle sense of power attuned to the raven god beast. Following this slight undulation in the air I walked through the hallways of the mansion. After descending multiple sets of stairs I entered the cellar area and found a newly constructed room made from dark iron.
The room was sealed airtight so that no light could enter. Total darkness made for a very suitable environment to practice. The raven god beast was a being of darkness, shadow, and sin. It had been born as the companion of a God that had chased after the absolute. A dangerous pursuit that had cost him his life.
Sigh, I shouldn't revel in these memories, they will only impede my rationality.
Now to see what's inside the black box. My body lost its form and became darkness, formless, and immaterial. The walls before me were of no obstruction as I passed right through them.
Inside, the old man sat cross-legged on the cold metallic floor. He had placed all his attention on the circulation of magic in his body and completely failed to notice me.
His progress was astounding! Every cell in his body had been filled with vitality to the brim of what a normal human body could hold. His physique could now rival that of a top athlete despite his age. He was now ready for the first transformation.
'I see you have been putting in a lot of effort during the past three days. While I encourage hard work you shouldn't neglect your basic needs. I can tell that you haven't eaten today and based on the circles below your eyes you also skipped sleep. And don't tell me you feel fine, the vitality stored in your body may alleviate the symptoms temporarily but that won't help you if you collapse.'
'I can't waste any time. Collapsing won't kill me so it's no problem.'
'I'm starting to think that you are a little too eager... By collapsing I meant dying and you weren't that far off. Techniques like yours put a strain on your body and you shouldn't ignore that.'
'Fine, I'll take a break.'
'That's good. But now is not the time for you to rest. You have reached the first threshold and before you lies the chasm that separates normal humans from further improving by conventional means.'
'So this is as far as I go?'
'Not by a long shot. However, if you simply kept using the technique I gave you to advance it would take forever. To pass the first barrier the use of supplements is highly recommended and will greatly hurry things along.'
'What is this supplement you are talking about?'
'Is this another one of those rumors about demons and devils? The technique you use is called raven god beast body secrets, what do you think the supplement will be?'
'How am I supposed to know?'
'Well, you are using a technique to transform your body into that of a god beast so naturally its blood is the best supplement for you. It will completely shatter the shackles holding you back and allow you to enter the world of the powerful.'
'Will I be as strong as a mage then?'
'Not yet, you will have to continue to put in hard work for a while before you can hope to match a mage.'
'I'll do my very best.'
'Excellent, I like the determination you can muster. It's time for you to also see my body. Always wondering how I look must be exhausting and I don't want to remain a formless voice in your head.'
I gathered the darkness that made up my body and recondensed it into a physical form. Given the absolute darkness in this place I should probably provide some enlightenment.
To make the scene a little more flashing I summoned a bunch of purple flames that painted the room in a violet light.
"So then, are you impressed by my peerless looks?"
"You look kind of ordinary..."
"What?!!!"