Faint lights of glowing stones illuminated the quiet cavern. In the quietness enveloping the place, only the sound of the dripping water from the stalactites could be heard.
Aside from the numerous stalagmites dotting the rocky ground of the cavern, a long stony corpse could also be seen. The corpse of the Rock Python was only left with its rock skin and white bones. It was obvious that the corpse was already there for a long time.
A distance from the corpse of the Rock Python was a young man around twenty years old. He was sitting cross-legged peacefully while his eyes were closed. Although youthfulness still faintly lingered on him, a mature and strong temperament could be obviously discerned from his countenance.
This young man was Yeshua Solus. A young Alterer who aspired to walk the path to Eden despite knowing the arduous journey that was waiting for him.
It had been a month since Yeshua was trapped in this place. It was a month of unceasing soul cultivation. It was a month of quietly refining all the energy cores of wind and earth affinity that he had. It was a month of consuming the gene herbs that he foraged from the dangerous Red Wood Forest.
Indeed, a month had already passed ever since Yeshua was chased by the Champion Rank spirit beast and was forced to enter this place.
Although he had found a way out of this place, Yeshua still had to blast the rock wall obstructing him from leaving. However, Yeshua might only have one chance to do it, and if he failed, he did not know how he was going to exit this place.
Yeshua did not want to be trapped here for a long time. He was still a human. He still needed to eat to live. If he was trapped here indefinitely, he might not survive.
After he transformed into his second Alter Beast, Yeshua felt confident that his new ability could destroy the rock wall, but to increase his chance of success and minimize the possibility of an unexpected accident, Yeshua decided to cultivate first until all his food were consumed.
Yeshua had emergency rations and despite the quality and quantity of the Rock Python's meat, he still stomached and ate its meat. Only Alterers could eat the meat of spirit beasts and it was the usual food of hunters while staying in the wilderness.
Yeshua really pushed himself this month, and his effort bore fruit as he felt the spirit particles in his surroundings gathered into his body. He was advancing to Level 1 Stage 6!
Indeed, it was Stage 6 since Yeshua already advanced to Level 1 Stage 5 just a few days after he evolved into his second Alter Beast. Even Yeshua was shocked with that advancement.
After testing the capabilities of his second Alter Beast, Yeshua then realized the sudden spike of the power of his soul. Then, sensing the change of his soul temperance, he was astonished to find out that the sequence evolution also further refined his soul.
It was only just one day after Yeshua advanced to Stage 4 but because of his evolution to his second Alter Beast, his soul temperance only needed a few days of cultivation to reach Stage 5.
It was an unexpected boon for Yeshua especially since he needed strength to escape from his current dilemma.
So, when Yeshua advanced to Stage 5, he did not stop cultivating and decided to use all his resources to cultivate until all his sustenance was used up.
Yeshua refined wind and earth energy cores using his two Alter Beasts. He also finished digesting his last soul tempering medicine. He then consumed the gene herbs he foraged, even the Limerock Herb that he got in the cavern.
Yeshua really did his best despite the savageness that filled his mind during the times he maintained his Alter Beasts. However, he held on and diligently cultivated despite the tediousness of soul cultivation.
And so, on this day, while Yeshua took a rest from transforming into his Alter Beasts, he suddenly felt the power of nature tempering his soul.
The spirit particles were further tempering Yeshua's soul. At the same time, the affinity and attributes of his two Alter Beasts were getting stronger. The two sets of spirit genes stored in microorganism-1 and microorganism-2 in each of his cells were enhanced. Yeshua could still feel this improvement despite being in human form.
After a while, the glowing body of Yeshua dimmed slowly until the glow was completely gone. His advancement to Stage 6 was completed.
As Yeshua slowly opened his closed eyes, a dazzling light shone in his dark green eyes. Then, a smile gradually arched on his handsome face as he muttered, "I'll blast that damn rock wall and leave this place today!"
Yeshua rose from the ground and steadily walked to the cave tunnel leading to the rock wall obstructing him from going home.
…
"This is it. I should not fail here or I don't know what to do next…" Yeshua said while his eyes stared at the crevice on the rock wall. He could faintly see the redwood trees as the moonlight showered them with light. It seemed it was already night.
Then, without wasting time, Yeshua unleashed his second Alter Beast. Glittering dust gathered around him while a shroud of light covered his body. He was transforming and a powerful strength emanated from him while his savage growls resounded in the quiet cave.
After a while, the young man was replaced by a green hulk with coarse skin and mighty strength. The green giant then raised his right arm and gathered the spirit particles in his hand. The spirit particles were gradually forming something that was long and big.
After a while, a more than one meter long Stone Club was held by the grinning orc. "Heh, now I have something big as well. Those shameless green heads can't show off to me anymore! Hehe…"
This rascal orc Yeshua spoke with sneer forgetting he was also transformed into that shameless green head.
After satisfying his ego by playing with his big thing, the orc Yeshua then focused on what he needed to do. Summoning the Stone Club was only the beginning. It was only a medium to release the devastating skill that he hoped would destroy the rock wall in front of him.
The orc Yeshua then held the Stone Club with both of his strong hands. He spread his legs and hunched his back preparing to bring out all his strength with his attack.
Yeshua controlled his genome sequence and prepared to unleash the ability that the AI created after combining different earth affinity abilities and his Double Release ability.
Brown sparkling dust swirled around and gathered into the Stone Club being held by Yeshua. He could feel the heavy strength filling the stone weapon while his ability forcefully infused spirit particles inside it. The Stone Club was getting heavier and the powerful arms of Yeshua shook from the vibrating force it was releasing.
This was the new ability Yeshua thought would help him from getting out of this place. When he instinctively learned it, he was astonished that the AI could do something like this. The AI was actually able to create this kind of ability.
It was different from the Blood Rage and Fury Claws derived from his mother's genome crystal. Those abilities were derivatives. They were weaker versions of existing abilities. However, this new ability was something the AI created after analyzing the data it had in its database.
All those data about earth affinities were gathered by Yeshua through hunting, so he knew that those spirit beasts did not have this kind of ability. Though this ability was simple, it was true that the AI was able to create a new ability!
What if Yeshua could collect more data for the AI? The possibility would be endless!
Yeshua then thought of the information of his new Alter Beast.
[Mountaincrash Orc: Level 1 – Type: Giant – Species: Orc – Affinity: Earth – Attributes: high defense, high strength, weak speed
Abilities: Heavy Punch, Stone Club, Stone Armor, Earth Stomp, Ground Smash, Overload – Mountain Crash]
Remembering the strength of his new Alter Beast, Yeshua felt elated and thought in his mind, "The AI really did its best as it not only created a new ability but it also added and improved the abilities! The attributes of the Forest Orc were also strengthened deserving its classification as an elite rank!"
This was Yeshua's second elite rank Alter Beast, and at this moment, he would use its strongest ability!
Overload – Mountain Crash!
Using all his strength, Yeshua raised the heavy vibrating Stone Club above his head and smashed it towards the rock wall!
The air burst while the friction caused sparks of flame as the Stone Club crashed to the rock wall. And then, an explosion!
Boom!
This was not just a crashing sound, but a real explosion! The stone club exploded!
The Stone Club that was overloaded with spirit particles was like a bomb that detonated once it crashed on the rock wall. The explosion destroyed and blasted the thick rock wall!
This was the effect of the ability Overload – Mountain Crash.
The overloading of spirit particles was the same when Yeshua and the AI used Double Release. However, the difference was the gradual charging of spirit particles into the Stone Club. This gradual charging allowed the stone club to superimpose not just two Stone Clubs but three or more. The longer the overloading, the stronger the explosion would be. It just needed time and control of Yeshua.
At the same time, the AI used different applications of other earth affinity abilities such as Ground Smash, Earth Fissure, and Ground Wall.
Yeshua thought that this ability could reach the strength of a crashing mountain. That was why he called it Overload – Mountain Crash. Of course, he knew that it was not possible yet, but maybe in the future, this could happen!
This was also the reason why Yeshua called his second Alter Beast, Mountaincrash Orc.
"Although the name is a real mouthful, this is my aspiration for this Alter Beast. It shall be a guardian warrior that will burst through obstacles using its tough body and strength like a crashing mountain!"
The explosion caused the rock wall to be obliterated, and Yeshua faintly discerned the outside of the cave despite the dust filling the space.
However, in this instant, before Yeshua could feel happy for his hope of freedom, he felt the shaking of the cave. As his Alter Beast had an earth affinity, he also had high sensitivity towards the earth-related things around him.
The orc Yeshua did not waste time. He only had a split second to burst through these more than three meters of distance. He did not have time to change into his Windrage Wolf that was faster, so he charged madly towards the exit.
As the orc Yeshua's first step dug to the ground, the cave suddenly collapsed causing rocks to fall above the head of the green giant!
Enduring the falling rocks, Yeshua continued to charge. First step, second step, then third step!
As he rose his left foot for his fourth step, he could sense a massive boulder falling in front of him. It was going to obstruct his way out of this place!
"No! I will not be buried here!" Yeshua shouted in his mind.
The orc Yeshua pulled back his bulky right hand while his whole body including his right hand was covered by stone armor.
Then, a heavy force accumulated in Yeshua's right hand as he crashed to the falling boulder!
Boom!
An explosion resounded in the quiet forest as the cave completely collapsed.