When Kio and Rico checked back the said altar, Kio was able to identify the true forms and race of the three statues. The witch priest is also there guarding the altar while doing her daily chores like what the humdrums usually do.
-
It was almost midday, Leo and Kio are on their way to manong Kanor's house to pay him a visit. Their plan was to only stay in that area for three days and two nights but it was adjusted because of the cult from beside the mountain.
"Manong Kanor? Are you there?" Kio said aloud as they approach the cottage.
"Hijo's, it's you guys who rented my husband's boat yesterday. Come in!" They were greeted by Manong Kanor's wife and invited them to come in their house.
The two then happily accepted the invitation and acted as if it's the first time they entered the fisherman's house.
"What brings you here?" asked the lady with a very welcoming smile.
"We're from the dock where he usually berth his boat, but the fishermen there told us that Manong Kanor isn't available today, so we asked for his house to check on him." Leo said with a smile.
"Someone's looking for me?" Manong Kanor asked in a raspy tone while walking slowly from their small room.
"Honey, you have visitors. They're your passengers yesterday." The lady said as she walks closer to her husband and assist him while walking.
"What happened manong?" Kio asked as he observed the man walking in a lame manner.
"Just caught a fever and a slight leg pain that's all. I guess this is a proof that I'm still human haha!" The man punched a joke and sat on a wobbling wooden stool.
"Have you taken your medicine? What might be the cause of your leg pain?" Kio asked the man.
"Old age, I guess? Don't worry, sooner or later, this pain will subside and I can tour you again around the waters in our area. Hehe" The man eased the siblings. "Honey, can you buy some pandesal and bread stuffing at the bakery for this two young men's snack?" Manong Kanor called his wife and ask for a chore.
"Oh, please don't mind us, we'll be leaving shortly and we should be the one bringing some snacks and food." Leo politely refused manong Kanor's generosity.
"We already had our fill before going here sir, so please don't mind us at all." Kio added with a smile.
The three people just continued with their conversation and when they talked enough, the two brothers thanked Manong Kanor and His spouse and bid them good bye.
While walking back to their brother, Leo asked Kio, "Did we get what we need?"
"Yep, just at the right time." Kio answered with a smile.
"So, are we gonna kill now?" Leo began to feel the excitement when he asked the question.
"Not yet you lunatic! Let's analyze the situation first!" Kio scolded his brother. "We'll combine all the gathered informations and then plan on how to attack."
"We don't need a plan for that. Now that we know who the culprit is, let's give them a bang before those statues comes back to life!" Leo said punching his fists.
"You can do that but think of this, can Irylle do that?" Kio blocked his brother's suggested incomprehensible pan.
"No, but I can protect him!" Leo countered again.
"Ugh! You musclehead! How will he learn if you're always protecting him?!" Kio responded with a bit of annoyance.
The two continued to argue while walking back.
While the two brothers are at it, Hio, on the other hand is already close to completely covering all his sensing area. His breathing is still steady and no grimace can be found in his face, but the bulging veins in his neck and head are already noticeable.
Hio is already feeling a slight pain in his head but the sensation is still tolerable so he proceeded with completing his sensing area. Currently, he can completely cover up to 25 miles and already close to 26 miles. Instead of stopping, Hio's competitive nature once again aroused and he started to hasten his essence perception.
He now reached 26 miles and still advancing. With bulging veins and hasting his completion, his forehead started to furrow. The pain in his head that was once tolerable began to worsen. Feeling like his eyes are about to pop out of its sockets, Hio endured it all and just proceed with his speedy phase.
27 miles…
28 miles…
Clenching his teeth, Hio focused on his goal even with the feeling of having a hammer banging his head harder with every minute passing by.
When he reached 29 miles and was about to completely cover all his area, his essence sensing began to slow down and the pain in his head was getting even worse.
Blood began to drip from his mouth again and the air around him became thinner and thinner by the passing moment.
Hio was worried that this might trigger his talent to activate again and devour a lot of essence, but thinking that he's about to completely cover all his sensing area roused him to push through harder!
He then ignored his physical body and focused all his consciousness to his spiritual body. His essence sensing began to pick up its phase again.
29.5 miles…
29.6 miles…
29.7 miles…
29.8 miles…
29.9 miles…
*POP!*
Suddenly Hio felt a smooth pop in his head as if a soap bubble's burst when he completely covered all 30 miles of his sensing area. Hio felt as if a gate opened from his dantian and a surge of energy rushed out from it filling his meridians.
The blood that trickled off of Hio's mouth turned into essence and danced around him. Hio's fair skin become even fairer and glistened under the afternoon sun. His flowing black hair shone even brighter and the twisted expression in his face a while ago was replaced by a calm serene look that can make anyone feel relaxed by just looking at it.
He then breathed a cool air of relief then slowly opened his eyes. The amber color of his eyes began to slowly change to cherry coffee. This matched his androgynous looking pretty face.
Hio looked around and he can still see essences, flowing everywhere like tiny wisps just dangling in the air letting the wind carry them anywhere it blows, even without activating his spiritual manifestation.
"Congratulations on completing your mid intermediate cultivation task my prince!" Butler Elie greeted the young man with a big smile plastered on his face.
"But didn't you said that the task for mid-intermediate majin is to cover a 60-mile sensing area?" Hio confusedly asked when he heard the butler's congratulatory remarks.
"Yes, it is, but to truly become a mid-intermediate majin, a magician must see the essences around him even without casting his spiritual manifestation." The butler answered with a smile.
"But what you instructed was not even associated with what really is the real definition of being a mid-intermediate magician!" Hio got shocked with the revelation and grumbled.
"A majin's cultivation to power isn't always by the book." The butler smiled and winked at the young man.
"And if it is, then we should call it vocabulary cultivation rather than majin cultivation. Then there will be more overlord ranked majins now." Kio said from afar as he and his brother walks closer to the two.
"Wow! Look at you! You became even more beautiful!" Leo said when they got closer to his youngest brother.
"I didn't know that someone can be on par with butler Elie's appearance without being a mixed-breed!" Leo added while scanning his brother.
"Hey! That's an underhanded complement!" Hio spat his brother's shoulder when he heard what he said.
"Ehem… It's alright my prince. I lived long enough to give any significance to trivial matters." The butler responded assuring that he's not affected by what Leo said. "But then I guess It's time for a change with the 'face of the princes of Orth' representative." Butler Elie teasingly added.
"Woah, woah, woah!!! Before that happens, Lets focus on our goal first!" Kio jumped in and cut the conversation.
"What goal?" Hio confusedly asked, uninformed with the events during the short period of his cultivation.
"Since you can already feel the essence and see them through even without your spiritual manifestation, It is time for you to learn how to control! Hehehehehehe!!!" Leo rubbed his palms, smiling like a bad guy whose about to do some dirty work.