"...18,19,20,21," hearing the last person among the expedition members being counted by Gashna the others looked around to see if they could tell who was missing.
Thirio looked around like all the others to cast less suspicion upon himself. Looking through the crowd three times Thirio stopped after noticing that quite a few people had already stopped looking.
"They're late and we won't be waiting any longer," no one paid any extra attention to the missing four any longer, making their way back through the portal they appeared back in the hall they departed from that now had a new addition to it.
A large door frame made from a forest green metal was erected a short distance from the exit of the room, "right on time. For those of you who don't know, this is a scanner and we'll be using this to check if any of you are hiding the mission objective in any spatial equipment, well quite a few of you should be used to this already but it will only check for objective item and nothing else."
Thirio looked at the soldier that had led them here now standing beside the scanner, 'so this is what Rian was referring to, let's hope my guess was right.' While Thirio was lost in thought, quite a few people had already passed through without much problem and after handing in two 2nd Rank flowers they were allowed to leave.
Stepping forward, Thirio approached the frame with steady steps that didn't show the slightest of the hesitation brewing within his heart. A few more steps saw him through to the other side.
"You're clean, just hand in two flowers, and you can leave," without a crack in his composure, Thirio placed the flowers in the soldier's hand.
Taking a seat in the building lobby, Thirio waited quietly, though he didn't have to wait long as the person he was hoping to see had taken a seat beside him. The two sat in comfortable silence with neither saying a word.
Rian looked over at the young man beside him. If he was being honest with himself the young man had given him quite a lot of shock within the short time they spent together; 'he should have started cultivating recently which shows that he has a good enough talent for it and also enough caution that with enough time he could make it quite far.'
"Just ask what you want to ask about, it's not good to linger here too long," hearing the transmission from Rian, Thirio having already decided on his most important question wasted no time, "What did you mean about that elf being halfway into that stage."
Having expected this question, " other than the three stages in the foundation realm there are two others, you aren't usually taught about them as without the right support it's not likely to achieve it.
Another problem is the number of resources needed varies from person to person based on talent, so without showing extraordinary talent most people only cultivate up to the known peak before breaking through."
Thirio listened quietly while digesting the information, bringing up points he didn't understand before getting to the meat of the matter, "How does one reach the fourth stage," this was what he wanted to know the most right now after reaching a sufficient understanding.
"There isn't one set way to reach it as it varies from person to person but the one thing that is common among them all is that many people stated to have achieved their breakthrough after exceeding the energy limit of the realm," seeing that quite some time had passed Rian rose to his feet to depart.
"Thank you for the information. Does this stage have a name?" Thirio stood to his feet as well.
"The Extreme stage," with those final words, Rian left the building.
Thirio sat still for a moment before a smile came to his face, 'the Extreme stage, seems I have something else to add to the talk now,' leaving the building and making his way to the teleportation station Thirio barely paid attention, lost as he was in his thoughts until he arrived.
"Where to young man," looking at the soldier speaking to him, Thirio thought for a while before deciding against moving to his base from here, "Vamond."
Thirio stood still on the device which soon whirled to life after a few taps from the soldier.
___
Thirio leisurely stepped into the trading section of the Vamond tower, his eyes scanning around for one particular trader among the many that inhabited the area. Walking around the area Thirio continued his search for his now personal trader.
This happened on his first visit when he had come to sell some not so rare monster parts and a beauty took them off his hands..
"Thirio!!!" tackled to the ground his reminiscing was broken, a sigh passed through his lips, shifting slightly he turned to look at the person he was searching for that was now straddling his waist, staring down at him with a bright smile and sparkling bright green eyes.
"Senna, while this is quite comfortable, now isn't the time or place," ignoring the soft, plump feeling coming from his waist, Thirio soon had them both standing, looking at a pouting Senna beside him. The two soon entered one of the many private rooms that existed around the trade area.
Thirio took a seat in the leather sofa while Senna took the single seat across from him, as she was comfortable seated her entire demeanor changed.
Gone was the bubbly, seemingly air headed girl, and in her place sat a charmingly cold woman whose every move could incite burning lust within men.
"What business do you have for me today my lucky cat," cold but hiding a burning yearning that couldn't be entirely hidden, everything from her sitting posture to the tone in her voice was fully geared to pull her listener in.
Thirio smiled while looking at her, he liked when she was like this, full of desire, he wasn't fooled by it though, what she desired was solely profit and power. He could do without the nickname though, " I need all the information you can gather on the Extreme stage and also on all the usage of space flowers."
"You didn't fail my expectations, it seems. I already have all relevant information on the Extreme stage and what little I could find on the one above; as for the space flower it has many uses but the one you want should be within the previous information. Now, what do I get for all this hard work I put in for you?"
Flicking his wrist a small pile of 2nd Rank Space flowers landed on the desk between them, "twenty space flowers, all yours to do with as you see fit. I hope this is compensation enough," Thirio sat in silence while the chocolate beauty across from him was lost in her thoughts.
"It's sufficient, I'll have to make contact with a few people to ensure maximum profit. I'll send you your cut of the profit once I've taken my share in full," storing the flowers in a silver tag she took from her neck, Thirio couldn't help gazing at the tag leaving and disappearing between the valley of two mountains.
Thirio's eyes moved back to Senna's face who gave a smile, not at all bothered by what he had just done. The transaction sealed between the two, a chipped was handed to Thirio, "here's the information, I hope to hear good news."
Hearing a buzzing from the watch on her wrist, Senna slowly rose from her seat, straightening her black uniform, " my military duties call. Until next time."
Thirio watched the woman leave, his gaze focusing on her ass that jiggled slightly with each step as she left the room. Chip in hand, Thirio left the room minutes after, "time to head back to base."
___
Thirio sat in his cultivation room with a puzzled look on his face. Having gone through the information he'd gotten from Senna and taking a full day to relax his tense muscle.
Thirio spent the last two weeks internalizing all the enlightenment and discoveries he received from the Resting Forest expedition.
"So this is the power of the regular peak foundation realm," feeling the air stir wherever his fist passed. Stilling his movements, Thirio thought back on the power shown by the elf and Rian, "this isn't anywhere near the power I felt from those two."
Shifting to the other discoveries from his period of cultivation, the vortex and orbs of his trinity blinked into existence for a short while before vanishing, "Greed, let's have a little chat. What do you say?"
"Hehe, it's been a while since you've called me Thirio," like a tinkling bell, a sweet voice drifted into Thirio's ear; the yellow flame floating before his eyes, "Your last mission has been completed, I can pass on the rewards to you at...."
"What are you and what's your purpose staying by my side," cutting the voice of the flame, Thirio stared coldly at the being, " though I suspect you do have a relation to the Sin of Greed, what are you and what's your purpose staying by my side."
The flame floated silently, seeming to match Thirio's cold gaze with one of amusement and intrigue. "You're quite the observant one, I'm sure I hid it well, so how did you find out?"
"You did hide it quite well if it wasn't for my new knowledge on the Extreme stage giving me a deeper understanding of Origin energy, I would still be in the dark. I doubt you're here to cause me any harm, at least for the time being, so what is your purpose?"
Soft laughter came from the flame after Thirio finished his words. Shaking from side to side as if mimicking a person rolling on the floor, the soft laughter continued. "Hmm, even if I told you my purpose you wouldn't understand it right now, your current realm of power isn't enough.
I am your guide and link to the Sins like you assumed. I can't go into much more details but," a spark of fire flickered from the body of the flame forming a burning yellow paper before Thirio's eyes.
"This contract should at least appease you, for the time being, it's only a small section of the entire thing but this should show you that I can't act in any way that would lead you to harm directly or otherwise."
Thirio poured over the words on the burning page and they matched what the flame said and then some, the restrictions that he could see covered every possible way that the flame could harm him though he did file away the knowledge that this wasn't the entire contract, and since it was a contract, "what do I have to give up as my part of the contract."
"Nothing, you're not the one paying for the contract, as for who is, I'm not at liberty to say," Thirio swore he saw the flame shrugging as it said those words, well as much of a shrug as a flame could pull off anyway.
" You've arrived at the gates to the Extreme stage faster than I expected you to. What do you know so far."
Gathering his newly learnt knowledge, " it's the stage in which one pushes past the natural limitations of a realm to reach greater heights of control and power. Spatial energy is what's usually used to expand the space within the spheres but I have no idea as to a solid method of how to achieve it without suffering backlash."
Watching the flame nodding, at least Thirio assumed it was nodding with that up and down movement, "you pretty much have basic knowledge but that's not all, the Extreme stage is broken into three minor stages being 3-meters, 6-meters, and 9-meters. Each 3-meters is a minor stage, meaning 9-meters is the peak. Within the area the Origin energy will be at your beck and call, you do this by using the unique aura that will be birthed once you push pass the limit," diving into a more in-depth explanation, one man and flame within the room was lost to the world outside.
Thirio released a turbid breath as he and the flame finished their discussion. His path into the Extreme stage now clear, he released the 2nd rank space flowers from storage to begin his session of cultivation.
"Do you have a name you go by, it'll be bothersome to keep calling you Greed."
"Hmm, I don't think it matters one way or the other, hmm," deep in thought the flame floated over to rest on Thirio's head.
"Call me Vadne."