The Extraction didn't take long to extract the gift of Elder White Beard.
Soon, under the ear-piercing scream Kopi released with his open mouth, his voice echoed in Kopi's mind.
[Finishing to extract the gift… Completed! The individual the host has extracted lost his gift, and his mana core has completely vanished. There is a possibility to create it, but one has to find the divine rank fruit in an environment that has a rich concentration of ice elements to achieve it.
For the host, please apologize to the respected Elder.]
The Extraction's voice was so respectful that it didn't seem to be monotonous anymore.
Kopi could sense it, but he was still suffering from the excruciating pain engraved deep in his mind.
Even when the pain was no more, it was still vivid, as though he was still experiencing it.
His open mouth didn't produce a single sound.
He was in total shock.
Elder White Beard, meanwhile, was a bit worried about him, but he couldn't be any more worried than his future.
After all, he had lost his Gift now.
'What will happen?' Elder White Beard was surprisingly calmed as he wondered. 'Will I be powerless now?'
Elder White Beard tried to sense any mana from his surroundings, and he could perceive them.
But his sensitivity was obviously diminishing.
If it wasn't for him reaching a divine rank, he wouldn't be surprised he couldn't be any different than a mortal.
'Now, I understand.' Elder White Beard's eyes gleamed in astonishment. 'So this is what the gift is all about.
They are like a talent. If you lost it, but when you are at your peak, what you attained won't vanish.
Just like now.'
Elder White Beard suddenly released his Mana Aura to the extreme, controlling it to the point of excluding Kopi from getting harmful by it.
His house turned to ice, and it even altered into an ice castle.
What he was doing was obviously conspicuous, gaining the attention of people even a mile away.
However, Elder White Beard didn't care.
'It's still not enough.' He thought as he shook his head. 'Good thing I hold back. Or else, I will turn the whole archipelago into ice.'
He chuckled and looked above.
The season of the Wilham archipelago only consisted of two: dry season and rainy season.
However, now it has changed.
Elder White Beard might have restrained his Mana Aura, but he took it to the extreme… from a mortal's perspective.
The WIlham had another season, and it was quickly spreading.
The Winter Season.
'They are quick.' A foreboding feeling arose, causing his eyebrows to furrow.
'Well, I shouldn't have done it.'
Elder White Beard shook his head and glanced at Kopi.
'Even when I lost my gift. Nothing really changed since I reached the peak.
However…'
He smiled, dropped one knee before Kopi, and touched his forehead with his index finger.
'You should take responsibility for it. You carry my gift, so you also must carry my will. It will be up to you though to achieve it.'
Elder White Beard couldn't hold being emotional, gazing at Kopi with mixed emotions.
'You are already grown up.'
He smiled as he circulated his mana inside his body in an external way.
Since he had lost his mana core, he could gather mana, as though he was breathing, in his surroundings anyway, so he didn't mind.
But, of course, in the battle against the same rank as him, he would instantly be defeated.
That is how salient possessing a core is.
No matter what, he could handle a transcendent rank at least… not just a prodigy like the Sword Saint.
'Still, nothing changed.' He convinced himself.
His index fingertip illuminated a snowflake's portrait, suddenly moving forward to stick on Kopi's forehead.
It was then… Kopi's head was encased by the block of ice.
After five seconds, it broke and disintegrated into pieces.
Kopi's frozen, total shock face radiated a viridescent dim, freeing his face from blue color.
Slowly, his muscles twitched and loosened, causing his face to be serene.
Elder White Beard didn't regret what he did.
What he did was something only he and Kopi would know.
He gazed at Kopi for a while; a smile formed on his face.
He had the urge to caress his face, but he held back.
Even though he knew this would be their last meeting.
He sat up, straightened his back, extended his arm to his right side, and spread his hand.
The mana gathered, and it made Elder White Beard in excruciating pain.
He beamed a smile once again, ignoring the torment.
'Still, nothing changed.'
He lied.
For the Wilham Archipelago, the environment where ice elements have high concentration was undoubtedly rare.
Therefore, fire awakeners were the most famous and had more impact on society.
Except for the fact the winter season has come after releasing his Mana Aura, the ice element's concentration was just not sufficient.
He has to gather the mana from his surroundings and alter them to the ice element on his mana core… however, he didn't have it.
He could have altered it through his Mana Aura, but he was afraid it would gain the attention that it already had.
He has to force his body, containing the mana veins that should have connected to his mana core, to alter the mana to the ice element.
Even when he was in torment, it wasn't excessive since he wasn't conjuring a transcendent spell.
It was even only a Rank 3 spell from his self-created Divine Art.
"You," Elder White Beard spoke to an image like him, standing as it stared at him.
It was his clone made of Ice Element, and it had a bit of intelligence.
Of course, if it was only a mortal realm attempting to create a clone, aside from their feeble power like their creator, they didn't have knowledge and only followed what was ordered.
It was the same case with the Elder White Beard, but it knew how to accomplish it well through critical thinking.
"Carry him and disappear from here."