Elijah was beaten so badly that he looked like a monster, with every inch of him looking disfigured. Kai was carrying him on his back, the bear by his side. "You shouldn't have made her so mad, Elijah," Kai spoke with a smirk.
"Why a...re ...y...ou smiling,?" Elijah stammered.
"HAHAHAHAHA, how can I not? Did you even look at your face?" Kai laughed.
An annoyed expression appeared on Elijah's face. "Also, stop taking wrong turns and just go straight."
"Wait, I am going straight," Kai retorted, but Elijah just pointed somewhere, and Kai stretched his back, turning.
The forest was beautiful, dark at night, but a sense of peace emanated from it. Moonlight filtered through the dense canopy, casting intricate patterns on the forest floor.
The leaves rustled softly in the gentle breeze, and the distant call of nocturnal creatures created a serene symphony. The air was cool and crisp, carrying the earthy scent of moss and pine.
Kai, standing tall and vigilant, released his pressure, a wave of unseen energy that rippled through the trees. This subtle force kept any beasts from venturing near them, ensuring their safety. The silence that followed was profound, as if the forest itself respected Kai's command.
As they moved, the sound of crashing waves grew louder, signaling their approach to the ocean. When they finally emerged from the forest's embrace, the sight that greeted them was breathtaking.
The moon hung low over the horizon, its silvery light dancing on the surface of the water. The ocean looked even more beautiful than Kai remembered, a scene that made his heart beat faster. The waves lapped gently at the shore, their rhythmic motion both mesmerizing and calming.
The bear, a massive and silent guardian, sat behind Kai, its eyes reflecting the moonlight. Kai carefully lowered Elijah, who had fallen asleep at some point during their journey, onto the soft sand. Elijah's peaceful expression under the moonlit sky mirrored the tranquility of the surroundings.
The ocean stretched out before them, an endless expanse of dark water glittering under the night sky. The sound of the waves was a soothing lullaby, and the cool, salty breeze carried a sense of renewal and promise.
Kai took a deep breath, feeling a profound connection to the natural beauty around him. This place, at the edge of the forest and the beginning of the sea, was a sanctuary where time seemed to stand still, and for a moment, all worries were forgotten.
Using the bear's fur as a pillow, Elijah seemed at peace. "Our stupid leader, stay here. I'm going to train," Kai said and left.
The bear even closed its eyes before feeling someone stroking its fur and realized it was Elijah. "You know we haven't given you a name, right?" Elijah smiled and jumped up, stretching his body and yawning.
"With the amount of spiritual energy I have, I can last there for 6 hours, which will be 3 hours outside. But by putting my spiritual body, it will be 12 hours, though the effects of my training will be less," he sighed and added. "I should only use my spiritual body when I can't remove myself from here." Breathing in, his eyes glowed silver, and a tear in space appeared. He jumped in.
The bear was shocked and even stunned, but it knew its masters were strange people, so it didn't think much about it and shut its mouth, closing its eyes to go to sleep.
**In the Physical Dimension**
Elijah was wearing his training suit, which was at Level 2, with weights on his body. The weights were there because Elijah couldn't survive a Level 3 training suit. Alter Elijah appeared, a smirk on his face. "Sharpen, strengthen, and technique."
They both said at the same time as a memory of Miss Ava appeared in their minds. Why was he fighting himself? The reason was that Alter Elijah always seemed sharper, stronger, and advanced their techniques even further.
Alter Elijah never said the reason, but he didn't really care. He was a guideline for what Elijah should improve upon. He was also planning on breaking through from the Novice realm to the Expert realm of hand-to-hand combat soon, so he needed someone better than him to see what to improve.
Like Alter Elijah, who used the same technique as him but much more efficiently. Another reason was that he wanted Alter Elijah to be in the Lotus Form so that he could also challenge his strength and grow faster.
As the lotus was absorbed, Elijah's appearance began to change dramatically. Scales started to appear on his skin, spreading across his body. His eyes transformed, taking on the fierce and intense look of a dragon.
There was a buzzing, crackling sound like lightning in the air as his hair began to change. It turned into a brilliant blue, shimmering and crackling with energy, as if made of pure lightning.
Remember, Elijah is now E- rank, and when using that form, he reaches E+ rank.
Alter Elijah = E+ rank
Elijah was limited by the training suit he was wearing, along with the weights, meaning his strength was mostly around F- to F rank. Both sides then disappeared and reappeared, clashing.
Outside in the Forest
Kai, with his blonde hair plastered to his forehead from the sheer amount of sweat pouring off him, had stripped down to his bare torso. He gripped a log of iron that seemed deceptively heavy, his muscles rippling with each swing.
His veins bulged prominently, pumping blood furiously through his exerted body, and the heat from his efforts caused steam to rise from his skin, giving him an almost ethereal glow in the dim light.
"Just a little bit more," Kai murmured to himself, his voice a mix of determination and exhaustion. He swung the iron log with a practiced grace, moving fluidly into a stance. His eyes transformed, becoming dark, bottomless pits as the dark elements swirled around the log, coating it in a shadowy aura.
"One Sword Style: Lightless Slash." With these words, Kai unleashed a powerful, moon arc dark slash that carved through the air with a deafening whoosh.
The force of the slash generated a gust of wind that rippled outward, the dark energy slicing effortlessly through anything in its path.
"Just a little bit more," Kai repeated, his voice now a whisper of resolve. He could feel his comprehension of swordsmanship teetering on the brink of a breakthrough.
The techniques he had practiced tirelessly were coalescing into a deeper, more intuitive understanding. He was on the cusp of reaching the expert realm, needing just one final push to transcend his current limits.
Simultaneously, he felt a surging energy within him, his elemental core pulsing with raw power.
The sensation was akin to a storm brewing inside him, ready to break free and elevate him to Tier 1. The combined pressures of perfecting his swordsmanship and advancing his elemental core created a heady mix of anticipation and focus.
Kai paused for a moment, catching his breath, his chest heaving with the effort. The steam rising from his body intensified, surrounding him in a misty shroud. His eyes, still dark and intense, reflected his unwavering determination.
He knew that both his skills and his elemental power were on the verge of a significant breakthrough. All he needed was to push just a little bit more.
In the House Where the Group Was Staying
Julia knelt on the ground, her slender fingers moving with precision as she drew intricate runes on the floor. The symbols glowed faintly, pulsating with latent power.
To say the least, Julia was a one-of-a-kind talent; if not for the monstrous prowess of the Seven Miracles, she could have been renowned across the galaxy. Despite being only at the beginning stage, Julia was already a Tier 0 rune master, a feat astonishing for someone her age.
Most practitioners took 5 to 10 years to reach this tier and twice as long to advance to Tier 1. Yet, Julia felt that with focused dedication, she could achieve Tier 1 within two years.
This level of talent was unparalleled, capable of rivalling the Seven Miracles themselves. However, while those prodigies were monsters of this age, both in talent and combat ability, Julia's fighting prowess was merely considered at a Genius level.
At this moment, Julia was crafting runes designed to absorb all the nearby water and lightning elements, channeling them to a single focal point—herself.
Her concentration was absolute because even a small mistake could cause the entire rune to explode, potentially killing her. This was the inherent danger of rune crafting.
The reason she was gathering these elements was to absorb them and break through to Tier 1.
Unlike Elijah, who could create his own elements—a feat deemed impossible by conventional standards—Julia and others like her had to draw from the elements present in the atmosphere.
She would have preferred to perform these runes by the ocean, where the concentration of water elements was significantly higher. However, the risk of a monster attack or the rune being disturbed was too great. Any slight disruption could spell disaster.
Julia also doubted that Elijah or Kai would sit idly by for hours, simply watching her.
They were too restless, too driven by their own ambitions and desires to provide the undisturbed vigil she would need by the ocean. Here, in the relative safety of the house, she could control the environment to a degree, mitigating potential risks.
As she worked, the runes began to glow more intensely, drawing in the surrounding elements. Water vapor from the air and latent electrical energy converged, swirling around Julia. She felt the power building, a hum of energy resonating through her very bones.
Sweat trickled down her forehead as she maintained her focus. The elements gathered, forming a dense, shimmering sphere around her.
She began the absorption process, feeling the raw energy entering her body, merging with her core. It was both exhilarating and terrifying, the sheer power threatening to overwhelm her.
Julia's thoughts briefly wandered to Elijah and Kai. She knew they cared for her, but their restlessness and unpredictable nature made them unreliable as guardians during such a delicate procedure. She would have to rely on her own strength and resilience to see this through.
Minutes felt like hours as Julia continued to draw in the elements. Finally, the glowing runes began to dim, their energy transferred into her. She opened her eyes, feeling a surge of power. She had done it.