Just as Valerius reached the inner circle, a voice that was youthful and unsteady as if belonging to a boy undergoing puberty called out to him from behind.
"H-How? With your thin arms and legs, how did you manage to accomplish a feat that requires immense physical strength? Can you please tell me?"
The voice carried no mockery; it was earnest, filled with genuine curiosity about how Valerius, with his seemingly frail physique, had managed to achieve the feat of reaching the inner circle during the spirit veins awakening ceremony.
Valerius felt intrigued and turned to identify the speaker.
Entering his view was a young boy with pointy ears, eyes reminiscent of a grey, cloudy sky on a rainy day, silver hair, pale white skin, and a body draped in a jet-black robe.
'I've finally seen him!' Valerius thought as his eyes sparkled with excitement and he felt a sense of fulfillment washing over him.
Now, who was this Quinlan, and why did his presence evoke such a reaction from Valerius?
Well, Quinlan was the main protagonist of The Great Conquer. His distinctive elvish features that were rarely found in Serphendale and his unique attire that seemed to absorb the very light around him made him easily recognizable.
After transmigration, Valerius had been hoping to catch a glimpse of him in this world, and now, unexpectedly, his wish had come true, and he must say, the author didn't describe him wrongly in the novel.
The protagonist of The Great Conquer indeed looked like a mysterious and eye-catching person with a depth that couldn't be discerned. Even he as a reader couldn't tell what he was plotting.
As Valerius was looking at the young boy, a voice rang in his ears, bringing with it an important message.
"You have come across a Destiny Child. In the Quest Book, there are several hidden quests related to the Limitless Destiny Child. Discover what these quests are and complete them, and you will receive unexpected rewards."
A thoughtful look flashed across Valerius's features, and his gaze intensified as he contemplated the new information.
'Limitless' was the name of Quinlan's spiritual physique, and it was one of the nine divine spiritual physiques known to wizards.
Valerius wondered, was Quinlan designated as a Destiny Child because he possessed 'Limitless'?
If that were true, it implied that other Destiny Children might also be bearers of divine spiritual physiques.
This was, of course, just Valerius's hypothesis. He would need to encounter another Destiny Child to confirm his guess.
Anyway, for now, he didn't even know what exactly he needed to do to complete the hidden quests related to Quinlan.
Quinlan, seemingly weirded out by the intense gaze with which Valerius was unintentionally looking at him without uttering a word, broke the silence by uttering, "Is it a secret?"
Hell yeah, it was, and a vital one at that. Valerius nodded inwardly.
'I definitely can't talk about my golden finger with anyone.'
That was Valerius's first thought when he first discovered the mysterious space in his mind for in a world as unpredictable as Serphendale, where all sorts of eccentric and potentially dangerous individuals roamed, divulging such information could lead to disastrous consequences such as getting kidnapped, strapped to a table, and dissected out of a madman's sheer curiosity.
'But I should provide him a beneficial answer.'
He had two reasons for thinking that.
Firstly, guiding Quinlan might complete a hidden mission. Secondly, helping Quinlan would certainly benefit him in the long run.
To understand why, one must not only delve into the Legend of Elandrial, which narrates the life of the forefather of humans, but also understand the character of the protagonist.
First, we will talk about the Legend of Elandrial.
According to the storybook, Elandrial possessed an array of extraordinary attributes and abilities.
He could sleep among giants without being accidentally crushed to death. He could dance with merfolks beneath the waves, effortlessly breathing underwater as if he were one of their own. Last but not least, he could effortlessly communicate with animals. He was more like a God than a man but Serphians liked to believe he was human and that they were his descendants. After all, it was only then they could justify that they were more special than every other race in Serphendale and considered themselves superior.
Back to the storybook, it was said that when Death came for Elandrial, he decided to separate every unique aspect of himself from his body in an act of unparalleled benevolence, scattering them across the world to ensure the prosperity of future generations.
These unique aspects eventually manifested as divine spiritual physiques, imbuing those fortunate enough to inherit them with incredible powers.
How much of it was truth, no one knew as the Legend of Elandrial was set in an era long before the Dark Ages, known as the Aeon of Unpredictability, a time lost to history, its stories and legends passed down through generations, growing more enigmatic and deviating from its original form as the centuries rolled by.
One thing, however, was certain.
Divine spiritual physiques were very much real!
There were nine kinds of divine spiritual physiques, each one corresponding to the unique aspects of Elandrial.
The one that Kendrick and Aric had mistaken Valerius to be in possession of was called the Divine Spiritual Physique of Extreme Adaptability.
In the storybook, it was told that Elandrial's first son, born from his own spit, fell gravely ill in the 101st year of the Aeon of Unpredictability.
By then, Elandrial had lived for a hundred years, and seen a lot of things, but even then, he had no way of curing his son. No matter what he tried, his son's condition kept on worsening.
During this time, a hermit named Sage Turigon, who was known for his great wisdom, resided at the Waterfall of Mount Kasha. He was said to have an answer for everything.
Believing that he might have a way to cure his son,
Elandrial went to the sage to seek guidance and was surprised to discover that the hermit was a gigantic turtle the size of a freaking hill.
After he told the turtle why he had sought it out, Sage Turigon promised to teach Elandrial a way to cure his son if he agreed to complete a few tasks for him.
Elandrial accepted the deal without hesitation as he was desperate.
After he fulfilled his end of the bargain, the turtle said that at the peak of Mount Kasha was the condensed crystal of a thousand rays of sun. If he could get it, his son could be saved.
But in his heart, the turtle knew there was no coming back from it.
The journey to the mountain peak had a 100% mortality rate.
No one had ever survived it. Everyone who had gone up the mountain in search of the rare treasure had never come down.
Leaving his son in the care of Sage Turigon, Elandrial began his treacherous ascent without knowing what he was about to face.
When he had climbed halfway, the temperature dropped to sub-zero, causing frostbite to set in.
Yet, despite the excruciating pain and the severe conditions, Elandrial pressed on.
Astoundingly, rather than the frostbite spreading across his body, it began to recede.
Along his path, Elandrial encountered numerous ice statues, varying in size from gigantic trees to small rocks. They were the frozen forms of those who had attempted to scale Mount Kasha in the past, all of whom had succumbed to the mountain's deadly chill.
However, Elandrial remained unaffected as if he had become one with his deadly environment.
"I have become the wind, the winter, and everything cold!"
Eventually, he reached the peak, collected the Condensed Droplet of a Thousand Rays, and returned to Sage Turigon, saving his son's life.
This left the wise turtle stunned. It had believed itself to be all-knowing, but it hadn't known that he would survive and save his son. For the first time since birth, it had been proven wrong. Its belief shattered and it started questioning the meaning of its existence.
It inquired about how he had managed to survive the intense cold at the peak of the mountain which could turn the fiercest of dragons into a mere statue of ice.
Elandrial could only respond with a scratch of his chin, admitting that although he was losing the battle at first, after a while it no longer felt uncomfortable.
For the first time since they had met, Sage Turigon's little beady eyes widened to the size of saucers in realization.
"I understand now," in the storybook, it had exclaimed. "Your ability to adapt to foreign environments is unprecedented."
There were two morals to this story.
A: When there is a will, there is a way.
B: The greatest strength of humans is their ability to adapt. When you're trying to do something new, it might be painful and uncomfortable at first, but don't let that stop you. It will get better in due time!
Valerius was quite familiar with this sensation. When he first started exercising, it was painful, tiring, and exhausting, and he could use all the negative words to describe it. It made him feel so bad he wanted to give up. But after a few months, he got used to it. He had adapted to it!
It was believed that the Divine Spiritual Physique of Extreme Adaptability was derived from Elandrial's unique aspect of Supreme Adaptiveness.
However there was no proof to back this claim.
But there was no other way to explain it too, which in itself acted as proof for some people.
Anyways, another one of Elandrial's unique aspects was called the Limitless.
It wasn't specifically mentioned in the storybook, but it was quite clear from the story itself that Elandrial didn't have a limit to his growth; he could become infinitely powerful.
This aspect of his, it was believed, gave birth to the Divine Spiritual Physique known as No limits or simply Limitless.
What this physique did was truly unique. At the start, a person with this physique was no different than others. However, as they started growing stronger, this physique would show its effects. Just by growing stronger, the talent and potential of a Limitless could increase continuously, allowing for infinite growth!
Every divine physique could only have one owner, and the owner of Limitless in this era was Quinlan!
Now Quinlan wasn't one to forget favors. He was the kind who repaid enmity tenfold and generosity a hundredfold.
Forming a bond with him, particularly one where he owed a favor, was undeniably advantageous from any perspective.
That was part of the reason why Valerius wanted to help him.
The other part was that they shared a common enemy: the necromancer.
In the novel, Quinlan only awakened his level 1 spirit vein in the ceremony. But with the advice Valerius was about to give him, maybe he would be able to awaken his level 2 spirit vein.
Considering he was the Limitless, It will change his future for the better.
Valerius would also benefit from this. By speeding up the protagonist's growth progress, he would be able to prepare for the early demise of the necromancer. As long as the necromancer was alive, he would never feel safe.
Of course, his first goal was to not be expelled from the Khaleji family and survive the assassination.
And his second goal was to leave the Khaleji for a better place where he could grow unhindered without feeling constantly endangered as if he was a canary trapped in a cage with predators.
Valerius looked straight into Quinlan's eyes, conveying his sincerity to the latter.
"I don't mind sharing my secret with you," he said calmly. "How I progressed to the inner circle despite facing the domination of the old senior's soul radiation... it all comes down to a simple understanding. Do you remember what the old senior said before starting the ceremony?"
Quinlan furrowed his brows in thought, dredging up the memory from the recess of his mind, "That we could sustain injuries during the ceremony?
"No, after that," Valerius said.
A flash of realization crossed Quinlan's eyes, "He gave his word, promising that no one would lose their life in this ceremony."
"Precisely that," Valerius affirmed with a nod, his demeanor turning serious. "There's an absolute certainty of no death occurring in this ceremony. Since that's the case, I dared to push myself beyond what I am capable of. It wasn't easy for me to get to the inner circle. On my way here, my body was screaming at me to stop. It felt like I would break down. But I forced it. And look now. I have succeeded."
Hearing his words, Quinlan's expression morphed into one of bewilderment. He was finding it hard to believe there was a guy like Valerius who would blindly believe someone else and risk his life. He said, "But how can you place so much trust in his words? Just because he proclaimed it, you believed it without a shadow of a doubt?"
"Do I look naive to you?" Valerius said, before pointing at Kendrick and continuing, "Old senior over there is very trustworthy. He has a habit of going through hell and back to keep his word. His credibility is beyond question. You can place your trust in him."
His words weren't loud, but they weren't quiet either. Aric and Kendrick, who were eavesdropping with their sharp senses, heard him clearly.
"Master, I think he knows," Aric said, his voice laced with surprise.
The old man exhaled a sigh, rolling his eyes subtly, "If a mere child could see through my disguise, would I still be deserving of the title 'Thousand Faces'?"
"But then how would you explain his behavior?" Aric questioned.
Valerius didn't carry himself like a fool. From what they've observed, he was more akin to a crafty merchant, calculating and shrewd.
He wouldn't blindly trust a person.
But he trusted the old man would keep his word as if he was aware that he was Kendrick, one of the heroes of the Great Wizard War!
The old man, however, was, blinded by his pride. He was unwilling to accept that he had been seen through by someone who wasn't even a wizard.
"Maybe he is gullible," he muttered, though the uncertainty in his voice was evident.
Aric decided not to push the matter further, saving his master some face by not voicing out the obvious and himself an obvious beating.
Meanwhile, back in the trial zone, Quinlan spoke, his voice tinged with a hint of frustration, "I understand that no matter how recklessly one behaves in the ceremony, they won't die. The old senior won't let them. But I... I just can't do it. I can't let go of my fear of death. I want to move forward, reach the inner circle, and awaken my level 2 spirit vein, but my body isn't listening to me."
"You just need a little motivation," Valerius said as a sharp glint of determination flashed in his eyes, radiant and resplendent like the sun. "Watch me. I will show you how it is done."
The old man had said that there was a way to awaken the level 3 spirit vein during the ceremony when he was answering their questions before the ceremony began.
Valerius knew what it was as it was mentioned in the comment section of the novel.
It was to go all the way up to the source of the soul radiation.
The principle behind this was quite simple.
In the trial zone, the intensity of soul radiation increased the closer one was to its source, and spirit veins were highly reactive to this radiation.
Basically, reach close enough to the old man, and the rich and concentrated soul radiation there would stir awake your dormant level 3 spirit vein.
However, embarking on such a journey was a monumental task.
Valerius was running low on stamina. Even with an iron will, he couldn't possibly make the journey with such a scant amount of stamina.
Thus, he quickly put the two points he had just earned from completing the second task of his quest into his stamina.
Immediately, he felt a surge of energy coursing through his veins.
He had gained the energy to aim for the impossible. Now, it was time to put it to good use.
He took a deep breath in and muttered, "Let's do this," under his breath.
Without a moment's hesitation, he started moving forward, straight towards the old man, his steps steady and unwavering, as if showing Quinlan that fear was but a hurdle to overcome.
Yet, halfway through, Valerius felt as though his body had turned to lead. Every step, no, every half-step forward left him gasping for breath. But he didn't stop even for a moment. He could tell that if he stopped, he wouldn't be able to continue.
After a couple of minutes, he was just 7 feet away from the old man.
Thud!
When he reached there, the soul radiation of the old man struck him like the wrath of god, causing him to collapse to the ground with a dull thud.
The onlookers thought that his dreadful march that had put all of them to shame had finally come to an end.
The very next moment, they were left agape, their faces contorted in a mixture of disbelief and awe as they watched, stunned and speechless, as Valerius started crawling forward, inching his way toward the old man.
"Would you look at that! His tenacity is comparable to a cockroach!" Benjamin exclaimed.
"Is he really from the Khaleji family? How can he act so disgracefully? I don't know what my good sister sees in him." Lysandra's cousin commented, her tone laced with disdain.
"You see that as disgraceful? Bitch, you're crazy! All I see is blinding manliness bursting forth!" another onlooker retorted, clearly impressed by Valerius's resolve. He didn't care who he waa offending because he had quite a solid backing himself.
Lysandra glared at him and looked away. She couldn't offend him!
"I must be looking cool as hell to the protagonist," Valerius thought.
In Val's mind, he was crawling with the precision and determination of a soldier during a drill, who was moving stealthily across a fenced land, sliding under each obstacle with practiced ease, but the reality was reflected in the eyes of the onlookers. He was squirming like a worm, covering an inch at a time.
However, there was nothing to laugh about.
Although it looked unsightly, it was working!
Quinlan was impressed.
As Valerius got closer and closer to the old man, the pressure bearing down on him grew heavier.
Creak! Creak!
The bones in his body creaked ominously under the pressure.
"Man, you're breaking."
"Just stop or you'll really die!"
The onlookers couldn't fathom how he was able to advance forward despite being in such apparent agony. Just how strong willed was he and why was he going so far? Its not like awakening one more vein in the ceremony would bring about a massive change. It would only hasten his growth by a month or four.
Valerius ignored all of their comments.
The old man was shocked and impressed by Valerius's performance. He asked, "Do you not feel pain? Do you not fear death?"
Valerius paused for a moment to catch his breath, hearing the old man's words.
Of course, he felt pain, and yes, he feared death.
But as he had told Quinlan, no matter how recklessly one behaved in this ceremony, they would not die; the old man had given his word.
Thus, he dared to act so recklessly.
Besides, the pain he was enduring right now was nothing compared to the regret he would feel later if he didn't make the best use of this golden opportunity.
Unfortunately, exhausted beyond belief, both mentally and physically, Valerius found himself unable to articulate his thoughts into words.
He could only let out a hearty laugh.
In the stillness of the ceremony site, the laugh echoed like the thunderous rumble of the sky.
The jaws of everyone present dropped so suddenly and with such intensity that their jaws broke through the confines of the dimension, vanishing.
They had only heard of individuals who dared to laugh in the face of death, but now they had seen it too!
Valerius, his talent as a wizard might be negligible, but his willpower was unparalleled!
The way Quinlan and many others looked at him changed. They started to see him in a new light.
He was not the trash that rumors spreading in the alleyways of the community had made him out to be. He was a person they should look up to and learn from!
Everyone knows hell hath no fury like a woman scorned. But why have we never taken a moment to truly ponder upon the extent a desperate man might reach in pursuit of his dreams and ambitions?
There exists a saying that desperation can lead an ambitious man to perform unimaginable feats.
A desperate and ambitious man would set the very sky ablaze, transform heaven into hell, and vice versa, all in the name of achieving his heart's deepest desires!
At this particular juncture in time, the will of such a man was fiercely blazing within the depths of Valerius's eyes.
For the sake of fulfilling his heart's deepest desire, for the purpose of turning his dreams into reality, he relentlessly crawled forward.
Each inch he covered brought him agonizing pain, as the powerful soul radiation emitted by the old man he was confronting resulted in his bones shattering one after the other.
Yet, despite this unbearable pain, he gritted his teeth, only letting out beastly grunts, and persisted; he crawled forward as blood dripped from his mouth, nose, ears, and eyes, and maybe all the other holes in his body.
Drip. Drop.
Blood began to pour out from his seven orifices. It was a clear indication that the immense bone-breaking pressure he was under was going to kill him. Yet even in the face of fucking Death itself, he continued to crawl forward.
Even as his limbs lost strength, he crawled forward using his shoulders, then his teeth. At this moment, every inch of his body was like a weapon he was using to win this war.
Engulfed by excruciating pain, his vision also faded, consumed by an all-encompassing darkness. However, even when he was plunged into the depths of despair, Valerius did not surrender. He inched forward, propelled by an unshakeable will that refused to be extinguished.
His physical body was on the brink of collapse, his mind was numb, teetering on the edge of consciousness. Yet, his will, his very soul, was ablaze, shining brighter than the sun itself, unwavering like a mountain standing tall against the test of time.
And this alone was enough.
No one dared to mock Valerius.
A man of sheer fucking willpower, how can he become the butt of someone's joke?
They were awed by him as they watched him reach his goal.
"I want to be like him," Quinlan muttered under his breath.
Valerius became Quinlan's idol as he reached all the way up to the old man with sheer fucking will alone.
Dong!
Just as he crawled up to the old man, a resounding 'dong' emitted from Valerius's body, signifying he had awakened his third spirit vein.