๐๐๐ง๐๐ ๐ฆ๐ก!
๐๐๐ง๐๐ ๐ฆ๐ก!
๐๐๐ง๐๐ ๐ฆ๐ก!
๐๐๐ง๐๐ ๐ฆ๐ก!
๐ผ๐ค๐ค๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ง๐๐ ๐๐๐ -> ๐๐๐ก
So much essence rushed into Zane at once he felt his Core flexing, expanding with his new capacity. It was a rare thing to feel itโit spoke to how much he'd gained.
He would need every bit he could get.
It was bigger. But still mostly drained. It would've been nice if he could use Leveling essence to refill himself. But to fuel his Core he needed his own essence.
He was satisfied, if spent.
It would be a little while yet before he was back to fighting shapeโand not just because of his essence situation.
His soul was still exhausted, but moreโhe felt a dizzying spike of pain, enough to make him hiss. He examined himself. And found a nasty surprise waiting.
Splotches of corruption ran all through him. Staining his muscles, his organsโespecially down the middle. His midsection was splotched black all over, an oilspill in the Astral Planeโฆ
Reina rushed to catch himโthrew on regeneration. Cleansing him, burning it away, slowly stabilizing him. It still felt like it was burning holes inside him. But she quickly got a handle on it. It was Nascent essence. It would take a little while to melt, it looked like.
He didn't feel like he would collapse at any moment anymore. Even though dizzy spells kept smashing him over the head. Like deep hunger pangs but for essence. He took some elixirsโฆ it would still be a while.
But they had to go on. The other Monster hordes were still at their backs, gaining ground. So they went.
***
Same situation. Zane and Reina as a pair, Evan giving Avery a piggyback rideโand they were making good progress, Reina thought, which was the first good news Zane had heard in a while.
She had them run slightly diagonal for a bit. Then back to their original path, noted the change in the angle of the compass on the mini-map, ran some ballpark figures in her head to figure out how far they had to go. Evan asked her what Skill she was using, and she said "Math." It blew his mind.
With their pace of travel, she said it would take two days until they got there.
They would have to hold out until then.
Avery guided themโtrying to weave them between Monster armies that somehow kept cropping up in the distance. Their little crew ran faster than any individual armyโthey just had to keep going around them, which felt, according to Avery, like playing the world's most high-stakes game of Pac-Man.
"Lucky for you," she said proudly. "You stand in the presence of the 7th place finisher in Division C of the 2022 Greater Seattle Area Pac-Man Championships!"
Evan gasped, asked how many participants there were, and she hastily changed the subject.
There was an absurd amount of strong demons here according to her. Crawling hordes of them. They traveled in packs though. And this place was enormous. So it was still possible to skirt them. For now, at least. While the net was still closingโฆ
Zane figured it wouldn't be too long before he would have to fight again.
And he could do it. But he was also a little concerned that first army would not be the worst of their troubles here.
If they somehow had to take more than thatโmaybe three Nascent Monster knights or two armies at onceโฆ he felt like he was fighting the world.
To do that he needed more firepower from his body. Which was something he seldom thought. It was true, though. He could not crush just one. He had to crush them all.
They skirted Monster hotspots ran around lakes of boiling corruption fields of corruption scars staining the airโฆ and at last came to a rest.
Evan was pretty pooped. He had been running all day. Zane could run a while longerโespecially now that Reina had cleared out most of his corruption. But he had made the decision to stop.
Reina wasn't doing too well, even though she kept denying it. He knew her. She had dark circles under her eyesโshe looked a little sleepy. She was running low doing all this healing, while also warding off the very air in this place. She'd done a lot.
Sure enough, after they stopped, she kind of slumped into Zane, on the verge of passing out. He fed her healing elixir, let her rest on him. She started murmuring a little as she drifted off.
They settled in an empty stretch of plain. Cracked black ground stretching far as the eye could see, curving around boiling tar-lakes, broken up by forks of bubbling hissing lava.
They put enough distance now according to Avery that they could afford to take a little breather. At least for a few hoursโmaybe a night. Which did happen here, though there was no sun and no moon that they could see. Just the color of the sky, going from blood red to bruise purple, and staying there a while. No stars here either. Nothing to make a wish on.
It was a chance for them all to take whatever treasures they had brought to replenish themselves too. Avery had packed some sushi, Evan cookiesโall equivalent to Earth-grade essence treasures. They took Level-up treasures too.
Zane took out his two new Nascent Monster Weapon Souls.
Both pitch black orbs with maroon splotches swirling angrily over their surfaces. More dense by far than any others he'd come acrossโฆ each had well over two million souls.
He took them in.
๐๐๐ง๐๐ ๐ฆ๐ก!
๐๐๐๐ก๐ ๐ ๐๐ ๐ฆ๐ ๐ -> ๐
๐ธ๐ฅ ๐ฅ๐๐๐ค ๐๐๐ง๐๐ ๐ฅ๐๐ โ๐ฃ๐ ๐๐๐ฅ๐๐๐ฆ๐ค โ๐๐๐๐๐ค' ๐๐ฆ๐ฃ๐๐๐๐๐๐ฅ๐ช ๐๐๐ ๐ค๐ฅ๐ฃ๐๐๐๐ฅ๐ ๐๐ค ๐๐ข๐ฆ๐๐ง๐๐๐๐๐ฅ ๐ฅ๐ ๐ผ๐ก๐๐ ๐๐๐ช-๐๐ฃ๐๐๐ ๐๐ก๐๐ฃ๐๐ฅ ๐๐ฅ๐๐๐.
He almost didn't get it, to his surprise. Weapon Soul levels were getting a lot harder to come by. His Chains' colors only seemed to grow more intense with each Levelโdeeper blacks. Purer. Shining that much brighter in the Astral Plane.
They all sat there, roasting essence-infused S'Mores around a small fire, darkness swaddling the world around them. Broken up by rivers of lava snaking into the distance. Elixirs ingesting away inside all of them. They readied themselves for a new day...
Zane was just about recovered, soul-wise. He could do with some comprehension, he thought. It would take just a few hours to make a breakthrough. He had his eye on the Vital Organs bit of his Bloodline. He wasn't sure what upgrades that meant. Maybe his gut, or his heart? Whatever it was, he needed more power.
In the past, he had gotten a lot of defense out of his Titan Rhino Bloodline. As well as physical power, the power of the body. That he did not lack. When he was fighting armies a realm up, though... he found he needed his essence to put in more work.
Just thenโ
"Look!" said Evan. He pointed at the sky. "It's a shooting star!"
Zane frowned, looking up, pretty sure they were under attack somehow. Avery did too. But there was no soul thereโand the thing on the mini-map, moving fast toward them, was yellow. The color of treasure.
High above, a stream of white lightโฆ it really did seem like a shooting star.
In here?
"The System said something about aid arriving in twenty-four hours?" mumbled Reina, still sleepy.
Sure enough, that shooting star came closer and closer, trailing a sparkling stardust trail utterly out of place in this hellscapeโand ended up dropping right in front of Evan.
Evan gasped, picked it upโthen showed Zane.
A tome bound in gold plate. Even the pages were written in gold; the letters streamed sunlight. It was a new Skill manual from a Faction called "The Constellation Order," apparently one of the Nine Great Factions. The Light one. They gave him something called "Solar Flare Sword"โit was the next evolution of his laser-beam Skill. Its rarity was Earth (A).
The highest any of them had ever seen.
Soon another dropped down. This one came for Avery. She thought she'd been pranked at firstโit looked like just a vial of waterโuntil she read the description, and found it was 'Mt. Tai Spring Water,' also an A-grade item. It granted a special essence boost to those with Water affinities.
She started chugging hers happily.
Which left Zane looking up too, curious. He knew some Factions had an interest in him.
And sure enoughโฆ His shooting star came too. A good deal thicker than the ones that flew beforeโand it landed soft in front of him. The light faded out, revealing the treasure.
It was a violet flower.
A beautiful thing. The petals were made of what looked like liquid light, sizzling and gently crackling, somehow holding form. There was a little sun suspended in the center. Shimmering white-purple.
A single candle-flame of Stormfire. And just that little fire flared so powerfully it commanded its own space, a soft sphere of lightening color.
Not any Stormfire he knewโfar stronger. Its aura was blinding in the Astral Planeโฆ
๐พ๐ฃ๐๐๐ฅ๐๐๐๐ค, โค๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ฃ. ๐๐๐๐ค ๐ฅ๐ฃ๐๐๐ค๐ฆ๐ฃ๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐ค ๐๐ ๐ฆ๐ฃ๐ฅ๐๐ค๐ช ๐ ๐ ๐ฅ๐๐ ๐ธ๐ซ๐ฆ๐ฃ๐ ๐ฝ๐๐๐๐ ๐ฝ๐๐๐ฅ๐๐ ๐ ๐ ๐ฆ๐ฅ ๐ ๐ ๐ฃ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ฅ๐๐ ๐ ๐ ๐ ๐ช๐ ๐ฆ๐ฃ ๐๐ฃ๐๐๐ฅ ๐ก๐ฃ๐ ๐๐๐ค๐. ๐๐ฅ ๐๐ค ๐ฅ๐๐ ๐๐ ๐ค๐ฅ ๐ก๐ฃ๐๐๐๐ ๐ฆ๐ค ๐๐ ๐ฆ๐๐๐๐ฅ๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐ฅ๐ฃ๐๐๐ค๐ฆ๐ฃ๐ ๐ ๐ ๐ฅ๐๐ โ๐๐ฅ๐ ๐ ๐ ๐๐ฅ๐ ๐ฃ๐๐๐๐ฃ๐.
Huh.
๐๐ฅ ๐๐ค ๐ฅ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ค๐ฅ-๐๐ฃ๐๐๐ ๐๐ฅ๐๐ ๐จ๐ ๐๐ ๐ฆ๐๐ ๐ค๐๐๐, ๐ฅ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ฃ๐๐๐ฅ๐๐ช ๐๐ฃ๐ ๐ ๐๐ช ๐๐๐ค๐ฅ๐๐ฃ'๐ค ๐ง๐๐ฆ๐๐ฅ. ๐น๐๐ค๐๐๐๐ค ๐๐ฅ๐ค ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ฅ, ๐ฅ๐๐ ๐๐ฃ๐ฆ๐ ๐๐ฅ๐ ๐ฃ๐๐๐๐ฃ๐ ๐จ๐๐ฅ๐๐๐ ๐ค๐๐ ๐ฆ๐๐ ๐๐๐ค๐ ๐๐ฉ๐ก๐๐๐๐ฅ๐ ๐ช๐ ๐ฆ๐ฃ ๐๐ ๐๐ก๐ฃ๐๐๐๐๐ค๐๐ ๐ ๐ ๐ ๐ฅ๐๐ ๐๐๐ฉ๐ฅ ๐๐ฅ๐ ๐ฃ๐๐๐๐ฃ๐ โ๐ ๐๐๐๐ก๐ฅโ๐๐๐ ๐ฅ๐๐ฆ๐ค ๐๐๐๐ ๐จ ๐ช๐ ๐ฆ ๐ฅ๐ ๐๐ฅ๐ฅ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐-๐๐๐๐ฃ ๐ฝ๐ฆ๐ค๐๐ ๐.
๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐ฅ๐๐๐ค ๐ฅ๐ฃ๐๐๐ค๐ฆ๐ฃ๐ ๐จ๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐ฅ ๐๐๐ฅ๐๐ฃ๐๐๐ฃ๐ ๐จ๐๐ฅ๐ ๐๐๐ช ๐ก๐ฃ๐๐ ๐ฃ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ฅ๐๐๐ค ๐ ๐ฃ ๐น๐๐ ๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ค ๐ช๐ ๐ฆ ๐๐๐ช ๐๐๐ง๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ค๐ฅ๐๐.
โ๐๐๐๐ ๐น๐ฆ๐ฃ๐๐จ๐๐ฅ๐๐ฃ, ๐๐ฆ๐ฅ๐๐ฃ ๐๐๐ฃ๐ฅ๐๐๐ ๐ผ๐๐๐๐ฃ
Zane inspected it, curious.
โ๐๐๐ค๐๐ ๐๐ฆ๐๐๐๐ ๐จ๐๐ฃ [๐ผ๐๐ฃ๐ฅ๐ (๐)]
๐๐๐๐๐ค๐ฅ๐๐๐ ๐ฅ๐๐๐ค ๐ก๐๐๐๐ฅ ๐ฃ๐๐๐๐๐๐ค ๐ฅ๐๐ ๐จ๐๐๐๐๐๐ฃ'๐ค ๐๐๐ฃ๐๐๐๐๐๐ค, ๐๐ฃ๐๐๐ฅ๐๐๐ ๐ฅ๐๐๐ ๐-๐ฅ๐๐๐ฃ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ฅ๐ช ๐ฅ๐ ๐๐๐ โ๐๐๐ค๐๐ ๐๐ค๐ค๐๐๐๐, ๐จ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ค ๐ฅ๐๐ ๐๐ค๐ค๐๐๐๐ ๐ ๐ ๐๐ฅ๐ ๐ฃ๐๐๐๐ฃ๐. ๐ธ๐๐ช ๐ค๐ฆ๐๐ ๐๐ค๐ค๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐จ๐๐๐ ๐ฅ๐๐ฃ๐ ๐ฆ๐๐ ๐ฅ๐๐๐ค๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ค ๐จ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐ ๐๐% ๐๐ ๐ ๐ค๐ฅ.
This seemed big. He had never felt such pure Stormfire in person beforeโฆ he could feel it was chock-full of Concepts. Concepts far beyond him. Just waiting for his comprehension. It was mesmerizing in the Astral Plane tooโstrangely it looked the same there as it did here. Just clearer.
Zane was quickly revising his plans. He was pretty sure he knew what he wanted to do now.
It had been a little while since he upgraded his Stormfire. He had a feeling it would give him exactly what he needed. Especially once he absorbed this thing fully. 'Mid-Tier' Fusionโฆ he wasn't sure what it meant. But he was optimistic.
He rummaged through his Bag of Holding and dusted off that old Stormfire tome. Same black leather, blue lettering. Eager to crack it open.
***
Reina's treasure was the strangest. It was a treasure that came in a comet just as bright as Zane's, which got them curiousโand sure enough, it turned out to be an Earth A+-rank. It was something called a 'Great Sage Seed'โin 30 days, it would bloom into an S-rank treasure called the 'Great Sage Fruit.' Which was supposed to help Law comprehension a great deal. It was shiny enough.
Onlyโฆit didn't seem to have any uses right now. Which they all found strange. Reina started scrutinizing it. He wasn't sure what thoughts were running through her mind.
He asked them to keep an eye on him as he went to take in his flower. They nodded.
He brought it to his mouth, stuffed it in, and swallowed.
***
It was scalding. Even to Zane, who was better placed than pretty much anyone to resist Stormfire. But only for a second. It didn't taste like anything physical. Like he was swallowing sensations, pure heat, pure electricity, jacked to a ridiculous intensity. The very essence of Stormfire.
He still gagged a little. Then it was going down his throat. A setting sun in the Astral Plane...
It settled in the core of his body.
It didn't explode, like he expected. Instead, it dissolvedโdissolved to streams so hot even his body had trouble tolerating them. They began to spread, to flow through his channels, carving scalding-hot pathsโฆ and where they passed they were scorched clean. Remade in shining purple lightโฆ
Instantly Zane started going red, breathing heavy. He began to sweat, breathe out plumes of lightning-filled smoke, sparks of purplish Stormfire dancing down down breath, rumbling to the skies...
He felt it trickling up and down from his Core. White-hot. To his chest and armsโhe let it do its work. The progress was very slow. But it would be finished come sunrise, he felt.
Until then... he took the highest-grade Comprehension treasure they had. A 'Draught of Clear-Seeing.' And cracked the Tome of Stormfire.
His body would be drenched in the stuff for the next few hours. He would make the most of it.