โ๐๐๐ฃ๐ฅ๐ค๐ฅ๐ฃ๐๐๐ ๐ ๐ ๐ฅ๐๐ ๐๐๐ฅ๐๐ โ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ฃ๐ ๐ค [๐ผ๐๐ฃ๐ฅ๐ (๐+)]
๐ธ ๐ค๐ฅ๐ฃ๐๐ก ๐ ๐ ๐ฅ๐๐ ๐๐๐ฅ๐๐ โ๐๐๐๐ '๐ค โ๐๐๐ฃ๐ฅ ๐ฅ๐๐๐ฅ ๐๐ ๐๐ฅ๐๐๐๐ค ๐๐ฅ๐ค ๐ง๐๐ฅ๐๐ ๐๐ค๐ค๐๐๐๐. ๐๐ฅ ๐๐๐ ๐ ๐๐๐ช ๐๐ ๐๐๐ง๐๐ ๐จ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ช ๐๐ช ๐ ๐๐๐ฅ๐๐ โ๐๐๐๐ ๐ฅ๐ ๐ ๐ฅ๐ฃ๐ฆ๐ค๐ฅ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ชโ๐๐๐ ๐ ๐๐๐ช ๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐ฅ๐ค ๐๐๐๐๐ฅ๐๐๐.
Then came another notificationโa letter.
๐พ๐ฃ๐๐๐ฅ๐๐๐๐ค!
๐๐๐๐ค ๐๐ค ๐ฅ๐๐ ๐น๐๐ฃ๐๐๐ฃ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐. ๐๐๐ ๐ ๐๐ ๐๐ ๐ช๐ ๐ฆ๐ฃ ๐น๐๐ ๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐ง๐๐ค๐๐ ๐๐คโ๐ช๐๐ค, ๐ฅ๐๐๐ฅ ๐ง๐๐ฃ๐ช ๐ ๐๐. ๐'๐ง๐ ๐ฅ๐๐๐๐ ๐ค๐ ๐๐๐ฅ๐๐๐๐ ๐ ๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐ฅ๐๐ฃ๐๐ค๐ฅ ๐๐ ๐ช๐ ๐ฆ๐ฃ ๐๐ ๐ฆ๐ฃ๐๐๐ช, โค๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ฃ, ๐๐ ๐จ ๐ฅ๐๐๐ฅ ๐ช๐ ๐ฆ'๐ง๐ ๐ฅ๐๐๐๐ ๐ ๐ ๐๐ช โ๐๐ฅ๐.
๐น๐ฆ๐ฅ ๐ช๐ ๐ฆ'๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐ค๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ก. โ๐ฆ๐๐๐๐ค, ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ฆ๐๐๐๐ค, ๐จ๐๐ฃ๐ ๐๐๐ง๐๐ฃ ๐๐๐๐๐ฅ ๐ฅ๐ ๐ฅ๐๐๐ ๐ฅ๐๐ ๐๐ฆ๐๐ ๐๐๐ก๐๐๐๐ฅ๐ช ๐ ๐ ๐ ๐พ๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ค๐ฅ'๐ค ๐น๐๐ ๐ ๐๐๐๐๐โฆ ๐ช๐ ๐ฆ'๐๐ ๐๐๐ฅ ๐ ๐๐๐ฃ๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ฅ ๐๐ฃ๐ ๐ฆ๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐ฃ๐ ๐ก๐ค! ๐๐ ๐๐ฉ๐ก๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ช๐ ๐๐ ๐ฅ๐๐๐ฅโ๐๐๐ ๐ฅ๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐ช๐ ๐ฆ๐ฃ ๐๐ฉ๐๐ค๐ฅ๐๐๐ ๐ก๐ ๐จ๐๐ฃ๐ค ๐๐ง๐๐ ๐๐ ๐ฃ๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ฅ๐๐ง๐โ๐ช๐ ๐ฆ ๐๐ฆ๐ค๐ฅ ๐ฅ๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐ฅ๐๐ ๐ง๐๐ฅ๐๐ ๐๐ค๐ค๐๐๐๐ ๐ ๐ ๐ ๐พ๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ค๐ฅ.
๐๐๐๐ค โ๐๐๐ฃ๐ฅ๐ค๐ฅ๐ฃ๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐ฅ๐๐๐๐ค ๐๐ฆ๐ค๐ฅ ๐ฅ๐๐๐ฅ. ๐๐ฅ ๐จ๐๐๐ ๐๐ฉ๐ก๐๐๐ ๐ช๐ ๐ฆ๐ฃ ๐พ๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ค๐ฅ ๐น๐๐ ๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ก๐๐๐๐ฅ๐ช, ๐๐๐, ๐๐ค ๐ช๐ ๐ฆ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐ฃ๐ ๐น๐๐ ๐ ๐๐๐๐๐, ๐ฅ๐ฃ๐๐๐ค๐๐ ๐ฃ๐ ๐ช๐ ๐ฆ๐ฃ ๐๐๐๐ฃ๐ฅโ๐ฆ๐๐ฅ๐๐ ๐๐ง๐๐๐ฅ๐ฆ๐๐๐๐ช, ๐๐ฅ ๐จ๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐ค ๐ฅ๐๐ ๐ฆ๐๐ ๐ช๐ ๐ฆ ๐จ๐๐ฃ๐ ๐๐ ๐ฃ๐ ๐จ๐๐ฅ๐ ๐ ๐พ๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ค๐ฅ'๐ค ๐๐๐๐ฃ๐ฅ. ๐๐๐๐ ๐ฃ ๐๐๐ ๐ก๐ ๐จ๐๐ฃ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐!
๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐ฅ๐๐๐ค ๐ฅ๐ฃ๐๐๐ค๐ฆ๐ฃ๐, ๐๐๐ ๐ช๐ ๐ฆ ๐จ๐ ๐'๐ฅ ๐๐๐๐ ๐ฅ๐ ๐๐ ๐๐ก๐ฃ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ช๐ฅ๐๐๐๐ ๐ฅ๐ ๐๐๐๐ โ๐๐๐ฃ๐ฅ ๐๐๐๐ก๐๐ฃ๐๐๐!
โ๐ ๐จ. ๐ ๐๐๐ง๐ ๐๐๐ ๐ฅ๐๐ฃ๐๐ ๐ค๐๐ก๐๐ฃ๐๐ฅ๐ ๐๐ค๐ค๐ ๐๐๐๐ฅ๐๐ค ๐ ๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐ฅ๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐'๐ ๐ข๐ฆ๐๐ฅ๐ ๐๐๐ค๐๐๐ ๐ฅ๐ ๐๐ ๐ฆ๐ค๐๐๐ ๐ค๐ฆ๐๐ ๐ ๐ฅ๐ฃ๐๐๐ค๐ฆ๐ฃ๐ ๐ ๐ ๐ค๐ ๐๐ ๐ก๐ฃ๐-๐๐๐ฅ๐๐๐ฃ๐๐ฅ๐๐ ๐ ๐จ๐๐๐๐กโ๐๐ค๐ก๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ช ๐ ๐๐ ๐ค๐ฅ๐ฆ๐๐ ๐ ๐ ๐ ๐๐ ๐ ๐ ๐ฅ๐๐ ๐๐๐ฃ๐๐๐ค๐ฅ ๐๐ฆ๐ก๐๐ฃ๐๐ฆ๐๐๐๐ ๐ ๐ฃ๐ฆ๐๐ค ๐๐ ๐ฃ๐๐๐ ๐ฃ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ค๐ฅ๐ ๐ฃ๐ชโฆ
๐ ๐ฅ๐ ๐๐ ๐ฅ๐๐๐ ๐ฅ๐ ๐ค๐๐ ๐ง๐ ๐๐ฅ!
โ๐ฃ๐ ๐ง๐ ๐๐ ๐ฃ๐๐๐๐ฅ. ๐'๐๐ ๐ค๐๐ ๐ช๐ ๐ฆ ๐๐ ๐ ๐๐๐จ ๐จ๐๐๐๐ค ๐ฅ๐๐๐. ๐พ๐๐ง๐ ๐ฅ๐๐ ๐ค๐ ๐๐๐ค๐ฅ๐๐ฃ๐๐ค ๐๐๐๐!
Zane blinked at it.
What a nice message.
He inspected the Heartstring again.
How was he supposed to take it in? He thought about swallowing it. He dangled it in front of his face. It was the size of a belt.
He shrugged.
Thenโjust as he was about to open his mouthโhe felt it resonate. Saw it begin to shine in his fist. Felt his Bloodline heating up, even as the Heartstring heated up in his handsโฆ
Thump. The sound of his heart. Beating with a sudden urgency.
Thump. The Heartstring in his hands, suddenly bright with essence, with aura, with surging blood, like something ancient had been awoken just thenโฆ
The treasure vanished.
Then Zane felt it. In his own chest. There was a sharp lurch, like a white-hot stake was being driven through his heartโTHUMP-THUMP.
Two at once, one an echo of the other. THUMP-THUMP. He groaned. Coughed out a mouthful of blood.
THUMP-THUMP.
Each heartbeat grew closer and closer, untilโ
THUMP. THUMP. THUMP.
Two became one.
One heart that beat with the force of both. For a second it felt like it was about to beat out of his chest. He dragged in a lungful of air, feeling woozy, trying to steady himself. Waves of hot bood rushed through his headโ
THUMP.
All of Zane's power. All of his feeling, his emotion, came from his heart. It was the workhorse, the great engine of his body. It gave everything its vitality, its power. It all came from the blood, in the endโฆ
THUMP-THUMP.
Even at rest, just standing there. Chest heaving. He could see his breath steaming in the already-hot air.
His Asura state was activating. Just slightly. Outside of his control.
Then his heart began to beat faster and faster.
THUMP-THUMP-THUMPโ
Zane had to sit down, close his eyes, sweat beading his brow. As new blood flooded through him.
๐น๐๐ ๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ฃ๐๐๐ค๐๐!
๐๐ ๐๐ฃ๐ ๐ก๐ค -> ๐๐ก ๐๐ฃ๐ ๐ก๐ค
But the Blood was not the main prize.
His heart just kept hammering in his chest, louder and louderโand the air all around him began to steam. The aura blasting off him shot straight to the skies, shot far into the distance, billowing for milesโฆ
His whole body began to steam. Veins standing out purple against his pumped-up muscles.
And now his Asura State was running near full-force. Even as he sat there. It hit what had been his limitโhis auraโฆ
And expanded. His Bloodline burned far faster, far hotter than it ever hadโ
๐น๐๐ ๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ โ๐๐ก๐๐๐๐ฅ๐ช ๐๐๐๐ฃ๐๐๐ค๐๐!
๐๐ -> ๐๐๐ ๐๐ฃ๐ ๐ก๐ค
His head felt clear. Full. Rushing as though with a massive spike of adrenalineโcoursing with sheer raw energy, carried on every drop of fresh new blood.
Zane stood then. He couldn't help it. He had to make himself go still. His fingers were twitching. He felt like a Rhino snorting, pawing at the ground preparing to chargeโhe ached to find the nearest mountain, rip it straight out of the ground, and hurl it headlong into the sun.
๐๐๐๐๐ ๐ฆ๐ก!
๐๐๐ฅ๐๐'๐ค โ๐๐๐ฃ๐ฅ ๐ [๐ผ๐ก๐๐ (๐ผ)]
Then instantly afterโ
His heartstring began to resonate.
๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ง๐ ๐๐ง๐๐!
๐๐๐ฅ๐๐'๐ค โ๐๐๐ฃ๐ฅ -> ๐ป๐๐ง๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ฅ๐๐'๐ค โ๐๐๐ฃ๐ฅ ๐ [๐๐ช๐ฅ๐๐๐+ (๐ผ)]
๐๐๐๐๐ ๐ฆ๐ก!
๐๐๐๐ ๐ฃ ๐ ๐ ๐ฅ๐๐ ๐๐๐ฅ๐๐ โ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ฃ๐ ๐ค (โ๐๐ค๐ค๐๐ง๐) [๐๐๐๐ข๐ฆ๐]
๐พ๐ฃ๐๐๐ฅ๐ค ๐ ๐๐% ๐๐๐ฅ๐๐๐๐ฅ๐ช ๐น๐ ๐ ๐ค๐ฅ ๐ฅ๐ ๐ฅ๐๐ ๐๐๐ฅ๐๐ โ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ฃ๐ ๐ค. ๐ธ ๐ก๐๐ค๐ค๐๐ง๐ ๐ฆ๐๐๐ข๐ฆ๐ ๐ฅ๐ ๐ฅ๐๐ ๐พ๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ค๐ฅ ๐น๐๐ ๐ ๐๐๐๐๐.
Zane remembered in his visions how hard it had been to take the Titan Rhino down. How kingdoms of elves couldn't do it, how it took that one over a hundred Levels higher to bring it downโand even then, just barely. How the beast seemed to have an endless wellspring of health. Deep in its massive body.
As he felt the energies surging through his body, it all made sense.
***
ษชษดษดแดส สแดแดแดสแด๊ฑ
แดแดขแดสแด ๊ฐสแดแดแด ๊ฐแดแดแดษชแดษด
Sage Noughtfire watched on in silence. Sage Burnwater cursed up a storm.
"Has the Barbarian Sage gone senile?" said Burnwater. "A Godbeast's vital essence?!"
Burnwater threw up his hands. "We couldn't offer something better if we triedโthat's the Superdungeon's treasure grade limit!"
"'Gone senile?'" Noughtfire said. He cocked a brow. "Or has he simply made an accurate assessment of Zane's potential?"
Burnwater stared. "You're serious. Aren't you always the one telling me that talent means nothing until it's proven?" he said.
"Usually," Noughtfire agreed. "Yet Zane Walker is a most unusual candidate.
Considering the rewardโฆperhaps the gamble is worth the price."
He stroked his beard, thinking.
Burnwater could hardly fathom it. Coming out of Noughtfire's mouth especiallyโhis master usually took pains to be conservative, skeptical.
"The Barbarian Sage means to snag him. If we are to match his offers," Noughtfire continued. "We must be prepared to offer something he cannot."
"Which is?"
"Stormfire, of course," snorted Noughtfire. "An expertise and treasury of Stormfire like nowhere else in the Dragonspire Galaxy. If Zane Walker can continue this level of performanceโand indeed, improves on itโฆ I will have to consider the possibility of offering to take him as my Direct Disciple."
That left Burnwater utterly gobsmacked.
Grand Elder Noughtfire was legendary. One of the most powerful figures not only in the Azure Flame Faction right nowโbut in all of its history. To become his disciple, you had to first rise to the cream of the crop in the Outer Faction. Then be promoted to the Inner Faction and rise to the top there too. Then be promoted to the Core Faction. And pray you distinguish yourself enough to be given the honor.
Burnwater had been a Sage before Noughtfire deigned to look at him. And even thenโBurnwater was only an Honorary Disciple.
You could count Sage Noughtfire's Direct Disciples on one hand. Each was a legend in their own right.
"Master," croaked Burnwater, one cheek twitching. "You can't be serious."
To become a Direct Disciple of Noughtfire was to be on par in status with the finest Core Disciples of the Sectโonly the Grand Elders, Ancestors, and Patriarchs would rank higher.
In fact, in the past, Noughtfire had only ever chosen from these Core Disciples. He'd never paid even the Inner Faction a passing glance. Not to mention the Outer. Much less some candidate still undergoing Integration!
It would flout millennia of decorum. It simply wasn't done.
"He's hasn't even finished Integrationโhe hasn't even formed his Nascent Soul!" Burnwater protested.
"He has an exceptional Soul. A Seamless Core. A top-tier Signature Title. A physique incredibly tolerant of Godbeast powersโฆ and most of all, a force of will like nothing I have ever seen. That man's potential is nigh-limitless."
Noughtfire threw up a hand absentmindedly. "Match the Barbarian Sage gift for gift, grade for grade," he said. "I will not lose out to him."
"โฆVery well, Master."
Here Noughtfire paused. "Though you are correct. Direct Disciple is a heaven-and-earth leap. As it is now I cannot offer it to him in good conscience."
Burnwater let out a little sigh of relief. There would have been a minor riot among the Core Disciplesโgenerational super-talents had worked millennia for such a position.
"First I must see one more thing," said Noughtfire. He held up a finger. "I must see if he'll condense the sort of soul I believe he is capable of."
Burnwater hardly dared guess. "โฆA Sky-grade soul?"
"A Heaven-grade soul."
Which left Burnwater speechless for the third time in as many minutes.
There were just two men in the entire Faction who had such a soul. The Patriarch, and Noughtfire himself.
Burnwater's head swam. His Master was known for his wisdom, his discerning eyeโฆ and yetโthis was plainly too much to ask of the big man.
***
Zane wasn't done after the Heartstring. There was still more treasure to take in. His new Weapon Souls were first upโand after he absorbed them he got 80% of the way to the next level.
Not quite there. But he was already at Sky Epic. He couldn't fathom needing more right now.
He burped, patted his belly. He kind of wanted to take a nap. It had been a pretty productive day.
Meanwhile, his friends were finishing up their Level-ups. He was waiting on Reina in particular. She'd been in striking distance of her Fourth Evolution, and she'd spent hours cross-legged, taking in one last essence elixir.
Then it happened.
Flowers started blooming over her head, linking to make a crown. Her eyes began to glow a pretty green. An aura blew out of her like a gust of crisp fresh morning air, sweeping back the smoke.
Zane felt a fluctuation in the Astral Plane, a stone thrown into the pond of the world, rippling fast. It was a similar feeling to when he'd gotten his Fourth Evolution.
Her Signature Title was Awakening.
She let out a gasp. Her eyes got a faraway lookโlike they were seeing something not-quite-hereโฆ a vision. A revelation.
It all faded. She dropped out of it wobbly, flushing. Looking stunned. She met his eyes.
"Heavens," she breathed, wide-eyed. "Zane, it all makes sense now."