"What is happening here, and why is the atmosphere changing repeatedly?" Feeling uncomfortable, Clifford asked as the weather and scene shifted from normal to gloomy, then back again in an infinite cycle that never seemed to cease.
"How do you think Elmar came into existence?" Hearing Clifford's question, Reymond responded with another one, piquing Clifford's curiosity. However, the only answer he received was a shrug. So he continued, "Then what do you think happens once a cultivator's world is complete?"
"Hmm, it transforms into something else?" Clifford responded thoughtfully before quickly changing his mind, remembering Kheon's words, "No, that can't be right if a cultivator's peak is a world."
"Does the world become a reality?" Clifford asked, curious about the answer.
"Excellent, that's exactly why the scene is changing rapidly. His Majesty's world and the wasteland collide at this point."
"Enough chatting for now. Follow me out of here." Moving forward, Reymond encountered a soft, illusionary wall, "Push against it until you are out."
Witnessing Reymond move forward, Clifford followed behind. He came into contact with the same wall, which took him a brief moment to break through and cross to the other side. Once outside Elmar, the sun vanished, and gloomy clouds covered the sky as dusty air surrounded them. Looking back, Clifford noticed that Elmar was slightly invisible from the outside, making him wonder if it was part of reality as he had guessed.
"Welcome to the wasteland, or as most call it, the Outer World." Following Reymond's voice, a small horde of monsters charged at them, quickly capturing Clifford's attention. The creatures had large, muscular bodies covered in dark, rugged scales. Their heads had gaping mouths filled with sharp, jagged teeth, glowing red eyes that exuded a sense of danger, and dark horns curved back in a menacing display.
Watching the monsters, Clifford was tempted to charge at them and engage in battle immediately. However, before he could, Reymond summoned his staff and waved it once, splitting their bodies in half right away.
"In case we get separated, you can break this token to light a path back to the academy," Reymond said, handing a token to Clifford. "Let's get moving before they recover."
"I know we're looking for an elemental storm, but how are we going to find it?" Clifford asked, curiosity piqued, as he followed closely behind Reymond.
"We're in a relatively stable region. I reckon we'll easily find one once we're out of here."
"What do you mean?" Clifford asked intently upon hearing the word "stable."
"This region was once a vast plain, one of the most stable places that the grand war didn't affect much. The only major change is that it became a dusty desert. However, other places were severely damaged, becoming unstable due to the large-scale battles that occurred there."
"Remember what you witnessed on the empire's borders? Think of something similar, but know it will be several times worse." Reymond paused for a moment to catch his breath before continuing. "I guess you won't understand unless you see it with your own eyes."
"Whatever. However, I want to test my strength," Clifford sighed after hearing Reymond's words and then made a request. "Let me fight whatever comes next."
"Are you sure about this? The monsters here are mostly hungry demons. They can't be compared to beasts at all as they are far stronger. This won't be a fight; it will be a death match. They won't stop unless one side succumbs."
"Even better. Just thinking about it makes my blood boil." Clifford's grin caused Reymond to smirk.
"Oh really? Entertain me then." Rising into the air, Reymond waved his staff a couple of times, causing waves of wind that cleared their surroundings. "Survive this for five hours and I may give you a decent reward." Shouting from above, Reymond drew the attention of several demons that surrounded them. "However, no cheating. Don't transform completely or partially. Show me how far you've come!"
"What if I emerge victorious?" Clifford asked confidently as he stretched, counting the twenty demons running towards him.
"I will double the reward: 1,000 contribution points."
"Alright then, let's get started!" Bending his knees, Clifford burst forward towards one of the charging demons. Reacting swiftly, the demon swung its claw, leaving a horizontal cut on Clifford's body. Unbothered by the damage, Clifford caught the demon's arm, pulling it and smacking the demon against the sand.
"Stomping the demon below him, Clifford quickly pulled its arm, separating it from its body before responding to the incoming attack. Infusing the arm with Qi, he wielded it like a javelin. With this makeshift weapon, Clifford struck the demon jumping at him in the head, leaving a deep hole as the demon fell lifelessly to the ground.
"Excellent, but you should have done the same to your previous victim," Reymond commented, watching as the demon Clifford had dismembered regenerated a new arm and charged at him again.
Feeling teeth sink into his left shoulder, Clifford caught the demon's head and squeezed until it shattered like a melon, sending gore flying everywhere. Holding the lifeless body, Clifford swiftly responded to another incoming attack. Lifting the corpse by its legs, he infused it with ten percent of his total Qi before slamming it against one of the demons, turning both into a blood mist. The result sparked an idea in his mind.
"Let's try this out!" he shouted. Bending his body down, Clifford allowed the demons to jump on him one after another, cautiously eyeing them and waiting for the right moment to strike. Once they were all on him, Clifford enraged his dantian Qi using the dark force. Unable to handle it, his body turned crimson as his veins bulged and then burst. Swinging his arm open, Clifford unleashed the enraged Qi, turning the horde into a thick bloody mist and forming a pit in the dust below him.
"A thousand contribution points!" Clifford shouted, announcing his victory as he surveyed the blood-dyed sand around him.