Lightning struck the void, and the emptiness shattered into pieces.
"This lightning turbulence is truly terrifying."
It was merely a brief strike, yet space itself crumbled instantly.
A trace of Power of Will entered Arov's senses.
"What is it, Minerva?"
|Nothing much, just wanted to congratulate you for reaching the Sage Rank.|
RUMBLE—
RUMBLE—
|Be careful. I have no idea what kind of lightning turbulence you'll face. I have some artifacts here if you want them.|
"No need, thank you."
My new body is strong enough to withstand the turbulence that is coming, but this lingering unease continues to gnaw at me.
|Oh! I almost forgot. Take this.|
Arov grasped the Power of Will that Minerva sent and channeled it into his brain.
"This is…!"
It's worse than I imagined.
The turbulence process doesn't just affect the body but also tests one's internal and external capabilities.
That means my soul will also be tested at this stage.
What's most terrifying, though, is that once you officially step into the Seventh Star Sage Rank, you become bound to the Ascension Gate.
In some scenarios, there's a possibility I won't be able to leave this universe and return to my original one.
My instincts shiver and scream, as if warning me that ascending will bind me in the chains of the Ascension Gate forever.
It's clear that the Ascension Gate wants to kill me!
I frantically spread my Power of Will, reaching out to Minerva and the Evil Dragon.
"Minerva! Evil Dragon! Can you delay my ascension process!? If this continues, I might die!"
THUD—
The Ascension Gate opened before me for the second time.
But something was different this time.
At this moment, the Ascension Gate that appeared wasn't an illusion from my earlier enlightenment. It was the real Ascension Gate.
I don't know how to describe it. It felt as if it was hypnotizing me to enter.
It was like the deepest instinct of a human being to reproduce (?) had been triggered.
The instinct to approach a realm closer to truth surged from the depths of my soul, akin to returning to the Creator's embrace.
As my consciousness drifted elsewhere, the Ascension Gate opened, and golden chains attempted to ensnare my body.
BAM—
"Snap out of it, you fool!"
A punch struck me, sending my body flying several kilometers away before I regained consciousness.
"Thank you, Minerva!"
Tendrils of roots stretched out, halting the golden chains' advance.
"Instead of standing there, how about lending me a hand?"
"Alright!"
Arov grinned as elemental energy swirled rapidly within his body.
"Devil Change—Everlasting Elemental Sovereign!"
The ten elements enveloped my body, forming an armor-like attire.
My hair grew longer, shining with a myriad of colors.
Magic circles spun clockwise, radiating mystical and regal brilliance.
Power of Will formed a faint sword in Arov's right hand.
"Unnamed Swordsmanship—Fourfold Cut!"
SWING—
SWOOSH—
SLASH—
A technique composed of slashing, slicing, piercing, in horizontal, vertical, diagonal, and stabbing motions, breaking and destroying the golden chains.
CLANG—
"Hahaha! Not bad! Quadruple Enchantment is no joke!"
But it didn't end there. A stronger attack struck Minerva.
RATTLE—
"Seventh Star Battle Technique—Yggdrasil Wrath."
The shadow of a colossal tree emerged from the void, painting the emptiness in a deep green hue. Plants and flowers grew wildly within the void.
"Yggdrasil Wrath—Root Surge."
CRASH—
Yggdrasil's roots extended and grew rapidly, surging forth and obliterating the golden chains one by one.
The void shattered like glass in the wake of the technique.
If this ability hit a planet, the planet would undoubtedly be destroyed.
"Woah… So you really are a Seventh Star Sage?"
I asked in astonishment.
"Huh? No, I'm just a Six-Star Warrior."
"…."
Damn, so she's been at the same rank as me all along.
No, how could she destroy space with a single skill? I can't even do that yet.
"This is rather odd. Arov, you haven't even reached the peak of Sixth Star Warrior, yet you've triggered lightning turbulence."
She's right, which is why I said I might die.
"Infernal Blaze."
SWOOSH—
Hellfire burned and melted the advancing golden chains.
"Tempest Barrier."
A shield of wind surrounded Arov, protecting his body in an oval shape.
The approaching chains were shredded by the ferocity of the winds.
[A new skill has been created: Tempest Barrier (Grandmaster—Profound Stage)]
"Tidal Surge."
A massive tsunami wave swept across the void, surging and raging toward the Ascension Gate.
Unfortunately, the tsunami vanished before it could touch the mist surrounding the Ascension Gate.
"You idiot! Why are you attacking the Ascension Gate?!"
Minerva shouted, her panic evident in her expression.
"Huh?"
RUMBLE—
RUMBLE—
The lightning turbulence roared even louder, seemingly provoked by Arov's attack on the Ascension Gate.
BANG—
ZZZTT—
Golden clouds dissipated, and from within, a figure shrouded in lightning emerged.
"Oh no! Arov, get over here quickly!"
"Eh? Okay."
Shadow elements erupted from the surrounding darkness.
"Shadow Step."
Arov immediately teleported toward Minerva.
But the unexpected happened.
CRASH—
"Ugh—"
A golden spear pierced Arov's back, exiting through his chest.
"Damn it!"
It hurt so much, damn it.
"Spark Rush."
Arov teleported hundreds of meters away.
The result was the same—the lightning figure kept following me wherever I went.
The figure dashed toward me and thrust the spear into my body again.
"Flame Incarnation."
At that moment, my body transformed into flames.
My mind raced, searching for a solution.
This being kept pursuing me relentlessly.
"Hahaha! Interesting! This is fun!"
No matter how many times he attacked me, it was pointless!
"Well then, let's see if you can handle this."
A massive amount of shadow element energy swirled in Arov's grasp.
His left hand was raised, symbolizing the dominant Yin element and Haven.
His right hand was lowered, symbolizing the subordinate Yang element and Earth.
Power of Will flowed and spiraled in a vortex between the Yin and Yang elements.
Soon, a world began to form.
"Take this!"
"Midnight Haven."
CLICK—
A sound resembling a switch echoed within a radius of millions of kilometers.
The vortex in both of Arov's hands exploded and spread, enveloping the space and void in eternal darkness.
Not only were the two of them drawn in, but Minerva was also pulled into it.
Outside the absolute darkness, the Ascension Gate remained in its place, as if observing the ongoing performance.
~
~
A faint trumpet sound emanated from within the gate.
The golden chains extending outward slowly retracted.
Before it, the Evil Dragon in her humanoid female form observed from the sidelines.
She sat on her blazing throne, her presence alone setting the space aflame.
Her pose was so enthralling that it could drive countless men mad.
The red wine glass she held spilled onto her clothing, covering her exquisite figure.
"Ah, he's finally reached it."
Her sharp eyes glared at the starry sky above.
"What about the candidate I proposed?"
"..."
A faint wave of Power of Will surged toward the Evil Dragon.
CHWAK—
A claw tore through the space separating reality and unreality.
From within, a tall humanoid man emerged.
"Oh, my dear daughter, Isolde…"
His tone was melancholic, the tall man exuding sorrow.
"Do you truly refuse to marry him? He is the son of our Clan Leader! Your future will be secure if you marry him!"
"Father…"
Rage erupted from the Evil Dragon—or Isolde.
"… You locked me and my sister away, making her a prisoner in our own home—all for the sake of marrying that man!?"
Isolde wanted to rage further, but her emotions abruptly plunged.
"Now you understand what will happen to your sister if you refuse to marry him. I will give you one last chance. Etch this deeply into your mind."
The tall man turned away.
"Oh? Is that the person you're looking for?"
Power of Will emerged from the tall man's palm.
Isolde's eyes widened in shock.
"No, Father! Wait! He's only a Sixth Star Warrior…"
Isolde's body froze in place, as if time itself had stopped moving.
"I'm sorry, my daughter. This is all for the good of our clan."
That sliver of Power of Will moved swiftly, heading toward the darkness where Arov was.
***
"Hatchu!"
"Can the Yggdrasil Race catch a cold?"
"... Forget it."
Darkness enveloped everything as far as the eye could see.
"How do I defeat that lightning monster?"
"Lightning turbulence is a calamity of lightning designed to test Warriors attempting to ascend to Sagehood. There is no way to deny it, let alone kill it. The true essence of lightning turbulence doesn't exist in reality but lies deep within the Ascension Gate."
"So, is there a solution?"
"There are two methods: either reducing the calamity's lightning or enduring the calamity. Obviously, we won't use the second method, as you would die if struck directly. Instead, we'll use the first method, which involves reducing the lightning with an artifact."
Minerva reached into the pouch attached to her waist.
"Take this."
"..."
"Ahem! Ignore its shape—it was already like that when I first got it..."
Its shape resembled... a bullet, elongated and oval-shaped(?).
---
Hi Guys this is DE. I think from Monday to Friday I can't write any chapter cause... Yeah, bad day one of my family passed away. Anyway, thx for reading the chapter!