During Leo's six months of training, he had also been expecting Lin's awakening, but he was disappointed. It seemed the backlash of their fusion had been more serious than Leo expected. However, despite this setback, Leo had grown incredibly stronger. His comprehension of the sword path had further progressed, and he was just a little short of comprehending an intent. Once he comprehended the sword intent, he would ascend to the grandmaster level.
He had also been able to seamlessly integrate all his abilities, further boosting his overall prowess. That very morning, he got summoned, and it seemed his mother was back. He was escorted to her office, which was at a very high level of the cyber tower. Stepping into her office, he caught sight of his mother. Leo immediately noticed the slight instability in her aura, and a slight frown appeared between his eyebrows. He also took notice of her pale appearance, and it was obvious that she was injured.
He quickly asked, "Mother, what happened on your trip?" His voice was laced with concern. On noticing Leo's concern, Sarah couldn't help but feel warmed inside. She replied, assuring him, "I'm okay, it was just some slight inconvenience that occurred on my trip." Then she complimented him on his advancement, "I can see that you've reached the master level, as expected of my son."
Leo just smiled as a response. After all, his quick advancement had to do with the fact that she provided all the resources he needed. He was really grateful, but he couldn't thank her as it would make their relationship weird.
"The remnant is opening in a day's time," she informed him. "Get ready, as a lot of other youths from various powers will be entering this time." Her expression changed, and she added solemnly, "There's a possibility that an all-out war against the Lunarians would have probably started, by the time you guys are back."
This added information bore its weight on Leo. It meant that he had to grow as much as possible in the ancient remnant, because once he was back, he would probably have to join the battle. This itself was a problem, because as of now, Leo had hit a bottleneck in his evolution. No matter how much he meditated, his comprehension of the sword had stagnated. Old Joe had told him that this was a result of his lack of drive.
During his training, Old Joe always complained that he had too little drive. After all, what was his reason for getting stronger? In truth, apart from solving the mysteries of his creation, he had no other reason for getting stronger. He had no ambition. So he was hoping to use this trip into the dimensional zone to maybe find his purpose and drive, and transcend his limits.
Leo steeled himself with determination. He was ready for this journey. His mind thought of someone, and as her silhouette flashed in his head, he wondered if he would come across Maya in this journey of his. He had made some investigations about her and her family, and he had gotten the total gist of her story.
There were a total of fifteen superpowers in humanity. The strongest was, of course, the government. The rest were called the seven great clans, the four orders, and the three schools. These powers were scattered among the cities of humanity, with Elyria as home to two of the seven great clans: the House of Night and the House of Phantom. The government was different; they dwelled in all thirty-seven cities of humanity.
It was said that after the war, Kamar, the mad scientist, rebelled against the government due to some disputes. He was to be eliminated, but because of some interference, he escaped.
There were some rumors that stated that some of the superpowers of humanity had helped him, and there were some connections between the mad scientist and the House of Phantom. Though none of these claims had been verified yet, it led to discrimination against the Phantom clan. They, along with one of the four orders of humanity, Adams Order, were heavily suppressed due to their supposed connection with the scientist. Though, despite all this, these two powers stood strong without declining, a testament to their solid foundation.
He was really hoping he would meet Maya in this upcoming expedition.
Since the government announced the opening of the ancient remnant, various powers had been sending their younger generation to Elyria to participate.
Among these few, there were a few distinguished geniuses, such as Joel Bane from the House of Bane. He was one of those legendary geniuses who had stepped onto the dimensional path before becoming a made god.
There was Jane Evergreen from the Yggdrasils Order; she was a peak genius of her order that mostly concentrated on the wood element. There were other geniuses from various powers who had arrived.
Some other smaller powers also sent some of their geniuses. Among these smaller powers was a small-time mercenary guild, the representative of which was a young man called Dray. Since he had arrived in Elyria, he hadn't left his accommodation.
He dwelled in the heart of the sprawling neon-lit metropolis, within an inn that stood defiant against the chaos. The façade of the building glowed with a soft, pulsating blue light, casting cybernetic shadows on the slick, rain-slicked streets below. Holographic signs flickered and danced, advertising the inn's unique blend of retro and futuristic comforts.
Inside, the atmosphere was an eclectic mix of the past and future. The walls were adorned with a mosaic of old-world relics and high-tech gadgets, creating a contrast that was both jarring and mesmerizing. The air hummed with the low frequency of hidden machinery and the occasional crackle of static electricity.
In one of the dimly lit rooms, a young-looking man with golden hair and crimson irises sat in serene contemplation. His presence exuded a saint-like aura, casting an ethereal glow that seemed to bathe the room in a warm, violet sheen. His hair shimmered with a faint luminescence, catching the light in a way that was both otherworldly and captivating. This was Dray Clinton.
At the corner of his room stood a majestic spear, its presence commanding and sacred. The spear radiated an aura of sanctity, its energy palpable even from a distance. Upon closer inspection, one could see the intricate dragon motif etched into its shaft, a design that bore a striking resemblance to the sword dwelling in Leo's consciousness. The resemblance was uncanny, almost as if the two weapons were forged from the same mystical essence.
The room, with its combination of ancient relics and advanced technology, seemed to exist in a realm of its own—an intersection of time and space where past and future collided in a harmonious dance. The young man, with his saint-like aura and celestial spear, appeared to be the guardian of this unique convergence, embodying the very essence of the inn's enigmatic charm.