Chapter 859 Sensory Overload
Looking into Leon's eyes, he couldn't see the same hunger for the fruit as the others and wondered why. It was strange for any creature to turn its back on a chance to grow past its limitations.
"I can hear the cogs turning in your head, King Astaroth. The fruit doesn't tempt me because it's no good to me. I think reaching Mythical grade from one was already past what this fruit should do.
"I doubt eating another one would do me any good. So, it has no hold on my mind. Although, it smells nice and would make a great smoothie, judging by the scent alone, heh heh," Leon joked.
Astaroth chuckled, realizing the logic behind his words.
It made sense that a creature who was only one grade under being a god wouldn't get much out of something that wasn't of divine nature. But the last part of his statement made him curious.
"What do you mean, Mythical was already past its capacity? Wouldn't it have stopped your growth at Legendary, then?"
Leon scratched the back of his head, grimacing.
"I don't know the details, but it's a feeling I get when looking at it. Like it was never meant to push me past that grade, and that something we did to it accomplished that. The fruit itself should have a maximum capacity of Legendary."
Thinking back on the fruit he gave Leon, Astaroth could only think of one possibility. The star Aether that came from Lady Anulo.
Maybe the touch of a god made the fruit go into overdrive, and that was the reason it outperformed its use.
But it wasn't something he could accomplish on the regular.
He knew Nemus would refuse even if he reached out to her and asked her to repeat that feat. It would bring too much attention to her if she started pulling so much power to her.
And, whether he thought it could work or not, it was already too late.
Selena had initially approached the tree slowly, only grazing the fruit as if it would shatter if she plucked it.
However, once it sat comfortably in her hand, her animal instincts took over, and she devoured it as if she hadn't eaten in days.
And with the last bite sliding down her throat, a pulse of power echoed inside the cave, audible and visible, and Astaroth grinned.
"It's starting. Maybe with her in our ranks, expanding Stellar Woodlands isn't too big a project."
Phoenix had shown him plans she had made while he was away about expanding the kingdom by making new villages and cities inside the Elven forest. But it was hard to make these happen or even have them grow if demons and corrupted beasts kept popping out from everywhere.
With the addition of another powerful ally, it wasn't as difficult to imagine now.
But that remained to luck's whims.
There was a chance consuming the fruit wouldn't do anything for Selena, after all. Astaroth doubted it was at full power, with how long it had been dried out, even if he made it ripen by force.
But, if luck were on his side, he would gain more than just a powerful ally. Astaroth had glimpsed at something when he touched the divinity fragment.
Something he doubted Khalor knew about. Something that would put them in a better position to become more powerful.
A breach in the veil. He saw where it was in New Eden and where it landed in their world.
'I can't wait to tell him and see the face he makes,' he mused, grinning.
Meanwhile, the pulsing of power had kept repeating, the intervals getting closer as if a heartbeat were accelerating. Selena was curled on herself, her face showing intense pain, but she didn't make a peep.
Her teeth were grinding against each other, her eyes already turned yellow, as her tiger form was trying to come out. However, she didn't let it take over.
She wanted to be fully in control of this transition, even if it hurt her like drinking fire and dipping her body into boiling oil.
This lasted for minutes, Selena eventually grunting in pain but never screaming or crying.
Her stubbornness and pain tolerance impressed Astaroth, as he had just gone through a process not too dissimilar. He knew she was in excruciating pain.
The pulsing accelerated until it became like drumming, and, before long, a larger one happened, followed by a mighty tiger roar, which shook the cave's ceiling, making dust and pebbles fall on Astaroth's and Leon's heads.
Selena got back to her feet, her white hair now golden and her eyes glowing like a gold coin in the sun. Her eyes seemed sharper, and her ears alert, like she was hearing the world for the first time.
Leon walked up to her and covered her ears, telling her to close her eyes.
"What you are feeling now is called sensory overload. Your new senses as a Legendary beast are much more acute than they were before, and even the faintest whisper sounds like the howling of a harpy," he whispered next to her covered ear.
"It will take a few hours for your body to regulate and return to normal. Until then, we will stay here and maintain quiet. We wouldn't want you to pass out before your body has acclimated to its new strength," he added, still whispering.
Selena shook her head, scared to talk.
She could hear her heart pounding and the blood pumping through her veins like it was happening inside her ears. She didn't dare imagine what her voice would do to her eardrums in this state.
"Good."
Turning his head toward Astaroth, Leon mouthed the words, 'I'll take care of her,' to Astaroth, and he nodded in response.
Leaving the cave, Astaroth was careful not to make too much noise and looked at her one last time before leaving.
He saw Selena's lips move, forming the words, 'Thank you,' and he grinned.
His promise was fulfilled. Now, he could go back to Phoenix before she found him and tore him apart for skipping on the guild's paperwork.
'God help me, she is going to be furious. I wonder how long I was out…' he thought, leaving the cavern and heading toward Bastion City.
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