Chapter 483: Above The Sun
Apparently, the Lords weren’t going to be granted a visit to the Sacred Spring.
Fortunately, they didn’t need it, considering that they had managed to clear the third floor without wasting any spiritual energy.
Still in the teleportation process, Michael was lost in his own thoughts.
Forming a bond with a spiritual beast required the souls of the beast and the human to merge to a certain extent.
For all the time he had lived, Michael had never managed to connect with one... Not because of a lack of talent, but because the intensity of his soul had always proved so overwhelming that every creature he tried to bond with perished on the spot.
He had made peace long ago with the fact that he wasn’t destined to have one, yet he had still taken a gamble regarding Ember simply because there had been no other choice.
Thankfully, his bet had paid off. By absorbing Ember’s fragments before they could scatter, he had cleansed her of her alien nature, turning her into a spiritual beast, which then bonded to his soul.
’Perhaps because she was a subject of a Titan, or because she is made of light and flame, that connection was possible to establish.’ Michael mused internally.
Regardless of the method, the important part was that a link had been created in the end.
And since the bond meant opening his mind to potential vulnerabilities. Michael wasn’t planning to repeat the painful process any time soon.
His form vanished along with the Lords.
[Upon the pinnacle of all, the Almighty resided.]
[The god of its own world, its reign stood unchallenged.]
[The forces under its grasp grew.]
[Its influence spread, ever hungry to devour the Sun.]
[Its sights were set on conquering Earth.]
[Nobody dared defy it.]
[Until intruders barged into the Light Kingdom.]
[Slaughtered its subjects.]
[Climbed its tower.]
[Plundered its strongest.]
[Only to challenge it.]
[Rise, Glorious Champions!]
[One last obstacle stands before you!]
[Take the World!]
[Or perish trying!]
Michael’s eyes sprang open.
His breath hitched.
"The cosmos..."
Coming to their senses, the Lords mirrored his awe, all staring upward.
At the very top of the Tower of Ascension, they had risen thousands of kilometers high, gaining a breathtaking view of the Sun beneath them and the endless expanse of the cosmos above.
The stars glistened with sparkling light, while the planets rotated with inspiring indifference to their surroundings.
With the gravitational pull of the Sun keeping the solar system whole, it wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that the Lords felt as though they stood at the very center of the world.
After marveling at the sight for a while, Michael focused inward, digging into the very depths of his soul.
He stretched out his hand.
"Come forth, Ember."
His words brought the Lords back to reality.
The space in front of him shuddered.
A flame shining more intensely than a star left his palm and hovered before him.
The fire surged. Morphing, it expanded in size. It formed four powerful limbs, nine mesmerizing tails, and silky fur that covered it all.
HOWL!
A deafening howl echoed out of the newly formed colossal mouth.
Slightly puzzled, Ember’s eyes dropped to Michael.
"How am I... what happened? What did you do?"
She couldn’t comprehend it. The very core of her existence had been fractured.
For an illusion, that was utter death... A law no one could ever hope to defy.
Michael met her gaze.
"Trusting an alien was out of the question, but then again, your character proved to be much more than that... So I altered your inner nature. You are no longer a subject of a Titan or an illusion, but a spiritual beast permanently etched to my soul."
She blinked, slowly coming to terms with her new reality.
Just as Michael had claimed, she no longer felt that enraged desire to pursue warmth and prove herself to anything. For the first time since her birth, she could simply... be.
The vulnerable core that had hindered her movements was no longer present. A strange sensation of liberation washed over her like a wave.
"I am... free?" Her head lowered slightly.
Michael chuckled, patting her delicate fur. "Pretty much. How do you like the taste of freedom?"
Keeping silent until now, the Lords finally understood how Michael had been able to complete the trial of the third floor so effortlessly while also managing to keep Ember in their ranks.
"Extraordinary..." Nicole murmured. She knew that the stronger a spiritual beast was, the harder it was for a cultivator’s soul to form a connection. This was the reason most spiritual beasts were weak upon initiating a link.
Yet Michael had managed to tame Ember, who possessed roughly the same prowess as him.
"Just what kind of soul does he possess to be capable of that?" Nicole whispered, this coupled with God of War showcased Michael’s monstrous genius.
Ember stared at Michael quietly. With him, she could explore the outside world.
Instinctively, her enormous tongue stuck out, brushing against his entire body.
"Thank you."
Given her size, her tongue was larger than Michael. Instead of being drenched in saliva, he felt a gentle warmth spread through his body. After all, she was made of flame and light.
"Don’t mention it." He smiled nonchalantly.
Once the reunion was over, everybody glanced at the looming pyramid with colossal stairs carved into it.
"The Almig... Titan is waiting for us at the top." Ember’s eyes ignited like cinders.
The imposing size of the structure was alarming, but not as much as the words etched into the very fragments of existence, spelled in the human tongue.
Proceed only if you dare.
After exchanging nods, the Lords settled on Ember’s back. Turning back was not an option, not after reaching so far.
Letting out another howl, Ember charged. Her paws hovered above the stairs rather than stepping on them, and the squad moved at heaven-defying speed.
Crossing an unreasonable amount of distance in barely no time, they stopped at the pinnacle.
Before them stood a throne made of gold.
On it, the Iskra Titan sat.
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