When Arland arrived using his real body, the light projection from earlier finally got filled with his colors. He has curly black hair and a slightly time-worn face. The stress that probably piled up weighed on him. He has a burly body covered by his long brown robes. His staff looks like copper but it's probably a different kind of metal which is adorned by engravings as well as a green gemstone on top of it.
When he reached a certain distance from me, he waved his staff and a large room made from dirt and rock was instantly created. When he put his staff down, the room hovered in front of us.
He entered it first and I followed after him.
Upon entering, I found myself in a spacious room with only minimum decoration that would serve its purpose. There are only a circular table and three chairs around it, also made from dirt and rocks.
As I've watched how he did it. I observed the movement of the Energy properly. It's a swift use of the Earth Elemental Energy which was provided both by his own Energy and the surrounding Source Energy.
Though What's apparent in the surroundings is an unfiltered Elemental Energy which isn't broken down to its 8 variations, those who use a spell from the Elemental Pathway can specifically extract their needed variation of the Elemental Energy.
I don't know if he had already glimpsed upon his own Transcendent Pathway but if he could single-handedly defend against two Transcendents, he's not simple.
"Three chairs. Someone is coming?"
"Yes. She'll arrive in a minu-- Ah. No. She's already here."
When Arland finished his sentence, another Transcendent Aura washed off the area we were in.
It's even stronger than the aura Arland exuded when he arrived with his real body.
A few seconds later, a gentle knock was heard outside the spacious room.
"Bloody hell! Fleur! There's no door, why are you still knocking?!"
Arland snapped upon hearing that gentle knocking.
Although he sounded enraged, the newcomer answered in a gentle and calm voice. It's too soothing as if she's singing a lullaby.
"Huh? Isn't knocking a polite thing to do before entering someone's room?"
A few seconds later, a tall gorgeous woman in thin azure silk robes graciously walked inside with a wooden staff which looked like it was freshly picked from a tree. It still has little branches and leaves attached to it. Her hair is as blue as the deep ocean which eerily contrasted her red as flame eyes. However, her face contained her gentleness, even the way she tried to politely knock before entering the room speaks of her attitude.
She's the only Transcendent of the Elementals. Elemental Supreme Fleur.
Like the Human Race, the Elementals also attached titles for each realm they reached.
Elemental Supreme for Transcendents
Elemental Monarch for Elemental Fusing Realm
Elemental Adept for Elemental Forming Realm
Unlike with the Human Race, there's no title for those at Elemental Condensing Realm and below. They're collectively called on the shortened name of the realm. Absorber and Condenser.
"Such a young Transcendent. I'm honestly in awe."
Fleur muttered upon seeing me looking at her. She also nodded after that and gave me a gentle smile. There's no hint of hostility in it so upon seeing that, I acted a little subservient to get along with the two of them.
"You praise. It's not about the age, really."
It's about the cheat system which provided me with a high stat buff from the Heroes, without it, all of us will still be around Rank 4 Mortal.
"Don't be too humble. Arland here was only 10 years older than you when he became a Zenith Magus. Un. I still remember that I stood guard for him that day. The Transcendence of the Prodigious Zenith Magus of Earth Element."
Fleur gently nodded her head and as if reminiscing an old memory, she closed her eyes recalling every detail of the day when Arland called upon the Door of Transcendence.
"Fleur… You-- Stop recalling things from a half a century ago."
"Why? It's an event that should be remembered, no? The others have already fallen. It's been a while. Now that we have a newcomer, we should celebrate."
Though I'm just listening. This Fleur was probably even older than Arland who became a Transcendent half a century ago. Both of them were probably younger than or at the same age as the three Guardians. Though they're stronger than them, I still feel that my Nysia will still prevail against them.
Err... I couldn't say the same for me. If I use the Totem then I can cope with them through the help of my clones.
After a round of teasing from Fleur, Arland gave up retorting and ran back to his seat. Fleur also got her fun which was evident by her smile. However, her face still has that gentleness as if what she did was just a normal occurrence to her. She followed Arland and sat on the empty seat.
Once the two settled down, two pairs of eyes focused on me. It's like going into a job interview but surely, they wouldn't grill me with those questions, right?
These two were still stronger than me at the moment. Are they Rank 2 Transcendents? But if that's the case, their enemy Transcendents will be at the same level or higher and I should've felt it.
They'll become my allies so... I'll know about their strength sooner or later.
"So. Daisuke, huh? You said you're still not done in completing your Mortal Pathway?"
"That should be the case. I'm still a long way from it. In this World's terms, I'm still at the 4th Elemental Condensing Realm."
Though I wouldn't explicitly state that I have 5 different Mortal Pathways, these two would figure it out when I asked them about Aether and Void.
"No wonder. Hikari and Fleur's disciple is one thing but you're more of a freak than both of them."
Arland sighed. I don't know what's happening to that girl and the 5 with her. I guess, they're continuing their rest, eh? And that disciple is most probably the 2nd Hero from the Elementals.
"Ah. That's also why I'm here. She summoned me through a linked skill from me. I will push her to Transcendence soon. Letting her become one of us will surely bolster this world's strength and if you have students at 4th or 5th Stage of Elemental Fusing Realm, I'm going to help them as well."
Helping those stuck at their bottleneck. There are only a few days from the expected widening of the Portal and I don't know how many Dark World Transcendents will descend. So this few days before that happened, that's what I planned to do here.
"And how will you do that?"
Fleur expressed her doubt but there's still a hint of excitement from her eyes.
"Simple. By letting them fight my clones until they drained themselves and I'll bathe them in this."
Four clones instantly materialize beside me. Without Energy Amplification nor making use of my Energy Incarnate form, these clones will only have 90+ Power Level. Late-stage Rank 5 Mortals.
After that, I waved my arm and made use of my energy control before activating the skill which I invented back during Yuko's Transcendence.
The Energy Zone.
Past the roof of this stone room, a dense cloud of Elemental Energy gathered.
Due to my increased stats, the size grew bigger and the focus I needed to pour on controlling it lessened. I don't need to be stuck in place anymore to maintain it.
When the two felt that, Arland controlled this structure of his and removed the roof. As soon as he did that, the dense amount of Energy flooded inside the room and created a special zone which engulfed the whole room.
It looked like a ray of sunlight bathing us three. When the two of them felt it, they became a huge drain as they crazily absorbed the Elemental Energy circling around them.
Arland stood up and raised his staff, when the green gemstone glowed, the room we were in expanded and more dirt and rocks were generated. He's hungrily absorbing the Elemental Energy while also using it to remodel this room. He's probably trying if his energy will be used up first or the zone will completely beat him by filling up the missing Energy that he was using to rebuild this room into something luxurious like a castle.
I maintained the Energy Zone and increased the intensity at which the Elemental Energy would gather and shower them.
Still, even with this, it wouldn't beat my own Energy Absorption. But for them, it's more than enough to feel like they have unlimited energy.
Fleur also stood up and waved the wooden staff on her hand. Those staves probably have the same effect as a Metagen. It's increasing their energy output. However, Metagen was still more advanced.
From Fleur's body, a huge sphere of water was instantly generated which engulfed the whole room, polishing the crude design Arland was using.
After 5 minutes, the simple room of dirt and rock expanded and became a luxurious castle in the sky.
"… I admit. This will work."
Arland settled back to his seat and gave his affirmation.
"Indeed. Your appearance this time spells the advent of the two races' rising up from constant defeat."
Fleur added, the wave of Water Elemental Energy dispersed and showered the sky which created a rainbow above the newly built castle.
"No. You two should prepare yourselves as well. In a few days, Transcendents like us will not be as rare anymore."
I warned them. It's great to have renewed hope but yeah, those who will descend are still just a stronger grunt. When the time comes to face the Great Ones of the Dark World, will we be able to resist them?
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