The first Merged Zone we entered was cleared up a little longer than expected due to the circumstances brought by the Cloudborne Tribe. It's unfortunate for them but that's how life is.
Through cleaning that Merged Zone up, we managed to harvest more than triple of what we got from the previous Zones. The amount of Dark Energy tanks already occupied most of the Necklaces I brought with me so I started using Jayna's excess Necklaces. With that amount, even if we shared some of it with the other Transcendents there would still be enough for me and my Companions, even if I counted those in another world.
Following that, we continued onto our path while still undetected. The World's Will's connection only got restored for a bit telling us what's happening to the march led by that Descendant of a Great One towards the three territories.
I was just about to ask her if it's fine to give her a name but it got cut off right there.
Well, maybe I can ask her later after we're done with our objectives. At least, I managed to confirm that it is possible for Ezyn and the others to call for the Door of Transcendence here. The only catch is, they have to practice the conversion of Elemental Energy to Spirit Energy. Their bodies should be able to do it automatically for them. Because the Transcendent Body will need to be made from the same type of their Source Energy, relying on the Elemental Energy will make their Transcendent Body reject their inherent Spirit Energy.
As of now, they still have to focus on converting the Elemental Energy for the replenishment of their Spirit Energy. According to the Incarnation, they would soon be able to do that just by continuing to stay in this world, like a habit one will be used to eventually.
The next place we went into was only a Merged Zone consisting of two Zones. Unlike the first one, the Dark World denizens guarding it wasn't a whole Tribe but a mixture of many tribes. There were no Transcendents once more but the quality of the guards already reached the point that there's no Rank 3 Mortal anymore.
We spent less time cleaning them up due to them not having a skill like those from the Cloudborne Tribe. They all fell under a barrage of skills from Transcendents like us. Even if they became desperate by employing any method they could think of, including setting off the traps by themselves to implicate us, none of those worked against us. We already amassed experience dealing with the traps and even if most of those aimed for Energy-based Incarnations, I just had the Incarnation to stay with me as we used Nullification Zone at the time, grinding those traps until it was weak enough to affect her.
If these Merged Zones were continued to be left alone while we slowly close the outer Zones one by one, they would be able to amass a large amount of Rank 5 Mortals and those who reached the threshold. Maybe they're still not trying to send them back to their World to become a Transcendent, but that's not impossible to happen in the future.
Maybe in the Otherworlds of the Heroes that I haven't added to my Support List, the same thing was already happening or worse, they're already at the next step I thought of. There are also those Otherworlds of the Rogue Heroes where most of the breach happened. If the Rogue Heroes failed to close those breaches then they would be more hard-pressed with the current descent of the Dark World Transcendents. Most likely, some already died against the enemies. Not only from the Rogue Heroes or the Heroes of other nations, but the possibility also extended to my classmates whose worlds I haven't visited yet.
It's not wrong to assume that some of those worlds already fell and in turn, the Dark Cult parasitizing the Earthlings will start increasing in numbers, or worse, they're already sending their bodies through those breaches.
Is that why the Principal wanted me to go back in two months? Well, he also asked to bring the Orbs back with me… This will just be a guess for now but considering each of those Orbs represented each type of Source Energy, will it be able to help the Earth's World's Will? Then why set it up to be found by my Companions and let me seek it out and collect them one by one? He could just pick them up again by himself, right?
I really need to get the answers from that sly old man once I come back to Earth. I'm still a Mortal Rank back then so I guess it was fine to still keep it. Now that I'm a Transcendent, I need to know what we're really facing and what really the Principal's goal is. Add to that, my identity will probably remain unanswered unless the page of my memory that got ripped off from me was given back by whoever took it.
"You're having a serious face, are you okay?"
Fleur's voice entered my ears, bringing me back to reality. I turned towards her and saw a worried expression on her. We're already on the way to the 3rd Merged Zone. After that, there's a possibility that the Portal Location will be next.
I shook my head and slipped my arms to her waist pulling her closer to me.
"More than fine, I just couldn't help but fall into my habit of overthinking. Did I worry you?"
"A bit. Most of the time you have an unchanging calm expression that exuded your absolute confidence. And sometimes you'll just suddenly turn serious as you're thinking about something you can't solve. If it became that heavy, can you also rely on us? What you said about Yuko, Yumiko, and Nysia being your equal, I want to be like that for you as well."
Fleur expressed her concern as she leaned on my shoulder, Jayna who's controlling the miniature Spirit Ocean we're riding was also looking at me. She nodded her head as if agreeing to what Fleur said.
Hikari and Boris only stayed silent while the World's Will Incarnation appeared indifferent but she's surely trying to learn even at this moment.
"I understand. I might not have said it yet, but all of you are my equals, there's no one standing on top. I'm already relying on the two of you, you know? Otherwise, I wouldn't take you with me here. I will continue relying on you as we continue on this journey. I will tell you what always made my face turn serious once we're done here. I won't leave out anything so prepared to be confused as well."
I have a lot of questions piled up in my mind. Who knows, maybe they could answer some of it?
Hearing my words, Fleur and Jayna couldn't help but giggle at my last sentence.
A few minutes later, we arrived at the vicinity of another Merged Zone. This time, it was bigger than even the first one.
Four individual Zones merged into one.
As soon as I stepped my foot inside the Merged Zone, my Adaptability warned me of an immediate danger along with the restriction placed upon those not adapted to Dark Energy.
"Everyone, quickly use any kind of defensive spell or skill!"
I hurriedly said as they entered the Zone one by one after me.
With the Nullification Zone and Bulwark of Invulnerability opened the first barrage of attacks was prevented by me. However, the danger which my Adaptability perceived was still there.
The Incarnation jumped in front of me opening her own Nullification Zone while using the Energy stored in her body.
Following her, Jayna's Earthfire was unleashed in its entirety, creating a wall of Earthfire blocking another set of attacks.
I don't know what's happening but it appears that the guards in this Merged Zone expected our arrival and placed an ambush right at the entrance.
When the wall of Earthfire subsided we finally saw what's in front of us. A number of Rank 5 Mortals barraging us with their skills. Behind them were at least four Transcendents whose Domains or Skills buffed those Mortal Ranks.
Before the next set of attacks could be launched, Fleur already finished casting a 12-nodes Water Elemental Spell, enclosing us with a ring of Water Wall. A bit similar to the Water Prison she enclosed the Werewolf Transcendent back then. This one's function was like a bunker.
And using the two opened slits in the front, Hikari and Boris both cast a 10-nodes Elemental Skills aimed at the group of Mortal Ranks in front.
"We were spotted or it's possible that we're really near the Portal Location which explained this kind of heavy guard."
The Incarnation said as we watched some of the Mortal Ranks fall under Hikari and Boris' spells.
"Then, it's possible that they will also be informed of our arrival. We're in for more difficult battles now."
I said before taking out the Totem Pole conjuring a half enhanced Clone to charge out and clear a path for us. After that, I threw every one of us with the three types of boosts as I opened Bedevilled Outbursts to have a counter bombardment against them.
"Yes. Once we reached the Portal Location, we wouldn't just face the heavy guards placed there but also we have to defend the place while we're closing the Portal."
The Incarnation nodded as she charged out and exercised her overwhelming Energy Control by using more of the Energy stored inside her, disturbing the Dark Energy in the area which resulted in some of the enemies failing to activate their skills.
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