Since the place was inappropriate, we didn't get lost too much in passion. As soon as we felt the surrounding energy calming down due to the successful closing of the Portal, I lifted my body off Irja and helped her get up.
However, looking at her mesmerized expression from what happened between us within these few minutes, I couldn't help but tease her again which earned me another bite mark on my neck.
Well, it's worth it anyway. We now had one more memory to remember by. Although we didn't go all the way, I properly conveyed my gratitude for her. With my time in the Dark World, I thought I would go home alone just like how it was when I impulsively jumped to the Portal. But here she was, leaving behind even those she spent years with in the same dark prison.
My way of conveying my gratitude might've been somewhat unconventional, nonetheless, I conveyed it properly through it and she accepted it.
There were that red lips of hers that seemed to have been sucked for an extended period of time as well as kiss marks and hickeys that clearly visible on various parts of her necks now hidden by her collar.
"... Shameless guy. Until when will you stare at me?"
"How is that shameless? I don't recall you rejecting me and you seemed to be more eager than me. Besides, I'm just mesmerized by my beautiful new Companion."
"Ugh… Don't remind me of that, idiot. And curb that tongue of yours. Let's go." To run away from embarrassment, Irja rode her broomstick and flew up high.
Seeing her retreating back, I smiled and shook my head as I followed behind her. It's enough fluff for today. There were more pressing issues we had to do after all.
As we looked through the hole where the Portal was, the Incarnation's figure could be seen floating out from it. He still had the same cold expression on his face. Without exchanging any word with me, he flew off along with the rumbling dark clouds with him.
As to where his destination is, who knows? He'll probably go into a corner and just watch by the sidelines, letting the denizens of this world go through hardships without lending them a helping hand. Now, my evaluation of the World of Spirit's World's Will was higher than this one. At least that paranoid World's Will still willingly helped its denizens and Yumiko to repel the Dark Elves.
With that mysterious Edge of the World's Cliff, I expected more from the World's Will but for him to be this passive. What is he planning?
Putting the thoughts about the World's Will to the back of my mind, I looked at Irja and we both nodded at each other, having the same thing running in our mind and the moment.
It's to make sure that the World's Will did its job cleanly.
When we flew down the cavern, apart from the corpses of the Mortal Ranks and Transcendents, there were no more traces of a Portal. Even the leftover Dark Energy exuded from it was nowhere to be seen. That World's Will sucked it all up. Now, apart from Brute Energy that he got filled up naturally, there's nothing to check anymore.
No portal traces and such. The remaining Dark World Transcendents have no way home anymore.
"It's done. Even your way back to the Dark World."
"Stop mentioning that. I will come back there with you in the future."
"Right. Then let's meet up with Yuko and the others."
However, before truly leaving the place, I pulled out the Totem and used a spell I hadn't actually used in battle before.
The 6-nodes Fire Elemental version of Air Bullet.
Manifold Fire Burst!
As terrifyingly large swathes of flames were conjured from Totem, we were immediately subjected to a blinding heat of the flames. Even if it's not directed at us, thanks to the enhancement of the Totem, a normal 6-nodes Spell now has the strength of a 12-nodes. As the flames entered the cavern, the corpses of Mortals and Transcendents alike inside started to burn.
I already swept the loots clean from them if we still missed someone, the flames this time would not spare him.
To top it off, Irja borrowed the Totem from me and sent more fire-related skills with the help of her Lesser Spirit Fi.
Once we're done, we simply turned around and flew out of the Concealment Formation.
The place was already marked so there's no need for me to remove that.
Besides, I wanted those Dark World Transcendents who were surely running back to their base after that publicity stunt of the World's Will by appearing in that grand manner to see what's left of their comrades.
Along the way to the direction where the Whiteshade Division was currently located, we also changed back to our outfit and put away the Dafirae Tribe clothes. That could still come in handy in the future so there's no point throwing it away.
Whenever we would pass by a group of Corrupted and Dark Beastmaster terrorizing a small or medium tribe still sparsely populating the Desolate Plains, a clone would be sent down to take care of them.
In this way, we left a path of carnage behind us.
On the side, we've also seen some Transcendents rushing back to their base. But instead of killing them, I let them go and group up for now. That way, they would still think they had the numbers to deal with whoever massacred the five Transcendents they left behind and closed their Portal to home.
That's already trivial anyway. I only wanted to reunite with the girls first before completely eradicating all of them and move onto the next world. The only slightly bigger than an ant of a threat here is that Great One descendant.
His Rank 2 Transcendent strength is also trivial. The thing we have to know is if that one has any lifesaving treasure like that metal cube from Larnel or the ice-blue rifle from Yordi.
If he does have one then we have to make sure that he wouldn't be able to use that. And if he doesn't then it will be easier to wrap this world up.
Because I lost the World Bonus of the Dark World, my current UPL went down less than 300, putting me back to the Rank 1 Transcendent category. Nonetheless, with my increased Energy Control, it's easier and faster to wade through this world's energy, leading to our flight speed being ultimately faster than a King Realm or even an Emperor Realm.
In less than 20 minutes, we finally saw the mud fortress sticking like a sore thumb in this Desolate Plains.
Currently, a large number of vicious beasts, Dark Beastmasters in their Soul-bound beasts, Corrupted Barbarians who were oozing out a large amount of Dark Energy from their bodies and a few Dark World Transcendents watching over are currently surrounding the fortress. Around them were siege engines built from beast bones that were being used by Corrupted Barbarians to siege the walls and the gates of the fortress.
In contrast to that, lined up on the walls of the fortress was the bone bow-wielding Barbarians of the Whiteshade Division.
The last time I was here in this world, they're just ranging around Mortal to Augmented Realm. Now, all of them were Augmented Realms while there were even some Saint Realms leading the group of Augmented Realms wielding the bone bows.
Yuko and the others couldn't be seen from afar but I already noticed their presence inside the fortress.
However, there's one woman who I am familiar with hovering above the fortress, directing the defenders on the wall.
Ophelia. That Saint Realm widow who was previously a slave assigned to me. She's now a King Realm expert and was currently at the 2nd Stage. Her only Pillar was below her feet sometimes ejecting from it to hit a Corrupted Barbarian that managed to successfully climb the ladder.
Seeing this battle, these Dark Beastmasters were still using the same strategy as before, pitting the denizens of these worlds against each other.
And since it's only a battle in the level of Mortal Ranks, Erin probably suggested it with the others agreeing to it to give the members of the division an experience.
Since we didn't stop at that sight and continued on our way, I already saw the shy Noelle in her priest robes running around from wall to wall to heal the injured.
Upon seeing that, I felt that the healing skill she's using wasn't a Blessing but a Skill from her own System. Well, those slots for Knight Skills, Priest Blessings or Wizard Spells were just like an add-on to the System. Everyone will still have their own System-generated Skill whenever their system is upgraded or in other words, whenever they will go up in realm.
Because we're flying in a high profile manner, the Dark World Transcendents watching over the siege all noticed us.
There were 4 of them here. Perhaps they're here to put the four girls in check.
Upon seeing us approaching them, they all flew up from where they were and greeted us.
"New faces. Are you two the new ones who descended?" One of the Transcendents who seemed to be the strongest among them asked. Judging from his Energy Intensity, he's around 250. Like Udann before he completed his breakthrough to become a Rank 2 Transcendent.
Although I already got my hands on the item to check on other's UPL it has some kind of limitations on its use and well, there's no point using that this time.
"Yes, we are." Irja was the one who answered. She's a Rank 2 Transcendent. Although her presence wasn't that big, when she presented herself in their eyes, they immediately noticed the pressure coming from her.
"A Rank 2 Transcendent! Great!" One of them exclaimed. Perhaps thinking that with her addition, she would be able to thrash the four girls inside the fortress.
A shame. If only they knew…
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