1015 Disguise 1 (1/2)
”Lover?” Hillco smiled, revealing a hint of stubbornness. That was not what she wanted; she had her own pursuits and dreams.
”Everyone faces a lot of choices in life, and every choice would perhaps turn into a completely different path.” Bainster exhaled sharply, and continued, ”I wish you could stay. I can see that Senior Brother Garen belongs to the type of person who generally doesn't care about anyone else, but if you could really get into his heart, he would be accountable to you no matter what.”
”Accountable?” Hillco shook her head. ”I like him, but all he has is pity for me. Only pity…”
”Or you could just choose me. We're old acquaintances anyway, so let's not hand over the advantage to an outsider…” Bainster chuckled.
”You can forget it! Watch it, I'll tell Victor's sister!” Hillco shot back at him. ”Then again, it's not as though we won't keep in touch anymore after I leave. Technology is so advanced now that there are still ways of staying in contact even if we travel to where the Finite people are. What's there to be worried about?”
”That's true. The decision depends on you, then. I'll help you say something to Senior Brother.” Bainster shrugged.
He managed to change the slightly melancholic atmosphere to become completely impassive now. Hillco glared at him.
”Enough, I'll go pack up and book the teleportation ticket.”
”Go then, leave and return early. I believe that you will come back, sooner or later.” Bainster had a damn look on his face that was just asking to be beaten up.
”Go to hell!” Hillco grunted. Completely devoid of any sadness, she left speedily on her electronic chair.
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Planet Scarlet Snow.
In the dense pinewood forest.
Garen's body was suspended slightly in midair. There was a mysterious shapeless force field surrounding him, lifting him up in suspension.
Five beams of crimson circled continuously by his side, swimming around him ceaselessly, like fishes. They looked radiant and bright.
A pile of Red Peacock Stones was placed next to him; these were some of the ores that Princess Aine had shipped to him previously. One by one, the essence of the Peacock Stones was being absorbed by Garen in a steady stream; at a speed that the naked eye could perceive, their glow was being dimmed continuously, like red crystals being filled slowly by various types of rust.
”Absorbing these Red Peacock Stones, my Peacock form is finally beginning to astir…” Seeing that the seventh level of his Hellfrost Peacock Technique has finally progressed in percentage, Garen heaved a huge sigh of relief.
He had now absorbed approximately a hundred or so stones. The rate, which had originally been 5%, had turned into 15%.
”The environment here isn't too bad either. It's suitable for secluded practice. Too bad I can't continue absorbing Peacock Stones here until an upgrade, otherwise there might an upgrade of a certain power.” Garen's heart was at peace.
It had been five or six years since his arrival on Planet Scarlet Snow. Back then from being a Level Three Energy Machinist, he had now grown to become a Level Five Energy Machinist. He could even cross into the next level and battle at the New-Moon Level.
This rate of growth was already very fast for an ordinary person, but it was normal for a genius.
However, no matter what kind of a genius one was, progress would immediately slow down at the resonance stage and be blocked for a very long period of time. Such as in the case of Carthage, he has been stuck on this level for three years already. It was a pity that he had yet to breakthrough to the inherited level.
He was not the only one; many geniuses were the same. Just like the Blackboard Region back then, which encountered the same plight; top-level geniuses had been blocked at the resonance level for countless of years. Some had been stuck for up to a few dozen years, even.
To an Energy Machinist, this level was the crux for the condensation of their core. The quality of the condensation would directly affect the strength stages of the subsequent Inherited Level, and the possibility of advancement in the future.
Right now, Garen was about to face the threshold of this crux.
Deep in his thoughts, Garen absorbed the Red Peacock Stones around him without ceasing. One after another, the Red Peacock Stones were absorbed continuously, turning into white ash that dissipated.
After an unknown period of time, the twins had boiled water and cooked their meal in the camp nearby. Done with their meal, they were about to duck into their respective tents to rest.
Whoosh!
Suddenly, a sharp whistle rang out in the distance, as though something had pierced through the air, shooting over to them directly from afar.
The sound approached fast near to the large area of pinewood next to where Garen and the others were situated.
All of a sudden, a beam of black light pierced through the air over their heads, drawing out a black line, before quickly disappearing into the distant sky.
Garen opened his eyes to glance at the black light. Without any expression, he closed his eyes quietly to continue his practice.
However, not long after the black light has passed, there came faint noises of people walking through the pinewood forest.
”Glory, watch out behind you!” A man's deep voice said.
Smack! It sounded as though some insect had been smacked dead in an instant, with a faint, struggling hum. In the midst of that was the somewhat panicked but quiet exclamation of a girl, who was apparently startled.