Chapter 463 Death Shade Ambush (2/2)

”Not bad,” he said. ”In just ten days you've already built a house from the debris, mostly completed the defensive fortifications and improved to Silver… Although that's because you two had sufficient protocrystals, it still most certainly counts as genius.”

The warrior's eyes could see through all secrets, and assuredly understood the reason for Crete's quick ascension—not because of his accelerated cultivation, but because he held enough protocrystals.

According to the youths, the shelter village below Joshua had been leveled by a bunch of Death Shades led by a headless knight, with both of them only surviving after jumping into the bottom of a well.

Despite that, it was a stroke of fortune that these Death Shades were no robbers and plundered nothing. That was how Crete and Laurel had enough protocrystals to cultivate themselves with, after Joshua had rescued them and taught them Kokyu-ho.

In ten days, four things—outstanding inheritance, fine talent, sufficient resources along with the daily toiling live combats shaped a youth who could ascend into Silver in ten days.

”Rise,” Joshua said, getting them to stand up since he did not have the habit of conversing with others as they knelt. At the same time, his gaze penetrated Crete's flesh, staring as he studied the seed of powers within his body.

It was a unique change. The mana from the protocrystal that the youth absorbed within his body was broken down into basic lifeforce and elemental power through the Kokyu-ho Joshua had taught him. The lifeforce was subsequently used for empowering his physicality and spawn aura, while the remaining elemental power was stored near his heart for mystical reconstruction.

After the youth ascend to Silver-advanced tier, Crete could work his lifeforce so that it would fuse once more with the elemental power around his heart, thereby reverting it into magical energy.

In other words, it was a Kokyu-ho that combined the cultivation methods of fighters from two worlds. It was almost a common Kokyu-ho on the Mycroft Continent, but on the Grandia Continent it was one of the finest honing techniques thanks to the immeasurably excellent progress by absorbing protocrystal energy.

More importantly, Joshua could tell that the fusion energy seed in Crete's body already bore a hint of similarity with the pure aura in the Mycroft Continent.

And that similarity was the most basic essence of Steel Strength, one that would not change even after stepping to a different world!

”Let me try.”

Stretching out a hand, Joshua moved the energies throughout his body and mimicked that hint of energy essence. Instantly, a dull-silver radiance flashed through his palm that was substantial despite the dimness, as if it carried an entire world.

Having just stood up, Laurel and Crete could not help kneeling again even as they sensed the hint of a curiously familiar scent while their hearts were filled with reverence. The youth felt that the powerful red-eyed black-haired man before them—the mysterious instructor who left them their cultivation method—seemed to be melding slowly with the world and becoming one with it.

64%, 65%, 66%, 67%, 68%, 68.5%... 69%!

In no time at all, Joshua's energy output level reached 69%.

So, a monumental presence swept through the entire southern wastelands!

Just like how leviathans that wandered the oceans kicked up borderless tidal waves, an indescribable vast power swept through every person across these lands.

Be it survivors who sensed the familiar presence or Death Shades scattered all around, all were suppressed by that power and rendered immobile. Further away at the southwest of the continent, certain Heroic Spirits and champions slumbering within undestroyed shelters promptly felt a pause in their breath and energy circulation, the palpitation lingering for some time.

Even further away, in Guetard—the formal Ulan Imperial Capital northwest of the continent, a Death Shade commander quickly turned and look towards the southern horizon.

”Divine…” It said in a low voice. ”Who… Who could break through Divine at this time?!”

Back at the source of the ripple.

Joshua's crimson eyes flashed with a metallic silver light as he floated in the air. That was the radiance of Steel Strength, the power that carries, shapes and engulf all things.

The power that he wished to grasp.

At the moment, Joshua's power output level has yet to reach a hundred percent, but his ability now had surpassed his peak back at Mycroft.

It was a power that surpassed Supreme-pinnacle and was about to reach Legendary threshold!

However, just as warrior reached 69% of output rate, he suddenly stopped ascending further.

So, his presence shrunk back into himself.

Joshua landed slowly on the ground, ignoring the divine armament siblings excited chattering behind him such as 'Master you've become really powerful!' or 'Feels like you're even more powerful than when you were still in Mycroft!', as well as Crete and Laurel's worshipful gazes. Instead, he stared with utmost solemnness at his palm that no longer glinted with silver radiance.

”Steel Strength… is being corroded?” The warrior muttered to himself in astonishment and doubt. ”The power of the world's existence—the Initial Flame is shrinking?! Who, who could do such a thing?!”

A moment ago, when Joshua's power output was about to breakthrough to 70%, the aura and lifeforce around his body was about to be refined into energies that had more affinity with Steel Strength. He therefore breathed in resonance with the world of Grandia, and that in turn allowed him to vaguely sense that the essence of this world was being changed, and Steel Strength, the fundamental of all things, was being eroded.

There was no similar Steel Python existing in this world compared to Karlis and Illgner. The world existed for too brief a time, so much so that its own will was yet to be birthed—that was why the essence of this world could easily be changed, even corrupted and eroded.

So that he himself would not be affected by erosion, Joshua gave up his breakthrough without hesitation.

In the distant northwest at the Imperial Capital of Guetard within the former Ulan Empire, black clouds that caused unease cascaded as black rain begun to fall.

The city was shrouded in the light of seven dully-colored halos, which also maintained the dense fog that never dispersed and the roaring dust hurricane.

In that very moment, the fourth halo broke away from the seven-halo formation and slowly headed towards the south. The dark vortex, carrying tremendous dark energy, started for the world out there.

It was as if some shadow was climbing out from the abyss.

Its target was the southern wastelands.

And its objective was to destroy all resistance and hope.