He looked at his first Umbral servant and, without an ounce of mercy, he turned him into ash with a solar pulse fired from his palm.
The servant’s darkness coating resisted for a little bit, but still... it got devoured by the intense solar pulse in no time... Then, he turned around and left.
As Ash’Kral said, if overusing Darkness Coating was a serious problem, he wasn’t going to waste his limited slots of servants on a nobody.
’Damn, even solar-based abilities burn as hell.’
While he was flying away, he glanced at his crimson soles and some skin burn marks on his legs... his resistance to sunflames was decent, but not decent enough to protect him from genuine sunflames touching his flesh.
His mind returned to the scene of him using a camouflage-based totem to cover his presence while he hid behind a cracked mound... he wanted to ambush them using Sun Jets to see just how fast they would make him go.
However, the moment he activated them, he found himself piercing through the sky akin to a rocket... his soles emitting concentrated jet-like blue/golden flames.
Although the jets were being emitted with great intensity away from his feet, his soles were still the point of release.
Fortunately, Levi had an aetheric grasp as well, which made him incapable of losing balance or such during his flight.
During the fight, he only felt a slight burning tingle, but now, the wounds kept sending painful waves, forcing him to drink a couple of recovery totems.
’Don’t worry, as you keep growing, your body will automatically evolve to resist such heat until you build an immunity... while steady enhancement from completing stages helps, the real difference will be felt when you evolve and obtain a decent mutation.’ Ash’Kral said.
"With how my relationship with Sun and Void trees is currently, I doubt they will be as kind."
Levi had a feeling that they were going to take revenge on him through mutation... he knew that he couldn’t commit to his evolution like this.
Something needed to be done. He thought.
...
While Levi was contemplating a method to seek a temporary truce with the two Ancestral Trees before his evolution, Feng Ling and Hicham were chosen to lobby for Heliodor’s Raiders.
At first, it was just Hicham, but Feng Ling requested to tag along, catching all the governors by surprise... the lazy smoker took initiative for the government and its future? It was a first.
"We know it’s far-fetched... but, give it your all, for Seraphis, for the team, for the region’s future."
High Chancellor wished them good luck with a smile as he stood in front of them inside the Willow Grove... they were next to the dimensional mirror, which was connected to the World Tree in Antarctica.
"We will see what we can do, but no promises... Dominic isn’t known to break the rules that easily." Hicham said.
"I know, that’s why I am worried." High Chancellor sighed.
"What happens happens."
Feng Ling said calmly as he stepped into the dimensional mirror while lighting up a cigarette on the way... Hicham gave a slight head nod at the High Chancellor and went after him.
’Willow, please help them out.’ High Chancellor bowed his head slightly in the direction of the dimensional mirror.
Willow Grove’s leaves fluttered on their own silently, seemingly a response to his wish... did it agree, did it reject? No one could tell for sure.
***
Three days later in the Boundless Expanse...
Levi had just exited the rented Evolutionists’ Lab and returned to his studio. Once he locked the door behind him, he went straight to sit on the bed, pulling two glass bottles from his dimensional wallet.
He lifted them up in front of his face and murmured, "Such expensive beauties..."
His description was somewhat accurate, as the two evolutionary formulas were nothing like anything he had seen before.
The Sun’s evolutionary formula was filled with a golden gas that was progressively combining to show a glimpse of a miniature sun before collapsing into a gas form.
Meanwhile, the Void’s evolutionary formula was spinning a dark vortex... it was spinning while narrowing at the bottom until it touched the glass.
’If these were the appearance of the 1st evolution’s formulas, how will they appear at the end?’
Levi couldn’t help but let his imagination run wild... shortly, he shook his head and steeled his expression.
’I can’t evolve while those two seeds are still pissed at me for favoring the Nine Senses seed... let’s hope the speech I prepared works.’
Levi decided to do something he had never tried before... commencing the Resonance on all three trees together!
He wanted to hold a meeting to decide their future once and for all. Knowing the three seeds’ egos, once the Nine Senses seed responded to his call, the other two were bound to show up.
As expected... when the connection was established, the Nine Senses Tree was the first to show up in the center of Levi’s spiritual vision, swaying back and forth in delight.
Just as Levi was about to greet it, the two Ancestral Trees popped up on its right side and left side... killing its joy instantly.
They started using their branches to squeeze it from the sides while the Crimson tree was forced to defend itself.
Levi watched this scene speechlessly, making him remember the days he was caught with his little brother squabbling by their mother. She forced them to stand straight as she lectured them on why brothers shouldn’t fight each other, but they were still elbowing each other each time she looked away.
’What did you expect them to do? Hug each other and work things out?’ Ash’Kral sneered, ’Heh, those three divas have been fighting each other for generations... It’s in their sap by now.’
’Thanks to you.’
Levi’s brow twitched, knowing the bastard was the cause of all this, wanting to force a solution to the Three-Body Problem at all costs... this was bound to create more friction between the three seeds with each failed partner.
Ash’Kral acted deaf to what Levi said and watched him take a deep breath. Then, he narrowed his spiritual gaze at them.
’Honored Ancestors, I gathered you here to ask for a single chance.’ Levi spoke, his solemn voice resounding in the spiritual plane.
When the trees heard him, they halted their petty quarrel and gave him some of their attention... Seeing this, Levi continued on, speaking freely from the heart.
’I seek your cooperation. I aim to tackle the Three-Body Problem, and all I ask is that you place a bet on me executing the Soul Split Theory... nothing more, nothing less.’
The Ancestral Trees shook at once, their mixed-up leaves covering the spiritual plane, yet not one of them touched the other... it was like they were telling him, the day their leaves touch, is the day the universe ceases to exist. Yet, he wished for their cooperation. Dream on.
Levi seemed to pick up on their intentions... but he didn’t let it break his spirit.
’If you are willing to cooperate, even if only pretending to work with me until I reach Pathfinder rank through this theory, I can promise you something unprecedented: your own personal spiritual space, a place to grow freely, without interference,’ he said calmly. ’No other host in history has ever achieved this with three of you... yet I intend to make it real.’
The three Ancestral trees went silent for a moment, seemingly thinking it over... A personal spiritual space was something only in their dreams, since neither Ash’Kral nor his past partners had what it took to create it.
But Levi was different... His spiritual prowess was unmatched. If there was one person capable of pulling it off, it would be him.
’If you give me this chance, I won’t let you down... I’ll honor your guidance and patience.’ Levi’s expression turned stern all of a sudden. ’If you refuse, I won’t be stopped; I’ll pursue the Soul Split Theory anyway and make it work despite any trials or punishments you impose.’
’I am not begging, nor will I ever do... If you want to claim this opportunity to be part of earning your own freedom, you are more than welcome... but if you decide to remain petty with each other, I won’t stop you,’ Levi concluded calmly. ’Once you force me to fail, I will die and be freed from everything... but for you? Ash’Kral will continue finding newer partners over and over and over again, until he dies or the universe ceases to exist.’
Seeing that the Ancestral trees were still silent, Levi pointed his finger at Ash’Kral, who was watching everything from Levi’s spiritual Leywell with the Titan.
’Look at him, at his stupid face... Are you really planning to give up on me to stay by his side for many years to come?’
’Hey... what’s with the insults?’
Ash’Kral was left annoyed, but when he saw the three Ancestral trees sharing a similar response of laughing at his expense, he realized that Levi was attempting to villainize him... in turn, creating another common point for the trees to unite against.
’Now, I ask you again, and this will be the last time I do...’ Levi gazed at them calmly. ’Will you be part of the sole solution to free you from your imprisonment, or will you decide to remain in it for eternity to not harm your pride... what will it be?’
His voice was filled with so much conviction, even Ash’Kral and the Titan began to believe that maybe the kid was right... He might be the only one capable of solving the elusive Three-Body Problem.
As Ash’Kral said before, Levi was fated to solve it... Everything about him fit the sole solution he believed that was left untested, and had the most potential... It seemed like the three Ancestral trees were starting to realize it, too.
Realize that Levi wasn’t like any other past partner... he might be the only jail ticket available throughout their entire lifespan.
’What will it be?’
Levi asked one last time while opening up the two evolutionary bottles together. Then he drank them simultaneously and wiped his mouth with his sleeve.