"Woah... I have actually unlocked two main aspects in a single rank... this is huge!" Levi’s expression turned bright, focusing more on the Aspect than the ability.
"This is indeed massive." The Titan smiled, "Ash’Kral is a master in illusionary arts... I was genuinely questioning if you were going to miss out on his tutelage."
"I can tell," Levi murmured as he read the ability’s details, realizing just how deadly and fearsome his illusory battle arts must have been.
If this were a reasonable medium-tier ability in the Perception Sense Leaf, Levi couldn’t imagine what that monster must have created at the peak.
He could understand stealing one’s senses, but to do it without requiring a decent medium was something else... it made him realize that he could literally put anyone in a realistic illusion of his desire without even using his weapon or an energy-based medium.
Just have a high spiritual prowess compared to his enemy, and his life was no longer his. If he were to channel it through his weapons or aether energy, its efficiency would only improve.
’Fearsome... too fearsome.’
***
Back to the present...
Levi smiled briefly as he recalled using Eternal Mirage on Yanhuan... he had never planned on revealing it, believing he had what it took to defeat Yanhuan without it.
After all, the fight in Yanhuan’s illusion was orchestrated by Levi from A to Z, like a choreography... that’s why his thoughts were still heard, and he chose to use only the set of abilities and techniques he had already shown before.
But in reality, if he truly went all out, Yanhuan wouldn’t have stood a chance even without Levi using Eternal Mirage on him.
After all, his spiritual prowess was on a different league than any of his peers, and Yanhuan was included... as long as he kept his spiritual energy saved.
Hence, he had to take down Evangeline quickly.
But, after everything that happened between him and Yanhuan, he wanted to test his character... to see if he was just a spoiled prince, who knew no better, or an actual piece of shit.
Look and behold, the moment Yanhuan believed he had won, he didn’t hesitate to tell Levi that if it weren’t for his reputation, he would have killed him... all because of the soft interaction they had before.
Once he said it, Levi knew exactly where to put Yanhuan in his list of ’Acquaintances.’
’By the time he grows some balls and decides to make a move on me, I will have already left him to eat my dust.’ Levi remarked on Ash’Kral’s previous question.
As for his family? Levi knew that none of them would dare put a finger on him... not when he was still participating in the event and under the Solar Aegis Sanctuary’s protection. Even without it, Dominic had made his stance clear.
He might have said his warning only for Yanhuan, but with Levi having his ears everywhere, he heard him too... that made him understand that Dominic had his back, and everyone else in the conference.
If there was one thing no Lineage would dare do, it was to get on the wrong side of the strongest Daywalker on the planet, who was also the Supervisor of the SAS Headquarters.
His authority was on the high ends of the pyramid, and no one in their right mind would think it was a good idea to challenge him... With all of those points combined, Levi had no reason to be scared of upsetting Yanhuan or his family.
For now, his only focus was the Ancient Site.
***
A couple of days later...
Levi’s team, Tyrese’s team, and Evangeline’s team were all gathered in the camp’s plaza while Dominic, Feng Ling, and some high-ranked staff members were in front of them.
The atmosphere was solemn as everyone had just received the news that the Ancient Distorted Site’s gate had finally reached the tipping point, opening for the first time.
Levi and the others were all geared up, wearing as many artifacts as they could afford... money and energy-wise.
Levi finally wore the black armor he found in Grave’Maw’s treasury... He had been saving it for the time he could wear it proudly, and no one would question him about its source.
After all, when he looted it in the treasury, he was yet to be a CRS Rifter or someone with access to the dimensional network in everyone’s eyes.
As for telling them he bought it from Heliodor’s markets? He knew that such a lie would never work when such purchases left records behind.
"Following the briefing we had yesterday, I would like to emphasize again the grave importance of avoiding unnecessary battles against the Corrupted." Dominic uttered solemnly, "You are bound to meet them, and they won’t be friendly... but, if you manage to contain or kill them without creating too much energy disturbance, the site will remain stable."
Everyone nodded in understanding... they were already informed on what to expect inside the site, how to notice early signs of the dimension’s instability, and such in detail. They were also given a nocturnal contract that acted as a dimensional gateway to the World Tree’s mirror... though, only the captains were given such contracts due to budget issues.
The SAS Headquarters had already invested way too much to claim the site under their name, and they couldn’t afford to give each Daywalker a contract since each one was priced in the tens of thousands of credits, and they were a one-time use.
The Ancient Site’s dimensional spaces were extremely difficult to access or leave, which meant, each dimensional gate needed an immense amount of spatial energy.
As everyone knew... Nocturn’s Administration was being extremely frugal with such rare energy, increasing each dimensional gateway contract’s price based on the amount of spatial energy required.
"Move out... Fractured Sites have unstable gates, and we don’t know when they will close or open again, if they ever will."
Knowing that their time was precious, Dominic kept his briefing short... Then, he led the way to the Pyramid of Khufu with everyone else following him.
After some time, the teams had arrived at the base of the Pyramid of Khufu... since they left its corruption as it was, and they couldn’t use cleansing totems, everyone was required to wear a corruption cleansing mask. The same one Levi wore during the Lord of the Broken Peak’s expedition.
As Levi walked across the corrupted lands, he used his harmonic spine to color his world, as if there was anything to color in an infested, corrupted site. Unlike everyone else, he was able to see the corrupting atmosphere do its black magic, turning the pyramid’s stones as black as night while leaving nasty, slimy tendrils on it.
’From a pyramid considered one of the seven wonders of the world to this state... the Shadow dimension’s corruption is truly a plague... a plague with no cure.’
Levi smiled bitterly, feeling like he was watching his beloved world die slowly and have its memories and history slowly corroded... it wasn’t just the world’s history; their ancestors’ great efforts too.
Whether the means of the Pyramid’s being built were questionable or not, its creation was a staple in human history and redefined how the modern era viewed ancient humans.
Now... all that was left of their world was this.
A corrupted black ruined pyramid that had its beauty and ancientness stolen... and humans could do nothing to prevent or protect it. Yet, the saddest part? It was only going to get worse until their home planet got devoured by the Shadow dimension, just like Ashora’s empire on the other side.
It wasn’t yet fully devoured, but the emergence of ancient sites connected to it was nothing but a sorrowful scream for help.
Levi had read rumors in the dimensional network that those Ancient Sites were born out of the planet’s strong memories that were being devoured by the Shadow dimension, escaping briefly and seeking a connection to another place that shared the same kind of memories.
It wasn’t just having a similar history... it was more than that.
It was life.
It was the planet’s soul crying out to its kin across the stars, begging not to be forgotten.
As Levi gazed at the swirling gate in the far distance, he didn’t know if he was just being sentimental or not... but he could feel it.
The other planet was calling for them to save it, to help it escape the gaping maw of the Shadow dimension.
Alas... how could they save another planet when they couldn’t even save theirs?
Is this our planet’s final fate? Using our history and memories to seek kindred spirits that could save it, not knowing that its cries for help will be left unanswered ... Levi thought, feeling his heart tighten for a brief moment.
He knew it was foolish to cling so tightly to a mere piece of land, but he didn’t care. Earth was more than soil and stone... it was his cradle and his grave, his mother, and his father.
It was the streets he grew up on, the skies he first dreamed under, the rivers that had carried his laughter, and the mountains that had borne witness to his pain.
Earth was his childhood, his blood, his everything... the thought of losing it was like being asked to carve out his own heart.
As he neared the gate with his friends, Levi reached out to a small, untainted piece of stone... then, he caressed it gently for a moment before he continued on his path.
’Earth... no one will need to hear your sorrowful cries for help.’ His expression turned calm as he stood in front of the swirling gate, ’As long as I live... your fate will never end like hers.’
’Never.’