'Yep.' Alex replied to her question. 'The only difference is that yours was on the opposite spectrum. You nearly froze all the energy in here…'
'I see…' Julia flashed a knowing smile.
Sometime later, Ross completed his ascension. Getting up to his feet, the redhead stared at his hands like he was looking at them for the first time.
'Everything looks and feels different.' Ross noticed what Julia mentioned earlier. 'I don't think I've felt this kind of clarity before.'
'That's because the S-Tier is a complete change from an ordinary mortal to the stages of real power.' Alex said to Julia and Ross. 'At this level, you're closer to the universe than you've ever been.'
Alex appeared before Ross, shifting Julia to his side.
Ross lifted his head to look at his surroundings, appreciating the mesmerizing hues of the different energies. There were colours he hadn't even known existed.
"It's magical, isn't it?" Alex waved his hand through the surrounding energy. "Even at this stage, you're just getting started — for real this time."
"You don't say…" Ross shook his head and focused on Alex. "How do we compare to the older generation and even some of the new S-Tiers around?"
"I'd say you guys are completely broken." Alex replied. "If I had to compare, I'd say you guys can wipe the floor with the two leaders before they became vassals — and that's when they assume their manastorm state."
"Really…?" Julia was shocked. "We're that strong?"
"Hehe, you have no idea." Alex really made them broken. "You can fight an entire army of them and still come out unscathed."
"What about now?" Ross was itching for a fight. The redhead clenched his fists while his eyes spewed literal flames.
This was what he wanted. While it was still ways away from Alexander's level, he was now in the powerhouse rankings.
"You won't stand a chance." Alex dropped the bomb, shocking the two out of their growing arrogance. "There are three stages at the S-Tier, each characterised by your level of understanding of your unique abilities. You two are currently at the first stage — a very strong one at that.
"However, right now, Lord Basso and Lord Jaseph or even Lord Zol could incapacitate you two with just their aura. The other vassals can do the same."
"..."
"And here I am thinking I was ready to dominate them." Ross couldn't help but sigh.
"Don't beat yourself up." Alex cheered. "At the S-Tier, focus more on listening to your elements, the very mana that flows through your system. That's the next path — understanding the essence of your abilities. The more understanding you gain, the more your level rises.
"Finally, when you are able to grasp this part of yourself, you'll evolve again. At that point…"
"We'll become gods…." Ross ended the sentence, recalling having a discussion like this with Alex.
"Yep." Alex nodded, patting Ross on the shoulder.
"Can't you just push us forward?" Julia asked innocently. "You're a literal god and you said it yourself, there isn't anything you can't do."
"While that is possible, would that be the right path?" Alex asked instead. "The path to godhood begins with understanding oneself and what makes you a part of the universe. If I do that for you, would you still be you?"
"..."
Julia turned silent, realizing how foolish her question was. Honestly, she was just playing around, but hearing the response made her frown.
'There is no such thing as a shortcut… I must put in the work.'
Alex nodded her way, liking Julia's way of thinking. He wanted nothing more than to always move with them. However, he also didn't want to be their babysitter of sorts.
His friends wouldn't like that. It would make them feel inadequate — something he couldn't allow. They had to grow at their own pace — hastened through his hands, of course.
Alex gave Ross and Julia time to mull over his words while he searched the universe, finding two perfect dummies for them.
"Now that we have that out of the way, why don't you test your newfound strength?" Alex suddenly said, snapping them out of their thoughts. "This should help stabilise your new strength. You wouldn't wanna accidentally destroy a planet, would you?"
Alex snapped his fingers and two void creatures appeared in the distance. The creatures looked around with a bit of confusion before their eyes fell on Ross and Julia.
Sensing the aura the two gave off, the creatures snarled and growled at them. However, they were smart enough to not attack immediately.
One of the creatures had a serpentine form that extended for tens of meters with two long claws. At the forefront of the creature's head were several disgusting eyes that made Julia shudder.
"Ross, you take that one." There was no way she was getting close to that thing.
The redhead shook his head with a sigh. Once again, Julia was pushing the troubles to him.
The second creature was more acceptable, being a humanoid creature with four arms and a flaming crown above its head. It stood at four meters with a bulky frame that would put bodybuilders to shame.
"While these creatures are more powerful than the one before, they would still break if you hit them too hard." Alex warned, his arms crossed over his chest. "This should be a lesson on holding back your strength."
"Roger." Ross nodded, putting his greatsword away. "Split the battlefield for us, Alex. I want to have the creature all to myself." He cracked his knuckles as he floated forward.
"Sure…"
Alex agreed and immediately, Ross and Julia found themselves in two different spaces. They came to stand against their targets, their auras flaring wildly and causing the void to tremble.
"Let's go with just physicals for now…" Ross muttered with a grin, the creature snarling at him. "Please don't break, okay?"
His figure flickered and appeared before the creature in a flash, his right hand heading towards the creature's disgusting head. His fist left a visible trail of mana in space, and would have ripped open the spacetime fabric had it been like it was some time back.
BOOM…!
While Ross and Julia played around to get a hang of their rising strength, forces were moving in other parts of the multiverse.