Chapter 884 Awakening
One month later.
In the Order, in a hidden training ground.
A woman sat in a small cubicle that had no doors and no windows. It was small, with only enough space for a single person to sit, and aside from a chair and a display trinket that was floating in front of it, there was nothing else.
The woman was yawning, as if she hadn't slept in a long time, and in front of her, the display trinket showed an interesting sight.
It was an overview of a vast forest where a few indicators were pointing at certain spots, and these spots were moving rapidly in a certain direction.
The foliage was so thick that no other details could be made out, but one thing that was obvious was that the speed of these indicators was increasing with each second.
Stifling another yawn, the woman stretched out her hand and made a cup appear out of nowhere.
However, seeing that there were only dregs of the red liquid that had filled the cup to the brim just a few minutes ago, she shouted, "Adam! Refill me!"
It looked as if she was speaking to no one in particular, but a second later, a man appeared behind the chair.
He was slim and lanky, and if it weren't for this, he might have had no space to stand. Even now, though, he stood on his tiptoes, and his face put on an uncomfortable expression as he bent forward and used the mug in his hand to pour a steaming, red liquid that almost looked like blood that had been boiled.
Taking a sip as if she didn't care about the heat, the woman smacked her lips and exclaimed in a satisfied tone:
"Ah! Nothing like freshly squeezed Lava beans! Bless that Hero whose dabbling made them come into being!"
Curling his lips, the man replied in a low tone.
"Miss, this is your last cup for the day. You have reached the limit. Besides, wasn't your shift supposed to be done?"
His words had instantly turned down the corners of her lips, but taking another sip made them raise right up.
Smacking her lips again, she answered, "Ah, who cares. I'll enjoy this one. If that Hero had also figured out how to modify those beans so that they wouldn't act as poison when taken too much of, I would have been ready to bow down in front of him! But if that were the case, maybe the extract would not have as refreshing an effect…and yes, my shift is done, but that bunch is up to it again."
The words she spoke last seemed to surprise the man, as he raised one eyebrow and said, "Again? Don't they tire?!"
With a sigh, the woman replied. She hadn't taken her eyes off the screen even though the man had arrived, and even now, she didn't even blink as she continued to stare as if she was waiting for something.
"Apparently not. Or they're masochists. It seems the instructors even tried telling them that it takes time to adjust to newly gained power. They gave a strange reply- that they needed to be ready for when 'he' came. I wonder who this 'he' is? Wait, it's starting!"
Standing up, the woman raised her arm above a button that had appeared, while her eyes were fixed on the screen.
On it…a miraculous change had occurred, and if anyone were told that the display trinket had been showing a peaceful forest just a second ago, they would definitely not be able to believe it.
And the reason behind it…was the large, magnificent bird that looked like it was made up of roaring, golden flames which had set the forest ablaze right in the central spot where the display trinket was focused.
Where before had been a thick layer of bushes and branches that prevented even a single image from being gleaned from the forest floor, a circular spot had occurred in which this bird stood. The golden flames were spreading outwards in a circle with each second, though, and it looked as if it would only be a matter of time before the whole forest was ablaze.
Only…three seconds later, the flames stopped, as if they were perfectly being controlled by someone.
Looking closer, the tall man found the reason behind them stopping- it was a group of people in dark robes who had just been exposed, and they looked like they had been frantically running away while depending on the forest to hide their location.
Seeing the golden flames in front of them which seemed to have passed by without even bothering to attack, the group turned around. They were only specks on the screen, but even though their expressions couldn't be seen due to this, it was obvious that they were frustrated.
There were four of them, and right away, a change came over each.
One transformed into a giant stone golem that was at least twenty feet(6 m) tall, one dissolved into space before a raging tornado appeared in the spot where he had been standing, one turned into a gigantic fireball, and the last one transformed into rippling water that froze and then joined with the tornado to turn it into a terrifying blizzard.
Immediately identifying them for who they were, the man widened his eyes and said, "The Elementals! They're going up against them? Impossible!"
"Why do you think I'm so tensed? If I'm even a second late in activating the safety measures, they'll die, and I'll probably have to meet that same fate, too, as they are apparently treasured by the Overseer! Now shut up and let me concentrate!"
Promptly closing his mouth and gulping, the man continued to watch, along with the woman who was now even bending over the display trinket, in order to obtain the best view possible.
A moment later, this group began to move towards the place where the golden bird made of flames was situated. The fireball among them actually brought up the rear, almost as if the one who had transformed into it was scared, while the blizzard moved in the front. The stone golem veered off on a path of its known, intending to flank their opponents, and at any moment, it looked as if victory would be theirs.
However…a change suddenly occurred over the battlefield that made both the individuals in the cubicle gasp.
Rather than one change, it was three, and before those who were watching could even say anything, the battle was done.
First, a shadow came into being out of nowhere on top of the stone golem. It was obvious that no one had been able to spot its movement even though there was nothing but open ground all around them, and as it materialized into a middle-aged man with a rugged face who was wearing a dark cloak, a dagger plunged right into the forehead of the golem.
With a loud, harrowing scream, the golem instantly started to break into pieces, and as it did so, an astonishing thing was revealed.
The dagger had turned into a 10 foot(3 m) long blade, and it had plunged right into the stomach of the individual who had apparently been hiding in the golem at a spot near its center.
At the same time, a gigantic woodcutter's ax had come into being in front of the blizzard, as if to challenge it.
This was actually laughable, at first sight. How could a simple ax, that looked as if it had been conjured by a Peak Human who was just starting to learn complex spells, do anything against this force of nature that would surely devastate all within its path?
This question had appeared in the tall man's mind, but after he saw the ax move, it had been answered, making him actually feel ashamed that he had been fooled by its 'simple' appearance.
True, on the surface, it just looked like an ax taken from a simple woodcutter and enlarged so that it would fit easily into a 50 feet(15 m) tall giant's hand, but when it moved…it cleaved the World, itself.
What were spells? They were but the varying, complex patterns into which elemental particles were pushed to result in certain phenomena that would affect the World, and bring about a desired affect. Even the transformation of the two individuals to form the blizzard was a spell: a complex one, for sure, but at the end of the day…it was just a combination of patterns at a higher order.
As for the ax …the most terrifying thing was that it seemed to have the ability to cut through these patterns, and set the elementary particles free.
It cleaved through reality, and in its wake, it brought freedom, just like an honest woodcutter who was only doing his job to give life, warmth, and joy to those who were depending on him, so that they could live freely without having to fear the cold of the night.
The blizzard seemed to screech as it met the ax, and even though it tried to move forward, parts of it kept being cut through. True, the ax was not powerful enough to cut through all patterns freely, as it seemed as if it did not have enough power, yet, but suddenly, the golden bird that seemed to have been idly lazing around suddenly swooped forward onto the blade of the ax.
The edge of the blade lit up with the ferocity of a fire that had burned for time immemorial, and in just two seconds, the blizzard turned back into two individuals who looked severely injured, and unconscious.
Finally, the fireball was left alone. In one direction, the stone golem lay motionless. In another, the blizzard had dissipated to reveal its teammates who were at the mercy of their opponents.
In this situation…what the hell could it hope to do?
It looked as if it was about to dissipate and admit defeat, but suddenly, it screeched and started to writhe erratically.
A simple man walked forth from the group who had been hidden by the brilliant flames of the golden bird. He was looking seriously in the direction of the fireball which had just turned back into a man who was clutching his head in agony, and shaking his head, he said, "Man, you have some sick, sick fears."
"AAAHHHHH!"
With a final scream, the man collapsed onto the ground. His features were fixed in the expression of one who looked as if he had seen the most fearful thing in history, and his nose had started to leak blood.
With that, the two in the cubicle finally relaxed. Seeing the group below begin to celebrate, the woman said, "I can't believe that simply allowing them all to break through and become Peak Warriors made them so damn powerful. They're gunning for the top spot in Warriors, now, and some of them are apparently even looking to break through, soon. I can't imagine how much more power they'll wield, then…"
Hearing this, the man sighed and disappeared, and the woman did, too, as the battle was over, and no one needed to stay and watch to deploy safety measures in case someone was in danger of being killed.
Meanwhile, below, the celebration had lasted for a few seconds, but after that, all four individuals calmed down, and with complex expressions on their faces, they all seemed to be thinking of someone.
"Do you think he will be proud of us?", said the woman with fiery red hair who had been in the form of the golden bird until now, and in response, the wizened man who had controlled the woodcutter's ax from before spoke.
"I am certain he will be. The more power we gain, the better we will be able to serve him when he arrives. Our power has stabilized at the Peak Warrior level, so let's begin attempting to break through. Luther, you should have no problem, just like me. Us old folk have the advantage of having explored our Paths enough to know how we will break through. Aran and Cassandra, it might be a bit more difficult for you, but persevere. As for Eloise…she may surpass us all, soon. Stay vigilant, and stay brave. He is coming- I feel it, just like you all, so we must be ready for that moment. Let's go."
With firm nods, they disappeared, and as if hearing their thoughts, in a place far, far away, a man opened his eyes and looked around, before getting up from the slumber he had been in for the past month.
He had been submerged in a dull, silver liquid that slid off his toned body as he stood up and marveled at his image in the mirror, and an instant later, low laughter started to escape his lips.
It cut off in the next moment, though, and was replaced by four words which seemed to reverberate in the vault endlessly, as if they had taken a life of their own.
"Overseer…here I come."