Chapter 34: Near Breakthrough

Chapter 34: Chapter 34: Near BreakthroughAfter a few more minutes, Lian’s body stopped radiating heat. A sigh escaped his lips as he pondered what to tell Seline, his mind racing to balance truth and secrecy. "So?" Seline asked, her green eyes piercing into him, urging the truth. "It’s... part of my talent. I can absorb mana faster. That’s why I’m advancing so quickly." His voice was steady, but his heart was not. Seline stared, her eyebrows slowly arching. "Faster? In what way?" She was not letting it go, her curiosity as sharp as her spells, a trait that defined her. "I do not know how to explain it," he replied, trying to sound more confident than he felt. "It’s just part of my talent. I can absorb Mana Cores... that’s why I’m close to Bronze 2, even though I awakened just days ago." His words were a half-truth, carefully chosen. "No one can absorb Mana Cores directly. Are you sure you’re okay?" Thankfully, she calmed down. Damn, why are all the girls I meet so intense? Lian thought, glancing at Seline. But she is really beautiful... I wonder who’s prettier, her or Sera... His thoughts wandered, caught in her allure. "Yeah, I’m fine, do not worry," Lian said without thinking too much. After all, he had zero chance of winning over either of them. "And you? What’s your talent?" he added, genuinely curious. Seline smiled, a glint of pride in her green eyes. "My talent? Every spell I cast takes a sharper form, so to speak. It is not just water—fire, wind, earth, they can all be cutting. I just have a better affinity with water." Her voice carried a quiet confidence. Lian’s eyes widened, impressed. "Water that cuts through anything, huh? I saw how you handled yourself in battle. You were amazing!" "Thanks," Seline said, a hint of embarrassment in her tone. "You were pretty good too." She winked, and Lian felt his face heat up, his heart skipping a beat. Damn, she’s too beautiful. What’s wrong with the world? How can such beauty exist?! His thoughts spiraled, overwhelmed. With a cough, Lian closed his eyes. "Alright, I’m going back to cultivating. Do not worry about what’s happening to me—it’s part of my meditation." He lied smoothly, ready to absorb the remaining two Mana Cores. He felt the boost from the recently absorbed Mana Core was weaker than the first. He was curious if a third would benefit him or not. Seline simply nodded, murmuring, "I should cultivate too... I can’t just think about food." In her hand, a half-eaten fritter waited to be finished, her obsession with food ever-present. Her goal was to reach Bronze 2 in another two months. She could not afford to slack off! But before starting, Seline took the last bite of her fritter... "Damn, these things are addictive! It’s all the food’s fault I can’t focus on cultivation..." Her frustration was almost comical. Lian took a deep breath, ignoring the lingering heat prickling his skin from the Mana Core absorption, and began absorbing the second. A wave of mana, less intense than before, flooded his dantian. The heat was bearable, his body accepting the mana without protest, but there was no sense of expansion, no surge of power like before. "Hm... I gained something, a slight improvement, but that’s it... the limit seems to be two or three Mana Cores... shame, but it’s fine." His disappointment was tempered by pragmatism. Lian had grown stronger, but he was not done. He suspected his breakthrough required more than just mana accumulation. He needed to advance his Geometric Meditation technique. "Geometric Meditation." The twelfth line manifested in his mind. "Alright, I should be able to draw it..." After several seconds, the line took shape, flooding Lian with pure mana, a refreshing surge of energy. "This feels so different from absorbing a Mana Core... it’s pleasant, not exhausting at all." His satisfaction was palpable, a contrast to the strain of before. Seline snapped her eyes open, watching Lian grow stronger before her eyes. "What an absurd talent... not only that, his spells are insanely powerful. Who the hell is this guy?" Her awe was tinged with suspicion. An hour passed since they’d stopped to rest. Lian ceased cultivating. He could not draw more lines due to the difficulty, nor could he absorb more energy orbs, as he seemed to have a daily limit. He’d tried before, but there was a cap on how many orbs he could take in. "Tch, and here I thought I’d get my breakthrough... looks like I’ll have to wait until tomorrow," he muttered, standing and brushing sand off his clothes. "Seline," he called, trying not to disturb her too much. "How about we move? I feel like I’m missing something before I can advance... I should manage it tomorrow..." ...or in a few hours, I have no idea how much time has passed here, he added mentally. Seline opened one eye, eyeing him with a mix of curiosity and suspicion. "Fine, let’s go. I’m not as fast as you—my cultivation takes a lot of time..." She stood with fluid grace, slipping her flask into her spatial ring. --- Lian and Seline walked side by side, their steps leaving fleeting prints in the sand. Occasionally, Lian glanced at Seline, noting how she moved with almost unnatural grace, as if the desert did not touch her. "Seline! Do you see what I see?!" After an hour of walking and killing three more weak worms, all successfully evolved to Bronze 1, something appeared in the distance. Breathing in the cold air, Seline replied, "Damn, how many are there? What the hell are all those worm carcasses doing there?!" Her voice carried shock and intrigue. Before the duo, sprawled across the sand like gruesome artwork, lay the bodies of dozens of worms. Their sizes varied—some small, others larger. None appeared evolved, or so it seemed, a scene of slaughter that raised questions. "Who could’ve done this massacre? Maybe a group of people?" Lian wondered, approaching with Seline in tow, his mind racing with possibilities. "Whoever did this is strong. And judging by the wounds and blood on their bodies, it looks like the battle happened recently." Seline’s observation was sharp, analytical. "Hey, Seline..." Lian spoke suddenly, his tone serious. "Does not this seem strange?" His unease was palpable. She glanced at him, her braid swaying with her. "What?" "The blood... there’s no trace of it on the ground." He scanned the battlefield, worry creeping into his voice. "Now that I think about it, whenever my blood or a monster’s spills, the sand seems to absorb it..." Seline, who had not considered this before, paused to reflect. "True... it’s odd, but it could just be a property of this sand. Do not overthink it—after all, we’re in a Gate, a different world from ours." Lian did not respond. He kept thinking something was off but had no proof, his instincts screaming despite the lack of evidence. "I hope you’re right." With a shrug, he pressed forward with Seline, reaching the battlefield. "Well, this looks like the work of a single person, judging by the wounds on these beasts..." Lian whispered, his gaze pensive. "Yeah, all precise cuts. There’s a Wind Mage’s handiwork here, I’m sure of it..." "And yet, I recognize these cuts..." Lian replied, his expression thoughtful. "They’re from a physical weapon, like a sword." As they examined the corpses with curiosity, a voice came from nowhere, startling them. "Humans? So there are people in this forgotten place, huh?" The voice was male, rough, almost guttural, a chilling presence in the air. A slash cut through the air with precision, cleaving a worm carcass beside Lian in two. Lian and Seline exchanged a glance before leaping back in unison, separating to pinpoint the enemy’s location, their movements synchronized yet cautious. The air filled with palpable tension. Before Lian could even speak, Seline made her move. Mana pulsed within her as she declared, "Aqua Vivax, Rivo Levis!" A wave of water exploded around her, surging toward where the voice had come from. But a laugh echoed from the opposite side, making her scowl. Lian kept scanning, searching for any clue, but found nothing, his senses on high alert. "Who the hell are you?" Lian’s voice was firm as he prepared to visualize a mental circle. "Why do you want to harm us? Are not we all human? Should not we help each other escape this place?" "I do not work with the weak. Show me what you’re capable of, and then we’ll talk." Another slash hurtled toward them, this time aimed directly at Lian. He barely dodged, a lock of his hair sliced clean off. "Damn it!" he thought. "Who the hell is this guy? Why is he so strong?!" His heart pounded, fear and adrenaline mixing in his veins. --- Autor Note! Damnnn, reach that Bronze 2 already!! Guys, do not worry. The starts are all the same. Slow and suffered. But all this suffering will not be in vain, I promise!