Soul of Searing Steel

Just as the warrior left Fort Pioneer…

In another corner over the dimensions, a realm of rich magical minerals with unrevealed dimensional coordinates, the Superconductive Arcane Silver world or world No.113.

“Haha! Wasn’t I saying that the victory already in the bag with our power, especially against a mere native Supreme-tier?!”

The clouds of gloom dispersed while the raging winds died down. The rain of thunder had also been reduced to negligible currents that weaved in and out of the craggy half-metal ground.

Five human figures bearing afros and were charred black as if burnt several times in an oven over a million volts, along with a half-dead Thunder Jellyfish which only had some tentacles left were all sprawled over the ground. In front of where they lay was a huge, irregular explosion crater that was several hundred meters wide, and more than seventy meters deep.

At the heart of the crater and soaked in golden magma was a florid, dangerous yet elegant violet energy crystal. Having a radius of twelve meters, the spherical crystal was sparking with dangerous enchanted bolts around itself, with one of the bolts randomly shooting out vaporizing a stone the size of an adult human.

And those dangerous but beautiful crystals were the final remains of the Tyrant Thunder Elemental, a Supreme-tier creature born from the magnetic boundaries of the atmosphere in the Superconductive Arcane Silver world.

Working together with the Thunder Jellyfish that could naturally manipulate thunder and lightning, even feeding on high voltage, the Elite Battle had fought an entire lair of thunder elementals directly. It was certainly a trying fight—even if the Thunder Jellyfish stopped lightning elements at every turn, they had to spend considerable effort to fight the Supreme-tier creature that was residing in its own lair and one tier above them.

For a Gold to slay Supreme—even when it was the fully armed Elite Party of Mycroft, slaying the unintelligently Supreme local lifeform that fought only on instinct was a considerable achievement. For the creature that had surpassed the limits of its form and could single-handedly wipe out legions, cities or even a city, Gold-tier beings were merely oversized flies… indeed, being an atomic fission output, any blow from the Tyrant Thunder Elemental had sufficient capacity to power a small city for a year.

In the face of such unreasonable power, the main reason the Elite Party won was sufficient funds, potions for element resistance and several anti-lightning items—they would have ended up poorly otherwise.

Presently, Rider and Priest, two of whom were the most physically tough amongst the five had slowly stood up. However, unlike Priest who was doing his part as team leader by downing mouthfuls of recovery potions and then having the others drink it as well, Rider seemed to have his shackles unbound instantly when he saw the remains of the Tyrant Thunder Elemental nearby. “If we Gold-tiers could kill Supreme-tiers now.” He laughed loudly, pointing at the violet energy crystal. “Don’t you think that when we reach Supreme we could handle Legen—”

“Woah! Shut up, southerner!”

Having been excessively fatigued from the violent battle and content with lying down and waiting for Priest to feed him recovery potion than rising, Clergy suddenly opened his eyes, made an angry face and sat up to cast Word of Truth: Silence when he heard Rider bragging. Then, as he relaxed after having accomplished it all within a single breath, Mage and Alchemist who had sat up beside him reflexively showered him with applause.

“Well done!”

“Beautifully said!”

With a habitual show of support, the two spellcasters quickly took out their own recovery potions and downed it forcefully. Soon, their complexion improved, with new white flesh growing beneath their charred skin.

While it quickly shows its effects, the rapid healing potion that was concocted from four portions of Holy Water combined with a secret druid recipe were all obtained from exchange points—it was a sum of 1250 points spent from the five bottles they had used.

There was certainly no need to dwell on the preciousness of exchange points. If not for the direness of the situation, the well-off Elite Party would not have simply used that life-saving potion, not to mention that it was a mere 5000 points to summon a Gold-advanced or even a Gold-pinnacle Heroic Spirit.

Still, things are different now: everyone knew that they were rich when they saw the thunder element crystal nearby.

“So, the core of the Tyrant Thunder Elemental is a composite of much Superconductive Arcane Silver and thunder elements…”

Calculating the value of the element crystal in his mind, Mage then obtained a dazing number. “How large, how pure… A single thunder-element crystal like this would be worth upwards a hundred thousand exchange points!”

The price would not be that ridiculous if it were an ordinary Supreme-tier thunder elemental’s crystal. However, the one they were looking at had grown in mana storage over the years, even holding Superconductive Arcane Silver of almost 100% purity thanks to the Tyrant Thunder Elemental’s surroundings. In other words, it could be used directly as a warship’s engine, and its efficiency would not necessarily be inferior to actual advanced magically powered engines!

After all, many magically powered engines were built with reference to advanced Extraordinary lifeforms. Therefore, the sheer reference value of such a massive elemental crystal was more than thirty thousand exchange points.

“Pupils of the Recreator.” Beside them, Priest could hear the Thunder Jellyfish that was clearly panting heavily speaking through their spiritual link. “Don’t you think I have a share too…”

“Fine, fine. We’ll add to your rewards later,” Priest replied, showing no hesitation in opening a portal through the spirit terminal once more and send the Thunder Jellyfish home forcefully—naturally, he also added 8000 more exchange points to the initial 5000 they had agreed upon, all of which were his private savings.

As the saying goes, outsiders must not be allowed to be around when it comes to dividing the loot—though the crystal was actually a reward and not loot, just as the Thunder Jellyfish was not outsider, the same principle holds.

Still, it was not as if they were unwilling to share the rewards, but Priest remained aware of the lure that the thunder element holds over Extraordinary beasts of the same type. What if it suddenly insisted on having the crystal?

Having agreed on a price before, it was already impressive that they would add on its rewards. Indeed, the Elite Party could simply settle their accounts with the original 5000 points contract they agreed upon.

“That said, it’s almost five years since I’ve come to Moldavia, and Britney’s about to make it into Winter Fort Academy… It’s fine if I go poor, but her study materials have to be the best since her innate talent is no less than mine.”

With that thought, the young warrior felt guilty no longer, and he turned at the very next second to excitedly discuss with his companions about how they could fetch a good price with the huge thunder element crystal.

“We’ll feast and get drunk, buy two sets of armor, one for use and another for collection… we could even buy a house in the Inner City!”

***

But while Priest and his teammates passionately looked forward to the future, a tiny dimensional rift discreetly opened not far behind the quintet, unbeknownst to any of them.

Hiss…

With minuscule static, it slowly opened, using the differing dimensional pressures to exchange elements and particles of both sides.

But in a split second, a dazzling Holy Light shot down like a searing sun, descending at imperceptible lightspeed from beyond the skies!

Bang! However, in no time at all, the Holy Light complete engulfed the rift which was rapidly closing after it appeared to sense it—then, as the presence of something incomparably sacred and fearsome emanated, the silhouette of an old man hence stepped out of the Holy Light, leaving the five members of the Elite Party who were hotly debating about feasts and getting drunk petrified and pausing motionlessly here they were.

Within an instant, another streak of silver light that had been following right behind the Holy Light arrived before the dimensional rift as well. Now, the quite-injured Elite Party promptly shook like a sieve, their knees trembling.

Joshua naturally sensed his pupil’s party when he stepped out of the silver flash, and hence leveled a warm smile at them. The Elite Party, however, certainly could not smile return after having unceremoniously kicked his Heroic Spirit home—even if they had every reason to do so, Priest and the others were breaking cold sweat, their stomachs convulsing.

Be that as it may, Joshua was not here for something so trivial like talking to his pupil—he would not care at all even if he knew, since Priest has the right idea: 5000 was what they agreed upon and paying more was being gracious, so whatever they did was right.

Even Heroic Spirits of otherworld civilizations should learn the worldly wisdom of Mycroft’s civilization too.

“How is it, Your Holiness?”

Stepping beside the luminous elderly man, Joshua watched as the dimensional rift started to vanish within his grasp, and asked with a solemn face, “Did you catch it?”

“…No. They could react in time even if I ambush them at lightspeed, destroying the rift from the other side when I try to study it.”

Pope Igor shook his head. Being the only Extraordinary individual on Mycroft who could turn into true radiance and move at the speed of light, if his speed could not catch up to those little rifts, Nostradamus and the others who could cast dimensional spells without alerting the culprits would not be able to catch up to them as well.

“Clearly,” he said, his Holy Light clone frowning, “a Legendary champion is on the other side, presiding over ritual… They certainly have considerable ability, and might well be very powerful!”

“Is that so.”

Joshua whispered as he stared at the dimensional rift that had completely vanished from the pope’s hand. “Then we shall continue hastening our plan.”

“Before Year 842 comes, the Combined Void Fleet must depart!”