The Foolery didn't stop there. Its aura expanded as it took a deep breath to maximize the range of its senses and find the source of the scorching power. Its eyes suddenly lit up, and its figure shot forward.
"What is happening?" Emperor asked without hiding the surprise felt in front of that powerful sprint.
Noah chuckled before chasing after the Foolery. June and the others followed him across the camps, and a golden figure eventually appeared in their view.
King Elbas had his eyes closed as he hovered right above the surface. He kept his legs crossed as golden light came out of his skin and fused with multiple lines that disappeared underground. He appeared to have complete control over the area, but the Foolery didn't care about that meditative state.
The winged pig accelerated as it crossed the camp. The speed reached during the sprint was so incredible that Emperor and the others took it as a proper attack with power in the liquid stage. The three experts didn't know what to expect from the imminent clash, but the event surprised them anyway.
The Foolery abruptly stopped when it was about to crash on King Elbas. Its body trembled as it struggled to move, but nothing happened. The pig seemed trapped in an invisible membrane that suppressed its incredible physical prowess.
The pig didn't give up so easily. It opened its mouth and tried to stretch its tongue toward King Elbas, but that attempt also failed. The Foolery remained stuck mid-air at only a meter from the expert. It couldn't even retreat to perform another charge.
"Hmph!" King Elbas snorted as he opened his eyes and shot an aloof glance toward the Foolery. "I knew something like this would have happened. I spent many years preparing countermeasures to your annoying behavior."
"Xavier!" The Foolery shouted in a pleading tone, but that only intensified the arrogance on King Elbas' expression.
"Did you really waste years to develop counters to the Foolery?" Noah mocked.
"Don't underestimate me," King Elbas snorted again as he waved his hand. "I have developed countermeasures for all of you. No idiot shall get in my way ever again."
"Are you allies or enemies?" Emperor whispered since he couldn't understand the nature of that relationship.
"He is my underling," Noah announced.
King Elbas snorted for the third time, but he didn't add anything. He appeared far from happy, but he didn't deny Noah's statement.
"Xavier!" The Foolery pleaded again, but King Elbas didn't even look at it.
The complete disregard expressed by King Elbas made the Foolery's expression freeze. The pig appeared lost, depressed, and dispirited. Noah had never seen it make that face, but Pellio decided to take the matter into his own hands.
Pellio opened his eyes, and a series of golden lines lit up around King Elbas. The latter appeared clearly surprised about the event, and his gaze soon fell on Pellio. Pure curiosity had filled King Elbas' eyes, but the disappearance of his defenses distracted him from his inspection.
The golden lines spreading from King Elbas' figure vanished, and the same happened to the invisible membrane keeping the Foolery still. The winged pig finally had the chance to complete its charge, and a proud squeal accompanied the event.
Noah shook his head when he saw the Foolery standing on King Elbas. The pig had lifted its head to the sky, but smoke quickly started to come out from its legs. Its skin burnt, but it endured the pain to remain in that position for a few more seconds.
"Move," King Elbas coldly ordered as his body transformed into a pure golden light that released a blinding pillar.
The attack made it impossible for Noah and the others to understand what was happening. King Elbas' aura was too dense and hot to inspect. It burnt mental waves and anything trying to pierce it.
The golden light soon dimmed. The Foolery had disappeared, but King Elbas materialized on Pellio's mat and resumed his inspection of the expert.
Pellio had already half-closed his eyes, but that didn't stop King Elbas from finding clues about his power. A series of golden items and lines even came out of his back and helped the inspection.
"What is this?" King Elbas mumbled while bending forward to inspect Pellio better. "This power works on reality but exists in a completely different realm."
"He is Dream Lord Pellio," Noah explained.
"Dreams," King Elbas repeated. "Fascinating. Definitely fascinating."
"I found a good batch of allies during these years," Noah declared before inspecting the dragons on the camp again. "I see that you have also been busy."
"The old rulers know Heaven and Earth deeply," King Elbas exclaimed as he stopped inspecting Pellio and moved his attention on the other experts. "However, their knowledge can easily turn into a limit, especially now that Heaven and Earth are evolving so quickly. They needed someone capable of providing a different perspective, and finding someone better than me is virtually impossible."
"How is the liquid stage?" Noah asked.
"Disappointing," King Elbas sighed. "You must be almost there, am I right?"
"I should reach the breakthrough naturally soon," Noah admitted. "I'm surprised you improved so soon."
"Our worlds are similar when it comes to their steep requirements," King Elbas announced. "Yet, my existence is far heavier than yours. I faced the breakthrough simply because the gaseous stage couldn't contain me anymore."
"That final energy of yours is definitely interesting," Noah growled as a hint of greed seeped into his cry.
"It's a pity that none of you brutes can even come close to approaching it," King Elbas declared. "Though I might accept you as my disciples if you worship me for a few thousand years."
"You still have a long way to go," The Foolery's voice resounded in the area as a fuming figure descended from a spot near the array of lightning bolts.
The smoke slowly dispersed and revealed the charred figure under it. The Foolery's skin had turned black, and multiple burns had appeared on its legs, but its condition didn't seem critical. The pig even kept its head lifted during its descent.
"I have obviously held back," King Elbas scoffed.
"So, you admit that my power is necessary for the final battle against Heaven and Earth," The Foolery exclaimed, and King Elbas' expression froze.
"Shy as always," The Foolery shook its head. "Xavier, I shall take you under my wings and teach-."
The Foolery couldn't complete its joke since one of King Elbas' defenses activated and covered its mouth with a muzzle. The item prevented the pig from speaking or releasing other sounds, and its power clearly was near the peak of the ninth rank.
"Did you really create an upper tier item to keep the Foolery silent?" Noah asked.
"You can thank me later," King Elbas responded.
Noah shrugged his shoulders and used that chance to scold the Foolery. "That's what happens when you spend millennia sleeping and eating. You must grow stronger if you want to keep teasing Xavier."
The Foolery appeared enlightened by those words. Resolve filled its eyes as it nodded furiously. Then, it looked at Pellio, and the latter made the muzzle disappear.
"You are a bunch of idiots," Queen commented.
"You have to see the others," King Elbas and Noah sighed at the same time.
"Is it possible to see the old rulers now?" Cursed Reality asked.
"Of course," The old rulers' voice came out from the various buildings and ground. "We are waiting for you.. Come, we have so much to discuss."