Chapter 367: Return

In less than 2 minutes since Alwyn unleashed her Transcendent Aura and killed the ones near her by just a slap, Irja and I already dispatched the other 9 Transcendents who tried to resist and flee.

Although I didn't move from my position, the completed four pillars with the addition of Delian, the fourth Guardian Pillar which formed after I reached the 5th Stage King Realm. He's a lean man who, unlike the other three, had a golden bow as his main weapon. The arrows he's using were automatically conjured by energy. He also has a small dagger slung on his hips that he might use if an enemy ran up near him.

Well, like the other three, he's still just a physical manifestation of my Flux Energy wherein his original form is just a towering pillar that I can wield as a blunt weapon to bludgeon someone if I feel like it. It's a different feeling from cutting or stabbing someone with my Willful Sword.

Moreover, the Pillars' original form has the abilities of their Guardian Form but there's no point in me doing that. What I really planned for them was to let them enhance my Avatar. With their Rank 1 Transcendent strength, they're only useful in a large-scale battle wherein they can decimate the field where the cannon fodders are located.

Now that I reached this point, Crown and Four Pillars, Five Seas, Ultimate Skill and Four Supplementary Skills, Five Secondary Cores as well as the Energy Manipulation Awakened Ability on the verge of evolving, I'm one realm away from completing my Mortal Pathway.

It's a long journey just for a Mortal Pathway. I wonder what my Transcendent Pathway will be? Will it become as hard as this or will it be smoother than others? With all the clues about assimilating other Pathway's properties, I have a hunch that I might need to pick a main Pathway type. None of my Companions who already completed their Mortal Pathways has assimilated to another Source Energy type. Nysia, Sofiel and Fleur are still stuck in their birthworld.

Now, however, I have Irja here who will come with me to the World of Barbarian. But considering that her current Transcendent Pathway is the assimilation of Elemental-type properties, Physique-type might not be fit for her.

"Hey! What are you staring out at? Don't tell me…" Sensing my state of being thrown in my overthinking habit, Irja shook my shoulder and waved in front of me.

Seeing her slightly silly actions, I snapped out of it and smiled wryly. "You guessed right, it's my overthinking habit. It took me to some twist and turns from what I was initially thinking about."

"Huh? Should I worry?"

"No. Not really. I'm still aware anyway. By the way… you've become a lot stronger."

There's no point worrying about that habit of mine so I changed the topic.

"Hmph. It will be far stranger if I didn't improve after all the enhancement I got from you." Irja crossed her arms and flew down to the camp where the corpses of the Transcendent Beastmaster who failed to dodge her bombardment littered the place.

Although there were some unconscious Mortal Ranks that became collateral damage, most of them were still alive. We only focused on the conscious Transcendents after all.

As I followed behind Irja, Alwyn also floated down and stood in front of the Portal.

She already retracted her Transcendent Aura and created a spherical barrier that covered the whole place. The other Portals near this one wouldn't be able to notice what happened here.

That's unless they had another Exalted with them who had free time to check.

"Irja's a Rank 2 Transcendent and you're also close to it. Judging by how wide this Portal currently is, you will not be able to enter normally. You two need a Guide." Alwyn said after observing it for a while.

Although I already passed the 300 UPL mark for Rank 2 Transcendents, I guess it's not that noticeable. Perhaps they can reach more than just 300 once they finish the 1st realm of their Transcendent Pathway whereas I'm racking up stat points bit by bit with all the bonuses I'm getting.

The Guide she's talking about was probably herself… She will assist us with her enormously higher amount of Energy to let us smoothly pass through the Portal. However, it will definitely put a strain on her.

Apparently, those two descendants of a Great One Rank 2 Transcendents who managed to descend were guided by a Monarch. The Mortal World Portals still needed more time to perfectly accommodate a Rank 2 Transcendent.

"Will you be fine? If we're sparing these Mortal Ranks, your affiliation will be found out when they do their investigation about what happened here."

"I told you, I will handle the clean-up. All you need to do is stand there and prepare yourself." Alwyn answered. Her tone already reverted back to how it normally is.

She then moved to the only structure in this place which served as something like living quarters and the office for the managing Transcendent.

Although she told me to stand there, I followed her inside and saw that there's a list of Transcendents who descended and their affiliations. From its numbers, there's already about thirty Rank 1 Transcendent and one Rank 2, the descendant. Some of them were crossed which meant they already died there.

The status of the world was also recorded clearly. Unlike the scroll that Alwyn gave me to look at, it's more detailed and there's even a map depicting where the current forces of the Dark World are and the remaining territory they haven't conquered yet.

Upon seeing that, I instantly noticed that apart from a small part of the Frost Wilderness at the north and half of the Desolate Plains, every other place was already deemed as conquered, be it the Midsummer Coast at the east where the selfish Barbarians are located and the Beast Mountain Range at the south.

There's also some kind of gray area that pointed to the tall cliff the natives called Edge of the World. That's the cliff where the supposedly only Emperor Realm of centuries ago jumped down.

According to what was written, they sent an investigation team to see what's below consisting of at least three Transcendents and many more Mortal Ranks. However, they lost contact with them in less than a day. Whatever's down there, it's probably as mysterious as that Ancient Ruins at the World of Spirit. Who knows?

If before I bore some sort of curiosity for it, reading this report made me rethink and decided not to touch upon its secrets for now. Perhaps I'll try extending my Transcendent Senses and clones down to it but I will never risk my life on something truly unknown.

"This guy, is it hard to follow my instruction?"

"Sorry. I got curious and upon reading this… I got some valuable information." I lifted the report I read and she also glossed over it.

"Haa… Although I'm only following the Great One's commands, I'm becoming more and more curious as to what you truly are. But like before, I won't ask. Just promise me Daisuke…" Along with a sigh, Alwyn's voice trailed.

"What is it?"

"… That when you come back here like you mentioned, repay the favor the Great One granted to you."

This loyal woman... I guess that's why Illiana picked her. She's trustworthy enough to entrust this task with her.

"That's obviously what I'm gonna do. I also will not forget your help, you know? Also, take this. I have your crystal so I guess you should also have mine. If you feel like talking to someone who will not look at you as a subordinate or a superior, don't hesitate." I handed her my personal crystal and upon seeing it, her eyes alternating between the crystal and me.

"You. Are you trying to hit on me as well?"

"Not really, but if that's what it looks like to you… We'll see. I have a favorable impression of you after all. And you can be said as our benefactor. Those pills you gave me, it saved us during our time inside that restricted space."

"You really have your way at words, huh? Well then. I'll take that. If you don't reply I'll crush this crystal."

"Well, it's now yours so do what you want to do with it… Ah. By the way, can you also pass this to the Blade Monarch?" I shrugged and before she could even react to what I said, I pulled out another crystal and handed it to her.

"Huh? What does this mean?"

The mention of the Blade Monarch and the crystal I handed her produced a confused expression on her face.

"You said you will not ask me any questions."

"This guy… Really? Even that aloof Monarch? What the hell are you?"

This time, there's now amazement in her tone and also resignation. The curiosity meter about me in her head probably reached its maximum.

"A walking mystery? We'll wait for you outside. Once again. Thank you for all your help." I bowed towards her and took a step outside, rejoining Irja who's currently checking each of the Transcendents and their Soul-bound beasts in case some still survived.

Around 10 minutes later, Alwyn appeared from the room and produced a pile of Dark Energy Stone.

She judged that her Energy Reserves will not be enough to guide us into the Portal so she will be using those to sustain it and prevent her from feeling the strain of draining her own Energy.

"Alright. You two, I'll send you at the same time but one of you will exit that Portal first. Be vigilant and if you can, close the Portal on that end." Alwyn said before sitting in the lotus position behind that pile of Dark Energy Stones.

We nodded and faced the Portal. I grabbed Irja's hand and the girl did the same. This is the choice she made for herself. Of course, I'll make sure that she will not regret it.

In place of that, those Transcendents in there, I will make them regret descending in that world.