7 A Breakthrough after a Million Years

The whistling wind hits Rose's face hard, while she holds onto Thorn's shoulders. And he holds Lapi White, the dalmatian dog type monster human. They head to White Farm to destroy a vegetable monster that has been eating the farm crops.

At late afternoon, they arrive at their destination. The White Farm has a white four-story building that the White family use as a home. On the sides of the building are large D-class zenanium pens. Inside these corrals, there are several domesticated monsters like chicken types, pig types, cow types, and sheep types. All these monsters are easy to tame because they can't reach the Initial Awaken stage. Also in the distance there are the fields of wheat types, pea types, rice types, carrot types, vegetable monsters. In the same way, they are only vegetable monsters that can't reach the Initial Awaken.

As soon as Thorn descends in front of the door of the building, Rose leaves his back, and Lapi White says with a shout: "Dad, I have brought the mercenaries!"

Even before he could finish talking, the door of the building opens and from it comes out a silver wolf type monster human. He comes out wearing a smile, and chuckling, he says: "Hojojojo... Welcome son, you've done a good job." He looks at Rose and Thorn, and says: "You must be the mercenaries that my son bought, my name is Lobup White. It's a pleasure to meet you both."

Laughing, Rose says: "My name is Rose, my sister's name is Thorn. And the pleasure is ours, Mr. Lobup White."

"Hojojojo... it is a surprise, usually mercenaries are not so polite hojojojo... Come in, Come in, surely you must be exhausted by the trip. For today you should rest and early tomorrow we will take care of that vegetable monster." Lobup White says as he makes a signal with his hand to show them the entrance to his house.

They enter the building.

Lobup White invites Thorn and Rose to dinner. They accept the invitation happily. At dinner, the White family is surprised by the way Thorn eat. At the end of the dinner, Lobup White guides Thorn and Rose to the guest room so they could spend the night there.

The guest room is spacious and has a row of five beds.

After entering, at the moment when they both are the only ones in the room, Thorn tells Rose: "I feel that today was the longest day of my life... with everything that has happened I haven't even had the time to make my breakthrough..."

She responds with envy in her eyes: "Can you make a breakthrough right now?"

"Yes, the door is already there, I just have to go through It." he replies.

"Good, go ahead and make your breakthrough, I will not let anyone interrupt you while you do it." Rose assures.

Thorn proceeds to sit in lotus position on one of the beds. He closes his eyes and breathes deeply. Then he forms a mental connection with his Complex Energy body.

Thorn's mental body appears in a space of infinite darkness and in front of him is a green door with dark green lines through it, they give off the impression of veins.

Thorn forms a fist and taps with it that door, immediately after the door shatters. Normally breaking this door takes a long time but Thorn's current mental body is simply too powerful compared to the door to enter the Second Level Intermediate Awaken.

After smashing the door, a passageway appears where Thorn's mental body could fit. He enters that passageway and soon arrives at an immense room where a Thorn exuding a green aura was waiting for him. This green aura Thorn has the same strength and combat capability that Thorn had at the time he reached the First Level Intermediate Awaken.

Green aura Thorn uses his Wind Type Awakened Skill to ascend 100 m in an instant, and he then nose-dives towards Thorn with his fist pointed at him.

Thorn forms a claw with his hand and with extreme hatred, he looks at green aura Thorn, then mutters resentfully: "Because of your weakness, I had lost everything."

Thorn then raises his clawed hand and moves his fingers so fast that they leave afterimages. Hundreds of wind blades come from Thorn's fingers and go through green aura Thorn's body. Tens of thousands of bits of green aura Thorn's body rain down on Thorn's body.

He watches how the blood and flesh of his old self fall on him with a cold stare.

While Thorn is making his breakthrough, Rose stares at Thorn, wondering: (How long will he take to breakthrough?)

Usually, it takes hours to kill a version of yourself with the same level of cultivation. At that time when she did not stop making breakthroughs, she only needed twenty to thirty minutes and always she succeeded in the first attempt. Just that was incredible enough to render everyone in Clouds Cutter Castle speechless.

Suddenly Rose feels that Thorn's aura in Complex Energy turns to Second Level Intermediate Awaken aura.

Rose's eyes almost popped out of her sockets, she opens her mouth and says stuttering: "H-he had t-taken j-just... f-five seconds..."

Thorn opens his eyes and observes Rose's funny expression, then he says with a smile: "Do not be surprised so much by it... it was to be expected that it would not take me much time, after all, I had more than a million years to understand my Awakened Skill and to strengthen my mental body."

"Oh... it's true... you're right..." Rose nods.

"By the way, you mentioned that you had difficulties to breakthrough, what exactly is it all about?" He asks after remembering that he still did not know all the details of the situation of Rose's cultivation.

She makes a sad expression and says: "I've been stuck in the First Level Initial Awaken for twenty years now... I've tried a lot of methods but I still can't see the door." Rose makes a self-mocking smile and continues: "I have not even been able to find out the reason why I'm stuck..."

Thorn puts on a thoughtful expression and says: "So since you got your Awakened Skill you've been stuck... and even now you don't know why... maybe..." he gives Rose a serious look and then he asks her: "Are you aware that your Awakened Skill is arrogant?"

Upon hearing that question Rose is surprised by it and replies: "That can't be possible. Arrogant Awakened Skills are irrationally powerful skills, for example, your skill to heal and become almost immortal or Lin the Lonely Adventurer's skill that allows her to control gravity itself! How is it that possible that my skill could be at their same level!?"

Thorn laughs and exclaims: "So that was the problem! I assure you, you have an Arrogant Awakened Skill!"

Rose remains stiff for a few moments then asks after swallowing her saliva: "*Glup*... Why are you so sure about it?"

"Because your skill is incredibly powerful." Thorn responds without hesitation.

"Eh!? I know that my skill can be useful in certain circumstances but... incredibly powerful? "Rose says skeptically.

Thorn nods and says: "It is... after all, it is only in its initial stage and yet it already encompasses three aspects that are the sound, heat, and smell."

"But even so, it is weak…" Rose says dejectedly.

"I can understand why you aren't convinced by my words... it's okay if you do not want to believe me, but at least try to believe that your skill is the best in the world to check whether my hypothesis is correct or not." Thorn advises as he lies on his bed and closes his eyes.

"Mmm... it's true that my skill is quite complex even though it is only in its initial stage... and if it's as you say and my Awakened Skill is arrogant then it would make sense why I'm stuck... after all the Arrogant Awakened Skills have this small flaw that if its user is not convinced that his skill is the best skill in the world then the user get stuck in his/her cultivation... that's why these kinds of skills are called 'arrogant'..."Rose says slowly.

After contemplating her circumstances a bit more carefully, an expression of determination appears on Rose's face, and then she smiles slightly and mutters: "You're right. Anyway, what can I lose trying?"

So she closes her eyes, breathes deeply and forms a connection with her Complex Energy body.

Her mental body appears in an infinite darkness, but in contrast with Thorn, she can't see any door.

She begins to convince herself with all her strength: "My skill is the best skill in the world, my skill is the best skill in the world, my skill is the best skill in the world..."

Very early, when the sky is still dark.

Thorn wakes up and sees Rose sitting in lotus position with her eyes closed. He wonders: (Has she been like this all night? It seems she has not yet succeeded... I guess it's not so easy to convince yourself of something you do not believe...)

He stares at her peaceful and flawless face, and then he is dazed by her beauty. A few seconds later, he shakes his head and screams in his mind: (Concentrate on your goal!)

Later they are called by Lobup White for breakfast. After breakfast Lobup White takes Thorn and Rose to one of his cultivation fields. This cultivation field is barren.

Lobup White points to that barren field and says: "A week ago, this whole field was full of wheat type vegetable monsters that we were growing, but then, in a single night, it became what you are seeing. Since then, similar cases have occurred with other of our fields. We try to catch the culprit, but the most we accomplished was to discover that the culprit is a vegetable monster with an Earth Type Awakened Skill. That vegetable monster is a very sensitive one because as soon as we get slightly closer to it, it gets in the ground and then we can't do anything to it." Lobup White extends his arms and says: "That's why we were looking for someone with a skill related to stealth."

After finish listening to Lobup White's speech, Rose and Thorn look at each other and they found the worry on each other's faces. They realized that although Rose can hide the sound, smell and heat of both Thorn and herself, the vegetable monster would feel them by Thorn's First Level Intermediate Awaken aura in Mystical Energy.

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

Outskirts of Lurep Village.

Dani Zelu is standing with his arms crossed. Suddenly a red butterfly type monster appears out of thin air. Dani Zelu raises his palm. The red butterfly type monster lands on his palm and releases a small piece of paper. The red butterfly type monster takes flight, and a few moments later it disappears into thin air. Dani Zelu unrolls the small piece of paper and reads what is written on it: "I have confirmed that she has no protector. Capture her and bring her to my cabin on Nedu Lake."