Chapter 88: Impressive growth
Chapter 88: Impressive growth
Zatiel and Kira landed in the black platform and they deposit the pieces of fallen star they had collected during their last journey on the tunnels.
Some Magi were waiting in here, but they didn’t approach them since they had no relation with the duo.
Neither of them was tired, but they did not go back to the cave and remain on the platform. Kira needed to expel the pollution on her body and Zatiel had to wait for Ezequiel and Sophia.
Zatiel had already informed the duo that he will be waiting on the platform for them, and after an hour he saw them exiting the cave.
Ezequiel and Sophia were carrying a great amount of fallen star, and although the purity wasn’t of the same level that Zatiel was able to obtain, it wasn’t too inferior either and the quantity huge.
All those Magi on the platform saw the great harvest the duo got and although there was greed in their eyes, there was also fear.
At the beginning of the expedition, those Rank 1 Magus were sure that the abilities of the Ezequiel and Sophia were equal to theirs and the only reason they didn’t attack them was for their connection with Zatiel.
But when the fights with Dynasty started the duo was able to show their overbearing might, making this clear a couple of days ago when Sophia fought alone against three Eye Masters.
Those Eye Holders were sure that the victory was theirs but in the end, one of them died and the other two escape with severe injuries.
Their appearance had not changed at all but the amount of energy their bodies and their magnetic force field were equal to the one a Novice Rank 2 Magus would have.
Zatiel smiled at the duo and nodded in satisfaction as he saw their progress, and commanded the chip to scan them.
Ezequiel and Sophia’s frowned as they feel the probing force trying to examine their bodies but when they track the origin, they let their down their magical defenses and let the scan go on.
It only took a moment for the chip to finish the scan and sent the information to Zatiel.
“Bip… targets scanned
Name: Sophia
Race: Neo-Demon (Rank 1, Styx Dragon bloodline)
Strength: 52.4
Physique:101.3
Speed:79.3
Abyss Aura:109.5
Bloodline Heart: 78% completed
Elemental Chaos Heart: 100% completed
Name: Ezequiel
Race: Neo-Demon ( Rank 1, Storm Titan bloodline)
Strength: 92.6
Physique: 138.7
Speed: 55.3
Abyss Aura: 89.4
Bloodline Heart: 51% completed
Elemental Chaos Heart: 100% completed”
Their stats were amazing, especially on Ezequiel’s case as his body attributes were beyond what any Rank 1 life form could achieve, even those of the dragon, titan or leviathan race, but Zatiel wasn’t too surprised.
The chip calculated physique based on several factors including vitality, regeneration abilities and resistance to physical and magical damage.
As a Neo-Demon, Ezequiel’s body was already very strong, and by combining that with the bloodline of a Storm Titan, make him reach this level of physical power.
Ezequiel’s body was even denser than some Rank 1 metals, making every punch carry monstrous heaviness with a devasting penetration force and transforming his bone and muscles in a natural armor, of course, due to his weight his speed was affected but his Rank and Innate spells were a perfect solution for that.
Although it looks like his growth was above Zatiel, despite his bloodline being a level beneath, that was because this last one bloodline was not focused on the body and his true improvement was in the fact he had a secondary source of power, an eye that was connected to the laws and regeneration abilities that were not quantified by the chip since they were not technically part of the body but given by the golden sun.
If one used only the chip statement, then Sophia was the weakest of the trio, but this only serves to exemplify why stats can’t truly quantify the power of a person. The bodies of Styx Dragons had never been the most powerful, but still, they are considered one of the highest existence of the dragon race.
The reason for their fame was the ability to use one of the most rotten and harming liquids on the universe, something that could inflict countless curses and degrade even the strongest being, the waters of the Styx river.
Thanks to that, Sophia spells were so powerful that even Zatiel abyssal flames would need to be charged with Dexisus to equal her damage.
As Zatiel was going through the information on his mind the duo landed at the platform and deposit their pieces of fallen star.
“Master,” Ezequiel greeted at Zatiel and procced to remain silent.
Zatiel was already used to the attitude of the boy, but what found rare was the way that Sophia was looking at him.
“You better remember who is the first,” Sophia glanced at Kira before looking back at Zatiel.
When Zatiel hears those words, he almost starts to laugh and he smiled as he was about to tease Sophia, but the woman had not finished and her next words would make any man tense.
“You know, recently I found a little problem controlling my powers and Styx water is spilled from my body without my knowledge. It will be a shame if it were to touch a sensitive part when we are together,” Sophia gave Zatiel a wicked smile as she looks at his lower body.
They were talking through their cores so Ezequiel hears her words and when he saw at what her eyes were pointing he shivered and immediately took a step back and look away, making clear he was not part of want was happening here.
As for Zatiel, the idea of that liquid touching ‘that’ make even he, someone who wasn’t afraid of Law Beings, feel a chill running through his spine.
Finally, he didn’t dare to tease Sophia and nodded, making this last one adopt a victory pose as a beautiful smile fill her face.
Zatiel coughed and change the subject, as he wonders when was the last time someone defeats him by just using words.
He waves his hand and dark flames came out forming a dome in a corner of the platform.
“Let’s go.”
The trio enters the dark flames and disappear of the sight of the rest.
The abyss fire has a damaging effect on the consciousness so if someone were to try to spy them, it would harm them.
Grigori saw this, and although his consciousness was more than powerful enough to overcome the flames, it would alert Zatiel and since he was not interested in what they were doing, he found no reason to provoke the hostility of a genius.
Sophia and Ezequiel’s focused as they look at Zatiel and waited for his instruction.
“I suppose you two have already awoken your True Name, do not pronounce them but activate and explain their effects”
Sophia was first and as she activated her True Name, a white aura coats her body and it even covers her consciousness.
“My True Name seems to be related to spirits and the soul, all my attacks obtain an increase in damage around 75% that target the consciousness of the victim, also it seems that the defenses of my soul are enhanced.”
After Sophia, it was Ezequiel’s turn.
When he activated his True Name, uncountable arcs of lightning so thins and small that were invisible to the eye appear on his body.
“When I activate my True Name, I can interact with my body at a cellular level, increasing my physical power and the amount of energy I can release on every attack”
Zatiel was surprised as he saw the power that those True Names bring to the duo.
Comparing the might of True Names was difficult since they affect diverse aspects of the individual, but Zatiel was sure that the ones awaken by Sophia and Ezequiel were at an equal tier that Natux.
Although True Names are influenced by several factors, the bloodline is a core element to decide its might and by combining the heritage of Neo-Demons with an Emperor Bloodline, the duo was able to obtain a True Name equal to the one created by a Law Bloodline.
“Excellent, truly awesome!” Zatiel was exhilarated as he felt the power of the duo.
As someone who understands the path one as to take to become a Law Being, he knew how important the compression of the laws is.
A Neo-Demon, even with the worst possible assimilated bloodline would be able to reach Rank 3 without a problem, but to reach Soul Forging and beyond, the laws are essential.
True Names constantly nourish the soul and enhance his affinity to the laws they represent, so Zatiel knew that the duo will advance in the Rank without a problem and the moment they enhance their bloodline to the next level, they will be equal to him and if he does not work hard they will surpass him.
If this happen when he was an Abyssal Lord, and one of those demon subordinates had shown that talent, he would have devoured them, but now he was happy for having people like that accompanying him.
When Sophia hears Zatiel words, she was exhilarated and even the always stoic Ezequiel could not help but smile.
In the mind of the duo, their ultimate goal was to be useful to the person that got them out of the darkness and gave them a glorious path, so seeing his happiness bring them the greatest joy they could have.
Having taken a moment to regain his focus, Zatiel looks at the duo with a serious expression.
“Pay attention, I will inscribe a runic set on each of you, they will be tailored to your fighting style and will enhance your power tremendously. During the next couple of days, try to get familiarised with them, because if my deductions are correct, very soon some Eye Lords will try to kill me.”
Zatiel had known for a while the intentions of those Eye Lords, after all, how stupid he would have to be to not realize that they were planing something.
It was that only now when the two Neo-Demons finally obtaining the ability to use a powerful runic set that he was able to counterattack.
When Ezequiel and Sophia hear his words they were shocked, but soon that surprise transform in rage.
“We should attack them first and kill all of them,” Sophia’s killing intent was as clear as water.
“Don’t ever underestimate an opponent!” Zatiel knitted his brow as he looks at the woman, and he was displeased by her attitude.
Sophia’s eyes widened as this was the first time she was reprimanded by Zatiel since she became a Neo-Demon and she immediately lowers her head and sadness fills her face.
Ezequiel was beside her, and his expression was also a downcast one because even though he didn’t speak, his intention was the same as Sophia.
When Zatiel saw their expressions, he could not help but sigh as he approached Sophia and starts to caress her head.
“I know you care for me, but I equally care for you so I don’t want to see you hurt because you were careless.”
The expression of the duo brightened immediately and they make sure to remember his words.
“The fact that we can jump an entire Rank and fight against those at the Master level, is already beyond impressive. But just defeating them will be very hard, not to mention killing them, so I need you to follow my plan.”