290 Trump Card! (1)
Foundation, Advancement and…. Master.
These stages were a perfect depiction of rising trend in a body’s growth, with a sharp increase existing between the Advancement and Master Stages.
While the Foundation didn’t have much to offer in terms of actual raw power for an individual, at least in comparsion to the other Stages, much less when considering special features, the Advancement Stage offered the Full Body Aura as an incentive for graduating from the baby stage of growth.
As mentioned before, a wide gulf existed between the Advancement Stage and the Master Stage, with the latter offering its own unique perk that was leagues above the Full Body Aura.
However, these perks or features of Stages weren’t gifts that would be received the moment one entered the respective Stage.
No.
One had to work for them.
The Full Body Aura was not that hard to learn as it mainly featured things one wouldn’t have experienced when growing through the Foundation Stage.
What the Master Stage offered was quite difficult to manifest and on top of that… the next Stage guaranteed that what it offered would only be unlocked by someone who understood the flow of energies.
Someone who transcended what was called a Master, particular perk that came after the Master Stage being the grander version of what Tulnas was doing now.
A loud bellow of zealous power echoed out as Tulnas released incredible waves of energy that made the entire cavern tremble as they coiled and collided in a purposeful mix, sparks of energy swimming in the air as it started to heat up and form dastardly twisted mirages!
Of all the spectators, Skullius and the Evenfall cultists were the only ones looking surprised at this phenomenon, as the long standing Harem Guild members looked with a smirk or awe.
Skullius who had his eyes glued to Tulnas couldn’t help but spill his shock, his words directed at the thing that came from his back which he recognised.
“Isn’t that… just like that wolf-thing that led me from deep in the Tremur?”
His mind couldn’t help but draw similarities, comparing the fox he had seen guarding Fulgardt’s labyrinth to this one, though they had heavily contrasting colours.
One white and the other black!
But still, without a doubt, this was a Grinning Jester Fox!
“False Territory, Frostbourne Desert!”
Tulnas called as his eyes gleamed with an orange light, a staggering force jutting out from him in an expansive, crystal sphere that kept growing, outwards as it went on to pull on Guissepo whose eyes were wide open in surprise!
The two men vanished as the crystal sphere turned to be covered by vast waves of sand that completely changed its aesthetic as it went to bash against the invisible barrier as it continued to expand!
The moment of the clash, the two barriers produced sparks of conflicting energy between them as they collided, the large sand covered sphere started to heat up as its sandy exterior turned molten but with massive amounts mana and glimmering Aura rushing over it!
Within the invisible barrier, Gwendelina had turned to trying to push out all her mana into the maintaining the barrier instead of continuing with the ritual on Gertreld as she was utterly terrified by the power gushing out of this sphere!
She sweated and gritted her teeth as now she truly felt that they had been heavily missing more members for this mission, worse when one took into account the fact that some of them were dead, a consequence of Ginie’s influence, which made the process of drawing Primus energy to fuel their activity harder now!
Tomin on the other hand, could barely give a reaction to the massive sphere that shook the entire cavern with its power!
Thick veins tinged in a blue hue were running along his arms and body, as they squeezed the very life out of him!
He could barely keep his eyes open to witness everything unfold, as he felt whatever poison he had been injected with wreck his internal built!
The man finally collapsed to the ground as he took in heavy, raspy breaths.
Unfortunately, no one at this moment had the time to tend to him as they focused on the moment where the large hot sphere cracked the invisible barrier!
‘What is this thing?! How on earth did that mam have such a technique up his sleeve?!’ Gwendelina screamed in her own thoughts as she panicked. With her still limited knowledge of Magecraft, she couldn’t tell what on earth this thing was! ‘Guissepo! You better come out alive!’
The man in question stood in a daze while being trapped within the massive sphere where a very unique scape was plastered over his eyes.
A massive sun was overhead, surrounded a turquoise blue sky with no cast of clouds.
The beaming mass in the sky was not the conventional sun with a blazing heat however, as it was actually whitish blue in colour, its entire figure radiating a ferocious cold that travelled through the rays of light it produced!
Its distance from the land underneath was even too close for comfort, as it a brought about a biting cold over the ground with a chilling wind whoosing all around because of it, flakes of pure frost dropping down as well.
On the ground, an expansive desert of golden-brown sand could be seen.
However, many points of white snow could be seen covering portions of the sand, especially the rising dunes, one of which Guissepo stood on.
‘This is… akin to an Imaginary GeoScape! Extravagant! Am I in a Majestic Territory?!’ Guissepo thought as he looked around with wide eyes, his heart beating at the mere thought of it as if it was true, then this was quite perilous. However…
‘No. That’s extravagantly impossible. This man is merely at the middle of Advancement Stage. There is no way he could create a Majestic Territory. Then, is it-‘
“Mr Evenfall. Down here,” a voice called to Guissepo.
It was Tulnas.
He stood below the frost covered dune that Guissepo stood on with a smirk.
The Grinning Jester Fox on his back was no more as now, there only remained his muscular figure that looked as good as new; no bruises or wounds visible but a fresh body ready to throw some hands.
Guissepo looked at Tulnas and squinted his eyes.
‘I wasn’t able to sense his presence even though he was standing right there. How extravagantly troublesome. Still though. If this were a genuine Territory, given the current circumstances, I’d be dead by now. So this must be some kind of extravagantly made cheap version of a Territory. Hehe! In that case, I’ll just kill him even with all it provides!’ Guissepo thought as he grinned, the neon light that flowed upwards from behind him glowing with a dangerous tint.
Tulnas got ready to attack, his thoughts churning.
‘Is it ready?’
‘Now it is. Remember. Two minutes. Get your timing right,’ a hoarse voice said from within him.
‘I don’t need you to remind me of that,’ Tulnas retorted as he made his move…