Chapter 250 250. PATH
A deep yellow radiance shone on Noah's environment as he immediately cast "speed armor". An illusory battle armor featuring a helmet appeared on his figure, while thoughts and calculations on his next move appeared in his mind.
Noah had every intention to arrive at his destination and do it alone. Although the time remaining for the stage to end actually exceeded ten hours, Noah felt it unreasonable and a total waste of time to wait for them. Even if it sounded like a good idea.
'What if they arrive here too late, or none has the confidence to move forward.' he thought occasionally crouching to glance at the lower regions. No one could be seen from that height and there wasn't anyone there, meaning he had been right about being the first to arrive at that elevation.
An internal battle quickly spread out in Noah's mind. The idea of waiting for others sounded good, since he felt no confidence in facing whatever was inside that environment, and even his instincts told him that only death awaited him if he dared it. In truth Noah had never been in a real fight with peak middle-stage experts, only his spells filling the space with the multiple experts he fought.
Now the chance of facing a higher stage felt exciting to his body, but rationality beat his wishful thinking.
The other idea was to of course move forward without waiting for external help, but he didn't plan on stopping, only zooming straight ahead even if he could feel his knees begin to tremble.
Fear tried to break into his emotionless state, but only his body remained affected by that sensation, his mind only grew colder and more focused.
Noah trusted the speed at which he could move with minimum empowerment from the speed force, and he planned on utilizing it to its best, at least to what his mind and body were currently capable of.
'No stopping. If I do I might actually die,' Noah concluded, but his eyes flickered not, nor did his calm expression crumble. After what felt like an eternity, he finally understood what weaker cultivators went through encountering monstrous cultivators on their path to power.
Sparks soon began to exit his body; heavier and more power-filled ones illuminating his surroundings even more. Noah felt and saw his surroundings begin to move far slower than they normally were. His perception became so quick that mere instants felt as long as hours maybe days.
He felt confident in the action he was about to take, being faster than his opponents put him in a safe spot one that would remain untouchable until he found someone able to outrun him or directly overpower him.
pαndα`noνɐ1--сoМ Dense currents continued to run on Noah's figure, if ever asked what that ability was; he would simply term it a movement technique, after all the truth wasn't far from it. He even crouched in a weird stance while making some random gestures with his hands to make that scene more believable.
Feeling ready to move, Noah ignored the fact that he produced enough heat to cause the little snow around him to start melting.
Taking a step forward, the extremely white and windy environment around him turned into a blur of whiteness. Noah immediately arrived inside the tight formation of trees to begin his mad Mach 4 dash towards its end; where the bright light of golden inscriptions could be seen signifying the area in which they were to enter to succeed. At least he believed so.
However before he could even spend a second in those trees, a thought he had not considered seeped into his mind, and he found himself turning to return to his former position outside the trees.
A frown appeared on Noah's face immediately after returning, but that reaction wasn't a result of an emotion so to speak, it was based on how tricky that situation had been since answers flowed into his mind at his doubts. And he didn't hesitate to open his mouth to voice his conclusion.
"We were never told to find our way into any different location. The instruction was to reach the peak of the mountain!' Noah's blank but power-filled voice resounded in that environment. Even the winds couldn't overshadow it.
In truth, that action remained weird, but Noah knew that his words had been heard, after all, he had noticed on multiple occasions floating orbs of sorts trailing him in his tracks. Which meant he was being watched.ραпdα `nᴏνɐ| сom
Noah had been careful to not utilize any sensitive abilities like his ice affinity whenever he was out in the forest. Only moments like when he fought the jawed spiders. And he had only utilized it due to the closed entrance. For some reason, the orbs never followed him into the caves he slept in.
Just according to his hunch, his answer came, but not in words.
The relatively flat peak of the mountain suddenly began to tremble, but not violently. At least not too violently.
In the span of a few seconds Noah watched the thick formation of trees before him; begin to part ways, and in the blink of an eye, a linear path opened before him.
Two barriers lay on each side of the now wall of trees, and he didn't hesitate to begin his walk towards the same inscriptions-filled area on the other side of the mountain's peak.
A slow but steady walk began towards the end of the path since Noah still had his guard up. His armor was still on and he felt ready to run at any time.
Halfway through the path, Noah got able to see what emitted that higher-stage aura, but his expression went cold at the sight that lay before him.
'Five,' Noah thought. Five beasts Noah's instincts sensed had power in the higher stage were present in the forest. They had been expertly separated from each other to not give a hint, and to his even bigger amusement, the beasts themselves didn't radiate any aura. Or at least it seemed they didn't.
A bangle of sorts shimmering with the light of multiple inscriptions lay around the legs of the beast; all bears. The inscribed item according to Noah's understanding bottled up their aura. A terrifying reality. While an orb shimmering with blue lights sitting on a golden stool radiated the singular aura he felt, and that everyone who got up there would feel!
"This is madness," Noah felt forced to mutter feeling a spike in his headache when he switched to his calm side.
Clearer understanding dawned on him when Elder Adonis's words, "The rest will be up to you" replayed in his mind. He had begun to gain respect for those processes as they forced the cultivators into using their minds.
Noah felt pity and even worry for Ariana and the other experts who would be unfortunate enough to think they would be enough to cross the trees. The bears were large towering 25m in height and their bulky frame. A hit from something like that would turn them into meat pastes.
That last challenge was more of a mind game than anything. With an obstruction on their path and the aura of a powerful entity, the situation in front of the dense formation of trees would automatically translate into a challenge. One that the experts would feel had to overcome to succeed. But if they obeyed the instructions there would be no need for any such struggle. Maybe if they sat around instead of moving into the forest themselves, the path would be opened for them.
Noah felt sure that any individual that walked into that environment would be immediately wiped out. That outcome would be certain since the bears made no auras, and their white furs coupled with their gentle movements allowed them blend in wit their environment. There could even be traps set for experts.
'I would have scaled through only because of my speed,' Noah thought. 'But if there had been any traps able to stop me...' His thoughts faded since he had arrived at the ending of the path, to walk past the golden inscriptions; which he immediately confirmed produced a barrier.
"Congratulations!" A group of four individuals donned in beautiful attires featuring the crest of the guild cheerfully welcomed Noah, and he felt un-surprised when he saw that he was the first to arrive there.
Chapter 251 251. MONSTERS
Noah had to keep a straight face in front of that welcome, but within him was relief and excitement. Mental fatigue tried to wear him down immediately he felt relieved, and the tension that had been pent up inside him, but couldn't express itself due to his emotionless state, hit him with full force.
pαndα,noνɐ1,сoМ However, everything quickly subsided, and he didn't hesitate to perform bows at the four individuals, two men, and two women.
"You did incredibly well. And even figured out the last challenge," the brown-haired female amongst the two spoke elatedly.
The four of them gathered around him, but he had to deactivate his spell first. Noah could feel that none of the experts were lightning affinity wielders, but he couldn't deny their incredible power.
All four individuals radiated power at the very peak of the middle-stage threatening to spill into the last stage before tier 4.
'Peak grade 2 bodies and all yellow cored in the spherical stage,' Noah thought, feeling shocked at that talent. The only difference between the four was their affinities and of course the slight differences in power.
Nevertheless, the four of them radiated strong confidence even if they looked elated at his success.
"It's wonderful gaining such an incredibly strong member. It's felt like years since we had any newcomers," the black-haired male in the group spoke in a dramatic tone.
"Because it's been years!" the brown-haired lady countered playfully hitting his back. "But he's right, it's been ages since a test for new members was held," the lady said focusing on Noah.
"I thought it was every two or four years," Noah asked trying to recall what the man that had registered him said.
"Normally it would, but the higher-ups changed their minds, and it been ten whole years since the last one," the other female in the group replied before the brown-haired lady could, and she revealed a pouting expression.
"You already want to try your so-called unique charm on him," the second male in the group who had remained silent teased with a smug grin, quickly taking multiple steps from the second lady.
"You!---" she exclaimed embarrassed, and Noah lost them afterward.
The scene of four really talented experts bickering and teasing each other felt so wholesome that Noah could only smile when they remembered his presence, before bickering again.
The group would take turns in asking him questions, but they never went into anything that could even be slightly considered personal, only questions like how he got so beautiful and other lighthearted questions.
Noah felt forced to loosen up at their friendly nature, as he soon began to enjoy their company. From the time he spent with them, he could tell that they shared a bond, a tight one.
"I was the first to volunteer to welcome you newcomers, but these knuckleheads joined in," the brown-haired lady pouted as they sat down cross-legged on the snow.
Her name being Rena, she was a woman who looked to be in her late twenties, had an oval face and fair skin, and featured long brown and straight hair that had soft bends. On her face were long eyebrows wavy in shape. She sported an upturned nose that Noah considered was the right size and lastly, her eyes were hazel in color. In short, she looked incredible.
Still, even among these details, she held a cheerful and welcoming vibe. Noah could also sense a level of maturity deep within her current cheerful outlook.
The names of the other were as followed, Tiana, being the second lady, Rio being the black-haired guy and finally Seth.
Tiana looked no older than Rena but had long reddish-blonde hairy wavy in nature. This already gave her a unique look that even Noah found sultry. She had an oval face with a small straight nose, greenish eyes that seemed to glisten every once in a while, and the bodycon gown she had on couldn't emphasize her hourglass shape even more. Noah found her alluring, and she had already established her interest in him.ραпdα `nᴏνɐ| сom
Rio was as mentioned; the black-haired man. He looked to be in his early thirties and had a round face that featured no beard. His hair was short but wavy. There wasn't much to say due to his average looks but Noah liked his jokes.
Seth, on the other hand, was a man who looked in his mid-twenties or late twenties, he had a square face with a defined chin and jawline. Featuring straight reddish-brown hair, he looked related to Tiana and actually was.
Apparently, both were born to the same father, but different mothers, and were of the same age. Seth was tall standing at around 6ft2 he had the same height as Noah. But Noah surpassed him in looks.
The young man mostly ignored Noah. A behavior Noah could guess was envy. He seemed to share a tight connection with his step-sister. One that bordered romance, but only on his side. In essence, he had a crush on his step-sister, but she didn't feel the same.
All four of them asked him to refer to them by their names, but Noah felt uncomfortable and settled for adding "Senior". He appreciated their niceness, but getting too close was something he steered away from.
"You're pretty popular amongst the guild members," Tiana said at some point.
"Yeah. We were allowed to watch some of the aspirants in action and yours managed to remain the most entertaining," Rio added shaking his head.
"We ran wild seeing you lift the metal balls, and even the more recent ones of you casually slaughtering middle-stage magical beasts," Rio continued in an amused tone.
"It truly was entertaining," Rio laughed, "All that you require now is good training and you'll be considered a true monster," the expert added, with the others nodding.
Needless to say, this left Noah surprised, and he could only voice his confusion mixed with excitement.
"Am I not strong enough o be considered a monster?" Noah asked. His question sounding awkward to his ears after he heard himself speak.
"You have the potential. But you need just a bit more," Tiana responded grazing her palms on Noah's right arm. An action that wasn't necessary, but he understood the gesture. She even sat close to him.
"What is that I need to improve on," Noah asked knowing the answer to his question.
The group fell silent at that point before Seth opened his mouth to talk.
"Mostly your fighting style. You lack finesse, and proper training," the expert started. "It pretty clear in your moves how untrained you are and how without a real technique you are. You simply have the raw talent that can only be maximized through proper and intense training," he said.
'In truth you really are strong, but your battle sense is extremely lacking. And compared to the monsters we've witnessed all you have is raw power. Against such individuals you'd lose in literally two exchanges," Rena chipped in, and the rest nodded in agreement.
Noah could only nod inwardly at their words, it seemed his issue could be spotted by anyone relatively knowledgeable.
Needless to say, the topic of monsters piqued his interest, but he couldn't dive deeper into the topic since the trees behind them parted ways.
After three hours of waiting the second person or rather group of persons arrived.
Chapter 252 252. SADNESS
'It's taken them a while,' Noah thought, inspecting the group of six that arrived from the path. Most of the individuals were females, and every single one of them featured an injury. Whether or not they had been as a result of a clash with the higher stage beast or not Noah didn't know.
But he figured if such had happened they would all be dead unless other aspirants had been sacrificed.
None of the faces that arrived were familiar, so Noah could only stay silent at their arrival while the four cultivators went to welcome them.
His figure of course caught the gazes of the six individuals, but no one walked toward him. Limiting themselves to begin their recovery. However seeing as they had basically become guild members, it felt pointless to continue that seeming hostile behavior towards the white-haired man.
Noah had established his power and worth. and would probably be the most valued expert in the new batch of members. Moreover, the way the four powerful cultivators interacted with him already showed how stronger individuals found him useful.
'Why do they stay away from you?" Tiana asked Noah at some point. By this period more individuals had arrived inside that place. The now over fifty aspirants would once in a while hear explosions and the screams of individuals as they faced the undefeatable terror of five higher-stage beasts.
Needless to say, horror and pity appeared in the minds of the listening cultivators. Only pity rose in Noah's mind at instances like that. Once; a cultivator slammed into the golden barrier, but it seemed only walking through the path would allow them in.
A dark expression appeared on Noah's face at that realization. If he had continued on his run, he would be dead.
"I guess they don't want to associate with someone weaker. At least that was the case at the beginning of the trials," Noah replied shrugging. His eyes landed on Tiana's expression and he saw it flicker.
"I doubt really," Tiana replied sweeping her gaze on the over fifty cultivators that had arrived in the span of an hour since the first group.
"I believe they find you unapproachable," she explained focusing on his breathtaking features. A strange heat rose in her chest at his calm gaze and her attraction towards him rose. She desired to uncover the secrets hidden by his icy blue eyes while knowing him better.
"Unapproachable how?" Noah muttered loud enough to be heard by her; even if he understood what she meant. Notwithstanding he wanted to hear her words.
"Have you seen yourself in the mirror!" she exclaimed. "Let's not even begin with that, but the main issues. First your aura-less state."
"I currently remain unable to tell exactly how strong your base cultivation level is even if you are in the lower stage. Your mana core also remains hidden to me and the others, and you keep to yourself a lot. In short, your existence is shady," she explained nodding her head.
"Maybe at the beginning, they discriminated against you due to your power but now I believe they feel you are unapproachable," she ended.
'It's their problem, weren't they told not to discriminate against others when they were young,' Noah coldly snorted inwardly. In truth he didn't care about mingling much, he had problems most of them don't even know were possible, and he needed solutions fast.
"I hope things change later on," Noah shrugged faking a smile.ραпdα `nᴏνɐ| сom
The hours continued to pass. Apparently, the four were pretty busy recording how many had returned, while also receiving orders on what to do.
Noah saw the inscriptions surrounding that half of the mountain top changing multiple times, and he soon focused on that environment.
The mountain's top remained flat. Flat enough to allow people to sit comfortably. It was divided by the dense formation of trees. And the presence of the inscriptions allowed the environment there to be calm, but that was all.
No sort of furniture's existed there only the barrier created by the inscriptions making it relatively special.
The number of experts eventually crossed a hundred but Ariana wasn't amongst them. Worry eventually appeared in Noah's mind when a countdown depicting the last three hours before the end of the stage appeared on the bracelet's illusory screen.
Many aspirants who found themselves running through the forest either quit before they could die, but apparently the bears were only allowed to injure the aspirants that managed to fall prey to them, and they would be teleported out, disqualified.
The number of aspirants eventually crossed 150. It seemed many had formed groups to help themselves climb faster, and that approach worked incredibly well. But their numbers would never hit 200 at that pace.
Noah spent most of his time alone after the aspirants began to enter in big groups. Once in a while the four members of the divine lightning would have a chat with him before returning to work.
'It seems she won't arrive,' Noah sighed seeing the time hit thirty minutes. The chances of her arrival looked slim, and it saddened him. Even Nathaniel had long since arrived with a group.
The sounds of murmurs filled the camp for experts who were now half-step members of the divine lightning guild. Noah believed no one who had not fulfilled the requirements would even show up there since it would be pointless.
The time limit eventually arrived at 5 minutes, and Noah could only conclude that Ariana wouldn't be joining that guild with him.
Needless to say, sadness arrived and permeated his mind as his countenance fell. He remembered her words of surviving and joining in the guild, he could only chuckle in melancholy while hoping she didn't wound up dead and that simply hadn't been fast enough to get there or had never been able to gather enough stones.
pαndα`noνɐ1--сoМ Noah sat cross-legged while waiting for the countdown to ended. From the voices of the others he could tell how excited they were, and he was too, but that event had spoilt his mood.
However, just as the countdown hit one minute twenty-seven seconds; the rumble that everyone associated with the separating of the trees resounded in everyone's ears, and a group pf three experts could be seen sprinting down the path.
And to Noah's shock and delight Ariana was one of them.
Chapter 253 253. FIFTH PLACE
Shock and excitement couldn't be more evident on Noah's face at that last-minute turn of events. Tiana happened to glance his way immediately after that event occurred and frowned when she saw his bright smile; the first she had ever seen on his face, even if it vanished a moment later.
Noah felt a battle immediately spread out in his mind. The issue remained whether or not he should react happily to her arrival or not. He felt weird showing emotions since he usually hid them behind the mask of a cold expression.
It seemed Ariana had made some other friends since a few experts; all females, ran toward her in excitement no less than Noah's.
She had arrived with two men and they looked to have been through a lot. Ariana looked haggard, whole chunks of her seemed to have nested birds, as dirt and snow filled it. Blood stains of different colors existed on her rag-like attire and face, making some of her blonde and messy hair stick to her skin.
An expression filled with relief and excitement filled her face, and she even sat on the ground while the four experts went to welcome her and her group.
Having stood up in shock at her arrival, Noah sat down with a relaxed thud even if his expression had returned to being uncaring.
A few seconds had to pass before Noah noticed her sweep her gaze on the camp filled with more than 180 individuals.
Her eyes eventually landed on Noah's neat figure, and their gazes immediately locked. A deeper sense of relief shone on her face while she beamed a smile at him. Shrugging and returning the smile, their silent interaction occurred without the notice of others, apart from Senior Tiana.
Ariana held back in walking towards Noah since the three ladies that had run to her threw a barrage of questions at her, ones she looked glad to answer.
The countdown ended in no time and the camp of exactly 187 experts excluding the four cultivators in charge of welcoming them, felt the mountain beneath their feet tremble violently,
The shaking continued for whole minutes until the golden inscriptions creating the barrier around them shone with blinding intensity. A series of runic symbols and even a golden magical circle appeared beneath their feet followed by the light of a far-distance teleportation.
The white mountain saw a golden radiance shine on its peak even going on to pierce the thick formation of trees to reveal its radiance to the world. However, the light suddenly disappeared. Silence immediately descended on the snowy mountain at that point.
Shutting his eyes tight to protect them from the golden light surrounding him, Noah felt the air and the ambient temperature change. A more welcoming atmosphere falling on his senses.
It took a few seconds for his senses to calm down, after which he opened his eyes. Seemingly being connected to his eyes, only at that point did his ears become able to the cheers booming from their surroundings.
Noah furrowed his brows at that event but remained okay. He didn't like the sheer amount of sound coming from the multiple seats surrounding them. But compared to the annoyance he felt from the spotlight above them while their figures stood upon a metallic platform raised 10 meters from the grassy field below them, that was nothing.
The darkness of the night illuminated by the natural satellite of that planet stood above them while cheers filled his environment.ραпdα `nᴏνɐ| сom
Glancing at the area that held the representatives, Noah could see that all of them stood up in a standing ovation.
"What an incredible show that had been," Elder Adonis's excited voice rang out from above the successful experts. Not even half of their former number had succeeded in the stage, a frightening outcome.
"What a pity it could only last three days or a day to us on the outside," The expert spoke casually descending from the compartment meant for the important individuals. He had changed his clothes; going for a skin-tight black attire featuring a silver coat shimmering with many golden inscriptions.
He stopped descending at a particular height and quickly continued with the event at hand.
"It's time to see how many of you met the requirements," The elder announced waving his hand, and the aspirants saw their rings and bracelets light up with inscriptions of different colors.
The inscriptions running on their rings stretched out to meet the ones stretching out of their bracelets. Both converged on each other to form a beam of light depicting numbers. Immediately after that event, the illusory screens portraying the figures of the aspirants changed to reveal a leaderboard of sorts featuring the name's faces and amount of inscribed stones present in their various rings.
Noah found his face with the number 79 beside it. But to his surprise, someone had gathered more than he. Heck on the leaderboard he occupied the fifth place, with the first person gathering an incredible ninety-nine.
The individual being someone he recognized too well, Noah could only smile.
While shaking his head. "Show off," he muttered gazing at Nathaniel's face.
Noah had avoided overpowering experts to steal their stones, and no one had even dared doing such to him. But he understood that the same couldn't be said for the others.
'He probably stole from a lot of individuals,' Noah thought shaking his head, but the matter didn't bother him.
Noah felt both surprised and pleased to find that no one gathered stones lesser than fifty, which meant that the successful aspirants numbering 187 would all be joining the guild.
pαndα,noνɐ1,сoМ A cold expression remained on Noah's face while he stared at the massive illusory screen. Very soon he felt someone's gaze land on him. His eyes darted upwards to find that Elder Adonis had his gaze directly on him, but no one could notice their interaction.
The duo felt to be the only ones in the world. And Noah, even if he couldn't see the man's eyes, knew their gazes had met.
Needless to say, worry built up in Noah's mind. He understood that he had been noticed by the higher-ups of that guild but he didn't like that situation anyway.
Chapter 254 254. CONFESSION
'What does he want,' Noah thought ignoring the cheers still happening around him. Elder Adonis remained focused on his figure but said nothing, this of course made ideas run through Noah's mind and doubts started to fill his mind.
'Is he able to see my core,' Noah thought feeling his heart skip a beat. He remembered the system's explanation on that matter, but the thought couldn't leave his mind. In a world filled with thousands of experts all advancing on different paths, there had to be exceptions.
'Or can he notice my affinity,' Noah wondered again. He clearly recalled the waves of different elements that flowed out of the elder's figure the day they met him, and he understood that individuals of like elemental affinities could sense each other.
Although he couldn't tell if the man had an affinity he possessed, maybe even two, the same couldn't be said for the elder. Being someone of such high caliber and immense cultivation level he had to possess a far superior sense.
That thought rang in Noah's head for what felt like hours but were mere instants. He eventually decided to lower his gaze, but even that failed to stop the elder from gazing at him.
Worry and a deep sense of unsafety permeated Noah's mind. What could he do against an expert who he identified as the strongest he had ever seen in Cregar. Noah felt certain that if the expert wanted to get him, even his speed would be unable to save him.
Thankfully the man's heavy gaze eventually left his shoulders, and Noah could only thank the white-haired maiden for that. The duo once seemed to converse, but their expressions remained mostly shadowy due to the light shining on their backs and the height they floated at.
"I believe this is it," Elder Adonis's voice rang out in that stadium shutting the mouths of all and drawing attention to himself.
"This will be this year's successful aspirants, and I'm glad to see that there are many extraordinary experts amongst them. The heights of the Divine Lightning guild can only increase as a result of this," the expert explained while pin-drop silence existed around him.
"The trials are done. I congratulate you all on your success. Welcome to the Divine Lightning guild," elder Adonis announced smiling, and the whole place went wild.
The lights of many inscriptions shone on the platform the 187 experts stood upon, and once again the light of a teleportation wrapped around their bodies and they quickly disappeared from that loud place.
*
*
*
Opening his eyes in a different location, Noah felt mildly surprised to find that he had arrived inside the room allocated to the aspirants for sleeping. Only this time it remained almost empty.
Glancing at his only room partner, Noah inspected the young-looking woman and she did the same. Their gazes locked for a few seconds, and to his surprise, she beamed a gentle smile at him, before walking toward her bed.
"You all have been given a day to rest. You are now guild members, but there are still a few processes to be done. However celebrate yourselves for you have accomplished something only a tiny portion of the nation's citizens has," a man's voice boomed in the rooms of the experts, riling up their excitement.
"After the day is complete you all shall be given a tour of our guild's environment; one that I believe you will never forget. For now, enjoy. And also you are allowed to move between rooms to meet each other. Goodbye," the man explained before his voice was cut off from the transmission.
Needless to say, excitement bubbled in the minds of the successors, when they saw that the doors had opened partially, meaning they had unhindered access to the other rooms. Many immediately left their rooms to go look for the friends they had made during the trials that had succeeded.
Noah quickly found himself alone in his room, but he showed no excitement at the announcement. The issue of Elder Adonis still weighed on his mind, and it felt too early to relax.ραпdα `nᴏνɐ| сom
Laying atop his bed with one of his legs dangling off one edge of the bed, Noah ignored the sounds of the chattering experts moving down and forth the passageway.
His mind kept pondering the matter, but he felt unappeased and annoyed by the lack of certainty about the issue. This back-and-forth thinking eventually led to frustration which eventually gave rise to more worry.
The sliding open of the door brought Noah out of his thoughts and he immediately glanced at the entrance to find Ariana there.
Her face revealed a charming smile, forcing Noah to notice the changes in her appearance from what he remembered.
She looked neater than ever, heck she seemed to have just exited a bath. The young lady let her wet-looking hair fall on her shoulders. She currently had a yellow; black horizontally striped gown on, and the attire failed to touch her smooth knees.
"What are you doing brooding," her voice rang out as she walked into the room closing the door behind her. Picking a random bed adjacent to Noah's she sat on the lower bunk to stare at him on his higher bunk.
"You wouldn't understand," Noah replied sitting up.
"That's understandable," Ariana revealed a wide smile causing Noah to shake his head.
"In honesty, I had expected a scene like this to play out in your room, but the emptiness of this place remains shocking nonetheless," she shook her head walking about the place. Noah's eyes followed her every movement.
"Then I guess the situation is different in yours," Noah replied.
"Far different. I had to escape that place before any of my admirers came knocking," she explained staring at the food platform.
Silence fell in their midst at that point, and it lasted for what felt like hours to Noah even if only a few seconds passed.
"What do you want?" Noah eventually asked heaving a slight sigh. "I'm certain you didn't search each room for me only to come and chat."
Ariana remained silent at those words, and she even stopped inspecting the room to have her back turned on Noah. And she even stood close to the entrance.
"You're right, I didn't simply come here to chat," she eventually began, her back still turned on Noah.
pαndα`noνɐ1--сoМ "But you are also wrong. I indeed came here to talk," she said, confusing Noah; who limited himself to furrow his brow.
"I like you Aiden," Ariana suddenly announced before silently, half hastily walking out of the room. Successfully avoiding eye contact.
Needless to say, Noah remained stunned beyond reason. 'Was that a confession!' he screamed inwardly
Chapter 255 255. FLOATING CITY
Noah stared at the closed door for whole minutes before blinking his eyes to snap out of his daze.
"What just happened," Noah muttered laying on his bed.
Ariana had left, but her last words rang in his ears like a church bell. Her confession had caught him unawares and he soon found himself thinking about the young woman. Her hasty escape had left Noah with no chance to respond, but he felt that her plan had always been that approach.
The situation felt surreal, strange even, but Noah could only settle for its abruptness.
An hour seemed to pass and it did, but Noah remained immersed in his thoughts about the young lady. His roommate eventually returned to the room and she immediately walked towards a bed to lie on. There wasn't any need to stick to one bed since only she and Noah were in the room.
The young lady seemed to immediately go to sleep, and Noah felt that the time for rest had arrived. A few tens minutes had to pass before the darkness of sleep enveloped Noah's consciousness.
Noah woke up to a once again empty room, but he really didn't care about that detail. Walking towards the food platform, he ordered a series of dishes which he didn't hesitate to dig into.
pαndα,noνɐ1,сoМ Unfortunately for him, Ariana's words continued to ring in his mind, and he felt unable to stop them. He still felt unsure of what next to do.
Noah spent most of his time alone, but at some point down the line, his roommate had a conversation with him.
He felt compelled to engage in such activities since people were an important detail in a man's life, she could prove useful sometimes later
Noah learned a few things about her such as her name. And during the hours they conversed he managed to understand a bit of her personality.
Phelia was a woman who looked to be in her early thirties, she had an oblong-shaped face, had long and completely straight black hair which complemented her look. She had black eyes that seemed to have seen and been through a lot. Her soft facial features were enhanced by her smiling face, even if most of such smiles were forced. Phelia had an affinity for fire.
From their interaction, it was clear that she desired to be closer to him for future gains, but the same could be said for Noah, so he didn't mind.
Sweeping his gaze on his once again empty room, Noah heaved a sigh when he understood that Ariana wouldn't be coming there. In truth, a part of him felt glad about her confession, but another side saw it as something of a distraction.
In honesty, he could already feel himself developing feelings for her, but those emotions were still in their early stage. He barely knew the young woman even if he approved of her character and they were capable of flowing in conversations.
Another sigh escaped Noah's mouth at some point, he had a lot to do now that he had joined a great guild. Making time for other things apart from his advancement in power would be difficult. At that thought, Noah's mind fell on his clone skill.
He had never tried to cast it since he became a tier 3 around a month ago. Taking a moment to dwell on his quick advancement in power. It felt surreal thinking about the fact that he had achieved such power in such a short period, and he could tell that any friends he made now would be eventually left behind by him.
The clone skill sounded cool but he would only activate it when he had settled into the guild since there would be backlash for using it. Meaning a period of rest would be required.
Hours went by with Noah doing nothing but laying on his bed. He took the man's words of resting to heart, whoever the person was. Needless to say, another period of sleep happened before the doors of the rooms were flung open.
"On a single file please all of you!" A feminine voice boomed into the rooms of the already prepared aspirants, and soon they began to peep out of their various rooms to see who the person was.
Noah being one of such individuals, found himself staring at a middle-aged woman who had long
red hair falling on her shoulders. The woman radiated an aura that belonged to someone in the higher stage.
This was all he needed to listen to her words and exit his room.
A few experts had already lined up by this point and Noah promptly joined them. The lady waited only a few minutes for the experts to be done, and her mouth opened to release words.
"I am Lady Yevette. I congratulate you all on succeeding in the trials to join my great guild," she started. "For today I shall be your tour guide amongst other things, after which the way we do things will be explained to you. And after that your first missions will be given to you," the lady explained, her voice traveling through the passageway to reach those at the far end of the line.ραпdα `nᴏνɐ| сom
Noah felt excitement begin to seep into his mind, but he didn't stop it. He had finally become a member of the Divine Lightning guild, he let himself revel in his excitement.
"As guild members, there are a few basic things you should know," Lady Yevette continued, waving her hand at the aspirants and a series of necklaces appeared out of her space ring to float towards the aspirants.
Noah saw an obsidian black necklace falling on his palms. and immediately inspected it. To his shock, he found that the necklace was a tier 4 item.
It pulsed with a purple light and even featured lines of the same color inscribed into its very material. The tier 4 necklace featured a tiny purple gem embedded inside the metallic material of the necklace.
'Is this a purple mana stone,' Noah wondered wide-eyed, further gazing at the intricate details that made it appealing to the eyes.
"You are to always wear it at all times if you don't want to wind up with a broken soul core or even dead," she announced scaring the experts who immediately placed it on their necks.
Wearing the necklace Noah saw a panel pop up in his eyes.
[You have equipped special item: Niaar]
[Grade: A]
[Tier: 4[???]]
[Effects: Fends off external pressure too powerful for wearer]
[Cool-down: N/A. Duration: N/A. Cost: N/A]
'What pressure are we going to be facing,' Noah thought in surprise. It felt shocking that such a powerful item's function was to only fend off pressure. Though the description didn't specify which type of pressure, mental or physical. 'Maybe both,' Noah thought.
"Good," Lady Yevette exclaimed seeing that they had all worn the necklace. "Before we do any heavy touring; you all will have to take the oath for joining our guild. This won't take too much time since everything has been prepared. But before then I'll show you the environment of our guild," she explained.
"I'm sure many of you have been wondering what exactly the outside of this trial environment looks like, well wonder no further," she announced when a mage staff appeared in her right hand and she waved it.
Her abrupt action caused a series of lights to spin around the lined-up experts before a magical circle expanded beneath their feet.
They each felt the red light of the magical circle caress their skin before their environment experienced a drastic change.
Noah saw and felt his environment go dark, but not totally, while an odd pressure landed on his figure but the necklace glowed to fend it off.
Before he and the rest of his guild members could notice anything else, they realized how high up into the sky they were, and to their astonishment, a bright city lay below them.
However, everyone noticed something; something too outrageous that they failed to put into words. Why is this city high in the sky, many thought? But Lady Yevette's voice rang out behind them before they could wonder too much.
"Welcome to the only floating city in the entirety of the Cusk nation. And yes this is the Divine lightning guild. Or should I say city."
Chapter 256 256. RUNIC SYMBOLS
Gazing blankly at the tiled floor beneath his feet, Noah ignored the bit of noise going on around him, while he tried his best to imprint the image of the floating city and its surroundings.
Around the floating city was a mass of dark clouds perfectly surrounding it like a wall. The dark clouds crackled with lightning bolts of different sizes and they seemed to release a pressure of their own, but the necklace fended it off.
The sheer sounds coming from the bolts of erratic energy were loud enough at times to drown the voice of Lady Yevette while she explained a bit about that place to them.
Apparently, the origin of the floating landmass was confidential information that even she didn't know, though there were others that did. But what she knew was that the place was ancient according to what they were allowed to know. Literally multiple thousand years old.
The city was demarcated into three major regions by three massive walls, and the regions were occupied by members depending on their power level or rank of importance.
The outer regions being for experts holding power from tier 1 to the peak of tier 2. The inner region being home to individuals holding power from the lower stage of tier 3 to the lower stage of tier 4. However that region was separated into two smaller ones, the portion closer to the walls leading to the center region housing experts in tier 4.
The center region was the smallest, but apparently, all the monsters of the guild whether they were tier 1 to tier 4 lived there. As long as the expert was considered very important they would be sent there. Rumors also had it that even tier 5 experts had homes there.
Needless to say, this excited the experts but also informed them of how much importance they had to garner to be valued.
Although the city was separated into three regions, the buildings in all of them looked just as high tier as the best cities that could exist in that nation. The only difference being that there might be more powerful structures in the inner and center ones.
Noah felt able to sense barriers high above them, as even the light from the sun almost couldn't pierce the dark clouds, meaning the environment there would be constantly gloomy. Notwithstanding, that detail didn't manage to faze Noah, who only cared about gaining enough importance, and of course power.
The various lights coming from the city reminded him of the settlement citizens of Earth termed "The city that never sleeps".
"Aiden!" A male voice pulled Noah out of his thoughts. Getting up from his seat, Noah noticed that everyone had eyes on him. His eyes fell on the round room they were currently in, and at the end of the room was a large black sphere featuring runic symbols running on its surface. The sphere being lifted by two sculpted black arms buzzed whenever the hundreds of runic symbols made a complete revolution.
Beside the object radiating a level of power that his mind couldn't grasp were three individuals, one of them being Lady Yevette, and the other being the tier 4 bald man they had seen during the trials.
Just like lady Yevette had said; before any heavy touring would be done they would need to take the oath to fully be identified as a member of the guild. For now, it seemed only the tier 3 experts were present. But Noah couldn't care less about the weaker cultivators.
His walk towards the pulpit where the three individuals stood, began. Noah could feel and sense the culmination of his efforts to join that guild being summed up in the action he was about to take.
The eyes of the other 186 experts followed his movements. Noah had accomplished feats that could be considered stories that would be told in legends. Many could tell from lady Yevette's explanation that the breathtaking white-haired man would be one of those important fellows as he had power available to him. Unfair power.
Noah arrived before the sphere and took the three steps needed to get on the pulpit. The eyes of the bald man and even that of the lady beside him; who he didn't recognize fell on him.
"Are you ready for the oath?" The man asked almost coldly.
Noah limited himself to nod his head in response not minding the expert's tone.
"Good. Place your hands on the sphere and read the oath," the man ordered.
Doing as he was told, Noah felt a wave of information flow into his mind and his soul-core quickly began to crackle with an intense energy while it broke down the non-written oath.
'This is a bit, but it's reasonable,' Noah thought feeling his environment slow down. However, he didn't have his focus on that detail since his eyes were closed.
The oath stated that; he couldn't indiscriminately hurt his guild mates unless it was necessary, or they were in an agreed duel. He couldn't reveal information that was given to him by the guild and was considered confidential unless required to.
He was allowed to travel wherever he wanted but needed to inform the senior in charge of him. And if he were ever summoned during his travels, he would be required to return to the guild to take orders. He could only be exempted from this if returning would be impossible or would take too long than what was required.
It stated that; he wasn't allowed to take actions that could cause damage to the guild in ways that surpassed physical damage, and he was required to protect the guild in whatever way he could depending on the situation. And lastly, he wasn't allowed to join any other guild as long as that oath had not been abolished.ραпdα `nᴏνɐ| сom
The reward for breaking any of the rules would be to have his body blown apart and his soul-core destroyed.
[Do you wish to take Oath of the Divine Lightning Guild?]
[Tier: 4[Peak]]
[Note this Oath will inscribe itself on your skin and soul core. Only when oath-taker has exceeded the power level of the oath can they be free of it]
[Do you still wish to continue?]
[Yes/No]
Noah heaved an inward sigh before choosing yes. There wasn't any going back, to begin with. Immediately he took that action the runic symbols on the sphere shone with greater radiance before flowing towards his palm; where they began their journey up his arms.
Noah felt pain seep into his mind at that event, but he didn't flinch. His mental waves unfolded on his body to inspect the process.
pαndα,noνɐ1,сoМ The multicolored symbols found their way to his chest where they converged, and the crest of the fox with lightning bolts for tails dug into his chest.
Intense pain gushed into his mind at that point but he remained unfazed. Immediately the symbols had dug into his skin, a few of them separated from the still shining crest on his chest to snake up his neck.
Noah saw the symbols seep into his incredible skin leaving injuries in their wake, but the injuries healed as fast as they appeared. The symbols however left no injuries when they got past his skull and soon Noah switched focus to his mind.
Rather than small shining symbols; within his mind the runic symbols had enlarged in size, being far greater than even his island.
His mind on a normal day would fight against that process, but since he had accepted it and saw it as no danger, nothing happened.
The shining symbols arrived on his black soul core to bathe it in their light, but the light also went on to spread across his island like a multicolored river.
Noah's entire soul realm trembled at the power contained within the symbols, but he felt no pain from that process.
The shining symbols and words soon shrunk into a very dense crest, which of course was the multiple-tailed fox. The condensed symbols radiating intense power shot into his core. Deep pain ravaged Noah's senses at that point and he felt forced to hold his head in pain.
The oath settled at the very center of his core and stopped. In the span of an instant, the shape of the crest dug itself on his island. Noah couldn't care less about that detail since he felt he had passed out multiple times while still standing.
Immediately the oaths had found their home in his soul's core, and the still shining crest on his chest died down to reveal a bloodied chest. However, his healing kicked into action clearing the injury.
Noah opened his eyes at that point, but he could still feel pain in his head.
"You can go," the bald man announced, and he did just that.
Further inspecting his body, although the injury left no scar, Noah could tell that something dwelt under the surface of his chest, and he quickly moved to test it.
Sitting where those that had received the oath sat, Noah, switched to his dark side, basing that switch on violence. Soon violent thoughts on how he could tear the person sitting next to him apart flowed into his mind, however, his chest shone with a golden light depicting the beastly crest of the guild.
'I feel pain,' Noah thought holding his head in pain while feeling his chest throb with nigh-intense pain that spread throughout his body; almost sending him into a state of shock.
"I'm really a member of the Divine Lightning guild now," he muttered, feeling both mental and physical pain vanish immediately after he stopped the thoughts.
Chapter 257 257. GUILD HALL
The process of taking the oath quickly passed by, and Noah found himself standing among over 150 individuals who he now identified as guildmates. Excitement was in the air after that procedure had ended and the bald man didn't waste time in allowing them to continue on their tour.
Noah for one felt eager to see the city up close. Though it wasn't exactly the largest city he had been to, it held things that his eyes managed to spot from the height they had been taken to, and those things piqued his interest madly.
A smile shone on Lady Yevette's face as she took the moment to bask in the excitement of the new members. Although they had a lot to learn some even disheartening, that didn't change the fact that great things were soon to happen.
Even she had heard information of the outstanding experts, and their auras; even if expertly bottled up met the hype.
"There isn't much to say than it's time for exploring," Lady Yevette declared waving her staff at the gathered experts. The same phenomenon of spinning lights and a magical circle occurred and the experts began their touring of that environment
Lady Yevette limited herself to taking the experts through the inner regions, claiming that the outer ones were being toured by the weaker cultivators.
Tall buildings shimmering with different lights filled the streets of that region, and to the surprise of the new members, different activities were going on in the city than just guild activities.
There were marketplaces, sports arenas, shops of various services, and many other things that one would find in any city.
"The Divine lightning guild has allowed a few individuals whom we consider trustworthy enough to bring goods from outside the island into it. Nevertheless, the inspection process of such individuals and their products is still very thorough. As we cannot allow dangerous items or lifeforms into the island," Lady Yevette explained while they walked in a single file down a street bustling with activities, but the experts on the road never bumped into them.
"An outbreak featuring a peak tier 3 life-form that almost completely destroyed the outer regions occurred around sixty years ago. It had gotten to such potent stages because a few individuals kept its existence secret, and in the span of a few minutes after it went into a frenzied state it had killed many. I was only a peak tier 2 expert at that time, and I watched many of my comrades die that day. However no such has happened since then,' she casually talked, clearly over the incident.
Another detail Noah noticed about the city was its flying beasts. The only city he recalled that had that many beasts was in Keriee, and his interest was piqued. Unfortunately, Lady Yevette didn't explain the reason for it.
During the tour, the experts were led to only areas and locations that were essential for every guild member to know. Like the regional library, a few important training halls, and finally the guild hall.
According to their tour guide, each region had its guild hall, which featured missions that fit the average power level of the experts.
A grand tower around 500 meters in height and seemingly constructed only with glass appeared in Noah's view. The tower was painted a golden color from its peak to its bottom. And it shone proudly with the light it produced, lighting up the streets surrounding it with its golden radiance. Due to the constantly dark environment of that city, the golden light could be spotted from every position in that region.
'Damn,' Noah thought raising an eyebrow. According to Lady Yevette, that tower was positioned at the center of the region. And from being there himself, Noah could immediately notice how the formation of the buildings and streets began from that point to spread out in all directions. Forming a hexagon.
Lady Yevette strode towards the towers massive metallic doors shimmering with lights of inscriptions.
"Without the crest on your bodies, the doors of such facilities will never open to you. Your guild mark is your key to the important buildings," the expert explained placing her palms on the large handle.
A light shot out of the door to scan her figure in less than an instant and she immediately got able to push it open.
Noah however had failed to notice that event since his focus had been on the sight around the tower.
Laying eyes on the multiple feathered beasts parked around that building, Noah fell into marvel. Some of the beasts held power at the peak of tier 3 and featured powerful cores, let's not even forget their large sizes.ραпdα `nᴏνɐ| сom
Many of the beasts parked around the building were surprisingly donned in armors. A feature Noah had never come across before. In short, the scene looked and felt magical to him.
Lady Yevette led them into the building, and an even more wondrous scene unfolded in their bewildered gazes. Rows upon rows of golden staircases filled Noah's sight. Each level of the tower featured its halls, but Noah limited himself to focus on the one before him.
The sight of tens of experts moving about the length and breadth of the room, either chatting or being busy with something; filled the eyes of the experts. The chattering noise also explained how many were there to relax and have fun. A pleasant scene.
Very quickly, just like on the streets, their figures caught the eyes of the others, and Noah felt glad to see that smiles filled their faces, some even cheered for them
On the other side of the room was a reception bar where their missions would be verified, and right beside the golden bar was a large brown board riddled with different papers of different colors, and they even seemed to be graded.
Lady Yevette led them towards the bar explaining its basic function while instructing them to figure out the rest themselves.
The hall didn't only feature the reception, it had a portion of its space filled with chairs and tables in a way that reminded Noah of a tavern. Many experts sat while indulging themselves in the cups of nicely smelling beer.
Part of the reception bar's duty was to serve refreshments to the members, for a price of course.
At that point, they reached the reception, and lady Yevette immediately began a conversation with one of the five females sitting across the table.
The lady radiated power in the middle stage, but only at its beginning. Heck, she seemed to have recently advanced into that level.
'That reminds me. Why am I the only lower-stage cultivator in the tier 3 rank,' Noah wondered casually sweeping his gaze on the beautiful environment. He had started getting used to the golden colors the guild seemed obsessed with.
The matter had only been at the back of his mind since the man that registered him told him of his weakness compared to the others, yet it remained baffling.
'Were the others scared of joining? How did they even get picked? Last I remembered I was only a tier 1 when I was given the box, Were there requirements to also register,' Noah continued to wonder, but lady Yevette's voice pulled him out of his thoughts.
"This will be the end of the tour. You'll be given a few books to read and be accompanied to your dorms," she announced.
pαndα`noνɐ1--сoМ "As new members, you do not have the requirements to individually own buildings, so you'll all be staying in one building but different rooms. These will normally be your permanent places but when you rake up enough, you can get your own buildings. For now, this will do," she explained beginning her walk past them.
"When important information arrives, you'll all be notified with the communication items you see in your allocated rooms. She'll explain the rest to you," she added not even turning to look back at them.
"Please follow me," a female voice rang behind the experts who were too busy watching their guide leave.
However, to the shock of the experts, their eyes landed on a girl who looked no older than 11.
Chapter 258 258. ROOMS
Black-haired, adorable-faced, not more than 4ft3 in height, Noah felt amazed to lay eyes on that childish stature. The only thing that felt mature was her tone. Even her voice sounded childlike.
The individual looked like a child in all features, and her oversized attire didn't help. Maybe because of her height. Notwithstanding, the experts couldn't deny the peak middle-stage power brimming from her body.
"Grade three-body!' Many muttered in shock, but her yellow spherical core belonged to something in the middle-stage since the quality of its mana hadn't reached a new overall density. This feature about the power system of that world was the only thing that managed to confuse Noah.
Normally the estimated power of an individual would be calculated by the quality of the person's body and mana core. But it seemed a hidden detail was part. Experts were able to differentiate between a core belonging to the middle-stage or not which was the density of the mana core. Unfortunately, Noah remained unable to sense such differences.
'Probably because of my change in energy,' Noah thought pondering about that matter.
The child-like lady before them had a body that would surpass that of a middle-stage but her strength didn't feel totally out of reach for him. Even if he understood that he would struggle immensely to pierce her body.
'If only our minds radiated some sort of aura. For now, the power scaling system of this world is too messy for me,' Noah thought. There were too many unstated rules and only a few stated ones. Things were better in tier 2 and tier 1. He hoped tier 4 would be less messy.
"I'll be the one leading you to your rooms," the girl announced, but her words didn't manage to sound as serious as she desired to the experts.
'Is she really a child,' Noah wondered gazing intently at the lady donned in a black attire that covered her entire body apart from her hands.
The young lady as Noah would term her in his mind, furrowed her brows when she saw that her audience continued to stare at her without acknowledging her words. A sigh that suggested that she had been through a similar situation escaped her lips, but her aura soon flared up.
"Let me rephrase my words. You are to follow me, now move!" She ordered causing the experts around her to flinch in fear. Many even jumped backward at the feeling of danger.
With her left hand pointed at the exit, the experts quickly began their walk towards the door, while she continued to stare at them.
'She's the one doing the following,' Noah sighed shaking off the bits of fear that had managed to jump into his mind. He felt the need to switch to his emotionless side to avoid cloudy emotions, but the drawback that came with that ability forced him to keep it for later.
The line of experts soon found themselves on the streets of that region with the child-like woman behind them. Once in a while, she would yell at them, telling them which streets to turn to. Needless to say, their situation quickly became embarrassing.
A few minutes had to pass before the experts arrived at an L-shaped building four stories in height. Before actually getting into the building, they had to cross a gate that scanned their bodies to allow them in.
The experts had to do this one at a time, since after each person was scanned a small box floated towards them. Which according to their guide; whom Noah had since confirmed was a fully grown woman, contained their room numbers and keys.
However, unlike traditional keys he was used to, Noah laid eyes on a 6/2 inch rectangular object shining with multiple red-colored inscriptions.
After the gate, the group of 187 experts began their walk into the building. Multiple experts exited and entered the grassy compound in which the building was situated. And all of them bowed at the lady.ραпdα `nᴏνɐ| сom
pαndα,noνɐ1,сoМ A cobble walk path branching towards every major entrance of the building appeared in their sight. The walk paths all converged at the center of the compound, where a fountain stood.
The fountain featured a stone sculpted version of the crest of the guild, and it glowed with a golden light. Illuminating the small fountain pool.
According to the woman, their group occupied the top floor, but with minor separations due to the other experts staying there.
"From today on you should address me as either House-master Uriel or Lady Uriel," the young lady's voice rang out before the experts.
They each stood still in front of different doors limiting themselves to following the lady's back-and-forth movement with their eyes. Due to the tense mood, she had set, most weren't able to properly appreciate the brightly lit hallway adorned with a brown and gold rug that featured many statues.
'So that's why she received so much respect from the experts we encountered,' Noah thought following her movements with his eyes.
"I know you are new here, but let me inform you of the two rules I have. No loitering. I hate it. If you desire to meet each other do it inside your rooms, or outside of the halls," she explained. "Secondly I dislike more than loitering; people who don't know when to stop staring," she declared shooting a glare at the man she stood in front of. Needless to say, the cultivator quickly averted his gaze.
"You can enter your rooms. As lady Yevette said, there are items already prepared for you inside your them. Make sure to understand their functions.," she said waving her hand dismissively.
Noah immediately turned to the red door in front of him, he noticed a hole that fit the shape of the item in the box and quickly inserted it. A clicking sound escaped the door after the rectangular object rotated anti-clockwise.
Noah applied a soft push on the door, and its 4-inch thick frame silently opened to reveal a finely decorated but also simple room.
Shutting the door behind him, Noah heard two clicking sounds before he was allowed to remove the rectangular object.
With his eyes fixed on the room's features, Noah could only nod his head in approval. The room was painted dark purple featuring a golden rug that ran across its length and breadth. Close to the 5/3ft big window was a big bed laid with white sheets. But the items placed on the sheets mostly filled its surface.
Directly across the bed was another door which Noah felt sure led to the bathroom, and finally on the left-hand side of the entrance was a black reading cabinet table and chair featuring a yellow lamp.
The room featured small black boxes attached to its walls that made that cooled the room, but that temperature barely registered in Noah's mind.
There was a mirror close to the table and chair, but Noah cared less about it. All in all the room looked decent and also spacious at about 600sqft. A mildly surprising detail considering the fact that the space inside it hadn't been tampered with since he would have felt a distortion in space upon entry.
Noah moved towards the bed; silently admiring the golden curtain featuring black stripes. He immediately laid eyes on the items displayed on the bed's surface to begin their study.
"What do we have here?" He muttered laying hold of a black book amongst the other items.
Chapter 259 259. RANKS
The black book being only about 150 pages in volume contained essential information about the guild and its way of doing things. It was more like a handbook to give the experts a tad bit above average explanation about the place, as even descriptions of places, items, and facilities were present.
Noah for one found the dueling description in that book quite interesting. According to the book, to engage in a duel, one would have to call out his name and the name of the person they wished to duel with. If the person they wished to duel with accepted, their crests would both glow a deep red shade forming a sort of a pact.
Later on, the duel's rules could be added, like no weapons, no empowerment, no spells, or the first to tap out and anything they wanted. This way if both individuals damaged themselves fatally there would be no repercussions.
That method wasn't only meant for duels. Guildmates could make agreements with it, especially if there were potential gains, and no one wanted to be cheated.
A few things Lady Yevette told them were also described in the book, like the use of the arena which was for big-time events or duels between really powerful experts. Training areas were mostly used as a location for duels that didn't require intense battles. But to even utilize an arena for a battle, you would need to be a Rank C guild member.
At that point in the book, Noah got able to understand the various levels of importance a person could attain in the guild. There were nine existing ranks; ranks F, E, D, C, B, A, S, SS, and Ex. The ranks were majorly based on how important they were in the guild or powerful, while it allowed them to take missions that were graded into those ranks.
The ranks attainable were grouped according to the tiers of power to not give too much to weaker experts. Tier 1's could only attain rank E as their highest. Tier 2's could go as further as rank C. While tier 3's were allowed to attain up rank B. Tier 4's on the other hand could climb as far as rank SS. Any rank above tier 4 could attain rank EX. But apparently, missions at that level were rare; almost nonexistent even. And experts at such levels were rarer.
To advance through ranks; one would have to complete the minimum amount of missions given to them. One would need to complete 5 rank F missions to be promoted to E. Then 10 rank E missions to D rank. 20 rank D missions to be promoted to rank C. However to go from C to B one would need to be successful in 50 rank C missions for rank B.
From B to A, one would need to have succeeded in 100 Rank B missions. However getting into the realm of S rank, all a person needed to do was be successful in one to be classified as someone at that level. Apparently, missions at that level could be dangerous enough to wipe out whole cities and were also really scarce. So being successful in such would mean the individual was capable.
Rank SS and Ex followed the same approach.
After reading all of that; Noah got to the portion of the topic that featured new members, and it didn't matter what level you were, all new members would start from rank F. It then depended on the individual how fast they would achieve higher ranks, since the higher the rank of the missions the better the pay.
This managed to sadden Noah a bit, but he quickly got over it since he understood the Guild's reason for doing so. He planned to advance as fast as he could, but only because he needed to buy beasts for the Dungeon creation function. Speaking of that, Noah recalled spotting an establishment that sold the bodies of magical beasts. Thankfully the guild utilized the same currency system as its nation. He could only hope that he found things at a cheaper price.
Noah read many other basic information new members had to know. A few of them had already been explained by Lady Yevette, while many others were things like moving around the city using its transportation system, one would need money. And to apply for jobs you'll need to inform the individuals behind the guild hall's bar and stuff similar to that.ραпdα `nᴏνɐ| сom
However, the last information in the book that managed to pique his interest was how they were supposed to leave the island. It was either you possessed or rented a flying beast, or you simply jumped down.
Needless to say, that explanation shocked the hell out of him. However, when he read further he understood why jumping down wouldn't lead to their deaths.
According to the book, the city, although it was floating never actually moved around, simply hovering over one spot, and the area beneath its location was a wasteland. That detail eventually became important the further he read.
Surrounding the city's edges and underside were thousands of inscriptions created by the best inscription master their guild had. Individuals apparently centuries in age. An information Noah wondered why was important.
The inscriptions were meant to defy the laws of gravity, creating a space thousands of feet in length and as wide as the city; where the experts could simply float downwards, towards the surface.
pαndα`noνɐ1--сoМ The book even gave a detailed diagram. And Noah found himself inspecting the image of an illusory cylindrical construct emerging from beneath the island's structure, stretching towards the surface far below them.
This reality raised doubt in Noah's mind, which was the safety of the island from the outside world. But the book solved that doubt. According to it, only those bearing the mark of the Guild could utilize it no one else. And a member could use it to return to the island, but their moving speed would determine how fast they returned.
The only downside was the fact that after every successful mission one would need to travel back to that spot to begin their ascension.
But when he read about how even those traversing the skies with flying beasts could not directly fly through the; according to the book; river of clouds. But had to return beneath the city where a runway was. He could only come to terms with his situation.
Another item on the bed was a map of their region, even though some things could be outdated, but important facilities and buildings never changed position. And even if they did, everyone would be notified.
Noah eventually focused on his bed, and his eyes fell on two sets of high quality attires, a featureless white mask, a golden communication amulet and a black orb. He immediately began to look into those items, but his eyes caught sight of something beneath the orb.
Noah found an envelop black in color, and he didn't hesitate to open it.
Chapter 260 260. FACELESS DEMON
Sitting on the black table illuminated by the yellow lamp beside him, Noah stared quizically at a golden sheet of paper featuring a map that led towards a particular area in the city. Thanks to the map provided by the guild, Noah was able to understand that the position of the place on the paper was a spot outside of his region.
Beneath the diagram was a letter addressing him in a commanding tone, for he was required to answer the call of the individual speaking. And even his guild mark tingled at the sight of the red stamp at the bottom. The stamp being the crest of the guild forced Noah to acknowledge the authenticity of the letter. The black book had spoken about the official stamp of the guild, and what he lay on the paper was it.
'I barely know my way around this region and I'm already required to visit the central one,' Noah thought staring at the golden paper.
According to the words in the body of the letter, he didn't have to worry about the issue of crossing regions. Simply showing the stamp to the guards at the gate would be enough to get him in. What he was to do afterward would be told to him when he arrived there.
There was even a time limit. He had to answer the call within a minimum of six days from that moment.
A sigh could only exit his mouth at some point. He could only blame that sudden event on his growing fame in the guild. Many already knew of his feats. The stares and waves on the streets of that city proved it.
"Six days," Noah muttered. He planned to begin his journey to that place four days from then, there were too many things he needed to take care of first. In truth, Noah felt honestly excited about going there. A place where only the monsters of the guild stayed, no one in that guild wouldn't be excited.
After settling the matter of the letter, Noah inspected the clothes he was given. The first was a long darker-than-black garment like the one he usually saw the experts of his guild wear, but this one featured a golden crest on its back and chest portion.
The second attire was a set of two pieces, almost like the one he wore only higher quality, had golden zig-zagged stripes on its shoulder portion, and featured the guild's crest.
'I'll stick to this,' Noah thought storing the two clothes in his inventory. He preferred waiting till the attire he had on was damaged beyond repair before wearing any of his new ones. And knowing himself, he knew that such an event was too close.
His eyes fell on the communication amulet, but he simply stored it inside his inventory after linking his mind to it. The orb was a special case. He had seen its description inside the black book but using it was a different ball game. Fortunately, he was a quick learner.
The orbs function was more like a projector from Earth, only of higher technological value. According to the book, wielders of the orb would only find its use when on missions or travel. Its function resembled that of a communication amulet, only that it allowed him to see the person he was talking to.
The orb was also capable of scanning an area of 2 kilometers radius to create a holographic map. It would be used to help them whenever they found themselves in unknown environments and needed to find their location.
The orb also acted as a compass linked directly to the island, to give the members of the guild the general direction of the guild from where ever they were in their nation. How such a thing even worked continued to leave Noah baffled, but he could only shrug his shoulders at some point.
He understood the principle of a transmitter and receiver from his Earthly knowledge, but he also understood that unless there existed a satellite circumnavigating Cregar from outer space; generating such a powerful signal able to be recognized by the orb from anywhere in the Cusk nation, as massive as it was, should be impossible.
Then again, they had mana and experts centuries in age available to them. Two resources Earth lacked.
The last item on the bed was of course the featureless mask. Unlike the orb it didn't have a description in the book, so Noah could only guess that its function was simply to hide their faces.
'Probably to keep our identity hidden when going on missions,' Noah thought appreciating the item. It was something he wished he possessed when he first arrived on Cregar.ραпdα `nᴏνɐ| сom
"It looks and feels sturdy," he muttered inspecting the wooden-like item. "It should comfortably withstand explosions," he added placing it on his face.
To his surprise immediately he placed the mask on his face, he felt the mark on his chest buzz and the mask light up with golden lines, before revealing the crest of the Divine Lightning guild after which its white color turned black.
pαndα,noνɐ1,сoМ Noah felt the mask merge with his face unable to fall off. Rather than just an ordinary mask, the mask completely took the texture of his skin allowing him to open his mouth and close it or blink however he wanted.
Glancing at the mirror across the room, Noah felt horrified by how he looked. Faceless.
He had his nose and eyes intact, but no eyebrows, or eyelashes. Even the real shape of his face vanished underneath that oval-shaped mask.
[You have equipped a Special item: Mask: Faceless demon]
[Grade: C]
[Tier: 3]
[Effects: Covers user's face]
[Cool-down: N/A. Duration: N/A. Cost: N/A]
"They give us this much. I guess it's no wonder thirty percent of our income goes to the guild," Noah muttered shaking his head. "Giving this much to hundreds of people would cost a bit."
Noah took a while testing the mask, before eventually deciding that it worked fine. Placing his hand on the mask's surface, Noah applied a little tug, and it instantly disconnected from his face to return to its wooden nature. It also returned to its white color.
Noah stored the mask in his inventory and proceeded to enter the bathroom. With the inspection of the items complete, he figured he would take his first bath in a bit more than two weeks. Even if he had been underwater for almost half that time.
The bathroom featured a water closet, only that its shape was cubical. Unfortunately, he didn't have the use for it. It seemed the more his body evolved the better its digestive traits. He had never felt pressed in his time on Cregar.
Staring at the city from his window, Noah could only marvel at the sight that lay before him. He had to admit that the city's constantly dark environment was still weird, but the hundreds of lights shining from every spot in the city made up for the darkness; creating an environment that ironically never truly went dark.
Exhaling deeply, Noah prepared to move out. He had finally arrived inside the guild, he planned to utilize the opportunities available there to their fullest. Which in essence meant no slacking off.