Chapter 15: The Approaching Shadow
Grandia World, Southern Wasteland, Night.
Joshua stood atop a mountain peak and said, "Thirty seconds! Give me thirty seconds!"
One could see a large amount of blood flowing through his blood vessels, transporting the seeds of power condensed within his body to every part of him, preparing for the awakening of Silver High-rank battle qi. Crete, gripping the wood-chopping axe at his side with a hand that no longer trembled as much, a glint of ferocity flashing in his green eyes: "I'll be done soon!"
But the girl named Laruel could no longer wait for his rescue.
Of course, it wasn't because Laruel couldn't hold off the Death Shadows—it was because a crimson meteor streaked across the sky.
Joshua had arrived.
Like a sun sweeping across the earth, all the Death Shadows on the eastern side of the Southern Wasteland were cleared in an instant. The boy and girl looked up at the sky in a daze, spotting a familiar figure hovering in the midair above their village.
The figure who had saved them from the Death Shadows and taught them the method of cultivation.
"My Lord!"
Laruel and Crete hurriedly knelt down, their eyes filled with reverence—although these two had no idea what Joshua's name was, that didn't affect the warrior's status in their hearts. He was akin to a second parent, a mentor, or even something greater.
Seeing that Crete's muscles and blood vessels still hadn't returned to normal, Joshua raised a finger and pointed.
A faint wave of Life Energy radiated from his fingertip, sinking into the boy's body. An instant later, the boy was shocked to realize that the writhing muscles and tendons inside him had completely calmed down, completing this advancement!
"Well done."
After doing all this, Joshua looked at the ruined village and nodded with some approval: "In just ten days, you've rebuilt a house in the ruins, set up basic defensive fortifications, and advanced to Silver-rank... Although this is because you have plenty of Primal Crystals, it's still worthy of being called genius."
The warrior's gaze could see through all secrets, and he naturally understood why Crete had advanced so quickly. It wasn't because his cultivation speed was too fast, but because he had an ample supply of Primal Crystals in hand.
The Sanctuary village beneath him had been breached by a Headless Knight leading a group of undead knights, mentioned by the boy and girl. Only the two of them, hiding at the bottom of a well, had survived. However, these Death Shadows were not bandits; they plundered nothing, leaving Crete and Laruel, whom Joshua had saved and taught the Breathing Art, with plenty of Primal Crystals for cultivation.
Excellent inheritance, decent talent, abundant resources, and daily arduous combat—the combination of these four factors had created a boy who advanced to Silver-rank in ten days.
"Rise."
Joshua told the two to stand; he had no habit of making others kneel while speaking. At the same time, the warrior's gaze pierced through Crete's flesh, gazing and analyzing the seeds of power within his body.
This was a peculiar transformation—the Arcane Power from the Primal Crystals, after the boy absorbed it into his body, was gradually broken down by the Breathing Art Joshua had passed down into primordial Elemental Force and Life Force. Life Force was used to enhance the physique and generate Battle Qi, while the remaining Elemental Force accumulated in Crete's heart area, slowly demonically transforming his organs. Once the boy advanced to Silver High-rank, as long as Crete needed it, he could circulate Life Force and recombine it with the Elemental Force in his heart to restore Arcane Power.
The Breathing Art, which fused the cultivation systems of two worlds' combatants, would be considered merely average in Mycroft Continent. But in Grandia Continent, due to its exceptional speed in absorbing Primal Crystal power, it was worthy of being among the top-tier cultivation methods.
And most importantly, Joshua could see that this seed of fused power within Crete had already gained a slight resemblance to the pure Battle Qi of Mycroft Continent—and this slight resemblance was the most fundamental essence of Steel Force, an essence that would not change even across different worlds!
"Let me try."
Extending his hand, Joshua mobilized his entire energy, simulating this trace of fundamental essence—instantly, a flash of dark silver light appeared in his palm. Though dim, it was incredibly heavy, as if bearing the weight of an entire world.
Crete and Laruel, who had just stood up, involuntarily knelt down again. Their hearts filled with awe, but they also sensed a strangely familiar aura. The boy and girl felt that this powerful man with black hair and red eyes, this mysterious mentor who had passed down the cultivation method to them, seemed to be gradually merging with the heavens and earth, becoming one with this world.
64%, 65%, 66%, 67%, 68%, 68.5%... 69%!
In an instant, Joshua's power liberation degree reached 69%.
Thus, a powerful pressure swept across the entire Southern Wasteland!
Like a giant beast swimming in the ocean, stirring up boundless waves, an indescribably vast wave of power swept over everyone on this land. Whether survivors sensing the familiar aura or scattered Death Shadows, all were pressed to the ground, unable to move. Further away, on the southwestern side of the continent, within some still-intact Sanctuary points, certain powerful beings and Heroic Spirits who had been sleeping suddenly felt their breath catch, their internal energy circulation stutter, and a lingering sense of palpitations that would not dissipate.
Even further away, in the northwest of the continent, at the capital of the Ulan Empire, Gaitar, a Undead High Commander abruptly turned his head, staring at the sky in the southern region.
"Sacred Domain..." he muttered gravely, "Who... who could break through to Sacred Domain at a time like this?!"
And at the very source of the fluctuation.
Suspended in midair, Joshua's red eyes flickered with a metallic silver light—the light of Steel Force, the power that bears, creates, and encompasses all things.
That is, the power he sought to master.
At this moment, although Joshua's power liberation degree had not reached one hundred percent, his current strength had already surpassed his peak state in Mycroft Continent. This was a power that exceeded Ultimate Peak but had not yet reached the Legendary Realm!
But just as the warrior reached 69% liberation rate, he suddenly stopped further advancement.
Thus, the pressure withdrew.
Joshua slowly descended to the ground, ignoring the excited questions from the Divine Mechanism siblings behind him, like "Master, you suddenly became so strong!" and "It feels even stronger than in Mycroft Continent!" He also ignored the worshipful gazes of Crete and Laruel, instead staring seriously at his palm, which had stopped flickering with silver light.
"Steel Force... is being eroded?"
The warrior muttered in confusion and shock: "The power of the world's existence, the First Flame, is withering?! Who... who could accomplish such a thing?!"
Just now, as Joshua's power liberation degree was about to break through the 70% mark, his entire Battle Qi and Life Force were about to sublimate into an energy closer to Steel Force. He was breathing in unison with the heavens and earth of this Grandia World, and thus, the warrior sensed from the void that the essence of this world's existence was being altered, and the Steel Force that served as the foundation of all things was being eroded.
This world had no Steel Serpent like the Carlis World or the Ilgena World. Its existence was too brief, and it had not yet nurtured its own will. Therefore, the essence of this world was extremely easy to manipulate, alter, or even erode and corrode.
To avoid being affected by this erosion from the source, the warrior decisively gave up on the breakthrough.
And far away, in the northwest direction, at the Ulan Empire's capital, Gaitar, unsettling black clouds churned, raining black rain.
Seven dark rings enveloped the city above, maintaining the ever-present mist and howling sand tornadoes around it.
But at that moment, the fourth ring in the center detached from the array of seven rings and began to move southward. This mass of deep, dark vortex, carrying immense dark power, started to advance outward.
As if some shadow was crawling out from the abyss.
Its target was the Southern Wasteland.
And its purpose was to destroy all resistance and hope.