And so, dinner went on without too much trouble. Blair and Aella skillfully lied their way through and played down the situation to a point where the kids wouldn’t be freaking out. Things like Aella jumping headfirst into an entire company of cultists were naturally left out for the time being.
As it was already late, the kids were put to bed, and Aella’s story had to wait for the morning. Since everything for the day after was already prepared, she had nothing else to do besides examining her System’s new features anyway, so it worked out for her.
Unfortunately, with the kids asleep, she was left alone with her own thoughts. Alone pondering how she could increase her strength in a timely manner. Aella was powerful. Nobody would begin to deny that. As an [Ursa Major] stage, she completely skipped the 3rd constellation and easily defeated several people with power equivalent to the early stages of the 4th.
Not to mention that with her current skill set, there wasn’t much she couldn’t do. From a utility perspective, her wind and sound gave her perfect mobility and stealth; she could transform to hide her identity, and even her [Foxfire] could increase the survivability of the people she was protecting now that it reached level 3.
With all that being said, though, her excursion to Japan made her realize something… Aside from how stupid and arrogant she was, she already knew that.
While the peak of power this world reached wasn’t even remotely close to many worlds she had been to, but their average power was absurdly high. She didn’t get a good look at those cultists who had reached the [Leo] stage equivalent in power, but they weren’t older than 30.
Those considered Genius took half a century on average to break into the [Leo] stage. Sure, anomalies like her appeared occasionally, but she doubted those four were special.
Not to mention those two S-rankers who came for her, they seemed even younger, no older than 25 for both of them.
‘I’m gonna need at least 500,000 Mana before I can use Sylphie’s 3rd verse System.’ Aella mused, looking at her system panel and the 56 Skill points she had amassed.
Pressing on her [Whirlwind Maestra] skill, Aella hummed lowly, deep in thought.
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What did it mean to upgrade a Peak-grade Aetherstream? Further, what did the grade even mean? [Wrath] was of the S grade as well, and while it was a powerful skill, it was nowhere near the strength of Aella’s Aetherstream, so why were they of the same grade?
There was only one way for her to find out.
‘System. I’ve unlocked the trials, right? Take me to the next one.>|
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A familiar sense of unease hit Aella as her body was grabbed from her previous location and moved to a new one.
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As she blinked her eyes open this time, she found herself amid a breathtakingly beautiful snowy forest. The air was crisp and cold, her breath forming small clouds of vaper as she exhaled. Snowflakes gently cascaded from the sky, each a delicate crystal glimmering in the soft light.
The forest was a serene world of white and frost. Tall pine trees stood like sentinels, their needles blanketed in thick snow, creating a tranquil, almost reverent atmosphere. The snow on the ground was untouched, a pristine carpet that stretched as far as the eye could see, undisturbed except for the occasional animal tracks that meandered through the trees.
The sunlight diffused through the gray, overcast sky, casting a gentle, ethereal glow over the landscape. It filtered through the branches, creating patterns of light and shadow that danced on the snowy canvas below. The contrast of the dark tree trunks against the pure white snow added a sense of depth and tranquility to the scene.
In the distance, a frozen creek wound its way through the forest. The ice was a smooth, glassy surface that reflected the surrounding wilderness and the muted colors of the sky. The gentle sound of a distant waterfall, muffled by the expanse of snow, provided a soothing backdrop for Aella, its melody a whisper in the forest’s silence.
Twirling her finger around while commanding the nearby wind for information, Aella let out a resonating sigh. The air was fresh and invigorating, with a scent of pine and the crispness of winter. It felt like Mana was constantly pouring into her.
Despite the cold scene, there was a warmth that permeated the area. She didn’t have to reinforce herself with Mana to fend off the frozen winter. As she began to walk, her footsteps left a trail in the soft snow, the only sign of her presence in this untouched winter paradise.
“An Ancient? That’s the second I’ve seen that word for you. What is an Ancient exactly?”
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Aella glared at the System when she saw it mention Gods. Her killing intent began to flare outward before she could adequately reign it in.
“So they’re [False Divinities]? You want me to make those freaks my allies?”
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“You’re doing this to fuck with me. I know you are. And it’s working. What do you want?”
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“Tch, whatever.”
Aella’s hatred for the Divine was a deeply rooted and hypocritical one. There were indeed some Gods and Goddesses whom she was at least relatively fond of, but people change when they reach divinity. She was no different when she initially achieved her 9th tail.
False Divinities were those like her who denied their Godhood like her, hence considering them freaks.
Swiping away the pop-up so she could properly look at her status page, Aella finally used the SP she had saved up for this moment.
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“Yes.”
|<[Whirlwind Maestra] has reached level 2!>|
In an instant, Aella’s aura flared outward, artificially reaching the furthest ends of the trial grounds. Howls and dangerous-sounding growls echoed throughout the world in response to her call of the wilds.
The changes Aella felt in her body were subtle at first. It felt like she became closer to nature. As a spirit, the amount she could grow in this regard was already minimal as she neared the apex of it. Her connection to the wind, which she had thought was perfect, somehow strengthened as the wind guided her path without her even asking. However, as her skills that had already neared the apex finished being strengthened, that’s when it really hit.
Her muscles felt extremely tight for a few moments before easing up, revealing a strength she hadn’t had before, yet her Strength stat did not rise. She could move her body without thinking about the intent, yet her Dexterity stat did not rise. Her Mana felt abnormally pure, which should only be achievable by enhancing her cultivation, yet neither that nor her Spirit stat rose. Her mind became far clearer, devoid of many of the useless thoughts that take up most of her time thinking about.
However, it’s only about 10% clearer. Granted, she barely used 10% for actual essential tasks, so her mental facilities effectively just doubled.
“This... Did I get enlightened? Was that even possible?” Aella questioned, exasperated.
[The Truth of the Soul] or Enlightenment was a phenomenon that should only be achievable once per soul. Aella had achieved it through painstaking effort in her last life, but now she got it a second time. For doing absolutely nothing at that!