Chapter 19: Two Aethercores
A gentle breeze fluttered the canopies, adding some vitality to the dark forest night. Ain stared at the spherical object that suddenly appeared in his hand in confusion. It seemed familiar…
“Is this… my aethercore?” He asked in puzzlement. He’d caught a glimpse of its bloodied form when Carl extracted it a few days ago, using it to activate the trial. That’s why he found it familiar. He sensed a vague connection between them as well.
“How did it appear here? Was it the trial?” This aethercore was placed inside the bowl-shaped stone pedestal near the ancient stone monument. His limited knowledge regarding its sudden appearance pointed at the trial.
Ain’s initial surprise and astonishment were soon followed by curiosity. He used Scan to see if he could glean more information.
[Name: Aethercore]
[Aspect: Time]
[Rank: Rank-0]
[Aspect Traces: Time 80.3%, Space 5.1%, Fire 1.3%, …]
[Description: An aethercore extracted from a Rank-0 Spirit Master. It resonates with its source and can be absorbed by it.]
“A Rank-0 time-aspect aethercore… It really is my aethercore.” The information provided by Scan confirmed his suspicions. “The description says I can absorb this aethercore. But what will happen if I do that? I’ve already condensed a new aethercore…” Ain was unsure. He didn’t know if this was a common occurrence or something unique.
The golden aethercore was smooth, resembling a large shiny marble sitting snugly in his palm. Waves of aether radiated from it, resonating with him.
After pondering for a few seconds, he decided to inject some aether. The resonance seemed natural and fluent, so the result shouldn’t be disadvantageous. With a simple thought, a wisp of aether flowed from his palm into the aethercore.
As soon as this occurred, the aethercore was suffused by an intense glow before instantaneously melding into his palm. Like a warm vigorous stream, it flowed through his arm energetically, past his shoulders, and right into his chest.
The ethereal realm where his aethercore resided was breached by this warm stream. However, upon entering this metaphysical realm, this warm stream lost its momentum. It was suddenly overcome by the ethereal realm’s laws, gradually condensing into its spherical form again.
The ethereal realm shook slightly with the appearance of this second aethercore. A turbulent flow of aether swept Ain’s body like tides against rocky shores.
The Rank-0 aethercore, attracted by Ain’s Rank-1 aethercore, slowly migrated towards the latter. Once it reached the Rank-1 aethercore, it paused just outside the space occupied by the Rank-1 aethercore’s aether ring. After this brief pause, its path was suddenly altered, now moving along the Rank-1 aethercore’s outer perimeter, commencing a perpetual orbital movement.
At this point, the slight tremors encompassing the ethereal realm ceased, and Ain’s flow of aether regained its tranquility.
“What…” Ain began exclaiming in astonishment; however, the rest of the words never left his mouth. The events had occurred instantaneously, disallowing any time to react. His thoughts were swift but his body lagged behind. Just as he uttered his first word, everything was already over.
A warm and invigorating sensation surged within him, reminiscent of his previous upgrade to Rank-1. Ain clearly perceived the strengthening of his physique, alongside his increasing aether reserves. A strange perception of his aether quality rising manifested. He subconsciously circulated his aether along the pathways described in the Chronarch Precept.
Soon, Ain became aware of a strange phenomenon.
Previously, his aether circulation originated at his Rank-1 aethercore, flooded across his body, and ultimately returned to the same aethercore, forming a complete cycle. This circulation pattern still remained unchanged. However, now, two alternative patterns were also available.
In the first alternative, the circulation originated and terminated at the new Rank-0 aethercore, completely disregarding the old Rank-1 aethercore. This circulation pattern solely strengthened the Rank-0 aethercore, and the aether recovery rate was poor compared to the Rank-1 aethercore.
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In the second alternative, the circulation pattern utilized both aethercores simultaneously. The aether jointly originated from the two aethercores and flowed throughout his body, gathering the ambient aether just as before. Once the cycle reached completion, Ain could dictate one of the aethercores as the termination point, strengthening it greatly.
The strengthening effect was better than using a single aethercore. Even the aether recovery rate was notably enhanced.
Ain stared at his clenched fists with bright eyes, his excitement palpable. “The Chronarch Precept mentioned that strengthening one’s aethercore is essential to reaching Rank-2. With two aethercores, my progress will be accelerated, and I’ll reach higher ranks faster. Maybe I’ll be able to use Heavenly Secrets to discover my past much sooner.”
“Moreover, this second aethercore behaves no differently from the first. Using it to contract spirit pets should be possible, right?”
Previously, Ain couldn’t use Heavenly Secrets to uncover his past due to insufficient rank and Heavenly Whispers. He was naturally elated at his new prospects with the increased training speed.
“Wooo…?” Nox blinked inquisitively. Due to their profound connection, the vast changes within him startled it. He briefly explained, gaining Nox’s enthusiasm. It zipped around energetically, delighted at his happiness.
There was much to ponder but the circumstances didn’t allow it. Ain breathed deeply to restrain his thoughts.
Still under the tree, he retrieved the Puppet Command Token hanging out of his backpack. He’d left it there earlier for the ease of access. Another faithful companion would be of great assistance in this dark forest.
Instructions on the Puppet Command Token’s usage were ingrained in his mind. With the injection of aether, a faint flash spawned a Rank-0 puppet right beside him. Ain observed the puppet under the dim moonlight with some curiosity, “It looks more like those Rank-1 puppets.”
Sharing the same rank, this puppet was unlike the dainty and crude Rank-0 puppets from before. Its dark wooden frame stood slightly taller than him and was smoothly sculpted, consisting of sleek joints and proportionate limbs that enhanced its overall humanoid appearance.
It highly resembled the sneaky Rank-1 puppets from before.
“Scout the surroundings and protect me.” Ain issued a command. From his experience commanding the puppet army, this simple command would suffice. Being too specific could be a hindrance, especially when unforeseen variables could suddenly appear.
“This forest seems familiar. I should still be near Everlite City.” Ain’s memory of his time in Everlite City was now absolute. The types of trees and undergrowth around him were similar to what he’d encountered during his explorations along the forest boundary before.
This should be the forest near Everlite City; however, he couldn’t discern the directions with this information alone.
Before he could ponder further, Wisdom Root suddenly issued a quest.
[Quest: A Way Back Home]
[Description: Lost in a dark forest, which path leads back home? Navigate the forest and return to Everlite City. Maybe the moon can be your guide.]
[Reward: Heavenly Whispers x1]
“The moon… that’s right.” Ain scrutinized the quest before realization struck him. He recalled various instances of seeing the moon over the years before piecing this information together.
He gazed at the bright moon through the swaying branches, “The moon always crosses over the city gates before setting behind the city. If I follow its trajectory, I’ll reach Everlite City.”
“Wooo….” Nox followed his gaze, clueless about his mutterings.
“The quest finally served its purpose this time.” Ain thought, recalling this ability’s description. Quest was meant to ‘guide his spirit.’ The first two quests hadn’t offered guidance, only reassurance for something he’d already planned to do.
Glancing at the puppet, then at Nox, he said, “Let’s go. Keep an eye out on the surroundings.”
“Wooo…” Nox expressed its agreement.
A few minutes after leaving the trial, their journey through the dim forest finally commenced.
The dense forest’s vitality was apparent through the chirping insects and swaying canopies, even at night. Ain’s footsteps were light, but some noise was unavoidable. It was difficult to circumvent the fallen branches and dead leaves amidst the uneven terrain and dim lighting.
Their journey continued uneventfully for an hour before a disruption finally occurred. The dense shrubbery a few meters away began rustling intensely, indicating the presence of another lifeform. The group paused, looking over vigilantly. They’d already encountered some spirit beasts, but maintaining a respectful distance allowed them to avoid confrontations.
From the bushes, a large brown boar emerged, felling countless leaves and branches in its wake.
“Growl!” A low growl escaped the bulky boar’s mouth as it stared at Ain. In the dark forest, its eyes shone with a threatening red luster. Two black tusks sprouted on its face, appearing incomparably sharp. Behind it, a sturdy tail swayed heavily, its end resembling an iron mace.
As it fully emerged, the boar lowered its head and began swiping its front leg intimidatingly, preparing to charge.
“Wooo…!” Nox sensed its opponent’s power, conveying it to Ain.
“Only slightly weaker than Carl’s gray ferret… it should be at Rank-1 then.” Ain concluded, not rescinding his vigilance. Judging from the boar’s posture, this encounter didn’t seem to have a peaceful resolution.
After the brief stare down, the boar suddenly moved. Just as it initiated its charge, Ain swiftly performed Temporal Blitz, opting to strike first from a distance.
Boom!
As soon as he punched out, a faint white shockwave swept away the air nearby. However, the boar’s charge remained unaffected, and it didn’t suffer any damage.
“What?” Ain widened his eyes incredulously, staring at his outstretched fist.
The shockwave that was supposed to appear at the boar’s position had appeared at his fist instead, similar to when he used the incomplete Temporal Blitz before.
Temporal Blitz had unexpectedly failed!