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Chapter 364: The Dark Barrier
🕑 Added 2024-10-19 08:30:44 +0000 UTCSeeing their father's expression change from pain to calm, Tucker and Rilai finally relaxed and began to mimic him in absorbing the fire origin points.
"Ah!"
"Ah!"
However, as soon as they used their mental power to merge with the fire origin, both let out screams as if they were being slaughtered.
Their reactions were almost in sync.
Soon, they calmed down, though their facial muscles twitched in pain, their expressions twisted as they bent over slightly, staring at the ground.
—The first time is always painful.
But after successfully absorbing a grain of fire origin, both of them felt immense benefits. This sudden insight into the mysteries of the elements brought them great joy.
Having tasted the benefits, Tucker and Rilai now looked at the fire origin with a mix of love and fear, but they couldn’t resist continuing. They eagerly dived back in, using their mental power to rapidly absorb one point of light after another.
Their screams continued, echoing across the newborn, yet lifeless, world.
Only Manu and Rhett seemed to have a much better time. After all, they had absorbed several points of light during the previous session and had already gained considerable insight into the mystery of heat, building up some resistance to the fire origin.
Now, as they absorbed more, they only felt slight discomfort. In fact, the more they absorbed, the easier the process became.
Mingge, on the other hand, was cowering behind Manu, looking at the fire origin with fear.
For some reason, from the first moment it saw this cluster of fire, it instinctively felt repelled. As it got closer, this feeling only grew stronger!
If it had the choice, it would have stayed far away.
However, due to Manu’s request, when the fire origin first penetrated the world’s barrier, Mingge was forced to absorb a single grain of fire origin.
But even that one grain nearly killed it!
Not only was it excruciatingly painful, but Mingge was also unable to absorb it, as the fire origin kept attacking its body as if they were fundamentally incompatible!
Though Mingge didn’t fear death, it certainly feared pain!
So, it stood on the sidelines, envious but afraid, caught in a complex web of emotions—wanting the power that Rhett and the others were gaining, but too afraid to try again.
At the same time, Mingge was deeply puzzled. Why couldn’t it absorb the fire origin? What exactly was it? What species was it?
Upon hearing about Mingge’s unusual reaction from Manu, Rhett didn’t force it to stay and waved it off, telling it to find a cool place to rest.
Mingge was overjoyed, quickly disappearing into the gray mist, hiding as far away as possible.
As time passed, the fire origin was nearly completely dispersed, and Rhett and the others had absorbed as much as they could.
On the surface, Rhett, Tucker, and Rilai showed no outward changes, but the transformation in Manu was much more obvious.
He stood in place, his body now glowing with intense colors. His once faint red hue had deepened into a fiery crimson, as if he had donned a new skin of flames.
"Manu, your new look is much flashier than before. Can you feel any changes inside?" Rhett teased, opening his eyes and noticing Manu’s fiery new appearance.
Manu chuckled and shook his head, "Only in degree. I feel my destructive power has increased, but nothing else stands out. In this simulation space, even if my combat strength has improved, there’s no real use for it."
"Oh? Don’t be so sure. In future simulations, if we can’t possess strong bodies, we might need your power to ward off any potential crises!" Rhett said thoughtfully.
"Hmm, good point..." Manu nodded, deep in thought.
"Tucker, Rilai, how are you both feeling?" Rhett walked over to his sons, patting them on the back.
"Haha, thank you, Father. I feel much stronger! When we get back, I’ll definitely spar with Taylors!" Tucker laughed arrogantly, standing with his hands on his hips.
Rilai opened his eyes, a trace of joy flashing in them, but he couldn’t help interrupting Tucker, "Hey, don’t forget that Taylors got here before you. Whatever power you’ve gained, he’s likely mastered it too."
"Huh?" Tucker’s smile froze, and he turned to his father, "But Taylors is a dark-element magician..."
"That doesn’t matter. Look at me—I’ve successfully grasped the mystery of heat, haven’t I?" Rilai shrugged. "If nothing unexpected happens, Taylors and I will both become dual-element magicians, while you’ll remain a single-element knight. So, actually, your chances against Taylors might be even slimmer!"
Rilai’s analysis hit Tucker like a dagger to the heart. He turned to his father, asking pitifully, "Is that true, Father?"
"Ahem, Rilai’s guess is correct. Both Taylors and Rilai will become dual-element magicians. However, there’s one thing to clarify—Taylors hasn’t broken through to Level Three yet, so if you two spar, you’ll still have the advantage," Rhett said, giving Tucker a reassuring pat on the shoulder.
Tucker’s head drooped, "Well, if he hasn’t reached Level Three, then forget it. I don’t want to bully him..."
Rhett smiled, pleased. "Good boy. I’m glad you have this awareness!"
He then turned to Manu and pointed toward the sky, asking, "That great world—has there been any change since last time?"
"None. When I reached the top of this world, I could still see the distant, radiant world surrounded by a crystal wall of light. It looks incredibly sacred, but I still can’t observe much beyond that. I can only see a small circular depression on its far side," Manu replied thoughtfully.
Rilai and Tucker listened closely, nodding subconsciously.
"Can we go over there?" Tucker asked, blinking.
"Of course not. The void between worlds is undoubtedly dangerous. We’re nowhere near strong enough to handle that yet," Rhett shook his head decisively.
"Father, where’s the Level Three female knight you mentioned earlier? Can we see her?" Rilai asked, frowning as he remembered his father mentioning the woman when they first arrived.
Rhett gave Rilai a strange look. "You want to see that knight? Fine, I’ll take you there now."
"Wait," Rilai suddenly blushed, "Is she… also not wearing any clothes?"
"No one in this world is wearing anything. Everyone’s naked," Manu explained helpfully from the side.
Tucker scratched his head awkwardly, "Then I’d better not go. Vanessa will kill me if she finds out!"
"I, I… I think I’ll pass too…" Rilai hesitated, stammering as he tried to refuse.
"To achieve great things, you mustn’t be concerned with minor details. Just don’t focus on the wrong areas," Rhett said calmly, waving his hand. "Honestly, if it weren’t necessary, I wouldn’t be studying this woman either. But I believe she may hold the key to unraveling the mystery of creation, so we have no choice but to focus on her."
Rilai and Tucker fell into thoughtful silence.
"She’s the only one in this world with a unique constitution. The rest are ordinary people. I already checked when I first arrived," Manu added. "So, focusing our research on her is the right decision."
Rhett nodded at Manu, then glanced at his two sons before turning and calling out over his shoulder, "Follow me. Don’t you want to uncover our roots?"
Rilai and Tucker, their faces filled with determination, looked at their father’s back and followed without hesitation!
The group followed Rhett until they reached an open space.
In the center of the clearing lay a stunningly beautiful woman. She had long, azure-blue hair and pale golden eyelashes that shaded her closed eyes. Her fair skin looked smooth and delicate, and her chest rose and fell with steady breaths…
Rilai and Tucker both focused on her face, sighing in unison:
"She really is beautiful…"
"And her life force is strong, too. But why hasn’t she awakened?" Rilai frowned in thought.
Rhett and Manu approached the woman and examined her but found nothing. It was as if some mysterious force was lying dormant within her, keeping her sealed in a deep sleep.
Manu stood up, deep in thought, and said:
"Rhett, I have an idea that might help us uncover her secret."
Rhett’s expression shifted. "What is it? Tell me!"
Manu hesitated for a moment, then smiled mysteriously and pointed at the transparent bat. "While the world was still forming earlier, I learned a bit about Mingge’s past. Since it was able to parasitize deep within people’s souls, if it still has that ability now, we could use it to check this woman’s mental sea and see if something is amiss."
"Good idea!" Rhett’s eyes lit up, and he waved to Mingge, "You, come here!"
Mingge, who had been hiding in the mist, knew that any danger it faced in this world would vanish when the simulation ended. It swiftly flew over to Rhett, brimming with enthusiasm. "Great Lord, what are your orders?"
"Can you still enter someone’s mental sea?" Rhett asked, his tone meaningful.
Mingge flapped its wings. "That shouldn’t be a problem. Dealing with souls and mental energy feels more like my natural ability, not something granted by the Blood Demon. The Blood Demon only gave me powerful devouring abilities and resistance to the world’s origin forces."
Rhett’s face brightened, and he pointed at the woman below, "Good. Enter this woman’s mental sea and see why she’s still in a deep sleep!"
"At once!"
Mingge responded loudly, his expression filled with determination. He knew this was his moment to shine.
To earn the Great Lord’s favor and recognition, he had to prove his worth!
Without hesitation, Mingge flapped his wings and swooped onto the woman’s cheek. In the next moment, like air, he merged into her body.
This miraculous scene left Rhett and the others watching in awe.
"Heh, what a strange little bat. I really wonder what species it is…" Manu mused with curiosity.
Even Rhett narrowed his eyes and chuckled. "It seems this little guy will be very useful in the future…"
"I’ll head back up to keep observing. Let me know when you find something," Manu said, looking down at the beautiful woman’s face.
"Alright, thank you!" Rhett nodded and sat down, waiting quietly for the results.
Mingge activated his innate abilities, diving into the woman’s body and making his way toward her mental sea with practiced ease.
At first, everything went smoothly—after all, he was no novice at this, having possessed many humans before.
But halfway through, he encountered something unexpected—a dark, deep barrier that blocked his path like a wall!
"What… what is this?"
Mingge flapped his wings frantically, panic gripping him as he sensed the terrifying aura emanating from the dark barrier. He gulped, feeling instinctive fear.
At the same time, he recalled the conversation between the Great Lord and Manu earlier. They had mentioned that this was the beginning of creation and that the humans here were the ancestors of those from the Elemental World.
Yet, for some unknown reason, these ancestors were either asleep or in a dazed state.
It was no stretch to assume that this dark barrier was somehow related to the woman’s inability to awaken.
"Should I go back and report this or try to break through?"
After a brief moment of hesitation, Mingge made a decisive choice.
—He wasn’t afraid of death, so what was there to worry about?
While returning to report would earn him praise, breaking through the barrier and uncovering the truth would be far more valuable!
Whether or not he gained favor with the Great Lord depended on his actions now!
With that thought, Mingge steeled himself, a fierce determination flashing in his eyes as he charged directly at the dark barrier!
Thud!
An invisible tremor spread from the point where Mingge collided with the barrier.
The dark wall remained completely intact, while Mingge was sent flying backward, his entire body numb from the force of the impact.
Hovering in place, Mingge waited for the pain to subside, then looked at the dark barrier with a grave expression.
His attack hadn’t caused any damage, but it had left him in considerable pain. If he continued like this, he’d likely be dead before the barrier even showed a crack.
"What a strange barrier… Since it’s blocking the mental sea, it must be connected to the soul and mind. It’s not a physical object…"
Mingge pondered for a moment, a new idea forming in his mind.
"What if I try using the Wail of the Soul?"
Without further hesitation, Mingge decided to put the plan into action.
His thin chest puffed up like a balloon, gathering all the strength in his body, and he began to accumulate power within himself.
Once he reached his limit, Mingge opened his mouth wide, releasing a wave of eerie ripples through the mysterious space.
An invisible shockwave crashed against the dark barrier.
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