The Demon Monarch System

Chapter 559: New Generations' Emergence (II)

New Generations' Emergence (II)

Nadida froze on the battlefield as her mind shifted to an entirely different plane of existence. Eventually, the earlier voice of her Spirit guided her to a mystical place clouded in arcane energy of every color. The rainbow colorway produced a calming feeling in Nadida as her earlier worries seemed to flow away from.

Next, a shrine appeared within the mist with crystalline steps leading to an open seating area. Seated in the middle, a remarkably beautiful female sat with her legs crossed, slowly wafting her hand causing the liquids in a small teacup below her hand to swirl.

Experiencing this scene, a respectful expression appeared across Nadida's face and she didn't understand why that was the case. While she knew Spirits possessed a background eclipsing that of humans, she didn't expect that a Spirit's mere presence could influence her mental response.

"Sit," the Spirit said. Her voice was akin to a soothing lullaby as Nadida carelessly took a step forth. There wasn't the slightest bit of fear or apprehension present in Nadida's expression while she took a seat on a chair that appeared out of seemingly nowhere.

"Don't mind this display. It is simply my Ethereal Elements," the Spirit said.

Still wordless, Nadida blinked as she looked around. She felt the energy surrounding her was familiar, appearing oddly similar to Spiritual Essence except it was tens of times better in terms of purity and comfortability.

"Aren't there some things you wish to say? From what I recall, you had many troubles just moments ago. So much so that you were reduced to the pitiful state of relying upon someone else, is that right?" the Spirit asked.

"Y-yes…" Nadida stammered, pausing afterward as she struggled to meet the spirit's enchanting and hazy gaze. It felt like the Spirit was looking through her to her deepest thoughts every time their eyes met. Needless to say, it was an uncomfortable feeling. Even more so because Nadida was virtually unfamiliar with her Spirit.

"As I said before, that is unacceptable for someone I've chosen to be my envoy. After all, I've even gone through the trouble of establishing the Ethereal Elements as your second Spiritual Mind. You may be unfamiliar with the stipulations of my words, but they are much grander than you realize," the Spirit said.

While the Spiritual Mind seemed like a contract between the Spirit and their contractor, that wasn't the full extent of this power. The state of this internal site was the direct link to the power in which a sufficiently strong Spiritual Cultivator could wield. In Solomon's case, his Spiritual Mind resembled an expanse filled with a few constellations. But even then, compared to these ethereal elements before Nadida, the constellations weren't as complete.

Conversely, Soren's Spiritual Mind was a mirage of Gaelbolg. Once the manifestation of Gaebolg resonated with the actual weapon it would trigger a violent response, ending in the absurd increase to Soren's power.

However, the difference between Nadida's Spirit and the Spirits of these other Paragons was that they retained the ability to assist in combat while also molding the Spiritual Mind. Under normal circumstances, the fact that Nadida's Spirit couldn't supply any aid would label her weaker than the other Spirits.

But, that assumption was a gross misunderstanding. There were other special reasons as to why this Spirit could intervene while preparing her Spiritual Mind.

Soon enough, the Spirit continued after realizing that Nadida finally looked her in the eyes again, "There hasn't been many to spark my interest throughout the cosmos, not to mention one who possesses broad affinities with so many elements. It'd be a shame for me to discard you now after all this word, so can you please deal with this unsightly mental state that you're cultivating?"

"That's easier said than done," Nadida responded with a wry smile. "Many of my comrades are dying. It's impossible for me to be that heartless and disregard their lives."

Suddenly, the Spirit's expression changed as she gave Nadida an unusual look. "When did I ever tell you to disregard their lives? Besides, I have never been one to side with the heartless. In fact, a heartless personality irritates me. What I'm saying is you need to steady yourself. Believe in yourself and your ability to prevail."

Listening to the Spirit's words, Nadida clutched her fists against her lap with a deepening frown. Although those words sounded simple, Nadida felt the battlefield's condition wasn't as simple as the Spirit believed it to be.

"To believe I would first need to have the power. I won't fool myself into believing that I can do something that is virtually impossible. My ego isn't that large. Now, if I had the power, that'd be a different story."

"Very well. You'll notice a great difference the moment your consciousness returns to the battle. One that won't come at a huge cost during your first use. It'll be up to you whether you wish to push that power to the point of inflicting backlash damage."

"Wait… after all of this, you still haven't revealed your name. How can be partners if I'm not even aware of the simplest things?" Nadida muttered. At the same time, her expression brightened as her confidence gradually returned.

Before answering, the Spirit released a soft giggle. The surrounding energy fluttered as if succumbing to the appeal of the cheek before steadily returning to its motionless state. "We aren't partners. You just intrigue me. At best, you can think of yourself as my acolyte. With that being said, I'm known as Aethelia, the Overseer of Elements."

"Overseer?" Nadida muttered with a mystified expression. She scratched her head in confusion since she had never once heard of a Spirit with a title nor one that claimed to be an overseer. After all, that meant they would be in control of essentially all things related to these "elements".

Of course, these elements were only in regards to the elements that arcane energy could adopt. The only difference was that unlike the rest of the Spirits that were confined to a single domain depending on the attribute of their arcane energy, Aethelia didn't have this issue. She could transverse through the domains of the Arcana as she pleased.

Although, most of her time was spent inside the true version of this manifested place.

"I've never heard of that before."

"I doubt you have. There are not many Spirits who can say they're on my level. In fact, there are less than ten who can do so," Aethelia said with a proud smile. Unfortunately, Nadida didn't understand the magnitude of Aethelia's claims because her knowledge regarding the Arcana, their power system, and their history were all lacking.

Regardless, according to Aethelia's claims, if there were only less than ten Arcana that could equal her in terms of strength, that meant she was implying her power was on par with the Primordials, since that was the only part of the power system with numbers matching her statement.

However, if that was true, then that would mean a character on par with a Primordial was aware of Astarat's location! What's more, it was unknown if her power could even be used in this place.

Nevertheless, while keeping her proud smile, Aethelia looked over Nadida once more, analyzing her remarkable golden eyes. 'She's definitely enough to test out my curiosities. I'll have to find her once more when all of my preparations are complete.'

Suddenly, as if remembering something important, Aethelia snapped her fingers, attracting Nadida's undivided attention. "When you return, gradually increase the power you use. Don't unleash it all at once because you need to give this Ethereal Elements Abode time to equalize. I've built many rune circles that will regulate the power stream needed to avoid injuring yourself."

"Okay," Nadida nodded.

"You may return then. I'll be monitoring your actions from the other sides of the abode. If you run the risk of severely injuring yourself I will forcibly cut off your link. I'm sure you under the implications of having your power removed on the battlefield."

"I do," Nadida answered in a solemn tone. Afterward, she gradually closed her eyes as she felt her body shake in the seat. It was time for her consciousness to return to her body.

…

Inside the Catastrophe Line…

Nadida's eyes opened, welcoming the gruesome sight of the battlefield. To her surprise, there wasn't much change as the people engaged in battle seemed to have barely moved. Only after a few moments did Nadida realize that her visit to that mystical place only lasted less than five seconds in the real world.

Upon noticing this fact, Nadida's eyes widened. At the same time, she also felt something new in her mind. Not only was it a technique, but it was a new stream of power. Curious, Nadida lifted her hand and thought about summoning some of this power.

The space within two meters immediately trembled as rainbow arcane energy appeared in Nadida's palm. The amount of power emanating from the small sphere made Nadida smile. But, if that wasn't enough, her entire body began releasing an ethereal ripple!