Two months have passed since he came to the Mistwood Kingdom...
Currently, Ashton sat cross-legged on the floor of his room, his eyes closed as he focused on his breathing. He had spent the past several hours meditating, trying to clear his mind and prepare himself for the Breakthrough that was to come. As a demon hunter, Ashton knew that the process could be dangerous, but he was determined to see it through.
His room was filled with various formations designed to prevent his aura from leaking out. This was essential, as the energies involved in a Breakthrough could be highly destabilizing, and could cause significant harm to anyone in the vicinity.
Ashton's mind wandered as he meditated, thinking about the preparations he had made for this. He even filed for a leave from the Demon Slaying Squad since he had no idea how this will take him.
He hadn't been with the squad for long but his reputation and his skills earned him some level of respect and authority, and he knew that his absence would be felt. But he also knew that he can't really postpone this breakthrough since that would just make it even more difficult in the future,
He opened his eyes and looked around the room, taking in the various talismans and charms that he had placed on the walls and floor. Each one was carefully designed to channel his energy and protect him from harm. He felt a sense of calm wash over him as he surveyed his handiwork.
Ashton was currently at the precipice of the Grandmaster Rank. The mana he accumulated so far as well as his insights are threatening to tip that scale to make him an Archfey.
The Fey power-scaling chart differs from humanity. They start from...
The Novice Rank: This is the starting point for most feys. Novice feys have a basic understanding of their magical abilities but lack significant power. They can perform simple spells and are still learning how to control their magic.
Followed by the Adept Rank: Adept feys have a greater understanding of their abilities and have developed more control over their magic. They can perform more complex spells and can channel their magic for longer periods of time. Adept feys are also able to use their abilities to influence their environment, such as creating illusions or manipulating the elements.
Then Master Rank: Master feys have honed their abilities to a high level of proficiency. They can perform powerful spells and can manipulate the environment around them to a greater extent. They have developed an intuitive understanding of their magic and can use it in creative and unexpected ways. Master feys are also able to summon and control powerful spirits or other magical creatures.
And ends at the...
Grandmaster Rank: Grandmaster feys are the most powerful mortal feys, and have achieved a level of mastery that is beyond most others. They have near-perfect control over their magic, and can channel it to achieve incredible feats. Grandmaster feys can manipulate the weather itself, bending the worldly elements to their will. They can create spells or alter pre-existing spells with their mere thought and magic.
In truth, however, it doesn't end there. Like the High-Evolutionary Ranks of Humanity, the Fey Race has the 'Transcendence Realm' consisting of three stages that represents what they become after breaking their mortal shackles...
Archfey: Archfeys are beings that have transcended mortality, and are no longer bound by the limitations of the mortal realm. They can manipulate energy in its rawest state, and can create and destroy entire things with a mere thought. They can transcend the shackles of mortality, and can exist in space without suffocating. Archfeys are revered and feared by other feys, and are considered to be Sages among their kind.
Elder Fey: Elder feys are even more powerful than Archfeys, and are said to be the guardians of the natural world. They can control the fundamental forces of nature, such as gravity, electromagnetism, and the strong and weak nuclear forces. Elder feys can create and destroy stars and can reshape entire galaxies with their magic.
Primordial Fey: Primordial feys are said to be the first feys to have emerged in the universe. They are beings of immense power and can manipulate the very fabric of reality itself. They are said to have created entire universes and can control the Universal Laws. Primordial feys are believed to be the most powerful beings in existence and are revered by other feys as gods.
The Transcendence Realm only have three ranks but they're more than enough to represent the true potential of the Fey Race.
Ashton stood at the center of a circle, surrounded by intricate sigils and runes etched into the ground. He closed his eyes and began to meditate, focusing his mind and centering his spirit.
He began to channel his magic, drawing upon the ancient powers of the fey. The energy flowed through him, suffusing his body and mind with an otherworldly power.
Ashton began to recite the incantation for the Ruling Spirit Art, the cultivation technique he had been practicing for years. The words flowed from his lips like a river of magic, resonating with the energies around him and intensifying his connection to the spirit realm.
The sigils and runes etched into the ground began to glow with a bright, pulsing light, as the magic intensified. Ashton could feel the power building within him, a wild, untamed energy that threatened to consume him if he wasn't careful.
He focused his will and began to channel the energy into a single point, drawing upon his knowledge of the Ruling Spirit Art to shape the magic into a specific form.
Suddenly, the air around Ashton began to shimmer, as if reality itself was warping and distorting. He opened his eyes and gazed out at the world around him, seeing it in a way he had never seen before.
The colors were more vibrant, the sounds more crisp, and he could feel the pulse of the universe itself beating within his chest. He realized that he had broken through to a new level of power, one that few mortals had ever achieved.
Ashton felt his body transforming, his very essence shifting as he ascended to the rank of Archfey. He felt himself growing larger and taller, his features becoming more angular and ethereal. His hair turned a bright silver, and his eyes began to glow with a fierce inner light.
Before coming here, Ashton was a Lv.8 World Sage, and with plenty of tricks in his arsenal, he could transcend his current rank.
Here, being an Archfey made him feel like he returned to his prime. If anything, he's even stronger. At this point, it's like he's a Lv.9 World Sage.
It doesn't sound impressive but at this rank, the difference of a single level can make a world of a difference.
The process of his breakthrough felt fast but in reality, it actually took 3 days from start to finish. Thankfully, he filed for a week's worth of leave so he still has some time to spare.
Bending the space around him, Ashton teleported outside of his room and into the nearby patch of forest.
Ashton stood there, staying still. He's surrounded by towering trees and a gentle breeze that carries the sweet scent of blooming flowers. But despite the peaceful setting, Ashton can't help but feel a sense of awe and wonder at the world around him.
As he looks out at the trees, he realizes that he can see them in a way that he never could before. Every detail of the bark, the leaves, and the roots is clear and vibrant, and he can sense the subtle energy that flows through them.
Ashton takes a step forward, and suddenly the ground beneath him seems to ripple and shift, revealing a network of intricate patterns and lines that he had never noticed before. He realizes that he is seeing the very fabric of the world itself, the energy that connects all things and gives them form.
For a moment, Ashton simply stands there, absorbing the incredible sight before him. He feels a sense of power and potential coursing through him, a newfound strength that he had never known before. And as he looks out at the world with his new perspective, he knows that he will never see things the same way again.
"..."
Ashton was woken up from his stupor by a sudden sound. He looked around his vicinity only to find nothing.
He frowned and felt strange. Then, he heard the sound again. He tried locating where the sound was coming from but he realized that it was coming from a very far place.
The sound he heard was something he can't easily explain. If he were to describe it, he would say that it sounds archaic and...pained for some reason.
Like it's a cry for help...
He focused his senses and tried to see if he could pinpoint where exactly the sound was coming from. He did this for a while and was getting somewhere when all of a sudden, he saw something unbelievable.
"This...this is!"
