Witnessing how things unfolded, Orion immediately summoned the Crimson Greatsword into his grasp and laid it on the ground. Alongside it, Aerialia's tall figure emerged, hovering mid-air beside him.
Aerialia focused on Queen Selene's figure, now covered in a crimson blood-like cocoon, and understood that her transformation into a Divine Apostle had just commenced.
Aegis of the Arctic Deity glanced at Aerialia as she emerged.
Sensing Aegis of the Arctic Deity's gaze, Aerialia nodded to him and watched as he shifted his attention back towards Queen Selene.
"Will she be okay?" Orion asked quietly.
Crystalia had already left her position and walked forward as though she was ready to jump in case anything went wrong. So she could not hear his words or know he had summoned his Crimson Greatsword.
"She won't die," Aerialia responded.
"Tch!" Orion clicked his tongue in annoyance. He knew that Aerialia was knowingly avoiding his question.
Nonetheless, Orion didn't see any reason to be angry at Aerialia, so he immediately quelled his emotions.
"How strong do you think she will become after this?" Orion asked.
When Crystalia, Flintor, and the Crystal Forge Elite warriors awakened the Divine Blood in them and became Apostles, though, they weren't as strong as Selene; their awakening had been enough to push them towards the apex of their strength, allowing them to reach the pinnacle of their race's capabilities.
Aerialia raised a brow and turned her head to look at Orion. "Isn't it already obvious?" she said.
Witnessing Orion's confused expression, Aerialia explained, "Each race possesses unique strengths and limitations, creating distinctions that contribute to a hierarchy of power and shape their perception of powers. Individuals become stronger by pushing through their distinct hierarchy of power until they surpass the boundaries of their inherent strengths and become revered as gods among their own kind. Of course, the rank of energy they utilise also plays a significant role," Aerialia added.
"This complexity was part of the difficulties that arose during the 'Great War' as one had to understand another race's limits of strength and their unique abilities and also know the rank of energy they utilise to have a chance at victory. This was also part of why I allied with the orc and goblin race after their gods' deaths, to gain an edge in the war."
[ Author's Note: The 'Hierarchy of power' are the advancement ranks and their tiers. First Tier Crystal Initiate Rank, and the others. Each race has them, with a few being faster than the others. However, they each possess varying power levels. This, however, does not apply to beings capable of harnessing and utilising energies similarly to the divine rank and above.]
"Similarly, the Four-eared elves weren't as strong as they are now. Though not weak, they would undoubtedly fail to emerge victorious if pitted against the Prismerions in battle. As such, to stand a chance at survival, the Four-eared elves forged alliances with races sharing similar distinctions, such as the Nightwalker elves, Dawn elves, and Dream elves. However, with the aid of the Devourer's bracelet, granting them access to harness and utilise Vylkr energy, they have obviously grown significantly stronger than before."
"Normally, this hierarchy of power can be transcended by becoming a Divine Apostle. However, as I've mentioned before, the Prismerions, including her, will only reach the pinnacle of their race's hierarchy of power and won't fully break through that limitation unless I find a way to reconstruct my body. For now, I can only provide them with special techniques and guide them on effectively utilising their divine abilities as Divine Apostles."
Upon hearing Aerialia's explanation, Orion nodded in understanding, a sigh escaping his lips. Besides absorbing new information about the Four-eared elves, he had hoped that, given Selene's current strength, the Divine blood would enable her to surpass the limitations of the Prismerions' race capabilities.
However, it seemed that wasn't the case.
At this moment, the pulsating hum emanating from the Crimson blood cocoon was the only sound reverberating in their surroundings.
Meanwhile, a brilliant golden light shone from the neck area of the Crimson blood cocoon, casting a radiant glow. A wave of magical energy soon radiated outward from the Crimson blood cocoon, attempting to exert force on their bodies.
However, none of them were weak, so they felt the pressure wash over them like a breeze before it ascended briefly and then descended.
Ninth Tier Crystal King Rank!
Tenth Tier Crystal King Rank!
Ninth Tier Crystal King Rank!
"AHHH!!" Queen Selene's scream pierced through the Crimson blood cocoon, echoing deeply within their ears.
"Mother," Crystalia muttered, tears streaming down her cheeks as she collapsed to the ground. Fortunately, Orion swiftly appeared beside her, catching her before she could hit the floor.
Orion enveloped Crystalia in his arms, pulling her close. "Don't worry, she's stronger than she looks. She'll be alright," he reassured her in a soothing voice.
Crystalia nodded tearfully in response. "I know... it's just too difficult to watch," she admitted.
Though she wanted to turn her head and avert her gaze, she could not. After all, her mother was the one enduring this ordeal firsthand.
Meanwhile, the magical energy emanating from the Crimson blood cocoon surged higher, showing no signs of stopping this time.
BANG!! BANG!! BANG!!
First Tier Crystal Emperor Rank!
Second Tier Crystal Emperor Rank!
Third Tier Crystal Emperor Rank!
BANG!! BANG!! BANG!!
An expression of hope lit up Crystalia's face as Queen Selene continued to break through to the next tier, one after another.
Even Orion couldn't help but exhale in relief, a smile emerging on his face as he witnessed the remarkable scene.
Tenth Teir Crystal Overlord Rank!
Pinnacle Tier - Early stage godhood!
Pinnacle Tier - Middle stage godhood!
Pinnacle Tier - Late stage godhood!
BANG!! BANG!! BANG!!
After several hours of continuous breakthroughs and advancements, Queen Selene's magical energy began to stabilise, coming to an abrupt halt.
Crystalia and Orion's shoulders slumped in relief as they observed the scene.
"See, I told you she could handle it," Orion said, turning his head to the side and looking at Crystalia, who was wiping tear stains off her cheeks.
Crystalia nodded in response. "Yes, she is really much stronger than she looks," she replied, a relieved smile gracing her lips.
"Due to the pseudo-divine artefact, I had no choice but to forcefully awaken the Divine blood within her. Nonetheless, the assimilation is complete. She has also been freed from the pseudo-divine artefact's restraint and transformed into a Divine Apostle. Apart from her being temporarily paralysed, which she would recover from after a short rest, I think this has been successful," Aegis of the Arctic Deity said, his resounding voice echoing through the air.
