Chapter 75: Homage
Immediately after her freedom came another connection between them.
It was not cold or coercive, nor did it resemble a shackle. It felt warm and gentle, like a thread Meira had tied with her own hands to the person she loved.
[Establishing Primal Contract.]
BOOM!
Energy erupted. A multicolored pillar of light shot through the hospital ceiling. It damaged no physical matter, yet passed through dozens of floors before surging straight into the sky.
Immediately afterward, the entire city trembled.
It was not an earthquake.
It was the elements.
The wind stopped for a moment before every current turned in the same direction. The water in lakes, rivers, pipes, and even the dewdrops upon leaves began glowing pale blue. A deep rumble rose from the earth beneath the city, the Fire elements within every magical furnace flared higher, and the electrical charge in the air increased so sharply that white lightning continuously streaked between the clouds.
The Wood element reacted more violently than any other.
Every tree within a radius of dozens of kilometers burst into bloom. Some had not yet reached their flowering season, and some patches of grass had only been cut that morning. Even branches that had been dead for years sprouted fresh green buds.
Inside the room, Meira became the center of it all.
Elemental energy flooded in from every direction like an ocean being drawn into an abyss. Wind swirled around her body, orange-red flames coiled into rings, and streams of water floated through the air like ribbons of silk. Blue-white lightning danced across her golden hair, while Light, Darkness, Earth, and Wood elements revolved around her.
They did not compete.
They did not clash.
They seemed to be celebrating.
Meira still refused to release Erik. The two continued kissing amid the elemental storm, their lips slowly savoring one another as their heated breaths mingled with the thunder reverberating outside.
The Succubus Mark on Meira’s lower abdomen suddenly lit up. At first, its pink glow was no more than a thin outline, but then a ring of multicolored light spread outward. A pink Succubus heart rested at the center, surrounded by countless intersecting elemental lines that formed a pattern more intricate than anything Erik had ever seen.
But neither of them paid any attention.
Meira only knew that she was so happy she could barely bear it. Her tears continued to fall, yet the moment each drop left the corner of her eye, the Water element lifted it into the air and transformed it into a pale blue mote of light revolving around them.
She laughed into the kiss, the sound soft and choked, like a child who had finally received the gift she had waited her entire life for.
I’m free.
I truly belong to the person I chose.
The Contract was complete, but the phenomenon did not end.
[Primal Contract successfully established.]
[Target: Meira.]
[Legendary aptitude detected.]
[Extremely high Elemental Affinity detected.]
[Ancient Elven Origin detected.]
[Special conditions fulfilled.]
[Activate Primal Bestowal?]
Erik did not hesitate.
Activate it.
[Ordinary talents are insufficiently compatible with the target’s foundation.]
[Primal Bestowal has triggered a special evolution.]
[Reward rank exceeds normal limits.]
[Confirm?]
Erik looked at Meira. She was holding him with her eyes closed, placing her complete trust in him.
Confirm.
BOOM—!
If the previous pillar of light had merely drawn the entire city’s attention, this time, the whole sky seemed to be torn apart.
A sea of five-colored clouds appeared overhead—red, blue, green, gold, and purple. At first, they gathered only above the hospital, but in less than ten seconds, they spread across hundreds of kilometers, then continued expanding past a thousand.
Viewed from below, the entire sky seemed to have transformed into an ocean of light.
Within the sea of clouds, a Thunder Dragon hundreds of meters long took shape from arcs of electricity and raised its head in a soundless roar. To the east, Fire elements converged into a colossal bird with blazing red wings. To the west stood a blue wave so tall that it nearly touched the clouds, yet never crashed down. In the north, the shadow of an enormous ancient tree appeared in the sky, while to the south, illusory mountain ranges formed from the Earth element stood as solemn and steadfast as if they had existed since time immemorial.
All five phenomena turned toward the same place.
The hospital.
No—more precisely, Meira.
Then they all bowed.
As though every element in existence were paying homage.
The entire city was stunned. Pedestrians stood frozen, vehicles stopped in the streets, and high-ranking Awakened rushed out of their homes. Succubi with strong elemental perception almost simultaneously fell to their knees beneath the spiritual pressure radiating from the spectacle in the sky.
Inside Nivoria’s hospital room, Elowen suddenly raised her head while changing the woman’s bandages. Her pointed ears trembled.
"Mother?"
Sarna, standing beside the window, immediately paled. Carmilla opened her eyes in the neighboring room as well. She had once reached Diamond and had witnessed many powerful figures, yet even her red eyes widened when she sensed the elemental pressure blanketing the entire city.
"This..." Runi swallowed beside her. "What’s happening to Lady Meira?"
Carmilla did not answer.
She did not know either.
Inside the Sacred Sun Men’s Council building, Zeka sat upon his magical chair. One Succubus remained kneeling at his feet, while two others supported his long fingernails.
Suddenly, the pen-shaped device on the table began to shake violently.
Click!
A flash of purple light appeared on its own.
Zeka immediately looked down. "What?"
He picked up the device. No command had been activated, yet the ancient artifact continued to tremble, as though something in the far distance had just touched the same layer of laws upon which it operated.
One of the Succubi in the room instinctively looked out the window, then froze completely.
"My... my lord..."
Zeka raised his head. The sea of five-colored clouds stretched to the horizon, while the colossal elemental figures bowed their heads.
For the first time, the expression of the man who proclaimed himself a god vanished completely.
At the center of the phenomenon, another notification appeared before Erik.
[Primal Bestowal complete.]
[Target Meira has awakened a new talent.]
[ELEMENTAL AMPLIFICATION]
[Rank: GOD]
Erik narrowed his eyes slightly.
God.
Above Mythic, but below SS. A rank he had never encountered in any publicly available records during his five years in this world.
[Effect 1: Power of all elements controlled by the wielder ×100.]
[Effect 2: Ability to perceive, absorb, convert, and control elements ×100.]
[Effect 3: Low-level natural elements will automatically obey the wielder’s will.]
[Effect 4: Elemental incompatibility reduced to an extremely low level.]
After reading everything, only one thought remained in Erik’s mind.
This is excessive.
Meira had already been the Elemental Lord. Now, everything related to the elements had been amplified a hundredfold.
But the system was not finished. The energy pouring into Meira’s body rapidly repaired the foundation that had just been damaged by her old Contract. Her level rose without pause, climbing from Silver Stage 3 to Silver Stage 5, Silver Stage 8, and Silver Stage 10 before breaking through to Gold.
Gold Stage 1.
Gold Stage 4.
Gold Stage 7.
Gold Stage 10.
Then came Platinum.
Platinum Stage 1.
Platinum Stage 2.
Platinum Stage 4.
At last, her aura stopped at Platinum Stage 5.
Meira trembled in Erik’s arms. Not from pain, but because an immense power was rapidly merging with every cell in her body. A portion of that energy even flowed through the Contract into Erik, causing his body to heat up.
But Erik had no time to examine it. Meira finally and slowly parted her lips from his. A thin strand of saliva connecting them quickly snapped. She panted, her golden hair floating gently among the ribbons of elemental energy still suspended in the air. Her green eyes widened at the immense volume of information that had just appeared in her mind.
With a single thought from Meira, the wind outside the city immediately changed direction. When she thought of water, millions of droplets throughout the range of her perception appeared distinctly within her consciousness. When she thought of lightning, the electrical charge in the sky instantly became as obedient as a part of her own body.
She looked at Erik, her voice hoarse.
"This... was you..."
Erik placed his index finger against her lips. "Shh."
Meira immediately fell silent. Her eyes were still trembling, but then she smiled. She did not ask any questions or pressure him for an explanation. She merely tilted her head and kissed the fingertip resting against her lips.
Another tear rolled down her cheek.
This time, it came entirely from happiness.
At that exact moment, the office door burst open.
"Erik—!"
Elowen was the first to rush inside, with Sarna close behind her. Carmilla and Runi arrived as well. All four of them stopped at once.
Meira was still sitting in Erik’s lap with both arms around his neck. Her face was flushed, and her lips were slightly swollen from their long kiss. The Succubus Mark on her lower abdomen was still shining through her dress, radiating pink light surrounded by multicolored rings.
No explanation was necessary.
Elowen immediately understood.
Her emerald eyes slowly widened, and then her cheeks puffed out.
"Mother!"
Meira immediately looked somewhat guilty. "My darling daughter..."
"That’s not fair!" Elowen glared at her indignantly. "You were just talking to me a moment ago, and the instant I looked away, you went and signed a Contract first!"
Meira hurriedly left Erik’s lap and walked over to embrace her daughter. "All right, all right."
Elowen turned her face away. "I’m angry."
"I know."
"Very angry."
"Mm."
"And comforting me won’t be enough."
Meira thought for a moment. "Then tomorrow, I’ll let you have Erik all to yourself for the entire day."
Elowen fell silent.
Erik also fell silent.
Sarna coughed softly.
Meira immediately revised her offer. "Two days?"
Elowen turned back to look at her. "...Three days."
Erik looked at the mother and daughter. "Have either of you asked for my opinion?"
Both of them turned toward him at once. "No."
Runi lowered her head, struggling not to laugh.
Carmilla did not laugh. She watched Meira embracing Elowen, watched Elowen sulking without the slightest trace of resentment, and watched the mother and daughter bickering in their strange way.
Nothing like this had ever existed in Carmilla’s old home.
It felt like a family.
There was a little jealousy and a little competition, but beneath it all remained trust.
Carmilla felt a faint ache in her heart. It was not bitter jealousy, only longing. Her gaze unconsciously shifted toward Erik, just as he happened to look at her.
Erik smiled.
Only slightly.
Carmilla immediately trembled. Her heart began pounding, and she hurriedly turned her face away, allowing her black hair to conceal her reddening ears.
Erik raised an eyebrow slightly, but before he could give it any thought, a new notification appeared.
[Level increased.]
[Black Iron Stage 9.]
Erik stared blankly.
Again?
He had only just reached Black Iron Stage 8. Although the emotional energy coming from several people in the room was powerful, it should not have been enough to push him up another stage so quickly.
Don’t I need Emotional Energy and Faith? Erik asked inwardly.
The system quickly responded.
[Natural elements possess a primal will.]
[The affinity, obedience, and resonance of the elements can form a rudimentary type of Emotion and Faith.]
[Meira has received the acknowledgment of a vast quantity of elements.]
[Through the Primal Contract, a portion of that resonance has been transferred to the Host.]
Erik looked at the sea of clouds outside the window as it slowly began to disperse, finally understanding.
Even elements count?
[Correct.]
Erik fell silent, then the corners of his lips curved slightly.
Black Iron Stage 9.
Only one more step remained before he reached the next rank.