Chapter 1057: Come Forth
Bringer stood with a calm smile on his face as he accessed all the things he had gained, his expression reflecting quiet satisfaction as he took in the full extent of his improvement.
He clenched his fingers with force, a slight tremor ringing through the air as the wind exploded outward mildly with him just clenching his fist, the surrounding atmosphere reacting subtly to the sheer strength contained within such a simple action. His muscles seemed to have expanded yet again, as he had gotten bulkier once more, his physique becoming more defined and imposing than before.
His mana hummed around him as he was satisfied with his new mana quantity, which had increased by a whole lot, flowing smoothly through his body with a refined and powerful presence. He wanted to dive straight into action and test out his new power, to truly understand the depth of his advancement, but too bad this particular aircraft didn’t come with an inbuilt training room.
His body blurred, turning into afterimages as he flickered throughout the room, testing his speed, each movement precise yet fast enough to distort perception.
"Alright, that’s enough, you’ve rubbed it in our faces already," Rider couldn’t help but comment as he shook his head in envy; if he had known, he should have spoken up earlier. Everyone could only stare at Bringer as he flickered through the control room, their eyes struggling to keep track of his movements. After a moment, he returned to his seat and sat down, satisfied with his free breakthrough, his expression settling into calm confidence.
Besides, he was now at Emperor Mana Rank Level 8; with one more breakthrough, he would step into Level 9, then step into the Sovereign realm, thereby increasing the gap between him and everyone else by two Major Mana Ranks. His smile turned into a grin at the thought of this, clearly pleased by the idea of further widening the distance, but he wasn’t the only one who thought of this, as others had also considered it.
Seeing Bringer’s breakthrough only made them want to break through faster, the desire for growth igniting within each of them. The competitive spirit of five years ago seemed to return at the moment as they all stared at each other in silence, yet with varying calculative thoughts forming in their minds. Although they had been out of touch for the past five years and weren’t competing with each other during that time, that was then, and this was now, and the old rivalry quietly resurfaced.
"So, Anthony, tell us about the Galaxy, about the Starborn Tournament," Tiara spoke, changing the topic entirely as she was tired of Bringer’s shameless display and the atmosphere it created.
Anthony snapped his fingers yet again, and illusion-crafted thoughts appeared before everyone as he displayed everything he knew about the Starborn Tournament, the space before them filling with vivid imagery. He showed various races, introducing each of them and their innate abilities in detail, allowing them to grasp the vast diversity that existed, and then he showed the conclusion, ensuring that nothing important was left out.
Silence reigned among each and every one of them as they stared at the illusion; to them, the Galaxy was simply too massive and endless in their perception, far beyond anything they had imagined before.
"If I was told that in the face of the Galaxy that Dragons, Titans, Vampires, Phoenixes, Fairies, and the rest are merely mid-tier races, I would never believe it," Bryan murmured as he stared at various top races within the illusion Anthony had shown them, his voice carrying disbelief.
"I would doubt it too," Rider stated as he stared at the top ten list of winners during the Starborn Tournament; not a single one of their race was there, a fact that weighed heavily on his thoughts.
"I think you all are missing the most important point," Bringer spoke, his tone steady. "Even though the top races dominated, Humans still hold the First, Third, and Fourth ranks," he stated, drawing attention to a critical detail.
"Indeed, these Charles Evander and Lucian Darkheart are ridiculously powerful," Tiara couldn’t help but comment as she marveled at the battles Anthony had shown in the illusion, the sheer scale of power on display leaving a deep impression.
"But Anthony, isn’t your class the Magic Swordsman class? How come you are suddenly a summoner like Charles? What are those black soldiers?" Bryan asked as he remembered Anthony’s class; although Anthony could also use magic, summoners were a completely different branch altogether.
Anthony simply smiled and spoke, "It’s one of my innate abilities; it has nothing to do with my class. I’ve always had it since our Omni Peak Academy days," he stated with a calm expression, offering no further elaboration.
Before any of them could speak, Anthony spoke again, "Come forth."
At his command, the shadows within the control room rippled under everyone’s feet, shifting unnaturally as though responding to his will, and from the darkness, tens of shadows rose, Beru, Igris, Bellion, George, they all stood tall, their forms solidifying as they fully emerged. Although their presence was restrained, it still pressed down on the air, creating an invisible pressure that weighed on the surroundings.
Bryan, Tiara, Rider, and Bringer couldn’t help but swallow hard at the sight; just by glancing at a random shadow soldier, they all felt death looming, an instinctive fear they could not suppress.
"This isn’t all of them, but this is the amount that can fit into the aircraft’s control room," Anthony stated with casual ease, as though such overwhelming power was nothing out of the ordinary.
"My liege, it’s been ages since you’ve called upon us," Beru, the shadow ant, was the first to speak as always; he simply ignored everyone else as he gazed at Anthony with sad-filled eyes. After the Fractured World mission, Anthony had never called upon them again, leaving them waiting within the shadows.
"It’s been a while, Master," Igris simply greeted like the perfect knight, his demeanor as refined as always, as his black sword hung at his waist, his black cape fluttering behind him despite no wind being present within the aircraft control room.
"It’s nice to see you again, my Lord," Bellion, the Fallen Angel, greeted, his wings spread wide behind his back, his presence calm yet authoritative.
Anthony simply greeted the three of them with smiles as the rest of the soldiers stood in silence. Although they possessed consciousness and intelligence of their own, they dared not be as casual with Anthony as Beru, Igris, and Bellion, maintaining strict discipline.
Anthony turned to Beru, who was still waiting for a reply to his words from earlier. "I’m sure you know about the Angels; when they come, I will summon all of you to have your fun," he answered with a smile, his tone carrying a subtle promise.
Beru smiled in happiness; he had been stuck in the shadows for what felt like forever, training endlessly, which had begun to bore him. A smirk appeared on his ant face as he turned to Bellion and spoke, "It seems I will be killing your Angel brothers and sisters."
Bellion shook his head as he replied, "How many times do I have to tell you that I’m not related to them?" he sighed as though he were tired of explaining. He was also an Angel, but not one of those winged chickens who were from the Divinora Galaxy.