Chapter 88 - Burning the Rulebook
When someone awakened as a Gaia Awakener and reached the first stage, Gaia Novice. The Gaia Force would begin to form a core within their body. This core became the foundation of their power, granting a boost to their physical strength, speed, and endurance. It was the starting point, the moment they stepped beyond ordinary human limits.
Upon advancing to Gaia Apprentice, they gained an elemental affinity, allowing them to access elemental skills. However at this stage, their control remained internal. Their abilities were limited to use within their own body. Still, it marked a critical transformation, a shift toward deeper mastery.
This pattern continued with each breakthrough, each stage unfolding new characteristics and unlocking new capabilities. The life of a Gaia Awakener was a steady climb toward power.
When an individual reached Gaia Guardian, they finally crossed the threshold into external elemental manipulation. They could project their force outward, wielding their element in combat with devastating effect. From this point on, they were recognized as formidable fighters.
But if we skipped several stages forward, there existed something far rarer, something that only a handful could ever attain:
Gaia Wings.
These weren’t just decorative symbols or visual enhancements. They were a manifestation of pure elemental mastery, forged from raw energy and attuned completely to their user. Most often, they only appeared when someone ascended to Gaia Archon.
Elincia had reached that stage. She had Gaia Wings. And yes. She could fly.
Then, it happened the moment Tave was slammed brutally into the ground. So hard he genuinely thought his ribs had shattered. Pain lanced through his side like molten glass, and for a second, he couldn’t even tell if anything inside him was still in one piece.
And seriously. Elincia was really that merciless.
His body refused to move. It wasn’t just pain, it was like something inside him had locked up. His limbs screamed in protest, and yet, the seconds kept ticking by. He was running out of time.