Aurora Scroll

Viers was surrounded by a swirl of energy.

On the outside, he looked like he was sitting in a lotus position, eyes closed, and in a meditative state.

On the inside, it was like a large-scale construction of a grand building was in full-swing.

What was improved was the Intio, the core of all human Pathseeker abilities.

Like every xianxia stories, improving one’s cultivation was no simple thing. The same was true in this world.

What Viers was doing right now couldn't be called a standard cultivation method. Using knowledge and methods that he plundered left and right, he went beyond.

The gain would be massive, but the difficulty was also going up.

Viers was trying to rein in the gigantic amount of energy around him. It was like trying to wrestle a mountain into submission.

A pulse spread out with him at the center. Even though the chamber was sealed with a strong isolation barrier, the pulse still went through. It spread throughout the Biome, creating ripples in the sky-boundary.

It wasn't the first pulse, and it wouldn't be the last.

Lesser Pathseekers couldn't pull off what he was doing, even for him, it was hard. However, despite the massive undertaking, Viers’ mind was not in turmoil.

In his mind, a fitting BA’s Constant Moderato was playing as the BGM. No matter how rough the course, to Viers, it was like walking to all-girls schools with halos and guns. Not as a student, but as the Sensei. It was where endearing and interesting days would always happen thanks to the students with rich personalities.

That was improving his Path of Power meant to him: opening an exciting new horizon.

His mind was overheating from the cultivation process. He felt as if steam was coming out of his ears. Nevertheless, he was still capable of thinking trivial things, such as...

In many xianxia stories, when the MC is breaking through, it’s going to be epic and grandiose. Unprecedented tribulation lightnings and historic upheaval. Sects and ancestors would lose their minds. Sometimes, in multiple long chapters. I admit some of the Fables made it epic and very interesting, but for me, there’s no need for such splendor.

They don't need to know what legendary method I’m using or what epic items I’m consuming to improve my base, or what complications I face in the breakthrough.

The mighty pulse emerged from Viers again.

They only need to know how peak and shiny I am after I finish cooking!

The surrounding energy grew even more intense, like a typhoon.

Ahhh, the sky is so blue today. So... relaxing.

Viers smiled to himself, in a sealed room where the sky couldn't be seen.

If a knowledgeable Level 5 Pathseeker saw him now, they would wonder how Viers was even alive amidst all that energy, let alone smiling like he was daydreaming about happy memories. They would think that such a crazy thing shouldn't be possible, before puking up blood because of emotional damage.

***

“Waaaaaa~” Dia looked upward with twinkling eyes. “Another dloom-dloom from kin~”

Clarissa was beside her, watching the pulse of energy that originated from Viers’ home, it rose straight to the sky and hit the Biome’s boundary, after which it spread out, creating an energy ripple that was visible to the naked eye along with a dull rumbling sound.

I didn't imagine it. That is a lot more power than I thought. If it keeps happening, even all the barriers we prepared couldn't stop the energy pulses from leaking out of the Biome.

Dia’s Biome possessed a boundary in the form of a sphere. Beyond the sphere lay the dimensional void. The situation was not unlike a bubble in the sea.

Like the sea, the dimensional void was not lifeless, despite the word void in the name.

The lifeforms that roamed the dimensional void would be attracted by any signs of life. The energy pulses would be like an open invitation of free food.

“Ahaha~! Kin is getting more and more powerful!”

“Yes, a happy occasion,” Clarissa patted Dia’s hair. “But we’ve got a job to do. We got to protect him.”

“Yep!”

As time went on, pulse after pulse was generated. Viers already made preparations to contain the spread but it wasn't enough. Finally, something was curious enough to take a look.

With her Level 5 sense, Clarissa saw the bat-like thing crash with the Biome’s barrier. It was the size of a motorbike and a Rank 3 monster.

In a matter of minutes, there were hundreds of others. Other kinds of animals, known and unknown.

Void beasts were like monsters in the material world, the difference was they had adapted to live in the space between dimensions. Most of them possessed space affinity.

Viridis Biome was the size of a big island. As time went on, more and more void beasts were congregating, trying to gnaw their way in, driven by instinct.

Clarissa expected this, and so she was on guard duty.

With a single wave of her hand, she burned the beasts around the barrier. Those inside could attack outside, but not the other way around.

That was only one wave, and there was no end in sight. Already, other void beasts were coming near.

This is going to be a long day...

The Biome was currently positioned far away from the Prime Material world. That was because they wanted to hide the effect of Viers’ breakthrough from those in the world. But the farther away they went, the more void beasts roam the area.

These small fries aren't a problem. The problem is-

A powerful presence approached. An upper-tier Rank 4 void beast. This one was big, like a ball of centipedes, each centipede was as big as a train and there were a hundred of them.

Not the worst that could be coming, but still pretty bad. And so early too.

“Dia will go and kick the baddies away,” the dryad said.

Unlawfully taken from NovelPhoenix, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.

“Be careful,” Clarissa gave a nod.

“Ufufufu. Dia is going to use her new power for this!”

With a flourish, she pulled a card from her clothes. The card had the number XIX, The Sun.

“Sunlife Arcana Form Change! Raiseeeee Heart!”

Dia made a pose, and she was covered with glittering magical light. The dryad’s clothes dissolved with the colorful light and something else took its place. Clarissa, who was seeing this for the first time, was a bit surprised.

That was to be expected, for she was seeing Dia undergoing a magical girl transformation!

Light shows and pretty dress up. With a pose, Dia clichéd the final part of her transformation sequence with perfect cuteness.

“Junglejoy Sprout Dia!”

Make-up, dress-up, skirt, ribbons, flowers, and staff in hand, the magically transformed Dia was like the dream of Japanese magical girl anime came to life.

Clarissa couldn't find the words to say. Eighty parts shock and twenty parts impressed. Or was it the other way around? She herself didn't know but the main offender that made Dia like this was obvious.

Meanwhile, Dia, who was expecting a response, kept staring at her, waiting for a response. The result was a few seconds of silence.

“...Well? Is Dia cute?”

“Huh? Oh, yeah. Dia is very cute,” Clarissa’s brain was working again.

“Right~? Dia think so too! I love this present from kin very much. Next time, I’ll ask kin to make sis Clar-clar one too. Later then~”

The magical ten-year-old dryad flew towards the big void beast and began fighting it with green light beams. Clarissa could see that Dia’s power had gotten stronger in that Junglejoy Sprout form of hers.

She knew Dia could draw power from the Biome and transformed into an adult body. At her utmost, she was able to go toe to toe with a Level 5 but by doing so, the Biome would diminish in some way. Currently, she was doing no such thing. Despite having a Level 3 base power, she was able to fight that Rank 4 monster quite well.

The lamia princess took out her own card, watching it like a hawk. What Dia said frightened her.

Clarissa imagined herself wearing cutesy clothes like Dia and she felt goosebumps.

Nope. Not for me. I don't know what that is but I’m sure my card has no such transformation power... Then again, wasn't Farley transformed into a knight back in the flying castle?

Suddenly, Clarissa wasn't so sure anymore. What if one day Viers made her wear that kind of clothes!?

She shook her head to rid herself of such foolish thoughts. She flew toward the area of the barrier with the most enemies and burned her enemies down with a curtain of fire.

But it really suits Dia though...

***

At another place in the Biome, Arsène, the clone of Viers, also looked upwards, seeing the energy pulse spread through the sky. He knew what the original was trying to do and why they needed to move the Biome this deep into dangerous waters.

It was quite impressive, from that energy pulse alone. Some might think Viers was a monstrous genius of a Pathseeker.

Arsène knew that he was no such thing.

Viers’ cultivation talent was not great. In the beginning, his affinity was only water 2.

Right now, he was able to kill Level 4 peaks as a mid and have a striking match with a leading figure of the generation, Freya.

That was not talent, but because he kept taking and plundering resources from others, living or dead: unscrupulously, greedily, amorally.

Compared to the true talents like Freya Marianus, Red Eyes, or Stratos Gaelos, Viers was like a worm on the ground. His place was supposed to be wriggling in the dirt, looking up at those dazzling figures as they shape the world and the era to their image.

Only, Viers didn't do that.

There are people like us, you know, O haves. We have-nots that just don't know our place and keep dragging ourselves upward by gnawing with our teeth if we must.

No matter what people said, no matter how people scorned him, Viers felt he found meaning in this path that he chose to walk it.

Ah, Dia is using her new form. JS Dia.

Arsène remembered how proud he was when Dia transformed the first time, of how high quality it was. No wonder the old-school Sailor Moon version had the transformation sequence every episode. The anime creator must be very proud too in showing their work.

More and more void beasts are gathering. I wonder if she will use JK or even JD mode later.

While Dia was using her other two transformations, Dia became the grow-up version of herself. A very nice feature, if Viers said so himself.

When designing Dia’s new ability, Viers was torn in naming her modes the Japanese style JS, JK, and JD, or the western style Dia α, Dia QT, and Dia QTπ.

In the end, he chose the Japanese style because he liked the original more.

For now, Clarissa was still holding back, saving her strength for Rank 5 void beasts if they appeared. With so many enemies battering at the barrier, some might have slipped in. That was where Zerri, Faiya and Futon came into play. They would eliminate the enemies before the Biome become infested and suffered too much damage.

If it comes down to it, even I might need to act. But not yet. For now, I’ve got my own task.

With the original Viers at an important stage of a cultivation breakthrough, he hadn't much time for all else. That was where Arsène came in. After his body finished healing, Arsène was also available again as his body double in every sense of the word and do other jobs that needed doing.

Such as sorting and organizing the loot he got from Grandia and Tower of Remorse raid. With how busy Viers was in the aftermath, a lot of things still haven't been properly organized.

This treasure fruit jujube is great for Jessica. Mirithium ore? Can make a good weapon with this. Hm, what’s this shirt? Oh!? It’s making the wearer heavier. Ah, the owner called it the gravity shirt of tempering. Useful. Is that azure moon pearls? That’s a great item for selling. Hanged Man can empty the coffers of other rich suckers. After all this, my wallet feels rather bare. Sell. What’s this golden powder?

Most of the loot came from the Grandia campaign. In contrast, the Tower of Remorse yielded more knowledge and insight.

Blade Demon Vaan’s Inheritance...

Arsène examined the sword-shaped inheritance that was extremely sharp.

This Inheritance is suitable for me. The others can use the other four. It is useful but I’ve got to be careful when taking it in. The Inheritance is too strong. Absorbing carelessly might make me dyed in Blade Demon’s color. His dao would overwrite mine and I’d become an imitation of him.

Path of Power Inheritances were great when passing down one’s own skill and making the recipient stronger swiftly, but, as was the case with everything, there was a price for every gain.

The battle became fiercer as time went on. Clarissa was now facing a Rank 5 monster. Her hands were tied while the others were swarmed by the seeming unlimited number of hungry void beasts.

Things were dire enough that Arsène was about to make a move.

But an explosive surge from the center of Biome signaled the battle’s end.

Using a flying item, Arsène watched as his original flew to the top of the Biome’s boundary.

There, he unleashed the power of his soul!

Like a floodgate was opened, there was a deluge of power. The lesser void beasts were crushed by the sheer pressure of it. Only the upper Rank 4 monsters were still able to move.

So this is the power of Hallow Soul. The next stage after Mortal and Grand Soul... Impressive, truly impressive. Just a step into Grand Soul is the qualification to become Level 6 but we’ve gone so far beyond.

Viers was killing Rank 4 monsters left and right using soul Artes with black colors and white silks, utterly dominating.

Hollow Knight... Silksong... My original, you’ve got impeccable taste, like always.

In the chaotic battle, a powerful Rank 5 void beast that looked like a spectral ostrich swooped in.

Even though it was far away, Arsène used the Euryale sight Arte to see clearly. Viers extended his hand below, and Umikirimaru flew to his hand. Arsène didn't know if Viers’ telekinesis had that much power now or if the enchanted sword had that ability from the start.

Either way, with the katana in hand, Viers made the stance. The samurai stance made just before quick-drawing their sword to cut the enemy down in one slash, like the Ghost of Tsushima duel.

The Rank 5 came with abandon, confident in its tough body. It was reckless but perhaps it was understandable. His original must be like a delicious food it had never seen before.

After the monster got in range, Viers drew and slashed in one motion. For a moment, Arsène’s vision turned black and white.

It was gone after a blink, and the Rank 5 screeched in pain. The monster was many times bigger than Viers, but there was a nasty wound on its body and one of its wings was severed.

At the same time Viers made the slash, lesser void beasts around all around him were cut in two. The number was in the hundreds.

The Rank 5 monster ran away.

Viers didn't pursue, he was just standing there as the corpse of void beasts fell from the sky. The after-effects of his Arte lingered, painting a powerful picture.

Hot damn... So much aura farming. That’s gotta be a crime, the clone thought of his original.