Dimensional Descent

The core spun just a single degree. It was such a small change that with its size, it was almost impossible to notice. To a passive observer, it would have felt as though nothing at all had happened… Until, that is, the pulse appeared.

In that moment, an invisible wave of energy spread out in all directions almost like a subtle calm before the storm. It expanded almost like a calm spring breeze. Even as it foretold the death of everything in its surroundings, it was surprisingly gentle for just a moment. Then…

BANG! BANG! BANG!

The instant the invisible wave touch the thin pool of lava that hung like a ring around the core it was like everything lost its form. What once was a solid, continuous stream of a lava became unsettled droplets and volatile gases.

Leonel was suddenly hit by a wall that sent ripples even through Little Tolly. It felt as though he had been smashed by a sledgehammer, the bones in his body threatening to shatter beneath the pressure.

'[Valiant Seal]!'

Leonel roared, an illusory pillar appearing around his body, lacking in the Earth Elemental Characteristics it needed to be complete. But, in order to cast it so quickly, Leonel had no choice.

It was one thing for Little Tolly to take the brunt of the hyper charged particles the core was releasing at this moment. However, the pressure wave was something that Leonel would need to withstand himself. It was then that the prowess of a Two Star Disaster World manifested itself in its truest form.

Even after draining his stamina and layering ten [Valiant Pillars] atop of each other, Leonel violently coughed up several mouthfuls of blood. And yet, his gaze never left the core, the fervor in his eyes growing to the point it became nearly manic.

This pressure alone could eradicate someone at the Quasi Sixth Dimension. This was something that Leonel was absolutely certain of. However, he was in a unique position to withstand its impact.

Firstly, the most dangerous parts—the heat and radiation—were all blocked by Little Tolly. That cut the lethality of the core's rotation by tenfold. That just left a small percentage of its destruction for Leonel to deal with himself, and yet, he still felt his inner organs shake and quake.

If Leonel wasn't so enamoured by the Natural Force Arts of the core he would have realized just how large the gap between his current self and a Quasi Sixth Dimensional existence was. Though, this was something the back of his mind was taking note of.

That said, how long such a thing would last… Was still up in the air.

'I'll call you Radiant Fire Force…

'Summer: Radiant Core…

'Fall: A Slow Death…

'Winter: Withering Snowfall…

'Spring: Golden Drops…'

The radiance in Leonel's gaze only seemed to grow, the aura around him becoming thicker to the point even his Auspicious Aura began to leak outward.

BANG!

Leonel's hair whipped around, his body finally firmly stepping into Tier 1. His mind felt as though it had opened up to a new level, his split minds gaining a few ten thousand extra splits.

Leonel exhaled a long breath, his gaze regaining its focus. He could feel a wild vitality coursing through his veins.

In truth, he hadn't thought the results would be so exaggerated. Ultimately, the Four Seasons Realm was designed for the Fourth Dimension. He hadn't thought that it would empower him so much, at least not until he progressed into the Heavenly Body Realm.

But, the results spoke for themselves. Leonel felt that his current self could defeat his former self with one hand tied behind his back.

Despite the fact violent eruptions were still continuing all around Leonel, he almost didn't seem to notice. He looked around, realizing that this core was an exceptional concentration of not only Force, but also Force Crystals. He could also sense several more Urbe Ore deposits from this location.

Leonel grinned. 'Might as well take as much as I can until this eruption ends. Ah, there's huge Devil's Shavings and Dancing Lantern Ore deposits nearby as well. If all I have to do is gather Star Core in the future, that would make things far more convenient.'

Leonel shot out. By his calculations, he had exactly an hour.

**

Across the universe, as Leonel was making dangerous maneuvers of his own, Aina moved like a prowling predator through the Luxnix family estate.

Her body seemed to have lost its shape, snaking around trees and branches as though she was a formless mass of Dark Elemental energy. This odd phenomena made it so that the wind pressure she had to deal with was minimal, and despite having broken through the sound barrier, she hardly rustled even a single leaf around her.

Her body control was immaculate and her stealth was even more fascinating. The Luxnix guards didn't stand a chance at detecting her before they found themselves being knocked out one after another.

This choice was one of the most foolish ones Aina could make. She would have had a better chance at remaining unseen if she slipped by without touching them. But in that case… how would she fulfill her mission of being noticed?

In a flash of darkness, she appeared before an inconspicuous building that looked no different from a storehouse. But, according to her information, Aina knew well that this place was one of the hidden entrances into the Luxnix dungeons.

There was a main entrance within the family's main home, but there were also many hidden locations like this one. As for why a prison would have such a foolish design, maybe only the higher ups of the Luxnix family were aware.

Aina broke through the door with ease, only to find two guards waiting for her on the other side, their eyes widening in shock.

But, before they could react, a hidden blade had already shot forward, causing two heads to shoot up into the air.

She rummaged through their bodies, finding the keys she needed and opening the doorway that led down a path of darkness.

It was right when she took her first step downward that the blaring sounds of warning shook the Luxnix family estate. Before even laying eyes on Ossan, Aina had been found out.