Earth's Greatest Magus

While the situation at the base became more and more chaotic as the hordes of Abyss creatures appeared and wreaked havoc, in one particular three-story building, a beautiful girl was intently watching a white cocoon-like object, ignoring the commotion happening outside altogether.

"Emery, if you can hear my voice… I know what happened to you has something to with the Primordial Wisp… But… we will be leaving soon… So–" Her words were choked by a faint sob. "Just tell them to let you go already.. Please…"

Unbeknownst to her, the words she spoke with all her heart were actually heard by the consciousness that was currently encased in the cocoon-like object.

Emery could clearly hear his beloved's words, but he couldn't respond at all with his current state.

At this moment, he felt as if his consciousness had left his body and floated around it. He still has a sense of connection with his body, thus the reason he could hear Klea's words. However, the connection wasn't strong enough to allow him to do anything else.

In fact, since he was wrapped in the cocoon, he had been listening only, especially to the spirit being who was currently engulfing the spirit cores within his body with what seemed to be primordial energy.

It had been almost an hour since Emery cast the massive instant teleportation spell. Since then, he had been only feeling the overwhelming energy within him gradually receding.

[1900…]

[1850…]

[1750…]

[1600…]

[1401…]

As time passed, the astonishing number of Emery's spirit force caused by the spirit being's blessing regressed slowly but surely, returning to their initial number, whereupon the turbulence wreaking havoc in his body finally subsided.

Emery's consciousness, however, did not return to his body. Instead, he had been hearing the spirit being talking among themselves as they hovered over his spirit cores.

There were a total 13 glowing spirits – the same as the number of spirit butterflies, and what surprised Emery the most was the fact that he could hear their previously jumbled words very clearly in his current state.

"This body is not gonna cut it."

"It doesn't have the same proficiency as us."

"Chaos… darkness.."

"Then.. where does the familiarity come from?"

"The blood, it came from the blood."

"It's not enough."

"Should we do nothing?"

Then, while Emery was contemplating about what the words the spirit being meant, suddenly there were changes that attracted his attention within them.

"Something is happening with mother."

"Yes.. That thing consuming her."

"No, we cannot let that happen."

"We must try."

Emery then witnessed the spirit being attached itself to his spirit cores. Immediately after, through the faint connection he still had with his body, he could feel an overwhelming sense of power once again coursing through his body.

[Your spirit force has increased]

[1410…]

[1420…]

[1435…]

[1450…]

Emery watched as the number continued rising, but then it stopped abruptly. He could see how the spirit being still trying, but it seemed that – at the rate they were going – their actions might break his spirit cores instead.

"We cannot go further."

"This is hopeless."

"Wait…There is another way."

"Yes, but who is willing?"

"I will do it… Let me do it."

Emery was puzzled hearing the spirit being's words, as he didn't really understand what they were talking about. However, his confusion was soon answered when he saw one of the 13 glowing spirits separated itself from the rest.

Even though they all basically looked the same, Emery could sort of recognize that the one separated from the pack was the first butterfly that he found. The spirit went back to its butterfly form and shone brightly, but then it slowly dissipated, breaking into pieces and entering his core.

"W-what… what is happening?" Emery asked himself as he watched the butterfly disappear, visibly anxious.

Before long, he sensed a powerful tremor shake his core. In an instant, he felt a pulling sensation and his consciousness was sucked into his body. Once again, Emery could feel his body and his spirit cores.

However, even though Emery had regained his body, the tremor in his spirit cores still hadn't stopped. Excruciating pain began to invade all over his body, and instinctively he responded. But then, just as Emery was trying to subdue the changes that were taking place, the spirit being spoke to him.

"One of us sacrifices itself for you."

"If you want our help, do not resist."

After hearing that, Emery stopped whatever he was doing and endured the agonizing sensation silently. Eventually, the pain gradually subsided and was replaced by a powerful energy that he had never felt before.

It was certainly a type of energy that derived from the light element. But what surprised Emery the most was the fact that it seemed to evolve the entire foundation of his nature core.

Emery watched in astonishment as his nature core became brighter, its color turning lighter. This phenomenon was swiftly followed by an emergence of a bright, flare-like light on the nature foundation. A powerful energy that seemingly brought life to the entire nature core.

[Ninth pillar was formed - Light Element]

[Spirit force increase exponentially]

Light elemental pillar! 

Emery had formed a light element pillar for one of the nine pillars that could only be formed in the acolyte realm. This was a shocking development that he had not expected at all, as he had never had any proficiency in the light element before.

Even so, Emery could not celebrate yet, as he knew what would come next.

Now that Emery's nature core had undergone an unexpected huge boost, the state of equilibrium it had with the dark core was on the verge of collapse. Therefore, Emery quickly concentrated on his Dao Divine Technique and quickly yet carefully directed the flow of spirit energy into his dark core, in order to fulfill the energy needed to form the subsequent darkness pillar.

Fortunately, his previous action of constantly forcing himself to cast space magic helped smooth this process and soon after another tendril-like energy emerged from the dark core.

[Tenth pilar was formed - Darkness Element]

[Spirit force has increased exponentially]

[Spirit force: 1450 (1488)]

[Acolyte Rank 9 - Mid Stage - 10 pillars formed]

[Earth Spirit - 2 pilar]

[Plant Spirit - 1 pillar]

[Water Spirit - 1 pillar]

[Light Spirit - 1 pillar]

[Darkness spirit - 4 pillars]

[Undefined - 1 pillar]

Much to Emery's shock, the unforeseen emergence of the Light Pillar had brought tremendous effects on both of his cores, bringing great opportunities to the overall state of his spirit core.

This was also the first time that Emery could feel the relation between light and darkness, which were much more compatible positive and negative energy compared to nature. 

Emery dove into his body and focused his attention on the two foundations that were touching each other side by side. The perfect relation of the opposite energy had become the key to the next level of his [Dao Divine Technique - stage 7].

The previous, perfect one-to-one ratio balance that Emery had painstakingly achieved on the technique's stage 6 had now been improved. Instead of the previous balance and state of coexistence between darkness and light, the two opposing energies now synergized with one another making the opposite energy actually turning each other stronger.

It was an invigorating feeling.

With this monumental change, Emery felt a major improvement in how he channeled the spirit energy in both cores, and afterward a new notification brought him much surprise.

[You have managed to synergize your dual core]

[Spirit aptitude upgrade: S]

At the same time as the notification appeared, the cocoon that wrapped around Emery's body finally broke apart. Emery opened his eyes with a message from the spirit being echoing in his head.

"You are now a proper host for us, keep your promise"