Chapter 1666: On the plus side, Breakthrough
It’s often said that the fires of war are the ultimate forge in which heroes and villains are born.
That’s a load of bullshit.
It’s not the "fires of war" specifically; it’s the flame of desperation.
But that’s not all.
The need to survive, the dream of thriving, and the ambition to change...that’s what creates heroes.
Funnily enough, that’s also what makes villains.
And that’s the thing everyone forgets.
It’s not just the flame that makes ore into iron; it’s what composes the ore.
Some people, when exposed to extreme heat, just...break.
Nothing more, nothing less.
-The observation of a general who had seen too many heroes and villains be born on and off the battlefield.
... Note that the following happened in the same timeframe as the False Crusaders being secured...
’How the hell are these brats keeping pace with my elites?!’ Legante thought to himself as he watched his warriors steadily lose ground. ’Fucking should’ve known this was a no-win situation. Fuck!’
When Legante and his men were forced to fight the Zhen Clan scions and Antonio by the Doll Twins, they were skeptical at first at this whole affair being a fair fight.
They were threatened under no uncertain terms that if they didn’t do as the Doll Twins said, that they would all end up dead.
As such, the Erupting Dawn Elites more or less held back against the young warriors, in fear of the Doll Twins suddenly lashing out due to some unknown or misperceived slight.
That, however, changed when the Doll Twins noticed that they were holding back.
[Hey! We said that you’re supposed to fight using all your might here!]
[Stopped holding back and give these disciples a proper workout!]
"Uh...okay..."
Once they were given the go-ahead, the Erupting Dawn Elites actually fought with a little more gusto and actually started to press the advantage against Zhen Xing, Zhen Tai, and Antonio...for all of two minutes.
During those two minutes, the power gap between Aether Grandmaster and Aether Master was made clear, an example which would go on to become the gold standard as to why most warriors shouldn’t punch too high above their weight class unless they had some manner of exceeding it.
Zhen Xing was outpaced and caught despite his myriad of illusions, Zhen Tai was overpowered multiple times, while Antonio found himself narrowly avoiding death by a hair more times than he cared to count.
However, once these disciples started using [Chaos] and making use of the aether treasures that they were keeping holstered until the time was right, that aforementioned gap shrank to nearly nothing.
And the true terror of these young warriors were made manifest.
"How the fuck are they cancelling out our attacks?!"
"Are there punches going through my [Regalia]? What the fuck?!"
"I knew this was a trap, I fucking knew it!"
Zhen Xing and his [Fox Fire Wheels] proved to be even trickier with the power of [Chaos]. Many of the attacks his opponent tried to use simply hit nothing, all while the opponent themselves thought that they had sensed which illusionary copy was the real thing.
Zhen Tai, armed with his [Sun Viper Knuckles] showcased a brutality that even the toughest of pugilists had problems reaching. The man didn’t bother with defense, when all he needed was a solid punch to blow away any attack or pierce through any defense. Then again, it probably helped that the [Chaos] in his fists seemed extra corrosive in comparison to his cousins.
As for Antonio, he had no treasures to call his own...but he did have the most affinity for [Chaos].
This innate [Chaos] made him nearly impossible to pin down, his skin nigh impenetrable to those lucky hits, and his attacks sharp enough to leave deep and bloody gashes behind even the strongest of [Regalia].
And all of this was before they had all broken through to the next stage of aether cultivation.
Most aether warriors looked for places of power or serenity in order to safely elevate their cultivation to the next rank. The usage of external aether helped to patch up any deficiencies a warrior may have, while at the same time, such environments helped to prevent external threats from making the life of the cultivator miserable.
Or worse, interrupting the process and causing a cultivation backlash.
That stated...there were actually some who believed that the most powerful [Regalia], the warriors who would have the brightest possible futures, were the ones who broke through and forged them in the heat of battle.
As a representation of one’s conviction, one forged during a life-and-death situation is supposed to be much stronger than any other...at least, that’s what people say.
Regardless, once Zhen Xing, Zhen Tai, and Antonio all broke through to Aether Grandmaster, this battle was all but over.
It started with them being almost killed, then it went to being even once they started using [Chaos], and then it turned into one-sided beatdowns.
Beatdowns that were so bad that they require their own POVs.
...First, Zhen Xing...
’So this is what it feels like to wear a [Regalia]... it’s like coming home...’
When Zhen Xing was younger, he once read about a Divine Aether Beast known as the Skyfire Nine-Tailed Fox.
This ancient beast was said to have been born during a time when the world of Valresta had once hosted nine suns due to the machinations of Aether deities and when eight of these suns were torn from the sky.
Zhen Xing had once thought the beast was a myth, a fable...until he came to the [Library of Nowhere].
Once he learned that the beast was actually real, once upon a time, Zhen Xing did all he could to learn more about them.
And needless to say, his [Regalia] became influenced by what he had learned.
Fur as multicolored as a setting sky, eyes as bright as the morning sun, nine beautiful tails, and a fiery spirit that could burn even a phoenix out.
Due to recent influences, though, Zhen Xing’s [Regalia] looked a bit like a theater costume more so than armor. But, unlike theater costumes, this [Regalia] was very real and represented his conviction quite well.
What was his conviction...well...
"There are stories that say the Skyfire Nine-Tailed Fox is the reason why the sunsets are never the same color twice in a row. That each painted horizon is done in memory of one of the eight suns that fell. Another said that the horizon is a result of the Skyfire Nine-tailed Fox undergoing a rebirth. My [Regalia] is a reflection of that: a rebirth from my shitty past."
...POV: Zhen Tai...
’Now this is power!’
Zhen Tai wasn’t much for deep thoughts.
His outlook on life was simple, and he liked it like that.
The Zhen Clan was his family, family was important, and that he would do all he could to not only protect his family but to help it prosper in any way he could.
And it just so happened, fighting was the best way to do that.
Reflecting this rather simple conviction, his [Regalia] was equally simple...on the surface.
To most people, Zhen Tai’s [Regalia] resembled a hooded robe with a clear snake motif going on.
To those with knowledge of other worlds though, they would immediately recognize that the robe was done in the style of champion boxers.
A design that Zhen Tai learned about once he got access to the [Library] and began to read up on several famous pugilist underdog stories.
Some were fake, others were real, all strengthened his main conviction.
"I’m not sure what kind of problems my family is going to face in the future, nor do I really care about the nuance. All I know is that in this world, the one with the stronger fist makes the rules. If that’s the case, then I will make sure I become that first and then some. If I can punch through it, then it’s no problem at all.
...Antonio POV...
"I...I did it? What? Why? How?!"
Antonio had always been...rudderless.
The man had drifted through life in a way not unlike a stray cat.
He ate whatever he could get his hands on, he drank when he had the coin to do so, and he slept how he pleased at any given moment.
But then, after one specific mercenary job went bad...he started to figure out not only himself, but his past.
He started to remember that he once had dreams, that he had aspirations to become an Aether Deity like his peers, and more importantly, he started to remember his only family in the world.
Someone who wasn’t human, Bloodliner, aetherii, or even aether beast.
Instead, it was something that he had become increasingly familiar with: a kaijin.
All of this strengthened his once weak conviction. That said, his conviction was rather...selfish.
"I want to live luxuriously and peacefully...and I’ll gladly rest apart anyone who threatens that!"
Reflecting this conviction, his [Regalia] was noticeably cat-themed, surprisingly vicious looking, and...well...if he had a clearer memory on who raised him, he would’ve immediately realized his [Regalia] looked a lot like his adoptive mother.