Maria tests out the full capabilities of her power while I continue to attempt peering into her Soul Energy core to figure out what this pulsing sensation really is.
In between our exchanges, she feels multiple times weaker than the moment before our attacks collide.
I even test out using my other elements with telekinesis to throw multiple projectiles her way from varying angles while our main focus of a sword clash continues on.
The pulses in her aura allow for ice walls to form even separated from her body, mimicking the same increase in strength for a split second upon impact.
While it feels like matching a mid-level True Core is her maximum, every minute that passes during this clash adds small amounts of power to her base.
Thousands of new links are being formed all over the Dark Continent and 8 Great Regions, and the rate at which word spreads increases more and more about the extravagant perks granted to those that create links.
This allows an increasing amount of stats to be borrowed, slowly amping up the battle more with every collision.
I can feel her movements become fluid and instinctual, however, I can sense small amounts of the beginning stages of early divine energy poisoning along with mental and physical fatigue building up. The rate that it does increases drastically after each of the unexplainable core pulses.
I'm not too concerned, as with a few hours in hibernation using my skill, paired with Abby's restoration skill and a passive use of my self-regeneration skill, I'm sure she'll be fine. However, that takes time and brings us out of the flow state of training, so I want to hold it off for as long as possible and soak up as much experience as we can right now.
To make sure we don't completely overdo it, after about half an hour passes, we both stop and take a break, floating above the desert, but neither of us powers down our auras just yet.
The sun is beginning to set, and the mental clock in my head ticks away.
Once it rises again, there is only going to be one day left before the big three come to the Dark Continent.
Abby will be breaking through to her yellow core soon, and Ember should begin compressing his True Core by the time the sun rises too.
While it feels like I have limitless power at my fingertips, gaining 30x more stats than Maria has right now, I want to make sure I've done everything in my power to become stronger while there's still time left.
As these thoughts race through my mind, I feel a familiar True Core's aura approaching from the southern volcanic region while Maria speaks up and points her greater form's sword my way.
"Ready to go again? I can feel it, I'm on the verge of unlocking this odd sensation in my core... I just need a little more battle experience at this level."
I think to myself for a moment, picturing the pulses that only activate for fractions of a second at a time, then reply.
"I think you need someone closer to your strength to fight you. You're still subconsciously holding back and know I won't actually injure you. This was enough to get you used to this new power, but we're going to need to bring it up a notch if you want to have a breakthrough."
Maria raises a question back.
"Your greater form? There's no way— not yet—"
I smile and shake my head.
"No, something different. Get ready for a real fight. There's someone I want you to meet."
As Maria's gaze sharpens, I form a telepathy link with the True Core flying my way, and before I can even say a word, Raven's voice comes through.
"What's going on? Do we have trouble? This pressure is like nothing I've ever felt before. I can't tell— it doesn't feel like a True Core, but this is overwhelming mana control... Who— or what—"
I can't help but grin while I respond through our link.
"Come here and find out. It's about time you meet the people you'll be fighting beside."
With my perception covering almost a full third of the globe, I watch Raven's expression shift to one of confusion.
"This is one of your teammates? They weren't even orange cores the last I saw them. You're telling me this is a newly awakened's aura...?"
I reply as I feel her getting within visual range, now I'm positive Raven can see both of us.
"Yes, it is a little complicated. She's using a very unique buff to borrow power. But, there's no better first meeting for you two to get to know each other than a spar, am I right?"
Maria's aura grows in power as it appears I'm just standing in midair before her after telling her I'm going to step it up a notch. Simultaneously, Raven is silent through our link for a few seconds.
I reply back when I see her activating her own greater form and pulling out her silver blades with a look of determination.
"I guess I'll take that as a yes..."
Then, I open up a link between the three of us, and I float upward while a new True Core's pressure fills the air and the royal blue aura of the Ice Goddess becomes far more ominous.
"Maria, this is Raven, the True Core I told you about that has been helping me learn about the Order. Raven, this is Maria, the hunter I started my journey with. We were E-Class hunters together, and now we'll be challenging the entire world. I believe an all-out spar would be a much more productive greeting than a simple conversation."
As Maria's blue aura clashes with Raven's white-yellow aura, I can feel a barrage of emotions rippling through it that I did not expect to feel at all at first.
On the surface, both are extremely curious to see what the other looks like and how they fight, but I feel undertones of jealousy and desire with hints of killing intent from each of them.
I raise an eyebrow and decide to make the most of this situation. One of the reasons Maria wasn't able to fully awaken whatever her cores were trying to do was that we were not in a real battle.
I activate my own greater form and pull out my second sword, flooding the battlefield in a new aura tens of times heavier than before, making both of the women below me reflexively shiver. Their greater forms' eyes lock with each other while I send them another message.
"Neither of you should be holding back. Maria, I want you to give in to the intuition and raw urges that power your Soul Energy core. Raven, consider this another chance to go all out like our battle and become even more skilled with your blades. Aim to kill, and trust that I will stop the fight before any real fatal moves."
To make things fair, the instant their blades collide, I share my mythic grade All-Seeing Eye with both of them. An explosion of energy ripples off their clash that feels far more extreme than the prior clashes.
They don't stay interlocked for more than a tenth of a second, as both of their forms twist around to create a counterstrike and dodge the others, leading to another clash right after.
Blue and yellow explosions light up the sky, and I can feel the essence of true battle in the air.
After about a minute of even clashes, Raven activates her divine stealth skill and catches Maria off guard, landing the first true hit, piercing through her greater form's side; however, it doesn't sink deep at all.
I'm watching this fight take place with laser focus, and the moment Raven's invisible blades pierce through Maria's defenses, her Soul Energy core vibrates faster than I can even perceive.
It shrinks and constricts unlike any other time before, then pulses, sending the same eerie intimidation wave through the desert, just like earlier in our training session. However, somehow, it just jumped in power again, even briefly slipping through my greater form's mental barriers.
The shiver I get makes me smile wide as Raven feels this aura and momentarily freezes to be struck by the Ice Goddess' blades.
Both of their greater forms fly backward and each of them coughs up blood, but the emotions and smell of battle in the air only heighten.
Raven yells through the link.
"There's another one of you? A battle maniac that grows after every hit. You sure do know how to pick 'em!"
Maria yells back.
"You're not too bad yourself! I couldn't sense you at all for a second there, that kind of hurt."
Then the line goes silent as the sky fills with blue and yellow explosions.
Every few minutes, a deadly aura ripples from Maria when she finds herself in a tricky spot, and as my eyes watch the battle go on, I can't help but believe Raven's sword style is shifting and getting better.
It looks like she's surpassed the skill level she showed during the height of our battle and somehow is keeping up with Maria despite her small increases in stats every minute or so as the battle goes on.
"Is that all you got?"
"Too slow! Gotcha again!"
"I'll make you tap first!"
"No way, Jay is going to have to save you before me!"
Every dozen or so strikes, I hear them yell something new through our telepathy channel, and I watch both of their bodies become riddled with near-fatal injuries.
Blue and yellow slashes glow all over Raven's greater form, while Maria's becomes riddled with True Core yellow threads as well.
I send telepathy transmissions to all my doubles and have them all stop what they're doing and go farm pure mana from the artificial mountains to bring it to me fast. No matter who wins this battle, the aftermath isn't going to be pretty for either one of them.
However, I'm mesmerized by the sight before me as the sun sets completely, and the sky overhead becomes dark.
The massive light show in the sky here makes it basically as bright as day.
While earlier, I didn't want to push Maria too far with our training, as we may have to give everything we have in a war in just one day; now I don't dare stop the sight before my eyes.
Both the women before me are improving at a rapid rate, while the emotional auras rippling out of them shift as well.
Before it was unease, skeptical, jealous, and borderline hateful emotions in the air, but now there is great respect for each other being shared through every collision.
There's only so much I can extrapolate from just watching; their blades connecting tell a deeper story between the two of them. They've come to some kind of understanding.
This shift has also led to far more frequent pulses in Maria's core, and instead of raw, eerie, mysterious power, they feel far more controlled, and the power being used each time is just enough to block or counterattack rather than wasting it in a pulse of intimidation through her surroundings.
I'm still not quite sure what she's tapping into, as there is no description for it in the system, but whatever it is, she's beginning to figure it out; so I'll learn in time too, and maybe I'll be able to do the same with my Soul Energy Core.
Another twenty minutes pass, and the final rays of sunlight disappear from the horizon, while there are so many injuries covering the two women's bodies the residue is enough to light up the sky.
It's been a few minutes since either of them has improved any further, but they're still going at it, matching each other's attacks, and always finding a way to avoid a fatal blow, so I never have to step in.
Their movements even seem to be slowing, and at the same time, I feel my doubles coming near but stopping about 100 kilometers away because the divine aura is too strong for pure mana manifestations to survive in.
As the day comes to a close, even the links of loyalty have slowed down their rising as there is far less socializing at this time of night.
The atmosphere changes as everyone knows this battle is coming to an end, and simultaneously, Raven and Maria both charge their greater forms' blades for what looks like a final attack.
The eerie aura comes back while Raven completely disappears, and the jet black night sky above, paired with the endless abyss of a crater below, adds to the ambiance.
As they both charge at each other, ready to kill, my instincts tell me this is where I need to step in, and attempting to get in the center of this clash might actually be quite deadly if I just use the form I'm in now.
While I am a few times stronger than them, these two attacks that are about to collide are the culmination of a life-or-death battle where they've both used up their last bits of power and desperation for a final strike. Neither wants to lose.
I fly forward and pull up my rising emperor's domain interface and select just 1% of all stats and all mana control for over 5.5 million links of loyalty, matching the boost that Maria has right now
Maria's densest blue sword strike is swung toward Raven's neck and Raven's most precise and deadly swing of her silver blades is thrust through the divine stealth pocket dimension using her True Core's perk to aim right for Maria's heart.
At the same time, I feel over 5 million stat points per stat rush into my status. My eyes widen as it feels like time is slowing down around me, and my vision somehow becomes far more clear, making me thankful I didn't decide to pull more than 1%, because that might actually have been more dangerous than helpful at such close range.
It feels easier than breathing to create mana barriers that surround both of them, blocking these strikes like a twig hitting a metal wall.
At the same time, I let out a light pulse of intimidation to stop them from hurting themselves on the barriers I've created.
The final attacks that would have ended this battle in a draw are stopped moments before they can be fatal.
Both women pass out instantly, and their greater forms fade away to show faint smiles on both their faces.
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Author's Note:
If you're enjoying Dungeon Diver and want to follow Jay on his journey 20+ chapters ahead of schedule, check out the Patreon link in my profile bio.
There's custom chapter art for every new daily upload too!
Thanks for reading:)
____________________________
Even though I hardly used half of my power to release that intimidation pulse, it was enough to break both of their adrenaline-fueled concentration and stop them from fighting instantly.
Using my intimidation at full blast without these borrowed stats would most likely just scare them, an instant knockout with this much ease would not have been possible.
Even my doubles, who weren't the focus of the attack and were 100 kilometers away, were greatly affected by the increase in my aura.
If not for our instantaneous memory sharing, I would have had to forcefully deactivate all three of them standing by if I left my new mana control active for too long.
While Maria and Raven both fall into the crater, covered in divine residue and countless near-fatal wounds, I deactivate my power-stealing perk and completely conceal my aura behind my purple barrier, swooping down to catch them both.
My body doubles air-step over now that the absurd auras have faded away, delivering about an hour's worth of plundered materials from the artificial mountains in the form of dozens of bright pink, dense mana crystals created with my crystal creation skill.
I accept them and share hibernation with both Maria and Raven, feeding the skill hundreds of quadrillions of MP each to activate the highest setting, emergency mode, to speed up the process.
It may delay the progress on the labyrinth's growth by a few hours, but at this point, it isn't a massive priority. I won't be making it to 200 floors in the next 36 hours, even if I use my main body to help plunder and speed things up.
A white flash of light surrounds each of them, and the divine energy poisoning, along with the hundreds of injuries all over their bodies, begins healing before my eyes.
"I think that went well..." I whisper to myself as my doubles return to their tasks, and I float in midair, lost in thought for a few seconds.
They've definitely become better fighters. I'm curious to hear what they'll say once they wake up.
Whatever it may be, I'm far more confident in their fighting abilities now, and I'm even considering giving Raven the option to become a General.
I mentally open my interface to review the details again and even look at Maria's settings. It appears these general slots are permanent positions that cannot be taken away unless the link of loyalty is forcefully severed by both sides.
If there are really only going to be five slots available to wield this power, I'll need to think carefully and strategically about the remaining four and not pick them too quickly.
With this on my mind, I pull a transport crystal from my storage and crush it with telekinesis, transporting the three of us back beneath the Crimson City.
–
The yellow divine threads down here are circulating much slower than before, but with the insulated true core-imbued shielding on the walls, all the threads stay inside, making the air far denser with energy.
I rest Maria and Raven against a wall as they continue to glow bright white in a state of suspended animation, and my eyes turn to Abby first.
Her core is even closer to breaking through than it was this morning, and my presence, along with an unknown entity in the room, breaks her concentration slightly. I feel a pull on my telepathy channel as it opens.
"Who is that? And what happened to Maria? I can't sense either of their presences."
I reply, "That is Raven. The True Core from the Southern Volcanic Region I mentioned earlier that was helping me learn more about central headquarters. I've protected both of their auras behind my divine barrier, as the residue and pressure they give off may be harmful to you here. We had a sparring session out in the desert to test the yellow core's power. I look forward to doing the same for yours."
There's a slight pause, and I feel a ripple of emotion from Abby, similar to what I sensed from Maria before their battle. But she quickly suppresses it and responds.
"Good. At this rate, I should awaken by morning. I just need a bit more time."
She consumes another yellow fragment, and her body surges with yellow threads as she continues.
"A few hours ago, Ember stopped circulating the room, so we've been relying on the pure power of the fragments you left behind. Our absorption rate is the same; we just need to consume more since the residue remains stagnant."
I look around the room, and my eyes fall on the isolation pod next.
Peering inside, the sight I see is far more extreme than expected.
An incredibly dense yellow core is being compressed as we speak. Golden and silver threads cover the inside of Ember's body, containing every single yellow thread within, creating an extremely controlled and calculated process that doesn't affect the outside world with his aura at all.
If my perception wasn't so sharp, it would seem like nothing but an unawakened sat inside that silver pod, similar to the capabilities of my purple barrier.
I reply to Abby once I understand what's happening, not daring to contact Ember or push my aura near him, not wanting to disrupt the delicate compression process taking place.
"Let me help with your energy cycling problem. Just focus on healing and absorbing threads."
Next, I activate the True Core perk I stole from Sebastian and feel for all the stagnant yellow threads in the room.
Without letting any mana seep from my body, I attempt to move this stagnant yellow energy in circles around the room to simulate what Ember was doing before.
The entire room shakes slightly when I activate this power, and the threads begin to dance and wiggle as I form mental links with each of them individually. I sit down and close my eyes to pour my full concentration into this task.
At first, it's quite hard to move this energy without using mana as its base, as even the True Core's ability is paired with superior mana manipulation.
If I were to inject even a few thousand MP into the air, this would be simple. But I want the divine energy circulating into my teammates' cores to remain as pure as it is in the yellow fragments. Secondly, I want to train this unique ability while I have the perfect place to do so.
Minutes pass, and the dancing threads begin rotating around the room extremely slowly, making just one revolution in all the time I've been at it.
However, there's momentum now, and the second revolution only takes a full minute.
After another 15 minutes, I start to sweat, and the mental strain from pushing each individual thread with precision begins to build up.
I avoid hitting Ember's isolation pod, as well as the two women in hibernation.
However, now my understanding of the ability grows even higher, and a single revolution takes less than 20 seconds.
I have to strategically let go of the threads that collide with Abby, Lydia, and Fisher. If I hold on too long, I'll accidentally tear divine energy from their cores that could have been absorbed.
A smile grows on my face as the minutes pass and my precision improves.
Once a single revolution around the room takes less than 5 seconds, I start shaping the threads' flight paths much differently.
There's no one sitting in the center of the room, so I move the threads to the outer flight path, concentrating the energy more densely where we're sitting.
A few minutes later, once I'm more comfortable, the revolution time lasts less than a second.
Abby increases the strength of the bright green and yellow restoration circle on the floor, as far more threads are now circulating through everyone's bodies.
I could go faster, as my comprehension of the technique is improving rapidly, and I even recall the time when I was compressing my True Core, with cycles of energy coursing through me at magnitudes of hundreds or even thousands per second. However, the mental and physical limits of everyone in the room are a bit lower than my own.
I can tell Abby could handle more, but Fisher and Lydia are nearing their max.
I make one last adjustment, compacting the threads' density a little more by combining the portion near the ceiling with the threads circling the floor.
Before my eyes, their thread-gathering speed enhances a few times over without them needing to consume more fragments, just using the leftover residue in the room.
We sit here for another hour as I continue cycling the energy, and my progress with the True Core's ability grows even more.
I manage to control portions of the threads to weave around Fisher and Lydia each cycle, allowing Abby to absorb more without pushing anyone too hard or holding anyone back.
Each revolution delivers the maximum number of threads everyone can handle. In just two hours from the time I returned, I witness Abby's yellow core fully saturate, and all signs of orange threads in her body disappear.
A pulse of energy surges through the room as a result, and her eyes open wide, glowing yellow, while her green eyes and hair shine brightly beneath.
She speaks aloud.
"That was faster than I expected."
She grins but keeps the restoration circle active, as the threads circulating the room are still in motion.
I open my eyes and smile back.
"Congrats. You're a yellow core now. I have another powerful stat buff I want to share with you. Let's see how far you can push that second ranked-up buff of yours, the [Form of the Immortal Healer], now that you can wield this much divine energy. I wonder if I can still land a hit on you."
While I reply, the white glow around Maria and Raven begins to fade as their hibernation process comes to an end. At the same time, there's a click from the isolation pod at the back of the room, and the silver door slowly opens.
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Author's Note:
If you're enjoying Dungeon Diver and want to follow Jay on his journey 20+ chapters ahead of schedule, check out the Patreon link in my profile bio.
There's custom chapter art for every new daily upload too!
Thanks for reading:)
____________________________
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