Chapter 288: Ascension

For several more minutes, Regaleon continued absorbing the Aether contained within the Essence Crystals, enduring the painfully slow process while his Soul Essences devoured nearly everything he managed to extract.

His personal reserves had barely recovered, and his Aether Veins remained frustratingly undernourished, but the peculiar agitation emanating from his Halberd had grown increasingly pronounced.

Something was happening.

Regaleon could feel it through the mysterious connection he shared with his Soul Essences, although he could not explain how such a connection had developed. It was neither ordinary perception nor a sensation he could attribute to his physical senses.

Rather, it resembled an instinctive awareness of something existing deep within his soul, allowing him to sense changes in his Soul Essences without needing to summon or even see them.

Whatever its origin, this strange sensitivity gave him a remarkably clear understanding of the Halberd’s current condition.

Its presence, usually familiar and subdued, had become unusually vivid, as though an invisible barrier separating it from the next stage of its existence were gradually weakening. Every wisp of Aether extracted from the Essence Crystals seemed to bring it closer to the threshold Regaleon had been striving to reach.

At first, he had regarded the sensation as little more than speculation, an impression born from his desperate hope that the seemingly endless feeding process would eventually yield results. Now, however, the feeling had become far too pronounced to dismiss as mere conjecture.

His Halberd was approaching an ascension.

The realization stirred an unfamiliar excitement within him. He had endured moments of disappointment because of the disparity between his Soul Essences, and although he had learned to conceal his frustrations behind a composed exterior, the prospect of finally overcoming that disadvantage was difficult to ignore.

He wanted to see the result. More importantly, he wanted to know whether his persistence had been justified.

The Essence Crystal resting between his fingers had already begun to lose its lustre. Its translucent surface, previously illuminated by delicate threads of torquiose light, had become increasingly dull as the Aether within it dwindled. Fine fractures were beginning to appear along its edges, suggesting that its remaining energy was nearly exhausted.

Regaleon could have reached for another crystal, but something within him insisted that he had already provided enough nourishment.

The Halberd did not need another offering, it needed only a final push.

He continued extracting the remaining energy, concentrating on the delicate connection between his body and the crystal while keeping his awareness fixed upon the stirring presence within his soul.

Then, without warning, the connection trembled.

A sharp sensation pierced his consciousness, startling him with its sudden intensity. It was followed by an overwhelming surge of energy that seemed to erupt from somewhere deep within his soul, spreading through his awareness like a wave breaking against an invisible shore.

Regaleon’s eyes flew open.

At that precise moment, the Essence Crystal in his hand fractured into several pieces.

Before the fragments could strike the ground, a brilliant silver light erupted from his body...

BOOM!

The radiance burst outward with such intensity that the entire ruined temple was momentarily swallowed by its brilliance.

Silver streams surged into the air, twisting around Regaleon in magnificent spirals before converging above his head. Their movements resembled countless luminous ribbons caught within an invisible tempest, circling one another with an almost deliberate grace.

The weathered pillars caught the silver illumination, their ancient carvings emerging from the shadows in startling clarity. Cracks along the shattered walls gleamed as though molten silver had seeped into the stone, while dust suspended in the air transformed into a glittering veil.

For one extraordinary moment, the desolate chamber appeared almost sacred.

Even the surrounding crimson gloom seemed to retreat before the overwhelming radiance, as though the Nether Lands themselves had been compelled to acknowledge the phenomenon unfolding within their ancient ruins.

And at the centre of that magnificent spectacle, Regaleon’s Halberd materialized.

He had deactivated the weapon after the battle, finding it cumbersome to carry while moving through the ruins and gathering the spoils of their encounter. There had been little reason to keep it manifested when they were no longer fighting, particularly when he needed both hands free for meditation.

Consequently, unlike its previous ascension, when the silver radiance had emerged directly from the manifested weapon, the light now originated from Regaleon’s body before being projected outward by his Soul Essence.

The distinction was subtle but significant. His Halberd was not merely radiating energy while resting in his grasp; its very existence was being reconstituted through the power awakening within him.

The weapon hovered in midair, rotating slowly as silver radiance enveloped its entire length.

Its metallic surface gleamed with an intensity that had been absent before, while the crimson lines running along its shaft began to glow like veins filled with molten energy. The markings pulsed rhythmically, each beat releasing a faint ripple through the surrounding light.

Regaleon watched in astonishment as the transformation commenced.

The Halberd grew longer, its shaft gradually extending without compromising its balance or elegance. The proportions of the weapon changed with remarkable precision, as though an invisible craftsman were refining every measurement according to some ancient design.

Its blade became more imposing, the edges sharpening into cleaner, more formidable lines. Intricate markings emerged across the metallic surface, forming patterns that seemed to have been concealed beneath its former appearance.

Most strikingly, the crimson lines that had previously appeared faint and subdued became considerably more prominent. They branched across the shaft and blade in delicate patterns, pulsing with unmistakable vitality.

It was as though the weapon possessed a heartbeat of its own.

Even its ancient appearance began to change.

Previously, the Halberd had carried the weathered elegance of a relic recovered from a forgotten civilization, its aged surface suggesting that countless years had passed since its creation. Although its power had always exceeded what its appearance implied, the weapon had retained the austere dignity of something belonging to a distant age.

That impression was gradually disappearing.

Its surface became smoother, its contours more refined, and its overall appearance acquired a majestic quality that seemed to reflect the power awakening within it. The transformation did not erase its distinctive character; rather, it elevated every existing feature, turning its antiquated elegance into something that appeared both timeless and formidable.

The Halberd was no longer merely an ancient-looking weapon possessing extraordinary strength.

It was becoming a true manifestation of its owner’s power.

As the silver radiance intensified, another wave of brilliance swept through the ruined temple, illuminating the chamber and spilling through its broken entrances into the surrounding forest.

Nearby, Aelric immediately turned toward the spectacle.

Until that moment, the green-eyed youth had been standing beside Sylveris, displaying an admirable commitment to pretending that he was not listening to the conversation between Regaleon and Caelestra.

Unfortunately, Sylveris had been pestering him with questions, and his attempts to discourage the fourteen-year-old had achieved approximately as much success as instructing a particularly enthusiastic puppy to remain still.

Ever since Sylveris saw the way his weapon could fly through the air without any physical contact on his part, she had been fascinated by such a situation. And this curiosity in turn prompted her to be a recipient of several questions that gave Aelric a mild headache, making him increasingly apathetic towards her barrage of inquiries.

Now, however, even his studied indifference could not withstand the sudden explosion of silver light. He turned toward Regaleon alongside Sylveris, whose eyes widened with undisguised wonder.

Beyond the ruined temple, the crimson foliage glowed beneath the radiance, transforming the surrounding forest into a sea of illuminated scarlet. From a distance, the ancient structure resembled a beacon of silver fire rising from the heart of the Nether Lands, its brilliance piercing the darkening sky like a celestial pillar.

Aelric’s expression remained outwardly calm, but a trace of astonishment slipped through his carefully maintained apathy.

He studied the silver-haired Knight, his green eyes narrowing almost imperceptibly. Internally, however, his thoughts were churning with considerably less composure.

’Just who are you, Regaleon?’

For a moment, his brows creased as a sudden possibility entered his mind.

’Could he be related to those people?’

The thought lingered, bringing with it implications Aelric would have preferred not to consider. If his suspicion proved correct, Regaleon’s arrival at the Sanctuary might become considerably more complicated than anyone had anticipated.

And if that particular group took an interest in him, then...

Aelric’s gaze remained fixed upon the magnificent silver radiance.

Perhaps Regaleon’s presence at the Sanctuary would turn out to be far more troublesome than even Asterion in all of his wisdom could have bargained for...