2348 - Danger
In front of Hedrick's body—
“Hoo...”
Robin slowly lowered his hand, casting a scrutinizing glance at what he had completed.
*Hmm*
At this moment, five master symbols were coiled around Hedrick's head, surrounding the golden eye that gazed downward with a suppressing force.
“Good heavens...” Drais, the four-star Royal Spirit Master, stepped closer to Hedrick with his eyes wide open, “Those five symbols, what are they...?”
Based on his level of knowledge, as someone who had never held the rank of Academy Master or descended from a great power, Drais did not understand what those symbols were.
But their intense, ancient, and similar aura, along with the presence of that golden eye in the center, made him cast a sidelong glance at Robin... He had a general guess, but he dared not take it as truth!
*Rumble*
The storm that had been tearing the planet apart subsided. Golden rays pierced it from above and scattered it, leaving only what looked like a golden shroud covering the entire sky, calming it.
Seeing this, Drais trembled... His worst fear had come true—Lord Robin had intervened in the breakthrough process!!
“Relax.” Glacion patted Drais on the shoulder, “It seems Lord Robin has reached an agreement with Lord Hedrick. He is undergoing a transformation that will change his life now.”
After those words, Glacion sighed... Five master symbols, this was the third time he had witnessed a similar transformation after Althera and Renara.
Each of them had slightly opened their eyes afterward, speaking with confidence about a power surpassing everything possible... It was clear that Hedrick was undergoing the same experience.
Then Glacion's eyelid twitched...
What must it feel like to sense a tremendous power granted by five master laws coursing through your body?
Could it be that someday, he too would—
"Ugh..."
"My lord?!" Glacion noticed Robin staggering and quickly moved toward him to support him.
"I... I'm fine." Robin leaned on Glacion's arm and took two more steps back before steadying himself again.
*Crrrrrack* Glacion quickly formed a large ice seat directly beneath Robin. "What do you mean you're fine? Please sit down at once!"
Robin wasn't experiencing ordinary dizziness—it was clear that his complexion had suddenly turned pale, his face had gone blue for a moment, and even his eyes had dimmed slightly... Lord Robin had nearly lost consciousness!
"...?" Drais was greatly puzzled by the scene.
Just minutes ago, when he had tried to prevent them from approaching his master and disrupting the breakthrough, Robin had enveloped him with a soul force estimated at ten stars, rendering him unable to move. He hadn't hurt him, but he had made him feel like an ornamental fish standing before a shark.
Why can't the shark catch its breath now?!
"I'm fine." Robin closed his eye as he sat, doing his utmost to maintain an upright, manly posture and prevent himself from collapsing. As for the remaining focus he had, he poured it entirely into trying to steady his breathing and vital functions. "...It's just some exhaustion."
"Exhaustion?" Glacion furrowed his brows. "...The same kind that made us spend two weeks in Middle Sector 100 after Lady Renara's limits were lifted?"
"......" Robin opened his eye slightly and slowly raised his trembling hand. "...It's worse this time, much worse." Then, after a brief pause, he continued, "I feel like a mortal who hasn't eaten in a week."
"Do you want me to bring you some food, sir?" Glacion suggested quickly. "Or Energy Pearls? Anything to ease the exhaustion?"
"No..." Robin spoke wearily. "My body is in perfect condition on the surface. I still have a decent amount of energy left. I haven't consumed my life force, and I could live for a year or two without food... I don't know what the problem is."
*Hoo.* Robin's eyes gradually began to glow with a golden hue as he stared at his hands, trying to examine himself, hoping to find any clue that might be the end of the thread—but—
"Ugh." Robin quickly closed his eye and covered it with both hands, as if he had been stabbed by two daggers.
"...!!" Glacion took a step forward and almost said something, but fell silent.
If he couldn't help with energy, food, or healing, then opening his mouth again would be useless, only creating noise.
At that moment—
*Bang*
"Haaah!!" Hedrick opened his eyes and threw both hands back.
*Boom*
Instantly, the massive plateau he was sitting on caved in and began to shatter.
"What's happening?!" Drais trembled and jumped down.
"This...?!" As for Hedrick, he quickly pulled his hands back, staring at them with extreme confusion and astonishment. "I... broke through?!"
Hedrick could now clearly sense the Seventh Level.
No, rather, the seventh levels.
There was no longer any difference between his perception of Shattering and any other law.
A strange feeling, a terrifying feeling... he felt that the universe around him was made of weak writing paper, that he could cut it with a mere wave, burn it all just by rubbing his hands together...
Had he become much stronger? Not exactly.
The world around him had become excessively weaker!!
But... doesn't that make him much stronger relative to the universe?
"Heh~" Glacion let out a faint chuckle as he watched Hedrick trying to grasp what was happening to him. "What a familiar sight."
"...?" Hedrick lifted his head and began looking around him.
A single glance at Glacion told him immediately who he was—it told him that if he tried anything, he could be killed with extreme ease, should a fight even break out.
The same glance toward Drais told him the same and more. This four-star Royal Spirit Master definitely wouldn't withstand a slap—in fact, a slap sent through the air from a distance would be enough to turn him into a pile of bloody vapor.
"....?!" This kind of thinking, this kind of assessment made even Hedrick's heart tremble for a moment.
Then finally, he set his eye on Robin. "....?" He was sitting a few steps away, holding his eye, his body language suggesting extreme weakness and deep exhaustion.
Yet, the moment he looked at him, he began to hear his very essence and every cell in his body scream:
Danger.
Danger.
Danger.