Chapter 311: Stabilisation
Back in the territory, people were panicking after Virat relayed whatever was happening back there.
First, the news that the Hydra was indeed a superbloodline beast was confirmed when it grew two heads after the first one was cut.
At first they were optimistic, thinking their territoryâs strength would multiply, but then Virat relayed the news of a strange crystalline beast getting stomped into defeat and then Lilyâs beastâTreantâgetting defeated as well.
The beast wasnât even fully defeated when it disappeared, and what followed next was total chaos that made their skin crawl. They had never seen a disaster of such scale.
Even if the normal environment did grow a bit chaotic sometimes, it was never in such a wide range.
But what they were seeingâyeah, not through Viratâs eyes but visible to everyoneâthey couldnât fathom themselves being there, especially when trees were getting uprooted and boulders dragged through the air.
Virat confirmed that there was only one small beast that happened to be swept up by the tornado and disappeared the next moment. Just thatâno other beasts, as they had run away right after sensing the Hydraâs presence.
"I-is that Hydraâs doing?" Aina asked uncertainly.
"No, see! There is that black lightning! And then the vines and wind!" Sylva pointed out.
"Itâs Miss Lilyâs elements!"
"M-miss Lily was this strong? Wow... I didnât know," Veronica muttered, watching in awe as the tornado kept widening.
"Did she hide her strength in the competition? Because this is way stronger than she displayed back there."
While they were speculating, Virat suddenly said something that attracted everybodyâs attention.
"Something is covering the region! Look!"
The others followed the direction he pointed toward, only to see that the raging tornado had settled, and the area around it had started to be covered by mist.
Virat also caught a glimpse of a water wave beneath the misty coat, but not quite able to figure things out, he opted to shut his mouth and observe the rest of the event.
Not long after, the mist directly covered them. Nearly a 1200 meter area was swallowed by the fog as Leo expanded it further.
"W-what the hell?!" Mira shouted in panic as her visibility drastically decreased. The same happened for the others, but the only one unaffected was Miho.
"Master Leoâs skill..." she muttered quietly.
But the people around her caught her words. Their eyes widened as realization dawned on themâLeo was even stronger than Lily.
---
Back at the epicentre of all this, Leo was seen holding onto Lily on the ground, their hands tightly clasped.
Lilyâs Mana: 120,800 -> 1,000
Leoâs Mana: 6,909 -> 127,709 -> 10,620
Just as their mana levels reached that threshold, Leo cancelled [Mist Shroud], and the 1200-meter area was once again illuminated by the evening sun.
Lily was currently unconscious. Leo gently stroked her face and used [Natureâs Heal] to relieve her of any stress or hidden injuries.
rustle
Leo sharply turned toward the sound, only to see Leon staggering across the uneven ground. It was then that Leo glanced around and finally witnessed the full scale of destruction.
Nearly 300 to 400 meters of the region lay in ruins. The ground was wet, trees were broken and uprooted, and misplaced rocks were scattered everywhere. The place where Leo sat with Lily in his arms was the only slightly intact patch remaining, as it had been the eye of the storm.
The first thing Leon said upon reaching Leo wasâ
"Due to you both, my Grivak will be revealed to other academies. What compensation do you have in mind?"
Leo scoffed.
"It gets covered in the monthly soul petal that I feed you. Now get lost, or approach Miho to get that pitiful body of yours patched before you die of blood loss. Leave me alone with her for a while."
Leon sneered but complied. He summoned Singham, climbed onto his back, and headed toward the territory.
Leo looked down and brushed away the pink strands of hair over Lilyâs face. He lightly kissed her, lifted her in his arms, summoned Shyra, and headed back toward the territory.
He didnât stop to greet anyone, and the others also stepped back when they saw Lily unconscious in Leoâs arms.
Making his way to the shed, he closed the door behind him.
He was thinking of a way to clean her body when suddenly something tugged at his mind. His frown turned into joy as he extended his arm and water condensed around it.
Ding!
>Soul connection with soul mate reached critical point. Both parties are now able to use each otherâs elemental affinities and related skills.
Leo noted that it specifically mentioned elements, which meant Lily wouldnât be able to use skills like [Critical Strike]. But with the way they were progressing, he didnât think the day was far away when they would be able to use whatever the other one owned.
With that, Leo created water and used [Thermal Pulse] to warm it, quickly washing both her and himself. He followed it up with another cast of [Natureâs Heal] on her.
After dressing her up and laying her on the bed, he stepped outside.
Miho had also finished treating Leon, who was now resting in his shed. She got busy preparing dinner while Leo departed to retrieve Niri and somehow bring Grivak back as well, since Leon had been strictly prohibited from leaving his bed.
After reaching the Temple, he spotted both beasts in a particular section outside the temple, patiently sitting.
Once again, Niri had somehow convinced the stern-looking Grivak to give her a seat atop one of his appendages.
Leo noticed that both beasts were heavily guarded by people, and fear was apparent on everybodyâs facesâas if they were cursing their luck to have the shift when such beasts were supposed to be kept in line.
Though Niri looked cute, her Mid 3-star aura was unmistakable when she made no effort to hide it. The surrounding guardsâwho were in fact graduated students of the academy with strength no more than 2 or low 3-starâhad their legs trembling slightly.
As for Grivak, the weaker ones were already on the verge of collapse whenever the massive scorpion made even the slightest movement.
When Leo reached the priest in charge to claim the beasts by showing his and Leonâs ID, which matched the life bracelets on Grivak and Niri, relief washed over the manâs face.
But at the same time, the guard beside the priest noticed Leoâs fresher badge, and his teeth clenched in anger.
"Fucker! Stop lying!"