Come on, come on...,â Lythero said to himself as he kept condensing his excess aether into cultivation rings that began to surround his newly reformed formula one after the other.
The first three rings came rather easily to Lythero, as there was plenty of aether to work with and he was still running on that high of having his aether cultivation back to normal.
However, once he got to the fourth, Lythero started to feel a bit more pushback. Granted, he still managed to condense the damn thing, it just took more effort than the previous three.
Once he got to the fifth ring though, things got really hectic for Lythero.
At this point in time, he felt as if he was trying to close a valley with nothing but his hands to help him do so.
This shouldâve been a sign for him to stop, or at least ask for assistance.
But alas, a combination of innate pride and the joy of being able to properly cultivate again had caused Lythero to overlook this possibility and focus solely on his own abilities.
âYou can do this, you can do this,â Lythero told himself.
That stated, this inability to ask for help, didnât stop Zhen Liu and Blazejudicator from taking on the role of observer and possible guardian.
After all, nobody likes it when someone suddenly overtakes their position of power.
...Switching perspectives...
âHuh...Iâm not gonna lie, I was not expecting that to happen in the slightest,â Zhen Liu fully admitted to Blazejudicator. âI sincerely thought that he would just get back to whatever cultivation level he originally was and be done with it.â
[In fairness, Executor, neither of us expected this Lythero character to be packing a Universe Class formula like you,] Blazejudicator added on.
âI suppose...,â Zhen Liu paused as he thought over the implications of this specific factoid. âDo you have any idea on what this formula might be, or is this something that we would need the library for?â
[The latter,] Blazejudicator freely admitted. [Although, we could just ask him once heâs done cultivating.]
âTrue.â
...Meanwhile, at a certain library...
<ARE YOU HUGGING KIDDING ME RIGHT NOW?! ALL OF THESE JUICY REVELATIONS AND WE CANâT TELL OUR LORD JACKFUZZ?! BAH!,> Pathos roared in frustration once he saw that their Lordâs point of view had changed to the outside world once again.
[What...was...that?,] Frosttusk asked Logos once Pathos had finished yelling.
A little after the Kaijin had learned that their Lord was essentially acting like a low quality streaming camera, they collectively decided to go where Logos and Pathos would normally be to see how their Lord was handling himself without them. So far, he hadnât blown himself up...yet.
There was a close call where they were about to lose their shit when they saw their lord getting caught up in the explosion caused by an aether formula starting back up, but that thankfully didnât happen.
They still wanted answers though.
=If youâre asking about the self-censorship, Pathos does that when heâs really annoyed about something,= Logos answered while looking through a collection of records pertaining to formulas native to the Dozing Salamander continent. =Once upon a time, they used to replace curse words with types of candy.=
[Seriously?,] Screamira asked incredulously.
<Fluff you.>
=If youâre asking about this guyâs formula...I think I have an idea, but if Iâm right, our lord now has an even bigger problem coming his way.=
[How so?,] Nepeherage asked with genuine concern.
Before elaborating any further, Logos snapped their fingers and produced a display depicting an aether formula that none of the kaijin were familiar with. However, they could all sense the sheer amount of power and danger radiating off of it.
[What the hell am I looking at, and why do I feel like my style is getting jacked?,] Razorstella asked while staring at the formula.
=This, as far as I can tell, is the lost [Nine Suns Sword Scripture], a minor Universe class formula with a focus on swordsmanship, suns and fire.=
[I...want to say "no shit", but I get the feeling saying that in front of the genuine article will end with me becoming a roasted frog,] Hurricroak commented.
[Wait a minute,] Springerdermain interjected. [Arenât Universe class formulas incredibly rare? Case and point...]
At that last statement, Springerdermain had gestured to the entire [Library of Nowhere] and itâs occupants.
=Youâre right on that,= Logos confirmed. =The chances of our lord stumbling upon someone else with a formula on the same level as his own was calculated to be a one in sixty-four million, three hundred thousand and five chance.=
[Is that lucky or unlucky?]
[Itâs plot armor.]
[You mean a plot landmine?]
<Enough quipping!,> Pathos finally interrupted. <The long and short of it is that if our lord doesnât help this lucky SOB breakthrough properly, he could actually end up dying for real this time. Well, him and the entire town heâs in I guess.>
[Wait a minute, what?!]
=Pathos is partially joking,= Logos answered to assuage the kaijinâs fears. =The only reason that would be an actual issue is if someone was dumb enough and suicidal enough to try and attack whomever this is while theyâre doing a breakthrough. Iâm fairly certain most people are polite enough to not do something like that.=
...Now back to Papaya TownâŠ
For the most part, Papaya Town was predominantly wooden, simple buildings that could easily be repaired.
However, there was one notable exception.
At the edge of town was a large, marble mansion that was surrounded by a thick brick wall and closed off behind a garish, rune-infused gate.
This mansion was the property of the town hegemon, Kendana Cortez.
Kendana was a first ringed Aether Grandmaster who just so happened to also be the patriarch of the Cortez Trading Company, a mercantile family business that had been in control of Papaya Townâs exports since the townshipâs founding.
On top of all that though, there was one other aspect that was lesser known to the wider world.
One that just so happened to be connected to a certain young man going through a breakthrough.
But for the time being, Kendana Cortez was in the middle of cultivating by meditating over a stone platform that was made of [Crimson Obsidian], and carved in the Dozing Salamander style.
^Papa Cortez! Papa Cortez!^
^Hmmm? What is it, my child?^
At least, until a young Acolyte of the Company came to him with a panicked expression.
^That vagabond, the one that great granduncle wanted us to keep an eye, he managed to break his seal!^
^What?!^
Kendana was so shocked by this young manâs news that he immediately stopped meditating and stepped down from the obsidian platform to make sure he wasnât hearing things.
^Elaborate on what you said,^ Kendana commanded after getting down to the Acolyteâs level. ^I want to make sure youâre not lying to me.^
^W-well! Itâs like this, Papa Cortez, I was doing my nightly patrol around the vagabondâs house like always, making sure nothing was amiss. Everything seemed fine like usual, until I actually approached it,^ the Acolyte explained in one go before needing to take a breath.
^Once I did, I discovered that the vagabondâs property had become surrounded by this weird mirage.^
^A mirage?^
^Yes! A mirage!,^ the Acolyte insisted. ^On the outside, it looks like the vagabondâs shack. But once I crossed the mirageâs boundary, I saw that the vagabond was in the middle of breaking through and that his shack was smashed to pieces. Oh! Heâs also being accompanied by guy who looks really familiar but I couldnât exactly pinpoint where I-^
^Hush now, child,^ Kendana interrupted. ^I need to think about our next course of action.^
^O-of course, Papa Cortez. Iâll be on my way,^ this Acolyte said before quickly bowing and leaving.
Now that he was alone again, Kendana let out a deep, hateful sigh.
^Godsdammit! Why did I agree to watch over this ticking time bomb instead of taking matters into my own hands!,^ Kendana cursed.
Several decades ago, seven swordmasters and their apprentice had besmirched the honor of Duke Diamoro Cortez Rosa of the House of the Golden Sabertooth, by murdering his son.
Granted, the brat had become a runaway and turned to banditry, but family was family.
So after righteously murdering these swordsmen for insulting the honor of the House of the Golden Sabertooth, Duke Diamoro had systematically limit the apprenticeâs future by not only sealing his cultivation, but making it so that he would eventually be forced to settle in backwater town and live under the watchful gaze of a distant relative.
That relative was Kendana Cortez.
^Itâll be an easy job they said, it will be worth the effort they said, well maybe you guys shouldâve told me that this bastard had cultivated such a dangerous formula!,^ Kenadan yelled to the heavens. ^Okay, Iâm done.^
Once he had that out of his system, Kendana immediately entered serious mode.
^Rally the troops, we have a bastard to slaughter!^