The Nova ship zoomed through space at warp speed, its trajectory set for Earth, with an estimated arrival time of 2 days and 16 hours.
As one of the larger vessels in its class, the ship was compartmentalized into three main sections.
The first was the 10-meter-square flight deck, equipped with four seats and 180-degree windows that provided a breathtaking view of the cosmos. The second section consisted of quarters with two small rooms, each accommodating two crew members, and two larger rooms suitable for groups of 4 to 5. The third and largest section was the 210-meter-square cargo room, serving various functions.
The addition of the five-man Zodiac City Dragon squad added to the ship's occupancy, making it a bustling environment. During the journey, Emery took the opportunity to familiarize himself with this elite half-blood squad, which had been assigned to Earth for the next five years.
Despite their highly disciplined nature, the squad members maintained an air of constant vigilance, exchanging minimal words unless prompted. Emery discerned a sense of reluctance among them regarding their assignment to guard a distant, lower-realm planet. Their lack of enthusiasm was evident through his enhanced spirit reading.
To break the ice and foster a sense of camaraderie, Emery decided to initiate some friendly competitions with the dragon squad members. Being aware of the proud and strong nature of dragon warriors, he believed that showcasing strength would be the quickest way to gain their attention and respect. With the limited space and the conditions of the ship, Emery proposed a game of arm wrestling.
Follow on NovᴇlEnglish.nᴇtThe dragon squad leader, Terrador, initially hesitated at the suggestion, but Emery insisted.
"Five of you against five of us," Emery declared, his team consisting of Chumo, Ashaka, Yami, and Yama. Klea, not particularly interested in arm wrestling, gladly volunteered to be the referee for the matches.
The first match featured Chumo, against Branton a dragon warrior twice his size, who also happened to be the second in command of the squad. Branton's arm, as massive as a tree trunk, posed a daunting challenge for Chumo.
Chumo, relying on his [Immortal Gate Stage 6], initially held his ground against Branton's overwhelming strength. However, as the dragon warrior activated his crimson dragon bloodline transformation, the tide began to turn. The immense power of the dragon bloodline proved too much for Chumo and unwilling to use his [Nightwalker transformation], Chumo eventually succumbed to Branton's strength.
"One for the Zodiac Elite Team," Klea shouted, granting the dragon warrior their first win.
Despite Ashaka's best efforts, he too faced a similar outcome in the arm-wrestling contest. The dragon squad members began to show signs of confidence and gradually opened up, revealing multiple expressions.
However, in the following matches, they could only witness how the twins, Yama and Yami, overpowered their dragon counterparts. This unexpected turn of events set the stage for the final match between Emery and Terrador, the captain of the dragon squad.
Terrador, a half-moon magus with a rank 5 Earth dragon bloodline, possessed a superior lineage that granted him a battle power of 500 when transformed. This power level was comparable to that of a peak full-moon magus. In a show of respect for the dragon warriors, Emery decided to unleash his full strength, initiating his [Twilight Transformation] and finalizing the match.
"Our winner!! the amazing Emery Ambrose!!" Klea shouted cheerfully
The dragon squad members were taken aback as Emery effortlessly secured victory in the arm-wrestling match. Intrigued and respectful, Terrador inquired about Emery's bloodline rank. Emery proudly revealed his status as a rank 9 [Royal Twilight Fey], leaving the dragon squad members in awe and earning their full admiration.
This friendly competition not only showcased the unique abilities of Emery's team but also bridged the gap between the dragon squad and Emery, fostering a sense of camaraderie and mutual respect among the two groups.
After the arm-wrestling match concluded, Klea immediately took Chumo aside, scolding him for seemingly taking it easy on his opponent. She insisted that he follow her to the room To Emery's surprise, Klea then produced the stone slab he had purchased for her from the blind sale.
This stone slab held ancient wisdom, containing a profound technique of the wind element. Klea, having dedicated days to studying its intricacies, decided to lend it to Chumo, who also possessed proficiency in the wind element.
The stone slab was a relic infused with ancient wisdom, specifically containing a profound technique related to the wind element. Klea had devoted days to studying its secrets and, feeling that Chumo, with his proficiency in wind element, could benefit from it, she decided to lend it to him for the duration of their trip.
Follow on Novᴇl-Onlinᴇ.cᴏm"I'll just lend it to you for this trip only! It's a precious gift," Klea declared, accompanied by a cheeky smile directed at Emery.
Upon staring at the stone slab, Chumo was quickly drawn to its aura and quickly assumed a lotus position, his focus solely on comprehending the runes inscribed on it. Curiosity piqued, Emery decided to take a look at the stone slab himself. Almost instantly, a message flowed into his mind.
[Heavenly Roc Soaring Imprints ]
The imprints within the stone slab contain a divine technique that was inspired by the heavenly Roc, a legendary and incredibly swift flying beast known throughout the universe. What made this relic truly remarkable was that the slab not only contained insights into the technique but also bore the spirit intent of the supreme being who crafted it.
Emery marveled at the depth of the stone's wisdom, realizing that it wasn't merely a collection of words but a conduit for spiritual energy. As Chumo delved into the comprehension of the text, he would absorb more spirit energy from the stone slab. Grasping the generosity behind Klea's act, Emery couldn't help but smile.
Klea, revealed that she had exhausted her capacity to gain more insights from the stone slab. Despite her talent and dedicating days to its study, she had only managed to comprehend half of the profound insights, resulting in a 2% improvement in her understanding of the law of wind. Her optimism now turned toward Chumo, anticipating that he would extract even more from the ancient wisdom.
"Let's just leave him," Klea suggested, looking forward to spending more leisure time with Emery during this journey. However, to her surprise, Emery seemed affected by the stone slab. He found himself drawn in as if the runes inscribed on its surface were whispering directly to him.
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