"It is Qi."
I peer up at my partner in the sky and do a full-body scan, expecting to see a monstrous wave of Qi flowing through Ember as well.
Every ti I get a new power-up, he seems to know sothing about it or straight up already have it himself and keep it a secret from .
However, there's no such thing in his system. The core where Qi would be is empty. The only thing remotely close is a hint of energy with the sa reading as my Red Hydra's buff circling around his eyes.
It's like a miniature pocket of Soul Energy, but just as fast as I see it, it dissipates like it was never even there.
Ember flaps his wings and cos down near , then I notice his eyes flare up with the sa crimson aura montarily again while he touches the ground and looks up and down.
"What did you manage to do? Find an Originator's tomb or sothing? I didn't even know natural sources of Qi were still around in this era."
We both stand on opposite sides of the tallest white marble pillar, raised high above the rest of the gargoyle dungeon. The slowly turning boss room portal lets off a light buzz behind as I think of a response.
"No... I didn't find a tomb... I just t a friend who gave this power."
Ember lets out a resounding laugh through our telepathy link.
"What friend? The Demon King? There hasn't been anyone in centuries in control of the Origin Particle other than him. Since that Demon took control of all the tombs, humans have been confusing legends of its power with Demonic Energy and trying to hoard those black stones like gold. Co to think of it, we're not even at level 600 yet... so I know he didn't grant you soul essence as he did in a past life."
Ember pauses.
"So you really found soone that can wield Qi... I assu that's why we're back in this Labyrinth. We have so leveling work to do, don't we?"
I nod slowly at his last line, but so much of what Ember just said went right over my head.
"Well, yes. I'm in a hurry to get up to the 27th floor, but that can wait... This is more important. Explain everything you just said. In full detail. I've never gotten a clear answer about all of this. Let's back it up to when you first ntioned soul energy, like when I managed to absorb the Red Hydra's Soul Stone. This is Essence granted by so powerful Demon?"
Ember nods his head slowly, walking over very close to .
"Yes, the most powerful Demon there is. I don't believe you could fathom his strength at your current level. There's a lot to get through, and if you're in a rush, maybe we should climb while I talk."
I take out my sword and air-step onto Ember's back.
"Fine, good idea. Let's go."
We blip through the boss room portal and face the Gargoyle Boss without breaking a sweat. I channel my Qi while Ember summons even more of the Crimson aura around his talons for a split second to attack one of the mutant spawns that tries to attack us.
While both lay on the ground motionless and we wait for them to dissolve, Ember continues his point.
"What you're using is a basic pure form of Qi. If it's in your system, I'd assu you can now sense my soul energy as well even when I don't make it fully visible to your mana senses."
My eyes dart from his eyes to his claws and I nod, giving him more than enough of an answer to continue.
"Well, the two are very similar, but not exactly the sa."
We teleport to the next dungeon and begin flying through the air straight to the boss room once I do a scan and find that the monsters below have nothing but body-hardening skillst.
"Qi is the essence of a fundantal power known as soul energy. All basic Qi users have the sa tricks in their arsenals; Block, Bash, Imbue. Although these attacks in their basic forms can trump Mana or Demonic energy even twice or three tis their relative power, it is not the true peak evolutionary state. Once Qi rests in your body for long enough, and you begin to control it as instinctively as breathing, your being lds with the energy and you will awaken a unique form of Qi. A Soul Energy Awakening is what many of the Divine Beasts call it."
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As we approach
the next Boss room portal, Ember charges a claw with the crimson aura again and sends a dense ball of it down at a tree on a nearby mountaintop.
As it makes impact, the entire tree lts away, and the mountainside bursts with very lightly tinted red-orange flas.
From here, it looks like the flas are almost transparent, but they're destroying everything they touch.
"An attack like this is irreversible. My soul energy has the ability to cleanse with fire. Not even the dungeon's natural regeneration can heal sothing like this. As my strength grows greater back to my old form, its abilities will beco stronger once again too."
My eyes widen as I watch the side of the mountain continue to lt away.
We take out the next boss together and continue soaring through the next floor before I get the ntal clarity to ask another question.
"So... what are the odds that once I awaken my Soul Energy, I beco immortal, like you?"
Ember laughs as we both burst into flas to negate the frosty blizzard winds of the floor 23 dungeon.
"Zero. It a takes a bit more than just wielding Qi to negate the rules of death. That process was a lot more complicated... and I think a story better saved for another day."
"Hmm. Well, at least tell how long it would take to awaken this Soul Energy if I already have Qi flowing through ? And if I can't do it very soon... how can I defeat a monster with Soul Energy granted by one of these Divine beasts, similar to my Red Hydra's buff. I've been having trouble, just making my attacks denser or filled with more Qi isn't enough."
Ember turns his head while flying to look back at for a mont.
"You're fighting soone now with the power of a soulstone too? What other Divine Beast died while I was asleep?"
He chuckles and turns back as we arrive at another Boss Room in re minutes.
I respond while jumping through.
"Oh, they're not dead yet. And I don't know if they're one of these Divine Beasts you keep talking about; It's the Lich King if that makes it more clear. I've been battling its subordinates for a few days, but can't manage to defeat one without using my borrowed energy. I need to find a way to beat one only using Qi."
Once we appear on the other side of the portal, instantly lting the Ice Wielding monster to the floor, Ember responds in a surprised tone.
"The Lich King, huh? It hasn't co around to play in forever. This might actually be interesting."
We teleport to a new dungeon filled with sand. Enormous Golems erupt from the ground as Ember takes flight again, soaring over the 24th floor.
"However, you're nowhere near strong enough to face it. I recomnd you don't go back to whatever Region you were fighting its subordinates in. Not even as a fun training exercise, if we both went all out right now, I doubt we'd even land a finger on that monster. I bet it's watching you fight with its underlings and laughing on its throne. If you've killed its mindless monster slaves and haven't received a response, it doesn't even consider you as a threat."
I gulp at the sound of this, rembering just monts ago when Ember literally disintegrated a mountain with a power I didn't know existed until today.
"Wouldn't stand a chance?"
He shakes his head and I don't push the point further. I just sit and think to myself as the artificial desert sun beats down on from above.
We take out the golem boss without issue, then soar through the 25th floor full of fast-moving lizard creatures wielding blades and spears. Unfortunately, their speed only cos from a ranked-up buff, while most of them use dagger arts and dual wielding which is already fully upgraded for .
We take out this level 556 boss without an issue and move onto the next dungeon.
"I'm going to train with the man that gave Qi later today, but do you have any advice or training thods for ? How can I expedite the process of awakening my soul energy."
The mountainous region of the 26th floor passes below us as Ember responds.
"There's really no secret. It just takes ti, many years of growing and training with the Qi inside you. You'll have to step back from this one and take things slow."
"Not what I wanted to hear... there must be so way to expedite the process..."
After a ride of silence, we defeat the level 589 boss together, and the 27th Floor's transport magic is just waiting to be triggered.
"Alright, I'll be eting back up with my teammates now to do so slow level grinding, but good talk. If there's an actual tough battle ahead, I'll summon you back out."
Ember nods as I open my Spatial magic.
"Again, this is a real warning. Wherever you are out in the world right now, I recomnd you turn back until you've gotten much stronger. Don't go picking a fight with the Lich King unless you know what you're up against. I assure you, you don't."
Ember disappears into my item storage, and the White transfer magic of the boss room brings up to the next floor.
A million things cross my mind, like all the reasons these countries and businesses are really after Demonic Energy because they mistake it for so old legends of a God Particle Ember ntioned. The potential that my new abilities have excites , but the biggest looming thought of all is the constant warning Ember gives about the enemy that controls Valor City.
There seems to be very good reason people are calling it The Dark One.
Maybe leaving town while I'm still not a nuisance to get stronger out in Sector 2 wouldn't be such a bad idea...
My thoughts co to an abrupt halt as the transfer magic finishes.
The light dissipates and I take in my surroundings to see Maria standing proud with both hands on her hips and Abby letting out a laugh to herself in a joking tone.
"Haha! Beat ya! I knew we'd make it to this floor first!"
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