Lein observed the man before him carefully. His gaze fell on the status panel floating in the void, glowing faintly in a bluish hue.
Power Core: Star Beast
Rank: King Stage - Tier 4
"A Tier 4 King?" Lein murmured inwardly, feeling a slight sense of admiration for the man standing before him. He couldn't imagine the long and perilous journey Veyron had taken to reach such a level of power. Every number on that status panel represented battles, wounds, and years of experience.
Veyron's gaze shifted to him, his eyebrows slightly furrowed. But it wasn't because of Lein's strength or appearance—it was something deeper. There was something about this young man that unsettled his instincts. Whether it was his aura, his composure, or the way he stood calmly amidst the battle against a cosmic beast, he couldn't quite tell.
Lein noticed the stare but remained unfazed. "Apologies, sir, but we truly are just passersby. If you do not wish for assistance, that's fine." His tone was light—neither arrogant nor submissive. He wasn't here to show off or seek approval—his desire was purely to test his own limits.
Veyron's expression shifted slightly. That response… It had been a long time since he had heard such words, perhaps back when he was still an ordinary warrior, unfamiliar with true power. He had almost forgotten what it was like to speak to someone who was not intimidated by his status.
"Interesting..." Veyron finally said, the corners of his lips curling into a faint smile. His sharp teeth were visible, razor-like and gleaming.
"Do as you please," he said at last.
His gaze turned to his two comrades, who were still relentlessly attacking the colossal dragonfly-like creature. "Continue the assault. Push it to its absorption limit," he commanded firmly.
The two men beside him immediately acted, directing their attacks at the creature that kept absorbing every incoming energy. The Void Devourer trembled violently, shrouded in faint black waves. Ordinary attacks wouldn't be enough—this monster was like a black hole, devouring everything that struck it.
Lein glanced at Aleron and Tauriel, who were still watching him with strange expressions. Aleron was the first to react, grinning as he stepped closer, radiating excitement.
"Good… very good…" he murmured, his voice filled with satisfaction—almost like a scientist discovering a new experiment.
"I knew it! Lord Lein must have some hidden talent in negotiation!" he exclaimed with absolute conviction.
Lein could only sigh, shaking his head slightly. Once again, Aleron had a 'short circuit,' jumping to a conclusion far from reality.
Tauriel finally stepped forward as well, her voice calmer but tinged with a hint of tension. "Lord Lein, what exactly did you just do?" she asked warily.
Unlike Aleron, Tauriel was someone who upheld honor and morality. To her, if a high-ranking King became wary of someone—especially in the wild void of the cosmos—that was not something to be taken lightly. Conversations like these often led to life-and-death battles.
Hearing Tauriel's words, Lein fell silent. If it had only been Aleron who made that comment, he wouldn't have given it much thought. But Tauriel—a graceful woman with steadfast moral values—would never speak without reason. Lein began to wonder if he had done something strange without realizing it.
"What's the problem? I simply asked for permission sincerely," Lein murmured to himself. To him, it wasn't anything extraordinary.
"It's fine, Lord Lein. Everyone has their own secrets," Aleron said while beginning to prepare. His expression remained relaxed, as if he didn't care about Lein's secrets. Clearly, he had no intention of putting Lein in a difficult position.
Lein shot him an annoyed look. "What's with that face…?" he muttered inwardly.
But his expression quickly changed as he noticed the light beginning to emanate from Aleron's back. From a distance, the man looked ordinary, but now, a white aura enveloped him. Soft feather-like wisps began appearing one by one, swirling around him like thousands of living fragments of light.
"Oh, you're getting serious?" Tauriel's voice came from beside him.
Lein glanced at her. Like Aleron, Tauriel was also surrounded by energy, but her aura was green—gentle like morning dew. Lein swallowed hard. The light enveloping Tauriel was so elegant, making her look like a goddess descending into the mortal world.
"What's with these people?" Lein thought. This was the first time he had seen Aleron and Tauriel using their full power. Even when they faced the giant gatekeepers in the Divine Sky Trial Realm, they hadn't unleashed their full strength.
Aleron, now surrounded by glowing feathers, glanced at Tauriel. "Do you think you can fight them without laws and elemental energy? Keep dreaming," he said casually.
His body suddenly vanished. Lein blinked, and in an instant, Aleron had appeared hundreds of kilometers away, standing in the void. Around him, thousands of feathers began to gather. Hundreds. Thousands. A million. Their numbers kept increasing without limit, forming a vortex of light that filled the sky. Amidst the vast emptiness, Aleron looked like a tiny speck in the midst of a storm of dancing radiance.
Lein held his breath as he watched Aleron dash toward the colossal cosmic beast. The monster was enormous, its body so massive that it obscured part of the sky. Even so, compared to the colossal creature, Aleron was as small as a grain of sand.
But his power was not to be underestimated.
Whenever a smaller monster blocked his path, the feathers surrounding him fired beams of light. Not just one, but hundreds—thousands at once. The lesser creatures tried to resist, but within five seconds, their bodies exploded into fragments of energy.
Lein frowned. "That long?" he murmured in surprise. He hadn't expected that even with his feathers, it would take a full five seconds to destroy a single lesser monster.
But he had no time to dwell on it. In the blink of an eye, Aleron was already right in front of the guardian beast. A massive white circle appeared before him, its diameter nearly rivaling half the height of the colossal monster.