Chapter 277: Hunger For Ascension

One by one, the group began absorbing the energy contained within their Aether Cores…

The Aether flowed into their bodies in gentle currents, easing the dull ache of depleted reserves as it travelled through their Aether Veins and gradually restored some of the strength the battle had drained from them.

The improvement was neither instantaneous nor sufficient to erase their exhaustion entirely, but it was enough to make the prospect of returning to the Cave considerably less daunting.

After all, there was a difference between being exhausted and being exhausted with nothing left in reserve. In the Nether Lands, the latter was an excellent way to turn an ordinary journey into a regrettable final expedition.

Caelestra had initially offered Aelric several Aether Cores, only for him to refuse them with an excuse that seemed almost deliberately designed to irritate her.

According to him, the Aether Cores were not up to his standards.

As an Aether Weaver, Aelric had little use for Rank One Aether Cores. The energy contained within them was disproportionately small compared with what a Rank Three Etheryean required, making their absorption an inefficient way to replenish his reserves. It was rather like offering a starving giant a single grain of rice and expecting him to express gratitude.

Besides, according to Aelric, killing the two Rank Two Ratchyr leaders had not taken any meaningful toll on his body. If anything, the confrontation had merely provided an opportunity to stretch his limbs and exercise his strength after a prolonged period without a proper fight.

Caelestra had stared at him for several moments before deciding that arguing with the fellow would be a waste of her precious time.

Given Aelric’s infuriating indifference and his apparent inability to appreciate a perfectly reasonable offer, the failed Merchant abandoned her attempt to replenish his reserves and distributed the remaining Aether Cores among the others.

Meanwhile, Aelric watched them with half-lidded eyes, apparently satisfied that they were finally doing something sensible rather than wasting their time asking him questions he had no immediate intention of answering.

He looked remarkably comfortable for someone standing in the middle of a ruined temple surrounded by corpses and ichor.

Regaleon, however, was occupied with something considerably more concerning.

The silver-haired Knight sat several metres away from the others in a lotus position, holding an Aether Core in each hand as he directed their energy into his body.

At first, the process seemed to proceed as expected. Aether flowed from the crystals, entered his Primary Aether Veins before being distributed to his Secondary Veins which then gradually replenished the energy he had expended during the battle.

Yet, the longer he continued, the more he noticed something peculiar.

A substantial portion of the energy he absorbed seemed to disappear before reaching its intended destination.

The sensation was subtle at first, little more than an inexplicable discrepancy between the energy leaving the crystals and the amount actually entering his Aether Veins. However, as Regaleon continued absorbing the Cores, the discrepancy became increasingly difficult to ignore.

It felt as though he were pouring an entire bowl of water onto a burning house, only to discover that the flames remained just as hungry as before.

No matter how much Aether he absorbed, something appeared to be siphoning it away, preventing him from replenishing his depleted reserves as efficiently as he should have been able to.

Regaleon frowned at the situation.

His first suspicion was the Reliquary.

Considering that his second Heart required Aether to activate, he reasoned that the energy entering his body might also be flowing towards the metaphysical Heart, diverting a portion of his reserves into the mysterious structure.

Such an explanation would have been reasonable, given the unusual relationship between his cultivation and the Reliquary.

Unfortunately, the possibility raised another concern.

What would happen if his consciousness entered the Reliquary while his body was still recovering?

He had no intention of discovering whether his physical form could continue functioning without his conscious supervision, especially with the others nearby.

If his body suddenly became unresponsive in the middle of the temple, Regaleon would have to explain an extraordinary situation that he had deliberately kept hidden from them.

And explaining the Reliquary would be considerably more complicated than explaining a temporary loss of consciousness.

He had concealed its existence not because he distrusted his companions, but because he could not afford to reveal something he barely understood himself.

The Reliquary’s connection to the Knight Templars, the Cult Of Templars, the Nether Lands and the Keys of the First Oath made it far too significant to discuss casually, particularly when he had yet to uncover the full extent of its mysteries.

Until he understood what he possessed, Regaleon had no intention of allowing others to become entangled in its secrets.

Fortunately, his suspicions proved unfounded because the object siphoning away his Aether was not the Reliquary at all. Rather, it was his Soul Essences.

What Regaleon had failed to realize was that, throughout the battle, his Soul Essences had continued indulging in their peculiar gluttony. Whenever he killed a Ratchyr, they absorbed the strange reddish energy lingering within the creature’s remains, feeding upon it with an enthusiasm that would have embarrassed a starving beast.

The more Ratchyrs he killed, the more they consumed.

During the battle, the constant supply of energy had allowed their appetite to go largely unnoticed, especially when no one on the battlefield was particularly focused on the wisps of energy flowing into the Forgotten Knight.

Moreover, Regaleon himself had been too occupied with fighting to pay close attention to the unusual fluctuations within his Soul Essences, and the energy they absorbed had blended into the general commotion of his cultivation.

Now, however, the battle was over.

The supply of reddish energy had abruptly disappeared, leaving his Soul Essences without the source of nourishment they had enjoyed throughout the afternoon.

Consequently, they had begun drawing upon the Aether he absorbed from the Cores, diverting it towards themselves instead of allowing it to replenish his reserves.

Regaleon could hardly blame them for their behaviour. After all, they had never demonstrated a particularly refined sense of moderation.

Nevertheless, the intensity of their hunger surprised him.

Beneath his awareness, he sensed an insistent pull accompanied by a restless agitation, as though something within his Soul Essences were straining against an invisible boundary.

Their desire was no longer the simple appetite he had grown accustomed to observing. There was an unmistakable urgency to it, a peculiar tension that suggested they were approaching some kind of transformation.

Regaleon’s eyes narrowed as he examined the sensation more carefully.

He remembered what had happened back at the Breeding Nest.

On that occasion, his Soul Essences had similarly urged him to crush an Aether Core, their appetite becoming so pronounced that ignoring it had proved difficult. When he finally yielded, his Halberd had undergone an unexpected evolution, advancing from a Baron Tier weapon to a Viscount Tier one.

The experience had been both astonishing and revealing.

His Soul Essences were not merely consuming energy for the sake of replenishment. Under certain conditions, their hunger appeared to signal that they were approaching a breakthrough, requiring an additional influx of energy to complete their advancement.

Could the same thing be happening again?

Regaleon remained motionless, his fingers tightening slightly around the Aether Cores as he concentrated on the sensations emanating from his Soul Essences. The energy continued flowing into his body, only for a portion of it to disappear into that insatiable appetite.

A faint crease appeared between his brows.

He had initially assumed that his difficulty replenishing his Aether reserves was an inconvenience caused by the Reliquary. Now, however, the evidence pointed towards something considerably more interesting.

One of his Soul Essences was already approaching the threshold of a new Tier.

And judging by the hunger and restless agitation stirring within them, it seemed that the breakthrough might be much closer than he had anticipated…