The Chronicles Of New Havens

Freon was also having an awkward time. He was sitting in his room with a troubled expression. In these past few months, he seriously ȧssessed his combat strength. Aside from his High Gaseous Fog Core Level, his main trump card was the Arcellius Family's Bloodline Ability, Thousand Core Resonance. However, this Bloodline Ability had strict limitations that prevented it from truly shining. It could only attune to a single spell for a time, following a resting period where he would be unable to use any magic. What if he chose the wrong spell? There were no takebacks for his Bloodline Ability, and he would be forced to shoulder the consequences. In a battlefield, he would have no means to attack nor defend. He would instantly become a useless burden! Freon could not find a way to fit it universally in all situations and the risks were extraordinarily high. One misstep would be enough to damn him in the afterlife.

Elizabeth, Benedict, and Shirley did not share this problem. Elizabeth had the Whiteangel Bow, Dual Core Rending Technique, and Peak Gaseous Fog Core Level. With her tempering technique, she had the flexibility to augment any spell she chose, and she had the magic reserve to support it. For Benedict, he had Martial Energy, the Hawken Style, and the Cloud Sea Style. The versatility of Martial Energy did not need to be said, and when combined with the Cloud Sea Style, it allowed him to transcend ranks. He could freely attack or defend and alternate between the two sword styles without a problem. As for Shirley, she was perhaps the most ridiculous of the three. Her immense flexibility and adaptability to every situation, accompanied by her monstrous instincts, carried her through every life-threatening ordeal thus far. Add to that, her Mock Perception and newly developed Martial Energy, and she was possibly one of the most powerful of the three.

As they say, comparison was the root of all evil. Freon might have been content by himself, but his friends seemed to be one step ahead. The Thousand Core Resonance Bloodline Ability was powerful, that he could not deny, and it once dominated an entire generation of Arcanists in the Zino Kingdom; however, times change. Back in that generation, the strongest Arcanist was only at the Medium Condensed Drop Core Level. Now, the world was reeking of Blue Depth Arcanists like his uncle. Freon needed to develop a more well-rounded and sophisticated battle strategy for the fights to come! His Bloodline Ability could still be, and would always be, his final trump card, but it could not be his main attacking or defending method. That was why he was constantly experimenting in his room.

Pointing his wand forward, he activated his spell and then his Bloodline Ability. Instantly, his Channels began to rearrange themselves into their ideal configuration. Channels were the metaphysical network of Magic Energy inside the body, which was normally a chaotic mess that routed from the Core to the external world. This 'mess' differed from person to person and contributed to a person's affinity for Arcania. For example, Nassandra had an excellent aptitude with water-type and wind-type spells that was best encapsulated in the large-scale tactical spell, Torrential Blizzard. Granted, this natural affinity did not dictate definitively what an Arcanist had to use. It was more of a suggestion than a statement. His uncle, Protector Avin, was one of the exceptional cases where he seemed proficient in every field. He could cast spells as easy as drinking water! As for Freon, his natural aptitude was fire-oriented, so he chose fire-type spells to use, and his Bloodline Ability could strengthen his fire-type spells to a ludicrous degree.

The pain intensified, but Freon bit his lip to curb his grunts. With immense concentration, he empowered his Magic Perception to the maximum. He could see his Channels shifting rapidly under his Bloodline Ability, but he exerted his willpower to suppress it. He was like a snake tamer trying to wrangle a pile of venomous snakes! Every Channel was fiercely fighting his control and lashing it, causing Freon to stumble from the pain. Every part of his body was crying out! Despite the perilous situation, he remained calm. This much was expected. He took a deep breath and focused his Bloodline Ability on one side of his body. Then, like an outlet opened, the Channels on the left side of his body transformed as fast as lightning, while he resisted the right side. At the current moment, he had perfectly divided his Channels into two zones!

A brilliant burst of flames appeared in the room, showing that his spell and Bloodline Ability activated! Freon was inwardly pleased. Although the spell's power was improved by his Thousand Core Resonance, compared to his 'full body transformation', it was much weaker than it should be. Assuming his 'full' Thousand Core Resonance improved his spell by five times, then this 'partial' version would be closer to two times. He divided his Channels into two zones, so less than half effectiveness was within expectations. Furthermore, throughout these months, he realized that dividing his Channels into two zones encroached on his breaking point. He was only a High Gaseous Fog Core Level after all and a stronger Arcanist would boast a stronger Magic Perception. It was impressive enough that he could manipulate his Bloodline Ability like this.

Yet, the experiment was not over. Freon's eyes glinted and he began activating another, entirely different, spell! The right side of his body, which was not affected by his Bloodline Ability, began surging with energy, while the left side of his body was chaotically rampaging. The two sides battled each other! He fought back the mounting pain and kept his focus. At the tip of his wand, a very faint Magic Circle materialized for half a second before violently exploding! Bang! The residual Magic Energy created a small harmless explosion that only startled Freon. He took a few minutes to recollect himself and settle his raging Core, his expression was ugly. Thankfully, he was testing with a weak training spell, or the backlash would have been enough to cripple him immediately. He was glad that he had the foresight not to do something so dangerous.

That said, the benefits were truly worth it. Assuming he succeeded in flexibly manipulating his Bloodline Ability, it would give him far more options. Even the 'half transformation' was a step above Elizabeth's Dual Core Rending Technique in terms of overall power, much less his full Bloodline Ability. It was not just about dividing his body into two zones, but the theory. What if he could divide it into three? Or four? Currently, he was looking at the gates of Peak Gaseous Fog Core Level and he only needed a little push to thoroughly step through! Initially, Freon never had much hope for reaching Peak Gaseous Fog, but he believed that reaching Condensed Drop was only a matter of time now. His speed was meteoric! And if he learned double-casting from his uncle, or even triple-casting, with his Bloodline Ability… The potential was limitless!

Elizabeth, Benedict, Shirley, and Freon, the synergy that these four possessed was something that no one could predict. Elizabeth learned from the mysterious spirit Rena, Benedict from Sword King Sin Quelldown, Shirley from the grim reapers of Firecast, and Freon from Protector Avin Arcellius. Their masters were some of the strongest or most mysterious people in the human world! And now that they could exchange pointers and theories together, it was like their viewpoints were fȯrċɨbŀƴ ripped open. The frogs at the bottom of the well could finally see the sky's true glamor! Their strength was rising at an incredible rate, reaching the summit of Grand Rank 1 Mortal! Rank 2 Lord was finally within sight! Alas, there was no blade without a whetstone and the whetstone was fast approaching.

Inside a conference room in the Yunyun Stronghold were the various Admirals, Army Generals, Legion Generals, Brigade Commanders, including people from the intelligence, diplomatic, and reconnaissance division. It was truly an ensemble of the greatest powers in the army here. Everyone glossed over the reports, including Elizabeth, with a stern expression. Their intelligence mentioned the latest developments from the warfront, particularly the Li Family's order to retreat from the Samfeng Province and their intent to negotiate with the Alzar Kingdom. This came as a surprise to Elizabeth. After what happened with the Imperial Princesses, she thought that the Li Family would be completely disinterested in negotiating with the Alzar Kingdom. Although there were some unconfirmed rumors from the elder council, who would have thought that the Li Family would really make the first move?

Upon considering the overall war though, she had to agree it made sense. The Imperial Council was unresponsive and uncooperative and they had the support of the Featherwind Sect. Strategic-level magic was just one boon that they were given. According to the conversation that Elizabeth had with Elder Crus and Ludin, the Featherwind Sect was a Rank 3 King foreign organization! They were shrouded in mystery, and no one had a true grasp over their background, numbers, strength, or anything. Even now, the information that the Alzar Kingdom could gleam were crumbs. The Imperial Council's information control was outstanding enough to seal off any leaks! Of course, that did not mean that the Alzar Kingdom had no clues, but the main point was that the Featherwind Sect allegedly had a Rank 3 King! Until the full capabilities of a Rank 3 King were determined, they were an unknown and unpredictable variable. One did not need to look at how tall the tree was if they saw the shadow on the ground. The Featherwind Sect was worthy of concern!

The Li Family, specifically the elder council, were likely to think this way too. The current Imperial Council was an unknown threat, which could topple the balance between the three powers. If the Li Family and the Alzar Kingdom continued fighting, then the Imperial Council would reap the benefits. It was just that simple really. All that nonsense about the civilizations hating each other… Only the commoners manipulated by the government would be biased that way. In truth, the governments were unbelievably impartial and logical that saw the bigger picture. Elizabeth knew firsthand that the Alzar Kingdom's Royal Family and Royal Assembly behaved this way, so the same likely went for the Li Family's elder council. No one wanted to see their legacy fall, so it was in their best interests to steer the ship whichever way the wind blows. Only the ones that possessed this tenacity could survive to this day!

Elizabeth's thoughts returned to the present. The question now was… what to do about the Li Family? What should they do?