Chapter 296: An Awkward Compliment

For several moments after the golden radiance vanished, nobody seemed entirely certain of what to say. The ruined temple had fallen into an uncanny stillness, its ancient pillars standing beneath a thin veil of settling dust.

Vermilion light filtering through the distant forest canopy cast faint shadows across the stone floor, revealing the traces of destruction left behind by their recent battle. Yet the blood, scattered flesh, and other unsightly remnants of the slaughter had disappeared, leaving the chamber strangely pristine in the wake of Regaleon’s extraordinary transformation.

The silence was understandable. After all, there was only so much absurdity a person could reasonably process before requiring a moment to reconsider their life choices.

Surprisingly, the group had spent nearly several hours in the ruined temple without realizing just how much time had slipped away.

Their original intention had been considerably less eventful: examine the mysterious inscriptions they had discovered and see whether Aelric could shed some light on the Targaryen language, believed to be the first language ever spoken in Aetherium.

Unfortunately, their plans had quickly unravelled.

The battle against the Ratchyr colony had consumed a considerable portion of their time, forcing them to contend with a horde of vicious creatures before they could even think about returning to their original objective.

Between the fighting, the aftermath, and the collection of valuable materials, the hours had passed with irritating efficiency.

Then came Regaleon’s Halberd.

Its unexpected ascension had given them another mystery to contemplate, and before they could properly digest that development, his Armour had followed suit with a transformation so spectacular that it had nearly shaken the temple apart...

At the centre of this bewildering sequence of events stood the Forgotten Knight himself, his golden eyes wide with astonishment as he continued examining his Armour with the expression of a man who had discovered that his possessions were considerably more ambitious than he had ever imagined.

Truthfully, Regaleon had suspected that his Armour had long since being approaching the ascension. After all, both his Soul Essences shared the same peculiar gluttony, eagerly consuming energy that would have been more than sufficient to replenish the reserves of an ordinary Etheryean.

Ever since arriving in the Nether Lands, his Armour had been absorbing the strange reddish energy released by the corpses of the creatures he killed.

Considering that his exile had practically turned him into a wandering participant in one battle after another, it was hardly surprising that the accumulated energy had eventually reached a sufficient quantity to facilitate another advancement.

The Armour had been growing stronger alongside the Halberd, even if its progress had remained less conspicuous.

Indeed, when his Halberd first advanced from Baron Tier to Viscount Tier, Regaleon had already suspected that his Armour would eventually follow the same path. He simply had not expected the advancement to occur so soon, much less in such a spectacular fashion.

The explanation was becoming increasingly apparent. The reddish energy absorbed from fallen creatures, the Aether Cores he had used during cultivation, and the Essence Crystals Caelestra had generously provided had all contributed to the accumulation of power within his Soul Essences.

Together, these sources of energy had finally supplied his Armour with the necessary impetus to complete its ascension.

What Regaleon had not anticipated was the sheer extent of the transformation.

His Armour felt different in ways that extended far beyond its appearance or increased strength. Its presence within him had become more substantial, and the connection between his consciousness and the Soul Essence seemed more immediate, as though the distance between his intentions and its response had diminished considerably.

He flexed his fingers, watching the golden plates of his gauntlets move in perfect coordination.

The movement was effortless.

Even the smallest adjustment felt more natural than before, and the Armour responded to his will with a precision that suggested its newly revealed capabilities had barely begun to unfold.

Regaleon was undeniably pleased.

Nevertheless, beneath his satisfaction lingered a faint but persistent disappointment.

His Armour had now reached Marquess Tier, placing it above his Halberd once again.

He had spent so much time anticipating the advantages of having both Soul Essences at the same Tier that the renewed disparity felt almost like an elaborate joke played at his expense.

He had hoped that their synchronization would improve once they stood on equal footing, allowing him to explore the full extent of their combined potential.

Instead, his Armour had advanced ahead of the Halberd, undoing the very balance he had worked so diligently to achieve.

The irony was difficult to ignore.

For a brief moment, Regaleon even wondered whether his Soul Essences were deliberately conspiring to keep him occupied. Considering their extraordinary appetite for energy, he would not have been entirely surprised if they had developed an appreciation for expensive inconveniences.

Unfortunately, he had no evidence to support the theory.

Nor could he deny the small measure of regret accompanying his otherwise welcome advancement. The incentive that had driven him to push his Halberd towards ascension had now become a rather hollow consolation.

Still, there was little point complaining about receiving something stronger than he had possessed before.

He had survived far worse disappointments.

"Well," Veyrath suddenly announced, breaking the silence with a long, incredulous sigh, "I believe I have officially reached the point where your existence alone exhausts me more than any battle ever could."

The failed Gnost’s amber eyes drooped with theatrical weariness as he regarded Regaleon.

"Some people cultivate for years to achieve a breakthrough. Others risk their lives in dangerous expeditions, hoping to obtain a rare opportunity. Then there is you, who apparently cannot go several hours without making one of your possessions evolve into something more troublesome."

Although Veyrath’s complaint might have sounded exaggerated to an outsider, those who had accompanied Regaleon for more than ten days could appreciate the sentiment.

His existence was no longer merely a collection of unusual circumstances; it had become an ongoing challenge to their understanding of what was supposed to be possible.

The unfortunate part was that Regaleon himself often seemed just as surprised as everyone else.

Before Veyrath could launch into another complaint, Sylveris hurried towards the silver-haired Knight, her silver eyes gleaming with the unmistakable curiosity of a young girl witnessing something extraordinary.

"So, Regaleon, what happened just now? Does this mean your Armour has ascended to another Tier?"

Having witnessed the phenomena accompanying his Halberd’s previous advancements, Sylveris had little difficulty connecting the golden radiance with another breakthrough. The only uncertainty was whether her conclusion was correct.

Regaleon tilted his head and gave her a small smile.

"Yes, Sylveris. My Armour has officially reached Marquess Tier."

"Wow!" Her eyes widened, and she clasped her hands together in excitement. "Doesn’t that mean you’re now the strongest person in the group?"

The question nearly made Regaleon choke on his own breath.

"Well, I’m not quite sure about that."

As he answered, his golden eyes shifted subtly towards Aureleah, who observed the exchange between him and her younger sister with the impassiveness of a seasoned assassin watching an amateur wander into a trap.

Sylveris’s assumption was understandable, but fundamentally premature.

A higher Soul Essence Tier did not automatically translate into superior combat ability. There were numerous factors that determined the outcome of a battle, including cultivation, experience, technique, compatibility, and the effective application of one’s abilities.

Regaleon’s ascensions had certainly strengthened him, but several members of their group still possessed Soul Essences of higher Tiers. Their respective abilities also varied considerably, making any straightforward comparison difficult.

The two advancements he had achieved were remarkable, yet they did not automatically place him above everyone else.

His Soul Essences possessed extraordinary potential, and their unusual behaviour suggested that they might eventually surpass the limits imposed by their current Tiers. However, potential was not the same as realized strength.

Until that potential had been fully developed, declaring him the strongest would be little more than speculation.

Besides, there was only one reliable way to settle such a dispute, they would have to fight in order to compare their strengths and weaknesses. And given their present circumstances, Regaleon had no particular desire to encourage his companions to test that theory.

Sylveris, however, seemed oblivious to these distinctions. Her question had been intended as a compliment, and she looked genuinely delighted by the possibility that Regaleon had become stronger than everyone else.

Unfortunately, she had unknowingly placed him in an awkward position, leaving him to explain why becoming more powerful did not necessarily mean he had become the strongest among them...