"It's no use. You can't reach it. This is beyond the realm of the mortal, I think," the old man told Pherdanta just as she was about to slash with the Bashful Abomination again. "Don't be fooled by the seemingly flimsy defence. I imagine the real protection against any kind of interference - like us - was this, rather these dark creatures that were guarding it."
Pherdanta agreed, but she muttered under her breath "I wasn't fooled, old man."
She, this old man cloaked in a passive Territory aglow, and the Stark Troops surrounding a large, loud of group of commonfolk and withered experts were standing before a strange crystal. It massive, gleaming with a reddish-purple glow. It had only been revealed when Pherdanta had sensed sothing odd in the bland space ahead of her and slashed through it using her newly earned skill [Infinite Sword God: Primordial Sword]. She had found hidden this crystal, guarded by a fair number of Cavern that she had dispatched in a breath; apparently, they were a false defense chanism.
But as the old man said, the crystal was the real protection. There was sothing within it, impossible to see clearly from the outside. Pherdanta's slashes didn't so much as graze the crystal, and to her and the old man, that was a tell-tale sign that this thing was beyond what mortals could understand or interact with.
The thing did feel a lot like Skullius, Pherdanta had noted.
"I had been wondering why these dark creatures were dying like flies all over when their mission was conquest. I an, they've done a fair share of damage to Aigas, but now it appears that they are willing distractions. They are giving their lives freely. Unlike humans, they don't hesitate to dive to their deaths for their lord's plans. They don't second guess him. Admirable," the old man said and suddenly looked emotionally.
Pherdanta gave him a look with both her eyes and pointed nose.
Before leaving the Empyrean Bosom, she was the one who had proposed to the other Unlimited Stars and Stark Troops that if possible, it was preferable to try and ascertain the intentions of experts who breached the drapes of ti rather than to imdiately go for the kill.
Pherdanta had led by example. She had personally slaughtered eleven experts and thirty powerful invading beasts that had been wreaking havoc - the rest had been handled by Troops and only this old man had proven to be cooperative. Pherdanta had been pleased to spare him.
Quite frankly, she hadn't been surprised when he showed every sign that he wanted to talk rather than fight. His long, clean robes and soft voice gave away that he was a Priest - a pretty devout one.
To the current Aigas, it was unheard of for a Priest to reach the Incandescent Stage and beyond, but Pherdanta was looking at evidence that it was possible right now.
The old man, Rakon as he said his na was, rely desired to tag along on what he called Pherdanta's adventures. He had been pretty helpful, Pherdanta had to admit. Aside from the sheer reassuring presence of the Stark Troops, his hearty laughs and stories had kept the commonfolk under their charge entertained and calm. They might have had the most gentle protection in all of Aigas.
"What do you think is the purpose of this crystal then? What does Boron aim to accomplish with it?" Pherdanta asked Rakon.
The old man let out a 'hmmm' that blew from his nose like snot.
"Well, you said a friend of your master delivered a blow to Boron that has weakened his vessel. I imagine he is looking for another one, but given how much he hates Aigas - these stones creatures are plenty evidence - I don't imagine he intends to stay here for very long. If he is looking for a new vessel, I don't imagine he wants to keep it forever. He has his own body fused to Aigas."
"You think he wants to retrieve sothing in the Under... or the Under itself?" Pherdanta asked.
"Who knows? I feel sinful just attempting to read the mind of a god. His designs are probably sothing we cannot guess. Seeing as we cannot do anything about it, I suggest we leave this crystal and continue on our journey with charity. There is much to do and more to say. I grow tired of the speculation."
Pherdanta didn't like it, but Rakon was right. There was no reason to stay here if they couldn't deal with this crystal. It was sothing only her master could deal with, she imagined, however much it irked her to have to surrender.
The Commander of the Stark Troops had every hope to prove the strength she had acquired through the Impossible Task, but it seed that she was not to prove it here. What she needed was a real opponent, not an artefact requiring a simple threshold of power to defeat.
Pherdanta sighed.
But fulfilling what her master had asked was enough, right?
"You're right," she said to Rakon. "Let's go on. There's more lives to be saved and our company is ant to support Yuyui and Grim's in preserving Aigas. Until the guardian beasts mobilise enough of their strength and cover the whole of Pelian, it's up to us to limit the death toll."
And indeed, that was the case.
Pherdanta gave one last look at the crystal and led the company onwards.
In the following hour, she would go on to save hundreds of thousands more lives and spread the fa of the Stark Troops in a more righteous fashion than even that of the Purity. Thankfully, the crushing shockwave from an attack which almost ended her master's life was stifled before it could reach her, courtesy of Suzate who noted the large number of survivors she was to be save.
But the Unlimited Star's role was far from done.
Carrying the torch for her Order was only the beginning for what Direction had in store for her.
On the other hand, a certain, short Mage was taking inspiration from infamous events that completely disregard righteousness and order itself.
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