A blue vortex of energy manifested from Damian's hand, covering the nine figures within its range: the common elf, Elfie Ayre Dathyra, Maria Lucia Augustine, and her seven sisters, Miriam, Agnes, Anneliese, Caitlín, Hannah, Helene, and Francesca.
The vortex swirled like intense currents of wind, exuding an overwhelming presence that made them feel intimidated and on guard as if it might harm them.
However, to their surprise, they felt no pain or discomfort, only a sudden weakness as their [Holy Essence] reserves plumted rapidly, leaving them with only a minuscule amount.
Damian had not completely extracted their energy, as he did not wish to leave them entirely drained.
[You have Extracted a large amount of [Holy Essence]]
A surge of foreign energy flooded into Damian's energy stream, causing his existing energies to go haywire.
However, just as the energy threatened to spiral out of control and implode within him, the [Holy Essence] suddenly stabilized.
[Your talent [World Tree's Blessing] is taking effect]
[You have gained attunent with a type of Energy called [Holy Essence]]
Almost imdiately, another of Damian's talents took effect.
[Your talent [Limitless Harmony] is taking effect]
[The [Holy Essence] has gained harmony with the other energies in your constitution. All negative effects caused by its introduction and reaction to your existing energies have been removed.]
With full control over the [Holy Essence] now coursing through him, Damian directed it into his energy circuits, guiding it toward the place where his energy cores resided.
[Holy Essence] was an energy similar to [Qi], which Awakeners used to cultivate within their Dantian.
Typically, it could not be used to form an energy core, but Damian was never one to follow conventional paths.
He would create his own.
[Your talent [Limit Breaker] is taking effect]
[All the rules that bind others do not bind you]
Damian began gathering all the extracted [Holy Essence], condensing it at a single point within his body.
"W-What is happening? How is this possible?"
Elfie, Maria, and the others watched in shock, their expressions grim.
"This is unbelievable!"
They couldn't comprehend what was unfolding before them, nor could they understand how Damian was achieving it.
Yet, they could sense the unmistakable presence of [Holy Essence] radiating from him, growing stronger and stronger, almost like their own... but even greater.
[You have ford the [Holy Essence] Core]
[Your Holy Essence increased: 7]
[Your Holy Essence increased: 7]
[Your Holy Essence increased: 9]
[Your Holy Essence increased: 8]
...
..
.
[Your Constitution [Unyielding Warrior's Physique] is taking effect]
[Due to the presence of [Holy Essence] in your energy stream and coursing through your body, your constitution has been altered to maximize its effects.]
[You have awakened the Constitution [Holy Ascendant Seraphim Physique]]
Damian opened his eyes, revealing irises that glowed with silvery-white energy.
He could feel the presence of [Holy Essence] coursing through him, making him stronger and tougher than ever.
This energy felt entirely different from Elental Essence, as it should since [Holy Essence] was not an elent but a completely distinct form of energy.
Opening and closing his fist, Damian tested the effects of [Holy Essence] on his body .
"Hm?"
He channeled a small amount of [Holy Essence], and a tiny silvery-white fla flickered to life above his palm.
Strangely, it neither burned him nor caused any discomfort.
"This is great," Damian nodded to himself before turning his gaze toward Shiru, Sir Holloway, and the nine won from whom he had obtained the holy power.
Their faces were painted with disbelief.
"Anyway, the clock is ticking. I'll be on my way.
See you when the war begins," he said with a grin, relishing their shocked expressions.
With that, Damian crushed [The Elental Dungeon Card] in his hand and vanished from sight.
...
Damian opened his eyes and found himself standing in the middle of a vast field, with grass reaching up to his waist.
Towering trees with dense leaves stretched endlessly before him, their branches heavy with all sorts of fruit.
In the distance, green-covered mountains painted the landscape with breathtaking beauty, sothing Damian had never witnessed before in his life.
"This doesn't seem like a dungeon…?" Damian thought, looking around in confusion as a series of notifications appeared in a glowing prompt.
[Welco to Thaerris, The World of Spirits]
[Dungeon Completion Condition: Obtain Elental Cores]
-Fire Elental Core: 0/5
-Wood Elental Core: 0/5
-Water Elental Core: 0/5
-Ice Elental Core: 0/5
-Earth Elental Core: 0/5
-Wind Elental Core: 0/5
-Lightning Elental Core: 0/5
-Light Elental Core: 0/5
-Darkness Elental Core: 0/5
"Wait… Light and Darkness are also elents? How does that work exactly?" Damian wondered, curiosity flickering in his eyes.
Closing his eyes, he spread out his senses and activated [Eyes of Clarity].
"This is weird..." Damian raised an eyebrow. "There isn't a single person in sight, at least as far as I can sense..."
The silence was unnerving.
Aside from the gentle rustling of leaves in the wind and faint murmuring noises that clearly didn't belong to humans, the entire place was eerily quiet.
"This place… it feels strangely peaceful and familiar..." Damian muttered under his breath.
Suddenly, his eyes widened.
A powerful presence, one inexplicably strong, had appeared behind him.
Whipping around, he found himself face-to-face with a woman.
She had long, straight dark green hair cascading down to the ground, and her eyes, just as green, held an unreadable depth.
She wore a floral brown attire, blending seamlessly with nature.
The mont Damian laid eyes on her, an unexplainable sense of familiarity washed over him.
Though he could tell she was an overwhelmingly powerful being, he felt no fear, only a strange calmness.
"Why does she feel… familiar?"
"How did you get here, human?" the woman asked, her gaze scrutinizing him from head to toe.
"The system sent here when I used an Elental Dungeon Card," Damian replied instinctively.
He hadn't intended to reveal the truth so easily, yet he found himself unable to lie or withhold information from her.
It was as if sothing compelled him to be honest.
"The system sent him here?" The woman raised an eyebrow, her expression darkening. "Is this Eden's doing? Why would she send a human here? Doesn't she know that I hate Awakeners?"
A frown ford on her face, and Damian felt an inexplicable discomfort at the shift in her expression.
Then, the woman's eyes suddenly narrowed, turning a glowing shade of gold.
Damian felt her gaze pierce through him, stripping away all pretense.
He couldn't move.
He knew she was analyzing him on a level beyond his comprehension.
It reminded him of his [Eyes of Clarity], but hers was on a scale so imnse that it was incomparable.
As the glow in her eyes faded, a look of confusion flickered across her face.
"This human… no… he couldn't be… him? Could he? But there's no other possibility. If it isn't him, then how does he possess so much energy? I need to speak with Eden about this."
Snapping out of her thoughts, the woman returned her gaze to Damian, her expression once again unreadable. "Get on with your business, human," she said flatly.
The next mont, she vanished, disappearing as if she had never been there at all.
Damian let out a breath he hadn't realized he was holding.
"Who was that woman? She made forget to breathe..."
Shaking his head, he suddenly heard the faint murmuring noise again, this ti much closer.
Turning toward the source, his eyes widened as he found himself face-to-face with a small, palm-sized woman hovering right in front of him.
She had delicate green wings, reminiscent of a butterfly's, fluttering rapidly as she stared at him.
"What are you?" Damian asked as he observed the little being with a curious gaze.
The tiny creature murmured sothing.
It sounded like gibberish, yet sohow, Damian understood what she said.
"You're a fairy?" Damian asked, sensing more and more of them approaching from all directions.
"Wow, there are a lot of you, aren't there?" He watched as hundreds of fairies flew toward him, unafraid.
He was confused.
Shouldn't they be scared of him?
This place seed untouched by humans, as if he were the first to set foot here.
From their perspective, he must have looked like a giant.
And yet, they weren't afraid.
In fact, they seed happy, judging by the giggling sounds filling the air.
So even perched on his head and shoulders.
They weren't identical either.
Each had different hair and eye colors, and their delicate wings displayed unique patterns.
Then, he heard one of the fairies ask, "Are you a fairy?"
"No, I'm a human," Damian replied, shaking his head.
But as he looked at them, he noticed confusion spreading across their tiny, baby-like faces.
"You're not a fairy? You feel like a fairy," one of them said.
"I feel like a fairy to them?" Damian thought, puzzled.
"Is this because of the elental essence I possess? I an, it does give more affinity with elental beings. But I didn't think it would make seem like a fairy to actual fairies."
Damian's confusion deepened.
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