CH979

Standing in an open field, to Ben’s mana sense, it felt more like he was in the heart of some magical storm. The entire area was lit up with all affinities of the power and at a density that felt almost too thick to peer through, with the only reason he could being that one’s mana sense wasn’t tied to the presence of eyes. His own vision was technically clear but trying to experience both at the same time made it feel like it should have been obscured for the vast volume of power around him as the spirits and elementals of the world had gathered to help him attempt to break through his limit.

“Gotta say, when I asked if you could arrange this, I wasn’t expecting so many elementals to gather too,” Ben said to Thera by his side, his girlfriend politely trying to not let on that she was hoping he’d fail so he’d have no excuse to go off to get himself killed, even if she’d still set up his request of gather as many spirits in the world as she could.

“It looks like they like me more than I thought. When I asked the spirits around, the elementals nearby offered to join too, and I guess word got around. I don’t think I’ve ever seen so many in one place before.”

“Ha, elemental princess is going to have a great ring to it.”

“Say that again and I’ll fight you. I am a friend of elementals, says so in my titles and everything. Absolutely not their princess.”

“Don’t be so harsh, sweetheart,” Abrus said at her side. “It’s good to be loved, it means you’ll have people in your corner if you need them, and the mana-based are all rather potent allies.”

“I can be friends and allies with them without needing them to devote themselves to me, thank you very much.”

Ben almost said it seemed too late for that but chose to hold his tongue in the end. Within that field were hundreds of thousands of elementals, millions of spirits, and all but two of the great spirits, waiting to help him specifically at Thera’s request. Vividus and Nox had both specifically not been invited considering that Mora had come with them, but other than that, it felt like a world-changing level of power, all confined to a single field.

And as absolutely horrifying as it is that she was able to gather this much power in one place, time to see if this will work.

“Alright, well I’m ready if everyone else is. Thera?”

“Got it,” she nodded before calling out with both her voice and mana. “Everyone, could you all squeeze in here as close as possible? We’re about to start.”

With her request being met with immediate movement, Ben found that they’d given him room to spare when it came to the limits of connect, with the only ones who really needed the space being great spirits like Abrus who held a form they didn’t want to give up. With everyone centered around Thera though, using her own dense mana she was spewing out to let them take advantage of her presence, Ben did exactly what he’d intended when he asked her to organize that. He reached out with his soul and, all at once, connected to the millions of individuals within his range, all in an attempt to push himself over the edge.

And got nothing for it. He wasn’t sure if it was even really putting any strain on connect but he knew it wasn’t putting any on his mind either. A crowd like that was easy to deal with, and while it might have been experience for both skills, bringing him a bit closer to the awakening he hoped for, it wasn’t enough to make the difference he craved.

Yeah, he sighed to himself. Knew that wasn’t going to work, but I’m still disappointed. God, I really just need this win.

<You have four third-tier skills, you really don’t need this win.>

Considering that getting it is part of my overall goal of saving this stupid world, I actually kind of do. Ugh, whatever. I’ll go for a couple more minutes and then call it to an end.

With those minutes not bringing any change either, eventually Ben had to accept it and let out a sigh before speaking up.

“Okay, well, thanks for coming everyone, really appreciate it but now I’ll let you all get back to your business. There’s nothing else to do here.”

“No luck then?” Thera asked despite the obviousness of it. With no flash of mana, it was clear he hadn’t gained a new third-tier awakening, but he still hung his head.

“Not even a new level or a single new skill to go with it. I’d just been linked to more minds than someone might ever touch at once again, some of them being exceptionally powerful too, mind you, and I got nothing for it. Ugh, how am I ever going to make this work?”

“Well, if you’re done then you can worry about that while we head home so-”

“Ah, Thera?” Her father interrupted. “While I and the other originals are going to use this small gathering to talk to the new great spirits, would you mind stopping in to see your mother instead of sneaking off through the other gate you keep in the city?”

“… Why?” She asked through narrowed eyes, instantly suspicious in a way that left her father shaking his head.

“Because she misses her daughter, obviously.”

Still, Thera kept her doubts, her gaze eventually falling on the child she’d brought with her before getting a flash of understanding.

“She wants to see Mora again, doesn’t she?”

A guess that instantly had her father looking guilty, the great spirit caught, even if he did his best to cover it. “Ah, well I won’t deny that since you’ve spent your life making it clear you don’t want children, she’s rather excited to have a grandchild of sorts and would appreciate it if you brought him by more, she does want to see you and Ben as well and she’s just been working so hard, she’d really appreciate it.”

Sighing, she looked over at Mora, wanting to see what he would say since he was sure to bear the brunt of the succubus queen’s affection, with the boy shrugging.

“I don’t mind; she seemed nice when we met, and if it will make her happy, shouldn’t we do it?” he asked, the opposite of what Thera had hoped for and leaving her defeated.

“Fine, we’ll stop in. It probably won’t be too bad.”

Mmh, doubt that, Ben kept to himself, looking at the two and seeing something that she’d grown too used to and that her father hadn’t mentioned, viewing the change as something more akin to how the other great spirits might choose to present themselves to the world than anything significant. That was going to be Pelenia’s first time seeing Mora in the body he’d made for himself.

This novel’s true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there.

Knocking on the meeting room they were directed to, they briefly got to see the queen, surrounded by advisors and with an exhausted look in her eye, come to life the moment she spotted the three, her absent daughter making the perfect excuse for a break.

“Everyone, we’ll be putting a pause to things here to stop for lunch.”

“But your majesty,” one spoke up. “We’re in the middle of-”

“Starting our lunch break, yes. Have one of the maids bring your meals up while I see what my family needs.”

Silencing the rest with a look, she walked over and, without a word, scooped Mora up and carried him out of the room, forcing Ben and Thera to follow.

“Really, just perfect timing, you two,” Pelenia said as she led them to the lounge. “Those slave drivers are so hard to convince into stopping meetings partway through unless there’s an excuse.”

“I really feel like you shouldn’t be doing that,” Thera sighed. “Was that anything important?”