Under the moonlight, the air swirled gently and caressed the phoenix's feathers. Suddenly, a beautiful, brilliant crimson light enveloped the phoenix's entire body.
"Woah, it's cold..."
Bia clicked her tongue, and strands of long golden hair scattered in the wind before gently cascading down her back. As the light faded, a pair of mesmerizing crimson eyes with blue slits peered at the small, pale hands that emerged from the glow.
She touched her wrists, where the golden symbols Kyle engraved on the edges of her wings glowed brightly.
"Hmm, not bad, but I still prefer my original form."
Bia gazed down at her legs and wriggled her toes.
"Geez... I don't like this form even a bit. Without the feathers, my skin feels cold. How do humans manage to survive with such fragile bodies?"
With a blink, a crimson feathery tunic materialized around her body. Her eyelids drooped with fatigue, yet she couldn't resist the curiosity to see her human features. That's why she soared through the sky and found a lake nestled between some rocks.
Bia's bare feet touched the ground, and she gazed into the crystal-clear water. However, in the next moment, a piercing cry echoed through the air. Bia dropped to her knees, staring at her own reflection in disbelief.
"This is me??"
She touched her face, which looked too round, and her body that appeared no older than a six or seven-year-old child. A red flame mark shone brightly in the middle of her forehead.
"No way! I just tried to transform into a human for the first time, so why do I look so young? Did I mess up the process or something!?"
The phoenix counted her age on her little fingers in a panic, but her eyes widened with shock when she realized that she wasn't even ten years old originally!
"Ugh, it's all because of Kyle. He's been advancing so fast that I didn't even notice how quickly I progressed."
"Still, I can't believe how talented I am. I was able to reach the pseudo-divine rank at such a young age. As expected, I am too majestic and powerful. Truly the leader of all the monsters."
Follow on NovᴇlEnglish.nᴇtShe nodded her little head and gazed at her reflection once again. The previous negative remarks immediately faded from her mind due to her unimaginable high potential.
"Dang, look at me, I think I'm pretty cute with this round face as well. Maybe I should ask Kyle to adopt me as his daughter once he successfully marries Yue... Well, it's not a bad idea. But wait, that means I won't be able to enjoy the privilege of being a bonded companion, right!?"
"Nope, no way! I can't let that happen! Otherwise, he wouldn't supply me with enough treasures!"
She crossed her arms over her chest and paced around the lake, once again not really liking her human form. The moment she broke through to the pseudo-divine rank, a flood of new knowledge filled her mind, knowledge that didn't belong to her deceased parent.
She knew very well that it's something she acquired through her own advancement. Moreover, after reaching the pseudo-divine rank, she immediately realized that she could transform into a human or any other form just by thinking. However, she couldn't try it due to the chaotic atmosphere.
Bia let out a yawn and put her hand over her mouth. As she moved, her golden hair swirled onto her shoulder, and some of it got into her mouth and eyes. She let out an irritated huff.
"What the heck is this? Why is it getting in my mouth? I don't like the taste. I'll ask Mia to cut it off for me!"
She stomped her feet on the ground and changed back into her little bird form, the same form she could use to easily sit on Kyle's head. Bia let out a sigh.
-'In the end, no matter what, this form is the most comfortable, even though it's the most useless.'
She flapped her little wings and settled above a boulder after finding a quiet spot nearby.
-'Alright, I'll rest for a while and then join the war again. Good night for now.'
.....
Inside the battlefield, Kyle's eyes crinkled with mirth, and the previous predicament of wanting to get rid of his bloodied clothes as soon as possible slipped from his mind when something coursed through his body. In that moment, the divine energy all around him traveled towards him and entered his body in an almost desperate manner.
Though he still felt tired and his muscles were strained, he couldn't help but let out a satisfied smirk when a refreshing and cool sensation spread throughout his entire body. Moreover, a part of his divine energy filled up almost instantly after the divine energy in the atmosphere entered his body.
Kyle immediately glanced at the image that had replaced his stats from the corner of his eyes.
"Haha, just what I needed!"
_______
Name: Kyle
Race: Human/Semi Celestial
Bloodline: Celestial
Soul rank: Transcendent
Rank: Pseudo Divine
stats:
Strength: SSS+
Mana: Divine-rank
Divine energy: Final stage (Elite)
Agility: Pseudo Divine
Current physique rank: Pseudo Divine
Talent: Celestial
Luck: S+
Unique ability; Nature's favorite.
Unlocked due to (S+)-Rank luck.
Follow on Novᴇl-Onlinᴇ.cᴏmSkills;
....
_______
Kyle gazed at his hair that had completely turned silver again. He had just advanced and entered the last stage of the divine energy in the pseudo-divine rank, yet he didn't break through.
"I do feel like I can break through to the divine rank, but why does it feel like I need a little push? Susan did say I'll break through to the divine rank if I reached the elite stage in my divine energy..."
He let out a sigh and gazed at Alec and Diora. The woman had made Alec's appearance almost unrecognizable.
"I only asked him to handle her for a few minutes. I believe he's cursing me right now. Haha, but..."
Kyle cracked his knuckles and stabbed his sword into another individual's neck who attacked him from behind.
"Now, I don't think I need to wait until I have enough mana or divine energy."
He blinked and vanished from his spot, only to appear behind Diora who tried to grab Alec's neck. But the blue-haired man avoided her hand by a hair's breadth.
Alec's eyes lit up when he saw Kyle. In an instant, his gaze landed on the latter's hair that should have been grey, but right now they were shining brightly in silver color.
"Finally, you're here! I almost thought I would die!"
Diora paused after she heard Alec's words and turned around with lightning-fast speed to tear the person behind him, but Kyle had already vanished. In the next second, a familiar kick landed on the woman's back, sending her flying into a portal that metarilized in the air.
"You bastard!!"
Kyle ignored her scream as he clenched and unclenched his hand a few times. He really didn't like sweating. That's why he was grateful for his cold body. However, due to the pressure he put on himself and the amount of skills and strenuous activities he did in such a short time, his body started sweating, and with the blood, it was getting a little annoying for him to stay in that condition.
He let out a sigh, and another portal materialized in front of him and Alec, whose breathing was even more irregular than his.
"Let's go, it's time to finish off the remaining divine rank individuals."
Alec heard Kyle's words and let out a chuckle at how confident the latter sounded before the duo jumped into the portal.