145 The True Beginning 8

(Still under reconstruction. I suggest you to not read this. The quality sucks. Go back in ten minutes!)

Core Latency is divided in three stages; Early Stage, Middle Stage, and Peak Stage. The higher the latency, the brighter the color is.

For example, Red Core has a dark red colour in the Early Stage; neutral red colour in the Middle Stage; and bright red colour in the Peak Stage.

It applies to every Core Stage.

Basil was already in the verge of breaking through to the Green Core. His Peak Stage Yellow Core was currently shining brightly. The glass like bright yellow sphere had fissures covering it.

Once the sphere shattered, Basil would have a new and better quality Core—Green Core. This was the reason Basil was trying his best to break the sphere.

Of course, "breaking the sphere" can't be taken literally. One could easily break the sphere—the Core—from the outside, as long as one knew the right position. However, that would entirely end one's career as a Knight.

"Breaking the sphere" in terms of breakthrough means purifying the Qi one's Core stores to the point of breaking it.

Since Core is made to store the Qi in accordance to a certain Qi quality—its color—once the quality of the Qi in one's body exceeds the quality one's Core can bear, the Core will shatter naturally.

This, of course, doesn't make one lose all of one's effort to cultivate it. The Qi, that is previously stored inside the shattered Core, will make a new glass like sphere of the same colour as the Qi. This way, a new Core is born.

Crack. Crack. Crack.

With [Star Withering], Basil ceaselessly purified his Core. The purification rate was honestly bewildering, considering how miniscule the Star Energy Basil could absorb in the Dungeon.

The fissures covering his Core was getting worse, signifying the imminent breakthrough. Despite so, Basil didn't let his guard down. He was fully aware this phase was the most important phase.

Crack!

The colour of his Qi was changing. The previously bright yellow colored Qi started to turn into dark green. The process wasn't instant, but it didn't take long until the Qi completely turned into dark green.

Shatter!

Finally, Basil's Core also "shattered." Even so, the Qi didn't scatter around his body. It stayed in its place, looking like a dense gaseous green sphere.

Slowly, the Qi formed a new layer of glass-like material to contain itself. It was made to contain the currently unprotected Qi. Soon enough, a new Core was born.

Basil had finally stepped his foot in the realm of Green Core Knight.

His eyes opened, and his sense returned once again. He looked at his surrounding to determine the situation; he had tuned out the world prior to his breakthrough, so he didn't know.

He was lying on the ground of one of the cells—the lowest cell. He was there because Caesar had been afraid he would disturb Basil if he were to take Basil to his usual cell, which was located very high up there.

Basil quickly sat himself up, and looked down to his body. He was drenched in sweat, and his shirt sticked to his body due to it. Luckily, he wasn't smelly like the moment he had just broken through in his Mana Heart Cultivation.

Clenching his hand, he could feel every muscle in his body had gotten denser; he could tell by the contraction they made. Standing up, he could instantly feel his body was lighter even more than before.

"As expected, breaking through to Green Core really changes my body," Basil muttered.

In Knight Principle, reaching the Green Core means having one's physique transcending the realm of human. In this stage, there is absolutely no one will be able to compete with the Knight in terms of physical prowess.

Their pure physical prowess equals to the fully reinforced body of a Fourth Circle Battle Mage. Therefore, naturally, a Fourth Circle Battle Mage will never be able to fight a Green Core Knight in close combat.

Basil looked to the ground briefly, before stomping down casually.

Crack!

The dense ground instantly cratered, and dust rose up. It was all caused by his pure physical prowess; there wasn't any Qi Strengthening involved. At this point, a slap from him could turn any ordinary people to mush.

Not stopping there, he made a Qi blade, then cut his palm with it. It was quickly bleeding, but the bleeding stopped in seconds, and the opened skin reattached itself. Even his regeneration speed was off the charts.

Basil nodded his head in satisfaction at that. His body had finally transcended the realm of human, and would stop getting any stronger until he reached Violet Core Stage.

With that being said, it doesn't mean his growth would be stunted until he reached Violet Core Stage. He could still use Qi Strengthening to further empower his physical prowess.

Basil sighed to himself, "Huuh... I should clean myself."

He conjured water from the air, then poured it down on him. He didn't take off his clothes, but he made sure to clean every part of his body with the water he was controlling.

Once he thought he was clean enough, he quickly gathered wind around him. It didn't take long until his entire body was dried by the wind, including his clothes; he purposefully left his hair slightly damp, so it would be easier to organize it.

Once everything was done, Basil opened the door of his cell; He was instantly face to face with Caesar.

Caesar had quickly come here upon hearing the sound of the cracking ground Basil had caused with his casual stomp; he had thought something wrong had been happening to Basil.

"Congratulations on your breakthrough, Young Master."

"Say that after my training is finished, Caesar." Basil was referring to his Fourth Circle Recarving.

Caesar smiled slightly. "An advancement is still an advancement."

"I am famished after the breakthrough. Let us have a meal."

Caesar merely bowed his head in acceptance. Since he had been doing it for the past month, there was no way he would refuse Basil's invitation.

Basil was quick in his action. Soon enough, everything was prepared; the meal could finally start.

"I wonder, Young Master. We have eaten the same amount of food for a month straight almost everyday. Do you still have enough supply?"

While slicing his steak, Basil answered, "You have not to worry about that. I have enough supply." Putting the slice of the stick in his mouth, it quickly disappeared. "Even if I am out of supply, there are still many low class Demons here."

Caesar gulped the steak he had just chewed, before nodding his head. "Yes, they are. However, I believe they will not taste good."

"It is all about the way one processes it, Caesar. Even a low quality ingredients can still taste great."

Caesar shrugs. "Well, it's easy for people like you, Young Master; I'm not that skilled in cooking. My cooking sucks!" He shuddered in horror.

Basil blinked once. "Well, that is new." He raised his liquor filled mug, and gulped it. He had finished his meal.

It wasn't Caesar's first time seeing Basil's godly eating skill, but he was still amazed everytime. The other thing that intrigued him about Basil's activity after the meal to wait for him; he always pondered about something, just like now.

"Caesar, have you exploded the entirety of this Dungeon?"

"I believe yes."

"Then, have you ever encountered a gate that connects this place towards somewhere else?"

Basil was referring to the gate that connected the Dungeon to the Obelisk of Goap. He had been too focused in his training, he had forgotten about it momentarily.

Caesar shook his head. "No, Young Master. There is no such thing." He frowned, then thought about something else. "Or maybe ... Are you referring to the gate that connects this Dungeon to another Dungeon?"

"Does such thing exist?" Basil was slight surprised. He hadn't heard anything about it in his past life.

"Yes, Young Master. Dungeons were originally connected to each other. It was only after the end of the Age of Chaos the connection between Dungeon was destroyed."

Basil hummed in interest. He didn't know that tidbit of information. "If the only thing being destroyed was the connection, does that mean the gate still exists?"

Caesar nodded wordlessly; Basil became even more intrigued.

"Very well, Caesar. You shall bring me there right after this."

"That place will be crowded with annoying Demons. It will take a quite some time to clean them. Is it not better to spend your time training instead?"

"I will be training, Caesar. I have my own way to do that."

"As you wish, Young Master."

Since Basil was that insistent, Caesar didn't want to stop him. Soon, the meal finished, and the two immediately set on the journey to find the gate.

Surely enough, no one had expected what they encountered.