In the院长's office at Rose Academy, filled with the scent of roses, Dean Rose kept her eyes closed, as if savoring something.
Not far away, Dean Sword's expression was solemn, while Dean Battle Song paced back and forth.
Frankly, Dean Battle Song did not wish for Rose to sign this contract, even though, based on the visible contents of the contract, it was quite 'reasonable' and not a terrible soul-selling one.
Yet, even so, signing the contract still carried risks and would impose restraints… This was not quite the same as pledging allegiance to a super force. When pledging allegiance to a super oasis, besides submitting offerings and obeying the overlord's directives on major matters, they still retained considerable autonomy most of the time.
However, Dean Battle Song also understood that in the crisis-ridden mysterious realm, people had little choice. From ordinary citizens to their own six-sense powerful experts, everyone had to strive for survival. If they missed the opportunity today, when the next planet-wide disaster struck, their Sword Flower City… might not be so fortunate to survive.
This was an opportunity they had to seize, and Dean Rose was the most suitable candidate.
With this thought, he fixed his gaze on Rose, lingering on her face, which showed few wrinkles and was still beautiful and captivating.
After a long pause,
The elegant and graceful dean opened her eyes. They saw shock in her gaze.
"How was it?" Dean Battle Song asked eagerly.
Dean Rose, who had one foot already in a new world, was still somewhat dazed. After a while, she finally spoke, "It's… it's incredible! If this was a gamble, we've definitely won. This is a great fortune for our Sword Flower City!"
However, due to the contract's restrictions, Dean Rose revealed very little concrete information. What she said was akin to saying nothing at all.
Yet, she herself appeared very excited and invigorated, as if she had found a new lease on life and possessed boundless energy. Seeing this, Dean Battle Song and Dean Sword looked on with a mixture of confusion and concern.
"This contract, it's not with the Blazing Fire Merchant Guild?" Dean Sword inquired.
After a brief moment of thought, Rose replied, "No, but there are some connections. However, if Falling Star City wants to compete with the Blazing Fire Merchant Guild for dominance of the Great Domain, then we will absolutely stand with the Blazing Fire Merchant Guild."
Wait, Rose, didn't you get the order backward?
The current overlord of the Falling Star Great Domain is the established super oasis 'Falling Star City,' and the Blazing Fire Merchant Guild is the emerging challenger, right? How is it that in your words, Falling Star City seems insignificant?
Seeing Rose's peculiar expression, which seemed to say, 'You don't understand,' 'You have no idea what I've seen,' and 'I know everything but can't tell you,' the two deans exchanged glances and slowly formed a question mark.
Has Rose… gone mad?
They were worried, but since Dean Rose had promised to provide "evidence" that would convince them in some time, the two deans left one after another.
Soon, only Dean Rose and Meitisha remained in the office. Dean Rose, with a belly full of unspoken words, could finally speak freely.
"Little Meitisha, you've made a great contribution this time. Can you still get one or two more contracts… membership tokens?"
Meitisha pondered for a long time and shook her head.
"The exchange list does not contain such contract documents. An application is required, and during the application, the 'inviter's' identity information must be filled in. This means that if the contract document from just now were signed by Dean Sword or Dean Battle Song, it would have no effect whatsoever.
"The application also states that, in principle, one Great Oasis faction can only apply for one additional membership token."
Upon hearing this, Dean Rose sighed, "In that case, old man Sword and Battle Song cannot step into the new world. What a pity, there are so many things I can't say that would shock them immensely. Sigh, how boring this is~"
Meitisha: "???"
She couldn't respond to this topic and continued, "By the way, when I applied, there was also a note stating that members must undergo a period of assessment. If our Sword Flower City hadn't cooperated with Blue Star long ago, and if Dean, you hadn't already come to Blue Star's attention, this contract token might not have been so easy to obtain."
"Blue Star?"
Dean Rose lightly tapped Meitisha's forehead, chuckled, and shook her head. Then she voiced her conjecture. If she could meet with Eluksta, the Lord of the Tower, she would find that their speculations were not entirely dissimilar.
After all, unlike young ones like Meitisha, they had more experience and broader knowledge, allowing them to better perceive the unfathomable depth of the organization!
After speaking, she looked at a stunned and enlightened Meitisha and chuckled.
"These are all just guesses, though they are likely true. But since the organization hasn't explicitly told us, you should pretend you know nothing and act as you always have."
Dean Rose waved her hand, "Go attend to your own matters. From now on, I too will be entering seclusion for a while. Perhaps I will have the opportunity to glimpse higher realms."
She had already heard about the 'great power of awakening' from Meitisha. She wasn't so naive as to believe that the great power bestowed by the organization would lead to easy breakthroughs, but at least, the possibility of trying existed.
Even if the breakthrough failed, she would remain unharmed and perhaps even cleanse herself of some of the impurities that clung to her.
And this would be sufficient "evidence" to convince old man Sword and Battle.
This was Dean Rose's plan.
"Time is short. I must significantly reduce the impurities within my body within this month."
...
Time flowed like water, quietly passing.
Sword Flower City was in the midst of its post-disaster reconstruction work. Awakened individuals were moving rocks and soaring through the sky, appearing quite busy.
Dean Sword and Dean Battle Song were also very busy, occupied with monitoring Rose's situation.
But for the past twenty days, since Rose entered her seclusion, there had been no news. She had said she was in seclusion and that they would understand everything once she emerged.
However, the two deans still didn't understand and were inevitably worried.
They were making preparations on two fronts: one was the summit at Falling Star City, and the other was to tirelessly gather information about the Blazing Fire Merchant Guild. Unfortunately, their Sword Flower City was merely a Great Oasis-level force, and all they could gather were superficial details about the Blazing Fire Merchant Guild.
In their eyes, the Blazing Fire Merchant Guild was a super oasis force with two Mythic-level experts at its helm.
As for a third Mythic-level expert or extraordinary combat power, they had no channels to learn about such things. They could only send elites to be stationed in the Blazing Fire Merchant City, collecting information bit by bit.
As the date approached and the Falling Star Summit deadline loomed, Dean Battle Song grew increasingly anxious.
"Could something have happened to Rose?"
"Moreover, the Falling Star Summit is in ten days. Considering the travel time, we must depart by the day after tomorrow at the latest."
Dean Battle Song paced back and forth near Rose's seclusion area, with Dean Sword, whom he had dragged along, standing by with a helpless expression.
He had sent Rose many messages, but she hadn't replied.
Rushing in was out of the question. A seclusion area was a powerful expert's most private dwelling, even more important than a dean's office. The exterior was heavily protected by defensive and barrier rituals. Furthermore, seclusion must not be disturbed; Dean Battle Song understood this very well.
Yet, no matter how rational he tried to be, his heart ached with urgency.
Dean Battle Song continued pacing in the small garden adorned with many colorful flowers. He had walked tens of thousands of steps, but his eagerness did not abate; instead, it intensified, with a vague sense of foreboding.
It was as if Rose's distance from him had suddenly widened.
Could something really have happened?
Dean Battle Song began to fall into wild thoughts, but suddenly, he turned his head, his eyes fixed on the seclusion area hidden within the garden.
Faster and more intense than his head turn was Dean Sword's.
This tall, white-bearded elder was also staring intently, his hand stroking his beard trembling slightly.
"This… this is…"
Not far from them, underground, a faint aura, seemingly greatly weakened by barrier rituals yet still capable of shaking the soul and causing tremors, was slowly rising.
Like the rising sun;
Like a magnificent sea of flowers blooming simultaneously;
As if a majestic figure was slowly emerging from the underground seclusion area nearby.
"Could this be…"
"Impossible?!"
The two were astonished, horrified, and terrified! Amidst their shock, they doubted if it was their imagination, for how could it be? They had known Rose for decades, and even miracles…
Perhaps due to the multiple rituals surrounding the seclusion area, the rising aura was quickly contained.
The two deans exchanged glances. At this point, they couldn't leave. Dean Sword also began pacing like Dean Battle Song in the small garden.
However, compared to their previous anxiety and urgency, a deep sense of confusion and dread now filled their hearts.
They waited and waited, and waited. The day passed, the sun high in the sky set, and sparse stars dotted the night sky.
The two deans were not impatient; they only felt that time was passing too slowly. This half-day felt as long as half a year.
Finally,
"Rustle—"
In the distance, vibrant clusters of flowers danced and slowly parted, revealing a path lined with flowers.
A graceful, noble, and elegant figure emerged.
This figure was very familiar to the two deans. Her long dress was adorned with intricate accessories, and her hair was styled with a rose-shaped hairpin. However, this figure was significantly different from their impression of Dean Rose.
She was younger!
Not a single wrinkle could be found on her face, her eyes sparkled like blue sapphires, and her entire being radiated brilliance. An intangible aura emanated from her, making Dean Battle Song and Dean Sword, who stood at the pinnacle of the Great Oasis, feel ashamed and compelled to lower their heads, daring not to look directly at her.
And this was merely the residual divine charm power that Dean Rose, having just broken through, could not fully suppress.
Dean Battle Song and Dean Sword felt even more profoundly shocked.
"R-Rose, you… have you… have you already advanced to Mythic?"
He stammered, and after speaking, he gasped.
It wasn't that he was overly surprised; it was that the Mythic realm was too revered! At first glance, they, the peak six-sense experts, seemed only one step away from Mythic, but this step was the difference between heaven and earth.
An immeasurable difference!
Let alone one step, they couldn't even take half a step, let alone lift a single foot.
Logically speaking, Rose was the same. Even though Rose was the youngest six-sense expert among them, there were many younger six-sense experts, and none of them had managed to advance to Mythic. Instead, there were annual reports of six-sense experts attempting to break through to Mythic and perishing.
"That's right, I am now a seven-sense Mythic."
Dean Rose said, her voice carrying a slight tremor. However, Dean Sword and Dean Battle Song were too shocked to notice the tremor in her voice.
Dean Battle Song swallowed and said, "Th-this is the 'evidence' you said you wanted to show us before."
This evidence was too terrifying. If they weren't six-sense experts, they might have died of a heart attack from fright.
Dean Rose nodded.
And inwardly, she shook her head.
She had originally intended to measure her erosion and pollution levels at that time to shock Battle Song and the others, and make them understand the weight of her "unspeakable matters."
But she never imagined that in just twenty days, she would… she would advance to Mythic.
Of course, these twenty days were not easy. Only she knew how much she had paid, with vast amounts of treasures and unremitting perseverance. Looking back, she felt her breakthrough was a natural result of… of what nonsense!
How could she, the dean with the least seniority in Sword Flower City, suddenly become Mythic?
Setting aside other matters, the Mythic awakening ritual provided by her organization was simply too easy! Merely arranging some materials, so simple it felt perfunctory.
And it was so cheap!
She was shocked and overjoyed, but beyond that, there was a great sense of unreality.
"I was just lucky to advance to Mythic. Originally… in short, many secrets are still bound by the contract and cannot be spoken of further, but you should understand now, right?"
"I can only say that it is indeed related to the Blazing Fire Merchant Guild, perhaps…"
Dean Sword and Dean Battle Song now understood very clearly what choice Sword Flower City should make. It was now evident which leg was more suitable to cling to, not to mention that Dean Rose's inclination was already obvious.
But what they still didn't understand was how replicable Rose's breakthrough case was.
10%? 5%? Or even less.
Before, they had disdained that contract document. But at this moment, they were willing to spend all their wealth for a chance at such a contract.
"It's not that simple," Dean Rose said.
They thought Rose meant that breaking through to Mythic was not that simple, which was natural. Given their aptitude and accumulated knowledge, even with treasures like 'Pure Divine Radiance,' the chance of breaking through to Mythic was quite slim.
Difficulty was good; if it were too simple, they wouldn't believe it.
What Dean Rose actually meant was that applying for another invitation token was extremely difficult. Of course, she also believed that advancing to Mythic was difficult. Compared to the great power bestowed by the organization, the price she paid was too little, and this was her true fortune.
The two deans regretfully withdrew their gaze, pondering if they could find an opportunity through little Meitisha.
As they were leaving, Dean Battle Song looked back at the noble and unattainable Rose, then down at himself.
Clearly, Rose's advancement to Mythic was a moment of immense joy.
Clearly, the pressure he had been carrying was gone.
But why, inexplicably, did he feel… a hint of melancholy?
...
...
Mentor Fang was somewhat melancholy at the moment. He wiped away nonexistent sweat from his forehead and let out a long sigh.
"Finally, I've advanced to Mythic."
The Fiery Seed Organization gained two more Mythic experts, but these two significantly lowered the organization's Mythic advancement rate. Throughout the entire advancement process, Mentor Fang's heart was in his throat, and he was sweating profusely. This was because each Mythic awakening required two legendary materials, 55,000 Destiny Points, and other miscellaneous expenses. This was burning money!
Oh, it seemed they applied for guided awakening with capital? That's not… that's still heartbreaking! After all, the consumption of Destiny Points is something that even capital cannot compensate for. Fortunately, these two newly promoted Mythic-level workers can also bring some Destiny Point income to the organization in the future, allowing for gradual reimbursement.
Setting aside the first attempt, the 'cleansing awakening,' which was bound to fail, Dean Rose tried three times before advancing.
She set a new record for the Fiery Seed Organization.
However, soon, Eluks, the Lord of the Tower, surpassed Dean Rose, leaving her far behind. She set a record of advancing only after seven attempts, a record that later generations might also fail to surpass.
This was not due to the lack of talent or willpower of the First Tower Lord of the Black Rock Alliance.
It was simply that her foundation was too poor.
Fang You had always believed that a single failed awakening could completely eradicate the impurities within one's body, until he stumbled upon this with Dean Rose and the First Tower Lord.
After the 'cleansing awakening,' Dean Rose's personal pollution level only decreased to 3.6%. The First Tower Lord fared even worse, still retaining 20.3% pollution.
It is worth noting that the First Tower Lord initially had a pollution level exceeding 45%, comparable to the six-sense expert Xitina, who had 'directly faced the evil god.'
However, after studying for a while, Fang You hypothesized, "Xitina's pollution level was very high at the time, but it was newly inflicted, so as the mystery dissipated, these impurities also dissipated. However, Dean Rose and the First Tower Lord are not young, especially the First Tower Lord. The impurities on their bodies have been deeply rooted and concentrated, making them naturally difficult to remove."
After undergoing two 'cleansing awakenings,' the First Tower Lord's personal pollution level only dropped to an acceptable level.
After that, she continued with 5 failed attempts before advancing to Mythic.
"Mythic awakening is truly too difficult!"
Especially for the First Tower Lord, even bankruptcy could not afford the awakening requirements. 60% of the expenses for this ritual were advanced by the organization. However, his Fiery Seed is not as wealthy as these two imagined. If they failed a dozen more times, he feared he wouldn't be able to find suitable legendary materials.
"Mythic combat power should prioritize cultivating core members."
"Of course, to fight against unspeakable evil gods, it is also necessary to unite all external forces that can be united, but it needs to be kept secret, and the number of people should not be too large. Moreover, material consumption is also an issue."
Furthermore, based on the premise of secrecy, inviting people to join is not so easy; it requires fate to align.
He looked at the information boxes representing the major forces such as Langtao City-state, Burning Flame Great Oasis, and Storm City, and pondered slightly.
"These few Great Oases… hmm, there's no need to force it. Let fate arrange it as it may. As for beyond the Falling Star Great Domain…"
Fang You gazed into the distance, lost in thought.