NOVPUB--
Fire, Water, Earth, Wood, Metal, Lightning, Space, Time, Life, Death, and finally, Void...
That's the order of tribulations the Stormrider Brothers have to go through all at once, and if they succeed, a space within their bodies will open up and the seed of their Inner World will start germinating—a sign that they've stepped into the Void Refinement Realm.
With the spark of chaos as a medium, raw void can be converted to neutral void, which could then be converted into Chaos Energy - the most versatile and encompassing energy known to all living beings.
Cedric will admit he was feeling nervous right now.
How long has it been since he felt this way? He could distinctly remember not being fazed by anything for a while now. Even when the Chancellors decided to be the first batch of people to step into the Primordial Realm, Cedric only felt alert, not nervous.
But this was understandable. These are his children putting themselves at risk. As a loving parent, how can he not be nervous?
Even though he was the pioneer of this path and many have gone through the same process as they have and made it out just fine, it simply couldn't prevent him from feeling nervous and uneasy. It also isn't because he lacks faith in his sons; no, it's quite the opposite, actually. In terms of qualifications alone, it'd be difficult to find people that are just as qualified as they are.
It's just the jitters of being a parent, he supposes. Even if his sons were to become the most powerful existence in the entire alliance, he would still worry about them.
Despite feeling nervous, though, Cedric could tell that everything was going smoothly still. He winced at the sight of his sons bodies being destroyed and rebuilt multiple times as they go through the refinements, but he has yet to hear any of them cry out in pain.
Even as their bodies disintegrated down to the last cell, with only their willpower keeping everything under control, his sons were completely at ease. Not a single frown could be seen on their faces, just pure immersion in the process. He could even tell that they don't feel the pain at all; they might even be enjoying this.
Cedric doesn't know if he should be relieved by that, though...
It started with Fire, one that burnt them to ashes. And from the embers, new life sprouted, and their bodies were rebuilt. Shortly after that, Water came, swallowing them in a whirlpool of roaring waves and eliminating them without a trace. Then, as if returning to how they were conceived in the womb, they were rebuilt from its depths and came out just a tad bit more perfect than before.
Earth crushed them with its immense pressure, and like preserved fossils encased within a rock, they broke out just fine. Next, they withered like a dying old tree, and when new life sprouted from the dead wood, so did they. Then, they rusted like metal, turning into powder before being refined into a new metal with concealed sharpness and sturdiness.
Lightning rained down on them, space tore them apart, time eroded them into nothingness, life overwhelmed their existence, and death tried to claim them. Yet through all of this, the Stormrider brothers came out just fine. What didn't kill them made them stronger.
And finally, the Void came for them. It was here that Cedric's anxiety peaked.
But he was worried for nothing, because while the void certainly wreaked havoc in their bodies, his sons remained just fine. The spark of chaos shone brightly upon them; its brilliance was even more resplendent compared to most. The spark eliminated the unruly traits of the void, neutralizing it completely before infusing it into their bodies.
And as their bodies were rebuilt for the final time in this breakthrough, the space where their Inner Worlds will be, appeared just fine. Cedric even felt the very moment when the first plume of Chaos Energy appeared within their bodies.
As they reached this point, the domes encasing them flashed with a green light, signifying that their breakthrough was a resounding success. Cedric had no reason to be worried at all.
The brothers didn't come out right away. They remained inside the chambers to stabilize their breakthrough and adjust to their newfound strength.
This feels very strange to them. Seeing and feeling the void existing within their inner world without trying to hurt or devour them was jarring, to say the least. They've grown used to the void being hostile to them, making them feel this way towards the neutralized void.
What truly gripped their attention was the existence of Chaos Energy within them. Their father already told them what it was; he even told them what it might feel like. Yet somehow, the boys realized that words simply aren't enough to truly describe what Chaos Energy feels like.
The first time a wisp of Chaos Energy was released from their Inner World to circulate all over their body, a shudder ran through their spine. They could confidently say that they've never felt something like this before.
In just a single circulation, they could already feel a slight increase in their strength. Whether it was physical, mental, or spiritual, all was being affected. The best part? This happens naturally. Even if they were just to stand, sit, or lie down, their Inner World will release wisps of Chaos Energy from time to time that automatically circulate all over their body to passively strengthen them in everything.
Of course, they could also be in charge of this process if they want to. This made them understand why they only needed to go through the refinement process once in the Void Refinement Realm instead of having it multiple times in the Transitional Realm.
It was here that they finally understood why their father was obscenely strong. Hell, even the laziest creature to ever exist will become so perversely strong if they too have this kind of cheat. And their father was far from being lazy.
What's more is that their father has gone above and beyond. He's no longer at the Void Refinement now. He's at the Primordial Realm. And try as they might, they just can't imagine just how absurdly powerful their father truly was unless he demonstrates his actual power.
Looking at their inner world, everything was within expectations. It has a diameter of 9 miles, just like what their father said. And right now, it was mostly dominated by neutralized void. The Chaos Energy pool size doesn't even go past a hundred meters right now, but it's going to expand on its own as it assimilates neutralized void.
The boys have to fill this entire space with Chaos Energy first before even thinking about breaking through.
Even though they're now officially a Void Refinement practitioner, and their energy source became Chaos Energy instead, the boys only felt stronger. Their previous skills and specialties weren't too affected. Of course, they will need to adjust and recalibrate how much energy they should use for their skills since Chaos Energy was an entirely different beast to deal with, but they have a lot of time to do that.
Gerald still has his Sword Heart and can still use his frostfire. Gilderoy was still a druid, and Godwyn was still the sun-shooting archer. They're just more powerful now.
With the increase of their power and this phenomenal evolution, their perspective of the world changed. Suddenly, things and concepts that used to elude them no longer could. They feel a profound closeness to the realm now; it feels strange but welcoming at the same time. It will take some time to get used to it, and they're not in a hurry to do so.
Once the boys stabilized their realms and adjusted to their new strength, they exited the rooms and met with their very relieved and very proud father.
"Good! Good! Very good!" Cedric happily exclaimed as he patted their shoulders. "Impressive. Well done!"
He certainly wasn't stingy with his praises and also wasn't shy. His voice was so loud that it's getting the attention of other people around them.
"Come, let's go back home. Your mothers have been worried sick."
Cedric didn't say more. He led his sons out of the site, and once they were out of the gates, he didn't even bother with a ship. He just casually opened up a spatial rift, which took them directly above the Stormrider's Sky Castle, casuallyching light-years of distance like it was nothing.
'Yeah, at his strength level, there's nowhere in the entire realm he couldn't go,' Godwyn thought to himself.
'How convenient,' Gilderoy mused.
'One day, I'll be able to do that too,' Gerald swore to himself.
They passed through the rift, which closed up behind them, and then they flew down to the castle where their mothers were waiting for them. Seeing their children fine and healthy was all they needed. With a warm hug and a simple 'welcome back,' all else mattered less.
Peace has returned to the Stormrider family once more.
