Chapter 555: Brilliant radiance

Whoosh! Whoosh!

A short while after Max lost consciousness, and the system started reconstructing his core, causing such a big commotion, the Elvin group and Ellie arrived. When they saw a figure shrouded in a brilliant white light, hovering in the air, they were stunned. "What the...?"

"There is someone in the light..."

"Who is it...?"

"Whoever he is, it doesn't look like he is breaking through."

"Where is the team leader? He should be around..."

The elves discussed in hushed voices. Just when they were wondering where Max was, they noticed Ella, sitting under the figure shrouded in the bright white light.

"This figure... he is team leader?" Rey muttered, astonished. The others were the same. They had witnessed people breakthrough to the three-star, four-star and five-star realm. However, none of them witnessed such a sight before today. It was simply... divine.

As they stared at Max, wrapped up in the pure white light, they unconsciously stepped forward and came under the light's glow.

Rumble! Rumble!

Immediately, their mana cores trembled, and mana started circulating through their mana veins according to cultivate techniques. Their pores opened and the impurities in their mana, blood, and flesh were slowly pushed out.

"This... my cultivation is increasing..."

"My mana core... it's recovering..."

"How amazing! I feel I can easily refine my mana into the four-star level and reconstruct my mana core..."

"..."

Everyone was shocked upon noticing the changes occurring within them. After their shock subsided, they revealed looks of joy. This was especially true for the female four-star elf, Shasha, because her mana core had some cracks that were now rapidly recovering.

Swoosh!

Suddenly, a large amount of mana poured into Ella's body, which was absorbed by her newly formed mana core, helping her step into the two-star realm.

Ecstatic, she opened her eyes but had to close them again because of radiance. A moment later, as her eyes adjusted to the bright light and saw Max hovering in the air and others sitting around him with their eyes closed and looks of pure joy on their faces, she was shocked as she couldn't understand just what was happening.

However, when she felt her mana circulate automatically through her veins, becoming purer and stronger, she understood what was going on. Then, a reverent look appeared on her glowing face as she gazed at Max's hazy figure and muttered, "Sir Max is truly extraordinary."

Suddenly recalling something, she turned her head around and glanced at her daughter, Ellie, and when she saw her standing with her eyes closed with a calm look on her face, she sighed. "If her curse had also been resolved, she would've benefitted a lot from this brilliant radiance. What a pity!"

Just then, the bright white radiance started dimming down, and a moment later, it completely disappeared. Max, who was hovering in the air, suddenly dropped. Thankfully, Ella quickly moved and caught him in her arms. However, her face turned red and her hands felt as if they would explode because he was too heavy for her. So, she quickly put him down and took deep breaths while caressing her aching arms.

Rey, Shasha, Ellie and others opened their eyes. When they saw the radiance had disappeared, they couldn't help but feel slightly disappointed before everyone started discussing their harvest.

When the male four-star elf, Kamesh, noticed tears streaming down Shasha's face, he raised his brows before he smiled, "Congratulations, Miss Shasha. I hope there isn't any problem with your core now."

"Mm." Shasha nodded. Quickly wiping her tears away, she smiled as she gazed at still unconscious Max and said, "When I agreed to come here, I was prepared to lose my life. But I never expected I could heal my core. It seems my choice was right."

Kamesh also glanced at Max and nodded. "Yeah. I feel by the time we return—alive—we would've grown a lot."

"Haha! I reached peak three-star. Amazing!"

"...more than half of my mana has reached four-star level... This is great!"

"...My mana is now purer and my mana veins have also become stronger."

...

Rey smiled when he heard everyone's excited exclamations. Though he didn't show it, deep down, he was shocked beyond belief. Ever since he first met Max, he knew he wasn't ordinary. This feeling only continued to grow throughout their journey toward the capital. Initially, when he saw Max fight the early-stage four-star demon, he found it extraordinary. However, just a few days later, he saw him fighting and killing mid-stage demons without exerting too much effort while he was still a peak three-star mage who had yet to start converting his mana to the four-star level; he found it shocking.

However, today, he finally realized Max wasn't someone the words "Extraordinary" or "Monstrous" could describe. He had a feeling if he followed Max for a few years, he could reach heights he never even dreamt of reaching.

Thinking this, he clenched his fists in excitement before determination flashed in the depths of his eyes.

On the other side, Emily was also stunned. However, she quickly recovered. Her figure flashed, and she appeared in front of him, completely on guard as she watched everyone. Only after she determined no one had any ill intent toward him, she relaxed a little. After that, she checked Max if he was alright. After finding there was no problem with him, she glanced at Ella and asked, "What happened here? Why is he unconscious?"

Emily's cold gaze sent shivers down her spine. Flustered, she quickly shook her head, "I-I'm sorry, but I don't know. After we... did t-that, Sir Max told me to cultivate. When I woke up, he was hovering in the air and you guys were already here. S-so I don't know what happened in the meantime."

Emily fell in thought when she heard this. But suddenly, she raised her head and gazed into the distance, a grave expression appearing on her face. She then shot to her feet, told Ella to look after Max and released her aura before she barked, "Everyone, people incoming! Get ready to fight."

Hearing her, Shasha and Kamesh revealed confused expressions. However, when they paid attention in the direction Emily was looking, their expression turned grave. Immediately, everyone became alert and took out their weapons or readied their spells to fight.

Just then, a crisp and demonic voice sounded out from the distance.

"Hehe, little girl. You got some sharp senses. Why don't you submit to me, I'll treat you well."

Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!

Right after the voice, several figures appeared in front of them, looking at them with ferocity in their eyes.