"Man, this is heavy," Alistair said, picking up Ada's greataxe. He weighed it in his hand; it required a significant portion of his raw physical strength just to lift.
"So, the one over there. Do you want a turn?" Alistair tossed the axe aside, looking at the purple-haired elf. He preferred his fists or Nightfall anyway.
"I have no intention of fighting you. I am here to ensure you fulfill the promise your grandfather made to us," Dilba said calmly, lowering her sword.
"A promise? What did he promise you?" Alistair crossed his arms.
"Seeds. Your grandfather saw the decline of the Elven race long ago. He promised us the 'seeds' of his most exceptional descendant in exchange for our help. If I am not mistaken, the catalyst for your awakening was a ring, correct?"
"You're right, Lady Dark Elf. That ring is the foundation of everything I am. But how do you prove your claim?"
"I am Dilba. You may use my name," she said. She held out her hand, and a shadow emerged from her palm like a gaping mouth, spitting out a circular object.
"The eye-shaped gem from the ring? There's a backup?" Alistair deactivated his armor, returning to his human form. His eyes were now mismatched—his left was the demonic 'Magic Eye' from the ring, while his right remained human.
"No," Alistair realized, touching his left eyelid. "The one I have and this one are a set. It was a pair of rings, wasn't it?"
"Exactly. To ensure your cooperation, your grandfather only took one. We kept the other. This gem contains the refined mana necessary to push you past your current bottleneck and into the true 'Transcendent' realm. We have purified it for you. Consider it a gesture of good faith." She flicked the gem toward him.
Alistair caught the 'Eye.' As soon as it touched his palm, the mana inside his body surged in resonance. He scanned it quickly; it was pure, potent, and safe.
Wait...
The gem suddenly melted like hot wax, turning into a viscous liquid that coated his hand before sinking into his skin instantly.
"What the hell?" Alistair gasped.
It felt like a shaken soda bottle being opened. His body underwent a massive fortification, but that feeling was eclipsed by a titanic surge in his mana capacity. If his previous mana was a 1, it was now a 6 or 7.
That might sound small, but for Alistair, whose baseline was already monstrous, this was a multi-fold increase. His range and power expanded exponentially. He could now cast massive spells from his Uncle's repertoire without preparation time or external power conversion.
Furthermore, a natural magic barrier now hummed beneath his skin, making him immune to low-level spells. But the biggest change was the flood of information—dark magic and mental spells flooded his brain. His mind's self-defense mechanism kicked in, shielding most of it, leaving only a few key spells accessible.
An inheritance? Alistair thought, rubbing his temples to soothe the dizziness. Did completing the 'set' activate the hidden knowledge in my bloodline?
"The other ring was only given to you a few months ago," Dilba said, her voice filled with shock as she felt the Draconic Pressure radiating from him. "How did you reach the peak of the accumulation phase so quickly?"
"Heh. 'Lust' is one of the original sins. In this repressed society, it grows fast. If you 'play' with enough girls, you can reach this level easily," Alistair said, shaking off the last of the vertigo.
"Play with a few? Alistair, for a normal human, the 'requirement' would be in the thousands. Your talent is terrifying. It seems your 'prey' all had incredible potential. If you leave your seeds with us, we can help you develop the potential of your harem. Whether you want them to please you like pets in bed or coordinate with you in battle, we can train them."
Dilba sheathed her sword. There was no longer a reason for conflict.
"You're being very generous," Alistair narrowed his eyes. "You seem to be doing all the giving here. What's the catch?"
"The survival of our race is the priority. We Dark Elves have deep pockets; we can afford a few losses. What use are resources if our race goes extinct?" Dilba said sternly.
"One thing I don't get," Alistair noted. "Once the World Gates open, you can reunite with your kin on the other side. Why the talk of extinction?"