Apotheosis

Both Zen and Elvinia could freely explore the Dark Region with their abilities.

However, Zen thought constantly about the Other Shore Key for Stage Seventeen. Thus he merely passed through Stage Fifteen and continued his ascent.

The two of them made their way upwards.

They did not stay too long in Stage Sixteen either and journeyed on.

Finally, they arrived in Stage Seventeen and came out on top of a mountain.

After they crossed three stages rapidly, the pressure on the Other Shore increased.

This type of pressure would've been unbearable for others but the two of them managed. Elvinia had previously absorbed enough soul crystal and had already reached the ultimate level of the Indigo Soul. Zen also did not feel anything with his physical body.

"We're at Stage Seventeen. Do we continue to go up?" Elvinia asked him. In front of them lay only endless desert.

The sight of emptiness on top of that huge mountain made Elvinia feel desolate. It would be better to go to the upper stages.

Zen, however, shook his head. "No. We'll stay here."

"Is there anything important here?" she asked, throwing him a strange look.

If it was about Other Shore Tokens, Zen could easily find better ones in the upper stages.

"Yes. Just wait here for me," he told her, not divulging much information on what he was currently planning.

Without a word, Zen withdrew from the Other Shore and activated the Other Shore Key from the Blood-storing Seed. He then began to recite the Sanskrit words deciphered by Geoffrey.

"Sand ...bone...separate..."

As he finished reciting the words, Zen reached out and gently pressed the Other Shore Key's lines.

When he returned to the Other Shore, his palm was covered with lustrous map lines.

"An Other Shore Key?" Elvinia muttered, staring at his palm in wonder. Zen nodded as the map shimmered in his palm.

"Yes."

Despite his confirmation, a trace of doubt remained in Elvinia's eyes.

Other Shore Keys were valuable but why was Zen interested in Stage Seventeen's? If he really wanted one, Elvinia could very wel

were bipedal, gray-skinned and had elephant heads. They were the Elephant Men Elvinia had mentioned earlier!

These Elephant Men chased after the bulls, which caused the ground to tremble.

Zen and Elvinia were like two, pesky mosquitoes compared to these giants.

The black bulls were heading towards the fences. Though tall, there was no way these fences would be able to withstand the impact from these beasts.

However, just as the bulls were about to breach the barriers, one of the Elephant Men raised his horn.

"Woo... Woo..."

Textures appeared on the surfaces of the seemingly ordinary fences at the exact moment the horn was blown.

"Sizzle, sizzle, sizzle..."

Thick lightning gathered on the fences, forming into chains that wrapped around the bulls.

Bound and restrained by the lightning chains, the bulls could only lie helplessly on the ground as their pursuers closed in on them.

"These fences contain such a strong power of lightning," Zen murmured, admiration obvious on his face.

"It's made of lightning wood, which is a relatively rare Other Shore Token," Elvinia told him. "I never expected there to be so much in the Elephant Men's territory."

As they marveled at the lightning wood, the two of them failed to notice the huge shadow behind them. A dull and rough voice suddenly boomed, "Chief! Those damned mice have sent their spies again!"