It was a near instant process. It was to be expected, at least, Amber thought so, except rather than finding herself in the familiar Core Advancement room as she had expected, she was elsewhere. The place, was still familiar but not as familiar, after all she had only seen it briefly during her first Core Advancement.

  Amber immediately shielded herself from the rushing winds, her hair wildly fluttering as she took in her surroundings once more. Around her was a vast mountainous range, and she was atop one of the many mountains, little vegetation filled the surroundings and ground. Instead, most of it was gravel and dirt, with some slabs leading to a dilapidated temple in the distance. It was just as she remembered.

  “But…” Amber pursed her lips. “Is this even right?”

  Sure, she had found herself somewhere familiar. A place that was related to her previous Core Advancement. She had expected it to be related too, but was that expectation even right? This had to do with her Ascension. Hell, she did not even have something to properly call a core anymore, instead her Essence filled the entirety of her body. While she couldn’t feel it right now, it was a big distinction she had been aware of for months now.

  Her body; the way her Essence behaved; was distinctly different than before. So, why was she here? Was she just going to go up to some flames and pick a new way for her Essence to behave? In all honesty she barely even remembered what the previous advancements had done in this regard.

  Amber tapped at her chin as the harsh wind made her hair slap at her face, before finally she sighed.

  “Guess thinking won’t achieve anything.”

  Amber began to move towards the temple, her steps quiet and slow. She didn’t know what to really expect from now on, other than the whole flame advancement, but deep down she hoped for more. She had already done most of her Ascension, this was just the completion of it so in a way, it could be really underwhelming or really grand.

  Of course, she hoped that it would be grand, but there was no way to know.

  She stood at the entrance of the temple, looking down at the dreary dark passage that she had once traversed through without any thought, except this time she was oddly anxious. Not because of something going wrong, but because she hoped for more. Perhaps it was even silly, but considering it had been about six months of ignoring the completion of her Ascension she thought it was only fair.

  Taking a deep breath, she made her way down the steps. It was slow, and also quiet, only her footsteps, her slow breathing, and the steady beat of her heart accompanied her. While the descent was merely a few minutes, to her it felt much longer than that. Her mind had wandered through numerous possibilities, but in the end, she had settled on one thing.

  And as she reached the end of the steps, she couldn’t help but know she was right.

  She could see light. A blue light. Probably a bright flame of sorts awaiting her. Perhaps it would grant her grand power, or perhaps it would be underwhelming, but in the end it wasn’t more than that.

  I really thought. Amber bit her lip, her thoughts settling as she continued down. It’d be something else. Maybe it was a childish wish, but considering when she first learned of her Ascension she had seen him, she thought she would?—

  “Took you long enough,” a voice rang in her ears, making her pause at the bottom of the steps. “It’s been six months since I extended this invitation and you chose to fight all that time instead.”

  A snort followed. It was familiar, incredibly familiar. She couldn’t help but blink as she raised her head, and saw a blue Primordial Spirit sitting on a distant throne, a small frown on his face. It was…

  “Ax’thra…?”

  The Primordial Spirit frowned and then in a blink appeared before her, but Amber simply just looked up confused, and with a mixture of shock. After all?—

  He tapped her forehead, “What, cat got your tongue? Why are you looking at me like that? You look as if you’ve just seen a dead person.”

  ?— it wasn’t a vision but himself.

  “H-How…?” Amber stuttered. She watched as her friend’s expression twisted in an incredulous way, which finally caused her to regain her bearings. “I mean, how are you here? I thought you were in Ill’hine? At most I thought I’d see another vision of you, not you.”

  “Well that’s because I’m awesome, so it’s a matter of course,” he smirked.

  Amber glared, and the spirit coughed.

  “I thought you’d be happier to see me, I remember you being so sad when you departed from my tower. What’s with you looking at me like that?”

  “I’m happy, but you’re still as unbearable as ever.” A sigh left her before a small smile settled on her face. “Not like I’m complaining.”

  Ax’thra leaned forward, studying her with a sly smile. “You really did miss me. But it’s strange, isn’t it?”

  “What is?”

  Amber tilted her head.

  “Well, in reality we only got to know each other for a couple of weeks. In a way you're much more acquainted with the Primordial Spirit you had been fighting for the past couple of months than you were ever with me,” he scoffed.

  “And?” Amber raised her brow, looking at Ax’thra incredulously. “All he did was be annoying and plot against me, meanwhile you even went out of your way to implant a vision within a lowly mortal you got to know for a mere fraction of your lifespan.”

  Hearing that, Ax’thra’s light flickered for a moment as he seemingly went silent. However, it didn’t last long as he looked at her with confusion.

  “Wait, why are you so…”

  “So?” Amber prompted.

  “Weak?” he finished. “I mean, I knew it was really fast for you to get to level 350 or so, but you are nowhere near that. Yet you’ve already completed your Ascension?”

  “Technically I’m not done with it yet,” Amber smirked, causing Ax’thra to shake his head.

  “Most of your Ascension.” He corrected. “You know what I mean.”

  “Well, I guess I’ll tell you about it since you’re begging so much,” Amber waved dismissively.

  Ax’thra chuckled. “Sure, sure. We don’t have infinite time but it certainly is enough for us to talk for sometime.”

  With a gesture, two stone chairs were erected facing one another. It was the same thing as when she had first arrived in this world. Somehow, Amber found the sight oddly nostalgic. After all, back on Earth she wasn’t really living, all she had was running to push herself and other sports, but there were limits to how far she could go. Physical ones. Ones she couldn’t exactly overcome with sheer will power lest she was courting death.

  But here in Vir, it was all different. Which is why, something that happened so soon after arriving brought her nostalgia rather than anything. Needless to say, she was happy.

  She sat facing Ax’thra, and with a gesture of opening his arms he vowed.

  “Oh, gracious human, do elucidate me on your grand feats that caused this anomaly.”

  Amber chuckled. “Well, it’s not that complicated really. It all started when I found a journal. One written by someone called Arden L.”

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  However, contrary to expectations Ax’thra knowingly nodded. “Arden? I see. Makes sense then.”

  “You know him?”

  “Not personally, but your friend Sid’fril was quite fond of that elf,” he said dismissively.

  “Huh, I see.”

  He smiled. “Anyway go on, how does reading a book penned by someone else translate into reaching Ascension?”

  “Well, actually…” Amber awkwardly scratched her cheek. “I read it… it mentioned the First Realm of Stars and… I had a dream?”

  “You had a dream?” Ax’thra raised his brow.

  “Yeah, it showed me how to shatter my core and stuff… and I figured it was related to the 1st Realm of Stars so I went ahead and did all that. I cracked my core, and peeled the membrane and once I did I saw your vision…” Amber admitted.

  Thinking about it, it sounded ridiculous, so she couldn’t imagine how someone like?—

  Ax’thra burst out laughing. Literally. He doubled over on his chair as he held his head.

  “That’s the most stupid?—” He cackled. ?”—and ridiculous way you could’ve achieved Ascension.”

  She raised her brow but instead of saying anything she waited for him to continue. Though it took another minute for Ax’thra to finally compose himself.

  “You do realize you’re essentially telling me that you had enlightenment in your sleep?” he asked amused. “That you, with a unique core that was influenced by the presence of other gods around you, realized that you could be more from a simple dream? That you came to the grand realization that takes others years of fighting to the death to notice simply from a dream?”

  “Yep.” Amber smiled. “I’m actually pretty awesome, no?”

  At that the god simply laughed. “In a way this just goes to show how much talent you have, but…” He tilted his head. “I do feel like your core would’ve started shattering anyway considering how hard you fight, so it’s not like it was going to take you long to realize it naturally.”

  Amber nodded. Realistically speaking, the process of how to reach the First Realm of Stars had been nothing but luck, but it wasn’t as if it had been easy. In fact, that fight with the hydra had been the most dangerous fight she had ever had. And as a consequence from it she had about nine years of lifespan remaining.

  In short, she didn’t exactly feel ashamed or as if it had been handed out to her. Which is why she could puff out her chest in pride.

  “I’m sure it wouldn’t have been delayed by long, after all I did fight the primordial of the Shattered Tower for six months straight.”

  “Indeed.” He nodded, seemingly pondering. “I have to say, you’re much more eccentric than a lot of other primordials I’ve seen. Which surprises me.”

  “Why’s that?”

  He opened his hand and counted two fingers, and half flexed a third one.

  “Well, you’ve been in Vir like two and a half years and you’ve already gone insane, that’s quite the accomplishment, no?” he asked nonchalantly.

  “Is it really insanity if I enjoy it?” Amber crossed her arms. “Plus, I had no other choice.”

  “You could’ve just used the contract left in place by Sid’fril, so in terms of not having a choice that is a mere illusion. And as for enjoying it?” He smiled. “Of course, that makes you even more unhinged.”

  She clicked her tongue. “It’s your fault for keeping me in your tower for so long, letting me experiment by burning myself and doing other things.”

  “Maybe so, but it’s fine. I’m actually quite proud of how much you’ve achieved. I thought you’d die shortly after departing from my tower even if I hoped you wouldn’t. After all, people like you don’t survive for long.”

  “So I’ve heard.” Amber scoffed.

  Ax’thra smiled and then finally spoke.

  “I did miss you the more I saw of your achievements.”

  Amber rolled her eyes. “Yet you pretend like I’m the weird one.”

  “Of course I have to pretend, you’re just a mere human!”

  “And you’re a mere lamp?—”

  Perhaps it was a long time coming, but Amber truly didn’t expect this reunion to happen so soon. Which is why she enjoyed talking to her first friend in this world so much, and while she had tried to get Ax’thra to talk about his circumstances he didn’t say all that much. He mostly said cryptic stuff such as: ‘you cannot know that yet.’ But either way, Amber was happy by simply talking and sharing her experiences.

  Ax’thra had even shown her that he had managed to power up her phone, but of course, Amber didn’t give him her password. Part of it was just to frustrate him, but the other was to have something else to look forward to.

  Whether Ax’thra would manage to see her phone’s contents or whether she would need to graciously show them to him.

  Unfortunately, the fun conversation couldn’t last forever.

  “Anyway, I suppose we’ve both heard enough.” Ax’thra sighed standing up. “This reunion was never meant to last. Even though I’ve only transported your consciousness into Ill’hine time has almost run out.”

  “Consciousness?” Amber blinked, looking down at herself after following her friend’s lead and standing up. Moving around she, well… she felt just like normal. “How am I just my consciousness?"

  “Well, you actually cannot interact with most objects here, to make an example,” he shrugged.

  Amber blinked and tried to reach for a rock on the ground, but her hand just seemingly passed right through it.

  “Unlike the replica of Ill’hine you would see during your advancements, this is the real deal. Luckily for us, the place you’re most attuned to is actually quite peaceful.”

  “Attuned to?” She tilted her head

  “Something for you to figure out,” Ax’thra said dismissively. “For now, we just have to complete your Ascension before anything else. We talked for a bit too long.”

  “Right.”

  Amber had initially been here for that after all. But she had mostly forgotten about it. After all, she had enjoyed the past few hours that much, and now that it was mostly over she even felt sad. The Ascension ?— in her eyes ?— was secondary at this point. But she supposed that in the large scale of things it was much more important than a mere conversation.

  “Alright, to cut anticipation short, I will be imparting you part of me to help you,” Ax’thra said as he lifted his palm, a blue flame wisping on it. It was the size of a fist.

  Except, as Amber saw it she couldn’t help but ask.

  “A flame?”

  “Yes, this flame will be imparted upon you,” Ax’thra agreed.

  But Amber couldn’t help but sigh. After all, hadn’t she been deliberating in her head about whether what awaited her was something special or another dumb flame advancement?

  Well, calling this a dumb flame advancement would be rude, she acquiesced in her mind as finally she smiled.

  Ax’thra raised his brow. “Are you done?”

  Amber nodded. “What will you imparting part of yourself do to me? Or how will it help me?”

  “It’s simply part of the process, or maybe it’s a gift, who knows.” He smiled. “Just kidding?— it will ensure your Essence grows enough to reach apotheosis when the time comes. Without it, your Essence will always be incomplete.”

  “That sounds a bit like a challenge,” Amber teased.

  And she simply got a small chuckle before Ax’thra shoved his hand forward, pressing the flame against the upper part of her chest before it vanished. Amber blinked, feeling nothing, there was absolutely nothing that changed.

  “Was it supposed to be like that?” She blinked.

  “What, did you expect to curl over and scream in pain?” He raised his brow. “You have to be the weirdest human I’ve ever befriended.”

  Amber shook her head. “I just didn’t think it’d be so simple.”

  “Life is full of surprises.”

  Ax’thra shrugged and then looked at her. He took a really good look at her, almost as if he seemed uncertain of something. And finally, after a few seconds of silence he spoke.

  “Even though you haven’t known me for that long, you still consider me a great friend. I don’t understand it.”

  Amber blinked. “From what I’ve seen you give me quite the preferential treatment too, I mean I don’t necessarily understand what you’ve thought of me all this time, but…” She smiled. “I feel like you seemed to care about me as well.”

  Hearing that Ax’thra paused and then smiled slightly. “Yeah, I do.”

  Amber wanted to tease him but at that moment, her vision began to fade. It started from the corners of her vision filling with darkness, but it was quickly expanding.

  “In the end, I was wrong. You should fulfill your own goals, with the help I’ll grant you.” He smiled and grabbed her hands. “If you don’t fulfill my expectations I’ll make sure to give you an earful in the afterlife.”

  Following his words, a blue light expanded and Amber felt something shift within her. Then the blue faded into nothingness. Amber found herself standing in the middle of floor 7, right where she had decided to start her Ascension. However, she could tell Ax’thra had done something because even now she could feel something had changed.

  The question was, what?

  Amber frowned and looked down as she saw a flame come out of her chest and dissipate like a puff of smoke. Was that the part of himself he had given her? She didn’t know. But finally, the Essence notifications came.

  Ascension Completed.

  All your attributes have increased by 200.

  You have awakened Divine Essence.

  She paused.

  What?

  And that’s when Amber truly felt the change throughout her body as another notification appeared.

  Beginning partial physiology changes from Divine Essence…

  Following that, she felt her body shift just like with the Special Advancement she had undergone. Except she welcomed the pain because it meant one thing and one thing only:

  She was going to be even stronger.

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  NOTE: Also let me know if i missed an important detail in world building.