The night sky stretched over the desert, dotted with stars that shone brightly unobstructed by clouds. The night wind blew softly, carrying grains of fine sand that glittered under the moonlight.
The air, which had been burning during the day, had now turned piercingly cold, creating a sharp contrast with the stillness of the night.
In the middle of the silent sand, a small campfire burns gently, its flames dancing in time with the wind.
The reddish-orange light from the fire bounced off the surface of the sand, creating shadows that moved like an illusion.
Right in front of the campfire, El sat cross-legged in the lotus position, his body emitting purple Dou Qi that glowed like a carpet of stars reflecting the night sky around her.
Ripples of energy pulsed gently, flowing in harmonious waves in time with his regular breathing.
Around him, two purple crystals, artifacts from the Purple Crystal Lion King Cave, hovered in rotation, emitting a mystical glow.
Each of their rotations accelerated the circulation of energy, multiplying the absorption of natural Dou Qi from the surrounding environment.
The sand underneath trembled faintly, as if responding to such a powerful pull of energy.
In the stillness of the night, El remained focused. His eyes closed, his mind immersed in cultivation, slowly climbing his way to a higher realm.
Suddenly, the dantian in El's body pulsed strongly, as if it had a consciousness of its own. His face frowned slightly, feeling the increasing pressure.
"Ugh... Just a little more, I'm about to break through!" he muttered, gritting his teeth to resist the surge of energy.
In the next instant, the purple Dou Qi surrounding him churned wildly before finally bursting out violently, creating a wave of energy that slammed into the surrounding sand.
Grains of sand flew up, forming a small vortex before finally being scattered in all directions.
In an instant, El's body felt lighter, stronger. He passed through not one, but two stars at once. Now, he had reached the 4-star Dou Shi realm.
Ding!
At the same time, a familiar voice from the system echoed in his mind. A notification appeared, making him slowly open his eyelids. His sharp gaze now lit up with renewed vigor.
____________________
Name: El Ira Adrian
Race: Human
Title: Loli Killer
Profession: Dou Qi Practitioner
Realm: Dou Shi 4-star
Spirit Rank: Mortal State 4
Authority Level: 5
....
STR: 60 (25+) {20+}
VIT: 111 (25+) {20+}
AGI: 60 (25+) {20+}
INT: 45 (10+) {34+}
____________________
El smiled slightly, satisfied that he had managed to break through two stars at once. After that, he closed the Status screen with a sense of relief.
Without wasting any time, El collected the few Purple Crystals floating around and put them into the Sky Poison Pearl before laying down, intending to sleep.
However, just as his back was about to touch the ground, the bracelet on his hand pulsed softly, sending out a subtle vibration that instantly aroused a bit of curiosity.
El turned his head and touched the bracelet. Instantly, a conversation notification screen appeared in front of his.
[Sister Ichigo]: "Does anyone want to go on a mission together now? Ask Misaka to everyone in the group."
[Lumine]: "I'm coming. It just so happens that I just finished the 4th level Authority ascension mission. A little relaxation before the next mission seems fine."
[Kaneki Ken]: "Sorry, I can't come right now. I'm in the middle of a Level 4 Authority Ascension Mission and I'm currently surrounded by ZOMBIES! Their meat is no longer delicious! Damn it! Don't contact me yet!"
[Kazuma]: "Whoa... Going on a mission with the seniors! I'm in! Wait a moment, it's still on the way. Don't start without me!"
[Isyana Yashiro]: "Not interested. I'm busy challenging the Reincarnation Room Tower. Just finished the 15th Floor Challenge. By the way, if anyone has a 16th floor strategy, share it."
[Mukuro]: "Muku can't come~ Currently on a date with Nusshi-sama in the home world. Don't bother Muku~"
El sighed as he looked at the growing list of group members. "Are they Misaka's other victims?" he muttered, a little surprised. "Mukuro from DAL? and Kazuma from Konosuba?"
Without thinking, El began typing a message.
[Adrian]: "Sorry, maybe next time. I'm currently on my 4th level Authority Ascension Mission. But, is it possible to directly return to the Reincarnation Room even if you're on a mission in another world?"
[Sister Ichigo]: "You can! Misaka said, then explained that the Item's name was Recal Stone. With that item, a Beyonder can directly jump to the mission time limit."
[Adrian]: "Recal Stone, huh? That sounds interesting. Is it a rare item? How much does it cost? And can it be sent to this world?"
[Sister Ichigo]: "The price is 10,000 Points and it's not very rare even though there are many enthusiasts, Misaka said with a sad expression. But unfortunately, when the Beyonder goes on an Ascension Mission, the item cannot be shipped..."
[Sister Ichigo]: "By the way, there's been no news for a long time, Misaka said curiously. May I know, what world are you in now?"
El smiled slightly as he looked at the hologram screen in front of him.
Actually, El opened the group quite often and communicated with them when he had free time.
Making friends with fellow Beyonders wasn't a bad thing, though he still had to be careful. Not everyone in this group could be fully trusted.
Among the members, El was most familiar with Sister Ichigo. El often asked Sister Ichigo for opinions on the development of her sister's body cloning, even other useful items.
Without hesitation, El began typing a message.
[Adrian]: "The world of Battle Through the Heavens. Do you guys know that world?"
[Kazuma]: "Battle what...? Never heard of it."
[Lumine]: "I don't know either... Is it a famous world?"
[Mukuro]: "Muku don't know either~ Adrian, is that world interesting?"
[Isyana Yashiro]: "Wait, what was that Battle in? The world name looks strong. Let's chat some more. I don't know why I have to defeat 100 Robots right now!? What a tower of absurdity! We'll talk later!"
[Sister Ichigo]: "Huh?! Misaka's shocked! You're in the world of Battle Through the Heavens right now, Adrian?! That's the mission world that a level 3 Authority usually visits!"
[Lumine]: "Authority level 3?! Isn't Adrian on an Authority level 4 Ascension Mission?!"
[Kazuma]: "So what he's saying is... he should have gotten a Medium-level Mission World, but instead he got into a Difficult-level World?! Wow, the system went wrong?!"
[Adrian]: "So this is the Authority 3 world... I didn't even realize. No wonder the mission given is a bit absurd."
[Sister Ichigo]: "Yes! Misaka nodded slowly. Misaka had a mission there once! The opponents there were very difficult, Misaka recalled having lost her right hand."
[Lumine]: "Wait, why did Adrian get such a difficult Ascension Mission Don't tell me there's something wrong with the Control System?"
[Mukuro]: "Muku agree."
[Kazuma]: "Adrian, this is good advice from me. You have to be extra careful out there. That world is very dangerous, you are still a peak Level 1 Author, do you understand?"
[Adrian]: "Alright, I understand. But, I'm taking a break first. Besides, my chat is almost over."
[Sister Ichigo]: "Misaka understands. Have a good rest, Adrian," Misaka said excitedly.
[Mukuro]: "Yes. Have a good rest."
[Lumine]: "Okay. If you find any information about my brother in the BTTH world, let me know!"
El gave a faint smile before closing the group chat screen. After that, she lay down on the desert sand.
"Should I just go back to training?" muttered El, looking up at the vast desert sky.
After considering it for a moment, he slowly rose from the sand, then took out three Purple Crystal Stones from Sky Pearl Poison.
The three stones floated, revolving around him like planets around the sun, making El the center of a small solar system.
Calmly, he sat in the lotus position, closed his eyes, and began to absorb the natural energy around him.
Purple-colored Dou Qi glowed in the air, forming clusters of light that rotated slowly around his body, like stars in the night sky.
The breathtaking sight further emphasized El's aura, as if he was the center of all the energy around him.