Dimensional Descent

Maybe it was because they were known as the cowardly Race, but Aerin and his people had always had a keen sense of danger.

Truth be told, Leonel wasn't actually looking at him with the same menace in his eyes. His smile seemed far more genuine and he almost seemed to be encouraging him.

Compared to the arrogant young man that had been here for the last few days, it felt almost out of place... Almost.

However, when Aerin looked at the earring on Leonel's earlobe, he couldn't help but feel his heart tremble.

Most hadn't noticed this detail, but he had. He hadn't missed it at all.

Realizing the kind of troubled waters Leonel was fishing in, Aerin knew that he couldn't get involved. And the best way to not get involved... Was to challenge him.

Aerin cleared his throat. "I will challenge master Leonel and his Aina. I will start with a one point challenge. As for the stream, I will pick the Force Pill Crafting stream."

Leonel's smile didn't change, he had expected this, and he could practically read all of Aerin's emotions on his face even without the aid of Dream Force. Then, his lips parted.

"I refuse."

Aerin seemed to deflate, not out of disappointment, but instead relief. For a moment there, he sensed that Leonel wanted to accept, not out of hate or angst, but because he felt that any challenge should be met head on. In that brief instant, Aerin had felt suffocated, like he was standing on a battlefield instead of a Crafting arena.

He exhaled a breath and shook his head. Why had he been so worried anyway? He picked the Force Pill Crafting stream, which was Lyra's expertise, not his own. And it shouldn't be Leonel's either from what he understood.

Even so...

With that, Talon and Somnus were up next and Leonel suddenly grinned. He looked at them first before they looked at him, the air rippling and writhing.

"Hurry up." Leonel said.

"Tal-"

as Talon pushed him back. Until now, Talon had been constantly suppressing his battle intent.

of Leonel was the best or

only reason Leonel waited five hours to rebut Celestia back then was because he wanted to listen to everyone's input first so that he could build up his knowledge. It was clear that his training wasn't nearly on the same level as

And he was correct...

Leonel wanted to create. If the first reason he waited five hours was to accumulate all the points at once, the second was to give this exact thought process

very soon, it would be too late

Starting now.

28

"That's it? Is that all you

drain Leonel of all his points first and then force him to take out the treasures later, but

pent up to take such a thing lying

taking out something that would

BANG!

pillar beneath Leonel cracked so

violet Forces billowed out from Leonel's hair in waves. For a moment, it felt

Force seemed to bump up against the restrictions, a crown flickering into

BANG!

barrier shattered to pieces and a crown and robe of foggy silver and gold took shape around

barrier was at its lowest setting, ready to be taken down for the sake of allowing them to actually Craft. The restrictions were going to be set instead to block off senses from crossing over into other pillars to protect whatever Crafting

no one was focused on

an item so tough and extraordinary that even the

The Life Tablet.