Endless Vertex 45 Chapter 44: Dive Down

The secret to assimilating more nutrients and Aura from the Aura Accruing Pond, is to nakedly expose oneself without the protection of their own Aura.

One must muster enough bravery and resolution to endeavor enduring the burgeoning frost.

Rarely any Earth Arena newbies could withstand the merciless cleansing for more than half an hour with their bare physical body. But once one does, his future will be unpredictable with exaggerated possibilities.

He recognized this child from when he was surveilling in the shadows nearby the Dragon's mouth. His friends, the two guards in the open, grew quite a good impression with that kid and his companion.

His shift was over, giving him time to mock at the newcomers. But if he was correct, wasn't the kid here one hour ago?

Monster!

He could only contemplate the same word over and over again.

How ironic it was. The pathetically shivering child who he thought was a humiliating piece of garbage, in the next second, turned out to be a remarkable genius.

The man released a remorseful sigh of relief. He would have been a laughingstock, losing his face so badly till the pacific if he hadn't swallowed in his negative thoughts, or the feminine shriek.

But seriously, as a noble Warrior who has trained in the Coiling Dragon Arena for 20 or so years, Atlas was one of those few beasts who has managed to bathe in the Pool of Endurance for more than an hour, without the aid of Aura.

Compared to the rest of the competition, that kid is unprecedented among this year's batch.

"Wah! It's so damn cold!" Atlas wailed in the pool, his complains muffled by the splashes made by his flailing arms. "Nova! Be a man! Remove your Aura!"

He waddled towards Nova who was not far away, his body sinking more thoroughly into the pond, but still floating effortlessly due to its high density.

Everyone else was concentrated in channeling their Aura to shield them from the hazardous cold and to challengingly collect the enriching nourishments to flourish themselves, unlike Nova, who still had the vitality to appreciate and enjoy Petal's alluring figure through her drenched, translucent clothing with polite innocence and reasonable gratitude.

"Hey, Nova. Dispel your Aura."

"What? Why?" Nova stared suspiciously at Atlas's unnatural smirk.

"Just do it."

"Fine."

When Nova dismisses the Aura around him, the glacial temperature swarmed him like hungry sharks onto a drop of heavenly blood, inseparable.

Nova tensed instantly, grinding his neck to adapt to the sudden, stinging alteration.

"Easy... wait. Ok, much better." Nova's senses finally subdued.

Jaw dropped long enough to figuratively stuff in a basketball, the man was speechless with skepticism.

[Did that weird haired boy just attempt the same challenge and succeeded in that atrocious environment?]

"Nova, let's play a game called... Wake Up. It involves rock, paper, scissors. Every time you... win, you get to decide an action in a... fictional world. First move has to be waking up from bed, while the goal is to..... eliminate your opponent in anyway possible."

Atlas struggled to form a complete paragraph. Nova answered to it with the same instability.

Ergo, two vulnerable teenage boys started to play rock, paper, scissors arduously in the Pool of Endurance, whereby everyone else was suffering in spite of sufficient protection.

The man already gave up on commenting, now timing the length of their perseverance while polishing his sword.

People with close relationship to him will know what that action meant.

He was in a mood of mounting satisfaction. Although he had no interest in ordinary Warriors, these two talented and entertaining Warriors made his day.

Just acknowledging their presence and their immense potential soothed his soul.

Within the pond, Atlas felt that the extreme cold was not only replacing his flesh with ice, but was also solidifying his blood, causing it to cycle ten times slower than usual.

However, he clearly felt his meridians somehow, widening and strengthening, which is obligatory for the increase in growth and capacity for one's Aura.

Currently, there was only one word of determination lingering in their minds: Persistence.

2 hours has passed, and both of them were basically 'dying' in the pool, succumbing to the inevitable surrender.

Haze pervaded out of their ghostly apparition, indicating that their versatility has met the limitations.

Simultaneously, when the stopwatch hit the three hour mark, they both yelled miserably in unison. "Can't take this anymore!"

Surging Aura enveloped both of them instantly; Atlas's illuminating mauve, as if the casual violet has been dyed a lighter hue; while the fluttering, eerie and black Aura of Nova fought a winning duel against the flicking holy and vivid yellowness, creating a cacophony of evil and justice.

The man's face twitched with dubiety and positive jealousy.

[It must feel damn great to be such genius.]

[Titanium grade geniuses.] Atlas would have added.

"Not sure where that kid is from, but I'm assuming that the kid with twin colors is from the Typhon Assassination Family. That child has unprecedented talent! He acknowledges his limitations, and that some boarders cannot be crossed regarding the balancing of incompatible elements. Why would they allow this imperial genius to be recruited by another organization? Unless... he is hiding his potential! Revenge?" He postulated, engrossed in his own speculations.

Meanwhile.

With the warmth and security of Aura circulating in his meridian and veins, Atlas defrosted, free from the excruciating cold and pain.

Ravenously, Atlas fulfilled his tremendous appetite in the next few hours, absorbing the Aura Accruing Pond without much difficulty.

However, the amount of nourishments mirthlessly consumed seemed pretty petty compared to the benefits earned through sacrificing himself through freezing torture.

Thus, he proposed a daring suggestion: to dive down to unleash his full potential.

The first Warrior surfaced from the water, shivering vigorously. "I can't endure anymore! I've never felt so cold before! Hahahaha! Holy moly, I almost achieved Tier 2 Axonn!"

The man celebrated with a gleeful cheer as he dried himself a towel that was positioned on a table.

Off guard, the man looked up blurringly to confirm the identity of the individual.

As soon as he relocated his sight onto the Pool of Endurance, he realized that the two boys he's been carefully observing for hours have mysteriously vanished.

"Please don't tell me!" His lips quivered uncontrollably, his precious sword toppling on the ground.

Eight years ago, a boy with impulsive audacity launched a reckless feat to dive into the depths of the Pool of Endurance.

He died. Fished out as a frozen corpse.

Chapter end