Journey Of A Legend

Heat radiated all over the place, turning the white marble floor and pillars in the surroundings to start melting like ice cream under the sun. The floor right before the gate even turned into a boiling mass, indicating just how insanely hot the heat was!

Yet, even under such suffocating torridity, that could make anyone below the God rank die and turn into nothing more than ash, Ecron was standing before the gate as nothing happened at all; his face showed such tranquility that it was questionable if he felt the heat or not.

Even the ground below and around his feet remained intact, let alone his robe! This was crazy!

"Such frightening existence..." was the only thing Nos could say through his awe. Even Eldar looked kind of shocked but he didn't let his emotions surface onto his face; he had his own pride that's why.

As the two watched Ecron from the distance in silence, Ecron extended him I'm once again and another key formed above it.

"That is the Water key! But why is it made of Jade?" Nos was curious about this question, but even before he could think about anything else, Ecron pushed the key into the second keyhole.

*BAM!*

Just like the previous time, the moment the key was placed into the hole, a frightening power broke out from the gate, while the second color, which was this time the blue, on it lit up brightly.

*FREEZE!*

And as this happened, Nos and Eldar watched as the ground that was boiling with an insane amount of heat suddenly started to solidify and slowly but surely, turn into blue jade.

"!?"

The great heat that melted everything almost into lava, this time dropped below zero in a single flash, turning the surroundings into a blood-freezing territory. Even the ground around them, who stood several tens of meters away from the gate, started to form ice, and yet, Ecron stood before just as calmly as ever before.

"Does he have immunity against the elements?" asked Eldar, now a bit curious just what kind of power could Ecron wield.

"Sir, Ecron does wield an element, but he has no immunity against all the elements. In fact, he only has one against space elements because himself wield that element," explained Nos as he strengthened the barrier around them; it was freezing cold!

"He can wield and utilize the space element?" asked Eldar with shock, but once again his face didn't show the slightest of change.

"Yes." nodded his head Nos firmly.

"I see, then it is not a surprise." 

"What?"

"I mean." started to say Eldar as he watched Ecron extending his hand once again, "If he can use space abilities, it is not a big if a surprise he was able to annihilate close to 80% of our Family in a single instant. If you ask me, it could be considered as he went easy on us."

Nos listened to this and could only nod his head once again with a small sweat on his forehead.

*BAM!*

The third key, which this time was the Wind Key in its almost invisible state, was placed into the third keyhole and the yellow color on the gate lit up.

*SWISH!*

A chaotic storm broke out from the gate the very moment the Wind Key vanished, turning the frozen ground into flying debris and dust, while the pillars on the sides formed deep and wide slash marks one after another.

"The... Hell..." grumbled Nos with tightly clenched teeth as he used every ounce of his power to resist the crazy storm that sent hundreds of wind blades at them from time to time.

"How in the hell can he remain so calm and steady even under such a powerful phenomenon?" pondered Eldar deeply, completely ignoring the fact that Nos was fighting for both of their lives.

"Sir... He... Succeeded with... Evolution Step... His strength is incomparable to us..." hissed Nos through his teeth, making Eldar tilt his gaze at him.

"Evolution Step?" asked Eldar, because that was his first time hearing this word.

"Yes... Sir... The Evolution Step is above... The God rank... Once someone surpasses the God Rank... They will be eligible to fuse together... With their Guardian... That is... The Evolution Step..." told Nos, trying to say it as simple he could make his boss understand.

"So the God rank truly is not the end," said Eldar as he heard this and an imperceptible curve formed on his mouth.

Ecron extended his hand once again making Nos sigh with relief, but when he saw the next key above his palm, Nos's expression darkened.

"The Earth Key!"

*BAM!*

*TREMBLE!*

Like thousands of enormous giants walking above their heads, the whole hall around them started to shake with such tremor it was feared they will be buried alive; the pillars broke and collapsed into a pile of debris, the ground broke and separated while the ceiling started the form cracks one by one.

The whole area was on the verge of destruction, killing both Nos and Eldar together with Ecron.

"What should we do Sir? We need to get out or..."

"Just stay silent and watch," said Eldar in an indifferent tone of voice as he watched Ecron extend his hand again and push a white key into the fifth keyhole.

*BAM!*

In that very instant, blinding white light broke out from the gate, swallowing up the whole place, while a shocking sight started to transpire. The cracks on the ceiling stopped spreading, the remaining pillars halted being turned into debris, and the wide splits on the ground stopped widening too!

Everything that was about to be destroyed stopped and froze, almost like time itself was frozen.

"This..." began to say Nos, but an even greater sight transpired before his and his boss's eyes.

The things they believed to stop moving started to move once again, but instead of forward, they started to move backward... In time!

Yeas, they moved backward in time, almost akin to someone pressing the rewind button on the remote control during a film.

The cracks on the ceiling started to vanish, the broken and collapsed pillars on the sides began to rebuild themselves while the splits on the ground shrunk and turned back into their original appearance!

Everything that was feared to collapse now turned back to its actual shape and look, looking almost like in their prime time when they were created! Even the cracks on the pillars and the frozen boiling mass caused by the first three keys vanished completely; the whole place looked fresh new!

"This... How can this be?" now this time even Eldar was unable to control his shock and looked around with awe.

Not only did he witness strange and suffocating phenomenon after phenomenon, but he was able to watch as things... No, as time itself spun backward! And what was even scarier than he felt his life force as it went back in time for a few minutes too, exactly at the moment where he entered this place!

"What happened just now?" muttered Nos with exactly the same dumbfounded expression, hardly believe what he just watched.

"I don't know, but only one key remains," said Eldar with happiness and excitement flash in his eyes, but strangely, Ecron didn't extend his hand, but instead turned around and stared at them with a nonchalant complexion.

"?"

As the two looked at Ecron in silence, Ecron walked closer while talking, "You should leave now. The final key could cause your will and mind to be destroyed."

"What should that mean?" asked Eldar, obviously not believing what Ecron said; secretly, he even readied himself to fight.

Walking closer to them, when he was exactly 5 meters away from the two, Ecron halted his movements and continued, "I do not lie. The final key was obtained from the Nether Canyon and has exactly the same traits as it. If I use it, this whole place will be engulfed with darkness and your mind will be assaulted with cursed power."

"That is bullshit. I don't believe you at all... You impostor." said Eldar, as cold glint flashed inside his eyes.

"..." Ecron could only lock his stare with Eldar's in silence without anything to say.

Nos on the side on the other hand already trembled with fear and cold sweat appeared on the back of his neck... These two... If they start to fight here let alone him, even the Head Master will die in a single instant! And if that happens, the whole Charon Family was doomed!

However, what neither Nos nor Eldar believed, that Ecron didn't start to fight but simply started to laugh, "Haha... Haha! Just as I have believed! The Head Master of the Charon Family is not as stupid to get fooled by something like this, right?"

Instantly as those words fell, the whole physique of Ecron started to shrink, shift, and change, and soon enough what appeared before the two was not Ecron, but someone completely else.

"You... But how?!