Note: " double quotes " - Direct conversation

' single quote ' - indirect conversation

Italic letters - thoughts

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Chapter Fourteen: Heaven Grace's Fruit

On the way to Yellow Leaf City, Tania, Lily and Ascathon as they were originally friends, naturally grouped with each other, for they were more comfortable that way.

While riding on the Thunder Clouds Sparrow, they talked of what they would do first, when they registered as an adventurers.

"Tania, what do you think we should do first?" Lily asked.

"I think we should take a quest first and if we saw Rick, let's invite him to our group. After that let's go to Sword Beast Forest." Tania replied.

"That's a good plan." Lily said as she grinned.

"Yes, with Rick together with us. We could conquer the Ruins that teacher Seigehart told us!" Tania beamed, which caught Lily's sight as her mischievous character surfaced, while Ascathon only smile knowingly at her.

"hehehe, you really didn't forgot about Rick. My bestfriend and childhood friend Princess Titania Everspear Lightbearer, daughter of Emperor Lourde Everspear and Empress Cathania Everspear Lightbearer, the doted Second Princess of Everspear Empire, has finally overcome puberty and finally had someone she loves! Kyaa!!! I can't believe it!" Lily teased.

Tania's face became bright red as she heard it while Ascathon only laughed and nodded in approval.

"that's not- that's not what you think! H-he is strong s-so I wanted to invite him to join us!" she defended.

"Well, is that really the reason?" Lily asked smiling wryly.

"O-of course! Ascathon help me!" she looked at Ascathon with pleading eyes.

"Oh, how lucky of Rick. Anyway you two were really complements each other. Rick was from Soulreaver Clan. On the surface of the planet the Soulreaver clan was a force to be reckoned and revered, while you're part of one of the Ancient clans. You two were part of two ancient clans. You two seemed fated to meet." he didn't helped Tania instead he added fuel to the fire.

Lily heard it thumbs up at him.

"You two... You're ganging up on me!" she said, her face became more red, which made the two laughed.

"hahaha... Anyway, you knew my big brother right?" Ascathon asked and the two girls nodded as answers.

"Hmm... I heard from him that he already came to the Ruins of War Gods and it was only accessible to all Warlord and Sage ranks. All people above those ranks were repelled by a formidable barrier and only a one time used."

"Really?" the two girls asked in unison.

"Yes, I also heard a rumor that the Ruins had a treasure vault full of spirit and magical cultivation resources, more importantly were the God rank artifacts."

"God rank artifacts!? Is that Ruins a former city of Gods? To have such place exist here is really astonishingly luck for us. I'm fortunate to have followed Tania here at the Gaia's Heart Academy, instead of joining the Gold Arcaide Academy." Lily said.

"Yes, but it was only a rumor. If that's really was true, only time would tell when we challenge the Ruins ourselves. So we need to be fully prepared. First let's find informations about the Ruins, I know we would found many important info about it because it was popular to all students and adventurers. Let's enter it after that and also invite Rick to join us. We could had higher success rate of conquering it that way."

"See, I told you, Lily. Even your boyfriend was agreed to me." Tania said.

"Oh, you just wanted to see him again, don't make Ascathon as an excuse. Do you really misses him that much? Oh how romantic of you princess Titania. Searching for her knight in shining armour." Lily yet again teased her and yet Tania fall for it yet again.

"You...."

"Hahaha..." the two laughed

"Don't laugh!"

"oh I remember when he stepped out in front to defend you from the attack of magical beast and catched you when you're about to fall... How romantic!"

"Ahh! Stop! Stop!!! Don't say it!"

"You also said... 'I think I found my knight'." she said in a very romantic voice.

"ahhh!!! No! I didn't heard anything! Please stop it!" Tania pleaded from Lily's teased.

Their teasing session continued until they reached the Yellow Leaf City.

Meanwhile, in the Sword Beast Forest. Rick was fighting a formidable beast when he suddenly sneezed uncontrollably.

*achoo!*

'What's that!?'

'Idiot! Why did you stopped attacking!? Quick! it would escape!' Ignavus exclaimed

'Okay, okay! I'm on it!' he said through their mind connect but he suddenly sneezed yet again and the beast already fled.

*achoo!*

'Arghh! It already escaped stupid beast! Stupid kid!'

'Hey! I didn't-'

*Achoo!*

'Ugh... Forget it. Let's just tracked it down immediately, it didn't ran far yet with its wounds.'

'Yeah, yeah... This quest is really troublesome. When would Tania and others arrived at the city?'

'meh! Missing his princess already.'

'i-idiot! That's not what I'm thinking! Let's track it down Idiot!'

'Hey! You're going to opposite direction!'

'I-im just looking back!'

'.......you're hopeless..' Ignavus said as he stared dumbly at him. Ugh... Its so nice to be alive. If I wasn't poisoned, I might had been alive up until now. It was all that snake's fault! Damn that snake! He thought deeply.

As Rick tried to tracked down the spirit beast he recently fought and miraculously escaped. He saw it near the Silver Water Lake, succumbed on its heavy wounds, inflicted by him.

'This stupid Blade-Clawed Marsupial escaped yet died from its wounds. Okay, store it to your Spatial Storage Ring and dismantle it away here, before some formidable beast came at the enticing scent of blood.' Ignavus suggested which also on Rick's mind.

It has been no less one week, when Rick became an adventurer and already completed 17 quest. Most were threat spirit beasts or magical beasts subjugation, some were raw material gathering and only two escorting quest from Yellow Leaf City to the City of Living Grassland, which takes one day to travel by foot while only half a day when on transportation, back and forth.

Since there was no decent flat road, Cars nor other wheeled vehicles weren't a good choice, thus traveling merchants mostly used magical beast, the Hunched-Back Bull Raptor which was not too picky on foods and only eat and live with grass. It could run about 80-140 kmph and lift hundred thousand pound. As it was an domesticated beast, thus it was easy to control.

Rick didn't know that he was being watched, as the beast's corpse as a bait to lure big fishes. When he was about leave, something shourded the sky behind as it overshadowed him. It was a huge magical beast from the Silver Water Lake, a Silversword Giant Toad.

'Rick! Evade!"

As Ignavus signaled, Rick also felt the danger and used his agility technique.

"[Volcanic Leap]!" he pounced on the side, as he leave the ground, his whole body exploded with terrifying high temperature, that the incoming silver sword tongues were melted immediately as the tongues of the beast were turned to ash.

The beast wailed as it was injured in its most vulnerable part, the tongues. It was shaped like swords with silver colour, because of the Silver Water Lake.

As it was a coward from the beginning, it only relied on ambush tactics, as it was weak in face to face battle, that even with a bunch of Elite rank could kill it, even though it was a Warlord rank magical beast.

It doesn't had any attack ability except the Silver sword tongues which like a double edged sword. As the ambush failed, it immediately retreated back at the depth of the lake.

Looking back at the retreating beast, Rick heaved a sign of relief. When he looked at the are where the attack of the beast landed, he was astonished.

"How did that simple attack be so destructive!?" he said as he saw a 5x10 crater.

'Don't be surprised. Didn't you forgot that Silversword Giant Toad was a magical beast? It uses magical spells to stengthen its attack power, that's why its destructive. If you didn't evade that attack, you might be seriously wounded. Let's go back.' Ignavus explained and Rick dashed towards the Yellow Leaf City.

On his way on the woods, Rick saw a blinding light from a far. curious of what it was, he approached towards the light's location. As he neared the light intensified as he narrowed his eyes.

'Rick! we hit a jackpot! Your luck was really good! hahaha!' Ignavus gleefully said.

'Why!? I couldn't even see a thing! Its too damn bright!' he complained.

'Cover yourself in spirit energy! You stupid kid.'

Rick immediately did what he said and could finally see clearly what the light was. It was a Tree with brilliance enough to blind anyone who looked at it.

'Rick, this tree is a true treasure!'

'what's with this tree?'

'This tree is called [Revering Light Willow Tree]. The wood of this tree was only second to the [Ancient Red Steel Wood]! When it was refined to an artifact, it could be ranked as Primordial rank artifact as it highest! More importantly was the tree's fruit! The fruit was called [Heaven's Grace Fruit], if consumed could make any person breakthrough to another rank without exception! Regardless of rank!'

'Then, let's take it!'

'Rick, be wary. This Tree always had a Guardian. It wasn't a spirit beast nor magical beast, but an Puppet Avatar! The strength of the Puppet Avatar varies to the strength of the challenger. In essence, it was a form of trial. With your strength, your opponent would be....' Ignavus was interrupted as they heard a clank sounds.

It was a golden armored knight avatar wielding a golden heavy sword with every steps it took, it produces a clank sounds. An indication that there was no one inside the armour.

'Like I thought, it have a strength of an Emperor rank. Rick don't hold back!'

'Of course, I won't!' he replied.

Rick saw the aura of the golden knight, knew that it far surpassed his. However, it didn't able to scare him. With the help of his divine gift, the [Nine Heaven Scorching Sun] at the second stage. He could stand toe to toe with an early stage emperor rank, or escape from the clutches an middle stage emperor rank.

Considering there's no one to witnessed this divine gift of his. He could go all out and used it to the fullest. After all, he wanted to know how tyrannical this divine gift was.

He moved forward with his sword, given by Seigehart, as he bravely faced the golden knight. As it horizontally lifted the golden heavy sword with only one hand like a stick, it created a violent gust and crushed the trees with only that simple move.

The Puppet Avatar, Golden knight doesn't possessed the profound energy of an emperor rank, only the raw prowess of an early stage Emperor rank.

The Golden knight looked valorous and gallant as the pairs of glowing golden eyes peered at him. Rick readied himself as he firmly held his sword with both hands. His resolute eyes glinted as an extremely hot yellow flame surged out from his body, creating distortion of space around him.

His hair from the roots changed color, from black to yellowish with a faint of blue. Indication that Rick was already at the threshold of [Yellow Nascent Sun] and could breakthrough to [Blue Transcendant Sun].

He continued to stare intently at the golden knight, without any warnings, it suddenly disappeared from his sight and appeared in front of him, with its golden heavy sword slashing at him.

So fast! Rick exclaimed inwardly.

However, instead of being scared, his blood boiled with the anticipation of having a great battle with nothing to spare. Rather than evading, Rick gladly meet it head on.

The two swords clashed, creating a shocked wave with a clang. They were both pushed back. As they immediately regained their balance, the two attacked again. When the swords met, a shock wave yet again was produced. But this time, they're weren't pushed back.

They continue to attack and didn't tried to evade nor defend. They moved extremely fast around the tree as they attacked each other, peeling off a small pasture of grasses around the tree.

In that several seconds, they already exchanged 26 blows, that the grassy land around the tree became barren with numerous shallow craters. Though, it was only several seconds, for them it was like an hour, that seems the time around them slowed down momentarily as they exchanged blows.

At the 27th exchange of attacks, the attack possessed tenfolds of the previous attacks, that the moment their swords crossed, the land and air around them were annihilated.

Which by then they abruptly stopped from their onslaughts and moved back, creating a distance from one another, standing at the edge of the 1000x100 crater, that was produced by the destructive exchange.

Within their exchanged of attacked, Rick didn't used any techniques, only his raw prowess and energy circulated through his sword and body, added with physical amplification his divine gift given to him, his every slash could cut diamonds and melt steels.

As they took distance, the time the seems slowed down started to came back. The results of the assaults took action. Wounds appeared on Rick's body, including the Golden knight.

Rick had three wounds, his internals were damaged by the tyrannical force of the Golden knight's golden heavy sword, a shallow cut yet blood oozed on his left limb and arms. His hands were shaking from the accumulated force of Golden knight's attacks, as he kneeled down.

While the golden knight's damages weren't good as Rick's. Its waist were almost cut in half while the golden heavy sword was sliced from the Fuller. It kneeled down as well, using its damaged heavy sword as a leverage from falling down.

Rick saw it, smiled as he thought he defeated it, as the golden armour became black. Rick was astonished as what he saw. The golden knight's wound healed like new, the heavy sword became black as well and repaired itself. As he saw it, he knew that the fight still far from finished.

The eyes of the golden knight became crimson, as it entered rage mode, the aura it has became grim like a reaper as the heavy swords glowed in black color.

Rick still had some energy to continue, but if he meet the heavy sword head on. His internals might receive considerable damage, that might cost his life. He stand up as he remembered what Seigehart told him before he left the academy.

*"As for our temporary parting words, listen carefully. Everything was made of energy, everything in lands, in seas or in sky, all in the universe. All spirit energy users had the ability to control it and used it on their own, to assimilate with it. Remember, you're part of the nature. Use it as when you're in dire predicament."*

Then, he looked at the standing black knight, as the sunlight bounced from its armour, as he suddenly had thought of something the would definitely help him.

He used the yellow sun inside him to attract and absorbed the sun's energy. The fire and light were on the same category as life energy, thus it was all absorbed by him without difficulty.

The yellow sun refined it to the purest form and channeled it through out his whole body, as it rapidly healed his wounds. He would needed 10 seconds at most, to be fully healed. Hence, he decided to temporarily evade the black knight's every attack as Rick started to count in mind.

'One... Two... Three..." yet the black knight still hasn't moving.

When on the fifth count, it suddenly disappeared and appeared behind him, which greatly surprised him. It's speed from before far more exceed now. He was caught off guard but to shake it off, he used his sun's ability second stage ability.

"[Sun Super Nova]!"

Kneeling down, an explosion of yellow flame surged out from him. It causes him half of his accumulated pure fire energy, as it caught the black knight and blasting it off a few meters away.

"seven... Eight..."

His wounds was almost fully healed and he was able to stand up and fight back, instead he backed away from the knight, while it pursued him and catched up to him.

It did received some damage, that some parts of the armour were melted.

On the ninth second, it already reached him and attack 3 times which he didn't foolishly meet head on, instead he evaded it and struggle to parried it. The tyrannical force within the 3 heavy sword strikes were evident as it sundered the ground with every strikes. As he deflected it, his hands would gone numb even the heavy sword only grazed his sword.

Kuah! If it hits me with my current condition, I'm dead for sure! He exclaimed in thought.

It attacked again with much more force than before. Rick could feel that the incoming attack was much more stronger. It was fast and powerful that the air around the heavy sword were trembling as it moved towards his head.

As it moved closer, he decided to defend with all his strength as the 10th second was up and his wounds were completely healed. He immediately activated his Divine gift and once again, yellow flame surged out from his with full power.

His sword shone brighter than the sun with temperature for exceeds the sun. It was his [Sun Super Nova], instead of his body, he used it at his sword, draining all his accumulated pure fire energy.

Anyone who saw it from a far would think that the sun was setting from Rick's location.

He didn't confronted the heavy sword, he only parried it. With the heavy sword's tyrannical force it destroyed everything in its path. If he didn't parried it, he would definitely be gravely injured to the point of being dead.

He was just thankful that the Puppet Avatar he was fighting didn't even possessed any self awareness and only know what it was inclined to do.

As the sword's brightness intensified, it burned everything around it, but Rick wasn't affected because of his immunity from his divine gift.

"Take this! [Sword of Schorcing Sun]!" he roared, slashing upwards to the black knight's waist, It cuts through the armour of the black knight like paper, as his sword exploded, it destroyed everything around them.

Luckily, they're several kilometers far away from the [Revering Light Willow Tree]. If not, he might hadn't died from battle, but from regret. If he happened to unknowingly destroyed the thing that would be the fruit of his blood and energy.

As Rick looked around, all he saw were smokes that could be saw from a far that reached the sky, in a deep crater. "This smoke and light from before must had attracted a lot of attentions. I better claim my reward before they come here." he said and ran as fast as he could to the location of [Revering Light Willow Tree].

He found the [Heaven Grace's Fruit] floating in front of the tree, waiting for him to picked it up. 'This Tree was really peculiar.' he said in mind.

'Of course, it is!' Ignavus interjected

'Ahh! Ignavus! Why weren't you responding a while ago!? I almost died! But luckily, I pulled it off in the end.'

'You're really stupid! Why did you fight that Puppet Avatar head on!? Do you really wanted to die!? It won't feel anything! Not fear nor pain! And the strength it has was an early stage emperor rank! Do you here me!? Emperor rank! Even if it was only raw prowess it was still emperor rank! If you used you're most powerful technique from the start, you didn't need to ran! Stupid kid! What am I gonna do to you!?' Ignavus scolded as he sighed in helplessness.

'I'm sorry, I don't know that it was that... powerful.'

'As for why I couldn't talk to you. It was because of the magic formation placed in this whole place.'

'huh!? There's a magic formation here!? How did that happen!?'

'I don't know who laid it here. Who ever he was. He must be definitely strong. This magic formation was able to cut our soul ties and trapped me here inside the moment that Golden knight Attacked.'

'So that's why I couldn't sense you, when I ran and stall for time. Correction, it was a Black knight.'

'I saw a bright light at your previous location. Quick, take the fruit and leave before some people come, rushing here.'

'Hmm...' Rick nodded and took the fruit and store it in his Spatial Storage Ring. When they stepped out of the magic formation, it didn't obstruct them.

As they looked back at the tree, Rick noticed something.

'Ignavus, look! The tree began producing flowers!' he pointed towards the tree.

'What!? How's that possible!? In my memory, this Tree needed hundred year to produce flower and another to bore fruit and another to ripe! How's that possible!?... Unless... that might be it...' he pondered.

'Rick, let's go back now. You won't had another chance in acquiring fruit from this Tree. The magic formation would definitely won't let you come closer.'

'Yeah, I think so too. My body felt heavy like something oppressing me. It must be the magic formation.' he said and leave.

On his way back to Yellow Leaf City, Rick didn't encountered any predicament. As he neared, he saw many students of Gaia's Heart Academy entering the city.

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Thanks for the reading! Enjoy!