Any object that was able to attract elementary particles on its own, without even being activated, was definitely something precious. This phenomenon was most apparent around items like Ether blocks and Ker gems, whose natural s.h.i.+ne was due to this attraction of particles.
In this case, the phenomenon was magnified by many times, and as Daneel waited, the reptilian turned towards him and saw him staring at the object.
With an irritating smirk, she said, "Watch closely, as I doubt that you will ever have the chance to see something so precious again in your life. The barrier that stops someone from ascending to the Heavens is present above all the known world. Even those whose power approaches the pinnacle cannot go pa.s.s unto the great beyond by flight, but the more power one has, the higher they can reach. I don"t think I need to tell you just how terrifying an attack can be from the right alt.i.tude, because of the pressure that will aid it to smite unsuspecting enemies with devastating force. Different forces use different methods to break through the barrier, but we, at the TriCobra sect, have perfected it. In fact, the object that I hold…"
"You talk too much, Husare. Get it over with."
The moment the reptilian was interrupted by the man made of rock, she shot an angry look at him, but as his face had already taken on a very uncomfortable expression, he did not respond audibly, but he did hint at her with his eyes that she should hurry.
It became clear that he was the reason that they had stopped, as the rest of them could definitely travel even further.
Narrowing her eyes and nodding after a second, the reptilian looked to Daneel again and said, "My companion is invincible on the land, but like all things, he has a weakness, which is the sky. Well, let us begin."
Daneel merely nodded in response, and with a knowing smile that betrayed the fact that she was looking forward to the awed expression that would come on his face when she activated the object in her hand, Husare cast a spell which made the object glow.
It had looked like an unremarkable orb made of some brown colored substance, but the moment the incredibly complex spell took effect, it began to expand.
This expansion was so fast that Daneel could only blink with surprise as it pa.s.sed through him, and seeing this, the reptilian got such a satisfied smile that he grimaced before compressing his lips into a thin line, with the decision that he would maintain this expression no matter what happened from now on.
The orb had stopped expanding right after encompa.s.sing them all. Because it was opaque, it had made darkness fall in the small place that they were in, but a moment later, it turned transparent.
At the same time, Daneel felt the pressure that had been pressing down on him… Vanish.
Even though he tried to control it, shock still appeared in his eyes, as he hadn"t thought that something like this was even possible.
Like the stormy sky above the Endless Sea, this pressure was a thing of nature that had not been tampered with by anyone in the history of Angaria. Many attempts had been made to create spells whose objective was similar, but none had succeeded.
[Artefact is being a.n.a.lyzed. Initial a.n.a.lysis shows that the spell that was cast was a pa.s.sword. This method of creating Artefacts to be used only by designated personnel has been cataloged.]
Seeing him, the same satisfaction on Husare"s face was mirrored on those of the other two, too, but this time, Daneel questioned it - why should these three be so content to see his surprise? Shouldn"t they just take it in stride, as it was obvious that their means would be beyond his, at the moment?
Understanding that there was something he was not seeing here, Daneel put this thought aside for the moment and continued to study the Artefact whose complexity bordered on, or even exceeded that of the weapon that he had taken control of from Vohler.
"Aside from blocking all pleasure up to a certain alt.i.tude, this Artefact, as you call it, also cloaks us. I will be taking us straight to the entrance of the eye. Prepare for battle. You won"t need to fight, but it would be well for you to deploy whatever defensive measures you can, as our attacks can be quite destructive even if you are subjected only to their after-shocks."
Hearing this, Daneel contemplated the idea of saying something witty in response, but at the last moment, he made a decision - as he had seen before, actions were always louder than words, so with a smile, he merely nodded again, following which the three began another conversation of it he was not a part.
This was a short one, though, and it almost seemed like a strategy discussion. Following its end, the one made of rock walked forward and spread out his arms. His body began to grow, and a few seconds later, he had turned into another orb which encapsulated them all.
This time, Daneel had asked the system to maintain his expression, so no surprise came on his face even though it was remarkable that the tough qualities of the rock that the man was made of had been maintained despite the expansion of his form.
Next, the one who had not spoken until now walked up to the rock and pressed his hand on it, following which he seemed to meld into whatever substance that man had been made of. After he disappeared, the rock took on an orange hue, and even Daneel could feel the waves of power that were being emanated by the object which was now the combined form of two incredibly powerful Heroes.
Finally, it was the turn of the reptilian who underwent the most startling change of them all.
With a proud smile, she raised her hands and cast a spell which actually…cut her own body into 6 parts.
These parts were her legs, hands, torso, and head. No blood flew from the wounds which closed automatically, and as an opening appeared in the orb, these 6 parts floated outside in a bizarre and eerie fas.h.i.+on.
Wondering if he had wandered into a high-budget slasher movie, Daneel watched as the system showed him the image outside using the G.o.dnet. These 6 parts had taken their positions at 6 places that were equidistant from each other all over the orb, and as soon as they touched the rock-like surface, they transformed…into weapons.
Each weapon was in the shape of a sword, whose pointed tip began to gather Energy into an attack whose power the system estimated to be enough to kill a Peak Hero in one strike.
Killing a Peak Hero in one strike! This was something that Daneel had never seen before, so as the system began a.n.a.lyzing just how this was possible, a smile came to his lips.
"Brace yourself. We are beginning the attack."
As soon as the reptilian said this, she felt puzzled, as a grin had appeared on the King"s face.
What was making him so happy?
Deciding to find out later, she commanded the orb they were in to move, all while the G.o.dking of Angaria grinned with glee, like a copycat starved for tricks who had found a whole new warehouse filled with new and exciting data that he could study and replicate without the owners being aware that they had made the biggest mistake possible by letting him come near.