As it entered his throat, the Aurera flower crackled and Varian felt a tingling sensation spreading through his body.
His body was paralyzed.
'It's like I swallowed a scorching ball, except it isn't burning me.' He felt the warmth spreading throughout his body.
The lightning mana in his body resonated with the incoming warmth and soon, they joined.
The mana rumbled and tried to increase, but it was hit with an invisible barrier and couldn't improve.
Nevertheless, it kept striking the barrier. The incoming warmth joined it and soon, the barrier was pierced through.
[Advancing] The System prompted.
'I feel like I'm sitting on a rocket.' Varian grinned or at least would've, if his facial muscles weren't paralyzed.
A couple of aura crystals from his space ring disappeared and vast aura poured into his body.
Soon, it turned into lightning mana and Varian sighed in the blissful sensation.
His lightning sense expanded and he could observe a hundred meters distance with ease.
His mana steadily rose and with each increase, his body was getting more and more accustomed to lightning itself.
[+1 Xp]
[+1 Xp]
[+1 Xp]
…
[+1 Xp]
The Xp rose steadily. The warmth added the last bit of itself to the lightning mana and vanished.
Rumble.
Varian moved and lighting arcs flashed across his body.
'Oops.' He was about to protect himself from the lightning with mana but—
'Huh?' The lightning hit his body, and he was fine.
Crackle.
Varian stood up and stretched his arms. As he did, lightning coiled around his body and he looked like some sort of supernatural being.
'When I saw those apes, they were the same.' He recalled the apes were also seen with lightning coiling them.
He thought it was pretty cool.
'So cool, but they still died.' He clicked his tongue and called upon status.
[Body Path Level 3: 400/400
Space Path Level 2: 100/200
Lightning Path Level 3: 200/400]
'Lighting Path Status'
[Lightning Path Level 3: 200/400
Lightning Sense: An innate sense that observes the surroundings through the use of lightning mana.
Invoke: Controlling lightning mana.
Resistance: Passive resistance to lightning. The higher the level, the greater the resistance. Can forge a Thunder Body at Level 7.]
'So I was right. Resistance substantially increased.' Varian nodded and created a lightning arc.
He touched it without mana protection and confirmed that he really developed the 'resistance.'
But there was a catch. Even though he couldn't feel the pain, he could still feel a light tingling sensation.
'Then what happens when two Level 3 lightning awakeners fight? They are both resistant to lightning.' Varian wondered.
[You gained resistance to lightning, but not immunity. A peak Level 3 lightning would still hurt you. It just won't take you down in one hit.
At the same time, even the powers of awakeners at same level vary based on their expertise in mana control, combat experience among other things.]
'....' Varian whistled. The System was adorable when it was not trying to push him to dangers.
Then, he thought of something and curiously asked. 'Which path will I awaken next?'
As he awaited some explanation, it retorted [What do you think?]
'Kek' Varian's face twitched.
'I know it already. Teleportation with Kyle led me to awaken in Space Path. Getting bolted awakened me in Lightning Path.'
[....Host, you don't want to try getting roasted or frozen to awaken, right?] The System's usual monotonous voice seemed to be filled with worry.
"I—" Varian was speechless.
Must you put it in a way that makes me seem like a masochist? He complained and ignored the System.
He dashed out of the cave and jumped high into the air. He condensed the lightning mana into a huge lightning bolt in his hand.
With tremendous strength, he shot it at the ground.
The lightning bolt struck the ground and with it as the center of impact, a huge shock wave spread to all directions, carrying the stones and soil.
Boom!
Boom!
Varian landed as the dust cleared and he saw a crater at the strike location.
'With Peak Level 3 Body and Mid Level 3 Lightning, My strength finally reached Low Level 4 Awakener.' He mused.
It might be contradicting the fact that he already fought and killed a Low Level 4 in a frontal combat.
However, that was a conditional fight.
'But against lighting beasts, I can contend even with Mid Level 4s.' He grinned.
His lightning resistance gave him an advantage against any lightning beast. Towards others, he wouldn't have that leverage.
'So I can basically clear the Inner Zone Boss. Even though I had to spend quite some time here, I can finally enter Core Zone.' Varian took a deep breath.
He tapped the ground, and in an instant; he rushed to the Inner Zone.
Unlike earlier, he didn't need to hide from any magic beasts. Instead, they hid from him.
Varian reached the boss zone and picked a random boss.
A Two-headed Wolf.
'I hate wolves.' He clenched his fists as he stared at the hideous creature. It was as big and as large as a big truck.
Watching Varian intrude into its territory, it howled in rage.
"Owooo"
Varian somehow felt the wolf in front resemble the wolf that killed her. That bloody wolf.
'No. They're not the same thing.' He told himself, but his fury exploded.
"Arrgh!" He yelled and shot at the wolf.
"Owoo" The two heads of the wolves howled and huge lighting arcs bolted at him.
Their speed was higher than his own, and he wouldn't be able to dodge them all.
"Tsk" Varian closed the distance and lunged at the wolf.
Mid air, he dodged a few lightning bolts, but couldn't help the two bolts coming at him from left and right.
'This would've killed me if I didn't breakthrough.' He clenched his fast and covered his body with lightning mana.
Zap!
Zap!
The lightning bolts bombarded him, and the wolf cheered.
But out of the golden lightning, Varian emerged and his fist crashed on the wolf's head, severely damaging it.
Crack!
It hurried to create a lightning barrier and protect itself, but Varian's second punch was already on way.
Crack!
Its skull was completely smashed.
The two-headed wolf collapsed to the ground.
"Ha!" Varian winced at the injuries all around his body and grinned despite the pain.
Lightning Mana and Lightning Resistance helped him face the attack without heavy injuries, but they weren't light, either.
'Once I get my lightning to Peak Level 3, I'll be able to handle Mid Level 4s with ease.'
He took a breath and rested until he healed.
[+10 Xp]
[Lightning Path Level 3: 210/400]
Varian reached the boundary of Inner Zone and calmed his racing heart.
He was almost there.
'Maybe I can find something.'
With hope, he dashed towards the Core Zone.