A trace of smile appear on Cole's face when he saw the Beast-Tamer League' base were all shiny and clean. His smile even grew wider when he saw his reflection on the wood wall. He nodded approvingly. The wall was so sleek that he even saw his own reflection.
On the other hand, while Cole was smiling and nodding while he continue his inspection, a two grown men was smiling stiffly on the side; they were Fernan, the bandit leader of Scarface Bandits, and Fernand, the bandit leader of Shadow Walkers Bandits.
Although the two done a great job, on their inside, they were indignant. For goodness sake, they were former bandit leaders! What they were used holding before was a beautiful, classy clothes with a beautiful woman, not some old piece of cloth! They were used on seeing a wine, not this dirty, brown colored water! They were used on rubbing countless number of different coins, not a dusty room! And most of all, they were used to be a killer, not some room cleaner!
The nerve!
The two new found best friend look and console each other. Even the people of the Forest Edge Village doesn't treat them like this. In fact, although they were the guards of the said village, they were still treated like a royalty. After all, they were still a peerless expert at the eyes of the villagers, added to the fact that they were teaching the village the way of cultivation, thus were treated as their teacher, they didn't dare to treat them as a slave.
They were still respected!
But this guy treated them like slave, instructing them to clean a dirty building. A whole, dirty building! They felt that while they were wiping the dust off the wall, their pride comes along with it.
Yet, they can't voice out their complain which makes them felt more aggravated! This guy beat them before, he definitely can still beat them now! Knowing the kid's potential, he's definitely more powerful than them more than ever.
"You guys have stomach ache or something?" Cole asked the two former bandit leader when he notice their contorted face.
The face of the two darken more. For goodness sake, they were smiling! Not enduring some kind of pain!
"No, no. We don't have any of those..." The two men said at the same time with their own, unique flattering voice. "Do you still have commands, Master?" They asked. This time, the two definitely learn the word 'adapt'.
Cole felt his body shivered from Fernan's smiling face with his big, nasty scar. He felt that he was looked by some kind of pedophile. At least, Fernand have no scar and looks like a middle-aged man butler. In short, he look decent.
"No, I don't have more commands." He answered Fernan's question.
While looking at the two, Cole pondered for a moment.
He felt that he need some kind of helper or runner and Fernand was the best candidate but he felt that leaving only Fernan as the sole guardian of the village was not very reassuring.
Feeling the strange gaze of Cole, Fernan instinctively put his hands in chest protectively.
Cole raise his brows when he saw the gesture. It felt and look strange as if it was meant to be very offending but he don't get the meaning of the action. It was just his guts telling him that it's not really a good thing.
He look at Fernan strangely. In fact, leaving only Fernan in the village wasn't reassuring at all. But without any other option, Cole need to send them both again to the Forest Edge Village.
He open the [Gate] which leads to a place near the Forest Edge Village.
After the two return, Cole summon another [Gate] and enter the [Inner World].
Both the [Restricted Attributeless Energy Gathering-Formation] and [Restriction Rings] are both good things, the ring maybe not as it was practically a cursed thing, but they both have limited available materials. Which is why it could only be used for 3 times before the materials depleted, 2 more times since he already use it 1 time in his base. He also have a plan to use the other one to the Forest Edge Village which will deplete his stacked materials further more.
Due to this, he wanted to experiment if he could cultivate some of the materials. He instantly willed and a pitch black grass appear in his hand, it was the [Eternal Ink Grass]. Out of all the materials available, this one has the most highest percentage to be cultivated.
He walk towards to the [Messiah Tree] and he stop five meters from it. He dig the soil and plant the [Eternal Ink Grass].
He pointed his palm to the plant and chanted, "[Plant Growth Acceleration Technique]." The dormant [Wood] colored [Core] in his [Dantian] stir up and release a green energy. The energy flows to his body, into his arms, until it finally flows out of Cole's body and fuse with the [Eternal Ink Grass].
Cole felt that the plant's life force gradually strengthen. However, several seconds later, Cole felt that energy reserved of his [Wood-Core] halves but the plant only got strengthen its life force. Still, he persist until his [Wood-Core] energy reserved almost got drained. Fortunately, he didn't leave disappointed as the [Eternal Ink Grass] already takes root on the ground, added to the fact that its life force was strong, indicating that it was now alive inside the [Inner World].
Cole heaved a sigh of relief. If his experiment failed yet his [Wood-Core] got drained, he'll feel definitely heartbroken.
The [Messiah Tree] rustle and Cole felt a great amount of [Wood-Energy] enter his body into his [Wood-Core]. He smiled as his energy gradually being refilled. In his estimation, it only need three minutes and his [Wood-Core] will be full to brim.
The [Messiah Tree] rustle once again and it also produce an energy and send it to the [Eternal Ink Grass]. And as if the grass received some great nourishment, its height increased for few centimeter and its root burrowed more deeply and broader. Its life force strengthen more until Cole felt and saw some [Eternal Ink Grass] sapling, two to be exact, protrude from the ground.
Cole felt elated. His experiment was a great success!
Cole started to flatter himself of how a great genius he was when he felt a stir in his soul. He immediately shifted his attention to Groot who had his eyes closed while a some sort of blood mist enveloped him. Moments later, the blood mist retracted back and absorb to Groot's body until it was all gone.
One of the most apparent change with Groot was his height. Groot's origin was of an ancient, old tree with a towering height. His height by now was reduced by almost fourth part. Also, it looked more humanoid now. If the lighting was poor, he'll think that Groot was some kind of giant.
Cole was smiling all ears when he felt another tremors in his soul.
Goodness! Are they all trying to finish their breakthrough now?
The dark blue and earthy-yellow radiance of Shelly's shell flickered and vanish. The purple mist that envelopes Celia also started to thin out until it also subsided.
Cole felt so happy that he literally turn speechless.
Shelly make himself small until he was a size of a palm and float towards his favorite place which is Cole's head. Meanwhile, Celia, as always as the little girl she was, approach Cole and hold his hands, "Big brother." She said.
Cole ruffles Celia's purple colored hair and said, "It's good that you three are back," sincerely.
A big smile traced at Celia's face while Cole put Shelly on his hand and rub his shell.
Minutes later, while Cole was giving a little bonding time his newly awakened beast, the whole [Inner World] rumble as the energy goes slightly berserk. Cole frown from the unusual phenomenon.
The [Messiah Tree] rustle and exploded with its own energy and the space stabilized. Seconds later, the energies started to flow madly towards the two floating green and blue ball which is Bell and the [Water Spirit Carp], respectively.
Cole devoted his full attention at the two beast.
"Big brother, you need to let them out or they won't cross the threshold and become a Tier-3 Elemental Creature." Celia spoke all of a sudden.
"Why so?"
"The [Inner World] is a great isolated space which is capable of supporting life. However, in standards, this 'world' is still considered dead." She paused. "Without the blessing of a real 'Heaven', they won't and can't made a breakthrough." She finished.
Cole nodded although he didn't truly understand most of it. But since Celia was the one who said it, he believed it as he trusted her.
"You need to bring them out using the [Beast Summon/Retract] instead of [Gate]." Celia added.
Cole just nodded his head in acknowledgement, he summoned a [Gate] then they got out of the [Inner World] and they appear on the rooftop of the [Beast-Tamer League] base.
"Where are we?" Celia asked a little confuse at the foreign place.
After he heard Celia's confused question, he started to recount what happen to him while she was out. Celia listen to him attentively and after Cole done his recount, Celia treated the place as well as the [Beast-Tamer League] more seriously. She could felt and see how important this is for her Master.
Cole willed and [Summoning Grimoire] appear and float in front of him. The book flip its pages by itself until it stop at a particular page, as he chanted, "Summon, Bell, Water Spirit Carp." A formation circle of green and blue appear and a ball of two glowing object comes out of it.
The moment the two come out, the surrounding energy started to go berserk and a little vibration could be felt from the air. Cole and Celia feel it clearly as they were near at the two. Seconds later, the surrounding return to peaceful state but it didn't end there. The surrounding energy, specifically the [Wood-Energy], [Sound-Energy] which Cole thought the whistling air that he's hearing and a minimal [Water-Energy], flows toward the two madly which is immediately absorb by them.
Cole watched the whole scene seriously and he focus at the ball of light. The glow block the eyes of a normal person but Cole's eyesight was not normal, he have [Heavenly Eyes] which make it possible for him to observed the process inside those protective glow of light.
The body of the two [Elementals] before look solid energy but in truth, it wasn't exactly solid. It was just that their energy in their body was so rich that it looks like they have crystallized body. But now, their body was starting to truly solid and crystallized. And that process of crystallization seems need a lot more energy that the [Inner World] can't provide. Indeed, just like what Celia said, the [Inner World] is still considered dead.
Meanwhile, the surrounding energy of the whole Wood-Peak started to change. Of course, those normal disciple didn't know this nor they could feel it, they only felt that it starting to get hot as if the available moisture in the air started to thin out. Although the disciples doesn't have the idea of the subtle changes of the environment but that doesn't mean the higher-ups of the peak don't feel it. In fact, they clearly felt that subtle changes. They were experts of their own rights and those little changes could be easily felt by them.
Master Timber stand-up from his seat and look towards the center of the place of those changes and he was surprised by it. He look at the [Beast-Tamer League] base profoundly.