Although Izroth received alerts from the system regarding his completion of the quest, his attention was currently on Astratis.
'Oh? The aura around him is different. Is this the result of regaining his full strength?'
Izroth wanted to examine Astratis once more using Deep Insight; however, it could not be used on the same target within 72 hours.
Needless to say, by the time he was able to use it again on Astratis, his time inside the Secret Realm would have long passed.
Upon lowering his Lightning Barricade, Astratis stood to his feet and immediately scanned the surroundings. But, when he noticed that Maragos and the other anzeyta were nowhere to be found, it caused the Son of Thunder to furrow his brows.
"Did they flee? No… Warriors of death would never retreat unless it was the order of their master. But, if that guy really came here in person, my Lightning Barricade would not have been enough to stop him from taking action. Then, how…?" Astratis internalized as he tried to understand what happened while he was recovering.
That's when his gaze landed on Izroth. Surprisingly, they were still alive! Even more than that, they seemed to be completely unharmed.
"How is this possible? I may have loaned him the power of my Lightning Armor, but even then to remain unscathed in the face of the anzeyta—just who is this person?" Astratis thought to himself.
To Astratis, unless one was a celestial like himself or one of the ancient races, facing off against the anzeyta should have been impossible. No matter how much a mortal trained, it would be like an ant training to fight a lion. Even if it spent a thousand lifetimes doing so, there was no chance of emerging victorious.
Astratis was suspicious of Izroth and his true identity; however, since he handed him a Mature Wing of the Ambrosia Tree and protected him, Astratis felt that he truly was an ally. Not only that but Izroth could be considered his benefactor! Even if he was hiding some things from him, Astratis had no plans to pursue it. Of course, that was not to say he did not have some questions for Izroth. But, Izroth had certainly earned his trust and respect.
Astratis approached Izroth and stopped a few steps away from him.
"Izroth, you have done me a great favor on this day. On my name, Astratis, bearer of the title, Son of Thunder, you have my gratitude." Astratis said as he genuinely expressed his appreciation.
Izroth gave a small nod and responded, "If I judged you to be someone who lacked character, I would have never handed you the Mature Wing of the Ambrosia Tree. Since you are someone who stands by their own moral values and we can be considered somewhat acquainted during our brief journey, naturally, I will lend you a hand."
"Ahahaha! Excellent! As thanks, while it is nowhere near enough to express my sincerity, I hope you won't reject my gift." Astratis stated as he snapped his fingers, generating a small spark of electricity.
The next moment, two items appeared out of thin air and slowly floated in Izroth's direction before stopping in front of him.
〈System Alert: You have reached maxed favor with «Rebellious Son of Thunder, Astratis»!〉
〈System Alert: You have received x1 Vial of Immortal Nectar!〉
〈System Alert: You have received x1 Teraidi Claw Shard!〉
'These are the quest rewards? Indeed, it was worth giving up a Mature Wing.'
One of the objects before Izroth was a vial filled with light green liquid. Even though the vial was sealed shut, one could feel a vibrancy of life contained within the liquid. This was the Vial of Immortal Nectar.
The object next to the vial, although it was called a shard, was a black fragment the size of one's head.
The strange thing about this black fragment was the dreadful and robust aura that encompassed it. It was as if that aura belonged to a mighty ancient beast of legend and vaguely reminded Izroth of the Sealed Immortal Hydra he faced back during the crusade.
"The vial contains Immortal Nectar, a substance that comes from the Endless Nectar Fountain. Its value is not any less than that of a Wing of the Ambrosia Tree." Astratis said calmly.
He then explained, "When the two are combined together, it creates a miracle elixir of life. As long as the person who consumes it has not already left this world, their recovery is assured. But, be extremely careful. Typically, you would not eat a Wing of the Ambrosia Tree as it can cause a great deal of bodily unrest. However, that's only if it is not taken with the Immortal Nectar. Normally, you would process them together under intense flames to maximize their restorative properties. My method was a bit barbaric. Unfortunately, there was no time to be reserved."
'I see. I was curious as to why he would directly consume the Mature Wing given its high purity. Combining the two, one can create a miracle elixir. I wonder…'
"I will keep your advice in mind," Izroth said as he placed the two objects into his inventory.
Astratis nodded in approval and noted, "Now that you have insulted the youngest of the Ateleigos, there's probably no way for you to get any Immortal Nectar. So, be sure to use it sparingly."
Izroth inwardly shook his head. How could he have known that the Ambrosia Tree was Thanasia's property? Regardless, he did not feel bad taking them, especially after she raised her hand against him. As for collecting more of the Immortal Nectar—if there was an opportunity to do so, as long as Thanasia's siblings were anything like her, then doing so would be a simple task! Though if Thanasia knew that Izroth had this thought in his mind, she would have coughed blood in anger.
…
A few moments passed by as Izroth explained to Astratis what happened while he was recovering.
At first, Astratis was speechless and could not help but feel somewhat skeptical. However, after listening to Izroth talk about Maragos entering the Nightly Bloom, Astratis became thoroughly convinced.
There were not many individuals outside of celestials who knew of the anzeyta's Nightly Bloom. Though what amazed Astratis was that Izroth faced Maragos in that state and seemed to suffer no injuries.
Not to mention, Maragos was not alone and came with three other anzeyta warriors!
Now, it was no longer a doubt in Astratis' mind—this Izroth was no mortal!
Astratis cleared his throat as his expression turned serious.
"Izroth, I'm sure you know, right? That I have some questions I would like answered. Of course, I am also willing to answer the questions you have for me as well. After all, since you helped me, whether you like it or not, there are those who will see you as a nuisance and come to claim your life." Astratis explained.
"Are you talking about the one called Ourami?" Izroth asked.
"That's right. The anzeyta you fought against are under the Pillar of the West, Heaven's Strength, Ourami." Astratis replied.
"Heaven's Strength? To dare compare their strength to the heavens itself—a bold declaration."
"It is, as you say, a bold declaration. That being said, it is not far from the truth. In terms of physical strength alone, Ourami has no equal in this world."
Izroth knew that if someone like Astratis was making such a claim, then Ourami's strength must be legitimate. Still, there was something that bothered Izroth.
"I'm curious. Is there a pillar who goes by Heaven's Son?" Izroth inquired.
Astratis' brows rose slightly as he seemed taken aback by Izroth's abrupt question.
"This… Indeed. The Pillar of the East, Heaven's Son, Yia. But, how did you know? Can it be that your memories are returning to you?"
'That's right… He still believes that I am someone who has lost my memories.'
Izroth never lied to Astratis, but either remained silent or stretched the truth to some extent. However, it was time he cleared some things up.
"Actually…"
…
Izroth went on to clarify some things to Astratis. While he did not reveal anything about the Mortal Realm, Izroth did mention that he was from a place outside the sphere of influence of the four pillars.
Naturally, Astratis was shocked when he heard this piece of information. There existed a place in this world where the four pillars hands had not reached? This was shocking news that could shake the very foundation of their world!
"Izroth, what you've told me—you must never reveal it to anyone else, do you understand? If such a place was known to exist, the four pillars would not rest until it is under their rule." Astratis said with a grave expression.
"Rest assured, I have no intention of letting it be known," Izroth reassured.
Even if the four pillars could find their way to the Mortal Realm, there were already established powerhouses there. How could it be easy to rule over such a place?
"It's hard to believe that there is a power other than Ethos that can even be used to defeat the anzeyta. The world is truly a vast place. My eyes have been opened on this day." Astratis sighed.
"Still… To think that they cried out to the Heaven's Son before they perished. Are those two finally moving in sync? If so, the situation is even worse than I imagined." Astratis said as he closed his eyes.
A few moments later, he opened his eyes with a look of clarity.
"Very well, then. I've decided. Izroth, I want to enlist your aid. Of course, I will not take advantage of you. I shall ensure that you are rewarded properly. That's why—are you willing to hear me out?" Astratis requested in a solemn tone.
〈System Alert: A new chain quest has been generated!〉
