91 || Burgundy Lunar Water! Challenging The Stone Chamber!
The energy felt boundless and divine. As it circulated throughout, the Solar Fire concentrated on several different spots on Tara's body. A putrid black and green smoke burns away from her body. These were her body's impurities!
The right sole where the Blaze Gate is located, the abdomen where her Fulmen Gate and Ordained Soul Node are, the Alloy gate on the cleft of her chest, and finally her right eye all glowed. The Blaze Gate shone on the Ordained Soul Clone and Prime Body with a crimson light. Amber light came from the Ordained Soul Node as it began producing Wisps of Solar Ember energy on its own. The Alloy Gate flashed stygian blue for a second before fading.
As everything else begins to dim and the Fire energy around her calms, only Tara's right eye continues to burn. For 10 minutes both her sclera and iris are stygian blue before the sclera recedes to brilliant jade green! Tara suddenly receives a flood of notifications:
[You have created The Bedawing Angelic Sun Array]
[Your soul has etched with the Bedawing Angelic Sun Array]
[You have created Solar Ember Wisps!]
[You have been graced by the Sacred! Your body has been purified!]
[Your body is brimming with vitality! You have been granted Solar Ember Vibrancy!]
[You have awoken Mirage Gaze's Right Eye]
[Light Skill Inspect has gained new features!]
[You have begun Organ Refinement (Spleen)]
[You have begun Organ Refinement (Right Eye)]
[Your Alloy Gate has ????]
Several things didn't give her any information, such as what the Mirage Gaze's Right Eye does. It was weird that it was only one eye as well, when originally both eyes had turned green. She also had no idea what it meant to be graced by the Sacred nor what the Alloy Gate had absorbed. Tara goes over what she can instead.
The Solar Ember Vibrancy immensely raises her Physical Defenses and Resistances plus upped her Joint Flexibility. Every movement carries with it a vast amount of physical power, that even a soft tap could have devastating consequences!
Her Ordained Soul Node now has Solar Ember Wisps. Any Solar Wisps before that have been consumed. Even without experimenting like last time, Tara instinctively knows that the Solar Ember Wisp is extremely powerful. Both her spleen and right eye have a single Fire and Light Wisp respectively! The immediately noticeable effect was stronger Energy Resistances.
Her Inspect Skill now allows to briefly grasp an enemy's Stats in comparison to herself. Sensing one's presence wasn't an entirely surefire way of figuring out someone's strength. Many could easily mask their presence and hide their abilities like Tara does. Another new feature is a more in depth analysis of items and Equipment when appraising.
The Angelic Bedawing Sun Array was now etched within her spirit space. The entirety gives off the same stygian hue every few moments, causing some stars within her Soul Realm to twinkle a bit. Tara no longer needed the physical array to benefit from the gathering effect!
Taking a few minutes to readjust, Tara takes a few centering breaths. Once she feels more aligned Tara heads to the Water Chamber. She follows a similar layout from before using the latter 13 characters, creating the Demonic Slumbering Moon Array. This time the Flood, Tenebrous Gate, and Alloy Gates react, as a deep burgundy Lunar Water washes over her body. Her left eye glows with a faint mystical emerald glow.
It was not as dramatic as before, though it did feel like cells went from being parched to quenched of a much needed drink. Her mind is as pure and clear as water, and her senses felt boundlessly expanded like an ocean.
There is a certain dissonance among the energies this time that was very noticeable, like when Tara sent the Lunar energy towards the Mindful Dark Node. The Water, Lunar, and phlox pink energies do compliment each other for certain. It's just as if something is off; even the notifications she receives points out this side is weaker.
[You have created Slumbering Demonic Moon Array]
[Your mind has carved with the Slumbering Demonic Moon Array]
[You now have access to your Sleepscape]
[You have created Lunar Water Energy! Soon to become a Lunar Dew Wisp!]
[You have begun to be suffused by the Mystical! Your body has begun cleansing!]
[You have tapped into Mirage Gaze's Left Eye]
[Darkness Skill Obscure has gained new features!]
[You are close to beginning Organ Refinement (Pancreas)]
[You have begun Organ Refinement (Left Eye)]
[Your Alloy Gate has ????]
Tara could now gather and circulate ambient and Lunar energies while resting. This meant her growth would be twice as fast than even the most talented aurators. She was not able to create a Lunar Dew Wisp that breaks through her Flood Gate, instead Lunar Water energy sits within her Mindful Dark Node.
She can now channel energy easier into her Left Eye, though it's not a Wisp like her Right Eye. Obsure's new features allow her and one other person to fade from people's perceptions, both sight and aural sense. Finally the Sleepscape was a special place her mind would enter upon dreaming.
Tara will have to look into that later, for now she heads directly for the Stone Trial Chamber.
[Trial of Stone unlocked! Lowest level requirement Billowing Muscles (Low Stage) met!]
[Defend against an attack from the Gigantic Stone Guardian!]
The Stone Trial Chamber is a rocky area with a single towering mountain. It's about 70 feet tall or 20 meters. The ground suddenly shakes as the mountain begins to move. It's only then that Tara realizes the mountain IS the guardian!
A gigantic humanoid figure made of stone and crystal towers over her. Certainly, a Bone Crystallization aurator could survive a single attack from it. But depending on whether they're diamond, ruby or sapphire, or zircon would make all the difference in their recovery.
Despite the Guardian's size, a fist descends so rapidly that Tara almost can't react. If she hadn't become a Support Expert and then virtual mind cleared by the Lunar Water, she might have been squashed!
In a half of a second, Tara's body is coated in her starry white aura. She stomps her feet, using both force concentration and Elemental Raiment to hold her ground. Tara almost instinctively throws a fist at a certain angle before it lunges. An amber flame coats her fist as she pours a Solar Ember Wisp into the attack!
'Solar Fist! Perihelion Strike, First Trajectory! Hufang Sword Arts, Tiger Lunge!' Tara intones internally. This is the most she can do at the moment. It was only recently she started Elemental Raiment on either both her hands or both her feet. Similarly, she's figured out that this is the best trajectory to link these Hufang Sword Art and Solar Body Art moves together.
Despite laying down a grounding effort, Tara is sent flying through the air before she can stabilize herself. It's not a total loss as the non-sentient Guardian has a look of shock and confusion as it was forced back a single step.
[Stone Trial Cleared! Gigantic Stone Guardian will reset upon departure!]
Tara's eyes flash mostly green, with specks of blue or pink, after reading that while waving away the clear notification for later. Good, she was looking for a sturdy partner to hone her new strength with. Plus she had something she wanted to try out!
Her Mindful Dark Clone appears beside her in a cross legged position. Powerful Stone energy is swirling around the clone as if a whirlpool of crystal and gem shards has appeared. This is the result of channeling the Demonic Slumbering Moon Array! The Mountain Gate, on the left palm, began to glow a coarse brown color.
With that in play, Tara begins to not hold back as she tests the limits of her new power while further perfecting her future Retention Technique. The Gigantic Stone Guardian, while mindless, eventually learns the emotion called fear.
It isn't until Tara hears [You have begun Organ Refinement (Bladder)] some hours later that Tara stops. Feeling a Wisp of Stone energy within her bladder is enough.
Tara has gained a much better understanding of the power of her various Wisps, can focus concentration and Elemental Raiment her hands and feet, and knows how truly sturdy she's become. She can stop the Gigantic Stone Guardian's attack for several seconds without aura or any enhancements!
The poor Gigantic Stone Guardian, meanwhile, is starting to show several cracks on its exterior. The larger cracks were mostly from fusing what Tara's now calling Elemental Focus Raiment and combining it with Solar Ember Wisps. The smaller ones came from Lunar Water energy.
As Tara leaves the Stone Trial Chamber, she swears she hears tears of joy reverb loudly.
[Trial of Stone Passed! Awarding Key to Darkness 2/3! Mote of Darkness 2/3! Dark Gem x1]
As Tara appears in the normal Stone Chamber, she finds a pitch black oval gem in her hands. Her more powerful Inspect tells her it came from the heart of a dying star, amplifies Dark based Skills, and can inlay into a variety of items. All in all a very versatile item!
The black Key charm on her bracelet emits a cool and dark vibe now, more details appearing as it looks more glossy than before. Stone runes are now slowly craving themselves onto Moon Fang within her mind space, which will take some time to settle. Now, Tara has access to its previously locked Skill [Elegant Riposte], which allows her to block either a melee or ranged attack while returning her own in the same moment.
Even Wolyung, after such a long time, stirs a bit before getting comfortable again.
As the Mote of Darkness was fused with Tara's body, there wasn't any change to Obscure like she thought would happen. Instead, it was drawn to the Mindful Dark Node, causing a rippling chill to surge through her entire body. Even with her boosted physical Resistances, Tara feels even her blood begin to freeze like she's been thrown into the depths of space or the deepest ocean.
She persists after burning through several Solar Ember Wisps, cutting their number from 12 to 6. Once she's out of danger, Tara checks her body and energies. The frequency between her Lunar energy, Mindful Dark energy, and the mysterious burgundy Water energy has become more alike. It looks like the last Mote of Darkness will finally see the complete Lunar Dew Wisp.
Before she can ponder anymore, a teacher arrives before Tara carrying a scroll that gives off a Royal aura.
"Young Tara, you're here! This was the one chamber I hadn't checked."
"What's wrong? Is everything okay?" Tara hadn't seen anyone nor any news of the outside world while in seclusion. Did something happen?
"Everything is fine," The teacher laughs with a wide smile, "There had been rumors of the Royal Family wanting to make you an official squire instead of name only. Today, this royal decree arrives with a mental message for it to be delivered to you. It seems the gossip was true!"
Tara gently takes the scroll, using her aura signature to release the seal.