Chapter 89: Another (Now It's Three)

Elijah glanced down at his torn clothes, feeling the cold seeping through his boots as he stood on the vast expanse of ice. Not far from him, a girl stood with her hands clasped behind her back, her eyes fixed on the distant sky.

She seemed calm, almost serene, despite the chill. Elijah let out a deep sigh, then lay back on the cold surface, letting it cool his aching muscles. He turned his head slightly and asked, "So, why did you save me?"

Without turning, the girl replied, "Your gloves would have released a powerful burst that could've killed every living creature around here."

"But not you, right?" Elijah pressed, his eyes narrowing. He sensed there was more to her than met the eye.

She looked around his age, but the aura she carried felt far more potent—similar to what he had sensed from Elena and Victor. That same enigmatic presence.

"Well, I am one of the Seven Miracles. If we could be defeated that easily, we wouldn't be here," she explained, her tone matter-of-fact.

"And those gloves of yours are truly dangerous. If your opponent hadn't been a mere D-rank, they would've destroyed this entire solar system. It's a safety mechanism."

"Oh," Elijah muttered, his curiosity momentarily piqued, but it quickly faded. His eyes gleamed with a mischievous spark as he activated a device on his wrist. Suddenly, a massive sea creature appeared, thrashing in front of him.

Elijah didn't waste time; he began eating it raw, savoring every bite. Beneath the ice, a powerful Emperor-tier creature stirred, angered by Elijah's audacity, but it didn't dare attack. It knew its life would end if it tried.

Once Elijah finished his impromptu meal, he jumped up, wiping his mouth. "Well, now that I'm not hungry anymore, how about a spar?" he asked, his grin widening with excitement.

The girl simply stared at him, her expression unreadable.

"Also, what's your name?" he added.

"Lisa," she replied, still watching him.

Elijah stretched, rolling his shoulders. "You know, I've tried to fight both Victor and Elena, but they always avoid it, saying I'm not strong enough. I want to see what they mean by that."

Lisa's eyes narrowed slightly. 'Whatever I say won't change his mind,' she thought. She stood her ground, waiting.

Elijah's expression shifted as a crimson lotus, with three fiery petals, bloomed around him. Flames danced, swirling around his fist. "Fire Fist," he declared, launching a blazing punch. The intense heat would have melted almost anything, but the ice beneath their feet remained untouched.

An ice shield materialized in front of Lisa, shimmering with an ethereal glow.

BOOM!

The fiery fist collided with the shield, sending a shockwave through the area. When the mist cleared, the shield remained intact, barely a crack visible.

Lisa's lips curled into a smirk, while Elijah's confident grin faltered, only to be replaced by an even wider, almost manic smile.

Absorbing the lotus's back into his body, scales began to appear across his skin. Mist rose around him, and the ice below started to show signs of melting.

"Show me why you hold such a title!" Elijah roared, as seven miniature suns formed above him, orbiting his raised hand.

With a swift motion, he sent them hurtling toward her, charging forward himself. 'Flame Roar,' he thought, opening his mouth to unleash a massive wave of flames, which surged ahead alongside the mini suns.

BOOOOOOMMMMM!

The entire area erupted in an explosion of heat and energy. Shockwaves rippled outward, sending cracks spidering across the ice, while mist engulfed the battlefield, obscuring everything within a hundred meters.

The water below churned violently from the impact.

When the mist finally cleared, Elijah was still standing, his feet firmly planted on the ice. He stomped down, releasing another shockwave that dispersed the remaining mist, revealing Lisa, still shielded by her ice barrier.

She spoke calmly, her voice cutting through the silence.

"You focus too much on power. Refining your techniques should be your priority. My mana control is superior, my elemental control is better, and even my martial skills surpass yours. I haven't even used my full power, yet in terms of strength, I'm ahead."

She added, almost casually, "I've mastered Yashin, making me at least ten times stronger than you. Oh, wait, I mean twenty times, even though I'm just an E+ rank."

Elijah's smile didn't fade. In fact, it seemed to grow. As the ice barrier around Lisa vanished, he remarked, "Damn, you guys really are the real deal."

His transformation receded, and his appearance returned to normal. Lisa raised an eyebrow. "Is that all you've got?"

"Yeah," Elijah admitted, still grinning.

"I already knew that fighting you up close would've led to a quick defeat. Seems I've got a lot to learn. But I want to understand just how powerful you get at the peak of the Expert realm."

Lisa's expression softened slightly.

"The difference is too great for you to comprehend right now. Avoid fighting anyone who's reached the peak, for your own sake."

She started to walk toward the water, pausing for a moment before glancing over her shoulder with a faint smile. It was a smile that made Elijah's heart skip a beat; she was as beautiful as Julia, if not more.

"So, are you planning to head into the Zulari Realm? Also known as the Milky Way Realm?" she asked.

Elijah's eyes lit up. "Yes, because it's the only way I can become the Overlord."

Lisa let out a small laugh but stopped when she noticed the determination in his eyes. "Are you serious?"

"Absolutely. I will become the Overlord," he said with unwavering confidence.

"You do realize that to become the Overlord, you need to conquer the entire realm, Go against the Galaxy Government, and defeat the current Overlord, right?" Lisa challenged her tone sternly.

"Yep," Elijah replied, still smiling.

Lisa shook her head, a mix of amusement and disbelief on her face. "You're something else." As she prepared to dive into the water, she added,

"Then you'll need to defeat us first." With that, she disappeared, space twisting around her, dragging the massive sea creature below along with her.

Elijah stood there, staring at the spot where she had vanished. He muttered to himself, "Even with an affinity for all elements, it's still impossible for me to beat them at the moment."

Sighing, he lay back down on the ice, letting the cold seep into his bones. After some time, his crew arrived, and Julia approached him, apologizing. But Elijah waved it off. It was all part of his plan.

He went back to his room and entered the Physical Dimension, allowing both his body and spirit.