Dimensional Descent

Maybe it was because they were known as the cowardly Race, but Aerin and his people had always had a keen sense of danger.

Truth be told, Leonel wasn't actually looking at him with the same menace in his eyes. His smile seemed far more genuine and he almost seemed to be encouraging him.

Compared to the arrogant young man that had been here for the last few days, it felt almost out of place... Almost.

However, when Aerin looked at the earring on Leonel's earlobe, he couldn't help but feel his heart tremble.

Most hadn't noticed this detail, but he had. He hadn't missed it at all.

Realizing the kind of troubled waters Leonel was fishing in, Aerin knew that he couldn't get involved. And the best way to not get involved... Was to challenge him.

Aerin cleared his throat. "I will challenge master Leonel and his Aina. I will start with a one point challenge. As for the stream, I will pick the Force Pill Crafting stream."

Leonel's smile didn't change, he had expected this, and he could practically read all of Aerin's emotions on his face even without the aid of Dream Force. Then, his lips parted.

"I refuse."

Aerin seemed to deflate, not out of disappointment, but instead relief. For a moment there, he sensed that Leonel wanted to accept, not out of hate or angst, but because he felt that any challenge should be met head on. In that brief instant, Aerin had felt suffocated, like he was standing on a battlefield instead of a Crafting arena.

He exhaled a breath and shook his head. Why had he been so worried anyway? He picked the Force Pill Crafting stream, which was Lyra's expertise, not his own. And it shouldn't be Leonel's either from what he understood.

Even so...

With that, Talon and Somnus were up next and Leonel suddenly grinned. He looked at them first before they looked at him, the air rippling and writhing.

"Hurry up." Leonel said.

"Tal-"

A strong palm slapped against Somnus' chest as Talon pushed him back. Until now, Talon had been constantly suppressing his battle intent. Again and again and again.

He didn't care if targeting Aina instead of Leonel was the best or smartest option. What had Leonel done until now to deserve such reverence?

As far as Talon was concerned, the only reason Leonel waited five hours to rebut Celestia back then was because he wanted to listen to everyone's input first so that he could build up his knowledge. It was clear that his training wasn't nearly on the same level as theirs.

And he was correct...

Unfortunately for him, though, that was precisely the illusion Leonel wanted to create. If the first reason he waited five hours was to accumulate all the points at once, the second was to give this exact thought process to those that wanted to challenge him.

But very soon, it would be too late for them to regret their incorrect conclusions.

Starting now.

"I bet all 28 points. Do you dare?"

Leonel sneered. "That's it? Is that all you have?"

Talon's eyes narrowed, sparks of fury flashing in his crimson gaze. Obviously, the plan was to drain Leonel of all his points first and then force him to take out the treasures later, but he didn't expect this.

In the end, though, Talon was far too pent up to take such a thing lying down.

"Are you even capable of taking out something that would land on the scale?"

BANG!

At that moment, the world fell into complete silence as the pillar beneath Leonel cracked so thoroughly it looked as though it would fall to pieces.

At that moment, violet Forces billowed out from Leonel's hair in waves. For a moment, it felt like his King's Might Lineage, after having been dormant for so long, was about to erupt.

But instead, it was restrained in an unintelligible stream. His Dream Force seemed to bump up against the restrictions, a crown flickering into and out of existence atop his head.

BANG!

The Dream Force barrier shattered to pieces and a crown and robe of foggy silver and gold took shape around Leonel.

From the beginning, the barrier was at its lowest setting, ready to be taken down for the sake of allowing them to actually Craft. The restrictions were going to be set instead to block off senses from crossing over into other pillars to protect whatever Crafting secrets they had, but Leonel's own had suddenly shattered as though he didn't care whether others sensed him or not...

But no one was focused on this at all.

Instead, their gazes were all focused on the item that Leonel had just slammed into the pillar, an item so tough and extraordinary that even the pillars of the Minerva Race couldn't withstand a collision with it.

The Life Tablet.

"You want to Craft against me? Then bring out something worthwhile. 28 points? What worth do you think that has to me?"

Talon's gaze constricted into pinholes.

Technically speaking, Talon was the challenger and Leonel couldn't just change the challenge points because he felt like it. But in this case, Talon had called Leonel out first, and if he chose to back out now, he would be humiliating himself.

The problem was...

Did even the Gods have a treasure comparable to the Life Tablet? It was well known to be the greatest invention of the God Beasts. In this sort of situation, what should he do?

A cold sweat formed on his back.

"Coward." Leonel sneered.

Talon's temper raged and his red tattoos glowed, his fury causing a cyclone of Force to form.

A clash of red and violet shook the skies as the pillars swayed back and forth.

"Tell you what, since you're all so poor, I'll do you one better."

Leonel flicked a wrist and a list of items appeared.

"You want to battle for my Life Tablet? Bring out any three of these treasures and I'll welcome any and all challengers.

"Whether Demi-God or not, in the field of Crafting, not a single one of you is my match."

He would let these people know that his temper wasn't for show. When he raged, even Gods would suffer.