14 Unknown Power

"What are you thinking about?" Aleyria asked.

Alexander remained silent for a moment as he slowly collected his thoughts. The glow around him disappeared and he opened his eyes. It was brimming with self-confidence and a deep, insatiable hunger.

"Conquest." Alexander replied softly. He looked at Aleyria with his intense gaze. "Of Arcanus."

Aleyria felt a slight shock travel down her spine. She could feel his overwhelming desire for war threatening to burst out of him, like a rumbling volcano about to erupt.

If he was a tiger, he would be at a low crouch, haunches up tail swishing, ready to pounce, she thought.

Aleyria felt an irresistable sense of attraction to him. She firmly pushed down that feeling. It's the feelings for my teacher, she told herself, willing her heart to believe it.

Focus! Focus!!

"Erhm. Yes, very good Alexander. I have never seen that unknown power of yours before. But I have a few ideas on what it may be." Aleyria pointed at the Testing Pillar. "The Testing Pillar might provide some anwers. Should we try it out?"

Alexander glanced at the Testing Pillar and smiled. "After you, Princess."

"I assume you are familiar with the Legend of the Gods?" Aleyria asked as she made her way to the Testing Pillar.

"Yes I am." Alexander nodded.

"This Testing Pillar is a relic of Ancient Rin from the time of the Gods. It is sensitive to God power and can react according to the type and the strength of God power it senses. The power of Life will cause numerous vines to grow and rise up."

Aleyria touched the Pillar. Little vines began to appear and started to grow. They coiled around the pillar and around each other, creating a dense net, all the while stretching and rising up to a height of around 8 meters.

"That's my life potential. If all goes well, I should live for approximately 80 more years." Aleyria smiled sadly. 80 years without my teacher. She sighed deeply.

Aleyria released her magic power and infused the Testing Pillar with it. Little flower buds emerged and suddenly bloomed into beautiful white flowers in a burst of vitality. The flowers were rather strange.

Alexander could clearly feel different elemental energy emanating from the flowers. Some radiated heat, some were so cold that frost began to appear on their petals. A vast majority of them, however, caused space to warp slightly around them.

"White flowers." Aleyria continued. "They signify the arcane power level that I have reached.

The energy disturbance you see around the flowers reflect the affinity that I have toward that particular energy. The more flowers displaying a particular type of energy, the more affinity I have towards that energy.

As you can see, I am primarily a Space Archmage with affinity towards fire and ice as well."

Alexander nodded. Aleyria was indeed a rarely seen genius. Not only was she extraordinarily blessed with an immense magical capacity, she also controlled space, fire and ice energy.

"Do you even understand the significance of having space, fire and ice energy, Alexander?" Buccephalas asked in an innocent voice.

Alexander noticed the change in her voice. This little punk must be up to no good.

"Err.. Yeah? She can teleport around and cast fireballs and ice spears?" Alexander took a deep breath and prepared himself to receive a massive reaction from Buccephalas.

Buccephalas did not disappoint him.

"PFFFAAA HA HA HA HA! Fireballs and Ice spears! Teleportation? How is that significant?! Think Alexander, think! Ohhhh wait, you're a glorified monkey! How could I expect you to be able to think! My apologies for placing upon you such high expectations! My apologies!"

The glee in her voice was unmistakable.

"I sincerely hope that I am not distracting you too much from your most important daily task. Have you figured it out yet? Where your next banana would come from?" Buccephalas asked in mock anxiousness.

"Such a quarrelsome little girl." Alexander mused to himself. "Were you abused as a child? Why are you always trying to pick a fight with me?"

"That's because.. because.. because you're a lecherous old man! You deserve to be mocked! Pervert! Lustful monkey! Horny gorilla!!" Buccephalas finally let loose the thorn in her heart in a flurry of cute accusations.

"What! Why am I a lecherous old man!? I am not lecherous, and neither am I old! You better mind your tongue young lady. I am called many things by my friends and foes. Loyal. Cold-blooded. Fiendish. Fiendishly handsome. Ruthless. But never lecherous, and NEVER old!" Alexander said firmly.

"Hmph! Say what you want. I know you and the dirty thoughts you always have towards your wives. And how could you have more than one wife? Lecherous!"

"Alexander?" Aleyria called out. "Would you like to try?"

"Ah yes, let me try." Ignoring Buccephalas, Alexander stepped forward and touched the pillar. Immediately, vines burst out of the pillar and surged upwards wildly. As it rose, black flowers seemed to explode open upon the vines, filling the air with an intense fragrance.

Aleyria gasped. She looked up and saw the vines grow all the up until the pillars disappeared into the clouds.

Alexander frowned and turned to look at Aleyria. "What's going on? Is the Pillar broken? Going by your explanation, I am almost an immortal."

Aleyria burrowed her eyebrows and stared at Alexander silently.

"Buccephalas? Anything?" Alexander asked internally.

"Errr... That's really weird. Buccephalas said in a shocked voice, their quarrel totally forgotten. "But the Testing Pillar is never wrong. The Unknown Power has given you an extremely long lifespan, you might even be as long-lived as the elves. And look at the energy surrounding the flowers!"

Alexander focused on the flowers immediately. Every single type of energy was there, forming a messy cacophony of swirling forces.

Metal energy caused the flowers to have slightly metallic petals. They shone brilliantly under the moonlight.

Wood energy caused the flowers to bloom into massive flowers, giving out a wondrous fragrance.

Ice energy caused the flowers to be frosty, while fire energy caused the flowers to radiate heat.

Earth energy caused the flowers to turn slightly brown with thick stem and petals.

Wind energy was formless and sharp, causing the flowers to sway even in a night without a breeze.

Lightning energy was full of destructive energy. The flowers were solitary and crackled loudly when touched, turning whatever touched it into ash..

Space energy caused the area around the flowers to ripple slightly.

And even the rarest energy of all, time, was there.

The flowers with time energy surrounding it could hardly be differentiated from a normal flower. But if one looked closely and for a long enough time, one would notice that the flowers were unchanging.

"Incredible!" Aleyria murmured. "A long life, coupled with the power growth potential of a human being, it seems like you have a path toward hegemony of the entire universe."

A deep sense of joy and excitement rose from within Alexander's heart. He clenched his left fist. Hegemon of the Universe! Battle intent surged once more and a blaze of energy swirled around him.

All of a sudden, the Testing Pillar began to glow.

"What? Why is it glowing?!" Aleyria was rather distressed. So many things that had never happened before were happening, and it was becoming rather difficult for her to accept.

The fact that the Testing Pillar was reacting by glowing simply meant one thing. That battle intent was a God power.

Hearing Aleyria's distressed cry, Alexander looked at the glowing pillar and smiled.

This was it. The Unknown Power.