Different Path

After resting for days, Greg felt himself much better than ever before.

He has already used to the shocking changes, which his body went through, so what remained now was to understand everything Alice talked about before.

After thanking everyone's help, Greg took his stuff and left the mansion. As he walked home he looked at the things around him with different sight. Maybe it was because he grew in height or because of that mysterious power within him, but he felt much better and calmer. It was like he was a whole new person.

After walking for more than half an hour, he finally arrived home. As he opened the door he looked around in his room curiously.

Everything was the same as he left a week ago. The bed, the tables even the half-cut spoon was on the table where he left it.

As he looked around he put his stuff onto the table and sat down. After confirming that all doors and windows were closed, he sighed and started to talk.

"Hey, Alice."

"Yeah?"

In an instant, Alice in her rabbit form appeared before Greg and looked at him.

Greg looked at the fluff ball before him and asked, "Let's talk. I want to know everything."

Hearing this, the little rabbit just looked at him, however, the same girlish voice sounded in his ears.

"Sure. What do you want to know?"

"Firstly this new ranking up systematic you talked about. What are these things like body, soul, and mind you talked about earlier?"

"Okay, then listen closely. We Pure Soul Stone Guardians let our owner cultivate in a wholly different path from those normal ones, but the beginning is the same. You need to rank up through the three ranks by consuming enough energy crystals, but after reaching the third rank, just like you did, the owner will unlock the limiter, which will let one cultivate their body, soul, and mind. Naturally, this Limiter only unlocks, when one has a Pure Soul."

Hearing these things Greg nodded and continued to listen carefully.

"Normally you would rank up like Soul Collector, Creator, Calamity, Ascender and then God rank. However, with a Pure Soul, these things will disappear and after reaching the third rank you get into the Body Grade. In it, you need to temper and refine your body to reach the fifth level. After reaching that, you need to cultivate my six elements, while consuming enough energy crystals. Only after that will you be able to reach the Soul Grade. As for what will happen there you don't need to know it yet."

Greg started to think for a bit and a while later he asked, "Okay, then how should I temper my body?"

"It's easy. You can do a lot of physical exercises every day or there's a better solution. If you fight only by using your body, without any external use. That way you can easily reach the fifth level. This is why the Body Grade is the easiest from the three."

"And how will I know that I reached for example the second level?"

"It's easy. When your body levels up, your body will change again, but this time with less pain."

Greg heard this and sighed in relief. He didn't want to feel that suffering ever again. That was hell in itself.

As he was thinking about things, suddenly a question appeared in his head, and asked confusedly, "You mentioned I need to cultivate your six elements. It means I need to cultivate all of your elements separately?"

"Yes."

Hearing the answer Greg looked dumbstruck and opened his mouth in shock.

"Wouldn't it be a bit too hard like that? It will take an eternity to cultivate every element separately and what's more how?"

Alice hearing Greg's question chuckled and said, "Of course it won't be easy. As for how you don't need to worry, the time will come when I tell you. But be careful about one thing."

"For what?", asked Greg as he looked confused.

"You remember when I said a long time ago that everything comes with a price, yes?"

"Yeah, I do. You meant the backlash, yes?"

"Yeah that too, but the most important is that you need to be aware of your power's consequences. If you use your power for too much at once, not only backlash could happen, but you can also draw powerful creatures attention, which wouldn't be a really good option. Plus others will..."

"Others will what?"

Alice stayed silent for a bit, but in the end, decided not to say anything, but just a sentence.

"It's not the time to say it."

Greg looked shocked after hearing this, but just as he wanted to ask Alice to say it, suddenly someone knocked on his door.

"Who should this be now?", asked himself, Greg, as he stood up and walked toward the door.

Opening the door, he looked around but saw no one, which made him really confused. Just as he wanted to close the door, he saw a small cube before his feet.

"What is this?"

Picking it up, Greg looked at the black cube, which had a red print on it.

Looking around he saw no one around who could have put it down, so he turned around and closed the door behind him.

After sitting down he looked at the cube, which looked almost the same as a Rubik cube from the nineties.

He started to turn its sides here and there, but no matter what he did nothing happened, so in the end, he put it into his shadow.

"Maybe it will be useful in the future."

As he put away the cube he wanted to continue his talk with Alice, but another knock sounded on his door.

"Okay, that's enough. Who the hell-. Oh, hi."

As he wanted to curse he stopped in the middle of his sentence because after opening the door, Emma and Mila were standing before him, but their faces looked a bit shocked.

"Why are you two here? Something happened?" asked Greg as he looked at the two girls.

Emma and Mila looked at Greg's body without talking. Watching as the two looked at him that way, made Greg quite embarrassed and said in an instant, "Don't be so surprised, you just need to be used to it. So? What brought the two of you here?"

Hearing his voice, Emma looked up at the now one head taller Greg, and after clearing her throat she replied shyly, "Well, we heard what happened with you and Joe, so we thought to come and visit you. But it seems you are more than better."

Listening to this, Mila on the side smiled teasingly and caught Emma's shoulder.

"Oh, come on~! You were just too worried about him, that's why you came here, no?"

Emma hearing this instantly blushed but didn't deny what Mila just said.

Hearing the two talking like this made Greg to smile and stepped aside, while saying, "Come in. If you came this far, then don't just stand there."

Emma and Mila nodded and after walking inside, they looked around. Seeing the small and jammed room, which gave off a cozy feeling made the two girls a bit surprised.

As they looked around, suddenly Alice in her rabbit form jumped before Emma and Mila, making the two girls a bit scared, but a second later their expression softened.

"Ahhh! So cute! Greg where did you get her?", asked Mila as she picked up Alice and started to pet her.

As Greg closed the door, he smiled and said, "She is my Guardian. Her name is Alice."

Hearing this, both Emma and Mila looked at Alice. Seeing their gaze, Alice turned into her bird form and flew onto Greg's shoulder, then changed her appearance into a red fox and lay down onto his shoulder.

Seeing this, the girls were utterly speechless and looked at Greg with different eyes.

Greg just petted Alice on the head and sat down, while saying, "So how are you two?"

Emma and Mila looked at each other, but after seeing Greg's questioning look, both of them sat down.

"We are right, but I think we have a little problem.", said Mila as he looked at Alice on Greg's shoulder.

Seeing her gaze, Greg took down Alice and put her onto the table, while making her change back to her rabbit form.

"What do you mean you have a problem?"

Emma started to stroke Alice's fur while saying, "It's about the PGF. After you and Joe went away, two guys reached the first and second place, while Joe, Mila, and you fell down from the first four places. Now those two guys with William and Eric are in the first four."

Hearing what Emma said made Greg not surprised even a bit. He thought this would happen, so this didn't shock him at all.

"So? And why is that a problem?"

Mila heard what Greg said and asked, "Didn't Joe tell you?"

"Tell me what?"

"That guy has a red Soul Stone, which Guardian's powers are the same just like yours. He can use all six elements!"