Chapter 23: Unyielding Opponents, Unyielding Spirit!

Pharos and Xato charged into the wave of adventurers. The groups of adventurers had superimposed upon one another which caused the adventurers to almost trample upon each other as they dashed towards the Honour Guards at breakneck speed. Blinding flashes of light and strong gusts of wind were left behind as countless afterimages created an illusion of human wave that was about to crash onto them. The swarm of adventurers created a stifling atmosphere and it made the Honour Guards feel as if a Divine Being was looking down upon a weak and puny mortal. However, that was it, just an illusion. Pharos and Xato's scorching breaths caused havoc in the swarm of ants. The wave was forcefully stopped; It seemed like it tripped on itself as all the afterimages caught up to their owners. The two [Flamethrowers] intertwined into a single pillar of flame; the different tints of red slowly fused together into a bright crimson-rose colour. This pillar created a dry passage between the two towering raging walls of water. The pillar of flame constantly spit and licked at the adventurers as the controlled flames were rearing to embrace them into a scorching cocoon of fire. As the flame pillar's momentum slowed down, the horses were released from their leashes and a sea of fire appeared in the middle of the ocean of adventurers. Those closest to the flame pillar when it let loose its unfettered rage was immediately disintegrated - no ashes left behind to commemorate their existence. The Fire God's rage was simply something that mere mortals were unable to withstand. As the Fire God's temper died down the naughty children obediently retreated and happily gathered into the palm os Pharos and Xato. They happily danced in their palms and licked the air for more.

The adventurers saw this scene and they felt cold despite just being roasted in what can only be compared to a solar flare. Their instincts told them that these two in front of them were dangerous. 'Run!' it told them. Their weak knees trembled in fear as they slowly inched away, guiding their bodies and turning them around. However, their hearts were already empty at this point. They were just a never-ending hole that couldn't be filled. Perhaps a hungry goblin was a more apt description. Their greed brought them courage and with it a false sense of hope and superiority towards the two monsters in front of them and their current situation. No, it would be better to call them Gods. It seemed as if Man saw God and decided to take him for themselves. Their greed had overpowered their common sense and dulled their will to live. In their minds lay only gold and riches, precious metals and minerals were their three meals a day. The adventurers straightened their backs and readied their weapons as they inched forward in unison. Their every step echoed in the silent battlefield that had been turned from a lush plain surrounded by green gentle hills, to a barren desert devoid of life surrounded by steep chocolate cliffs made of molten rock. To the experienced eye, this would like a group of money hungry fools who cared little for what was dearest to a living being. But to Pharos and Xato their opponents simply looked incredibly unyielding; unwilling to bend their knees even in front of inevitable demise.

Marcus had always told them to respect respectable opponents. 'Return their respect ten fold' he had told them. As a result, a small beacon of light shined through their eyes and made itself known to the world. They resolutely gazed at their opponents. Their gazes simply shouted a single word: Unyielding! This was what it meant to be truly unyielding. Even in front of a force made of millions, one that could eradicate you on a whim, do not yield. This was the type of spirit that dwelled within the hearts and souls of every successful person. This was an unyielding spirit! Whether it be Magicians, Warriors, Scholars or even shrewd businessmen. If they were to be successful they would definitely have such a spirit. This was something that couldn't dwell in common people, those who follow the flow and resign themselves to fate. You have fallen to the lowest point and you have no hope left, can you recover? Say can! Do you have no path? Make one! The path is uneven and unclear? Smoothen it out! Make it clear! You are suffering? PERSEVERE! 'Don't give up!' This is possibly the most cliched and overused phrase in the history of the world. But why is it overused? Because it is the truth! Those who give up are welcomed into Death's cold embrace. Only those who walk through fire and blood and pour in sweat and tears are able to live.

At this moment Marcus watched this scene with a warm gaze as tears rolled slowly down his cheeks. He happily smiled as he thought, "Brothers. These are worthy to be my brothers and comrades in battle. At this point, they have already stepped onto the path to the peak and beyond. I can finally rest assured that it is worth investing in these Honour Guards. Although only two of them have awakened their Unyielding Spirit, the rest are soon to follow. They are, in the end, cut out of the same mould." Gaia watched as its brother silently cried. It couldn't understand why Marcus was crying. There was nothing emotionally moving with the scene in front of them. Maybe Marcus was crying tears of disappointment? But it wasn't too late to still train right? "You still have a lot to learn Gaia," Marcus suddenly said. "When you learn why I am crying tears of happiness today, you will stop being a Godlike Dungeon Will and go beyond the sky, heaven and mountain. Only then will you understand what it is you currently lack. I cannot provide any advice for you as it is something that only you can find yourself."

"I understand," Gaia solemnly said. It had long felt suffocated by the bottleneck that it has. The bottleneck felt harder and harder to break with each passing day. However, it suddenly started to loosen when he had called Marcus brother. Now Gaia felt that he had found the key to open a door to a new realm and break past this bottleneck. However, it felt that the key was too far too reach and too illusory to be real. Still, it kept on trying to find this key and if it wasn't real it would make it! At this moment something unlocked deep within Gaia yet it was oblivious to its occurence.