The worst part was actually that the old man did not give Daneel any time to say anything before walking off in the corridor.
Daneel had to curse under his breath and move his legs to follow the man, as he did not want to be left behind in this place that he knew nothing about.
All through the journey, the damn guy in front of him kept humming a merry tune to himself, as if he was very happy with something.
And of course, this irritated the King of Lanthanor very, very much, as he continued to grumble and scold the guy in front of him in his mind while thinking back to that room and what he had heard regarding the Ultimate Path.
One thing was definitely clear: the word 'Ultimate' definitely fit.
As he thought about it, Daneel also realized that this was the natural evolution from Champion and Fighter Paths that he should have figured out as soon as he heard the word "Ultimate".
The old man had been right: only something which could unite the two Paths in one's body and give them an extra method to influence the world around them deserved that name.
He had expected a lot from it, and all of his expectations had paid off, but he had been mercilessly… Well, clickbaited.
Daneel even wondered whether this was the damn Head's doing, who always kept wanting him to join some or the other part of the Big Four.
Somewhere in the sky, the Head coughed as this thought came in Daneel's mind, and if he found out that it was because the King of Lanthanor was cursing him with frustration, he would definitely pretty bemused.
Forcefully calming himself down, Daneel asked the system to give him any information about the Ultimate Path that the old man might not have mentioned.
That was not the case, as the old man had been quite succinct.
This incensed Daneel even more. Even Drakos was dumbfounded as to how someone could have done something like that, and that too in a time of such chaos, but he did admit that if it was possible, then it would only be so during such a time as the old man had been right in saying that difficult times really did give birth to geniuses.
After all, it was said that the Emperor had also been a product of such a time.
Daneel could just imagine it. Hell, he didn't have to imagine it. Behind the third seal, there was a visual message of the recording of someone who had succeeded in training the Ultimate Path to become a Champion that stood above almost all of his peers.
The only ones who were supposed to be able to give someone like that a challenge were apparently Bloodline Possessors who were also in command of their technique that brought out their Bloodline powers in full effect. And even then, it was said that it would be a fair matchup.
Pumped full of expectations once again, Daneel first judged the distance in front of him, and only entered the visual message after seeing that he had at least one minute before they would reach the end of the corridor that they were walking toward.
Of course, he also told the system to immediately wake him up if he was needed, as it would be controlling his body while his mind was elsewhere.
After ensuring that everything was in order, Daneel closed his eyes, and opened them to view an open field filled with lush grass that waved in the wind which was gently blowing across it.
Right in the middle, he could see a man dressed casually in white robes.
He was sitting on the ground with his legs folded, and his hands were resting on his knees while he breathed in and out calmly, as if he was one with the world.
The system spoke in his mind, disturbing him from this image in which it almost looked as if the man had melted into his surroundings, and was no longer visible unless one paid a lot of attention.
This was the first time Daneel was seeing anything like it. If he had to describe it further, it was like seeing someone who had perfected the art of staying so still that they would disappear from one's vision.
[This is a recording made specifically for researchers to use to entice talented individuals to try out their methods to obtain an Ultimate Path. Such methods had to be used as rumors became more and more wide-spread that trying to obtain an Ultimate Path would only result in doom.]
It made more sense now that something like this existed, as Daneel had been puzzled before regarding what the purpose might have been behind recording the power of such an individual unless it was to show off.
A moment later, the demonstration started along with a voice that was heard all over the area which gave him the details regarding what was happening.
The first thing Daneel saw was the man standing up and putting on an expression of determination while looking at a spot in front of him, as if expecting an enemy to pop-up right there.
Soon, it became clear that that was the case, as someone did appear in front of him to challenge him.
"This man has trained in the simplest Ultimate Path, as he is not someone who has extremely high talent in either Path. His Mage Champion Path is that of fire - resonating with the understanding of the element that he gained after studying it deeply for numerous years, he was able to use this Path that allows him to gain an amplification in his attacks when they are fire-based. His Fighter Champion Path is that of strength - pursuing power over everything else, he trained his body to value strength above all else, allowing him to understand the route that one must take to become all-powerful. Lastly, he also managed to gain an understanding regarding how strength could be used to take one's inner fire to new heights, allowing him to obtain the 'Ultimate Path of Fiery Strength'. The result is in front of you."
The speech wasn't all too impressive in itself. These two were some of the most common Paths that Daneel had seen, and although many struggled to at least use these in this age, he knew for a fact that during the time of the Empire, these Paths were frowned upon by even those with middling levels of talent.
If such kinds of Paths were used, how good would an Ultimate Path be even if it was the case that there was an additional resonance to draw power from?
A few words floated above the man who had just appeared as if to answer Daneel's question.
"Mage Champion who has trained in a Lesser High-tier Champion Path and is on the same level as his opponent."
Even High-Tier Champion Paths were separated into multiple categories, and the most common classification was that of Lesser and Greater ones. There were a few which didn't fall into either category, but these made too little a number to be considered.
Raul's 'Balance' Champion Path was also a Lesser High-Tier one, from what Daneel understood regarding this classification, so he interestedly looked forward to what this Ultimate guy could achieve.
And in a few seconds… he was gobsmacked.
They were goddamn even!
Daneel had been expecting some sort of hard contest, as just the concept that someone who trained in trash tier Champion Paths could contest against one that was pretty much guaranteed to reach the Hero level as long as they were living during the time of the Empire was something so crazy that anyone who heard it would definitely scoff and think that whoever was speaking had gone mad.
Yet, that was exactly what he was seeing.
The third resonance allowed this man to close the gap which would typically have taken at least four or five levels to overcome.
Daneel had thought that the amplification might not be too large, but he had to change that opinion now.
True, he had not seen the full extent of potential of an Ultimate Path yet, but what he had seen so far was more than enough to pique his interest and yearning even more.
Before, he had been captivated enough by it to decide to get it even if he had to go out of his way.
Yet, now… it was no longer an option that he would let it go.
He needed it. That damn scroll had to be in his hands, no matter what he needed to do to make that happen.
He had already arrived back in his body, and as he looked forward, he saw that there was still a moment before they reached the end of the corridor.
So, he allowed himself that moment to daydream.
A Mage Champion Path that would allow him to stand against all those at his level even if he used its power alone. A Bloodline that gave him incredible powers the likes of which would be enough to defend against any other Champion who dared to challenge him. And an Ultimate Path that united both of these, and allowed him to use them to blast his enemies with even stronger attacks, so that he would be able to add 'Killing enemies with shock and depression that they will never be as powerful' to his list of killing moves.
This awesome dream was interrupted by the old man pushing open two large wooden doors which looked exactly like the ones that they had exited when walking out of that room into which Daneel had been teleported.
And in this one… The first thing he saw was the giant which had been ready to kill him just a few minutes ago.
For a moment, Daneel wondered whether this guy was leading him into a trap, but he relaxed when he saw that those red eyes had disappeared, and that the giant was also looking down as if it had just been reprimanded severely by someone.
Focusing his elementary vision, Daneel got a glimpse of the remnants of a clone spell, which revealed the mystery that it was probably this old man, himself, who must have been using a clone to speak to the giant while his main body was in the company of Daneel.
This room was also almost the same as that other one - bare walls, and an almost empty floor. In fact, Daneel even began to wonder why they hadn't bothered to just stay there.
However, he got the answer to this when he saw a very peculiar… Chair that was on the podium in one corner of the room.
It was this chair that the old man walked to and sat down, and as he did so, his whole aura seemed to change.
That wasn't the only thing that changed, though.
His thin, frail body suddenly began to fill with flesh, muscles, and sinew, and even his height began to increase, as if Daneel was seeing a sped up version of someone taking steroids.
Soon enough, a middle-aged man with flowing hair, a medium-length beard, and a body even buffer than that of those who had welcomed them was in front of him, and Daneel was so flabbergasted by this transformation that he had to take a few seconds to ask the system just what the f*ck it was.
[Blood Absorption Training Technique: Allows one to absorb vast amounts of blood to maintain their strength and power even if their age results in them growing weaker. Also extends lifespan to a degree depending on the overall level of those who shed the blood. A banned technique during the time of the Empire because it was repeatedly abused by those who did not care for common people.]
So…this was where all that blood was being transported to.