While Team Astra was getting ready for their happy and peaceful vacation, the situation on Ashtel’s side was completely different.

Through the teleportation portal that Riku created, Ashtel and he both arrived at the shore of a small lake filled with crystal-clear water.

The lake was located in the middle of a small forest-like area.

There was a narrow road around the lake, and it seemed to be leading outside the forest.

Although the road seemed to have fallen in disrepair due to likely not being maintained properly for a long time, it was still mostly intact.

Just when Ashtel was getting confused why Riku had brought him here, the other party suddenly asked in a solemn voice,

"Sir Ashtel, how much do you know about the race ’Sortilega’?"

Hearing that question, a frown of confusion appeared on Ashtel’s face.

"Sortilega? This is the first time I am hearing about a name like that... such a race even exists?"

Hearing those words, Riku took a deep sigh as he realized that Ashtel likely didn’t know anything about this race at all.

"Well, it’s not really a popular race, and it doesn’t even exist anymore, so it’s natural for people to not know about it nowadays..."

Speaking those words, Riku suddenly waved his hand as he dispelled a powerful illusion magic that was cast nearby.

The thick, dense bushes and trees disappeared immediately as a new road suddenly appeared out of nowhere!

And unlike the previous road, this one was well maintained and was leading deeper into the forest area.

"Follow me; I have something that I want to show you..."

"As the strongest man on this planet, I hope that you would know about this matter, and I would like to hear your opinions about it..."

As Riku spoke those words, he started heading deeper into the forest area, following that road.

"There was an illusion here? Even I couldn’t sense it... that’s quite amazing..."

If not for the fact that Riku had dispelled the illusion himself, Ashtel would have not noticed it at all.

Ashtel stepped forward as he started following Riku and stared at everything with a look of curiosity.

"Such powerful illusion magic... I only know of one being who can do this..."

Hearing those words, Riku nodded his head.

"Yes, this illusion barrier was crafted by ’The Great Illusory Holy Beast,’ Marik himself, during the thousand-year demon extinction war at the command of King Allen Von Reinhart..."

"It was once used as a hidden fortress used to hold important meetings of the world alliance army during that millennia-long war... and it also was used as a hidden research lab for a while..."

"It’s extremely difficult for even peak SS-rankers to sense the presence of the hidden space behind this illusion barrier, but all it can do is just hide; it’s not strong enough to withstand the attacks of someone as strong as you..."

Ashtel nodded his head at those words.

"Well, there’s barely anything or anyone in this world who can actually withstand my attacks, so using me as a standard is unfair to others, but I get what you are trying to say..."

It’s not that Ashtel was overconfident or anything; his words were actually the truth.

His title as the strongest man in the world exists for a reason, and that reason is his indomitable strength.

"Although I have a gut feeling that I would be surpassed pretty soon by the next generation... for now I am still the strongest, so feel free to discuss the troublesome matter you have encountered..."

"If I can’t help you solve it... you might have to wait for the next generation to grow up to have someone stronger to re-attempt it..."

Hearing those words, Riku’s eyes shone brightly as he came to a realization.

"Oh, so that’s why I felt that black-haired kid was kind of ’odd’... You also feel it? Phew~ I thought I was the one that was mistaken..."

At Riku’s words, Ashtel’s lips curled up in a smile as he nodded his head and replied in an excited tone.

"Of course I feel it... that feeling is still very faint and barely noticeable... but nowadays, whenever that kid is nearby..."

"I feel threatened by him..."

"He’s close... he’s very close to becoming a demi-god! And a very powerful one at that..."

As both of them were SS-rankers and had been through the same growth phase before.

They both knew that once a person is just a few steps away from reaching the realm of demigods, the rules of the world start behaving differently around them.

Unlike popular belief, what kind of ’World Authority’ you would awaken is not decided at the moment of ascension to the demi-god realm; a person’s ’World Authority’ is already determined from the moment they choose their ’Path.’

From rank A to rank SS, that’s just your journey on your ’Path’ towards your ’Destination.’

You do not embark on a ’Path’ without knowing your ’Destination’ beforehand; otherwise, you are bound to get lost.

And if someone already knows their ’destination’ and succeeds in walking on their ’Path’ properly and finally manages to reach the realm of demi-gods, their ’Path’ rewards them immensely for all the effort in the form of ’world authority.’

A ’World Authority’ is like a manifestation of your travel records on the ’Path’ of ascension; it’s something that is created from all the life-changing experiences you gather on your ’Path.’

And the closer you get to rank SS, the more your ’world authority’ starts to manifest in your ’Path’ and your life.

In other words, even before someone becomes an SS-ranker, their ’world authority’ already starts to show up in their soul fluctuations in a weak and dormant state.

Rio’s situation was the same.

The moment he became a peak S ranker, his ’World Authority,’ which he would eventually have in the future, started to manifest in his soul at a barely noticeable level. 𝚏𝗿𝗲𝐞𝐰𝚎𝕓𝐧𝚘𝘃𝗲𝐥.𝐜𝚘𝕞

It was still in its infant stage, and yet, it could already make peak SS-rankers like Ashtel and Riku feel threatened; that just proved how bizarre Rio was.