Nulambart felt a cold sweat run down his back, knowing he held the lives of hundreds in his hands.
"Can't you do anything to help me?" Nulambart asked nervously.
"Our ancestors described this situation, but they never explained the solution," Aggar replied honestly.
"Friend, what if you try pulling your hand away from the pillar?" suggested Aggi.
"I feel a force pulling me toward the pillar, and I can't control the energy I'm feeding into it," Nulambart replied.
Everyone looked at each other, unsure how to react, watching as Nulambart's complexion grew paler by the minute.
"Don't worry... I made a promise to Aggi, and I will help save you all. Don't worry about me. I don't plan to die here," Nulambart declared, tightening his grip on the pillar.
His memories swirled through his mind, and with a steady pulse in his head, ten minutes in, he was on the verge of collapse.
Suddenly, a natural energy emerged from the pillar and began slowly repairing its cracks.
Though this effort had triggered significant changes in the pillar, they all knew it wouldn't be enough to seal the village permanently.
Then, something unexpected happened.
Gus extended a hand and rested it on Nulambart's shoulder, channeling his energy into the young man's fragile body. He focused with all his might to avoid damaging himself.
Nulambart sensed a tyrannical energy coursing through him from an external source, and having fought it before, he immediately knew who it belonged to.
Aggar and Aggi observed in silence, unsure whether it was a wise move.
"Nulambart, let me help you manage this with my soul... After all, I can't let a foreigner save my village while I do nothing," Gus murmured, panting.
Nulambart remembered the books on soul cultivation and decided to apply the Eternal Ethereal Pillar technique to incorporate Gus's soul energy into his own inner source by expanding his internal space.
Using the same process as soul cultivation with spirit beast cores, he managed to absorb the energy into his inner space. His skin turned intensely red, and blood began dripping from his nose.
Flooded with Gus's memories, Nulambart entered an ethereal space filled with countless images. He saw flashes of Gus's life pass before him.
"You're such an idiot, Gus. You spend all day with your crazy ideas in your room. That's why girls ignore you..."
"For the son of the tribe leader, you look like a spirit beast! Hahaha!"
"Oh, so you awakened as a martial cultivator. Too bad you never train and stay locked in the palace..."
Nulambart heard hundreds of voices expressing hostility toward Gus. He realized Gus's aggression toward him was a reflection of how others had once treated him.
"Gus, maybe you were never accepted, and you've earned respect through your own deeds... That's admirable," Nulambart said, panting.
This flood of memories overwhelmed him.
I need something more to channel this energy, he thought. One pillar alone won't be enough.
He then began practicing the Inner Mirror Pillar alongside the Eternal Ethereal Pillar, seeking to find himself within the ethereal space.
"Who am I? I'm just a young man trying to save his family."
"Where do I come from? From the Alliance Village."
"What are my goals?..."
He asked himself countless questions, and through the Inner Mirror Pillar, he gained partial control over Gus's soul energy. He also sensed Gus's effort to transmit it in a stable way.
Their dual auras fused inside Nulambart's inner space, enabling him to continue feeding energy into the pillar.
"I can't believe he was able to channel energy into Nulambart," Aggar whispered, eyes wide.
"My friend Nulambart is the best, Mom, and my crazy brother... I admit he's got talent," said Aggi with a smile.
Ten minutes later, the two boys managed to close all the pillars' cracks permanently.
But when Gus stopped channeling energy, Nulambart felt the world spin around him. His heartbeat slowed.
Gus caught him just before he hit the ground. Aggar rushed over to check his condition, circulating her white soul energy through his wrist.
"Aggi, we need to take Nulambart to the Sacred Pool immediately. He's... entered a coma, and we must keep his vital signs stable," Aggar said solemnly.
Her light green hair swayed with the force of her aura, fully unleashed for the first time. Had Nulambart seen it, he would've known she was a cultivator of the Avatar Realm.
Aggar was an elemental cultivator with an affinity for light, specializing in healing. These types of cultivators were also known as mages, as they used the Transmutation Pillar to circulate the purest natural energy and manifest it in the real world.
Aggar pushed her energy to the limit, manifesting her soul's will: a three-meter-tall avatar made of pure light, radiating unmatched power.
"I've never seen Mom use her soul's manifestation at this level," said Gus, frowning.
"Help me carry Nulambart, brother," Aggi said, lifting the unconscious boy with Gus as Aggar extended her hand to precisely regulate his heartbeat.
They boarded the carriage and headed toward the palace.
Meanwhile, explosions rumbled through another part of the village.
Aggro was battling the spirit beast in the shape of a raven. It could no longer fly, one wing had been severed by the black sword the village leader now wielded.
"Spirit beast in the final stages of the White Core… You're in the Sacred Soul Realm, likely mid-stage," said Aggro.
"I'll kill you for endangering the tribe. Then I'll check on the others," he stated.
Releasing his full aura, Aggro revealed the power of the first level of the Avatar Realm and manifested his soul's will—a shapeshifting whip that had become a two-handed longsword.
"My ancestors survived the war against the Stella Kingdom thanks to their bloodline, which allowed them to manifest a living whip that could transform into weapons. I won't waste that legacy," Aggro declared, soaring toward the beast.
The raven unleashed pulses of energy from its beak, but Aggro sliced through them with precision. He struck at the beast's wounded side. All it saw was a streak of dark green aura before its vision faded, and its body collapsed lifelessly.
Landing nearby, Aggro confirmed the kill and rushed to the ancestral pillar.
He found no one there, but the repaired pillar gave him hope. Circulating his soul, he sensed his wife's lingering energy and knew something had gone wrong.
He headed to the village and was told his family had gone to the palace. He followed.
Upon arrival, he saw Nulambart submerged in the Sacred Pool. Aggar was expending all her energy to keep him alive.
"Aggro, block the entrance to this room for the next twenty-four hours… I won't receive anyone else," Aggar said, sweat on her brow.
"I will, dear. But... what happened to the boy?" Aggro asked.
Aggi and Gus explained everything. Then, Aggro looked at Nulambart.
"That boy helped save the village… Gus, I hope you treat him better from now on."
He led his children out of the room.
"Aggar, you're the greatest cultivator in our village… and even if you can't fight, you're still the heart of our tribe and our family. Don't overexert yourself," Aggro said as he left, concerned.
Hours passed until the next morning.
Aggar was still by Nulambart's side. His heartbeat had stabilized. She looked worn out, as if she'd aged years overnight.
"I think he can carry on by himself now… Nulambart, you really went and sacrificed yourself again despite my warnings… How foolish you can be," she whispered gently.
She placed him on a stretcher and slowly left the room.
Outside, she found her family waiting. Aggro looked especially worried, his eyes slightly red.
They smiled upon seeing her. Aggar simply confirmed that everything was fine and went to rest with them.
While Nulambart slept deeply, many things unfolded elsewhere.
In the Alliance Village, a door opened in the mayor's library. Several people emerged.
"Grandfather, no one was guarding the basement entrance. That's good," said Valin.
"Stay alert. We move as a group toward the village outskirts," ordered Mayor George.
Outside, they were met with a grim sight: hundreds of villagers toiling in slavery, minds vacant.
"So this is what Nulambart was warning us about," George muttered, frowning.
Panic overtook the elite youths, but George and Valin quickly restored order.
As they made their way toward the exit, they encountered a surprise.
From a house, Ana emerged, holding a bag full of food.
"Ana, you're here! So glad to see you're okay!" Valin shouted, overjoyed.
Ana turned with a strained smile.
"So you all left the basement… Mayor, I'm glad to see you again."
"Ana, I'm happy you're safe," George replied, then asked:
"Where's Nulambart? Is he okay?"
Ana's expression hardened.
"Mayor, Nulambart has disappeared… and I'm not sure he's still alive."
George's smile vanished. Behind him, Valin allowed a subtle smirk to curl on his lips.