Rin and Erix made full use of their highly concentrated and enlighten-attentive state for one hour and thirty minutes inside Limitless Plane. The double boost had pulled all the stops for them.
As long as they focused, learned, worked hard, and kept their mind open and running, they would improve…at breakneck speed with no obstructions.
They did just that and were making rapid progress in not just one but multiple areas.
It was just like how ancient geniuses created formulas, maths, scientific foundations, and such…Rin and Erix were also on their own path, carving it out.
This was inevitable. Rin and Erix had so much potential in them that they could constantly improve significantly as long as they decided to improve while they wrestled for opportunities, resources, and sought knowledge for power.
They would eventually face some walls like everyone. No one on the path to power was an exception to this rule, not even those scientists and geniuses, as all of them had faced problems and blocks.
But, for our duo, it wouldn't be anytime soon.
…
After an hour and a half, the duo opened their eyes and shone with a profound light while sparkling with brilliance.
But they still had hours to spend under the effect of pills, so without wasting any time, the duo went deeper into the Spada Valley with Lilith.
"Your second challenge is more dangerous and simple," Lilith said as she flew ahead of the duo. "To reach the border of the 2nd zone and briefly enter the 3rd zone." m|vle mp _yr novel source
"We are still in the middle of the 1st zone. There are not many threats here, but when we near the 2nd zone, we'll face aggressive Umbral monsters that the 3rd zone produces."
"In the 2nd zone, even common threats there can take a Royal-order hunter's life if they are not careful, so keep your senses fully cautious and soul sense spread out."
Lilith smiled and added, "You will attract monsters by doing that, but all you have is to kill them and survive while progressing ahead."
"Erix, some deaths of those Royal-order hunters were unavoidable, so your source got some death power, but you don't need to worry about that when fighting Umbral monsters. When you kill them, they don't produce death power, and their energies are absorbed by their origin."
"Which is in the 3rd zone," Lilith finished speaking before she took out two talismans and gave them to the duo.
"This will only activate when a phenomenon-related threat to your life appears. I wouldn't want two of you to succumb because of bad luck," Lilith rolled her eyes.
"What about you?" Erix asked.
"I'll go ahead and wait for you two at the end of the 2nd zone," Lilith chuckled, "Good luck."
"We'll be there," Rin grinned.
Lilith's body turned into a wisp, her speed far higher than Rin and Erix's, as she soon disappeared from their views.
Meanwhile, Rin and Erix continued flying at moderate speed for a while before they finally started encountering stronger and more aggressive umbral monsters.
A beautiful dark blue lustrous tree with dark colorful leaves would turn out to be a powerful monster with offense equivalent to Royal-order!
It had powerful defense and used annoying wide-area skills that reduced its five senses and poisoned them. But the duo could still precisely hit it and destroy the monster by using their spirit sense.
When they reached the membrane at the end of the 1st zone, they encountered a powerful beastly monster looking like a rabbit but almost two meters in size with a single horn.
It had deadly swiftness, enough to sense and even dodge Erix's attacks, and had pinpoint sharp offense from its eyes and claws.
However, it had weaker defenses, and Rin managed to trap it with her Chronace flow, affecting and disorienting its movements while Erix dealt it a finishing blow.
Rin was focusing more on the Time element aspect as she wanted to reach 2nd realm in her Time affinity.
Meanwhile, Erix was focusing on the Flame aspect in his Nihilir and using destructive Nihilir wisps more as he wanted to focus on Flame affinity and make progress in it.
"Let's see if it's as notorious as people make it," Erix said, looking at the membrane separating the 2nd and 1st zone of Spada Valley.
Rin nodded, her eyes sparkling with curiosity and anticipation of the challenges that awaited them.
The duo passed through the thin dimensional curtain and arrived in a completely different place, but it was still the valley.
However, the sky changed. They could see three black moons in the sky along with the usual dark sky of Kaalanx Abyss and its celestial astral scenery that was random daily.
"Interesting….the flow of time is behaving differently here," Rin muttered, her eyes faintly shining with tiny white-gold sparks.
*Roar!*
*Krooooo!*
Roars, howls, and other strange sounds reverberated, and they were directed straight toward Rin and Erix, who had just entered the 2nd zone!
"Let's go," Erix grinned, his aura ferocious.
Rin's eyes flickered with lightning, her smile wide and devilish. "Race to the end and kill count."
"Haha, bring it on."
Both of them vanished from their spot with a thunderous boom, going straight towards the monsters that were coming at them.
…
Lily stayed at the treehouse to stand guard and watch over the barrier. Erix's portal was also activated near her couch. It led to the secret deep underground cavern where Maleina, Reinala, and Lynia were working on creating potions.
"It's been ten hours since Lady Lilith left…" Lily muttered. "They should have reached 3rd zone."
"Miss Lily, we've finished the ingredients."
Lynia emerged from the portal and said, her expression deadpan.
Lily turned to the portal and saw Reinala emerging after Lynia reported her, followed by Maleina.
The trio walked before her.
'That bitch doesn't seem to be here,' Reinala thought as she didn't sense any other presence aside from Lily.
"Just sit and relax or train in meditation," Lily said nonchalantly.
"So no more potion creating?"
"No. Not for now. Give me the stock you crafted."
Maleina transferred 300 potions to Lily from her Hunter card.
Suddenly, everyone felt a familiar aura approaching them.
Lily smiled and stood up, and just a second after that, Lilith arrived at the treehouse.
Lilith walked towards the house with Rin and Erix floating to her sides. Their eyes were open but whirling with black whirlpools and colorful dark-colored sparks.
She vanished and put Rin and Erix on the bed before returning.
"How did they handle it?" Lily asked with a weak smile, "I'm sure they are faring better than me."
Lilith chuckled, "I'll not lie, but they are indeed doing better. It's just that their own thoughts and ambitions highly refine their will and the hard work they do by going above their limit."
"But the 3rd zone has changed since the last time we came here, the connected dimension even more," Lilith said after she sat on the couch and leaned, her eyes showing some exhaustion.
"Y-You…you went into the 3rd zone?!" Reinala was alarmed.
"Why? You never went there?" Lilith playfully smiled.
"Isn't that the forbidden place of no return?" Maleina asked, her eyebrows creasing. "Even people in the core domain know that even Empyrean powerhouses don't dare to go there."