The Empyreal Gem Master

He felt the strength coursing through him, as well as the rectangular crimson and blue bars that represented his Vigor and Energeia.

[Vigor]:: 951/951

[Energeia]:: 851/855

The values of both Vigor and Energeia had risen steadily due to the influence of his many socketed Gems, but he still didn’t know whether it would be enough.

But at this time, it had to be enough!

He had something nobody else had. He socketed Gems with links that these Four-Link Beasts of Corruption were seeking so badly.

With this power, it may just be enough to produce a miracle.

So he breathed out as he spoke to Claire.

"I’ll see you soon."

…!

Not a goodbye.

It was a set of words that left behind hope as a moment later, Alexander turned into a streak of red lightning that shot out towards the depths of a Beast Tide!

After shooting forward for half a mile, he shifted from a radiant crimson lightning to a barely discernible humanoid form, his hands grabbing onto and ripping the green robe on him as he brought the fabric and covered his mouth and nose.

He went even further to wrap his head- only his dark pupils being visible!

The less that people knew about him, the better.

They wanted to be filled with mysteries? He would unleash every ounce of power he had while making them wonder how it was all possible!

BOOM!

With a clap of lightning and thunder, he made his way towards the front of the Walls of Carthage that had turned into a devastating battlefield.

On the walls, countless blinking lights of Elemental Attacks raged down towards the Beasts of Corruption, with this being the Main form of attack to hold the tides of Beasts at bay!

If they neared and tried to breach the wall, close combat Gem Masters would be there to use their very lives as bastions to ensure none went through the walls.

This was the case for Three-Link Gem Masters and Beasts of Corruption, along with those holding Two-Link Gem Sockets and below.

But then, there were the Four-Link Beasts of Corruption.

There was the Four-Link Gem Master from the Galanis Bloodline!

The two Branch Leaders had to stop them from nearing the wall at all cost, and so…the devastating scene of Branch Leader Julius and Branch Leader Axel withstanding the assault of multiple enemies at the same stage of power as them unfolded.

Well, not exactly at the same stage of power!

BOOM!

A clap of thunder and blue lightning echoed above the skies as a ring of circular thunder raged- Branch Leader Axel at its very center as he pushed away a river of black flames from the Four-Link Flame Crow in front of him.

And yet behind him, the Four-Link Lightning Praying Mantis circled and shot out speedily seeking to cleave his head off his neck whenever any gap presented itself!

But Branch Leader Axel remained valiantly alert as his circle of lightning was never breached, with his hands grasping above him as lightning bolts gathered within them that he threw out to both the Lightning Praying Mantis and the Flame Crow.

On his chest, vibrant life force was surging as if one looked closely, they would be able to see that his four Gem Sockets were surrounded by a white ring of light and a blue ring of light that held a sense of regality.

A sign of nothing else but Ascendancy.

When the Life force of a Gem Master reaches a high enough level that their Gem Sockets undergo a change!

Around Branch Leader Axel, a silent but indomitable aura to represent this arose and shone brightly.

But…it was nowhere near as indomitable as down below- where Branch Leader Julius alone was facing the Four-Link Gem Master from the Galanis Bloodline, Neiman, along with dozens of Gem Masters behind him and the Golden Flame Lion under him, and the Four-Link Water Bison who was surrounded by heavy rivers of water!

And yet…

SIZZLE!

The ground burned from the sheer heat stemming from the flames that Branch Leader Julius released.

His battle robe was now tainted with a red hue as his surroundings were encircled by flames, his hands releasing swirling blasts of flames towards the Four-Link Beasts of Corruption and Neiman!

The white robes of the golden haired Galanis Bloodline Branch Leader fluttered amidst the heat as he scoffed, looking at the blue hue shining brightly on top of the white of the Four Gem Sockets on Branch Leader Julius’ chest as he spoke out.

"So what if you have taken your Sockets through Ascendancy and become a genuine Tier 4 Ascendant Gem Master? The rest of us haven’t been slacking!"

WU!

His golden hair fluttered.

His chest showed the same white and blue hues around his Sockets as below him, the Golden Flame Lion roared out while lances of golden flames formed all around!

Tier 4 Ascendant Gem Master.

It was a title granted to those who had built up enough life force to allow for the evolution of their Gem Sockets that caused the effects and capabilities of their socketed Gems to increase by an unknown factor.

Such Entities normally moved and protected the lands of Ascendant Branches of Human Lineages against powerful Ascendant Beasts of Corruption, and it was a level of power that could be seen among Branch Leaders of Mortal Branches of Human Lineages.

They were Gem Masters with great power!

"But that’s not all…" Branch Leader Neiman smiled with a devilish glint as he raised his hand up.

CAA!

The cry of a bird clapped out as in a second, a Four-Link Thunder Sparrow came to perch on his hand.

AWOO!

This wasn’t all as from behind, the rows of Galanis Gem Masters parted to allow an Arctic Wolf pulsing with arcs of frost to come and stand beside Branch Leader Neiman, followed by a Flame Hound that shone with red flames coming on the other side!

A Golden Flame Lion, A Thunder Sparrow, an Arctic Wolf, and a Flame Hound.

All Four-Link Beasts of Corruption. And all were circling Branch Leader Neiman with unbreakable loyalty as they were Beasts bound to him through his Main Ability Gem- [Minion Manipulation]!