Zero watched skeptically as Alice stumbled forward with the Harvest Gnat wrapped around her back.
Up until now, either Zero or Caelum had carried that essential supply, but Alice insisted that she could help. While it was nice to have that weight off his back, literally, the fatigue it brought did not feel as bad as the pity he felt at the moment.
Of course, Alice was stronger than most Mundane humans; she was a seeker after all. But her balance was at most on par with most humans. Additionally, for this island, the terrain would often swoop up and down in short bursts, so one would have to watch their step.
'Speaking of this Island, when are we going to reach the end? It's been a day and a half.'
Zero glanced over at Alice once more and found an excuse to carry the water source.
"Alice, I have more questions about Spirit Levels, and Tiers for that matter. Hand over the Harvest Critter since you're going to fall if you walk and talk."
Alice glared over at Zero, and for a moment, he was scared she would get mad.
'Wait, why should I be scared of her? She can't even carry a backpack.'
But Alice did not get mad, and a polite smile crossed her face.
"Alright, here. I appreciate it by the way… now ask away."
Zero threw the Harvest Gnat onto his back and wrapped its limbs around his back then asked his questions.
"So this Spirit Level doesn't seem that useful for us at the moment. Maybe for Caelum, I don't know how much Vie his wind and healing takes, but are there other uses for the Spirit Crystals?"
"No, we can't really use them for anything else. Uh, I'm not entirely sure if this is just from comics and stories, but each level should increase your strength a bit. Caelum?"
"Yes, that is true. The more refined and broad your Spirit becomes, the stronger your body can perform. A strong body dwells within the confines of a strong Spirit and mind. Without one, you can not have the other."
Zero felt a bit dumb for not knowing that after consuming two crystals, but he brushed it off.
'Is this guy sounding like a motivational speaker, too?'
"That's good to know for sure."
This prompted Zero to check if his level cap had increased. It was still sitting at 4/3.
"Then about Tiers. How do I raise it to… Enlightened, I'm guessing? That should make me stronger, too, right?"
Caelum glanced at Alice to see her response, but she simply shrugged and expectantly waited for an answer from Caelum.
"The next Tier is Enlightened. About how to reach that enlightenment, one must find what they seek."
Alice interjected, "So if we are seeking Roma, our enlightenment would be reaching Roma."
"If that is your very most desire to find, then likely yes. Although, I take it you do not seek Roma. Rather, you seek to return to your world, or perhaps, know of what it became. To reach enlightenment, Seekers often pilgrimage or travel till they can find what they want to pursue. It is a hard process. So Zero, if you are worrying about reaching the Enlightened Tier, do not. Focus on improving your Mind, Body, and Spirit."
'Dang, I wanted to be as tough as those Harvest Critters. Wait… is he saying I'm lacking in Mind, Body, and Spirit?'
Like always, there was no animosity in what Caelum said, and it was probably genuine advice. Abandon hope of becoming strong fast. Just do what you can. But how would Zero go about effectively doing that?
For Body and Spirit, it was somewhat easy: consume Spirit Crystals, and maybe practice swordsmanship.
Mind was another story.
"Caelum, how does one go about improving their mind?"
"I do not know. Maybe the pursuit of knowledge. While your body has great instincts, a fight consists of both mind and body."
Zero waited for him to say more, but he did not.
Before he could inquire more, they spotted a Harvest Critter and veered their course to the side before it could spot them. When they were finally in the clear, Alice asked the first question.
"You seem to know about combat, and how you wield a staff is impressive. Were you a warrior of some sort? Or a nomad."
"Thank you for the compliment. I was somewhat of a nomad."
He paused, and for a moment, Zero was afraid he would not elaborate.
"We moved around across islands as needed, hunting and learning. There were often bridges we could cross where my people resided, and there were also some Seekers among us. But I left that and, in turn, found the statue and ended up here. I wanted to experience Roma and find myself in pursuit of something. Thus, I could become a Seeker like that. The Seekers among my people were kind enough to teach me what they knew. That is how I know what I do and am as skilled as I am."
Zero was a bit surprised to hear Caelum speak for so long, especially about himself. But Zero was not surprised to learn that Caelum was taught combat by Seekers. His skill with a weapon was far beyond what Alice and even Zero were capable of. That in respect to Zero also being trained in a way by a Seeker, being Azarax. Though, Zero's time with a blade was still short.
The three continued to talk as they walked. By some great fortune of luck, they managed to reach the edge of the island without interruption from a Chaos Beast. In the meantime, Zero learned a few other important details about this world regarding Teirs and Chaos.
Firstly, the Tiers progressed as so: Seeker, Enlightened, Transcended, Luminary, Eternal, Primordial, Celestial, Heavenly, and Immortal. A small caveat was that at Primordial, Chaos Beasts and those above it in Tier had different names: Ruined and Cursed for Primordial and Celestial, respectively.
Zero had a feeling that Heavenly would become Forsaken if it fell to Chaos.
Zero also learned about how size was categorized. Labeled as Scale, it went Fledgeling, Ravenger, Wrath, Leviathan, Giant, Colossus, Cosmo, and Realm. They were not normally in the Nexus kill feed, but Zero could add them in if he wanted to.