Fiona led Sarah to the family's training ground, with John escorting them. When they arrived, they found several sparring individuals from the Deity family already stationed there, each of them at the foundation realm's hierarchy.
Their training outfits bore the Deity family's winged crest, indicating their membership.
<<Superhumans at the foundation realm's hierarchy were the most populous within the TRIBE. The higher a superhuman climbed the hierarchy, the more valuable they became to others. As for those who struggled to progress beyond the foundation realm, they had to seek protection from the stronger ones and help increase their family's numbers while serving them.
Families with high-ranked members held privilege to having numerous low-level superhumans, who sought protection and servitude. Additionally, high-level superhumans had no qualms about having an affair with low-level ones. It was known that their combination could potentially birth another powerhouse within the families' ranks.
However, to gain recognition, one had to at least attain the rank of saint realm.>>
With a subtle gesture, Fiona signaled five training individuals to emerge from their designated positions and spar with Sarah. They positioned themselves in a semicircle around Sarah, awaiting Fiona's command to begin the sparr with their opponent.
FIONA: "Today, you'll face these five in a test of combat. I want to see how your fire-based attacks and hand-to-hand skills have improved. Take note, Sarah, while they may be novices in flames, they're proficient in physical combat. Don't underestimate them," Fiona cautioned, her tone serious and focused.
After giving the instructions, Fiona waved at the five sparring units to begin the attack all at once. Before Sarah could muster a response, they descended upon her from all sides, forcing her on the defensive.
She narrowly evaded a punch from her right angle. However, a flying kick to the side sent her sprawling to the ground, the impact jolting through her frame as she struggled to regain her footing.
Without any means for recovery, she got hit again by a swift side kick from another opponent, causing her to crash to the ground with a resounding thud, and finalizing the sparring session.
Seeing this, Fiona promptly intervened, signaling the end of sparring session between Sarah and the spar unit. With a tinge of disappointment in her expression, she approached Sarah and began to address her in a stern and assertive tone.
FIONA: "You've attained the 'extreme' stage of power within the saint realm, yet you struggle against mere individuals at the foundation realm's hierarchy, offering minimal resistance. I'm frankly not impressed, Sarah Deity,"
SARAH: "Bullshit! That's pretty easy for you to say. I had five sparring individuals confront me simultaneously - Five! What the fuck were you supposed to have me do, huh?" Sarah replied angrily.
FIONA: "You squirm like a nagging loser! It's been three months now since you've been with us - Three months since you started training and this is all the best you could do? How discouraging!"
Fiona's disdainful words cut through like a dagger, piercing Sarah's fragile resolve and igniting a strong emotional response from within her soul. With a choked sob, Sarah's composure crumbled, tears streaming down her cheeks as she turned and fled from the training grounds.
However, in the midst of her distress, Sarah unknowingly executed a remarkable ability that left both Fiona and John awestruck.
A brilliant cyan flame erupted from her hair and her eyes shimmered with a piercing sky-blue hue, casting an ethereal glow upon her trembling form. In a mere fraction of a second, her body became enveloped by an intense burst of heat, her form blurring with the speed of her sudden movement. She darted past Fiona and John in a blur of motion, vanishing from the scene into the unknown.
Meanwhile, Fiona and John found themselves utterly outpaced by Sarah's fast-paced movement, their senses overwhelmed by the gust of scorching air that rush past them. They was momentarily stunned, feeling as though time had slowed down to a crawl. Never before had they encountered a superhuman of Sarah's caliber within the saint realm, who possessed such extraordinary speed... Not even Fiona's remarkable agility could compare.
After what felt like an eternity, time finally resumed its normal rhythm, leaving everyone present to wonder what had just occurred before their very eyes.
JOHN: "[Gets pissed at Fiona.] Hey! What the heck was that all about, Fiona? You should not have spoken to Sarah that way!"
FIONA: "[Ignores John and laughs excitedly.] Hehe-hahaha! Interesting! Fascinating! It turns out that she indeed has a specialty skill. Our Deity family is about to reach a new height with this new talent!" Fiona mumbled to herself.
However, John was still a bit confused about the whole scenario and was barely able to keep up with Fiona's muse.
JOHN: "Get a grip on yourself, cousin! What the hell are you talking about? We've got to find Sarah right now!" he yelled aloud furiously.
FIONA: "[Regains her stoic composure.] Ahem! You're right, John. We have to find her before she gets hurt by someone else," she retorted in agreement.
Fiona's expression remained stoic as she surveyed the trail of destruction left behind by Sarah. With a sense of displeasure, she urged John to accompany her in pursuit of Sarah, using the scorched remnants and shattered objects as a guide.
***
~Somewhere in The Outlands~
As the sun began to set, a merchant from the southeastern region of the TRIBE made his way across the countryside on a sturdy carriage, accompanied by a retinue of thirty family guards at the foundation realm's hierarchy.
The merchant had journeyed from Galehold, a city located in the Symphony of Dawn, and was en route to deliver his wares to the Land of Flames.
He and his guards proceeded with utmost caution as they traversed the treacherous terrain of the Outlands. They knew the risks involved, but also knew that it was the only way to bypass the exorbitant taxes and tariffs imposed by border officials, and save on unnecessary expenses.
Everyone remained vigilant as they made their way through the rugged wilderness, hoping that fate would smile upon them and guide them safely to their destination.
However, their greatest fear and concern became a reality as they suddenly stumbled upon a horde of Outland bandits, no less.
(Damn it! Why did I have to run into these Outlanders? Has the goddess of good luck forsaken me?) The merchant's heart sank faster than a rock in a river when he sighted the bandits. He couldn't believe his luck. It was like the universe was playing a cruel joke on him, and he was the punchline.
He looked around at his low-level bodyguards, hoping that maybe one of them was a secret hero in disguise, but alas, they all looked just as terrified as he did.
The bandits themselves were quite the motley crew. They were like the cast of an elemental circus had decided to take a detour and rob some innocent merchants.
There were fire-wielding fanatics, earth-shaking brutes, and even a wind user who looked like he was one with the blissful winds. To top it all off, their leader was a mid-stage lightning user within the saint realm's ranks.
The merchant couldn't help but think that this was the most electrifying encounter he had ever had.
The leader of the Outland bandits had a voice that sounded like a mix between a thunderclap and a chainsaw. It was so scary that the merchant and his so-called guards nearly jumped out of their skin when they heard it.
BANDIT LEADER: "Well, well, well! What do we have here? A merchant and his low-level twigs he calls bodyguards. Were you simply courting death when you decided to come here?" the bandit leader questioned with a terrifying gaze.
MERCHANT: "No.... No! I'm sorry! Please forgive me, sires.... I was wrong." The merchant stuttered while answering, his face pale with fear.
BANDIT LEADER: "[Sparks flashes of yellow electricity around his palm.] Muahahaha! You are one funny twig, you know that, right? Coming into the Wolves' den with your group of cattle and you say that you were wrong? Dude, this kind of opportunity is rare to come by.
"Ahem! But hey, I'm not complaining. You just made our job a lot easier by delivering yourselves right to us, okay? Don't worry, we'll make sure to put you out of your misery real quick. It's the least we can do for such a kind donation."
MERCHANT: "N-no, sir. We were just passing through." The merchant managed to muster up a weak reply, feeling like he was going to wet his pants.
BANDIT LEADER: "Well, passing through here is going to cost you a pretty penny, my merchant friend. And by a pretty penny, I mean all your goods and maybe a limb or two if you're feeling generous." The bandit leader chuckled, and his cronies joined in, their laughter sounding like a chorus of cackling hyenas.
At this point, the merchant immediately regretted his decision to take this shortcut through the Outlands more than ever.
BANDIT LEADER: "What the fuck are you waiting for, Boys? Give these twigs a lesson of their sorry lives and retrieve all the good stuff they have in there. Get the carriage as well!" The bandit leader ordered his crew, his lightning crackling menacingly around him.
The group of bandits heeded their leader's command, their crazy grin shining through as they charged at the merchant and his men.
The targets were all pale with fear as they knew they were no match for the bandits despite their difference in numbers. They were just at the foundation realm's hierarchy and saw no means of winning the fight against a group of bandits at the saint realm's ranks. It wasn't long before the merchant and his guards easily got beat by the group of bandits.
Once the beating was over, the bandits proceeded to retrieve the carriage's goods under their leader's directive. But to their dismay, barely had they touched the goods when their atmosphere suddenly distorted in a twisted manner.
Following the atmospheric distortion, a sudden rush of scorching air swept across the surrounding area, heralding the arrival of none other than Sarah. From amidst the bandits' position, she stood motionlessly, having appeared out of thin air.
Her eyes shone with a bright cyan light, and her hair danced like wildfire, illuminating the cyan flames of the sky.
