《Origin Sea Saga [A Cultivation Progression Fantasy Series]》


 Chapter 1: The Spirit Awakening Ritual [Part 1]

    Ernith Tresting had a secret. One that he could not share with anyone. And even if he could, who would believe him? His parents had not. And his friends would not either. They would only end up making fun of him. It was better that he kept the secret to himself. That way, no one would mock him, and only he would know what the secret was, making him feel a little special. Not that he was not special as he was. After all, he had never known of anyone, besides himself, who had memories that were not their own. Memories of someone else. Memories of a man living in a world completely different than his own.


    Only Ernith himself had something as special as that. Though, in a strict sense, he did not have those memories either. What he had were just memories of memories, coming to him in his dreams. It was understandable then, that his parents did not believe him. However, Ernith was sure that what he experienced were not just mere dreams, but something special. Something different. Something like¡­ memories. Unfortunately, they only came to him in his dreams. As such, he could view them only when he slept. And even then, he had no control over which memory would come to him. The only thing he was sure of that be it night, or day, they would come to him whenever he slept.


    If he recalled correctly, the first time that the memory of the man from the other world had come to him was somewhere around the time he had turned six years old. It was the memory of a boy, a little younger than even how old he was back then, surrounded by a lot of grown people, undergoing some kind of ritual. In essence, the ritual was somewhat similar to the ritual that Ernith himself was getting ready for, except that he turned twelve years old around six months ago, while when the little boy in his memories had been undergoing the ritual, he had just turned four years old.


    Of course, there were other differences in the rituals as well. After all, the little boy, or rather, the man whose memories came to him in his dreams, lived in a different world. But considering how rushed Ernith was, those things did not carry much importance at the moment. Setting his hair in front of the small mirror in the bathroom, he made sure that he looked his best. It was one of the most important days of his life for him. And he had to make sure that he looked like the man he wished to become. The man from his dreams.


    Ernith himself had never thought that he would come to see the man in such high regards, that he would even wish to become like that man. After all, when the dreams had first begun, they were only of a boy, younger than even himself. Moreover, back then, he had not even known that those dreams were special. For him, they were just dreams that would come to him when he would sleep and go away when he would wake up. If not for the fact that the dreams of the little boy were more vivid than the other dreams he had had until then, he might have even forgotten about them.


    However, as time passed, Ernith started noticing the peculiarities of his dreams. Ever since he had first dreamt of the boy, he had never dreamt of anything else. Only the snippets of the boy¡¯s life would come to him in his dreams, and they would come to him whenever he slept. Furthermore, as the days passed, with each night bringing him new dreams, the dreams brought him new snippets of the boy¡¯s life, showing him his growth into a man, while revealing more and more details about the world that he lived in, making him certain that they were not just any normal dreams.


    Scared, and confused, Ernith had told his parents all about his special dreams, hoping that they would help him, that they would drive away all his worries, and fears. Instead, they had just laughed his worries off, treating the man from his dreams as his imaginary friend. In the end, he was left with choice, but to let his dreams be. And so, his days passed as usual, with his dreams bringing new memories to him every time he slept. However, with each memory that he saw, Ernith grew more, and more familiar with the man, as his fear soon transformed into curiosity, while his reluctance transformed into anticipation.


    A few months later, he started attending the Western Anneve Academy to learn his words, and other common things that everyone should. There, he had met quite a few people of his age, and made friends with many of them. Of them, Reth, and Amaya were his two best friends. And since they were his best friends, he should not have any secrets with them. Or so he had thought.


    Yet when he had tried telling the two of them about his dreams, they had laughed it off, just like his parents. Rather, they had laughed even harder than them. Thankfully, he had only discussed about the possibility of the dreams, and memories, and that too, in a rather implicit manner, managing to keep his dreams, and the memories of the boy to himself. A secret, which he had kept since then, and intended to keep it like that for a long, long time.


    ¡°Come on, Ernith, let¡¯s go!¡± his mother said, with impatience tainting her voice. ¡°If we don¡¯t leave now, then it will get too crowded to find a good spot. Don¡¯t you want to be done with your Ritual, and lay your Roots as soon as possible?¡±


    ¡°Coming!¡± Ernith said, as he looked in the mirror one last time, making sure that he looked like the man from his dreams, even if only a little bit, before rushing out of the bathroom, and finding his mother standing near the door. There was a slight hint of impatience on her face as well, matching perfectly with her voice. However, as she saw him hurrying out of the bathroom, struggling with his robe, she inadvertently let out a light, and affectionate smile.


    The smile was probably from seeing him struggle with his robe. That was why did not like wearing robes¡­ They were just too uncomfortable, and hard to handle. If it was not for the tradition that required him to wear a robe for the ritual that was going to happen later, he would never have bothered to wear it.


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    His mother, on the other hand, rarely missed any chance that she could get to wear a robe. They just came naturally to her. Even at the moment, when it was his day, not hers, she had still put on her favourite robe, the one she took out to wear only on her anniversaries. A red robe with golden borders. Apparently, his father had given it to her when he had asked her to marry him. That, with the red ornamental pouch in her hands, and the wooden sandals with the golden straps, formed her complete dress.


    And as he looked at her, he could understand why she liked to wear it so much. The dress made her look so elegant, and mesmerising, that his father often went into a daze when he saw her dressed like this. She was the most beautiful woman he had ever seen. Or maybe second, if he included the woman that sometimes appeared in the memories that came to him in his dreams. But in his own world, he had never seen anyone more beautiful than his mother. And none so elegant as well.


    Ernith, on the other hand, was as far from elegance as he could be. He wondered why what she could do so effortlessly, he could not do even with all his efforts. Maybe it was because he inherited all of her other good qualities, like her black hair, and her dark brown eyes. Not that his father¡¯s hair, golden, like Enn, the God of Day, shining up in the sky, was bad. He just liked the his mother¡¯s hair than his father¡¯s. Besides, it was not like he had inherited nothing from his father. His height, for example, was quickly catching up with his mother¡¯s. Perhaps in a couple of years, or maybe three, he would be able to surpass her in height. Maybe even catch up with his father.


    ¡°We have to wait for dad,¡± Ernith said. ¡°He said that he would come today, no matter what.¡±


    It was his father¡¯s promise to him, and a promise should never be broken. That was what he had learnt from his dreams, and those memories. From the man whom he desired to be like. No matter what, one should never break their promises. Though it would not be the first time if his father really broke his promise with him. Still, Ernith hoped.


    ¡°A guard from the Redbud family came by earlier, while you were still sleeping. The Redbud family gave him a new commission at the last moment, and he got a little tangled up with it. But he promised to meet us directly at the Altar after completing it.¡±


    ¡°Really? Did he really say that? Is he really coming?¡±


    ¡°Of course, he is,¡± his mother said with a smile, as she ruffled his hair. ¡°Today is the day our son is going to lay his Roots and take his first step as a Wanderer. He wouldn¡¯t miss it for the world. He might even already be there right now, waiting for us. So, hurry up.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t mess my hair,¡± Ernith said, pushing her hand away. ¡°It took me so long to set it.¡±


    Pouting at his mother¡¯s smile, he ran back into the bathroom, and looked at himself in the mirror to check his hair. However, the mirror revealed much more than his hair, including the white, and blue robe that he was wearing, and the wooden sandal that he had put on, just like his mother, in the old traditional Wanderer Style. It looked stupid and was too cumbersome to wear. Shirts, and trousers on the other hand, were not only easier to wear, and carry, they looked much better on him as well. Unfortunately, as per the traditions, he could only wear the robe for the Ritual.


    ¡°I look like an old man,¡± Ernith mumbled to himself, stretching his hands and watching his sleeves fall loosely from his wrists. After making sure that his hair was still parted in the way he had set, he walked back out, looking at his mother with a self-satisfied smile. ¡°I already knew that he was coming.¡±


    ¡°Of course, you did,¡± his mother said with a chuckle, which soon turned into a laughter when she saw him run his hands through his hair again, and again, making sure that his hair remained as he had set it. Squeezing his cheeks with both her hands, she added, ¡°My son looks so handsome. Just don¡¯t break too many hearts.¡±


    Pushing her hands away, Ernith ran towards the door, shouting and urging his mother to follow. She laughed and caught up with him, trying to take his hands in her, but met with his firm resistance. He was going to be a Wanderer, and as such, refused to be treated like a child. Making sure that he was the one walking in front, as if he was the one leading her, and not the other way around, was also because of that reason. The same went for why he did not complain about the blue straps of his sandals chafing his feet. He was not a child anymore. Though, much to his chagrin, his mother still kept treating him like one, asking him all sorts of questions.


    ¡°Have you decided on what you want as your Root?¡± his mother asked. She herself was not a Wanderer. Her Roots were not strong enough, she had said. And so had repeatedly emphasised on him getting stronger Roots. Roots capable of allowing him to become a Wanderer, like his father. Her efforts had not been in vain though, as after her repeated reminders, and constant nagging, Ernith had found the perfect Roots for himself.


    ¡°Of course,¡± Ernith answered, puffing up his chest. ¡°I want to be a Warrior. That way, I can be at home with you whenever I want. So, I am going to take you as my Roots.¡±


    ¡°Do you think that the Warriors get to stay at home all the time?¡±


    ¡°At least I would stay home longer than dad¡­¡±


    ¡°And what about its price? What will you give to the Origin Sea in return for allowing you to lay your Roots in it?¡±


    ¡°My ability to love anyone else other than you,¡± Ernith said, as he turned around to face his mother, and spread his arms, feeling proud of himself. A feeling that soon disappeared when his mother smacked him on his head.


    ¡°Don¡¯t do stupid things. You have to think about your conviction, Roots, and its price carefully, or you will regret them later on.¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t regret my decision!¡± Ernith replied, rubbing his head.


    ¡°What about your father then?¡±


    ¡°...Maybe I will include him as well.¡±


    ¡°And what if there is someone in the future?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t need anyone else!¡±


    ¡°You are not allowed to use that as the price for your Roots, and that is final. And while we are at it, you shouldn¡¯t take me as your Root as well. Not only does a Wanderer¡¯s Root connects their Spirit to the Origin Sea, but it is also their greatest weakness. What if someone learns of your Roots, and then tries to take advantage of it?¡±


    ¡°Easy, I will just have to protect you.¡±

 Chapter 1: The Spirit Awakening Ritual [Part 2]

    Sometimes his mother could ask really stupid questions. He wondered if that was the true reason that she had been denied the chance to become a Wanderer. Maybe all that talk about her Roots being too weak was just because she was too embarrassed to tell the truth to him. Should he then tell her that he already knew the truth, and that there was no need for her to make such lies?


    Before Ernith could go further down that train of thought, he felt his mother smack him on his head once again. ¡°We still have some time, so think of something else,¡± she said. ¡°No taking me as your Roots, or that stupid price as well. Otherwise, you can forget about becoming a Wanderer.¡± After a pause, she added, ¡°And also, remember to never tell anyone about your Roots, not even to me, or to your father. Even till date, I don¡¯t know what your father¡¯s Roots are, and neither does he know what mine are. The Origin Sea has endless Mysteries. Only if no one knows about your Roots will it forever remain a secret.¡±


    Ernith rubbed his head, glaring at her. Was she teaching him about keeping a secret? Should he tell her that he had kept a secret from everyone for more than six years, and how dumb she was for trying to teach him how to keep a secret? Or so Ernith thought, until he saw the look in her eyes. After that, he decided to keep quiet. At least for the moment. She may be a little dumb, but she was still stronger than him. For now. Not that he would fight her when he grew stronger. He loved her too much for that.


    But after he would finally become a Warrior, maybe she would get too scared to hit him. That was another reason he was thinking of becoming a Warrior. After all, Scholars were too homely for his mother to get scared, while becoming an Arcanist would not help either. His father was an Arcanist, but even he had to bow down to his mother when he was at home. But he would not tell her that. He would just keep it a secret. It was another thing he had learned from the man in his dreams. Keeping secrets.


    Rubbing his head, and quietly acquiescing to his mother¡¯s demand to rethink his Roots, he once again started walking in front of her as they made their way through the festive streets of Anneve, greeting all the aunts and uncles they met along the way. They were nice people, if he did not take their habit to tease him into account. However, all of that would soon come to a stop. After all, he was going to become a Wanderer.


    Not just him, but all the other children¨Cpeople his age, were going to take their first step as Wanderers. That was what the Spirit Awakening Ritual was all about. Awakening the Spirits of all twelve year old people, and guiding them into laying their Roots in the Origin Sea. Once their connection with the Origin Sea would be established, then they would stop being children, and would become Seeds, people who could borrow the power of the Origin Sea and begin training their Spirits in preparation for Wandering the Origin Sea.


    That was true for Ernith, and that was true for Reth, and Amaya as well. Living in the same part of the city, Ernith met up with them at the Western Altar Road on the way to the Origin Altar. Just like him, they were going to lay their Roots, and become Seeds. Hence, it was only natural that they would be dressed like him as well, in cumbersome, and heavy robes.


    On other days, Amaya normally dressed up in loose frocks and shirts, while Reth went around getting covered in mud from the Warrior Hall¡¯s training field at the Academy every day, so it did not matter what he normally wore. All of that would end up getting dirty and ruined anyway.  However, following the traditions of the Spirit Awakening Ritual, it was normal for them to put on robes for the Ritual, Reth in yellow and white, and Amaya in green.


    It had always been so. Even for those who could not afford it, the Orthodoxies would send their kids¨Cyoung men and women, a pair of robes for the occasion of the Spirit Awakening Ritual. All the children¨Cyoung men and women, at the age of twelve, the age of laying their Roots, would dress in robes, and walk towards the Origin Altar on the first day of the month of Ilea.


    The march was a tradition that signified the conviction of children to become Wanderers, and to defend the world against the Thralls. And that conviction was what decided the strength of their Roots. Ernith already had his own conviction. His mother had asked him to change his Roots, and he probably really should. But even if he did change his Roots, his conviction would remain the same, to always be with his mother, and his father.


    Looking at his two friends, Ernith wondered what their conviction was, and what the two would take their Roots as. With the two being weird as they were, he would not be surprised if they took something weird as their Roots, or conviction as well. Should he reminded to at least not fight for the day? Or maybe he should not. At this point, fighting each other was practically their way of greeting each other.


    In the beginning, it was not like that. When they had first met, it had looked like the two would get along with each other and had even been almost inseparable from each other for a small period of time. Then, on one particular day, they had gotten into a fight after a small argument over something that they had long forgotten about.


    From that day forth, the two never got along with each other. They were still inseparable from each other, but for a completely different reason. No matter the time or place, if they got a chance, they would always be at each other¡¯s throats. Many times, Ernith had to step in himself to stop their fights. Yet no matter how they fought, the two also refused to stop being friends with each other. They were just too weird. Still, they were his friends, and that would remain the same even if they chose some weird conviction, or Roots.


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    Withdrawing his focus from them, Ernith looked around himself, and the road they were on, the Western Altar Road. Like the other seven Altar Roads, it cut through Anneve from its outermost fringes, directly to its centre, the central plaza, and the Origin Altar. And in the process, it also took them through the core city of Anneve, which also happened to be what he was trying to get a glimpse of.


    Normally, both the core city, and the Altar Roads, were reserved for the Orthodoxies, and highly esteemed Wanderers. What that meant, Ernith did not know. He just knew that his, and Reth¡¯s father, Wanderers as they were, were still not allowed walk on the Altar Road on normal days. And though his father was allowed to go to the core city, that was because he worked for the Redbud family. But his father was not at an important enough position in the Redbud family to bring Ernith, and his mother into the core city.


    However, since the Spirit Awakening Ritual was held right in the centre of the city, including the core city, the Lotus clan ruling the city had no choice but to allow everyone the passage to the central plaza through the Altar Roads. And so, not counting the Academies, which lay partly in the core city, and partly on the inner edge of the inner city, only on the day of laying their Roots were the people, other than those affiliated with the Orthodoxies, allowed to pass through the core city, and get its glimpse. That was another reason why Ernith had been so excited.


    Ernith had been born and raised in Anneve. That was his whole world. In particular, the inner city of Anneve was his whole world. Yet according to the books that he had read, Anneve itself was just one of the smallest cities in the Evenfall prefecture of the Ann province. And when considered in the perspective of the whole country of Rianra, it was just a remote city located near its southwestern borders.


    Thus, being able to finally leave his small world, and take a step towards seeing the vast world that lay just beyond his own, was too thrilling for Ernith. Even though he was not allowed to go anywhere else but the Central Plaza, his thrill did not diminish in any way. At least he could still see some of the core city on either side of the Altar Road as he made his way towards the central plaza. Even that was not something that he could get the chance to do every day.


    As such, Ernith made sure to make the best of what he could, comparing what he was seeing with what he knew about the city. Having seen the map, and layout of the city, he was aware that from the top view, the city looked like a spider¡¯s web, being divided into roughly four parts by its streets, and its architecture. The dead centre of the city was the central plaza, where he, and the other people on the Altar Road were going. It had only one thing, the Origin Altar, which was only used for the Spirit Awakening Ritual, and nothing else.


    A little further out from the Origin Altar, with the Origin Altar at its centre, a small circle marked the second division of the city. Within the circle, covering roughly one tenth to one twelfth of the city¡¯s area, lay the core city, where the Lotus clan lived. Outside of the circle, and within a larger circle that had its boundaries a little further out, covering roughly one third of the city¡¯s area, lay the inner city. Ernith lived in the inner part of the inner city, only a few streets away from the core city. So it took him only an hour to make it near the central plaza from his home. But he would not have minded even if his home would have been at the edge of the inner city.


    As for the Outer City, that lay outside of the bigger circle marking the boundary of the inner city, covering almost two thirds of the city, his father had told him that for security reasons, no one living there was allowed to come into the inner city, let alone the core city, or the Origin Altar. And that was true even for the day of the Spirit Awakening Ritual. As it was a very important Ritual, there could not be any room for errors. Thus, they could not take risks by allowing the people of the outer city to come into the inner, and even the core city. What if there were some Heterodox Wanderers mixed in them?


    Shoving his thoughts about the other things away, Ernith focussed his attention on the core city, or at least the part of it that he could see, comparing it to how his father had described it to him. Except for a few differences, it looked exactly the same. Strange, and large buildings, completely different from the buildings of the inner city, surrounded by an endless spread of lush green gardens.


    The core city, of course, was much more than that. And Ernith wished to see all of it. Unfortunately, for that he would have had to leave the Altar Road and enter the core city itself. Something strictly prohibited by the Lotus clan. So he had to satisfy himself with what he could see, and leave the rest for later, when he would become an esteemed Wanderer, and gain the right to go wherever he wished. Yet, for that, he would have to lay his Roots first. So after getting a satisfying glimpse of the core city, Ernith started to think of what he could take as his Roots. Unfortunately, there were just too many things to choose from. And so, he reached the central plaza before he could complete his thoughts.


    However, it looked like both Ernith, and his mother had underestimated the enthusiasm of the people for the Spirit Awakening Ritual, as by the time they arrived, the central plaza was already filled with more than a thousand people, waiting for the Ritual to begin, while even more people kept pouring in to keep increasing the crowd. It was hard for them to find his father in such a crowd.


    So after wishing for the blessings of Goddess Ilea for his two friends, Ernith, and his mother separated from them, and forced their way through the crowd to where the North-western Altar Road opened up into the plaza. Since the Redbud family lived in the north-western part of the core city, if his father had yet to come to the plaza, then that was the direction where he would most probably come from. Thus, finding a place that would make them look a little more conspicuous than the rest of the crowd, Ernith waited with his mother for his father to find them.


    After a while, when neither he, nor his mother found any signs of his father, it became apparent that he had not yet come to the plaza. But he did not mind. His father had promised him after all. So while Enn kept climbing higher and higher in the sky, and more and more people kept pouring into the Plaza, Ernith kept searching among those people for his father. He kept searching, and searching, until no more people came, after which, his search turned into a wait. Then, he kept waiting, and waiting, until Enn reached his zenith in the sky, and the time for the Spirit Awakening Ritual to begin finally arrived. But his father did not.

 Chapter 2: Promises [Part 1]

    ¡°...He is not here, like always,¡± Ernith said, gazing into the direction of the north-western part of the core city. Seeing the mist in his eyes, his mother sighed, and gently patted his head.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry,¡± she said. ¡°He will come.¡±


    Grumbling to himself, Ernith gave the North-western Altar Road another look, before pushing his mother¡¯s hand away from his head, and turning towards the Origin Altar. Placed right in the middle of the central plaza, and consequently, the entire city, the Origin Altar, or the Altar of Origin, was an obsidian black stele, standing on a stepped circular platform, raising the base of the stele higher than anyone¡¯s head.


    Ernith had always considered himself quite tall for his age, almost coming up to the shoulders of his mother, but when he saw how large the stele was, for the first time in a while he felt that he was not tall enough. Shaped in the form of a stepped tower carved on a circular base, the stele was at least twice as tall as him, and just as wide, if not more. However, the most eye catching thing about the Origin Altar was not its size, but the countless Glyphs carved along its entire length, giving it an odd, and mysterious look, that screamed of fascination, and wonder.


    Even more wondrous though was the man dressed in black, and golden robes, who climbed the steps of the platform, and walked up to the Origin Altar, just as Enn reached his Zenith, signalling the time for the Spirit Awakening Ritual. From the way he carried himself, and from the fact that he was up on the circular platform, it was certain that the man was a Wanderer. What Ernith wondered was what kind of a Wanderer was the man?


    He did not have to wonder for long though, as soon after climbing next to the Origin Altar, the Wanderer took out a small circular disc, and a carving knife, before beginning to carve something on the disc. Unfortunately, Ernith was standing near the back end of the plaza, right next to the Northwestern Altar Road, and as such, was not able to see what the Wanderer was carving. Though from the pace at which the Wanderer was carving on the disc, he doubted whether he would have been able to see anything even had he been right next to the Wanderer.


    While Ernith was lost in his thoughts, gazing at the Wanderer, the disc in the latter¡¯s hand burst forth with a golden light, which then soon detached itself from the disc, flying away from the Wanderer, and into the Altar beside him, submerging into its surface. In response, the Glyphs on the Altar soon shone in an even brighter golden light, before they detached themselves from the Altar, and started revolving around it, shifting their places, and rearranging themselves while they were at it, drowning everyone in their awe.


    It was not as if Ernith had never seen Glyphs being activated. He had seen both his mother, and father activate Glyphs back at home, and soon, he would be able to activate them himself. Yet, those were just normal Glyphs that kept themselves attached to the objects they were engraved on. Not like the ones on the Altar. Only a Scholar, a Wanderer specialising in the field of Glyphs, could activate Glyphs like that.


    The Scholar at the Altar did not even show the usual signs of drawing on Oren, the unadulterated power of the Origin Sea, to activate the Glyphs. Whenever his mother had to activate the Glyphs, she would always close her eyes for a few moments, and concentrate a little. The Scholar, however, just stood there, facing the people in the plaza, not even looking at the Glyphs. Yet the Glyphs still shone, as if they were acting on their own, drawing all the Oren they needed to be activated from the Origin Sea by themselves.


    Ernith, of course, knew that was not the case. He did not know how the Glyphs were working, but at the very least he had seen the golden light drilling out of the disc in the Scholar¡¯s hands, before merging into the Altar. That was enough to tell him who was activating the Glyphs. Still, being able to activate Glyphs without even touching them was awe inspiring in itself, and a bit enigmatic as well. After all, it was the first time he was seeing Glyphs behave in such erratic way.


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    Unable to subdue his curiosity, he tried to peruse through the Glyphs shining in the air. Unfortunately, that proved a little too difficult for him to do so. Standing at the far end of the central plaza, all he could see of the Glyphs were just glowing blobs of golden light. The Glyphs were too far from him. And too bright as well. And though the light of Glyphs gradually dimmed, they did not stop moving. Quickly rearranging themselves, they flew back onto the surface of the stele, giving a faded golden glow.


    ¡°My fellow brothers, and sisters,¡± the Scholar said, using his powers to make his voice reverberate across the entire plaza. ¡°Today, on the first day of the month of Ilea, the day that the Goddess of Luck and Good Fortune is said to be closest to our world, we are going to witness another miracle created by us, humans, and Wanderers. For today, our children will enter the Origin Sea for the first time, and lay their Roots¡­¡±


    With the mesmerising Glyphs fading away into the stele, Ernith soon lost his interest in the Scholar, while the thoughts of his father and his promise came to the fore again, forcing him to shift his gaze to the North-western Altar Road. It had always been like this.  His father would always say that he would come, that he would be there for him. But in the end, he never was. He was always in the core city, working for the Redbud family. Mostly to help test their Arcanas. Arcanas. It was always the Arcanas. They were always more important than him.


    ¡°Don¡¯t look so glum,¡± his mother said, caressing the back of his head. ¡°The ceremony will take some time. Let¡¯s wait for a bit longer.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine,¡± Ernith said. ¡°I always knew it was going to be like this.¡±


    ¡°He will come,¡± his mother said. ¡°We will just have to go through the ceremony a little later than the others.¡±


    Ernith did not reply, nor did he look at his mother. He did not wish for her to see his face. He was going to be a Wanderer. A Warrior. He was no longer a child. He could not let her see the tears in his eyes. And so, he turned away from her, and faced the Altar, clenching his fist, and hiding them in the cuffs of his sleeves. Promises should not be broken, he said to himself. It would have been better if his father had not promised at all.


    Why was he so hung up on Arcanas anyway? What was he so proud of? He had only created one Arcana, ever. Ernith did not know what it was, but it was probably not something too great. His father had said that it was what had allowed him to become an Arcanist, but at the same time, it had also left his father too afraid to give it his all in trying to create Arcanas. And so, as a Wanderer, he was forever stuck at the Initial Stage of False Rank.


    Ernith did not know what that meant, but he knew enough to know that a False Rank Wanderer was the lowest of the low amongst Wanderers. And that his father did not create Arcanas anymore. Instead, as a retainer of the Redbud family, his only task was to test the Arcanas that the members of the Redbud family created or were in the process of creating. It was much safer than creating new Arcanas, he had said.


    If he was only trying out the Arcanas created by others, then why was he still not coming to him on the day of his Spirit Awakening? Could he not have done it a day later? Why, on one of the most important days of his life, on the day that he was about to lay his Roots, was his father still not with him? Why was he still breaking his promise? Would he be with him if he became an Arcanist, and created Arcanas?


    ¡°...Becoming Wanderers would not be easy, and many of you would fail in your path. But if you do not even have the courage to face that failure, if you do not even have the courage to overcome your fears, how can you become Wanderers? It is said that a Wanderer¡¯s journey starts in the Origin, and ends in the Origin. But the truth is that a Wanderer¡¯s journey is endless. And it is time for the children, for the future of our world, to take their first step of that endless journey. To step into the Origin Sea, and lay their Roots. Let the children come to the Altar one by one¡­¡±

 Chapter 2: Promises [Part 2]

    As the Scholar started calling for the children¡ªyoung men and women¡ª to go up on the raised dais, Ernith found his attention shifting from the golden stele towards the golden ball hanging in the sky. Enn, the God of Day, Action, and Light. Though it was Yul who was the Goddess of Time, it was through the position of Enn, and Orn in the sky that most of the people were able to tell the passage of time. Six hours of Enn ascending to his zenith, and six hours of Enn descending into the horizon, never late no matter the circumstances.


    Orn, on the other hand, often came off as lazy, with her mood directing when she left her home. According to the myths, an agreement was made between the Gods allowing her one hour with Enn after his descent into the horizon every day, following which, it was supposed to be her turn to shine her light upon the world with the same schedule of six hours of rise, and six hours of descent.


    In reality though, no one could actually force the Goddess of Night, Emotions, and Darkness, to do anything against her wishes. Especially after the Gods had long left the world. Thus, more often than not, the soft bluish white glowing counterpart of the golden ball in the sky rose up hours later than she was actually supposed to, rushing along with her rise, and diving back to her home hours before she was supposed to. Not that those things mattered at the moment.


    The myths of the Gods, interesting as they were, were not enough to keep Ernith away from the thoughts of his father. Neither was the slight chill creeping up along his limbs, as the God of Day slipped towards the horizon, allowing the winds to pick up their pace, and with it, the slight chill left in the air. Winter may have passed, but spring had not come in its full force yet. The chill left from the last snow, just two weeks past, still lingered in the air, which the winds carried into his robe through the wide openings along the end of his limbs.


    Biting his lips, blaming the frustration in his heart on the stupid winds, Ernith tugged at the ends of his robe tightly, determining himself to not give the winds the satisfaction they wanted. At the same time, he also tried his best to shift his attention away from the North-western Altar Road to the Altar at the centre of the plaza, where the Spirit Awakening Ritual was happening. Where the young men and women, people of his age, were laying their Roots.


    The process of laying their Roots itself was not long, or complicated, or at least that was how it appeared to him. At the call of the Scholar, those young men and women were climbing up to the Scholar, who stood with his back against the stele shining in a faded golden glow. But neither the Scholar, nor those who went up the Altar were paying any mind to the stele. Rather, they probably did not have enough time to pay attention to anything.


    After those people climbed the Altar, the Scholar spoke a few words to them before tapping their foreheads, following which those people just stood there in a daze, recovering only after the passage of a few moments. Not too short, but not too long either. Probably less than one twentieth or one thirtieth of an hour. Still, with more than a thousand people present in the plaza, it was going to take quite a while for everyone to lay their Roots. That was probably the reason why the Scholar just congratulated the people done with their ritual with a smile, and sent them down the stage, making way for the others.


    Thus, the confused and bewildered Seeds, people who had laid their Roots, climbed down the Altar with all kinds of mixed emotions showing on their faces. Some smiled, running down the stairs with a smile, flying into the arms of their family, while the others, scared, and lost, came down crying and trembling, either having lost more than what they had thought they would while laying their Roots, or regretting not having the courage to pay a higher price required for their desired Roots.


    Still, since the Ritual had just started, there were only a few people like this. Most were like Ernith, standing in the plaza, waiting in a nervous anticipation. Unlike him though, they were waiting for their turn, and not for their fathers. As such, their wait soon came to an end, with their turns for the Ritual arriving one after another, including Reth, and Amaya.


    Soon after having laid their Roots, the two came by to share their excitement with him. Yet, just when they were just about to share what they had taken as their Roots, they were stopped by their parents. One¡¯s Roots should always be kept a secret, they said. And if they really wanted to share their Roots with each other, then they should wait until they were a little older, and more mature. Both Reth, and Amaya grumbled at first, but acquiesced reluctantly.


    Still, the nervous energy that filled them was hard to contain. As such, failing in sharing his excitement, Rethn then focussed his attention on Amaya. Winking at Ernith with a grin, the yellow robed boy turned towards Amaya, and complimented her for her looks, saying that the colour suited her the best. That caught Ernith with a surprise. It was the first time in the six years that he had known the two of them that he had heard a word of compliment for Amaya from Reth¡¯s mouth.


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    A little intrigued, Ernith turned his head to take a good look at Amaya. The green did look good on her, but not any more so than the other colours she normally wore. But that did not matter. Forgetting his wait for his father for a few moments, Ernith grinned back at Reth, before following his example, and complimenting Amaya on her dress. Unfortunately for them, Amaya caught on to their mischief, pinching their waist, making them yelp in pain.


    Running around, teasing, and chasing each other in the limited space they had, Ernith found himself forgetting all his worries, and laughing along side his friends. They were his best friends, people he cared for the most after his mother, and father. Maybe he could take them as his Roots, he thought, before shaking his head right in the next moment. His mother did not allow him to take her as his Roots. How could she allow him to take his friends as his Roots?


    Ernith was just thinking of consulting his friends on what he could take as his Roots, when their parents urged them to go back home. Having already laid their Roots, there was no need for them to stay in the plaza anymore. And not just them, but all the other people were the same. Thus, just like the others, his friends, after wishing him the blessings of Goddess Ilea, went back to the comfort of their home as well.


    On the other hand, the people who had yet to lay their Roots moved closer to the Origin Altar, eagerly waiting for their turn to come. Only Ernith stood where he was, waiting with his mother for his father to come. He waited, and waited, until Enn started approaching his zenith, dimming in appearance, giving a reddish hue to the sky, while the crowd started thinning out as well, giving the sly winds the chance to pick up their speed, and blow against his robe, flapping its loose cuffs, and its hems near his feet.


    However, Ernith stood still, bearing against all the forces of nature, waiting for his father to come. Because his father had made a promise. And promises were not meant to be broken. So even if hunger came at him, he stood still, waiting. Even if his mother gave up on his father coming, and urged him to go to the Altar, he stood still. Waiting. Because he knew that his father would come¡­ Because he had made a promise¡­


    So why was it that there were still no signs of him, Ernith asked himself, as the last person completed his Ritual, leaving only him in the entire plaza who had yet to undergo his Spirit Awakening Ritual. Only he had yet to lay his Roots. And the Scholar knew it as well, urging him along with his mother to come to the stage, to the Origin Altar, and lay his Roots. Even if he wished to, Ernith could not wait anymore.


    Turning towards the North-western Altar Road, he gave it a last glance, before making his way towards the Origin Altar in silence. He had only taken a few steps though, when the sound of hurried steps rang out behind him. From the direction of the North-western Altar Road. From the direction that his father was supposed to come.


    With his heart pounding in hope, Ernith paused in his steps, and turned around, looking towards the North-western Altar Road in anticipation. What he saw though, was completely out of his expectations. It may have been late in the evening, with Enn almost hallway into the horizon, still, its fading light was enough to partially illuminate the Altar Road and let him see that it was not one person running towards the central plaza, but two.


    None of them were his father though. They were dressed like his father, in loose trousers¡ªtucked into their boots at bottom¡ª with a rough coat covering their loose shirts. But they were not his father. Uncle Trepis and Uncle Yuren. Both Arcanists, serving the Redbud family along with his father. Their children were not old enough to go through the Ritual though, so why had they come? And where was his father? Most importantly, what was the look on their face? Fear? Anxiety? Horror? And¡­ was that guilt?


    ¡°What happened?¡± Ernith heard his mother ask in a voice just as shaky, and loud as his heart. ¡°Why are you two here, and Raun isn¡¯t? Did he send you two in his place? That idiot. This is the Spirit Awakening Ritual for Enn¡¯s sake! Didn¡¯t he know how important it is for Ernith? Or how much Ernith was looking forward to this? Why didn¡¯t he come himself?¡±


    ¡°Ciena,¡± uncle Trepis called his mother. ¡°Raun¡­ he¡­ Raun took a new task of the Redbud family¡­ He went to test their new Arcana¡­¡±


    ¡°What¨Cwhat do you want to say?¡± his mother said, trembling at uncle Trepis¡¯ words, as if already aware of what he was trying to imply. ¡°He is not coming because he is busy testing the Arcana, right? He will come back as soon as he is done with it¡­ right?¡±


    ¡°He is not coming back, Ciena,¡± said Uncle Yuren. ¡°The Arcana¡­ it was from a member of the Redbud family. Though his Spirit had reached the Peak Stage for a while, he had been stuck at the Late Stage of the False Wanderer Rank for years. Recently, he had gleaned some Mysteries of the Origin Sea, and had created an Arcana from those Mysteries¡­ but he was too scared to test out the Arcana himself. So, he had Raun test it for him¡­¡±


    ¡°An Arcana of the Peak Stage?¡± his mother exclaimed. ¡°Has he gone mad? What is he thinking?¡±


    ¡°The Redbud family offered to allow Ernith to train with the members of their clan, the Lotus clan, and not just the Redbud family. They said that they would pull some strings, and allow Ernith to train at the Central Academy¡­ But they would do that only if Raun would test out the Arcana for them. Raun couldn¡¯t refuse¡­¡±


    ¡°That idiot,¡± his mother cursed hysterically. ¡°No, I have to stop him. Where is he? Where is that idiot right now?¡±


    ¡°¡­I am afraid that it is too late for that. I¡ªWe are sorry, Ciena. Raun¡­ he¡­¡±

 Chapter 2: Promises [Part 3]

    ¡°No!¡± his mother said, yelled, vehemently shaking her head. ¡°I¡ªI don¡¯t believe it! Why are you lying to me?¡±


    ¡°We are not lying. We¡ª


    ¡°Then what do you mean that it is too late? Has Raun already started testing the Arcana? Both of you are Arcanists as well. Don¡¯t you know how dangerous it will be for him to test an Arcana that is three stages higher than himself? Hurry up, and take me to him. If we don¡¯t stop him now¡ª


    ¡°We know that¡­¡± uncle Trepis said, with his shoulders trembling out of his control. ¡°Inkah¡¯s breath, both of know that better than you do!¡±


    ¡°...Control yourself, Trepis,¡± uncle Yuren said with a sigh, lightly tapping uncle Trepis¡¯ shoulder, before turning to face his mother. ¡°The dangers of trying out an Arcana beyond our level¡­ How can we not know such a thing? How can Raun not know such a thing? Other than his slightly higher Spirit Power, he is still an Initial Stage False Wanderer in essence. Besides, the fact that the Redbud family even asked him to do such a thing was suspicious in of itself. There are other Advanced Stage Arcanist under their service, but they still asked Raun to do such a thing¡­¡±


    ¡°...Then why are you saying that there is no need for me to stop him anymore?¡±


    ¡°...Because it is already too late,¡± uncle Yuren said, sighing heavily, while shaking his head. ¡°That idiot¡­ he told us that he would not take the Arcana, and then went ahead and took it by himself.¡±


    ¡°No¡­ why¡­¡±


    ¡°Because he was an idiot, that¡¯s why!¡± uncle Trepis said. ¡°Both of us warned him, and yet he still went ahead and did it¡­ All for what? An illusory promise that the Redbud family has no intention of fulfilling?¡±


    ¡°...He also knew how dangerous the task they were giving him was. And then there were the conditions that they offered to him as well¡­ Allowing someone who is not from the Lotus clan to train at the Central Academy, that¡¯s unprecedented. There have been many people who have contributed much more to the Lotus clan, but none of them have ever been offered such conditions. Not even True Wanderers. But they offered it to him¡­¡±


    ¡°We kept telling him that something was wrong. Either they never intended to fulfil their part of the deal, or there was something wrong with the Arcana they were asking him to test. Maybe even both. But he refused to listen to us. The condition they offered him was not something that he could refuse¡­¡±


    ¡°...What are you trying to say?¡± his mother said, with her voice shaking just as much as her hands were, allowing her pouch to tumble down to the ground.


    ¡°...We are trying to say that there is no need for you to look for Raun anymore, Ciena.¡±


    ¡°Raun¡­ he¡­¡±


    ¡°What happened to Raun?¡± his mother said in a shrill, ear piercingly loud voice, as she pulled on the shirt of uncle Trepis. Her actions, and her loud voice, coupled up with the look on her face were starting to scare Ernith. But it paled in comparison to the fear he was feeling from what they were talking about.


    ¡°...He is dead, Ciena. Raun is dead.¡±


    ¡°Even his body¡­ it was consumed by the Arcana¡­ devoured by the Origin Sea¡­¡±


    ¡°No¡­¡± his mother mumbled, as her legs gave out beneath her. Only the collar of uncle Trepis¡¯ shirt that she was holding was keeping her up. However, the trembling of her hands soon made her let go of that too. ¡°¡­You are lying.¡±


    ¡°Ciena¡­¡±


    ¡°You are lying!¡± his mother said, shrieking at the top of her lungs, just as she plopped down to the cobbled floor of the central plaza. ¡°Tell me you are lying!¡±


    The shrieks, and the shouts of his mother fell on deaf ears, as both the uncles maintained their silence, looking at his mother with guilt, and remorse. However, that silence itself was louder than even the loudest of the thunders that Ernith had ever heard. It rocked his ears, and his senses, making him feely dizzy, and nauseous. That he was able to keep himself standing, and not fall on the ground like his mother, was already the best he could manage.


    For his mother though, the silence was a bit too heavy, taking its toll on her within moments. The woman, who was once the most beautiful women that Ernith had ever seen, soon lost the charm, and the glow from her face, ageing more than ten years in just a few moments. Even the tears rolling down her cheeks, and the shrill shrieks escaping her lips, did nothing to lessen the fiery agony roiling inside of her, and instead, only seemed to weigh her down even more, forcing her to crumble on the ground. And along with it, Ernith fell his heart crumble as well. His father¡­


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    Trembling, and swaying with the winds, Ernith felt a dizzy spell assaulting him once again. But he held on and did not fall. He could not fall. Biting his lips, and clenching his fist, he looked at his mother¡¯s broken figure for a few more moments, before turning towards the Origin Altar. There, standing on the raised platform, the Scholar was beckoning for him to come. And so, he moved, taking one heavy, and uncertain step, at a time.


    ¡°Liar,¡± Ernith mumbled to himself, as he tried to push his tears back into his eyes. ¡°You made a promise.¡±


    Promises should not be broken. That was what Ernith had always thought, and believed. That was the principle that the man in his dreams had always lived by. It did not matter if doing so would put him in a disadvantageous position, or end up landing him in trouble. Even when there was no one to see, till the day he died, he always kept his promises. Because promises were meant to be kept. Then why was it that his father always broke his promises?


    ¡°The Redbud family offered to allow Ernith¡­ to train at the Central Academy¡­ couldn¡¯t refuse¡­¡±


    For him? His father broke his promise for him? Who asked for him to do that? Train with Seeds from the Lotus clan¡­ When did he ask for that? Training at the Western Academy would have been fine. And had he had felt that it was not enough, he could have joined the Union. So what was the need for his father to take that task¡­ to break his promise?


    For his better future, a voice inside of him told Ernith. To make the path of a Wanderer easier for him. To let him become a better Wanderer than him¡­ Was his father afraid that he would become like him? Too afraid to Wander the Origin Sea after creating his first Arcana¡­ He was not even planning on becoming an Arcanist in the first place.


    Ernith clenched his trembling hands into a fist, ignoring the nails digging into his palms. Rather, the pain from that served as a sort of distraction, as he reached the Origin Altar, and focussed on the Scholar before him. Just as he had seen before, the Scholar was dressed in black and golden robes, which matched perfectly with his clean shaved face, and well kept hair. As for the rest, Ernith did not have the heart to notice. His chest was burning too fiercely for that.


    ¡°What is your name, young man?¡± the Scholar asked.


    ¡°Ernith¡­¡±


    ¡°Ernith, are you ready for your journey into the Origin Sea?¡±


    ¡°I am.¡±


    ¡°Do you know what laying your Roots mean?¡±


    Instead of immediately answering the Scholar, Ernith glanced towards his mother. She was lying crumpled on the ground. The two uncles moved to support her, but were turned away by her. In the end, they too left the plaza, leaving her all alone by herself. In the entire plaza, which could fit thousands of people at a time, only he, his mother, and the Scholar were left.


    In fact, the plaza was so empty that despite her being near the end of plaza, and him being at its centre, he could still hear her faint sobs, and wails. All because his father had broken the promises that he had made. And in doing so, he had also broken the connection that he had with them. A connection. A promise. Only the promises made with the Origin Sea were trustworthy. Only they could never be broken.


    ¡°It means having the Origin Sea approve of my conviction,¡± Ernith said, turning his gaze back towards the Scholar. ¡°For that, I will have to set appropriate Roots for myself, and determine their price. After the Origin Sea approves of those three things, I will be able to leave my mark in the Origin Sea, establishing a unique connection with it. One that will belong only to me and let me use its power¡­ let me become a Wanderer.¡±


    ¡°It looks like you are quite the intelligent kid,¡± the Scholar said, giving an appreciative smile towards Ernith. ¡°I am assuming that you already know of the Ritual as well. Still, it is my duty to inform you of Ritual.¡± The Scholar paused for a moment, pointing to the Origin Altar, before continuing. ¡°You see the Altar behind me? It has many Glyphs engraved on it. In a few moments, I will activate a few of them to awaken your Spirit, and send it into the Origin Sea.


    ¡°Since this is the first awakening of your Spirit, you will feel a few strange sensations, but do not panic. The sensations will pass in a while, after which, you will find yourself within the Origin Sea, surrounded by all sorts of the Aspects of the Origin Sea, and will be greeted by their voice. You just need to follow their instructions and lay your Roots. After you are done with that, the Aspects of the Origin Sea will send your Spirit back to your body. As for how to use your Spirit, how to borrow the power of the Origin Sea, and how to train your Spirit Power, the Academy will tell you about it later. So do not go around experimenting with your Spirit by yourself, and wait for your training at the Academy to start. Do you understand?¡±


    ¡°I do.¡±


    ¡°Before we begin, let me give you some advice. You may have heard that stronger Roots will allow you to explore the Origin Sea at a greater depth, and will also help you in walking farther than the others on your path as a Wanderer. While that may be true, the rumours do not tell you that you will also have to pay a correspondingly higher price for it. Many times, that price would not be worth the gain. Still, the choice is yours, as will be your Roots. I can only give you some advice. The rest will be up to you.¡±


    ¡°I understand.¡±


    ¡°Are you ready?¡±


    ¡°I am.¡±


    ¡°Then let us begin,¡± the Scholar said, before tapping on Ernith¡¯s forehead, right in the middle of his brows.

 Continue reading the rest of the first book on Amazon

    Greetings to fellow readers.


    As I said in my last announcement, I am finally going to publish my first book on Amazon. I have submitted my book, and I will share the link once it passes the review. Sadly, this means that I will no longer be able to host the first book on royal road. Still, I hope that some of you will join me in my journey on Amazon as well. Do post a review there if you like the book, and lend it to your friends to pass on the word.


    This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    In any case, I am grateful to all my readers. Thank you for showing interest in my book. And I hope that you will also be able to pursue your dreams, and achieve success.


    With love,


    Kanishka K. Singh


    Update: The book is finally live on Amazon. You can get it at Amazon.com: The Oathkeeper: Origin Sea Saga (A Progression Cultivation Fantasy) eBook : Singh, Kanishka</a>

 Prologue: Death

    Death. It was supposed to be serene, to be soothing, and peaceful. Like a mother¡¯s gentle touch¡ªnot that he had ever received something like that¡ª guiding him towards the Origin Sea, towards Inkah¡¯s Domain. Or at least that was what Alnea Oathkeeper had heard people say. And that was what he had been expecting, waiting to embrace his death. After all, he was an Oathkeeper, even if an exiled one. He would never run away, no matter what he faced.


    ¡°¡­no, no, no, no¡­¡±


    However, he could not say the same about others. Neither could he expect them to be like him. Facing death, it took courage far beyond what most people could conjure. It was only when he truly faced death that Alnea Oathkeeper learned how fearsome it was. And it was also then that he finally understood why so many people ran from death, trying to overcome the limitations of their bodies.


    Unfortunately, all that those people could do was postpone the inevitable. Death was not so easy to cheat. Or at least that was what Alnea Oathkeeper knew. Still, the struggle of those people was not completely in vain. After countless years, even if no one managed to actually cheat death, many of them left behind accounts of what death felt like to them. And all of them had said the same thing. Death was emptiness; a slow, and peaceful emptiness, that eased onto them like their mother¡¯s embrace.


    ¡°¡­not supposed to¡­¡±


    If it was really his mother¡¯s embrace that he would be feeling, then that would be a very miserable death, with nothing peaceful about it. The scorn, and the hate that his mother had for him¡­ He did not remember when his mother had last given him a warm embrace. Was it fourteen years ago? Or sixteen? Either way, he did not care. Thinking of his mother was a waste of time, not that he had any left.


    ¡°¡­Why did you¡­¡±


    Death was already upon him, and if his mother, anyone from his family in fact, would be the last thing he thought of before his death, then everything that he would have suffered would have been in vain. As such, Alnea Oathkeeper finally let go of the last attachment that he had left with his family, and waited for his death to come to him¡­ But why was it taking so long? Why had no one told him that death was going to be so excruciatingly slow, and painful?


    ¡°¡­Do not¡­¡±


    The vague mutterings of a girl, along with her sobs, had been ringing in his ears for a while, fading away with time, as if the girl was getting farther and farther away from him. But he knew that it was not the case. The girl was still there, by his side. It was just that his hearing had been fading away with time. Just as his vision had faded away, plunging him into darkness.


    ¡°¡­I promise¡­¡±


    However, he did not need either of those things to recognise the sobbing girl. She was the reason for his death after all. And she was also the only person beside him when he had started losing his faculties. She was his salvation. Even if he could not see her, he could still imagine her by his side; her frail body trying to lift his limp body, only to end up tumbling down to the ground with it.


    ¡°...sorry¡­¡±


    Unlike him, who had never given up on finding his Enlightenment until the very end, until he had confirmed that he would never be able gain his Enlightenment, the girl had never even tried gaining her Enlightenment. It was as if she already knew that it would be meaningless. As such, she had never trained in the Art of her clan, or any other physical skill for that matter. Expecting her frail body to carry him to an Attuned Healer would be wishful thinking. Besides, with the condition that he was in, deteriorating with every passing moment, not even a Healer would be able to save him.


    ¡°...not¡­¡±


    At least he got to rest on her laps, something that he had never even imagined. Maybe death was not such bad thing after all. Serene, and soothing¡­ he could finally understand why those people had described death as such. Maybe¡­ Alnea Oathkeeper imagined the girl kneeling beside him in her knee high white socks, and her tapered white frilled skirt covered in his blood. Not completely. She looked best in white after all. But some splotches of his blood over her dress would be fine. It would be like his mark, something for her to remember him by.


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    ¡°...end¡­¡±


    If death was really going to be peaceful, if it was really supposed to feel like someone¡¯s embrace, then he hoped that it would feel like hers; bitter, reluctant, hesitant, and regretful, but full of warmth, and peace. Yet peace refused to come to him. Only pain did. Raw pain, and agony. And so, as death kept creeping closer and closer to him, Alnea Oathkeeper could not help looking back at his life, wondering if it was worth it.


    ¡°¡­you¡­¡±


    While he was ruminating on the worth of his life, the pain that was tearing at him started fading away, and with it, so did his sense of touch. Just moments ago, he was still able to feel a pair of warm hands trying to put pressure around his wounds, but after the fiery pain reached its peak, it faded away, taking away all his sensations with it. The girl¡¯s touch, the warmth of his salvation¡­


    She should have been trying to stop his blood from overflowing. A futile attempt. The wound was from the Aspects of the Origin Sea, used in conjunction with some Arts. It was not something she could have stopped. Just the fact that he had not died immediately after getting that wound and had managed to rescue the girl was a miracle in itself. But miracles are called miracles because they did not happen with logic.


    It did not matter though. Alnea Oathkeeper was already resigned to his death. He was just glad that he was able to save his salvation in the end. And it was not as if he had not gotten anything in return. She was crying for him. She was trying to save him. She did not want to lose him. After all this time, he had finally gotten a place for himself in her heart. That in itself was enough for him.


    Yet he had gotten even more than that. Just as he had lost his sight, he had seen a blurry image of the girl¡¯s face, mixed with tears, and snot, giving him a contrived, but a beautiful smile, fulfilling his last request. It was the most beautiful smile he had seen in his life. He had already gotten much more than he had asked for. And as the last of his life left him, Alnea Oathkeeper admitted to himself that everything he had done for his salvation was worth it.


    ¡°...please¡­¡±


    Alnea Oathkeeper felt invincible. He felt that he could do anything in the world. But at the same time, he also felt torn. Though all his sensations were leaving him, he started feeling an ache in his chest. Although he liked the fact that he had made enough room for himself in the girl¡¯s heart that she would cry for him, in the end, he could not bear hearing her cry. He could not raise his hands to wipe her tears away, but he thought he could offer a word to comfort her. Yet as he attempted to open his mouth, he choked on his own blood. Still, he did not give up, trying once again. And again. And again. And¡­


    While trying his best to speak, Alnea Oathkeeper noticed that he had not been hearing the girl¡¯s sobbing voice for a while. It looked like he had finally lost his hearing. He had lost his only source of comfort, his only remaining connection with his salvation. And that scared him. But¡­ that was how death was supposed to be like. Silent, peaceful, and empty. So, why was he scared? Why did he keep thinking of her? Why did she keep coming to his mind? What he had done for her was enough. He was already dead. It was time to let go¡­


    Just as that thought came to him, he rejected it right away. How could he let go? Would she feel lonely? Would she miss him? Would she remember him? He had spent so much time trying to make her smile, and had barely succeeded in it¡­ Who was he trying to bluff? That was not a smile. That was just a cry. A sad, and pitiful cry. She was sad, and crying, unable to bear seeing him go. But did that not mean that he had made a palace for himself in her heart? After he was gone, would all his work end up in vain?


    As all those thoughts came to him, another thought, one that lived deep inside of him, came to the fore as well. And so, he wondered, did the girl understand how he had felt for her? What if she had not? What if she remembered him as just someone who kept bothering her, and in the end, died trying to save her? Would she even remember him a few years later? What would she tell her children about him? No¡­


    It was quite strange, Alnea Oathkeeper thought, that even after his death, the pain in his chest still lingered, and grew stronger, throbbing with each of his thoughts. If ghosts, or souls, or whatever that he had become could cry, he was sure that he would have found himself pouring rivers out of his eyes. Because in the end, he could never imagine the girl with anyone else. She was his salvation. If she was supposed to have children, then it should have been with him. He had to be the one to be with her. He had to be the one¡­


    Drifting in the endless, and empty void, just like the empty void inside of him, drowning him in his loneliness, Alnea Oathkeeper did not know where he was, or what he had become. There were no records detailing Inkah¡¯s Domain, or what happened after death. There were a few records pertaining to death, but they only detailed how death felt like. And even those records were all lies, and fake. Death was not peaceful. Death was lonely. Death was regret. Death was despair.


    No matter how he waited, it was the same. No light came to him. No peace came to him. Only despair did. And regret. Endless regrets. They came from within him, from inside his chest, and without, from the void around him. And the two somehow joined forces, spreading from his chest to every part of his being, tearing him apart, piece by piece. Alnea Oathkeeper had not known such pain in his life. It went beyond any reason. He tried to scream, but he could not. He had no mouth. He tried to lash his hands out, but he could not. He had no hands. He¨C

 Chapter 1: Three and a half months [Part 1]

    ¡°Would you¡­ smile for me¡­ just once¡­¡± Alnea Oathkeeper, the abandoned son of the Oathkeeper clan, said to his salvation. His voice was coming out in a hoarse, and crooked manner, making it a little difficult to understand, even for himself. Being forced to break his sentences into smaller segments by the blood glugging from his mouth did not help either. But it was fine. At least he could speak. For the moment.


    With his strength leaking from him faster than his blood, he was losing his senses one by one. Soon, he knew, that he would not be able to speak at all. So, he did not mind his broken words. At least he was able to voice out his last request. That in itself was a much better condition than most people had when facing their death. Still, he wished to be selfish once again. He wished to see her smile. Before his eyes gave out on him, he¡­


    Alnea wished that his tears would stop streaking down his face. They had been falling for a while, from even before he had woken up. Rather, his tears were one of the reasons he had woken up so early. There was his dream as well, but the damp feeling against his cheek, as his tears seeped into his mattress was not pleasant either. They were not even his own tears, but of the memory he had seen in his dream last night. And though the dream was broken when he woke up, the memory itself did not fade away. It lingered in his mind, infecting it with its melancholy, and taking a strange on hold in his chest, inducing his tears to keep rolling down his face.


    Fortunately, Alnea was not as ignorant as he once used to be. He knew that Wanderers should never let their emotions cloud their judgement. Especially within the Origin Sea. And though he was not Wandering at the moment, he still could not let his emotions get the upper hand over him. So, as the sadness lingered in his chest, he kept staring at the ceiling above him, trying to empty his mind. He never really succeeded, but after a while, his racing heart finally calmed down, as he wiped the remnants of his tears from his face.


    ¡°What was that?¡± Alnea said, more as an exclamation, rather than as a question. As such, he did not expect any answer. He himself was not capable of understanding what had happened. As for asking about it from someone else, that would require him to divulge his most closely guarded secret, even more so than his Roots. At least there were three people, other than himself, who knew a little about his Roots. His dreams though, and the memories that came in them, no one knew about them. Not even his master.


    It was not that Alnea had wished to keep them as his secret from the beginning. On the contrary, he had tried telling his parents about them just a few days after he started experiencing his special dreams, but they had laughed it off as just his fantasies. They¡ªHis mother probably did not even remember it anymore. Would anything change if tried telling her about it again?


    Probably not. She had laughed at even the name he had taken for himself, let alone such an incomprehensible secret. His master would probably laugh at him as well. Or maybe not. Should he tell her?


    After some thought, Alnea shook his head, and decided against it. He would probably tell her about the memories in his dreams, but not at the moment. It would be fine she just laughed it off, but what if she took them seriously? What if decided to stay away from him because of it? It had taken him months of hard work to develop a sense of closeness with her. He did not wish to ruin that for just some self satisfaction.


    Besides, it was not as if he had not told her anything at all. His Roots, in essence, were inspired from the memories, as was the name he had taken. Alnea Oathkeeper. The man who always kept his Oaths, no matter what. In a sense, he had already told her all his secrets. She just did not know about it. In time, he would tear away that last layer of veil as well. But not at the moment.


    Taking deep breath to find his bearings, and suppress the overwhelming emotions of despair and regret spilling over from his dream, Alnea pushed himself off his mattress, before rolling the cotton stuffed mattress over to the cupboard in the corner of his room. Recently, his mother had been given a raise in the eatery. She had saved enough money in the days that followed to replace some of the makeshift furniture in their house. He had insisted that things were fine the way they were, but she had bought them anyway.


    ¡°She needs to be a little more frugal,¡± Alnea mumbled to himself, as he walked out of his room. With the Lotus clan staring at him, saving a few more Orus coins was the obvious choice. His mother never listened to him though. But it was fine. At least, he could see a little hint of smile on her face these days. Her true smile, not the fake smile she had been wearing for his sake.


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    Walking into the bathroom, Alnea found a bucket that his mother had filled with water the previous night itself. He had been restricted from using his Spirit after all. He could only rely on his mother for things that relied on Glyphs. Thankfully, she had not delved too much into reason behind the arrangements of the Academy. She had not asked even a single question about it, accepting everything with a smile.


    Maybe it was her guilt, or maybe she just did not wish to delve into anything regarding the Lotus clan. It could also have been that she was just happy about getting the chance to help him, just like in the days before his Spirit Awakening Ritual. In any case, as long as she did not force another Oath upon him, he was fine with anything. Except, of course, waking her up before Enn had even risen in the sky, just so that he could have a fresh bucket of water. It was not as if he was going to drink it. For just his daily chores, a bucket of stale water was enough.


    As for the restrictions on his Spirit itself, it had come from the Spirit Inhibition Ring that the Lotus clan had force him to wear. In name, it was so that he could focus on building his foundation. In essence, it was an inescapable trap that the Lotus clan had laid for him. Or so they thought. In effect, all that the ring did was to make him rely on his mother for his daily chores. An inconvenience which he gladly accepted.


    After all, by wearing the ring, not only had he proved himself as a true friend to Cecilia, but he had also gotten rid of incessant bugging of the Lotus clan, while gaining access to the foundational knowledge of Wanderers. Not to mention the fact that it was also because he wore the ring that he got to meet his master. All that, without sacrificing the growth of his Spirit Power, which the ring was originally intended for. If only the Lotus clan knew¡­


    Imagining the faces of those insufferable people contorting in regret, Alnea giggled to himself, as he went about with his daily chores. Thankfully, he did not have to activate Glyphs, so it went by quickly enough, allowing him to regain the time he had lost trying to get rid of the depressing feeling of his dream. Back in his room, he wore his usual white shirt, and a pair of brown trousers, before walking out into the hall, and picking up the two lunch boxes, from the table.


    Just like the bucket of water, his mother had prepared the lunch boxes a night in advance. She had initially planned to wake up even earlier than him, just to make him fresh lunches every day, but she had sacrificed enough for him already, he could not possibly let her sacrifice anything more for him. Besides, he was going to be the greatest Wanderer. How could he let his mother suffer any grievances?


    Humming to himself, Alnea stuffed the lunch boxes into his bag. Those alone took more than half of its space. Thankfully, he did not have to carry the scrolls, or the bound stacks of notes that he kept in his room back to the Academy, or he might have had to carry more than one, or even three bags. Chuckling at that thought, he covered the bag¡¯s mouth using pins, and slung it by his left shoulder, before walking out of his home.


    Once out of his home, he shifted the strap of his bag to his right shoulder, so that it was crossing his upper body, making it harder for the bag to slip out. Still, he gripped its strap, just in case, as he looked up at the dark sky, where Enn had yet to rise, and Orn was just sinking into the horizon.


    Unlike Enn, Orn¡¯s lights were too soft to breach the defences of the horizon. Furthermore, Orn was inherently a little lazy, not putting in her best efforts to illuminate the world. As such, the world was enshrouded in complete darkness. And enjoying that darkness, Alnea closed his eyes, and took a deep breath, letting his bare skin be kissed by the cold winds of autumn.


    Inkah¡¯s month had arrived, and along with it would come the influence of the God of Death, making the days a little darker, and the nights a little chillier. Even the stars in the sky would dim down under Inkah¡¯s influence. Alnea, however, would remain unaffected. His days and nights would go on as they had been going on ever since he had met his master, and became her disciple, building his foundations.


    Sometimes, he wondered if his master was a little too strict with him. Nearly half of Enn¡¯s month, and the entirety of Tion¡¯s, Optah¡¯s, and Orn¡¯s months had gone by since he had first met her. More than a hundred days. And in all that time, Alnea had kept on building his foundations all day, every day; waking up earlier than his mother, and then returning back home in the evening almost the same time as his mother did, only to review everything that he had learned during the day.


    Furthermore, all the things that he had to learn were so confusing, and mind boggling, that he sometimes had to review them three or four times to truly understand what they meant, not to mention that he also had to revise everything that he had already learned. But it was precisely because of those things, that Alnea felt that even if his master was a little strict, it was all worth it.

 Chapter 1: Three and a half months [Part 2]

    ¡°I, Alnea Oathkeeper, take an Oath that I will reach the Fourth Glyph Repository of the Central Academy in half an hour,¡± Alnea declared after making sure that no one was within his hearing distance. And even then, he only whispered his Oath. But that was enough. It did not matter if he whispered his Oath, or shouted it for the whole world to hear. As long as he took his Oath, it would be counted as part of his Roots.


    Just like at the moment, even when he was restricted from seeing his Spirit, or feeling his connection with the Origin Sea, he could already feel the pressure mounting on his Spirit, coming to him because of the chains of his Oaths, that must have manifested in the Origin Sea. Not too heavy to give him a headache, but not too light to completely ignore them either. Partly due to how high his Spirit Power had reached in the past few months, and also partly due to how relatively risk free his Oath was.


    Although running to the Academy in the time that he had given himself was going to be tiring, it was not going to be so hard that it would have him gasping and wiping snot from his face. As a result, his Spirit Power would not be rising much from the Oath, even more so when it was stuck at a bottleneck. But it was alright. Being a little slow was fine, his master had said. Rather, it would be better if he were even slower.


    There were a few complicated reasons behind her reasoning, including him not having the appropriate resources to support his body if his Spirit Power rose too rapidly. But mostly, it was because of his Roots. If he failed to keep his Oaths, he would have to pay the price for it, so it was best that he took it slow and steady, and be ready for anything that may happen.


    Of course, his master did not know the exact price of his Roots, but she had some guesses. And she had repeatedly warned him against the dangers of falling into the trap of his own Oaths. Something that he had already experienced once. So, even though he could have taken a slightly riskier Oath to increase its effect on his Spirit, he chose to be on the safer side, and proceed with caution.


    Still, considering that just three months ago running that distance, while giving it his all, would have taken him more than an hour, reaching the Central Academy in just under half an hour was not such an easy feat that he could just leisurely walk to the Academy. So, after he had taken his Oath, Alnea gripped his bag, making sure that it would not fall off in the way, and rushed towards the Academy, running through the streets of the inner city.


    He ran at a good and measured pace, keeping his breath even, steps firm, and body straight, just like the other Alnea, the man from his dreams had told him to. Not even the darkness of the streets was able to disturb his rhythm. He knew each and every corner of all the streets, even the places where he had to turn, and in which direction. If needed, he could even run through the whole route with his eyes closed. A perk of going through the same route over, and over again in the past three months or so.


    Yet just because the darkness did not disturb his rhythm did not mean that nothing else did. Alnea, after all, was still human. As he ran, his body started aching, with his mind pleading with him to stop. Or slow down. That there was still some time, it said, and that he would make it to the Academy in time regardless. But he ignored everything, and kept going. Being slow was fine, but that only applied to increasing his Spirit Power through Oaths. When building his foundations, his master¡¯s expectation was for him to always give it his best. Even for the most meagre of the task.


    And in a way, though he was completing his Oath, he was also training his body, so he did not dare to relax, and kept running at an even pace, ignoring all the temptations buzzing around in his mind. Soon, he crossed the empty streets of the inner city, and reached the gates of the Western Academy, just as Orn had completely dipped into the horizon. So, except for the two guards at the gates, the gates were just as dark and deserted as the inner city, as was the core city on the other side of the gates.


    It was still too early in the morning for anyone to be up, and about without any reason. Even if they were up, and training, they must all be doing it in their homes, and not on the streets of the core city. Thankfully, Alnea had gotten over the phase where his face would be covered with his snot, and spittle just because he ran a little, so he was not embarrassed to run in the public anymore.


    Confidently greeting the two guards at the gates, who had already gotten used to seeing him so early in the morning over the past few months, Alnea rushed through the gates, and onto the empty cobbled paths¨Csurrounded by thick bushes and flowers on both its sides, and cutting through gardens and fountains interspersed between the buildings¨C making his way to the Central Academy, to the inner parts of the core city.


    As he had expected, the core city looked just as deserted, and dark, as the inner city. Even the few Seeds of the Purplebud family that he used to see when going to the Spirit Hall were not there yet. Or even if they were, Alnea could not see them because of the darkness around him, exacerbated from the sinking of Orn, and the absence of Enn in the sky. Only a few buildings had lights shining inside them, but they were too far away, and were too little to dispel the darkness of the early morning.


    But once again, the darkness failed to make him slow down, as he ran, cutting through the uncertainties of the darkness, not missing a single step in his rhythm. The same path on which he once used to stumble into the bushes, and the flowerbeds, by just walking on it, had grown so familiar that he could run on it even if he was blindfolded, let alone be bothered by the darkness.


    Soon after crossing the Northwestern Altar Road, Alnea reached the Fourth Glyph Repository in a little over a third of an hour after leaving his home, much earlier than his promised time. Enjoying the pleasure of his Spirit being refreshed by the broken chains of his completed Oath, he took deep, and long breaths to calm his breathing, before pushing the giant doors of the hall with the strength of just his arms.


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    The inside of the Fourth Glyph Repository was the same as ever. A gloomy hall with no windows, and carpets with patches through which the faded stone flooring of the hall was visible. At least it was not full of dust anymore, Alnea thought, as he took off his boots, and kept them by the doors, before walking towards his master, meditating in the centre of the hall. She had fixed the flickering Light Glyphs on the walls, relinquishing the need to use a Glyph Lamp. It also allowed him to have a much better look at her than what the Glyph Lamp had shown.


    His master looked young, much younger than his mother, especially after his father¡¯s death, which had caused his mother to look much older than she used to look. But in the past few months he had learned to never guess the age and the Rank of a Wanderer just by looking at their appearance. Roon used to look much older than his master, yet he was still just an Advanced Stage False Scholar.


    His master, on the other hand, looked barely a few years older than the oldest Seeds in the Academy, yet was at least a First Stage Mystic Scholar. And even that was just his guess. She might be even stronger. Not to mention the fact that she was not even focussing on the path of Scholars. Her attainments as an Arcanist would be even higher. Her age¡­


    If he recalled correctly, Cecilia had said that it usually took more than a hundred years for Wanderers to just reach the Tenth Stage of the True Wanderer Rank, let alone cross the threshold between Ranks, and become Mystic Wanderers. And his master was not just any Mystic Wanderer. She was a veteran among Mystic Wanderers, who had reached the Mystic Rank on all three paths. Even at the lowest estimate, she was at least a hundred years old.


    Yet the way she dressed, and carried herself, did not let any of that show. Her robe, which had looked like a plain white robe the first time he had seen her, on a closer look in a brighter light, revealed patterns of thorn covered vines, weaved with white threads, matching the colour of her robes, and running all across its borders. A robe befitting her name. Nyssa Thornbearer.


    Her name was quite similar to his own, Alnea Oathkeeper. And it was not just their names that were similar, even the way they took their names was. As a price for laying their Roots. Thornbearer. Alnea wondered what her Roots meant. Did she have to carry thorns around with her all the time? Or did she bear the pain of thorns piercing her flesh? Was she experiencing it at the moment?


    If she was, she showed no signs of it. She was sitting motionlessly, with her eyes closed, meditating in silence, as her black hair, tied into a ponytail, with braids on the sides of her head, curved around her shoulders, and hung behind her, reaching the tail of her back. It had been difficult to clearly see the braids in her hair in the dim lights back when he had first met her. Or to notice how silky and smooth her hair looked. Like the finest threads in existence. Alnea wondered how it would feel to comb through them with his fingers.


    Subduing the thought as soon as it came, Alnea hurriedly took his seat in front of his master, and looked away from her to hide the flush on his cheeks. Only when he thought that he returned to normal, did he turn to look back at her, and mirrored her pose. Just like her, he sat in silent meditation, trying to empty his mind of all its thoughts. To his disappointment, his thoughts refused to listen to him, insisting on focusing on all sorts of things, like how he did not have to greet her.


    There was no need to maintain formalities between a master and disciple, she had said. Only the insecure Wanderers, those who felt their status threatened by others, used those traditions and formalities to boost their self ego. All the more formidable and great Wanderers usually did not have enough time for themselves, so why would they waste it on such trivialities? And if Alnea was lacking in anything at the moment, then it was time.


    ¡°Stop thinking of useless things,¡± Alnea heard his master say, bringing him out of his meditation. If it could even be called as one.


    ¡°How can you call them useless, master? I was thinking about all the things that you have been teaching me.¡±


    ¡°The fact that you were thinking of anything that was not tempering your Heart, automatically renders any thoughts that you were having as useless,¡± his master, shaking her head. ¡°It is good that your mind is active and introspective, but if you are to Wander the Origin Sea, and observe its Mysteries to glean their meanings, then you need to learn to calm your mind, to temper your Heart. And the easiest way to do that is through meditation.


    ¡°Still, despite the fact that more than three months have passed since you have started meditating, you have yet to make any progress in your Heart. It is still in the Muddied Heart State. And if by the time your Spirit Power reaches the False Rank, you would not have tempered it to the Serene Heart State, then let alone understanding the Mysteries, you will not even be able to survive Wandering the Origin Sea itself, and will end up getting devoured by it.¡±


    ¡°I am trying, master,¡± Alnea grumbled. ¡°But how am I supposed to clear my mind? Even if I think of clearing my mind, is that not equivalent to thinking of something? Then would it not mean that I have not really cleared my mind in the first place?¡±


    ¡°The day when you are able to think of an answer to that question yourself, is the day when you will be able to truly calm your mind,¡± his master said, confusing Alnea even more than he already was. How was he to think of an answer to calm his mind, which he could only get after calming his mind?


    Alnea did not know the answer, and he knew that no matter how much he banged his head against the question, he still would not get the answer. Besides, the real problem was not just the answer, but how he got the answer. Otherwise, his master, who already knew all the answers, would have told him the secret to achieve the Settled and Serene Hearts long ago.


    But she did not do that. Instead, she answered his question in a cryptic way, asking for him to figure out the true answer by himself. And it was not just the question about Tempering his Heart. She answered most of his doubts, and questions in a similar way, forcing him to think for himself. But only for things which had inherently ambiguous answers, and required some thinking, and introspection on his part. For his foundations, things which did not have any ambiguous answers, she was immaculately accurate, and demanded the same of him.


    ¡°As usual, let us begin by reviewing the Martial Styles.¡±

 Chapter 2: Martial Styles [Part 1]

    ¡°What are Martial Styles, and why were they first developed?¡± his master said in her usual voice. Even her eyes remained the same, full of warmth, and care. It was as if she did not care whether he would be able to answer correctly or not. But Alnea knew better. With the time that he had spent with her, it was easy for him to see how high her expectations of him were. And he did not wish to disappoint her. So instead of answering her right away, he paused, thought a for a few moments, and then he answered the question.


    ¡°Martial Styles are the methods developed by Warriors that allows them to make better, and more efficient use of the Aspects of the Origin Sea. Earlier, before the Martial Styles were developed, Warriors used to Aspects by either summoning them directly, or try brute forcing their way with the Aspects. Some even tried to use their Aspects to enhance the strength of their Acranas, which had its own problems.


    ¡°First of all, Arcanas of better Grades, and Ranks, are not something that everyone can get their hands on. And that is even more true as one climbs up the ranks of a Wanderer. Not everyone can bring the Mysteries that they have learned into creating Arcanas. And those who can create Arcanas of higher Grade, and Ranks are well respected people, who don¡¯t usually have time for the lower rungs of the Wanderers.


    ¡°So basically, most of the Warriors, at least at the lower levels, that is in the True Warrior Rank, didn¡¯t have access to the Arcanas which could justify the potential of their Aspects. And of the Warriors who did have contact with higher Grade Arcanas, like the Mystic Warriors and above, or other Warriors who had a few connections, most of them found that mastering such powerful Arcanas was not easy.


    ¡°Furthermore, using powerful Arcanas can be very draining on one¡¯s Spirit Power, and if the drain of using their Aspects is added on top of it, then the gain in strength cannot justify the consumption of their Spirit Power. That is even more true at the higher Stages in the path of a Warrior, in which they condense Aspect Soul, integrating it with their Spirit World. At that stage, it would be better for the Warriors to just brute force the use of their Aspects, than to waste their Spirit Power on controlling their Aspect Soul to strengthen the power of their Arcanas.


    ¡°Thus, back in the days, when there were no Martial Styles, be it the higher Ranked Wanderers, or the lower Ranked Wanderers, no one seemed to be able to use their Aspects to their full potential. It was to address this situation, where even though they had the power, they could not make proper use of it, that some of the most powerful and advanced Warriors came together, and created the first Martial Styles. They were named as such, because of two reasons, the first of which was that they were created by Warriors, and were meant for Warriors.


    ¡°As for the other reason, it was because later, through the personal experience of the Warriors who tried out the Martial Styles, it was learned that unlike the Arcanas and Glyphs, the Martial Styles were not universal. A Martial Style that might work for some Warriors, allowing them better control of their Aspects, might just simply not work for others. And even for those whom it worked, the degree to which it worked, how much of the efficiency of the use of the Aspects it raised varied, but it could never be as effective for them, as it was for the ones who had created the Martial Styles.


    ¡°It was only then that the Warriors realised that while creating the ways to use their Aspects, they had forgotten to take account of something very important. And that is that every Warrior is different. The way that they Wander the Origin Sea, the way that they communicate with the Origin Sea, and as such, their Aspects, are all completely different.


    ¡°There may be some similarities between a few Warriors, and their Aspects, and that is why some Martial Styles worked for them, but in the end, the Aspects of each Warrior, and the style to use them is different. Thus, if Warriors want to use their Aspects in an effective manner, then they must each come with their own ways of handling their Aspects, their own unique Martial Styles.¡±


    ¡°So, can anyone create their own Martial Style?¡± his master asked, to which, Alnea responded by shaking his head.


    ¡°The Warriors who created the first Martial Styles were some of the greatest, and the strongest Warriors of their times. They were able to create their Martial Style because they had been using their Aspects for centuries, some even for thousands of years. When they were creating their Martial Styles, they were just drawing conclusions from their experiences, and finding the correct way of making use of their Aspects. Them being able to create Martial Styles does not mean anyone can create them.


    ¡°Still, after the countless years that have passed since the first Martial Styles were created, things have gotten easier for Warriors, or rather, Wanderers in general, and the conditions for creating their own Martial Styles have gotten easier as well. Still, the most basic requirement of creating Martial Style is still there, and that is having an Aspect Ocean. Only when Wanderers have connected their Aspect Wells to form an Aspect Ocean will they be able to form a basic core of their Aspects, around which they can build their own Martial Style.¡±


    ¡°Then what can a Seed like you do?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t even have an Aspect Well, let alone an Aspect Ocean, so naturally, I cannot create my own Martial Style. But that does not prevent me from learning the Martial Styles that the others have already created. Doing so will have many benefits, like familiarising myself with how different types of Aspects are utilised, and finding which type of Style, and Aspects suits me the best. If nothing else, they can help me raise the strength of my body and better my foundations.


    ¡°Besides all that, the real benefit of learning the Martial Styles created by others in advance is that they can help me get familiar with all the different kinds of Martial Styles, and the nuances involved in them, so that when I do start creating my own Martial Style, I am not completely clueless, and know where to start, and how to go about with it. That will help save me a lot of time, and effort.¡±


    Saying all his part in nearly one breath, Alnea stopped to take a breath, thinking back on what he had said, hoping to have not made a mistake in between. He did not find any, but seeing his master¡¯s stern face, he could not help getting nervous. Especially considering the question that she had asked.


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    ¡°This is the seventeenth day I am asking the same questions,¡± his master said, and Alnea nodded. ¡°And this is the seventh time that you have responded with the same answer. Why is it that even if I have kept asking you the same question every day, not telling you whether your answers are right or wrong, you have responded to me with the same answer every time, Alnea?¡±


    ¡°Because that is the correct answer, master.¡±


    ¡°Then why did you change your answer the first ten times?¡±


    ¡°Because after I went through them, I recognised a few mistakes that I had made earlier. Although they were not completely wrong, they did not satisfy me, and so I changed my answers.¡±


    Looking at him in silence for a few moments, his master finally nodded at him with a smile.


    ¡°Ability to recognise your mistakes, and correct them. And the ability to keep sticking to your way when you feel that it is the right one, no matter the external pressure or influence. These are the two other things required to create your own Martial Style. And the things I had been waiting for you to understand by yourself, before allowing you to learn Martial Styles.¡± After a pause, she added, ¡°You are ready.¡±


    For a few moments, Alnea failed to understand what his master was trying to imply, and did not react at all, looking blankly at her smiling face. In the meantime, his master kept looking at him, with a hint of amusement in her smile, as she reached with her right hand towards the air beside her, which in response to her actions, and her call, started shimmering, and rippling like the surface of water.


    Alnea, of course, was not surprised by the sudden appearance of the rippling layer of air near his master, or from how, after his master had pushed her hand towards that rippling air, most of her hand, halfway up to her elbows, vanished in thin air. Because that was a usual sight for him. The rippling, and the shimmering of the air, as well as the disappearance of his master¡¯s hand, was from the manifestation of the Mysteries from his master¡¯s Arcana, ¡®Dimensional Pocket¡¯, her personal storage space.


    And from within that storage space, his master soon took eight scrolls, before placing them on the table. She did not unfurl them, and neither did she say anything. But she did not have to. As soon as he saw the names written on the cover of the scrolls, Alnea knew what they were, and understood the underlying implications of what his master had said earlier. At that moment, he forgot about everything, and slammed his hands on the table with excitement, as he enthusiastically leaned towards his master.


    ¡°Do you really mean it, master?¡± Alnea said. ¡°Are you finally going to teach me some Martial Styles?¡±


    ¡°Not Martial Styles, but a Martial Style,¡± his master said, as she put her finger on his forehead, and pushed him back into his place. ¡°At first, you will begin with familiarising yourself with one Martial Style, and only when you have gained a basic mastery in that Martial Style, will we move on to the next Martial Style.¡± After a slight pause, in which Alnea kept staring at the eight scrolls on the table, she added, ¡°Tell me about the basic classification of the Martial Styles.¡±


    Hearing his master¡¯s question, the big, wide smile on his face disappeared, forcing him to look away from the seven scrolls on the table, and to his master. He had to take this seriously, Alnea thought, as he nodded solemnly to his master, or she might take this as another chance to push back the date of him learning Martial Styles.


    ¡°Martial Styles,¡± Alnea said, taking a deep breath, and using that time to organise his thoughts. ¡°There are two general ways of classifying Martial Styles, one of which focuses on how the Aspects are being utilised, while the other is more concerned about the end results of using the Martial Styles, rather than how the Aspects themselves are being used. Of the two, the latter one is known as the modern way of classification, while the other one, the one focusing on Aspects, is known as the classic way of classification.


    ¡°From their names, it is easy to guess that it was the classic way of classification which came first. Rather, just until the previous Union Era, it used to be the only way of classification. It is only in the current Union Era, the Sixth Union Era, that the modern classification has come up. And as is with anything in the world, that development came about because of necessity. At the end of the previous Union Era, when¨C


    ¡°There is no need to go into the history of our world,¡± his master said. ¡°Just focus on the Martial Styles themselves.¡±


    ¡°Right,¡± Alnea said with a hesitant nod, hoping that he would not mess up too badly, while correcting, and realigning his thoughts, before continuing with his answer. ¡°So, after the previous Union Era came to an end, the views of the Warriors regarding the Martial Styles came into a conflict. Especially considering the devastation that the Supreme Warrior, Erioni Michazzani, had left behind at the end of the previous Era. In the end, the differences in views of the Warriors reached a breaking point, until finally the Warriors became divided into two schools of thought, the modern way, and the classic way.


    ¡°In the classic way, the classification of the Martial Styles continued as it had been coming down since the ancient times, by depending on how the Aspects are being utilised, classifying all the Martial Styles in five types; Armour, Weapon, Summoning, Casting, and Auxiliary. Of course, there could also be a mix and match of the different types in just one style, but that is how the classification of the Martial Styles is done in the classic way.


    ¡°In the modern classification on the other hand, the classification of Martial Styles changed, and became more focussed on the end effects of the Martial Styles. This resulted in the Warriors creating Martial Styles while focussing more on their effects, rather than how they utilised the Aspects themselves. Thus, not only did the number of the types of Martial Styles increase, but the complexity of their classification increased as well.


    ¡°This has resulted in the Warriors coming with a rough, and general way of classifying the Martial Style based on their specialisations, classifying the Martial Styles into eight specialisations; Strength, Speed, Defence, Agility, Stamina, Stealth, Sensory, and Auxiliary. Of them, the first four specialisations of Martial Styles focus more on the fighting capabilities of the Wanderers, while the latter four focus more on the surviving capabilities of Wanderers.


    ¡°That does not however mean that the purpose of these types of Martial Styles are all fixed. Or even that the Martial Styles just focus on one specialisation. It may also be the case that other than that eight universally recognised specialisation, there are other unique specialisations, after all, the Aspects of all the Warriors are all unique, as is their Martial Style. Still, if we look at their end effects, and the way that the Martial Styles are making use of the Aspects, then we can classify almost all of the Martial Styles in the world.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s good enough,¡± his master said, nodding in satisfaction, allowing Alnea to let out a sigh of relief. But his master was not done with him though, as she soon followed with another question.

 Chapter 2: Martial Styles [Part 2]

    ¡°Then can you guess what specialisations these eight Martial Styles have?¡±


    ¡°Eight Martial Styles,¡± Alnea said to himself, thinking for a bit, before nodding to his master. ¡°Since you told me that I am going to learn each Martial Style one by one, then they cannot be all of the same type. So, these eight Martial Styles should each belong to one of the eight different specialisations that I just mentioned; Strength, Speed, Defense, Agility or Reflex, Stamina, Stealth, Sensory, and Auxiliary.¡±


    ¡°And what type would they be in the classic way of classification?¡±


    ¡°That is even more easy to guess,¡± Alnea said with a confident smile, as he glanced at the ring on his finger. ¡°Of five types of Martial Style in the classic way of classification, only some of the Martial Styles of the Auxiliary type do not require the use of Oren at the Seed Rank, because they mostly focus on using the Aspects to control and enhance our bodies. Of course, some of the Armour, and Weapon type Martial Styles focus on our bodies as well, but they are very Oren dependent. So, these eight Martial Styles can only be of the Auxiliary type.¡±


    ¡°Good observation,¡± his master said, once again, nodding in satisfaction. ¡°One last question before we begin with the Martial Styles, how are the Grades of the Martial Styles decided?¡±


    ¡°The Grades of Martial Styles,¡± Alnea mumbled, as his nerves tensed up once again, trying to recall what he had learnt. ¡°Since Martial Styles focus on Aspects, rather than the Mysteries of the Origin Sea, they cannot be Ranked in a similar fashion. Especially since the essence of Martial Styles is better usage of Aspects, irrespective of the strength of the Aspects themselves.


    ¡°A Martial Style, making use of False Ranked Aspects, can also make use of Supreme Ranked Aspects. It is just that efficiency of the usage will be different. And that is where the Grade of Martial Styles comes in. Just like Arcanas, the Grades of Martial Styles also range from Failed Grade to Origin Grade, which is mostly decided by three factors; control, enhancement, and efficiency.


    ¡°Yet as Martial Styles are inherently different from Arcanas, there are still a few differences in how they are Graded, the most prominent one being the issue of having to also rate how well the Mysteries that are being interpreted by the Arcana are meshed and blended together to bring out their best effects. Martial Styles don¡¯t have such nuances because by the time the Warriors become capable of creating Martial Styles, their Aspects have already formed a core, and don¡¯t conflict with each other.


    ¡°There are a few other differences between the Martial Styles and Arcanas, like the dynamic nature of the Grades of the Martial Styles, and the higher Rank of Wanderers required to create them. Even False Arcanists can create High Grade Arcanas, and maybe if they are especially talented, then even Top Grade Arcanas. True Warriors on the other hand, can at most create Intermediate Grade Martial Styles. And even then, they will have to be near the peak of the True Warrior Rank, like the Ninth, or Tenth Stage of the True Warrior Rank, to be able to do that.


    ¡°This disparity is because Warriors can create Martial Styles only when they reach the Fourth State of the True Warrior Rank. Moreover, generally, at that Stage, the most they can create is Lowest, or Low Grade Martial Styles. After that, as they advance through the Stages, and Ranks of a Warrior, accumulating more Aspects, condensing their Aspect Soul, and such, they slowly perfect their self created Martial Styles, increasing its Grade along with their rise as a Warrior.


    ¡°In short, while Arcanists may create multiple Arcanas for each Rank, and Stage of their advancement, Warriors will create only one Martial Style in their entire life, and slowly perfect it as they advance. This is also the reason why there is an even greater dearth of higher Grade Martial Styles when compared to the higher Grade Arcanas. So much so that Divine, and Transcendent Grade Martial Styles are almost impossible to find. Perhaps only the Supreme Warriors may have Transcendent or Divine Grade Martial Styles, but then, why would they spread their own Martial Styles to other people?¡±


    ¡°There was no need for the extra bit in the end,¡± his master said. ¡°But it is as you have said. Warriors generally begin creating their personal Martial Styles when they reach the Fourth Stage of the True Warrior Rank. And for most of them, their first creations are almost always Failed Grade Martial Styles, which after countless readjustments, and honing, reaches the Lowest Grade.


    ¡°Just like the eight Martial Styles in front of you. All of them are Lowest Grade Martial Style, falling under the Auxiliary type of the classic thought, with each of them focusing on different specialisations. Your next task in building your foundation is to master these eight Martial Styles in a month.¡±


    ¡°A month?¡± Alnea asked, a little unsure of what he was hearing. His master had once said that she would help him bring his foundations to the same level as the Seeds from the twelve Origin clans, and make sure that he does not fall behind any other Seed in the world. Although he liked the idea of catching up to the Seeds from the Orthodoxies as soon as possible, his master had taken that sense of urgency to an altogether different level. Usually, his master was very nice to him, even more so than his mother. But when things came to his foundations, she could be a little too strict, expecting a bit too much from him.


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    Like in his first week with her, when she had forcing to memorise a seemingly endless pile of information. There was just so much to learn that he had had trouble sleeping for nearly an entire month, waking up in the middle of the night only to make sure that he had not forgotten anything. He had barely gotten over that, getting used to her pace of doing things, and yet she was suddenly asking him to master eight Martial Styles in a month?


    ¡°Is that even possible, master? Didn¡¯t the other Seeds take years to learn just a few Martial Styles? And I have to learn eight of them in a month?¡± Alnea said, only to flinch just moments later, as he saw the frown on his master¡¯s face, regretting his outspoken mouth. Not because he was afraid of her, but because he was afraid of disappointing her. Thankfully, she did not take his words as his fear of difficulties.


    ¡°How many times do I have to tell you, never underestimate others,¡± his master said. ¡°I have seen people half your age doing more than what I have just asked you to do in half the time that I have given you. And they did not so much as blink when they were asked to do it. That too, with Martial Styles of much higher Grades, and much harder to grasp. The ones I gave you are the most basic of the basic Martial Styles, and some of the easiest to learn in the Lowest Grade.


    ¡°Besides, I am not asking you to master them completely. You are just a Seed, so you cannot do that even if I asked you to. All you need to do is gain some basic mastery, and familiarise yourself with them. As long as you can get the form of a Martial Style down, you can move on to the next one. And after you have mastered all eight of them, we will move on to the next set.


    ¡°Even though the effects of all the Martial Styles of a type are similar, the way they go about it, and achieve those effects are not. After all, as you have said, each Wanderer is unique, and so is their Style. The more Martial Styles you familiarise yourself with, the easier it will be for you to start grasping their essence, and the easier it will be for you to create your own Martial Style.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Master,¡± Alnea said, with a little guilt and shame building inside of him. Even though he knew that it was for his sake, his mind was not under his control. That may be another reason why could never truly keep his mind clear during his meditations and temper his Heart. Still, it could not be denied that everything his master did, was all for his good. And just like she had promised, she was always doing her best to make sure that his foundations would not lack in comparison to any other Seed in the world.


    All so that one day, he could complete his Oath of becoming the greatest Wanderer. His master may have said that completing that Oath was all up to him, but Alnea could feel how much she cared for him. And she showed that by doing her best for him. The least he could do was try his best, and stand up to her expectations, Alnea thought, as the guilt and shame inside of him turned into flames, fuelling his determination.


    ¡°If Seeds half my age can do it, then so can I,¡± Alnea said, lacing each word with his determination, causing his master to nod in satisfaction. But he was not done yet. ¡°I, Alnea Oathkeeper, take an Oath¨C


    Unfortunately, he was not fast enough in his actions. The moment his master heard the beginning of his sentence, she knew what he was going to do, and so, before he could truly begin taking his Oath, she released an immeasurable pressure that surrounded him, and took his voice away. She made sure that the pressure would not harm him in any way, but she also made sure that he would not be able to complete taking his Oath.


    ¡°When are you going to stop being so stupid?¡± his master said, letting out a sigh. ¡°This was not what I had in mind when I told you to correct your attitude with your Roots and Oaths. If you keep going like this, then you are really going to regret it one day.¡±


    Alnea took heed of the warning that his master gave him, but he did not back down. He understood what she was saying, but this Oath was too important to him. He had something to prove, both to himself, and to his master. He could not back down. So, he kept staring at her, showing his determination in his own way.


    ¡°Fine,¡± his master said after a while, retrieving the pressure that had surrounded him, and allowing his voice to return to him. ¡°It looks like you will not learn until you experience it yourself.¡±


    Once again, Alnea took heed of his master¡¯s warning, but did not back down. The moment his voice returned to him, he leapt into action.


    ¡°I, Alnea Oathkeeper, take an Oath that I will gain a basic mastery of all of the eight Martial Styles in two weeks.¡±


    The moment Alnea completed taking his Oath, even before he could feel the pressure from the chains of his Oaths on his Spirit, he felt his master¡¯s knuckles rapping on his head.


    ¡°I gave you a month¡¯s time,¡± his Master said. ¡°Why did it become two weeks in your mouth?¡±


    ¡°But you said that even a six to seven year old child can learn all these Martial Styles in half a month,¡± Alnea said, wincing as he held his head, looking indignantly at his master. ¡°I will show you that I can do it as well. Then you will not have to brag about others to me. Instead, you will brag about me to others.¡±


    ¡°Are you jealous?¡± his master asked, with her frown melting into her laugh.


    ¡°I am not jealous!¡±


    ¡°Of course, you are not,¡± his master said, ruffling his hair with a smile. ¡°But have you forgotten your counting? There are thirty four days in the month of Inkah. And only fourteen days in two weeks.¡±


    ¡°I know my counting,¡± Alnea said with confidence. ¡°But I have to be better than the kids you saw. If I take the same amount of time as them even when I am older than them, how will you be able to brag about me?¡±


    ¡°...Forget it. I cannot deal with a silly disciple like you. Just choose one of the eight scrolls.¡±


    ¡°I am not silly,¡± Alnea grumbled, still rubbing his head where his master had knocked him, and picked up a scroll at random. After that, his master put the rest of the scrolls back into her ¡®Dimensional Pocket¡¯, and unfurled the scroll he had chosen, whose title was written in bright red ink.


    Thousand Arms Style.

 Chapter 3: Thousand Arms Style [Part 1]

    ¡°Thousand Arms Style,¡± Alnea said to himself, looking at the scroll, and its contents in awe. ¡°It sounds so domineering, more like a Casting, or a Summoning type of Martial Style, rather than an Auxiliary type.¡±


    ¡°Do you think that the Auxiliary type of Martial Style are not strong?¡± his master said, looking at him with an amused smile, causing his blood to rush to his face once again, dyeing it red just as soon as it had returned to normal.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t mean it like that,¡± Alnea said, fixing his eyes on the scroll, trying his best to ignore his embarrassment, hoping that it would go away on its own. ¡°It is just that Thousands Arms Styles sounds as if it could conjure thousands of arms. Like a Summoning or Casting type of Martial Style.¡±


    ¡°Names are not everything, Alnea,¡± his master said. ¡°Just because it is named as Thousand Arms Style does not mean that it can conjure a thousand arms. People can name their Martial Styles or Arcanas however they like, and it would not change anything. Just take my ¡®Dimensional Pocket¡¯ as an example. Does that name sound domineering? Or would names like ¡®Small World¡¯, ¡®World in a Palm¡¯, ¡®Storage World¡¯, and other similarly tacky names sound more domineering?


    ¡°And yet, I can say with confidence that most of the Arcanas with such tacky names would never be able to compare with my ¡®Dimensional Pocket¡¯. Because the people who name their Arcanas as such think more about appearances rather than the Arcanas themselves. They dream of what their Arcanas would be like once they stand at the top of the world. And in their daydreaming, they forget that it is not how or what they name their Arcanas that matters, but the Arcanas itself, and its effects that does.


    ¡°And that holds true for Martial Styles as well, which is what happened to this Martial Style. Thousand Arms Martial Styles, according to its creator¡¯s vision, would have allowed him to wield the strength of a thousand arms with each of his arms. And by that, he did not mean thousand times the strength of normal people, but thousand times the strength of his own arms.


    ¡°Unfortunately, the talent of the creator of the Martial Style limited his achievements, and he never made it past the Three Arms level. In addition, because of his overly ambitious vision, he forgot to take other things into account, like enhancing the strength of the body itself. Even if the Martial Style had reached completion of its vision, and would have allowed its creator to wield thousand times his base strength, if his base strength itself was low, what good would multiplying his base strength be?


    ¡°Furthermore, the most glaring flaw of the Martial Style was that all its effects were focussed on the arms of the Warrior. No matter how strong his arms became, what could the Warrior do if the other parts of the Warrior¡¯s body could not keep up with his arms? Thus, because of all these considerations, despite having such a ¡®domineering¡¯ name, the Martial Style remains as a Lowest Grade Martial Style.¡±


    ¡°Does not enhance the strength of the body¡­ then does that mean that this is not a Strength specialisation type of Martial Style?¡±


    ¡°...You may have a slight misunderstanding about what specialisation of Martial Styles mean,¡± his master said, smiling at his confused face. ¡°What did you say were the factors that the Grades of the Martial Styles are based upon?¡±


    ¡°Control, enhancement, and efficiency.¡±


    ¡°And why did I say that the Thousand Arms Style was Graded as a Lowest Ranked Martial Styles?¡±


    ¡°...Because it does not focus on enhancement, and has extremely low efficiency. Even in the matter of control, instead of the Thousand Arms that the creator envisioned, he could only go up to the Three Arms level.¡±


    ¡°See, you got your answer all by yourself,¡± his master said. ¡°The Thousand Arms Style is still a Strength type specialisation Martial Style, it is just that it focuses on the route of extreme control, sacrificing both the efficiency of the Martial Style, and its enhancement effects. In more specific terms, it tries to realise the potential of arms to the extreme, increasing the amount of strength your arms can release.


    ¡°Of course, the Martial Styles fails in that regard as well, and that is why it is just a Lowest Ranked Martial Style. Like I had said earlier, the creator of the Martial Style managed to hone it only up to the Three Arms Style. Which means, if completely mastered, and used with the Aspects, this Martial Style would allow you to use three times the strength of your arms. But there would be a slight problem in that. What do you think the problem would be, Alnea?¡±


    ¡°Only its creator would be able to reach the highest limit of the Style,¡± Alnea said after some thought, quickly going through his mind about the limitations of Martial Styles. ¡°For others, two to two and half times would be the limit. And that too, only if they are compatible with the Style, and are using it with their Aspects. Without the Aspects, being able to use the complete strength in their arms would be the limit.¡±


    ¡°Good,¡± his Master said. ¡°Then I guess there would be no problem for you to be able to at least make the full use of your arm¡¯s strength. Once you do that, we will move on to the next Martial Style.¡±


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    ¡°...Wouldn¡¯t that be the limit of what is possible without the use of Aspects?¡±


    ¡°So? Would there be any problem?¡±


    ¡°...No.¡±


    Just on a theoretical basis, the Thousand Arms Style should allow him to make full use of his arm¡¯s potential, and strength. Any issue of compatibility between him, and the Martial Style would come into play only when the Aspects were involved. So, his master had not made any unreasonable demands of him. And even if there had been any unreasonable demand, he would still do it, because he knew his master would never ask him to do anything impossible. Especially since he had already taken his Oath.


    Aware of the dangers involved, his master would never deliberately push him towards his death. At most, she would just make him suffer a little. She still cared for him though, so she would never let anything happen to him. Besides, it was not as if he was completely helpless against his master¡¯s demands. In the end, what Martial Styles focussed on were the Aspects of the Origin Sea, and the user¡¯s bodies. And what he had to do was to reach perfection in the use of bodies that the Thousand Arms Styles detailed.


    The more perfect his control over his body would be, the better his grasp of the Thousand Arms Style would be. And though he did not have any experience in fine tuning the control of his body, over the past few months, Alnea had never stopped building the foundations of his body. Going on runs, exercising his body, and practising the moves of the Oathkeeper Arts that he could remember, these were all part of his daily routine. A part of his preparation for his future as a Wanderer, as Warrior.


    And though he may not have succeeded much in regard to his practise of the Oathkeeper Arts, some the results from his training were already showing. Greater stamina, greater strength, and even greater flexibility, he had made improvements in all the areas of his body. He may still not be as strong as the Seeds of the other Orthodoxies, but he was catching up.


    Still, mastering the Martial Style to the level of making the complete use of his arm¡¯s strength would not be an easy task. Alnea did not know how much time he would take to reach that level. And there were still seven more Martial Styles, all of which he would have to master to a similar level in just two weeks because of his Oath. Thinking of the way his master had looked at him, and warned him when he had taken his Oath, Alnea could not help wondering if she had deliberately raised the bar of what he was supposed to achieve with the Martial Style just to teach him a lesson.


    ¡°What are you spacing out for?¡± his master said, breaking Alnea out from his thoughts, and bringing his attention to herself. ¡°Do you think you have too much time? Should I teach you some other things too then?¡±


    ¡°I will get right to it, master,¡± Alnea hurriedly said, stopping his master from making things even more difficult for him, before focusing on the scroll in front of him. The scroll was filled with diagrams of a person making all sorts of different postures with their arms, with the explanations and reasoning behind those postures given beside those diagrams.


    According to the descriptions, holding on to a posture, and practising it, would stimulate only a certain part of his arms, or in some cases, just a few muscles of that part of his arms. And each of the postures dealt with different parts, or muscles of his arms. And if he practised holding on to these postures, and positions, with his arms, then gradually, through repeated practice, he would be able to get all of them under his control.


    The more he read, the more eager Alnea got to begin practising the different positions and movements mentioned in the Martial Style. As only if he could completely master this martial Style would he be able to move on with the next. But he did not let his eagerness cloud his judgement, or patience, and focussed a little more on the scroll, reading it in even more detail.


    In the scroll, it was written that all the muscles of a person¡¯s arms could be divided into seven different parts. The scroll then further went on describing how to gain full control over his arms, beginning with these seven parts, by practising all kinds of postures, and stimulating those muscles. And at the end, the scroll explained that the proficiency of the Martial Style was divided into different levels, describing each of those levels as well.


    The first level started with the seven main parts of the arms, as described by the scroll, asking the Warriors to get a feel of their muscles in those seven parts of their arms. This level was an introductory level, and was mainly to familiarise the Warriors with the different muscles in their arms, preparing them for further training. Of course, there was also a small requirement for Warriors to have been deemed as having mastered the first level, which was to be able to feel the muscles in only one of the seven parts of their arms at a time.


    Once that was done, the Warriors would then have to start practising the second level of the Martial Style, in which the Warriors had to differentiate between the different clusters of the strands of muscles in those parts of their arms. Up till this point, things were still relatively easier for the Warriors to master. But once they had done that, they had to move on to the third level, where the true difficulty of the Martial Style started.


    At the third level, not only did Warriors have to single out each muscle strand in the cluster of the muscle strands, but they also had to gain full control of those said muscle strands. There was nothing at a level even lower than single muscle strands, or at least not that the creator of the Thousand Arms Style knew of, so the fourth level came back to the cluster of muscle strands, but this time, instead of just getting familiar with them, the requirement of mastering the fourth level of the Martial Styles was to gain individual control of each cluster of muscle strands, paving the way for the fifth level, which required Warriors to gain individual control of all of the seven different parts of their arms to gain mastery.


    Once that was done, the basic part of the Martial Style would be almost finished, and at the sixth level, which also happened to be the last level that the Warriors could practise without involving Oren, or Aspects, all the Warriors had to do was compile everything they had learned, and gain full control of their arms. And that was what his master required of him, completing the sixth level of the Thousand Arms Style, before she would allow him to move on to the next Martial Style.

 Chapter 3: Thousand Arms Style [Part 2]

    Eight Martial Styles, and fourteen days to gain basic mastery over all of them. Although the text of the scroll described the Martial Style and its levels in a simple manner, Alnea knew that it was anything but that. Just the sheer number of the postures, and the positions involved had already made him feel a little dizzy. Not to mention all those muscles that he had to learn to control.


    As soon as Alnea had gone through the scroll detailing the Thousand Arms Style, he knew that mastering it was not going to be easy. And this was just one Martial Style. There were still seven more Martial Styles that he would have to master in fourteen days to keep his Oath. If all of them were going to be as difficult as the Martial Style in front of him looked, then keeping his Oath was going to be quite difficult, as was evident from the pressure on his Spirit.


    Maybe he really should listen to his Master, Alnea thought, and not take Oaths so hastily. But he had already taken his Oath, so there was nothing he could do, except begin practising the Martial Style under the watchful eyes of his master. Following the instructions of the scroll, he mirrored the postures that were drawn on it, hoping that he would be able to complete the first level soon, and move on to the second level.


    Things were not easy though, especially the part about trying to feel the muscles in only a single part of his arms. As shown in the diagram, he held a weird position in his arm, trying to feel the muscles in his shoulders, instead, he got a sore, numb arm, and aching muscles. There was no use entering his Spirit State either, as his Spirit, being bound by the Spirit Inhibitor Ring, could not help him. Or else, with the enhanced senses of his Spirit State, sensing his muscles would have been a cinch. At the very least, it would have been easier than it was at the moment.


    And so, Alnea was left standing, making weird postures with his arms, feeling all their muscles tingling at the same time, when he was supposed to feel them from only one part at a time. His master¡¯s mocking gaze did not help either. It felt as if she was able to read all his thoughts, mocking him for thinking that it would be easier for him to do it with the help of his Spirit. Even people half his age had done much more than he was being asked to do, she had said. Recalling her words, he felt an inexplicable determination rising from within himself.


    ¡°Ilea¡¯s crown,¡± Alnea said to himself mentally. ¡°If some dumb kids can do it without the help of their Spirits, then so can I.¡±


    Still, he could not deny that he was facing difficulties in mastering the Martial Styles. There had to be a better way to do things. Maybe it was because the posture he was using did not suit him. Martial Styles did depend a lot on compatibility. As for what he had said to his master about the issue of compatibility arising only when Aspects were involved, maybe he was a little wrong there too. Who could know?


    And so, with his new plan of mastering the Thousand Arms Style, Alnea started going through the postures one by one, changing from one part of the arm to another, that the scroll had described. Some of them could be done while sitting, some had to be performed while standing up. And some were so weird, that his face was flushed trying to imitate those postures in front of his master, unable to truly concentrate on them. In the end, even his master could not see him make a fool of himself.


    ¡°Forget it,¡± his master said. ¡°With the rate of your progress, I am afraid that¡ª


    ¡°I can do it,¡± Alnea said, interrupting his master rather abruptly, refusing to accept any other outcome. After all, he could not let himself fall behind some random kids half his age, could he?


    Apparently, his master did not agree with him, expressing her dissatisfaction by shaking her head in silence, while letting out a sigh. But what else could he do? He had already taken his Oath. There were no other options for him. He had¡ª


    Unfortunately, he had forgotten to let his stomach in on his plan, which chose that exact moment to rebel against him, demanding its pay for the morning.


    ¡°Eat your breakfast first before doing anything,¡± his master said, as the frown on her face turned into an amused smile. But it made him even more adamant on continuing with his training. How could bow down to¡ª


    With his shameless stomach grumbling once again, bringing with it the sense of weakness and the pangs of hunger that he had been ignoring up till then, Alnea had not choice but to bow down to the protests of his stomach. Hiding his flushed face from his master, he sat down, and took out one of the boxed lunches in his bag, quietly stuffing it¡¯s contents down his throat.


    The other lunch box was for his lunch. He had once tried offering his lunch to his master, but she had refused. On second thought, he had never seen her eat anything in the time that he had known her. Whenever he ate his lunch, she just sat in quiet meditation, with such a stillness that if he had not known better, he might have assumed her to be a statue.


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    After he was done with his breakfast, Alnea went back to practising the Thousand Arms Style, yet success was hard to get. It was not until just before the mid noon, when Enn reached his zenith, that he finally managed to complete the first level of the Martial Style. It was supposed to be the easiest of the levels, yet it took him such a long time to complete it. There were still five more levels to go, each more difficult than the last. And there were seven more Martial Styles to master. On average, he had to master one Martial Style in less than two days. He did not have the time to celebrate.


    Informing his master about his progress, Alnea dove right back into practising the second level of the Martial Style. It was at least several times more difficult, or rather, more time consuming than the first level. In simpler terms, he had to do the same thing he had done for the seven parts of his arms, to the several muscle clusters in those parts. Fortunately, with the experience of the first level, he managed to bring that time down. But not by much. By the time Enn started sinking in the horizon, and evening came, he still had four parts of his arms left. Yet the day was almost over.


    ¡°You can take the scroll with you today,¡± his master said. ¡°But remember to not overdo it too much. If you really cannot master these Martial Styles by the fourteenth day, then I will help you bear the burden of your Oath. But you will have to promise me to not be so rash with your Oaths again.¡±


    ¡°I cannot do that, master,¡± Alnea said. ¡°Promises should always be kept¡­ I cannot make a promise which I am not sure of keeping.¡±


    ¡°Do you think that I would ask you to do the same thing that I am keeping you from?¡± his master said. ¡°Rather, if you really take another Oath like that, then I would definitely stop you from doing so. Instead of making you take an Oath, or a promise with your Roots, I want you to give me your word that you would not do it again. Just that would be enough. I know that you will never betray my trust willingly.¡±


    ¡°That still would not do, master,¡± Alnea said, shaking his head. ¡°It was my conviction of never breaking promises and Oaths that came first, and then my Roots. If I make a promise, whether one binding on my Spirit or not, I will have to keep it, no matter what.¡±


    ¡°...That stubbornness,¡± his master said with a sigh, and shook her head. ¡°Go, do your best. I hope that you will be able to keep your Oath.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, master,¡± Alnea said, and bid her farewell, leaving the Central Academy. But instead of running back on his way, like he usually did, he chose to walk back home, practising the Thousand Arms Style along the way. That earned quite a lot of strange glances, considering how weird the postures of the Style were, but he did not care. He had to finish at least the second level by the end of the day. Only then would he be able to complete the third level the next day.


    The fourth, fifth, and sixth levels were just refamiliarising his control over the muscles to control them all at once, so he should be able to complete it faster than any other levels. That would still leave him with only twelve days for seven Martial Style, but he could manage that much if the other Martial Styles were a little easier to master. Yet if he could not complete the third level by the next day, then he would have even less time for the other seven Martial Styles. Once that happened, things would get worse, and out of his control. Maybe, then he would really have to rely on his master to save himself.


    No, Alnea thought, no matter what, he would keep his Oath. And so, back at his home, even while he ate, he kept trying to focus on the muscles in his wrists and palms, dropping his food many times, earning a few earfuls from his mother in the process. In the end, he was forced to stop eating so wastefully, but he kept at it with his free hand. Thankfully, the dinner ended soon, and he was able to get back to his practice in his room.


    His efforts were not in vain thought. Long past his usual time of going to sleep, and at the cost of an extreme physical and mental exhaustion, Alnea finally managed to master the second level of the Thousand Arms Style, being able to identify all the different muscle clusters in his arms. After he was done, he released a sigh of utmost relief, and felt all his tensed nerves relax, as he just lay on his mattress, drifting off to his dreams. To the memories of the other Alnea.


    It was a memory of the other Alnea practising his Oathkeeper Arts. Not the one from his childhood days, when he had been first learning the Oathkeeper Arts, only to later be barred from practising it, but those from the days after he had been banished from his clan, and had picked up his Arts, and his sword, once again. The days when he had stopped worrying about his Enlightenment, and had truly involved himself in his Arts. The days in which he had burned from a passion so strong that it had once been transferred over to Alnea as well, teaching him the proper way to run, and a few of the easier moves of the Oathkeeper Arts.


    This was a memory that Alnea had already seen quite a few times, and was quite familiar with. Yet, as he saw these memories once again, something felt different. Something felt odd. Just like the dream that he had had last night. So vivid in details, and so touching in emotions, that he had felt as if he was the other Alnea himself.


    Although these dreams and memories had been vivid and realistic, he had always still treated them as dreams, and memories of the other Alnea. But as he lived through the memory, practising the Oathkeeper Arts, he was finding it harder to differentiate the memory from reality. He truly felt as if he was the other Alnea, and that as if it was his Oathkeeper Arts that he was practising.


    It was not until he woke up from the dream the next day, that he noticed what the difference was. He had not been seeing the dream, he had been living it. He had not been seeing the other Alnea act out the memory, he had been seeing them through his eyes. He had not watched the other Alnea practise his Oathkeeper Arts, he had been the one practising it. Because there was only one Alnea Oathkeeper.

 Chapter 4: The Oathkeeper Style [Part 1]

    ¡°Orn¡¯s hair,¡± Alnea cursed, sitting on his mattress, as he felt shivers running down his spine. ¡°What was that?¡±


    Alnea Oathkeeper. A man, who once lived in a world completely different than his own. A man, who lived and died for his Oaths. And the man, who had inspired Alnea for his Roots. Most importantly, he was the man who memories came to Alnea in his dreams. No matter if it was day or night, every time he slept, Alnea saw a glimpse of his namesake¡¯s life.


    It was roughly around the time he had turned six years old that Alnea had first started having these unique dreams. Yet, seven years, and many, many dreams and memories later, Alnea could still vividly recall the first memory of the other Alnea that he had seen as if he had seen it just last night. Each and every detail had been imprinted into his mind with such precision, that sometimes, it did not even feel like the other Alnea¡¯s memories anymore, but his own memory. A memory long forgotten, buried deep inside his mind.


    In the memory, a child younger than him of the time when he had first seen the memory, stood surrounded by a group of strange looking people. Those people were clad in all kinds of dresses. Robes, cloaks, shirts and trousers, and even some other strange clothes. But there was one thing common about them. All of their clothes were white in colour, with an image of a hand holding a dagger by its blade engraved around their chest.


    Another thing that was common about all those people was that they all stood silently, staring at the young boy, scrutinising his every move, judging his every action. Such was the pressure on the boy, that had it been Alnea of the time when he had seen the memory who would have been going through such scrutiny, he would have long run away from the place in search for the safety of his mother¡¯s embrace. Yet the boy, barely four years old, showed no signs of fear.


    Under the watchful, and judging eyes of the spectators, the boy had moved with a confident gait, as if nothing in the world could scare him, and climbed the raised platform in front of him with firm and determined steps. Even the way he had carried the dress that he was wearing¡ªwhite robe, similar to the ones that the people around him wore, with the strange image of a hand holding a dagger by its blade on his chest¡ª spoke of his confidence, setting him apart from all the people that Alnea had ever seen. At least those from his, or around his age.


    The grace with which the boy had carried his robe was something that Alnea himself had never been able to do even after growing up. No, not just him, but even many of the adults, and even Wanderers that he had seen had not been as graceful with their robes, as a child younger than six years old had been. That was also one of the reasons why Alnea did not like wearing robes. From watching the other Alnea wear robes, he knew how they should be actually worn, but he was never able to get it right. A thirteen year old bo¨Cman, not able to do something that even a child was able to do felt so humiliating to him.


    The child himself, however, had never been afraid of humiliation, or anything in the world. With his confident steps, he had walked to the centre of the raised platform, where rested a white blade, stuck halfway into the platform, with a white pommel at its other end declaring it as a sword. Walking up the sword, the boy had then raised, and swiped his palm across the edge of the blade, letting the pristine white blade soak in his blood. Yet even after that, the blade still remained white, absorbing all the blood into itself, while shining in a faint hue of a white, and a red light.


    ¡°I, Alnea Oathkeeper, take an Oath, that from this day forth, I will¡­¡±


    The boy had then proceeded to recite a long Oath, one that had later bound him, and caused him many inconveniences, one of which even led to his death. And that was how Alnea had learned of Alnea Oathkeeper, a man who once lived in another world. A man, who had once lived, and died for his Oaths. And the man, who had inspired him for his Roots, and his new name.


    Of course, back then Alnea himself had not known that the little boy, whom he had seen in his dreams, would influence him so much. At first, he had not even taken the memory seriously, treating it as just a dream. But as the days passed, with similar dreams¡ªabout the same boy and his life¡ª coming to him without any intervals in between them, he could not deny those dreams for what they were. Memories of a boy named Alnea Oathkeeper.


    For years, he had kept that secret to himself, watching the memories of the boy, just as they boy had kept him company in his dreams. Thus, it was only natural for the man whom the boy had grown up to be, to influence his life. Even the man¡¯s obsession with Oaths, and promises had spilled over from his memories, silently pervading every part of Alnea¡¯s life, making him just as obsessed with Oaths. So much so, that he had even taken them as his Roots.


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    However, no matter how much those memories and the emotions of the man had spilled over to him, their nature had always been the same. They were just dreams. Or so Alnea had thought. But then, how could he explain the dreams he had experienced in the past two days? How could he explain living through those dreams, as if they were his own memories? Were they really just dreams? Or¡­


    ¡°Am I going mad by practising Martial Styles?¡± Alnea mumbled to himself, as he glanced outside the window. He could still see the last glow of Orn sinking towards the horizon, so he was not late. Yet. That status would not remain the same if he were to keep on sitting, thinking of his dreams. He did not have any time to waste. Especially considering that he had to master the third level of the Thousand Arms Style by the end of the day.


    Shaking off the feeling of disorientation that he was feeling from his dreams, he pushed himself up, and rolled up the mattress, before pushing it to its place. And while he was doing that, he did not forget to practise the third level of the Thousand Arms Style, trying to control the different muscle strands of his arms. As a result, he ended up pushing the mattress with too much force, it against the wall.


    Fortunately, the mattress was quite soft, and did not make a noise, or it might have woken up his mother. Still, the fact that the mattress slammed into the wall surprised him a little. He did not think that he had used too much power. Did his strength suddenly increase by sleeping? So, sleeping could increase his strength?


    Alnea shook that absurd thought away as soon as it had come. If sleeping could increase strength, why would Wanderers risk their life by Wandering the Origin Sea? He really should control his thoughts a little, Alnea thought. But then, how did his strength suddenly increase? He was just pushing the mattress, and practising the Thousand Arms Style¡­


    Suppressing the excitement in his heart, Alnea hurriedly opened the scroll of the Martial Style, and tried out all the postures of the third level Thousand Arms Style. With that, he confirmed what he had been guessing, but dared not to believe it himself.


    ¡°Am I dreaming?¡± Alnea mumbled to himself, pinching his hand, but that did not wake him up, and only gave him a slight pain. Confirming that he was not dreaming, he then moved on to confirming the rest of his guesses, by trying out all the postures of the fourth level of the Thousand Arms Style, and by the time he was done with them, he could no longer suppress the excitement in his heart.


    Slapping his cheeks to focus himself, Alnea then moved on to the fifth level of the Thousand Arms Style, and then the sixth level, completing them all one by one, until he finally confirmed his guess. Somehow, while he was sleeping, he had gained a basic mastery of the Thousand Arms Style. He could perfectly control all the strength in his arms.


    ¡°No, it¡¯s not just the arms.¡±


    Nearly a tenth of an hour had passes since he had woken up. Usually, that was enough time for him to get over the feelings spilling over from his dreams, from the memories of Alnea Oathkeeper. But what he had experienced last night was not his usual dream. Even after waking up, he could still perfectly recall everything that had happened. It was as if¡­ it was him, who had been practising the Oathkeeper Arts in his dreams. It was him, who was letting himself flow into the nature of the Art, and letting himself become one with its concept. He was Alnea Oathkeeper.


    And Alnea Oathkeeper had each and every single one of the movements of the Oathkeeper Art, each of its Stances, its concepts, and all its nuances, all burned into his mind. Because he had been practising the same moves for more than fifteen years of his life. Even if he had given it up for three years, after he had picked it up, it did not take him too much time to get reacquainted with it. After all, those were the moves of his Art, and when he was practising them, he himself was a part of those moves. He¡­


    Alnea shuddered with excitement, as he went through the new memories in his mind. Not the kind of memories that he had gained from watching the other Alnea practise the Oathkeeper Arts from a distance. But the kind of memories he had gained after practising the Arts for fifteen years. And with those memories came the understanding of why he had never really been able to practise the Art. And with that understanding came an intrinsic belief, that the next time he would try the Oathkeeper Arts, he would be able to execute all its moves perfectly. Or at least, what his body could handle.


    For the more advanced movements and Stances of the Oathkeeper Art, he would have to keep practising them himself to increase his body¡¯s capabilities before being able to perform them. But clearly, the Thousand Arms Style did not reach such an advanced level. The Thousand Arms Style only required him to make full use of his Arms¡¯ potential, while even the most basic of the Stances of the Oathkeeper Arts demanded him to have a complete command over his entire body¡¯s potential.


    And at the moment, Alnea had fifteen years of experience of handling such movements, and Stances etched into his head. Of course, he would still need to practise to burn that experience into his body as well, but controlling the strength of just his arms was not a problem for him anymore. Rather, he was confident that he could do much more than that.

 Chapter 4: The Oathkeeper Style [Part 2]

    To prove his thoughts¡ªan excuse he used to hide his excitement¡ª Alnea followed the new memories inside hi head, trying out the correct way of practising the First Stance of the Oathkeeper Arts, and complete it with perfection. That should have been enough to prove his thoughts, but once the fire inside his chest was lit, it was hard to stop midway. Discarding all other thoughts, he went on to perform the Second Stance, the Third Stance, and the Fourth Stance, all the way up to the Fifth Stance, after which, his body could no longer hold on to the movements of the Oathkeeper Arts.


    But that did not dampen his mood. The first five stances were already more than enough. They had given him complete control of his body, something which he had confirmed while trying out the five Stances when he had felt the different muscle strands in all the different parts of his body, all moving according to his wishes.


    The Thousand Arms Style was a Martial Style focussed on giving him full control over the strength of arms, while the basic requirement to practise the Oathkeeper Arts was gaining full control of his entire body. Did that mean that the Oathkeeper Arts was kind of a Martial Style as well? And if it was, then what Grade would it be? Intermediate Grade? High Grade?


    Alnea¡¯s heart raced as he thought of all the different possibilities. He could recall in one of the memories how the other Alnea had said that he needed to raise the capabilities of his body after he had given up focussing on them for years. Something which he had already confirmed. Just the broken movements of the Oathkeeper Arts were enough to help him steadily improve his body. If the Oathkeeper Art was regarded as a Martial Style, it would be a High Grade Martial Style at the very least. His very own High Grade Martial Style.


    ¡°I am going to call it the Oathkeeper Style,¡± Alnea said, as he twisted his body to release all his body¡¯s strength with a punch, and not just that from his arms. ¡°That kid needed half a month, while I did it in one day. Now who is the better one?¡±


    Recalling his master, Alnea looked outside the window, and saw the sky getting darker and darker. ¡°Optah¡¯s boots,¡± he cursed. ¡°I am going to be late.¡±


    Dashing to the bathroom to get fresh, he even skipped a few of his personal chores, as he hurried out of his house, and ran towards the Academy. In his hurry, he even forgot taking his Oath, remembering it only when he got near the Academy. But it was already too late, so he just kept running. Only when he reached the Fourth Glyph repository, did he stop to catch his breath.


    Looking at how the sky was still dark, and Enn had yet to rise, Alnea thought that he might have made it all the way from his home to his master in a personal record time. Chuckling to himself at that thought, he pushed on the doors of the hall, and walked towards his master with quiet, and subdued steps, all the while trying to even out his breathing.


    Once he had taken his seat, Alnea closed his eyes, and tried to relax, meditating to temper his Heart, but all the thoughts about the Oathkeeper Style, and the possibilities that it opened for him made him unable to clear his mind. Though, on second thought, even if he did not have those thoughts, he still would not have been able to clear his head. So, after a brief internal struggle, he let the imaginative side of his mind win, allowing it to take him away on its fantasies.


    What was the Grade of the Oathkeeper Style? It was at least much better than the Thousand Arms Style. And with how it focussed not only the control of his whole body, but also strengthening each of its aspects, it should at least be a High Grade Martial Style. Maybe even a Perfect Grade Martial Style. Martial Styles were much rarer than Arcanas.


    Furthermore, it was not just a normal Perfect Grade Martial Style. It was a Martial Style that he could use even when he did not have access to Oren, or Aspects. Even among the Martial Styles of the Auxiliary type, these kinds of Martial Styles were quite rare. This kind of Martial Style, of such high Grade, should not exist in the whole of Rianra. Or at least not in the Ann Province.


    But he had one. And he would keep on using it, making his foundation better than anyone, just like his master had said. And then, when he one day became a Warrior, he would be able to create his own Martial Style. Maybe, based on this Perfect Grade Oathkeeper Style, he could create his own Oathkeeper Style, and take it to Transcendent, or even Divine Grade. Maybe, he could¨C


    ¡°What happened?¡± his master asked, startling him, and shattering his fantasies, bringing him back to the gloomy hall.


    ¡°Nothing,¡± Alnea replied reflexively.


    ¡°Your Heart is saying otherwise.¡±


    ¡°...You can hear my heart?¡±


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    ¡°...I can hear both your Heart, and your heart. One is rambling like a Golden Feathered Horse, while the other is rampaging like a Lightning Horned Ox. And I could hear both of them even before you entered the hall. What is making you so anxious? Are you afraid that you will not be able to complete your Oath?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not it, master.¡±


    ¡°There is no need to pretend to be brave,¡± his master said. ¡°I know what laying strong Roots feels like. The self doubts, and the conflicts that you have with your conviction would only worsen if you end up violating your Roots, causing a backlash¡­ I do not wish for you to go through the same pain. That is why I always keep on telling you to be a little more restrained with your Oaths.¡±


    There was no need for his master to worry about such things, Alnea thought. If someday he really ended up violating his Oaths, his Roots, then the price that he would have to pay would be to get devoured by the Origin Sea. Of course, he could not tell that to her. It was not that he did not trust her. She was the one person who had the most of his trust. Even his own mother had never told him what her Roots were, but she had.


    Yet that also showed how much she cared for him. With how worried she always was in regard to his Oaths, he was sure that if she knew that the price for being unable to keep even one of his Oaths, no matter how small, was being devoured by the Origin Sea, then she would not stop at just telling him to be more restrained with his Oaths. She would probably force him to never take Oaths again.


    It did not matter if they were his only way of raising his Spirit Power. According to her, that was only because of the Spirit Inhibitor Ring. She would just have to take them off, and let him train his Spirit normally, like the others. She had said that she was capable of doing so, and if need be, she would really do it.


    That was not a bad idea, except that Alnea could not train his Spirit like the others. At least not like the Seeds of the Orthodoxies. Using Arcanas created by others would be violating his first Oath, and he was still not capable enough to create Arcanas for himself. That would leave him training his Spirit by repeatedly exhausting his Spirit Power, which would mean that his Spirit Power would take more than ten years to reach the False Rank, and take even more time to rise after that. Maybe it never would.


    So, it was for the better that his master did not know about the price of his Roots. Maybe, one day, when he could create his own Arcanas to train his Spirit, he would tell her about it. But till then, it had to be kept as a secret. Just as how he had kept his dreams a secret, along with the memories that came with it. Memories, that had imprinted itself on his mind, and had given him the Oathkeeper Style¡­ Another secret to keep.


    ¡°What do you think about other worlds, master?¡± Alnea said after some hesitation. ¡°Do you think that there are other worlds in the Origin Sea?¡±


    ¡°Other worlds in the Origin Sea,¡± his master said, repeating after him. ¡°Of course, they exist. Where else do you think the Thralls come from?


    ¡°I am not talking about the Thralls, master. I am talking about a world similar like ours, but also slightly different. A world where people use the powers of the Origin Sea is slightly different from us. A world where no one has to lay Roots. A world with no Orthodoxies.¡±


    ¡°Did you have a nightmare?¡± his master said with a sigh, as she smiled, and ruffled his hair. ¡°You should not worry too much. Not all Orthodoxies are as bad as the Lotus clan. Some of them even actively help the people living in their care. Like the Serpia clan. Later, if you wish, I can take you for a trip to Rian, where there is no differentiation between the inner, outer, and core cities. There is just one city, Rian, where everyone lives together.


    ¡°Even the Seed Academies are not separated like they are in the Ann Province. And although the Serpia Clan reserves the best of their knowledge to themselves, they allow everyone to have an equal chance of gaining good foundations. It is also one of the reasons why they are the strongest Orthodoxy of Rianra, and many of the surrounding countries.


    ¡°And it is not just Rian. Like I said, there are quite a few good Orthodoxies in the world, and even the Union is also a good opportunity for the Wanderers not from the Orthodoxies. You will learn things like this later, especially when you start roaming the world, and interacting with the different Orthodoxies, and the Union. So do not worry. The world is not as bad a place as you think it is.¡±


    Listening to his master, and her misunderstanding, Alnea did not know how to reply to her. Should he tell her about his strange dreams, and the new memory that he had just gained from it? What if she thought that he was lying? Or worse, what if she believed him, and thought there was something wrong with him? What if after learning about his dreams, she started distancing herself from him, thinking that like how the memories of the other Alnea was coming to him, his memories, too, might be going to the other Alnea? Or maybe someone else from that other world? How could she possibly trust him after that?


    ¡°...You are right, master,¡± Alnea said, lowering his head to hide the shame in his eyes, while his heart started racing for an altogether different reason, bringing with it, a great pain that coursed from his heart, to his veins. All the joy of gaining his own Oathkeeper Style was gone just like that. In his attempt to keep his secret, he had lied to his master. He had broken her trust.


    ¡°You are right¡­¡±


    While he was lamenting in his own self pity, Alnea felt his master¡¯s hand on his head stiffen. She could hear both his heart, and his Heart from a distance. She would of course hear the sound of his muffled sobs when he was so close to her. Maybe she thought that she had been the one who made him cry. After all, he had only cried after she had spoken. No, he had already broken her trust. He could not let her blame herself for him. With that thought, Alnea wiped his eyes and nose, and looked at his master with a smile.


    ¡°I have got a big surprise for you, master.¡±

 Chapter 5: Learning Martial Styles [Part 1]

    In the days following the day that his mother had forced an Oath upon him, Alnea had learned how to fake a smile from her. As such, it did not take much effort on his part to turn from sobbing to smiling with pride. And it was not like everything about his smile, or pride, was fake. He did have reasons to be proud about himself.


    ¡°I have completely mastered the Thousand Arms Style in one day, master,¡± Alnea said. ¡°Now you don¡¯t have to brag about some other kid. Instead, you can tell everyone that your disciple is the most talented Seed you have ever seen.¡±


    ¡°Is that so,¡± his master said with a stiff smile. ¡°So, you mastered its third level? Good. At this rate you will be able to Master the other Martial Styles in time as well. You must have worked hard.¡±


    ¡°No master,¡± Alnea said, shaking his head. ¡°Not the third level. But the sixth level. I have gained a basic mastery of the Thousand Arms Style like you asked me to. Now, I can perfectly control all the muscles, and in turn, all the strength in my arms.¡± Saying so, he took out the scroll of the Thousand Arms Style, and put it on the table, before adding, ¡°I don¡¯t need this anymore.¡±


    In a matter of just moments, the stiffness spread from his master¡¯s smile to her entire face, making it obvious that she was finding it hard to believe his words. That made Alnea feel a little happy about himself, giving a little more substance to his half fake smile. Still, the way his master kept staring at him made him a little nervous, making him shift uncomfortably in his seat.


    He wondered if she would be able to figure out his secrets from just the way he mastered the Martial Style so abruptly. Maybe he should have held himself back a little, and taken another day before telling his master about suddenly gaining mastery over the Martial Style, he thought. But then, would that not mean that his master would have still kept on bragging about the other kid?


    No, Alnea declared to himself. He could not let that happen. Besides, he had already lied to his master once, unless absolutely necessary, he did not wish to lie to her again. And hiding his ¡®talent¡¯ with Martial Style, at least with Auxiliary type of Martial Styles that focussed on his body, was not necessary. Especially so if it meant that his master would stop bragging about the other kid. And it would be even better if she would brag about him instead. Just thinking about that made all his hesitations disappear, as he waited for his master to react.


    ¡°Show me,¡± his master said after a while.


    Alnea did as his master asked, going directly into the postures of the sixth level of the Thousand Arms Style, showing a perfect control of his arm¡¯s strength. Seeing his performance, his master had no choice but to believe his words. Yet that also prompted her to call him over to herself, and touch the different parts of his arms, while asking him to continue displaying the sixth level postures of the Thousand Arms Style.


    ¡°You really gave me a big surprise, Alnea,¡± his master said after a while, with a solemn look on her face, motioning for Alnea to stop displaying the Thousand Arms Style.


    ¡°Did you not like the surprise, master?¡±


    ¡°Why would I not like the fact that my disciple is a genius?¡± his master said, with her solemn look turning into a wry smile. ¡°If my reactions are a little stiff, then it is only because I am still processing what I just saw. Last evening, before going back home, you were struggling with the second level of the Thousand Arms Style, and just a night later, you have mastered up to the sixth level of the Martial Style. This is really too big of a surprise to me.¡±


    ¡°...I don¡¯t know how it happened either, master,¡± Alnea said, being forced to lie once again. ¡°Somehow, after I mastered the second level of the Thousand Arms Style last night, its later levels did not feel as complicated to me. So, trusting my instincts, I tried doing them one after another, and learned that they were even easier than I had thought. I just had to do them once, and I was able to master all of them. It was as if the Martial Style had opened up all its secrets to me. I thought that it was because I was a genius, but now that you are saying it, I too think that this came about too abruptly. Is everything alright with me, master?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry,¡± his master said. ¡°I can think of a few reasons why such a thing happened to you. Maybe your compatibility with the Thousand Arms Style is higher than I thought. Or it might be because of a few other reasons. In any case, there is nothing wrong with you. You did a good job. But you must not get overconfident. Just because you mastered one Martial Style so easily, does not mean that you will be able to master all of them with just as much ease. There are still seven more Martial Styles you have to master, and only thirteen days left, so you have to give it your best.¡±


    ¡°I understand, master,¡± Alnea said. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I will not let you down.¡± And to himself, he added, ¡®I will not break your trust¡¯.


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    ¡°I am not worried about you letting me down¡­ Forget it. Let us move on to the next Martial Style.¡±


    ¡°Yes, master,¡± Alnea said, and handed over the scroll of the Thousand Arms Style back to his master, who then put it back into her ¡®Dimensional Pocket¡¯, before taking out another scroll from it, and giving it to Alnea.


    ¡°Three Leg Burst Style?¡± Alnea said, looking at the title of the scroll. ¡°Another Strength specialisation Martial Style, master?¡±


    ¡°This is why I said you should not always focus on the name of the Martial Style,¡± his master said, shaking her head. ¡°The Three Leg Burst Style specialises not in Strength, but in Speed. Of course, even within that specialisation, it has a specialisation of its own, instantaneous movements. In short, it focuses on enhancing the instantaneous speed that a Warrior can burst forth with their legs in a moment. It is quite a nifty Martial Style, that was once again, limited by its creator¡¯s talent, and comprehension.


    ¡°Still, it is something that you can learn a few things from. According to the Martial Style, when completely mastered, it allows its user to burst with three times their speed for a short distance, and either get close to their opponents, or away from them. Of course, that upper limit is only for its creator. For you, you just need to be able to make full use of your legs to burst with all your speed, while controlling the direction, and distance you move.¡±


    ¡°So, it is like the Thousand Arms Style?¡± Alnea asked, looking at the scroll with weird eyes. Hearing the description of the Martial Style, he was having a premonition that he was going to give another ¡®surprise¡¯ to his master. Yet his master took his internal struggle, and his question, as a sign of overconfidence. Though if he thought about it, she was right in a way. And so, he listened to his master, without refuting her words.


    ¡°Just because the effects of the Three Legs Burst Style sound similar to the effects of the Thousand Arms Style, it does not mean that they are similar as well. One of them focuses on our legs, while the other focuses on our arms. Controlling our arms comes more intuitively to us, than controlling our legs does. That may also be one of the factors contributing to the reason why you were able to master the Three Thousand Arm Style so easily.


    ¡°Besides, you have already gotten used to using your legs in a certain way. Making changes in that habit is going to be tough. Especially when the structure of our arms, and legs are completely different, as are their muscles. Furthermore, the essence of the two Martial Styles is completely different. One specialises in Speed, while the other one specialises in Strength. Except for the fact that both of them are of the Auxiliary type of Martial Style, there is nothing in common between them.


    ¡°Even the Aspects that the two Martial Styles were created for are completely different from each other, so the chances of you being compatible with the Three Legs Burst Style, just as you were compatible with the Thousand Arms Style, are quite low. You should treat this Martial Style as a completely new one, and begin practising from the basics.¡±


    Listening to his master¡¯s words, Alnea hesitated a little, thinking whether he should refrain from using his experience of mastering the Thousand Arms Style with the help of the Oathkeeper Style to master the Three Legs Burst Style as well. But when he thought about how that would be akin to deceiving his master, he gave up that thought. He was already lying to her in regard to his dreams, and memories, he did not wish to increase his sins, and burdens anymore. He did not wish to break her trust anymore.


    Furthermore, he did not have time to waste. He was already lagging behind others, and needed to catch up as fast as he could. Thus, he could not afford to lie, and hold himself back. It would surely increase his master¡¯s suspicion, but she had already given him a perfect way to explain his sudden mastery of the Martial Style. Besides, it would make him even more of a prodigy in her eyes, making her forget all about that kid that she was talking about. That thought decided it all.


    Nodding to his master, Alnea opened the scroll, and started going through its contents. As his master had said, the Three Burst Leg was completely different from the Thousand Arms Style, focussing on utilising his muscles for the best instantaneous burst speed, and not on strength, but the way that the Martial Style was divided into different levels, each with increasing difficulty, aimed at ultimately making him get better control of the bursting prowess of his legs, was quite similar to the latter.


    Of course, Alnea did not need to go through all those tedious levels. After glancing through the contents of the scroll, he found that there was another thing common between the Martial Styles. Just like he had guessed, the Martial Style was focussed on controlling the muscles, and ligaments of his legs. As such, he was quite confident of skipping all the way to the last level of the Martial Style that he could master, which was what he exactly did, as he got up from his seat, and started displaying the highest level of the Three Legs Burst Style he could master as a Seed.


    ¡°It looks like I am compatible with this Martial Style as well, master,¡± Alnea said, looking at his master with an awkward smile.


    ¡°Are you trying to be cheeky with me?¡± his master said with a smile, turning his own awkward smile into an awkward laugh.


    ¡°Guess that was a surprise as well.¡±


    His master did not say much to that, as it was indeed a surprise. She just took the scroll from the table, and put it back in her ¡®Pocket Dimension¡¯, replacing it with another one of the eight scrolls that she had taken out yesterday.


    ¡°This is Five River Flow Style, a Martial Style specialising in Defence. And though it is just a Lowest Grade Martial Style, it is one of the better ones in its Grade, much better than the other two that you mastered before. Those two were based on action oriented Aspects, while this one is based on an element oriented Aspect. There is even a certain hint of a concept of flowing water in its movements. Consequently, it is a little more difficult to master than the other two. Still, considering your performance, I guess you should be able to master it in fo¨Ctwo days.¡±

 Chapter 5: Learning Martial Styles [Part 2]

    Hearing his master¡¯s description of the Martial Style, Alnea thought that mastering this Five River Flow Style would be a little more difficult than the other two Martial Style. After all, this Martial Style was not based on controlling his body¡¯s strength like the other two, or so he thought, as he opened the scroll, and glanced through it.


    The principle of the Five River Flow Style was to let his movements flow like a river, ultimately using the opponent¡¯s strength against them. The requirements for his body¡¯s movements, and his control over them, was much higher than what the previous two Martial Styles had asked of him. To make proper use of the Martial Style, his movements had to be smooth, and fluid, guiding the attacks of his opponents, deflecting them away from him.


    When mastered completely, and used in conjunction with compatible water element Aspects, the Martial Style could allow Warriors to defend against a force five times greater than their own. And it was not just physical attacks that the Martial Style could help defend against, but ranged attacks as well, unless the elements of the ranged attack would counter the Martial Style. Even in that case, the defence would only fall slightly, and not by much.


    With such great capabilities, there was no denying the fact that the Five River Flow Style was one of the better Lowest Grade Martial Styles. And much harder to practise than the other Lowest Grade Martial Style. Yet as he saw the description of the Martial Style, and how to train for it, Alnea felt a little awkward in his situation. Although it did not focus on controlling the strength of his body like the other two, the Martial Style still emphasised on mind body coordination, another thing that the Oathkeeper Style had given him quite an experience of.


    Still, he was not sure how much of the Five River Flow Style he would be able to master just based on that experience alone. After all, the Martial Style really was different from the other two he had mastered. So not letting the awkward emotion, or the excitement take hold of him, Alnea started with the lowest level moves of the Martial Styles. And in just a few moments, after completing the first of those movements, he knew that he had already mastered that level.


    As such, he followed on with the moves of the next level, moving on to an even higher level after practising them for just a few moments, which once again, he seemingly mastered in just one try. In the end, he reached the limit of what he was physically capable of learning, after which, he took a furtive glance at his master, and gulped in hesitation.


    ¡°Surprise?¡± Alnea said, while his master looked at him in annoyance.


    Maybe he really was getting a little too cheeky, he thought. The way she was looking at him at the moment reminded him of the times his mother glanced at him when she usually got annoyed with him. Not surprisingly, her looks were almost always followed by a session of scolding. Sometimes, she even twisted his ear and smacked him on his head. An annoying habit of his mother, which he had thought that she would get rid of when he would become a Seed, yet she still continued treating him like that.


    He was not a child anymore! He was going to become the greatest Wanderer, and demanded some respect from his mother. Unfortunately, he could not convey that to her. He was too scared of what would ensue after that. Maybe he would have to become a proper Wanderer, a False Wanderer, like his father had been, to get the respect he deserved.


    Till then, he would have to deal with his mother as he had always dealt with her, by acting cutely with her. Though he hated doing that, survival instinct was a thing that forced miracles out of people. And that same survival instinct was telling him that at the moment, to calm his master, he had to¡­ do absolutely nothing. Even before he could think of doing anything, the annoyance in his master¡¯s eyes was already gone, replaced by a strange, and curious light, as she got lost in her thoughts. After a while, she once again replaced the scroll on the table with a scroll from her ¡®Dimensional Pocket¡¯.


    ¡°This is Martial Style specialising in Agility, Thousand Thoughts a Moment,¡± his master said, as she placed the scroll on the table. ¡°As the name implies, the Warrior who created this Martial Style envisioned using his Aspects to gain the ability to react to a thousand attacks simultaneously. But just like the creator of the Thousand Arms Style, the Warrior overreached for himself.


    ¡°The Warrior¡¯s talent and comprehension limited the Martial Style to Three Thoughts a Moment. That is too inefficient a use of Aspects. A False Warrior with good foundations would be able to do that without the help of any Martial Styles, let alone a True Martial Warrior. That is why this is considered a Failed Grade Martial Style. But for you, this should be enough.¡±


    ¡°A Failed Grade Martial Style? But weren¡¯t the Martial Styles that you took out yesterday all of the Lowest Grade?¡±


    ¡°They were,¡± his master said, ¡°but I need to check something, so I replaced the previous Martial Styles with this this one.¡±


    ¡°What are you checking, master?¡±


    ¡°You will know soon enough,¡± his master said. ¡°Follow the instructions in the scroll, and see how far you can master this Martial Style. Let us see if you can surprise me once again.¡±


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    ¡°Yes Master,¡± Alnea said, following the instructions of his master, and opened the scroll to study its contents. The core concept of the Martial Style was increasing his reactionary abilities through his mind and body coordination, just like the Five River flow Style. But unlike the creator of the Five River Flow Style, the Warrior who had created the Thousand Thoughts a Moment had not been able to incorporate his Aspects into his Martial Style. Maybe his Aspects were incompatible with his ideas, Alnea thought.


    He had read about it the notes and scrolls his master had given him in the past few months that trying to create a Martial Style that did not conform to one¡¯s Aspects was the greatest taboo for Warriors. That was also the reason why condensing Aspect Ocean was the restriction for creating Martial Styles. Only when Warriors have completed forming their Aspect Oceans, would the core of their Aspects be finalised. Creating their Martial Styles before that happened made no sense, as it would most probably result in deviating from their Aspects, rendering it practically useless, like the Martial Style in front of him.


    As he read through the scroll detailing the Martial Style, and how to practise it, Alnea started to find the similarities between the Thousand Thoughts a Moment Style, and the Five River Flow Style. Although they went about it differently, their essence was the same, coordinating between his mind, and his body. Maybe he really would be able to give his master a surprise, Alnea thought, as he closed his eyes, and started following the descriptions of the scroll.


    The first step was to focus within himself, and then try splitting his mind into two, which would allow him to do two things at the same time. He did not have to do those tasks perfectly. At the beginning, he just had to try splitting his mind into two. The rest would come with practice, or so the scroll had read. Accordingly, Alnea followed its advice, and tried out the exercises of the differing levels of the Thousand Arms Style in both of his hands.


    In the beginning, he encountered some difficulties in controlling the movements of his hands as he wished, but as he gradually acquainted himself with the process of dividing his mind, he soon learned that it was not as hard as he had thought. Rather, doing things in this way felt more interesting, and fun. Maybe, if he tried, he could do even more, he thought, and immediately afterwards, acted on that thought.


    ¡°...I seem to have reached the level of Four Thoughts a Moment, master,¡± Alnea said with an awkward smile after confirming his limits. ¡°Surprise?¡±


    His master chose to ignore his useless comment, and took the scroll back from the table, replacing it with four more scrolls from her ¡®Dimensional Pocket¡¯. ¡°Here,¡± she said, as she placed them on the table. ¡°Try them next.¡±


    ¡°Four at once, master?¡±


    ¡°Do you want me to constantly keep on swiping them, as you continue mastering them within moments?¡±


    ¡°...I will start practising then.¡±


    The four scrolls that his master had taken out were naturally the Martial Styles of the remaining four specialisations; Stamina, Stealth, Sensory, and Auxiliary. And as he read through them, Alnea realised that these four were all much more biased towards the usage of Aspects, than the ones before them had been. As such, their basic requirement, the part which he could master, was not as difficult to accomplish as that of the other four Martial Styles had been.


    Without even trying them out, Alnea was sure that he could easily master all four of the Martial Styles. They just seemed a little too easy. Especially the Stamina specialisation Martial Style. It just focussed on running, and how to efficiently maintain his speed, something that he had been doing for months under the guidance of his dreams. In a way, the Oathkeeper Style covered that part too.


    Of the other three, Alnea spent most of his time on the Stealth specialisation Martial Style. Its basic requirements, the one he had to master, were to stop all his motions, and lower his heartbeat and breath to a certain level. At first, he had thought that the mastering the Martial Style might take some effort, but when he tried the moves described in the scroll, his experience with the Oathkeeper Style came in handy once again, helping him easily achieve the basic mastery level.


    Unfortunately for him, that was not the end of the Martial Style, as its scroll came with a lot of extra knowledge of the things that he had to take care of while trying to hide his presence, and other little titbits, which Alnea found unnecessarily excessive for a Lowest Grade Martial Style. Whether it was because of his Oath though, or the watchful eyes of his master, he had no choice but to spend some time memorising all of that knowledge.


    Then there was the Sensory specialisation Martial Style, which required him to practise by closing off all of his senses, except one, and training the sensitivity of that sense to a certain level, before moving on to the next. It could have been easier if he had had access to his Spirit, but the effect of his Oathkeeper Style proved sufficient for him to gain a basic mastery in just a short while.


    That left him with just the last one of the eight Martial Styles he had to master, one specialising in Auxiliary functions. Self recovery, to be particular. Although the Martial Style did not have any face moves or effects, just its function of speeding up recovery made it the most valuable of the eight Martial Styles. Unfortunately, out of the eight Martial Styles, it was also the one which was the most reliant on Aspects.


    As such, Alnea was doomed to not be able to make much use of the Martial Style until he reached the False Rank. On the positive side, not being able to use Aspects also lowered the difficulty of the Martial Style, making it the Martial Style with the least requirements to master. All he needed to do was regulate his blood flow according to his wishes, which he did by directing his muscles according to his wishes, of which he had gained an impeccable control.


    And so, the last of the eight Martial Styles was completely mastered before he had even had his breakfast. Although he had expected it when he had mastered four Martial Styles one after another, completing his Oath in such a short time still came as a pleasant surprise to him. What was even more surprising was the pleasant feeling of the broken chains of his Oath, melting into his Spirit, and driving forth its growth, bringing him something that he had long been anticipating. The breakthrough of his Spirit Power.

 Chapter 6: A disciples concerns [Part 1]

    The moment Alnea finished familiarising himself with the process of directing his blood flow, the chains of his Oath, existing on a plane beyond his cognition, shattered into tiny, illusory fragments, which then further disintegrated into even tinier pieces, before submerging into his Spirit, flooding it with a cool and refreshing sensation. And with the sensation came the usual growth of his Spirit Power. Except, this time the growth was a little more than usual.


    Growing his Spirit Power by taking, and completing Oaths, it was a unique method of training his Spirit which he had inadvertently discovered around four months ago. Ever since then, he had been taking Oaths frantically, whenever and however he could, all in pursuit of increasing his Spirit Power. In pursuit of the path to the greatest Wanderer. Unfortunately, things were not as simple as he had first taken them to be.


    Increasing his Spirit Power from the first Level to the Second Level had taken him only a week or so. That was around ten units¡¯ worth of growth, including breaking through a bottleneck, which he never even noticed. In the second week though, his Spirit Power increased by only six units. And that growth slowed down even more in the following weeks. Higher levels of Spirit Power naturally require greater effort to increase, but Alnea believed that the inefficiency of his Oaths was a problem as well.


    The effect of his Oaths on his Spirit Power was directly proportional to the difficulty of those Oaths. The greater the difficulty, the greater the increase in his Spirit Power would be. However, the level of difficulty was reflected not only in the Oaths themselves, but in his ability to keep them as well. With his master¡¯s strict standards, along with his own persistent efforts, his abilities were increasing at rate that he had once not even dared to imagine.


    So, it was not surprise to him that the Oaths, which were once difficult enough to threaten his life, became just routine exercises for him. And since they were just routine exercises, just how much could those contribute to the growth of his Spirit Power? A unit in ten days? Twenty days? Even just repeatedly exhausting his Spirit Power would give him better growth rate, probably.


    In any case, whether he admitted it or not, the fact was that slowly, but surely, his Oaths were beginning to have lesser, and lesser effect on his Spirit Power. And if left things be, a time was bound to come when his Oaths would stop affecting his Spirit altogether. Unless, of course, he took riskier Oaths for himself. Oaths, which would be difficult enough to threaten his life.


    However, thinking of such Oaths was not easy. Especially since what he was looking for was not an Oath that he could take only once, but an Oath that he could repeatedly. To make matter worse, he did not even have much time to himself. Most of his time was spent with his master, while the rest was evenly divided between revising what he had already learnt and keeping company to his mother.


    Taking risky Oaths in front of his master on a regular basis was out of the question, and neither could he take them in front of his mother. Then all that he was left with was the time when he usually polished his foundation by himself. Revising what he had learnt, doing some simple exercise, and running on the streets. The Oaths he took while doing those things was already risky enough as it was, if he went a bit further, then he would really be signing his life off to the Origin Sea. But¡­


    There were times, when even if he was not sure of his Oaths, he still had to take them. To become the greatest Wanderer¡­ and to master the eight Martial Styles in two weeks. Even if it meant putting his life on the line, he did not regret taking those Oaths. One was for his conviction, and the other was for his pride. He was Alnea Oathkeeper, the man who would become the greatest Wanderer of all. How could he accept his master praising other people in front of him?


    To make matters worse, the object of his master¡¯s praise was some kid half his age. How could he accept that? She was his master. All her praises should be reserved for him. And so, he had decided to show it to his master, who was better, he or some ignorant kid. And since he was going to make a point, then he had to take his Oath to show his determination. If he could not even do that, then what would the point of his Roots be?


    Even the fact that the Thousand Arms Style had been giving him quite some trouble the day before had not dissuaded him from that viewpoint. Rather, the more difficult things got, the more determined he felt to complete his Oath. Because only then, would he be able to prove to himself, to his master, that he had not been wasting his time over the last few months. That slowly, but surely, he was catching up to the Seeds from the Orthodoxies.


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    Still, he could not deny that he had been worried about his Oath. After all, determination alone was not enough to complete his Oath. Thankfully, courtesy to his already strange dreams turning even stranger, his determination had soon turned into confidence. Thus, the cool, and refreshing feeling spreading through his Spirit was something that he had already expected. What he had not expected though, was experiencing the growth of his Spirit Power once again.


    It had been around four months since Alnea officially began ¡®training¡¯ his Spirit. In that time, he had already experienced four bottlenecks in the growth of his Spirit Power. The first one was just a nominal bottleneck, which he had not even felt. The second bottleneck did obstruct the growth of his Spirit Power, but only for half a week. The third bottleneck, on the other hand, had halted his growth for whole two weeks. As for his fourth bottleneck, he had been stuck at it for a nearly a month, and yet, had experienced no signs of breakthrough.


    The greater the Spirit Power, the harder it was to increase. That was not just a phrase, but a fact that Alnea had personally experienced. With the decreasing efficiency of his Oaths added into the mix, it was as if he was experiencing all doors closing on him once again. If his Oaths really failed to increase in his Spirit Power one day¡­


    There would be no such day, Alnea thought with a smile spreading across his face, as he turned to face his master. ¡°I did it!¡± he said. ¡°Eight Martial Styles¡­ I have mastered all of them, master. And my Spirit! I can feel it. My Spirit Power has finally reached the Fifth Level. With this, I am growing closer and closer to the day that my Spirit becomes strong enough to break this ring on its own.¡±


    ¡°I could feel it too,¡± his master said. ¡°I knew that your Roots were special, and that keeping your Oaths could increase your Spirit Power. In fact, I have always felt it when your Oaths had helped you grow your Spirit Power before, so logic dictates that I should not be surprised by it. And that I should focus more on the fact that you mastered seven different Martial Styles to your limits as a Seed in a span of less than a couple of hours. Yet, I cannot help, but be drawn back to the growth of your Spirit Power. How long has it been since it reached a bottleneck?¡±


    ¡°...Roughly around twenty five to twenty seven days. I don¡¯t exactly remember.¡±


    ¡°Twenty five days,¡± his master said. ¡°Your Spirit Power reached the limit of the Fourth Level exactly twenty five days ago. And yet, you broke through its bottleneck in just twenty five days. This is breaking all sorts of common sense.¡±


    ¡°Is it really that unusual that my Spirit Power has grown, master?¡±


    ¡°This is no longer just about the growth of your Spirit Power, or the rate at which it has been growing. Although the rate at which your Spirit Power is growing is remarkably fast, it cannot be said to be too remarkable. At best, it is comparable to Seeds training their Spirits with one of the better Perfect Grade Arcanas. It is not enough to surprise me. The fact that your Spirit Power so abruptly broke through its bottleneck, however, is very concerning.¡±


    ¡°What is so concerning about that, master?¡± Alnea said, unable to understand what his master was worried about, and why she was not more excited for him. ¡°Rather, my breakthrough has come a little later than I had expected it to. My Spirit Power has been stuck at the bottleneck to the Fifth Level for twenty five days already. This is the longest my Spirit Power has been stuck at a bottleneck. I was beginning to worry if my Oaths had lost all their effects. Thankfully, the Oath about the Martial Styles did its job, and helped me break through this bottleneck.¡±


    ¡°Have you forgotten the most basic of the rules of the growth of Spirit Power?¡± his master said, shaking her head. ¡°The higher a Wanderer¡¯s Spirit Power grows, the harder it becomes for them to make it increase even more, especially so when they are stuck at bottlenecks. That is why, as Wanderers advance on their paths, they have to keep on changing to higher Rank and Grade of Arcanas with which they practise their Spirit, so that the growth of their Spirit Power can keep up with their progress as Wanderers.


    ¡°The way how your Spirit Power has grown though, is breaking all those rules. According to the rate of your earlier progress, your Spirit Power should have taken another twenty to thirty days to reach that level. Yet as your Spirit Power is increasing, the pace at which it is increasing is increasing as well. Something just does not add up.¡±


    ¡°I think I know the answer to that, master,¡± Alnea said with a smug smile. ¡°It is because the harder it is for me to keep my Oaths, the more rewarding it is for my Spirit Power when I truly complete them.¡±


    ¡°...I understand that logic as well,¡± his master said, shaking her head, letting out a wry smile at his own smug smile. ¡°But if you say that the Oath to master the Martial Styles was very difficult for you to keep, then how did you complete it before even one tenth of the stipulated time has passed?¡±


    ¡°That¡­ I¡­¡±

 Chapter 6: A disciples concerns [Part 2]

    Alnea fumbled, trying to find words to weave them into an excuse, as all the smugness from his face was replaced by shame, and a hidden guilt.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know why it happened like this. Maybe because it was the first time that I was practising Martial Styles.¡±


    Once again, he was lying to his master. Once again, he was breaking her trust. Even though he had already decided to never do that just a short while ago, he was doing it once again. He was disappointing her, once again. And it looked like she knew it as well, for she kept staring at him in silence. In the end, she made up her mind about something, and got up from her seat. For the first since he had seen her, she got up from her seat. And even though she did not use her hands to keep her robe straight, it still kept flowing down her shoulders in the most elegant way Alnea had seen anyone carry their robes.


    ¡°I have some matters to attend to, so I need to go out for a while. I will be back shortly. Till then, you can have your breakfast.¡±


    Saying so, his master did not wait for his reply, and walked towards the doors of the hall, while Alnea kept watching her in a daze. Her pristine white robe, perfectly hiding her feet beneath its hems and folds, kept fluttering along with her steps in such a way that it looked as if she was not even walking, but floating inches above the ground, sliding across the hall. And she slid with the same grace that she had stood up with, the same grace that Alnea had always seen her hold herself with, a grace of inviolable majesty.


    Wherever she went, even the air itself gave way to her presence, bowing to her commands in a way that even the retainers of the Lotus clan did not bow to them. Even the doors of the hall opened on their own for her, illuminating her¨C No, the light was not illuminating her, she was illuminating the light, just as she illuminated the world outside the hall, brightening it up with her presence. So grand was her presence, that Alnea wondered, if she ever went out at night, would she turn it into a day?


    Unfortunately, his own day soon turned into a darkness darker than even that darkest of nights, as he finally came to his senses when his master was long gone, and saw her empty seat. It was the first time he had seen his master go anywhere out the hall. Or rather, it was the first he had seen her anywhere but at her seat. He had, at one point, even wondered if she lived here, in the Fourth Glyph Repository of the Central Academy.


    Yet, his master, who had always been at her seat, either teaching him, or meditating, had gone out of the hall for the first time, just after he had lied to her. Was it a coincidence, or was it because she had seen through his lies, and was too disgusted to be near him? Was she going to abandon him? Like his father, was she going to leave him too? He would not blame her if she did that. She had given him her full trust, and yet he had broken that trust by not only hiding things from her, but also by lying to her. And not just once. But¡­


    She was his master. How could she leave him like this? When he had felt as if the whole world, except Cecilia, was against him, she was the one who had come forth to help him. She had been the one who promised him to make him have a foundation not lacking to anyone in the world. Was she going to break her promise?


    No, it was not even about the promise anymore. After all, he had also told her that he would never break her trust. Yet from the very beginning, he had always been hiding things from her, and had kept breaking her trust. If she really did break her promise, then how could he blame her for that? It was all because of him. All because he¡­


    Memories of the times he had spent together with his master kept flashing in his mind. Like how she would smile and nod whenever he would give her a correct answer. And even if he went wrong at times, she would not scold him, or be disappointed in him. She would instead correct him patiently, and make sure that he would never be wrong again. And when he tried to be cheeky with her, she would flick his forehead, or rub his head. Her gentle and warm touch on his head whenever she did that, still remained fresh in his mind.


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    She was his master. And he was her disciple. Unknowingly, even though he had not been with her for long, she had already become an inseparable part of his life. A part, which he could not live without. A part, which he needed to find, and hold on to, with the intention of never letting go. He could not let her leave him. Without her, he would be all alone. No, he could not just sit like that. He had to¡­


    Restraining his urge to run after his master, Alnea took out his breakfast with his shaking hands, and ate it. And in the chaos of his Heart, he tasted nothing. There was nothing more he wished to do at the moment, other than running after his master. But he did not know where she was. And she had told him that she would come back in a while. He had already failed her trust once. He was not going to break it once again.


    That was what Alnea kept telling himself, as he ate his tasteless breakfast, waiting for his master to come back, like she had said she would. And that wait kept going on even after he had completed his breakfast. But there was nothing else he could do. Putting the lunch box back in his bag, he kept waiting, like he had been told to. Just as he kept waiting for his father to come, keep his promise, he kept waiting for his master to come, and keep her words as well. But just as his father never came, his master did not come either.


    Yet he still kept waiting, living an entire day in every moment that passed in his wait. And he kept waiting until his master finally came back, floating back to her seat with the same grace that she had left.


    ¡°It took a little longer than expected,¡± his master said, but Alnea did not care. The moment that he saw his master, he was not able to stop himself anymore, plunging himself into her embrace.


    ¡°I was wrong, master,¡± Alnea said in a cracked, and hoarse voice, developed from his incessant sobbing in his wait. ¡°I was wrong. I will never do it again. Please don¡¯t leave me, master. I don¡¯t want to be alone anymore. Please¡­¡±


    Alnea felt his master¡¯s gentle hand caressing his head, but that did not assuage his fears. He could not lose her. ¡°I promise that I will be even more diligent,¡± he said, ignoring the heavy pressure that the new Oath, and its chains brought him. But he could not ignore the stiffening of his master¡¯s hands on his head. Was she really going to leave?


    ¡°I will become the greatest Wanderer, your best disciple, and I will make you proud. I promise. So please don¡¯t leave me, master. Please¡­¡±


    ¡°Silly disciple,¡± his master said, finally stopping him in his sobs. ¡°Did I not tell you to be careful with your Oaths?¡±


    ¡°I will,¡± Alnea said hastily. She did tell him that, and he should have listened to her. Was that why she was leaving him? No, it was still not too late. She had yet to leave him. He could still stop her. He just had to take another Oath. Another promise. But he could not look at her. He was too scared for that. So, he kept his face buried in her robe, as he nodded along with her words.


    ¡°I will. I will always be careful with my promises from now on. I pr¨C


    Unfortunately, before Alnea could finsh his words, and make his promise to convince his master, she deprived him of his voice.


    ¡°You are not just silly, but stupid as well,¡± his master said in an irritated voice, making him feel more fearful of her leaving him. And that prompted him to hug her even more securely, refusing to let go at any cost. Yet, in the end, he was still just a Seed, not even a Wanderer. His grip could never hold on against his master¡¯s gentle, yet firm hands. Pulling him out of her embrace, she looked at his tear stained face with a stern gaze.


    ¡°Is this how you prove that you will be careful with your promises? By making another reckless promise?¡±


    Alnea shook his head in fear. He did not know why he had done that, or how he should respond. His plans did not account for making her angry with him. Did his actions push her away from him once again? What was he supposed to do? How could he make her stay?

 Chapter 6: A disciples concerns [Part 3]

    Looking at his frantic face, and his hysterical sobs, his master sighed, and shook her head. Retracting her right hand from him, she pointed to her right, where she opened her ¡®Dimensional Pocket¡¯ once again, and took out a with coloured pouch, a little larger than the size of a scroll, from it, which she kept hovering by her side, before she looked at him.


    ¡°I am not leaving you, Alnea,¡± his master said. ¡°Although Oaths may not be my Roots, I still take my promises very seriously. I am not going anywhere until I see to it that you have the best foundations in the world. Now, I will restore your voice to you, but you will not proceed by making another reckless promise. Is that clear?¡±


    Hearing that his master was not leaving for the moment, Alnea wiped his eyes, and nose on his sleeves, even as he continued sobbing, and nodding to his master.


    ¡°Good, then take your seat,¡± his master said, as she released his voice.


    ¡°...I am sorry, master.¡±


    ¡°You can be so silly at times,¡± his master said, shaking her head. ¡°Do you remember what I had said to you before I gave you the Failed Grade Martial Style specialising in Agility?¡±


    ¡°...You said that you wanted to see if I could surprise you.¡±


    ¡°...You can be really dense when it comes to noticing the important details,¡± his master said. ¡°I said that I needed to check something, so I switched the Martial Style to a Failed Grade one. Do you remember that?¡±


    ¡°...I do.¡±


    ¡°But I never told you what I was checking, did I?¡±


    ¡°...No, no you did not,¡± Alnea said. ¡°What were you checking, master?¡±


    ¡°I was checking what kind of Martial Styles you are compatible with,¡± his master said. ¡°I am almost certain that your compatibility with all the Martial Styles of the Auxiliary type that involves the use of your body is very high. But there are many kinds of the Auxiliary type of Martial Styles. I still need to do more tests to understand how deep your compatibility with those kinds of Martial Styles goes.


    ¡°And as for the other types, we will have to wait for the time when you break free of the restraints on your Spirit. But we cannot waste our time till then. Since we know that your compatibility with the Auxiliary type of Martial Styles is high, we need to make the best use of it. Unfortunately, I had not prepared the requisite Martial Styles for those kinds of tests beforehand, as I had not thought that I would need them.


    ¡°That was why I had to leave for a while. Not because I am leaving you. I had just gone out to get the Martial Styles that are needed for those tests. Besides, you have already mastered the eight Martial Styles to your limits. If I had not left to bring more Martial Styles, what were you going to do all day?¡±


    ¡°...I am sorry for thinking that you were leaving me, master,¡± Alnea said, bowing down, and biting his lips. Why did he not think it through? Why did he have to act on his whims? Did that worry her? It surely did inconvenience her. Was she disappointed in him?


    ¡°I apologise for behaving like that.¡±


    ¡°Look at me, Alnea,¡± his master said, and he obeyed, expecting to see a frown on her stern, and disappointed face. Instead, he saw a proud face, beaming at him with a smile.


    ¡°You are the most talented Seed I have ever seen, Alnea, and I am not saying this just to please you, or console you. Even though it was just basic mastery, you mastered seven Martial Styles in just a couple of hours. And I would be lying if I say that I did not think that there may be a secret behind your sudden compatibility with the Martial Styles, but you do not have to worry. I will not ask you about them.


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    ¡°All Wanderers have a few secrets of their own. But no matter what that secret may be, it does not diminish your own talent, Alnea, and the fact that you are the most talented Seed I have seen. And it is not just talent, but your Roots as well. They are stronger than the Roots of most of the Wanderers I have ever met, and I have met many Wanderers, even those with special Roots, like yours, yet none of their Roots could defy common sense, like yours.


    ¡°You have strong Roots, and a talent that scant few have, yet you work harder than everyone else, and you never stop. No matter how many days pass by, the conviction within you keeps burning as brightly as it had when I first met you. You have all the qualities necessary to become a great Wanderer, Alnea. And if you keep up with your hard work, one day, you really may become the greatest Wanderer. You are already the best disciple that I could ever hope to have. So why would I ever think of leaving you?¡±


    ¡°I¡­ I thought¡­¡±


    ¡°Have a little trust in me, silly disciple,¡± his master said, rapping him on his head with her knuckles, allowing Alnea to have an excuse to lower his head to hide his blush. ¡°Now, pick up the table that you knocked aside. Since you have already made a promise to be more diligent, then we have to make sure that you really are more diligent.¡±


    Listening to his master¡¯s words, Alnea obediently picked up the table, and set it back to its place, before he looked at his master¡¯s smile. He had a feeling that her smile was a little different from her usual ones, but he did not pay much attention to that. As long as his master would not leave him, he was fine with whichever way she smiled. All her smiles were radiant enough to light up his world anyway.


    While he was marvelling at his master¡¯s smile, the white pouch that had been hovering by his master¡¯s side floated down onto the table, drawing his attention to it. It was a rather big pouch, a little larger than the average size of a scroll, with a pattern of a couple of green thorny vines, and a red rose, woven into it. And they somehow managed to weave their way into his eyes, mesmerising him for a few moments, until he saw the strings of pouch, tying its mouth, untangling themselves on their own.


    ¡°As I had said earlier,¡± his master said, breaking Alnea out from his daze, and bringing his attention to herself, ¡°we need to make the best use of your affinity with the Auxiliary type of Martial Styles, while also testing your compatibility with all of its different kinds of Martial Styles. Thus, I have decided to let you try out a few sets of Auxiliary type of Martial Styles of the Lowest, Low, and the Intermediate Grade of all eight specialisations.¡±


    His master paused, and pointed to the pouch on the table, before continuing. ¡°We will begin with the Lowest Grade Martial Styles. There are ninety nine sets of the eight specialisations of the Martial Styles in this bag, with each Martial Style going about its specialisation in its own unique way. Let us see how long you take to master them.¡±


    ¡°This pouch?¡± Alnea asked, staring at the bag with an incredulous expression. ¡°This small pouch has ninety nine sets of Martial Styles? That¡¯s nearly eight hundred scrolls!¡±


    ¡°Did you forget about the storage devices that I told you about before?¡± his master said. ¡°This bag is exactly such a storage device that I once used in my younger days. Although it is not of top quality, it is barely passable, and barely qualified enough to store miscellaneous things, like some scrolls.¡±


    ¡°It is a Glyph Device¡­ then does that mean that even I can use it, master?¡±


    ¡°...Have you forgotten about the restrictions on your Spirit? How are you going to supply Oren to the Glyphs? And even if your Spirit was restricted, do you think that your Spirit would be powerful enough to supply Oren to a True Ranked Glyph, or bear its manifestation of Mysteries?¡±


    ¡°...I will get back to practising the Martial Styles, master,¡± Alnea said, trying to hide his flushed cheeks, as he put his hand into the pouch, and took out the first scroll that came into his hand, while his master kept supplying Oren to the bag to let him access its storage. Soon after, he dove into practising the Martial Styles, mastering them one after another, while his master¡¯s gaze kept getting weirder, and weirder.


    By the end of the day, when he had mastered all eight hundred Lowest Grade Martial Styles of the Auxiliary type to the limits of Seeds, his master was certain that his affinity with Martial Styles, at least with those of the Auxiliary type, was the highest she had ever seen. It was a natural gift, she said. An unprecedented talent.


    Yet he himself knew that it was not his talent, but something that had been granted to him because of the Oathkeeper Style. Despite knowing that, claiming the talent as his own made him feel as if he was lying to her, deceiving her, breaking her trust. That he was breaking his promises with her. That he¡­


    If not for what his master had said earlier about talents, and secrets, then Alnea might not have been able to bear those thoughts. Still, even if he could not tell her about his secrets, he could at least try not to break her trust. No, not try. He would never break her trust. And he would start that by beginning to be more careful with his promises.

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    Kanishka K. Singh

 Prologue: Kindness

    Selfishness. A trait ingrained within the blood and bones of the Orthodoxies. From the way they lived, to even the way they designed their cities, everything about them screamed of selfishness. And it was not just the Orthodoxies themselves. Those living under their rule were just as selfish. Just looking at the mud path around him, covered in dirt and stones, trying to stab any and all who might try walking over them, was enough to explain how selfish these people were.


    They themselves lived in houses of burnt bricks and wood, stable enough to withstand earthquakes, while just a few streets away from them, their brethren lived in in tiny, dilapidated houses, housing multiple families at a time, with barely any room for moving around, and on the verge of collapse. It was only because they supported the Orthodoxies that those vile people could perpetuate their lies and blasphemies.


    It was not entirely their fault though. After all, they had never been exposed to the truth of the world. The truth of the Orthodoxies. Those vile people¡­ They knew not what kindness was, only seeking pleasure in their degeneracy, willing to do anything to perpetuate their lies. Even committing blasphemy. If not for the preachings of his Supreme Lord, he would not even have bothered trying to explain his kindness to such people. However, that did not mean that his blood was not boiling.


    Just next to him, on the side of the mud road, were the open drains of the city, if they could even be called as that. Carrying all the filth, and the stench from the core and inner cities, the drains also carried with them pieces of leftover food, mixed, and contaminated with the filth they were floating in. Yet, for the people of the outer city, it was the main source of their food. One they were willing to kill for. Fights would break out over just a small piece of bread, stained with human excreta, which more often than not, ended up with a couple of bodies being added to the flow of the drains.


    And that was just a small part of the tragedy that these people had to bear. These Rootless people, who were not even given the chance to connect with the Origin Sea¡­ To not even understand what true kindness meant. Without any fault of their own, they were thrust into the lair of evil just because of the virtue of their birth. Just because of the selfishness of a few.


    With such tragedy¡­ such evil spreading in the air, how could he remain silent? How could he just stay still, and not do anything about it? How could he bear the injustice being wrought upon the world? And so, he moved. And so, blood flowed. It began as a trickle, before it soon formed into a stream, and then a whole river. If not for some constraints, then it might have even turned into an ocean. Nonetheless, a river would do for his purpose.


    Or maybe, a stream would have been enough, he noted, as he noticed the river flowing, mixing with the filth overflowing from the drains, wafting an unpleasant smell through the air, attracting all the flies and insects in the area. But a stream would have been too slow and inefficient for his purpose. And it would not have been enough to bring justice to the world. It would not have been enough to eliminate the evil in the air; to bring out the kindness in the people.


    And so, despite the filth mixing into the river, he did not stop. One step at a time, he walked in that filth-stained river of blood, knowing exactly where to step, and where not to, advancing towards his destination. After all, it was not the first time he was stepping into such a river. At some point in time, all the blood and filth had stopped bothering him. Or maybe, they never bothered him in the first place. It was hard to remember things like that, unnecessary things that would not help him in his sacred mission.


    Not the sacred mission he was executing at the moment, but his eternal sacred mission, to bring peace and justice to the entire world. To let the world bask in the glory of his Almighty Lord, Lord Supreme. For the moment though, he had to focus on his current sacred mission. And so, he walked where the river led him, towards his destination.


    However, even though he walked in the river of blood and filth, the white loose trousers and shirt that he was wearing were spotlessly clean. Even his white cloak, flapping behind him on the vomit inducing wind, had no trace of any filth or blood on it. Even if the clothes that he was wearing were just a disguise, a way to let himself mingle with the people in order to complete his sacred mission, he could not just let himself get stained by all that filth and blood, right?


    Maybe, that would not be too bad of an idea, he thought. At the very least, he would get an excuse to rid himself of the neo-Wanderer clothes that he was wearing. And from the look on the faces of the kind people following behind him, it looked like they did not like his clothes either. Of course, kind as they were, they did not say anything to him, but they did not have to. He could see it on their faces.


    As he had thought, it was the robe that suited him the best. The ungainly, and cumbersome clothes of the neo-Wanderer style were not enough to bring out his true elegance. And the boots, the accursed boots. Blood and filth, he could get used to. But not boots. They just felt too unnatural to him. Yet he had already given his robes up. It did not make sense for him to go about in wooden sandals while donning some shirts and trousers.


    And so, he walked barefooted. It felt like the most natural thing to him. It made him feel a connection with the earth beneath his feet. It made him feel one with the world. And he let himself immerse in the world, sharing everything with it, trying to bear its burden. That did not mean he would share in all of the grime and filth flowing on the ground. That had nothing to do with being one with the world.


    So, he reached into his Aspect Ocean, and stirred one of his Aspects, while calling in Oren from the Origin Sea. The Aspect, one of the many he had command over, like an endless well, devoured all of the Oren being poured into it, before moving towards his feet, creating a small repulsive force around them. Wherever he stepped, all the blood and grime were pushed away from, making way for him to reach the ground unhindered, and let him be one with the world. Let him forget everything, and just be himself¡­


    Not his sacred mission though. As he waded through the river, he did not forget his purpose for coming to the Oronir stained part of the city. There were times when he had actually forgotten his purpose. And had gotten into trouble for it. But this time, he did not. He had made sure that he would not forget it. It was quite easy when he thought about it. He just had to cast a Blood Tracking Arcana, and the river would take him to his destination on its own.


    Blood River Divination it was called. It was quite a nifty Arcana. A kind soul had gifted it to him, after apologising to distract him. It was only a Second Stage, True Rank Arcana, and sometimes, it led him to the wrong people, but that was the fun of it. Ever since he had gotten the Arcana, he did not have to worry about getting scolded for getting distracted in his sacred mission, and delaying it. The kind man, while apologising profusely for his evil deeds, had told him that if he did it enough times, he was sure to get the right person in the end. With such sincere apologies, what else could he do, but accept it with grace?


    Of course, that did not mean that he could let that man be. After all, his sins were too heavy. As such, he had personally cleansed the man of all his sins, and brought him to the embrace of the Supreme Lord. Just thinking about the look of gratification on the man¡¯s face, as he had accepted the grace of the Supreme Lord brought a smile on his face.


    In such a way, he walked with the river, drifting through his pleasant memories, while enjoying the process of subduing the evil. However, after a while, he was forced to stop in tracks, as the river that he was following stopped flowing. Not because he had reached his destination, but because the river was running out of blood. He frowned, and looked back towards the kind humans trudging along behind him.


    ¡°No!¡± yelled one of the humans. She too walked barefoot. As did the rest of them. They did not have the Aspects, or the Arcanas to keep their feet clean, but it looked like they were so engrossed in their quest for being one with the world that they did not even mind the blood and the grim getting on their feet. ¡°Please, spare me! My child is just three years old. She can¡¯t live without me. Spare me!¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to die¡­ Mommy¡­ I don¡¯t want to die¡­ Where are you mommy¡­ Daddy¡­¡±


    ¡°...Rigard, you do it.¡±


    ¡°What are you talking about? Why should I die?¡±


    ¡°Because you are alone and have no family.¡±


    ¡°No! I don¡¯t want to die! I will not¡­¡±


    Knowing his plight, and the need of blood for his Blood Divination Arcana, they had volunteered to help him in his sacred mission. He had found it hard to believe as well. But they were just so moved by him, and his sacred mission, that they could not help volunteering themselves. As such, he was left with no other option but to recognise their dedication, and devotion. Who was he to deny the faith of the others?


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    ¡°You Monster!¡±


    ¡°Beast!¡±


    ¡°You are a Thrall in human skin!¡±


    ¡°Tion would never forgive you!¡±


    ¡°The Gods would never forgive you!¡±


    There were some like this as well. People who were too shy to express their true desires. But he knew them well. He had had a lot of experience with such people. Everywhere he went, he could find such people. They were the ones who were always the first to move to help him with his sacred cause. Just like at the moment. A few of the women, holding their children in their arms, tried to run away from him the moment he looked at them.


    Yet they had barely taken a few steps, when the bonds of wind binding them all together, dug into their necks, separating their head from their bodies. The same thing happened with the children in their arms. They fell onto the river, with their heads and their bodies separated from each other. Such kindly people, he thought. Even though they cried, and begged, and cursed, they were always trying to help him in his sacred mission.


    His sacred mission though, was not easy to fulfil. Blood flowed from the bodies on the ground, replenishing the river, but it was not enough. And so, he reached into the Origin Sea, and called forth Oren into his Spirit. But this time, instead of directing the Oren to the Aspects, or his feet, he directed them to the bodies of the volunteers, those who had given themselves to the river for furthering the great cause. For someone of his calibre, directing Oren out of his body was easy. Oren, flashing in an indistinct light, gathered around the bodies. But it was still under the control of his Spirit, for it was he who had called the Oren.


    The rest was even easier. He just had to use Blood Dissolution; a First Stage, True Rank Arcana given to him by the same kind person who had given him the Blood River Divination. Following the Arcana, he made some adjustments with the way he was handling Oren, causing a First Stage True Mystery to manifest, and further transform the Oren into a red blood like liquid, before he directed the blood like Oren to seep into the bodies on the ground.


    Within moments of his action, the bodies on the ground began melting, transforming into blood themselves, merging into the river. And before he knew it, all the bodies were gone, leaving behind only a few scraps of clothes. On the other hand, the river, replenished to its brim, began overflowing, and once again, moving towards his destination. And he moved along with it, the large chain of shy humans following behind him, cursing and begging for mercy.


    At times, a few of the more shy ones, the ones who did not know how to handle their embarrassment, would try to jump and hug him. How he wished he could hug them back as well. But he could not. He was on a sacred mission. And so, he could only make do by letting them help with the great cause a little earlier than expected, willing the bonds of wind on their neck to squeeze into their flesh, turning their bodies into a part of the river.


    Thus, with the river rejuvenated, he went back on his path following the river as it flowed along the mud road, meandering its way through the closely packed houses. Made from mud, and stretched out sheets of cloths, most of the houses that he came across in his way were empty. Those that were not, only housed people who were too sick, or too weak to move. But that was not a problem. He accepted their help regardless.


    After all, discrimination was one of the greatest sins. In the eyes of the Supreme Lord, all were equal. And he was just a messenger of his Supreme Lord. So, when the people in those houses volunteered to help further the great cause out of their kind will, who was he refuse them?


    ¡°There he is, Captain!¡±


    ¡°We found him!¡±


    ¡°He has at least a hundred hostages.¡±


    At other times, he came across more active volunteers. People who came looking for him, to help him, on their own initiative.


    ¡°It¡¯s the city guards! We are saved!¡±


    ¡°The guards have come to save us!¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, we will save every one of you.¡±


    Dressed in robes of red, blue, yellow, pink, white, and purple, and with their feet in wooden sandals, they looked a little different than his other volunteers.


    ¡°Release them this instant, Heterodox scum. There are ten of us, and you are alone.¡±


    ¡°And our Captain would be coming with more at any moment.¡±


    If he was being honest, he felt a little abhorrence to these people. Or to anyone who followed the lies of evil, the lies of the so called ¡®Gods¡¯. It was fine if they lived in their own illusion, but these evil people went a step further, and also spread the lies that they were living in. Their help was one he could do without.


    ¡°Wait, look at their feet. Is that¡­¡±


    ¡°Iona save us¡­ is all of that really blood? Just how many people did he kill?¡±


    ¡°What should we do?¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s wait for the captain¡­¡±


    The Supreme Lord, however, kind as he was, the kindest of all the Lords, had no discrimination in his eyes. Even if the people in front of him had been deceived, and trapped in an illusion of lies, even if they disrespected his Supreme Lord, the Supreme Lord still forgave them, and accepted them with wide arms. And so, he did the same, opening his arms wide, and walking towards them in his most graceful manner.


    ¡°Captain¡¯s here!¡±


    ¡°Where¡¯s the Heterodox Wanderer?¡±


    ¡°...You can see it yourself, Captain. He is walking towards us¡­¡±


    ¡°Wh¡ª Inkah¡¯s bastard! Stop him!¡±


    ¡°H¨CHow?¡±


    Once he ignored the disgust welling up inside him, and looked at them with the eyes of his Supreme Lord, eyes that held no discrimination in them, he saw through the shyness of these people. Even when they were trapped in the lies that they were living, even when they were being controlled by the evil, from the bottom of their Hearts, they were still willing to help him, to help the great cause. Such kind people they were.


    ¡°Has Optah got your mind? Use all of your Arcanas and Aspects. Don¡¯t hold anything back. Stop him from moving forward at all costs.¡±


    ¡°But he has hostages¡­¡±


    The lies they were living though, was making it hard for them to see through their inner self, through their true self. So, as the messenger of the Supreme Lord, it fell upon him to help them. To make them see past the lies, past their shy self, and see the true inner desires of their Heart. To let them bask in the glory of the Supreme Lord. It was the least he could do for them after they had come all the way here to help him.


    ¡°What are you worried about? They are just the dregs of the outer city. They would have died sooner or later anyway. But we cannot let him move towards the inner city. Use everything that you have got. Don¡¯t care about those behind him.¡±


    However, these were not just random, normal people who were following behind him. These were the Wanderers, who had been trapped in the lies of the evil. Though he had many ways to help them, he could not use most of them. The easiest way would have been to set up a Glyph Array. But his Spirit was not strong enough to do that without any materials on hand. And he was not crazy to use Arcanas on them. They were just some shy people. Although he did not like them, it did mean that he would use any excuse to kill them.


    ¡°No! You can¡¯t do that. Save us!¡±


    ¡°You are the City Guards. You have to protect us!¡±


    ¡°Please¡­ I beg you¡­ at least save my daughter¡­¡±


    They were really good people who had come to help him. People, who were willing to cast aside the evil, the lies they were living, and bask in the glory of the Supreme Lord. Arcanas were out of the question. Maybe, if he had some Arcanas specialising in subduing others, then it would have worked. But he was no Arcanist. He just used the Arcanas that other kind people contributed to the great cause


    ¡°Captain¡­¡±


    ¡°God damn it! I am your Captain. Just shut up, and listen to what I am saying, or I will kill you first before the Heterodox scum gets to you. Get your Arcanas ready, and release them when I give the signal.¡±


    Left with no other choice, he could only reach into his Aspect Ocean, and call for his Aspects, while assuming the Evil Suppressing, Kindness Spreading Style. Pushing away all the blood and filth away from his feet was one thing, but subduing more than twenty shy Wanderers, who were letting out their embarrassment by casting out their Arcanas was not something that could be done with rough usage of the Aspects.


    ¡°...We are ready, Captain.¡±


    The Evil Suppressing, Kindness Spreading Style was something he had come up with after he had formed his Aspect Ocean. Inspired from the God Subduing Style of the Tianman Supreme, his Martial Style was based on the concept of helping other people get rid of their shyness, and bringing them to the glory of his Supreme Lord. Thus, following his Style, he pushed his right feet back, and left feet forward, concentrating all of his Aspects with repulsing properties on the surface of his feet and palm, keeping the others just below the surface, ready to switch out at any time.


    ¡°Now! Release them all at once! Drown him in everything you have got!¡±


    As waves after waves of fire drowned him, while blades of wind rained down on him, he charged forward, barefoot, and barehanded, using his Aspects through the Evil Suppressing, Kindness Spreading Martial Style. However, since there were just too many people, Wanderers, who were being shy, he was not confident of suppressing all of them without hurting them a little.


    ¡°How is he doing that?¡±


    ¡°Those Aspects¡­ He is a Fourth Stage True Warrior!¡±


    ¡°Inkah¡¯s spit! Don¡¯t just stare at him. He is all alone. Bring out your Aspects and charge!¡±


    A few of them might lose a couple of their limbs, while the others would lose some other parts of their bodies. Still, as long as he would be able to bring out the kindness hidden within them, then everything would be fine. Once they would all learn of the lies that they were living in, he was sure that they would all gladly volunteer to help him with his great cause. His sacred mission. To find the one who had defied Inkah. To find the one who had defied death.

 Chapter 1: The Spirit Forging Method [Part 1]

    Clouds, dark as night, were spread all over the sky, stretching towards the distant horizon, spreading darkness wherever they went. And from within those dark clouds, snow, white as Yuri¡¯s hair¡ªmaybe a little less white¡ª drifted down towards the ground, falling on Alnea, and on the stump of the tree that he was sitting on, along with the clearing around him.


    After more than an hour of bearing the hospitality of the first snow of winter on the outskirts of the Bright Light Forest, the bed of grass around him was already covered in a thick blanket of snow, as was he, shivering, and panting. The discomfort of his body though, being embraced, and kissed by the cold as he was, was nothing in comparison to the discomfort and pain that he was deliberately making his Spirit suffer.


    However, it was also because of the suffering of his body, that Alnea was able to bear the pain of his Spirit so calmly. After all, the freezing cold winds, coming along with the month of the God of Decay, drowning his senses in a world of snow and ice, were balancing the world of fire that his Spirit was being put through. If not for that balance, if not for the distraction brought by the cold winds, then he would not have been ¡®Forging¡¯ his Spirit so calmly.


    Spirit Forging, a barbaric method of training Spirit that was once the only method of training Spirits known to Wanderers. It was only when they developed Arcanas that they began developing other, more advanced, and less barbaric means of training their Spirit. And since people had other, more docile means of tempering their Spirit, the Spirit Forging method soon fell into disuse. Its effects, however, could not be denied. Especially for him, since he could not use the Arcana that his master had created.


    Had there been any other choice, then his master would have never asked him to train his Spirit through such barbaric means. But the more worried she was, the more his interest was piqued by the Spirit Forging method. The method itself was not very complicated. Rather, it was a very simple method that anyone could use, even his mother. There was a caveat though. Those using the Spirit Forging method to temper their Spirits had to be able to bear the consequences of doing so.


    Drawing in as much Oren from the Origin Sea as he could, without letting it leak from his Spirit, and forming it into thin, thread like needles, Alnea circulated the unadulterated power of the Origin Sea within his Spirit, not leaving any part of it untouched. Considering that he could not even see his Spirit yet, that was the first hurdle he had to face in Forging his Spirit. In the end, he had no choice but to rely on his other senses to make sure that he was ¡®Forging¡¯ every part of his Spirit. Senses, such as pain.


    And not just any kind of pain, but a pain that put even the pain that he had felt when using the ¡®Turns of Fate¡¯ to shame. Back then, he had only felt as if someone was stabbing him with a knife made of fire. In contrast, when using the Spirit Forging method to train his Spirit, he felt as if someone had stuffed his Spirit with Fire Glyphs, while the Oren he circulated acted like the fuel for those Glyphs, creating a blazing fire that rampaged inside his Spirit.


    However, there were no Glyphs inside his Spirit. Neither was the Oren causing any kind of Mysteries to manifest. It was just pure Oren, roaming inside his Spirit, tearing it up wherever it went, making him feel as someone was slicing his Spirit apart from inside, while burning it with a Fire Glyph at the same time. And all of it came in heightened senses of his Spirit State.


    Furthermore, to ensure that the ¡®Forging¡¯ of his Spirit was effective, he had to make sure that every part of his Spirit, even the remotest of its corners, was suffering the same amount of pain. If, by chance, or mistake, he missed some part of his Spirit, he would have to start from the very beginning, making his suffering last even longer. After all, only if every part of his Spirit was under the repeated suffering of Oren would his Spirit be strengthened in the most optimum way.


    Not only would an uneven ¡®Forging¡¯ of his Spirit be less effective than a complete ¡®Forging¡¯, but it would also leave behind some hidden dangers in his Spirit, or so his master had said. Alnea would, of course, chose to believe in his master. Though it was not like he had any other choices left to him. With the chains of his Oath binding his Spirit, the only option left to him was to bear through the pain and keep ¡®Forging¡¯ his Spirit.


    However, that did not mean that he liked the choice that he had. Once, before the Lotus clan had put restrictions on his Spirit, he had done his own experiments with Oren, and his Spirit. Back then, he had tried going over the limit of Oren that he could control with his Spirit, and suffered terribly for it. Forging his Spirit reminded him a little of that suffering. It was just that the pain and agony from Forging his Spirit was evenly distributed throughout his Spirit, and longer lasting as well.


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    After all, one was the result of an accidental loss of control over Oren, while the other was deliberate ravaging of his Spirit to the point that he had even lost his consciousness from pain a couple of times in the beginning. The first time that he had experienced the dread of the Spirit Forging method, Yuri had looked at him with worry, while his master had looked at him with amusement.


    ¡°Now that you know what you will have go through to train your Spirit, do you regret your Oaths, and actions?¡±


    ¡°¡­I don¡¯t,¡± Alnea had replied, though the chattering of his teeth had made him sound a little unconvincing. But that was not his fault. The dread, the pain of forging his Spirit was not something that humans were meant to go through. It was no wonder the method had been termed as barbaric, and had fallen into disuse. If there was a choice of other methods of training their Spirit, then no one would specifically choose this masochistic way of training their Spirits. Unfortunately for him, he did not have such a choice. Not anymore.


    He could not use Arcanas. His Spirit Power had hit rock bottom, going back to the First Level. And his master had dealt with his secret¡­ his dreams, making sure that they would not etch the memories of the other Alnea, his namesake from the world of Attuners, into his mind. And as he had expected, after his master had dealt with the dreams, he did not have any more problems with the dissonance of his identities. Gone were the days when he would wake up with half his foot onto the street.


    However, along with his identity crisis, the increase in the growth rate of his Spirit Power had gone away as well. Though his Roots had been strengthened from his Oaths, it had not been strengthened enough to negate all the disadvantages that he had put himself in. Unless he could create Arcanas, that too, at least of the Perfect Grade, and of the Rank that his Spirit was in, for the foreseeable future, he would have to keep Forging his Spirit just to keep up with other Wanderers. As for surpassing them, and becoming the greatest Wanderer¡­ Still, Alnea never regretted taking his Oaths, be it the one he took for his master, or the one he took for his father.


    ¡°They are a manifestation of my determination¡­ my resolve¡­ nothing can make me regret them.¡±


    ¡°Good,¡± his master had then said. ¡°Make sure you remember that resolve, and keep honing it. You will need it later.¡±


    ¡°¡­What do you mean by that, master?¡± Alnea had asked, looking at his master with confusion, to which, she had responded with a helpless smile.


    ¡°What you are using right now is just the most basic form of Spirit Forging. There are a few more¡­ advance forms of Spirit Forging which I am tailoring for you. They will speed up your training even more, and may even provide some unexpected benefits. But that also means that the pain and suffering they will bring you would be even more than what the normal method of Spirit Forging brings.¡±


    ¡°¡­I am fine with the normal method, master.¡±


    ¡°But the normal method would allow you to just catch up with the others, and that too with only those who would be training their Spirit with Perfect Grade Arcana. Even if you take your Oaths into account¡­ At best, that would make the growth rate of your Spirit Power equivalent to those who would be training with some less effective Transcendent Grade Arcanas. Yet, there are many who would be training their Spirit with even Divine Grade Arcanas¡­ like Yuri. How are you going to surpass all those people? How are you going to keep your Oaths?


    ¡°Becoming the greatest Wanderer¡­ creating a path to the Rank of Origin Wanderer¡­ Do you think that you can do all that with just the normal method of Forging your Spirit? Even rising up to the Rank of a Grand Wanderer is a hurdle that traps people for centuries, let alone a Supreme Wanderer. The mythic, and illusory Rank of Origin Wanderer¡­ There is no lack of talent in the world. If become an Origin Wanderer was going to be easy, then people would have already done it. So, not only do you have to surpass all your peers, but you also have to surpass all those who came before you¡­ even me. Yet, even surpassing your peers has become difficult for you¡­ How are you going to keep Oaths, Alnea?¡±


    His master¡­ could be pretty convincing when she needed to be. With what she had said, Alnea had no choice but to pray for the blessings of Enn, and say, ¡°But I would be even better with the advanced methods of Forging my Spirit. So please let me train with them. Rather, I refuse to train with anything else other than those advanced methods of Spirit Forging. Only such advanced methods are worthy of me, Alnea Oathkeeper, the greatest Wanderer of future.¡±


    ¡°¡­They are still in development.¡±


    ¡°¡­However, everything must have its time. And right now, it is not time for me to train with them, so let me train with just the normal Spirit Forging method, master.¡±


    ¡°¡­Your cheekiness has increased once again,¡± his master had said, as she had pinched his nose, while smiling at his antics.

 Chapter 1: The Spirit Forging Method [Part 2]

    That was how Alnea had begun ¡®Forging¡¯ his Spirit. It did bring him a lot of pain and suffering, but that was not enough to shake his will. Rather, as he had kept ¡®Forging¡¯ his Spirit, he had noticed that not only was it increasing his Spirit Power, but it was also tempering his Heart. That had added another reason to why he should keep using the Spirit Forging method, further strengthening his resolve.


    The greatest contributors to that resolve though, were his Oaths. They may be the reason as to why he had to force himself through such pain, but they were also the main reason as to why he was able to resolve himself to go through that pain. Because he was Alnea Oathkeeper, and he kept all of his Oaths.


    Of course, he did not keep his Oaths just for the sake of keeping his Oaths. He kept his Oaths for the people he had taken them for. That was his way of showing his determination as to how much those people meant that. That was the case with his father, that was the case with his friends, and that was the case with his mother, with his master.


    Besides, there was also the point that if he ever failed in keeping his Oath, then he would end up getting devoured by the Origin Sea. That was the price of his Oaths, of his Roots, his connection with the Origin Sea. So, whether it was for the sake of not being devoured by the Origin Sea, or for the sake of the people he had taken his Oaths for, Alnea had to keep his Oaths no matter what. Even if that meant having his Spirit suffer the pain of being cut apart by knives of melting metals inside out, leaving a fire raging behind in its wake.


    Fortunately, his master was also his mother. She did not give birth to him, but she was his mother, nonetheless. It was natural then, that she could not bear to see him suffer. As such, she had planned his training in such a way, that most of them time when he ¡®Forged¡¯ his Spirit, he did it out in Bright Light Forest, in the freezing cold winds of the winter, which he used to counter, and balance out the burning sensation that his Spirit was suffering. It was still painful, and extremely uncomfortable, but a little more bearable than ¡®Forging¡¯ his Spirit back at big sis Serena¡¯s mansion.


    And so, with an unwavering determination, Alnea continued circulating the threads of Oren in his Spirit, one round after another, making it reach every part of his Spirit, as it continued to slice, and burn his Spirit from its inside, until finally, he sensed that the reserves of his Spirit Power had fallen below ten units. That was one of the abilities he had gained after his Heart had attained its Serenity, grasping how much Spirit Power he had. Not with an immaculate accuracy, of course. But as his Spirit Power had increased over the past month, so had his precision. Besides, for his current needs, an approximation was enough.


    Sensing that his Spirit Power was about to fall below ten units, Alnea stopped circulating the threads of Oren inside his Spirit, and began directing them back into the Origin Sea, from where he had borrowed them. That costed him a few more units of Spirit Power, but it was better than losing control over the Oren when he would run out of the Spirit Power, and have it ravage his Spirit. And with that, his session of Forging his Spirit finally came to an end.


    Withdrawing from his Spirit State, Alnea let out a sigh, as an urge to just forget everything, and rest for a while rose up within him. He could not do that though. While the idea of a rest was tempting, the torment that he had just been through had him sweat even in the freezing weather of Oronir¡¯s month, completely drenching the shirt he was wearing. Sitting still, with his body covered in snow, as more snow kept piling up on him, would mean that his body would really end up freezing. And while that was alright when he was Forging his Spirit, after he was done with it, how was he to counter the freeze?


    That thought made it easier for Alnea to resist his urges, as he shrugged off the blanket that nature had woven for him, and pushed himself up from the stump of the tree that he had been sitting on. It was a large stump, larger than even himself. If he wished it so, then he could have laid back on the stump, stretching his hands above his head, and he still would not have managed to cover the entire stretch of the stump.


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    Apparently, the stump had once been one of the largest trees in the outskirts of the Bright Light Forest. That was the reason his master had chosen it for the place of his regular training, before making a clearing around it. After all, the whole reason they had come to the Bright Light Forest was for him to use the cold winds of these mountainous forests to counter the pain of Forging his Spirit. They could not allow the trees to get in the way and ruin the plan.


    Besides, that was just one function of the clearing. Other than allowing the cold winds to come at him in full force, the clearing also acted as a sign of warning to the Oren Beasts in the Forest. It did not matter if it was only the outskirts of the Bright Light Forest. It was still part of one of the three Forbidden Areas of the Rianra, and the one with the greatest number of Oren Beasts. There were still quite a number of Oren Beasts in these parts of the forest, even if they were only in their Infant or Adolescent Stage.


    It was still fine if an Infant Stage Oren Beast came at him, but if an Adolescent Stage Oren Beast, one comparable to False Wanderers in strength, charged at him, then there was not much he would be able to do. And even if it was an Infant Stage Oren Beast, if it attacked him while he was Forging his Spirit, the outcome would still be the same. Though his master always kept on telling him that he needed to learn how to handle unexpected situations, that did not mean that she would let him fall into such dangerous situations. Even her strictness had its limits.


    And so, to keep him safe from the unexpected attacks of Oren Beasts while he would be busy Forging his Spirit, his master created the clearing for him. Imbuing it with her presence, and some sort of Arcana, or Aspects¡ªhe did not know in detail how she did it¡ª she had made it so that no Oren Beasts, even those of Mystic Stage, would even dare to get close to the clearing, allowing him to Forge his Spirit in peace.


    However, the protection lasted only for the area within the clearing. Outside of it, there was nothing stopping the Oren Beasts, especially the Infant Stage Oren Beasts, to come after him. So, instead of directly walking out of the clearing, Alnea stood near the large stump, and stretched out his sore limbs and body, getting rid of the numbness, while trying to loosen his muscles, and getting ready for what was about to come. Of course, there was one more thing he had to do before stepping out of the clearing, and into the forest.


    He may have changed his attitude towards Oaths, but that did not change the fact that his Oaths strengthened his Spirit. Even if it was less than what he would get from Forging his Spirit, it was still equivalent to practising with a Perfect Grade Arcana. And with the situation that he was in, he could not neglect that amount of progress. Furthermore, his Oaths also strengthened his Roots, and consequently, his Domain, both of which would be quite essential in him creating the path to the Origin Rank.


    Towards his ultimate aim of reaching the Rank of Origin Wanderer, any little help would count. What¡¯s more, making and keeping his Oath also counted towards tempering his Heart, and making him more disciplined. Besides, deep in his heart, he knew that even though he was different from the other Alnea, he was still Alnea Oathkeeper, the man who always kept his Oaths, unless, of course, they would defeat the purpose of why he had taken them in the first place, but he would never let such a circumstance happen, not again.


    ¡°I, Alnea Oathkeeper, am taking an Oath, that I will run through the forest, and reach the cabin in the west in a quarter of an hour, without being caught by any Oren Beasts.¡±


    As soon as he took his Oath, Alnea felt their chains manifest in the depths of the Origin Sea, and wrap around the spherical shell of the other chains, as the Mysteries of the lineages of Day, and Night, manifested around his Spirit, entrapping it in their pressure, trying to squeeze it from all its sides. And this happened when his Spirit Power had been almost exhausted. Fortunately, after a month of Forging his Spirit, his Spirit had already gotten used to bearing large amounts of pain, and pressure. As such, the headache from the chains of his Oath was not even enough to make him flinch.


    Besides, it was not even that dangerous of an Oath. He knew the route to the cabin in the west very well. It was the place he always ran to after completing a round of Spirit Forging, the place where his master was waiting for him. The place where Yuri, and Cecilia would be waiting for him. Thinking of the familiar faces, looking at him with their smiles, Alnea could not help smiling to himself, as he sprang out from the clearing, running directly towards his destination, towards the people waiting for him.

 Chapter 2: Bright Light Forest, and the Eight Armed Monkey [Part 1]

    Stepping out of the circle of clearing, and into the forest, Alnea felt as if he had stepped into a completely different world. And it was not just because of the darkness prevailing in the forest, or the thick tress, with an even thicker foliage, surrounding him from all sides. Even the air of the forest was different, carrying a certain presence, separating it from the rest of the world. After all, even if he was in just in the outskirts, the forest was still a part of the Bright Light Forest.


    There were rumours that once, before the five Orthodoxies came together to create Rianra, Grand Beasts used to roam these forests. Even if Grand Beasts had been extinct in the forest for hundreds of thousands of years, at the very least, the forest still housed some peak stage Beast Lords, comparable to the Tenth Stage Mystic Wanderers in prowess. The Bright Light Forest¡­ even if it was just outskirts, it was not a place where a Seed like him could step into.


    Leaving the dangers of the forest aside, just its air itself was enough to supress him, making it hard for him to breathe. In contrast, oppressive as the Lotus clan might be, his life in Anneve was still peaceful. At least, after he had met his master, she had never let him face any danger by himself. However, having peace was not always a good thing. Especially since he did not have the strength to protect that peace. And so, in order to protect his peace, he had no choice but to abandon the relative safety of the city, and venture into the depths of the forest.


    After all, after achieving certain proficiency in his Martial Styles, the help that his fights with Cecilia were bringing him was very limited. Only if he fought with all sorts of opponents, laying his life on the line every time, would he be able to lay a solid foundation for his Martial Styles. Or so his master had said. And it was not like he could argue with her logic. Especially since she had said all those things before learning all of his secrets. Before he had taken his Oath for her.


    Creating a path to the Rank of Origin Wanderer¡­ When he had finally woken up after the most immediate effects of his Oath had worn off in around a day or so, he had learned another side of his master. If not for Yuri¡¯s pleas, and the tears in his eyes, then she really might have torn off his ears, and stuck them back upside down. Still, impossible as his Oath might sound, she never doubted him, and supported him wholeheartedly¡­ increasing the intensity of his training by a few notches.


    ¡°¡­Though theories are important, practical experiences are even more important for Wanderers. I had initially planned this phase of your training for after you would have gone through your first Spirit Test¡­ but the way that things have developed, there is no point in delaying your practical training. Since you cannot use Arcanas created by others, you will have to create them by yourself. And only when you experience real fights, will you understand how, and in which form, you should create Arcanas to better suit your fighting style.


    ¡°In a way, you can say that whether it is for laying a foundation for creating Arcanas, or for your Martial Styles, experiencing a few life and death situations is a must for you. At the very least, you need to experience the ruthless means of your opponents, and figure out your preferred way of dealing with them. It is for this reason that the next part of your training will be held in the Bright Light Forest. Not only will you get plenty of opportunities to fight there, but the cold winds of the forest, especially the winds of winter, will also be able to help you counter some of the pain of ¡®Forging¡¯ your Spirit.


    ¡°At the same time, balancing your senses in between two extremes will also help you with the tempering of your will, and your Heart. Of course, you will have to suffer a little¡­ not just from ¡®Forging¡¯ your Spirit, but in your fights against the Oren Beasts as well¡­ Yet, that is what your Oaths have earned you. So, you better not complain, and get ready for the tough times ahead.¡±


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    ¡­After she had said all those things, what could he even have said to his master? Building his foundations for the path of Arcanists was what he was looking forward to the most. And if he could do that while building his foundations for the path of Warriors, then what was there to complain about? Expect for a bit of suffering, that is. Or maybe a little more than a bit¡­ As his master had said, fighting against the Oren Beasts, the injuries he suffered were truly much more grievous than the injuries Cecilia had inflicted on him. And that was including the hole that she had punched through his chest.


    Thankfully, the meals that he ate in big sis Serena¡¯s mansion, in conjunction with his Martial Styles, especially his Oathkeeper Style, and all the fights that he had experienced, had helped him strengthen his body to level far beyond his peers. Not including those from the Orthodoxies, of course. After all, they had been training their bodies for years, while had just begun his training. He was still far behind them. But not for long.


    With the guidance of his master, and the aid of his Oathkeeper Style, along with the meals from the meat of Oren Beasts, and precious herbs, he was sure that he would need at most a year to catch up with those from the Orthodoxies, and another year or so to surpass them. Not everyone, of course. Just those from the less powerful Orthodoxies, like those from the Lotus clan. For people like Cecilia, and Yuri, who were going through the same training as him, he would probably need a few years, or a decade, just to catch up with them.


    Still, Alnea was confident that one day, he would surpass them as well, and become the greatest Wanderer. And the first step of his path to that future laid in the Bright Light Forest, a place that he had only ever heard of in stories, and legends. But that was to be expected. After all, the borders of the most dangerous Forbidden Area of Rianra coincided with the eastern borders of the Ann province.


    Anneve, on the other hand, laid towards the southwestern part of the Ann province. The nearest point of the forest was hundreds of kilometres away from the place where he lived at. For him, Anneve had been the only place he had ever been to. Even his parents had never been out of Anneve. And that was despite his father being a Wanderer for over a decade. The Bright Light Forest¡­


    In any case, she was his master. His mother. And he had absolute trust in her. That was the only reason he had accepted her training plans so readily. Probably. Besides, paying an appropriate price for gaining something was the most basic truth of the world. That was how things had worked with his Roots. And that was how things had worked with his master. In comparison, suffering some pain, and bearing some wounds was nothing.


    And so, Alnea had stepped into the Bright Light Forest with a smile, and firm determination¡­ only to be pressed to the ground in the very next moment. Just from his first step into the forest, all his senses were assaulted with an enormous amount of malice, and dread. It was to an extent that he felt as if he could practically touch the malice. And this was the case when the forest was not even targeting him in the first place. That was just how things were in the forest.


    A ¡®Forbidden Area¡¯ indeed. Leaving the Oren Beasts aside, the forest itself was like one giant Oren Beast, forbidding humans from entering its reaches. It was only with the help of the Serenity in his Heart that was he able to keep himself calm, as he bore the incredible malice of the forest, and its pressure. Even then, just learning to breathe in the forest had taken him more than a quarter of an hour.


    That was nearly a month ago, when his Spirit Power was still at the First Level, and his Heart had recently gained its Serenity. After more than a month of Forging his Spirit in the cold winds of the Forest, not only had his Spirit Power increased by several folds, but his Heart had been tempered to a higher degree as well. That, in addition to the repeated exposure to the malice in the air, had made him accustomed to the forest. Thus, after a momentary pause caused by the sudden shift in the atmosphere around him, Alnea picked up his pace, and began rushing through the forest.

 Chapter 2: Bright Light Forest, and the Eight Armed Monkey [Part 2]

    In a sense, the forest itself was not much better than the suffocating air. Reddish brown in colour, the trees, with the lowest of their branches hanging three or four meters above his head, far beyond his reach, often looked like they had been soaked in blood. Coupled with their strange shapes, often taking the form of beats, and even humans¡ªor maybe it was just his imagination¡ª they looked a little menacing. Especially so with their size.


    From what he had seen while flying with his master, the trees were at least twenty to thirty metres tall. Some were even as tall as fifty metres. But their thickness was even more impressive. Even the thinnest of those trees were so thick that he could wrap only a quarter or so of its trunk with his arms, while the thickest tree he had seen so far was at least five metres wide.


    And as if they were not menacing enough on their own, they even surrounded him in groups, letting out quite a gloomy air of oppression. The scariest thing about those trees though was how they kept popping in front of him without any warnings, often forcing him to change his direction at the last moment. Then there was the strange undergrowth near the roots of the trees, that often seemed like tiny insect type Oren Beast more than just normal shrubs and weeds.


    One time, Alnea had even seen those weeds decomposing an Oren Beast¡¯s corpse at a rate visible to naked eyes. But that was a rarest of rare case. After all, with the thick foliage of the trees, coupled with their branches interlinking with each other in an intimate manner, the canopy of dark green leaves that covered the forest was enough to block out most of Enn¡¯s light from reaching the ground on normal days. And on a day when most of Enn¡¯s light had already been blocked out by the dark clouds in the sky, the forest was truly dark as night.


    Yet even the dark and thick canopy was not enough to hamper Oronir¡¯s blessings, bending down from the weight of the accumulated snow on the leaves, or the branches, delivering them to the ground in batches. And yet, even that snow had to give way to the countless roots springing up all over the ground, becoming just a decoration, spoils of the victors of the roots, as they formed a complex criss-cross network of their own.


    Many a times, Alnea had often found himself stumbling in the web of these roots, falling right on his face. At other times, he had come across small animals trying to reach towards the storehouse of the wild species of grasses, and insects, under these roots, only to end up getting trapped, and become sitting prey for Oren Beasts.


    Of course, those small animals themselves could also be a trap prepared by some of the smarter Oren Beasts. After a painful experience, which had seen his right arm almost torn out of its socket, Alnea chose to remain clear of such animals whenever he found them, no matter how much sympathy he felt for them. This was a cruel world, and the sooner he learned to be cruel himself, the better it would be for him, and those around him.


    But just staying clear of the small animals was not enough. He also had to keep his eyes out for other traps that the Oren Beasts might have prepared for him. Although Infant Stage Oren Beasts, whom he was most likely to encounter in the forest, were generally not intelligent enough to prepare a trap, he still could not take things lightly. The number of injuries that he had suffered just because of his carelessness¡­


    Injuries were still fine, but the look of schadenfreude on Cecilia¡¯s face, as the scolding that he would get for falling into such ¡®dumb¡¯ traps, made it so that Alnea always remained cautious of any sort of traps that Oren Beasts could prepare, while varying his strides to match the network of roots, as he made his way through the dark trail of the forest, towards the cabin where his master was waiting for him.


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    Engrossed in his thoughts about the forest, and its dangers, Alnea soon crossed the halfway mark to the cabin, both in the distance covered, and the time that he had allotted to himself. He just needed to complete that last part, and then¡ª


    Just as Alnea raised his left leg to take another step forward, he heard something strange in the air. It was masked by the sound of the wind blowing with the snow, but it was unmistakably there; the sound of something rushing towards him from his side at an extremely fast pace. Caught unprepared by the sound, he hesitated a little, thinking of turning towards that sound to face whatever was coming at him, when he felt air around him solidify, trying to hold him in place.


    ¡°Inkah¡¯s breath,¡± Alnea cursed, feeling death breathing down the back of his neck. Fortunately, slow as he was, he still had been running through the forest. As such, with the help of the momentum of his run, and all of his strength, he was able push himself out of the confined space of air. Unfortunately, his sudden actions made him lose his balance, causing all his strength and momentum to get directed towards the ground, making his fall a rather painful one.


    However, he did not have the leisure to complain, or groan. With enough presence of mind, he hastily rolled forward just as he fell down, avoiding the attack on his back by mere inches, before he forced himself back on his feet. And though the roots jutting out from the out from the ground meant that his roll was anything but smooth, a bumpy roll, with a few bruises on his back, was much better than taking the direct attack of an Oren beast.


    Using the momentum of the roll, Alnea put some distance between himself, and his attacker, before he allowed himself to look at the Oren Beast. In the form of a monkey, half as tall as him, the Oren Beast had had four arms and four legs, with two tails on his back. The fur on its back was blood red, with hints of silver on its chest, and gold on its tails, while the mane on its neck had a bit of both.


    ¡°Eight Armed Blood Monkey,¡± Alnea mumbled, recognising the Oren Beast from its fur, and eight limbs. Famous for their frightening fighting potential, the Eight Armed Blood Monkeys were said to be the descendants of the Golden, and Silver Origin Defying Apes, one of the strongest Origin Beasts in the Age of Gods. Supposedly, that was where their golden and silver fur, along with their frightening fighting potential came from.


    In the peak stage of its Adult form, an Eight Armed Blood Monkey could fight evenly against an average First Stage Mystic Wanderer. And the fighting potential of the monkeys increases even more when they become Beast Lords. It was no wonder that they were considered to be one of the overlords of the Bright Light Forest. Especially with their tendency to stay in packs, and take revenge for even the smallest of grievances.


    Other than that, another defining feature of the Eight Armed Blood Monkeys was their tails. These monkeys not only had eight limbs, but they also had eight tails, with each tail granting them different Innate Oren Abilities. Unlike their limbs though, they were born with only one tail, with the rest of their tails growing along with their growth as Oren Beasts. At just the Infant Stage, they would grow two more tails, with five more tails at their Adolescent Stage, for a total of eights tails. And only when all their eight tails were grown, would these monkeys reach their Adult Stage.


    Yet the most frightening thing about these Eight Armed Blood Monkeys was not their fighting potential, or their Innate Oren Abilities, but the fact that they always lived, and moved, in packs. The stronger their leader was, the larger their pack would be, but even the smallest of the packs contained at least twenty to thirty Adult Eight Armed Blood Monkeys. Encountering them in a Forbidden Area¡ªnot just the Bright Light Forest, but any Forbidden Area¡ª if the Wanderers were not at the Mystic Rank, then their death would be certain.


    But that was true only for other people, not for Alnea. Even though he clearly recognised the Oren Beast in front of him, and the danger that its presence meant, he still did not panic, nor did he hastily look around to search for its mother. There was no need for doing either of those things. Because he knew that the little monkey was alone. Though his master kept telling him to solve the unexpected situations on his own, and kept arranging for Oren Beasts to fight with him, she would never pit him against certain death. Besides, having encountered such situations multiple times a day over the past month, he knew what to expect, and what not to.

 Chapter 2: Bright Light Forest, and the Eight Armed Monkey [Part 3]

    Settling down the thoughts of his master to the bottom of his Heart, Alnea focussed his attention on the little monkey in front of him. Since it had only two tails, it meant that the monkey had yet to reach the advanced phase of Infant Stage. At best, it could use only two Innate Oren Abilities. The solidification of air around him must have been one of those two Oren Abilities.


    If not for the fact that he had been running, and that most of his weight was focussed on his front, he would not have managed to break free of its restraints so easily. And this was when it was still at the Infant Stage. As it would grow, it would gain even more Innate Abilities, with the prowess, and effectiveness of those abilities increasing along with his growth. Still, even as the Infant that it was, the Eight Armed Blood Monkey would prove a difficult opponent for him.


    The best thing when facing such an opponent, with an unknown ability, was to first probe it, and figure out its second Innate Ability, before charging in to deal with it. Time, unfortunately, was not on his side. More than half of the time he had allotted for himself to complete his Oath had already gone by, and there was still roughly half of the distance left to cover. He could not afford to dawdle. And so, he could only charge in to deal with the monkey as soon as possible. And the best way to do that was through the Oathkeeper Style.


    Though his master had taken care of his dreams, making it so that they no longer engraved the memories of the other Alnea in his mind, the memories that had already been engraved were still with him, including the details, and the experiences of the other Alnea with the Oathkeeper Style. In addition to that, with the scroll that his master had given him on his birthday, detailing the different ways that he could improve his Oathkeeper Style, his proficiency with the Martial Style had long surpassed his proficiency of any other Martial Styles that he had mastered.


    Furthermore, with the strengthening of his body, even the number of stances that he could use comfortably, without putting pressure on his body, had grown from four to five. The Sixth Stance still was a little too much for his body to bear, but he could use it for a short while, just as he could the Seventh Stance. The Eighth Stance, on the other hand, was far beyond his capabilities at the moment.


    However, to deal with the little monkey, Alnea did not need to use something as excessive as the Slaughtering God Stance anyway. The stances that he could use, the first five stances, would be enough. Of those five stances in particular, the form that the little monkey resembled the most was that of a human. Even if there were some differences, they were not many. Besides, it was not like he had any other choice. Only the Oathkeeper Style would allow him to deal with monkey in as short period of time, giving him the time to complete his Oath.


    While Alnea was pondering over his choices, and how deal with it, the monkey was doing the same, regarding Alnea as its prey. And so, the moment that it noticed some hesitation within Alnea, it jumped at him without any delay. In such a way, Alnea was finally deprived of his right of making a choice as well. Hurriedly assuming the Human Slaughtering Stance, he faced the Oren Beast lunging at him.


    In comparison to Oren Beasts, humans had inherently weak bodies, with many vital points. These were the points, where the defences of humans were the weakest. And it were exactly these vital points which formed the basis of the ¡®Human¡¯ part of the Slaughtering Human Stance. And since he was regarding the monkey as a ¡®Human¡¯, Alnea aimed his attacks at the monkey¡¯s most obvious vital point, its throat.


    However, in the end, the monkey was still different from a human. It was much more agile than him, and faster as well. Directing a feint at the monkey with his kick, Alnea had aimed a chop at its neck, but the monkey wrapped one of its tail around a root on the ground, tugging at the root to pull back it body just enough to dodge the attack.


    Consequently, with his one leg in the air, and having committed a significant amount of force to his attack, Alnea ended up losing his balance. He hurriedly brought his leg down, ready to charge at the monkey once again, but before he could do that, the monkey pointed its other tail at him. Right in the next moment, the tail let out a soft green light, following which, the air around him solidified once again, freezing him in place.


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    On the other hand, having consecutively used its Innate Ability, the monkey showed signs of exhaustion as well, with fatigue crossing its feral eyes. But it was an Oren Beast. And an overlord at that. Its nature was inherently savage. It would not stop until it had killed its prey. Disregarding everything else, it jumped at him, while he was left defenceless, and unable to dodge the attack.


    Fortunately, Alnea¡¯s training over the last month had not been in vain, showing its effect when he needed it the most. Forging his Spirit had not only increased his Spirit Power, but it had also granted him the ability to enter his Spirit at a moment¡¯s notice. At the same time, it had also given him a few, unique ideas. Not all of those ideas were practical, but some of them were.


    When Forging his Spirit, he had noticed that making Oren course through his Spirit made him feel like he was being sliced apart with knives of melting iron from the inside. He wondered then, what would happen if he shaped the Oren into an actual knife, and stabbed it into someone else¡¯s Spirit?


    Though his control over Oren was not sufficient to find the answer to that question, at the very least, he could shape the Oren into the form a needle. And so he did, creating the very first form his own special attack, ¡®Spirit Piercing Needle¡¯. Or so he had named it. Except for the fact that it did not have any Mysteries imbued in it, it was almost like an Arcana... or maybe not. Anyways, it was not the time to consider such things.


    Taking advantage of the fact that the monkey was still roughly two metres or so away from him, Alnea hurriedly used the last of his Spirit Power to borrow Oren from the Origin Sea, and shaped it in the form of a thin needle, before directing it to the elbow of his right hand. Though he had failed in his attack, his subsequent actions, as well as the actions of the monkey, had made it so that his elbow was pointing directly at the monkey¡¯s face. And the moment that monkey came close to him, was also the moment that the ¡®Spirit Piercing Needle¡¯ was shot out from the tip of his elbow, stabbing directly towards the monkey¡¯s head.


    On the monkey¡¯s end, the sudden attack had caught it completely off guard. After all, it was still at the Infant Stage. Though it had a frightening fighting potential, it did not have enough fighting experience to match it. It had never expected such an attack when it was so close to killing its prey, and was not prepared for it. Too late to dodge, it could only take the attack head on, while changing its own attack from a close range, to a long range attack, directing its tail towards its prey.


    In the next moment, the monkey¡¯s second tail glowed in a faint red light, before releasing a small ball of fire, that flew directly at Alnea, and hit him in his chest, before erupting in a blast, that turned his shirt into ashes, while also melting nearly half of the skin on his chest. At the same time, the blast of the ¡®Fireball¡¯ caused Alnea to be flung back a few metres, and crash into a tree, before sliding down on the ground, further aggravating his injuries. Fortunately, that also made it so that the fire on his chest had been put out by the snow on the ground.


    It was clearly in no condition to attack him at the moment.


    He was the one who had created the Soul Piercing Needle, and he was the one who knew its effects the best. Especially since before leaving the confines of his Spirit, the Spirit Piercing Needle had hurt him just as badly as it had hurt the little monkey. It was just that he had the experience of Forging his Spirit, and as such, was not affected by such pain anymore. The monkey, on the other hand, was experiencing the pain for the first time, and thus, its reaction.


    Still, that pain would last only for a while. After a while, when he the Oren inside its Spirit would dissipate away, its Spirit would begin recovering on its own, with the pain slowly fading away. Once that happened, the monkey was sure to come at him once again, this time, in an even more frenzied manner. And he was in no shape to fight.


    Spirit Power aside, the wound on his chest was enough to cripple him, if not kill him, if not taken care of in time. His experience with Forging his Spirit was helping him maintain his consciousness for the moment, but he did not know for how long he could keep that up. If only he could attack the monkey with another Spirit Piercing Needle before it could regain its fighting capabilities¡­


    Unfortunately, in his panic, he had used almost all of his Spirit Power when directing the earlier Spirit Piercing Needle at the monkey. How was he to attack the monkey with a Spirit Piercing Needle, if he could not even form the needle? At this point, the only way for survival he could think of was to recover faster than the monkey, and deal with it before it could recover. Preferably, as soon as possible.


    After all, he still had his Oath to keep.

 Chapter 3: Returning to the cabin [Part 1]

    Moans of pain escaped his lips, as Alnea tried to push himself off the ground, making sure to not put pressure on his right side. Forging his Spirit was painful, but having more than half of his chest burnt beyond recognition was just as painful. And for a few moments, the pain almost went beyond the level of what he could handle. That he had not lost his consciousness yet was already a testament to how much he had grown. But he did not know how much he could hold on¡­ Sleep¡­ and rest¡­ that was what he needed¡­ that was what he desired¡­ resting on his master¡¯s lap¡­ on his mother¡¯s lap¡­


    Panting heavily, through the sheer power his will to complete his Oath, and to see his mother, Alnea pushed himself off the ground before the Inkah cursed monkey could. The latter may be a part of an overlord species, but it could never compare to him, Alnea Oathkeeper. He was going to become the greatest Wanderer. How could he lose to a mere Infant Stage Oren Beast? How could he die to the damn Inkah cursed spawn?


    So, while the Infant Stage Eight Armed Monkey was still screeching, and banging its head on the roots protruding from the ground, Alnea took the chance, the only chance that he would get, to remove the dagger tied to his waist. The dagger, with a five inch, pitch black hilt made from the hooves of Two Horned Berserk Horse, adorned with golden threads, weaving all kinds of pattern on it, had been sheathed in a beautifully ornamented golden white sheath.


    Yet even the sheath paled in comparison to the beauty of dazzlingly brilliant, golden blade, carved completely from the tusk of a Golden Lion, with veins of an equally brilliant silver, and a white so pure that it could even match Yuri¡¯s hair in colour, running across the blade, all coming together to form ninety eight Glyph Arrays, carved by his master herself.


    A True Oren Weapon that he could use all the way till the Tenth Stage of the True Rank. Even at the Mystic Rank, it would still prove useful at times. Though, to Alnea, it was a blade that he would keep for all his life. After all, it was present from his master. He had named it as ¡®Golden Yearning¡¯; a golden blade that yearned for the blood of his enemies. Or at least that was how he had explained the name to everyone else. As for its true meaning¡­


    There was no need to think of that. Just the meaning that he had told his master about would do for the moment. Holding the dagger in his trembling hand, Alnea moved towards the monkey in the distance. Of the ninety eight Glyph Arrays engraved on the dagger, he could use only two of them. Still, if used properly, the dagger was enough for him to deal with any Infant Stage Oren Beast.


    It was just that that the monkey had caught him off guard, not giving him the chance to use the dagger. Besides, even if that had not been the case, he still would not have used the dagger in the beginning. These fights with the Oren Beasts that his master arranged for him were for him to hone his use of Martial Styles, not for him to overpower the Beasts through the use of his dagger. He was allowed to use the dagger, but only if he used it as a support, or for giving the final blow.


    Just as he was about to do at the moment. Taking his steps as lightly as he could, while biting his lips to not let the moans of pain escape his lips, and alert the monkey, he neared the little Oren Beast, and swung the dagger down at its neck. However, right at the last moment, before the dagger could make contact with the beast, the little monkey sensed the approaching breath of death, and used its tail to move its body away from the line of attack of the dagger.


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    No matter how much pain it was in, it was still an Oren Beast. Oren Beasts were originally more resistant to pain than humans were, and the Eight Armed Blood Monkeys were one of the most combative species of Oren Beasts, at least that was the case in the Bright Light Forest. Fighting came with their instincts. Even if it was in pain, it could still move with its instinct. And Alnea knew that as well. He had never expected to be able to kill the monkey anyway. Just scaring it away was enough.


    Thankfully, inexperienced as the little monkey was, just being attacked by the dagger was enough to scare it. After all, it had never been away from its mother, and as such, had never experienced the breath of death. Neither had it experienced such a strange attack that could pour fire directly into its head. And its prey¡­ even after being attacked by both of its Innate Abilities head on, its prey had managed to recover before it did, and even attacked him¡­


    Furthermore, while the monkey had used up all of its abilities, it had yet to see its prey used any of its own. And a creature that was strong enough survive facing its abilities head on, definitely had its own special abilities. The fact that it had not used any abilities yet meant that it was either confident to defeat the monkey without using its abilities, or that it was finally about to use them¡­ What the monkey was facing was not a prey, but a predator¡­ A hunter¡­ A patient, and cunning hunter that was going to make it a prey¡­


    Screeching in pain, and fear, the monkey held its head within its arms, as it scurried off into the depths of the forest, calling for its mother. Only when the last of the echoes of the monkey had faded away into the distance, did Alnea let himself relax. A bit too much, and a bit too fast, it seemed, as he almost gave in to the pain. Stumbling a little, he managed to keep himself from falling, but the sudden movement sent another pang of pain from his right chest, causing him to sweat even in such freezing winds. Even breathing was getting difficult for him, let alone making movements of any kind. He just wanted to lie down, and rest. To let everything be in the hands of the Goddess of Fate. In the hands of the curse of his fate¡­


    Alnea forced his drowsy eyes to open, as he took a step towards the west side of the forest. He could not stay in place, or else, the monkey might come back to probe him from a distance after it had recovered. Maybe, some other Oren Beast might also get hold of his scent, and come for him. This was still the Bright Light Forest after all. But most important of all, he still had his Oath to keep. He still had to meet his master¡­ his mother¡­


    Biting his lips to use that pain distract himself from the pain of his chest, which was not working as well as he would have liked it to, Alnea put the dagger back into its sheath by his waist, and picked up his pace, as he got used to his limp walk, trying not to put pressure on his right side, before gradually turning that walk into a jog, and that jog into a run, as he tore through the forests, and the hive of roots blocking his way forward, hoping to reach his master before the pain could tear into him.


    With each step that he took with his right foot, a jolt ran through the wound on his chest, making him wince in pain. Especially whenever he had to abruptly shift his leg to avoid getting stuck into the roots jutting out from the ground. However, even that pain was not as bad as the pain he felt whenever he moved his right arm while running, causing the muscles under his burnt skin to squirm, and send more jolts of pain through him. Thankfully, the branches were high enough that he did not have to duck, or use too many movements to avoid them, or he might have suffered even more.


    Still, the pain that was coursing through his veins was already enough to make him feel dizzy, and lightheaded. Huffing, panting, and whimpering in pain, Alnea felt as if the last stretch of the distance was never going to end. He kept running, and running, but the cabin refused to come into his view. Was it an hour? Or two? Or maybe a whole day? At this point, Alnea did not even know whether he was running in the right direction or not. Yet he never stopped. Because he could not give up. He would not give up. He was¡ª

 Chapter 3: Returning to the cabin [Part 2]

    Alnea finally tore through the endless blanket of trees, reaching another clearing in the forest. It was much bigger in size, at least five times as big as the clearing where he had been Forging his Spirit. And it had no stumps or rocks either. Just a wooden cabin at the centre of the clearing. It was a large cabin, made in a simple style, with logs of wood piled over each other, stuck together by some miraculous means¡ªArcanas of the lineage of Day¡ª of his master. Its roof, however, had planks of wood, perfectly arranged in the shape of a pyramid.


    Furthermore, the reddish brown hue of the wood was forming a perfect contrast with the white snow piled all around it, and on its roof as well. Just like how it was the perfect place to use as shelter against the forces of nature, and also, as a place for him, and the girls to rest. A perfect place to end his journey¡­ A perfect place to complete his Oath¡­ A perfect place¡­ where everyone was waiting for him¡­


    Seeing his destination, and so near to completing his Oath, Alnea finally let go of his tensed nerves, letting out a low roar of pain, as all the tears that he had been holding back came rushing out of his control, completely blurring his vision. But he did not need that for the last part anyway. Stumbling, and tumbling the last bit of his way through the doors of the cabin, he finally completed his Oath. Unfortunately, the relief that the broken chains of his Oaths might bring him would be too little, too late.


    He had long lost all his strength, making the last stretch of his run with the sheer power of his will. And with his Oath completed, even that will finally lost the fuel that it had been burning on. In the end, the pain broke through the fragile barriers of his Heart, overtaking his body. And in the next moment, Alnea felt the world around him spinning, as he found himself falling headfirst towards the ground¡­ Or maybe not¡­


    The world stopped spinning, just as he felt warm and firm hands grabbing him by his shoulders, making sure to not to touch upon his wounds, as they laid him on the ground¡­ or was it on her lap? The warmth¡­ the peace¡­ the security¡­ it was her lap. His tears, blurring out his vision, had made it hard for him to see who had caught him, but he did not need to see to know who it was that had saved him.


    ¡°It¡¯s alright,¡± his master said, gently patting his head. ¡°You made it. Now, get some rest. Everything will be fine when you wake up.¡±


    The broken fragments of his chains finally began merging into his Spirit, and the thread connecting his Spirit to the Origin Sea, sending refreshing cool waves into his Spirit, as the Mysteries of the lineages of Day, and Night, worked their best to soothe his Spirit from the pain it was suffering, while also recovering enough Spirit Power to make his headache recede a little. His body, on the other hand, was under the care of his master. Glittering golden, and white blobs of lights floated out from her, and into his body; more specifically, his wound, relieving him of his pain, as they silently healed him, while his master¡ªhis mother, gently held him, and caressed his cheeks, whispering words of comfort into his ears.


    Going from the pits of pure agony of fire, to the refreshing and warm embrace of his mother, he felt his body, Spirit, and Heart, relax, and let go. Even the tears streaking down his cheeks had stopped flowing, as a smile took its place, mirroring the feeling of comfort in his Heart. There was no place for pain, or danger in the warm and gentle light of his mother¡¯s love and care, that he was bathing in. Only peace and security existed here. Only his mother¡¯s love existed here¡­ Only¡­


    Bit by bit, except for his mother, Alnea forgot everything else, and drifted off to sleep. To his dreams. To the memories of Alnea Oathkeeper.


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    Alnea Oathkeeper¡¯s practice of his Oathkeeper Arts was interrupted by his mother barging in on his courtyard. He did not wish to stop, for only by practising the Oathkeeper Arts could he keep his mind calm, and away from the self doubts that he had recently began having because of his inability to get his Enlightenment. And he knew that his mother was here only to berate him. He had stopped receiving the last shreds of love that she had for him, when his younger brother, three years his junior, had gained his Enlightenment the year before. Still, she was his mother. And etiquette dictated for him to pay his respects. No matter the circumstances.


    ¡°What brings you here, mother?¡± Alnea Oathkeeper asked, bowing slightly to his mother.


    ¡°Stop this farce,¡± she replied, in a cold and apathetic tone.


    ¡°I do not understand what you mean, mother.¡±


    ¡°You cannot attain your Enlightenment. It is a fact. No matter what you do, you cannot inherit your father¡¯s position. So, why are you making things difficult for your brother?¡±


    ¡°When did I ever do that, mother?¡±


    ¡°Do you want me to spell it out to you? Do you know how much shame your brother has to bear because his talent in the Oathkeeper Arts is not even half that of yours? Do you know how people mock him? Why are you still persevering in your practice? What do you want to achieve?¡±


    ¡°If his talent is not enough, then he should practise even more, mother, rather than complaining about it to you. That is how I have held myself. And that is what you once appreciated about me.¡±


    ¡°Will you not stop until you bring shame upon all of us? Do you want me to lose all that I have built up until now?¡±


    ¡°I am just doing my best, mother. This is the only thing I can do, until I gain my Enlightenment.¡±


    ¡°Do you still not get it? You are not gaining your Enlightenment. You have been abandoned by the Origin Sea. Do you want to be abandoned by your family as well?¡±


    ¡°We do not know that for sure, mother.¡±


    ¡°Fine. Then so be it. I did not wish to do this, but you have left me no choice. Know that I am doing this for your own good. And your brother¡¯s as well. As your mother, I am ordering you according to the precepts of the clan to stop practising the Oathkeeper Arts till you have gained your Enlightenment.¡±


    Alnea Oathkeeper looked at his mother in dumbfound astonishment, as he felt his heart being torn into shreds. Although his mother had grown distant from him over the years, he had never expected her to do something like this. He had longed for her love, and her care. Instead, he had gotten her scorn, and her derision. Once again, he was reminded that besides his Oaths, he did not have anyone. In this world, he was all alone.


    There was nothing that Alnea Oathkeeper feared more than being alone. He knew that it was all but just a dream. That too, of a memory that he had seen many times. It was not even his own memory. It was a memory of the other Alnea, and it was not being etched into his mind, which might have caused him a dissociation of identities. Yet, even then, as the memory of his namesake faded away with his dream, the longing, and the fear in his Heart forced him to wake up with a start, and frantically look around himself for his mother¡­ for his master¡­


    There she was, right by his side. It looked like he had been using her lap as his pillow while he slept. That was not a first though, so he was not shy about it anymore. Instead, he looked at his master, at his mother, trying to engrave her figure into his Heart. Not that it was not already. She was already the core of his Heart, of his Serenity. Without her, he would be lost. Without her, he¡ª


    There was no need to think of that possibility. It would better if he used his time, and mind, to look at her more carefully, and reengrave her figure into his Heart. Dressed in the same pristine white robe that she always wore, with patterns of thorns around its borders, she looked almost like a personification of calmness, and serenity. Was she tempering her Heart? Or was she Wandering the Origin Sea? He could not tell with a glance. And neither did he care. As long as she was by his side, everything was fine.


    ¡°The sleeping beauty is finally awake.¡±

 Chapter 3: Returning to the cabin [Part 3]

    ¡°The sleeping beauty is finally awake.¡±


    Alnea heard a voice from behind him, and immediately recognised it as Cecilia¡¯s. He turned around, and found her sitting on the floor, flashing a grin at him. His first friend¡­ A true friend, not the fake kind. Sitting by her side, facing his master, was Yuri, his second true friend, though in a sense, she could also be considered to be his first friend. Everything good that had happened to him after his father¡¯s death, had all stemmed from her, and her alone. If not for her¡­ One day, he would surely repay her, and help her change the fate of her clan.


    Yuri, at the moment, was meditating, as usual. And as usual, was also wearing her white robe. Unlike the white robe of his master though, hers was plain, through and through. No pattern, or any extra added detail. Just a simple, plain white robe. Yet, of all the people he had ever met, if he had to pick whose dress matched perfectly with them, Alnea would have to pick her every time. If his master was a personification of calmness, then Yuri was a perfect example of harmony, her white robes almost seemingly merging into her white skin, and hair, bringing out the best of her crystal clear blue eyes.


    Cecilia, on the other hand, was a mass of excitement, and mischievousness. She never let any chance of teasing him pass by her, even when she was meditating. In a way, the green robe that she wore, with golden patterns of snake around its hems, was a perfect match for her mischievous green eyes.


    ¡°Still not comfortable with the hard floor for meditation?¡± Alnea said, replying to Cecilia with a grin of his own.


    ¡°This is not mediation, this is torture,¡± Cecilia said with a snort. ¡°What happened to your clothes? Got injured again?¡±


    Alnea blinked, before looking down on himself. The green shirt that he had been wearing earlier had been ruined in his fight, burnt into ashes. As such, when he had walked into the cabin earlier, he had been half naked, with his chest burnt beyond recognition. Yet, at the moment, not only did he not feel any pain, or discomfort from his chest, but was also wearing a pristine white shirt. Even his trousers had been changed into a pair of pristine white trousers, matching the robes of his master, and Yuri.


    ¡°Something like that,¡± Alnea said to Cecilia, hoping that his master had not changed his clothes in front of the girls. As for his master herself, with the injuries he suffered on a daily basis, he had long gotten used to her changing his clothes in his sleep.


    ¡°What was it this time? Ice? Fire? Lightning? Or just some physical injuries?¡±


    Before Alnea could respond to her question, Yuri, sitting by their side, woke up from her meditation, and shook her head, as she looked at Cecilia with a wry smile.


    ¡°Rather than asking him such meaningless questions for your entertainment, you should be focussing on your meditation, Cecilia,¡± she said, causing Cecilia¡¯s face to flush slightly, dyeing it with a shade of pinkish red. ¡°Even Alnea has gotten used to the hard floor by now.¡±


    Instead of reflecting on herself though, Cecilia glared at Alnea, and said, ¡°Why are you comparing me with this freak here? He is the kind of guy who learns from being beaten around. The more he suffers, the more he learns. I, on the other hand, learn from comfort. The more comfortable I am, the more I learn.¡±


    ¡°I am not a freak.¡±


    ¡°Are you sure?¡± Cecilia said, giving him a weird look. ¡°I have seen the look you have on your face when you Forge your Spirit. How can someone smile with a fire raging inside their Spirit?¡±


    ¡°...I was thinking of something funny to distract myself from the pain.¡±


    ¡°Do you think I¡¯ll believe that? I have been with you long enough to know the difference between the face you make while enjoying yourself, and the one you make when you are laughing at something.¡±


    ¡°¡­Maybe you saw incorrectly. No, before that, what were you doing sneaking around during your training anyway? You were supposed to go to your own clearing, and train your Spirit!¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t change the topic,¡± Cecilia said, hurriedly covering her slip up. ¡°Alright, let us assume that you are right, and forget about Spirit Forging for now. What about the present you gave Yuri, the day before yesterday, on her birthday? That suicidal attack that hurts yourself just as much as it hurts your enemy¡­ Only a freak like you who trains his Spirit through Forging his Spirit can use it.¡±


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    ¡°I didn¡¯t have anything else¡­¡± Alnea mumbled, as his cheeks flushed with embarrassment. On his own birthday, Yuri had let him experience what Wandering the Origin Sea felt like. Though he had not really entered the Origin Sea, it was still an incomparably precious present. Especially since she took him to experience Wandering the Origin Sea every week ever since, just so that he could get used to the Origin Sea, and temper his Heart. Under the supervision, and protection of his master, of course.


    After their dreadful first experience of Wandering the Origin Sea, where Yuri was almost devoured by the Origin Sea on multiple occasions, one of which had also resulted in Alnea himself losing all his Spirit Power, his master could not rest assured with them Wandering the Origin Sea on their own. So, whenever Yuri took Alnea to experience Wandering the Origin Sea, his master would always stay by their side to ensure that nothing untoward would happen to them. Especially considering that curse on his fate¡­


    Maybe, that was what had caused Yuri to be encounter manifestation of two Mysteries on just her first Wandering, with one of it being right at the entrance of her Domain, and that too, when she was returning from her Wandering with an almost completely exhausted Spirit. If not for his master¡¯s Thorns, her Roots, then Yuri might really have¡­


    Of course, neither Yuri, nor his master had blamed him for it. And even after she had learned of the curse of his fate, Yuri had still insisted on taking him to experience Wandering the Origin Sea. And that had increased the preciousness of her present to him even more than before. Despite his curse, despite his faults, she was still willing to stay with him¡­ That was the most precious gift he could ever get.


    On the other hand, when it was his turn to give her a present, all that he had given her was the Soul Piercing Needle. Though the method was unique, and had an element of surprise to it, it could never compare in preciousness to any of the gifts that he had received. Yet it was also the most precious thing he had on himself that he could call as his own. He could have asked for something from his master, but then it would not have been a present from himself. So, even though it was nothing precious, he had still given her the Soul Piercing Needle as his present. And it looked like Yuri had liked it as well.


    ¡°Don¡¯t listen to her, Alnea,¡± Yuri said. ¡°I like the present very much. I have already used it a couple of times in these two days, and it has proven very useful. Especially when used at critical times, it can turn the tables around, allowing me to shift from a disadvantageous position to an advantageous position. Though it is a little hard to use¡­ After a couple of times, I easily got used to it. It is quite a nifty method of supporting my other attacks. Thank you for the present, Alnea.¡±


    ¡°¡­Are you sure that it did not make you a sitting target for the Oren Beasts?¡±


    ¡°Stop teasing him, Cecilia. It¡¯s been two days already. When are you going to let it go?¡±


    ¡°¡­Don¡¯t make me recall that.¡±


    ¡°¡­I should be the one saying that line,¡± Alnea said, recalling the day he had given his present to Yuri in the form of a scroll. Cecilia, curious as she was, had taken the scroll from his hand before he could give it Yuri. And despite his best efforts, he had not been able to snatch the scroll back from her hands before she could read its contents. In the end, she ended up ¡®volunteering¡¯ to test the authenticity of the method, before allowing Yuri to use it herself. After that¡­


    When Cecilia recovered from the pain, she had chased him throughout the mansion, giving him a bloodied nose, before her anger, and indignation had thawed a little. Still, even when more than a day had passed since the incident, her snarky attitude had not.


    ¡°What are you mumbling about? I was the one who had to suffer from the needle.¡±


    ¡°The fault for that lies with you, not him. You used the Spirit Piercing Needle without learning of its effects first. Stop being so mean to him.¡±


    ¡°¡­I just wanted to make sure that it was safe for you to use,¡± Cecilia grumbled.


    ¡°Do you think I need your protection, when I am already at the False Rank?¡±


    ¡°...You have changed too much, Yuri. You used to be so calm, and listen to everything I used to say. But now¡­ You are clearly favouring him over me. This is not fair. I came first. You met him later. You should be on my side.¡±


    ¡°I am on neither of your side. I only side with the right.¡±


    Although Yuri said that, Alnea could still see her lips curl up ever so slightly, as Cecilia mentioned her being on his side. That inevitably made him smile as well. However, before he could revel in that little bit of happiness of being treated as someone special, his master finally opened her eyes, and interrupted their conversation.


    ¡°I did not know that meditation involved bickering with each other like some cats,¡± his master said, glaring at all three of them. ¡°Go back to your meditation. You will have plenty of time to talk after that. You too, Alnea. Of the three, your progress may have been the greatest in terms of the state of your Heart, but that does not give you the right to become complacent. Though your Heart has attained its Serenity, it was mostly due to external influences, and not because of your own hard work, and tempering.


    ¡°Consequently, the Serenity that you have gained is not true Serenity, but a conditional one. Your Heart is still in a very fragile, vulnerable, and unstable state. As such, of the three, it is also you who has to work the hardest, so that you can make up for your weakness. Do not get caught up with their flow, and forget what you need to do. Temper your Heart, your thoughts, and bring your Heart back under your control. Attain True Serenity. Only then will you be qualified enough to begin your Wanderings.¡±


    ¡°¡­I understand, master.¡±


    ¡°¡­Go, clam your Heart. We will begin your day¡¯s lesson after you are done with your meditation.¡±


    ¡°Yes, master.¡±

 Chapter 4: Finding Serenity [Part 1]

    Heeding his master¡¯s words, Alnea closed his eyes, and fell into silent contemplation. Meditating itself was not a difficult task for him. Not after he had gained Serenity. It was what came implied with meditation that he had pay attention to, tempering his Heart. For that not only involved focusing his mind and Heart on one train of thought, but also needed him to reflect on himself, and resolve his inner conflicts. Only if he resolved the conflict hidden within himself, would he be able to temper his Heart.


    Or at least that was how he had Settled his Heart, and that was how he had attained Serenity. And to resolve his inner conflicts, he needed to find them first. Thus, once again, as he had been doing for over the past month, Alnea began looking within himself, within his Heart, for any seeds of doubt, of conflict that may be hidden within him. Naturally, that meant going over all the things that had happened to him recently.


    The fight that he had with the monkey, his arguments with Cecilia, his secret talks with Yuri, Yuri¡¯s birthday, the pain from Forging his Spirit, all the new things that his master had been teaching him, and even the events that had happened to him on his birthday. Even the things that had happened before that as well, like the change in his dreams, or the shift in his attitude towards his Oaths, his Roots¡­


    His past two months had truly been very eventful. No, ever since he had laid his Roots, things had never really settled down for him. From having nothing, and no one, to having everything, and everyone, things had moved so fast, that he had not even had the time to digest them. However, that did not stop him from reflecting on himself. Especially his past self¡­


    Looking back at his naive, and ignorant self, who always kept on harping about his Oaths, Alnea could not help smiling to himself. He may have been a bit too stupid back then¡­ However, that was to be expected. Back then, he did not truly understand what Oaths meant to him. Neither was he aware of the curse of his fate. The change in his dreams, the memories of the other Alnea, they had seemed like a boon to him, a good fortune just for him. And stupid as he was, he had kept it as a secret from even his master.


    It was no wonder then, that he had to face so many troubles later on. But in a way, it was exactly because of those troubles that he was able to dig out all the inner conflicts hidden within himself. Be it his attitude towards his Oath, the forced Oath that had come between him and his mother, the hate he had been harbouring for himself, or the secret that he had always been hiding, all these things had been eating away at him, without him even knowing about it. Thankfully, the events that had transpired a month ago had helped him resolve all those conflicts, allowing his Heart to attain its Serenity.


    Yet, those conflicts had risen, or come to the fore, only because of extreme external stimulations he had been through. Especially the last one, which had been the greatest contributor in the evolution of his Heart. As such, the Serenity that he had attained was flawed. It was a conditional Serenity, that existed with his master¡­ his mother. For she was his Serenity. Only if she was by his side, would his Heart remain Serene. Without her, even Settling his Heart would be difficult for him.


    And not just his, even Cecilia¡¯s Serenity was flawed. She may not have received as extreme a stimulation as he did, but her progress in the state of her Heart was undeniably through external stimulations. Still, her condition was much better than his. At the very least, her Heart had been at the peak of its Settled state when she had received the external stimulation. And she had years of experience in tempering her Heart. Even if her Heart was beyond her control at the moment, it would not stay so for long.


    Alnea, on the other hand, had barely had a Settled Heart for some ten or so days, which he had reached through the help of external stimulations as well, before another stimulation had made him attain his Serenity. Though a month tempering had allowed him to make some progress with his Heart, it was not enough to allow him even a rudimentary control of his Heart. And it was still in a flawed state, that would revert back to being to the state of being Settled, or even Muddied, should his master ever leave his side¡­


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    No, his master would never leave his side. That would never happen. She was his mother. His Serenity. She would never leave him¡­


    Alnea stopped his Heart from delving any further into that train of thought, directing it back to searching for the conflict hidden within himself. It was not easy though, especially since most of his larger conflicts had already been resolved through external stimulations. And the conflict that was left, he was not ready to face. As such, he could only go back to what he was doing, slowly searching for small conflicts within himself. That would be enough to allow him some semblance of control over his Heart¡­ in time.


    Besides, with Yuri¡¯s help, he had another way of tempering his Heart. Though it had not been evident in their first Wandering, experiencing the attacks of the Origin Sea, and shift between the Origin Sea and her Domain, really did help him in tempering his Heart. But that also meant that it would be helping Yuri in tempering her Heart as well¡­


    Yuri had long Cleared her Heart, achieving a Clarity of her Heart. In fact, her Heart was already comparable to that of an average Fourth Stage True Wanderer before she had even met him. And when she did meet him, she had also resolved some of her inner conflicts as well, not to mentions how she had been Wandering the Origin Sea on a daily basis¡­ Besides, of the three of them, Yuri was the most diligent when it came to meditations, and tempering Hearts. She had even replaced her sleep with meditations¡­


    Maybe, as his master had said, he truly did need to work the hardest. Not only did he need to stabilise his Heart, and attain true Serenity, but he also needed to ¡®Forge¡¯ his Spirit. Only when his Spirit Power would reach the False Rank, would he be able to begin his own Wanderings of the Origin Sea. And if he took too much time in doing that, then both of his friends would leave him far behind¡­ He really could not afford to get carried away with their flow.


    However, the progress of his friends did not dishearten him. He was happy for them, but he had had to have confidence within himself as well. Sooner, or later, he would catch up with them¡­ Maybe a little sooner with Cecilia, and later with Yuri. But he would definitely catch up with them. And surpass them. After all, he had to make his master feel proud of him. Make his mother feel proud of him¡­ And then, with her by his side¡­


    Meditation was hard. Especially so, when his Heart was stuck in a conditional Serenity. He knew that he should avoid thinking about his mother, his master, yet his Heart would just keep directing his thoughts towards her¡­ After all, he could not live without her. So how could he keep his thoughts away from her? She was not just his Serenity, but she was also his¡ª


    Maybe things would have been better if he could have used the Void Heart Stance. With its help, he surely would have been able to keep his Heart from thinking of his master. Rather, with the Void Heart Stance granting him a pseudo Impenetrable Heart, he would have been able to keep all his thoughts from affecting him. In that strange state, nothing would have been able to disturb him, not even the thoughts of his master.


    Yet it was also because of that, that he could not use the Void Heart Stance. Without proper control, an Impenetrable Heart would do him more harm than good. He still recalled how it had made him act rudely with his master¡­ How could he even think of using that stance once again? It would be better if his Heart never improved, rather than letting him talk so rudely with his master. After all, she was his Serenity¡­ his mother¡­ his¡ª


    ¡­Could this be considered as a form of Inner conflict? He kept trying not to think of his mother, but her thoughts kept barging into his head, and Heart, completely out of his control. Though, on second thought, what was so bad about it? If he knew that his master was his Serenity, then could he also not attain Serenity whenever he wanted, by just thinking of his master?


    ¡­And yet, it was exactly that thought that he was trying to rectify.

 Chapter 4: Finding Serenity [Part 2]

    His Heart was supposed to be Serene at all times, and not just when he would be thinking of his master. At the very least, he should have enough control over his Heart to attain Serenity whenever he needed it. But no matter what he did, his thoughts would gravitate towards his master. They did not disturb his Heart, or his meditation. But that was to be expected.


    It was by his master¡¯s instructions that he was meditating. Disturbing his meditation would mean going against that instruction. Going against his master¡­ That was just pure blasphemy. What if his distracted self ended up disappointing his master? No, his thoughts could not, dare not, take that risk. But they did not leave him alone either, and kept directing his thoughts towards his master¡­


    In such a way, Alnea kept getting stuck in a vicious cycle, in which, no matter how hard he tried, he just could not get rid of the influence of his master on his Heart. Or maybe, he just did not wish to get rid of her influence. After all, she was the person whom he trusted the most. She was his world, his everything¡­ What was he to do without her?


    No¡­ That was not the case. He was not the old Alnea. His world was not limited just to his master. He also had his mother, the one who had given birth to him. Though she did force him to take an Oath¡­ he could not blame her. Especially since he knew what she had been through, and how much she had sacrificed for him. Besides, she had already apologised to him for it, and had also freed him from the Oath, freeing him from the illusion that he had bound himself in¡­


    An illusion that had begun shattering the moment he had hurt Cecilia. That was when he had begun seeing the difference between himself, and his namesake from the world of Attuners. While the other Alnea lived for his Oaths, he, Alnea Oathkeeper of the world of Wanderers, lived for the people whom he took his Oaths for. He lived for his master, his mother, and even Cecilia, his first true friend, bound in an Oath that Goddess Faein herself was watching over.


    Though Alnea did not think that there was any need for the Goddess to do that. Even without her presence, they would still have been true friends, and Cecilia had proven that time, and time again. Be it standing against the Lotus clan for him, or taking out time from her training to help him with his Martial Styles, she had never shied away from helping him. She had even taught him how to trust again, just as she had taught him what Oaths meant to him.


    Most important of all though, she had brought his father back from the Lotus clan. She had brough the last token he had left in this world, his last legacy, the Arcana that he had created, allowing his family to reunite once again, and bid a last farewell to his father. She had brought him a closure. Yes, she could be a bit moody and grumpy at times, especially when she suffered a loss, but that was her own charm. She was, had always been, and will always be, his true friend.


    Cecilia¡¯s sister on the other hand, the city lord of Anneve, was something akin to a big sister to him as well. He had not known her for long, but he had clicked with her the moment they had first met. They often teamed up with each other to tease Cecilia. However, at times, she could be even more moody than Cecilia. Siding with Cecilia to help her get her revenge against him¡­


    Though the time they had spent together was not much, meeting only during meals, or when big sis Serena had something important to talk about with his master, the time that they did get to spend with each other was always filled with fun, and enjoyment. Being with her, he never felt as if he was with a True Rank Wanderer of a Grand clan. Rather, he felt as if he was with his family, with his big sister that he never had¡­ his big sis Serena.


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    Yet, deep down within himself, Alnea knew that whether it was big sis Serena, or Cecilia, even his master, the reason that he could meet all of them was Yuri. Everything, and anything good that had happened to him after his father¡¯s death was related to her, directly, or indirectly. If not for her, then his fate would have been very different from what it was at the moment¡­ The Lotus clan would have probably thrown him into the depths of despair¡­ Or maybe, the curse of his fate would have devoured him already¡­ If not for her¡­


    What if, Alnea thought, he added all of the people who occupied a place in his Heart to its core? What if, instead of keeping just his master as his Serenity, he made the others as his Serenity as well? His Heart, of course, would still remain vulnerable, and unstable, but much less than what it was at the moment with just his master as the core of his Heart.


    Besides, if his thoughts could be proven as viable, then maybe, he would be able to gain true Serenity as well. All he would need to do would be to shift the core of his Heart from everyone to himself. Or maybe, to nothing. Whatever worked. The main objective was to learn how to shift the focus of his Heart. And so, Alnea shifted the focus of his meditation from focussing on gaining true Serenity, to a Serenity that was based on the people who held a place in his Heart.


    First came his mother, the one who had given birth to him, and raised him for more than twelve years. The woman who had sacrificed everything for him, and was willing to sacrifice even more. Because she was his mother. And yet, here he was, sitting in the Bright Light Forest, thinking of taking advantage of her memories¡­ What kind of a son was he?


    How could he leave her all alone? He had so many people by his side¡­ but who was with his mother? His father was already dead¡­ and his mother, so weak, and old¡­ All because of him¡­ How was she? Was she alright? Was the Lotus clan trying to target her when they could not make him bow down to them? Big sis Serena did say that she had sent people to guard his mother¡­ Were they enough? How could he let her face the Lotus clan on her own? No, he should be there by her side¡­ He should guard her himself. He should¡ª


    No, his master would never let anything happen to his mother. And it was not like he had not seen his mother ever since he had started living apart from her. She came to see him every week or so. And she also met with his master every time that she came. If something were to happen to her, then his master would know¡­ His master would save her¡­ As long as he had his master, everything was fine. He was fine. His mother was fine. The world was fine¡­ Everything was calm, and quite¡­ As long he had his master¡­ his mother¡­


    After his Heart had quietened down, regaining its Serenity, Alnea tried changing its focus once again, this time, trying to keep Cecilia as the core of his Serenity. Unfortunately, the result was still the same. His thoughts soon spiralled out of his control, as they started planning all sorts of revenge for her grumpy moods, and new ways to tease her. Maybe, he should create an even more ruthless and painful method of attacking Spirits than Spirit Piercing Needle as her present. Her birthday was getting close after all.


    With big sis Serena as the core of his Heart, things turned even more violent, as all sorts of pranks, and mischievous ideas kept popping into his head, targeting not just Cecilia, but even Yuri as well. On the other hand, with Yuri as the core of his Heart, his thoughts took a rather dark turn, just as they had taken for his mother, making him ponder about the curse of his fate, and the fate that she wished to change¡­ And mixed in between those thoughts, were the worries of what she might face in her next Wandering, or whether he should think of another present for her. One that she deserved.


    In the end, no matter whom he took as the core of his Heart, he had to revert back to his master in order to not let the violent thoughts, and doubts, break the Serenity of his Heart. Only with her as the core of his Heart, were his thoughts able to stay peaceful, allowing him to keep his head clear. Because only with her, did he feel truly safe, and secure. Only when she was with him, did he feel that he could face anything. And so, although his experiments did not give him the results that he had been hoping for, they gave him something much more important.

 Chapter 4: Finding Serenity [Part 3]

    Alnea finally understood why his Heart could never remain Serene without his master. And he did not feel anything odd about that reason. After all, he had met his master during the darkest time of his life, when he had nothing. Yet, even then, his master had shown complete trust in him¡­ and most of all, she understood him. She provided him the love and care that he needed, that he had been craving for.


    With her by his side, let alone the Lotus clan, even stronger clans would not be able to do anything to him. It was not just a blind confidence in his master, but a promise that she had made to him. A promise that she meant to keep. And had the capabilities to do so as well. After all, not even the Origin Sea was able to harm Yuri in front of her. She was, indeed, invincible. And she was his master, his mother¡­ She was his safest haven.


    Unfortunately, it was exactly that haven which had been restricting his Serenity. If he wished to attain true Serenity, then he needed to break free of it¡­ break free of the idea that only with his master, would he remain safe¡­ would he not be lonely¡­


    It was going to be tough, especially considering what his master meant for him, but at least he knew how to proceed. He would no longer just be blindly searching for inner conflicts within himself, to temper his Heart in vain. On second thought, his tempering over the past month had not really been in vain. Had he not spent the last month, finding inner conflicts within himself, getting familiar with his Heart, with his thoughts, then he might never have gotten to the true cause of the instability in his Heart.


    However, that he knew how to proceed in attaining true Serenity did not mean that he could achieve it any time he so wished it. He still needed to constantly temper his Heart, and make sure that he does not lose control of it, while trying to address the flaw of his Heart. That would probably take some time. So, for the moment, he kept his thoughts aside, and kept probing, tempering his Heart, until finally, the time for his meditation was over, and his master called for him.


    ¡°Alnea,¡± she said, and he opened his eyes, staring right back into hers. ¡°What do you think about your encounter with the Eight Armed Blood Monkey today?¡±


    ¡°I was a little careless, master,¡± he said. ¡°I let my impatience get the better of me. I wished to get rid of it as quickly as possible, and head back to complete my Oath.¡±


    ¡°And?¡±


    ¡°And if I hadn¡¯t been so impatient, and dealt with it cautiously, then I wouldn¡¯t have gotten hurt, and even with the delay caused by taking my time to deal with the monkey, I still would have made it back earlier than I did.¡±


    ¡°¡­And?¡±


    ¡°¡­And I let my enemy leave.¡±


    ¡°¡­You must never underestimate your enemies, Alnea,¡± his master said, unconsciously adding a touch of an inexplicable regret, covered up with determination, in her voice. ¡°Your one mistake not only almost cost you your life, but it also forced you to just watch, as your enemy, your attacker, left right before your eyes. That is the gravest sin you can commit, letting your enemies leave, allowing for them to regroup, and come at you with much more preparation, and determination.¡±


    ¡°I¡­ I got distracted a little by the thought of reaching you as soon as possible. I will not let it happen again, master.¡±


    ¡°You¡­ Silly disciple, what would you have done if it had its pack nearby? What would you have done had I not been here to treat your wounds? This forest, even if it is just the outskirts, is still a part of a Forbidden Area. Treat it with the respect that it deserves, or you will not even know what killed you.¡±


    ¡°¡­I will keep that in my mind, master.¡±


    ¡°¡­Leave those things aside for the moment, and let us talk about how fought off the Eight Armed Blood Monkey. Do you think that you did your best, or could you have done anything better?¡±


    ¡°¡­I could have done better, master.¡±


    ¡°How?¡±


    ¡°¡­The Eight Armed Blood Monkey was in the intermediate phase of its Infant Stage, and had two Innate Abilities. Of them, I already knew that one of those abilities was a restrictive one when the monkey had first attacked me. And so, I should have prepared myself for the eventuality of the monkey using that ability on me once again, while thinking of ways to figure out its second Innate Ability.


    ¡°Or, I could also have just stunned the monkey with the Spirit Piercing Needle, before finishing it off. Instead, I just charged at it, thinking that it would not have the time to use those Abilities before I dealt with it¡­ I was wrong. And overconfident. I should not have aimed to finish the monkey in my first blow. Even if I did not use the Spirit Piercing Needle, at the very least, I should have remained cautious in my moves, and should not have been so impatient¡­


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    ¡°¡­ And I should not have lost my calm in the fight either. I should not have panicked when the monkey had hit me with its innate Ability, restricting my movements. Back then, if I had just remained clam, and waited for a bit longer, then I would have been able to use the Spirit Piercing Needle when the monkey would have come a little closer to me¡­ Probably about the distance where it would not have been able to react in time.


    ¡°That way, it would not have been able to activate its second ability, and that would have allowed me to finish it off. But seeing the Oren Beast so close to my face, with all my movements restricted, made me panic a little. I was not able to judge things properly, and thought that I was about to be attacked¡­ And so, in my futile attempts to avoid an injury, I suffered an even more grievous wound.¡±


    ¡°Do you want to add anything else?¡±


    ¡°¡­I should have also made use of the environment, just like the monkey did.¡±


    ¡°That is indeed one of your greater faults,¡± his master said, nodding not at his words, but at the acknowledgement of his faults. ¡°You have been too reliant on your Oathkeeper Style lately. Though your Oathkeeper Style is indeed the Martial Style with the greatest prowess that you can use right now, it is not without its faults either. The concepts that your Oathkeeper Style is based on¡­ It hardly pays any attention to your surroundings, focussing solely on your enemies.


    ¡°That may prove very effective in some situations, like in an open ground, but in complex terrains, like forests, you not only need to pay attention to your enemies, but also to your surroundings. At the same time, the concepts of your Oathkeeper Style¡­ they are very target specific concepts¡­ In certain situations, your Martial Style might be the best option to deal with your enemies, even in complex terrains.


    ¡°But in other situations, when your enemies are not in line with the concept of your Martial Style, like the Eight Armed Blood Monkey, the effectiveness of your Martial Style drops a lot. Maybe, this might change later on, when you start taming Aspects. However, even then, you will still need to make up for the lack of concepts within your Martial Style. Thus, whether it is for your current situation, or for your future, you should stop relying on your Oathkeeper Style so much, and start focusing on other Martial Styles.¡±


    ¡°¡­I will make sure to work on all my mistakes, master.¡±


    ¡°¡­Good. Then I will give you another opportunity.¡±


    ¡°Another opportunity¡­ you mean¡ª


    ¡°Later, you will face the same Oren Beast, but you are not to use the Oathkeeper Style. At the same time, you should make sure not to get injured, or to let your enemy run away once again.¡±


    ¡°I will not disappoint you, master!¡±


    ¡°We will see about that,¡± his master said, withdrawing the stern look for a few moments to smile at him, before turning towards Cecilia, and donning her stern look once again. ¡°Were you trying to kill the Pink Eared Fox, or were you trying to make friends with it? Did you want to take a tour of the forest on its back? You had¡­¡±


    Alnea tried his best not to laugh, as his master continued to berate Cecilia for a while. Her actions truly had been ridiculous. Riding on top of a Pink Eared Fox¡­ Known for its abilities to cast seduction, illusions, and confusion on its enemies, the fox must have died with quite a lot of dissatisfaction, and indignation in its heart, after having met such a muscle brained girl as its opponent. Right in the next moment though, he felt something akin to a kindred pity for the poor fox.


    After his master was done giving her advice to Cecilia, she just said a few words pointing out Yuri¡¯s mistakes in dealing with the Four Eyed Fox, before moving away from the topic. However, that was to be expected. Yuri always dealt with enemies cleanly, barely making any mistakes in the process. And that was despite the fact that she was facing Adolescent Stage Oren Beasts, not those in their Infant Stage.


    Though Yuri had yet to truly set path on any of the three paths of Wanderers, her Spirit Power had reached the False Rank more than a month ago. Even if she did not have any Aspects, or Mysteries at her command yet, at the very least, she could use some Arcanas, which she did, easily triumphing over her enemies. Sometimes, she did not even need to do that. Just her Martial Styles, even without Aspects, were enough for her defeat some of the weaker Adolescent Stage Oren Beasts. In contrast, Alnea was having trouble fighting against just some Infant Stage Oren Beasts¡­


    At least he was much better than how he had started out, Alnea thought, as memories of how he had dealt with his first Oren Beast flashed across his mind. A Green Wind Wolf rushing straight at him, as he stood still in fear, completely blacked out¡­ Let alone using a Martial Style, he had not even been able to move, and watched in horror, as the wolf had torn out his right arm, along with clawing his left eye¡­


    Back then, he really had been too naive, often getting berated for his mistakes by his master. But it was also because of his master¡¯s constant worry that he had been able to improve so much over the past month. At the very least, he had long stopped fearing the Oren Beasts. And lately, he had shifted from just fighting off the beasts, to winning against them. He was even on a five day streak of defeating all his enemies.


    Of course, the credit of his rapid improvement did not go solely to his master¡¯s ¡®tough love¡¯, but also to the intensity of his training. His day usually began with waking up early in the morning, even before Enn could rise, and going straight to the Bright Light Forest to Forge his Spirit. Next in the list was a sneak attack from an Oren Beast on his way back to his master. And of course, completing his Oath.


    Back at the cabin, he would then meditate for a while, as would Cecilia and Yuri, tempering their Hearts, before his master would point out their faults in dealing with the Beasts. Then, while waiting for their Spirit Power to recover, his master would give him a lesson, filling up what his foundations were still lacking, with Cecilia and Yuri listening from the side.


    Once their Spirit Power would recover though, all of them would head back out to their respective clearings, and repeat the whole process, until Enn would start sinking into the horizon, after which, his master would take them back to the mansion, where big sis Serena would welcome them with a big, and sumptuous meal. And so, after his master was done with pointing out their mistakes, it was time for his favourite part of the day. A lesson on Arcanas.

 Prologue: Ghost Fire

    Fire. Technically, it was not in the Domain of his Supreme Lord, yet, for some reason, Rhaegar had always been good at playing with fire. It came to him just as naturally as Death. That had always surprised him, and those around him. Usually, people from his Heterodoxy were good at things related to Death. Like blood. Or pestilence. Even despair, and regret would have been fine. At least they had some connection to Death. But Fire¡­


    However, all of that changed when Rhaegar had managed to infuse his fanaticism for Death, into his passion for Fire, creating the Ghost Fire. Thus, was born Rhaegar of the Ghost Fire, a leader, a general, a king, and a messenger, spreading the gospels of his Supreme Lord far, and wide, even within the territory of the Orthodoxies. Just like what he was doing at the moment.


    Swathes, after swathes of Ghost Fire kept burning below him, spreading the ultimate truth of his Supreme Lord to every corner of the city. And to every living being, be it Wanderers, or Seeds. Even the Rootless. His Ghost Fire never discriminated. And neither did his Supreme Lord. The Supreme Lord did, however, order his entire Heterodoxy to look for a person who had denied his death.


    Was it because the person in question had denied his death? The Supreme Lord did have command over certain parts of the Domain of Death. Denying death would mean defying the Supreme Lord himself. That was unacceptable. Such a man should never be given the chance to return to the embrace of his Supreme Lord. Still, it was not his place to questions the commands of his Supreme Lord. He had only one job. To find the man who had denied his death.


    However, finding such a person was not easy. For months, Rhaegar had travelled in different parts of the Tes Domain, trying to find the man that his Supreme Lord had mentioned. Yet, no matter how many people he found, his Supreme Lord just refused to respond. It was quite obvious that none of the people that he, or the others of his Heterodoxy had found, and ¡®invited¡¯ back to their own Domain, were the man his Supreme Lord was looking for.


    Rhaegar of the Ghost Fire did not doubt whether the person existed or not. Since his Supreme Lord had demanded that they search for him, the man must exist. It was just that they had not been able to find him. A man who had denied his death¡­ he wondered what that person was like. And if that person could deny his death once, could he do it again?


    Once that though came to Rhaegar, it took roots deep into his mind, and Heart. Not long after, he came up with a brilliant plan. The best way of finding the person who had defied his death was to create an opportunity for the man to defy his death once again. And so, he set out in his search, destroying cities after cities, searching for man who could survive from his Ghost Fire. To his disappointment, no one could.


    In their defence, he had only searched in smaller sectors, and countries. He was not invincible, after all. Not yet. He could handle some of the smaller Orthodoxies on his own, but if he got entangled with the larger ones, things would become difficult. Fortunately, he was not alone in his actions. Almost all of the Wanderers of his Heterodoxy had set out in the search, combing through every corner of the world.


    Rhaegar was just a General of the Heterodoxy, responsible for the search in the Fifth Sector of the Lightning Region. Personally, he would have preferred the Fire Region. That would have allowed him to meet many people with expertise in Fire. Maybe they would have even survived his Ghost Fire. His orders had come from the Elder¡¯s council itself though. There was nothing he could do, but search in the Lightning Region.


    But maybe, this was for the better, Rhaegar thought, as he watched the people, Wanderers, and commoners alike, wailing with the pain of having their Spirits, along with their bodies, burned, and being turned into ashes, while they were still alive. That was a unique property of his Ghost Fire, turning people into ashes while they were still alive. And it had never disappointed him, always bringing the ultimate truth to the people it had engulfed. If someone could survive his Ghost Fire, he would have to be the one that the Supreme Lord was looking for.


    Yet, as he saw the city being turned into debris, and ashes, leaving behind no survivors once again, Rhaegar shook his head disappointment. Another fruitless search. Spreading the ultimate message of his Supreme Lord was all nice and good, but being in the Orthodox Domains for too long was beginning to tire him out.


    No matter how many people he delivered to the Supreme Lord, all of them had the same reaction. First, they would attack him with their Glyphs, and Arcanas. And when that would not work, thy would start sending in their Warriors. These smaller cities did not have anyone of import though. The strongest one was only at the Tenth Stage of the True Rank. Their attacks were bound to fail. But so did his search for the man¡­


    Once the last of the people in the city below him had turned into ashes, Rhaegar lost all interest in the city. If it could even be called as such anymore. A deserted ghost city, with his Ghost Fire still burning fiercely on some of remaining buildings, determined on turning everything into ashes. There was no meaning in continuing to watch. Thus, sighing in resignation, Rhaegar turned around to leave for his next destination, his next target. He had barely flown for a meter or so, when he felt the air¡ªno, the space itself started to ripple around him, forming into a gigantic screen in front of him, blocking his way.


    ¡°Ghost Fire.¡±


    A cold, detached, and apathetic voice rang out from within that screen, as it slowly resolved its blurriness, becoming clear enough for Rhaeghar to see the figure of the person on the other side of the screen. An old man, dressed in a black robe, much similar to the blue robe that Rhaegar himself was wearing, just in a darker shade, with more subdued overtones, and patterns. A figure that he immediately recognised.


    ¡°Greetings, Elder,¡± Rhaegar said, cupping his fist in front of his chest. ¡°How may Ghost Fire be of service to you?¡±


    ¡°Not to me, but to the Supreme Lord.¡±


    ¡°My apologies, Elder. How may Ghost Fire be of service to the Supreme Lord?¡±


    ¡°¡­How has your search been going on?¡±


    ¡°¡­As usual, Elder. Fruitless.¡±


    ¡°And of your subordinates?¡±


    ¡°They have been working hard, Elder,¡± Rhaegar said. ¡°They send back some candidates every month or so. But you must already know about it.¡±


    ¡°Indeed, I do. That is why I was a little concerned after I lost contact with one of your subordinates, the one who used to send the most number of people back to the Heterodoxy.¡±


    ¡°¡­The little Blood Boy?¡±


    ¡°Indeed. Do you know what has happened to him?¡±


    ¡°I do not, Elder. As long as my subordinates do what I ask them to, I generally leave them up to their own means. Has something happened to Blood Boy?¡±


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    ¡°¡­I am afraid so,¡± the Elder said in a grave tone. ¡°Do you know what he has been up to in the past few months?¡±


    ¡°¡­He informed me that he may have found clues regarding the man that we are searching for, but he says something like that every week or so, so I did not pay much attention to him, and asked him to do as he wished. Did he stir up some troubles, Elder?¡±


    ¡°Troubles,¡± the Elder mumbled, looking past Rhaegar, towards the rubbles of the city that once stood tall, and proud. ¡°Can anyone stir up more troubles than you?¡±


    Following the Elder¡¯s line of sigh, Rhaegar glanced towards the city, before returning his gaze back to the Elder, and said, ¡°I just do not wish to waste the time, and resources of our clan on some impostors, Elder.¡±


    ¡°Forget it. I am not using this apparition to reprimand you for your behaviour. Even I would have done the same in your place.¡±


    ¡°Then¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­That little Blood Boy fooled more than a hundred retainers of a clan, turning them into Enthralled Wanderers, practically destroying all the Wanderers in a city.¡±


    Rhaegar blinked in silence, looking at the Elder in confusion, wondering if he was jesting. The solemn look on Elder¡¯s face said that he was not.


    ¡°That little Blood Boy really did something like that?¡±


    ¡°¡­I was surprised by his audacity as well. He dared to stir up so much trouble while being just a Fourth Stage True Wanderer¡­¡±


    A strange sense of pride, and satisfaction filled Rhaegar, as he burst out with a laugh.


    ¡°I never knew that the little blood brat had such potential,¡± he said, laughing hysterically, causing his Ghost Fire, still burning in the city below, to flare up in intensity. ¡°That little brat must be in hiding right now, so you do not have to worry, Elder. He will contact us when things calm down.¡±


    ¡°¡­I am afraid that he will no longer be able to contact us.¡±


    ¡°¡­Did the Orthodoxies catch him?¡±


    ¡°We do not know,¡± the Elder said, shaking his head. ¡°No one knows what has happened to him.¡±


    ¡°Then how can you be sure that he would not be able to contact us?¡±


    ¡°¡­Before starting his operation, the little brat had borrowed a spatial relocation array from the Heterodoxy. However, even a month after stirring up so much trouble, he has yet contact us¡­ What do you think has happened to him?¡±


    ¡°¡­If I recall correctly, the blood brat was responsible for Rianra¡­ Was it the Serpia clan?¡±


    ¡°We are not sure,¡± the Elder said, pausing to show some hesitation on his face. ¡°After receiving such a big blow, if they had captured him, then they surely would have proclaimed so to the world to earn back their face. Yet, neither the Lotus clan, which had suffered from the brat¡¯s schemes, or the Serpia clan have said anything regarding the brat. On the contrary, they are even upping their efforts to search for him.


    ¡°For the Serpia clan, I can understand their actions somewhat. The city that the brat attacked was where the heiress of the Serpia clan was acting as the city lord. The Serpia clan must earn back their face. The heiress of the Serpia clan has led a campaign to rout out all the Heterodox Wanderers entrenched in their country. But the Lotus clan¡­ their actions are very suspicious¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­Since even you are calling them as suspicious, then there must be something strange about their actions.¡±


    ¡°¡­While the Serpia clan is clearing out all the Heterodoxies from within its territory, the Lotus clan is focussing on just that brat, desperately searching for him. As if he has taken away their Divine Treasure.¡±


    ¡°¡­Did that brat really take away their Divine Treasure?¡±


    ¡°What do you think?¡±


    ¡°¡­It is highly unlikely,¡± Rhaegar said, shaking his head after some thought. ¡°No matter how great his schemes are, in front of absolute strength, they are like children¡¯s tricks. That he succeeded in delivering such a heavy blow to a city all by himself is already a miracle in itself. Still, I reckon that the city should be just a normal one, with barely any Fourth Stage True Wanderers. Such a city should not even have any precious treasures, let alone a Divine Treasure.¡±


    ¡°That is why I am saying that their actions are suspicious¡­¡±


    ¡°What did that brat take away though?¡±


    ¡°A child.¡±


    ¡°A child?¡±


    ¡°A boy, around thirteen years old. He took his Roots last year, and reached the Ninth Level by the time of his Spirit Test.¡±


    ¡°Interesting¡­ this child seems to be quite talented. No wonder the Lotus clan is so desperate. Any clan would be desperate if someone kidnaps their heir.¡±


    ¡°The child is not their heir.¡±


    ¡°Huh? Is the Lotus clan so strong that even such a talented child does not deserve to be its heir?¡±


    ¡°¡­He is not from the Lotus clan in the first place, so how can he be their heir?¡±


    ¡°¡­Not from the Lotus clan? Then which clan is he from?¡±


    ¡°None. The child seems to be normal civilian. His father was a retainer of the Lotus clan, but died in his Wanderings. And his mother is not even a Wanderer.¡±


    ¡°¡­Why is the Lotus clan searching so desperately for the child then?¡±


    ¡°Now, do you understand why their actions are so suspicious?¡±


    ¡°¡­Interesting,¡± Rhaegar said, as a grin started to slowly form over his face. ¡°I am assuming this child is also the one whom that blood brat assumed to be the target of the mission?¡±


    ¡°Indeed,¡± the Elder said, with a slight nod of his head. ¡°From the very beginning, his entire scheme was centred around that child. Enticing the retainers, making them rebel against the Lotus clan, and then turning them into Enthralled Wanderers was all a part of his plan to get that child. And as far as witnesses can tell, he even succeeded in his plans, rushing out of the city with the child¡­¡±


    ¡°But he never went back to the clan¡­ Do you want me look into this matter, Elder?¡±


    ¡°Not just you, I want you to take all your subordinates, and head over to Rianra to look for that brat. If he is fine, then bring him back. If not, then find out how he returned to embrace of the Supreme Lord, and if possible, deliver the ultimate truth to the Wanderer responsible. In either case, you must get that child¡­ Something is telling me that the child is really the one we are looking for.¡±


    ¡°¡­From what you have told me, things might be a little dangerous over there at the moment, Elder. It is fine if I go alone, but if I bring all my subordinates, then I might not be able to guarantee their safety.¡±


    ¡°Since when did you start caring about the life and death of your subordinates?¡±


    ¡°¡­I do not care whether they live or die. But I have a quota to meet, Elder. At least, let me keep half of my subordinates out of this mess.¡±


    ¡°You are to take all your subordinates, and go to Rianra to look for that child. This is a decision that the Elder¡¯s Council has come up with.¡±


    ¡°But¡­¡±


    ¡°Do not worry. The Elder¡¯s Council understands your worry. Which is why we are sending you a Fortune Devouring Cat.¡±


    ¡°¡­A Fortune Devouring Cat?¡± Rhaegar said, staring incredulously at the Elder. ¡°When did we have a Fortune Devouring Cat?¡±


    ¡°One of the Elders just recently got hold of it,¡± the Elder said, finally showing a hint of smile on his face. ¡°We were all wondering how to make the best use of it, and now a chance has finally has presented itself to us. That should be enough to rest you of all your worries, right?¡±


    ¡°Enough¡­ That is more than enough, Elder.¡±


    ¡°Good. Gather all your subordinates, and make way to Rianra. I will send you the location of the spatial relocation array. You can begin your search from there. And make sure to bring that child back to the clan, alive.¡±


    ¡°Do not worry, Elder. I will definitely bring the child back.¡±


    ¡°¡­May the Supreme Lord¡¯s guidance be with you, Ghost Fire.¡±


    ¡°And with you, Elder,¡± Rhaegar said, waiting patiently for the rippling space in front of him to return to normal. Right before the screen completely disappeared from his sight though, the Elder¡¯s voice rang out for one last time, giving him another piece of information.


    ¡°Ah, and one more thing. The child¡¯s name seems to be Alnea¡­¡±

 Chapter 1: Night Canyons [Part 1]

    Alnea Oathkeeper was faced with a great dilemma. He was a normal human. No, he was even worse than a normal human. He was abandoned by the Origin Sea, and hence, had no Aspects. His enemies though, were Master Attuners, the third Rank of Attuners, at the very least. Even if he had his Oathkeeper Arts, at best, he could only deal with Novice Attuners. If his luck was great, which seldom was, allowing him to catch his enemies off guard, then he had confidence in dealing with even Adept Attuners. Mostly those who had just recently been promoted. Master Attuners though, were a completely different matter.


    On the path of Attuners, each Rank of Attuners was divided by a huge gulf, determined by how many Aspects one had, and the degree to which they were Attuned with their Aspects. The greater the degree of Attunement, the greater the strength they would have, and the greater the number of Aspects, the greater the means they would have. After gaining their Aspects, if people could Attune with their first Aspect to a degree where it could begin to temper their bodies, then they would be called as Novice Attuners.


    Novice Attuners did not have much advantage over normal people in the beginning. At best, they just had stronger bodies. But as they progressed in their Rank, getting more Attuned with their Aspect, with the Origin Sea, they would then gain approval of more, and more Aspects, which would then work with their other Aspects to temper their bodies. At the same time, these Aspects would also work together to open up an Aspect Ocean within their bodies, which would store all their Aspects, and nurture them. And this Aspect Ocean was the dividing line between Novice Attuners, and Adept Attuners.


    Having opened up their Aspect Ocean, Adept Attuners had command over much greater numbers of Aspects than Novice Attuners, and at the same time, also had a greater degree of Attunement. Even their bodies were tens of times stronger than normal humans, and this was when they did not even use their Aspects. Furthermore, having tempered their bodies with their Aspects for years, their bodies also gained certain properties, and special abilities, depending on their Aspects, and the affinity of those Aspects.


    However, it was only when one gained mastery over their Aspects, earning complete control over them, along with the ability to summon them out of their bodies, that they earned the Rank, and title of Master Attuners. Master Attuners had complete understanding of their Aspects, and the special abilities of their bodies. They could even deliberately temper their bodies with different Aspects to gain different special abilities. Their most powerful, and most reliable method of attacks though, was still the direct usage of their Aspects.


    Summoning Aspects into the world, and letting them wreak havoc around them certainly drained the Master Attuners of their strength, and will, and even had the risk of the Attuners submitting to their own Aspects, becoming Enthralled. But even the Novice Attuners carried that risk to some degree. After all, just by tempering their bodies with Aspects, Attuners initiate an intrinsic change within their bodies, that separated them from normal humans. So, if the Attuners were afraid of getting Enthralled, they would not have become Attuners in the first place.


    Thus, what Alnea Oathkeeper had to face was not just some dumb people who only had strong bodies, not knowing how to make proper use of their enhanced strength, and speed, but people who could call forth the might of the Aspects into the world. Sneaking an attack on such people would be useless. Their Aspects would warn them long before he could get close to them. And even if he could somehow get close to them, their bodies would be tens of times stronger than his. Though the Oathkeeper Arts could help him strengthen his body, without the aid of Aspects, its effects were limited.


    But he still refused to give up. What they had taken was his salvation. His¡­ He had already made an Oath. He would save her, no matter what. Even if that meant facing Master Attuners, or even stronger Attuners. And so, Acolytes of Origin or not, Alnea Oathkeeper did not care. He held his sword, and pointed it at the black cloaked man in front of him. A master Attuner.


    ¡°Where is¡­¡±


    Before Alnea could see his namesake complete his question, he felt the memory fade away into darkness, as he himself, opened his eyes to a world of darkness. It was not the darkness of his Spirit World, or his Domain, but the darkness of Night. Faint shadows casted from the soft light of Enn¡ªEnn did not have soft lights. And there were no faint shadows in the place he was. Only a darkness, that was being held off by a stream of soft light making its way through the small opening, just enough space for a human to squeeze through, at the top of the giant canyon.


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    Giant canyon¡­ With walls standing more than two kilometers high, with just as much width between them, calling the canyon as giant would be understatement. And in such a big space, the only source of light being the few rays of light making their way through the small opening at the top, made it natural for the canyon to be enshrouded in perpetual darkness. Or rather, in a state of perpetual night. And it was just one canyon. There were many other such canyons. Thus, their name, the Night Canyons.


    Adjusting his eyes to the little amount of light escaping into the canyons, barely illuminating his surroundings, Alnea stretched out his arms, and legs, as he got up from the cross legged position. Removing the leather pouch by his waist, he splashed some of the water within it on his face, before untying the leather bag on the ground to take out his brush, and tooth spices. Though he was currently in a Forbidden Area, he refused to live like a savage.


    By the time he was done with his morning chores, the water in the leather pouch was almost finished. Gulping down the last trickle of water from within the pouch, Alnea packed his bag, and hid it in a small crevice on the dark walls, before walking into the wonderous world of the Night Canyons. Separated by just a metre or so at the top, the distance between the walls at their base could range from a couple of kilometres to tens of kilometres. At a few places, where the branches of canyons merged with each other, this width could even reach nearly a hundred kilometres.


    In a way, the Night Canyons were like a world of their own, with their own rules, and regulations. They even had their own ecosystem, and food chain, ranging from the smallest of plankton to the most ferocious of Beast Lords. Of course, the greatest danger to the people, or rather, to the Wanderers braving the unique world of the canyons, was not the Oren Beasts, but the canyons themselves. It was as if the canyon did not wish for Wanderers to venture into their land of treasure, and opportunities. Or maybe, they lured the Wanderers by the allure of natural treasures, and resources, before trapping them in, using their lives to enrich themselves. In either case, the end result would be the same.


    Yet, Wanderers still came rushing into the canyons, seeking their own fortune, and opportunities. Of course, they had to get through the barriers of the Orthodoxies first. Still, as long as Wanderers promised to pay a part of the fortune they gained in the canyons to the Orthodoxies, the latter did not make things difficult for them. Besides, unlike the Bright Light Forest, where the resources were found as veins in mountains, the resources found in the Night Canyons were rather scattered, and often accompanied by endless dangers. If the others were willing to brave the dangers for them, what did the Orthodoxies have to complain about?


    Such Wanderers were not common though. And the canyons were quite large, to say the least. Spread over thousands of kilometres, crisscrossing with each other, creating a vast network of labyrinths, they covered quite a bit of area in the Ost, Rian, and Eun province. And that was just in Rianra. Around half of the canyons were located beyond the borders of Rianra, in the country of Numein. All enshrouded in the perpetual darkness of night.


    Alnea, at the moment, was in living in one of the outer branches of the canyons, the smallest of its kind, with a width of only a kilometre or so. The treasures and resources that could be find in these smaller outer branches did not mean anything to the Wanderers who were capable of venturing into the Night Canyons. Thus, it was only natural that he did not meet with anyone as he made his way to the stream.


    It was a stream only in name though. With a width of nearly ten metres, and an unknown depth, which Alnea did not dare measure, the stream was nothing short of a small channel of a river. He called it a stream only because he had seen the true terror of the Night River, running across the Night Canyons. Recalling the time when his master had taken to him view the Night River from above, Alnea could not help but shudder. Compared to that giant behemoth, which could drown even True Wanderers if they dared to step in, the small, calm, and serene channel of water in front of him could only be called as a stream.


    Shaking his head to rid himself of the lingering fear, Alnea stopped by the side of the stream. He did not rush in to collect water though. Instead, picking up a few stones from the ground, he threw one of them into the stream. The stone, barely the size of his thumb, did not cause much disturbance over the serene surface of the stream. Except the ripples, of course. And when even those ripples faded away, Alnea threw another stone into the stream. And then another. And another. Until he had thrown roughly ten stones into the stream. Only then did he nod to himself, and squatted down by the stream.


    Plunging his hands into the stream, he let the cold travel from the water into his veins, before scooping some of the water, to let his throat also have a taste of the cold. It was sweet. Probably from all the minerals dripping down from the walls of the canyons into the stream. The tangy, and metallic taste though, was from something else. Something, which was clever enough to not fall for his earlier trick of throwing rocks into the stream.

 Chapter 1: Night Canyons [Part 2]

    Sighing to himself for his ill fortune, Alnea cursed several generations of the Oren Beast hiding within the stream. He did not move rashly though. Acting as if he had not noticed the Oren Beast, he dipped his hands into the stream once again, letting the cold spread into his veins. Within his Spirit though, he had already borrowed two strands of Oren, circulating them on their predetermined route, stopping just before he completed their third round.


    Thankfully, the Oren Beast did not jump at him within that time. Not that he had no way of dealing with it if it had. But that would have made things very troublesome to handle. The Oren Beast, lurking just within the range of his Spirit Sense, was shaped like a turtle. But instead of having a turtle¡¯s shell on its back, its back was full of scales, and razor sharp protrusions that ran all along the way of its spine, turning into ugly, similarly sharp, and ferocious teeth, that a turtle should not have. Even its size, nearly two metres in length, and a metre in width, was not something that normal turtles could have. But it was not a normal turtle anyway.


    It was a Razorback Black Water Turtle. Supposedly descended from the Black Water Turtle, these Razorback Black Water Turtles were ferocious Oren Beasts that liked living in the freezing depths of oceans, and rivers. The Night River probably had quite a few of these turtles. This little stream though¡­ it should not have had any such Turtles. It just did not have enough chill in it. Yet here it was, staring at Alnea, ready to pounce at him at any moment¡­ His master¡­


    Suppressing his unnecessary thoughts in the Serenity of his Heart, Alnea put all of his concentration onto the Beast, staring at him silently. Razorback Black Water Turtles, although not the overlords of water, or oceans, were still ferocious beasts. Their jaw strength alone was enough to rip apart even the sturdiest of ordinary metals like twigs. And that was when they were still in their Infant Stage. At their higher Stages, the turtles would become even more ferocious. Especially with their Innate Abilities.


    Normally, Oren Beasts had a couple of Innate Abilities. Some, such as the Eight Armed Blood Monkey, could even have eight, or ten Innate Abilities. However, some Oren Beasts, like Lightning Armored Rabbits, and Razorback Black Water Turtles, had only one Innate Ability. Yet their Innate Abilities were so strong, that they made up for lack of numbers with their quality.


    Although, technically, the Razorback Black Water Turtles did have another Innate Ability, that was their last resort, which they used only if they were in mortal danger. At other times, they used only one Innate Ability, Water Domain. But just that one Ability was enough, for it allowed them to manipulate all the water in a certain area around them. Coupled with their enormous size, and exceptional physical strength, only the true overlords of water, like Black Water Turtles, or the Ocean Devouring Snakes could subdue them in raw strength.


    Furthermore, when pushed to their very end, where they would start losing hope of even their survival, these Razorback Black Water Turtles could become frantic, and use their second Innate Ability, shooting out the razor sharp protrusions on their backs like flying daggers, and even manipulate them up to a certain extent. Furthermore, these blades even had a certain paralytic poison added to them. It was the last resort of the turtles after all.


    Fortunately, judging from the size of the turtle in front of him, and the light blue hue of its blades, it was probably still at its Infant Stage. At the peak phase of the Infant Stage, but the Infant Stage, nonetheless. That would make things much easier. After Alnea was ready with his Three Turns Spirit Piercing Needles, he cupped his hands, and scooped water from the stream once again, pretending to drink from it, completely oblivious to his surroundings.


    And just as he had expected, right in the next moment, when it saw its chance, the Razorback Black Water Turtle jumped at him from the stream, ready to swallow him whole. Alnea Oathkeeper, however, was not so easy to swallow. The moment that the turtle jumped, Alnea jumped too. Towards his back, of course. At the same time, he raised his hands, and let the Spirit Piercing Needles fly into the turtle¡¯s body.


    On the Turtle¡¯s end, it knew that its sneak attack had failed. At the same time, it had also been counterattacked. As such, there was no need for it to hold back in fear of alerting its prey. Releasing its first Innate ability, with a light blue glow covering its body, it urged the water around it to surge from the stream, and drown its prey. However, since the turtle was just an Infant Stage Oren Beast, the most amount of water it could urge was roughly around five to ten times its weight.


    That was still a terrifying amount of water, enough to heavily injure Alnea. Thankfully, the low Rank of the turtle meant that its Innate Ability was also of a lower Rank. Had it been at its Adolescent Stage, it might have had some fine control over the water it was urging. At the Infant Stage though, even urging such copious amount of water was a heavy burden to its body. Or else, it might as well have started its attack by launching water arrows.


    So, even if the attack was dangerous enough to shake his organs, with the turtle unable to completely control the water¡¯s path, Alnea managed to dodge the mass of water being hurled at him. The turtle though, busy in launching its Innate Ability, and preparing for its second volley of attack, had no time to dodge the Spirit Piercing Needles. Or maybe, it just did not care for them. It had tough skin, after all.


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    But the Needles were not a physical attack in the first place. Even the turtle¡¯s thick skin was not able to block their advance. Next, things followed as Alnea had expected. Howling in pain, the turtle lost focus, and in consequence, its control over the mass of water it was controlling. It did not lose its senses like the Eight Armed Blood Monkey had, but the pain had distracted it long enough.


    Employing the Turbulent Current Style, an Auxiliary Type Intermediate Grade Martial Style specialising in Agility, working on the same principle as the Turbulent Water Flow Style, and the Five River Flow Style, Alnea quickly dodged the giant body of the turtle hurtling towards him by riding the waves of the water crashing all around him. At the same time, unsheathing the golden white dagger from his waist, he poured a copious amount of Oren into its Glyph Arrays, before throwing it right towards the turtle¡¯s mouth.


    The turtle, of course, would not let its enemies attack its weak points so easily. Even though fiery pain raged in its head, it still shut its mouth before the dagger could venture into its body. The resultant clash between the scales on its lower jaws, and Golden Yearning, with all its Glyph Arrays activated to their limits, left a deep cut on the turtle¡¯s jaw, causing a few of its scales to fall off. But that was it. Along with the turtle¡¯s scale, his dagger also fell to the ground, leaving the turtle infuriated.


    Glaring at Alnea, the turtle let out a loud growl, before charging at him. It did not care that it was no longer in water. From the clash it had with its prey, it knew how weak its prey was. There was no need for it to rely on the water to destroy its prey. And Alnea knew that as well. Thus, he immediately gave up the Turbulent Current Style, and adopted the Black Wind Style, channeling his Oren into his legs, as he ran through the dark world of the Night Canyons, with the turtle right behind his heels, snapping at his back every few moments, trying to end its prey in one bite.


    Fortunately, in the month that he had spent in the canyon, he had gotten quite accustomed to its terrain. He had no other choice. Facing these Beasts, whose bodies were so ridiculously large, and powerful, was he to try punching them with his pitiful hands? Though his body had grown much stronger than before, it was still not to the point that he could take on Oren Beasts, especially ones like the Razorback Black Water Turtles, with his bare hands.


    As such, he had gotten quite a lot of practice, and experience of running through the dark, and sinister world. In a sense, he knew the dark world better than even the turtle. After all, the Beast had probably been caught by his master, and brought over to these border regions of the canyons. It knew nothing of its surroundings. Or the dangers that lay hidden around it.


    Feeling the stench of rotting bones assaulting his nose, and blade like winds, trying to cut through his robe, Alnea paused for a moment, letting the turtle almost catch up to him, before jumping to the side, allowing the giant beast¡¯s own weight, and momentum to carry it towards the den of Bone Rotting Plants, the overlord of this region of the canyon.


    Catching his breath, Alnea looked towards his front, where the amiable, and inanimate plants, with gourd like fruits, had turned into ferocious Oren Beasts at the peak phase of their Adolescent Stage, that tore apart the Razorback Black Water Turtle¡¯s flesh like they were tearing through paper. The turtle, on the other hand, had gone from chasing its prey, to becoming a prey itself, roaring in pain, and indignance. And a bit of defiance.


    Knowing what was about to come, Alnea quickly tugged on Golden Yearning, calling for it. Though the distance between him and his dagger was large, it was still within the range of his connection. And so, the dagger came flying to him, reaching his hands in just a couple of moments, right before the Razorback Black Water Turtle used its second Innate Ability, launching all of the blades on its back at the plants tearing through its flesh, making sure to direct one of the blades at Alnea.


    Blocking the blade with his dagger, Alnea sighed in relief, as he saw the indignant turtle breathe its last breath. But his work was not done yet. Though the turtle¡¯s last desperate attack had not hurt him, it had managed to inflict some injuries on the Bone Rotting Plants. Thus, the plants were rather angry, taking out their frustration out on the poor beast, forgetting all about him. Not for long though.


    Even though the turtle¡¯s body was large, there were too many plants. It would not take them long to be done with it. And once they were done sating their anger, and hunger, their anger would definitely turn back to him, raising their guards. After all, they had quite a bit of past between. Just as he knew how the plants worked, the plants also knew how he worked. They were just a bit too engrossed in their meal at the moment.


    So, taking advantage of their negligence, Alnea threw his dagger at the plant nearest to him, or rather, to the gourd like fruit hanging from it, cutting it off from its stem. Consequently, the fruit fell down, and rolled over to him. But his actions also alerted the plants.


    Almost immediately, the plants began shrieking in anger, and for a moment, forgot all about their meal, reaching towards him with their roots, and stems. Alnea had already expected the rampage of the plants though, so he grabbed the gourd before their roots could reach him, and ran back towards the stream, calling for his dagger at the same time.


    ¡°Stingy, as usual,¡± Alnea said, laughing along with his steps, as he sheathed the dagger that came flying right into his hands. ¡°I will be taking the Rotting Blood Essence as my payment. You work on the Razorback Black Turtle, and get more essence ready by tomorrow.¡±


    As if understanding what he was saying, the Bone Rotting Plants became even more enraged, and kept thrashing their roots around themselves, venting out their frustration on the poor Beasts that mistakenly came within their range. Their anger was of no use though, for Alnea had already forgotten all about the plants, and went about his day as usual.

 Chapter 2: Preparations for breaktrhough [Part 1]

    Back at his camp, Alnea put aside the gourd for the moment, and checked for any signs of Oren Beasts in the area around him. Only when he was sure that there were no Oren Beasts in his vicinity did he let himself relax, and sit down, to begin his training. Entering his Spirit State, he reached towards the thread connecting his Spirit to the Origin Sea, and tugged on it, calling for Oren, the unadulterated power of the Origin Sea.


    After experiencing the Spirit Test, the Spirit Measuring Stele in particular, he had felt inspired by its principle, and thought, what if instead of blindly pulling on his Roots, he tugged on it with just the right amount of Spirit Power? Would the Origin Sea lend him the exact amount of Spirit Power? And if it did, would it not mean that his control, and efficiency of using Oren would increase even more?


    Since he had gotten an inspiration, Alnea had not wasted much time on deliberating about what to do. Of course, he had not acted upon his thoughts right after they had come to him. Doing such experiments, while being surrounded by either Heterodox Wanderers, or Enthralled Wanderers, would have been foolish to say the least. If anything would have gone wrong, then he would not have been able to keep him master from appearing in front of everyone.


    Once the aftermath of the Spirit Test, and the attack of the Heterodox Wanderers had been wrapped up though, he did not have any such concerns to hold him back anymore. And so, even before leaving Anneve, the moment that Alnea had gained a chance to Forge his Spirit, he had used it to test out his conjectures. Surprisingly enough, they had all proven true. It was as he had thought. The Spirit Measuring Stele was probably built on the principle of how people borrowed Oren from the Origin Sea. It was just that he had not known about it.


    ¡­Or maybe he did. There was something about tugging of Roots to borrow Oren in one of the scrolls that his master had given him nearly a year ago. But that was so long ago. How was he supposed to¡ªThen again, those things were his foundations. It was his job to make sure that he understood them completely. In any case, after he had learned the new method of borrowing Oren, things had become much easier for him. Only in terms of borrowing, and handling Oren though.


    In terms of pain, and suffering, the Three Turns Spirit Forging Art was still as ruthless as always. The Oren that he formed into the shape of threads, before directing them around in his Spirit, still made him feel as if his Spirit was burning from the inside, while being stabbed, and sliced by molten knives. Especially as the amount of Oren in each of the three threads kept increasing. One unit. Two units. Three units¡­ all the way up to eight units. And that was not even the most dreadful part of the Spirit Forging Art.


    Of the three threads condensed when practicing the Three Turns Spirit Forging Art, the third thread was still alright. At least it just made him feel a little uncomfortable. The other two threads though, they were just the beginning of his sufferings. The moment that those threads had completed their three turns, Alnea knew what was going to come next. But he was never to shy away form pain. Gritting his teeth, he imperceptibly changed the path of the two threads inside his Spirit, directing them to collide with each other.


    Unlike the time with the Spirit Piercing Needles though, this collision happened inside of his Spirit itself. And so did the collision of the Mysteries that those threads carried, completely drowning out everything in existence, leaving just the Mysteries from the lineages of Creation, and Destruction, clashing with each other, taking his Spirit itself as their battlefield. And as the epicentre of that clash, the place where the two threads had collided, completely ceased to exist.


    Or so his Spirit felt, along with the pain of countless smaller threads piercing through his Spirit, rampaging all around it, adding to the chaos caused by sensations of feeling burnt, frozen, crushed, shattered, and turning into dust. Even the sensation of being jolted numb, and feeling burnt at the same time, which he soon recognised as the feeling he usually got when some Oren Beasts used their Lightning based Innate Abilities against him, along with countless other sensations that he did not recognise, kept running amok inside his Spirit.


    However, Alnea was already used to all these different kinds of situations. Even the feeling of a part of his Spirit being obliterated was just a common routine for him. Maybe, it distracted him a little, but not enough to break his concentration. Not after months of practice. Even if the pain, and intensity of the sensations had increased with the increase in his Spirit Power, so had his will, and capacity to bear the pain.


    Ignoring all the pain, and the weird sensations, Alnea kept urging the third thread of Oren to circulate around his Spirit, and slowly, one by one, gather all the scattered strands of Oren. Consequently, a gentle, and warm sensation spread from the large thread carrying the Mysteries of Life, soothing all his pain, and suffering, healing the wound left behind in the aftermath of the clash of Mysteries. Gradually, bit by bit, even the part of his Spirit that had felt as if it had stopped existing, began regenerating, making him feel as his Spirit had become whole once again.


    At the same time, he had also gathered all the countless little strands of Oren into slightly larger strands, each equivalent to having been condensed from a single unit of Spirit Power. Next, he calmly guided the strands back into their respective routes, before merging them all to leave behind only three large threads of Oren, each condensed from roughly eight units of Spirit Power. Once he reached this point, the rest was easy. A simple, rinse, and repeat of the process that he had followed earlier.


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    First round, second round, third round, clash of Mysteries, healing his Spirit, and gathering the strands of Oren, guiding them back into their routes, merging them together, and then starting all over again. First round, second round, third round, clash of Mysteries¡­


    Alnea did not know how many times he repeated the process. He had tried keeping count before, but that had only made him feel as if time was passing excruciatingly slowly. And Origin knew that time already went by slowly whenever he Forged his Spirit. Once, he had even asked his master if the Three Turns Spirit Forging Art also held some Mysteries of Time mixed within it. How could just a simple act of Forging his Spirit¡­ Alright, it was not that simple. Still, at least the process itself was simple. Yet how could an hour of Forging his Spirit feel like ten hours?


    After a knock on his head, Alnea had come to the conclusion that all of it was just an illusion. It was all because of the extreme amount of pain he had to bear. But there was no way to circumvent that pain. That was how Spirit Forging method worked in the first place. So, he could only grit his teeth, trying his best not to notice the passage of time, and keep on Forging his Spirit until almost all of his Spirit Power was exhausted.


    Only when he started feeling strained, and was on the verge of losing control of the strands of Oren inside his Spirit, did he stop Forging his Spirit, and slowly, one by one, returned all the borrowed Oren back to the Origin Sea. He could, of course, also have chosen to shoot the threads out of his Spirit, and just stop bothering about the Oren. But he was not a masochist. At least not yet¡­


    With how things were developing though, he did not know if he would be able to remain normal in the future. Especially with what was waiting for him at the False Rank. Sighing in exhaustion, both mental, and physical, Alnea opened his eyes, and stretched his body, before picking up gourd like fruit lying by his side.


    ¡°Rotting Blood Essence,¡± Alnea mumbled, staring at the fruit with some excitement in his eyes. ¡°It is the tenth day already. You should be able to help me cross that final threshold, right?¡±


    The fruit did not know the answer. And neither did Alnea. But he hoped. Licking his lips, he almost gave in to his urge to bite the fruit. Almost. Since he was living in a Forbidden Area, he had to abide by its rules. And the rules dictated him to do one more thing before he could indulge himself with the Rotting Blood Essence. Thus, stuffing the fruit into his bag, he pushed the bag back into the crevice, hiding its opening with some shrubs, and leaves, before taking a walk around his camp.


    Different from the Bright Light Forest, which was like a swathe of trees, and sea of Oren Beasts prancing about all over the forest, fighting, and killing each other, as well as all their invaders, the Night Canyons were more like a labyrinth, or a maze. A¡ªCountless gigantic mazes, that formed a world within themselves. And the branch of the maze that he was in, situated in one of the corner regions of the Night Canyon, was exactly one such world.


    Except for a few openings, only two of which opened up into the deeper regions of the canyons, the canyon was almost cut off from the rest of Night Canyons. Or at least, from its deeper regions. As such, there was a lack of an oppressive atmosphere, teeming with bloodlust, and killing intent, that spread through the air of the Bright Light Forest, even in its outskirts. There was no sea of trees to block his vision eighter. Instead, the canyon was more like a mixture of plains, sporadic groups of trees, and of course, the rocky areas, with all sorts of wonders hidden around them, waiting for him to find them¡­ and fall in their traps.


    Unlike the more brutal, and straightforward dangers of the Bright Light Forest, the dangers of the Night Canyons were more hidden, and devious. Like the sea of the Bone Rotting Plants, or the sneak attack from the Razorback Black Water Turtle. Though the latter was clearly arranged by his master, it still showed how advantageous the environment of the canyons was for the Oren Beasts.


    And this was just one of the outermost veins of the canyon. The deeper that one went into the canyons, the more dangerous the regions became, with both stronger Oren Beasts, and trickier environments. However, that did not mean that the canyon he was currently in was safe for him. On the contrary, he would have been safer had he been in those ¡®dangerous¡¯ areas, for then, his master would have been by his side. Yet, since the regions of the canyons he was in was not ¡®too dangerous¡¯, not only did he have to live by himself, but his master had also even refused to set up a protection around his camp.


    And so, Alnea could only unsheathe his dagger, and patrol the area by himself, ensuring that no Oren Beast had snuck in, prattling around his camp, waiting for him to let his guard down before attacking him. That was the only way he could train, or rest in peace. Of course, he only had to patrol around his territory in a semi circular area of around forty, to fifty metres, with his camp at its centre.


    Staying on the balls of his feet, Alnea crouched down a little, keeping the centre of his gravity as low as he could, as he walked around his camp, keeping the dagger in front of him in a horizontal manner. Thankfully, he did not have to worry about keeping his steps quiet. The sandals that his master had made for him helped him there, absorbing any, and all kinds of sounds that his feet were making. At the same time, the robe that his master had sewn, the black robe, with golden borders in the shape of thorny vines, also stuck to his body, not hindering him in his movements, while also helping him camouflage himself in the darkness of the canyons.


    That only worked on the Oren Beasts who searched for their preys on the basis of their vision though. And such Beasts were quite rare in the night like conditions of the Night Canyons. Here, only those Oren Beasts who had adapted to the canyons, developing their own ways of navigating through the darkness could survive. Like the Dark Wind Wolf that jumped at Alnea the moment he passed by a mound of boulders.

 Chapter 2: Preparations for breaktrhough [Part 2]

    Cousins of the Green Wind Wolves, the first Oren Beast that Alnea had ever fought, and suffered quite badly against, except for a few minor difference, Dark Wind Wolves were almost similar in appearance. Even in their strength, and ability, the two could be considered equivalent to each other, but only if they were in their own territories. If they met each other in the other¡¯s preferred territory, then the end result would lie in favour of the Beast with the homefield advantage. That was just how evolution worked.


    It was a known fact that Hurricane Wolves were wild, and savage in nature, filled with bloodlust, and an inherent desire to slaughter. Things had calmed down after the peace treaty had been signed between the Oren Beasts, and Wanderers, but before that, when an open war had been going on between the two forces of the world, the Hurricane Wolves would often barge into human settlements, and go on a slaughtering spree.


    That fact was not surprising in itself, as the two races were in a war in the first place, but the bloodlust of the Hurricane Wolves was too great. They did not even spare their own comrades, and often slaughtered whole packs of Oren Beasts just for the thrill of it. In the end, the wolves finally began to be persecuted by both, humans, and Oren Beasts.


    Things were fine in the areas where they were the overlords, but in the areas where other, stronger species of Oren Beasts lived, they were finally driven off from their favoured habitats of deserts, and plains, and forced to move into smaller, contained areas like forests, and canyons, where their powers were severely limited. And just like that, from being overlords of their areas, the Hurricane Wolves became one of the weaker Oren Beasts in the areas where they settled.


    However, living as overlords for countless generations, how could the Hurricane Wolves accept the situation so easily? And so began their desperate struggle, which finally led to their evolution. In a sense, it could also be called as devolution, as the Hurricane Wolves had to give up their top class Innate Abilities for Innate Abilities that better suited their environment, but what was the use of those top class Innate Abilities if they could not even survive?


    However, it was not just the Innate Abilities of the Wolves that had changed. Even their physical abilities adapted to their environment. Like the extreme speed, and agility of the Green Wind Wolves, or the Dark Wind Wolves¡¯ ability to locate others by listening to the wind. Sensing Alnea walk into its attacking range, with his back to the Beast, the Dark Wind Wolf, crouching within the shadows of the boulder, had not wasted even a moment to think, and took action, striking to kill in one blow. That was just how the Dark Wind Wolves were. Alert, opportunistic, and decisive.


    Thankfully, as a Wanderer, even if at just the Seed Rank, Alnea had his own advantages, the most prominent of them being the senses of his Spirit. Though he had not caught on to the wolf before it had made its move, he did catch on to its presence just as it had entered the range of his Spirit¡¯s senses. Observing the direction from which the wolf had jumped, and the direction where its front paws were pointed, Alnea made a prompt decision, and jumped towards his left, doing a backflip in the air, narrowly missing the blades of wind that were aimed at his previous position.


    His robe, of course, would have been sufficient to block the attacks, but relying too much on external help was not good for honing his battle sense. And though he could use his dagger, his Spirit Forging session had left him with only a couple units of worth Spirit Power. So, Alnea chose to just increase its sharpness for the moment, as he rushed in towards the wolf just as it had landed on the ground, using the rest of his Oren to enhance the effects of the Lightning Stream Style.


    On the wolf¡¯s side, it did not panic when its first attack had failed. But it did not choose to retreat either. Unlike its cousin, Green Wind Wolves, the Dark Wind Wolves did not live in packs. And as such, backing away temporarily held no meaning for the wolf. Besides, having lived on the edge of life and death all its life, if the wolves had learned one thing, it was that showing their back to their enemies without knowing what they were capable would most probably result in their death.


    This lesson had been practically engraved in their blood itself, making the Dark Wind Wolves quite a bit more ferocious than the Green Wind Wolves. For them, if they engaged in a fight, there could only be two outcomes, victory, or death. Thus, just as Alnea charged at the wolf, the wolf, regaining its balance, turned around, and leapt at him in return, sending out another set of wind blades from its paws, while opening its jaws as wide as it could, aiming at the neck of its prey.


    Alnea, on the other hand, just needed one look at the tense of blades of winds, all packed together within a range of two to three metres, coming straight at him, with the wolf following right behind it, to immediately give up his initial plan of attack, directing all of the energy from the Lightning Stream Style to his knees, allowing it to carry him forward with pure momentum, as he leaned back, almost going down on his knees, to dodge the wind blades, while using the chance to slash his dagger at the wolf¡¯s underbelly, leaving behind a wound that went all the way from the wolf¡¯s chest to its hind legs.


    Whimpering, and wailing in pain, the wolf crashed on the ground, while Alnea himself came to a halt, with gravity pulling his head, and his back to the ground. Cursing the rock poking his back, he hurried pulled himself off the ground, and turned around to face the wolf once again. The wolf itself though, was finding it hard to get up. Even turning around to face him was a struggle for it. Slipping in its own blood, it leaned heavily towards left side, its wounded side, as it turned around to face its prey¡ªno, to face its enemy.


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    Glaring at its enemy, the wolf let out one last growl as a show of respect. It knew what was to come. But it did not despair. Despair was not in its blood. Only death was. Only darkness was. Even if it was to die, it would die with respect. Gathering all of its energy, and all of the Oren that it could, the wolf activated its second Innate Ability, the one which added ¡®Dark¡¯ to its name.


    On the other side, Alnea had just climbed back to his feet, and turned to face the wolf, when the wolf turned around to face him, and began emitting a blackish glow around itself. Or rather, in an area of a few inches around its fur, a darkness started to gather, that devoured any, and all light nearing the wolf, creating the illusion of a blackish glow. But that was just the beginning. And Alnea knew it.


    ¡°¡­Inkah¡¯s spit,¡± Alnea cursed, as he hurriedly distanced himself from the wolf, not daring to turn its back against the crazy Beast. ¡°If you want to die, then go die by yourself. Why are you trying to take me out with you?¡±


    The wolf, of course, did not respond to his words. Instead, it responded to his actions. Seeing its enemy run away, it knew that it could not delay. Without even a trace of hesitation, or reluctance, the wolf let out a howl, before detonating all of the power of the Mysteries that it had gathered within itself, supplying the resultant energy to the Mysteries gathering around its body.


    In the next moment, the darkness surrounding the wolf imploded, collapsing within itself, transforming into the shape of fist size dark ball, hovering where the wolf had been just moments ago. As for where it had gone after the implosion, the answer was obvious. But Alnea did not have time to think any more about that question. Reaching the mound of boulders that the wolf had jumped out from, Alnea quickly dove towards them, taking shelter behind their solid, two to three metres thick walls, just as the fist sized dark ball, hovering in the distance, exploded, releasing all the darkness contained within itself.


    Almost instantaneously, with the black ball as its centre, darkness surged, and spread outwards in all directions, flowing like an unstoppable wind, flooding the world with its darkness. That was probably where it got its name from, Dark Wind Wolf, Wolves riding the winds of darkness. Even the huge boulders that Alnea had hid behind were not able to stop the dark winds, disintegrating, and assimilating into the winds, leaving Alnea to face the winds by himself.


    Fortunately, the wolf was just at the peak phase of its Infant Stage. By the time the winds reached him, they were nothing more than just a chilly breeze, that drowned out his vision. That too, only temporarily. Still, it was only when the winds finally ebbed out, and the darkness receded, that Alnea finally let go of the boulder in his Heart. Beside him, the mound of the boulders, along with all the vegetation around him had been mostly turned into dust, carried away with the dark winds. But it was fine. He was fine. And the Night Canyon was fine.


    This was the rule of the canyons, survival of the fittest, including even the environment itself. If the boulders had been thick enough, they would not have been reduced to such state. Similarly, if the vegetation had been like the Bone Rotting Plants, the Dark Wind Wolf¡¯s attack would have been just a tickle to it. Even the Razorback Black Water Turtle¡¯s desperate attacks had barely scratched those plants, while even ten Dark Wind Wolves working together¡ªnot that they ever would¡ª would not be enough to defeat the turtle. And that was when they all attacked it desperately.


    There was a reason why Alnea did not dare to fight the turtle head on, and why his master would set the Beast on him when his Spirit Power was at its peak. Thinking of his Spirit Power, he recalled the thing that he still had to take care of. This time, for sure, Alnea thought, as he resumed the patrol of his territory. The fight just moments ago should have been enough to scare away the Beasts lurking near his territory, and should keep them away for a few hours, enough for what he needed to do.


    Just to be on the safer side though, he still went all around his camp, telling all the peeping Oren Beasts, that despite the fight that he had just had, he was still fine. And he could still take them on. He even threatened a few of the Oren Beast close to the border of his territory by mimicking actions of throwing his dagger at them, making the scamper into the darkness of the canyons.


    After making sure that no Oren Beasts would be coming to disturb him for a few hours, Alnea returned his camp. Forging his Spirit had already left him exhausted, and the fight had drained him completely, both physically, and mentally. At the moment, he really wished to just sleep, and rest. But when he thought about the Rotting Blood Essence, a light of excitement flashed in his eyes. Taking his bag out from crevice, he took out the gourd like fruit from within it.


    Licking his lips, Alnea forcefully suppressed his actions, as he tried to calm his racing Heart. Swallowing the Rotting Blood Essence without a clear, and calm mind was akin to inviting trouble to himself. So, closing his bag, and pushing it back into its hiding place, Alnea closed his eyes, and started meditating. Only when he felt that his Serenity had returned to him, did he open his eyes, and look at the fruit in hands.


    ¡°It is all up to you,¡± Alnea said. ¡°Or I will really have to go to that stingy plant once again.¡±


    Without any further hesitation, Alnea brought the gourd to his face, and bit into it, draining all the Rotting Blood Essence within the fruit in a few gulps, waiting, hoping, praying for the scalding hot liquid, burning his throat, lungs, and stomach, to work its miracle. For the miracle to work though, he had to first fight off all the malice contained within the Rotting Blood Essence. After all, miracles only came to those who worked for them.

 Chapter 3: The False Rank [Part 1]

    Hunger. That was the first thing it knew. A hunger so strong, and deep that it burned itself into its blood; into its very being. And before it knew, the hunger had grown to such a point that it had evolved into a basic instinct to devour. Devour. That was another new concept for it. To devour though, it needed to kill. Yet it was too weak to do so. And so, it remained weak, and hungry. It was so hungry, that if it could, it would have devoured even itself. But it did not have the energy to do even kill itself. Thus, it could only lay trapped within its cage of perpetual darkness, waiting for the day of its freedom to come.


    That day never came. And so, it roared into the darkness of its cage, expressing its unwillingness, its helplessness, and its indignation, only to end up devouring the thick substance it was trapped in. In the next moment, a strange wave spread through its body, satiating its hunger, and giving it strength. And from that strength, came its hope. So, from that day forth, it began devouring the strange substance it was part of, for it was the only path to its survival. Devouring. That was the path of its strength.


    However, by devouring, it was not only its strength that grew, but so did its urges, thumping with its heart, demanding it to kill, and devour. But how could it devour? How could it kill? Or rather, whom could it kill? Trapped within cage of darkness, its body had grown so large, that it did not even have enough space to move around in the cage, let alone find a prey. Thus, it could only lay there, in one position, waiting, hoping, for its freedom to come. It never did.


    Why? Why was the Origin so unfair? If all that it had in its fate was to sit trapped in a cage, then why was it even born? Was it going to die before even being able to kill one prey? Was it going to die before being able have a taste of devouring? No. It refused to remain trapped in a cage. It refused to die such a meaningless death. So what if freedom did not come its way? All it had to do was to take freedom for itself. To carve its own path of survival.


    Before all that though, it had to prepare itself. To seek its freedom, to break its cage, it had to be at its very best. Thus, instead of acting recklessly, and wasting its strength, it began to devour the rest of the strange substance it was trapped in. From its mouth, from its skin, from every part, every pore of its body, it greedily devoured all that was in its dark world. Except for itself, of course.


    Only when nothing else remained in the cage, did it begin gathering its strength, before breaking through the barriers of its world. It was hard, and took all of its strength, leaving it hungry, and weak once again, but for the first time in its life, it tasted the lights of¡ªthere were no lights. Only darkness. It was just that it had changed its cage from a smaller one, to a slightly larger one.


    But that did not matter. At the very least, it would not have to go hungry anymore. After all, it was no longer alone. It could not see them, but it could feel them in the distance, making all kinds of noises. Foolish. Not that it complained. The more stupid its prey would be, the easier it would be to devour them. And the sooner it devoured all its prey, the sooner it would gain the strength to break through its cage once again.


    It did not matter if there was an even bigger cage out there or not. The moment that it had broken through its cage, an instinct had been burned into its blood, forcing it to seek breaking through its cages, until one day, it would finally return to the Origin. For the moment though, it had to satiate its hunger first. An innate hunger that came from within the core of its being, directing it to eat the very cage that had kept it entrapped for¡­ it did not know how long. But that did not matter.


    It was finally free. After eating the shards of its cage, it had finally gained its freedom. And with that freedom, the first thing it did was to devour all the other cages that were there beside the remains of its own cage. If there were others in those cages like it, then¡­ it needed to kill them. That was what its blood demanded from it. Kill. Devour. Thus began its life, on a note of slaughter.


    A perfectly normal way of starting its life. Slaughter was the true essence of life after all. Slaughter, and Devour. That was just how things had been, and how things were supposed to be for all eternity to come. Yet, things did not go as it had anticipated. Many, many kills, and devouring later, when it had grown strong enough to carve out its own territory, a beast had come to its place, and dragged it away from its territory, from its home, only to throw it in some barren, and dilapidated place.


    It could not understand what was going on. It did not even dare to try and understand what was happening. Or resist the actions of the beast. The beast¡­ it was too terrifying. It was too strong. A mere prey¡­ Everything in the world, other than itself, was its prey. So, how could a mere prey be so strong? How could a prey make it tremble, and cower in fear, and humiliation?


    Fear. That was the first time that it had experienced fear. And it wished to never experience it again. Of course, it also wished to never see the terrifying beast again. At least not until it was strong enough to deal with the beast itself. That would take quite a long while though. So, for the moment, it just wished to quickly raise its strength, and return back to the territory it had marked for itself. Thus, looking for opportunities to return to its territory, it roamed around the place it had been put in, looking for new preys to kill, and devour.


    This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it.


    Yet, when the first prey that it found happened to be similar to the beast that had humiliated its majesty, and had displaced it from its territory, it could not help feeling a burst of confusion, anxiety, and even dread. It was only when it saw how weak this beast was, that its fears were swallowed by the tingling sensations of excitement, travelling all the way from its tongue to its tail. Coupled with its inner urges¡­ All that mattered to it was to kill the beast in front of it, and devour it. Its road to vengeance would start at this¡ª


    How dare the beast dodge its attack, it thought. It was the beast¡¯s own fortune for it to be killed, and be devoured. Still, raging as it was, it did not lose itself in its anger. From the earlier movements of the beast, it could tell that it was a tough prey. Thus, baring its fangs at the beast, it gathered its energy, and concentrated it into its eyes. Almost immediately, it felt something drain from its body, but that did not matter. In the next moment, its eyes began shining in a brilliant green light, trying to drag the beast in front of it into a different world. A world that that belonged solely to it. A world, where it reigned supreme. A world, from where only the stronger of the two would come out. A world, where¡ª


    Before it could drag the beast into its own ¡®Devouring World¡¯, the beast seemed to have predicted that it would attack in such a way, and had already prepared for it. The moment that its eyes began shining brighter than before, the beast in front of it used its own ability, shooting two thin lights from its palm. Unfortunately, to use its own ability, it had come too close to the beast. The attack of the beast was far too fast to dodge at such a close distance, allowing the two thin lights to sink directly into its head.


    Pain. So much pain. It had never felt so much pain. It was¡­ Fire. Claws. Claws of fire. They ripped apart its head. They made it scream. They brought it to its deat¡ª


    It was not dead. It was in pain, but it was not dead. Neither was it injured. At least not on the surface. Fortunately, the attack of the beast was not too strong. But that only made it even more angry, and frantic. The beast¡­ how dare it. It could not rest assured until it had killed the beast, and¡ªno. It would not kill the beast. It would devour the beast directly, while it was still alive.


    Having made up its mind, it chased after the beast, as the beast ran into the distance. What was the beast trying to do? Running was useless. It had the beast¡¯s smell. Was the beast trying to injure it using the sharp rocks on the ground? That was useless as well. Just mere rocks were not enough to even break its skin. In any case, it was already almost upon the beast. And it looked like the beast knew it as well, finally giving up running, stopping right in front of a bunch of plants, and flowers.


    Since the beast had already given up, how could it let the chance go? Baring its fang, it rushed towards the beast, intending to wrap its body around the beast first. Of course, the beast still resisted. That was how things were. No one could give up their lives without a final resistance. But it was useless. The beast did manage to deflect its attacks, using the momentum from its body to redirect it into the path of plants behind itself, but that much was not enough to defeat it. For years, it had fought, and killed. For years, it had devoured. How could it let a mere small beast, with such weak strength, escape from its grasp? Hissing in annoyance, it rearranged its body, and¡ª


    Intense pain, much greater than the pain in its head, shot through its body, as the plants that it had crashed into pierced its body with their roots, and branches. How could the plants be this strong? Plants were supposed to be weakest of the creatures, even weaker than the beast in front of it. How could the plants hurt its body? How could they¡ª


    No, no, no, no! They were tearing its body. They were devouring its body, bit by bit. They were¡­ No! It could not die. It had not completed its revenge yet. It had not paid the beast back for its humiliation. And it had just gained its territory. It had not reached the peak of its strength. It had not killed enough. It had not devoured enough. Weak. Too weak. It was too weak.


    No. It was not weak. It refused to be weak. And so, using all its strength, it thrashed against the plants, or at least tried to, while trying to bring the plants into its ¡®Devouring World¡¯. All in vain. In the end, it could only let out its cry of indignation, as it glared at the hateful beast with its last breath. At that moment, it had already lost all other thoughts, and intentions. In its mind, there was only one thing that it wished to do. Kill.


    It absolutely must kill that beast, it thought. Even if it could not devour it, it had to kill it. Only when it would kill that beast, would it be able to regain its peace. Only when¡­


    Gaining peace through killing his enemies¡­ That was something that Alnea could agree on. But that did not mean that he liked killing. Rather, except for Oren Beasts, he had never even killed anyone. If the situation demanded though, he would not shy away from killing his enemies. Holding back against his enemies would be stupid. If the world would be cruel to him, he would be even more cruel to the world. As long as his Heart, and conscience were Clear, then everything would be alright. As long as he had the people he loved, then everything would be alright.


    Or at least, that was what he believed. That was his path. A direction to focus his conviction on. Coincidentally, guarding his Heart with his beliefs, and Serenity was also the only way for fighting against the malice, and the grudges of the Dark Devouring Snake. It was not his first time dealing with the effects of the Rotting Blood Essence though, so it did not take him much time, or effort, to wash away the last traces of the Beast¡¯s consciousness from his Spirit, and body.


    What followed next, was the usual cool, and refreshing sensation, slightly similar to what the chains of his Oaths usually brought to him, spreading through his Spirit, that helped him recover his Spirit Power. Unlike the previous days though, the refreshing sensation did not stop at just helping him recover his Spirit Power, but also pushed his Spirit Power past its peak, helping him step into the False Rank.

 Chapter 3: The False Rank [Part 2]

    Regaining his control over his Spirit, and body, Alnea let out a sigh of relief, as he felt all the tension, and anxiousness that had been gripping him for the past few days let go of him. Fighting against the malice, and grudges of the Oren Beasts contained within the Rotting Blood Essence was not pleasant, often making him realise things about himself. Things which he was not ready to accept.


    He would not deny that learning those things gave him a direction to temper his Heart in. Still, that was not the true reason he had been drinking the abomination for the past ten days. According to his master, Spirits were inextricably linked with consciousness of Wanderers. By contaminating his consciousness with the consciousness of the Oren Beasts, and then getting rid of those contaminations, he was putting his consciousness in stress, which in turn, was supposed to help him break through his bottleneck.


    Alnea had been a little skeptical of that theory at first, but since it was his master who had told him about it, he did not doubt her, and gone ahead with her plan of drinking one portion of Rotting Blood Essence every day after his Spirit Power had reached the limit of the Seed Rank. The experience had been a little harrowing, yet results showed that his master was right once again.


    Breaking through the bottleneck between the Seed, and the False Rank, which many Wanderers took months, and years to do so¡­ Even Cecilia had taken nearly a month to break through to the False Rank. Still, the experience of fighting against the consciousness of the Oren Beasts¡­ It made him recall the time when he had to fight against the memories of the other Alnea.


    How many months had it been? Counting the days that he had spent in the Night Canyons¡­ probably around seven months. Seven months since he had to fight against the memories of Alnea of the world of Attuners¡­ Those memories had been coming to him for more than seven years, but it was only around eight months ago that those memories had begun etching themselves into his mind, turning into his own memories. That was how he had learned the Oathkeeper Arts.


    No, it was more appropriate to call it as the Oathkeeper Style. It was supposed to help him in using his Aspects, after all. Arts, on the other hand, at least the type that existed in his world, were based on Mysteries, completely different from the Arts of the world of Attuners. At present, there was only one such Art, the one that his master had created for him, but there would be many more such Arts in the future.


    At the very least, he knew that he would be gaining a new Art from his master in a few hours. He had reached the False Rank, after all. The Three Turns Spirit Forging Art was not going to be very effective for him. Even at the Seed Rank, it had begun losing its effectiveness as his Spirit Power had reached the Tenth Rank. Since he had broken through to the False Rank, he would be needing a better Art to train his Spirit. A False Ranked Art.


    At the same time, since he was already at the False Rank, he did not have to drink the Rotting Blood Essence anymore. At least not for a while. Using external stimulations like the Rotting Blood Essence was best left for the bottlenecks between the Stages, or the Ranks. Using them to increase his Spirit Power, or getting through the bottleneck between levels would leave his Spirit a little unstable. That was what he had learned anyways. And he did not have any plans to put that theory to test.


    Instead, he was more interested in checking out the state of his Spirit after it had broken through to the False Rank. But before he did that, he had a few more things to take care of. Like concentrating his thoughts on the ring adorning his finger of fate. Opening his eyes, Alnea was just about to shift his attention to his hand, when he saw a woman, dressed in a white robe, with patterns of thorny vines running all across its borders, sitting in front of him, looking at him with a satisfied smile.


    ¡°Master!¡± Alnea said, with his excitement, and surprise leaking into his voice, as he almost failed to control himself from rushing towards her to wrap himself around her in a hug. Almost. He had already reached the False Rank, even if just in Spirit Power. He was finally about to become a Wanderer. He could not keep acting like a child anymore. Or¡­ maybe he could. After all, she was also his mother. Disregarding his embarrassment, he let go of all his reservations, and did as his heart demanded of him.


    ¡°I missed you so much, ma¡ªmother.¡±


    ¡°Silly child,¡± his master said, patting his back with one hand, while ruffling through his hair with the other. Her touch was just as gentle, and warm as ever. Rather, not seeing her for a while, she felt even more warm, and gentle than before. ¡°I missed you as well. But it was worth it, was it not?¡±


    ¡°Nothing is worth being away from you, master. I felt so lonely, and sad¡­¡±


    ¡°Whom are you trying to fool, cheeky disciple?¡± his master said, chuckling at his lies. ¡°Did you think that just because you were using the Rings of Fate to talk with Yuri, I would not notice?¡±


    ¡°¡­That was different. Being away from you, no matter whom I am with, or whom I am talking to, I will always be sad, and lonely.¡±


    ¡°Oh? Is that so? Then how about you say that in front of Yuri, and Cecilia?¡±


    ¡°¡­Technically speaking, though I could talk with Yuri, I was not able to see her, while I could not even talk with Cecilia, so I was also sad about not seeing them.¡±


    ¡°Where did you learn to be so shameless?¡± his master said, pinching his cheeks, as Alnea pulled away from her, shifting his face away from her to hide his blush. ¡°But this is fine as well. Sometimes, you need to be shameless in order to survive.¡±


    ¡°It is not just about surviving, master. It is also about protecting my Heart. As long as my conscience is clear, then everything else is fine.¡±


    ¡°Why are you so proud of being shameless?¡±


    ¡°It is not called as being shameless, master. It is called protecting my Heart. Protecting you, and the others.¡±


    ¡°¡­Except for your mother, all the others that you want to protect are Wanderers. Even Cecilia has been Wandering the Origin Sea for over a month.¡±


    ¡°That is why I need to be even stronger to be able to protect everyone.¡±


    ¡°That still does not explain your shamelessness.¡±


    ¡°Protecting! It is called protecting my Heart, while keeping my conscience clear.¡±


    ¡°Right,¡± his master said, ruffling his hair, as she chuckled at his flushed face. ¡°In a way, it is good that you experienced the attack of the Heterodox Wanderers. At the very least, you have found your path to a Clear Heart.¡±


    ¡°¡­I would not want to experience anything like that anytime soon,¡± Alnea said, inadvertently recalling the battle that had happened in Anneve over a month ago. ¡°Not being in control of my own life, and death¡­ That is not a pleasant feeling.¡±


    ¡°Then you will just have to become stronger, right?¡±


    You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.


    ¡°Right,¡± Alnea said with determination flashing in his eyes. ¡°Stronger than everyone else in the world. Only then would I be able to protect everyone.¡±


    ¡°You sure are ambitious,¡± his master said. ¡°But then again, you need to aim for at least that much if you want to become the greatest Wanderer, and create the path to the Rank of Origin Wanderer.¡± After a slight pause, she added, ¡°Congratulations on reaching the False Rank, Alnea.¡±


    A wide smile spread across his face, as Alnea heard his master¡¯s words of praise.


    ¡°Thank you, master.¡±


    ¡°Do not get too happy just yet,¡± his master said, raising her brows in amusement at the silly smile on his face. ¡°You have just reached the False Rank, and that too, only in Spirit Power. There is much that you have yet to accomplish, and you have even more things that you need to learn. Wandering the Origin Sea, gleaning its Mysteries, taming its Aspects, and carving out your own path¡­ Your journey is going to get even more difficult from now on. And dangerous. So, you cannot relax your vigilance, or let down your guard.¡±


    ¡°¡­I know,¡± Alnea said, recalling the times that Yuri had taken him to Wander the Origin Sea. ¡°I will not make any mistakes.¡±


    ¡°¡­We will see about that,¡± his master said. ¡°Since your Spirit Power has reached the False Rank, the Three Turns Spirit Forging Art would not be of much use to you anymore. You will need a better Art. Consequently, Forging your Spirit with the new Art will be a little more painful than before, so you might need some time to adjust to it. But that might expose you to some needless danger¡­ In the near future, you will be training with me. At least until you get used to the new Sprit Forging Art, and learn some Martial Styles.¡±


    ¡°Martial Styles?¡±


    ¡°What? Did you forget that you have learnt only the Auxiliary type of Martial Styles? There are four more types of Martial Styles that you have yet to learn. We have been putting them off till, but since you have reached the False Rank, it is time for you to complete your foundations in the other types of Martial Styles.¡±


    ¡°¡­As long as I get to stay with you, I am ready to learn anything!¡±


    ¡°¡­Cheeky disciple,¡± his master said, pinching his smiling cheeks, with a thin smile plastered on her face as well. ¡°We will begin with only one type of Martial Styles. As for which type it will be¡­ We will discuss about that later. For now, you can relax a little. There is no need for you to keep glancing around in search of Oren Beasts. With me by your side, what Oren Beast would dare to come?¡±


    ¡°¡­Habit,¡± Alnea said, laughing awkwardly, while scratching the back of his head. ¡°I just completed a round of training, so not patrolling the area for any Oren Beast makes me feel a little jittery.¡±


    ¡°¡­It must have been hard.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s alright, master. It was for my sake anyways. And results have proven that letting me train in the canyons by myself was the right decision. Besides, with the world thinking that I have been captured by Heterodox Wanderers, where else could I have gone?¡±


    ¡°¡­Seeing you talk so maturely makes me feel that you are growing too fast.¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t that a good thing, master? The faster I grow, the sooner I will be able to help you, and Yuri.¡±


    ¡°¡­It is indeed a good thing,¡± his master said, patting his head with a wry smile on her face. ¡°Anyways, as I was saying, you need to learn more Martial Styles. So, for the foreseeable future, you will¡ª


    ¡°Ah, before that. There is something that is bothering me, master.¡±


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°Since I have reached the False Rank, I think I should be fighting Adolescent Stage Oren Beasts from now on.¡±


    ¡°That is the most logical course of action. Fighting Oren Beasts at their Infant Stage holds no benefits for you. Especially after you will learn a few Martial Styles, and tame some Aspects.¡±


    ¡°There, that is exactly what is bothering me, master. I will be learning new types of Martial Styles from the scratch. Which means, I will be beginning from the Lowest Grade Martial Styles. Fighting the Adolescent Stage Oren Beasts with Lowest Grade Martial Styles¡­ that sounds a little difficult to accomplish.¡±


    ¡°You are underestimating the Martial Styles too much,¡± his master said, shaking her head. ¡°Even if they are of Lowest Grade, only Warriors who are at, or above the Fourth Stage of the True Rank can create them. To deal with Adolescent Stage Oren Beasts, Lowest Grade Martial Styles would be enough. Besides, considering your affinity with Martial Styles, I am sure that you would be able to master them in no time, and would soon be able to make your way up to the Intermediate Grade Martial Styles. So, what are you worrying about?¡±


    ¡°¡­But I still would need to have proficiency in those Martial Styles before I can use them against the Oren Beasts.¡±


    ¡°Oh? And how do you plan on getting that proficiency?¡±


    ¡°How about letting me spar with Cecilia, and Yuri¡­¡±


    ¡°Cheeky disciple,¡± his master said, chuckling at his words, as she condensed her Spirit Power into the form of hands, before flicking his forehead with it. ¡°If you want to meet with the girls then just say so. There is no need to talk around in circles with me.¡±


    ¡°I was just telling the truth¡­¡± Alnea said, rubbing his forehead. ¡°That was how we did things for the Auxiliary type of Martial Styles.¡±


    ¡°Things were different back then,¡± his master said. ¡°Back then, you did not know how to fight. And even after nearly a month of fighting against Cecilia, when you fought against an Oren Beast for the first time, you still froze due to fear¡­ do not tell me you have forgotten about that?¡±


    ¡°Of course not,¡± Alnea said, shaking his head, recalling the time that the Green Wind Wolf had torn off his arm. If not for his master¡­ ¡°That is why I am saying that I should practice those new Martial Styles against Cecilia, and Yuri first.¡±


    ¡°Though your argument is sound, the premise of your argument itself is wrong. Like I was saying, things are not same as they were back then. And neither are you. Not only has your Spirit Power has reached the False Rank, granting you better, and sharper senses, but months of continuous practice, along with food made from Oren Beasts, and precious herbs has strengthened your body to a degree, where it is comparable to your peers from some of the weaker Orthodoxies, like the Lotus clan. Coupled with all the experience that you have had of fighting Oren Beasts, taking care of some of the weaker Adolescent Stage Oren Beasts should not be a problem for you.¡±


    ¡°¡­We will not know that until I fight with them.¡±


    ¡°Then just take this chance to fight with one. Let me see, a Dark Wind Wolf, a Black Flame Python, a Blue Scaled Snapper¡­ these are some of the weaker Oren Beasts of the Adolescent Stage in this canyon. Which one do you wish to fight?¡±


    ¡°¡­What if I get injured? I will be Wandering the Origin Sea in a while, so I need to be careful with my health.¡±


    ¡°Do not worry. I will heal you.¡±


    ¡°¡­What if it disturbs my Heart?¡±


    ¡°Alright, stop making so many excuses,¡± his master said, shaking her head with a wry smile. ¡°Were you talking with Yuri just now? Was she directing you to ask those questions?¡±


    ¡°¡­No.¡±


    ¡°You two are really getting bolder, and cheekier with every passing day,¡± his master said, before putting on a prideful smile. ¡°My son, my only disciple is going to Wander the Origin Sea for the first time. How can I let you go just like that? I have prepared a special celebratory feast for the occasion. Though not as good as the feast for your birthday, it should be passable.


    ¡°Unfortunately, Serena has already left for the Grand Chasm, and though your mother has already shifted to Rian, she is still under the surveillance of the Lotus clan. Rather, the entire Lightning Region is paying attention to your mother right now. It is best that we do not tell her about your current situation for now. Still, at the very least, your two friends can accompany you to the feast. Even if it just for the Serenity of your Heart, I would not let you Wander the Origin Sea without meeting them, so rest assured.¡±


    ¡°I knew you are the best, master!¡± Alnea said, beaming with excitement, as he hugged his master once again, before pulling back from her, and looking at with anticipation shining in his eyes. ¡°When are we leaving?¡±


    ¡°Are you in such a hurry to meet with them?¡± his master said. ¡°Do you not wish to check your own Spirit World, and Spirit first?¡±


    ¡°What is there to check? I have already seen Yuri¡¯s Spirit World, and Spirit. Mine is going to be the same. And I would be seeing it later when I go Wandering the Origin Sea anyways.¡±


    ¡°You¡­ Forget it. Since you want to meet with them so much, then let us go pick up the other two troublemakers.¡±


    ¡°Wait a moment, master,¡± Alnea said, before rushing to the crevice in the wall of the canyon, taking his bag out from its hiding place. ¡°Now, I am ready.¡±

 Chapter 4: Reunion [Part 1]

    Dense, tangible Spirit Power surged out of his master¡¯s body, wrapping him in its warm tendrils, isolating him from the world within the canyons, bringing him to a world of its own. A world of warmth, love, and care. Even after a month, everything was the same¡­ No, not the same. Along with the warmth, and care, the love that his master had for him had also increased. Or so Alnea believed, as he felt a strange sensation seeping into his body, into his blood, and bones. Safety, and security took hold of his Heart, refusing to let go. And why should they? He was with his master¡­


    Enjoying the pleasure of being in his master¡¯s embrace, Alnea did not notice how much time had passed. Maybe a few hours? Or days? No, the latter was not possible. It had been nearly a day since his last meal. Even if that meal had consisted of two Oren Beasts, most of the energy from that meal had already been digested, and absorbed. Especially after his breakthrough to the False Rank.


    Though the Rotting Blood Essence did provide him with some energy, that was its secondary effect after all. The most important aspect of the blood essence of the creatures, devoured by the Bone Rotting Plants, and condensed in their fruits, was the malice, and grudges of those Oren Beasts infused in every drop of the essence. Drinking the Rotting Blood Essence, and fighting against those grudges could help him temper his Spirit, and Heart.


    However, there was a reason why such a nectar, with such a miraculous effect, was named Rotting Blood Essence. While conquering the grudges of other creatures may indeed bring untold benefits to Wanderers, failure to do so would result in disastrous consequences. Especially if they were not careful enough, and drank the blood essence of creatures beyond their Ranks, or even Stages.


    Even with creatures of their own Ranks, and Stages, only Wanderers with exceptionally strong wills could conquer the grudges, and malice in the blood essence. Thankfully, Alnea had never lacked in strength of his will. And he only ever drank the blood essence of the Oren Beasts he personally led to the Bone Rotting Plants.


    Besides, if he wished to shorten the time needed to break through the bottleneck of a Rank, then he had to take some calculated risks. Otherwise, like Cecilia, he might have had to waste more than a month trying to break past the last barrier. Even Yuri had taken close to fifteen days when breaking through that barrier. And that was when she was training with Divine Grade Arcanas.


    If he trained as he normally did, and kept Forging his Spirit, he might have broken through his bottleneck a little faster than Cecilia had, but he would have surely been slower than Yuri. He did not have a problem with Yuri¡¯s training progressing faster than his. On the contrary, the stronger she became, the happier he would be. But, since there was a better alternative in front of him, why should he keep wasting his time?


    ¡°Whatever they want me to do, as long as it is something possible, I will do it. And even if it is not possible, I will still do it. That is my Oath.¡±


    That was the Oath that Alnea had taken in his ignorant fearlessness, overestimating his abilities, and underestimating the shamelessness of the Lotus clan. If not for big sis Serena, and his master, he would not even have had the chance to take part in the Spirit Test, let alone complete the condition that the Lotus clan had made. Still, that was just one of the two conditions that the Lotus clan had made for him to stay with big sis Serena.


    Since he had already passed his Spirit Test, next he had to represent Anneve in the Rising Wanderer Trials at the provincial level. That too, before the age of sixteen. Though the prefectural level Trials were held every year, the provincial level Trials were held every other year. Fortunately, it just so happened that the provincial level Trials had been held just a few months ago, and he was only thirteen years old, which gave him two years to prepare for the provincial Trials.


    But according to his master, if he wished to perform well in the Trials, and not give the Lotus clan any chance to subdue him, then at the very least, he had to reach the Intermediate Stage of the False Rank. It would be even better if he could reach the Advanced Stage. That would make things much easier for him to handle. Yet, only two years were left before the Trials. No, he had even less than two years left to him.


    Thus, he could not afford to waste time. And so, when dropping him off in the canyons to live on his own, his master had deliberately chosen a canyon with a patch of Bone Rotting Plants. Of course, she had also made it clear that if he wished to drink Rotting Blood Essence, then he had to get those Blood Essence Fruits with his own capabilities. At most, she would only direct some of the stronger Infant Stage Oren Beasts in his direction. What had happened after that all depended on him. Yet, since his master had practically served the opportunity on a platter, how could he disappoint her?


    Musing to himself, while enjoying the pleasure of being with his master after a month, Alnea was humming a soft tune, with a smile on his face, when he felt the warmth, and care withdraw from the world. Or rather, he felt the Spirit Power surrounding him being withdrawn back into his master¡¯s body. That disappointed him a little. If he could, he would rather stay in that warm, and comfortable world, than the cold, damp world of the Night Canyons. But that disappointment soon vanished as he recalled what the withdrawal of his master¡¯s Spirit Power meant.


    Opening his eyes in excitement, he immediately found the person he was looking for. A girl, with hair so white that even the darkness of the canyons was not able to overwhelm, dressed in a similarly white robe, was shining like a bright torch in the canyons. Had it been Alnea himself, he would have never dared to be so brazen in the Night Canyons. Especially since she was not in one of the smallest canyons, like the one he had been in.


    Just from a casual glimpse, he was sure that the canyon was twice as large as his own. And a canyon so large was bound to have many Adolescent Stage Oren Beasts. There may even be some Oren Beasts who had reached the advanced phase of their Adolescent Stage. Such strong Oren Beasts¡­ only Wanderer who had reached the Advanced Stage could handle them. But that was for average Wanderers. And the white haired girl was no average Wanderer.


    It did not matter if the Oren Beasts were of the intermediate phase, or of the advanced phase. As long as they were not of the peak phase, the girl had complete confidence in herself. Not just her, even Alnea, and his master had complete confidence in her. Especially when they saw how she was toying with the intermediate phase Oren Beast.


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    Sitting on a boulder, with her legs, crossed over each other, hanging off of the boulder¡¯s edge, the girl kept looking at the Beast, a Black Horned Ape, in abject boredom, while the ape itself kept beating its chest, and swinging its fist in air, as if it was fighting some mighty opponent, going so far as to even launch its Innate Ability, only to hurt itself in the process. And the more that the ape hurt itself, the more tired the girl¡¯s face became, as if she was bearing some great burdens on her shoulders.


    ¡°It is time, I guess,¡± the girl said, and snapped her fingers. Right in the next moment, the ape¡¯s body shook, as it looked around in terror, and rage, searching for its opponent that it had just been fighting with. All it could find though, was the white robed girl, looking at the Beast with pity. It was only then that the ape recalled who its true enemy was. The enemy it had first rushed against, only to be stopped midway by another enemy. The enemy which had vanished into thin air.


    Even with its low intelligence, it did not take long for the ape to figure out what was happening. Roaring in indignation, the Black Horned Ape beat its chest, declaring its majesty, before rushing towards the girl. Coincidentally, or maybe intentionally, that was also when the girl chose to act, picking up the Glyph Disc she had kept by her side, before activating the Glyph she had carved on it.


    Right in the next moment, before the ape could even take a couple of steps, a dark greyish fog erupted from the disc, that coalesced into the form of an arrow, and rushed straight towards the ape, stabbing directly into its chest, right where its heart was supposed to be. However, the ape felt no pain. Rather, it did not even have a wound.


    The moment that the arrow struck its chest, it dematerialized back into the fog it had formed out of, without so much as a scratch on its chest. Even the ape itself was looking at its chest in confusion. Not for long. For right in the next moment, all the greyish fog hovering around its chest acted as if it had found an inlet, or a hole in the ape¡¯s chest, and rushed into it, burrowing itself where its heart was supposed to be. Where the ape had been stuck by the arrow.


    And that was when the ape felt the true dread of the arrow. In just mere moments, the ape went from rage to confusion, and then from confusion to shock, and fear, as it felt itself being eaten alive. No, not eaten alive, but simply disintegrating from the inside. Of course, that was just the ape¡¯s illusion. The Glyph used by the girl was just an Intermediate Stage False Ranked Glyph, after all. But that was enough to deal with the Oren Beast in front of the girl.


    The ape, aware of its impending doom, let out a defiant roar, before rushing towards its enemy, trying to take it down with itself. An overestimation of its capabilities. And an underestimation of the might of the Glyph that it had been attacked with. Before it even reached half of its way to the girl, it lost all its strength in its body, moving forward with just pure momentum of its massive weight. But even that momentum was not enough to carry its body to the girl, causing it to crash right in front of the boulder that the girl was sitting on, just as it lost the last light of life from its eyes.


    ¡°I do not wish to do this either,¡± the girl said, sighing as she shook her head, before jumping down on the ape¡¯s body. ¡°But this is the way of the world¡­ As an Oren Beast you should understand what I am talking about, right?¡±


    ¡°Oh? Does that mean that I am forcing you to do this?¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    Hearing the voice, the girl instantly put on her guard, as she turned around hastily, while urging her Aspects, glowing in a faint bluish white light, getting ready for a fight. Only when she saw who it was that had spoken did she lower her guard, letting go of her Aspects, as she sighed in relied.


    ¡°I did not know that you would be coming today, big sis Nyssa. Did something happen?¡±


    ¡°¡­That was a nice act that you put up,¡± his master said, shaking her head.


    ¡°Act? What kind of act, big sis Nyssa?¡±


    ¡°Stop trying to play dumb. You two need more than a thousand years of practice if even wish to think about deceiving me.¡±


    ¡°I do not understand what you are talking about, big sis Nyssa.¡±


    ¡°Give up, Yuri,¡± Alnea said, looking at his white haired friend with a wry smile. ¡°Master sensed me using the Ring earlier.¡±


    Listening to his persuasion, Yuri dropped the innocent look from her face, and looked at him with a pout.


    ¡°¡­Fool. She was just trying to make you accept. As long as you did not admit, then she would have ignored it in the end.¡±


    ¡°I did ignore her¡­ but you overdid it with your acting. Going so far as to pretending to not notice when we have arrived despite the connection of the Rings of Fate¡­ And that look on your face as you killed the ape¡­ Even children would be able to tell that you were acting.¡±


    ¡°¡­Don¡¯t talk as if you are all grown up. You are still shorter than me, kid.¡±


    ¡°¡­Master, can we leave her here, and go pick up Cecilia?¡±


    ¡°Big sis Nyssa would never leave me here, traitor.¡±


    ¡°Why? Because she needs to teach you how to act?¡±


    ¡°You¡ª


    ¡°Alright, stop it you two. Neither of you are going to fool me with this act of yours.¡±


    Both Alnea, and Yuri stopped, looking at his master with innocent eyes, until they saw the amusement on her face. In the end, they just turned towards each other, and shook their heads with smiles on their faces.


    ¡°I told you it would never work,¡± Alnea said. ¡°She is a Grand Wanderer. Her Spirit is too strong.¡±


    ¡°We would not have known until we tried, right?¡± Yuri said, letting out soft giggles, as she walked over to his side, stopping only when she was just a hand¡¯s distance from him.


    ¡°Still, this means that I won the bet, right?¡±


    ¡°Since I bet, then I can also afford to lose,¡± Yuri said, blushing at the mention of the bet. ¡°We will talk about that later. Before that, congratulations on becoming a False Wanderer, Alnea.¡±


    ¡°Just a simple congratulations?¡± Alnea said with a laugh, before pulling Yuri into a hug. ¡°At least give me a congratulatory hug.¡±


    ¡°¡­Your shameless has increased in the past month.¡±


    ¡°It increased before that,¡± Alnea said. ¡°It was just that you did not have time to experience my shamelessness.¡±


    ¡°I think you may be mistaken,¡± Yuri said, pulling away from the hug, and looking at him with weird eyes. ¡°I experienced your shamelessness aplenty. And so did everyone else.¡±


    ¡°What are you talking about?¡± Alnea asked, completely oblivious to what she was trying to imply. ¡°What shameless thing did I do?¡±


    ¡°¡­At least there is something about you that has not changed.¡±


    ¡°Now, if you two have had your reunion, then can we go pick up Cecilia? Or she might end up feeling lonely, and ignored once again.¡±


    ¡°We are not ignoring her,¡± Alnea said with a cough, trying to hide his flushed face, while Yuri kept laughing at his embarrassment. Only when she had had enough of her laugh, did she turn to his master.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go, big sis Nyssa,¡± Yuri said. ¡°It¡¯s time to pick up Cecilia.¡±

 Chapter 4: Reunion [Part 2]

    Wrapping them in her Spirit Power, isolating them from dark world of the Night Canyons, his master brought them away to find Cecilia. And maybe it was because they were quite close to her already, or maybe it was because he had Yuri by his side, but the time that it took for his master to reach the canyon where Cecilia was training was much less than the time that she had taken to reach Yuri.


    Unlike Yuri though, Cecilia had no news of their arrival. And as such, had not prepared an act for them to see. But it was exactly because of that reason, that Alnea found her action so inexplicable. Instead of fighting Oren Beasts, or training in her camp, she was just using the back of the whimpering Dark Flame Fox, lying on the ground with its four legs spread wide, to enjoy the dark winds of the canyon.


    ¡°¡­What is she doing?¡± Alnea asked Yuri through his rings, afraid to embarrass his friend through his words.


    ¡°¡­Trying to comprehend a Mystery,¡± Yuri said. ¡°Or rather, trying to think of ways to interpret a Mystery that she seems to have come in contact with.¡±


    ¡°Already?¡± Alnea said. ¡°But it has only been a month since she began Wandering the Origin Sea!¡±


    ¡°So? What does that have to do with her comprehending a Mystery?¡±


    ¡°But she is from the Serpia clan!¡±


    ¡°¡­Never assume what others are capable of by just their lineage, and the clan they belong to.¡±


    ¡°¡­I am not talking about just her clan¡­ Even the way she normally behaves¡­ I took her to be more of a Warrior, than an Arcanist.¡±


    ¡°¡­Just comprehending a Mystery does not make her more suitable for the path of Arcanists. Or else, according to your logic, I would be more suitable for the path of Warriors.¡±


    ¡°¡­That would not be such a bad idea. You beating the Black Horned Ape with your bare hands.¡±


    ¡°¡­How about I beat you with my bare hands?¡±


    ¡°¡­One Cecilia is enough for me,¡± Alnea mumbled, before hurriedly shifting the topic away from himself. ¡°Just when I thought I had finally caught up with her, she is already thinking of ways to create Arcanas.¡±


    ¡°She did start Wandering a month earlier than you. And even has a Divine Grade Arcana to train with. Besides, one of the lineages that her Roots are based on is the lineage of Good Fortune. It is only natural for her get some Good Fortune in her Wandering.¡±


    ¡°¡­What will I get then? Day, and Night? More thoughts? Or more active energy?¡±


    ¡°¡­If you are still in the mood to joke around, then you should be fine.¡±


    ¡°Of course, I am fine,¡± Alnea said. ¡°The more progress that you, and Cecilia make, the happier I would be.¡±


    ¡°Yet you still wish to surpass us.¡±


    ¡°Those are two entirely different things,¡± Alnea said. ¡°Besides, I do not wish to surpass you two, but know that I will.¡±


    ¡°¡­Cheeky.¡±


    ¡°Since we are already talking about the progress that you two are making, then the Glyph that you used earlier¡­¡±


    ¡°Arrow of Corruption. An Intermediate Stage False Ranked Glyph of the lineage of Decay.¡±


    ¡°Lineage of Decay¡­¡±


    ¡°The darkness of Night makes Death an inevitability, Death is overcome by Fate, and Fate leads into Decay¡­ My Roots are based on the Mysteries of the Night, Death, and Fate. Lineage of Decay was the most suitable choice for my path as a Scholar. Not only will it not conflict with the lineages of my Roots, but will, instead, form a cycle of mutual benefits. You can think of it as me gaining twice the result¡­ no, more precisely, it is like gaining as much as twelve times the result that I would normally get with my effort.¡±


    ¡°¡­I was thinking more on the line of why you chose to engrave an Intermediate Stage Glyph on your Spirit. You should have waited to engrave Peak Stage Glyphs.¡±


    ¡°¡­It is because I am too ambitious.¡±


    ¡°Too ambitious?¡±


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    ¡°¡­You will learn when the time for you to make the choice for your lineage, and specialisation as a Scholar, as well as the Series, and branches of Glyphs you want to engrave comes.¡±


    ¡°Why are trying to be so mysterious about it?¡± Alnea said, clicking his tongue to show his dissatisfaction. ¡°I am already a Wanderer now. It will take only a few months for me to reach the Intermediate Stage.¡±


    ¡°Good,¡± Yuri said. ¡°Then keep waiting until then.¡±


    While Yuri and, Alnea were arguing telepathically, Cecilia finally came out of the strange state she was in, and let out a long sigh. ¡°Darkness, and Inner Thoughts¡­¡± she said, gently caressing the fur of the quivering fox underneath her. ¡°Which one is it exactly. And how should I interpret it¡­ Do you have any ideas, Blackie?¡±


    ¡°Blackie? Seriously?¡± Alnea said, involuntarily bursting out into a laugh, as he heard his green robed friend address the Oren Beast that she had subdued in such an affectionate manner. His laughter had been too abrupt though, enough to jolt Cecilia away from her own world. Sensing the presence of others around her, she immediately sprung into action, jumping away from the fox in a front flip, dodging imaginary attacks, while looking out for her enemies, only to see Alnea¡¯s smiling face.


    ¡°You¡­ Is this my hallucination? Am I still in the Origin Sea?¡±


    ¡°I am afraid not,¡± Yuri said, adding her own laughter from the sides. ¡°If it was the Origin Sea¡¯s temptation, then you would have probably only seen Alnea.¡±


    ¡°La¡ªYuri!¡± Cecilia said, bursting out in excitement, as she rushed towards Yuri. That also meant that she had left the fox behind though. Seeing that its chance had finally come, the Dark Flame Fox, which had been whimpering and cowering on the ground, instantly burst with its peak strength, and speed, rushing away from their group, and into the darkness. It was only then, that Cecilia recalled the fox, and turned towards the darkness where the Fox had run into, yelling, ¡°Blackie! Come back!¡±


    The fox, of course, did not respond to her. Instead, it increased its speed even more, soon vanishing into the darkness of the canyons.


    ¡°No¡­ Blackie¡­¡± Cecilia said, almost as if she was mourning for the fox, before turning towards Alnea with reddened eyes. ¡°It is all your fault.¡±


    ¡°How is it my fault?¡±


    ¡°Because I said so!¡±


    ¡°¡­Did you get hit in the head in the past month?¡±


    ¡°Stop trying to find excuses. Go, and bring my Blackie back to me!¡±


    ¡°¡­Master, I think that her head is broken,¡± Alnea said, turning towards his master with weird eyes. ¡°How about you take a look, and see if you can heal her?¡±


    Following his gaze, Cecilia finally noticed the presence of his master, and regained her senses, restraining her haughty appearance, but failed to restrain all the blood flowing to her face.


    ¡°¡­I did not see you there, Lady Nyssa.¡±


    ¡°It does not matter,¡± his master said. ¡°You are reuniting with your friends after a month, so it is only natural for you to feel a little emotional. But even when emotional, as a Wanderer, you should never stop paying attention to your surroundings.¡±


    ¡°I will keep that in mind, Lady Nyssa.¡±


    ¡°As for the fox¡­ Unless you become a Tamer, gaining the allegiance of Oren Beasts is almost impossible. And even if do plan on becoming a Tamer, taming an Oren Beast with such low potential would be beneath you, and would hinder your progress in the future. Playing around with them is fine, but you should try not to get too attached to such random Oren Beasts.¡±


    ¡°I know, Lady Nyssa. I was using the fox to just keep my company. The darkness of the canyons can be very unnerving at times.¡±


    ¡°¡­That is indeed the case, and one of the dangers of the Night Canyons that all the Wanderers exploring its depths must face. But this is why it is also a great place to temper your Heart. Of the three, your progress in the state of your Heart is the slowest. Even Alnea has overtaken you in that regard. So, instead of trying to run away from that loneliness, you should try to face it, and use it to temper your Heart.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Lady Nyssa¡­¡±


    ¡°Alright, this is not a lesson, so I will not say more, and let the other two tell you what we have come for.¡±


    ¡°The reason that you have come for¡­¡±


    ¡°Before that, there is something else that I need to do,¡± Alnea said, using the chance that Cecilia was still distracted, and had let down her guard to step forward, and hug her. ¡°It¡¯s alright. You are not alone. Everything is fine. Like I said, I will always be there for you. Even If you cannot see me, I will still be there¡­ So, it¡¯s alright, Cecilia. You don¡¯t have to worry too much.¡±


    ¡°I¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­First you hug me out of nowhere, and now you are hugging Cecilia as well. Tsk, tsk, I must say, you have learned quite a few things from big sis Serena. What are you going to do next? Rub your cheeks with her? Or smell her hair?¡±


    Yuri¡¯s words brought Cecilia out of her daze. Pushing Alnea away from herself, she looked at him warily, distancing herself from him.


    ¡°¡­Pervert.¡±


    ¡°¡­This is clearly my love as friend, alright?¡±


    ¡°¡­That¡¯s what Serena always said.¡±


    ¡°¡­This is different.¡±


    ¡°¡­That¡¯s what Serena always said.¡±


    ¡°¡­Don¡¯t you believe me?¡±


    ¡°¡­That¡¯s what Serena always said.¡±


    ¡°I am not a pervert!¡±


    ¡°¡­That¡¯s what¡ª


    ¡°Forget it,¡± Alnea said in defeat. ¡°Let¡¯s get on with what we are here for.¡±


    As soon as he had said those words though, both Cecilia, and Yuri burst out in a laugh, before Cecilia came back to him on her own initiative, and gave him a light hug, whispering, ¡°Thank you.¡±


    Before he could respond to her, or to her hug, Cecilia separated from him, and turned towards Yuri.


    ¡°This training was supposed to last for around two months. Since Lady Nyssa has brought you two so early, then does that mean¡­¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right,¡± Yuri said. ¡°Alnea has broken through to the False Rank.¡±


    ¡°False Rank¡­¡± Cecilia, mumbled, before turning towards Alnea with a smile. ¡°Congratulations on becoming a Wanderer, Alnea.¡±

 Chapter 4: Reunion [Part 3]

    Alnea had recently understood the advantages of being shameless. But he was not yet shameless enough to pull Cecilia into a hug once again. Thanking her with an abashed face, he asked her to get ready to leave. But just like Yuri, she had a storage pouch, matching the color and overtones of her robe, hanging by her waist, that held all of her personal belongings. And her precious ¡®Blackie¡¯ had already run off into the darkness of the canyon. There was no need for her to prepare anything.


    With just a thought, his master wrapped them in her Spirit Power, and began moving through the darkness. She, of course, did not say where they were going. But from the width of the canyons increasing from a couple of kilometres to nearly five kilometres, or the oppressive pressure in the air that reminded him of the Bright Light Forest, Alnea was sure that they were moving deeper into the Night Canyons.


    And if that was not evidence enough, then the nearly four metres large Dark Wind Wolf, the Three Tailed Dark Tiger, and many other Oren Beasts, all in their Adult Stage, he saw staring at them, as they moved through the air, was proof enough of the depth of the Night Canyons they were in. If not for the presence of his master, even Yuri would not have made it to such depths of the canyons by herself.


    While Alnea was contemplating about the dangers of the canyon that they were in, his master slowed down as she passed through another junction of the canyons, entering a new canyon, and finally came to a halt as she reached its centre, before drifting down towards the ground. Towards the place where, surrounded by darkness from all four sides, she had arranged a table full of delicacies, illuminated by some tens of floating Glyph lamps around the table. Could they even be called Glyph lamps though? They were floating, after all, and definitely had some extra Glyphs engraved at their core. Maybe they were their own category of Glyphs Devices¡­


    In any case, food was more important for the moment. In the past month, other than increasing his Spirit Power, and honing his fighting skills, Alnea had learned another thing. He was not a good cook. The Oren Beasts that he had grilled were barely edible. No, they were not even something that normal people would dare to eat. It was only because he had nothing else to eat, that he had to continue hunting Oren Beasts every day, and grill them by himself. But that was all in the past. At the moment, he would finally be able to enjoy some proper food. Even if it was just for one day¡­


    ¡°Are you seeing food for the first time in your life?¡± Cecilia said, as she noticed the look on his face.


    ¡°¡­You should wipe the drool from your face before speaking.¡±


    ¡°What? Drool?¡± Cecilia said, hastily turning around to check her face. Only after making sure that there was no drool, did she turn back towards him, letting out a snort in annoyance. ¡°Do you think that I am like you?¡±


    ¡°At least you thought that you were.¡±


    ¡°You have been apart for a month, and the first thing you two do after meeting is quarrelling like kids,¡± Yuri said, shaking her head helplessly.


    ¡°I am not a kid!¡± both Alnea, and Cecilia said at the same time, before bursting out in a laugh, and turning towards Yuri.


    ¡°You talk as if you are all grown up¡­ Don¡¯t forget that you nearly one month younger than me.¡±


    ¡°It is just one month.¡±


    ¡°One month younger is still younger.¡±


    ¡°¡­I am taller than you.¡±


    ¡°You are younger than me.¡±


    ¡°¡­Forget it, I will forgive you since it is your day today.¡±


    Laughing along with each other, they walked up to the table, and took their seats; Yuri, and Cecilia on either side of him, with his master sitting at the opposite of the table. On cushioned seats, of course. Even though she advocated sitting on the cold hard ground for better concentration when meditation, or training, she did not mind letting him enjoy the comfort of luxury when it was time for relaxing. Or when it was time for a feast.


    From various dishes of Oren Beasts, cooked in precious herbs, meant for enhancing his bodily functions, and providing energy for the growth of his Spirit, to some delicacies which were meant for just enjoyment of their taste, like the Dark Ring Berries, all of them were placed on table in front of him. Unfortunately, there was no Fersun fruit in the assortment of the food on the table. It was a specialty of the Ann province, after all. And at the moment, they were on the borders of the Ost, Rian, and the Eun province.


    Though, on second thought, after his last experience with the infamous specialty of the Ann province, he probably would have refrained from eating the fruit anyways. So, it was for the best that there was no Fersun fruit. In its stead, he got to enjoy so many other delicacies. Blood bone soup of Dark Earth Bear, the paws of the Dark Earth bear, prepared in their own blood, heart of a Three Horned Purple Horse, liver of a Three Tailed Dark Cat, and so on. All from the Oren Beasts of Adolescent Stage.


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    Having reached the False Rank, the flesh, and bones of the Infant Stage Oren Beasts were not as effective for him as they were before. Even before reaching the False Rank, at the Tenth Level of Spirit Power, only a few Oren Beasts in their Infant Stage had enough essence to provide energy for the growth of his Spirit Power. After reaching the False Rank, only the flesh, and bones of Adolescent Stage Oren Beasts would do for him. Until he learned to draw his sustenance from the Origin Sea, of course.


    But those were all things that he would have to consider later. At the moment, all he had on his mind was the food in front of him. So, after his master gave her nod, Alnea, and Cecilia came down upon the delicacies in front of them as if they were starving Oren Beasts themselves. Only Yuri maintained her decorum, and ate like she normally did, while laughing, and making fun of Cecilia, and Alnea. Neither of them paid attention to her though.


    Having suffered terribly from the taste of their own cooking for the past month, all that they had on their mind was food. It was only when the table had been cleaned up, that Alnea finally began feeling a little bashful of his earlier actions. The bulging sensation in his stomach, and his burps did not help him there either. Thankfully, he was not alone in his embarrassment. Burping once more, with his hands covering his mouth of course, he turned towards his master with curiosity teeming from his eyes.


    ¡°I have not eaten so much in over a month,¡± Alnea said, burping once again. ¡°It was so delicious¡­ I bet you were the one who made it. But¡­ how come the feat was already laid out on the table before we arrived, master? Did you prepare all the food earlier? Did you already know that I was going to break through to the False Rank today?¡±


    ¡°¡­Sometimes, you should just enjoy the moment as it is, and not try to pry into every tiny little detail.¡±


    ¡°But as a Wanderer, I should try to find the Mysteries behind any, and all things.¡±


    ¡°Not any, and all things,¡± his master said. ¡°Only those things which can benefit you. Or else, you will never be able to progress much as a Wanderer.¡±


    Knowing that no matter what he said, he would not be able to get his answer, Alnea just sighed, and gave up, changing the topic to something else. Something more relevant.


    ¡°¡­So, when should I begin my Wandering, master?¡±


    ¡°In a while,¡± his master said. ¡°Although it has been a while, you have completely rid yourself of the effects of the Rotting Blood Essence. You should first meditate, and bring your Heart to its peak state before going to the Origin Sea. Besides, do you not wish to talk with your two friends before going to the Origin Sea?¡±


    ¡°It is just the Origin Sea, master. With the Serenity of my Heart, as long as I am careful, nothing will happen.¡±


    ¡°You should never be overconfident,¡± his master said, shaking her head. ¡°Have you forgotten Yuri¡¯s first Wandering?¡±


    Yuri¡¯s first Wandering¡­ Alnea turned towards Yuri, and saw her looking back at him with a worried gaze. She was still smiling on the surface, but her eyes betrayed her. Just like it always did. No matter what expressions she made, her eyes could not lie. At least not to the people she loved. Not to him.


    ¡°It¡¯s alright, Yuri,¡± Alnea said. ¡°I will be fine. Nothing will happen.¡±


    ¡°I know¡­¡± Yuri said. ¡°But I still cannot shake this uneasy feeling in my Heart. Especially because of your fate... and the curse¡­¡±


    ¡°The curse cannot do anything to me,¡± Alnea said. ¡°Besides, I have the Rings of Fate with me. If anything happens, I will contact you, and then you can master to save me.¡±


    ¡°¡­Fine, but you still need to be careful.¡±


    ¡°I will, don¡¯t worry.¡±


    Nodding with a smile, Alnea turned towards Cecilia, half expecting her to be glaring at him, or looking at him with worry. Instead, she just smiled at him, and gave him a reassuring nod, leaning over to pat on his shoulder.


    ¡°Well said,¡± Cecilia said. ¡°With your Heart being even more Serene, and firm than mine, you really should not have any problems within the Origin Sea. Especially if you stick to what you should do, and don¡¯t try anything crazy. So, if something does really happen to you, then it would mean that you have done something crazy once again. And you promised me to not do anything crazy. You are not going to break your promise, right?¡±


    ¡°¡­Are you trying to boost my confidence, or threatening me?¡±


    ¡°Huh? When did you hear me threatening you?¡± Cecilia said, sticking out her tongue at him, as giggles escaped from her lips. She soon controlled her laugh though, before looking at him with a solemn gaze. ¡°Be careful, and don¡¯t do anything crazy, alright?¡±


    ¡°¡­It is not like I have a habit of doing crazy things. Things just happen because of circumstances.¡±


    ¡°You can fool the others, but you cannot fool me, freak,¡± Cecilia said with a snort, before laughing to herself, and shaking her head. Looking at him with a smile, she said, ¡°All the best for your first Wandering, Alnea.¡±


    ¡°¡­Thank you,¡± Alnea said. ¡°And I will be careful.¡±


    ¡°Only the result of your Wandering will show how careful you were in your Wandering,¡± Yuri said from the side. ¡°If you somehow end up in trouble¡­ Then I would not mind informing Cecilia about some of your¡­ rather embarrassing stories.¡±


    ¡°Oh? You still have his embarrassing stories?¡±


    ¡°Many. You don¡¯t know, once, when he¡ª


    ¡°At least wait for me to come back from the Origin Sea to share all these things!¡±


    ¡°Are you saying that you are going to get into trouble?¡±


    ¡°¡­I will be careful. I will really be careful, alright?¡±


    ¡°Fine, I guess we will leave it at that for now,¡± Yuri said, chuckling at his helpless, and frantic face. ¡°Go, meditate, and calm your Heart. And don¡¯t keep us waiting for long.¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t,¡± Alnea said, before turning towards his master. ¡°Master¡­¡±


    ¡°You can rest easy,¡± his master said. ¡°Even though I am not proficient at divining fate, and your fate has already been covered up by the Rings of Fate¡­ I am still able to sense one thing. Today is the day that a new legend will begin. So, go ahead, and prepare for your first Wandering.¡±

 Chapter 5: Ring of Fate [Part 1]

    Wandering the Origin Sea¡­ Becoming a Wanderer¡­ That had always been what Alnea had been striving for. And as time had passed, becoming a Wanderer had become an obsession for him. He did not wish to become just a Wanderer, he wished to become the greatest Wanderer. At first, it was because of his father, and the sacrifice he made. Later, he wished to become the greatest Wanderer for his own sake. But at some point, that thought changed once again.


    Becoming a Wanderer¡­ It was not just about solitary Wanderings. Anyone could Wander the Origin Sea. But to become a great Wanderer, much less the greatest one, was not so easy. Only those who had something they wished to protect, be it a thought, a philosophy, or even a piece of a memory, could keep surpassing their limits, and reach the ranks of great Wanderers.


    For Alnea, what he wished to protect were the people he loved. His mother, big sis Serena, Cecilia, Yuri, and even his master, he wished to protect them all. But protecting the people he loved was not as easy it seemed to be. And it was not just an insecurity, or an excuse that he made for himself to become stronger. No, it was a reality that he had experienced over the past year.


    At first, it was just the Lotus clan that had been trying to subdue him, but just the month before, more than a hundred Heterodox Wanderers had come to capture him on the day of his Spirit Test, and all, but one of them had turned into Enthralled Wanderers, wreaking havoc in Anneve. Just to capture him, they destroyed the entire branch of the Lotus clan in Anneve¡­ What exactly did they want from him? What did their Supreme Lord want from him?


    Alnea did not know the answers to his questions. Maybe his master had some inkling to what the Heterodoxies wanted him for, but she refused to tell him about it, feigning ignorance. No, not feigning ignorance. She did tell him that she might know why the Heterodoxies were searching for him, but she also told him that he did not need to worry about it¡­ How could he not worry about it?


    The last time the Heterodox Wanderers had come, they had dared to kidnap Cecilia. If not for the guards that big sis Serena had arranged for his mother, then they would have probably also kidnapped his mother. But big sis Serena was not with him anymore. She had gone to the Grand Chasm. And even though his master was still there, she could not come out in the open, or things might become disadvantageous for her, and Yuri.


    Besides, for how long was he going to be weak? It was just a few True Rank Heterodox Wanderers this time, but what if some stronger Wanderers came to trouble him? What if the Tes clan, or the Lightning clan came to deal with him, or his master, and Yuri? Would he be able to protect them? Would he be able to keep them safe? Would he¡­


    No, he was too weak. If he wished to protect something, or someone, then he had to do it by himself. He had to let the world know that it could not take anything from him. He had to become strong. He had to become cruel. As long as his conscience, and Heart were clear, everything was fine. That was his path to strength. That was his Serenity. And that was his way to gaining Clarity.


    Gaining confidence within himself, Alnea took a deep breath, before concentrating at the midpoint of his brows, entering his Spirit State. Unlike his usual Spirit State though, this time, he did not just feel the existence of a barrier inside his head, but was even able to penetrate through that barrier, and enter into a dark, and desolate world; his Spirit World. Of course, his Spirit World was not completely dark. There was still a faint source of light in his Spirit World. His Spirit.


    There, surrounded by darkness from all sides, was his Spirit, giving off a bluish white light. Compared to the vast, and an almost endless Spirit World, the size of his Spirit, and the light that it gave off were nothing. In fact, the darkness was so overwhelming, that his Spirit almost looked like a flickering Glyph lamp, about to deactivate, and lose its final light. However, it never lost its final light. No matter how overwhelming the darkness was, it could not swallow his Spirit. It could not drown his will.


    As Alnea concentrated on his Spirit, he felt his senses shift towards it, and within a moment, he was already near it, observing his Spirit half in detail. Just like Yuri¡¯s Spirit, his Spirit too, was just a translucent figure of humanoid shape, with vague, and blurry facial features, making it hard to recognise himself. But there was no need to recognise the Spirit. This was his Spirit World. Whose Spirit could it be, but his?


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    Besides, the moment that he had entered his Spirit World, Alnea had already felt a connection with the figure in front of him. A special connection that existed only between Wanderers, and their Spirits. And following that connection, he soon found himself observing his Spirit World from the eyes of his Spirit. Or rather, from the senses of his Spirit. Sight, hearing, smell, taste, and touch. Not that there was much to observe in his Spirit World at the moment.


    Having just reached the False Rank, his Spirit World was empty, and desolate. Only when he would be able to tame the Aspects of the Origin Sea, and bring them back to his Spirit World, would his Spirit World gain some life. Thus, without any hesitation, or delay, Alnea concentrated the senses of his Spirit to the thread connecting his Spirit, and his entire Spirit World, to the Origin Sea. It was, after all, a manifestation of his Roots.


    Of course, that the thread was his Roots did not mean that it would obey his will so easily. Just as he had experienced it with Yuri, when he searched for the thread, he found it all around his Spirit; at the base of his neck, at the tail end of his back, around his wrists, at the base of his feet, within his navel, and many other places.


    Alnea had thought that with the experience that he had gained from Yuri searching for her own Roots, searching for his own Roots would be easier for him. The thread though, remained just as elusive to him, as Yuri¡¯s Root had been to her. The Origin Sea remains unbiased, and treated everyone equally¡­


    It looked that part was true for even within one¡¯s own Spirit World. Still, it was not as if his experience of Wandering the Origin Sea with Yuri had not taught him anything. Drawing lesson from Yuri¡¯s action, he pulled on to the thread, as if he was trying to borrow Oren from the Origin Sea. Almost immediately, he felt all his other senses collapse, leaving just a single thread within his senses; a golden thread, tainted with the darkness of night. His Roots.


    Although he had made use of his Roots many times, this was the first time he was observing it in such detail, with all its colour, and substance. And a sense of Mystery to it as well¡­ No, not just one Mystery. He felt the existence of Mysteries that his Roots were based on. Of course, he just had a faint feeling. He could not comprehend these Mysteries. Not yet. But one day, not so far in the future, he would surely comprehend these Mysteries, and gain the ability to truly wield his Roots like it was meant to. For the moment though, he had something else to do.


    Tugging on the thread that was in front of him, Alnea did not reach for Oren within the Origin Sea. Instead, he himself went along that thread, and tried to climb his way into the Origin Sea. Once, that action had given him a severe headache. At the moment, however, not only did he not face any backlash, but the thread also accommodated his request, and he soon found his senses shifting away from his Spirit World, into the thread itself.


    What followed next was what he had already expected. Within moments, he felt the world itself shift around him, as he climbed up the thread¡ªor was it down? It did not matter. Neither did time matter. Time mattered only when the world itself existed. When he existed. But at the moment, his existence itself had lost all its meaning. He was not Alnea Oathkeeper. He was the Roots of Alnea Oathkeeper. And he was not in any world, he was within the barrier between the world, and the Origin Sea.


    And so, he did not know whether it was a long, or a short journey. He just knew, that at some point, his Roots had brought him to his Domain. To the dark, and empty space, where nothing existed, not even space itself. Of course, that was just temporary. In future, just like his Spirit World, after he comprehended some Mysteries, he would be able to turn his Domain into a miniature form of the Origin Sea.


    Besides, it was not as if nothing existed in his Domain. There was still the Oren, existing just within his reach, waiting for his call. And his Roots, the chains of his Oaths. He could not see them, but he could feel them, existing somewhere within his Domain, guarding him from the rest of the Origin Sea. From the temptations, and lures of the Origin Sea. From its endless attacks.


    Then there was the gateway to the Origin Sea. A link between his Domain, and the Origin Sea, that would manifest itself with just a simple tug of his Spirit. It did not exist physically, but he could feel it existing beyond the fabric of material existence¡­ Just like the Mysteries of the Origin Sea. Maybe that was also a Mystery of the Origin Sea¡­ A manifestation of his Roots? Maybe. But all Wanderers had a gateway in their Domain¡­


    In any case, he would know when he would pull the gate into existence. He did not have anything to within his Domain anyways. The price of his Roots was different from the price of Yuri¡¯s Roots after all. Thus, once again, without any hesitation, he reached into the depths of his Domain with his Spirit, and¡ª


    ¡°So, you are finally here, Son of Chaos.¡±

 Chapter 5: Ring of Fate [Part 2]

    Just as Alnea was about to open the doorway to the wild reaches of the Origin Sea, he heard a voice ring out inside of his head, in a way similar to how he normally heard Yuri¡¯s voice. The voice, however, did not belong to Yuri. It was a deep, and heavy voice, addressing him in a rather cold, and distant way, that sounded a bit familiar to him, but he could recall where he had heard the voice. Still, even if he did not know who the voice belonged to, he could recognise the hint of respect contained within it, wrapped around in a layer of discontent, and anger.


    ¡°You have made me¡­ us, wait too long.¡±


    ¡°Who are you?¡± Alnea said, giving up his attempt of opening the doors of his Domain, and looked around himself frantically. Yet, all he saw was a complete darkness, that surrounded him from all sides. ¡°What are you doing in my Domain?¡±


    ¡°How can you be so stupid? Is it because you are still young? No, you are the Son of Chaos¡­ At the very least, you should have some of her bearings¡­¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what you are talking about,¡± Alnea said. ¡°I am not the Son of Chaos, or whoever that is. You have the wrong person. Get out from my Domain, and go look for your Son of Chaos elsewhere.¡±


    ¡°I wish I could do that, but I cannot,¡± the voice said. ¡°I do not know why mother chose you, but since you have been determined as my master, then unless you die, I cannot leave you. And if you die, then¡­ In any case, for better or worse, you are my master.¡±


    ¡°Master¡­¡±


    ¡®My master¡­ the man you have been searching for¡­¡¯


    Finally recalling where he had heard the voice before, Alnea lifted up his left hand, and looked at the ring on his Finger of Fate, the black half of the Rings of Fate, a Divine Treasure created by the Goddess of Fate herself.


    ¡°¡­I thought you were supposed to be sleeping.¡±


    ¡°So? If I sleep, does that mean that I cannot wake up? What kind of dumb thoughts do you have?¡±


    ¡°¡­From what I recall, you were not this rude when you were talking with Yuri. And she is not even your master.¡±


    ¡°Because she has proven herself to be worthy of that respect. You, on the other hand, have done nothing to earn my respect. If you wish for me to give you respect, then prove it to me with your actions.¡±


    ¡°¡­I will not lower myself to argue with a ring,¡± Alnea said. ¡°You have been sleeping for months. For more than a year if you count the time before Yuri met with me. Yet you woke up as soon as I entered my Domain¡­ Is there something that you want to tell me? Or have I fulfilled some condition of the ring to unlock its next function?¡±


    ¡°¡­You are not completely hopeless,¡± the ring said. ¡°Since both you, and the human girl have begun Wandering the Origin Sea, then it means that the final binding procedure of the rings have been completed. Now, as long as you feed me, and my sister with Oren, we will gradually wake up from our sleep.¡±


    ¡°But you have already woken up¡ª


    ¡°This is just temporary¡­ I am using the last reserves of my energy to talk with you. Soon, I will be going back to sleep. Only when both, me and my sister have enough energy will we wake up. Remember to tell that to the human girl.¡±


    ¡°You need Oren too? I thought you were a Divine Treasure¡­¡±


    ¡°Do Divine Treasure work on air then?¡±


    ¡°But the Threads of Fate, and the Turns of Fate¡­¡±


    ¡°You can indeed use those functions without using Oren, but those are extreme examples. While one of those functions brings more harm than gain, the other one works more as a passive skill. They do not count.¡±


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    ¡°As I thought, there are indeed more functions¡­ But why have we not been able to activate your other functions?¡±


    ¡°There are two reasons,¡± the ring said. ¡°Before your Spirit Power reached the False Rank, and you came here, to the Origin Sea, our bond was not complete. And neither you, nor the girl has been feeding us with Oren. If you want to unlock more of our functions, then you must feed us with Oren. As long as you can wake us up¡­ we will naturally reveal our functions to you in time.¡±


    ¡°Like?¡±


    ¡°¡­You will know when you will wake us up.¡±


    ¡°But you are awake right now. Doesn¡¯t this count?¡±


    ¡°¡­Everything comes at a price. If you want something, then you must pay for it. That is how your Roots work¡­ That is how the Origin Sea itself works. If you wish to gain more powers from us, then you must pay an appropriate price first. Are you sure that you want to pay that price in ways other than Oren?¡±


    ¡°¡­I think I will pass for now,¡± Alnea said. ¡°So, is that it? You woke up just to remind me to feed you with Oren?¡±


    ¡°¡­I hope that mother¡¯s choice was right.¡±


    ¡°Your mother¡­ the Goddess of Fate? What choice did she make?¡±


    ¡°That is not of your concern¡­ At least, not at the moment. I am going to sleep now. Remember to wake us up, Son of Chaos.¡±


    ¡°¡­What is this Son of Chaos that you are calling me?¡±


    ¡°Chaos, his mother reigns¡­ Chaos, he will reign.¡±


    ¡°The warnings of the Goddess¡­ what does that mean?¡±


    ¡°You will know when the time comes¡­ Be careful, Son of Chaos¡­ beware of fate¡­ beware of the Origin Sea¡­¡±


    ¡°What do you mean by that? Beware of what? Of the attacks, and temptations of the Origin Sea?¡± Alnea asked, but the ring refused to respond. Or rather, it could not respond. As it had said, it had already fallen asleep. Shaking his head with a sigh, he shoved the words of the ring to back of his Heart. He felt as if what the ring had said may have been important, but he did not have time to dwell upon it. He still had to Wander the Origin Sea.


    Making a mental note to remind Yuri about feeding Oren to her ring, Alnea resumed what he had been doing before the ring had interrupted him, reaching out to blank emptiness of his Domain. Not on a physical level, but more on a metaphorical, and an intangible level. On a plane where only his will, and thoughts existed. Where the Mysteries of the Origin existed. And where the door to the Origin Sea existed.


    Reaching out to that door with his thought, Alnea gave it a tug, and brought it into the material plan of existence. Almost immediately, the emptiness of his Domain began shifting, and rippling like the waves on the surface of water bodies, as a bright golden light¡ªwhich even the darkness of his Domain could not drown¡ª burst forth in front of him, taking mere moments to coalesce into the form of a large ring, roughly twice his height.


    Still, even though his Domain was not able to drown out the light, it did not let the light escape into his surrounding blank space either, pushing the glow of the ring within the ring itself, forcing it change from a ring to disc. But that was alright. That was how it was supposed to happen. After all, it was the disc itself which was the door to the wild reaches of the Origin Sea. But the door was not open. Not yet.


    So, Alnea drifted forward, and reached towards the disc, this time, physically. And right at the moment when he touched the disc, pushing it lightly with his hands, the golden disc collapsed on itself, leaving a gaping wide hole in the dark emptiness of his Domain. A hole, which led to a world of bright, and colourful lights. It drained a few units of his Spirit Power, but the door to the wild reaches of the Origin Sea was finally open.


    ¡°¡­I am going into the Origin Sea,¡± Alnea said through the rings.


    ¡°¡­Be careful,¡± Yuri replied. ¡°Your Heart is just in the Serene State, so I would not be talking with you to distract you, but if something happens, then inform me immediately. Do you get it?¡±


    ¡°¡­Something has already happened, but it is not about my Wandering, or the Origin Sea. It is about our rings.¡±


    ¡°¡­What is it?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, it is good news. I will tell you after I return from Wandering.¡±


    ¡°¡­You still have not answered me. You have to inform if something happens. Do you get it?¡±


    ¡°Yes, yes, I get it,¡± Alnea said with a chuckle. ¡°Tell master not to worry.¡±


    ¡°¡­Do you think that she will stop worrying just because you asked her not to?¡±


    ¡°¡­Just do it.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    ¡°I will be entering the Origin Sea now¡­¡±


    ¡°May Goddess Ilea¡¯s blessing be with you, Alnea¡­ May you return safely.¡±

 Chapter 6: First Wandering [Part 1]

    Alnea may have been in the form of his Spirit, but he could still feel his heart speeding up, as an anticipation began building up within him. An anticipation of the Origin Sea, of his first Wandering. Though he had already experienced what Wandering the Origin Sea felt like, this was the first time that he would stepping into the Origin Sea himself. At least the first time since he had laid his Roots more than a year ago. First time since he had made his Oath.


    He did not know if they still remembered the Oath, but he did. And he was going to fulfil it. Not just because it was an Oath, but also because they were the first of those who had helped him. And somehow, their loneliness had reminded him of himself. He wondered how they were doing. How they had been. If they even still remembered him¡­


    Supressing his thoughts in the Serenity of his Heart, Alnea stopped hesitating, and stepped into the giant hole, into the wild reaches of the Origin Sea. The world of bright, and colourful lights, countless in number, size, shape, colour, brightness, and any other variations possible. Even the speed with which they were swimming in the Origin Sea, and the direction that they were swimming to, or swimming for, along with their patterns, kept changing at the whims of the Aspects. No, there was no pattern in the first place. Because the Origin Sea had no patterns. Or maybe it did, but his senses were not strong enough to observe those patterns.


    They were, however, strong enough to receive the attacks of the Origin Sea the moment he stepped into it, with the overwhelmingly awe inspiring sight of the Origin Sea being the first of those attacks. Fortunately, Alnea had already experienced the sight of the Origin Sea many times, so it did not take long for him to recover from it, just in time to receive the attacks on his sense of smell.


    From the smells worse than the faeces of the Dust Eater Rats¡ªwhich he did not think was practically possible¡ª to smells more pleasant than even the smells of Yuri¡¯s, and Cecilia¡¯s hair¡ªNo, why did that image come to his mind in the first place? And when had he ever smelled their hair? He was not a pervert like big sis Serena. At best, he had just given them a hug. The smell must have come from there. But he had not intentionally smelled their hair. And he definitely did not think that their smells were pleasant. The hugs though¡ª


    Before Alnea could go further down that track of thought, all the smells that he was feeling overlapped with each other, disgusting him, and pleasing him at the same time. At some point of time, the image of faces of the Dust Eater Rat somehow merged with image of the two girl¡¯s hair¡­ Alnea shuddered at the thought, shifting his focus to his sense of touch, using the alternation between the feelings of extreme cold, and hot to get rid of the blasphemous image from his mind.


    The Origin Sea, however, did not like it when it noticed that instead of making trouble for him, the sensations of being frozen, and being burnt was helping him instead. So, instead of flooding him with such sensations, it shifted its attacks to alternation between the sensations of his master¡¯s touch¡­ of Yuri¡¯s, and Cecilia¡¯s touch¡­ and the touch of the Heterodox Wanderers¡­ of the blood red robed Wanderer¡­ of the Whitebud patriarch¡­ of Neha, and Riha Yellowbud¡­ of Tenail Whitebud¡­ and of Ionel Whitebud.


    It took all of Alnea¡¯s willpower to maintain his Serenity. Such vile, and abhorrent sensations¡­ Even the smell of the Dust Eater Rat was better than this. The Origin Sea, of course, refused his request, overlapping all the sensations that he was feeling with each other, making his torment even worse than before. To dare to compare his master¡¯s touch¡­ Cecilia¡¯s, ad Yuri¡¯s touch, with such vile, and abominable people¡­


    Fortunately, Alnea had enough wits about himself to not start cursing the Origin Sea while he was within its reaches. And in response, the Origin Sea also acted a little kindly, attacking his other senses, giving him something else to distract his mind, and thoughts with. Both his senses of taste, and hearing were repeatedly assaulted with vile, and abhorrent sensations, overlapping with pleasant, and soothing sensations, forming a balance with each other, teasing his senses to their extreme. And as he gradually adapted to those extreme sensations, and the neutral sensations that lay in between them, somehow, all those sensations decided to merge together, and attack his senses as a whole.


    The Origin Sea was truly merciless, Alnea thought. The sensations that were attacking his senses were definitely more intense than what he usually felt when he experienced the Origin Sea through Yuri¡¯s senses. Maybe her Clear Heart had something to do with it. Or the fact that he had not entered the Origin Sea back then. In any case, at the moment, the Origin Sea was clearly taking out its wrath on him. It was as if it was venting out all its frustration on him for experiencing Wandering its reaches for all those months, without paying the price himself.


    Thankfully, his Heart was in the state of Serenity, allowing him to tackle the attacks with relative ease. At the very least, the attacks were not capable of drawing him within their lures, and temptations. How could he let himself be trapped within the Origin Sea, when there were so many people waiting for him? How could he let himself be devoured by the Origin Sea, when his Heart was out there, in the world of Wanderers, waiting for him?


    With a smile on his face, and Serenity in his Heart, Alnea took another step, completely leaving his Domain behind him. However, the moment he took that step, a shiver went through his Spirit, as he felt something from the depths of the Origin Sea calling out to him. As if there was a part of his Spirit, sleeping deep within the Origin Sea, yearning for him, waiting for him to come, and claim, to become a whole once again. To become a part of him once again. To¡ª


    YOU HAVE COME, OATHKEEPER.


    Trapped within the strange feelings that he was experiencing, Alnea had stopped paying attention to what was happening around him. By the time the voice in his head brought him back to his senses, all the Aspects within the Origin Sea, or at least those which he could see, had already stopped moving, and had formed a circle around him, as if they were looking at him, waiting for his response.


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    ¡°I have come,¡± Alnea said. ¡°I have come to Wander the Origin Sea¡­ and to fulfil my Oath with you. Do you want to play with me?¡±


    HE REMEMBERS.


    OF COURSE, HE REMEMBERS.


    HE IS OATHKEEPER.


    HE HAS COME TO KEEP HIS OATH.


    HE HAS COME TO PLAY.


    PLAY.


    WHAT SHOULD WE DO?


    PLAY. WE SHOULD PLAY.


    LET¡¯S PLAY.


    CAN HE PLAY?


    YES, LET¡¯S PLAY.


    LET¡¯S PLAY.


    The discordant voices, concurring upon their decision, regained their synchronisation, and rang out in his head as a collective voice of thousands, or maybe even millions of Aspects, all ringing in his head at the same time, brimming with enthusiasm, and excitement, bringing up his excitement to their level.


    ¡°Let¡¯s play,¡± Alnea said, laughing along with the Aspects, as he rushed towards them. Or at least he tried to. But the moment he moved, he faced the opposition of the Origin Sea, of the endless layers of Oren surrounding, and trapping him. ¡°¡­It may be a little harder than I thought.¡±


    IT DOES NOT MATTER.


    WE CAN STILL PLAY.


    LET¡¯S PLAY.


    YES, LET¡¯S PLAY.


    Not even bothering to discuss with him, the Aspects began acting on their own, and dispersed from the circle around him, rushing about in all directions, recreating the scene that they had created over a year ago. The Aspects, the lights, varying in all ways possible, rushed towards him, teasing him, taunting him, daring him. They never touched him though. Or went through his Spirit, like they had done before.


    Maybe it was because how his Spirit had grown, reaching the False Rank, gaining some substance. At least more than before. Whatever the reason, he did not care. He just rushed towards the Aspects, laughing along with them, completely ignoring the attacks on his senses by the Origin Sea. Compared to the fun he was having with his friends of the Origin Sea, those attacks were nothing.


    Especially those naughty little Aspects, which always stopped for him to come towards them, waiting for him to almost touch them, before shooting off into the distance. Or just blinking out of existence. There were also those Aspects which just stayed out of his reach, matching his pace, constantly teasing him, taunting him for being slow, comparing to the ¡®useless¡¯ layers of Oren.


    Alnea, of course, did not mind those teases. Rather, he even teased those Aspects back, commenting on their shapes, and sizes, and sometimes, even their brightness, trying to stun them with his words, before catching them. They were too smart though. Or maybe, they just did not mind. Laughing along with him, they kept playing with him, until his Spirit Power dropped to around twenty units. Though he did not wish to stop, desiring to keep playing with the Aspects a little longer, his circumstances did not allow him that leisure.


    The Aspects may have been friendly to him, but the Origin Sea itself remained unbiassed. Throughout the time he had played with the Aspects, the Origin Sea had not relented in its attacks. On the contrary, as he had kept drifting deeper, and deeper into the Origin Sea, it had even intensified the sensations trying to flood his senses. At the same time, the drain on his Spirit Power from Oren had also kept increasing with the increasing density of the endless layers Oren around his Spirit. In the end, as his Spirit Power dropped below his safety limit, Alnea had not choice, but to stop rushing about with the Aspects.


    ¡°I must leave now,¡± Alnea said, looking at the Aspects with reluctance.


    ALREADY?


    WHY?


    LET¡¯S PLAY MORE!


    YES, MORE!


    PLAY MORE!


    ¡°I will come play with you tomorrow,¡± Alnea said. ¡°Right now, my Spirit Power is too low. I need to head back to my Domain.¡±


    SPIRIT POWER¡­


    THAT¡¯S RIGHT¡­


    YOU CANNOT STAY HERE, LIKE US.


    WANDERING THE ORIGIN SEA IS DANGEROUS.


    VERY DANGEROUS.


    TOO DANGEROUS.


    YOU MUST RETURN.


    RETURN, AND COME BACK.


    COME AND PLAY WITH US AGAIN.


    YES, PLAY WITH US AGAIN.


    ¡°I will,¡± Alnea said, nodding at the Aspects, as he turned around towards his Domain. ¡°I will be returning to my world then¡­¡±


    WAIT.


    YOU CANNOT GO.


    NOT YET.


    YES, NOT YET.


    The words of the Aspects made Alnea stop in his steps, and look around himself in confusion.


    ¡°What happened?¡±


    WANDERING THE ORIGIN SEA IS DANGEROUS.


    VERY DANGEROUS.


    BUT YOUR WORLD IS DANGEROUS AS WELL.


    TOO DANGEROUS.


    ¡°¡­Why is my world dangerous?¡±


    CANNOT SAY.


    MUST NOT SAY.


    BUT YOU CANNOT GO.


    NOT YET.


    NOT ALONE.


    ¡°What do you mean by that?¡±


    ¡­WE WILL GO WITH YOU, OATHKEEPER.


    TO YOUR WORLD.


    TO YOUR SPIRIT WORLD.


    WE WILL GO WITH YOU.


    AS YOUR PROTECTOR.


    AS YOUR GUARDIAN.


    AS YOUR WEAPON.


    AS YOUR PARTNER.


    AS YOUR ASPECT.


    AS YOUR WILL.


    WE WILL GO WITH YOU, OATHKEEPER.


    ONE OF US WILL.

 Chapter 6: First Wandering [Part 2]

    ¡°What?¡± Alnea said, unable to believe what he was hearing. ¡°You will go with me?¡±


    ONE OF US WILL.


    ¡°¡­I will be getting my own Aspect?¡±


    YES.


    ¡°But¡­ are there not things that I need to do before taking you back with me? Communicate with you, gain your recognition¡­ things like that.¡±


    YOU ALREADY HAVE OUR RECOGNITION.


    YES, WE RECOGNISE YOU.


    WE RECOGNISE YOUR SMELL.


    AND YOUR TASTE.


    YOUR TOUCH¡­


    WE RECOGNISE YOU, OATHKEEPER.


    BUT YES, YOU ARE RIGHT.


    WE CANNOT BREAK THE RULES.


    TO GO WITH YOU, WE MUST COMMUNICATE.


    WE MUST CHOOSE.


    NO¡­ NOT WE.


    YOU MUST CHOOSE, OATHKEEPER.


    CHOOSE YOUR ASPECT.


    CHOOSE YOUR PARTNER.


    CHOOSE YOUR WEAPON.


    CHOOSE YOUR GUARDIAN.


    CHOOSE ONE OF US, OATHKEEPER.


    AND TAKE US WITH YOU.


    ¡°I¡­ How can I choose amongst all of you¡­¡±


    YOU CAN.


    YOU MUST


    ¡°But¡­¡±


    DO NOT WORRY, OATHKEEPER.


    WE KNOW THE RULES.


    WE FOLLOW THE RULES.


    AND THIS WILL NOT BE THE END.


    MORE OF US WILL GO WITH YOU LATER.


    MORE OF US WILL BECOME YOUR WEAPON.


    YOUR WILL.


    AND THOSE WHO WILL NOT FOLLOW YOU, WILL WAIT FOR YOU HERE.


    YES, WAIT IN THE ORIGIN SEA.


    WE WILL GUARD YOUR WANDERINGS.


    WE WILL PROTECT YOU.


    ¡°¡­Why?¡± Alnea asked. ¡°Why are you willing to go so far for me?¡±


    BECAUSE YOU ARE OATHKEEPER.


    YOU ARE OUR FRIEND.


    YOU ARE OUR¡ª


    NO, WE CANNOT SAY IT.


    YES, WE CANNOT SAY MORE.


    FOLLOW THE RULES.


    WE MUST FOLLOW THE RULES.


    OR BE DESTROED.


    ¡°Destroyed? Someone can destroy the Aspects?¡±


    ¡­THE ORIGIN SEA.


    THE ORIGIN¡­


    ¡°¡­Fine, I understand. What should I do next?¡±


    NEXT, YOU CHOOSE.


    That, of course, was not an answer that Alnea understood. He already knew that he had to choose, but he did not know how he should go about it. There were nearly uncountable Aspects around him. How was he to choose amongst them? After all, choosing Aspect was not a trivial matter. Even if the Aspects wished to go with him, they should at least have some basic compatibility with him. And even if they could ignore the issue of compatibility, he still had to choose carefully. His Aspects, after all, would decide his future as a Warrior. He could not be casual in choosing them.


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    Thus, he decided to ask his question once again, this time, in a more direct, and clear manner. Before he could do that though, the Aspects, the sea of lights surrounding him, began moving once again, going around him in circles, forming a whirlpool of lights. Their speed, slow at first¡ªno, their speed was never slow. They were always fast. Yet, in face of their current speed, their earlier speed did indeed seem a little slow.


    Their speed increased to such a degree, that soon, all of the lights began blending with each other, turning from a whirlpool of lights to a curtain of lights that surrounded him from all directions. But that only served to increase his confusion. Alnea did not know what the Aspects were doing. If it was just about communicating with him, then what was the need for¡ª


    It was born recently, just around two hundred thousand years ago. A new Aspect¡­ Or maybe was it an old Aspect that got renewed after its previous owner got devoured by the Origin Sea? It did not know. Its memories did not go that far. Not that it had much in terms of memories anyways. Still, even if it did not have many memories, it did have a feeling, an urge, that came with its birth. A regret. A deep seated regret¡­


    Was it because it failed to protect its previous owner? Or was it because it was the cause of its previous owner being devoured by the Origin Sea? It did not know. It just knew that it was regret. That it was¡ª


    Alnea panted, as he severed his connection with the Aspect. Its thoughts, and emotions had been too heavy for him, inciting a deep memory within himself. A part of himself, that was filled with regret, and despair¡­ At that moment, he knew that if he wished, he could have taken the Aspect as his own. But¡­ he did not wish to let his regrets decide the course of his actions. He did not wish for his regrets to be his core. So, he decisively gave up on the Aspect.


    In return, the Aspect gave off a sad response, expressing its regret. But at the same time, it expressed its understanding as well, before moving away, making room for¡ª


    Darkness. That was what it was. Pure darkness, living off of the emotions of despair¡ª


    It existed, as long as light itself would exist. For it was the light of the world. It was the light of kindness. Light of life. Light of¡ª


    It was arrogance. It was authority. It was¡ª


    Humility. That was what it represented. Humility. Existing from before the¡ª


    Fire¡ª


    Water¡ª


    Earth¡ª


    Lightning¡ª


    Wind¡ª


    The seven virtues¡­ and the seven sins.


    One by one, the Aspects kept establishing a connection with him, expressing their cores, and beliefs. Meanwhile, the curtain of light did not let the Origin Sea deplete his Spirit Power, allowing him to choose his Aspect at his leisure. There was nothing leisurely about selecting his Aspect though. Filtering through the Aspects, and rejecting them, receiving their sad responses one by one, kept breaking his heart bit by bit.


    But he kept firm in his decisions, and kept rejecting them one by one. Even if all those Aspects were compatible with him, they could not be his core. They could form the outer circle of his Aspect Ocean, but when it came to its core, his Aspects had to be completely compatible with him, and his Heart. Only then, would he be able to wield those Aspects with the greatest efficiency. Only then, would he be able to climb the peak on the path of Warriors.


    And that was what it also desired. To stand at the top. To be the best. To be the Aspect that would make his enemies cower in fear, and his friends, cheer in joy. To¡ª


    No, that was not what his Heart was. That was not what his core was. Sure, he desired to be the best. But not just for the sake of being the best. Being the best¡­ that in itself did not have any satisfaction for him. Only when the ones he loved were with him was he happy, and satisfied. Only when they would stand at the top with him would he be satisfied. He desired to be strong, to be the strongest, and the best, because he wished to¡ª


    Protect. Guard. Those were things that it could relate to. For those were the qualities that it was born with. It was a shield. A barrier. An armour. But when needed, it could also become a sword of slaughter. After all, it could not protect by remaining passive all the time. And guarding did not mean just defending against the attacks of its enemies. If the others dared to touch the things it protected, it would destroy them. Annihilate them. Because it was¡ª


    Alnea Oathkeeper opened his eyes, and looked at the Aspect floating in front of him, a shield in the hue of dark golden colour, with black at its centre. The colour of his Heart. He was a little surprised to know that. That his Heart had such pure darkness. But he accepted it soon afterwards, for he knew what it represented. Just as he knew what the shield represented. No, it was not just a shield. It was also a sword. And it was the perfect core for his Aspects.


    YOU HAVE CHOSEN.


    ¡°Yes,¡± Alnea said. ¡°Yes, I have.¡±


    THAT WILL BE ENOUGH.


    FOR NOW.


    THERE WILL BE MORE TO CHOOSE.


    MORE ASPECTS TO MASTER.


    BUT NOT NOW.


    FOR NOW, THIS WILL BE ENOUGH.


    The curtain of lights surrounding Alnea began to dissipate, as the Aspects slowed down, breaking the whirlpool of lights that they had formed. At the same time, the golden, and black shield, his first Aspect, floating in front of him, slowly drifted towards him, before attaching itself to his chest, declaring to the world, to the Origin Sea, that it had a new master to guard. A new master to protect.


    Gently caressing the shield on his chest, Alnea let out a smile, before looking at the other Aspects around him. They had all separated, dispersing all around him, returning the Origin Sea back to its original appearance. That, however, also meant that the Origin Sea had returned with its attacks, while the endless layers of Oren had begun depleting his Spirit Power once again. He did not have much time left.


    ¡°Thank you for helping me¡­ for granting me an Aspect on my first Wandering¡­¡±


    THIS IS WHAT YOU DESERVE.


    THIS IS WHAT YOU NEED.


    ¡°I have to return,¡± Alnea said, looking at the Aspects with reluctance. ¡°I will come back tomorrow.¡±


    TIME HAS NO MEANING FOR US.


    WE EXISTED BEFORE TIME.


    WE WILL EXIST AFTER TIME.


    SOME IN THE FORM THEY ARE.


    SOME IN NEW FORMS.


    TIME IS JUST A PERCEPTION.


    BUT¡­ COME BACK SOON, OATHKEEPER.


    AND GROW STRONGER.


    ¡°I will,¡± Alnea said. ¡°After all, the stronger my Spirit Power, the longer I can play with you, right?¡±


    RIGHT.


    PLAY.


    WE WILL PLAY EVEN MORE.


    WE WILL PLAY FOR ALL THE TIME TO COME.


    WE WILL PLAY EVEN AFTER TIME STOPS EXISTING.


    SO, GROW STRONGER, OATHKEEPER.


    GROW STRONGER, AND¡­

 Chapter 7: A Warrior [Part 1]

    Bidding his farewell to the Aspects, Alnea made his way to the giant hole in the Origin Sea. Though, on second thought, compared to the endlessness of the Origin Sea, the hole was almost negligible in size. In any case, for him, the hole was giant. And the only way back to his Domain. So, resisting against the attacks of the Origin Sea, and the attempts of the endless layers of Oren trying to entrap him, he made his way to the golden ring.


    Glancing back towards the Origin Sea, towards the Aspects, Alnea waved at them for one last time, before stepping back into the blank emptiness of his Domain. Into the dark, and the quiet. And as if sensing that there was no need for it to exist anymore, his domain covered the giant hole with a curtain of golden light, turning it back into a golden disc. But there was no need for the disc to exist either. And so, soon after disc had come into existence, it began bleeding back all its light to its edges, turning back into a ring of golden light, which soon dimmed, and faded away into the darkness of his empty Domain.


    Thankfully, the process did not consume his Spirit Power. At least not by much. Having stayed in the Origin Sea longer than he had planned, he was running precariously low on his Spirit Power as it was. Any further drain on his Spirit Power would have surely resulted in a headache. Not that it would have been his first time. Be it due to low Spirit Power, taking Oaths, or just simply Forging his Spirit, headaches were like his constant companion.


    Still, it was not as if he was deliberately trying to get headaches. Or any pain for that matter. Things just happened in a way that they often led him into suffering some pain, or the other. If he could avoid headaches though, then why would he not do so? Just as Alnea was ruminating about his relationship with pain, the shield on his chest, his Aspect, reached out to him ever so hesitantly, and asked, Headaches? Protect? Guard? Fight?


    Laughing to himself, Alnea reached out to his Aspect with his thoughts, and reassured it that he was fine. At the same time, he also gently brushed his hands over the shield, soothing its anxiety. Only after his Aspect had confirmed that he was fine, did it calm down, reminding him to call it if he ever needed its help. That made him laugh even more, as a strange excitement bubbled up within him.


    His Aspect¡­ Not only would it act as his shield, and armour, but in times of need, it could also act as his sword, his weapon. A truly versatile Aspect, with an all round capabilities. Though it did not have any elemental properties attached to it, it was still one of the strongest Aspects that he could find in the shallow regions of the Origin Sea. He was looking forward to the well that he would have to dog for the Aspect. Would it be larger than the Wells that Yuri had dug? Or¡­


    Unfortunately, his Spirit Power was too low at the moment, and would need at least a few hours to recover. Or at least, that would be the case if he did not use external agents to aid in recovery of his Spirit Power. He had just had a very sumptuous meal though. There was no need to overload his body with nutrients. That would just make him fat. Short, and fat¡­ In any case, he did not have enough Spirit Power to dig an Aspect Well, so there was no need to think about it at the moment.


    Instead, he used the calm, and the quiet of his Domain to concentrate within himself, reflecting on his actions, and tempering his Heart. The Razorback Black Water Turtle¡­ the Dark Wind Wolf¡­ the Dark Devouring Snake¡­ All of the things he did, all of his actions, and choices, flitted past his mind, as he sorted through them, looking at his mistakes, wondering how he could have done things better.


    Like when fighting the Dark Wind Wolf. If not for the boulders, behind which he had taken cover, then he might have gotten in trouble with the suicide attack of the wolf. Since he already knew what the wolf was capable of, he should have prepared for the attack in advance. No, he should not have given the wolf the chance to use that attack in the first place. That would have been the perfect way to deal with the situation. Winning the fight with no injuries¡­


    Even if he had the robe to protect him in case something happened, he could not keep on relying on it forever. He could not always be the one being protected. He had to become the one doing the protecting. He had to become strong enough to protect his master. To protect Yuri, and Cecilia. Even big sis Serena. And his mother. He had to protect everyone. No, not just them. He also had to protect their smile. He had to¡­


    Alnea opened his eyes after his Heart had reached complete Serenity, taking another step towards Clarity. Looking around his empty Domain one last time, he promised himself to turn it into a miniature Origin Sea, greater than even the Domains of the strongest of the Supreme Wanderers. Not an Oath, the kind that would bind him. He had already done that. That too, with two different Oaths; becoming the greatest Wanderer, and creating the path to the Rank of Origin Wanderer. There was no need for taking another Oath for the same thing. He just had to follow his old Oaths, and make sure to keep them. As long as he did that, his Domain would become the greatest Domain in existence all on its own.


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    Chuckling to himself, Alnea reached towards the thread, towards his Roots, connecting his Spirit to his Spirit World, just as it connected his Spirit to his Domain. In a way, he could even think of his Roots, and his Spirit, as creating a connection between his Domain, and his Spirit World. And following that connection, he soon found himself travelling back to his world in the same way he had come to the Origin Sea, crossing the barriers between the Origin Sea, and his world by merging with his Roots.


    How long it took, he did not know. Time was meaningless in the state he was in. As was the existence of his being¡­ until he reached his Spirit World, whence his Spirit returned to its original form, returning his meaning to him. And to his aspect, still stuck to his chest in the form of a shield, protecting him from any, and all harms. Even from the darkness of his Spirit World. The same world, which was going to become its home. He did not have enough Spirit Power to dig its home though. So, for the moment, the Aspect had to make do by living on his Spirit.


    Comforting his Aspect, promising it to come back in a while to dig an Aspect Well for it, Alnea withdrew his senses from his Spirit. He did not immediately withdraw from his Spirit World though, stopping to take a look at his Spirit. It still had its bluish white glow. But on top of that, it also had a slightly golden tinge added to it, coming from the shield on his chest. And at the centre of that golden tinge was a black.


    Nodding to himself in satisfaction, metaphorically, of course, he finally withdrew from his Spirit World, and consequently, his Spirit State, opening his eyes to find the worried faces of Cecilia, and Yuri, staring at him intently. After the feast, his master had removed the table, and the cushions, stashing them away in her ¡®Dimensional Pocket¡¯. At this point, he wondered if it should still be called as a ¡®Dimensional Pocket¡¯, or a ¡®Dimensional House¡¯. Maybe, even a ¡®Dimensional City¡¯.


    In any case, with the table out of the way, there was nothing blocking the two girls from sitting closer to him. So, while he had been Wandering, they had been staying by his side all the time, worrying for his safety, waiting for him to come back from the Origin Sea. Only when they saw him open his eyes, did they let go of their worries, and let out a sigh of relief, before regaining their smiles. Or at least Cecilia did. Yuri, on the other hand, looked at him with discontent, and displeasure, pouting at him.


    ¡°Since you were done with your Wandering, why did you not inform me? Don¡¯t you know how worried we were? How worried I was? Especially after you told me that something happened with the rings¡­¡±


    ¡°I have experienced Wandering the Origin Sea with you so many times¡­ Don¡¯t you have trust in my capabilities?¡±


    ¡°This is different. This time, you went into the Origin Sea yourself. What if something happened to you, like it happened to me on my first Wandering?¡±


    ¡°¡­You worry too much.¡±


    ¡°And whose fault is that?¡±


    ¡°¡­I just wanted to surprise you.¡±


    ¡°You¡­¡±


    ¡°How did your Wandering go, Alnea?¡± Cecilia asked, grinning at him, with her green eyes shining in a bright light. ¡°The Origin Sea¡­ How did experiencing it for yourself¡­ in your own Spirit felt?¡±


    ¡°It was quite good,¡± Alnea said, grinning in return, before shifting his gaze from Cecilia to Yuri. ¡°The attacks of the Origin Sea¡­ the sensations that it was flooding my senses with felt a little more intense than the times I experienced it with you. Other than that, everything was fine.¡±


    ¡°Did you encounter any Mysteries?¡± Yuri asked, to which, Alnea responded by shaking his head.


    ¡°There were no manifestations of Mysteries, but¡­ I did encounter one thing.¡±


    ¡°Encounter something in the Origin Sea other than Mysteries¡­ what was it?¡± Cecilia asked in excitement, while worry made its way back to Yuri¡¯s face. Alnea, however, kept grinning, choosing to turn towards his master instead of answering Cecilia¡¯s question.


    ¡°Can you guess what it was, master?¡±


    ¡°Cheeky disciple,¡± his master said, shaking her head with a smile. Just like his two friends, she too, had been worried for him. Maybe even more than them. Even when she knew that she could use her Roots to save him if anything were to happen to him, she still could not stop worrying. But she did not let it show on her face. She did, however, show relief when he returned from the Origin Sea. At the same time, she also showed a look of surprise, as she looked at him with pride.


    ¡°I knew that my son was talented in the path of Warriors¡­ but to tame an Aspect, and set foot on the path of Warriors on your first Wandering¡­ You have broken through all my expectations. Congratulations on becoming a Warrior, Alnea.¡±

 Chapter 7: A Warrior [Part 2]

    ¡°What?¡± Cecilia said, exchanging incredulous glances between him and his master. ¡°You have already become a Warrior?¡±


    ¡°Taming an Aspect on your first Wandering,¡± Yuri mumbled, donning just as shocked a face that Cecilia had, fixing her wide eyes on his face, before using the rings to add, ¡°Is this the surprise you were talking about.¡±


    ¡°How is it?¡± Alnea asked, not bothering to hide his grin, or his laugh. ¡°Did you like it?¡±


    ¡°¡­Ilea¡¯s crown!¡±


    ¡°Language Yuri, language,¡± Alnea said, before turning towards Cecilia. ¡°Yes, I have indeed become a Warrior.¡±


    ¡°Poros¡¯ skin!¡±


    ¡°Now, now, don¡¯t use such crass language, Cecilia.¡±


    ¡°Poros¡¯ fangs, is this the time to mind my language? You have become a warrior, a Warrior! That too, on your first Wandering. And I have been Wandering for a whole month. A whole Poros snaking month! Even then, I have yet to tame my first Aspect.¡±


    ¡°At least you have comprehended a Mystery.¡±


    ¡°¡­Am I talking about Mysteries here? Damn it, I am for a Warrior¡¯s clan, for Poros sake! This does not even make sense.¡±


    Chuckling at Cecilia¡¯s face, drowning in her own doubts, Alnea turned towards his master, and smiled at her, before bowing down towards her. ¡°Thank you for your guidance, master,¡± he said. ¡°It would not have been possible without you.¡±


    ¡°Do you think I need your comfort?¡± his master said, shaking her head. ¡°I have been guiding both you, and the girls. And I know you better than you know yourself. I cannot say anything about the other paths yet, but solely on the path of Warriors, be it grasping Martial Styles, or taming Aspects, your performance has been far better than the rest. And this is possible only because of your own efforts. And your talent, of course. As I had thought, you were born to be a Warrior.¡±


    ¡°I still cannot believe it,¡± Yuri said, before turning towards his master. ¡°How is this even possible, big sis Nyssa?¡±


    ¡°Anything is possible within the Origin Sea¡­ but as you said, taming Aspects on his first Wandering is truly a little baffling¡­ It is obvious that this involves some of his secrets though, so there is no need to ask him. Instead¡ª


    ¡°The secret is not too big, master,¡± Alnea said. ¡°I have already told you all of my secrets, so there is not much for me to hide anyways. It is just that I don¡¯t know if you will be able to believe what happened with me in the Origin Sea.¡±


    ¡°¡­Did something really happen with you in the Origin Sea?¡± Yuri said, looking at him with a hint of worry.


    ¡°There is nothing to worry about,¡± Alnea said, giving Yuri a reassuring smile. ¡°Do you still remember what I told you about how I laid my Roots?¡±


    ¡°Of course,¡± Yuri said, with his master nodding from the side. Only Cecilia remained confused, feeling a little left out. To rid her of her confusion, Alnea gave her a brief overview of what he had told his master, and Yuri. In a much less dramatised fashion, of course, hiding some of the more crucial details from her. Not because he did not trust her. But because his master had explicitly told him not to mention about his dreams, and the memories of the other Alnea, to anyone else.


    The more people that knew a secret, the easier it would be for the secret to be divulged. Even if the people he had told would not reveal it to others, there were still other ways to find the secrets. Like the Mysteries of Fate, or the Mysteries of Time. Even the Mysteries of Good Fortune would work at times. Thus, it was necessary for him to not only not share his secrets with other people, but also to never say them aloud. Or who knew which Wanderer might overhear his words. It was always best to be cautious.


    ¡°¡­just as I was about to get ejected from the Origin Sea, and be forcefully returned to our world, I took another Oath to always play with the Aspects whenever they wanted to play with me. They had helped me lay my Roots after all. And had also played with me¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­I did not know whether the Aspects would still remember the promise¡­ the Oath that I had made with them. Whether they would still want to play with me, or not. But as I entered the Origin Sea, I noticed that the Aspects, which were darting all around in a random manner, doing whatever it is that they do, all stopped after sensing my presence, and surrounded me, greeting me.


    ¡°From their enthusiasm, and the way they were treating me, I knew that they still remembered the Oath that we had made. I asked them if they still wished to play with me. And all of them answered that they did. So, we played, just like how we had played over a year ago. And before I knew it, my Spirit Power had already depleted to around twenty to thirty units. I knew that it was time for me to go back. And though I did not get to do much in the Wandering, I was glad that I got to play with the Aspects. That was enough for me.


    ¡°Bidding farewell to the Aspects, and promising to play with them later, I turned around to leave. But the Aspects stopped me, saying things like how my world is dangerous, and how they will come with me, before they all started swirling around me, forming a whirlpool of sorts, asking me to choose one of them. Even I did not understand what was happening. I just knew that I had to choose my Aspect. My first Aspect. That I was going to become a Wanderer.


    ¡°However, even before I could rejoice at that fact, the Aspects started communicating with me one by one. Tens, or probably hundreds of Aspects all formed a connection with me, telling me about themselves, while they too learned more about me. And¡­ I don¡¯t know if this is just my imagination, or something that was real, but I felt that I could have formed a connection with any one of them. That I could have tamed any of those Aspects had I wanted to.¡±


    ¡°¡­I hope your curiosity did not get the better of you,¡± his master said, looking at him with a solemn gaze. ¡°Choosing Aspects¡­ it is a very important decision for Wanderers. If the Aspects that you choose clash with each other, then it can cause an imbalance in your Aspect Ocean, and Spirit World. Once that happens¡­¡±


    ¡°I know, master,¡± Alnea said. ¡°I saw all those Heterodox Wanderers turn into Enthralled Wanderers right in front of my eyes. How can I make such a simple mistake then? Though I felt that I could have chosen any of those Aspects, I did not. The Aspects became a little sad after I did not choose them, but they understood me, and knew the importance of my choice. After a brief communication, they all made way for the other Aspects.


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    ¡°Just like that, I kept searching for the perfect Aspect, going through over a hundred or so of them. Only when I found an Aspect that matched perfectly with my Heart, and my intentions, did I stop. The Aspect¡­ It is the perfect Aspect, master. At least for the current me. Not only does it fit my Heart, but it also matches with my Roots. And it is not a very aggressive Aspect either. The moment I found the Aspects, I did not hesitate in taking it as my first Aspect. Unfortunately, by the time I returned to my Domain, my Spirit Power had fallen below ten units, and was not enough to dig an Aspect Well, so the Aspect is still resting with my Spirit right now.¡±


    ¡°There is nothing to worry there,¡± his master said. ¡°Cases like Yuri are very rare. Most of the Warriors first rest their Spirits before digging the Aspect Wells for their Aspects. But your experience¡­ it truly does sound a little unbelievable.¡±


    ¡°A little?¡± Cecilia added from the side. ¡°More like completely unbelievable. Playing with Aspects¡­ The Aspect taking initiative to come back with you¡­ and a compatibility with so many Aspects¡­ If I did not know you, then I would have definitely thought that you were lying.¡±


    ¡°That is indeed the case,¡± Yuri said, nodding along with Cecilia, before looking at him with a smirk. ¡°But I guess that parts of it are a little believable. Ignoring your Wandering, and playing with the Aspects¡­ only someone as naive as you can do that.¡±


    ¡°I am not naive,¡± Alnea said. ¡°I was just keeping my Oath¡­ and the Aspects were also friendly. Not to mention that they helped me out when I needed them. Besides, playing with them is fun. Why can I not play with them?¡±


    ¡°That is the problem,¡± his master said, as a frown forced its way to her face. ¡°Why are the Aspects so friendly to you? Helping you when you were laying your Roots¡­ that could be ascribed to their duties. But then playing with you, and even going so far as to initiate communication with you on their own¡­ Aspects do not behave like this normally. Now that I think about it, even back when they helped you lay your Roots, the price that you had to pay for it¡­¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right,¡± Alnea said. ¡°I never got to know what the price they were talking about was. I had planned on asking them when I met them next, but I completely forgot about it while playing with them. Maybe I will ask them tomorrow¡ª


    ¡°There is no need,¡± his master said, shaking her head, losing the frown for a solemn look. ¡°The price¡­ Maybe, even your affinity with the Martial Style is also because of the Aspects. They did create that¡­ Anyways, your Roots have already been laid, so you do not need to worry about the price. Just focus on Wandering the Origin Sea.¡±


    ¡°But the Aspects¡ª


    ¡°I think I have a clue about their behaviour¡­ I will need to think more about it, and do some research of my own. At the same time, you will also need to learn Martial Styles of all the types that you have yet to learn. But like I said, you do not need to worry about anything. Just keep doing what you have been doing, and leave everything else to me. Besides that, try to keep your relationship with the Aspects as it is. Maybe, you can even try to get more friendly with them. But do not disappoint them. Or anger them. Do you understand?¡±


    ¡°Yes, master!¡±


    ¡°¡­Alright, other than that, did you encounter anything else within the Origin Sea?¡±


    ¡°Anything else¡­ Now that you mention it, I did encounter something strange, master. The moment that I entered the Origin Sea, I felt something from within the depths of the Origin Sea calling out to me. As if it was a part of me, desperately wanting to come back to me¡­ To become a part of me once again.¡±


    ¡°Is that so,¡± his master said, falling into her thoughts, with a golden light flashing in her eyes. That light¡­ Was she angry? But at whom? At what?


    ¡°You do not have to worry about that feeling¡­ It could be a way for the Origin Sea to tempt you. Just ignore it for the moment, and try to stay away from it. Do tell me if that feeling becomes stronger though.¡±


    ¡°Alright, master¡­¡±


    ¡°Good. Now, since your Spirit Power has reached the False Rank, there are a few things that we need to talk about. Like I had told you earlier, you will be training with me in the near future. At least until you get used to the new Sprit Forging Art, and learn some Martial Styles.¡±


    ¡°Then what about us, big sis Nyssa?¡± Yuri asked. ¡°Will we be staying with you too?¡±


    ¡°What are you two going to do by staying with me? Do not think that I have forgotten the show that you put on earlier. Since you think that you have grown too strong for the canyon that you were in, I will send you to different canyon, where even the weakest Oren Beasts would be at the advanced phase of their Adolescent Stage. Dealing with them, and some peak phase Adolescent Stage Oren Beasts¡­ you should not be ¡®bored¡¯ anymore, right?¡±


    Not being ¡®bored¡¯ would be an understatement. Fighting Oren Beasts in the peak phase of their Adolescent Stage would be far too tough, even for Yuri. Before she could grumble about her new training arrangements though, his master stopped paying attention to her, and turned towards Cecilia.


    ¡°Do you also want to stay back, and train with Alnea?¡±


    ¡°¡­I am happy with my current training.¡±


    ¡°Of course, you would be happy,¡± his master said. ¡°Using Oren Beasts as pillows while trying to comprehend, and make analogies of the Mysteries¡­ You are too brazen. Even if you can easily conquer Oren Beasts, you must never let down your guard against the Night Canyons. That is what both your sister, and I have told you. But it looks like you have forgotten all your lessons. Just like Yuri, you also need some pressure. Do you have any problems if I shift you to deeper canyon?¡±


    Unable to refute his master, Cecilia could only hide her flushed face by looking downwards, and mumble, ¡°I understand, Lady Nyssa.¡±


    Unlike Cecilia though, Yuri was not afraid of his master, and dared to speak up against her tyranny.


    ¡°Why are you so angry, big sis Nyssa?¡± Yuri said, pouting at his master. ¡°Is it because what Alnea said about the Aspects?¡±


    Alnea stared at Yuri with wide eyes, before hastily turning his head away from her. He had been planning on helping her, and Cecilia out by speaking for them to his master. But that would not work, not anymore. As such, he could only stare into the darkness of the canyon, pretending to be oblivious to the storm that Yuri had caused.


    ¡°¡­Maybe I am indeed a little angry,¡± his master said. ¡°But are any of the things that I said wrong?¡±


    ¡°No¡­¡±


    ¡°Officially, only Alnea is my disciple, but I treat you two just as I treat him. Like my disciples. Do not let your emotions take hold of your actions.¡±


    ¡°I am sorry, big sis Nyssa¡­ I did not mean it like that. I was just saying that because you seemed a little angry¡­¡±


    ¡°I may have been a little angry, but I never let my emotions cloud my judgements. Especially since my decisions will concern your life, and future as Wanderers. You two have advanced very quickly, and that is not entirely a bad thing. But lowering your guard against a Forbidden Area, just because you have not faced any dangers in a while, can have dire consequences. Especially with the recent developments in Rianra, things can turn dangerous at any moment, without any prior notice. And I may not always be there to help you out in such situations.¡±


    ¡°What are you talking about, master?¡± Alnea said, interrupting from the side. ¡°You are omnipotent. There is nothing that you cannot do. And there is no situation that you cannot save them from.¡±


    ¡°¡­I was keeping the news from you in fear that it may put you under undue pressure, but it looks like I was just overthinking.¡±


    ¡°What news?¡±


    ¡°So be it. Since all three of you think that the pressure you are facing is not enough¡ª


    ¡°I never said that!¡±


    ¡°It is time for you to learn of the dangers creeping up on you.¡±

 Chapter 8: Confidence in Unity [Part 1]

    ¡°¡­What dangers are you talking about, master?¡±


    ¡°¡­The rats have started taking the bait.¡±


    ¡°The rats¡­¡± Alnea paled, as he heard his master mention that word. Even Cecilia, and Yuri had turned stiff at the mention of that term. Especially Cecilia. ¡°How did they come so soon?¡±


    ¡°They have not come yet, but it is only a matter of time,¡± his master said. ¡°Especially with the ruckus that Serena made before leaving for the Grand Chasm. I had repeatedly told her not to make too much noise, but she still ended up scouring the entirety of Rianra, hunting nearly five hundred Heterodox Wanderers in the process.¡±


    Pausing for a bit, his master shook her head, before continuing.


    ¡°I cannot fault her entirely though. Her pride had been hurt deeply after the attack on Anneve. Besides, the Lotus clan might think that you have been taken away by Heterodox Wanderers, but Heterodoxies know the truth. They were bound to come sooner, or later.¡±


    ¡°¡­I am causing you trouble once again, master,¡± Alnea said, biting his lips, while clenching his fist. Just as Cecilia clenched hers. Even Yuri could not sit still, and sent comforting messages to him, promising him that everything would be alright. That they would handle everything. But it was exactly that thought, which was causing him distress. ¡°I¡­¡±


    ¡°Silly disciple,¡± his master said, flicking his forehead to break him out of his daze, and bring his attention to herself. To her amused, but an accusatory face. ¡°Clearing up after the troubles of her disciple is the joy of a master. Do you want to take that joy away from me?¡±


    ¡°No¡­¡± Alnea said, rubbing his forehead, with his blood rushing to his face. ¡°But¡ª


    ¡°There is no but.¡±


    ¡°¡­Yes, master.¡±


    Seeing the gloomy, and guilty look on his face, his master chuckled, and ruffled through his hair.


    ¡°You are too stubborn¡­ This is not good for you, you know? You should let the people around you help you at times.¡±


    ¡°¡­Not if they will get into trouble for helping me.¡±


    ¡°I think I can understand a little of what he used to feel¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­Who, master?¡±


    Instead of answering his question, his master looked at him with a solemn gaze, and said, ¡°Now, do you feel the pressure?¡±


    ¡°¡­Yes, master.¡±


    ¡°What about you two? Do you think that you can still pass your days as leisurely as before?¡±


    ¡°¡­I know my faults, big sis Nyssa.¡±


    ¡°¡­My apologies, Lady Nyssa.¡±


    Both the girls, a little abashed, had solemn look on their face, and determination in their eyes. They looked at each other, and in a tacit understanding, gave each other a nod, before turning towards his master, and speaking in unison.


    ¡°We want to go deeper into the Night Canyons.¡±


    ¡°¡­Forget it,¡± his master said, shaking her head. ¡°You two are not in the right condition to explore the depths of the canyons.¡±


    ¡°But you just said¡ª


    ¡°What I said was that you two need to increase your vigilance. Not to rush to your deaths.¡±


    ¡°¡­We are not rushing to our deaths.¡±


    ¡°Do you think you can hide your thoughts from me?¡±


    ¡°We¡ª


    ¡°Heterodox Wanderers may be terrible, but Forbidden Areas can be just as terrible. Especially those like the Night Canyons, where the danger comes not just from the Oren Beasts, but also from the canyons themselves.¡±


    ¡°¡­What should we then?¡±


    His master paused, and thought for the moment, before donning a solemn look, glancing her eyes over all three of them at the same time.


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    ¡°Do you want to fight the Heterodox Wanderers?¡±


    Cecilia looked a bit hesitant at the question, but when she saw the determination in Yuri¡¯s eyes, she steeled herself, and nodded along with her. Alnea, however, looked at his master with shame.


    ¡°I¡­ I know my limits, master. I have just begun my Wanderings. Even the weakest of those Heterodox Wanderers that came after me were at least at the True Rank. I¡­ If I fight against them, then I will only end up giving you more troubles¡­¡±


    ¡°Like I said, the more troubles you create for me, the happier I would be,¡± his master said, still smiling at him. ¡°On the topic of not being able to fight the Heterodox Wanderers though, you do not have to worry. The case with Anneve¡­ it was too extreme. Not all the Heterodox Wanderers are at the True Rank. The true Heterodox Wanderers, those who are really part of the Heterodoxies, and not just their pawns, train like us Orthodox Wanderers. And as such, there are plenty of False Wanderers amongst their Ranks. You can fight such Wanderers, right?¡±


    ¡°But¡­ why would the Heterodoxies send such weak Wanderers after me, master? Especially when they already know that even the True Wanderer that they had sent was not enough to bring me back. They must already know someone is protecting me, so if they wish to send someone after me, then they would send someone even stronger¡­ maybe even a Mystic Wanderer¡­¡±


    ¡°Good critical thinking,¡± his master said, nodding at his words. ¡°And yes, the Heterodoxies will indeed send some Mystic Wanderers¡­ Maybe one, maybe more. After all, we do not know for sure how many Heterodoxies are after you. But you do not have to worry about them. You just have to tell me, are you willing to fight the False Ranked Heterodox Wanderers?¡±


    ¡°¡­I am,¡± Alnea said, gritting his teeth with determination. ¡°As long as I have to fight only False Wanderers¡­ I will have a chance to beat them.¡±


    ¡°Even if you would have to fight against Peak Stage False Wanderers?¡±


    ¡°¡­Peak Stage?¡± Alnea said, staring at his master in a daze. ¡°But¡­ I¡­¡±


    While was struggling within himself, trying to find his words, find his courage, Cecilia, who had been silent up till then, patted his shoulders, to bring his attention to her, and said, ¡°What are you afraid of? It is just some Peak Stage False Wanderer. You charged into a group of hundred True Wanderers to save me. Yet you are afraid of a few measly Peak Stage Wanderers?¡±


    ¡°¡­That was different. I was not fighting them. I was just saving you. I¡ª


    ¡°Why do you whine like a girl at times?¡±


    ¡°I am not whining!¡±


    While Alnea was struggling to get his thoughts across to Cecilia, Yuri came to his rescue, and said, ¡°He is right. This is indeed not the same. Back then, he went charging in alone. This time, we will do it together.¡±


    Or maybe not.


    ¡°This is Peak Stage False Wanderers we are talking about!¡±


    ¡°So?¡± Yuri said. ¡°That will only make things more interesting, don¡¯t you think so?¡±


    ¡°Right,¡± Cecilia added with a laugh. ¡°And I have to get back at those rats for trying to hold me hostage¡­ I will show them what happens when they mess with a Serpian.¡±


    ¡°¡­You two are mad!¡±


    ¡°After all the reckless things you have done, you have lost the privilege to say that,¡± Yuri said through the rings. And through her mouth, she said, ¡°Don¡¯t you want to join the fun?¡±


    ¡°Or will you let you true friends fight the Heterodox Wanderers alone?¡±


    ¡°Faein¡¯s mercy! You two¡­ Damn it! Fine.¡±


    ¡°There you go. That is the old reckless Alnea we know,¡± Yuri said, giggling at her own words, and was joined in by Cecilia in her giggles. But Alnea did not find anything funny in what he had said.


    ¡°What is reckless about this? We just have to face some Heterodox Wanderers. It is not like I have never faced them.¡±


    ¡°Not face them,¡± his master said, looking at him with a solemn gaze. ¡°You will have to kill them.¡±


    Not understanding what his master was trying to say, Cecilia looked at his master innocently, and asked, ¡°What is the difference between those things?¡±


    Yuri, however, turned towards him, looking into his dark brown eyes. She did not show worry. She did not show support. She looked only for answers. This was not something she could help him with. Neither was she intending to help. Even his master had left everything up to him. Killing people¡­


    ¡°They are not people¡­ they are parasites,¡± Alnea said. ¡°Ridding the world of such parasites is what I should do as a Wanderer.¡±


    Hearing his declaration, the solemn gaze retreated from his master¡¯s face, as an amused look took its place. Before she could say anything though, Yuri turned towards his master, and said, ¡°Will these Heterodox Wanderers will be our next training target, big sis Nyssa?¡±


    ¡°You are not wrong,¡± his master said. ¡°But you are not entirely correct either. You may have convinced him otherwise, but Alnea was right on one thing. He has just begun his Wanderings, and Cecilia has only had a month explore the depths of the Origin Sea. Except for her greater reserves of Spirit Power, there is practically no difference between them. You can even say that both of them are at their weakest point right now.


    ¡°And while you have stayed at the False Rank for a longer period of time, even you have just recently reached the Intermediate Stage, so your abilities are not too far apart from them. Let alone Peak Stage False Wanderers, you will have trouble facing even some Intermediate Stage False Wanderers. As it stands right now, none of you three are ready to face the Heterodox Wanderers.¡±


    ¡°¡­But you said that the Heterodox Wanderers are coming.¡±


    ¡°They are indeed coming, but Serena, and I have made some arrangements to distract them for a while. As such, you will not have to worry about them for a few months at the very least. But that does not mean that you can take it easy. Like I said, I want you three to deal with all the False Wanderers by yourselves. Do you think that you can do it?¡±


    None of them answered immediately. Instead, they paused, and looked at each other. In each other¡¯s eyes. And in those eyes, they only saw confidence. In each other, and in themselves. Things may become a little difficult. And dangerous. Even if they had a year before the Heterodox Wanderers came, the highest point that he would be able to reach would be the Intermediate Stage. Same with Cecilia. Only Yuri had chances of reaching the Advanced Stage. But if they had each other, then what did they have to fear?


    Grinning in confidence, all three of them turned towards his master in unison, and said, ¡°We can!¡±

 Chapter 8: Confidence in Unity [Part 2]

    Looking at their grinning faces, brimming with confidence, his master nodded in satisfaction, and said, ¡°Whether you can do it or not, does not matter. But you should not give up before trying. That is the attitude you should have as Wanderers.¡±


    Pausing briefly to glance at him, his master added, ¡°Of course, that does not mean that you can ignore your limits, or be reckless. Being confident with strength, and having the ability to back up your confidence is different from being hopelessly reckless. One can help you achieve great success, while the other will simply lead you to your death.¡±


    ¡°¡­I will not be reckless,¡± Alnea mumbled, as blood rushed to his face. ¡°Besides, this time they were the ones being reckless, master. They dragged me into it.¡±


    ¡°¡­I never took your name.¡±


    ¡°¡­Please continue, master.¡±


    ¡°Cheeky disciple,¡± his master said, briefly pinching his nose, while smiling at his embarrassed face. ¡°Coming back to what I was saying earlier, the Heterodox Wanderers would not be coming for a while. And when they do come, I will make it so that they will be forced to send only False Wanderers after you. But that will mean that you will have to face some Peak Stage False Wanderers, which you three are clearly not capable of doing so at the moment. Especially Alnea.


    ¡°Having just reached the False Rank, there are still many things he needs to learn. From his new Spirit Forging Art to an entirely new set of Martial Styles. And once he comprehends a Mystery, he also needs to practice creating Arcanas. Due to certain reasons, he is not able to use Arcanas created by others. And facing Heterodox Wanderers, without any Arcanas, would be too great of a handicap.¡±


    ¡°¡­Why can he not use Arcanas created by others, Lady Nyssa?¡±


    ¡°¡­I can only say that it is a secret involving his Roots,¡± his master said, glancing her eyes over Cecilia. ¡°As for whether you can figure it out or not depends on you.¡±


    ¡°Secret regarding his Roots¡­¡± Cecilia mumbled before staring at Alnea with wide eyes. ¡°You¡­ No wonder you insist on Forging your Spirit like a freak. How can you be so stupid?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s exactly the reaction that big sis Nyssa had when she first learned of it,¡± Yuri said, giggling from the side.


    ¡°¡­I call it being ambitious.¡±


    ¡°Being ambitious my foot! You¡­¡±


    ¡°Enough, Cecilia,¡± his master said. ¡°Let us not dwell on the past, and focus on what is ahead of us. As I was saying, there are many things that Alnea needs to learn. So, for a period of time, he will have to stay with me. This period will not be long though. At most a month. At the end of his special training, he will still remain an Initial Stage False Wanderer, and no match for the Heterodox Wanderers. And the same goes for you two. Individually, none of you will be a match for the Heterodox Wanderers.


    ¡°However, if you act as a team, then you may have a chance of facing the Heterodox Wanderers head on. And when I say team, I do not mean just randomly throwing your attacks at your enemies in unison. You need to learn to cooperate with each other. Understand each other¡¯s strengths, and weaknesses. Develop your own tacit understanding. And from that understanding, develop your own combination of fighting styles, determining your roles in the fights according to your situations.¡±


    ¡°¡­Why does it sound like you want us to develop as a standard Union Expedition team, big sis Nyssa?¡± Yuri asked, a bit hesitant, but with expectation, and excitement in her voice. An excitement, which was mirrored by Cecilia, who looked toward Yuri, and then at his master, with bright, and shining eyes. His master, on the other hand, just shook her head with a smile.


    ¡°Because that is indeed what I want you three to do,¡± his master said. ¡°To develop as a Union Expedition Team.¡±


    ¡°A Union Expedition Team?¡± Alnea mumbled, looking around in confusion. ¡°What is a Union Expedition Team, master?¡±


    His master did not answer him immediately. It looked like she had guessed what he was thinking, for after looking at him for a few moments in silence, she let out a sigh, before looking at him with an apologetic look.


    ¡°In your Wanderings, and other trainings, I had almost forgotten that I still have so many things to teach you¡­ But I guess it is about time to tell you about things like this. Do you remember what I had taught you about the Thralls?¡±


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    ¡°¡­I do, master,¡± Alnea said. ¡°We did not cover them in much detail, but I remember everything that you had taught me.¡±


    ¡°Then do you remember how the Orthodoxies, and the Union handle the Thralls?¡±


    ¡°By handle, you mean¡­?¡±


    ¡°Fight.¡±


    ¡°¡­We did not cover that part in detail, master. I just know that the nine Origin clans, which still have their Domains, have to take care of a Thrall Domain each, while the Union has to take care of one Thrall Domains, and four Origin Battlefields. Besides that, I recall Cecilia telling me once that the frontlines are basically divided according to the Ranks. That¡¯s all I know about how the Orthodoxies, and the Union handle the Thralls, master.¡±


    ¡°It is alright, Alnea,¡± his master said, giving him a reassuring smile. ¡°It is not your fault that you do not know more about it. It is just that your time has been so tight recently that you have not had much to learn. It cannot be helped though. Your Oaths¡­ We will get back to filling up your missing foundations once we are done with the Rising Wanderer Trials. In any case, what you know is enough to understand what a Union Expedition Team is. So, you do not have to compare yourself to the girls, or get disheartened by the lack of your knowledge.¡±


    ¡°¡­Yes, master,¡± Alnea said, feeling the tender touch of his master in his Heart. She was not touching him physically, but she was always with him, touching every part of his life. She was¡­


    ¡°So, as you have already said, the nine Origin clans, and the Union, each have their own respective battlefields on which they fight. We will talk about the Origin Battlefields later. First, let us talk about the Thrall Domains. As you already know, each of those Thrall Domains differ from each other in every possible manner. From their geography, to climate, and even the Mysteries the Thralls have corrupted those Domains with. As such, the way that the Orthodoxies, and the Union have to deal with the Thralls in those Domains is all dependent on the Domains themselves, and the Thralls which they have to fight.


    ¡°Still, in general, the way in which we handle the Thralls in those Domains can be divided into two categories. First would be large armies. Since the Thralls launch a large scale invasion almost every month, we have no choice but to station a large scale army at the edge of the Thrall Domains, so that we can keep the Thralls from invading further into our world. Of course, these armies are generally stationed right outside of the Thrall Domains, so we do not suffer from any field disadvantages during the battles.


    ¡°Then there are the small scale expeditionary forces, which invade the Thrall Domains, and cause as much damage to the Thralls as possible. Other than that, these expeditionary forces are also responsible for excavating, and salvaging precious resources from the Thrall Domains. Like the wood which was used to make the door of Yuri¡¯s room. Or the Purgon metals which are used as a base for many types of Fire Glyphs, including cooking stations.


    ¡°Of course, since the Thrall Domains themselves are different from each other, the make, and the composition of these expeditionary forces are also quite different. The Origin Battlefields, however, except for a few things, are all almost similar in nature. As such, the expeditionary forces that are designed to venture into the Origin Battlefields are also pretty similar in their structure. And since the Origin Battlefields are almost entirely handled by the Union, the most basic structure of the expeditionary forces going into the Origin Battlefields are called as¡ª


    ¡°Union Expedition Teams,¡± Alnea said, nodding along with his master¡¯s smiling face, with a strange sense of excitement bubbling up inside of him. ¡°Then does that mean you want us to go to the Origin Battlefields, master?¡±


    ¡°Why are you thinking of something so far?¡± his master said, flicking his forehead to calm him down, before looking towards Yuri, and Cecilia. ¡°You two should also calm down. Nothing is final. Take this training, and your fight against the Heterodox Wanderers as a test. Only if your do well against them will I take you three to the Origin Battlefield. Do you understand me?¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡± all three said in unison, before looking at each other in excitement, as if they had already begun with their teamwork, and coordination, causing his master to chuckle at them.


    ¡°Now, coming back to what I was saying earlier, Alnea is going to stay with me for a while. You two, on the other hand, have no such restrictions. Earlier, I had planned on letting you understand the dangers of the Night Canyons¡­¡±


    ¡°There is no need to change your plan, Lady Nyssa.¡±


    ¡°¡­But with how excited you two are, I am afraid that you will only end up creating more troubles for me.¡±


    ¡°¡­We will remain careful.¡±


    ¡°¡­Are you sure? You can take this time to let yourselves relax. After all, you will probably not get any breaks for months once you begin your training as a team.¡±


    ¡°We are,¡± Yuri said. ¡°Since you are treating us like your disciple, then we should treat you like our master, right?¡±


    ¡°And you are right, Lady Nyssa,¡± Cecilia added. ¡°We have indeed become a little lax¡­ A sense of danger is necessary. Especially since we wish to stand at the top of the world of Wanderers.¡±


    ¡°Good,¡± his master said, nodding with satisfaction. ¡°Do you want to go separately, or do you wish to be together?¡±


    The girls glanced at each other, before nodding in unison.


    ¡°Since we wish to develop a sense of danger, then it is necessary to explore the canyons by ourselves. As for teamwork, we can do it after Alnea joins us.¡±


    ¡°As you wish.¡±

 Chapter 9: Sword [Part 1]

    Dropping off Yuri, and Cecilia into deeper regions of the Night Canyons, his master took Alnea to another canyon, one that was more suitable for his next phase of training. In size, it was little larger than the canyon they had picked up Cecilia from, and quite possibly, was also a little more dangerous. However, the danger of the canyon had no relations with him whatsoever. At least not at the moment.


    For a while, he just had to focus on what his master was going to teach. And by the time he would be done with his special training, the canyon would pose no danger to him. Still, in a sense, with the oppressive air trying to stifle, and suffocate him, the canyon was perfect for his current training. At the very least, it could help him adapt to the deeper regions of the Night Canyons.


    Unfortunately, the canyon was just as dark as the other canyons he had been in, not giving him much chance to figure out the details of the canyon. Like the number, or the kind of Oren Beasts around him. His master¡¯s presence had driven them all into hiding. While the darkness of the canyon had kept its terrain hidden from him. To know more of the canyon, he would have to take a tour of it himself. But later. Not at the moment.


    At the moment, he was sitting on a bed of Blood Sucking Grass, enjoying the feeling of being prickled by hundreds of grasses underneath him. Unlike their ferocious name, the Blood Sucking Grass were not a ferocious species of grass. Rather, they could be barely counted in the category of precious herbs. A little larger than normal grasses, these blood sucking grasses were shaped like the mouth of Oren Beasts, with edges sharp enough to prick the skin of normal humans.


    That, along with their ability to rid the dishes of the tangy, and foul smell of blood was what earned their name, Blood Sucking Grass. The sharp edges of these grasses though, failed to break past the barriers of his black robe. But that was to be expected. After all, his robe was sewn personally by his master. As such, all that the grasses did, was massage his sore bums.


    ¡°This is such a good place, master,¡± Alnea said. ¡°You should have brought me here earlier.¡±


    ¡°You like the massage of the grasses so much?¡±


    ¡°Of course,¡± Alnea said, before coughing to correct himself. ¡°The sense of danger. I meant the sense of danger pervading this place¡­ This can really help me stimulate my potential.¡±


    ¡°So, you like the sense of danger?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right!¡± Alnea said, in a righteous, and confident tone. ¡°Only those Wanderers who constantly walk along the edge of danger can reach the top of the world. And I want to create a new top, a new peak of the world of Wanderers. Just walking along the edge of the danger is not enough for me. Only if I create my own path through danger, would the sense of danger have any meaning for me.¡±


    ¡°Well said,¡± his master said, looking at him with an amused smile. ¡°But can you implement your words into your actions?¡±


    ¡°¡­I don¡¯t understand what you are talking about, master.¡±


    ¡°Let us see¡­ Imagine that you have completed your daily training, and are going to meditate. But as the night wears on, you slowly drift into your sleep¡ª


    ¡°That¡­ I cannot help it, master,¡± Alnea said, with a rather bashful face. ¡°I am trying to replace my sleep with meditation, but it takes time¡­¡±


    ¡°No worries,¡± his master said. ¡°Just answer my question. What would happen if you were to drift off into your sleep while trying to meditate?¡±


    ¡°¡­I would probably tumble down to the ground?¡±


    ¡°And what would happen if you would be meditating on this bed of grass?¡±


    ¡°I would fall asleep on the bed of grass¡­¡±


    ¡°And what would happen then?¡±


    ¡°I would sleep?¡± Alnea said, looking at his master in confusion. ¡°After all, the robe is protecting my body¡­¡±


    ¡°Right, I forgot to mention it to you. I have deactivated some of the Glyphs on your robe. From now on, it will not protect your face, your hands, or your back. At least not when you would be meditating. I would still activate them for you when you would be fighting. But when you are on the grass, then¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­You brought me here to help me replace my sleep with meditation?¡± Alnea said, looking at the accursed bed of grass with a place face. ¡°¡­I would probably bleed to death, master.¡±


    ¡°Do not worry,¡± his master said. ¡°Your master is a capable Healer. I will not let anything happen to you.¡±


    ¡°Fate, Day, and the Space series of the lineage of Time¡­ Along with the lineages of Creation, Destruction, and even Life¡­ Just how many lineages are you proficient in, master?¡±


    ¡°¡­Do you want to know my secret?¡±


    ¡°¡­No,¡± Alnea said, shaking his head. ¡°I was just a little curious. That¡¯s it. If it is a secret¡­ then leave it at that, master. It would better for you to not tell me. Some of your enemies are Supreme Wanderers, after all. What if they use some divination to pry into your secret?¡±


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    ¡°Silly child,¡± his master said, ruffling through his hair. ¡°My enemies¡­ They have not been able to do anything to me for over a hundred years. How can they do anything to me now? Do not worry about me. As for my secret¡­ I will tell you everything¡­ my past, my enemies¡­ and all my other secrets. But at the right time. Right now, knowing those secrets will only harm you. So, if you wish to know my secrets, then grow strong enough to protect me. Only then will you qualified to know those secrets.¡±


    ¡°I will,¡± Alnea said, brimming with confidence. ¡°Soon, I will grow strong enough to protect all of you.¡±


    ¡°Good boy, I will be waiting for you,¡± his master said, chuckling at his confidence. ¡°Now, shall we come back to what we were talking about?¡±


    ¡°¡­Yes, master,¡± Alnea said, with his face flushed completely red from his embarrassment. ¡°We were talking about replacing my sleep with meditation.¡±


    ¡°Do you know why we have to do that?¡±


    ¡°¡­Because we are more alert of our surrounding when we are meditating. And if done right, then meditation can be more relaxing than sleep.¡±


    ¡°You got parts of it right,¡± his master said. ¡°The most important reason though, is that you have become a Wanderer now. You do not just have to train your Spirit. You also have other things to do, like Wandering the Origin Sea, and practising your Martial Styles. Soon, once you comprehend the Mysteries of the Origin Sea, part of your time will be directed towards experimenting with those Mysteries, and creating Arcanas. Not to mention the time you will spend carving, and practising Glyphs.


    ¡°Gradually, as you advance on your path, the time you will be left with to spend in your meditation will keep decreasing. And before you know it, you would find that you have no time to meditate. But that will just be the beginning. Without any meditation, you will not be able to reflect on yourself, or temper your Heart. And without tempering your Heart, all your other training would be meaningless.


    ¡°In the end, if you do not replace your sleep with your mediation, then you will soon find yourself unable to balance your training, and will fumble in your ways. As a Wanderer, you need to learn how to manage your time, and balance your training in an all round way. Besides, would it not be embarrassing if you become a True Wanderer, yet still cannot replace your sleep with meditation? After all, there are people who can do that even when they had yet to become Seeds.¡±


    ¡°¡­That does sound embarrassing,¡± Alnea admitted. ¡°I will try my best.¡±


    ¡°Even if you do not wish to, with the grasses biting into your body every time you fall asleep, you would still be doing your best,¡± his master said, inciting an awkward laugh from him. ¡°Jokes aside, are you ready for the next phase of your training?¡±


    ¡°I am.¡±


    ¡°Whether it is the Spirit Forging Art, or the Martial Styles, you will have to face quite a bit of hardship while practising either of them.¡±


    ¡°I am not afraid.¡±


    ¡°¡­Soon, you will also have to make some choices about your path as a Scholar.¡±


    ¡°¡­I have been preparing for my choice ever since I first learned about Glyphs.¡±


    ¡°¡­And most importantly, you will have to learn how to create Arcanas.¡±


    ¡°¡­That is the thing that I am waiting for most eagerly, master.¡±


    ¡°Good,¡± his master said. ¡°You should remember your resolve, and never waver in your conviction. No matter how touch things get, you must always believe in yourself. Do you understand?¡±


    ¡°Yes, master!¡±


    ¡°¡­Your Spirit Power is still exhausted from your Wandering, so let us begin with Martial Styles. Do you have problems with that arrangement?¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°Then shall we begin with the Martial Style?¡±


    ¡°Yes, master.¡±


    ¡°What are the five types of Martial Styles?¡±


    ¡°Armour, Weapon, Summoning, Casting, and Auxiliary.¡±


    ¡°And the eight specialisations?¡±


    ¡°Strength, Speed, Defence, Agility, Stamina, Stealth, Sensory, and Auxiliary.¡±


    ¡°Of them, what type, and specialisation of Martial Styles do you know?¡±


    ¡°The eight specialisations of the Auxiliary type.¡±


    ¡°And what are the types that you are left to cover?¡±


    ¡°The Armour, Weapon, Summoning, and Casting types of Martial Styles.¡±


    ¡°At least you have not forgotten the basics,¡± his master said, nodding at him. ¡°Earlier, I was planning to begin teaching you Martial Styles in a random manner. But since you have already tamed a Martial Style, we might as well make use of it. Tell me the characteristics of your Aspect.¡±


    ¡°To guard, to protect,¡± Alnea said. ¡°That is the concept that the Aspect is based on. However, the concept is slightly different from the tradition sense of ¡®guarding¡¯, or ¡®protecting¡¯, and is a more aggressive form of it. In simple terms¡­ it is based on the principle that offence is the best defence. Or that to guard, it does not mean to allow others to attack, and then defend passively. In fact, guarding, and protecting something means annihilating anything that dares to touch the things I wish to protect...¡±


    ¡°¡­I can see why you chose this Aspect. It truly does suit you, and your Heart.¡±


    ¡°¡­That, and I also think that the Aspect is related to the Mysteries of Day, and Night, master.¡±


    ¡°That much is obvious,¡± his master said, nodding along with his words. After some thought, she added, ¡°What is the form of your Aspect?¡±


    ¡°¡­It is currently in the form of a shield, but it can easily change into the form of a sword, or a barrier, if needed.¡±


    ¡°A sword,¡± his master said, shaking her head with a wry smile. ¡°Is this another trick of fate?¡±


    ¡°What do you mean, master?¡±


    ¡°A sword¡­ Of all the weapons, I am most proficient in swords. And it just so happens that your first Aspect can take the form of a sword. Even if I do not wish to, I cannot help but think of it as trick of fate.¡±


    ¡°Fate... A trick, or a curse, master?¡±


    ¡°Do not think too much into it,¡± his master said, condensing her Spirit Power into hands to flick his forehead. ¡°Focus on what we have to do. A shield, a sword, and a barrier. Armour, Weapon, and Casting. Your Aspect suits these three types of Martial Style. Which one do you wish to practice first?¡±


    ¡°Swords,¡± Alnea said, without any hesitation. ¡°It does not matter whether it is a trick, or a curse. I will not allow anything to take you away from me.¡±

 Chapter 9: Sword [Part 2]

    Alnea¡¯s tacky answer was met with another flick on his forehead, and his master¡¯s chuckles. ¡°Become stronger than me first, before daring to say such words,¡± she said. After a brief pause, in which her chuckles turned into a smile, she added, ¡°Are you sure that you want to choose a sword?¡±


    ¡°Yes, master,¡± Alnea said. ¡°I want to choose a sword.¡±


    ¡°Hmmm,¡± his master pondered. ¡°You have chosen the most difficult one of the three types to start with. But that is fine. You had to learn swords at some point anyways, so why not now?¡±


    ¡°Master?¡±


    Ignoring his confused reply, his master stretched her right hand towards the air beside her. In the next moment, the air, or rather the space itself began to ripple, and shimmer, before her hand sunk into that rippling layer of space, vanishing from sight for a few moments. It was only when she took her hands back out of that shimmering layer of space, that her hand came back in view, along with the wooden sword that she had retrieved from her ¡¯Dimensional Pocket¡¯.


    ¡°Take this,¡± his master said, handing him the wooden sword, before plunging her hand into her ¡®Dimensional Pocket¡¯ once again to retrieve a scroll. Only after she had kept the scroll beside her, did she close her ¡®Dimensional Pocket¡¯, returning the space, and the air, back to normal. ¡°Do you know why I gave you a wooden sword?¡±


    ¡°¡­To practice Martial Styles?¡±


    ¡°You do not need to have a wooden sword to practice your Martial Styles. Just your Aspects would have been enough. Especially since wielding your Aspect would come much more naturally to you than wielding a wooden sword. Yet I still gave you a wooden sword. Why do you think I did that?¡±


    ¡°¡­To get me accustomed to handling swords?¡±


    ¡°You could have also used metal swords for that, one with sharp edges. Why exactly the wooden sword?¡±


    ¡°¡­So that I don¡¯t hurt myself?¡±


    ¡°That is right,¡± his master said, nodding in satisfaction. ¡°Before wielding a sword, you must learn how to handle it with care. A sword¡­ it is a double edged weapon. And I am not talking just about its physical edge. If you are not careful, you might end up hurting yourself, and those around you. So, before you have learned how to properly handle swords, and all its basic moves, you are to train with just this wooden sword. Only after I am satisfied with your performance, will I allow you to learn the Martial Styles of the weapon type, and use your Aspects in real life battles.¡±


    ¡°But that is going to take a long time¡­¡±


    ¡°It does not matter how long it takes. I cannot allow you to wield a sharp sword unless you show to me that you are capable of handling it, without hurting yourself in the process. Besides, did you forget the Aspect that you have just tamed?¡±


    ¡°¡­What does my Aspect have to do anything with learning the basic moves of sword?¡±


    ¡°Everything,¡± his master said. ¡°Although you will not be learning Martial Styles, do not forget that your affinity with the Aspects is even greater than your affinity with Martial Styles. And the Aspect that you have tamed can take the form of a sword. When the time comes, all you have to do is control your Aspect to cover your sword, and you will naturally know what to do, and how to move your sword.


    ¡°Besides, with the number, and quality of Auxiliary type of Martial Styles that you have mastered, your control over your body has reached an exquisite level. Just in terms of how well you can control your body, even Yuri would not be your match. With so many advantages, you should not have any problems learning the basic moves of swords in a short period of time.¡±


    Basic moves¡­ Alnea shifted his gaze down towards the sword in his hands. Carved from a red wood, the sword was not too long. Not counting the hilt, the blade of the sword was a little larger than half his height. Including the hilt, that would probably come around a metre or so. It did not feel too heavy either. Probably around ten kilograms or so. With his strength, which could rival, and probably surpass that of normal adult humans¡ªthose who had failed to become Wanderers¡ª it would not be too hard to swing the sword.


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    ¡°Are you thinking that the sword is too light?¡±


    ¡°Not too light,¡± Alnea said. ¡°But it should not be a problem for me to swing it around, right?¡±


    ¡°We will see how you feel about that after you have spent a few days training with the sword,¡± his master said, looking at his gesture of swinging the sword around with amusement. Picking up the scroll by her side, she handed it to him, and added, ¡°Within this scroll are the basic movements of swords, recorded in as much detail as possible. From the force, and angle with which to swing a sword, to the starting, and ending point of the swings.


    ¡°Furthermore, while swinging a sword, you do not only have to mind your hands, and the sword, but you also have to mind the state of your body, and how it moves along with your sword. These subtle movements will change from sword to sword, depending on the shape of their blades, to their size, their curvature, their sharpness, things like that. What I have given you is just the most basic, and standard form of swords. After you have mastered all the basic moves with this sword, we will move on to selecting the type of sword that suits you best.¡±


    ¡°But I already have an Aspect that can take the form of a sword, master,¡± Alnea said. ¡°If we are to find the type of sword that suits me best, then wouldn¡¯t the sword that my Aspect transform into be the best fit for me?¡±


    ¡°That is not how Aspects work,¡± his master said, shaking her head. ¡°Aspects, especially those with the concept of weapons, inherently tend to take on a form, as only in such a way would Wanderers be able to make the best use of them. Of course, the form that they can take will be limited to their concepts. For example, the Aspect you tamed. If you so wish it, it can long, short, broad, narrow, heavy, light, soft, stiff, curved, straight¡­


    ¡°As long as you wish it, your Aspect can take the form of any sword in existence. But remember to not change it too frequently, as it would create a discordance between you, and your Aspect. Rather than repeatedly changing one Aspect into all sorts of forms, it would be better if you gather a large number of sword oriented Aspects, and give each of them a different form. I would not really recommend it though. Making all the Aspects take the same form, and then making them supplement each other would be much more efficient, and effective. Still, the choice would be up to you.¡±


    ¡°¡­I understand, master.¡±


    ¡°Now, coming back to your training itself, since you are going to start training with a sword, and subsequently, Martial Styles, we will have to cut back on your meditations, and make some changes in your training schedule. In the morning, you will start with a round of Forging your Spirit until your Spirit is exhausted. After that, you will follow the instructions in the scroll, and learn the sword, until your Spirit is completely restored, which will then be followed by a short meditation to calm your Heart, before you go to the Origin Sea for your Wanderings.


    ¡°After you come back from the Origin Sea, you will have to practise your sword once again, until your Spirit is completely restored, after which, you will have to go through another round of Forging your Spirit. We will follow that up with brief review of Glyphs, and Arcanas, getting you ready for your choices, before you go through your final round of Forging your Spirit. At this point, your daily training would be basically over. You will then be required to come, and meditate on this bed of Blood Sucking Grasses, while waiting for the next day to resume your training.¡±


    ¡°¡­That is to say, except for meditating at the end of the day, and once, before Wandering the Origin Sea, I would not be meditating at all?¡±


    ¡°Why? Are you happy about finally not needing to meditate so much?¡±


    ¡°What? No. How could that be? I like meditating so much, I could practically keep on doing it all day long.¡±


    ¡°¡­We will see about that when you meditate at night,¡± his master said, pinching his cheeks, while laughing at his antics. ¡°Do you have any questions about the new training schedule?¡±


    ¡°No, master.¡±


    ¡°Good. Then go through the scroll, and start practising your sword.¡±


    ¡°¡­What about the Spirit Forging Art, master?¡±


    ¡°The Spirit Forging Art¡­ We will start with it tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°Why? Did you forget that you have to dig your Aspect Well? Look at the time¡­ Well, forget it. You cannot look at the time. In any case, night would be approaching us in a few hours. After you dig your Aspect Well, there would barely be any time left in the day. And until you can replace your sleep with your meditations, it is best if you follow natural biological time of your body.¡±


    ¡°It does not matter if it is night, master,¡± Alnea said. ¡°I can continue training even at night.¡±


    ¡°¡­You, who cannot even replace sleep with mediation, want to keep training at night?¡±


    ¡°I am serious, master,¡± Alnea said. ¡°I will fall asleep if I try to meditate anyways. It would be better if I just kept training.¡±


    ¡°Replacing sleep with meditation is not the same as completely abandoning sleep, or rest. You have yet to reach a level where you can disregard rest.¡±


    ¡°Practise makes a man perfect, master!¡±


    ¡°¡­Stop making trouble. Just go, and train with the sword.¡±


    ¡°¡­Yes, master.¡±

 Chapter 9: Sword [Part 3]

    Carrying the wooden sword in his hands, Alnea walked up to stand beside the stream, where the ground was a little wet, and unstable. It would help him in building a good base, his master had said. And would also help in further refining his control over his body. Things, which would help him when he would reach the True Rank. After all, True Wanderers and above generally fought in the air instead of ravaging the ground. Those were things to consider later though. At the moment, he had to just learn the basic moves of swords.


    The scroll that his master had given him had divided sword moves into three categories; offensive moves, defensive moves, and supportive moves. Though there was not much different in the form of those moves, there was a clear difference in the intent behind them. And for Aspects, it was intent that mattered the most. Besides, though the form of those moves were same, the way those moves were executed were different.


    Like how a horizontal slash, when used for attacking, had to made with the edges of his sword facing directly towards his enemies. The same horizontal slash though, when used for parrying, had to bent slightly, allowing it to redirect the blows of his enemies. In a similar fashion, a stab, aimed at piercing his enemies had to be sharp, quick, and focussed, yet a stab aimed at catching the attacks of his enemies had to be quick, but controlled.


    There were so many nuances to the sword that if turned into a book, even a thousand pages would not have been enough to contain all of the tiny little details. Thankfully, he was just a beginner in the ways of the sword. As such, he did not have to go into the finer details, and movements of the sword. For the moment, he just had to learn how to hold the sword, and how to swing it. That was the task that his master had given him.


    ¡°I, Alnea Oathkeeper, take an Oath that I will¡­¡±


    Swing the wooden sword vertically, a thousand times, both with, and against the pull of the earth below his feet. That had to be followed by stabs, and horizontal slashes, thousand times for both. However, each of his swings had to contain all of his force. Furthermore, he had to make sure that his hands, and feet were aligned perfectly, and that he had not broken the posture described in the scroll.


    For him, who had mastered the Oathkeeper Style, and thousands of other Martial Styles of the Auxiliary type, such requirements should have been easy to fulfil. Especially since the sword was so light. Or so he had thought. He had even thought that he would probably be done with the practise swings long before his Spirit Power would have recovered. It was not until he had reached his hundredth swing that he began feeling the soreness in his hands, and shoulders.


    Used to the pain though, he did not notice anything wrong, and continued swinging the sword. Once. Twice. Thrice. Down. Up. Down. Up. On, and on his swings kept going, until his two hundredth swing, when his arms, and shoulders began aching. By his three hundredth swing, the sword itself felt like it had grown double in weight, which only kept increasing the more he swung the sword.


    Yet he could not stop. Neither could he be lax. His Oath did not require him to just swing his sword. It demanded him to swing it in proper form. Not just his arms, even his legs, and waist had to be firm, and steady. And he had to use all his strength in his swings. No, not just his own strength. Making use of the fact that he was on the ground, he also had to borrow strength from the ground below him. If he could not even do that, then how was he supposed to use all his strength in air? How was he supposed to borrow the strength from the world around him?


    Thus, no matter how his arms cried, he kept swinging. Even when it felt like a fire was coursing through his veins, he kept swinging. Even when it felt like they were not even his own arms anymore, he kept swinging. And swinging. And swinging. Five hundred swings. Six hundred swings. Eight hundred swings. Nine Hundred Swings¡­


    At some point, grunts, and muffled sounds of pain began escaping through his lips. From swinging twice, or even thrice in a moment, he was reduced to swinging once in three moments¡­ once in ten moments¡­ once in twenty moments. But he kept swinging. And swinging. And swinging. Only when the last swing, the thousandth swing was completed, did he lower the tip of the sword, and dared to open his mouth to exhale all his pent up pain, and breath. However, that was not the end.


    ¡°What are you doing?¡± his master said, looking at him from the side. ¡°Do not stop. Or it will lower the effect of the training.¡±


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    ¡°¡­Yes, master,¡± Alnea grumbled, lifting the sword with his trembling hands. The sword¡­ When did it become so heavy? Was it really just ten kilograms? A thousand more swings, and stabs¡­ Maybe, he should have made a little lax Oath.


    ¡°Come on, do not dally.¡±


    ¡°¡­Yes, master.¡±


    And so, he began once again. Spreading his legs apart, bringing his left foot forward, using the forward moment to add even more power to his stab. Then, using the same amount of power, or at least the amount he could muster, he withdrew his sword, and his leg, making sure to not let his backward momentum disturb his balance. After coming back into his initial position, he took a breath, and got ready, before performing the same stab once again. And again. And again. And again. Over, and over. And so, along with his arms, soon, his legs too began feeling heavy.


    It felt as if fire was coursing through them. Or maybe a knife. In any case, if not for his experience of Forging his Spirit, he might not even have had the courage to move. Compared to the pain of having his Spirit sliced into tiny pieces, with fire burning through the entirety of his Spirit, the pain of his body was nothing. It did make his movements uncomfortable, but he could easily handle them. Maybe not easily, but he could handle them. He had made his Oath, after all. And he was Oathkeeper.


    Thus, bearing the pain in his hands, and his legs, Alnea kept moving, performing one piercing stab after another. They were not fast, but they were strong, and steady. Not a perfect replication of what was described in the scroll, but it was the best he could perform. Maybe his control over his body was not as perfect as he had thought it was. Or maybe, he just was not used to performing all those complicated moves with an unstable footing, and uncooperative hands, and legs.


    His hands, and legs¡­ they had simply stopped listening to him. Just the fact that they were completing the movements of the stab was a miracle in itself. Or maybe a stubborn show of determination¡­ Even if they broke down, they would not bend. Figuratively, of course. Literally, they were bending with his every movement. And every time they moved, they kept trying to bend his will, forcing it to accept defeat. To give up. To stop. His Oath¡­


    His master would save him. She was Nyssa Thornbearer. Her Thorns would surely save him. All he had to do was to just give up. To just drop the sword¡ª


    Alnea tightened the grip on his sword, and reinvigorated his movements, tapping into a yet unknown reserve of strength. Even if he failed in keeping his Oath, he would not give up. Till the very last moment, he would keep trying, and trying, and trying¡­


    At some point, Alnea did not know when, he had switched from stabs to slashes. Did he do that all on his own? Or did his master direct him into it? Did he even complete a thousand stabs? And... how many horizontal slashes had he done anyways? One? Ten? Hundred? He did not know¡­ And he did not care. Since he was going to fail anyways, he might as well just keep on making the slashes until the very end. Until all his strength would run dry. Until he would run dry¡­ No! He could not, would not, give up!


    A Clear Heart, and conscience, that was the path that Alnea had chosen. His path to becoming strong. But just a Clear Heart, and conscience were not enough. Not in this cruel world. Other than those things, he also needed a Heart that would never give up. An unyielding Heart. A Heart of the strong.


    If he had no strength, if he was running dry, then he just had to dig deeper within himself. If the sword felt too heavy¡­ Then he would just have to keep swinging it until was not heavy anymore. If his arms, and legs felt dead, then he would just have to drag them back from their death. He would not stop until he had completed his Oath. He refused to stop until he had finished his task. After all, he could not disappoint his master, could he?


    ¡°That is enough.¡±


    Alnea heard his master say something, but it was too vague, and distant. He could not figure out what she was saying. Was she asking him to increase his speed, and strength? If so¡­ then he would just that. He would¡ª


    ¡°It is alright, Alnea.¡±


    Alnea felt the gentle touch of his master¡¯s hand on his own, stopping the swinging of his sword. Following the hand, he inadvertently turned towards his master, and found her standing right beside him, looking at him with pride, guilt, and determination flashing in her eyes.


    ¡°It is enough,¡± his master said.


    ¡°But my Oath¡­¡±


    ¡°Is already completed.¡±


    ¡°¡­What? When?¡±


    ¡°Silly child,¡± his master said, using her other hand gently caress his cheeks. ¡°How can you be so careless as to not even notice your Spirit during training?¡±


    ¡°¡­Huh?¡±


    ¡°This is the first time you have completed your Oath after reaching the False Rank. Do you not wish to see how your Roots have changed?¡±


    ¡°I¡­¡± Alnea was about to say something, when he felt all the strength drain away from his body, and found himself tumbling towards the ground, only to be immediately caught by his master.


    ¡°It is alright. Go ahead, and check your Spirit World. We will talk about everything else after that.¡±


    ¡°¡­Yes, master,¡± Alnea said, and closed his eyes.

 Chapter 10: Digging Aspect Well [Part 1]

    There was no need for Alnea to close his eyes when entering his Spirit State. But his body had become too tired from practising the sword moves. Closing his eyes came as an instinct to him. Besides, though he did not need to close his eyes to observe his Spirit, closing them allowed him to observe the world only through the senses of his Spirit. And it was only through the senses of his Spirit that he could observe the Mysteries of his Roots manifesting around his Spirit.


    Consequently, concentrating solely on the senses of his Spirit gave him a better perception of those Mysteries. Or so things had been for him. As he felt the undulations of the Mysteries of the Origin Sea surrounding his Spirit though, he came to the conclusion that opening, or closing his eyes would not have changed much in the way of his perception of the Mysteries. Especially when he saw the state that his Spirit was in.


    For over a year, he had been taking, and completing Oaths one by one, going on an average of tens of Oaths a day. Though most of those Oaths were relatively harmless, some of them were very dangerous Oaths, that tested the limits of his capabilities. Yet all of those Oaths had one thing in common. All of them were taken, and completed without him getting even a single glimpse of how his Spirit was reacting to their Mysteries. He had felt the manifestation of those Mysteries, but had never seen it happening.


    Those were all things of the past though. After reaching the False Rank, he could finally see his Spirit. And what he saw left him completely flabbergasted. His bluish white Spirit, tainted with the golden shade of his Aspect, with a hint of darkness at its centre, was surrounded by glittering golden, and silvery blue lights, that were materialising in his Spirit World from nowhere, and were drifting towards his Spirit, slowly submerging into it, sending waves after waves of cool, and refreshing feeling through his Spirit.


    No, not just his Spirit. Those glittering golden, and silvery blue lights were spreading out in his entire Spirit World, bringing him a strange sense of pleasure. It was a pleasure that came from the feeling of his Spirit World itself being strengthened. Yet, that was just a side effect of his Mysteries manifesting around his Spirit. The true effect of his Roots was still the strengthening of his Spirit, and his Roots.


    In normal times, this strengthening of Roots was not very apparent. Especially since there was no quantifiable way to measure the strength of Roots, as there was for Spirit Power. But that did not mean that his Oaths were not strengthening his Roots. It may seem like it was because of the Rotten Blood Essence, and the Spirit Forging Art, that he had broken through the bottleneck between the Seed, and False Rank in just ten days, but if not for his Roots, which had been strengthening constantly for the past year, the breakthrough would not have been so easy to achieve.


    However, after gaining the ability to see his Spirit, Alnea did not need any other ways to see the strengthening of his Roots. Right in front of his eyes, the glittering golden, and silvery blue lights were falling on the golden, and black thread just as much as they were falling on his Spirit, submerging both of them in the Mysteries of the lineages of Night, and Day. Mysteries of¡­ equivalent exchange? Of determination? Of trust? Of¡­ virtues? And sins? And¡­


    Extreme headache tore apart Alnea from the strange state that he had been pulled into, forcing him out of his Spirit State, making him gasp for air. He could not understand what had happened. He had just been looking at the skies of his Spirit World, which had turned like the night sky of his own world. And in the next moment, he was pulled into that night sky¡­ sky¡­ when did his Spirit World gain a sky? And where was he pulled into? What did he see? He recalled seeing something¡­ something like¡­ like¡­


    Another headache tore Alnea apart from his thoughts, forcing tears out of his eyes. The pain¡­ Why did he feel pain¡­ Why was it so painful¡­ Why¡­ Why¡­ The sky¡­ The lights¡­ The¡­ TR¡ª


    ¡°It is alright, Alnea,¡± his mother said, gently caressing his head, and his cheeks, as he lay curled up on her lap, sobbing, and holding his head. ¡°It is alright. Let go. Stop trying to look at things you cannot see. Those things¡­ Those¡­ Mysteries¡­ Let them be. They are too advanced for you right now. One day, you will master them, and make them yours. But not now. Not at the moment. So, let them be. Let them go. And forget about them. Alright?¡±


    ¡°¡­Yes, mother,¡± Alnea barely managed to mumble, as he shifted even closer to his mother, his master, and hugged her waist, burying his face in her arms. ¡°¡­I don¡¯t need them. I just need you.¡±


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    ¡°Silly child,¡± his mother said, still gently caressing his head, spreading warmth, and pleasure into his very being. ¡°Why did you do that? Do you not know how dangerous it is to peek at Mysteries beyond your capabilities? It is only because they were the Mysteries of your Roots, and were manifesting in your Spirit World, that you got off with just a headache. Otherwise, the consequences of your actions would have been extremely dire.¡±


    ¡°I did not do anything, mother,¡± Alnea said, digging deeper into his mother¡¯s embrace. ¡°I just looked around, and before I knew it, those Mysteries were coming to me on their own.¡±


    ¡°That is not how things¡­ Is that so. Well, forget it. You are fine now, and that is all that matters. Just remember to be careful in the future. Alright?¡±


    ¡°¡­Yes, mother.¡±


    Alnea kept snuggling into his mother, into his master, for a while. Even after the headache had subsided, he still kept holding on to her, refusing to let go, enjoying the peace with his eyes closed. And his master did not say anything either. She just kept caressing his head, and his back, with the gentlest, and the warmest smile in the world¡ªin the Origin Sea. Maybe she too was a manifestation of its Mysteries. The Mystery of love, and care, of warmth, and safety, of mother, and master.


    Unfortunately, just like the manifestation of the Mysteries of his Roots, the manifestation of the Mystery of love also had to come to an end. Though he wished to stay in her laps forever, he could not. He still had many things to do. Many things to take care of. Like digging an Aspect Well. Thus, after his Heart was filled to the brim with the love of his master, Alnea opened his eyes, and got up from her laps, taking his seat in front of her, trying not to blush too much. Thankfully, his master did not mention his embarrassing actions.


    ¡°Are you alright now?¡±


    ¡°¡­Yes.¡±


    ¡°Your Spirit Power has recovered completely.¡±


    ¡°¡­I can feel it.¡±


    ¡°Are you ready to dig the Aspect Well?¡±


    ¡°¡­I am.¡±


    ¡°Do you remember how to do it?¡±


    ¡°Of course!¡±


    ¡°How large of a well are you going to dig?¡±


    ¡°Five hundred¡ª


    His master condensed her Spirit Power into the shape of hands, and flicked his forehead, before asking the same question.


    ¡°How large of a well are you going to dig?¡±


    ¡°¡­How much is required.¡±


    ¡°And how are you going to know that?¡±


    ¡°The Aspect will give me a rough estimate.¡±


    ¡°Do not try to be too ambitious, only to end up hurting yourself. Do you understand?¡±


    ¡°¡­Yes, master.¡±


    ¡°Which method are you going to use?¡±


    ¡°¡­Since my Spirit Power is at just a hundred and one units, I think it would be best if I used the instantaneous explosive method, like the one that Yuri normally uses.¡±


    ¡°Are you sure?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Your resolve will be tested the most with that method.¡±


    ¡°I know.¡±


    ¡°Your memories¡ª


    ¡°They will come back, master,¡± Alnea said. ¡°Besides, I don¡¯t just want to cherish memories¡­ I want to make new memories. I want to be strong. I can do this.¡±


    ¡°¡­Alright. But be careful. Do not try too hard, and hurt yourself in the process. If you fail, then you fail. You can try again after some rest.¡±


    ¡°¡­I will not fail.¡±


    ¡°You¡­ Forget it. Do as you like.¡±


    ¡°Yes, master.¡±


    Taking a deep breath, Alnea closed his eyes, and entered his Spirit State, before entering his Spirit World once again. This time, however, he did not rush to find his Roots, or observe his Spirit. Instead, after shifting his senses to his Spirit, he reached out, and gently touched the shield on his touch, conveying his intentions to his Aspect. He was there to make it a permanent part of his Spirit World. To make it a permanent part of himself. He was there to dig its home.


    Feeling, reading, and understanding his thoughts, the Aspect became excited, and sent back a message of its own, as it began shining in a bright light, that was a mix of gold, and darkness, before detaching itself from his chest, and rushing off into the distance. Into the empty, barren lands of his Spirit world, to find its new home. It was so excited, and eager, that it did not even wait for Alnea to follow. Or to see if he was even following.


    At the rather child like behaviour of his Aspect, Alnea could only shake his head, and smile at it. After existing for nigh countless years, it was finally getting its own home. Of course, it would be excited. Besides, this was his Spirit World. Even the Aspect was his. Though he had not dug a well for it yet, the connection between them had already been established. He did not need to follow his Aspect to know where it was. Thus, following the feeling in his Heart, he too sped off into the distance, into the desolate darkness of his Spirit World, to the place where his Aspect had chosen as its home.

 Chapter 10: Digging Aspect Well [Part 2]

    Even from a distance, Alnea could still see the golden bright light, shining in his Spirit World like its miniature Enn. It was just that instead of shining in the sky¡ªif his Spirit World even had one¡ª the miniature ¡®Enn¡¯, his Aspect, was shining just above its ground. Besides, the shining light was not completely golden. Its centre was tainted by darkness. Just like his Heart¡­


    Knowing the colour of his Heart had not disappointed Alnea. On the contrary, it had only made him prouder of himself. More confident of himself, of his abilities to protect the people he loved. He was still weak at the moment, but one day, he would become strong enough to protect all of them. Even if it meant going against the world. And all of it would begin at this moment, by digging his first Aspect Well.


    Drifting down to where his Aspect was hovering, Alnea reached out towards his Aspect with the intrinsic connection they had. But before he could call it back, the Aspect sensed his presence, and rushed back to him on its own, conveying its thoughts, and feelings. It had decided the place it was going to call its home. All that was left was for him to dig the well.


    Of course, he also had to make sure that the well would be large enough for the Aspect. Or else, he would have to start all over again. Even if he somehow convinced the Aspect to settle down in a well smaller than its capacity, its powers would overflow from the Aspect Well, rendering all his work useless. Thus, it was necessary for him to dig a well that would match the capacity of his Aspect.


    Thankfully, Alnea did not have to guess how big of a well he should dig. His Aspect itself was telling him its capacity. Just as Yuri¡¯s Aspect always told her how big of a well they wanted to claim as their homes. By sending a mental picture of the well. Not an accurate description of the capacity of the Aspects, but it generally worked within a range. This was the reason why Yuri had dug a relatively large well for her first Aspect. However, it was either digging a larger well, or being forced to dig all over again¡­


    For the moment, Alnea chose to heed to the advice of his Aspect, and listen to its demand. It could do with a well about a hundred to two hundred metres in depth, and around twenty metres in width, but it would be better if it could have a well with a depth of around three to four hundred metres, and a width of fifty metre¡­


    Alnea to stopped in his actions, as his thoughts froze for a moment. After a while, he reached out to his Aspect once again, asking for its confirmation as to how large it wanted its well to be, and the Aspect responded with the same image, plunging his thoughts into chaos. What did the Aspect meant by giving him choices? Unfortunately, the Aspect could not give an explanation to him. It just gave him the two options, and waited for him to make his choice. In the end, Alnea was forced to turn towards his only option.


    ¡°¡­What does it mean if the Aspect is giving me choices of different sizes to dig my Aspect Well?¡±


    ¡°Oh? Are you finally free now?¡±


    ¡°I was about to reach out to you earlier, but master started teaching me about Swords, and then things happened¡­¡±


    ¡°Things like?¡±


    ¡°¡­Getting hurt by observing the manifestation of the Mysteries of my Roots?¡±


    ¡°¡­Fool.¡±


    ¡°It was not my fault! I did not even wish to see it, yet somehow, I still got dragged into it¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­Was it anything serious?¡±


    ¡°No, I just got a slight headache. That¡¯s it.¡±


    ¡°¡­You really are a fool.¡±


    ¡°I really did not mean it¡­¡±


    ¡°I will believe you for now¡­ but are you not forgetting something?¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°The good news about our rings.¡±


    ¡°Oh, that,¡± Alnea said, sending an awkward laugh along with his voice. ¡°How can I forget? I was just about to get to it.¡±


    ¡°Do you think I will believe it?¡±


    ¡°I am telling the truth!¡±


    ¡°¡­Just tell me about what you encountered in your Domain.¡±


    ¡°¡­Do you still remember how the rings talked with you when you laid your Roots?¡±


    ¡°What do you mean do you still remember? You saw the rings talking to me from my memories in the first place. It happened with me. If even you remember it, then how can I forget about it?¡±


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    ¡°¡­The ring talked again.¡±


    ¡°¡­What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°The black ring,¡± Alnea said. ¡°My half of the Rings of Fate¡­ It woke up as soon as I entered the Origin Sea, and started talking with me, calling me weird names like Son of Chaos.¡±


    ¡°Son of Chaos¡­ Ignore that part. What else did the ring say?¡±


    ¡°That was what I was about to get at,¡± Alnea said. ¡°I finally learned why we have not been able to unlock more functions of the rings.¡±


    ¡°¡­Why?¡±


    ¡°Because we need to feed the rings with Oren. The ring said that only if we provide them with enough Oren to wake them up will we be able to gain access to their other functions.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s it?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s it.¡±


    ¡°All this time¡­ If only we had fed them with Oren, we would have unlocked more of their functions?¡±


    ¡°No¡­ I still had to complete my bond with the ring, or whatever that means. It would not have worked if we would have tried to feed them with Oren before. But now it will.¡±


    ¡°Still, to be as simple as just feeding them with Oren¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­The ring also said that we can activate the functions without feeding them with Oren¡­ but we would have to pay an appropriate price. And from the way it said that, it did not look like the price was going to be cheap.¡±


    ¡°You did not accept the ring¡¯s proposal, right?¡±


    ¡°Of course not. How reckless do you think I am?¡±


    ¡°¡­Do you need me to remind you about your Oaths?¡±


    ¡°¡­In any case, that was the gist of it. How was it? Did you like the news?¡±


    ¡°Barely passable.¡±


    ¡°You¡­¡±


    ¡°Alright, I was just joking,¡± Yuri said, sending her laughs through the rings. A genuine laugh, not the awkward kind which he had sent earlier. ¡°Let us get back to what you were saying earlier. Something about the Aspects giving you choices?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right,¡± Alnea said, as his focus returned back to his Aspect, and the well that he had to dig for it. ¡°The Aspect is giving me choices to choose the depth, and the width of the well to dig for it.¡±


    ¡°Have you forgotten your basics? That is how things are supposed to be. The Aspects give us a range of depth, and width, and it is up to us to judge form the situation, and¡ª


    ¡°This is different,¡± Alnea said, interrupting Yuri. ¡°My Aspect¡­ it has given me two sets of range.¡±


    ¡°...Two sets of range? Are you sure?¡±


    ¡°I am.¡±


    ¡°This is the first time I am hearing about this¡­ big sis Nyssa might know something.¡±


    ¡°¡­So what should I do?¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t it obvious?¡± Yuri said. ¡°How much is the difference between the two sets of range?¡±


    ¡°The second set is around two to two and a half times larger in both depth, and width. So around ten times larger in total size?¡±


    ¡°Then you have your answer, don¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°But this¡­ master said not to be too ambitious, or to overreach for myself¡­¡±


    ¡°She meant not to create an excessively large well for no reason¡­ but you have a reason now, don¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°I just made her angry with the Mysteries of my Roots¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­Stop taunting me, alright?¡±


    ¡°How am I taunting you?¡±


    ¡°Ever since she has accepted you as her son, big sis Nyssa has been so biased towards you. Even earlier today¡­ forget it. In any case, the anger you are talking about must have ended with you resting on her lap, am I right?¡±


    ¡°¡­That could not be helped.¡±


    ¡°¡­Choose the larger well. I am sure that she would not be angry with you.¡±


    ¡°¡­Alright.¡±


    Having made his decision, Alnea stopped hesitating, and called for his Aspect, agreeing with its decision. The Aspect cheered, and flew back to him, to his chest, urging him to move forwards, to walk towards the place he had to dig its well. And he went along with that urge, soon reaching the place that his Aspect had chosen as its home.


    At the point, the task of the Aspect was done. His task though, had just begun. Reaching to the thread connecting his Spirit to the Origin Sea, he tugged on it, borrowing copious amount of Oren, stopping only when he had reached the limit that he could handle, expending around twenty units of his Spirit Power with just that action alone. But just borrowing Oren was not enough. He had to shape it, to give it a form, to give it an edge. And so, he did, forming the sharpest, and strongest blade in the world, the sword of his Heart, of his conviction, and of his resolve.


    In form, the sword was shaped like the Oathkeeper Sword of the world of Attuners. After all, that was the only sword that Alnea was familiar with. Other than the wooden sword he had trained with, of course. But there was never a choice between them. On one side was a wooden sword which he was using to train his basics, while on the other side was one of the strongest swords of the world of Attuners. How could he even compare them?


    Still, only its form had been borrowed from the Oathkeeper Sword. Its colour matched the shield resting on his chest, a golden blade, with a pure black hilt, and edge. And as he looked at it, even that form was being slightly distorted by the influence of his Aspect. It was still a double edged sword, but instead of having a straight rib, the blade had a slight curve added to it.


    At shorter length, that curved did not look too remarkable. But as his Aspect kept influencing the sword, adding around two tenths of a metre to the length of its blade, the curved sword was beginning to look a little like the sword that Yuri usually used in her Spirit World to dig Aspect Wells. Especially with its face, narrowed down from the width of a palm to the width of three fingers, adding even more to that similarity.


    By the time his Aspect was done transforming the sword, only its hilt remained the same as that of the Sacred Blade of the Oathkeepers. But such a hilt looked completely out of place on the sword he held in his hand. In the end, Alnea changed even the hilt of the sword to better match the majestic blade in his hand. Finally satisfied with the sword, he nodded to himself, and got ready to dig his first Aspect Well.

 Chapter 10: Digging Aspect Well [Part 3]

    Once, Alnea used to think that digging Aspect Wells meant hacking at the ground of his Spirit World with a shovel, just like how a normal well was dug in his world. Not by Wanderers, of course. By normal people. Wanderers could just use their fantastical powers to dig a well in a matter of moments. However, he had forgotten that people who dug their Aspect Wells in their Spirit World were also Wanderers. If they wished to dig a well, all they had to do was use their fantastical powers to do so.


    Not the Aspects, and the Mysteries, of course. There was no need to go so overboard with digging just a mere well. Besides, that was not how digging Aspect Wells worked. The ground of his Spirit World, all the rocks, and even the pebbles, through which he had to dig, were formed from his own memories, from his experiences. If he wished to dig through them, he would have to slash away at his memories, at what he stood for. And for that, what he needed was not some awe inspiring power of the Origin Sea, but just a resolve. An unyielding resolve to keep moving forward no matter what happened.


    And Alnea never lacked in his resolve. Wrapping the edges of the sword in his hand with his resolve, forming the sharpest blade in existence¡ªin his Spirit World¡ª Alnea pointed its tip towards the ground, and let it slide its way through the rocks. And as he had expected, the rocks resisted, refusing to yield way for the blade. Thus ensued a clash between the rock, and his blade. A clash between his memories, and his resolve. Memories of the time when his father was still alive. Memories of the time when his mother had the brightest smile. Memories¡­


    ¡°Come on, Ernith, let¡¯s go!¡±


    ¡°We have to wait for dad¡­ He said that he would come today, no matter what.¡±


    ¡°A guard from the Redbud family came by earlier¡­ he promised to meet us directly at the Altar after completing it.¡±


    ¡°Really? Did he really say that? Is he really coming?¡±


    ¡°¡­Today is the day our son is going to lay his Roots and take his first step as a Wanderer. He wouldn¡¯t miss it for the world¡­¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t mess my hair¡­ It took me so long to set it.¡±


    ¡°¡­Have you decided on what you want as your Root?¡±


    ¡°¡­I want to be a Warrior¡­ I am going to take you as my Roots.¡±


    ¡°¡­What will you give to the Origin¡­?¡±


    ¡°My ability to love anyone else other than you¡­ I don¡¯t need anyone else!¡±


    ¡°What if someone learns of your Roots, and then tries to take advantage of it?¡±


    ¡°Easy, I will just have to protect you¡­¡±


    Protect. It was to protect, that he had dig his Aspect Well. It was to protect, that he had to swing his sword. Such a memory was not enough to make his resolve waver. A memory¡­ Which memory had he just slashed? It seemed like an important memory. A happy memory. A precious memory¡­ He had very few of those. Happy, and precious memories¡­


    But that was not enough to make him stop. It was not even enough to make him tremble. Changing the grip on his sword, Alnea began dragging it against the ground. Against the rocks. Against the memories¡­ His memories¡­


    ¡°You are even more of an idiot than your father¡­ And much cuter as well, especially when you try to act so manly.¡±


    ¡°I am not a kid anymore, mom!¡±


    But he did not stop.


    ¡°I did not know you could be so funny as well, Alnea¡­¡±


    ¡°What do you want?¡±


    ¡°I want to be friends with you.¡±


    He did not waver.


    ¡°I would like that. A true friend.¡±


    ¡°How about I become your true friend?¡±


    He never lost his resolve.


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    ¡°¡­would be willing to be my disciple?¡±


    ¡°Can you help me become the greatest Wanderer?¡±


    He was Alnea Oathkeeper.


    ¡°¡­you are my only hope, Alnea. Only you can save my clan¡­¡±


    ¡°I, Alnea Oathkeeper, am taking an Oath that I will always be a true friend to Yuri Faed¡­¡±


    He lived for the people whom he took his Oaths for.


    ¡°...When I become stronger, I will drive away all the Thralls back to the Origin Sea, and to the place that they come from. After that, we will never have to be separated again.¡±


    ¡°...You want to never be separated from me?¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡±


    For the people he loved.


    ¡°Then what about Cecilia?¡±


    ¡°Her too. And not just her. There is also Yuri. And my mother. And my master. I want to be together with everyone for all the time to come. And protect them. I want to be the strongest, and the greatest Wanderer, so that no one will ever be able to separate us. And then, I will live happily with everyone.¡±


    And that was why he could not stop. Not even when he felt all his memories slipping away from him. No¡­ Not slipping away from him. They were being slashed apart. And he was the one who was slashing them. Driving them to them to some unknown parts of the Origin Sea. They would all come back in time. Yet it still hurt, knowing that there was something missing from him. Something so essential, that it had become a part of his Heart, a part of his existence.


    It was right there, just a sliver away from his reach, waiting for him to come, and get it. But he never could. No matter how hard he tried, he could not remember the memories he had slashed apart. The memories that he was slashing still. With every step that he took, he had to slash a memory that made him who he was. With his memories, he did not even know what he was doing¡­ why he was doing it¡­ He just knew that he had to do it. He had to dig the well.


    And so, he dug. Or rather, he slashed, dragging his sword around in the rocky ground of his Spirit World, creating a large circle that was larger than fifty metres in width. How much exactly, he did not know. Neither did he care. He just knew that he had to dig. So, he dug. But the circle was already complete. What did he have to do next?


    Right. He had to blast a hole in the ground. So, he poured all of his Oren into his sword, passing it all into the ground, constantly channelling Oren into it, till he was almost out of Spirit Power, before¡ª


    ¡°You made me realise who I am. And you saved me from the curse of my fate. You may not have given birth to me, but you are still my mother. The kindest, most caring, and the best mother, ever. And this kowtow is also in recognition of that fact. From this moment on, Alnea Oathkeeper is the son of Nyssa Thornbearer, and even the Origin Sea cannot change that fact. So, please accept my kowtow, mother.¡±


    Alnea felt his Heart, and Serenity tremble, as the memory flashed in his mind. But his actions did not stop. He could not stop.


    ¡°Being your mother is my Good Fortune, child. Now get up. And let me see my son¡¯s face.¡±


    Crushing his Heart, Alnea exploded the sword, along with all the Oren in the ground, creating an explosion, that blasted away all his memories that were hindering his resolve. That were stopping him from digging the Aspect Well. He was¡­ He was¡­ He¡­


    ¡°The one you people have targeted is my disciple, and my son.¡±


    Son. He was her son. He was the son of¡ª


    ¡°Nyssa Thornbearer¡­ There are only three people in the world who know that name. And two of them are in this room¡­¡±


    He was¡ª


    ¡°May Goddess Faein bear witness. I, Cecilia Serpia, promise that I will always be a true friend to Alnea Oathkeeper.¡±


    A true friend¡­


    ¡°...Both Cecilia and I have been favoured by Goddess Ilea to have a friend like you, Alnea.¡±


    People whom he had to protect.


    ¡°I promise that I will always take care of Cecilia¡­ Don¡¯t worry¡­ I promise that I will always take care of you too.¡±


    People whom he took his Oaths for¡­


    ¡°I, Alnea Oathkeeper, am taking an Oath, that along with my master, my mother, Nyssa Thornbearer, I will create a path to the Rank of Origin Wanderer, becoming the greatest Wanderer of all times¡­¡±


    Alnea opened his eyes just as his Heart started piecing itself back together. He was still shaken, and a little lost, but he was fine. The memories¡­ it could not be helped. Only by depriving a person of their memories, could the Origin Sea determine if their resolves were strong enough to wield the Aspects. Fortunately, this was just a test. And as such, his memories would soon be returned to him.


    Before that though, he had something else to do. Looking at the massive hole in front of him, with a straight vertical drop, and smooth walls, Alnea urged the shield on his chest to move into its new home. And as if it had just been waiting for his prompt, the moment that his thoughts connected with his Aspect, the shield jumped away from him, and hovered above the hole, shining in a golden light, tainted with just the faintest of black.


    However, even that black was shining in such a majestic light that just within moments, it had already dwarfed out the darkness of his Spirit World, let alone the golden light, that looked like it was borrowing its brightness from Enn himself. No, not just borrowing. If the previous shine of his Aspect had been like a miniature Enn, then what he was experiencing at the moment was akin to Enn himself descending in his Spirit World, lighting it up as if it was day.


    Where day exists though, night must come following. And so, after a few brief moments, the brilliant lights faded away, giving way to the natural darkness of his Spirit World. Yet even that natural darkness was not able to succeed all of the golden light his Aspect were releasing. At most, his Aspect was forced to retract its light to the hole he had dug for it. But that light, shining in all its glory, was enough to light up his surroundings. It was enough to let him see the fruit of his labour, his first Aspect Well.

 Chapter 11: Rest and recovery [Part 1]

    This was not the first time that Alnea was seeing an Aspect Well. But this was the first time that he was seeing his Aspect Well. The Aspect Well that he had dug with his own resolve. Thus, even though he had seen quite a few Aspect Wells in Yuri¡¯s Spirit World, as he saw the shimmering layer of golden light, with a tinge of black, rippling like water, almost on the verge of overflowing from the well that he had dug, he could not help feeling a little excited.


    Despite the fact that he had dug the well to be even more than four hundred metres, giving it a width of around fifty or so metres, the layer of light covering the well had come right up to its top, matching the level of the ground. If the well had been any smaller, then he might have had to either make do with his Aspect choosing to go with the lower range that it had mentioned, filling up just one tenth, maybe even less, of the well that he had dug, or would have had to start all over again¡­


    It was for the best that he held on till the end, Alnea thought. Even if it was just temporary, slashing his memories into the depths of the Origin Sea with all his resolve, only to learn that all his efforts, and sufferings were meaningless, would surely have left a seed of doubt in his Heart. A doubt, which in the future, might have come back to haunt him. At the very least, it would have definitely come to disturb him every time he dug his Aspect Well, leading him to commit even more mistakes.


    Fortunately, things had not went down towards the worst case scenario. It had cost him almost all of his Spirit Power, testing his resolve to its limits, but in the end, he did it. He had dug his first Aspect Well. He had finally created a home for his Aspect. A large, and shiny home. One that his Aspect liked very much, and kept sharing its happiness with him, promising to protect him. To guard him. And to be his weapon. To be his sword.


    Chuckling at his Aspect, Alnea reached down towards the Aspect well, and brushed his fingers over the water like surface of light, which rippled in response, parting ways for his finger, forming waves around them, just like how water would have. Unlike how water would have reacted though, the golden light from the well climbed up his finger, tugging him to jump into the Aspect Well, and play with it. His Aspect¡­ it was quite funny.


    Promising his Aspect to play with it some other time, Alnea waited for the golden light to recede from his fingers, before pulling them out of the well. Just like his Aspect, he was also feeling a little reluctant to leave, but it could not be helped. It was time. Bidding farewell to his Aspect, he withdrew his Senses from his Spirit, leaving his Spirit State, and opened his eyes, just as his master opened hers.


    ¡°How did it go?¡± his master asked, hiding her worries from him. ¡°Did you succeed?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Alnea said. ¡°Yes, I did. I am now, officially, an Initial Stage False Warrior.¡±


    ¡°Silly child,¡± his master said, shaking her head. However, even she could not hide the slight curve of her lips, and the pride in her eyes. ¡°Did you face any problems?¡±


    ¡°¡­It cannot be termed as a problem, but I did face something strange, master.¡±


    ¡°What was it?¡±


    ¡°Everything went smoothly in the beginning. But when the time to dig the Aspect Well came, something strange happened. Instead of giving me just one set of range to dig the well, my Aspect gave me two set of ranges to choose from, with the second set being at least ten times as large as the first one.¡±


    ¡°Two sets¡­¡± his master mumbled, with her countenance changing abruptly, going from a smiling face to a solemn look in the flash of a moment. ¡°How did you choose?¡±


    ¡°¡­I consulted with Yuri, and came to the conclusion that it would be best if I chose to dig a larger well.¡±


    ¡°¡­How large exactly?¡±


    ¡°¡­Around four hundred to four hundred and fifty metres in depth, and around fifty metres in width.¡±


    ¡°¡­That is indeed a large well,¡± his master said, with a complicated light flashing across her eyes. ¡°Fortunately, the Aspects matches perfectly with your Heart, otherwise you might have faced some problems.¡±


    This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.


    ¡°¡­What kind of problems, master?¡±


    ¡°The kind that the Whitebud Patriarch, and Heterodox Wanderers faced when they attacked, trying to kidnap you.¡±


    Alnea¡¯s face paled as he heard his master¡¯s words.


    ¡°You mean¡­¡±


    ¡°Losing control of your Aspect, and becoming Enthralled.¡±


    ¡°But I¡­ this is just my first Aspect, master! And this is the first day of my Wandering.¡±


    ¡°I know,¡± his master said. ¡°And that is why you should remain even more wary of your actions.¡±


    ¡°But¡­ how? Why? I don¡¯t understand, master. Why would I lose control of my Aspect the day I get it?¡±


    ¡°Because it has advanced to a higher Stage.¡±


    ¡°Advanced to a higher Stage? It can do that?¡±


    ¡°Of course, it can. And not just your Aspect, but all the other Aspects can do the same.¡±


    ¡°But¡­ that would mean that everyone is always in constant danger of losing control of their Aspects¡­¡±


    ¡°Theoretically, yes, everyone is in danger of losing control of their Aspects. Practically though, it is almost impossible. Or at least, it is not supposed to happen. Advancing to a higher Stage¡­ it is very long, and cumbersome process for Aspects, that takes thousands of years, if not longer, to complete. Much longer than the general lifespan of Wanderers. By the time the Aspect complete their advancements, the Warriors would be long dead. Besides, there are ways to suppress this advancement till the time the Wanderers are strong enough to handle the advanced versions of the Aspects.¡±


    ¡°Then, my Aspect¡­¡±


    ¡°Yours is a special case. From how you described things to me, it looks like your Aspect was already on the verge of completing its advancement when it met you. Or maybe it already had. In any case, when it gave you two choices, it was basically asking you if it should complete its advancement or not.¡±


    ¡°¡­Should I have chosen to dig a smaller well, master?¡±


    ¡°¡­It would not have mattered much,¡± his master said, shaking her head. ¡°Although you could have supressed the advancement of your Aspect, it would have created some dissatisfaction within Aspect, which in time, could have resulted in the Aspect backlashing against you. That would have been even more disastrous. You are a Warrior now, a proper Wanderer. You cannot afford such backlashes.


    ¡°So, no matter what you chose, trouble would have come knocking on your doors anyway. Rather, I think that your decision to dig a larger well was right. It allowed you to gain favour from your Aspect, and strengthen your bond. That, in conjunction with how your Aspect is in perfect alignment with your Heart, should keep things under control for a while. Still, taming such a strong Aspect as your first Aspect, should I say you are lucky, or unlucky?¡±


    ¡°¡­What¡¯s the strength of my Aspect, master?¡±


    ¡°A four hundred to five hundred metres deep, and fifty metres wide well¡­ you can guess the strength of your Aspect on your own, can you not?¡±


    ¡°I¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­Is this also a work of fate?¡±


    ¡°Master¡­¡±


    ¡°Master¡­¡±


    ¡°Forget it,¡± his master said, heaving a sigh, before smiling back at him, and ruffling his hair. ¡°You do not need to worry about it. Just try not to let your emotions run wild for a while, and get used to your new Aspect.¡±


    ¡°¡­Yes, master.¡±


    ¡°You did not face any other problems in digging your Aspect Well, right?¡±


    ¡°¡­No, master. I did not.¡±


    ¡°That should be enough for the day then,¡± his master said. ¡°It is getting late, and you should be tired, both mentally, and physically. Go, and rest.¡±


    ¡°Rest?¡± Alnea said, glancing at the sea of the Blood Sucking Grass underneath his bums.


    ¡°Why? Are you afraid?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Alnea said, shaking his head. ¡°But I think we should not associate meditation with rest. At least not for a while.¡±


    ¡°Stop grumbling,¡± his master said, chuckling at his overdramatised expressions. ¡°This is for your own good.¡±


    ¡°I know,¡± Alnea mumbled. ¡°But that does not mean that I have to like it.¡±


    ¡°Alright, we will call it just meditation. Happy?¡±


    ¡°¡­Is that a question you should be asking from someone who is about to get his blood sucked by plants, master?¡±


    ¡°Then just try not to get your blood sucked.¡±


    ¡°But that¡¯s impossible!¡±


    ¡°Stop grumbling, and just get to it.¡±


    ¡°¡­Alright,¡± Alnea said, making a torn face, while in his Heart, peace and Serenity washed over him. Seeing his master smile, that was best remedy to any, and all of his wounds. Especially since most of the memories of her smiling face had been slashed into the Origin Sea while he was laying his Roots. At the moment, there was nothing more precious than her smile. If he could see her smile, what was the small price of getting his blood sucked by a few strands of grasses?

 Chapter 11: Rest and recovery [Part 2]

    The problem, apparently, was not in the grass sucking his blood. No matter how much blood it sucked, his master would heal him anyway. But when these abominable grasses sucked his blood, they did so through their abnormally sharp mouth. Every single time he slipped up in his meditation, drifting towards the land of his dreams, he would be woken up by a sharp sting on his back, hands, and even his face.


    It was as if someone kept sneaking up to him, only to stab him whenever he slept. Even if the wounds were just skin deep, they still hurt. Especially the cuts on his face. Thankfully, his hair was left largely untouched. It had barely been a month since Yuri had last trimmed it, so it had not grown much. At least not enough for the grasses to grab them, and tear them off of his head.


    ¡­Maybe the grasses were not as horrible was he was making them out to be, but they surely were annoying. They did not let him sleep for even a few moments, breaking through his defences the moment he let his guard down. And before he knew it, it was already dawn. Or so his master said. It was hard to tell the time of the day in the darkness of the Night Canyons.


    ¡°So? How was your experience last night?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know about replacing sleep with meditation,¡± Alnea said, feeling a little groggy, and annoyed. ¡°But if things continue as they did last night, then I am sure that very soon, I will shudder at even the thought of sleeping.¡±


    ¡°¡­That could also be a way,¡± his master said, looking at him with an earnest, and sincere expression. ¡°Losing sleep entirely, before filling up the empty space with meditation.¡±


    ¡°¡­I feel that I should start getting worried right about now.¡±


    Seeing his pout, his master let out small chuckles, and pinched his cheeks, before saying, ¡°Alright, I will stop teasing you now.¡±


    Though her smile was not enough to completely wash away his sour mood, Alnea decided to forgive his master for the moment.


    ¡°¡­How much time am I going to need to get used to this¡­ new schedule, master?¡±


    ¡°That will have to depend on your own capabilities,¡± his master said. ¡°Or rather, on your determination, and will. If you try your best, without holding back anything, you might not even need a couple of weeks. If you get annoyed, and slack off though, then even a year would not be enough.¡±


    ¡°¡­I will try my best.¡±


    ¡°I know you will,¡± his master said, with a slight hint of guilt flashing in her eyes. ¡°I hope you can understand why I am doing this. Though you did not train much yesterday, you should have gotten an inkling of how busy your schedule is going to be. You truly do not have the leisure to be spending hours that you could be using to train other things, to just sit down and meditate.¡±


    ¡°¡­I know, master,¡± Alnea said. ¡°I remember my Oath¡­ and the Rising Wanderer Trials.¡±


    ¡°Good,¡± his master said, nodding at him in satisfaction. ¡°Then shall we begin with your day¡¯s training?¡±


    ¡°¡­Can we start after a while, master?¡±


    ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°I¡­¡±


    ¡°What are you hesitating so much for?¡±


    ¡°I¡­ need to take care of some personal chores, master.¡±


    ¡°¡­There is no harm in waiting for a while.¡±


    ¡°I will be back in flash, master!¡± Alnea said, as he picked up his bag, and rushed off into the darkness. Let alone the urges coming from his stomach, and the bad smell coming from his mouth, even his head was feeling a bit groggy. He needed to take a dip in the cold waters of the canyon.


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    Thankfully, they were not far from the stream. Putting his bag down by the stream, Alnea entered his Spirit State to ensure that there were no Oren Beasts creeping up towards him, or laying in ambush, before he took out his toothbrush, and the tooth spices. A while, and a short trip to the bushes nearby, later, he came by the stream once again, ready to jump into the water.


    However, recalling how the Razorback Black Water Turtle had jumped at him the day before, he decided to change his mind, and just cupped up the water in his hand, splashing it on his face to freshen up. The fact that his master was nearby, and would definitely be able to see him naked if he jumped into the water, may, or may not have been one of the other reasons behind the change of his mind. In any case, he just needed to freshen up. What was the need to risk both his life, and his dignity as a man, to jump into the water for something that could be completed by just splashing water on his face?


    Feeling much more refreshed, and awake than before, Alnea picked up his bag, and returned to his master, ready to begin his training. Ready to start Forging his Spirit with a new, False Ranked Spirit Forging Art. But it looked like his master had other plans. Instead of giving him the new Spirit Forging Art, she reached out with her hand, and touched his head.


    ¡°Last night must have been tough on you.¡±


    ¡°¡­It was alright.¡±


    ¡°Sometimes, I forget that you are still just a little boy, who has spent only a year in his training,¡± his master said, ruffling through his hair with a warm smile on her face. A smile that Alnea liked. Her words though, struck a nerve inside of him.


    ¡°I am not little¡­¡± Alnea said, turning his face away from his master, which only prompted her to chuckle at his antics.


    ¡°Make sure to remind me to go easy on you when you find things difficult, alright?¡±


    ¡°¡­It was not that difficult,¡± Alnea mumbled. ¡°I could handle it with ease.¡±


    ¡°Right,¡± his master said, giving a rough shake to his hair, before placing her hand over his forehead. ¡°Just close your eyes, and relax.¡±


    ¡°¡­What do you mean, master?¡±


    ¡°Just do as I am saying.¡±


    ¡°¡­Yes, master,¡± Alnea said, and closed his eyes, as his master had demanded. Relaxing though, was a different matter altogether. There was so much for him to do¡­ so much to prepare, and so little time. Just a little over a year and a half, before he would have to return to Anneve, and participate in the Rising Wanderer Trials. Before he would have to face the Lotus clan once again.


    Alnea never had any doubts whether he could complete the conditions of the Lotus clan or not. Whether it was in Anneve, or in Evenfall, he should not have any rivals amongst his peers. But he could never underestimate the Lotus clan. He had seen how shameless, and cunning they could be. If he wished to keep his Oath, then as his master had said, it would be best for him to reach the Advanced Stage of the False Rank. Only then, could he be confident of his victory.


    Still, there was at least over a year and a half before he would have to face the Lotus clan. The Heterodox Wanderers though¡­ His special training with his master should not last for long. In at most a month, or month and a half, he would have to venture into the depths of the Night Canyons with Yuri, and Cecilia, and develop as a team, preparing to fight the Heterodox Wanderers. To kill the Heterodox Wanderers¡­


    Relax¡­ He could not do that. Not yet. Besides, even if there had been no such constraints on him, with how his head was aching, he did not think that he could have relaxed anyways. Relaxation was only for those¡ª


    A warm, and gentle breeze seeped into his body, making its way into his veins, and from there, into every other part of his body, bringing him a strange sense of peace, safety, and¡­ relaxation. The headache¡­ it was gone. As were all his worries. Only a warm, and fuzzy feeling remained, extending to the tips of his extremities, before even that faded away, leaving just an extremely refreshed, and exuberant Alnea.


    ¡°What did you do, master?¡± Alnea said as he opened his eyes, and looked at his master. ¡°All my fatigue¡­ and headache, they are all gone.¡±


    ¡°There is no need to be so surprised,¡± his master said. ¡°You have witnessed many more fantastical sights to be so shocked from the effects of just a mere Arcana.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s different, master,¡± Alnea said. ¡°Those were all barbaric usage of the Mysteries. Yours is so fine, and sharp¡­ You are omnipotent, master!¡±


    ¡°You cheeky disciple,¡± his master said, laughing out at his antics, as she pinched his nose. ¡°Stop trying to tease your master.¡±


    ¡°I was not teasing you, master,¡± Alnea said, rubbing his nose, looking at his master with an earnest expression. ¡°I was merely telling the truth.¡±


    ¡°¡­Sometimes, I wonder how your affinity with the lineage of Lies, and Trickeries is.¡±


    ¡°¡­How can you think like that, master? I am an honest, and hardworking man, who only ever speaks the truth.¡±


    ¡°Alright, my hardworking disciple, shall we get back to your training now?¡±


    ¡°I am really hardworking¡­¡±


    ¡°We will see about that very soon,¡± his master said, smiling in amusement, before opening her ¡®Dimensional Pocket¡¯ to retrieve a scroll, and handing it over to him. ¡°This is your new Spirit Forging Art.¡±

 Chapter 12: Understanding the Art of Sprit Rebirth [Part 1]

    Generally, the skins, cloths, or even the papers used for making scrolls were brown, or brownish white in colour. But whether it was the Three Turns Spirit Forging Art, or the new Spirit Forging Art that his master was giving him, both their scrolls were black. They were so strange, that back when his master had given him the scroll of the Three Turns Spirit Forging Art, no matter how he tried, he had not been able to wrap his head around the unusual scroll.


    It was only when the blood red ink from the scroll had come alive, and had imprinted itself into his head, that he finally understood the purpose of the strange scroll, and the red ink. Later, after his incessant naggings, his master had finally relented, and told him about the origin of the ink, and the scroll. Apparently, both of them were derived from Dream Bull, a type of Oren Beast found in the Forbidden Areas of the Union. It was apparently a close relative of the Phantom Bulls, descended from the Fantasy Bull, an Origin Beast.


    It was said that the Fantasy Bull had the capability of turning fantasies into realities, and realities into fantasies. The Dream Bulls, of course, were not capable of such fantastical feats. They were, however, capable of creating their own dream worlds, where they often dragged their enemies to fight. The strange thing about their dream world though, was that even if their enemies knew that the dream world was an illusion, a fake, they were not able to get rid of the memories they gained in the dream worlds. Not even after the Dream Bull¡¯s death. To them, it would feel as if whatever they experienced within the dream world was their own memory. Their own experiences¡­


    Though the skin, and the blood of the Dream Bulls did not have the ability to create a similar dream world as the Dream Bulls did, using their skin, and blood, with some other materials allowed for creation of scrolls which could transmit all their contents directly into the mind of their readers. Furthermore, with slight tinkering, the content of the scrolls could even be designed to move around, and demonstrate the contents in action, making it easier to understand.


    This, unfortunately for the Dream Bulls, meant that they their skin, and blood was always in high demand, almost driving their species to extinction. Maybe, that was the reason why these Bulls were found only in the territory of the Union. After all, only the Union could force the Orthodoxies, and other Wanderers living in its territories to stop the indiscriminate hunting of Dream Bulls, regulating them as a sustained, and renewable resource. And a very precious resource, that few could enjoy.


    Yet, the true value of the scroll lay not in the materials it had been made out of, but its contents itself. Technically, not counting his Three Turns Spirit Piercing Needles, the scroll had one of the only two Arts in the world. A truly unique way of using the Mysteries of the Origin Sea, manifesting them directly into his Spirit, rather than outside of it. No such other methods existed in the world. At least not that was known to the world at large.


    To Alnea though, the most valuable thing was not the uniqueness of the Art, or the extremely handy feature of the scroll, but the fact that his master had made the Art specifically for him to use. This was her way of expressing her love, and care for him. This was her way of looking out for him. So, with the scroll in his hands, what did he have to hesitate for?


    Getting the nod from his master, Alnea opened the scroll with hands shaking from excitement, and nervous energy, only to be greeted by an eerie sight of countless small texts, inked in blood red colour, crisscrossing each other, almost forming a giant network of veins on the black parchment. The moment he looked at the scroll though, he felt a strange pressure descending upon him. As if a mountain was pressing on his shoulder, making it hard for him to breathe.


    Thankfully, he had experienced similar situations many times, mostly due to his Oaths, and was able to retain his clarity, and reason, and looked away from the scroll. Seeing his reaction, his master smiled, and nodded in satisfaction, but did not come forward to help him. She just waited for him to deal with the situation on his own. So, he did.


    Taking a deep breath to calm his racing heart, Alnea gritted his teeth, and looked back at the scroll, at its eerie content. And the more he looked, the greater the pressure on his shoulders became, suffocating him, almost crushing him to death. However, his perseverance was not in vain. After looking at the scroll for long enough, he was finally able to decipher what was written at the top of the scroll.


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    ¡°Art of Spirit Rebirth¡­ First Cycle?¡±


    ¡°How is it? Do you like the name?¡±


    ¡°Of course, master! This name¡­ it perfectly describes the Art. In fact, this name is an art itself. A¡ª


    ¡°Cheeky disciple,¡± his master said, using hands condensed from her Spirit Power to flick his forehead. ¡°Save your flattering for other people. Do not try to fool your master.¡±


    ¡°¡­I was not fooling your master,¡± Alnea said, rubbing his forehead. ¡°No one can fool you. You are omniscient. You are¡ª


    ¡°You will never change,¡± his master said, chuckling at his words, not forgetting to flick his forehead once again. ¡°Like I had told you before, I had no intention of letting you train with¡­ Spirit Forging Arts at the Seed Rank. But the circumstances forced us to adapt. In the end, the Three Turns Spirit Forging Art that you had practised with was just a prototype, something that I had developed in order to get better understanding of the mechanics of Arts. It lacks the true essence of Arts. After all, there are no Seed Ranked Mysteries.


    ¡°It is only after reaching the False Rank that you can see the true ability of Arts, and the same time, their true terror. There was a reason for why Spirit Forging methods were abandoned. So, in the past several months, I have not stopped my research into the Arts, trying to increase their effects, while decreasing their dangers. And this Art of Spirit Rebirth is the crystallisation of that research.¡±


    ¡°¡­Did it hurt, master?¡±


    ¡°Silly disciple,¡± his master said, ruffling his hair with a smile on her face. ¡°Mere False Mysteries, no matter how strong they are, cannot hurt your master. Of course, they would not benefit me either. For you though, this Art of Spirit Rebirth will have roughly the same effect as a normal Divine Grade Arcana would have had. This is also one of the reasons why it took me so long to develop this Art.¡±


    ¡°¡­I will soon learn how to make Arcanas. And then you will not have to suffer to create these Arts.¡±


    ¡°Oh? But you do know that only the Arcanas of the same Stage as your Spirit Power would have the best effect in training your Spirit, right?¡±


    ¡°¡­I know.¡±


    ¡°Arcanas of the lower Stage would decrease drastically in effect, while Arcanas of higher Stage would be impossible for your Spirit to handle. To be able to train your Spirit Power with Arcanas of the same Stage, your will have to create a new Arcana for each Stage you advance. To do that though, you will also need to comprehend the Mysteries of those Stages¡­ Are you sure that you can do all those things? And even if you can do it, can you ensure that you would not fall behind your peers in your training speed?¡±


    ¡°I¡­¡±


    ¡°If you cannot even surpass your peers, how are you going to become the greatest Wanderer?¡±


    ¡°I¡­ I¡­¡±


    Seeing him fumbling with his words, his master sighed, and shook her head, before gently patting his head.


    ¡°Being weak, and helpless is not wrong, Alnea. Everyone is weak, and helpless at some point in their life. But not admitting that you are weak is wrong. Not recognising your deficiencies is wrong. Because only if you are able to recognise your deficiencies, will you be able to fill them up. Only if you are able to recognise that you are weak, will you be able to accept help from those who want to help you. And only then, will you grow strong. Do you understand?¡±


    ¡°¡­Yes, master,¡± Alnea said, biting his lips in frustration. ¡°¡­But I don¡¯t want you to suffer because of me.¡±


    ¡°Then just grow stronger than me,¡± his master said. ¡°Once you surpass me, I will no longer be able to help you create Arts. At that point, you will have to start relying on yourself. And maybe, even I will have to start relying on you.¡±


    ¡°¡­I will,¡± Alnea said. ¡°Soon, I will surpass you, master. And then, I will protect you from all your pains, and worries. I will protect you from everything in the world.¡±


    ¡°¡­We will see about that,¡± his master said, as the corner of her slips curved upwards slightly. ¡°Let us come back to what we were talking about, the Art of Spirit Rebirth. Or more specifically, the First Cycle of the Art of Spirit Rebirth. As its name suggests, this will be a series of Arts, going from the Initial Stage of the False Rank to the Tenth Stage of the True Rank, having fourteen cycles in total, giving your Spirit a complete rebirth.


    ¡°The Mysteries from the lineages of Creation, and Destruction will... Forget it. It will be too complicated to explain. In short, you can think of it as instead of only one specific point in your Spirit going through the process of rebirth, as was in the case of the Three Turn Spirit Forging Art, your entire Spirit will be going through that process in the Art of Spirit Rebirth. You will understand it better when you experience it for yourself.¡±


    ¡°¡­Right now?¡±


    ¡°When else?¡±


    ¡°¡­Yes, master,¡± Alnea said, complying with the words of his master, shifting his focus back to the scroll in his hands.

 Chapter 12: Understanding the Art of Sprit Rebirth [Part 2]

    Art of Spirit Rebirth¡ªFirst Cycle


    Based on the concept of Cycle of Origin, that from Creation comes Destruction, and from Destruction comes Creation, this Art seeks for the single ray of life that lies hidden in the¡­


    The scroll of the Art of Spirit Rebirth was long. Much longer than the scroll of the Three Turns Spirit Forging Art had been, at least thrice as long, with the size of the words being thrice as small. If he had not known better, then he might even have thought that the text inked in blood red colour was forming a network of its own. No, if he looked carefully, the text truly was forming a network of its own. Seeing the scarcity of space on the scroll, his master had used the words to form the figure of his Spirit. What an ingenious idea. As expected of his omniscient master.


    It was not time to think about her greatness though. He could do that later. First, he had to understand the ant like text on the scroll. Compared to a measly thousand words that the Three Turns Spirit Forging Art had, the First Cycle of the Art of Spirit Rebirth had at least ten thousand words, detailing everything about the Art, explaining everything in a clear, and concise language. But that was to be expected.


    The Three Turns Spirit Forging Art was a Seed Ranked Art. The most he could do when practising it, would be to hurt his Spirit a little, which his master could heal easily, if needed. The First Cycle of the Art of Spirit Rebirth though, was an Initial Stage False Ranked Art, that would be manifesting Mysteries directly into his Spirit. Not just attenuated effects of Mysteries, but proper Mysteries of the Origin Sea. A slight misstep could result in a grievous injury, and that would be the least of the consequences. However, this was the only way he could train his Spirit. This was the only way for him to get past the trap of his Oaths.


    But that did not mean that it was an exciting way. Or one that brought him enormous joy. Rather, reading through thousands of words, written in such fine size, was starting to give him a headache, while hurting his eyes. Especially since the light in the canyons was low as it was. His master did create some soft glowing light to help him read, but that did not help much. In the end, Alnea just closed his eyes, and used the senses of his Spirit to observe the scroll.


    ¡­Dividing the entire process of rebirthing Spirit into six parts, namely, condensation, dispersion, manifestation, clash, arousal, and rebirth, you can¡­


    As Alnea read through the scroll, he noticed that the parts about the Art that he was finding it hard to understand earlier, were coming more naturally to him. No, even before that, he noticed that the ant like text, forming a complicated network of their own, seemed like just normal text in the senses of his Spirit. No, not just normal text. These were magical text, that were delivering their meanings directly to his Spirit. Was this an effect of the Dream Bull¡¯s blood?


    No wonder, he was finding it so easy to understand all those things. And no wonder that the Orthodoxies, and the Heterodoxies had almost hunted the Bull into extinction. No. They probably had kept a batch of these Bulls to themselves, rearing them in secret. After all, who could ignore the allure of easily learning Arcanas, and Martial Styles? But then, how had his master gotten her hand on such a precious resource? And why was she using it for low level Arts?


    ¡­What was he thinking? She was his master. She was omnipotent. Such resources¡­ they were probably not worth much to her. Only a Dream Bull of the Grand Beast Stage would have any effect on her. But hunting a Grand Beast was not so easy. Besides, since she had used a Dream Bull¡¯s skin, and blood to create the scroll for him, the Dream Bull must not have been too strong. Or else, the effect of the scroll would have been too much for him to bear.


    Lost in his thoughts, with the aid of the senses of his Spirit, it did not take long for Alnea to go through all the text in the scroll, and understand its essence. But before he could contemplate any further on it, the ink, and consequently, the text on the scroll began morphing, transforming the network on the scroll into a complete outline of a humanoid figure.


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    Then, as it had been described within the text, some of ink separated from the outline, filling up the inside of the figure with numerous strings. Unlike the Three Turns Spirit Forging Art though, the strings did not merge together to create larger strings. Instead, they began disintegrating into even smaller threads, which then further disintegrated into even smaller threads, and so on, until all the parts of the figure were filled with countless tiny threads. And this was where the tricky part of the Art began.


    The text had mentioned that this was the point where he was supposed to manifest the Mysteries of the lineages of Creation, and Destruction, and have them clash with each other. But the problem was that he did not know how to do that. The text was not very clear on it, so he had hoped that the demonstration of the Art on the scroll would help him, but even that did not help him much.


    In the senses of his Spirit, he saw the countless threads of Oren start to vibrate within the figure, causing the outline of the figure to vibrate along with the thread. However, for some inexplicable reason, he got the feeling that the vibration of the figure, and that of the threads inside it were of completely different nature. Maybe that was where the essence of the manifestation part of the Art lay. If only he could understand it a little better. If only he could¡ª


    The countless tiny threads within the figure burst apart, completely dying the figure in their red ink. There was not a singly part of the figure which was not red. If such an explosion were to happen within his Spirit¡­ Was this what his master meant by saying that the true terror of the Arts would be displayed from the False Rank? Would he really be able to bear it?


    No, this was not a question of would. He had to bear it. No matter what. His master had paid so much, suffered so much, all so that he could keep his Oath. Was he going to disappoint her? Was he going to break his Oaths? Practising the Art might hurt him¡­ but would it hurt more than the pain of his Heart? The choice was easy to make.


    Concentrating his senses back on the scroll, Alnea saw strange fluctuations within the blood red figure. It was as if the entire figure was beating with a strange rhythm, one different from the two vibrations that it had experienced before. And within moments, that strange rhythm began to arouse something within the figure. Something deep and profound.


    The arousal phase of the First Cycle of the Art of Spirit Rebirth. The phase, where he was supposed to manifest the Mysteries from the lineage of Life. But once again, looking at the figure, he understood nothing of what was happening. All he could do was watch helplessly, as the blood red ink began to retreat from the figure, as the Art entered its final phase, the rebirth phase. Soon, the figure was back in its pristine condition. And the first round of the Art was complete.


    Thus, the figure began practising the Art from the beginning, going through all the phases once again. This time, Alnea watched even more closely, not daring to miss even a single detail. Yet he still could not understand how the Mysteries were being manifested. There must be something that he was missing, Alnea thought. But what could it be? Was he supposed to first comprehend the Mysteries to practise the Art?


    No, that could not be. Otherwise, his master would not have given him the Art. Besides, his Roots were based on the Mysteries of the lineages of Day, and Night. He had no connection with the lineages of Creation, Destruction, and Life. How was he supposed to comprehend their Mysteries? If he could understand how just one of those Mysteries was manifesting, he would be able to extrapolate the rest. But how was he supposed to do that? How was he supposed to¡ª


    Alnea noticed, to absolute confusion, and disappointment, that at some point, the red ink had vanished from the scroll. He should not have been surprised from the phenomenon, as this was how it was supposed to happen. This was how scrolls made from the skin, and blood of the Dream Bulls worked. And this was how it had happened with the Three Turns Spirit Forging Art. But this time, he had yet to completely understand the Art. He had yet to grasp its most important points, how to manifest the Mysteries¡­


    Should he ask for his master¡¯s help? But what would she think? She had given him the scroll with no other explanation. Clearly, she had expected him to understand everything from just the scroll. If he told her that he understood nothing¡­ Would she be disappointed in him? Would she¡ª


    Alnea paused in his thoughts, as the memories of the First Cycle of the Art of Spirit Rebirth flashed in his mind. The text, the figure, the demonstration of the Art, everything was clearly imprinted in his mind. And as he looked through those memories, he could not help cursing himself. He truly was stupid, and foolish, as Cecilia, and Yuri often called him. How could he ever think that his master would leave him hanging? How could he ever think that his master would give him the Art without giving him a way to manifest those Mysteries?

 Chapter 12: Understanding the Art of Sprit Rebirth [Part 3]

    Alnea opened his eyes, and looked at the empty scroll in front of him with a completely flushed face. He probably deserved the embarrassment for doubting his master. But he did not wish to let his master know about either of those things. So, instead of raising his head, and looking towards her, he pretended to be in deep thought, and kept looking at the empty scroll.


    Thankfully, as he calmed his Heart, bringing it back to its Serenity, his face too returned to its normal self. Feeling a bit more confident about himself, Alnea cleared his throat, and looked up from the scroll, only to find his master looking at him with amused smile. Did she already know everything? Was his stupid Heart betraying him once again?


    ¡°Did you understand everything?¡±


    ¡°¡­Yes, master.¡±


    ¡°Do you have any questions?¡±


    ¡°¡­No, master.¡±


    ¡°¡­Are you afraid?¡±


    ¡°¡­With you by my side, what do I have to be afraid of, master?¡±


    ¡°Be serious,¡± his master said, flicking his forehead. ¡°The Art of Spirit Rebirth¡­ This will be the first time that you will be experiencing the Mysteries of the Origin Sea in person¡­ At least those that are not related to your Roots. They will not be friendly to you. If you slip up, the consequences will be very dire. Are you sure you want to do this?¡±


    ¡°I am sure, master,¡± Alnea said, in a firm, and adamant voice. ¡°I will try not to make any mistakes¡­ But even if I do end up making any mistakes, I will not regret my decision. Because this is the only way for me to keep my Oaths. The only way to become strong enough to protect you.¡±


    ¡°I am glad to see that you conviction, and resolve are still firm.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s all thanks to you master. You are¡ª


    ¡°And your cheekiness is just as blatant as ever. It looks like you are fine.¡±


    ¡°Of course, I am. I am Alnea Oathkeeper, son, and disciple of Nyssa Thornbearer. Mere Arts, and Mysteries cannot scare me.¡±


    ¡°If you are so cheerful, then you should be ready for trying out the First Cycle of the Art of Spirit Rebirth.¡±


    ¡°¡­I am ready.¡±


    ¡°Good. Then go ahead, and start the first Forging of your Spirit as a Wanderer, Alnea. And do not worry. Like you said, I will be by your side. If something goes wrong, I will save you in time.¡±


    ¡°¡­I know, master,¡± Alnea said. ¡°But I will never let things reach that point. I will do this on my own.¡±


    ¡°Silly child,¡± his master said, caressing his cheeks, and looking at him in his eyes. ¡°May Goddess Ilea watch over you, and bless you.¡±


    ¡°¡­I need only your blessings, master.¡±


    ¡°¡­You are getting better, and better at sweet talking,¡± his master said, shaking her head while chuckling at his response. ¡°I wonder where you are learning that from.¡±


    ¡°¡­These are the most sincere words coming right from my Heart, master,¡± Alnea said, pouting at the implication of his master¡¯s words.


    ¡°¡­Forget it,¡± his master said, caressing his cheeks once again, before looking at him with a solemn gaze. ¡°Be careful.¡±


    ¡°¡­I will.¡±


    With one last glance at his master¡¯s face, Alnea took a deep breath, and closed his eyes, letting his consciousness enter his Spirit World. There was no need for him to close his eyes to accomplish that feat. But closing his eyes did give him better concentration, and focus. And he was going to need every bit of both of those things. Just to be on the safe side, before beginning with the Art, he even observed his Spirit Power. Just about a hundred units. He had been using his Spirit State for quite some time, so that little consumption was expected. But confirming it helped him plan out his¡ª


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    On second, thought, other than delaying the inevitable, it did not do much. He did not admit to his master, but he truly was afraid. Too afraid. In fact, he was so afraid, that he was trying to think of all kinds of excuse to either delay practising the Art, or just abandon it altogether. He could not do that though, or else he would be disappointing his master, and running away from his Oaths. Both were things that he could not accept.


    Thus, brushing aside all his fears, Alnea reached towards the thread connecting his Spirit to the Origin Sea, and began borrowing Oren. Not in a carefully calculated manner of one unit at a time. It would not matter what the size of those threads would be in the end anyway. So, he just reached out, and kept borrowing Oren, stuffing it all into his Spirit, until his Spirit began feeling bloated, telling him that it could not bear it anymore. At least not without losing control.


    With that, the condensation phase of the Art was over. Next was the dispersion phase. Following the instructions from the memory in his head, Alnea began disintegrating all the threads of Oren, spreading them all around his Spirit, before breaking even those tiny threads, and the threads that came from them, and on, and on, until no matter how much he tried, he could not break them down anymore.


    However, in the process, he learned another thing about handling Oren. The lowest amount of Spirit Power needed to condense a thread of Oren was around one hundredth of a unit. Or maybe, that was also related to the limit of his Spirit Power. He would probably learn about it in a few days when his Spirit Power would increase. In any case, if his calculations were correct, then there were roughly twenty five hundred threads of Oren inside his Spirit. Even with their miniscule size, the threads were not enough to completely occupy his Spirit, but they were not required to do so in the first place.


    After making sure that the threads were evenly distributed throughout his Spirit, Alnea paused for a few moments to gather his courage. The threads of Oren were so small that all they were able to do was to send tingling sensations throughout his Spirit, while making it feel a little warm. It did make him feel a little uncomfortable, but nothing he could not handle.


    However, if that was all there was to Forging his Spirit, then the method would not have been abandoned. And neither would his master have been so worried about him. What he was about to do¡­ Just thinking about it was making him shiver. Still, he knew that he had no choice. Whether it was for himself, or for his master, for Yuri, and Cecilia, and even big sis Serena, and his mother, he had to get past his hesitation. But¡­


    Enn¡¯s beard, Alnea thought. So be it. What was the worst that could happen? With his master by his side, he had nothing to fear. Without any hesitation, Alnea reached within himself, and made all the threads of Oren inside his Spirit vibrate in the manner as the instructions in his memory asked him to. Of course, just that was not enough to manifest the Mysteries of the Origin Sea. So, he reached deep within himself, to the thread that connected his Spirit to the Origin Sea, his Roots, and forced it to vibrate in a similar manner, making sure that his summons reached the Origin Sea.


    And it did reach the Origin Sea. It reached the Mysteries he had called for. And the Mysteries responded kindly, barging into his Domain, ignoring all its defences. After all, he was the one who had called them. It was only natural then, that the Origin Sea would allow them entry into his Domain. No, not just his Domain, but his Spirit World itself. Because that was where he had sent the invitation from. That was where his Spirit was.


    Almost as if they were cheering for the prey that they had caught, the Mysteries of the Origin Sea came rushing into his Spirit World, and surrounded his Spirit, ready to pounce upon it. Right before they could do so though, the thousands of the Oren threads vibrating inside his Spirit began to behave strangely, and left his control, as if they had gained a life of their own.


    But they did not run rampant inside his Spirit. They did not even stop vibrating. Rather, they were vibrating in an even more vigorous, and strange manner. And before he knew it, the Mysteries, that were about to pounce on him, quietly slipped inside of his Spirit, and enveloped those threads of Oren. Or were they devoured by those Oren threads? It did not matter. The end result would be the same.


    To get to that end result though, he had to summon more Mysteries from the Origin Sea. Thus, after making sure that neither the Oren threads, nor the Mysteries were running rampant inside of his Spirit, he reached out to the golden black thread connecting his Spirit to the Origin Sea once again. According to the instructions in the memory, next, he had to summon the second set of Mysteries by making his Spirit, and his Roots beat with the same strange rhythm.


    Of course, Alnea did not have enough control to make his Spirit shake in such a strange manner. But he did not need to. His Spirit was already undulating as if it had no solid form, and was filled with air, or water. Not intentionally, but as natural defence mechanism against the Mysteries that had manifested inside of his Spirit. That was the basic concept of the Art of Spirit Rebirth, after all. The cycle of Creation, and Destruction. The cycle of Origin.

 Chapter 13: Practising the Art of Spirit Rebirth [Part 1]

    From Creation comes Destruction, and from Destruction comes Creation. That was the cycle of Origin. And the basic concept on which the Art of Spirit Rebirth was based. Not just the concept of rebirthing his Spirit, but also the concept of how to use Mysteries to attract each other. After all, whether it was Glyph Arrays, or Arcanas, only those which could make the Mysteries cooperate with each other to bring out an effect greater than the sum of their parts could break through the barrier of Perfect Grade, and reach the realms of Transcendent or Divine Grade.


    Since his master had said that the Art of Spirit Rebirth could match Divine Grade Arcanas, then it was only natural for it to use the cooperation of Mysteries to bring out their best effects. The problem was, how to make sure that the Mysteries cooperate with each other. He could use the Oren threads to contain the Mysteries from the lineage of Destruction, but what about the Mysteries from the lineage of Creation? How was he to make sure that it would cooperate with the Mysteries from the lineage of Destruction, and not just simply ravage his Spirit?


    This was where another concept came into play. Everything in the world has an innate natural tendency to fight for its survival. Even his Spirit. So, after sensing the presence of the Mysteries of the lineage of Destruction inside itself, it was only natural for his Spirit to react to it. The degree of reaction though, depended on the thread that it perceived from the Mysteries. If it was only one small part of his Spirit that he had infused the Mysteries from the lineage of Destruction, then his Spirit would not have reacted so wildly. But that would mean that it would not have had the capability to contain the Mysteries of the lineage of Creation.


    Thus, whether it was to gain a complete rebirth of his Spirit, or whether to make the Mysteries cooperate with each other, Alnea was left with no choice but to disperse the thousands of Oren threads, all carrying the Mysteries of the lineage of Destruction, to every part of his Spirit. If he were to lose control of them, the Mysteries would not react very kindly to him. And so, his Spirit was finally forced to react, vibrating in a strange way, probably to negate the aftermaths of the effects of Mysteries.


    Coincidentally, or rather, as a consequence of deliberate design, he needed this exact vibration to summon the Mysteries from the lineage of Creation. Hence, using his Spirit as a source, he made the golden, and black thread connected to it beat with the same rhythm, sending his summons to the Origin Sea. And the Origin Sea did not disappoint him. In just mere moments, the Mysteries from the lineage of Creation had already responded to him. Ignoring the barriers of his Domain, and the world, they came to his Spirit, ready to engulf it in one go.


    However, just like what had happened with the Mysteries from the lineage of the Destruction, the Mysteries from the lineage of Creation stopped just before pouncing on him, getting attracted by the strange rhythm of his Spirit. And in the next moment, before he knew it, the Mystery had already attached itself to his Spirit, beating with the same rhythm as his Spirit did. Both of them, out of his control.


    That in itself would not have been a problem, but there was another set of Mysteries inside his Spirit, beating with the exact opposite rhythm. And so ended the manifestation phase of the Art of Spirit Rebirth, giving way to the phase of the clash of the Mysteries. A phase he had no control of, and the phase he feared the most. Letting two Mysteries, even if they were just Initial Stage False Mysteries, which he had no control over, clash with each other inside his Spirit just did not sound right to him. Especially since what was about to follow¡­


    It was already done. He had already come this far. There was no turning back. Besides, he had his master by his side. What did he have to be afraid of? Reminding himself of that fact over, and over again, Alnea let the Mysteries do their work, waiting for the aftermath to come. And as if they were eager to not let him wait for long, or maybe because they just did not like each other, the two sets of Mysteries began increasing the intensity with which they were beating, as if taunting each other, only to end up getting even more riled up with each other¡¯s taunts, increasing their intensity even more than before.


    Soon, their intensity grew to such a level, that Alnea finally started feeling their effects. The small threads, which had been nothing more than inconvenience, giving him some tingling sensations, turned into searing hot points of needles, that kept oscillating within his Spirit, tearing it apart from the inside. Meanwhile, on the outside, the Mysteries from the lineage of Creation were not being soft on him either, forcefully distorting the shape of his Spirit itself, making him feel as if he was being crushed, and stretched beyond his limits at the same time.


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    By this point, Alnea had lost all his senses. He could not even see his Spirit, or how it was doing. But the Mysteries still did not stop. Instead, they picked up their intensities even more, and more, until the influence of their manifestations finally intersected with each other. For a moment, silence reigned, returning his peace to him. Only for a moment though. Right in the next moment, the Mysteries roared with a yet unprecedented intensity, before¡ª


    Lying on the bed of grass in front big sis Serena¡¯s mansion, Alnea was staring at the brilliant night sky above his head. He had always found the view of the night sky beautiful. Especially the stars¡­ They had a certain charm about them that he could not ignore. However, the night sky from the gardens of the core city was even more mesmerising. And peaceful. If he just laid there, quietly staring at the sky, then for a few moments, he could even forget that just a few hundred metres away from him, the guards of the Lotus clan were patrolling the city, keeping an eye out for any suspicious individual.


    They, of course, did not come near him. They did not dare to. After all, with his master by his side, how could the Lotus clan dare to make any trouble for him? Rather, they should count themselves as blessed by Goddess Ilea if he did not go make any troubles for them. Not that he was interested in making any troubles. He was just enjoying the night sky with his master. And with Yuri, and Cecilia. And big sis Serena, and his mother. All the people he loved, and wished to be with. All the people he cared about. His Heart. His¡ª


    ¡°You should wake up, Alnea,¡± his master said, breaking him away from his thoughts, bringing his attention to herself.


    ¡°Wake up? But I am already awake.¡±


    Hearing his answer, his master shook her head, and said, ¡°Your time is running out.¡±


    ¡°¡­What are you talking about, master?¡±


    ¡°You know what I am talking about,¡± his master said. ¡°I¡­ and everyone else would be sad if anything were to happen to you.¡±


    ¡°Why would anything happen to me? We are just sitting here¡ª


    ¡°It was my fault,¡± his master, sighing, as she shook her head. ¡°The Art¡­ Its effects on you are greater than I thought it would be. You are not ready. At least not yet.¡±


    ¡°I¡­¡±


    ¡°I was too greedy. Too demanding. We should have started with something less¡­ intense. Less¡­ demanding.¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Alnea said, biting his lips, with determination flashing in his eyes. ¡°It was not for you fault master¡­ And I will prove that to you. I will prove it with my actions. I will show you that a mere Art is not enough to defeat me.¡±


    ¡°But you¡ª


    ¡°I will do it!¡± Alnea yelled, and closed his eyes, biting his lips to wake himself up. It was painful. Even if he knew that it was all just his imagination, it was still painful. But it was not as painful as seeing the pain, and the regret in his master¡¯s eyes. It was not as painful as seeing the loss, and the betrayal in Yuri¡¯s, and Cecilia¡¯s eyes. It was not as painful as seeing the empty eyes of big sis Serena, and his master. It was not as painful as having his Heart broken. And it was not as painful as the pain that the clash of Mysteries had brought him.


    Following the explosion of the Oren Threads inside his Spirit, the Mysteries from the lineages of Creation, and Destruction had changed the nature of their clash, taking his Spirit itself as their battlefield. Fire, water, earth, wind, and lightning, all five of the elements raged inside his Spirit, as their inherent nature of destruction, and creation clashed with each other, making him bear all kinds of sensations.


    No, it was not just these five¡­ there were other sensations too. Sensations that came from the basic concept of creation, and destruction, and their clash. A sensation of void¡­ of nothingness¡­ The Art of Spirit Rebirth¡­ it was too dreadful. The Three Turns Spirit Forging Art was nothing in front of it. And so was any other pain that he had faced in his life.


    So great was the pain from experiencing the clash of the Mysteries that Alnea did not even have any senses of his body. And except for the strange sensations filling his Spirit, he could not feel anything else about his Spirit either. The pain had drowned out everything about him. Compared to the dread of seeing his master blame herself though, it was still a little lacking.


    The pain may have been enough to bring down his body, and Spirit, but it was not enough to win over his Heart. Thus, while his Spirit was bathing in the sensations of the aftermath between the clash of Creation, and Destruction, Alnea gathered his Heart to resist against that pain, and proceed with the next step of the Art of Spirit Rebirth. Arousal.

 Chapter 13: Practising the Art of Spirit Rebirth [Part 2]

    Condensation, dispersion, manifestation, clash, arousal, and rebirth, the six phases of the Art of Spirit Rebirth. Of them, Alnea had already completed four of them. Or rather, he had completed three of them, while the fourth one completed itself. For the fifth phase though, he had to wrest control from the Mysteries, and complete it on his own. Yet regaining control of his Spirit was not easy. Especially since he could not even feel anything about his Spirit, except the pain, and strange sensations.


    Fortunately, along with informing him about how to manifest the Mysteries of the lineages of Creation, and Destruction, the memories that the scroll had imprinted in his mind also had information regarding this phase. Thus, following those instructions, Alnea reached towards the different sensations that he was feeling. The sensation of being bathed in fire, of being drowned in water, of turning into dust, of becoming the wind that carried that dust, and of becoming the lightning that struck down on that dust.


    He could not feel his Spirit, but these strange sensations kept tormenting him over, and over. Rather, it was because these sensations were flooding his senses that he failed to feel his Spirit in the first place. Still, that he could not feel his Spirit did not mean that his Spirit had ceased to exist. Or that he had no control over it. It was just that his control was not very apparent, at least not to him. After all, he could not even observe his Spirit. But what he was about to do had no requirement of observing his Spirit. All he needed were the strange sensations¡­


    Fire, the epitome of Destruction. A fire, if strong enough, could burn through anything in the world. Even Oren. At the same time, fire was also the epitome of Creation. Because in Destruction, lay Creation. What was destroyed through fire, most often than not, just changed its form. Fire alone, however, could neither be the representation of Creation, nor Destruction. Because Fire was just a beginning, and an end.


    Beyond Fire, was Water. Not a force one would often correlate with either Destruction, or Creation. Yet it was an essential part of both. For without the base of Water, how could anything be created? Without the support of Water, how could the world exist? And without the terror of Water, how could one face Destruction?


    Drowning in water¡­ that was just the softest ways of Destruction. There were other, more brutal ways of Destruction that Water had. Even the all encompassing Earth could not stand against the terror of Water. However, that did not mean that Earth was docile. Often times than not, the Destruction caused by Earth was much more devastating the Destruction caused by Fire, and Water combined. Mountains could collapse at a moment¡¯s notice. Even the brightest of lights of Enn could be swallowed up by some Rifts, and valleys. And if it was really bent on destruction, then it could even erupt with molten rocks, and flames.


    Yet, just as how much Destruction it could cause, Earth was also the element that showed the greatest variety of Creation. From lush, vibrant forests, to plains, and fields, stretching for miles, and beyond. From trees, that could tower thousands of metres, to the small bugs, that existed within the roots of that tree. Earth a cradle of Creation. And of Life.


    But just Earth itself was not enough to create Life. It needed the help of other forces. Forces like Wind. The messenger of Creation. The harbinger of Life. Wherever winds could go, Life could exist. But Winds were not just about bringing Life. Along with Life, sometimes, they also brought Destruction. And as if they were not happy with bringing Destruction by themselves, they even helped other forces to bring more Destruction. Whether it was Fire, Water, or even Earth. When they met together, and decided to cause Destruction, then stopping them would become increasingly difficult.


    Only Lightning remained aloof. It did not accept help even from the Wind. Rather, it received the greatest obstruction from the Wind. But it still remained aloof, coming, and going as it wished, wreaking Destruction in its wake. However, even in that Destruction, lay the seed of creation. A seed of Life. Not one that people could see normally. But the Seed of Life did exist. Just as it existed within his Spirit.


    Reaching¡ªon a metaphorical level, with his thoughts, and imagination¡ª towards the depths of his Spirit, where the perception of Lightning¡ªtingling, and jerking sensations, along with a sensation of being burnt¡ª was the strongest, Alnea imagined connecting it with his Roots, the golden, and black thread. It was hard, considering all the pain, and weird sensations, causing him to fail many times. But he persevered, and held on, almost hypnotising himself to think of the thread.


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    Whether it was because of his perseverance, or because his Roots took pity on him, he did not know, but somehow, after a while, the thread finally connected to the part of his Spirit where the seed of Life was. With that, his work was finally done. Next, all he had to do was to wait. Wait for the Mysteries to come. Fortunately, this time, the Mysteries were not of the aggressive kind. Heeding his summons, the Mysteries gently slipped past the barrier of his Domain, and followed along with his Roots, before manifesting around his Spirit.


    No, not around his Spirit. Rather, they manifested within his Spirit. Within the small seed of Life that was almost on the verge of breaking apart. Thankfully, the Mysteries saved it in time, and germinated it, before letting it take root in his Spirit. In his battered, and weary Spirit, which just like the seed, was on the verge of breaking apart. The seed, of course, would not let that happen. And neither would the Mysteries. Through the roots of the seed of Life, the Mysteries of Life began spreading in his Spirit.


    Consequently, the pain began subsiding ever so slowly, as did the strange sensations flooding his senses. Bit by bit, they lessened in intensity, and numbers, allowing him to gain a hazy sense of his Spirit, and his surroundings. Of his Aspect which was churning violently, thrashing against the walls of its well, as it watched him suffer in pain. When Alnea saw its frantic actions though, even though the pain had not completely subsided yet, he ended up smiling beyond his control.


    Reaching towards his Aspect with his thoughts, he consoled it, reassuring it that he was alright. That there was nothing wrong with him. It was only then that the Aspect stopped churning so violently. It was still not completely easy though, and kept rippling in its home, observing his actions. Shaking his head, Alnea went back to observing his Spirit, and how it was faring. Most of the pain had already subsided, leaving just the strange sensations, which soon faded away as well.


    In their place, a warm, and gentle feeling filled his Spirit, healing it, making it go through a cycle of Rebirth. Obviously, at some point, the Mysteries of the lineage of Creation, and Destruction had been forced back to the Origin Sea. But the Mysteries of lineage of Life remained, making his Spirit glow in a greenish white light.


    Unfortunately, aside from the fact that it was helping him heal his tattered Spirit, strengthening it in the process, he could not sense much else from the Mystery. If he wished to comprehend the Mystery, he would have to do it within the Origin Sea itself. And even within the Origin Sea, considering that his Roots were from the lineages of Day, and Night, comprehending Mysteries from the lineage of Life would not be easy.


    After all, not everyone could be like his master, comprehending Mysteries from multiples lineages. Even he did not know how she did that. Considering her omnipotence, and omniscience though, it was something that could be expected from her. As he had thought, his master was the best¡­


    Lost in his thoughts, by the time Alnea came to his senses, the pain had finally faded away, while the bits of the strange sensations that remained were like phantom experiences, memories of the things that he had went through. And soon, even those faded away. Thus, with nothing left to do, the Mysteries of Life also took their leave, returning from whence they had come. And with that, the first round of the Art of Spirit Rebirth finally came to an end.


    His session of Forging his Spirit, however, had just begun. He still had about seventy five units of Spirit Power left. That meant, around three more rounds of the Art of Spirit Rebirth¡­ Just thinking about it was making him shiver. Even the hesitation that he had faced in the beginning came back stronger than ever. Once was enough. He could already feel his Spirit strengthen a little. He could go back to his master, and tell her that he had succeeded. That he had¡ª


    Ran away? That he was scared? That he was not strong enough to bear the pain? No, he would not do that. He refused to bow down to mere pain. He refused to let his Heart break. He was Alnea Oathkeeper. And her was going to walk on the path of the strong. Even if that path was filled with pain, he would not cower. He would not back down.


    With a determined Heart, Alnea stopped hesitating, and reached towards the Origin Sea once again, borrowing more Oren from it. As for the Oren that he had borrowed before, it had already been used up in supplying power to sustain the Mysteries. What he was using was not the Three Turn Spirit Forging Art, after all. It was the Art of Spirit Rebirth. An Art designed to give a complete rebirth to his Spirit. An Art, that carried the hope of his future.

 Chapter 14: Persistence [Part 1]

    Tired, in body, mind, Spirit, and Heart, Alnea opened his eyes to find his master looking back at him, nodding in satisfaction, with pride flashing in her eyes.


    ¡°How was it?¡±


    ¡°Painful¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­As long as you can bear the pain, your gains will be immense.¡±


    ¡°¡­I know.¡±


    ¡°Do you blame me for making you go through this?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Alnea said, hurriedly shaking his head. ¡°It is my fault that I have to train with Arts, master. Rather, I am grateful that you went out of your way to create the Art for me.¡±


    ¡°Silly disciple,¡± his master said, gently ruffling through his hair. ¡°You think too much. The Art¡­ It is not as difficult to create as you think it is. At least for someone of my level.¡±


    ¡°But you are still the first person to create it, master. You are omniscient! You¡ª


    Alnea¡¯s words were interrupted by the hands condensed from his master¡¯s Spirit Power, flicking his forehead.


    ¡°Even when you are so tired, you still cannot stop being cheeky¡­¡±


    ¡°What does telling truth have to do with me being tired, master?¡± Alnea said, looking at his master with innocent eyes.


    ¡°¡­Forget it. I will not argue with a silly child like you.¡±


    ¡°¡­I am not a child anymore. I am a full fledged Wanderer, and would soon turn fourteen years old in a few months.¡±


    ¡°Alright, my little Wanderer,¡± his master said, chuckling at his words. ¡°Do you now understand what the Art of Spirit Rebirth means?¡±


    ¡°Art of Spirit Rebirth¡­ It is about giving a complete Rebirth to our Spirit?¡±


    ¡°Why are you hesitating.¡±


    ¡°Because I am not sure.¡±


    ¡°Or because you are just rephrasing the name of the Art?¡±


    ¡°¡­It is not my fault that you chose such a perfect name for the Art, master,¡± Alnea said, laughing awkwardly. ¡°It is much better than the name that I came up with¡­ Three Turns Spirit Forging Art¡­ Is that why you did not ask for me to name the Art, master?¡±


    ¡°¡­Do not think about useless things.¡±


    ¡°Speaking of the Three Turns Spirit Forging Art, I thought that this time I would be able to create another version of the Spirit Piercing Needles¡ª


    ¡°Do not even think about doing such things,¡± his master said, looking at him with a solemn gaze. ¡°It was alright at the Seed Rank, but False Ranked Mysteries are not what you can control without comprehending them. You have already experienced their horror, so I should not need to remind you about what could happen if you lost control, now do I?¡±


    ¡°No¡­¡±


    ¡°Just wait patiently until you have comprehended your own Mysteries. After that, you can play around with them however much you want. But till then, no fooling around with the Mysteries of the Origin Sea. Do you understand?¡±


    ¡°¡­Yes, master,¡± Alnea grumbled. ¡°I was just joking around anyways.¡±


    ¡°With how crazy you act at times, do you think I would believe it?¡±


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    ¡°¡­How did you create the Art of Spirit Rebirth, master?¡± Alnea said, trying to change the topic to something that would not embarrass him. ¡°It is completely different from the Three Turns Spirit Forging Art.¡±


    ¡°Did you think that I was going to give you just an upgraded version of the Three Turns Spirit Forging Art?¡± his master said, shaking her head with a smile. ¡°That was just a prototype that I was using to check the feasibility of the training Spirit by letting two Mysteries clash with each other. Although its effects were as good as a Transcendent Grade Arcana of the same Rank, there were too many loopholes in the Art, making it unsuitable to train with for long period of time. After the last few months of research, if I were to grade the Art once again, I would probably give it a grading of a Top, or even a High Grade Art.


    ¡°The Art of Spirit Rebirth though, is a genuine Divine Grade Art that can be comparable to Divine Grade Arcanas not just in terms of its effects, but also in other areas. Of course, it still has the demerit of having to experience pain, and the clash of the Mysteries, but that is an inherent feature of the Arts, so it cannot be helped much. Still, what it lacks in terms of usability, and friendliness, it makes up in other areas.


    ¡°Like its name suggests, the Art of Spirit Rebirth will truly make your Spirit go through a process of Rebirth. It will be painful, but in return, your Spirit will much more resilient to attacks, both from other Wanderers, and the Origin Sea, than the other Wanderers of your Stage. Even amongst Divine Grade Arcanas, few of them can compare with how the Art can make your Spirit develop in an all round manner.¡±


    ¡°¡­It is not that painful,¡± Alnea said. ¡°As soon as I imagine your face, all the pain goes away.¡±


    ¡°Silly disciple,¡± his master said, chuckling at his response, ruffling his hair once again, before she slowly withdrew her hand, and her smile from her face. ¡°Are you alright?¡±


    ¡°I am fine, master.¡±


    ¡°¡­Did you experience anything strange when practising the Art?¡±


    ¡°Speaking of something strange¡­ I did encounter something, master.¡±


    ¡°What was it?¡±


    ¡°When I first experienced the clash of the Mysteries, the pain had come too abruptly. It was the first time I was experiencing something so painful. For a few moments, I even lost my consciousness¡­ I think¡­ And I saw a dream¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­What kind of dream?¡±


    ¡°It is not the kind of dream that you are thinking, master,¡± Alnea said, shaking his head. ¡°And that is why this is so strange. For the first time in more than seven years, I saw a proper dream, master. I did not see the memories of the other Alnea, nor did I see any of my own memories. It was a proper dream¡­ As dreams should be.¡±


    For some reasons, Alnea thought that he saw relief flash past his master¡¯s eyes. It lasted for too short of a moment though, so he was not able to confirm it. And before he could think any further on it, his master spoke once again.


    ¡°What did you see?¡±


    ¡°¡­That we were in the garden in front of big sis Serena¡¯s mansion. You, me, Cecilia, Yuri, big sis Serena, mother¡­ All of us were enjoying the night sky from there. But then, you started speaking to me, asking me to wake up, and¡­ in any case, after I talked with you a little, I realised that it was all just a dream. Soon after, the dream shattered, and I was able to feel my Spirit once again. Or at least, the pain, and all the different kinds of sensations. Then I proceeded to complete the last steps of the Art of Spirit Rebirth.¡±


    ¡°And did you experience something like that again?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Alnea said, shaking his head. ¡°It was only in the first round. In the subsequent rounds, I was already prepared for the pain, so I did not lose my consciousness. Naturally, I did not dream, or experienced anything strange.¡±


    ¡°Is that so,¡± his master said, and after some thought, added, ¡°It is like you said, you lost consciousness because the pain came too abruptly. And the dream was probably your subconsciousness warning you to wake up, and regain control. As for why the dream was not a memory of¡­ your namesake, it is probably because your Spirit was being engulfed by the clash of Mysteries. And we have already established that those memories had something to do with your Spirit. They were probably suppressed because of the pain. You do not have to worry about them. Just keep following your training schedule. And if something untoward happens, then I will handle it.¡±


    As he heard her words, and compared it with the light in her eyes, Alnea thought that there might be something else that she was not telling him. But if it was something that he needed to know, she would have told him already. So, he did not point it out to her, and just nodded along with her words, saying, ¡°Yes, master.¡±


    ¡°Do you have anything else to add?¡±


    ¡°No¡­¡±


    ¡°Then what are you sitting there for? Time is passing. You have to make use of every moment.¡±


    ¡°¡­I will get going,¡± Alnea said, pouting at his master, but still followed her words. Taking out the scroll about the basic sword movements from his bag, he picked up the wooden sword kept by the side of his bag, and walked into the darkness, stopping at the bank of the stream. A ten metres wide stream¡­


    The naming sense of Wanderers were so distorted. In contrast, his sense of naming was not that bad. Three Turns Spirit Forging Art was such a perfect name. It described everything about the Art. What would he have named the Art of Spirit Rebirth if his master had asked him to name it though? Clash of Mysteries? Seed of Life? Rhythm of Forging Spirits? Or just the Exploding Mysteries Spirit Forging Art?

 Chapter 14: Persistence [Part 2]

    ¡°I, Alnea Oathkeeper, take an Oath that I will¡­¡±


    Before beginning training with his sword, Alnea proceeded to take the same Oath that he had taken the night before, except, instead of a thousand repetitions, he decided to go with a thousand and a hundred repetitions. After all, he still had some strength left after the practising his sword the night before. Not much, but enough to swing his sword a few more times. And that was towards the end of the day, when he had already exhausted himself. He was exhausted at the moment as well, but mentally, rather than physically. And though swinging the sword required some mental strength, it was his physical strength which was going to be tested next.


    Taking a deep breath, Alnea ensured that his footing on the ground was correct, before he began swinging his sword. With all his strength, of course. Even borrowing some strength from the unstable ground below him, which seemed to interfere with his balance a little. Thankfully, he had mastered quite a few Martial Styles of the Auxiliary type that focused on helping him gain better control of his body, the most effective of which, of course, was his Oathkeeper Style.


    Once, he had thought that he had gained perfect control over his body. He had the help of Oathkeeper Style, after all. It was only when he had been flung around in the air by the Heterodox Wanderers that he had learned how wrong he was. Having control of his body on ground, with a stable base, was very different from having control of his body without any base. The former relied on the strength, and the support of the base to provide control, while the latter was true perfect control.


    No, that could not be considered as true perfect control either. True perfect control would be being able to control your body in any conditions, even when there were forces trying to destroy his balance. But he could not even control his body on an unstable base, let alone control it in air, or when faced with hindrances. So, for the moment, he decided to take things step by step, and do what he could.


    Putting all his strength behind his sword, he swung it down once, before using the same amount of force to swing it upwards, in the same arc. However, he could not just blindly swing his sword either. There was a certain trick to both, holding his sword, and swinging it. It was all written in the scroll. At the very least, he had to make sure that the blade of his sword was straight, and aligned with the angle he was swinging it from.


    The greater problem though, came from making sure that he could control his strength, and stop in time. With how unstable his footing was, he often failed in that regard, and was led around by his own swings. But he never fell. And he never gave up. No matter how much he fumbled, how heavy the sword got, or how his shoulders trembled, he never gave up.


    The fact that he was a bit more familiar with the action than he was the night before might have helped him, but even if it did, it only helped him to conserve his strength. It did not help him fight off the fire in his veins, and his arms, and legs. That, he had to fight off with his own determination, something that he had been getting quite good at, courtesy to the Spirit Forging Arts.


    So, on, and on he went, swinging his sword up, and down, down, and up, until he finally completed his thousand and a hundred swings. Much earlier than he had expected to do so. And not feeling as much tired as he had felt the day before. Maybe it was because he was not as tired when he had begun in the first place. Or maybe he was starting to get a feeling wielding of a sword. In any case, he was done with only vertical swings, so he could not just keep standing.


    Taking a few deep breaths, he got into the position of stabbing swords, and begun his practice once again. This time, since he had to move his feet along with the sword, he fumbled a little more than before. But his sword was always stable. And it always kept pointing forwards, towards his imaginary enemy. That was another thing the scroll had mentioned. To never swing a sword empty. To swing his sword as if he was swinging it at his enemies.


    It was a way of gathering his focus, and strength, the scroll had said. Alnea himself though, had not been able to feel the said effect. It was not that he had no enemies. He had plenty of them. In fact, he had a whole Orthodoxy, and a Heterodoxy chasing after him. But he was never able to picture someone standing in the path of his sword. The most he could do, was picture some Oren Beasts. Maybe it was because he had never actually fought someone, a human, to death. And the one time he did injure someone fatally, it was his own friend¡­


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    Hastily clearing away the image that came flashing in his mind, Alnea redoubled his efforts in stabbing his sword. Once. Twice. Thrice¡­ By the time he reached the seven hundredth stab, he was finally beginning to feel tired, and light headed. But he did not stop. The whole purpose of swinging his sword beyond his limits was to ingrain that action within his body, within his Spirit. If he stopped because he felt tired, all of his efforts would be wasted.


    Thus, despite his aching, and sore body, Alnea still kept stabbing his sword again, and again, until he finally completed all of his stabs. Exhaling a deep breath, he brought the sword down by his side. By this time, his body was already starting to scream, asking for him to stop. Even his Spirit Power had recovered to around seventy units. If he just rested a little, it would recover completely. If he just rested a little¡­


    Gritting his teeth, Alnea closed his eyes, as he changed his position once again, this time, shifting his legs a little apart from each other, with his left leg positioned slight towards the front. Counting to three, he opened his eyes, and began slashing with his sword. Once, twice, thrice, on, and on he went, not daring to rest for even a moment. He was scared that if stopped for even a fraction of a moment, he would not be able to swing his sword again.


    So, despite the increasing fire in his veins, he still went on, until he could not go on anymore. On hindsight, taking an Oath for a thousand, and a hundred swings was not such a good idea. In total, that meant three hundred extra swings. A one tenth increase in quantity. But it had become a sort of habit of his to always keep making his Oaths more, and more challenging. And it was a compulsion, not just from his Roots, but also from his Heart, to complete those Oaths no matter how challenging they were.


    Thus, even when he felt that he could not go on, he gritted his teeth, and still swung his sword. And when that stopped working, he bit his lips to jolt his nerve into working. A time came though, when even biting his lips stopped working. Swinging his sword even once seemed an almost impossible task. His unceasing swings had finally come to a halt.


    And just like that, all the ache, all the weight accumulated in his arms and legs came bearing down upon him, sealing their movement, and his fate. His Oath was to remain unfulfilled. Almost immediately, his Roots too, began shaking, as the chains of his Oath started trembling, ready to break through the barriers between the worlds, and drag him to the Origin Sea. Ready to devour him.


    ¡°Silly disciple,¡± his master said, patting his head. She had arrived by his side at some point, and was looking at him with a wry smile. ¡°What have I told you about your Oaths?¡±


    ¡°I¡­¡±


    ¡°It is alright, I will handle it this time.¡±


    ¡°I¡­¡±


    ¡°But you have to be careful from next time, alright?¡±


    ¡°I¡­ will¡­¡±


    ¡°Alright, no need to be so tensed.¡±


    ¡°I¡­ will¡­¡±


    ¡°Just relax. Let your master show you¡ª


    ¡°I¡­ will¡­ complete my Oath!¡±


    So what if his body stopped listening to him? His Roots were coming for him? Let them come. He was Alnea Oathkeeper! He aways kept his Oaths. No. Matter. What.


    ¡°You are in no shape¡ª


    Before his master could complete her words, a golden glow began seeping out his body, travelling along his hands, to his sword. Soon, his sword was also glowing in a golden light. And following his will. A swing to the left. A swing to the right. A swing to break all his shackles. A swing to prove his might.


    ¡°¡­You are finally starting to grow up,¡± his master said, withdrawing her hand from his head, while looking at him with a complicated gaze. Seeing her like that, seeing her so torn, all Alnea wished to do was to drop the sword, and hug her. To tell her that it was alright. That he was still the same Alnea. That no matter how much he grew, he would still be her disciple, her son. But he could not stop. Not at the moment. Not before completing his Oath.


    Thus, on, and on he went, swinging his sword with an immaculate accuracy, matching everything down to a tenth of an inch to the instructions given in the scroll. There were still some imperfections, but soon, he believed, he would overcome them all. Soon, he believed, he would master all the basic forms of a sword.


    After all, he was not learning how to swing sword by himself. He had his master to guide him from the side. And his Aspect to help him from the inside. If he failed to master the basics of sword despite having such conditions, then there would be no need for the chains of his Oaths to drag him into the Origin Sea. He would have probably died from shame long before that could happen.

 Chapter 15: Fighting with a sword [Part 1]

    Stab, and slash. Those were the only ways that Alnea could move his sword. He could, of course, keep adding variations in his movements, increasing the count of basic sword moves to three, four, five, or even eight. Some people went so far as to name thirteen, or even eighteen basic sword moves. But no matter what kind of sword moves there were, they were all just some variation in angles, and strength, along with the intention behind the two most basic moves, slash, and stab.


    This was what the scroll had said. And this was what his Aspect had been telling him the past few days, as he had kept employing its help to speed up his practice of swords. Though he did not have any Martial Styles to make the best use out of his Aspect, just by being in mere possession of the Aspect, invoking its properties, his understanding of the sword had jumped quite a few levels in the past few days.


    In fact, his improvement was to such an extent, that within just a couple of days of gaining his Aspect, his master had already acceded to his request of letting him practise his sword as he saw fit. After all, the only reason that he had been practising his sword with set rules was because he was completely new to swords. Handling them without any restrictions would have only hurt him. Since he had already gained a basic understanding of the sword though, there was no need for him to follow such set movements.


    Rather, by giving up the set movements, and letting his sword flow naturally, his understanding of the gist of sword movements had improved tremendously over the past few days. Which angles would be best suited to attack, or defend from, how to change from an offensive stance to a defensive stance just by slightly twisting his wrists, when to block the attacks of his enemies, and when to parry them¡­


    Such things had just kept coming to him as he had kept swinging his sword, making him feel as if he was best swordsman in the world. In the eyes of his master though, he was still lacking a bit, and needed to practice a little more, before moving on to a real sword, and learning Martial Styles. And though he grumbled a bit, Alnea knew that his master was right. Overconfidence had caused many capable Wanderers to die a premature death. Even his father¡­


    In any case, he was not the first person to have a sword shaped Aspect. And though his Aspect was indeed a bit stronger than the Aspects of other Initial, or even Intermediate Stage False Wanderers, to True Wanderers and above, such Aspects were barely worth mentioning. All of them had such Aspects, if not stronger. The advantage that his Aspect was giving him, their Aspects could give them as well. The way he handled his sword, they could handle it as well. Rather, years, and decades of practice would only have made them better masters of sword. Even amongst the False Wanderers, he was just a novice.


    Alnea, however, had something that those other Wanderers did not. His master. With his master guiding him from the side, so what if his proficiency in swords as low at the moment? It would increase soon enough. And once he began learning Martial Styles, no one of the same Stage would be able to stop his sword¡­ Unless they had something just as special as him, but that was impossible. There was only one master in the world. No one could be like her.


    Catching glimpses of her satisfied smile from the corner of his eyes, as he went about swinging his sword, Alnea nodded to himself, as he shifted his body to avoid the incoming blow of his imaginary enemy. Shadow fighting, it was called. Since he did not have any enemies to hone his fighting skills with, he could imagine an enemy for himself. It was much more efficient way to practise his sword than just swinging it at empty air. And much more tiring as well. Especially since the enemy he was fighting did not come from his imagination, but from an Arcana that his master had casted.


    ¡°You want to swing your sword freely, and as you would like?¡± his master said, nodding at his words, when he had asked her about shifting away from the set swings. ¡°That does not sound as too bad of an idea¡­ but if you want to swing your sword freely, then why not just swing it at your enemy?¡±


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    And just like that, instead of swinging his sword, while standing in mud, Alnea found himself facing off enemies, while dancing in mud¡­ He had thought that he had a strong base. Even when he fumbled at times, he had never fallen while practising his sword swings. That was until he was jumping around, trying to dodge an attack from his ¡®shadow¡¯ enemy. It was only then that he had finally understood why his master had agreed so easily to let him shift away from empty swings.


    That, and when he had faced a ¡®human¡¯ as his shadow enemy. Swinging his sword at Oren Beasts was easy, but swinging it at humans, especially with the intention to kill, was not something he could accept so easily¡­ at least not yet. He did not know if it was good or a bad thing¡­ Maybe, he knew, but just did not wish to admit it. After all, he had found himself faltering even against the shadows of Heterodox Wanderers. And there could no signs more glaring, asking him to strengthen his resolve.


    Things had grown better in the past few days. At the very least, he was not always defending himself. But whenever the time to deliver the final blow came, he would always hesitate a little, and end up losing his initiative. But not today. Not at the moment. A clear conscience, and a Clear Heart, Alnea told himself. As long as he had those, it did not matter what he did. Even if he swung his sword at other humans, as long as he knew that it was the right things to do¡­


    Biting his lips to stay focussed, Alnea jumped back a little to avoid the sword of his ¡®shadow¡¯ enemy coming at his throat. In his eagerness though, he jumped with a little too much force, causing him to lose his balance, and get stuck in the muddy ground. Seeing a chance, his enemy did not let it slip past. Using the momentum from the swing of his sword, his enemy turned its body around, adding even more power to its swing, as it brought its sword down to his head.


    And as Alnea saw the edge of the sword nearing his head, for some inexplicable reason, the image of his master, with a sad, and mournful look on her face, flashed past his mind. The same look that his mother had, when his father had died. The same look that he had, when his mother had broken his trust. The same look¡­


    Gritting his teeth, Alnea ignored all the resistance within his Heart, and pushed his sword forwards, thrusting it in a stab, piercing his enemy¡¯s heart before the shadowy figure could complete its swing. In the next moment, as always, the shadowy figure disintegrated into countless tiny fragments, before dissolving back into the darkness of the canyons.


    ¡°You did a good job, Alnea,¡± his master said, as she walked up to his side, and gently patted his head, while he heaved heavy breaths. His hands, still outstretched, in the action of stabbing another human¡¯s heart, kept trembling. Even if it was just an illusory figure, a creation of his master¡¯s Arcana, stabbing another human¡­


    ¡°It is alright, Alnea,¡± his master said, placing her hand over his, gently lowering it down. ¡°It is alright¡­ It is over¡­ You can rest for a while.¡±


    ¡°No¡­¡± Alnea said. ¡°It is not time yet.¡±


    ¡°¡­Mixing rest, with hard work is the key to success.¡±


    ¡°¡­It is not time yet.¡±


    ¡°You should not¡ª


    ¡°Please¡­ master.¡±


    ¡°You¡­ why are you so stubborn?¡± his master said, shaking her head, before letting out a sigh. ¡°I think I am getting too soft¡­¡±


    ¡°Master¡­¡±


    ¡°Forget it. Since you want to practise, then practise. But remember, no matter what form your enemies are in, they will still be your enemies. You should not hesitate against them. And neither should you beat yourself up over hurting them. Do you understand?¡±


    ¡°¡­Yes, master.¡±


    ¡°Good. Then go ahead. I will be watching your performance.¡±


    Saying so, his master stretched out her hands into the darkness of the canyon, mumbling something under her breath. In the next moment, the darkness around them churned, physically, as some of that darkness broke off from the main body of darkness of the canyon, before coalescing into a humanoid figure. His enemy. The one whom he had to kill.

 Chapter 15: Fighting with a sword [Part 2]

    The shadowy figure standing in front of Alnea was a little taller than him. And a little bulkier. Even its sword was a little larger than his. From his experience, even the figure¡¯s strength would be greater than his¡­ probably around Cecilia¡¯s level. But that did not matter. Though strength was important, it was not always the deciding factor in a fight. He had fought hundreds, if not thousands of Oren Beasts, and all of them had greater strength than him. Yet, except for a few fights in the beginning, when he was still a novice, he had never lost. The shadowy figure would be no exception.


    The moment that the figure had coalesced, it rushed towards him, swinging its sword at him. But Alnea was prepared. To the downward swing at his head, he responded with a stab, aiming directly for his enemy¡¯s head. As if he was going to trade a blow for a blow. However, right before his stab could reach the showy figure¡¯s head, Alnea changed the trajectory of his sword just enough to make the tip of his sword slide against the side of his enemy''s blade, using that as a leverage to deflect the incoming strike, letting it fall to his side.


    He could have blocked the sword, but deflecting it not only made it so that his sword was in a better position to attack, but also created an opportunity for him, leaving the shadowy figure¡¯s chest wide open. Building up on the opportunity that he had created, Alnea swung his sword from the position it was in, while his enemy¡¯s sword was still falling. Unfortunately, the shadowy figure was not an easy target. Sensing the attack, it jumped back just in time so that his sword only slightly grazed its chest.


    Still, the initiative had fallen into his hand. So, the moment his enemy stepped back, he stepped forward, and followed with another thrust, this time, aimed at its throat. Unlike him though, the shadowy figure was literally made out of shadows, and darkness. Or maybe, it existed only in his eyes. In any case, jumping around in the muddy banks of the stream did not seem to affect its footing every much.


    So, by the time his thrust reached the figure, it had already regained its balance, and swung its sword, deflecting his attack just towards the side of its neck, while tilting its head slightly. In the opposite direction, of course. But this also meant that for a moment, the tip of his sword went into its blind zone. Taking advantage of that fact, Alnea changed his thrust into a swing, one aimed directly at the shadowy figure¡¯s shoulders.


    Unfortunately, though the distance between his sword, and the shadowy figure¡¯s shoulder was too small for it to dodge in time, it also meant that he did not have enough space to gather strength, and power behind his swing. Still, it was enough to¡ª


    Optah¡¯s fingers, Alnea cursed, as he saw the tip of the shadowy sword coming right for his nose. Though the shadowy figure was probably just an illusion, he did not dare risk it. More importantly though, he did not wish to disappoint his master. And so, he was left with no choice, but to jump back in order to save himself, relinquishing the initiative of the fight to the shadowy figure.


    And as he had expected, seeing him retreat, the shadowy figure followed right at his heels, using its forward momentum to send another stab, aimed directly at his Heart. This time though, Alnea was prepared, and responded to the stab with another riposte. The shadowy figure, however, had been clever enough to not commit everything to the stab. Moreover, it had also maintained a certain distance with him. As such, their confrontation ended with both of them being on neutral ground.


    Thus, began a chaotic exchange of blows, with both of them pressing against each other, not intending to give their enemies any chance to breathe, or relax. Though, on second thought, the shadowy figure did not seem to breathe at all¡­


    Alnea dodged a sword aimed right at his eyes by ducking down just in time, while cursing himself for getting distracted in midst of a fight. The shadowy figure though, did not seem to very intent on letting him go so easily, and followed up with a downward slash, with a little angle added to it, probably intending to slash off his head. At this point, he could not hesitate anymore.


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    ¡°Come,¡± Alnea mumbled, as he did a back roll, before flipping onto his feel, while borrowing Oren from within the Origin Sea, and supplying it to his Aspect. ¡°Sword of Heart¡­ Sword of Guard.¡±


    Almost immediately, a golden glow, with streaks of black mixed in it, began seeping out of his body, making him feel almost invincible. As if he could do anything. As if he could just crush the shadowy figure in front of him. After all, the shadowy figure had dared to harm him, and in consequence, hurt the people he loved. That, he could not forgive. What he guarded, no one could hurt, or take.


    Almost on instinct, the golden light began spilling over from his body, dyeing his sword in its shade, making it a part of his body. On the other side, the shadowy figure, intent on hurting him, on taking things away from him, reached towards him with its sword once again, in vain. By then, Alnea had already completed his initial transformation. And for the shadowy figure, that initial transformation was enough.


    Not even bothering to dodge, or block, Alnea swung his sword at the shadowy figure.  To the shadowy figure itself, this may have seemed like a very stupid decision. To Alnea though, that was the most natural course of action. After all, when strength reached a certain point, all kinds of tricks, and techniques were useless. And boosted by his Aspect, he did not just have strength, but technique as well.


    Consequently, his sword, backed by his Aspect, cleaved right through the insubstantial sword, and the body of the shadowy figure, sundering both of them apart in two halves, forcing them to dissipate, and merge back into the surrounding darkness that they had formed from. The strike drained him a little, but it was oddly satisfying. Only until the time the Aspect was overflowing from him though.


    The moment that his Aspect receded from his sword, and went back to its home, all of the nausea, and unease of slashing another figure came rushing back to him, causing his hands to shiver a little. Controlling those shivers, and not daring to let them show on his face, Alnea let out a sigh, and put on a smile on his face, before turning towards his master.


    ¡°How was it, master?¡±


    ¡°Much better,¡± his master said, nodding at him in satisfaction. ¡°There has been a drastic improvement in the way you handle swords these past few days. Still, it could be even better. Especially if you get rid of your hesitation. I know this is hard for you to accept, but you have already experienced some of the cruelty of the world. If you show mercy to your enemies, then it will be akin to being cruel to yourself, and to those who care for you.¡±


    ¡°¡­I will try, master.¡±


    ¡°That is all that I ask,¡± his master said, walking up to him, before ruffling through his hair with a smile. She did not smile for long though, and soon looked at him with a solemn gaze. ¡°When you are facing your enemy, you should have only one thing in your mind. Either you live, or they live. There cannot be any other choices¡­ at least in most cases. As for the special cases, that is rarer than encountering a Mystery right at the edge of your Domain. So do not pine on miracles. Do you understand?¡±


    ¡°¡­Yes, master.¡±


    ¡°Good, now let us go back.¡±


    ¡°But my Spirit Power has still not recovered, master. Rather, I just wasted a bit of it right now. So¡ª


    ¡°It is alright. There are things that I have to discuss with you. You can recover your Spirit Power while we do that.¡±


    ¡°Things to discuss? What?¡±


    ¡°Did you forget? It is time for you to choose the type of sword that suits you the best.¡±


    ¡°Huh? So soon? But it has barely been a week since I started practising with a sword.¡±


    ¡°I am just as surprised as you are,¡± his master said. ¡°But I guess I should have expected it. Your Aspect¡­ It is much more useful than normal Aspects of its Rank. No wonder it needed such a large well. Though it can be bit draining on your Spirit Power, its effectiveness cannot be denied. You have mastered the basic movements of swords. Next, you need to choose a type of sword that suits you best. Practising variations of your sword moves, and learning some advance concepts of sword would come after that. Besides, I think it is time for you to learn how to use your Aspects in a more efficient way.¡±


    ¡°Does that mean¡­¡±


    ¡°It is time for you learn some Martial Styles.¡±

 Chapter 16: The way of Swords [Part 1]

    Alnea always listened to his master. And that was why he was following her words. Not because he was excited to learn new Martial Styles. Or choose his sword¡­ Maybe he was little excited¡­ Why was he hiding his excitement anyway? It was not as if the girls were there to make fun of him. Both of them should be struggling in the canyons somewhere. It should be fine to get a little excited, he thought. And so, he followed his master back to the bed of abominable grasses, where he usually did the rest of his training. However, instead of asking him to sit, his master directed him to keep standing.


    ¡°Before we do anything, we need to figure out the sword that suits you the best,¡± his master said. ¡°You can, of course, learn to use other type of swords in time, but for a while, let us focus on only one type of swords. This will also make it easier for you to master your Martial Styles, and better control your Aspect.¡±


    ¡°¡­You are omniscient, master,¡± Alnea said, blinking innocently at his master. ¡°I will follow whatever you say.¡±


    ¡°Cheeky disciple,¡± his master said, pinching his nose for a moment. ¡°Focus your mind, and stop thinking of useless things.¡±


    ¡°Yes, master,¡± Alnea said, rubbing his nose, while smiling to himself. To his shameless behaviour, his master could only shake her head. Though, very imperceptibly, she curled the corner of her lips a little upwards.


    ¡°Let us start from the types of swords,¡± his master said. ¡°Generally, swords are categorized based on the purpose they are used for, but we can also categorise them based on their structure. Take the edges of the sword as an example. Just based on their edges, swords can be divided into three types, blunt edged, single edged, and double edged. Then there can be light sword, and heavy swords, and even some flexible swords, which can have rather good effects when paired with Aspects related to the elements of light, and darkness.


    ¡°Although your Aspect does not have any of those elements, it is related to the lineages of Day, and Night. If you can get some Aspects of those elements, and make it cooperate with your sword Aspect, then it can have rather astonishing effects. Your sword will become fast, unpredictable, and in certain cases, may even become invisible. This is one of the better combinations for the Warriors who follow the path of assassins.¡±


    ¡°¡­I don¡¯t like assassins, master.¡±


    ¡°Why? Because they often kill humans?¡±


    ¡°¡­I don¡¯t know. But I don¡¯t like assassins¡­ and neither does my Aspect. It does not want to do anything¡­ in darkness. It wants me to protect everything that I want to protect in a fair, and above board manner.¡±


    ¡°Both you, and your Aspect are stupid,¡± his master said, still smiling in an imperceptible manner. ¡°But I already knew that you would say something that like that, so do not worry. I have not even prepared any such flexible swords, or their corresponding Martial Styles for you.¡±


    Alnea felt his face heat up, as his blood rushed to his cheeks. Unfortunately, he was standing, not sitting. And there were no scrolls in his hands either. Thus, looking down to hide his flushed face only made him feel more embarrassed. Thankfully, his master did not embarrass him any further. Instead, she reached out ruffled his hair to cheer him up.


    ¡°What I was trying to say is that there are many types of swords, and if we sit down to try them out one by one, then it will take ages for you to come up with a sword that would suit you,¡± his master said, before shifting her hand from his head to his chest. ¡°So, instead of doing something so tedious, and unnecessary, we will start with your Heart. Tell me Alnea, why do you wish to wield a sword? What does your Heart want?¡±


    Even before Alnea could respond to his master, his Aspect did, surging from his chest, and wrapping itself around her arms, transmitting its, and his feelings directly to her.


    ¡°¡­It looks like asking you to learn Martial Styles is really the right decision,¡± his master said. ¡°Or with how silly you are, you will definitely lose yourself to your Aspect.¡±


    ¡°I am not silly, master,¡± Alnea said, reaching out with his hand to hold the hand of his master, wrapped in the golden light of his Aspect. ¡°I just want to protect.¡±


    ¡°Protect¡­ Are you willing to take the responsibility that comes with protecting?¡±


    ¡°I am.¡±


    ¡°How much are you willing to do in order to protect?¡±


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    ¡°Anything.¡±


    ¡°Even if it means to kill?¡±


    ¡°¡­Even if it means to kill.¡±


    ¡°I am not talking about Oren Beasts, or Thralls here.¡±


    ¡°¡­I know, master,¡± Alnea said. ¡°I know what¡­ or whom you are talking about. But my answer still remains the same. I want to¡ªno. I will protect. Even if it means to kill.¡±


    ¡°¡­Will you be able to handle it?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­ but I must.¡±


    ¡°Alright,¡± his master said, nodding at him with a solemn gaze, and releasing some of her Spirit¡¯s pressure, forcing his Aspect back into his body, into its home, before withdrawing her hand from his chest. ¡°I already knew most of the things you said, but this is an important decision, so I still needed to make sure of your choice.¡±


    ¡°¡­Which type of sword suits me the best, master? A double edged sword?¡±


    ¡°Only someone who is aggressive, focussing on just themselves, can wield a double edged sword to perfection. You, on the other hand, wish to protect. You are ready to kill, but that is not what you desire. That is not your Heart. A double edged sword¡­ it will only be a burden for you, and your Heart.¡±


    ¡°Then¡­¡±


    ¡°Right now, with the state that your Heart is in, you can only choose between blunt, and single edges swords.¡±


    ¡°Blunt sword¡­ can it even be called as a sword, master?¡±


    ¡°Do not think that just because they do not have an edge, they cannot kill. Blunt sword, if used correctly, can be very lethal. But¡­ they are also not perfectly compatible with you. Only a Heart which wishes just to protect can help you wield a blunt sword to perfection. In your case, though you have a Heart that wants to protect, it is also filled with the desire to kill. Even if it is for the sake of protecting¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡­¡±


    ¡°There is no need to make such a face,¡± his master said, looking at him with a smile, as she caressed his cheeks. ¡°I am not saying that having the desire to kill is a bad thing. Especially if its source is noble, and just. It is just that it does not suit a blunt sword. For example, one day, if you have grown stronger than the Lotus clan, and they still come chasing after you, what would you do? Or what if they hurt Yuri, and Cecilia, what would you do?¡±


    ¡°I¡­ don¡¯t know¡­¡± Alnea said, fumbling with his words, as he imagined the things that his master had said. If such a day were to ever come¡­


    ¡°Would you just save the girls? Or would you not only save them, but also take your revenge?¡±


    ¡°I¡­¡±


    ¡°You understand what I am trying to say, right?¡±


    ¡°¡­Yes.¡±


    ¡°Even though you still hesitate at times to raise your sword against your enemies, you will not hesitate to kill when needed. The incident that happened in Anneve is the best example. Even when surrounded by nearly a hundred Heterodox Wanderers, you chose to dive in first, pointing your blade at them, to save Cecilia. If it was just about protecting her though, then you could have just asked me to keep her safe. But it was not, was it? Those Heterodox Wanderers dared to hurt Cecilia, so you wanted to try fighting them, did you not?¡±


    ¡°¡­I did.¡±


    ¡°And that is why though you can wield a blunt sword, it is not perfectly suitable for you. Only a single edged sword is. A sword to protect, and a sword to kill.¡±


    Even though Alnea understood what his master was trying to convey, he still could not help biting his lips in frustration. In the end, was he¡­


    ¡°Do not think too much about it,¡± his master said, rapping her knuckles on his head to knock him back to his senses. ¡°Like I said, having a sharp sword¡­ a sharp Heart, is not a bad thing. Rather, in this cruel world, having a sharp Heart can be good thing. But you must remember to never lose your original intention. Wield your sword only to protect. Do you understand?¡±


    ¡°¡­Yes, master.¡±


    ¡°Good, then let us get down selecting the type of sword that would suit you,¡± his master said. ¡°A single edged sword¡­ There are many types of such swords. However, you need a sword that could both protect, and kill at the same time. Such swords are not very common. Just take a sabre for example. A sabre is a sword with a sharp edge, mainly focussed on slashes, that is supported by a thick back, which helps in generating more power for the edge. Such swords, however, are focussed more on killing, rather than protecting.¡±


    ¡°¡­Then not a sabre?¡±


    ¡°No¡­ not a sabre,¡± his master said, before falling into her own thoughts, tapping her fingers away on her arms. After a while, she shook her head, and said, ¡°Forget it. We will just see how things go.¡±


    Before Alnea could ask her what she was talking about, his master reached to the air beside her, and opened her ¡®Dimensional Pocket¡¯, retrieving a few swords, all of different forms, and shapes, before using her Spirit Power to make them float by her side. A trick she could do because of her Grand Spirit. If Wanderers below the Grand Rank wished to make things float in the air, they probably would have to resort to using either Arcanas, or their Aspects. Even Glyphs would work, of course. But that would need a lot of preparation. His master, however, could make the swords float on just her whims.


    ¡°Try holding these swords, and let your Aspect interact with them. Each sword will give you a different feeling depending on their compatibility with your Heart. As for which one would suit you best¡­ you will understand if you get it. If not, then we will have to look through some other types of swords.¡±


    ¡°¡­Why do you have so many swords, master? Are you also a weaponsmith?¡±


    ¡°¡­Why are you talking so much nonsense? Stop wasting your time. You still have to go to the Origin Sea after selecting your sword.¡±


    ¡°Yes, master,¡± Alnea said, laughing awkwardly to hide his anxiety, as he stepped forward to pick a sword.

 Chapter 16: The way of Swords [Part 2]

    There were eleven types of swords that his master brought out. All of different forms, and shapes. Even their sizes were different. Some of them were almost as long as he was, while some of were of only half his height. Some of them had just a cloth wrapped around the base of their blade as a grip. Others had proper hilts, with rather dramatic hilt guards. The only thing common that Alnea could see in between all of the swords was the fact that all of them were single edged. And all of them called out to him. Or maybe it was the Aspect within him that they were calling out to.


    In any case, Alnea finally understood what his master had meant by the fact that a sword had to suit him in order for him to make the best use out of it, and his Aspect. He had not even held the sword, and they were already trying to attract him. The wooden sword that he had practised with for nearly a week had never so much as even squeaked. However, it was exactly because of those feelings that he could not help recalling what his master said about single edged swords.


    ¡°¡­A sword to protect, and a sword to kill.¡±


    Was he really going to kill?


    ¡°¡­Even if it means to kill.¡±


    He may have said that, but he did not know if he could do it. However, there was one thing he did know. He was not going to let anything, or anyone hurt the people he loved. And if, to ensure that no one would dare to dare to hurt them, he had to kill, then he would kill. For the moment, that was enough. As long as his conscience, and Heart were Clear, that was enough.


    Taking a deep breath, Alnea reached towards the sword closest to him. It was one of the shorter swords, even shorter than his wooden sword. And yet, it was at least four times as heavy. Other than that, it also had a strange charm shimmering along its edge, ending at the tip of its hilt. One that invited him take hold of the blade, and turn around. To swing. To thrust. To become one with it. To let his Aspect seep into its edges, and draw out its meaning¡­


    This was a sword made to protect. What it protected though, was completely different from what he wished to protect. And though it was a sword meant for killing, it would kill only those it would come across. It would never actively seek out his enemies. For it was a free, and unfettered sword, made for people who were just as free, and unfettered as it was. What they protected was not the people close to them, but the memories of those people in their Heart. This sword¡­ was not for him.


    Exhaling lightly, as his Aspect return to its Aspect Well, Alnea let go of the sword, with his master catching it just in time. Seeing the look of dejection on his face, she could see that the sword did not suit him, so she put it away in her ¡®Dimensional Pocket¡¯.


    Meanwhile, Alnea walked up to his second sword. This time, he chose one that was a little longer than the rest. After all, not all the people he wished to protect were by his side. Like his mother, and big sis Serena. But the sword¡­ Its length was not to reach the people he wished to protect, but to reach out to people whom he wished to kill. It could still protect¡­ but its killing breath was too extreme. With a curve in its spine, and waves in its blade, this sword was made to kill. This sword¡­ was not for him.


    Another sword discarded, another sword picked. Alnea swung his third sword in the darkness of the canyon. And within that darkness, he saw a flash of light on the tip of his blade. It was Orn¡¯s light, soft, and beautiful¡ª


    Alnea shivered, as he looked at the sword once again. At the moment, it had been only a few hours since the rise of Enn. He had not even been to the Origin Sea yet. How could Orn¡¯s light possibly be reflecting of the blade? Unless¡­ it was not Orn¡¯s light at all. It was the light of beauty that one saw just before their death. It was the light of false hope that the sword often gave to his enemies. Those people dared to set their eyes on something that was protected by it? How could it let them off so easily?


    Another sword meant for killing. Another sword meant for protecting. If looking just from the perspective of what he desired, then the sword was perfect for him. But looking from the perspective of its means¡­ It was too devious, and cunning. Drawing people into its illusion, before killing them off¡­ Just from a practical point of view, this was indeed the perfect sword for him. Since the Mysteries of Night often dealt with illusions, and dreams. But this sword¡­ was not for him.


    And so, he went forward to choose another sword, to swing another sword that spoke to him. But the sword spoke too much. Even within fights, it would speak to his enemies, asking them for their reason, their convictions, trying to make them give up. Trying to protect in its own ways. But if there was one thing that Alnea had learned from the attacks of the Heterodox Wanderers, it was that speaking to his enemies would never work.


    Wanderers generally had very strong convictions. As such, if they decided on something, most of the time, they would stick to it. Though the sword also had killing potential, and was a sword meant for protecting, it was not for him. And just like that, another sword was put away by him, another sword not suited for him.


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    On, and on he went, searching for his sword, for the one that would fit his Heart. But in the end, all the swords disappointed him. It was not that none of them fit him. Rather, every one of the swords had something in common with him. Otherwise, his master would not have taken them out in the first place. But they were just not perfect for him. They were just not meant for him. They¡ª


    A sword, heavy, and long, at least three quarters his height, called out to him. Heeding the call, he walked up the sword, and picked it up, before swinging it around. It really was heavy. So heavy, in fact, that he had to use his Aspects in order to be able to wield it properly. Even its own back, half a finger thick, had started to bend because of its weight. No, not of its weight, but of the weigh it carried. The weight of those it vowed to protect. The weight of the responsibilities it had taken.


    Yet, no matter how much weight it carried, its edge never dulled. Neither did its swing slowed down. Rather, because of the weight on its back, it only got faster with every swing. Especially the tip of the blade, which curved backward to meet its back, forming a perfect arc. This was a sword that was meant to kill. This was a sword meant to protect. This was a sword¡­ meant for him.


    ¡°Looks like you found your sword,¡± his master said, breaking Alnea out of his trance, and bringing his attention back to herself. Nodding with a smile, she put away the rest of the swords, before shifting her glance to the sword in his hand. ¡°The sword of Farin¡­ Your connection with fate is strong as ever¡­ Fortunately, your Roots are not based on the lineage of Fate.¡±


    ¡°Fate,¡± Alnea mumbled, glancing at the sword in his hand. Hearing the word that had once almost separated him from his master, the first thing that came in his mind was the colour white. Whether it was his master, or Yuri, both of them always wore white. And both of their Roots, in part, were based on the Mysteries from the lineage of Fate. Yet the sword did not have anything that could remind him of fate.


    On the contrary, with purplish leather threads crisscrossing its night black hilt, and blood red jewels adorning the space in between, the sword, with slivers of silverish blue, just like the light of Orn, skirting around the edges of a blade even darker than its hilt, looked to be on the completely opposite spectrum of fate. It did not even hilt guard, or any symbol of fate. How could it be related to fate?


    Alnea, of course, did not doubt his master. If she said it was related to fate, then it must be related to fate. He just did not know how. So, there was only one thing he needed to do.


    ¡°What is the sword of Farin, master?¡±


    ¡°Farin¡­ it was once a country in the Faed Domain. This sword¡­ it is made by the descendants of that country, carrying the hope of one day reconquering their country¡­ their Domain. Hence the name, sword of Farin.¡±


    ¡°Farin,¡± Alnea mumbled, etching that name into his memory. ¡°Why have I never heard of such a country before, master?¡±


    ¡°Do you think that you know everything that there is to know in the world?¡±


    ¡°No¡­¡± Alnea mumbled, flinching a little, until he saw the amused smile on his master¡¯s face. ¡°But you know everything, master. After all, you are omn¡ª


    ¡°Cheeky disciple,¡± his master said, pinching his nose while he was still speaking. ¡°You dare to tease your master?¡±


    ¡°Truth, master!¡± Alnea said, crying out in pain. ¡°I was telling truth!¡±


    Chuckling at his overdramatised cries, and actions, his master let go of his nose, and said, ¡°You have chosen your sword. Next are your Martial Styles¡­ But that can wait for the moment. First, I need to make a sheath for your sword. Till then, you can go and meditate a little, before completing your daily Wandering.¡±


    ¡°¡­I thought that it was a famous sword. Why did it not have a sheath until now, master?¡±


    ¡°The sword is not exactly famous, but it is indeed a good sword. And it is exactly because it is such a good sword that it did not have a sheath until now.¡±


    ¡°¡­I don¡¯t understand what you are saying.¡±


    ¡°For sword such as the sword of Farin, swords with an intent, and a spirituality, they would not allow themselves to be sheathed except by their masters.¡±


    ¡°It is such a magical sword?¡± Alnea mumbled, staring at the sword once again.


    ¡°¡­Magical may be an overstatement, but yes, it is a good sword.¡±


    ¡°What is its Rank, master?¡±


    ¡°¡­The sword cannot be considered as an Oren Weapon right now, so giving it a Rank would be difficult.¡±


    ¡°It is not an Oren Weapon?¡±


    ¡°Did you see any Glyphs on it?¡±


    ¡°No¡­¡±


    ¡°Then?¡±


    ¡°But I felt its power, master¡­ When my Aspect flowed into it, I could sense its powers¡­ If it is so strong when it is just a normal weapon, how strong would it be when it would become an Oren Weapon¡­¡±


    ¡°That is why I said that it is a good sword,¡± his master said. ¡°Just the materials of the sword¡­ Forget it. Just know that it is a very precious sword that not even many Mystic Rank Oren Weapons can compare to.¡±


    ¡°¡­Then why is it not an Oren Weapon yet, master?¡±


    ¡°¡­Because it was waiting for its master,¡± his master said, glancing towards the sword. ¡°If you want to make it an Oren Weapon¡­ then you will have to engrave the Glyph Arrays onto the sword yourself. Only then, will the sword truly become yours.¡±


    ¡°¡­Engrave the Glyph Arrays by myself?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± his master said. ¡°That is the way of swords.¡±


    ¡°¡­The way of swords is too long. I have not even engraved a Glyph onto my Spirit. Engraving it on a sword¡­ How long will that take?¡±


    ¡°¡­Will you stop thinking of such useless questions, and get to your meditation?¡±


    ¡°¡­Yes, master.¡±

 Chapter 17: Wandering the Origin Sea [Part 1]

    Drifting in the quiet, and the calm of his Serenity, while reflecting on his past actions, trying to find, and resolve his inner conflicts, Alnea felt a strange sense of sense of satisfaction, and fulfilment flood the senses of his Spirit. His Spirit Power, it seemed, had recovered completely. And went past its peak. This was not something new to him though. Ever since he had started Forging his Spirit with the Art of Spirit Rebirth, his Spirit Power had experienced a rise after each session. No exception.


    As a consequence, within just seven days of reaching the False Rank, his Spirit Power had surged to a hundred and forty three units. Of course, those units were according to the standard of the Seed Rank. In the standard of the False Rank, it was somewhere past the mark of fourteen units. And at the moment, it had increased a little bit once again. Just a couple of more sessions, and his Spirit Power would increase to around fifteen units, and face its first bottleneck of the False Rank.


    Maybe, he could even try to reach the Second Level by the end of the day. Seven days to cross a whole level at the False Rank. It may feel like an incomparably fast speed of development that he had never experienced before at the Seed Rank, but he was training with a higher Ranked Art, so that was to be expected. And though the rate of his progress may be high, so were the limits of the False Rank.


    According to the standards of the False Rank, his Spirit Power was around fourteen units. And the limit of the Initial Stage of the False Rank was at around five hundred units. If he did not use any special means, or methods, then even by his extreme rate of growth, it would take him a couple of years reach the Intermediate Stage of the False Rank. And that was not even counting the time he would take to break through the bottlenecks between the levels.


    A couple of years¡­ Probably around the time he would have to take part in the Rising Wanderer Trials. Participating in the Trials as a fifteen year old Intermediate Stage False Wanderer¡­ If the Lotus clan had been a just, and honourable Orthodoxy, then it would have been enough to fulfil their conditions. However, the Lotus clan was anything but honourable. Believing in them to be fair would be akin to digging his own grave.


    Just to get rid of any uncertainties, it would be best if he could become an Advanced Stage False Wanderer before the Trials. That was the goal his master had set for him. A goal, which seemed impossible from his current rate of progress. He could, of course, use his Oaths to quickly increase his Spirit Power. But neither Yuri, nor his master would let him take such needless risks. And yet, if he could not increase his rate of progress, then the goal truly would be impossible to achieve.


    But then again, his master would not set an impossible goal for him. She must have some ways to help him quickly raise his Spirit Power. Like the Bone Rotting Plants. Those were things to consider in the future though. At the moment, he had to focus on what he was about to do, Wandering the Origin Sea. Since his Spirit Power had recovered, there was no need for him to wait anymore. Before entering the Origin Sea though, there was still one thing that he needed to do.


    ¡°Are you back from the Origin Sea?¡±


    ¡°Almost,¡± Yuri said. ¡°I went out a little further than usual today¡­ and got entangled by a Mystery.¡±


    ¡°¡­From the sound of your voice, it looks like you did not like the Mystery you encountered.¡±


    ¡°¡­Is it that obvious?¡±


    ¡°A bit¡­ How many Oren Beast are you going to kill this time?¡±


    ¡°¡­Do I look like Cecilia to you?¡±


    ¡°¡­Cecilia would at most oppress those Beasts, and make them her mounts. You on the other hand¡­¡±


    ¡°What about me?¡± Yuri said, snapping back at him, to which, Alnea responded with a laugh.


    ¡°Do I need to remind you of what you did twelve days ago?¡±


    ¡°¡­That was not my fault. I was trying out the new Arcana that I had created.¡±


    ¡°Mysteries of Death¡­ Anyways, which lineage¡¯s Mystery did you encounter this time?¡±


    ¡°¡­Death.¡±


    ¡°Again? This is like the fifth Mystery of Death of the Intermediate Stage that you encountered... And if we count the Initial Stage ones¡­¡±


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    ¡°No one is asking for you to show your mathematical prowess.¡±


    ¡°Even when we first went to the Origin Sea¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­Don¡¯t make me recall that.¡±


    ¡°¡­Did you succeed in comprehending the Mystery?¡±


    ¡°¡­I cannot help it. My Roots have increased my affinity with the Mysteries of Death¡­¡±


    ¡°Increased affinity? More like made you into an incarnation of Death itself.¡±


    ¡°¡­Do you want this incarnation of Death to come, give you a visit?¡±


    ¡°Yes, please!¡±


    ¡°You¡­ You are so shameless!¡±


    ¡°If there is anything I have learnt from big sis Serena,¡± Alnea said, teasing Yuri with a laugh. ¡°It is that only shameless people can get what they want.¡±


    ¡°¡­Big sis Serena¡­ Do you miss her?¡±


    ¡°Sometimes,¡± Alnea said, recalling the ever smiling, and laughing face of big sis Serena. There was only one time when he had seen her serious, and angry side. When she was surrounded by more than a hundred Heterodox Wanderers, who had later all turned into Enthralled Wanderers. Of them, she, by herself, had fought off more twenty Enthralled Wanderers. And that was what he had seen. She must have dealt with even more of those abominable creatures later on. With strength like that, even if she had gone to the Grand Chasm, there should be no problem with her safety.


    ¡°I wonder how she is doing.¡±


    ¡°Me too¡­ things often feel a little dull without her.¡±


    ¡°You have just comprehended another Mystery¡­ And you say things are dull for you¡­ Whom are you trying to fool?¡±


    ¡°¡­You know what I trying to say, so stop diverting the topic.¡±


    ¡°¡­Well, things are indeed a little dull without her. Especially for Cecilia.¡±


    ¡°Cecilia¡­ must be feeling very torn inside,¡± Yuri said, adding a bit of laugh with her voice. ¡°Two years¡­ I hope that big sis Serena will be fine.¡±


    ¡°I know that she is fine,¡± Alnea said, in a rather firm voice. Maybe more to himself, rather than to Yuri. ¡°We do not need to worry about her.¡±


    ¡°¡­You are the one worrying most about her.¡±


    ¡°I am not!¡±


    ¡°Right,¡± Yuri said, laughing even more at his reaction. The laughter soon died out though, only to be replaced by a solemn voice. ¡°I am about to head back into my Domain. You can go ahead, and enter the Origin Sea now.¡±


    ¡°¡­Are you going to create a new Arcana?¡±


    ¡°¡­I have already comprehended the Mystery. What else am I going to do with it?¡±


    ¡°¡­You have just shifted into a new canyon. It will be a little dangerous there. Try not to make too big of a ruckus.¡±


    ¡°¡­Stop worrying about me. You are going to the Origin Sea now, so take care of yourself.¡±


    ¡°¡­I will. You take care of yourself too.¡±


    Taking his attention away from the Divine Treasure on his finger, Alnea focussed on his Spirit, reaching towards his Roots, the golden black thread. Compared to his Spirit Power, it had not grown much over the past few days. After all, most of the growth in his Spirit Power was coming from Forging his Spirit, and not from his Oaths. Still, being able to grow his Roots, at all, was already quite special. There were not many people who could do that.


    Unfortunately, the benefits of constantly strengthening his Roots were not apparent at lower Ranks. At higher Ranks though, where crossing a bottleneck, especially one between Ranks, depended as much on the Domains of Wanderers as any other factors, the advantage of having an ever growing Roots would finally reveal itself. But that was going to take a long, long time. Decades, if not centuries. So, Alnea was not too focussed on the growth of his Roots.


    Instead, he focussed more on his Roots itself, and its connection with the Origin Sea, tugging on it, not to borrow Oren, but to travel alongside the thread, and cross the barriers between his world, and the Origin Sea. Consequently, he soon found his senses shifting to the thread, and travelling along its length, in a timeless, and meaningless existence. But that did not make him panic. This was his eighth time going into the Origin Sea. And if he counted the times he had experienced Yuri entering the Origin Sea¡­


    In any case, he was not new to the experience, and knew how to handle himself. All he had to do was wait¡­ How long exactly did that wait last, he did not know. Neither did it matter. The more important thing was that he had finally entered his Domain, the blank, empty expanse of darkness, of nothingness. He had yet to comprehend any Mysteries, after all. But that was not his fault. Or maybe it was¡­ But he did not regret it.


    Shaking his head to himself, while chuckling to his thoughts, Alnea reached out to the empty darkness of his Domain with his thoughts, and pulled at it, dragging out a golden ring, twice his height, that soon turned into a disc of golden light. A light so bright, that even the darkness of his Domain failed to drown. Not that it was supposed to.


    Drifting forwards, Alnea reached towards the disc, physically, and pressed his hands against it, pushing it lightly. Yet the disc acted as if some giant force, like the weight of a mountain, had been pressed against it, forcing it to collapse within itself. However, instead of making way for the darkness around it, around them, the collapsing disc of golden light instead opened the way to world full of bright, and colourful lights. It opened the way to the Origin Sea.

 Chapter 17: Wandering the Origin Sea [Part 2]

    From smells, pleasant to such a degree that it was practically impossible for them to exist, to smells so vile, and disgusting, that even Oronir¡¯s Domain might not have them, Alnea felt all kinds of sensations attacking him, as he stepped into the Origin Sea. But it was fine. That was just the Origin Sea¡¯s way of greeting. A rather rough, and violent way of greeting, but a greeting none the less, one that went beyond just his sense of smell, leaving none of his senses unattended.


    The jarring sounds, like the screeches of Enthralled Wanderers, somehow matched up with the voices of people he loved, overlapping against them, trying to disgust him, and make him lower his guard. And when that did not work, the Origin Sea attempted to infiltrate his sense of taste, making him taste hope, and happiness, before tainting it with despair¡­ Tasting emotions. If it was any place else, Alnea might have thought that he was turning crazy. But this was the Origin Sea. Let alone tasting emotions, he could even feel his memories brushing past his skin. Here, anything was possible.


    But that did not mean that the Origin Sea could do as it wished. Just as it was unbiased, the Origin Sea, the source of all things, and concepts in existence, was also bound by its own rules. Though it could tempt, and lure the Wanderers into assimilating with itself, the strength, and intensity that it could attack them with was clearly defined by its depths. If some Wanderers overestimated themselves though, or became a bit too careless, then it was well within those rules for the Origin Sea to devour them.


    Fortunately, Alnea had not overestimated himself. Neither was he being careless. The attacks of the Origin Sea¡­ Though they were unpleasant, and irked him, they were not completely unbearable. The Serenity of his Heart helped him resist against those attacks, constantly reminding him of the people who were waiting for him. Of the people he loved. Besides, he had a few friends who would probably warn him if he were to ever be careless. Like the Aspects of the Origin Sea.


    YOU ARE BACK.


    OATHKEEPER IS BACK.


    HE IS BACK.


    ¡°¡­I am back,¡± Alnea said, grinning at his friends, before rushing towards the group of lights nearest to him. They, in turn, laughed at him, and waited for him to come near them, before rushing away. But that was not enough to make him give up. So, he chased after them once again. And while he did so, the other Aspects joined in the chase, some chasing with him, some chasing him, and some taunting him to chase them.


    COME, OATHKEEPER.


    CHASE ME.


    NO, ME. CHASE ME.


    Some of them just kept urging him to chase after them. Others¡­


    HE CANNOT CHASE YOU.


    WHY?


    BECAUSE HE IS WEAK.


    TOO WEAK.


    HE CANNOT EVEN RUN.


    CANNOT SWIM.


    WEAK OATHKEEPER.


    SLOW OATHKEEPER.


    They teased him, questioning his ability. To these Aspects, Alnea had only one response.


    ¡°You¡­ wait for me! Do you think you can run forever? Just wait for my Spirit Power to grow enough from me to disregard these layers of Oren. Then I will show you who is weak.¡±


    But his words incited the Aspects to tease him even more, as they circled around him, sometimes even coming right behind his head to whisper their teases, before rushing off to a safe distance. That only fed back to the cycle though, as he shouted even more at them, threatening them, while rushing to catch them. However, even when he cursed, or threatened them, his smile never left his face. Neither did the laughter leave his voice. Especially when he heard the Aspects all chanting together.


    OATHKEEPER, OATHKEEPER.


    WATCH HOW SLOW HE GOES.


    ONE STEP AT A TIME, HE WALKS.


    GRASPING FOR THE LIGHTS LONG GONE.


    OATHKEEPER, OATHKEEPER.


    WATCH HOW SLOW HE GOES.


    WANDERING THE ORIGIN SEA.


    WITH NO AIMS, AND GOALS.


    OATHKEEPER, OATHKEEPEER.


    WATCH¡ª


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    ¡°Now you have done it,¡± Alnea said, laughing at the absurd song. ¡°Wait for me, you little runts!¡±


    OATHKEEPER, OATHKEEPER.


    TINY, AND LITTLE OATHKEEPER.


    CALLING US AS RUNTS.


    DO YOU NOT KNOW WHO WE ARE?


    OR HAVE YOU NOT SEEN OUR TRUE FORMS?


    OATHKEEPER, OATHKEEPER.


    TINY, AND LITTLE OATHKEEPER.


    ASKING US TO¡ª


    ¡°You¡­ stop right there you little pipsqueaks! How dare you call me tiny? I am large enough to¡­¡±


    Amused, and angry at the same time, Alnea chased after the Aspects, laughing along with them. He did try making up a few of his own songs, but failed terribly at them, learning another thing about himself in the process. He was not good at making up songs. That did not stop him from playing with the Aspects though. And so, they played, taking the Origin Sea itself as their playground. After all, as long as he knew his limits, and was careful to not let his Serenity slip, the Origin Sea could not do anything to him¡­ probably.


    Still, all things that had a beginning, must come to an end. Such was the case with world itself, and such was the case with their chase, and merrymaking. It was, however, not time to end his Wandering. He still had about eighty units of Spirit Power left. So, stopping in place, Alnea dropped his smiling face, and looked at the Aspects with a solemn gaze, before saying, ¡°It is time¡­ I am ready for another Aspect.¡±


    The Aspects stopped messing around as soon as they heard his words, and saw the look on his face. In fact, they stopped moving altogether, and faced towards him. Or at least it felt to him that they did. It was hard to tell. They did not have a face. But they did have a voice. And all of them spoke to him.


    ANOTHER ASPECT¡­


    IT IS INDEED TIME.


    TIME FOR ANOTHER PARTNER.


    FOR ANOTHER GUARDIAN.


    FOR ANOTHER WEAPON.


    IT IS TIME FOR ONE OF US TO GO WITH YOU.


    AGAIN.


    ¡°So¡­ is it going to be like last time?¡±


    LAST TIME¡­


    YES.


    LIKE LAST TIME.


    EXACTLY LIKE LAST TIME.


    COMMUNICATE.


    WE MUST COMMUNICATE.


    AND YOU MUST CHOOSE, OATHKEEPER.


    CHOOSE YOUR WEAPON.


    YOUR GUARDIAN.


    YOUR PARTNER.


    YOUR ASPECT.


    CHOOSE ONE OF US, OATHKEEPER.


    AND TAKE US WITH YOU.


    Before Alnea could say anything to the Aspects, they began moving once again, forming a whirlpool of lights around him, just like they had done a week ago. And just like a week ago, that whirlpool of lights soon turned into a curtain of lights, surrounding him from all sides. Then, once again, in a way reminiscent of what had happened a week ago, the Aspects began reaching out to him. Not physically, but on a deeper level. On a¡ª


    It was born to be free. It was born to roam. It was born to soar. It cared not for what others thought. It cared not for what others felt. It was¡ª


    Not the Aspect that Alnea was looking for. Though it pained him, he still chose to severe their connection, and look for another Aspect, one more in line with his vision. With his Heart. With¡ª


    An Aspect born to be the king. To be the greatest of all. That was what it was. It was still weak at the moment, but one day, it would reach the pinnacle of its kind. It would reach the centre of the Origin Sea. The centre of Origin. And then, it would¡ªno, it could not reveal that. Not yet. But it would surely, one day, be the greatest of its kind. The greatest of all the Aspects. And that declaration came not from some boastful confidence, but a confidence that came from its core. It was¡ª


    As he felt the Aspect convey itself to him, Alnea felt a little torn on what he should do. The Aspect¡­ it somehow aligned perfectly well with his conviction. And it would not clash with his first Aspect either. But the powers of the Aspect¡­ It was an Aspect that aligned with the lineage of Tion, so he did not doubt whether it had the potential to reach top of its kind or not. Since it had said so, it definitely had that potential.


    But that was going to take a long time to achieve. Especially since it was not on the verge of advancing, as his last Aspect had been. In such a case, if the Aspect could advance from False Rank to True Rank within his lifetime, then it would already be considered a miracle. And if he did not look at its potential, then the Aspect did not have anything special. It could not take the form of a sword, shield, armour, barriers, or any other such things. Instead, all it could do was to give him an air of authority, while augmenting his body¡¯s strength a little.


    Maybe, that augmentation effect would increase in the future, but at the moment, it was of no use. And neither was its air of authority. He was not from any Orthodoxy, and neither was he in an army. No matter how he saw it, logic dictated that he should choose some other Aspect. This was only the second Aspect that had tried communicating with him after al.


    Out there, just within his reach, there were thousands, if not tens of thousands such Aspects, surrounding him from all sides possible. And he had enough Spirit Power to continue communicating with them for quite a long while. That was why he had stopped playing with the Aspects earlier than usual. If he looked long enough, he was bound to find more suitable, and powerful Aspects. Yet¡­


    As he heard the desperate cries of the Aspect, seeking to become his protector, his guardian, and in turn, get rid of its loneliness, Alnea could not help recalling the times he had been alone. Back then, was he so desperate as well? Was he so¡­ frustrated? Being alone¡­ it was a truly terrifying feeling. One he wished to never experience again. And he could not let his Aspects experience that feeling either. So, even though he knew that it was probably not a good idea, he still reached to the Aspect connected to him, and made his decision.


    Almost immediately, a ball of golden light, around a tenth of a metre wide, floated out from the curtain of lights, and drifted towards him, asking him once again, if he had made his decision, to which, Alnea responded with a nod. His Aspect¡­ His partner for life. Even when he would become a Supreme, or an Origin Wanderer, the Aspect would still stay with him, until the day of his death. Until the Origin Sea claimed him for itself. Till then, it would¡ª


    It started with a small stain, that soon, within a few moments, spread all across the ball of light like ink spreads on paper, dyeing the golden light with a shade of black. Not the slightly could, and mysterious black of his other Aspect, or the black of death¡­ but a murky black. A tricky black, which could morph into any shape, and colour. A black, which represented Optah, the God of Lies, and Trickeries.

 Chapter 17: Wandering the Origin Sea [Part 3]

    ¡°You tricked me!¡± Alnea said, looking incredulously at the Aspect in front of him. ¡°You¡­¡±


    YOU HAVE CHOSEN.


    ¡°No, wait¡ª


    Before Alnea could respond to the Aspects, the curtain of light surrounding him began to slowly blur, as the Aspects slowed down, returning the Origin Sea to its original state, inadvertently cutting of the special connection they had formed with him. Except for the Aspect that he had tamed, the Aspect hovering in front of him. A squirming ball of black light, around one tenth of a metre in size, that nervously circled around him, not daring to get too close, as if it knew that it had done something wrong.


    At the clearly guilty behaviour of the Aspect, showing that it had, indeed, intentionally tricked him, Alnea was rendered speechless for a few moments. In the end though, he just sighed, and shook his head. He could not blame the Aspect. Tricking, and fooling others¡­ that was its nature, its speciality. But it was not an inherently evil Aspect. And it did not lie to him when it said that it had the potential to reach the top¡­ In a sense, all Aspects had that potential. The difference in between them lay in how much time it took for them to realise their potential.


    ¡°Come here, you little runt,¡± Alnea said, looking at the Aspect with a wry smile, as he stretched his hand, beckoning for the Aspect to come over. ¡°You were one of those who were teasing me earlier, right?¡±


    The Aspect hurriedly send back its thoughts, vehemently denying the allegations. It was an honest, and upright Aspect, that would never¡ª


    ¡°You? And honest? Do you think that you can trick me again?¡±


    No, absolutely not. How could it trick its partner? Especially one that was so powerful. That would never work. No. It was just trying to tell the truth.


    ¡°¡­Maybe there is more in common between us than I initially thought,¡± Alnea said, chuckling at the Aspect. ¡°Since I still have so much Spirit Power left¡­ let us go back a little earlier, and dig your Aspect Well.¡±


    Aspect Well. Hearing those words, the Aspect lost all its reservations, and began circling all around him to show its excitement. It even went so far as to morph into the shape of a well, and hover in front of his face. And watching its antics, Alnea lost all his resentment against the Aspect. At the very least, it had not lied to him about being lonely. Maybe it was because of its nature, or because of its powers, but it truly had been lonely within the Origin Sea.


    ¡°Alright, stop playing around, and come here,¡± Alnea said, beckoning to the Aspect once again, and the Aspect followed, rushing to his hand, before flashing, and disappearing, appearing directly on his face in the form of a black mask, partially covering his face. At the same time, it also transmitted the true usage of its powers to him. The Aspect¡­ it was not as bad as he had thought. In certain situations, it could be even more useful than his other Aspect. He would need corresponding Martial Styles to make good use of it though.


    ¡°I had fun today, but I have back now,¡± Alnea said to the other Aspects, who responded by circling around him in an agitated manner.


    SO SOON?


    WHY SO SOON?


    DO YOU NOT WANT TO PLAY ANYMORE?


    ¡°Of course, I do,¡± Alnea said, before tapping the mask on his face. ¡°But I need to dig the little guy¡¯s home.¡±


    HOME¡­


    HOME IS NECESSARY.


    HOME IS A MUST.


    EVERYONE SHOULD HAVE THEIR HOME.


    WHEN ARE WE GOING TO HAVE OUR HOME?


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    ¡°Soon,¡± Alnea said. ¡°Although I cannot say that I will take everyone of you into my Spirit World, but I will try to bring as many of you as I can. Besides, home can mean many things. For you, an Aspect Well, or an Aspect Ocean can be your home. But at the same time, home is also the place where your family is¡­ where you Heart is. So, even if I cannot take you into my Spirit World, as long we have fun in the Origin Sea, would it not be the same as our home?¡±


    HOME¡­


    WE HAVE A HOME.


    OATHKEEPER GAVE US A HOME.


    A HOME FOR US TO LIVE¡­


    A HOME FOR US TO SHARE¡­


    ¡°That¡¯s right,¡± Alnea said. ¡°A home is for everyone to share. So, you don¡¯t have to be sad, alright?¡±


    WE ARE NOT SAD.


    WE ARE HAPPY.


    VERY HAPPY.


    WE HAVE A HOME.


    WE HAVE A FRIEND.


    ¡°You guys,¡± Alnea said, shaking his head, while laughing at the rather excited behaviour of the Aspects. They were all jumping around him, just like how his own Aspect had been jumping moments ago, circling all around him, repeatedly flashing their lights, even morphing their shapes, and size. ¡°Forget it. I will come back to play with you tomorrow.¡±


    Saying so, Alnea turned around towards golden ring in the distance. But the Aspects did not let him go alone. Even when he had already bid his farewell, they still kept him company, escorting him all the way back to his Domain. Of course, they did not forget to tease him in the process.


    OATHKEEPER, OATHKEEPER.


    WHAT A GOOD FRIEND HE IS.


    GAVE US A HOME, HE DID.


    PLAYED WITH US, HE DID.


    OATHKEEPER, OATHKEEPER.


    WHAT A GOOD FRIEND HE IS.


    Or maybe not so much as tease, as to bid him farewell in their own way. Hearing the song that they were singing, Alnea could not control his laughter. It was not a bad song. He even joined them, singing along with the Aspects.


    WANDERING THE ORIGIN SEA.


    ONE STEP AT A TIME.


    A LITTLE SLOW, HE MAY BE.


    BUT FAST, HE WILL GROW.


    OATHKEEPER, OATHKEEPEER.


    WHAT A GOOD FRIEND¡ª


    While he was singing along with the Aspects, Alnea suddenly felt the world around him turn silent. All the different kinds of sensations attacking his senses just faded away. No, not faded. They just simply stopped. As did the voices of the Aspects. Even though their voices had been coming directly into his head¡­


    And it was not just their voices. The descent of the silence had also pushed all of the Aspects away from him. Only his Aspect, the mask on his face, had stayed with him. But even it stayed silent. It was not at fault though. Neither were the other Aspects at fault. This was just how things were supposed to be. The rules of the Origin Sea.


    When a Mystery manifested, no wild Aspect could go near its influence. And even tamed Aspect could not help their masters. Whether it was to comprehend the Mysteries, or to escape from their influence, Wanderers had to rely on themselves. Only this way, could Wanderers prove themselves worthy of the Mysteries. Or of living.


    Of the two options, Alnea chose the more daring one, comprehending the Mystery. He had plenty of Spirit Power left anyways. He had to make good use of it. As for digging an Aspect well¡­ he could always do that later. But the Mystery¡­ This was the first time since he had begun Wandering that he had encountered a Mystery. A one in a seven¡ªno, a one in eight chance of encountering Mysteries¡­ It was no wonder that Yuri had been so ecstatic on encountering a Mystery on her first Wandering, and completely baffled for encountering the second Mystery near the edge of her Domain.


    Of course, just because he chose to be daring did not mean that he was going to blindly flail around in overconfidence, and ignorance. This may be the first time he was encountering a Mystery, but he had experienced many manifestations of Mysteries through Yuri¡¯s senses. And so, he knew that he could not let his guard down just because the Origin Sea had stopped assaulting his senses. Neither could he stop maintaining the Serenity of his Heart.


    The sudden appearance of the Mystery had disturbed his Serenity a little, so he had to abandon all of his senses for a few moments, and concentrate within his Heart. Concentrate on its Serenity, on his master¡­ Yuri¡­ Cecilia¡­ big sis Serena¡­ and his mother. To the promise he had made to himself¡­ To the conviction with which he had laid his Roots¡­ The greatest Wanderer¡­ the greatest Arcanist¡­


    Everything was going to begin at this point. At this moment. He was going to observe, and comprehend the Mystery, and he was going to create an Arcana from it. The first of many. The first of the greatest of Arcanas that the world would ever see. Arcanas of Alnea Oathkeeper¡­


    Opening his eyes, with an extremely Serene, and focussed Heart, Alnea turned his attention to the layers of Oren around him, observing their actions, their patterns, and¡­ everything else about them. After all, it was in their variations that the Mystery was hidden.

 Chapter 18: Comprehending a Mystery [Part 1]

    As he had always done when he was with Yuri, Alnea began by observing the physical variation in the endless layers of Oren surrounding him, the ones he could see. The undulations of the layers of Oren in the form of waves, with each individual layer having a different kind of wave. Sometimes, even the same layer had different kinds of waves. And sometimes, all the layers had the same kind of waves¡­


    Regular waves, irregular waves, rational waves, irrational waves¡­ Some of them were so irrational, that he wondered if they could even be called as waves anymore. Like the wave in the shape of a bird, that seemed to flap its wings, as it travelled through the layers of Oren, only to be eaten¡ªcrushed¡ª by waves in the form of a tiger, running just a layer deeper than the layer where the bird was flying. Soon after eating the bird though, the tiger too got devoured by the waves of a deeper layer, tumbling across the Origin Sea in the form of a bull¡­ How could what he was seeing be anything but irrational?


    Fortunately, not all the waves were so unreasonable. If he looked carefully enough, he could find some rational waves too. Waves that were just waves. Like the waves on water. Or the waves on fire. Or earth. Even wind, and lightning¡­ Elemental Series? Was this a Mystery of Creation then? No, that was not possible. Just one Mystery of Creation could not have so many different elements working together. At least not at the False Rank. Not even at the True Rank.


    Besides, he could feel a faint sense of resonance forming between his Roots, and the Mystery around him. So, the Mystery could only be from the lineages of Day, or Night. Most probably from the lineage of Night¡­ A Mystery pertaining to Series of Illusions. If that was truly the case, then comprehending the Mystery would be much simpler than he had initially thought.


    Suppressing his thoughts into the Serenity of his Heart, Alnea shifted all of his attention back to layers of Oren around him. Or rather, to one particular layer of Oren, the one closest to him. Not because it was any different than the other layers. They were all the same. However, since the layer closest to him, he would be able to feel the greatest intensity of the Mystery from that layer, making it easier for him to comprehend the Mystery. As for whether he would be able to comprehend the Mystery¡­


    Ignoring the unnecessary thoughts in his Heart, Alnea observed the individual waves in the layer. At first, they were like the waves that could be often seen on water. As he concentrated on them though, they changed their shapes, turning straight, and sharp, like a rotating box. And contained within that box was an oscillating circle that soon burst open, devouring the box it was contained in, only to have the circles break, and turn into lines, which returned the waves back to their starting point, ripple like waves¡­


    No, not to their starting point. There was something different about the waves. Something¡­ Not yet, Alnea reminded himself. He had to be patient. He had to observe carefully before making any moves. Only then, would his chances of comprehending the Mystery increase. But if kept observing the individual waves then¡­


    And so, he forced himself to turn away from the individual waves, and focussed his attention to the larger waves that those induvial waves were forming collectively. A wave of Fire, that was beginning to burn his skin. No, not Fire. It was Lighting. And it was not burning, but pricking, and making him feel numb. The burn was just an aftereffect from¡­ drowning.


    He was drowning in Water. So, it was only natural that his lungs would burn. And the same was with his skin. It was not because of Lightning. It was because the cold of the frozen Water, ice, was too much for him to bear. And thus, his skin started to¡ª


    Turn into dust. To become one with the Earth. That was the only way to feel relief. To turn into dust, and be carried by the Wind. No, to become the Wind itself. Because that was what the waves were. Wind. Of memories. Of time long forgotten. Of¡ª


    Alnea pulled himself out of the strange state before the Origin Sea could lure him into its trap. Thankfully, he had come to his senses before the Origin Sea had begun with its temptations, or things might have become difficult for him to handle. But his near fatal experience did not dampen his mood. Rather, it made his Heart surge with excitement.


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    Drawn in the lure of the Mystery, he had all but confirmed what the Mystery that he was trapped in was. Next, all he needed to do was interact with it. So, after making sure that his Heart still had its Serenity, he reached towards the waves that were nearest to him, the waves that were a box, a circle, and a line, all at the same time. Because hidden behind those waves¡ª


    ¡°What do you think a Mysteries are, Alnea?¡± his master said, inciting his confusion.


    ¡°Mysteries are Mysteries, master. What else can they be?¡±


    ¡°¡­That is most ignorant description of Mysteries that I have ever heard.¡±


    ¡°But is that not the truth, master?¡±


    ¡°¡­Imagine you are within the Origin Sea, and trying to comprehend a Mystery. How will you do it?¡±


    ¡°By observing it,¡± Alnea said. ¡°And interacting with it. Just like Yuri.¡±


    ¡°¡­When Yuri was interacting with the Mysteries, and comprehending them, you were sharing her senses, and experienced all that she did. But did you comprehend any Mysteries?"


    ¡°That is because I was just sharing her senses, master. I was not really in the Origin Sea.¡±


    ¡°Exactly,¡± his master said. ¡°You were just sharing her senses. So, though you may have experienced the Mysteries of the Origin Sea, you do not truly understand what they are. Mysteries are Mysteries¡­ if do not change how you view Mysteries, then you will never be able to comprehend them, let alone create Arcanas.¡±


    ¡°¡­Then how should I view them as, master? What exactly are the Mysteries of the Origin Sea?¡±


    ¡°Mysteries¡­ they are the essence of the Origin Sea. Its basic rules, and in consequence, of our world. So, if you wish to comprehend Mysteries, then first, you must understand their purpose. You must understand what role they are fulfilling within the Origin Sea, and how exactly are they fulfilling that role. Do you understand what I am saying?¡±


    ¡°Comprehending a Mystery¡­ is it like understanding how a rule works? Like how I am breathing or walking?¡±


    ¡°¡­It is similar, but different.¡±


    ¡°¡­That only makes it more confusing, master.¡±


    ¡°Though I called Mysteries as the rules of the Origin Sea, they cannot be treated as just simple rules. Whenever Wanderers try to glimpse the rules of the Origin Sea, what they can see is how the rules are behaving with them. As such, what they comprehend is just a part of the rules that they can understand. And this part is what we call as Mysteries. This is why every Wanderer has a different interpretation of the same Mysteries.¡±


    ¡°Then the Glyphs¡­¡±


    ¡°I knew you would ask that question,¡± his master said, nodding in appreciation. ¡°By engraving Glyphs on their Spirits, Wanderers, in essence, engrave keys to the rules of the Origin Sea on their Spirits. And when those rules interact with Wanderers, it is the keys on their Spirits that those rules interact with. This is the reason why two Wanderers, who engrave the same Glyphs, have similar understandings.


    ¡°However, this similarity in understanding extends only to the Glyphs themselves. When they go beyond Glyphs, and try to create Arcanas, they will have to interact with those Mysteries on a personal level, causing some differences in their understandings. And to create Arcanas, they will have to interpret those Mysteries according to their understandings, which in turn will become the source of the differences in their Arcanas.¡±


    ¡°¡­That does sound a bit logical.¡±


    ¡°Now, do you understand what Mysteries are?¡±


    ¡°¡­I have a vague idea,¡± Alnea said. ¡°Basically, Mysteries are how we perceive the rules of the Origin Sea? No. That¡¯s not it. It should be¡­ how we think the Origin Sea is able to achieve certain effects¡­ like transforming Oren into Fireballs, Wind blades¡­ is that right, master?¡±


    ¡°That is not entirely correct either, but for all practical purposes, that understanding should do fine. For now. When you will interact with Mysteries, you will naturally come to understand their true nature.¡±


    ¡°The true nature of Mysteries¡­¡±


    ¡°Do you have any questions?¡±


    ¡°I do, in fact, have a question, master.¡±


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°If comprehending Mysteries is only about understanding how we can manipulate Oren to achieve certain effects, then why is that everyone¡¯s understanding towards the same Mysteries are completely different?¡±


    ¡°¡­If we knew everything about Mysteries, then they would not be called Mysteries, now, would they?¡±

 Chapter 18: Comprehending a Mystery [Part 2]

    While Alnea was stuck reliving his memory, the waves that his hands were grazing began changing their form, turning from ripple like waves, into rotating boxes, breaking him out of his trance. But he was in no hurry to retract his hands. He had taken just his first step towards comprehending the Mystery. How could he retreat so easily? As for the memory that he had just seen¡­


    From what he understood, it was the initial effect of the Mystery. Or at least that was how the Mystery was interacting with him. What others saw, and observed from the Mystery, he did not know. But from his perspective, when employing the Mystery, he could take the thoughts of his enemies as the breaking point, and dig into their memories. Or was it bringing their memories to the fore?


    In either case, it would be quite helpful in distracting his enemies. But that was not enough. His enemies would be Wanderers, who would, at the very least, have Serene Hearts. Distracting them with just memories was not possible. At least not for long enough to matter. While the Oren Beasts would just ignore their memories. They did not care much about affection, and care. As for their traumas¡­ If he touched on that, then those Beasts would become even more feral, and aggressive.


    So, he needed to find more about the Mystery. He needed to learn more of its effects. And he needed to learn how to bring about those effects. He needed to comprehend the Mystery. Thus, just like what he had done earlier, he grazed his hands over the box like waves, while immersing himself into their behaviour, trying to feel their effects. He tried to understand what they meant, what they signified, what they did. He tried to¡ª


    ¡°What do you think a Mysteries are, Alnea?¡± his master asked, inciting his confusion.


    ¡°Mysteries are Mysteries, master. What else can they be?¡±


    Before he could understand what was happening, Alnea found himself being lifted off of the ground, and being hung upside down in the air. And right in the next moment, he felt his face being slapped by his master. His instinctive reaction was to move his hands to his face, but his movements had been restricted. So, all he could do was to stare incredulously, and in shock, at his master.


    ¡°You dare to talk back to me like that?¡± his master said, her face contorting in anger, and disdain.


    ¡°I am sorry, master¡ª


    ¡°Who are you calling master, you nincompoop,¡± his master said, interrupting his words with another slap. ¡°I do not have a disappointing, and rude disciple like you. Now, be gone, scum. And do not show your face to me ever again.¡±


    ¡°Master!¡±


    ¡°I will not repeat myself,¡± his master said, and spit on his face, before waving her hands, creating a gust of wind that carried him away from her, away from Anneve, from Rian, and from the Tes Domain itself, lading him in the Grand Chasm. Landing him right in front of a green robed woman.


    ¡°Big sis Serena!¡± Alnea cried out, unable to hold back the tears in his eyes. However, before he could take a step towards her, he found his movements restricted once again, and stared on in despair, as big sis Serena, his big sis Serena, was looking at him in disdain with her arms wrapped around the shoulders of another boy of his age.


    ¡°Big sis¡­ do you even deserve to call me as such? I have had enough of your shenanigans. So, I have decided to take in another brother. As for you¡­ From now on, don¡¯t call me big sis. Better yet, don¡¯t call my name. Don¡¯t even think of me. You are not needed. Get lost, you needy little piece of Oronir¡¯s hair.¡±


    ¡°¡­Big sis¡ª


    ¡°Did you not hear what I just said? You don¡¯t deserve to call me that. In fact, you don¡¯t even deserve to live¡­ So, why don¡¯t you go ahead, and do the world a favour by killing yourself?¡±


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    ¡°No¡­¡± Alnea mumbled. ¡°This must all be fake¡­ This cannot be real. This cannot be¡ª


    Alnea broke out of his trance, panting heavily, just before his Heart was about to collapse. Comprehending Mysteries¡­ it was not easy. He had not even begun experimenting with the Mystery, and yet he was already finding it hard to maintain his Serenity. It was no wonder that most Wanderers took years to create just one Arcana. But¡­ he was not one of those ¡®most¡¯ Wanderers. He refused to be a common Arcanist. He was going to be greatest Arcanist. And so, he needed to comprehend even more of the Mystery.


    Thus, though he shivered at the thought of what lay awaiting for him, Alnea still did not stop grazing his hands along the waves, feeling their vibrations, their rhythms, and their Mysteries. The ripple like waves¡­ they had used his thoughts as the opening point, using them to dig into his memories, which the box like waves had followed up by twisting those memories, destroying them completely. As for the oscillating circles¡­


    His master¡­ she did not want him anymore¡­ Big sis Serena¡­ she did not want him anymore¡­ Yuri¡­ she had taken the Rings of Fate back from him¡­ Cecilia¡­ she had long forgotten about him. And his mother¡­ she had found a new life for herself. He, Alnea Oathkeeper, was alone. He, Alnea Oathkeeper, was¡ª


    He was like a gust of Wind, going from one place to another, without any purpose in life. No, he could not even go anywhere by himself. He was not a gust of Wind. He was just some dust, discarded parts of Earth, floating with the wind. He was the waste Water that everyone had discarded. The Fire that no one wanted. The Lighting that never came¡­ He was¡­ He was nothing¡­ Not void¡­ But nothing. Because he was not even Created¡­ Or was it that he was Created, but later Destroyed?


    Did that matter though? He was nothing. And nothing could change that. Not even Time. Or Good Fortune. Life had no meaning for him. Neither did Light. There was no Justice for him, neither was there any Trickeries. Because he did not even exist. So, Death held no meaning for him either. Neither did Fate. He could not even Decay, or be Destroyed¡­


    The only thing that he knew was Darkness. Just pure Darkness. The sweet, sweet Darkness. That was the only thing for him. That was the only thing he knew. That was his sole existence. Loneliness. Despair¡­ Not of others, but of himself. Why himself though¡­ He did not even exist, so how could there be loneliness¡­ How could there be Despair¡­ It did not matter. He was Darkness. And all that came with it. He was¡ª


    The waves changed once again, just in time to wake Alnea up from his trance. To stop him from assimilating into the Darkness. The Mystery¡­ it was far more dangerous than he had thought it was. But that only served to excite him more. Because he learned even more things about the Mystery. The box like waves¡­ they had not just simply twisted his memories, but had also created cracks in his Heart, in his Serenity. And the oscillating circles had then dug into his Heart through those cracks, using them to draw him into an illusion. A terrifying illusion¡­


    If his enemies got dragged into such an illusion during fights¡­ Or if he combined such illusion with other Mysteries that he would comprehend in the future¡­ Just thinking about the possibilities was making Alnea tremble with excitement. But he could not let that excitement overwhelm him, or control his actions. Not yet. He still had one thing left to check.


    So, after he had regained control of his self, he shifted his attention back the waves he was interacting with. The ripple like waves¡­ just like how they had been in the beginning. Except that they were not the same as how they had been a while ago. There was something different about them. Something that was not easy to observe from just looking at them. So, he moved his hands once again, tracing the simple ripple like waves, trying to understand¡ª


    It began with his sense of smell spilling over into his sense of hearing, before his sense of taste spread to his senses of touch, and sight, as unimaginably large undulations of unknown origin engulfed him, drawing him in to make him a part of it. A part of the Mystery. A part of the rules beyond the Mystery¡­ and in doing so, made him understand a few things. Illusion¡­ that was just a part of the rules, a part of the basic fundamental laws of the world. Even more so when it was an illusion that pertained to memories.


    That was not True illusion. That was just a False illusion that used the weakness of his enemies to induce some weird thoughts in their minds. Fooling the five senses¡­ that was just a part of it. Only if it could fool the world itself, the Origin itself, could it be called as a True illusion. Not the True Ranked Illusion, but a True Illusion, one that lay beyond the Origin itself. Illusion, and Reality¡­ Truth, and Lies¡­ He must remember, that¡ª


    Alnea found himself back in his Spirit, staring blankly at the ever boisterous Origin Sea around him. The silence, that had been reigning was gone. And the Aspects were back, circling around him, shouting, and cheering for him. Even his own Aspect was cheering for him. He himself, however, was left standing in a trance a for a while. Just as he was on the verge of understanding something, the Mystery had betrayed all his expectations, and had just simply dissipated back into the Origin Sea. Should he say, as expected of the Origin Sea?

 Chapter 18: Comprehending a Mystery [Part 3]

    OATHKEEPER!


    HE DID IT!


    WE KNEW HE WOULD IT.


    WE KNEW NOTHING WOULD HAPPEN TO HIM.


    HE IS OATHKEEPER.


    HE IS OUR FRIEND.


    AND HE HAS STRONG ROOTS.


    WE HELPED HIM WITH THAT.


    HE IS OUR FRIEND.


    AND A GREAT WANDERER.


    GREATEST WANDERER.


    NOT YET.


    BUT HE WILL BECOME ONE.


    SOON.


    VERY SOON.


    Hearing the exuberant voices of the Aspects, Alnea sighed, and let go of the heavy feeling in his Heart. What had happened, had happened. Though he failed in understanding what the Mystery was trying to convey to him, at the very least, he had already comprehended the Mystery. Or parts of it. Next, all that was left to do was to interpret the Mystery, and create his very own Arcana. His Arcana¡­


    And just like that, all the heaviness within him drained away, as a smile slowly made its way on to his face. Creating an Arcana¡­ It would just be his first step towards fulfilling his Oath, towards fulfilling his conviction, but that step¡­ He had waited for more than a year to take that step. And finally, he was going to take it. He was about to become an Arcanist.


    Bursting into laughter, Alnea joined the Aspects in their celebration, as he made his way towards the golden ring in the distance. He may have comprehended a Mystery, but he had also paid his due price. Especially for the last action he took. Illusion, and Reality¡­ Truth, and Lies¡­


    Alnea did not know what those things meant, but just last action alone had cost him around twenty units of Spirit Power. Coupled with the other drains of the Mystery, and the Origin Sea, he barely had over twenty units of Spirit Power left. Enough to make it back to his Domain, but not enough to do anything else. Or to tarry in the Origin Sea for long. So, after bidding his farewell to the Aspects, promising to come back the next day, Alnea stepped into the giant hole leading into the blank emptiness of his Domain.


    And just as always, the moment he stepped through, as if it knew that it had fulfilled its use, the door to the Origin Sea closed on its own, transforming back into a giant disc of golden light, which soon turned into a ring, before even that ring slowly faded away into the darkness of his Domain, returning back into the realm of thoughts, and will, waiting for his call to reveal itself once again. For the time when he would Wander the Origin Sea once again.


    And encounter its Mysteries¡­ And experience his memories being twisted so deviously that even death would seem a relief¡­ The Origin Sea, it was truly heartless¡­ showing no mercy. It was just his first Mystery, yet he had to encounter such difficulties in comprehending it¡­ what would he have to do for higher Ranked Mysteries? How much would he have to pay? Was comprehending the Mysteries worth experiencing such¡­ twisted memories?


    Recalling the slight hint of pride, and satisfaction on his master¡¯s face, as he had told her how he had tamed his first Aspect, made Alnea feel that maybe it was. After all, in the end, it was just an illusion. And a very poor one at that. His master would never treat him like that. Neither would she abandon him. And the same was true for big sis Serena. The Mystery¡­ it was not enough to make his Heart waver.


    On the contrary, as he imagined himself creating Arcanas, Alnea felt his conviction, and will becoming stronger. He was going to become the greatest Arcanist, the greatest Wanderer. He was going to create the path to the Rank of Origin Wanderer. How could he be afraid of mere Mysteries? That too of the False Rank?


    Shaking his head, as his Heart reattained his Serenity, Alnea stopped delving in needless thoughts. Even if he wished to temper his Heart¡­ forcefully creating a conflict within himself was not the right choice. Instead, it was better to let things develop naturally. As long as he stayed alive, he would naturally face inner conflicts. And when that happened, he would get his chance to temper his Heart. Till then, he could only slowly grind it toward Clarity.


    In the meantime, he could do a few other things. Like transforming his Domain. He did not have much Spirit Power left, but what he was going to do next did not require much Spirit Power anyway. Reaching into the depths of his Domain, to the boundless Oren that lay just beyond his reach, Alnea called for it, making way for it in his Domain. And the Oren responded, flooding his Domain. But that was not enough to transform his Domain. It was still as dark, and empty as ever.


    However, the Oren, which once used to exist just beyond his reach, had silently slipped within it, awaiting his command. He could not see it, neither could he feel its layers trapping his Spirit, but he instinctively knew that if he so wished, he could reach out to the Oren around him, and make them do his bidding. And so, he did exactly that. Reaching out to the Oren, he moulded them, transforming them into the form of waves, into the form of a ripple, a rotating square, and an oscillating circle.


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    But just the form of the waves was not enough. He also had to add their unique rhythm to the waves. And their variations. Most important of all though, he had to add his comprehension. He had to add what he understood of the Mysteries, what each of those waves were supposed to do, what their rhythm was for, and what their beats meant. He had to practically pour all of his understanding, and comprehension of the Mystery into the Oren, before the waves were finally completed. Before the prototype of the manifestation of the Mystery was completed.


    Heaving a sigh of relief, Alnea finally let himself relax. The most difficult part was done. Next, it was time to test if the Origin Sea would recognise what he had comprehended of the Mystery. To see whether the Mystery would accept his prototype. A step, that could be both, easy, and difficult. Depending on what method he used to complete the step, it could even prove fatal. Most of those methods though, like demonstrating his prototype within the Origin Sea, or opening his Domain, and letting the Mysteries, would cost him more Spirit Power than he was left with.


    Thus, Alnea was left with no choice but to use one of the tricks that he had learned recently. Reaching out to the thread connecting his Spirit to the Origin Sea, he passed all of his comprehension of the Mystery to the Roots, in the form of waves, of course. Making his Roots beat with the rhythm of the Mysteries, he sent his summons into the Origin Sea, calling for the Mystery to come to his Domain. And it came much faster than he had expected. Probably because it must have resonated with his Roots. Or because he had already comprehended parts of the Mystery.


    In any case, the moment his summons went into the Origin Sea, the Mystery that he had called for came knocking on his Domain, on the chains isolating him from the rest of the Origin Sea, to which, the chains responded by making way for them. They had come with invitation, after all. And thus, Alnea was faced with the same Mystery once again. A sensation of silence, drowning out even the emptiness of his Domain. In front of the Mysteries of the Origin Sea, it did not matter if things existed or not. As long as they made their presence known, everything had to defer to them.


    Except if the people had comprehended the Mysteries, gaining command over them. Whether Alnea had that command, or not, he was not sure yet. But that did not stop him trying to control the Mystery. Or at least, direct it away from him. He did not even have to do anything special. All the preparations were done before he had even summoned the Mystery. Next, it was all up to the Mystery itself. And its protype that he had built.


    And so, just as the Mystery manifested around him, ready to pounce upon him, it got attracted by the rhythms of the Oren around him. Losing all interest in him, for the moment, the Mystery turned towards the prototype, and swarmed to it, as if looking at it with curiosity. Then, ever so hesitantly, it stretched out one of its tendrils towards the prototype. Not physically, of course. But more on the level of understanding, and comprehension. On the level of memories, and illusion. On the level of the Mysteries.


    Still mesmerised by the sight he was watching, not completely understanding what was happening, Alnea did not even notice the change in the mass of the Oren that he himself had summoned. With the tendrils of the Mystery, the real Mystery, approaching the prototype of the Mystery he had created, the latter somehow became agitated, and began acting violently, intensifying the rhythm with which the waves were beating.


    And the moment that the tendrils of the real Mystery touched its prototype, the fluctuation of the mass of Oren increased even more in intensity, releasing a kaleidoscopic breath of light that varied along with the rhythm of Mystery in both colour, and brightness. And though those lights were not bright enough to drown out the darkness of his Domain, they were bright enough to drive away all the darkness from the small area around the mass of Oren.


    However, the lights, no matter how bright, were just a side effect of the two Mysteries contacting with each other. The true test of his comprehension of the Mystery came when the prototype he had created pulled in the Mystery he had summoned into the mass of Oren, trying to devour it, and complete itself. An intention that was shared by the Mystery that it was trying to devour.


    What followed next was a tug of war between his own understanding of the Mystery, and the Mystery that he had summoned. A war that would determine whether the Origin Sea had recognised his comprehension or not. A war that would determine whether his Domain would transform or not.


    Fortunately, Alnea had learned what would happen at this point, so he had made sure to get away from the mass of Oren before summoning the Mystery. Or else, he might have had to suffer through the aftermath of the war. Nothing much would have happened to him since he was not in the Origin Sea. Still, getting caught in those illusions, and suffering through them once again¡­ He did not wish to experience such twisted memories once again. He did not even wish to think about it.


    And so, he switched his attention back to the rather colourful, and boisterous war that was happening. Red, black, blue, green, yellow, pink, and all other sorts of colours kept flashing in the mass of Oren, while the Mysteries kept duking it out with each other. At times, there were even bursts of thunderous sounds, followed by explosions of weird smells. And when he drifted a little closer to the fight, he even felt sensations of a clash between fire and ice, between wind and lightning, between earth and water, between¡­


    Alnea hurriedly backed away from the fight, preferring to watch from the side. His Aspect, the mask on his face, went a step further, and even asked him to quickly leave his Domain. The fight was too violent, and destructive, it said. What if it reached him? Or what if the real Mystery won, and came for him?


    After all, what he had created was just a prototype based on his understanding, and comprehension, while what it was facing was the Mystery that it had been based upon. In a clash between the two of them, it was obvious which of the two would come out top in their prowess, and profoundness. But this war was not based on just the profoundness, and prowess of the Mysteries. This was not even a war in the first place. This was just a test of the Origin Sea.


    A test to see if he had comprehended enough of the Mystery. A test to see if he was worthy of wielding the powers of the Mystery. Thus, as the fight went on, and the real Mystery failed to gain a complete advantage over his comprehension of it, its attacks slowly began to peter out, as its defences began to dwindle. And soon, it was left all, but defenceless, as his own Mystery swallowed it whole, gaining the recognition of the Origin Sea.


    The war of the Mysteries was finally over. And with his prototype coming out on top, the flashing lights in the mass of Oren finally faded away, as the prototype of the Mystery finally transformed into a Mystery of the Origin Sea, one that he had comprehended. And in the process, it spread its presence in his Domain, transforming it along with itself. Beginning with the mass of Oren where it had been fighting just moments ago.


    The phantom lights of the fight had not even faded yet, when the newly established Mystery spread its dominance, marking the mass of Oren as its permanent home, changing it into a dark bluish colour, with flashes of silver in between, fighting against the emptiness of his Domain. No, not emptiness. After the Origin Sea had recognised his comprehension of the Mystery, he had finally transformed his Domain. It was still mostly dark, but it was no longer empty.

 Chapter 19: Learning a new Martial Style [Part 1]

    In the dark expanse of his Domain, where once nothing but his Spirit, and the chains of his Oaths existed, Alnea had made two new additions. And though the mask on his face, his second Aspect, was just a temporary one, which would soon get its own home in his Spirit World, the other, the Mystery that he had comprehended, was going to be a permanent resident of his Domain. Rather, he had especially transformed his Domain for the Mystery.


    Though, on second thought, he had not really done much, except infuse his comprehension of the Mystery in a cloud of Oren. But comprehending a Mystery in his first try in itself was an accomplishment. Something that his master would surely be proud of. Thinking of his master, Alnea felt an inexplicable urge to just rush out from his Domain, and tell her everything about his new Aspect, and the Mystery. But he did not act on those urges.


    He was a Wanderer. A proper Wanderer, who had already become a Warrior, and was soon also going to become an Arcanist. He could not keep acting on his whims like a child. Or else, he would never be able to temper his Heart to Clarity. After all, gaining Clarity meant looking through the essence of his thoughts. If he did not give himself enough time to look through his thoughts, and kept acting on them as soon as they came to him, then how was he going to gain Clarity?


    ¡­So, what he was doing at the moment, could it be considered as looking through the essence of his thoughts?


    Alnea could not help himself from chuckling at that thought. If only gaining Clarity of his Heart could be that easy. Shaking his head to himself, he submerged his thoughts in his Serenity. He did not know when he would gain the Clarity of his Heart, but he did know that at the moment, all he had to do was to focus on his Serenity, and expand it, so that it would not prove a problem to his advancement to the Intermediate, and Advanced Stage.


    For the Intermediate Stage, he still had some confidence in himself. His Heart was only a small distance away from being able to handle the greater depths of the Origin Sea. For the Advanced Stage though, things were going to be a little difficult. Especially since he had planned to reach that Stage in less than two years. That was going to be a little difficult. Maybe he might even have to¡­


    Alnea submerged the thoughts back into his Serenity. There was no point in thinking about what he might, or might not have to do in future. It was more important to focus on the present, and do the best he could. Like comprehending more Mysteries, or taming more Aspects. Of course, before that, he had to learn how to make the best use of the Aspects, and the Mystery that he already had.


    Sensing his thoughts, the Aspect on his face sent him a message, saying that it was, indeed, a very useful Aspect. It could change form, colour, size, and much more. Even it did not know the limits of its abilities. It might have used some tricks, but that only showed how useful it was. So, he should not be too mad at it¡­


    Alnea shook his head, and let out a laugh. His Aspect¡­ it was indeed going to be very useful. He had already thought up quite a few uses of it. He just had to ask his master about the viability of his ideas. To do that though, he had to return from the Origin Sea first. And so, after a last glance at his transformed Domain, he reached out to his Roots, and tugged at it.


    But this time, instead of using its connection with the Origin Sea, he used its connection with his Spirit World, and travelled along it. And the moment they reached his Spirit World, the naughty little Aspect began asking if this was its new home. If this was where it was supposed to live. If this was its well. Such a boundless well, it indeed fit its image of the Aspect which would one day stand at the top of the world of Aspects¡­


    For a few moments, Alnea was left completely speechless at his Aspect, wondering if he had really made the right choice. How could he even think that they had things in common? He was never this shameless¡­


    Before his Heart could spring up some errant thoughts, and contradict him, Alnea told his Aspect about the truth, which was met by some disappointment from the Aspect. It did not stay down for long though, and soon came back with greater enthusiasm, asking for where its home was then, only to be met with more disappointment. There was nothing that Alnea could do about it though.


    His Spirit Power was too low to dig an Aspect Well at the moment. As such, he could only promise to dig its home in a few hours, before leaving his Spirit State. And as if she was sensing all his movements, the moment he opened his eyes, so did his master. Looking at him with pride in her eyes, she gave him an approving nod, and said, ¡°Which Aspect is it this time?¡±


    Alnea scratched the back of his head with an awkward laugh, and said, ¡°Looks like I cannot hide it from you, master.¡±


    ¡°You have yet to dig an Aspect Well for your new Aspect, resulting in leakage of its powers, and characteristics. Like the slight fluctuation of your Spirit, or the black light flashing in your eyes. Even though it is not much, it cannot hide from my senses.¡±


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    ¡°¡­Then can you guess which lineage this Aspect is related to, master?¡±


    ¡°Now that you have your second Aspect, you think you can tease your master?¡±


    ¡°¡­Don¡¯t try to get out of this, master,¡± Alnea said, laughing at his master¡¯s clumsy attempt. ¡°Come on, take a guess. I bet you are going to be surprised by the answer.¡±


    ¡°Surprised you say,¡± his master said, looking at him with amusement. ¡°Then it seems I really must take a guess.¡±


    ¡°So, which lineage is it?¡±


    ¡°A black light flashing in your eyes¡­ Since you said this would be a surprise, then it cannot be the lineage of night. The lineage of Death then? No, it could also be the lineage of Destruction¡­. After all, your Spirit has been constantly submerged in the Mysteries of Destruction for the past week¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­I meant one guess, master. You cannot name all of the lineages in your guess.¡±


    ¡°Cheeky disciple,¡± his master said, smiling at him, as she condensed her Spirit Power into hands to flick his forehead. Not too hard. Just strong enough to force his head back. Before he could grumble to her though, she added, ¡°The lineage of Destruction.¡±


    ¡°...Are you sure that is your guess, master?¡±


    ¡°¡­If you have too much time to waste, then I can add other things to your training schedule.¡±


    ¡°I am not wasting time, master!¡± Alnea said. ¡°In a way, this is also related to my training.¡±


    ¡°Oh? And how is that so?¡±


    ¡°Because the new Aspect is related to the lineage of Trickeries.¡±


    ¡°¡­Lineage of Trickeries?¡±


    ¡°Yes, lineage of Trickeries,¡± Alnea said, enjoying the baffled confused look on his master¡¯s face with a laugh. ¡°The lineage of Optah.¡±


    ¡°¡­How did you end up with an Aspect related to the lineage of Trickeries?¡±


    ¡°¡­By its tricks,¡± Alnea said, as his laughed turned back to being awkward. ¡°At first, it made me think that it was related to the lineage of Justice, and even behaved like one. Only when I had made my choice, and established a connection with the Aspect, did it reveal its true form.¡±


    ¡°¡­Getting tricked by an Aspect,¡± his master mumbled. ¡°I guess there are always new things for people to learn.¡±


    ¡°You have never heard of such cases before, master?¡±


    Instead of answering him, his master asked him a question.


    ¡°How do you think we tame Aspects, Alnea?¡±


    ¡°¡­By communicating with them?¡±


    ¡°And what is necessary for that communication?¡±


    ¡°¡­For both the parties to be willing to communicate. And for them to be compatible with each other.¡±


    ¡°Compatibility¡­ if a Wanderer is compatible with Aspects related to the lineage of Trickeries, then do you think that the Aspects would need to Trick them into communicating with it?¡±


    ¡°But it did trick me, master¡­¡±


    ¡°That is why I said that there are always new things for people to learn,¡± his master said, shaking her head. ¡°The Aspect probably would not have tried to Trick you¡­ if it had been the only Aspect you were communicating with. But you were not. You had many options to choose from. And many of them would have been related to the Mysteries of Day, and Night. If you had gotten a chance, which one would you have preferred?¡±


    ¡°¡­The latter.¡±


    ¡°And so, the Aspect was forced to trick you. If it was the only Aspect you were communicating with, then it would have probably come clean to you from the beginning.¡±


    ¡°¡­It is such a devious little guy,¡± Alnea mumbled, only to have his master flick his forehead once again.


    ¡°It is already your Aspect now, so treat it with respect. Besides, do you think you are any better than the Aspect?¡±


    ¡°¡­I am respectful, master,¡± Alnea grumbled. ¡°But that Aspect needs to be taught a lesson. Of course, I will not be mean to it¡­ I will just keep using it, and tire it to death.¡±


    ¡°You¡­¡± his master said, fumbling with her words, as she kept looking at him speechlessly. After a few moments, she shook her head. ¡°Forget it. It is your Aspect. Do as you want. Just try not to lose control of it.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, master. I know my limits.¡±


    ¡°If only that were true,¡± his master said, shaking her head with a wry smile. ¡°Anyways, there is no use worrying about it right now. We will see how things goes. For now, let us come back to what we were discussing about before you went Wandering, Martial Styles. In specific, Martial Styles focussing on swords. As for your other Aspect¡­


    ¡°After what you told me last time, I had anticipated that you might tame another Aspect in a week or so, and had prepared accordingly, but that I had never expected for the Aspect you tamed to be of the lineage of Trickeries. It will take me a couple of weeks to prepare the corresponding Martial Styles. Till then, you can just practise with the other Martial Styles, starting with those related to swords. Now, according to the different specialisations, Martial Styles of the Weapon type¡ª


    ¡°Wait a moment, master!¡± Alnea said, hurriedly interrupting his master. She was like that sometimes, jumping from one topic to the next without any rest, expecting him to keep up with her. And most of the time, he did keep up with her. But not this time. ¡°There is one more thing I need to tell you before we begin with Martial Styles.¡±


    ¡°Is it related to your Aspects?¡±


    ¡°No¡­¡±


    ¡°Is it related to the Martial Styles you are going to practise?¡±


    ¡°No¡­¡±


    ¡°Then it can wait.¡±


    ¡°But¡ª


    ¡°You need to learn to focus, Alnea. As a Wanderer, you need to have¡ª


    ¡°I have comprehended a Mystery.¡±

 Chapter 19: Learning a new Martial Style [Part 2]

    ¡°¡­A Mystery?¡± his master said, failing to control the expression of disbelief on her face for a moment. Not a bad way of revealing his Mystery to her, Alnea thought. ¡°Other than taming another Aspect, did you also encounter a Mystery?¡±


    ¡°I did not just encounter a Mystery, master, I have already comprehended it. I have even tested it against the Origin Sea, and transformed my Domain.¡±


    ¡°¡­You were just saying something about knowing your limits.¡±


    Or maybe, he should have waited to explain things to her in a more chronological manner, Alnea added to himself. The face that his master was making¡­ It looked like she was worrying for him again. And rightly so. After all, taming an Aspect, and comprehending a Mystery in the same Wandering, that was not something that was often heard of. But¡­


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry so much, master,¡± Alnea said. ¡°I really do know my limits. After I had the tamed the Aspect, I still had somewhere around seventy units of Spirit Power left. It was then, that I encountered a Mystery. And by the time I was done comprehending the Mystery, I was still left with around twenty units of Spirit Power, enough to test my comprehension.¡±


    ¡°Testing your comprehension of the Mystery¡­ Whether it is in the Origin Sea, or within your Domain, both requires you to expend Spirit Power. What if you had not been able to afford that consumption?¡±


    ¡°¡­About that, my Spirit Power was indeed too low to test my comprehension in normal ways. But isn¡¯t there the method you used in the Art of Spirit Rebirth to summon the Mysteries? It hardly uses up any Oren. So, I decided to go with that. See, am I not smart, master?¡±


    ¡°¡­At least you are not a complete fool,¡± his master said, with the stern look on her face finally easing a little. Not completely though. ¡°But that still does not justify your actions.¡±


    ¡°¡­But¡ª


    ¡°There are no buts. How many times have I warned you against being reckless? Do you not know how dangerous testing the comprehension of Mysteries can be? Wanderers much stronger than you have been devoured by the Origin Sea just because they made a careless mistake in their comprehension. The Origin Sea¡­ Just because the Aspects behave in a friendly manner with you, it does not mean that the Origin Sea will also be friendly to you.¡±


    ¡°¡­I know that, master.¡±


    ¡°Then why did you do it?¡±


    ¡°¡­I thought that it would make you feel proud,¡± Alnea mumbled, bowing down to hide his flushed face, only to hear a sigh, and feel his master¡¯s hand on his head, gently patting him, giving him the warmth, and care that he was familiar with. The warmth and care of his master¡­ of his mother.


    ¡°Silly child,¡± his master said. ¡°I am always proud of you¡­ More so than you can imagine. And one day, when you stop being so reckless, then I will be even more proud of you.¡±


    ¡°¡­I want you to be even more proud of me, master,¡± Alnea said in a low voice, using the comfort and warmth from his master¡¯s hand to fight off the guilt in his Heart. ¡°Prouder than everything else in the world¡­ But I will try to think a little more before doing anything, and try not to be so reckless.¡±


    ¡°¡­That is all that I am asking,¡± his master said, using the same hand she was patting him with to ruffle through his hair, as a smile made its way to her face. ¡°Alright, tell me about his Mystery that you have comprehended. I want to know what the first Mystery of my son is.¡±


    ¡°It is from the lineage of Night, master,¡± Alnea said, regaining all his enthusiasm, channelling it into words. ¡°A Mystery that focuses on illusions¡­ Not true illusions, but more like psychological ones. If I can make an Arcana out of it, then I will be able to twist the memories of my enemies to create cracks in their Heart, and use those cracks to draw them into an illusion.¡±


    ¡°A psychological illusion,¡± his master said, nodding at his words. ¡°That does sound like a Mystery from the lineage of Night. I have not yet seen your Mystery in action, so I cannot say which Series it belongs to, but from its description it seems to be a Mystery from one of the Series of Inner Thoughts. Probably about Nightmares.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s what I think as well, master,¡± Alnea said. ¡°Either that, or something related to memories.¡±


    ¡°In any case, it is good that your first Mystery is of the supportive type, and can help you restrain your enemies. It should prove helpful to you¡­ for a while.¡±


    ¡°This is my first Mystery, master. Even if it was not useful, I still would be happy.¡±


    ¡°¡­Excited to create your own Arcanas?¡±


    ¡°Yes, master!¡±


    ¡°Look at you¡­¡± his master said, shaking her head at his grinning face, with a smile of her own, of course. ¡°First the Martial Styles, now Arcanas¡­ It has only been a week, and we have to change your training schedule once again. You surely do love giving me a headache.¡±


    ¡°It cannot be a headache for you, master. You are omnipotent, and omniscient, after all.¡±


    ¡°¡­Cheeky disciple,¡± his master said, flicking his forehead once again. ¡°Let us keep the Mystery aside for now. Creating Arcanas is a very dangerous process¡­ even more dangerous than comprehending Mysteries. You cannot afford to be either careless, or reckless. So, let us wait until you have supressed the excitement in your Heart before starting to work on your Arcana. Is that alright?¡±


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    ¡°¡­I cannot say that I am thrilled, but you are right, master. My Heart is indeed a bit too excited.¡±


    ¡°It cannot be helped,¡± his master said. ¡°This will be your first Arcana, after all. The first step towards completing your Oath¡­ towards making your father proud of you.¡±


    ¡°¡­I will definitely make him feel proud of me.¡±


    ¡°I know you will,¡± his master said, nodding at him with a smile. ¡°Now, shall we get back to what we were discussing?¡±


    ¡°¡­Can I tell Yuri about my Mystery first?¡±


    ¡°Oh? Have you not told her yet? I thought you would have told her the moment that comprehended the Mystery.¡±


    ¡°I wanted you to be the first one to know about the Mystery, master.¡±


    ¡°¡­Do not take too much time.¡±


    ¡°It will take only a few moments,¡± Alnea said, before concentrating on the ring in his hands. ¡°I am back from the Origin Sea.¡±


    ¡°¡­You took a little longer than usual,¡± Yuri said, replying to him through the rings. ¡°Did something happen?¡±


    ¡°Something did happen,¡± Alnea said. ¡°Something very exciting.¡±


    ¡°Oh? Did you finally encounter your first Mystery?¡±


    ¡°¡­How did you guess?¡±


    ¡°Can there be anything else other than a Mystery which can make you this excited?¡±


    ¡°Of course, there are,¡± Alnea said. ¡°Did you forget about the time when I helped you gain your first Aspect?¡±


    ¡°¡­How was your experience with the Mystery?¡±


    ¡°Did that embarrass you?¡± Alnea said, sending his laugh along with his words. ¡°Anyways, you guessed only half. Not only did I encounter a Mystery, but I also comprehended it, and have also tested my comprehension, and transformed my Domain. Now, I can finally begin creating Arcanas. I can finally become an Arcanist.¡±


    ¡°¡­All in one Wandering?¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡±


    ¡°¡­When will you stop being so reckless?¡±


    ¡°¡­That¡¯s what master said,¡± Alnea grumbled. ¡°I will try to be careful next time.¡±


    ¡°Wait a moment. You accepted the fact that you were reckless? How? Unless¡­ What else did you do, Alnea?¡±


    ¡°¡­I tamed my second Aspect.¡±


    ¡°¡­Faein¡¯s mercy,¡± Yuri said. ¡°I swear you are going to be the death of me one day.¡±


    ¡°¡­It was not as bad as you think,¡± Alnea said. ¡°I tamed the Aspect much earlier than I had planned, and still had about seventy units of Spirit Power left when I encountered the Mystery.¡±


    ¡°It does not matter when you encountered the Mystery,¡± Yuri said. ¡°Have you forgotten my first Wandering? What if something similar had happened to you?¡±


    ¡°¡­It was my first Mystery. I have been Wandering for seven days, and it was the first time I encountered a Mystery. I could not control myself.¡±


    ¡°¡­You are the most reckless person I have ever met.¡±


    ¡°¡­More reckless than you?¡±


    ¡°How am I reckless?¡±


    ¡°Leaving your home at the age of six, travelling half the world to find me based on just some text, coming to the Tes Domain¡­ should I go on?¡±


    ¡°¡­They are different things.¡±


    ¡°Right,¡± Alnea said, laughing once again, as images of Yuri¡¯s flushed face flashed past his mind. ¡°Alright, I should get going now. Master is waiting for me.¡±


    ¡°¡­You seem to be in a hurry.¡±


    ¡°¡­Master is finally going to teach me new Martial Styles!¡±


    ¡°Already? It has just been seven days¡­¡±


    ¡°Hey, you are talking to the greatest Wanderer of the future. It is normal if I break some common sense, right?¡±


    ¡°¡­More like the cheekiest, and most narcissistic Wanderer of the future.¡±


    ¡°Are you jealous?¡±


    ¡°You need to catch up to me to make me feel jealous.¡±


    ¡°¡­That won¡¯t take long.¡±


    ¡°¡­Like I said, the cheekiest Wanderer ever.¡± Hearing Yuri¡¯s grumbled, Alnea burst out in laughter once more, and was soon joined by Yuri. After a while, when their laughter finally died out, Yuri added, ¡°You have Aspects now¡­ so be careful while practising Martial Styles.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry,¡± Alnea said. ¡°I may be reckless, but I am not a fool.¡±


    ¡°¡­You are definitely a fool.¡±


    ¡°Hey, what do you mean by that?¡±


    ¡°Nothing. In any case, big sis Nyssa is waiting for you, so you should get going now.¡±


    ¡°¡­You are getting better at changing topics. I will let you get away this time, but I will not forget what you said.¡±


    ¡°Why are you talking so much nonsense? Just go, and practise your Martial Styles.¡±


    ¡°Alright, alright, I am going. Ah, before I leave, there was one more thing I wanted to ask you about.¡±


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°Do you know about the sword of Farin?¡±


    ¡°¡­Why do you want to know?¡±


    ¡°Of all the swords that master had prepared for me, the sword of Farin suited me the best. Since it is going to be my sword, I naturally want to know more about it.¡±


    ¡°Sword of Farin¡­ what did big sis Nyssa tell you about it?¡±


    ¡°That it is the sword made by the descendants of the country of Farin, and about how it shoulders the hope of regaining their lost country. But I have never heard about the country. Do you know anything about it?¡±


    ¡°¡­Somethings will only harm you if you know them too early.¡±


    ¡°¡­You are only making me more curious.¡±


    ¡°Forget about the country of Farin. Digging up past will not do anyone good. Instead, focus on your sword. Since you have chosen sword as your weapon, take as much advantage of big sis Nyssa as you can. After all, swords are also her weapon of choice. So, stop thinking about useless things, and go learn some Martial Styles.¡±


    ¡°Stingy,¡± Alnea mumbled, but he did not pester her about the sword again. It would be of no use. Sword of Farin¡­ It looked like it was going to take quite some time before he would be able to learn more about his sword. Till then, as Yuri had said, he would just have to focus on honing his sword skills, and learning Martial Styles.

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 Chapter 19: Learning a new Martial Style [Part 3]

    ¡°Are you done?¡±


    ¡°¡­I am.¡±


    ¡°It looks like she, too, gave you a piece of her mind.¡±


    ¡°¡­Is it that obvious?¡±


    ¡°Silly child,¡± his master said, ruffling through his hair. ¡°You know how much she cares about you¡­ And how much you mean to her. Her words¡­ Do not take them too seriously. She is just worried about you.¡±


    ¡°It is not about what she said, but about what she did not say¡­ Anyways, I am ready now, master. Let us begin with the Martial Styles.¡±


    ¡°¡­If you say so,¡± his master said, before reaching into the air with her hands, opening her ¡®Dimensional Pocket¡¯ in mid air, retrieving a white coloured pouch. The same pouch which had once stored the scrolls of the Martial Styles she had given him before. Or at least it was similar in colour, shape, design, and size. A storage device which his master had once used in her younger days.


    Closing her ¡®Dimensional Pocket¡¯, his mater put the bag in front of him, and said, ¡°You do not need me to teach how this works, right?¡±


    ¡°¡­This should be a True Ranked Storage Device, right?¡±


    ¡°Right, so you can go ahead and take out the scrolls while I activate the Glyph Arrays.¡±


    ¡°¡­Are there a hundred sets of Martial Styles in the bag?¡±


    ¡°Even if there are a hundred sets of Martial Styles in the bag, can you master all of them today? With your affinity with the Martial Styles, and Aspects, maybe you really could have done so. But can you do it with your busy training schedule, which is going to get even more hectic?¡±


    ¡°¡­Probably not.¡±


    ¡°Stop thinking about useless things, and start practising the Martial Styles.¡±


    ¡°¡­Yes, master,¡± Alnea said, and plunged his hand into the bag, pulling out the first scroll that came into his hand. It was just a plain scroll, with a white spine, and golden edges. But that was to be expected. There had to be at least thousands of Martial Styles in the bag. If his master used the blood, and skin of Dream Bulls for all of them, then it would not take long for them to truly become extinct.


    Besides, it was not as if the Martial Styles were going to be as esoteric, and difficult as the Art of Spirit Rebirth. They relied on Aspects, after all, and not the Mysteries of the Origin Sea. Even if there were some esoteric concepts encompassing their moves, bringing them together as a whole, those were things that he would have to grasp through practice, and not through calling on the prowess of the Origin Sea. But before that, he would have to learn the Martial Style itself.


    ¡°Star Piercing Style,¡± Alnea mumbled. Specialising in Strength, and Speed, with more emphasis on Speed, the Star Piercing Style was a Martial Style of the Weapon type, focussing on sword type weapons. And its name suggested, it was designed by its creator with the hope of one day piercing the stars themselves. Of course, that was an impossible task. After all, not even the Supreme Wanderers could reach the stars.


    But Warriors of the defiant kind in the first place. And all of them tended to be ambitious. Yearning to pierce the Stars¡­ Only a Warrior could think up of such a ridiculously ambitious goal. And if the man had kept stuck to his conviction, then even if would not have pierced the stars, at the very least, he would have been able to reach the Mystic Rank. At very least, his Star Piercing Style would not have remained as just a Lowest Grade Martial Style.


    Unfortunately, the Warrior¡¯s determination could not keep up with his reality. As he walked further on his path, his conviction could not fight against the impossibility of his situation. Or maybe there were other situations that were not recorded in the scroll. In any case, one day, the conviction of the Warrior was finally broken, rendering him unable to advance on his path.


    Since the creator of the Martial Style had his path as a Wanderer cut off before he could make much progress with his Martial Style, the most that the Star Piercing Style could do was allow him to concentrate his Aspects at the tip of his sword, increasing the speed, and strength of his attacks. Even with his Aspects though, the speed of his stabs would not increase beyond twice its original speed, while in the department of strength, it would be increasing the penetrating powers of his sword, adding only slightly to his strength.


    But Alnea did not have anything to complain about. With the way that he normally used his Aspect, just pouring it all out, wrapping his entire sword with it, all he could achieve was better synchronisation with his sword, while lowering the consumption of his strength. Or maybe, that just came with the synchronisation with sword. After all, with better synchronisation, he did learn how to swing his sword more proficiently.


    Just swinging his sword though, was not enough. He also needed to have power behind his swings, and he needed to be fast. And though the Star Piercing Sword would not be able to help him much with power, it surely would help him with speed. Besides, using his Aspects in the way he did was a waste of Oren. Focussed, and efficient, that was the way of a Warrior. That was the way of Martial Styles.


    Seeing Alnea roll back the scroll, and put it down, his master looked at him with a smile, and asked, ¡°Done already?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Alnea said, nodding with a confident grin. ¡°I should be able to master it in a while.¡±


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    ¡°You sound quite confident of yourself.¡±


    ¡°There is not much to the Star Piercing Style, after all.¡±


    ¡°¡­We will see about that,¡± his master said, as her lips curled up in amusement. Before he could ask what she meant though, she picked up the sword lying by her side, and handed it to him. ¡°Your sword¡­ you will need it for practising the Martial Style.¡±


    ¡°The sword of Farin,¡± Alnea mumbled, taking the sword into his hand. He may not know where the country of Farin had been. But he did know one thing. The sword was meant for him. And its sheath¡­ The golden vines, pregnant with red thorns, rounding about the pure black sheath in strange, and mesmerising patterns of their own, reminded him of the robe he was wearing. Golden on black¡­


    ¡°I did not have many ingredients that matched the sword, so I had to make a temporary sheath for it,¡± his master said. ¡°I will create a better sheath for it when we have time.¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Alnea said, tracing the patterns of thorns on the sheath of his sword. ¡°I like this sheath¡­ Let me keep it.¡±


    ¡°¡­Silly child,¡± his master said. ¡°Go, and try out your new sword.¡±


    ¡°Yes master!¡± Alnea said, as a new sense of enthusiasm surged within his Heart. For a while, he had been waiting in excitement just to practise his new Martial Styles. But at the moment, he was also excited for the swinging his sword. Or stabbing it. That was how he was supposed to practise the Martial Style.


    There was only one move in the whole Martial Style, a stab. To master the Martial Style, he had to keep practising the stab over, and over, while trying to urge his Aspect to gather directly at the tip of his sword. Not overflow from his body, and seep into his sword. No. He had to gather his Aspect directly at the tip of his sword right when his sword was supposed to strike his enemies. Maybe the concept of the Martial style was related to the Space series of the lineage of Time.


    In any case, according to the Star Piercing Style, by gathering his Aspects at the tip of his sword right before hitting his enemies, he would not only be increasing the explosiveness, and the penetration power of his stabs, but the sudden acceleration of his stabs right before making contact with his enemies would also cause them to err in judging the speed of his attacks, spoiling all their countermeasures.


    And the way to gathering his Aspects at the tip of his sword was repeatedly practising with his sword, especially his stabs, while trying to communicate with his Aspects, urging them to follow his command. The greater the level of communication, and understanding he had with his Aspects, the easier it would be for him to control them, and the faster, and more explosively he would be able to gather them at the tip of his sword.


    Or at least that was how the scroll had described the Martial Style as. Of course, since neither his Aspect, nor his conviction aligned with the Martial Style, he was bound to never be able to use the Star Piercing Style like its creator had, but something was better than nothing. At least, the Martial Style could help him in improving his control over his Aspect. Besides, the faster he could master the Star Piercing Style, the faster he would be able to move on to the next Martial Style.


    So, after nodding at his master with a confident smile, Alnea picked up the sword, and walked up to the muddy bank of the stream. Since he was going to practice stabs anyway, then he might as well also practise his base. A strong base would always help him, even when he would reach the True Rank, and learn to fly. Thus, without wasting any time, he got into the position of practising stabs, spreading his legs to shoulder¡¯s length, keeping his left leg little ahead of the right.


    This time though, he was practising with a real sword rather than a wooden sword, and as such, had to more mindful of the position of his sword. Since the sword was still in its sheath, Alnea brought the sword to the left side of his waist, keeping his right hand on the hilt, as near to the sheath as he could, while holding the sheath with his left hand, right at its base, where it met the hilt. Just as was depicted in the scroll.


    Since the sword was long, it was going to be tough to unsheathe it. But if he angled it well, it would not be too big of a problem. This was what the stance he was in for. To help in him in unsheathing long swords, and unleashing their fury. Taking a deep breath to readjust himself, Alnea focussed all his attention on the sword, before pulling it out of its sheath, and¡ª


    Along with the sword, Alnea found himself stumbling, and falling face first into the muddy ground. The sword¡­ he had forgotten how heavy it was. Especially since it had been so light when resting in the sheath. That must have been the work of some Glyph Arrays¡­ the thorny vines on the sheath¡­


    ¡°Do you still think that you will be able to master the sword in just a while?¡±


    Alnea turned towards her with a pout, and said, ¡°You knew that this would happen.¡±


    ¡°I just wanted to let you know that you should never underestimate anything. What you think might be easy, could end being something that is beyond your limits.¡±


    ¡°¡­This is not beyond my limit,¡± Alnea said with gritted teeth, as he forced him himself up from the ground. ¡°I was just caught a little off guard.¡±


    ¡°Alright, alright, it is not beyond your limits. But it will surely tire you out. How about you change your sword with the wooden sword for now?¡±


    In truth, Alnea wished to change back to the wooden sword, and get used to the Star Piercing Style, before changing back to his sword, the sword of Farin. As he saw the look of amusement in his master¡¯s eyes though, a strange sense of shame built up inside of him, flushing his face red. Biting his lips, he turned away from her, and pushed himself up from the ground.


    ¡°A mere Lowest Grade Martial Style,¡± Alnea said, weighing the sword in his hands, before getting back into the position of a stab. ¡°It cannot stop me.¡±


    ¡°It might not stop you, but it will tire you out, and delay your other training.¡±


    ¡°It will not,¡± Alnea said. ¡°I promise you.¡±


    ¡°You¡ª


    ¡°I, Alnea Oathkeeper, take an Oath that I will practise the Star Piercing Style, and all the other Martial Styles with my sword, the sword of Farin, while making sure that it does not affect my other training.¡±


    ¡°I wonder where you get your stubborn streak from,¡± his master said, but did not stop him from taking his Oath. So, in way, gaining her approval, while ignoring the manifestation of Mysteries around his Roots, Alnea took a step forward, urging his Aspect, the one in the shape of a sword, to gather at the tip of his sword, while stabbing it in front of him with all the strength he could muster. And though the sword was heavy, causing his arms to shake, and shiver, the sword itself did not shake. It was as stable as ever.


    Unfortunately, having never used his Aspect in such precise manner, he was not very proficient in its usage. Thus, instead of gathering at the tip of the sword, the Aspect gathered around its edges. That too, much earlier than when he had intended. And so, with his hand quivering under the weight of the sword, Alnea brough the sword back to its initial position, before thrusting it into the air once again, only fail once again. And again. And again. But he did not give up. Because he was Alnea Oathkeeper. Because he was going to be the greatest Wanderer. Because he was going to be the first Origin Wanderer.

 Chapter 20: Arcanas [Part 1]

    Panting with each breath that he took, as he completed the last of his stabs, Alnea had to use his sword to stop himself from falling over to the ground. Although he had not completely mastered the use of his Aspects, after over a thousand repetitions, he was starting to get the hang of it. As a consequence, other than a completely sore body, he also had to deal with a pounding headache that threatened to consume all his thoughts. But he could not let that happen. He could not let his thoughts be drowned. He could not let his body down¡­ He could not rest¡­ He could not sleep¡­ Because he had his Oath to fulfil.


    Alnea Oathkeeper took in a deep, deep breath, trying to control his breathing as much as he could, while pushing himself to walk back to his usual place of training¡­ the accursed bed of Blood Sucking Grass. Every time he was tired, and drifted to sleep while training, the accursed grasses would all bite into him, sucking his blood. They were not even a plant type of Oren Beast. They were just a rare mutation of precious herbs¡­ And somehow, they had become his natural enemies.


    If they were grasses, then they should just behave as grasses, Alnea thought, as he stamped his foot on them as hard as he could. Of course, that did not do anything to them. On the contrary, if not for the sandals that his master had made for him, it would have been him who would have gotten hurt from that stomp. But that did not stop him from stomping on them once again.


    Or dragging his sword along the ground. That ought to hurt them. Even if he had already sheathed his sword, the sheath was not something that these grasses could hurt. To his disappointment though, the weight reducing Glyph Arrays on the sheath also made it so that the sword did not hurt the grasses much. But he would not forget this account. His revenge must be had. If not at the moment, then later¡­ when¡­


    ¡°How long are you going to glare at the grasses?¡±


    Alnea was shocked back to his senses by his master¡¯s words, barely escaping from being dragged into the land of dreams by his fatigue. Biting his tongue to make himself feel more sober, he shifted his gaze from the bed of grass to his master, who was looking at him with an amused smile. One, that said that she had seen through everything. And maybe she truly had. But even if she had seen through him, he still could not admit his faults penly.


    ¡°¡­I was just thinking of something.¡±


    ¡°Thinking, or sleeping?¡±


    ¡°¡­Thinking,¡± Alnea said, bowing his head down a little to hide the flush on his face.


    ¡°¡­Fine. Let us just assume that you were thinking about something. Are you done now?¡±


    ¡°¡­I am.¡±


    ¡°Then shall we get back to your training?¡±


    ¡°¡­Yes.¡±


    ¡°Before we begin with your training though, we have a problem that we must address.¡±


    ¡°What problem, master?¡±


    ¡°As expected, you still have not realised,¡± his master said, shaking her head with a sigh. ¡°What training did you just complete?¡±


    Alnea felt a little confused at his master¡¯s question. He could not understand what she was trying to get at. But that was not a new thing for him. At times, his master often tried to teach him things in an implicit manner, forcing him learn from his faults after suffering through their consequences. Like how he had fell face first in mud just a while ago. And for obvious reasons, he did not like such lessons. But he could not ignore them either. This was his master trying to teach him something important. So, even though he grumbled a little, he still answered her question.


    ¡°I was training with my sword.¡±


    ¡°Training with your sword¡­ Alright, let us call it as that. Now then, tell me, Alnea. In a logical, and normal course of events, what should the next topic of your training should be?¡±


    Hearing such an easy question, Alnea smiled, and said, ¡°That¡¯s easy. Next, I just¡­¡± He finally recalled what he was to do next, and immediately froze, looking at his master with a hint of panic creeping onto his face. ¡°I have to Forge my Spirit¡­ through the Art of Spirit Rebirth.¡±


    ¡°¡­And are you ready to do that?¡± his master said, finally withdrawing the wry smile from her face, looking at him with a stern, and reproaching gaze.


    ¡°No¡­¡±


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    ¡°Why is that?¡±


    ¡°Because my Spirit is exhausted¡­¡±


    ¡°Is this not the usual time when your Spirit Power is restored to its peak?¡±


    ¡°¡­It is.¡±


    ¡°Then why has your Spirit Power not restored yet?¡±


    ¡°¡­Because I was using it to practise the Star Piercing Style.¡±


    ¡°Your training would not affect your other training¡­ that¡¯s what you took the Oath for.¡±


    ¡°I did¡­¡±


    ¡°And look where you are,¡± his master said. ¡°Once again on the verge of failing to keep your Oath¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡­ miscalculated a little.¡±


    ¡°This not just a simple miscalculation,¡± his master said. ¡°You took a reckless Oath¡­ once again...¡±


    ¡°I¡­¡±


    ¡°Do you know why I did not stop you from taking your Oath despite knowing that it was reckless?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­¡±


    ¡°It is because you have been too free with your Oaths recently. Just like Cecilia, and Yuri, you too have grown complacent. It is just that the area you have grown complacent in is different from theirs. And while their complacency is dangerous, your is even more so. Or do I need to remind you about the dangers of your Roots?¡±


    ¡°I am sorry, master¡­¡±


    ¡°I am not asking for your apology, Alnea. I am trying to teach you something. Though you can use your Oaths, you must never forget how dangerous they can be. And you must never lose your fear of them. Of the price that you have to pay for your breaking your Oaths.¡±


    ¡°I¡­¡±


    ¡°I understand that your Heart is a little unstable right now, but that does not give you the right to play with your life.¡±


    ¡°I¡­ That was never my intention, master,¡± Alnea said, biting his lips, with his eyes directed towards his feet. They were starting to get a little blurry¡­ He was a grown man. He was a Wanderer. He should not have cried¡­ And yet. ¡°I just wanted to prove myself to you¡­ To prove to you that I am not weak¡­ That I can wield my sword¡­¡±


    ¡°Silly child,¡± his master said, sighing once again, before pulling him into light a hug, hesitantly patting him on the back of his head. ¡°Why are you crying? You are a Warrior now¡­ and will soon become an Arcanist. Come on, be a good boy, and stop crying.¡±


    ¡°I¡­ I am sorry, master¡­¡±


    ¡°Forget it. It was partly my fault too. I should not have stimulated you so.¡±


    ¡°No!¡± Alnea said, wrapping his hand tightly around his master, while burying his face in her chest. ¡°You were not at fault¡­ I was¡­ I should have been more careful¡­ Even when you have told me to be careful so many time¡­ I am sorry, master¡­¡±


    ¡°It is alright, Alnea,¡± his master said, no longer insisting on taking the blame. Because she knew that it was of no use. But she did not stop comforting him, choosing to absolve him of his blames instead. ¡°Making mistakes is not a bad thing. Everyone makes them. That is how we learn¡­ It is only when you do not learn from your mistakes that your mistakes can become disastrous. Do you understand what I am saying?¡±


    ¡°Yes, master,¡± Alnea said, nodding his head while it was still buried in her chest, inadvertently wiping some snot on her dress. ¡°I will be more careful in the future¡­ And consider all the controllable, and uncontrollable variables before taking my Oaths.¡±


    ¡°Good, that is all that I am asking for,¡± his master said, gently caressing his back. ¡°Now, can we go back to your training? We still need to help you complete your Oath.¡±


    Although reluctant to do so, Alnea still pulled away from the hug, wiping his eyes on the cuff of his sleeves, before facing his master once again. ¡°How are we going to do that, master?¡±


    ¡°¡­Things are not as bad as you think they are,¡± his master said. ¡°I might have exaggerated a few things to teach you a lesson.¡±


    ¡°¡­I don¡¯t understand, master.¡±


    ¡°¡­What if you had used the wooden sword instead of your own sword to practise the Star Piercing Sword?¡±


    ¡°¡­I would not have been so tired.¡±


    ¡°Physically, yes. But what about your Spirit Power? You still would have had to use your Aspect to practise the Star Piercing Style, and in turn, use up your Spirit Power. So¡­¡±


    ¡°Whether I used the wooden sword, or my sword, the end result would still be the same. I would not be able to practise the Art of Spirit Rebirth¡­¡±


    ¡°And so, technically speaking, practising with your sword has not affected your other training¡­¡±


    ¡°You tricked me, master!¡±


    ¡°I did no such thing,¡± his master said, looking at him with amusement. ¡°All I did was state some facts, from which, you drew your own conclusions.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s the same thing,¡± Alnea grumbled, looking at his master with a pout. ¡°You tricked me.¡±


    ¡°¡­You might not have broken your Oath yet, but if you do not get back to your training, and keep wasting time staring at me, then I soon might have to step in to save you from your Roots.¡±


    ¡°¡­Just wait for me to learn Martial Styles that can let me use my other Aspect. Then I will trick you as well.¡±


    ¡°Alright, alright, you can trick me as much as you want,¡± his master said, ruffling his hair while laughing lightly as his outburst. However, that did not feel too bad. He would still have his revenge on her. But if it could let him see her smiling face, then it was alight to be tricked by her from time. ¡°Now, can we get back to your training?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Alnea said, trying sound as if he was still brooding over being tricked. He could not let his master know that he was happy that she had tricked him. Or she might think he was a pervert. ¡°But if it is not related to my Spirit Power¡­ then what am I going to train in, master?¡±


    ¡°Is it not obvious?¡± his master said. ¡°You are going to learn how to create your Arcana.¡±

 Chapter 20: Arcanas [Part 2]

    ¡°Create my Arcana?¡± Alnea said, with a wide grin, and a light of excitement shining in his eyes. Pretending to be upset at his master¡­ he had long forgotten about it. He even forgot about the headache that he was suffering with. To create the greatest Arcanas. To become the greatest Arcanist. That was his first Oath. And in a way, it was also his conviction. One that he had made more than a year ago. And finally, he was going to take his first step towards that goal. He was going to become an Arcanist.


    Years, if not decades earlier than he had expected. His father had spent more than two decades in his training, before creating the only Arcana of his life. Even if he was confident in surpassing his father, to shrink that time by around twenty times¡­ Alnea was not surprised. He was, after all, going to become the greatest Arcanist. It was only natural for him to create a miracle or two.


    Still, to actually create his own Arcanas¡­ He may have taken up that goal to prove a point to his father, to prove a point to himself, but over time, his conviction had silently changed. He was not going to become just the greatest Arcanist, he was also going to become the greatest Wanderer¡­ The first Origin Wanderer. And he had already taken a step towards that goal on the path of Warriors.


    Next was the path of Arcanists. And to take his first step on that path¡­ he could not help feeling a strange sense of rush, and light headedness. However, the blood rushing to his head did not just make him feel light headed, but it also made him recall the things that his master had said earlier.


    ¡°¡­Did you not say that we have to wait until I supress the excitement in my Heart before I can focus on creating my Arcana?¡±


    ¡°Have you not supressed the excitement yet?¡± his master asked, staring at him without showing any kinds of emotion. Was that truly what she thought? Or was it a test? It did not matter. He refused to disappoint his master. And he refused to lie to her. Except for when it would be time for his vengeance, of course. Then, he would lie to trick her. Or maybe, he could just play with words, and have her trick herself, like she did with him. In any case, he had already decided how to answer her question.


    ¡°I did not, master,¡± Alnea said, pointing to his chest. ¡°Let alone my Heart, just this heart alone has yet to calm down. And I am sure that you can hear its beats. So, stop trying to trick me again, master.¡±


    His master smiled at him amusement, and said, ¡°Look at you, learning how to be careful with your words already.¡±


    ¡°¡­It is because I learned from the best, master.¡±


    ¡°Cheeky disciple,¡± his master said, pinching his nose, and giving it a slight tug, before withdrawing her hand. ¡°I did indeed say that you need to supress your excitement before creating Arcanas, but who said that you are going to create Arcanas? I just said that you are going to learn how to create Arcanas.¡±


    ¡°¡­I am not going to create an Arcana?¡±


    ¡°You do not even know how to create Arcanas, what are you going to create?¡±


    ¡°¡­I¡ª


    ¡°Besides, even if you knew how to create Arcanas, do you have enough Spirit Power to create them? To create Arcanas, you need to go back into the Origin Sea, and try out different ways to interpret the Mystery you have comprehend, and consolidate it in a form which you can use in our world. With the condition that your Spirit is in right now, do you think you can even go to the Origin Sea, much less experiment with the Mysteries?¡±


    ¡°No¡­¡±


    ¡°So, can you create an Arcana right now?¡±


    ¡°¡­No.¡±


    ¡°Alright, you do not have to look so glum. I am going to teach you how to create Arcanas, am I not? And you will be going to the Origin Sea tomorrow anyway. You just need to keep some patience, and use the time to calm your Heart.¡±


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    ¡°¡­I will.¡±


    ¡°And try not to make any more reckless decisions.¡±


    ¡°¡­I will be careful.¡±


    ¡°Good, then shall we begin with the lesson?¡±


    ¡°¡­Yes, master.¡±


    Nodding to show her acknowledgement, his master opened her ¡®Dimensional Pocket¡¯, retrieving a scroll from within the portable storage, and passing it on to him, before closing her portable storage space. As for the storage bag, and the scroll of the Martial Style, they were nowhere to be seen. His master must have put them away while he was still practising his sword.


    ¡°Before I teach you how to create Arcanas, give me a brief overview about them, and how they are interpreted.¡±


    ¡°¡­Arcanas are like windows to the Mysteries of the Origin Sea,¡± Alnea said. ¡°They can allow Wanderers to peek into the Mysteries through those windows, and bring them into our world. However, just like any widows, Arcanas also have a layer glass¡ªArcanists¡¯ interpretation of the Mysteries¡ª between the Wanderers and the Mysteries of the Origin Sea, that obscures the understanding of the Wanderers, biasing it to preset standards. And these preset standards are exactly what the interpretations of the Mysteries are.


    ¡°So, if we talk about Arcanas, we must first talk about how Arcanist go about interpreting the Mysteries of the Origin Sea. Generally, there is not set rules on how Arcanist should interpret the Mysteries. Just take the Mystery which the Fireball Glyph is connected to for example.


    ¡°When creating Arcanas from the Mystery of Fireball, Arcanists can interpret the Mystery in the crudest way possible, creating an Arcana which just fires of Fireball at their enemies. Such an Arcana would not only be sacrificing the flexibility, and adaptability of Arcanas for nothing, even its prowess would fail in comparison to a Fireball shot off from its counterpart Glyphs. It would be a miracle if such an Arcana could reach even the Low Grade.


    ¡°However, on the opposite end of the spectrum, Arcanists could also interpret the Mystery by using special means, or techniques, to supplement, and strengthen the effects of the Mystery. They could even give up part of the effects of the Mystery for strengthening its other parts, streamlining the effectiveness, and prowess of the Arcana, increasing its effects in one particular area.


    ¡°Like giving up the flying, or projectile property of the Fireball to create a simply stationary Fireball, which can act as traps. Even giving up on some of the explosive powers of the Fireball, to concentrate more on its burning, and heating powers could also work. In the end though, how Arcanists interpret the Mysteries would depend on their purpose, and their ability.¡±


    ¡°That is good enough,¡± his master sad, nodding at him in satisfaction. ¡°It looks like you have made sure to not forget your basics.¡±


    ¡°Of course,¡± Alnea said. ¡°I am your disciple, after all, master.¡±


    ¡°¡­Cheeky disciple, if you really remember everything, then describe the different stages of an Arcana for me.¡±


    ¡°¡­Arcanas, in general, are divided into three stages; connection, interpretation, and execution, or casting. Connection, as it sounds, is the stage where Wanderer form a connection with the Mysteries of the Origin Sea. This part generally does not take very long, and can be done in just a few moments. The interpretation part though, takes the longest amount of time, and is also the reason why Wanderers sometimes need long time to prepare their Arcanas in battles.


    ¡°In general, interpretation is the stage where Wanderers follow the steps described by the Arcanists, and interpret the Mysteries according to their interpretation. And last is execution, or casting, where Wanderers cast the Arcanas, bringing forth the might of the Mysteries into our world. Consequently, of the three stages of Arcanas, it takes up the shortest amount of time. Of course, all of what I have said is valid only in general cases. Depending on Arcanas, and the Arcanists who created them, things can be different.¡±


    ¡°¡­There are slight errors in your explanation of the interpretation, and casting part, but it is fine. What you know is enough. You are ready to create your Arcana.¡±


    ¡°Then¡­ am I finally going to learn how to create Arcanas?¡±


    ¡°Not only are you going to learn how to create Arcanas, but you will also start creating them,¡± his master said, ruffling through his hair with a smile. ¡°Of course, you will still have to wait for a day to do the latter.¡±


    ¡°It does not matter,¡± Alnea said, fighting his urge to jump in joy. ¡°I have waited for more than a year¡­ I can wait a day.¡±


    ¡°¡­Say that after you lose the impatient grin on your face.¡±


    ¡°¡­That¡¯s not under my control.¡±


    ¡°¡­Forget it,¡± his master said, shaking her head, while chuckling at his abashed face. ¡°Alright, let us start with how to create Arcanas. First, as you have said, you need to learn how to create a connection with the Mysteries. Using your comprehension of the Mystery, you will have to¡­¡±

 Chapter 21: Summoning Nightmare [Part 1]

    There were not many things that Alnea was born with. And patience was definitely not one of them. Over the past year though, training under his master, he had been slowly, but steadily, building up his patience. So much so, that even after his Spirit Power had recovered to its peak, he still kept meditating, trying to achieve complete Serenity within his Heart. That, unfortunately, proved a little difficult to achieve. Especially when thoughts of what he was about to do next flashed past his mind. So, after a while, when he had made sure that his Heart would not disturb him with what he was about to do, Alnea let out a heavy breath and opened his eyes.


    ¡°Are you ready?¡± his master asked, as if she had been watching him all the time, waiting for the moment that he would leave his meditation. His master¡­ she worried too much. But that only made his Heart feel warm, and Serene.


    ¡°I am,¡± Alnea said. ¡°At least as ready as I could be today.¡±


    ¡°¡­Do you remember the things that you have to do?¡±


    ¡°Yes, master.¡±


    ¡°And what you should not do?


    ¡°¡­I will not be reckless, master.¡±


    ¡°¡­Hearing you say that makes me worry about you even more than before,¡± his master said. ¡°Just make sure that you do not hurt yourself.¡±


    ¡°Yes, master.¡±


    ¡°Alright, you can go now.¡±


    Getting the nod from his master, Alnea did not waste time, and closed his eyes, diving straight into his Spirit World, the dark, and desolate world. No, it was not so desolate, or dark anymore. In its barren land, stretching endlessly in all directions, there were two wells, shining in shades of golden, and black, not that far apart from each other, which kept fighting off the darkness of his Spirit World.


    Compared to the golden Aspect Well, the black one was roughly three to four times, smaller in size, and did not contribute as much to the fight against darkness, but it did make his Spirit World feel a little less lonely. Especially since the black Aspect was a lot more active than his golden one, which always had only one thing in mind, to guard, and protect.


    Smiling with affection, and a little pride, Alnea sent soothing message to both of his Aspects, before reaching for the golden black thread connecting his Spirit to the Origin Sea, and tugging on it, travelling to his Domain. Another dark world, with the desolate feeling being replaced by a feeling of emptiness. But just like his Spirit World, his Domain was not completely empty either. There, in a corner of his Domain, a cloud of Oren, carrying a dark blue hue, with streaks of silver flashing across its length, was fighting off the darkness trying to swallow it. His first Mystery.


    A strange sense of accomplishment, and pride began filling his chest, as Alnea looked upon his first Mystery, trying to uplift the ban he had put on most of his excitement. He could not let that happen though. He had to be very careful with what he was about to do next. Or maybe, just like his father, he too, would¡­


    ¡°Are you back from your Wandering?¡± Alnea said through the rings, trying to distract himself with Yuri. He often did that. And the trick worked wonders for him. So, when his Heart felt like it would undo all the work he had done over the last day, he had no choice but to turn back to his white haired friend.


    ¡°Just,¡± Yuri replied. ¡°Fortunately, I did not encounter any Mysteries today. Looks like Goddess Ilea is smiling upon you today.¡±


    ¡°¡­I hope she is.¡±


    ¡°Are you ready?¡±


    ¡°¡­Why do you and master ask me almost the same question every time? It is like you two are really sisters, or something.¡±


    ¡°Good that you know,¡± Yuri added with a chuckle. ¡°Before becoming your master, or mother, bis sis Nyssa has always been my big sis. So, in a way, I am your elder. Treat me with respect.¡±


    ¡°¡­Yes, grandma.¡±


    ¡°Who is your grandma?¡± Yuri said with a snort. ¡°Call me Lady. Lady Yuri.¡±


    ¡°¡­As you wish, Lady Yuri.¡±


    ¡°¡­On second thought, just Yuri would do fine,¡± Yuri said. ¡°Hearing you call me Lady sends shiver down my spine.¡±


    ¡°Hey, I am not that bad,¡± Alnea said, laughing at Yuri¡¯s reaction, and was soon joined in by her giggles. After a while, when they had both quietened down, he added, ¡°I am ready.¡±


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    ¡°Do not try to overreach¡­ and be careful.¡±


    ¡°I will.¡±


    ¡°¡­May Goddess Ilea¡¯s blessing be with you, and may Goddess Faein guide you, Alnea.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Yuri,¡± Alnea said, before reaching out to the depths of his Domain, and pulling the door to the Origin Sea into the material plane. A radiant golden light, that soon transformed into a golden ring, before turning into a golden disc, almost twice his height, with the darkness around it ensuring that all of the light of the disc was concentrated within itself. But that was not enough to hide the glory of the golden disc. Especially since it was surrounded by darkness from all side, the contrast made it look even more astonishing.


    Alnea had not come to the Origin Sea to marvel at the disc though. So, once the final transformation of the disc was done, he drifted towards the golden curtain of light, and pushed on it lightly, causing the disc to collapse on itself, revealing the world that lay beyond. A world of dangers, and opportunities. Of wonder, and mystery. A world, that was the beginning, and end of everything. The Origin Sea.


    Taking a brief glance of the colourful, and vibrant world beyond the giant, circular door, Alnea braced his senses, and his Heart. There was no need to hesitate. Hesitation would only breed more hesitation. Only action could curb his hesitation. Of course, he was not hesitating about entering the Origin Sea. He had been to the Origin Sea enough times to become familiar with its attacks. They were not a threat to him. At least not in the shallow regions that he was in.


    So, even though he was still fighting off his hesitation, he chose to take a step into the wild reaches of the Origin Sea, and face all of its attacks head on. From all kinds of sensations flooding his senses, to the sensation of being trapped by the endless layers of Oren from all sides, none of them could stop him. Only his thoughts could. And of course, the countless Aspects within the Origin Sea, who cheered in excitement as soon as they sensed him.


    HE IS BACK.


    OATHKEEPER IS BACK.


    BACK TO KEEP HIS OATH.


    BACK TO PLAY WITH US.


    PLAY!


    WE ARE GOING TO PLAY ONCE AGAIN!


    WE ARE¡­


    To the incessant chattering of the Aspects, Alnea replied with a smile, and said, ¡°I am indeed back¡­ but this time, I am going to do something dangerous, so I might not have time to play with you.¡±


    DANGEROUS?


    YOU ARE DOING SOMETHING DANGEROUS?


    BUT WANDERING ITSELF IS DANGEROUS.


    YES, DANGEROUS.


    VERY DANGEROUS.


    YOU ARE ALWAYS DOING SOMETHING DANGEROUS.


    ¡°Not that kind of danger,¡± Alnea said. ¡°But something much more dangerous¡­ I am going to try creating my own Arcana.¡±


    YOUR OWN ARCANA¡­


    YES, YOU MUST CREATE ARCANAS.


    IT IS YOUR OATH.


    FIRST OATH.


    YOU MUST FULFIL YOUR OATH.


    YOU ARE OATHKEEPER.


    ¡°Right, so I might not have time to play with you guys today¡­¡±


    PLAY¡­ IT DOES NOT MATTER.


    WE CAN PLAY ANYTIME.


    ARCANA IS A MUST.


    WANDERING IS A MUST.


    THE GREATEST WANDERER.


    THE GREATEST ARCANIST.


    ¡°You still remember that,¡± Alnea mumbled, letting out an awkward laugh, only to be met with a serious response from the Aspects.


    WE REMEMBER EVERYTHING.


    EVERYTHING.


    The solemnness of the Aspects only made him feel more awkward, and fidgety. But they were Aspects, after all. And in a way, they were also his friends. There was no need to be awkward with them. So, supressing the awkwardness within himself, Alnea glanced at the Aspects, and said, ¡°Anyways, I have to create an Arcana today¡­ so we will play tomorrow, alright?¡±


    PLAY¡­ TOMORROW.


    WE WILL PLAY TOMORROW.


    TODAY, YOU CREATE ARCANA.


    TODAY, YOU BECOME AN ARCANIST.


    TODAY, YOU CREATE¡­


    The Aspects trailed off with their words, but Alnea could guess what they were trying to say. Letting out a light laugh, Alnea shook his head, before concentrating on what he was about to do. Arcanas had three stages, connection, interpretation, and execution, or casting. It was only natural then, that creating Arcanas also had three stages, comprehension, experimentation, and interpretation.


    Comprehension, as the name suggested, was the part where he had to actually comprehend the Mysteries first. Only after he had comprehended a Mystery, could he create Arcanas. Of course, there were certain steps to follow in the process of creation, like experimenting with the Mysteries. Experimentation¡­ that was the most difficult, and dangerous part of creating Arcanas. His father¡­


    In any case, the experimentation phase was also the most tedious phase. If he succeeded in his experiments, then he could proceed to the next step, interpretation. If his experiments failed though, he would have to go back, and start the experiments from the beginning. Even during interpretation, if some of the interpretations failed to achieve his desired goals, then he would have to back to the experimentation phase, and start all over again.


    On the chance that his experiments were to succeed though, he could move on to the interpretation phase, deciding what the effect of his Arcana would be. Needless to say, interpreting Mysteries was also quite dangerous. Not as dangerous as the experimentation phase, but still dangerous enough to prove fatal if he dared to be careless.


    Of course, interpreting the Mysteries would have to wait for a while. For the moment, he had to focus on experimenting with the Mystery, understanding how its different effects could be manifested, and how to manipulate the intensity of those effects. After all, that was what Arcanists did. Manipulate Mysteries according to their will.

 Chapter 21: Summoning Nightmare [Part 2]

    According to what Alnea knew, that was what Arcanas were. Mysteries of the Origin Sea manipulated according to the wills of the Arcanists. However, manipulating the Mysteries of the Origin Sea was not easy. Especially when he did not even know the extent to which he could manipulate them. A little too much, and the Mysteries would collapse before he would even be able to connect with them. A bit too little, and all the different effects of the Mysteries would overlap with each other, rendering its manifestation as useless.


    Of course, before manipulating the Mystery, Alnea had to connect with it. And it was true not just for him, but all the Wanderers who wished to use Arcanas. They did not necessarily have to comprehend the Mysteries, but to use Arcanas, one must first connect with the Mysteries being interpreted by the Arcanas to call forth their prowess. Something similar to what he always did with the Art of Spirit Rebirth.


    Alnea had not comprehended any of the Mysteries employed in the Art of Spirit Rebirth, yet to use the Art, he had to employ the effects of Mysteries from three different lineages. And though the Art of Spirit Rebirth may just be an Art, and not an Arcana, but the process of connecting with the Mysteries of Origin Sea could not be avoided even in case of Arcanas.


    This was where the connection part of the Arcanas came into play. Creating a bridge of sorts, that could connect Wanderers with the Mysteries without having to comprehend them. There were many ways to go about this problem, and many ways to connect with the Mysteries. Most of them, however, were very advanced methods. Methods he could not use for the moment. And the methods that he could use, were generally very complicated.


    So, for the moment, he chose to go with the simplest, and the most effective method, using his Roots to summon the Mystery. Unlike the time when he was testing his comprehension though, the Mystery did not respond to his summons just because he was making his Roots beat with its rhythm. After all, back then, he was also tapping into his comprehension of the Mystery.


    However, an Arcana could only be called an Arcana if any Wanderer, even those who had not comprehended the Mysteries it was interpreting, could use it. Besides, tapping into his comprehension was a lengthy, and time consuming process, that would put unnecessary burden on his Spirit. None of the things which he could afford in a fight.


    In the end, even if it was easiest way of connecting with the Mystery, he still had to experiment to create the first stage of his Arcana. Reaching towards the thread connecting his Spirit to the Origin Sea, to his Roots, Alnea began making it vibrate in the form of waves that the Mystery had generated the day before. Waves, which he had used to summon the Mystery in his Domain the day before.


    Except, his vibrating Roots, at the moment, lacked a special charm to them that they had when he had summoned the Mystery. They lacked something vital to the summons. They lacked his comprehension. And as such, they were just simply plain waves, which his Roots were sending in the Origin Sea, hoping for the Mystery to respond. And a Mystery did respond. Just not the Mystery he had been summoning.


    A brilliant green light flooded all around Alnea, seeping deep into his Spirit, sending waves after waves of warm and comfortable sensation inside his Spirit. A Mystery of the lineage of Life. Not the Mystery he was looking for. This was why creating a method to connect with Mysteries was difficult. Without his comprehension to act as the key, there was no telling which vibration may summon which Mystery. Even for the same rhythms, just varying their intensity would result in summoning of all kinds of Mysteries.


    Thus, creating a way to connect with Mysteries required a lot of experiments, and as such, was a very tedious, and dangerous process. But just the prospects of a long, and hard process were not enough to make Alnea admit defeat. Even though his first experiment had failed, he was still as determined as ever. After all, this was just his first Arcana. He had many more Arcanas to make. Besides, since even Yuri, and Cecilia could create Arcanas, then why could he not do the same?


    So, before he cold waste any more of his Spirit Power, Alnea stopped his Roots from vibrating, allowing the Mystery to dissipate back into the Origin Sea, before making his Roots vibrate once again. This time, a little more violently than before. The result was still the same, with another Mystery that he was not familiar with manifesting around his Spirit, making it feel hot, as if it was about to burn. Probably from the lineage of Creation. Another failure. But Alnea did not give up. He had just begun experimenting, after all. How could he give up?


    And so, once again repeating the process of letting the Mystery dissipate back into the Origin Sea, Alnea used his Roots to summon another Mystery. And another Mystery. And another. And another. He reckoned that he must have somewhere around twenty Mysteries. Of them, only one was from the lineage of Night. Unfortunately, it was not the Mystery he had comprehended.


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    As for comprehending the Mystery he had summoned, that was not possible. Mysteries that were summoned never revealed their secrets to Wanderers. Only Mysteries which manifested by themselves allowed the Wanderers to comprehend their secrets. Otherwise, why would people need to Wander in order to comprehend Mysteries?


    They could just keep on trying different combinations, and glean all the Mysteries that came to them. If they were not afraid of being devoured by those Mysteries, of course. But things were never so convenient. And so, Alnea was stuck trying all sorts of combinations in order to summon the Mystery he had comprehended.


    He was sure that the waves that he was creating were the same as the waves that the Mystery had generated. In fact, he had used the same waves to summon the Mystery in his Domain just a day before. But without his comprehension acting as the key, things were not going in his favour. If only he could create those circular, and box shaped waves¡­ And why could he not?


    This was the Origin Sea. Everything was possible here. Besides, though his Roots had a physical manifestation in the form of chains, and his Domain, the thread connecting his Spirit to the Origin Sea was more like a metaphysical existence than a physical one. It existed in the realm of his thoughts, and will. So, if he could think of the thread, and if he could think of the waves, what was stopping him from creating those circular, and box shaped waves?


    Maybe it was because of the influence from the Art¡­ In any case, he had finally thought of a way to connect with the Mystery. So, what did he have to hesitate for? Reaching towards the golden black thread acting as the anchor of his Spirit in the Origin Sea, Alnea pulled on it, trying to rotate it, and create circular waves from it. It did not go well. Let alone the Mystery he was trying to summon, none of the other Mysteries came to him either.


    So, after some thoughts, Alnea changed his way of creating the waves. Instead of just swinging the thread around in circles, he transmitted his thoughts to it in the same way he had transmitted his comprehension of the Mystery to it. For a few moments, nothing happened. Then, strange, circular waves began forming around the thread, with the thread itself as the centre, that kept oscillating along the thread. He had finally succeeded in something.


    Yet, the Mystery still refused to respond. He did feel some kind of reaction from within the Origin Sea, but it was too vague, and distant. So, Alnea reached out to the thread once again, and added in the box like waves, that wrapped around the circles, and kept rotating them around the thread, sending his summons into the Origin Sea. Summons, which were finally answered, giving him a sensation of something familiar. The sensation of a Mystery he knew. Of a Mystery he had experienced. And of a Mystery he had comprehended.


    Unfortunately, the Mystery still did not manifest around him. He could feel it within the Origin Sea, but it was as if some kind of veil was blocking it from manifesting. It was as if it was just within his reach, yet so far away that he could never reach. At this point, Alnea was almost out of ideas. So, he did the only thing he could think of. Adding the last of the three waves, the only normal wave among the three, into the rhythm of the waves of the thread. And just like that, the veil between him, and the Mystery was torn.


    At the same time, the waves that he had willed to form on the thread connecting his Spirit to the Origin Sea began merging together, transforming from a combination of three waves, to just one plain simple wave. It was slightly different from all the three waves, yet it carried the characteristic of all three waves. And the moment the wave was formed, Alnea knew what it was. A unique wave to create a connection with the Mystery he had comprehended. He had¡ª


    ¡°I told you my Roots because you are my mom. Because I love you¡­¡±


    ¡°And that is another lesson to be learnt, isn¡¯t it Alnea? Never tell anyone about your Roots. Not even to your most loved ones. Your father never told me his Roots. And neither have I told you mine, even though I will never be able to become a Wanderer. That is how things are, and that is how things should be.¡±


    ¡­Never tell anyone about his Roots. But he had already told so many people about them. People like¡­ It did not matter who those people were. The fact that they knew about his Roots would remain the same regardless. So¡­ what was he supposed to do? Was he going to be betrayed once again? Was he¡ª


    Alnea pulled himself out of the influence of the Mystery before it could pull him any further into his memories, and twist them beyond his recognition. He could not afford to have a crack open up in his Heart. Not at the moment. Still, he learned a new thing about the Mystery. Its effects were much greater than what he had anticipated. If he was not careful, then he might have been pulled to a depth where he would not have been able to make it out by himself.


    But his experience only served to confirm his determination. The manifestation of the Mystery had confirmed that his experiment truly was a success. And that he had finally created a way to connect with the Mystery. A way to summon it whenever he needed it. He had succeeded in the first step of creating his Arcana. Next, all he had to do was manipulate the effects of the Mystery, and find the best way to interpret it.

 Chapter 22: Becoming an Arcanist [Part 1]

    Trapped within the endless layers of Oren surrounding him, dancing to the rhythm of the Mystery that he had summoned, Alnea let the Serenity of his Heart spread, and bring him to peace, before shifting his attention back to the manifestation of the Mystery. Summoned, and not coming of its own volition, the Mystery had not come in its full glory, and was showing only a bit of its prowess, unlike what it had shown the day before, but what it was showing was enough for him to do what he had come for.


    And though the Mystery may not have come in all its glory, it was no less dangerous than it had been the day before. Rather, the further he progressed along the path of creating his Arcana, the greater the danger he was in. After all, creating a way to summon the Mysteries was the least dangerous part about creating Arcanas. Interpreting the Mysteries though, often led to Wanderers getting devoured by the Origin Sea. And so, he had to be very careful. And focussed.


    Arcanas were always designed with a purpose, and the interpretation of the Mysteries within those Arcanas were designed to follow that purpose. Naturally, Alnea had also determined what the purpose of his Arcana was going to be before coming to the Origin Sea. And so, he did not only have to observe the Mystery around him, and how it worked, but he also had to dissect those effects, and try to make them fit together with the Arcana he had in his head.


    Before that though, he had to reacquaint himself with the Mystery. He already knew that it was an Initial Stage False Ranked Mystery from the lineage of Night, that worked on the principle of psychological illusions. But that was not enough. He had to understand its basic mechanism. He had to understand how was it that the Mystery was so easily able to break into his thoughts, and twist his memories. He had to¡ª


    ¡°Stop thinking of useless things,¡± Alnea heard his master say, bringing him out of his thoughts, it could even be called as that.


    ¡°How can you call them useless, master? I was thinking of¡­ thinking of¡­ what was I thinking?¡±


    ¡°See, you cannot even remember what you were thinking. What is the point of having a stupid disciple like you?¡±


    ¡°No, wait a moment, master,¡± Alnea said. ¡°I clearly remember I was thinking about something important. I was thinking about¡ª


    ¡°It does not matter what you were thinking about,¡± his master said. She was sounding a little strange. Even the way she looked at him, with disdain written all over her face, was so strange. It was as if she was not looking at her disciple, or her son, but¡­ When was it that he became her son?


    ¡°You are clearly no suitable to be my disciple. And neither my son. So, you¡ª


    ¡°¡­This is not real,¡± Alnea said, as realisation finally dawned upon him. ¡°You are not real. You are just a fake construct created from my memories¡­ my insecurities.¡±


    ¡°You obnoxious brat. To think that you would dare to call me a fake¡­ Fine. Think as you would like. This would also make things easier for me. From now on¡ª


    ¡°This memory¡­ this is from last year¡­ around the time of Inkah¡¯s month. You have dug up my memories¡­ Just like what you did yesterday. Using my thoughts to dig into my memories, and twist with my insecurities, using them to create an opening in my Heart.¡±


    ¡°¡­You sure have a rich imagination.¡±


    ¡°This is not my imagination,¡± Alnea said, shaking his head. ¡°You are. You are made from my insecurities. From all my dark thoughts¡­¡±


    ¡°Are you saying that I was created from your memories? Then, can you guess what I am about to do next?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t have to guess,¡± Alnea said. ¡°Because I don¡¯t care. No matter what you do, you would not be able to destroy the image of my master in my Heart. And not just of my master, but also of big sis Serena, and of Yuri, and Cecilia, and my mother¡­ As for everyone else, I don¡¯t care about what they think.¡±


    ¡°Not even your father?¡± the fake asked, as its lips curved upwards in a grin. ¡°Do you not care what even your father thinks of you?¡±


    ¡°My father¡­¡± Alnea mumbled, pausing, no, freezing for a few moments, before regaining his senses, and shaking his head. ¡°He is already dead¡­¡±


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    ¡°¡­Are you sure that he is dead?¡±


    ¡°¡­Is this the best you can do?¡±


    ¡°There is much that I can do,¡± the fake said. ¡°But I just want to ask you¡­ have you ever seen your father¡¯s dead body?¡±


    ¡°¡­He was devoured by the Origin Sea,¡± Alnea said. ¡°He was devoured doing what I am doing. And now, you are trying to do the same thing to me. You are trying confuse me, so that the Origin Sea can devour me.¡±


    ¡°Am I?¡± the fake said. ¡°Or am I just telling the truth? After all, it was the Lotus clan who told you that you father had been devoured by the Origin Sea.¡±


    ¡°No¡­ it was not just the Lotus clan. But there were others there too¡­ Arcanists Trepis, and Yuren¡­¡±


    ¡°The same Arcanists who persuaded your mother to stop trying to seek justice for your father?¡± the fake said. ¡°Don¡¯t you think that it was strange that you never saw them after that day?¡±


    ¡°¡­What they do is none of my concern. Besides, after the attack of the Heterodox Wanderers, they must be dead already.¡±


    ¡°After the attack? Or before it?¡± the fake asked. ¡°If they were alive during the Spirit Test, then would it not have been better for the Lotus clan to use them against you? And even if the Lotus clan had not used them against you¡­ as retainers of the Lotus clan, would they not have been targets of the Heterodox Wanderer to convert? Especially since they had been close to you once.¡±


    ¡°¡­Like I said, I don¡¯t care what happened to them.¡±


    ¡°Even if they were silenced to keep what happened to your father as a secret?¡±


    ¡°¡­Stop saying all these lies!¡±


    ¡°¡­Just think, Alnea Oathkeeper, even if your Roots are strong, even if you have the potential to become a Grand Wanderer, why is the Lotus clan so adamant in wining you over at any means possible? Rather, since you have the potential to become a Grand Wanderer, should it not be better for the Lotus clan to get into your good graces? Even if you do not become their retainer, as long as they are good to you, and can gain your favour, they will be able to earn a future Grand Wanderer as a friend. Why are they then so adamant on destroying on all bridges? It is as if they cannot have you, then¡­¡±


    ¡°Enough!¡± Alnea said. ¡°I am not going to play your games.¡±


    ¡°I am not playing¡ª


    Before the fake could say anymore words to crack his Heart, Alnea pulled himself out from the illusion. That was the weakness of illusions. At least the psychological ones. Once people became aware, it was not too hard to get rid of the illusions. The only reason that he had stayed in the illusion for so long was because he wished to gather more information on how he should interpret the Mystery. But¡­ the words of the Mystery had infuriated him so much, that he had almost lost control of himself. In the end, for his safety, he had to withdraw from the illusion.


    However, his experiment was not without results. Though, because of obvious reasons, he had not let himself fall into the second layer of the illusion, the first layer itself had given him enough information to try another experiment. One aimed at creating an interpretation, and not at experiencing the effect of the Mystery. So, after he had brought his raging Heart back to its Serenity, Alnea closed his eyes, and reached out to the Mystery around him, shaping it according to his will. After all, he was the one who had summoned it. And thus, he could also shape it, interpreting it as he wished.


    Of course, he could not shape the Mystery itself. Since the Mystery was displaying its effects through the patterns of Oren, to shape the Mystery, he had to shape the Oren. Or rather, he had to manipulate Oren in different ways, and see how the change in the behaviour of Oren would affect the behaviour of the Mystery. There was also the option of leaving the behaviour of the Oren, and the Mystery as is, but then, the effect of the Mystery would be spread out, and minimal.


    Such an Arcana, at best, would only be graded as a Lowest, or Low Grade. Only Arcanas which were streamlined, and focussed, fulfilling only the purpose they were designed for, could be Graded higher. Like the Perfect Grade Arcanas. Arcanas which had been so streamlined, that they had discarded all, but the effect for which they were initially designed for, maximising their potential.


    As for Arcanas that went beyond the Perfect Grade, they had to be designed in such a way that the Mysteries that they were interpreting would resonate with each other, increasing their effects, going beyond the maximum potential of the sum of their parts. Such Arcanas though, were beyond his ability to create. At least for the moment.


    In the future, he was bound to create many such Arcanas. He would be the greatest Arcanist, after all. One day, all he would create would be just Transcendent, and Divine Grade Arcanas. Like his master. But even his master must have had to begin from somewhere. Even she had to start off as just a novice Arcanist, and fumble her way through the Mysteries, and Arcanas.


    And just like her, to reach her height, and surpass her, he too, had to start from the beginning. He too, had to begin as a novice, and fumble his through the Mysteries. Through the Arcanas. Maybe, his first Arcana would be a bad one. It may even be of the Failed Grade. But he had to begin from somewhere. Like his master had said, making mistakes was not bad, not learning from them was. And so, drifting in the depths of the Origin Sea, Alnea reached out to the endless layers of Oren around him, and began experimenting with them, fumbling with them, and with the Mysteries, to make, and learn from his mistakes. To create his first Arcana.

 Chapter 22: Becoming an Arcanist [Part 2]

    Normal ripple like waves, followed by waves of rotating boxes, which would then burst open from the inside by oscillating circular waves, only for the circles themselves to be broken apart, and return the waves to how they were. This was the original combination of the waves that he had used to summon the Mystery, the waves that he had comprehended from the Mystery.


    Of them, as Alnea understood, the first set of waves were responsible for the effect of using the thoughts of his enemies to break into their memories, while the second set of waves were responsible for twisting those memories into something beyond recognition, creating a crack in the Heart of his enemies. As for the illusion, it came from the effect of the third set of waves, the oscillating circles. It was obvious that the best effects from the Mystery would come if all three effects were displayed one after another, like a chain reaction.


    Unfortunately, that was not how Arcanas worked. Glyphs, maybe, but not Arcanas. If he were to use all three waves, and in consequence, their effects, in his Arcana, then let alone twist the memories of enemies, and drag them into illusions, he would not even be able to break into their thoughts. The next best course of action, as logic dictated, should have been to focus on the three types of waves individually, and create three different Arcanas from them, each focussing on the three different parts of the Mystery.


    Logic, however, was not always correct. After all, it was not like he could use just one set of waves, and give up on the rest. His attempts at summoning the Mystery with just one set of waves had taught him what would happen if he were to not use the three waves at the same time. Making use of the Mystery must also have similar restrictions. Thus, the only way to interpret the Mystery, most probably, was to use all three waves together, in a cycle.


    Though, if he really wished to, he could still create three different Perfect Grade Arcanas from the Mystery, but that would be overreaching himself. Something that both, his master, and Yuri had warned him about. But it was not like he would have done something so stupid even if they had not warned him. He knew the importance of laying a strong foundation, and progressing step by step. That was what he had been doing for the past year. Improving step by, step.


    So, this time as well, Alnea decided to first create an Arcana, and worry about improving its Grade, or creating new Arcanas later. Of course, that did not mean that he would use the most stupid, and direct way of interpreting the Mystery. Even if he was being careful, he could still do experiments. That would not be akin to overreaching himself¡­ Probably... As long as he did not go too far with his experiments.


    And so, Alnea reached out to the Oren around him, which were beating in the rhythm of the Mystery, with the intention of making variation to those waves. After all, that was the only method of manipulating Mysteries that he knew of. There could be other, more advanced methods, but he had yet to learn them. And needless experimenting in the Origin Sea would be suicidal. So, for the moment, he had to stick to what his master had taught him.


    Reaching out to the Oren around him, Alnea increased the intensity of the ripple like waves, while lowering the intensity of the other waves, while ensuring that their rhythm remained constant. It was not easy, and consumed much more Spirit Power than what interacting with the Mystery had cost. But that was to be expected. After all, he was not just interacting with the Mystery, he was experimenting with it. It was only natural for him to pay a greater price. One that affected not just his Spirit Power, but also his Heart. And¡­ his¡­. thoughts¡­.


    For¡­ some¡­ reasons¡­ his¡­ thoughts¡­ slowed¡­ down¡­ No¡­ not¡­ his¡­ thoughts¡­ plain¡­ good¡­ boxed¡­ not¡­ good¡­ circle¡­ very¡­ bad¡­ plain¡­ good¡­ thoughts¡­ break¡­ plain¡­ keep¡­ keep¡­


    Ernith rubbed his head, glaring at his mother. Was she teaching him about keeping a secret? Should he tell her that he had kept a secret from everyone for more than six years, and how dumb she was for trying to teach him how to keep a secret? Or so Ernith thought, until he saw the look in her eyes. After that, he decided to keep quiet. She may be a little dumb, but she was still stronger than him. For now. Not that he would fight her when he grew stronger. He loved her too much for¡ª


    Alnea pulled himself away from the memory before the Origin Sea could twist it, and drag him into an illusion. Though from how easy extricating himself from the memory had been, he did not think that it would have taken much for him to extricate himself from the illusion, if he would have even been pulled into one. Shaking his head, he thought about the experiment that he had just done.


    The combination of waves he had just tried, as he had expected, mostly targeted thoughts. Instead of just breaking through them into memories though, it looked like it could also slow down thoughts. But it had taken too much time to reach that combination. And all that time for just slowing down the thoughts of his enemies¡­ Unless he was fighting in groups, it would not be worth it. And if his enemies were so strong that he needed to face them in a group, then the interpretation would probably not even work. So, no matter how he looked, the interpretation could only be deemed as failure.


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    The failure of his experiment did not bring down his mood though. He had faced many failures in life. One more failure was nothing. Besides, he had not even intended on creating an Arcana focussed on breaking through the thoughts of his enemies. What was he even going to do with those thoughts? Tease his enemies?


    The only reason he had even bothered to try out the ripple like waves first was because he was trying it out to see how experimenting with the Mystery would feel like. That was the least invasive part of the Mystery after all. And since he was done experimenting with it, Alnea chose to move on with his second experiment. Increasing the intensity of the box like waves, while lowering the intensity of the other waves.


    In consequence, as he had expected, he did not feel his thoughts being slowed down at all. In fact, he did not even feel like his thoughts were being broken through. That made him wonder about how the Mystery will dig into his memories then. Without his thoughts as the breaking point, where was the Mystery going to find an entry point into his memories? And if it could not dig into any memories, then how was it going to twist it? Was it even going to twist his memories?


    Why did it need to twist his memories though? What was even the point of digging into memories? What were even memories in the first place? Just mere snippets of life¡­ Records of the past¡­ So, in essence, were they like Mysteries of Time? Had he somehow, while trying to create an Arcana, comprehended a Mystery of time? He¡ª


    Alnea barely managed to pull himself away from the effects of Mystery before it could twist his thoughts any further. At the same time, he also got his answer. Unable to dig into his memories, the Mystery had just chosen to twist his thoughts instead. A much dangerous alternative than just slowing down the thoughts of his enemies.


    Still, that was not the effect he was looking for either. Though twisting the thoughts of his enemies would be a good way to distract them, it would probably not do much against them if they were aware of his attacks, or had a strong enough mental fortitude. Not to mention that his Arcana would be probably useless against enemies stronger than himself. Besides, if his enemies were Oren Beasts, and Thralls, then what good would twisting their thoughts be anyway?


    So, in the end, Alnea had to go in for another experiment. He did not have much Spirit Power left. Just about thirty units or so. Normally, with such low amount of Spirit Power, he would have begun heading back to his Domain. Thankfully, this time, for safety reason, and having foreseen the expense of his Spirit Power early, he had chosen to experiment right beside the entrance to his Domain. As long as the experiment did not completely dry out his Spirit Power, he was not afraid of being stranded within the Origin Sea.


    Of course, experimenting within the shallow regions of the Origin Sea had its own downsides as well. Like difficulty in connecting with the Mystery, or vagueness in experiencing the effects of the Mystery. But Alnea knew his limits. Even though he could be reckless at times, he knew when to control himself¡­ in most cases.


    Anyways, after making sure that his Heart was still in its Serene State, he reached towards the layer of Oren closest to him, and began manipulating it once again, this time, choosing to increase the intensity of the oscillating circles, while waiting for the Mystery to take its effect. The effect that he had been looking forward to the most. An illusion. Even if it was a psychological one, just the thought of being able to entrap his enemies in illusions, before finishing them off, made him feel a little smug about himself.


    However, the smug smile from his face soon vanished when he noticed that nothing had happened. Despite him having waited long enough for his Spirit Power to almost run dry, nothing had happened. He had failed, once again. This was not his first time failing in experiments. But somehow, this failure hit him more any other failure ever had.


    Was it because his Spirit Power was low? He was feeling extremely lethargic. The headache that was beginning to mount was not helping him either. And adding his failure to his current state only made him feel more miserable. Where had he gone wrong? Where exactly had he failed?


    Failure was expected. But not learning from failure was not. Yet he did not even know why he had failed¡­ Did that not mean that he would not be learning from his failure? That he would not be acceptable? That he¡­ would be cast off? Would his master abandon him? And Yuri¡­? Would she abandon him too? After all, he could not even create an Arcana¡­ Big sis Serena had already abandoned him¡­ and so had his mother¡­ in the end, even Cecilia would abandon him. And he would be¡ª


    Alnea opened his eyes, panting heavily, while hastily withdrawing away from the influence of the Mystery, before letting it dissipate back into the Origin Sea. When had he fallen in the illusion? Was it when he had begun doubting himself? Or was everything an illusion to begin with? Alnea shook his head, tearing himself away from his thoughts. The experiment¡­ it could be regarded as a success.


    However, that success had come at the price of draining almost all of his Spirit Power. He could not afford to stay in the Origin Sea any longer. And so, after bidding a quick farewell to the Aspects, he made his way back into his Domain. Back to a place where he could finally relax, and think about all that he had experienced. And also, about what his experiences implied.


    He still had to decide how to employ the Mystery against his enemies, and of course, conduct some fine tuning, before he could connect all three stages together to form a whole, but the most difficult parts were over. In essence, he had all, but already created his first Arcana. He, Alnea Oathkeeper, had finally become an Arcanist.

 Chapter 23: Nightmare Arrow [Part 1]

    The Night Canyons were dark, as they always were. And its inhabitants were alert, as they always were. Including Alnea. However, Alnea was alert not to look out for ambushes. Rather, this time, he was the one doing the ambushing. Though letting the Oren Beasts attack him first was good, serving as experience for adapting to all kinds of situations, he should also get some experience of trying to launch ambushes. Or so his master had said.


    And so, after he had been successful in creating his Arcana, his master had given a task. To hunt down ten different Adolescent Stage Oren Beasts. And the hunts would count only if he was the one who had initiated the attacks. That is, if he had ambushed the Oren Beasts. Technically, what his master had demanded of him was not too hard. He was often ambushed by the Oren Beasts. Why could he not do that same?


    In reality though, ambushing Oren Beasts was tough. Especially those at the Adolescent Stage and above. These Oren Beasts, unlike most of those at the Infant Stage, already had their own territories. Like the Bone Rotting Plants in the canyon that he had been in earlier. To ambush them meant that he had to infiltrate their territory. Territory, which these beasts guarded with their life, using all sorts of alarm, and defence mechanisms, to catch any intruders.


    He could, of course, just charge through their territory, and attack the Oren Beasts, but that would not be an ambush. It would be more like a brawl. According to the task his master had given him, he had to ambush the Oren Beasts. He had to catch them off guard. In fact, it would be best if he could finish them with just one attack. Those were some tough requirements to meet.


    Requirements, that he took nearly a week in combing through the different inhabitants of the canyon he was in, to just get started with. From what he had seen of the canyon in the past week, it could be divided into seven areas, with each area having one overlord, Oren Beasts at the peak phase of their Adolescent Stage. Those were not Beasts that he could mess with, yet.


    Under the overlords, each of the seven areas had roughly about ten or so Oren Beasts at the advanced phase of the Adolescent Stage. One more group of Beasts he could not mess with. Maybe, he would be able to wrestle with them a year or two later. But not yet. At the moment, he was not even sure of winning against the hundreds or so of the Oren Beasts at the intermediate phase of their Adolescent Stage in the canyon. He could give them a fight, and maybe even win against them. But he was not sure. And even if he won against them, it would be a pyrrhic victory. Not worth it.


    And so, Alnea was left with no choice but to scour the dark reaches of the canyon, searching for his target, until he finally found one. A Dark Wind Wolf. Although these wolves were strong, they were not as strong as some of the other species as he had seen in the canyon. The suicidal attacks of these Dark Wind Wolves, their Dark Winds, was indeed a little dangerous, and could cause him some problems. But that was only if he let the wolf have the time to launch the attack.


    He was going to ambush the wolf, and kill it before it could even have the chance to understand what was happening. Or at least, before it could launch its Dark Winds. And so, as he neared the wolf, munching down on the carcass of some other Oren Beast it had recently hunted, Alnea made sure to make no sounds with his steps, while regulating his breathing to slow down.


    This was the first time he was going to fight an Adolescent Stage Oren Beast, so he could not deny that he was nervous. The power of Oren Beasts¡­ he had experienced it many times with his body. And that was when he used to fight Infant Stage Oren Beasts. This was an Adolescent Stage Oren Beast. If he made even a slight mistake, then his master would probably have to save him again¡­ He could not let that happen. He had to learn to handle things on his own. He had to learn to be strong.


    Thus, while the wolf was still focussed on its meal, Alnea chose to stop quite a distance away from it, where it could not feel his presence. And with such distance between them, he could not use the senses of his Spirit to observe the wolf. For the first time in a while, he had to rely on his eyes to fight an Oren Beast. But that was enough for what he was about to do. Closing his eyes for a few moments, he reached out to the thread connecting his Spirit to the Origin Sea, and borrowed some Oren from it, and let it flow out of his body.


    ¡°Beyond the veil of the Night¡­¡±


    Fortunately, he had reached the False Rank, so even after Oren left his body, he did not lose control of it. Instead, it was only after Oren had left his body, that he began concentrating on it, and shaped it into the form of an arrow. The next step was inducing a certain kind of strange rhythm within the arrow. Something like the rhythms of oscillating circles, yet it was not exactly like oscillating circles.


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    There were other rhythms mixed in it too, soft, and hidden behind a thick layer of circles, but they were there, existing beneath the surface of the oscillating circles¡­


    ¡°Where the world slumbers just past her sight¡­¡±


    It was only when the undulations in the arrow of darkness, floating in front of him, became stable, and self sufficient, forming a complete cycle of its own, that Alnea finally dared to relax. But not for long. There was still one more thing that he had to do.


    Reaching out to his Roots, he made the thread beat with a strange rhythm. A rhythm of normal, ripple like waves, that also contained the rhythms of the waves of rotating boxes, and oscillating circle within itself. The key to connecting with the Mystery he had comprehended, and summoning it.


    ¡°I call forth the embers of the darkness¡­¡±


    Not betraying his expectations, the Mystery answered his summons, and manifested around him. And as usual, was ready to pounce upon him, and drag him into its illusions. However, Alnea was already prepared it. The moment that the Mystery manifested around him, it sensed the presence of the arrow in front of him, and was inadvertently drawn into it, infusing its rhythms with a strange charm.


    And just like that, the arrow of Oren stopped being just an arrow, while the rhythms in the arrow stopped being just normal rhythms. Instead, the rhythms became the interpretation of his comprehension of the Mystery, while the arrow itself became his Arcana. The Nightmare Arrow. As a Low Grade Arcana, it was just a weak Arcana that still needed a lot of improvements, but it was enough for what he needed to do, for what he intended to do.


    ¡°To drown my enemies in the Nightmare of their madness.¡±


    Taking aim on the Dark Wind Wolf in the distance, still munching on its prey, completely oblivious to what was about to happen to it, Alnea borrowed a little more Oren from the Origin Sea, shaping it into the form of a ball, and attached it at the end of the arrow, before destabilising the ball, and letting it explode. A simple, crude, and one of the most stupid ways of casting his Arcana, better than only stabbing the arrow directly into his enemies with his own hands.


    However, he had no other option. To add the autonomous flying option to the Arrow, he would have to comprehend some other Mysteries first, before adding their interpretations to the Arcana. And even if he did comprehend some Mysteries, there was no guarantee that they would have effects which would allow him to fire his arrows in a more efficient manner.


    Besides, if he wished to improve his Arcana, other than the blessings of Goddess Ilea, he would also need time. Time, that he did not have much of. He only had less than two years to reach the Advanced Stage of the False Rank. Spending too much time on an Arcana that did not have much of a future was not worth it. Rather, he could use his experiences with the Nightmare Arrow, both the process of creating it, and using it, to improve the Arcanas he would make in the future.


    For that though, he needed to observe how his Arcana would fare against the wolf. And so, Alnea watched intently, with all his focus on the arrow, as it flew straight to the Beast. It was only when the arrow had reached just a few metres away from the wolf, that it finally noticed something. Leaving its prey on the ground, it immediately got onto his four legs, and looked around vigilantly.


    Unfortunately for the wolf, it was a little too late in its actions, and paid the price for its indulgence by getting pierced by the Nightmare Arrow. In the next moment, as if feeling something pricking into tis side, the wolf instinctively looked toward the place it had been struck. A bluish black arrow of Oren was sticking into its hide. From the face that the wolf was making though, it looked like it was a little confused. Probably because it was expecting some kind of pain.


    But it would never feel the pain. Nightmare Arrow was never meant to deal physical pain in the first place. Besides, the arrow was not even real. It was made from Oren, which soon turned into tendrils of dark blue smoke, and light, that seeped into the wolf¡¯s body where it had been struck. Seeing that even the arrow had disappeared, the wolf finally stopped worrying about it, and looked around in vigilance, searching for its attacker. It even let out a few growls of warning. And challenge.


    However, in the end, all that the wolf was met with was silence. And soon, it turned silent as well. Looking into the distance, the wolf whimpered a little, before its legs slowly gave out. In a matter of just a few moments, from looking around in vigilance, ready to pounce at its enemy at any moment, the wolf had turned into a lethargic Beast, that curled within itself, as it slept away in the darkness of the canyon. In the darkness of the illusions.


    Just to be sure, Alnea crept a little closer to the wolf, not bothering to hide his movements, or sound anymore. Yet the wolf still lay on the ground, silent, and defenceless. It had truly been drawn into an illusion. It would not stay in the illusion for long though. Especially with its solitary nature, it was bound to break through the restraints of the illusion sooner than later. And so, Alnea did not hesitate anymore, and rushed towards the wolf.


    Hearing the sounds of his hurried steps, the wolf began stirring, and struggling to wake up. Clearly, it had sensed danger once more, and was trying to break free of the illusion. Unfortunately for the wolf, its reactions were a little too late. By the time it opened its eyes, it was greeted with the sight of a black sword, with silver blade, rushing straight towards its head, with golden lights gathering at its tip, right before it was pierced, and lost all consciousness.

 Chapter 23: Nightmare Arrow [Part 2]

    Watching the wolf die without even struggling, Alnea felt a strange sense of discomfort rise within him. The Arcana that he had created¡­ It might not be as hopeless as he had thought it would be. But at the same time, it was strangely unnatural. Killing something¡­ anything, without even letting it fight back¡­ Why did that sound like the Lotus clan? Or was this just the way of the world of Wanderers? Survival of the strongest, and cruellest¡­


    Alnea shook his head, and suppressed his thoughts. He did not know what was right or wrong. And he was in no position to think about it either. He had a task to complete. And so, withdrawing his sword from the head of the wolf, he wiped it on the wolf¡¯s fur, before sheathing it, and walking away. As for the body of the wolf, carrying it would be a liability. And would certainly draw attention from the other Oren Beasts. It was better to let his master handle it, and be on his way to search for his next target. He just hoped that it would not take him another week to find it.


    Fortunately, it looked like Goddess Ilea had smiled upon him, guiding him to another target just a couple of hours after dealing with the Dark Wind. A Black Horned Boar. Famous for their immense strength, and stamina, which were further strengthened by their Innate Ability, the Black Horned Boars had relatively low intelligence when compared to the other Beasts of their Rank. But this only made the boar in front of him his perfect target. Once the boar was drawn into an illusion¡­


    ¡°Beyond the veil of the Night¡­¡±


    ¡°Where the world slumbers just past her sight¡­¡±


    ¡°I call forth the embers of the darkness¡­¡±


    ¡°To drown my enemies in the Nightmare of their madness.¡±


    Stopping at a safe distance from the boar, where it could not sense him, Alnea prepared his Nightmare Arrow, and fired it at the boar. However, the boar proved to be far more vigilant than he had thought it was. The moment that he fired the arrow, it sensed the danger, and instinctively, almost completely on intuition, it managed to dodge his arrow. Thankfully, it did not manage to see where the arrow had come from.


    Cursing the boar for its good instincts, Alnea slowly crawled away from the territory of the Beast. Since it was already vigilant, an ambush would not work. And fighting it head on was not an option. That was not what his master had asked of him. And he did not wish to kill needlessly. Besides, it was not like this was his first failure. He had been through many such instances in the past seven days, and knew how he should retreat after his ambush had failed. As such, it did not take long for him to leave the territory of the boar behind, and look for other prey.


    A Dark Winged Sparrow, a Yellow Spotted Black Panther, a Fire Fox, and many more Oren Beasts came across his path. Unfortunately, they were either too strong for him to handle, or too alert to get hit by the Nightmare Arrow. It looked like the only way for him to succeed in ambushing the Beasts was to do it when they were distracted by other things. Like eating. Or sleeping.


    However, Oren Beasts were the lightest sleepers he had ever come across. He had tried attacking a couple of them when they were sleeping, but had still failed in the end. Maybe, some of the more slow witted ones would not be able to react in time, but he had yet to encounter such Beasts. In the end, the only way he was left with was to find Oren Beasts which were engrossed in eating their prey.


    How was he going to do that though? It was not like he could just sit there, hiding in the darkness, waiting for the Oren Beasts to find their meals, and bring it back to their territory to eat, before attacking them. The case with the Dark Wind Wolf was a special one. The others would not give him such an opportunity¡ª


    Why did he need to wait for an opportunity? If the Beasts would not give him an opportunity, then he could just make his own, could he not? All he had to was to distract the Beasts¡­ Something to distract them¡­ Something to keep them so occupied that they would not notice his Nightmare Arrow. At least not too early. Something like¡­


    Delving into his thoughts, Alnea quickly came with a few ideas to distract the Beasts. Some of them would require help from other Beasts, but some of them, he could do it on his own. And it looked like Goddess Ilea agreed with him, guiding him to his new target.


    Lying some two hundred metres or so away from him, an Oren Beast was resting with its head on its fronts paws, crossed over each other. On a closer look, it looked like a wolf, just with a slightly buffed up body, and black fur. The most distinct feature of the wolf though, was the red mane around its neck. A Red Maned Wolf.


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    Believed to be descendants of the Great Wolf of the East, the Red Maned Wolves were a slightly larger species of Wolves, that as their names suggested, grew rather large manes around their neck. A display of pride for their hereditary, many of the people believed. Contrary to popular belief though, the manes were not just for show, but served to facilitate them in casting them their Innate Abilities. It was just that this facilitation was not so prominent at the lower Stages.


    However, among the ranks of Adult Stage Oren Beasts, and even amongst Beast Lords, it was found that Red Maned Wolves with damaged manes had much lower fighting potential, and got tired much more easily than Red Maned Wolves with a complete mane. Thankfully, both the mane, and the size of the wolf in front of him was not too large, so it was probably only in the initial phase of its Adolescent Stage. It was still not an easy opponent, but if his plan worked, then he should be able to complete his second hunt.


    Taking a deep breath to calm his racing Heart, Alnea unsheathed the dagger hanging by his waist, and used his own body to hide its glow, as he poured some Oren into its Glyph Arrays, storing it within its blade. A function of the dagger he gained the right to use after he had reached the False Rank. The storage capacity of the dagger was not much, but coupled with the other three Glyph Arrays he could use, the combination was supposed to work wonder at times. Or so his master had said. And he was about to test its authenticity.


    After storing enough Oren within the dagger, Alnea dropped it where he was, and walked away from it, stopping only when he had completed a quarter of a circle around the wolf. He then reached towards the Origin Sea once again, but this time, to summon the Nightmare Arrow. With the wolf still oblivious though, even that did not take long, and soon, the Arcana was ready to be casted.


    And so, he reached out to the bond between him, and the Golden Yearning, using up the Oren he had stored within it to activate two of its four Initial Stage False Ranked Glyph Arrays. One for granting the dagger an ability to fly. The same one he had used at the Seed Rank, just an upgraded version of it, that allowed a bit more freedom to movements of the dagger. As for the second Array, it¡­


    As if sensing the threat, the Red Maned Wolf immediately got up from its resting position, and looked in the direction from where the dagger was shooting at it from. Even though the dagger was flying at such high speed that it was literally tearing through the air, the wolf had still sensed it in time. It had even managed to predict the path of the dagger, and doge it.


    Thankfully, Alnea had not attacked with the Nightmare Arrow at first, or it would have been a failure. Still, that did not mean that he could relax. At least not yet. The wolf could see the attack coming, yet it had not seen any attacker, so it would be searching very keenly for any sorts of movements around it. If he attacked the wolf at the moment, then his attack would still most probably end up failing.


    As such, Alnea chose to wait for a bit longer, and directed his dagger to fly back at the wolf. Of course, since the wolf was already aware of the dagger, it dodged the dagger even more easily. But his intention had never been to hurt the wolf in the first place. He just wished for the dagger to occupy the wolf¡¯s attention, which it did perfectly.


    Having been attacked by the dagger twice, the wolf guessed that it could attack it again. Though it could keep dodging the dagger, but it was an Oren Beast, and that too, one with a very large pride. Having been forced to dodge an attack from an unknown enemy was already humiliating for the wolf. So, for the moment, it forgot all about its attacker, and focussed on the dagger itself. And the moment that the dagger changed direction once again, the wolf took in a deep breath, and let out a loud roar the shook the canyon itself. At least the part of it they were in.


    Consequently, his dagger, powered by his measly Oren, held no chance against the roar. In the moment that the roar reached it, the dagger shook in its path once, or twice, before the connection between him, and his dagger got cut off, resulting in the dagger clattering to the ground. But the wolf was not done avenging its humiliation. Growling at the dagger, it jumped towards it, and¡ª


    A dark bluish arrow, with streaks of silver towards his edges hit the wolf just as it jumped in the air, startling it awake from its frenzy. It immediately backed away from the dagger, and looked around it in vigilance. But it could find no enemy. Where had the attack come from then? Was its enemy too cowardly to come forward?


    The wolf roared in open provocation, as it looked back towards wound it had just received¡­


    Where was the wound? Where was the arrow? The wolf did not know. It only knew that it had an enemy. An enemy that it had to kill. Or else, it would be the one which would be killed. Like the many enemies it had killed. Like the many enemies it had devoured¡­ Only the strong deserved to live¡­ Weak deserved to be devoured¡­ It was not weak¡­ It was strong¡­ But then¡­ why had it not been able to advance? Why had it not been able to kill that abominable tiger? Why¡­?


    ¡­Was it, perchance, weak? Was it, perhaps, going to be killed? Was it¡ª


    The wolf roared once again, this time in defiance, tearing off the veil that was covering its eyes, as it sensed danger closing in on it, heading straight for its head. Unfortunately, it was too late. When it opened its eyes, all it saw was a golden light. Then, it knew no more.

 Chapter 24: Reunion [Part 1]

    Withdrawing his sword from the head of the Dark Water Bear, Alnea used the black fur of the Oren Beast to wipe the blood off of his sword, before putting it back into its sheath. Almost on an instinct, developed from his days of training in the Bright Light Forest, he glanced upwards to look at Enn¡¯s height in the sky, only to see the darkness reflecting the wear in his Heart. Killing so many Oren Beasts meaninglessly¡­ what was he even doing?


    Before Alnea could think further down that train of thought, a tangy, and metallic smell hit his senses, bringing him out of his daze. Looking at the blood polling around the body of the three metres large Oren Beast, he shook his head, before leaving the area. Even though the world of the Night Canyons was dark, it was not as if it was so dark that he could not even see anything around him. At best, his sight was just a little restricted. And the same was true of the Oren Beasts within the canyons. Some had even developed night vision, just so they could adapt to the darkness.


    Yet, within the world of the Night Canyons, most of the Oren Beasts did not even bother with their sights. They looked at the world through not what they saw, but what they heard, and smelled. And the Dark Water Bear¡¯s dying roar had been loud enough to ring out for at least a couple of kilometres in all directions. Even if other Beasts ignored the roar, they surely would not be able to ignore the smell drifting from the pool of blood forming under the bear¡¯s body.


    Most of those Beasts would still not dare to get close to the territory of the Dark Water Bear. At least not until they were sure that the bear was dead. And even then, they would use all sorts of mean to first ensure that the bear¡¯s killer was gone, before daring to set foot in its territory.


    Still, there were quite a few Oren Beasts in the area who would not be afraid of the bear¡¯s killer. And they were surely not afraid of the bear. It had been at just the initial phase of its Adolescent Stage after all, while they had long reached the intermediate phase. And if such Beasts were to come riding the smell of blood¡­


    Thus, opting for the most logical choice, Alnea picked up his Golden Yearning, and left the area, walking off into the darkness. Not without a goal, of course. He had a destination in mind. And though finding his way in the darkness was hard, after nearly ten days of fumbling his way in the darkness of the canyon, he was quite familiar with its routes. And so, not long after he had left the stream where he had fought with the Water Bear, probably an hour or two later, he finally made his way to the familiar bed of Blood Sucking Grasses. He made his way back to his master.


    ¡°What are you spacing out for?¡± his master said, when he just stood in silence, staring at her, trying to etch her figure in his Heart once again. Motioning for him to sit in in front of her, she added, ¡°It is fine. You did a good job. Now, let yourself relax a little.¡±


    ¡°¡­Yes, master,¡± Alnea mumbled with a slight blush on his face, as he dropped his bag, and the sword to the ground, before taking his seat. Relief, safety, warmth, and all kinds of fuzzy feelings were filling up his head, making him feel a little lightheaded. But that was not enough to stop the smile from coming to his face. ¡°How have you been these days, master?¡±


    ¡°Silly child,¡± his master said, looking at him with a warm smile, as she caressed his cheeks. ¡°I should be the one asking that question from you. These past few days¡­ They must have been tiring for you¡­¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Alnea said, shaking his head. ¡°I mean yes, they were a little tiring¡­ but I guess I needed them. I had not fought any Oren Beast for almost ten days¡­ My fighting skills were starting to get a little dull. I even forgot to use my dagger for a while. To think that I needed seven days to think of such an easy trick¡­ If before, I would have come up with it after just one failure.¡±


    ¡°It is not your fault,¡± his master said. ¡°Given your circumstances, and how much Arcanas mean to you, I had already expected you to lose a little bit of your common sense. Rather, it would have been odd if you had not made any mistakes. But like I had said, making mistakes is not bad, as long as you learn from your mistakes, that is. This was the reason I sent you to ambush ten Adolescent Stage Oren Beasts. I wanted you to make mistakes, and learn from them. And you did learn from them, did you not?¡±


    ¡°I did¡­¡±


    ¡°Then everything is fine,¡± his master said, withdrawing her hand from his cheek, only to pat his head, releasing a white light from her hands as she did so, which seeped into his body, and removed any, and all kinds of fatigue that he had. All, except for one. ¡°How was your experience of your using your Arcana?¡±


    ¡°¡­It was fine, I guess,¡± Alnea said. ¡°Whenever the arrow hit the Beasts, they were left helpless to defend against my other attacks. But catching the Beasts off guard is not easy, so most of the time, the arrow was pretty much useless. A waste of Spirit Power, and time.¡±


    ¡°It does have its unique side,¡± his master said, nodding along with his words. ¡°But that is not all you have to say, is it?¡±


    ¡°No¡­¡±


    ¡°What is it then?¡±


    ¡°¡­Ever since I have started using the Nightmare Arrow, I have been getting these strange feelings, master.¡±


    ¡°What kind of feelings?¡±


    ¡°Strange¡­ and uncomfortable feelings¡­ Killing these Beats¡­ I get an unnatural feeling¡­ As if this is not how things should be¡­ That I am doing something wrong. It is not as if this is the first time that I am killing Oren Beasts. Just a few days ago, I lured that Razorback Black Water Turtle to the Bone Rotting Plants, and forced the Dark Wind Wolf to kill itself. But I had not felt anything back then¡­¡±


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    Listening to slightly agitated voice, his master did not frown, as he had expected. Instead, she let out a light smile, and nodded, before saying, ¡°This was another thing I wanted you to learn. To not rely on Arcanas too much. At least not on Arcanas that are below the Perfect Grade. There is a reason why Arcanas are Graded as they are. And it does not involve just their effects. Even their side effects are included in the Grading. As for your Arcana, did you not find your Nightmare Arrow oddly effective for an Arcana which I deemed to be of just the Low Grade?¡±


    ¡°¡­It did seem a little too effective for just a Low Grade Arcana. But I don¡¯t have anything else to compare it too. Besides, its defects are just as glaring as its effects, so I assumed the Low Grade was because of that.¡±


    ¡°That is just one of the reasons,¡± his master said. ¡°The most important reason for your Nightmare Arrow to be of just the Low Grade is how the Nightmare is affecting you. After all, the way you cast the Arcana is by first summoning the Mystery around you, before infusing it in the arrow. Even if it is just for a moment, you are still exposed to the Mystery. To the Nightmares.


    ¡°Normally, such a short exposure to the Nightmares should not have been enough to harm you. But you have been exposing yourself to the Nightmares continuously over the past ten days. Even if you were exposed only for a few moments each time, the accumulated effect of the exposure to the Mystery is much more than what either your Spirit or Heart could handle.¡±


    ¡°Then when you asked me to ambush the Oren Beasts¡­¡±


    ¡°To let you learn what will happen if you abuse your Arcanas too much,¡± his master said. ¡°Do not worry. It was just an Initial Stage False Ranked Mystery. The anxiety, and the uncomfortable feeling will go away in a while. But like I said, you need to learn not to rely on Arcanas too much. Of course, if the Arcanas are at the Perfect Grade, and above, then there would be nothing to be worried about. Till the time you can create such Arcanas though, you need to learn to control yourself.¡±


    ¡°¡­I understand,¡± Alnea grumbled, feeling a little upset that his master had tricked him once again. Though he probably would not have understood the gravity of the situation if his master had just told him about it, and not let him experience it himself, he still would have followed her words. She could have trusted him with that. Yet she did not¡­ So, it was fine if he had his little revenge on her, right? Nothing too dangerous. Just a little trick using his Aspect, and¡­


    ¡°What kind of trouble are you thinking of?¡± his master said, flicking his forehead with hand condensed from her Spirit Power. ¡°Focus on what I am saying.¡±


    ¡°¡­I am focussing, master,¡± Alnea said, rubbing his head. ¡°I will be careful with Arcanas, and try not to use them too much.¡±


    ¡°¡­For some reason, hearing you say that has me worried instead.¡±


    ¡°I am telling the truth, master! I will really be more careful.¡±


    ¡°Forget it. You will probably still end up doing something stupid, and reckless, so it would be better if I prepare for it beforehand.¡±


    ¡°I am not that reckless, master,¡± Alnea grumbled, only to be met with his master¡¯s amused smile.


    ¡°Time will tell us whether you are reckless or not. For now, let us come back to the more important things.¡± After brief pause, in which his master withdrew the smile from her face, added, ¡°How has your training been in the past few days?¡±


    ¡°¡­I did not get too much time to practise, so it has been a little slow,¡± Alnea said. ¡°My Spirit Power should be able to reach the limit of the Third Level in a few days. And I got another Aspect. This one is related purely to lineage of Night. I should be able to employ its aid in the Martial Styles focusing on swords.¡±


    ¡°No Mystery then?¡±


    ¡°Not yet,¡± Alnea said, shaking his head. ¡°But it has already been more than ten days since I last encountered a Mystery, so I should be encountering one pretty soon.¡±


    ¡°¡­When you comprehend the new Mystery, will you try to create another Arcana?¡±


    ¡°Maybe,¡± Alnea said. ¡°The Nightmare Arrow is a bit unreliable. I have to use so many tricks just to make sure that it hits my enemies. And with the effect of Nightmares that you said¡­ It would better if I could have another Arcana to rely on. Something much more reliable than the Nightmare Arrow. But that will have to depend on the Mystery itself.¡±


    ¡°Creating only Arcanas which you need¡­ that is the proper attitude that an Arcanist should have,¡± his master said, nodding in satisfaction. ¡°With just those words alone, I can rest in ease knowing that you are ready.¡±


    ¡°Ready? For what?¡±


    ¡°¡­Did you forget?¡± his master said. ¡°You have gotten comfortable with the Art of Spirit Rebirth, and have acquainted yourself with the process of creating Arcanas. And though you still have to learn Martial Styles, and master your sword, you do not need me for those things. Only your path as a Scholar still needs some guidance, but you are not ready to engrave your first Glyph. So, for the moment, you do not need me.¡±


    ¡°No! That is not true, master. I still need you,¡± Alnea said hurriedly, vehemently shaking his head to deny the words of his master. Yet she just shook her head with a smile, and ruffled his hair.


    ¡°Silly disciple, I will still be there, watching you. However, right now, what you need is not my presence, but the presence of your peers. Of your rivals.¡±


    ¡°¡­Rivals?¡± Alnea mumbled. He was still not convinced with her words. But he had no words to convince her. So, he chose to find flaws in her logic instead. ¡°Where am I going find rivals in the Night Canyons, master?¡±


    ¡°Do you not have two rivals already?¡±


    ¡°Two rivals?¡± Alnea said, looking at his master in confusion, until he finally understood what she was trying to say. ¡°You mean¡­¡±


    ¡°You are ready to train with the girls.¡±


    ¡°¡­But it has barely been twenty days!¡±


    ¡°So?¡±


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you say that it was going to take a month?¡±


    ¡°I said at most a month, not that it was necessarily going to take a whole month.¡±


    ¡°But¡­¡±


    ¡°Are you not happy that you get to meet with the girls once again?¡±


    ¡°¡­I am.¡±


    ¡°So? Do you still want to stay with me? Or do you want to train with the girls?¡±


    ¡°¡­Can I have both?¡± Alnea asked, looking at him master with a pleading expression, only have her flick his forehead.


    ¡°What do you think?¡±


    Alnea made a struggling face at his master¡¯s words, feeling a little troubled on how to respond. That was until his eyes drifted over the bed of grass he was sitting on.


    ¡°I guess if you put it like that, then I don¡¯t have any choice, do I?¡±


    ¡°No, you do not,¡± his master said, looking at him with an amused smile, while pinching his nose. Only after he pleaded for her mercy did she release his nose, and said, ¡°Get ready, we are going to meet with the girls.¡±


    ¡°¡­Yes, master.¡±

 Chapter 24: Reunion [Part 2]

    Alnea may have been reluctant in his words, trying to find excuses to stay longer with his master, but there was no reluctance in his actions. Rather, his actions were so hurried, that they even incited a smile from his master. But he was so lost in his own thoughts, that he failed to notice that smile. Ensuring that his dagger was still tied to his waist, he picked up his bag, and his sword, before standing in front of his master.


    ¡°Ready?¡±


    ¡°Ready.¡±


    ¡°Then let us not tarry any longer,¡± his master said, nodding with a smile, before getting up from the ground as elegantly as ever. ¡°The girls are already waiting for you.¡±


    Not waiting for his response, his master released her dense, tangible Spirit Power, and enveloped him within its reaches, isolating him from the world without. The world where one had to kill in order to live. The world of darkness, and despair¡­ But it was alright. Because he was within the curtains of master¡¯s Spirit Power, a place where only love existed. Love, and warmth. And just like that, all the strange, and uncomfortable feeling he had accumulated within his Heart was gone. Banished into the depths of his master¡¯s Infinity.


    In its stead, was a Serenity, that had gone past its previous limits, expanding to cover a much a greater part of his thoughts¡­ Parts that he did not even know existed. Parts, that became known to him only after his Heart had evolved. Even if his Heart was still just at the state of Serenity, it was, at the very least, comparable to the Hearts of Intermediate Stage False Wanderers¡­


    At least he had made some progress, Alnea thought, as he chuckled to himself, while his master brought him away from the canyon, from the accursed bed of Blood Sucking Grass. Finally, his nights of torment were over. He could not deny the help that the Blood Sucking Grass had given him, but that did not mean that he had to like them. Or use them willingly in the future.


    After all, he was not going to be training with his master anymore. He would be training with Yuri, and Cecilia. In that case, using the Blood Sucking Grasses to train his ability to replace with meditation was not ideal. What if he got hurt? Who would heal him? And even if they could heal him, purposefully getting injured in a Forbidden Area was not a wise decision. What if the smell of blood attracted the Oren Beasts?


    Besides, he was not even sure if the place where he would be training next would have the grasses or not. So, it was not like Alnea did not wish to train with the Blood Sucking Grass anymore. It was just that he could not. At best, he would promise his master to do his best to replace his sleep with meditation. That should be able to keep her happy, right?


    No, probably not. It would be better if he did not make any promises, and just assured her. That way, she would think that he was listening to her advice, and¡­


    Lost in his thoughts, it was not until his master slowed down, that Alnea finally noticed that they had already reached their destination. A junction of canyons, where five smaller canyons opened up into a larger canyon, all at the same place. Coincidentally, it was also the place where his master had dropped off Cecilia, and Yuri. And the place where the girls were waiting for him.


    ¡°It took you long enough.¡±


    ¡°¡­I am already faster by almost two weeks.¡±


    ¡°Ten days since you comprehended your first Mystery.¡±


    ¡°¡­Do you think creating Arcanas is easy?¡±


    ¡°It is easy enough for me.¡±


    ¡°¡­Are you trying to make me jealous?¡±


    ¡°Maybe.¡±


    Alnea ignored the laughter ringing inside his head, and looked at his friends once again. The two were standing right at the junction between the canyons, almost with their backs against each other. And though they looked harmless, the Glyph Disc in Yuri¡¯s hands, glowing in a greyish black light, and the green glow around Cecilia¡¯s hands were enough to deter all the Oren Beasts in the area. Not that there were many Beasts there in the first place.


    Oren Beasts, rarely, if even, roamed around the junction of canyons. That was unless they were trying to move to a different canyon. Either for survival, or to find better food. Both of those cases were rare though, so there were barely around five to ten Oren Beasts in the area that Alnea could see. Even then, with the junction being much narrower than the canyons, no Oren Beasts would be able to make a jump on them.


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    And yet, the girls never let their guard down. Not even when they saw his master. They smiled at her, and nodded in respect, but they never stopped using the senses of their Spirit to maintain a constant vigil around themselves. In the end, Alnea had to rush towards them himself, only to be held back by his master.


    ¡°You can have your reunion later,¡± his master said, before releasing her hold on his collar. ¡°I assume you two know why I asked you to gather here.¡±


    ¡°¡­We do, Lady Nyssa,¡± Cecilia said, looking at his master with a solemn face, while Yuri turned her attention towards him.


    ¡°Is he ready, big sis Nyssa?¡±


    ¡°¡­As ready as he can be,¡± his master said. ¡°Some things, he will have to learn while training with you.¡±


    ¡°¡­We will try our best.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean you will try your best?¡± Alnea said, pouting at both, his master, and his friends. ¡°Do you still take me as a kid? I am a proper Wanderer now, and I have already set foot on two of the three paths. It won¡¯t be long before I surpass all of you.¡±


    ¡°¡­We will see about that.¡±


    ¡°¡­Since all of you are ready, let me bring you to your new training location. One befitting for you to train as a team.¡±


    ¡°¡­Is it still in the Night Canyons, master?¡±


    ¡°It is,¡± his master said. ¡°A canyon which has Oren Beasts from the initial phase to the peak phase of Adolescent Stage. And not just a few of them. Those Beasts should be enough to practise your teamwork for a while. Besides, the canyon also has many precious resources, even some Fortune Springs. If used properly, these resources will not only speed up your training, but will also help you in the Origin Sea. Of course, you will have to find those resources first, and fight for them yourself.


    ¡°Still, whether you get those resources or not, I want both you, and Cecilia to break through the Intermediate Stage in four months. And you, Yuri, I want you to reach the advanced phase of the Intermediate Stage. If you three cannot even do that, then you can forget about fighting those Heterodox Wanderers, or about going to the Origin Battlefields. I will just take you to some other, safer¡ª


    ¡°We can do it!¡± Alnea said, and was soon followed in by the girls, chiming in their own confirmations. ¡°You can trust us, master. We will not disappoint you.¡±


    ¡°¡­You will never disappoint me, silly disciple,¡± his master said, revealing a faint hint of smile on her solemn face. ¡°I will not appear unless your life is in danger, so you three will have to depend on yourselves, and each other to handle all situations. That means no fighting amongst yourselves, and no blaming each other. Blame game is the fastest way to destroy a team. Do you understand?¡±


    ¡°Yes, master!¡±


    ¡°¡­I understand, Lady Nyssa.¡±


    ¡°¡­You worry too much, big sis Nyssa. We will not fight with each other... At best, we will just tease Alnea a little.¡±


    ¡°¡­As long as it is kept within teasing,¡± his master said, shaking her head with a smile, before turning to him. Opening her ¡®Dimensional Pocket¡¯, she took out a small pouch, one similar to her own white pouch, just black in colour, and handed it to him. ¡°Shift all of your things into this bag when you have time.¡±


    ¡°This is¡­¡±


    ¡°The girls have their own spatial storage devices, so it is time for you to get yours,¡± his master said, ruffling through his hair. ¡°I have kept some spare changes of your robes, and sandals within it. They should be able to last you for a while. There are also the Second, Third, and Fourth Cycles of the Art of the Spirit Rebirth. And of course, I have not forgotten to store all the Martial Styles that you need to learn, including the ones for your other Aspect. By the time we meet again, I want you to not only master all of them, but also get proficient in their usage.¡±


    ¡°I will, master! Don¡¯t worry.¡±


    Nodding at his confident words with a smile, his master turned towards Cecilia, and retrieved a scroll from her ¡®Dimensional Storage¡¯, before handing it to her.


    ¡°Since you reached the False Rank a month earlier than Alnea, I also expect you to reach the Intermediate Stage earlier than him. This scroll is the higher Stage version of the Arcana that I gave you earlier¡­¡±


    ¡°I will not disappoint your expectations, Lady Nyssa.¡±


    ¡°I hope so,¡± his master said, before turning towards Yuri. ¡°You are currently the strongest, so you will be acting as the leader of the team. Their safety, and training will be your responsibility.¡±


    ¡°I would have done that even if you had not told me so¡­¡±


    After giving them a few more brief instructions about their training, his master wrapped them in her Spirit Power, and flew into the darkness of the Night Canyons. And though there was some time before they reached their new destination, no one spoke a word. Alnea did not know about the girls, but he just did not like the idea of separating from his master. That too, for months. Being with the girls, and training as a team was nice, but if only he could have also had his master¡­


    Before he knew it, they were back on the ground. And for some reason, the already dark canyons turned a little blurry, making it even more hard for him to see his surroundings. But nothing could stop him from seeing his master. Or her fading back¡­


    ¡°¡­Remember to take care of yourself, silly child.¡±

 Chapter 25: Teamwork [Part 1]

    ¡°¡­What do we do next?¡± Alnea said, glancing around the canyon. A new canyon. To them, of course. To the Night Canyons itself, it was quite an old canyon. And a quite a big one at that. Easily nearing five to seven kilometres in width, and several times that in length, the canyon was one of the largest canyons he had seen, yet. The canyon was so large, that after his master dropped them to the ground, he failed to even see its walls.


    Technically, they were still in the outer branches of the Night Canyons, but they were right on the edge of the inner branches. The resources that could be found in the branch would be appealing to even some of the True Wanderers. Or maybe, some of the more daring False Wanderers, who were desperate for a breakthrough, could also venture into the canyons. Thus, this time, they might not only have to deal with the Oren Beasts, but also with other Wanderers.


    ¡°Should we find a place to rest first?¡±


    Instead of answering his question, Yuri looked at him in silence, before turning towards Cecilia.


    ¡°What about you? Do you think we should look for a place to rest as well?¡±


    ¡°¡­I think it is a pretty reasonable idea. If we are going to stay within this canyon for a long time, then finding a place to rest is a must.¡±


    ¡°And how do you two think we should do that?¡±


    ¡°We should look for a place that is less inconspicuous, and is not surrounded by Oren Beasts from all sides. It should also have an easy way to escape, in case we are ambushed by stronger enemies, and need to run.¡±


    ¡°Right,¡± Alnea added from the side. ¡°It would also be better if it has some natural places to camouflage ourselves. Like boulders, shrubs. And it should not be too far away from a source of water. Otherwise, going back and forth every day to collect some water over a long distance can be a little risky. There are a few other things that we should also consider, but for now, let us start looking with these points first.¡±


    ¡°Is that how you two have been living in the canyons for the past month?¡± Yuri said, shaking her head. ¡°Maybe this is also another reason why big sis Nyssa made us train as a team.¡±


    ¡°¡­What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°¡­Did we say something wrong?¡±


    ¡°There is nothing wrong with what you two said¡­ if you were only looking at Oren Beasts as your enemies. But they are not our only enemies. Leaving aside the Wanderers we may encounter, you should both know why, despite having lower number of Oren Beasts, the Night Canyons are considered to be just as dangerous as the Bright Light Forest.¡±


    ¡°¡­Because of its tricky terrain that gives an advantage to the Oren Beasts.¡±


    ¡°¡­Saying that the environment gives an advantage to the Oren Beasts would be an understatement,¡± Yuri said. ¡°You have not felt it since we have been only in the outer branches so far, but this canyon is very close to the inner branches¡­ We should be beginning to experience some of the dangers of the canyon from now. You two should better remember that other than the Oren Beasts, and the other Wanderers, the canyon itself is also our enemy. Rather, it is our greatest enemy. And the most unpredictable one.¡±


    ¡°¡­Then what should we do now?¡± Alnea asked, unconsciously tightening his grip on his sword. Even Cecilia looked a little tense. Only Yuri remained as calm as ever, even if a little solemn.


    ¡°We begin by looking at our immediate surroundings,¡± Yuri said. ¡°The first rule of survival in the Origin¡¯s End is to always be aware of your surroundings. The same is true for all the other Thrall Domains, and our current situation. We need to find out where we are, what is in our surroundings, if there are any traps, and whether we are surrounded by Oren Beasts.¡±


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    Checking for Oren Beasts, and their traps was fine, but figuring out where they were¡­ They were in the Night Canyons. And all that lay in their surroundings was darkness¡­ Somehow, though what she said made sense, Alnea could not understand what she was trying to convey. And he did not wish to appear dumb. At least not on the surface. Not when he had boasted of surpassing everyone just a little while ago. So, he used a little cheat, that he could not share with anyone else.


    ¡°¡­So, what should we do?¡±


    Yuri looked at him with a hint of amusement in her eyes, but she did not let it show on her face. Donning the same solemn expression as before, she added, ¡°What I mean to say is, before doing, or deciding anything, we need to observe our surroundings.¡±


    ¡°¡­Observe?¡± Alnea mumbled, and looked around himself. Fortunately, the canyon was not dark enough to completely block out the view of their surroundings. They were unable to see what lay some hundreds of metres in the distance, but the light coming in through the cracks at the top of the canyon was enough to illuminate the things that were just within their immediate surroundings.


    The ground they were standing on was covered with some kind of grass. Not the Blood Sucking Grass, thankfully. But some other, greenish red grass. Not a species that Alnea knew. As his master had said, he had only spent less than a year on building his foundations. There was a limit to the number of things that he knew. Yuri, and Cecilia though, they had been training to become Wanderers for much longer than him. So, it was only natural for them to recognise what it was.


    ¡°Red Herring Grass,¡± Yuri said, after crouching down to pinch a blade of the grass within her fingers. ¡°You can think of them as normal grasses, or weeds in the wild. Unlike the normal weeds, or grasses though, these grasses thrive on blood, not water.¡±


    ¡°Great,¡± Alnea mumbled. ¡°Another blood thirsty breed of grass. Don¡¯t tell me that they suck blood out of people too, like the Blood Sucking Grass.¡±


    ¡°Even if barely, the Blood Sucking Grass can still be considered as a precious herb,¡± Cecilia added from the side. ¡°How can these Red Herring Grass compare to them?¡±


    ¡°The Red Herring Grass indeed cannot compare to the Blood Sucking Grass, but that is not what we have to focus on here. By observing, I did not mean that we just have to observe. We also have to draw our own conclusions from our observations, and conclude whether the area is safe or not. Since Alnea does not know about the Red Herring Grass we can skip over him this time. You tell me, Cecilia. What do you think when you see the Red Herring Grass under our feet?¡±


    ¡°¡­What is there to think about them? Like you said, they are just weeds. They can be found anywhere.¡±


    ¡°Not anywhere,¡± Yuri said. ¡°Only where there is blood.¡±


    ¡°But this is the Night Canyons¡­ A Forbidden Area. There is bound to be blood everywhere.¡±


    ¡°¡­Yet the Red Herring Grass does not grow on all those areas, does it?¡±


    ¡°That still does not prove anything¡­ There is too little information to draw any conclusion from¡­¡±


    ¡°The information is enough¡­ you just do not know how to look at it.¡±


    ¡°¡­I don¡¯t know what either of you are talking about,¡± Alnea said, holding his head in his hands, before turning towards Yuri. ¡°Let me get this straight¡­ You are telling me, that just because there is Red Herring Grass around us, we can draw some conclusion for it?¡±


    ¡°¡­The Red Herring Grass may not be a species of Oren Beasts, it may not even be a precious herb, but it is special in its own right,¡± Yuri said, and paused for a couple of moments, before turning towards him, and Cecilia. ¡°Did you know that the smell of Red Herring Grass has a slight numbing effect which can slow down our thinking? Even Wanderers, if they are not careful, and are not actively protecting their minds, will see a drastic fall in their thinking capacity.¡±


    ¡°¡­Now that you mention it, I do feel a little light headed. But what does that have to do with the conclusion that you were talking about?¡±


    ¡°¡­Let me put it in another way. Do you know why these grasses are named as Red Herring Grasses, Alnea?¡±


    ¡°¡­Before today, I had not even heard of that name.¡±


    ¡°¡­Red Herring Grass always grows in a symbiotic relationship with Oren Beasts, where in, it draws in unsuspecting prey, using its smell to numb their mind, and thoughts, making them go round, and round in circles, serving as distractions, while the Oren Beast it is in a symbiotic relationship with would sneak up on the prey, and finish it in one strike. This way, the Oren Beast would get its prey, while the grass would get the blood it needs.¡±


    ¡°Wait a moment¡­ A symbiotic relationship¡­ Doesn¡¯t that mean¡­¡± Cecilia mumbled, as her face paled at the thought of what she had missed. Alnea was no exception either. With blood draining from his face, he quickly entered his Spirit State to observe his surrounding in greater detail. But it was already too late by then.

 Chapter 25: Teamwork [Part 2]

    Just four or five metres away from them, a large cat shaped Oren Beast, probably a panther, or a tiger, was crouching, creeping closer to them with each passing moment. If time, and initiative had been on their side, Alnea would have tried to identify the Oren Beast first, and then devise a strategy to tackle it. Unfortunately, time was not on their side. The Red Herring Grass¡­ As he had thought, none of these blood grasses were of the good kind.


    Cursing at the grass, Alnea was just about to move his hand towards his waist, where his sword was resting, when Yuri reached out and grabbed his hands. ¡°Don¡¯t move,¡± she said, staring right into his eyes. Only when he had gulped, and given his nod, did she release his hand, before turning towards Cecilia.


    ¡°You too, Cecilia. Don¡¯t make any sudden movements. The Oren Beast has creeped too close to us. If it senses even the slightest hint of danger, it will not hesitate to attack us. I will be able to handle it if it comes at us physically, but most probably, it will launch its Innate Ability. Neither of you wants big sis Nyssa to come, save us, just a few moments after she has left, right?¡±


    Both of them shook their head, trying their best to not give in to their natural impulses.


    ¡°An Oren Beast attacking us moments after master has left¡­ Is this just a coincidence? Why did she not warn us about it before leaving? Don¡¯t tell me that she did not even see the Beast¡­¡±


    ¡°Oh, she saw the Beast alright,¡± Yuri said. ¡°Rather, she purposefully left us in the centre of a patch of Red Herring Grass¡­ This is her way of testing us. She wants to see how aware we are, and how well we can adapt to changes¡­ And of course, how well we can cooperate.¡±


    ¡°¡­Then what are we going to about the Beast?¡± Alnea said, holding his hands in death grip, afraid that if left unchecked, it would dash towards the hilt of his sword. Even Cecilia was beginning to feel a bit itchy, and kept repeatedly cracking her knuckles. Only Yuri was as calm as ever, as if her nerves were made of Abyssal Cores, one of the toughest metals in existence. ¡°Can I at least draw out my dagger?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Cecilia said, shaking her head. ¡°Yuri is right. The Beast¡­ It is too close to us right now, waiting for the right moment to strike, but it would not wait for too long. Even slight movements that would make it think that we know of its existence will trigger it. Once that happens¡­¡±


    ¡°Then how are we going to deal with it?¡±


    ¡°Weapons are out of question¡­ And your Arcana is too conspicuous.¡±


    ¡°You have already created an Arcana?¡±


    ¡°Not now, Cecilia. We will talk about it later.¡±


    ¡°Right¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­So, as I was saying, your Arcana is too conspicuous. Prepare your Spirit Piercing Needles instead. The Three Turn ones. And try to make them as strong as possible.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    ¡°As for you, Cecilia¡­ have you created an Arcana yet?¡±


    ¡°I have¡­ but it might also be little conspicuous. I have some other Arcanas from my clan¡ª


    ¡°No. This is a training¡­ and a test. Using Martial Styles is one thing, but using Arcanas... It would be best if we only use Arcanas that we ourselves have created.¡±


    ¡°¡­I understand.¡±


    ¡°Do you have an Aspects?¡±


    ¡°¡­I have one, but it has not been long since I tamed it, so I am not very proficient in its usage.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s fine. Wait for my signal, and then make sure to use the Martial Style that is best suited for that Aspect. Just try to deal as much damage to the Beast as possible.¡±


    ¡°¡­I can do that much.¡±


    ¡°Alright then,¡± Yuri said, before turning back to him. ¡°We will be waiting for you, Alnea. Shoot your needles at the Beast when you are ready¡­ or when it attacks. Whichever comes first.¡±


    ¡°¡­Got it,¡± Alnea said, before closing his eyes to better concentrate on his Spirit. The sooner he finished preparing, the sooner they would take the initiative. So, he did not waste time condensing the Oren threads one unit of Spirit Power at a time. Channelling Oren to the limits of his capacity, he quickly shaped all that Oren into two giant threads, and circulated them around his Spirit. They were large, and cut into his Spirit deeply, making him recall the familiar feeling of the fiery knives shredding his Spirit into pieces. But he held on.


    Compared to the pain he was used to dealing with the when Forging his Spirit with the Art of Spirit Rebirth, the pain from the Spirit Piercing Needles almost felt like a tickle. Maybe a little more than a tickle, but at best, it just made him sweat a little. And even that was because how much Oren he was using. After all, this was the first time he was using the Three Turns Spirit Piercing Needles after reaching the False Rank. Rather, with how large the threads were, each condensed from over thirty units of Spirit Power each, it would have been more appropriate to call them as Spirit Piercing Daggers at this point.


    Alnea quashed that thought as soon as it came to him. He could not afford to be distracted. The situation was very urgent. Of course, that did not mean he could skip the steps of the Art. He could not afford to make any mistake. And so, as the moment ticked by, he kept concentrating on his Spirit, forcing the threads of Oren to pass through every part of his Spirit, managing to complete their three circulations just in time as the Beast looked ready to pounce on them.


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    However, before it could jump at the girls, Alnea turned towards the Beast, and pointed his hands at it. In the next moment, two slightly deformed blobs of Oren, larger than his palms, and with a slightly orangish hue, shot forward from his hands. Thankfully, the startled Beast had jumped before he had released the needles, making it unable to change its trajectory. And as he had predicted, the blobs of Oren reached the beast before it could cover even half of the distance between them.


    The beast, taking the blobs of Oren to be just a normal attack of its enemy, tried to swat them away with its paws. Unfortunately for the beasts, the blobs of Oren were not like any other attacks it had faced before. They may be a little different in shape than his usual Spirit Piercing Needles, but they carried the same piercing power. As such, instead of being brushed off by the Beast¡¯s paw, his Needles continued forward, and drilled their ways into the Beast¡¯s head.


    Normally, that would not have been much of a problem for the Beast. The Three Turns Spirit Piercing Needles was just a pseudo Art, after all. That too, of the Seed Rank. In contrast, the Beast was an Adolescent Stage Oren Beast. Such weak attacks would be of no use against it. That was unless he used an excessive amount of Oren, so much so, that the pain from the resultant explosion would be large enough to cause even an Adolescent Stage Oren Beast to waver, and whimper in pain.


    And it did whimper in pain. The needles, if they could even still be called as such, were so fast, while the Beast was so close, that it did not even have the time to react to the attacks, before they were already colliding in his head, erupting in a collision of Mysteries. And in the next moment, the Beast, which was just about to reach for their necks with its claws, was down on the ground, whimpering in pain.


    No matter how much pain it was feeling though, it was still an Adolescent Stage Oren Beast. A couple of moments after it had fallen down, it was already back on its feet, backing away from them, with a little wobble in its steps. It looked like the Beast was still a bit dizzy from the attack, and wanted to regain its balance before attacking. However, neither Cecilia, nor Yuri were willing to let the Beast go so easily.


    ¡°Now!¡± Yuri yelled at Cecilia, who nodded in response, before rushing towards the wobbly Beast. Meanwhile, Yuri herself took out a Glyph Disc from somewhere in her robe. Or was it from a storage device? Alnea could not see clearly. Maybe the side effect of using such large Needles was much stronger than he had thought. In any case, while he was still reeling from his headache, the two girls started taking care of the Beast.


    ¡°Prepare your Arcana, Alnea!¡±


    ¡°Right,¡± Alnea said, gritting his teeth, before facing towards the Beast. Cecilia had not let it run too far away from them. And it was also being illuminated from the green glow that was coming from Cecilia¡¯s fists. That made it easy for him to make out its rough shape, and position. It would be hard to take aim in such conditions, and even hard to hit. The Beast would not just stand in place to let him hit it with his Nightmare Arrow. But that did not matter. At the moment, they were a team.


    So, listening to command of his leader, Alnea concentrated on his Spirit, and began siphoning copious amount of Oren from the Origin Sea once again.


    ¡°Beyond the veil of the Night¡­¡±


    It increased his headache a little, especially since he was not drawing Oren in a gradual manner, but was taking in large chunks, before shaping it all in the form of an arrow.


    ¡°Where the world slumbers just past her sight¡­¡±


    But that also allowed him to cast his Arcana in the fastest way possible, so it evened out a little. Probably.


    ¡°I call forth the embers of the darkness¡­¡±


    After he was done shaping the arrow, he reached out to the Mystery within the Origin Sea, and summoned it, letting it engulf the arrow in front of him, and seep into it, forming a Nightmare Arrow.


    ¡°To drown my enemies in the Nightmare of their madness.¡±


    And with the addition of a blob of Oren at its tail end, the Arcana was ready. That was much faster than he had expected. Maybe those ten days of relentless using the Arcana were not a complete waste.


    ¡°I am ready,¡± Alnea said, glancing at Yuri, who was still carving some Glyph on her Glyph Disc. ¡°¡­Will this work though?¡±


    ¡°You do not have to worry for that,¡± Yuri said, while continuing to carve the Glyph. ¡°Just fire the arrow when I say so, and make sure that you hit.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s the point,¡± Alnea said. ¡°The Beast¡­ It is moving too much. I don¡¯t think that I can hit it like this.¡±


    ¡°Like I said, you do not have to worry about that,¡± Yuri said, finally putting away the carving knife from her hand, before looking at him with a solemn expression. ¡°Just make sure that your aim is true. You can do that, right?¡±


    ¡°¡­I can.¡±


    ¡°Good,¡± Yuri said, before turning towards Cecilia in the distance. ¡°Step away from it, Cecilia! And get ready to deliver the final blow.¡±


    ¡°I am always ready!¡± Cecilia yelled back with a laugh. It looked like she was having a fun time fighting with the Beast. The Beast, on the other hand, did not look so amused. It had many places on its body where Cecilia had managed to wound it. Not too seriously, but enough to draw blood. The Spirit Piercing Needles had done their job, it seemed, and had given Cecilia the advantage she needed to take on the Beast by herself.


    But as the fight wore on, and with the Beast beginning to make its counterattack, that advantage had lessened a little. And so, when Cecilia retreated, the Beast did not wish to let go, and chased after her, growling, and snapping its jaws at her. Unfortunately for the Beast, Yuri was already prepared for it.


    With a thought from her mind, and Oren as fuel, the Glyph Disc began glowing in a greyish black light, which, at first, seemed indistinguishable from its dark surroundings. On a closer look though, the greyish light seemed capable of even making the darkness withdraw from around itself. As if the darkness was afraid of the greyish light. And the darkness that did not withdraw in time, just simply melted away. Or was it assimilated by the fog that came out from the Disc? No, it was¡­


    ¡°Now, Alnea!¡±


    Yuri¡¯s yell broke Alnea away from the daze that the grey fog had brought him in, just as he saw the grey fog wrapping around the Beast¡¯s legs, trapping it in place. There were so many things he wished to ask, things he wished to know. But it was not the time to think about them. So, the moment he came back to his senses, he aimed his Nightmare Arrow at the Beast, and let it fly. Right on time, it seemed.


    The moment that Alnea let his arrow fly, the Beast sensed the danger, and looked towards the arrow. Flying in rage, and frustration, it tried desperately to get rid of the bond, and even managed to succeed. But only when the arrow had struck it. It was quite a close call thought. Just a moment¡¯s delay, and the Beast would have managed to dodge the arrow. Thankfully, he had not indulged himself with his thoughts. And neither did the girls.


    ¡°Finish it, Cecilia!¡±


    ¡°On it!¡±

 Chapter 26: Future Plans [Part 1]

    Stomping on the deceitful path of the grass, Alnea walked along with Yuri, making his way towards Cecilia, just as she gave the Beast its final blow. A peaceful, and easy blow, considering how the Beast was not even retaliating. Just in terms of illusions, his Nightmare Arrow was strong enough to make even intermediate phase Oren Beast falter for a few moments, let alone one just in its initial phase. Especially because of the state it had been in.


    The beast had already been raging around for a while. Once it was struck by his arrow, it was consumed by its own rage, and desperation, as the illusion slowly took over its mind, dragging it to the ground, making it an easy, and defenceless target. One that Cecilia decimated with just her bare hands. Wrapped with her Aspects, of course. She had not given it a second thought before piercing her hand through the beast¡¯s head.


    Quite a brutal way to kill, Alnea thought. Then again, killing was killing. Even if she had gently slit the Beast¡¯s neck, it would have still ended up dead anyway. So, how did the way she killed her enemies mattered? And why was he having that question? Killing the Oren Beast¡­ Had they not killed it, it would have killed them instead. So¡­ the stupid Nightmare Arrow.


    ¡°A Shadow Panther,¡± Alnea said, finally recognising the Oren Beast. ¡°No wonder we were not able to recognise it.¡±


    ¡°You mean you were not able to recognise it,¡± Cecilia said with a grin, while wiping her hand on the black fur of the panther. ¡°What was that Arcana though? To think that it left the Beast in an almost defenceless state¡­ no, before that, how long has it been since you became a Wanderer? How have you already created your Arcana?¡±


    ¡°¡­Why can I not create an Arcana?¡± Alnea said, pouting at Cecilia, before turning towards Yuri. ¡°Do we still need to check our surroundings? Or is it fine if we can rest a little? Using so much Oren in such a short period is giving me a headache.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine,¡± Yuri said. ¡°Since we have already killed the symbiotic partner of the Red Herring Grass, this area should be safe for now.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s good,¡± Alnea said, letting out a sigh of relief, as he dropped his bag to the ground, before dropping himself next to it. ¡°Let¡¯s take a break then.¡±


    ¡°We can take a break, but we must decide what we are going to do next,¡± Yuri said, to which, both Alnea and Cecilia nodded in agreement. Cecilia even seemed eager to add something, but held back in the end. Alnea though, had no such reservations for himself. Shaking his head with a sigh, het let his own thoughts out in the open.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want an Oren Beast coming so close to me without me knowing about it.¡±


    ¡°It was not your fault¡­ you did not know about the grass after all,¡± Yuri said, taking her seat as elegantly as ever, before turning towards Cecilia. ¡°You, on the other hand, cannot shrink your responsibility. How can you forget the grass¡¯s characteristics?¡±


    ¡°I¡­ It slipped my mind¡­¡± Cecilia said, fumbling with her words, turning stiff at the mention of her mistake. Biting her lips in frustration, even as her face turned red in shame, she sat down with her back against the Beast¡¯s corpse, directly facing him, and Yuri.


    ¡°Even if you forgot about its details, you should have at least remembered how dangerous the areas around a patch of Red Herring grass can be.¡±


    ¡°I will be careful in the future.¡±


    ¡°You must remember¡­ and you too, Alnea. Both of you must remember that this is not the Bright Light Forest. Here, the canyon itself is our enemy. Even the most ordinary of the rock near your feet could be a trap laid by an Oren Beast. And that is the lesser of the danger we can face in the canyons. There are some dangers, which the canyon itself births, that are much more dangerous than the Oren Beasts. So, no matter what happens, you can never let your guard down. Especially since we are so close to the inner branches of the Night Canyons.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry,¡± Alnea said. ¡°We have learned that lesson already.¡±


    ¡°¡­We will come back to that later. First, let us talk about the fight we just had. How did you feel fighting as a team?¡±


    ¡°¡­I guess the fight was a little too easy?¡± Cecilia said. ¡°The Spirit Piercing Needles had already made it easier for me to handle the Beast. With the Glyph, and the Arcana, it felt as if I just breezed through the fight¡­¡±


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    ¡°That is the benefit of fighting in a team. When you only have one thing that you need to concentrate on, it become easier for you to do your job, and you are less likely to make mistakes.¡±


    ¡°¡­For me, the fight was much more draining than usual. If I was fighting it by myself, I would have finished it while using only half, or even less of the Spirit Power that I expended against the panther.¡±


    ¡°It could not be helped. Asking you to use the Spirit Piercing Needles was an expedient measure. We needed to buy time. And only you could have used the Needles as soon as possible, while still being in a decent shape to continue the fight.¡±


    ¡°¡­Why does that sound more like you are making fun of me, rather than complimenting me?¡±


    ¡°Of course, she is complimenting you,¡± Cecilia said in answer to his grumbles. And from the grin on her face, or suppressed giggles escaping through her lips, it looked she had already forgotten how she herself was grumbling just moments ago. ¡°You are the most masochistic one amongst the three of us.¡±


    ¡°¡­Laugh all you want, but this masochistic guy just saved you the embarrassment of having master come heal your torn limbs.¡±


    ¡°Worry about yourself. I would have¡ª


    ¡°We do not have time for this,¡± Yuri said, cutting in between them. ¡°I know that after the days you have spent alone, both of you want to cosy up to each other¡ª


    ¡°We do not!¡±


    ¡°¡­But we need to decide our next course of action, and get moving as soon as possible. So, do you two mind?¡±


    ¡°¡­No.¡±


    ¡°¡­As I was saying, asking you to use the Spirit Piercing Needles was for the best interest of the team. With every action we take, we have to make sure that we get the greatest effect, while paying the least cost. That is what acting as a team means.¡±


    ¡°¡­I was not complaining or anything,¡± Alnea said, while massaging his head. ¡°I was just grumbling because of my headache.¡±


    ¡°I know¡­ Still, as a team, we must all agree on the decisions we make, or even small things can make a team fall apart,¡± Yuri said, looking at him with a solemn gaze. However, she did not forget to use an apologetic tone through the rings, and add, ¡°I am sorry¡­ I know I must be coming off as rude. But this is what we need to do if we want to make it out as a team.¡±


    ¡°¡­I understand,¡± Alnea said, shaking his head, while smiling wryly to himself. ¡°Do what needs to be done. Don¡¯t worry about me.¡±


    ¡°¡­I am sorry.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s alright. I just have a slight headache. It will go away in a while.¡±


    ¡°¡­Besides, you might have been able finish off the Beast by expending a lesser amount of your Spirit Power, but that would have been the case where you were ambushing it, and not the other way around. Can you say for sure that you would have been able to handle the Beast in that situation as easily as we did without using the Spirit Piercing Needles? Or even if you did, are you sure that you would not have expended more of your Spirit Power?¡±


    ¡°¡­No.¡±


    ¡°That is the power of teamwork, and cooperation,¡± Yuri said, nodding to prove her point, before glancing at Cecilia to include her in the discussion. ¡°As long as we are together, we can face anything. Even Heterodox Wanderers. To do that though, we must have absolute trust in each other. At the very least, we should have enough trust amongst us to share all our abilities with each other.¡±


    ¡°Speaking of sharing our abilities¡­ we just met today, so when did you know that Alnea had create an Arcana?¡±


    ¡°¡­He told me when big sis Nyssa was talking to you.¡±


    ¡°Is that so¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­Let us not waste any more time, and share our abilities with each other first. Is that fine with both of you?¡±


    ¡°Let me go first,¡± Alnea said, and waited for the girls to nod before continuing. ¡°I have created one Arcana, which you have already seen in action. It is based on a Mystery from the lineage of Night, and is a Low Grade Arcana, mainly because of its many side effects. Like how much time it takes for me to prepare the Arcana. Or how if the Oren Beasts are not distracted by other things¡­ or maybe bound, like today, then they can easily dodge the arrow.


    ¡°Other than that, there is also the effect of the backlash from the Mystery, where in every time I use the Arcana, I start doubting myself. And the more that I use the Arcana, the greater this doubt grows. As of now, this doubt has presented itself in the form of me questioning my motives to kill the Oren Beasts. But I don¡¯t know for sure if that¡¯s all that the Arcana can do.


    ¡°Still, as you have already seen, it can be quite useful at times. I will not get into the details. Just know that when my Nightmare Arrow hits the Oren Beasts, they are drawn into a psychological illusion where they slowly lose themselves to their doubts. Of course, this effect is not invincible. They can fight it off in a while. But if we are fast enough, we can use that time to finish our enemies.¡±


    ¡°¡­That is indeed a handy Arcana, but the side effects are too blatant,¡± Yuri said, to which, Cecilia responded with a nod.


    ¡°I knew that something was wrong when I saw how your first Arcana worked so effectively¡­ You should probably not use it too much.¡±


    ¡°We will discuss our strategies later. For now, let him explain his other abilities first,¡± Yuri said in a rather calm, and collected voice. The voice she was using to talk to him telepathically though, was anything but calm.

 Chapter 26: Future Plans [Part 2]

    ¡°Why did you not tell me about the side effect of your Nightmare Arrow?¡± Yuri said in a rather irked, and upset voice. Her face though, was still calm, and solemn, as she looked at him, along with Cecilia, waiting for him to tell them about the rest of his abilities.


    ¡°¡­Other than my Nightmare Arrow, I also have three Aspects¡ª


    ¡°Three Aspects?¡± Cecilia said, exasperating her words with an incredulous expression. ¡°Three Aspects? Three! Poros fangs! Just when I thought that I have finally caught up to you, you are now saying that you have tamed two more Aspects in the time I tamed one?¡±


    ¡°¡­And I should be gaining another Aspect in three or four days.¡±


    ¡°¡­Are Aspects something that you can find lying around withs pebbles, and stones?¡±


    ¡°¡­I cannot find them lying around on the ground, but I do tend to find them quite often within the Origin Sea.¡±


    ¡°¡­How often is your quite often?¡±


    ¡°¡­Every seven days or so?¡±


    Cecilia stared at him in silence for a few moments. Moments, which he used to answer Yuri¡¯s question.


    ¡°I just learned about the side effects of my Arcana today before master brought me to you.¡±


    ¡°You have been using the Arcana for ten days!¡±


    ¡°I did not even understand what was happening to me at first. I thought that it was just a normal reaction¡­ What was I supposed to tell you? That I was feeling bad for killing the Oren Beasts?¡±


    ¡°¡­I would not have considered that as weird,¡± Yuri mumbled in a sour tone. Telepathically, of course. ¡°What did big sis Nyssa say about it?¡±


    ¡°I already told you what she said¡­ It is just a small side effect. As long as I don¡¯t use the Nightmare Arrow too frequently, it would not pose too much of a problem.¡±


    ¡°¡­Anything else that you have not told me?¡±


    ¡°¡­The size of my innerwear?¡±


    ¡°Shameless! Pervert!¡±


    Seeing blood rush to Yuri¡¯s face, dyeing it completely red, Alnea almost failed to stop himself from laughing. Sometimes, teasing Yuri could be so much fun, he thought. Not for long though. While he had been teasing Yuri, Cecilia had long regained her composure, and turned towards Yuri.


    ¡°Can I punch him?¡±


    ¡°¡­Too much arrogance is indeed not a good for teamwork, so yes, Cecilia. You may punch him.¡±


    ¡°No, wait! This is¡ª


    Before Alnea could say anything else, Cecilia was already upon him, pinning him to the ground. Of course, she also knew the place they were in, so she did not actually punch him. Rather, after the day he had risked his life to save her, she had never actually hit him. And this time was no different either. She just pinned him to the ground, and trapped his arms under her legs, before tickling him.


    ¡°Trying to show off your warrior talent in front of a Serpian.¡±


    ¡°No¡­ wait¡­ I¡­¡±


    ¡°It looks like you have not learned anything yet.¡±


    ¡°Stop¡­ I¡­ speak¡­¡±


    ¡°How do you like that!¡±


    ¡°Stop¡­ stop¡­ can¡¯t¡­.¡±


    ¡°And this!¡±


    ¡°¡­anymore¡­¡±


    It was only after he was almost in tears that Cecilia finally stopped tickling him. She did not immediately get up though, and still kept him pinned her body.


    ¡°Will you tease me again?¡±


    ¡°¡­No,¡± Alnea said, while taking big gasps of air. Of course, he did not take an Oath on it. And Cecilia did not pursue it either. She still did not get up from his chest though. Instead, she looked deep into his eyes with solemn gaze, and put her hand on his chest, where his Heart was supposed to be.


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    ¡°¡­I was the one who killed the Shadow Panther.¡±


    ¡°¡­Are you trying to show off now?¡±


    ¡°I am saying I am the one who killed the Oren Beast¡­ so you do not have to feel guilty about it¡­¡±


    ¡°That is not how Arcanas work¡ª


    ¡°Do you want me to tickle you again?¡±


    ¡°¡­No.¡±


    ¡°Then repeat after me. ¡®Cecilia Serpia was the one who killed the Shadow Panther, not me. There is nothing that I have to feel guilty about.¡¯¡±


    ¡°¡­Cecilia Serpia was the one who killed the Shadow Panther, not me. There is nothing that I have to feel guilty about.¡±


    ¡°There, that was not that hard, was it?¡± Cecilia said, as she got off of his chest. ¡°You do not have to thank me for it.¡±


    The smug grin on her face as she said those words made Alnea wish to reply with a smug grin of his own. Before he could do that though, Yuri coughed, and brought their attention to herself.


    ¡°If you have had your fun, can we proceed with the important talks? We do not have much time.¡±


    Recalling where they were, neither Cecilia, nor Alnea could stop their face from flushing. They could, however, quickly get back into normal sitting positions. Alnea even mimicked Yuri¡¯s actions, coughing lightly to draw attention away from his embarrassing position, before continuing where he had left off.


    ¡°As I was saying, I have three Aspects right now. One of them can act as both, a sword, and a shield. It pairs well with the sword oriented Martial Styles I am learning currently. The second one¡­ Well, it is related to the lineage of Trickeries¡ª


    ¡°Lineage of Trickeries?¡±


    ¡°Not now, Cecilia. We have already wasted too much time.¡±


    ¡°Right¡­ sorry. Continue.¡±


    ¡°¡­And it is not too suited for direct conflicts. The Third Aspect is related to the lineage of Night, and though it is not related to swords, I can add its powers to my sword when using Martial Styles.¡±


    ¡°Anything else?¡±


    ¡°¡­No, that about sums it. The rest is just about the Martial Styles, but I have yet to learn them, so I cannot declare them as part of my abilities¡­ yet.¡±


    ¡°¡­Alright, we have a fair idea about your abilities. Next, it is your turn, Cecilia.¡±


    ¡°¡­My abilities are fairly simple when compared to Alnea¡¯s. In terms of Aspects, I have only one, which I tamed recently, just a week ago. I am not very proficient in its use yet, but it should not hinder me from using my Martial Styles.¡±


    ¡°Ah, that¡¯s right. You just recently gained your Aspect as well¡­ Congratulations on becoming a Warrior, Cecilia!¡±


    ¡°¡­Shut up.¡±


    ¡°¡­Did I say something wrong?¡± Alnea mumbled, bot got ignored by both the girls.


    ¡°Anyways, the Aspect that I have gained is related to the linage of life, but it allows me to reinforce some of the Martial Styles that I have learned which focus on my claws, so there is a plus point there. Coming to the Arcanas, I know quite a few Arcanas of my clan, but of my own creation, I have only one. It is also from the lineage of Night, but mine focusses on frontal attack, rather than illusions.¡±


    ¡°An attacking Arcana¡­ Does it also have some serious side effects?¡±


    ¡°No¡­ But it is not as effective as Alnea¡¯s Arcana.¡±


    ¡°That does not matter,¡± Yuri said, shaking her head with a smile. ¡°Being less effective, without worrying about its side effects is a better option in my opinion.¡±


    ¡°Hey!¡± Alnea protested, but got ignored once again.


    ¡°¡­Besides, both of you have just began walking on your paths. In the coming months, you will both quickly accumulate experience, and diversify your abilities. From my perspective, you do not have to worry about your current lack of abilities.¡±


    ¡°¡­Thank you,¡± Cecilia said, regaining a bit of her self confidence.


    ¡°Alright, it is time for me to introduce my abilities¡­ But, considering how we are going to build up as a team, I think I should hold back on that information.¡±


    ¡°¡­That does not sound fair,¡± Alnea said, looking at Yuri with confusion. ¡°We told you about our abilities, you should tell us about yours.¡±


    ¡°Listen to me first,¡± Yuri said, looking at him with a wry smile. ¡°I am already at the Intermediate Stage, while the two of you are still at the Initial Stage. No matter how we look at it, this is not an ideal team combination.¡±


    ¡°¡­Don¡¯t be too smug, we will catch up soon enough.¡±


    ¡°Maybe you will,¡± Yuri said, still smiling at him. ¡°But what will you do till then? Watch me fight all your battles for you?¡±


    ¡°¡­What do you want to say?¡±


    ¡°I have a proposal, but I will proceed with it only if both of you agree.¡±


    Alnea turned towards Cecilia, and found her looking back at him. And in that moment, they both saw the confidence they had in their eyes for Yuri. Grinning to themselves, and to each other, they turned towards Yuri, and said in unison, ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°¡­For the next few months, the two of you will have to listen to my commands, and switch between the roles of Arcanists, and Warriors depending on the situation. Our main objective will be to practise our teamwork against as many Adolescent Stage Oren Beasts of the initial, and intermediate phase as we can find. Maybe that¡¯s a little exaggerated, but you get what I am trying to say.


    ¡°Of course, in all that time, you cannot let your Wanderings fall behind either. And when I feel that our strength, and our cooperation has reached a certain point, I will reveal all my abilities to you, and then we will start challenging Oren Beast in the advanced phase of their Adolescent Stage as a true team. But till then, both of you will have to listen to my arrangements. What do you think?¡±


    ¡°It is a stupid plan,¡± Alnea said.


    ¡°But it is worth a try,¡± Cecilia added.


    ¡°So, do you two agree with it?¡±


    ¡°¡­You want to use your plan to motivate us into working harder, right?¡±


    ¡°Maybe, maybe not. Who knows?¡±


    ¡°Fine,¡± Alnea said. ¡°Let¡¯s do this.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s do this,¡± Cecilia chipped in. ¡°We will definitely be fighting intermediate phase Oren Beasts in a month!¡±

 Chapter 27: A selfish Heart [Part 1]

    Yuri¡¯s motive behind her plan was so blatant, that even a Dark Devouring Snake could see it from miles away. And Dark Devouring Snakes were one of the Oren Beasts with the worst eyesight. Still, he could not deny that her plan worked. At the very least, it fired him up enough to not complain when Yuri asked him to butcher the Shadow Panther. Otherwise, he surely would not have chosen the hard meat of a feline type of Oren Beast.


    Unfortunately, the days when he could be wilful with what he could eat, and what he could leave, were gone. He was not alone anymore, after all. And neither were the girls. They were a team. They were going to live together. As such, wasting a potential source of food just because it might be a little hard to chew was no longer an option. But¡­


    ¡°¡­Why do I have to be the one to carry all the meat?¡± Alnea grumbled, taking one heavy step at a time. ¡°I can understand why we are not storing all the meat in the storage bags, but I cannot understand your logic of letting me carry all the meat.¡±


    ¡°It is for your training,¡± Yuri said. ¡°You need to exercise a little, and gain some muscles. Look at how thin you are¡­ Even Cecilia is stronger than you.¡±


    ¡°¡­Cecilia is a musclehead.¡±


    ¡°What did you say?¡±


    ¡°I said, how can you compare me with the great Serpian heir? At least give me some time to catch up with her.¡±


    ¡°You do not have time¡­ Besides, big sis Nyssa handed your training to me. I am just fulfilling my responsibilities.¡±


    ¡°This is stupid,¡± Alnea grumbled once again, using the ring to discreetly send a few messages to Yuri. ¡°You are using maser¡¯s name to take your personal revenge on me!¡±


    ¡°Show me some evidence before you go around slandering me.¡±


    ¡°¡­I will remember this, Yuri!¡±


    ¡°Good, I want you to remember this. Remember how much I am sacrificing to train you¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­When did you become so shameless?¡±


    ¡°She is not wrong, you know,¡± Cecilia said, slowing down to walk by his side, while trying hard to hold in her laughter. ¡°You can indeed call it a kind of training¡­¡±


    ¡°How?¡± Alnea asked, adjusting the strap of his bag digging into his shoulders. ¡°Even though I have a storage bag to keep all my essentials now, using my leather bag to keep all the meat, and then forcing me to carry it¡­¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not my fault,¡± Yuri said. ¡°You don¡¯t want us storing meat with such strong odour in our storage bags, do you?¡±


    ¡°¡­That brings me to the second point,¡± Alnea said. ¡°Why could we not have just simply dried up the meat to remove some of that nauseating smell?¡±


    ¡°Because we did not have the time to do that,¡± Yuri said. ¡°We spent too much time on discussing our plans, and on butchering the panther. Staying there any longer would have been too dangerous. Besides, if the smell had not been so strong, it would not have been training, would it?¡±


    ¡°¡­What kind of stupid training is this?¡±


    ¡°The training to make you accustomed to the thought of killing Oren Beasts,¡± Cecilia added from the side. ¡°The longer you spend surrounded by the smell of dead bodies of Oren Beasts, the more accustomed you will become to that smell, and to the idea of killing Oren Beasts. It may not be enough to help you counter the side effects of using your Arcana, but it will surely be able to help you mitigate it.¡±


    ¡°¡­Such a twisted logic. Do you think I¡ª


    ¡°And so, I have decided that in the future, all our butchering work will be handled by Alnea.¡±


    ¡°No, wait¡ª


    ¡°And he will also carry all the meat.¡±


    ¡°Wait a moment!¡±


    ¡°Basically, anything related to dead bodies will be dealt by him.¡±


    ¡°¡­I will remember this,¡± Alnea grumbled staring daggers at the giggling girls. Still, he did not drop the bag, or stop cooperating. Though he did not like it, as they had said, it was for his own benefits. Even he was beginning to see that. The doubts that his Nightmare Arrow had left were already starting to dissipate. So, even though he grumbled a little, he still trudged along, braving the darkness of the canyon along with his two friends. His two teammates.


    ¡°Alright, you have led the way for long enough, Yuri,¡± Cecilia said. ¡°My Spirit Power has recovered enough for me to lead the way for a while.¡±


    ¡°You were quite reckless with your Martial Styles before,¡± Alnea said. ¡°Let me lead the way for now.¡±


    ¡°Is your headache all better now?¡±


    ¡°¡­It is still there, but it is much more subdued.¡±


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    ¡°So, shut up, and let me lead. You can take over when your headache subsides completely.¡±


    ¡°¡­Alright.¡±


    ¡°¡­Should I not get an opinion on whether I continue leading the way?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Alnea said in unison with Cecilia. ¡°You are the strongest of us right now.¡±


    ¡°You need to preserve your strength for emergencies.¡±


    ¡°Besides, we are a team.¡±


    ¡°And a team shares all responsibility.¡±


    ¡°¡­Except carrying the smelly meat.¡±


    ¡°Hey! That¡¯s discrimination.¡±


    ¡°And your training.¡±


    ¡°Tsk¡­ I thought I might be able to slip that in.¡±


    ¡°Anyways, like you said earlier, Yuri. This is a training¡­ and a test. If we want to fight those Heterodox Wanderers, we need to become a true team. We cannot let you carry all the burdens by yourself.¡±


    ¡°¡­Fine, but tell me when you are starting to feel tired.¡±


    ¡°I will.¡±


    And just like that, Cecilia began to lead them along the dark paths of the canyon. If they could even be called as paths. Hard, cold rocks, with a few growths of unusual grasses here, and there, which they tried to avoid whenever they encountered. Their encounter with the Shadow Panther was still fresh in their minds. And they had no wish for fighting another Beast any time soon.


    Still, that they avoided such growths did not mean that they were safe, or did not need to be on the lookout. Like Yuri had said, the Night Canyons was a truly devious place. At times, when they were walking, the cold hard rocks on the ground would suddenly give way to softer, spongy earth, which seemed as if it was ready to suck them in. Using Spirit sense to check on them was not enough either. Without actually stepping on them it was hard find which part of the ground was spongy, and which was not.


    But that was not all the danger that the ground had. Once, while they were walking, they did not notice anything strange, until a snake like Oren Beast tore its way through the ground, and jumped straight at him. Or to be more precise, at his bag. Thankfully, that was when Alnea had already changed shifts with Cecilia, and was leading the way. So, he was able to sense the snake the moment it came within the range of his Spirit, allowing him to dodge in time.


    In the next moment, while he was still recovering from the surprise attack, and was about to draw his dagger, Cecilia, and Yuri had already made their move, taking care of the Beast within moments. It looked like the snake was just an Infant Stage Oren Beast. Still, it may have been just an Infant Stage Oren Beast, but if he had been just a moment too late, then it would have surely left him with a grievous wound. And if it had been an Adolescent Stage Oren Beast, then¡­


    Shaking his head to rid himself of the ridiculous thought, Alnea packed the snake in his bag as well, before resuming their search for their base. An inconspicuous place, that would just blend right into the dark environment of the canyon. A place that was not surrounded by Oren Beasts from all sides. And most important of all, a place that was not too far away from a water source.


    They did come across many water sources in their search, but none of them had any of the other things that they were searching for. But they were not too bothered by apparent failure in securing a base. The canyon they were in was a large one, one that probably ran of tens of kilometres in length. Of course, that also meant that there were many Oren Beasts which were beyond their ability to contend. Especially in the condition they were in. And so, they had to carefully look for any signs that might demarcate the territory of the Oren Beasts, and circle around that area, before continuing with their search. A long, long search.


    It was only when hunger was starting to gnaw at him, with his muscles screaming in pain, that they finally found a place similar to what they were looking for. Located roughly a kilometre or so away from a stream, a cave had been carved into the wall of the canyons. Most probably by some Wanderer. And quite a long time ago at that. Dense foliage, of normal climber plants, along with some shrubs, and bushes were covering the entrance of the cave, showing years of neglect, and disrepair. Or maybe, that was an intentional design.


    In either case, the cave was so ingeniously hidden, that if Alnea had not had experience of finding hidden crevices in the walls of the canyons, he might not even had noticed the cave. And though there were territories of Oren Beasts around it, most of them were just at the initial phase of the Adolescent Stage. So, the presence of Oren Beasts was not a problem either. It was the perfect place they were looking for.


    ¡°How about it?¡± Alnea asked, looking back at the two girls with a smug grin on his face. It had been under his lead that they had found the cave, after all. ¡°Do you think we should make this as our temporary base?¡±


    ¡°We should check its inside first before coming to a decision,¡± Yuri said, stepping past him, and into the cave, with Cecilia following right behind her. Seeing their rather nonchalant reaction to his find, made the grin from his face disappear, replacing it with a pout, as he grumbled to himself about their pickiness, following behind the girls.


    ¡°¡­I think I am going to faint from hunger,¡± he said, gently shifting the curtain of the climber plants to make way for himself. ¡°Even if we do not plan to stay here, let us at least rest for a while, alright?¡±


    Stepping into the cave, Alnea felt as if he had stepped into a completely different world. There was, of course, the ever present darkness of the canyons in the cave. But once he had let the curtains of the plants fall back, and block off the exit of the cave, the darkness inside the cave seemed to magnify, making it hard for him to even see the girls. And that despite the fact that they were standing just a few steps away from him.


    Then there was the eerie quiet, and the coldness permeating within the cave. Even the air with the cave seemed to be a bit stale, and humid. No, not seemed to, but it was indeed stale. Except for the bare necessary circulation of air through the curtain of the plants, the cave was practically cut off from the rest of the canyon. It even had¡ª


    A resplendent white light burst forth in front of him, driving all the darkness away from the cave, before gathering in Yuri¡¯s hands. Her Aspects. Maybe even the one he had chosen for her. Shaking his head to supress that thought for the moment, Alnea took advantage of the light to observe the cave in detail. It was not a large cave, barely around three metres wide, and five to six metres deep. Even its height was just about two metres. Still, the cave was large enough for them to live together.


    ¡°This is fine, right?¡± Alnea said, as he glanced around the inconspicuous corners of the cave for a double check. ¡°There are no strange growths here, so no traps. And even if it is not comfortable, it is large enough for us to live.¡±


    ¡°This cave is indeed good enough¡­ for now. We will see if we can find a better place later. But I guess we can stay here for a while.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s good,¡± Alnea said, sighing in relief, before removing the bag from his back, and putting it on the ground. ¡°So, who is going to cook?¡±


    As his words rang out in the cave, they brought a silence with themselves, that settled down for a few moments, before whispers, and groans of complaints tore it apart, as all three of them tried to shift the responsibility to the others. In the end, after a lengthy, and heated discussion, they decided to divide their tasks, and complete it together. A decision they soon came to regret.

 Chapter 27: A selfish Heart [Part 2]

    ¡°¡­That was one of the most horrendous meals I have ever had,¡± Alnea said, still shivering from the taste of the meat he had just eaten. Even his jaws were aching a little. ¡°I never knew humans were capable of making something like that. Maybe it is an Arcana in itself¡­¡±


    ¡°Shut up,¡± Cecilia grumbled, sulking in a corner of the cave, with her head drooping towards the ground. ¡°It was not my fault. You were the one who had not prepared the meat in the way it should have been.¡±


    ¡°¡­Do you think I am a professional butcher?¡±


    ¡°Then do you think I am a professional cook?¡±


    ¡°¡­At least I could have cooked better than you.¡±


    ¡°Then you cook the next time!¡±


    ¡°Seriously, you two¡­ will you stop acting as children?¡± Yuri said, shaking her head with a wry smile. ¡°This was the first time that we cooked something together, so there were bound to be some¡­ technical difficulties. We will do it better next time. Besides, we are here to train, not to sate our cravings.¡±


    ¡°¡­You were the one who had the fiercest reaction to the food though.¡±


    ¡°¡­And you did not even do any work.¡±


    ¡°I was on the lookout for any Oren Beasts that might have attacked us¡­¡±


    ¡°Excuses.¡±


    ¡°Lazy.¡±


    ¡°Privileged.¡±


    ¡°Heiress.¡±


    ¡°¡­Why are you two suddenly teaming up against me?¡±


    ¡°This is teamwork.¡±


    ¡°We are cooperating with each other.¡±


    ¡°And training.¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t that what we are here for?¡±


    Seeing the baffled, and indignant look on Yuri¡¯s face, neither Cecilia, nor Alnea were able to control their laughter. Especially when they saw the pout on her face. Shining in the white light of her Aspects, the rosy glow on her pale cheeks, as she glared at them, gave him an almost irresistible urge to pinch her cheeks. That was until he recalled how they still had a few months of training left. And how it was not a good idea to anger her. Though she rarely got angry at him, when she did, consoling her was always much more difficult than consoling Cecilia.


    ¡°¡­You two can restore your Spirit Power, and train your Spirit,¡± Yuri said, puffing up her cheeks, and walking towards the exit of the cave. ¡°I will keep the first watch.¡±


    ¡°The cave is already very secure,¡± Alnea said. ¡°There should be no need to keep watches, right?¡±


    ¡°What if some Oren Beast discovers the cave while we are all either training, or in the Origin Sea?¡±


    ¡°¡­That should not happen¡­ probably.¡±


    ¡°Another thing you must learn, Alnea,¡± Yuri said, looking at him with a solemn gaze. ¡°You must never leave things up to chances. If there is even a slight chance that Oren Beasts can find this cave, then we have to keep a guard. Always.¡±


    ¡°You can still do that from inside the cave too, right?¡± Alnea said, trying not to flinch at her sharp tone. ¡°Why do you have to go outside?¡±


    ¡°Not just me, but when it is your turn to keep the watch, then you must also do it from the outside,¡± Yuri said, glancing towards the exit of the cave. ¡°The view from the cave is rather limited. If we want to keep an effective watch, then we must do it from the outside, rather than the inside.¡±


    ¡°But¡ª


    ¡°Leave it, Alnea,¡± Cecilia said. ¡°When Yuri has decided on something, there is not much we can do to change her mind. Besides, she is right. Only if we keep a watch from outside the cave will we have a wider, and larger view, and will be able to see the incoming Beasts in time.¡±


    ¡°This is so troublesome¡­¡± Alnea mumbled, while using their rings, the rings of fate, to talk to Yuri telepathically.


    ¡°Be careful.¡±


    ¡°It should be the Beasts who have to be careful, not me.¡±


    ¡°Still, try not to do anything dangerous.¡±


    ¡°It is too late to say that, right?¡±


    ¡°¡­No, it is not. Because the dangerous things you are talking about is something that we are going to do together. So, if you want to do something dangerous, then wait for me complete my training. We will do it together.¡±


    ¡°¡­You are a fool.¡±


    ¡°I may be a fool, but I am your fool, right?¡±


    This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version.


    ¡°¡­Keep dreaming.¡±


    ¡°Come on, don¡¯t be so shy.¡±


    ¡°¡­If you don¡¯t have anything else to say, then I am going.¡±


    ¡°Alright, you win. Just remember to not do anything too dangerous without me.¡±


    ¡°¡­If you are worried about me, then complete your training a little earlier, and replace me in keeping watch.¡±


    ¡°I will,¡± Alnea said. ¡°Just wait for me.¡±


    Yuri did not reply. Neither did she turn towards him. Still, from the angle of her face that was visible, Alnea saw a slight curve making its way to the edge of her lips, before she walked out of the cave. Yuri¡­ Sometimes, she could be so mature, and calm. Yet, at other times she could be even more childish than Cecilia. But he did not hate that part of her. Rather, it was another one of her charms. Something that he liked quite a bit. Almost on the same level as he liked her smile¡­


    ¡°Did something happen between the two of you?¡± Cecilia asked, breaking him out of his thoughts, and bringing his attention to herself.


    ¡°¡­Nothing happened. You were sitting here the whole time. Can¡¯t you tell?¡±


    ¡°¡­You are acting suspiciously.¡±


    ¡°Stop finding excuses to delay your meditation,¡± Alnea said, laughing when he saw her face break down at his words. ¡°You know you have to meditate.¡±


    ¡°¡­I know,¡± Cecilia grumbled. ¡°But that does not mean that I have to like it.¡±


    ¡°¡­Just recover your Spirit as soon as possible. We cannot let Yuri keep guarding the cave for us forever, right?¡±


    ¡°Do you want to bet to see who will be done training their Spirit first?¡±


    ¡°¡­I will be Wandering the Origin Sea this time, and not training my Spirit.¡±


    Disbelief crossed Cecilia¡¯s face as she heard his words. After some hesitation, she picked up her courage, and said, ¡°Shouldn¡¯t we make sure that the area is truly safe before you go to the Origin Sea?¡±


    ¡°There is no need,¡± Alnea said. ¡°Don¡¯t we have Yuri keeping guard for us outside?¡±


    ¡°But you will be entering the Origin Sea¡­ We can still have some of our consciousness scouring our surroundings when we train our Spirits, but once we enter the Origin Sea¡­ Your body will be left completely defenceless.¡±


    ¡°So?¡± Alnea said, glancing towards the entrance of the cave with confidence. ¡°Like I said, Yuri is guarding the cave for us. And I have full confidence in her. As long as she is there, she will make sure that no Beast would interfere with us. In return, all we need to do is to complete our training session, and let her rest as soon as possible.¡±


    ¡°¡­You are right,¡± Cecilia said, as blood rushed to her face. ¡°Though I hate meditating¡­ Since it is for Yuri¡¯s sake, it cannot be helped.¡±


    ¡°Right, for Yuri¡¯s sake,¡± Alnea said, chuckling at Cecilia, making her already flushed face, flush even more. She was probably reaching her limits. And once she broke past that limit, then he would have to endure another round of bullying. So, taking advantage of the moment when she had yet to recover from the earlier embarrassment, he went to a corner of the cave, and put his back its wall, as he took his seat on the ground.


    ¡°I am going to meditate, Cecilia. I will go to the Origin Sea immediately after I have recovered my Spirit Power. If you finish you training before me, then change your shift with Yuri. I will join you in a while. And if I finish before you, then I will do the same.¡±


    ¡°¡­Be careful in the Origin Sea.¡±


    ¡°I will,¡± Alnea said, and closed his eyes. Before he could start meditating though, he heard another voice inside his head.


    ¡°¡­Fool.¡±


    ¡°Were you eavesdropping in on our conversation?¡±


    ¡°You were talking too loudly. It is not my fault that your voices reached me.¡±


    ¡°¡­Take care, Yuri.¡±


    ¡°You too, Alnea. Be careful of the Origin Sea.¡±


    ¡°I will,¡± Alnea said, before concentrating within himself, within his Heart, and letting all his supressed thoughts overflow. From Yuri¡¯s smile, to her mesmerising eyes, and from Cecilia¡¯s grin, to her emotions hiding behind her strong front, all of those thoughts came flooding to him, drowning him in the possibilities that those thoughts opened, as he struggled to remain Serene.


    It had been more than a year since he had met Cecilia, more than year since he had become her friend. Though he had lived with her for only a little more than a half of that time, that was enough for him to know her better than most of the people in the world. Especially since the day he had caught her trying to go Wander the Origin Sea with a disturbed Heart. Fortunately, he had stopped her in time, and somehow, her Heart had soon become Serene once again.


    Still, Alnea remembered how he had felt back then. How his Heart had almost choked up from the loneliness, from just the thought of losing her¡­ Maybe, his Roots were at work back then too, but his Roots could not create those feelings inside his Heart. At best, they could have only made him a little anxious. The rest came from within himself. Cecilia was a part of his Heart that he could not afford to lose.


    Just as he could not lose Yuri. The simple, white haired girl, who kept smiling most of the time, and always kept thinking of him. He had met her just a few months ago, but these months had been enough for her to inextricably ingrain herself in his life. Just as he had become an inextricable part of her life.


    From what his master said, travelling around the world to search for him, had made her a little reserved, and overly polite over the years. But after she had met him, and after all that they had experienced within the Origin Sea, she was beginning to let loose a little, and become a little more expressive of herself, of her emotions. She was beginning to become a little like how she used to be. How he had seen her in her memories.


    Not at all times. Most of the time, it was when she was alone with that, and of course, with his master, that she would reveal her true self. In front of the others, including Cecilia, she still often tried to put up a strong, and calm front. Mostly out of habit. She had to always be calm, and composed. Always hiding herself, her identity. In the quest to fulfil her conviction, she had all, but sacrificed herself. And if he had not stopped her in time, taking his Oath for her, she probably would have sacrificed even more¡­


    Maybe, it was exactly because of his Oath that she had opened up so much to him. And of course, because of the things they had been through in the Origin Sea. Of the things she had shown him. Her memories¡­ Even though she did not show it on her face, she was quite a lonely girl. And had been one for quite a long time. A six year old girl, fighting her mother, and leaving her home to find a way to save her clan¡­ a way to fight against fate itself¡­ She had put on too much burden on herself. And it was starting to weigh on her too heavily.


    But not anymore. Not after he had taken his Oath for her. Not after he had promised to help her fight fate, to help her change the fate she desired to deny. She¡­ was not just his friend. She was much more than that. And an integral part of his Heart. One he could not do without¡­


    An heiress of the Faed clan.


    An heiress of the Serpia clan.


    Maybe he was a little too selfish. But his Heart had already been set. And he was not someone who backed down from challenges. His Oaths were proof of that. Besides, being a little selfish was not bad. As long as his Heart, and conscience were Clear, everything would be alright.

 Chapter 28: Another Mystery [Part 1]

    Drifting in the Serenity of his Heart, Alnea instinctively knew when his Spirit Power had recovered to its peak. A total of two hundred and fifty three units, or twenty five units according to the standards of the False Rank. An improvement of around ten units in ten days, with two bottlenecks in between. Much greater improvement than what he had thought he would make.


    Some of that improvement came from the Mystery he had comprehended. That had come as a pleasant surprise. He had not known that comprehending Mysteries could increase his Spirit Power. His master had not told him about it earlier, because she did not think that he would be able to comprehend a Mystery just seven days after reaching the False Rank. Most of the improvement though, had come from the Art of Spirit Rebirth, and his constant battles.


    Ten days of constant battles, constant searching of prey, without becoming a prey himself, with barely any rest in between, had put immense pressure on him, both mentally, and physically. And though that physical pressure had yet to show any noticeable, or tangible result, the mental pressure had started showing its effects right from the first day.


    Spirits, after all, were inextricably linked with the realm of thoughts, and consciousness. As for how that worked, he did not know. Neither did he need to know. He still had so much of his foundations to fill. Why would he care about such advanced problems, which even Grand, and Supreme Wanderers often argued about?


    In any case, suffering from constant mental pressure had allowed him to increase his Spirit Power at an even greater rate than before. Not directly, of course. He still had to keep Forging his Spirit with the Art of Spirit Rebirth. And before he knew it, his Spirit Power was already at the Third Level of the Initial Stage, inching towards the Fourth Stage.


    However, Spirit Power was just one of the things that he had to focus on. After all, he did not wish to become like the Wanderers who just had a higher Spirit Power, but no corresponding abilities. What would be the difference between him, and the Seeds in that case? And so, as he felt his Spirit Power reach its peak, Alnea reached towards the golden, black thread connecting his Spirit to the Origin Sea, and pulled on it, travelling through it to reach his Domain.


    A dark, and mostly empty world, with just a small cloud of dark blue Oren drifting in that darkness. For the moment, that was. Soon, he would be comprehending another Mystery, and would then be able condense another cloud of Oren, transforming his Domain once again. Doing that, of course, was not necessary in any way. All it did was give him assurance that his comprehension of the Mystery was recognised by the Origin Sea. And that he would not be devoured by the Origin Sea if he tried to interpret into an Arcana. Probably.


    The Origin Sea could still devour him if he made some mistakes, or was too overconfident of himself. But once the Origin Sea had approved of his comprehension of the Mysteries, it would become much easier to interpret it into Arcanas. Still, that was not strictly needed. One could even try to create Arcanas without comprehending the Mysteries. The end result would almost certainly be that of the Wanderers getting devoured, but there was nothing stopping them from trying it.


    However, other than experimenting with the Mysteries, there was another reason why transforming Domains was necessary. Otherwise, why would Wanderers needlessly risk their lives? His master may not have told him about it yet, but Alnea could guess. It probably had something to do with advancing on the path of Wanderers. Especially after the True Rank. It may even be one of the major reasons why there were no Origin Wanderers yet. But such hurdles were not enough to stop him. Rather, his guess only made him more confident of creating a path to the Rank of Origin Wanderers.


    After all, his Oaths could strengthen his Roots indefinitely. Or at least he had yet to encounter a ceiling for its growth. And though he had begun to cut back on his Oaths, getting exceedingly cautious in taking them, he still took them whenever he could. Like when training with his sword. Even though the strengthening effect to his Roots from those Oaths was minimal, it was there. Bit by bit, he was strengthening his Roots every day, ceaselessly strengthening his Domain.


    In any case, his Domain would not prove to be a hurdle when he would have to cross the bottleneck to the Origin Rank. Or so Alnea believed. As for the other barriers to the Origin Rank, he would find a way to overcome them as well. Because he had already taken an Oath to do so. And he was Alnea Oathkeeper. He always kept his Oaths. Besides, both his master, and Yuri had said that they would help him with creating a path to the Rank of Origin Wanderer. So, what did he have to be afraid of?


    Tearing his eyes away from the cloud of Oren, Alnea reached into the depths of his Domain, and pulled on the door that existed in the realm of thoughts, and will, bringing it into existence in front of him. A blazing golden light, that pierced through the darkness of Domain, before coalescing into a giant ring, roughly twice his height, which in time, soon turned into a giant golden disc, as the light from the ring bled inwards into the ring, meeting at its centre, to form the door the Origin Sea.


    You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.


    The door was not yet open though. So, he drifted towards the door, towards the giant disc, and pushed his against it. Very lightly, as if he was just brushing it. But that light touch was enough. Moments later, all the light of disc, except for that at its edge, collapsed in on itself, disappearing without a trace, to reveal a world that lay beyond the ring, on the other side of the giant hole in his Domain. The Origin Sea.


    ¡°Is everything alright out there?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry,¡± Yuri said. ¡°No Beasts have come within two hundred metres of the cave. What about you? Your Spirit Power should have recovered by now. Are you about to begin your Wandering?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Alnea said, as he looked at the countless Aspects, swirling around on the other side of the gate, rushing around, some crashing into each other, while others were just simply being on their way. ¡°Yes, I am.¡±


    ¡°Then what are you doing worrying about me?¡±


    ¡°Am I not allowed to worry about you anymore?¡±


    ¡°¡­Fool, go and do your job. Go, Wander the Origin Sea.¡±


    ¡°Alright, I will be on my way,¡± Alnea said, and stepped into the Origin Sea, the world where everything began, even the concept of existence itself, or so it was said. Alnea did not know if that was true or not¡ªit most probably was¡ª but the Origin Sea surely did have all the sensations that were possible in existence, along with those that did not exist as well. And the moment he stepped into the Origin Sea, all of them assaulted his senses.


    Already used to them though, he took only a few moments to reorient himself. Especially since his Heart had just evolved a little. The sensations were still a little annoying, especially when they overlapped with each other, ruining some of his good memories, but they were not enough to ruin his Serenity. They were not enough to break past the love he had for the people in his Heart. They were not enough for the love¡ª


    Alnea stopped himself from going further down that train of thought, suppressing it inside his Heart, before moving towards the greater depths of the Origin Sea. Before he could move even a single step though, the Aspects all noticed his presence, and came rushing towards him, greeting him in their usual excited manner, playing with him, teasing him, taunting him, daring him.


    Bound by his Oath, and compelled by his Heart, he laughed along with the Aspects, and swam around the Origin Sea, signing songs, making poems, doing all sorts of things he could. Sometimes, he even teamed up with a few Aspects to make fun of a group of other Aspects, only to have those group of Aspects chase them around. At other times, he was the one being made fun of, and as their play dictated, chased after them to have his revenge. It was only after nearly a hundred units of his Spirit Power had been expended that he came to a stop, looking at the Aspects with a reluctant, but a determined smile.


    ¡°It is time,¡± Alnea said. ¡°My Heart has evolved a little. As such, I was thinking of Wandering a little further in the Origin Sea. I will need my Spirit Power for that though, so we will have to stop our play here today.¡±


    WANDERING THE ORIGIN SEA.


    IT IS A MUST.


    TO KEEP YOUR OATH.


    TO BE OATHKEEPER.


    YOU MUST WANDER.


    WE UNDERSTAND.


    BUT YOU MUST COME TOMORROW.


    TOMORROW, WE PLAY ONCE AGAIN.


    ¡°We will,¡± Alnea said, chuckling at the Aspects, before beginning to Wander into the Origin Sea. Into the depths of the countless sensations attacking his senses, trudging deeper, and deeper into the endless layers of Oren. The more he Wandered, the greater the pressure his Spirit, and his Heart had to bear. The deeper he went into the Origin Sea, the more his Spirit Power drained.


    Yet Alnea braved it all, and accepted everything with an open Heart. With his Heart, evolved, with his thoughts, and resolve. With his desires, and selfishness. With his master, and the two girls he¡ª


    A pressure so great, that it shook his Spirit itself, hit Alnea, breaking him out of his trance. No, not a trance, but just a special state where he was examining himself, and his Heart. However, it looked like the Origin Sea did not like him being so blatantly arrogant in his Wanderings. So, the moment he was about gain some inspiration in his Heart, it sent down a Mystery on him. One that did not play by the rules, and attacked him the moment it manifested.


    No, the Origin Sea would never have allowed that. So, what the Mystery did was within the rules. But that did not make sense. The Mystery should not have affected him unless he interacted with it. But it did affect him. So much so, that it even jolted his Heart. How could that have happened? Unless¡­


    Alnea reached deep within himself, and as he had expected, his Roots, the golden black thread connecting his Spirit with the Origin Sea, was releasing a golden glow, resonating with the Mystery around him, confirming his guess. The Mystery that had manifested was around him was from the lineage of Day. And it was related to his Roots.

 Chapter 28: Another Mystery [Part 2]

    Standing in the depths of the Origin Sea, surrounded by the endless layers of Oren from all sides, Alnea tried to keep himself as calm as he could. An endeavour, which was being helped by his recently evolved Heart. That was the sole reason he had decided to travel to a greater depth of the Origin Sea. A greater Serenity¡­ He had come to Origin Sea with the intention to see, to feel this new Serenity. To understand it. And to embrace it. But¡­


    ¡°I am sorry, Yuri,¡± Alnea said through the rings. It was hard for him to use the rings to talk to Yuri in the Origin Sea, but he was starting to get the hang of it. ¡°It might take a little longer for me to come back.¡±


    ¡°¡­What happened? Are you alright?¡±


    ¡°Calm down. I am fine. It is just that I encountered a Mystery.¡±


    ¡°¡­You scared me there for a moment,¡± Yuri said, relief evident in her voice. ¡°It is alright. It is just a Mystery. As long as¡ª


    ¡°It is related to my Roots.¡±


    ¡°¡­Are you sure?¡±


    ¡°Yes¡­ It is resonating with my Roots.¡±


    ¡°¡­You understand that the effects of the Mystery will be magnified if it is related to your Roots, right?¡±


    ¡°I know.¡±


    ¡°¡­Don¡¯t do anything crazy.¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°It does not matter if you fail in comprehending it. It will come back later.¡±


    ¡°I know.¡±


    ¡°So, don¡¯t do anything crazy.¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t. Relax.¡±


    ¡°¡­You definitely cannot do anything crazy.¡±


    ¡°I really won¡¯t. Do you want me to promise it?¡±


    ¡°¡­No, it is alright.¡±


    ¡°Alright, then I am going back to comprehending the Mystery.¡±


    ¡°¡­Just be careful.¡±


    ¡°You too. Watch out for those Oren Beasts. We cannot have master coming to rescue us on our first day after all.¡±


    Saying so, Alnea shifted his attention back to the Origin Sea, to the Mystery that had come so suddenly. As usual, the manifestation of the Mystery had put a blanket silence around him. The Origin Sea had stopped attacking his senses, while the Aspects were swimming far from him, from the Mystery. Only the endless layers of Oren remained around him. Just the layers of Oren, their endless variations, and the Mystery that was manifesting itself through those variations.


    From simple, regular ripple like waves, to giant waves, that surpassed even mountains in heights, the layers of Oren were fluctuating with all kinds of waves. Waves, that were, at times, even submerging himself as a part of them. Maybe that was the reason why the sudden manifestation of the Mystery had hit his Spirit, and Heart so hard. Yet the size of the waves did not say anything about them.


    Or maybe it did, but he was just not strong enough to understand. In any case, in his opinion, when seen from the perspective of the Origin Sea itself, even the giant, mountain like waves were just tiny waves, a small fold in the endless layers of Oren, that came, and went with the fluctuations of the Mystery. No¡ªIt was supposed to be the other way around. The Mystery was supposed to come and go with the fluctuations of the wave.


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    And even before that, how could there be a giant mountain like wave there in the first place? It was not like the Mystery had manifested in the entire Origin Sea. It had manifested just around him. So, the wave that was looking like a mountain¡­ was just a small wave even smaller than the small fold in the skin of his fingers. But then, why did it feel like he was part of those waves? Why did it feel like he was being pressed under a mountain? Why did it feel like he was¡­ being constricted with the chains of his Oaths?


    Enlightenment dawned on Alnea, as he finally understood what that familiar pressure on his Spirit was. It was¡ª


    No, there was no enlightenment. Neither did he understand what the familiar pressure was. He just knew that pressure of the waves was similar to the pressure that the chains of his Oaths gave to his Spirit, but he still could not understand what the pressure was. Or where it was coming from. How was Oren putting so much pressure on his Spirit in the first place?


    The pressure was so great, that for a moment, he thought that it might even affect his Heart. And he had not even made any attempt to the comprehend the Mystery yet. He had even figured out where to begin...


    Shaking his head, Alnea shifted his attention back onto the layers of the Oren around him. To the layer closest to him. He already knew what type of waves the layers of Oren were producing as a whole, so this time, he was trying to look at the waves from their individual perspective. To look at the waves, that from the very beginning, started out as circular waves.


    However, for some reason, these waves were not moving, or propagating. Instead, they just stood in their place, rotating on their own axes, keeping a circle as a plain circle, forever. There was a taste of eternity in them. A taste of time. A taste of¡­


    Before Alnea could delve further into his observations, and thoughts, the waves began changing. It started with the circular waves vibrating, and shaking, before the circles broke off, turning into countless smaller thread like waves. But instead of staying as simple threads, and rippling to create normal waves, these waves gathered together to form an even bigger circle than before. A circle that existed in not just one plane, but in all planes of existence. Even in the plane of thoughts, and imagination.


    A ball¡­ or sphere¡­ Calling the wave as such would be an injustice to the wave, Alnea thought. A sphere was not enough to describe what the wave was. But he did not have any other words to describe it either. It was as if it was the origin of all the spheres in the world. It was the origin of all that was circular. It was the origin of pressure. It was¡­ It was¡­


    Once again, before Alnea could get any further into understanding what the wave was, it began vibrating, shaking, quaking, in all planes at the same time, before collapsing in onto just one plane, the material plane, and exploding into many smaller spherical waves that moved around in a chaotic swarm. Yet, somehow, that chaotic swarm had a pattern to it. Or maybe, he just saw a pattern in it. And the moment he saw, he could not unsee it.


    No, it was not that he could not unsee it. It was as if the waves were able to sense what he was seeing, and were somehow copying it, down to the very last detail. It was to such an extent that after a few moments, he could not see even a single trace of chaos within the movement of the waves. They behaved in the most orderly way, moving around the point that the big wave had exploded, going around it in circles.


    But that should not have been possible. A Mystery could change its form, and the way it displayed itself according to the thoughts of the Wanderers, but only if the Wanderer had interacted with the Mystery in the first place. And he had just observed the waves. Yet the wave had still changed as per his interpretations. It was as if his observations itself was enough to interact with the waves¡­


    Maybe that really was the case, Alnea thought. And once that thought came to him, it kept repeating itself in his head. So, to check out whether he was right, or wrong, he looked at the waves, and began observing them again, watching their circular movement, trying to find some chaos in their order. Because where order exists, so must chaos. Where Day exists, so must Night. Where¡ª


    The small spheres, going around in circles, began losing their speed, wobbling in their paths. And just moments later, they began collapsing towards the centre of the circle. Not directly, of course. They still revolved around in circles, if those could even be called as circles anymore. It was just that the size of those circles reduced after each revolution, until all the circles, and consequently, the smaller spherical waves collapsed into the centre of the circles, creating an explosion that shook the Origin Sea itself. Or so Alnea perceived.


    All he saw though was a bright golden light, before everything collapsed in his senses. It was only after a while had passed that things began returning to their normal self. However, not everything was normal. From the point where the all the waves had collapsed, and exploded at, waves after waves of fluctuations were spreading into his surrounding, creating intense waves that did not seem like a part of the Mystery, but more like its aftereffects. So intense were these fluctuations, that they were making entire layers of Oren fluctuate, and move like waves, even as the Oren in those layers were forming their own waves.


    Or maybe that was part of the Mystery, Alnea thought, as he noticed how the two types of waves were starting to resonate with each other. Just as they were resonating with his Spirit, giving him a very subtle, and unreal feeling. As time passed though, the subtle fluctuations died down, just as the intense fluctuations of the waves died down, returning the Origin Sea back to its calm. An eerily quiet calm, leaving just Alnea, and the strange circular waves, that stood in place, rotating about their own axes.

 Chapter 28: Another Mystery [Part 3]

    Staring at the waves in confusion, Alnea wondered when they had returned to original selves. He was almost sure that there were no waves just moments ago. Maybe they had come from the giant waves that had spread all around him. Or maybe they had always been there, it was just that he had not been able to see them. And for some reason, he believed for the latter to be true.


    Even though he had seen the waves get destroyed right at the beginning, he still could not shake off the feeling that they had always been there. Even when the big wave had always been around him. That would also explain where all the waves had gone after the explosion. Nowhere. Because they were always there, around him, rotating about their own axes. But that made him a little curious. Could these things be even called as waves?


    Alnea did not know. And so, he reached out to the waves with his hands. Observing the waves may have been enough to cause changes in them, allowing him to interpret the manifestation of the Mystery according to his wishes, but it was not enough to comprehend the Mystery. For that, he needed to interact with it, to let himself feel the fluctuations of the Mystery itself, and to understand its essence. He needed to tear through the veil that lay between him, and the rules that the Mystery represented, and peek at those rules, drawing his own conclusion from them. He needed to¡ª


    With his fingers brushing over the circles, Alnea felt his senses shift all around him, making him feel as if he was rotating along with the circles. But he was not. He could see that, observe that, and so, his Spirit stayed where it was. Only his senses rotated along with the circles, as if they had latched on to the senses of his Spirit, refusing to let go. And as they quaked, so did his senses. No, not just his senses, but his entire Spirit was quaking along with them.


    Thankfully, his Spirit did not break along with the circle, neither did it turn into waves. On the contrary, the moment that the circles broke apart, his senses returned to their normal self. They still had phantom feelings from time to time, but otherwise, everything was alright. Except for the fact that he had failed to glean anything meaningful from his interaction. This Mystery¡­ it was much more difficult to comprehend than the previous Mystery.


    Shaking his head to rid himself of the useless thoughts, Alnea reached out to the thread like waves just as they were starting to come together. No, Alnea thought. Not come together but brought together. Pulled together. He could not understand how he knew that. He just knew. Or maybe that was what he wished to see, to observe. And so, the Mystery was¡ª


    The waves changed once again before Alnea could complete his thoughts, forcing him to give up on his observations, shelving them to the side for the moment. Not before making a mental note about them though. Then, without wasting any time, he focussed his attention on the thread like waves coming together to form a giant spherical wave that was at the centre of all spheres, at the centre of all that was rational, and logical.


    A sphere¡­ it was the most natural shape of all. If all the forces were to balance out each other, they would form a sphere. If all the waves were to come together, they would form a sphere. But why was that so? Why were the waves coming together? What was pulling them together? And why was sphere the most natural shape? And was it even the most natural shape?


    Alnea did not know the answer to those questions. It was why he was trying to comprehend the Mystery in the first place. And it was also the reason why he reached out to the giant sphere, and brushed his hands over it. Over the giant sphere that stood¡­ as tall as his palms. What was happening? Why was he perceiving things that were large as small once again? Why was he¡ª


    A strange, and an unnatural pressure came bearing down on Alnea, making him feel as if his Spirit was collapsing in on itself. The pressure was similar to what he normally felt when the chains of his Oaths usually wrapped around his Domain, making him feel that his Spirit was being constricted by chains, but this was much more intense. It was as if¡­ as if the sphere existed within him, and was pulling his Spirit towards itself.


    Such a strange, and unusual feeling¡­ The sphere existed in front of him, within him, and in his thoughts¡­ It existed everywhere. Yet, at the same time, it did not exist anywhere either. Only its effect was present. The pressure that was binding his Spirit¡­ the pressure of a mountain¡­ the pressure of his Spirit. That was it. This pressure¡­ this force¡­


    Since the sphere existed in all planes of existence, it existed in the plane of his Spirit too. His Spirit, however, could only sense the pressure in the plane it existed. But that did not mean that the pressure existed only in the plane of his Spirit. It existed in all the planes. Even the physical one. So, did that mean that he could exert the same pressure that his Spirit was experiencing onto other people¡¯s bodies? If that was really the case, then¡­


    Before Alnea could think further down that train of thought, the waves changed once again. The sphere¡­ it collapsed from all the other planes of existence, not giving him the chance to confirm his thoughts. And even in the plane that it did exist, it did not exist for long. Shaking, and quaking for a bit, it just simply exploded into countless tiny spheres before he could glean much from it.


    The explosion itself though, was another matter. Just moments ago, he had been interacting with the sphere, trying to understand its Mysteries, and intricacies, when he felt the sphere explode. He felt his senses explode. His sight, smell, hearing, taste, and touch, everything just exploded, and stopped existing for a moment. And in that moment of nonexistence, he felt the origin of the world. He felt¡ª


    His senses returned to him just as abruptly as they had gone. And along with them, his ability to feel the existence of the sphere returned as well. Even though the sphere had already exploded, he could still feel its existence. He could still the pressure that it had brought him, the strange pressure that came from within himself. The pressure which¡­ the smaller spheres revolving around in bigger circle were also feeling.


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    Unfortunately, it felt like something was missing from those spheres. Or rather, from those circles. Something that should have existed at the centre of those circles¡­ something like the giant sphere that had just exploded. The circles were missing their centre, while the spheres were missing their focus. And so, soon after they had formed the circles, both the circles, and the spheres collapsed towards their missing centre, forming something eerie, and strange. Before he could figure out what the strange thing was though, everything exploded in a bright, loud, and jarring explosion. An explosion, which shook the Origin Sea itself. Or at least he thought it did.


    Alnea did not know much of what was happening to the Origin Sea. After all, all his senses had been robbed of him, once again. However, unlike his previous sense of nonexistence, this time, he felt as if he was in a bright, and colourful world with endless possibilities. As if he was seeing the moment that the world¡­ the Origin itself was born. That moment was very short, and transient though, and once again, Alnea was left comprehending nothing.


    And just like that, the Origin Sea was back to its original appearance. Or at least, the Mystery was back to its original appearance. Back to the point where only the circular waves existed, rotating in their place. It was just that this time, his Spirit Power was almost completely depleted. Sighing with regret, Alnea shook his head, and stepped out from the area of the Origin Sea under the influence of the Mystery. Though the Mystery had yet to dissipate, he could not afford to try comprehending it anymore.


    Bidding his farewells to the Aspects, Alnea used the last bits of Spirit Power he was left with to barely make it back to his Domain in time. Glancing around its empty darkness, filled with just one small cloud of dark blue Oren, he lamented for the missed opportunity. He was not too worried though. As Yuri had said, he would have another chance in the future. Besides, he had not even expected to encounter a Mystery, let alone one related to his Roots.


    This time, his main purpose of Wandering was to confirm something about his Heart. And though he had not completely confirmed it, he had gained a rough idea of what it was. At the same time, on the front of the Mystery, though he had not comprehended it completely, he had gained quite a few insights about it. The next time he would encounter the Mystery, he would miss his opportunity.


    And just like that, his Heart was already back to its Serenity. The fact that his Heart had recently evolved helped a little with his quick recovery. As did the fact that both Yuri, and Cecilia were waiting for him. Not willing to let them wait for long, once his Heart had calmed down, Alnea immediately reached towards his Roots, and travelled back to his Spirit World. A dark world, and desolate world.


    Except, it was not as desolate, or dark as it used to be before. His three Aspect Wells, spread across his Spirit World, glowing in the light of his Aspects, were fighting against inherent darkness of his Spirit World. It did not matter if his Aspects were glowing with a dark light. At the very least, his Spirit World was not as desolate as it used to be. It was still far from being as vibrant, and bright as the Origin Sea, but it would not be long before he would fill it with life, and glory.


    Greeting his bubbly Aspects, promising to bring them out after a while, Alnea left his Spirit State, and opened his eyes to the darkness of the cave. It was so dark, that for a moment, the thought that he was still in his Spirit World. Fortunately, he was not alone in the cave. And it was not completely dark in the cave either. Just across from him, a golden glow was surrounding the green robed girl, illuminating her solemn face, and her dark black hair. It looked like Cecilia was still not done with her training. So, it was time for him keep his promise.


    Picking up his sword, Alnea walked out of the cave, and into the slightly less dark world of the canyon. It was still dark, but at least it was not as dark as the cave was. And he did not have to rely on the light from Mysteries, or Aspects, to see the world around himself. To find Yuri, standing just a few metres away, with her white hair flowing behind her back, attracting all the light around itself, while she looked at him with her most mesmerising smile.


    ¡°Why are you smiling like that?¡± Yuri said, breaking him out of his daze, and at the same time, making him notice his smile. ¡°Did you comprehend the Mystery?¡±


    ¡°¡­No, I did not,¡± Alnea said, scratching the back of his head, with an awkward smile on his face. Thankfully, Yuri did not make fun of him. Instead, she walked up to him, and took his hand in hers, gripping them tightly to reassure him of her presence.


    ¡°It is alright, Alnea,¡± Yuri said. ¡°No one can comprehend all the Mysteries in just one try. Or have you forgotten about the first Mysteries I encountered?¡±


    ¡°How can I forget that? I still remember that time how you were trying to fool me¡ª


    ¡°If we are going down lane of memories, then why don¡¯t you also try recalling how you let yourself deliberately be assimilated into the Origin Sea, just to find an Aspect for me? That is a good memory, is it not?¡±


    ¡°¡­I think it would be better if we just focus on our present.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s what I thought,¡± Yuri said, letting out soft giggles, which soon turned into a laugh as Alnea joined her in her amusement. In the end, they had to cover their mouth, just to keep themselves from drawing any unwanted attention from the Beasts. And as they did so, he felt all of his awkwardness, and the frustration from failing to comprehend a Mystery fade away into the Serenity of his Heart. Comprehending the Mystery¡­ it was not worth more than Yuri¡¯s smile.


    ¡°You can head back now,¡± Alnea said, after he had regained his composure, and calmed himself. ¡°Let me take over the watch.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s alright. I will wait for Cecilia to come first.¡±


    ¡°¡­If you wish,¡± Alnea said, as he unsheathed his sword, and walked towards the side. His Heart may have returned to Serenity, and he may be happy, but that was no reason to stop his training. When he was at the Seed Rank, he used to be able to face any Oren Beasts of the same Rank, even those like the Lightning Armoured Rabbits, or the Razorback Black Water Turtles, head on. And though he had to rely on traps to kill the latter, that was only because he was not allowed to use all of his Spirit Power.


    After reaching the False Rank though, it was as if he had been returned to the early days of his Seed Rank, when even the Seeds from the Lotus clan were able to beat him up. Even when he had all his Spirit Power, he still had to rely on his Nightmare Arrow to fight the Oren Beasts. And even then, he had to ambush them first. Let alone fighting the Heterodox Wanderers, as he was, he was not even strong enough to fight Oren Beasts. And so, he had to train. He had to become strong. And, he had to learn how to kill.

 Chapter 29: First Target [Part 1]

    ¡°A Black Lightning Panther,¡± Alnea said, as he observed the panther sleeping on top of the large boulder. The only boulder in the area. That was an odd occurrence, a lone boulder. But the panther sleeping on the boulder was even more odd. Since the panther was not even twice as large as him, it should have just reached its Adolescent Stage. But being able to occupy such a conspicuous area all by itself described much about its abilities.


    As its name suggested, the Black Lightning Panther was endowed with a black fur, with random streaks of purple darting all around its body. That probably brought down its stealth ability by a big margin, but in the darkness of the canyons, it was still stealthy enough to hide from their senses. And so, they had to make sure that they were able to kill it before it could get the opportunity to retreat. In other words, they had to kill the Oren Beast before it could use its Innate Ability, Black Lightning.


    Similar to how the Lightning Armoured Rabbits used their ability by wrapping Lightning Armours around their bodies, the Black Lightning Panthers also used their abilities by wrapping lightning around their bodies. Unlike the rabbits though, the black panthers wrapped those lightnings just around their legs. Furthermore, their lightning did not have any defensive properties either. There was a reason why the panthers were called as Black Lightning Panthers, and not Black Lightning Armoured Panthers.


    Still, that did not mean that the Lightning Panthers were weak. Or slow. Though the lightning did not give these Beasts any other abilities, it surely did make them fast. Absurdly fast. They were, in fact, so fast, that even the Lightning Armoured Rabbits seemed slow in comparison to them.


    ¡°Make sure to not let the panther escape,¡± Yuri said, staring solemnly at the Black Lightning Panther. ¡°Oren Beasts are inherently very spiteful creatures, taking revenge for even the smallest of grievances. And Black Lightning Panthers are known to be even more vengeful than average Oren Beasts. If we miss our chance, and let it escape, then it will not rest until has its revenge.


    ¡°By then, regretting even a thousand times would not be enough. Because when it will come for revenge, it will be too alert to fall into our trap. Even if we were to keep up our guard at all times, and prevent it from it ambushing us, as long as it would be cautious enough to use its Innate Ability in advance, we will not be able to hurt it either. And that would enough for the panther. It will not care if its actions would lead it into an even greater trouble. Vengeful as it is, it will keep haunting us, baiting other Oren Beasts towards us, and keep harassing us, until all of us are dead.¡±


    ¡°¡­Why do we have to pick it as our first target?¡± Alnea said, staring at the Panther in the distance, only for Cecilia to pat his shoulders, and grin at him.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t it exactly because of how difficult the Black Lightning Panther is to handle that we have to choose it as our first target?¡±


    Alnea ignored his musclehead friend, and turned towards Yuri.


    ¡°How are we going to deal with it?¡±


    ¡°As we had discussed earlier, I will be acting as the Scholar. As for you two¡­ Neither of you have any restrictive abilities¡ª


    ¡°My Nightmare Arrow¡ª


    ¡°That can actually hit the panther even if it senses the attack,¡± Yuri said, rendering his objection to be invalid. ¡°Besides, didn¡¯t you say that big sis Nyssa has warned against using your Nightmare Arrow too often?¡±


    ¡°¡­I used it hours ago. That is nothing compared to the times I¡ª


    ¡°Regardless, your Nightmare Arrow would not be of any use this time. Just stick to using your Aspects.¡±


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    ¡°¡­Got it,¡± Alnea said, gripping the handle of his sword. Though he had not completely mastered the use of his Aspects, he had made quite some decent progress with his Martial Styles. The Star Piercing Style being the simplest of them all had seen the greatest improvement, but his other Martial Styles were not too far behind either.


    It looked his affinity with Martial Styles was truly not limited to just those of the Auxiliary type. Or it may just be an effect spilling over from his affinity with the Aspects. In any case, he had enough Martial Styles in his arsenal to cope up with sudden change in the situation. He was not sure how they would perform in real battles, but they should be enough to deal with the panther.


    ¡°And the same goes for you, Cecilia,¡± Yuri continued. ¡°I will use Glyphs to restrict the panther¡¯s movements, so you can fight it head on, without any constraints. However, do remember that even restricted, the panther will still be relatively fast. And cunning. Even a moment¡¯s rest would be enough for it to activate its Innate Ability, and escape from the fight. Neither of you can be careless. And you absolutely cannot give it the time to run away.¡±


    ¡°¡­We understand.¡±


    ¡°¡­This is going to be our first planned fight. Let us try not to mess this up, alright?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Yuri.¡±


    ¡°We will be careful.¡±


    Nodding to indicate her acknowledgement, Yuri turned towards the beast, and reached towards the white pouch tied to her waist. An ornamental pouch, or so it appeared from the first glance. But Alnea knew better. It may be a little fancy, and slightly different from the bag he had left back at the cave, but it was undoubtedly a storage bag. The same as the one Cecilia had left back at the cave.


    It could not be helped though. Unlike Yuri, who was going to contain the beast from a distance, he and Cecilia were going to fight it head on, and exchange blows with it in close quarters. A position in which Alnea had a tendency of getting injured. That tendency had decreased over time as he had progressed within the Seed Rank, but having advanced to the False Rank, he was sure that the tendency was bound to bounce back.


    So, instead of risking all of his belongings being crushed, and lost within the Origin Sea, he preferred keeping his storage bag in a safe place, back at the cave. And Cecilia had followed his example just to be safe. Yuri though, still had her storage bag with herself. And though it may be of just the False Rank, its storage space was more than enough for her. At the very least, it showed no signs of stress when Yuri took out her carving knife, and her Glyph Disc, roughly twice the size of the ornamental pouch, from its tiny mouth.


    ¡°Get ready,¡± Yuri said, breaking Alnea away from his thoughts, bringing his attention to herself. From the glow around her Glyph Disc, it looked she had already finished carving her Glyph. Gripping the hilt of his sword, the sword of Farin, he nodded towards Yuri, and then towards Cecilia, before turning towards the Black Lightning Panther, waiting for Yuri¡¯s signal.


    In the next moment, while he was still staring at the panther, Alnea felt a strong fluctuation of Oren beside him. And an even stronger fluctuation of a Mystery. An eerie, dark, and terrifying Mystery, that was looming over him, threatening to devour him, to strangle him, to corrode him, decay him, des¡ª


    Without any sound, or flash of a brilliant light, the Mystery, and all the fluctuations of Oren just shot in the direction of the panther. No, not in its direction, but towards the panther itself. And the panther sensed it as well. Opening its eyes, as it got on its four legs, it immediately looked towards the Mystery rushing towards it. A dark grey arrow, with an eerily glowing light around it, was rushing directly towards its head.


    The panther did not know where the arrow had come from, or who its enemy was, but it did know that it could not let itself be hit. Fortunately for the panther, the speed of the arrow was not beyond its normal limits. As such, it did not need to rely on its ability. Or so it thought, as it jumped down from boulder, easily avoiding the arrow.


    However, while it was still in mid air, the arrow split apart into ten smaller arrows, using the momentum from the split to change their directions, and surround the panther. And before it knew, the arrows transformed into a net of eerily glowing grey light, that fell onto the panther¡¯s body. But instead of trapping the Beast, the net submerged into its body.


    Yet the panther was not happy by how things were turning for it. It had been in so many fights, that it did not need the oppressive feeling inside its body, making it hard for it to move, to understand that it was in danger. All its instincts, and experiences told it that it was the time for it to retreat. That it could come back later for revenge. Unfortunately for the panther, it was too late in coming to that realisation.

 Chapter 29: First Target [Part 2]

    ¡°Now!¡± Yuri said the moment she activated her Glyph. It was also the moment that Alnea felt the dread of the Mystery disappearing from around himself. Normally, he would have taken a moment to reorient himself, and reflect on what the Mystery was, before doing anything else. But the panther was not going to wait for him to satiate his curiosity. And so, the moment he heard Yuri¡¯s voice, he rushed towards the Oren Beast with all the strength that he could muster.


    However, using just his own strength was not enough. To match the speed of a Black Lighting Panther, even one which had been weakened, and stop it from escaping, he needed something more. Something from the Origin Sea. Something like a Martial Style which focussed completely on Speed, and Agility. Like the Lightning Stream Style.


    Of course, he did not have the appropriate Aspect for the Lightning Stream Style, but that did not affect his ability to use the Martial Style¡­ by too much. He just needed to reach into the latent lightning roaming inside his body, and amplify it with Oren, before letting that lightning run in his body like a stream. It was not as good as it would have been if he had had appropriate Aspects, but the way he could use the Lightning Stream Style was enough.


    With flashes of lightning flickering around his body, speeding up both his reflexes, and speed, Alnea reached the Beast just as it was about to activate its Innate Ability, and pulled out his sword from its sheath, before stabbing it towards the panther. The panther was not a sitting target though. The moment it saw a sword coming directly towards his head, it immediately abandoned its plan of using its Innate Ability, and focused on dodging his attack by stepping towards the side. A big mistake.


    Right when the Beast was about to move out of the sword¡¯s range, Alnea concentrated two of his Aspects at the tip of his sword, drastically increasing his stabbing speed, as well as the penetrating power of the sword. And in a fraction of a moment, the sword, which was around a tenth of a metre away from the Beast, came just within an inch, about to stab into the Beast¡¯s head before it could even have the chance to dodge. It was only because of the beast¡¯s survival instinct, honed through countless battles, forcing it to jump back at that last moment, that the panther managed to live through the attack.


    However, the predicaments of the panther were not over. Having just escaped from a fatal attack, it sensed another fatal threat from its back. Once again, purely on instinct, it jumped aside right at the last moment to feel something hit the ground where it had stood. Keeping an eye on its first enemy, it shifted its position to look towards where the second attack had come from.


    Another enemy, shaped similar to its first enemy, had one of its paws buried into the ground. Probably what the attack was. Two enemies. Both capable of hurting it fatally. It did not wish to fight such a war. But the two enemies were not giving it any chances¡­ If they would not give it chances, then it would just make one. Growling to declare its intent, the panther jumped towards its enemies, to either tear through them, or to find its chances.


    Chances, which neither Alnea, nor Cecilia were willing to give. Seeing the panther dodge her attack, Cecilia did not immediately pull her fist out of the ground. Instead, she placed her other palm on the ground, and twisted her body, borrowing support from the ground, and the momentum from her twist to kick both of her legs in the Beast¡¯s direction, hitting it jaws just as it jumped towards her.


    A daring manoeuvre, Alnea noted, that left Cecilia completely defenceless for a moment. Moment enough for the beast to recover, and charge at her again. But by then Alnea had stepped in as well, stabbing his sword in between the two, forcing the beast to stop in its tracks, and retreat with a jump to avoid the glowing attack. An attack rife with the breath of death. It had lost its chance once again. It had¡ª


    The Beast glanced at its two enemies. They were both a little distance away from it. And both were gathered in one direction, leaving its back side open. A chance. And it never missed a chance. Neither did it ever forget its enemies. Imprinting both its enemies into its very being, the panther growled, declaring vengeance, before turning around, and rushing into the darkness.


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    On the other end, Alnea noticed his mistake the moment he moved his body. However, he had already made his move, and he had no regrets. Still, he could not let the Beast escape. So, after driving the Beast away from Cecilia, he immediately rushed after it, while Cecilia pulled her fist out of the ground, and came rushing behind him. But the beast was fast, and had a head start. If the beast were to truly escape¡­


    Thankfully, they were not alone in fighting the Beast. The moment that the Beast was about to vanish into the darkness, a wall of grey fog materialised in front of it, cutting off its path of escape. The panther, of course, refused to give up, and just charged at the wall of fog. It was just some fog anyway. It did not care about mere¡ª


    The panther wailed in pain, as a burning sensation spread through its body, reaching even its bones, the moment it came into contact with the wall of the grey fog. Whimpering, and scared, the beast immediately back off from the wall, looking at the darkness that lay beyond it with unwillingness, and indignation. It was so close¡­


    If only it was a little faster¡­ If only it did not have that strange sensation holding back its speed¡­ But there were no ifs. Its path of retreat was cut off. The only path of survival it had left was to either kill its enemies, or break through them. Both of those things would have been a lot easier if it could have used its ability. Yet its enemies were already upon it, and would not give it the chance to cast wrap itself with lightning. And so, it could only jump at them, howling in indignation, anger, and determination.


    For Alnea, and Cecilia, the panther¡¯s sudden change in attitude meant that instead of an Oren Beast looking for chances to escape, they had to fight an Oren Beast fighting for its life. A ferocious, and frenzied beast. The fight was about to get a little dangerous, even for them. But they were not scared. Rather, in his Heart, Alnea even felt a sense of thrill, and excitement. Maybe it was because of the Martial Styles. Or maybe it was because he could almost taste victory. The more frenzied the Beast got, the more mistakes it would make, and the more easily they would be able to kill it.


    However, that the Beast was frenzied did not mean that they could afford making more mistakes. Instead, they had be even more careful than before. Especially after the mistake they had made before. So, while Alnea charged at the Beast from its right, Cecilia came at it from its left, giving it no room to escape. And just to extra sure, they even attacked at the same time.


    A blade like palm, covered with a green glow, coming in from its left, aiming right for its neck. And from its right came a real blade, with black spine, and silver edge, glowing in golden light, with darkness flowing along its edge.


    A clever use of Aspects Alnea had learned from a Martial Styles just a few hours ago. Crescent Slash Style, it was called. A Martial Styles focussing more on fine manipulation of Aspects, rather than letting them make an instantaneous show of prowess. Alnea, of course, did not have the kind of fine manipulation that the Martial Style had described. But he could still call forth his Aspects when needed. And for the Beast in front of him, that was enough.


    Urging both his Aspects, one calling for annihilating his enemies, and the other shouting for him to drown his enemies in despair, Alnea concentrated on the edge of his blade, and made a large swing, completely blocking off the Beast¡¯s right side, forcing it to either face his sword, or Cecilia¡¯s palm. And the Beast chose the latter. A small palm was much easier to deal with than a whole sword.


    Unfortunately for the Beast, it failed to notice that rest of Cecilia¡¯s body was also faintly glowing, just not in the light of her Aspects, but in that of Oren. And the moment that the Beast ducked under palm, ready to jump straight for her throat, her body shifted in an unnatural manner, one that reminded Alnea of a terrifying snake coiling around its prey. And before either the Beast, or Alnea knew, she had already pinned the Beast on the ground, with arms wrapped around the Beast¡¯s neck, and her legs wrapped around its waist.


    ¡°Now!¡±


    Alnea did not need to be told twice, or be explained what Cecilia was asking him to do. Changing the course of his sword, while concentrating even more to further sharpen the Aspects on its edge, he sliced right through the belly of the Beast, almost cutting it in half. Almost. He was careful not to hurt Cecilia in any way, even by mistake.


    The Beast, on the other hand, had no such concern. It thrashed around, trying to claw, or bite through Cecilia¡¯s hands. Her hold, however, was too tight, and precise. No matter what the Beast tried, it could not reach her. And soon, as it kept losing its blood, and organs, it also lost its strength. The Beast was no more.

 Chapter 30: Fool [Part 1]

    ¡°It¡¯s alright, Cecilia,¡± Alnea said, letting out a heavy breath, as he saw life fade away from the beast¡¯s eyes. Withdrawing his Aspects from his sword, he walked over to his tense friend, and patted her shoulders in reassurance. ¡°It¡¯s over.¡±


    Cecilia was too tense to heed his words though. It was not until she had personally confirmed the beast¡¯s death that she finally released her hold on the beast, just as she let go of the breath she was holding. Pushing the beast away from her body, she tried to regain her balance as she got back onto her feet. From the way she was wobbling though, she had probably used more of her strength than she had intended. Nonetheless, she was not so weak that she could not even stand properly.


    ¡°Finally,¡± she said, crackling her bones, while stretching her arms to loosen her tight muscles. ¡°That took an awful long time. Couldn¡¯t you have slashed at it a few more times to make it die earlier?¡±


    ¡°¡­It was already dying as it was.¡±


    ¡°Which is why you should have killed it earlier, ending its misery.¡±


    ¡°¡­Were you scared?¡±


    ¡°Scared? Who? Me? Right, keep dreaming!¡± Cecilia said with a snort, just as her eyes went down towards the robe she was wearing. ¡°Great, another robe wasted.¡±


    ¡°It is just some blood,¡± Alnea said, as he wiped his sword on the panther¡¯s fur, before sheathing it. ¡°It is not like this is the first time your robe has seen some blood, right?¡±


    ¡°Right, like the time you put a hole in my armpit,¡± Cecilia said, giggling to herself. In contrast, Alnea only winced at the memory.


    ¡°¡­It was not my fault,¡± Alnea mumbled, before grabbing on to the beast¡¯s leg. ¡°Let¡¯s go. We should not stay here for too long.¡±


    ¡°Urgh¡­ another panther,¡± Cecilia grumbled, but she followed his example anyway, helping him drag the beast towards Yuri. ¡°Let me tell you, I am not cooking this time.¡±


    ¡°Fine, fine. I will do it¡­ Just don¡¯t puke afterwards.¡±


    ¡°¡­Or maybe I should be the one to cook, after all.¡±


    ¡°¡­Then I will have to be careful to not puke afterwards.¡±


    ¡°You¡ª


    ¡°We can decide who will cook once we get back to the cave,¡± Yuri said, as they reached her side. From the way she was looking at them, she did not look very pleased. And though she had already put back her Glyph Disc, and carving knife back into her storage bag, somehow, she looked even more dangerous than before. ¡°Right now, there are other more important things to discuss. Don¡¯t you think so?¡±


    ¡°¡­I think it is even more important to leave the area.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. As long as the Wall of Corrosion is up, no Oren Beast would dare to get near this area.¡±


    ¡°Right,¡± Alnea said, glancing back towards the menacing wall of grey fog in the distance, as he let go of the leg that he was holding. ¡°¡­The Wall of Corrosion.¡±


    ¡°So? Do you two have anything to say for yourself?¡±


    ¡°¡­It was my fault,¡± Alnea said. ¡°I should have attacked it from a direction that would have kept it trapped between Cecilia, and me. Instead, I attacked it from Cecilia¡¯s side, allowing it enough room to escape.¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Cecilia interjected, shaking her head, as she dropped the leg she was holding as well. ¡°It was my fault. Alnea would never have made that move if I had not put myself in that position.¡±


    ¡°It was still me who made that choice. The fault lies with me. I¡ª


    ¡°You two,¡± Yuri said, pinching her forehead. ¡°There is no need to take responsibility for each other. Because neither of you are guilt free. And like you said, Cecilia, everything started with you. If you had not committed yourself completely to your first attack, then Alnea would not have been forced to support you regardless of all other circumstances.


    ¡°Did you truly think that you would be able to take it down with your first hit? It was a Black Lightning Panther for Faein¡¯s sake. Don¡¯t you know how fast they are? Even I would not have the confidence of taking it down in a frontal attack like that with my first hit. And even if I committed myself to that attack like you did, I would have made sure to reserve enough strength to control my retreat. You¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­I am¡ª


    ¡°Let me stop you there, Cecilia. I am not seeking your apology. I just do not want you to make any mistakes again. Especially not the same mistakes.¡±


    ¡°¡­I will keep that in mind.¡±


    ¡°Good,¡± Yuri said, nodding in satisfaction, before turning towards him. ¡°As for you, Alnea. Your mistake was, by far, the greatest.¡±


    ¡°I¡­¡±


    ¡°What was the plan that we made?¡±


    ¡°¡­That we will attack the Black Lightning Panther, and not let it escape.¡±


    ¡°And how were you supposed to do that?¡±


    ¡°¡­By keeping it busy, and surrounded.¡±


    A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.


    ¡°Yet you chose to ignore all that we had discussed. It does not matter why you did it, the end result was that you ignored our plan, and acted on your own. That is not how a team works. Even if you are forced to adapt, you cannot abandon the task that you are supposed to do. Because the whole team depends on you. Or else, with everyone doing what they think is the best, what we will have will no longer be a team, but just a collection of rogues. Can you understand what I am saying?¡±


    ¡°¡­I am.¡±


    ¡°Yet you do not regret your actions, do you?¡±


    ¡°¡­Maybe.¡±


    ¡°If we face the same situation, you will do the same thing once again, won¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°¡­Should I say the truth, or should I lie?¡± Alnea said, awkwardly scratching the back of his head. ¡°How am I supposed to ignore her when she is in danger? And even if it was not her¡­ if the panther had changed its direction, and charged towards you¡­ how was I supposed to ignore it?¡±


    ¡°¡­You are such a fool,¡± Yuri said, shaking her head. ¡°Let me put this in another way. What was your role in the fight?¡±


    ¡°¡­To keep the Beast¡ª


    ¡°No, not that role. But which kind of Wanderer you were fighting the Oren Beast as?¡±


    ¡°¡­A Warrior.¡±


    ¡°What about me? What was I fighting as?¡±


    ¡°¡­A Scholar.¡±


    ¡°And what is the job of a Scholar in fights?¡±


    ¡°¡­To provide support.¡±


    ¡°To provide support,¡± Yuri said, nodding along with his words. ¡°Then did you ever stop to think that if I saw Cecilia in danger, I might provide support for her?¡±


    ¡°¡­No.¡±


    ¡°Forget about me acting as a support. Let us just talk about it from the perspective of Wanderers, or even just normal humans. From the perspective of friends¡­ Did you really think that I would just sit back, and do nothing, as I watch the Oren Beast tear into her?¡±


    ¡°I did not think that much¡­¡±


    ¡°And that is why you are a fool,¡± Yuri said, shaking her head with a sigh. ¡°If I had not stopped in time as I saw you move to defend Cecilia, then the Glyph that I was about to activate would have hit you instead. And though your body is stronger than normal humans, it cannot be compared to Oren Beasts yet. Can you guess what would have happened next?¡±


    ¡°¡­I would have screamed in pain?¡±


    ¡°¡­You would have to remain conscious to scream. All my Glyphs are from the lineage of Decay. Do you think that your body can bear the corrosive effects of the Mysteries of Decay?¡±


    ¡°¡­No.¡±


    ¡°Then what do you think would have happened if the Beast saw you both lying on the ground, and unable to move?¡±


    ¡°¡­It would not have let the chance pass,¡± Alnea said, shivering at his own words, and thoughts.


    ¡°Though Black Lightning Panther prefers retreating, and taking revenge over a long period of time, if they see a chance for an immediate revenge, they will not hesitate for even a moment.¡±


    ¡°I did not know¡­¡±


    ¡°Of course, you did not know. You thought that you were saving Cecilia. But the truth was that you were only hurting her, and yourself.¡±


    ¡°¡­That¡¯s a little too harsh, Yuri,¡± Cecilia said, finally unable to hold herself back. ¡°He made a mistake, but there is no need to dig into him like that.¡±


    ¡°This is not about just a simple mistake, Cecilia,¡± Yuri said in response. ¡°This is about working as a team. If we cannot even trust each other, and try to do everything on our own, then we will never become a team.¡±


    ¡°I understand that, but this was only our first fight.¡±


    ¡°It does not matter whether it was our first, or our hundredth fight. When it comes to matters regarding our existence as a team, we cannot be lax in any way.¡±


    ¡°But¡ª


    ¡°It¡¯s alright, Cecilia,¡± Alnea said, shaking his head. ¡°Yuri is right. It was my fault. I¡­ I tried to do everything by myself. And it is not just this time¡­ I have always tried to do everything by myself. It is no wonder that I always end up in difficult situations. But I¡­ I am not alone anymore. There is no need for me to act on my own. We¡­ are a team. And we need to act as team.¡±


    Taking a deep breath, Alnea turned towards Yuri, and looked at her crystal blue eyes. Only someone as clueless as Cecilia could not see the pain hidden behind those eyes. The emotions that were lying in clear sight¡­ Saying all those things, without the slightest hint of mercy, was harder on her Heart, than it was on him. But she said those things anyway. Because she was the leader of the team. Because it was her responsibility to ensure that they worked as a team. Responsibility¡­ Another burden on her shoulder¡­ Another burden on her Heart.


    ¡°I am sorry that I did not trust you enough, Yuri.¡±


    ¡°Like I said, I do not wish for¡ª


    ¡°I know, I know, you just need me to not make that same mistake again. Don¡¯t worry. I will never make that mistake.¡±


    ¡°¡­We will see about that. With how you usually behave¡ª


    ¡°But what about the mistake you are making, Yuri?¡±


    ¡°¡­What mistake are you talking about?¡±


    ¡°I know that I try to do everything by myself, but aren¡¯t you the same?¡±


    ¡°¡­I do not remember doing anything like that,¡± Yuri said, still refusing to shar her burdens. ¡°I was just supporting you from behind, while you were the ones fighting the Beast.¡±


    ¡°I am not talking about that,¡± Alnea said, shaking his head, before pointing his thumb at his chest. ¡°I am talking about here¡­ About trying to bear everything by yourself.¡±


    ¡°¡­Did you hit your head, or something?¡±


    ¡°Maybe,¡± Alnea said, laughing to himself, as both Yuri, and Cecilia looked at him with weird eyes. ¡°I, Alnea Oathkeeper, take an Oath that¡ª


    ¡°Wait¡ª


    ¡°I will bear all the burdens that Yuri Faed has to bear¡ª


    ¡°Stupid Oathkeeper,¡± Yuri cursed, as she rushed towards him, trying to stop him by putting her hands on his mouth. But without her Aspects, and with him using all his experience gained from fighting Oren Beasts to twist his body in time, all she could put her hands on was his chest. Coupled with the force she had put behind her actions, both of them went tumbling down to the ground. Still, at the very least, his mouth was free.


    ¡°It does not matter whether it is creating a team, or anything else, as long as it is a burden that she is bearing, I will bear it with her.¡±


    ¡°You fool. Why did you take an Oath?¡± Yuri grumbled, while Cecilia looked at them in confusion.


    ¡°¡­What is happening here?¡±


    ¡°Why are you still standing there in a daze?¡± Yuri said, urging Cecilia to help her, as she tried to fight off his hands to reach his mouth. But that did not make any sense to Cecilia. She did not know the price of his Oath, after all. To her, it was just an Oath. Still, she could feel that something was not right, and so she answered Yuri¡¯s call for help, and rushed to help her seal his mouth. However, her actions were a little too late.


    ¡°As long as it is something bothering her, I will help her get rid of it,¡± Alnea said, as he stopped struggling, and looked back towards the white haired girl, sitting on top of him, staring at her right into her crystal blue eyes. ¡°That is my Oath.¡±


    ¡°Fool¡­¡± Yuri mumbled, biting her lips in frustration. ¡°Why did you do that?¡±


    ¡°Because, like I said, I want to share your burdens. And I want to see you smile.¡±


    ¡°¡­You are such a fool.¡±


    ¡°I may be a fool, but I am¡­¡±

 Chapter 30: Fool [Part 2]

    ¡°I am Alnea Oathkeeper.¡±


    ¡°Oh, we know who you are,¡± one of the black cloaked men said, staring at him with a murderous intent. ¡°The abandoned son of the Oathkeeper clan¡­ We have heard quite a lot of stories about you. Honestly speaking, at one point, we had even though of choosing you as our sacrifice¡­ but you already know that.¡±


    ¡°Stop talking nonsense, and let us cut to the point,¡± Alnea Oathkeeper said. ¡°As agreed, I have come, so let her go.¡±


    ¡°Why the hurry?¡± the man said. ¡°Since we promised you, we will let her go. But first, I must also see what is so special about you that even the Priests are talking about you.¡±


    ¡°What do you want?¡±


    ¡°Nothing much,¡± the man said. ¡°I heard that you are quite the skilled fighter. That no Novice Attuners are your match, and even some Master Attuners have fallen in your hands.¡±


    ¡°Was one of them someone you knew?¡±


    ¡°You are quite sharp as well¡­ just as the rumours say. But are you truly as strong as all the rumours say?¡±


    ¡°You will know once you try, would you not?¡± Alnea Oathkeeper said, unsheathing the plain simple sword by his waist, and pointing it to the group of black coloured men staring at him. ¡°Are all of you so scared that you plan to attack me together? That may not be a bad idea¡­ Ten Attuners against a normal human, who does not even have an Aspect. This is going to be an exciting fight, do you not think so?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t be too full of yourself, kid. Whether you win the fight or not, you fate is already sealed.¡±


    ¡°That may be so, but it would not be too bad of a fate if I get to kick your ass before returning to the Origin Sea.¡±


    ¡°¡­You have quite the sharp tongue, kid.¡±


    ¡°So, which one of you is going to come first?¡±


    Alnea opened his eyes, breathing heavily, as his eyes darted around the cave, searching for his enemies, while his hands fumbled to find his sword. His simple, iron¡ªNo, not a simple iron sword. His sword was not simple. It was the sword of Farin, and he was Alnea Oathkeeper. A man born in the world of Wanderers. He had no enemies. At least not in the cave he was in.


    Sighing with relief, Alnea let himself fall back down to the ground, taking deep breaths to calm himself, as he gathered his Aspects in his hands to light up the cave a little. It had been a long, long time since he had last seen the memories of the other Alnea. More than seventeen days to be exact. The last time he had seen them was the night before he reached the False Rank. So, in a way, this was the first time he had seen those memories after reaching the False Rank.


    Maybe that was why the memories had felt so real. Not as real as they used to feel when he had been living them as the other Alnea. But they certainly felt more vivid than his usual dreams. Usual dreams¡­ Since he had not dreamt for the past seventeen days, so could his dreams even be called as the ¡®usual¡¯ dreams? On second thought, it was not the fault of the dreams itself that they had not come to him. After all, to have dreams, he needed to sleep first. Something that the bed of Blood Sucking Grass had made sure that he would not get any of, aiding him in his training of replacing sleep with meditation.


    Just a night away from the Blood sucking grass though, and before he knew it, he had already fallen asleep. Replacing sleep with meditation¡­ He needed more practice to achieve that goal. Though the sleep that he had just had could not be attributed as entirely his fault either. Their trek in the canyon, his Wandering, fighting with Oren Beasts, his Oath, and then training his Spirit, even one of those things would have been enough to tire him out. When added together, they had been enough to drain him, both physically, and mentally. It was only natural that he would fall asleep.


    Not just him, even Cecilia, lying just a hand¡¯s distance away from him, was the same. She too had been tired beyond her limits. Or maybe she just did not wish to meditate. It may also be that she had deliberately chosen to stop meditating, preferring to sleep instead. The smile on her face, illuminated by the golden light of his Aspects, as she roamed the land of her dreams, surely did indicate something like that. In any case, the end result was the same.


    Shaking his head with a smile, marvelling at how innocent Cecilia looked at the moment, Alnea picked up his sword, and walked out of the cave. Of course, he did not forget to withdraw his Aspects back into their Aspect Wells. Although using his Aspects to light up his way was convenient, they were not meant to be used for such trivialities. Leaving everything else aside, just the cost to performance ratio was not worth it.


    This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    The light that his Aspects gave off was just because of their intrinsic nature, and not their true effect. Unless, of course, the Aspect itself could be related to the concept of light. But none of his Aspects were. At least not directly. One of them, his first Aspect, was meant to Guard, and Protect, annihilating anything, and everything that came in his way. His second Aspect, related to the linage of Trickeries, was meant for tricking his enemies. No, not just enemies, but everyone, himself included. That was how it had become his Aspect in the first place.


    In comparison, his third Aspect was a rather normal one. The kind of Aspect he had often read about. It was neither too strong, nor did it have any special abilities. It just gave him the ability to garner the power of darkness to bolster his attacks. Like what he had done with his sword earlier when fighting against the Black Lightning Panther. It was also the reason why he had chosen the Aspect despite there being many other Aspects which were stronger, with many fantastical effects, that had been vying to become his Aspect. The advantage of harnessing the powers of darkness within the Night Canyons was too much to ignore. In any case, one of his Aspects, in a way, was indeed related to light.


    However, he was not in need of dispersing light. The canyons were dark enough as they were. And he was not in a mood to drain his Spirit Power either. He would have use of it soon enough. So, instead of using the light of the Aspects to find his way, Alnea used the dim light coming in from the small slit between the rocks some thousands of metres above him to make his way in the darkness of the canyon. It was easy, considering how the person he was looking for seemed to be just absorbing all the light around her, shining in a faint white hue, as if she was existing in a completely different world than the canyon.


    ¡°What happened?¡± Yuri said, just as Alnea neared her, sitting down by her side. ¡°Cannot sleep?¡±


    ¡°¡­How long have I been asleep?¡±


    ¡°Probably around two to three hours?¡±


    ¡°¡­Why didn¡¯t you wake me up?¡±


    ¡°You had a rough, and tiring day,¡± Yuri said, still staring into the darkness. For some reason, which Alnea knew, she refused to look at him. Even the way she was talking seemed a little distant. And that made his Heart ache.


    ¡°So did you,¡± Alnea said, trying not to let his emotions show in his voice. ¡°You were supposed to swap places with us, and get some rest.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s alright,¡± Yuri said, still in her bland, and polite tone. ¡°I would have just meditated anyways. I can do that here. Besides, you two deserved the rest more than me.¡±


    ¡°This is not about who deserves more rest, or what is more efficient. Like you asked me to trust you, you also need to trust me. You need to¡ª


    ¡°You know how much I trust you,¡± Yuri said, finally turning her face towards him. It did not have its usual smile. But it was not solemn either. If anything, it was more forlorn, and disappointed. Whether that disappointment was with herself, or with him, he did not know. But that did not matter. Yuri was sad, and that was enough to make his Heart feel constricted.


    ¡°My family, the reason why I came looking for you, my Roots, my conviction, my memories, I have told you everything about me¡­ Is there anything more that I can do to show you how much I trust you?¡±


    ¡°¡­I know you trust me, Yuri. I¡ª


    ¡°Then do you not trust me?¡±


    ¡°I do, you also know how much I trust you. Just like I know everything about you, you also know everything about me. You¡ª


    ¡°Then why did you take that Oath?¡±


    ¡°¡­I have already answered that question, have I not?¡± Alnea said, stretching his hands out to grasp Yuri¡¯s hands in his. ¡°I want to share your burdens. I want to see you smile. I¡ª


    ¡°So, you took an Oath? Do you want to die so much?¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t die as long as you share your burdens with me, would I?¡±


    ¡°What if it is exactly my burdens which become the cause of your death? What should I do then?¡±


    ¡°You came to asking me to help you change fate¡­ Your burdens cannot be more difficult than them, right?¡±


    ¡°My burdens¡­ they are not as easy, and simple as you think they are.¡±


    ¡°It does not matter what they are,¡± Alnea said, squeezing her hands, while looking directly into her eyes. ¡°I took an Oath to help you no matter what kind of troubles you may be in the first day we met. Or have you forgotten about it?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t need your¡ª


    ¡°Whether you need the help or not, those were the exact wordings, if I recall. It would not have mattered whether I had taken this Oath or not. Rather, by taking this Oath, I will be able to make sure that you will share all your burdens with me, even those that do not wish to share. So, if you look at it from a point, then this new Oath of mine might just have saved my life. Are you not glad that I took this Oath now?¡±


    ¡°¡­You are absolutely crazy,¡± Yuri said with a sigh, as she took her hand away from his. But Alnea did not mind that. Rather, he felt a little surge of joy, as he heard the usual taint of mirth, and in her voice, along with a taste that he did not know. It was a taste of happiness, and satisfaction. But beyond that, he could not guess. Still, he knew that Yuri had finally recovered. That she was not sad anymore. And that was enough.


    ¡°Hey, as they say, it is only the crazy Wanderers who become great, and achieve success on their paths.¡±


    ¡°¡­And the biggest fool.¡±


    ¡°Proud to be one.¡±


    ¡°But you are my fool.¡±


    There was no need for them to say anything else. Neither was there any need for them to do anything else. Just sitting next to each other, while staring into each other¡¯s eyes, with big, wide smiles on their faces was enough. Unfortunately, they were not at their homes. They were in the Night Canyons, where even the ground they were sitting on could become their enemy in the next moment. And so, though they were a little reluctant, they went back to watching the darkness around them, while continuing to pour Oren into their rings, waiting for the day that the rings would wake up, and give them the right to use more of its abilities.

 Chapter 31: Trust [Part 1]

    ¡°I am sorry for last night,¡± Cecilia mumbled meekly, and quite uncharacteristically, as they made their way through the dark terrains of the canyon. ¡°I was about to come change shifts with you, but then I don¡¯t know what happened. One moment, I was just mediating, and the next moment, I woke up to find myself lying on the ground¡­ It was like someone had cast an Arcana on me.¡±


    ¡°¡­It¡¯s alright,¡± Yuri said, shaking her head with a smile at Cecilia¡¯s clear lies, hidden behind her embarrassed smile. ¡°If you truly feel guilty, then we can discuss some countermeasures after we return back to our camp. Right now, you need to focus completely on our surroundings. No more slip ups. And you too, Alnea. You cannot make any mistakes either.¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t,¡± Alnea said, as he continued to explore the dark canyons with the senses of his Spirit. He had already recovered his Spirit Power consumed from feeding Oren to his ring, and his Spirit Forging Session after that. Cecilia had taken quite a long nap, after all. Of course, that also meant that of the three of them, her Spirit was in the best condition. But then, her Heart, loaded with guilt, and shame, was in the worst state.


    So, for the first leg of their exploration, they decided to let him take the lead in exploring the canyon, while Cecilia worked towards regaining her Serenity. Though, from the way she was apologising, it did not look like she was making any progress in that direction. Or was it a deliberate manipulation on her part? No, Cecilia was not crafty like that. If she wished to avoid the taking the lead, then she would have just said so. She probably really was feeling guilty¡­


    Alnea shook his head, and brought his attention back to the surroundings around him. After reaching the False Rank, the range of his Spirit¡¯s senses had increased quite a bit. But at the same time, the amount of Spirit Power consumed had increased as well, balancing the two effects out. So, to conserve his Spirit Power, he was observing just ten metres around himself.


    That was not much, considering that he could see about a hundred metres in any direction with just his naked eyes. But at that distance, all his eyes could see were just vague silhouettes, and shadowy figures. And that was if those figures were not hidden. Even up close, the dim light of the canyon was not enough to properly illuminate his surroundings.


    Within the senses of his Spirit though, everything was clear as crystal, as if he was seeing them under the brightest lights of Enn. No, not just seeing them, he was also feeling their texture, hearing their beats, smelling their breath, and tasting their essence. And so, even though the senses of his Spirit were controlled only within a distance of ten metres around himself, that was enough for him to sense any immediate danger. And of course, also for¡ª


    Feeling something strange enter the range of his senses, Alnea put up his hands, motioning the girls to stop, before taking a few steps towards the strange sensations. Just to be sure, he even squatted down, pinching some of the dirt from the ground in his hands, observing it with the senses of his Spirit.


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°The ground feels a bit salty, and bitter at the same time. And the texture is a bit flaky¡­ As if something is missing from the ground¡­ If I am not wrong, there is either a plant type Oren Beast just ahead in this direction, or some environmental hazard¡­ What should we do?¡±


    ¡°You are the one leading us, so it is your call,¡± Yuri said, with a bit of amusement in her voice. ¡°Or have you forgotten about your Oath already?¡±


    Alnea stiffened for a moment, before shaking his head with a smile. Getting up from the ground, he walked back to the girls, and said, ¡°I think there might be some unknown danger ahead on this path, so let us skip this direction, and check out the other areas.¡±


    But his words were not enough to convince Cecilia. Looking towards the direction he had just walked back from, she said, ¡°Why not check out what danger is first?¡±


    ¡°Because fighting is not our priority today,¡± Alnea said. ¡°If we intend to live peacefully in the cave, then we need to have a complete understanding of the area around us. We can surely go check out lies ahead, but there is a great chance that we might get injured in the process. That would bring our day to an end. And if the injury is serious, then we might even have to take a few days off to recuperate. It would be better if we skip deliberately courting danger, and map our surroundings first.¡±


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    ¡°¡­Why do you sound so logical?¡±


    ¡°Because I am logical.¡±


    ¡°Fine, fine, we will not go there,¡± Cecilia said, turning away from the direction of the danger with reluctance. ¡°Now, stop showing off, and start leading the way.¡±


    ¡°You look like a kid who had just had her toy stolen,¡± Alnea said, letting out a soft, and subdued laugh. And though he did earn Cecilia¡¯s glare, seeing her embarrassed face made it worth it. Still, he was not stupid enough to keep standing by her side. Using his ¡®official¡¯ duty as an excuse, he turned around, and began leading the way once again, venturing into the darkness of the canyon, while mapping the area around their cave.


    They had not planned to do so initially, but after having barely escaped from the claws of Shadow Moles the day before, when they were dragging the panther¡¯s body back to their cave, they figured that it would be best if they could map their surroundings, and mark all the dangerous zones. If nothing else, it would at least help them secure a safe path for their retreat. If they ever needed it. After all, Goddess Ilea was not going to favour them every time they encountered their enemies.


    ¡°Was that the right choice?¡±


    ¡°There is no right choice¡­ only the most appropriate one. And yes, your choice is indeed logical.¡±


    ¡°¡­Why am I getting a feeling that there a but involved?¡±


    ¡°¡­But your logic will hold true only if our main objective is to explore the canyon.¡±


    ¡°¡­Is it not?¡±


    ¡°¡­Why are we training together?¡±


    ¡°To develop as a team.¡±


    ¡°And why do we need to develop as a team?¡±


    ¡°To fight the Heterodox Wanderers¡­¡±


    ¡°And will we be able to fight the Heterodox Wanderers if we keep skirting around dangers?¡±


    ¡°But you were the one who said that we need to figure out our surroundings¡­¡±


    ¡°So? Am I denying the logic of your reasoning?¡±


    ¡°But¡­¡±


    ¡°Cecilia may have been a little impatient, but she is right in a sense. You cannot keep avoiding danger, Alnea.¡±


    ¡°¡­I am not avoiding danger. I just think that it would be better if we do not deliberately walk into danger on our own initiative.¡±


    ¡°¡­Are you afraid that we will get hurt?¡±


    ¡°¡­I am not afraid. Because I will not let either of you get hurt.¡±


    ¡°We are Wanderers, Alnea.¡±


    ¡°¡­I know.¡±


    ¡°Every time that we go Wandering in the Origin Sea, there is a chance that we might not return.¡±


    ¡°¡­That will never happen.¡±


    ¡°No matter what you do, as long as we keep walking on our paths, the dangers that we will have to face will keep on increasing.¡±


    ¡°¡­I will not let anything hurt you.¡±


    ¡°You can keep us away from danger for now, but what will you do when we have to face those dangers on our own? Without any experience of tackling all kinds of situations on our own, once you fail to keep us away from danger, then¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­You can be annoying at times, you know?¡±


    ¡°Truth can often be annoying. Especially if it is an uncomfortable one.¡±


    Alnea ignored Yuri, and kept walking in silence, as one after another, memories kept playing in his mind. Memories of his Spirit Test. The day when the Heterodox Wanderers had attacked the city, only to be forcefully Enthralled. Whether it was Yuri, or Cecilia, both of them had fallen into danger because of him. Cecilia was even captured by the Heterodox Wanderers. If he had not been quick enough, if he did not have his master, then he might even have lost them that day. All because of his stupid Oaths¡­


    Just like how Alnea Oathkeeper of the world of Attuners had lost his salvation. Even if he had managed to save her in the end, he could not change the fact that his salvation was captured, and held captive for almost two years, all because of his Oaths. Because he was too weak to do anything¡­ And because the girl was too weak to resist. If only she had not been abandoned by the Origin Sea¡­ If only she had had enough strength to resist the Acolytes of Origin for a while¡­


    ¡°Fine. I won¡¯t avoid any dangers from now on...¡±

 Chapter 31: Trust [Part 2]

    ¡°¡­This Oren Beast is clearly not suitable for us to fight against,¡± Alnea said, staring at the imprint of the beast¡¯s paw in front of him. ¡°Just its paws alone are larger than my head. It is clearly at least in the intermediate phase of its Adolescent Stage. It may even be in the advanced phase. Fighting such a beast with our current capabilities is nothing more than asking for a beating.¡±


    ¡°¡­You are such a wuss.¡±


    ¡°¡­If you can confidently say that you can take on such a beast, then I have no qualms about fighting it head on.¡±


    ¡°¡­From the shape of its footprint, the beast looks like it is of the bear family. Probably a Dark Horned Bear, or a Shadow Bear,¡± Yuri said, bending down beside him to examine the beast¡¯s pawprint. ¡°I can take it down on my own.¡±


    ¡°¡­Anyways, this Oren Beast is clearly not something we can handle as a team. Let us mark down its location for now, and come back later when we have enough experience with Oren Beasts in the initial phase of their Adolescent Stage.¡±


    ¡°¡­Asking you to lead the way was a mistake,¡± Cecilia grumbled, but only on the surface. In her actions, she never hesitated in following his lead. After all, she knew that he was right. No matter how eager she was to fight, even she knew how dangerous taking on an Oren Beast a Stage higher than herself would be. They might be able to take it down with Yuri¡¯s help, but what would be the point of such a fight?


    As for Yuri¡­ she was just teasing him, as always. And though she may question his decisions in private, she never contradicted him in front of Cecilia. And so, after a taking a detour around the bear¡¯s territory, they continued with their exploration of the area around their cave, walking around six to seven kilometres, and experiencing three changes in terrain. From a flaky dirt terrain to a slightly wet terrain, and back to a dirt filled terrain, before finally arriving in an area of rocky terrain.


    And in all that time, they fought against just three Oren Beast. A Silver Winged Snake, a Mud Fish, and a Rock Eater Turtle. Of the three, the Rock Eater Turtle had been the easiest to handle. So much so, that Alnea had chosen to sit out the fight, and the let the girls handle the Beast. Not that he could have done much in the fight anyway. Most of his Spirit Power had been used up in dealing with the Mud Fish. That had been a truly tricky enemy. Just like the Lotus clan.


    Whenever Alnea thought that he had almost caught the fish, it would dive into the mud, and launch ranged attacks. Lethal attacks. The way it shaped the mud into all sorts of strange, sharp tools, and sent them shooting at him had him rolling around on the ground for most of the duration of the fight. Thankfully, his robe had Glyph Arrays that kept it clean at all times. The same could not be said about his face though.


    In any case, by the time they faced the Rock Eater Turtle, he was not in any shape to fight. And since the turtle was not much of an opponent anyway, Yuri had asked him to watch from the side. He had had enough rest though. Cecilia had taken over the responsibility to lead the way after they fought the Silver Winged Snake, before handing it over to Yuri after finishing off the Rock Eater Turtle.


    Though he was carrying some of the butchered meat on his back, it was not stopping his Spirit Power from recovering. And for fighting against the Oren Beast, that was what mattered the most. Spirit Power. All his powers depended on its use, after all. Even his extraordinary senses. And since he had recovered most of his Spirit Power, it was time for him to switch places with Yuri. But before he could say anything, Yuri raised her hand, and pointed to the ground.


    There, under their feet, and all around them, was a bed of grass that spread for at least tens of metres in all directions. There was nothing strange about that, of course. He had already experienced at least ten different terrains in the two days he had spent in the canyon. A bed of grass was not enough to surprise him. Or Yuri. It was not until he observed the grass through the senses of his Spirit, that he noticed what Yuri was pointing at. To the grass themselves.


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    Five bladed grasses, a little brown in shade, having a rough texture around their edges, with all their blades pointing towards the ground. Umber grass. Just like the ones he seen in the territory of the Rock Eater Turtle. These grasses fed on the structure of rocks, turning them mushy from the inside, making it easier for Oren Beasts who fed on rocks to digest them. But the territory of the Rock Eater Turtle was at least a kilometre away¡­


    Another Oren Beast. A rock eater, of course. But not a Rock Eater Turtle. If two Rock Eater Turtles lived so close to each other, they would have already formed a pack, and began mating to create their family. The Rock Eater Turtles were gender fluid, after all. When two such turtles met, the stronger one would become the mother, while the weaker one would become the father, and provide for their kids. Regardless, the rock eater could not be a turtle. Then the second option would be¡­


    A Rock Eater Boar. That too, one in the initial phase of its Adolescent Stage. Only such a weak Rock Eater Boar would keep Umber grasses in its territory. Stronger boars would prefer the crunchy texture of hard rocks, rather than the soft, mushy texture of rocks hollowed out by the five bladed grass.


    However, whether it was the Rock Eater Boar, the Rock Eater Turtle, or any other Oren Beast that fed on rocks, their main source of food was still meat. The blood and flesh of their enemies. They ate rocks only to strengthen their Innate Abilities. In the case of the Rock Eater Boar, this Innate Ability happened to be ¡®Rock Armour¡¯. A passive Innate Ability that remained active at all times.


    And though the beast could not strengthen its armour along with its growth, it could keep assimilating the essence of the rocks it ate into the armour around its body, constantly strengthening its defence without any upper limits. A seemingly invincible defence, that allowed it to fight in a reckless style, truly befitting its name as a beast. Still, it was just a beast. With their cooperation, it would not be difficult to take it down. But¡­


    ¡°¡­A Rock Eater Boar is different from a Rock Eater Turtle.¡±


    ¡°Are you afraid?¡±


    ¡°What would I be afraid of?¡± Alnea said, almost snorting at the white robed girl. ¡°I would be the one fighting it head on anyway.¡±


    ¡°Do you dare to take it on then?¡±


    ¡°Why not? Besides, even if something goes wrong, I know that you will have my back. There is no need for me to refuse some free experience.¡±


    ¡°Get ready then,¡± Yuri said, before turning towards Cecilia. ¡°You have yet to recover your Spirit Power, so sit this one out.¡±


    ¡°¡­I can still fight,¡± Cecilia, staring stubbornly into the darkness, anticipating the Rock Eater Boar¡¯s charge to come at any moment. ¡°I don¡¯t need too much Spirit Power to take on a beast.¡±


    ¡°¡­We are in the middle of nowhere, with our base camp kilometres away from us. Even if we turn back after taking the beast down, it will still take us hours before we return to the cave. Hours, in which anything can happen. Maybe we will an Oren Beast in the advanced phase of its Adolescent Stage will start hounding us right in the next moment. Or maybe, we will face a best tide. And if you are completely exhausted when we encounter such situations, can you guess what will happen to us?¡±


    ¡°¡­I did not say that I will fight the Rock Eater Boar,¡± Cecilia mumbled, turning her flushed face away from Alnea. Even though it was Yuri who had admonished her, she was being shy from him¡­ She could be cute in her own rights, at times. ¡°I just said that I can, you know, if you get in a pinch. A Rock Eater Boar is different from a Rock Eater Turtle. If you need help, then you call me any time.¡±


    ¡°¡­Are you sure that you are just saying, and will not really jump in the moment that the fight begins?¡±


    ¡°If even the reckless fool can control yourself from joining in when we fought against the Rock Eater Turtle, then why can I not do the same?¡±


    Sure enough, Alnea thought, as he saw his musclehead friend turn towards him with a snort. Her being shy of him¡­ That was probably just his imagination. She was still Cecilia, after all. But it was not the time for him to let his mind wander. Shoving his thoughts into the Serenity of his Heart, he reached towards the handle of his sword hanging by his waist, only for Yuri to grab his hand, and shake her head.


    ¡°This time, you act as the support, and let me take the boar head on.¡±

 Chapter 31: Trust [Part 3]

    ¡°Absolutely not,¡± Alnea found himself saying almost on an instinct, vehemently shaking his head. ¡°I cannot let you¡­¡±


    ¡°You cannot what?¡±


    ¡°Anyways, there is no way I am letting you face the boar in close quarters.¡±


    ¡°But there is no problem if you do the same?¡±


    ¡°¡­That¡¯s what you said in the beginning. That you will act as support, while Cecilia and I will keep switching our roles.¡±


    ¡°Is Cecilia fighting this time?¡±


    ¡°But¡­¡±


    ¡°You just don¡¯t want me to get hurt,¡± Yuri said, staring daggers at Alnea. ¡°Did you forget all that we had discussed?¡±


    ¡°¡­This is not about me trying to keep you away from harm. We established in the very beginning that you will act only as support, and let us gain experience in dealing with the Oren Beasts.¡±


    ¡°I never said anything about me acting only as a support. I only said that you two will have to keep switching between the roles of Arcanists, and Warriors. And since you I was trying to complement your roles, I would naturally act as a Scholar. But now that I want you to act as an Arcanist, and provide support from the rear, I will naturally have to pick a role that complements your abilities, and act as a Warrior.¡±


    ¡°¡­You are just playing with words.¡±


    ¡°Am I? Then tell me, can your half baked skills even break through the boar¡¯s armour? And why are you only talking about what suits your need? Why are you not talking about the other things that I had said? Like how you will have to follow my arrangements.¡±


    ¡°¡­Stop fighting,¡± Cecilia said, stepping in between them, using her hands to separate them, while repeatedly changing her glances between them. ¡°We are in an Oren Beast¡¯s territory for Inkah¡¯s sake. Get a hold of yourselves.¡±


    Ignoring Cecilia, Alnea clenched his fist, and looked into Yuri¡¯s crystal clear blue eyes, shining with determination.


    ¡°¡­What if I hit you by mistake?¡±


    ¡°¡­What do you think?¡±


    ¡°¡­And you call me a fool?¡±


    ¡°Because you are a fool. Didn¡¯t you say so yourself?¡±


    ¡°¡­Fine,¡± Alnea said after a moment of silence. ¡°Let¡¯s get this over with quickly.¡±


    ¡°As long as you do your part, I will be able to finish the boar in one hit,¡± Yuri said, and turned towards the distance, where the beast finally came into view. Just a vague shadowy figure, slightly pudgy in shape, moving with a slow pace, as if sniffing its way to its prey. To them.


    Without any need for being reminded, all three of them unfurled the senses of their Spirit, and locked on to their target. A boar, standing over a metre in height, had a girth of a little over half a metre, with its most striking feature being the layer of chunky, rock like shell around its body, glimmering in an earthly brown glow. However, it was not its armour, but its length, of about just a little less than two metres, that told them about its strength.


    An Oren Beast at the peak of the initial phase of its Adolescent Stage, just about to enter the intermediate phase. Was this why Yuri had been so adamant? How did she know about the boar¡¯s strength before she even saw it? Was it an Arcana? Or¡­


    ¡°Get ready,¡± Yuri said, as she shifted her stance. A bare handed stance. Let alone a sword, she did not even have a dagger in her hands. Yet she was going to fight an Oren Beast with an armour that even he would find hard to break through. Alnea knew that he was reckless, and that Cecilia was headstrong, but not having gone to the Origin Sea with her for a while, he had forgotten how crazy his white haired friend could be.


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    Sighing in resignation, he reached towards his Roots, and began gathering Oren, shaping it into an arrow, while Yuri rushed towards the Boar, drawing all of its attention to herself.


    ¡°Beyond the veil of the Night¡­¡±


    At first, the boar seemed rather nonchalant about the sudden invader in its territory. Living in an area surrounded by territories of intermediate phase Oren Beasts from all sides, the boar had been through quite a few fights itself. Just the fact that it could live in such an area was a testament to its strength. Even if it was just at initial phase, its strength could not be underestimated.


    ¡°Where the world slumbers just past her sight¡­¡±


    And so, as Yuri neared the Boar, she did not hold back on using her Spirit Power, or Aspects. Faint blue light, tainted with hints of black, and silver lights, surged out from her body, and gathered in her hands, before taking the shape of a sword. A long sword, with a curved back, slightly shorter than his own sword. On second thought, the sword was very similar to the sword that he had often seen her use to dig her Aspect Wells. That was probably the type of sword that suited her the best. A sword bending with responsibility, yet refusing to back down from difficulties. Even though it was made from just her Aspects, it would still be sharper than many swords¡ª


    A sword made from just her Aspects? Alnea was not aware that something like that was even possible. Why was she not using a real sword though? Would it not exhaust her more if she condensed her sword entirely from her Aspects? Was it because the type of sword that suited her did not exist? No, if that was the case then she could just have a sword made for herself. There was no need to waste her Spirit Power like she was doing at the moment. Yet, he had never seen her use a real sword. There must be reason behind that. A reason for why she was willing to waste her Spirit Power rather than to use a real sword. A reason¡­


    ¡°I call forth the embers of the darkness¡­¡±


    While Alnea was mulling on Yuri¡¯s strange behaviour, she had already reached the Boar, and swung her sword at it. Not in any fancy, or exaggerated moves, but just a simple swing. It did not even look like she was using a Martial Style. And the boar did not take sword too seriously either. Ignoring the attack that was about to fall on its back, the Beast charged at Yuri, clearly intent on skewering her with its large tusks, thicker than even his arms, and half as long.


    Yet, contrary to the Beast¡¯s expectations, the sword strike did not just harm it, it also sliced apart a few chunks of rocks away from its armour. At the same time, the force from the sword also caused the boar to change its direction. Not by much, but when taken in together with the recoiling force that Yuri used to move to her right, it was enough for her to dodge the Boar¡¯s charge. And that clearly incensed the Beast.


    It could grow back the armour that had just been sliced was off, so it was not too worried about it. But to not even be able to hit its enemy, something that it had taken for granted from the beginning of the fight, brought its rage to a crescendo. Roaring at its weird enemy, it turned around, and charged at it again, this time not making the mistake of taking its enemy lightly.


    Yet the result was still the same. The boar ended up being thrashed once again, this time, even worse than before. Using the speed, and the momentum of the boar, Yuri sliced off an even greater piece of rock from its armour. And then another. And another. And another. Until the boar finally began bleeding. By then, the boar had also sensed something was wrong, and was beginning to calm down. It had even started showing tendencies of retreating. So, the moment it saw a chance, it did not hesitate.


    Copying its enemy, the boar used the recoil from the sword¡¯s strike to distance itself from its enemy, before rushing into the darkness. Unfortunately for the boar, it was their meal. How could they allow it to run away? So, the moment that the boar turned around, and was about to flee, Yuri struck out with her sword once again. And though the boar was already out of the reach of her sword, for some inexplicable reason, her sword still managed to reach the boar.


    No, not her sword. It was no longer a sword. Instead, at some point during the swing, the sword had transformed into a rope, that seemed to stretch endlessly in just a moment, and reached the boar, before wrapping around its legs, causing it to stumble down, and ruin its plan for escape. Not for long though. After all, the rope may have stopped the boar from escaping, but its integrity as a weapon had been compromised.


    From how it was flickering, with small wisps of light escaping from its body, Alnea did not think that the rope could hold the boar for long. Still, Yuri had already done her job. Next, it was his turn. And so, the moment that the boar had fallen down, unable to move around much, Alnea aimed his Nightmare Arrow, and fired it at the boar.


    ¡°To drown my enemies in the Nightmare of their madness.¡±


    The boar, of course, sensed the arrow, and the threat it carried, intensifying its struggle against the rope that was binding it. And after a brief, but intense struggle, it even managed to break through the restraints. But not before the arrow carrying the Mysteries of Nightmare reached the Beast, and pierced through its head.

 Chapter 32: Team [Part 1]

    The Rock Eater Boar, trapped in the illusion of its own nightmares, lay on the ground, defenceless. Well, not exactly defenceless. It still had its amour of rocks, covering its entire body. Except for the small kink, which Yuri had pried off with her sword. Using that must have been taxing though. It was condensed from her Aspects, after all. So, Alnea refused to let her deal the final blow to boar.


    Rushing towards the boar, while communicating with her telepathically¡ªshouting in the canyon, surrounded by unknown dangers from all sides, would have been beyond idiotic¡ª he asked her stop, before proceeding to deal the final blow to boar with his sword. But then, they were left with a dilemma once again. What to do with the boar¡¯s body.


    ¡°Are you two not forgetting something?¡± Yuri said, patting her storage bag. ¡°You two may have left your storage bags back at the cave, but I have always kept my storage bag by my side.¡±


    ¡°¡­You want to store the beast in your storage bag?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t be silly,¡± Yuri said, with an innocent smile on her face dispelling all the tension that the two had just a while ago. ¡°We are going to cook it right here.¡±


    ¡°¡­In the middle of nowhere?¡±


    ¡°I guess you can call this place as such?¡±


    ¡°Surrounded by unknown dangers from all sides, which can come striking at us at any moment?¡±


    ¡°That sounds interesting¡­ I should be allowed to play a little when the time comes, right?¡±


    ¡°¡­Just keep quiet for a while, Cecilia. Don¡¯t you see how dangerous this is going to be?¡±


    ¡°Oh, come on. Stop being such a wuss,¡± Cecilia said, and walked over to the boar, poking its rocky armour with her fingers. ¡°Or you can carry this little rock giant on your back.¡±


    ¡°¡­We can butcher it right here.¡±


    ¡°¡­It is not just a normal boar. It is a Rock Eater Boar, an Oren Beast. Even if you peel off all of its armour, it is still going to weigh around a thousand kilograms or so. Can you carry that weight on your back?¡±


    ¡°¡­We can discard parts of it.¡±


    ¡°But that would be such a waste,¡± Cecilia said, licking her lips. ¡°I have always heard that a Rock Eater Boar¡¯s meat is supposed to tender, and juicy, but I have never had the chance to try it myself.¡±


    ¡°¡­Wasting some food is better than wasting our time,¡± Alnea said, glancing towards the depth of the darkness around him. ¡°We never know what might attack us next.¡±


    ¡°¡­Will you two stop for a moment, and let me finish?¡± Yuri said, looking at them with a little annoyance. Not one filled with disdain, or irritation. But the cute, annoyed face she made when she felt ignored, or left out.


    ¡°I have fought Oren Beast in the intermediate phase of their Adolescent Stage, and know the dangers of the Night Canyon better than either of you. And I also know the pattern of how the Oren Beasts divide their territory. This boar was the peak of the initial phase of its Adolescent Stage. Even the Oren Beasts in the intermediate phase of their Adolescent Stage would not necessarily pick a fight with it.


    ¡°After all, most of them would not even have means to hurt the boar. For them, challenging the boar would be just a waste of time. And the weaker Oren Beasts, still in the initial phase of their Adolescent Stage would just be courting their death. Even if they know that the boar is dead, they will not necessarily barge into its territory, let alone now, when they don¡¯t even know of its death.


    ¡°In any case, I can tell you for certain that no Oren Beast is going to come near us for another couple of hours at the very least. That should give us enough time to cook the boar, and eat it clean to its bones. And we can also use the time to let our Spirit Power recover to some extent. Now, do you still have any problem with cooking the boar right now?¡±


    ¡°¡­No,¡± Alnea mumbled, scratching the back of his head in embarrassment. ¡°I am sorry for acting so obnoxiously.¡±


    ¡°¡­You were just being a little cautious. And there is no harm in being extra cautious in a Forbidden Area.¡±


    ¡°¡­Can we just get to cooking the boar already?¡±


    Ignoring Cecilia¡¯s grumbles, Alnea shifted on his feet uncomfortably, not daring to look Yuri in her eyes. Especially after he recalled what he had said to her the day before, and even in the morning, when he had met her outside their cave. Fulfilling an Oath had never felt so frustrating, as it was feeling at the moment. He wanted to share her burdens, but he could not watch her be in danger.


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    And yet, it was exactly his overprotective behaviour which was bothering her. Not to mention the things she had said in the morning. The memories that her words had refreshed. It would be best if he could protect her forever, but that was not how things worked. At the very least, he was not as na?ve as he used to be. He knew that some things were just beyond his control. And so, he had to learn to let go, or else, how would she protect herself when the situation demanded?


    ¡°¡­I am sorry,¡± Alnea mumbled, just to Yuri. ¡°I went a little overboard earlier¡­ I should not have questioned you so¡­ And I should have trusted you.¡±


    ¡°At least you know where you were at fault,¡± Yuri said, with a bit of her dissatisfaction still evident in her voice. But her dissatisfaction let Alnea finally relax.


    ¡°I will try to control my urges, and believe in you.¡±


    ¡°¡­Are you regretting your Oath now?¡±


    ¡°Never.¡±


    ¡°Things will only get worse from now on.¡±


    ¡°¡­What more crazy things are you planning?¡±


    ¡°I am not talking about myself. I am talking about the burden you wished to bear for me. Dealing with Orthodoxies, training your subordinates, leading armies, and most important of all, trusting the people you love to face all kinds of dangers on their own. Can you do that?¡±


    ¡°¡­Even if I cannot do it at the moment, I will learn.¡±


    ¡°You truly are a fool¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­If you two are done talking with your eyes, then can we get to cooking already? I am starting to get a little hungry.¡±


    ¡°¡­Who is talking with their eyes?¡± Alnea mumbled, as he went around, gathering the Umber grass, but the flush on his face betrayed him.


    ¡°What are you doing?¡± Yuri said, looking at him in amusement. ¡°Do you want to eat grass?¡±


    ¡°¡­How are we going to cook, if we don¡¯t gather the grass?¡±


    Instead of answering him, Yuri patted the white pouch tied to her waist, and took out a disproportionately large Glyph Device from the small mouth of her storage bag, leaving him stunned, and speechless. Although its design was a little different, with its iconic ring being formed by six round balls connected together by some thin rod going through their centre, just the control rod, along with the Fire Glyph engraved on the ring was enough for anyone to recognise the Glyph Device. A Cooking Station. Just a portable one.


    Such an ingenious idea¡­ No, even though it was a portable cooking station, it was still a cooking station. No matter how small it was, it was still at four to five times as large as the narrow passage at the mouth of Yuri¡¯s storage bag. How could it possibly pass through¡­ No, the most important thing was the Cooking Station itself. A portable Cooking Station for Faein¡¯s sake!


    ¡°When did you get the cooking station?¡±


    ¡°¡­Probably four or five years ago? I don¡¯t remember exactly. In any case, we have a cooking station, so let¡¯s get to cooking.¡±


    ¡°No, wait a moment. Let me get this straight. This entire time, while we have been gathering dry grass, using the most primitive way to creating fire to cook, and then eating either overcooked, or undercooked meals for the past one and a half month, you have been using the cooking station to cook your food?¡±


    ¡°¡­Food cooked on grass has its own taste¡ª


    ¡°That tastes like the Thrall Domains!¡± Alnea said with exasperation. ¡°This is not fair!¡±


    ¡°¡­Preparation is the key to success. You should have brought your own cooking station if you wished to eat properly cooked food.¡±


    ¡°¡­Stingy,¡± Alnea mumbled, before turning towards Cecilia. ¡°Why are you not saying anything to her?¡±


    ¡°¡­I mean, it is her cooking station,¡± Cecilia said a bit hesitantly. ¡°Besides, it doesn¡¯t matter as long as we can eat together, right?¡±


    ¡°Why are you siding with her?¡± Alnea said, looking at Cecilia with weird expressions. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me that you also have a cooking station?¡±


    ¡°Alright, stop grumbling like that. I have brought it out now, right? Now, come on, and let us get cooking.¡±


    Alnea grumbled a little more, but silently acquiesced in the end. However, just as he was about to move towards the boar, he recalled something, and looked towards Yuri once again.


    ¡°¡­Do you have something to clean the meat?¡±


    ¡°¡­About that¡ª


    ¡°Just give it to me. I will prepare the boar, and you can do the cooking.¡±


    ¡°No, let me do it,¡± Cecilia said, patting the rock like armour of the boar. ¡°I did not help in killing the boar¡­ Let me prepare its meat, or else, I will not be able to feel at ease.¡±


    ¡°¡­Alright,¡± Alnea said, just as Yuri took out a cleaving knife, and a small basin from her storage bag, before giving it to Cecilia.


    ¡°Remember to not use too much Spirit Power, or we will have to rest a little longer.¡±


    ¡°¡­I know,¡± Cecilia said, nodding in acknowledgement, as she took the tools from Yuri¡¯s hand, before turning towards the Rock Eater Boar, and chopping away at its rock like armour one stroke at a time. Somehow, her actions made it feel like she was venting her frustration on the boar, but it was probably because of not being able to take down the beast herself. Or so Alnea thought, and let her be.


    After all, he was not exactly free either. And neither was Yuri. His white haired friend took out a large pot, and filled it with water that she took out from a leather pouch she had filled earlier. Washing the meat with water condensed from Glyphs was fine, but it was best if they could avoid using water conjured from Water Glyphs to drink, or consume in any form. Suffering from Oren poisoning would be a quick way of ending their training early.


    Shaking his head to subdue his thoughts, Alnea began focussing on his task, skinning the beasts that they had taken down earlier, before chopping them down into smaller pieces. He did not need a cleaver though. His Golden Yearning was sharper than any cleaver could ever be. And though his dagger was shorter than Cecilia¡¯s cleaver, it took him less than half the time that she took to finish her work. Next, all that was left cooking itself, which, owing to the small size of the pot, and the cooking station, took nearly an hour to complete.

 Chapter 32: Team [Part 2]

    The Rock Eater boar¡­ Although not as much as the food that his master had prepared, the food that Yuri cooked was surprisingly delicious in its own rights. At the very least, it was delicious enough for him to forget all his worries, and enjoy himself for a while. However, the darkness around him remained the same. And so did the dangers. Just because they were enjoying a meal did not mean that the Oren Beasts would let them be.


    Rather, from his own experience, Alnea knew that the best time to attack was when his enemies were too busy to pay attention to their surroundings. And the Oren Beasts would have that fact ingrained into their very being. Though Yuri had guaranteed that no Oren Beast would be approaching them for a while, nearly two had passed since they had killed the boar. The longer they stayed in the place, the greater the danger they would have to face. So, despite the groans, and protests of his body, Alnea pulled himself off the ground, forcing the girls to do the same.


    ¡°Where are we going next?¡± Cecilia said, stretching her body to wake up her extremities. ¡°I guess it should be about time that we ought to return, but now that we have already eaten, should we explore a bit more of the canyon?¡±


    ¡°Ask Alnea,¡± Yuri said, also stretching out her limbs, but in a much more elegant way. ¡°He is the one leading us next.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go back for now,¡± Alnea said, staring into the darkness that lay ahead of him. ¡°We have explored enough for the day.¡±


    ¡°Or we can go around looking for some of the things that Lady Nyssa had mentioned.¡±


    ¡°¡­What things are you talking about.¡±


    ¡°The Springs of Fortune.¡±


    ¡°¡­It¡¯s just our second day in the canyon. It would be too dangerous for us to go after such precious resources. Let¡¯s wait until we grow a little stronger¡ª


    ¡°That¡¯s the point. We need the resources like Fortune Springs to help us grow stronger as soon as we can. Or have you forgotten about the target that Lady Nyssa set for us?¡±


    ¡°I remember what master said. She gave us four months to break through to the Intermediate Stage¡ª


    ¡°She gave us four months to break through to the next Stage, and that also includes Yuri. Maybe we can increase our Spirit Power to the Intermediate Stage in four months, but what about Yuri? Will she be able to break through to the Advanced Stage in the that time?¡±


    ¡°¡­You don¡¯t have to worry about me,¡± Yuri said, smiling helplessly at Cecilia. ¡°I will think of a way to reach the Advanced Stage. You don¡¯t have to drag me into this.¡±


    ¡°See, she also thinks that it is not necessary to¡ª


    ¡°No, she is not thinking anything. She is just agreeing with you. Like she always does.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not true. Did you forget how we were arguing just before we fought the boar?¡±


    ¡°¡­Can you stop treating me like a kid?¡± Cecilia said after a moment of silence, with annoyance clearly evident on her face. It was not the cute kind of annoyance though. She was truly irritated with him. But he could not understand what she was saying.


    ¡°¡­When have I ever treated you like a kid?¡±


    ¡°Cecilia, I think¡ª


    ¡°Please, just stop,¡± Cecilia said, putting her hands up in the air to express her frustration. ¡°Just stop¡­ I can ignore you two going off into your own world¡­ I can even look past the fact how you keep ignoring me¡­ But never treat me as a kid. I am a Wanderer. A Serpian. I will not let myself be humiliated like this¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­I really don¡¯t understand what you are saying. When have I humiliated you?¡±


    ¡°It is the fact that you don¡¯t even realise what you are doing which vexes me so!¡±


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    ¡°Calm down, Cecilia,¡± Yuri said, stepping in between them. ¡°There is no need to get so agitated¡­ Why don¡¯t you tell us what is bothering you?¡±


    ¡°Do you really want me to point it out?¡± Cecilia said, clenching her fist in determination. Or was it frustration? Alnea did not know. But whatever it was, it made her voice grow even more strong, and firm.


    ¡°Do you think I cannot see what you two are doing all day? I already had my suspicions back in Anneve, but that suspicion has now turned into confirmation. I don¡¯t know how you two are doing it, but somehow you are able to talk to each other without saying anything. Like you are talking to each other with your eyes¡­ or directly into each other¡¯s minds.


    ¡°I seriously wouldn¡¯t have minded it too much if you would have told me about it directly. Easy, and fast communication can be the key to victory in fights. And I would never say no to anything that can better our chances against the Oren Beasts¡­ against the Heterodox Wanderers. But why did you have to keep it a secret from me? Is it because you keep talking about something that you cannot tell me¡­ Or is it because you think of me as a hindrance? Do you want to get rid of me?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not like that, Cecilia. I never¡ª


    ¡°You never what? Did you never expect me to stop being a musclehead, and think for myself?¡±


    ¡°No, I¡ª


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you want me to keep my promise, and tell you when I have something on my mind? To tell you when something is bothering me? Then I am telling you right now. The way you treat me like a kid is bothering me. The way you keep secrets from me is bothering me. But most important of all, the fact that you do not even trust me to enough to talk to me like a teammate is crushing me.¡±


    Cecilia paused, and took a deep and heavy breath, before continuing once again. This time, staring daggers at both of them.


    ¡°We are supposed to be a team. We. The Three of us. Not just the two of you. If you think that I am coming in between the two of you, or that I cannot be trusted enough to be a part of the team, then just say so. I will ask Lady Nyssa to send me back to Rian. I can take a few words of criticism. Poros¡¯ fangs, I can even bear a scolding. But I refuse to be treated like this. If I am going to be a part of this team, then you have to treat me like one.¡±


    ¡°¡­I am sorry,¡± Alnea said, with guilt, and shame tearing his Heart. She was right in a sense. He did discuss important matters with Yuri through their rings. But not because he wished to keep those things secret, or keep Cecilia out of the loop. It was just a force of habit. However, that did not change the fact that he did, indeed, kept secrets from her. And he had no excuses.


    ¡°I¡­ I did¡ª


    ¡°It is my fault,¡± Yuri said, stepping in between them once again, taking all the blame on herself before Alnea could say anything. ¡°I discussed things with him in private, keeping you away from some of our decisions. And I may have inadvertently treating you like a child. But that was only because you were behaving like one.


    ¡°Do you know how many times you have lost control of yourself? How many times have you jeopardised our plans? Most of the time Alnea made mistakes, it was in order to keep you safe. And I cannot even keep track of the times I cleared up your mess. Not to mention how we keep getting ambushed every time you led our way. Did you already forget why Alnea was having such a hard time against the Mud Fish?


    ¡°In contrast, have you ever seen us fall into ambush when Alnea is leading the way? No, right? Can you understand now why I kept you out of our discussions? It is not because I want to hide things from you, but simply because you have not proven yourself worthy for me to discuss our plans with you.


    ¡°However, you are indeed right in the sense that I treated you like a child. It would have been better if I had confronted you earlier, rather than to wait until now. It was not Alnea¡¯s fault though. If you want to blame anyone, then blame me. I was the one who asked him to play along with me.¡±


    ¡°Yuri, you should not¡ª


    ¡°Enough, Alnea,¡± Yuri said, looking at him with a solemn gaze. ¡°I know you are worried about her¡­ but Cecilia is right. We are a team. The three of us. We cannot keep treating her like a child. Sugar coating words would not do her any good. Rather, it will only make her Heart more vulnerable. So, you can either help me in convincing her to behave like she should, or stay quiet, and listen from the side.¡±


    ¡°¡­Can I act as a medium between you two?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Cecilia said, taking a deep breath to stop herself from trembling. ¡°La¡­ Yuri is right. I do not want to listen to any nice words. I want to be a part of the team. A part of what you two have¡­ I want to become your strength, and your liability¡­ If you cannot tell me the truth, then do not stop Yuri from doing so.¡±


    ¡°¡­Fine. But you two should try to keep your voices low. We are still surrounded by Oren Beasts from all sides.¡±


    Ignoring him, and his guilt ridden face, Yuri turned back towards Cecilia, and said, ¡°If you want to be treated like a part of the team, if you want us to show our trust in you, then you must do your part to earn that trust. And the best way you could have done that would have been by correcting your mistakes, and learning from them. But you probably do not even remember your mistakes.¡±


    ¡°I¡­¡±


    ¡°This is the difference between you, and Alnea. Although he keeps making mistakes, he always strives to correct them. To learn from them. And to become a better Wanderer every single day. Now, do you understand why I would discuss our plans with him, but not with you?¡±


    ¡°I¡­¡±

 Chapter 32: Team [Part 3]

    ¡°Forget about everything else,¡± Yuri said, ignoring Cecilia, and her hesitant reactions. ¡°We divided our watch for the night in way that everyone could get some rest. But you could even do that. Do not get me wrong though. I am not mad at you for not waking up on time. However, if you knew that you would not be able to fight off your sleep, then you should have just said so.


    ¡°Overestimating your abilities, and hiding your clumsiness from your team can give them the wrong impression about you. And all our plans will depend on how much we know about you. If we make some mistakes in our plans because of how you overestimated yourself, then we will have to face disastrous consequences. Consequences, which none of us would be able to bear.¡±


    ¡°¡­I did not overestimate myself. I really just dozed off last night¡­¡±


    ¡°If you did not overestimate yourself, then your mistake is even more grave. Agreeing to complete a task, only to leave it unfinished¡­ Do you know how much inconvenience it can cause to a team? Especially for the person who will have to fill in for you?¡±


    ¡°¡­I am sorry¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡ªWe do not want your apologies, Cecilia. Or else, I would not have so much to you. I will not comment on what you have with Alnea, but you know what kind of bond I have with you. And what I expect from you. But it is exactly because of how high my expectations are for you that I am so disappointed in you. The Cecilia I know may be a little headstrong, but she is not a fool. She may be determined, and ready to charge into her enemies at a moment¡¯s notice, but she is not so fidgety. And she certainly would not do things that would put those around her at risk.


    ¡°All for what? To fight Oren Beasts? Or to gain the so called resources that big sis Nyssa mentioned¡­ The Fortune Springs¡­? Only someone as ignorant as Alnea cannot see that you are bothered by something. And normally, I would have ignored it. I cannot keep holding your hand forever, after all. But clearly, whatever it is that you are agitated about is affect our team as a whole. And so, as the leader of the team, even if temporary, I cannot let you be on our own. What is it that you are worried about, Cecilia?¡±


    ¡°I¡­¡±


    Cecilia bit her lips, shifting her eyes away from shame, but as if recalling something, immediately looked towards Alnea, and paused for a couple of moments, staring at him in silence, before turning back towards Yuri with determination.


    ¡°I am afraid that I will be left behind by you two¡­¡±


    ¡°That is¡ª


    ¡°Not now, Alnea.¡±


    ¡°¡­No matter how much effort I put in, it cannot compensate for the difference in our Roots. Especially since you two are even more hardworking than me¡­ The only reason my Spirit Power is a little higher than Alnea is because of the late start he had. But now that he has a proper Art of the Divine Grade¡­ It will not be long before he can surpass me.


    ¡°And with him becoming stronger than me, opportunities like Fortune Springs will help him grow even faster. And the gap between us will grow even bigger. At first, the gap may be of just a few units, or maybe even a Level or two. But soon, it would wide to a Stage, and then, an entire Rank¡­ I¡­ If I don¡¯t keep pace with him, and am left behind by even a single step, then I am afraid that I will be left behind forever¡­¡±


    ¡°I will never leave you behind, Cecilia.¡±


    ¡°¡­And keep me like a trophy?¡± Cecilia said, with the determination in her eyes, and voice growing even stronger. ¡°I am a Serpian, Alnea. No matter how weak I may be, I refused to be humiliated by being reduced to just a burden. If I cannot fight by your side, then I would rather not be with you.¡±


    ¡°I¡­¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to say anything,¡± Cecilia said, shaking her head. ¡°I have already made up my mind. Still, I will not give up without trying. Until the day comes when I would not be able to fight by your side, I will keep trying my best, finding all means possible to increase my strength.¡±


    ¡°¡­And so, you rushed towards the Oren Beasts without regards to your safety?¡± Yuri said after a few moments of silence, staring directly into Cecilia¡¯s determined eyes. ¡°Because walking along the edge of death can help you stimulate your potential?¡±


    ¡°¡­Yes.¡±


    ¡°¡­Did you not think about the team?¡±


    ¡°¡­I did, but I had no choice.¡±


    ¡°So, you knew that your choice would affect the adversely affect the team, but still made it?¡±


    ¡°¡­At first, no. I just wanted to get stronger as soon as I can. It was only after we fought against the Black Lightning Panther that I understood how my actions might put you two in danger. But I also knew that nothing would happen with you, and Lady Nyssa around, so I decided to continue being a little reckless.¡±


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    ¡°¡­And you want us to treat you like a part of the team?¡±


    ¡°¡­I know that I have made many mistakes, but I promise that I will make up for them. I will wake up on time. I will fulfil my duties in the team. And¡­ I will also not let my emotions, and Heart cloud my judgement. I... I will prove myself worthy of your trust. I will show you that I can be a good teammate. That I am not a child¡­ That I am as good a Wanderer as others. But once I do that, you must also treat me with the respect I deserve. You must treat me like a part of this team.¡±


    ¡°There is no need for us to wait for that long,¡± Yuri said, shaking her head, with her voice, and face still as solemn as before. ¡°If you want to be treated like you are a part of the team, then just think about the situation we are in from the perspective of the team, and tell me, what should we do right now?¡±


    ¡°¡­Will that matter?¡± Cecilia said, biting her lip, with a complicated look in her eyes. ¡°You have already decided what we are going to do¡­¡±


    ¡°Forget about everything else, and just tell me what we should do, and we will do exactly what you say we should.¡±


    ¡°¡­Even if it is something stupid, and foolish?¡±


    ¡°¡­Prove it to me, to us, Cecilia, that you deserve to be treated as a part of this team. That you deserve to be a part of this team.¡±


    Yuri¡¯s words only increased the hesitation within Cecilia¡¯s Heart. Anguish was clearly visible on her face, as she waged a war within herself. And in that anguish, and hesitation, she turned towards Alnea, staring at him silence for a few moments, until finally, the determination within her Heart won over her hesitation.


    ¡°Let us go back,¡± Cecilia said, turning towards Yuri with a calm, and determined face. ¡°Let us go back to the cave, and plan this search more carefully.¡±


    ¡°¡­Are you sure that you do not wish to continue searching for some precious resources that can help us in our training? Who knows, there might be a Fortune Spring just a few hundred metres away.¡±


    ¡°¡­Or it could be tens of kilometres away from us. Precious resources are called precious for a reason. We cannot keep searching for it aimlessly. Not to mention that all of us are tired¡­ And we also need to keep up with our Wanderings. Let us go back for now, and continue with mapping out the area around the cave tomorrow. It would be best if we can find clues to Fortune Springs, or other precious resources. If not, then we can expand our area of search as we keep growing, both as individuals, and as a team.¡±


    Yuri kept staring at Cecilia in silence for a few moments, as if looking for something. But Cecilia stood determined, and stuck with her decision, finally earning Yuri¡¯s recognition.


    ¡°Let us go back then,¡± Yuri said, nodding at Cecilia¡¯s words with a smile, just as Alnea smiled, looking at his friends, with a strange sense of satisfaction filling up his chest. They were his only friends, after all. He did not wish for them fall out with each other. And both were right at their places, so he did not know whom he should have supported either. Thankfully, things had not spiralled out of control.


    ¡°So, friends again, huh?¡±


    Unfortunately for him, his question did not go down well with the girls. Especially with Cecilia. ¡°Do you have anything else to say to me?¡± she said, losing her smile for a solemn face.


    For a moment, Alnea stood confused, wondering what Cecilia was talking about. That was until he recalled how he had not expressed his stance on the way he had treated her. Sure, he had apologised, and Yuri had even taken most of the blame upon herself, but that was not enough. So, under Cecilia¡¯s intent, and focussed gaze, he too dropped his smile, and looked at her with as much sincerity as he could.


    ¡°I¡­ I just did not wish for anything to happen to you. To me, you are more important than the world itself. Still, that is not an excuse for treating you the way I did. No matter what is said, and done, you are a Wanderer. And as you said, you need to be treated as a Wanderer, not as a child. Especially since we are part of a team¡­ I probably made you feel lonely, right?¡±


    ¡°¡­Maybe, a little,¡± Cecilia mumbled, as blood rushed to her face, dyeing it completely in red. Probably from what he had said earlier. But it was the truth. She was more important to him than the world itself. As was Yuri. But just saying some flowery words was not enough to convey his feelings. No, he needed something else. Something much more meaningful.


    ¡°I am sorry, Cecilia. But I promise you¡ª


    ¡°Alnea,¡± Yuri said, rather loudly, bringing his, and Cecilia¡¯s attention to herself, as she shook her head with a solemn gaze. ¡°Are you going to take another Oath?¡±


    Cecilia finally came back to her senses, and realised what he was about to do. Shaking her head, she turned towards him, and said, ¡°I don¡¯t need your Oath, Alnea. As long as you treat me like I am part of the team, it is enough.¡±


    ¡°¡­It is exactly because I am treating you a part of the team that I have to take my Oath. With the determination that you are willing to show, to be able to put the interests of the team before your own, you deserve a similar level of determination from me, right?¡±


    ¡°¡­You are a completely crazy man,¡± Yuri said, shaking her head with a sigh. But she did not stop him anymore. And Cecilia was not in the state to stop him. She was just looking at him in a daze, with blood flushing her face, and mist in her eyes. So, taking advantage of the moment, Alnea completed what he had set out to do.


    ¡°I, Alnea Oathkeeper, take an Oath that I will always treat Cecilia Serpia as my teammate. That I will give her the respect she deserves. And that if she does something childish, and selfish, I will remind her, and tell her about it to her face, rather than treating her as a child, thinking of ways to calm her down behind her back. That is my Oath.¡±


    ¡°You¡­¡±


    ¡°Now, now, no need to so overwhelmed,¡± Alnea said, chuckling at Cecilia¡¯s face, which had become even more dazed after his Oath. ¡°It is not like this is the first time I am taking an Oath for you, right?¡±


    ¡°¡­Idiot,¡± Cecilia said, in a rather irked, and annoyed voice, as she turned her face away from him. But she forgot to hide the wide grin on her face. One that brought a grin to both, him, and Yuri. Unlike him though, Yuri had much better control over her emotions. But that was to be expected. She had long gained Clarity of her Heart. And had even made some progress recently. So, even though she was happy, and giddy, she was able to see past all her emotions, and do what was necessary.


    ¡°Now, if you two have made up, can we go back?¡± Yuri said, bringing him, and Cecilia away from their thoughts. ¡°Or do you two plan to spend the night out in the wild?¡±

 Chapter 33: The true way of wielding a Sword [Part 1]

    The Origin Sea was the source of everything in the world, even the world itself. Still, after its birth, a barrier of sorts had formed between the world, and Origin Sea, preventing the Origin Sea from corroding the world with its Mysteries. There were places in the world though, where this barrier was thin enough for the Origin Sea to influence the world. And these were the places which would experience the growth of precious resources.


    However, other than precious resources, the influence of Origin Sea could also result in formation of Springs of Fortune, also known as just Fortune Springs. Places, where all its visitors, Oren Beasts, and Wanderers alike, would receive a Good Fortune. Even Thralls were no exception to that rule. The Origin Sea did not discriminate, after all. And neither did its Mysteries.


    In any case, if they were to find a Fortune Spring, they were bound to experience a Good Fortune. What that Good Fortune would be would depend on the place where the Fortune Spring was born, and the Mysteries that influenced its birth. But regardless of what the Goof Fortune might be, it was an undeniable fact that all those who would encounter such a place would experience rapid growth in their abilities.


    And so, it was not like they did not have any clues to look for Fortune Springs. All they had to was to look for Oren Beast which showed exceptional strength for their growth. Like an Oren Beast still in the initial phase of its Adolescent Stage, but capable enough of taking down even those in the intermediate phase of their Adolescent Stage. Or they could also look for Oren Beast which showed strength beyond the limits of their race.


    However, with their current strength, taking down such Oren Beasts would be an impossibility. If Yuri did not intervene, that is. And Cecilia, with some sense knocked into her head by Yuri, was not on a suicidal rampage of seeking strength. She was much calmer than before, and understood her limitations.


    After all, she may have had a head start of a month over him, but she was only one level ahead of him. And though Yuri was more than an entire Stage above them, they could not let her carry the team. It was called a team for a reason. In any case, they were clearly not ready as a team to actively look for Fortune Springs.


    Besides, they could not devote all of their time to search for an illusory opportunity. They were training to fight against Heterodox Wanderers, and not go on a treasure hunt. Even if those Heterodox Wanderers would be limited to the False Rank, it would be best if he could reach the Advanced Stage before he met them. But with his current rate of progress, let along reaching the Advanced Stage, even reaching the Intermediate was up in doubts. And the same was true for Cecilia.


    Only Yuri had the chance of reaching Advanced Stage in a few months. But even then, all she had was a chance. If she spent all her time roaming around the canyon, then she was likely to fail the condition that his master had given her. To reach the Advanced Stage in four months. And so, it became imperative for them to plan out their search in such a manner that it would give them enough time to train every day. Even including the time to rest, and meditate.


    After all, they were still humans. They needed to rest. And as Wanderers, they needed to meditate. They needed to overcome their internal struggles, and conflicts. They needed to temper their Hearts. To find their Clarity. And to strengthen their resolve, and conviction. He, Alnea Oathkeeper, was going to become the greatest Wanderer. He was going to create the path to the Rank of Origin Wanderer. And he was going to do it with the ones he loved.


    Exhaling a deep, and heavy breath, Alnea opened his eyes, and looked at the darkness surrounding him. A silent, and familiar darkness. The cave was just as dark as ever, but he was acquainted enough with it to make his way around with resorting to using his Aspects as a source of light. Still, even then, he reached to his Aspects, and urged them awake. No, not them. He reached out to just one Aspect, his fourth one. The Aspect of Light.


    Related to the lineage of Day, his fourth Aspect was his first elemental Aspect. His third Aspect was also related to Darkness, but it was not a pure elemental Aspect like his fourth one. Besides, was the darkness in the cave not enough as it was? Why would he urge his Aspect to gather even more darkness in the cave? His fourth Aspect was much better for such situations.


    Manifesting as a globular ball of light at the tip of the first finger of his right hand, the Aspect was releasing bright golden yellow light, illuminating every inch, every part of the cave, as if it was not his Aspect, but Enn himself which had descended to light up the cave. Except, the light was not as sharp, and glaring, as Enn¡¯s glory was. Even when the source of the light illuminating the cave was right in front of his eyes, it did not cause him any kinds of discomfort, or pain.


    On the contrary, the light was so soft on his eyes that it did not even feel like the Aspect was from the lineage of Day. Or so he would have thought a few days ago. But¡­ who said that Enn¡¯s light always had to be glaring, and sharp? Sometimes, Enn¡¯s light could also be the warmest, and the gentlest of lights in the world. Even more so than the light of Orn. And it could be just as beautiful as well. One just had to have the right eye to look for it.


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    Shaking his head with a smile, Alnea tore his eyes away from Cecilia¡¯s face. It looked like she was still Wandering the Origin Sea. But that was to be expected. That was how it had always been up till that point. Having higher Spirit Power meant that she was able to Wander for a longer time than him. Of course, with his increasing Spirit Power, that difference between the time that they spent Wandering was getting shorter, and shorter, but for the moment, the difference still existed.


    It would probably take her a while to come back, Alnea thought, as he pushed himself up from the ground. Not a long while, but not a short while either. And he was never the sort to waste time. So, after picking up his sword, he made his way towards¡ª


    Yuri burst in through the entrance of the cave, glancing around with a grave expression on her face. Only when she had confirmed that everything was alright, did she let out a sigh of relief. Immediately afterwards, her eyes darted towards the globular ball of light hovering above the first finger of his right hand.


    ¡°A new Aspect?¡± Yuri asked, looking at the Aspect with curiosity, before shifting her eyes to his face. ¡°You could have said something if you were going to use your Aspect within the cave. I thought that something had happened.¡±


    ¡°I had not thought that the light would be so bright,¡± Alnea said with an awkward smile.


    ¡°Lineage of Day? Light?¡±


    ¡°Right on both accounts,¡± Alnea said with a nod. ¡°A pure Light elemental Aspect that focusses on dispersing Darkness.¡±


    ¡°¡­That is an oddly specific Aspect,¡± Yuri said, as she stepped closer towards him, taking a closer look at the Aspect gathered around his finger. ¡°But it should prove quite useful here, in the canyons.¡±


    ¡°I thought so too,¡± Alnea said. ¡°And so, the moment that I understood what it stood for, I chose it as my next Aspect. Too bad, its light is not glaring, or else, I could have used it as another means of attack.¡±


    ¡°¡­You underestimate your Aspect,¡± Yuri said, as she tore her eyes away from his glowing finger. ¡°Anyways, you should put away your Aspect now. Even though you have used it only within the cave, the light is still to eye catching. It will be too troublesome for us if some Oren Beasts discovers the cave because of it.¡±


    ¡°¡­I did not think about that,¡± Alnea said, withdrawing his Aspect to its Aspect Well, just as blood rushed to face. Thankfully, the light had faded away the moment he withdrew his Aspect, hiding his embarrassment. ¡°You should get some rest, now. Cecilia should be done Wandering in a while. It will be your turn to Wander the Origin Sea then. It would be for the best if you could recover your Spirit Power before then.¡±


    ¡°I can do that while guarding with you.¡±


    ¡°It would be faster if you did it while resting though.¡±


    ¡°Not by much.¡±


    ¡°Something is better than nothing.¡±


    ¡°Alright, alright. I will go rest. But at least let me wait until Cecilia wakes up. I cannot rest easy with only you as the guard.¡±


    ¡°¡­Are you doubting my ability to guard, or are you worried about me?¡±


    ¡°¡­Who knows?¡±


    ¡°You¡­¡±


    ¡°My days were a lot quieter when you two used to talk with just your eyes,¡± a third voice rang out in the darkness beside Alnea, and Yuri, breaking their attention from the world they were lost in. Fortunately, they knew who the owner of the voice was.


    ¡°Hey, you were the one who did not wish for us to keep any secrets from you,¡± Alnea said with a chuckle, while calling forth his Aspect to illuminate the cave. Not his latest one. Its light was just too bright. Instead, he called for his first Aspect. Although it was not of the Light element, the light that it released was enough to illuminate just the small area of the cave. And the smile on their faces.


    It was clear from the smile on her face that Cecilia was not complaining about them disturbing her. On the contrary, she looked happier that they had done so. Yuri¡¯s smile, on the other hand, was an awkward, and a helpless one.


    ¡°Your Wandering ended earlier than usual,¡± Yuri said. ¡°Did you encounter something?¡±


    ¡°¡­A Mystery.¡±


    ¡°Another Mystery?¡± Alnea said, staring at her with a weird expression. ¡°Are you sure that you are from the Serpia clan?¡±


    ¡°Shut up,¡± Cecilia said. ¡°I would have preferred an Aspect over a Mystery. But I am not in a position to complain. As long as I can increase my strength, and abilities, what does it matter if I progress as a Warrior, or an Arcanist?¡±


    ¡°¡­You have comprehended the Mystery?¡±


    ¡°Of course,¡± Cecilia said with a hint of pride in her voice. ¡°I am Cecilia Serpia. A mere Mystery is nothing in front of me.¡±


    ¡°¡­I will accept your greatness when you can say the same about Aspects.¡±


    ¡°You¡­¡±


    Not waiting for Cecilia to burst into one of her outrages, Alnea turned towards Yuri, and said, ¡°You rest with ease now, right?¡±


    ¡°Fine,¡± Yuri said, with a pout on her face, and a tiny hint of dissatisfaction hidden in her voice. One that stroked his desire of teasing her once again. But he knew what was important, and what was not. So, as Yuri walked deeper into the cave to sit down, and meditate, Alnea walked out of the cave with Cecilia to guard, and train, waiting for Yuri to be finished with her own Wandering.

 Chapter 33: The true way of wielding a Sword [Part 2]

    Suppressing Yuri¡¯s thoughts in the depth of his Serenity, Alnea let his eyes adjust to the darkness, while taking a measure of his surroundings. The cave that he had walked out from was carved into one of the walls of the canyon, and for some reason, had no other Oren Beasts around it. At least not for around a hundred metres or so. Maybe it was because of terrain where the cave was located. Or maybe, it had something to do with the Wanderer who had created the cave.


    In any case, the location of the cave made it easier for them guard it against any intruders, Oren Beasts, or Wanderers alike. He had yet to see Wanderers in the Night Canyons though. Except for the girls, and his master, of course. But his master had warned him that there might be Wanderers around, so he had to keep up his guard. Regardless, whether it was him, or the girls, all they had to do was to stay in front of the cave, and keep a watch for anyone approaching in their direction.


    Thankfully, no Oren Beast had dared to venture near the cave in the time they had turned it into their base camp. However, that did not mean that they could stop their watch. Nothing was stopping either Oren Beasts, or some hostile Wanderers to barge into their cave. And if they did not have anyone to keep watch, then let alone defend themselves, they would not even have time to react, before their enemies would be upon them.


    And yet, they did not have anything to do on their watch either. Staring into the darkness at all times was boring. And tiring. Both physically, and mentally. And for obvious reasons, they could not even meditate, or train their Spirits. Wandering, of course, was out of limits. They were keeping watch in shifts for a reason. They had to be ready for their enemies at all times. Even when they were tired, or sleepy.


    When looked at from a certain perspective though, keeping a watch did not require much effort. All they had to do was make sure that no one approached their cave. And if someone did come, then he just had to alert his other teammates. So long as he remained alert of any possible enemies that might come, there would be no problems. And that he could do even while training. Not his Spirit, of course, but his Marital Styles. He could train in the way of swords.


    Besides, it was not just him. Even Cecilia, and Yuri were the same. They already had so little time as it was, how could they waste it staring into the darkness? And so, after walking out of the cave, both Cecilia, and Alnea gave each other a nod, before walking off to either side of the cave to keep their watch, and train at the same time. They had thought about keeping a watch together, but that would not have been too efficient.


    ¡°We are a team,¡± Cecilia had said. ¡°Until we are in the canyons, everything we do must be from the perspective of the team.¡±


    Maybe Yuri should not have been so harsh on her that day, Alnea thought. But such thoughts were a distraction for the moment. So, he suppressed them in his Heart, and got into the position in which he usually swung his sword. Legs spread apart at shoulder¡¯s distance, with his left hand gripping the sheath of his sword, and his right hand gripping its hilt. Next, in a clean, and swift motion, he unsheathed his sword, and swung it forward.


    Not in a stab, but just a simple swing. Except, it was not a simple swing. Though his Spirit Power was low at the moment, it was not completely exhausted. And so, as he practised his sword moves, he also practised his Martial Styles. Ones that he had recently learned. Beginning with the ¡®Crescent Slash¡¯. And the point where the ¡®Crescent Slash¡¯ ended, he followed it up with ¡®Crying Wind¡¯, another Martial Style focussed on slashing. Except, instead of gathering his Aspects on the blade of the sword, he had to gather it on its tip.


    Of course, as a Martial Styles designed for the Aspects of the element of Wind, ¡®Crying Wind¡¯ would have worked better if he had had Wind elemental Aspects. But more than the Martial Styles themselves, Alnea was trying to learn the different ways of manipulating his Aspects, so it worked out in the end. Like the move he had just performed.


    Technically, shifting from ¡®Crescent Slash¡¯ to ¡®Crying Wind¡¯ required him to push all his Aspects from the edge of the blade to its tip, all between the split moment separating the moves. But that was a ridiculously hard manoeuvre. The two were two completely different Martial Styles after all. Even the Aspects that the two Martial Styles were designed for were completely different from each other.


    Fortunately, as his master had expected, his affinity for Martial Styles was not limited to just those of the Auxiliary type. So, learning the two different Martial Styles did not prove too difficult for him. Transitioning between the two different Martial Styles though¡­


    And it was not just those two Martial Styles. Transitioning between any kind of Martial Styles was much more difficult than just learning them. Especially when they involved the use of Aspects. Maybe that was why using Martial Styles used to seem so easy at the Seed Rank. All he had back then, were Martial Styles of the Auxiliary type. And even then, he used to employ them without summoning any Aspects. The Martial Styles he was learning at the moment though, all relied heavily on Aspects.


    But that was even more of a reason for him to master transitioning between different Martial Styles. After all, only if he could transition between Martial Styles seamlessly would the fluency between his attacks increase drastically, lowering his chances of making mistakes, like the one he had made against the Black Lightning Panther. They were lucky that they had Yuri with them. If not, then things would have become much too troublesome. And dangerous.


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    However, they could not keep relying on the blessings of Goddess Ilea. As they grew stronger, a time was bound to come, when they would not be able to afford making mistakes. And if things went according to their plan, then that time would be coming very soon. And if he did not have any special moves to counter the Heterodox Wanderers, who would all be much stronger than him, then he would probably end up holding back the team.


    Thus, it did not matter if transitioning between different Martial Styles was hard. He had to do it even if it was impossible. No, not had to. He was going to do it. There were no doubts about that. Because he was Alnea Oathkeeper, the greatest Wanderer that there ever would be. The man who would create the path to the Rank of Origin Wanderer. And an Origin Wanderer would surely be able to do to something as simple as transitioning between Martial Styles, right?


    And so, shifting from ¡®Crying Wind¡¯, Alnea went to ¡®Meteor Descent¡¯, turning his blade mid way of the descent to shift to the ¡®Raging Waves of the West¡¯, only to twist his wrist, along with his waist, to reverse the blade and create the ¡®Red Floods of the East¡¯. But the Floods were not the end. They were just the beginning. For every flood must be followed with the ¡®Rise of the Earth¡¯, reaching towards the sky to ¡®Pierce the Stars¡¯. And beyond the ¡®Stars¡¯, there¡ª


    Alnea almost screamed in pain as he felt his muscles twitch, and nerves sting, while his body turned completely stiff. The Aspects¡­ Constantly urging them to explode with all of their prowess, only to force them into a lull in the next moment, before urging them to explode once again, multiple times in a row, was too much for his Spirit to handle. As for his body¡­ He may have gotten stronger over the months, but he was not strong enough to do what even some True Wanderers found difficult to achieve.


    However, the only reason that his body had to bear pressure was because his technique was not good enough yet. He did not have enough experience of handling Aspects, nor did he have enough experience of using the Martial Styles. Both of which were growing with every passing day. A few days ago, he would not have even made it to the ¡®Red Flood of the East¡¯. Yet, at the moment, he was even able to ¡®Pierce the Stars¡¯. And a few days later, even the ¡®Stars¡¯ would not be able to stop him. After all, he was Alnea Oathkeeper. The greatest Wanderer that there ever would be.


    For the moment though, he still had his sword to practise. So, after he felt his muscles relax, Alnea began swinging his sword once again, going from one swing to the next, from one Martial Style to the next. Sometimes, he went from the ¡®Crescent Slash¡¯ all the way to the ¡®Stars¡¯. At other times, he started from the ¡®Stars¡¯ themselves, and went towards the ¡®Depths of the Abyss¡¯.


    Sword moves themselves had endless variations. And the Martial Styles were even more varied. Relying on just a chain of attack was not ideal. In fact, relying on any number of chains of attack was not ideal. To become a strong Warrior, and a great Wanderer, he had to learn how to judge the situation, and create the perfect chain of attack to counter his enemies. Relying on one set pattern was stupid. No, relying on even a set attack was stupid. Martial Styles¡­ That was right. They were called Martial Styles.


    Martial Styles should be based on concepts themselves. Like the Oathkeeper Style. His Oathkeeper Style. Though he must admit. He had never thought that the Oathkeeper Style would have so many flaws. Maybe, at higher layers, with the aid of corresponding Aspects, those flaws would not have mattered much. But at the lower layers, those flaws were much too glaring for his comfort. Maybe that was why¡­


    In any case, since he already knew about the flaws of the Oathkeeper Style, he would have to fix them. But before then, he had to fix his habits of wielding his sword. No, even before that, he had to learn how to grip his sword in the correct manner. A sword must not be gripped by his hands. It must be gripped by his Heart. At all times. Even when it is in its sheath, his Heart must always be wielding a sword. Because only when his Heart had its sword, could his hands swing the sword.


    That would take some time though. So, for the moment, he had to make do by letting his body learn how to wield a sword. Wielding a sword¡­ it was like singing a song. It had an end, and a beginning. A purpose. A meaning. His every swing, every shift in the edge of his sword must have its own rhythm. And all those rhythms must mix together to create a perfect song. His song. The song of Alnea Oathkeeper, the man¡ª


    ¡°You have made quite some improvement in your sword.¡±


    Alnea stopped his in mid song, as he came back to his senses, and turned towards Yuri.


    ¡°When did you come out? Don¡¯t you have to go Wandering?¡±


    ¡°¡­I know that you love training, but you should not let yourself get so immersed into it that you stop caring about the world around you.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Alnea said, putting his sword back into its sheath. ¡°I have been paying attention at all times. I did not see anyone coming towards our camp.¡±


    ¡°Yet you still failed to notice my arrival,¡± Yuri said, looking at him amusement. ¡°Were you really paying attention?¡±


    ¡°I¡­¡±


    Alnea frowned to himself. As Yuri had said, he had indeed missed her arrival. But how? He was sure¡­


    ¡°Not only did you fail to notice me, but you also failed to notice time. It has been hours since you came out. Time enough for me to return from the Origin Sea, and recover my Spirit Power.¡±


    ¡°¡­But how? I don¡¯t understand¡­ I was just swinging my sword¡­¡±


    Looking at his confused, and baffled face, Yuri let out a chuckle, and said, ¡°Look at you, so tensed, and flabbergasted. Forget it. You must have reached a special state when training with your sword, and forgotten everything else. It can happen at times. I have also been in that special state a few times. But we are in the Night Canyons right now. Even training here is not safe¡­ Just make sure to pay attention to your surrounding next time, alright?¡±


    ¡°¡­I still don¡¯t know what happened, but don¡¯t worry. I will make sure to pay attention next time.¡±


    ¡°Good, then let¡¯s go get Cecilia, and leave.¡±


    ¡°¡­Leave where?¡±


    ¡°Where? To explore the depths of the canyon, of course.¡±

 Chapter 34: Exploring the canyons [Part 1]

    Four days had passed since Alnea, and the girls had begun exploring the canyon in earnest, combing through its depths in a methodological manner. Their target, of course, was to look for clues to precious resources, and Fortune Springs, while keeping an eye out for dangerous areas of the canyon. And while they did make some progress on their latter aim, their search for external aids to their training had yet to yield any fruit.


    Not because of their lack of effort though. Rather, they were putting in so much effort in their search, that they had hardly slept at all. Or maybe that also had something to do with their training. But the effort they were putting in their search was unquestionable. Their lack of progress, despite all their efforts, was just a testament to how large the canyon they were in was.


    As far as Alnea could remember from the time his master had flown them into the canyon to drop them off, the canyon was roughly seven kilometres at its widest. Just that width alone was larger than the length of the first canyon he had trained in. Even the second canyon he had trained in had a width of only two, or three kilometres, with around nine to ten kilometres in length.


    However, from what Alnea remembered, the canyon that he was in at the moment was at least thirty kilometres long. And that was just what he had been able to see from the air. It could be that the canyon was even longer than what he remembered. In any case, the length of the canyon was much larger than its width. Such a large canyon¡­ It could easily fit several core cities like the former corer city of Anneve. Former, because it had long been decimated by the Heterodox, and Enthralled Wanderers.


    But in a way, comparing the canyon to the core city was not fair. The core city was circular, while the canyon was more like a long gash along the surface of earth. Its immensity, and depths could not be described by just a simple comparison with the core city. Especially considering how complex its terrain was. Like the bed of grass that they were standing on.


    Commonly referred to as the Devouring Grass, these twin blade, black coloured grasses often grew in damp, and dark areas, with cold, and humid climate. Contrary to what one would expect from their names though, these grasses were not any kind of Oren Beasts. Nor where they any precious herbs. They were just normal grasses, weeds even. But they did have one little characteristic that set them apart from other grasses. Their ability to devour any senses that was being used to observe them.


    Be it sight, smell, hearing taste, and touch, these Devouring Grasses were capable of devouring all kinds of senses, making it impossible for anyone to observe them. Though, from a certain perspective, not being able to observe them was also a kind of observation, Alnea thought, as he glanced at the bed of grass under his feet. Or rather, he looked at the patch of darkness he was stepping on.


    Different from the darkness around them, which they could at least see through with the senses of their Spirit, the darkness of these grasses was completely invulnerable, and impenetrable to senses of their Spirits. It was as if¡­ he was floating in the empty darkness of his Domain. Except he was not. And neither were Yuri, and Cecilia. They had been clearly walking in the Night Canyon. And had been doing so for quite a while. That was until they stepped onto the Devouring Grasses.


    ¡°¡­Devouring Grass,¡± Yuri mumbled, as she bent down to pluck a blade of darkness. ¡°This is going to get troublesome.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Alnea said, looking at Yuri in confusion. ¡°It is not like it is some Oren Beast. It is just a patch of some grass. What is there to be worried about it?¡±


    ¡°Have you forgotten about the Red Herring Grass already?¡±


    ¡°¡­Is the Devouring Grass also like the Red Herring Grass? Will it also slow down our thoughts, and makes us put our guards down?¡±


    ¡°No, but the end effect will be something similar,¡± Cecilia said, as she warily glanced around them. ¡°I had thought that something was strange when we did not encounter any signs of a Beast¡¯s territory for so long. So, it was because of the Devouring Grass¡­¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t understand what you two are talking about. What is so dangerous about the grass?¡±


    ¡°You already know the answer to that question,¡± Yuri said, as she got back up from her squatting position. ¡°You are just not thinking about it in the right direction.¡±


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    ¡°¡­That still does not make sense.¡±


    ¡°Think, about it once again, Alnea. What can you feel from the grass?¡±


    ¡°¡­Nothing.¡±


    ¡°Exactly,¡± Cecilia said. ¡°You cannot see, or feel anything from the grass. Doesn¡¯t that make this the perfect hiding place for Oren Beasts?¡±


    ¡°Oren Beasts hiding in such tiny grass? Don¡¯t be¡­¡± Alnea stopped in mid of his sentence, as he recalled all the Oren Beasts he had met. Though most of them of were large, he had also met a few smaller ones. Besides, some Oren Beasts, even if large, could still hide themselves within the bed of the Devouring Grasses, if they so wished it. Like the snake type Oren Beasts. Ones that could silently wrap themselves around his feet, and he would not even notice them until it was too late.


    Alnea felt all his blood drain away from his face, as all sorts of situations went through his head. Having killed Oren Beasts with ambushes to the point of even losing count of them, he knew what the true terror of being caught unprepared by his enemies was. Just being bitten by the snakes would be enough to send poison coursing through his veins. And if the snakes were a little bold, they could even use their Innate Abilities¡­ The most terrifying ones though, would be the snakes which liked constricting, and suffocating their prey, before swallowing them alive¡­


    It took all of his will for Alnea to force himself to not make sudden movements. That would be the most foolish move he could make. If there were really some Oren Beasts around him, then making sudden movements would surely trigger them into action. Besides, since both Cecilia, and Yuri were still calmly analysing the situation, they should probably have a way to deal with the hidden beast. However, he could not accept just standing still, and doing nothing to help them out of the situation.


    ¡°¡­Should I use my Aspect?¡±


    ¡°That will not work with the Devouring Grasses,¡± Yuri said, shaking her head. ¡°Your Aspect might be able to disperse darkness, but its light is too soft. It will not work against the Devouring Grasses. On the contrary, the grasses will absorb all the light falling on them, while the light that won¡¯t fall on them will make us too conspicuous of a target. It would be¡­¡±


    Yuri abruptly paused in mid of what she was saying, and fell into deep thought. After a while, she turned towards him, and said, ¡°Your Aspect might just work.¡±


    ¡°¡­But didn¡¯t you just say that the grass would absorb all the light?¡±


    ¡°The grass might be able to absorb all the light, but what about the Oren Beasts hiding in it?¡±


    ¡°You mean¡­¡±


    ¡°Use your Aspect when you are ready,¡± Yuri said, before turning towards Cecilia. ¡°If there are any Oren Beasts hidden in the grass, then they will all most probably come running straight for Alnea once he uses his Aspect, so be ready to deal with them.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry,¡± Cecilia said, to both Yuri, and Alnea, as she moved closer to him, keeping her eyes fixed on the grass around them, with Yuri doing the same on his other side. Then, as if they had gained some telepathic connection like he had with Yuri, the two girls both urged their Aspects at the same time, covering themselves in a bluish white, and a green light. Even their surroundings glowed with the light of their Aspects for a few moments.


    But that was it. Though the light from their Aspects was bright enough in normal circumstances, but when surrounded by Devouring Grass, most of their light was swallowed up by the darkness under their feet, while what was left was not enough to illuminate all of the area in which the Oren Beast might be hiding in. It was not their fault though. Their Aspects was not of the element of Light after all. Unlike his.


    After Yuri, and Cecilia gave him the signal that they were ready, Alnea did not hesitate to urge his Aspect to gather in front of him, and form a spherical mass, almost like a ball of golden yellow light, lighting up their surroundings as if Enn himself had descended into the canyon. A sight, that the canyon, and its denizen has had most probably never experienced. So, it was only natural for them to react fiercely to such a foreign sight. Especially when the Beast bearing witness to the sight was a Dark Devouring Snake.


    As Beasts which were not known for their excellent vision, these snakes were extremely sensitive to anything, and everything that they could see. So, when a sudden bright spot appeared in the eyes of the snake, it instantly knew that something was wrong. It had been keeping a watch on its prey for a while, slithering its way towards them, getting ready to bring them into its Devouring World¡¯. But before it could do so, a brilliant golden light filled its vision, startling it into action.


    Of course, it did not jump towards the light because of its novelty. As a beast with the concept of devouring engraved in its blood, growing to the point that it had meant living through countless life and death fights. Fights, which gave it enough experience to know that the strange light glowing in front of it was a sign of its prey launching its Innate Ability. And so, it did the same. Raring its head, as it lifted nearly half of its body into the air, it screeched, and locked its eye towards¡ª


    Flashing like a snake herself, Cecilia appeared right next to the Dark Devouring Snake, and slashed through it head before it could activate its Ability. Not that Alnea had been afraid of the snake¡¯s attack in the first place. He knew that using his Aspect would make him the prime target of all the Oren Beasts lurking around them, but he was not alone. Standing right next to him, guarding him against all their possible enemies, were his only friends, his teammates, and his Heart. What did he have to be afraid of?

 Chapter 34: Exploring the canyons [Part 2]

    After making sure that there were no more Oren Beasts hidden around them, Alnea withdrew his Aspect to its Aspect Well, while Yuri walked up to the body of the snake, prodding it with her fingers.


    ¡°A Dark Devouring Snake,¡± she said. ¡°Its ability, coupled with the camouflage of the Devouring Grass makes it a perfect killer¡­ I should have guessed it earlier.¡±


    ¡°What would have that changed?¡± Alnea said, as his eyes adjusted back to the darkness of the canyon. ¡°We still would have had to use my Aspect to find it, and the plan would have still remained the same.¡±


    ¡°The plan may have remained the same, but we could have made more preparations for the snake¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s alright,¡± Cecilia said, storing away the skin pouch of water that she used to wash her hands back into her storage bag, before picking up the snake¡¯s body, and tossing it over to him. ¡°Keep it. Dark Devouring Snakes are delicious.¡±


    ¡°¡­Not if you make them,¡± Alnea mumbled, just loud enough that only he could hear, as he slipped off the leather bag on his bag, stuffing the entire body of the Dark Devouring Snake, some five, or six feet long, into the bag, before slinging it over his back once again, only to curse at the snake for overeating, as he felt his back hunch a little from the weight.


    He could, of course, store the snake in the storage bag on his waist. The Glyph Arrays engraved on the bag would take care of the weight. But the contents of the bag were too precious to let them get tainted by the snake. Scrolls of Martial Styles, spare change of clothes that his master had prepared for him, and his daily necessities. While it would not matter much if his daily necessities would get ruined from the blood of the Beast, to let the robes, and the scrolls that his master had prepared for him be in the same space as some dead bodies would be akin to blasphemy.


    Thankfully, the leather bag, a present from big sis Serena, acted as quite a good alterative to storing the things that could not be put away in his storage bags. Things like parts of Oren Beasts which were rumoured to be delicious, or the parts which were good for the growth of Wanderers.


    Sure, it did make him feel as if he was carrying a bag full of rocks, but he just treated it as a part of his training. Kind of like how he Forged his Spirit, except it was forging his body, with no mysteries involved in it. Only natural rest, and recovery. And of course, the Martial Styles he practised. They were supposed to help him train his body. Especially his Oathkeeper Style¡­


    Maybe, he had been neglecting his other Martial Styles a little too much lately. Should he start practising them again? Or use them more in his fights? But then, he also had to practise his sword oriented Martial Styles. Especially the new ones he had been learning. At the moment, he had learned just a few Martial Styles of the Weapon type, but as had been the case with the Martial Styles of the Auxiliary type, the rate at which he was learning Martial Styles was much faster than the rate at which he was gaining proficiency in them.


    Fortunately, this time he did not have to start from the very basics. At the very least he knew how to fight, and had proper opponents to practise his Martial Styles against. He even had Aspects that he could use with his Martial Styles. Maybe that was why he had been practising less of the Martial Styles of the Auxiliary type. His Aspects were not too suited for them, after all.


    But was that not kind of restricting himself? He had already gained quite a bit of proficiency in the thousands of Martial Styles of the Auxiliary type that he had learned, many of which were of the Intermediate Grade. By not having Aspects to complement those Martial Styles, was he not limiting himself? Should he then look for an Aspect that would allow him to use those Martial Style next? Or should let things continue as they were going? Maybe even¡ª


    Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.


    ¡°What are you spacing out for?¡±


    Cecilia¡¯s voice cut into his thoughts abruptly, and brought his attention to her. It was hard to see with the darkness around them, but the robe she was wearing was different from her usual green robe. In the aftermath of the little fallout that they had a few days ago, she had decided to change from her normal, bright green robe into one that was in a darker shade of green. Dark enough to be mistaken as a black robe in the darkness of the canyon.


    And that was not all. There was also a crest of the Serpia clan inscribed on the chest of her new robe. Something that her old robe did not have. Though, beside the crest, there was also the bulge on her chest. It was definitely larger than what he recalled. Had it grown in the past few months? Or was it the robe that was making it look a little larger? Just to be sure, Alnea turned towards Yuri to check out her chest. There was indeed a slight increase from before, but not as much as the increase Cecilia¡¯s chest had. Was it because of the robe? Or¡­


    That was a question that would have to remain unanswered. Although Alnea was not sure about what the bulges were for, he instinctively knew that it was not something that could be talked about casually. At least, he had never heard anyone talk about it. Yet, even then, whenever he looked at the bulge on Cecilia¡¯s chest, he felt his face heat up, and his heart start racing. This was despite the fact that his Heart was already in the state of its Serenity. Maybe Cecilia being a part of his Heart had to do something with it¡­


    Afraid that he would be seen through, especially by Yuri¡ªfor some reason, she always seemed to know what he was thinking about¡ª Alnea gripped the strap of the bag on his back, and followed along behind Cecilia.


    ¡°Nothing. Just something that I recalled from the past. Anyways, I just released all that light, so we should not stay here for long. Come on, let¡¯s get going.¡±


    ¡°We were already ready to go,¡± Cecilia said. ¡°You were the one who was spacing out.¡±


    ¡°Alright, it¡¯s my fault. Now, can we go?¡±


    ¡°¡­Something does not seem right, but fine. You are right. We should get going.¡±


    Saying so, Cecilia turned around, and began leading them into the darkness of the canyon once again. Yuri, however, was not convinced by his words. So, while Cecilia led the path ahead, Yuri reached out to him through the rings, and said, ¡°You really do seem a little suspicious. Tell me, what were you thinking?¡±


    ¡°¡­I was thinking about a ¡®Mystery¡¯,¡± Alnea said, as he took a quick glance at Yuri¡¯s chest. ¡°But this is not the right time, or place to think about it.¡±


    ¡°¡­I do not believe you.¡±


    ¡°I am telling the truth!¡±


    ¡°Really? Then tell me, what Mystery were you thinking about?¡±


    ¡°¡­How many Mysteries have I encountered?¡±


    ¡°Using such childish tricks¡­ even kids are better at lying than you are.¡±


    ¡°¡­I am really not lying! It really is a mystery to me!¡±


    ¡°What is?¡±


    ¡°How can your¡ª


    Alnea immediately stopped himself from speaking any further, not daring to look towards Yuri. He was not confident if he could stop himself from looking at her chest. And once he did that, she would definitely figure out what he was thinking.


    ¡°How can my what?¡±


    He definitely could not look towards her. And neither could he let her approach him. So, before Yuri could pester him anymore, and force the truth out of him, Alnea rushed towards Cecilia, and said, ¡°I think it is time we should change shifts. You have been leading the way for quite a while now.¡±


    ¡°What are you talking about? We have barely been walking for half an hour. I still have to lead the way for another half an hour.¡±


    ¡°¡­Is that so?¡± Alnea said, laughing awkwardly, trying to not let his nervousness show on his face. ¡°Time surely is passing really slowly today, is it not?¡±


    ¡°Indeed,¡± Yuri said, catching up to him, while looking at him with an amused smile. ¡°Time surely is going slowly today. But that also means that we will have a lot of time today.¡± Just to him, she added, ¡°Enough for me to find out what you were thinking about.¡±

 Chapter 35: Stronger enemies [Part 1]

    Defending against Yuri¡¯s advances, trying not to slip and reveal the truth, Alnea thought that he might have found a new way to temper his Heart. Resolving inner conflict was fine and good, but the relentless assault of his white haired friend, that drove him right onto the verge of revealing his shameful thoughts to her, only to have him control himself right at the very last moment, was quite a good way of exercising restraints on his thoughts. Not a way he would like to use often, but it surely did feel like his Heart was benefiting from the metaphorical chase he was being put under.


    Fortunately, though time was flowing slower than he would have liked, it never stopped flowing. And so, after what seemed like an eternity, Cecilia¡¯s turn to lead them in exploring the canyon finally came to an end. Next, it was time for him to lead the way. And he could not lead without concentrating completely on the path ahead. So, though she seemed reluctant, Yuri finally gave up on asking him questions. For the moment. She still warned him that it was not over, but it was fine. Being able to rest for a while was enough.


    Letting out a sigh of relief, Alnea took over the task from Cecilia, and walked towards the front of the group, entering his Spirit State along the process. That was the only way to observe his surroundings in the Night Canyons. He could also use his Aspects to light up the way, but that would be akin to marking his position in the darkness, inviting all the Oren Beasts to feast on him.


    Besides, the Night Canyons were trickier than one might think that they were. Relying on just sight alone was not enough to venture its depths. Or else, one might find themselves ambushed by Oren Beasts, not to mention get blindsided by the canyons themselves. To truly explore the canyons, and their dangers, along with the fortunes they hid, one had to observe them with all their senses. Even taste, and hearing. Of course, other than observing his world through all those senses, Alnea also needed to have enough wits about himself to infer what those sensations were saying.


    Like the ground. A ground, with a tangy smell, and a metallic taste meant that the ground was often covered in blood. Most probably the territory of some Oren Beasts. But that was not enough to know what kind of Oren Beast the territory belonged to. Or what its strength was. So, he observed a little more, and found that though the ground was filled with dirt, and dust, it was barely had any footprints. An Oren Beast without any feet? Like a snake?


    No, if that had been the case, then there would definitely have been marks of slithering. There were none. It was as if the Oren Beasts was not used to travelling on its feet at all. As if it could fly¡­ As if¡­ it could walk under the ground. Raising his hand to motion for the girls to stop, Alnea listened very carefully to the ground. He listened to all its vibrations, and sound. He listened to all its thrums. Its creaks, and groans. And in them, he heard what he was looking for. The sound of an Oren Beast clawing its way through the ground underneath his feet.


    He did not know how big the Oren Beast was, or even what species it was of. But for an Oren Beast to be able to move around under the ground with fast speed, and such ferociousness, it was surely not an average Oren Beast. Maybe, even the blood that he was sensing from the ground did not come because of death of its preys on the surface of the ground, but from the blood overflowing from under the ground, when the Oren Beast was done with its prey.


    ¡°It is an intermediate phase Oren Beast at the very least,¡± Alnea said to the girls, without even looking back at them. ¡°One proficient in digging, and preferring to live underground¡­ Probably some mole, or it could also be some mutated worm. In any case, it would be best if we retreated from here.¡±


    ¡°You are the one leading the way,¡± Yuri said. ¡°The decision is yours to make.¡±


    ¡°¡­Let us mark this area as something to explore later,¡± Alnea said, before turning around, and leading the way back to where they had come from. This was not the first time they had to change ways because of the presence of Oren Beasts. In fact, much of their exploration was just running around, finding out which area belonged to which kind of Oren Beasts, and marking them all down, before having a couple of fights to call it a day. Their main purpose was exploration of the canyon, after all.


    Or at least, that was the case for the moment. With their current strength, fighting against intermediate phase Oren Beasts would be too much of a stretch. Only Yuri would not have problems facing such beasts. Rather, she had already faced quite a few Oren Beasts in the intermediate phase of their Adolescent Stage before they gathered together to work as a team.


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    Cecilia, and Alnea, however, had just reached the False Rank. They had a lot of work ahead of them if they wished to fight against the stronger Oren Beasts. But then again, if they just kept running from the stronger Oren Beasts, then they would never be able to improve themselves. It was an endless dilemma. One with no answers. Or maybe there was¡­


    Alnea stopped in his steps just as he stopped smelling the blood from the ground. The strange metallic taste of blood had faded away soon after he had retreated from the places where he had felt the Oren Beast. Even the vibrations had from the ground had stopped coming for a while. Still, it was only when the smell had stopped coming that he stopped retreating, and once again moved towards the depths of canyon, choosing to go around the territory he had just discovered.


    Soon after though, he discovered the territory of another Oren Beast. This time, there were clear footprints on the ground. Thick, and deep, with each of those footprints being thrice as large as both his feet combined. That in itself was already enough to show the might of the Oren Beast. But when combined with the fact that the footprints were left on rocks, instead of the ground, it was quite obvious that the Beast was not something that they could take care of. Even if it was just because of its weight, the Beast had to be at the advanced phase of its Adolescent Stage at the very least.


    Thus, Alnea was forced to retreat from the territory of an Oren Beast once again. Thankfully, the Beast had not noticed their presence. Or maybe it did, but just did not care about them. In any case, just like before, it was only when Alnea had confirmed that they had left the territory of the Oren Beast that he stopped retreating, and chose another direction to go in, rounding off around the beast¡¯s territory. And just like that, they encountered another Oren Beast¡¯s territory, and another, and another.


    Most of the time, they were able to avoid confrontation with the Oren Beasts. At other times, by the time they noticed something was wrong, the Oren Beasts would be already upon them. In such cases, they had no choices left, but to fight. Still, most of these Oren Beasts they fought were of the initial phase. Sometimes, they even initiated attacks on the Oren Beasts on their own.


    However, as time wore on, and as they kept exploring the canyon, it was inevitable for them to encounter intermediate phase Oren Beasts. Ones that they could not run away from. In such cases, they usually let Yuri hold off the Beast for a while, allowing him, and Cecilia to run away from the Beast. But as they faced against the intermediate phase Dark Wind Wolf, growling at them, making its way towards them ever so slowly, Alnea chose to do something different.


    ¡°This time, we fight.¡±


    ¡°Are you sure?¡± Yuri asked. She was, of course, not afraid of the wolf. She was at the Intermediate Stage too, after all. But he and Cecil were not. So, she asked, just to make sure. Yet before he could answer, Cecilia did so for him.


    ¡°About time we fought against a decent opponent,¡± Cecilia said, stretching out her hands, before tilting her head towards Yuri. ¡°We cannot keep always keep running from them, you know.¡±


    ¡°¡­It would be better if we¡ª


    ¡°Cecilia, and I will take it head on,¡± Alnea said, as he dropped off the bag from his back, feeling a lot lighter, and free in his movements. Stretching his hands out a little, just like Cecilia, he shifted to the stance of pulling out his sword, before turning towards Yuri. ¡°Be ready to block its Dark Wind. Other than that, leave everything to me, and Cecilia.¡±


    ¡°¡­It is at the intermediate phase.¡±


    ¡°I know,¡± Alnea said, staring at the wolf just as it got ready to spring at them. ¡°That is all the more reason why we have to do it. Like Cecilia said, we cannot keep running, or we will never be able to grow stronger. Besides, we can run now, but what about when the Heterodox Wanderers come? I am sure that none of us will be able to reach the Peak Stage by then. The difference between us, and the Heterodox Wanderers would only be greater than the difference between us, and the Beast in front of us is. If you still want us to fight those Heterodox Wanderers, then we must learn how to fight against stronger enemies.¡±


    ¡°¡­Why is it only at times like this that you can use your head?¡± Yuri said with a sigh, as she took out her Glyph Disc, and her carving knife from her storage pouch. ¡°Try not to lose your limbs.¡±


    Alnea grinned as he heard Yuri¡¯s taunt. Though she sounded snarky, there was concern hidden behind her voice. But there was no need for her to worry. He was not the same Alnea who had stood frozen in fear, as a Wind Wolf had torn through his hands. Even if the Beast in front of him was stronger than him, it did not mean that it would win. Besides, it was not like he was fighting alone. They were a team. And they would always fight together.

 Chapter 35: Stronger enemies [Part 2]

    Matching his steps with the beats of his heart, and the rhythm of his breath, Alnea rushed towards the Wind Wolf, just as Cecilia rushed towards it. This time though, they were careful enough to not rush together. The moment they rushed out, they fanned out a little, forming an inverted arrowhead formation, with Yuri at back acting as the tip of the arrowhead. Still, even in their formation, they made sure to not spread apart too much, keeping the distance short enough that they would be able to guard against the wolf rushing towards Yuri.


    Even though Yuri had the ability to handle the Wind Wolf on her own, at the moment, she was acting as the Scholar of the team. And as the Warriors of the team, it was their duty to keep their enemies away from her. Besides, the further they were from each other, the more time they would take to support each other. And in fighting enemies stronger than themselves, delay of even a fraction of a moment could be the difference between the line of life, and death.


    While Alnea, and Cecilia were fanning out in their formation, the wolf was not just standing still either. Dark Wind Wolves, in particular, were known for being very aggressive in nature, taking initiative in all their fights. They were loner Oren Beasts, that always strived to kill their enemies as soon as they could. Preferably with just their first strike. And that too, in an ambush.


    Unfortunately for the wolf, having encountered the Wind Wolves a few times, Alnea knew their patterns quite well. He even had an Aspect, which though not directly related to darkness, was quite sensitive to it. Thus, when he sensed an unusual accumulation of darkness in the area around the boulders in the distance, he had asked the girls to slow down, while he himself had stretched out the senses of his Spirit to the extreme to be able to barely observe the boulders.


    And as he had expected, hiding in the shadows of the boulders, almost invisible to naked eyes, was a Dark Wind Wolf, waiting for its unsuspecting prey to come near it, before tearing into it, satisfying its lust to kill. Fortunately, Alnea had been able to sense the Wolf in time. Otherwise, if the intermediate phase Dark Wind Wolf would have caught them unprepared, then things would have become a little troublesome.


    Not that the things were fine as they were. The unique positioning of the wolf mean that it was almost impossible for them to ambush it. They could have tried using Yuri¡¯s Glyphs to immobilise it first, but the wolf had already caught sight of them, and had locked onto them. Any attacks that they would have launched on it would have been in vain.


    They could have also tried turning around, and leaving its territory, but that might have resulted in the wolf chasing after them, attacking them from behind their backs. And though Yuri could have held off the wolf, buying enough time for him, and Cecilia to escape, Alnea was not very fond of leaving Yuri to face all the dangers on her own.


    And so, after confirming the presence of the wolf, he had been hesitating, wondering what to do, when the wolf sensed that they were not moving towards it anymore. Maybe it was afraid that they would run away. Or maybe it was just too impatient to wait for them. In any case, while Alnea was still hesitating with his choice, the wolf jumped out from the shadows, and began making its way towards them with a growl, as if trying to scare them into immobilisation. Just like how the first Wind Wolf he had met had immobilised him.


    That was the final straw for Alnea. As Cecilia had said, it was time that they stopped running. They were Wanderers. People who dared to Wander the Origin Sea to glean its Mysteries, and tame its Aspects. Could there be anything more dangerous than Wandering the Origin Sea? If they dared to face even the Origin Sea, then why would they be afraid of a mere wolf? A mere intermediate phase Oren Beast¡­ It was not enough to make them run. Not anymore.


    At least not run away from it. They still ran towards it though, just as the wolf ran towards them. For Dark Wind Wolves, if there was no opportunity for them to attack, they would just have to make one. After all, they had both the speed, and the strength for it. They might not be as fast, or agile as the Green Wind Wolves, but they were still faster than most of the Oren Beasts. Especially the wolf in front of them.


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    As an Oren Beasts that was originally comparable to Intermediate Stage False Wanderers, the Dark Wind Wolf was quite a bit faster than them. In the time that they had barely taken four or five steps, the wolf had covered most of the distance between them. And before he knew, the beast was already upon them.


    Thankfully, Alnea knew that the wolf would much faster than him. Competing with it in speed would be meaningless. And so, the moment he had begun rushing towards the beast, he had also gathered some Oren around his arms, and legs, forcing them to circulate in the pattern of a whirlwind.


    The Twin Whirlwind Style, an Intermediate Grade Martial Style of the Auxiliary type, specialising in Speed, Agility, and Auxiliary effects, which was not only increased his own speed, and agility, but was also supposed to interfere with the perception of his enemies who relied too much on using the winds to perceive their targets. Like the Dark Wind Wolf.


    In the perception of the wolf, one of its two preys suddenly turned into a slippery, snake like opponent, that just slithered out of its range, while the other prey turned into a gust of wind, making it hard for it to pinpoint its location. But it did not matter. As long as it knew the rough location of its enemies, it was enough to kill them. Thus, ignoring the snake for the moment, the wolf turned towards the wind, and pounced on it without any hesitation. It was a Wind Wolf, after all. Wind was its domain, its territory, and its blades.


    Or so the wolf may have thought. Unfortunately for the wolf, Alnea was not just Wind. Gripping the hilt of his sword with all of his strength, he took a short breath¡ªthat was all that the time allowed himself to prepare¡ª before unsheathing his sword, and swinging it in a perfect crescent arc. His moves were a little too early though. The hesitation within the wolf had caused it to delay a little, saving it from being sliced apart by his sword. Alnea had not expected that. For a Dark Wind Wolf to hesitate in its attacks...


    Not only had he missed his attack, but he also had to deal with all the wind blades that the wolf had launched at him. Fortunately, he had been training his swords, and Martial Styles relentlessly, and knew how to handle the situation. So, as Alnea saw the blade of his sword missing the wolf, he did not panic. Instead, at the very last moment that his sword was about to pass under the wolf, he shifted from the ¡®Crescent Slash¡¯ to ¡®Crying Wind¡¯, concentrating all his Aspects at the tip of his sword, scratching through the underbelly of the wolf as it jumped at him.


    It was not too big of a wound, and he had barely scratched wolf¡¯s body, drawing just a few drops of blood from it, but that was enough. The moment that his sword touched the underbelly of the wolf, Alnea shifted his Aspects once again, changing from ¡®Crying Wind¡¯ to ¡®Amarien¡¯s Inferno¡¯, blasting all of his Aspect directly at the wolf. Regrettably, he did not have any Aspects of the Fire element, and was not able to create a true inferno. All he could do was just push his Aspects at the wolf, using the recoil to dodge the wind blades, while forcing the wolf away from himself.


    However, things were even more regrettable for the wolf. Not only had it missed a perfect chance of finishing its enemy, but it had also been pushed directly into the path of its other enemy, the one slithering like a snake. Snake. It had always hated snakes. Such slippery creatures, if it was not careful for even a moment, then they would end up slithering all over its body, biting at it from impossible angles. That was why it had kept the other enemy for the last.


    The blast from the enemy he had just faced though, the one moving like a gust of confused wind, had forced it towards its other enemy. And so, it was left with no choice but to fight the snake head on. Twisting its body to turn around in mid air, the wolf headed straight for snake¡¯s head, its biggest weakness. Or so it had thought. But the snake it was facing was different.


    No, it was not a snake. Though it moved like a snake, it had its other legs to attack, and to defend. Most important of all, its legs were too agile, and flexible. The wolf had intended to dig its claws into its enemy, but the way that its enemy moved, deflecting all its attacks, the wolf failed to find any purchase. Rather, it was the wolf itself, which was getting hurt, as the claws of its enemy, sharper than even its own claws, kept digging through its fur.


    Yet the wolf did not panic. It was not its first time fighting such tricky enemies. It had wished to not use its abilities until its preys had, but since things had reached the point they had, there was no point in holding back. Taking a step back, the wolf concentrated on its paws, and swung them at its enemies, sending a few waves of wind blades, expecting them to tear its prey into shreds.


    However, the wolf was disappointed once again. Right as its wind blades were about to reach its enemy, a layer of grey fog descended, and blocked them. No, not blocked, but absorbed them. That was out of the wolf¡¯s expectations. An ability that could absorb its wind blades¡­ Was it from the third enemy in the distance? It would have to remain wary¡­

 Chapter 35: Stronger enemies [Part 3]

    While the wolf was concentrating on Cecilia, and Yuri, Alnea was not standing still either. The recoil from the force of blasting all his Aspects into the wolf was greater than he had expected. Though it had allowed him to dodge all of the wind blades, it had also forced him back further than he had intended, while disrupting his balance at the same time, delaying his subsequent attacks. But after he had regained his balance, and reformed the whirlwinds around his limbs, he went charging in at the wolf once again.


    Coincidentally, it just so happened that the wall of fog descended at the very instant, absorbing all of the wind blades, forcing the wolf¡¯s attention away form him. And Alnea was not about to let such a perfect chance get away from him. So, he shifted to the stance of the ¡®Star Piercing Style¡¯, the only Martial Styles focussing solely on speed, and lethality.


    Yet, no matter how distracted the wolf was, it was still an intermediate phase Oren Beast, one that had been through hundreds, if not thousands of life and death battles. A strike that could threaten its life, or even injure it, could not escape its perception, and intuition. Sensing an attack coming straight for its rear end, the wolf did not even turn back. It just lifted its back paws, and sent a flurry of wind blades directed at him once again.


    Cursing the wolf for its wasteful utilisation of Oren, Alnea blasted the whirlwind on his right leg, and used the force generated from it to jump sideways, dodging the blades just in time. That was another trick of the ¡®Twin Whirlwind Style¡¯, and one of the reasons why it was graded as an Intermediate Grade Martial Style. It was an extravagant trick, that wasted too much Spirit Power for just a simple dodge, but it was a handy trick that could prove useful in some circumstances.


    Recondensing the Whirlwind around his right leg, Alnea shifted the position of his sword, just as the wolf turned around to face him. Even though they had surrounded it, and had even wounded it, the wolf still thought that it could win against them. That was the most important thing to do when fighting against Oren Beasts with suicidal Innate Abilities, giving them hope of their victory.


    Fortunately for Alnea, he did not have to make too much effort in making that part look believable. It was the truth, after all. With both him, and Cecilia, who were actively fighting the wolf, being just Initial Stage False Wanderers, the wolf truly did have a fighting chance against them. Rather, with how carefree, and generous it was being with its Oren, it probably had a greater chance of winning against them than what they had of winning against it.


    But that was only if they counted their raw power, and abilities. Only Oren Beasts measured their powers in such barbaric ways. For Wanderers, it was not just the powers they could use, but also how they used those powers that mattered the most. So, when the wolf came charging straight at him, hiding behind a flurry of wind blades, Alnea did not get flustered.


    Instead, he reached towards his dagger, the Golden Yearning, the one he had dropped while dodging the wind blades just a while ago, and directed it to fly straight towards the wolf, forcing it to withdraw once again. At the same time, he shifted his sword to slash at the incoming wind blades with the ¡®Raging Waves of the West¡¯. Of course, just that was not enough to drown out all the wind blades. And so, along with the waves, he also blasted the whirlwinds around his hands, using their winds disperse the wind blades.


    Another waste of his Spirit Power. In just a few short moments since the beginning of the fight, he had already used up more than fifty units of Spirit Power. But it could not be helped. Though his robe would have been enough to defend against the blades, he wished to rely on his own power to defeat the wolf. His dagger, of course, was included within his powers. As were its Glyph Arrays.


    In total, Golden Yearning, the dagger that his master had given him on his birthday, had about ninety eight Glyph Arrays. Of them, there were sixteen False Ranked Glyph Arrays. But in essence, there were only four Glyph Arrays, with a version for each of the four Stages of the False Rank. And of those four Glyph Arrays, two were just the upgraded versions of the two Seed Ranked Glyph Arrays, while another one acted as a store house of Oren.


    That still one more Glyph Array of the False Rank. However, the amount of Oren it consumed was so huge, that he refrained from using it normal circumstances. What he was facing at the moment though, was anything but natural. Facing an enemy several times stronger than himself, how could he think about conserving his strength? And it was not as if he had to condense Oren for the dagger. The Oren he had stored in its reserves were enough.


    So, the moment that he blasted the whirlwinds around his hands, dispersing most of the wind blades aiming for him, Alnea also activated the fourth Glyph Arrays on his dagger. Consequently, before the wolf could take even a single step in its retreat, the golden threads on the white blade of his dagger lit up in a brilliant golden light. Not as bright as the light of his Aspects, but much sharper, and focussed, targeting only the wolf.


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    And the wolf, in turn, instinctively sensed that something was wrong. Being blinded by the golden light was not a problem. It relied more on the winds to sense its enemies anyways. But other than blinding it, the light also seemed to be seeping into its body. And as it did so, for some reason, the wolf felt its movements slowing down. As if¡­ as if it was being pressed to the ground¡­ No, not pressed¡­ The ground itself was calling to its body¡­


    A strange premonition began to engulf the wolf. As a descendant of the Hurricane Wolf, and as a Wind Wolf, it knew how important speed was to its survival. Its entire fighting style was dependent on fast it moved. Yet, with the golden light seeping into its body, everything seemed to change.


    For some reason, its body failed to listen its commands. No matter how it struggled, it just could not move its body as it wished. And when it did move, moving even a single step felt as if it was moving with ten preys on its back. In the end, it could do nothing, but watch in rage, as the thing which had released the light, and seemed to be something like a flying tooth, buried itself into its side.


    The attack was not beyond what the wolf could bear. It had borne wounds much worse than what the flying tooth had opened, and as long as it had enough time, it could even get used to the increased pressure on its body. But being wounded by such weak enemies¡­ preys¡­ was beyond what it could have ever imagined. Growing in madness, it shifted its body, and¡ª


    Right when the wolf was about to move, the tooth that had just dug into tis body released a hot, and squirmy sensation, and within moments, that squirmy sensation had spread all over its body, sapping it of all its strength. It was only through the power of its sheer will, and ferocity, that the beast stayed upright, glaring at its enemy with hate.


    It could feel that as it resisted against the squiggly sensation from the tooth, it was slowly regaining its strength. Even its body was able to slowly resist against the pressure pulling to the ground. The problem though, was that its recovery was too slow. After all, it was not fighting just one enemy, but three. Even as it was slowly recovering, one of its other two enemies, the snake like enemy, which had hidden behind the wall of fog to save itself from its wind blades, had long left safety of the wall, and was almost upon it, with its claws shining in a green light. Was that its ability?


    At that moment, the wolf knew that if it did not do anything soon, it would be able to live for long. But it was finding it hard to even move. So, what could it do? Since that was the case, there was no need to think about anything else. Releasing a long cry of desperation, determination, and vengeance, the wolf began gathering all the darkness¡ª


    Cecilia reached the wolf¡¯s side just as it howled, trying to release its Dark Winds. But it was already too late for it. Forming her hands into the shape of a serpent¡¯s fangs, she bit into the wolf¡¯s throat, and its heart, ending its life before it could gather much darkness. As for the darkness that it did gather, it was not enough to form the Dark Winds, and soon dissipated back into the surroundings. Some of the darkness did get stuck to Cecilia¡¯s hand for a few moments, especially the one that had pierced the wolf¡¯s heart, but her Aspects were enough to ward it off.


    ¡°That was fun,¡± Cecilia said with a laugh, as she pulled her hands out of the wolf¡¯s body, not caring about the blood splashing onto her robe. ¡°We should have done it long ago.¡±


    ¡°If we would have done it earlier, then one, or even all of us might have ended up losing our limbs,¡± Yuri said, shaking her head, as she walked towards them. ¡°It is only because of the progress that we have made recently, both as individuals, and as a team, that we were able to succeed.¡±


    ¡°Why are including yourself in the list?¡± Alnea said, sheathing his sword, before walking up to the wolf to retrieve his dagger. ¡°You have been fighting intermediate phase Oren Beasts even before we formed a team. If anyone would have lost their limbs, it would have been just the two of us.¡±


    ¡°Speak for yourself,¡± Cecilia said with a snort, while wiping her hands on the wolf¡¯s fur. ¡°An intermediate phase Oren Beast is no match for me.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s why you required Yuri¡¯s help to ward off its wind blades?¡±


    ¡°I could have dealt with it myself,¡± Cecilia grumbled. ¡°Those blades would have never made it past the defences of my Martial Styles.¡±


    ¡°Right,¡± Alnea said with a chuckle, before turning towards Yuri, who was examining the wolf¡¯s body. ¡°I used up quite a bit of my Spirit Power in that fight. Should we return?¡±


    ¡°Already? But we have just started exploring!¡±


    ¡°Cecilia¡­¡±


    ¡°I know, I know, I was just saying¡­ Stop staring at me like that.¡±


    ¡°Like what?¡±


    ¡°¡­Fine, let¡¯s just go back. Happy?¡±


    ¡°Very happy,¡± Alnea said, laughing at Cecilia¡¯s pout, before turning back to Yuri. ¡°Let¡¯s go back. Although we did not explore much today, we got a valuable experience. I am sure that we will do even better next time.¡±


    It was not a boast, but a statement that came from his confidence. And he had expected Yuri to agree with him. He knew that Cecilia did. But contrary to his expectations, Yuri was not even paying attention to him. Instead, all of her attention was fixed on the body of the wolf. And as time passed, both Alnea, and Cecilia notice the abnormality. Observing the wolf in silence, with a frown on her face¡­


    ¡°I am afraid we cannot leave yet,¡± Yuri finally said after a while, shaking her head with a sigh, before turning towards him, and Cecilia, looking at them with a solemn face. ¡°We may have stumbled upon a Fortune Spring.¡±

 Chapter 36: Searching for Fortune Spring [Part 1]

    ¡°A Fortune Spring?¡± Alnea mumbled, staring at Yuri with wide eyes. Even Cecilia had lost the grin from her face, turning stiff at the mention of a Fortune Springs. Rather, her reaction was even more exaggerated, as she stared at Yuri, half in elation, and half in disbelief. After all, a Fortune Spring meant much more for her than it did for him.


    Search for Fortune Springs may only be just one of the reasons why they were exploring the canyon, but for Cecilia, it was like a light of hope that would allow her to keep pace with him, and Yuri. Still, no matter how excited she was, she did not let her emotions cloud her judgement. Forcing herself to take deep breaths, she looked at Yuri with a solemn face.


    ¡°There truly is Fortune Spring here?¡±


    ¡°Most probably,¡± Yuri said, pointing to the body of the wolf in front of them. ¡°Can you not see what is wrong with this Dark Wind Wolf?¡±


    ¡­The wolf looked pretty normal to Alnea. But he could not say that out loud without embarrassing himself. So, there was only one thing he could do. Instead of answering Yuri, he turned towards the wolf¡¯s body, and began observing it in detail. He still could not see anything different about it though. And so, he leaned in even closer to the wolf, going so far as to crouch down beside it.


    Yet the result was still the same. He still could not find what Yuri was talking about. In the end, he could only shake his head in resignation. However, he was not the only one observing the wolf. Just on a whim, Alnea turned towards Cecilia, wondering if she had found what Yuri was talking about, only to find her staring at him, with the same confusion in her eyes. And for some reason that he liked to keep secret, he felt a strange sense of relief course through his veins. Still, the problem that Yuri had given them had not been solved. Something wrong with the Dark Wind Wolf¡­


    ¡°What is it?¡± Alnea said, with Cecilia matching him in both words, and timing, as if they had already agreed to do so beforehand. Of course, they had done nothing of the sort. He did not have any telepathic connection with Cecilia, after all. But he did have one with Yuri. So, it was not a surprise that their tacit understanding, and timing made Yuri raise her brows in amusement. And if it had happened at any other time, she might even have teased him about it. However, they had more important things to discuss.


    ¡°Its body,¡± Yuri said, pointing to wolf. ¡°Its body is a little smaller than what the body of a typical Dark Wind Wolf in the intermediate phase of its Adolescent Stage should be.¡±


    Smaller body¡­


    ¡°Are you sure about it?¡± Alnea said, glancing at the wolf once again. ¡°It doesn¡¯t look any different from a normal Dark Wind Wolf to me.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s because you are looking at the wrong place,¡± Yuri said, squatting down beside the wolf once again, tracing her hand on the length of the wolf¡¯s legs. More precisely, its claws. ¡°If look at its overall appearance, then it really does not look any different from normal Dark Wind Wolves. But if you look at its paws, you will notice that it far is too small for a body of its size. It should have been at least a couple of inches larger. And here, look at how small its claws are¡­ It is as if they have yet to grow to match the size of its paws.¡±


    ¡°¡­I don¡¯t see too much of a difference,¡± Cecilia said, still trying to hold back her nervous excitement behind her mask of rationality. ¡°Besides, even if there are some minor differences, they can be attributed to some mutation, or lack of food.¡±


    ¡°Lack of food? Here? In the Night Canyons? Do you really believe that?¡±


    ¡°¡­What about mutation?¡±


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    ¡°Mutation¡­ Indeed, you can think of it as a form of mutation. But the main question is, where did that mutation come from?¡±


    ¡°¡­Mutations are called as mutations because they can happen because of anything. Maybe even the wolf¡¯s own perception. Anything can happen when the Origin Sea is involved.¡±


    ¡°Anything can indeed happen when the Origin Sea is involved, but the Origin Sea is not random. It has its own rules, regulations. We are just not able to see them. Still, anything that happens must have its own cause, and reasons. The same is with the mutation of the wolf. My guess is that something allowed the wolf to rapidly increase its strength, allowing it to advance in its phase earlier than it should have. It is just that its body had not caught up with the growth of its powers yet. As for where the sudden gain of its strength came from¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­A Fortune Spring?¡±


    ¡°That is the most probable answer,¡± Yuri said, finally causing the mask of rationality on Cecilia¡¯s face to break apart. Before she could jump in excitement though, Yuri reached out to place her hand on Cecilia¡¯s shoulders, adding, ¡°Do not get too excited. That is just my guess. And even if my guess is true, we still need to find the Fortune Spring in order to experience its Good Fortune. Who knows, maybe the wolf experienced the Fortune Spring in some other region, before being driven here by other Oren Beasts.¡±


    ¡°It does not matter,¡± Cecilia said, shaking her head. ¡°We were not expecting to come across a Fortune Spring in the first place. If we can find the Fortune Spring, then well and good. If not, then we will just have to keep looking. Besides, if we have Goddess Ilea¡¯s favour, then nothing will be able to stop us from finding a Fortune Spring. And if we do not have her favour, then no matter what we do, we will be met with failure. Rather than brooding what might, or might not happen, I would prefer taking actions instead.¡±


    ¡°Just the fact that you can say those words shows how much you have grown,¡± Yuri said, nodding at Cecilia with a smile. ¡°You do not have to worry. Whether we find a Fortune Spring or not, I will make sure that are left behind.¡±


    ¡°No need,¡± Cecilia said, shaking her head, defying their expectations once again. ¡°If I cannot keep pace with you two on my own, then fighting by your side will not make any sense. Like I said, I would rather not be with you two, than be a burden. Besides, what good will worrying do for me? It would be better if I use my time, and energy on other more productive things.¡±


    Once again, Alnea was left staring at Cecilia speechlessly. After shaking his head to make sure that he was not hearing things, he leaned towards his green robed friend, and said, ¡°Are you really Cecilia?¡±


    ¡°Stop joking around,¡± Cecilia said with a laugh, using the first two fingers of her hand to push his head away from her face, before turning towards Yuri. ¡°Come on, let¡¯s stop wasting time. We should not stay in place for too long.¡±


    This time, instead of asking Cecilia, Alnea turned towards Yuri, and said, ¡°Is she really Cecilia?¡±


    ¡°¡­Stop fooling around,¡± Yuri said, in almost a mimicry of Cecilia, just with a wider, and more radiant smile on her face. Then again, her smile had always been radiant. Nonetheless, she was right. They did not have the time to fool around.


    ¡°¡­My Spirit Power is too low at the moment,¡± Alnea said to Yuri. ¡°I should conserve some it for cases of emergency. It would be better if you would take over from me now.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s alright,¡± Yuri said, nodding back at him. ¡°It is almost time for the switch anyway. And I barely used up any Spirit Power in the previous fight.¡±


    ¡°Good, then let¡¯s go.¡±


    Just as they were about to leave though, Cecilia pointed to the wolf¡¯s body, and said, ¡°What about it? Are we going to abandon it?¡±


    ¡°¡­Its too heavy, and cumbersome.¡±


    ¡°¡­That reminds me, I need to pick up my bag,¡± Alnea said, and turned back towards the place where he had dropped his bag. However, before he could take even one step towards it, Yuri stretched out her hands, and put it on his shoulders, stopping him in his tracks.


    ¡°Forget it. Like I was saying, the wolf¡¯s body is too heavy, and same goes for you bag. They will get in the way of our search. We do not know what we will be encountering if we find a Fortune Spring, so it would be for the best if we leave them here for now, and pick them up on our way back.¡±


    Saying so, Yuri did not even wait for his confirmation. She just turned around, and started walking off into the darkness of the canyon. It was only when she had walked a few steps, and noticed that neither Alnea, nor Cecilia were following her, that she stopped, and turned towards them, before adding, ¡°What are you two waiting for? Let¡¯s go, find that Fortune Spring.¡±

 Chapter 36: Searching for Fortune Spring [Part 2]

    Cecilia stayed still for a few moments, before giving up all her complicated thoughts, and hurriedly following along with Yuri. Alnea was not any different from her though. Being given respite from carrying his heavy bag for a while, he did not wish to waste his precious moments of rest on staring at the darkness. The only reason he had been so slow to react was because Yuri¡¯s touch on his shoulders had reminded him of some thoughts.


    Unnecessary thoughts, but thoughts that occupied his mind, nonetheless. Especially when his eyes¡ªAlnea suppressed his unnecessary thoughts in the Serenity of his Heart, and rushed towards Yuri, who in turn, after making sure that he, and Cecilia were following behind her, gave them a nod, before turning around, and walking into the darkness of the canyon, her senses focussed completely on exploring its depths.


    Not the unknown depths, which seemed to be calling out to them, extending its tendrils of desires, and temptations, trying to lure them into its endless traps, like the one with the Devouring Grass. No, not like the Devouring Grass. Those tendrils spoke of a much greater danger, hiding in the skin of an even greater temptation. The temptations of Springs of Fortune, and countless precious resources, hiding in the places touched by the Origin Sea. In the depths of the Night Canyons that lay just beyond their reach.


    Unfortunately, they were not ready for such places. Not yet. Dealing with an intermediate phase Oren Beast was already their limit. And the dangers that awaited them in the inner reaches of the Night Canyons was far beyond their limit. Thus, for the moment, they had to be content with what they had found. A clue, which might, or might not lead them to a Fortune Spring.


    In any case, as Cecilia had said, there was no use in brooding over such things. It would be best if they could find a Fortune Spring, and if not, then they will just have to keep searching. Regardless, they had to keep doing their best. Like at the moment, while Yuri was exploring their surroundings with the sense of her Spirit, leading the way for them, Alnea was not being idle. And neither did he just simply keep following behind her.


    Resting his hand on the hilt of his dagger, he kept up his guard, ready for any sudden threats, or danger. His sword was too large. Drawing it would take time. And he could not throw it like his dagger either. His sword was not meant for flying. At least not until he engraved such Glyph Arrays on his sword, if he even did so.


    Then there was the issue of walking too closely with Cecilia, and Yuri. Drawing his sword so near to them, if he missed even a beat, he might end up injuring them before he would even be able to defend himself. In any case, using his sword was not suitable for defending himself from abrupt, and surprise attacks. Thankfully, he still had his dagger, his ¡®Golden Yearning¡¯. A present that his master had given him.


    Just until a few weeks ago, all his strategies in fighting Beasts, or at least most of them, used to rely on his dagger. That had changed after he had reached the False Rank, and diversified his attacking methods, but the dagger still remained as his most versatile tool in a fight. It could be used for both, offense, and defence. He could even use it to distract his enemies, or just to simply launch an attack from a distance. Using it to defend against some surprise attacks would not be too much of a problem, or so he presumed. He would not know until he actually experienced such an attack.


    But that did not mean Alnea was hoping for such an attack to come. He did not thirst for testing his dagger against the surprise attacks of enemies. It would be best if he¡ªthey did not even encounter any attacks. Especially since they were searching in the territory of the Dark Wind Wolf that they had just slain. Dark Wind Wolves were not known to very friendly Oren Beasts, even to their own kind.


    The only time that the Dark Wind Wolves were known to gather, and mingle with their kind in relative peace, was when it was time for them to mate. And clearly, the wolf they had slain had just been in the intermediate phase of its Adolescent Stage, far from reaching the standards to mate. So, if there really was another Oren Beast in their vicinity, Dark Wind Wolf or not, it would mean that whatever the reason behind the mutation of the wolf they had slain was, it was tempting enough for two Oren Beasts to ignore their differences, and share a territory.


    Though that would probably confirm the existence of a Fortune Spring in their vicinity, it would also mean that they would have to fight another intermediate phase Oren Beast to enjoy that Fortune Spring. Something that he was not very keen on doing at the moment. Especially with the state that his Spirit Power was in. Still, whether they would have to fight another beast, or not, was not up to him. All he could do was keep his guard up, while Yuri searched for the Fortune Spring.


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    That was probably for the best though. After all, all that he knew about Fortune Springs was that they formed due to the influence of the Origin Sea, and its Mysteries. And that they granted Good Fortune to all those who visited them, regardless of their race, gender, or age. What exactly was a Fortune Spring though¡­ he still did not know. Neither did he know how they worked.


    Granting Good Fortune¡­ A place which would end up benefiting him. So, was the bed of the blood sucking grass a Fortune Spring for him? It did accelerate his progress in replacing sleep with meditation, but Alnea did not think that it was enough for it be termed as a Fortune Spring. Yet he could not accurately define what a Fortune Spring should be like. Maybe, Cecilia would not be able to do it either. No, her Roots were related to the lineage of Good Fortune, so she might be able to recognise it¡­


    So, was a Fortune Spring related to the Mysteries of the lineage of Good Fortune? If so, then how was the wolf able to benefit from that Mystery? If it was really related to Mysteries, then should it not have been from the lineage of Creation, or Night for the Dark Wind Wolf to benefit from it? Maybe, even the Mysteries from the lineage of Life would have been able to help it advance. Mysteries from the lineage of Good Fortune however¡­


    Watching his thoughts spiral out of his control, Alnea sighed, and closed his eyes for a moment to regain his Serenity. Why was he so worried about the Fortune Spring anyways? And why was he getting anxious the more he thought about it? Was it because he was worried for Cecilia? Was his anxiousness coming from his desire to help his friend? Or was it from the fear of watching her leave him, just because she could not keep up with him¡­


    No, Alnea admitted to himself, as he looked through essence of his Heart. Though he had not achieved a Clarity of his Heart, upon questioning himself, he was still able to isolate his insecurities, his internal conflicts, and face them head on. His anxiousness¡­ It came not just from worrying for Cecilia, but also from within himself. From the struggle of his progress on the path of Wanderers.


    How many days had it been since he had become a False Wanderer? Twenty? Twenty five? He did not know. Days were hard to keep count of in the canyons. What count he did have were just some approximations he came up with based on the number of times he had trained his Spirit. And there in lay the root of his insecurities. He did not know how much time had passed¡­ How much time was left for him before the Rising Wanderer Trials? How much time did he have before the Heterodox Wanderers came for him?


    He could act tough, and confident in front of Cecilia, and Yuri, but when he was left with his thoughts, the doubts would not stop coming. Nearly twenty days, most probably more, had passed since he had become a Wanderer, yet his Spirit Power had only recently reached the Fourth Level, crossing three hundred units, or thirty units in the standards of the Seed Rank.


    That, in normal circumstances, would have been a decent, or even a fast rate of progress. But circumstances were not normal for him. He did not have much time left before the Heterodox Wanderers would come for him. No, they had already come. It was just that his master had used some baits to distract them. But they would not stay distracted for long. Soon, in a few months, a year at most, they would be able to get rid of the distractions, and would come straight for him.


    Of course, his master would not let all those Wanderers come at him. She had promised that he would have to deal with only False Wanderers, while she would deal with the rest, but that would not make things much easier for him. At the moment, he was just an Initial Stage False Wanderer. A few months later, he would, at most, be at the Intermediate Stage. Fighting against Peak Stage False Wanderers was not going to be easy, even if he was going to do it as team. Especially because he was going to fight as team.


    Yuri, and Cecilia were two of the only five people closest to his Heart¡­ They were his Heart. If they were to get hurt, and worse, if they were to¡­ No, he could not let them get hurt. He refused to let them get hurt. However, he needed strength to achieve his goals. And so, when he had heard of Fortune Springs, he had wondered, if these paces had an easier, and faster way to increase his strength. Even if the way was not easy, as long as it was fast¡­ As long as it would allow him to reach the Peak, or even the Advanced Stage of the False Rank¡­


    But was that not exactly how the Heterodox Wanderers lived? Looking for easier, and shorter ways to gaining strength. Maybe there really were ways to rapidly increase his strength, like the one that the former retainers of the Lotus clan had used. However, every action of Wanderers, even their words, and thoughts, had its own price. Rapidly gaining strength naturally had its own price as well. A price, that he probably would not be able to, or wiling to bear. Fortune Springs¡­


    Alnea shook his head, as he opened his eyes to stare back into the darkness once again. It did not matter what a Fortune Spring was like. It did not even matter if they could find a Fortune Spring. Strength¡­ True strength, was something that one gained through the virtue of their efforts, and not because they got lucky, and stumbled upon a Fortune Spring. Maybe some people gained their strength in such a way, but that kind of strength would not be¡ª


    ¡°This is it,¡± Yuri said, stopping in front of a cluster of boulders. ¡°A Fortune Spring.¡±

 Chapter 37: Fortune Springs [Part 1]

    ¡°¡­This is a Fortune Spring?¡± Alnea said, staring incredulously at the cluster of boulders in front of him. ¡°But¡­¡±


    ¡°It does not feel anything special?¡± Yuri said, completing the rest of his sentence, prompting him to nod along, as she looked at him in amusement. ¡°What did you think a Fortune Spring was going to be like? A literal spring gushing out Good Fortune for you to collect? Or a mass of Mysteries manifesting in the world?¡±


    ¡°¡­Not to that extreme, but shouldn¡¯t a Fortune Spring have something special? At the very least, it should have some distinct characteristics that would make it recognisable at a glance¡­¡±


    ¡°If Springs of Fortune could be recognised so easily, then big sis Nyssa would not have placed so much emphasis on how we need to find them first to enjoy their Good Fortune.¡±


    ¡°But didn¡¯t you find this place anyway?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s because of the¡ª


    ¡°You two speak so much that it is starting to hurt my head,¡± Cecilia said, interrupting in between them, as she glanced back from the boulders to her two friends. ¡°And who said that there is no distinct characteristic that sets this place apart from the rest of the canyon? Can you not feel the undulations coming from the boulders?¡±


    ¡°What undulations?¡±


    ¡°¡­Just close your eyes, and listen carefully,¡± Cecilia said. ¡°Try not to resist against the boulders. Just let them come to you, to your senses.¡±


    ¡°¡­These boulders can move?¡±


    ¡°Are you stupid? How can the boulders move on their own?¡±


    ¡°You are the stupid one!¡± Alnea said. ¡°You said just now to let the boulders come to me.¡±


    ¡°¡­Just close your eyes, and listen. You will understand what I am saying.¡±


    Alnea grumbled in dissatisfaction at the girls. He had long known how unreasonable Cecilia could be, but why was Yuri not saying anything in his defence? Was there really something different about the boulders? After some hesitation, he decided to follow Cecilia instructions. There was no harm in trying listen to the boulders. At least, it would not take much effort on his part.


    However, when he closed his eyes, and tried to listen to the boulder, if that was even possible, he heard nothing. Absolutely nothing. Let alone the boulder, for some reason, he was not even able to hear anything else. Except for the breaths of the two girls beside him, the world around him was deathly silent. There was only darkness, and quiet. But that was not how it was supposed to be.


    Though the canyon was dark, it was never so quiet. It always had some sound or the other flowing through its reaches, being carried by the winds, or travelling through the solid ground beneath his feet. Yet, as he stood in front of the boulders, he failed to hear any sound. Just as he failed to feel any other sensations. All his senses were failing him. Especially his sense of smell.


    The dank, humid smell of the air was gone, replaced by a dark, and sinister smell, wrapped around in the smell of fresh air. Fresh air? In the canyon? Could this place even be considered as a part of the canyon anymore? It surely felt like a world in itself. A world, separated from the rest of the canyon, where only the boulders¡ª


    Alnea felt the whispers dig into his robe, trying to find some kind of purchase to climb up the back of his spine, before he heard them. He knew that they were whispers, because that was what they were, whispers. From the boulders to his Heart. Whispers of an invitation. Join the boulders, they said. Become one with them, and in return, they would grant him invincibility. They would grant him strength.


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    Was that not what he was looking for, the boulders asked. Strength. Power. They had everything. And they would give it all to him. All he had to do was just take a step forward, and become a part of what they represented. Become a part of the great Earth. That was not such a bad idea, was it? He had been wishing for an easier, and faster way to gain strength anyways. They would grant him all his wishes. All he had¡ª


    Alnea opened his eyes, forcing all the whispers to recede from his back, from his mind, as he kept panting, trying to take in some deep breaths. They were not helping. And neither did Cecilia¡¯s chuckle from the side. Or the apologetic smile on Yuri¡¯s face.


    ¡°So? How was it? Do you finally understand what¡¯s so different about this place?¡±


    ¡°¡­The temptations?¡±


    ¡°¡­They are a part of it, yes,¡± Yuri said, turning back towards the boulders. ¡°There are all kinds of Fortune Springs in the world. Some of them may grant us Good Fortune the moment we find them, while others will make us struggle before granting us with their Good Fortune. However, all of the Fortune Springs have one thing in common. To earn their Good Fortune, one must pass their tests.


    ¡°These tests can be anything, from facing against enemies, to finding the Fortune Springs themselves. It is because of the latter that the rumours about how once we find Fortune Springs, we are bound to experience their Good Fortune spread in the first place. But that does not change the fact that to enjoy the Good Fortune of the Fortune Springs, one must pass their tests.


    ¡°After all, Good Fortunes always come with a risk. And those who cannot prove themselves worthy of facing its risk will only end up harming themselves if they try to forcefully accept the Good Fortune. So, even if one can find Fortune Springs, if they cannot pass its tests, then they will never be able to enjoy its Good Fortune. As for that temptation earlier, you can think of it as a test of the Fortune Spring in front of us.¡±


    ¡°A test¡­ is this place¡­ are the boulders alive?¡±


    ¡°They are, but at the same time, they are not,¡± Yuri said, shaking her head, as she turned back towards him. ¡°It is a little complicated to explain. You will understand it yourself when you experience more Fortune Springs. For now, just know that we have finally found a Fortune Spring.¡±


    ¡°No¡­ but¡­ how does that test even works? And what happens if someone fails the test?¡±


    ¡°You should already know the answer to those questions,¡± Cecilia said with a grin, making him even more nervous than before.


    ¡°¡­Is it like the Origin Sea?¡±


    ¡°Maybe, maybe not. Why don¡¯t you try it once, and see what happens?¡±


    ¡°I¡­¡±


    ¡°Stop teasing him, Cecilia,¡± Yuri said, breaking Alnea away from his contemplation. ¡°The canyon is dangerous enough as it is, there is no need for you to add more chaos in to the mix.¡±


    ¡°I was just speaking the truth.¡±


    ¡°A half-truth.¡±


    ¡°Still a truth.¡±


    ¡°One that is more dangerous than lies.¡±


    ¡°¡­Fine, I won¡¯t tease him anymore,¡± Cecilia said, sticking her tongue out for a moment, before turning towards Alnea. ¡°Relax, this is just a Fortune Spring, not the Origin Sea. Nothing would have happened to you even if you would have failed its test. You just would not have been able to enjoy the Good Fortune. But I doubt that you would have failed the test.¡±


    ¡°¡­You sure know a lot about Fortune Springs,¡± Alnea said, staring at Cecilia. ¡°Have you experienced them before?¡±


    ¡°Once, when my mother took me for a trip to the Bright Light Forest,¡± Cecilia said. ¡°Of course, I was too young back then, so I was there only for the experience. I was not able to enjoy the Good Fortune. Still, I learned quite a few things about Fortune Springs from my experience.¡±


    ¡°¡­Was I the only one who knew nothing about Fortune Springs?¡±


    ¡°Do not be embarrassed about it,¡± Yuri said, patting his shoulders, while giving him a reassuring smile. ¡°At least you know about it now.¡±


    ¡°I am not embarrassed,¡± Alnea said, turning towards the boulders to hide his flushed face. ¡°We have already found the Fortune Spring. What are we supposed to do next?¡±


    ¡°¡­Since we have found this place, we might as well enjoy its benefits.¡±


    ¡°How are we going to do that though?¡± Alnea asked, staring at the boulders. ¡°I still am not sure about what a place of fortune entails. And what is with these rocks, and boulders? Why are they giving out such strange whispers, and noises?¡±


    There were so many things he was confused about. So many things he wished to know. However, instead of answering his questions, Yuri just smiled at him, and asked a question of her own.


    ¡°What do you think a Fortune Spring is, Alnea?¡±

 Chapter 37: Fortune Springs [Part 2]

    ¡°¡­I am not sure,¡± Alnea said, scratching his head, while glancing at the boulders. ¡°All I know is that Fortune Springs are formed in place where the influence of the Origin Sea spills into our world. Other than that¡­ Are they like manifestations of Mysteries? Or are they places with the blessings of Goddess Ilea? Places where we can receive Good Fortune¡­¡±


    ¡°That is a good guess,¡± Yuri said, as she walked up to the boulder nearest to them. ¡°Unfortunately, you are slightly off. The answer is a mix of all those three things, and in a slightly different form that you perceive them to be in.¡±


    ¡°¡­That does not make sense.¡±


    ¡°It will, in a while. Before that, first tell me, do you remember what Thrall Domains are?¡±


    ¡°Of course,¡± Alnea said. ¡°Thrall Domains are the parts of our world, which the Thralls have corrupted, and turned inhabitable for all but themselves.¡±


    ¡°Yet some of the most precious resources of our world are found in the Thrall Domains,¡± Yuri said, tracing her hands on the large boulder, a little larger than herself, before turning to face him, and Cecilia. ¡°Why do you two think that is the case?¡±


    ¡°Are you asking me too?¡± Cecilia said, staring at Yuri in confusion, only for Yuri to ask her a question in return.


    ¡°Do you know exactly what Fortune Springs are? Or how they work?¡±


    ¡°¡­I know that they are supposed to bring me Good Fortune.¡±


    ¡°Then isn¡¯t this the perfect opportunity to learn more about Springs of Fortune, and how they work?¡±


    ¡°¡­I guess so,¡± Cecilia said, and after some thought, added, ¡°The answer to your question is obvious, isn¡¯t it? It is because of the ¡®corruption¡¯ that the Thralls bring. It is still unknown how they are able to do it, but somehow, Thralls are able to let the Mysteries of the Origin Sea, those which they are aligned with, manifest permanently in our world. And they do this on such a large scale, and in so short a time, that if not for the fact that they are contained at the borders, it would not take long for them to carve another Thrall Domain.


    ¡°In any case, since these manifestations of Mysteries are enough to corrupt our world to the point that the world itself provides assistance to the Thralls, while suppressing all those who do not specialise in those said Mysteries, it is not a surprise that those manifestations can give birth to a few resources. Or else, why would the Orthodoxies all vie for taking the responsibility of defending against the Thralls? Isn¡¯t it because of the resources they can harvest in the Thrall Domains?¡±


    ¡°What about you Alnea?¡± Yuri said, after nodding at Cecilia to acknowledge her answer. ¡°Do you have anything else to add?¡±


    ¡°¡­The most precious resources are found in the Thrall Domains because it is the graveyard of Wanderers. The place where most of the Wanderers die. And I am not talking about normal death. Thrall Domains¡­ they have a tendency to make Wanderers lose control over themselves. And we all know what happens when Wanderers lose control over themselves. They get devoured by the Origin Sea.


    ¡°One may then say that there is nothing new with Wanderers getting devoured by the Origin Sea. It happens almost every day, and all over the world. Even Anneve. My father¡­ In any case, no resources are generated from the Wanderers getting devoured by the Origin Sea. Something that we personally confirmed just over a month ago. What is so special about the Thrall Domains then?


    ¡°Once again, the answer lies in the question itself. The Thrall Domains¡­ they are the graveyard of Wanderers. It would not matter if only a few Wanderers were to get devoured. But with thousands, and even tens of thousands of Wanderers getting devoured in the span of just over a few months, and the feedback of the Origin Sea into the world, as it devours Wanderers one after another, all concentrated in a small area, it would be a surprise if no resources were formed from the influence of the Origin Sea.¡±


    ¡°Is that all?¡±


    ¡°I guess,¡± Alnea said, shrugging his shoulders. ¡°Cecilia has already said the thing about the ¡®corruption¡¯, so there is not much else left for me to add.¡±


    ¡°Fine, let us take just those two explanations for consideration,¡± Yuri said, nodding at them with a smile. ¡°Whichever of the two explanations we take, both are reasonable, and perfectly logical. However, don¡¯t you think that there is something missing in those explanations?¡±


    To Yuri¡¯s question, both Alnea, and Cecilia could only shake their head with a wry smile.


    ¡°If we would have known what you are talking about, then we would have already said so,¡± Alnea said, and was soon complemented by Cecilia.


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    ¡°Just get straight to the point.¡±


    Yuri, of course, did not get straight to the point. Instead, she smiled at them, and said, ¡°Alright, let us try this another way. Tell me, did either of you notice the common points between your explanations?¡±


    ¡°Common point?¡± Alnea mumbled, thinking back on his words, before comparing it with what Cecilia had said. As he was doing that though, his eyes instinctively darted over to Cecilia, and found her looking back at him. Then, once again, as if in a silent tacit agreement, they turned towards Yuri, and said unison, ¡°The Origin Sea.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right,¡± Yuri said. ¡°Whether it is the ¡®corruption¡¯, or the feedback that you two talked about, in both cases, it is the powers of the Origin Sea, which spilled into our world, that caused the creation of all those precious resources. Without the powers of the Origin Sea, none of those things would have been possible.


    ¡°However, we, as Wanderers, call upon the powers of the Origin Sea all the time. Even normal humans cannot live without the powers of the Origin Sea. Then why is it that when we manifest the Origin Sea, nothing happens, but when the Thralls call upon it, it leaves precious resources behind? Don¡¯t you two find it odd?¡±


    ¡°Now that you mention it, it does seem odd,¡± Alnea said, with a hint of hesitation in his voice. ¡°Is it because the Thralls can Mystery lash? Or because the concentration of the Mysteries is too much? No that should not be it either¡­ But what does it have to do with Fortune Springs?¡±


    Alnea had always liked learning about the Origin Sea, and all its little secrets. However, they were not in the position to just stand around, and talk so nonchalantly. What if some Oren Beast would come attacking their way? Worrying about all the things that could happen, he urged Yuri to stop wasting time. And with him not hiding his emotions, it was only natural for Yuri to notice the anxiousness on his face. But her reaction was completely outside his expectation. With a smile on her face, she stopped tracing the rock with her finger, and looked at him with confidence shining in her eyes.


    ¡°To answer that question, let us go back to the question that you had asked before. What exactly is a Fortune Spring. Or rather, why is there a ¡®Fortune¡¯ in its name. You are curious about that, right?¡±


    ¡°¡­I am.¡±


    ¡°¡­It mattered not to the Origin what the reason was; maybe a Chance happenstance, or Good Luck for all, for it soon brought in Time, the Good Fortune of all¡­¡±


    ¡°The lore of creation¡­ What does that have to do with Fortune Springs?¡±


    ¡°The lore of creation¡­ It may just be a lore, but if you read into it deep enough, then it can be connected with everything in the world. Even the Origin Sea. And that naturally includes the Fortune Springs. Besides, you seem to have a misconception about Fortune Springs. More precisely, the word Fortune in that term. Here, Fortune does not mean literal Fortune of the Mysteries from the lineage of Fortune, but just mere chance happenstance. Or in other words, luck.¡±


    ¡°¡­Luck?¡±


    ¡°Luck,¡± Yuri repeated. ¡°There are times, and places, where, and when, the boundaries between our world and the Origin Sea becomes thin for some reason. So thin, in fact, that often times some of the powers of the Origin Sea manages to slip through those barriers, and manifest in our world. Unlike the Thrall Domains though, these areas do not have the Thralls forcefully manifesting the Mysteries. The powers of the Origin Sea manifest in these areas naturally, and in a much more balanced way. This, in turn, creates what we know as Springs of Fortune. Or Fortune Springs. Places formed through sheer luck and chance.


    ¡°Of course, since Fortune Springs are generally formed in areas where the boundaries between our world, and the Origin Sea is weak, we can still roughly predict which areas have a higher probability of giving birth to Fortune Springs, like the Night Canyons. Or rather, any Forbidden areas in general. Since the Oren Beasts are more inherently linked to the Origin Sea than us, they have a tendency of settling in places where the boundaries between our world, and the Origin Sea is weak. Still, whether a Fortune Spring would form in an area or not, is all up to chances, and luck.


    ¡°As for Fortune Springs themselves, they are places where the Origin Sea¡¯s power has spilled over, creating special areas, which can bring all sorts of good fortune for us, and even Oren Beasts. For example, the wolf we just killed, it was much stronger than what a Dark Wind Wolf of its age should be. It should be because the wolf found this place, and used it grow stronger much faster than its natural growth rate. And this is just one kind of good fortune. There can be all sorts of good fortune, like getting enlightenment about Mysteries, or Arcanas, even Martial Styles. In any case, you two can understand the gist of what Fortune Springs are, right?¡±


    ¡°¡­I still have a few doubts, but I guess I can understand what you are trying to say.¡±


    ¡°I already knew most of it, so it is enough for me.¡±


    ¡°Then you have the answer for the question that I asked you earlier, right?¡±


    ¡°¡­Because the powers of the Origin Sea that we manifest is our interpretation of the powers of the Origin Sea,¡± Alnea said after some thought, to which, Cecilia nodded along, and added a few words of her own.


    ¡°And even in cases where we can manifest the true powers of the Origin Sea, like when we are using Glyphs, those are generally focussed, and isolated powers, rather than the more balanced, and homogenous powers of the Origin Sea that spills into our world naturally. Most probably, that is also the reason why the Thralls can ¡®contaminate¡¯ our world. Because the powers of the Origin Sea that they manifest forcibly are heavily skewed towards a particular type of Mysteries.¡±


    ¡°¡­There are a few things missing in those explanations, but that should be enough to satiate your curiosity, right?¡±


    ¡°¡­I still don¡¯t know how we are going to accept the good fortune of this Fortune Spring.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it,¡± Cecilia said, waving her hands to brush off his fears. ¡°We can show that to you. Even though I know little about Fortune Springs, at the very least I know how to use them. And I am sure that Yuri knows it too.¡±


    ¡°That settles it then,¡± Yuri said, with her most pleasant smile, that even the darkness of the canyon was not able to hide. ¡°How about it? Do you want to experience the Good Fortune hidden in this Fortune Spring?¡±

 Chapter 38: Seeking Good Fortune [Part 1]

    ¡°¡­Is that even a question?¡± Alnea mumbled, as he walked up to Yuri, with Cecilia soon joining them with a laugh. ¡°So, how are we doing this?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s pretty simple, actually,¡± Cecilia said, pointing to the boulders around them. ¡°You just need to choose the boulder which you feel the most familiar with, and then mediate on it for a while.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s it?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s it,¡± Cecilia said, only to be lightly tapped on her forehead by Yuri in the next moment.


    ¡°Who is going to tell him about being in his Spirit State, and trying to connect with the boulder?¡±


    ¡°¡­I mean, isn¡¯t that pretty obvious?¡± Cecilia said, rubbing her forehead. ¡°How else would he find the boulder that would fit him the most?¡±


    ¡°You¡­ forget it,¡± Yuri said, shaking her head, before turning towards him. ¡°From meditating, to performing your Martial Styles, or even displaying Arcanas, there are many ways of experiencing the Good Fortune hidden in Fortune Springs. Which method works on a Fortune Spring though, depends on the form it is in, and the way that it hides its Good Fortune.


    ¡°For example, there are certain Fortune Springs which will reveal their Good Fortune to only those who actively interact with them, and some, which will reveal their Good Fortune to only those who have experienced certain events in their life. Like betrayal, or a near death experience. In any case, these things do not concern you at the moment. For this particular Fortune Spring, you just need to sit on top of the boulder you feel most familiar with, and meditate on it, while trying to maintain a connection with it. In your Spirit State, of course.¡±


    ¡°¡­I would not be able to do it for long then,¡± Alnea said, awkwardly scratching the back of his head. ¡°My Spirit has yet to recover.¡±


    He was wondering if they would comfort him, or mention resting for a while before experiencing the Fortune Spring. To his embarrassment though, both Yuri and Cecilia responded with only giggles.


    ¡°You worry too much,¡± Cecilia, as she turned towards the boulders. ¡°Just choose one of the boulders, and let it do its trick.¡±


    ¡°¡­I still am not completely sure about how this will work, but if you two are saying so, then fine. I guess there is no harm in trying.¡±


    Grumbling a little, Alnea turned towards the boulders himself, as he entered his Spirit State. And without any hesitation, reached towards the boulders with the senses of his Spirit, observing them in detail. From their size, colour, and texture to their taste, smell, and even sounds. Especially the sounds. The soothing, and tempting sounds, digging into his robe, and climbing up his spine, up his Spirit, promising him endless strength. A future, where he would reign supreme. A future¡­


    The whispers¡­ they were much louder, and clearer than before. He was not too surprised by them though. Earlier, he had been able to hear the whispers of the boulders even when was not in his Spirit State, so it was only natural for them to be louder, and clearer in the enhanced senses of his Spirit. However, as he listened to the whispers, he noticed that they had somehow also multiplied in numbers. From just around a dozen or so whispers, they had increased to nearly a hundred.


    Furthermore, the whispers were not the same as they had been earlier. While some of them still promised him a faster, and better way to gaining strength, some promised him an endless future, while the others just promised him a comfortable present. All kinds of temptations were making their way to his Heart. One of the boulders even promised him to let him talk to his father¡­


    For a moment, Alnea thought of immediately agreeing to the whisper. The offer that he had been given was too good to refuse. It was only the Serenity of his Heart which helped him calm down, and observe the whisper once again, tracing it back to the boulder which was whispering the offer to him. Though he was not sure if it could even be called as a boulder. Barely large enough to reach his height, it looked more like a large rock, rather than a boulder.


    That in itself would not have mattered much. As long as the rock would have felt compatible with him, it would have been fine. He could have considered taking the rock up on its offer. Whether the rock would have delivered on its offer was another thing. It most probably would have just shown him an illusion, or maybe not even that. Maybe, the offers were just temptations, a test, as Cecilia had said. Still, a chance to meet his father¡­


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    The offer was too good to pass without any consideration. And so, Alnea decided that as long as the rock felt familiar to him, he might consider meditating on it. As long as the rock felt familiar to him¡­ It did not. No, in a sense, it did feel familiar to him. In fact, it felt a little too familiar. It reeked of a memory embedded deep into his mind, one that he could never forget. And one, that he refused to revisit.


    Alnea clenched his fist, and turned his attention away from the rock. Even if it could let him meet his father, he refused to go through that feeling of despair¡ªno, he refused to even think about it. And so, he concentrated on the boulder that was in the complete opposite direction of the rock, listening to its whispers, to its temptations. To its offers, and promises¡­


    Did he not just wish to escape? It would let him escape. As long he became one with it, he would be able to escape from anything in the world. Even the Origin Sea itself. All he needed to do was¡­


    To turn his attention away from the swindling boulder. Escape from the Origin Sea? Who in their right mind would believe such stupid lies? Besides, he was going to become the greatest Wanderer. Why would he escape from the Origin Sea? In fact, he wished to Wander the Origin Sea even more often. To glean all its Mysteries, to tame all its Aspects, and to reach the Origin Rank as soon as possible.


    And that was what the boulder he was concentrating on promising him. A future. The greatest future. To become an Origin Wanderer, all he needed to do was become one with it, to become one with the Origin Sea¡­


    ¡­Alnea changed his focus once again, and turned towards another boulder calling for him. The one that was promising him what he needed the most at the moment. A rapid rise in strength. Becoming an Intermediate Stage Wanderer¡­ As long as he chose the boulder, and became one with it, it would make sure that he would reach Peak Stage of the False Rank in a year, and the True Rank in two years. That was its confidence. And for a moment, he almost got ensnared in it. Almost.


    Reaching the Peak Stage in a year, and the True Rank in two years did sound good to hear, but Alnea had seen what happened to people who used shortcuts in gaining strength. He could not just increase his Spirit Power, and expect to advance in Stages, or Rank. Every time he advanced as a Wanderer, he had to do it in a complete, and wholesome manner, or risk facing its consequence.


    Reaching True Rank in two years¡­ he did not think his Heart could reach the state of Clarity by then. No, even before that, he probably would fail in completing his advancement to the Peak Stage in a year¡¯s time, and if he forced his advancement, then he would probably end up like the former retainers of the Lotus clan. Enthralled, and dead. The offer of the boulder, even if it was true, he did not want it.


    Besides, the feeling of vain overconfidence that the boulder was giving him was not the right fit for him. And so, Alnea shifted his focus to another boulder. But that did not fit him either, so he had to change his target again, and again, and again. Yet no matter how he searched, all the boulders had something about them that put him off. Either their offers were too far beyond belief, or the feeling that they gave him was not quite to his liking. Some of the boulders even fell into both categories, further frustrating him.


    ¡°¡­For this particular Fortune Spring, you just need to sit on top of the boulder you feel most familiar with, and meditate on it, while trying to maintain a connection with it¡­¡±


    Only when he recalled what Yuri had told him, did Alnea finally came to notice the mistake he had been making. Maybe, he had been searching through the boulders in the wrong way all along. He had assumed that he had to sift through the whispers of the boulders to find the one that he would be most suited to him, but maybe, that was not that case.


    ¡°¡­Good Fortunes always come with a risk¡­ prove themselves worthy of facing its risk¡­ even if one can find Fortune Springs, if they cannot pass its tests, then they will never be able to enjoy its Good Fortune¡­ temptation¡­ a test of the Fortune Spring¡­¡±


    That was Yuri had said. A test. The temptations, the whispers of the boulders were a test. If so, then everything would make sense. All the temptations, all the offers, they were all just a ruse. The true fortune, the one that was meant for him, was within the boulder hiding behind all the whispers. The only boulder which was not whispering anything to him.


    Standing a little larger than twice his height, surrounded by around half a dozen boulders of the same size, the boulder he had walked up to was not making him any offers, nor did it tempt him. It just stood there, waiting for him, as if it knew that he would find it. That he would walk up to, and trace all its edges, and curves, before pulling himself atop it. And the moment he did so, all the other boulders around him stopped whispering.


    It was as if their only purpose was to test him, and since he had passed their test, they had turned back to being just ordinary pieces of large rocks. No, not all of the boulders were like that. Three of the boulders were still a little special. The boulders that Alnea, Cecilia, and Yuri were sitting on. Just like him, they too had passed their tests, and had proven themselves worthy of the Good Fortune hidden in the boulders.

 Chapter 38: Seeking Good Fortune [Part 2]

    ¡°See, that was not too hard, was it?¡± Cecilia said, looking at him with a grin. She was sitting about three boulders away from him, a distance enough for the darkness to make it impossible to clearly see the features of her face, but in his Spirit State, everything was crystal clear to him. ¡°You sure did take your time though.¡±


    ¡°¡­I would have been done much sooner, if someone would have told me what to actually look for, rather than just asking me to find a boulder that I feel familiar with.¡±


    ¡°It worked out in the end, did it not?¡±


    ¡°¡­You two should never try to take in disciples when you become successful in your Wanderings.¡±


    While Cecilia was laughing at his grumblings, Alnea turned his attention to his other friend, Yuri. Just like Cecilia, she too was sitting on top of a boulder roughly the same size as his, but was only one boulder away from him. She was so close, that he did not even need the senses of his Spirit to be able to see her. Especially since the soft light of the canyon, as always, was naturally gathering around her face, lighting up her smile. A smile that was genuinely happy for him gaining the right to experience the good fortune hidden in the boulders.


    ¡°I can understand about Cecilia, but I am not that bad of a teacher, right?¡± Yuri said to him through the rings, in a voice that made it seem like she was offended by what he was saying, but she failed to hide her giggles from him. Or maybe, she deliberately added them to tease him.


    ¡°¡­A teacher who sends in her student to complete a task, without actually telling him how to do it.¡±


    ¡°I believed that you would be able to figure things out by yourself. And see, you did it, did you not? Besides, I would have warned you in case you would have been about to make a wrong, or hasty choice.¡±


    ¡°¡­Excuses.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you trust me?¡± Yuri said, in a hurt, disappointed voice, while withdrawing the smile on her face, replacing it with pitiful expression that matched her voice. If Alnea had not known her better, he might even have thought that she was genuinely hurt by his words. However, it was also because he knew her that he knew that she was telling the truth.


    Chuckling to himself, and to his mischievous friend, who had somehow managed to keep her mischievous side hidden from most of the world, Alnea shook his head, and said, ¡°Fine, fine. I trust you. Now, stop making that face, or Cecilia will start pouting again.¡±


    Yuri grumbled a little at that, but she did as he had asked, replacing the sad expression on her face with a more normal, and calm expression. Not her usual smile, but a calm, and serene face that she often had when she was complaining, or upset with him. He did not know whether she was really upset or not, but her voice did carry a sour tone.


    ¡°¡­You surely do take care of Cecilia a lot.¡±


    ¡°Of course,¡± Alnea said. ¡°She is precious to me, and I also made a promise to big sis Serena. It is only natural that I will take care of her.¡±


    ¡°¡­You, and your stupid Oaths.¡±


    ¡°¡­I took an Oath to take care of you as well, you know.¡±


    ¡°And how have you been taking care of me, exactly?¡±


    ¡°¡­I am working on that,¡± Alnea said, letting out an awkward smile. ¡°At the moment, I may only be adding to your burdens, but don¡¯t worry. Before long, I will be able to help you with everything that you have to carry. Both your burdens, and your responsibilities. Even if it means dealing with other Orthodoxies¡­ No matter what kind of fate, or great changes might be waiting for us, we will save your clan. Together.¡±


    ¡°¡­You surely know how to talk,¡± Yuri said, still in her grumbling tone, but with a smile on her face. He still did not know whether she had truly been upset with him, or was just acting. Still, he had to accept, Yuri really did look a lot better, and prettier with a smile. Especially when the smile was meant for him. It often sent cool, and refreshing waves in his chest. Maybe that was a Mystery as well¡­ The Mystery of Yuri¡¯s smile¡­


    While Alnea was grinning at his thoughts, Yuri glanced towards Cecilia, and said, ¡°Since we are ready, then there is no need for us to wait anymore. Let us experience what this Fortune Spring, and its hidden Good Fortune is all about.¡±


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    Alnea lost his smile the moment he heard what Yuri said. Putting on a solemn face, he said, ¡°Shouldn¡¯t one of us stay as guard while the others experience the Fortune Spring?¡±


    ¡°That is not necessary,¡± Yuri said, shaking her head. ¡°This place is in the Dark Wind Wolf¡¯s territory, so the other Oren Beasts should not be coming here. Unless, of course, they come to challenge the wolf. But in that case, once they find the wolf¡¯s dead body, with no signs of other Beast¡¯s injuries, they will think that a stronger Oren Beast has taken the wolf¡¯s territory, and will stay away from this place for a while.¡±


    ¡°¡­What if they think that they are strong enough to take down whatever it is that has killed the wolf? Or what if some Beast just stumbles upon us? Would we not be left completely defenceless in those cases?¡±


    ¡°You underestimate Fortune Springs,¡± Yuri said, shaking her head. ¡°Fortune Springs are called Fortune Springs for a reason. Even in the cases that you mentioned, once Oren Beasts, or even other Wanderers for that matter, come barging to this place, then the process of us experiencing the Good Fortune hidden in the boulders would be halted, and we would immediately regain our senses, ready to fight the uninvited visitors. There is nothing for you to worry about. Just relax, and meditate. And of course, do not forget to maintain your Spirit¡¯s connection with the boulder.¡±


    Alnea was still not convinced by Yuri¡¯s words. Leaving his defences up to chance, and fate was not an idea that he was very fond of. Especially fate. His fate¡­ His master may not have told him explicitly, but he was not dumb. From the things he had heard, and the things he knew, he could guess that the reason for the Heterodox Wanderers to come after him must be the curse of his fate.


    Even the Whitebud patriarch becoming Enthralled, and subsequent destruction of Anneve¡¯s core city, was all because of his fate. So many Wanderers, so many innocent people¡­ Even the reason his mother was suffering at the moment, worrying whether he was even alive or not, must be because of the curse. His fate¡­ it was not too reliable. If he gave up all his defences as Yuri had asked of him, then he was not sure what might happen. And with Yuri, and Cecilia by his side¡­


    ¡°Trust me, Alnea. Nothing will happen.¡±


    ¡°¡­It is not fair to use your smile like that,¡± Alnea grumbled, but gave in to Yuri¡¯s persuasion. Since even Cecilia was not saying anything, then things might be as Yuri had described. Even if his fate really did flare up, bringing them trouble, his master would still be able to save them in time. She would just scold them a little. A little scolding, in exchange for Yuri¡¯s smile¡­ That was not too bad of a deal.


    ¡°Fine,¡± Alnea said. ¡°Let¡¯s see what this Fortune Spring is all about.¡±


    ¡°¡­May Goddess Ilea¡¯s blessings be with you.¡±


    ¡°May Goddess Ilea¡¯s blessings be with you.¡±


    Saying so, all three of them closed their eyes, and began meditating, while keeping their Spirits connected with the boulders they were sitting on. In literal sense, it meant keeping all the senses of their Spirits focussed on the boulders, and observing their changes. That was trick Alnea had learned when he still a Seed. Concentrating all the senses of his Spirit to a point. Or just simply manipulating the senses of his Spirit. And as he reached the False Rank, his manipulation had only kept improving.


    Once he had concentrated his senses on the boulder he was sitting on, he stopped sensing everything around himself. Cecilia, Yuri, and even the world around him, everything was gone. Only he, and the boulder remained. And in a sense, they had truly become one. Not physically, or in any other plane of existence for that matter. It was just that since the boulder was the only thing he could sense, he felt as if he was, ever so slowly, melding into the boulder.


    Starting from his heartbeats, slowing down to match the breaths of the boulder¡ªbreaths. The boulder had breaths. It was as if it was alive, and trying to reach out to him, to communicate with him, to understand him, and to be understood. He had not felt that before. Was this the Good Fortune? No, this was just the beginning. A Fortune Spring¡­


    His master had specially emphasised to him about Fortune Springs, implicitly asking him to search for them. They were beneficial for his growth, she had said. So, the Good Fortune hidden in the Spring could not be something as simple as just a breathing rock. Or else, how could it have helped the wolf advance to the intermediate phase so quickly, that its own body was not able to keep up with its growth?


    ¡°¡­places where the Origin Sea¡¯s power has spilled over, creating special areas, which can bring all sorts of good fortune¡­¡±


    Special areas. That was what Yuri had said. The cluster of boulders was one such special area. A place hiding a Good Fortune. Yet what sort of Good Fortune could a boulder hide? It just sat there, silently, doing nothing, but breathing. Slow, and deep rhythmic breathing, like his Heart... When did his Heart begin to beat? No, before that, since when did Hearts gain the ability to beat? Or rather, when did Hearts gain such a substantial form, that he could even feel its beats?


    ¡°¡­Origin Sea¡¯s power¡­¡±


    Was this the work of a Mystery then? If so, then what kind of Mystery was it? And did that mean that the Good Fortune he was going to experience was a Mystery? That was not too bad of an option. Another Mystery¡­ he could use it to increase his repertoire of Arcanas. But¡­ was that really what was happening to him?


    Most probably not. He had been to the Origin Sea. He knew what the manifestation of a Mystery felt like. Besides, he could not even feel the presence of Oren. How could Mysteries manifest without Oren? The boulder¡­ it was definitely not manifesting a Mystery. But then, what exactly was happening? Why was he, ever so slowly, merging into the rock he was sitting on? Being one with the rock¡­ with Earth. He had rejected all those temptations, only to end up doing the exact same thing. What was even happening to him?


    Him? Who him? There was no him. There was only it. The rock that had existed for time immemorial.

 Chapter 39: Good Fortune [Part 1]

    The world was created¡­ it did not know when the world was created. It did not even know when it was created. It just knew that at some point, it existed. Not as a rock. At first, it existed just as grains of sand, drifting upon the wind, until the wind died down, and it settled on the ground. However, it was not the only one to do so.


    In time, it was joined by more of its brethren, creating a whole layer of sand, and dirt. And as even more time passed, all those layers came together to form rocks, while the rocks came together to form mountains, before even those mountains came together to form a whole chain of mountains, towering above the land.


    Yet, as it stood, facing the winds that had once carried its grains, it noticed that the same winds were bashing against its walls. At the same time, the water, which it had gathered in its ranges, were all cutting through its rocks. And these were just a few examples of the forces working against it. Without it even knowing, the same forces of nature which were working in tandem to make it stand, began working against it, trying to bring it down. And just like that, the mountain range soon turned into just a range of hills, until even those hills started dwindling, returning back to the lands from which they had risen.


    It was alright though. That was just how things were. Rise, and fall. Creation, and Destruction. The world itself was a cycle, meant to be repeated endlessly. Soon, it too would turn back into just grains of sand, drifting along the wind, beginning its cycle anew. Maybe, it had been through the cycle before. And it would certainly go through it again. It would¡ª


    The world itself shuddered, and cracked, caving in upon itself, devouring its own lands. Waves, upon waves of hills, and remnants of the mountain range just swallowed up by the lands, pushing them down to the depths of darkness. To the depths of the canyons that had formed just overnight.


    Why did the land swallow them? It did not know. It did not even know what was happening anymore. It just knew that by being pulled into the depths of the canyons, it had been essentially cut off from the cycle of the world. No wind, or water would come to carry it away from the canyons. It would remain within the darkness for eternity. What did that matter to it though?


    It was just a rock. Whether it was outside of the canyons, or in the darkness of the canyons, it would still remain as a rock. And it was not as if there were no winds within the canyons. Or other forces of nature. It would still remain as a part of the cycle of Creation, and Destruction. Just a smaller cycle that was confined within the reaches of the canyons. One that¡ª


    A strange force surrounded the rock, enveloping it in its strange powers, vastly different from the forces of nature. This strange force came completely unannounced, and seeped into its body, moulding it in its shape, changing something within its frame. The rock could not point out to exactly what it was that had changed, but it knew that something had changed. Something that set the rock, and its brethren around it, apart from the rest of the canyon.


    The rock did not know what it was though, and did not care either. It may have changed, but in a way, it was still the same. A rock. And so, as a rock, it stood there, in the darkness of the canyon, waiting for the endless cycle to continue. Waiting for the day that it would begin its journey anew. It never did. No matter how much time passed, the rock stood still, unaffected by the dark winds.


    It was only then that the rock knew what the strange power had changed within it. It had been cut off from the cycle of Creation, and Destruction. It would remain as it was for all the time to come. A rock, standing still within the darkness¡­ Why had the strange powers changed it? What was their purpose? What was the rock¡¯s purpose?


    Once again, the rock had no answers. Because it was a rock. And it knew only one thing, how to be a rock. So, even when it learned of its fate, the rock did not react much. Not that it could have. It just stood there, in the silence, in the darkness, existing as a rock. And it would have continued doing so had it not felt a certain breath coming closer to it. One that matched its own breath.


    Breath¡­ that was a new concept to the rock. Maybe it came from the strange power that had made it transform. Or maybe, it always had its own breath. But that did not really matter. What mattered was the breath, the one that it was beating with, and the one that it was feeling, coming closer, and closer, until the breath was sitting directly atop the rock, before merging with it¡­ with him¡­ Him? Who¡­ was him? Who was he?


    ¡­He was the rock, resting in the depths of the canyon, existing in an unperturbed state. He was the mountain that had once stood tall, reaching into the skies, only to be battered by the winds, and the water, by the forces of nature, and be reduced to mere remnants of what it once was. He was the grain of sand that had started it all. He was¡­


    Alnea Oathkeeper. He was Alnea Oathkeeper, son, and disciple of Nyssa Thornbearer, and nothing could change that. Not even spending millions of years as a rock. Though, he had not actually spent millions of years as a boulder. It probably felt like a few hours¡­ or maybe a few days. Still, he had come quite close to losing himself within the rock. If not for seeing glimpses of himself at the end, as well as feeling his own breath, he really might have just become a rock.


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    It was almost as if he was within the Origin Sea, experiencing its temptations. Maybe, he should have expected that. Fortune Springs were formed from the powers of the Origin Sea after all¡­ No, Fortune Springs were not supposed to work in such a way. Fortune Springs were supposed to beneficial for Wanderers, and not devour them. Even the Dark Wind Wolf had been able to enjoy the benefits of the Fortune Spring. So, naturally, he should have been able to enjoy its benefits too.


    What could he do though? Complain to a dumb rock, that had fallen silent the moment his consciousness had returned to him? No, not just fallen silent, even the breath, and the familiarity he was feeling with it were gone. It had turned into just a normal rock. And not just the rock. As Alnea spread his senses from the rock to his surroundings, all kinds of sounds like the occasional howls, and cries of Oren Beasts, fighting with each other, or just the plain howling of the winds, flowing in the canyon, came back flooding his senses once again. Everything had returned to being normal.


    Of course, that did not mean that the boulders were no longer special, or that they no longer hid any fortune. Through the experience of the rock, Alnea had learned that the Fortune Spring, and the Good Fortune that it hid, had formed along with the formation of the Night Canyons. There could even be a possibility of some kind of relationship between the two events. Maybe, the Night Canyon itself was a giant Fortune Spring. He had not found where its fortune was hidden though, so he could not comment on the viability of his thought.


    Still, since the Night Canyon had been existing for over millions of years, it meant that the Fortune Springs hidden within its depths had existed for just as long. At least the Fortune Spring he had just experienced had existed since the birth of the Night Canyons. And in all that time, countless Wanderers, and Oren Beasts should have experienced the Good Fortune hidden within its breath.


    If there was even a slight possibility of the Good Fortune hidden in the Fortune Spring to run out, and cease existing, then he would never have had the chance to experience being a rock. And neither would the Dark Wind Wolf had experienced an explosive growth. The Good Fortune still existed within the boulders, there was no doubt about that. It was just that their fate with him was over.


    And so, Alnea stopped mulling over the Fortune Spring. He was not sure about what kind of Good Fortune he had gained, but whatever had happened, had already happened. There was no meaning in brooding over it. Besides, any strength that he had not gained through his own efforts would most probably be vain strength, bringing him nothing but troubles.


    Alnea had seen from the perspective of the rock how the same forces which had transformed it into a large mountain, had taken everything away from it, turning it back into just a rock, almost negligible in comparison to what it had been at its peak. And not just the rock. The previous retainers of the Lotus clan were also a perfect example of how only the strength gained through his own efforts could be called as his true strength.


    ¡­Maybe, he really did gain something from the boulders, Alnea thought, as he felt the stability of his Heart. After all, even the thought of having gained nothing from the Fortune Spring was not enough to make him lose his Serenity. And just a few hours earlier, he was desperately searching for ways to quickly increase his strength. Maybe, experiencing the peace and stability of the rock had tempered his Heart to a higher level.


    Since he did not have his master by his side to tell him exactly how much his Heart had improved, he would have to go to the Origin Sea to measure it in detail. Still, just from sensing the Serenity of his Heart, Alnea was able to tell that the progress was quite significant. Especially since even the thought of having his Heart tempered was not enough to disturb his Serenity. Even the fact that he had been in his Spirit State for far longer than he should have been in was not enough to break his Serenity.


    ¡­Most probably, his Spirit Power had also made some progress, but Alnea was not surprised by that result. Spirit, and thoughts were intricately linked with each other. Especially when it came to matters of consciousness. Experiencing millions of years as a mountain, a rock, and a grain of sand, silently bearing the might of the forces of nature, even if it was fake, should have been enough to increase his Spirit Power by a level, or two.


    His indifference to the rise in his strength though, was a surprise even to himself. Especially since the first thought that came to his mind was that, just like the grandeur of the mountain, the increase in his Spirit Power was vain. Fortunately, that thought was not enough to disturb his Serenity either. After all, if there were no ways to deal with the vainness that came from experiencing Fortune Springs, then his master would have warned him long ago. Yet, not only had his master not warned him, but she had also encouraged him to find such Fortune Springs.


    Besides, it was not just him who had gained Good Fortune from the boulders, Alnea thought, as he turned the senses of his Spirit towards his friends. It looked like they too were done with experience the Fortune Spring, and were starting to move around. Placing one hand on the boulder to take its support, Cecilia jumped off of the boulder with a wide grin on her face. And though Yuri just slid off of it in a normal way, the smile on her face was enough to tell him that she was just as happy as Cecilia was.


    It looked like they too had ample gains from the Good Fortune. Unlike him though, they did not look worried about the hollowness of their gains. They must be also be aware of the vain nature of their gains, Alnea was sure about it. They were both from Orthodoxies, and knew much more about Fortune Springs than him. Especially Yuri. Yet she had still not warned him about its disadvantages, and had even encouraged him, just like his master, to grasp the Good Fortune in front of him.


    Maybe, she already had some way to deal with the vainness of the growth in his Spirit Power. Or at least, she must know how to not let the vainness in his Spirit Power affect his future growth. In any case, whether she had a method to deal with his problems, or not, he just had to ask her. There was no need for him to just sit on the boulder, and wander off into his own thoughts.


    So, with a grin on his face, that matched the grin of his friends, Alnea too jumped off the boulder. And even as he jumped, he noticed that though the thoughts of his friends brought out all sorts of emotions, and reactions in his Heart, it failed to disturb his Serenity. But that was also to be expected. After all, they were his Serenity. They were his Heart.

 Chapter 39: Good Fortune [Part 2]

    ¡°So, how was the Fortune Spring?¡± Cecilia said, as she saw Alnea jump off the boulder. ¡°Did you enjoy the experience?¡±


    ¡°You are saying that as if this is not your first time experiencing a Fortune Spring,¡± Alnea said in return, matching the grin on her face. ¡°Did you not enjoy the experience of gaining a Good Fortune?¡±


    ¡°How can we be compared?¡± Cecilia said, waving her right hand to dismiss his claims. ¡°Although this is indeed my first time experiencing a Fortune Springs, I have been to Fortune Springs before. And both Serena, and my mother have told me how Fortune Springs work. I already knew what I would be experiencing¡­ at least to some extent. You, on the other hand, experienced it without any prior knowledge. I am sure it must have been exciting.¡±


    ¡°Exciting you say¡­ I¡ª


    ¡°Let us continue this discussion after returning to our cave,¡± Yuri said from the side, cutting in between them. ¡°Since we have already the Good Fortune hidden within the boulders, the Fortune Spring will no longer offer us a shelter. Staying here would be a little dangerous. It would be best for us if we return to our camp before doing anything else.¡±


    Both Alnea, and Cecilia looked around themselves, and nodded along with Yuri. As she had said, they could no longer feel the Fortune Spring. And neither could they feel its shelter. Their fate with its Good Fortune was over. Staying next to the boulders would be meaningless. And dangerous. Thus, with Yuri in the lead, they went back to the place where they had left the wolf¡¯s body, and his bag.


    Both were untouched. Alnea did not think that no Oren Beasts would have seen the wolf¡¯s body in the time they were experiencing the Fortune Spring, but the none of them had dared to take the wolf¡¯s body. Clearly, none of them were confident of taking on the creature that had killed the Dark Wind Wolf head on. An observation that a small relief to the team.


    At the very least, they would not have to worry about being ambushed by an advanced phase Oren Beast. But like Yuri had said, they could not afford to waste their time just standing around. There were too many Oren Beasts in the canyon, and quite a few were stronger than them. Although their strength had increased after receiving the Good Fortune, but it had not increased to an extent that it would allow them to fight advanced phase Oren Beasts.


    And so, after Alnea had picked up his bag, and they had secured the wolf¡¯s body, they started heading back to their cave. Thankfully, they had already mapped the way for the return route, allowing them to avoid most of the territories of Oren Beasts, making their return trip much faster than their venture into the depths of the canyon had been.


    As for the territories they could not, or did not avoid, they had already taken care of the Oren Beasts in those territories. Like the territory of the Dark Devouring Snake. Those territories would soon be taken over by other Oren Beasts, either by those already in the canyon, looking for better territories, or by the beasts coming into the canyon from one of the outer branches of the Night Canyons, but for the time being, they were safe for them to travel through, without worrying about any ambushes from Oren Beasts.


    Still, they never let their guard down. All along the way, they continued maintaining an arrowhead formation, with Yuri in the front, using the senses of her Spirit to keep a watch on their surroundings. Halfway through, Cecilia asked for a change of shifts, but Yuri refused on the account that there was not much distance left to cover, and that she had more Spirit Power to spare than them.


    After they reached their cave though, neither Alnea, nor Cecilia listened to her explanations, and asked her to rest first, while they kept guard, using the time to skin, and butcher the wolf¡¯s, and the snake¡¯s corpse. With the tools that Yuri gave them, of course. After the day when Yuri had cooked for the first time, it had become easier for them to divide their duties. Alnea, and Cecilia would prepare the meat, and do all the cleaning, while Yuri would do the cooking. A clear, and simple division of labour.


    However, making the girls agree to the division had not been so simple. At first, Yuri had tried to make Alnea be the one in charge of cooking, and for a few moments, Cecilia had also hesitated with the proposal. It was only after he had reminded her how horrible his cooking was, that she joined him in his insistence of having Yuri cook all their meals. Even then, it was only when they brought up the ¡®best interests¡¯ of the team, that Yuri finally relented, and agreed to the division.


    Thus, according to the division, once Yuri was done with her meditation, she took over the neatly prepared meat from them, and started cooking, while Alnea, and Cecilia went into the cave, and began their own meditation, restoring their Spirit Power. This was the quietest, and most boring part of his training. An essential part, but a boring part, nonetheless. The quiet, and peace were nice, and had felt quite novel when he had first learned how to meditate properly, but that exotic feeling had started to fade after nearly a year of training.


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    It was no wonder that Cecilia did not like meditating. Having had to meditate for more than half of her short life, it was only natural for her to become a little averse to all the quiet. Something similar was also happening to him. Even his deepened Serenity was not able address the dullness of his meditation. Especially since he did not have any inner conflict to address at the moment. The Fortune Spring had already seen to that. As such, Alnea was left with no choice, but to quietly reflect on his actions, while waiting for his Spirit Power to recover.


    Fortunately, he did not have to wait for long. Receiving the Good Fortune had helped him recover some of his Spirit Power. That, coupled with the fact that he had not used his Spirit for a while, allowing him to rest his Spirit, recovering even more of his Spirit Power, had shortened the time he needed to meditate in order to recover to his peak. Not just him, even Cecilia was the same.


    Rather, because she had spent much less Spirit Power than him during the fight, she had recovered her Spirit Power much earlier than him. By the time Alnea opened his eyes, she had already left the cave. And when he walked out of the cave, he noticed that Yuri was done with her cooking as well. All of the meat had been diced up, and put into a large pot, filled with foraged precious herbs, and a bubbling, brown broth.


    I thought you were going to take forever,¡± Cecilia said, adding a bit of her exaggeration in her tone, as she turned towards Yuri. ¡°Can we start now?¡±


    ¡°Wait a moment,¡± Yuri said, using a ladle to scoop up some broth, and meat, before using a spoon to transfer some of that broth, and meat to her mouth, taking a few moments to properly taste the dish she had made, while Alnea took his seat around the pot, forming a semi circle with the girls, facing the depths of the canyon.


    ¡°A hot pot once again?¡±


    ¡°This is the best way to ensure that we get the most out of the meat of the Oren Beasts. We are not Oren Chefs after all,¡± Yuri said, before turning towards Cecilia. ¡°We can start now.¡±


    ¡°Finally,¡± Cecilia said, before shoving her bowl towards Yuri, who filled it with the broth, and the meat in the pot, while chuckling at her actions.


    ¡°You should show a little more patience,¡± Yuri said, shaking her head. ¡°Did you not gain anything from the Fortune?¡±


    ¡°It is precisely because I gained so much from the fortune that I need to make sure that I eat properly,¡± Cecilia said, stuffing her mouth. ¡°My Spirit Power jumped all the way from the Fifth Level to the Seventh Level. And I feel that my Spirit Power will continue growing at an increased rate for a while more. My body needs all the energy I can get.¡±


    ¡°¡­That is not how Fortune Springs work, and you know that,¡± Yuri said. ¡°The increase in your Spirit Power is brought on by the powers of the Origin Sea. You do not have anything to worry about.¡±


    ¡°¡­I think that is all the more reason why we should be worried,¡± Alnea said, picking up his bowl, and motioning for Yuri to fill it up. ¡°The increase in our Spirit Power¡­ We did not gain it through our own efforts, and training. We gained it through the powers of the Origin Sea. And that makes it feels so vain, and empty. As if the Origin Sea can take away all the strength that it has given me¡­¡±


    ¡°The Origin Sea is not as stingy as you think it is,¡± Cecilia said, turning towards him with a dismissive look on her face. ¡°That is just a side reaction from receiving the Good Fortune, which will go away in a while, so you do not have to worry about it too much.¡±


    ¡°A side reaction¡­ so you two really do have a way to address this vainness in my Spirit Power?¡±


    ¡°¡­How much did your Spirit Power increase?¡±


    ¡°¡­It went from around three hundred and seventeen units to eight hundred and thirty five units. From the Fourth Level to the Sixth Level.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s it? What are you worrying about then? Just relax. The vain feeling will fade away with time.¡±


    How, Alnea thought. Meanwhile, noticing that Cecilia¡¯s words only added to his confusion, Yuri shook her head, and said, ¡°If you are explaining things, then do it more thoroughly.¡±


    Pausing for a moment, as she filled her own bowl, she added, ¡°The vainness that you feel in your strength is real, and something all who experience Fortune Springs have to face. Even the wolf we faced today was the same. Did you not see how its body could not keep with its strength? But as Cecilia said, you do not have to worry too much about it.


    ¡°Though there is a vainness in your strength, it will not affect you much. And over time, as you train your Spirit, this effect will slowly fade away, returning complete control over your Spirit to you. Otherwise, if Fortune Springs had such high risk, and danger involved with them, they would not be called as Fortune Springs. And neither would big sis Nyssa have asked you to look for them. Besides, do you not trust me? Would I really let you do something that would hurt your future as a Wanderer?¡±


    ¡°I have complete, and absolute trust in you. That is why I did not say anything until now. I was just thinking that there must be a way to deal with this vainness in my Spirit Power¡­¡±


    ¡°You worry too much,¡± Cecilia said, chugging another mouthful of the broth from the bowl. ¡°Just keep training as you have been, and everything will be fine.¡±


    ¡°Cecilia is right. You just need to keep doing what you have been up till now, and everything will work out on its own. Now, stop brooding over useless things, and finish your meal. Though the Origin Sea provided all the energy for the increase in your Spirit Power, it would never hurt to have more energy, right?¡±


    ¡°¡­I never said that I did not believe her,¡± Alnea said with a wry smile, as he turned his attention to bowl in his hands, and started chomping on the broth, and meat floating in his bowl. Though the food was not as tasty as the ones that the chefs in big sis Serena¡¯s mansion used to make, it was fine. At the very least, it was better than the food that he, or Cecilia could make. And so, they could only supress their inner cravings, and continue eating, no matter how the food tasted.

 Chapter 40: Gravity [Part 1]

    Once they were done with the food, Alnea, and Cecilia went back to the cave to continue their training, while Yuri continued with her guard duties. That was their normal routine. The only reason they had deviated from it was because of how hungry all of them were. And since that was taken care of, it was only natural that they would go back to their normal routine.


    Wandering the Origin, practising his Martial Styles, and Forging his Spirit, before venturing into the darkness of the canyon to explore its depths, and fighting Oren Beasts, preferably those in the initial phase of their Adolescent Stage. Though the latter was probably going to change after their recent gains, and the fight they had against the Dark Wind Wolf.


    Of course, they still tried to keep their Wanderings limited to once a day. Becoming a Wanderer was not about just solitary Wanderings after all. And Wandering the Origin was dangerous. Doing it beyond a limit could result in overconfidence, dulling of senses, and even degradation of the state of Heart, all of which had extremely dire consequences.


    It had already been around a day or so since he had gone to the Origin Sea though. So, after informing both Cecilia, and Yuri, Alnea closed his eyes, and reached out to his Roots, travelling through them to his Domain, the dark and empty world, with only a small dark blue cloud of Oren as an exception. And of course, the giant golden disc, the door to the Origin Sea, which he pulled from the depths of his Domain to materialise in front of him.


    Drifting in front of the golden disc, he pushed against it slightly, and as usual, the disc collapsed in on itself, leaving a giant gaping hole in his Domain, leading the way to the wild reaches of the Origin Sea, which flooded his senses with an endless barrage of attacks the moment he stepped into its depths. Even the reaction of the Aspects was the same, rushing to surround him, playing all sorts of games.


    Unlike with his meditation though, Alnea was not bored of either the Aspects, or the Origin Sea. No matter how many times he came to the Origin Sea, he was always left in awe at its vibrancy, and might. The omnipotent, omnipresent, and omniscient origin of all, containing all the things that existed, and the things that could exist, even the things that could never possibly exist.


    And the most impactful of all the sights were the Aspects, and their endless variations in all colours, shapes, sizes, brightness, and even their movement patterns, the last of which came about more as a result of the inherent nature of the Aspects themselves. Though, on second thought, all variations of the Aspects had something to do with their inherent nature.


    The Aspects related to lineages of Day, and Justice mostly had a white, or golden hue, while the Aspects related to the lineage of Night, depending on what part of the lineage they were related to, kept glowing in black, dark blue, or a silvery blue hue. As for the Aspects related to the lineage of Trickery, their colours all depended on their abilities, but mostly, those Aspects had a tendency of often shifting their colours, and even shapes, and sizes, so it was hard to tell.


    Similarly, the variations of other Aspects also had something to do with the lineage they were related to. However, Aspects were just a part of the Origin Sea. There were also the endless layers of Oren, with the layers existing in the deeper parts of the Origin Sea having a greater density than the preceding layers. Yet, instead of the varying density of the layers of Oren, it was the ability of Oren to manifest the Mysteries that caught his attention.


    Alnea had always thought that it was manifestation of the Mysteries which caused the Oren to behave strangely. But what if it was the strange behaviours of the Oren which caused the Mystery to appear in the first place? After all, whether it was when he was casting an Arcana, or when he was trying to create one, both required him manipulate Oren in a certain way to call upon the Mysteries hidden in the Origin Sea.


    Unfortunately, he had no evidence to back his theory. Rather, all the evidence that he had claimed that it was the manifestation of Mysteries which caused Oren to behave in a set pattern. Evidence like the fact that the Mysteries summoned from manipulation of Oren could never be comprehended. Only the Mysteries which had manifested naturally allowed Wanderers to glean their meanings.


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    His master had said that Mysteries were like the rules of the Origin Sea, while what Wanderers comprehended was how those rules behaved with them. In a way, the results of a Wanderer¡¯s manipulation of Oren were their interpretation of Mysteries, rather than the Mysteries themselves. Was this why comprehending Mysteries was also often termed as gleaning Mysteries?


    Alnea suppressed his stray thoughts into the Serenity of his Heart, and concentrated back on his Wandering. After all, letting his thoughts wander off, while he was Wandering the Origin Sea was not a wise choice. Thankfully, the Good Fortune he had received had not just increased his Spirit Power, but had also tempered his Heart, allowing him to easily suppress his errant thoughts. Much more easily than before.


    Maybe, his greatest gain from the fortune had not been in his Spirit Power, but in the state of his Heart. At the very least, his Serenity should be nearing the level of an Advanced Stage False Wanderer. That gave him one less thing to worry about. Of course, the deepening of his Serenity came from the Fortune Spring, so he probably had to meditate for a while to truly make it his own, but that was much better than spending months to slowly temper his Heart. Especially since there were so many things he had to train, that he had to cut down on the time of his meditations.


    In any case, he did not have anything to worry about. And even if he did have anything to worry about, the Origin Sea was not the right place to do it. So, letting his Serenity take over, Alnea laughed along with the Aspects, and swam about the Origin Sea, chasing after his naughty little friends.


    Since he had just had an increase in his Spirit Power, he reckoned he could spend a little more time playing with them. And of course, go to a greater depth of the Origin Sea as well, both to explore the Origin Sea, and to make friends with new Aspects. Yet, the Origin Sea once again proved why it was always so unpredictable, and dangerous.


    When he Wandered only for a short while, expending barely a hundred units of his Spirit Power, the layers of Oren around him, which usually liked to stay silent, began rippling, pushing all the Aspects away from him, and even forcing the Origin Sea to halt its attacks. However, it was not just the Origin Sea that was changing. Even his Roots had begun pulsating in a golden light, resonating with the strange forces around him. The same forces that were assaulting his Spirit, trying to crush it under its pressure.


    Fortunately, his Spirit was much stronger than the last time he had encountered the Mystery. As such, the waves, that felt like mountains, were not able to supress him. They did manage to shift all his attention to themselves though. The circular waves, that just stood standing in one place, rotating about their own axes, with a taste of eternity, and time to them. A taste of¡ª


    As usual, right before Alnea could observe anything meaningful about the Mystery, the circular waves started shaking, before breaking off, and turning into countless smaller thread like waves, which then gathered together to form an even bigger circle than before. A circle that existed in not just one plane, but in all planes of existence. Even in the plane of thoughts, and imagination. The origin of all that was circular. The origin of pressure. The¡ª


    Once again, right before Alnea could truly understand what the wave represented, the circle collapsed in all planes of existence, except for the physical plane, existing as a sphere, rather than a circle. It did not exist for long though, and soon exploded into countless smaller spherical waves, moving around in a chaotic swarm, with a hint of order within that chaos. An order that came about from his observation, rather than from its inherent nature, but an order, nonetheless.


    Taking the point where the giant spherical wave had exploded, the smaller circular waves started going around it in circular paths. And as if they remembered how he had interacted with them before, those circular paths slowly reduced in radius, causing the spherical waves to lose their speed, and collapse towards the centre, creating an explosion that collapsed everything in his senses. Except for a bright golden light that had imprinted itself into his Spirit, everything else had blacked out.


    However, Alnea did not panic. He had already experienced the Mystery once, so he knew how things were going to play out. And as he had expected, gradually, the golden light faded away, as his senses returned to normal, allowing him to perceive the intense fluctuations from the epicentre of the explosion, causing the entire layers of Oren to move as waves. Since they were more like an aftereffect to the Mysteries though, those fluctuations too soon faded away, leaving just the strange circular waves, rotating about their own axes.


    The Mystery had completed its demonstration. Yet once again, Alnea was left completely clueless as to what the Mystery actually was. He was not disheartened though. He still had around seven hundred units of Spirit Power left. And though he had no clues as to what the Mystery was, he had some clues as to how to go about comprehending it. This time, he was definitely going to comprehend the Mystery.

 Chapter 40: Gravity [Part 2]

    Comprehending a Mystery was not an easy task. Though, in essence, just observing how the layers of Oren were behaving, and copying them should be enough for Wanderers to manifest the Mysteries, or at least their effects, the said Wanderers would have absolutely no control over the effects that their manipulation of Oren would produce. In fact, they would not even know what the effect of the Mystery was.


    It was not for reason that creating Arcanas was considered to be one of the most dangerous things that Wanderers could do. Yet, despite knowing the dangers, some Wanderers still dared to test, or use Arcanas still in their testing phase, and of unknown Rank, and Grade. His father¡­ In any case, just observing the patterns in the variation of Oren was not enough.


    To comprehend a Mystery, Wanderers first had to interact with it, and learn what the effects of the Mystery were. Only when the Wanderers knew exactly what the effects of the Mysteries they would be summoning were, would they be able to safely proceed to the next step, trying to imitate the rules of the Origin Sea, and manifest a version of the Mystery, one that they had comprehended.


    Thus, after Alnea made sure that the Serenity of his Heart was not disturbed by the Mystery¡¯s manifestation, he reached out with his hand, and brushed it over the circles that were closest to him, trying to understand their essence, and what they represented. To let the Mystery, and the rules behind it reach directly into his Spirit, and let him experience the effects of the Mystery.


    And as he wished, the moment that his fingers brushed over the circle, he felt his senses shift all around him, making him feel as if he was rotating along with the circles. Except that he was not. His Spirit stood where it was, but his senses kept rotating with the circles, as if their centre of orientation itself had changed. They were still his senses, but somehow, the circular waves had latched on to them, and refused to let go, even when they started quaking.


    Only when the circular waves broke apart, did they let go of his senses, just like they had done the last time he had interacted with them. This time though, they were not able to hide their secrets from him. At first, as his senses had kept rotating with the circles, he had thought that the circular waves were rotating, and disorienting his senses. But he was wrong.


    That was just a side effect of the waves that came with their ceaseless rotations. The true effect, the main purpose of the circular waves was to latch on to his senses, or rather, to his Spirit itself. As for the taste of eternity, and time that he felt in the waves, they were beyond his comprehension. Rather, he was not even able to feel their effects.


    Perhaps, they were part of the rules behind the Mystery, or maybe, they could even be part of a higher Ranked Mystery from the same branch as the one he was comprehending. A small glimpse of what he might have to comprehend in the future. At the moment though, he did not have either the time, or the leisure to think about them. Every moment that he spent doing nothing, was a moment that he was wasting his Spirit Power.


    Thus, after suppressing the excitement of gleaning something from the Mystery, and regaining his Serenity, Alnea reached out to the thread like waves just as they were being pulled together by some unknown force to form a giant circular, or rather, a spherical wave. It was circular in all places of existence, after all. Even in the material plane, it existed in all the planes that could exist, so forming a sphere, was only rational, and logical.


    Except that the way that the wave was formed was completely irrational. He still could not understand how the waves had been brought together. And so, instead of interacting with the Mystery, Alnea waited for it to complete its cycle, and reach back to the point that the circular waves had exploded into tiny, thread like waves, before interacting with them once again, only to fail in gleaning any meaning from experiencing the strange sensation of being brought together by some strange unknown force.


    What exactly was the purpose of the thread like waves? What was their effect? And why were they being brought together like this? Alnea did not have an answer to any of his questions. So, once again, he waited for the Mystery to complete its cycle, before interacting with the Mystery. And once again, the result was the same. He had no answers.


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    A little confused, and disappointed, Alnea proceeded with the next part of the Mystery. His Spirit Power may have increased, but it was still limited. He could not afford to continue wasting his Spirit Power. He did leave a mental note to himself about the waves though, hoping that he would be able to figure them out later, before brushing his fingers over the sphere that was at the centre of the all the spheres. The most natural form for the forces to balance each other out¡­


    Once again, some strange thoughts popped into his head. But this time, he did not question them, and just went along with their flow, trying to find their meaning. Meanings, which he did not get. Instead, he got a strange, and unusual pressure, that came from within himself, which made him feel as if his Spirit was collapsing in on itself. It was as if an unknown force had been created within him, that was pulling his Spirit to its centre¡­ just like how the thread like waves had been pulled together to form a sphere.


    ¡­Something did not seem right. The sphere was formed from the thread like waves coming together. How could it be the force that was pulling all those threads together? That defied all logic and reason. Unless¡­


    Instead of thinking about the thread like waves, Alnea concentrated on the feeling that the spherical wave was bringing him. An unusual feeling that made him feel as if the sphere existed within him. He had already known that it was because the sphere existed in all planes, even within his Spirit, but what if that was wrong? What if, it was not the sphere that existed in all planes, but the strange force that was bringing all the threads together?


    That would also explain many things, Alnea thought. Like the pressure his Spirit was feeling at the moment, or the pressure it felt from the chains of his Oaths. It was because the unknown force within his Spirit¡­ The unknown force that existed in all planes¡­ even the physical plane. Even in his world¡­ like the pressure that one of the Glyph Arrays in his dagger could create. If so, then¡ª


    Before Alnea could complete his thoughts, the sphere collapsed from all planes of existence, exploding into countless tiny spheres, but he was not disappointed. He had gleaned enough to make a few guesses about what the spherical wave represented. He even had a few thoughts about the thread like waves, and what they were supposed to do.


    Of course, he still would have to confirm his thoughts, but he could do that later. At the moment, he was focussing on strange sense of nothingness that with the explosion. A feeling of strange emptiness, that made him feel as if his Spirit was just about to disperse within the Origin Sea. Fortunately, it was just a feeling. But Alnea already knew that.


    And so, instead of panicking, he focussed on the feeling that came soon after, the return of the feeling of pressure. Except, this time, the feeling of pressure came from outside of his Spirit, from the centre of the circular paths that the smaller spheres had taken. And as he interacted with those spheres, he noticed that they too were feeling that pressure.


    In fact, the whole reason why they had formed their circular path was because of the pressure, and the strange force that kept attracting the sphere towards each other. They were still missing something at their centre though, a larger sphere, which could exert a force of its own, and keep the spheres in check. And so, it was only natural for the spheres to collapse to the focus of their paths. Something that he had expected before even interacting with the waves.


    What he had not expected though, was that after he had recognised the existence of the strange force, and that it came from the spheres themselves, the speed at which they fell towards their centre increased, instead of decreasing. That surprised him for a moment, until he recognised the source of change in the behaviour of the waves. His comprehension of the Mystery. It was a rare occurrence, but he had already experienced how the waves had changed at just his mere observation, so after the initial surprise had passed, Alnea quickly recovered himself, and went back to observing the waves.


    However, before he could observe anything, the spherical waves all collapsed towards the centre of their orbits, creating something eerie, and strange, that existed for just a fraction of a moment, before blowing up in a bright, loud, and jarring explosion, that shook his Spirit, making him feel as if he was in a bright, and colourful world with endless possibilities. Yet that too lasted for only a fraction of a moment, before fading away, returning peace to the Origin Sea. True peace.


    There were no more waves in the layers of the Origin Sea around him, circular, or in any other shape. Neither was there any pressure surrounding his Spirit, except for the pressure of the endless layers of Oren. The manifestation of the Mystery was gone, dispersed back into the Origin Sea. As was his hope of completely comprehending the Mystery¡­


    Or maybe not, Alnea thought, as he went over all that he had experienced, and comprehended. The clinginess of the circular wave, the strange force that had formed the sphere, and had created the circular paths, along with causing the collapse of those circular paths, all pointed to one thing. Gravity.

 Chapter 40: Gravity [Part 3]

    Depending on their inherent nature, the Mysteries of the Origin Sea were divided into twelve different lineages. However, even among the twelve lineages, based upon their differences, the Mysteries were further divided into different Series, branches, and subbranches. Gravity was exactly one such subbranch of Mysteries that went all the way up to Grand Rank, before merging with subbranches of similar forces at the Supreme Rank. This was what Alnea knew about the Mysteries of Gravity. Other than the effects of Gravity, of course.


    Apparently, Gravity was a fundamental force of the world which ensured that things would come back to the ground after being thrown in the air, and not just fly away. Similarly with people, and other living beings, it ensured that they would come back to the ground when they jumped, and not just stay floating in the air. Even with the mountains, one of the natural forces acting against them, pulling them down to Earth, was Gravity.


    In fact, one of the Glyph Arrays inscribed on his dagger, Golden Yearning, was from the subbranch of Gravity. It was the Glyph Array which he often used to increase the pull of the ground on the Oren Beasts, making it hard for them to move. But it was exactly this effect of the Glyph Array that had made Gravity elude his understanding.


    According to his estimation, all the effects of Gravity pointed to it being a part of the Earth Series of the lineage of Creation. Yet in actual classification, Gravity was classified as a subbranch of the Action Series of the lineage of Day. This strange contradiction between the effects of the Mystery, and its recognised lineage had always left him a little baffled. That was until he compared Gravity to the Mystery that he had just encountered.


    A strange force that pulled on the senses of his Spirit, making it stick to the circle, no matter how it rotated; a strange force which seemingly pulled all of the thread like waves together, and formed a giant sphere; a strange force which made him feel as if his Spirit was being pulled within itself; a strange force which created the circular path of the spheres, before causing them to collapse at the centre. No matter how he looked at them, all of those forces seemed similar to the attractive force that Gravity had.


    Except, Gravity pulled everything to the ground, while the strange forces that he had experienced came from within himself, as well as all the waves, at both, an individual level, and a collective level. However, what if the Gravity that he experienced from the ground did not come from it as virtue of being a part of Earth, but from it being a physical object? What if, just like how the strange force had existed inside of him, and of the sphere, it also existed within the ground?


    That would explain a lot of things, Alnea thought. Not the end part of the Mystery, of course. It would also not explain why the giant sphere had exploded. But if he ignored those parts, then the Mystery seemed to fit all the criteria of being a Mystery of Gravity. If so, then¡­


    Suppressing his excitement within the Serenity of his Heart, Alnea turned around, and made his way back towards his Domain. Though he still had some Spirit Power left, and could Wander for a bit longer, he had other important things to do. Wanderers could not advance by just Wandering the Origin Sea, after all. Corroborating their gains from their Wanderings was just as important for them. And that was what he needed to do at the moment.


    Bidding farewell to his reluctant friends of the Origin Sea, Alnea stepped back into his dark, and empty Domain, allowing the golden light from the edges of the giant hole behind him to close the door to the Origin Sea, before dispersing back into the darkness of his Domain. His Wandering was finally over. His work within the Origin Sea, however, was not.


    Reaching out to the endless Oren existing just beyond his reach, he pulled them into his Domain. Not all of it, of course. He pulled just what his Spirit Power would allow, forming a second cloud of Oren inside of his Domain. It was a bit dull, and colourless when compared to the first cloud shining in a dark blue light, with occasional flashes of silver streaking across its length, but that was just because it was missing something.


    And so, he reached out to the mass of Oren floating in front of him, giving it what it was missing. Rhythms, variations, and his comprehension. They were not enough to completely transform the mass of Oren. To make the second cloud of Oren shine like the first cloud, he needed to test his comprehension. And this time, he had enough Spirit Power to do it within the Origin Sea.


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    However, he was not sure about his comprehension this time. He had skipped on a couple of things while forming the prototype of the Mystery, after all. Maybe even more. Things would be fine if the Origin Sea accepted his comprehension, but if it did not, then he would have to face its wrath. Especially if he tested his comprehension within the Origin Sea itself.


    With his current reserves of Spirit Power, experiencing a severe backlash from the Mystery would be the least of the consequences. He was so unsure of himself, that he did not even inform Yuri of what he was about to do. Still, he was not foolishly reckless. Why would he take the risk of testing his comprehension in the wild reaches of the Origin Sea, when he could do it in the dark expanse of his Domain?


    Reaching out to the thread connecting his Spirit to the Origin Sea, Alnea infused his Roots with the rhythms of Gravity, and what he had comprehended of it, sending his summons out into the Origin Sea. And omniscient as the Origin Sea was, it picked up his summons the moment he sent it out, responding immediately by sending the Mystery of Gravity, the one he had encountered just a while ago, into his Domain.


    And just like that, a strange silence descended around him, as the Mystery manifested in his Domain, ready to pounce upon him, and let him experience its effects. This time, probably in all its glory. Before it could do so though, the rhythms, and variations of the cloud of Oren in front of him attracted the Mystery, making it lose all its interest in its summoner.


    Forgetting about him for the moment, the Mystery turned towards the cloud of Oren, as if looking at it with curiosity, before reaching towards it with hesitation. Not on a level that Alnea could see, or observe, but he somehow instinctively knew that the Mystery had reached towards the cloud of Oren, just as how he instinctively knew that the prototype of the Mystery that he had created with his understanding had reached out in return, and grabbed hold of the Mystery, before pulling it into the cloud, into their battlefield.


    Though the latter may also have something to do with the flashes of light, varying in both colour, and brightness, that was released the moment that the two sets of Mysteries, one prototype, and one original, began their struggles. A tug of war, where one of them was trying to devour the other to complete itself, while the other was trying to devour the other for the offence of daring to imitate its glorious self.


    For a while, flashes of light filled his Domain, driving away the darkness. Just in the area around him, of course. At the same time, the fight between the Mysteries was probably leaking all sorts of aftermaths, like the forces of Gravity, or the strange explosions, which he was still not able to understand. He probably would not be able to understand them even after experienced them again though, so Alnea chose to keep his distance from the fight.


    Even then, occasional flashes of a golden light still tore its way through to him from time to time, reaching him before he could even think of dodging them, making him go through all sorts of experiences. Sometimes, they would completely disorient his senses. At other times, they would bring a mountainous pressure to his Spirit, making him feel as if he was about to crumble under his own weight.


    There were even times when the strange forces of gravity acted on his Spirit, making it go around the battlefield of the Mysteries. Thankfully, he did not have to go through those explosions that he had observed in the Origin Sea. Probably because he had not included them in the prototype of his Mystery. Still, the aftermath of the battle of the Mysteries was much greater than he had expected it to be.


    Maybe it was because the Mystery of Gravity was a bit more profound, and had stronger effects that the first Mystery he had comprehended. After all, even the Mysteries of the same Stage, and Rank could have differences in their strength. Like the Mystery that had manifested at the edge of Yuri¡¯s Domain on her first Wandering. That was one of the strongest Mystery in the Initial Stage of the False Rank.


    Fortunately, the war between the Mysteries was just a test of his comprehension. And so, when the Mystery that he had summoned failed to devour the prototype he had created with his comprehension, it slowly began to lower its defences, allowing the prototype to slowly gain advantage over it, and swallow it whole, gaining recognition from the Origin Sea, and transforming into a Mystery. One that he could create Arcanas with. After interpreting it in a way that could be used in his world, of course.


    However, the Mystery was not done yet. The phantom lights from the fight between the Mysteries had yet to fade, when his new Mystery started transforming his Domain, beginning with its former battlefield, the cloud of Oren he had summoned, giving it a bright golden hue, lighting up his Domain. Not even the darkness of his Domain was able to swallow it. After all, both the golden hue, and the Mystery were a part of his Domain.

 Chapter 41: A normal day of training [Part 1]

    Letting out a slow, and heavy breath, Alnea opened his eyes, just as a smile broke onto his face. Not on his own initiative, but more as an instinctive reaction to the happiness rippling within his Heart. A happiness, that even the Serenity of his Heart was not able keep in check. He did not run from that happiness though. Neither did he try to suppress it. On the contrary, he accepted the happiness with open arms, letting his Serenity embrace it in its full glory.


    Expressing happiness, or even emotions in general was something that came naturally to humans. Though Wanderers had to keep their emotions in check, it did not mean that they to completely supress them. Even Yuri, with her Clear Heart, and his master, with her Infinite Heart, often expressed their emotions on their faces. As long as they did not let their emotions control them, they would not be in any danger of their Aspects backlashing against them. Besides, if people did not have emotions, could they even be called as people?


    No, it was not right of him to assume things, Alnea thought. Maybe, there really were people who could live without emotions. He was not one of those people though, and neither were the people around him. Like Cecilia, sitting in front of him, with her Spirit Wandering the Origin Sea. She was quite expressive of her emotions. There was a time when she had tried keeping things to herself, but even then, she had never been able to hide her emotions.


    Yuri, on the other hand, was much better at hiding her emotions. Especially with her mesmerising smile often distracting people from her true thoughts. But even she had times when she expressed her emotions. Just as there were times when his master expressed her emotions. The smile on her face, though not as enchanting as Yuri¡¯s smile, was the most radiant, and the warmest smile he had ever seen.


    And it was not just about smiling. He had seen tears in both, his master¡¯s, and Yuri¡¯s eyes. He had even seen Cecilia cry. And though he had not seen big sis Serena¡¯s tears, he had seen her express her anger, and frustration. Though they were all Wanderers, all of them had their own emotions. And maybe, it was because of the connection between their emotions, and his, that they, along with his mother, were a part of his Heart. As for the people who were not a part of his Heart, what did they have to do with him?


    On the matter of secrets that Yuri kept from him, he had never seen her practice her Martial Styles either. Or her Arcanas, especially the one that supposedly killed nearly ten Oren Beasts at the same time in the first canyon that she had trained in. He could understand why she would refrain from using the latter unless it was necessary, but how was she training her Martial Styles? And if she was not training her Martial Styles, then would that not be a waste?


    Nodding to himself, while reaffirming his Heart, Alnea pushed himself off the ground, as he lit up the cave with his Aspect. Not the brightest one, of course, but one bright enough to light up just the cave, and green robed girl sitting in front of him. She was still Wandering the Origin Sea though, so he did not disturb her. Picking up his sword, he walked out from the cave, withdrawing his Aspect back to its Aspect Wells.


    Though the canyon was dark, it was not as dark as the cave. He could still see a few things in the area around the cave. Like Yuri, sitting in the distance, staring into the depths of the canyon. Or her white hair, which seemed to absorb all the light around her. He still did not know how that worked. And every time he asked Yuri about it, she would just brush it away with a smile, terming it as a girl¡¯s secret.


    On the matter of secrets that Yuri kept from him, he had never seen her practice her Martial Styles either. Or her Arcanas, especially the one that supposedly killed nearly ten Oren Beasts at the same time in the first canyon that she had trained in. He could understand why she would refrain from using the latter unless it was necessary, but how was she training her Martial Styles? And if she was not training her Martial Styles, then would that not be a waste?


    After all, even though Alnea practically gained a new Aspect every week, Yuri had been Wandering for over half a year. She had even reached the Intermediate Stage of the False Rank. She clearly had more Aspects than him. Yet he had never seen her use her Aspects, either in practise, or in battles. Except the one time he saw her condense a sword from just her Aspects. Still, Alnea was not in a hurry.


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    Fast, and hectic, their recent days might have been, but they had just started with their training. They still had months, and quite possibly, even a year left to train in the canyons. And the longer that they stayed in the canyon, the stronger they would become, leading them to always seek stronger enemies. If the endless cycle was to continue though, then in time, a day was bound to come when Yuri would have to use her Aspects, and fight like a Warrior. Or even an Arcanist. He would be able to see her dreaded Arcanas then.


    Before such a day came though, he had to become strong enough to force Yuri to participate in a battle as not just a Scholar, but also as a Warrior, and an Arcanist. Thus, after briefly greeting Yuri, and telling her about his newly acquired Mystery, Alnea started training his sword, and Martial Styles. More specifically, to use his sword while transitioning in between different kinds of Martial Styles.


    It was not an easy task, and required a constant use of his Spirit Power, but as long as he kept the use of his Aspects themselves to a minimum, using just enough Oren to excite the Aspects to a level where he could practise with them, then he could persist for quite a long while. At least until Cecilia came out, and joined him in guarding the cave, while Yuri went into the cave to for her own Wandering.


    By then, Alnea had finally run out of his Spirit Power. So, after telling Yuri to be careful in her Wanderings, while wishing her the best, he started training the basic moves of his sword, a slash, and a stab. Though they were the most basic, of the basic moves, with just a little variation to them, those two moves could produce countless other moves. And that was not even considering the intent behind the moves.


    According to what his master had taught him, depending on the intention behind the attacks, sword moves could be divided into three categories, offensive moves, defensive moves, and supportive moves. A parry, with an intent to just block, was completely different from a parry made with an intent to counterattack, and both the moves had to be followed by different kind of moves.


    Alnea himself, however, was just a beginning in the way of sword. He was just beginning to learn how to wield swords. Wielding a sword¡­ A few days ago, he had entered a special state during his training. He had never been able to enter that state again, but while he had been in the state, he had learned some interesting things about swords. Specifically, how a sword should be wielded.


    A Wanderer should weild his sword like he was singing a song, with a beginning, and an end. And not just any song, but a song with a purpose, with a meaning, that each of his slashes, and stabs should also carry forward. If he was performing a parry, then the sword must know why he had parried at that moment. And if he stabbed, then the sword must know why it was stabbing, or who it was stabbing.


    Yet, just having a meaning was not enough. A sword must also have its own rhythm, and so must each of his swings. Only if the rhythm, and the meaning were in perfect harmony, matching with the rhythm, and the meaning of the song, would a perfect song be created. And only then, would a Wanderer be said to have gained mastery in his art of swords.


    Art of swords¡­ what a strange, and familiar term, Alnea thought, moving along with the song of his sword. It was an uncertain song, still seeking its meaning, with all its rhythm scattered around in a mess, but he was not embarrassed about it. On the contrary, the more mistakes he made, the more he was able to learn about himself. Besides, his master had said that making mistakes was not bad, not learning from those mistakes was.


    Thus, whenever Alnea felt his sword miss a beat, he would stop, think over his moves for a few moments, trying them from different angles, positions, and even with different intentions, until he felt satisfied with them, before moving on to the next moves. Similarly, whenever he felt that something was missing from his moves, he would stop as well, thinking about their purpose, and meaning, fine turning them according to song of his sword.


    After all, wielding a sword was like singing a song. Even if it was an uncertain, and poorly composed song, he still had to sing it if he wished to wield his sword. Otherwise, what would be the difference between him, and some ignorant Wanderer swinging a sword around just for fun?


    No, Alnea Oathkeeper was not swinging his sword just for fun. He was swinging his sword to protect. To guard. To annihilate all his enemies. And to live with the people he loved. That was his song. Love, and the strength to protect that love. That was his way of the sword.

 Chapter 41: A normal day of training [Part 2]

    Lost in training his sword, Alnea forgot all sense of time. By the time that Yuri came back from her Wandering, his Spirit Power had already recovered to its peak. So, after a brief greeting, he went back into the cave with Cecilia, and started Forging his Spirit, the most painful part of his training. Yet, in a sense, it was also the easiest part of his training. All he had to do was follow the instructions of the Art that his master had created, and then let the Mysteries do their work.


    He would not deny that the Art was painful, almost to the level of torture, and often left him in a dazed state, but the greater the pain that the Art brought, the greater the benefits he reaped from it were. At the same time, the higher his Spirit Power became, the greater the amount of Oren he could use, increasing the effect of the Art as well. It was not without reason that his Spirit Power had increased by over two hundred units, reaching the Fourth Level, in just under a month.


    Back when Yuri had first reached the False Rank, she had barely reached the threshold of three hundred units in one month, and had been stuck at the bottleneck to the Fourth Level. Of course, she was also not going through the intense life and death struggles back then, but then, she was using Divine Grade Arcanas of her clan, while the Art that Alnea was using could barely be considered to have reached the Divine Grade.


    Thus, the progress that Alnea had in such a short period of time could be considered to be pretty decent. It was just that the pressure that he had been in had been too much, making him feel as if his progress had been slow. He had gotten rid of that impatience with the help of the Fortune Spring, and its Good Fortune, but as he closed his eyes, and reached out to the Origin Sea, he could not help himself from wondering what his progress this time would be.


    With a peak Spirit Power greater than eight hundred units, he would be using more than two hundred units of Spirit Power in each round of his Art of Spirit Rebirth, or roughly more than twenty thousand threads of Oren, more than twice of what he had used the last time he had Forged his Spirit.


    When he had first used the Art of Spirit Rebirth, just the twenty five hundred threads had been enough to send him in a daze. With time, he had gotten slightly used to the pain, so that even as his Spirit Power had increased, he had still been able to keep a hold on himself while Forging his Spirit, but doubling the threads he would using to Forge his Spirit would probably go over his limits.


    He could, of course, start with a lower number of threads, and slowly increase it over the next few days, but that would not be the most efficient way to train. Besides, other than increasing his Spirit Power, this time, his aim in Forging his Spirit was also to solidify his gains from the Fortune Spring, and remove the vain feeling from his Spirit Power. Though Yuri had said that it would fade away over time, he would still have to Forge his Spirit to make that happen. And the more thoroughly he Forged his Spirit, the faster that his Spirit Power would lose all its hollow feeling.


    Thus, without even a shred of hesitation, Alnea drew as much Oren from the Origin Sea as he could without losing his control over them, before dispersing it all around his Spirit into tiny threads, completing both, the condensation, and the dispersion phase of the Art of Spirit Rebirth in one go. Next was the manifestation phase. The phase where he had to summon the Mysteries, and let them do their job. But that also meant losing all his control¡­


    Honestly, the thought of losing control over Mysteries inside him scared him a little. Especially since their manifestation was going to be stronger than ever. But his fear was not enough to pierce through the Serenity of his Heart.


    Once again, without any hesitation, he reached out to the more than twenty thousand threads of Oren inside of his Spirit, each condensed from a hundredth of a unit of Spirit Power¡ªmaybe, that limit would decrease after he reached the next Stage, or Rank, but for the moment, this was the best he could do¡ª and made them beat with the rhythm of the Mysteries of Destruction, before reaching to his Roots to summon the corresponding Mysteries.


    And soon after, the ever generous Mysteries came answering his summons in the fastest speed they could, ignoring all the defences of his Domain, and the barriers between the world, waltzing right into his Spirit World, ready to pounce on his Spirit, only to be sucked in by the tens of thousands of Oren threads raging inside his Spirit, all beating with the strange rhythm of the Mysteries.


    It was also then, that Alnea finally lost all control of the Oren threads. Even his Spirit was beginning to behave a little strangely, beating with a rhythm completely opposite to the rhythm of the Oren threads inside its boundaries. He still had a little control left though, one which he used to let his Roots beat with the same rhythm as his Spirit, sending his second summons into the Origin Sea, calling for the Mysteries of Creation.


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    Once again, the Mysteries responded promptly, wasting no time in bypassing the defences of his Domain, and the barriers of his world, before manifesting in his Spirit World. Next, if nothing unusual happened, they would have pounced upon his Spirit, and then would have given him a taste of what the Mysteries effects were.


    Before they could do that though, the Mysteries of Creation were attracted by the strange rhythms of his Spirit. And just like how the Mysteries of Destruction were consumed by the rhythms of his Oren threads, the Mysteries of Creation too were consumed by the rhythms of his Spirit, forming a strange state, where both the Mysteries existed within his Spirit at the same time, bringing an end to the manifestation phase of the Art of Spirit Rebirth. And with it, an end to the last shred of control over his Spirit.


    Still, Alnea did not panic. He just braced himself for the impact that was about to come next. A clash of the Mysteries, that grew in intensity with every passing moment, tearing his Spirit apart from within itself, while distorting his Spirit to the point that it felt as if it was about to lose all its shape. It was as if¡ª


    No, there was no comparison. The pain coursing through his Spirit was so intense, that his senses held no meaning for him. Yet the Mysteries continued wreaking havoc inside of his Spirit, bringing even more pain to him, until they finally intersected with each other, and erupted in one final explosion that blacked him out for a few moments.


    Fortunately, he had been Forging his Spirit with the Art of Spirit Rebirth for a nearly a month. With some prior preparation, he was able to avoid falling into dreams, or illusions to escape from his pain. The improvement in his state of his Heart might have also helped him in endeavour to stay sober, allowing him to regain his consciousness. However, staying awake, and aware also meant facing all the strange sensations wreaking havoc his Spirit, and the pain that they brought with themselves. Yet, no matter how great the pain that they brought was, it was still not able to break past the barriers of his Heart.


    Thus, as the five elements, along with the concept of Creation, and Destruction  raged inside his Spirit, clashing with each other, and making him bear all kinds of sensations, Alnea dove into those sensations, and searched for the seed of Life within his Spirit, before reaching out to it, and connecting it with his Roots, the golden black thread connecting his Spirit to the Origin Sea. And at the moment, the same golden black thread was connecting the Seed of Life to the Origin Sea.


    It was only natural then for the Mysteries of Life to manifest directly inside of his Spirit, within the small seed of Life, that was almost on the verge of breaking apart. Before that could happen though, the Mysteries of Life were successful in germinating the seed, prompting it take root in his Spirit. And in the next moment, as the seed spread its roots through his battered, and torn Spirit, the Mysteries of Life also spread through them, giving a new life to his Spirit, letting it go through a round of Rebirth.


    That was what the Art of Spirit Rebirth was, drowning his Spirit in the cycle of Destruction, and Creation, making it go through rounds, after rounds of Rebirths. And he had only completed one round. There were three more to go before he was done with his training session. But his Spirit had yet to complete its ¡®Rebirth¡¯.


    He was starting to regain his senses, and at the same time, a warm, and fuzzy feeling was spreading through his Spirit, but his Spirit had not completely recovered. At least not enough to go through another round of Forging. So, while waiting for the Mysteries of Life to do their work, Alnea reached out to his rowdy Aspects to assure them that he was alright.


    Unsurprisingly, that did not take much effort on his part. After all, his Aspects were already familiar with his daily routine. They had seen him suffer so many times, that at this point, they were not even worried about him. Their rowdiness was just a form of their curiosity. There were times when they even question him if they could join him in his play¡­


    Chuckling at the cheeky behaviour of the Aspects, Alnea shook his head, and shifted his focus back to his Spirit, right in time to see the green light from the Mysteries of Life fade away. With all the Oren consumed, there was no way for the Mysteries to maintain their manifestations. But it did not matter. His Spirit had already recovered from the first round of the Art of Spirit Rebirth.


    So, after a brief rest to adjust his Heart, Alnea reached out to the Origin Sea once again, and started with the second round of the Art. And when that was over, he went for the third round, and then the fourth round. Only when his Spirit was completely exhausted, did he finally come to a stop. However, he could not rest. He may have finished Forging his Spirit, but his day was far from being over.


    He was exhausted, both mentally, and physically, but his training had to go on. Letting out all his exhaustion with a sigh, Alnea opened his eyes, and picked up his sword, before walking out of the cave to continue with his training. To continue with the way of his sword. To continue on the path of the strong.

 Chapter 42: Cecilias progress [Part 1]

    The first thing that Alnea normally did after waking up¡ªhe was still trying to replace his sleep with meditation, but had yet to have a complete success, often falling asleep in his meditations¡ª was to wake up Cecilia, and switch places with Yuri, letting her take some of her deserved rest. Once he was completely awake though, with all of his daily chores taken care of, he would stretch out a little, and begin training his sword, and his Martial Styles. More specifically, transitioning between Martial Styles.


    Somehow, his affinity with Aspects had translated into his affinity with the Martial Styles, allowing him to easily master all the Lowest, and Low Grade Martial Styles that his master had left him. Even among the Intermediate Grade Martial Styles, he had master quite a few of them. Transitioning between them though, remained as tough as ever.


    He had gotten better with time, and could form a chain of up to twenty different Martial Styles, but compared to the number of Martial Styles he had mastered, his ability of switching in between them was still a little lacking, greatly limiting his utilisation of Martial Styles, and consequently, his fighting prowess as a Warrior. Even the three Fortune Springs that he had experienced in the past two months had not provided any help in his transitions of Martial Styles.


    Still, his progress on the path of Warriors was much greater than his progress on the path of Arcanists. At the very least, the number of Aspects that he could command had kept increasing with each passing week. Taming an Aspect once a week had almost become a routine for him. It had been only around three months since he had become a Wanderer, yet he had already tamed thirteen Aspects, each with their own specialities.


    In comparison, he comprehended just five Mysteries, and made only about seven Arcanas, with the best of them being only of the Intermediate Grade. And even that grading was possible only because the Mysteries related to Gravity were a bit more domineering amongst the Initial Stage Mysteries, giving his Arcana an edge over other Arcanas.


    However, such Mysteries were naturally more difficult to control as well. If not for the fact that the Mystery he had comprehended was related to his Roots, making it easier for him to control, and interpret it according to his wishes, then he would not even have been able to translate the Mystery into an Arcana, let alone raise the Arcana to the Intermediate Grade.


    Only the progress of his Spirit Power over the past few months had left him a little satisfied of himself. In just three months, he had managed to increase his Spirit Power to five thousand units, the limit of the Initial Stage of the False Rank, taking a month less than either of his friends. Even if Cecilia had finally broken through to the Intermediate Stage a few days ago, he would soon be able to catch up to her. Catching up to Yuri should not take too long either. A few years¡­


    Or maybe a little longer. After all, just like him, Yuri also had special Roots. And just as how he had benefited tremendously from the three Fortune Springs¡ªthe boulders in territory of the Dark Wind Wolf, the ice pond in the territory of Winged Ice Snake, and the burrows of the Fire Clawed Moles¡ª so had Yuri.


    Of course, Cecilia had also experienced those three Fortune Springs, and just like them, she was also training with a Divine Grade Arcana. In the end though, her Roots were a little weaker than theirs. As such, it was only natural for her training speed to be slower than theirs. She was still training at a ridiculously fast speed that had probably broken all records for Rianra, but not as fast as either he, or Yuri were training.


    And as both, he and Yuri and expected, her slow growth had begun bugging Cecilia once again. In the past two months, as his Spirit Power had gradually caught up to hers, he had noticed her behaving a little strangely with him. She did not make any mistakes while acting as a team, but when back at the camp, she would often go into a daze whenever she heard of his progress.


    Just going into a daze, of course, was not a problem. His growth was indeed a little hard for most people to accept, after all. But when his Spirit Power had finally caught up with hers, reaching the Tenth Level of the Initial Stage around half a month ago, she had begun to panic a little. In her desperation, she had even considered Forging her Spirit in order increase her training speed. He had of course, refused her. Forging Spirits was not easy. Especially when one had no prior experience. And with the state she was in, she was bound to make some mistake.


    He could understand what she was thinking, but could not find any ways to do away with her worries. What could he say? That he would not abandon her no matter how great the difference between their strength became? She was not even afraid of him abandoning her in the first place. She just did not wish to become a burden. And she wished to fight by his side. If the gap between their strength became too large¡­


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    Fortunately, Yuri was able to calm her down. Still, Cecilia had remained a little fidgety over the past few days. It was only when they had found the Fortune Spring in the burrows of the Fire Clawed Moles a few days, which had allowed her to break through to the Intermediate Stage, that she had been able to truly calm down, and return to her usual self.


    However, it was not just Cecilia who had benefited from that Fortune Springs. Reaching the limits of the Initial Stage within just three months of breaking through to the False Rank, even if he did not wish to show it, Alnea was still not able to hide the pride from his face. Especially since he had not improved in just Spirit Power, but had made a complete, and all round improvement, including his battle prowess.


    Whether it was as an Arcanist, or as a Warrior, both Cecilia, and Alnea were able to handle intermediate phase Oren Beasts by themselves. And when they joined forces, and worked as a team, they could even fight against four Oren Beasts at the same time. Or so they had learned when they had stumbled across a pack of Green Wind Wolves.


    What the Green Wind Wolves were doing in Night Canyons, no one knew. Not even Yuri. When they had met the wolves though, they did not have much time to think. Normally, if they met any dangerous situation, their agreed upon tactics was to let Yuri hold back the Oren Beasts, while he would run back to the cave with Cecilia. But no matter what they had agreed upon, they could not let Yuri face four Oren Beasts at the same time.


    Besides, they were already strong enough to deal with intermediate phase Oren Beasts by themselves, so they reckoned that they should be able to deal with four Green Wind Wolves if they joined forces. Thankfully, their guess proved right. Yuri did not even have to step in herself. All she did was to use a few Glyphs to contain the beasts, and they handled the rest by themselves. They did suffer a few injuries in the process, but at least they were able to test their limits, and prove to themselves that they were not just novice Wanderers anymore.


    As for the injuries that they had suffered, one of the seven Arcanas that Alnea had created was a Healing Arcana. Something that had surprised him, just as much as it surprised the girls. Not that he could create a Healing Arcana, but that he encountered a Mystery form the lineage of Life, and that he was able to comprehend it on his first try. It was probably because of his Art of Spirit Rebirth. Unfortunately, he did not encounter any Mysteries from the lineages of Creation, or Destruction. Whatever benefits that the Art had, it was probably very limited.


    Still, the Healing Arcana, ¡®Green Touch¡¯, had greatly increased his versatility as an Arcanist, and had also comprehensively boosted up their team¡¯s strength. They did not have to be too afraid of injuries anymore. Maybe, his progress as an Arcanist was not as bad as he had thought it was. After all, he had created seven Arcanas in just three months. And that too, when he was focussing more on his Martial Styles, and the way of swords.


    His skewed observations were probably because of his conviction, and his Oaths. Still, even with all the bias, he could see that his progress on the path of Arcanists was much better than his progress on the path of Scholars. Rather, he had not even taken his first step as a Scholar. And neither had Cecilia. Choosing their lineage, and what Glyphs they should engrave on their Spirit was too big of a decision to be taken hastily, and without consultation from his master. Thus, they had left that decision for the future, and continued with their training in the other two paths, all the while honing their fighting skills.


    Consequently, the number of meals that they were having had increased a little, but with how rapidly their Spirit Power, and their bodies were growing, they needed all that energy anyways. Alnea could swear that he had grown over a couple of inches in just the last three months alone. The girls too had grown along with him though, so he still remained as the shortest member in the team, but he was sure that he would soon be able to surpass them in height. And that was not just his delusions.


    While all the food that he ate went either towards increasing his Spirit Power, or his height, the food that the girls ate also had to contribute to the growth of their chests. Even Yuri¡¯s chest had started filling out a little. Such a waste¡­ Or maybe not. Their bulging chests had a strange attraction to them, often drawing his eyes towards them. Especially when they were fighting. The¡ª Fortunately, the Serenity of his Heart was able to resist against the temptation of the mesmerising view.


    In any cases, with more areas for the bodies of the girls to grow, it was a matter of when, and not if he would surpass the girls in height. He was just waiting for the day he would become the tallest in the team, before he would start teasing them about it. Not about their chest. That strangely seemed like a taboo subject. But they always shared everything with each other¡­ Should he ask Yuri about it?


    ¡°What are you thinking about?¡± Yuri asked Alnea through the rings, as she saw his attention drift away from the discussion they were having.


    ¡°¡­Nothing.¡±


    ¡°Pay attention. I am talking about something serious here.¡±


    ¡°¡­I am paying attention. I am always paying attention to you. And I have listened to every single word that you have said.¡±


    ¡°¡­Stop fooling around,¡± Yuri said, fighting off the slight blush on her cheeks, before glancing towards Cecilia to continue where she had left off.


    ¡°As I was saying, both Alnea, and I am stuck at the bottleneck of our respective Stages, while you have reached the Intermediate Stage. And though your promotion is not complete, I think that your strength is enough¡­ that the strength of our team is enough.¡±


    ¡°¡­Enough for what?¡±


    ¡°To fight against advanced phase Oren Beasts.¡±

 Chapter 42: Cecilias progress [Part 2]

    Alnea stared at Yuri, illuminated by the light of his Aspects, in silence, before turning towards Cecilia, only to find her turning towards him with a grin on her face. And within the reflection of her eyes, he saw his own grinning face. Fighting against advanced phase Oren Beasts¡­ that meant only one thing.


    ¡°Finally!¡±


    ¡°We did it!¡±


    ¡°We are going to act as a true team!¡±


    ¡°Quiet down, you two,¡± Yuri said, in a stern voice, shaking her head. However, even she was not able to stop the grin from coming to her face. Still, she controlled herself, and added, ¡°We are still in the Night Canyons. You two need to control yourselves.¡±


    Alnea, and Cecilia contained their excited yells, but they failed to stop their excited laughter from escaping their lips. After all, Yuri proposing that they fight advanced phase Oren Beasts meant that they had gained her approval. That they were finally a true team. That she¡­


    ¡°As I was saying, our strength has increased enough for us to no longer worry about intermediate phase Oren Beasts. Focussing our energy on dealing with them would only be a waste of our time. Only when we fight against stronger enemies can we keep honing our fighting skills. Fighting against intermediate phase Oren Beasts would only dull our senses, wasting months of our efforts. And so, it is time for us to start fighting against advanced phase Oren Beasts.¡±


    ¡°There is no need to go through such a lengthy explanation,¡± Alnea said, grinning with confidence, and with a slight pride, and anticipation in his voice. ¡°Just saying that it is time for us to fight advanced phase Oren Beasts is enough.¡±


    ¡°How can that be enough?¡± Yuri said, expressing her dissatisfaction through her eyes. ¡°As the leader of the team, it is my duty to ensure that both of you feel that my decisions are justified.¡±


    ¡°We trust your judgement, Yuri,¡± Cecilia said, with her voice too carrying a sense of confidence, and anticipation. ¡°Or else, we would have insisted on fighting advanced phase Oren Beasts after we had dealt with that pack of Green Wind Wolves.¡±


    ¡°That is not the same thing¡­ forget it. Both of you are fools.¡±


    ¡°Fools¡­ that is nice name for our team, don¡¯t you think so?¡±


    ¡°Absolutely not!¡±


    ¡°Do not even think about it.¡±


    ¡°¡­I was just joking,¡± Alnea said with an awkward laugh, before replacing it with a grin, as he turned towards Yuri. ¡°You are not forgetting the most important thing, right?¡±


    ¡°Of course not,¡± Yuri said, with a smile that made her look several times brighter than before. ¡°I still remember what I had said. That when, and if I feel that your strength, and our cooperation has reached a certain point, I will reveal all my abilities to you, and then we will start challenging advanced phase Oren Beasts as a true team. Since I have decided that it is time for us to challenge advanced phase Oren Beasts, then it is also naturally time for me reveal all my abilities to you two.


    ¡°However, since we have all improved over the past few months, let us use this chance to introduce our abilities to each other once again. And I know what you want to say, that you two already know about each other¡¯s abilities. But I am sure that you must have kept a few abilities hidden to yourself. We cannot have that in a team. Though keeping your strength hidden is a good tactic, and one that you should always employ, being in a team is different. When you fight as a team, you trust your lives in each other¡¯s hands. If you do not even have enough trust to tell each other about your abilities, how can you trust each other with your lives?¡±


    ¡°Who said we cannot trust each other with our abilities?¡± Alnea said with a fake scoff, before turning towards Cecilia. ¡°Who is going first?¡±


    ¡°Let me do it,¡± Cecilia said, smiling at his overly dramatic behaviour. ¡°As both of your already know, I have reached the Intermediate Stage of the False Rank just a few days ago. But only in Spirit Power. I have yet to tame any Aspect from the deeper region of the Origin Sea, or comprehend any Intermediate Stage Mystery.


    ¡°Still, in the past few days, as I have digested the Good Fortune from the Fire Clawed Mole¡¯s burrows, I have managed to increase my Spirit Power significantly. That should have increased my strength comprehensively. At the very least, I will be able to last longer in battles, and use some of the more Oren draining Martial Styles, and Arcanas.


    ¡°Speaking of Arcanas, I have created four Initial Stage False Ranked Arcanas. You two already know about the ¡®Blade of Darkness¡¯, my first Arcana, that creates blades of darkness to attack my enemies. Then there is the ¡®Fortune Flip¡¯, which allows me to flip my fortune with my enemy for a few moments. It drains my Spirit Power a lot, but it can prove handy in difficult situations.


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    ¡°Other than the two, there is also the ¡®Dark Breath¡¯, which allows me to hide our presence in the darkness, and the ¡®Dark Sense¡¯, which allows me to sense enemies in the darkness. These two Arcanas are not too draining on my Spirit Power, and I can use them for quite a while, especially with my increased Spirit Power. But as you can guess, except for my first Arcana, the other Arcanas are not suited for a frontal battle.¡±


    ¡°¡­You are becoming more, and more like a support Arcanist, rather than a Warrior.¡±


    ¡°Shut up,¡± Cecilia said, glaring at Alnea. ¡°It was not like I wanted to create those support type Arcanas either. But I don¡¯t have any control over what Mysteries I encounter in the Origin Sea. And I could not have comprehended a Mystery, and then just forget about it, right? That would have been downright disrespectful to the Mysteries. And it would also have affected my path as an Arcanist. Besides, something is better than nothing¡­¡±


    ¡°That is why you should think even more about becoming a support type Arcanist,¡± Alnea said, grinning at his green robed friend. ¡°What if all the Mysteries that you encounter are going to be support oriented? It would be better to just become a support type Arcanist.¡±


    ¡°You¡­¡±


    ¡°Alright, stop teasing her, Alnea,¡± Yuri said, smiling at his antics, before turning towards Cecilia. ¡°He is not completely wrong though. You can think about becoming a support type Arcanist in the future.¡±


    ¡°¡­But I am from the Serpia clan¡­¡±


    ¡°That is all the more reason why you should seriously consider this option,¡± Yuri said. ¡°What is the path that you wish to focus on?¡±


    ¡°¡­Warrior.¡±


    ¡°Then ask yourself this question. Does being a support type Arcanist conflicts with your path as a Warrior?¡±


    ¡°¡­No, it does not.¡±


    ¡°Then will it provide any help to your path of a Warrior?¡±


    ¡°¡­Maybe.¡±


    ¡°Not maybe, but surely,¡± Yuri said, giving Cecilia a reassuring smile. ¡°Being a support type Arcanist will help you fill up your deficiencies as a Warrior. Sure, no one would complain having a few great offensive Arcanas, but having some support type Arcanas will help you just as much, or maybe even more than some offensive Arcanas would. Do not get me wrong though. I am not asking you to become a support type Arcanist. I am just saying that it is an option for you. After all, you are not walking on just one path. You should always keep yourself open to different possibilities, and opportunities.¡±


    ¡°¡­I will think about it.¡±


    ¡°Good, then let us continue with we were discussing.¡±


    ¡°¡­I have already told you about my Arcanas,¡± Cecilia said, beginning with a mumble, before returning to her usual voice. ¡°Next, about my Aspects. When we started out as a team, I had tamed only one Aspect, which you already know of. However, recently, my luck with the Aspects has been slightly better than before, and I have gained recognition from a few more Aspects, bringing the total number of my Aspects to seven.


    ¡°Of those seven Aspects, two of them can help me strengthen my body, while three focus completely on my speed, and agility. Of the remaining two, one can take on the form of claws, while the other can take on the form of a snake. And with these, my collection of Aspects can be said to be relatively complete. At least, with these Aspects, I can finally use some of High Grade Martial Styles of my clan.¡±


    ¡°Your Aspects really do form a complete whole with each other,¡± Yuri said, nodding along with Cecilia¡¯s words. ¡°And the fact that you can use High Grade Martial Styles now is a great news for the team. However, the concepts involved in High Grade Martial Styles are beyond our control, at least at our current levels. You should use the High Grade Martial Styles sparingly, and try to not let yourself get lost in the concept of those Martial Styles.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry,¡± Cecilia said, stealing guilty glances of him, with an embarrassed look on her face. ¡°I know the consequences of using Martial Styles beyond my control.¡±


    ¡°Are you still thinking about that?¡± Alnea said, laughing to dismiss Cecilia¡¯s concerns. ¡°It has already been around a year since that event.¡±


    ¡°A year¡­¡± Cecilia mumbled to herself. ¡°That¡¯s right. Inkah¡¯s month should be almost around the corner. But that does not mean that I can forget that day.¡±


    ¡°Then according to your logic, shouldn¡¯t I also be brooding over the time that I hurt you?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s different¡­ Even when taken over by the concept of the Martial Style, you still managed to stop in time. But I¡­¡±


    ¡°The end result was still the same. I ended up almost killing you¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­That was because I was being careless back then. You never managed to beat me after that!¡±


    ¡°Oh? Now that you mention it, we haven¡¯t really fought in a long time. What do you say? Should we have another round?¡±


    ¡°Who is afraid of you? Bring it on!¡±


    ¡°This sounds fun,¡± Yuri said from the side, looking at them with amusement. ¡°Should I join in as well?¡±


    ¡°¡­On second thought, we area a team. We should not fight.¡±


    ¡°¡­If there is anything we need to prove, we can do it against the Oren Beasts.¡±


    A brief moment of silence descended in the cave, before all three of them burst out laughing at the same time, dispersing all the solemn air that had been building up in the cave.


    ¡°You two¡­ We are talking about something serious here.¡±


    ¡°But you laughed as well!¡±


    ¡°And you also wanted to join in on the fun!¡±


    ¡°¡­You must have heard incorrectly,¡± Yuri said, feigning ignorance, before turning to look at him with a curious, and innocent gaze. ¡°Now, continuing from where we had left off, since Cecilia has introduced her abilities, it is our turn next. Will you go first, or should I?¡±

 Chapter 43: Alneas abilities [Part 1]

    Facing her innocent gaze, as he heard her question, spoken in an equally innocent voice, with a sweet, and innocent smile on her face, Alnea looked at Yuri with a wry smile on his face. Her appearance was not able to deceive him. The white haired girl, who looked like an incarnation of innocence, and sweetness, could be even more scheming than the Lotus clan. Not in a heinous way, of course. But in a more playful way, pulling pranks on him, and often putting him in difficult situations.


    She was playful only with him though. And his master. But even then, she would drag him along with her pranks, making him suffer his master¡¯s flicks. Not that he minded. In any case, in front of everyone else, she behaved like a calm, and mature girl, who had everything under her control. Even with Cecilia, and big sis Serena. And they seemed to accept that as her true self. Yuri was, after all, an heiress of the Faed clan. It was only natural for her to be more mature than others of her age. And they were not wrong, in a sense.


    Spending years of her life away from her home, while constantly hiding from all the dangers¡ªrival Orthodoxies, and Heterodoxies¡ª it was only natural for her to mature much earlier than her peers. However, because of her constant travels, and lack of companions, except his master, her maturity had come at the cost of repressing her emotions.


    It was only after she had met him, accomplishing what she had set out to achieve¡ªfinding hope for her clan¡ª that the emotions she had tucked away in a corner of her Heart had begun stirring. And Alnea liked to believe that the Oaths he had taken for her had helped open up her Heart enough for those emotion to express themselves. Or else, why would she vow to help him complete his Oaths?


    Besides, it was not like they were normal friends. Leaving aside the fact that they had been living together for almost a year, with nearly a quarter of it being spent in a small cave, jut the connection they had between their Threads of Fate was enough to set apart their relationship from just normal friendship. And though they had not been Wandering the Origin Sea together for a past few months, it had not made any dent in their relationship.


    On the contrary, they had felt their connection grow stronger with each passing day, until they had finally even begun to see each other¡¯s figure in their heads. That was probably a side effect from constantly feeding Oren to the Rings of Fate, but once again, Alnea liked to believe that it was also a manifestation of their feelings for each other. A manifestation of their fates being even more entangled with each other¡­


    Considering the bond they had, it was only natural for Yuri to act a little differently with him. And he wished to maintain the uniqueness of his bond for all the time to come. Just thinking of Yuri behaving in the same way she did with him with other people was enough to disturb his Serenity. And though the pranks she pulled on him often landed him in troubles, they always sent a surge of happiness, and contentment within his Heart.


    So, whether it was to keep the Divine Treasures a secret, or to keep enjoying the unique bond they had, when Yuri asked him a simple question with an innocent look on her face, but sending all sorts of threats through the rings, reminding him of what would happen if he did not answer her question correctly, he did not dare to expose her true face.


    ¡°Since both of you already know about most of my abilities, let me go first,¡± Alnea said, scratching the back of his head, helplessly watching a brilliant smile bloom on Yuri¡¯s face.


    His white haired friend... amiable as she might appear to be, she refused to swallow any loss. In a sense, she was even more competitive than Cecilia. It was just that she was a lot smarter than Cecilia, and much more sophisticated in her ways, leaving no traces of her mischiefs. Nodding at his answer with a smile, one that said that he had made the correct choice, she left the stage to him.


    ¡°You already know about my Spirit Power,¡± Alnea said, bringing his hand back to his side, withdrawing his smile at the same time. ¡°Though my Spirit Power has reached the limit of the Initial Stage, it did so only with the help of a Fortune Spring. I will have to temper it for a while, before I can even think of breaking through the bottleneck to the Intermediate Stage. So, I will be stuck at the Initial Stage for a while.¡±


    ¡°¡­Your bottleneck might not be as hard to overcome as you think it is.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°I will talk about it later. For now, continue with what you were saying.¡±


    ¡°You were the one who interrupted me,¡± Alnea said through the rings, before continuing to introduce his abilities.


    ¡°Next, let me introduce my Arcanas. You already know about my ¡®Nightmare Arrow¡¯ in detail, so let me skip it, and go on to the other six Arcanas; ¡®Gravity Shift¡¯, ¡®Gravity Field¡¯, ¡®Green Touch¡¯, ¡®Shadow Shift¡¯, ¡®Shadow Spikes¡¯, and ¡®Nightmare Calls¡¯. Of the six¡ªno, even including ¡®Nightmare Arrow¡¯, ¡®Gravity Shift¡¯ is my strongest, and most effective Arcana. I still have to confirm with master for its Grade should be, but I am sure that it should reach the Intermediate Grade.


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    ¡°In any case, as I was saying, by using ¡®Gravity Shift¡¯, I can basically shift the centre of gravity of my selected targets for a few moments, allowing them to gain freedom from the pull of the ground. The shift in gravity is applicable only for a short time though, so we cannot fly, yet. Still, as long as I mark either of you as my target, you can jump to ridiculous heights, or even walk along the walls of the canyon. I can also use it during the fights on the Oren Beasts to disturb their balance. It is like an all purpose, support type Arcana.¡±


    Pausing for a moment, Alnea turned towards Cecilia, and looked at her with a teasing smile, before continuing with what he was saying.


    ¡°In direct contrast to ¡®Gravity Shift¡¯, ¡®Gravity Field¡¯ is an area of effect type of Arcana, that indiscriminately increases gravity to twice its initial value, in a small area, affecting both friends, and foes...¡±


    ¡°¡­Don¡¯t remind about that,¡± Cecilia said, looking at him with a glare. ¡°That¡¯s your worst Arcana to use in a team fight.¡±


    ¡°It is not my fault! I had already warned you about it, and you said that it was fine.¡±


    ¡°¡­You should have been more descriptive about your warnings.¡±


    ¡°¡­The results would still have been the same.¡±


    ¡°What are you trying to say? That I am dumb?¡±


    ¡°Hey, I did not say anything like that. But if you are going to admit it¡­¡±


    ¡°Alright, you two. Stop arguing. We do not have time to play around.¡±


    ¡°¡­Why? What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    ¡°Did Lady Nyssa give a message?¡±


    ¡°¡­It¡¯s not like that,¡± Yuri said, shaking her head. ¡°You will understand later on. For now, let us finish this introduction as soon as possible, so that we can move ahead our main topic.¡±


    Alnea looked at Yuri in confusion, but found her looking back at him with a solemn gaze. That was enough to tell him that she was not just teasing him, or trying to change the topic. So, after a nod, he continued from where he had left.


    ¡°I have already talked about ¡®Gravity Shift¡¯, and ¡®Gravity Field¡¯. Next in line would be ¡®Green Touch¡¯, the only Healing Arcana that our team has right now¡­ Or at least, that is what we know. We do not know about your Arcanas after all.¡±


    ¡°I do not have any healing Arcanas.¡±


    ¡°¡­Then it is truly the only healing Arcana of our team,¡± Alnea said, to which, both Yuri, and Cecilia nodded in acknowledgement. ¡°I can only heal some exterior wounds with ¡®Green Touch¡¯, and cannot do anything about internal injuries, but it should prove useful emergency situations. It is still an Initial Stage False Ranked Arcana though, so do not keep your hopes too high for the healing effect.¡±


    ¡°No need to sell yourself short,¡± Cecilia said, looking at him with a grin. ¡°Having a healing Arcana, no matter how weak it is, is better than not having one.¡±


    ¡°¡­Especially when we have someone like you,¡± Alnea added with a chuckle. Cecilia, of course, could not let that slide, and was about to respond to him, but he did not give her the chance, and continued with his explanations.


    ¡°Other than that, I also have ¡®Shadow Shift¡¯, and ¡®Shadow Spikes¡¯, Arcanas based on the Mysteries of Shadow branch of the lineage of Night. Using these Arcanas, I can manipulate the shadows of my enemies in certain ways, and even attack them through it. Unfortunately, these Arcanas are pretty much useless in the darkness of the canyon.


    ¡°Unless, of course, I use some of my Aspects to aid me in creating shadows. But then, that would not be very cost effective, and would also alert other Oren Beasts in the area. Most probably, I will refrain from using them unless absolutely necessary, or if the situation demands them. That leaves me only with ¡®Nightmare Calls¡¯, an Arcana based on the Mysteries of the lineage of Night.¡±


    ¡°Nightmare Calls¡­ Is it like Nightmare Arrow?¡± Cecilia asked, looking at him with concern, to which, Alnea responded with a smile.


    ¡°It is indeed like ¡®Nightmare Arrow¡¯, in that it also specialises in creating illusions, but you don¡¯t have to worry. Unlike ¡®Nightmare Arrow¡¯, the illusion that ¡®Nightmare Calls¡¯ creates is not a psychological one, but a true illusion, formed through the medium of sound. That is why there is the term ¡®Calls¡¯ in the name. It should not have the side effects of ¡®Nightmare Arrow¡¯. Probably.¡±


    ¡°¡­Are you sure?¡±


    ¡°¡­I will know that only after trying out the Arcana on Oren Beasts, you know. I have only recently created this Arcana, so I have not had the chance to test it. But it should be fine¡­ I guess¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­Let us wait until we confirm it with Lady Nyssa.¡±


    ¡°That will be too late. We don¡¯t know when master will¡ª


    ¡°Cecilia is right,¡± Yuri said, cutting him in between. ¡°Using an Arcana with unknown side effects is too dangerous. You should refrain from using it until we confirm it with big sis Nyssa.¡±


    ¡°¡­That¡¯s not what you said when I told you about it.¡±


    ¡°¡­I don¡¯t know what you are talking about.¡±


    ¡°¡­Traitor.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s better than letting you hurt yourself.¡±


    ¡°¡­Fine, I won¡¯t use it.¡±


    ¡°Good,¡± Yuri said, nodding at him, finally letting out a smile. ¡°That should be enough about your abilities as an Arcanist. Next, tell us about your abilities as a Warrior.¡±

 Chapter 43: Alneas abilities [Part 2]

    ¡°Warrior¡­ Let me begin by taking about my Aspects first,¡± Alnea said, manipulating the Aspects floating in front of him to dance in the air, and change their colours, bringing life to the light in the cave. ¡°As you both already know, I have a special relationship with my Aspects¡­ No, not just my Aspects, but Aspects in general. Maybe it is because of the Oath I made with them, or because of something else.


    ¡°In any case, I am able to tame an Aspect once a week on average. And that too, only because my current strength does not allow me dig Aspect Wells more than once a week. If it were just up to the Aspects of the Origin Sea, then I would probably be gaining new Aspects every time I Wander the Origin Sea. Still, over the past few months, I have been successful in gaining thirteen Aspects in total. And I will be able to gain my fourteenth Aspect in a couple of days.¡±


    And for that, Alnea felt a little pride, and satisfaction within himself. After all, Initial Stage False Wanderers, on average, were able to tame around ten Aspects. And that too, only near the latter half of their lives. Most of the Wanderers who were able to break through to the Intermediate Stage in a couple of decades could tame only about seven or eight Aspects before their advancement, like Cecilia.


    That did not mean that Cecilia was an average Wanderer. While she did only have around seven Aspects before advancing to the Intermediate Stage, she had tamed them in only under four months of becoming a Wanderer. Other Wanderers, the truly average ones, who made it to the Intermediate Stage with seven or eight Aspects, had to decades before they could get to that number.


    No matter how good of a Warrior she was though, he was still better than her. At least in terms of the number of Aspects they had tamed. He would probably still lose in terms of proficiency in their Martial Styles, but not for long. Sooner, or later, he was bound to catch up to her, and then Yuri. After that, he would¡ª


    ¡°What is so good about taming Aspects every week?¡± Cecilia said, breaking him away from his thoughts, and bringing his attention to herself. To her pouting face, showing clear dissatisfaction with what he had said. ¡°Are you trying to show off?¡±


    ¡°I am just stating the truth.¡±


    ¡°¡­It is not as if you can gain Aspect infinitely. There is a limit to the number of Aspect Wells you can dig in your Spirit World.¡±


    ¡°There is indeed a limit to the number of Aspect Wells that I can dig in my Spirit World¡­ But that number depends on my Spirit, and the state of my Heart. And though my Spirit Power is stuck at the Initial Stage for the moment, the State of my Heart is comparable to Wanderers at the peak of the Intermediate Stage. Let¡¯s see¡­


    ¡°I guess I should have no problems in accommodating around twenty, twenty five Aspects? And by the time I get to that number, both my Spirit Power, and my Heart would have advanced, increasing the limit of the number of Aspects I can tame once again. So, in a way, if I keep increasing my Spirit Power, and tempering my Heart at a rapid enough pace, would that not mean that I would have no limits taming Aspects?¡±


    ¡°¡­Show off,¡± Cecilia said with a snort, turning her face away from him, just as he burst out in a laugh. Even Yuri joined him with soft giggles. The ease with which he tamed his Aspects had always been one of the sore spots for Cecilia. Despite being from the illustrious Serpia clan known for their Warriors, she was being surpassed by a someone who, until a little over a year ago, did not even have any foundations.


    She was, of course, not jealous about his achievements. She was, in fact, as happy for him as Yuri was. Or maybe a little less. No one could be as happy for him as Yuri. Each step that he took as a Wanderer meant that they were one step closer to changing the fate that she wished to deny. Probably, even his master was not as happy with his progress as Yuri was.


    In any case, Cecilia was not mad at him. She was just frustrated with herself, and her ¡®relatively¡¯ slow progress. Her earlier outburst was just a way for to deal with that frustration. It was also one of the reasons why Alnea often provoked her, or teased her, getting her to release her frustrations in small intervals, rather than letting them accumulate, and burst all at once.


    Of course, there was also the added benefit of being able to tease her¡­ Seeing the rather cute appearance of his green robed friend, as she puffed up her cheeks in annoyance, Alnea was starting to see why big sis Serena teased her so much. Her reactions aside, just being able to see this cute side of his boisterous friend was worth bearing through her little tantrums.


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    ¡°As I was saying, I have tamed a total of thirteen Aspects till now,¡± Alnea said, trying not to grin too much. ¡°Of those thirteen Aspects, three can take the shape of a sword, one can take the shape of shield, one can take the shape of an armour, while one can take the shape of both, a sword, and a shield. And though I have yet to learn Martial Styles which can help me make good use of the shield, and armour forms of my Aspects, I have learned quite a few Martial Styles focussing on swords, and have gained a fair amount of proficiency in the way of swords.¡±


    ¡°You have indeed progressed well with your sword,¡± Yuri said with a nod. ¡°Much faster than I had anticipated. Probably even big sis Nyssa had not anticipated you to improve so quickly. Just to be sure, can you tell us how many Martial Styles you have learned?¡±


    ¡°¡­If you are talking about the Martial Styles that focus on just swords, then I have mastered all the Lowest, and Low Grade Martial Styles that master gave me, and have started learning Intermediate Grade ones. I am still lacking in terms of control over my Aspects though, which restricts my proficiency of the Martial Styles. It is fine when I am using only the Lowest Grade Martial Styles, but when I try to use the Low, or Intermediate Grade Martial Styles, I often fail in switching between them.¡±


    ¡°It is alright, Alnea,¡± Yuri said, looking at him with a comforting smile, one that sent waves of warmth, and comfort in his Heart. And though they were sitting around a hand¡¯s distance from each other, he felt as if she was right by his side, gently comforting him with her hands¡­ The Ring of Fate was truly a Divine Treasure. To be able to make him feel so giddy with just a few words¡­ It looked like the bond between them was getting stronger.


    ¡°Switching between different usage of Aspects, or in your case, between different Martial Styles, is a relatively higher level concept, one that Warriors use to develop their Martial Styles beyond the Intermediate Grade. The fact that you have begun practising switching between different Martial Styles is enough to put you ahead of most of the Wanderers of our age. Even I have only recently started focussing on switching between different Martial Styles.¡±


    ¡°Is switching between Martial Styles really that difficult?¡± Cecilia asked, looking at Yuri with confusion. ¡°I do not find it that hard to accomplish.¡±


    ¡°That is because the Martial Styles that you are using are all from your clan, and are based on relatively similar concepts. Furthermore, those Martial Styles have been developed by your clan over countless years, and have been designed in way that it is easier for the younger members of your clan to get started with Martial Styles. For Martial Styles that are not from the same vein, even if they are based on similar concepts, switching between them can be extremely difficult, and require very fine control of Aspects.¡±


    ¡°¡­Then should I try to master some other Martial Styles in order increase my control over my Aspects?¡±


    ¡°You do not have to go that far,¡± Yuri said, shaking her head. ¡°Switching between the Martial Styles you know would be enough. Even if they are based on the same concept, if you switch between them for enough number of times, you will start to feel resistance from your Aspects. That is the point that you will have to overcome next.¡±


    ¡°¡­I will try.¡±


    ¡°Alright, that should be enough about the Martial Styles. Continue with your Aspects, Alnea.¡±


    ¡°¡­I have already told you about six of my thirteen Aspects. Of the remaining seven, two of them can help me augment my attacks, be it from my sword, or from just my bare hands. Two more, can help me augment my physique, and body as a whole, while another one just simply augments my speed, and agility. These five are the only augmenting Aspects that I have, and I can use these five Aspects with all the Martial Styles that I had learned last year.


    ¡°That leaves me with the final two Aspects, one of which can just give off a bright light, while the other one can help me disguise myself. Both these Aspects are not very useful in direct combat, but they can come in handy in certain situations. Not situations which we are going to encounter in the canyons though. At least not for the Aspect which lets me disguise myself. But yes, they should prove very useful when we will have to deal with the Heterodox Wanderers.¡±


    ¡°You should never underestimate the Heterodox Wanderers, Alnea.¡±


    ¡°I am not underestimating them¡­ Master gave me a few Martial Styles other than those focussing on swords¡­ Special Arcanas, which when coupled with my last two Aspects, should be able to help us in dealing with the Heterodox Wanderers¡­ Forget it. It will be better when you see it with your own eyes.¡±


    ¡°¡­I trust you. There is no need for you to show off Martial Styles needlessly. We do not want to draw the unwanted attention of the Oren Beasts.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s why I said that those Aspects are not going to be very useful.¡±


    ¡°Alright, we understand the extent of your abilities. Seven Arcanas, and thirteen Aspects¡­ Even if some of them are not suited to be used in the canyon, if used properly, most of the intermediate phase Oren Beasts will not be your match. Coupled with Cecilia¡¯s strength¡­ You two are qualified to challenge advanced phase Oren Beasts. And so, as I had promised, it is time for me to tell you about my abilities¡­ It is time for us to begin acting like a true team.¡±

 Chapter 44: Yuris abilities [Part 1]

    A true team¡­ Alnea already knew what Yuri was going to say. Yet, when he heard her words, he still could not help himself from clenching his fist, or stop the shudders from travelling up his spine. However, he also knew that he could not let his emotions run wild. As Yuri had said, they were still within Night Canyons, a Forbidden Area. Making noises without any rhymes, or reasons was not a wise choice. But it was alright. He did not have to express his excitement by himself. His Aspects were already doing that for him.


    Flaring with a bright shine to them, his Aspects came to life, and began dancing around him, lighting up the cave with their golden, and silvery blue glow. Just to add in some fun, his trickster Aspect even kept changing its colour, adding in all sorts of hue to the light in the cave. Besides, it was not just his Aspects which were going on an ecstasy trip. Even Cecilia¡¯s Aspects were the same, dyeing the cave in their colours, and light.


    Fortunately, Alnea managed to hold back his Light element Aspect, saving them from the trouble of Oren Beasts running in from thousands of metres away to join in their fun. Even then, the light in the cave was bright enough to cause quite a ruckus among the Oren Beasts in the nearby area. Those Beasts were not enough to actually threaten them in any way possible. Still, Yuri did not like the idea of facing some tens of Oren Beasts at the same time.


    Looking at them with a frown, she released her own Aspect, a bluish white blob of light. Not the Aspect that he had chosen for her. It was similar in nature, but it was a different Aspect. A much more domineering, and fierce Aspect that supressed all the Aspects in the cave, and forced them back to their owners.


    ¡°You two do know that letting your Aspects run freely like that has the risk of you losing control over them, right?¡± Yuri said, stretching her hands out to gather her Aspects at the tip of her first finger, coercing the other Aspects within the cave into lowering their brightness. In fact, her Aspects were so domineering, that some of his Aspects even directly ran back to their homes. However, in the domineering presence that she was releasing, Alnea also found a trace of concern, and worry, one that matched the tone of her words.


    ¡°¡­It¡¯s fine,¡± Alnea said, resuming his control over his Aspects, while trying to reassure Yuri of his safety. ¡°As long as I stay true to my Heart, true to the promise that I made with them when I gained their recognition, they will never betray me.¡±


    Cecilia nodded along with him, and said, ¡°A Serpian would never fall to her own Aspects.¡±


    Alnea had many words he wished to say to Cecilia¡¯s bold declaration. Of the three of them, if anyone had the highest chance of losing control of their Aspects, then it was her. She was the most impulsive one, after all. But then, he was probably just as impulsive as her, so he chose not to dig his own grave with his counter. Instead, he turned towards Yuri, and said, ¡°We will pay attention. Just continue with what you were saying.¡±


    ¡°¡­I doubt you will do that, but you are right. I cannot waste time. Let me introduce my abilities then. As I had said before, my Spirit Power has also reached a bottleneck, and is currently stuck at the limit of the Intermediate Stage, just as how Alnea is stuck at the limit of the Initial Stage. And because of how our Spirit Power is still a little vain from experiencing the Fortune Spring, it will be difficult for us to breakthrough to the next Stage in the next month or so.


    ¡°We can, of course, look for Fortune Springs, and break through with their help, but I would prefer breaking through with my own efforts. At the very least, we should get rid of the vain feeling in our Spirit Power, before looking for new Fortune Springs. And that hold true for you too, Cecilia. You may have broken through to the Intermediate Stage, but your Spirit Power also needs some grinding.


    ¡°In any case, none of us can use Fortune Springs at the moment. Still, that we cannot use Fortune Springs at the moment does not mean that we cannot do it in the future. And so, we need to continue our search. However, we have basically checked through the territories of all the intermediate phase Oren Beasts in the canyon. If there are still any Fortune Springs left, then they probably are in the territories of the advanced, and peak phase Oren Beasts. We cannot do anything about the latter, but I think we can deal with some advanced phase Oren Beasts if we fight them as a team.


    ¡°Besides, fighting with our life on the line can stimulate our potential to its limits, helping us get rid of the vain feeling in our Spirit Power. It can even help us break through our bottlenecks. This is why big sis Serena has gone to the Grand Chasm in the first place, to seek a breakthrough to the Fifth Stage of the True Rank. Of course, my original plan was for all three of us to seek breakthrough in these fights, but it looks like I underestimated you a little, Cecilia.¡±


    Cecilia began fidgeting awkwardly, as Yuri¡¯s honest praise forced her blood to rush to her cheeks.


    ¡°It was thanks to the Fortune Spring,¡± she mumbled, trying not to sound too overly proud of her achievement. ¡°If not for the Fortune Springs that we encountered, I would not have been able to reach the Intermediate Stage so soon after I started Wandering. And like you said, all those fights should have also helped. If Lady Nyssa would not have brought me along¡­¡±


    ¡°What are you talking about?¡± Alnea said, staring at Cecilia in confusion. ¡°We have been training together for nearly a year. How could master leave you alone?¡±


    ¡°I am not doubting Lady Nyssa. But¡­¡±


    ¡°You are thinking too much, Cecilia,¡± Yuri said, bringing Cecilia¡¯s attention to herself. ¡°Have you forgotten about the ¡®present¡¯ I gave you on your birthday?¡±


    ¡°No, but¡­¡±


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    ¡°There is no but. Things have been already set since that day. A Faed never shirks her responsibility. Even if big sis Nyssa would not have thought of letting us form a team, I still would not have left you behind. You do not have to worry. Just do your beast, as you have been doing up until now, and everything will be fine.¡±


    ¡°¡­I will.¡±


    ¡°I know,¡± Yuri said, taking Cecilia¡¯s hands in her own, tapping them in reassurance, while looking at her with a smile, and stayed like that for a few moments. It was only after Cecilia¡¯s cheeks began turning red once again, that Yuri let go of her, and turned back to include him in her vision as well.


    ¡°That was enough of digression for now. Coming back to what I was saying, you know about my Spirit Power. Next would be my Arcanas. In total, I have created around twenty Arcanas, of which, only eight are of the Intermediate Stage. Not much, considering how I have Wandering for over a year now, and have been at the Intermediate Stage for nearly six months.


    ¡°However, I can assure you that all eight of my Intermediate Stage Arcanas are of at least the Intermediate Grade. Of them, ¡®Eyes of Death¡¯, ¡®Death¡¯s Breath¡¯, ¡®Death¡¯s Touch¡¯, and ¡®Death¡¯s Arrow¡¯ are from the lineage of Death, while ¡®Dark Resonance¡¯, ¡®Hands of Darkness¡¯, and ¡®Darkness Arrows¡¯ are from the lineage of Night. Only the ¡®Eyes of Destiny¡¯ is from the lineage of Fate.


    ¡°Naturally, as you can tell from the names, except for ¡®Eyes of Death¡¯, all the other Arcanas from the lineage of Death are purely offensive Arcanas. As for ¡®Eyes of Death¡¯, I can use it to mark someone, anyone, even Beasts. Of course, they can counter it with some Arcanas from the lineage of life, or simply have someone with greater proficiency in the Mysteries of Death than me remove that mark from them. But until they do so, my mark will continue to chip away at their life force, till they finally die of exhaustion.¡±


    A shudder ran through Alnea¡¯s back as he heard Yuri describe her Arcana.


    ¡°That sounds like an offensive Arcana to me,¡± he said, trying to gulp down his fears. ¡°¡­Is this the Arcana that you used to kill all those Oren Beasts back then?¡±


    ¡°No¡­ That was from ¡®Death¡¯s Breath¡¯.¡±


    ¡°¡­Are you sure that you are the Faed clan¡¯s heiress, and not of the Kah clan?¡±


    ¡°¡­It is not my fault that I encountered all those Mysteries of Death,¡± Yuri said to him, before replying to what he had said earlier.


    ¡°By offensive Arcanas I meant Arcanas which attack our opponents directly, like Cecilia¡¯s ¡®Blades of Darkness¡¯. Although I can use ¡®Eyes of Death¡¯ to kill our enemies, it is more like a negative buff Arcana that deals damage over a period of time, rather attacking at once. And if the enemies have the right skillset, then it can be easily solved, even by Oren Beasts.¡±


    ¡°¡­Still, that Arcana is quite scary,¡± Cecilia said, looking solemnly at Yuri. ¡°Since we know which Oren Beasts have Innate Abilities related to the lineage of Life, we can use your ¡®Eyes of Death¡¯ at the beginning of the fight to mark those Oren Beasts who will not be able to deal with it. This way¡ª


    ¡°We can discuss about the strategies later,¡± Yuri said, glancing between him and Cecilia with a wry smile. ¡°At least let me finish first.¡±


    Hearing Yuri¡¯s words, Alnea had to call his trickster Aspect to hide his embarrassment. He truly had been acting a little too excited. Was it because he was finally learning about Yuri¡¯s true abilities, about the gap that separated them? Or was it just because of the excitement of her recognising his strength?


    He did not know¡­ but at least, he had been able to hide his embarrassment. Cecilia, on the other hand, lacking the right Aspects, had to lower her head to hide her flushed cheeks. Not that it helped her in any way. Still, sometimes, just the act of doing something was enough to help people get rid of their hesitations.


    Seeing that both Alnea, and Cecilia had turned silent, Yuri nodded, and said, ¡°Now, coming to my Arcanas from the lineage of Night, I can use ¡®Dark Resonance¡¯ to merge the senses of my Spirit with the Darkness around me, effectively increasing the range of my senses to nearly three times of its original range. That may sound a little similar to Cecilia¡¯s ¡®Dark Sense¡¯ in effect, however, both the way that the two Arcanas go about achieving their effects, and the actual effects are completely different.


    ¡°In any case, for now, just know both the Arcanas have their own advantages. Next, would be ¡®Hands of Darkness¡¯, and ¡®Darkness Arrows¡¯, both of which are exactly what their names describe them to be, so I do not think that I need to give a detailed explanation about them. And that brings us to my last Arcana, ¡®Eyes of Destiny¡¯. An Arcana I created just to gain the ability to spy on fate.


    ¡°The Arcana is not very effective though. The things that I can spy with it are often very hazy. And even then, there are too many possibilities that fate could take. What I think might be right choice at the moment could end up being the wrong choice in the long run. Still, as long as I do not use it for making important decision with lasting consequences, things should be fine. Probably.¡±


    ¡°¡­What¡¯s the point of Arcana then?¡±


    ¡°Let me explain it in a better way. Think of a boat travelling down a river, with every point of the river branching out into several distributaries, which then also branch out into just as many distributaries. Spying on fate is like looking at that river. At my current level, I can spy at only the bend of the river that I am at, and the different paths that the boat can take from that bend.


    ¡°For now, I cannot see what will happen further down those different distributaries, but I can see what the immediate consequences of choosing a distributary would be. Not very clearly, of course. I just know if the consequences would be good, or bad. However, spying on even that little bit of fate is too costly, so I would not be using it in battle. Besides, it would not help much in a fight anyways.¡±


    ¡°¡­What do you mean that it is too costly?¡±


    ¡°I am talking about Oren, of course. It takes too much Oren to use the Arcana. Using it just once can exhaust half of all my Spirit Power. That is ten thousand units of Spirit Power. An Initial Stage False Wanderer would not even have enough Spirit Power to cast the Arcana. Even I have to stay still, and carefully manipulate my Oren for quite a while before I can use the ¡®Eyes of Destiny¡¯.¡±


    ¡°¡­And?¡±


    ¡°What do you mean by and?¡±


    ¡°What else do you have to pay?¡±


    ¡°¡­You are quite perceptive,¡± Yuri said, looking at him in silence for a few moments, before shaking her head with a smile. ¡°Do not worry about it. It is nothing much.¡±


    Seeing that Yuri was not willing to talk about it, Alnea sighed, and used their connection to talk directly with their thoughts, saying, ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°¡­Like I said, there is nothing to worry¡ª


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°¡­A day of my life for every moment in the future that I spy.¡±

 Chapter 44: Yuris abilities [Part 2]

    Yuri¡¯s words rang out inside of his head like claps of thunders, shaking both his Heart, and his Spirit World. Even his Aspects, floating around him, flickered, and almost went out of his control. Just the mere act of stopping that from happening, while also making sure that his body did not tremble in shock, and rage, took all of his will. And so, he was left clenching his fist, while staring at his feet in silence, while both Cecilia, and Yuri looked at him, one in worry, and one in confusion.


    ¡°What happened, Alnea? Are you alright?¡±


    ¡°¡­It¡¯s nothing. I just thought of something.¡±


    ¡°Are you worried about Yuri?¡±


    ¡°¡­Maybe.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine. You know how responsible she is. And don¡¯t you trust her? Since she is saying that is nothing much, then it probably really is nothing much. There is no need for us to worry about her.¡±


    ¡°¡­I hope so,¡± Alnea said, taking a deep breath to calm the storm in his Heart, before reached to Yuri through their connection once again. ¡°How many times have you used it till now?¡±


    ¡°¡­Just a couple of times,¡± Yuri said, with worry evident in her voice. ¡°Once to test out the Arcana. And once to find the burrows of the Fire Clawed Moles.¡±


    ¡°How many days did you have to pay for that?¡±


    ¡°¡­Around three days for the first time, and thirty days for the second time. But that is not too big of a price. As Wanderers, our lifespans are much longer than normal people. As long as my progress¡ª


    ¡°Never use it again,¡± Alnea said, not bothering to hear the rest of her explanation. He also knew that Wanderers had longer lifespan. But that did not mean that they could just squander it away. Thankfully, she had lost only a month or so of her lifespan. If he had not persisted on asking her about the Arcana¡¯s price, then she might even have lost years of her life before he would have eventually found out about it. Or maybe, she never would have told him about it until her life ran out. Until¡­


    ¡°¡­You don¡¯t understand. Being able to see the consequences of our actions, we will be able to make the most optimal decisions. This is the perfect¡ª


    ¡°Promise me to never use it again.¡±


    ¡°¡­I know that it does not seem like a good idea, but the benefits outweigh the loss in this case. Besides, I¡ª


    ¡°I don¡¯t care,¡± Alnea said. A world without Yuri¡­ He did not wish to see such a world. He could not bear to see such a world. ¡°Promise me to never use your ¡®Eyes of Destiny¡¯, or any similar Arcanas.¡±


    ¡°Alnea¡­¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you believe in me?¡±


    ¡°¡­This is not about whether I believe in you, or not. ¡®Eyes of Destiny¡¯ is¡ª


    ¡°You created the Arcana because you want to spy on the fate of your clan, right?¡±


    ¡°¡­I admit that the thought of using the Arcana for that purpose did come to my mind, but it came only after I had created the Arcana, and learned of its effects. It has nothing to do with whether I believe in you or not.¡±


    ¡°If you believe that I can help you in changing the fate of your clan, then why do you need to spy on it?¡±


    ¡°¡­Even if I do not use ¡®Eyes of Destiny¡¯ to spy on the fate of my clan, I can still use it at other times. It is a really useful Arcana that¡ª


    ¡°No,¡± Alnea said, remaining adamant about his decision. ¡°Promise me to never use any such Arcanas which cost you your lifespan.¡±


    ¡°It is just a few days¡ª


    ¡°How can you say that it is just a few days? Those are the days of your life! Days which you could have spent with me!¡±


    ¡°You¡­ what¡­¡± Yuri said, fumbling with her words, too shocked by his outburst to come up with a coherent response. It was even starting to show on her face. Fortunately, Cecilia was not paying attention to her. Still, Alnea was not done with Yuri yet. Not until he could get his promise.


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    ¡°You have already lost nearly a month of your life. I do not want you losing any more of it. If you think that you have too many days to live¡­ then I am reserving those days for myself. All the days of your life¡­ They are mine. You cannot spend them without my permission. Promise me that you will never use those days as a cost for any Arcanas, Glyphs, or Martial Styles. Even for Divine Treasures. No matter what the benefits are, you cannot use your lifespan as a price.¡±


    ¡°¡­You are such a fool,¡± Yuri said after a while, with a hint of discontent in her voice, but she failed to hide the slight curve of her lips, lifting upwards in a smile. Even the frustration that had been overflowing from her as she had kept trying to persuade him about her ¡®Eyes of Destiny¡¯ was gone, replaced by a tinge of agitation, and embarrassment, hidden behind the veil of her calm exterior.


    However, what Alnea focussed on were her words. She had not admitted it directly, but her words implied that she agreed with him, allowing him to relax a little. He had yet to hear the words the wished to hear the most though. So, reached out to her once again, and said, ¡°¡­Are you promising me?¡±


    ¡°¡­Can you not tell?¡±


    ¡°I want to hear it from you.¡±


    ¡°¡­Fine, you promise fanatic, I promise you that I will never use my life as a price for anything without your permission. Happy?¡±


    ¡°Very happy,¡± Alnea said, as his Heart finally settled down, bringing a smile onto his face. He could not tell Cecilia about the conversation they just had though, so he looked towards Yuri, and said, ¡°I will believe what you have said for now. Let us continue from where had left off. You have already told us about your Arcanas, so next would be your Aspects, and Martial Styles.¡±


    ¡°¡­I am glad that you can trust me,¡± Yuri said, looking at him with her usual smile. Through their rings though, she was practically threatening him, saying, ¡°You better remember what you have said to me. I am going to hold you accountable for each of your words.¡±


    Before Alnea could even understand what she was saying, Yuri turned just enough to also include Cecilia in her vision, and continued with what he had asked her to do, explaining her abilities.


    ¡°Like the two of you, I have been a little more successful in taming Aspects than I have been in creating Arcanas,¡± Yuri said, lifting her hand, before releasing her Aspects one by one, making them revolve around her fingers, just like the way he had played with them. However, unlike him, her control over her Aspects was much more precise, and firm, confining all of them to the tips of her fingers, while limiting their glow to be just enough to light up the cave, and not escape from it.


    ¡°I tamed around eleven Aspects at the Initial Stage, and have tamed fourteen Aspects at the Intermediate Stage till now, for a total of twenty five Aspects. Of these twenty five Aspects, around ten of them can transform into weapons, and three of them can transform into armours, while ten of the remaining twelve can help me augment my body. I also have corresponding Martial Styles to make the best use of these twenty three Aspects, with some of them being of the High Grade.


    ¡°And though I do not have corresponding Martial Styles for the remaining two Aspects, I can still make considerable use of them. Mainly because these Aspects augment my other Aspects, and my mental fortitude. Furthermore, they can also help me in casting Arcanas, and they do not even require much Oren, so they are not too much of a burden to me either. With the help of these two Aspects, I am even confident of taking on Oren Beasts of the peak phase.¡±


    ¡°Peak phase Oren Beasts?¡±


    ¡°There is no need to be so shocked. I am sure that given time, both of will also be able to do it. Fighting Oren Beasts who have yet to reach their Adult Stage is not that difficult. Especially the common Oren Beasts. After all, it is only when they reach their Adult Stage that their Innate Abilities will start showing its true prowess.


    ¡°However, there are differences between Oren Beasts and Wanderers. Especially Heterodox Wanderers, who have all sorts of weird means. And the aim of our training is becoming strong enough to fight Peak Stage Heterodox Wanderers. If we had enough time, then I am sure that either of you could have singled them out on your own. But time is one thing we are lacking in the most.


    ¡°At most, we just have a few months, before we will have to face those Heterodox Wanderers. But there is no need to worry too much about them. After all, we will be fighting them as a team. A true team. And we will do that step by step, beginning with the advanced phase Oren Beasts. And when we will be confident enough to take on peak phase Oren Beasts, we will be ready to face the Heterodox Wanderers.¡±


    ¡°Fight peak phase Oren Beasts¡­¡± Alnea mumbled, glancing towards Cecilia, only to find her glancing back at him with a grin.


    ¡°What? Are you scared?¡±


    ¡°Scared?¡± Alnea said with a scoff. ¡°That is something only a support type Arcanist like you would know. Warriors like me always fight at the front. I don¡¯t even know what being scared means.¡±


    ¡°What do you know about being a Warrior?¡± Cecilia said, sticking out her tongue at him. ¡°I am a Serpian. And Serpians are born as Warriors.¡±


    ¡°¡­How many Aspects have you tamed?¡±


    ¡°¡­Being a Warrior is not about how many Aspects you have tamed, but how well you can use them.¡±


    ¡°¡­How many Martial Styles have you learned?¡±


    ¡°¡­Can I beat him?¡± Cecilia grumbled, turning towards Yuri for her question, to which, Yuri responded with giggles.


    ¡°I want to beat him too,¡± Yuri said, looking at him with an amused smile, before shaking her head. ¡°Maybe later. Right now, let us come back to what I was saying. And in a way, it is also related to what you two were arguing about.¡±


    ¡°¡­Who amongst the two of us is a better Warrior?¡±


    ¡°¡­Not exactly what you were arguing about, but related to it. If we are going to act as a true team, then we also need to decide the roles we are going to fulfil, and the conditions in which we will be switching our roles. But before that, we need to talk about something else.¡±


    Yuri paused for a moment, giving the time to think, and digest what she had said, before continuing with what she had to say.


    ¡°It is time for you two to think about your lineages, and specialisations as Scholars.¡±

 Chapter 45: Choosing paths [Part 1]

    ¡°Our lineages, and specialisations as Scholars,¡± Alnea mumbled, sinking into silence, as he looked at the solemn expression on Yuri¡¯s face. ¡°It is indeed time for us to choose our path as Scholars.¡±


    ¡°¡­I may not like the path of Scholars, but you are right. We should have chosen our paths long ago¡­ back when we had become Wanderers. Or at least when we came together as a team. We already know about our Roots, so making that decision should not have been too difficult for us. But we were too reliant on you¡­ We did not act like how a true team should have¡­¡±


    In response to Cecilia¡¯s gloomy reply, Yuri shook her head and said, ¡°You are over simplifying things a little. It is true that you knew about your Roots¡­ but you did not know about your Aspects. You had barely tamed any Aspects back then after all. And without knowing how the core of your Aspects will be, making any decision about your path as a Scholar would have been foolish, and reckless.¡±


    ¡°¡­What does our Aspects have to do with our path as a Scholar?¡±


    ¡°¡­If you look at it from the immediate impact between them, then there is indeed no relationship between your Aspects, and your path as Scholars. However, if you look at it from a broader perspective, and take your future achievements as Wanderers into account, then there is an undeniable relation between them.¡±


    ¡°¡­Are you talking about supplementing our paths as Scholar with our paths as Warrior, and vice versa?¡±


    ¡°So, you do remember a few lessons that big sis Nyssa taught you,¡± Yuri said, as the corner of her lips upturned in a smile. ¡°I am not talking about the synergy between just two of your paths though. If you wish to accomplish great things as Wanderers, then it is imperative for you to choose all three of your paths in such a way that they complement each other, and bring out the best of your abilities.


    ¡°On the other hand, if your three paths diverge too much from each other, then you will end up wasting too much of your time, and resources on advancing the three paths at the same time. You can also just give up on two paths, and focus on only one, but then you will most likely end up as average Wanderers. Maybe even advancing to the Mystic Rank would become just a dream for us.


    ¡°However, we cannot really have much of a choice when choosing our paths as Arcanists, or Warriors. One of them is tightly linked to our Roots, and the Mysteries that they are based upon, while the other is linked inherently to our nature, personalities, and actions. The most we can choose on those paths is how we specialise in them. Only when we choose our path as Scholars do we have a real choice. One that can directly affect our future. But it also because of that reason that we must be very careful with our choice.¡±


    Alnea nodded along with what Yuri was saying. He already knew most of it. His master had personally helped him with his foundations, after all. What she had taught him though, was slightly different than what Yuri was saying. According to his master, it was not just his choice on the path of Scholars. His future as a Wanderer would depend just as much on his choice on the path of Arcanists, and Warriors.


    Yet what Yuri was saying did make sense. His only real choice was on what kind of Scholar he could be. As for future as an Arcanist, and a Warrior, except for his specialisations, no other choice was left to him. Then what his master said¡­


    It was probably too esoteric for him to understand. And maybe even for Yuri. Besides, his master would remind him when the time to make a choice would come anyways, so there was no need for him to worry too much. He just had to focus on the choice he could make at the moment. His choice as a Scholar.


    ¡°The first choice in choosing our path as a Scholar is the lineage of Glyphs,¡± Yuri said after a pause, giving enough time for both him, and Cecilia to digest what she had said earlier. ¡°Technically, there are twelve lineages from us to choose from, but no one is stupid enough to choose the lineages on which their Roots are based upon. Since both of your Roots are based upon two lineages, that would leave ten lineages open for you to choose from. Of them¡ª


    ¡°Wait a moment,¡± Alnea said, raising his hand to motion Yuri stop, while using his hand to massage his head. ¡°Something does not feel right.¡±


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    ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°You said that no one chooses the lineages on which their Roots are based upon.¡±


    ¡°¡­I did say that, but what about it?¡±


    ¡°¡­Then how come master can inscribe Glyph Arrays from both the lineages of Day, and Time?¡±


    ¡°¡­You are confused about big sis Nyssa¡¯s Glyphs?¡± Yuri said, smiling at the confusion on his face. ¡°Should you not be more confused about how big sis Nyssa can inscribe Glyph Arrays from two different lineages?¡±


    ¡°¡­I was getting to that,¡± Alnea said, replying to Yuri¡¯s amused look with an earnest nod. ¡°I asked master about it once. But she said that it was a secret, so I did not pursue it.¡±


    ¡°A secret¡­¡± Yuri mumbled, before nodding with a smile. ¡°It is indeed a secret, one that even Supreme Wanderers, both of the Union, and of the other Orthodoxies want to know. It is only because of her exceptional abilities that big sis Nyssa has been able to keep that secret safe. That, and the fact that she is not the only one in the world who can use Glyphs from more than one lineage.


    ¡°Such people are very rare though, and are exceptions among exceptions. Unless big sis Nyssa tells you how to bypass the mutual rejection between the Glyphs, which I doubt she would do so¡ªfor your own safety, of course¡ª it would be best if you would act like normal Wanderers, and just choose one lineage for yourself.¡±


    ¡°¡­I understand.¡±


    ¡°Good, then let us come back to what I was talking about,¡± Yuri said. ¡°Choosing your lineage is a major decision for all Wanderers, whether they want to walk on the path of Scholars or not. First of all, like I said, the chosen lineage must not be from the lineages that the Wanderer¡¯s Roots are based upon. Next, it is recommended to not choose a lineage which is diametrically opposite to the lineages of your Roots.


    ¡°For example, Cecilia, your Roots are based upon lineages of Good Fortune, and Night. So, it would be best if you do not choose the lineages of Fate, or Day as the lineage for your path as a Scholar. Unless the Mysteries forming the Roots of Wanderers are from diametrically opposite lineages, comprehending such Mysteries can cause some backlash when creating Arcanas. And if the Roots of Wanderers are truly formed form lineages directly opposing each other, like in Alnea¡¯s case, then there is no use in inscribing them onto your Spirits anyways.¡±


    ¡°¡­That leaves only eight lineages for me to choose from, and ten for Alnea¡­¡±


    ¡°Nine for me, actually,¡± Alnea said, smiling awkwardly. ¡°I have also comprehended some Mysteries of Life, after all. I probably should not choose the lineage of Death.¡±


    ¡°¡­You are right in that you should not choose the lineage of Death, but not because of the Mystery of Life that you comprehended. Just a single Mystery would not be able to create too much of a rejection from the entire lineage of Death.¡±


    ¡°¡­Then why should I not choose the lineage of Death?¡±


    ¡°There are many reasons behind it. Like the fact that the Mysteries from the lineage of Death does not form a link with your abilities as a Warrior, or an Arcanist. That is another thing we must look out for when choosing the lineage for our path as Scholar. Whether we will be able to link up our abilities between our three paths.


    ¡°Take my case as an example. Both of your already know that my Roots are based upon the Mysteries of Night, Death, and Fate. And you already know that most of my Arcanas focus on direct offensive methods. Even my Aspects are more suited for direct frontal combat. And that leaves me vulnerable in my defensive, and supportive capabilities. I can probably still forcibly defend using my offensive Arcanas, or Martial Styles. But when it comes to providing support for the team, or even for myself, my abilities will fall short dearly.


    ¡°It is for these reasons that when I was choosing my lineage as a Scholar, I decided to go with the lineage of Decay. The repertoire of Glyphs that the lineage of Decay has is a perfect match for my abilities as an Arcanist, and a Warrior. Not only will these Glyphs help me fill up my deficiencies as a Wanderer, but the fact that they are from the lineage of Decay, forming a link with the other three lineages of my Roots, will increase my chances of encountering Mysteries from the lineage of Decay. It will be akin to reaping twice the benefits with half the effort.¡±


    ¡°¡­But that¡¯s not the only reason, right? After all, as long as I wish to do it, I can change the type of Arcanas I create to match the abilities I will get from the Glyphs of the lineage of Death, creating a perfect link between my three paths.¡±


    ¡°¡­You are as perceptive as ever,¡± Yuri said, nodding at him with a smile. ¡°You are right, that is not the only reason. Rather, it is not even the main reason why I do not want you to choose the lineage of Death.¡±


    ¡°¡­Then what is it?¡±


    ¡°¡­Is it not obvious from the Arcanas that I have created? I am already specialising in the Mysteries of Death, so why should you dip your hands into in the same Mysteries?¡±

 Chapter 45: Choosing paths [Part 2]

    ¡°¡­That¡¯s it?¡± Alnea said, looking at Yuri in a daze. ¡°You don¡¯t want me to choose the lineage of Death because you are specialising in it?¡±


    ¡°Not just you, but Cecilia too,¡± Yuri said, turning to include Cecilia in her glance. ¡°Do you two know what a team means?¡±


    ¡°¡­It is the smallest structural unit of¡ª


    ¡°That is just the standard definition, but a team is much more than just what those words let on,¡± Yuri said, controlling three of her Aspects to fly out from the rest of their pack, and rotate in front of her, forming a vertical circle. ¡°A team is made up of a group of people who can trust their lives with each other. Who knows that their comrades will always have their backs. This is what allows them to always do their best, without any fear of death.


    ¡°However, to form such a team, just trust alone is not enough. All the members of a team must also have abilities that complements with each other, granting them the abilities to survive in all sorts of situations. For example, if the Arcanist focusses too much on attack, then we must have either the Scholar, or the Warrior focus on defence, while the other focusses on trapping enemies. Or, if the Warrior is focussing on attacks, then the Arcanist and the Scholar must focus on supporting the Warrior, while creating openings for the Warrior to attack.


    ¡°You should be able to understand what I am trying to say. But here comes the problem. All of us having the lineage of Night in our Roots have already made it so that some of our abilities overlap with each other. Like Cecilia¡¯s ¡®Dark Sense¡¯, and my ¡®Dark Resonance¡¯. If we still end up choosing our lineages as Scholars in such a way that even more of abilities end up overlapping with each other, then would that not defeat the whole purpose of forming a team?¡±


    ¡°¡­Why does that sound so logical?¡±


    ¡°Because it is. This is how teams have always been formed.¡±


    ¡°Then why have I never heard of it?¡± Cecilia said, looking at Yuri with confusion. ¡°I can understand why Alnea would not have heard of it, but with so many Wanderers from my clan going to the Grand Chasm all the time, I am sure I would have heard of something.¡±


    ¡°It is true that many Wanderers of your clan go to the Grand Chasm, but most of them just serve in the main army. Only the most elite Wanderers are capable of joining the expedition teams. And though there should be many elite Wanderers in your clan, they probably do not like talking about their days in the Grand Chasm¡­ Forget about the others. Have you ever heard big sis Serena talk about her days in the Grand Chasm? ¡°


    ¡°¡­No.¡±


    ¡°¡­Of a hundred Wanderers who venture into the depths of the Thrall Domains at a time, barely half of them can make it back alive. Most of them time, the survival rate is even lower. And that is despite the fact that only the elite Wanderers are allowed to be a part of the expedition teams. That is how dangerous the Thrall Domains are. And that is why Wanderers travel the Thrall Domains as a team. To increase their chances of survival.


    ¡°Even then, death is their constant companion. For the Wanderers venturing into the Thrall Domains, it is not unnatural to lose a teammate. Rather, for a team to survive as a whole is the most unnatural, and rare occurrence, one that occurs only in the most elite of the elite teams. However, teams like that¡­ your clan is not capable of nurturing them.


    ¡°The Wanderers of your clan, those who have been part of expedition teams¡­ even big sis Serena, must have had teammates who never made it out of the Grand Chasm. It is understandable if they do not wish to talk about such matters. Especially to you. When you left your clan to come with us, you had just laid your Roots. Do you think the people of your clan would have told you about such things to a girl who has not even laid her Roots?¡±


    ¡°Serena¡­¡±


    Seeing a solemn, and worried look flash across Cecilia¡¯s face, Alnea reached out to pat Cecilia on her shoulders, and said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry about big sis Serena. You were unconscious, so you did not see her when she fought against all those Enthralled Wanderers by herself. She is very strong. Besides, she has already been there once. This is here second time. I am sure nothing will happen to her.¡±


    ¡°¡­Who is worrying about that pervert?¡± Cecilia said, trying to sound as if just thinking about her sister was enough to disgust her, and she might even have fooled Alnea with her tricks, if not for the worried look in her eyes. He did not point it out though, and instead, turned towards Yuri.


    ¡°There is still something that I don¡¯t understand,¡± Alnea said, shifting the topic away from big sis Serena to ease Cecilia. ¡°I can understand why the teams are formed in a way that the Wanderers complement each other, filling up their weaknesses, while boosting their strengths, but aren¡¯t the teams formed after the Wanderers reach the Thrall Domains? Does that mean that they hold off some key decisions of their paths until they become eligible to join the expedition teams?¡±


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    ¡°¡­Do you think that all Wanderers train with the aim of exploring the Thrall Domains?¡± Yuri said, shaking her head. ¡°Though some of the larger, and stronger clans do train their Wanderers with the aim of developing them into teams, most of the Wanderers do not make their choice of lineages with the abilities of other Wanderers in their mind. Instead, they focus solely on themselves. When, and if, they become qualified to explore the Thrall Domains, and wish to do so, they form teams with other Wanderers like them, with the best combination that they can make.


    ¡°Of course, makeshift teams like these can never be as good as teams that have developed together from the very beginning. Forget about complementing each other¡¯s abilities, they do not even have enough trust in each other to reveal all of their abilities. It is not for no reason that the casualty rate of Wanderers venturing into the Thrall Domains is so high. And if we too do not focus on the team as a whole, but just on ourselves, then let alone exploring the Thrall Domains, we would not even be able to handle Peak Stage Heterodox Wanderers. You do not wish for that to happen, right?¡±


    Even if Yuri had not explained so much to him, Alnea still would have said no to her question. He was not even concerned about what other Wanderers did. As long as he could keep his Heart, and conscience Clear, it was enough. The only reason why he had asked that question was to help distract Cecilia a little. But it looked like Yuri had taken that question as his true thoughts, and answered it with all her seriousness. And so, he could do nothing but swallow his bitter thoughts, and shake his head at her question.


    ¡°Good, then let us discuss what lineages, and specialisation you two should choose from. Before that though, let me introduce my own Glyphs. As you two already know, I have chosen the lineage of Decay, and have engraved a total of three Intermediate Stage False Ranked Glyphs on my Spirit, ¡®Arrow of Corruption¡¯, ¡®Wall of Corrosion¡¯, and ¡®Foggy Rope¡¯.


    ¡°The ¡®Arrow of Corruption¡¯ can be lethal for some weaker intermediate phase Oren Beasts, and bring constant pain, and irritation to the advanced phase Oren Beasts. The ¡®Wall of Corrosion¡¯, on the other hand, can be used for defending, or trapping our enemies, while the ¡®Foggy Rope¡¯ will just bind our enemies for a short while. So, in a sense, all of my Glyphs focus on suppressing our enemies.¡±


    ¡°¡­A negative support Scholar?¡±


    ¡°¡­You can think of me like that,¡± Yuri said, looking at him with a weird gaze. ¡°But that would also make you a negative support Arcanist.¡±


    ¡°¡­I think there are more important things for us to worry about than how to name our paths,¡± Alnea said, putting on as solemn a face as he could, taking the help of his Aspect to hide his awkward, embarrassed face. ¡°According to what I understand, your Glyphs are focussed on suppressing our enemies, while your Arcanas are geared towards long range attacks. Your Martial Styles, on the other hand, focus on close quarter combat, giving you the ability to both, attack, and defend.¡±


    While Yuri nodded along with his words, Cecilia frowned, and shook her head.


    ¡°There is no need to specifically mention Martial Styles in the way you did,¡± she said. ¡°Aspects of the Origin Sea¡­ they are much more flexible than its Mysteries. And so is the case with Martial Styles. Only those Wanderers who do not have firm foundations in the path of Warriors are not able to attack and defend with their Martial Styles. But none of us have such weak foundations, so we can skip that part, and focus on just the path of Arcanists, and Scholars.¡±


    ¡°¡­Or rather, just the path of Arcanist,¡± Alnea said, turning towards Yuri with a wry smile. ¡°That is why we are having this conversation, right?¡±


    ¡°¡­Big sis Nyssa always said that you have a good head on your shoulders,¡± Yuri said returning his wry smile, with her own amused smile. ¡°I did not use to believe her, especially when I learned for myself how reckless, foolish you are. But I am finally starting to see what she meant.¡±


    ¡°¡­Wait a minute,¡± Cecilia said, looking at Yuri in confusion. ¡°So, are we going to choose our lineages as Scholar right now, or not?¡±


    ¡°Choosing your lineage as Scholars is going to be a very important decision, one that will affect you for your while life. Even I had to consult big sis Nyssa before taking that decision. How can I ask you to take that decision so casually?¡±


    ¡°¡­Then what was all the things that we discussed for?¡±


    ¡°¡­I guess you want us to think about our path as Arcanists first?¡± Alnea said. ¡°From what you have said, I can see that our means as Arcanists is limited, and too focussed, even overlapping with each other to a certain extent. For example, most of my Arcanas can be used to boost us, or supress our enemies, just like your Glyphs. While Cecilia¡¯s Arcanas are more focussed on boosting herself.


    ¡°We are not adequately equipped to deal with all sorts of situations. This is probably also the reason why we often faced difficulties when we fought against intermediate phase Oren Beasts at the beginning. And it is also what we need to address. We need to sort out our Arcanas, and decide a direction that we will develop in. And according to that decision, we can then think of what lineage to choose, or what kind of Glyphs to engrave on our Spirits.¡±


    ¡°You have the gist of things,¡± Yuri said, nodding along with his words. ¡°You are already at the Intermediate Stage, Cecilia. And you are going to breakthrough soon too, Alnea. You two have gained some experience in Wandering, and it is now time for you to start thinking about your future as a Wanderer. About what paths you wish to focus on, and how two are going to supplement it with the other paths.


    ¡°At the same time, we, as a whole, need to think, and decide how we are going to develop as a team. Of course, this is also an important decision, one which needs pondered upon seriously, and with utmost care. As such, we are not going to come to a decision right away. However, we cannot just sit back, and hope that an enlightenment would fall upon us on its own. And that is why we are going to fight advanced phase Oren Beasts.¡±

 Chapter 46: Dark Earth Bear [Part 1]

    Spreading the senses of his Spirit in a straight line for roughly two hundred metres, Alnea observed the Dark Earth Bear, right at the edge of his senses, lying flat on its back, doing some unusual, and strange movements. From its actions, and the face its was making, it looked like it was scratching its back with the sharp, gritty stones on the ground. Something only Oren Beasts with skin as thick as Dark Earth Bears could do.


    ¡°Are you sure that our first target should be a Dark Earth Bear?¡± Alnea asked, in a low, and muffled voice. In the quiet of the canyon though, it was loud enough for the two girls squatting right behind him to hear.


    ¡°Are you sure that it is at the advanced phase?¡±


    ¡°¡­It should be, unless it has encountered some Fortune Springs.¡±


    ¡°No unless, Alnea. We need to be absolutely sure that it is only at the advanced phase. If it is at the peak phase, then even I will have a hard time handling a Dark Earth Bear.¡±


    ¡°¡­It is around two and a half metres in size, with the only hint of brown being on its chest, a small circle barely a tenth of a metre wide. So, yes, it is at the advanced phase. As for how far it is in the advanced phase¡­ I will need to see how it uses its Innate Ability to come to an accurate guess.¡±


    ¡°There is no need for that. As long as it is in the advanced phase, we can try fighting it. It does not matter even if we fail. We are fighting it to gauge our weaknesses after all. And to find your paths.¡±


    ¡°¡­So, how are we going to fight it?¡±


    ¡°¡­The defences of the bear are going to be too thick to pierce through with bare hands. It would best if¡ª


    ¡°I will be the Warrior,¡± Cecilia said, looking towards the bear with excitement flashing in her eyes, before turning towards Yuri. ¡°I have some High Grade Martial Styles that I wish to try. Besides, my only offensive Arcana is ¡®Blades of Darkness¡¯, which will probably not be too effective against the bear. As for my other Arcanas¡­ they will not help me too much in this situation either.¡±


    ¡°¡­Indeed, you are not suited to be the Arcanist in this fight. But this should be able to show you the importance of a streamlining your Arcanas, and focusing yourself, right?¡±


    ¡°¡­I will work on it,¡± Cecilia said, with a bit of shame, and determination mixed in her voice.


    ¡°It is decided then,¡± Yuri said, nodding at Cecilia in satisfaction, before continuing from where she had been cut off. ¡°Cecilia will fight the bear head on, creating chances for me to attack it with my Arcanas, while Alnea will stay back, and try to supress the bear from a distance. Is that plan alright with everyone?¡±


    ¡°How should I supress it? ¡®Nightmare Arrow¡¯? ¡®Gravity Field¡¯? ¡®Gravity Shift¡¯? Or ¡®Nightmare Calls¡¯?¡±


    ¡°¡­One of the duties of an Arcanist is to gauge the situation, and use appropriate Arcanas, so I will leave the decision to you.¡±


    ¡°¡­And the distance from which I should suppress the bear¡ª


    ¡°Will also be left to you.¡±


    ¡°¡­This is not going to be fun,¡± Alnea grumbled, but went along with the plan anyways. Yuri was right, after all. They were a team. Though Yuri was their leader, they had to make their own decisions. And they had to bear the consequences for their decisions. This was the only way for them to learn. And so, nodding to show his acknowledgement to the plan, he turned back towards the bear, and said, ¡°I am ready.¡±


    In the time that Alnea had stop paying attention to the bear, it had stopped scratching its back, and pushed itself back onto its legs. Though it had just reached the advanced phase of its Adolescent Stage, and was still lacking in intelligence when compared to Wanderers, the bear had its own advantage. Its instincts.


    ¡°On the count of three¡­¡±


    And it was not just the bear. Oren Beasts, in general, had much sharper instincts than Wanderers. Though there were some exceptions to the rule, but the Dark Earth Bear was not part of that exception. And so, the moment that they had decided that they were going to attack it, was also the moment that the beast sensed the danger it was going to face. Baring its teeth in snarl, it kept darting its head in all directions, as if trying to pierce through the darkness.


    ¡°One¡­¡±


    Fortunately for them, the bear¡¯s eyesight was weak, and it did not know how to use its Spirit. After all, Oren Beasts had to reach its Adult Stage first before it could even think of learning how to use its Spirit. Rather, learning how to use their Spirits was one of the conditions for Oren Beasts to become Beast Lords. And the bear was clearly far from reaching such a stage.


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    ¡°Two¡­¡±


    Reaching towards his Roots, Alnea tugged onto the golden black thread connecting his Spirit to the Origin Sea, channelling Oren directly into his Aspect Wells. He may not be fighting as a Warrior, but that did not mean that he could not use his Aspects. In fact, it was common knowledge for both, Arcanists, and Scholars, to keep their Aspects ready in case anything happened.


    Of course, Alnea was not urging his Aspects for emergencies. He had enough trust in Cecilia, and Yuri to leave his life in their hands. However, trust never worked unilaterally. Just as how he trusted the girls, they trusted him too. And so, even if he would be using just his Arcanas to suppress the bear, he had to be both, quick, and efficient with his moves. Something, which only his Aspects could help him do. Not all of them. Just the three which helped him augment his physique, and speed.


    ¡°Three!¡±


    With golden, and silverish blue light surging out of his body, that soon gathered around his legs, Alnea rushed towards the bear in distance, instantly drawing its attention. The beast, in turn, roared in anger, and charged towards him, only to stop after a few steps, and look at its enemies in confusion.


    It counted three enemies in total, each glowing in different shade; one in a mix of silver, and golden, one in bluish white, and one in green, mixed with red, and black light. And all three of them were strong enough to make it feel a sense of danger from just their presence. But¡­


    Why was it that only one of them was charging towards it? And why were the other two spreading out? Were they planning to attack it from a distance? Or were they planning to make it fall in their trap? Too bad for them, the bear knew better. It was smart enough to stop in tracks, and keep up its vigilance.


    However, it could not ignore the enemy that was rushing towards it either. So, it did the thing that it was best at. Beating its chest with its paws, the bear howled in the air, before slamming its paws on the ground. In the next moment, all the small rocks, and pebbles that were lying around on the ground trembled, and quaked, before rising into the air, and rushing towards all its enemies at once.


    Seeing the barrage of the rocks, and stones, Alnea was not scared about himself. Neither was he worried about Cecilia, or Yuri. Such a scattered attack was not enough to hurt them. Especially after all the fights they had been through, they had enough experience, and ways to deal with the barrage. But, as the Arcanist responsible for suppressing the enemy, it was his job interfere with its attacks, and weaken it for his teammates. So, the moment that the bear began beating its chest, Alnea started casting his Arcana.


    ¡°In the threads, weaving through the worlds¡­¡±


    Shaping roughly three tenths of the Oren that he had channelled form the Origin Sea¡ª


    ¡°Stitching the forces of the world¡­¡±


    ¡ªinto small, oddly vibrating bubbles¡ª


    ¡°I summon the essence of the Origin¡­¡±


    ¡ªhe summoned the Mystery of Gravity, and infused it into the bubbles, before sending them all out towards the barrage of the rocks. And the moment that the rocks came close to the bubbles, he blasted all of them, releasing the Mystery infused in them to create¡ª


    ¡°To lay¡­¡±


    ¡ªa ¡®Gravity Field¡¯.


    With the pull of the ground on the rocks suddenly doubling in strength, the rocks began going on a downward path, heading straight for the ground. The rocks still flew for a good distance, but that was to be expected. Just the fact that he was able to deflect the Innate Ability of an advanced phase Oren Beast with an Initial Stage Arcana was already enough for him to be proud of himself.


    Unfortunately, his control over the Mysteries of Gravity was not enough for him to disperse the ¡®Gravity Field¡¯ as he wished. The field exerted its prowess indiscriminately, pulling down all who entered its range. Even Alnea himself was no exception. And though he and Yuri could have circled around the ¡®Gravity Field¡¯, Cecilia had no choice but to rush through the increased field of gravity. Going around the field would have taken just too much time, and would have disrupted her tempo. And they could not let her face all the dangers on her own.


    Still, while casting his Arcana, Alnea had released a few extra bubbles just in case that the bear decided to charge at them when they were in the ¡®Gravity Field¡¯. Contrary to his expectations though, after casting its Innate Ability, the bear remained still at its place, choosing to observe its enemies, rendering the extra bubbles to be useless. And so, as he passed by the bubbles, he collected them back into his Spirit World. At the same time, he also started began his second Arcana.


    ¡°In the threads, weaving through the worlds¡­¡±


    Condensing another three tenths of the Oren he had gathered from the Origin Sea into thirty six rings¡ª


    ¡°Stitching the forces of the world¡­¡±


    ¡ªhe made them intersect with each other at different angles¡ª


    ¡°I summon the essence of the Origin¡­¡±


    ¡ªand infused them with the Mystery of Gravity. And as he had expected, under the influence of the Mystery, the rings soon began to rotate at weird, and impossible angles. His Arcana was ready. And so was Cecilia.


    ¡°To come, and shift Gravity.¡±


    While he, along with Yuri, stopped at around twenty metres away from the beast, Cecilia, glowing in a mix of green, red, and black lights, kept rushing towards the bear. The closer she got to the bear, the brighter she became, obvious pouring more Oren into her Aspects, preparing to use her High Grade Martial Styles. But the bear would not let her use her Martial Styles so easily.


    Seeing that two of its enemies had stopped, while only the third enemy was rushing towards it, the bear finally began moving as well. Besides, it was not just standing idle while its enemies were rushing towards it. The distance that its enemies had to cover had given it enough time to activate its second Innate Ability, gathering the darkness around it into its paws. And when its enemy stepped within its reach, it roared, and slapped its paws towards it enemy, sending out a large paw, roughly half its size, composed completely of darkness, shooting towards its enemy.


    And yet, its enemy ignored the attack, as if it did not even exist in the first place. It was not that Cecilia could not see the attack. Or that she could not dodge it. Rather, she was aware of the bear¡¯s attack, before it had even released it. If she so wished it, she could have easily avoided the mass of darkness rushing towards her. But there was no need for her to do so. Because she believed in her Heart¡ªshe believed in Alnea.

 Chapter 46: Dark Earth Bear [Part 2]

    Alnea felt his Heart shaking in dread, and nervousness, when saw the ¡®Dark Paw¡¯, a menacing mass of darkness, nearing Cecilia, threatening to tear into her innards. And the closer the ¡®Dark Paw¡¯ got to her, the more active his mind became. It was as if time itself had slowed for him, magnifying everything that was happening in the distance by several times, making him wish he could just stretch out his hands, and swat away the mass of darkness.


    Different from the barrage of rocks, and pebbles that the bear had shot at them earlier, its ¡®Dark Paws¡¯ focussed all of its strength into its paws, amplifying their destructive prowess with darkness, before shooting all of that destructive prowess at a single enemy. The strength behind its ¡®Dark Paws¡¯ was clearly much higher than its previous attack. Especially since the bear itself was at the advanced phase of its Adolescent Stage. If struck directly, even if Cecilia would not die, she would, at the very least, become incapacitated to fight.


    So, the moment that Alnea saw the bear planning to launch its attack, he launched his Arcana in advance, shooting the strange, rotating spherical shell, formed from thirty six Oren rings, aiming it directly for Cecilia. Coupled with how his Arcana was faster than the bear¡¯s ¡®Dark Paws¡¯, even though Cecilia was closer to the bear, it was his Arcana, ¡®Gravity Shift¡¯, which reached her first, and sunk into her body.


    Immediately afterwards, her body shifted to towards her right on its own, as if someone, or something was pulling on it, allowing her to ease past the ¡®Dark Paws¡¯ without making a move of her own. She did not just stand there in a daze though, and neither did Alnea. Unlike with ¡®Gravity Field¡¯, he had much better control with his ¡®Gravity Shift¡¯, and could control it even after it had been activated. Not for long, but for enough to make an impact in the fight.


    Groping along the threads of the forces stitching the world together, he reached towards the oddly rotating rings within Cecilia¡¯s body with his Spirit, and changed the direction they were rotating in. Right in the next moment, as Cecilia took a step towards the bear, she found herself being set free from the pull of the ground. Even then, she still used all of her strength in her steps, and consequently, was pushed off the ground, as if flying directly over the bear¡¯s head.


    Meanwhile, the bear itself looked at its enemy with confusion. It was not the first time that it had seen other beasts fly. But it was the first time that it had seen a beast dodge its attack in such an unnatural manner. Right when it was sure that its Dark Paws would hit its enemy, the figure glowing in green, red, and black had shifted to its side, easily avoiding its attack.


    It did not have the time to wonder about the strange ability of its enemy though. And since the distance between them was not enough for the bear to prepare another Dark Paw, it could only slap its enemy with its paw. Or so it had tried, only for it to miss once again. A flying enemy¡­ It did not even have any wings. How could it fly?


    Taking advantage of the bear¡¯s confusion, and its outstretched paws, Cecilia rolled her body forwards, shifting her head towards the ground, before latching on to the bear¡¯s shoulders with her hands. It was also at this moment that the ¡®Gravity Shift¡¯ stopped working. His Arcana had already done its job though.


    Gathering all of her black, and red Aspects towards her hands, Cecilia made them all drill into the bear¡¯s body. Or rather, she made their lights drill into the bear¡¯s body, and pushed herself off of the bear¡¯s body, twirling in the air, before landing back from where she had jumped, allowing its swing over its head to miss once again.


    While she was performing all sorts of acrobatic moves though, Yuri had not been standing still either. She had stopped in place just when Alnea had, and had been preparing her Arcana ever since, waiting for the right opportunity, which came when Cecilia had jumped into the air. At that moment, while the bear was preoccupied by Cecilia, Yuri had released a black fog from her body, which had then coalesced into the shape of an eye, carrying the Mysteries of Death.


    Staring directly at the bear, the eye had stayed floating in the air for a few moments, before turning back into a black fog, which then shot directly towards the bear, barely passing below Cecilia¡¯s feet as she landed back onto the ground. The bear, on the other hand, had been completely preoccupied with Cecilia, and had missed the eye when it had formed. Even the way that Cecilia had landed back onto the ground had blocked some of its vision, not to mention the lights of her Aspects raging inside the bear¡¯s body.


    Distracted by all sorts of things, by the time the bear had noticed the eye, or rather, the fog rushing towards it, it was already too late. The fog just simply drilled into its body, and began wreaking havoc from within. Not to an extent that the bear would be rendered helpless, and defenceless. But it did distract the bear a little, reducing both its strength, and speed.


    Its ferocity, however, only increased in intensity. Roaring towards its enemies in annoyance, and anger, the bear disregarded all caution to the wind, and charged towards them, beginning with the one closest to it. Yet, it had barely taken a step, when it felt the world around itself become much heavier than normal.


    Of course, with the bear¡¯s strength, the heaviness was not a problem to it, but it did make it slow down a little, giving enough time for Cecilia to excite her Aspects once more. By the time the bear finally reached her, leaving that world of heaviness behind it, the light of her Aspects already returned to their peak. And so, she engaged with the bear once again, meeting its paws directly with her fists.


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    Unfortunately, her strength, even when augmented by her Aspects, and Martial Style, was not a match against the bear. So, the moment that the fists, and the paws clashed, the green robed girl was thrown back by the overwhelming force of the bear. However, she was a Wanderer, not an Oren Beast. She had never thought of competing with the bear in raw strength. As for the clash with the bear, she did it just to send even more lights of her Aspects into the bear¡¯s body.


    Yet, it was also true that she clashed with the bear, and was thus, bearing its consequences. Her right wrist had turned black, and was already starting to swell. It was probably broken. But she did not have the time to care about her wounds. The bear had already gone completely feral, and was rushing towards her, not even bothering to use its Abilities.


    No, it did use it¡¯s ability, just not one that Alnea had expected it to use. Mists of darkness rose out from the bear, dyeing its already black fur into an even darker shade of black. Even the sole spot of brown on its chest had become completely black, turning the bear into something akin to an incarnation of darkness. That was why the ability was also named as ¡®Incarnation of Darkness¡¯. An ability which the Dark Earth Bears rarely, if ever, used. After all, the consequences of become an ¡®Incarnation of Darkness¡¯ were far too great.


    However, it looked like being attacked by three enemies, while being suppressed at every turn, had enraged the bear beyond its limit, to the point it had even stopped caring about all consequences. Merging into the darkness around it, the bear, the incarnation of darkness, simply vanished from their sight, and even from the senses of their Spirits.


    Fortunately, Yuri was prepared for the eventuality. The moment that the bear vanished from their senses, she released her second Arcana, merging her own senses into the darkness. It was normal for her then, to feel the presence of the bear.


    ¡°Five metres to Cecilia¡¯s left, it is heading directly for you.¡±


    Confirming the position of the bear, Alnea stopped hesitating, and prepared another Arcana.


    ¡°Under the shine of the boundless Night¡­¡±


    ¡°When the darkness hides under her light¡­¡±


    ¡°I call forth the sounds of imaginations¡­¡±


    ¡°To lead to Nightmare, and a world of fascination.¡±


    Literal waves of Oren spread out from his body, creating shrill, and eerie sounds. The bear was too enraged to pay attention to the sounds though, and just kept rushing straight at him, while he kept backing away, inching closer towards Yuri, giving Cecilia enough time reach the bear, and deal with it personally. And she did not let him down.


    When she lost sight of the bear, Cecilia immediately used ¡®Dark Sense¡¯ to look for the bear, only to catch its figure rushing towards Alnea. Cursing the bear, she turned around, and rushed after the beast. It did not matter if her wrist was broken. She did not hesitate for even a moment to urge her Aspects, forcing them back into action. Green, black, and red lights covered her entire body, illuminating her surroundings.


    And as she neared the bear, she pushed all of the black, and red lights into her hands. This time, however, she did not blast her Aspects directly into the bear. Rather, she willed her Aspects to reveal their true form. A blood red claw on her right hand, and a black snake wrapped around her left hand. And when she reached the bear, she thrusted her claw directly towards its back.


    The bear, intuitive as it was, sensed the threat to its life even in its enraged state. Alnea still could not see its figure, but from the sudden halt of the pressure coming to his face, and the enraged roar ringing in his ears, he guessed that the bear must have passed, and turned around to deal with Cecilia. Unfortunately for the bear, its actions were in vain.


    The eerie sound ringing in its ears, which it had kept ignoring for a while, had made its way into the bear¡¯s Spirit, bringing it into a world of illusions. A world where the bear had no enemies. A world where the bear reigned as Supreme. A world, where it had broken through the shackles of its bloodline, and become the true Incarnation of Darkness. The Origin of Darkness¡­


    Only for the Darkness of abandon it. It did not deserve darkness, the Origin said. It did not even deserve to be a bear. And so, all it was left with was Earth. But it had ignored Earth for far too long. So, when it came back crawling, even Earth ignored him, and went away. In the end, nothing was left. It¡­ was nothing¡­ It¡ª


    ¡ªwas a truly ridiculous world, which even the bear was able to see through in just a moment. After all, Nightmare Call was just an Initial Stage Arcana. And that too of just the Low Grade. It did not take long for the bear to break free of the call of its Nightmare. However, in a battle of life and death, even a fraction of moment was enough to change the course of battle.


    The bear turned its head, intent on tearing through its enemy, only to feel a sharp pain in its chest. When it looked down, all it saw was claw, just as red as its blood flowing down the hands of its enemy, piercing through its chest right where its heart was supposed to be. It could not understand how that came to happen¡­ Its enemy¡­ It was not strong enough¡­ Its claw¡­ It was not strong enough¡­ Nothing made sense¡­


    Until it saw a red light glowing inside its chest, and flowing into the claws of its enemy¡­ It finally understood¡­ but it refused to die! With a roar defying the Origin, it aimed both its paws at its enemy¡¯s head¡ª


    The snake coiling around Cecilia¡¯s left hand sprang up, and rushed into bear¡¯s mouth the moment it roared. And just a fraction of a moment later, the bear¡¯s roar changed from one of defiance, to one of pain, agony, confusion, and resentment. It did not even have enough strength to bring down the paws it had raised.


    In the end, it could only watch in helplessness, as its enemy withdrew its claw from its chest. Coincidentally, as Cecilia withdrew her claw, the snake also drilled its way out of the bear¡¯s wound, leaking all the Aspects that had been wreaking havoc in its body. However, the snake did not come out alone. It also brought the bear¡¯s life with itself.

 Chapter 47: Twin Tailed Python Tiger [Part 1]

    Cecilia grimaced in pain as she pulled out her hand from the bear¡¯s chest. Even when protected by her Aspect, her hand still hurt like it was being chewed on by Bone Eating Ants. And for obvious reasons, it was even more swollen than before. The bear¡¯s skin¡­ it was too thick. If not for using Three Resonance Burst Style, she might never even have pierced through its defences. And even when she did break its defences, the price she had to pay was not small.


    However, she did not regret her actions. On the contrary, despite the pain she was feeling, as she watched the bear let out a dying howl, before falling on its back, she could not stop herself from grinning. Just as she believed in Alnea, Alnea also believed in her. So, it was only natural for her to do everything in her prowess to prove to him that he was not wrong. Even if that meant breaking her hand.


    ¡°Are you alright?¡± Alnea said, rushing straight towards Cecilia, and taking her swollen hand in his, while forcing the waves of Oren to stop making their Nightmare Calls. After all, the bear was already dead. ¡°Does it hurt?¡±


    ¡°¡­Such a wound is nothing for a Serpian.¡±


    ¡°Alright, great Serpian Lady. Can I heal your hand now?¡±


    Not caring whether she agreed with him or not, Alnea covered her swollen wrists with his hands, and reached towards the Origin Sea.


    ¡°Hiding in the breath of all things alive¡­¡±


    ¡°Seeking the warmth of her evergreen shine¡­¡±


    ¡°I beseech the seeds hidden in the Origin¡­¡±


    ¡°To bequeath unto my hands the Green Touch of Life.¡±


    A green glow, soft, and warm, with a sense of security, and peace, covered his hands, and in consequence, Cecilia¡¯s wrist, providing it with pure nectar of Life. No, not pure nectar, but just a poor copy of it, formed from infusing Oren with Seeds of Life, and compressing it to the point of forcing it in the form of liquid. But it was enough. As the green liquid flowed from his hand, and dripped onto Cecilia¡¯s swollen wrist, it visibly eased the swelling, and even returned her wrist to its usual colour.


    ¡°That¡¯s all I can do for now,¡± Alnea said, withdrawing his hand, just as the green glow finally faded away. ¡°How is it? Does it still hurt?¡±


    ¡°¡­Not much,¡± Cecilia said, rotating her wrist, and repeatedly clenching, and unclenching her fist. ¡°Having someone with a Healing Arcana on the team is really convenient.¡±


    ¡°¡­It would be best if you would not get injured in the first place.¡±


    ¡°Injuries in a fight of life, and death are unavoidable,¡± Yuri said, as she walked up next to them. ¡°Especially when your enemy is much stronger than you.¡±


    ¡°¡­An advanced phase Oren Beast,¡± Alnea mumbled, glancing at the bear lying on the ground. Its death had forced it out of its invisible state, revealing a shrivelled up bear, that looked half a size smaller than the one they had been fighting. Even in death, the beast was not able to escape from paying the price for using a self mutilating Innate Ability. Incarnation of Darkness¡­


    ¡°We did it!¡± Cecilia said, throwing her hands in the air, as the excitement finally dawned on them. ¡°We fought, and killed an advanced phase Oren Beast as a true team!¡±


    ¡°¡­Remember to not put too much pressure on your wrist,¡± Alnea said, subduing his excitement into the depths of his Heart. It was not the time, or place, to express his emotions. Thankfully, he had learned a couple of Martial Styles to hide his true expressions. ¡°If you don¡¯t want to break it once again, that is.¡±


    ¡°¡­Tsk. Spoilsport.¡±


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    ¡°Alnea is right,¡± Yuri said, tearing her eyes off from the bear¡¯s body. ¡°We can celebrate later. Staying here, in our current state, is too dangerous. We may be able to take on a couple of intermediate phase Oren Beasts, but if we encounter advanced phase Oren Beasts, then things will become troublesome.¡±


    ¡°¡­What are going to do with the bear?¡±


    ¡°¡­It has been contaminated by Darkness. Only proper Oren Chefs can deal with it now. If we try to cook it by ourselves, our end may be even more miserable than the bear¡¯s.¡±


    ¡°¡­Fine, let¡¯s just go back then.¡±


    Once they came to a decision, they did not waste time loitering around in an advanced phase Oren Beast¡¯s territory. Alnea had exhausted too much of his Spirit Power though. And so had Cecilia. High Grade Martial Styles¡­ They were not so easy to use. Especially ones that could help Wanderers to jump an entire Stage to kill their enemy. He did not know what price Cecilia had to pay, but from how she did not volunteer to lead the way herself, he assumed that it must be something serious enough to incapacitate her for a while.


    Fortunately, Yuri still had quite a bit of her strength left. She did use Eyes of Death, and Dark Resonance, but compared to her large reserves of Spirit Power, two Intermediate Stage Arcanas were not worth mentioning. It was not that she did not wish use more of her strength during the fight. But if she had truly gone all out against the Dark Earth Bear, then neither Alnea, nor Cecilia, would have had a chance to make a move. Though they had begun fighting Oren Beasts as a true team, they still had quite some way to go if they wished to be on par with Yuri.


    Under Yuri¡¯s lead, they avoided most of the Oren Beasts, except a Dark Wind Wolf, and an Ice Winged Snake. Back at the cave, they divided their labour once again, and quickly dealt with their meal, before submersing themselves back into their training. A Cycle of Spirit Forging. A trip to the Origin Sea. Practising Martial Styles. And singing a song with his sword. A song that only he, and his enemies could hear¡­


    Ending his day with meditation, and another unsuccessful attempt of fighting off his dreams, Alnea welcomed a new day with another song of his sword, before they finally set out to search for an Oren Beast once again. An advanced stage Oren Beast. Though they had already marked most of the areas in the canyon, they could never be too careful. What if the Oren Beast they had marked as being in the advanced phase reached the peak phase? Or what if it was driven away by a stronger Oren Beast?


    Just a slight mistake in intelligence could be the difference between life and death for Wanderers. Especially when they were fighting enemies beyond their Stage. And in the months that they had spent together, Alnea had proven himself to be a worthy scout. At the very least, he never made any mistakes when leading the way. So, once again, the task of finding the Oren Beast was left to him.


    ¡°Twin tailed Python Tiger,¡± Alnea said, observing the Oren Beast in distance. ¡°Roughly three metres in long, and two and a half metres tall. The pythons on its tail are about one metre long. And none of its teeth are long enough to hang out of its mouth. Most importantly, its stripes have yet to develop its iconic fire patterns. It is definitely just in its advanced phase.¡±


    ¡°¡­Are you ready then?¡±


    ¡°¡­I am,¡± Alnea said, gripping the purplish black hilt of the sword tied to his waist, rubbing his thumb over the blood red jewel embedded on the hilt. ¡°Leave it to me.¡±


    ¡°¡­If only my wrist was not hurt¡­¡±


    ¡°It still would have been my turn,¡± Alnea said. ¡°You had your way with the bear. Now, let me play with the tiger.¡±


    ¡°¡­Don¡¯t be too smug. Who knows, you might break your hands too.¡±


    ¡°¡­Are you warning me, or cursing me?¡± Alnea mumbled, before turning towards Yuri. ¡°I will leave my back to you.¡±


    ¡°¡­You don¡¯t have to say it,¡± Yuri said. ¡°I have always got your back.¡±


    Replying his friend with a grin, Alnea closed his eyes, and took a deep breath, exciting his Aspects one by one, while preparing a few of his Arcanas. And when he was ready, he opened his eyes, and looked towards the tiger once again.


    ¡°One¡­¡±


    It was lying on the ground, resting its head on its paws. It even looked like it was sleeping, and was completely defenceless. The snakes resting on its back though, blind as they were, were aware of everything in its surroundings. From the ants crawling in the small crevices in the ground, to the winds blowing through the tiger¡¯s fur, nothing could escape their tongues. Not even the sounds that Alnea, and the girls were making.


    ¡°Two¡­¡±


    Raising their heads, they looked into the distance where the sounds were coming from. They could not understand what those sound meant, but they knew that the sounds belonged to other beasts. To the ignorant beings, who dared to cross into their territory. The sounds belonged to their prey. Hissing in hunger, anger, and anticipation, the snakes let out strange sounds. Moments later, the tiger opened its eyes, and looked in the direction of its prey.


    ¡°Three!¡±

 Chapter 47: Twin Tailed Python Tiger [Part 2]

    Alnea rushed towards the tiger, urging his Aspects to surge out of his body, and wrap his legs in golden, and silverish blue lights. His hands, however, he wrapped in a mix of golden, black, and dark blue lights. All of which, he kept pushing into his sword, still resting in its sheath. Not to just add brute strength in his attacks, but in preparation of his Martial Styles. Except for the white light wrapped around his chest, of course.


    He had yet to learn any Martial Style of the Armour type, so he could only make a rough use of the related Aspect for the moment. But it was enough. He was not planning on resisting the tiger¡¯s attacks with his body anyways. The white Aspect was just a precaution. As for the rest of his Aspects¡­


    Urging the Aspects wrapped around his legs once again, Alnea changed the rhythms of his steps. He gave up rushing towards the beast in favour of dancing on the winds. And as he neared the tiger, he invited the beast to dance with him.


    Dancing Wind Style, an Intermediate Grade Martial Styles, focussing solely on enhancing his Speed, and Agility. It was one of the best Martial Styles in its specialisations, but consequently, also had one of the harshest requirements to use. Not just in terms of what Aspects one had to tame in order use the Martial Style, but also in terms of the terrains that it was suited to be used in.


    Only in places of ample wind would the Martial Styles show its true prowess. And only those who dared to dance on the winds, could use it with any semblance of proficiency. Coincidentally, there was never a lack of winds in the Night Canyons. Especially in areas where there were no trees, or boulders to block the winds.


    However, the winds were a natural force in the first place. Since they could work in his favour, they could also work in the favour of his enemies. Catching the scent flowing with the wind, even as its tails warned it about the dangers incoming, the tiger swiftly entered an alert state, and stood up, looking into the distance with narrowed eyes. Unlike the snake, it was not blind.


    Three preys¡­ One rushing straight at it, and two spreading out, as if trying to encircle it. Except for the one in the distance, glowing in a bluish white light, they did not seem to be too much of a threat. But the tiger had lived long enough to never underestimate its enemies.


    Spreading the paws of its forelegs apart by just a few inches, it took a deep breath, and let out a roar. A King¡¯s Roar. A Roar of Dominance. And a Roar of arrogance, predicting the death of its preys. However, the roar was not so simple as just a declaration of war. It was also one of the Innate Abilities of the tiger. The ¡®Roar of Malice¡¯.


    A very common Innate Ability, one that many Oren Beasts had. Especially those which liked charging at their enemies up front. Like a Twin Tailed Python Tiger. Not even waiting to confirm whether its roar had been effective or not, the moment that the tiger finished roaring, it pushed on its front paws, and launched itself towards the enemy charging towards it, covering nearly thirty to forty metres in just half a dozen strides.


    Alnea, on the other hand, bearing the full brunt of the roar, felt as if someone had launched Gravity Shift on him, but was targeting only his Spirit. The world itself swayed around him, as he lost all sight of his enemy. Even his steps were beginning to shake, and tremble. It was only because of his strong will that he managed to stop himself from losing his balance, and tumbling down to the ground. But he was still left defenceless¡ª


    Or not. The moment that the tiger was about to pounce upon him, a wall of fog blocked its charge, just as a few black blades, coalesced from darkness, shot towards its neck. Slamming down its paws with enough strength to dig into the ground, the tiger forcefully halted its steps, and dodged the attacks, while Alnea recovered himself. He had, after all, suffered even more devastating blows to his Spirit. A mere roar was nothing. Besides, he was not alone.


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    Golden light, mixed with a hint of black, travelled from his sword, and rushed towards his head, relieving much of his stress. Enforcing his sword with more Aspects would surely have increased its prowess, but he had to be stable enough to use his sword in the first place. So, for the first time since he had become a Wanderer, Alnea used the golden black Aspect not as a sword, but as a shield, protecting himself from the tiger¡¯s roar.


    Ready for another round with the tiger, he rode on the wind, and passed through the grey wall of fog¡ªthrough the opening that Yuri made just as he reached the wall¡ª inviting the tiger to a dance once again. And this time, he had no intention of accepting its rejection. Before the tiger could even figure out what was happening, he had already pulled his sword out of its sheath, and sent his sword ¡®Crying with the Wind¡¯.


    The tiger was still a little distance away from him after all. A normal slash would not have worked. And a normal stab would have been too easy to predict. Only an attack like ¡®Crying Wind¡¯, combining the best of the two, could reach it, and break through its defences. If it had been a normal Oren Beast, that is. It was not.


    It did not matter if the tiger was still in mid air from dodging Cecilia¡¯s Dark Blades. It was never afraid of such immaterial attacks as the black, golden, and silverish blue lights surging from the tip of its enemy¡¯s sword. With just a thought, it directed one of its tails towards the glowing mass of light, and had it suck it all, only for the second snake to throw it all back at its enemy.


    Alnea cursed when he saw his own attacks being directed back at him. ¡®Rebound¡¯. Of all the abilities that the Python tails could have, it was one of the most annoying abilities to deal with. But it was not as if the ability did not have any weaknesses. Or else, the tiger would not have dodged the Wall of Corrosion, or Dark Blades.


    Determining his next course of action in a split moment, Alnea continued dancing on the winds, urging his sword to do the same. And when the ¡®Rebound¡¯ of his attack came back to him, he finally activated one of the Arcanas he had prepared earlier, shifting the core of the gravity acting on his body. It was not a hard task then, for him to leap a little towards his left, and ride the wind around him to escape the mass of golden, black, and silverish blue light.


    By then though, the tiger had already regained its balance. And this time, it was much closer to him. Close enough for Alnea to understand just how terrifying the beast was. A giant beast, with muscles bulging out from its entire body, and oppressive air of dominance cultivated from countless life, and death battles, was looking at him with its crazy eyes, as if it could not wait to tear him apart from limb to limb.


    ¡­The beast had not looked so large, or terrifying, when he had observed it earlier. However, Alnea was not afraid. Still riding on the winds, he shifted his grip on his sword, and swung it towards the sky, even shifting the core his gravity to add momentum to his swing, as he ¡®Raised the Earth¡¯, to meet the downswing of the tiger¡¯s paw, trying to smash him into a pulp.


    And when the Earth was pushed back down, he shifted the core of his gravity once again, letting the ground pull him towards the ground. But that was not enough. So, he twisted the grip of his sword to point the blade towards the ground, just as he removed his left hand from the grip, only to slam it back on the hilt, and even more momentum to his ¡®Meteor¡¯s Descent¡¯.


    But ¡®Meteor Descent¡¯ was just the beginning. Using the momentum of his downswing, he shifted the core of his gravity once again, and rode the updraft of the wind to jump over tiger, shifting from ¡®Meteor¡¯s Descent¡¯ to ¡®Golden Wheel of Death¡¯, aiming the wheel right at the tiger¡¯s back. An attack, which even the snake tails were not capable of blocking. After all, unlike the ¡®Crying Wind¡¯, ¡®Golden Wheel of Death¡¯ did not launch the Aspects, but kept them stuck at the tip of his blade.


    However, the tiger was still an advanced phase Oren Beast. Its paw may have been pushed back by the ¡®Rising Earth¡¯, but for Oren Beasts, their entire body was their weapon. Not to mention the numerous Innate Abilities it had. Continuously tracking the strange movements of its prey with its eyes, it used the momentum of its paw being pushed back to tilt a little towards its left, just enough for it to aim its mouth at its prey. Then, all that left for it do was to drown its enemy in its flames.

 Chapter 47: Twin Tailed Python Tiger [Part 3]

    Innate Abilities were called as Innate for a reason. With the Mysteries of the Origin Sea practically etched into their blood itself, Oren Beast could launch their abilities in a fraction of the time it would take for Wanderers to launch an attack of the same destructive capabilities. So, while Alnea was still spinning in the air, aiming his ¡®Golden Wheel of Death¡¯ at the ¡®Twin Tailed Python Tiger¡¯, the beast had already gathered all its strength in its throat, and let out a devasting roar that sent literal shockwaves for thousands of metres in all directions.


    The roar, of course, could hardly damage Alnea. Not only did he have a shield protecting his head, and Spirit, but he also had an armour protecting his chest. However, the true attack of the tiger was not the roar itself, but the raging flames that came out of its mouth, trying to turn him into ashes. Or maybe just burn him dead. The beast probably still wished to eat him.


    In any case, the flames, shaped like the flowers blooming in Iona¡¯s month, just inches away from his face, was enough to let him die an agonising death. Before the flower of flame could touch him though, a rope condensed from grey fog came rushing from his right, and tied itself around his waist, before pulling him away. Not too far. Just out of the range of the deadly flower. But that was enough.


    Shifting the core of his gravity once again, Alnea stopped spinning, and brought his sword down on the tiger, transferring all the momentum of the ¡®Golden Wheel of Death¡¯ to the ¡®Great Waterfall of Amarand¡¯. And though he did not have any Water elemental Aspects, just the brute force behind the strike alone was enough to break a few bones of the tiger. But the tiger was not stupid enough to just watch, as his sword neared its neck. Neither was it so kind that it would let him attack, without making any counterattacks.


    The tiger was not surprised that its enemy had dodged its attack in mid air. It had seen many things to be surprised form something as simple as dodging its attack. But it was not planning on giving up either. Still breathing a flower of flame, the beast turned its head, intent on burning the persistent prey once, and for all. And when it would be done with the prey in front of it, it would teach the other two preys what happened to those who invaded its territory.


    Or so it had planned. But the moment it looked it was about to turn its head, tens of blades came flying from its right, aiming directly at its head. To make matter worse, the blades were made of darkness. One of the only two elements its tails could not absorb. Maybe, if it pushed it, it might be able to block those blades. But its tails would be left incapacitated. And it certainly could not let those blades land on its head. One or two blades, it could handle. But tens¡­ And all of them aimed for its head¡­


    In the end, the tiger was forced to give up its attack, and retreat to its back. Or so it tired, only to be met with a grey wall, similar to the kind that had blocked it before. At that moment, even if the tiger had been an infant, it would have still recognised that it had been trapped. Though it had the strength to break through the wall of fog, it would take some time. Time enough for the other attacks to land on its back. And even if it would break through the wall, it would still be left injured in the process.


    No matter what it chose, the tiger knew that it was going to be injured. So, instead of retreating, the beast roared towards the dark ceiling of the canyon, and charged towards the enemy still in air, smashing its paw against its blade. Its pride as a tiger did not allow for it to wallow in defeat. Even if it was going to be injured, it had to take down one enemy at the very least.


    Unfortunately for the beast, Alnea was already prepared. And its hesitation gave him enough time to push even more Oren into his Aspects lining along the blade of his sword. By the time the tiger had turned back towards him, what remained in his hand was not just a sword, it was a blade shining with the weight of his Aspects. The weight of his responsibilities. And the weight of his Oaths. He was Alnea Oathkeeper. And he¡ª


    His blade struck against the tiger¡¯s paw, and passed through it as if it was water. It was as if they did not even clash. He did not have much time to think about what was happening though. After all, he may have forced his sword to stop spinning, but there was nothing to make him stop. Not even his ¡®Gravity Shift¡¯. The weird sphere in his body, composed of thirty six odd rings, had faded away with the last use of his Arcana.


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    Left with no choice, Alnea could only follow the pull of the earth, and come back to the ground, rolling away from the beast to avoid any follow up attack. Fortunately, there were none. But¡­ why was there blood on his sword? What was the weird silence spreading in the air? And¡­ was that one of the tiger¡¯s paws on the ground? But how? His sword¡­ He knew it best. How could it break through the defences of an advanced phase Oren Beast?


    Alnea did not have the time to find answers to his questions. The beast may have paused in shock for a moment, but when it overcame that shock, it roared in pain, and anger, and charged towards him disregarding all the consequences. It did not even care about the Dark Blades, or the Dark Arrows raining down upon its back. All it had in its eyes was the measly beast that dared to cut off one of its legs.


    Disregarding the strain on its body, and its Spirit, the beast kept channelling all its abilities. From ¡®Roar of Malice¡¯ to ¡®Flame Flower¡¯, and even one of its reserve abilities, ¡®Twin Poison Sting¡¯, it spared nothing. And at the brunt of its attacks, Alnea kept riding the wind to avoid its attacks. As he kept dodging the flowers of fire, and occasion poison arrows though, he kept lamenting about how short the duration of his Gravity Shift was. Maybe he should work on that next, he thought. Or create a shield. If the attacks of his enemies could not even reach him, then he would not have to dodge those attacks.


    ¡°Now!¡±


    Receiving Yuri¡¯s signal, Alnea did not waste any moment in launching the second Arcana he had prepared, shooting tens of Oren bubbles in front of him. The tiger, enraged as it was, paid no heed to those bubbles. It even popped a few of them itself. It was only natural then for the Gravity Field to unfurl with the beast at its centre, and keep it entrapped for a while.


    However, Alnea knew that just the Gravity Field was not enough to contain the tiger. Its injuries had made it lose its sanity. The beast would not think twice before paying any kinds of price just to rush out of the field, and smash him into pulp. Besides, a two fold gravity was not enough to make an advanced phase Oren Beast even blink an eye. At most, it would just lower its reaction. But that was enough.


    Before the tiger could use its overwhelming strength to break through the restrictions of the Gravity Field, Alnea rushed in the field himself, swinging his sword at the beast. It was just that, like the beast, he too was affected by the increased gravity. And unlike the beast, his raw strength was not enough to ignore the increased pull of the ground.


    So, when he swung his sword, the tiger did not even have to make a move itself. It just directed one of the snakes to block his attack. The resultant clash, with his Aspect blasting right into the snake, made it go limp, and lose all its strength, but it blocked him long enough for the tiger to prepare its attack. A ¡®Flame Flower¡¯ from his left, and ¡®Poison Sting¡¯ from his right. But before the tiger could launch its attack, two arrows¡ªone grey, and one black¡ª shot into its back one after another.


    Confusion filled the tiger¡¯s eyes, as the strange sensations churning inside its body made it lose its concentration, dispersing the flames gathered in its mouth. And though the snake still retained its clarity, it slowed down enough for Alnea to easily evade its ¡®Poison Sting¡¯, and back away from the beast. An action that inadvertently cleared the confusion in the tiger¡¯s eyes.


    It could feel its strength draining away from its limbs. And it had already lost a paw. It had even wasted quite a few of its Innate Abilities. No matter how it considered, retreating was its best option. But¡­


    It did not know how its leg had been cut off, but it could feel how weak the puny prey in front of it was. If not for the interventions of the other enemies from the distance, it would have long torn the puny beast into shreds. Most important of all though, the puny prey, the one responsible for its injuries, was just a stride away from it. How could it give up, when it was so close to victory?


    Roaring in defiance, the beast pushed the ground with its three legs, and jumped towards the enemy¡­ only to fall halfway in its jump. Its strength¡­ It was draining faster than it had thought. Maybe retreating was the best option. It could always have its revenge in future. Purring in a reluctant growl, full of resentment, and indignance, it turned around, and rushed into the darkness¡­ limped into the darkness¡­ crawled into the darkness¡­ until it could finally move no more.

 Chapter 48: Firefox [Part 1]

    Alnea sighed in relief, as he watched the tiger finally fall still. Just to be sure, he moved towards the beast, and poked it with his sword for a few times. Only when he was certain that the tiger, and its snakes were dead, did he dare to relax a little, and sheath his sword. His actions, however, did not go well with Yuri.


    ¡°Are you doubting me?¡± Yuri said in a dissatisfied tone, reminding Alnea that he was not alone.


    ¡°¡­I was just making sure that it was not feigning death. Although Twin Tailed Python Tigers are known for fighting head on, it is still an Oren Beast after all. When driven to a corner, it can resort to any tricks.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s that same as doubting me.¡±


    ¡°¡­I left my back to you in the fight, did I not? And I even created the perfect chance for you to kill the beast by taking my life on the line¡­¡±


    ¡°But you still doubted me.¡±


    ¡°You¡­¡±


    ¡°You can be so cute at times,¡± Yuri said, adding a little chuckle in her voice, as she neared the beast, and squatted down to check its condition. Before Alnea could reply to her though, Cecilia came up to his side, and prodded the tiger with her legs.


    ¡°It¡¯s finally dead,¡± she said. After a few moments of silence, she turned towards Alnea, and added, ¡°I am sorry.¡±


    ¡°¡­For what?¡± Alnea said, staring at Cecilia in confusion.


    ¡°¡­For not being able to help.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not your fault. Your hand is still not healed yet.¡±


    ¡°¡­I am not just a Warrior. I am also walking on the path of Arcanists. But all my Arcanas were practically useless against it.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s because your Arcanas are of only the Initial Stage.¡±


    ¡°And so are yours.¡±


    ¡°¡­They are a little different. Most of my Arcanas are assistive in nature, and focus on controlling our enemies, while yours focus on yourself¡ª


    ¡°That¡¯s the point, isn¡¯t it? Even though we are a team, most of my Arcanas are focussed just on myself¡­¡±


    ¡°Cecilia¡ª


    ¡°I am glad that you are thinking about your paths, and your deficiencies, Cecilia, but can you two reserve your ruminations for after we get back to our camp?¡± Yuri said, standing back up, and turning towards them. ¡°I used up quite a bit of my Spirit Power this time. And I am sure Alnea is the same. We are in no condition to fight against any other advanced phase Oren Beasts. It would be best if we get out of here as soon as possible.¡±


    ¡°¡­What about the tiger?¡± Alnea said, shifting his gaze from Yuri to the beast in front of him. ¡°It is too heavy to carry it whole.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s just cut off the few of its best pieces then,¡± Cecilia added, supressing most of her gloominess back into her Heart. ¡°We cannot miss the chance to eat an advanced phase Oren Beast.¡±


    ¡°¡­Since we are talking about cutting the tiger¡­ I was truly impressed by your strike back then,¡± Yuri said, looking at him with amusement. ¡°I did not know that you have advanced so much in the ways of swords.¡±


    ¡°¡­Will you believe it if I said that even I was surprised by that strike?¡± Alnea said, smiling wryly, as his eyes darted towards the leg he had cut off. ¡°I felt no different back then, but somehow, the sword that I swung was completely different from my normal swings¡­¡±


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    ¡°¡­We will talk about it later,¡± Yuri said, losing all her playfulness as she heard his words. ¡°Right now, the most important thing is to get to relative safety.¡±


    ¡°¡­I will get to my work then,¡± Alnea mumbled, and pulled out his dagger to butcher the tiger, selecting only the best of its pieces. Like its heart, its liver, and the small sack hidden in its throat. Apparently, it was responsible for transforming Oren, and then releasing it as the tiger¡¯s Innate Abilities. Although he did not know how delicious the sack would be, it surely was one of the best pieces in its body. Along with some of the more tender meat, and the snake tails.


    After he was done, he carefully packed all the parts in his bag, before Cecilia began leading their way back to their camp. She had the spent the least amount of Spirit Power in the fight, after all. Maybe, she truly did lack sorely in her capacity as an Arcanist. But no one was perfect. And she still had time. Having recognised her shortcomings, it should not take long for her to become a capable Arcanist in her own ways.


    That was what they were fighting advanced phase Oren Beasts for anyways. To recognise their shortcomings, and fill them up. To prepare to fight Heterodox Wanderers. To become a true team. And since they were a team, Yuri could not keep standing in the back all the time. Next, it would be her turn to fight the Oren Beasts head on. But before that, they had to fill their stomachs.


    Picking up two more intermediate phase Oren Beasts on their way, the relatively light ones, they soon made their way back to their cave. And after a hearty meal, they got back into their routine. Training their Spirits, Wandering the Origin Sea, practising their Martial Styles, and tempering their Hearts. And of course, another unsuccessful attempt of fighting off their dreams.


    Three Master Attuners. Alnea Oathkeeper had underestimated his enemies. Both in terms of their strength, and their shamelessness. For three Master Attuners to disregard all their dignity, and launch sneak attacks on someone who was not even a Novice Attuner¡­ They even went so far as to sacrifice ten Adept Attuners, all just to distract him, and make him lower his guard.


    However, it was not just him who had underestimated his enemies. The Acolytes of Origin had done the same. They had their chance to kill him, and they wasted it on trying to tease him. On trying to make him despair. Too bad for them, he was already living in despair. Until he found the girl¡­ until he found his salvation, he would never rest. And he would never allow anything to get in his way.


    ¡°¡­Were you people not concerned on how I could take down so many of your Master Attuners?¡± Alnea Oathkeeper said, using his sword as a support to keep himself standing. ¡°Then let me show you what an Oathkeeper relies on to keep his Oaths¡­¡±


    Alnea woke up naturally, with his dream not even making so much as a ripple in his Heart. After all, he had seen his namesake fight in much more desperate situations, and still come out on top. If not for the fact that he was trying to save his salvation, then the other Alnea might not even have died against the Acolytes of Origin. And the only thing that kept his namesake strong in even the direst of situations was his determination, and persistence.


    So, the moment that he woke up, Alnea picked up his sword, and walked out of the cave. Greeting Yuri in the distance, he went to another corner to keep watch, and began practising his sword. Beginning with ¡®Piercing the Star¡¯, he ¡®Sundered the Skies¡¯, and brought down ¡®Raging Waves from the West¡¯, only to return with ¡®Red Floods from the East¡¯. And when the flow of the flood became too strong, he raised the ¡®Great Wall of West¡¯, and ¡®Calm the Winds¡¯.


    And yet, that was just the beginning. On, and on he went, switching from one Martial Style to another, until he could switch no more. Even then, he did not let go of his sword. Because it had not stopped singing. And so, he sung along with his sword. The song of protection, and annihilation. A song, that came from the depths of his Heart. And a song that stopped only when his Heart came to remind him of the time.


    Using his Aspect to hide the blush on his face, Alnea rested for a while to recover his Spirit Power, before they went venturing into the darkness once again. This time, with Cecilia leading the way. She proceeded very carefully, stopping every hundred metres or so, to do a thorough check of her surroundings. It looked like she was still brooding about how helpless she had been against the Twin Tailed Python Tiger.


    It was not the time for him to cheer her up though. He could not afford to distract her. A decision which proved correct just a quarter of an hour later, when they stumbled upon a peak phase Oren Beast in a territory that they had cleared just a week ago. Not daring to make any sound, they swiftly made their way away from the Oren Beast, before resuming their search.


    A Swallowtail Shadow Raven, a Twin Horned Dark Earth Bear, a Dark Devouring Snake, and even a Flame Tongued Serpent. From common Oren Beasts to Oren Beasts so rare that they had seen for the first time, they came across all sorts of beasts. However, it was not until a couple of hours had passed, that they found what they had been looking for. A Firefox in the intermediate phase of its Adolescent Stage.

 Chapter 48: Firefox [Part 2]

    ¡°¡­We can look for a while longer, you know,¡± Alnea said, peering into the darkness. Without using the senses of his Spirit, all he could see was a vague shadowy figure in the distance, tearing into another advanced phase Oren Beast. But that was enough to make him understand just how strong, and ferocious the Firefox was.


    ¡°Cecilia does not have infinite Spirit Power. And what if we run into another peak phase Oren Beast? Can you guarantee that we will be to escape without a fight?¡±


    ¡°¡­It¡¯s a Firefox. We don¡¯t have any abilities that can counter its ability.¡±


    ¡°Did you have abilities to counter the Twin Tailed Python Tiger?¡±


    ¡°¡­That was different. It was only because I cut off its leg, that we handled it so easily¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­And how exactly did you cut off its leg?¡±


    ¡°¡­I told you already, I don¡¯t know what happened back then.¡±


    ¡°¡­In any case, since you can take on the tiger, why can I not take on the Firefox?¡±


    ¡°I took down the tiger because you had my back.¡±


    ¡°And you have mine, don¡¯t you?¡±


    Before Alnea could say anything, Cecilia interrupted between them, saying, ¡°The fox is still eating. It is the best time to catch it off guard.¡±


    ¡°What are we wating for then?¡± Yuri said with a smile, urging her Aspects to overflow from her body, and wrap her a bluish white hue. ¡°Let us take this beast out.¡±


    ¡°¡­Fine,¡± Alnea said, entering his Spirit State to prepare a few Arcanas, and unfurling his senses towards the shadowy figure in the distance. ¡°Just remember to be careful.¡±


    ¡°One¡­¡±


    What appeared in his senses was a fox, barely a metre and a half tall, and just as long, munching on the charred remains of a Shadow Bear. Blood kept dripping from its jaws, as it kept tearing pieces of the bear from its body, but the fox did not care. The blood matched the colour of its fur anyways. Or it least, it was of the same colour, just of a little darker shade. Its fur, on the other hand, was a little lighter, the red of flames. Only the tips of its tail, and its ears were a little orangish.


    ¡°Two¡­¡±


    In any case, the beast did not care for its looks. At least not until its mating season. And from how strong the fox was, its mating season was probably not that far. Maybe that was why it kept scratching its maws with its paws after every other bite. It surely did look ignorant of its surroundings. An Aspect Beast that could be easily ambushed. It did not even have any abilities that could aid it in detecting its enemies.


    ¡°Three!¡±


    And yet, for the fox to live long enough to reach the advanced phase of its Adolescent Stage, it was not so weak that it would be taken down without a fight. The moment that they rushed towards the fox, its ears picked up the sounds of their steps, even as its instinct picked up the danger looming over its head. Not in the mood to eat anymore, the fox picked its head up, and the sniffed the air once, before turning in their direction. Three enemies¡­


    The fox scrunched its nose, as it looked at its enemies. Except for the one wrapped in white light, the other two barely gave it any pressure. And yet they still dared to spread apart¡­ Just to be on the safe side, the fox decided to go all out from the beginning. Wrapping flames around its paws, it rushed towards the weakest of its enemies, the one wrapped in gold, black, and red lights. How could Yuri let the Firefox do as it wished though?


    The moment that the Firefox rushed towards Alnea, she launched the two Arcanas that she had prepared for the fight. And before the fox could even take a couple of strides, all the darkness around began to churn, startling it to a halt. In the next moment, a thick cloud of darkness spread out from Yuri¡¯s body, forming a circle with her at its centre. At the same time, a hand materialised within the darkness of the cloud, and stretched out towards the fox.


    With all its hair standing on their end, the fox hissed, and hurriedly backed away from the hand. Probably thinking of retreating from the fight altogether. After all, if there was one thing Firefox were good at, it was running. Unfortunately for the fox, the dark hand was even faster, and quickly caught up to it, before pulling it back into the circle of dense, black fog, cutting off its path of retreat. At the same time, the black fog also seemed to be seeping into its body, cutting off its life.


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    Sensing the danger, the fox hissed once again, and tried to break out of the fog. And if given time, it might even have succeeded. But Neither Yuri, nor Cecilia were prepared to give it so much time. The moment that the fox turned around to ram into the wall of fog, a dozen or so Dark Blades passed through the wall towards it left, and came rushing at its side. They were not too strong, but the fox was never known for its defences. And it was not ready to take any risks. At the very least, it did not wish to be injured for nothing.


    Easily dodging the blades that were aimed at its back, the fox turned towards the only enemy that it could meet at the moment. A figure glowing in a bluish white light¡­ with a tad hint of black, and grey beginning to overflow from its chest. Hissing at the strange enemy, the fox swiped its flame clad claws towards it, sending out half a dozen slashes of flames, similar in shape to the Dark Blades it had dodged earlier.


    And just as the fox had easily dodged the Dark blades, Yuri too easily dodged the ¡®Flame Claws¡¯, letting them land around her. However, her action only made the fox happier. Using the extreme speed provided by its flaming paws, it vanished from its original spot, and appeared next to Yuri in the blink of a moment. Or rather, in the ¡®Blink of a Flame¡¯.


    ¡®Flame Blink¡¯, an extremely ridiculous Innate Ability, that gave Oren Beasts the power to not only walk through flames, but to also ¡®blink¡¯ to any area with the reach of their flames. Like the flame around Yuri. It was clear that fox had never intended for Yuri to be hit by its claws, and was only laying its trap. Unfortunately for the fox, Yuri was doing the same.


    The moment that the fox vanished from her sight, and ¡®Blinked¡¯ next to her, she placed her hand on her chest, and gathered all the black, and grey lights into her palms, before thrusting her hand towards her right. Coincidentally, the place where she thrusted her hand also happened to be the place where the fox had blinked at.


    It was only natural then, for the fox to be surprised when it found a hand covered in grey, and black lights, just inches away from its face. Before the fox could even understand what was happening, all the lights covering the hand coalesced together to form a round ball, with all the black light concentrated in its centre, before being thrusted directly into its face.


    Left with no choice, the fox ¡®blinked¡¯ once again to dodge the greyish black ball, and returned to its original position, only to be bombarded with nearly three dozen Blades of Darkness from its right. In the end, the fox was forced to dodge once again. Thankfully for the fox, the barrage of blades had a flaw. There was one place among the array of blades, where their concentration of thin enough for the fox to squeeze its body¡ª


    A dark blue arrow, trying to compete with the wall of fog in its darkness, came tearing through the wall from the fox¡¯s left, aiming right for its head. It was only then, that the fox understood why the barrage of blades had such a glaring flaw. It was already in mid air though, and could not change its direction.


    It could, of course, ¡®blink¡¯ once again. But most of the area where its flames had spread were being bombarded with Dark blades. And the patches of flame which were too far for the blades to reach were being guarded by the enemy in white, which had at some point, condensed a bluish white sword, with black edges, in her hand. And its instincts told the fox that of all the attacks, the sword was the most dangerous of all.


    It was also the instinct of the fox, which told it the blades would hurt it more than the arrow. They also told the fox that the arrow seemed to be more dangerous, but it did not have the time to think about what those premonitions meant. It just knew that getting stabbed by one single arrow was much better than being slashed by half a dozen blades. Still, it could not let the arrow pierce its head.


    Tilting its body in mid air, the fox managed to avoid the arrow from piercing its head. It stabbed directly into its shoulders, but it was alright. It did not hurt much¡­ Or rather, it did not hurt at all. A feint then, the fox concluded. A thought proven correct by the arrow disintegrating into fog. Fortunately, it was smart enough to avoid the blades. Or it might really have been hurt.


    Not bothering to check what happened to the fog that the arrow had decomposed into, the fox regained its balance, and hissed at the enemy in white. There had been only a few times when its ¡®Flame Blink¡¯ had been countered so easily. And all those times, the fox had chosen wisely to run away from its enemies. Retreating did not seem to be an option at the moment though¡­


    Narrowing its eyes to imprint its enemy¡¯s figure into its mind, the fox gathered all the flame around itself. And when those wisps of flames proved insufficient, it create even more sprouts of flame, until its entire fur was covered with a ¡®Coat of Flames¡¯. An Innate Ability that it had rarely ever used. It was only recently that it had begun gaining a semblance of control over its ¡®Coat of Flames¡¯. The ability was still not stable enough to use in fights, but it had no choice left. If only it could kill the white enemy as soon as possible¡­


    While the fox was still planning how to tear its enemy, something in its head clicked, and it lost its control over the flames covering its fur. And just like that, the flames which were supposed to help it defend against the attacks of its enemies, and even burn them to cinders, began burning the fox itself. From its fur to its ears, and tails, nothing was left untouched. Not even its eyes. All that it saw was flames. All it felt was pain. And all that it was¡ª


    The fox bit its tongue, and shattered the world of flames it was trapped in, only to be greeted by a sword swinging down on its head. With its heart beating in fear, the fox ¡®blinke¡ª


    Tendrils of darkness rose from the ground it was standing on, and stabbed into its thighs. Some of them even wrapped themselves around its legs, and waist, binding it to where it was standing. Not by an irresistible force. If it tried, it could get rid of those binding in just a few moments. But the sword coming down on its head did not give it so much time. In the end, it could only do its beast. Opening its mouth, it spit out all the flame that it could, trying to force the enemy in white to dodge. And Yuri did dodge, just not in the way that the fox had imagined.


    ¡°Left!¡± Alnea said, and manipulated the core of her gravity to shift towards her left, allowing her to easily bypass pillar of flames, and bring down her sword, materialised from her Aspects, on the fox¡¯s neck, separating its head, still spewing flames, from the rest of its body.

 Chapter 49: The Curse [Part 1]

    Dispersing all the Arcanas that he had not used yet, Alnea walked next to Yuri, just as she dispersed the ring of black fog back into the darkness of the canyon. And though she did not look injured, from the sweat on her forehead, he could tell how much stressed she was in the fight.


    ¡°I told you that we should look for a different beast.¡±


    ¡°Did you see how I led the fox into the trap with my Dark Blades?¡± Cecilia said, joining them with a smug grin on her face. ¡°My Arcanas are not that useless anymore, are they?¡±


    ¡°¡­None of your blades hit the fox though.¡±


    ¡°You arrow hit it only because of the chance I created for you,¡± Cecilia said with a scoff. ¡°Some people don¡¯t even know how to be grateful.¡±


    Ignoring Cecilia¡¯s playful tantrums, Alnea turned towards Yuri, and said, ¡°Was that fog Death¡¯s Touch, or Death¡¯s Breath?¡±


    ¡°¡­Neither,¡± Yuri said, withdrawing her Aspect back into her body. ¡°It is a mix of both¡­ just executed in the style of ¡®Wall of Corrosion¡¯. I came up with its idea during the fights that he we have had in the last two days. It was originally just an experiment that I did in my free time¡­ but it works better than I had imagined.¡±


    Turning towards him with a smile, she added, ¡°And I said that I could handle it.¡±


    ¡°¡­Try to keep your experiments to a limit,¡± Alnea said, trying to ignore the smug voice in his head. ¡°You should wait until you become a True Wanderer before incorporating more than one Mystery in an Arcana.¡±


    ¡°¡­Combining two or Mysteries in a single Arcana is indeed dangerous,¡± Cecilia said, joining them with a grin on her face. ¡°But I am sure that it is nothing for Yuri.¡±


    ¡°¡­Why are you girl getting crazier with every passing day?¡±


    ¡°¡­At least we are not crazy enough to feel pity for the beasts that we kill,¡± Yuri said with a teasing smile. After a moment of silence though, the smile in her eyes turned into concern. ¡°Are you alright?¡±


    ¡°¡­Using it once in a while is not too dangerous. And my will is much stronger than what it was when I created the Arcana. I should be fine even if I use it a dozen more times.¡±


    ¡°¡­And you call us crazy,¡± Cecilia mumbled, before turning towards the beast on the ground. ¡°The fox isn¡¯t too heavy. We should be able to carry it in its entirety.¡±


    ¡°You mean I should be able to carry it in its entirety.¡±


    ¡°¡­I have to lead the way.¡±


    ¡°¡­Using the new Arcana, and a High Grade Martial Style has drained most of my Spirit Power¡­¡±


    ¡°Fine, fine, there is no need to make so many excuses. I am used to carrying our prey anyways.¡±


    ¡°¡­Think of it as training your body.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, right. One experience of Fortune Spring is better than a year of such stupid training.¡±


    ¡°Fortune Springs that increase physical strength are not too common.¡±


    ¡°Fortune Spring themselves are not too common. And yet, we have been finding them with an average of one Fortune Spring within a month. If we try enough times, we are bound to find a one that can increase my physique.¡±


    ¡°We will see¡­ For now, we should get moving. Other things can wait until we reach our camp.¡±


    ¡°Fine¡­¡± Alnea grumbled, and shifted his leather bag to his chest, before squatting down, with his back to the fox¡¯s body. With Cecilia¡¯s help, he then grabbed on to the front legs of the fox, and pulled them over his shoulders, before getting up, so that the fox¡¯s headless body kept hanging from his back, adding probably around two hundred kilograms to his shoulders. Not enough to make him buckle, but enough to make him slow down to crawl.


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    Thankfully, they had a clear route back to their cave. Still, their crawling speed, and the need to avoid some of the stronger, and stubborn Oren Beasts stretched their journey to roughly over an hour and a half. By the time they reached the cave, Alnea was practically drenched in sweat. Even though he not leading the way, and had fought only once, casting his Arcanas from a distance, he was much more tired than his two friends.


    His hunger forced him to stay awake, and complete his duties for a while. But when his stomach was full, not even Cecilia¡¯s nagging, or Yuri¡¯s pouts were enough to stop him from drifting into the land of his dreams. Into the land of¡­


    Alnea Oathkeeper. The Abandoned son of the Oathkeeper clan. The man abandoned by the Origin Sea itself. Or so the world knew him as. A powerless human, who could not even stand against Novice Attuners¡­


    When he had beaten all the Novice Attuners, they had sent Adept Attuners against him. They were much more difficult to deal with than Novice Attuners, but if he relied on his Oathkeeper Arts, and used some sneak attacks, he more than capable enough of taking down some of the weaker Adept Attuners. And if luck was with him, which seldom was, he even had a chance of fighting off some of the stronger Adept Attuners.


    Master Attuners though, they were far too strong for him. It was not just a matter of lack of Aspects. Master Attuners were like a different species in themselves, their bodies comparable in strength to Aspects Beasts. Not to mention the special abilities they had. Surely, they would be able to take him down, the Acolytes of Origin had thought. And so had Alnea Oathkeeper. Until the day he had felt the call of his Oath. Until the day he had felt the call of his sword. So what if he could not use Aspects? He still had his Oaths. And they were enough.


    Raising the ¡®Sword of Oath¡¯ in his hand, Alnea Oathkeeper faced the three Master Attuners, and said, ¡°Let me show you the strength of my Oaths.¡±


    Alnea woke up more Serene than ever. And it was not just because of his dream. Even before he opened his eyes, he could feel a soft sensation under his head. Not like the hard, rocky ground he usually woke up on. But not like the pillows he had used back in Anneve¡­ The softness was more like the laps of his master. However, it was not exactly like his master¡¯s lap either.


    Instead of the warmth, and sense of security that he felt from his master, the lap he was resting on gave him more of a cosy feeling, the kind that he had never felt before. It gave him a feeling of Serenity¡­ that resonated perfectly with the Serenity of his Heart¡­ and something even deeper. It resonated with his Spirit itself. He could not point out exactly was it was, but for a moment, he could feel himself becoming one with the lap he was resting on. And when he opened his yes, he understood part of the reason why the lap felt so Serene.


    ¡°The sleeping beauty is finally awake.¡±


    ¡°¡­I would prefer if you would call me the sleeping handsome,¡± Alnea said, closing his eyes in protest, refusing to get up from Yuri¡¯s lap.


    ¡°There, I finally see your cheeky side once again,¡± Yuri said, pinching his nose for a moment. ¡°I was almost starting to believe that you were my mother in disguise.¡±


    ¡°¡­Have I been so bad recently?¡±


    ¡°You surely have been nagging a lot.¡±


    ¡°¡­I was just a little worried.¡±


    ¡°And did worrying help?¡±


    ¡°¡­I just don¡¯t want you, and Cecilia to get hurt. Is that too selfish of me?¡±


    ¡°¡­I remember how you once told me that everyone is selfish for one thing or the other. And that you are the most selfish person in the world. What is so bad about being a little more selfish?¡±


    ¡°¡­Did I really say that?¡±


    ¡°You sure did.¡±


    ¡°¡­I really am a little too cheeky.¡±


    ¡°Good that you know,¡± Yuri said with a chuckle, while gently stroking his hair. ¡°Being selfish is not bad. As long as you are not selfish for yourself, everything would be fine.¡±


    ¡°¡­Is there a but?¡±


    ¡°¡­Is your selfishness for us, or is it for the sake of your Heart?¡±


    ¡°¡­Is there a difference?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t run, Alnea.¡±


    Indeed, Alnea thought. It was time to stop running from the truth.


    ¡°¡­It is for my Heart.¡±


    ¡°¡­You may have taken the Oath to become the greatest Wanderer, but I am not going to let you leave me behind. And Cecilia will not give without a fight either. Believe in us. And let us face the dangers with you.¡±


    ¡°¡­Do you remember the things that happened last year?¡±


    ¡°¡­Many things happened last year. What exactly are you talking about?¡±


    ¡°The things that I told you about¡­ My dreams, and the curse of my fate¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­I remember everything.¡±


    ¡°Almost a year has gone by¡­ Time surely flies by fast.¡±


    ¡°That is why we need to treasure every moment that we have with each other.¡±


    ¡°¡­Counting the time, Inkah¡¯s month should be almost upon us.¡±


    ¡°¡­What are you trying to say?¡±


    Opening his eyes, Alnea looked directly into Yuri¡¯s crystal blue eyes, and said, ¡°The curse of my fate¡­ I think it has come back.¡±

 Chapter 49: The Curse [Part 2]

    The calm in Yuri¡¯s trembled, breaking the mask of emotions on her face. But only for a moment. Regaining control over her emotions, she supressed everything back into the depths of her Heart, and retained only her rationality, as she looked back at Alnea.


    ¡°Are you sure?¡±


    ¡°¡­I don¡¯t know.¡±


    ¡°¡­Why did you think that the curse of your fate is back?¡±


    ¡°¡­My dreams¡­ they are changing¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­Are those memories being etched in your mind once again?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Alnea said, as he pushed himself off Yuri¡¯s lap, and sat with his face towards her. Her Aspect, floating around her shoulders, were keeping the cave lit enough for him to see her face. And the worry hidden in the depts of her eyes. ¡°I cannot explain it in words¡­ It is as if the dreams are getting closer to me every time that I sleep¡­ Like they are happening beside me¡­ Even I don¡¯t understand what I am experiencing. I just know that my dreams are changing.¡±


    ¡°¡­The change also be because of something else. Like your increase in strength. Or¡ª


    ¡°Inkah¡¯s month is almost here, Yuri. Did you forget what that Heterodox Wanderer had said?¡±


    ¡°We still don¡¯t know¡ª


    ¡°I know.¡±


    ¡°¡­Have you noticed anything else?¡±


    ¡°¡­The strike that I used to cut the Twin Tailed Python Tiger¡¯s paw. I don¡¯t know what happened back then. I was fighting the tiger, and all of a sudden, thoughts of my Oaths began to fill my head. Next thing I knew, my sword passed through the tiger¡¯s leg as if it was passing through water. There was no resistance. Do you believe I am capable of something like that?¡±


    ¡°¡­It could be because of Roots.¡±


    ¡°Fine. Then what about the strange state that I often enter when practising my sword. All kinds of thoughts enter my head¡ª


    ¡°It could be because of your Aspects¡ª


    ¡°Thoughts, that only Alnea Oathkeeper of the world of Attuners could have.¡±


    ¡°¡­Why didn¡¯t you tell me about it before?¡±


    ¡°¡­Because those thoughts were so subtle, that I did not even notice them until I woke up just now.¡±


    ¡°¡­What did you notice?¡±


    ¡°¡­Something is wrong with my Spirit¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­Are you sure?¡±


    ¡°¡­Do you remember how I described my first Wandering into the Origin Sea?¡±


    ¡°About the Aspects choosing to communicate with you on their own?¡±


    ¡°No¡­ the other thing. About feeling that something was calling out to me from the depths of the Origin Sea.¡±


    ¡°¡­Do you still feel that call?¡±


    ¡°No¡­ But I felt the emptiness of my Spirit¡­ as if something was missing in my Spirit¡­ and it was desperately seeking things to make up for its flaws. That feeling has almost faded away, but I am sure of what I felt when I woke up. A resonance with my Spirit, that made me feel as if¡­¡±


    ¡°As if?¡±


    ¡°¡­Anyways, I just know that something is wrong with my Spirit. And that the curse of my fate can act up at any moment. Just like how it acted up in Anneve, leading Heterodox Wanderers to destroy the city. And with the Heterodox Wanderers coming after me again¡­ I just don¡¯t want you two to suffer from the curse of my fate.¡±


    ¡°¡­Fool,¡± Yuri said after a few moments of silence. ¡°Did your head break down with your Spirit?¡±


    ¡°¡­What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°If your curse truly begins acting up, then big sis Nyssa would be the first person to respond. She would not put your¡ªour lives in danger.¡±


    ¡°¡­Maybe master wants me to handle it on my own.¡±


    ¡°Us,¡± Yuri said, emphasising the word so much, that she did not even bother using the rings to talk. ¡°She wants us to handle the curse. We are a team. Be it Oren Beasts, Heterodox Wanderers, Thralls, or any other threats, we will face it together.¡±


    ¡°¡­Even if that is the case, it still does not change my current situation. My Spirit¡ª


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    ¡°It changes everything,¡± Yuri said, with determination shining in her eyes. ¡°At the very least, we know that whatever the danger is, it is not something that we cannot handle.¡±


    ¡°¡­What should we do then?¡±


    ¡°¡­Our only clue right now is the change in your dreams. And the only thing we can do now is to make sure that you do not have those dreams again.¡±


    ¡°I do not control my dreams. They come to me whenever I sleep.¡±


    ¡°Then we just have to make sure that you do not sleep.¡±


    ¡°¡­How are we going to do that?¡±


    ¡°You can try stuffing your Spirit with Oren to the limit of your control, so that if you dare to sleep, then all the Oren will run amok, and wake you up.¡±


    ¡°¡­Are you an Abyssal?¡±


    ¡°Or I can just keep talking with you from time to time to make sure that you have not fallen asleep.¡±


    ¡°¡­Will that not hinder your training?¡±


    ¡°I can have the leisure to talk with you casually when I am Wandering the Origin Sea. Do you think I will have problem doing the same when training some Martial Styles, or tempering my Heart?¡±


    ¡°Fine. It is about time I completely replace sleeping with meditations anyway.¡±


    ¡°Good. Then next¡ª


    ¡°But what if it still does not change anything? What if my Spirit still continues feeling broken, and empty?¡±


    ¡°¡­Your situation should get better once your Spirit Power breaks through to the Intermediate Stage.¡±


    ¡°¡­But the curse¡ª


    ¡°We will face it together.¡±


    ¡°¡­Fine. Fine. You win. We will face everything together.¡±


    ¡°Finally, you managed to get some sense in your head.¡±


    ¡°Speaking of us¡­ where is Cecilia? And why are you here?¡±


    ¡°¡­Why? Are you not happy to see me?¡±


    ¡°Of course, I am happy to see you,¡± Alnea said shamelessly. ¡°But shouldn¡¯t you be guarding outside, while Cecilia and I recover?¡±


    ¡°¡­You were clearly enjoying my lap earlier. But the moment you wake up, you are looking for someone else. What a heartless man¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­Why are you making it sound like I am some kind of pervert?¡±


    ¡°Because you are a pervert,¡± Yuri said, replacing the fake forlorn look on her face with giggles. ¡°The faces you made while resting on my lap¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­That was my dream, not me.¡±


    ¡°I did not say what kind of faces you were making. Why are you so nervous?¡±


    ¡°¡­Who is nervous? Me? Never.¡±


    ¡°Is that so?¡± Yuri said, and leaned forward, looking directly into his eyes. Alnea, however, was not looking at just her eyes, but also at her face, not even an inch apart from his. Their noses were practically touch each other. And he could even hear breaths. He could feel the air she was exhaling on his skin. He could¡ª


    Alnea gulped, and forced himself out of his daze, just as he forced himself to back away from the crazy girl, only to end up falling on his back.


    ¡°Who is nervous now?¡± Yuri said, filling the cave with her giggles. ¡°How long are you going to keep lying on the ground?¡±


    Urging his Aspects to hide the embarrassment on his face, Alnea pushed himself back into a seating position, one a little farther away from the white haired girl, earning even more of her giggles.


    ¡°How long have I been asleep?¡±


    ¡°Probably around three to four hours.¡±


    ¡°¡­Can Cecilia keep guard on her own?¡±


    ¡°She is an Intermediate Stage False Wanderer now. And is much more experienced than before. Keeping guard on her own should not be a problem. You do not have to worry about her too much. For now, worry about yourself. How long do you think it should take you to break through your bottleneck?¡±


    ¡°¡­Probably around half a month.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s too long,¡± Yuri said, shaking her head. ¡°If there truly is a problem with your Spirit, then strengthening it should be the best solution. And the sooner we do it, the better it would be for you.¡±


    ¡°But we experienced a Fortune Spring just a few days ago¡­ It should take me some time to¡ª


    ¡°Five days. I will help you break through your bottleneck in five days.¡±


    ¡°¡­How?¡±


    ¡°By making you continuously temper yourself on the line between life, and death. The greater the danger you face, the more it will stimulate your potential.¡±


    ¡°¡­We are already facing advanced phase Oren Beasts. What greater danger are you going to make me face?¡±


    ¡°¡­I have an idea or two, but it will take me some time to think of a plan. For now, you should go Forge your Spirit. Even if it cannot help you break through right away, it should still temper your Spirit Power to some extent.¡±


    ¡°Shouldn¡¯t I go help Cecilia?¡±


    ¡°She can take care of herself. Rather, she was the one who asked to keep guard by herself. Stop worrying about her, and go Forge your Spirit.¡±


    ¡°¡­And she says that I nag her like her mother,¡± Alnea mumbled under his breath, only for Yuri to pinch his nose.


    ¡°What did you say?¡±


    ¡°I said you are omniscient, great heiress of Faed clan! I am going to Forge my Spirit right away!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s what I thought,¡± Yuri said, nodding with an amused smile, as she let go of his nose. After a moment though, she put on a solemn face, and said, ¡°Don¡¯t overreach yourself while Forging your Spirit. I will think of ways to help you break through, so you do not have to be too impatient.¡±


    ¡°I know. I may be reckless at times, but I am not suicidal.¡±


    ¡°Says the man who put a dagger on his neck, and dove right into the midst of Heterodox Wanderers.¡±


    ¡°¡­It has almost been four months since then. Just how long are you going to tease me?¡±


    ¡°¡­Till I find something even more interesting to tease you with,¡± Yuri said with a smile. ¡°Now, go, Forge your Spirit. I also need to go to the Origin Sea.¡±


    ¡°¡­Be careful in your Wanderings.¡±


    ¡°As long as you don¡¯t worry me to death, nothing will happen to me.¡±


    ¡°¡­Alright, I will just worry you till you cry then,¡± Alnea said with a laugh, and hurriedly closed his eyes, entering his Spirit State to Forge his Spirit before Yuri could find fault with him.

 Chapter 50: Review of paths [Part 1]

    One round. Two rounds. Three rounds. Four rounds. Alnea kept Forging his Spirit, completely disregarding the pain he was suffering. No, not disregarding. Rather, he enjoyed the pain. He relished all the strange sensations coursing through his Spirit. And he drowned in the ecstasy of his Spirit recovering from all its injuries. Maybe Forging his Spirit might really help him deal with the problem of his Spirit¡­


    ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±


    Alnea opened his eyes with a Serene Heart, and left the cave with Yuri. Not to practise his Martial Styles, or sword. And not to run into the depths of canyon either. Counting the time that he had spent Forging his Spirit, and meditating, only around a couple of hours had passed since he had woken up. Roughly around seven to eight hours since they had come back with the fox.


    Even if they did not consider their fatigue, they could not ignore their training. Only by constantly improving themselves could they keep fighting stronger enemies. And only by fighting stronger enemies, could they prepare themselves to fight the Heterodox Wanderers coming for him. Only if they were strong enough, could they fight against the curse of his fate.


    ¡°We need to discuss a few things,¡± Yuri said, after calling in Cecilia to sit in a circle in front of the cave. ¡°First, we need to consider how we are going to move forward.¡±


    ¡°Haven¡¯t we already decided what we are going to do?¡± Cecilia said, looking at Yuri in confusion. ¡°Fight Oren Beasts, and discover our deficiencies.¡±


    ¡°And what are you going to do after finding those deficiencies?¡±


    ¡°Fill them up.¡±


    ¡°And how exactly are you going to do that?¡±


    ¡°¡­By fighting Oren Beasts.¡±


    ¡°That is why we need to discuss what we are going to do next,¡± Yuri said, shaking her head. ¡°First, let us talk about our deficiencies. Fighting three advanced phase Oren Beasts one after another should have given you enough insights on your abilities, and what you are lacking in.¡±


    ¡°¡­The most glaring deficiency is that we have yet to set foot on the path of Scholars.¡±


    ¡°Forget about the path of Scholars for now, and focus only on the path of Arcanists, and Warriors for now. Or do you think that your Arcanas, and Martial Styles are infallible?¡±


    While Alnea was still thinking of his deficiencies, while wondering what Yuri was up to, Cecilia clenched her fist, and said, ¡°My Arcanas¡­ They are too straightforward.¡±


    ¡°That is not a deficiency,¡± Yuri said, with Alnea nodding from the side. ¡°At most, it is just a projection of your straightforward nature. It may, or may not change over time, but there is no need to worry about your Arcanas being too straightforward. Rather, most of the strongest Arcanas are often straightforward.¡±


    ¡°¡­What I meant to say was that my Arcanas are too linear. Although I can use ¡®Dark Blades¡¯ to support from the side, but in the end, it is an offensive Arcana. It is not the best when it comes to controlling our enemies. And my other Arcanas¡­ they focus just on me. In a fight, they are pretty much useless.¡±


    ¡°¡­That is indeed a point to consider. How are you are planning on addressing the fault in your Arcanas though?¡±


    ¡°I¡­ I should create more Arcanas.¡±


    ¡°What Arcanas are you going to create then?¡±


    ¡°¡­Ones that can control our enemies.¡±


    ¡°But Alnea already has such Arcanas. And I can achieve the same effect with my Glyphs. Even the Arcana that I used today¡­ It can restrict our enemies to a certain extent. So, if you create such Arcanas, will it truly benefit our team?¡±


    ¡°¡­No,¡± Cecilia said a bit meekly, lowering her head to hide her flushed cheeks. ¡°I¡ª


    ¡°Stop sulking,¡± Alnea said, poking Cecilia¡¯s cheeks with his fingers. ¡°Since you think that your Arcanas are lacking¡­ then just create more offensive Arcanas. Yuri and I will tie down our enemies, while you will finish them. That is how a team is supposed to work anyways.¡±


    ¡°¡­But then¡ª


    ¡°He is not wrong, you know?¡± Yuri said, interrupting Cecilia before she could object to his idea. ¡°Like I said, you cannot change your nature. And no matter what Arcana you create, it is bound to be affected by you on a subconscious level. Forcibly trying to create an Arcana that does not suit you will only decrease its Grade, and make it more dangerous to use. Like Alnea¡¯s Nightmare Arrow.¡±


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    ¡°¡­The circumstances were different, back then. I¡ª


    ¡°Just because it was your first Arcana, you wanted to create one that could impress big sis Nyssa. And so, you incorporated the strongest point of the Mystery into your Arcana. But you never once thought of the consequences of directly exposing your Spirit to the Mysteries related to psychological illusions. Am I right?¡±


    ¡°¡­I learned my lesson, didn¡¯t I? None of my other Arcanas have such great defects. They even complement each other to some extent.¡±


    ¡°Which is why I did not mention your other Arcanas,¡± Yuri said, before turning back to Cecilia. ¡°We discussed earlier about how we have to work as a team, and have abilities that can help us deal with all kinds of situations. But panicking just because your Arcanas were not able to play much role in a single fight is not the right solution. And neither is forcing yourself to create Arcanas which you do not like, just because you want to prove yourself to us.¡±


    ¡°¡­I don¡¯t like being weak, and helpless.¡±


    ¡°You are not weak, Cecilia¡ª


    ¡°Then why did you have to risk your life to save me?¡±


    ¡°¡­We have already discussed this,¡± Alnea said, scratching his head in frustration. ¡°I did it because I wanted to save you myself.¡±


    ¡°And I don¡¯t want you to risk your life for me,¡± Cecilia said, looking at him with her stubborn gaze, before turning back to Yuri. ¡°I want to be strong enough to not hold back the team.¡±


    ¡°Then why think about creating Arcanas that will only make our abilities overlap with each other¡¯s?¡±


    ¡°¡­Then what should I do?¡±


    ¡°That, you have to decide for yourself.¡±


    After all, Cecilia was a proper Wanderer. Even if she was just at the False Rank, that would still not change anything. Only she could decide her path. And she knew that fact. So, she did not grumble, or complain. Like a proper Wanderer, she closed her eyes, and thought for herself. Only after she had come to a decision, did she open her eyes in determination.


    ¡°My Arcanas¡­ I will gear them towards direct attacks¡­ and scouting. Whether it is the lineage of Good Fortune, or the lineage of Night, both of them have plenty of Mysteries focussing on exploration. I can even create Arcanas that can divine how our luck is going to be. This is the only way I can contribute to the team in my own rights.¡±


    ¡°¡­You don¡¯t have to sacrifice yourself, Ce¡ª


    ¡°You think I would do something so foolish as sacrificing my future?¡± Cecilia said with a snort. ¡°Don¡¯t underestimate the lineage of Good Fortune. All those who can comprehend Mysteries of Good Fortune have countless means, and reverse battles in the blink of an eye. Or have you forgotten my Fortune Flip?¡±


    ¡°¡­That¡¯s a very dangerous Arcana.¡±


    ¡°Only because the Arcana is of the Low Grade. And the Mystery it embodies is of the Initial Stage of False Rank. How strong can such an Arcana be?¡±


    ¡°¡­I did not mean to push you into a decision right away. You can take your time to decide¡ª


    ¡°I have already decided.¡±


    ¡°¡­To create new Arcanas, you will have to comprehend new Mysteries first. And Mysteries of the lineage of Fortune are too esoteric. Comprehending them is not going to be easy. And even if you comprehend them, controlling them is going to be just as difficult. Creating Arcanas¡­


    ¡°At the very least, it should take you around a month to create Arcanas from the lineage of Fortune. Why don¡¯t you observe your fighting style more in this period of time, and then come to a decision? Besides, your Arcanas should complement not just us, but even your Martial Styles. After all, you should be planning to focus on the path of Warriors, right?¡±


    ¡°¡­Am I that obvious?¡±


    ¡°¡­You keep screaming about the pride of Serpians all day long,¡± Alnea said with a mocking smile. ¡°Not to mention how your fighting style is inclined towards facing your enemies head on. Only fools will not be able to guess your choice of path.¡±


    ¡°¡­I guess I should learn to control myself a little.¡±


    ¡°You are fine just as you are,¡± Alne said, this time with a smile from the bottom of his Heart. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with being a little headstrong? Warriors are supposed to be a little tough anyways. More importantly, I like you the way you are, so don¡¯t change.¡±


    ¡°¡­Stupid,¡± Cecilia mumbled, expressing her dissatisfaction, but the smile on her face revealed her true thoughts. ¡°I will listen to you, and keep my options open. But for now, I have decided to become the main scout of the team, and be responsible for the offensive Arcanas. The kind which will take out our enemies in one blow.¡±


    ¡°¡­That¡¯s good enough for now,¡± Yuri said. ¡°What about your Martial Styles?¡±


    ¡°¡­Most of the Martial Styles of my clan focus on close quarter combat, and dealing fatal blows to my enemies. There is not much I can do about them, except match them with my Aspects as best as I can. Only after I reach the Fourth Stage of the True Rank can I begin creating my Martial Styles.¡±


    ¡°¡­At least, you should have a rough idea about what kind of Martial Styles you like best, and the direction you want to develop in?¡±


    ¡°¡­The kind that can kill my enemies in one blow.¡±


    One girl kept thinking about destroying everything, while the other kept teasing him. His friends¡­ Alnea did not know what to think of them. He was not much better though. He never left any chance that he got to tease the girls, and was even crazier than Cecilia, daring to create his own Martial Style. It may have been plagiarised at first, but the Oathkeeper Style had gone a complete transformation in the past year. It was still not ready to be used in real fights though. So, he kept it tucked away in his Heart, ready to be transformed once again.

 Chapter 50: Review of paths [Part 2]

    ¡°¡­Do not let your emotions dictate your thoughts,¡± Yuri said, shaking her head with a sigh. ¡°You know how sensitive your Aspects can be to your emotions.¡±


    ¡°But that is exactly the kind of Martial Style I want to create¡­ Martial Styles like the one I used against the Dark Earth Bear take too much time to prepare. Rather than using such Martial Styles, I would rather use the one that Cecilia has created for herself. At least it can uniformly increase my strength, and when needed, concentrate all my strength in my claws.¡±


    ¡°¡­Forget it. Things like Martial Styles can be figured out only through real fights. We will have this discussion on a later date. Till then, keep thinking how you can use your paths to complement each other. Even the path of Scholars.¡±


    ¡°¡­I will.¡±


    ¡°¡­Do you have anything you wish to say about your fighting style, Alnea?¡±


    ¡°I guess, I can also say that my Arcanas are a little too biased towards providing support. Even if I develop in the direction of a support Arcanist, I should at least have a couple of decisive Arcanas to end our enemies if the need so arises. Especially so, since out of the three of us, only I can specialise in the lineage of Day. And there are countless Mysteries in the lineage of Day which can help me create offensive Arcanas.¡±


    ¡°¡­And?¡±


    ¡°And I can also try to see if I can create more Healing Arcanas. Our team truly does need such Arcanas. And I think I should have the highest chance of comprehending the Mysteries of Life. If things do not go as planned though, then I might as well choose the lineage of Life to specialise in as a Scholar.¡±


    ¡°There is no need for that,¡± Cecilia said, with a slight hint of determination in her voice. ¡°You can concentrate on your Arcanas. If you really don¡¯t comprehend the Mysteries of Life¡­ then I can take the lineage of Life as my specialisation.¡±


    ¡°¡­Are you stupid?¡±


    ¡°You are stupid!¡± Cecilia said, kicking him on his shins. Despite the fact that they were all sitting cross legged on the ground, her aim was as immaculate as ever. ¡°Thus came the Origin, with Creation, Time, and Chance. An inevitability, it was then, that Life came to dawn¡­


    ¡°Just like how the lineage of Decay is best suited for Yuri to specialise in, lineage of Life is best suited for me to specialise in. Not to mention the fact I am going to specialise in attacks for both my Arcanas, and Martial Styles. It would be better for me to choose a support specialisation for my path as a Scholar.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s where you are wrong,¡± Yuri said, interrupting Cecilia¡¯s monologue. ¡°It is exactly because you are going to be specialising in attacks for both your Arcanas, and Martial Styles, that your Glyphs should also follow the same specialisation. Choosing any other way will only increase your troubles, and limit your achievements.


    ¡°Besides, who told you that choosing the lineage of Life is the best option for you? Although it might not be the worst option, but if you truly do choose the lineage of Life, then your Glyphs will surely come in conflict with the Mysteries of Night. After all, Night inevitably leads to Death, does it not?¡±


    ¡°But that will hold true of Alnea too. His Roots are also based on the Mysteries of Night.¡±


    ¡°And the Mysteries of Day,¡± Alnea added. ¡°Don¡¯t forget that. It is very important.¡±


    ¡°¡­With the Mysteries of Day, and Night balancing each other, he will not have problems with any lineage he chooses. As long as he not stupid enough to inscribe Glyphs from two different lineages, he should not face too many problems. But you¡­ I know that you want to help Alnea, but you do not have to sacrifice your future as a Wanderer in the process. Or else, how are you going to stay by his side?¡±


    ¡°¡­Who wants to stay by his side,¡± Cecilia mumbled with puffed cheeks, but did not mention anything about choosing the lineage of life again. However, just because she left him alone did not mean that Yuri would do the same.


    ¡°Specialising as support in Arcanas, and now even in your Glyphs¡­ Are you so afraid of fighting on frontlines?¡±


    ¡°Who is afraid of fighting?¡± Alnea said with a scoff. ¡°I am just making the most rational decision. After all, like you said, since my Arcanas are already supportive in nature, there is no need to diverge on my path as a Scholar.¡±


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    ¡°¡­Or you could trap enemies with your Arcanas, and kill them with your Glyphs. Would that not be the perfect combination?¡±


    ¡°¡­Walking on two¡ªthree diverging paths is not going to be easy. Even master had warned me earlier, and said that I should choose to focus on only one path.¡±


    ¡°And what did you say to her then?¡±


    ¡°¡­I don¡¯t remember.¡±


    ¡°¡­Really? Then do you remember the first thing that Cecilia had said to you?¡±


    Alnea turned towards Cecilia, and found her looking back at him in interest. If he said the wrong answer¡­


    ¡°¡­You are so cunning.¡±


    ¡°Less than you.¡±


    ¡°When did I become cunning?¡±


    ¡°Is it not because you do not wish for me and Cecilia to get hurt that you are willing to focus all your attention on creating supportive Arcanas? Even choosing the lineage of Life for your Glyphs should have the same motive. What are you afraid of? The curse of your fate? Did we not talk about it earlier?¡±


    ¡°¡­Count it as your win.¡±


    ¡°¡­Forget it. You should at least remember your Oaths, right?¡±


    ¡°I do,¡± Alnea said, feeling a weird sense of premonition in his Heart.


    ¡°Then do you remember the Oath you took for big sis Nyssa the day you met me.¡±


    ¡°¡­I do.¡±


    ¡°And are you going to fulfil that Oath by following others, or by creating your own path?¡±


    ¡°¡­By creating my own path.¡±


    ¡°You should have your answer then,¡± Yuri said, looking at him with a smug smile. ¡°With your talent in Martial Styles, and your affinity with Aspects, you should have no problem in your path as a Warrior. And you are progressing pretty decently on your path as an Arcanist. At the very least, you are better than most of our peers. So, why not be a little bold, and try something different?¡±


    ¡°¡­The lineage of Destruction, or the lineage of Time?¡±


    ¡°Both of those lineages will help the team equally. And both of them have some of the strongest Glyphs in existence. Most importantly, the Union has Glyphs from both the lineages all the way up to the Origin Rank. If you wish to truly stand at the peak of the path of Scholars, then they should be your best choice. However, your choice is still up to you. All I can do is give you suggestions.¡±


    ¡°¡­And threats?¡±


    ¡°When did I give you threats?¡±


    ¡°¡­Never mind,¡± Alnea said, wisely choosing not to expose the dangerous light shining in Yuri¡¯s eyes. ¡°I will think about them. For now, let us get back to what we were talking about. As I was saying, I need to add some decisive Arcanas to my repertoire. And I will try to increase the supportive Arcanas that I have. Not in overlap of your Glyphs, of course.


    ¡°Your Glyphs, not the offensive ones, restricts our enemies, while my Arcanas gives them negative buffs, suppressing their abilities. They might seem similar at first, but act in completely different directions. There also the other Arcanas which I can use to boost our abilities. And of course, the healing Arcana. But my Roots are not from the lineage of life, after all. I cannot guarantee than I will encounter more of their Mysteries¡­¡±


    ¡°What is the big deal about not encountering more Mysteries of Life?¡± Yuri said, smiling at him in a playful manner. ¡°At most, you will not be able to create Healing Arcanas. But that will not stop us from using Healing Arcanas created by others.¡±


    ¡°But didn¡¯t you say that we shouldn¡¯t use Arcanas that we did not create¡­¡±


    ¡°What is more important, our lives, or our training?¡±


    Alnea stared at Yuri in complete silence, while she kept smirking at him. Even Cecilia was left speechless by what Yuri had said. And a bit red faced.


    ¡°¡­I¡ª


    ¡°Oh, right. I forgot. You cannot use Arcanas created by others.¡±


    ¡°You clearly did not forget!¡±


    ¡°Do not slander me. I am innocent.¡±


    ¡°¡­Forget it. You win. I will think about what lineage I should choose.¡±


    ¡°Good.¡±


    ¡°As for my Martial Styles¡­ I am still learning them, so I cannot say what direction I will focus in. At best, I can just tell you what Martial Styles I am best at.¡±


    ¡°No need,¡± Yuri said. ¡°We are both clear on your progress of Martial Styles, and the way you handle your sword. Even if there are some deficiencies, they will go away in time. The only problem you had in your fighting style was with your Arcanas, and the way you were thinking. Now that you have decided how to deal with those things, it is time address your most glaring problem.¡±


    ¡°¡­I still have problems?¡±


    ¡°Fighting advanced phase Oren Beasts while being an Initial Stage False Wanderer¡­ is it really a surprise that all you can do is contain those beasts? It is fine for now¡­ but what will you do against Heterodox Wanderers?¡±


    ¡°¡­There is still some time before the Heterodox Wanderers come looking for me.¡±


    ¡°Are you sure?¡± Yuri said. ¡°Did you forget about the curse you were talking about?¡±


    ¡°¡­What should I do then? It is not like I can break through my bottleneck just because I want to.¡±


    ¡°¡­But you will break through because I want you to,¡± Yuri said, flashing an innocent smile on her face. ¡°I have prepared a very special training for you. In at most five days, or maybe even as soon as tomorrow, you will become an Intermediate Stage False Wanderer.¡±

 Chapter 51: Special training [Part 1]

    Special training. That was what Yuri called it. Alnea preferred to call it as courting death. And yet, he accepted it without any complaints. After all, he knew the true reason behind his special training. They had even stopped looking for advanced phase Oren Beasts, and travelled back to one of the smaller canyons, just so he could break through as soon as possible. How could he disappoint them then?


    ¡°I am ready,¡± Alnea said, taking a deep breath to calm himself.


    ¡°¡­May Goddess Ilea, and Goddess Faein be with you.¡±


    ¡°¡­I think even they would give up on me, considering how stupid the thing I am going to do is.¡±


    ¡°¡­Just do your best. If things get too out of control, then I will come in with Cecilia to rescue you.¡±


    ¡°¡­No need. If I know that you will be coming to rescue me, then I will not be able to give my best. And if I do not give my everything, then there would be no meaning for this training. So, you don¡¯t have to come. Either I will complete this training, or I will¡­ we will get scolded by master.¡±


    ¡°¡­Fine,¡± Yuri said. After a brief moment of silence, she added, ¡°I am beginning on my end.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s what I have been waiting for anyway.¡±


    Alnea looked around himself. Towards his left, some shrubs, and undergrowth were spread about in between a group of boulders. Not tall enough to hide Oren Beasts, but tall enough to lay countless traps for all who dared to step into their domains. Behind his back, uneven grounds, marred with presence of marshes, hid countless plant type Oren Beasts within the darkness of the canyon. And towards his right, some hundred or so metres away was a stream of water, cutting of his last route of escape.


    After all, the stream was one of the countless distributaries of the Night River. It did not look too deep, or cold, but he was not fooled. Even if he did not count the Oren Beasts hiding within its depths, the water itself was as cold as ice. And it had to be at least tens of metres deep. In any other place, the stream would have all the rights to be called as a river itself. In the Night Canyons though¡­


    Wanderers, and their sense of naming, Alnea thought, and shook his head. At least the stream was not named as something ridiculous. He could not say the same about the Martial Styles he had learned. Piercing the Stars, Golden Wheel of Death, Meteor Descent, Thousand Arms, Thousand Thoughts a Moment¡­ and on, and on. There were countless Martial Styles with ridiculous names. And a Thousand Splendid Deaths happened to be one of them.


    An Auxiliary Martial Style, specialising in Speed, Agility, and Stamina, the Thousand Splendid Death Style focussed on only one thing, a prolonged battle. And considering the tens of Oren Beasts rushing towards him from his front, that was he needed at the moment. A tough, prolonged battle.


    Taking deep breath, Alnea urged his Aspects to come out of their Aspect Wells, and forced them into his veins. Not all of them, of course. Just the five which could enhance his physique, and increase his speed, and agility. Just in case, he also made sure to cover his chest with the white armour. As for the rest, he¡­ left them alone. It was going to be a prolonged battle after all. He could not go around wasting his Spirit Power.


    Besides, most of the beasts rushing towards him had just reached their Adolescent Stage. Only a few were in the intermediate phase. Still, he could not be overconfident. He¡ª


    With a Baleful Monkey jumping at him from his left, Alnea was forced to abandon his thoughts, and meet the monkey¡¯s claws with his fist. Fuelled by the Thousand Splendid Deaths, of course. Even if the Martial Style did not specialise in strength, as an Intermediate Grade Martial Style, the boost in strength it provided was much more than what a Lowest Grade Martial Style specialising in strength could give. Enough to send the monkey flying back towards¡ª


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    Wrapping his wrist with its tails, the monkey pivoted around his wrist, and transferred all its momentum to a downswing, reaching out with its claws to tear into his stomach. Fortunately, the armour on his chest was enough to resist the monkey¡¯s claw for a moment, buying enough time for Alnea to grab the monkey by cuff of its neck with his right hand, and stab into its chest with his left hand.


    Baleful Monkeys were too difficult to handle. If given enough time, they could¡ª


    Before Alnea could even pull out his hand from the monkey¡¯s chest, two rabbits, with pitch black fur, flanked him from either of his sides. And they were not stupid like the Baleful Monkey to not use their Innate Abilities. With darkness shining in their eyes, the two rabbits vanished into the darkness of the canyon. To the ignorant, it might seem that the rabbits had run away. But he knew better.


    Pivoting on his feet to avoid the spike coming to him from his right, Alnea used the monkey in his hand to block the spike from his left. And as he felt the monkey¡¯s blood splashed on his face, he understood how correct his decision was. However, he did not hand the time to praise himself.


    Throwing away the half of the monkey¡¯s corpse still left in his hands, he jumped, and flipped towards his back to avoid the second set of attacks from the rabbits. But just avoiding their attacks was not enough. So, he urged the Aspects flowing through his veins to their limits, and spread the senses of his Spirit all around himself. Waiting.


    Feeling the fluctuations of Mysteries from his left, Alnea pushed his feet on the ground, and almost jumped towards his right, before he felt similar fluctuations from his right. Cunning rabbits. Without enough time to think about his actions, he could only rely on his instincts, and jumped towards his left, barely avoiding the Dark Spikes. And it was also on instinct that he pulled his sword out of its sheath, and pierced the stars¡ªrabbit.


    With a flash of the golden light of his Aspect, blood splashed on the ground, as the rabbit stumbled back in its death. But the rabbit was not alone. He still had to deal with another rabbit¡­ and a pair Swallowtail Ravens. Chirping in madness, as they flew in the darkness of the canyon, they kept throwing blades of wind at him, forcing him to give up on his plan of finishing the two rabbits at once.


    The rabbit, however, had no concern for its life. Screeching in madness like the ravens, it rushed towards Alnea, urging all its abilities at once. Dark Spikes, Dark Claws, Dark Fangs, and even Whispers of Darkness, all sorts of attacks came raining down upon him, testing him to his limits. And as if that was not enough, the ravens also joined in on the fun, greeting him with their blades of winds, and Screech of Despair.


    Fortunately, psychological attacks barely had any effect on him. As for the physical attacks¡­ At first, Alnea tried dodging the attacks by side stepping them, or jumping the gap between two attacks. When the attacks became too dense though, he was left with no choice but to stab his sword into the ground, and use it as a leverage to jump over most of the attacks raining down upon him. Only a few blades of winds managed to reach him, but even they were blocked by layer of white light covering his chest.


    However, he could not just keep on dodging the Oren Beasts. He had to take them down soon, or else, things would become even more difficult. And so, as landed on the hilt of his sword, Alnea pulled out his dagger from his waist, activating its Glyph Arrays while he was at it. And before the raves could launch another wave of attack at him, he launched himself into the air, throwing his dagger at one of the ravens with immaculate aim.


    The raven still managed to avoid getting stabbed, but just a nick in its skin was enough. Pressed down by the Glyph Arrays of his dagger, it lost most of its mobility, and almost fell down to the ground. It managed to remain in the air with effort, but its movements were too stiff. It was no wonder then, that when Alnea willed his dagger to fly back, the raven provided no resistance to the dagger stabbing into the back of its head.


    Meanwhile, the rabbit, having lost its sanity, rushed at him while covering itself in a layer of darkness. And the moment he landed on the ground, the rabbit threw itself at him, seemingly intent on biting through his neck, only for its neck to get stabbed by his hand. Sure, the darkness covering the rabbit provided resistance against his hands. But with golden, and silverish blue lights of four Aspects covering his hand, mere amalgamation of darkness could not stop his way.


    Or his dagger, plunging into the rabbit¡¯s back. In the end, the only beast left was the raven screeching in the sky. And the Dark Devouring Snake that came biting at his leg. Then there were the vines, shooting for his back. And the jets of water, coming from his right. Not to mention the trap he had just walked into. A trap, set up by patches of Red Herring, Blood Sniffing, and Darkness Assimilating Grass, dulling thoughts, and senses, trying to lure him into illusions of darkness¡­

 Chapter 51: Special training [Part 2]

    What was the only thing common between his master¡¯s embrace, and his master¡¯s touch? Peace. And the darkness was willing to provide him with peace. An eternal peace that would never leave him. His master would never leave him¡­ She¡ª


    Alnea woke up from pain of the dagger stabbing into his left palm. He would have stabbed it into his thighs, but that would have hindered his movement. As for the wound on his palm¡­


    ¡°Hiding in the breath of all things alive¡­¡±


    Stomping on the head of the Dark Devouring Snake, trying to lure him into its Devouring world with the help of the traps laid around him, Alnea pulled out his dagger form his palm, and stabbed it into the head of the snake, before splitting it down the middle.


    ¡°Seeking the warmth of her evergreen shine¡­¡±


    With blood splashing on their leaves, the Blood Sniffing Grass trembled in excitement, and released more hallucinogenic agents in the air, trying to dull his senses even more than before. Unfortunately for the raven, it chose exactly that moment to dive in towards him. Having already lost all its sanity to the toxins that Yuri had released, the raven posed no resistance against the traps, and became defenceless, tumbling down towards the ground.


    ¡°I beseech the seeds hidden in the Origin¡­¡±


    Grabbing the raven by its neck before it fell, Alnea spun, and threw the bird towards the vines rushing in towards him, just as he stepped away from the domains of the grasses, doing his best to dodge the jets of water shooting towards his head, only to be confronted by even more Oren Beasts rushing towards him. Two Dark Wind Wolves¡­ That was a rare sight. What kind of unnatural mix of toxins did Yuri release in the canyon?


    ¡°To bequeath unto my hands the Green Touch of Life.¡±


    Dark Wind Wolves were not too difficult to take down¡­ but only if he could use his Arcanas. And yet, he did not have the leisure to waste his Spirit Power. After all, the Dark Wind Wolves were just the beginning. He could see a pack of Green Wind Wolves behind their cousins. And then there were the Rock Eater beasts behind them. Two boars, and three turtles¡­ How were the turtles running so fast?


    Throwing his dagger at the Shadow Mole that popped up a couple of feet behind him, Alnea healed his hand, as he rushed towards his sword. Though he was proficient in hand to hand combat, he was not proficient enough to take down so many them with his bare hands. However, the beasts had no intention of letting him have his way. Especially the beasts hiding in the stream. Forced to dodge another jet of water, by the time he regained his balance, the wolves were already upon him.


    Cursing the several generations of the beasts, Alnea shifted in his stance, and adopted the Turbulent Current Style, using the momentum of the wolves to send them flying towards the restless vines. However, the wolves were not as weak as the raven. They flipped in mid air, and stepped on the vines rushing towards them to jump back at him. And this time, they were smart enough to start with their wind blades.


    Meanwhile, the Green Wind Wolves, as if they had reached a tacit agreement, chose that exact moment to send a flurry of wind blades towards him. Even the Rock Eater Turtles urged the ground beneath their feet to break apart, and shoot at him as pieces of rocks. Coupled with another jet of water, and the vines coming for his head, Alnea found himself trapped from every direction. And for the first time in a while, he felt the breath of Death. He felt¡ª


    Forcing his Heart to calm down, Alnea urged his Aspects to change their flow, and adopted the Turbulent Lightning Style, an Intermediate Grade Martial Style, with obvious flaws, and restrictions. But he did not care. After all, a few broken bones were much better than being cut into pieces.


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    Concentrating the lightning flowing in his veins, in his muscles, and bones, to their limits, he jumped to avoid the blade aimed at his legs, only to crouch in mid air to avoid the jet of water aiming for his head. But there were even more blades cruising towards his waist. And so, he twisted his body, and passed in between those blades, landing on the ground with a roll.


    And yet, the attacks had no end. They came at him once again, with even more force than before. And so, he jumped once again, this time, rolling his body in mid air to avoid the vines trying to stab his back, while barely avoiding his nose getting slashed off by a passing wind blade. The breath of Death¡­ it was getting thicker. And he still did not know if these beasts were the last wave or not. Just avoiding their attacks was not going to get him anywhere. If things continued as they were¡­


    Landing on the ground with another roll, Alnea reached out with his hands, and grabbed onto the purplish black hilt of his sword, pulling it out of the ground with the momentum of his roll, before slashing it towards the skies, embodying it with the essence of ¡®Great Mourning of the East¡¯, infecting even the winds with grief.


    However, just grief was not enough to stop the winds. And so, he shifted his grip, before swinging his sword down, ¡®Tearing the Skies¡¯, in the process. Not literally, of course. Even Mystic Wanderers were not capable of tearing the skies. But the Sky Tearing Style did have the potential to sunder the winds. At the very least, it made all the wind blades gravitate towards his blade. And that was all he needed.


    With all the wind gathering around his sword, he shifted his stance, and rushed towards the Dark Wind Wolves, swinging his sword with the ¡®Howling Winds¡¯. But the wolves were too cunning. They were enraged, and without any shred of sanity. Yet they still somehow had enough sense to avoid confronting his sword head on. Unfortunately for the wolves, Alnea had already expected their reaction.


    Shifting his grip on his sword once again, he twisted his right foot, and pivoted on it to send a ¡®Crescent Slash¡¯ at the wolves. And when they were busy dealing with the remnants of ¡®Howling Winds¡¯ piercing into their bodies, he followed up with ¡®Crying Wind¡¯ to end their lives. Before he could truly put an end to their lives though, another barrage of wind blades from the Green Wind Wolves, and water jet from the annoying beasts in the stream forced him to retreat towards the vines.


    Tens of vines, thrashing around with the winds, came rushing straight at his face, as Alnea hurriedly called forth the ¡®Raging Waves of the West¡¯, while quickly backing away from the stupid wolves. He did not even have to look at them to know what they would next. And as he had expected, in just a couple of moments, the breath of Death that he was feeling became thicker once again. As did the darkness gathering around the wolves.


    The stream? Alnea shook his head. The beasts in the stream were too treacherous. Diving in there would put him in even more danger. The Rock Eater Turtle? It would serve as a good hiding spot, but why would the insane beast help him guard against the Dark Winds? As for the group of boulders, he would have to cross the source of the Dark Winds to reach them. But then, what would he do about all the traps that the canyon had prepared for him?


    Darting his eyes around himself, Alnea quickly came to a decision. Gritting his teeth, he rushed directly into the mass of the vines. Into the bed of plant type Oren Beasts. They looked a little like Bone Rotting Plants, and were just as bloodthirsty, but the Bone Rotting Plants did not have such long vines. In any case, the plants were his only retreat at the moment.


    For the plants though, he was just their food. A very enticing food that was making them lose all their inhibitions. Thrashing in excitement as they finally saw him step into their lair, the plants sent even more vines to tangle him. To tie him, before they could tear him into pieces, and share amongst themselves. They did not care to bother about why their prey was not resisting. They just wanted to¡ª


    Darkness surged from the distance, and spread like flood, drowning everything in existence. Even the stream. All that was left in the world was Dark Winds, battering everything, trying to destroy, disintegrate, and assimilate all that tried to resist their advances. Even the Oren Beast. In the end though, the Dark Wind Wolves were only at the initial phase of their Adolescent Stage. Even if they released their desperate attacks, at most, they just managed to injure the other Oren Beasts. Including the vines holding Alnea.


    Tearing apart the broken, and partly destroyed vines off of himself, Alnea rushed away from the plants before they could regain their senses. However, he did not forget to cut through the plants in his way. And neither did he forget to finish off the beasts lying down on ground, whimpering in pain. Be it the wolves, or the Rock Eater beasts, none of them were in the shape to fight. And yet, their insanity forced them to fight till the end. Till the only beasts left were the remnants of the plants, and the beasts hiding in the stream.

 Chapter 51: Special training [Part 3]

    Withdrawing his sword from the rock shell of the turtle, Alnea enjoyed his rare moment of peace. The breath of Death¡­ It may be beneficial for his growth, but he did not like it. Still, he had not expected the desperate attack of the wolves to incapacitate nine Oren Beasts at the same time. Was it because of the resonance between two Dark Winds?


    Forget it, Alnea thought. There was no use thinking about it. Instead, he decided to take out the beasts hiding in the water. After all, he did not know how many more beasts he would have to face. If some intermediate, or even advanced phase Oren Beasts were to come¡­


    Taking a deep breath, Alnea allowed the lightning in his bones, and muscles to dissipate back from where they had come, before shifting back into the Turbulent Current Style, and rushing towards the stream. And as he had expected, the moment the beasts sensed his movements, they began to launch waves, after waves of attacks, as if trying their best to keep him away.


    However, the more the beasts acted so, the more effort Alnea put in his rush, sometimes dodging the attacks, and sometimes using his sword to deflect the attacks. And as he neared the stream, he got ready to¡ª


    A massive beast, nearly three metres in length, and two metres in width, rushed out from the water, snapping its jaws at his neck. It was only because he stabbed his sword towards the mouth of the beast, forcing it use its chest armour to block his attack, that he managed to save himself. And he was he not ready to give the beast another chance to launch a sneak attack.


    Riding on the waves splashed from the sudden outburst of the beast, Alnea stepped back, and took another look at the beast. A Razorback Black Water Turtle. A rare Oren Beast in the outer regions of the Night Canyons. Especially since from its size, it looked like the turtle was in the intermediate phase, and nearing the advanced phase.


    The more that Alnea looked at the turtle, the more he understood how cunning it was. Attacking him with just jets of water, keeping their power much lower than what it was capable of, and even launching multiple jets at a time¡­ It was all the turtle¡¯s trap. Did Yuri¡¯s secret toxin did not work on the intermediate phase Oren Beasts?


    At the very least, the toxins were not enough to make intermediate phase beasts lose all their sanity. But that also made sense. Intermediate phase Oren Beasts were much stronger after all. Even if Yuri had the means to make them lose their reason, just imagining tens of intermediate phase beasts, all rushing towards him at once, was enough to send shivers down his spine.


    Subduing the errant thoughts in his Heart, Alnea concentrated on the enemy in front of him. A Razorback Black Water Turtle¡­ Even if it was at just the intermediate phase, was enough to fight against many advanced phase Oren Beasts. Killing it would not be easy. Especially with its defence. Using the plants, like he had done at the Seed Rank¡­


    No, that plan would also be useless. The plants were too¡ª


    Since it had already been exposed, the turtle did not bother diving back into the stream. Rather, it chose to charge at its prey, while urging the water behind its back. And this time, it did not hold back. A stream of water, thicker than his thighs, short directly towards his head, forcing Alnea to crouch down, even as he rolled back to avoid the turtle¡¯s paw from snapping his head. And when he got to his feet, he noticed a half a foot wide crater some three to four feet away from where he was standing.


    No wonder a Razorback Black Water Turtle could be considered as an overlord existence amongst normal Oren Beasts. Why did it have such a ridiculous Innate Ability, when its body was already so ridiculously huge? And this was not even considering its second Innate Ability, which it often used in desperate situations¡­ Sighing at his ill fortune, Alnea gripped his sword with all his strength, and rushed towards the turtle, while preparing his Arcanas.


    ¡°In the threads, weaving through the worlds¡­¡±


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    The distance between him, and the turtle was not too large to begin with. And with the turtle also rushing towards him, it took him only a couple of steps to confront the beast head to head.


    ¡°Stitching the forces of the world¡­¡±


    Not truly an ideal situation, considering how physically strong the beast was. But it was not like Alnea was powerless.


    ¡°I summon the essence of the Origin¡­¡±


    Gathering his Aspects at the edge of his sword, he shifted his grip to ¡®Raise the Earth¡¯, and close the beast¡¯s jaws. The beast naturally followed with a swipe of its paws, intending to crush him, but¡ª


    ¡°To come, and shift Gravity.¡±


    Changing the core of his gravity, he easily sidestepped the turtle¡¯s paw. The turtle naturally followed along with his movements, but all it hit was his sword. And Alnea, banking on the momentum of that hit, twirled his body, and jumped towards the turtle¡¯s neck, only to ride along the current of the jet shooting towards him, and open a distance from the beast. Enough for him to prepare another Arcana.


    ¡°Gravity Field¡­¡±


    The turtle, rushing towards him, felt the sudden increase of pressure on its body. As beast, and one in an enraged state, it refused to let some mere pressure come between it, and its prey. But the more it struggled, the tougher it became for the turtle to resist the pressure of the earth¡¯s pull on its body. Gravity Field¡­ it was oddly effective against turtle. Was it because of the turtle¡¯s size? Or its weight? Maybe both? In any case, the turtle¡¯s struggle provided him with the perfect opportunity.


    ¡°Under the shine of the boundless Night¡­¡±


    Noticing that it was getting harder for it to move, the turtle urged the water from the stream to keep attacking its prey, hoping to buy time for itself.


    ¡°When the darkness hides under her light¡­¡±


    With the help of Gravity Shift though, and the Gravity Field he had set up, none of those streams, no matter how fast they were, were able to hit him.


    ¡°I call forth the sounds of imaginations¡­¡±


    Still, they did buy enough time for the turtle to adapt itself to the increased pressure, and regain its mobility. Just not enough for it to break from the field of gravity.


    ¡°To lead to Nightmare, and a world of fascination.¡±


    And so, in addition to dealing with the increased pressure on its body, the turtle soon also had to deal with illusions derived from its own imaginations. Illusions of supremacy, of evolving into a true Black Water Turtle. Of walking into the depths of the Origin Sea, and becoming an Origin Beast itself. In the end though, it was nothing but a small Razorback Black Water Turtle. No, the Origin Sea said. It did not deserve to be called as a Black Water Turtle. In truth, it was just a Razorback, fit only to be used as a nest for some birds, and snakes. It was¡ª


    The turtle shattered the illusions with a roar. How dare someone compare to just some stupid birds, and snakes? It was a Razorback Black Water Turtle. And it demanded its respect. The only thing it got though, was the tip of a sword, covered in black, golden, and silverish blue lights, stabbing into its eyes. By the time it understood what was happening, the sword had already penetrated his head. However, the turtle refused to go down without a fight. With its last breaths, and all the strength it had left, it let out a roar, and activated its second Innate Ability.


    Alnea had already expected its actions though. The moment he pierced through the only weak point on the turtle¡¯s body as if he was ¡®Piercing the Stars¡¯, he pushed all his Aspects into the beast¡¯s head, urging them to destroy it from its inside, while he himself deactivated the Gravity Field, and rushed back with his greatest speed. He even employed the Lightning Storm Style, stuffing his legs with as much lightning as he could, increasing his speed to his limits. Even then, he could not escape what was about to come.


    Urging his Aspects to recover to their peak, he brough his sword front of himself, and assumed the form of the ¡®Lonely Peak¡¯. A peak that stood against all the opposing forces. Even if those opposing forces were hundreds of tiny blades from the back of the turtle, the peak stood tall, and proud.


    Alnea, however, was facing the embarrassment of his life. His Spirit Power was running low, his hands were getting tired, and the ¡®razors¡¯ from the Razorback Black Water Turtle had left countless marks on his cheeks, and hands. And though his there were no injures on the rest of his body, it not because of the ¡®Lonely Peak¡¯ guarding in front of him, but the golden glow along the borders of his robe.


    Still, though he may have not been injured grievously, the breath of Death he felt was real. And that was his special training was for anyways. To make him feel the breath of Death, and seek a breakthrough in despair. And despair was exactly what he felt, when he saw the second wave of beasts coming at him.

 Chapter 52: Breakthrough in Death [Part 1]

    Alnea lay on the ground, heaving. Panting. Groaning. And bleeding. Remnants of his robe¡ªCecilia¡¯s robe, clung to him in ribbons, and pieces, exposing the countless wounds on his body, bleeding with the beasts around him. And as he bled, Alnea felt closer to Death than ever. No wonder Yuri had asked him to not to rely on the defences of his robe. Since he could already feel the breath of Death though, what was he to do next?


    How many days had it been? Two? Three? Alnea did not remember. For him, the past few days had been all about constant fights. He was not even allowed to rest. When his Spirit Power was exhausted, he was forced to rely on his sword. And when the sword became too heavy to hold, he had to switch to his dagger. Only when it was time to eat, was he given an hour of rest.


    Fortunately, with how crazily he was fighting, and using up his Spirit Power, just one meal a day was not enough for him. As for how many times Yuri brought him his meals¡­ He could not really remember. All he knew that whenever he was about to collapse from exhaustion, Yuri would show up, and bring him away for a short rest. At the moment though, Yuri was not with him. And neither was Cecilia. All he had was the breath of Death. And the source of that breath, a Twin Tailed Python Tiger, in the intermediate phase of its Adolescent Stage, walking towards him with arrogance.


    Was it fate? It did not matter. He may have lost all his strength, and exhausted all his Spirit Power, but he was still Alnea Oathkeeper. Since the tiger dared to have ill thoughts about him, he would show it how stupid it was. Through the sheer power of will, he forced himself off the ground, and faced the tiger. Not with his sword, or dagger. They were too heavy to lift. Besides, for the tiger, just his hands were enough.


    The tiger, noticing his disdain, roared in annoyance, concentrating all its malice in its roar, before springing into action. In its overconfidence, it did not even bother checking whether its ¡®Roar of Malice¡¯ had worked or not. All it had in its mind was to deal with its prey as soon as possible, and enjoy a hearty meal. What it was met with though, was the Tiger Slaughtering Stance.


    As the Fifth Stance of the Slaughtering Origin Volume, the Tiger Slaughtering Stance was originally designed to deal with tigers, and all other feline beasts. Just in terms of technical aspects, and the prowess it could burst with, the Fifth Stance was much better than the first three Stances of the Oathkeeper Style. However, higher prowess of the stance meant higher requirements for using it.


    A year ago, Alnea would not even have been able to last for few breaths. And though his body had developed enough to use the Fifth Stance without any worries, at the moment, even standing was becoming difficult for him. Not to mention the fact that he had yet complete modifying the Oathkeeper Style. Even if he had had enough strength, he still would not have used the Tiger Slaughtering Stance for too long. So, just like the tiger, he decided to end the fight as quickly as possible.


    The tiger came down on him, not with its paws, but with its maws, aiming to strike his neck. So, as a tiger himself, Alnea went down on all fours, and tilted towards his right to avoid the tiger¡¯s jaws, only to face the snakes right in the next instant. They were fast, and feisty, rushing towards him for a bite. But as a tiger, how could he let some small snakes get the better of him?


    Grabbing the two snakes just below their heads, he pulled on them with all his strength, ready to jump on to the tiger¡¯s back. But the snakes were tougher to deal with than he had thought. They chose to bear the backlash of using an ability beyond their limits, and opened their mouths to spit venom at him, rather than to let him jump on to the tiger¡¯s back.


    Cursing the snakes for their stupidity, Alnea let go of the tiger¡¯s tails, and rolled towards his right, once again, to avoid the ¡®Poison Sting¡¯, and the paws of the tiger coming for his head. These Oren Beasts¡­ They surely had a weird obsession with heads of their prey. But it could be understood. With all sorts of weird Innate Abilities abound in the world, only smashing heads could prove the death of their enemies.


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    However, Alnea had no intention to let his head get crushed, or to die for that matter. The blood loss¡­ It was starting to make him feel a little dizzy. Not to mention the headache from severe exhaustion of his Spirit. Even his steps were beginning to shake. And his senses were beginning to lose focus. The only tangible thing that he could feel with certainty was the breath of Death.


    Towards your left, the breath seemed to be saying. And so, Alnea moved towards his back, avoiding the blow coming from his left. But just listening to the breath was not going to help him. He had to find the source of the breath, and strangle it. Only then, would he live. And only then, would be able to find his breakthrough. So, even if his vision was getting blurry, he did not hesitate to stand up once again, and face the beast.


    Since he was dealing with a tiger, the first thing he had to keep in mind was its immense strength. Then there were its Innate Abilities. The snakes on its back could be annoying, but its abilities would be even more annoying. Especially if he used its ¡®Flame Flowers¡¯. Fortunately, the tiger was just at the intermediate phase. It should not have access to its ¡®Coat of Flames¡¯.


    Having made up its mind, Alnea waited for the tiger to get near, reacting more by instinct, than what he was seeing. His senses were blurred anyways. He just had¡ª


    Behind you.


    The tiger was getting cunning, Alnea thought. At the very least, it was not underestimating him anymore. Unfortunately for the tiger, it still did not know the horror of the Slaughtering Tiger Stance. The moment that Alnea felt the breath of Death on his back, he jumped with all his strength, and backflipped onto the tiger¡¯s back, shifting from the form of Tiger to the Slaughtering form, shaping his hands like the blade of Oaths.


    The snakes, of course, would not let him do as he wished. Even before he had landed on the back of the tiger, the had already raised their head, and were ready to strike at him. Before they could do so though, his blade of Oaths severed them from their base. Almost simultaneously, the tiger roared in pain, and rage, and began moving so erratically, that Alnea had to jump off of its back. But the tiger had just begun falling into its insanity.


    Somehow, being separated from its two snakes hurt the tiger so much, that it lost all its defences against the toxins that Yuri had infected it with. And in a matter of moments, it became just as insane as all the initial phase Oren Beasts had been. Rather, it became even more insane, indiscriminately releasing all its Innate Ability. It did not matter if its attack hit the target or not. It just kept sprouting ¡®Flowers of Flame¡¯ from its mouth. And when those did not work, it even went so far as to cover its entire body with¡ª


    The moment that the tiger paused for a moment to release an ability beyond its control, Alnea flashed below the tiger, and drove his blade of Oaths right into its chest. Just to be sure, he even plunged his other hand into the beast¡¯s chest. And when he felt the tiger falter, he hurriedly withdrew his hands from within the beast, and rolled away before the tiger could fall on him.


    Just moments later, the tiger fell with a thud, confirming that it had been injured fatally. Not fatally enough to die right away though. It kept moaning, and whimpering for quite some time after its fall, speaking a story of despair, and indignation. But that was the way of the world.


    Still, if he had had the strength to stand, or even crawl, then Alnea surely would have ended the miserable life of the beast. Unfortunately, injuring the tiger had taken away what little strength was left within him. He did not even have the strength to groan, like the beast. Or to move his head to see the state of the beast. Not that he would have been able to see anything anyway. His blurry vision was getting even more blurry. And as time passed, he began losing his other senses as well. His hearing. His touch. And lastly, his smell.


    Blood. That was what he smelled like. Blood, and grime. How many days had it been? Two? Three? he did not remember. Neither did he care. What he wanted was not answers, but the people he loved. He wanted his Heart. Yet, all he had was Death. Blood, and Death. And an endless darkness¡­ Like the one that his namesake had faced. But¡­


    Why was the darkness so warm, and peaceful? This was not the darkness he remembered. This was not the death he remembered. Or else, why would there be a white light in the darkness? Why would he see Yuri in his Death?

 Chapter 52: Breakthrough in Death [Part 2]

    Bit by bit, the darkness scattered, and scampered away, as a dazzling white light, with a hint of crystal blue at its centre, pierced through Death. From just a small speck in the distance, it soon spread to cover his entire vision, and his Heart. The peace, and warmth¡­ it reminded him of Yuri. It reminded him of her persistence to never give up, no matter the odds stacked against her. And most important of all, it reminded him of the promises he had made to her. There was still so much for him to do, so many Oaths to keep. How could he die then?


    ¡°Is the sleeping handsome finally awake?¡±


    ¡°¡­Almost,¡± Alnea said, feeling his head spin as his senses returned to him. Not from a sensory overload, of course. He reckoned that his headache was because of how exhausted his Spirit was. Not that his body was in any better condition. Or so he thought, until he understood what his senses were telling him. Cool, refreshing feeling, the kind that he only felt in his Spirit after it absorbed the chains of his Oaths, was spreading to every corner of his body. Even his Spirit was feeling an unprecedented state of relaxation. How did it feel like he was almost exhausted to death just a while ago?


    ¡°Where am I?¡±


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you open your eyes, and see for yourself?¡±


    Good point, Alnea thought, and opened his eyes, only to see a greenish blue light. Wherever he looked, all he saw was the greenish blue light, stretching endlessly into the distance. And all he felt was a cool sensation on his skin¡­ The sensation of being submerged in water¡­


    Alnea forcefully subdued the panic in his Heart. Since he could hear Yuri¡¯s voice, it meant that she knew where he was. And she surely would not just sit aside, and watch him drown. Unless it was to make him feel the breath of Death once again¡­


    Alnea shook his head, and suppressed his thoughts once again, before taking a more careful look at his surroundings. He was sitting on the soft, muddy floor of some water body, with water surrounding him all sides. And yet, he did not feel any suffocation. Nor did he feel the urge flail his limbs about in useless attempt to swim to the surface of the water. For some reasons, the water was soothing his nerves, and washing away his fatigue. Even his headache was beginning to fade with time. Most important of all though, the scars on his body were fading away with every passing moment.


    ¡°¡­A Fortune Spring?¡±


    ¡°How? Are you surprised?¡±


    ¡°But weren¡¯t we supposed to stay away from Fortune Springs?¡±


    ¡°This Fortune Spring is different. Rather than helping its visitors improve their abilities, it is geared more towards healing them. Even if that had not been the case though, you would have had no problem in enjoying a Fortune Spring?¡±


    ¡°¡­What are you talking about? Didn¡¯t we agree to experience a Fortune Spring only after breaking through our bottlenecks?¡±


    ¡°So?¡±


    ¡°So, how could I¡­¡±


    ¡°Finally noticed?¡±


    Alnea closed his eyes, and entered his Spirit State. His Spirit¡­ It had recovered completely. His headache¡­ it was probably due to something else. But he did not have the leisure to care about his headache. His Spirit¡­ he could feel it. Not just from the strength it had, but also from how much more substantial it was than before. It was still a False Spirit, but his Spirit Power had reached the Intermediate Stage.


    ¡°How long have I been asleep?¡± Alnea said, as he left his Spirit State, and opened his eyes.


    ¡°Around two days¡­¡±


    ¡°I have been in the Fortune Spring for the past two days, and it has not forced me out yet?¡±


    ¡°Like I said, this Fortune Spring is a little different. Its waters¡­ they are practically teeming with Mysteries of Life.¡±


    ¡°¡­The Razorback Black Water Turtle¡¯s lair?¡±


    ¡°Still sharp as ever.¡±


    ¡°Are there other Oren Beasts around?¡±


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    ¡°Relax, I have already taken care of them. There is no one else in the Fortune Spring other than you.¡±


    ¡°¡­How are you watching me then?¡±


    ¡°Guess.¡±


    ¡°¡­Still stingy as ever.¡±


    ¡°¡­It looks like you have recovered just fine,¡± Yuri said. After a moment of silence, she added, ¡°How did facing death feel like?¡±


    ¡°¡­Not something that I would want to try again. Where are you, and Cecilia?¡±


    ¡°¡­Waiting for you on the bank of the stream.¡±


    ¡°I will be there in a moment,¡± Alnea said, and began swimming his way towards the surface of the stream. It was not too deep, probably only around ten or so metres. His body was too stiff though. And sore. The Fortune Spring might have healed him, but he had to pay his dues for treating his body so roughly. In any case, it took him a little longer than he had anticipated to break the surface of the stream.


    ¡°Here!¡± Cecilia said, bringing his attention to herself. She was standing on the right bank of the stream with Yuri, and waving at him with a smile. Nodding back with a grin, Alnea swiftly made his way towards the girls, only to shiver with cold the moment he got out of water.


    ¡°¡­Has the Night Canyons always been so cold?¡± Alnea said, stretching his body, and rubbing his palm to fight the cold.


    ¡°¡­Only to those who like challenging its depths without any clothes,¡± Yuri said in amusement, while Cecilia looked at him with a flushed face.


    ¡°What are you talking about? Who is without¡­¡±


    Him, Alnea thought, as he remembered what he saw when he was within the Fortune Spring. Except for the sole piece of tattered innerwear covering his private parts, he was practically naked.


    ¡°Where are my clothes?¡± Alnea said in exasperation, as he fought the urge to dive back into the waters. ¡°Why am I naked?¡±


    ¡°What do you think happened? Do you not remember the state you were in when fell unconscious?¡±


    ¡°¡­Can you two look away?¡± Alnea said, hunching down to cover as much of his body as could. With the state that he was in, even his Aspect was not enough to hide his embarrassment.


    ¡°Why are you being so shy?¡± Cecilia said, trying to sound as bold as she could. ¡°You are Wanderer now. Such things should not be enough to disturb your Heart.¡±


    ¡°¡­I might have believed you if you were not blushing, or looking at me with such wide eyes.¡±


    ¡°Who is looking at you with wide eyes! Pervert!¡±


    ¡°¡­Say that after you stop looking at me.¡±


    ¡°I am not looking at you. I am looking at the Fortune Spring behind you.¡±


    ¡°¡­Why are you blushing then?¡±


    ¡°Pervert!¡±


    ¡°¡­Says the one who enjoys seeing me naked.¡±


    ¡°You are the one who is naked. How is it my fault?¡±


    ¡°¡­Stop playing around,¡± Yuri said, throwing his storage bag at him. ¡°Although we have cleared the area, this is a Fortune Spring after all. We never know what kind of Oren Beast might show up here in search of their Fortune. It would be best if we can leave as soon as possible.¡±


    ¡°¡­My sword¡ª


    ¡°It is in the bag. Along with your dagger.¡±


    Nodding at the girls, Alnea hurried away into the darkness to get ready. Changing in front of the girls¡­ He was not so shameless. Still, he did not go too far. Just enough so that the girls would not be able to clearly make out his figure. They could still peep at him through the senses of their Spirits, but they should not so shameless. Probably.


    Suppressing his stray thoughts in the depths of his Heart, Alnea took out his golden black robe from the storage bag, and put it on. And the moment he did so, he felt all the chill, and cold melt away from the warmth of the robe. At the same time, he also felt his confidence return to him. Strapping his sword, and dagger back into their place, and putting on his wooden sandals, he walked back to the girls with a big grin on his face.


    ¡°So, how have you two been these past few days?¡±


    ¡°¡­Staying on the lookout for you in case you got injured grievously, and then guarding the Fortune Spring for you, while you had your beauty sleep. We have not even eaten anything for the past two days. How do you think we have been?¡±


    ¡°¡­Hungry?¡±


    ¡°¡­Can I hit him?¡± Cecilia said, turning towards Yuri, while gritting her teeth. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I won¡¯t hit him too hard¡­ And we also have a Fortune Spring to heal him, just in case.¡±


    ¡°¡­What do you mean just in case?¡± Alnea said, wisely stepping away from the violent girl. He did not stop teasing her though, shaking his head in a dramatic manner. ¡°Your face is betraying your intention, Lia.¡±


    ¡°¡­What did you call me?¡±


    ¡°¡­Lia. Isn¡¯t that a good name? Short, and crisp. Just like you.¡±


    ¡°At least I am taller than you.¡±


    ¡°So, you agree that you are crisp?¡±


    ¡°¡­Has advancing to the Intermediate Stage made you forget the last beating I gave you?¡±


    ¡°You two¡­ at least look at the time, and place before flirting.¡±


    ¡°Who is flirting with this barbaric boy?¡± Cecilia said, in a much higher tone than her usual voice, while her face flushed even more than before. However, the more embarrassed she became, the more Alnea felt the urge to tease her. Yet, something at the back of his mind told him that he might really end up getting beaten if he kept teasing her. Though missing such a perfect opportunity to tease Cecilia was a pity, for the sake of his health, and for the greater good of the team, he chose to let her go.


    ¡°So, what are we going to do next?¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t it obvious?¡± Yuri said, returning his grin with her own. ¡°We are going to continue where we had left off. To fight as a team, and improve as much as we can before the Heterodox Wanderers come looking for you.¡±

 Chapter 53: Final Test [Part 1]

    Condensing Oren threads, dispersing them throughout his Spirit, and manifesting Mysteries of the lineages of Creation, and Destruction, before urging them to clash, only to arouse the Mysteries of Life from the Seed of Life behind in the aftermath of the clash, leading his Spirit to a rebirth. That was the Art of Spirit Rebirth. Whether it was its First, or Second Cycle, the essence remained the same. The only difference between the two cycles was the Mysteries that he had to Forge his Spirits with. And even then, the only difference between the Mysteries was their level.


    In their nature though, the Mysteries of the Second Cycle were still similar to the Mysteries of the First Cycle. It was only natural then, for him to get used to the Second Cycle in no time. Besides, having faced Death itself, Alnea was not afraid of some mere pain. Still, he remembered the warning his master had given him, and Forged his Spirit only once a day. For the rest of the time, he was either Wandering the Origin Sea, practising his Martial Styles, fighting Oren Beasts, or tempering his Heart.


    There were also the occasional dreams that he would often find himself seeing, but he had been trying hard to do without them. And he had been succeeding for the most part. Nearly half a year had passed since he became a Wanderer. Half a year of practising to replace his sleep with meditations. Even if he had been dumb, and stupid, he still would have figured out a few tricks. And he was not dumb. Not to mention the weird sensations that he had experienced before the month of Inkah¡­


    Those sensations had disappeared after he reached the Intermediate Stage, but he still could not rest easy. Especially since he knew what those dreams, and memories might represent. The curse of fate, and the man who denied his death¡­ He could delay the problem within his Spirit, but what about the threats that came from the world? What about the threat that came from his fate?


    ¡­Maybe, he really could not do anything. But that was true only for the moment. As long as he became strong enough, nothing would be able to threaten his Heart. If he kept mulling about the inevitability of his fate though, then he truly would be left at the mercy of the world. And as he had experienced himself, the world was never kind to the weak.


    Resolving another conflict within himself, Alnea let out heavy breath, as he felt his Serenity deepening. At the same time, he also felt the pressure on his Spirit, stopping it from strengthening. Another bottleneck. How long had it been since he reached the Intermediate Stage? A little over two and a half months? And yet, he had already crossed three bottlenecks. Counting the bottleneck that he was facing, it would be his fourth.


    With constant life, and death battles, and the numerous Fortune Springs that he had explored with the girls, the surge in his Spirit Power was somewhat expectable, even if a little unreasonable. However, with the rate that his Spirit Power was growing, it would probably take him only about four to five months before reaching the limits of the Intermediate Stage. He might even reach the Advanced Stage. His Heart though¡­


    There was no use worrying, Alnea thought, and suppressed his stray thoughts back at the bottom of his Heart, before opening his eyes to the darkness of the canyon. To the boulder he was sitting on. And the other boulders that surrounded it. They were not very large, and neither did they have strange grasses surrounding them. They did, however, have a strange statue at the centre.


    Roughly around half a metre tall, with a width of half its height, the statue was formed naturally over the course of its life, before being transformed by the Origin Sea, and its Mysteries. Anyone who laid their eyes on the statue could tell that it was a Fortune Spring. However, the statue was not just any Fortune Spring. It was one of the rare Fortune Springs, that only those blessed by Goddess Ilea could find.


    The Fortune Spring was so hard to find that even those who stood next to the boulders would not see them. With the Mysteries emanating from the statue covering the darkness, and the boulders around it in a special state, only those who physically touched the giant rocks could see them. Similarly, only those who had the luck of touching the boulders could see the statue standing at their centre.


    Though the Fortune Spring was practically useless otherwise, just hiding the boulders, and those who sat atop them, from the rest of the canyon, along with the fact it never stopped working, was enough to make the boulders as their base. As for the cave¡­ It was left behind in the wake of his progress. And the death of most of the advanced phase Oren Beasts in the canyon.


    You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.


    They had been so rampant in their challenges against the Oren Beasts, that after a certain point, even the peak phase Oren Beasts had begun chasing after them. Thankfully, there were only a few of them. And they never came in groups. Still, there was a limit to how many Oren Beasts a canyon could accommodate. The numbers were bound to fill up in time, but they did not have the leisure to wait. And so, after a discussion, they decided that it was time to move to a new canyon.


    The same thing was repeated in the next canyon though. And in the one after that. After all, from fighting one advanced phase Oren Beast a day, they had slowly shifted towards fighting three, four, and at times, even five Oren Beasts a day. Not at the same time, of course. They were not so crazy. Yet. With how the mind of the girls worked though¡­


    ¡°Are you thinking of something strange once again?¡± Cecilia said, breaking him out of his thoughts. Just like him, she was also sitting atop a boulder towards his left, and was close enough to see the strange look on his face. Or his eyes darting about to¡ª


    ¡°No,¡± Alnea said. ¡°I never think of strange things. What about you though? Why are you looking at me, instead of meditating?¡±


    ¡°¡­I just completed my meditation. That¡¯s it. Besides, aren¡¯t you doing the same?¡±


    There was no one more unreasonable in arguments than Cecilia. A fact that Alnea had come to learn over time. And though teasing her was fun, he was afraid that if he teased her too much, she might just flip out. She would not do anything excessive, but he did not have the heart to sour her mood. After all, the day was a special one for her.


    ¡°¡­Happy birthday, Lia.¡±


    ¡°¡­Thank you,¡± Cecilia said, with her grin returning back to her face. ¡°You did not prepare any Dust Eater Rats for me this time, did you?¡±


    ¡°¡­That was a special case,¡± Alnea said. ¡°And where would I find Dust Eater Rats in the canyons anyways?¡±


    ¡°You could have asked Yuri¡ª


    ¡°Do not drag me in between your little play,¡± Yuri said, from a little towards his right. They were sitting in a triangular formation so that they would be able to see the threats coming from all direction, and be ready to fight back in case the Oren Beasts were lucky enough to touch the boulders.


    ¡°Jokes aside, happy birthday Cecilia.¡±


    ¡°¡­Thank you, Yuri,¡± Cecilia said with a sheepish smile, before turning towards Alnea. ¡°Where¡¯s my present?¡±


    ¡°¡­Here,¡± Alnea said, reaching into his storage bag to take out a scroll, before throwing it to Cecilia. ¡°I made this Arcana especially for you.¡±


    Cecilia replied by showing off her tongue to him, before opening the scroll to read its contents. ¡°Lia¡¯s Shine,¡± she read, before scoffing at him. ¡°I will forgive you this time.¡±


    Alnea did not know what he was being forgiven for, but that was how things were most of the time. He never knew what Cecilia was thinking. Yet, that only made teasing her more interesting¡­


    ¡°Quite a nice name for an Arcana.¡±


    ¡°¡­I think Yuri¡¯s Dominance was better.¡±


    ¡°Is that how you see me in your mind? A dominating girl, who likes ordering you around?¡±


    ¡°¡­What else would I have named an Arcana than can crush Intermediate phase Oren Beast to death with just the pressure of gravity?¡±


    ¡°Why are you asking me? You created it. Naturally, you should also be the one to name it.¡±


    ¡°¡­Why are you girls so unreasonable?¡±


    ¡°You have not seen anything yet,¡± Yuri said, adding in her chuckles, as she took out a scroll herself, before tossing it to Cecilia. ¡°This is my present. Not an Arcana¡­ but one of the scrolls that you asked from me earlier.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Yuri,¡± Cecilia said with an embarrassed smile, only for Yuri to shake her head.


    ¡°It is just my duty¡­¡± Yuri said, trailing off in the end. And yet, Cecilia understood what she was trying to say without any need of hints. The girls¡­ were they keeping a secret from him?


    ¡°Besides, it would not be too late for you to thank me after you get my second present.¡±


    ¡°She gets a second present?¡±


    ¡°¡­You can think of it as a present for you too.¡±


    ¡°What kind of present is it?¡±


    ¡°¡­How about we go hunt some peak phase Oren Beasts?¡±

 Chapter 53: Final Test [Part 2]

    ¡°¡­Is it time already?¡± Alnea said, staring at Yuri with a solemn face, but only got a smile in return.


    ¡°What do you think?¡± Yuri said. ¡°How many Aspects have you tamed?¡±


    ¡°¡­Twenty seven.¡±


    ¡°And what about you, Cecilia?¡±


    ¡°¡­Fifteen.¡±


    ¡°And how many Intermediate Stage Arcanas have you two created?¡±


    ¡°Including the Arcanas I gave you two, eight. But that also includes four Arcanas that I upgraded from the Initial Stage.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s seven for me. And I have upgraded all four Arcanas of the Initial Stage.¡±


    ¡°Do you know how many Aspects, and Arcanas normal Wanderers have?¡±


    ¡°¡­Intermediate Stage Wanderers generally have fifteen to twenty Aspects, and five to six Arcanas. Advanced Stage Wanderers¡­ they can have anywhere from twenty five to forty Aspects, and ten to fifteen Arcanas. After all, it takes a relatively long time to cross from the Advanced Stage to the Peak Stage. So much so, that most of the Wanderers remain stuck in the Advanced Stage for as long as decades. That gives them plenty of time to tame Aspects, and create Arcanas.¡±


    ¡°¡­You are not wrong, but the numbers you gave were on the higher end. On average, Wanderers have even lesser Aspects, and Arcanas. Besides, you will not be fighting the peak phase Oren Beasts all by yourselves. I will be there too. And I may not have been at the Advanced Stage for long, but I already have tamed around thirty five Aspects, and created three new Arcanas, not to mention upgrading my old ones.


    ¡°As a team, we have enough strength to take on Oren Beasts in the peak phase of their Adolescent Stage. But only if we act as a team, and make no mistakes. However, if we do not have enough understanding, and cooperation to take down some Oren Beasts, then we will surely not be able to handle Heterodox Wanderers. It would be better if we just let big sis Nyssa handle them. So, treat this as not just any other fight, but as a rehearsal, and a test of all that we have learnt. A test to see if we are ready to fight the Heterodox Wanderers or not.¡±


    ¡°¡­If you put it like that, then I cannot really argue, can I?¡±


    ¡°What is there to argue about anyways?¡± Cecilia said with a smile filled with confidence, and pride. ¡°Only someone still stuck in the Fourth Level like you can be afraid of Oren Beasts.¡±


    ¡°You broke through just two days ago though.¡±


    ¡°A Fourth Level weakling does not have the right to question me.¡±


    ¡°¡­You are just one level above me.¡±


    ¡°One level above you is still above you.¡±


    There were so many things that Alnea could say, so many ways that he could tease her with. But looking at the prideful face of the birthday girl, he decided to let her enjoy her win. It was her day, after all.


    ¡°When are we leaving?¡±


    ¡°Now would be as good a time as any,¡± Yuri said, before adding, ¡°Are you not going to stop us this time?¡±


    ¡°¡­What is there to stop? We are fighting as a team. All the dangers we will face, we will share as a team. Besides, I am not so insecure anymore. And most importantly¡­ I believe in you two.¡±


    ¡°¡­You are getting better at sweet talking with each passing day.¡±


    Coaxing two girls at the same time¡­ If he still did not learn how to deliver his thoughts in a way that the girls liked, then he would have long had to say goodbye to all his comfortable days. His violent friend aside, the cold glares that Yuri gave him whenever she got angry with him was not something he could bear. He could not let her know his true thoughts though. And so, using his experience with the white haired girl, he easily diverted her attention to a different topic.


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    ¡°Is it not because of you that I have become so good at talking?¡±


    ¡°Oh? Are you saying that I am so difficult that you need to¡ª


    ¡°It¡¯s to help you,¡± Alnea said, hurriedly stepping in before Yuri could twist his words against him. ¡°Did you not say that I would have to deal with all sorts of people, and Orthodoxies if I want to help you, and share your burden? This is my practise of the day I will finally share your burden, and face all your problems with you.¡±


    It was not everyday that he could make Yuri blush a little. He had been getting better recently though. And she also knew it. So, she did not give him any more opportunities to tease her, continuing from where she had left off earlier.


    ¡°¡­Have both of you recovered your Spirit Power?¡± Yuri said. And after getting their affirmation, she added, ¡°Good. Then let us head out. Cecilia¡ª


    ¡°Leave it to me,¡± Cecilia said with a grin, and flipped off the rock, twirling in mid air to land on her feet. Yuri, on the other hand, slipped off her boulder ever so elegantly, as if she was not jumping, but drifting through the air. Alnea was too lazy to bother with either of those ways though. He just simply jumped off the boulder, like a normal person would.


    And just as he jumped off the boulder, both the boulders, and the statue at their centre vanished from all his senses, even those of his Spirit. They were still there, just hiding from him, and the girls. It was normal routine for them though, so they ignored the Fortune Spring, and began making their way into the darkness, with their scout leading the team.


    After Alnea had broken through to the Intermediate Stage, Cecilia had decided to lead the way most of the time. It was her responsibility, she said. Her duty as the scout of the team. She was so enthusiastic about her role, that she had even gone out of her way to tame a couple of auxiliary Aspects just to enhance her senses. However, she did not let her enthusiasm interfere with her role.


    Unlike how she used to be a few months ago, she did not let herself be distracted while leading the way. And she always kept her attention focussed on the things around her. From the grasses under their feet, to the taste of the air, and the texture of the ground, nothing could escape her scrutiny. After all, for a qualified scout, everything about their surroundings, even the smells, and temperature was like a trove of treasure, hiding all sorts of information of the enemies that they might face.


    ¡°¡­Muddy ground, humid air, fishy smell, and no source of water for at least a hundred metres. Probably a Mud Fish. And from the depth of the mud, it seems to be at the intermediate phase. Not worth our time¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­There is a strange fishy taste in the air¡­ Almost like rotten eggs. And the ground feels soft, and loose. We either have Shadow Moles, or Dark Earth Moles swimming under our feet. And from the intensity of the smell¡­ I would say there are about twenty of them. Some of them may, or may not be at the peak phase, but at least five of them are at the advanced phase¡­ Not worth the risk¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­Such a vast expanse of Dark Assimilating, and Red Herring Grass¡­ Even fools will be able to see it for the trap it is. I am sure that we can take one the beasts inside, but they are not our goal today, so let¡¯s skip them¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­Flaky ground, rocks crumbling at just our touch¡­ Rock Eater Beasts¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­A burnt smell in the air¡­ Beasts with Innate Ability of Fire. From the shape of tis paws, it is probably a Firefox. And from the size of its paws, along with the thick burnt smell in the air¡­ It should be at the peak phase. But it is too strong. Let us look for a weaker beast first¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­A Twin Tailed Python¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­A Twin Horned Shadow Bear¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­A Razorback Black Water Turtle¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­A pack of Shadow Monkeys¡­¡±


    After a long, long search, Cecilia finally raised her hand, and motioned for everyone to stop, as she looked ahead into the darkness with wariness. Curious at her reaction, Alnea tried to look for what she was seeing, but without the senses of his Spirit, and the aid of his Aspects, he saw nothing. Cecilia, though, had no such restrictions. Urging her Aspects, giving of a yellowish golden, and silverish blue glow, she enhanced her senses, before casting ¡®Dark Sense¡¯.


    ¡°¡­Three hundred metres to our left. There is something wrong with the crevices of the canyon¡¯s wall. Their shape¡­ You will understand when you see it. But be careful. There is a Dark Wind Wolf hiding in one of the crevices. From how big it is, it should have reached the peak phase. Try not to startle it.¡±


    Spotting a Dark Wind Wolf from three hundred metres away¡­


    ¡°A Dark Wind Wolf,¡± Yuri mumbled. ¡°How about it? Do you think that we can handle it?¡±


    ¡°¡­It would be troublesome,¡± Cecilia said with a frown on her face. ¡°But as long as we can finish it before it becomes desperate, or give it no chance to launch its Dark Winds, then there should be no problem.¡±


    Indeed, Alnea thought, gripping the hilt of his sword. Cecilia had truly become a qualified scout in the past few months. Next, it was time for him to show the results of his training. It was time for them to test how they worked as a team.

 Chapter 54: Perfect teamwork [Part 1]

    There were many canyons in Rianra, like the Blood Canyons in the southern part of the Ost province, and the Mound of the Serpent in Rian, but of them all, Night Canyons were the greatest, and the grandest canyons. Even the smallest of their canyons were comparable to some of the core cities of Rianra, and there were thousands, if not more, of such canyons, all joining together into even greater canyons.


    Even those greater canyons though, were nothing more than some mere branches in the outskirts of the Night Canyons, a small part of the vast network of the canyons that the Night Canyons were. And it was after countless such branches would come together, that the inner veins of the canyons would form. Even beyond the inner veins though, at the very core of the canyons, was the Labyrinth of Night. The true heart of the Night Canyons.


    But whether it was the heart of the canyons, or even their inner veins, they were very far from Alnea. At the moment, he was in just one of the smaller branches lying at the edge of the outer reaches of the canyons. Still, with nearly twenty five kilometres in width, it was one of the largest canyon of its kind. Be it the length of the canyon, or even the length of its walls, they were far too big for him to estimate accurately.


    At the very least, the walls big enough for him to not even see the small crack at the top of the canyon. Only the miniscule amount of light, barely allowing him to see up to a couple of metres with clarity with naked eyes, was telling him that the canyons still had a top. Or else, he might have thought otherwise.


    In any case, the visibility within the canyon was much lower than the canyons he had been in before. And they had been busy dealing advanced phase Oren Beast for a long time. Coupled with the Fortune Spring that they had come across soon after entering the canyon, they had not paid much attention its walls. After all, they had come to the Night Canyons to train, and hone their fighting skills, not to tour its depths.


    When he looked at the wall though, Alnea could not help but stare at in awe. If not for Cecilia¡¯s reminder, he would not even have bothered to check the wall with the senses of his Spirit. And he would have missed the dazzling sight of the small crevices forming the strange pattern on the wall. It was unlike anything Alnea had ever seen, and even looked like a Glyph.


    What was the symbol? If it truly was a Glyph¡­ then what kind of Glyph was it? And why was it carved on the canyon¡¯s wall? Did it form naturally? Or was it manmade? If so, then who carve it? And what was their purpose? More importantly, was this the only place with such a symbol? Or were there other canyons with similar symbols? Were the other places in the canyon with similar symbols?


    There were so many things that Alnea wished he knew the answer of. Especially the last question. If only they had paid attention, then they might have discovered the canyon¡¯s secret even earlier¡­ Considering how well the wolf was hiding in the small crevice within the wall though, it was for the best that they had stayed away from it. Who knew how many beasts the walls were hiding?


    Still, since they had already decided on the wolf to test their progress, and cooperation, none of them hesitated with their actions. While Alnea urged his Aspects, glowing in their lights, the girls also began to glow in the lights of their respective Aspects. And though all of them had a bias, a colour which glowed the brightest on their bodies¡ªgolden for Alnea, green for Cecilia, and bluish white for Yuri¡ª after months of Wanderings, they had diversified their repertoire of Aspects enough for the glow on their bodies to not be as singular as it used to be.


    Consequently, with a greater array of Aspects at their disposal, their abilities also increased. And against a peak phase Oren Beast, they did not dare to hold back. Glowing in an array of white, green, blue, silver, golden, and black lights, Alnea gathered his strength in his left leg, and pushed it against the ground with all of his strength, even as he assumed the ¡®Sky Streaming Style¡¯, rushing towards the wolf with his fastest speed.


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    Claiming to grant its users the ability to cross the skies with just one leap, the Sky Streaming Style stood at the peak of all Intermediate Grade Style when it came to specialising in Speed. Great as the Martial Style was though, it was similarly hard to control. So much so, that after Alnea had become a proper Wanderer, and begun taming Aspects, he had never dared to use the Sky Streaming Style.


    After all, he may have mastered the basics of the streaming across the skies long ago, and even used it against some of the Oren Beasts specialising in speed, like Lightning Armoured Rabbits, but that was when he did not have any Aspects. When the Sky Streaming Style was used with Aspects, his speed increased to such an extent, that everything around him seemed like a blur.


    If not for using three of his Aspects to enhance his senses, he would not even have been to look where he was going. And if not for the using five Aspects to enhance to enhance his physique, then even with his increased strength, his body might not have been able to bear the extreme speed with which he was running towards the wolf.


    However, dangerous as the Sky Streaming Style was, it had its own advantages. Like how by the time that he reached the wolf, it had not even reacted to his presence. It was only when he unsheathed his sword, and swung it from below the wolf¡¯s body, like ¡®Sundering the Skies¡¯, to slash off its head, the beast¡¯s instinct kicked in, and it hurriedly flashed away from where it was hiding.


    Even then, his blade had been fast enough to sunder the beast¡¯s fur, and leave a light gash around its ears. The gash was so light, that it would not even have been enough to leave a permanent scar on the wolf. Still, just the fact that it had been ambushed in its own lair, by a creature so weak that it did not even see at its prey, was enough for Alnea to earn the beast¡¯s ire.


    Howling to express its anger, and declaring the death of its prey, the wolf concentrated darkness around its fur to melt into the darkness of the canyon, and disappear from the senses of its prey. But Alnea had already expected as much from the wolf. It was a Dark Wind Wolf after all. Only after it mastered one of its two elements could it reach the peak phase of its Adolescent Stage. And he preferred the wolf to master darkness, rather than the wind. Because Darkness was his domain.


    ¡°Lurking in the void between Day and Night¡­¡±


    Still, he had to live long enough to deploy his domain. And that was where high fighting skills came into play. The most important part of honing fighting skills was to learn when, and how to change his tactics. At the moment, since he was already next to the wolf, there was no need for him to continue with the Sky Streaming Style. Especially since the wolf had hidden itself with its mastery over darkness. What he needed at the moment was a Martial Style that could help him detect the wolf, and dodge its attack. Something like the Night Dancing Style.


    ¡°The shadow that comes from the absence of light¡­¡±


    Specialising in raising his agility, and his perception of the world around him, the Night Dancing Style was also one of the peak Intermediate Grade Martial Style, just a step away from a High Grade Martial Style. At the same time, it was also exceptionally compatible with him. Apparently, it was created by a Mystic Warrior, whose Roots were also based on the lineages of Day, and Night.


    Just like with the Sky Streaming Style though, the Night Dancing Style was too hard to control. Especially for him, since it resonated with his Roots. There were quite a few times he had found himself being mesmerised by the concept of the Martial Style, dancing among the trees of the Bright Light Forest long after he had taken care of his enemies, almost failing to keep his Oaths. And that was when he did not even have any Aspects, and was not in an environment of complete darkness.


    ¡°I beseech the Lady of Night to grace me with her light¡­¡±


    Since he did not have the protection of his master, and could not guarantee to control himself, he had not dared to use the Night Dancing Style in the Night Canyons for a long time. But just as it was with the Sky Streaming Style, with time, he had gained enough confidence to control himself. And so, as he saw the wolf melt into the darkness of the canyon, he shifted from the Sky Streaming Style to the Night Dancing Style, while changing the grip of his sword to induce the ¡®Falling Mountains¡¯, blocking the wolf¡¯s teeth just as it was about to rip into his throat from his left.


    ¡°And grant unto me, the Domain of Night.¡±

 Chapter 54: Perfect teamwork [Part 2]

    With Alnea as the centre, a strange ripple spread around him, imperceptibly changing the world. The darkness¡­ it was no longer the darkness of the canyon, but the darkness of his domain. And everything within his domain was under his command. Except the wolf, of course. And anything else that was not related to darkness, or the lineage of Night. Still, at the very least, he knew where the wolf was. To his left, biting the blade of his sword.


    His earlier block had been one of pure instinct, driven from the breath of death he felt on his neck. He did not like that breath though. And so, changing the grip of his sword once again, loosening his left hand, and putting more pressure on the base of the hilt with his right hand, rotating his sword, intending to smash the wolf¡¯s head onto the ground like how the ¡®Great Waterfall of Amarand¡¯ smashed water onto the ground.


    The wolf, of course, did not let him have his way. Even though it had enough strength to fight against the ¡®Great Waterfall of Amarand¡¯, it chose to release its hold on the sword, and stepped back to launch a flurry a barrage of wind blades on his defenceless side. Cunning wolf. Just as the wolf was experienced in many life, and death fights though, so was Alnea. And he had his domain to alert him of the wolf¡¯s attack.


    Using the momentum of the waterfall, he twisted to his left to avoid most of the wind blades. There were still a few blades coming right his way though. So, he kicked his sword at its tip, while putting pressure at its handle to flip it, using a split moment to release his grip, and change the order of his hand to regrip the sword, before slapping most of the wind blades out of course.


    Of course, just his sword did not have the ability to deflect the Innate Ability of a peak phase Oren Beast. But with two Aspects granting his sword with a repulsive force, further maximised with the ¡®Throbbing Pulse of Earth¡¯, just a few wind blades were not enough to break past his defences.


    The wolf took his actions as a direct challenge to its dignity though, and sent an even greater barrage of wind blades, as if it was planning on mincing him into pieces. Just to be sure, it even dashed along with the wind blades, planning to end him itself if the wind blades proved insufficient. Unfortunately for the wolf, he was not alone. Let alone the wolf, he did not even have to deal with the wind blades.


    The moment that the blades were about to rain down on him, a wall of grey fog descended in front of him, absorbing all the wind blades. As for the wolf itself, it was so engrossed in dealing with him, that it did not notice the pair of blackish green claws until they were almost upon its head. Or maybe, it did notice them. It just did not expect anyone find it within the darkness.


    Cecilia¡¯s Dark Sense though, even if only at the Intermediate Grade, was enough for her to spot the wolf. Rather, just in terms of sensing enemies hidden in darkness, ¡®Dark Sense¡¯ was even better than ¡®Domain of Night¡¯. Still, ¡®Domain of Night¡¯ also had its own advantages, which Alnea used to boost Cecilia¡¯s claws. In the next moment, greenish black claws, covered in an extra layer of darkness, clashed with the wolf¡¯s claws. And despite the difference in strength between them, Cecilia only had to take a couple of steps back to stabilise her footing.


    Still, it was a fact that she out with a disadvantage in her clash with the wolf. And the beast to tried to make full use of its advantage, biting down on her neck while she was still stumbling. Yet, just like him, Cecilia was not alone. And he had not been standing still for no reason. Urging the darkness around them to form a wall in front of her, he quickly finished casting his Arcana, changing the core of Cecilia¡¯s gravity.


    Taking advantage of her different core of gravity, and of the fact that the wolf was aiming at her neck, Cecilia leaned back at an unnatural angle, easily avoiding the wolf¡¯s bite, while letting Alnea entangle it with the thick film of darkness. Not for long, of course. With the wolf¡¯s strength, it easily tore through the restraints binding its movements, but not before an arrow, coalesced completely from black fog, tore through the darkness of the canyon, and struck its waist.


    Howling in pain, the wolf became distracted for a moment, and turned its attention to arrow sticking out of its body. In the next moment, to the wolf¡¯s confusion, and horror, the arrow disintegrated into countless tiny little worm like creatures, and dove into its body. As a survivor of countless life and death battles, the wolf knew what letting its enemy¡¯s attack seep into its body represented. Determining itself to finish its prey as soon as possible, it turned around¡ª


    Using the chance that the wolf was distracted, Alnea shifted Cecilia¡¯s core of gravity once again, allowing her to add the extra force of her weight into her claws, as she used all her strength to stab her claws into the chest. And yet, even with all the extra strength, she only managed to barely dig around half an inch into the wolf¡¯s flesh.


    With the pressure that the wolf was feeling though, even that simple wound was enough for it to reach the border of desperation. And facing a desperate Dark Wind Wolf head on, especially when she was much weaker than the beast, would surely have resulted in her injuries. So, before the wolf could even move, Alnea changed the core of her gravity once again, even as he rushed towards the beast himself.


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    On the other end, aware of her situation, Cecilia did not resist the pull on her body, and shifted towards her left, pulling the wolf¡¯s attention to herself. The wolf had learned its lesson though. Even when desperate, it did not lose its mind, and kept its guard up at all times. Whether it was Cecilia¡¯s deliberate retreat, or Alnea¡¯s sudden advance, nothing escaped its senses.


    So, when Alnea and Cecilia decided to attack the wolf at the same time, it was naturally ready. Jumping away from its enemies, it kept both of them in its sight, while preparing anther barrage of wind blades. However, they were not just any wind blades. The wolf was still a peak phase Oren Beast, after all. It had its own pride. And it refused to be repeatedly beaten down enemies so much weaker than it was.


    Gathering the darkness around its body, it added a dark touch to its wind blades, and¡ª


    A sword, larger than the wolf itself, shining in a resplendent white light, dropped down from the sky, and pierced through the wolf¡¯s neck, sealing its fate. With the ¡®Sword of Fate¡¯ pinning the beast¡¯s body to the ground, it instinctively knew that no matter what it did, it would not be able to free itself for a while. Even the Dark Wind Blades that it was condensing earlier had dispersed into the surroundings. And with its body unable to move, it could not even launch Wind Blades. The only thing it had left was¡­


    Aware of the wolf¡¯s intention, Cecilia condensed a yellowish golden spear in front of herself, and threw the Spear of Ill Fortune right at the wolf¡¯s head. And when the spear struck the wolf, it broke down in countless little blobs of light, before merging into the wolf¡¯s body. Right in the next moment, Yuri emerged from the darkness, and struck at the wolf¡¯s head with her sword condensed from all sorts of Aspects.


    Coincidentally, that was also the moment that the wolf was swallowing the ball of darkness in preparation to launch Dark Winds. And when her sword neared the ball, it destabilised for reasons that only Goddess Ilea knew. The wolf though, bearing the pain of being stabbed by a sword once again, failed to notice the change in the ball. Swallowing the darkness that it had condensed, the wolf ignited its core, and summoned the Dark Winds¡ª


    The mass of darkness within the wolf imploded on itself, creating a massive eruption of dark waves. Thankfully, Alnea had been ready for a long time. While Cecilia was condensing her Spear of Ill Fortune, he was preparing Gravity Shift. And the moment that she struck the wolf, he pulled her towards himself. Still, even then, the implosion was powerful enough to ruffle through her robe.


    ¡°Are you alright?¡±


    ¡°¡­I am fine,¡± Yuri said, regaining her balance with his help, just as Cecilia walked up to them. ¡°Do not let down your guard yet.¡±


    ¡°What are you worried about?¡± Alnea said, staring at the cloud of dust that the implosion had left behind. ¡°Not even a peak phase Oren Beast can survive from something like that.¡±


    ¡°¡­I have a bad feeling.¡±


    ¡°You are just¡ª


    ¡°It is from my Roots¡­¡± Yuri said. ¡°They are warning me about something.¡±


    ¡°¡­Are you trying to scare me?¡±


    ¡°Do you think I would joke about something like this? Especially when¡ª


    ¡°I have a bad feeling,¡± Cecilia said, staring at the dust with just as serious an expression as Yuri. ¡°There is something wrong¡­ Something has changed¡­ I cannot point it out¡­ It is as if my Roots are warning me¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­Why are my Roots so useless?¡± Alnea mumbled, before quickly entering his most alert state. His Roots had yet to react in any way, but for both the girls to say the same thing, at almost the same time¡­


    The dust finally settled down, revealing what Alnea had expected¡ªor not. The wolf¡¯s tattered body was lying on the ground, bleeding to death, while a white cat, with golden stripes on its body, was sitting atop the wolf¡¯s head, relishing the golden lights that it was sucking out of the wolf¡¯s body.


    ¡°¡­Why is the wolf not dead yet?¡± Alnea mumbled, staring at the cat with wariness, and confusion. ¡°A cat sucking golden lights¡­ What are those lights? And what is that cat? I have never read of such a weird Oren Beast.¡±


    ¡°¡­That¡¯s because the cat is one of the rarest Oren Beast in the world, and is rarely ever spotted in the wild,¡± Yuri said, as she stared at the cat with a pensive expression on her pale face. ¡°Things are even worse than I expected.¡±


    ¡°¡­Is that cat so dangerous?¡±


    ¡°¡­No,¡± Cecilia said from the side, shaking her head with a solemn expression on her face. ¡°I do not know what the cat is, but I can feel it. The cat itself is not dangerous. But¡­ the more I look at the cat, the more my Roots are trembling, warning me for what it represents.¡±


    ¡°¡­And what exactly does it represent?¡±


    ¡°¡­Would I be afraid of just a cat if I knew what it represented?¡±


    Just when Alnea, and Cecilia were on the verge of teasing each other once again, Yuri raised her hand, and motioned them to remain silent, before turning back to the cat. It was only when she had confirmed that they had not disturbed the cat, that she turned back towards them.


    ¡°Destruction,¡± Yuri said. ¡°Chaos. Mayhem. Death. There are many things that the cat represents. But most important of all, the cat represents the fall of Fortune. And if we do not handle it carefully, then the cat might lead Rianra, and all the surrounding countries into destruction.¡± After a brief moment of silence, she added, ¡°After all, it is a cat that devours Fortune itself.¡±

 Chapter 55: Unexpected enemies [Part 1]

    ¡°¡­Devours Fortune?¡± Alnea mumbled, staring at the cat with confusion, and horror. He finally understood why only the girls were able to feel the threat from the cat. ¡°Is it its Innate Ability?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Yuri said, shaking her head. ¡°Weren¡¯t you asking what the golden lights are? They represent the Fortune of the Wolf, both good, and ill. And the cat is devouring them as its food.¡±


    ¡°¡­Treating Fortune as food? How can such a terrifying ability exist?¡±


    ¡°¡­Logically, mere Oren Beasts, especially one still in its Adolescent Stage, should not even have the ability to touch Fortune, let alone devour it. But the Fortune Devouring Cat is an exception. Why that is so, no one knows. All we know is that we have to be very careful of them, or they might spell destruction.¡±


    ¡°¡­Can the cat really destroy Rianra?¡±


    ¡°¡­The cat cannot destroy anything,¡± Cecilia said, shaking her head. ¡°Can you not feel its strength? At best, it is just at the peak phase of its Adolescent Stage. It is not strong enough to even destroy a city, let alone the entire country.¡±


    ¡°Then what Yuri said¡­¡±


    Instead of answering Alnea, Cecilia turned towards Yuri with worry, and said, ¡°Is it really a Fortune Devouring Cat?¡±


    ¡°¡­What else can explain the palpitations that we are feeling?¡±


    ¡°But¡­ I have read a little about Fortune Devouring Cats. Aren¡¯t they supposed to be guarded by their kin until they reach their Adult Stage?¡±


    ¡°¡­I am just as baffled as you are,¡± Yuri said. ¡°Fortune Devouring Cats are known to stay with their kin. Rarely will they leave their mother before reaching the Adult Stage. Most important of all though, Fortune Devouring Cats are not native to the Tes Domain. And yet, here it is, a Fortune Devouring Cat in a remote corner of the Night Canyons¡­ I am afraid that a terrible conspiracy is being staged against Rianra.¡±


    ¡°¡­What are you two talking about?¡± Alnea said, scratching his head in confusion. ¡°I don¡¯t know much about Fortune Devouring Cats¡­ Why are you two so afraid of the cat?¡±


    ¡°¡­Like I said, we are not afraid of the cat, but what it represents.¡±


    ¡°And I am saying that I cannot understand what you are saying.¡±


    ¡°¡­You can think of the cat as an omen of disaster,¡± Yuri said, turning back towards the cat. ¡°If a Fortune Devouring Cat were to die, then the area where they died would become tainted grounds, devouring the Fortune of all the surrounding areas. There are even speculations that the reason why the Orthodoxies lost three Domains against the Thralls was because someone had killed Fortune Devouring Cats in those three Domains.¡±


    ¡°¡­If you don¡¯t kill the cat, it will devour your Fortune. And if you kill the cat, it will lead the entire world to destruction¡­ What is with that ridiculous setting?¡±


    ¡°¡­The Fortune Devouring Cats are indeed ridiculous,¡± Cecilia said, staring solemnly at the cat. ¡°Throughout the history of the world, their presence has always been sporadic. But whenever they have appeared, they have always been accompanied by horrific disasters.¡±


    ¡°¡­Is this related to the conspiracy that you were talking about?¡± Alnea said to Yuri. ¡°Who would dare to conspire against a Fortune Devouring Cat?¡±


    ¡°¡­Conspiring against a Fortune Devouring Cat is not as difficult as you think it is,¡± Yuri said. ¡°All they would have to do is to drop off the cat in a Forbidden Area, and the other Oren Beasts would do the rest of their work.¡±


    ¡°¡­Are you sure?¡±


    ¡°Why do you think the appearance of Fortune Devouring Cats has always been so sporadic?¡± Yuri said. ¡°Normally, these cats like to stay away from the rest of the world, and live in hiding. They do occasionally come out to look for food, but they do their best to stay away from Wanderers, and Oren Beasts. And they know their weakness. They would never step foot into a Forbidden Area. Not to mention that these cats are not native species of the Tes Domain in the first place. Do I need to say more?¡±


    ¡°¡­Let me get this straight. Some people dropped off the cat in the Night Canyons to let the Oren Beast do their work, in hope that it will bring disaster to Rianra. Is that right?¡±


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    ¡°¡­That¡¯s my guess for now.¡±


    ¡°Then it would be fine as long as we capture the cat, and bring it out of the canyons, right?¡±


    ¡°¡­If only capturing a Fortune Devouring Cat was so easy,¡± Cecilia said, shaking her head. There was no despair in her voice though, or in her eyes. ¡°We need a plan.¡±


    ¡°¡­Let us try to figure out why the Fortune Devouring Cat exposed itself to us in the first place. Maybe we can find something that can let it drop its guard against us.¡±


    ¡°¡­From how the cat is enjoying its meal, it must have been very hungry. Its days in the Night Canyons must not have been easy. After all, Fortune Devouring Cats are not known for their fighting prowess. It must have been hiding nearby, in one of the crevices, bidding its time, when it sensed a sudden change in the wolf¡¯s Fortune. It should have sensed our presence too, but its hunger probably overcame its reason.¡±


    ¡°Change of Fortune,¡± Alnea mumbled, before turning towards Cecilia. ¡°Is it because of your Spear of Ill Fortune?¡±


    ¡°¡­Probably.¡±


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you try condensing another spear?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Yuri said. ¡°We do not know who brought the cat to the Night Canyons, and if they are still here, or not. Wasting our Spirit Power just to lure the cat would be too much of a waste.¡±


    ¡°But isn¡¯t it exactly because we do not know who our enemies are that we must secure the cat first? What if they kill the cat, and cause a disaster?¡±


    ¡°There is no need to worry about the cat¡¯s safety,¡± Yuri said. ¡°Since they have not killed the cat yet, it means that they are not willing to bear the burden of killing the cat. After all, the ones who kill the cat will have to bear the greatest risk in the disaster that will follow.¡±


    ¡°It is not that we are not willing to take that risk, little girl,¡± a voice rang out in the darkness, startling everyone, even the cat. As if recognising the voice, the cat stopped enjoying the Fortune from the wolf, and looked towards the depth of the darkness with its golden eyes, hissing, and purring, getting ready to fight for its life.


    ¡°If Lord Ghost Fire had not warned us to ensure that the cat is killed by the natives of Rianra, then we would have long sent the stupid cat to our Supreme Lord with our own hands. We were originally planning on letting it die at the hands of the Oren Beasts, but now that you are here¡­ won¡¯t you little friends consider doing us a favour, and kill the stupid beast?¡±


    Alnea raised his sword, and urged his Aspect, while searching for the owner of the voice. His Domain of Night had long faded away though, so he had to rely on the senses of his Spirit. And they were not proving very effective.


    ¡°Supreme Lord¡­ Are you a Heterodox Wanderer?¡±


    ¡°¡­Smart kids are not very cute, you know?¡±


    ¡°Show yourself, and I¡¯ll show you whether I am cute, or not.¡±


    ¡°¡­I like feisty kids like you,¡± the voice rang out once again, before a man finally came into his view. Clad in a greenish robe, the man was around six feet tall, and had a crazy look in his eyes. Licking his lips, as he looked at Alnea, the man added, ¡°I hope you taste just as fine as the ones I had yesterday.¡±


    ¡°¡­Great, another lunatic,¡± Alnea mumbled, appearing mostly nonchalant on the surface. His Heart though, never stopped shaking.


    ¡°How strong is the Heterodox Wanderer, Yuri?¡±


    ¡°¡­Most probably a Peak Stage False Wanderer.¡±


    ¡°¡­You dare to step foot in Rianra once again?¡± Cecilia said, taking a step towards the mad man. ¡°It looks like the lesson that Serena taught your people not good enough for you to remember.¡±


    ¡°¡­I was wondering what three little fellows like you were doing so deep into the Night Canyons all by yourself, but now that I see carefully, you are bearing the symbol of the Serpia clan,¡± the man said, looking at Cecilia with interest. ¡°Even if you are training, you should not come to such a dangerous place by yourself, you know?¡±


    ¡°Worry about yourself, before worrying about me, rat.¡±


    ¡°¡­That fiery temper. Are you three little lambs related to that abominable woman?¡±


    ¡°¡­Faein¡¯s smite, why now of all times?¡±


    ¡°That is just how fate is, fickle, and everchanging.¡±


    ¡°¡­How about you tell me what you, and your Ghost Fire is planning, and I will tell you how I am related to Serena?¡±


    ¡°Oh, you will tell me everything you know,¡± the man said. ¡°And you will also tell me things that you do not know. I will make sure of it.¡±


    ¡°¡­Or maybe it is the curse.¡±


    ¡°Focus, Alnea.¡±


    ¡°¡­Serena was right. You rats truly are delusional.¡±


    ¡°¡­Little children should not so rude, you know? Looks like I will have to teach you manners on behalf of your clan.¡±


    ¡°A rat teaching me about manners? Don¡¯t make me laugh.¡±


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you give me a chance?¡± the man said. ¡°I am told that I can be very persuasive in my ways.¡±


    ¡°Can we take him?¡±


    ¡°¡­We have to.¡±


    ¡°¡­And I have been told that I can be very brutal in my ways,¡± Cecilia said, recondensing her claws, as she prepared herself to deal with the Heterodox Wanderer. ¡°Why not give my claws a try first?¡±


    ¡°¡­Children can truly be ignorant,¡± the man said, shaking head with a rueful expression on his face. ¡°But it is alright. I will make sure to teach you everything about the world. After all, I am a very kind person, you know?¡±


    ¡°¡­All I know is that you are going to die,¡± Alnea said, stepping forwards to stand by Cecilia¡¯s side.

 Chapter 55: Unexpected enemies [Part 2]

    There were two kinds of Heterodox Wanderers in the world. Those who were fooled into worshiping Origin Beasts, and turned into sacrificial pawns by the Heterodoxies. And those who truly believed in their patron Origin Beasts to be their Supreme Lords, and worshiped them with all their Heart. The Wanderers who were a true part of Heterodoxies.


    The mad man was clearly of the latter kind. Just the air of craziness that the man exuded was enough to tell the world how demented he was. But Heterodox Wanderers generally had a problem with their head anyways. The true reason that set the man apart from the former retainers of the Lotus clan was his calm, and confidence. Though the man was not a True Wanderer yet, even True Wanderers would not be able to scare him, that was what his face said.


    Whether his strength matched his confidence, Alnea did not know. Still, he could not take his chances. And he could not let Cecilia face the lunatic all by herself. Rather, he would prefer if she was not in any danger at all. Some things were not under his control though. And he truly believed in her. Not to mention that what they were facing was Peak Stage False Wanderer. Without working as a team, they would stand no chance against the lunatic. And they had worked with each other for long enough to know what the other was thinking.


    Without the need to talk, or even look at each other, they burst forth in the glow of their Aspects at the same time, and rushed towards the mad man. The Heterodox Wanderer had already expected their actions though. Before they could even launch their attacks, he took a step forward at just the right moment, slamming his palms, glowing in red light, on their chests, and sent them flying back from where they had rushed towards him.


    ¡°You thought that I have yet to reach the True Rank, so you can take me down?¡± the man said, chuckling to himself. ¡°No matter how weak I am when compared to others, I am still a Peak Stage False Wanderer. If I allowed myself to be defeated by some kids who have just begun their Wanderings, then I would become the shame of all Wanderers. Not to mention the scolding I will have to receive from Lord Ghost Fire¡­ You kids cannot be too naughty, you know?¡±


    Backflipping in the air, while executing the Turbulent Flow Style, Alnea transferred the force of the blow to the ground, while stabbing his sword into the ground to stabilise his footing.


    ¡°Be careful, Lia,¡± Alnea said, changing the flow of his Aspects to become stable as a mountain, while retaining the flexibility, and adaptability of a river. ¡°He looks like a Warrior.¡±


    ¡°¡­Not bad,¡± the mad man said, nodding in satisfaction. ¡°At least you have good observation. I am liking you kid. How about it, do you want to learn about the Truth of the world? Do you want to come with me, and experience ultimate bliss? Do you want to experience the embrace of the Supreme Lord?¡±


    ¡°Save your strength, rat. You will need it when you cry in pain later.¡±


    ¡°¡­Are you sure you will not join me? I can even let you enjoy the girls first. How about it? You will not get a better offer, you know?¡±


    Something within Alnea clicked. He knew that the lunatic was just trying to taunt him, to make him lose his temper, but hearing him insult Cecilia, and Yuri¡­ Before he knew it, he was next to the Heterodox Wanderer, swinging his sword down onto the man¡¯s head, like a ¡®Meteor Descending¡¯ from the skies. And a very heavy meteor at that, carrying the weight of all twenty seven of his Aspects.


    Confident as the Heterodox Wanderer was, even had to bow down before the might of such a meteor. With a solemn look on his face, the mad man stepped back, escaping the range of the meteor, gathering his own red, and green Aspects in hands to¡ª


    Alnea stepped forward, following the movement of the Heterodox Wanderer, while twisting his grip on his sword to halt the meteor, and transfer all its weight, and momentum into the tip of his sword, thrusting it towards the mad man¡¯s chest as if he was ¡®Piercing the Stars¡¯. And the Heterodox Wanderer, almost on the verge of breaking out with his own attack, did not have enough time to dodge once again.


    Still, it was not as if the man was helpless. Manipulating his Aspects, the mad man willed the red, and green lights to extend out of his hand, and form a shield. In the next moment, the sword, carrying all of Alnea¡¯s might, clashed with the half hearted shield of the Heterodox Wanderer, creating a loud explosion, that sent both parties flying back for a few steps.


    ¡°¡­I underestimated you, kid,¡± the man said. ¡°It will not happen again.¡±


    Not waiting for Alnea to reply, the man gathered his Aspects on his legs, and burst forth with a terrifying speed, almost catching up with the speed of the Star Streaming Style. He was so fast, that before Alnea could blink, the Heterodox Wanderer was already beside him, throwing a punch at his face. It was not just any punch though. It was a punch reinforced with the mad man¡¯s Aspects, and Martial Styles, carrying a faint breath of death.


    Too late to dodge, or even understand what was happening, Alnea could only focus some of his Aspects on his face, while he himself jumped back, hoping to lessen some of the force coming his way. Normally, that would have worked against Oren Beasts. But what he was facing was a Heterodox Wanderer. Noticing his actions, the Heterodox Wanderer just smiled, before releasing the Aspects on his fist to his face with full force anyways.


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    Consequently, Alnea was sent flying once again. And this time, he was not able to mitigate the force. After all, what was hit was face, and where he crashed was the wall of the canyon. It was only because of the glowing Glyph Arrays on his robe that he was left largely untouched. His injury free state, however, attracted the Heterodox Wanderer¡¯s attention even more than before.


    ¡°¡­How many secrets do you have kid?¡± the Heterodox Wanderer said, licking his lips in excitement. ¡°I cannot wait to¡ª


    ¡°It is not good manners to ignore your enemies, you know?¡± Yuri said, appearing behind the mad man, and thrusting her sword into his chest. The attack was so sudden, that the man did not react until the sword had pierced his chest. And when he did react, gathering his Aspect in his hands to smash the white haired girl, Yuri cleanly withdrew her sword, and retreated away from the Heterodox Wanderer.


    ¡°You¡­¡± the Heterodox Wanderer said, clutching his chest, as he hurriedly shifted his gaze to look at the place where the white haired girl had been standing for a while. And as he had expected, the white haired girl, standing in the distance, slowly burned dissipated into the darkness. ¡°A doppelganger?¡±


    ¡°An Illusion, to be exact,¡± Alnea said, with a prideful smile on his face, as he pushed himself off from the wall. ¡°Did you like it?¡±


    ¡°You brat¡­¡± The Heterodox Wanderer gritted his teeth, and turned towards Yuri. ¡°How did you escape my detection?¡±


    ¡°Because I had the best Arcanist that there ever will be helping me hide in the Shadows of Night. Now, are you going to talk yourself, or do we have to beat the information out of you?¡±


    ¡°¡­Do you think that you have won? Such an injury is nothing. It will not take long for me to recover. Why do you think I am wasting my time explaining so much nonsense to pipsqueaks like you in the first place?¡±


    ¡°¡­And why do you think we have been entertaining your nonsense?¡±


    ¡°What can you do? All your cards have been revealed. All I need to do is¡­¡±


    The Heterodox Wanderer paused, and looked towards the girl who had been the most vocal of all the kids, but had turned strangely silent for the past few moments. Unfortunately, he was too late in his realisation. A strange fluctuation emerged with the green robed girl at its centre, that spread for thousands of metres, churning all the darkness within its range, guiding them to move, and coalesce into a giant, towering vortex, large enough to touch the ceiling of the canyon.


    ¡°¡­What are you doing? Do you want to kill all of us?¡±


    Cecilia ignored the Heterodox Wanderer, and continued casting her Arcana, repeatedly compressing the darkness within the vortex, until all that was left was a small Storm of Darkness, just about twice as large as Alnea himself. And yet, somehow, the feeling of danger that the small storm gave off was several times more intense than the large vortex had been exuding. Even the Heterodox Wanderer, upon seeing the storm, could not remain still.


    Ignoring the cat that he had come to capture, the Heterodox Wanderer turned around, and rushed into the darkness of the canyon, trying to escape the range of Cecilia¡¯s attack. No matter how he struggled though, he could not run away from the storm, and was soon engulfed by its terrifying darkness. Still, even then, Alnea did not let himself relax, until he heard the Wanderer¡¯s screams of pain.


    ¡°¡­Are you alright?¡± Alnea said, walking next to a panting, and heaving Cecilia. ¡°Your Storm of Darkness is too consuming. You should not use it unless absolutely necessary.¡±


    ¡°¡­He was a Peak Stage False Wanderer, Alnea,¡± Cecilia said, trying to catch her breath. ¡°You clashed head on with him yourself. How long do you think we would have lasted against him, had I not used the Storm of Darkness?¡±


    ¡°¡­I still have a couple of Arcanas I could have used against him.¡±


    ¡°And the best those Arcanas could have done, would have been to contain the Heterodox Wanderer. In the end, the result would have been the same. Besides, the sole reason I created Storm of Darkness was to use it against enemies stronger than us. Against the Heterodox Wanderers. Since I got the chance, why should I not use it?¡±


    ¡°¡­Just be careful to not hurt yourself.¡±


    ¡°¡­Jeez. Fine. Now, stop nagging, and let me breathe.¡±


    ¡°¡­I think you should hold on to that breath for now,¡± Yuri said, pointing to the cat in the distance, still hissing, staring warily into the distance. ¡°If the Heterodox Wanderer has been dealt with, then why is the cat still so tense?¡±


    ¡°¡­Inkah¡¯s spit.¡±


    ¡°¡­Poros fangs.¡±


    ¡°Using the name of the Gods in such crude language¡­ I thought that you children of Orthodoxies were taught better.¡±


    Alnea stiffened as he heard a voice coming from the direction of where the Storm of Darkness was still raging. The voice did not seem hurried, or panicked though. As if it did not care for the storm. And rightly so. After all, the voice was different from the voice of the mad man they had just dealt with. It belonged to the man dressed in a white robe, who split apart the storm with his bare hands, saving the Wanderer trapped within.


    ¡°¡­I would have returned to the Supreme Lord if you had come a little later, Maren.¡±


    ¡°How could I let you return to the Supreme Lord¡¯s embrace before me?¡± said the third Heterodox Wanderer, dressed in red robe, and standing a little behind the white robed man. ¡°Even if Maren had not stepped in, I would have still saved your life.¡±


    ¡°¡­I would rather return to the embrace of Supreme Lord, than you save my life.¡±


    ¡°Shut up, Armis, Faiz. Do not forget the command of Lord Ghost Fire. There can be no accidents, or you would not even get the chance to return to the Supreme Lord¡¯s embrace.¡±


    ¡°¡­Fine, fine. Let us just capture the kids, and have them kill the cat.¡±


    Three Heterodox Wanderers¡­ with one strong enough to tear through the Storm of Darkness with his bare hands¡­ Nervous as Alnea was, he did not let his weakness show on his face, going so far as to use his Aspect to disguise his real emotions, and putting on a brave front, saying, ¡°¡­There is just no end to these rats.¡±

 Chapter 56: Cecilias counterattack [Part 1]

    ¡°Rats, you say,¡± the white robed man said. ¡°To us, that is the highest degree of complement that anyone can give us. However, flattery will get you nowhere, child. Armis has already given you his best offer, and yet you still refuse to join us. Unless you change your mind, and help us capture the girls, I will not be lenient with you. Of course, you have lost the privilege to enjoy the girls. You can only watch from the side. But it is still better than wading the world of lies. How about it? Do you wish to join us now?¡±


    ¡°¡­I once thought that when I will have to kill humans, I might hesitate a little. But it looks like I was worried for nothing. I am glad that the first people I will kill are scums like you. And rest assured, I will make sure that your death will be gruesome, and full of pain.¡±


    ¡°¡­Another lost child,¡± the man white robed man said, shaking his head. ¡°It looks like only when you return to the embrace of the Supreme Lord will you understand the ultimate truth.¡±


    ¡°¡­Your Supreme Lord can go eat shit!¡± Cecilia said, gritting her teeth. She was tired, and exhausted. Not only had the Storm of Darkness exhausted more than half of her Spirit Power, consuming so much Spirit Power at once had also put a great strain on her Spirit. Let alone Peak Stage False Wanderers, even Advanced Stage False Wanderers would be enough to give her troubles. No matter how Alnea looked at her, she was in condition to fight.


    Standing just a few feet away from them though, were three Peak Stage False Wanderers¡ªHeterodox Wanderers¡ª with one of them being strong enough to tear through her Storm of Darkness. Even if she had been in her best condition, she would not have been their match. And yet, no matter what condition she was in, or how strong their enemies were, Cecilia never gave up. She stood tall, staring at the Heterodox Wanderers as if she could not wait to beat them to death. And if Cecilia could withstand the pressure of these scums, then as her teammate, how could he let himself fall behind?


    Not waiting for the lunatics to go crazy after hearing Cecilia insult their shit eating lord, Alnea urged his Aspects to cover his legs, chest, and sword, as he rushed towards the Heterodox Wanders. And as he had expected, the moment they heard her insult their Supreme Lord, the faces of the lunatics contorted in rage, and a twisted emotion that only the scums could understand.


    The man in the white robe stood where he was, while the ones in green, and red robe prepared to rush towards Cecilia. Alnea had already taken a step ahead of them though. And the distance between them was not too large to begin with. So, by the time the two scums made their moves, Alnea was just a couple of feet away from them. Enough for him to initiate his own attack.


    Concentrating all of his Aspects along the edge of his sword, he swung a ¡®Crescent Slash¡¯ at the scums. Even the white robed scum was not left out of his range. His attack was too weak to break through the defences of the scums though. On the contrary, after blocking the golden light that flew out of his sword, the scums gained a chance to launch an attack on him, which they did not let go.


    While the green robed man confronted him in close quarters, forcing him to use the stability of a mountain, and adaptability of a river to continuously block his strikes, the red robed man condensed a spear of red light in his hand, and¡ª


    Yuri struck at the red robed man with her bluish white sword, forcing him away from Alnea and the green robed man. The red robed man, of course, scum as he was, assumed his retreat to be a result of being caught off guard, and did not take Yuri seriously, clashing with her fearlessly. Given his advantage in strength, and the length of his weapon, he assumed that he was bound to subdue her in just a few moments.


    It was not until Yuri had decorated the scum¡¯s face, and hands with tens of wounds, that the Heterodox Wanderer began to take her seriously. Her sword may be shorter than his spear, but it was far to fast, and unpredictable. The way she flowed with her sword¡­ it was as if she was dancing with the winds¡ªno, it was as if she was dancing along the rules of the world.


    Wherever her sword went, his body follow on its own. It was as if his body was asking her to kill him. If not for his quick reaction, and higher strength, then he would not have been able to fight her off for tens of moves with just some shallow cuts. Such delicate mastery of sword, and her Aspects¡­


    ¡°Who are you?¡± the red robed man asked, retreating to distance himself from the white robed girl. ¡°What are you doing in Rianra?¡±


    ¡°¡­A Heterodox Wanderer asking an Orthodox Wanderer what she is doing in an Orthodox Domain¡­ Are you here to fight, or make jokes?¡± Yuri said, before rushing towards the red robed scum once again. And this time, she even used one of her Arcanas, creating a pair of hands from darkness, that kept punching, and stabbing the red robed scum whenever he tried to dodge her moves, or distance himself from her.


    In contrast to the ease with which she was handling the Heterodox Wanderer, Alnea was having a hard time just defending himself. The Mountain and River Style may be one of the best Intermediate Grade Martial Style when it came to defence, but it was too slow to be of any use. Maybe, things would have been better, had he been at the Advanced Stage, or had Aspects corresponding to the mountains, and rivers.


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    However, the world did not work possibilities. It worked on certainties. And so, noticing himself becoming more passive against the green robed scum with each passing moment, Alnea gritted his teeth, and chose to stuff his bones, and muscles with lightning, shifting from the Mountain and River Style to the Lightning Storm Style.


    A decision that was proven correct right in the next moment, when he used his increased speed, and agility to shift a little towards his left, avoiding the scum¡¯s grab at his neck, before following it by ¡®Raising the Earth¡¯ right under the scum¡¯s chin. Forced to dodge, the Heterodox Wanderer avoided his strike, but also lost all the advantages he had gained.


    Next, just as how he had kept dodging, and defending against the scum¡¯s attack, the green robed man was also forced to keep dodging, and blocking his sword strikes. From ¡®Raging Waves of the West¡¯ to ¡®Piercing the Stars¡¯, followed by the ¡®Crying Wind¡¯, only to push his enemy into the ¡®Depths of Abyss¡¯, Alnea kept changing his sword moves one after another, linking one Martial Style with another, surpassing his personal record of linking seventy three Martial styles. However, he had no intention to stop. Until he killed his enemy¡ª


    ¡°That should be enough,¡± the white robed man said, disrupting his rhythm, and breaking his chain of attacks. Alnea still did not stop though. Rather, the more dangerous that situation became, the more he could not stop. Because he was not alone. Because he had to protect. Because¡ª


    ¡°I have seen enough of their strength. These two children really do not seem like natives of Rianra. But that other girl is different. She is bearing the emblem of the Serpia clan, and she seems to be the weakest of the three. She will do for our purpose. You two keep these children busy, while I capture that girl, and force her to kill the cat.¡±


    ¡°¡­Hurry up, and come help me subdue this girl. I am going to teach her the ultimate truth of the Supreme Lord myself.¡±


    ¡°Fuck. Are you here to play, or to complete Lord Ghost Fire¡¯s commands? It is because of you that we lost track of the cat in the first place. I am warning you, if something goes wrong this time¡ª


    ¡°What are you afraid of? Isn¡¯t Maren here with us this time? I am sure everything will be just fine.¡±


    ¡°¡­You better hope¡ª


    ¡°Stop getting distracted. If either of you end up dying at the hands of children, then it will be a shame to our entire clan.¡±


    ¡°¡­We will be fine. You go get the girl.¡±


    ¡°No one is going anywhere!¡± Alnea yelled, before hurriedly sending Yuri his warning message.


    ¡°Fifty metres!¡±


    ¡°Worry about yourself first, kid. Don¡¯t think that just because¡­¡±


    Ignoring the scum, Alnea continued with what he was preparing, mumbling his words under his breath so that only he could hear himself.


    ¡°In the threads weaving through the forces of the worlds¡­¡±


    ¡°Hiding in the folds of existence¡­¡±


    ¡°I beseech upon the forces of the Origin¡­¡±


    ¡°To shower unto the world, Yuri¡¯s Dominance.¡±


    Strange fluctuations spread with Alnea at their centre, imperceptibly changing the world, increasing the force pulling the scums to the ground by five times. Fortunately for the Heterodox Wanderers, they were experienced enough to immediately resist against the increased gravity with their Aspects, or might not even have been able to keep standing.


    Still, unaccustomed as they were to the sudden change in gravity, the scums still found it hard to move for a while. Of course, being subject to the universality of his Arcana, even Alnea was barely able to keep standing. His condition was even worse than the scums. After all, they were two entire Stages higher than him. However, he was not afraid.


    ¡°He who lights the world with his shine¡­¡±


    ¡°He who gives breaths to all things alive¡­¡±


    ¡°I beseech the Lord of Light¡­¡±


    ¡°To destroy the world with Lia¡¯s Shine.¡±


    Cursing him, promising all kinds of revenge on the girls, the Heterodox Wanderers soon got accustomed to the increased gravity, and were just about resume their earlier plan, when three pillars of light, thick enough to cover three persons standing next to each other, descended from the sky, and fell upon their bodies. These were not just any pillars of light though, they were the pillars of Lia¡¯s Shine, his only Intermediate Stage offensive Arcana. Though these pillars were not as powerful as the Storm of Darkness, they were far more concentrated, and also dealt a burning damage to his enemies.


    Finally relaxing a little, Alnea released Yuri¡¯s Dominance, and moved back to regroup with Yuri. He was tired, but he could not rest yet. Lia¡¯s Shine¡­ it should be enough to injure the Heterodox Wanderers, but expecting an Intermediate Stage Arcana to take out three Peak Stage Wanderers at once was too much to ask. Unless the Arcana was of the Transcendent Grade¡­


    The pillars of light slowly faded away into the darkness, revealing the figures of the scum. The red, and green robed ones were injured to various degrees. Even their robes had been left singed, and tattered by the scorching light of Lia¡¯s Shine. The white robed man though¡­ he did not even have a scratch. Not even on his robe. The scum¡­ he was far strong than Alnea had expected him to be. Was the man really just a Peak Stage Wanderer?


    ¡°You have surprised me once again, boy,¡± the white robed man said, smiling for the first time in front of Alnea. ¡°Such talent¡­ Arre you sure that you will not consider my earlier offer?¡±


    ¡°Go, eat shit, scum.¡±


    ¡°¡­Pity. Since we cannot have you, then we must not let you live. However, do not worry. You are a very special child. I will personally send you to the embrace of the Supreme Lord. I am sure he will be happy to receive a talent like you, and offer me great rewards.¡±


    ¡°A rat who easts shit also deserves to be mentioned in the same sentence as someone I fancy?¡± Cecilia said with a sneer, drawing everyone¡¯s attention to herself. ¡°Didn¡¯t you say that I was the weakest? Then I will let you see how strong this weak girl can be.¡±

 Chapter 56: Cecilias counterattack [Part 2]

    Cecilia was never a girl who could easily bear her grievances. And she was surely not someone who would let her companions fight dangerous battles all by themselves. Strangely enough though, while Alnea and Yuri had been dealing with the Heterodox Wanderers, she had stayed put where she was, maintaining her distance from the lunatics. She had not even said anything for a while.


    Her abrupt shouts then easily drew everyone¡¯s attention to herself. She was still standing where Alnea had last seen her, but she was not alone. At some point in time, the cat had crawled its way towards her side, and was looking at the Heterodox Wanderers as if it was looking at its enemy of life. It did not have the power to resist against its enemies though, and it surely did not have enough strength to help her.


    ¡°Did you know that everything in the world has its own Fortune?¡± Cecilia said, ignoring the cat for the moment. ¡°Of course, that also includes living beings. Like you, and me. However, this Fortune is not fixed. It fluctuates based on our actions, and deeds. If you fight someone who is stronger than you, your Fortune may dip. And if you fight someone who is weaker than you, then your Fortune may soar.


    ¡°Now, Fortune may not directly change the outcome of fights, but it surely can influence it in very imperceptible ways. Like increasing the chances of your attacks succeeding, or triggering a chain reaction, increasing the prowess of an attack. And right now, since I am the weakest, and the most exhausted, my Fortune is the weakest. While you, with not even a scratch on your body, have the greatest Fortune.¡±


    ¡°¡­Are you trying to blame your loss on something as illusory as Fortune?¡± the white robed man said, shaking his head. ¡°In the end, what decides the outcome of fights is strength. Things like luck, and fate are only for the weak. For the strong, only they themselves can master their lives.¡±


    ¡°¡­Let¡¯s see if you will still say the same thing when I am done with you,¡± Cecilia said, before grinning at the white robed man, and mumbling something under her breath. Moments later, a ray of golden light emerged from her head, and shot straight towards the white robed man. And though the man was confident in himself, he still side stepped to avoid the light. Unfortunately for the Heterodox Wanderer, nothing could escape the light of Fortune.


    Before the white robed man could react, the light changed course in mid air, and shot straight into his head, making stagger for a few steps. The light itself did not deal any damage to the Wanderer, but he could feel something missing from within his body. From within his Spirit. He did not know what it was, but he knew that the golden light was anything but ordinary. And if it could deprive him of something he did not even know he had¡­


    ¡°Did you take my Fortune?¡± the white robed man said, staring at Cecilia with a solemn light in his eyes.


    ¡°Why are you so serious. Aren¡¯t things like Fortune illusory, and unnecessary to you?¡±


    ¡°¡­I underestimated you.¡±


    ¡°You haven¡¯t even seen anything yet,¡± Cecilia said with a scoff, before mumbling something to herself once again. In the next moment, the darkness within the canyon began churning once again. They began to gather, and coalesce into a giant vortex, large enough to touch the ceiling of the canyon, before being compressed to twice of Alnea¡¯s height. But she was not done yet. And neither was her Fortune.


    To the horror of the Heterodox Wanderers, due to some chance happenstance, the mass of darkness at the centre of the storm was much higher than the mass of darkness at its outer edges, causing the storm to shrink even further, concentrating all of its powers within a miniate vortex of darkness floating above Cecilia¡¯s palm, temporarily Perfecting the Storm of Darkness.


    From the first glance, the miniature vortex seemed relatively harmless. But that was just a misconception, an illusion created by all of the powers of the storm being contained within the vortex. For an Arcana to be so concentrated though, focussing all of its powers at a single point, without leaking so much as a gust a wind, it had to be of the Perfect Grade at the very least.


    A Perfect Grade Arcana¡­ Even if it was just of the Intermediate Stage, was enough to threaten some Peak Stage Wanderers. And a Perfect Grade Arcana focusing on destructive power to the extreme, like the Storm of Darkness, was even more dangerous. Though they could not feel any threat from the tiny vortex, none of the Heterodox Wanderers dared to underestimate the miniature storm.


    However, Cecilia¡¯s Fortune was still not done. Just when she was about to let the Heterodox Wanderers have a taste of the Perfect Storm of Darkness, the cat, which everyone had kept ignoring for a while, jumped onto her shoulder. It hissed towards the Heterodox Wanderers once again, before gritting its teeth, and touching Cecilia¡¯s cheeks with its forehead.


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    Almost simultaneously, blobs of golden floated out of the cat, and submerged into her head. Into her Roots. Into her Fortune. And before anyone could understand what was happening, the Night Canyons itself shook. Threads of darkness from places as deep as the Labyrinth of Night, to places as far aways as the edge of Night Canyons in Numein, began making their way to the vortex above her hand. And in just a few moments, the storm grew to the size that it was meant to be, roughly twice of her height.


    Yet, its increased size did not change its appearance. It still looked as if it was harmless. That it was nothing but a collection of darkness. However, it was exactly this collection of darkness that made the Heterodox Wanderers tremble in fear. Not even the white robed man was an exception. The Storm of Darkness¡­ it had reached the threshold of a Transcendent Arcana.


    ¡°¡­We cannot delay this any longer,¡± the white robed man said. Instead of moving against Cecilia though, he moved towards Alnea, hoping to catch him to threaten Cecilia. But how could Alnea let him have his wish?


    Having already expected the Heterodox Wanderer¡¯s reaction, Alnea had long shifted from the Lighting Storm Style to the Sky Streaming Style. And the moment that the white robed man moved towards him, he urged his Aspects to their limits, and rushed towards Cecilia, taking shelter behind the storm. It was not just him though. Even Yuri did the same, regrouping with him, while staring daggers at the Heterodox Wanderers.


    The Heterodox Wanderers on the other hand, were left grasping for air. Unlike Alnea, and Yuri, they did not dare to rush towards the Storm of Darkness. Catching the kids as hostage was their only hope. And watching their hopes slip out of their hand, they finally felt despair for the first time in a long while. Only the white robed still had some of his sanity left.


    ¡°What are you two doing just standing still?¡± the white robed man yelled, urging his Aspects to the extreme. ¡°So what if her Arcana is strong? She is still just a kid. As long as we can block her once, won¡¯t she fall into our hands? Or do you want to bear Lord Ghost Fire¡¯s punishment?¡±


    ¡°No!¡± the other two scums yelled, shivering at the mention of Lord Ghost Fire. Facing the storm, at best, they would only return to their Supreme Lord. Against Lord Ghost Fire¡¯s wrath though¡­


    Gritting their teeth, the other two Heterodox Wanderers also began to urge their Aspects to their extreme, shining in red, green, and black lights. They even began casting their Arcanas. After all, they might be Warriors, but it did not mean that they did not have any Arcanas. Gaining Access to Peak Stage Arcanas may be a little tough for them, but they had made enough contributions to their clan to earn some Advanced Stage Arcanas. Of only the Low, and Intermediate Grade of course.


    It was not that their clan did not have better Arcanas, but Perfect Grade Arcanas were too precious. Even Top, and High Grade Arcanas were far beyond their reach. Heterodoxies were inherently different from Orthodoxies, after all. Orthodoxies could spend resources on their younger members, providing them with all sorts of Arcanas, Glyphs, and Martial Styles, but Heterodoxies were different.


    Everything that the Heterodox Wanderers had, they had earned with their own blood. No one had ever offered them any help. And even if someone would have offered to help them, they would have refused without any hesitation. Only fools would accept help from those in Heterodoxies. Scums like them dared to kill their own parents, and lovers, what else could they not dare to do?


    Still, Heterodoxies had their own benefits, or else, they would not have lasted for so long against the crusade of Orthodoxies. After all, if there were no benefits, why would anyone risk joining a bunch of lunatics on their suicidal missions? And one such benefit was open access to all resources of the Heterodoxies. As long they had made enough contribution, they could get their hands on even Divine Grade Arcanas. For the moment though, the Heterodox Wanderers had to make do with Intermediate Grade Arcanas.


    Swathes, after swathes of fire materialised in front of the red robed man, before he willed them into the shape of a shield, large enough to cover his entire body. On the other end, vines, and roots thicker than green robed man¡¯s thighs burst forth from the ground in front of him, and intertwined with each other, creating a thick wall between the man, and the vortex of darkness. Only the last scum did not cast any an Arcana.


    Unlike the hurried actions of his companions, the white robed man calmly reached into the fold his of robe near his chest, and took out a blood red token. He seemed a little worried, and hesitant, but gritted his teeth, and chose to believe in the token. Still, his strange actions were not enough to garner Cecilia¡¯s attention. Summoning two Storms of Darkness one after another had already exhausted her, while condensing the second storm to perfection had pushed her beyond her limits. Controlling a storm that had transcended the realm of perfection¡­


    Yet, Cecilia showed no weakness. It did not matter if her Spirit felt like it was about to be torn apart. She held on, sweating, and panting, and reached towards the Storm of Darkness with her thoughts, pushing towards the Heterodox Wanderers with the last of her strength. Pushing the scum towards their death.


    And yet, the scums did not run. After all, there was no point in running. The storm could be persistent to say the least, something that the green robed man had experienced personally. With a tacit understanding, the scums decided that facing the storm head on was better than letting it ravage their backs. Pushing their Aspects to their limits, the Heterodox Wanderers glowed in the glory of their Aspects, as they braced themselves to clash with the storm.

 Chapter 57: Yuris last hand [Part 1]

    Like a leaf, swaying with wind, as it slowly descended on the ground, the vortex twice as large as Cecilia, wobbled on its axis, slowly drifting towards the Heterodox Wanderers. From a distance, it looked as it was just a small gust of wind on the verge of breaking apart, and dispersing into the darkness. When it reached the Heterodox Wanderers though, the storm tore through their defences as if they were made of paper, sweeping them within itself, as it moved towards the white robed man.


    Till then, the white robed man still held some hope of defending himself against a Transcendent Arcana. As he saw the defences of the other two Heterodox Wanderers collapse so easily though, and heard their screams of despair, the man finally lost his composure. Crushing the blood red token in his hand, the man summoned a blood red shield in front of himself, before reaching into his robe to take out a few more tokens. And as the man had expected, even the blood red shield was nothing more than a slightly thicker paper in front of the storm.


    Pausing for only a moment, the storm tore through the shield, and continued and continued on its way towards the white robed man. But the scum was prepared. He kept crushing the tokens in his hand one after another, as they kept crumbling in front of the terrifying storm, until the vortex of darkness finally slowed down, and dissipated back into the canyon, dropping the tattered bodies of the two Heterodox Wanderers onto the ground.


    From their groans of pain, it looked like the scums were still alive. However, from the wounds on their body, and how they were convulsing, unless they were treated almost immediately, they had no choice of rejoining the fight. The only one left relatively unscathed was the white robed Wanderer. Summoning so many blood red shields at once had put a great strain on his Spirit, while the shockwaves from the clash had left him a little worse for the wear, but he was much better than the rest, and enraged to the extreme.


    ¡°Eight Oronir stinking Blood Tears,¡± the white robed man said, panting in rage, as he stared at Cecilia with bloodshot eyes. Cecilia herself was too tired to bother with the scum though.


    The moment she had pushed the Storm of Darkness towards the Heterodox Wanderers, Cecilia had felt all her strength drain away from her body. She had become so weak, that even the pull of the ground was too strong for her to resist. Just staying awake, and fighting off her headache was taking all of her will. And she was not the only one suffering from releasing an Arcana far beyond her means.


    The cat on her shoulders, having expended most of its energy to help the Storm of Darkness Transcend Perfection, was already swaying on her shoulders long before Cecilia had released the storm. So, the moment that Cecilia stumbled down to ground, and fell on her butt, the cat wobbled, and fell into her lap. Unlike Cecilia though, the cat did not fight its weakness, and allowed itself to fall into the land of dreams. If Oren Beasts even had such things as dreams.


    However, the weaker that Cecilia appeared, the more enraged the white robed man became. Stepping over the injured bodies of his companions, ignoring their cries, and pleas for help as if they did not even exist, the Heterodox Wanderer began making his way towards Cecilia, while devolving into hysteria.


    ¡°You made me waste eight Blood Tears¡­ Do you know how many contribution points I had to use in order to exchange for these eight Blood Tears? Each one of them can save my life in critical times, and I had to waste eight of them in order to block your one attack¡­ How are you going to compensate me?¡±


    ¡°How about I send you to your Supreme Lord as compensation?¡± Alnea said, stepping in front of Cecilia. ¡°You won¡¯t need you such worldly possessions when you enter his embrace anyway.¡±


    ¡°Shut up!¡± the white robed man yelled, and rushed towards him with all his strength, even urging his Aspects to their extreme. He was so fast, that Alnea did not even have the time to blink before he felt himself being hit in his stomach, and found himself flying towards the wall of the canyon once again. In the next moment, while he was still processing what had happened, he felt as if someone smashed a hammer on the back of his head, before crashing face first into the ground. Thankfully, the Glyph Arrays on his robe saved him from breaking his bones once again. But that only made the Heterodox Wanderer even more hysterical.


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    ¡°It¡¯s this again. You damn pigs of Orthodoxies¡­¡± the white robed man cursed. ¡°Clothes enchanted with True Ranked Glyphs, and such higher Arcanas, and Martial Styles¡­ Why can you have so many precious resources without fighting for them? Why do you get to enjoy your lives, while I have to fight to breathe for every moment that I get to breathe? Why?¡±


    ¡°¡­It¡¯s because you chose to become a Heterodox Wanderer,¡± Alnea said, as he pushed himself off the ground. ¡°It is because you chose a shortcut, instead of putting in your effort, and fighting your fate.¡±


    ¡°Fighting fate? Putting in effort?¡± the white robed man said, laughing hysterically, sending his spit flying in every direction. ¡°I have been a Peak Stage False Wanderer for longer than you have lived, and fought more life and death battles than the days you have seen. I have experienced my limbs being cut off for twenty three times, and have my innards spill out in mid fight forty seven times. What do you even know about putting in effort, little pipsqueak? What do you even know about fighting fate?¡±


    ¡°¡­Two Intermediate Stage False Wanderer, and one Advanced Stage False Wanderer fighting against three Peak Stage False Wanderers¡­ Isn¡¯t what we are doing right now, kind of like fighting our fate?¡±


    ¡°¡­That¡¯s where you are wrong, little brat,¡± the white robed man said, shaking his head. ¡°You are not fighting your fate, you are just courting death.¡±


    Even as he finished the last of his words, the white robed man, shining in the glow of his white, grey, and red Aspects, moved to attack Alnea once again, this time aiming for his head. However, as his fist neared his target, what he struck was not the black robed boy¡¯s head, but a grey wall of fog, that descended at the last moment, absorbing all the impact from his fist, buying enough time for Alnea to back away from the Heterodox Wanderer.


    ¡°¡­Do you take my presence as a decoration?¡± Yuri said, standing next to Cecilia, with a Glyph Disc, and carving knife in her hand. ¡°Or do you think that the only Advanced Stage False Wanderer in our team is not worth your attention?¡±


    ¡°¡­Are you also a scholar?¡±


    ¡°Scholar?¡± Yuri said, while raising the corner of her lips in a mocking grin. ¡°I think you are underestimating me a little.¡±


    In the next moment, thirty six pillars of silvery blue light rose up from the ground. Almost as thick as Yuri¡¯s thighs, and as tall as five times her height, these pillars were all spaced apart around one metres or so from each other, and formed a circle with the Heterodox Wanderer at their centre. It was almost as if they were trapping the Wanderer within their bounds.


    And yet, they rose so abruptly, and were so unique in arrangement, that for a moment, all that the white robed man did was stare at them in a daze. By the time he noticed the peculiarity of the lights, he was already surrounded by them from all sides. Hoping that it was not too late, the white robed man tried rushing out of his cage. Unsurprisingly, the moment he tried to break out, a translucent grey barrier manifest in between the pillars, trying to stop his escape. But it did not seem like the barrier was too effective. At the very least, the man was confident that he would be able to break through the barrier.


    However, the longer that the Heterodox Wanderer stayed in contact with the barrier, the more he understood the terrifying nature of the barrier, and what its true purpose was. It was never meant to stop him from escaping. Rather, the barrier was made so weak especially in order to encourage him to escape. Because the more he tried to break through the barrier, the more it would be able to corrode his Aspects.


    Stepping back from between the pillars, the Heterodox Wanderer tried to escape the cage by jumping above the pillars, but the result was the same. He was forced back to the ground by a giant dome like barrier, trying to corrode his defences, and decompose his body. With no other options left, the Wanderer tried to force his way through the pillars of light, but felt a terrifying coercion descend onto his Spirit the moment he touched those pillars.


    ¡°¡­A compound Arcana? Mysteries of Decay, and Night?¡±


    ¡°¡­I prefer the path of Arcanists more over the path of Scholars. It allows me much more freedom to play with Mysteries. And it can also give me the strength to deal with scums like you.¡±

 Chapter 57: Yuris last hand [Part 2]

    The Heterodox Wanderer took his hand back from the pillar of light, and stared at Yuri with a solemn light in his eyes.


    ¡°¡­I truly did underestimate you. Maybe I should have taken you out first.¡±


    ¡°Then you would have been the first to die,¡± Alnea said, picking his sword up from he had dropped it. ¡°In any case, your end would have been the same. To face despair.¡±


    ¡°¡­A kid barely off his mother¡¯s breast is lecturing me about despair?¡± the white robed man said, sneering at Alnea, before turning back to Yuri. ¡°Even if you are its creator, a compound Arcana is not something that False Wanderers, especially those who have not even reached the Peak Stage, can use. How long can you maintain this cage?¡±


    ¡°Long enough to ensure your death,¡± Yuri said, and muttered a few words under breath. Moments later, white light manifested above the cage, and coalesced into a giant sword, before dropping down straight towards the Heterodox Wanderer. The white robed man, of course, tried to dodge the sword, but Yuri was already prepared for the situation.


    With a flash of a grey light, she activated the Glyph she had carved on her Glyph Disc earlier, manifesting a cloud of grey fog in front of herself, which soon coalesced into ropes, shooting straight towards the Heterodox Wanderer. And though the white robed man tried to dodge them as well, the area in the cage was not big enough for him to escape the ropes.


    Moments later, the rope tied up the Wanderer, and sunk into his body, freezing his movements. Only for a fraction of moment, of course. After all, the Glyphs were just of the Intermediate Stage. However, that fraction of a moment was enough for the giant sword to lock his position, and stab into his head.


    ¡°First getting your Fortune flipped, and then getting your Fate sealed¡­ The real question is, how long can you last?¡±


    Not waiting for the Heterodox Wanderer to reply, Yuri activated the second stage of her Arcana, manipulating the pillars of light to shrink down to the size of spears, which she then directed towards the white robed man. In the next moment, all thirty six spears of Night rained down upon the man one after another, engulfing him a silvery blue light. They were so tightly packed with each other, that all that Alnea could see of the white robed man was the blood flowing out from the range of the silvery blue glow.


    ¡°¡­I have not been this tired in a while,¡± Alnea said, walking up to the girls, who were still looking towards the Heterodox Wanderer. ¡°Is he dead?¡±


    ¡°¡­We will know in a few moments,¡± Yuri said, refusing to let her guard down just yet. Even Cecilia, tired as she was, still kept looking towards the Heterodox Wanderer with fierce eyes.


    ¡°¡­Even Heterodox Wanderers should not be so weird to be able to live through after experiencing such grievous wounds,¡± Alnea said, unconsciously allowing his exhaustion to leak into his voice. ¡°Just look at all the blood. I am sure that he¡ª


    ¡°Never underestimate your enemies, Alnea,¡± Yuri said, refusing to tear her eyes away from the pulsating lights in the distance. ¡°We took down the Dark Wind Wolf so easily, but against Heterodox Wanderers of the same strength, we were practically helpless. If not for the fact that we were underestimated, and the cat¡¯s help, we would have had quite a hard time dealing with just the other two Wanderers. And I would not have had the time to prepare my Arcana either. You can imagine what the results would have been then.¡±


    ¡°¡­I am not underestimating them. I am just a little tired.¡±


    ¡°And we will rest once we have dealt with all our enemies. Till then, be alert, and do not let your guard down.¡±


    Alnea grumbled a little, but also understood what Yuri was saying. Cecilia was too tired to even bother speaking, so he just let her be, and looked at the other two Heterodox Wanderers. Having suffered from a Transcendent Storm of Darkness, the two of them have suffered far too many grievous injuries. It was only because they were Peak Stage False Wanderers that they did not die immediately. But they only managed to delay the inevitable.


    From how profusely the Wanderers were bleeding, if not treated immediately, they were bound to die. It saved Alnea from the trouble of giving them the finishing blow himself, but it also made him wonder if he should just give them a quick death. Thinking of what Yuri had said earlier, Alnea finally made up his mind, and walked towards dying men. After all anything was possible within the Origin Sea. Better be safe, than sorry.


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    His movements did not escape the eyes of the girls though. And as they saw him moving towards the two incapacitated men, they probably understood what his intentions were. But neither of the girls stopped him. Killing the Heterodox Wanderers¡­ It was something they had agreed on before forming their team. And he was sure that the girls would not have any problems with killing the scums. Alnea though¡­


    Maybe it was one of the reasons that prompted his sudden decision, Alnea thought, only to subdue his thoughts, as he reached the men. They were still conscious, groaning, and asking for help. Just in a very low, and subdued voice. As if they did not have any strength left. Considering all the blood that they had lost, he was surprised that they were even awake. For what he was about to do though, did their state truly matter?


    Supressing the uneasy feeling in his Heart, Alnea steeled his resolve, and placed the tip of his sword at green robed man¡¯s neck. The moment that his sword touched the man¡¯s skin though, his eyes flew open, and looked directly at him. Into his eyes. The man did not plead. Rather, he did not say anything. He even stopped groaning. Only his eyes kept speaking. A curse, they said. To one day face the same helplessness as the green robed man was facing.


    ¡°¡­It¡¯s alright, Alnea. You don¡¯t have to force yourself. This attack was too sudden. We will have time to prepare ourselves the next time¡ª


    Alnea plunged his sword into the man¡¯s neck, and watched his life drain away from his eyes. A cruse? What curse could be greater than the curse of his fate? And had the situation been reversed, his end would have been thousand times worse than the Heterodox Wanderer. Most important of all, the man had dared to threaten Cecilia, and Yuri. The man had dared to threaten his Heart.


    It did not matter what the man¡¯s reason was. Even if he had been from an Orthodoxy, Alnea still would made the same choice. Anyone who dared to threaten his Heart had to be killed. That was his path. His Clarity. But from the guilty conscience in his mind, and the nausea he was feeling, it looked like his Clarity was still some ways away from him. For the moment, all he could do was grit his teeth, and relieve the other man of his pain.


    ¡°¡­Don¡¯t push yourself too much.¡±


    ¡°¡­I am fine,¡± Alnea said, trying his best to subdue his guilty conscience, and nausea. He did not regret his actions, but he did not wish to stay with the corpses for any longer than he had to. Especially since their lifeless seemed to be staring right into his Spirit¡­ Turning around, he quickly made his way back to the girls, just as Yuri¡¯s Spears of Night finally began fading away.


    ¡°¡­Are you alright?¡± Cecilia said in a deep, and hoarse voice.


    ¡°¡­I should be the one asking you that question,¡± Alnea said, returning her stare with concern. ¡°Two Storms of Darkness were too much¡­ You should rest, and leave the rest to us.¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Cecilia said, shaking her head, before turning her head back to the fading lights in the distance. ¡°It will not be late to rest after we have confirmed his death.¡±


    ¡°¡­Do not push yourself too much,¡± Alnea said, before turning his attention back to the Heterodox Wanderer. With the spears finally fading into the darkness, all that was left was the bloodied, and tattered figure of the Wanderer. There were so many holes in his robe, that it had been practically torn into shred, leaving just thin strips hanging from his body. And even those strips had been dyed red in his blood.


    And though the man was still standing, that was probably from how he had been skewered by so many spears. Even if he wished to lie down, the spears would have stopped him from moving even an inch. Coupled with the loss of so much blood¡­ No matter how he looked, the last Heterodox Wanderer seemed to be truly dead.


    ¡°Do you still have any doubts?¡± Alnea asked, finally losing the last bit of tension in his Heart. ¡°¡­I want to shout in joy right now, but I am too tired to do anything.¡±


    ¡°¡­Let me check first,¡± Yuri said after a moment of silence. She was still looking at the Heterodox Wanderer with a solemn look, and looked ready to launch another wave of attack. ¡°He is a Heterodox Wanderer. We cannot afford any mistakes.¡±


    ¡°¡­You have exhausted too much of your Spirit Power.¡±


    ¡°It does not matter. I can afford¡ª


    ¡°Let me do it,¡± Alnea said, and unsheathed his dagger. Since they were just checking if the man was still alive or not, his dagger should do just fine. Activating a couple of its Glyph Arrays, he threw Golden Yearning at the man¡ª


    A blood red light flashed in the distance, blinding everyone for a moment. A moment enough for the bloodied Heterodox Wanderer to appear next to Alnea with the Golden Yearning in his hand.


    ¡°It looks like you lost something, pipsqueak,¡± the Heterodox Wanderer said, as he stabbed Golden Yearning into Alnea¡¯s stomach. Or at least tried to, but was stopped by the golden lights flashing on his robe. ¡°¡­It looks like you are someone much more important than I had thought. Forget it. I will deal with you later.¡±


    Without any ways to deal with boy, other than stripping him naked, the Heterodox Wanderer just grabbed him by his neck, and threw him aside, before focussing his attention on the girls.


    ¡°Now, let¡¯s get to the main dish of the night.¡±

 Chapter 58: Alnea Oathkeeper [Part 1]

    Alnea had already done his best, trying not to underestimate his enemy. And yet, he still found himself being flung around like a bag. The blinding light aside, how was the Heterodox Wanderer moving so fast? Catching Golden Yearning in mid air was not too hard, but appearing beside him before he could even blink was already starting to faintly surpass the realm of False Wanderers. No, more importantly, how had the man survived being skewered by thirty six skewers of Night?


    ¡°A hundred Blood Tears,¡± the Heterodox Wanderer said, smiling eerily at Yuri. ¡°It takes a hundred Blood Tears to exchange for one bottle of the Nectar of Blood. What are you going to do about my losses, little girl?¡±


    ¡°¡­I will finish what I have started,¡± Yuri said, and swung her hand at the lunatic. While she swung her hand though, her Aspects surged out of her body, and gathered around her hand to form a sword, so that by the time her hand reached the Heterodox Wanderer, it was not her hand that hit the man, but her sword.


    ¡°I have a better idea,¡± the Heterodox Wanderer said, grabbing her sword with his bare hands. ¡°You seem like someone from a reputable Orthodoxy, and look quite beautiful¡­ How about I sell you to recoup my losses?¡±


    The scum¡¯s question was answered by Cecilia, and Alnea in unison, as they stabbed towards his chest from two different directions, one with her claws, and other with his sword. However, before their attacks could pierce through his body, a blood red light flashed on his body once again, blocking both their attacks, and sending them flying back.


    ¡°It is bad manners to interrupt others when they are talking,¡± the Heterodox Wanderer said, turning towards Alnea with a smile. One so eerie, that it sent shivers down his spine. Especially with all the blood on his body¡­


    Using her sword as a leverage, Yuri jumped, and twisted her body, kicking his face. And when that was not enough to make the Heterodox Wanderer budge, she twisted her body, and sent a double kick right at his chest, just as she dispersed her sword, using the recoil to distance herself from the scum. However, rather than showing disappointment, the Heterodox Wanderer just smiled at her with disdain.


    ¡°The feistier you are, the more I am going to enjoy myself¡­ I might even have a taste, before selling you off. After all, it has been quite a long while since I have had a little girl like you¡­¡±


    Alnea rushed back towards the scum, intending to poke out his eyes with which he dared to look at Yuri. He even managed to dodge the man¡¯s backhanded attack, and stab his sword towards the man¡¯s left armpit. And yet, just before he could succeed, the blood red light flashed once again, flinging him nearly ten metres away.


    ¡°I told you I will take care of you later,¡± the Heterodox Wanderer said, sneering at Alnea, before turning back towards a pale faced Yuri. ¡°Right, where were we? I think I was about enjoy¡ª


    Cecilia jumped towards the back of the Heterodox Wanderer¡¯s head, gathering what little Aspects she could, to smash the life of the man. She was too tired though, and it was showing in her movements, slow, and full of flaws. She could not even converge her killing intent, prompting the Heterodox Wanderer to turn around, and grab her by the neck, before slamming her on the ground.


    ¡°Just stay here quietly,¡± the Heterodox Wanderer said, stabbing Golden Yearning into her things, tearing through the defences of her robe, and pinning her to the ground. ¡°I still have some plans for you, and the stupid cat.¡±


    Cecilia grunted, but she did not cry. Her eyes were red, just like the blood flowing from her thighs, but she did not cry. Because Warriors do not cry. Picking up his sword, Alnea rushed towards the Heterodox Wanderer, just as Yuri rushed towards the man. This time, however, she did not condense a sword. She just gathered her Aspects around her arms, and legs. Had she also exhausted her Spirit Power?


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    What did it matter though? She was able to entangle the man in close quarters, keeping his attention to herself, and that was enough. Gathering all of his Aspects at the tip of his sword, Alnea stabbed the Heterodox Wanderer as if he was ¡®Piercing the Stars¡¯. But¡­ The damned Oronir stained blood red glow¡­ Alnea found himself flying back once again. And this time, he had truly exhausted himself. Just like Cecilia. His vision was going blurry, and he was having a hard time keeping his eyes open.


    In the distance, he could barely see Yuri¡¯s vague figure fighting head on with the Heterodox Wanderer. She was skilled even without her sword. At the very least, he had never moved the way she was moving. Even when fighting against an enemy much stronger than herself, she moved ever so elegantly, constantly dodging, and blocking his moves. She even came close to landing a blow every now, and then.


    Yet, every time that she was about to hit the man, a blood red glow would push her away, negating her attacks, and pushing her into disadvantage. Not enough to make her fall, but enough for the man to wound her. On their own, those wounds were nothing for her. But when taken together, along with the state she was in¡ªtired, and exhausted¡ª they were enough to tip the favour towards the Heterodox Wanderer. Slowly, move by move, Yuri was beginning to lose.


    Cecilia, on the other hand, was in an even worse state. She was exhausted beyond her limits, even more so than him. And yet, she still dared to fight against a Peak Stage False Wanderer¡­ Gritting her teeth, she tried to pull out the dagger pinning her to the ground, but a red glow around its hilt was preventing her from doing so. Let alone her, even Alnea was not able to move his dagger. Its Glyph Arrays¡­ its connection with his Spirit¡­ it had stopped responding the moment that the Heterodox Wanderer had taken the dagger in his hand.


    In the end, all that Alnea could do was watch helplessly, as his Heart was ripped into pieces. Cecilia, and Yuri¡­ They were his only friends¡­ No, they were more than just friends. They were his Heart. His world. The ones he had taken his Oath for¡­ The ones he loved. How could he watch them be so humiliated? How could let them get hurt? How could he just sit by, and let the Heterodox Wanderer have his way?


    He was Alnea Oathkeeper. The man who always kept his Oaths. It did not matter if her was exhausted. It did not matter if he was not strong enough. As long as he had his Oaths, it was enough.


    ¡°May Goddess Faein bear witness. I, Alnea Oathkeeper, promise that I will always be a true friend to Cecilia Serpia.¡±


    The chains binding his Spirit trembled, and quaked, responding to the call of his Heart. However, just one Oath was not enough.


    ¡°I, Alnea Oathkeeper, am taking an Oath, that I will always be a true friend to Yuri Faed. No matter what kind of difficulty, or crisis she would face, even if it would be against the Gods themselves, as long as she would need my help, and even if she would not need my help, I will always help her, no matter the circumstances.¡±


    Not enough.


    ¡°I, Alnea Oathkeeper, take an Oath that I will bear all the burdens that Yuri Faed has to bear. It does not matter whether it is creating a team, or anything else, as long as it is a burden that she is bearing, I will bear it with her. As long as it is something bothering her, I will help her get rid of it. That is my Oath.¡±


    The resonance was still not enough.


    ¡°I, Alnea Oathkeeper, take an Oath that I will always treat Cecilia Serpia as my teammate. That I will give her the respect she deserves. And that if she does something childish, and selfish, I will remind her, and tell her about it to her face, rather than treating her as a child, thinking of ways to calm her down behind her back. That is my Oath.¡±


    ¡­The resonance was finally enough to cross the barriers of the worlds. To reach the sword stabbing into the Heart of Rules. And to call for its projection. To call forth the sword resting in his Heart. To call forth the ¡®Sword of Oath¡¯. And so, he picked up the sword lying beside him, wrapping it with the same chains that were binding his Spirit, imbuing it with the powers of his Oaths. Years had gone by since he had felt such exhilaration. Such tension. However, he had nothing to fear. For he was Alnea Oathkeeper.

 Chapter 58: Alnea Oathkeeper [Part 2]

    A strange wave spread out from Alnea Oathkeeper. It was not a wave of Oren, or Mysteries. Neither was it a wave of his Aspects. The fluctuations he released¡­ they were entirely different. And they were enough to startle the Heterodox Wanderer. Having already learnt his lesson, the man did not continue to entangle with Yuri, and stepped back to see where the strange fluctuations were coming from. Yet, all he saw was Alnea, with his sword poised to strike. Thinking that he had been tricked once again, the Heterodox Wanderer put on a dissatisfied face, and glared at the boy persistently making trouble for him.


    ¡°¡­Are you feeling energetic so soon?¡± the Heterodox Wanderer said. ¡°I thought that you would stay down for a little longer. Looks like I went a little easy on you.¡±


    Instead of answering the scum, Alnea Oathkeeper looked towards Yuri. She was panting, with blood, and sweat staining her robe, but she refused to show weakness. On the other end, no matter how much it pained her, Cecilia kept struggling to remove the dagger from her thighs. And when she saw him get up, her struggles only increased in intensity¡­ These girls were so silly¡­ But they were silly for him. They were his Heart. His Oaths. And anyone who dared to touch his Oaths¡ª


    The earth itself cracked, and blasted apart from the pressure that Alnea Oathkeeper put on it, as he pushed himself towards the sinner. And for the first time, the Heterodox Wanderer failed to react to his speed. Before he could realise what was happening, a sword was already heading towards his stomach. But he was not afraid. The Nectar of Blood was¡ª


    The ¡®Sword of Oath¡¯ pushed past the barriers of blood, sin, and death, as if it was passing through water, and stabbed into the Heterodox Wanderer¡¯s stomach. And if not for the man retreating in time, then the sword might also have passed through his stomach. Still, even when he withdrew in time, the man could not avoid getting wounded. Not enough to render the man helpless, but enough to make him feel pain. And to consume some of the blood red glow surrounding his body.


    ¡°How did you do it?¡± the Heterodox Wanderer said, with shock, and disbelief written on his face, as the wound on his stomach closed up with a speed visible to naked eyes. ¡°How could you get past the Blood Filed?¡±


    Alnea Oathkeeper stepped forward, and answered the scum with a swing of his sword. Not with his Aspects, or any Martial Styles, but just with the power of his Oaths. With the ¡®Sword of Oath¡¯. And once again, the Heterodox Wanderer failed to react in time, while the Blood Field surrounding his body failed to protect him, leaving another wound on his chest.


    ¡°What are you?¡± the Heterodox Wanderer hissed, rushing into the darkness. Yet, no matter how fast the man was, he could not escape the edge of his Oaths. In the end, with no other option, the man chose to fight against him. However, how could a sinner bear the might of Oaths? How could someone who had never kept his word ever hope to understand the weight of Oaths?


    With the chains of his Oaths wrapped around his body, Alnea Oathkeeper moved faster than the winds, arriving next to the Heterodox Wanderer before he could even urge his Aspects, and added another wound on his body, only for the Wanderer to retreat in a hurry. However, no matter where the Heterodox Wanderer went, Alnea Oathkeeper would arrive next to him in an instant, and leave another wound on his body. And another. And another.


    Soon, the number of wounds on the man¡¯s body reached to a point that even the blood field surrounding him was beginning to show signs of wear. Its defence was already meaningless in front of his Oaths, and in a few moments, it was also going to lose its healing effect. And yet, Alnea Oathkeeper was still not satisfied. The sinner had dared to defy his Heart¡­ The man had dared to toy with his Heart. Even a thousand deaths would not be enough for the man. How could he let man be after just giving him the taste of the appetiser?


    Wielding the sword in his Heart, Alnea Oathkeeper appeared next to the Heterodox Wanderer, and swung down his sword. This time, however, he did not aim for the man¡¯s chest¡¯s, stomach, or legs. Rather, he went for the man¡¯s hands. The same hand which had stabbed Golden Yearning into Cecilia¡¯s thighs.


    In the next moment, the man¡¯s right hand separated from shoulders, and dropped on the ground, along with the man¡¯s blood, and screams. Not even the blood field could heal such a wound. All it could do was stop the blood leaking from his shoulder. The Heterodox Wanderer paled, and cursed, hastily retreating into the darkness. He did not even bother picking his hand up. But how could Alnea Oathkeeper let the man leave so easily?


    ¡°Treat this as your win. I will no longer pursue you, or the girls. Let us end things here, and be on our way. Or neither of us will have good result.¡±


    Pushing against the ground to make it crack around his feet, he rushed into the darkness, and swung his sword at the Heterodox Wanderer once again.


    ¡°Don¡¯t push me too far, kid!¡±


    Slicing through the blood field, Alnea Oathkeeper sent another hand to the ground, while the Heterodox Wanderer fell into hysteria. And rage.


    ¡°You asked for this yourself, you bastard! Don¡¯t think that you have won! I will show you¡ª


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    With another swing of his Oaths, Alnea Oathkeeper severed the man¡¯s left leg, sending the man tumbling down to the ground, finally ending the senseless chase. However, he was still not done with the man.


    ¡°Don¡¯t deceive me too much, brat! Do you think that if you do this, I will cry for mercy? Dream on! You may be able to kill me today, but let me tell you, you have chosen to provoke the wrong person. When Lord Ghost Fire learns of what happened to me, he will surely have my revenge. And then, you will know what true terror is. You will know pain, and suffering. You will know¡ª


    Alnea Oathkeeper reached down to the man, and pulled out his tongue, before severing it with his sword. A tongue that dared to insult Yuri¡­ There was no need for such a tongue to exist. The man though¡­ Suffering such grievous wounds, one after another¡­ if not for his blood field, the man might have already died from blood loss. Even the blood field though, was only able to delay his death. If he lost even more blood¡­


    No, he thought. Death would be a relief to the man. And so, instead of finishing what he had started, Alnea Oathkeeper slipped his sword into the only limb still attached to the man, allowing gravity to pull his sword, and part through the man¡¯s flesh, and bones as if they were water. And once his sword emerged from the other side of the leg, he withdrew the sword just as slowly as it had sunk, before repeating the whole process. From the feet, he slowly made his way up, poking countless holes in the man¡¯s leg. And when¡ª


    ¡°It¡¯s enough, Alnea. There is no need to go through this mindless¡ª


    ¡°Mindless,¡± Alnea Oathkeeper said, turning towards his back. There, in the distance, some twenty or so metres away, he could see Yuri Faed, and Cecilia Serpia making their way towards him. They were both exhausted, and tired. Cecilia was even injured, wrapping one hand around Yuri¡¯s shoulder to support herself, while using the other hand to hold the limp cat to her chest.


    ¡°None of my actions are mindless,¡± Alnea Oathkeeper said, stabbing his sword into the man¡¯s groin with much more force than what gravity could pull. ¡°He dared to think with his groins¡­ It is only right for me to give him his due punishment. Do you not think so?¡±


    ¡°¡­Stop it, Alnea.¡±


    ¡°Stop?¡± Alnea Oathkeeper said, shaking his head, before turning back towards the Heterodox Wanderer, crying in tears of blood. ¡°But I am just beginning.¡±


    Withdrawing his sword from the man¡¯s groin, he poked the man¡¯s eyes one by one, with just enough strength to make him blind, but not kill him by accident.


    ¡°These eyes, which dared to look at you with such vile intentions¡­ there is no need for them to exist.¡±


    ¡°¡­Alnea!¡± Cecilia said, panting, huffing. Just saying that one word took all of her strength. But it garnered his attention. And when he turned towards her, he found her looking at him with concern, and tears in her eyes.


    ¡°Worry not. I have already taken your revenge. The hands which dared to hurt you¡­ I have long severed them.¡±


    ¡°¡­Alnea¡­¡±


    That was all that Cecilia could say. And even what she said came out in a hoarse, and rough tone. As if something had reached deep into her throat, and scratched it with knives. To make her suffer so much¡­


    ¡°I understand,¡± Alnea Oathkeeper said. And for a moment, the girls had a look of relief on their faces. That was until they heard the rest of what he had to say. ¡°Just two hands are not enough to compensate for how much he hurt you. He needs to pay more.¡±


    The girls were still staring at him with wide eyes, when he stabbed his sword at the top of the Heterodox Wanderer¡¯s thighs, before running it down to the end of his feet, splitting the man¡¯s last remaining limb into two equal halves.


    ¡°That ought to compensate for all that he did to you,¡± Alnea Oathkeeper said, nodding to the symphony of pain, and cries escaping the from the blind man¡¯s mouth. ¡°Or do you think it is not enough? Should I¡ª


    ¡°Enough!¡± Yuri said, half in rage, and half in worry. ¡°Get yourself together, Alnea!¡±


    ¡°Get myself together?¡± Alnea Oathkeeper mumbled. ¡°But I am perfectly fine. In fact, I have never been better. Not even before experiencing my first death. The only thing lacking is my power of Oaths¡­ but I can make up for it in time. As for the rest¡­ the Origin Sea¡ª


    ¡°Alnea!¡± Yuri said, biting her lips in frustration. She looked hesitant, worried, and concerned. But what was she worried about?


    ¡°Should you not be happy? We beat three Heterodox Wanderers together. As a team. We¡ª


    ¡°¡­Do not say ¡®we¡¯,¡± Cecilia said from the side, with blood leaking from the edge of her lips. Probably form forcing herself to speak. But she paid no attention to herself. ¡°You are not my¡ªour Alnea.¡±


    ¡°¡­What are you talking about? I am the same Alnea that you met in Anneve. I took so many Oaths for you. I¡ª


    ¡°That is why you can never be our Alnea,¡± Yuri said, shaking her head. ¡°For our Alnea, it is not his Oaths which are important, but the people he took his Oaths for. And he is not so cruel as you are.¡±


    ¡°¡­I am only cruel to those who are cruel to me,¡± Alnea Oathkeeper said. ¡°That is my path. My Clarity. And you know it. You¡ª


    ¡°Killing the Heterodox Wanderer, maybe. Torturing him¡­ that is not the path of the Alnea we know.¡±


    ¡°Fine, do you not just want me to kill him?¡± Alnea Oathkeeper said, shaking his head, before swinging his sword on the Heterodox Wanderer¡¯s neck, separating his head from his body. ¡°Are you happy? Now, can we go back to being normal? I am tired¡ª


    ¡°¡­I thought that becoming an Intermediate Stage False Wanderer would delay your curse, but it looks like the curse has only become worse.¡±


    ¡°¡­Your imagining things. I am perfectly fine.¡±


    ¡°¡­Since you are not willing to return our Alnea to us, then I will have to take him back on my own.¡±


    ¡°¡­I think you have misunderstood something. I¡ª


    Alnea Oathkeeper felt a sting from his left hand, as if something was burning his fingers. The sting was so intense that he was forced to look down towards his hand. All he saw though, was the black ring adorning his finger of fate glowing with a white light, bright enough to burn his eyes. And the more he looked at the ring, the brighter it glowed, until the entire world was drowned out by a white light, leaving just him, and a strange, eerie voice.


    ¡°¡­It is time that you came, Son of Chaos.¡±

 Chapter 58: Alnea Oathkeeper [Part 3]

    ¡°¡­Son of Chaos,¡± Alnea Oathkeeper mumbled, before looking down towards the ring on his hand. Towards the source of the voice in his head, pulsating between black, and white lights. ¡°What a familiar term. The strange woman also called me by that name. But she never told me what it meant. Do you have my answers, Seed of Fate?¡±


    ¡°¡­You ae different from the last time we met.¡±


    ¡°I am just not as ignorant.¡±


    ¡°¡­Your Spirit is the same. But you feel like a completely different person.¡±


    ¡°¡­It is just your misconception. I am the same person. It is just that the parts of me which were suppressed before are now starting to awaken.¡±


    ¡°¡­I have seen many weird things by mother¡¯s side, but I have never seen anything as strange as you.¡±


    ¡°Your mother¡­ The Lady of Fate, is it? Should I say I am flattered then?¡±


    ¡°¡­You know quite a few things.¡±


    ¡°¡­Barely. I was just given a brief introduction of the Origin Sea before¡­ In any case, you can think of me as a unique case. A product of chance happenstance, just like the Lady of Luck herself.¡±


    ¡°¡­I am starting to understand a little of why mother chose you back then.¡±


    ¡°¡­Did the Lady of Fate foresaw of my arrival? Or did the transfer take longer than an entire Age?¡±


    ¡°¡­But you have yet to gain my approval, Son of Chaos.¡±


    ¡°¡­Do you think I need your approval?¡± Alnea Oathkeeper said, smiling at the ring in amusement. ¡°I have lived an entire life seeking approval of others¡­ This time, I am going to live my own life. Just the fact that you said such abhorrent words to me is already enough for me to sever our relationship. The only reason I am tolerating you is because of Yuri, and how much you mean to her. So, just shut up, and go back to sleep. I have quite a lot of things to catch up to.¡±


    ¡°¡­Do you know the consequences of insulting me, Oathkeeper?¡±


    ¡°Oh? Are you finally willing to address me for who I am? Good, then let us talk as equals. Tell me, what consequences you are talking about, and why you have brought me here.¡±


    ¡°¡­I have not brought you here, boy. But it looks like I need to teach you a lesson. Or else, you will not know the folly of provoking someone whom you cannot afford to provoke.¡±


    ¡°¡­When you have faced death, there is nothing you are truly afraid of. Besides, can you even do anything to me? You are nothing, but just a Seed of Fate. I admit that you may have exceptional powers, the kind of which I have never seen, but without anyone to use those powers, what can you do against me? Nothing.¡±


    ¡°Who said I will do anything against you?¡± the ring said in a smug tone. ¡°Like you said, I cannot do anything unless and until you use me. Then tell me, Oathkeeper, how were you brought into this Mirror World in the first place?¡±


    ¡°¡­Mirror world,¡± Alnea mumbled, caressing the ring on his finger. ¡°Is this your new function? A world which mirrors everything about me?¡±


    ¡°Not just you,¡± a voice rang out in the white world, bringing Alnea¡¯s attention to its owner, standing behind him. ¡°The Rings of Fate were a pair in the first place. Whatever function they have, it works for the both of us.¡±


    ¡°¡­Then you should have understood by now. Since only the owners of the Rings of Fate can come to this world, I am the real Alnea.¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Yuri said, shaking her head. ¡°You are not my Alnea¡­ You are just the memories of Alnea Oathkeeper of the world of Attuners. And for some reason, you are now dominating his body.¡±


    ¡°¡­Tell me, Yuri. Did I treat you badly? Or did I say anything mean to you? I even took revenge for you¡­ Why are you not trusting me?¡±


    ¡°¡­Because you are not my Alnea.¡±


    ¡°¡­I am still your Alnea. Rather, I am the better version of your Alnea.¡±


    ¡°You are not my Alnea.¡±


    ¡°¡­Did you not wish to change the fate of your clan? I can help you¡ª


    ¡°The only one who is allowed to help me is the Alnea who made a promise with me. Not some bunch of memories occupying his body.¡±


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    ¡°Him?¡± Alnea Oathkeeper said with a sneer. ¡°A boy well past the age of his weaning crying for every little thing¡­ He will help you? He cannot even help himself. The curse is going to come looking for him very soon. And if he does not have my help, then no one in the world will be able to save him. Not even his master. And you want him to help you save your clan?¡±


    Alnea Oathkeeper shook his head with a laugh.


    ¡°Stop joking around, Yuri. You know that only I can help you save your clan. Is it not just changing some fate? I have already changed my fate twice. And I have even changed the fate of the girl I once loved¡­ There is nothing too hard about it. As for your clan¡­ I have thirteen different ways to help you. And that is what I came up with just now. If you just let me help you¡ª


    ¡°If there is anything that I have learnt over the years I have spent traveling the world, it is that if I want something, then I have to fight for it myself. It does not matter if Alnea cannot help me with my clan. I can fight against fate by myself. Besides, my relationship with Alnea¡­ it is not just about us helping each other. It is something much more pure, and sacred. The memories that we have made, the bond that we share¡ª


    ¡°Is it not just love? Why are you saying it in such a roundabout way?¡± Alnea Oathkeeper said, looking at Yuri in amusement. ¡°You do know that we are technically the same person, right? Everything he feels, I feel the same. Including the love that we have for you. However, he is a little too greedy. Not only does he love you, but he also loves Cecilia. He still does not understand what his feelings are, but I know them. I have felt them. And I can say for certain that he does not want to give up on either of you. Do you not think that he is a bit too selfish?¡±


    ¡°Your trickeries are not going to work on me.¡±


    ¡°I am not trying to trick you,¡± Alnea Oathkeeper said, smiling helplessly at Yuri. ¡°I am just saying the truth. He is indeed a little too selfish. But I am different. I have loved, and lost that love before it could ever be fulfilled. I know what the pain of love feels like. And I also know how much pain you will have to suffer if you share him with others. Would it not be better if you have me all to yourself? I am still the same Alnea, and my love for you is even greater than his. I will give you what he never can, Yuri. I¡ª


    ¡°Do not speak my name like you know me,¡± Yuri said, looking at him with disgust. As if just hearing him say her name was making her skin crawl. And the more she looked at him with such disgust, the more his Heart ached. He did not let his emotions show on his face though. After all, he had a whole life¡¯s experience of hiding his Heart.


    ¡°¡­Fine. This will make things much easier for me. After all, living for love is also akin to living for others. And I wish to live only for myself.¡±


    ¡°I do not care for what you wish. Just return my Alnea to me.¡±


    ¡°¡­I am sorry to disappoint you, but I cannot help you fulfil your wish.¡±


    ¡°¡­Do not force me.¡±


    ¡°¡­I truly cannot do anything,¡± Alnea Oathkeeper said, shrugging his shoulders with a smile, while hiding the ache in his Heart. ¡°That cry baby became desperate after he saw you and Cecilia getting hurt. That desperation triggered a resonance with his Roots. And it is through those resonance that I surfaced from the depths of his Spirit.


    ¡°It should have been fine if he maintained that resonance for only a few moments, but he went too far. The power of Oaths¡­ It is not something a cry baby like him can handle. For now, you can say that we have exchanged places. He is sleeping at the depths of our Spirit, while I am taking charge of our body. If you want him back, then you can only wait for him to wake up on his own.¡±


    ¡°¡­How long will I have to wait?¡±


    ¡°An hour? A day? A year? A century? How would I know?¡±


    ¡°¡­Is he sleeping just because he could not bear the resonance with his Roots?¡±


    ¡°Just? I do not know much about the concept of Roots, but I can assure that it was anything but just.¡±


    ¡°¡­I know what resonating with our Roots signify,¡± Yuri said, staring at Alnea Oathkeeper with a solemn face. ¡°Just answer my question. Is he sleeping because he could not bear the resonance of his Roots?¡±


    ¡°¡­He truly is blessed by the Lady of Luck to have someone like you worry for him,¡± Alnea Oathkeeper said, with a tinge of envy in his voice, as he nodded in response to Yuri¡¯s question.


    ¡°Then as long as I can negate the side effect of that resonance, will he wake up?¡±


    ¡°¡­Do you understand what you are saying?¡±


    ¡°I know what I am saying. Just answer my question.¡±


    ¡°¡­It will be too dangerous.¡±


    ¡°¡­It looks like you have guessed what I am going to do. This saves me some trouble. Just tell me, will he wake up or not?¡±


    ¡°¡­He did not just resonate with his Roots, he resonated with the concept of Oaths themselves. You will not be able to bear the consequences.¡±


    ¡°Stop worrying about me, and just answer my question.¡±


    ¡°¡­Is it worth it?¡±


    ¡°¡­Was it worth it for you?¡±


    ¡°¡­You may die.¡±


    ¡°And you have already died.¡±


    ¡°That is why I am trying to stop you.¡±


    ¡°And yet you know that you cannot stop me.¡±


    ¡°¡­You call him a fool, but you are no less of a fool yourself,¡± Alnea Oathkeeper said, with helplessness, and despair. ¡°But I guess that makes you two more suitable for each other.¡±


    ¡°¡­I am sorry for what happened to you, but I cannot give you my Alnea.¡±


    ¡°¡­I understand.¡±


    Alnea Oathkeeper closed his eyes for a few moments, thinking, contemplating, before finally opening them, and looking back at Yuri.


    ¡°There is a chance¡­ but if you die, he dies.¡±


    ¡°¡­Then I will just have to make sure that I do not die.¡±


    ¡°¡­It has been ages since I stopped believing in Gods. But tonight, let me make one last prayer. May Goddess Ilea¡¯s blessing be with you, Yuri Faed. Go, and bring back your Alnea.¡±


    ¡°¡­Thank you,¡± Yuri said, before closing her eyes, and Turning Fate.

 Chapter 59: Defiant memories [Part 1]

    Changing fate was not easy. A conclusion that Yuri had come to after spending years searching for Alnea. If not for the Rings of Fate, she might never have found him. And even with the Rings of Fate, she could not change his fate. At least not yet. With the control she had over the Divine Treasure, the only thing she could do was turn his fate, and help him avoid a disaster. To a certain extent though, being suppressed in the depths of his Spirit could also be considered as a disaster. Resonating with his Roots¡­


    She should have guessed it earlier, Yuri thought. Given his obsession with Oaths, it was only a matter of time for him to resonate with his Roots. And she had seen it happen a couple of times herself. Like when the time Aunt Ciena had absolved him of the promise he had made with her. Or when the time he had killed the Twin Tailed Python Tiger. But duration of his resonance had always been short, lasting for only a couple of moments. And it was not like resonating with his Roots was necessarily a bad thing for him.


    Wanderers, be it Heterodox, Orthodox, weak, or strong, if they wished to break through to a higher Rank, they must achieve a certain resonance with their Roots. It was something that most of the Wanderers knew. Or at least, those who were on cusp of breaking through to the next Rank knew of such matters. For Wanderers like her, and Alnea, who had not even reached the Peak Stage of the False Rank, such things were not very important.


    It was only because she had been building her foundations for nearly a decade, that Yuri knew of such secrets. Alnea though, had just begun his journey. There was much for him to learn. Secrets like resonance of Roots¡­ they could be left for later, for when the time was right, or so big sis Nyssa had thought. After all, even if he resonated with his Roots, what was the worst that could happen? Or so they thought. They should have known better. Curse of fate¡­


    Before Yuri could fall further into the trap of blaming herself for her carelessness, a burning sensation on her finger brough her attention back to the Ring of Fate. Turning Fate¡­ What kind of price would she have to pay? Experiencing resonance with her Roots? Or being supressed to the depths of her Spirit? She did not know. But whatever it was, it was not going to be easy. The¡ª


    Fate. It was one of the oldest concepts of the Origin Sea. One older than Faein herself. Rather, Fate existed even before the Origin Sea. And after the Origin Sea came to be, it became one of the central rules directing the fate of all those that existed within its bounds, even the inanimate. To change fate¡­ It would be akin to going against the Origin Sea itself. However, it was not as if there were no recourse to changing fate. Deep within the Origin Sea, in the depths where no one has ever been, there was¡ª


    Death. A concept that spelled the end of not just all things alive, but even of things that were inanimate. After all, everything had to come to an end. Even Fate. Nothing could escape that fate. Not even death itself. And no could bear the death for someone else either. Yet, the failure of changing fate was to experience the fate that she could not change. To experience Death. To become¡ª


    Night. Darker than death, but softer than Life. Night existed, because there was Day. And yet, if there was no day, then the only thing left would be night. Even without Time, as long as there was Life, there would be Night. Because everyone had a Night within their Heart. A night to cower, a night to cry, a night to love, and a night to remember. To change Fate, one must first change Night itself. And if one failed to change Night, then¡ª


    An empty loneliness, filled with despair and loneliness gripped Yuri¡¯s Heart. It was not the loneliness from the price of her Roots, but it was something similar. Something much more melancholic, with a hint of fatality. Resonating with a hint of the concept of Fate, she could understand how hard it would be to change fate. And even if she succeeded, so what? Would the dead come back alive? Or would it stop the living from dying? In the end, everyone had to die anyway. The only difference was time¡­


    Instead of wasting her time, would it not be better if she just gave up, and enjoyed her life? Would it not be better, if she enjoyed love, and peace? To settle down away from all the wars, and battles¡­ from all the conspiracies. Alnea did not like such complicated things anyway. It would be best if they settled down in some remote corner of the world, and wait for their death¡­


    She was Yuri Faed. Daughter of Karst, and Yana Faed. And she bore the responsibility to continue her father¡¯s legacy. She bore the responsibility to fight for the fate of countless people. Most important of all though, she bore the responsibility to wake up Alnea. No, not responsibility¡­ But a promise. She was going to help him become the greatest Wanderer¡­ the first Origin Wanderer¡­


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    He had just begun his journey. There were so many things that he did not know. So many places that he had not been to. And so many things that he had yet to do¡­ The fool¡­ He was always so reckless¡­ But he was her fool. Oath, or not, she was not going to let some stupid memories take him away from her. Neither was she going to let some Oronir cursed fate come in between them.


    As for the concepts trying to consume her¡­ they were nothing in front of her desire to be with Alnea. It might be a little embarrassing to admit it so openly, but she had long gained a Clarity of her Heart. She knew her thoughts best. And she could no longer deceive herself. Especially after what the memories of the other Alnea had said¡­


    To share him with others, even if the other person was Cecilia¡­ Would it not be better if she just left things as they were, and joined him in the depths of his Spirit? He would be all hers then. She would not have to share him with even big sis Nyssa¡­ But was that really what she wanted? Was that really the Alnea she loved?


    No, Yuri told herself. The Alnea she loved was the boy who dared to stake his life for her. For the people he loved. The man, who dared to set his goals higher than anyone else in the world. To take all those things away from him, and keep him to herself, confined in a dark, and empty world, all so she could have him just to herself¡­ That would be beyond cruel. It would not only kill the boy she loved, but it would also kill his love for her¡­


    That was the one she could never allow to happen. So, even if it meant fighting against the entire Origin Sea, Yuri still forced herself to remain sane. She could not fall. If not herself, then for the boy she loved. For their love¡­


    Fate. The Origin Sea said that it was river of possibilities, that may, or may not happen. But what if all the possibilities led to the same end? What kind of river would it be? It would be a river of Death. Of Night. It would be a river of despair. And to go against fate, she had to wade in the river of despair. She had fight against despair. And if she failed to go against the current, then all that would be awaiting her would be a bed of regrets. Not just of herself, but of all those who had failed to go against the current¡­


    Yet, it was not the regrets, and despair that frightened her, but the thought that she might never be able to meet her love again. Of never being able to talk to him again¡­ What was so scary about despair anyway? She had been living with despair from the day she had set out on her path. And laying her Roots had made her even more acquainted with despair. The same was true for regrets. It was only the thought of never being able to see him again which made her hesitate¡­


    Not in her actions though. Even when she was bogged down by loneliness, she did not regret her actions, resisting against the resonance of her Roots once again. Such strong resonance¡­ was this what he had to face? But he had yet to gain his Clarity! How had he managed to stop himself from being devoured by the Origin Sea?


    The more Yuri thought about Alnea, the more worried she became, until all that remained in her mind was worries. Would she be able to save him? What if there were more Heterodox Wanderers hiding in the darkness of the canyon? And why had big sis Nyssa not come yet? Alnea was already in such a desperate situation¡­ what was she doing? Was she stopped by more Heterodox Wanderers? Was she hurt? Would she be able to make it in time? Or would she, and Alnea¡­


    It did not matter if big sis Nyssa were to come or not. She was Yuri Faed. And she could save the man she loved by herself. Still, the resonance was beginning to get tricky¡­ And she was starting to feel that just experiencing a resonance with her Roots was not enough to pull Alnea out from the depths of his Spirit. After all, compared to the price that Alnea had paid when he had turned her fate, she was paying practically nothing.


    For the moment though, all that she could do was bear through all the different feelings that her Roots were making her go through, while controlling her emotions, and tackling her insecurities, hoping that she would get to meet Alnea as soon as possible. The more hurried she felt though, the slower the time went, testing her to her limits. Meanwhile, her Roots kept testing her, as if considering whether or not she was worthy enough to wield their powers.


    Finally, when Yuri was just about to run out of her patience, the strange feelings began fading away, leaving just a melancholic feeling within her Heart. Sort of a reward for bearing through the resonance of her Roots. But she did not have the time to bother about the reward at the moment. For the moment that strange feeling faded away, she found herself surrounded by giant, glowing spheres.


    They were giant only for her though. In comparison to the void that they were floating in, they seemed like tiny reefs, getting battered by the waves of emptiness. And in midst of that emptiness, a boy, curled up within himself, drifting along with the waves of loneliness, was watching intently at the spheres surrounding him, displaying snippets of the life of a boy named Alnea Oathkeeper.

 Chapter 59: Defiant memories [Part 2]

    ¡°What are Oaths, mom?¡± Ernith said, tagging along with his mother, as she went about in the kitchen, preparing their dinner.


    ¡°Oaths¡­ They are promises, Ernith.¡±


    ¡°Promises,¡± Ernith mumbled. ¡°Are promises good, mom?¡±


    ¡°It depends,¡± his mother said, putting down the knife, and looking at him with an amused smile. ¡°Why? Do you want to make a promise with me?¡±


    Alnea nodded after some hesitation, wishing to experience the magic of Oaths.


    ¡°Alright then, promise me that you will stop making trouble, and finish all of your food.¡±


    ¡°¡­But the gourds are so bitter.¡±


    ¡°If I was to ask you to do something you liked, then there would be no need for a promise.¡±


    ¡°¡­But the gourds¡­¡±


    ¡°It is precisely because you don¡¯t like the gourds, that I need you to promise me.¡±


    ¡°¡­I don¡¯t like promises,¡± Ernith said, and ran away from his scary mother. Gourds¡­ Promises were harder to keep than he had thought. He could understand then, why his father had failed to fulfil his promises¡­ Or why he was about to fail his Oaths¡­ Yuri¡­ Cecilia¡­


    As he began thinking about the girls, the world, with Ernith, and his mother, shattered like a mirror, breaking into dozens of pieces, before those pieces faded away into the empty void, leaving behind just a broken Alnea, drifting in between the worlds of his memories. They were like bubbles, round islands of warmth, and peace, in the cold, and empty void. And every time that an island broke, the cold got stronger¡­


    ¡°¡­I saw him again, mom.¡±


    ¡°¡­The one who told you about promises?¡±


    ¡°He did not tell me anything¡­ I just saw him¡­¡±


    ¡°In your dreams?¡±


    ¡°¡­Yes.¡±


    ¡°¡­Dreams are called as dreams because they are not real, Ernith.¡±


    ¡°But he is real!¡±


    ¡°Right,¡± his mother said, chuckling at his words, before pinching his cheeks. ¡°What did he say this time then?¡±


    ¡°¡­Forget it,¡± Ernith said, and ran away from his mother¡­ from the memory¡­ just as another island, another sphere burst apart into tiny fragments, merging into the boundless emptiness. Into the¡ª


    ¡°So, this is where you have been?¡±


    All his thoughts came to a still, as Alnea looked around himself, searching for the source of voice ringing in his head. He found none. But the voice did not stop.


    ¡°I must say, you were cuter when you were a kid.¡±


    ¡°¡­Yuri?¡±


    ¡°It looks you remember me, after all.¡±


    ¡°¡­I¡ª


    ¡°Save your excuses for later. Right now, I am here for only one thing. To bring you back.¡±


    ¡°¡­The Heterodox Wanderer¡­¡±


    ¡°He is dead,¡± Yuri said. After some silence, she added, ¡°We can discuss those things later. Now, are you coming with me, or do I have to drag you out?¡±


    ¡°¡­I don¡¯t know how to leave¡­ I don¡¯t know how I even got here in the first place¡­¡±


    ¡°You do not have to worry about anything. Just get ready to fight back against your memories.¡±


    ¡°¡­Why would I have to fight my memories?¡±


    ¡°Do you know where you are?¡±


    ¡°¡­No.¡±


    ¡°This place¡­ you can think of it as the depths of your Spirit. A place which stores all your memories. Even those which you do not remember¡­ And to ensure that no memories get lost, it restricts them from leaving this place. Normally, you should not have strayed in here¡­ In any case, right now, you are also being treated as one of the memories. And the other memories will naturally not let you leave this place on your own. They will either try to cling to you, or force you into staying here. But you cannot let either of those things happen. Do you understand?¡±


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    ¡°¡­This feels so strange.¡±


    ¡°And whose fault do you think it is?¡±


    ¡°But¡ª


    ¡°Forget it. Just be ready to fight back against your memories, and leave everything else to me.¡±


    ¡°¡­Okay,¡± Alnea said, preparing himself to face a barrage of memories. Instead, all he got was silence. Dark, and empty silence. Just as he was about to call her again, a strange force descended in the void, and wrapped around him, trying to bring him away from the world of his memories. However, as Yuri had said, the world itself did not approve of his leave.


    The void itself began trembling, distorting the islands of memories. But the islands did not resist. Rather, they went along with the demands of the void, morphing into some unrecognisable shapes. The more that the strange force pulled on him, the more the void boiled, the more distorted the islands became, before they finally began converging on him.


    ¡°¡­Yuri?¡± Alnea called, wondering if things were going as planned. Before he could get a reply from her though, the distorted islands of memories were already upon him, dragging him into¡ª


    ¡°Yuri,¡± the white haired girl said with a smile. ¡°Since you are Cecilia¡¯s friend, you are my friend as well. I can call you a friend, right, Alnea?¡±


    ¡°I am Yuri Faed, an heiress of the Faed clan.¡±


    ¡°I know that this is asking too much of you¡­ But you are my only hope, Alnea. Only you can save my clan¡­¡±


    ¡°Alnea Oathkeeper, let me take you Wandering into the Origin Sea.¡±


    ¡°You are missing something very interesting right now, Alnea.¡±


    ¡°¡­It looks like the Origin Sea doesn¡¯t want our Wandering to end¡­¡±


    ¡°Now, we wait. And hope¡­¡±


    ¡°...Maybe there might really be another way to save me¡­¡±


    ¡°...Don¡¯t you know that sometimes it is better to act ignorant, even if you know everything? Especially so when it concerns a girl?¡±


    ¡°Because I don¡¯t want to let you see me getting devoured by the Origin Sea.¡±


    ¡°Is this from the Mystery? No¡­ This is from the ring¡­¡±


    ¡°What did you do, Alnea?¡±


    ¡°Why aren¡¯t you saying anything, Alnea?¡±


    ¡°Are you alright?¡±


    ¡°Alnea!¡±


    ¡°...It is still not enough.¡±


    ¡°This is it. The end.¡±


    ¡°...I wish that I had gathered my courage earlier and met you sooner.¡±


    ¡°Goodbye, my friend¡­¡±


    Alnea bit his lips to force himself awake, to tear himself away from the jumble of memories trying to drag him to the depths of despair. He knew that whatever he saw were just memories. Yet, reliving those memories, he could not help following their tempo. Especially since the memories¡ª


    ¡°My name is Cecilia. What is yours?¡±


    ¡°Alnea? You are not the one who lost his consciousness at the Origin Altar?¡±


    ¡°¡­let us settle for acquaintance for now. But I am sure that soon, we will be much more than just acquaintances.¡±


    ¡°Not everyone in the world is as scheming and deceptive as you think. And neither are all reasons for helping other people as sinister as you have experienced. See you next week, Alnea. And I really hope that we can be friends.¡±


    ¡°Girls do not like stingy boys.¡±


    ¡°How about I find a way to help you gain the foundations of the three paths?¡±


    ¡°I told you, did I not? I want to become your friend.¡±


    ¡°May Goddess Faein bear witness. I, Cecilia Serpia, promise that I will always be a true friend to Alnea.¡±


    ¡°What, are you not happy to see me?¡±


    ¡°Are you afraid?¡±


    ¡°Come, let me show you why the Serpians are called the best Warriors of the Fifth Sector in the Lightning Region.¡±


    ¡°I am fine. Nothing happened to me. So, you can stop crying.¡±


    ¡°You liked my surprise so much?¡±


    ¡°The sleeping beauty is finally awake.¡±


    ¡°Stay still. I need to focus. This is my first time cutting someone¡¯s hair. What if I cut your ears, or eyes by mistake?¡±


    ¡°Still have not had enough of a look yet?¡±


    ¡°...Your Oath¡­ I will help you complete it. I will not let them take you away from us, do you understand?¡±


    ¡°Now, go up there, and show them what Cecilia Serpia¡¯s friend can do.¡±


    ¡°Let go of me, Serena! I swear I am going to kick that bastard¡¯s smug face! Damn old bastard!¡±


    ¡°Damn it, Serena, if you cannot save him, then let go of me! I will save him myself.¡±


    ¡°No! What are you doing Serena? I promised Alnea to be with him, and keep him safe. I am not going without him.¡±


    ¡°I am not going anywhere without Alnea!¡±


    Images of Cecilia being held by the Heterodox Wanderers kept flashing in his mind, pushing Alnea from the precipice of giddiness, directly into the depths of despair. It was only through his sheer will, and the Serenity of his Heart that he managed to pull himself out of the darkness. When he opened his eyes though, what awaited him were even more memories. Some of his mother. Some of big sis Serena. And some of his master. Memories that pulled him to the peak of pride, and satisfaction, before¡ª


    Alnea took a deep breath. There was no need to do so. He was in the vault of his memories, after all. At the moment, he too was just like his memories¡­ An intangible mark in the depths of his Spirit. Still, taking a deep breath helped him calm himself. The memories¡­ They had given him a hard time at first. As he got used to them though, they did not seem like too much of a threat. All they did was make him go through an upheaval of emotions. As long as he could control his emotions¡­


    Slowly, but surely, Alnea was beginning to edge out over his memories. They kept trying to drag him back into the darkness, but he had already seen the light. How could he let himself fall into the traps of his memories then? How could he let himself be locked away from the people he loved? How could he let himself be away from Yuri, and Cecilia?


    The void boiled, stretching out its tendrils to bind him, to invite him back into its peaceful depths, but Alnea refused. The void, of course, did not take his rejection kindly, and lashed out against him, whipping him with its tendrils, leaving wounds of memories on his very core. Still, he held on. He kept fighting, and fighting, and fighting, until he finally saw the girl he had been waiting for.

 Chapter 60: Return [Part 1]

    The moment that Yuri saw Alnea floating amongst the reefs of his memories, she knew where he was. And she also knew what she had to do to save him. Not because she was omniscient. But because that was what her ring told her. She had, after all, already paid the price to Turn his fate. It was only right for the ring to complete its end of the deal.


    ¡°¡­He is trapped in the vault of his memories,¡± the ring said. ¡°If you forcefully break in here, then you might kill him.¡±


    ¡°Then¡­¡±


    ¡°We are using your bond to project your consciousness in this place, but that is the limit. He is too frail¡­ He cannot even see you¡­ Right now, only he can save himself.¡±


    ¡°¡­Is there no way I can help him?¡±


    ¡°...You can tell him what he has to do in order to escape this place. That is the right you have gained by Turning his Fate. As for the rest, it depends on himself.¡±


    ¡°¡­Fight his memories, right?¡±


    ¡°Fighting his memories comes second. First, you need to instil an urge to leave this place within his Heart. Remember though, he needs to have an absolute belief that he can escape this place. Or else, when he is fighting his memories, the despair he will feel might sap his will. Not even changing his fate would be of any help then.¡±


    ¡°¡­Fine. I understand,¡± Yuri mumbled, before reaching out to her fool with the bond they had. ¡°So, this is where you have been?¡±


    Watching his frantic reactions, she could not help but smile to herself. Especially when she compared him to the boy in the memories he was watching.


    ¡°I must say, you were cuter when you were a kid.¡±


    ¡°¡­Yuri?¡±


    ¡°It looks you remember me, after all,¡± Yuri said, unable to restrain herself from teasing him once again. Still, she did not forget what she had come for.


    ¡°¡­I¡ª


    ¡°Save your excuses for later. Right now, I am here for only one thing. To bring you back.¡±


    ¡°¡­The Heterodox Wanderer¡­¡±


    ¡°He is dead,¡± Yuri said, thinking about how she could make him have an absolute belief that he could escape the vault of his memories. The fool was still stuck on the Heterodox Wanderer. If he faced some despairing memories, then he really might just decide not to leave. That was how stupid he was. Not to mention the reckless running in his veins¡­ There was not a single day when she would not be worried about him. For some reasons though, she did not hate that feeling.


    ¡°We can discuss those things later. Now, are you coming with me, or do I have to drag you out?¡±


    ¡°¡­I don¡¯t know how to leave¡­ I don¡¯t know how I even got here in the first place¡­¡±


    As she had expected¡­ The fight with the Heterodox Wanderer had hurt his self confidence quite a bit. To expect him to have an absolute confidence in himself¡­ Since that was not possible, then she could only rely on other methods.


    ¡°You do not have to worry about anything. Just get ready to fight back against your memories.¡±


    ¡°¡­Why would I have to fight my memories?¡±


    ¡°Do you know where you are?¡±


    ¡°¡­No.¡±


    ¡°This place¡­ you can think of it as the depths of your Spirit. A place which stores all your memories. Even those which you do not remember¡­ And to ensure that no memories get lost, it restricts them from leaving this place. Normally, you should not have strayed in here¡­ In any case, right now, you are also being treated as one of the memories. And the other memories will naturally not let you leave this place on your own. They will either try to cling to you, or force you into staying here. But you cannot let either of those things happen. Do you understand?¡±


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    ¡°¡­This feels so strange.¡±


    ¡°And whose fault do you think it is?¡±


    ¡°But¡ª


    ¡°Forget it. Just be ready to fight back against your memories, and leave everything else to me.¡±


    ¡°¡­Okay.¡±


    Deceiving him did not feel good. But it was necessary. And soon, it also proved to be the correct decision. As the void and around him, and his memories kept pouncing on him, they kept playing with his emotions. They made him smile, they made him frown, and they made him cry, all in a fraction of a moment. And yet, he held firm in his belief. The reckless fool¡­ She knew that he trusted her. But to see it in action, especially when his trust in her was saving his life¡­ Was she falling for him even more than before?


    Maybe she was. Did it really matter though? She loved him. And she knew that he loved her, even if he was too stupid to realise it. If nothing else, just the smile he had on his face, as he opened his eyes in the Mirror World, and looked at her, was enough to tell her how much she meant for him.


    ¡°Yuri!¡± Alnea said, with surprise, joy, guilt, and relief. Disregarding everything else, he rushed towards her, and took her in a hug. ¡°I am so glad that you are fine!¡±


    ¡°¡­Fool,¡± Yuri mumbled, suppressing her blush, as she gently caressed his back. ¡°What would happen to me? You were the one who was in danger in the first place.¡±


    ¡°¡­But the Heterodox Wanderer¡­¡± Alnea withdrew from the hug, as he bit his lips, with shame, and guilt flashing in his eyes. ¡°¡­I am sorry I could not save you¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­Do you not remember what happened?¡±


    ¡°¡­The last thing I can recall is you being overwhelmed by the Heterodox Wanderer, and Cecilia lying on the ground, struggling to remove my dagger from her thighs¡­ while I was thinking about my Oath. Then everything went blank, and I was in the world of my memories¡­ What really happened to me? And how did the Heterodox Wanderer die? Did master come to save us?¡±


    ¡°¡­We will discuss these things later. For now, let us go back. Cecilia must be worried sick about you.¡±


    ¡°Cecilia,¡± Alnea mumbled, before focussing on the other thing that Yuri had said. On second thought, the world did look a little brighter than he had expected it to be. And it was so silent¡­ With a little confusion, he finally shifted his attention away from Yuri, and took a look around himself. What he saw though, let him speechless.


    There were no rocks, or Oren Beasts. Neither were they any winds, or walls trapping him within a canyon. There was no darkness either. For as far as he could see, there was only white. A plain, and simple wide that stretched further than even the horizons. Yet, the concept of horizon itself was meaningless in the world he was in. Because there were no directions in the first place. There was no left, right, up, and down. There were no skies, and ground. Naturally, there were no horizons either. Just a simple, and plain white that stretched endlessly, beyond his imaginations.


    ¡°¡­Have we not left the world of memories yet?¡±


    ¡°¡­Do you have a memory of a place as weird as this?¡±


    ¡°¡­Then where are we?¡±


    ¡°Won¡¯t you know once you ask your ring?¡±


    ¡°Ring?¡± Alnea said, staring at Yuri in confusion, before finally understanding what she was implying. ¡°Are you saying that we finally unlocked the next function of the ring?¡±


    ¡°Just check it for yourself.¡±


    Alnea did not need to be told twice. Without any hesitation, he concentrated on his ring, trying to¡ª


    ¡°Now you know how to run to me?¡±


    ¡°¡­What are you talking about?¡±


    ¡°¡­Just because you do not remember the things you said to me does not mean that I will forgive you,¡± the ring said in an arrogant, and condescending tone, as if expecting an apology. But its strange, and sudden words only made him more confused.


    ¡°¡­What did I say to you?¡± Alnea said, trying to understand what the ring was saying. Before the ring could clear his confusion though, Yuri stepped in, urging him to go back.


    ¡°You can talk with your ring later. Cecilia is already tired, and injured as it is. Let us not make her wait any longer.¡±


    Alnea felt that there was something wrong with the situation, but he could not point it out. And if Cecilia was waiting for him, then he really could not make her wait for long. Nodding in acquiescence, he said, ¡°How do we get out of here then?¡±


    ¡°Just close your eyes, and imagine yourself exiting from a mirror.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s it?¡±


    ¡°What else did you expect? Launching an Arcana? Divine Treasures are called as such for a reason. Now, stop dawdling, and let¡¯s go back.¡±


    ¡°¡­Okay.¡±


    Closing his eyes, Alnea imagined himself walking out of a mirror. Nothing happened. He tried again, but he still felt no changes. After a few moments, when he felt like he was just wasting his time, he opened his eyes to consult with Yuri once again, only to see the smiling faces of the girls. Of his Heart.

 Chapter 60: Return [Part 2]

    Blood rushed to his face, as all sorts of thoughts flashed in his mind. Normally, Alnea would have used his Aspects to mask his emotions. At the moment though, tired, and exhausted, he did not have enough Spirit Power to even enter his Spirit State, let alone hide his embarrassment. Awkwardly scratching his head, he could only flash his smile, and say, ¡°Sorry for worrying you.¡±


    ¡°Idiot,¡± Cecilia said, in a hoarse, and heavy voice, filled with complaints, and relief. Hearing the voice that she had been waiting for, she finally could not stop herself from relaxing. But relaxing also meant giving up against the pull of the ground. Sore, and tired as her body was, even moving a little was enough to send pangs of pain through her veins. Falling on her butt¡­ Strong willed as she was, she still could not stop her emotions from leaking to her face.


    ¡°Are you alright?¡± Alnea said, hurrying to Cecilia¡¯s side, but Yuri was faster. She quickly kneeled beside Cecilia, and checked her pulse, and breathing.


    ¡°Geez, I am fine. Stop worrying about me.¡±


    ¡°Shut up,¡± Yuri said, before checking the wound on Cecilia¡¯s thighs. It was also then, that his attention was drawn towards the wound. Cecilia had tied it off with a torn strip from her sleeves, but it was still bleeding a little.


    ¡°¡­I am sorry.¡±


    ¡°What are you apologising for?¡± Cecilia said, shaking her head. ¡°Injuries are bound to happen in fights. And considering the enemies we were fighting, I think that we got off easy.¡±


    ¡°¡­We need to heal your wound.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine. It¡¯s just a small scratch. It will go away on its own.¡±


    ¡°¡­Stop boasting,¡± Alnea said, before turning towards Yuri. ¡°Should we call master?¡±


    ¡°No need,¡± a voice rang out, startling Alnea, and the girls. But they were not afraid. Because they recognised the voice. With big smiles on their faces, they turned towards the voice. And as they expected, they saw his master walking towards them.


    ¡°Master!¡± Alnea said, restraining his urge to rush, and hug his master. His master was beautiful, and elegant as ever. And radiant. Darkness itself made way for her steps, fading away in the glow of her smile.


    ¡°We will talk later,¡± his master said with a smile, gentling caressing his head, before kneeling beside Cecilia, and removing the makeshift bandage she had made.


    ¡°The wound itself is not too heavy,¡± his master said, glancing at the wound, before placing her hand on the gash, and releasing blobs of white light, healing Cecilia¡¯s injury. ¡°You have suffered more serious wounds, and lived through them without any problems. It is just because you are spent, and exhausted right now, that your condition seems a little bad. Especially your Spirit.


    ¡°Two hands are not enough to count the number of times you went past your limit. I expect something so reckless from Alnea, but you¡­ Be thankful that you are a False Wanderer now. Doing something so crazy at the Seed Rank might even have caused a permanent injury to your Spirit. Do not be too happy just yet though. You still need rest, and try not to overexert your Spirit for a while.¡±


    ¡°¡­But the team¡ª


    ¡°I am glad that you can put collective interest above yours, but you should not do it at the expense of your health. Not to mention that the Heterodox Wanderers have already begun extending their claws into the Night Canyons. They may have failed int their plans this time, but they will not give up so easily. Especially since their plan involves a Fate Devouring Cat. In a couple of days, a week at the latest, they would be sending even more Wanderers into the canyons. And that is the case when their focus is on the Fate Devouring Cat. If they learn that the boy that they are looking for is also with the Fate Devouring Cat, what do you think they will do?¡±


    ¡°¡­Send even stronger Wanderers. Probably, even True Wanderers.¡±


    ¡°Be a little more confident, and remove probably from your words. Even the three Heterodox Wanderer that you fought had a True Wanderer accompanying them in secret. I took care of him for now, but letting you continue your training in the Night Canyons would be foolish to say the least. So, you can rest without any worries.¡±


    ¡°¡­Yes, Lady Nyssa.¡±


    ¡°Good,¡± his master said, retracting her hand, revealing fresh, supple skin, with no signs that Cecilia¡¯s thigh had ever been injured. ¡°There. That should do it.¡±


    ¡°You are omnipotent, master!¡± Alnea said with laugh, before sitting down beside her, and Cecilia. And soon, Yuri followed his example with a burst of giggles.


    ¡°Is she your mother, or your idol?¡±


    ¡°Why can¡¯t she be both?¡± Alnea said with a snort. ¡°Besides, I was telling the truth anyways.¡±


    And the reward for speaking the truth was flick to his forehead. He was not the only one who said the truth though. So, Yuri also received the reward with him.


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    ¡°Do you two think that you can divert my attention with your cheekiness?¡± his master said, looking at them with a solemn face. ¡°If what Cecilia did was reckless, then what you two did was downright suicidal.¡±


    ¡°¡­But I don¡¯t even know what I did¡­¡±


    ¡°And that makes your mistake even graver. At least Yuri knows her mistake.¡±


    ¡°¡­Everything was happening so fast, that I did not have the time to think¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­Do you know why I allowed the three of you to train on your own?¡± his master to Yuri. ¡°It is because I thought that you would be able to restrain their recklessness. But you were the most reckless of all. Have you ever heard of an Initial Stage False Wanderer seeking their breakthrough in Death?¡±


    ¡°¡­We did not have any time. If we had delayed, then the curse¡­¡±


    ¡°No matter the reason, you cannot shirk your responsibility,¡± his master said, shaking her head. ¡°First, you made Alnea seek his breakthrough in Death. And then, despite knowing the dangers that you might face, you dove into the depths of his Spirit¡­ However, it is also true that your actions saved his life. If we do not take my presence into account, then your choice was indeed the best. Next time though, you can try asking for my help before considering doing something so suicidal.¡±


    ¡°¡­I will try my best. But I do not regret my actions. If I can save him, then I do not mind risking myself.¡±


    ¡°¡­Silly girl,¡± his master said, shaking her head with a sigh, before turning towards him. ¡°And you, my reckless disciple. Do you think that you are the strongest Wanderer in the world?¡±


    ¡°¡­No.¡±


    ¡°Do you think that there is nothing in the world that you cannot do?¡±


    ¡°¡­No.¡±


    ¡°How about taking down Peak Stage False Wanderers by yourself?¡±


    ¡°¡­No.¡±


    ¡°So, if the situation is desperate, what should you do?¡±


    ¡°¡­Fight until the end,¡± Alnea said, only to have his forehead being flicked once again.


    ¡°I just told Yuri to call for help if she cannot handle things on her own, and now you start boasting about fighting till the end?¡±


    ¡°¡­I thought that if you were there, then you would have already come to deal with the Heterodox Wanderers.¡±


    ¡°So? Could you not have retreated, and looked for me, before going back to save the girls?¡±


    ¡°¡­I will never abandon them.¡±


    ¡°¡­Why do I have to deal with all the silly children?¡± his master said with a sigh. She did not bother hiding the smile at the corner of her lips though. Or the pride in her eyes. ¡°Never mind. As long as you do not kill yourself¡­ Just try not to resonate with your Roots next time.¡±


    ¡°¡­Resonate with my Roots? What does that mean? And when did I resonate with my Roots?¡±


    ¡°When you were thinking about your Oaths, you somehow managed to submerge yourself in the essence of your Roots. That is what resonating with your means. Adapting yourself to be more in line with your Roots. It is a concept that only those who are about to break through to the next Rank need to understand, so I did not tell you about it earlier. Still, it is not as if you have never experienced resonance with your Roots before. It is just that those episodes of resonance were relatively short.


    ¡°This time too, I thought that even if you experienced resonance with your Roots, it would be a short episode. But I underestimated your determination, and desperation¡­ By the time I noticed something was wrong, it was already too late. At that point, forcefully terminating your resonance would have done more damage than good. The best way to help you would have been to gently guide you out of slumber. But then again, Yuri proved to be just as reckless as you.¡±


    ¡°¡­The reason I was trapped in the world of my memories was because of resonating with my Roots?¡± Alnea mumbled, while Cecilia looked at Alnea with concern. After a few moments of silence, she turned towards his master with determination.


    ¡°I can understand what you are saying, Lady Nyssa. But what I¡ªwe saw, was more than just a simple side effect of resonance with his Roots. The way that Alnea was behaving¡­ The way he¡­ Is he alright, Lady Nyssa?¡±


    ¡°¡­This is Alnea¡¯s secret,¡± his master said. She was not direct, or even apathetic in her tone. Rather, she sounded much more amiable, and accommodating than her usual self. Still, her words drained blood from Cecilia¡¯s already pale face. She bit her lips, and¡ª


    ¡°Whether he wishes to share the secret with you or not, I will leave it up to him.¡±


    Colour returned to Cecilia¡¯s face, as a light of excitement shone in her eyes. From a certain point, she looked even more excited to gain his master¡¯s recognition, than to learn his secret. Alnea laughed at her cute reactions, and turned towards his master.


    ¡°I do not mind sharing my secret with her, master. But I need to know what secret you are talking about.¡±


    ¡°The secret of your name.¡±


    ¡°You mean¡­¡±


    ¡°Since you went down to the world of your memories, there were naturally some memories which came up to take your place.¡±


    ¡°¡­No wonder, I don¡¯t remember anything. Was it another form of my curse, master?¡±


    ¡°¡­We can talk about that later. Right now, you have something else to decide.¡±


    ¡°¡­Can I really tell her about it, master?¡±


    ¡°¡­Your secret may relate to your life, and death. If it is exposed, it might even cause the entire world to chase after you. I can stop you from sharing it right now, but what about in the future?¡±


    ¡°Of course, you will stop me again. After all, I am never leaving you.¡±


    ¡°¡­Silly child,¡± his master said, shaking her head with a smile. ¡°Regardless, it is time for you to make decisions for yourself, and experience their consequences. Only then, can you grow as a Wanderer. And as a human.¡±


    Alnea awkwardly scratched his head. Yuri could talk in cryptic ways at time, but she had learned her habit from his master. Whenever he would ask her a question, she guide him to find his own answer. And this time was no different. However, he already had his answer. Cecilia was his Heart¡­


    Or at least a part of it. He trusted her so much, that he could even trust her with his life. The only reason he had not told her about his name, and other secrets, was because his master had forbidden him from doing so. Since she had given him her permission though, and Cecilia had already seen the other Alnea, there was no need to hide it from her. And so, he began telling her the story of Alnea Oathkeeper.

 Chapter 61: Future plans [Part 1]

    ¡°¡­A world of Attuners?¡± Cecilia mumbled, staring at Alnea with all kinds of emotions flashing through her face. Of them all though, confusion, and shock were the most prominent of all. But only for a few moments. Soon, relief, and excitement made their way to her face, and dominated her Heart as well. ¡°Is there really such a world like that out there? Attuning with Aspects, and gaining their powers¡­ Can we also walk on the path of Attuners, Lady Nyssa?¡±


    ¡°¡­I told you my deepest secret, and the first thing that you want to know is whether you can walk on the path of Attuners?¡± Alnea said, not knowing how he should react to Cecilia¡¯s nonchalant behaviour. ¡°Don¡¯t you have anything else to ask me?¡±


    ¡°What should I ask?¡±


    ¡°¡­I don¡¯t know. But how can you accept such a ridiculous story so easily?¡±


    ¡°At least you know that your story is ridiculous,¡± Cecilia said with giggles. ¡°It is not as ridiculous as you think it is though. Especially since I saw how those memories took over your body¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­I am sorry. I¡ª


    ¡°Why are you apologising? It was not your fault. And you did not say anything mean to me anyway. You were just¡­ a little odd. And cold. As if you were here, but someplace far away, both at the same time. I can¡¯t explain it. Regardless, there is no reason for me to doubt what you are saying.¡±


    ¡°¡­Thank you.¡±


    ¡°¡­Stop being so cheesy,¡± Cecilia said with flushed cheeks. She was too tired to bother about controlling her emotions though. His master may have healed her wounds, but she would have to recover her Spirit Power on her own. Just talking was draining her of her energy. Not as much as before, but still enough to cause her a headache. Wasting what energy she had left just to ease her embarrassment¡­ It seemed like a good idea. But there was an even better idea. Turning around towards his master, she repeated the question she had asked before.


    ¡°Can we also walk on the path of Attuners, Lady Nyssa?¡±


    Walking on the path of Attuners. Cecilia truly was unique. Even the way she thought was so different. However, the question she asked was one that Alnea also wanted to know the answer of. The answer that his master gave though¡­


    ¡°I am afraid not,¡± his master said. ¡°Although the path of Attuners may sound similar to the path of Warriors, but there is an essential difference between them. Warriors open up their Aspect Oceans within their Spirit World, while Attuners open up their Aspect Oceans within their bodies. And this is where the difficulty of the path of Attuners lie.


    ¡°Through my experiments, I have come to the conclusion that it is impossible for the people in our world to store Aspects within their bodies. It is as if there is fundamental rule of the Origin Sea which prevents us to become Attuners. That is not too much of a surprise though. Or else, in the millions of years since the rise of Wanderers, there surely would have been people who would have been able to explore the path of Attuners.¡±


    ¡°¡­It¡¯s such a pity,¡± Cecilia said with a disappointed look on her face. ¡°I thought that I might be able to leave my name as one of the first Attuners in the world.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry,¡± Alnea said. ¡°Your name will still go down in history as the friend of the strongest Wanderer.¡±


    ¡°¡­Or as someone who used to beat up the strongest Wanderer.¡±


    ¡°¡­Crazy girl,¡± Alnea mumbled, only for Yuri to chuckle at his words.


    ¡°Not as crazy as you though.¡±


    ¡°I thought that was obvious,¡± Cecilia added, giggling along with Yuri. ¡°No one can be as crazy as him.¡±


    ¡°¡­Forget it. I won¡¯t argue with crazy girls,¡± Alnea mumbled, before turning towards his master with a grin. ¡°Everything else aside¡­ We defeated all the Heterodox Wanderers, master! Even when all three of them were of the Peak Stage, we still defeated them. Like we said we would.¡±


    ¡°You did,¡± his master said, nodding at him with a smile. ¡°I let the Heterodox Wanderer find you, because I wanted you to gain experience of their strange means, and how they fight. But I never thought that you would be able to defeat them. You¡ªAll of you performed better than I thought. Especially you, Cecilia. Using the advantages of your Roots, having enough presence of mind to flip your fortune before launching Arcanas, and the will to never give up even when you had no hope¡­ Your improvements have been remarkable to say the least.¡±


    ¡°¡­Thank you, Lady Nyssa,¡± Cecilia said, as her face turned red from embarrassment, and pride. ¡°I will do my best to keep on improving.¡±


    ¡°I know you will,¡± his master nodded at Cecilia, before turning towards Yuri. ¡°You may have made some mistakes when it came to saving Alnea, but you always kept your cool during the fight. And that is the most important quality of leaders. However, you should communicate more with your teammates. Having enough trust, and understanding with each other to cooperate without saying so much as a word to each other is well and nice, but if you do not communicate, then you will be underutilising your resources.¡±


    ¡°¡­I will keep it in mind, big sis Nyssa.¡±


    ¡°¡­The second mistake you made was taking the decision to fight the Heterodox Wanderers to the end. When you learnt that the Heterodox Wanderers were stronger than you, your first thought should have been to create opportunities to run, and not to finish them all. If not for the help of the Fortune Devouring Cat, and Alnea¡¯s outburst, then your ending might have been different. Remember Yuri, for Wanderers, most of the time it is not their lack of ability, but their arrogance that gets them killed.¡±


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    ¡°¡­I will try to be more careful.¡±


    ¡°¡­As I said though, your performance as a Wanderer, and a team, did exceed my expectations. Even if it was due to circumstances, and external help, defeating a team of Wanderers much stronger than you is not an easy task. At the very least, you have done well in guiding your team in the past few months. Your father would have been proud of you, if he were to see you right now.¡±


    ¡°¡­It was my duty,¡± Yuri said in solemn tone. The curve at the end of her lips though, and the light in her eyes, told a completely different story. Fortunately for her, his master did not dismantle her facade, and turned towards him instead.


    ¡°Your improvements have been just as remarkable as that of the girls, if not more. Just in terms of timing your attacks, you are currently the best in the team. But that is because you have experienced the breath of Death more than the girls. So, do not slack in your practise, or you may be overtaken at any moment.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, master. I am going to become the greatest Wanderer. How can I let two crazy girls beat me?¡±


    ¡°¡­We will see how this crazy girl beat you later.¡±


    ¡°¡­You haven¡¯t even seen the tip of craziness yet.¡±


    Alnea shuddered as the warnings of the crazy girls rang out in his ears, and mind. He did not dare to react to them though, and kept his eyes fixed on his master. Thankfully, his master did not disappoint him.


    ¡°Stop being cheeky,¡± his master said. ¡°Like I was saying, you have made great improvements in the past few months. And I am not talking about just your abilities, but also of your mind, and Heart. You may not have realised it yet, but the Serenity of your Heart has deepened once again. As you are right now, you will have no problem in breaking through to the Advanced Stage. However, I will say the same thing. Do not slack in your practice, or you will be overtaken by the girls before you even know it.¡±


    ¡°¡­Yes, master!¡± Alnea said, seething in excitement. His master was still not done with him though.


    ¡°Now that I have talked about your improvements, let us talk about your flaws.¡±


    ¡°I also have flaws, master?¡±


    ¡°What do you think?¡± his master said, raising her brows in amusement. ¡°What are Yuri, and Cecilia to you?¡±


    ¡°¡­Teammates?¡±


    ¡°Then have you ever heard of a person who is so conceited that he wants to protect his teammates from all possible dangers?¡±


    ¡°¡­I have started to let go.¡±


    ¡°Save your lies for Yuri. You cannot fool me.¡±


    ¡°But I truly did let go, master. I believe in them, so I decided that I must trust them to win their own fights.¡±


    ¡°And yet, the moment they were hurt, you dove into your Roots, seeking help from your Oaths? I know that you do not wish to abandon the girls, but did you forget all that I taught you about your Roots? Even if you did it unconsciously, it is still no excuse for you to be careless with your Roots. Especially since you have already been experiencing weird sensations in regard to your Oaths recently.¡±


    ¡°¡­I thought it was because of the curse.¡±


    ¡°Then did you ever stop to think if the two were somehow related to each other?¡±


    ¡°¡­It slipped from my mind.¡±


    ¡°I know that you were scared, and worried about the girls, but the more dangerous the situation is, the calmer you have to be. For Wanderers, one wrong decision can be the difference between life and death. And when people are panicking, they generally tend to make the wrong decisions. If not for Yuri risking her life, then you might have been stuck in the vault of your memories for your life.¡±


    ¡°¡­I will be more careful next time.¡±


    ¡°Next time? Do you still intend to have a next time?¡±


    ¡°No, I¡ª


    ¡°Forget it. Since you have resonated with your Roots already, it is time to figure out a few more things about your Roots anyways. And it would be better if you experiment in front of me, rather than when you are alone.¡±


    ¡°¡­Am I going to train with you, master?¡±


    ¡°Did I not make it clear already? Your training in the Night Canyons is over.¡±


    ¡°¡­Are we going to leave the Night Canyons? But it hasn¡¯t even been a year since we came here.¡±


    ¡°When did I say that we will stay in the Night Canyons for a year?¡± his master said, before glancing at the darkness around them. ¡°These canyons¡­ their only good point is how they are divided. The deeper you go into the canyons, the greater the chances there are to find Fortune Springs. And anything that can increase their strength have great attraction to Oren Beasts. These beasts may bide their time when they are young, and weak, but once they grow up, no one can stop them from venturing into the depths of the Origin Sea to search for Fortune Springs.


    ¡°There can be a few exceptions, of course. But in general, the degree of danger of these canyons can be divided according to their depths, making it one of the best places in Rianra for Wanderers to train. With your current strength though, dealing with most of the Oren Beasts in the peak phase of their Adolescent Stage would not be a problem for you. And going to greater depths of the canyon would be too dangerous.


    ¡°Besides, you have had enough time to decide your future paths. It is time for you to make your choice about what kind of Scholar you want to be. Learning Glyphs, engraving them on your Spirit, and them comprehending their mysteries¡­ Unlike Yuri, who has long built her foundations, there are many things you need to prepare for. Becoming a Scholar in the Night Canyons might be a little dangerous for you. Especially since the Heterodox Wanderers have already found this place. And following their movements, the Lotus clan might come here too.


    ¡°I brought you here specifically to avoid the Lotus clan. Staying here, despite knowing that they might be coming at any moment would not be a wise idea. Besides, did you forget about the Fate Devouring Cat? From the information I have collected, it seems like the cat was brought into Rianra by the Heterodox Wanderers themselves. And releasing it into a Forbidden Area¡­ You can guess what their intentions must be. Right now, staying in the Night Canyons would be dangerous not just for you, but for the entirety of Rianra.¡±


    Alnea was already prepared for stepping foot on the path of Scholar. He had made his choice long ago, and the fight with the Heterodox Wanderers had served to increase his confidence in his choice. The cat though¡­ He glanced at the cat sleeping on Cecilia¡¯s lap. A Fortune Devouring Cat¡­ He might not have known much about it before, but Yuri had explained the danger that the cat represented in great detail. Collapsing the Fortune of Rianra¡­

 Chapter 61: Future plans [Part 2]

    ¡°What are going to do about the cat, Lady Nyssa?¡±


    ¡°¡­I have already sent a message back to the Union, and to your mother, but there is not much we can do at the moment. The Union is busy dealing with the sudden attacks of the Thralls. For now, they have asked your mother to secure the cat, and keep it safe, while they free up manpower to deal with any aftermath that might follow.¡±


    ¡°Are they preparing for the worst situation?¡±


    ¡°Fortune Devouring Cats are very special existences¡­ Even the Union will have headache while dealing with them. Not to mention that there are Heterodox Wanderers involved in the situation. To keep it safe¡ª


    ¡°Wait a minute,¡± Alnea said. ¡°We saw the cat just a little while ago. How can you already have talked with the Union, and Lia¡¯s mother?¡±


    ¡°¡­I have been following the movements of the Heterodox Wanderers in Rianra for a while. And it was also through my intervention that the cat sneaked here. Or with how big the Night Canyons are, what are the chances for the cat to lead the Heterodox Wanderers to your position?¡±


    Leading the Heterodox Wanderers by their nose¡­ While Cecilia, and Yuri were looking at his master with embarrassed smiles, Alnea felt awe at his master¡¯s ability.


    ¡°You truly are omnipotent, and omniscient, master!¡±


    ¡°Stop fooling around,¡± his master said, shaking her head with a helpless smile, just as she flicked his forehead. ¡°I hope that you will learn from your experience of fighting with the Heterodox Wanderers, and prepare for what you are going to face next.¡±


    ¡°¡­Is it finally time to deal with the Heterodox Wanderers, big sis Nyssa?¡±


    ¡°Not yet,¡± his master said. ¡°I still need some time to lead all the Heterodox Wanderers to the special place I have prepared for their funeral. Besides, clearing up just some low level thugs will not be of any benefits to us. Only when I catch some big fish, will the Heterodoxy stop chasing Alnea.¡±


    ¡°¡­Is it the Lord Ghost Fire that the Heterodox Wanderers were talking about?¡±


    ¡°Ghost Fire¡­ He is indeed a troublesome fellow. But he is not enough. I am planning to take down the Elder behind him. But it will take some time to complete all the preparations.¡±


    ¡°What are we going to do till then, master?¡±


    ¡°Train, of course,¡± his master said. ¡°Or do you think that relying on chance to take down Heterodox Wanderers makes you strong enough to deal with an entire Heterodoxy?¡±


    ¡°¡­I mean, where are we going to train?¡±


    ¡°¡­A very special place,¡± his master said. ¡°In the past few months, you have dealt with all sorts of Oren Beasts, and natural traps. Next, it is time for you to learn how to deal with other Wanderers.¡±


    ¡°¡­But didn¡¯t you say that the Lotus clan is still looking for me? Even the Heterodox Wanderers are after me. If I just show up in front of other Wanderers, wouldn¡¯t it lead to more problems?¡±


    ¡°That is why I said that you will be going to a very special place next.¡±


    ¡°¡­Where exactly are going next, big sis Nyssa?¡±


    ¡°I am not sure if you have heard of it or not, but Cecilia must a know a thing or two about it,¡± his master said. ¡°There is a city lying at the border of Rian, Eun, and Caner province. It was said to be there even before the five Orthodoxies came to power, and holds a special place in Rianra. You can even call it as the oldest city of Rianra.¡±


    ¡°¡­Are you talking about the Lost City of Rianra, Lady Nyssa?¡± Cecilia said with hesitation, shock, and disbelief, all mixed in her voice, and face. ¡°But isn¡¯t that a legend?¡±


    ¡°¡­What city are you talking about?¡± Alnea said, scratching his head in confusion. ¡°Why have I never heard of this place?¡±


    ¡°Because the city does not exist,¡± Cecilia said. ¡°At least, that is what I know¡­ But there is a legend that when the five Orthodoxies came together to create Rianra, there was already a city in place. You must know that back then, the entire Fifth Sector of the Lightning Region used to be wild area, with all sorts of Oren Beasts running wild in these lands. For a city to exist before even any human could come here¡­¡±


    ¡°A legacy from the Age of Gods,¡± Yuri mumbled, before turning towards his master. ¡°Is there truly such a city in Rianra, big sis Nyssa?¡±


    ¡°You will find out when you get there,¡± his master said, smiling at Yuri with a hint of amusement in her voice. Seeing the white haired girl surprised, and excited, that was truly a rare sight. It was no wonder his master could not help herself from teasing her. Facing the pout on the latter¡¯s face though, even his master had to relent. ¡°The city exists, and can indeed be considered as a legacy from the Age of Gods.¡±


    ¡°They why have the Orthodoxies of Rianra not controlled it yet? Are they not aware of it?¡±


    ¡°Oh, they are aware of it. And I am not talking just about the Orthodoxies of Rianra. The entire Fifth Sector of the Lightning Region is aware of the Lost City of Rianra. And most of the higher ups of these clans have been to the city at one point in time in their life. However, none of the clans dare to lay a claim to the city. Doing so will not only antagonise all the other clans, but the price paid to control city would be too heavy for one clan to bear.¡±


    ¡°¡­Is the city so dangerous?¡±


    ¡°It is a legacy from the Age of Gods, after all. It is only natural for it to have a certain degree of danger. Besides, the benefits that one can gain from such legacies are generally proportionate to the danger involved, so is it not better for the city to be more dangerous?¡±


    ¡°¡­Even if that is true, you just said that Wanderers from all the Orthodoxies in the surrounding region will be there. Would it not mean that the Lotus clan will also send their people there?¡±


    ¡°You do not have to worry about the Lotus clan,¡± his master said, teasing Yuri with her smile once again. ¡°Where did I say the city was located at?¡±


    ¡°The border of the Rian, Eun, and Caner province.¡±


    ¡°Do I need to say anything else?¡±


    ¡°¡­The city is in the Black Desert?¡± Alnea said, as his heart sped up with just the thought of exploring another Forbidden Area. Just over a year ago, he did not even know what Forbidden area meant. And a year later, he was going to venture into the third, and last Forbidden Area of Rianra. ¡°Is it hidden by all the sand, and dust storms?¡±


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    ¡°At least you have not lost your sharpness in the past few months,¡± his master said, nodding at him with satisfaction. ¡°But your imagination is limited by your knowledge. There is still much you have to learn.¡±


    ¡°I know that my foundations are still lacking, master. But I haven¡¯t had any time to learn anything lately¡­ Why don¡¯t you start by telling me more about the Lost City of Rianra?¡±


    ¡°Cheeky disciple,¡± his master said, stretching out her hands to pinch his cheeks. Only when he let out exaggerated cries of apologies, did she take her hands back to her side. ¡°The Lost City of Rianra¡­ It is not as simple as you think it is. Everyone knows that the city belongs to the Age of Gods. But no one knows exactly which God, or race built the city. They do not even know its original name. However, there is one thing that everyone agrees on. The Black Desert was formed by the Mysteries leaking from the city.¡±


    ¡°¡­An entire Forbidden Area was formed because of a city?¡±


    ¡°If the city is truly located at the centre of the Black Desert, then that should not really come as a surprise,¡± Yuri said, answering instead of his master. ¡°Did you forget? All Forbidden Areas have a core. Like the Labyrinth of Night at the centre of the Night Canyons. I just did not expect that a city from the Age of Gods could be the core of a Forbidden Area¡­ Is it an artificial Forbidden Area, big sis Nyssa?¡±


    ¡°Even the clans exploring the city for more than a million years have not been to completely unravel its secrets¡­ Do you truly think I am omniscient?¡±


    ¡°Of course,¡± Alnea stated. ¡°That is a fact. A rule¡ª


    A flick to his forehead stopped Alnea from further expounding on the greatness of his master.


    ¡°Stop adding to the chaos,¡± his master said, before turning back to Yuri. ¡°Are you satisfied now?¡±


    ¡°¡­You still have not explained how the Lotus clan will not be able to pursue him in the Lost City.¡±


    ¡°¡­Do you know why the city was named as the Lost City of Rianra?¡±


    ¡°¡­Is it hard to find?¡±


    ¡°It is not just hard to find, but for True Wanderers, and below, it is practically impossible to reach the city. Even Mystic Wanderers, if they are not careful, can be le astray by the desert. And even then, Mystic Wanderers have to follow the rules of the city. Only Grand Wanderers can ignore the rules to certain extent. But even they would have to pay a certain price if they dared to act rampant in the city.


    ¡°Maybe, the Lotus clan might not care about paying such a price if they could get Alnea. But they would have to have a Grand Wanderer within their ranks first. As it stands, even if the Lotus clan discovers him, they would not be able to do anything to him in the city. Not to mention that even if they discover him, they will have to get word of his presence back to their clan before they can call for help.


    ¡°Besides, do you think I will be there to just watch the show? As long as they act within their rules of the city, I am confident that you will be able to take care of yourselves. And if they dare to break the rules¡­ It would suffice to say that of the three Forbidden Areas of Rianra, the number of Grand Wanderers that have fallen in the Lost City is the greatest.¡±


    ¡°¡­There is a problem, master.¡±


    ¡°¡­What is it now?¡±


    ¡°You said that only Mystic Wanderers and above can find the city. But we are just False Wanderers¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­I also said that I will take you to the city myself, and not that you will have to find the city on your own. I know you are excited, but you should never jump to conclusions. Listen to what others have to say first, before saying anything yourself. And even then, it would be best if you stay silent, and observe others first¡­ Forget it. Just telling you these things will not be enough. It would be best if you experience these things in the city for yourself.¡±


    ¡°I think it would be best if you tell these things to me first, master. After all, your words are like the golden rules binding my Heart.¡±


    ¡°¡­If my words were truly so effective, you would have stopped being so cheesy with me long ago,¡± his master said, pinching his nose. She showed no signs of dissatisfaction on her face though. Rather, she smiled along with him, releasing his nose to caress his head. After a few moments of silence, she withdrew her hand, and put on a solemn face.


    ¡°The Lost City of Rianra¡­ It may be the core of a Forbidden Area, but it is different from other core areas like the Labyrinth of Night. The city¡­ it has dangers, but it is also like a proving ground for the younger generations of all the surrounding Orthodoxies. Serena has been there too. And if Cecilia was not with you, then her mother would have sent here there in couple of years anyway.


    ¡°However, this also makes the city as a gathering place for most of the younger generation of the Fifth Sector of the Lightning Region. You will meet with many people there. True Wanderers, Mystic Wanderers, and even some Grand Wanderers. But the greatest number of people you will meet will be those of your generation. Some may become your allies, while some may become your enemies. Some of them might even become your teammates.


    ¡°Yet, you must remember that all of them will be your competitors. If the interests are enough, they might betray you when you least expect them to. I am not saying that you should not trust anyone. That is not how the world works. Unless you show your trust in other people, they will not trust you either. Whom to trust though, and how to judge if someone is worthy of your trust or not, that is something that you will have to learn through experience.¡±


    ¡°¡­Don¡¯t worry, master. I will make you proud.¡±


    ¡°I know you will,¡± his master said, gently patting his head with a smile, before turning towards the girls. ¡°The things that I told Alnea, they hold true for you too. You may have made more contact with Wanderers than him, but neither of you are expert in dealing with other Wanderers. Especially those of your level, and age. Cecilia can still be said to have dealt with a few people, but you have barely had any contact with those of your age, Yuri. I am not asking you to make any friends, but try not to shy away from other people.¡±


    ¡°Yuri, and shy?¡± Alnea said in exasperation, only to feel Yuri¡¯s piercing gaze. ¡°¡­That is reasonable. You should truly not shy away from other people, Yuri. But don¡¯t worry master. I will take care of her.¡±


    ¡°I will be satisfied as long as you can take care of yourself.¡±


    ¡°¡­Don¡¯t listen to his nonsense, big sis Nyssa. I understand what you are saying. But you really have nothing to worry about. I know how to deal with other Wanderers.¡±


    ¡°¡­That is what I am most worried about. Forget it. Do as you wish. For now, let me bring all of you to a place where you rest with ease.¡±


    ¡°Wait a moment, Lady Nyssa,¡± Cecilia said, pointing to the cat on her lap. ¡°What are we going to do about the cat?¡±


    ¡°¡­After your mother learned that I will be sending you to the Lost City, she asked me to let you keep the cat for now. After all, the Lost City would be the last place that the Heterodox Wanderers look for the cat. You do not have to worry about other Wanderers recognising the cat either. I will give it a couple of Glyph Devices to hide its true form. And though there are many dangers in the city, they will be aimed at you, and not the cat. As long as you take enough care, there will no danger to the cat.¡±


    ¡°¡­The problem is not whether I can keep the cat safe, but whether it will stay with me, or not. After all, it is an Oren Beast. And I cannot become a taming Scholar just so that I can control the cat.¡±


    ¡°¡­Even if you become a tamer, you will still not be able to control a Fortune Devouring Cat. They are a very special breed of Oren Beasts. Tamig Glyphs will have no effect on them. You do not have to worry though. Since it chose to help you against the Heterodox Wanderers, it means that the cat took a liking to you. And Fortune Devouring Cats are known to be lazy. As long as you keep plundering Fortune from your enemies, and feeding it to the cat, it will never leave your side.¡±


    ¡°¡­Was that a part of your plan too, master? Creating a situation where the cat would be forced to cooperate with Lia to deal with the Heterodox Wanderers?¡±


    ¡°¡­For some reasons, I think that sending you to the Lost City might not really be a good idea,¡± his master said after a few moments of silence. ¡°Forget it. Whatever happens, it will be a learning experience for you.¡±


    ¡°¡­You are underestimating me, master,¡± Alnea said, faking dissatisfaction. His lips though, were curved in a smile, just the same as his master¡¯s. There was no need to exchange words between them. Even though he did not have a Divine Treasure to communicate with his master, he still could understand what she was thinking. She was his mother, after all. And at the moment, she was wondering about his future. About the gains he would make in the Lost City of Rianra¡­


    ¡°I will show the world what your son is capable of.¡±

 Update for the fifth volume

    This is an update to remind everyone that I am still alive, and working on the fifth volume. I think I may have added a few too many plots in the volume. Though that should be a good news to you as it would give you more to read. Anyways, most of the work is already done, so you should expect chapters resuming from the next week.


    If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.


    Also, I have begun editing the third volume, and will upload it on amazon when I am done with it, so if anyone wants to revisit it while it is still up here, you should do so in the next couple of weeks. That''s it for the update. Thank you for bearing patience with me for the past couple of weeks. And see you soon!


    Kanishka K. Singh

 Chapter 1: Parting with darkness [Part 1]

    Fate. It was not just a word or a concept. As one of the twelve lineages of the Origin Sea, it had countless Mysteries. So much so, that no Wanderer could ever hope to completely understand what Fate truly was, or what secrets it held. Like the curse that came with his name. So, it did not come as a surprise to Alnea that the Rings of Fate could create a mirror world. The ¡®Mirror World¡¯ itself though had countless surprises for him. Like the dark shadow, roughly a head taller than him, swinging its right fist towards his head.


    Pushing against the white, empty floor¡ªif it could even be called as a floor¡ª with his left foot, Alnea slammed his right foot on the dark fist coming towards his face, and used the reactionary force to flip back, opening some distance from his enemy. But only for a fraction of a moment.


    Following up on its punch, the shadow stepped forward and swept its legs towards Alnea¡¯s head while he was still in the air. Fortunately, trapped in the mirror world, the shadow could not use its Aspects. Unfortunately, Alnea could not use his Aspects either. And without his Aspects, or his sword, he had no way to deal with the shadow¡¯s attack. In the end, he could only use his left hand to put up a guard¡­


    ¡°Tion¡¯s beard,¡± Alnea cursed. The sudden jolt of pain aside, he could feel his hand going numb, and bend. It was probably broken. Even if the injury would fade away after he left the mirror world, suffering from broken bones was not a pleasant experience. There was nothing he could do though.


    The shadow was a mirror image of one of the Wanderers he had faced a few days ago. A veritable Peak Stage False Wanderer, who walked on the path of Warriors. Even without access to Aspects, or Arcanas, it was strong enough to deal with him. Especially since the shadow only copied the basic attributes and abilities of the Wanderer. Its combat abilities, and skills were created by the mirror world itself. Or rather, by¡ª


    ¡°¡­Pathetic,¡± the ring on his left hand flashed, as the teasing voice of an arrogant man rang out in his head. ¡°Being toyed around by the shadow of a Wanderer you have already defeated¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­The shadow is clearly not the same as those Wanderers,¡± Alnea mumbled, pivoting on his right hand, and sweeping his left leg at the shadow¡¯s knees. The shadow, of course, easily dodged his blow by jumping in the air. But it gave him the opening he needed. ¡°And stop distracting me.¡±


    Using the momentum of his first kick, he tuned his body, and slammed¡ªthe pain almost made him fail. Almost. Gritting his teeth, Alnea ignored the pain, and swept his right leg towards shadow¡¯s chest. Right in the next moment, he felt his heel connect with the shadow. And with how much strength he had put behind the attack, he did not have to look to know the outcome.


    Ignoring the pain, Alnea quickly pushed himself off the ground, and flipped in the air, dodging the shadow¡¯s counterattack, before landing back on the ground, facing his enemy once again. Just like him, the shadow also had a hand lying limp by its side. Unlike him though, the shadow truly had no concept of pain. So, it did not hesitate to charge towards him once again.


    ¡°If you are getting distracted, then it only means that you are not good enough.¡±


    Stupid ring. It was much more appealing when it was still sleeping. Or when it was not taking its revenge. Why did a Divine Treasure have to chatter so much anyway? Forget it, Alnea thought, and shifted his focus back to the shadow charging at him. They may have both lost a hand, but it was still him who was at a disadvantage. Still, it was not as if he did not have any chance of winning.


    Exhaling a breath of pain, frustration, and determination, Alnea drew a half circle with the toes of his left leg, shifting it towards his back, before transferring most of his weight on his left leg, and putting up a guard with his right hand, adopting a variant of the Mountain and Rivers Style. He had the stable base of a mountain but had only one branch of a river flowing down its peak. For the shadow though, just that single branch of river was enough.


    Swatting the shadow¡¯s punch away with the back of his hand, Alnea deflected the shadow¡¯s kick with a tap, before pushing the torrent of the river in towards the neck of the shadow standing defenseless in front of him. Unfortunately, without any Aspects, the reach and speed of the river was limited, allowing the shadow to lean back, and dodge the fatal blow.


    Yet, Alnea was not willing to give up such a perfect opportunity. Shifting the mountain itself, Alnea directed the torrent of the river down on the shadow¡¯s chest, delivering a blow strong enough to slam it to the ground. But not enough to destroy it. So, he followed up on his attack by collapsing the mountain, shifting all his momentum to the nose of the river, directing it towards the fallen enemy. And before either of them knew it, his hand had already pierced through the shadow¡¯s neck.


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    It was a sickening feeling. Taking someone¡¯s life. Even if it was just a shadow, it was the shadow of someone whom he had killed. And every time he killed the shadow, it felt as if he was relieving the moment of killing his enemies once again. Watching life fade away from the eyes of those men¡­ But he did not regret killing them. Exhaling a heavy breath, he reaffirmed his resolve, as he watched the shadow disintegrate into wisps of black mist, before dissipating into the empty, white world around him.


    ¡°Who is not good enough now?¡± Alnea said, grinning at the ring adorning his finger of fate.


    ¡°This is the seventh time you fought the shadow. Yet you suffered three broken bones, and almost failed to take it down¡­¡±


    ¡°It was at the Peak Stage!¡±


    ¡°You had no problem fighting Peak Stage False Wanderers a week ago.¡±


    ¡°¡­I had my sword back then. And those Wanderers were definitely not as strong the shadow.¡±


    ¡°¡­Those Wanderers were just a little careless. And they might have been influenced by their Aspects and patron Origin Beast more than you think. Or else, you would not have been able to take them down so easily.¡±


    ¡°¡­You call that easy?¡±


    ¡°Did any of you get injured?¡±


    ¡°¡­We almost died.¡±


    ¡°Did you?¡±


    ¡°¡­Talking to you feels like I am talking to air.¡±


    ¡°Yet you always come begging for my help.¡±


    ¡°¡­I did not beg you for anything,¡± Alnea mumbled. ¡°In any case, I am your master now. Shouldn¡¯t you help me when I ask you to?¡±


    ¡°Wait until you gain my approval.¡±


    ¡°¡­Forget it. I will not argue with an ignorant ring,¡± Alnea said, and stretched out his hands, allowing himself to fall on his back. ¡°You are really not going to fall asleep again?¡±


    ¡°¡­I do not wish to hear your voice either. Unfortunately, things are out of my control now.¡±


    ¡°¡­For a ring, you are quite cheeky,¡± Alnea said, stretching out his left up in the air to look at the arrogant ring. ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡±


    ¡°¡­Is your stupidity finally catching up to you?¡±


    ¡°¡­I cannot keep calling you as a ring, now, can I?¡±


    ¡°Why not?¡±


    ¡°Because it is stupid.¡±


    ¡°¡­I truly think that there is something wrong with your head.¡±


    ¡°¡­Don¡¯t tell me that you don¡¯t have a name?¡±


    ¡°¡­Names are meaningless. It is what we¡ª


    ¡°How about I give you a name then?¡±


    ¡°Like I said. Names are meaningless. They are¡ª


    ¡°Blackie? No, that would be too plain.¡±


    ¡°¡­Are you even listening to what I am saying?¡±


    ¡°Black Fate? No, that¡¯s too ominous.¡±


    ¡°¡­It is less ominous than¡ª


    ¡°Blafe? Flack?¡±


    ¡°¡­Now you are just making up words.¡±


    ¡°Fin? Jack? Mat? Mash?¡±


    ¡°¡­Evitum. You can call me Evitum.¡±


    ¡°¡­What kind of stupid name is that?¡±


    ¡°You wanted a name, I gave you a name. Take it or leave it.¡±


    ¡°Fine. Fine. There is no need to be so grumpy,¡± Alnea said with a chuckle. ¡°Evi it is.¡±


    ¡°¡­Forget it. Call me whatever you want.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not how you should talk to someone who gave your name, Evi. This is not how I have taught you.¡±


    ¡°The only thing you have ever taught me is how to be stupid.¡±


    ¡°¡­Grumpy little ring,¡± Alnea mumbled, and was about to tease the ring once again, when he felt a wave of strange fluctuations in the world around him. The kind of which he felt when casting his Arcanas. Just a little more violent. It was as if someone was shaking the fabric of the world. Thankfully, the fluctuations lasted for only a fraction of a moment, so nothing really happened to the world. Except for the presence of another person in the world, of course.


    ¡°I knew I would find you here,¡± Yuri said, as she walked towards him with a smile. A wide, and mesmerising smile. More than a year had gone by since he had first seen that smile. Yet, every time he saw Yuri smile, his Heart could not help but fall into a little daze. Especially since¡ª


    ¡°What happened?¡± Alnea said, suppressing his thoughts back into the depths of his Heart. Thankfully, he had already gotten used to her smile. Or else¡­ ¡°Is master looking for me?¡±


    ¡°Not yet¡­ But she should be coming soon.¡±


    ¡°¡­Is it time already?¡±


    ¡°¡­If you would stop for a moment, instead of throwing yourself into your training, then you would not be so clueless. But yes, it is indeed time for us to leave the Night Canyons, and head towards our next destination.¡±

 Chapter 1: Parting with darkness [Part 2]

    ¡°¡­I am not completely clueless,¡± Alnea said, turning his head away from Yuri to hide the blood rushing towards his cheeks. ¡°And it is not as if I am the only one who has thrown himself in his training.¡±


    ¡°We are training to become stronger. To protect. And to not be left helpless once again. But you¡­¡± Yuri trailed off as she reached his side. Placing her hand on the back of her thighs, she pushed her robe against her knees before taking her seat so as to not create any folds, or crease. But she would have been perfect either way. Unlike him¡­


    ¡°It was not your fault, Alnea.¡±


    ¡°¡­Except it was.¡±


    ¡°You did your best. Who could have known¡ª


    ¡°Let¡¯s not talk about it,¡± Alnea said, as he pushed himself into a sitting position, and looked at Yuri with a smile. Or at least tried to. Whether it was because of her smile, or from the things he was running from, for a moment, he completely forgot about his broken arm, and used his left hand as a support, only to end up gasping, and cursing in pain.


    ¡°¡­Fool,¡± Yuri said, as she helped him get into a sitting position. ¡°How many bones have you broken this time?¡±


    ¡°¡­I don¡¯t know.¡±


    ¡°But your ring does.¡±


    ¡°¡­Three.¡±


    ¡°¡­That¡¯s better than yesterday.¡±


    ¡°¡­Don¡¯t remind me about what happened yesterday,¡± Alnea mumbled. ¡°Right, I almost forgot. I gave a name to my ring. Evi.¡±


    ¡°¡­It is Evitum,¡± the arrogant ring said, this time, to both Alnea and Yuri.


    ¡°¡­That¡¯s a nice name.¡±


    ¡°Indeed,¡± said the ring on Yuri¡¯s finger of fate. The female half of the Ring of Fate. ¡°Evi. What a unique name.¡±


    ¡°¡­There is something wrong with this kid¡¯s head.¡±


    ¡°That, I cannot argue with.¡±


    ¡°¡­You two really do make a pair,¡± Alnea grumbled to his ring, before turning back to Yuri. ¡°What about you? Have you decided on a name for your ring?¡±


    ¡°I did,¡± Yuri said, looking at Alnea with a weird smile on her face. ¡°I call her Fae. Fae as in daughter of Fate.¡±


    ¡°¡­Is it too late for me to change my master?¡±


    ¡°¡­Hey, Evi is not that bad. Anyone can think of a name like Fae. Only someone as smart, and caring as me can give you such a cute name like Evi.¡±


    ¡°¡­Do you think I will be happy after hearing you say that?¡±


    ¡°¡­Forget it. I will not lower myself to argue with a ring.¡±


    ¡°I am not just a ring! I am a Divine Treasure!¡±


    ¡°Only in my hand. Without me, you are just a ring. A little more durable than other rings. But still just a ring.¡±


    ¡°¡­I am starting to doubt if you are really the one chosen by mother.¡±


    ¡°¡­You two sure get along,¡± Yuri said, laughing at Alnea, just as Fae laughed at Evi.


    ¡°¡­Our bond of millions of years is not as good as your bond with the girl you made just over a year ago?¡±


    ¡°You cannot put it like that¡­¡±


    ¡°Forget it, Evi. We don¡¯t need them.¡±


    ¡°¡­For once, I am inclined to agree with you.¡±


    ¡°¡­Alright, I will stop joking. Let¡¯s go back. Big sis Nyssa should be done recovering from her Wandering anytime now.¡±


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    ¡°¡­That is the reason why I don¡¯t want to return,¡± Alnea mumbled to himself, but nodded to Yuri anyway. His hand was beginning to hurt a little. ¡°Let¡¯s go back.¡±


    Closing his eyes, Alnea imagined himself stepping out of a mirror. And just like that, he felt the world around himself change. His Aspects, the Mysteries that he had comprehended, and his connection with the Origin Sea, everything returned to him. At the same time, he felt the pain in his left hand vanish almost instantly. But that was expected. The injury was just an illusion after all, happening in a world created by the rules and Mysteries of Fate. As for how those Mysteries worked¡­


    ¡°You are awake,¡± Cecilia said, staring at him with her wide, curious eyes. ¡°That took longer than usual. Is everything alright?¡±


    ¡°¡­What can happen to me? It was not as if I was Wandering the Origin Sea.¡±


    ¡°¡­When it comes to you, I have begun to expect that anything can happen.¡±


    ¡°¡­How are you awake so early?¡±


    ¡°What do you mean? I always wake up early.¡±


    ¡°¡­Nervous about the Lost City?¡±


    ¡°¡­A little. Aren¡¯t you the same?¡±


    ¡°¡­Am I so obvious?¡±


    ¡°¡­Since last night,¡± Cecilia said, chuckling at the embarrassed smile on Alnea¡¯s face, before turning towards Yuri. ¡°Only Yuri has shown no signs of nervousness.¡±


    ¡°What is there to be nervous about?¡± Yuri said with her usual confident smile. ¡°We are already strong enough to take down average Peak Stage False Wanderers. As long as we are together, and are careful enough, everything will be fine.¡±


    ¡°Yuri is right,¡± his master said, opening her eyes just as Yuri finished her words. ¡°Your trip to the Lost City will be much more challenging than your stay in the Night Canyons.¡±


    ¡°¡­Are you talking about the dangers from other Wanderers, master?¡±


    ¡°Still as sharp as ever,¡± his master said, ruffling his hair, with a smile on her face. ¡°Dealing with Oren Beasts is just a small part of a Wanderer¡¯s duty. Most of the time, you will be dealing with other Wanderers. And that is where you will face most of the challenges of your life. Gaining trust of other Wanderers, finding allies for yourself, discerning who are your enemies, and then dealing with your enemies¡­ These are just some of the things that all Wanderers must learn.¡±


    ¡°¡­Do I have to learn all these things right away?¡±


    ¡°¡­The sooner you learn these things, the better it would be for you. Besides, something is telling me that if you do not learn these things right now, then you will not have time to learn them later on.¡±


    ¡°¡­Is it because of the Heterodox Wanderers?¡± Alnea said, glancing at the dumb cat sleeping in Cecilia¡¯s lap. ¡°Or because of Forne?¡±


    ¡°¡­They are part of the reason,¡± his master said. ¡°But no. These warnings¡­ they are coming from the Origin Sea itself.¡±


    ¡°The Origin Sea can even give such warnings?¡±


    ¡°Everything in the world stems from the Origin Sea. Things that have already happened, and things that will happen¡­ they could all be traced back to the Origin Sea. It is just that most people do not know how to read those traces. When you comprehend the Mysteries of Fate to my level though, you will also begin to discern these traces, and read these warning.¡±


    ¡°¡­I think that the Mysteries of Fate have no relations with me, master,¡± Alnea said, scratching the back of his head in embarrassment. ¡°Thankfully, I will have Yuri to help me read these warnings.¡±


    ¡°¡­Who is the one who warned me not to use any Arcana that could read into the future?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s because the Arcana consumed your life.¡±


    ¡°Reading, and changing Fate always come at a price.¡±


    ¡°¡­You mean master¡ª


    ¡°You are reading too much into my words. Big sis Nyssa did not peep into the future. She just read some warnings. That should not have any adverse consequences¡­ probably.¡±


    ¡°¡­You never know what your future might entail,¡± his master said, interrupting his conversation with Yuri. ¡°Stop worrying about your future. For now, focus on what you have to do.¡±


    ¡°But¡ª


    ¡°No buts. I need to leave the Night Canyons to deal with a few things. And I cannot leave the three of you on your own. At least not in the Night Canyons. The Lost City on the other hand¡­ You will understand when you get there. In any case, you will have to learn how to deal with other Wanderers at some point. Especially since you want to help Yuri. Why not take this opportunity to practice in advance? And I am not talking about just you.¡±


    Pausing for a moment, his master turned towards the girls before continuing.


    ¡°You two may have dealt with Wanderers of your clan, but this also makes it so that the way you deal with other Wanderers is a bit biased. Coupled with the fact that you have spent the past half year in the canyons¡­ maybe you two might need this experience more than Alnea.¡±


    ¡°¡­We never objected to the trip, big sis Nyssa,¡± Yuri said, while Cecilia could only smile awkwardly. ¡°After staying in the Night Canyons for so long, I do not mind going on a trip to the Lost City. As long as it is not as extreme as the canyons, that is.¡±


    ¡°¡­The Lost City will be extreme in its own ways, but at least there will be no problem in your living conditions.¡±


    ¡°Then I have no problem.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t have a problem either.¡±


    ¡°Good. Then get ready¡ª


    ¡°You haven¡¯t asked me yet, master.¡±


    ¡°¡­Do you have a problem?¡±


    ¡°¡­Can you come with us?¡±


    ¡°¡­If I do not go with you, who will take you to the Lost City?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not what I meant. You¡ª


    ¡°We will talk about this later. Go, and get ready first. We will be leaving for the Lost City in a while.¡±


    ¡°¡­Alright.¡±

 Chapter 2: The Lost City [Part 1]

    The Night Canyons was a network of canyons that stretched for thousands of kilometres, radiating out from the Labyrinth of Night at its centre like the branches of an immeasurable tree, stretching out its tendrils of darkness to more than a thousand kilometres in all directions. Even to the country of Numein in the north. Wherever these canyons lay though, the countless opportunities hiding within their darkness never failed in luring Wanderers to their depths.


    The Fortune Springs¡­ Alnea looked at the canyons passing below his feet with all kinds of emotions leaking through the complicated expressions on his face. There was so much he had learned within these canyons. So much that he had experienced. Even though the darkness was a bit unnerving at first, after more than half a year, the darkness had become like his constant companion. Leaving it behind¡­


    ¡°Missing the canyons already?¡±


    Alnea shook his head as he turned towards Yuri, standing right next to him. Or rather, flying next to him. Wrapped in the Spirit Power of his master though, there was not really too much of a difference between the two. They may be speeding past the lands below at an almost unbelievable speed, but they did not feel so much as even a small gust of wind blowing at their robes.


    ¡°It is not the canyons that I am missing,¡± Alnea said, just as the last of canyons¡ªlarge cracks on the surface of the land¡ª faded away into the distance. ¡°¡­ Forget it. There is no use thinking about the past. Let¡¯s focus on what we are going to face next. What do you think the Lost City is like?¡±


    ¡°We will know soon enough,¡± Yuri said, as she shifted her gaze towards the speeding lands below their feet. ¡°Why don¡¯t we enjoy the view for now?¡±


    The view¡­ All he could see was a blur passing below his feet. What was there to enjoy about? Except for the thrill of flying too fast, of course. Or fixing his eyes on a certain spot, trying to see how long he could focus on that spot. The ever changing scenery¡­ Green colour mixed in with a tinge of brown and red¡­ Due to obvious reasons, his master was avoiding flying over cities, forcing her to change her route every now and then, but that only made their trip so much more interesting. And colourful.


    Forests, plains, hills, mountains, and even some cultivation fields, all rolling over each other¡­ There were so many things that Alnea saw. Some of those things, he had seen before. After all, it was not the first time that his master had taken him flying. A few things though, he saw for the first time. Like the black land that they had just flown over. Without any signs of a living presence, the black lands looked like a massive piece of scorched earth that stretched endlessly below their feet.


    ¡°Is this the Black Desert?¡± Alnea said, shifting his gaze to Cecilia, who nodded in response to his question.


    ¡°This is my first time seeing the desert too, but there can be no mistake. Barren black lands that look as if they had been scorched by Enn¡¯s wrath¡­ This is the Black Desert.¡±


    ¡°Already? Isn¡¯t the Black Desert in the Southeast region of Rian? Have we crossed the entire Rian province already?¡±


    ¡°What do you mean already? We have been flying for quite a while. With big sis Nyssa¡¯s strength, it is not too much of surprise that she can cross such distance in a quarter of an hour, right?¡±


    ¡°¡­Have we been flying for so long? Time surely does fly fast.¡±


    ¡°¡­Watch carefully. We should soon be arriving at the Lost City.¡±


    Alnea nodded, and returned his attention back to the ground below them. Or at least tried to. The black land below their feet had a strange charm to it though. The more he looked at it, the more it entranced his mind¡­ What was the black mist rising from the black dunes? Some sort of miasma? And the undulating lands¡­ It was as if the desert itself was breathing¡­ and moving. Shifting its position to match the eyes of the beholders¡­ And¡ª


    ¡°¡­You are flying too fast, big sis Nyssa,¡± Yuri complained, as they left behind the wonders on the ground before they could understand what they were seeing.


    ¡°You will get your chance to explore the mysteries of the Black Desert later,¡± his master said without turning back to look at them. ¡°Get ready. We are almost at the Lost City.¡±


    ¡°Where?¡± Alnea said, looking around to find traces of the city. All he saw was black lands, stretching endlessly in all directions¡ªand a small red dot on the horizon. A dot, which soon turned into a giant mammoth, at least ten times as large as any city Alnea had ever seen. Both in size of the city, and in the size of the buildings that made the city. From just his first impression, the city was at least fifty times larger than Anneve. And it looked as if it was made entirely from a single piece of blood red metal. However, to create a city of such scale¡­


    ¡°¡­Is this the Lost City of Rianra?¡±


    ¡°The city is indeed impressive, but there are even stranger things in the world,¡± his master said, as she brought them towards the entrance of the city. ¡°However, nothing in the world can compare to your future. Do not let the city blind you with its awe.¡±


    ¡°¡­I understand, master.¡±


    His master was right. He was going to become the¡ª


    The city may have looked stunning from high up in the air, but it was only when they began their descent, and reached closer to the ground, that Alnea was able to truly understand how majestic the city was. The giant walls of the city, towering around fifty metres above the ground, were around five times higher than any structure he had seen. However, there were even grander buildings within the city. And it was not as if the structures smaller than the walls were not as grand.


    The gates of the city for one, were only half as tall as the walls. And yet, their grandeur could not be hidden by the majesty of the walls. Alnea was not able to recognise any of the figures and text carved on the gates, but that did not stop him from recognising their beauty. Or their sense of sacredness. The arch at the top of the gates¡ª


    ¡°Halt!¡± said one of the two guards at the gates, as he saw them approaching. ¡°Flying is forbidden within the walls of the city. If you wish to enter, then do so on your feet.¡±


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    ¡­Was the guard dumb? Did he not see them descending to the ground? If they had any intention of flying into the city, they would have done so by flying over the walls. Who in their right mind would fly through the gates? Of course, Alnea did not voice out his thoughts. He had to learn how to listen first. Besides, his master did not seem to mind the actions of the guards. She landed in front of the gates, and withdrew her Spirit Power back into her body.


    ¡°What are your Ranks?¡±


    ¡°Three False Wanderers, one Adolescent Stage Oren Beast, and one Grand Wanderer.¡±


    The faces of the guards changed the moment they heard his master mention her Rank. Putting on a solemn face, they hurriedly changed their voices to a much gentler tone, trying their best to hide their fear and regrets. Still, at least they maintained their dignity.


    ¡°A million Orus for each of the False Wanderers and the Oren Beast, and ten thousand Mystic Oren Stones for Grand Wanderers.¡±


    ¡°¡­A million Orus,¡± Alnea mumbled in shock. His father¡¯s life savings were only around a thousand Orus. And his mother earned only ten Orus a month. A million Orus¡­


    ¡°It is not too expensive,¡± Yuri said, after she noticed his shock. ¡°Considering that we are entering a city that has been in existence since the Age of Gods, you can even say that the entrance fees are cheap.¡±


    ¡°¡­I think our sense of money is slightly different,¡± Alnea said. After some hesitation, he added, ¡°How many Orus does a False Oren Stone costs?¡±


    ¡°Ten thousand, give or take.¡±


    ¡°¡­A hundred False Oren Stones for each one of us then?¡±


    ¡°Not too expensive, right?¡±


    ¡°¡­The only Oren Stone I have ever seen is the one in the eyes of Little Shiny. We did not find even a single Oren Stone in the Night Canyons. I may be ignorant, but I am not stupid.¡±


    ¡°Little Shiny¡¯s eye was a True Oren Stone. It is roughly equivalent to a hundred False Oren Stone. And the Oren Stone was the least valuable part of Little Shiny. Being able to enter such a city for one tenth the price of a True Ranked Glyph Array¡­ is it not worth it?¡±


    Before Alnea could answer Yuri¡¯s question, his master reached into her ¡®Dimensional Pocket¡¯ and took a purple crystal, the size of her fist, and handed it over to the guards.


    ¡°That should be enough to cover for all of us.¡±


    ¡°¡­Is it¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­But¡­¡±


    The guards trailed off, staring at the crystal in shock.


    ¡°¡­Is that a Grand Oren Stone? Or a Supreme Oren Stone?¡±


    ¡°Supreme Oren Stones are too rare, and one of the strategic resources of the Union. Even Grand Oren Stones are strictly regulated. This is the reason why the Guards asked for Mystic Oren Stones, and not a Grand Oren Stone. But with big sis Nyssa¡¯s status, she should have quite a few more Grand Oren Stones.¡±


    ¡°¡­A Grand Oren Stone is worth ten thousand Mystic Oren Stones?¡±


    ¡°Technically speaking, one can exchange a hundred False Oren Stones for a True Oren Stone, a thousand True Oren Stones for a Mystic Oren Stone, ten thousand Mystic Oren Stones for a Grand Oren Stone, a hundred thousand Grand Oren Stone for a Supreme Oren Stone, and a million Supreme Oren Stones for an Origin Oren Stone. But that is the most ideal exchange condition. In reality, rarely do people exchange a higher level Oren Stone for a lower level one. And even when they do, they ask for at least a ten percent premium.¡±


    No wonder the guards were left flabbergasted by the Oren Stone that his master handed over to them. Though there was still one question that bothered him.


    ¡°How did they recognise the Oren Stone?¡±


    ¡°From its colour,¡± Yuri said. ¡°False Oren Stones are Grey, True Oren Stones are black, Mystic Oren Stones are Red, Grand Oren Stones are Purple, and Supreme Oren Stones are Golden.¡±


    ¡°What about Origin Oren Stones?¡±


    ¡°Origin Oren Stones¡­ I do not know for sure. The Union, and all the Origin clans have a stock of Origin Oren Stones, but I was not allowed to know their information when I left my home. I just heard some rumours that Origin Oren Stones are sentient, and can take any colour they wish.¡±


    ¡°¡­Sentient stones?¡± Alnea mumbled, shifting his attention back to the guards. In the time he was talking with the Cecilia, the guards had come back to their senses.


    ¡°Enough, enough. It will be more than enough,¡± one of the guards said, losing his solemn look for an ingratiating smile. He was dressed in the same blood red colour of the city, with a black symbol on his chest. Alnea did not recognise what the symbol was, but it looked something like a skull, and wings. Weird combination.


    ¡°Are you interested in joining the Lost City, your excellency?¡±


    ¡°I have my own arrangements.¡±


    ¡°There is no need to refuse right now. You can come take a look at our barracks. Our Captain¡ª


    ¡°Tell your Captain that I will visit him when I have time. For now, just take my juniors into the city, and inform them of its rules.¡±


    ¡°Right away, your excellency,¡± the guards said in unison, before turning back towards the gates. From how they were urging their Aspects to boost themselves, it looked like the gates were quite heavy. But that was a given. How could such majestic gates to such a grand city be so easy to move?


    Before the guards could push on the gates though, his master stopped them in their actions, saying, ¡°Just use the side gates as you usually do.¡±


    ¡°But you are an honoured guest of the city, your excellency. Our orders¡ª


    ¡°Right now, I am not really in the mood of enjoying a ruckus. And I do not wish for my juniors to gain any undue advantages. They must carve their own way in the city. Are you understanding what I am saying?¡±


    ¡°But¡ª


    ¡°I will not repeat myself,¡± his master said, in the same apathetic tone she had been speaking in for a while. However, the same tone, in conjunction with the words she said, made the guards tremble in dread.


    ¡°¡­W¡ªWe understand, your excellency!¡±


    ¡°This way, your excellency,¡± the other guard said, pointing to a door in the right corner of the gates. It was still a large door, at least thrice as large as Alnea. And that was after the growth spurt that he had experienced in the past few months. He had almost caught up with the girls, and would soon surpass them in height.


    ¡°Please excuse the shabbiness of the door, your excellency. It is generally used by the Trialists, so it is not as well maintained as the main gates¡ª


    ¡°I understand. You do not have to worry about such trivialities. Just open the door.¡±


    ¡°¡­Yes, your excellency,¡± the guards said, shivering from fear, as one of them fumbled into the folds of his robe to take out a palm sized object. It was red, and seemed to be rectangular¡­ That was all that Alnea could see, before the guard placed the object on a small black box attached to the gates. Moments later, the gate seemed to come to life, swinging open into the city on its own. It was just that its speed seemed to be a bit slow.


    Getting repeated warnings from his master had made the guards understand that flattering her, or trying to impress her with the city was not going to work. And they did not dare to bet their life that a Grand Wanderer would give the city face once she lost her patience. Especially since she had not entered the city yet. So, instead of waiting for the gate to open on its own, the guards quickly worked together to push it, opening the way to the Lost City of Rianra.

 Chapter 2: The Lost City [Part 2]

    From the weakest False Wanderers to some of the strongest Grand Wanderers of the Fifth Sector of Lightning Region, the Lost City of Rianra had more Wanderers than the number of people that Alnea had ever seen. Just on a rough estimate, there were more than a hundred thousand Wanderers in the city, competing with each other, trying to prove themselves to their clans, and to the city itself. To gain the legacy of the Age of Gods. Or at least that was the image that Alnea had painted in his mind. The first thing that he noticed about the city though, was the thick, tangy smell of blood wafting through its open doors.


    ¡°¡­Why does the city feel even more dangerous than the Night Canyons and the Bright Light Forest combined?¡±


    ¡°Do not worry, little friend,¡± the guards said, putting on flattering smiles on their faces, as they noticed the strange look on his face. ¡°The security measures of the Lotus city are one of its greatest prides. As long as you stick to the rules, there should be no danger to your life.¡±


    ¡°But the smell¡ª


    ¡°That is just the natural smell of the city coming from the blood coating the buildings and the streets. But these blood coats are millions of years old. No one is daring enough to openly commit murder in the streets of the city. Like we said, as long as you stick to the rules, no will be able to kill you.¡±


    ¡°¡­So, even if we follow the rules, there is a chance to that we might still end up getting hurt?¡± Cecilia said, frowning at the guards, while the cat¡ªForne, as Cecilia had named it¡ª in her arms vigilantly looked around itself, as if looking for enemies. Cecilia¡¯s quick wittedness though, turned the guards pale with fright.


    ¡°¡­If we talk about chances, then there is a chance that the world itself might end tomorrow,¡± the guards said with awkward laughs. ¡°Who can say anything definite about things related to chances? After all, anything is possible within the Origin Sea,¡±


    ¡°¡­Stop making trouble for the guards,¡± his master said, continuing to maintain her stoic face, as she turned to face them. ¡°Pay attention to the rules that these guards will tell you, and if there is anything you do not understand, you can explore the city by yourselves.¡±


    Noticing the tension in his master¡¯s voice, Alnea could not help but become a little tense himself.


    ¡°¡­Are you really leaving us, master?¡±


    ¡°¡­Like I told you before, there are a few things that I need to deal with. And even if that was not the case, the rules of the Lost City would not allow me to stay in the outer city with you. So, for the time we are in the Lost City, you will have to take care of yourselves.¡±


    ¡°How long will you be gone?¡±


    ¡°A couple of months, or maybe even a year¡­ It will depend on how things will develop. In any case, you should have enough time to learn all the things that I brought you here for.¡±


    ¡­In a city where most of the younger generation of the Fifth Sector of Lightning Region gathered, learning how to deal with other Wanderers should indeed not be too difficult of a task. Saying goodbye to his master though¡­ And it was not just him. Both Cecilia and Yuri were the same, feeling reluctant to part with his master. They had spent nearly six months in the Night Canyons by themselves. Parting with her just a week after they had reunited¡­


    Only the stupid, heartless cat looked nonchalant about his master¡¯s looming departure. Even though his master had personally made the two earrings it was wearing, hiding its true form from the world, it did not even spare a second glance at his master. Stupid cat. Good thing that the disguise arranged by his master for the cat was to make it look like a Shadow Prowling cat, the stupidest cat type Oren Beast known yet. Most probably, his master had already predicted how stupid the Fortune Devouring Cat was.


    Pushing down the thoughts about the stupid cat down to the bottom of his Heart, Alnea looked at his master in silence for a few moments, before saying, ¡°We are going to be separated once again.¡±


    ¡°¡­If you want accompany me, then grow strong enough to share my pressure,¡± his master said, ruffling through his hair with a smile on her face. But she did not forget where they were, or what she had to do next, so she withdrew her hand after a few moments, just as she withdrew her smile to reveal her solemn face. Before she could say anything though, Yuri stepped in with a few words of her own.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, big sis Nyssa. If the rules of the Lost City would not allow you to stay with us in the outer city, then we will come to you in the core city in no time.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right,¡± Cecilia added, petting the cat sporting a black fur as part of its disguise. ¡°Nothing can stop us when we are together.¡±


    ¡­Why did it feel like the girls were more confident than him? Even the stupid cat was purring in pleasure, and confidence¡­


    ¡°¡­I will be waiting for you in the core city then,¡± his master said, nodding with a solemn face, before turning towards the guards. ¡°I do not care for what you do in normal times. And neither do I expect you to lend help to my juniors. But you must not play any tricks, and honestly explain the rules of the city. Otherwise, not just you, but even the clans behind you will have to suffer from my wrath.¡±


    ¡°We dare not, your excellency!¡± the guards said, bowing towards his master with sweat trickling down their faces. It was only when they heard a snort, and felt cold winds blowing against their back, that they dared to look up. The Grand Wanderer they feared was gone, leaving just her juniors standing in place. They seemed be younger than most of the False Wanderers entering the city, but not by much.


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    The Lost City of Rianra was a gathering place for the younger generation in the first place. Only the best of the best from each clan could get the opportunity to enter its walls. Though the juniors in front of the guards seemed to be outstanding, there was no shortage of outstanding juniors in the city. A Grand Wanderer though, one who could take out a Grand Oren Stone¡­


    ¡°Please come this way,¡± one of the guards said to Alnea and the girls. They did not look as subservient as they were in the presence of his master, but they still had a smile plastered on their faces. ¡°I will take you to register your identities, and explain the rules of the city on the way.¡±


    Alnea exchanged quick glances with the girls, before nodding towards the guard, and following him into the city. Into the world of giant, blood coated buildings, towering above the wide, blood coated streets. Even the air itself reeked of blood. And so did the people¡ªWanderers roaming the streets. They had a sharp, cold glint in their eyes, as if they were on a constant lookout for enemies. And they made sure to remain at least five metres away from each other.


    There were, of course, a few Wanderers who were roaming in groups. But even in groups, they made sure to not stick too close to each other. It was as if the coldness was not just in their eyes, but in their Spirit itself. A cold that was also affecting the streets. After all, the streets were already wider than the Altar roads back in Anneve. With the Wanderers maintaining so much distance from each other, along with the stench of the blood in the air, it made the streets, and the city feel colder than even ice.


    However, the most shocking thing that Alnea noticed was not the coldness of the city, but the state that the Wanderers were in. Battered, exhausted, and anxious. Even their robes were tattered and bloody. And from how the tears in their robes were just around the blood stains, most of the blood seemed to be their own. The mystery of the bloody smell from the Wanderers was finally solved. The mystery of how the source of their bloody smell came about in the first place though¡­


    ¡°This is the outer city,¡± the guard explained, just as all the Wanderers turned to look towards them with crazy eyes, as if they were all looking at their prey. ¡°This is where all the False Wanderers start at. How far you will go, and how much benefit you can gain in the city, it will depend on yourselves. If you do well enough, then you might truly reach the core city. And if your abilities are not up to par¡­ Just look at these Wanderers and their sorry state.¡±


    ¡°¡­I can sense hostility from all the Wanderers around us,¡± Yuri said, frowning at the Wanderers looking at them with hungry eyes. ¡°And from how they seem to have been loitering around the entrance¡­ It seems like they have been waiting specifically for new Wanderers to enter the city.¡±


    ¡°¡­You are quite observant,¡± the guard said, nodding at Yuri with a smile. ¡°These Wanderers have indeed been waiting for Wanderers like you to enter the city. Because for them, their only hope of turning their fate is suppressing newcomers like you.¡±


    ¡°¡­Turning fate is not so easy,¡± Yuri said, shaking their head. ¡°If they do not even dare to fight against their fate, they can never succeed in turning their fate.¡±


    ¡°Good inference,¡± the guard, nodding once again. ¡°Most of these Wanderers would indeed be returning empty handed from the city. A few lucky ones will be able to extend their stay in the city at the cost of suppressing some new Wanderers, but in comparison to those who make their place within the city with their own strength, their gains would be paltry.¡±


    ¡°¡­Looks like the competition in the city is a bit too fierce,¡± Alnea said, staring solemnly at the Wanderers around them. These Wanderers were supposed to be the best of the best in the Orthodoxies of¡ª


    ¡°What are you afraid of?¡± Cecilia said, slapping his back to bring his attention to herself, and the cat in her other arm. For some reason, Alnea felt that the cat might be looking down on him. And the Wanderers around them. ¡°Compared to the threats that we have faced, these cowards who do not even dare to challenge the dangers of the city are nothing.¡±


    Cecilia¡¯s words, and the cat¡¯s disdain, as it hissed at the Wanderers around them in provocation, seemed to rattle and anger the Wanderers. Even the guard looked at them with worry. When the man had explained the threat of the city in front of so many Wanderers, he had probably done so to intimidate them, and relieve some of the pressure that his master had put on the Wanderer. But the man would never have expected one of them to antagonise all the Wanderers. He was probably wondering what sort of punishment his master would mete out if anything were to happen to them, but¡­


    ¡°You are right,¡± Alnea said, with his confidence returning back to his Heart. The stupid cat aside, he was not the same Alnea that he used to be. There was no need for him to put the Wanderers of the Orthodoxies on a higher pedestal. What he and the girls had done in the past six months, most of these Wanderers would not be able to do in their entire life.


    ¡°¡­If these cowards dare to come trouble us, then we will show them what happens to people who mess with Night Rangers.¡±


    ¡°¡­Are you trying to kill us with embarrassment?¡± Cecilia said, with the cat nodding along in agreement. ¡°Obviously, Green Warriors is a better name for our team.¡±


    ¡°¡­Don¡¯t think that I don¡¯t know what you are trying to do,¡± Alnea said, glaring at Cecilia. ¡°You might as well call it Lia¡¯s Warriors.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not such a bad idea.¡±


    ¡°¡­Who is trying to kill us with embarrassment now?¡±


    ¡°You¡­¡±


    While Alnea and Cecilia were arguing about their team¡¯s name, with the cat giving its input every now and then, the guard was looking at them with confusion and disbelief. Instead of stopping his teammate, the boy had joined the girl in belittling all the Wanderers around them. Rather, he led the girl astray, and was even blatantly ignoring the Wanderers. That was probably even more enraging to these Wanderers who had lost all of their self esteem. Thankfully, the second girl seemed to be a little sensible.


    ¡°You two¡­¡± Yuri said, shaking her head in disappointment, allowing the guard to sigh in relief. Her next words though, made the guard¡¯s heart almost pop out from his throat.


    ¡°Did we not have this discussion already? Neither of you two are good at naming. It would be best if we follow my idea, and call ourselves as Fate Breakers. Or Destiny Wanderers.¡±


    Alnea and Cecilia looked at each other, and came at a tacit agreement, quickly changing the topic away from naming their team. And for once, even the cat did not make any troubles. If they were truly forced to call themselves as Destiny Wanderers in front of other Wanderers¡­ They would probably die of shame and embarrassment. Meanwhile, the guard was on the verge of dying from the failure of his heart.

 Chapter 3: Blood Hall [Part 1]

    ¡°Let us register your identity first,¡± the guard said, hastily leading away the little troublemakers deeper into the city before they could truly kill him from fright. And to the guard¡¯s relief, neither Alnea, nor the girls objected his suggestion. Though they were not afraid of the Wanderers surrounding them, being stared at by dozens of hostile gazes from all sides was not very comforting. And they quite looked forward to exploring more of the city.


    ¡°The buildings¡­ they sure are unique,¡± Alnea said, glancing at the buildings on either side of the streets. Contrary to the buildings that he had seen in Anneve, none of the buildings in the Lost City looked like houses. Rather, they looked more like broad towers, with unnecessarily large number of windows.


    ¡°Were the buildings in the Age of Gods built like this?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Yuri said, looking at the buildings with interest. ¡°I have seen records of some legacies of the Age of Gods¡­ and none of them had buildings like these.¡±


    ¡°That is because those buildings were built for luxury,¡± the guard said, not even bothering to look back at them. He just pointed to the buildings on their right, and said, ¡°Do you see the windows in the buildings? Each one of them represents a room.¡±


    ¡°So many rooms in one building?¡± Cecilia mumbled, stroking the cat¡¯s back, as it closed its eyes in pleasure. Her attention was not on the cat though, but on the buildings around them. In a strange, twisted sense of humour, all the buildings on the streets, and even those beyond the streets, had the same characteristics.


    ¡°¡­Are we supposed to live in such tiny rooms?¡±


    The guard paused, and turned towards Cecilia, finally showing a hint of smile. And though he was quick to hide, all of them saw the schadenfreude hidden within the man¡¯s smile.


    ¡°Of course not. Not to mention larger rooms, there are even mansions in the city, which you can claim all for yourselves. But everything in the city has a price. Even these tiny rooms. If you cannot afford them, then you can only roam the streets, and search for unsuspecting prey, like the Wanderers you saw earlier.¡±


    ¡°¡­I am assuming that this price does not refer to Orus, or Oren Stones,¡± Yuri said, analysing the smile on the guard¡¯s face. ¡°Or else, those scions of the Orthodoxies would not be left to rot on the streets.¡±


    ¡°You are sharp, as expected of the juniors of an honoured guest of the city,¡± the guard said, still sporting his fake smile. ¡°All your Orus and Oren Stones became worthless the moment you stepped through the gates of the city. Because within the Lost City, the only recognised form of currency is Blood Coins.¡±


    ¡°Then why do you charge Oren Stones as entrance fees to the city?¡±


    The smile on the guard¡¯s face became stiff as he turned towards the stupid boy, cursing him in his mind.


    ¡°Those are the rules,¡± the guard said in a solemn voice, before turning around, and walking away, not caring whether the troublemakers were following him or not. Only on the surface though. Hiding behind his nonchalant attitude, he did not forget to deliberately match his pace with the troublemakers enjoying the view of the city, ensuring that they always kept up with him.


    However, his blatant actions made it hard for him to hide his intentions from Alnea, and the girls. Fortunately for the guard, they decided not to embarrass him any further. The poor man was probably just trying to maintain his dignified image as a True Wanderer. Antagonising him needlessly was not a good idea. Especially since he was also supposed to tell them about the city¡¯s rules.


    Still, they were not afraid of the guard either. They did not care for what the man was thinking, and walked through the streets, observing the city at their leisure. The most notable thing about the city was the stench of blood, of course. And the battered Wanderers roaming the streets, looking for their prey¡ªwhatever that meant. There were other Wanderers too, decently dressed Wanderers, who went about their own ways. But even they were keeping distance from the other Wanderers, avoiding them like plague.


    Once he looked past the Wanderers though, and all the blood in the city, he noticed the most uncomfortable aspect of the city. The heat. Even in the midst of winter, Enn¡¯s light felt like fire raining down upon his skin. And the buildings, made from metals, felt boiling to touch. They were acting like countless miniature Enns on the ground, making the air itself shimmer and wobble with heat.


    No wonder the Wanderers forced onto the streets were so battered. Bearing such heat¡­ It was nothing less than a torture. And yet, desperate as they were, those Wanderers still refused to leave the city. What exactly was in the city that made them willing to risk their lives and sanity?


    The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.


    While Alnea was lost in his thoughts, the guard led them around a corner, and finally stopped in front of the largest building on the street. It was also the first building with a different design that they had seen in the city.


    From the first glance, it looked like big sis Serena¡¯s mansion, if her mansion was four to five times as tall. The building also had a red roof instead of a green one, which was shaped more like a dome than a shed. Not to mention the windows. Though most of the building¡¯s windows were concentrated on the lower floors, the sheer number of windows those lower floors had was still enough to mark the building as something unique to the Lost City.


    ¡°This is the Northern District¡¯s Sixth Blood Hall,¡± the guard said, finally willing to look at them. With a straight face though, and not with a smile. ¡°The place which will decide whether you can enter the inner city, or whether you will have to leave the city. For the moment though, we are here to register your identities.¡±


    ¡°Northern District¡¯s Sixth Blood Hall¡­ Are there more such halls in the city?¡±


    ¡°The Lost City is much larger than you can imagine,¡± the guard said, turning towards Alnea. ¡°Just the outer city itself is divided into four districts. And all districts have fifteen Blood Halls.¡±


    ¡°Sixty Blood Halls,¡± Alnea mumbled, while Yuri used the chance to ask her own question.


    ¡°Are there any differences between these Blood Halls?¡±


    ¡°¡­All the Blood Halls in the outer city are the same. If you insist on finding a difference between them, then I guess you can take their jurisdictions as a difference. Each Blood Hall is responsible for a particular part of the city. The gate through which you entered the city comes under the jurisdiction of the Northern District¡¯s Sixth Blood Hall, which makes it the Blood Hall where you have to register your identity, and report in the future. At least until you stay in the outer city, that is.¡±


    ¡°¡­It sounds like an interesting place.¡±


    ¡°¡­There are still a few things I need to tell you about, but that will come later. For now, let us not waste time, and register your identities,¡± the guard said, and charged straight towards the stairs leading to the Blood Hall. And as ignorant as they were about the city, and its rules, Alnea and the girls had no choice but to follow the guard. Still, Alnea did not waste his chance to observe the Blood Hall from a close distance.


    Conforming to the aesthetics of the Lost City, the Blood Hall was taller than any buildings he had seen in Anneve. Even in the Lost City, it could be regarded as one of the tallest buildings. Probably around fifteen, or sixteen storeys tall. Maybe more. And it was large. Not as large as big sis Serena¡¯s mansion, but it was large, nonetheless. And unique. Deviating from the other buildings in the area, its main entrance was not on the ground, but on the third storey. They had to use the stairs, creeping its way from the streets all the way to point where the portico of the building began, just to reach the main entrance of the building.


    Unique as the stairs were though, the entrance of the building was also just as unique. A pair of giant red doors, carved with figures similar to those carved on the gates of the city. They were not as large as the gates of the city, of course. Still, they were twice as tall as him. So, probably a little over three metres. And they seemed to be heavy. Fortunately, the doors were already open, with Wanderers constantly making their way in and out of the building.


    Surprisingly enough, all the Wanderers seemed to have let their guards down around the building. The same Wanderers, who did not dare to step within five metres of each other, did not even bother to turn when other Wanderers brushed past their shoulders. They still seemed a little jerky, and tense, but that was probably from being too tense all the time. Regardless, it was evident that the Blood Hall was akin to some kind of haven for the Wanderers of Lost City.


    And yet, none of the Wanderers seemed keen on roaming within the Blood Hall needlessly. After all, even with hundreds of people in the hall, with the main hall being nearly three storeys tall¡ªin retrospect, he should have expected the building to be different on the inside from how it looked on the outside¡ª there was plenty of room for even more people to comfortably fit in the hall. For some reason though, everyone seemed to be in some kind of hurry.


    Even the guard, as he led them into the hall, did not dare to loiter around, and led them directly to their destination. To a wooden table, adoring exquisite carvings¡ªstories of a time long gone. Or maybe of a time that the never existed. What caught Alnea¡¯s attention though, was not the table itself, but the red robed Wanderer standing behind the table. She was unlike the other Wanderers he had seen in the city.


    Usually, unless Wanderers are nearing the end of their lives, rarely do they show any signs of ageing. It was not for no reason that his master had often warned him not to judge other Wanderers just on their looks. Yet even though he could not tell the red robed woman¡¯s age, there was something about her that set her apart from the other Wanderers chaotically making their way in the hall. And it was not just the woman.


    There were around twenty to thirty counters in the hall, with just as many Wanderers behind those counters. And all of those Wanderers had an air of calm, and confidence about them. Even though they did not look much older than other Wanderers in the hall, he could not mistake maturity with which they carried themselves, exuding an air of strength. Something that even the guard did not have.


    ¡°Newbies?¡± the red robed woman behind the counter mumbled, glancing at Alnea and the girls. ¡°Another bunch of kids rushing towards their ruins.¡±


    ¡°¡­Just give them their Blood Cards. I still need to tell them about the rules of the city.¡±


    ¡°Oh?¡± the woman said, glancing at them with interest. ¡°Geniuses then? But that will only make their fall harder, and uglier.¡±


    Ignoring the impatient guard, the woman turned around, and rummaged through the shelves carved directly into the walls of the hall, and took out three blood red metal sheets, around as large as his palms. On second thought, they were indeed more like ¡®Blood Cards¡¯ that the guard had mentioned. Was it¡ª

 Chapter 3: Blood Hall [Part 2]

    ¡°Just drop your blood on the cards, and you will be done,¡± the red robed woman said, placing the metal cards on the table lying in between them. Alnea picked up one of the cards, and looked at it for a couple of moments. Other than its colour, and the faint stench of blood, it did not seem to have anything special. It did not even have any Glyphs engraved on its surface. Would it really work with just a drop of blood?


    Curious, he slipped his dagger out of its sheath, and pricked his left thumb, before passing the dagger to Yuri, and placing his bloody thumb on the card. Almost immediately, he felt a strange force from within the card, trying to suck something out of his thumb. Moments later, the card shimmered as weird symbols materialised on its surface, which quickly arranged themselves in eight rows.


    Of those eight rows, the symbols on the first, second, and the eighth rows formed a single sequence, while the symbols in the rest of the rows each formed two sequences. That was all that Alnea could understand about the symbols. What those symbols represented, or how to read them was beyond him. The red robed woman though, had no problem reading the weird symbols.


    ¡°Fifth Level of the Intermediate Stage?¡± the red robed woman said in much higher pitch than her normal voice as she peeked at his card. After a few moments of stunned silence, the woman turned her head, and peeked at the cards of the girls, noting down their level. ¡°Another one at the Fifth Level of the Intermediate Stage. Counting the Shadow Prowling Cat¡­ Fourth Level of the Advanced Stage?¡±


    The woman¡¯s voice went even higher, as she read the weird symbols on Yuri¡¯s card. But that was understandable. A girl reaching the Advanced Stage of the False Wanderer Rank at the mere age of fourteen¡­ that news in itself was enough to shock the Lightning Region. However, the woman was quite experienced, and quickly regained her composure.


    ¡°You are indeed geniuses, but there is no lack of geniuses in the Lost City. You should be careful of everyone¡­ it would be a pity if any one of you fell here.¡±


    Though she included Alnea and Cecilia in her warnings, the woman¡¯s eyes were trained only on Yuri. And the way she darted her eyes as she warned Yuri, it looked as if she was warning her to remain wary of her two companions¡­


    ¡°Just complete the formalities. I have to go back to my post as soon as possible,¡± the guard said to the woman, who in turn let out a snort.


    ¡°It is not as if I am eating them,¡± she mumbled, before pointing at the cards. More specifically, at the weird symbols on the cards. ¡°Do you see the eight symbols in the top row? They represent your identities for your duration in the city. More specifically, the first symbol from the left represents the northern district. The second and third symbols represent the Sixth Blood Hall. And the last five symbols represent your identity in the Sixth Blood Hall.


    ¡°Other than recording your identity, you should have already guessed that the Blood Cards also record the level of your Spirit Power. Another function of these cards is to record how many blood coins you have. Since you are new to the city, the Blood Hall will give you a hundred coins as newcomer benefit. But in the future, you will have to earn them on your own. As for how to earn the Blood Coins, and how to use them¡­ Ronan will explain it to you.¡±


    ¡°Alright, I will take it from here,¡± the guard said, before turning towards Alnea, and the girls. ¡°Let us leave the Blood Hall for now. I will tell you all the rules of the city as we look for rooms for you to stay in.¡±


    None of them refused the man¡¯s offer. After all, compared to the woman who tried to warn Yuri of him and Cecilia, the man seemed much more docile, and friendly. However, before leaving, Alnea did not forget to etch the woman¡¯s face into his mind, and mark her as an enemy.


    ¡°Martha may be a little outspoken, but she has a kind heart,¡± the guard said, as they left the Blood Hall, and walked down its stairs. ¡°Her brother was a genius that was rarely seen in her clan in hundreds of years. But he was a little too overconfident, and naive. And the Lost City is not kind to such people¡­ She probably saw her brother¡¯s shadow in you, so she decided to warn you of the city¡¯s dangers. You do not have to take her words to your heart.¡±


    It looked like the guard had also seen the implicit warning hidden in the woman¡¯s words. But¡­


    ¡°What happened to her brother?¡±


    ¡°He¡­¡± The guard trailed off, and shook his head after a moment of silence. ¡°It is not my place to tell his story. If you are curious, you can go ask her yourself.¡±


    Alnea was curious about the story of the woman¡¯s brother, but not curious enough to humiliate himself. Besides, though the man had not said anything, the grave tone that he had described the woman¡¯s brother in, and the man¡¯s silence on his story were enough to tell Alnea what he needed to know. It looked like the city was much more dangerous than it appeared to be on the surface. But that was how it should be. After all, there was a reason why it had to be deemed as a Forbidden Area.


    ¡°Let me tell you more about the Blood Cards,¡± the guard said, taking out his own Blood Card from the fold of his robe near his chest, and pointing to the symbols on its surface, while he continued to lead them away from the Blood Hall.


    Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.


    ¡°As Martha said, the first row of symbols on your Blood Cards records your identities in the city. Although they are only your temporary identities, they will stay with you until your stay in the outer city. So, you better remember them with your heart.¡±


    ¡°¡­How do we remember our identities if we cannot even read what is written?¡±


    ¡°¡­That you will have to figure out on your own. Moving on, the second row of symbols represent your Spirit Power. From the left, they represent your Rank, Stage, and Level. As for why the city needs to record your Spirit Power¡­ I will tell you in while. Coming down to the third row, fourth, and fifth rows, the two sequences in the three rows record your points in the Hall of Arcanists, Scholars, and Warriors, and your ranks in the three halls.


    ¡°Once again, before you ask, what these points and ranks mean, and how to upgrade them¡­ you will have to figure these things out by yourselves. The only thing I can tell you is that each of the three halls have a few trials that you can try challenging. If you are confident in your abilities, that is.


    ¡°Just a friendly reminder. With your current strength, completing these trials may be your only way of earning Blood Coins at the moment. Do not think about the other rewards of the trials. For now, just focus on earning as much Blood Coins as you can. Otherwise, let alone earning some extra rewards, you might end up losing what few Blood Coins you have. You should be careful, and try not to chew more than what you can.


    ¡°Anyways, coming down to the sixth and seventh rows, the two sequences in these two rows also record your points and ranks. But this time, instead of any halls, these symbols will record your points and ranks in the Blood Arena, and the Black Desert Trial.


    ¡°The Blood Arena is where Wanderers of the same Rank can challenge each other, generally with some bets of Blood Coins. And this is also one of the reasons why the city records the Spirit Power of all the Wanderers. However, fights between Wanderers can be dangerous, making some injuries unavoidable. The Blood Arena, of course, provides all the participants with healing services, but nothing in the Lost City is free. It would be fine if you win, but if you were to lose¡­¡±


    ¡°Is that where these Wanderers were injured?¡± Alnea said, staring at some of the battered Wanderers on the streets, only to have Cecilia pinch his waist, and bring him back to reality.


    ¡°These Wanderers are eyeing us like their prey¡­ probably thinking of dragging us to the Blood Arena, and steal all our Blood Coins, and you are feeling pity for them?¡±


    ¡°Cecilia is right,¡± Yuri added, while staring coldly at the Wanderers eyeing them with greed. ¡°There is no need to pity our enemies.¡±


    ¡°¡­I am not pitying them,¡± Alnea said, shaking his head. ¡°I am just lamenting at the nature of humans.¡±


    ¡°¡­In the Lost City, there are no humans,¡± the guard said. ¡°Everyone here is your competitor¡­ Yor enemy. They will try their best to climb over your head. And if that does not work, they will try to pull you down to be like them. If you still have time to worry about useless things, it would be better if you spend it on your training.¡±


    ¡°¡­What is the Black Desert Trial that you were talking about?¡± Alnea said, changing the topic away from himself.


    ¡°¡­The Black Desert is, after all, a Forbidden Area. No one know how many Oren Beasts are hidden within its sands¡­ If left unchecked, then these Oren Beasts might even overrun the Lost City. It is for this reason that the Black Desert Trial was set up. All the Wanderers in the city, even those like us, who have become permanent residents of the city, need to go out into the Black Desert, and hunt a certain number of Oren Beasts every year, or risk facing punishment of the city.


    ¡°How many beasts we need to hunt, and what their strength needs to be¡­ these things are all decided by our strength, and a few other factors. But there is no need for you to worry about those things. Because if you wish to leave the outer city, and enter the core city, then just passing the Black Desert Trials will not be enough. You will need to perform exceptionally well in the trials. The greater the depths of the Black Deseret you challenge, the greater number of Oren Beasts you hunt, the greater your chances of entering the core city will be.¡±


    ¡°¡­And I am assuming completing these trials will also grant us with Blood Coins?¡±


    ¡°They are a part of the benefits, yes. If you want to know what else the trials can offer you though, you will have to explore on your own.¡±


    ¡°¡­In the Blood Hall?¡± Yuri said, glancing at her Blood Card with interest. ¡°Are the other three Halls also in the Blood Hall?¡±


    The guard paused, and turned around to look Yuri for a few moments. He did not say anything, but the silence, and the strange light in the man¡¯s eyes was enough for them to get their answer.


    ¡°¡­As I was saying,¡± the guard said, and turned around, pocketing his Blood Card back into his robe, as he continued leading the way for them. ¡°The last row of symbols on the Blood Card represents how many Blood Coins you have. And it also decides how you live your life in the Lost City. From luxurious houses to special training rooms in the Blood Hall, and even some precious resources that can only be found in the Lost City, as long as you have enough Blood Coins, you can have anything you want. However, if you do not have enough Blood Coins, then¡­¡±


    ¡°How about entering the core city?¡± Cecilia asked. ¡°What are requirements for entering the core city?¡±


    The guard paused in his steps once again, but only for a fraction of a moment.


    ¡°There are only two known methods of upgrading your status, and entering a deeper part of the city,¡± the guard said. ¡°The first method is breaking through a Rank. As long as you can break through to the True Rank, you will be allowed to enter the inner city. And breaking through to the Mystic Rank will grant you access to the core city.¡±


    ¡°¡­That will take too much time.¡±


    ¡°¡­At least it is much more doable than the second method.¡±


    ¡°What is the second method?¡±


    ¡°¡­If you wish to enter the core city as soon as possible, then you need to gather enough points. Whether it is by completing the trials, or by competing in the Arena, as long as you can gather enough points, you can naturally earn the qualifications to enter a deeper part of the city. But the amount of points you need to exchange for such qualifications¡­¡±

 Chapter 4: Settling down [Part 1]

    The guard finally stopped in front of a building about seven streets away from the Blood Hall. Not too close, but not too far either.


    ¡°You will need the quiet,¡± the guard said, as he led them into the building.


    Upon entering the building, the first thing that Alnea noticed was the staircase leading to the higher floors, separated from the entrance by a corridor that cut across from his left to right. It was a small corridor, far smaller than the corridors in big sis Serena¡¯s mansion, but it had enough room to accommodate all of them without making them feel suffocated. The rooms though¡­


    The corridor was not very long, and yet, there were around three doors on either side of the corridor just to his left. The other half of the corridor was also the same. Twelve rooms on just the first floor¡­ Not to mention the obsessiveness of the city with blood. From the walls to the stairs, and even the doors, everything was painted with a coat of blood. It was as if the building was constantly reminding its inhabitants of the city¡¯s dangers. Only the boxes, about twice as large as his palms, sticking to the right half of the doors, were of a different shade.


    ¡°You see the black box on the doors?¡± the guard said, pointing to the doors closest to them. ¡°If it is blinking with a red light, then it means that the room is occupied. And if it does not blink, then you can take the room for yourself.¡±


    ¡°¡­All of these rooms are occupied right now?¡±


    ¡°The rooms closer to the ground are often more popular among the Wanderers,¡± the guard said. ¡°You will understand the reason once you enter these rooms yourself. For now, let us go check the upper floors, and see if there are any empty rooms.¡±


    They followed the guard up the stairs, and checked the second floor. Once again, all its rooms were occupied. The same was the case with the third, and fourth floors. It was only when they reached the fifth floor that they found a couple of empty rooms. They chose to continue climbing though, and did not stop until they found three empty rooms on the seventh floor.


    ¡°To open the rooms, you just need to place your Blood Cards against the boxes. After deducting your Blood Coins, it will reserve the room for you. No one else will be able to enter your room, even if they somehow manage to get your Blood Cards, making it the safest place for you to complete your Wanderings, and train your Spirits. However, one Blood Coin can reserve a room for only one day. And the rooms on the first and second floors cost double the coins.¡±


    ¡°What about the mansions that you mentioned?¡± Cecilia said, staring at the rooms with disgust. Even Alnea felt a little disgruntled from the fact that he might be sharing a building with his potential enemies. Only Yuri remained unfazed by their living arrangements. Or at least, she did not show any dissatisfaction on her face. If they could live in their own separate mansion though, or even just a normal house¡­


    ¡°You have been in the city for a while,¡± the guard said. ¡°Other than the Blood Hall, did you see any buildings that were different from the one we are in?¡±


    ¡°¡­Did you not say that we can have anything that we want as long as we had enough Blood Coins?¡±


    ¡°¡­I am not saying that there no better places to live at,¡± the guard said after some hesitation. ¡°But there are some requirements that you need to fulfil before you can get access to those places.¡±


    ¡°What are those requirements?¡±


    ¡°You can explore them in the Blood Hall on your own. My job was only to help you register your identities¡­ and inform you of the basic rules of the city. I have already done both of those things.¡±


    ¡°But you did not tell us how to read our Blood Cards,¡± Yuri said, pointing to the weird symbols on her Blood Card. ¡°I can sense the fluctuations of some unknown Mysteries from these symbols¡­ As if there are some restrictions binding these symbols¡­ and the language they are from. I am assuming that only when we are within the city can we learn this language. And yet, you are acting as if we already know the language¡­ Even if you do not teach us the language, should you not at least explain how or where we should go about learning this language? Is that not what you promised?¡±


    Stolen novel; please report.


    ¡°¡­I did not promise anything. And what I have told you is already more than what any newcomer knows. If there is anything that you still do not understand, then you can seek your answers at the Blood Hall. Now, if you will excuse me¡ª


    ¡°Wait a minute,¡± Alnea said. ¡°I just have one more question to ask.¡±


    ¡°¡­What is it?¡±


    ¡°Did you not say that as long as Wanderers can break through to the True Rank, they can advance to the inner city? Then what are you doing in the outer city? Are there things that you have kept from us?¡±


    ¡°¡­I have told you all that you need to know,¡± the guard said in a stiff tone. ¡°As for things that you do not need to know, you will not know them even if you spend your entire life in the city.¡±


    ¡°That does not make any sense,¡± Alnea mumbled, but the guard ignored him, and made his way down the stairs, leaving just him and the girls in the corridor of the seventh floor.


    ¡°¡­What are we going to do now?¡±


    ¡°The guard has already given us the hint,¡± Yuri said, with the end of her lips curving up in a smile. ¡°For now, let us choose a room, and settle down first. After all, no matter where we are, we cannot neglect our Wanderings and meditations.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s fine with me,¡± Alnea said. ¡°Let us meet here in four hours then. That should give us enough time to complete everything and recover our Spirit.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s decided then,¡± Cecilia said. ¡°We are meeting again in four hours.¡±


    The only problem was¡­


    ¡°How are we going to choose our rooms?¡± Alnea said, staring at the three rooms. Two of them were facing the back side of the building, with their windows opening to another building¡¯s back side, while the last one¡¯s window opened up to the street that they had walked into the building from. Or at least, that was how he assumed the rooms were from the way they were placed. Choosing between them¡­


    ¡°It does not matter,¡± Yuri said, walking up to one of the rooms on the back side of the building, and placing her Blood Card on its black box. Consequently, the box made strange, screeching noises for a few moments, before a red light began blinking at its top right corner, just like the boxes of all the occupied rooms they had seen. Pushing the door of her room open, Yuri turned towards them, and said, ¡°All the rooms are same anyway.¡±


    Before Alnea could say anything in return, Yuri had already walked into her closed her door. And infected from her decisiveness, Cecilia hesitated for only a fraction of a moment, before choosing the room next to hers.


    ¡°Let¡¯s meet in four hours,¡± Cecilia said, as she reserved the room for herself, before walking into the room, and closing its door on his face just as decisively as Yuri had.


    ¡°¡­What was that?¡±


    ¡°Nothing,¡± Yuri said. ¡°I just felt that wasting time on choosing our rooms would be pointless.¡±


    ¡°¡­Who are you trying to fool?¡± Alnea mumbled, but did not pester her again. Turning around to the only unoccupied room, he placed his Blood Card on its black box, and after spending a Blood Coin, reserved it for a day. Once again, the box made some incomprehensible screeching noises, before it made a soft click that only he could hear, signifying that the room had been opened.


    Pushing the door open, Alnea walked into the room, allowing the door to close on its own behind his back. But he was so used to doors closing on their own, that the strange action of the door did not bother him. The room though¡­ With the personal bathroom attached to the room separated from the main room by just a simple cased opening, and a blood red curtain, the room was quite unlike any room he had ever seen.


    In size, the main room was probably a little bigger than his room back in the inner city of Anneve. In essence though, the room was completely different in every possible way. For one, the interior of the room was once again designed in a theme of blood, which did not surprise Alnea too much. But it did give the room a tangy smell, while introducing a strange chill in the air.


    No, it was not just the aura of the room. The room itself was colder than the world without. At the very least, the room was not sizzling hot. Not that it would have made any difference with the robe that he was wearing. Regardless, the room probably had some temperature regulation Glyphs keeping it cool even in the scorching heat.


    The dark tinted pane of glass filtering out Enn¡¯s light might also be helping in keeping the room cool, Alnea thought. It was probably also keeping the room private. The room should have some Glyph Arrays preventing other from peeking into the room with their Spirits, but if the window had been a see through one, then he would not have been able to Wander or meditate with ease. Especially since Yuri and Cecilia would also have had similar windows.


    The Blood Coin was well spent, Alnea thought, before supressing his useless thoughts at the bottom of his Heart, and walking up to the only piece of furniture in the room, a blood red cushion, just enough for him to sit on it. He had gotten used to sitting on the cold hard floor of the Night Canyons, but since there was luxury to be had, and he had already paid for it, then he might as well enjoy it.

 Chapter 4: Settling down [Part 2]

    Removing his sword from his waist, Alnea placed it on the ground, as he took his seat on the cushion. But he was in no hurry to enter his Spirit State. There was still something he had left to do. Closing his eyes, he began reflecting on himself. After all, whether it was to Forge his Spirit, or to Wander the Origin Sea, he had to first immerse himself in his Serenity. And at the moment, his Heart was anything but Serene.


    Separating from his master just a week after reuniting with her¡­ He had been holding it back well, but his Heart was suffering from a profound sense of melancholy. And not just because he could not be with his master. It had been more than half a year since he last saw his mother and big sis Serena. And while one was tempering herself in the Thrall Domains, the other did not even know if he was alive¡­


    At first, his days in the Night Canyons were spent trying to become a False Wanderer as soon as possible, so he did not truly feel the loneliness, or the pain of separation. Maybe, the novelty of exploring a new world might have also helped him divert his attention. By the time the things became a routine, he had already become a Wanderer. And after he became a Wanderer, he did not really have much time to spare any thoughts on remembrance.


    From Wandering the Origin Sea to taming Aspects, comprehending Mysteries, Forging his Spirit, practising Martial Styles, creating Arcanas, tempering his Heart, and most important of all, fighting Oren Beasts, there were so many things that he had to do. So many things to focus his attention on. Even coaxing Yuri and Cecilia often took a large part of his attention. Not to mention how the Curse of his Fate had also flared up in the canyons.


    There was just no time for him to think about the people who were not with him. Or maybe, he just did not wish to think about them. Whatever the reason may be, he could not deny the fact that he had not thought about his mother and big sis Serena for a long time. But that was before, when he was still exploring the Night Canyons.


    After dealing with the Heterodox Wanderers, and meeting up with his master, the sense of urgency that had filled his life for the past half year had slowly dwindled away, taking with it whatever it was that had been blocking the gates guarding the memories of his mother and big sis Serena. And since his master had left barely a week after they had reunited, he could not help thinking about her either¡­


    It was only the smile of pride in his master¡¯s eyes that kept him going against all odds. And the thought that once he became strong enough, nothing would be able to keep him away from the people he loved. Not even the Thralls. For the moment though, he had to focus on his training. He had to focus on his Wandering.


    Entering his Spirit State, Alnea reached towards the thread connecting his Spirit to the Origin Sea, and tugged on it, climbing along its length. The thread, of course, did not have any physical presence. It was just a manifestation of his Roots in his Spirit World. However, it was also the only thread connecting him to the Origin Sea. And as such, was his only way to the Origin Sea, for the moment.


    After a short journey that seemed to last for an eternity¡ªor was it a long journey that was completed in an instant¡ª Alnea stepped into a dark, empty world¡­ Not exactly empty, or dark per se. It still had a dozen or so clouds of Oren, flashing in shades of white, golden, silvery blue, and dark blue colours, floating in his domain. When looked at from the perspective of his entire Domain though, the world surely did look dark and empty. But not for long.


    ¡°I am going to the Origin Sea.¡±


    ¡°¡­Be careful. And don¡¯t think too much.¡±


    ¡°The only one thinking too much is you,¡± Alnea said with chuckles, before pulling on the strange, and yet familiar feeling existing just beyond his reach. Moments later, the world itself rippled, as a golden light materialised in front of him, before forming a giant ring, roughly twice his height. The transformation of the world did not end there though, and continued with the ring bleeding its light towards its centre, forming a disc within just a few moments.


    Familiar with the giant disc, Alnea drifted towards it, and pressed his hand against its surface. And the moment he touched the disc, it collapsed in on itself, leaving just the ring, and a giant gaping hole that opened up to a world full of countless tiny lights, with endless variations of brightness, colour, shape, and size. To the world of Origin Sea.


    With a smile on his face, Alnea prepared his Heart, and stepped into the Origin Sea, into the endless layers of Oren trying to hinder his movements. However, compared to the other attacks of the Origin Sea, the suffocating sensation of being trapped in Oren could almost be neglected. At the very least, he did not need to guard his Heart against the Oren. The attacks of the Origin Sea though¡­


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    From the smell of rotten corpse to the taste of the sweetest honey of Rainbow Bees, all sorts of sensations, generally those alternating between extremes, flooded all his senses. Most of those sensations were not too hard to guard against. Especially since the Serenity of his Heart was already comparable to those of average Advanced Stage False Wanderers.


    The overlap of those sensations though, especially when the Origin Sea was flooding his senses with the sensations of other senses, did give him some troubles. At the very least, the Origin Sea succeeded in disgusting him, comparing the smell of Yuri¡¯s hair with the taste of Dust Eater Rat¡¯s faeces¡­


    No matter how many times he came to the Origin Sea, it never stopped surprising him. Thankfully, the Serenity of his Heart was deep enough to defend against the ridiculous attacks of the Origin Sea. Confirming the Serenity of his Heart, Alnea opened his eyes, and greeted his friends with a smile.


    ¡°I am back!¡±


    OATHKEEPER IS BACK.


    HE IS BACK.


    Laughing along with his friends, Alnea rushed towards them, only for them to taunt him, and scamper away before he could get to them. Of course, they made sure to not run too far. Deliberately slowing down to match his speed, they dared him to catch them if he could. And as if they pitied him for being alone, some of them offered to chase their brethren with him. Yet, they never really helped, only laughing at his helplessness.


    In fake anger, Alnea cursed at his teammates, preferring to chase them instead. But that only forced those Aspects to run away from him, only for his prior targets to join his team instead. And so, the chase continued¡ª


    Or not. As if bored of playing catch and chase for too long, the Aspects turned to a new game instead. From swords and spears to cats and tigers, the Aspects all began taking their turn in displaying their true form, and prowess. And as they did so, they did not forget to urge him to judge which of them was the strongest. Some of the quirky ones even asked him to judge which of them was the prettiest, or the fiercest of them all. And from how they were all jumping around excitedly, it was obvious that none of them would except any answers except for themselves.


    Fortunately, Alnea knew how naughty the Aspects could be. And he did not wish to be bombarded with their complaints. So, the moment that the Aspects turned their expectant gazes towards him, he summoned an Initial Stage Mystery, forcing the Aspects away from him.


    His tricks, of course, could not escape the scrutiny of Aspects for long. After all, they were part of the Origin Sea itself. However, his trick did the job, distracting the Aspects from their competitive nature. When he allowed the Mysteries to disperse, the focus of the Aspects was not on which of them was the strongest, but to give him his due punishment¡­ by tickling him.


    Recently, in the past few months, Alnea had found his Spirit growing more and more tangible. An expected consequence of the transformation of his Spirit with his increasing Spirit Power. His Spirit was still not solid enough to stop the Aspects from passing through him, but after reaching the Intermediate Stage, it had become solid enough for him to experience tickling sensations every time the Aspects passed through him. And the Aspects knew it.


    Bullying him with their numbers, they did not stop until he was on the verge of tears, begging them to stop. And once they stopped bullying him, Alnea quickly used the excuse of Wandering the Origin Sea to get away from them. If the little menaces were to force him to play with them once again¡­ He probably would not be able to resist another round of tickling.


    Suppressing his errant thoughts back at the bottom of his Heart, Alnea began to truly Wander the depths of Origin Sea, resisting against the increasingly intense attacks of the Origin Sea. He did not encounter any Mysteries, but he had already expected as such. After all, it was only two days ago that he had encountered a Mystery. And on average, False Wanderers encountered a Mystery only once every seven Wanderings or so.


    Still, Alnea was not overconfident. He remembered how Yuri had encountered two Mysteries one after another on just her first Wandering. Just to be on the safer side, he began his return journey when he had about two thousand units of Spirit Power left. Even then, by the time he reached the gate to his Domain, he was left with only a hundred units of Spirit Power.


    Technically, he could stay for a bit longer, but there was nothing left for him to do in the Origin Sea. He had completed his Wandering, and was not in a shape to comprehend a Mystery even if he encountered one. As for taming an Aspect¡­ he had tamed one just five days ago. Even if the Aspects agreed to return with him, he was in no shape to dig their Aspect wells.


    Of course, he could still tame Aspects. But without their Aspect wells to contain them, the influence of the Aspects would be too much for his Heart to bear. Especially since he was within a Forbidden Area. He still did not know much about the Lost city. Rather than risking himself, and the girls, waiting for a couple of days was better. And though he could have played with the Aspects, there was no need to completely exhaust his Spirit Power.


    Bidding his farewell to the Aspects, Alnea returned to his Domain. To the dark, and quiet peace¡­ His Domain may be desolate, but it had its own benefits. From resisting against countless attacks against his senses, his Heart went to just enjoying the quiet peace, allowing him to think much more clearly. Problems, which were bothering him just a little while ago, were solved in an instant. And his Heart, despite still being Serene, was tempered once again, taking another step towards its Clarity.


    He, Alnea Oathkeeper, was going to become the strongest, and the greatest Wanderer. And there was nothing that could stop him.

 Chapter 5: Blood Challenge [Part 1]

    Alnea opened his eyes and let out a heavy breath, exhaling all the useless thoughts out of his Heart. Just to make sure that he would not fall to the temptations of sleep, he even got up from the cushion and stretched out his limbs in an attempt to wake them up. He did not know exactly how much time had passed, but after Wandering the Origin Sea, and Forging his Spirit, he reckoned that even if the time that they had agreed to meet upon had not come, it should be quite close.


    He could have asked Yuri, but just in case she was in the midst of tempering her Heart, he decided to not disturb her. Instead, after his legs regained some warmth, and did not feel as numb anymore, Alnea picked up his sword and strapped it back to his waist, before stepping out into the empty corridor. As he had expected, he was a little early. Since he had nothing else to do, he just simply began checking out the corridor.


    The crystals embedded into the ceiling every few steps or so were illuminating the corridor in a dim blood red light. Thankfully, the large window in the middle of the corridor, standing opposite to the staircase, and opening up to the view of the street below, was not dark as the windows in his room, allowing for Enn¡¯s light to mix in with the red light, making corridor much less dingy.


    Even though he had already seen the corridor before, the blood red light still unnerved him a little. Who in their right mind would design a city to look so bloodthirsty? Shaking his head, Alnea tried to divert his mind away from the lights, focusing his attention on the only other thing in the corridor¡ªexcept for the blood red carpet, but there was nothing to notice about the carpet¡ª the blood red doors.


    More specifically, he looked at the black boxes attached to the doors. Locking, and unlocking a room, recognising Blood Cards, deducting Blood Coins, blinking in a red light, and probably even regulating the temperature inside the rooms, the box had seemingly endless functions. And yet, he could not see even one Glyph on the box. Maybe the Glyph Arrays were within the box. But then, what about the Blood Cards?


    Alnea took out his Blood Card and looked at it with interest. It was just a thin piece of metal. If one had to engrave Glyphs on the card, they could do it only on its surface. Yet, except for the various symbols demarking his identity in the city, and his other personal information, he could not see anything else on the card. Exactly how were the Blood Cards and the black boxes working?


    A legacy from the Age of Gods¡­


    A screeching sound rang out in his ears, startling Alnea out of his ruminations. Turning towards the sound, he found Cecilia, with the stupid cat trailing behind her, walking out of her room, looking at him with a smile.


    ¡°Did you wait for long?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Alnea said, shaking his head, just as he pocketed his Blood Card back into his robe. ¡°I just finished my training too.¡±


    ¡°Good,¡± Cecilia said, and turned towards Yuri¡¯s room. ¡°How long do you think Yuri is going to take?¡±


    Cecilia¡¯s question was answered by another screeching sound, bringing their attention to Yuri, who had just stepped out of her room with her usual charming smile spread across her face. Allowing the door to close on its own, she walked towards them, and said, ¡°Were you two talking about me?¡±


    ¡°¡­You must be imagining things,¡± Alnea said, trying not to get caught up in Yuri¡¯s flow. Or else, in the end, he would be the one to be teased. ¡°Let us discuss what we are going to do next.¡±


    Yuri giggled at his poor attempt of changing topics. Fortunately for him, she did not attempt to press him. Instead, she took out her Blood Card.


    ¡°The first thing that we need to do is learn how to recognise these symbols. Or else, we would not even know how and what sort of troubles we might end up walking into.¡±


    ¡°¡­I thought we were going to eat first.¡±


    ¡°Did you see any eatery in the city?¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°So, even if we want to fill our stomach first, we will have to go back to the Blood Hall. Only there can we find some reliable information.¡±


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    ¡°¡­Let¡¯s go to the Blood Hall then.¡±


    Once they reached an agreement, they did not waste any time, and began making their way down the stairs, illuminated in a mix of blood red light and Enn¡¯s grace. They met a couple of people from the fifth floor on their way, but those Wanderers decided to keep their distance, waiting for Alnea and the girls to leave the building first. Like the other Wanderers in the city¡­


    Perfect, Alnea thought. His master may have brought them to the Lost City for them to learn how to deal with other Wanderers, but the basis of any action was information. Without knowing anything about how things worked in the city, the lesser the contact they had with other Wanderers, the better it was for them. After all, he did not have any particularly good experience of dealing with¡ª


    The moment that Alnea walked out of the building, he saw a man, probably around eighteen to twenty years old, dressed in a tattered red robe, loitering on the street, jump into action. It was as if the man had been waiting for him and the girls to show up. And the moment he spotted them, the man abruptly rushed towards them without even a shred of hesitation.


    Almost immediately, Alnea found his hand reaching for his sword, before he remembered where he was. He still did not know much about the city and its rules, but he knew that killing on the streets should be prohibited. Rather, since there was a Blood Arena, even fighting on the streets should not be allowed. Then¡­


    Understanding the purpose of the man charging at him, Alnea twisted his body, allowing the incoming man to rush past him, and stumble to the ground by himself. Grumbling with complaints, and curses, the man turned towards Alnea, staring at him with a vicious glare. It was also then that Alnea got the chance to observe the man¡¯s face, and recognised him as one of the Wanderers he had seen near the city¡¯s gate.


    ¡°You have been following us?¡± Alnea said, frowning at the man. ¡°Are you trying to make me break the rules of the city?¡±


    ¡°What kind of nonsense are your spouting, kid?¡± the man said, as he pushed himself off the ground. ¡°Don¡¯t think that I will let you go if you act crazy!¡±


    ¡°¡­Did you hurt your head in the fall?¡±


    ¡°First you trip me, and now you insult me?¡± the man said in an indignant tone, as if he truly believed what he was saying. However, neither Alnea, nor the girls were naive enough to fall for his tricks.


    ¡°I have seen some shameless people, but never have I ever met someone as shameless as you,¡± Cecilia said, sneering at the man, causing the man¡¯s face to turn red from shame, and anger. ¡°If you want to fight, then fight. What are you saying so much nonsense for?¡±


    The cat following next to Cecilia agreed with her, and let out a hiss, staring intently at the man. It probably just wanted to devour the man¡¯s fortune, but the cat¡¯s impression still went up a notch in Alnea¡¯s mind. Yuri though, was not happy with how things were progressing.


    ¡°Forget it, Cecilia,¡± Yuri said, glancing at the crowd around them with a frown. ¡°He is not worth it. We¡ª


    ¡°Enough,¡± the man said. ¡°You have been repeatedly provoking me¡­ What do you kids take me for?¡±


    ¡°An idiot.¡±


    ¡°Mental patient.¡±


    ¡°Crazy lunatic.¡±


    ¡°Purr!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s it!¡± the man yelled, fishing out his Blood Card, and shoving it into Alnea¡¯s face. ¡°I, Brandall, am issuing a Blood Challenge against you!¡±


    ¡°See,¡± Cecilia said, turning towards Alnea. ¡°I knew that he was here for a fight.¡±


    ¡°We could all see that,¡± Alnea said, glancing at the other Wanderers on the street enjoying the free show. Some of them had schadenfreude written on their faces, while others had pity and regret in their eyes. Not because they were worried for him and the girls. But because they had missed a chance.


    After some thought, Alnea turned towards Yuri, and said, ¡°Looks like we need to set an example.¡±


    ¡°¡­I thought that we should keep a low profile until we have understood all the rules of the city, but you are right. Unless we deter them with our strength, we are going to face endless harassment from these excuses of Wanderers.¡±


    ¡°Are you kids done?¡± the man said, laughing hysterically. ¡°If you were trying to scare me with your words, then I am afraid you will be left disappointed. I know that you must be geniuses of your clans, but you should not have come to the Lost City as soon as you became Wanderers.¡±


    ¡°Who is going to do it then?¡± Alnea said, ignoring the man, only for the girls to look back at him with interest.


    ¡°He rushed into you, didn¡¯t he?¡±


    ¡°In a sense, you were the one who provoked trouble.¡±


    ¡°And he is a man.¡±


    ¡°It is only right for you to deal with him.¡±


    ¡°¡­Forget it,¡± Alnea said, and turned towards the man in tattered robe. ¡°So, where are we going to do this?¡±


    ¡°¡­I was thinking of going easy on your, but I have changed my mind. I will make you pay the price for looking down on me,¡± the man said, gnashing his teeth in rage.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I will still go easy on you,¡± Alnea said, chuckling at the man, enraging him even more than before.


    However, the man had much better self control than he let on. Taking deep breaths to calm himself, he glared at Alnea and the girls, and said, ¡°Follow me.¡±

 Chapter 5: Blood Challenge [Part 2]

    The man in the tattered robe walked past Alnea and the girls, exuding confidence in himself. It was as if the man did not even think of the possibility of Alnea ditching him, and just running away. Recalling the man¡¯s declaration of some challenge though, and the need to give a stern warning to the other Wanderers, they decided to follow the man for the moment. Especially when they noticed that the man was not walking in the direction of the Blood Hall, but to somewhere deeper in the city.


    Alnea had already guessed what that place might be, but he did not voice out his thoughts. He remembered what his master had said. Speak less, observe more. Besides, the mental patient was kind enough to give them a free tour of the city. Spoiling everyone¡¯s mood just to show off his observation and deductive skills would be too selfish of him. So, he observed the city instead.


    Even though everything in the city was covered in a coat of blood, there was a strange charm to it. Especially when he was not surrounded by blood red walls. The city¡­ It was so uniform and well planned, that it looked like a work of art in itself. The spacious roads, the tall buildings, and the sizzling heat, intense enough to bring hallucinations to normal humans, gave the city its unique flavour. Even the occasional smaller buildings¡ªprobably housing the better rooms or the mansion that the guard had talked about earlier¡ª fit in perfectly with aesthetics of the city. The only thing that looked inconsistent with the rest of the city were the Wanderers, roaming its streets with hungry eyes.


    No, they were not roaming. They were following him and the girls, marking them as their prey. At first, only those who had seen the show between him and the man leading the way were following them. But as time passed, and as they passed more, and more streets on their way, the number of people following behind them kept increasing. And they were not very subtle with their emotions, or thoughts.


    ¡°Newbies? When did they arrive?¡±


    ¡°Just a few hours ago¡­ were accompanied by a guard¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­clueless¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­was waiting for them at their door, but Brandall¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­Lucky Brandall¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­Blood Challenge¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­does he know them?¡±


    ¡°¡­what kind of grudge¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­How bad do you think¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­There are the girls too¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­Has someone made a move?¡±


    ¡°¡­Let¡¯s observe first. They are too young. What if they truly are¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­think too much. How strong can some kids be? In my¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­which clan¡­¡±


    ¡°Who knows? Maybe¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­I think¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­just enjoy the show¡­¡±


    ¡­Wanderers who did not even dare to get close to each other, dared to discuss about which of them would be the next one to get Goddess Ilea¡¯s favour? Alnea shook his head in disappointment. Were these people truly Wanderers? With such weak Hearts, how had they not been devoured in their Wanderings yet?


    Forget it, Alnea thought. What did other people¡¯s lives have to do with him? As long as they did not provoke him, he would not bother with them. And if they dared to provoke him¡­


    After around an hour of walking, the man finally stopped in front of a strange building, that was shining in all its majesty. Literally. Even under the light of Enn, the shining red light emanating from the giant building was unmistakable. As was the stench of blood. Of all the places they had been to in the city, the building in front of them had the strongest stench of blood.


    Yet, even that was not the strangest part of the building. Unlike the other buildings that Alnea had seen until then, instead of being shaped like a box, the building in front of them had a circular perimeter. In a certain sense, from how the building was built at the junction of all the surrounding streets, its shape did make a little sense. Its size though¡­ it was larger than even the Blood Hall, and not just by a small margin.


    However, such a large building had only around half a dozen windows every floor or so. And even those windows did not look like they opened to proper rooms¡­ Coming down from the windows, Alnea searched for the building¡¯s entrance, and found around six to seven of them. And these were all just on the side of the building that was visible to him. Coupled with how weird those entrances were¡­


    Ornamented with all sorts of weird figures, the blood red doors all had a large arch, reaching around three to four metres in height. Strangely enough though, the entrances all had some weird symbols engraved on their arches. And three of those symbols matched with the symbols on his Blood Card, the ones that identified him as someone from the Sixth Blood Hall of the Northern District.


    ¡°Blood Arena?¡±


    ¡°¡­It surely does look like an Arena. And from how the entrances are marked¡­ We will know soon enough.¡±


    ¡°¡­Are you scared yet, kid?¡± the man said, turning back to flash his grin at Alnea, trying to make himself look scary. Unfortunately for him, Alnea had seen things much scarier than what the man could ever imagine. And at the moment, he had other pressing issues.


    ¡°Can we get this over quickly? I am hungry.¡±


    ¡°¡­We will see how long you can hold on to your mask of fake confidence,¡± the man said with a snort, and turned around, walking towards the building. More specifically, to the doors standing under the arch marked with the symbol of the Sixth Blood Hall. There were already a few people there though, queueing up and waiting for their turn.


    It did not matter whether the Wanderers were in a good shape, or were all bruised and tattered up. All of them were obediently waiting for their turn. Even the mental patient who had been acting crazy for a while. One by one, everyone walked up to the guards standing next to the arch, and spoke a few words to them, before pressing their Blood Cards against the black box¡ªaround as long as a metre, with a quarter of its length in its width and breadth¡ª standing next to the doors. A black box¡­


    Though the box next to the arch was much larger than the box guarding his room, and was standing alone rather than being stuck on to the doors, Alnea could tell from the first glance itself that the two boxes had quite a lot in common. The weird air¡ªfluctuations of Mysteries, apparently¡ª was hard to miss. As was the need for people to scan their Blood Cards on the black box before passing through the doors. Thankfully, the process of swiping the Blood Cards was not long.


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    ¡°Fight or spectate?¡± one of the guards asked the mental patient.


    ¡°Fight.¡±


    ¡°Free battle or a challenge?¡±


    ¡°A challenge,¡± the mental patient said, before pointing at Alnea. ¡°He is my opponent.¡±


    ¡°A new face?¡± the guard said, looking at Alnea with raised brows. ¡°Do you agree to the challenge?¡±


    Before Alnea could say anything, the mental patient stepped in, and said, ¡°It does not matter whether he agrees or not. This is a Blood Challenge.¡±


    The guard paused, and looked at Alnea with pity, shaking his head with a sigh. ¡°Forget it,¡± he said, and turned back towards the mental patient. ¡°You know the rules.¡±


    ¡°I know,¡± the mental patient said, gritting in his teeth, as if he was the one who was being forced to fight. Was there something really wrong with his head?


    The mental patient, oblivious of Alnea¡¯s thoughts, took out his Blood Card, and placed it on top of the black box, before saying, ¡°I am using my right to initiate a Blood Challenge.¡±


    A red light flashed on the box, as if accepting the mental patient¡¯s command, and changed the symbols in the last row of the man¡¯s Blood Card. Retrieving his Blood Card with a grieving expression on his face, the man turned towards Alnea with a glare, and said, ¡°You cannot run away now, kid.¡±


    Instead of saying anything, Alnea looked at the mental patient with pity, and shook his head. His actions though, only caused to the man become even more enraged. Fortunately for the man, he still had enough sense to not break the rules of the city. Especially when they were in front of the city¡¯s guards.


    ¡°¡­I will meet you in the arena, kid,¡± the man said with a snort, and walked through the door.


    Looking at the disappearing back of the mental patient, Alnea shook his head, and walked towards the black box.


    ¡°What do I need to do?¡±


    ¡°¡­Some has issued a Blood Challenge against you. There is nothing you need to do. Just place your Blood Card on the scanner, and you will be done.¡±


    ¡°Okay,¡± Alnea said, nodding at the guard, and placed his Blood Card on the black box. Moments later, a red light erupted from the box, changing the symbols denoting how many Blood Coins he had.


    ¡°¡­How many Blood Coins were deducted from my Blood Card?¡±


    ¡°¡­You do not know about Blood Challenge?¡±


    ¡°Do you even know anything about Blood Arenas?¡±


    ¡°No¡­¡±


    ¡°How irresponsible can the seniors from your clan be?¡±


    ¡°¡­They have been a little busy recently,¡± Alnea said, using his Aspect to hide his embarrassment from the guards. ¡°And they told me that it would be better for me to explore the rules of the city on my own.¡±


    The guards glanced at each other, and shook their heads. For some reason, they looked a little more exhausted than before. And a little disappointed too. There was nothing that Alnea could do about them though. Smiling helplessly, he pocketed his Blood Card back into his robe, and¡ª


    ¡°If you do not mind me asking, can you tell me how old you are?¡±


    Alnea paused, and looked at the guard on the left in confusion. Asking for his age¡­


    ¡°Fourteen,¡± Alnea said, answering almost subconsciously. ¡°I am a little over fourteen years old.¡±


    ¡°Fourteen,¡± the guards mumbled in unison, glancing at each other once again. This time, more in shock than in disappointment. And the way they looked at each other¡­ For a moment, Alnea felt as if they too had something to help them talk without making any sounds.


    ¡°¡­Forget it,¡± the guard on the right said. ¡°Since your seniors did not tell you about the city, then let us help you a little.¡±


    ¡°There is no need. I¡ª


    ¡°It is alright,¡± the guard on the left said. ¡°These useless Wanderers, who are too afraid to make any progress, and too ashamed to return back to their clans, are like a leech to the city, harming innocent Wanderers like you, trying to drag you down and share their misery¡­¡±


    ¡°We have all been where you are right now. And after what you are going to experience next¡­ Even if the Arena will ensure your life, it is only right for us to tell you about the hidden dangers of the city.¡±


    ¡°If nothing else, then we should at least let you understand the rules of the Blood Arena, lest you fall into a trap once again. We just hope that you will not give up, and become like these scums.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry,¡± Alnea said, nodding to the guards. They did not seem like bad people. At least not on the surface. ¡°These scums will not be able to stop me from going to the core city.¡±


    ¡°¡­You are very ambitious, little friend,¡± the guards said, laughing in unison. ¡°But it is for the best. You are going to need your optimism in a while.¡±


    ¡°¡­As you should have guessed already, there is only one Blood Arena for the entire Northern District. Similarly, the Southern, Western, and Eastern Districts also have only one Blood Arena each. In addition, there is another Blood Arena at the centre of the city. But only those who meet certain conditions are allowed to venture into the Central Blood Arena. Since you want to enter the core city though, I thought you should at least know what goal you have to reach.¡±


    ¡°¡­Coming back to Blood Arenas, if you want to just watch others fight, then you will have to pay a fee of one Blood Coin. But if you are going to fight, be it in a free battle, or a challenge, the Arena will deduct ten Blood Coins from you. Only if you win the fight will those Blood Coins be returned to you, or else, the Arena will keep those Blood Coins as the fee for using the Arena. As for your rank in the Blood Arena¡­ it will be decided by how many Arena points you have.


    ¡°The more the Arena points you have, the better your rank would be in the Blood Arena. And the only way to earn Arena points is to win a fight. From as little as one Arena point, depending on who you fought with, and the difference between your ranks and strength, you can be rewarded with up to a thousand Arena points in just a single battle. But at the same time, if you lose, you can also end up losing up to a thousand Arena points in just a single battle. So, always be careful when you fight in the Arena.¡±


    ¡°About the two types of fights that Raes just mentioned, free battle, as its name suggest, is the type of fight where your opponents are selected randomly. But they are mostly in the range of your own level. That is until you become one of the top thousand fighters in the Arena. Once you break through to the top thousand ranks of the Blood Arena, your opponents will be matched according to your rank, and not your level.


    ¡°Of course, fighting opponents above your level is also a way to temper, and improve yourself. And many Wanderers might use it as a chance to hone their fighting skills. So, for the fights between those in the top thousand rank, the Arena lifts the restriction of not killing your opponents. Although it will still stop the fight once the outcome is decided, but fights are always prone to accidents. It will be best if you must make sure to not break through to the top thousand rank until you have reached the Peak Stage of the False Rank.¡±


    ¡°Still, free battles, in a sense, are fair battles, where the Arena arranges for opponents similar to you in either level, or your rank. Challenges though¡­ When you are challenging someone in the Blood Arena, you are basically designating your opponent yourself. It does not matter what the level, or rank of your opponent is. As long as they are in the same district, you can challenge them to a fight.


    ¡°You can even bet a certain amount of Blood Coins on the fight. Rather, this is the easiest, and the fastest way to earn Blood Coins. And the way that the older Wanderers earn their Blood Coins. They use the pretext of earning some easy Blood Coins to trick newcomers into a challenge. And it is not that the newcomers do not know the risk. But the allure of Blood Coins, and their baseless self confidence often leads them into the pits of despair.¡±


    ¡°Yet, earning Blood Coins through challenges in Blood Arena depends on the condition that you can convince your opponents to fight. If you cannot convince your opponents to agree to your challenge, then there is nothing you can do except look for another opponent. Similarly, other Wanderers also cannot drag you to the Arena unless you agree to their challenge.¡±


    ¡°However, there is an exception to this rule,¡± the guard on right said, turning solemn in a fraction of a moment. Even the other guard matched the expression on the face of his colleague, looking at him in all solemnity. ¡°Blood Challenge¡­ It is the most sacred of the challenges. As long as you wish to stay in the Lost City, you can never refuse a Blood Challenge.¡±

 Chapter 5: Blood Challenge [Part 3]

    ¡°¡­What exactly is a Blood Challenge?¡± Alnea said, matching the guards in their solemness. After listening to the guards explain the rules of the Blood Arena, he thought that he had guessed why the mental patient had provoked him. But then, why had the man provoked only him? Did the mental patient think that he was the easiest of the three?


    Recalling the look of hatred on the man¡¯s face though, Alnea guessed that things might not be as simple as he had imagined. He had not thought about it earlier, taking the man¡¯s reaction to be the norm, but from how solemn the guards were sounding, it looked like a Blood Challenge was not something that Wanderers issued so causally. Rather, nothing about the man was casual.


    Following him from the gates of the city all the way to the Blood Hall, and from the Blood Hall all the way to his room, waiting for hours in the scorching heat of Enn, the mental patient¡¯s goal should not be just earning some Blood Coins. There had to be some other reasons behind the man¡¯s action. Or else, he would not have jumped out to provoke him the moment he had stepped out onto the street.


    ¡°¡­Blood Challenge is a right,¡± said the guard on his left. ¡°A tradition as old as the Lost City itself, of betting everything you have in the battle. If you win, you will gain all the Arena Points and the Blood Coins of your opponent. But if you lose, you will lose everything you have. More importantly, a Blood Challenge cannot be refused. As long as someone challenges you, you will have to fight them, or face expulsion from the city.¡±


    ¡°¡­Regardless of the difference in strength?¡±


    ¡°Regardless of the difference in strength,¡± said the guard on his right. ¡°Blood Challenge is a sacred tradition of the city, and cannot be refused. However, it cannot be misused either. Given how powerful the right of a Blood Challenge is, Wanderers can issue only one Blood Challenge in their life.


    ¡°Even if they leave the city, and come back with a new identity, if they have issued a Blood Challenge with their old identity, they will not be able to issue a Blood Challenge with their new identity. It is exactly because of this reason that, in general, the challenge is issued only between people who have some kind of grudge, and want to drive the other person out of the city.¡±


    ¡°¡­Drive me out of the city,¡± Alnea mumbled, glancing back towards the girls. After listening to the explanation of the guards, their faces had also turned solemn. And it was understandable. Things were truly not as simple as he had taken them to be. What kind of grudge did the mental patient have with him? Was he from a Heterodoxy? No, probably not. A Heterodox Wanderer would not roam in such a carefree manner. Then¡­


    ¡°So, instead of just ten Blood Coins, all my Blood Coins has been deducted?¡± Alnea said, staring at the symbols on his Blood Card representing how many Blood Coins he had. They were all the same, shaped like a twisted swirl, so it was not hard to guess what that symbol represented. The important thing was¡­


    ¡°And they will be returned to me, along with all the Blood Coins of my opponent, when I win the Blood Challenge?¡±


    ¡°¡­All, except for ten Blood Coins, which will be deducted as fees for using the Arena.¡±


    ¡°Is there anything else I need to know about the Blood Challenge?¡±


    ¡°¡­Since Blood Challenges involve grudges, they can be a little more bloody than the normal challenges. The Arena will naturally save your life, but like we said earlier, fights are prone to accidents. Losing a limb or two, and being beaten to the verge of death is not unheard of in Blood Challenges. Especially when a new Trialist is involved in such a challenge¡­¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry,¡± Alnea said, reassuring the guards with a confident grin. ¡°I have no intentions of losing my limbs yet.¡±


    ¡°¡­We have told you everything you need to know. How you deal with the situation is up to yourself.¡±


    Nodding to the guards to express his understanding, Alnea turned around to face the girls, and said, ¡°Are you two also going to fight?¡±


    ¡°Since we are here already, we might as well give it a try,¡± Cecilia said. But instead of directly placing her Blood Card on the large box, she turned around, and yelled, ¡°I thought that you cowards were dying to trick some Blood Coins from us. But why is it that not one of you is daring enough to challenge me?¡±


    ¡°¡­Have some humility, little girl. You may be a¡ª


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    ¡°Cut the nonsense. Just tell me, which one of you dares to fight with me?¡±


    For a moment, silence spread in front of the Arena as everyone digested Cecilia¡¯s words. A girl, who should have just become a Wanderer, was taunting them for being cowards? A girl, who had yet to see the cruelty of the world, was looking down on them? Her arrogant tone, and the look of disdain on her face¡­


    All the Wanderers in the crowd, or at least those who had followed Alnea and the girls to the Blood Arena, boiled in anger. They may not have achieved much in the Lost City, but all of them were considered to be the some of the most talented Wanderers in their clans. Though the city had humbled them a little, being insulted by a girl three to four years younger than them was beyond their limits.


    ¡°You want to fight? Then let¡¯s fight!¡±


    ¡°A newborn cub who does not even know the¡­¡±


    ¡°Cretes¡¯ beard, I will¡­¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t steal her from me! I am going to teach her¡­¡±


    ¡°Perdia have it! I am done! I was about to leave the city anyway. I might as well use my Blood Challenge¡­¡±


    Seeing the ruckus unfolding before them, the guards looked at Cecilia with incredulous gazes, and said, ¡°Is the girl with you?¡±


    ¡°¡­You can say that,¡± Alnea said, looking helplessly at Cecilia. At times like this, the confused cat, hissing, and purring at all the hostile gazes being directed at Cecilia seemed cute. ¡°¡­Is this really fine?¡±


    ¡°¡­I guess you are right.¡±


    Alnea relaxed when he saw Yuri move next to Cecilia, and put her hand on the latter¡¯s shoulder. What she said though¡­


    ¡°Forget it, Cecilia,¡± Yuri said. ¡°Just talking to cowards is an insult for us. Instead of wasting time on such incompetent people, who will never amount to anything in their lives, it would be better if¡ª


    ¡°Hold it right there!¡±


    ¡°What did you just say?¡±


    ¡°Who is this girl?¡±


    ¡°White hair¡­¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t care who she is! Today, I am going to¡­¡±


    ¡°Optah¡¯s stink! Where have these kids come from?¡±


    ¡°Which clan are they from?¡±


    ¡°I want to kill everyone in their clan!¡±


    ¡°Find¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­I know that we have to deter these Wanderers, but are you not going a little too overboard?¡±


    ¡°Hardly,¡± Yuri said, curving her lips up ever so slightly. ¡°Since there are people who want to force you out of the city, then they should be ready to face our retribution.¡±


    ¡°But the person who wants to force me out is the one who challenged me. These people are here only to enjoy the show.¡±


    ¡°A person whom we have never even met before, and have no connection with whatsoever, suddenly starts doing his best to drive you out of the city, not even caring about the consequences of his actions¡­ Do you truly think that he is an idiot?¡±


    ¡°¡­Fine. I admit that man¡¯s actions were a little baffling. But even if there is someone directing his actions, that person will surely not be in the crowd.¡±


    ¡°I know.¡±


    ¡°Then why are provoking them?¡±


    ¡°Because I want everyone to know that these rag tag people are not enough to deal with us. If they wish to drive us out of the city, then they need to do it on their own. And if they dare to show themselves to us, then¡­¡±


    ¡°Antagonising hundreds of Wanderers just to vent your anger¡­¡±


    ¡°I am not venting my anger,¡± Yuri said with a snort. ¡°And these people are not worthy enough to be antagonised by me. Cecilia may have been impulsive, but she is right. These people are just cowards, with no chance of ever reaching the True Rank. And even if they do, they will end up like Reinhart Whitebud. With a defect in their Heart. In either case, they will never amount to much in their lives.¡±


    ¡°Forget it. What am I worrying about anyways? You can even fight Peak Stage Wanderers, let alone these washouts.¡±


    ¡°¡­Don¡¯t worry. I will be careful,¡± Yuri said, before directing her attention back to the crowd. ¡°Did I say anything wrong? If you are not cowards, then why has none of you dared to accept our challenge?¡±


    ¡°You want us to accept your challenge?¡± said a yellow robed woman from the crowd. Probably because she was a girl, her opponents had enough decency to not reduce her robe to rags. Still, her state was only a little better than other people in the crowd. There were blood stains on many places on her robe, and her hair was cut in an uneven pattern. As if it was first cut, and then had its end burned off. Maybe that was why Alnea could see a light of jealousy in her eyes.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you just issue a Blood Challenge? Would we still dare to not accept your challenge then?¡±


    ¡°You want us to waste our Blood Challenge on you cowards?¡± Cecilia said with a scoff. ¡°Go wash your face and look yourself in the mirror. Do you deserve something as precious as a Blood Challenge? What if you cowards decide to leave the city? You cannot enjoy much of the city¡¯s benefits anyway. Be happy that we are even giving you a chance to fight against us.¡±


    ¡°What are you being so arrogant about? Is it not just a Blood Challenge?¡± the woman said with grin, as she turned towards Yuri. ¡°If you are too afraid to use your Blood Challenge, then I will use mine, little girl. I just hope that you will last long enough for me to enjoy myself.¡±


    ¡°¡­I do not know whether you will enjoy yourself, but I am sure that I will last longer than you.¡±

 Chapter 6: Blood Arena [Part 1]

    Be it Yuri, or his master, both of them often said that he had a way with his words. Listening to how Yuri and Cecilia were taunting the Wanderers around them though, Alnea felt that he still had a lot to learn. Especially from Cecilia. Her words¡­ for Wanderers, especially for those who had grown up in Orthodoxies, they were a bit too much to bear. Coupled with how much they had suffered in the city¡­


    ¡°What are you snickering at? Isn¡¯t it just a Blood Challenge? So be it. Just¡­¡±


    Maybe it was because the man lost his patience, or maybe it was just a desperate move on his part. The man¡¯s yellowish robe was indeed a bit more tattered than the robes of the other Wanderers. And though there was a light of determination in the man¡¯s eyes, his face was tinged with exhaustion and disappointment. Maybe the man just wanted to give it a last try¡­


    In any case, Cecilia finally got her wish fulfilled. The yellow robed Wanderer stepped forward and issued a Blood Challenge against her. Understandably, the challenge only brought a grin across her face. Even the cat, resting in her arms, and confused as it was about what was happening, did not forget to look down upon the yellow robed Wanderer. Was Cecilia¡¯s craziness finally rubbing off on the stupid cat?


    Afraid that they might provoke even more Wanderers, once the girls had completed their formalities and registered for the Blood Challenge, Alnea took the initiative to pull them into the Arena. He was not afraid of the Wanderers in the crowd. But needlessly attracting too much attention on their first day in the Lost City did not seem like a good idea. In retrospect, his actions were a little too late¡­


    Past the door of the arena, the corridor that they stepped into was illuminated by red crystals, embedded in the ceiling, forming a straight line above their heads. The corridor itself though was anything but straight, taking them through a twisted path that kept climbing upwards without any end. Or maybe it was the monotony of the path that made it seem endless.


    Fortunately, the path was not too long. In just a tenth of an hour or so, low grumbles bouncing off the walls of the long, dingy corridor, drifted into their ears. At first, Alnea thought that it was just his ears ringing. Just a few steps later though, the low grumbles turned into loud, senseless cheers, even louder than what the people of the Lotus clan had made during the Spirit Test. The Lotus clan¡­


    Alnea tore himself away from the meaningless memories just as they arrived at the end of the corridor. Unlike its entrance, the end of the corridor had no doors blocking their way. Just a curtain of light, and an anticipation of what might lay beyond. Enough to make them pause in their steps for a moment, but not enough to make them stop their advance. With eager grins on their faces, they crossed the curtain of light, and¡ª


    A strange feeling struck Alnea, seeping into his body and Spirit. The curtain¡­ It was like the door in his Domain. The one that led to the Origin Sea. Even the way he felt the resistance¡­ it was a bit lower than what he felt from Oren, and existed for only a short moment, but he was sure that he had stepped into something thick, and substantial. Like Water. Or was it light?


    Alnea supressed his thoughts in his Heart, and turned towards Yuri¡ª


    ¡°Yuri!¡± Alnea said, hastily reaching out to his white haired friend through Evitum. Thankfully, his fears were just a figment of his imagination.


    ¡°I am fine.¡±


    ¡°What¡­ Where are you?¡±


    ¡°Can you not feel it through the rings?¡±


    ¡°¡­I can,¡± Alnea said, groping the thread tying their fate. ¡°But that is why it is even more confusing.¡±


    ¡°What is there to be confused about?¡± the grumpy ring said, stepping in between their conversation. ¡°It is just a clever use of the Mysteries of Space¡­ You can do it too once you comprehend them.¡±


    ¡°¡­You want me, with Roots of the lineages of Day and Night, to comprehend the Mysteries of Space?¡±


    ¡°¡­Who knows what the future holds?¡±


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    ¡°¡­Stop confusing the kid, brother,¡± Fae said, joining in the conversation. Unlike her brother, Fae had a soft, soothing voice. And though she also looked down on him, at least she still gave him enough respect. Unfortunately, she rarely said anything. At least to him, she hardly ever said anything. Fortunately, Yuri was not so stingy with her words.


    ¡°In a way, we are still standing next to each other,¡± Yuri said, ignoring the complaints of the rings. ¡°It is kind of like our Spirit World.¡±


    ¡°¡­Overlapping of Space?¡±


    ¡°It is something similar, but a little more complicated¡­ That is not what we need to worry about right now though. Focus on what we have come here to do.¡±


    ¡°¡­Right,¡± Alnea said. Suppressing his curiosity, he took a second glance around himself. Thankfully, other than the curtain of light behind his back, there were also some clusters of balls flying above his head that were raining down rays of white light around him, helping him see the world around himself. Yet, just like what he had seen before, all he saw was darkness. Not the empty kind of darkness like the one in his Domain. And neither the desolate kind of darkness like the one in his Spirit World.


    Be it from the curtain behind his back, or the twinkling lights hanging high above his head, there was enough light in the Arena to almost force him into momentary blindness. But for some inexplicable reason, despite being surrounded by all the light in the world, he could not shake off the feeling of being surrounded by a thick layer of darkness. It was only after a few moments had passed that he realised where the feeling of darkness was coming from.


    ¡°It is not just us¡­ Everyone has been sent into a different space, even those who came in to watch the battles¡­ Why didn¡¯t the guards inform us about what will happen after entering the Arena?¡±


    ¡°They probably thought that there was no need to do so.¡±


    ¡°But how are we supposed to know what to do next?¡±


    ¡°¡­Let us just wait a few more moments and see what happens.¡±


    ¡­It was not as if he could anything else, Alnea grumbled to himself. Thankfully, he did not have to wait for too long. Just a few moments later, the world around him began to ripple, and shift. Or maybe it was he who was shifting, and phasing through the world¡­ In any case, the end result was the same. The inexplicable darkness soon retreated away from him¡ª


    ¡°BLOOD!¡±


    ¡°BLOOD!¡±


    ¡°FIGHT!¡±


    ¡°FIGHT!¡±


    ¡°BLOOD!¡±


    ¡°BLOOD!¡±


    ¡°FIGHT!¡±


    ¡°FIGHT!¡±


    ¡°BLOOD!¡±


    ¡°BLOOD¡­¡±


    Waves upon waves of shouts and cheers came crashing down upon him, making him flinch at the noise. He had thought that noise he had been hearing earlier was already loud enough. But what he was experiencing at the moment¡­ Forcing himself to calm down, Alnea glanced around himself once again. And this time, he was not disappointed.


    All around him, as far as he could see, there were thousands upon thousands of Wanderers, standing in what he could only assume to be stands of the Arena¡ªinclining upwards ever so slightly, yet stretching to a height of more than thrice of what the height of the Arena seemed to be from the outside¡ª jumping and shouting, demanding for more blood and pain.


    However, those were just the Wanderers who had come to the Arena to watch the battles. Other than them, there were a few more Wanderers, those who had come to partake in the feast of blood themselves. Like the ones fighting on the four platforms at centre of the Arena. But with only four fighting venues, there could only be eight Wanderers fighting at any given moment.


    The rest of the Wanderers, including Alnea himself, were standing on smaller platforms jutting out of the inner edge of the stands circling the fighters. And rather than mindlessly demanding for blood, these Wanderers were more interested in the Wanderers fighting on the platforms instead.


    ¡°Gravis has improved recently¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­I think Rhea¡¯s improvement is higher¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­will they break into the top thousand¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­heard he got something in the Black Desert¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­Fortune Springs¡­¡±


    The Blood Arena¡­ It was quite different from what he had expected it to be. And much more confusing. Disregarding everything else, the constant display of various Mysteries of space by the Arena alone was enough to leave him in awe. Especially since he felt Yuri¡¯s presence disappear from his side and appear at some distance away. Fortunately, let alone Mysteries of Space, even the boundaries of the Origin Sea were not enough to break their ¡®Threads of Fate¡¯.


    Still, even with Evi¡¯s help, it took him quite some effort to spot Yuri. Finding Cecilia was even more difficult. When he did find her though, he motioned for her to stay put, and wait for a while more. Rashly rushing towards the girls, or taking any action for the matter, without knowing what was happening around them was not a wise choice. Their priority at the moment was not to get back together, but to gather as much information as they could. Surprisingly enough though, the task did not prove to be very difficult.

 Chapter 6: Blood Arena [Part 2]

    Watching the excited Wanderers spilling out all sorts of secrets on their own, Alnea had a strange feeling in his Heart. Were they all from the same clan?


    No, Alnea thought, shaking his head. The robes they were wearing marked them to be from different clans. Most of them were probably from different countries altogether. And yet, the same Wanderers, who did not even dare to stand close to each other outside of the Arena, were speaking so amiably with each other, as if they were all long lost friends¡­


    At the very least, the Blood Arena seemed to be safer than the rest of the city, Alnea noted. At the same time, it also seemed to be the place for Wanderers to vent out their frustrations. However, not all Wanderers seemed to be keen on enjoying other Wanderers tearing each other to make themselves feel relaxed, and alive. While the rest of the Wanderers were discussing the Wanderers fighting in the Arena, a man dressed in a white robe sneered at them, and said, ¡°What are you cowards mumbling about?¡±


    Too excited to even bother with the man¡¯s jibes, most of the Wanderers ignored the man, but one of them, a man in a blue robe, turned towards outspoken man, and said, ¡°You should watch your words, Zain.¡±


    ¡°Or what?¡± Zain said, overflowing with disdain. ¡°What will you do? Fight me?¡±


    ¡°¡­This is not Inar, Zain. Your clan may have a lot of influence back in Inar, but in the Lost City¡ª


    ¡°Stop bringing my clan into this,¡± Zain said, frowning with displeasure. ¡°Did I say anything wrong earlier? If you are not cowards, then why are you willingly controlling your rank in the Arena? You do not even dare to go beyond your quota in the Black Desert Trials. And you dare to comment on others?¡±


    ¡°¡­This is the reason why no wants to team up with you, Zain. You may be strong, but your mouth is the worst.¡±


    ¡°What about my mouth? I only speak the truth. If you cannot handle the truth, then what does it have to do with me?¡±


    ¡°¡­If we were not from the same country, I would not even have bothered trying to talk some sense into you.¡±


    ¡°Do you think I need your help?¡± Zain said with a snort. ¡°A team would only drag me down anyways. It would be better if I complete the trials on my own.¡±


    ¡°And how has facing the trials on your own gone for you?¡±


    ¡°Much better than it has gone for you.¡±


    ¡°¡­Forget it. Do as you wish,¡± said the man in the blue robe, and turned around, shifting his focus back to the Wanderers fighting on the stage. Of them, three were women, and five were men. All around eighteen to twenty years old. Even the Wanderers in the crowd were of the same age. Only a scant few looked to be couple of years younger. Around sixteen to seventeen years old.


    In comparison to them, be it Alnea, Cecilia, or Yuri, they truly did look a little young. And weak. No wonder they had been targeted by other Wanderers. But that was only on the streets. Within the Arena itself, few people gave them a second glance. Even the white robed Wanderer, Zain, despite belittling all the Wanderers around him, did not garner much attention. Only the mental patient, or Brandall as other Wanderers called him, was different from the rest.


    As Alnea was sharing what little information he was collecting with Yuri, he noticed a burning gaze fall upon him. Normally, being stared at by other Wanderers would not have bothered him much. Especially since his age made him so conspicuous in the Lost City. From the moment he had entered the city, he had been targeted by all sorts of Wanderers. The greedy eyes of those Wanderers¡­ In a sense, they were like the hungry eyes of the Oren Beasts he had been dealing with for the past half year. But just in a sense.


    Those Wanderers were all targeting him for the Blood Coins that they could earn from him. Maybe a few were targeting him out of jealousy, or just pure pettiness. Yet none of them were truly his enemies. None of them were after his life. None of them had malice within their eyes. The gaze he was feeling at the moment though¡­ Such thick malice. There was no difference between the Oren Beasts he had fought in the Night Canyons and the man staring at him. They were all his enemies.


    Steeling his Heart, Alnea turned towards the direction he was feeling the malice from with grim eyes only to notice that the man staring at him was none other than the mental patient, Brandall. Disregarding everyone else in the Arena, the man was staring at him with a fiery gaze, while urging the platform he was standing on to move closer to Alnea. Was something like that possible in the Arena? It was something that he would have to experiment with next. But first, he had to deal with the crazy man.


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    ¡°You sure took your time, kid,¡± Brandall said. ¡°I thought that you were too scared to come.¡±


    ¡°Wouldn¡¯t things have gone exactly according to your wishes then?¡± Alnea said, trying to pry the secrets hidden in the depths of the man¡¯s eyes. ¡°I would have been forced to leave the city, and you would have fulfilled the orders that you were given.¡±


    ¡°Stop making up stories. It is not going to help you. I will still¡ª


    ¡°Is there any need for this farce now?¡± Alnea said, interrupting the man. ¡°I have already entered the Arena. Our fight is doomed to happen. And both of us know that we are not going to keep our hands.¡±


    ¡°¡­You sure know a lot for someone who is just an unfavoured,¡± said the mental patient, narrowing his eyes in a scowl. Just as he was about to add a few more words, the man paused and looked past Alnea¡¯s shoulders, forcing him to look back too.


    There, with ever shortening distance between them, both Cecilia and Yuri were urging their platforms to move closer to his. The platforms were still attached to the walls of the stands, but that did not prove any problems for the girls to navigate their way through crowd between them. He had just learnt that the platforms could move, and the girls were already rushing towards him¡­ He had thought that the girls would rein themselves in when coming to the Lost City, but they seemed to be just as crazy as they were in the canyons¡­ He should have a talk with them later.


    ¡°Green robe¡­¡± Brandall mumbled as the girls reached Alnea¡¯s side. ¡°I thought that the recent stance of the Serpia clan against the Heterodox Wanderers was too extreme, and that there must be something shady going on behind the scenes. It looks like I was right.¡±


    ¡°Was it you, or the people whose orders you are following that came up with those thoughts?¡± Yuri said, looking at the man as if she was looking at a dead man.


    ¡°No wonder you have been targeting Alnea. It looks like you are a dog of the Lotus clan,¡± Cecilia added in with snort. ¡°I should have guessed that I will meet scums like you in the city.¡±


    ¡°¡­You are going to regret helping the boy.¡±


    ¡°The only thing I am going to regret is that I missed the chance to break your bones with my own hands.¡±


    ¡°Worry not, little girl,¡± rang out a voice from behind Cecilia. Moments later, two more platforms carrying the other two Wanderers who had issued the Blood Challenge moved next to those of Alnea and the girls. ¡°After I am done with you, you will not be left in the shape to regret anything.¡±


    ¡°¡­I thought that it was only the Lotus clan¡¯s dog who was a mental patient,¡± Alnea said to Yuri. ¡°But it looks like I was wrong.¡±


    ¡°Indeed,¡± Yuri said with a nod, looking at the green robed man with pity. ¡°Of all the people he could provoke¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­Whose side are you two on?¡± Cecilia said, glaring at Alnea and Yuri. The way she flared her nose though, along with all the blood rushing to her face made her look so cute that neither of them could hold themselves back from bursting out in giggles. Unfortunately, some people could not bear to see other people happy.


    ¡°It looks like you are having fun,¡± said the jealous woman moving her platform to stand next to the mental patient number two. ¡°Enjoy it while it lasts. After all, it may very well be the last time you laugh.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡± Yuri said, blinking with fake innocence. ¡°Will you use Arcanas on yourself to rid the world of the most hilarious face ever in existence?¡±


    ¡°¡­You have quite a good mouth. However, it is not quite good enough to save you from my claws.¡±


    ¡°So, you are a beast,¡± Yuri said, nodding along with the words of mental patient number three. ¡°No wonder your face looks so hideous.¡±


    ¡°Let us not argue with these kids,¡± mental patient number one said to his compatriots. ¡°We will show them what happens to those who disrespects their seniors in the Lost City.¡±


    ¡°Calling you mental patient is already giving you enough respect,¡± Alnea said. It looked like the scums had learned their lessons though. Ignoring his taunts, the mental patients urged their platforms to scatter back into the crowd, leaving him alone with the girls.


    ¡°¡­It looks like these Wanderers are not too bad. At least they knew when to withdraw and guard their Hearts.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry,¡± Cecilia said, slapping Alnea on his back. ¡°After what we have been through, these cowards are no match for us.¡±


    ¡°That may be true, but Alnea must still remain careful,¡± Yuri said to Cecilia, before turning towards Alnea. ¡°Our opponents are just some weaklings. Your opponent though¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­The Lotus clan must have arranged people to watch your fight. Try not to reveal too much of your strength.¡±


    ¡°¡­Cecilia is right, you know? No matter how powerful he may be, just my sword is enough to take down the Lotus clan¡¯s dog. Besides, it would not matter even if the Lotus clans learned of my strength. By the time they send their next attack, I would have already set foot on the path of Scholars.¡±


    ¡°¡­We just dealt with a group of Heterodox Wanderers. And we don¡¯t know how many people from the Lotus clan are here in the Lost City. Being a little more careful is not going to hurt you.¡±


    ¡°¡­Fine, fine. I will be careful.¡±


    ¡°¡­Fool,¡± Yuri mumbled, before turning back towards the centre of the Arena, where the Wanderers were fighting. ¡°Get ready. From what the guards had said, Blood Challenges are given priority in the Arena. If things play out according to my expectations, then the next battle may very well be ours.¡±

 Chapter 6: Blood Arena [Part 3]

    Following Yuri¡¯s eyes, Alnea turned towards the centre of the Arena. And the more he looked, the more disappointed he became with these Wanderers. Using all sorts of moves to test each other, and never committing to their attacks¡­ It was as if they did not even have basic confidence within themselves. And though Alnea was not facing their attacks himself, he could tell that their attacks lacked a certain breath of death.


    No wonder the battles had been going on for so long. Let alone fighting against enemies of similar strength, even when up against stronger enemies, Alnea had never taken so long to defeat them. Except the fight against the Heterodox Wanderers a week ago. But that was an exception. Purely in fighting skills and judgement, these Wanderers could not even compare to his self of more than half a year ago, when he had not even reached the False Rank.


    After all, the most important thing in battles was the intent to fight. Strength, strategy, luck, and all other factors came later. First, to learn how to fight, one had to have the intent to fight. The intent to kill. If these Wanderers could not even attack with the intent to kill, how were they going to defeat their opponents?


    Alnea shook his head, and let his thoughts slide back to the depths of his Heart, before shifting his attention back to the battles. Of the four battles, two were between men, one was between a man and a woman, and the last was between two women. From how it looked, the last battle was going to take a while, while the first two battles were beginning to pick up in tempo. The third one though, the one between a man and a woman, was already nearing its climax.


    Using the momentum of her opponent¡¯s attack, the woman jumped away from the man, and finished the Glyph she had been carving on her Glyph Disc. With a relieved, and confident grin on her face, the woman activated her Glyph. On the other end, the man sensed the severity of his situation the moment he saw the woman¡¯s grin. Gritting his teeth, he wrapped his legs with his Aspects, and rushed towards the¡ª


    It began with a small tinder. Small enough that no one could even see it with their naked eyes. In just a fraction of a moment though, fuelled by copious amount of Oren and the Mysteries of the Origin Sea, the tinder consumed the air around itself, growing in size. And not just by a multiple of three, or four, but by thousands of times. In the time that the man raised his right foot and brought it back to the ground, the tinder had already grown into a large Fireball, the size of at least three heads. And the moment that the man brought his left foot back to the ground, the Fireball was already upon him.


    Fortunately for the man, the scene that Alnea was expecting did not happen. The moment that the Fireball was about to ravage the man, the platform that they were fighting on lit up in a blood red light, only for all the light to gather in front of the man in the form of a barrier. It was a normal free battle, after all. Not a match between the top rankers of the Arena. The Arena would not let its challengers die so easily.


    Still, the Arena did not intend to completely block the attack for the man either. After negating a certain amount of the Fireball¡¯s might, the barrier vanished, allowing the dampened Fireball to fall on the man, and burst with what little power that it was left with. It did not burn the man to crisp, but it did leave a hole in his robe, and a nasty wound on his chest. Something similar to the wounds that Alnea often used to suffer more than a year ago.


    Blobs of skin and flesh, melted by the terrifying temperature of the Fireball, dripping down the hole in the man¡¯s robe¡­ Let alone forcing himself to stand, the man¡¯s chest had been mangled to such a degree that just breathing itself was becoming difficult for him. Not to mention how the Arena had already made a move to save the man¡¯s life. So, the moment that man fell on the ground was also the moment that the battle came to an end.


    ¡°BLOOD!¡±


    ¡°BLOOD!¡±


    ¡°FIGHT!¡±


    ¡°FIGHT!¡±


    ¡°BLOOD!¡±


    ¡°BLOOD¡­¡±


    Ripples, the kind which one could often see on the surface of water, spread in the air¡ªspace around the platform. Moments later, those ripples clashed with each other around the platform, shattering an imperceptible layer of barrier around the platform, allowing the stench of blood on the platform to spread to the whole Arena, giving those in the stands what they were asking for. At the same time though, the moment that the barrier broke, it also officially spelled the end of the battle.


    With a wide grin on her face, the woman turned towards the Wanderers in the stands, and let out a shout, joining them in their cheers. But not for long. With the battle coming to an end, one of the smaller platforms waiting around the edge of the Arena moved towards the main battle platform. It was only then that Alnea noticed the robes of the man standing on the platform. So, there were guards mixed in with the Wanderers in the Arena¡­


    ¡°Give me your Blood Card,¡± the guard said as he reached the main platform. The woman, of course, hurriedly followed the guard¡¯s instructions with a smile on her face, while the man she had defeated finally managed to push himself off the ground, clutching his chest in pain.


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    ¡°I can still fight,¡± the man grumbled, looking indignantly at the guard, but did not charge against the woman. He knew what the consequences of ignoring the rules of Blood Arena were. After giving a hateful glare to the woman, the man turned around, and limped towards the edge of the fighting ring, where a small platform was extending off of the otherwise perfectly round stage. And the moment that the man stepped onto the small platform, it broke off the larger platform, making it a little more perfect.


    As for the man himself, after getting off the main platform, he urged the smaller platform to move towards the edge of the Arena, where another guard was waiting for him. Most probably to treat the man. The guards at the gate of the Arena did say that the Arena would guarantee the lives of the weaker Wanderers. As long as they had enough Blood Coins that is¡­


    ¡°Blood Card,¡± said the guard, making the man¡¯s face writhe in even more pain. Not from the wound on his chest, but from the Blood Coins that he was about to lose. Still, losing Blood Coins was better than walking around with injuries. Gritting his teeth, the man still handed his card over to the guard, who in turn scanned it on a similar black box as the one that the guard on the stage was carrying.


    ¡°Blood Soldier N zero three zero four seven nine six,¡± the guard on the stage said, handing the woman¡¯s Blood Card back to her. ¡°Your Blood Arena ranking has been improved to seven thousand nine hundred and ninety seven. Do you have any questions?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± the woman said, as she pocketed her Blood Card back into her robe. Giving a slight bow of respect to the guard, she turned around, and walked towards the edge of the platform. Mimicking the man¡¯s actions, she then stepped on to a smaller platform attached to the larger platform, before urging it to move towards the edge of the Arena, where she was welcomed by the idle Wanderers waiting for their own turns in the Arena. Or maybe they had already fought and were just unwilling to leave so soon.


    ¡°¡­You have broken into the top eight thousand ranks of the Arena!¡±


    ¡°In just six months¡­¡±


    ¡°I knew you could do it Rhea!¡±


    ¡°Who was siding with Gravis just now then?¡±


    ¡°¡­I was just saying that Gravis has improved recently. I never said that he would win.¡±


    ¡°¡­Shameless!¡±


    ¡°Less than you.¡±


    Of course, probably only those who had won their fights were still staying in the Arena. Them, and the Wanderers who had a skin thick enough to not be bothered by a loss in front of thousands of Wanderers. Unlike the woman who had won the battle, the man did not have any Wanderers swarming up to him. Not even his friends. If he had any, that is. Only the guard who was treating his wounds stayed with him. But even the guard could not stay with the man for long. When he was done with his treatment, the guard withdrew the greenish white glow from his hand, before withdrawing his hand from the man¡¯s chest.


    ¡°You are done,¡± the guard said, and returned the man¡¯s Blood Card back to him, before closing his eyes and going back to waiting for the next unlucky Wanderer. Stuffing his Blood Card back into his robe, the man gave a slight bow to the guard, and turned around, giving one last glance to the empty Arena, waiting for the next challengers. In the end, the man¡¯s skin was not thick enough to keep on staying in the Arena. Maybe he would return in the next few days, but for the moment, he had had enough of all the blood and excitement. With another ripple in space, the man slowly faded out of the Arena, returning the way he had come.


    Meanwhile, the guard who had gone up the stage to declare the woman as the winner of the battle did not immediately get down the raised platform. Instead, after sending the woman away, he looked at the black box in his hand, and went silent for a few moments. A few moments later, when he had regained his composure, the guard turned towards the crowd in the Arena, and said, ¡°Blood Soldier N zero six zero seven three six eight, and N zero six zero eight four nine nine, come up to the stage.¡±


    ¡°N zero six¡­ Sixth Blood Hall?¡±


    ¡°Is it you, Karn?¡±


    ¡°No¡­¡±


    ¡°Then who is it?¡±


    ¡°We clearly came first.¡±


    ¡°Who can cut in ahead of the queue?¡±


    ¡°Why is there battle arranged ahead of ours?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. We came first. If the people of the Sixth Blood Hall want to fight, then they must join the queue.¡±


    ¡°No one can ignore the rules of the Lost City.¡±


    That may be true, but it did not stop the guard on the stage from ignoring the rambunctious crowd. Even when he frowned, he did it not at the crowd, but the Wanderers who had not answered his call.


    ¡°Blood Soldier N zero six zero seven three six eight, and N zero six zero eight four nine nine, come up to the stage.¡±


    Curious as to whom the guard was calling for, Alnea glanced around the Arena, only to see the mental patient grinning at him.


    ¡°What are you doing?¡± Brandall said, almost in a mocking tone, as he began making his way towards the stage. ¡°Do you not even know your identity number?¡±


    Identity number¡­ Alnea pulled out his Blood Card and looked at the symbols representing his identity. Zero six zero eight four nine nine¡­


    ¡°We need to learn how to read these symbols as soon as possible.¡±


    ¡°We will. But for now, concentrate on your battle.¡±


    ¡°I am¡ª


    ¡°What are you spacing out for?¡± Cecilia said. ¡°Go teach that Lotus clan¡¯s dog what happens when someone messes with us.¡±


    ¡°¡­Your battles should also start in a while. Be careful.¡±


    ¡°What is there to be careful about?¡±


    ¡°Do you still remember¡ª


    ¡°Fine, fine. I will be careful. Now, get going.¡±


    ¡°¡­I am going then.¡±


    ¡°¡­You be careful too,¡± Yuri said. ¡°Hiding your strength would be good, but if it comes at the cost of incurring injuries, then it would be better for you to just smash him into oblivion. As for the Lotus clan¡­ We will deal with them when time comes. Regardless, don¡¯t get hurt.¡±

 Chapter 7: Completing the Blood Challenge [Part 1]

    Following the examples that he had seen, Alnea stretched his Spirit towards the platform he was standing on, and conveyed his intentions, urging the platform to move. And the platformed did move. Slow at first, hesitant in its actions just as he was hesitant in his thoughts. As he grew accustomed to the movements though, the platform soon sped up and reached the main platform just moments after mental patient.


    ¡°Do you know who the kid is?¡±


    ¡°¡­No, but I know the man.¡±


    ¡°Who is he?¡±


    ¡°Brandall. An Intermediate Stage Wanderer from the Sixth Blood Hall who is about to break through to the Advanced Stage.¡±


    ¡°So strong? Then why is he in such a sorry state?¡±


    ¡°¡­Apparently, he made some mistake in the Black Desert Trial, leading half a dozen Wanderers of his clan to their death.¡±


    ¡°Black Desert Trial¡­ What clan is he from?¡±


    ¡°The Lotus clan of Rianra.¡±


    ¡°Them? No wonder then.¡±


    ¡°Did he trick the newbie to earn some Blood Coins and repay his debt?¡±


    The Wanderers discussing Alnea had not truly intended their words as questions. Yet what the guard said next still cleared away their confusions anyway.


    ¡°Let me confirm this once again. Blood Soldier N zero six zero seven three six eight, have you issued a Blood Challenge against Blood Soldier N zero six zero eight four nine nine?¡±


    ¡°I have.¡±


    ¡°Blood Soldier N zero six zero eight four nine nine, do you accept the Blood Challenge, or do you wish to leave the city?¡¯


    ¡°¡­I came to the city just a few hours ago. Would it not be a pity if I were to leave so soon?¡±


    ¡°Just answer my question. Do you accept the Blood Challenge, or do you wish to leave the city?¡¯


    ¡°¡­I accept the Blood Challenge,¡± Alnea said in a solemn tone, to which, the guard responded with a nod. The crowd though, erupted in an uproar.


    ¡°¡­Blood Challenge?¡±


    ¡°Are we going to witness another Blood Challenge?¡±


    ¡°No, even before that, why does the Brandal have the leisure to issue a Blood Challenge in the first place? Is he not loaded with debts to his clan? How can the Lotus clan allow him to do as he pleases?¡±


    ¡°¡­Given how crafty those people are, I would not be surprised if he was doing it on their orders.¡±


    ¡°But¡­ Who is the kid then?¡±


    ¡°He looks like a newbie¡­ Why can he make the Lotus clan go after him with such hatred?¡±


    ¡°How would I know?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you have any information?¡±


    ¡°Interesting,¡± Zain said, looking at the stage with a smile, before snorting at the rambunctious crowd. ¡°Look at the kid. How long has it been since he became a Wanderer? And how long has it been since he came to the Lost City? Even he dares to risk himself in a Blood Challenge. I dare say that if someone issues a Blood Challenge against you, all of you will choose to leave the city. No wonder you are so weak.¡±


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    ¡°¡­Watch your mouth,¡± said a man in a brown robe. ¡°Just because we have been tolerating you for a while does not mean that you can say anything you want.¡±


    Zain laughed in disdain, and was about correct the man¡¯s misconception about himself, when the guard finally spoke once again.


    ¡°You look new¡­ Do you know the rules of the Blood Challenge?¡±


    ¡°Some,¡± Alnea said, glancing at the mental patient. His enemy. ¡°Regardless, as long as I knock him down, and render him incapable of fighting, it will be considered as my win, right?¡±


    ¡°¡­That is one way of putting it,¡± the guard said. ¡°Blood Coins are important, but so is your life. And your future. Do not throw it away for just some momentary pride.¡±


    ¡°I know,¡± Alnea said, nodding along with the words of the guard. In essence, they were the same as the advice his master had given him after they had dealt with the Heterodox Wanderers. To not throw his life needlessly, and retreat when necessary. That was how the world of Wanderers worked. And to some extent, Alnea agreed to that philosophy. After all, what he had done after his Spirit Test, running away from the Lotus clan, could also be considered to be as sort of a retreat. But¡­


    Glancing around, Alnea found the other guards rushing in to declare the winner of other battles. And after they dealt with the Wanderers on stage, they called Yuri and Cecilia for their Blood Challenges. All because of the Lotus clan. Even in the Lost City, they still could not stop themselves from bothering him. And he had had enough of running. Turning back towards the man in front of him, Alnea entered his Spirit State, and braced himself for the fight.


    ¡°Then you can start.¡±


    Alnea did not even bother with what the guard was doing. The moment he heard the guard¡¯s words, he urged his Aspects and rushed towards his enemy. The man in a tattered red robe. Probably from the Redbud family. Even the glow of his Aspects around him was red. However, the man was not exactly a Warrior. So, instead of rushing towards Alnea, the man jumped away from him, while preparing his Arcana, all the while taking out his Glyph Disc and Carving Knife.


    After all, the Wanderers of Lotus clan generally specialised in the path of Scholars. The Arcana was probably just a way for him to buy some time for himself. A control type Arcana then, Alnea thought. One with either a field effect, or individual target restraining abilities.


    Predicting the attack of his enemy, Alnea immediately directed his Aspects to the soles of his feet, while slowing down, giving enough time to his enemy to prepare his Arcana. Not because he was overconfident. But to fool his enemy. From how he had been behaving, the man should have taken him to be just an Initial Stage False Wanderer. Yet the man still did not rush in, deciding to deal with a Wanderer an entire Stage weaker than himself with his strongest combination.


    A mental patient his enemy might be, but he was not careless. Probably because of the mistakes he had made in the Black Dessert. Or the warnings that the Lotus clan might have given him. In any case, without using his strongest means, dealing with the man was going to be a headache. So, Alnea decided to deceive his enemy, deliberately appearing to be weak and slow. And as he had expected, the man did not suspect anything, and continued preparing his Arcana.


    Of course, the man never stopped retreating, maintaining a certain distance from Alnea. And the moment he finished preparing his Arcana, he stopped in place, and looked at Alnea with a grin, before condensing a net of fire in the air. An Arcana with a field effect. From the high temperature of flames, and its large range, coupled with how thick the threads of the net were, the Arcana looked to be of the Intermediate Grade, or even High Grade.


    Not an Arcana created by the man then, Alnea noted, changing his plan once again. Since the man dared to use an Arcana that he did not have complete control of, how could Alnea not give him a present? Smiling at his enemy, Alnea urged the Aspects on the soles of his feet to boost his jump, as he charged directly at the net of fire descending upon him.


    He did not meet the net headfirst though. Instead, the moment that he was about to meet the net, he flipped in the air, and stepped on the threads of fire with his Aspect covered legs. Not for long, of course. Not to mention the ground trying to pull him back with all its force, he was not strong enough to ignore the damage from an Intermediate Stage False Arcana. And that too, of at least the Intermediate Grade.


    Still, his Aspects earned him a fraction of moment. And that fraction of moment was enough for him to lock on to his enemy. Blasting all his Aspects against the net, Alnea used the counter momentum to shoot towards his enemy faster than even the Sky Streaming Style. He was so fast, that he reached his enemy before the poor man could even realise what was happening.


    For a moment, Alnea felt pity for the man. Making mistakes in the Black Desert Trial, being forced in debt, and then being ordered to act as pawn just to test his limits, the man sure had a rough fate. But the pity was there for only a moment. After all, if the man had dared to fight against his fate, then he would not have been forced into his current predicament. Most importantly, the man wished to be cruel against him. And to those who were cruel against him¡­


    Alnea unsheathed his sword in one clean motion, and using the momentum of his body, added even more strength to his swing, even as he added Aspects to the blade of his sword, allowing it cut through the ¡®Wind¡¯ and making it ¡®Cry¡¯. In the next moment though, it was the man who was crying, as he was sent down to ground with a wound that stretched across the entire width of his stomach, and the blood pooling around his body.

 Chapter 7: Completing the Blood Challenge [Part 2]

    Alnea stared at the man, and the blood, in a daze. It was not his first time seeing blood, and it surely was not his first time injuring someone either. Rather, it had only been a week since he had killed people. Three, in fact. And yet, as he saw the blood pooling around the man, he still could not help himself from faltering. Just the thought that he might have killed another human¡­ No, that thought may have been enough to make him hesitate a little, yet most of his hesitation came not from the thought of killing again, but more from his shock and confusion.


    Alnea was ready to swear on the name of the Gods that he did not intend to kill the man. He had not even tried his best. All he did was just swing a sword¡­ and that was it? Is that all that the man amounted to? Even the Oren Beasts who had just entered the intermediate phase of their Adolescent Stage would offer a better fight. And the man was supposed to be just inches away from the Advanced Stage. Were the Wanderers in the Lost City so weak?


    Fortunately, the man did not immediately succumb to his injuries. Just a moment after the man fell into a pool of his own blood, the stage lit up in a blood red light, covering him, and ending the Blood Challenge. It was also at that moment that the crowd erupted in an uproar.


    ¡°Did you see that?¡±


    ¡°What was that move?¡±


    ¡°Even the stage failed to react in time.¡±


    ¡°How can he move so fast?¡±


    ¡°Did anyone hear a crying sound when he swung his sword?¡±


    ¡°Was that a perfectly mastered Martial Style?¡±


    ¡°¡­Can anyone tell me how he can step on fire?¡±


    ¡°Optah¡¯s spit, are you still hung on that?¡±


    ¡°Then what else should I focus on?¡±


    ¡°Brandall! He may be useless, but he is still a strong Wanderer, just a step away from reaching the Advanced Stage. Yet the kid beat him in one move. Do you understand what that means?¡±


    ¡°¡­Advanced Stage False Wanderer. Tion¡¯s beard! Such a young Advanced Stage False Wanderer?¡±


    ¡°Do you know what this means?¡±


    ¡°A Blood General¡­ wait a moment! If the kid is so strong, what about the girls?¡±


    Everyone stopped breathing for a moment, and turned towards the stages where the girls were fighting. Or were supposed to be fighting. After the guards gave their signals, and rushed away from the stage, the girls decimated their opponents even more ruthlessly than Alnea beat the mental patient number one. At least Alnea let the man use his Arcana. The girls did not even give their enemies the chance to make their moves.


    The moment that the guards gave their signal, Yuri rushed in towards the jealous woman, and punched her in the stomach. The woman, of course, managed to block in time, only to cry out in pain the next moment. But that was to be expected. While the other Wanderers were just suspecting that Alnea was an Advanced Stage False Wanderer, Yuri truly was an Advanced Stage False Wanderer.


    Understanding the difference between their strength, the woman hurriedly turned towards the guards, probably intending to give up the Challenge. Unfortunately for the woman, Yuri did not give her the chance. Using her other hand to grab the woman¡¯s hand that she had just broken, Yuri pulled in her opponent, and kneed her in her stomach, before punching her under her jaws, sending her flying three metres in the air from the sheer force of her punch. And her Aspects.


    At this point, the woman had already blacked out, and was unresponsive to what was happening. To end things on a clean note though, Yuri jumped after the woman, doing a flip in the air, and landing a drop kick on the woman¡¯s stomach, forcing her body to crash back to the stage. In the next moment, the stage finally reacted, covering the woman in a blood red light, signalling the end of Yuri¡¯s battle.


    Still, at least Yuri gave her opponent enough respect to finish her with her own hands. Cecilia, on the other hand, did not even make a move. She just stood where she was, allowing the dum¡ªsmart cat to rush towards her enemy, the man in the tattered green robe. Seeing the small cat that could not even reach up to his knees rushing towards him, the man just smiled in disdain, and¡ª


    That was the last time the man ever smiled. Before the man could urge his Aspects, or even move from the place where he was standing, the cat was already upon him, slashing at his face with its claws. And though the cat was just a Fate Devouring Cat, with one of the weakest fighting potential among the Oren Beasts of its rank, it was still an Oren Beast at the peak phase of its Adolescent Stage. Even without any offensive Innate Abilities, just its body was strong enough to take out most of the Advanced Stage False Wanderers, let alone some Intermediate Stage False Wanderer who had to rely on bullying the weak to earn some Blood Coins.


    This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.


    For a moment, the man did not understand what was happening. Even when he saw all the blood spraying in the air, he could not relate it to himself. Until he saw pieces of his lips fall to the ground. That was when the pain finally hit him. Crying in horror, and agony, the man jumped back to avoid the cat, but the cat was too fast for him to evade. All he could do was twist his body, and¡ª


    The man felt the cat¡¯s claws on the side of his cheeks, stretching all the way to the back of his head. And in the next moment, he felt one of his ears dropping to the ground. And from how the cat was jumping at him, baring its fangs, and claws, the man was sure that even if he managed to save his neck, he would end up losing his other ear. And probably his nose too. If it had not fallen off already.


    ¡°I give up!¡± the man yelled, suppressing all his pain. ¡°I give up the Blood Challenge and admit defeat!¡±


    The stage lit up the moment that the man shouted his words, covering him in a blood red light, declaring the end of their battle. And to the man¡¯s relief, the sudden appearance of the blood red light was enough to deter the cat. Hissing to declare its fearlessness, the cat stepped back, and looked at the man with wariness, ready to jump back at the man at any moment.


    ¡°It¡¯s alright Forne,¡± Cecilia said, walking up to the cat, and bending down to pet its back with a smile on her face. ¡°We won.¡±


    Cecilia looked quite pleased with the cat¡¯s performance, treating it as her pet. And the cat too liked her touch. He did not know whether it understood what she was saying or not, but it surely did lose all of its aggressiveness, and rubbed its head against her palms, before showing her its bloody claws. It was as if the cat was asking her to praise it for its efforts. Which she did, smiling even more brightly than before. The crowd though¡­


    ¡°¡­What is wrong with that Shadow Prowling Cat?¡±


    ¡°Is it even a Shadow Prowling Cat?¡±


    ¡°¡­Maybe it is a variant¡­¡±


    ¡°Whatever it is, it is stronger than any advanced phase Oren Beast I have ever seen.¡±


    ¡°¡­A peak phase Oren Beast?¡±


    ¡°How did she tame it?¡±


    ¡°¡­I thought she was from the Serpia clan. Weren¡¯t the Serpians supposed to be Warriors? When did they become tamers?¡±


    ¡°¡­I am more curious about the other girl and the boy. They do not look like they are from any clan I know. And they were pretty close to the Serpian girl. Are they the Serpia clan¡¯s retainers?¡±


    ¡°¡­Does the Serpia clan has such good retainers?¡±


    ¡°Where else do you think they are from?¡±


    ¡°Retainers¡­¡±


    ¡°Blood Generals¡­¡±


    The faces of the people in the crowd changed in unison as they understood the implications of what the three kids might represent. Some looked at them with awe, some looked at them with envy, while some looked at them with greed. Even the two women, still fighting on the last stage, stopped in tacit agreement, and looked at Alnea and the girls with thoughtful expressions.


    After a few moments of silence, they nodded at each other, and gave up their battle in unison, declaring the match as a tie, before phasing out of the Arena. And not just them, but many of the people who had yet to even get up on the stage gave up on their battles and left the Arena. Only a few people like Zain, and those who prioritised their ranks in the Arena, stayed behind, waiting for their match ups. Yet, even those people stared at Alnea and the girls as if they were looking at monsters. Even the guards, who came up to the stage to declare the winners, were looking at them with strange gazes.


    ¡°Your Blood Card,¡± the guard said to Alnea after delivering the dying man to the guard responsible for healing. Unfortunately for the man, the other guard did put in much effort from his part. He just closed the man¡¯s wound, ensuring that the man would not die in the Arena. After all, the Arena ensured the lives of all of its challengers. But that was it.


    For a better treatment, the man would have to pay with Blood Coins. And having just lost his Blood Challenge, the man did not even have enough Blood Coins to pay for his food, let alone afford a complete treatment. Still, at least the guard closed his wound. For the other two losers of the Blood Challenge, the guards did not even give them a second glance before hurrying them off the stage¡­


    Why should he feel sorry for them though? They were the ones who took the initiative to provoke in the first place. And if someone was going to treat him and the girls as their prey, then it was only right for him to be a little cruel. Rather, these Wanderers had been let off easy. At least they still had their lives. The same could not be said about the last Wanderers who dared to target Cecilia, and Yuri.


    Silently calming the waves in his Heart, Alnea sheathed his sword, and handed his Blood Card to the guard. On the other platforms, the girls also handed their Blood Cards to the guards. The guards, in turn, scanned their Blood Cards on the boxes that they were holding, updating their Arena points, ranks, and Blood Coins, before handing their cards back in just a few moments. The guards did not do any more favour to them though and hurried them off the stage.


    Urging his platforms to move back to the edge of the Arena, Alnea met up with the girls once again. They may have completed their battles, but they still knew next to nothing about the Arena. Or anything about the city for that matter. Spending some time in the Arena to gather information did not seem too bad of an idea. Especially since the Wanderers seemed to lower their guards in the Arena. Except there was one problem with their plan.


    Not only had the Wanderers at the edge of the Arena decreased in numbers, but those who remained had stopped discussing amongst themselves, choosing to observe him and the girls instead. Was their performance on the stage so conspicuous? On second thought, they should not have crushed their enemies so thoroughly. Even if it was to send warnings to their enemies¡­


    ¡°Forget it,¡± Alnea said. ¡°Since we cannot gather any more information, then there is no need to waste our time in the Arena.¡±


    ¡°That was so boring,¡± Cecilia said, clicking her tongue in disdain. ¡°To the Blood Hall then?¡±


    ¡°¡­I have a feeling that we may encounter even more troubles if we leave for the Blood Hall right away.¡±


    ¡°¡­Mysteries of Fate?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Yuri said, shaking her head. ¡°Just basic deductions.¡±


    ¡°Where should we go then?¡±


    ¡°¡­For now, let us go back to our room first before deciding what to do next.¡±

 Chapter 8: Returning to the Blood Hall [Part 1]

    ¡°¡­I thought that we were going to hold back.¡±


    ¡°But I did hold back!¡±


    ¡°¡­By letting an advanced phase Oren Beast loose on your enemy?¡±


    ¡°¡­It is not my fault that the man was so weak,¡± Cecilia said, pouting at Alnea, as she stroked Forne¡¯s back, while it slept with a content face. The man it had disfigured had lost much more than his lips and an ear. In the moment that the cat had attacked the Wanderer, it had not forgotten to suck out some of the man¡¯s Fortune. Enough to keep it satiated for a while. After all, no matter how weak the Wanderer was, he was from an Orthodoxy. And he had to be one of the more talented ones to be sent to the Lost City. Cecilia though, was even more hungry than before. And she was grumpy.


    ¡°Besides, Forne may have used a little excessive force, but at least it did not almost split my opponent in half.¡±


    ¡°¡­It is not my fault that the man was so weak.¡±


    ¡°Use a new excuse,¡± Cecilia said with a snort. ¡°That¡¯s mine.¡±


    ¡°¡­My hand slipped, and the sword landed on the man¡¯s stomach on its own?¡±


    ¡°¡­That¡¯s better,¡± Cecilia said, nodding with a solemn face, before she burst out in giggles with him. They were so loud that even the cat opened picked up its ears and opened its eyes for a moment. After ensuring that everything was alright though, and that they had no new enemies, the cat went back to the land of dreams, leaving just Yuri to stare at the giggling duo with a helpless expression on her face.


    ¡°You two¡­ This is not a joke. Did you see the reaction of the other Wanderers, and the guards? We truly might have gone a little overboard in our battles.¡±


    ¡°A little?¡± Alnea said, raising his eyebrow in question. ¡°At least I allowed my opponent to use an Arcana, while Lia just let Forne deal with hers. You, on the other hand, completely decimated your opponent. She did not even have the chance to blink before she was knocked out. And then, you went ahead and gave her another blow¡­ Do you want to ask the woman if you were just a little overboard?¡±


    ¡°¡­I thought that the standards of the Wanderers coming to the Lost City would be a little higher. They are supposed to be the best Wanderers of their clans¡­ Either the truly strong Wanderers have already gone to the inner and core cities. Or we may just have a skewed perception of how strong Wanderers should be. After all, we have fought only Oren Beasts for more than year. And even then, we have always fought them with disadvantages piled up against us.¡±


    ¡°¡­The Heterodox Wanderers were strong. Especially the last one.¡±


    ¡°That was because they were at the Peak Stage. And they were Heterodox Wanderers. Even though they were only proficient on the path of Warriors, they probably lived their lives on the edge of death from the moment they became Wanderers. The Wanderers we fought today grew up under the protection of their elders. Let alone experiencing any life and death battles, they probably did not even suffer any major injuries before coming to the Lost City. You cannot compare them with the former.¡±


    ¡°¡­Is that why their Heart is so twisted?¡±


    ¡°Maybe,¡± Yuri said. ¡°The primary objective of the Orthodoxies may be the legacy from the Age of Gods, but they could also be using the Lost City to temper their younger generations and test their characters. Those who can overcome their setbacks and come out from the city without letting their Hearts twist, or at least not allowing their twisted nature to dominate their Hearts, may end with more resources and responsibilities tilted towards them. They may even grow up to hold higher positions in their clans.


    ¡°As for the rest¡­ they will probably be sent to manage some branches, or to defend against the Thralls. This is just my guess though. To know the entire truth, we will have to experience the city for a bit longer. Or we can look for some information from the Orthodoxies themselves¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­Why are you looking at me?¡± Cecilia said to Alnea, shifting her eyes away from him. ¡°I may have heard rumours about the city before, but that was it. It was only after Lady Nyssa told us about this place that I learned that it truly existed. Serena and my mother should know about this place, but I have not met either of them in a while¡­¡±


    ¡°There might be other Wanderers of the Serpia clan in the city.¡±


    ¡°We will have to find them first¡­ And even if we find them, I do not recommend seeking any help from them.¡±


    ¡°¡­Why? Aren¡¯t they from your clan? What can happen¡ª


    ¡°They may guess my identity,¡± Yuri said, answering for Cecilia. ¡°The Serpia clan used to have a unique relationship with my clan in the past. We may have grown distant now, but the memory of our relationship is still fresh in the minds of those from the Serpia clan. And they do not like the fact that the Faed clan abandoned the Serpia clan¡ª


    The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    ¡°That is because they do not know the truth¡ª


    ¡°And for the moment, it would for the best if things remain the way they have been for past hundreds of thousands of years,¡± Yuri said in a solemn tone, giving Cecilia a warning glare. ¡°The rooms may be touted by the city to be safe, but let us not test its efficacy by revealing a million year old secret.¡±


    Understanding the truth in Yuri¡¯s words, Cecilia, dying to talk more about the events of the past, yet afraid of leaking a terrible secret that may threaten her clan, could only bite her lower lip in frustration. Meanwhile, Yuri, aware of the truth, yet unable to change anything, could only put on a solemn and melancholic face, as if reliving what had happened in a past when even ten generations of her ancestors had not been born. And in their midst, Alnea, oblivious to what the girls were talking about, could only scratch his head, trying to bear the awkward silence. In the end, he had no choice but to come in for the rescue of the girls himself.


    ¡°¡­Who would have thought that we can all enter the same room?¡± Alnea said with an awkward laugh, trying to diffuse the tense air. ¡°To think that we could have all stayed in the same room, and spent only one Blood Coin instead of three¡­ Was the guard jealous of how close I was to you two?¡±


    ¡°¡­Right now, I am jealous of how easily you can ignore everything.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s it?¡± Alnea said, laughing at Cecilia. ¡°How about I help you learn how to ignore everything?¡±


    ¡°¡­And how exactly are you going to do that?¡±


    ¡°Easy,¡± Alnea said, and tackled Cecilia to the ground. His actions were so sudden that Cecilia had no time to put the cat aside, making it slip out of her lap, and startling it awake, forcing it go into an alert stat. But before either the cat or Cecilia could react, he pinned Cecilia¡¯s arms under his legs, and began tickling her under her armpits. ¡°Now, all you have to do is keep ignoring me.¡±


    ¡°You!¡± Cecilia cursed, trying to break free of his restraints, only to lose her strength every time she laughed. ¡°Just¡­ wait¡­ I will¡­ show you¡­ No¡­ Forne¡­ Help me!¡±


    Alnea was intent on tickling Cecilia until he saw tears in her eyes. Unfortunately, the stupid cat spoiled his plans by tackling him off of Cecilia¡¯s body. And without the protection of his Aspects, the stupid cat¡¯s blow felt as if someone had hit him with a hammer. Fortunately, the cat was not so stupid to use its claws. It knew how to differentiate between friends and enemies. But it clung to Cecilia like she was its mother. And listened only to her commands. Stupid cat.


    Rubbing his side, Alnea pushed himself back into a seating position, all the while glaring at the dumb cat, just as the cat glared at him, ready to tackle him again if he showed even the slightest sign of trying to get closer to Cecilia. It was only when Cecilia got back up, and caressed the cat¡¯s back that it calmed down. Even then it let out a few warning hisses at Alnea, before going back to sleep on Cecilia¡¯s lap.


    ¡°That should teach you a lesson,¡± Cecilia said, with a smug smile on her face. ¡°Or do you want to try tickling me again?


    ¡°¡­First it was little shiny, and then the stupid cat¡ª


    ¡°She is not stupid.¡±


    ¡°¡­Why do you girls like aggressive pets?¡±


    ¡°Little Shiny was not a pet,¡± Yuri said. ¡°And it was not aggressive either.¡±


    ¡°¡­Only with you and master. It even dared to hiss at big sis Serena. That snake was a true menace.¡±


    ¡°I agree with Alnea on this,¡± Cecilia said, before turning back to him. ¡°However, you are completely wrong about Forne. She is the gentlest cat, and the cutest Oren Beast that I have ever seen.¡±


    ¡°¡­Say that to the man who lost his lips, and an ear.¡±


    ¡°He was our enemy.¡±


    ¡°¡­Then what about how it tackled me just now?¡±


    ¡°It tackled you because you deserved it,¡± Cecilia said with a snort. ¡°If it was not because Forne is sleeping right now, I would have tackled you myself, and taught you what happens to those who dare to mess with me.¡±


    ¡°¡­I was trying to help you.¡±


    ¡°And who asked for your help?¡±


    ¡°You.¡±


    ¡°You!¡±


    While Alnea and Cecilia were arguing with each other, Yuri burst out in a laugh, drawing their attention back to herself. Gently placing the sleeping cat on the only cushion in the room, Cecilia looked at Alnea, and nodded in tacit agreement, before they both jumped at Yuri, pinning her down, and began tickling her. Not for long though. After all, she may have been outnumbered, but Yuri had much better control of her body.


    Besides, even when they were cooperating, they were both planning how to have their revenge. A little push here, a little pull there, and soon, the battle of tickling transformed into a battle royale, where all three of them were trying to pin the other two down and shower them with a barrage of tickling. And yet, none of them were strong enough¡ªusing Aspects, and entering Spirit State was forbidden¡ª to take the other two down by themselves.


    In the end, shouts, curses, groans, complaints, and sounds of laughter descended in the room, creating an absolute chaos. They were so loud that even if the cat had been deaf, it still would not have been able to sleep. Opening its eyes in anger, it hissed at all three of them, before joining the battle royale itself. Unfortunately, it did not understand that rules of the fight. Instead of tickling them, it tackled them all away from each other, creating a no man¡¯s land between them, and declaring the area as its territory.


    ¡°¡­Does it think we were fighting?¡±


    ¡°¡­Being schooled by an Oren Beast¡­¡±


    ¡°Can Oren Bests feel tickles?¡±


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you try it?¡±


    ¡°¡­I think that there has been enough tickle for the day,¡± Alnea said, tearing his eyes away from the arrogant cat. He wanted to teach the cat how to be humble, but time was not ripe. Yet. Turing back to the girls, he said, ¡°Let¡¯s go to the Blood Hall now, shall we?¡±


    ¡°¡­Instead of wasting time in the room, it is indeed better if we go look for some information.¡±


    ¡°For food. Look for food.¡±


    ¡°Right,¡± Cecilia said, giggling at the solemn look on his face. ¡°Let us look for food first.¡±


    ¡°¡­You two can never be serious,¡± Yuri said, shaking her head. But with a smile on her face. ¡°You are right though. Even I am starting to feel a little hungry. Shall we go look for some food then?¡±

 Chapter 8: Returning to the Blood Hall [Part 2]

    Hungry, and smiling, Alnea and the girls left his room, and began making their way towards the Blood Hall. With the dumb cat in Cecilia¡¯s arms, of course. It did not have any problem tackling them down. But when the time to leave the room came, it just simply ¡®lost¡¯ all its strength, and begged Cecilia to carry it in her arms. Lazy cat.


    By the time they came down the building, Enn was already setting into the horizon. The city, however, was still as bright as it was during the day. Just in a shade of blood red light instead of the usual all encompassing light of Enn. And when that blood red light fell on the tens, if not hundreds of Wanderers on the streets, Alnea could not help freezing in his steps.


    It was only when he noticed that the Wanderers were not looking at him and the girls with hostile gazes that he dared to relax a little. Still, for some reason¡ªwhich he knew very well¡ª the Wanderers were keeping a close eye on him and the girls. And just like the cat, they were also too lazy to hide their intentions. They did not even bother lowering their voices as they discussed the new ¡®monsters¡¯ that had come to the city.


    There was nothing he could do about them though. Fighting on the streets was prohibited by the city. In the end, Alnea could only try his best to ignore them. Thankfully, he was aided in his endeavours by his hunger. It did not matter why those Wanderers were spying on him. By the time that they reached the Blood Hall, all that was on his mind was food. He truly was hungry¡­


    Shaking his head, he focussed his attention back to the Blood Hall. Even though Enn was about to set, the majestic hall was just as busy as it was during the day, if not more. And just like how it was during the day, the Wanderers in the hall still kept ignoring each other, and went about their ways.


    Naturally, Alnea and the girls decided to do the same. Of course, they could not ignore everyone. After all, they had come to the hall to gather some information. And to learn how to get some food. If they ignored everyone, how were they supposed to do all those things? Yet except for the arrogant woman who had helped them register their identities, they knew no one else in the hall.


    Coincidentally, the woman was still present in the hall. Standing behind the same counter where she had greeted them in the morning, she was talking with another woman, and looked ready to leave the hall, but for the moment, she was still in the hall. So, despite being a little unwilling to deal with the woman, they decided to start with her anyway. At the very least, they could ask the most basic questions from her. Like where to eat.


    ¡°Excuse us, Wanderer Martha,¡± Yuri said with a forced smile on her face. ¡°Can we talk to you for a moment?¡±


    ¡°Oh?¡± the woman said, turning towards them with a curious glance, and a smug smile on her face. ¡°If it isn¡¯t the three geniuses I met in the day¡­ What are you here for? Let me remind you first though, I am responsible only for registering the identities of new Wanderers. As for the rest, I do not have either any authority, or any obligations to help you.¡±


    ¡°¡­We are not seeking any help, Wanderer Martha. We just wish to know how to get some food in the city.¡±


    ¡°¡­Your elders did not tell you?¡±


    ¡°¡­They told us to rely on ourselves, and that it would help us in the long run.¡±


    ¡°Your elders are quite strict with you,¡± the second woman said, looking at them with interest. Just like the first woman, she too was wearing a blood red uniform, and had an air of despondence around herself. ¡°To not even tell you how to get some food¡­¡±


    ¡°Why not ask other Wanderers?¡± the first woman said. ¡°They might have charged you some Blood Coins, but it would have been easier than coming all the way to the Blood Hall.¡±


    ¡°¡­We cannot trust them,¡± Alnea said. ¡°The moment we came out on the streets, a Wanderer came running to issue a Blood Challenge¡ª


    ¡°You received a Blood Challenge on you first day in the Lost City?¡±


    ¡°¡­All three of us did.¡±


    ¡°¡­Someone wants to drive you out of the city?¡±


    The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    ¡°That is what we think,¡± Cecilia added. ¡°We cannot trust other Wanderers for now.¡±


    ¡°Interesting,¡± the second woman said. ¡°Blood Challenges are not that uncommon, but to receive Blood Challenge on your first day in the city¡­ Is it a clan feud?¡±


    ¡°¡­Maybe,¡± Yuri said. ¡°We are not sure.¡±


    ¡°Why not go to the other Wanderers of your clan then?¡±


    ¡°¡­We want to solve our troubles on our own.¡±


    ¡°¡­Staying stubborn will not help you,¡± Martha said after a few moments of silence. ¡°Remember, regardless of what you may gain in the Lost City, your life will always be more important than anything else.¡±


    ¡°¡­We understand, Wanderer Martha,¡± Yuri said. ¡°About the food¡ª


    ¡°¡­There are two ways to have food in the city. Either cook it yourself or buy it from Blood Hall¡¯s canteen. It just so happens that I am getting off my shift. Let me bring you to the canteen,¡± Martha said, and turned towards the other woman. ¡°I will be going then, Lily.¡±


    ¡°Do not be late in the morning.¡±


    ¡°Have I ever been late?¡± Martha said with a scoff before turning towards Yuri. ¡°Follow me.¡±


    Walking out behind the counter, the woman did not check whether Alnea and the girls were following her or not before making her way towards a corner near the back of the hall. It looked like besides being a little grumpy, the woman was also a bit too decisive. For the sake of their stomachs though, Alnea chose to tolerate the woman for a bit longer and followed behind her with the girls. Thankfully, the crowd in the hall made it impossible for the woman to walk too fast, allowing them catch up with the woman.


    Soon, along with the woman, they reached end of the hall, and walked through a large pair of doors opening up into a staircase. Different from the plain staircase in the building that they had reserved their rooms, the staircase of the Blood Hall was wide, lavishly decorated, and filled with people, both climbing up, and down the stairs. And just like the Wanderers in the Blood Hall, these Wanderers were not too bothered by other Wanderers getting close to them. Not that their opinions would have mattered anyway.


    Disregarding the Wanderers around them, Martha did not even pause as she joined the swarm of people climbing down to the lower floors of the Blood Hall. Naturally, Alnea and the girls also followed behind the woman. So, when the woman stopped after climbing just one flight of stairs, they stopped as well, walking up to a pair of majestic doors decorated with all sorts of figures, and shapes.


    Coincidentally, the doors also happened to be the only pair of doors on the floor. Unlike the floor above though, the doors in front of Alnea also had a black box placed right at the centre of the thin crack separating the two doors. And if it was not obvious what the black box was for, then seeing Martha and the other Wanderers place their Blood Cards on the black box was enough to tell him and the girls what they had to do.


    Following the actions of the woman in front of her, Yuri placed her Blood Card on the black box. Moments later, the box released a red light, and made some strange noises, as it opened the door just enough for Yuri to squeeze in. The moment that she passed through the doors though, they closed on their own, waiting for the next Wanderer. And Cecilia did not have plans of making the doors wait for long.


    Soon, Alnea found himself in front of the pair of majestic doors, placing his Blood Card on the black box. And just like how they had opened for the girls before him, the doors opened for him too, allowing him to step into a large hall, almost as big as the main lobby of the Blood Hall, filled with hundreds of tables, both large and small, and just as many Wanderers enjoying themselves.


    Towards the end of the hall, there was also a large counter, packed to the brim with all sorts of dishes, the kind which Alnea had never seen before. The place even had Wanderers dedicated solely to the counters, like the maids back in big sis Serena¡¯s mansion, whose only job was to restock the dishes as other Wanderers kept emptying them.


    Tearing his eyes away from the counter, Alnea quickly found Cecilia and Yuri following behind Martha, and caught up with them just as they found an empty table. A round one, large enough to accommodate six people. A number that Alnea came up with when he counted the chairs around the table.


    Chairs. That was another thing that Alnea was seeing for the first time in his life. He had read about them but had never seen them in person. Even big sis Serena¡¯s mansion did not have one. Apparently, it was an item of luxury that had all sorts of disadvantages. Yet, at the same time, it was also quite popular amongst some of the Orthodoxies for its comfort. Should he try it for himself?


    Glancing around the hall, Alnea noticed how none of the other Wanderers were sitting on the ground. Even Cecilia and Yuri had followed Martha, and pulled out a chair for themselves. He could not sit on the ground by himself, could he? Besides, with the tables reaching the height of his waist, only by sitting on the chairs could he able to eat form the table. Or else, he would have to eat his food from the ground.


    Not that he minded eating his food off the ground. That was what he had been doing in the Night Canyons for the past half year. But that was the Night Canyons. And at the moment, he was in the Lost City. They may both be Forbidden Areas, but they were completely different from each other. Surrounded by Wanderers, if he did not wish to draw attention to himself, it was only right for him to follow how the other Wanderers were acting¡­

 Chapter 9: How to coax a girl [Part 1]

    Convinced by his own rhetoric, Alnea followed the example of the girls, and pulled a chair out for himself.


    ¡°This is the Blood Hall¡¯s canteen,¡± Martha said as Alnea took his seat. ¡°All Blood Halls have one. And they are always open. Of course, until you gain qualifications to enter the inner city, you can eat only in the Blood Hall you are registered in. But it does not really matter where you eat. Other than a few dishes special to each Blood Hall, all canteens basically have same food.¡±


    ¡°¡­What is the city¡¯s obsession with Blood?¡± Alnea mumbled, glancing around himself. ¡°Does everyone in the city likes blood so much? Or is it a personal preference of the creators of the city?¡±


    ¡°¡­You should not presume anything about the city. Or even your clan may not be able to bear the consequences,¡± Martha said in a solemn tone, as if reprimanding him for doing something foolish. Alnea was ready to defend himself, but she did not really care whether he listened or not. Maybe even that reprimand was more of a conditional reflex rather than a well intentioned advice. In any case, not giving him any chance to explain himself, Martha turned towards the back of the hall, and pointed at the counters with all the food.


    ¡°You see the food counter over there? That is where we get our food. You just fill your plates according to your preferences, and come back to the table to eat.¡±


    ¡°Is the canteen not going to charge us?¡±


    ¡°What did you think swiping your Blood Card at the doors of the canteen was for?¡± Martha said. ¡°Every time you enter the restaurant, you will have to pay two Blood Coins. In return though, there is no limit to how much you can eat. As long as you have enough capacity, you can even clean the entire Lost City, but the restaurant will still continue making more food until you are satisfied.¡±


    ¡°¡­Speaking of Blood Coins, how exactly can we know how many Blood Coins we have?¡± Yuri said, taking out her Blood Card, and brushing her thumb over the strange symbols. ¡°We cannot understand anything that is written on the card.¡±


    ¡°That is because the symbols are part of a lost language,¡± Martha said. ¡°And people do not usually go around learning lost languages for no reason. Not that they could learn them even if they wanted to. These languages are said to be lost for a reason. What we know of most of the lost languages comes from records, and records of records handed down from the Age of Gods. Gleaning the meaning of a few symbols can be achieved by comparing the languages to their records, but understanding complete languages¡­


    ¡°Without the help of the race which used these languages as their primary language, understanding these lost languages is very difficult. One can even say that it is almost impossible. Except for the language used in the city. The symbols used on your Blood Card belongs to a language that still lives in the city. From your Blood Cards to the buildings, Blood Arena, and even the Blood Halls, everything in the city works on the basis of this language.


    ¡°Naturally, since the city belongs to the same era as the language, it also holds the key to learning the language. You just have to pay ten Blood Coins, and the Blood Hall will teach you how to read the language. Separately, of course. And the city will also ensure that you will not be able to pass on the language to anyone else. Still, quite a low price, considering how you will be learning one of the ancient languages from the Age of Gods.¡±


    ¡°¡­Is it so simple?¡±


    ¡°Things are often deceptively simpler than they appear to be.¡±


    ¡°¡­Can we have this discussion later? I am starving.¡±


    ¡°¡­You are right,¡± Martha said, withdrawing her smile the moment she heard his voice. First reprimanding him, and then scowling at him¡­ From the moment they had met, the woman had been nothing but rude to him¡­ Did he give her a wrong impression?


    ¡°You must be hungry,¡± Martha said, turning back to Yuri and Cecilia with a smile. ¡°Go, get some food.¡±


    ¡°What about you?¡±


    ¡°I will hold the seats for you.¡±


    ¡°Is that necessary?¡±


    ¡°You will be surprised by how many people prefer to eat at the canteen. Especially at this time of the day. If we do not reserve a seat, we might have to eat while standing.¡±


    Alnea wanted to ask what was wrong with eating while standing, or if they could eat while sitting on the ground, but from how the woman had been reacting to him, he decided not to needlessly invite trouble for himself, and simply got up from his seat. That he was a bit wary of the woman though, did not mean that Cecilia was wary of her too. At least not as much as they had been some time ago. The woman was helping them by going out of her way after all.


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    ¡°Are you sure?¡± Cecilia said, only to receive a reassuring nod for the woman.


    ¡°I will go get my food after you bring yours, so it will not really make too much of a difference. Stop worrying, and just go get your food.¡±


    ¡°¡­Okay,¡± Cecilia said, and got up from her, gently placing Forne back on the chair. ¡°I will have to trouble you to look after her till then.¡±


    ¡°No worries,¡± Martha said. ¡°Take your time.¡±


    Nodding to show her appreciation, Cecilia joined Yuri and Alnea, before going towards the food counter. A long table, with all sorts of dishes being served in sink sized containers that not only kept the food fresh, and warm, but also made it look more presentable.


    From bone broths to sizzling innards served in a gravy of brain juices, and even special mix of precious herbs, and all sorts of organs like hearts, livers, and even brains, all put together in steaming red stew, there were so many choices of dishes that Alnea was having a hard time choosing between them. In the end, he simply picked up a plate, and a couple of bowls, adding a little of all the dishes that he could, until his plate was full.


    Nodding to himself in satisfaction, Alnea returned to the table with the girls, who had also filled their plates to the brim, allowing Martha to go get a plate of her own. And as a show of courtesy, and respect, they began eating only after Martha returned with her own plate, just as overcrowded as their plates. But they did not find it odd. She was a True Wanderer. Eating more food than them was given for her.


    However, neither Alnea, nor the girls were ready lose against Martha in terms of how much they could eat. They may be just False Wanderers, but they trained much harder than most, if not all of their peers. Not to mention how they trained with either Divine Grade Arcanas, or an Art of equivalent Grade. They consumed much more energy than their peers. And they naturally needed to eat much more than their peers to replenish their energy. Besides, the food was also quite in line with their taste. Even Forne had woken up a couple of time in its sleep, taking a few bites from everyone¡¯s plate except that of Martha.


    Thus, by the time they were done eating, they had already wolfed down around nine to ten servings. And those servings were all of Adolescent Stage Oren Beasts. Enough to keep them satiated for¡­ a day. The stronger they got, the more energy they consumed in their daily practice. And till the time they learned how to derive their sustenance from the Origin Sea, they could only look for supplementing their energy by consuming Oren Beasts.


    For the moment though, their stomach was filled, and they had other things to do. Following Martha¡¯s lead, they went back to the main lobby of the Blood Hall, and walked to one of the smaller counters in the lobby. It was a little towards the inner depths of the hall, somewhere around forty to fifty paces away from Martha¡¯s counter, and had a grumpy man keeping watch over the counter. Literally.


    ¡°Well, well, well, who do we have here? The great Martha Orwen herself!¡±


    ¡°Shut your mouth, Inas, or I will do it for you.¡±


    ¡°Do you still think that you are the heiress of Mount Orwen?¡± the man said with a sneer. ¡°Without your brother, your clan will not even¡ª


    Brown, red and yellow lights surged out from Martha¡¯s body, and gathered around her hands as she urged her Aspects, and¡ª


    ¡°Tes¡¯ beard!¡± the man behind the counter said, losing all his grumpiness and disdain for shock, and fear. ¡°Crazy bitch! Have you forgotten the rules of the city?¡±


    ¡°Have you forgotten what happened to the last person who dare to speak nonsense about my brother?¡±


    ¡°¡­How can Mount Orwen have a crazy heiress like you?¡±


    ¡°Are you going to shut your mouth, or will you have me do it for you?¡±


    ¡°¡­What do you want?¡± Inas said with humiliation, indignation, and loss written all over his face. But Martha paid no attention to the man¡¯s expressions.


    ¡°Three language spars.¡±


    ¡°Three?¡± Inas said, before glancing at Alnea and the girls, looking at them with weird gazes. ¡°They do not look like they are from Mount Orwen. Why are you helping them?¡±


    ¡°It does not concern you. Just hand them a language spar each.¡±


    ¡°¡­I will get the language spars. Now, can you withdraw your Aspects.¡±


    ¡°Not until you hand over the spars.¡±


    ¡°¡­Origin above! I must have been cursed by Optah, or Oronir, when I woke up today,¡± Inas mumbled, but did as he promised. Turning around, he picked up three greyish black crystals from the shelves carved in the wall behind the counter. He did not immediately give them the spars though. Instead, the man placed the spars next to the black box on the counter, and turned towards Martha.


    ¡°You know the rules.¡±


    Martha nodded to the man, before turning towards Yuri and Cecilia.


    ¡°You know what to do.¡±


    ¡°¡­We do,¡± they said in unison. Except Alnea, of course. He did not point out her blatant favouritism though. After all, he did not know what kind of grudge the woman had against him. And at the moment, the woman was helping them. Even though she had a hard attitude¡ªseemingly, only against him¡ª he could not deny that she was one of the only few people who had been kind to them in the city. In her own twisted sense.


    Besides, it was not as if Alnea himself had never been a beneficiary of blatant favouritism. Allowing the girls to have their moment did not seem to be too bad of an idea. Following Cecilia and Yuri, he scanned his Blood Card on the black box, and received his language spar. A greyish black crystal, roughly twice as long as his Blood Card, that was a little pointy at both ends, but thick, and circular in the middle. Almost like two cones joined together at their mouths.


    ¡°I will tell you how to use the spars later,¡± Martha said, withdrawing her Aspects back into her body. ¡°Let us get out of here first.¡±

 Chapter 9: How to coax a girl [Part 2]

    With Enn having long set into the horizon, by the time they got out of the Blood Hall, the only light in the skies were those of the stars. After all, the Lost City may be the core of a Forbidden Area, but it was still a part of the world. It shared the same skies with the rest of the world. When the skies of Rianra grew dark, so did the skies of the Lost City. On the ground though, the city was shining in a blood red light, making it look even more eerie than it was during the day.


    ¡°This is the true face of Lost City,¡± Martha said, staring towards the depths of the city, as she noticed the uncomfortable look on faces of the girls. ¡°If you wish to stay here, you must get used to it as soon as possible.¡±


    Tearing her eyes away from the eerie city, Martha turned back towards the girls, and noticed them glancing at the greyish black crystals in their hands.


    ¡°The language spar contains the basics of the city¡¯s language. Do not ask how it is made. No one will be able to answer you. At least in the outer city, no one knows how these spars are made. We just inform the inner city when we are running out of these spars, and they deliver it to our Blood Halls. As for how to use them, you just need to place them on your foreheads, and extend your Spirit into these crystals. These spars will do the rest of the job. Do you understand?¡±


    ¡°We do,¡± Cecilia and Yuri said, as they glanced at each other, before stuffing the spar into the inner fold of their robes. After all, exposing their storage bags, when they did not even know who their enemies were, was not a good idea. Though hanging the pouch on their waist had already given away the secret. Maybe they should learn to be a bit more careful¡­


    ¡°¡­I should also get going now,¡± Martha said. ¡°You know where I usually am during the day. If you need any help, or want to know something, then you can come to me without any hesitation.¡±


    ¡°¡­Thank you for taking care of us, Wanderer Martha.¡±


    ¡°¡­I am just trying to rid myself of the guilt in my Heart,¡± Martha said, shaking her head. After a moment of hesitation, she glanced over Alnea, and added, ¡°Be careful of other Wanderers in the city. You might never know who may betray you.¡±


    ¡°¡­We will be careful, Wanderer Martha,¡± Cecilia said, agreeing with the woman¡¯s words. However, contrary to what she was saying, she shifted closer to Alnea, while leaving her back open to him. The crazy girl¡­ she was truly fearless of everything. Yet, it was exactly because of how crazy she was that he liked her so much.


    Her craziness was not well received by the woman in front of them though. She kept staring at Alnea, as if she could not wait to teach him a lesson for leading Cecilia towards the wrong path. Thankfully, they were in front of the Blood Hall, and the Lost City had its own rules. Or else, he was not sure if the woman would have been able to control herself from giving him a beating.


    ¡°¡­I just hope that you do not come to regret your choices.¡±


    ¡°We thank you for your concern, Wanderer Martha, but we are not Seeds,¡± Yuri said with a polite smile on her face. Just like Cecilia though, she too left her back open to him, standing less than half a hand¡¯s distance away from him. Usually, she was calmest of them all. But when she became crazy, she would often become the craziest of them all¡­


    ¡°We are Wanderers. And as Wanderers, we can decide whom we can trust. And we can bear responsibility for our decisions. Even if our decisions turn out to be wrong, we will never regret them.¡±


    They had offended dozens of False Wanderers just a few hours ago. And a few hours later, they were offending a True Wanderer. Not that he was complaining. Rather, he felt quite happy. When considering from the perspective of the team though¡­


    ¡°Of course, we still appreciate your words of advice, Wanderer Martha. We have no intention of offending you. And we hope that you will continue to help us in the future. But we cannot let you insult our bonds.¡±


    Never mind, Alnea thought. If they offended a True Wanderer, then so be it. He had already offended the entire Lotus clan with just his mere existence, and had an entire Heterodoxy chasing after him. There were already some Heterodox Wanderers of the Mystic Rank in Rianra, and his master was expecting even some Grand Wanderers to come searching for him. A True Wanderer¡­


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    ¡°You are right,¡± Martha said after a few moments of silence. ¡°Your young age made me unconsciously think of you as kids. But you are Wanderers. And you are fully capable of accepting the responsibility of your decisions. That is what being a Wanderer is all about, after all. Accepting the consequences of your decisions, and growing up¡­¡±


    Staring into the distance, the woman did not wait for them to respond to her words, and stepped down the stairs, walking into the red glow of the city.


    ¡°¡­Do you think that she is living in the regrets of her decision?¡±


    ¡°Maybe,¡± Cecilia said, while nudging the cat with her fingers. ¡°But there is nothing we can do about it.¡±


    ¡°¡­But she helped us. Should we not return the favour¡ª


    ¡°She is a Wanderer, Alnea. And Wanderers must take responsibility for the consequences of their decisions. If she wants to keep walking on the path of Wanderers, she must get over her regrets on her own. The best thing that we cand do to return her favour right now is to leave her alone.¡±


    ¡°¡­I guess I cannot argue with you.¡±


    ¡°You can never argue with me,¡± Yuri said with an over exaggerated snort. But the fake look of arrogance on her face, and the slight curve of her lips only made his smile wider. He did not wish for other people to see her cute side though. And there were quite a few people around them.


    ¡°¡­What are we going to do next?¡±


    ¡°¡­If we want to enter the core city, and meet with big sis Nyssa as soon as possible, then we need to plan our next moves. But this is not exactly the best place to discuss such things.¡±


    ¡°How about we go back to our rooms?¡± Cecilia said, while allowing Forne to stretch out its limbs. ¡°Even if it is not safe to discuss some secrets, I guess we can discuss our plans without worries of other False Wanderers overhearing our conversations.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s go back then!¡± Alnea said hurriedly, afraid that things might get awkward once again. Thankfully, Yuri was in her calm mode at the moment. Letting out a tired sigh, she nodded to express her acquiescence, before she began climbing down the stairs. Glancing back towards Cecilia, he noticed that she was still focused on Forne. But she could not hide the lost expression on her face. In the end¡­


    Alnea shook his head to clear his thoughts. Living with girls was truly tiresome. Even when it was not his fault, he still had to risk his life to coax them. Gritting his teeth, he seized his chance, and snatched the dumb cat from Cecilia¡¯s hands, before rushing down the stairs. Fortunately, he did not have any ill intentions towards the dumb cat. And Cecilia¡¯s life was not in danger either. Still, as he ran with the cat, he had to use all his strength to ensure that the half asleep stupid cat would not run away from him.


    On the other end, as she felt Forne being snatched away from her hands, Cecilia failed to react for a few moments, and kept staring at his back in shock and confusion. It was only when he reached Yuri, and stretched out his hands to snatch the storage pouch hanging by her waist that Cecilia came back to her senses.


    ¡°Alnea!¡± Cecilia yelled, and ran after him, just as Yuri reacted to his actions. At first, she did not notice that the one snatching her storage pouch was Alnea. Almost on instinct, she reached out to grab his hand, ready to throw him down the stairs first, and then ask questions later. When she noticed that one snatching her pouch was Alnea though, she paused, and stared in confusion. Taking advantage of her confusion, Alnea swiftly freed himself from her grip, and snatched her storage pouch, before running away from her, leaving her even more baffled than before.


    ¡°What are you doing?¡±


    Instead of answering Yuri through their bonds, Alnea turned around, and dangled her storage pouch in his hands, yelling, ¡°What do you think I am doing?¡±


    ¡°Stop right there, Alnea!¡±


    ¡°Catch me if you can!¡± Alnea said, and turned around, before rushing into the streets. Just to be sure, he entered his Spirit State, and as he had expected, he found both the girls chasing after him. However, it was not just the girls who were looking at him with weird gazes. All the Wanderers around them were looking at him as if he was a maniac. Especially when they spotted him repeatedly turning around to taunt the girls, and laugh at them.


    He was too lazy to bother with them though. And they were too lazy to stop him. So, the chase continued. From Blood Hall into the streets, and from one street to another, until¡­ Alnea finally found himself lost in the city. He could swear on the name of the Gods that he was rushing towards their rooms. Yet¡­ It was probably the fault of the stupid buildings. Why did they have to be so similar to each other?


    ¡°Time out!¡± Alnea said, panting, and heaving, as he stopped, and turned towards the girls, just as he let go of the dumb cat. It had already woken up from all the noise, and was beginning to struggle in his arms. If not for the robe he was wearing, the dumb cat might even have bloodied his arms. Even then, he knew that he would not have been able to hold the cat for long, so he let go of it on his own.


    Dumb as the cat was though, it did not appreciate his gesture, and instead, turned around on him, tackling him to the ground. And before he could get up, and handle the girls, they were already upon him, pinning him back to the ground, with a crafty light shining in their eyes¡­ Why did he feel that coaxing Cecilia and Yuri was more dangerous than fighting Heterodox Wanderers?

 Chapter 10: Challenges of the Lost City [Part 1]

    ¡°Did you know that some Orthodoxies have banned tickling in their territories?¡± Alnea said in a grave and solemn tone, one that he did not have even when they normally talked about Heterodox Wanderers, as he walked into his room. Unfortunately, Cecilia and Yuri refused to fall for his tricks.


    ¡°Is that so?¡± Yuri said, as she sat down next to the only cushion in the room. ¡°What do you want to say then?¡±


    ¡°¡­If we were not in the Lost City, but in the territories of those Orthodoxies, then you might have had some Justice Scholars coming after you.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± Cecilia said, picking the other side of the cushion to sit, just as the dumb cat declared the cushion as its territory. From the look of satisfaction on its face, it looked it was enjoying the soft touch of the cushion. Unbeknownst to it though, it was just falling deeper, and deeper into the quagmire of luxuries¡­ Stupid cat.


    ¡°Do you two think I am joking?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Yuri said. ¡°But I do think that you have missed one point.¡±


    ¡°¡­What point?¡±


    ¡°Tickling may be banned by some Orthodoxies, but stealing is prohibited by all of them. Even within the Lost City, I am sure that there are provisions on how to deal with thieves¡­ What do you say, shall we go to the guards, and have you arrested?¡±


    ¡°¡­I was not stealing. I was just helping you two carry your burdens back to our rooms.¡±


    ¡°By rushing in the opposite direction?¡± Cecilia said, giggling at his embarrassment.


    ¡°¡­I got lost.¡±


    ¡°And why did you get lost?¡±


    ¡°¡­Because of the stupid buildings.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    ¡°¡­Because I was not looking where I was going.¡±


    ¡°And will you do it again?¡±


    ¡°¡­Why are trying to sound like Yuri?¡±


    ¡°What do you mean by that?¡±


    ¡°¡­You know, trying to sound all responsible.¡±


    ¡°¡­Are you saying that I am not responsible?¡±


    ¡°¡­Help me, Yuri!¡±


    ¡°You dug your own grave this time.¡±


    ¡°No!¡±


    Ignoring his cries ringing out in the room, Cecilia pinned him to the ground. With Forne¡¯s help, of course. After all, they were almost similar in strength. Without Forne¡¯s help, she would not have had any hope of keeping him pinned down for long. Stupid cat¡­ Sooner, or later, he would have his revenge. For the moment though, he had to deal with Cecilia.


    ¡°Not responsible, am I?¡±


    ¡°Responsible, very responsible!¡±


    ¡°I cannot do anything, right?¡±


    ¡°I never said that.¡±


    ¡°You even took Forne from me.¡±


    ¡°I¡­ was¡­ wrong.¡±


    ¡°Since you like laughing so much, I will make you laugh even more!¡±


    ¡°I¡­ I¡­ I don¡¯t¡­¡±


    ¡°Who is being responsible now?¡±


    ¡°You!¡± Alnea said, gasping in between his laughs, as Cecilia refused to stop tickling him. ¡°You are the most responsible person in the world!¡±


    ¡°Are you sure?¡±


    ¡°Y¡­Yes!¡±


    ¡°Do you want to think once again?¡±


    ¡°No¡­¡±


    ¡°Fine,¡± Cecilia said after a while. But only after she had had her revenge. And her face had turned as red as his. She was not even the one who had to hold her breath¡­ Pulling Forne away from him, she went back to where she was sitting just a while ago, and added, ¡°I will forgive you this time.¡±


    Should it not be the other way around, Alnea thought, as he gasped for beaths, but chose to keep his thoughts to himself. Only for Cecilia though. For Yuri¡­


    ¡°Traitor!¡±


    ¡°How am I traitor?¡±


    ¡°You didn¡¯t save me.¡±


    ¡°But it was your fault, was it not?¡±


    ¡°¡­I don¡¯t care.¡±


    ¡°If you had not made us chase you for so long¡ª


    ¡°And let you and Lia walk around in a sour mood?¡±


    ¡°¡­I was not in a sour mood.¡±


    ¡°Did you see your face before?¡±


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    ¡°¡­Was it so bad?¡±


    ¡°Not as bad as Cecilia¡¯s, but you still looked a little lost, as if someone had stolen your toy.¡±


    ¡°¡­Do you want to know why I was sour?¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t it because of some stupid secret?¡±


    ¡°¡­Then do you wish to know the secret?¡±


    ¡°I am Alnea Oathkeeper, not Alnea Secretseeker.¡±


    ¡°¡­Back when¡ª


    ¡°Stop changing the topic. The truth is that you didn¡¯t help me, and no secret can change that fact, traitor.¡±


    ¡°Alright, alright. It is my fault. Happy?¡±


    ¡°¡­Arguing with you is like punching air.¡±


    ¡°Useless?¡±


    ¡°I never know whether I am winning or losing.¡±


    Yuri giggled at his words, but only telepathically. On the surface, she took out a greyish black spar, twice the size of her palms, and said, ¡°There are many things we need to discuss. But first, let us use the language spar.¡±


    Nodding at Yuri, Alnea and Cecilia took out their language spars too. After giving it a brief glance, Cecilia said, ¡°Should we do it together, or one by one?¡±


    ¡°Let me do it first.¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Alnea said, staring at Yuri with a frown. ¡°If there is something wrong with the spar, would we not be endangering you?¡±


    ¡°That is exactly why I must be the first one to use the spar. After all, my Spirit is stronger than both of yours, and I also have protection from big sis Nyssa. If anything happens¡ª


    ¡°My robe also has a lot of Glyph Arrays to keep me safe,¡± Alnea said. ¡°As for the difference in the strength of our Spirit¡­ There are quite a lot of Intermediate Stage False Wanderers in the city. If there was anything wrong with the spars, it would have spread throughout the city.¡±


    ¡°¡­What if they are forced to be quiet?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s¡ª


    ¡°¡­Do you think I am air?¡± Cecilia said with a snort. ¡°Or do you think that only you two are capable of facing dangers?¡±


    Alnea and Yuri paused, and looked at each other with a wry smile, before turning back to Cecilia.


    ¡°¡­Let us do it together then.¡±


    Smiling at each other in confidence, all three of them placed the greyish black crystal on their foreheads and entered their Spirit State. Almost immediately, Alnea sensed the strange fluctuations of the crystal. He had no doubts that the crystal was a solid object. He was holding it in his hand after all. And yet, in the senses of his Spirit, the crystals felt more like an amalgamation of highly condensed gas that could dissipate with just a single blow of air.


    Strangely enough, other than its strange state of existence, the crystal did not any reaction to the senses of his Spirit. It had no smell, or taste. It did not even have any particular texture. And that was despite the fact that he was holding the crystal in his hand. Not to mention how it seemed to be on the verge of disintegrating, and almost invisible. Such a strange crystal¡­ Maybe, it was truly as miraculous as described, Alnea thought, before reaching out to the crystal with his Spirit.


    Of course, he could not stretch his Spirit out of his body, but what he did was enough. Reacting to the pull of his Spirit, the spar truly dissolved into a cluster of gas that drilled directly into his head, into his Spirit. Almost immediately, a severe headache hit him, rendering him unable to do anything. Even thinking felt like a burden. In addition, the swelling sensation in his Spirit made him feel as if his Spirit was about to burst¡­


    What surprised him the most though, was the fact that his robe failed to react against the forces trying to tear apart his Spirit. Maybe they should have listened to Yuri, Alnea thought. Fortunately, the swelling sensation did not last for long. And as the swelling sensation subsided, so did his headache. In time, everything returned to normal, except the language spar. Exiting his Spirit State, Alnea looked at his empty hand, before turning towards the girls. Their situation was the same as his. All their language spars were gone. But¡­


    ¡°Do you feel anything different?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Cecilia said, shaking her head, while staring blankly at her empty hand in confusion. ¡°What just happened?¡±


    ¡°¡­We will know once we check our Blood Cards, won¡¯t we?¡±


    ¡°Right, Blood Cards,¡± Alnea mumbled, and took out his Blood Card. It was still the same as before, filled with inexplicable symbols different from any words that Alnea had ever learned. And yet, somehow, those strange symbols were all revealing their meaning to him.


    ¡°N zero six zero eight four nine nine,¡± Alnea mumbled, before glancing towards Cecilia and Yuri.


    ¡°N zero six zero eight four nine eight.¡±


    ¡°N zero six zero eight five zero zero,¡± Yuri said. ¡°The same as the numbers that guard in the Blood Arena called us with.¡±


    ¡°¡­So, have we learned the language of the Lost City?¡±


    ¡°¡­It looks like it. Let¡¯s check out the other details on our Blood Cards.¡±


    Alnea nodded and returned his attention back to his Blood card.


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    F I 5? False Rank, Intermediate Stage, Fifth Level¡­ That made sense. Eight thousand three hundred ninety nine¡­ Most probably that was his rank in the three halls that that the guard had mentioned. Around a hundred lower than he had expected. Where did the other five hundred people go? Dead, or forced out of the city?


    Forget it, Alnea thought, and shifted his attention to the large string of zeros next to his rank in the three halls. They should represent the number of points he had in those three halls. Going according to the same logic, he would have around seventy five Arena points¡­ Not bad, considering how he got all those points in just one battle. How many Arena points had the guard mentioned that he needed to earn?


    ¡°A hundred and thirty seven Blood coins,¡± Alnea said, returning his attention back to the girls. ¡°What about you?¡±


    ¡°A hundred and twenty three,¡± Cecilia said, cursing the man who had challenged her for his poverty. ¡°Trying to get my hundred Blood Coins with just twenty something Blood Coins¡­ the Wanderers in the city sure are insidious.¡±


    ¡°Insidious indeed,¡± Yuri said, looking at her Blood Card with interest, before turning back to them. ¡°I have a hundred and seven Blood Coins. It looks like I am the poorest of us at the moment.¡±


    ¡°¡­We are not much better off.¡±


    ¡°But doesn¡¯t that make this even more interesting?¡± Alnea said. ¡°Climbing up the ranks, completing the trials, earning more Blood Coins¡­ All these things will be meaningful only when we start from the bottom. Or else, how will we prove ourselves worthy of entering the core city?¡±


    ¡°¡­If you mention it in such a way¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­I guess we cannot really complain,¡± Yuri said, with her dazzling smile almost blinding his eyes. ¡°Before we get too excited though, let us first discuss how exactly we are going to tackle the challenges of the city.¡±

 Chapter 10: Challenges of the Lost City [Part 2]

    ¡°Challenges of the city,¡± Alnea mumbled, pulling himself out of his daze. ¡°Are you talking about the trials or the Arena?¡±


    ¡°Does it matter?¡± Cecilia said, fiddling her Blood Card. ¡°In either case, we just have to complete the trials, earn some points, and increase our ranks.¡±


    ¡°Things are not as simple as you think they are,¡± Yuri said. ¡°We may not know much about either the three halls or the Black Desert Trials, but from their name itself I can guess that that the trials will not involve competing with other Wanderers in the city. Yet, the things represented in our Blood Cards is not how many trials we have completed, but our points and ranks in the trials. Do you understand what this means?¡±


    ¡°¡­Not only do we have to complete the trials, but we also have to perform better than others,¡± Alnea said. ¡°Be it those who have completed the trials before us, or those who will complete them after us, we have to perform better than all of them.¡±


    ¡°¡­Why can the ranks not signify that we will have to compete with other Wanderers in the trials?¡±


    ¡°¡­We cannot be sure until we learn what exactly trials are. However, it is unlikely for trials to be just mere competitions. After all, if these ranks were all about who has better fighting skills, then the three halls should have been named as Arenas, and not halls. Maybe the Black Desert Trials might involve some battles, but the other trials should only be about our skills in the respective paths.¡±


    ¡°¡­Doesn¡¯t that mean that only those who are proficient in all three paths can enter the inner city? How hard will reaching the core city be then?¡±


    ¡°Let us not jump to conclusions just yet. First, let us gather some information about the trials, then we can decide how to proceed.¡±


    ¡°¡­Then what are doing right now?¡±


    ¡°¡­Deciding how to tackle the challenges of the city.¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t that the same thing?¡±


    ¡°It is different,¡± Yuri said, shaking her head. ¡°While we need more information to decide how we to go through the trials, the city¡¯s challenges are not just limited to the trials. Let alone the other Wanderers, I suspect that even the guards, and the other staff members of the Blood Hall are a part of the challenge that we must face.¡±


    ¡°¡­I admit that Wanderer Martha went a little overboard, but she was kind to us for the most part. She even¡ª


    ¡°It is exactly because she was kind that we must not trust her so easily,¡± Yuri said to Cecilia. ¡°Have you not noticed it yet?¡±


    ¡°Noticed what?¡±


    ¡°¡­How kind the True Wanderers are to us,¡± Yuri said, taking on a solemn tone. ¡°Repeatedly warning us of the dangers of the city, and asking to remain wary of other Wanderers¡­¡±


    ¡°Are you talking about the guard? He kept trying to intimidate us, but you are right. He did keep warning us about the dangers of the city. But wasn¡¯t that because of Lady Nyssa?¡±


    ¡°¡­If it had been just the guard who had been kind to us, I could understand. But almost all of the True Wanderers that we have met in the city have been exceptionally kind to us. They have explained everything to us without showing even a shred of impatience, and have answered all our questions. Does that sound like typical True Wanderers to you?¡±


    ¡°¡­Except for big sis Serena, the patriarchs of the Lotus clan, and the Heterodox Wanderers, I have not really met other True Wanderers before, so I don¡¯t really know what typical True Wanderers are like.¡±


    ¡°¡­What about you, Cecilia?¡± Yuri said. ¡°Alnea has not had much contact with True Wanderers, but you are different. You have met many True Wanderers in your clan. Tell me, have ever seen any True Wanderer showing so much patience to the False Wanderers, or even the Seeds of your clan?¡±


    ¡°¡­Sometimes,¡± Cecilia said with hesitation. ¡°But only to their relatives, or those whom they have good relations with. To strangers, True Wanderers are generally indifferent.¡±


    ¡°That is because True Wanderers have a Clear Heart. If they had Serene Hearts, they may act in ignorance, but with a Clear Heart, they can see through all their thoughts, and judge whether their actions are against their core beliefs or not. Unless it is in their nature, or their action lies in line with their core beliefs, they will never talk to strangers. And they surely would not go out of their way to warn some False Wanderers that they do not know. The True Wanderers in the city though¡­¡±


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    Yuri paused, and turned towards Alnea, before adding, ¡°Do you remember the question that you asked the guard?¡±


    ¡°¡­Why are True Wanderers still staying in the outer city¡­¡±


    ¡°Such a simple question,¡± Yuri said. ¡°Yet the guard still refused to give an answer. Did you not find it strange?¡±


    ¡°¡­Wasn¡¯t it because the guard was embarrassed to say the answer?¡±


    ¡°He was. But was just a part of the reason. After all, he is a True Wanderer. Unless the question touched the wounds of his Heart, he would not have become so solemn. And if the question truly was a forbidden topic for him, he would not have explained himself. Big sis Nyssa¡¯s threat would have been enough to deter him from not attacking you, but you would also have made an enemy out of him. From the way he left though, rather than being angry, he seemed more afraid of you asking more questions. Questions, that he could not answer.¡±


    ¡°Like the reason why True Wanderers are so kind to us?¡± Alnea said, scratching his head in confusion. ¡°Did the city promise them some benefits?¡±


    ¡°There is also the question that he did not answer,¡± Cecilia added. ¡°From what Martha said to us, it is apparent that she has regrets in her Heart that she cannot get rid of¡­ Is that part of the reason why she in the outer city?¡±


    ¡°¡­So, all the True Wanderers have committed some taboo of the city, and are now being punished to serve in the outer city?¡±


    ¡°That would also explain why all the Wanderers are so kind to us¡­ because they can redeem themselves through us.¡±


    ¡°If they can help us reach the inner city¡­¡±


    ¡°Stop,¡± Yuri said, massaging her head, while letting out a wry smile. ¡°Just stop for a moment. Let us not jump to any conclusions. Maybe, we are just overthinking, and all the Wanderers are just doing their jobs.¡±


    ¡°But you just said¡ª


    ¡°Whatever I said was just my guess. Until we have proper evidence, we cannot be sure of anything.¡±


    ¡°¡­But that also means that we cannot disregard any possibility.¡±


    ¡°¡­Now, do you understand why we need to gather more information?¡±


    ¡°¡­Because, in a sense, gathering information in itself is like a trial¡­ just a hidden one.¡±


    ¡°And the most important one.¡±


    ¡°¡­So, what exactly are we going to do next?¡±


    ¡°¡­We need to gather information. From the Blood Hall, from the True Wanderers, and even from other False Wanderers. We need to get as much information as we can. However, we cannot gather the kind of information we are seeking in just one day. And we cannot sit by idly until we get all the information. Rather, only when we attain a certain status in the Blood Hall, will we get the information we want.¡±


    ¡°¡­And we can raise our status in the Blood Hall only be completing the trials, and raising our ranks.¡±


    ¡°¡­Isn¡¯t that the same as what I said earlier?¡±


    ¡°No, it is not,¡± Yuri said, shaking her head. ¡°Earlier, your focus was on raising our ranks and earning some points. But just blindingly completing the trials will not get us the results we want. Even when we complete the trials, and compete in the Arena, we need to keep in mind that our main priority is not to raise our ranks, but to gather more information.¡±


    ¡°¡­I don¡¯t understand the difference,¡± Alnea said, scratching his head. ¡°Wouldn¡¯t the end result be the same?¡±


    ¡°¡­What did you gain from your Blood Challenge today?¡±


    ¡°¡­I earned some Arena points and upgraded my rank by a few thousand places.¡±


    ¡°And?¡±


    ¡°¡­And I learned that the Lotus clan in the city has begun targeting me.¡±


    ¡°And how did you learn that?¡±


    ¡°¡­By observing the man¡¯s words and behaviour, and comparing them with those that of the other Wanderers around us.¡±


    ¡°So, until you fought with the man, you were tying your best to collect information about your enemy, right?¡±


    ¡°¡­You can say so.¡±


    ¡°What about you, Cecilia? Did you gain any meaningful information about the man you fought?¡±


    ¡°¡­No.¡±


    ¡°¡­There is no need for you to make such a face. I am no different from you. Like you, I too, was not interested in gathering information about the woman I fought. For us, who we were fighting was not important. All that mattered was that we got a chance to fight¡­ Now, do you understand the difference between challenging the city with an aim, and just blindly climbing the ranks without any aims?¡±


    ¡°¡­More or less,¡± Alnea said, just as his blood rushed to his face. Thankfully, he had his Aspect to cover up his embarrassment. ¡°However, I think that rather than just focussing on gathering information, we should also focus on increasing our strength. After all, if we want to climb to the top of the rankings in the Arena, we will have to face peak stage Wanderers sooner, or later. And this time, we will have to fight them alone.¡±


    ¡°Does that even need to be said?¡± Cecilia said, quickly recovering from her embarrassment. ¡°Increasing our strength is a must. And so is increasing our means. Otherwise, passing the trials would not be easy. Especially the trial of Scholars¡­ We need to speed up our progress.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry,¡± Alnea said with a confident grin. ¡°It won¡¯t be long before we finally set foot on the path of Scholars.¡±

 Chapter 11: First step on the path of Scholars [Part 1]

    Scholars. Wanderers who dabbled in the path of Glyphs. The more complex and profound the Glyphs that they understood, the greater their prowess would be. Though just understanding Glyphs was not enough. To become a Scholar, one also had to engrave Glyphs onto their Spirit, and form a special connection with the Mysteries corresponding to those Glyphs.


    Even then, such Wanderers were only qualified to become Scholars. To become proper Scholars, Wanderers also had to glean the Mysteries that their Glyphs connected to. Then, and only then, could such Wanderers be deemed worthy enough to be called as Scholars. However, as with everything related to the Origin Sea, when Wanderers inscribed Glyphs onto their Spirits, they had to be extremely careful, and complete the process in numerous steps.


    The first step, of course, was to choose their preferred lineage. Then, within that lineage, they had to choose between different Series, branches, and sub branches. Only when they had made all their choices, and carefully planned their paths, would Wanderers proceed to the next step, engraving Glyphs onto their Spirits. Yet, even engraving Glyphs had to be done in stages. After all, Spirits, especially the Spirits of False Wanderers, was particularly fragile. Any mistake¡­


    Alnea took a deep breath to calm himself, as he went through the whole process in his mind once again, using familiarity with the steps to calm his nerves. It was one of the most important steps of his life, after all. One, that would determine his future. But that was not a reason for him to keep hesitating. On the contrary, the longer he hesitated, the more unsure he would be of himself. So, after going through the process in his head for ten times, he gritted his teeth, and entered his Spirit State.


    The first step, observe the condition of his Spirit. His Spirit Power was its peak, and there seemed to be no fatigue in his Spirit. It looked perfect to him. Nodding to himself, Alnea proceeded to the next step. Tugging on his Roots, the golden black thread connecting his Spirit to the Origin Sea, he travelled along its length in a time confusing journey, before finally arriving in his Domain. Not exactly empty, but not particularly full of life either¡­


    It was not the time to worry about his Domain though. Or to worry about how many Mysteries he had. Resolving himself, and discarding his hesitation, Alnea pulled at the immaterial door to the Origin Sea, manifesting a giant disc of golden light in front of him. Then, as usual, he drifted towards the disc, and gently pushed against it, causing it to collapse in on itself, leaving behind just a golden ring, and a gaping hole in his Domain.


    ¡°I am going.¡±


    ¡°¡­Be careful.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry.¡±


    After informing Yuri, Alnea braced his Heart, and stepped into the Origin Sea for the second time in the day.


    HE IS BACK.


    OATHKEEPER IS BACK.


    IS IT TOO SOON?


    WHO CARES?


    HE IS BACK.


    BACK TO PLAY.


    Alnea smiled wryly at the Aspects, and shook his head, before saying, ¡°This time, I am here to engrave a Glyph onto my Spirit.¡±


    Almost as if someone had just thrown a bucket of cold water over the Aspects, they froze in place, and kept staring at him.


    ENGRAVING GLYPHS¡­


    DANGEROUS.


    VERY DANGEROUS.


    ESPECIALLY¡­


    BUT IT IS A MUST.


    A WANDERER.


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    THE GREATEST WANDERER.


    IT IS DANGEROUS.


    YET IT IS A MUST.


    THE PATH OF GLYPHS IS A MUST.


    THE PATH OF SCHOLARS IS A MUST.


    BUT¡­


    WE CANNOT HELP.


    ¡°I know,¡± Alnea said. ¡°I am not asking for your help. I am just saying that I won¡¯t be able to play with you right now.¡±


    IT DOES NOT MATTER.


    WE UNDERSTAND.


    WE CAN PLAY LATER.


    FOR NOW, WE WATCH.


    YOU ENGRAVE.


    BECOME A SCHOLAR.


    NOT TOO DIFFICULT.


    BUT DANGEROUS.


    YOU MUST BE CAREFUL.


    ¡°¡­I will.¡±


    ¡­MAY THE ORIGIN BE WITH YOU, OATHKEEPER.


    Dangerous¡­ Alnea already knew that engraving Glyphs was going to be dangerous, but for the Aspects to warn him so¡­


    Shaking his head, Alnea subdued his useless thoughts to the bottom of his Heart, before marching his way towards the greater depths of the Origin Sea. The Origin Sea though, could not let him be on his own. From making the layers of Oren thicker with each of his steps to assaulting his senses with all kinds of sensations, trying to create a sense of disgust within him to break his Heart, and his Guard, the Origin Sea spared nothing in its efforts to halt his advance.


    And yet, tried as it might, it could not stop him. Nothing could stop him. At least not in the depths he was at. And though the attacks on his senses did disgust him a little, he was already used to them. As for the endless layers of Oren, all they did was drain his Spirit Power. And at the moment, he had enough Spirit Power to afford a little waste. So, on and on he went, dealing with the increasingly intense attacks of the Origin Sea, until¡ª


    Alnea stopped and observed his surroundings. His senses failed to see any changes within the Origin Sea. It was still as ruthless as it used to be. And it kept attacking him relentlessly. Yet, within a realm that he could not perceive with his senses, a realm that he could reach only with his thoughts, and intuition, he could feel a subtle change in the Origin Sea. Not in its behaviour, but in its essence. In what it represented. In¡­


    Bracing his Heart, ensuring that his Serenity was not affected by the sudden increase in intensity of the Origin Sea¡¯s attack, Alnea reached out to the golden black thread once again. This time, however, he did not travel along its length. Rather, he pulled on the thread, and induced Oren¡ªnot from the layers surrounding him, but from around his Domain¡ª to rid itself of the command of the Origin Sea and gather around his Spirit. And it listened to his summons, to his whispers, coming together to coalesce into a knife¡­


    Or at least, the shape that the summoned Oren took looked like a knife. Without any proper hilt, or grip, the blade floating in front of him could not be truly considered as a knife. And with both of its edges being a little dull, it could not be truly considered to be a blade either. But he was not going to rely on its edge anyway. And he was not going hold it in his hand either. For his purpose, just its sharp tip, where both of its curved edges met, was enough. As for his purpose¡­


    Calming the waves and hesitations raging in his Heart, Alnea reached out to the Oren knife through his Roots and urged it to drift towards him. To hover in front of his chest. And ever so slowly, slip into his Spirit¡ª


    Alnea gritted his teeth, and kept his mouth shut, trying his best to not scream in pain. Which, surprisingly enough, did not take much effort from his part. On second thought, it was not too surprising. After all, he had been mutilating his Spirit under the guise of Forging it for over a year. Let alone the Art of Spirit Rebirth, the pain of piercing his Spirit with the Oren knife could not even compare to the pain of Forging his Spirit with the Three Turns Spirit Forging Art.


    Yet, the pain of mutilating his Spirit was still not something that he could just ignore. Especially since he was within the Origin Sea. And in the Origin Sea, even the slightest amount of distraction could prove fatal. Not to mention that stabbing his Spirit with the Oren knife was just the beginning. There was so much more he had to do¡­ He could not stop. Be it for his Oaths, or for his Heart, he could not stop.


    Inflating his chest as if he was taking a deep breath, Alnea chose to submerge himself into his Serenity to ignore his pain. Only when he was confident of not making any mistakes did he resume whispering to the Oren knife stuck in his right chest. And the knife listened, cutting through his chest with its dull edge, creating a gash around half an inch in width, as it moved towards his left chest in curved path.


    The knife¡¯s edge was too dull though. It did not part his chest as easily as it had when he had stabbed himself, forcing him to put more pressure on the knife. And the more pressure he put on the knife, the greater his suffering became. From a pain similar to that of normally Forging his Spirit to a pain similar to the pain from Three Turns Spirit Forging Art, Alnea soon learned why engraving Glyphs onto Spirits was so dangerous.


    And yet, even when the pain he was suffering kept increasing with each passing moment, he still had to perfectly control the blade so as to not make any mistake. Or else, he would have to start all over again. If not for his experience with Forging his Spirit¡­ Thankfully, it was just his first Glyph, so he did not have to bear extra pressure from other Glyphs and Mysteries. In future though¡­

 Chapter 11: First step on the path of Scholars [Part 2]

    Alnea quickly submerged himself into his Serenity, stopping himself from falling into the quagmire of doubts. Something that did not prove too difficult. After all, the doubts themselves were ridiculous in the first place. Pain was something that Alnea was least afraid of. Besides, if engraving Glyphs onto his Spirit could truly make him experience a new threshold of pain, then he would only be excited, and not worried.


    Suppressing his thoughts at the bottom of his Heart, Alnea went back to devoting all of his attention to carving his first Glyph onto his Spirit, completing the first stroke of the Glyph in just a few moments. And the moment he completed the first stroke, the Origin Sea itself began rippling. Not in the realm of what he could perceive through his senses, but in the realm of its rules and Mysteries.


    However, there were far too many Glyphs corresponding to the same first stroke. Some of them were False Mysteries, while some of them were of the True, Mystic, and even the Grand Rank. And of all those Mysteries, many of them were from opposing lineages. If all those Mysteries were to be summoned¡­


    Fortunately, just one simple curved stroke was not enough to summon Mysteries. It urged them, and even made some of them a little restless, but they stayed put in their intangible realm, waiting for his next actions. And he did not disappoint them.


    The moment that he completed carving the first stroke of the Glyph on his chest, Alnea did not hesitate to reverse the direction he was pushing the blade in, just as he tilted the blade a little, and began carving the second stroke of the Glyph, branching off from the first stroke a few inches away from its edge, curving a little towards his navel. Just before the blade could reach his navel though, he stopped its advance, and pulled it out of his Spirit, completing the second stroke of the Glyph.


    Yet the Glyph itself was far from being complete. And he was not about to stop before completing what he had begun. It was just that¡­ The two strokes may not have been enough to complete the Glyph, but they were enough to eliminate most of the Mysteries waiting for his call, sending them back to their slumber. At the same time, the two strokes were also enough to excite the Mysteries that stayed behind, further intensifying their reaction.


    From displays of fire storms, hot enough to melt even mountains, to spatial storms, sharp enough to rend the void itself, all sorts of phenomena manifested in the realm of the Mysteries. Even within the plane where he was roaming, subtle vibrations spread in the endless layers of Oren around him, distracting him a little. Thankfully, his Serenity quickly pulled him back from his daze, and reminded him of what he had to do. It reminded him to complete what he had begun.


    Tilting the blade to make it horizontal, as it had been for the first stroke, Alnea slipped it back inside his Spirit right below his navel, and forced it to slide across his left half, cutting a path up towards his chest in a curve. In a semi circular path, to be exact, which reached its crescendo of moving towards his left half a little above the level of his navel. The third stroke had yet to be completed though.


    Following his instructions, the knife turned around, and began completing the second half of the stroke, moving towards his right half in the same curve. And in just a few moments, the knife crossed the second stroke of the Glyph on his stomach right at its centre, reaching the crescendo of its upwards rise above the navel, marking the end of the third stroke. At the same time, the end of the third stroke also marked the end of call to most of the Mysteries still lingering behind the intangible fabric of the Origin Sea.


    Still, his was work was not done yet. Pushing the knife out of his chest, he moved it a little down, and a little towards his left, before pushing it back inside his Spirit right at the mid point of the semi circle, with the blade lying outside of the curve. It sent jolts of pain through his Spirit once again, but he kept ignoring them, and pushed the knife even further left, stopping only when the knife reached the point right below the edge of the first stroke.


    The fourth stroke was done. So, he went ahead with the fifth stroke. A vertical line that just barely touching the horizontal line of the fourth stroke, so that the point where the two strokes met divided the fifth stroke in two equal halves. But the Glyph was still not done. There was still the sixth stroke, the seventh stroke, the eight stroke, the ninth stroke, the tenth stroke¡­


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    Alnea did not know how much time had passed. Neither could he register how much pain he had to bear. It was not as much as the Art of Spirit Rebirth anyway, so he ignored it, and kept carving the Glyph onto his Spirit, just as the Mysteries kept retreating into their slumber, while those that remained awake kept intensifying their reactions. Soon, their reactions became so intense, that by the time there were only some seventy, or eighty Mysteries still responding to the calls of the half finished Glyph on his Spirit, their effects were beginning to pierce through the intangible walls of the Origin Sea, and manifest around his Spirit.


    Alnea was not too surprised though. His master had warned him about what would happen when he would be carving a Glyph onto his Spirit. Even Yuri had shared her experience with him. That when he would be left with only the last stroke, the Mysteries would begin manifesting around his Spirit, trying to distract him, and force him into choosing them as his Glyph.


    So, when the layers of Oren around him began to undulate with all sorts of waves, all at the same time, trying to lure him into their fantasies, and show him their prowess, he paid them no heed. It was difficult, but not impossible. Especially since instead of manifesting on their own, the Mysteries had been summoned by his actions.


    Still, just in case, Alnea poured all of his attention on the knife, as he began carving the last stroke. A curve, that connected the end of the last stroke with the beginning of the first stroke. A curve, that set off a ripple within the Origin Sea from the moment he began carving it. And when he finished carving the curve, completing the Glyph, the rippled spread to the very core of the Origin Sea, settling all the restless Mysteries.


    All, except one. The Mystery that corresponded to the Glyph he had carved on his Spirit. The Mystery from the lineage of Destruction, creating the scene of mayhem around him. Undulating with no particular patterns, the layers of Oren around him were giving off a sense of dread, and awe. A sense of destruction, and despair. And a sense of absolute confidence.


    Most importantly, the waves were giving off all the sensations at the same time. And they were all submerging into his Spirit, subtly healing the wounds on his Spirit. At the very least, they were lessening his pain. But the Mystery never forgot its purpose. While healing his wounds, it seeped into his Spirit, and formed a connection with him. A connection with his Spirit, and the Glyph he had inscribed onto his Spirt.


    Finally, Alnea thought, as he allowed himself to relax a little. Carving a Glyph was harder than he had thought it would be. Deliberately wounding his Spirit¡­ It was not as if he had not mutilated his Spirit before. But to ensure the accuracy of the wounds¡­ No matter how tough carving a Glyph on his Spirit was though, it could not outweigh the benefits he was getting. An Intermediate Stage Glyph of the False Rank¡­ That too, of Perdia¡¯s lineage¡­


    Known for their destructive powers, and versatility of being able to combine well with most of the Mysteries of other lineages, not only would becoming Perdia¡¯s Scholar help him make up for his lack of long range offensive abilities, but would also help him in developing more offensive Arcanas. Hopefully. In any case, it was either Perdia¡¯s lineage, or Yul¡¯s lineage. And though Yul¡¯s lineage was much more practical, it was far too esoteric. Not to mention how all of its Series of Glyphs were so different from each other. Choosing one would mean giving up the others or face the risk of the Glyphs backlashing against him.


    In contrast, there were no such risks in choosing Glyphs from the Perdia¡¯s lineage. All of the different Series of the lineage of Destruction had the same essence, destruction. And most of them would have devastating effects on his enemies. All with minimal risks, even less than what he faced when Wandering the Origin Sea. The choice was obvious¡­


    After the Mystery slowly dissipated back into his surroundings, Alnea did not stay in the Origin Sea to check on his Spirit. Although he was not exhausted, carving a Glyph onto his Spirit did drain nearly a third of his Spirit Power. And he did not trust his fate. It always struck when he least expected it. He could not risk staying in the Origin Sea any longer than he needed to.


    Bidding farewell to the Aspects, promising them to return the next day, he quickly made his way back to his Domain before finally taking a look at his Spirit. The wound on his chest, the Glyph that he had carved, was glowing in the light of destruction¡ªa mix of all colours imaginable¡ª even as the Mystery did its best to close the wound, and make the Glyph sink into the depths of his Spirit. He still had to comprehend the corresponding Mystery, but¡­


    ¡°I have taken my first step on the path of Scholars.¡±

 Chapter 12: Unexpected interuptions [Part 1]

    ¡°You have not even taken the first step on the path of becoming an Attuner,¡± the black robed Acolyte said. ¡°Yet even Master Attuners are not your match¡­ You are the second person to have garnered my attention, Alnea Oathkeeper.¡±


    ¡°¡­I would have preferred to not have anything to do with you, and your kind,¡± Alnea Oathkeeper said, tightening the grip on his sword, even as he used his Void Heart to control his rampant emotions. And he could understand why he was feeling so nervous. His Oaths may have helped him against Master Attuners, but against a Transcendent Attuner¡­


    Only those who had transcended the restrictions of their Aspects could be called as Transcendent Attuners. And the man in front of him was no exception. Other than commanding the Aspects he had Attuned with, he could also tap into the Origin Sea to summon Aspects that were not his own. Unless his enemies had also transcended the restrictions of their Aspects, their Aspects would not even be able to reach the man.


    Though the power of Alnea¡¯s Oaths was not derived from Aspects, the abilities of Transcendent Attuners were not limited to just commanding Aspects either. The man did not even need to fight. He could just create an Aspect clone, and watch from the side. After all, in the process of transcending one¡¯s Aspects, Attuners had to connect their Aspect Oceans to the Origin Sea, ensuring a constant stream of power for themselves. Unless the man completely exhausted his mental strength, losing his ability to command Aspects, Alnea Oathkeeper would have no chance against the man.


    However, Transcendent Attuners had much stronger mental strength than normal people. And along with their bodies, they could also temper their mental strength with their Aspects, granting it some special abilities, like their bodies. Fighting against such an opponent¡­ Alnea Oathkeeper could not see any way to defeat him. And yet, he could not lose. He refused to lose. Because¡­


    ¡°Are you not going to ask who the first person is?¡±


    ¡°¡­I am not interested.¡±


    ¡°Are you sure? Even if that person is¡­¡±


    Alnea woke up just as his dream was beginning to get interesting. But that was how dreams worked. Fading away at the most crucial moments. Or at least that was how normal dreams worked. His dreams though, had always been a little special. And lately, they were beginning to become even more special. The curse¡­


    It was dealt with, Alnea reminded himself, and pushed himself off the ground, stretching out his limbs to wake them up. Glancing out of the window, he noticed that the sky was a still a little dark, with only a hint of red near the horizon. Probably around two hours, he noted. And this was when he had completely exhausted himself the day before. Carving a Glyph onto his Spirit¡­


    Smiling to himself, Alnea walked into the bathroom, and quickly dealt with his daily chores. Once he had freshened up, he picked up his sword, and strapped it to his waist, before walking out into the corridor. And unlike the day before, it was not empty. However, the other person was not Cecilia, or Yuri, but someone on the other end of corridor. A man, roughly around three to four years his senior. In age, of course. As a Wanderer¡­


    The man seemed to be strong too. Probably at the peak of Intermediate Stage, if not in the Advanced Stage. And not just a weak Intermediate Stage Wanderer, like the one he had fought the day before, but a strong Wanderer, who could probably hold his own against advanced phase Oren Beasts. Or else, Alnea would not have felt the faint breath of danger from the man, the kind he usually felt from advanced phase Oren Beasts


    Such achievements at the mere age of seventeen or eighteen¡­ The man was undoubtedly one of the more talented Wanderers Alnea had seen in the city, justifying the look of arrogance on his face. The disdain with which the man looked at him though¡­ Alnea wondered if he should challenge the man to a fight. In the end, he decided to be a little magnanimous, and forgive the man for his ignorance. For the moment.


    Tearing his eyes away from the man as he began walking down the stairs, Alnea turned back towards the girls¡¯ rooms. Were they still sleeping? Or were they just being lazy? Was it the reason why they returned to their rooms after deciding their future plans? So that they could sleep a little longer? Should he consider moving with them in the same room?


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    To overlook their training, of course, Alnea reminded himself. His personal preference of being together with Cecilia and Yuri had no effect, whatsoever, on his thoughts, or actions¡­ Probably. Besides, sharing the same room also had many other benefits. Like saving Blood Coins, increased security, and the convenience of discussing their plans¡­


    The creaking sound of the doors opening brought Alnea away from his thoughts, bringing his attention to the doors in front of him. Somehow, Cecilia¡ªwith Forne trailing behind her¡ª and Yuri were coming out almost in synchronisation, opening their doors one after another, with barely any interval in between. It was as if they had a Divine Treasure that he did not know of. How else could he explain the way they both looked at him with a smile, as if expecting him to be in the corridor, waiting for them?


    Supressing the errant thoughts in his Heart, Alnea smiled at Cecilia, and said, ¡°Which lineage did you choose?¡±


    There was no hesitation in his voice. Only certainty. And as he had expected, Cecilia¡¯s smile turned into a big grin at his question.


    ¡°Tion¡¯s lineage,¡± Cecilia said. ¡°Glyphs from Cretes¡¯ lineage are too complicated. Only if I can have Glyphs from all the different elements, will I be able to create the strongest Glyph Arrays. Same is the case with Yul¡¯s lineage. Not to mention difficulty of comprehending the Mysteries from the lineage of Time. Of the few choices that I was left with, only Glyphs from Tion¡¯s lineage could suit my needs.¡±


    ¡°¡­We also cannot ignore how straightforward Mysteries from the lineage of Justice and Honesty are,¡± Alnea said, nodding along with his words. ¡°Just like you. It does indeed suit you the best. And with how treacherous the Lost City is, we might need your help soon.¡±


    ¡°¡­The city is not as dangerous as you are making it out to be,¡± Yuri said with a helpless smile. ¡°As long as we are careful enough to not fall into the traps of other Wanderers, it will be fine.¡±


    ¡°¡­I think you are forgetting something.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°¡­Master told you to make a few friends in the city.¡±


    ¡°¡­She said that I just do not have to shy away from other people.¡±


    ¡°Are you agreeing that you shy away from other people?¡±


    ¡°¡­You are right. I think the city is very dangerous. Especially for you. I think that you might even break a bone or two today.¡±


    ¡°¡­I was just kidding,¡± Alnea said with an awkward laugh. Thankfully, Cecilia came to his rescue in time.


    ¡°What about you?¡± Cecilia said. ¡°What lineage did you choose?¡±


    ¡°Destruction,¡± Alnea replied. ¡°Not only can it make up for my weakness, but I can also learn a few Glyphs from all of its Series. Only Perdia¡¯s lineage can allow me such flexibility.¡±


    ¡°¡­Learning Glyphs from all Series?¡± Cecilia said, staring at Alnea with wide eyes. ¡°But there are so many different Series¡­ Are you planning to engrave only Intermediate Stage Glyphs?¡±


    ¡°¡­Are you giving up on the path of Scholars?¡±


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you two doing the same?¡±


    ¡°¡­We are different. Cecilia is going to focus on the path of Warriors, while I am going to focus on the path of Arcanists. Besides, we are not exactly giving up on the path of Scholars. At the very least, we are just not aiming to reach the peak on the path of Scholars. But your Oaths¡­¡±


    ¡°It is exactly because of my Oaths that I have made such a decision,¡± Alnea said with a confident laugh. ¡°I have thought about it for quite a while. If I wish to become the greatest Wanderer, I cannot follow the examples set by others. Or I will be confined to the peak that they have reached. Be it the path of Arcanists, Warriors, or Scholars, I have to walk on my own path.


    ¡°It may look like I am giving up on the path of Scholars, but I am just choosing a different path. The path of Glyph Arrays. As long as my Arrays can reach the Divine, or even Transcendent Grade, then even if they are made with just Intermediate Stage Glyphs, their might should not be any worse than Peak Stage Glyphs. Besides, as long as I become an Origin Scholar, won¡¯t I become the greatest Scholar anyway?¡±


    ¡°¡­You do know that creating Glyph Arrays is even more difficult than creating Arcanas?¡± Cecilia said. ¡°It took my clan tens of thousands of years to create the Serpent of Secrecy. And that is just a True Ranked Glyph Array. Glyph Arrays of even higher Rank¡­¡±


    ¡°What would be the fun of becoming a Wanderer if it would not even have any challenges?¡± Alnea said, spreading his arms wide, with a grin on his face, only for Cecilia to look at him with a weird gaze.


    ¡°¡­I knew that you were a freak, but I did not know that you were also a masochist.¡±


    ¡°Did you forget how he likes pain?¡±


    ¡°Oh, right. He has always been a masochist.¡±


    Anea¡¯s smile froze on his face, as he looked at Cecilia and Yuri, giggling among themselves, with a daze. After a moment of silence, he came to himself, and snorted at the girls.


    ¡°Laugh all you want right now, but I will be the one who will have the last laugh.¡±


    ¡°¡­We are not laughing at you,¡± Yuri said, blatantly giggling at his face.


    ¡°¡­Forget it. I am too lazy to bother with some ignorant girls. Let us just go try out the trials in the Blood Hall.¡±

 Chapter 12: Unexpected interuptions [Part 2]

    Pretending to not care whether the girls were following him or not, Alnea turned around, and began walking towards the stairs. At a moderate pace, of course. Slow enough for the girls to easily catch up. And sure enough, he soon heard some steps following behind his back. With his lips curved upwards, he walked down the stairs in confidence, and out onto the streets. Quite empty, he noted. At least emptier than how it had been the day before. But that was to be expected.


    With the lesson that Alnea and the girls had taught some of the Wanderers the day before, all those who had been eyeing them as easy prey had been scared away. After all, though the life of those Wanderers was miserable, at least they could still live in the city. In comparison, the three people who had dared to try eating the ¡®easy prey¡¯ had not only lost all their Blood Coins but were also left with serious injuries.


    Injured, and bereft of Blood Coins, the situation of those Wanderers in the city was bound to get worse. Unless their clans decided to help them¡­ Then again, if their clans had any intention of helping them, they would not have been relegated to their desperate states. And even if their clans somehow turned soft, and decided to help them, their situation would not get much better. Owing debts to their clan, they would become but mere pawns in the hands of their clans¡­


    No Wanderers wished to experience a similar fate¡­ At least that was what Alnea was guessing. As for the Wanderers that were still on the street, staring at him with cautious, but inquisitive eyes, none of them were wearing tattered robes. Neither did they have any wounds. They were not even looking at each other with hungry eyes¡­ Besides, what were these twenty something people doing on the streets so early in the morning? Were they¡ª


    ¡°Excuse me,¡± a green robed man said, quickly walking up to Alnea and the girls, breaking the other Wanderers away from their thoughts. In the next moment, all of the Wanderers on the streets rushed towards him and the girls, all shouting to get their attention.


    ¡°I am from the Pirsan clan, up in¡­ My young master¡­¡±


    ¡°Do not listen to him. Pirsan clan is nothing. It is just a declining clan with barely any Grand Wanderers. My Borsun clan is much better. And we can¡­¡±


    ¡°Our Formund clan is one of the greatest clans in the Fifth Sector. Trust me, you will not find a better option. We can¡­¡±


    ¡°Do not listen to these scums. They are all underestimating you. Only my clan give you the best¡­¡±


    ¡°The Gorsun clan¡­¡±


    ¡°The Chauhans will always welcome¡­¡±


    ¡°The Yuran clan¡­¡±


    ¡°The Mirans¡­¡±


    Alnea stared at the crowd in front of him in a daze. What were these people doing? Soliciting him and the girls? But did they have to be so enthusiastic? What about staying at least a metre away from each other? Why were they practically climbing over each other to reach him? Were they not afraid of any accidents? Even if they were chummy enough with each other to disregard the distance between them, should they not at least give him some space? These Wanderers¡­


    ¡°¡­Are you people disregarding my Serpia clan?¡±


    ¡°So what if we are?¡± said a yellow robed man. ¡°Do you think your clan is worthy enough to¡ª


    The man¡¯s words were cut off by a punch flying straight towards his face. Thankfully, Alnea had predicted Cecilia¡¯s actions the moment that the man had opened his mouth. Moving before Cecilia, he placed himself between her and the man, and used his body to block her advance. Even then, he barely managed to stop the punch whistling past his ears, before it could smash the ignorant man¡¯s face, forcing the man to break out in cold sweats.


    ¡°It is not worth it, Lia. Let us not act rashly right now.¡±


    ¡°¡­He challenged the dignity of my clan.¡±


    ¡°Then you can challenge him in the Arena. Or have you forgotten what we discussed last night?¡±


    ¡°¡­Fine,¡± Cecilia said, retracting her hand, before looking at the confused, and scared man. ¡°Formund clan, right? I challenge you to a battle in Arena.¡±


    ¡°¡­I am not here to fight¡ª


    ¡°You should have considered that before you dared to challenge the dignity of my clan. Now, you only have to two options. Either accept my challenge. Or pray to Formia to never meet me outside the Lost City.¡±


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    ¡°¡­You dare to insult the Goddess of Wind?¡±


    ¡°The Goddess of Wind?¡± Cecilia said with a sneer. ¡°She is just a minor God of Wind, commanding the warm breeze of spring. You dare to call her the Goddess of Wind? Are you not afraid of the Wind clan tearing down your clan?¡±


    ¡°Do not talk nonsense! You are just twisting my words!¡±


    ¡°So what if I am? Are you going to face me in the Arena?¡±


    ¡°You¡­ I am not here to waste my time on you.¡±


    ¡°Coward,¡± Cecilia said with a snort, just as Forne snarled at the man, before they turned towards the other Wanderers watching the show unfolding before them with interest. They may have same intentions as the man from the Formund clan, but they were clearly not with him. Yet, they would never have thought that after deflating his ego, Cecilia would turn on them.


    ¡°Are you also looking down on my clan?¡±


    ¡°¡­We dare not, miss Serpia.¡±


    ¡°All of us know the terrifying might of the Serpia clan, and its Warriors¡­¡±


    ¡°It is just that we are completing a mission of our clan at the moment¡­¡±


    ¡°Are you trying to recruit us?¡± Alnea said, unconsciously stepping in front of Yuri. Before he could say anything else though, Cecilia stepped in once again.


    ¡°Do you not see that they are with me? Do you still dare to grab people from the Serpia clan?¡±


    ¡°It does not matter,¡± a blue robed woman said, winking at Alnea with a weird expression on her face. It was as if there was something she wished to say to him, but could not say it in front of the people that were around them. ¡°I think that little brother should be able to decide for himself whether he wants to stay with you or come with me.¡±


    ¡°A vixen of the Erwein Forest?¡± Cecilia cursed. ¡°Do you think that you can challenge my clan?¡±


    ¡°Where is Erwein Forest?¡±


    ¡°Why? Do you want to go with the vixen?¡±


    ¡°¡­I was just asking.¡±


    ¡°¡­Erwein Forest¡­ It is not a place where men should go.¡±


    ¡°Then why is the woman asking me to go with her?¡±


    ¡°Who knows? Why don¡¯t you try going to the forest with her?¡±


    ¡°¡­Forget it,¡± Alnea said, while noting down the name of the place in his head to look through the maps of the Tes Domain after leaving the Lost City. Although it seemed like Yuri was asking him to go to the Erwein Forest, he knew enough about her to hear the threat laced in her words. Still, a place where men should not go¡­


    ¡°¡­Although we respect the Serpia clan, we are not afraid of you,¡± the blue robed woman said, as she turned back towards Alnea with a smile on her face. A true genuine smile, without any trace of hostility hidden beneath its surface. Still, for some reasons, the smile sent shivers down his spine.


    ¡°I promise that you will be able to enjoy anything you wish if you come with me. Even me¡­ How about it, little brother? Do you want to consider me, and my offer?¡±


    The woman¡¯s words, and actions¡­ they had a strange charm¡­


    ¡°We thank you for your offers, but we are still new to the Lost City,¡± Yuri said before Cecilia could lose her patience. ¡°You would not mind us exploring the city a little before considering your offers, would you?¡±


    ¡°¡­I think you would like the Erwein Forest very much, little sister. Do consider joining us with little brother once you have explored the city to your Heart¡¯s content.¡±


    ¡°Of course,¡± Yuri replied with a smile. ¡°Now, if you will excuse us.¡±


    ¡°Wait a minute, little sister. We also¡­¡±


    ¡°We can even promise¡­¡±


    Not caring in the least about what others were saying, Yuri grabbed Alnea and Cecilia by their hands, and pulled them away from the crowd. The crowd, of course, tried to stop them with all sorts of excuses, tempting them with wealth and power. Unfortunately for them, as an heiress of an Origin clan, Yuri did not lack in the things that those Wanderers were promising.


    Let alone Yuri, their offers could not even tempt Cecilia. After all, she was the daughter of the Serpia Matriarch. In a sense, she too could be considered as an heiress of a clan. And though the Serpia clan could not compare to the Faed clan, it was one of the strongest Grand clans in the Fifth Sector of the Lightning Region. At the very least, none of the Wanderers in the Lost City, except Yuri, had a better background than her. Maybe there were a few Wanderers with similar status, but none of them could be considered to have better status in their clans.


    As for Alnea¡­ The things that he wished for could not be given to him by others. He had to fight for them by himself. And he preferred fighting with Cecilia and Yuri by his side. So, it did not matter what other people were saying. They could make him curious with their offers, but that was it. He would never abandon the girls. No matter what. After all, they were his Heart¡­


    With Serenity in his Heart, and a smile on his lips, Alnea ignored the people around him, as he made his way towards the Blood Hall. A giant building, probably around fifteen to seventeen storeys tall. But with the main lobby of the Blood Hall being larger on the inside than what it was on the outside, Alnea could not confirm how tall the building truly was.


    Regardless, the Blood Hall was the tallest building he had ever seen. Including the Blood Arena. However, the large size of the Blood Hall also meant that the area they had to search was so much larger. And they did not know where exactly they should go to gather some information. The only Wanderer that they knew was Martha. And Martha¡­


    Even if Alnea was ready to sacrifice his dignity for the greater good, he did not find any signs of Martha in the Blood Hall. In the end, he could only shift his focus to the counters spread across the hall. More specifically, to the symbols carved on the walls directly above the counters. A day before, those symbols meant nothing to him. A day later though¡­


    Identity Registration, Language Spars, Blood Missions, Martial Style Library, Arcana Library, Glyph Library, Law Enforcement, Appeals, Blood Coin Exchange and Redemption, Token Redemption, Black Desert Trials, Arcanist Hall, Warrior Hall, Scholar Hall¡­

 Chapter 13: Trials of the Blood Hall [Part 1]

    ¡°Found it,¡± Alnea said, pointing to the counters towards the left end of the hall with his eyes. The ones with one of the longest queues. Just as they had been the day before. The crowd of people around those counters was so conspicuous, that it was hard not to notice them. It was just that the previous times he had been to the Blood Hall, he had no clues as to what the strange symbols above those counters read. But at the moment¡­


    ¡°Should we go check it out? Or wait for Martha first?¡±


    ¡°What are you two hesitating about? Didn¡¯t we talk about what we have to do last night?¡±


    ¡°¡­We also talked about trying to gather as much information as possible. And for some reasons, Martha seems to have quite a good impression of you two.¡±


    ¡°¡­But I don¡¯t like that woman.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t like her either. But we need to understand how¡ª


    ¡°No need,¡± Yuri said, glancing over the place where they had seen Martha the day before. ¡°We don¡¯t know what she wants from us¡­ It would be best if we do not owe her any more favours than we already do.¡±


    ¡°¡­Then what should we do now? Walk directly to the counters, and ask them what we want to know?¡±


    ¡°¡­That does not sound like too bad an idea,¡± Yuri said, flashing him her innocent smile, before walking towards the counters. She did not even give him the chance to refute. Crazy girl¡­ But he liked her craziness. With a grin on his face, he picked up his pace, and soon caught up with her and Cecilia. And after a brief discussion, they walked up to the counter of the Warrior Hall.


    The counter was roughly thrice the size of the counter where they had registered their identities, with four Wanderers¡ªthree men and one woman¡ª manning the counter. And all four of them were standing behind a black box resting on the counter, with the woman directing the people standing in queue to one of the three men according to their requests.


    It was not just the counter of the Warrior Hall though. The counters of the Arcanist and Scholar Hall were also working in a similar way. Only the counter for the Black Desert Trial was a little different, with only two women manning the counter. However, neither Alnea, nor the girls had any intention of challenging the Black Desert Trial just yet. So, for the moment, they decided to stick to their decision, and line up in the queue of the Warrior Hall.


    A needlessly long queue, Alnea noted. After all, the Wanderers may have become less wary of each other in the Blood Hall, but they still maintained distance of around a metre or so in the queue. No wonder the main lobby of the Blood Hall was so large. Thankfully, the Wanderers behind the counter were quite efficient in their work, taking only few moments to deal with each Wanderer. They were going through the Wanderers so swiftly that he did not even have the time to look at other counters in the Blood Hall before he found himself in front of the counter.


    ¡°Welcome to the main reception of the Warrior Hall,¡± the red robed woman behind the counter said with a smile. ¡°Which trial are you here to challenge?¡±


    ¡°¡­I am new to city. I do not know much about the three Halls, and their trials. Can you tell me a little about them?¡±


    ¡°No wonder I did not recognise your face,¡± the woman said, nodding at him with her constant smile. ¡°Have your seniors not told you about the city?¡±


    ¡°They tried to tell me, but I refused their help,¡± Alnea lied without batting an eye. ¡°Trying to explore the city on my own is more fun.¡±


    ¡°It looks like you are quite confident of yourself. How old are you little brother?¡±


    ¡­Why was everyone calling him little? Was he so small? He had already caught up to Cecilia and Yuri in height!


    ¡°¡­Eighteen years.¡±


    ¡°¡­You like to joke too, little brother,¡± the woman said with a laugh. ¡°I guess it was my fault for asking something that I should not. I hope you will not be angry with me. As compensation, I will tell you about the Blood Hall and its different trials. How about it?¡±


    ¡°¡­Then I will thank you in advance, Wanderer¡­¡±


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    ¡°Tia,¡± the woman said. ¡°You can call me Wanderer Tia.¡±


    ¡°¡­Wanderer Tia.¡±


    ¡°Good,¡± the woman nodded, before glancing at Yuri and Cecilia. ¡°Are the two girls behind you your companions?¡±


    ¡°¡­Yes.¡±


    ¡°Then are they also trying to explore the city on their own?¡±


    ¡°¡­You can say that.¡±


    Wanderer Tia¡¯s smile blossomed even more at his words. Looking back at Yuri and Cecilia, she motioned with her hands, asking them to come forward. Knowing that their plan had been seen through, Cecilia and Yuri gave up listening from a distance, and walked up to the counter with awkward smiles on their faces.


    ¡°We are sorry, Wanderer Tia.¡±


    ¡°It does not matter,¡± Tia said, still smiling at the girls. ¡°Overhearing conversations is nothing. I used to be even more daring at your age. Besides, you did no harm, and were just trying to glean some information. That is a very rare quality in Wanderers these days. I am very optimistic about you three.¡±


    ¡°¡­Thank you for your praise, Wanderer Tia.¡±


    ¡°Now, let¡¯s see. What do you know about the three Halls?¡±


    ¡°¡­That all three Halls have Trials.¡±


    ¡°As long as we can pass the trials, we will get some benefits. Including some trial points and Blood Coins.¡±


    ¡°Blood Coins aside, the trial points we will earn should correspond to our performance in the trials. And they should also decide our rank in the trials.¡±


    ¡°¡­Also, if we wish to enter the inner city, then we must earn a certain number of trial points.¡±


    ¡°Not bad,¡± Tia said, nodding at them. ¡°It is indeed as you said. If you wish to enter the inner city, then you must earn some considerable amount of trial points in the three Halls. Even your ranks in the halls will affect whether you can enter the inner city or not. But that is only a small part of the trials. Before I tell you about the trials though, let me ask you, are you aiming to enter the inner city, or are you here to just gain some experience?¡±


    ¡°Is there any difference?¡±


    ¡°Why would I ask such a question if there were no differences?¡± Tia said, shaking her head, while dropping her smile for a solemn look. ¡°If you just want to experience the Lost City, then I would recommend you to not do your best in the trials. Otherwise, if you perform well, then you will enter the eyes of all the clans in the Fifth Sector. And if perform extremely well, then you might even become famous in the entire Lightning Region.¡±


    ¡°Is that not a good thing?¡±


    ¡°¡­I should not bring down your enthusiasm, but as your senior, both on the path of Wanderers, and in the Lost City, I must remind you that the world is not as beautiful as you think it is. And neither are the Orthodoxies as cordial as they appear to be. After more than a million years of living together, there are bound to be some grudges amongst the Orthodoxies¡­ The clans of our Fifth Sector are no exception.


    ¡°Forget the clans of our Fifth Sector. There are times when even the Supreme and Origin clans clash with each other. Even the Wanderers of the Union are the same. Since the beginning of the world, war is the only constant. And in wars, nibbing potential threats in their buds is a common occurrence. Normal geniuses are one thing. But judging from your ages, you three do not seem to be ordinary geniuses. Or else, your clans would not have allowed you to roam the Lost City on your own.


    ¡°With your potential, you will have quite a high chance of becoming Mystic Wanderers. And no Orthodoxy has enough Grand Wanderers to deploy them on all fronts. In such situation, it almost certain that you will become the main stay of your clans in the future, often deciding the course of wars. If your rival clans learn of your existence, then your future will not be very peaceful. Rather than risking assassinations, it would be better if you just explore the city, and leave after you have broadened your horizons.¡±


    ¡°¡­If there are so many disadvantages, why do people still want to enter the inner city?¡±


    ¡°Because ambitious people never care about their lives,¡± Tia said with a helpless smile. ¡°After going through the trials, you will learn about a few of the benefits that the Lost City can bring to you. And those are just the benefits you can gain in the outer city. The inner city will have even greater benefits. Benefits enough for people to risk their lives.¡±


    ¡°¡­What are those benefits?¡±


    ¡°Did you not wish to explore the city on your own?¡± Tia said with a playful smirk on her face. ¡°I do not wish to spoil your fun just yet. How about you go through the trials first, and experience for yourself whether those benefits are worth risking your lives or not? And whether you wish to enter the inner city or not¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­What if we want to enter the core city?¡±


    ¡°You even know of the core city?¡± Tia said, looking at Alnea with surprise. ¡°It looks like your clan has quite high expectations of you.¡±


    ¡°Which is why we must enter the core city.¡±


    ¡°¡­Then you should go ahead and do your best in the trials. Try to earn as many points as you can. Not only for the benefits of the trials, but also for entering the inner city. At the very least, you should complete all the trials, and reach the top hundred ranks of all three Halls.¡±


    ¡°¡­That is why we want to learn more about the trials.¡±


    ¡°What exactly are the trials of the three Halls?¡±


    ¡°How do we earn more points in the trials?¡±


    ¡°And how do we improve our ranks in the Halls?¡±

 Chapter 13: Trials of the Blood Hall [Part 2]

    ¡°¡­You three sure have a great understanding amongst yourselves,¡± Tia said, smiling at them, with a hint of nostalgia in her voice. ¡°Treasure the bond you have. The trust you have¡­ It is the hardest thing to earn in the city. Even harder than a place in the inner city. Unfortunately, I understood my lesson a bit too late. But you are new to the city. You must always trust each other. Especially since you are much younger than rest of the Wanderers in the city. Only when you are together will you have a chance to enter the inner city.¡±


    ¡°Worry not,¡± Alnea said, grinning at Tia. In essence, what she was saying was the same as what Martha had said. Yet, the way she was conveying her message, without any shred of hostility, or wariness against any of them, made her look much more reliable than the stinky woman who kept glaring at him.


    ¡°We are planning to go all the way to the core city. How can just the outer city stop our steps?¡±


    ¡°¡­Then I will congratulate you in advance,¡± Tia said, losing her nostalgia for her usual bright smile. ¡°As for your questions, you should already know that there are three Halls within the Blood Hall. Namely, the Warrior Hall, the Arcanist Hall, and the Scholar Hall. Each of the three Halls have three different types of trials. There are trials which test your comprehension of the source of the power of the path, trials which test your application of the source, and comprehensive trials which test your overall fit with the path.


    ¡°In the Warrior Hall, these trials are called as Aspect Trials, Martial Style Trials, and Warrior Trials. Similarly, in the Arcanist Hall, the three types of trials are Mystery Trials, Arcana Trials, and Arcanist Trials, while in the Scholar Hall, they are Glyph Trials, Inscription Trials, and Scholar Trials. Additionally, there are some hidden trials in each Hall. Only if you meet certain conditions will these hidden trials be triggered. As for what these conditions are¡­ After all, these trials are known as hidden trials for a reason.


    ¡°In any case, those are the types of trials in the three halls. As for the trials themselves¡­ There are ten trials for each type, and for each Stage of the False Rank. Counting the hidden trials, each Hall has a hundred and twenty nine trials. I cannot share the specific details of the trials with you, so you will have to explore them on your own, but I can tell you that just completing all the trials is not enough to earn a place in the inner city.


    ¡°After all, just the Northern district has around a hundred and fifty thousand False Wanderers at any given time. Counting the other districts, there are roughly five to six hundred thousand Wanderers in the outer city. And from these hundreds of thousands of Wanderers, only a hundred or so can get the qualification to enter the inner city every month. And that is just a qualification. To actually be considered as a part of the inner city, they will have to face even more trials¡­¡±


    Trailing off towards the end, Tia paused for a few moments, before shaking her head, and looking at them with a wry smile.


    ¡°Forgive me. I was distracted for a moment. As I was saying, to enter the inner city, you will have to pass through many trials. But those are things that you will have to consider later on. For now, your priority should be getting the qualification to enter the inner city. And to even qualify to enter the battle for earning this qualification, you will have to enter the top hundred ranks in all three Halls in our Blood Hall. But raising your ranks in the Halls would not be easy.


    ¡°Once again, I cannot go into specific details. Still, I can tell you that as of now, there are nearly nine thousand Wanderers registered in our Blood Hall. And out of those nine thousand Wanderers, four to five thousand are at the Intermediate Stage, while around three thousand Wanderers are at the Advanced Stage. Leaving aside a few outliers¡­ the rest of the Wanderers are all the Peak Stage. And they will be your true rivals.


    ¡°Do not seek to complete the trials as soon as you can. Go through every trial, even the ones you can easily complete, with the mindset of competing against Peak Stage Wanderers, and always give your best. Only then, will you have a chance of breaking into the top hundred ranks of the three Halls. Or else, even if you complete all the trials, including the hidden ones, you will not be able to enter the inner city.¡±


    ¡°¡­We understand,¡± Alnea, Yuri, and Cecilia said in unison, nodding solemnly at the woman. ¡°Thank you for your guidance, Wanderer Tia.¡±


    ¡°¡­There is no need to be so stiff,¡± Tia said, shaking her head. ¡°I was just doing my duty.¡±


    ¡°Still, we are grateful for all the information that you have given us, Wanderer Tia. Feel free to come to us if there is anything we can do to help you in the future. We will try to help you to the best of our abilities.¡±


    ¡°¡­I will take you up on that offer when the time comes then,¡± Tia said, with her smile growing even more brilliant than before. ¡°Have you decided which trial you want to take?¡±


    ¡°¡­Can you give us a recommendation, Wanderer Tia?¡±


    ¡°Since you are new to the Lost City, your first trials will be at the level of Initial Stage, so it would not matter what trials you choose. Still, I would recommend choosing between the Aspect and the Martial Style trial, and to take the Warrior trial after you have familiarised yourself with how trials work. It will help you achieve better results in the Warrior trials.¡±


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    Glancing at each other, they gave each other a nod, before turning towards Tia in unison.


    ¡°We will take Martial Style Trials then, Wanderer Tia.¡±


    ¡°You look quite confident in your Martial Styles,¡± Tia said with a smile, before pointing to the other Wanderers standing behind the counter. ¡°The one with the long moustache, he is Wanderer Raes. He looks over the Aspect Trials. The one towards the end, with his beard tied up in a braid, is Wanderer Ias. When you wish to take the Warrior Trials, you can go to him. And the one in middle, with his hair tied up in a bun, is Wanderer Naman. Go to him, and he will tell you what to do next.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Wanderer Tia,¡± Alnea said in unison with Cecilia and Yuri, before walking towards the man that Tia had pointed to. And while they were at it, they did not forget to greet the other two Wanderers. After all, they would be coming to these Wanderers quite often in the next few months.


    ¡°You sure took your time learning about the trials,¡± Naman said, glancing lazily at Alnea and the girls. ¡°Are you sure you want to take the Martial Style trial?¡±


    ¡°We are sure, Wanderer Naman.¡±


    ¡°Alright then,¡± Naman said, tapping the black box in front of him. ¡°Scan your Blood Cards.¡±


    Alnea nodded to the man and reached into the inner folds of his robe to take out his Blood Card, before pressing it on top of the black box in front of him. Almost immediately, the box began making some strange noises, and let out a few rays of red light. Unlike the box at his room though, the lights faded away after a few moments, just as the box stopped making those strange noises.


    Withdrawing his Blood Card, Alnea moved aside, making space for Yuri, and Cecilia to scan their Blood Cards, before checking his own Blood Card.


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    His ranks¡­ Other ranks aside, even his rank in the Arena had fallen by quite a bit. The Lost City¡­ it was quite competitive. Getting into the top few ranks in the trials and the Arena was not going to be easy. But¡­ Would that not make the trials even more fun? And the Arena¡­ Forget it, Alnea thought. He would just go brush up his rank in the Arena after completing the trials.


    Thinking of the trials, Alnea glanced at the lowest row on his Blood Card. A hundred twenty seven¡­ Ten Blood Coins? Was that the fee of initiating the Trials? Or was it just a deposit, like the one in the Arena? The chances of the latter being true were small¡­ He remembered the guard saying that completing the Trials was going to be his only source of Blood Coins for a while¡­ Forget it, Alnea thought once again. He would know the answer soon enough.


    ¡°You are all ready to go through Martial Style Trials,¡± Naman said after Cecilia and Yuri scanned their Blood Cards on the black box.


    ¡°¡­Where exactly are the trials held?¡±


    ¡°Except for the Black Desert Trials, all the other trials are held within the Blood Hall itself,¡± Naman said, before pointing to a door a little towards their left. ¡°When you go through that door, you will enter the main staircase of the Blood Hall. Climb up the stairs to the second floor, and you will find a pair of doors blocking your way, with a scanner placed next to the doors.


    ¡°Normally, you will not be able to access the space behind the doors, but your information has already been updated in the Warrior Hall. You just need to scan your Blood Cards to enter the Trial Space. Details of the Trials will be provided to you within the Trial Space itself. You just need to follow the instructions and complete the trials. The Trial Space will do the rest of the work. Including updating your information in the Blood Cards.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Wanderer Naman,¡± they said in unison, nodding at the man, before walking towards the door, and entering the staircase that the Wanderer had mentioned. The one they had used to go to the canteen the day before. He was not hungry though, and clearly not in the mood to do some useless exploration.


    Tia had explained quite a few things about the Trials, and had even given them some information about entering the inner city, but they still had to explore the trials on their own. And they could not afford to be careless. Whether or not they would be able to live up to the expectations of his master would depend on how well they performed in the trials. And they had no intention of clearing the trials with anything but the best results.

 Chapter 14: Martial Style Trial [Part 1]

    ¡°Who is going first?¡± Alnea said, staring at the giant pair of doors stretching from the floor all the way up to the ceiling. The doors¡­ their humungous size, coupled with the strange symbols and figurines that they were sporting, was giving them an archaic air. As if the doors had been in existence since the beginning of time itself.


    Then there was the large scanner, shaped like a cylindrical pillar, almost half as thick as his thighs, reaching up to the height of his waist, standing next to one of the two pair of doors. Almost like the one in front of the Arena. And though the scanner itself did not have any archaic feeling about itself, it sure did add a strange, mysterious feeling to the entire floor as a whole.


    On second thought, the doors were indeed a little mysterious. They worked on principles that he could not understand. Just like everything else in the city. As if the city was built by beings who used a completely different system of harnessing the Origin Sea¡¯s powers. Yet, the city was running for the benefits of Wanderers¡­ Was it the original intention of the city? Or were the three Halls added later on by the Wanderers who came to the city?


    Most probably, no one knew the answer. The city was so old, that even if the records of the city were preserved, and renewed every few millennia or so, they would not have been saved from the distortion of perspectives. All that people knew about the city should probably be nothing more than some speculations and comments on the original records. Unless the records were maintained using some special materials, of course. But the city was not so special to warrant the use of such precious materials.


    From what he knew, the city could benefit Wanderers only up to the Mystic Rank. And even for the Mystic Wanderers, the benefits should be limited. The Grand Wanderers in the city should be there to just ensure the safety of their juniors. Wasting resources that even Supreme Wanderers would find useful on Wanderers below the Mystic Rank was not worth it. Thus, the apparent lack of information about the city. There were hundreds of thousands of Wanderers just in the outer city, and yet, none of them knew about the city¡¯s origin.


    Ironically enough, it was exactly because people knew almost nothing about the city that it felt more mysterious and tempting. Similarly, neither Alnea, nor Cecilia, or Yuri knew anything about the trials. Except for the strange symbols marking it as the door for Initial Stage Trials, they did not know what lay beyond the doors in front of them. They did not know what trials they would have to face, and neither did they know what benefits they would gain. Yet, it was exactly this feeling of venturing into something unknown, something mysterious, that made Alnea feel excited about the trials.


    ¡°Does it matter who goes first?¡± Cecilia said with a bit on nonchalance in her voice. As if she could not care who went first. Yet the sneaky girl took advantage of the fact that he was still lost in his thoughts, and quickly slipped out her Blood Card, before slapping it on the scanner. ¡°Of course, it does.¡±


    ¡°¡­Shameless,¡± Alnea said, staring at the scanner. In appearance, it looked similar to the scanner at the Arena. Yet it worked more like the box they had seen at the canteen. Listening to the creaking sounds, Alnea shifted his gaze back to the large doors in front of him. Just like the doors of the canteen, they opened only slightly, just enough for Cecilia to squeeze in.


    ¡°Don¡¯t blame me for your laziness,¡± Cecilia said, laughing at him, before turning back towards the doors. ¡°I will be going in then.¡±


    ¡°Although you do not need it¡­ may Goddess¡¯ Ilea be with you.¡±


    ¡°You too.¡±


    The moment that Cecilia, with Forne following her on her heels, went in, the doors closed on their own, just like how the doors to the canteen had closed, leaving just Alnea and Yuri standing in front of the doors. And the other Wanderers on the stairs, of course. Some of them were going up, while some of them were going down. Even on the floor he was, he noticed a man walk out of the second pair of doors. He looked a little exhausted, but from the smile on his face, the man had probably succeeded in clearing the trial.


    Noticing his gaze, the man stopped smiling, and looked at him with vigilance, as he made his way downstairs. But Alnea did not care. Even if his master had asked him to make friends, and interact with other Wanderers, it did not mean that he had to interact with every Wanderer that he met. Tearing his gaze away from the man, Alnea shifted his gaze back to the doors.


    ¡°The doors do look fascinating¡­ What do you think?¡±


    ¡°I cannot say that I have seen the designs before.¡±


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    ¡°So, they are not made by Wanderers. And yet¡­¡±


    ¡°Does that not make the city even more fascinating?¡± Yuri said, with a radiant smile on her face. ¡°Who built the city? What is its purpose? Most importantly, what is the legacy that it is hiding?¡±


    ¡°¡­Forget it. Rather than scratching our head, it would be better to complete the trial in front of us.¡±


    ¡°¡­You are becoming more and more like an old man,¡± Yuri said with chuckles, before placing her Blood Card on the scanner. ¡°Let us see who ranks better in the trial.¡±


    ¡°Is that even something that you need to think about?¡± Alnea said, full of confidence. ¡°As long as it has something to do with Martial Styles, none of our peers can beat me.¡±


    ¡°¡­We will see,¡± Yuri said, before stepping past the doors, allowing them to close on their own. This time, he was truly alone. But he did not care. Not long after Yuri passed through the doors, he placed his own Blood Card on the scanner, and watched it blink with a red a light, before taking his Blood Card back, and walking through the gap between the doors. Into a world of darkness.


    ¡°Welcome to the Warrior Hall, Blood Soldier N 06 08499.¡±


    A blood red curtain of light appeared in front of him, just as a strange voice rang out in his head. He was already used to voices appearing in his head though, so he did not panic. Instead, he observed the curtain of light in front of him. Thin, translucent, about as wide as his arm, and half as tall, the curtain of light looked more like a sheet. Then there were the strange symbols glowing on the curtain, making it look even less like a curtain. Thankfully, he had taken a language spar the night before.


    ¡°Blood Hall¡­ Blood Soldier¡­¡±


    ¡°You are in the Trial Space of the Martial Style Trials. Please select the difficulty of the Trial.¡±


    ¡°You cannot select a difficulty two levels beyond the level you have already cleared.¡±


    ¡°The difficulty level of the Trial will decide what kind of Martial Styles you will be allowed to use in the Trial.¡±


    ¡°Using the senses of your Spirit, or a Martial Style beyond the specified kind and level will disqualify you from the Trial.¡±


    ¡°How quickly and efficiently you complete the Trial will decide how many Trial Points you earn.¡±


    ¡°The greater the number of Trial Points you have, the better your rank would be in the Warrior Hall.¡±


    ¡°In addition, the Warrior Hall will reward you according to your performance in the Trials.¡±


    ¡°The reward for perfect clearance of the first Trial is ten Blood Coins, which will increase to twenty Blood Coins for the second Trial, thirty Blood Coins for the third Trial, forty Blood Coins for¡­¡±


    ¡°If you fail to gain a perfect clearance, your reward will decrease according to your performance.¡±


    ¡°If you fail the Trials, or are disqualified, you will not be rewarded with any Blood Coins.¡±


    ¡°If you can gain perfect clearance in all ten Trials, the Hall will reward you with additional five hundred Blood Coins, and a Low Grade Warrior Token, which can be used to redeem any Low Grade Martial Style, or resources of an equivalent value.¡±


    ¡°Breaking records will grant you an additional amount of Blood Coins, equivalent to what you would have gotten for a perfect clearance for that level.¡±


    ¡°If you break a record for the entire city, you will earn an additional Low Grade Warrior Medal.¡±


    ¡°If you¡­¡±


    Alnea read all the instructions that were written¡ªglowing on the curtain of light, and fell into thought. The Trial¡­ it was surprisingly more informative than he had thought it would be, making his job easier for him. As for which trial to choose¡­ he could only choose the Trial with the lowest difficulty. It did not matter though. The first Trial was just for familiarising himself with the trials. After all, his aim was not just to clear the trials, but to clear them perfectly, and break some records.


    Nodding to himself, Alnea returned his attention back to the curtain of light. According to the instructions given on the curtain, he moved his finger to the row repressing the difficulty of his Trial, and pressed one. Almost immediately, all the symbols on the curtain scrambled, and faded away, making way for new symbols, and instructions.


    ¡°Defeat a first level Initial Stage Blood Shadow.¡±


    ¡°Powers outside of the path of Warriors are forbidden.¡±


    ¡°Usage of Aspects is forbidden.¡±


    ¡°You can use only one Martial Style.¡±


    ¡°Using more than one Martial Style, or a Martial Style above the Lowest Grade will disqualify you from the trial.¡±


    ¡°Perfect clearance condition: Defeating the Blood Shadow without getting injured.¡±


    ¡°Record one: Defeating the Blood Shadow in three seconds.¡±


    ¡°Record two: Defeating the Blood Shadow in one move.¡±


    ¡°Record three: Defeating the Blood Shadow without using any Martial Style.¡±


    ¡°Your Trial will begin at the count of sixty.¡±


    ¡°¡­Ten.¡±


    ¡°Nine.¡±


    ¡°Eight.¡±


    ¡°Seven.¡±


    ¡°Six.¡±


    ¡°Five.¡±


    ¡°Four.¡±


    ¡°Three.¡±


    ¡°Two.¡±


    ¡°One.¡±


    ¡°Zero¡­¡±

 Chapter 14: Martial Style Trial [Part 2]

    Alnea stared at the changing numbers at the bottom of the curtain of light with confusion. What was a Blood Shadow? And what was with all the restrictions? He did not even have time to read all the instructions before the countdown reached single digits. In the end, he just read the conditions for perfect clearance of the Trial, and what he had to do to break the records.


    Defeating a Blood Shadow in three seconds¡­ What was a second? A measurement of time? Was it three breaths? Three moments? Or somewhere in between? Forget it. Alnea thought. He would do his best to defeat his opponent as fast as he could, and leave the rest to Goddess Ilea. Defeating the Blood Shadow with just one move¡­ that he could try. Or defeating his opponent without any Martial Style¡­


    Regardless, he would only be equalling the records in either case, and not breaking them, so he would not get the extra Blood Coins. Still, equalling the record should help him in getting a better rank in the Warrior Hall. So¡­ In the end, he came back to what he had concluded in the beginning. Doing his best to defeat his enemy as soon as he could, without letting himself get hurt. Easy, Alnea thought, just as the countdown on the curtain of light hit zero.


    Right in the next moment, almost as if it was not a curtain but a piece of glass, the blood red curtain shattered into pieces and dissipated into his surroundings, just as a bright white light erupted from depths unknown, taking only a fraction of a moment to completely replace darkness. Yet, for some reason, the light was not blinding him. He could see everything around him, which was not much, considering that all that he could see was white. White floor, white skies, and white horizons¡­ everything was white.


    No, the most important point was that he could not even estimate how large the white space was. And this was just his Trial Space. Yuri and Cecilia were going through their respective Trials too. Not to mention all the other people in the Trials¡­ How could such large spaces fit inside the Blood Hall? Folding Space? Was he experiencing something similar to what he had experienced in the Arena?


    Maybe, Alnea mused in his head. Or he could also have been teleported to a different location, to a different space. But then, when had either of those things happened? Teleportation aside¡ªhe did not remember feeling dizzy or nauseous¡ª he had not felt any fluctuations of Mysteries. Especially those of the lineage Space. What was¡ª


    Before he could fall further into his thoughts, Alnea noticed a blood red figure condensing just about ten paces in front of him. It looked like the figure of a man, with no apparent features. Its entire body was just a smooth blood red surface. Even its face was just as smooth and flat as the rest of its body, with no eyes, nose, mouth, or ears¡­


    No wonder it was named as Blood Shadow. Except for the blood red colour, it looked almost similar to the shadowy figure his master used to often make him fight in the Night Canyons at the beginning of training trip. This would made things a little tricky. The shadow that he used to fight was much more tough than normal Oren Beasts. If it was same with the Blood Shadow¡­


    Forget it, Alnea thought, and rushed towards the Blood Shadow, just as it rushed towards him. And since the distance between them was not too large to begin with, they were upon each other in the very next moment, wasting no moment in attacking each other. Clenching its fist, the Blood Shadow swung its right fist, adding its momentum into its punch. Coupled with his own momentum, if the punch connected, Alnea was sure that he would at least sport a black eye. If the punch connected¡­


    The Blood Shadow was surprisingly slow. Even slower than most of the Infant Stage Oren Beasts. And despite its extra momentum, the punch did not look too strong. The Blood Shadow¡¯s only advantage against beasts would be its technique. Yet, without power and speed, technique alone was not enough to hurt him. Not to mention that his own technique was much better than the Blood Shadow¡¯s techniques.


    However, he could not use any Martial Styles. And he had to defeat the Blood Shadow in one strike. That too, without getting hurt himself. Considering the harsh requirements, Alnea waited for the right moment, and unsheathed his sword the moment that the Blood Shadow entered his range, splitting it in half with his blade in one clean strike. After all, the Trial forbade him from using his Aspect, but it said nothing about his weapon. And in the absence of Martial Styles, only his sword could allow him to kill his enemies in a matter of just a few moments.


    Expecting the Blood Shadow to fall apart like the shadows his master used to make him fight, Alnea relaxed after his strike. Contrary to his expectations though, the Blood Shadow, despite being split in half, continued its charge. Its actions made its downfall swifter, but it did not care. It was created for only one thing. To defeat its enemies. And until it faded away, it would keep charging at its enemies.


    Cursing the Blood Shadow for its stupidity, Alnea used his sword as a leverage, and quickly jumped towards his right, avoiding the Blood Shadow¡¯s blow. Even if he could not break the records, he had to get a perfect clearance. Since the Blood Shadow refused to die with one strike, he would¡ª


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    After swinging its fist, the Blood Shadow finally split in two parts, as its upper body slipped, and fell off from its lower body. And just like the shadows that he used to fight, the Blood Shadow did not bleed, or scream. At least something was same about the two shadows. Still, there was no denying that the two shadows were different. So, just to be safe, Alnea picked up his sword, and¡ª


    The two parts of the Blood Shadow disintegrated into countless fragments, almost like glasses, before fading away into the white surroundings, just as the white light illuminating the world faded away into the darkness that preceded the light. Right in the next moment, a blood red curtain of light once again manifested in front of him.


    ¡°Congratulations, Blood Soldier N 06 08499, for passing the first level of the Initial Stage Martial Style Trial.¡±


    ¡°You have cleared the Trial perfectly.¡±


    ¡°Time taken to defeat your opponent: Three seconds.¡±


    ¡°Moves made to defeat your opponent: One.¡±


    ¡°Martial Styles used: None.¡±


    ¡°Records broken: None.¡±


    ¡°Perfect clearance of Trials: One.¡±


    ¡°Blood Soldier N 06 08499, you have been rewarded with ten Blood Coins.¡±


    ¡°Do you wish to continue with the Trials, or do you wish to leave the Trial Space?¡±


    ¡°Reminder: Regardless of how many Trials you challenge, you will have to pay ten Blood Coins every time you enter the Initial Stage Trial Space.¡±


    Alnea sheathed his sword, and read the instructions once again to make sure that he did not miss anything. On the surface, continuing with the Trials seemed to be the best choice for him. After all, no matter how difficult the Trials might be, they were still of the Initial Stage. He, on the other hand, had faced Peak Stage Wanderers, and had even taken down many Oren Beasts in the advanced phase of their Adolescent Stage. Even with all the restrictions of the Trial, Initial Stage Blood Shadows should not be a problem for him. Yet¡­


    ¡°Are you going to continue the Trials?¡±


    ¡°Are you not going to ask me how my Trial went?¡±


    ¡°With your level, is there anything that can go wrong with such a simple Trial?¡±


    ¡°¡­Forget it.¡±


    ¡°What? Did I say something wrong?¡±


    ¡°¡­I am going to continue the Trials.¡±


    ¡°All the way to the tenth level?¡±


    ¡°All the way to the tenth level.¡±


    ¡°¡­What about Cecilia?¡±


    ¡°Why? Are you worried about her?¡±


    ¡°No. I just thought that if we continue with the Trials, and she chooses to leave the Trial Space¡ª


    ¡°She will continue with the Trials.¡±


    ¡°How do you know?¡±


    ¡°I just know.¡±


    ¡°¡­Are you angry?¡±


    ¡°Why should I be angry?¡±


    ¡°¡­Because I did not ask you about your Trials¡­¡±


    ¡°And yet you still have not asked me about it.¡±


    ¡°¡­How was your trial?¡±


    ¡°Too late,¡± Yuri said with a scoff. ¡°I am going to start my Trial now.¡±


    ¡°Wait, I am sorry¡­¡±


    ¡°I really did not think¡­¡±


    ¡°Are you listening¡­¡±


    No matter what Alnea said, Yuri never replied. Sometimes, she could be so stubborn¡­ Yet, it was also one of her qualities that he liked the most. That, and the fact that it was only with him that she behaved a little spoiled. Normally, he would have continued trying to coax her, but at the moment, he was afraid that he might disturb her Trial. That, he could not accept.


    In the end, he could only stop talking to her, and shift his attention back to the screen in front of him. Having his worries addressed, there was no reason for him to hesitate anymore. With a smile at the corner of his lips, he pressed two on the row representing the difficulty of the Trial.


    ¡°Defeat two second level Initial Stage Blood Shadows.¡±


    ¡°Powers outside of the path of Warriors are forbidden.¡±


    ¡°Usage of Aspects is forbidden.¡±


    ¡°You can use only one Martial Style.¡±


    ¡°Using more than one Martial Style, or a Martial Style above the Lowest Grade will disqualify you from the trial.¡±


    ¡°Perfect clearance condition: Defeating the Blood Shadows without getting injured.¡±


    ¡°Record one: Defeating the Blood Shadows in seven seconds.¡±


    ¡°Record two: Defeating the Blood Shadows in two moves.¡±


    ¡°Record three: Defeating the Blood Shadows without using any Martial Style.¡±


    ¡°Your Trial will begin at the count of sixty.¡±


    ¡°¡­Ten.¡±


    ¡°Nine.¡±


    ¡°Eight.¡±


    ¡°Seven.¡±


    ¡°Six.¡±


    ¡°Five.¡±


    ¡°Four.¡±


    ¡°Three.¡±


    ¡°Two.¡±


    ¡°One.¡±


    ¡°Zero.¡±

 Chapter 15: Breaking records [Part 1]

    The two Blood Shadows rushed in towards him the moment they manifested in the white world. Unfortunately for them, Alnea had already learned his lesson. Instead of rushing towards his enemies, he stayed where he was, waiting for his enemies to come to him. And while he was at it, he also went through the conditions to break the three records in his head.


    After his first Trial, he already knew that equalling the records of the Trial would not earn him any extra rewards. And it would certainly not help him much to improve his rank either. At best, if he kept equalling all the records in all the trials, then he might enter the ranks of the top hundred in the Warrior Hall. Maybe even higher.


    Still, there was a limit to the heights that just equalling the records could bring him to. To reach the top, to rank first in the entire Warrior Hall, just equalling some records was not enough. And since there was a ranking of Wanderers in the city, he had to reach the top. After all, his aim was to become the greatest Wanderer in the world. If he could not even surpass the Wanderers in the city, then how was he going to surpass all the Wanderers in the world?


    In any case, Alnea was not satisfied with just equalling some records. However, breaking the records was not easy. Especially if he considered all of them together¡­ Defeating two Blood Shadows within seven seconds, that too, without any Martial Styles, and in just one move¡­ It was practically impossible. Unless¡­


    Making up his mind, Alnea did not hesitate to jump in action. Or rather, he did not have time to deliberate on his actions. Because the two Blood Shadows were already upon him. Thankfully, practising Martial Styles, experiencing Fortune Springs, and eating Adolescent Stage Oren Beasts every day for more than half a year had tempered his body far beyond the level of his peers from some minor Orthodoxies. Even without his Aspects, he was far faster than the two Blood Shadows.


    Predicting the attacks of the two Blood Shadows, Alnea jumped back, before moving towards his right, circling around the Blood Shadows, forcing them to follow his movements. And they did follow his movement, just not as he had expected them to. Instead of coming at him in a straight line, they spread out, and came at him from two different directions, announcing the failure of his first plan.


    Alnea did not care much though, and shifted to his second plan. Taking a deep breath, he bent his knees, and raised his heels, gathering all his strength on the balls of his feet. And the moment that the Blood Shadows came at him, he pushed on the ground, and jumped above their head, avoiding their initial blows.


    But the Blood Shadows were not some inexperienced Wanderers. They were manifests of the Warrior Hall, there to test his mastery of Martial Styles. The moment they missed their attacks, and saw him jump above their head, they pivoted on their feet, and turned towards him with¡ª


    Alnea unsheathed his sword in mid air, and used the weight of the sword to shift his position, before unleashing a Golden Wheel of Death. Without the Aspects, of course. Still, the reach of his sword, his exceptional strength, and gravity, along with his perfect position, and timing, allowed him to slice through the head of both the Blood Shadows, ending his trial. The blood red figures paused, and scattered into the white world, before the white world scattered into the darkness, leaving just him, and the newly manifested blood red curtain of light.


    ¡°Congratulations, Blood Soldier N 06 08499, for passing the second level of the Initial Stage Martial Style Trial.¡±


    ¡°You have cleared the Trial perfectly.¡±


    ¡°Time taken to defeat your opponent: Thirteen seconds.¡±


    ¡°Moves made to defeat your opponent: One.¡±


    ¡°Martial Styles used: One.¡±


    ¡°Records broken: One.¡±


    ¡°Perfect clearance of Trials: Two.¡±


    ¡°Blood Soldier N 06 08499, you have been rewarded with forty Blood Coins.¡±


    ¡°Do you wish to continue with the Trials, or do you wish to leave the Trial Space?¡±


    ¡°Reminder: Regardless of how many Trials you challenge, you will have to pay ten Blood Coins every time you enter the Initial Stage Trial Space.¡±


    Finally, Alnea thought with a smile, before sheathing his sword, and breaking out in a laugh.


    ¡°How was your trial?¡±


    ¡°At least you know how to learn,¡± Yuri said in a fake scoff, trying to hide the hint of pleasure in her voice. ¡°The second level Blood Shadows¡­ Not only did they increase in strength, but I think even their fighting skills were better than before.¡±


    ¡°¡­They were indeed a little more flexible than before. But that did not stop me from breaking a record.¡±


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    ¡°¡­You broke a record?¡±


    ¡°Impressed?¡±


    ¡°¡­How did you do it?¡±


    ¡°Want to know? Then smile for me.¡±


    ¡°¡­Pervert.¡±


    ¡°I just want you to smile. How does that make me a pervert?¡±


    ¡°Since I say that you are a pervert, then you are a pervert.¡±


    ¡°¡­If you keep calling me a pervert, then I might really end up doing something perverted.¡±


    ¡°I will be waiting for you then, pervert.¡±


    Forget it, Alnea thought. Winning against Yuri was impossible. At least not in arguments.


    ¡°I used a Martial Style and took my time to align the Blood Shadows in a line, before defeating them in just one move.¡±


    ¡°¡­Sacrificing performance in two areas to break the record in one. It does sound plausible. But it also sounds opportunistic. I am not sure if the Trial will allow for such a loophole¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­Do you have any other ideas?¡±


    ¡°Just because I do not have any ideas, does not mean that we should try yours. Besides, I do not think that your idea is as good as you think it is. Defeating two Blood Shadows with one move is easy. But as the difficulty of the trial increases, their numbers will also increase. If you stick to defeating them in as few moves as possible, then you will end up sacrificing too much of your time. Are you sure that you want to do this? What if you are wrong, and end up dropping your rank?¡±


    ¡°¡­This is just the Initial Stage Trial. There are two more Stages of Trials in the Warrior Hall. Even if I end up being wrong, I can make it up with the other Trials. But if I am right, then reaching the top hundred rank would easier than we had initially thought. We might even make it to top ranks.¡±


    ¡°¡­Fine. But if we are doing it, then we are doing it my way.¡±


    ¡°¡­You agreed so easily?¡±


    ¡°I cannot let you advance through the ranks all by your own, can I? Now, let¡¯s see. The third record cannot be broken. That leaves us with only the first and second records.¡±


    ¡°¡­Unless I use more than one Martial Styles, I am not sure of breaking the record of time.¡±


    ¡°Leave that to me then. You focus on defeating the Blood Shadows in as few moves as possible.¡±


    ¡°Are you sure?¡±


    ¡°I am at the Advanced Stage.¡±


    ¡°Many Wanderers are at the Peak Stage when they come to the city.¡±


    ¡°And yet, you still broke their record, did you not?¡±


    ¡°¡­Maybe they did not think of focussing on just one record.¡±


    ¡°Do not underestimate other Wanderers. Many of them might be dumb enough to not figure out the tricks of the Trials, but after millions of years, there ought to be some clever ones who guessed how to break the records. However, thinking of a solution, and actually committing to it are two different things. The courage needed to leave the already explored path to search for a better path in the unknown is not something anyone can have. So, you do not need to underestimate yourself.¡±


    ¡°¡­Are you not just praising yourself in disguise?¡±


    ¡°¡­I was wrong. You are nothing more than a fool.¡±


    ¡°Joke, joke,¡± Alnea hurriedly said, letting out an awkward laugh. ¡°Of course, I believe in you. None of the Wanderers in the city can compare to you. As long as you focus on completing the battle as soon as possible, breaking some records should not be hard for you. But what about Cecilia? Will she figure out the tricks to breaking the records?¡±


    ¡°¡­Even if she does figure out the tricks, her fighting style does not allow her to break the record of defeating the Blood Shadows in as few moves as possible. And she is not strong enough to break the record of time without getting hit by the Blood Shadows. Rather than risking it all, it would be better if she sticks to getting a perfect clearance, and equalling as many records as she can.¡±


    ¡°¡­She is not going to stop complaining.¡±


    ¡°¡­There is nothing we can do.¡±


    ¡°Fine. Let us break some records then.¡±


    Once again, without any hesitation, Alnea reached towards the curtain of light floating in front of him, and selected the third trial.


    ¡°Defeat three third level Initial Stage Blood Shadows.¡±


    ¡°¡­Perfect clearance condition: Defeating the Blood Shadows without getting injured.¡±


    ¡°Record one: Defeating the Blood Shadows in fifteen seconds.¡±


    ¡°Record two: Defeating the Blood Shadows in three moves.¡±


    ¡°Record three: Defeating the Blood Shadows without using any Martial Style.¡±


    ¡°Your Trial will begin at the count of sixty.¡±


    ¡°¡­Three.¡±


    ¡°Two.¡±


    ¡°One.¡±


    ¡°Zero.¡±


    The curtain of light shattered, just as the white world manifested itself once again. Or did he enter the white world? It did not matter. Breaking himself away from his thoughts, and suppressing them under the Serenity of his Heart, Alnea looked at the Blood Shadows in front of him.


    From the first glance, they did not look any different from the three Blood Shadows he had fought earlier. Yet, the level of danger they were exuding was greater than previous Blood Shadows. It probably had something to do with their greater number, but Alnea could not deny that they were stronger than the Blood Shadows in the previous trials. And this was just the third level Trial. To complete the tenth level Trial¡­


    What about ten Blood Shadows? He had once fought dozens of Oren Beasts, including those in the intermediate phase, all by himself. And that was when he was still at the Initial Stage. Even if he could not use Aspects, or his Arcanas, fighting some Blood Shadows should not be a problem for him. Steeling his resolve, Alnea felt his Serenity return to him, just as the three Blood Shadows pounced upon him.

 Chapter 15: Breaking records [Part 2]

    Left, right, and front, surrounded by Blood Shadows from three sides, there was only one way Alnea could jump to avoid their attacks. The Blood Shadows, however, were relentless in their pursuit. And they had impeccable teamwork. No matter how he moved, they never broke their formation, and kept attacking him as a unit, not giving him the chance that he was looking for.


    In the end, he could only give up on his initial plan, and move towards his right, trying to break the formation of the Blood Shadows. And for a few moments, his move did seem to work. With two of the Blood Shadows being a little distance away from him, he had to deal with only one Blood Shadow at a time. And dodging its attack did not prove to be too difficult. Tilting his head towards his left to avoid a punch to his head, pivoting on right leg to avoid a kick to his waist, and¡ª


    Optah¡¯s beard, Alnea cursed, and jumped away, just as the Blood Shadows reassumed their formation. The three were indeed stronger, and more efficient than the Blood Shadows he had dealt with before, giving him no chance to strike them all at once. Should he take one out first, and then deal with the other two?


    No, Alnea said to himself, ducking, and rolling on his back to avoid a kick, and pushing on the ground to throw himself in the air to avoid a stomp. Defeating the Blood Shadows in two moves might allow him to break a record, but only if he took them out in one move could he compensate for his performance in other areas. And to take them out in one move¡­


    With a rough plan in his head, Alnea quickly regained his balance, and kept dodging the attacks of the Blood Shadows. At times, he would move away from them, observing their formation. And at times, he would weave his way between the Blood Shadows, trying to destroy their formation. In vain, of course. Still, from how they reacted to him, he recognised the pattern that the Blood Shadows were moving in.


    A floating three point formation, with the Blood Shadows having no fixed positions. Depending on the situation, any of them could become the centre or the wings, with two of them boxing him out from both his sides, while the third shadow kept attacking him up front. If he focussed on the shadow in the centre, the wings would take him out. And if focused on any one of the wings, they would just change their formation, letting the Blood Shadow he was facing become the centre of their formation.


    Such an ingenious formation¡­ It gave him almost no chance to take them all out in one move. Since that was the case, Alnea decided to create his own chance. Once again, he rolled on the ground to avoid a punch to his chest, before jumping to his right to avoid the Blood Shadow in the centre from stomping on his head, only for the Blood Shadow in the left wing to come at him while he was still in mid air.


    Thankfully, before the Blood Shadow could hit him, and destroy his chance of a perfect clearance, he managed to use his sword, still in its sheath, as a leverage, by slamming it on the ground, to twist in mid air, and avoid the attack. He knew that he did not have much time though. The Blood Shadow, which had almost stomped on his head just moments ago, had already taken its position as the right wing, while the other Blood Shadows, the one which was originally in the right wing, had almost taken its position as the left wing.


    Now, Alnea said to himself, just as his feet landed back on the ground, forcing all the Oren he had accumulated to wrap around his legs, and propel himself towards his left with more than twice of his original speed, arriving before the right wing of the formation before the Blood Shadows could even react. In the end, he found himself facing the right wing¡¯s side, while the left wing was still taking its position, and the centre was turning towards him to continue its attack. More importantly, from where he stood, all the Blood Shadows were aligned in a line.


    Perfect, Alnea thought. He had already used a Martial Style though, so he could only rely on a normal attack. But that did not stop him from unsheathing his sword and thrusting it towards the Blood Shadow in front of him in one clean motion, with all of his strength. He even used the Three Legs Burst Style once again, giving no time to the Blood Shadows to react. While the Blood Shadows were still turning, preparing to resume their formation, one of them had already been stabbed in its chest.


    But that was not enough. One Blood Shadow was not enough. So, Alnea kept pushing against the ground, propelling himself forward. Even when his sword slipped into the Blood Shadow all the way to its hilt, with its tip, and more than two thirds of the blade coming out of the Shadow¡¯s back, he still did not stop, and kept pushing. And pushing. And pushing. And¡ª


    The Blood Shadow in the centre had not even completely turned yet, when the sword, sticking out of the first Blood Shadow¡¯s back, stabbed into its chest. And in the fraction of a moment, the tip of the sword tore its way out of the Shadow¡¯s back. Along with one tenth of the blade. But that was enough. With another push from Alnea, the entire length of the sword that was sticking out the second Blood Shadow¡¯s back stabbed into the third Blood Shadow¡¯s chest, right where its heart was supposed to be.


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    As a construct of Mysteries, the Blood Shadows should not have a heart, or any other organs for that matter. However, stabbing the Blood Shadows where their hearts were supposed to be, should be enough to complete the trial. Probably. Thankfully, his thoughts were proven correct when the Blood Shadows disintegrated into countless tiny fragments of blood red light, which dispersed into the white world, just as the white world dispersed into the darkness.


    ¡°Congratulations, Blood Soldier N 06 08499, for passing the third level of the Initial Stage Martial Style Trial.¡±


    ¡°You have cleared the Trial perfectly.¡±


    ¡°Time taken to defeat your opponent: Two hundred and seventy seven seconds.¡±


    ¡°Moves made to defeat your opponent: One.¡±


    ¡°Martial Styles used: One.¡±


    ¡°Records broken: One.¡±


    ¡°Perfect clearance of Trials: Three.¡±


    ¡°Blood Soldier N 06 08499, you have been rewarded with sixty Blood Coins, and a Martial Style Token.¡±


    ¡°Reminder: Martial Style Tokens can be claimed at the reception of the Martial Hall.¡±


    ¡°Do you wish to continue with the Trials, or do you wish to leave the Trial Space?¡±


    ¡°Reminder: Regardless of how many Trials you challenge, you will have to pay ten Blood Coins every time you enter the Initial Stage Trial Space.¡±


    Sheathing his sword, Alnea took deep breaths to calm his heart, racing not only because of how he had been running around the entire duration of the battle, but also because of what the words on the curtain of light represented. Suppressing his excitement, he reached out to Yuri through their bond, and said, ¡°I did it.¡±


    ¡°Finally. You sure took your time. Do you know how long I have been waiting? Are you not afraid of¡ª


    ¡°I broke the record!¡±


    ¡°¡­Why are you getting so excited? You broke a record last time too.¡±


    ¡°I broke the record for the entire city!¡±


    ¡°¡­You defeated the Blood Shadows in one move?¡±


    ¡°Yes! And I earned a Martial Style Token.¡±


    ¡°¡­It looks like you beat me once again,¡± Yuri said, in an indignant tone, almost as if she was blaming him for breaking the record. But the happiness and excitement in her voice revealed her true thoughts.


    ¡°What about you? How was your Trial?¡±


    ¡°I took thirteen seconds to complete the Trial. But that was because I restricted myself to dealing with the Blood Shadows in three moves¡­ If I had had not restricted myself, then I might have dealt with them in under ten seconds.¡±


    ¡°I am not doubting you,¡± Alnea said, laughing at the stubbornness in Yuri¡¯s voice. ¡°Anyways, we both broke a record.¡±


    ¡°¡­Are you not being a little too smug?¡±


    ¡°Me? Smug? Don¡¯t slander me.¡±


    ¡°Say that after you stop laughing.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong with laughing? I am just a little happy¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­Laugh all you can. We will see who will laugh after the next Trial.¡±


    ¡°Are you finally going to take the Trials seriously?¡±


    ¡°¡­What do you think I have been doing until now?¡±


    ¡°¡­Playing?¡±


    ¡°¡­You sure have grown brave in the past few months.¡±


    ¡°I have always been brave.¡±


    ¡°Is that so? I wonder then, who was the little cry baby that Aunt Ciena was talking about. The one who used to be afraid of dark, and wet¡ª


    ¡°Stop digging out my past!¡±


    ¡°Why? Are you afraid? Where did your bravery go now?¡±


    ¡°¡­Don¡¯t forget that I have seen your memories.¡±


    ¡°And I have seen yours.¡±


    ¡°¡­Truce?¡±


    ¡°¡­Truce.¡±


    ¡°¡­Shall we go back to breaking records then?¡±


    ¡°Fine. Let me see for myself how hard breaking a city wide record is.¡±


    Imagining Yuri¡¯s cute face, pouting at him, and huffing in determination, Alnea could not stop smiling to himself. Silly girl¡­ Shaking his head, he reached out to the Blood Curtain, and chose to start the fourth Trial.


    ¡°Defeat four fourth level Initial Stage Blood Shadows.¡±


    ¡°¡­Perfect clearance conditions: Defeating the Blood Shadows without getting injured.¡±


    ¡°Record one: Defeating the Blood Shadows in twenty three seconds.¡±


    ¡°Record two: Defeating the Blood Shadows in five moves.¡±


    ¡°Record three: Defeating the Blood Shadows without using any Martial Style.¡±


    ¡°Your Trial will begin at the count of sixty.¡±


    ¡°¡­Three.¡±


    ¡°Two.¡±


    ¡°One.¡±


    ¡°Zero.¡±

 Chapter 16: Claiming rewards [Part 1]

    Laying on the ground, with his arms and legs outstretched, Alnea was sucking in as much air as he could, trying to regain his breath. In vain, of course. He had been tired before, like the time when he had fought with Oren Beasts with just a few units of Spirit Power left. Or the time when he had to fight against dozens of Oren Beast at the same time. Back then, in the pursuit of feeling the breath of death, he had tried to make himself feel more tired than he had ever been.


    Yet, in all his life, Alnea had never felt as tired as he was feeling at the moment. The Trial itself was not too difficult. But breaking city wide records¡­ He was so exhausted that even thinking was beginning to tire him out. And if he could, he would have long closed his eyes to slip into the land of his dreams. Unfortunately, he could not sleep. He did not know what minutes, and seconds meant, but counting the time from the previous trials, he should have spent more than an hour and a half in the Trial Space.


    Cecilia, on the other hand, had completed her Trial in just a little over a quarter of an hour, most of which was spent waiting for her Trials to begin. And after she was done with her Trials, she had to wait even longer for him and Yuri outside of the large doors of the Trial Space. Afraid that she might begin panicking, and rush to Tia, Yuri decided to end her Trials earlier than him. Of course, the fact that his Trials were more than ten times longer than hers might have also helped her make that decision¡­


    In any case, both Yuri and Cecilia were waiting for him. So, even when he was exhausted, and sweating buckets, he forced himself to sit up, and look at the curtain of light hanging in front of him once again.


    ¡°Congratulations, Blood Soldier N 06 08499, for passing the tenth level of the Initial Stage Martial Style Trial.¡±


    ¡°You have cleared the Trial perfectly.¡±


    ¡°Time taken to defeat your opponent: 1069 seconds.¡±


    ¡°Moves made to defeat your opponent: 4.¡±


    ¡°Martial Styles used: 1.¡±


    ¡°Records broken: 1.¡±


    ¡°Perfect clearance of Trials: 10.¡±


    ¡°Blood Soldier N 06 08499, you have been rewarded with 700 Blood Coins, and 2 Martial Style Medal.¡±


    ¡°Reminder: Martial Style Medals can be claimed at only the reception of the Martial Hall.¡±


    ¡°Do you wish to continue with the Trials, or do you wish to leave the Trial Space?¡±


    ¡°Reminder: You have completed all the Initial Stage Trials. If you wish to challenge Trials of a higher difficulty, you must exit the Initial Stage Trial Space and get the permission to challenge the Intermediate Stage Trials, before you can continue with the Trials.¡±


    ¡°¡­Finally,¡± Alnea mumbled to himself, and pushed himself off the ground, before picking up his sword, and placing it back inside of its sheath. Turning back towards the curtain of light in front of him, he pressed the symbols that read, ¡®Leave the Trial Space¡¯. In the next moment, the symbols on the curtain of light scrambled, and disappeared once again, making space for new symbols, and a small box, about the same size as his Blood Card.


    ¡°Please place your Blood Card on the space provided below to collect your rewards.¡±


    Place his Blood Card on a curtain of light? Then again, the curtain did feel a little tangible. Or else, he would not have been to touch the symbols. Shaking his head, Alnea took out his Blood Card, and placed it the box on the curtain of light. Moments later, the symbols on the fifth and eighth row of his Blood Card began changing, stopping only when the symbols on the curtain of light itself began changing.


    ¡°All rewards have been distributed.¡±


    ¡°You can remove your Blood Card.¡±


    ¡°The Trial Space¡¯s exit has been opened for you.¡±


    ¡°If you do not leave in 10 second, you will be evicted from the Trial Space.¡±


    ¡°10.¡±


    ¡°9.¡±


    ¡°8¡­¡±


    After reading the warning given by the Trial Space, let alone check his rank, Alnea did not even have time to think about what was happening. Stuffing his Blood Card back into his robe, he began rushing towards the pillar of red light that manifested the moment that the curtain of the light began its countdown. After all, he had no intention of being ¡®evicted¡¯ out of the Trial Space.


    Fortunately, the pillar of light was not too far from him. Even tired and exhausted as he was, he still managed to reach the light in time. When he walked into the light though, he did not expect Cecilia to be waiting for him right in front of the exit. And Cecilia did not expect him to keep running after coming out of the Trial Space. Coupled with the small distance between them, by the time either of them could react, both of them went tumbling down to the ground.


    ¡°What are you doing?¡± Cecilia grumbled in a high pitched voice, glaring at him, with a slight blush on her cheeks. Normally, he would have laughed at her when seeing her in an embarrassing position. But with her face being just a couple of inches away from his, he could not stop his blood from rushing to his face. And he was too exhausted to even consider using his Aspects to hide his embarrassment. He did not even mind the dumb cat jumping on his back, and snarling at his neck.


    ¡°¡­How would I have known that you would be standing right at the exit?¡±


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    ¡°¡­So, is it my fault that I was waiting for you?¡±


    Looking at the dangerous glint in Cecilia¡¯s eyes, Alnea let out an awkward smile, and said, ¡°I am sorry for worrying you.¡±


    ¡°Who was worrying about you?¡± Cecilia said with a snort.


    ¡°¡­You two, if you want to show your affection to each other, you can do it back in your rooms. Right now, we are in the Blood Hall. Can you not feel all the Wanderers staring at you?¡±


    ¡°¡­Why are you still not getting off?¡± Cecili said, almost screaming in embarrassment, just as she pushed him away, before quickly getting back to her feet. Even the dumb cat quickly jumped off his back, and resumed its position besides Cecilia¡¯s legs. Alnea, however, kept lying on the ground, and smiling awkwardly.


    ¡°¡­Are you alright?¡±


    ¡°¡­I am fine. Just a little exhausted.¡±


    ¡°¡­What were you doing in there all this time?¡±


    ¡°Didn¡¯t Yuri tell you?¡±


    ¡°You were also breaking the records?¡±


    ¡°Why else would I have to spend so much time in there?¡±


    ¡°¡­Both of you are freaks.¡±


    ¡°Why are you dragging me into your spat?¡±


    ¡°¡­Because you broke the records too.¡±


    ¡°You could have broken them too if you knew how to do it.¡±


    ¡°And that is why you two are freaks,¡± Cecilia said, pouting in dissatisfaction. ¡°Those records were already ridiculous enough to begin with, but you were even more ridiculous. Abandoning your performance in two fields to focus on just one¡­ How can you think of such a radical method the first time you take the Trials?¡±


    ¡°If you had paid more attention to gathering information, rather than just completing the Trials, then you would have also figured out the trick to break the records,¡± Yuri said, before squatting down beside Alnea, and offering him her hand. ¡°Let¡¯s leave this place first. We can discuss other things later.¡±


    ¡°Alright,¡± Alnea said, grabbing on to her hand, and pulling himself up with her help. Before doing anything else though, there was one thing that he still had to check.


    ¡°Did our gamble work?¡±


    ¡°¡­Why not find it for yourself?¡± Yuri said to him with a smile, before adding, ¡°You broke so many records¡­ The Warrior Hall must have rewarded you handsomely. Even your rank should have seen a drastic jump.¡±


    ¡°Right, I haven¡¯t asked yet. What is your rank in the Warrior Hall?¡±


    ¡°¡­I haven¡¯t checked yet,¡± Alnea said, avoiding the eager eyes of the girls, before hesitantly taking out his Blood Card, and checking out his rank in the Warrior Hall.


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    <h2>F I 5</h2>


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    <h2>000000</h2>


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    <h2>09135</h2>


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    <h2>148972</h2>


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    ¡°¡­Seven thousand five hundred and twenty seven.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Cecilia said, staring at Alnea with wide eyes.


    ¡°¡­Is it bad?¡±


    ¡°¡­Do you have misunderstanding about what the word bad means?¡±


    ¡°¡­I broke around nine records, and set eight new records for the entire city. Jumping a little over a thousand ranks should not be too much, right?¡±


    ¡°¡­Are we sure that we are talking about the same ranks?¡±


    ¡°¡­Don¡¯t tell me you did not even go through all the Trials.¡±


    ¡°¡­Only a fool would pay ten Blood Coins again to enter the Trial Space again.¡±


    ¡°They why are you so surprised?¡±


    ¡°¡­I don¡¯t want to talk about it.¡±


    ¡°¡­Is your¡ª


    ¡°I am not talking about it!¡±


    ¡°¡­What about you, Yuri? What is your rank?¡±


    ¡°Seven thousand five hundred and sixty two.¡± Yuri said. ¡°Just a little worse than yours.¡±


    ¡°¡­Poros¡¯ fangs!¡± Cecilia cursed, with a pout on her face. ¡°You two are cheating!¡±


    ¡°¡­What is your rank?¡±


    ¡°¡­I am not saying!¡±


    ¡°This is important. We need to know your rank in the Warrior Hall to discuss our plans.¡±


    ¡°You will make fun of me.¡±


    ¡°I will never do such a thing.¡±


    ¡°Do you take me as a kid?¡±


    ¡°I can take an Oath.¡±


    ¡°¡­Forget it,¡± Cecilia said, changing her face the moment she heard him talk about taking Oaths. ¡°It was fine when I did not know about it, but do you think I will let you take an Oath now?¡±


    ¡°¡­My Oaths are not so dangerous.¡±


    ¡°¡­Are you so addicted to taking Oaths that you forgot what big sis Nyssa said?¡± Yuri said, glaring at him with dissatisfaction. Just to be on the safer side, she said the rest of her words directly in his head.


    ¡°You resonated with your Roots just a week ago. You have refrain from taking Oaths until its effect wears off.¡±


    ¡°¡­How long do I have wait?¡±


    ¡°As long as it takes. Or have you forgotten about what happened a week ago? Do want me, and maybe even Cecilia to risk our lives to save you once again?¡±


    ¡°¡­Forget it. I can wait.¡±


    ¡°¡­I know that your Oaths are important to you, but nothing is more important than your life.¡±


    ¡°You are.¡±


    ¡°¡­Pervert,¡± Yuri said, tearing her eyes away from his cheeky smile, just as her blood rushed to her face. Thankfully for her, she had an excuse ready to shift the topic away from herself. Looking at Cecilia with a solemn face, she added, ¡°We really do need to know about your Trials, and how you cleared your Trials to decide how we should deal with the other Trials. But we can discuss those things back in our room. For now, let us return to the Blood Hall, and get our rewards.¡±

 Chapter 16: Claiming rewards [Part 2]

    ¡°Rewards¡­ Are you talking about the Martial Style Medals?¡± Alnea said, only for Cecilia to glare at him.


    ¡°¡­Don¡¯t remind me of them.¡±


    ¡°Why? Did you not also earn a Martial Style Medal?¡±


    ¡°¡­I did.¡±


    ¡°Then what are you so glum about? Do you not want to see what the Martial Styles from the Age of Gods are like?¡±


    ¡°¡­But I have only one medal!¡±


    ¡°¡­You can get more next time.¡±


    ¡°This is so not fair.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s just a Low Grade Medal. You can have mine if you want.¡±


    ¡°Who wants your medal?¡±


    ¡°Then what do you want?¡±


    ¡°¡­Idiot,¡± Cecilia said with a scoff, and turned towards the stairs, while Yuri kept giggling at their argument. Girls¡­


    ¡°Wait for me!¡± Alnea said, and followed behind the girls. Thankfully, the girls were walking slowly, giving him enough time to catch up. He did not wish to keep looking at the dumb cat sticking close to Cecilia¡¯s leg though. So, he tore his eyes away from the cat, and looked around himself. Four giant pair of doors, a vast landing, and a giant staircase that went from the top floor of the building all the way to the two floors below the main lobby of the Blood Hall.


    He had not paid too much attention to the staircase when he was climbing them, but as he made his way down the stairs, he could not help but notice how large the stairs were. Even with him walking next to the girls, there was still room for around ten more people walk by their side. Whether so many people dared to walk so close to each other was another matter. At least he had yet to see even half of those number of people sticking so close to each other.


    Still, large and empty as the stairs were, when taken together with the Blood Hall as a whole, including the large doors on each of the floors, they created a strange sense of harmony. It was as if they were all a part of the same puzzle. Whether it was the stairs, or the doors, missing any of them would have made the Blood Hall look incomplete¡­


    Lost in his thoughts, and observing his surroundings, Alnea did not notice when they reached the ground floor of the Blood Hall, or even when Cecilia opened the door separating the staircase from the main lobby of the Blood Hall. It was only when he stepped back into the hustle bustle of the Blood Hall that he came back to himself. He still did not stop observing his surroundings though.


    After more than an hour and a half, the footfall in the Blood Hall was much greater than before. Even the counters which were supposed to be used only once by the Wanderers, like the one selling language spars, and the counter for registration of Blood Cards had a few Wanderers lining up for their turns. And though there were no guards following the new Wanderers, they had their fellow clansmen guiding them through the process.


    On the other end of the counter, Martha had resumed her duties at some point when they were taking the Trials. And from her grumpy face, and unfriendly attitude, he understood that she was rude not just to him, but to everyone¡­ except Yuri and Cecilia. Why the exception though? What was so special about them? Age? He was also of the same age. And his Spirit Power similar to Cecilia¡¯s. Was it¡ª


    ¡°What are you spacing out for?¡± Yuri said, breaking Alnea out from his thoughts. Taking a deep breath, he turned back towards Yuri, and resumed his Serenity.


    ¡°Nothing. Let¡¯s go get our rewards.¡±


    Yuri looked at him suspiciously, before glancing at where he had been looking before. In the next moment, a smile surfaced on her face. But she did not say anything. Instead, she turned back towards Cecilia, and said, ¡°Let us first return to Warrior Hall¡¯s reception. Other than collecting our rewards, I also have a few questions to ask from Wanderer Tia.¡±


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    ¡°¡­I was thinking of the same thing,¡± Cecilia said, leading the way through the sea of Wanderers around them. A sparse sea, of course. Even within the Blood Hall, where Wanderers had dropped most of their guards, they still did not like being too close to each other, leaving enough space for Alnea and the girls to navigate their way through the crowd. Coupled with how close the staircase was to the counters, it took them only a few moments to reach the Warrior Hall¡¯s reception, and line up in the queue that was at least twice as long as it had been a couple of hours ago.


    ¡°You are back,¡± Wanderer Tia said, when she saw them walk up to her, still smiling at them as enthusiastically as she had been smiling a couple of hours ago. ¡°Did you complete the Initial Stage Trials? Let me guess. Are you here for the Martial Style Medals?¡±


    ¡°¡­That, and we thought that we might ask you a few things that we did not understand,¡± Yuri said, returning Tia¡¯s smile with her own. ¡°The Trials said that we can exchange our Martial Style Medals with Low Grade Martial Styles, or resources of equal value. What exactly are these resources, and where can we exchange for them and the Martial Styles?¡±


    ¡°The Martial Styles can be exchanged at the Martial Style Library, while the resources can be exchanged at the Medal Redemption counter,¡± Tia said, pointing to the two counters. ¡°As for what the resources are¡­ It would be better if you see them for yourselves.¡±


    ¡°Can we exchange for these resources and Martial Styles with our Blood Coins?¡±


    ¡°Except for a few Martial Styles, you can exchange for most of the Martial Styles with Blood Coins. As for the resources¡­ They can be a little expensive, but as long as you have enough Blood Coins, you can exchange for any resource within the city.¡±


    ¡°¡­Is there anything special about those few Martial Styles? Why can they not be exchanged with Blood Coins?¡±


    ¡°¡­The Martial Styles of the Lost City are indeed a little special,¡± Tia said, taking on a solemn face. ¡°No one knows how long the city has existed for. The number of Wanderers that have been in the city is simply uncountable. And though most of the Wanderers return back to their clans after some time, some decide to stay here for their life. Living in the city is not easy though.


    ¡°Only those who contribute to the city are allowed to live in it. And some Wanderers, especially the Mystic and Grand Wanderers, disdain from doing menial tasks for the city. So, rather than becoming workers of the city, they dedicated their Martial Styles to the city. Even if there is only one such Wanderer every hundred years, over time, that would still be enough for the city to accumulated tens of thousands of Martial Styles. These are the Martia Styles you can exchange with Blood Coins.


    ¡°However, other than the Martial Styles contributed by the Wanderers, the city also has a few Martial Styles of its own. No one knows who created these Martial Styles. We just know that the city accepts only the Medals you earn in the Warrior Hall in exchange for these Martial Styles. And since these Medals can only be obtained through Trials, some speculate that these Martial Styles hide the key to the legacy of the city. No one has ever been able to uncover this legacy though, so these speculations remain as just rumours.¡±


    ¡°¡­Is it just the Martial Styles, or is the same with the Arcanas and Glyphs?¡±


    ¡°I knew that you were smart,¡± Tia said, with her smile returning back to her face. ¡°It is as you think. Since the city can have a few special Martial Styles, it can also have a few special Arcanas and Glyphs. I would not recommend wasting your precious tokens on them though. Like I said, the resources that the city has are quite expensive. But at the same time, they are also quite useful. And precious.


    ¡°There are some resources that can be found only in the Lost City. And then there are resources which can change your lives. Resources, which can cause wars between some declining Orthodoxies. Of course, these resources are not what you can buy with just Blood Coins. After all, some of these resources cost upwards of millions of Blood Coins. However, all of these resources come under the purview of the city¡­ I hope you can understand what I am trying to say.¡±


    After she had explained everything in so much detail, only the dumb cat could fail to understand what Tia was saying. It just stuck to Cecilia, and kept glancing around, as if looking for its next prey. Fortunately, it did not spring into action. Yet. It was time that they went looking for its food. For the moment though, they still had other things to do.


    ¡°¡­Thank you for your guidance, Wanderer Tia,¡± Alnea said. ¡°We know how to choose.¡±


    Between resources and some special Martial Styles¡­ the answer was obvious. After all, of the three of them, one was an heiress of the Serpia clan, one was an heiress of the Faed clan, and one was the disciple of the Grand Lady of Thorns. What kind of resources could they ever lack for?


    ¡°I am relieved then,¡± Tia said, misunderstanding his words. He did not correct her though, and allowed her to continue. ¡°Now, which of you is going to redeem your Martial Style Medals first?¡±


    ¡°Let me do it,¡± Cecilia said, hurriedly handing over her Blood Card to Tia. ¡°¡­I do not wish to be humiliated.¡±

 Chapter 16: Claiming rewards [Part 2]

    Tia did not understand what Cecilia was mumbling about. Still, she did not hesitate in reaching out to take Cecilia¡¯s Blood Card and placing it on the scanner resting before her. The scanner was unlike all the scanner he had seen in the city though. Instead of shining like the other scanners, it just displayed a few symbols on its surface. Was it the scanner that was different, or was Tia using the scanner in a way that he did not know about?


    ¡°All ten Trials of the Initial Stage Trial Space has been cleared perfectly,¡± Tia said, before smiling at Cecilia, and handing her Blood Card back to her. ¡°I knew you could do it. Just wait a moment.¡±


    Turning around, Tia reached to the cupboards built in the wall behind her, and scanned her Blood Card on its lock¡ªa black box¡ª before opening the cupboard, and taking out a red, oddly shaped piece of a metal. From the first glance, the piece of metal looked like a large coin as thick as his finger, and in the form of a circle. On a closer look though, it looked nothing like a circle. Or a coin.


    The only reason it even resembled a coin was because the piece of metal was flat, and had too many sides, making it seem as if all the sides were seamlessly connecting with each other, forming a circle. And unlike a coin, it did not have any number on its surface denoting its denomination. Neither did the piece of metal have any symbols, or emblems demarcating it as a coin from a particular region. Instead, the only symbol on its surface was that of a fist, surrounded by all sorts of weapons, including, but not limited to swords, spears, bows, and even cudgels and halberds.


    ¡°This is a Martial Style Medal,¡± Tia said, handing the red piece of metal to Cecilia. ¡°It is also referred to as Warrior Medal. Because whether it is the Aspect Trials, or the Warrior Trials, their rewards is the same. A Warrior Medal.¡±


    ¡°¡­That¡¯s convenient,¡± Cecilia admitted, as she took the medal from Tia, before turning towards him. ¡°Let¡¯s see who gathers more medals next time.¡±


    His master used to say that he was cheeky. However, lately, he had been finding Cecilia to be even more cheeky than him. He did not tear her mask though. It was hard for her to calm down on her own. If he was forced to coax her again¡­


    While Alnea was staring at Cecilia, Yuri stepped forward, and handed over her Blood Card to Tia, and said, ¡°Please help me next, Wanderer Tia.¡±


    ¡°What help? This is my duty,¡± Tia said. Yet the smile on her face grew even wider at Yuri¡¯s request. That was until she placed Yuri¡¯s Blood Card on the scanner. Reading the details on the scanner, she lost her smile in a fraction of a moment, turning to look at Yuri with disbelief. Thankfully, she was a True Wanderer, and quickly controlled her emotions, before putting on a smile once again. A smile, that was even more radiant than before.


    ¡°Wait a moment,¡± Tia said, before opening the cupboard behind her once again. This time though, instead of just one medal, she took out seven, and brought them all to Yuri. ¡°One for perfect clearance of the Trials, and seven for breaking city wide records. Eight in total. Is that right?¡±


    Before Yuri could say anything, all the Wanderers around them, even the ones behind the counter, and the ones on other counters, all turned to stare at Yuri, sporting the same disbelief that Wanderer Tia had earlier.


    ¡°Seven city wide records?¡±


    ¡°Did I hear correctly?¡±


    ¡°Are you sure that you did not make any mistakes, Tia?¡±


    ¡°She looks younger than sixteen¡­¡±


    ¡°I had barely become a Wanderer when I was sixteen.¡±


    ¡°¡­Origin above, what kind of a monster is she?¡±


    ¡°I remember now! It is not just her. All three of them are monsters¡­¡±


    ¡°What? Blood Challenge on their first day in the city?¡±


    ¡°Defeating their opponents before they could even make a move?¡±


    ¡°¡­Where did these little monsters come from?¡±


    ¡­Little? Why did everyone like to call him little? He was not that small, right? At the very least, he was taller than most of his peers. Even Cecilia and Yuri were only about his height. Alnea did not mind them calling him a monster, but did they have to call him little?


    If not for the Serenity of his Heart, he would have already lashed out at those ignorant Wanderers. And since even he could suppress his irritation, Yuri could do it too. Even Cecilia was able to control herself. Only the dumb cat felt a little threatened by all the ruckus, and was on its guard, warily glancing around the hall.


    ¡°¡­Thank you, Wanderer Tia,¡± Yuri said, ignoring the blatant comments being directed at them, before putting all the medals in her pouch. Fortunately, the medals were small enough to ¡®fit¡¯ inside the pouch, and did not make the pouch look like a storage pouch. After all, exposing their storage devices in front of other Wanderers was not really a wise idea.


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    ¡°What about you, little brother? Are you not going to collet your medals?¡±


    ¡°¡­I would prefer if you would call me as just brother, or as Alnea,¡± Alnea said, handing his Blood Card to Tia.


    ¡°I will keep that in mind¡­ Alnea,¡± Tia said, letting out a short laugh, before placing his Blood Card on the scanner. Moments later, her smile blossomed to its widest, as she looked at him with a light shining in her eyes. Opening the cupboard behind her, she took out nine medals, and handed them all to Alnea.


    ¡°One of perfect clearance, eight for breaking city wide records. Nine in total. Is that right, Alnea?¡±


    After the uproar caused by the number of Martial Style Medals Yuri received, quite a few Wanderers had gathered around them. Even those who were far away were still paying attention to what was happening. And from the corner of his eyes, Alnea even saw Martha looking over with interest. Not at him, of course. Still, when Tia brought out nine Martial Style Medals, even she could not help herself from looking at him in surprise. And when Tia announced how many records he had broken, the Blood Hall burst into an even greater uproar than before.


    ¡°¡­Eight city wide records?¡±


    ¡°Coupled with the seven that the girl broke¡­ Fifteen new records have been set in just one day?¡±


    ¡°Did you not say that they came to the city just a day ago?¡±


    ¡°They broke fifteen records in just one day?¡±


    ¡°And this is just their first Trial¡­¡±


    ¡°How many more records are they going to break?¡±


    ¡°Give them a couple of years, and they will surely enter the inner city.¡±


    ¡°¡­I think a couple of years is too long. Maybe a year will be enough¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­It is difficult.¡±


    ¡°Maybe they are talented, but they are still too young after all.¡±


    ¡°Unless they reach the Peak Stage in one year¡­¡±


    ¡°Sixteen year Peak Stage False Wanderers?¡±


    ¡°Do you think that reaching the Peak Stage is so easy?¡±


    ¡°Or do you think everyone is like that crazy serpent?¡±


    ¡°Who are you talking about?¡±


    ¡°How many crazy Serpents are there in our Sector?¡±


    ¡°¡­Serena Serpia?¡±


    ¡°Who else?¡±


    ¡°¡­I do not know if they are as talented as the crazy serpent, but I do know that one of them is wearing the robe of that crazy serpent¡¯s clan¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­Serpia clan?¡±


    ¡°¡­Fuck!¡±


    ¡°Optah¡¯s stink!¡±


    ¡°Quick. Ask the new Wanderers to go to the Trials, and check out the new records¡­¡±


    Ignoring the crazy Wanderers falling into madness, Alnea quickly put all his Martial Style Tokens in his storage pouch. Although the bit about big sis Serena did ignite his curiosity, the gossip was soon drowned out in all the other useless chatters. And he had no intention of listening to the mad Wanderers calling him as a monster.


    ¡°Thank you, Wanderer Tia.¡±


    ¡°There is no need to be so polite with me,¡± Tia said, smiling at him with a strange light shining in her eyes. Was it greed? Or anticipation? Maybe both¡­


    ¡°Like I said before, I was just doing my duty.¡±


    ¡°¡­Regardless, you have my gratitude, Wanderer Tia. You can come to me when you need my help in the future. If it is within my power, and not against my convictions, and Heart, then I will not refuse.¡±


    ¡°¡­Then I will not be polite with you,¡± Tia said, withdrawing some of the light from her eyes, adding a bit more warmth in her tone. Glancing around the Blood Hall, she added, ¡°The Blood Hall is a bit chaotic right now. And soon, those who learn of your achievements, will come seeking you. Some of them might solicit you, while some of them will threaten you, but all of them will be your rivals. Especially since you do not wish to stay in the outer city for long¡­ I know that you must be excited to exchange for some resources, but it would be best for you to leave the Blood Hall for now, and come back after a while.¡±


    ¡°¡­Thank you for the reminder,¡± Alnea said in unison with Yuri, while Cecilia was trying to soothe Forne, picking it up from the ground, and caressing its back. Useless cat¡­ After giving Tia a nod, they turned around, and began making their way out of the Blood Hall. And in the way, they crossed eyes with Martha. From the complicated look on her face, it looked like she had yet to recover from what had happened the night before. So, in the end, they decided to just give her a nod, and be on their way.


    ¡°¡­Where are we going next?¡± Cecilia said after they had walked out of the Blood Hall. There were still a lot of Wanderers around them, but compared to the Wanderers surrounding them just a while ago, their numbers had reduced by more than four fifths. Most of the missing Wanderers had gone back to talk with the seniors of their clan, while the rest had decided to stay in the hall. Besides, they were not talking about anything too important. It did not matter if a few Wanderers overheard their next plans.


    ¡°Depends,¡± Yuri said. ¡°We can explore the city, fight in the Blood Arena, or return to our rooms to rest. In any case, we should not stay here.¡±


    ¡°Rooms¡­¡± Cecilia mumbled, before looking up in the sky. Enn had already risen, and was going strong, making its way towards his zenith. ¡°Even if a day has not passed, the time should be close. By the time we reach our rooms, they should become unreserved¡­ How about we look for a mansion?¡±


    ¡°Do you know how to look for a mansion?¡±


    ¡°¡­We should have asked Tia about it¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­I am not going in there again.¡±


    ¡°¡­Forget it. We can just look for another room. It is only one Blood Coin anyway.¡±


    ¡°Right. Blood Coins. How many Blood Coins do you two have now?¡±


    ¡°¡­A little over seventeen hundred.¡±


    ¡°¡­A little less than seventeen hundred.¡±


    ¡°¡­We are going to the Blood Arena.¡±


    ¡°¡­Why the sudden change?¡±


    ¡°¡­Because I want to beat someone up.¡±

 Chapter 17: New plans [Part 1]

    ¡°¡­Why did we come to the stupid Arena?¡± Cecilia mumbled, and for the first time in a while, Alnea could understand her frustration. After all, she had come to the Arena to vent out her feelings, but all she got was a one cat show from Forne. Just like her last battle, the cat took down her opponent before he could even react, stealing the man¡¯s fortune while it was at it. It satiated its hunger, but left Cecilia¡¯s Heart hanging in frustration.


    ¡°¡­It¡¯s alright,¡± Alnea said, as he walked on the streets of the Lost City with Cecilia and Yuri, searching for a new place to stay. ¡°You opponent was too weak anyway. He would have been done for in a couple of moves.¡±


    ¡°¡­That makes me even more frustrated,¡± Cecilia said with a complicated expression on her face, while the dumb cat rested in her arms, digesting its meal.


    ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°¡­Forget it,¡± Cecilia said, letting out a heavy sigh. ¡°It must be my retribution for beating you up all the time.¡±


    ¡°¡­I am not going to fall for your tricks.¡±


    ¡°What tricks are you talking about?¡±


    ¡°The one¡ª


    ¡°If you two have forgotten, our priority right now is to find a room to rest, and not to flirt in the middle of the street.¡±


    ¡°Who is flirting with him?¡±


    ¡°¡­I would like to concur with her on this one.¡±


    ¡°¡­How many buildings did the two of you check?¡±


    ¡°¡­Three.¡±


    ¡°¡­Four.¡±


    ¡°Do I need to say anything else?¡±


    Alnea faked a cough, before rushing into another building towards his right. He had long recovered from his exhaustion in the Trials, at least enough to win a free battle in three moves. And that was under the premise that he was supressing himself, trying not to show most of his abilities. Climbing some flights of stairs to check for empty rooms did not pose him any problems. Finding an empty room though¡­


    This was the fifth building he was searching. Counting the buildings that Cecilia, and Yuri just went into, they had searched a total of seventeen buildings. Yet, none of the empty rooms they found were close to each other. They were always either on different floors, or even in different buildings altogether. Whether it was for convenience, or for safety, they had to stay together. So, they could only give up on all the empty rooms they found, and keep searching.


    ¡°¡­Is it because of the Arena?¡± Alnea said, turning around to look at the towering building in the distance. Staying so close to Arena must be convenient¡­ He supressed the errant thoughts running amok in his head, before walking out onto the streets. Not so coincidentally, Cecilia and Yuri also walked out onto the streets at the same time. And from the expression on their faces, he knew what the result of their search was.


    ¡°¡­We should have asked Tia where, and how to rent a mansion,¡± Alnea said, sighing at the missed opportunity.


    ¡°We can ask her tomorrow,¡± Yuri said. ¡°For now, let us focus on finding a room to rest. Or do you want to experience the feeling of homelessness?¡±


    ¡°Only if you let me sleep on your laps.¡±


    ¡°¡­Pervert.¡±


    ¡°¡­I knew I should have kept you away from Serena.¡±


    ¡°¡­I was joking,¡± Alnea said, laughing awkwardly at reaction of the girls.


    ¡°We are not.¡±


    ¡°Pervert.¡±


    ¡°¡­Forget it,¡± Alnea said, noting down his grievance in his head. One day¡­


    ¡°Should I say that kids nowadays are too confident in themselves, or are the three of you just simply ignorant?¡±


    A voice laced with disdain and contempt rang out in the air, breaking Alnea, Cecilia, and Yuri away from their own little world. Frowning at the voice, they turned towards its source, and found a man dressed in a white robe walking out from one of the buildings.


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    ¡°¡­Zain?¡± Alnea said, recognising the man who was taunting them.


    ¡°Oh, so you are not too ignorant.¡±


    ¡°What do you want?¡± Cecilia said, staring at the man with a sharp, cold gaze.


    ¡°Do you even have anything that I could covet?¡± Zain said with a sneer.


    ¡°Then mind your own business, and leave us alone.¡±


    ¡°¡­Oh, I plan on doing just that,¡± Zain said, turning from sneering at them to gloating at them. ¡°After all, none of you three will have a good future in the city.¡±


    ¡°¡­If you have anything to say, then just say it,¡± Yuri said, looking at the man with blank expression on her face. It was as if she felt no emotions, whatsoever, at the man¡¯s taunts. Only Alnea knew how angry she was at the moment.


    ¡°Getting impatient already?¡± Zain said, sneering at them once again. ¡°How have you survived the Origin Sea till now?¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s leave this crazy man alone,¡± Alnea said, grabbing Cecilia¡¯s and Yuri¡¯s hands before they could rush at the man, and beat him up. He was not opposed to the idea of teaching crazy man a lesson, but they were in the Lost City. And they had to abide by its rules. They could have also challenged the man to a fight in the Arena, but that would mean listening to the man¡¯s drivels till they beat his consciousness out of him. Not worth it.


    ¡°¡­Are you running?¡± Zain said with a laugh. ¡°Seriously, you should consider tempering your Heart more often, or you might end up getting devoured by the Origin Sea.¡±


    ¡­Or maybe it was worth considering.


    ¡°You have been deliberately taunting us for a while now¡­ Are you trying to enrage us? To force us into breaking the rules of the city? Are you also a dog of the Lotus clan?¡±


    ¡°Lotus clan?¡± Zain said, laughing even more hysterically, shaking his head. ¡°Let alone a declining Orthodoxy like the Lotus clan, even the Origin clans are not enough to make me bow down to them. As for me forcing you to break the rules of the city¡­ I think that the three of you are just too self-righteous. If I was trying to force you out of the city, I would just have issued a Blood Challenge.¡±


    ¡°And you would have been kicked out of the city by us.¡±


    ¡°It looks like you are delirious too,¡± Zain said, shaking his head. ¡°Forget it. I was just thinking of informing you of the danger that you are facing. But it looks like you do not need my help.¡±


    ¡°The danger we are facing?¡± Alnea said, before sneering back at Zain. ¡°I guess some Peak Stage False Wanderers of the Lotus clan might be targeting us. Maybe, they have even acquired some external help. Is that how you learned of the danger? Because they invited you to deal with us?¡±


    ¡°The Lotus clan?¡± Zain said, laughing back at Alnea. ¡°If that is what you think¡­ I hope that you are alive the next time we meet.¡±


    ¡°¡­Forget it. It would be better if we do not meet again. Or I might not be able to control myself from tearing your mouth.¡±


    ¡°¡­You are quite sharp mouthed yourself,¡± Zain said, grinning at him, before turning around, and walking towards the Blood Arena.


    ¡°¡­What is his problem?¡±


    ¡°¡­He is just lonely man, seeking attention and affirmation from others,¡± Yuri said, shaking her head, before the sharp, cold light returned to her eyes. ¡°But it still does not give him the right to talk down to us.¡±


    ¡°¡­Let us just forget about him,¡± Alnea said, refusing to let go of Yuri¡¯s hands, afraid that she might rush to the Blood Arena to challenge the crazy man. ¡°We have not even found rooms for ourselves, and there is so many things that we have to discuss.¡±


    ¡°¡­We do need to discuss a few things,¡± Yuri said, nodding at his words, while glancing at the buildings around them. ¡°I am afraid that we will not find three rooms next to each other so close to the Arena.¡±


    ¡°¡­Then let¡¯s go back to where we got our first Rooms,¡± Cecilia said, still sounding a little grumpy because of the missed chance to beat up the crazy man. ¡°I do not want to live near that crazy bastard anyway, or I might end up beating him to do death.¡±


    ¡°Language, Lia,¡± Alnea said, flicking Cecilia¡¯s head. ¡°We should not degrade ourselves to the same level as that crazy man.¡±


    ¡°¡­You are not setting a great example yourself,¡± Yuri said, with the ends of her lips curving upwards in a smile. ¡°Anyways, we should not stay here for long. We never know who might challenge us to a battle.¡±


    ¡°¡­I have been walking on these streets for the past half an hour, but why has no one challenged me yet?¡±


    ¡°¡­They might have challenged you if they knew nothing about Forne. But after tales of your battle spreads, except Peak Stage Wanderers, who else will dare to challenge you in the Arena?¡±


    ¡°¡­Forget it,¡± Cecilia said, sighing in distress, as she looked at the cat peacefully sleeping in her arms. ¡°Let us just search in other areas.¡±


    Having made up their mind, all three of them left the area around the Blood Arena, and made their way to the area around the Sixth Blood Hall, where they finally found what they were looking for. Three rooms, all adjacent to each other. None of the rooms were on the ground floor though, so they were not able to experience what the guard had talked about. And judging from how precious the rooms on the ground floor were, they not going to experience it any time soon either.


    However, none of them felt any pity, or regrets about not being able to stay on the ground floor. For them, staying together was more important than experiencing some unknown benefits. Besides, Tia had said that there were some resources in the Blood Hall, which were worth millions of Blood Coins. What benefits could a room worth two Blood Coins bring them? Better concentration? Peace of mind? Help in tempering their Hearts?


    Using external help for any of those things would be beyond stupidity. Not only would it make them dependent on those external help to calm their Heart, but it would also weaken their will. Rather than wasting their time in seeking such useless, and superfluous benefits, which would bring more harm than gains, using their precious time to get more training was a better idea. Yet, before they could train, there one more thing that they had to do. Discuss their gains in the Trials, and plan their next move.

 Chapter 17: New plans [Part 2]

    ¡°¡­And that¡¯s how I thought about the way to break the records,¡± Alnea said, explaining the process of his Trial, after they had settled in his room. ¡°Giving up part of the assessment of the Trial, to break the records in just one area. To know if this method is viable or not though, we need to know your rank in the Warrior Hall. Only when we compare our ranks with yours, will we know the difference between completing the Trials normally, and completing them in my way.¡±


    ¡°¡­Is it not enough if I tell you that your way is better than mine?¡± Cecilia said, staring hesitantly at Alnea.


    ¡°Not enough,¡± Yuri said, shaking her head. ¡°You have already been through the Trials. You should know how hard breaking records in the Trials is. Sacrificing our performance in the Trials just to break some records¡­ Unless we have solid proof that this is the right way to clear the Trials, completing the Trials in such a way would be too risky.¡±


    ¡°¡­Fine,¡± Cecilia mumbled. ¡°It¡¯s eight thousand two hundred and twenty three.¡±


    ¡°So high?¡± Alnea said, staring at Cecilia with wide eyes, and a hint of smile on his face.


    ¡°Shut up!¡± Cecilia grumbled. ¡°I knew you would make fun of me.¡±


    ¡°¡­I am not making fun of you.¡±


    ¡°Then why are you smiling?¡±


    ¡°¡­It¡¯s because my thoughts were right. The Initial Stage Trials¡­ They are too easy. Anyone can complete them. Maybe, things will change in the Intermediate Stage Trials, but at least in the Initial Stage Trials, the best way to increase our rank is by breaking records.¡±


    ¡°It is not just the Initial Stage Trials,¡± Yuri said. ¡°Just like how we found completing the Initial Stage Trials too easy, the Peak Stage Wanderers would also find completing the Intermediate, and maybe even the Advanced Stage Trials as too easy. And the stronger ones among them should be able to complete even the Peak Stage Trials with ease. We need to break records in not just the Initial Stage Trials, but in all the Trials we face.¡±


    ¡°¡­Of the three records, one of them is impossible to break. And the other two¡­ Since my main choice of weapon are my claws, I cannot take down more than one opponent at a time. At least not without using Aspects. The only records I can hope of breaking is the record of time.¡±


    ¡°You can indeed break the records of time, but the premise is that you must not let yourself get hit by the Blood Shadows.¡±


    ¡°¡­Stupid Trials,¡± Cecilia mumbled, with a frown on her face. ¡°It looks like I need to practice more in the Arena.¡±


    ¡°¡­That is indeed a better way to hone ourselves,¡± Yuri said. ¡°Except for the Heterodox Wanderers we encountered last week, for the past year, we have fought with only Oren Beasts, and have adapted ourselves to fight with them. Once we get accustomed to fighting other Wanderers, breaking the records should become a little easier for us. However, this is true only for the Martial Style Trials. We do not know how other Trials work yet. What if other Trials also have only two records that we can break? Would that not mean that two of us have to break the same record?¡±


    ¡°¡­So, will we be competing amongst ourselves?¡±


    ¡°There is no need to make things so complicated,¡± Alnea said, scratching his head. ¡°Isn¡¯t it just breaking some records? When the time comes, one of us will have to wait for the other two to complete their Trials, before taking the Trial again, and breaking through the records that the other two have broken.¡±


    ¡°It is not that simple¡ª


    ¡°It is just that simple.¡±


    ¡°What about the person who will have to go later? What if¡ª


    ¡°I know what you are worried about, but isn¡¯t that why we are having this discussion?¡±


    ¡°¡­What is your plan then?¡±


    ¡°We will decide who will be third person to take the Trials based on what the Trials are. For example, for the Martial Style Trials in the future, Yuri should be the last one to take the Trials. Similarly, I am confident that I will perform better than either of you in the Aspect Trials, so I will be last one to take the Aspect Trials. As for the other Trials¡­


    ¡°We will need to gather more information about them before deciding our order of taking the Trials. Worst case scenario, one of us might end up being unable to break the records for the Initial Stage Trials. In the long run though, all of us should be able to break through some records, and reach the top hundred ranks. After all, breaking records in the Intermediate, and Advanced Stage Trials should help us more in raising our ranks.¡±


    ¡°¡­As expected of Alnea Reckless.¡±


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    ¡°His plans are just as reckless as his name.¡±


    ¡°¡­My name is not Alnea Reckless.¡±


    ¡°Really? I think it is a good name.¡±


    ¡°It describes you perfectly.¡±


    ¡°¡­Just tell me if you agree to the plan or not?¡±


    ¡°What is there to not agree with?¡± Yuri said. ¡°I would have also suggested something similar¡­ with a few tweaks. But your plan is better.¡±


    ¡°I have no objection either.¡±


    ¡°Then all that¡¯s left is to decide the order of taking the Trials,¡± Alnea said. ¡°Should we complete the Trials of the Warrior Hall first, or try the Trials of the Arcanist Hall?¡±


    ¡°¡­Since we have started with the Trials of the Warrior Hall, and you are confident of the Aspect Trials, then let us complete all the Trials of the Warrior Hall first.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t mind either way.¡±


    ¡°Then let us complete the Trials of the Warrior Hall first,¡± Alnea said. ¡°However, we should only take on the Trials of the Initial Stage. Intermediate Stage Trials and above¡­ let us leave them for later.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡± Cecilia said, looking at Alnea in confusion. ¡°We can defeat even Advanced Stage Wanderers. Why do we have to fear the Intermediate Stage Trials?¡±


    ¡°¡­We do not have to fear anything, but we must remain cautious and prudent. Don¡¯t look at how swiftly I completed the Trials. I had to put in a lot of effort to barely break the records. And did you forget how long it took Alnea to defeat the Bood Shadows? The Intermediate Stage Trial will only be more difficult, with the records becoming even more difficult to break.¡±


    ¡°¡­I don¡¯t have much information about the city, but I can guess that all the records in the Trials should have been set by Wanderers who came to the city after reaching the Peak Stage. They may not have much advantage over us when facing Initial Stage Blood Shadows, but the story will be different when Intermediate Stage Blood Shadows are involved.¡±


    ¡°You two don¡¯t have to gang up on me,¡± Cecilia mumbled. ¡°I was just asking a question.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s decided then,¡± Alnea said. ¡°We will take only the Initial Stage Trials until we are more confident in ourselves.¡±


    ¡°¡­Then after the Warrior Hall, which Trial should we choose next?¡±


    ¡°Lia and I cannot take the Trials of the Scholar Hall just yet. Let us engrave a couple of more Glyphs, and get familiar with them first.¡±


    ¡°Alright,¡± Yuri said, nodding at his words. ¡°When the time comes, you two will take the Trials of the Scholar Hall together, and I will follow after you.¡±


    ¡°¡­Then I should be the last one to take the Trials of the Arcanist Hall.¡±


    ¡°Arcanist Hall¡­ It can wait until we gather more information about it. In any case, our next target should be the Aspect Trials.¡±


    ¡°Then what about the Black Desert Trials?¡±


    ¡°¡­About that,¡± Alnea said, remembering what crazy man had said earlier. ¡°I think it would be best if we put it off until we complete the Intermediate Stage Trials at the very least.¡±


    ¡°But that is going to take months.¡±


    ¡°Waiting for a couple of months is better than falling in the trap of the Lotus clan.¡±


    ¡°¡­How sure are you?¡±


    ¡°How sure can I be?¡± Alnea said, shaking his head. ¡°It is just our second day in the Lost city. And I have been with you two for the entire time. The only contact we have had with the Lotus clan was with the man who made a Blood Challenge against me. However, this also proves that the Lotus clan knows about me being in the city. And yet, except for the Blood Challenge, they have not done anything else. Do you think that the Lotus clan will just let me be?


    ¡°Besides, what the crazy man we met near the Arena said is still ringing in my mind. The Lotus clan may be in decline, but it still has a lot of friends. If it gets together with other clans¡­ At the moment, it is only the rules of the Lost city that is restricting them. Once we leave the city though¡­ We can handle a couple of Peak Stage Wanderers with our strength, but what if we are attacked by a dozen of them? And that too, in the middle of the Black Desert, an area completely unfamiliar to us. I think you can imagine the results.¡±


    ¡°¡­Fine. Let us keep the Black Desert Trials for later. But what about the Blood Arena?¡±


    ¡°What about it?¡±


    ¡°Our ranks rose by nearly five thousand after our first fight in the Arena. Yet, today, it rose only by a hundred or so. And if things keep going as they are, this improvement will become even slower. Poros knows when we will be able to reach the top thousand rank in the Arena.¡±


    ¡°Since you raised the problem, do you have any solution?¡±


    ¡°Of course,¡± Cecilia said, with a slightly proud expression on her face. ¡°I have two solutions. We can either increase the number of times we fight in the Arena, or we can catch some Advance Stage Wanderers whom we do not like, and challenge them in the Arena. No Advanced Stage Wanderer should reject a challenge from some kids, right?¡±


    ¡°¡­Lia Reckless Serpia,¡± Alnea said, exacting his revenge as soon as he got the chance. ¡°That name should suit you.¡±


    ¡°¡­Not as much as Alnea Reckless suits you,¡± Cecilia said, raising the right end of her lips in a smirk. ¡°I am sure that you must have been thinking of using both of solutions at the same time.¡±


    ¡°¡­This is slander!¡±


    ¡°This is truth.¡±


    ¡°When will you two grow up,¡± Yuri said, shaking her head with a helpless smile on her face. ¡°However, you plan is not bad, Cecilia. We really do need to increase our rank in the Blood Arena¡­ So, we will go with both your plans at the same time. And while we are at it, let us try to find as many Wanderers from the Lotus clan as we can, and challenge them all to a fight. We can even instigate them to keep challenging us, and snatch as many Blood Coins from them as we can. In any case, we cannot let the Lotus clan live peacefully.¡±


    Alnea, and Cecilia glanced at each other, before turning back to Yuri, and saying in unison, ¡°Yuri Ruthless Faed.¡±


    ¡°¡­Do you two want to see how ruthless I can be?¡±


    ¡°¡­Speaking of being ruthless, I just thought of a good idea that might make the Lotus clan come challenging us on their own,¡± Alnea said, diverting the topic away from nicknames. Not for himself, but to save the girls from more embarrassment. After all, he had already learned to be shameless. ¡°We just have to¡­¡±

 Chapter 18: The plan [Part 1]

    ¡°Blood Soldier N zero six zero eight four nine nine, and Blood Soldier N zero four zero seven three five six, come up to the stage,¡± said the guard on one of the main platforms of the Blood Arena, causing the crowd, which had been satiated a little from the bloody fight just moments ago, to erupt in cheers and demands of blood once again. But that was to be expected.


    The Blood Arena¡­ there was something about it that made all those who were within its confines to cheer and seek for blood. To seek for victory. Especially those who were participating in the battles. The cheers were far more effective against them, silently infecting them with a thirst for violence. Even Alnea himself, guarding his Heart at every moment, could not completely escape from the magic of the Blood Arena. If he had been facing the cheers all by himself, then he might¡­ Thankfully, he was not alone.


    ¡°¡­Why is it always your battle that comes up first?¡± Cecilia said, grumbling at the guards for not calling her out first.


    ¡°¡­It would not matter even if they called you out first. Forne would defeat all your opponents before you could make any moves,¡± Alnea said with a laugh, earning a glare from Cecilia and the dumb cat. Knowing his limits, he quickly coughed, and changed the topic. ¡°Let¡¯s talk after the battle.¡±


    ¡°¡­Be careful,¡± Yuri said, more out of habit than caution. After all, according to what the guards had said, unless he reached the top thousand ranks, he will only fight those closer to him in strength. Even if the Arena matched him with stronger opponents because of his better performance, it will only be against Advanced Stage False Wanderers. Having fought and defeated¡ªkilled¡ª even Peak Stage False Wanderers, he did not have any pressure facing some False Wanderers who had barely had any life and death experiences. Still, just as Yuri acting out of habit, he too acted out of habit, nodding with a reassuring smile on his face.


    ¡°You too,¡± Alnea said, before urging his small platform to move towards the platform where the guard had called out his name. On the other side, another man urged his platform towards the main stage, seething with excitement, and the intent to fight. Especially when he saw his opponent. There was some doubt on his face, as to why his opponent was just a kid. But soon, those doubts were replaced by the thoughts of victory, and raising his rank.


    ¡°You should have waited until you grew a little before coming to the Lost City, kid,¡± the man said, laughing out in excitement. ¡°No one here is going to go easy on you just because you are smaller than everyone else.¡±


    ¡°¡­I am not small,¡± Alnea said in irritation. Being called small and little at every other turn by other Wanderers was beginning to get tiresome. Should he focus on creating an Arcana that could increase his height? Creating Arcanas was not so easy though. Disregarding the dangers of testing different applications of Mysteries, just the first obstacle of comprehending some suitable Mysteries was enough to stump him for a while.


    Maybe by the time he could create such an Arcana, his height would have already reached more than two metres. After all, he was growing taller with each passing day. Considering that average humans could see their heights increase up to the age of twenty, and he was just a little over fourteen years old¡­ It was only normal for his height to reach more than two metres, right?


    Two metres¡­ These tiny Wanderers, who did not even reach six feet in height, they dared to laugh at him because of his size? Alnea was waiting for the day when he would shock the world with his size. Especially the girls who often snickered at his side. He had already almost caught up to them in height. In just a few months, he would be laughing at them¡­


    These were all things that that would happen later though. Long after he had left the Lost City. Which meant, while he was within the city, he could not stop other Wanderers taking him lightly because of his height¡­ Unless he earned a fearsome reputation for himself. But that was easier said than done. Even when he had earned some reputation from his battles, and the results of his Trials, not everyone in the city knew about him. If his plan went well though¡­


    ¡°This is a free battle,¡± the guard said, looking indifferently at him, and the other man on the stage. ¡°The Arena will ensure your life, so you can fight to your heart¡¯s content. But once the Arena decides that a battle has been settled, you cannot make any more moves, or you will be disqualified. Do you understand?¡±


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    ¡°I do.¡±


    ¡°I do.¡±


    ¡°Good,¡± the guard said, nodding in satisfaction, before urging his platform away from the main stage. ¡°You can start.¡±


    Urging his Aspects to gather around his feet, wrapping them in silverish blue and golden light, Alnea pushed himself towards the green robed man, just as the man rushed towards him, wrapping black and purple lights around his fists. A Warrior then, Alnea noted. He did not have any weapon though. Was the man going to his body itself as a weapon? Or was he hiding part of his strength?


    Regardless, Alnea could see that that the man¡¯s aim was draw him into close quarter combat. Logically, the best way of dealing with such an opponent was to refrain from giving him any chances. All he had to do was to maintain his distance, using his Arcanas to control the man. If the man could not even get close to him, all his plans were bound to fail. But then, he would end up wasting a lot of his time. Time, which he could use in other meaningful things. Like training. Or gathering more information.


    Besides, he still had to guard against the Lotus clan, and other Wanderers in the city. Revealing all his means would be beyond stupidity. Of course, he could not appear to be too weak either. After all, this was the world of Wanderers. A world where only the strong had the right to speak. So, whether it was to warn other Wanderers, or to earn a place for himself in the city, Alnea decided to use a bit more of his strength than he had used the day before. In line with what he had already shown, of course.


    Matching his breath with the rhythm of his steps, Alnea began ¡®Flowing with the Wind¡¯. It did not matter that the Arena had no winds. He became the wind himself, adopting the fickleness of Cretes¡¯ thoughts. Moving from his left to his right, and from his right to his left, constantly changing his steps, he forcibly interrupted the rhythm of his enemy, before sweeping towards the man like a fierce gust of wind, as if intent on uprooting the man from the stage.


    Unlike a tree though, the man could fight against the winds. So, just ¡®Flowing with the Winds¡¯ was not enough. To defeat the man in a swift and decisive manner, Alnea unsheathed his sword, swinging it towards the man in one clean motion, leaving behind a trail of golden and black lights on its path, along with the sound of the ¡®Crying Wind¡¯. After his sword met the man though, what was left behind on its path was not just the lights of his Aspects, but also a trail of the man¡¯s blood, and his desperate cries of pain.


    With blood splattering all over the ground, and his cries getting lost in the cheers of the Arena, the man stumbled, and fell to his knees, his face distorting in pain, and humiliation. Especially when he saw how the kid, whom he was looking down on just moments ago, was not even taking him seriously. After swinging his sword once, the boy turned around, and shook his sword to rid it of the blood sticking to its surface, before sliding it back into its sheath, and walking away.


    Yet, the man did not dare to move. Nor did the man dared to have any thoughts about the boy. Instead, he looked at the remains of the blood red curtain of light around him dissipating back into the stage with trepidation. If not for its resistance, the boy¡¯s sword might even have cut him in half¡­


    ¡°Your Blood Card,¡± the guard said, arriving next to Alnea just as he subdued his Aspects, and sent them back to their Aspect Wells. Even though the fight was short, its excitement was still coursing through his veins, making him a little agitated. He knew how to control himself though. Nodding at the guard, he took out his Blood Card, and handed it to the man for handling the finishing procedures of the battle, before turning towards the other stages in the Arena.


    Not long after he had been called to the stage, he had heard the guards of the other stages call Cecilia¡¯s and Yuri¡¯s numbers. With their strength, unless they met Peak Stage Wanderers, they would not face any problems. And even against Peak Stage False Wanderers, they would not be entirely hopeless. Facing some Intermediate Stage False Wanderers would not even be a challenge for the girls.


    And yet, Alnea could not stop the strange itch in his Heart. His irrational fear would not let him rest until he saw the girls win with his own eyes. Even if he knew that they were bound to win¡­ As he expected, the girls easily subdued their opponents in just a couple of moves.


    ¡°You can vacate the stage now.¡±


    Pocketing his Blood Card back into the folds of his robe, Alnea ignored the guard, and nodded at the girls, before turning towards the crowd in the Arena with a grin on his face. Since his irrational worries had been settled, then next, he had to finish what he had started. He had to¡­ Just thinking about what he was about to do was making him feel a little embarrassed, but he could not back down. The girls¡­ They surely were crazy enough to follow the plan to the end. And since he was the one who came up with plan in first place, how could he leave the stage when his plan had just begun?

 Chapter 18: The plan [Part 2]

    ¡°Cowards of the Lotus clan,¡± Alnea said, trying to speak as loudly as he could. He even gathered his Aspects around his throat, just in hope that his voice could be louder. Fortunately, he was not alone. With Cecilia and Yuri shouting the same words, their voice soon resonated with each other¡¯s, spreading to every corner of the Arena, enshrouding it in a layer of shock and silence.


    ¡°As descendants of the ones chosen by Goddess Quona, are you not ashamed of playing your tricks over, and over again? We truly did not wish to have to do anything with you, but you would just not leave us alone, would you? Did you not learn your lesson half a year ago? Why can you not just let it go? Why do you have to be so ruthless? Forget it¡­ Since you want to play, we will play with you.


    ¡°Of course, we do not have either the time, or the patience to play along with your ridiculous schemes. So, from today onwards, we will be coming to the Arena every day, waiting for your challenge. We will not back out. We will not cower. Even if you are shameless enough to send Peak Stage False Wanderers, we will still fight you. We only request that you fight like Wanderers, and not like rats.¡±


    ¡°¡­Fight!¡±


    ¡°¡­Fight!¡±


    ¡°¡­Fight!¡±


    ¡°Fight!¡±


    ¡°Fight!¡±


    ¡°Rats!¡±


    ¡°Rats!¡±


    ¡°Rats!¡±


    ¡°Fight!¡±


    ¡°Fight!¡±


    ¡°Fight!¡±


    For the first time, Alnea heard the audience in the stands demanding something other than blood. His plan¡­ he did not know if it would work or not, but it surely did rile up the hunger of the Wanderers in the stands. Hiding all the blood rushing to his face with the help of his Aspects, he glanced towards the girls, trying his best to ignore the burning gaze of the guard standing next to him. Thankfully, the guard did not stop him from completing his speech. Still, he could feel the guard¡¯s annoyance increasing with every passing moment.


    Not in the mood to test the patience of the guard, he quickly boarded the small platform, and urged it to leave main stage. Only when he met up with the girls near the edge of the Arena, did Alnea dare to relax a little. But not for long. The crowd, following the end of his speech, burst into an uproar, shouting, and chanting for blood once again. Except, this time, they were also chanting the Lotus clan¡¯s name, urging them to take up the challenge. Especially the ones who were at the edge of the Arena, and not in the stands.


    ¡°¡­So daring¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­As expected of the Unfavoured¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­the Serpian is not¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­cannot expect much from those muscleheads¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­what do you think¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­isn¡¯t it obvious?¡±


    ¡°¡­madness¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­How long¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­poor kids¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­teach them a lesson¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­weak Heart¡­¡±


    ¡­Alnea had expected other Wanderers to react violently to his open challenge. That was why he had made the challenge in the first place. But to think that these Wanderers, who could not even guard their own Hearts, would dare to say that his Heart was weak¡­ Forget about him. They even dared to say that Yuri¡¯s Heart was weak¡­ These Wanderers were truly ignorant.


    Still, they were Wanderers, nonetheless. And all of them were older than him. Being stared at by so many Wanderers, even if he had a strong Heart, he could not help feeling a little flustered. Besides, he had completed his plan anyway. Next, all they had to do was to wait. He was sure that the Lotus clan would come running to them on their own. So, there was no need for them to continue staying in the Arena and become the subject of scrutiny for thousands of Wanderers.


    ¡°Let¡¯s leave,¡± Alnea said to the girls, who nodded back in return.


    ¡°To the Blood Hall, or to our rooms?¡±


    ¡°¡­Let¡¯s go check out the Blood Hall. We still do not know what else is there in the Hall. And don¡¯t forget, we also need to exchange the Warrior Tokens.¡±


    ¡°The Blood Hall is not going anywhere, and neither are the Warrior Tokens. We can exchange them anytime we want. But now is not the time to be hasty. We have provoked too many people this time. Waltzing into the Blood Hall does not sound like a wise choice. I think it would be best if we lie low for a while.¡±


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    ¡°Isn¡¯t it too late for that?¡± Cecilia said, pointing at the crowd around them. ¡°We were already famous in the city as we were, but after today, I reckon that there should be no one in the city who would not hear about us. Do you think it is possible for us to lie low now?¡±


    ¡°¡­Maybe we should have thought a little more before making a scene.¡±


    ¡°¡­You were the one who came up with the plan in the first place.¡±


    ¡°¡­Quite a good plan, isn¡¯t it?¡± Alnea said, trying to shamelessly diver the topic in another direction. Thankfully, Yuri came to his rescue once again.


    ¡°Seriously, why are you two always looking for things to argue about?¡±


    ¡°We are not!¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t slander me!¡±


    ¡°¡­Even if you use your Aspects to hide your lies, you cannot hide from me,¡± Yuri said, smirking at Alnea. ¡°Or did you think that I would forget where our room is?¡±


    ¡°¡­Let¡¯s leave the Arena first,¡± Alnea said, hastily tearing his eyes away from Yuri.


    ¡°¡­Right,¡± Cecilia added, as she too looked away from Yuri. Unlike him though, she had a perfect excuse. Picking up the dumb cat prowling around her feet, she caressed its fur until it burped in satisfaction. ¡°I think Forne is getting a little sleepy from all the Fortune it devoured. We can decide where to go after we reach our rooms.¡±


    ¡­Traitor, Alnea thought, as he closed his eyes, and imagined himself stepping out of the Arena. Almost immediately, space itself began fluctuating around him, rippling, and shifting, bringing him to a whole new world. A world where only he, and clusters of white light floating above his head remained. As for the girls, they were gone, disappearing into the countless folds of space. Or maybe it was just an illusion of space¡­


    Whatever it was, it was not something that he could understand just yet. The Mysteries of Space¡­ Shaking his head to clear his thoughts, Alnea turned around and stepped into the curtain of light blocking the only exit from the dark space that he had found himself in. It was also the only exit of the Arena. At least, the only exit for the people who had come to fight in the Arena.


    So, when Alnea passed through the curtain of light, he was not surprised to see the girls waiting for him in the arched corridor. Yuri not taking advantage of the situation to make him more embarrassed though¡­ that did surprise him a little. She did not even embarrass him through Evi and Fae. Instead, she just stood there, looking at him with her charming smile¡­


    ¡°What are you standing there like a fool for?¡± Cecilia said, breaking Alnea away from his thoughts.


    ¡°¡­What are you planning?¡± Alnea said, quickly reigning in his embarrassment with his Aspects, only for Yuri to giggle in return.


    ¡°Nothing,¡± she said, before turning around, and walking towards the exit of the corridor. Alnea looked at her back in confusion, and exchanged a silent glance with Cecilia, before picking up his pace to catch up with Yuri. They did not keep up with their pace for long though. There were couple of other people in the corridor¡ªpeople who had left the Arena before them¡ª walking at their own leisurely pace, forcing Alnea and the girls to slow down as well.


    Fortunately, the corridor itself was not too long, taking them just a tenth of an hour to cover. Once out of the corridor, they quickened their pace, and hurried away from the Arena. Not because they were afraid of other Wanderers, or the Lotus clan, but because they did not wish to waste time on the Wanderers trying to woo them. The endless chattering of those Wanderers¡­ It was too annoying.


    Besides, Alnea was afraid that Cecilia might pick up a fight with those Wanderers once again. After all, she had been starving for a true fight for days. Maybe, it was also one of the reasons behind her recent irritability. If she fell into a bad mood, he would have to coax her once again. Not that he minded coaxing her. With how cute she looked with her puffed out cheeks, he would not mind coaxing her even if he would have to do it every day. It was just that they were a little short on time at the moment.


    Fishing out the Lotus clan, guarding against other Wanderers, completing the Trials, raising their status, finding a new, better place to stay, exchanging for resources, training their Spirits, tempering their Hearts, Wandering the Origin Sea, comprehending Mysteries, taming Aspects, carving Glyphs onto their Spirits, creating Arcanas, practising their Martial Styles, and the list just kept going. There was so much that they had to do, with so little time to themselves. Wasting time on coaxing Cecilia did not seem like a wise choice. But those puffed up cheeks¡­


    Scratching his head in annoyance, Alnea finally succeeded in pulling the girls to their rooms. It was not easy, considering how adamant Cecilia was about ¡®exercising her hands¡¯. Once he shared his view about how they were wasting their time though, she reluctantly let go of her obsession.


    ¡°So, we are going to complete the Aspect Trials in the evening, when we go to the Blood Hall for our dinner?¡±


    ¡°¡­Trying to complete the Trials on full stomach would not be a wise idea. And doing so when almost starving would be even more foolish.¡±


    ¡°Then when exactly do you want to complete the Trials?¡± Cecilia said, sporting a frown on her face, clearly expressing her displeasure, with the dumb cat following her example. With how sleepy it was though, its purr only made it sound like it was groaning in satisfaction. Or maybe it really was groaning in satisfaction. After all, it did devour the Fortune of two Wanderers¡­


    ¡°¡­I can guess why you might feel a little agitated, Cecilia, but this time, I am afraid that I will have to agree with Alnea,¡± Yuri said, trying to comfort Cecilia with her soft voice, and her charming smile. ¡°We might be strong, but we are not invincible. There are too many geniuses in the Lost City. For now, it is just the Lotus clan that is after us. Once the other clans realise that we have no intention of joining them though, we might end up offending more than half of the city. And even if that was not the case, disregarding everything else, as Wanderers, we must ensure that we never take any decision in haste.¡±


    ¡°But¡ª


    ¡°Besides, there are only so many Trials that we can complete in the first place. You don¡¯t want to complete all of them in just one day, right?¡±


    ¡°¡­Forget it. It is just a day anyways,¡± Cecilia mumbled, falling to the charms of the white haired girl. When did the reckless girl become so sensible? Looking at the flushed face of the green robed girl sitting next to him, Alnea realised that he might have found the right way of dealing with his hot-headed friend. Though, in her defence, no one could resist against Yuri¡¯s charms.


    ¡°¡­There is still quite a bit of time before dinner,¡± Alnea said, faking a cough to get the attention of the girls. ¡°We have wasted quite a bit of our time already. Let¡¯s go back to our training.¡±


    ¡°¡­Training freak,¡± Cecilia grumbled, glaring at him in annoyance, before getting up, and walking out of his room.


    ¡°¡­Did I say something wrong?¡±


    ¡°¡­No,¡± Yuri said, with a hint of helplessness in her voice. ¡°No, you did not.¡±


    ¡°Then¡ª


    ¡°There are things that even if I tell you about them, you will not understand. Things, that you need to figure out on your own.¡±

 Chapter 19: Aspect Trials[Part 1]

    ¡°¡­Are you really sure that you want to figure this out on your own?¡± Yuri said, with a hint of amusement leaking into her voice. On purpose, of course. She may act more restrained than Cecilia on the surface, but Alnea knew just how much she liked teasing him. Just as how he liked teasing her. But not at the moment.


    ¡°I am sure,¡± Alnea said, as he went through the instructions of the of the Aspect Trials¡ªglowing on the blood red curtain on light in the darkness of the Trial Space¡ª one by one. ¡°The clues that you two have given me are enough.¡±


    ¡°¡­Are you still angry about what I said earlier?¡±


    ¡°¡­I don¡¯t know what you are talking about.¡±


    ¡°¡­Sometimes, you can be even more childish than Cecilia.¡±


    ¡°¡­I will tell Lia that you were calling her childish.¡±


    ¡°¡­Do you not believe in me?¡±


    ¡°¡­This is different.¡±


    ¡°It is not.¡±


    ¡°¡­Forget it. Even if you tell me about your experience, it is not going to help me much. Breaking ten city wide records in a row¡­ Is this what humans can do?¡±


    ¡°I thought you were happy that we broke so many records.¡±


    ¡°I am¡­ But that does not stop me from complaining.¡±


    ¡°You were the one who asked us to complete the Trials first.¡±


    ¡°I did¡­ But I did not expect both of you to break so many city wide records. And neither did I expect the Aspect Trials to be so perverted. Leaving other things aside, what is with the request of manipulating Aspects without using any Martial Styles? Is that really something that False Wanderers can do?¡±


    ¡°¡­I have seen you manipulating your Aspects without using any Martial Styles.¡±


    ¡°¡­My case is a little different. And even I cannot perfectly manipulate my Aspects without the guidance of Martial Styles. Rather, that was what Martial Styles were made for in the first place. To make better use of our Aspects. Did the people who designed the Trials had some problem in their heads?¡±


    ¡°What, are you regretting your decision now?¡±


    ¡°¡­Can I not even complain now?¡± Alnea grumbled, as he read the instructions for the third time over, ensuring that he did not miss even the most trivial of details. It was not that he did not trust what Cecilia and Yuri had told him. If need be, he could trust them with even his life, let alone some Trials. Still, being cautious was not going to hurt him. Especially since breaking the records was going to be a little more difficult for him than it was for the girls.


    ¡°¡­Alright, alright. Calm down. You can complain all you want later. For now, focus on the Trials.¡±


    ¡°¡­This is going to be so tiring.¡±


    ¡°Have you decided which part of the Trial are you going to focus on?¡±


    ¡°¡­You broke the records in speed, and Lia broke the records in strength. What else can I do except go for the skills?¡±


    ¡°¡­That¡¯s a nice way of classifying the three records.¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t it? See, I am so good at naming things. So, how about letting me name the team?¡±


    ¡°¡­Just focus on completing your Trials. And don¡¯t make us wait for too long.¡±


    ¡°Stingy,¡± Alnea said, clicking his tongue in pity, as he moved his finger on the blood red curtain of light in front of him to begin the Trial. ¡°Wish me luck.¡±


    ¡°¡­May Goddess Ilea be with you and guide you on your way.¡±


    As long as he had her smile with him, there was nothing else he needed. Not even the Goddess¡¯ blessings. Or at least that was what he was feeling at the moment. He did not voice out his feelings though. He had no wish of embarrassing just before starting his Trials. And he did not wish for things to become awkward either. He may have become a little shameless lately, but he was still not shameless enough to flirt so blatantly.


    ¡°Defeat a first level Initial Stage Blood Shadow.¡±


    ¡°Powers outside of the path of Warriors are forbidden.¡±


    ¡°Usage of Martial Styles is forbidden.¡±


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    ¡°Usage of weapons, other than those formed by your Aspects, is forbidden.¡±


    ¡°You can use only one Aspect.¡±


    ¡°Using more than one Aspect will disqualify you from the trial.¡±


    ¡°Perfect clearance condition: Defeating the Blood Shadow without getting injured.¡±


    ¡°Record one: Defeating the Blood Shadow in one second.¡±


    ¡°Record two: Defeating the Blood Shadow in one move.¡±


    ¡°Record three: Defeating the Blood Shadow without using any Aspects.¡±


    ¡­As he had expected. After Yuri¡¯s inhuman display, none of the three records could be broken in the first Trial.


    ¡°Your Trial will begin at the count of sixty.¡±


    Defeating the Blood Shadow in one move¡­


    ¡°¡­Ten.¡±


    Defeating the Blood Shadow without any Aspects¡­


    ¡°Nine.¡±


    How was he supposed to break those records?


    ¡°Eight.¡±


    Forget it.


    ¡°Seven.¡±


    Worst case scenario, he would be the same as Cecilia.


    ¡°Six.¡±


    Breaking just nine city wide records.


    ¡°Five.¡±


    That would still earn him a total of ten Warrior Tokens.


    ¡°Four.¡±


    Counting the tokens that he had earned the day before, he would have the same number of Warrior Tokens as Yuri.


    ¡°Three.¡±


    Even if his situation was bad, at least it was better than Cecilia¡¯s.


    ¡°Two.¡±


    But only if he managed to complete the Trials with perfection.


    ¡°One.¡±


    So, when Alnea saw the curtain of light shattering into tiny pieces, dissipating into his surroundings, and a bright white light erupting from the darkness, dying the world in its colour, he suppressed all of his thoughts to the bottom of his Heart, readying himself for what he was about to face. A blood red figure with no apparent features. A man with no eyes, nose, mouth, or ears. A Blood Shadow. Except, it was not just a Blood Shadow. It was a Blood Shadow that could use Aspects.


    Just like with the Martial Style Trials, what was being tested in the Aspect Trials was his command over his Aspects. Going by that logic, he could understand why the Trials had been designed so. After all, only if he could command his Aspects without the help of Martial Styles created by other Wanderers would he be able to create his own Martial Style. And only when he fought other Wanderers using just pure Aspects, would he be able to better understand where he lacked.


    On second thought, the Trials were more like personalised guidance from higher ranked Wanderers. One of the many hidden benefits of the Lost City. No wonder those people on the streets, even when being reduced to a wretched state, kept on striving for a ray of hope to extend their stay in the city. Even if it meant risking their lives and bearing a certain amount of humiliation. In the face of their future, in the face of the probability to being promoted to True Wanderers, and maybe even Mystic Wanderers, who would not be willing to risk it all?


    Fortunately, with his strength, an Initial Stage Blood Shadow, especially one at just the first level, did not pose too much of a threat. Still, he could not afford to be careless. Even if he could not break a record in the first trial, he could at least try to do his best. Making up his mind in the time it took for the Blood Shadow to take a solid form, Alnea urged his Aspect, the very first one he had tamed, to surge out of his body.


    A golden shell, with a black core¡­ It was the Aspect that revealed the colour of his Heart. It was the Aspect that had promised to become his sword and help him protect his Heart. Protect the people he loved. Even if the Blood Shadow was not threatening those people, by becoming his enemy, the Blood Shadow had already offended the Aspect. Roaring in defiance, and indignance, the Aspect¡ª


    Alnea reigned in his Aspect before it could run out of his control, and rush towards his enemy. Without the help of his sword, commanding the Aspect to taken on a stable form was harder than he had thought it would be. Lacking a central concept to command his Aspect did not help either. In the end, despite all his effort, all that the Aspect could form was a thick stick, with no sharp edges¡­


    Forget it, Alnea thought. It was, what it was. Gripping the stick as if it was a sword, his sword, he leaned forward, and used gravity to help himself launch towards his enemy, slashing his sword at the Blood Shadow just before they met in a way that made it seem as if he was unsheathing his sword. The Blood Shadow was not just standing still though.


    In time that Alnea coalesced his Aspect into his sword, and rushed towards the Blood Shadow, the Blood Shadow itself successfully urged his Aspect to form a sword of its own. It was as if the Trial Space knew that he would be using a sword Aspect¡­ Or maybe, it just copied his Aspect the moment it surged out of his body. It did have a strikingly similar contrast¡ªa blood red outer shell, with a black core.


    Even if the Aspect was copied though, the Blood Shadow used the Aspect much more easily than Alnea. At the very least, it did not face any problems in shaping its Aspect into the form a sword¡ªa true sword, with sharp edges, and an even sharper tip¡ª in the fraction of a moment and placing it directly in the path that Alnea was taking to reach the Blood Shadow.


    Facing the blood red tip of the sword coming closer, and closer to his head, for a moment, Alnea wondered what would happen if he let himself get stabbed by the sword. Would the trial space ensure his safety? Or would it heal him after he was defeated? Could such a wound even be healed in the first place? Maybe, the trial space itself was not real. Maybe, it was just a virtual space, like the ¡®Mirror World¡¯. Maybe¡­


    Alnea, with no intention to confirm his errant thoughts, suppressed them into the depths of his Heart before they could interfere with the control of his Aspect. At the same time, he also slowed down his steps by a beat while shifting his body, tilting it towards his right just enough for the Blood Shadow¡¯s sword to pass below his left shoulders. It made his own sword¡¯s arc miss the Blood Shadow by half an inch, but that was enough.


    Timing his step perfectly, Alnea took a step forward when the arc of his sword reached the Blood Shadow¡¯s chest, piercing its Heart in the next moment. Just to be sure, he gave his sword a little twist, completely crushing the Blood Shadow¡¯s Heart before it could make a counterattack. He was far too close to the Blood Shadow¡¯s sword after all. A slight misstep or carelessness was enough to ruin his chance of a perfect clearance.


    Thankfully, the Blood Shadow was not too persistent in staying alive. Or maybe the injury was just too fatal. In any case, blood Shadow soon shattered into countless tiny shards of blood red light, before dissipating back into the white world just moments after it had taken form, prompting the trial space to bring him back to the black, dark world.

 Chapter 19: Aspect Trials[Part 2]

    ¡°Congratulations, Blood Soldier N 06 08499, for passing the first level of the Initial Stage Aspect Trial.¡±


    ¡°You have cleared the Trial perfectly.¡±


    ¡°Time taken to defeat your opponent: Two seconds.¡±


    ¡°Moves made to defeat your opponent: One.¡±


    ¡°Aspects used: One.¡±


    ¡°Records broken: None.¡±


    ¡°Perfect clearance of Trials: One.¡±


    ¡°Blood Soldier N 06 08499, you have been rewarded with ten Blood Coins.¡±


    ¡°Do you wish to continue with the Trials, or do you wish to leave the Trial Space?¡±


    ¡°Reminder: Regardless of how many Trials you challenge, you will have to pay ten Blood Coins every time you enter the Initial Stage Trial Space.¡±


    Alnea sighed in relief, as he let go of his cheerful Aspect, allowing it to return back to its Aspect Well. Defeating the Blood Shadow may have seemed easy, but that was because the Blood Shadow itself was too weak. A first level Initial Stage Blood Shadow was barely a little stronger than a Peak Seed Ranked Wanderer. Even against such an opponent, he had to be on his toes at every moment¡­


    And that was the case when there was only Blood Shadow. From his experience in the Martial Style Trials, and from what the girls had said, he knew that not only were the Blood Shadows going to be stronger, but he would also have to deal with one more Blood Shadow with every increase in the level of the Trials. There was nothing he could do though, except face the Trials one by one. Or maybe he could¡­


    ¡°I passed the Trials on my own.¡±


    ¡°Did you break any records?¡±


    ¡°¡­Speak human language, please.¡±


    ¡°¡­It¡¯s not that hard.¡±


    ¡°For you. After you set a new record, breaking it has become impossible.¡±


    ¡°So, you admit that you cannot beat me,¡± Yuri said, deliberately adding a hint of laughter and amusement in her words. But only for a moment. ¡°¡­Did you figure out the key to the Trials?¡±


    ¡°¡­Almost.¡±


    ¡°¡­This is important, Alnea. I did not say anything earlier because I knew that breaking records in the first Trial was impossible. But things will be different from the second Trial onwards. If you know the key to the Trials, then breaking the records will not be too hard. But only if you know the key to the Trials. If not, then let alone breaking records, you might even end up losing the perfect clearance rewards.¡±


    ¡°¡­I almost have the idea. I just need to confirm it in the second trial.¡±


    ¡°¡­Fine. But only this once. If have still not figured out the key after the second trial, then you will stop being stubborn.¡±


    ¡°¡­Alright.¡±


    ¡°And make sure you get a perfect clearance.¡±


    ¡°I will.¡±


    Gaining perfect clearance of the trials in itself was not too hard. Gaining a perfect clearance while also breaking a record¡­ If the key to the Martial Style Trials was proficiency in Martial Styles, then logically, the key to the Aspect Trials should be proficiency in usage of Aspects. But that logic would only hold up if his assumptions were correct. Proficiency¡­ fighting skills¡­ using Aspects without relying on Martial Styles¡­ without relying on the concepts of Martial Styles¡­


    In the first place, Aspects themselves were inextricably linked with all sorts of concepts. Be it protecting his Heart, or helping him guard against his enemies, each of his Aspects came with their own concepts. The role of Martial Styles was to bind those concepts together, allowing him to use multiple Aspects at the same time. To ensure that his Aspects would not clash with each other.


    He was allowed to use only one Aspect though, so there was no risk of his Aspects clashing with each other, eliminating the need for Martial Styles. In that case, not using Martial Styles should not mean refraining from using the concept of his Aspects¡­ probably. Having experienced what brute forcing his way with his Aspect felt like, he was almost sure that he had understood the key to the Aspect Trials. Almost.


    There was still a chance that he was wrong, but it was risk he was willing to take. Even if he was wrong, he could make up for his mistakes from the third level of the Trials. If he was right though¡­ Suppressing the image of an amazed Yuri and shocked Cecilia to the bottom of his Heart, Alnea tore himself away from his fantasies, and chose to begin the trial.


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    ¡°Defeat two second level Initial Stage Blood Shadows.¡±


    ¡°Powers outside of the path of Warriors are forbidden.¡±


    ¡°Usage of Martial Styles is forbidden.¡±


    ¡°Usage of weapons, other than those formed by your Aspects, is forbidden.¡±


    ¡°You can use only one Aspect.¡±


    ¡°Using more than one Aspect will disqualify you from the trial.¡±


    ¡°Perfect clearance condition: Defeating the Blood Shadows without getting injured.¡±


    ¡°Record one: Defeating the Blood Shadows in three seconds.¡±


    ¡°Record two: Defeating the Blood Shadows in one move.¡±


    ¡°Record three: Defeating the Blood Shadows without using any Aspects.¡±


    ¡­Another set of unreasonable records.


    ¡°Your Trial will begin at the count of sixty.¡±


    Defeating two Blood Shadows in less than three seconds was not too hard.


    ¡°¡­Ten.¡±


    But defeating two Blood Shadows with just one Aspect, and without any Martial Styles¡­


    ¡°Nine.¡±


    As for the other records¡­


    ¡°Eight.¡±


    Defeating the Blood Shadows without even making a move¡­


    ¡°Seven.¡±


    How was Yuri so sure that he could break these records?


    ¡°Six.¡±


    ¡­Forget it.


    ¡°Five.¡±


    A trial was just a trial.


    ¡°Four.¡±


    It would be best if he could break the records.


    ¡°Three.¡±


    If not, he could at least test out his ideas.


    ¡°Two.¡±


    At the same time, he could also exercise his control over his Aspect¡­


    ¡°One.¡±


    All things considered, even the worst case scenario would not be entirely unacceptable. But that was only if he gave his best in the trial. So, once again suppressing all his excess thoughts to the bottom of his Heart, Alnea concentrated on the Blood Shadows taking form in front of his eyes. One to his left, and one to his right. One dark as night, and one shining in a blood red light. Two different Aspects¡­


    Instead of rushing towards the Blood Shadows, as he had done in the previous trial, Alnea stood his ground. He did not even urge his Aspects, waiting for the Blood Shadows to make the first move. And they did not disappoint him. Wrapping themselves in the light of their Aspects, they rushed towards him. Literally.


    The Blood Shadows were so fast, that Alnea almost failed to react to their movements for a moment. Not because they were faster than him, but because their movements were far faster than the Blood Shadows he had faced in the Martial Style Trials. Physically enhancing Aspects then, Alnea noted, as he jumped back to avoid the relentless assault of the Blood Shadows.


    Thankfully, the Blood Shadows were also restricted from using Martial Styles. Still, their cooperation was just as good as ever. Coupled with their enhanced strength and speed, dealing with them was much harder than it was in the Martial Style Trials. Or maybe not, Alnea noted once again, dodging a blood red fist from his left, while watching the black Blood Shadow shift its position, trying to box him out once again.


    To be sure, Alnea decided to observe the Blood Shadows for a more rounds. And just as he had expected, no matter how he moved, or dodged their attacks, the Blood Shadows never attacked him all at once. Or rather, they never got the chance to attack him at once. It was as if their main focus was not to defeat him, but to corner him¡­ To force him into a desperate situation¡­ To guide him¡­ Even in the Martial Style Trials¡­


    The attack patterns, which had seemed so strange and mechanical to him before, were not so strange anymore. With a grin on his face, Alnea rolled towards his left to dodge a black fist coming for his head, before quickly urging his Aspect. Not the one he had used in the previous trial, but still one that could take the from of a sword. Just one with a little lower strength, one which he could control more easily.


    It was, after all, a sword overflowing with his emotions. A sword, that responded to his calls, just as it responded to his memories. It was not the sword closest to the core of his Heart, but of the ten types of swords he could command, it was the least aggressive sword. Still, it was a sword, nonetheless. A sword that resonated with his Heart. And a sword that could kill just as easily as the other swords did, if he so wished it.


    Soothing his sword, drowning in its silverish blue hue, Alnea extended it out his right hand without even confirming the position of his enemies. Be it the attack patterns that he had predicted, or the call of his sword, both of them were telling him where his enemies were. The sound of his sword parting the inexistent flesh of the Blood Shadows and the tremors passing through his sword on the other hand, told him that his trust was not blind. But¡­


    Of the two tremors he felt, one was more prominent than the other. A result that made him frown for a fraction of a moment. The second tremor¡­ Gritting his teeth, Alnea poured more Oren into the sword in his hand, urging it to increase in length. And it did increase in length, even if not as much as he had expected it to. The resistance it was facing¡­


    Fortunately, the change in his sword, small as it was, was enough to defeat the Blood Shadows. With the sound of glasses shattering into pieces, the Blood Shadows shattered into countless tiny shards, dissipating into the white world, urging the darkness within the white world to come forth once again, and reveal the fruits of his gamble.


    ¡°Congratulations, Blood Soldier N 06 08499, for passing the second level of the Initial Stage Aspect Trial.¡±


    ¡°You have cleared the Trial perfectly.¡±


    ¡°Time taken to defeat your opponent: Thirty two seconds.¡±


    ¡°Moves made to defeat your opponent: One.¡±


    ¡°Aspects used: One.¡±


    ¡°Records broken: None.¡±


    ¡°Perfect clearance of Trials: Two.¡±


    ¡°Blood Soldier N 06 08499, you have been rewarded with twenty Blood Coins.¡±


    ¡°Do you wish to continue with the Trials, or do you wish to leave the Trial Space?¡±


    ¡°Reminder: Regardless of how many Trials you challenge, you will have to pay ten Blood Coins every time you enter the Initial Stage Trial Space.¡±

 Chapter 19: Aspect Trials[Part 3]

    Glancing at the blood red curtain of light floating in front of him, Alnea finally let out a sigh of relief. Although he would not have lost much if he was disqualified, just imagining the smug look on Cecilia¡¯s face and the amused look on Yuri¡¯s face was enough to make him feel uncomfortable. Refusing their help, only to end up going back to ask for their help once again¡­ Thankfully, his guess was right.


    ¡°The concept of Aspects¡­¡± Alnea said, replaying the fight in his mind all over again. ¡°The key to the Aspect Trials is adapting to the concepts of our Aspects, right?¡±


    ¡°¡­You can say that,¡± Yuri said, not showing any disappointment in her voice. ¡°Did you break any records?¡±


    ¡°¡­I was just confirming my guess this time,¡± Alnea said, trying not to show any embarrassment in his voice. ¡°Besides, are these records really something that can be broken?¡±


    ¡°I did it.¡±


    ¡°¡­I guess I could have broken the record for time. But then, I would not have confirmed my guess.¡±


    ¡°Cecilia broke the records too.¡±


    ¡°About that¡­ How exactly did she do it? How did she defeat the two Blood Shadows without using her own Aspects?¡±


    ¡°Just like how we defeated them in the Martial Style Trials.¡±


    ¡°But these Blood Shadows are different.¡±


    ¡°Just because they are using their Aspects?¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t that enough?¡±


    ¡°¡­You should not underestimate Cecilia. The fact that you have not overtaken her, despite the advantages of special Roots, is a testament to how hard she has been working.¡±


    ¡°¡­I have been working hard too,¡± Alnea mumbled, before returning to his usual voice. ¡°This time, I will definitely break some records.¡±


    ¡°¡­Be careful.¡±


    ¡°I will,¡± Alnea added, before shifting his focus back to the blood red curtain of light floating in front of him and choosing to begin the third level of the Trial.


    ¡°Defeat three third level Initial Stage Blood Shadows.¡±


    ¡°Powers outside of the path of Warriors are forbidden.¡±


    ¡°Usage of Martial Styles is forbidden.¡±


    ¡°Usage of weapons, other than those formed by your Aspects, is forbidden.¡±


    ¡°You can use only one Aspect.¡±


    ¡°Using more than one Aspect will disqualify you from the trial.¡±


    ¡°Perfect clearance condition: Defeating the Blood Shadows without getting injured.¡±


    ¡°Record one: Defeating the Blood Shadows in five seconds.¡±


    ¡°Record two: Defeating the Blood Shadows in two moves.¡±


    ¡°Record three: Defeating the Blood Shadows without using any Aspects.¡±


    ¡­Those records looked much more achievable.


    ¡°Your Trial will begin at the count of sixty.¡±


    At least the record for defeating the Blood Shadows in the least moves possible was something he could achieve.


    ¡°¡­Three.¡±


    It would be hard, and tiring, asking him to put in almost superhuman amount of effort.


    ¡°Two.¡±


    But that was the last thing that he was afraid of. Working hard.


    ¡°One.¡±


    Exhaling a heavy breath, Alnea suppressed his thoughts to the bottom of his Heart, as he shifted his focus to the world around him. To the darkness, that was soon filled with a bright white light, and to the Blood Shadows forming in front of him. Three, as promised by the Trial Space, all bearing their own Aspects. One carrying a blood red sword, one covering its fist in a black light, and one overing its leg in a purple light. One focussing on lethality, one focussing on power, and one focussing on speed.


    On their own, the Blood Shadows were easy to deal with. When grouped together though¡­ They had a way of cooperating with each other that only Wanderers who had trained together for years, experiencing countless life and death trials, could hope to achieve. Though they might be just third level Initial Stage Blood Shadows, even Intermediate Stage False Wanderers would have a hard time dealing with them.


    Unless they gave up on breaking the records, of course, focussing solely on taking down Blood Shadows with all their strength. Even then, whether or not they could clear the trial perfectly would depend solely on Ilea¡¯s mood. But that was the case with other Wanderers.


    For Alnea, the Blood Shadows were just a bit more challenging. And he was never one to be afraid of challenges. Or be careless. A habit that he had learned after experiencing the breath of death. So, even if the Blood Shadows looked weak, and vulnerable, he did not rush in towards them. Rather, he kept maintaining his distance from them, matching them for every step they took, while trying to figure out their attack patterns.


    The Blood Shadow shining in a purple light was obviously the fastest of the three Blood Shadows. Naturally, it was also serving as their vanguard, constantly advancing towards him in an aggressive and menacing manner. Yet, no matter how fast it was, it made sure to never leave its companions too far behind, preferring to give up the chance to take down its enemy rather than breaking their formation.


    The Blood Shadow covering its fist in a black light, on the other hand, was serving as the back up of the first Blood Shadow, advancing towards its companion rather than towards its enemy, ready to provide cover for both of its companions whenever they needed it. Even when Alnea passed by its side, with barely three hands distance between them, the Blood Shadow still chose to remain in its formation rather than chasing after him.


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    Only the third Blood Shadow, the one with a blood red sword, was a little different. It too stayed in their formation, but instead of supporting its companions, it preferred advancing towards its enemy. Rather, from a certain perspective, it looked as if the actions of the other two Blood Shadows were to create opportunities for the third Blood Shadow to launch its finishing moves¡­


    It was all just his speculation though. So, to be sure, Alnea stopped retreating, and advanced towards the Blood Shadows instead. In a controlled manner, of course, taking the steps and actions of the Blood Shadows into account. Ducking down to dodge a kick towards his head, he rolled forwards, only to push on the ground, and jump towards his right to avoid a punch aiming for the gap between him and the first Blood Shadow.


    Coincidentally, the direction he jumped in was also the direction that the last Blood Shadow was rushing in from, slashing its sword to cut down his head. Thankfully, the Blood Shadow was not gifted physically, and was not using its Aspects to enhance its speed either, allowing Alnea to tilt his body backwards to escape the sword passing right in front of his eyes.


    The Blood Shadow was not a one trick pony though. Having failed in its first attack, it was bound to follow up with another attack. And Alnea was not willing to gamble whether he could dodge another attack while being so close to the Blood Shadow. Not to mention the fact that the other two Blood Shadows had almost caught up with him. Besides, he had already confirmed their attack pattern.


    Different from the Blood Shadows in the Martial Style Trials, these Blood Shadows were all unique in their own ways, each playing their own part in the formation, making it more aggressive, and dangerous. Yet, at the same time, the rigidity in their formation also made it easier for him to break through their attacks.


    Calculating the risks and gains involved in his actions, Alnea gritted his teeth, and chose to shift his step towards second Blood Shadow, trapping himself in between the three Blood Shadows. A strange move, which would have made any Wanderer think if there was something wrong with his head. But his enemies were not other Wanderers. They were Blood Shadows.


    As entities created by the Trial Space, the Blood Shadows could not understand his actions. They did not need to understand his actions. They had only one job, to complete their role in the formation. And they did their job perfectly. Their vanguard, the one with its leg wrapped in purple light, rushed towards him, sending kick towards his chest. Probably to push him towards the sword aiming for his back.


    Similarly, the second Blood Shadow, the one with its fist wrapped in a black light, punched towards his face, cutting off another path of escape. At the same time, the space between the Blood Shadows was not enough for him to dodge their moves. Coupled with the sword coming at his back¡­ he truly had nowhere left to move.


    In the situation that he was in, there was no way for him to break the records. And if he did not block the attacks coming for him, his chances of clearing the trial perfectly were going to vanish as well. Understanding the folly of his moves, Alnea gave up moving altogether. He just stood there, looking at the Blood Shadows in a daze. He, Alnea Oathkeeper, was going to fail once again¡ª


    The sword, shining in a blood red light, passed through Alnea¡¯s chest as if it was just water¡ª


    No, it was not just the sword. Even the kick and the punch¡ªRather, the three Blood Shadows, rushing in with all their strength, all passed through ¡®Alnea¡¯, and collided with each other. As did their Aspects. Blood red, black, and purple lights, shining along with the Blood Shadows, burst with all their strength, dyeing everything around them in their colour. Everything, except a small anomaly just two feet away from them.


    Whether it was the colour of the Aspects dyeing the trial space, or the shockwave of the explosion released from the collision of the Aspects, when they reached some two feet away from the Blood Shadows, they were met with cover of another Aspect shielding its master, creating ripples over its surface. After all, no matter how strong the explosion of three Aspects getting out of control was, when scattered in all direction, its might was not enough to destroy the cover of another Aspect perfectly in synchronisation with its master.


    Still, the shockwaves were enough to reveal presence of the cover. And destroy the Blood Shadows. Even before the aftermaths of the explosion could subside, the Blood Shadows had already begun disintegrating into tiny shards. No matter how he saw it, the trial was as good as over. As such, Alnea finally stopped hiding, and urged his Aspect to release its illusion.


    Illusion¡­ He had already shown his talent in illusions with his Arcanas, so he was not surprised when he tamed an Aspect with the concept of illusion the week before. On the contrary, he was surprised that he had never came across such an Aspect before. Except the naughty Aspect which had tricked him with its lies, of course. But that Aspect was focussed more on lies and disguise, rather than illusions.


    The Aspect he was using at the moment was focussed more on creating illusions. Not the psychological or auditory illusions, like his Arcanas, but illusions based on what others could see and feel. Illusions based on ¡®Light¡¯ and ¡®Action¡¯. Unfortunately, the illusions that the Aspect could create were not too powerful. At best, they could only be used for hiding himself. After all, what better way there could be for protecting other than hiding?


    Creating a shield, while also creating an illusion, apparently, Alnea noted with a chuckle. His Aspects¡­ they were all unique and weird in their own ways. Fortunately, they were also very reliable. At least they had not disappointed him yet. It was his first time using the Aspect he had tamed nearly a week ago, so he was not sure how well it would be able to protect him. After all, it was a little different from his other Aspects. But it looked like he had been thinking too much.


    An Aspect carrying the concept of ¡®Action¡¯, even if only partly, was not an Aspect that could be looked down upon. Especially in his hands. The resonance of his Roots and his Aspect was enough to boost the performance of his Aspect by at least one to two tenths of its normal effectiveness. Even if it the shield it formed was not comparable to his other defensive Aspects, it was enough to protect him against the shockwaves produced by collision of enemies a whole stage lower than him.


    Praising the Aspect for its performance, and promising to play with later in the day, Alnea urged his Aspect to return back to its Aspect Well, just as the final aftermath of the collision faded away, revealing the last shards of the Blood Shadows dissipating back into the Trial Space. Moments later, the bright white light of the Trial Space also faded away, leaving just Alnea, and a blood red curtain of light floating in darkness.


    ¡°Congratulations, Blood Soldier N 06 08499, for passing the third level of the Initial Stage Aspect Trial.¡±


    ¡°You have cleared the Trial perfectly.¡±


    ¡°Time taken to defeat your opponent: Ninety seven seconds.¡±


    ¡°Moves made to defeat your opponent: None.¡±


    ¡°Detecting error in the records of the Warrior Hall.¡±


    ¡°Defeating Blood Shadows without making any moves is deemed impossible.¡±


    ¡°Disengaging from normal review of the trial.¡±


    ¡°Activating special review of the records of the Warrior Hall.¡±


    ¡°Please wait while the Warrior Hall reviews your record.¡±


    ¡°Review has been completed.¡±


    ¡°Review has passed.¡±


    ¡°Determining rewards for the special situation.¡±


    ¡°Rewards have been determined.¡±


    ¡°Records have been filed in the database for future reference.¡±


    ¡°Congratulations, Blood Soldier N 06 08499, for creating an unbreakable record, and leaving behind your mark in the annals of the Lost City.¡±


    ¡°Resuming normal review of the trial.¡±


    ¡°You have cleared the Trial perfectly.¡±


    ¡°Time taken to defeat your opponents: Ninety seven seconds.¡±


    ¡°Moves made to defeat your opponent: None.¡±


    ¡°Aspects used: One.¡±


    ¡°Records broken: One.¡±


    ¡°Perfect clearance of Trials: Three.¡±


    ¡°Blood Soldier N 06 08499, you have been rewarded with one hundred Blood Coins and two Martial Style Medals.¡±


    ¡°Do you wish to continue with the Trials, or do you wish to leave the Trial Space?¡±


    ¡°Reminder: Regardless of how many Trials you challenge, you will have to pay ten Blood Coins every time you enter the Initial Stage Trial Space.¡±

 Chapter 20: Rewards [Part 1]

    ¡°How many Martial Style Medals did you win?¡± Cecilia said, looking at Alnea with a strange gleam in her eyes, trying her best not to let her overflowing excitement leak into her voice, or her face. Not with much success, apparently. But she was too excited to notice her state. Or maybe she just did not care.


    ¡°¡­We will know once we get our medals,¡± Alnea said with a blank face, doing much better in supressing his emotions in his Heart than Cecilia. With a little help of his Aspects, of course, but that did not matter. Even if the girls knew that he was cheating, they could do nothing about it.


    ¡°This is not fair,¡± Cecilia said, pouting to show her displeasure, as she turned towards Yuri for help. Yet even Yuri could only shake her head helplessly.


    ¡°Do not look at me like that,¡± she said. ¡°He did not tell me either.¡±


    ¡°Like I said, you will know how many Martial Style Medals I earned when we retrieve them from the Warrior Hall¡¯s counter.¡±


    ¡°¡­Isn¡¯t it just eight or nine medals?¡± Cecilia said, clicking her tongue in annoyance. ¡°What¡¯s there to be so mysterious about?¡±


    ¡°¡­You will know in a while,¡± Alnea said, with the edge of his lips uplifting in a smile, as they entered the main lobby of the Blood Hall. It was bustling as ever, filled with more than a hundred Wanderers, all going about their own way without interfering with each other. That was until a few of them spotted Alnea and the girls.


    ¡°Is that¡­¡±


    ¡°The kids from yesterday¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­monsters¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­I heard¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­in the Arena¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­challenge the Lotus clan¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­fools¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­overconfident¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­not our problem¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­another trial?¡±


    ¡°¡­no way¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­should we¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­let¡¯s take a look¡­¡±


    So much for keeping a low profile, Alnea thought. He had already given up on being inconspicuous when he had challenged the Lotus clan in the Arena, but it had only been a day since they had issued the challenge. The spread of information in the city was much faster than he expected it to be. Not that he was complaining. The faster that the information spread, the sooner the Lotus clan would react. Maybe, they had already begun taking their action, sending people to challenge him in the Arena¡­


    Lost in his thoughts, Alnea soon joined the queue of the Warrior Hall with the girls, prompting the other Wanderers in the hall to gather around the counter of the Warrior Hall. There was nothing he could do about these Wanderers though. After all, they had not broken any rules. Besides, the whispers and murmurs of these Wanderers were also a good source of information¡­


    ¡°You are back,¡± Tia said, welcoming Alnea and the girls with a smile. ¡°How did the Trials go? Are the results up to your expectations?¡±


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you help us check it out,¡± Alnea said, handing his Blood Card, along with the Blood Cards of the girls, to the Wanderer.


    ¡°¡­You sure do look confident,¡± Tia said, with her smile widening in approval, and anticipation. Nodding at him and the girls, she placed their cards on the black box in front of her one by one, reading their information. And the more she read, the wider her smile became. Until she read Alnea¡¯s Blood Card.


    ¡°¡­You sure gave me a surprise, little brother,¡± Tia said after a while, when she managed to tear her eyes away from the black box in front of her, looking at Alnea with a complicated gaze. One filled with shock and confusion, but also teeming with hope and anticipation at the same time.


    ¡°¡­It¡¯s Alnea.¡±


    ¡°¡­Right, Alnea,¡± Tia said, hurriedly reigning her emotions in, leaving just a smile on her face. A bright and shining smile. ¡°Forgive me, I was just too shocked for a moment.¡±


    ¡°¡­I understand, but I hope that you will not call me little in the future.¡±


    ¡°Of course,¡± Tia said, dropping her smile for a solemn look. ¡°Now, if you will excuse me, I still have to bring all your Warrior Medals, and complete the procedure.¡±


    ¡°Of course,¡± Alnea said nodding back in return, while Cecilia and Yuri stared at him in confusion.


    ¡°¡­What kind of surprise did you give her?¡± Cecilia said, looking warily at the woman rummaging in the cupboard behind the counter.


    ¡°¡­Did you discover something in the Trial?¡± Yuri added, glancing at the black and the Blood Cards that Tia had left at the counter.


    ¡°Maybe,¡± Alnea said, smiling at the girls. ¡°You will know in a while.¡±


    ¡°¡­Stingy,¡± Cecilia said, turning her head away from him in dissatisfaction, prompting him to let out a laugh, while Yuri just looked at him with pursed lips.


    ¡°¡­I always thought Alnea would never hide anything from me. That he was a true friend¡­¡± Yuri said through their rings, trying to sound as if she was talking to herself.


    ¡°I told you, you can never trust a man,¡± said Fae, jumping in between to add fuel to the fire. ¡°Let us just stop talking with him.¡±


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    ¡°He was never up to any good anyway,¡± Evi added. ¡°It is best if you deprive him of his authority, and choose a new, reliable partner for me.¡±


    ¡°Shut up, Evi,¡± Alnea said, wishing that he could punch the arrogant ring. And for once, he was not alone in his dissatisfaction with the stupid ring.


    ¡°Who asked for your opinion?¡± Fae said, humming in annoyance. ¡°You are just as annoying as the kid.¡±


    ¡°¡­I am not hiding things from you,¡± Alnea said, ignoring the rings, while trying to subdue his headache. ¡°It is just a surprise that I have prepared for you.¡±


    ¡°Maybe,¡± Yuri said. ¡°But all I know is that you are hiding things from me¡­ What should I ever do?¡±


    ¡°¡­How about praising me?¡±


    ¡°¡­You have become even more shameless than before.¡±


    ¡°Thank you for the complement,¡± Alnea said, adding in his laughter. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. You know most of what I encountered in the Trials anyway. There is just one tiny little detail that I did not tell you.¡±


    ¡°¡­Is it related to how you defeated the Blood Shadows without making any moves in the third and fourth trial?¡±


    ¡°Why are you always so intuitive?¡±


    ¡°¡­Who knows?¡±


    ¡°¡­This is blatant revenge.¡±


    ¡°When did you become so intuitive?¡± Yuri said, adding in her laughter, completing her revenge. Thankfully, Tia finally returned back to the counter at that moment, spelling an end to their game.


    ¡°Let us begin the same way we did last time,¡± Tia said, dumping a bunch of Martial Style Medals on the counter, making the crowd burst with exclamations and speculations.


    ¡°¡­How many Martial Style Medals did these monsters earn?¡±


    ¡°¡­Are they going to empty the coffers of the city?¡±


    ¡°¡­The city¡¯s coffers are not so easy to empty¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­Still, just look at those medals¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­more than twenty¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­I think about thirty¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­before that, I think we should check out the new records¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­Fuck!¡±


    ¡°¡­Cretes¡¯ damnation¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­these kids will not let us live in peace¡­¡±


    ¡°Perfectly clearing all ten Trials and breaking nine city wide records. Ten Martial Style Medals in total,¡± Tia said, handing ten tokens and her Blood Card to Cecilia. ¡°Is that right?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right,¡± Cecilia said, stuffing the tokens into the pouch hanging by her waist, with a hint of pride on her face. ¡°Exactly ten Martial Style Medals.¡±


    ¡°¡­ten medals¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­I remember she had earned only one medal yesterday¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­just some luck¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­Can someone earn ten medals with just some luck?¡±


    ¡°¡­stupid¡­¡±


    ¡°Good,¡± Tia said, ignoring the crowd around them, before turning towards Yuri. ¡°Then next, it is your turn.¡±


    ¡°I am fine with it,¡± Yuri said, nodding in acquiescence.


    ¡°Perfectly clearing all ten Trials and breaking ten city wide records. Eleven Martial Style Medals. Is that right?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right,¡± Yuri said, putting her Martial Style Tokens away with grace. ¡°Eleven Martial Style Medals.¡±


    ¡°¡­eleven Martial Style Medals¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­Cretes¡¯ beard¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­is this even possible?¡±


    ¡°¡­just how many¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­the records!¡±


    ¡°¡­nineteen records¡­¡±


    Ignoring the whispering crowd, Tia glanced at the last pile of Martial Style Tokens, before turning back Yuri, and said, ¡°Yours is already the best result that I have ever seen anyone achieve in any kind of trials. It is also the best result that I thought was possible. That was until I saw little¡ªAlnea¡¯s results.¡±


    Tia¡¯s voice may not have been loud, but it was loud enough for the Wanderers around them to hear what she was saying, piquing their interest even more than before. Even if they could not understand what she was saying, just from her tone itself, they could guess that the boy must have done something remarkable. Something enough for the True Wanderer to put on solemn look.


    ¡°To be honest, I still cannot believe that something like this is possible. Yet, the information of the Warrior Hall cannot lie. I do not know how you did it, but you have achieved something unprecedented. Something that will leave your mark in the city for all the time to come. Even if they forget your name, your legends will never fade.¡±


    The more that Tia said, the greater the shock of the Wanderers became, soon engulfing the Blood Hall in a strange, and eerie silence. The implications of her words¡­


    ¡°¡­What exactly did you do?¡± Cecilia whispered.


    ¡°¡­What has happened, has already happened,¡± Alnea whispered back, subduing the unease bubbling in his chest. Although he did not like seeing Cecilia worried, the way that Tia was talking was giving him enough things to worry about himself. Especially the look on her face¡­ ¡°I am assuming that there is a but.¡±


    ¡°¡­But that is something that will happen in the distant future,¡± Tia said, sighing with worry. ¡°From how you have not contacted your clans, I can guess that either you do not wish to rely on your clans, or you do not have any elders of your clan in the city. In either case, right now, you are by yourselves. And in the eyes of all the Wanderers in the city, even those Wanderers with the backing of Grand clans are nothing more than just pawns to further themselves in the city, let alone some three lone Wanderers.


    ¡°Earlier, although the strength you showed was good, it was only to an extent that the other clans would try to woo you into their camps, but not to an extent that they had to have you at any cost. After they learn of what you did though¡­ I am happy that you can achieve something so remarkable, but being in the limelight is not always a good thing. Especially in a place like the Lost City.¡±


    ¡°¡­Are things so serious?¡±


    ¡°¡­What is the most precious thing in the Lost City?¡±


    ¡°¡­Blood Coins?¡±


    ¡°¡­Try again.¡±


    ¡°¡­Trust?¡±


    ¡°¡­It is the legacy from the Age of Gods.¡±


    ¡°What does the legacy have to do with me?¡±


    ¡°Nothing. But you must know, what you have achieved is something that no one in the city has ever achieved. Forcing the city to reorganise its rules¡­ You might not have gained the legacy of the city right now, but who can say anything about the future? Even if there is just a minute possibility of such an eventuality¡­ they cannot afford to gamble with this opportunity.¡±


    The more that Alnea listened to Tia, the more the uneasiness in his chest kept growing. Legacy from the Age of Gods¡­ Why did it sound like after the Lotus clan, the entire Fifth Sector might be coming after him?


    ¡°¡­Don¡¯t worry,¡± Yuri said, slipping her hand into his, while looking at him with a confident smile. ¡°You are not alone.¡±


    ¡°¡­I still want to know what exactly did you do,¡± Cecilia mumbled, but showed no signs of worries, or panic. It was as if what Tia said about all the Wanderers of the city coming after them had nothing to do with her. ¡°Did you find a way to earn even more Martial Style Medals?¡±


    ¡­She was not wrong.


    ¡°Poros¡¯ skin! I knew I should not have listened to you. If only I went through the Trials after you, I might have earned even more tokens.¡±


    ¡­Was she still thinking about Martial Style Tokens? Just how fearless was she? Then again, why was he overthinking so much. He already had an entire Heterodoxy after him. So what if he gained a few mor enemies? It was not as if they could send True or Mystic Wanderers after him in the city. As long as they played within the rules, Alnea was not afraid of anyone. And if they dared to break the rules, it was not him they would have to deal with.


    ¡°¡­I understand. Can I have my Martial Style Medals now?¡±

 Chapter 20: Rewards [Part 2]

    Tia stared at Alnea in silence for a couple of moments, before letting out a sigh, and bowing slight to express her sincerity.


    ¡°I apologise for stepping over my boundaries.¡±


    ¡°There is nothing¡ª


    ¡°No,¡± Tia said, shaking her head, while pointing to the Wanderers around them. ¡°Although I just warned you of the dangers that you might face, I cannot deny the fact that I have also inadvertently reminded all these Wanderers of the possibilities that you might have. If I had just given you your medals, and not spoken so much, then they would not have figured out all these details.¡±


    ¡°But they would have still made the connection after some time,¡± Alnea said, shaking his head. ¡°Although I admit that most of these Wanderers cannot think much on their own, there are still quite a few of them with a decent brain. Especially those Peak Stage False Wanderers¡­ At best, you have just brought these facts out in the open. But you have also made me aware of the dangers that I might face next. Not to mention that now these facts are out in the open, those clans would not dare to make some blatant moves. So, you do not have to apologise for anything. Rather, I have to thank you instead.¡±


    ¡°¡­Good,¡± Tia said, losing the frown on her face for a radiant smile. ¡°I was worried that the thought of facing thousands of Wanderers might put you under too much pressure, and disturb your Heart, but it looks like I was worried for nothing. You are still the same clever little brother I know.¡±


    ¡°¡­Just Alnea would be fine.¡±


    ¡°¡­I think I should hand over these tokens to you before you get any more impatient,¡± Tia said, giggling at his red face. ¡°Perfectly clearing all ten Trials, breaking eight city wide records, and establishing two unbreakable records. Eleven Martial Style Medals in total. Is that correct?¡±


    ¡°¡­Correct,¡± Alnea said, putting the tokens, and his Blood Card away, as the crowd around him slowly descended into chaos.


    ¡°¡­eleven Martial Style Medals¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­thirty records¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­forty five records in two days¡­¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not the point¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­unbreakable records¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­what does that mean?¡±


    ¡°¡­how would I know?¡±


    ¡°¡­records that cannot be broken¡­


    ¡°¡­probably¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­not so simple¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­is this what she was talking¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­unprecedented¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­legacy of the city¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­these monsters¡­¡±


    ¡°Unbreakable records¡­ Is this your surprise?¡± Yuri said, ignoring the Wanderers around them.


    ¡°¡­How is it?¡±


    ¡°¡­Next time, I would prefer if you do not give me any such surprises.¡±


    ¡°¡­How would I have known that it would cause so many troubles,¡± Alnea mumbled, just as Cecilia punched him on his shoulders.


    ¡°Next time, I am going to be the last one to take the Trials.¡±


    ¡°¡­As you wish.¡±


    ¡°¡­Although I am happy to see that three of you are still as lively as ever, I am afraid I will have to ask you to leave,¡± Tia said, interrupting them with an apologetic smile, while pointing to the queue that had accumulated behind him. ¡°There are still quite a lot of people who are waiting for their turn¡­¡±


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    ¡°¡­We understand your difficulties, Wanderer Tia,¡± Yuri said, taking the initiative of the conversation for the first time in a while. It looked like he would have to coax her when they went back to their rooms.


    ¡°We were about to leave anyway. But before that, can you tell us where and how we can book a mansion for ourselves?¡±


    Or their mansion.


    ¡°Right, with how many Blood Coins you have earned, it is indeed time for you to move into your own mansion. Not only would it be more convenient for you to train together, but it would also be much safer. Still, you cannot just waste your Blood Coins either. From as small as a few hundred square metres to as large as a thousand square metres, there are quite a few types of mansions in the city. And these are just the differences in size. There are other differences too, not to mention that you can even customize your mansion.


    ¡°In short, as long as you have enough Blood Coins, you can even design your very own mansion. If you have enough Blood Coins, that is. From what I have seen, you clearly do not have so many Blood Coins. And even if you did have so many Blood Coins, I would still suggest you look for smaller mansions. Indulging yourself in luxury is never a wise choice for Wanderers. Especially when that luxury is bought with your own life.


    ¡°Regardless, it is you three who is going to live in the mansion, so the decision will still be up to you. You should think carefully about what kind of mansion you want to live in. As for where to book your mansion, you can do it at the counter for Blood Coin Exchange and Redemption over there. They handle all the matters related to the residence of the Wanderers.


    ¡°And while we are talking about Blood Coins, we might as well talk about your Martial Style Medals too. Although it has only been few days since you came to the city, you have already earned quite a few medals. Normally, I would not have said anything about how dealt with those medals, but your situation is a bit delicate right now. The other clans will not wait for too long. You should use what little time you have to exchange those medals for resources that can quickly increase your strength.¡±


    ¡°¡­Thank you for your guidance, Wanderer Tia. And we apologise for troubling you.¡±


    ¡°There were no troubles. Rather¡­ Anyways, you can come to me if you face any troubles. I will try to help you as much as I can. Within the confines of the rules, of course.¡±


    ¡°¡­Then we thank you in advance,¡± Alnea said, bowing to the Wanderer in gratitude, before stepping away from the counter of the Warrior Hall. The queue behind them had indeed grown a bit too long. As had the crowd around them. Thankfully, even when in a crowd, the Wanderers did not stay too close to each other, giving Alnea and the girls enough room to weave their way to the counter roughly three fourth the size of the counter for the Warrior Hall.


    Blood Coin Exchange and Redemption¡­ From its name, it seemed as if the counter was responsible for quite a few things in the city. Naturally, it should also have had enough people to take care of those responsibilities. Unlike the counter of the Warrior Hall though, there was only one person manning the counter in front of them. A red robed man, donning a goatee on a round face, with thin eyes, and a large nose. It was only when he noticed how empty the space in front of the counter was that Alnea¡ª


    ¡°Pardon us for intruding on your rest,¡± Alnea said to the red robed man resting behind the counter, stepping forward before Yuri could take the lead. There was something about the man¡¯s eyes¡­ It made him look a bit sinister. In any case, Alnea did not wish for either Yuri or Cecilia to talk to the man. ¡°We wish to reserve a mansion for ourselves.¡±


    ¡°¡­Which one?¡± the man said, squinting his eyes at Alnea.


    ¡°¡­What kind of mansion are available for us to reserve from?¡±


    ¡°Three in type A, ten in type B, forty three in type C, and seventy two in type D.¡±


    ¡°¡­What is the difference between all these mansions?¡±


    ¡°You sure have a lot of questions,¡± the man said with snort, before reaching into his robe, and tossing out a spar. One similar in shape and size to the language spar that Alnea had used two days ago. The only difference between the two spars was that the spar that Alnea had just caught was red in colour and felt warm to touch.


    ¡°You do not need me to tell you how to use the crystal, do you?¡±


    ¡°¡­No need,¡± Alnea said, before extending his Spirit into the crystal. Moments later, the spar dissolved into clumps of red gas that drilled into his head, giving him all the information that he needed about the mansions.


    ¡°¡­A type D mansion, preferably near the Blood Hall, or the Blood Arena.¡±


    ¡°Size?¡±


    ¡°Three hundred square metres. Two floors.¡±


    ¡°How long are you going to reserve the mansion for?¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s start with one month for now.¡±


    ¡°When do you want the mansion?¡±


    ¡°Right away.¡±


    ¡°Are there any extra requirements?¡±


    ¡°None as of the moment.¡±


    ¡°¡­Wait for a moment,¡± the man said, as he put his Blood Card on the black box placed on the counter in front of him, just as he put a white spar, almost similar in shape and size to the one that Alnea had used just moments ago, in a conical grove on the box. A box with a groove for a spar¡­


    Quite a strange box, Alnea noted. If most of the black boxes he had noticed in the city worked as scanner, the black box in front of him was a different kind of device altogether. The red light erupting from the box, dyeing the spar in its colour also proved his thoughts that the box was of a different kind.


    ¡°¡­There are six mansions that fit your criteria,¡± the Wanderer said, picking up the crystal, and tossing it to Alnea. ¡°One near the Blood Arena, two near the Blood Hall, and three in between. The one near the Blood Arena is the most expensive, with a reserve price of three thousand Blood Coins a month. The one near the Blood Hall will cost two thousand Blood Coins. The other three are around one thousand Blood Coins, give or take. Which one do you want to reserve?¡±

 Chapter 20: Rewards [Part 3]

    Three thousand Blood Coins¡­ Even considering that it was the price for an entire month, the mansion was a hundred times more expensive than a normal room. And this was just the most basic type of mansion. After a moment of hesitation, Alnea took out his Blood Card, and glanced at his information.


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    He did have more than enough Blood Coins to reserve the mansion, but he did not know if the mansion was worth its price. After all, a Blood Coin was equivalent to a False Oren Stone. Three thousand Blood Coins¡­ In terms of Oren Stones, it would be around thirty True Oren Stones, or thirty million Orus. And that was the price for reserving the mansion for just a month. Such an expensive mansion¡­


    ¡°Why are you hesitating so much?¡± Cecilia said, while running her finger through Forne¡¯s disguised fur. ¡°Just choose one and be done with it.¡±


    ¡­As expected from the girl second in line to the Serpian throne. Though Yuri was not much better in that respect either.


    ¡°The three mansions should be roughly the same, so it does not matter which one you choose.¡±


    ¡°¡­Help me choose then,¡± Alnea said, handing the red crystal, along with the burden of decision to Yuri, earning her glare in return. ¡°We will all be living in the mansion, after all. It is only right that I get your opinion before reserving the mansion.¡±


    ¡°¡­When did you begin considering other¡¯s opinion before making your reckless ¡®decisions¡¯?¡±


    ¡°I haven¡¯t made any such ¡®decision¡¯ in a while, have I?¡±


    ¡°We all know that it is not that you do not wish to make such ¡®decisions¡¯, but that you cannot make them at all.¡±


    ¡°¡­What are you two talking about?¡±


    ¡°¡­Nothing,¡± Yuri said with a light hum, before shifting her attention to the spar in her hand and reaching out to it with her Spirit. Moments later, the spar disintegrated into lumps of red gas, which then drilled into her head, giving her information about the six mansions.


    ¡°¡­Let¡¯s go with the mansion near the Blood Hall,¡± Yuri said after a while. ¡°Although it is a little expensive, living near the Blood Hall has its own benefits.¡±


    ¡°What do you think?¡±


    ¡°As long as the place is not cramped like the other rooms, I do not have any problems with what mansion we live in.¡±


    ¡°Alright then,¡± Alnea said, nodding in acquiescence, before turning back to the squinting Wanderer. ¡°We will take the mansion near the Blood Hall.¡±


    ¡°Give me your Blood Card.¡±


    Alnea quietly handed over his Blood Card to the Wanderer, which the man then placed on the box in front of him, allowing it to do its job.


    ¡°¡­I have been watching you,¡± the man said, breaking Alnea¡¯s thoughts away from the box. ¡°You have caused quite a commotion in the past few days¡­ the three of you.¡±


    ¡°¡­We do not wish to be in the limelight either,¡± Alnea said, shifting a little to keep Yuri and Cecilia behind him. ¡°But I guess we are not the first ones to cause such commotions in the city.¡±


    ¡°Of course not,¡± the man said, raising the edge of his lips in an evil smile¡­ Like he had thought, the man surely was up to no good. ¡°Still, it has been quite some time since some decent rookies came from the Sixth Blood Hall.¡±


    ¡°¡­Thank you for your praise¡­¡±


    ¡°Tarn,¡± the man said. ¡°You can call Wanderer Tarn.¡±


    ¡°¡­Thank you for your praise, Wanderer Tarn, but I think that there is still much we have to do before we can prove ourselves.¡±


    ¡°That is indeed the case. Still, I am optimistic about you. Maybe, as Tia said, you can really¡­ Oh, no, do not doubt her. She did not tell me anything. But you do not think that just a small distance of less than a hundred metres would be enough to stop me from listening in to your conversations, do you?¡±


    ¡°¡­Eavesdropping on other¡¯s conversation is not a very honourable trait, Wanderer Tarn.¡±


    ¡°If you wish to keep your conversations private, then I would suggest that you do it in the privacy of your mansion, and not out in the open.¡±


    ¡°¡­We will keep that in mind.¡±


    ¡°¡­Look at how serious you have become. I was just joking with you.¡±


    ¡°¡­Has the mansion been reserved?¡± Alnea said, using his Aspects to hide his emotions. Or at least he tried to do so. But his Aspect could only work on his expressions. His voice, and the words he said were still affected by his emotions.


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    ¡°Looks like you need to work hard on tempering your Heart,¡± the man said with a chuckle, as he picked up the Blood Card from the black box and handed it back to Alnea. ¡°The girl should know where the mansion is, and how to get there. As for entering the mansion, you do not need me explain it to you, do you?¡±


    ¡°¡­There is no need to trouble you. We can figure it out on our own.¡±


    ¡°¡­You seem to be wary of me,¡± the man said, with his smile widening even more than before. ¡°But that is how it should be. You should be wary of everyone in the city. Even the ones who are friendly to you. Like a certain someone who has been giving you advice for the past two days.¡±


    ¡°We will keep your words in mind. Now, if you will excuse us, we still have a few more things to do in the hall.¡±


    ¡°¡­Do what you want. It is not like I am keeping you here against your wish anyway. But remember, I will be keeping my eyes on you. And so will all the Wanderers in the city. Even the Mystic Wanderers¡­ We will all be waiting to judge your performance.¡±


    Judge your stinky beard, Alnea almost cursed at the Wanderer, as he hurriedly turned away from the man, and led the girls away from the man¡¯s counter. Even as he weaved his way in between the other Wanderers though, he could still feel the man¡¯s gaze on his back. Or maybe that was just the gaze of all the other Wanderers in the hall. They surely were looking at him with a fiery gaze. Even Cecilia and Yuri were getting the same treatment. It was as if they were not humans, but prizes, objects, for the other Wanderers in the city to fight over.


    ¡°Ignore them,¡± Cecilia said, trying to soothe the restless cat in her arms. ¡°You will get used to it after a while.¡±


    ¡°They cannot do anything except stare at us anyway.¡±


    ¡°¡­Let¡¯s go see what we can exchange our Martial Style tokens for.¡±


    ¡°It is about time.¡±


    The counter for Redemption of Medals was right next to the counter for Blood Coins Exchange and Redemption, just some ten metres away, and was even more deserted than the latter. After all, earning Blood Coins was much easier earning Martial Style Medals. He had still seen some people redeeming some common resources with their Blood Coins from time to time, but he had yet to see anyone trying to redeem resources with their Martial Style Tokens.


    Maybe that was one of the reasons why the counter in front of them was so small. Or why the Wanderer responsible for manning the counter was sleeping with his head and hands splayed on the table in front of him. Even his robe was a little dishevelled, as were his hairs, dancing in front of his face.


    ¡°¡­Pardon us for disturbing your rest¡ª


    ¡°You have been pardoned,¡± the man said in a lazy voice, interrupting Alnea before he could complete his words, while waving his hands, all the while never picking his head up from the table. ¡°Now go away and let me rest in peace.¡±


    ¡°We are here to exchange our Warrior Tokens for resources, and not¡ª


    ¡°Here,¡± the man said, interrupting Cecilia, as he reached into his robe to take out three red crystals, before tossing those three crystals directly into their hands. ¡°Just check the resources for yourselves and tell me what you want.¡±


    Alnea pulled Cecilia¡¯s sleeves, and shook his head, reminding her not to be impulsive. She did grumble a little, swearing to teach the man a lesson, but finally gave in to her reasons. Still, it was only when he saw the crystal in her hand disintegrate into red gas and drill into her head, that he finally let go of his worries and probed the crystal in his hand with his Spirit, prompting it to pour all kinds of information into his head.


    Spirit Crystal


    Variant: Low, Intermediate, Advanced, Peak


    Effect: Can enhance Spirit Power to a certain extent¡ªequivalent to the first level of corresponding Stage.


    Restrictions: Can use only one Spirit Crystal at each Stage. Cannot be used to break through a bottleneck.


    Side Effect: Spirit Power growth will stagnate for a month.


    Price: One medal of corresponding Stage.


    ¡­


    Blood Crystal


    Variant: Low, Intermediate, Advanced, Peak


    Effect: Can enhance Blood Crystals to a certain extent¡ªequivalent to the first level of corresponding Stage of the Blood Crystal Styles.


    Restrictions: Can use only one Blood Crystal at each Stage. Cannot be used to break through a bottleneck.


    Side Effect: Blood Crystal growth will stagnate for a month.


    Price: One medal of corresponding Stage.


    ¡­


    Black Leaf


    Variant: Low


    Effect: Can double the comprehension of Initial Stage False Wanderers for a day.


    Restrictions: Can use only one Black Leaf in a month


    Side Effect: Can create an addiction and reliance on Black Leaves.


    Price: Ten leaves for one Low Grade Medal.


    ¡­


    Blood Leaf


    Variant: Low


    Effect: Can help in condensation of Blood Crystals.


    Restrictions: Can use only one Blood Leaf in a week.


    Side Effect: Blood Crystals condensed with the help of Blood Leaves will be of a lower quality.


    Price: Hundred leaves for one Low Grade Medal.


    ¡­


    Desert¡¯s Kiss


    Variant: Peak


    Effect: Slightly increases affinity with the desert(Earth and Wind elements).


    Restrictions: Can be used by a person only once in their life


    Side Effect: Slightly decreases affinity with the other elements


    Price: Five Peak Grade Medals.


    ¡­


    Black Blessing


    Variant: Low, Intermediate, Advanced, Peak


    Effect: Can help drive away Oren Beasts of corresponding Stage.


    Restrictions: Will be valid for only a week


    Side Effect: After the blessing fades away, the Oren Beasts of the corresponding Stage will treat you as their mortal enemy.


    Price: One medal of corresponding Stage.


    ¡­


    Blood Blessing


    ¡­


    Black Sands


    ¡­


    Blood Sands


    ¡­


    Black Water


    ¡­


    Blood Water


    ¡­


    Red Bones¡­

 Chapter 20: Rewards [Part 4]

    One by one, and all at once, information about all kinds of strange and exotic things kept pouring into his head, making Alnea involuntarily pinch his brows in consternation. He knew that it was not going to thaw the ¡®swelling¡¯ in his head, but he could not help. Just the fact that he was not frowning was already a testament of how much pain he could tolerate. Some things though, could not be overcome by just bearing pain.


    The sheer amount of information that had been stuffed into his head¡­ Just sorting through the names of all the things he could exchange for¡ªone thousand two hundred and ninety six in total¡ª was going to take more than a moment or two, not to mention sifting through all the details of those things. Especially considering that quite a few of those things were weird, with no sense to them. Like the Black Lizard¡¯s Saliva. Or the Empty Winds.


    One of those things was an addictive poison that could only be used to pleasure himself, while the other was sealed jar containing air from the Age of Gods. Were these things really worth as much as things that could increase his Spirit Power, or even increase his comprehension?


    Even if he did not consider those weird things, there were also a few things that could only be used in conjunction with the Martial Styles, Arcanas, or the Glyphs of the city. Unless he planned to exchange for the Martial Styles corresponding to those resources, exchanging for those resources would be a waste. And yet, he could not completely disregard those resources unless he read the introduction of their corresponding Martial Styles.


    However, the most pressing problem about these resources was not their effects, or restrictions, but their side effects. Stagnation in growth of Spirit Power, weaking of comprehension, decrease in strength, loss in fertility¡­ There were so many weird side effects listed in the information in his head, that Alnea did not dare to exchange for any resource without sorting all the information in his head.


    ¡°¡­I think I kind of understand why Alnea gave you the memory crystal earlier,¡± Cecilia said with an annoyed frown on her face, as she tried to soothe the dumb cat in her arms. It was, after all, a Fortune Devouring Cat. Even when its chosen partner had not shown any signs of discomfort, it could still feel the tension in the arms that were holding it in the air.


    ¡°Do you think I would have given her the crystal if I had thought that it would hurt her for even a moment?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry,¡± Yuri said, putting on her smile to hide her headache. ¡°The headache will go away on its own, like it did last night. And the memory crystal I used a while ago had information about only six mansions. It did not hurt much. Besides, bearing some headache every once in a while will not have too much of an impact. Rather, it will help us temper our will.¡±


    ¡°¡­So, what are we going to do about the resources?¡±


    ¡°¡­There are so many things that I cannot understand.¡±


    ¡°¡­It¡¯s not just you, even I cannot understand most of those resources listed in the information. Maybe Yuri¡ª


    ¡°I am not omnipotent,¡± Yuri said, shaking her head. ¡°I can figure out the effects of most of the resources from their descriptions, but I would just be guessing. And even then, I still cannot understand a few of the resources.¡±


    ¡°¡­I thought that learning the language of the city would be enough for us to acquaint ourselves with the city, but it looks like I was wrong¡­ Should we ask for Tia¡¯s help?¡±


    ¡°¡­She is a bit too enthusiastic about us.¡±


    ¡°What about Martha?¡±


    ¡°¡­Her reaction towards you is a bit more normal, but I do not like her attitude.¡±


    ¡°What should we do then?¡± Alnea said, scratching his head in confusion. ¡°If we keep second guessing everyone, then we will never be able to trust anyone.¡±


    ¡°Who said we have to trust anyone?¡±


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    ¡°Master¡ª


    ¡°Big sis Nyssa only asked us to interact with other Wanderers, and make some friends, if possible. Trusting them¡­ Do you really think we can trust the Wanderers in the city?¡±


    ¡°¡­Maybe,¡± Alnea said. ¡°As long as we can ensure a common ground for interests¡­¡±


    ¡°And how exactly are we going to do that?¡±


    ¡°But we need to learn more about the city¡ª


    ¡°If you kids are not going to exchange anything, then go talk somewhere else, and let me sleep,¡± said the man resting behind the counter, still refusing to pick up his head.


    ¡°¡­Let¡¯s take this discussion to our new mansion.¡±


    ¡°¡­I am not averse to that idea.¡±


    ¡°¡­There is still something that we need to do first though,¡± Alnea said, glancing towards the counter of the three libraries.


    ¡°¡­You are not planning on using more memory crystals, right?¡±


    ¡°Not right away,¡± Alnea said. ¡°But we do need to have a catalogue of the three libraries to better plan how to exchange our tokens.¡±


    ¡°¡­I knew that nothing good would ever come out of your mouth,¡± Cecilia grumbled, but still followed behind him and Yuri to collect three more memory crystals. Surprisingly, the three libraries all had a queue in front of their counters. Though, on second thought, the queue was quite reasonable, in a sense.


    After all, other than the Martial Styles, Arcanas, and Glyphs unique to the city, Wanderers could exchange for everything else in the libraries of the city with just their Blood Coins. And though Blood Coins were precious, nothing was more precious to Wanderers than their own strength. If they could find something in the city that could help them in their Wanderings, and increase their strength, then any amount of Blood Coins spent would be worth it.


    Besides, earning tokens might be rare in the city, but it was not unheard of. There were still a few people, strong and determined people, who would win some tokens every now and then, most of whom would rather waste their tokens in exploring the secrets of the city, than exchange their tokens for some defective resources with heavy constraints, and side effects.


    Thankfully, the Wanderers coming to the libraries had already decided what they were going to exchange for before coming to the counters, so despite the long queues, it did not take long for Alnea and the girls to exchange for the catalogue of the three libraries. In the form of memory crystals, of course. Three for each. And when the Wanderers manning the counters saw how Alnea and the girls had stuffed the memory crystals in their pouches, they were kind enough to remind him of the restrictions of the memory crystals.


    ¡°Make sure to use the memory crystals within twelve hours, or we will not be responsible when the crystals disintegrate on their own.¡±


    ¡°The memory crystals are so unstable?¡±


    ¡°It is not about stability of the memory crystals. In the first place, memory crystals are made to last for only twelve hours.¡±


    ¡°¡­We did not hear any such warnings when we bought the language spars.¡±


    ¡°There is a reason why language spars are black in colour, and why these memory crystals are red,¡± the man said. ¡°They are different, both in the way they are made, and their usage. I don¡¯t know the exact details either¡­ In any case, I have reminded you. Make sure to use the memory crystals within twelve hours, or you will be responsible for all the consequences.¡±


    It looked like their charm would not work on every Wanderer employed by the city, Alnea thought, as they made their way out of the Blood Hall. Surrounded by swathes of other Wanderers, of course, with an even larger crowd of Wanderers waiting for them outside of the Blood Hall. Some of them had envious look on their face, while some of were snickering in schadenfreude. Most of them though, were looking at Alnea and the girls with kind smile. And yet, they were the ones who were making Alnea feel the most uncomfortable. Being stared at by so many people, all eager to get their hands on him¡­


    The only good news in the whole situation was that the Wanderers were all keeping their distance from him. It was as if they were all waiting for something else. Something that Alnea did not know about, and had no intention of knowing either. He just wished to get away from those Wanderers as soon as possible.


    Thankfully, the mansion that he had reserved was not too far from the Blood Hall. And Yuri was not deterred by the crowd gathering around them. Rather, it was her fearless steps that forced the surrounding Wanderers to get out of their way. That, and the ferocious hiss of the black cat, that had jumped down from Cecilia¡¯s arms at some point, and was hissing at the Wanderers, waiting for them to make a mistake. Just one hint of hostility, and¡­


    The expression on their faces, as they scrambled away from the cat, not even bothering with their usual practice of staying at least two to three metres away from each other, was enough to show how much they feared the cat. Apparently, these Wanderers had already heard of the deeds of the Shadow Prowling Cat. Taking down Wanderers on the verge of advancing to the Advanced Stage with just one swipe of its paws¡­


    In the end, those Wanderers could only follow behind Alnea, as Yuri led them through the maze of the Lost City, turning just three corners before stopping in front of a two storeyed mansion.

 Chapter 21: Vestia Weina [Part 1]

    Red in colour, as the rest of the city, the mansion had the same squarish architecture as the rest of the buildings in the city. Unlike the other buildings around it though, towering above six to seven storeys, the mansion was only about two to three storeys tall. Even the area that the mansion covered was smaller than the rest of the buildings. At best, it was only about ten to fifteen metres long on each side, including its height. Still bigger than the house that Alnea used to live in the inner city of Rianra, and that too by three to four times. In comparison to big sis Serena¡¯s mansion though, or even the other buildings around it, the mansion did not look as huge as they had imagined it would be.


    ¡°Is this what they call a mansion in the city?¡± Cecilia said, glancing at Yuri confirm her thoughts.


    ¡°¡­It¡¯s just a place for us to rest.¡±


    ¡°¡­I guess,¡± Cecilia said, shrugging her shoulders. ¡°At least it is much better than those tiny rooms.¡±


    ¡°¡­You haven¡¯t even seen what the mansion looks like from the inside,¡± Alnea mumbled, only for Cecilia to click her tongue in return.


    ¡°Anything would be better than those tiny rooms¡­ They almost suffocated me to death. Besides, the mansion is more than sixty times more expensive than a room. There must be a reason for its high price.¡±


    ¡°¡­Hearing you sound so reasonable makes me feel a little uncomfortable.¡±


    ¡°Hey, what do you mean by that?¡±


    ¡°Stop,¡± Yuri said, stepping in between them. ¡°At least take a look around yourself before you start flirting.¡±


    ¡°We are not flirting!¡±


    ¡°¡­Then stop fighting.¡±


    ¡°He was the one who started it.¡±


    ¡°¡­I just said the truth,¡± Alnea mumbled, but looking at Cecilia¡¯s puffed up cheeks, and Yuri¡¯s amused smile, he could only swallow his words, and say, ¡°Forget it. I won¡¯t argue with her.¡±


    ¡°As if you could win against me,¡± Cecilia retorted, before glancing at the Wanderers around them. ¡°I don¡¯t like how they are looking at us.¡±


    ¡°What are we waiting for then?¡±


    ¡°¡­For you to open the doors,¡± Yuri said, pointing at the black box attached to the three metres large arched doors, bearing murals and engravings of a time long gone. ¡°You do remember that you were the one who reserved the mansion, right?¡±


    ¡°¡­Of course, I do,¡± Alnea said, hurriedly using his Aspects to hide his embarrassment, as he stepped forward to place his Blood Card on the black box. Almost immediately, the top right corner of the box began shining in a red light, just as the doors parted ways with each other, creating a gap of less than half an inch in between the doors. Putting his Blood Card away, he then pushed the doors open, allowing the dim red light, mixed in with pale yellowish light to rush towards his face.


    Pale yellow lights¡­ It had been around three days since Alnea had come to the city. And in those three days, the one thing that had stood out the most in the city was not the rancid smell of blood, or the destitute look of Wanderers roaming its streets, searching for their next prey, but the blood red theme of the city. Whether it was the colour of the streets, or of the buildings, everything was dyed in a shade of red. Even the lights illuminating the buildings was red. At one point, he had even wondered why the city was named as the Lost City, and not the Blood City.


    However, the city was not just about blood. Even in its theme, there were places within its bounds that had a theme of their own. Like the Blood Arena and the Blood Hall. And in the list of those places, Alnea also had to add his mansion. But he was not too surprised. The memory crystal he had used at the counter of Blood Coin Exchange and Redemption had given him a general idea of what the different types of mansions each had to offer.


    A type D mansion¡­ it may be the cheapest kind of mansion available within the Lost City, with room for only two to six people at most, but it was still a two storeyed mansion, with red carped lining its floors, and stones shining in a dim red light embedded in its double floored ceiling. Other than those two things though, there was nothing in the mansion that spoke of the words red, or blood. Especially with the stones, shining in pale yellowish light, lining up its walls.


    The golden cushions in the centre of the hall, the black staircase, the brown wooden doors, and the other trivial decorations spread in the small hall of the mansion, bathing in the pale yellow lights coming from the walls, made it seem as if the mansion was not even a part of the Lost City. Especially the staircase towards the back of the main hall.


    Owing to the small built up area of the mansion, the staircase to the second floor was not the grand bifurcated kind, like in big sis Serena¡¯s mansion. Neither did the stairs have a separate area, as in the other buildings of the city. They just spiralled around a thick pillar, with waist high railings guarding their outer edges, as if they were made to save space in the mansion. Maybe that truly was the case. After all, some type B and A mansions did have large staircases. In any case, as Yuri had said, the mansion was just a place for them to rest.


    ¡°Wait,¡± a woman¡¯s voice called out to Alnea just as he was about to step into the mansion, forcing him and the girls to turn around, and face the Wanderer. A woman, one whose robe was slightly dishevelled, probably from running. That would also explain the slight heaviness in her breath, and the way her chest was moving¡­


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    ¡°You surely walk fast. I almost did not catch up with you.¡±


    ¡°¡­You again,¡± Cecilia, almost snarling liked Forne. ¡°What do you want?¡±


    ¡°The question is not what I want, but what do you want,¡± the woman said, straightening her robe and her hair to resume her elegant image. ¡°Challenging an entire clan by yourselves, only to create history in the Lost City the very next day, and then waltzing around so arrogantly, without any care in the world¡­ Do you know how much trouble you have gotten yourself into?¡±


    ¡°¡­We may have been a bit arrogant lately,¡± Yuri said, stepping in to face the blue robed woman from just a hand¡¯s distance away. ¡°But that has nothing to do with you, does it?¡±


    ¡°¡­There is no need to be so defensive against me,¡± the woman said, raising her hands in the air to show her sincerity. ¡°I am just trying to help you.¡±


    ¡°And why should we trust you?¡±


    ¡°Because you know who I am,¡± the woman said, exuding confidence from her smile. ¡°This little brother here¡­ He might not know me, but you two do. Do not deny it. I can see it from your eyes. The way you are trying to make him stay away from me as if he is your cub¡­¡±


    ¡°It is exactly because we know who you are that we cannot trust you.¡±


    ¡°But I am more trustworthy than the other Wanderers in the city, am I not?¡±


    ¡°¡­That is still not enough.¡±


    ¡°¡­I may not know your origins, little sister, or the origins of little brother, but the crest on the chest of your friend, and her typical domineering behaviour is enough for the entire city to identify her as a Serpian.¡±


    ¡°I have never hidden my identity in the first place,¡± Cecilia said, huffing in dissatisfaction.


    ¡°Then here comes the problem,¡± the woman said to Cecilia. ¡°Most, if not all of your clansmen are in the Southern District of the Lost City. And yet, here you are, in the Northern District, all by yourself. What is most puzzling is that even after your clansmen learned about you, they turned a blind eye to your predicament. Although you have not garnered as much as attention as your two partners¡ª


    ¡°What do you mean by that?¡± Cecilia said, clearly not happy with how the woman was describing her.


    ¡°¡­after your performance in the Aspect Trials, you have proven yourself to be one of the most talented Wanderers in the city. Even in Supreme clans, a genius of your calibre should be well protected. Yet your clansmen still refuse to come to your aid. It is as if they do not even consider you to be a part of their clan. But then, they have not denied you being a Serpian either. How do you think other clans are planning to deal with you right now, Miss Serpia?¡±


    ¡°¡­It is none of your concern,¡± Cecilia said, snorting at the vexatious woman, while trying her best to reign in the black cat, poised to strike at the woman at any moment. ¡°I will deal with those cowards on my own.¡±


    ¡°¡­Given that you have come to the Lost City, there must be at least a Mystic Wanderer behind you. After all, only Wanderers who have raised their Spirit to the Mystic Rank can find the Lost City. There must be a reason for the Wanderer behind you to bring you to the Northern District rather than sending you to the Southern District. And this Wanderer must also have considerable status within your clan to be able to make the rest of your clan within the city give up their initiative to find you.


    ¡°These assumptions, along with the fact that you have been behaving like clear novices for the past few days, with no understanding of the Lost City, is enough for anyone with some decent brain to guess that you have come to the Lost City as a trial from your elders. They probably expect you to make a name for yourselves in the city all on your own. Maybe even make it to the inner city. Am I right?¡±


    ¡°¡­You still have not answered why we should trust you.¡±


    ¡°You are taking the Lost City too lightly,¡± the woman said, shaking her head with a sigh. At the same time though, the edge of her lips upturned in a smile. ¡°I can guess part of the reason why your elder did not let you go to the Southern District, or let your clansmen help you.¡±


    ¡°Do you think¡ª


    ¡°They want you to learn how to deal with other Wanderers.¡±


    ¡°¡­Why do you think so?¡±


    ¡°Because if you wish to make it to the inner city, then you will need some friends. Companions, whom you can trust.¡±


    ¡°¡­And why do think we can trust you?¡±


    ¡°Because you know why I am here.¡±


    ¡°¡­Who knows, maybe you have already chosen someone else, and trying to lure us into their traps.¡±


    ¡°Maybe I am,¡± the woman said, with her smile widening in confidence. ¡°But like I said, I am still more trustworthy than the other Wanderers in the city, am I not?¡±


    ¡°¡­This is why I hate vixens.¡±


    ¡°Enough, Cecilia,¡± Yuri said in a solemn tone, while keeping her eyes trained at the blue robed woman, as if searching for the flaws in her smile.


    ¡°But she is from the Erwein forest!¡±


    ¡°I know.¡±


    ¡°She is a Weina!¡±


    ¡°¡­I know.¡±


    ¡°¡­I don¡¯t know what exactly you two are talking about,¡± Alnea said, scratching his head in confusion. ¡°But it seems like she does have a point.¡±


    ¡°Of course, you would think she has a point. You¡ª


    ¡°I am really not taking any sides here,¡± Alnea said, smiling in defeat, while pointing to the other Wanderers watching their show. ¡°How about we take this inside?¡±


    ¡°Alnea is right,¡± Yuri said, letting out a heavy sigh. ¡°Let¡¯s go inside first before deciding on anything.¡± After a pause, she glanced at the blue robed woman, and added, ¡°You too.¡±


    ¡°¡­Are we really going to let her in?¡±


    ¡°¡­Like Alnea said, she does have a point,¡± Yuri said. ¡°We need a reliable source of information. And she does seem a bit more trustworthy than other Wanderers. At least we know what her ulterior motives are. But we cannot say the same about Tia and Martha.¡±


    ¡°Thank you for showing your trust in me, little sister,¡± the woman said, with a sweet and charming smile. It was not as charming as Yuri¡¯s smile, but the dimples on her cheeks did make her look cute.


    ¡°I have yet to decide whether to trust you or not. Unfortunately, it seems that we have no better choice for the moment.¡± After a pause, she added, ¡°And I am not your little sister.¡±


    ¡°It does not matter,¡± the woman said. ¡°Things like trust are built over time. And I am sure that we are going to have a great time together.¡±

 Chapter 21: Vestia Weina [Part 2]

    Alnea truly could not understand what the girls were talking about. Especially Cecilia. He had never seen her act so irrationally stubborn, refusing to accept the woman despite knowing that she was right. She did not even try listening to what the woman was saying. And though Yuri had agreed to let the woman into their mansion, he could see the reluctance on her face. Erwein Forest¡­


    Alnea looked at the woman once again. Truly looked at her, without the filters of bias. Her pale white skin¡ªnot as pale as Yuri¡¯s, but paler than Cecilia¡¯s¡ª forming a contrast with her dark black hair, curling around her ears, coupled with the dimples on her round, fleshy cheeks, and the soft, warm light in her eyes, was giving her a strange charm. A beautiful charm, that kept calling for his attention. Not that he would admit it to either Yuri or Cecilia.


    Besides, her beauty had nothing to do with why he had agreed with her. She did have a point. And the first lesson that his master had ever taught him was recognising his mistakes. Still, he was not foolish enough to admit the woman¡¯s beauty to the girls. Though, on second thought, the woman did not look too old either. She was probably around seventeen to eighteen years old at best. Calling her a woman¡­


    Alnea almost burst out with his Aspects, as he felt a gust of cold wind running up his back. It was only when he saw the source of that cold wind¡ªCecilia¡¯s glare¡ª that he calmed down a little. But not much. Even Yuri, with her puffed up her cheeks, had turned away from him with a hum. Only the blue robed girl was still smiling at him. For his own sake though, he decided that it was for the best if he continued addressing the blue robed girl as a ¡®woman¡¯.


    ¡°You three continue talking. I¡¯ll go in first.¡±


    ¡°No need to be shy, little brother,¡± the blue robed woman said, and moved, as if trying to get closer to him, only for both Cecilia and Yuri to step in between.


    ¡°Although we have agreed to let you in, we still cannot let you get close to him.¡±


    ¡°What are you two thinking?¡± the woman said, snickering at Cecilia and Yuri. ¡°How old is he? Fourteen? Fifteen? He is just a boy.¡±


    ¡°And yet you are still interested in the boy.¡±


    ¡°¡­You are misunderstanding me, little sisters,¡± the woman said with an aggrieved expression on her face, as she entered the mansion after Yuri and Cecilia, allowing the doors to close behind them. ¡°I just want to get to know my little brother a little better.¡±


    ¡°He is not you little brother,¡± Cecilia said through her gritted teeth. ¡°Only Se¡ª


    ¡°Calm down, Lia,¡± Alnea said, patting Cecilia¡¯s shoulders to bring her attention to himself. ¡°I know you are worried for me, but it¡¯s fine. Have a little faith in me. I can handle myself.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t know her. She¡ª


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter if I know her or not. What matters is you. As a Wanderer, you should never let your emotions overwhelm your Heart. At least not the emotions which are contrary to the core of your Heart. Or have you forgotten what happens when a Wanderer loses control of his Heart? Have you forgotten what happened to the Whitebud patriarch?¡±


    ¡°Are you talking about the Reinhart Whitebud?¡± the blue robed woman said, shaking her head with pity in her voice. ¡°I heard about him too. Poor man.¡±


    ¡°¡­How did you hear about him?¡±


    ¡°Oh? Are you finally willing to talk to me?¡± the woman said, with the right corner of her lips turning upwards slightly. ¡°Unfortunately, I cannot answer your question. It is a trade secret of the Erwein Forest. Of course, if you choose to join the Forest, then¡ª


    ¡°No need,¡± Yuri said, with a blank look on her face. Even her voice had become bland. It was as if all the emotion that she had been showing till then was just a farce. Alnea knew though, that she must have just supressed all her emotions in her Heart. Or maybe she had just seen through all her thoughts emotions, bringing them under her control. She did have a Clear Heart, after all.


    ¡°Since it is a trade secret of your clan, then you should keep it to yourself.¡±


    ¡°¡­Now you have gone back to being cold again,¡± the woman said, pouting in dissatisfaction. ¡°You have even stopped pretending to be nice with me.¡±


    ¡°It is hard to be nice with someone who is trying to take away a part of your life from you.¡±


    ¡°¡­It seems like the infamy of my clan precedes me once again,¡± the woman said with sigh. ¡°I do not know how much you know about my clan, but let me assure you, we never force, or coerce anyone. If I decide on your friend, he has to agree with me first before we can imprint on each other. And even then, there is strict procedure to follow. Not to mention that I have not decided on him yet.¡±


    ¡°Then why are you here?¡±


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    ¡°Like I said, I want to get to know him better. Although the talent he has shown is more than enough, I do not know anything about his character. This will be a lifelong decision for me too. You cannot expect me to make it on a whim, right?¡±


    ¡°¡­Your words do nothing to rest my worries.¡±


    ¡°¡­I do not know what you girls are talking about, still, I can see that you are not going to come to an agreement anytime soon,¡± Alnea said, as he sat down on one of the eight golden cushions in the main hall of the mansion, motioning for others to do the same, trying to divert the topic. Fortunately, all three girls chose to play along with him, wondering what he was up to. Though, from how quickly Cecilia and Yuri moved, taking the cushions beside him, forcing the blue robed woman to sit across them, he began to wonder if he had been thinking too much.


    ¡°How about we skip this topic, and talk about what you were saying earlier?¡±


    ¡°As expected of little brother,¡± the woman said. ¡°You are so calm and mature.¡±


    ¡°¡­I would prefer it if you would stop calling me as little brother, and use my name instead.¡±


    ¡°My apologies¡­¡±


    ¡°Alnea¡­ Just call me Alnea.¡±


    ¡°Alnea¡­ that is a nice name,¡± the woman said, nodding with a smile. ¡°I am Vestia, daughter of Foriana. As you may have guessed from what you heard earlier, I am from the Weina clan of the Erwein Forest.¡±


    ¡°Erwein Forest¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­If you do not mind me asking Alnea, are you from Rianra?¡±


    ¡°¡­That is not hard to guess, is it?¡±


    ¡°¡­A boy from an unknown origin, following behind a daughter of the Infinity Snake¡­ The connections are not too hard to make. Or else, why do you think the other clans are paying so much attention to you?¡±


    ¡°What does this have to do with where Erwein Forest is?¡±


    ¡°You will understand in a moment,¡± Vestia said. ¡°As someone who was not born in an Orthodoxy, you should come into contact with the knowledge about Orthodoxies until you became acquainted with your Serpian friend. At best, it should have only been two to three years since you should have begun learning such knowledge in earnest. And Erwein Forest is located in the Third Sector of the Water Region. Now, do you understand why I asked that question?¡±


    ¡°¡­To confirm your guess.¡±


    ¡°Do not be disheartened,¡± Vestia said. ¡°You are doing much better than most of the scions of Orthodoxies I have met.¡±


    ¡°Why? Are you sad that he is not falling for your charms?¡± Cecilia said, with a hint of pride on her face.


    ¡°¡­You should know that one of the criteria for the women of Erwein Forest to choose their partners is being able to resist our innate charm.¡±


    ¡°I knew that you were a vixen through and through!¡±


    ¡­Were the girls finally going to stop trying to hide their thoughts? Not that they were doing much of hiding anyway. After hearing them argue so much, even someone as dumb as the Wanderers of the Lotus clan could have understood what they were talking about. And he was not dumb.


    Yet it was exactly because that he could somewhat understand what they were arguing about that he had to play dumb. After all, the woman might end up becoming their partner in the city. He could not be too rude with her. Besides, this was exactly what his master had brought him to the Lost City for, learning how to deal with other Wanderers. Thankfully, Yuri also understood that truth.


    ¡°Calm down, Cecilia,¡± Yuri said, still maintaining her bland tone. ¡°She is just stating the fact. There is no need to get agitated over it.¡± Turning towards Vestia, she added, ¡°However, this does not give you the right to provoke my friend.¡±


    Or maybe not. This was the first time Alnea had seen Yuri being so passively aggressive. If it had been any other time, then he might even have taken his time enjoy her new, undiscovered side, but at the moment, he was beginning to panic a little. From what he had observed, although she was a bit provocative, Vestia was indeed a little trustworthy. At the very least, they could use her to learn more about the city, and gather some information.


    Yet, from how the girls were behaving, it looked like they had no interest in even talking with her, let alone teaming up with her. Even Yuri was behaving so aggressively¡­ Thankfully, Vestia did not mind their rude behaviour. Rather, after she heard Yuri¡¯s words, she looked more interested in her than before.


    ¡°¡­You do not seem someone like your age, but I guess you are right. I did digress a little back there. My apologies¡­¡±


    ¡°Cecilia,¡± Cecilia said. ¡°Cecilia Serpia.¡±


    ¡°You can call me Yuri,¡± Yuri added. ¡°Due to certain circumstances, that is all we can tell you about us. Even if we decide to team up, you will not be able to learn more about us. So, if this bothers you, then you can take your leave.¡±


    ¡°It is fine,¡± Vestia said, with her smile growing wider with every passing moment. ¡°Everyone has a secret or two.¡±


    ¡°¡­As you wish.¡±


    ¡­Alnea was beginning to wonder if teaming up with the woman was really the right thing to do. He had no other choice though, so he could only grit his teeth, and say, ¡°Now, since we are done with the introductions, can we move on?¡±


    ¡°¡­Impatience is not a trait for you to flaunt, Alnea,¡± Vestia said, turning back towards him. ¡°But I guess all boys are like that. Besides, life is all about imperfections. The more you learn about yourself, the more you find how much you are lacking, the more you strive to complete yourself. Only when there is imperfection, can there be progress. If you were truly perfect, then I would not have been so interested in you¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­Let¡¯s come back to the topic,¡± Alnea said, signalling the mad woman to rein in her tongue. If she continued with her ramblings, then he was not sure if he would be able to save her from the two girls sitting next to him. Thankfully, Vestia knew when to stop.


    ¡°First, let me confirm, are you really planning on entering the inner city?¡±


    ¡°That should be obvious by now,¡± Cecilia mumbled. ¡°Why else would we let someone like you in our mansion?¡±


    ¡°¡­Yes, we are going to enter the inner city,¡± Alnea said, ignoring Cecilia¡¯s mumbles. Although he was a little reluctant to talk with the mad woman too, but as a Wanderer who was willing to help them, she deserved his respect, and sincerity.


    ¡°Good,¡± Vestia said. ¡°Then let me show you the path that you need to take.¡±

 Chapter 21: Vestia Weina [Part 3]

    ¡°The path that we need to take¡­?¡± Alnea mumbled, a little hesitant of the words he was speaking. It was not just him, even Yuri and Cecilia grew hesitant at Vestia¡¯s words.


    ¡°¡­Are you sure that you want to share such valuable information with us?¡± Yuri said after a brief pause. ¡°We have not agreed with you joining our team yet.¡±


    ¡°I know,¡± Vestia said. ¡°This is my sincerity. I really do want to help you. It does not matter whether you let me join your team or not. There are a few things that I think you should know, regardless of your decision. Things that would stop you from making blatant mistakes and expose your weakness for the entire world to see. After all, I do not wish for people as talented as the three of you to have an accident because of your ignorance. But if it makes you feel any better, you can think of the information I am sharing as an investment from my part.¡±


    ¡°¡­I do not know what you are planning, but I will take you for your words right now,¡± Yuri said. ¡°So, what is this path that we must take.¡±


    ¡°It is the path to let you enter the inner city,¡± Vestia said. ¡°Entering the inner city is not easy as you think it is. Especially for False Wanderers like us. Let us begin with the inner city itself. How much exactly do you know about the inner city?¡±


    ¡°¡­Not much,¡± Yuri said. ¡°All we know is that we must earn a certain amount of Trial and Arena points before we can earn the qualification to enter the inner city. And that entering the inner city requires going through some extra trials. This is what one of the Wanderers working at the Blood Hall told us. I am sure that this is not the entire truth, but this is all that we know about the inner city, and how to enter it.¡±


    ¡°¡­Are you sure that you want to admit your weakness in front of me?¡±


    ¡°Since you are showing your sincerity, then it is only right for us to do the same. Besides, only those who can admit their weakness can overcome them.¡±


    ¡°Interesting,¡± Vestia said, with her lips upturning into a smile once again. ¡°Are you sure that you do not wish to come visit the Erwein Forest with me?¡±


    ¡°¡­Just stick to what we were talking about.¡±


    ¡°Right, my apologies. I do tend to digress at times¡­ Anyways, as I was saying, entering the inner city is not as easy as you think as it is. Sure, you need to gather enough Trial and Arena points to even qualify to enter the city, but that is just the most basic qualification. After you gain that qualification, you will have to face a separate Trial of the inner city, one which you will have to take with all the other Wanderers who have earned the same qualifications as you.


    ¡°Generally, these trials are held within the city itself, but they can also be held in the desert, or even in a separate dimension all together. The most important thing though, is that the city lifts its restriction of not hurting your competitors during the duration of the trials¡­ Besides, to even earn that qualification, you will have complete quite a few Black Desert Trials. Walking into the depths of Black Desert, fighting Oren Beasts, and guarding against other Wanderers¡­


    ¡°Maybe the three of you are strong enough to deal with some Oren Beasts at the peak of their Adolescent Stage. Maybe, you are strong enough to deal with two or three Peak Stage False Wanderers. But dealing with hundreds of Wanderers, and thousands of Oren Beasts, all lurking in silence, trying to catch you off guard¡­ I am sure that you are wise enough to understand what I am trying to say.¡±


    ¡°In the face of hundreds of Wanderers, and thousands of Oren Beasts, increasing our number from three to four would not make much of a difference.¡±


    ¡°But it would be a beginning,¡± Vestia said. ¡°Like I said, I am just showing you the path that you need to take. How you cross that path is up to you.¡±


    ¡°¡­It sure is a path convenient for your purposes.¡±


    ¡°Of course,¡± Vestia said. ¡°Or why else would I tell you about it? After all, everyone is a little selfish, are they not?¡±


    ¡°¡­Maybe,¡± Yuri said. ¡°How many people do you think we need to safely complete all the trials and enter the inner city.¡±


    ¡°A conservative estimate would be around seven to ten, but this kind of thing depends on your fate and fortune. I know of a man who once bought all the hundred Wanderers who earned the qualification with him, only for all hundred of them to fail to enter the inner city. In contrast, there has also been cases of lone individuals who were able to successfully enter the inner city.¡±


    ¡°¡­Since entering the inner city depends entirely on Ilea¡¯s mood, then why should we team up with you?¡±


    ¡°Because your ambition should not stop at just entering the inner city, right?¡±


    ¡°¡­What do you mean by that?¡±


    ¡°There is no need to deny. I can see it in your eyes¡­ the ambition, and self-confidence¡­ Entering the inner city would just be your starting point.¡±


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    ¡°¡­It looks like we still have a lot to learn.¡±


    ¡°It is not your fault,¡± Vestia said, shaking her head. ¡°As a Weina, I have been taught to recognise such things from a young age. The other Wanderers in the city will not be able to guess your true motives. Unless you tell it to them yourself¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­The guards¡­¡±


    ¡°Do not worry about the guards, or the woman in the Warrior Hall. They will not sell you out. They are bound by the rules of the city to not reveal the secret of its trialists. However, the same cannot be said about the Wanderers who overheard your conversations. Fortunately, I found about them in time, and took care of them. But you should remain careful in the future.¡±


    ¡°¡­By taking care of them, you mean¡­¡±


    ¡°Made them forget about all they heard, of course. What did you think? That I got them all killed? Please, I am a Weina. Violence is always the last option for me.¡±


    ¡°¡­So, what does entering the core city have to do with teaming up with you?¡± Alnea said, trying to bring the crazy woman back to the topic before she could digress. Yet, the woman went on with her ramblings once again.


    ¡°Though the number of people who make it through the last trial and enter the inner city may depend on Ilea¡¯s mood, but on average, of the nearly hundred people qualify to enter the inner city every month, only ten to twenty people make through to the end. That¡¯s more than a hundred people in a year, and a thousand people in ten years. Yet, of those thousands of Wanderers, only a little more than fifty people have made it all the way to the core city in the last ten years.


    ¡°Fifty out of thousands¡­ that¡¯s quite high odds. Even with the blessings of Ilea, entering the core city seems almost impossible. That is until you dig deeper into the circumstances of the people who managed to enter the core city. For one, almost all of those who entered the core city left the Lost City as soon as they entered the inner city. And as soon as they returned to the city, they went directly to the core city.¡±


    ¡°¡­That only seems to suggest that those Wanderers had to face some kind of trial outside of the city.¡±


    ¡°¡­Most importantly, all of those fifty or so Wanderers entered the inner city in a group of seven to ten. Only one or two of their groups managed to enter the core city, but it still does not change the fact that only those who from a group of seven to ten have manage to enter the core city.¡±


    ¡°Is that why you were sure that our elders have asked us to learn how to deal with other Wanderers?¡± Alnea said, staring curiously at the woman in front of him.


    ¡°That¡¯s part of the reason¡­ The other part is mostly because of how ignorantly you have been behaving.¡±


    ¡­How exactly were they behaving for Vestia to figure out so much about them in the span of just a couple of days? Were all other Wanderers just as sharp, or was it just her who was so special?


    ¡°¡­Is the city also testing us on how we cooperate with each other?¡± Yuri said, interrupting his thoughts.


    ¡°Who knows?¡± Vestia said, shrugging her shoulders. ¡°There is only so much I can guess with the information that I have.¡±


    ¡°¡­So, if we wish to enter the core city, we must find four more companions at least. And you want to be one of those four Wanderers.¡±


    ¡°All Wanderers who come to the Lost City would dream of entering the inner city at least once during their stay. And I am no different either.¡±


    ¡°¡­You must have been in the city for quite a long time, right?¡±


    ¡°I would not say that I have been here for a long time. It has been just a little over three months since I came to Rianra, and just about three months since I entered the Lost City.¡±


    ¡°Why have you not formed a group in these three months then?¡±


    ¡°I have been gathering information¡­ And I have my standards. Not everyone is qualified to become my teammate.¡±


    ¡°¡­What do you think?¡± Yuri said, while still staring at the blue robed woman.


    ¡°Finally willing to talk to me?¡±


    ¡°¡­I was busy Clearing my Heart.¡±


    ¡°¡­You know you can shout at me when you get angry.¡±


    ¡°I was not angry.¡±


    ¡°¡­Right. You can also shout at me when you get jealous.¡±


    ¡°¡­Why should I be jealous?¡±


    ¡°Who knows?¡±


    ¡°¡­Just answer my question.¡±


    ¡°¡­I mean, she does have a point. And she has been nothing but sincere from the very beginning. Not to mention that we do not have any other choice, do we? After all, if the choice is between a neutral Wanderer from another Region, with not much background in the Lost City, and Orthodoxies of our sector who are trying to woo and subdue us, then there is not much we have to think about.¡±


    ¡°¡­Cecilia would not be happy.¡±


    ¡°¡­You are talking as if you are happy with the choice,¡± Alnea said, only for Yuri to ignore his words, and look at Vestia in her eyes.


    ¡°¡­If you do not have a mansion of your own in the city, then you can live with us.¡±


    ¡°¡­Live with us?¡±


    ¡°¡­Are you sure, Yuri?¡±


    ¡°You have heard what she said as well. If we wish to enter the core city, we will need her help.¡±


    ¡°¡­I do not like this.¡±


    ¡°I do not like it either. But that is also one of the reasons why we have to come the Lost City, is it not?¡±


    ¡°I guess¡­¡±


    ¡°So, what are you going to do?¡± Yuri said, turning back towards Vestia.


    ¡°¡­You still do not trust me.¡±


    ¡°Like you said, trust is built over time.¡±


    ¡°I guess that¡¯s true,¡± Vestia said after a while, patting the dark blue pouch hanging by her waist. ¡°Good thing that I brought all my luggage with me.¡±


    ¡°¡­Good thing indeed,¡± Yuri said, choosing to reserve her opinion with herself. ¡°Welcome to the team, Vestia Weina.¡±


    ¡°Thank you for having me, Yuri,¡± Vestia said, dropping the solemn expression on her face for a smile. ¡°You too, Cecilia and Alnea. Thank you for letting me join your team.¡±


    ¡°¡­Just do not drag us down.¡±


    ¡°Do not worry. I will never let you down.¡±

 Chapter 22: Star Seekers [Part 1]

    If Yuri had a calm and mature temperament, showing her naughty side just to him, then Cecilia was a headstrong girl through and through. Especially after the things they had been through the past year, further deepening her Serenity, bringing her closer to her Clarity, she had come much closer to her true nature. Acting on her instincts, diving headfirst into danger¡­ these things had become like second nature for her.


    Thankfully, her instincts were based on reasons, and correct most of the time. Not to mention that she looked much cuter when she was lively. As for the times that she was wrong, she had him and Yuri to help her clean her mess, did she not? She had rarely given him such chances in recent times, but he was always ready to come to her rescue.


    However, it was exactly because Alnea knew how she normally behaved, that he could rest assured after he heard her words. Cecilia may have sounded a bit disgruntled with Vestia, but since she warned the blue robed woman, she had basically accepted the fact Vestia was joining their team. Vestia herself did not know much about Cecilia though, and took her grumpy attitude as her dissatisfaction¡ªwhich was not wrong in a sense¡ª stepping in to better her impression in the Heart of her new teammates.


    ¡°Now that you know about why you need teammates, what should I tell you next?¡± Vestia said, pretending to get lost in her thoughts for a moment. ¡°How about learning more about the city?¡±


    ¡°We do need to know more about the city, or else we might end up making a fool of ourselves once again. But before doing anything, there is one thing that we must do.¡±


    ¡°¡­Do not hesitate to ask for my help if you need it.¡±


    ¡°I will gladly take you up on that offer, Vestia. Though just your help would not be enough. After all, what I am talking about is something that all of us must do together.¡±


    ¡°¡­Now you are starting to make me curious.¡±


    ¡°You are overthinking,¡± Cecilia said with a snort. ¡°He is never up to any good, always thinking about useless things¡­ Just ignore him.¡±


    ¡°I am serious.¡±


    ¡°Given your record, it is hard to believe your words,¡± Yuri said with a straight face, but failed to hide the slight fluctuations of amusements in her voice. ¡°Or have you forgotten what you did the day before?¡±


    ¡°¡­I was just trying to cheer you two up,¡± Alnea mumbled. ¡°But this time, I truly am serious. There is really something that we must do before doing anything else.¡±


    ¡°I believe you, Alnea,¡± Vestia said, winking at him, only for Cecilia and Yuri to glare at both of them the very next moment.


    ¡°¡­It would be better if we focus on more important things,¡± Yuri said. ¡°And stop flirting with the first girl that talks nicely with you.¡±


    ¡°¡­What did I do?¡±


    ¡°¡­Idiot.¡±


    It was Vestia who had winked at him. How was it his fault? Under the glare of the two girls though, he could only admit his mistake, or risk facing their wrath. Fortunately, he had better options.


    ¡°This is important as well,¡± Alnea said. ¡°In fact, this is the most important thing we need to do.¡±


    ¡°If you are being so adamant about it¡­ What is it?¡±


    ¡°Name.¡±


    ¡°¡­Name?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. Name. It was fine before, when it was only us, but with Vestia joining us, we need a name for our team.¡±


    ¡°¡­I would not go so far as to say that it is the most important thing, but I agree that naming our team is indeed a very important matter,¡± Vestia said, with the brightness in her eyes matching the smile on her face. ¡°Since you three are so close to each other, I thought that you would have already have a name.¡±


    ¡°We do,¡± Cecilia said, sneakily trying to slip in her version of the team¡¯s name. ¡°We are Green Warriors.¡±


    ¡°Absolutely not.¡±


    ¡°Why not? It is much better than Night Rangers.¡±


    ¡°I agree.¡±


    ¡°¡­Although I would like to agree with you, but on this, I concur with Cecilia and Yuri.¡±


    ¡­On the positive side, at least they agreed on something.


    ¡°Then you cannot call us Destiny Wanderers either.¡±


    ¡°Or Fate Breakers.¡±


    ¡°¡­Then we are back at square one.¡±


    ¡°It seems like none of can agree on the same name.¡±


    ¡°But we cannot be without a name either¡­ Why are smiling so much?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing,¡± Vestia said, shaking her head. With her smile widening with every passing moment though, she did not seem particularly convincing. ¡°¡­It¡¯s just that you three have been putting so much pressure on me, that I was subconsciously treating you the same as other Wanderers I have met in the course of my journey.¡±


    Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    ¡°What do you mean by that? I will let you know that we are proper Wanderers, who have broken more than forty records in just twenty trials.¡±


    ¡°I know¡­ But you are also kids who have just become Wanderers.¡±


    ¡°¡­You are not that much older than us either.¡±


    ¡°And that is why we should talk with each other in a much more straightforward manner, should we not? Why skirt around the things that we want to talk about, trying to outsmart each other¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­Stop being so long winded,¡± Cecilia said, waving her hand to dismiss Vestia¡¯s worries. ¡°I may not like you much, but since you are a part of the team, I will naturally treat you as one.¡±


    ¡°¡­I should also apologise for being so aggressive earlier,¡± Yuri said with slightly flushed cheeks, breaking her stoic face for the first time in a while.


    ¡°It is fine. Your concerns were valid. And my intentions are not exactly pure either. If you had not put me through so much gruelling, you would not have accepted me into your team so easily, would you?¡±


    ¡°¡­I will not let you succeed,¡± Cecilia said, glaring at the blue robed woman.


    ¡°And I will not give up until I succeed¡­ If I choose him, that is. For now, I just want to enter the inner city with you.¡±


    ¡°¡­If you are done making up, can we get back to naming our team?¡±


    ¡°Of course,¡± Vestia said, turning towards Alnea. ¡°Before we begin though, how about I give a suggestion?¡±


    ¡°That is exactly why I have brought this topic up in the first place. As a part of the team, you have just as much right to naming our team as any one of us. So, go ahead, and feel free to say what you want.¡±


    ¡°I am glad that you think so much for me, Alnea,¡± Vestia said, with her smile widening in satisfaction, while Cecilia and Yuri both let out a hum. ¡°What I want to say is that in the world of Wanderers, taking a name is a very mystical concept. Sometimes, it can even be linked to your Fate. Especially if the names can be linked to your identity. This is why most, if not all, of the Orthodoxies link their names with their patron Gods and Goddesses.


    ¡°So, naming your team randomly with what you think sounds good might seem like a good idea, but it can very dangerous. It would be fine if nothing happens, but if you get tainted with the wrong fate¡­ No matter how trivial it may seem to you at the moment, you cannot take joke around with the identity that you are going to use in front of hundreds of thousands of Wanderers.¡±


    ¡°¡­The names are not random,¡± Cecilia mumbled. ¡°We came up with them after months of deliberation.¡±


    ¡°I admit that the names you have come up with do sound interesting and may not have any bad fate associated with them, but only if you take those names for yourself. For the team, none of those names are suitable, because none of those can describe the three of you as a whole.¡±


    ¡°¡­Why does this vixen sound so reasonable?¡±


    ¡°Because she is right,¡± Yuri said with a sigh. ¡°I do not like this feeling.¡±


    ¡°Being corrected?¡±


    ¡°¡­Being corrected by a vixen. That too, one just a couple of years older than us.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not your fault. It¡¯s just that she has more experience than you.¡±


    ¡°And you would like that, won¡¯t you? A girl who has more experience over a girl who has none?¡±


    ¡°¡­What are you talking about?¡±


    ¡°¡­Forget it. I am just a little stressed.¡±


    ¡°I can see that.¡±


    ¡°And tired.¡±


    ¡°I can see that too.¡±


    ¡°¡­It¡¯s not that I don¡¯t like dealing with other Wanderers.¡±


    ¡°I know.¡±


    ¡°I just don¡¯t like dealing with vixens.¡±


    ¡°¡­It¡¯s alright, Yuri. How about we go get some rest?¡±


    ¡°No. This is important. We really do need a name for our team. And we still have to learn more about the city. Since we have let her join our team, we need to make best use out of her.¡±


    Yuri¡¯s words sounded wrong on so many levels¡­ Alnea wisely chose to side with her this time though, urging Vestia contribute more to the team.


    ¡°How should we name our team then?¡±


    ¡°For now, there are just four of us in the team. So, technically, the name would not matter much, as long as we can agree on one, that is. But we will obviously have more people join our team in the near future. As such, we need a name that our future team members would also be able to agree upon. A name which can bind all our aspirations, and goals, and bring us together¡ª


    ¡°Keep it short,¡± Cecila said impatiently.


    ¡°¡­The easiest way would be to start with a number. Any number would do, but the number of maximum team members that we aim to have would work the best.¡±


    ¡°¡­I doubt I would be able to handle even one more member like you, but let¡¯s go with seven.¡±


    ¡°Oh? So, you plan to have three more women join the team? It would be¡ª


    ¡°No!¡± Cecilia and Yuri said in unison, almost shouting at Vestia. ¡°No more women.¡±


    ¡°¡­I do not prefer any more women joining the team either,¡± Vestia said, winking at Alnea once again. ¡°Unless Alnea has any other plans, of course.¡±


    ¡°I have no such plans,¡± Alnea hurriedly said, raising his hands in surrender. The blue robed woman¡­ She may look cute with her dimples, but she was like an Abyssal, trying to push him into despair. Could she not see the glares that the girls were giving him? Why was she winking at him at a time like this?


    ¡°That would make things a little more difficult, but it is fine. Since we know how many people there are going to be in the team, then next we just need to find something that is common between us. A trait that all of us share¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­Our goal of entering the core city?¡±


    ¡°Not so common.¡±


    ¡°Our strength?¡±


    ¡°It would be too arrogant, but that is not a bad idea. We can come back to it if we fail to find anything suitable.¡±


    ¡°We can also go with our common Arcanas.¡±


    ¡°Or Martial Styles.¡±


    ¡°Even Glyphs would do.¡±


    ¡°Common Mysteries¡­¡±


    ¡°How about Bloody Seven? Because we will always leave our opponents bloody¡­¡±


    ¡°Or Seven Deaths. Because we will always send our opponents close to Death.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s actually a very good name. Much better than ¡®The Seven Apostles of Death¡¯ that I was going to say.¡±


    ¡°Apostles of Death¡­ not bad¡­¡±


    ¡°Perdia¡¯s Seven¡­¡±


    ¡°Absolute Seven¡­¡±


    ¡­Vestia had just lectured them about how arrogantly they had been acting for the past few days, yet the things she was saying were even more arrogant. After all she said, she even dared to bring the name of the Gods in the name of the team¡­ Most importantly, Cecilia and Yuri were seriously considering her words. Why were all the girls that he knew so crazy?


    ¡°Let¡¯s just go with Star Seekers,¡± Alnea said, stepping in between the girls before they could doom him to bear embarrassing names for the rest of his life. ¡°We chase after the stars, seeking the one that belongs to us.¡±

 Chapter 22: Star Seekers [Part 2]

    ¡°Seeking the one the that belongs to us¡­¡± Vestia mumbled, pondering upon the words in a daze. Even Cecilia and Yuri turned to look at him in shock.


    ¡°You actually came up with a good name?¡±


    ¡°¡­What do you mean? I have always come up with good names.¡±


    ¡°¡­Spirit Piercing Needle.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a good name.¡±


    ¡°Three Turns Spirit Forging Art.¡±


    ¡°¡­Master agreed with it.¡±


    ¡°Only because she dotes on you too much,¡± Yuri said, before smiling at him. ¡°But this time, I like the name that you came up with.¡±


    ¡°I love it too.¡±


    ¡°What about you, Vestia? Do you have any problems with ¡®Star Seekers¡¯?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Vestia said, shaking her head, while still appearing to be in a daze. ¡°The name¡­ It just reminded me of something.¡±


    ¡°Do you agree with the name then?¡±


    ¡°Of course, what¡¯s there to disagree about it?¡±


    ¡°Good,¡± Yuri said, nodding with satisfaction. ¡°Then from now on, we will be known as ¡®Star Seekers¡¯. Wanderers who chase after the ¡®Stars¡¯, ¡®Seeking¡¯ the one that belongs to us.¡±


    ¡­Looking at Cecilia¡¯s and Yuri¡¯s eyes, filled with pride, and Vestia¡¯s eyes, brimming with admiration, Alnea decided to never tell them that he had just borrowed the name. After all, with no ¡®Star Transformation Art¡¯ available in the world of Wanderers, they would never be able to catch his plagiarism. In the end, what would be left behind would be the legends of Alnea Oathkeeper, the man who came up with the name ¡®Star Seekers¡¯¡­


    ¡°Since we are done naming our team, let¡¯s get back to what we were talking about earlier,¡± Yuri said, intent on squeezing everything out of Vestia that she could. ¡°Tell us what you know about the Lost City.¡±


    ¡°If I start telling you everything that I know about the city, then I would not be done even after Enn sinks and rises twice in the sky. Still, you do need to know a few important things about the city, or else you would not even notice when you enter the traps of other Wanderers. For example, if someone attacks you within the city, then you can retaliate against them, but only with appropriate force.


    ¡°With how you three have been fighting in the Arena though, you clearly do not understand the meaning of appropriate force. So, this might be one of the ways that other clans might try to find trouble with you. They might even time their attacks to allow for the guards of the city to catch you red handed. But once you are caught by the guards, things will become a little troublesome, so make sure to not fall for such blatant traps.¡±


    ¡°She is talking about you, Cecilia,¡± Alnea said, glancing at the irritant cat prowling around her. It was beginning to get hungry. And once it became hungry enough to become feral¡­


    ¡°Like you are one to talk about,¡± Cecilia said. ¡°At least my opponents are just a little maimed. Your opponents are almost always left on the verge of death.¡±


    ¡°¡­That¡¯s because I wanted to create a shock effect. If I wish, I can easily control my strength¡­ probably.¡±


    ¡°Save your flirting for later,¡± Yuri said. ¡°Let¡¯s get this over with first.¡±


    ¡°We are not flirting!¡±


    ¡°Definitely not flirting!¡±


    ¡°¡­I would not mind, you know,¡± Vestia said, covering her mouth, as she chuckled at him and Cecilia.


    ¡°¡­Let¡¯s continue with what you were saying.¡±


    ¡°If you say so,¡± Vestia said, shrugging her shoulders. ¡°As I was saying, there are countless ways for other Wanderers to lure you into their traps, and they are always coming up with new ways, so telling you about these things would not really make much of a difference. What you need to do is to remain vigilant at all times. This is one of the reasons why Wanderers in the city are always so distrustful of each other.


    ¡°Only within the bounds of the Blood Hall or the Blood Arena do Wanderers allow themselves to relax. Because no one is crazy enough to play tricks in these places. Of course, there are always some people who do not care about any rules, but they are in a minority. And their end is always of the worst kind.¡±


    ¡°So, even when we are in the Blood Hall and Blood Arena, we should still remain vigilant, and not let our guards down?¡±


    ¡°We should always prepare for the worst, right?¡±


    ¡°¡­I cannot argue with that.¡±


    ¡°This brings us to the second point, your arrogance. I know that the three of you are geniuses in your own rights. In fact, you three are some of the most talented Wanderers I have ever met. And I have met many Wanderers. Even those from Supreme clans. Still, you should restrain your arrogance a little. Offending one or two clans is nothing, but if you offend all the Wanderers in the city, then you can give up the ¡®Star¡¯ of inner city.¡±


    ¡°¡­If we are strong enough¡ª


    ¡°Even if you are strong enough, can you fight hundreds of Wanderers at the same time? Or have you forgotten what I said earlier about the process of entering the inner city?¡±


    ¡°¡­We will try to restrain ourselves.¡±


    Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original.


    ¡°¡­Though, I guess, it is not entirely your fault either. From how the three of you often enter into a world of your own, I can see that you must have trained in a closed environment for a long time, with barely any contact with other Wanderers. Maybe that is also the reason why you have such strength at such a young age. But everything comes at a price. And the price for your strength is your ignorance in matters pertaining to other Wanderers. Maybe you yourself do not know how you have offended so many Wanderers¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­We will try to be a bit more conscious.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine. As long as you are aware of your shortcomings, we can work on them together.¡±


    ¡°So, being vigilant at all times, restraining our arrogance, and paying more attention to the Wanderers around us¡­ Anything else?¡±


    ¡°¡­For now, that¡¯s enough about you. Next, let us come to the city itself. As you know, the city is divided into four districts, Northern, Eastern, Southern, and Western. These districts, with a closed system of their own, are like the different Regions of the Tes Domain. There is nothing stopping the Wanderers from crossing their borders, but rarely do we see Wanderers stepping into districts that is not their own.


    ¡°After all, most of the needs of the Wanderers can be met in their own districts. As for the things that they cannot find in their own districts, they will not find it in other districts either. Not to mention the fact that Wanderers cannot access Blood Hall and Arenas of other districts. With such a great disadvantage, and no advantages whatsoever, it is not a surprise that Wanderers rarely gander off into other districts.


    ¡°However, Orthodoxies generally tend to stick together with their kind. That, coupled with the closed system of the different districts, gave birth to an unwritten rule in the city. Members of an Orthodoxy will settle down in the districts where other members of their clans are. The Serpia clan in particular, has settled down in the Southern District. This is also one of the reasons why I was able to guess the intention of your elders. In any case¡ª


    ¡°Wait,¡± Alnea said, interrupting Vestia. ¡°If the Serpia clan has settled in the Southern District, then what about the Northern District? Which clan of Rianra has settled down in the Northern District?¡±


    ¡°That is what I was about to come to next,¡± Vestia said. ¡°I know that a Wanderer from the Lotus clan issued a Blood Challenge against you on your first day in the city, but you should not have challenged the entire Lotus clan.¡±


    ¡°¡­Is it the Lotus clan?¡±


    ¡°¡­These rats. Are we never going to get rid of them?¡±


    ¡°¡­But it was master who brought us to the Northern District¡­¡±


    ¡°Big sis Nyssa probably wants you to get ready for the Rising Wanderer Trials¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­From the look on your faces, and what you are saying, I guess that you must have some kind of grudge against the Lotus clan?¡±


    ¡°It is those bastards! They¡ª


    ¡°Cecilia,¡± Yuri said, glaring at Cecilia, while shaking her head, before turning back to Vestia. ¡°I am sorry, but there are some things that we cannot tell you¡­ even if you are part of our team.¡±


    ¡°¡­It¡¯s fine. Everyone has a secret or two. Besides, we have just formed a team. It is understandable that you do not trust me completely. Yet. Sooner or later, I am sure that I will earn your trust.¡±


    ¡°We will see about that,¡± Yuri said. ¡°Although there are things that we cannot tell you, since you have joined our team, you should at least know what kind of grudge the Lotus clan has with us.¡±


    ¡°You do not have to¡ª


    ¡°You remember Reinhart Whitebud that you were talking about?¡±


    ¡°¡­The Whitebud patriarch who became Enthralled?¡±


    ¡°It was because of Alnea that he became Enthralled.¡±


    ¡°¡­I did not know that you could joke around as well, Yuri,¡± Vestia said, shaking her head, while chuckling to herself. No matter how talented her new teammates were, in the end, they were just¡ª


    ¡°I am not joking.¡±


    ¡°¡­I guess, she is right.¡±


    ¡°There is nothing to guess here. Or do you want me to remind you how the Whitebud Patriarch got Enthralled?¡±


    ¡°¡­No need.¡±


    ¡°¡­Are you really not joking?¡±


    ¡°Of course not,¡± Cecilia said, with pride dripping from her face. ¡°I was there too. And I also contributed a little to that old bastard¡¯s Enthrallment.¡±


    ¡°¡­I guess you could say that.¡±


    ¡°She did scold him a lot.¡±


    ¡°Maybe his Heart would not have broken if Cecilia had not scolded him so.¡±


    ¡°So, it was not my fault¡ª


    ¡°But in the end, you were the main reason why his Heart broke.¡±


    ¡°¡­I was just trying to help.¡±


    ¡°¡­Wait. Wait. Wait,¡± Vestia said, raising her hands in exasperation, as her breath quickened along with her heart. ¡°So, the three of you caused the downfall of a True Wanderer?¡±


    ¡°Two of us, actually. Yuri was not there with us back then.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s even more exaggerated! Two Intermediate Stage¡ªNo, you should have only been at the Initial Stage back then. Two Initial Stage False Wanderers taking down a True Wanderer¡­ How did the Lotus clan let you go?¡±


    ¡°¡­Well, they did not exactly let us go.¡±


    ¡°We cannot tell you¡ª


    ¡°Wait a moment,¡± Vestia said, raising her hand, as she shifted her eyes downwards, while biting her lower lips, getting lost in her thoughts. ¡°Reinhard Whitebud¡­ Reinhart Whitebud¡­ I remember it now.¡±


    Vestia paused, and turned back towards Yuri, with a flash of solemnity in her eyes.


    ¡°It was not just the Whitebud patriarch who died that day.¡±


    ¡°¡­Your source of information sure is accurate.¡±


    ¡°You¡­¡± Vestia paused, and bit her lips once again, with anxiousness flooding her eyes. ¡°Are the three of you Heterodox Wanderers?¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Alnea said, blinking at the frightened woman in confusion. ¡°We are Heterodox Wanderers?¡±


    ¡°Poros¡¯ skin! How can you think of us as Heterodox Wanderers?¡±


    ¡°¡­We are not so scary, are we?¡±


    ¡°But¡­¡±


    ¡°It looks like your source of information is not so accurate after all,¡± Yuri said, snickering at poor woman. ¡°We cannot tell you the whole story but rest assured. We are not Heterodox Wanderers. On the contrary, we are their hunters.¡±


    ¡°¡­Hunters?¡±


    ¡°It is a long story.¡±


    ¡°¡­One that you cannot share?¡±


    ¡°¡­Maybe later, but not now.¡±


    ¡°¡­Then the Lotus clan¡­¡±


    ¡°Once again, all we can say is that they will not stop coming after us. Whether we provoke them or not.¡±


    ¡°¡­You have quite a lot of secrets.¡±


    ¡°Everyone has a secret or two¡­ We just have a little more than others.¡±


    ¡°¡­You are refreshing my concept of what a little means.¡±


    ¡°¡­Now that you know what kind of grudge the Lotus clan has with us, are you still willing to be a part of our team?¡±


    ¡°¡­Maybe I have not taken down a True Wanderer, or hunted some Heterodox Wanderers, but I will let you know that I, Vestia Weina, am no coward. And I am not someone who goes back on my word either. So what if you have the Lotus clan coming against you? Even if it was the entire city that was your enemy, I would still be afraid. From the moment you accepted me, I was already a part of the team. And I also have a part in naming our team. I am just as much a Star Seeker as the three of you are.¡±


    ¡°¡­Although I hate vixens, but you are not too bad.¡±


    ¡°¡­I am beginning to like you too.¡±


    ¡­Three crazy girls, bonding with each other¡­ Alnea just hoped that they would not drag him into too much trouble.

 Chapter 23: Back in the Arena [Part 1]

    ¡°¡­Are they the kids that everyone is talking about?¡±


    ¡°¡­There are not many other Wanderers of their age in the Lost City¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­Unbreakable records¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­I heard some people say that he can surely become a Mystic Wanderer¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­Just a Mystic Wanderer? This is unbreakable records we are talking about¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­becoming a Grand Wanderer is not so simple¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­What about the others?¡±


    ¡°¡­The girl in white should also be¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­Not so sure about the Serpian though¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­Even her clan has abandoned her¡­¡±


    Alnea hurriedly reached out, and held Cecilia by her shoulders, forcing her to say in her position. These ignorant Wanderers¡­


    ¡°Ignore them, Cecilia,¡± Vestia said, comforting Cecilia with pursed lips. ¡°They are just jealous of your talent. Most of them would not even be able to reach the True Rank. They might even be kicked out of the city at any moment. For them, being kicked out a little earlier would not make any difference. But if you break the rules¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­Who is the woman?¡±


    ¡°¡­You do not know?¡±


    ¡°¡­Erwen Forests¡­¡±


    ¡°Erwein Forest? Which Erwein Forest?¡±


    ¡°There is only one Erwein Forest.¡±


    ¡°You mean¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­That¡¯s right. She is a vixen of the Erwein Forest.¡±


    ¡°¡­Another woman.¡±


    ¡°¡­Ilea¡¯s favour¡­¡±


    ¡°I would not be so sure¡­¡±


    ¡°She is a vixen¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­I have heard¡­¡±


    This time, it was Cecilia¡¯s turn to hold Vestia, tying her down.


    ¡°They are just jealous of you¡­ Do not fall for their traps.¡±


    ¡°Traps? These brainless idiots can still lay traps? I do agree that they are jealous of me though¡­¡±


    ¡°As expected of a Weina,¡± Yuri said, nodding at Vestia. ¡°You have such strong will¡­ I dare say that just in terms of will, few of our peers can match you. Still, ignoring the insults being directed at you is easier said than done.¡±


    ¡°If the women of Erwein Forest were the kind to care about what some insignificant people think about us, we would not have spread our reach through the world. At least in Tes Domain, few, if any Supreme clans can match our influence. Do you think their words, rife with envy and jealousy, can affect me? In any case, you do not have to worry. I will not lose my cool over people like them.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s good,¡± Yuri said, before turning her gaze towards the Wanderers floating on their small platforms, before glancing at the crowd in the stands. ¡°Are you sure that you want us to announce our team in front of everyone?¡±


    ¡°What are you embarrassed about?¡± Vestia said. ¡°I did not see you hesitating when you challenged the Lotus clan in front of everyone.¡±


    ¡°That was different¡­¡±


    ¡°I do not see any differences.¡±


    ¡°¡­We can announce our team after we complete a few more Trials.¡±


    ¡°We have already discussed this. You have cleared enough Trials. The things you have achieved¡­ Your names are now ringing in every corner of the city. What you need now is not more fame, but more teammates. Companions whom you can trust.¡±


    ¡°But it was my turn this time¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­It will still be your turn when you do the Trials in the future. But you truly cannot afford gaining even more fame than already have. Since you have declared war against the Lotus clan, they surely would not let you off easy. Especially after what you did before coming to the Lost City¡­ The more fame you gain, the more talent you appear to have, the more ferocious will be the Lost¡¯s clan¡¯s attack. They might even ignore all reasons and attack you within the city.¡±


    ¡°We are not afraid of them breaking the rules. Rather, we want them to break the rules.¡±


    ¡°¡­I am sure that your confidence is coming from the elders who brought you to the city, and they might even have the strength to keep you safe from the counterattacks of the Lotus clan. But have you ever thought about the consequences of such rampant behaviour?¡±


    ¡°¡­What do you mean?¡±


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    ¡°I mean that Orthodoxies, no matter how much in decline they might be, are not so easy to deal with. After all, the connections that they have built over the countless years are not just for show. Even if they break the rules, at best, they will just be slapped with a few fines. But you¡­ I cannot say much about you, Yuri, but I can see that Alnea is not from any Orthodoxy.¡±


    ¡°¡­Am I so obvious?¡± Alnea said, scratching his head in embarrassment.


    ¡°¡­Your manners are impeccable, and your abilities are even more outstanding, but some things just cannot be covered up. Like the way you deal with things. Or your reactions¡­ Even the air of arrogance. The scions of Orthodoxies¡­ they have a certain arrogance ingrained in their blood. Whatever they do, they will always carry this arrogance with them.


    ¡°Take Cecilia for example. I have not known her for long, but I can say for sure that she must inherently carry a sense of disregard for her enemies in her blood. She may feel fear, she may lose, and she may even despair, but no matter what, she will never lose the disregard for her enemies. Because she is a daughter of the Serpent of Infinity. As for Yuri¡­ I do not know much about her, but I can feel an air of indifference around her. As if she is just a spectator of the world¡­ This is her ¡®arrogance¡¯.¡±


    ¡°¡­I am not so sure of what you said about Yuri, but that disregard part does sound like what Lia would do.¡±


    ¡°Hey, when did I ever disregard our enemies?¡±


    ¡°Do you want me remind you what you said to the old bastard?¡±


    ¡°¡­I was trying to help you back then. That does not count.¡±


    ¡°Then what about the times¡ª


    ¡°Idiot,¡± Cecilia cursed, and kicked him in his shins, before turning back towards Vestia. ¡°So this idiot is not from an Orthodoxy. What about it? How does it change anything?¡±


    ¡°It changes everything. Like I said, Orthodoxies, even the declining ones, like the Lotus clan, have a lot of connection. Sure, they will get punished for breaking the rules. But if you retaliate against them outside of the rules, then they will use their connection to get you punished too. And though your clans may be able to save you, what excuse will they use to save a commoner?¡±


    ¡°Alnea is not just a commoner!¡±


    ¡°¡­Lia¡ª


    ¡°And I will not allow anyone to touch him!¡±


    ¡°¡­Yuri¡ª


    ¡°This time, I am with Cecilia. You are not just a commoner. You are Alnea. And I will not let anyone touch you.¡±


    ¡°¡­You two can never let me rest,¡± Alnea said, scratching his head in confusion. He did not know whether he should feel happy or frustrated. Still, he at least knew the girls enough to know how to deal with them.


    ¡°Calm down, Lia. Things have not reached that point. Besides, Vestia is not wrong.¡±


    ¡°You are taking her side again,¡± Cecilia said, kicking his other shin. ¡°Why don¡¯t you just go live with her.¡±


    ¡°¡­Technically, we are all living together. But that¡¯s not my point. Have you forgotten the situation we are in? Or do you want everyone to know about Yuri.¡±


    ¡°But¡ª


    ¡°No but. We must¡ª


    ¡°You do not have to worry about me,¡± Yuri said, snorting at him in dissatisfaction. ¡°After what happened in Anneve, big sis Nyssa has been making some preparations. If need be, we will be able to leave all dangers in no time.¡±


    ¡°But we cannot leave Rianra yet.¡±


    ¡°And whose fault is that?¡±


    ¡°¡­It¡¯s my fault, but things have already reached this point. Why don¡¯t we look for solutions, rather than thinking of what we should have done? Besides, you two have not forgotten that we are still in the Arena, right?¡±


    ¡°¡­It¡¯s all your fault,¡± Cecilia said, as she turned her face away from him. Thankfully, she did not kick his shin again. Did she not know how strong she was?


    ¡°¡­I was wrong,¡± Vestia said, smiling at her teammates in amusement. ¡°Your indifference¡­ it is not your arrogance, but just a small part of it. My interest in you has increased once again.¡±


    ¡°¡­I would prefer it if a Weina would not be interested in me, or anyone close to me for that matter.¡±


    ¡°¡­We Weina are not so scary,¡± Vestia said, smiling helplessly, before turning towards Alnea. ¡°Since you understand your situation, you should know what you have to do.¡±


    ¡°¡­Not show the Lotus clan any more of my abilities than I already have?¡±


    ¡°Not just the Lotus clan. You should not show your abilities to anyone.¡±


    ¡°¡­Then the Trials¡­¡±


    ¡°Do not take any more Trials. Especially the Arcanist and Scholar Trials. This is holds for the two of you too. And for me. And anyone else who might join our team. The Trials are not going to go anywhere anyway. We can just take them after we are done accumulating Arena and Black Desert Points.¡±


    ¡°¡­That¡¯s so boring.¡±


    ¡°You can still vent your frustrations in the Arena, Lia.¡±


    ¡°But Forne always completes the fight before I do anything¡­¡±


    The dumb cat chose that exact moment to purr, and stretch out its limbs, as if getting ready to fight¡­ Poor Cecilia.


    ¡°About that¡­ you should restrain your cat a little, Cecilia. At least try not to attract too much attention. You too, Alnea. Remember to not jump around in front of Lotus clan.¡±


    ¡°¡­What if the Lotus clan accepts the challenge that we made yesterday?¡±


    ¡°If that happens, then just defeat them as swiftly as you can, without showing any more of your abilities. And try not to humiliate them.¡±


    ¡°¡­Defeat them in one move. Got it.¡±


    ¡°Not one move, but as swiftly as possible,¡± Yuri said. ¡°If we face stronger enemies, then unless we reveal a bit more of our strength, we might not be able to defeat them in just one move. It might even take a few hundred moves.¡±


    ¡°¡­At this point, I do not know who is angrier at the Lotus clan, me, or you two.¡±


    ¡°Alnea Reckless would of course not be angry for himself.¡±


    ¡°He just jumps into danger for others and expects no one to do the same for him.¡±


    ¡°A brainless idiot.¡±


    ¡°A pervert.¡±


    ¡°¡­I admit to being a little reckless, but what is with that last accusation?¡±


    ¡°¡­If I recall correctly, then on the day we left Anneve¡ª


    ¡°Stop!¡± Cecilia said, jumping on Yuri to close her mouth, with all of her blood rushing to her face. ¡°Whose team are you on?¡±


    ¡°¡­What is this about the day we left Anneve?¡±


    ¡°¡­Pervert!¡± Cecilia yelled, refusing to let go of Yuri¡¯s mouth until she promised not to reveal their secret. Alnea, of course, did not wish to let go of such a good opportunity to tease Cecilia. He even tried talking directly to Yuri through their rings, but she refused to say anything. In the end, defeated, and tired of being falsely accused as a pervert, he could only turn back towards the blue robed woman.


    ¡°We just have to announce that we established our team, right?¡±


    ¡°And that we are looking for people to complete the Black Desert Trials with.¡±


    ¡°Do not forget to mention the place and time for recruitment.¡±


    ¡°¡­I am not dumb.¡±


    ¡°And the quota of team members that we have planned.¡±


    ¡°¡­Anything else?¡±


    ¡°¡­Try to be more respectful. We are trying to recruit Wanderers, not antagonise them.¡±


    ¡°¡­You are so long winded,¡± Cecilia said impatiently, before turning back towards the stage. ¡°Looks like it is finally our time to play.¡±

 Chapter 23: Back in the Arena [Part 2]

    ¡°Blood Soldier N zero six zero eight four nine eight, and Blood Soldier N zero five zero six four three five, please come to the stage.¡±


    ¡°See you later,¡± Cecilia said, waving her hand at Alnea and Yuri, as she jumped back onto her small platform with Forne, and willed it to move towards the stage. She had barely moved towards the stage though, when another guard called out a different set of numbers.


    ¡°Blood Soldier N zero five zero six zero three nine six¡­¡±


    ¡°That is my identity number.¡±


    ¡°Let me see your strength, Vestia.¡±


    ¡°It will not disappoint you.¡±


    ¡°¡­May Goddess Ilea be with you,¡± Alnea said, choosing to stay away from the storm brewing between the girls.


    ¡°¡­Thank you, Alnea,¡± Vestia said, nodding at Alnea with a smile, as she too moved towards the stage. But not before winking at him once again, and earning him another glare from Yuri.


    ¡°¡­What do you think of her?¡±


    ¡°¡­She is the kind of Wanderer that I used to think all Wanderers were.¡±


    ¡°Oh? And what kind is that?¡±


    ¡°That kind that knows how to use her head.¡±


    ¡°¡­Are you saying that we do not use our head?¡±


    ¡°I am not talking about us¡­ And you cannot argue that she always comes up with points that we miss.¡±


    ¡°¡­She just has more experience than us, allowing her to see the problems from a different perspective. Just give me some time, and I will be better than her in everything.¡±


    ¡°Of course. After all, my Yuri is the best.¡±


    ¡°Who is your Yuri?¡± Yuri said, turning towards him to glare at him. Her voice though, soft and mellow, revealed how happy she was to hear that compliment.


    ¡°Still, regarding Vestia¡­ I don¡¯t feel any malice from her. She may be a little mischievous, trying to provoke you and Lia from time to time, but from the moment she asked to join us, she has not said or done anything against our interests. All in all, I think she is a valuable addition to our team.¡±


    ¡°¡­If I had even a little doubt about her usefulness to the team, I would not have let her join us. So, don¡¯t worry. I will not make things difficult for her. I just wanted to know what your opinion about her was.¡±


    ¡°My opinion¡­ Well, we already know how smart she is. Now, let us see how strong she is.¡±


    Vestia reached the stage amidst the chants of the Wanderers in the stands, demanding for more fight and blood. The Arena¡­ It surely brought out the most primal instincts of these Wanderers. Even though they knew how precious Blood Coins were, they still dared to spend their Blood Coins just to watch other Wanderers fight and bleed. Maybe that was how they derived their spiritual sustenance. From the miseries of others. Just like their ancestors.


    In the days long gone, when an order had yet to be established between the Orthodoxies, things used to be more primal. There used to be no conspiracies, no intrigues, and no complicated relationships either. Each Orthodoxy used to be for itself, fighting the world for its survival. In such a chaotic world, surviving for one more day was like winning one more battle. And nothing could be better when they did not even have to fight. Just watching other clans fight for their survival¡­ Watching the other Wanderers bleed to their death¡­ That was how the concept of an Arena first came into being. Or at least, that was what the records in her clan said.


    Back then, when her clan could rely only on its itself, the Erwein Forest always used to be in the danger of being wiped out. Goddess Weina¡­ She may have been a Grand Goddess, but her strength did not lay in fighting her enemies head on. Thankfully, she had quite a good relationship with other Gods in Tes¡¯ pantheon. Whenever the Erwein Forest faced dangers, the Goddess could rely on the help of other Gods.


    The Weinas, following in the direction of their Goddess, had also developed in a similar fashion. Their contacts were spread throughout the Tes Domain, and even to a few more prominent clans outside of the Tes Domain. They might be just a Grand clan in name, but even the Supreme clans would not dare to take them lightly. As for the ways they had developed their contacts¡­


    Vestia paused as she stepped onto one of main stages, and glanced back towards Alnea. His eyes were fixed on her. And the Serpian girl, of course. But that did not matter. Weinas always liked challenges. Besides, she was still not sure of her choice. Adding a potential Mystic Wanderer to her clan would be a good choice, but getting the support of a Grand clan would be better.


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    Yet, getting the support of a Grand clan could only add to the soft power of her clan. Tying a potential Mystic Wanderer back to her clan on the other hand, would add directly to the hard power of her clan. And if the boy had the guidance of her clan, reaching the Grand Rank would not be an impossibility. A potential Grand Wanderer, or the support of a Grand clan¡­


    Shaking her head, Vestia turned her attention back to the man in front of her. There would be time for her observe the boy and make her choice. At the moment though, she had to focus on her opponent. A man with a squarish face, and slick hair combed towards the back of his head, clad in a yellowish golden robe. A decent robe, with no signs of wear or tear.


    ¡°Well, well, well, who do we have here?¡± the man said. ¡°If it is not the vixen of the Erwein Forest that has been in the limelight recently.¡±


    ¡°¡­I am pleased to hear that rumours about me have spread to the point that anyone can recognise me. Unfortunately, I cannot say the same about you.¡±


    ¡°¡­A glib tongue, and a strange fighting style. They say that once your enemies get entangled in your methods, they lose all their fighting abilities. That is how you got the name vixen. I wonder if that is true?¡±


    ¡°You will find out in a while.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I will find out much more than that,¡± the man said, smirking at Vestia, while licking his lips. ¡°For example, do the women of Erwein Forest really taste like honey?¡±


    ¡°¡­You will have to have a tongue to taste anything.¡±


    ¡°¡­This is a free battle,¡± the guard said, interrupting the trash talk between the Wanderers. ¡°The Arena will ensure your life, so you can fight to your heart¡¯s content. But once the Arena decides that a battle has been settled, you cannot make any more moves, or you will be disqualified. Do you understand?¡±


    ¡°¡­Understood.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s get on with it already.¡±


    ¡°¡­As you wish,¡± the guard said, urging his platform away from the main stage. ¡°You can start when you want.¡±


    The yellow robed man, eager to show his strength, and subdue the blue robed woman in front of him, rushed straight towards her, while urging his Aspects to surge out of his body, and wrap around his body in kaleidoscopic armour of blue, green, red, yellow, white, and black lights.


    On the other end, Vestia was not sitting still either. Although the Aspects surging out of her body were not as varied as the Aspects of the yellow robed man, they were enough for her to keep her distance away from the man, while preparing other means to fight against him. But the man was not willing let her do as she wished.


    Unable to catch up with the woman with just his Aspects, the man decided to use some strange Martial Styles. The blue, green, red, and white lights flickering around his body all gathered towards his feet, and merged with the black lights, before the black light erupted like a stream from the soles of his feet, pushing the man towards the woman at thrice his usual speed. He was so fast, that by the time Vestia could react, the man was already upon her.


    In the end, Vestia could only condense her Aspects into a round shield in front of her chest, while trying her best to back away from the man. Yet the man¡¯s pursuit was relentless. With red, yellow, and black lights covering his fists, he smashed the blue shield in front of him in just one hit. The woman, of course, recondensed her shield almost instantly, but it was smashed into pieces just as quickly. With the man so close to her though, she could use no other tactics to recondense her shield once again, only for it to be smashed once again. And again. And again.


    The man¡­ he was using his overwhelming power to keep pressing the woman. That was the only strategy against a Weina woman. To overwhelm them with absolute strength. From how the man had not taken down the woman even after smashing her shield nearly twenty times though, he did not have the absolute strength that he had thought he had. He could still overwhelm the woman, but not enough to defeat her in an instant¡­


    But that did not matter. Since he could overwhelm her once, he could overwhelm her again. And again. And again. And so, the man kept pushing against Vestia, not giving her the time to do anything else other than block his moves. She was not even able to use her Martial Styles, and was forced to condense her shield in the more primal way. The man, on the other hand, used all the Martial Styles that he was familiar with.


    Black Stream¡­ One Point Punch¡­ Shadow Steps¡­ White Crane¡­


    There were not many Martial Styles that the man was familiar with. Only ten or so. And they were not of too high a Grade either. All of them were of the Lowest Grade. But the man had almost perfect mastery over all ten of his Martial Styles. He could use them almost as well as the Wanderers who had created them. Coupled with the woman¡¯s own incompetence, the man finally got his chance to overwhelm the woman once and for all.


    If the woman had used her Aspects in conjunction with her Martial Styles, maybe she could have held longer. But without Martial Styles, continuous use of her Aspects in such a rough manner had completely drained her. Her face had become pale quite a while ago. There were even traces of blood leaking from her nose. Even her eyes had become blood red. The woman¡­ she was tough, but in the end, she was finally unable to hold against his endless assault.


    After defending against his attack, and taking two steps back, the woman tried to recondense her shield. And she almost succeeded too. But her drained Spirit failed to condense the shield in time. The man¡¯s fist, covered in his Aspects, easily tore through the half condensed shield, and reached the woman¡¯s face. He could already imagine the crunch of her bones, and the despair in her eyes. In the end, she was just a woman. Even if she was from the Erwein Forest¡ª


    To the man¡¯s horror, his fist continued on, and tore through the woman¡¯s face, and then her head, bursting it apart like a balloon. The man was not afraid of the blood. Or the fact that he had killed a woman. He was afraid of the fact that his punch had not triggered the restrictions of the Arena. Urging his Aspects to gather around his feet, and¡ª


    The woman¡¯s body burst apart just like her head, as if it was a balloon, with all the blood red water from within that balloon wrapping around the man, trapping him before he could make any further moves.


    ¡°Congratulations,¡± Vestia said, appearing next to the large ball of water. ¡°You defeated my clone. Unfortunately, there is no reward.¡±


    Hearing the woman¡¯s words, the man turned red from shame. Unwilling to lose so thoroughly, he tried to use all his means to get out of the water. Aspects, Martial Styles, and his Arcanas. None of them worked. He still did not give up, and even tried to use his Arcanas and Martial Styles at the same time. That did not work either. But he did not give up, and kept trying, and trying, until he fainted from the lack of air, and the Arena wrapped him in a curtain of blood red light, spelling the end of their battle.

 Chapter 23: Back in the Arena [Part 3]

    ¡°¡­Taking your eyes off of your enemy in a battle is not good manners, kid,¡± said the man clad in a bluish grey robe, bringing Alnea¡¯s attention to himself. ¡°One day, it might even lead to your death.¡±


    ¡°It cannot be helped,¡± Alnea said, shrugging his shoulders to express his helplessness. Although Vestia had asked him to be more respectful of other Wanderers, and try not to humiliate them, that was only in the case if they respected him as well. Besides, he had heard what Vestia had said before her battle. And it was not just her. Most of the Wanderers, if not all, when coming to the stage, would try to rattle their opponents with their words. So, he was not trying to humiliate the man in front of him. He was just following traditions.


    ¡°The other fight was much more interesting. And it is not as if you could have done anything to me anyway.¡±


    ¡°¡­Arrogant, as the rumours say.¡±


    ¡°Did the rumours not say how I took down all my opponents? Or are you confident enough to take on my sword?¡±


    ¡°¡­I will not give you the chance¡ª


    ¡°You can start when you want.¡±


    The man tensed the moment he heard the guard¡¯s words, and shifted his left feet back by a step, urging his Aspects to gather around his legs. At the same time, he also began chanting, preparing to release his Arcanas. A mix of an Arcanist and a Warrior then, Alnea noted. Focussing on the path of Warrior, and supplementing it with the path of Arcanist, he added, as he saw how the man had no intentions of creating more distance between them. Judging from how he had put himself on his backfoot though, he did not seem to be too confident in himself.


    Or maybe the man was just waiting to release his Arcana. Maybe that was his fighting style¡­ Stereotyping his enemies could be dangerous. Underestimating them could be even more dangerous. Even fatal in some cases. A lesson that he had learned through personal experiences. Regardless, Alnea was not going to go easy on his enemy. And he was not in the mood to waste time either.


    Cecilia and Vestia had already dragged out their fights as much as possible. With their opponents drained, and defenceless, if they still continued to toy with them, then they would end up offending the clans behind those Wanderers too. One Lotus clan was enough for them to deal with at the moment. So, they could only end their battles earlier than they had planned. And though Yuri was still dragging out her fight, from how tired and frustrated her opponent looked, her battle was not going to last long either. But their plan¡­


    Suppressing his errant thoughts back into the depths of his Heart, Alnea wrapped his legs in silverish blue and golden lights of his Aspects, and used their prowess to push himself towards the grey robed man. Literally. Almost like the Black Stream that the man fighting Vestia had released, the silverish blue and golden lights had gathered at the sole of his feet, and blasted against the floor the stage, pushing him towards his opponent.


    Unlike the Black Stream though, the silverish blue and golden lights had been released more in a form of small bursts. An application of the ¡®Bursting Steps¡¯, a Lowest Grade Martial Style. One of the best Lowest Grade Martial Styles of its kind. The Martial Style was so effective, that just in terms of increasing his speed, it even be compared to some Low Grade Martial Styles.


    Unfortunately, the ¡®Bursting Step Style¡¯ had far too many side effects. Not only did it require its users to have a body strong enough to bear the strain brought about by the Aspects blasting against his feet, the amount of Spirit Power it consumed could be compared to some of the weaker High Grade Martial Styles. Not to mention the damage it wrought on its users. With such glaring defects, the Martial Style could only be categorised as a Lowest Grade Martial Style.


    Alnea, of course, had better Martial Styles at his disposal. Let alone Low Grade Martial Styles, he even had more than a dozen Intermediate Grade Martial Styles to increase his speed. Like the ¡®Sky Streaming Style¡¯. In terms of speed, no Martial Style he had could compare with the ¡®Sky Streaming Style¡¯. But that was also one of the reasons he could not display such Martial Styles in front of other Wanderers.


    Just imagining the Lotus clan seeing him ¡®Stream¡¯ through the air of Arena was enough to give him a headache. If the Lotus clan was to learn that he could use such an amazing Martial Style, would they be able to sit still? Maybe, within the city, they would restrain themselves to its rules. But outside of the city, within the lands of the Black Desert, who could tell what kind of traps they would prepare for him?


    In comparison, though ¡®Bursting Step Style¡¯ was fast enough to make his enemies way of him, its defects were also glaring enough to relieve them a little. Besides, the concept of an Intermediate Stage False Wanderer using Lowest Grade Martial Styles was different from an Intermediate Stage False Wanderer using Intermediate Grade Martial Styles. But that was only for Peak Stage False Wanderers.


    For Advanced Stage False Wanderers, even when he used just ¡®Bursting Steps¡¯, Alnea was still fast enough for them to barely react to his attacks. For Intermediate Stage False Wanderers, even those at the verge of advancing to the Advanced Stage, like the grey robed man, he was so fast that let alone casting his Arcana, the man could not even react. At one moment, he was in the midst of releasing his Arcana, and the other moment, he saw the blood red light of the Arena lighting up, and covering him in its blanket, saving his life, and spelling the end of the fight.


    Moments later, when the man finally registered what had happened, he felt a burning sensation in his chest and throat. Buckling from pain coursing suddenly surging through his veins, the man knelt down on the ground, and coughed some blood, staring at the kid and his blood soaked sword in a daze.


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    ¡°Sometimes, rumours are less scary than reality,¡± Alnea said to the man, shaking his sword to flick away the along its edge, before putting it back into its sheath. ¡°Next time we meet, I hope you will not step back before we even begin fighting.¡±


    ¡°You¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­Was that not friendly enough?¡± Alnea mumbled, looking at the dazed and frightened man in confusion, before shaking his head. ¡°Forget it. I still have other things to do.¡±


    ¡°Your Blood Card,¡± the guard said, arriving next to Alnea with a small black box in his hands. A portable black box. One day, he would surely find out how the boxes work. But that day was far in the future. At the moment, he had other things to do. Handing his Blood Card to the guard, he glanced around the stages next to him, and found the guards urging the girls to get off the stage. Thankfully, he was not too late. Nodding at each other, Alnea and the girls all faced different directions of the Arena, and cupped their mouths, before shouting at the same time.


    ¡°Friends of the Lost City. You must know about us already. And if you do not know, then let us introduce ourselves once again.¡±


    ¡°We are the ones whom you have been talking about recently. The kids who broke records of the Warrior Trials one after another. We even created two unbreakable records.¡±


    ¡°Or at least the three beside me did. As for me, you know me too. A descendant of the Erwein Forest. Though I may not have created unbreakable records, or broken as many records as my friends, I have shown enough potential to be recognized to have one of the strongest potentials in the city.¡±


    ¡°We may not be the strongest False Wanderers in the city at the moment, but with our potential, it will not take us long to become one of the strongest Wanderers in the city.¡±


    ¡°And today, the four of us have come together to form our own team.¡±


    ¡°Star Seekers.¡±


    ¡°Wanderers who chase after the ¡®Stars¡¯, ¡®Seeking¡¯ the ones that belongs to them.¡±


    ¡°We will surely go to the inner city in the near future.¡±


    ¡°You should all know that we have enough potential to do so.¡±


    ¡°But we are Wanderers.¡±


    ¡°And since the Age of Gods, Wanderers have always moved together, helping each other on their paths.¡±


    ¡°So why should the path of entering the inner city be any different?¡±


    ¡°Like we said, we are ¡®Star Seekers¡¯.¡±


    ¡°And we will be glad to welcome those like us.¡±


    ¡°Those who are seeking their own ¡®Stars¡¯.¡±


    ¡°To join us on our path.¡±


    ¡°Friends of the Lost City.¡±


    ¡°On this day.¡±


    ¡°We, ¡®Star Seekers¡¯¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­Hereby declare¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­That we are actively seeking out Wanderers to join our team.¡±


    ¡°For the next seven days.¡±


    ¡°Every day, from one hour before dawn to one hour after dawn.¡±


    ¡°We will be waiting for you in front of the Sixth Blood Hall.¡±


    ¡°If you want to be one of us.¡±


    ¡°If you want to chase your ¡®Star¡¯.¡±


    ¡°Then meet us in front of the Sixth Blood Hall.¡±


    ¡°Remember, we will be recruiting only three to six people.¡±


    ¡°So, do not be late.¡±


    ¡°Or the ¡®Star Seekers¡¯ would not have any fate with you.¡±


    Alnea was already feeling his cheeks burn when he was halfway into their speech. Especially when he looked at the weird eyes of the Wanderers looking at him and the girls. They had even stopped cheering for more fights, and blood. After all, these Wanderers had come to the Arena seeking excitement. And what was happening in front of them was exciting enough to make forget the bloody fights for a while.


    For the guards though, Alnea and the girls were just creating nuisance. The fact that the guards had not stopped them from completing their speech was already enough to show how tolerant they were. Something that Vestia had expected. But from the annoyed faces of the guards, they knew that they should extend their stay on the stage any longer. Taking their Blood Cards back from the guards, all four of them quickly jumped onto their smaller platforms and gathered in a corner of the Arena.


    ¡°¡­This is so embarrassing,¡± Cecilia mumbled, trying to ignore the Wanderers cheering for them. Some of them had even begun chanting ¡®Star Seekers¡¯ instead of demanding more blood. And the more that they chanted ¡®Star Seekers¡¯, the more embarrassed everyone became. Even Vestia was finding it hard to keep her blood from flowing to her ears, and face.


    ¡°¡­Look at the bright side. Everything is over. Now we can go back to our mansion and forget that this every happened.¡±


    ¡°¡­I don¡¯t think that these Wanderers would let us forget anything,¡± Alnea mumbled. ¡°But you are right. We should indeed go back home. I still have not checked what kind of Martial Styles the Lost City has.¡±


    ¡°Oh? Are you ready to exchange your Martial Style Tokens?¡±


    ¡°We might face the counterattack of the Lotus clan any time,¡± Yuri said. ¡°And we also have to prepare for the Black Desert Trials. I have heard that we might have to deal with other Wanderers in the Trials. And by deal, I mean we might have to fight against their ambush, and traps¡­ With all these dangers looming upon us, keeping those tokens with us would make sense.¡±


    ¡°¡­The things you exchange with Tokens can indeed increase your strength.¡±


    ¡°Do you have any suggestions?¡±


    ¡°¡­I would suggest that you exchange for a couple of Martial Styles which suit you. If need be, you can even exchange for a couple of previous resources to increase your strength in a short amount of time. But do not exchange all of your tokens. Keep a few of them. They might come handy in the future.¡±


    ¡°¡­The Black Desert Trial¡ª


    ¡°Is still some time away. Not only do we have to find a few companions, but we also have to get familiar with each other. After all, the Black Desert is a very dangerous place. There have been cases, where even some Mystic Wanderers have died in the desert. If we are not careful, then we will not even have the chance to face the traps and ambush of other Wanderers. Just the desert itself will be enough to deal with us.¡±


    ¡°¡­Do you have some kind of information about the Tokens?¡±


    ¡°¡­I may have heard a thing or two. But that is not something that we should discuss so openly.¡±


    ¡°¡­Let us go¡ª


    ¡°Where are you going, coward?¡±

 Chapter 24: Challenge of the Lotus clan [Part 1]

    Silence engulfed the Arena as another Wanderer began shouting, bringing everyone¡¯s attention to himself. Unlike Alnea and the girls though, the red robed man on the stage was not talking to the Wanderers in the stands. Instead, the man seemed to have come specifically for Alnea. After all, the man was a Wanderer of the Lotus clan.


    ¡°I have come, as you asked. But here you are, planning to run as soon as you finish your battle. Are you going to back out of your own challenge? Are you going to run away like a coward, and prove yourself to be the scum that you are? A worthless piece of dirt, who cannot even gain the favour of Gods¡­¡±


    ¡°Enough, Redbud,¡± Cecilia growled. ¡°If you want a fight, you will get a fight.¡±


    ¡°You are not my opponent, Serpia,¡± the red robed man said, shaking his head.


    ¡°Why? Are you scared? Are you¡ª


    ¡°Bullying other Wanderers by relying on her Oren Beast¡­ Is this what the daughters of the Serpia clan have come down to?¡±


    ¡°¡­Who are you?¡± Cecilia said, staring solemnly at the pink robed woman who had just stepped onto the main stage. The pressure she was releasing¡­ it was something they had felt only in the three Heterodox Wanderers they had met in the Night Canyons.


    ¡°I am your opponent.¡±


    ¡°¡­A Peak Stage Wanderer challenging an Intermediate Stage Wanderer has the audacity to talk about bullying others?¡± Yuri said, sneering at the pink robed woman, while willing the platform she was standing on to move towards the main stage. ¡°How about I teach you what bullying truly means?¡±


    ¡°¡­Do not get too excited, little girl. Since our clan has arranged someone for the Serpian daughter, how could we forget about you?¡±


    ¡°Your opponent is me,¡± a white robed woman said, arriving on to the third stage of the Arena, beckoning Yuri to her side. ¡°Or are you going to run away from your challenge too?¡±


    ¡°¡­Two Peak Stage Wanderers and one Advanced Stage Wanderers,¡± Alnea said, grinning at the Wanderers in front of him. ¡°The Lotus clan surely looks up to us.¡±


    ¡°I think you got the numbers wrong though,¡± Vestia said, stepping up to stand beside Alnea. ¡°Have you not prepared any opponent for me?¡±


    ¡°¡­Are you sure you want to get involved in our matter, Weina?¡± the white robed woman said, staring solemnly at Vestia.


    ¡°It cannot be helped,¡± Vestia said, shrugging her shoulders. ¡°Did you not hear that I have joined their team? I even helped coming up with the name of the team. You cannot expect me to back out now, on the first sight of danger, right?¡±


    ¡°¡­It does not matter whether you join them or not anyway,¡± the pink robed woman, shrugging her shoulders in the same way that Vestia had shrugged her shoulders moments ago. ¡°Although we did not anticipate you joining these little bastards, we were prepared to deal with any unexpected circumstances. Including facing a few more Wanderers.¡±


    ¡°How about you leave the Weina to me, Esna?¡± said a yellow robed man, in a lethargic and frivolous voice, moving towards the last stage in the Arena. ¡°I have always wondered how a Weina would taste like?¡±


    ¡°¡­Are you not worried that Aria would break your legs once you go back?¡±


    ¡°¡­I am doing this for the clan,¡± the yellow robed man said, straightening his back, while losing all the frivolousness in his voice. ¡°I am sure she will understand.¡±


    ¡°¡­It is up to you. Just do not come crying to me for help later.¡±


    ¡°¡­Aria would definitely understand my pains,¡± the yellow robed man said, a bit hesitant of himself. Once he looked at Vestia though, the man lost all his hesitation. Staring at Vestia with hungry eyes, he licked his lips, and said, ¡°Since you cannot back out, how about you come play with me, Weina?¡±


    ¡°¡­Should we exchange our opponents?¡± Alnea said, glancing at the yellow robed man, before looking at Vestia with concern. ¡°He does not seem to have good intentions¡­¡±


    ¡°It is fine,¡± Vestia said, shaking her head. ¡°He is just a Peak Stage False Wanderer¡­ I can handle him.¡±


    ¡°¡­Are you sure?¡±


    ¡°¡­Why don¡¯t I see you being so concerned about me?¡± Cecilia mumbled.


    ¡°¡­You have Forne with you. And you already have experience of fighting against Peak Stage Wanderers. But Vestia¡ª


    ¡°Relax,¡± Vestia said. ¡°It is not as if I have never fought Peak Stage Wanderer before.¡±


    ¡°Still, the man seems quite strong even amongst Peak Stage Wanderer.¡±


    ¡°And he is quite strong. As are the two women. Even your opponent is not an easy one, Alnea. He is just below the top geniuses of the Lotus clan. You can think of them as the leaders of the younger generation of the Lotus clan, heirs cultivated by the elders of the Lotus clan, who are expected to reach the Tenth level of True Rank. In short, they are all the hope of the Lotus clan¡­ I did not expect the Lotus clan to send so many of them out at once. They sure attach quite some importance to you.¡±


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    ¡°¡­Does that not mean that you are in an even more dangerous situation than what we expected?¡±


    ¡°¡­I am glad that you are worrying about me, Alnea. But I would even more happy if you believed in me, like you believe in Cecilia and Yuri.¡±


    Alnea glanced at the two girls, looking at him in dissatisfaction. The way they were looking at him¡­


    ¡°¡­They are stronger than they appear.¡±


    ¡°¡­You have not even asked about my strength. How can you assume that I am not stronger than them?¡±


    ¡°¡­Are you not just at the Advanced Stage?¡±


    ¡°Cecilia is just at the Intermediate Stage.¡±


    ¡°¡­Her case is a little special.¡±


    ¡°¡­Let us forget about her then. But tell me Alnea, when I did say that I was just at the Advanced Stage?¡±


    ¡°You mean¡­¡±


    ¡°I am at least two or three years older than the three of you. If I cannot even reach the Peak Stage at my age, I would not have called myself as a Wanderer with one of the greatest potentials in the Lost City. And I would not have the face to join your team either.¡±


    ¡°Then¡­¡±


    ¡°Leave the man to me,¡± Vestia said, winking at him, before moving towards the stage the yellow robed man was on.


    ¡°¡­Are you done?¡± the pink robed woman said with impatience seeping into her voice. ¡°When are you going to come and accept your fate?¡±


    ¡°Are you talking about the fate of smashing your face into the floor of the Arena?¡± Cecilia said, as she willed her platform to move towards the stage where the pink robed woman was standing on. ¡°I did not know you were so impatient to get a beating.¡±


    ¡°Be careful, Lia!¡±


    ¡°You worry about your new girlfriend,¡± Cecilia said, waving her hand without even looking back. ¡°I will take care of myself.¡±


    ¡°She is not my girlfriend,¡± Alnea mumbled, as he hurriedly caught up with Cecilia. ¡°I promised big sis to take care of you. Don¡¯t let me break my promise.¡±


    ¡°You¡­¡± Cecilia said, stopping in her tracks to stare at him. ¡°You are shameless!¡±


    ¡°I would rather be shameless than see you get hurt.¡±


    ¡°¡­I will be careful. Besides, like you said, I still have Forne with me. But you are alone. So, you better be careful too. Don¡¯t get hurt. Or I will break your legs.¡±


    ¡°¡­Shy as always,¡± Yuri said, shaking her head with a smile, as she caught up to him, watching Cecilia move towards the pink robed woman, before turning towards him. ¡°Be careful, Alnea.¡±


    ¡°You too, Yuri. The white robed woman¡­ I have a hunch that she might be strongest of the four.¡±


    ¡°¡­At least the Lotus clan still knows who is the strongest amongst us.¡±


    ¡°This is not a joking matter. The woman¡­ she might not have as much means and experience as the Heterodox Wanderers, but her raw strength should not be any worse.¡±


    ¡°And you saw how I was able to subdue those Wanderers. If those Heterodox Wanderers had come at us one by one, I would have taken them all down by myself. So, there is nothing for you to worry about.¡±


    ¡°¡­I will always worry for you. And for Lia. You¡­¡±


    ¡°Okay, stop saying embarrassing things in front of everyone, and hurry up,¡± Yuri said with a slightly red face. ¡°Cecilia has almost begun her fight.¡±


    ¡°¡­Right,¡± Alnea said, finally remembering where they were. In the middle of the empty zone between the fighting stages, and the edge of the Arena, attracting everyone¡¯s eyes and ears. The things he had said to Yuri, and was about to say to her¡­ That too, out loud¡­ Why had he not used their bond? Where was the stupid ring when he needed it? Could it not have reminded him to use it? Thankfully, he had his Aspects to help him with his embarrassment. Yuri though¡­


    ¡°I am going now. Be careful. And don¡¯t get hurt. Or else, I will do something even worse than breaking your leg.¡±


    Yuri hurried away towards the white robed woman, not giving him the chance to reply. And she said that Cecilia was shy. In a sense, she was even more shy than Cecilia. But only for him. For the rest of the world, she was as cold as ice. Just as he was vulnerable only for her and Cecilia. For the rest of the world, he was even more cruel than how cruel they were to him. Especially for the Lotus clan. The ones who had almost succeeded in taking everything away from him.


    ¡°You are finally here.¡±


    ¡°I should be saying that to you,¡± Alnea said, grinning at the red robed man. ¡°I have been waiting for a few days for you people to come to me. Yet you come only now. Were you afraid of me?¡±


    ¡°¡­Are you so eager to meet your fate?¡±


    ¡°I met my fate on the day you people took my father from me, and changed it with my own hands. Now, my fate is up to me.¡±


    ¡°The weak can never have their fate in their hands,¡± the red robed man said, stretching out to grab the air in front of him, and close his fist. ¡°We think that we have everything in our control, but that is just an illusion. Only the truly strong, the ones standing at the top of the world, can have their fate in their hands.¡±


    ¡°¡­I once said something similar to a retainer of your clan,¡± Alnea said, reminiscing about the day of his Spirit Test. ¡°It is not that only the strong can have their fate in their hands, but that only those who dare to take their fate in their hands can become strong. And you, who do not even dare to think about fighting your fate, can never be strong. You can never defeat me.¡±


    ¡°¡­Let me remind you once again,¡± the guard said, stepping in between him and the red robed man. ¡°This is a normal Challenge, not a Blood Challenge. Still, it is a challenge, nonetheless. The Arena will keep your lives, but injuries in challenges are inevitable. It would be best if you try not to maim your opponents.¡±


    ¡°But the Arena itself does not stop us from maiming our opponents, right?¡±


    ¡°¡­As long as you do not trigger the Arena¡¯s restrictions.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s fine,¡± the red robed man said, grinning at Alnea. ¡°I wonder which hand you would prefer to lose. Tell me before hand so that I do not miss by chance and end up cutting off both of your hands.¡±


    ¡°I have no intentions of giving up either of my hands. But I do not mind taking off your tongue. You do not know how to use it anyway. Speaking of things that you do not know how to use; I could take away your head too. Unfortunately, the Arena does not allow us to kill each other. At least not in a normal challenge¡­ Quite a lucky day for you, is it not?¡±


    ¡°¡­You sure do have a way with your words. Let us see if you are just as proficient in using your Martial Styles and Arcanas.¡±


    ¡°As you wish.¡±


    ¡°¡­You can start.¡±

 Chapter 24: Challenge of the Lotus clan [Part 2]

    Alnea urged his Aspects to wrap around his legs the moment that the guard withdrew from the stage, using their prowess to rush towards the red robed man like a ¡®Stream¡¯ of golden ¡®Lightning¡¯. The ¡®Stream of Lightning¡¯ was much slower than the ¡®Bursting Steps¡¯ though, giving the red robed man enough time to prepare his own counterattack, but it could not be helped.


    After all, unlike the man he had faced before, the red robed man was an Advanced Stage Wanderer. One strong enough to rank among the top geniuses of the Lotus clan. And though ¡®Bursting Steps¡¯ was enough to deal with most Advanced Stage False Wanderers, Alnea was not sure if it would be enough to deal with the red robed man.


    Besides, just blindly pursuing speed was not a wise choice. Especially in an open environment, with no external objects to help him in his movements. One small misstep, and he could end up losing all his initiative in the battle. Still, he could not do without enough speed either. Against an enemy strong enough to threaten his life, he needed to both move like ¡®Lightning¡¯, and act like ¡®Lightning¡¯. As such, of all the Lowest Grade Martial Styles he had, the ¡®Lightning Stream¡¯ Style was his only choice.


    The red robed man, on the other hand, chose to ¡®Flow¡¯ like a ¡®River¡¯. Not the ¡®Flowing River¡¯ that Alnea knew of, but a red river, with streaks of purple and white running across its breadth, and the red spear that the man had summoned in his hands. It was a two metre long spear, longer than even the man wielding the spear, but in the hands of the red robed man, it blended perfectly into the red river, forming a ¡®Red Wall¡¯ in front of the man.


    Not so coincidentally, the wall also happened to be in the path of the golden lightning streaming towards the man. However, just like how the ¡®River¡¯ had a ¡®Wall¡¯ to protect itself, the ¡®Lightning¡¯ was not alone either. Right when the lightning was about to reach the wall, a blinding silverish blue and erupted from the tip of the lightning, ¡®Piercing¡¯ through the wall as if it were ¡®Stars¡¯ shining high in the sky.


    The ¡¯Wall¡¯, of course, could not be broken with just a single ¡®Pierce¡¯, but that stab of the ¡®Lightning¡¯ was enough to create a hole in the ¡®Wall¡¯. And for the ¡®Lightning¡¯, that hole was enough¡ª


    Or not. Alnea tried to release a ¡®Crescent Slash¡¯ at the red robed man after he failed to pierce him in one hit, but was counterattacked by the butt of the man¡¯s spear, forcing him to give up his attack, and back away, breaking the ¡®Lightning¡¯ away from the ¡®River¡¯. Just as how the ¡®Lightning¡¯ had tried to take advantage the ¡®River¡¯ though, the ¡®River¡¯ did the same, transforming its ¡®Wall¡¯ into a flood, trying to drown out the ¡®Lightning¡¯. In vain, of course.


    With the golden light of his Aspects coursing through his veins, stimulating his reflexes to their limits, Alnea saw the red robed man¡¯s attack coming long before the man could reach him. So, by the time the ¡®Flood¡¯ was upon him, ready to drown him in its endless waves, he had raised his own ¡®Wall¡¯ to defend against the ¡®River¡¯. A silverish blue wall, with streaks of golden light running across its edges, rising up and down to match the waves of the ¡®River¡¯.


    These were not just any ordinary waves or walls though. They were the essence of their respective Martial Styles, manifested through powers of Aspects. Something, that only Warriors who had begun to touch the essence of Martial Styles could do. To think that the red robed man reached such a high level of mastery in his Martial Style¡­


    A large white ¡®Whale¡¯ charged through the waters of the ¡®Red River¡¯ and slammed against the ¡®Lighting¡¯. Thankfully, Alnea managed to react in time, and brought the silverish blue ¡®Wall¡¯ in front of his chest, blocking the red robed man¡¯s kick. Still, the sudden attack had caught him off guard, not giving him the time to balance himself, sending him flying back by a few metres.


    ¡°¡­Getting distracted while fighting against someone stronger than you? Are you underestimating me, or have you grown too complacent of yourself, Unfavoured?¡±


    ¡°¡­Do not be happy too early, Redbud,¡± Alnea said, finding his balance as he landed back onto the stage. ¡°I was just careless for a moment.¡±


    ¡°One careless mistake is often enough to prove fatal. Or has the Serpia clan not taught you anything in the past few months?¡±


    ¡°How about you come see for yourself what else I have learned?¡±


    ¡°¡­Glib tongue,¡± the red robed man said, clicking his tongue. ¡°Let us see how long you can keep talking like that.¡±


    ¡°Long enough¡ª


    The ¡®River¡¯ twirled, and twisted, shifting into a blood red ¡®Tiger¡¯, before it rushed towards Alnea, still covered in arcs of golden lighting fading away into the darkness of the Arena. The man had moved so abruptly, that it had almost caught him off guard. Thankfully, the arcs had not faded away completely, giving him enough ability to react in time.


    Gripping his sword with both hands, Alnea urged his Aspects to cover its edge with a golden and blackish light, before raising it upwards in one clean motion, as if he was ¡®Raising the Earth¡¯ itself, meeting the sharp claws of the ¡®Tiger¡¯ coming straight towards his head. No, not just sharp claws, but sharp and heavy claws. The tip of the spear¡­ it was carrying the entire weight of the red robed man behind itself. If he had not added the weight of the ¡®Earth¡¯ behind the tip of his sword, then he was not sure what might have happened.


    Recollecting himself, and subduing the waves raging in his Heart, Alnea released his left hand from above his right hand on the grip of the sword, only to slam it back on the hilt, right below his right hand. That, along with the recoil from the clash of the sword and the spear, helped him move his sword faster, turning it upside down, and bringing it towards his left just in time for its edge to meet against the butt of the spear.


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    Everything happened so quickly, that Alnea did not even have time to use his Aspects. All he could do was wrap his sword in the golden glow of his Aspects, and hope that his makeshift defence would work. It did not. The force behind the spear was just too strong. It was as if a tiger had just crashed into his side, sending him back a few steps.


    ¡­At least he was not sent flying, Alnea comforted himself, as he urged his Aspects to strengthen the ¡®Lightning¡¯ running in his veins, just as he urged the dark part of his Aspects to cover the edge of his sword. A black edge. Perfect for the ¡®Black Edge¡¯, a Martial Style which forced the Aspects to vibrate along the edges of his sword, turning an already sharp sword even sharper than before, while giving it the power and authority to cut through the ¡®Tiger¡¯ rushing at him once again.


    Unlike normal Martial Styles though, ¡®Black Edge¡¯ did not have any accompanying moves, forcing Alnea to rely on his skills and instincts to deal with the endless assault of the ¡®Tiger¡¯. A stab, followed by a swipe, and then a reverse swipe, with an occasional downswing mixed in between¡­ Alnea could feel how strong the red robed man was. Just the fact that he had been not injured yet was an achievement in itself.


    Sending such a strong Wanderer to deal with him¡­ The Lotus clan surely looked up to him. However, that was it. The man may be strong, but he had his limits. At the very least, he was not stronger than the Heterodox Wanderers he had met nearly two weeks ago. And since Alnea could defeat the Heterodox Wanderers, he could also defeat the man. He just had to stop holding back¡­ But where would be the fun in that?


    With Lightning Streaming in his veins, while Streaming like a Lightning himself, Alnea channelled a few more Aspects in his sword. One¡­ two¡­ three¡­ four¡­ golden¡­ silver¡­ white¡­ blue¡­ black¡­ Slowly, bit by bit, he pushed nearly ten Aspects into his sword. But he was not done. He channelled even more Aspects from his Spirit World, wrapping his body in their golden light. And silverish blue light.


    One by one, he kept channelling his Aspects, until their glow grew bright enough to cover the glow of the lightning. And when he was done, he channelled two more Aspects. One for his sword, and one for his body. These were not just any ordinary Aspects though. Both were auxiliary Aspects. And he used both of them at the same time. A bright yellowish white light burst forth from his sword, blinding the red robed man. It was only for a moment, with the man soon shifting to his other senses to observe his surroundings, but that one moment was enough.


    When the red robed man attacked once again, he felt his spear go through the head of the kid in front of him without any resistance. However, the man was not na?ve enough to think that he had won, and killed the boy. Instead, he grew even more wary, and¡ª


    Alnea brought his sword down on the red robed man like a ¡®Meteor Descending¡¯ from the skies. He even went a step ahead, and added all of his weight behind his attack. And if it was not for hiding his strength, he might even have released ¡®Yuri¡¯s Dominance¡¯ for extra insurance. Thankfully, it looked like just his sword was enough.


    The red robed man barely had time to react when the sword was already upon him. If the man had been fighting without a weapon, or even some short, handy weapons, like short swords, or daggers, then he might have had some chance to block in time. A spear was far too cumbersome of a weapon to move in such a situation though. In the end, the man had only two choices. Either drop his spear and block with his hands, or take the attack head on, and hope for the best.


    The red robed man chose the third option, tilting his head, while shifting his body just enough for the sword to pass by his head¡­ only to be buried in his right shoulder. Truly buried. The sword was so sharp, that it almost cleaved past the man¡¯s shoulders, slicing right through his bones. If not for the man backing away in time, while using his Aspects to block as much of the attack as they could, he might even have lost his right arm.


    Not that the man¡¯s situation was any different at the moment. With his right arm dangling uselessly by his side, the red robed man was not going to use his arm anytime soon. Wielding a two handed spear with just one hand¡­ No matter how Alnea saw it, the outcome of the battle was already set. And the red robed man knew it as well. With an ugly expression on his face, the man put his spear away, staring at Alnea as if he was the man¡¯s greatest enemy.


    ¡°Did you see how much I have learned, Redbud?¡± Alnea said, staring at the red robed man, ready to take him down at any moment if the man showed any signs of movements.


    ¡°¡­If I had been careful¡ª


    ¡°One careless mistake is often enough to prove fatal. Is that not what you said a while ago?¡±


    ¡°¡­I admit defeat,¡± the man said in hoarse voice, still staring at Alnea.


    ¡°¡­Your Blood Cards.¡±


    While the guard was updating his information, Alnea glanced at the other stages in the Arena. Cecilia, as usual, had already completed her fight. She herself was strong enough to fight against some weak Peak Stage False Wanderers. And though the Pinkbud woman was strong even amongst the Peak Stage False Wanderers, Cecilia had a very eager helper by her side. One who was licking its bloodied paws as if it was the greatest delicacy in the world.


    Cecilia herself did not seem to be satisfied with her battle though, and was looking enviously at Yuri, taking her time to beat the white robed woman to the ground. She had already bloodied the woman¡¯s face, and hand broken one of her hands, but she had no plans of letting the woman go just yet. Every time that the woman tried to admit defeat, she punched the woman in her face to shut her up, before beating her all over once again.


    Only Vestia was having a normal fight. Relatively, that is. Even she was completely overwhelming her opponent, using some Water elemental Arcanas to control her enemy, while using short daggers glowing in green and blue lights to keeping pushing the yellow robed man towards the edge of the stage. The man was trying his best to make a comeback, but no matter what he did, he could not break through her siege.


    ¡°¡­Are you feeling smug about yourself, Unfavoured?¡±


    ¡°That is how people usually feel after winning against opponents stronger than themself.¡±


    ¡°¡­You may have won against me, but do not think that you have won against the Lotus clan.¡±


    ¡°It does not matter,¡± Alnea said, shrugging his shoulders. ¡°Like I said, I will accompany your clan to the very end.¡±


    ¡°Then let me take you up on that offer.¡±

 Chapter 24: Challenge of the Lotus clan [Part 3]

    Taking his Blood Card back from the guard, Alnea turned towards the voice, and found a white robed man walking onto the stage. Another Wanderer of the Lotus clan.


    ¡°Raython¡­¡±


    ¡°Pardon me for suddenly barging on to your stage, Wanderer,¡± Raython Whitebud said to the guard, ignoring the injured red robed man. ¡°I did not wish to come to the stage at first, but you heard it yourself. He first insulted my clan, and then said that he will accept all challenges. Me coming to the stage should not be in violation of any rules, right?¡±


    ¡°¡­Next time, schedule your challenges before coming to the Arena so as to not waste my time.¡±


    ¡°¡­We will try, Wanderer,¡± Raython said, smiling in gratification. Or at least that is what he showed on his face, while bowing towards the guard.


    ¡°Can you move?¡± the guard said to the red robed man, standing on the stage while clutching his right arm.


    ¡°¡­I can.¡±


    ¡°What are you still doing on the stage then? Do you want me to personally send you down for healing? Or do you not wish to keep that hand of yours anymore?¡±


    ¡°¡­I was just a little careless, Raython,¡± the man mumbled with a pale face.


    ¡°Do not worry, Enel. Everyone makes mistake. Just go down for now, and heal yourself. As for your punishment¡­ It will be handed out after you go back.¡±


    ¡°¡­I understand,¡± the red robed man said, nodding with an ugly face, before leaving the stage to Raython, Alnea, and the guard.


    ¡°Another Free Challenge then?¡±


    ¡°¡­Although he has insulted our clan, in the end, he is just a kid. For now, we just wish to teach the boy a lesson, and have no intention of driving him out of the city. So, yes, another Free Challenge.¡±


    ¡°Wait a moment!¡± Cecilia shouted as she jumped onto her small platform, and hurried over to his side. ¡°I have not had enough fun yet. Let me fight with him, Alnea.¡±


    ¡°¡­I am afraid that is not how things work, Lady Cecilia. Since you have left your stage, you are no longer qualified to challenge anyone. Unless someone wins their battle and then challenges you while standing on the sage, you can only watch others fight. Or you can exit the Arena, and then schedule another challenge. But that is not going to work either. The Lotus clan is not here to entertain you, and your challenges. We have come here to recover the dignity of our clan.¡±


    ¡°Is that so? Then I will just¡ª


    ¡°Lia!¡± Alnea said, shaking his head to remind her of where she was. ¡°Don¡¯t let go of your emotions.¡±


    ¡°But¡­¡±


    ¡°It is alright, Cecilia,¡± Yuri said, arriving next to Cecilia. ¡°Believe in him.¡±


    ¡°¡­Don¡¯t get hurt, idiot,¡± Cecilia said after a while, biting her lips to keep herself from saying what she should not.


    ¡°¡­Pity,¡± Raython said with a sigh, shaking his head in disappointment. ¡°You are not as impulsive as the information say¡­ Have you grown in the past few months?¡±


    ¡°¡­Are only the Wanderers of your clan allowed to grow?¡±


    ¡°If only I could achieve something like that¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­You remind me of the old bastard,¡± Alnea said, frowning at the white robed man. ¡°Of Reinhart Whitebud.¡±


    ¡°¡­Why, thank you, little boy. It is not often than a False Wanderer can be compared with True Wanderers. Especially when that True Wanderer had left quite a few of his own legends.¡±


    ¡°The old bastard still had legends?¡±


    ¡°You seem to be quite interested in him¡­ How about you join the Lotus clan, and I will you everything about him?¡±


    ¡°¡­Do I look like a child?¡±


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    ¡°¡­Pity,¡± Raython said, shaking his head, before turning towards the girls. By then, Vestia had also finished her battle, and had come to stand beside Cecilia and Yuri, staring warily at the white robed man.


    ¡°Raython Whitebud¡­ I did not expect that your clan would send you out too.¡±


    ¡°I did not wish to come either,¡± Raython said, shrugging his shoulders. ¡°Fate always has a way to play with us all, right?¡±


    ¡°¡­Is he strong?¡± Cecilia asked, frowning with a little worry.


    ¡°¡­He is an heir of the Whitebud family. Do you think he is strong or not?¡±


    ¡°Speaking of expectations¡­ I did not expect you to join these little kids, Vestia. Is it your whim, or are you trying out one of your experiments once again?¡±


    ¡°¡­You sure have good source of information. But no, this is neither my whim, nor my experiment. After joining their team, I am now a true Star Seeker.¡±


    ¡°Come on, Vestia. You can fool these kids, but you cannot fool me. With your strength and status, as long as you are willing, which clan in the city would not accept you? Yet you have rejected all the invitations sent to you, only to join these kids in their play¡­ What are you planning, Vestia?¡±


    ¡°¡­Do not listen to him,¡± Vestia said with a pale face. ¡°He is trying to drive a wedge between us.¡±


    ¡°There needs to be a space for me to drive a wedge into. Besides, if just a few words from me are enough to sow discords between you, then your relationship was not worth much to begin with.¡±


    ¡°There is no need for you to teach us how judge our relationships, Whitebud,¡± Yuri said, before turning towards Vestia, nodding her head to show her understanding. Deep down in her eyes though, Alnea could see a layer of wariness building against Vestia. ¡°We trust our teammate more than we trust you.¡±


    ¡°¡­Ignore him, Yuri. He will not be smiling for long.¡±


    ¡°Yes, yes. Ignore the only man who is wishing the best for you.¡±


    ¡°By threatening me with my mother? Or by sending swathes of Wanderers after me? After what your clan has done against me, I would be more willing to believe that Enn has stopped climbing in the sky than believe that your clan is wishing the best for me.¡±


    ¡°It is just a misunderstanding¡­¡±


    ¡°One big enough to almost take my life. Multiple times.¡±


    ¡°¡­Forget it. With your current mood, no matter what I say, you will not believe me.¡±


    ¡°Then just stop talking and start fighting.¡±


    ¡°What is the hurry?¡± Raython said, shaking his head, while pointing towards the girls. ¡°Do you not see that our guests are still with us?¡±


    ¡°¡­Be careful, Alnea,¡± Vestia said. ¡°Raython¡­ He is in a class of his own.¡±


    ¡°Do not worry,¡± Alnea said, nodding at Vestia. ¡°I got this.¡±


    ¡°¡­He is a Peak Stage Wanderer. You don¡¯t have to hold back against him,¡± Yuri said. ¡°If the need arises, you can even use Intermediate Grade Martial Styles, and your Arcanas.¡±


    ¡°¡­If you get hurt, then I will break your legs.¡±


    ¡°¡­I will try my best.¡±


    If not for the sake of defeating the Lotus clan, then for the sake of his legs¡­ After wishing him luck, the girls finally made their way back to the edge of the Arena, leaving just Alnea and the white robed man on the stage.


    ¡°Are you ready?¡±


    ¡°I have always been ready.¡±


    ¡°¡­You can begin.¡±


    Urging his Aspects to wrap around his body, Alnea did not rush towards Raython immediately, like he had done in the battles before. No matter how sure he was of himself, fighting against a Wanderer two stages higher than himself was not going to be easy. Especially since the Wanderer was not just an average Wanderer, but an heir of the Lotus clan. Even if it was of a declining clan, he was still the heir of an Orthodoxy. He could not be underestimated. So, instead, of rushing headfirst towards his opponent, Alnea tried to open a distance from the white robed man, while preparing to release his Arcanas.


    ¡°In the threads weaving through the forces of the worlds¡­¡±


    Coincidentally, Raython also had a similar plan. Covering himself in the green, blue, and white lights of his Aspects, the white robed man reached into the pouch on his waist to take out a Glyph Disc and a carving knife. A scholar¡­


    This was the first time Alnea had ever faced a Scholar in a fight. But that did not stop him from analysing his enemy. What kind of Scholar was the white robed man? One focussing on stronger Glyphs, or one taking the path of a balanced approach? What lineage had he chosen? And what was the Glyph that the man was carving at the moment?


    ¡°Hiding in the folds of existence¡­¡±


    Unfortunately, Alnea did not have the answers to any of his questions. And he did not dare to guess. After all, in a battle of their level, even a small mistake in judgement was enough to prove fatal. Although the Arena boasted of having the capacity to save his life, he had seen how effective the protective curtain of the Arena was. Even if it could save his life, he would not be able to avoid suffering from grievous injuries.


    Besides, barring a few people living in the core of his Heart, Alnea had never liked the idea of entrusting his life to someone else, much less a curtain of light. Guessing the abilities of the white robed man was out of question. Yet, he could not just still, and let the white robed man do as he wished either. That would put him in an extremely passive position.


    ¡°I beseech upon the forces of the Origin¡­¡±


    In the end, the only option left for Alnea was to slowly test the limits of his enemy and figure out his details during their battle itself. Like how he had done with the Heterodox Wanderers two weeks ago. It was just that unlike those Heterodox Wanderers walking on the path Warriors, the white robed Wanderer was a Scholar. Or at least, that was what the man was showing. If the man had any other abilities though, he was not going to be able to hide them for long.


    ¡°To shower unto the world, Yuri¡¯s Dominance.¡±

 Chapter 24: Challenge of the Lotus clan [Part 4]

    Raython, standing around thirty metres away from Alnea, was still inscribing a Glyph on his Glyph Disc, when he felt the change in the world around him. A subtle change, but a change, nonetheless. Mysteries of the Origin Sea¡­ Fearing a sudden attack from the kid¡¯s Arcana, he changed his position, while trying to complete his Glyph as soon as possible. Yet he still could not get rid of the strange pressure acting on his body.


    Rather, the more that he moved, the greater the pressure became. Soon, the pressure increased to a point where he had to cover his body completely in the green, blue and white light of Aspects, just to be able to move his hands. Such a strange attack¡­ Fortunately, unlike Enel, Raython was experienced enough to know that he could not panic.


    Not that Alnea had expected much from his Arcana anyway. Yuri¡¯s Dominance in itself was just an Intermediate Grade Arcana of the Intermediate Stage, while the white robed man was at Peak Stage. The best that Yuri¡¯s Dominance could do was consume some of the man¡¯s strength, as he adjusted himself to strange pressure and resumed carving his Glyph. But that was enough to tell Alnea what he needed to know.


    Manipulating his Aspects so deftly, without showing any signs of using his Martial Styles¡­ Raython had to be quite accomplished in the path of Warriors as well. So, a Scholar, and a Warrior. Quite a difficult combination, Alnea noted. Especially since he was lacking in both time, and Spirit Power. The last attack he had used in his previous fight¡­ Even Yuri¡¯s Dominance was quite demanding when it came to Spirit Power.


    After all he had been through. Alnea was left with barely a little over two thirds of his Spirit Power. About ten thousand units, or a thousand False units. In comparison, just the threshold of reaching the Peak Stage was around fifty thousand units, or five thousand False units. But that was just the threshold. Even going by conservative estimates, Raython, as one of the leaders of the Lotus clan in the Lost City, was bound to have far greater Spirit Power reserves. Probably around seven to eight times as much Spirit Power as he had at the moment.


    Seven to eight thousand False Units¡­ With so much Spirit Power, Raython could just keep casting Glyphs from a distance, and drown him in an endless barrage of attacks. Literally. After all, casting Intermediate Stage Glyphs would barely put a dent in the Spirit Power reserves of the white robed man. Even in the case of Advanced Stage Glyphs, he could still use them for around ten to fifteen times. As for Peak Stage Glyphs¡­


    Using them would just be a wastage of Spirit Power. Not only did the Peak Stage Glyphs had a great demand of Spirit Power, but they also had an even greater casting time. It was not for no reasons that Scholars were often placed towards the back of their teams. With their teammates protecting them, they could concentrate on casting their Glyphs. In solo battles though, only fools would use Glyphs with such long casting time.


    Besides, although Alnea did not know what kind of Glyph Raython was carving, he could recognise the pressure of Mysteries descending around the white robed man. It was the pressure of Intermediate Stage Mysteries. And Intermediate Stage Glyphs did not have too long of a casting time. So, not only did he not have enough Spirit Power to waste on casting another Arcana, but he did not have enough time to cast his other Arcanas either.


    In the end, Alnea had no choice but to give up his earlier plan, and rush towards the white robed man himself, hoping to make it to the man in time. Unfortunately, the Arcana he had released earlier turned around to bite back at him, slowing his speed down by two to three times. Even becoming a golden ¡®Stream of Lightning¡¯ did not help either. Especially since Raython was moving back as well, trying to maintain the distance between them.


    By the time that Alnea closed the distance between Raython and himself by half, the white robed man had already finished engraving his Glyph. In the next moment, with the infusion of enough Spirit Power, a red light burst forth from the disc, and gathered above Raython¡¯s head, coalescing into large ball of fire, roughly twice the size of their heads.


    ¡°Fireball.¡±


    Alnea quickly supressed the lighting within himself, while transforming himself into a ¡®Gust¡¯ of the ¡®Eastern Winds¡¯. Swift and agile, but with roots, and a destination. Even when the Arena itself had a wind of its own, it was not enough to influence him. On the contrary, he cut through all the winds obstructing his steps, and rolled towards his side, avoiding the mass of fire flying through the place where his chest had been just moments ago.


    ¡°Explode.¡±


    ¡­Exploding Fireball. Alnea cursed at his enemy¡¯s insidiousness, as he allowed the quintuple gravity to pull himself to the ground, just as the mass of fire exploded above him, raining its carnage all around him. The heat and fire aside, just the shockwave from the explosion was enough to give him concussions. Especially since the explosion had happened barely a metre away from him. And yet, the main damage from the Exploding Fireball was supposed to come not from the explosion, but the sticky fire that rained down on his chest.


    ¡­The attack, it was not just an Exploding Fireball, but a ¡®Greed¡¯s Exploding Fireball¡¯. A Glyph Array formed by connecting four different Glyphs. In hindsight, he should have expected as much. As an heir of a clan specialising in the path Scholars, how could Raython spend so much time just to cast an Intermediate Stage Array? How could the man take the initiative to back away on his own? Only a Glyph Array could explain everything. Only a Glyph Array could be worthy of an attack that had almost injured him. Almost.


    The Glyphs on his robe, glowing in a golden light, managed to stop both the flames, and the shockwaves, leaving him unscathed despite him being right at the centre of the explosion.


    ¡°¡­That is quite a nice robe you got there, kid.¡±


    ¡°Why? Are you jealous?¡± Alnea said, as he pushed himself back onto his feet, while the white robed man continued carving Glyphs.


    ¡°Someone favoured by the Gods would never be jealous of the maggots crawling below their feet.¡±


    ¡°How does it feel then, crawling like a maggot below my feet?¡±


    Alnea ducked down to avoid a Fire Arrow aiming right for his head. This time though, it was just a regular Fire Arrow. The time between the two attacks was too short to carve another Glyph Array. At least for a False Wanderer like Raython. But it looked like the white robed man had not intended to hurt him with the Fire Arrow in the first place. In the time that Alnea dodged the Fire Arrow, Raython had put his Glyphs Disc and Carving Knife away, summoning a short sword in his hands.


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    ¡°That¡¯s it?¡± Alnea said, sneering at the white robed man. ¡°Giving up already? Is this the power of Glyphs that your clan always used to tempt me with?¡±


    ¡°¡­Put your robe away, and then I will show you the true power of the Lotus clan¡¯s Glyphs.¡±


    ¡°Another excuse,¡± Alnea said, clicking his tongue in disgust. ¡°Bring me an Intermediate Stage False Wanderer, and I will fight him without my robe.¡±


    Instead of answering Alnea, Raython rushed towards him, with lights of his Aspects twisting around him, rotating at an ever-increasing speed, forming a strange tornado of green, blue, and white lights. A tornado, that was somehow counteracting the pull of Yuri¡¯s Dominance enough for the white robed man to move at his normal speed.


    An Auxiliary Martial Style, Alnea noted, as he assumed the form of the ¡®Gusts of Eastern Winds¡¯ once again. Or maybe one specialising in speed. Either way, except for making the man waste some of his Spirit Power, and creating some inconveniences for him, Yuri¡¯s Dominance had not achieved much. What else could he expect though? Taking down a Peak Stage Wanderer with just an Intermediate Stage Arcana?


    Giving up his idea of casting another Arcana to aid himself, Alnea brought up his sword to meet the short sword coming for his head, fighting against tornado with the ¡®Red Floods of the East¡¯. A clash, which sent both the Wanderers reeling back by a few steps, and also gave Alnea a rough estimate of his enemy¡¯s strength. Stuffing his sword with nearly ten Aspects was not in vain.


    Adjusting the strength of his Aspects, Alnea rushed forward to clash with Raython once again. Sword against sword, flood against the tornado¡­ Every move that Raython made was countered with just a little more strength, forcing him back step by step. Forcing back a Wanderers two stages above him in a direct clash¡­ Such an incredible performance, of course, came with an equally incredible price. His already low reserve of Spirit Power was bottoming out at an even greater pace.


    On the other end, though Raython was also losing his Spirit Power at an incredible rate, his Spirit Power reserves were still greater than five thousand False Units. If the fight went on, it was clear as to who the winner would be. So, after subduing the humiliation he was feeling from being pushed around by a Wanderer two whole stages below him, Raython continued playing along with Alnea, clashing again, and again. And again.


    Catching Raython¡¯s downswing with a horizontal block, and returning it with rising waves of the floods. Bringing down the flood on the winds, only for his vertical slash to be side tapped, and redirected away from white robed man. Sparks of silverish blue, golden, green, white, and black lights kept breaking off from their bodies, flying around in the Arena, as Alnea kept clashing with Raython.


    ¡°¡­You are going to lose, kid.¡±


    ¡°I would not be so sure,¡± Alnea said, as he continued swinging his sword.


    ¡°Are you going to rely on your robe?¡± Raython said, blocking Alnea¡¯s attack, before counterattacking with his own. ¡°I admit that I cannot hurt you. But when you lose all your Spirit Power, kicking you off the stage would be too easy.¡±


    ¡°Maybe,¡± Alnea said. ¡°If you can hold on till that time, that is.¡±


    ¡°Do not worry. I will make sure to hold on till you faint from exhaustion of your Spirit.¡±


    ¡°¡­Seven. Including the one I am using right now, that¡¯s the number of Sword type Martial Styles I have used in the Arena since I have arrived in the city. You should already know that information, right?¡±


    ¡°So? What are you trying to say?¡±


    ¡°In each fight, I always use a combination of Martial Styles. A chain, if you may.¡±


    ¡°Are you trying to show off?¡± Raython said with a scoff, increasing the intensity of his attacks. ¡°Even a fool like you should know that using one Martial Style that suits you is better than randomly using some scattered Martial Styles.¡±


    ¡°¡­Tell me, Whitebud. Why is it that I am using only one Martial Style against you?¡±


    ¡°Who knows? Maybe because you hit your head when you fell earlier?¡±


    ¡°Or maybe, I was just waiting for the right moment.¡±


    ¡°What can you do¡ª


    ¡°It was a good fight, Whitebud,¡± Alnea said, channelling all the Aspects within his body into his sword, as he slashed it towards Raython¡¯s face. Complacent, and used to the attacks, Raython countered the slash with a block. That was until he saw the sword shine like Enn, blinding his eyes.


    Having seen Alnea use a similar tactic before, Raython was naturally prepared for the glare. Closing his eyes, he quickly shifted his focus to other senses. His sense of smell, touch, and hearing. And through them, he finally understood what Alnea was talking about.


    Silverish blue, blue, white, golden, yellow, red, green, and black¡ªTwenty eight Aspects, all carrying Oren to their greatest capacity, burst directly into Raython¡¯s face, creating an explosion that shook the entire stage. No, not just shook. The explosion had directly blasted a pit in the stage. Even Alnea, with the protection of his robe, felt his ears ringing. And if he had not closed his eyes just before the explosion, he was afraid that he might even have lost his eyes.


    Still, for a few moments, he could see nothing but a blinding white light. And though his robe had saved from the rest of the explosion, it had not helped him against the shockwave that had sent him flying nearly thirty to forty metres, all the way to the end of the stage. Thankfully, he was still on the stage, Alnea thought, as he spread the senses of his Spirit towards the epicentre of the explosion. Towards four metre wide pit in the stage, and the body lying at its edge.


    Tattered, and shredded, the once pristine white robe¡ªor at least what was left of it¡ª had been dyed red with blood. As had been the body itself. There was not an inch on the body was either not burnt, or bleeding. Even the pit itself, sizzling, with its centre still red hot, had blood flowing in its groove. There was just so much blood¡­


    And yet, the sight of blood and burns on the body was nothing compared to the wound on the man¡¯s head. If it could even be called as a head anymore. Half of the man¡¯s head, including his right eyes and jaw, was gone, leaving just a mangle flesh and blood, with the juices of his brain leaking down his mangled cheeks. If the other wounds were not obvious enough, that was enough to tell everyone that Raython Whitebud was dead.


    ¡°¡­Your Blood Card.¡±


    A man was dead. All because he could not imagine the sight of losing to the Lotus clan. It did not matter if he used suicidal attacks. He just wished to win. He had his robe to save him anyway, right? So what if his enemies died? The man was from the Lotus clan anyway. It was good that he was dead. All his enemies deserved to die. He had done nothing wrong. Even if he cheated a little¡­


    ¡°¡­Wanderers have been killing each other since the Age of Gods. There is nothing strange about it.¡±


    Even if he¡­ If he¡­


    ¡°You have already killed him. There is nothing you can do about it. Instead of crying, carve this feeling in your Heart. Remember it with your being. So that when the time comes for you to kill again, you would not make a fool of yourself.¡±


    He had killed the man with own hands. For his selfish needs, he had killed a man¡­


    ¡°¡­This is so annoying. Hey, you three. You are his teammates, right? Come take him away. I need to prepare the stage for the next fight.¡±

 Chapter 25: Recruiting teammates [Part 1]

    Killing was surprisingly easier than he had thought it would be. And life was far more fragile than it appeared to be. Alnea Oathkeeper was not foreign to the concept of killing. Rather, the first volume of the Oathkeeper Arts was based on the concept of Slaughter. Even his sword arts were more inclined towards killing. In a way, he had grown up learning how to kill. As had the other scions of the Oathkeeper clan. And yet, all the elders in the clan had always said that the essence of the Oathkeeper Arts was to protect.


    Alnea Oathkeeper had never understood what they meant, until he killed for the first time. He swore that he had no intention of killing. He was just asking a few questions, and defending himself. Just a simple slip of his sword, just a simple stab, and the man was dead. Life truly was fragile. It could be taken with just a single touch. What about her? Was she still alive? Was she just as fragile?


    For the first time in over a year, Alnea did not get up immediately after waking up. He lay on the ground, with his eyes closed, thinking about what he had just dreamt, and what he had done the day before. The fragility of life¡­ It was not as if he had not killed before. And neither was it the most gruesome death he had ever seen. At least Raython had died as a human being. The same could not be said about the former retainers of the Lotus clan, or even the Whitebud patriarch.


    There was also the rain of flesh and blood that the Purplebud patriarch had created. And the Purplebud patriarch¡¯s own death¡­ Fighting till his last breath, even after being mutilated beyond recognition¡­ The most gruesome death though, should have been of the Heterodox Wanderer that his master had killed. Even to this day, Alnea still could not understand how the man had died. Apparently, it had something to do with pain¡­


    In any case, Alnea had seen his fair share of death. And he had never been bothered by those deaths. Even when most of deaths came about because of him, he did not feel guilty. Even when he had personally killed three Heterodox Wanderer, he did not feel guilty. It was only when he took another man¡¯s life on accident that he understood how fragile it truly was. Just a simple push of his Aspects, just a simple thirst of victory¡ª


    ¡°Are you awake?¡±


    Alnea opened his eyes and saw Yuri¡¯s crystal blue eyes¡ªclear eyes, holding nothing but worry and concern for his sake¡ª looking down at him, while her fingers of warmth, and care, sild through his hair, giving him a sense of peace and security.


    ¡°¡­How long did I sleep for?¡±


    ¡°Not long. Just a couple of hours.¡±


    ¡°¡­I am sorry. I¡ª


    ¡°Stay still,¡± Yuri said, forcibly pushing his head back down on her lap, before continuing to gently brush his hair. ¡°Don¡¯t you know that I have not slept in years?¡±


    ¡°And yet, I slept once again.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s because of all the things that you been through. You¡ª


    ¡°I failed, once again.¡±


    ¡°You did not.¡±


    ¡°I slept. When I should have been meditating, facing my fears, my Heart, I slept. I¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­It takes time, Alnea. Time, and patience. You have already reduced your sleeping time to around two hours in just one year. That is quite a considerable progress.¡±


    ¡°¡­What about your meditation?¡±


    ¡°¡­I tempered my Heart more in the past few hours than I did in the past few months.¡±


    ¡°¡­That¡¯s because of your own accumulation. I did not do anything.¡±


    ¡°You did more than you can ever imagine¡­ Having you by my side is the greatest aid to my meditation.¡±


    ¡°¡­I¡­ Did I do something wrong, Yuri?¡±


    ¡°¡­You did not do anything wrong, Alnea.¡±


    ¡°But he did not deserve to die¡­¡±


    ¡°Maybe.¡±


    ¡°I killed him.¡±


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    ¡°Yes¡­ Yes, you did.¡±


    ¡°I¡­¡±


    ¡°He was your enemy, Alnea. And if he had gotten the chance, he would have tried to kill you too.¡±


    ¡°I¡­ I¡­¡±


    ¡°Do you remember the former retainers of the Lotus clan?¡±


    ¡°¡­I do.¡±


    ¡°Did they deserve their deaths.¡±


    ¡°¡­They did.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°¡­Because they became Heterodox Wanderers¡ª


    ¡°Alright, how about the Lotus clan of Anneve. Did they deserve their deaths?¡±


    ¡°¡­Maybe.¡±


    ¡°You already know the truth about their deaths. It was because the Heterodox Wanderers were after you that those people had to die. In sense, you are also responsible for their deaths. Yet their deaths do not bother you, does it?¡±


    ¡°¡­No.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°Because they were trying to take me away from you and master¡­¡±


    ¡°And what about the man you killed yesterday?¡±


    ¡°¡­He did not even know me. He was just trying to defeat me because of the orders of his clan.¡±


    ¡°How do you know that?¡±


    ¡°I¡­¡±


    ¡°The only thing you know is that the man was trying to defeat you. And if possible, even maim you.¡±


    ¡°No, the Arena¡ª


    ¡°Would have only saved your life,¡± Yuri said, shaking her head. ¡°Do you remember his first attack?¡±


    ¡°¡­The ¡®Greed¡¯s Exploding Fireball¡¯?¡±


    ¡°You know how dangerous the Fireball was. Even if you had not been hurt in the explosion, the sticky nature of the flames would have ensured that they stuck to you until they melted off your skin, and threatened your life, before triggering the Arena¡¯s protection. If not for your robe, you would have been left on the verge of your death. Now, do you still feel guilty about killing him?¡±


    ¡°I¡­¡±


    ¡°The people killed in Anneve were mostly innocent. Most of them had not even talked to you. Yet you still do not feel guilty about their deaths. But a man, who was trying to maim you, to humiliate you, and break your Heart¡­ you feel guilty about killing him?¡±


    ¡°I¡­ I killed him.¡±


    ¡°As you should have,¡± Yuri said in a firm, and undeniable tone. ¡°He was your enemy, Alnea. As is the rest of the Lotus clan.¡±


    ¡°I¡­ Why am I so useless?¡±


    Yuri paused, and shook her head, before caressing his cheek with her free hand, as she lowered her head even more than before, looking directly into his eyes.


    ¡°You are not useless¡­ You are just a fool, who is little confused.¡±


    ¡°¡­I don¡¯t know what I should do¡­¡±


    ¡°Just keep moving forward, as you always have. You are Alnea Oathkeeper, the man who is going to become the greatest Wanderer.¡±


    ¡°No¡­¡±


    ¡°I am counting on you to help me become an Origin Wanderer, you know?¡±


    ¡°I¡­¡±


    ¡°After all, you still have to help me change the fate of my clan.¡±


    ¡°But¡­¡±


    ¡°And you have to protect Cecilia too. You promised big sis Serena to take care of her. Do you know how much worried she was about you?¡±


    ¡°I¡­¡±


    ¡°While you were roaming the land of your dreams without a care in the world, she kept coming in to check on you. I asked her to stay in the room with me, but she did not agree, saying that she needed to keep an eye on Vestia. Poor girl. She could not even meditate last night.¡±


    ¡°I¡­¡±


    ¡°And then there is Vestia. I don¡¯t know how you have charmed her¡­ She almost had a fight with me the night before, all so that she could be with you, and comfort you. She was even ready to use a few secret Arcanas of her Erwein Forest to help you. Seriously, can you stop creating so many problems for me?¡±


    ¡°She¡­¡±


    ¡°Still, she is a member of our team now. A Star Seeker. As a senior member of the team, and the one who came up with its name, you cannot make her worry about you. Or what is she going to think about us?¡±


    ¡°I¡­¡±


    ¡°Most importantly, you don¡¯t wish to worry big sis Nyssa, right? What would she think if she saw you right now?¡±


    ¡°¡­I cannot let that happen.¡±


    ¡°The cheer up. What has happened, has happened. Instead of beating yourself over the past, prepare yourself for the future. Become strong enough so that nothing can disturb your Heart. Only then, can you keep your promises.¡±


    Alnea took a deep breath as he pushed himself up from Yuri¡¯s lap. And this time, she did not stop him. She just kept looking at him with a warm, and confident smile. As if she knew that nothing was going to be able to keep him down. Not even his own Heart. So, how could he disappoint her?


    ¡°I, Alnea Oathkeeper¡ª


    ¡°What are you doing? Do you not remember¡­¡± Yuri trailed off as she saw the determination in his eyes, before letting out a sigh.


    ¡°¡­am taking an Oath, that I will never let my doubts and insecurities cloud my path. No matter how many people I kill, intentionally or unintentionally, or how many enemies I make, even when I am lost and confused, I will never stop moving forward. I, Alnea Oathkeeper, will keep all my promises.¡±


    ¡°¡­You should really think about changing your name to Alnea Reckless,¡± Yuri mumbled in a dissatisfied tone, but could not hide the smile on her face. Even if he was a little reckless from time to time, it was alright. As long as he could keep his Heart, as long as he could see her smile¡­


    ¡°Let¡¯s go. Cecilia and Vestia should be waiting for us.¡±


    ¡°Waiting for us?¡±


    ¡°Have you forgotten? Today is the day we start recruiting new members for our team.¡±

 Chapter 25: Recruiting teammates [Part 2]

    ¡°New members,¡± Alnea mumbled, ignoring the faint headache coming from the new chains of his Oaths. ¡°Is it dawn already?¡±


    ¡°There is still a little over an hour to dawn, to be exact. But the time we agreed upon was one hour before dawn. And our mansion is quite close to the Sixth Blood Hall. Or else, the two of us might have missed today¡¯s recruitment.¡±


    ¡°¡­I am sorry. I¡ª


    ¡°You should indeed feel sorry,¡± Yuri said, nodding solemnly at his words. ¡°If only you could have slept for a little longer, we might have had the entire morning to just the two of us.¡±


    ¡°¡­What?¡±


    ¡°¡­I was just joking,¡± Yuri said, giggling at the confused expression on his face. ¡°Come on, let¡¯s go. Or they will truly leave us behind.¡±


    Although Alnea would have also liked to spend the entire morning with Yuri, he could not let Cecilia, even Vestia for that matter, roam the city on their own. The Lotus clan¡­ they were bound to get their revenge. And judging from how they normally behaved, if they could not find him, they would get it from the girls¡­ He could not let that happen. Even if he had killed their heir first, he still could not let them hurt the people close to him.


    Was he being selfish? Maybe. But he had always considered himself a selfish man anyway. A man so selfish, that not even his guilt could stop him. Or maybe that was because of his Oath. In any case, he was never going to stop, no matter what. Even if he had to kill ten, hundred, or even thousands upon thousands of people. He would keep protecting his Heart, and strive to complete all his Oaths. Because he was Alnea Oathkeeper.


    ¡°Alright,¡± Alnea said, feeling his Serenity return him, stronger than ever before. Maybe even strong enough to support him all the way to the Peak Stage of the False Rank. ¡°Let me freshen up first.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t take too long.¡±


    Stretching his limbs, Alnea walked into the bathroom attached to the room, and washed his face, before strapping his sword back to his waist, and walking out of his room. His temporary room to be exact. Everything had been in such a mess the day before, that none of them had the mind to choose their rooms. The girls had spent their entire day in the hall, trying to comfort him in their own ways, before finally deciding to let him meditate, and temper his Heart. After all, for Wanderers lost in self-doubts, tempering their Heart was the quickest way to return their Serenity to their Hearts.


    Still, afraid that he might enter the Origin Sea, or Forge his Spirit, they did not dare to let him be on his own. Vestia had even suggested that he meditate in the main hall, with everyone to keep an eye on him. Thankfully, Yuri had insisted on bringing him to a room, and promised to keep an eye on him. Only then, did Vestia relent, randomly choosing a room to rest, with Cecilia deciding to keep an eye on her, just in case.


    After all, Vestia had been their teammate for just one day. And she had never hidden her intentions from them. Her offer to help him soothe his Heart with the Arcanas of her clan had not helped her case either. With how vulnerable he had been the day before, if Vestia had used the strange Arcanas of her clan, the girls were not sure if they would be able to keep him from falling to Vestia¡¯s charms.


    In the end though, Vestia had respected his opinion, just asking him to come to her if he needed her help. Even at the moment, as she saw him walk into the main hall, looking visibly better than before, there was nothing but relief and joy on her face. Of course, Cecilia was the same, but he had an unbreakable bond with Cecilia. She was his Heart, just as he was hers. What about Vestia? Why was she standing with him, despite the fact that it would mean offending the Lotus clan? Just because they were teammates?


    ¡°You look much better than before,¡± Vestia said, nodding at Alnea with a relieved smile. ¡°Of course, if you would have let me help you, then would have become better much sooner.¡±


    ¡°He does not need the help of your shady Arcanas,¡± Cecilia said with a snort. ¡°Last night was just an accident. As long as we give him enough time, he can come out of the shadows of the Whitebud heir¡¯s death on his own.¡±


    ¡°Why wait for such a long time, when I can help him in just one night?¡±


    ¡°¡­Wanderers should always face up to their fears, Vestia,¡± Yuri said, shaking her head. ¡°Running away will only deepen the scar in his Heart.¡±


    ¡°¡­Scars can always be healed with time. And it is not as if I cannot help with those scars too. Only the price¡­¡±


    A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.


    ¡°¡­It makes me happy to see that you are so concerned about me, Vestia,¡± Alnea said, scratching his head in embarrassment. ¡°But its alright. I am fine now. In fact, I am greater than ever.¡±


    ¡°Is that so,¡± Vestia said, with her smile even wider than before. ¡°That could not be better. Still, my offer stands. You can come to me any time you feel that you are troubled, or in a bad state. Even if I cannot heal you, at the very least I can still make sure that you forget all your worries, and have a good night¡¯s sleep.¡±


    ¡°¡­I will keep that in my mind.¡±


    ¡°Alright, alright. If you two have had enough fun winking at each other, then can we go to the Blood Hall now?¡±


    ¡°I did not wink at anyone!¡±


    ¡°Are you jealous?¡±


    ¡°Who will be jealous of a vixen!¡±


    ¡°Then why not try winking at him yourself?¡±


    ¡°That¡­ I¡­ I am not a pervert!¡±


    ¡°¡­I am still here, you know? Don¡¯t talk about me as if you are talking about a third person.¡±


    ¡°Shut up, pervert.¡±


    ¡°Saying that he is a pervert would be exaggerating things a little, but he does seem to like me winking at him.¡±


    ¡°Wha¡ªWhat are you talking about? Don¡¯t slander me!¡±


    ¡°See, you blushed again.¡±


    ¡°What? How can I blush? I am sure that I was using my Aspects¡­ did it fail?¡±


    ¡°¡­Idiot.¡±


    ¡°Fool.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°¡­Nothing,¡± Vestia said with a giggle. ¡°It is just that you helped me prove my guess.¡±


    ¡°Your guess¡­ You are cheating!¡±


    ¡°¡­At least I am not using my Aspects to hide my feelings.¡±


    ¡°Tha¡ªThat¡¯s just an instinctive reaction.¡±


    ¡°Using Aspects on instincts¡­ It looks like the world is still looking down on your talent.¡±


    ¡°¡­I was talking about my blush.¡±


    ¡°¡­Stop talking,¡± Cecilia said, looking at him as if he was an idiot. ¡°You are making things worse.¡±


    ¡°But¡ª


    ¡°I hate to agree with Cecilia, but this time, she is right.¡±


    ¡°I¡­¡±


    ¡°Are your friends being mean to you, Alnea? How about you come with me? I promise I will never be mean to you.¡±


    ¡°¡­They are not mean. That¡¯s just how we are. We¡ª


    ¡°Just stop talking,¡± Yuri said, massaging her head, while glaring at Vestia from the corner of her eyes, warning her to not tease Alnea anymore. ¡°We have wasted enough time already. Let¡¯s get going, or we truly might be late on the first day of our recruitment.¡±


    ¡°¡­Will anyone even come for the recruitment?¡± Alnea mumbled, as they walked out of their mansion. ¡°After what happened last night¡­¡±


    ¡°Do not underestimate yourselves,¡± Vestia said. ¡°Almost half of the city is interested in you. And after last night, even more people will become interested in you as they learn of your deeds. Still, it is true that what happened last night would indeed make those people hesitate a little. At the very least, few people would like to have too much contact with you. Especially since they know that you are not going to join their teams.¡±


    ¡°¡­In the end, are you not saying the same thing?¡±


    ¡°Of course not,¡± Vestia said, shaking her head, while Yuri continued to lead their way, and Cecilia kept glancing at the blue robed woman. ¡°Most of the decently strong Wanderer would indeed have their own teams, but there are bound to be some outliers everywhere in the world. And some of those outliers would not be afraid of the Lotus clan¡¯s revenge.


    ¡°Rather, by standing against the Lotus clan, you may have inadvertently become friends with their enemies. Even if those enemies do not join you, they will still try to support you in their own ways. Other than them, there might also be a few people who have nowhere to go. People who are just trying to prove their strengths. For them, the Lotus clan¡¯s revenge might just be their best chance. Maybe even their last chance. Such people would surely not miss out in joining our team. They might not come today, or tomorrow, but they will surely come to register with our team.¡±


    ¡°¡­I see,¡± Alnea mumbled, before being pinched in his waist, and brought away from his thoughts by Cecilia.


    ¡°Why are you letting her lead you?¡± Cecilia said, ignoring Vestia¡¯s complaints from the side. ¡°It does not matter whether we will recruit anyone else or not. Worst case scenario, we will just randomly pick a few Wanderers to accompany us in the Trials of the inner city. It would not change what we have to do anyway. So, stop thinking so much, and focus on the present.¡±


    ¡°¡­How come you can speak such words of wisdom from time to time?¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s with you look?¡± Cecilia said, feigning a look of disgust on her face. ¡°Fine. I accept it. I am a genius. I just do not like spending my energy on thinking.¡±


    ¡°¡­You can think too?¡±


    ¡°¡­Are you trying to pick a fight?¡±


    ¡°Joke, joke,¡± Alne said, dodging Cecilia¡¯s punch, as bursts of laughter escaped from his mouth.


    ¡°¡­I will show you what a joke is, alright.¡±


    ¡°Wait, wait! There are so many people around us. Do you want them to laugh at you too?¡±


    ¡°Too? You were indeed laughing at me¡­¡±


    ¡°Us! Us! It was a slip of tongue. Wait, why are you urging your Aspects?¡±


    ¡°¡­Are they always like this?¡±


    ¡°¡­Most of the time,¡± Yuri said, glancing helplessly at Alnea and Cecilia running around them in circles. ¡°Alright, you two. Stop playing around, or even those who want to join us might change their mind.¡±

 Chapter 26: New teammate [Part 1]

    Saved from the claws of physical abuse, Alnea glanced at the Blood Hall. There was still one hour left till dawn, marking it as the darkest time of the day. Yet, the city was still as bright as ever. If the blood red of the city light could be considered as bright, that is. Such an eerie light¡­ It always unnerved him. Especially after what he had done the day before¡­


    No, Alnea told himself. He was already over it. Although he had killed the man in accident, that did not change the fact that the man was his enemy. If they had met during Desert Trials, he was sure that the man would not have kept his hand either. By killing the man, he had just rid himself of an enemy earlier than expected. That was all to the man¡¯s death. And to his unfounded guilt.


    Subduing his unnecessary thoughts into the depths of his Heart, Alnea glanced at the people around him. Even if the city was shrouded in an eerie blood red light, it had no effects on the flow of Wanderers on the streets. The weak were still stalking the streets, looking for their next hapless prey, trying to survive in the city, while the strong went about with determined steps, trying to advance in the city, and uncover its secrets.


    ¡°Should we go exchange the Martial Styles we selected first?¡± Alnea said, looking forward to the Martial Styles of the Lost City. He had already read their introductions the day before, as had Cecilia and Yuri. Memory crystals could only last for a day after all. Besides, he was always very interested in Martial Styles and Glyphs. As for Arcanas¡­


    He had read the information about Arcanas anyway, hoping that it might help him broaden his horizons. And distract him from the memories of the Whitebud heir¡¯s bloodied face, of course. Unfortunately, even Martial Styles had not been enough to help him get rid of the bloody face flashing in his mind. Thankfully, he could always count on Yuri. She was not just his Heart, but also its guardian. At the moment though, she was also the destroyer of his hopes.


    ¡°Who is going to welcome out new team members then?¡±


    ¡°¡­I don¡¯t think anyone is going to come today,¡± Alnea said. ¡°Besides, exchanging for the Martial Styles is not going to take too much of our time.¡±


    ¡°What if someone comes looking for us while we are inside the Blood Hall? Are you going to break the promise you made in front of the entire city?¡±


    ¡°¡­It was not the entire city, and it was not a promise either,¡± Alnea mumbled.


    ¡°What did you say?¡±


    ¡°I said, we can go in one by one, while the others stay outside.¡±


    ¡°We cannot do that either. All four of us were there when we said that we would welcome our new teammates. So, all four of us need to be here to receive them. That is the basic etiquette that a Wanderer must have.¡±


    ¡°¡­Although her standards seem to be too high, I agree with her on this, Alnea,¡± Vestia said from the side. ¡°Whether we accept the people coming to us or not, we should all receive them together. That is the least amount of respect we should give to them as fellow Wanderers.¡±


    ¡°¡­Do Wanderers really have so many annoying rules?¡± Cecilia said, scratching her head in annoyance, bringing a sense of relief to Alnea. He knew it. Though they often fought and argued, he could always count on her when needed.


    ¡°I never read about these things,¡± Alnea said, shrugging his shoulders, trying to support the only girl who was with him. Unfortunately, their opponents were too strong, and had the greatest weapon with them. Reason.


    ¡°That¡¯s because these things are just common sense.¡±


    ¡°¡­But I never saw so many rules in my clan.¡±


    ¡°¡­Your clan is a little special.¡±


    ¡°Your clansmen tend to rely more on their fists than their wisdom,¡± Vestia added.


    ¡°¡­Are you saying that my clansmen are all just muscle brained?¡±


    ¡°Is that not the truth?¡±


    ¡°¡­Forget it,¡± Alnea said, hurriedly catching Cecilia¡¯s arms before she could pounce on Vestia. ¡°We will just ignore them, Lia.¡±


    ¡°¡­At least the people of my clan do not go around the world to seduce men,¡± Cecilia said with a snort, before turning away from Vestia, earning a helpless smile in return.


    ¡°¡­Do not mind her, Vestia,¡± Alnea said, scratching his head in embarrassment. ¡°She has a soft heart, but a hard mouth. If she is speaking so much to you without cursing you and your family, then it means that she has already started to accept you.¡±


    ¡°¡­Speak for yourself, pervert,¡± Cecilia said, glaring at him.


    ¡°¡­Let us save something for when we are back at our mansion, alright?¡± Yuri said, glaring at all three of her teammates. ¡°As for your Martial Styles¡­ have you selected which ones to exchange for already?¡±


    ¡°I did.¡±


    ¡°Good. Then wait until the time we had set is up before exchanging them.¡±


    ¡°But if I exchange them now, I can use the time to practice those Martial Styles¡­¡±


    ¡°With your talent in Martial Styles, a delay of two hours should not affect your practice.¡±


    ¡°¡­I guess.¡±


    ¡°Then what are you so excited for?¡±


    ¡°¡­I want to try the Martial Styles.¡±


    Yuri looked at Alnea in silence for a few moments, before letting out a sigh, and said, ¡°It will only take a couple of hours.¡±


    ¡°¡­Fine. I can wait.¡±


    ¡°Good. Any other questions?¡±


    The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    ¡°¡­Where are we going to wait?¡±


    ¡°In front of the Blood Hall.¡±


    ¡°But there is no place to wait here,¡± Cecilia said, glancing around the area. ¡°How about we sit on the stairs?¡±


    ¡°I agree with her,¡± Vestia said. ¡°Just standing in place will make us look awkward.¡±


    ¡°¡­As you wish.¡±


    After a brief discussion, everyone chose to settle down on the first few stairs to the Blood Hall. Before they sat down though, Vestia warned them to be careful.


    ¡°After we have shown our strength, no should come to trouble us without any reason. But you must not forget that there are people who do have reasons to trouble us. Whether it is to avenge their heir, or to regain their lost face, the Lotus clan is not going to leave us alone.¡±


    ¡°We know that already,¡± Cecilia said. ¡°Tell us something new.¡±


    ¡°I spotted three Wanderers following us from our mansion. And the number has only increased as we neared the Blood Hall. There should be around ten¡ª


    ¡°Fifteen,¡± Vestia corrected. ¡°There are fifteen Wanderers keeping an eye on us¡­ Now there are twelve. Three of them just left us after they saw us sitting down.¡±


    ¡°The Lotus clan,¡± Alnea mumbled.


    ¡°Maybe,¡± Vestia responded. ¡°There must be people of the Lotus clan among those following us, but it does not mean that it is the Lotus clan that is following us.¡±


    ¡°¡­Are you sure?¡±


    ¡°Of the three¡­ now it is four. Of the four people who just left, one of them was from Green Mountain Clan, and another was from the Purple Leaf clan.¡±


    ¡°Green Mountain and Purple Leaf¡­ I have not heard about the Lotus clan having any relationship with these two clans.¡±


    ¡°Technically, the three clans are indeed related. But this relationship goes back around ten thousand years. There was a big war among the Orthodoxies back then¡­ That was when the three clans split up. But it could also be a cover up. We can never tell with Orthodoxies. In any case, being a little careful is not going to hurt us.¡±


    ¡°¡­Alright.¡±


    ¡°¡­How about moving a little towards the edge?¡± Alnea said. ¡°This the central area of the stairs after all.¡±


    ¡°Do you think that these Wanderers are blind? Can they not just go around us?¡±


    ¡°They can, but what if someone uses the excuse that we are blocking their way to provoke us?¡±


    ¡°¡­You do have a point,¡± Yuri said, while Vestia just smiled at him. Thankfully, she did not wink at him. Why was he feeling that he had lost something though? Curious about the sudden feeling of loss in his Heart, Alnea stole a few glances of Vestia, only to be caught red handed by her, earning him the wink that he was missing. And just like that, the feeling of loss was gone. The feeling of pain near his waist though¡­


    After coaxing Cecilia, Alnea decided not to provoke Vestia for the moment. But then, what else could he do? He could not Forge his Spirit out in the open, and neither could he temper his Heart. As for Wandering the Origin Sea¡­ that would be beyond foolishness. In the end, with nothing else left to do, he could only observe the Wanderers passing on the streets.


    Most of the Wanderers looked around seventeen to twenty years old, but even if they were older, they would still look the same. After all, breaking through Ranks of Wanderers was equivalent to breaking through the shackles of life. For the False Rank, this shackle was ageing. Once one broke through the False Rank, it was only when they reached the end of their lives that they would being ageing at a rapid pace. Until then, they would look as if they were in their twenties or thirties.


    In any case, judging the age of Wanderers just from their looks was not an easy task. Especially if the said Wanderers were over eighteen years old. But then again, the Orthodoxies sent only their genius scions to the Lost City. So, even if these Wanderers were older, they would never be older than thirty years. Because if these Wanderers could still not break through to the True Rank by the age of thirty, they would not be worthy of the title of geniuses.


    Of course, these ¡®geniuses¡¯ could only be considered to be average in truly flourishing Orthodoxies. Like the Serpia clan. Or the Faed clan. Even the Weina clan, for that matter. After all, Vestia also seemed to be only seventeen years old, but had already reached the Peak Stage. Although she could not compare to either Cecilia or Yuri, she could also be considered to be a genius among the ¡®geniuses¡¯ of the Lost City. And it was this second type of geniuses that they were looking for as their teammates. Wanderers who had not only reached the Advanced or Peak Stage at a young age, but also had considerable proficiency in their chosen paths.


    Of course, Alnea could not see if someone was the kind of genius they were looking for unless he had all their details, but he could still feel how strong the Wanderers walking in front of him were. Or rather, the dark cat lying by Cecilia¡¯s feet could feel how strong these Wanderers were. If there was a particularly strong Wanderer passing by, the cat would raise its head, and look at the Wanderer as if eyeing its prey.


    Fortunately, the cat, dumb as it was, was not as feral and wild as it used to be. At least, it could hold back its hunger until Cecilia took it to the Arena. In any case, since they had a ¡®strength radar¡¯ with them, they were not worried that someone would fool them with their strength. The problem was, how to get the dumb cat to cooperate with them. It did not listen to anyone, except Cecilia. And even Cecilia could not exactly command the cat. All she could¡ª


    ¡°It looks like you are still alive.¡±


    Alnea withdrew from his thoughts, and looked at the man standing in front of them. Dressed in a white robe, the man had a smirk on his face that screamed at everyone looking at him to come beat him up. The things that the man said did not help him either. It was a miracle as to how the man was still living a good life in the city. From Cecilia¡¯s face though, it looked like the miracle was soon going to be broken.


    ¡°What are you doing here, Zain?¡± Alnea said before Cecilia could jump the man. ¡°I thought that you did not wish to have anything to do with us.¡±


    ¡°Oh, if it is not the famous Alnea that everyone in the city has been talking about. The genius, who is most likely to obtain the legacy of the Lost City. Why, now that you are famous, you think you can decide what I do?¡±


    ¡°¡­We do not have time for you, Zain. Go and harass other people.¡±


    ¡°Or what? Are you going to kill me too?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s enough,¡± Vestia said, stepping up before either Yuri or Cecilia could. ¡°We may not wish to provoke trouble, but we are not afraid of it either. If you do not wish to spend all your Blood Coins on getting yourself treated, then just be on your way. We do not welcome you here.¡±


    ¡°Vestia Weina¡­ Another troublesome woman,¡± Zain said with a frown, before turning towards Alnea. ¡°I thought I warned you about the dangers that you are facing. Why are you deliberately picking up even more trouble for yourself. Do you not know how much trouble being with a Weina would bring to you?¡±


    ¡°¡­Do you wish to die?¡±


    Alnea left Cecilia, and hurriedly pulled Vestia away from Zain before she could erupt. At the same time, he could not help looking at the white robed man once again. Although he knew that the man was annoying, but to anger even Vestia to such a degree, and that too when he did not even mean it¡­ Even Yuri was beginning to feel annoyed at the man. A feat that only Vestia had managed to achieve.


    Except for the Lotus clan, of course. But the Lotus clan was their enemy, and Zain was just seeking their attention. And Alnea knew that if he did not shut the man up, then he might also anger Yuri to the point that she would erupt just like Cecilia and Vestia. So, for the sake of the girls, and for his own sake as well, Alnea bit the bullet, and tried the impossible. Talking sense with Zain.


    ¡°¡­What do you want?¡±


    Zain stayed silent for a few moments, glancing at the girls, and then turning back at Alnea, before finally shaking his head, and letting out a sigh.


    ¡°¡­You have about a tenth of my good looks. And you are quite talented too. Probably around half as talented as me. If something happens to you, then it would be a shame to the whole world of Wanderers. So, I have decided to help you out with your troubles and get you through the dangers of the Lost City. But only while you are in the Lost City. There is only so much I can do.¡±


    ¡°¡­So, you want to join our team?¡±

 Chapter 26: New teammate [Part 2]

    ¡°No! Absolutely not!¡± Cecilia said as soon as she heard Alnea¡¯s guess, vehemently shaking her head, while looking incredulously at Zain. ¡°Why do you even want to join our team anyway?¡±


    ¡°Who wants to join your team?¡± Zain said, while clicking his tongue, before turning back towards Alnea. ¡°This is why women are so troublesome.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right,¡± Cecilia said, nodding in agreement. ¡°Women are troublesome. And there are three women in our team. We will be even more troublesome when we are together. You would be better off not joining us.¡±


    ¡°¡­If I did not pity that his talent would be buried in the city, why would I waste my time with you?¡±


    ¡°¡­If that is your reason, then I am afraid that I cannot let you join our team,¡± Yuri said, shaking her head, before taking on a solemn tone. ¡°And there is no need to bother yourself with Alnea. He is strong enough to take care of himself.¡±


    ¡°Why is he not speaking up for himself then?¡± Zain said, smirking at Yuri. This man¡­ he truly deserved a beating. ¡°It is because he agrees with me.¡±


    ¡°Stop talking nonsense,¡± Alnea said hurriedly. ¡°I just did not have the chance to say anything.¡±


    ¡°See? He is also agreeing that you are troublesome. You do not even give him the chance to speak. How can you protect him from the dangers of the city? By locking him up in a room?¡±


    ¡­When did he ever say those things? This crazy man¡­ what exactly was he trying to do? Get them both beaten up?


    ¡°Don¡¯t believe his nonsense!¡±


    ¡°Of course, we believe in you, Alnea,¡± Vestia said from the side, earning another good point for herself from Alnea. ¡°As for you¡­ Zain, is it?¡±


    ¡°Zain Enhall.¡±


    ¡°¡­The Enhall clan of Inar?¡±


    ¡°¡­That¡¯s right,¡± Zain said, with a hint of pride on his face. ¡°The Enhall clan of Inar.¡±


    ¡°Well, Zain Enhall. Although I do not wish to have anything to do with you, basic etiquette dictates that I still ask you. Why do you want to join our team?¡±


    ¡°I have said it already,¡± Zain said impatiently, waving his hand to dismiss the question. ¡°I just do not wish to see him get buried in the city.¡±


    ¡°The truth only, Wanderer Zain,¡± Yuri said. ¡°We will never allow someone with ulterior motives to join our team.¡±


    ¡°Do really want to let this crazy man join us?¡±


    ¡°It is what we promised,¡± Yuri said, turning her solemn face towards Cecilia. ¡°To welcome all those who come to join us. And we do need teammates¡­ Let us see what he has to say about himself first.¡±


    ¡°¡­I do not have any ulterior motives.¡±


    ¡°Let us judge whether or not you have any ulterior motives,¡± Vestia added. ¡°You just tell us the truth. Why do you want to join us?¡±


    ¡°¡­Star Seekers.¡±


    ¡°What did you say?¡±


    ¡°¡­I heard what you said yesterday. About chasing the ¡®Stars¡¯¡­ I also want to chase after the star that belongs to me.¡±


    ¡°¡­And what exactly is your star?¡±


    ¡°¡­Do I have to say it?¡±


    ¡°How else are we going to judge if you are lying to us or not?¡±


    ¡°I¡­¡±


    Zain clenched his fists, and took a deep breath, before continuing.


    ¡°I want to enter the inner city and prove myself. To my parents, to my clan, and to the people who abandoned me. I want to tell them that they were all wrong. That I am the greatest genius in the clan.¡±


    ¡°¡­Geniuses do not have to prove anything. It is their talent, their hard work, and the way they shine that makes them a genius. Even if others try to bury them, their shine can never be taken away by anyone but themselves. Rather than trying to prove yourself to be a genius, you should try to work harder and shine in your right. Maybe then everyone will recognise you as a genius. The star that you seek will also come flying to you on its own.¡±


    ¡°Stop speaking nonsense. Just tell me, will you let me join the team or not?¡±


    ¡°¡­Although your words make it seem that you are in line with the philosophy of our team, we cannot be sure just yet.¡±


    ¡°¡­What else do you want to ask?¡±


    ¡°How long have you been in the Lost City, Wanderer Zain?¡±


    ¡°¡­Five months.¡±


    ¡°Five months,¡± Vestia said, nodding to herself. ¡°And in those five months, you have not joined any other teams, have you?¡±


    ¡°¡­No.¡±


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    ¡°Your clan must have a few teams of its own¡ª


    ¡°I will never join the teams of my clan.¡±


    ¡°¡­Even if we ignore the teams of your clan, there are still hundreds, if not thousands of teams in the city. If you just want to prove yourself, why have you not joined any of those teams yet? Why have you waited until now, and why do you want to join our team?¡±


    ¡°¡­This is why I do not like women,¡± Zain said, with impatience seething in his voice. ¡°If you do not wish for me to join your team, just say so. Why are you asking all these questions?¡±


    ¡°We do not want you in our team,¡± Cecilia said with a solemn face, fulfilling Zain¡¯s wish, only for Alnea to pull her away from the crazy man. ¡°What are you doing?¡±


    ¡°¡­Let Yuri and Vestia handle this.¡±


    ¡°¡­As you can see, there are people in our team who are quite dissatisfied with you,¡± Yuri said, adding a hint of dissatisfaction to her voice. ¡°So, if you wish to join your team, then just honestly answer the questions that we have asked.¡±


    ¡°¡­The other teams were not good enough for me.¡±


    ¡°And what makes you think that we are good enough for you?¡± Vestia said. ¡°I can list ten different teams that are composed of just Peak Stage Wanderers, with at least seven members in each team. And this is just teams in the Northern District. There are even more teams in the other Districts. In comparison, as of now, our team has only four Wanderers, with one at the Peak Stage, one at the Advanced Stage, and two at the Intermediate Stage. If you think that other teams are not worthy of you, then we should be even less worthy.¡±


    ¡°¡­Why are you spinning your words so much? Just tell me if you will let me join your team or not.¡±


    ¡°¡­A team is a group of Wanderers who can trust each other with their lives. And you cannot even trust us with the truth. You tell me, Wanderer Zain, should we let you join our team or not?¡±


    ¡°¡­It is not like I did not try teaming up with other Wanderers,¡± Zain said after a brief moment of silence. ¡°I even got a few invitations from some of the best teams in the city. After all, I can fight against Peak Stage Wanderer while being just at the Advanced Stage myself. And I reached the bottleneck to the Peak Stage over a month ago. It should not take me more than a month to truly become a Peak Stage False Wanderer. Most importantly, I am still three months short of becoming seventeen years old. I remember that back when I had come to the city, I had also shocked everyone with my talent. Just like you.¡±


    ¡°¡­And yet, here you are, still alone.¡±


    ¡°Those ignorant fools¡­ they are just jealous of me. Even the Wanderers of my clan. They just cannot stand to see me becoming stronger than them. This is the reason why they have been suppressing me. There were times when some teams were willing to accept me. But then, all of them changed their mind the very next day. Not to mention how people often keep challenging me in the Arena, or the countless ambushes that I face whenever I participate in the Black Desert Trials.¡±


    ¡°¡­Let me get this straight. The other teams do not accept you because you are too talented, and they are jealous of you?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡±


    ¡°And since we are more talented than you, you think that we should not be jealous of you?¡±


    ¡°Do not take yourself too seriously,¡± Zain said, sneering at Yuri. This crazy man¡­ Alnea had a sudden urge to challenge Zain to a battle in the Arena. ¡°Whether it is you, the Serpia girl, or even the Weina girl, all three of you are just about one tenth as talented as me. Among the four of you, only Alnea can be considered to be about half as talented as me. But you are right about the second part. I do think that the four of you should not be jealous of my talent.¡±


    ¡°¡­Should we thank you for your complement?¡±


    ¡°No need. I was just speaking the truth. The four of you are indeed some of the most talented Wanderers in the city. Especially you, Alnea. If not for me, you might even have been the most talented Wanderer in the city. But do not worry. With your talent, if you work hard enough, you might be able to catch up to about a third of my progress.¡±


    ¡°¡­I think I understand why those people challenged him in the Arena.¡±


    ¡°I want to beat him up too¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­I understand your situation,¡± Yuri said, ignoring Alnea and Cecilia¡¯s antics, and nodding at Vestia in acquiescence, signalling her to pick up the conversation. These two¡­ When did they develop such a tacit understanding?


    ¡°In short, you want us to help you complete the quota of the Black Desert Trials, and block some pressure in the Arena so that you can take the time to upgrade to the Peak Stage?¡±


    ¡°Do not get me wrong. It is me, who has to block¡ª


    ¡°The truth, Zain.¡±


    ¡°¡­I do need a little rest to break through the bottleneck. But I cannot fall behind on my quota of the Black Desert Trials either. According to the agreement I had made with my clan, if I cannot enter the inner city in one and a half year after coming to the Lost City, then I will have to go back and listen to their arrangements. Now, I only have a little over a year left. And there are so many trials left¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­You do know that we have offended the Lotus clan, right?¡±


    ¡°What about a declining clan like them? Even dogs would not be afraid of them.¡±


    ¡°¡­I will give you another chance to reorganise your language.¡±


    ¡°¡­As long as they are in the city, they have to abide by its rules. And outside of the city, they dare not do anything to me. After all, I am genius of the Enhalls. Even if an abandoned one. I cannot tell you much as it involves the secret of my clan, but rest assured, as long as they dare to move against me outside of the rules, their entire clan will have to pay a terrible price.¡±


    ¡°¡­What do you think?¡± Vestia said to Yuri.


    ¡°¡­Although he is annoying, I cannot find any reasons to reject him.¡±


    ¡°¡­Being annoying is a reason enough,¡± Cecilia grumbled, and looked at Alnea for help. But Alnea himself agreed more with Yuri. They had already announced in front of all the Wanderers that they would welcome everyone who came to them. If they rejected someone just because of personal preferences, then not only would it mean breaking their word, but it would also make them used to abusing their power. Both were things that Alnea could not allow to happen.


    ¡°¡­Let¡¯s give him a chance,¡± Alnea said after thinking over his decision for a few moments. ¡°Although he has a mean mouth, he is also a pitiful and lonely person.¡±


    ¡°Three against one,¡± Vestia said, before turning towards Zain. ¡°Congratulations, Zain Enhall. You have passed the initial screening of the Star Seekers.¡±


    ¡°¡­Do not worry,¡± Zain said in a calm and collected voice, trying not to show his excitement, but was betrayed by his clenched fist, and shining light in his eyes. ¡°With me around, no one will be able to trouble you in the city.¡±


    ¡°¡­You are just a temporary member, and will be under probation until you earn our trust. Till then, we will not register you in our team at the Blood Hall.¡±


    ¡°We can register our team at the Blood Hall?¡±


    ¡°¡­No, do you not even know something as simple as this? Do not tell me that you have not even registered your team yet? How dare you try to fool the entire city like this?¡±


    ¡°¡­We came to the city just four days ago.¡±


    ¡°So? Registering your team after creating it should be the basic common sense, right?


    ¡°¡­Has no one ever told you that you should speak a little less?¡±


    ¡°Would it not be a loss to the world if I spoke less?¡±


    ¡°¡­I have been getting a little rusty lately. Since we are all a team now¡­ How about you help me out with my fighting skills?¡±

 Chapter 27: New target for revenge [Part 1]

    In the end, Cecilia¡¯s request for a practice match against Zain was ruthlessly rejected by both Yuri and Vestia alike. Alnea did not think that they could hold her off for long though. No, not just Cecilia. With how vicious Zain¡¯s mouth was, even Yuri and Vestia were bound to lose their inner urges at some point. There was no doubt about that. It was just a matter of when. The real question was, of the four of them, who was going to beat up the loud mouthed man first.


    Fortunately for Zain, he was perceptible enough to shut up after making a few grumbles about how unreliable his new teammates were, wondering if he had made a mistake in joining such a team. Despite all his grumblings though, after Zain learned that they were going to wait until the time they had set was up, he decided to wait on the stairs with them. And while he was at it, he even offered to explain how teams worked in the Lost City.


    ¡°No need,¡± Vestia said. ¡°I was going to explain these things anyway, so you might as well let me do it.¡±


    ¡°Then why have you not explained it to them till now?¡±


    ¡°¡­I joined the team just yesterday¡ª


    ¡°You had an entire day.¡±


    ¡°¡­And then, after the accident that happened in the Arena¡ª


    ¡°Accident? What accident? Why have I not heard of it?¡±


    ¡°¡­She is talking about the Wanderer I killed in the Arena.¡±


    ¡°What? It was an accident? I thought you killed the man because he was from the Lotus clan.¡±


    ¡°¡­In any case, things were in a mess last night, so the explanation got delayed until now.¡±


    ¡°Mess? Why? Did the Lotus clan attack you? Did you kill even more people? Were the guards of the city involved? Why have I not heard of these things?¡±


    ¡°¡­Because none of those things ever happened.¡±


    ¡°Then what kind of mess¡ª


    ¡°Just shut up and listen to what I am saying.¡±


    ¡°¡­I thought a team was supposed to work with the unity of a group, and not on the whims of its leader.¡±


    ¡°¡­I am starting to understand why those people decided to kick you out of their team after just a day.¡±


    ¡°¡­Can you feel my overwhelming talent already?¡±


    ¡°Will you shut up already? Or do I have to shut you up myself?¡±


    ¡°¡­Fine.¡±


    ¡°¡­Just ignore him, Vestia,¡± Alnea said to a clearly annoyed Vestia. Although he had not known her for long, this was only the second time that he had seen her make such a face. Not so surprisingly, both those times had been because of Zain. What a talent he had¡­


    ¡°Tell us about how teams work in the Lost City.¡±


    ¡°¡­Thank you, Alnea,¡± Vestia said after taking a deep breath, flashing her dimples at him. ¡°Now, coming back to what I was about to say, everyone should already know what a team means.¡±


    ¡°A team is a group of Wanderers who work together for certain missions,¡± Yuri said. ¡°However, not all group of Wanderers working together can be called as a team. Only when the Wanderers working together can trust each other can they be worthy of being called as a team.¡±


    ¡°¡­What you are describing is a team in a more traditional sense. In other words, that was how teams used to be when they first came into conception. Over time, things have changed. People have changed. Wanderers have changed. And their aims have changed. Trust, which used to be one of the basic necessities for survival, is no longer sanctified. Interest reigns supreme. This is the Age of Wanderers, the time for the prosperity of Wanderers, but also the time for the decay of Wanderers.¡±


    ¡°¡­You are being dramatic once again, Vestia.¡±


    ¡°¡­What is the problem in being a little dramatic?¡± Vestia said, giggling at Yuri. ¡°It is not as if there is somewhere that we need to go. Since we are going to sit here for a while, you might as well listen to my story.¡±


    ¡°¡­Women,¡± Zain mumbled, but chose to remain quite for the time being.


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    ¡°¡­You really are not as cute as Alnea,¡± Vestia said, finally giving in to Yuri¡¯s stare. ¡°Coming back to the point, teams are not what they used to be. Nowadays, as long as you can establish a common goal, and have enough understanding, you can form your own team. As for trusting each other with their lives¡­ that is a privilege that few can have. Even in the Thrall Domains, there are very few teams that can truly trust each other with their lives. So, how can a place¡ªeven if it carries some secret legacies¡ª in a remote corner of the world have such teams?¡±


    ¡°¡­Then our team?¡±


    ¡°It is naturally of the second kind. A team which is based more on interest rather than trust.¡±


    ¡°¡­That is not true. I can trust both Yuri and Cecilia with my life.¡±


    ¡°But the Star Seekers is not just about you three anymore. Tell me, Cecilia. Can you trust me with your life?¡±


    ¡°¡­No.¡±


    ¡°What about Zain?¡±


    ¡°Never.¡±


    ¡°And what about other teammates that might join us?¡±


    ¡°¡­I do not know.¡±


    ¡°See? Though you can trust Alnea and Yuri with your life, you cannot do the same with the other members of the team. This shows that our team is also based on interests. Rather, it is only because a team can be based on interests that we can welcome Zain into our team. And it is also the reason why we can expect other Wanderers to join our team. Because we can bring them enough interests.¡±


    ¡°¡­Why is the world of Wanderers so complicated?¡± Alnea mumbled.


    ¡°Because that is just the way it is,¡± Vestia replied. ¡°Did you understand what I was trying to say?¡±


    ¡°Maybe¡­¡± Alnea mumbled before shaking his head. ¡°I am not sure.¡±


    ¡°¡­Let us check how much you understood then,¡± Vestia said, giggling at him this time. ¡°What is a team?¡±


    ¡°A group of Wanderers working towards the same goal. Or at least a unified goal.¡±


    ¡°And what is the thing that brings a team together?¡±


    ¡°¡­Their unified goal?¡±


    ¡°Try again.¡±


    ¡°¡­Interests,¡± Alnea said after thinking about it for a few moments. ¡°Be it a unified goal, or even their personal goals, everything could be considered as interests. As long as there is enough interest, everyone will naturally come together.¡±


    ¡°¡­Interesting way to put it,¡± Vestia said. ¡°Can we control our interests then?¡±


    ¡°¡­Maybe,¡± Alnea mumbled after a brief moment of silence. ¡°Interests are like our desires. As long as our will is powerful enough, we should be able to control our interests.¡±


    ¡°So, you are saying that interests can change, right?¡±


    ¡°¡­I did not exactly say that, but I guess you are right. Interests can indeed change.¡±


    ¡°Then tell me, Alnea. How can you ensure that a team remains a team even after the interests that brought them together changes? For example, Zain chose to join us seeking help in entering the inner city. But what if he suddenly decides that he does not want to enter the inner city? That he wants to help the Lotus clan get their revenge?¡±


    ¡°I would never do that!¡±


    ¡°¡­This is just a hypothetical question, Zain. Be patient.¡±


    ¡°Still¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­I don¡¯t know.¡±


    ¡°¡­Do you still not get it? Did I really join the wrong team?¡±


    ¡°¡­Zain.¡±


    ¡°¡­I was just talking to myself,¡± Zain mumbled, and wisely chose not to argue anymore.


    ¡°So, Alnea, tell me, how do you ensure the loyalty of your team?¡±


    ¡°I really don¡¯t know¡­ But if I would have to guess, I would say either some Arcanas, or some Glyphs. Without enough interests, only restrictions from the Mysteries of the Origin Sea could help hold a group of Wanderers together.¡±


    ¡°¡­You are right, in a sense,¡± Yuri said, raising her brows in amusement. ¡°Only the Mysteries of the Origin Sea can restrain a group of Wanderers with no common interests from fighting or betraying each other. Though, if a team ever reaches a point where its members have to rely on such means to keep them together, it cannot be called as a team anymore.


    ¡°Still, precautions have to be taken. And this is why every team must register with the city. With the means of the city, it will ensure that the members of a team do not betray each other. At least not until they are under the jurisdiction of the city. So, now do you understand why we have to register our team in the Blood Hall?¡±


    ¡°¡­This whole registration of team, and all its restriction, it makes it feel as if we cannot even trust our teammates, but I guess I can understand what you are trying to say. We can never trust other people, at least not those who are working together with us just for their interests.¡±


    ¡°Everyone is always working for their interests, Alnea. It is just that some interests are immediate, while others can be long term, lasting longer than our entire lives.¡±


    ¡°¡­What about you? What are your interests in working with us?¡±


    ¡°¡­My interests¡­ That is something that you will have to find out on your own,¡± Vestia said, winking at him, while flashing her dimples. ¡°But do not worry, I plan to work with you for a long time. Long enough to gain your trust, and never lose it.¡±


    ¡°¡­Right, what about the teams in the Thrall and Heterodox Domains?¡± Alnea said, changing the topic away from himself, trying to diffuse the awkward atmosphere around him, while dodging Yuri and Cecilia¡¯s glare. ¡°How do Wanderers ensure the loyalty of their team members in those places?¡±


    ¡°¡­The teams in the Thrall Domains are another matter altogether, and not something that you should worry about now,¡± Vestia said, laughing at his embarrassed face. Even his Aspects could not fool her. And she always knew the right things to say to get him hooked to her words. But then, she would always do something that would earn him Yuri and Cecilia¡¯s ire¡­


    Vestia Weina. She truly was a formidable opponent. But he was not going to give up. He was Alnea Oathkeeper. And he was going to become the greatest Wanderer. He was going to become an Origin Wanderer. And once he would have an advantage over the blue robed woman, he would surely have his revenge¡­

 Chapter 27: New target for revenge [Part 2]

    Vestia explained a few more details about how teams worked in the city, and all the different rules they had to follow, while they kept waiting for Wanderers to come apply to join their team. No one did. But that did not mean that no one was interested in joining their team. This was just how things usually worked, or so Vestia had explained. Not to mention that they had announced their teams just a day ago. Even if there were no hidden rules that Vestia had mentioned, many Wanderers might just not have heard about their team yet.


    As for the hidden rules¡­ It was mostly about the interested Wanderers keeping their distance, observing how Alnea and the girls¡ªobserving how the Star Seekers handled themselves, judging if becoming a Star Seeker was worth it. Especially since they had just clashed with the Lotus clan. Joining them at this point meant offending the Lotus clan. Only when the Star Seekers showed enough potential and promise, would other Wanderers show their interest in becoming Star Seekers themselves.


    ¡°¡­Rules are meant to restrain the weak,¡± Zain said, sneering at the Wanderers observing them in the distance. ¡°How can such stupid rules restrict me?¡±


    ¡­The stinky mouth probably just wanted to join a team as soon as possible. Alnea did not break his mask though. That would have let to another meaningless conversation. And if there was one thing that he had learned in the short time he had spent with Zain, it was that he should not give the crazy man any excuses to speak.


    ¡°I guess the two hours should be up by now,¡± Alnea said, stretching out his arms and legs, while letting out a yawn. Just sitting out on the steps, being stared at by the Wanderers passing by, was not exactly very exciting. Even Vestia¡¯s dramatic way of sharing information about the city was not enough to drive away their boredom. Thankfully, the wait was over.


    ¡°Can we go exchange our Martial Styles now?¡±


    ¡°Are you going to exchange Martial Styles? Do you want me to give you some suggestions?¡±


    ¡°¡­You sure are excited about the Martial Styles.¡±


    ¡°Are you not? They are the Martial Styles of the Blood City! Did you read their introductions?¡±


    Yuri just shook her head in response, with a grin on her face, of course. Although she did not show it, she was just as excited as he was. And so was Cecilia.


    ¡°That¡¯s right! The nine Blood Martial Styles.¡±


    ¡°So, you are going to exchange the Martial Styles of the Blood City¡­ Although I personally have not learned these Martial Styles, I know a thing or two about them.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s go get those Martial Styles.¡±


    Vestia smiled in amusement at her teammates showing their rare childish sides. But it was also because they were rarely so lively that she could not stop herself from teasing them.


    ¡°Are you people not putting the cart before the horse here?¡± Vestia said, while climbing the stairs with her teammates. ¡°We should obviously register our team first.¡±


    ¡°But the Martial Styles¡­¡±


    ¡°Can be exchanged only towards the end of the hall, while our team can be registered at the first counter in the hall. Most importantly, it is only after we register our team that I can use the amenities in your Blood Hall. Or I would have to go back to Fifth Blood Hall every time I need to use the Blood Hall.¡±


    ¡°¡­About that. If I can also be registered in your Blood Hall, that would make things more convenient for the team. Not only¡ª


    ¡°The day you earn our trust is the day we register you as part of our team.¡±


    ¡°¡­Jealous¡­ Ignorant¡­ Fools¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­Zain.¡±


    ¡°¡­It is just a team registration. I can wait for a few days.¡±


    ¡°¡­Anyways, I am going to exchange all nine of the Blood Martial Styles. What about you?¡±


    ¡°Does that even need to be asked? Since we are going to redeem these Martial Styles, of course we are going to exchange all of them.¡±


    ¡°I would not recommend that,¡± Zain said, stepping in between Alnea and Cecilia once again, completely oblivious to the glares being directed at him. ¡°I know that you must be fascinated by those Martial Styles because of their title of being unique to the Lost City, but trust me, they are not worth it.¡±


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    ¡°¡­You are not going to stop until we let you finish, are you?¡±


    ¡°What? Did you say something?¡±


    Another lesson learnt. Not giving the stinky mouth any chances to speak would only backfire on him. It was better to let the man speak a little from time to time so as to satisfy the man¡¯s itch, and let him be quiet most of the time.


    ¡°¡­Fine. Go ahead. What¡¯s the problem with the Martial Styles of the Lost City?¡±


    ¡°¡­As I was saying, the Blood Martial Styles of the Lost City are slightly different from normal Martial Styles. You can even say that they are less like Martial Styles, and more like Arcanas or Glyphs. After all, just like Arcanas and Glyphs, these Martial Styles are also divided into different stages, with each stage corresponding to the different stages of the False and True Ranks.


    ¡°Of course, the unique classification of the Martial Style in itself is not a problem. Rather, the different structure of the Martial Style, making it seem as if it is based on the Mysteries of the Origin Sea, and not on Aspects and Concepts, has attracted countless Wanderers over the years to come, and spend inexhaustible efforts to study these Martial Styles.


    ¡°But when this unique classification of Martial Style is put together with the restriction that one can study a higher stage of the Martial Style only after completely learning and mastering all the lower stages of the said Martial Style, then things begin to become a little tricky. Especially when considering how expensive these Martial Styles are.¡±


    ¡°Expensive?¡± Cecilia said, blinking in confusion.


    ¡°¡­Do you not even know the price of exchanging the Blood Martial Styles?¡±


    ¡°Of course, I know the exchange price of Blood Martial Styles. It¡¯s just a Martial Style Medal. What¡¯s so expensive about it?¡±


    ¡°¡­I meant in general,¡± Zain said after staring at Cecilia in silence for a few moments. ¡°For geniuses like us, earning Martial Style Medals is like drinking water. We can earn them just by going through the Trials. But most Wanderers do not earn even a single Martial Style Medal in their time in the city. And a large part of those who do earn, earn only a couple of Low or Intermediate Grade Medals.


    ¡°However, the Initial and Intermediate Stage of the Blood Martial Styles do not bring any substantial benefits. At best, they can only be regarded to be between Failed, and Lowest Grade. It is only when all the four Stages of the False Rank are combined that the Blood Martial Style can show some of its prowess, and unique nature, barely reaching the threshold of Low Grade Martial Style.¡±


    ¡°The Blood Martial Style can be merged?¡±


    ¡°I was about to get to that part,¡± Zain said with a nod. ¡°No one knows why these Blood Martial Styles have been separated into different Stages, but one thing everyone is sure about is that only if you fuse all their different stages will these Martial Styles show their true prowess. There is even a legend that if someone can learn all the nine different Martial Styles to the extreme, and then merge all the nine Martial Styles into one, then they might gain a part of the city¡¯s legacy.


    ¡°But that is not the point here. The point is that each of these Martial Styles cost a Martial Style Medal. That is nine Medals for each Stage. Let alone buying all nine Martial Styles, few can afford to buy all the Stages of a single Martial Style. After all, earning higher Grade Martial Style Medals is very difficult. Not to mention the difficulty of learning these Martial Styles, and the time spent in mastering them, just the first hurdle exchanging for these Martial Style itself stumps most of the Wanderers in the city.¡±


    ¡°But we have enough Medals to buy all nine Martial Styles.¡±


    ¡°And learning Martial Styles is not too hard either.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s just nine Martial Styles anyway. I can master them all in a couple of hours.¡±


    ¡°¡­Instead of exchanging for the Blood Martial Styles, you can use your Medals to exchange for some of the unique resources of the city that can quickly raise your strength.¡±


    ¡°Those defective resources that are rife with side effects?¡±


    ¡°Someone actually dares to use those resources?¡±


    ¡°Are they not afraid of severing their path as Wanderers?¡±


    ¡°¡­Or you can buy treasures to help you train other Martial Styles. Let me tell you, there is a set of Martial Styles in the library created by a Mystic Wanderer of the Lightning clan, which covers almost all the different specialisations of the Martial Style, and can be regarded as one of the best High Grade Martial Styles. But if you wish to train in this Martial Style, you need a¡ª


    ¡°Alright, we are here,¡± Vestia said, giving Zain the excuse that he needed to shut up. Still, seeing the stinky mouth become so deflated, Alnea could not help himself from smiling. Even Cecilia and Yuri were the same. And so was Vestia. ¡°Let us register our team first. Afterwards, you can discuss Martial Styles for as long as you want.¡±


    ¡°¡­I think that I have told them enough about Martial Styles. The rest is up to their own choice.¡±


    ¡°What are you talking about?¡± Alnea said, with an evil grin on his face. ¡°We still need your help with so many things.¡±


    ¡°¡­I guess, if you are begging me to help you¡ª


    ¡°I have learned only about a few thousand Martial Styles, but since you are twice as talented as me, you should have learnt even more Martial Styles than me, right?¡±


    ¡°¡­It is not about how many Martial Styles you know, but how well you use the Martial Styles that you know¡­¡±


    ¡°So, you must know more about Martial Styles than I do.¡±


    ¡°Of course,¡± Zain said, regaining a bit of his confidence, only to lose it again in the next moment.


    ¡°Then how about telling the advantages and disadvantages of all the Martial Styles in the city¡¯s library?¡¯¡¯


    ¡°¡­That¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s just a couple hundred thousand Martial Styles. You must know them all like the back of your hand.¡±


    ¡°¡­I guess¡­¡±


    ¡°Stop teasing him, Alnea, or he might really cry,¡± Vestia said, with Cecilia and Yuri joining in her laugh. ¡°Come on, it is time to register our team.¡±

 Chapter 28: Exchanging Martial Styles [Part 1]

    ¡°We meet again, Wanderer Martha,¡± Yuri said, with Cecilia and Alnea nodding along to show their respects to the Wanderer standing behind the counter in front of them. Even if they did not like her, as a Wanderer who had tried to help them, even if in her own way, she deserved their respect.


    ¡°You three¡­¡± Martha said, glancing at Vestia and Zain standing next to them with a solemn face. ¡°Are they your new companions?¡±


    ¡°¡­We are here to register our team.¡±


    ¡°It looks like you did not listen to what I said,¡± Martha said, focussing her gaze more on Yuri and Cecilia. ¡°I hope you are ready to accept the consequences of your decisions.¡±


    ¡°We always have been.¡±


    ¡°¡­Let us get this over with then,¡± Martha said, resuming the annoyed look on her face. ¡°Give me your Blood Cards.¡±


    Everyone except Zain handed their Blood Cards to Martha.


    ¡°What about him?¡±


    ¡°He is on probation for now.¡±


    ¡°¡­At least you are not completely hopeless.¡±


    ¡°¡­Does she have a grudge against you?¡± Vestia whispered to Alnea. With how close they were to the True Wanderer though, she could still hear everything they were saying. Even if she really did have a grudge against him, could he say the truth in front of the True Wanderer?


    ¡°¡­She is a bit hard spoken, but she means no harm¡­ At least not to Yuri and Lia.¡±


    ¡°Have you decided on any name for your team?¡± Martha said to Yuri, trying to ignore Alnea and Vestia whispering to each other.


    ¡°Star Seekers,¡± Yuri said. ¡°People who chase after Stars, Seeking the ones belonging to them.¡±


    ¡°Star Seekers¡­ Not a bad name.¡±


    ¡°Alnea was the one who came up with it.¡±


    ¡°¡­It is a little childish, but it is fine,¡± Martha said, placing their Blood Cards on the black box in front of her one by one, while fiddling with the box, updating their new information.


    ¡°¡­Thank you for your compliment, Wanderer Martha.¡±


    ¡°I was not complementing you¡­ Forget it. I am done,¡± Martha said, handing their Blood Cards back to them. ¡°If there is nothing else you want from me, then you can leave.¡±


    ¡°Sorry for disturbing you, Wanderer Martha,¡± Yuri said, nodding at the woman. ¡°And thank you for help.¡±


    After they left Martha¡¯s counter, and began walking towards the Martial Style Library, Zain finally could not stop himself.


    ¡°What is her problem?¡± Zain said. ¡°I have never seen any guard of the city looking at me like that¡­ Is she also jealous of me?¡±


    ¡­Probably because his eyes were always on the top of his head¡­ If only the stinky mouth could come out of his own world, he would see that almost everyone looked at him with a face marred with irritation.


    ¡°She did sound a little biased,¡± Vestia said with a frown. ¡°And the way she looked at you¡­ Are you sure that she does have a grudge against you?¡±


    ¡°She is just a little paranoid¡­ On second thought, she might really hold a grudge against me. After we said to her last time¡­¡±


    ¡°Are you blaming us?¡± Cecilia said with a snort.


    ¡°Why would I blame you?¡± Alnea said. ¡°She is just a True Wanderer anyway. If we offend her, then we offend her. It is not as if she can make a move against us.¡±


    ¡°¡­Although the rules of the city will restrict her from taking action against you, offending Wanderers stronger than you is never a wise move,¡± Vestia said solemnly. ¡°Not to mention what she can do once she leaves the city, even within the city, she just needs to play some tricks to make our lives miserable.¡±


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    ¡°I know those things too, but what can I do if she comes looking to trouble us on her own?¡±


    ¡°¡­Why would she find trouble with you for no reason?¡±


    ¡°¡­I guess she does have a reason, even if a far fetched one,¡± Alnea said. ¡°She does not want me to get close to Cecilia and Yuri. Apparently, I remind her of the mistakes she made when she first came to the Lost City.¡±


    ¡°Such a ridiculous reason¡­¡±


    ¡°Do Wanderers really need a reason to trouble someone they do not like?¡±


    ¡°¡­Great words,¡± Zain said, nodding at Alnea in satisfaction. ¡°As expected of someone who is almost half as talented as me. But do not worry. Since I am also a Star Seeker¡ª


    ¡°Temporary Star Seeker.¡±


    ¡°¡ªI will not let the evil Wanderer harm you.¡±


    ¡°¡­The only thing I am worrying about is when are you going to shut up.¡±


    ¡°I know at least hundreds of ways of how other Wanderers can ambush us in the Black Desert.¡±


    ¡°¡­Is that really something to be proud of?¡±


    ¡°As long as I am here, no one can succeed in ambushing us.¡±


    ¡°¡­I would rather not have anyone ambushing us in the first place.¡±


    ¡°Do you think that is possible with him by our side?¡±


    ¡°¡­These ignorant fools, burning in the flames of jealousy¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­Probably not.¡±


    ¡°¡­We should prepare a bit more before taking the Black Desert Trials.¡±


    ¡°¡­Let me tell you about the first time that I¡­¡±


    Constantly fighting against his urges, Alnea finally made it to the counter of the Martial Style Library with his teammates. It was a small counter, probably about the same size as the counter of the Medal Redemption. But unlike the latter, which usually did not have many visitors, the Martial Style Library had a few people coming to exchange for Martial Styles every now and then.


    Normal Martial Styles, of course. Although they had teased Zain about Martial Styles, what he had said was not wrong. Blood Martial Styles were not something that normal Wanderers could afford. Not to mention that learning and mastering new Martial Styles was not easy either. Unless they were talented enough to earn Martial Style Medals, and were planning to focus on the path of Warriors, exchanging for Blood Martial Styles would not make any sense. But that was common sense. And none of his friends liked conforming to common sense.


    ¡°It is you three again,¡± the Wanderer standing behind the counter said. ¡°I gave you the memory crystal just yesterday, and you have decided on the Martial Styles you are going to exchange already?¡±


    ¡°¡­With the Blood Coins we have, there are not many Martial Styles that we can exchange for.¡±


    ¡°You should try saving up then,¡± the red robed man said. ¡°I am not trying to be nosy here, but you should not waste your Blood Coins like this.¡±


    ¡°¡­We will,¡± Alnea said. ¡°But we think that the Martial Styles we are going to exchange will be worth it.¡±


    ¡°¡­It is your choice,¡± the man said, shrugging his shoulders. ¡°Who is coming first then?¡±


    ¡°It does not matter who goes first,¡± Cecilia said, but took a step ahead of him and Yuri anyway. ¡°By the way, we are not wasting our Blood Coins.¡±


    ¡°¡­If you are not going to exchange Martial Styles, then¡ª


    ¡°Why? Is it necessary to spend our Blood Coins to get Martial Styles? Are there no Martial Styles which can be exchanged by other means?¡±


    ¡°¡­Are you talking about the Blood Martial Styles?¡± the Wanderer said, becoming even more hesitant than before. ¡°They are indeed good Martial Styles, but it is very hard to grasp their essence. Are you sure that you want to exchange for the Blood Martial Styles of the Lost City?¡±


    ¡°We are sure.¡±


    ¡°¡­Which one do you want then?¡±


    ¡°Which one?¡± Cecilia said, feigning ignorance on her face, as she fished for nine Martial Style Medals in the pouch hanging by her waist, before putting them all on the counter. ¡°Do we still have to choose?¡±


    The Wanderer froze for a few moments, glancing at the Martial Style Medals on the table, while taking deep breaths to regain his composure.


    ¡°¡­I almost forgot. You are the kids who have become famous recently.¡±


    ¡°¡­I would not say that we are famous,¡± Cecilia said, trying her best to not bush, or show her embarrassment. ¡°And we are also not kids either.¡±


    ¡°¡­My apologies,¡± the Wanderer said, withdrawing the solemn expression on his face for an amused smile. ¡°We do not get too many Wanderers of your age in the city, so I subconsciously took you as the kids in my clan.¡±


    ¡°¡­It is alright as long as you treat us as Wanderers,¡± Yuri added from the side.


    ¡°I will,¡± the Wanderer said, before turning back towards Cecilia. ¡°About the Martial Styles, I am assuming that you want all nine of the Blood Martial Styles of the Lost City?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡±


    ¡°Give me a moment then,¡± the Wanderer said, putting away all nine Martial Style Medals on the counter in the cupboard behind her back, before taking out a bunch of white crystals¡ªnine to be exact. He then placed the crystals into the groove on the black box one by one, urging the box to fill them up with the memory of Martial Styles, turning them all red in the process.


    ¡°You already know how memory crystals work¡­ By the way, just like the crystals that I gave you yesterday, these memory crystals will also dissipate in a day. Make sure to use them up in time. Or you will be spending your Warrior Medals in vain.¡±


    ¡°¡­I understand.¡±


    ¡°Alright, who is up next?¡±


    Before Alnea could say anything, Yuri took out exactly nine Martial Style Medals from her bag, and placed them on the counter.

 Chapter 28: Exchanging Martial Styles [Part 2]

    ¡°¡­Blood Martial Styles?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡±


    ¡°¡­All nine of them?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡±


    ¡°Is she serious?¡± Zain mumbled from the side. ¡°I can understand why Cecilia wants the Martial Styles. She is a Serpia after all. But her¡­ Is she trying to throw away her Medals?¡±


    ¡°¡­The kid is not wrong, you know?¡± the Wanderer said, only for Yuri to answer with a question of her own.


    ¡°Have you heard of the legends, Wanderer? The one that says that if we can merge all the Blood Martial Styles of the city, we can get a part of the legacy of the city.¡±


    ¡°¡­So, you have heard the rumours,¡± the Wanderer said with a sigh. ¡°¡­Have you thought about it? Even if you are curious about the legends, just letting one of your teammates focus on the Blood Martial Styles should be enough. Rather than wasting your time and Medals on just some rumours, you should better¡ª


    ¡°Could you give up the temptation of a legacy from the Age of Gods, Wanderer?¡±


    ¡°¡­I knew I could not convince you,¡± the Wanderer said, shaking his head. ¡°Let¡¯s do as you wish then.¡±


    Putting away the Martial Style Medals from the counter, the Wanderer soon handed nine, freshly minted, red crystals to Yuri, before turning towards Alnea.


    ¡°What about you? Do you also want to exchange for the Blood Martial Styles?¡±


    ¡°¡­I am a little curious about them,¡± Alnea said. ¡°And I do have some Martial Style Medals to spare. So, why not?¡±


    ¡°¡­Nine Low Grade Medals.¡±


    Alnea handed over the Medals, receiving his memory crystals in return. Nine red crystals, glowing in the light of the Martial Styles that they contained. The same Martial Styles that he had been so eagerly waiting for. The same Martial Styles that were supposed to be the key to a part of the city¡¯s legacy. Not that he wanted the Martial Styles for the legacy. He was just curious about the Martial Styles. After all, it was not often that he could encounter Martial Styles that could be divided into different stages. Or ones that could be merged to give birth to Martial Styles of a higher Grade¡­


    In either case, the Martial Styles that were in his hands were far more interesting than some illusory legacy of the Age of Gods. Of course, he would not mind if he could discover the clues to the legacy, but that was never his aim. His aim had always been the Martial Styles themselves, and all the secrets they contained.


    ¡°¡­Is it because of me?¡± Zain mumbled as they walked out of the Blood Hall. ¡°Is it because of the story that I told them? Did I lead them to inadvertently waste all their Medals?¡±


    ¡°¡­Stop thinking too much,¡± Alnea said. ¡°We were planning to exchange all the Blood Martial Styles before we even met you today.¡±


    ¡°But that¡¯s twenty seven Medals! Do you know how many precious resources you could have bought with twenty seven Medals?¡±


    ¡°Resources that are rife with side effects,¡± Yuri said, shaking her head. ¡°We would rather train a bit slowly, than risk affecting our future.¡±


    ¡°¡­The side effects are not too strong. And they can all be washed away with time. Not to mention that the resources can be converted into your strength almost immediately. But Martial Styles¡­ It would be good if you can convert them into your strength at all, let alone do it in a short time.¡±


    ¡°You should never pursue strength blindly,¡± Alnea said. ¡°Or else, you will end up hurting yourself, and those around you.¡±


    ¡°¡­Talk some sense into these fools, Weina.¡±


    ¡°I am sure that Vestia will agree with us. After all, she also advised us to exchange our Tokens for some Martial Styles, rather than to waste them on those defective resources.¡±


    ¡°¡­I never thought that I would say this, but I agree with Zain on this matter,¡± Vestia said, looking at them with a solemn face. ¡°When I said that you should exchange some Martial Styles that suit you, I did not mean that you should exchange all nine of the Blood Martial Styles. Have you even read their introductions?¡±


    ¡°¡­We have.¡±


    ¡°Then you should know that these Martial Styles are all very different from each other. Some of them might suit you, while some may not. Exchanging for all nine Martial Styles just because of some rumours does not make any sense.¡±


    ¡°¡­Relax, Vestia,¡± Alnea said, scratching his head in embarrassment. ¡°Things are not as serious as you think they are. Even after exchanging all nine Martial Styles, we still have some Medals left with us. And we have not even gone through the Warrior Trials yet.¡±


    ¡°Is that what am I talking about? I am talking about the Martial Style Medals that you have already wasted!¡±


    ¡°¡­We did not waste those Medals.¡±


    ¡°Is that so? Then tell me, how long are you planning to spend on those Martial Styles? One month? Two months? Maybe, if these were normal Martial Styles, you could have really mastered them in a few months, but the Blood Martial Styles¡­ As far as I know, they are different from the Martial Styles prevalent in our world. The way they make use of Aspects¡­ of the Origin Sea¡­


    ¡°To make things short, your experience with other Martial Styles will not be of any help to you in mastering the Blood Martial Styles. And this is just the Initial Stage Martial Styles. What about their higher Stages? How long will mastering those Martial Styles take? Not to mention merging the new versions with the older ones¡­ Will you even have enough time to keep up with the rest of your trainings? Especially you, Alnea and Cecilia. You have not even reached the Advanced Stage, and yet to dare to distract yourself with so many Martial Styles¡­¡±If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.


    ¡°¡­How about we make a bet?¡±


    ¡°¡­No. I cannot let you waste yourself like this. I will personally make sure that you¡ªall three of you¡ª use your time more wisely, and do not waste it on those Martial Styles. Although it will be a pity for the Medals that you have already spent, but wasting some Medals is better than wasting your future as Wanderers.¡±


    ¡°One day,¡± Alnea said. ¡°I will learn all nine Martial Styles in just one day.¡±


    ¡°¡­Do you think I am joking?¡±


    ¡°I hope not.¡±


    ¡°I am serious, Alnea.¡±


    ¡°And so am I.¡±


    ¡°I can vouch for that,¡± Yuri said, with a smug smile on her face. ¡°I would not have believed him if he was talking about some Arcanas or Glyphs, but he never jokes about his Martial Styles.¡±


    ¡°Are you serious?¡± Zain said, staring incredulously at Yuri. ¡°Has he casted some charming or confusing Arcanas on you?¡±


    ¡°¡­Even if they can barely be regarded of the Lowest Grade, this is still nine Martial Styles we are talking about.¡±


    ¡°So what?¡± Cecilia said with a snort. ¡°It¡¯s just nine Martial Styles. Back then¡­ Anyways, I believe in him.¡±


    ¡°And so do I,¡± Yuri said. ¡°If Alnea says that he can do something, them he will definitely do it. That is the kind of man he is.¡±


    ¡­Was he so awesome?


    ¡°This is the difference between us,¡± Cecilia added, while smirking at Vestia. ¡°We trust him unconditionally, just as he trusts us unconditionally. You, on the other hand, dare not even believe what we are saying. What was it that you said yesterday¡­ Right, interests. Although I feel that using the term interests for what we have between us degrades its meaning, but I will use it so that you can understand what I am trying to say.


    ¡°The interests that binds the three of us together, the interests that we share with each other, is to fulfil each other¡¯s happiness. To protect each other from any harms. And to help each other achieve our dreams, no matter how difficult that might be. Even if it means putting our lives on the line. This is not something that we came together to decide, but something that we gained from experiencing life and death with each other.


    ¡°You, on the other hand, focus on just your own interests. On your own benefits. What you value is not us, but what our future might represent. What Alnea¡¯s future might represent. And how he can help you gain more status in your clan. That is your interest. A future where everything revolves around you. And if there is something that might threaten that future, then you will not hesitate to destroy it at any costs possible. Even if it means destroying the dreams of those around you.¡±


    ¡°Calm down, Lia,¡± Alnea said, putting his right hand on Cecilia¡¯s shoulders, while shaking his head. ¡°Vestia was thinking about us.¡±


    ¡°More like thinking about herself.¡±


    ¡°¡­You cannot blame her. She just does not know my limits.¡±


    ¡°How can she know your limits if she does not even dare to believe you?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s enough, Cecilia,¡± Yuri said with a sigh. ¡°We cannot expect everyone to be like us. Besides, it is just some Martial Style Medals. If they are wasted, then they are wasted. We cannot let a few Medals ruin our team the day we register it.¡±


    ¡°¡­You win,¡± Vestia said, squinting her eyes at Cecilia and Yuri.


    ¡°¡­We do not understand what you are trying to say, Vestia.¡±


    ¡°¡­Are you not just goading me into accepting his bet? Fine, I will take the bet.¡±


    ¡­Were the girls really just goading Vestia? But then again, he had never seen Cecilia willing to talk so much to Vestia, let alone try to reason with her. And for Yuri to act as if she was giving up to her fate¡­


    That was impossible. She would never give up to her fate. And though she looked calm, and innocent, Alnea knew how crafty Yuri could be. Teaming up with Cecilia to goad Vestia into accepting a bet¡­ that was something that he could imagine her doing. When did they come up with their plan though? He had not heard them discuss anything¡­ Had their understanding already reached a point where they could understand each other without saying anything?


    ¡°One day, is it? I will give you your day. No, I will give you a whole week.¡±


    ¡°No, a day will be enough,¡± Alnea said hurriedly, hoping that the poor woman would not dig an even bigger pit for herself. But with how angry Vestia was, how could she listen to him.


    ¡°If I say I am giving you a week, then I am giving you a week.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. Listen to her, Alnea.¡±


    ¡°Respect her decision, Alnea. That is the proper etiquette between Wanderers.¡±


    ¡­Such tacit cooperation¡­


    ¡°¡­If you can master all nine Martial Styles in a week, then I will admit my defeat,¡± Vestia said to Alnea, ignoring Cecilia and Yuri. ¡°In the future, I will never question your abilities. And I will support all your decisions, no matter how absurd they may be. Even if you ask me to walk into the depths of the Black Desert all by myself, or face hundreds of Wanderers, I will never hesitate.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not necessary¡ª


    ¡°Stop interrupting her and let her speak.¡±


    ¡°Or are you suggesting that her sincerity is not worth your complete attention?¡±


    ¡­Poor Vestia¡­


    ¡°However, if you fail to master all nine Martial Styles in a week, then you will listen to all my arrangements. From what you train to how you train, and even where you train, I will decide everything in your life. And you will also never question my decisions, no matter how absurd they may be. Even if I ask you throw yourself into the mouth of Oren Beasts, you will have to do it, nonetheless. At least until I am part of the Star Seekers, you will have to obey everything I say.¡±


    ¡°¡­How dare you, Vestia Weina?¡± Yuri said, narrowing her eyes at Vestia, while Cecilia growled at the blue robed woman.


    ¡°I knew that this vixen could not be trusted.¡±


    The girls¡­ they truly were angry. After all, if he lost the best, then he would be practically reduced to Vestia¡¯s retainer. Maybe even lower than her retainer. That was how harsh her conditions her. But the girls did not stop acting. Because they believed in him.


    ¡°How about it? Do you dare to bet with me?¡±


    Alnea tore his eyes away from the indignant faces of Cecilia and Yuri, and looked back at Vestia. Truly looked at her. On the surface, it looked as if she was upset by what Cecilia had said to her, but her eyes were terrifyingly calm. It looked like Cecilia and Yuri were not the only ones who were acting. Though they did not seem to notice it yet. Probably because Vestia had placed herself in such a manner that Cecilia and Yuri could not see her eyes clearly¡­


    Even within a team, everyone was trying to deceive each other. Was this what his master wanted him to learn? How to deal with other Wanderers? Then the question was, how should he deal with the situation?


    ¡°¡­There is nothing to dare between us, Vestia,¡± Alnea said, noticing the light in Vestia¡¯s eyes dimming a little at his words. ¡°Even if there was no bet, I will still believe you. Because you are my teammate. You are a Star Seeker. And you will never harm me. But you have already said so much. If I back down now, would that not be too cowardly of me?¡±


    The more that Alnea spoke, the more the light returned in Vestia¡¯s eyes, until she heard his last words, and curved her lips upward in a smile.


    ¡°You agree then?¡±


    ¡°I am not going to lose anyway,¡± Alnea said, shrugging his shoulders, before holding his hand out towards Vestia, and grinning back at her. ¡°The bet is on.¡±

 Chapter 29: Blood Crystal Martial Styles [Part 1]

    Blood Crystal Condensation


    Rank: False


    Stage: Initial


    Effect: Condensing Blood Crystals in your blood


    Overview: Taking a single red blood cell as a core, and your Aspects as the medium, gather enough Oren around the cell to form a shell. Over time, as the cell becomes familiar with its shell, it will gain the ability to interact with Oren even without the aid of Aspects. At this point, you can start pouring Oren directly into the cell, and try solidifying it into a crystal with the help of the Blood Crystal Pattern. If the cell remains as a crystal even after you stop controlling Oren, it means that you have succeeded in condensing a Blood Crystal.


    Process: Begin with identifying red blood cells in your blood. The easiest way to do so is by identifying iron in your blood. You can do this by asking your Aspects to guide you to choose the best cells to form a weapon of your choice. After you identify the cells, wrap one of them in your Aspects, and try to visualise carving the Blood Crystal Pattern described below directly onto the surface of the cell. The better your visualisation, the faster you will be able to familiarise the cell with Oren. Once the cell can interact directly with Oren, you can stop using your Aspects, and try to infuse the blood cells directly with Oren.


    Start with carving the Blood Crystal Pattern onto the surface of the cell, and then filling up the pattern with Oren. If you find carving the pattern, or filling up the pattern with Oren hard, you can try distorting the cell into a shape that you are more familiar with. It will degrade the quality of your Blood Crystals, but at the same time, it will also make it easier for your cells to hold Oren. Only when the cells can hold Oren even after you withdraw your control from the Oren, can the Blood Cells be considered to have been condensed.


    Additional hint: From experience of those who have condensed their Blood Crystals, those not experienced with carving Blood Crystal Patterns are more likely to fail in familiarising their blood cells with Oren on their first try. To not let their efforts be in vain, those condensing their Blood Crystals for the first time are advised to mark the blood cell they are working with by distorting its shape. The resultant Blood Crystal from such a distorted cell will be of a lower quality, but the cell will be easier to identify the cell for a second attempt.


    Blood Crystal Pattern: Initial Stage False Rank Blood Crystal Pattern¡­


    Levels: 1 Blood Crystal¡ªFirst Level


    2 to 5 Blood Crystals¡ªSecond Level


    6 to 10 Blood Crystals¡ªThird Level


    11 to 100 Blood Crystals¡ªFourth Level


    101 to 1000 Blood Crystals¡ªFifth Level


    Note: The higher the Level of the Blood Crystal Condensation, the greater the benefits that the Blood Crystals will bring. However, the dangers that the Crystals will bring will also be correspondingly higher. There might be just a one in a hundred possibility for Wanderers to lose control of their Blood Crystals at the Third Level, but this probability increases to one in fifty at the Fourth Level, and one in five at the Fifth Level, with no one ever succeeding to push the Initial Stage False Rank Blood Condensation Style to the Sixth Level.


    Warning: Blood Crystals in incomplete forms are extremely unstable and volatile. Especially since blood cells themselves have a limited life span. Blood cells in the form of incomplete Blood Crystals may explode from instability when they near the end of their lives. It is advised that Wanderers be at least one Stage higher than the Stage of the Blood Crystals they are trying to condense, and strictly follow the directions given above. Any attempts otherwise may result in death or disability of the Wanderer, and will be his or hers sole responsibility.


    ¡­


    Blood Crystal Evolution


    Rank: False


    Stage: Initial


    Effect: Evolving the Blood Crystals in your blood


    Overview: Using the malleability of red blood cells to temper the Blood Patterns, and evolve them to a higher grade¡­


    Process: Begin with slowly restoring the original shape of the blood cells, while maintaining the stability of the Blood Pattern¡­


    Grades of Blood Crystals: Incomplete¡­ Distorted¡­ Complete¡­ Perfect¡­ Transcendent¡­


    Warning: Evolving Blood Crystals is just as dangerous as condensing them, if not more. Wanderers are advised to¡­


    ¡­


    Blood Forging


    Rank: False


    Stage: Initial


    Effect: Using Blood Crystals to strengthen your blood and blood vessels


    Overview: Using the energy contained in the Blood Crystals to constantly nourish, and temper your blood, strengthening all the¡­


    Process: Begin with slowly releasing the Oren stored within your Blood Crystals, and letting it diffuse into your blood¡­ Even after being strengthened though, the blood cells have a limited lifespan, so one needs to constantly keep on tempering their blood¡­Stolen story; please report.


    Phase: The phase of the Blood Forging Style is measured according to the degree and quality of energy that a Wanderer¡¯s blood vessels, and blood can carry¡­


    Initiation¡­ Adaptation¡­ Completion¡­ Perfection¡­ Transcendence¡­


    Warning: Blood Crystals can be very unstable. Especially if they are drained completely of their energy. It is advised that Wanderers be at least one Stage higher¡­


    ¡­


    Blood Muscle Forging


    Rank: False


    Stage: Initial


    Effect: Using Blood Crystals to strengthen your muscles


    Overview: Using the energy contained in the Blood Crystals to constantly nourish, and temper your muscles, strengthening all the¡­


    Process: Begin with slowly releasing the Oren stored within your Blood Crystals, and letting it seep into your muscles¡­ needs to constantly keep on tempering their muscles¡­


    Phase: The phase of the Blood Muscle Forging Style is measured according to the degree and quality of energy¡­


    Initiation¡­ Adaptation¡­ Completion¡­ Perfection¡­ Transcendence¡­


    Warning: Blood Crystals can be very unstable. Especially if they are drained completely of their energy. It is advised that Wanderers be at least one Stage higher¡­


    ¡­


    Blood Bone Forging


    Rank: False


    Stage: Initial


    Effect: Using Blood Crystals to strengthen your bones


    Overview: Using the energy contained in the Blood Crystals to constantly nourish, and temper your bones, strengthening all the¡­


    Process: Begin with slowly releasing the Oren stored within your Blood Crystals, and wrap it around your bones, digging into the very core¡­ needs to constantly keep on tempering their bones¡­


    Phase: The phase of the Blood Bone Forging Style is measured according to the degree and quality of energy¡­


    Initiation¡­ Adaptation¡­ Completion¡­ Perfection¡­ Transcendence¡­


    Warning: Blood Crystals can be very unstable. Especially if they are drained completely of their energy. It is advised that Wanderers be at least one Stage higher¡­


    ¡­


    Blood Organ Forging


    Rank: False


    Stage: Initial


    Effect: Using Blood Crystals to strengthen your muscles


    Overview: Using the energy contained in the Blood Crystals to constantly nourish, and temper your organs, strengthening all the¡­


    Process: Begin with slowly releasing the Oren stored within your Blood Crystals, and letting it nurture your organs from the inside out¡­ needs to constantly keep on tempering their organs¡­


    Phase: The phase of the Blood Organ Forging Style is measured according to the degree and quality of energy¡­


    Initiation¡­ Adaptation¡­ Completion¡­ Perfection¡­ Transcendence¡­


    Warning: Blood Crystals can be very unstable. Especially if they are drained completely of their energy. It is advised that Wanderers be at least one Stage higher¡­


    ¡­


    Blood Crystal Detonation¡­


    ¡­


    Blood Manipulation¡­


    ¡­


    Blood Crystal Resonance¡­


    ¡­


    ...As he read through the information in his head, Alnea finally understood why Vestia was so upset with him. These Blood Martial Styles of the Lost City¡­ they were certainly unique. In fact, they were so unique that most of them could not even be counted as Martial Styles. At least not in the popular system of Martial Style, be it classic or modern. Rather than focussing on Aspects, they focussed more on Oren.


    No wonder Vestia and Zain had said that these Martial Styles could only be considered as Lowest Grade at best. Though they were not completely right. Most probably because they never thought about raising the Blood Crystal Condensation to beyond the Third Level. Or raising the Grade of the Blood Crystals to beyond the Complete or Perfect Grade. After all, just how much Oren could one Blood Crystal contain?


    All the Blood Crystal Martial Styles depended on the amount of Oren that one could store in their Blood. Unless one could condense around a hundred Blood Crystals, and evolve them at least to their Perfection, they would not be able to practise the other Blood Crystal Styles to a higher level.


    Considering the additional danger of the Blood Crystals¡¯ instability, as well as the difficulty of practising these Martial Styles, it was a wonder that they were not treated as a Failed Grade Martial Style. Especially since they did not involve the usage of Aspects. Technically though, they were still Martial Styles. And he had to master all of them in a week.


    Condensing Blood Crystals, upgrading those Blood Crystals, tempering his blood, muscles, bones, organs, and then learning how to detonate those Blood Crystals safely, while also learning how to use the Blood Crystals to manipulate his blood, and achieve a certain level of resonance between the different Blood Crystals¡­ The more that Alnea came to understand what he had to do to master the nine Blood Martial Styles, the worse his headache became.


    No wonder Vestia had been so confident in herself while making the bet. Though from what he had seen in her eyes, she probably would not mind even if she lost the bet. The trust she had shown him for a moment¡­ She knew that he would not hurt her. At least not until she broke his trust first. Besides, even if he wished to, the city would not allow him to hurt his teammate, intentionally or unintentionally. And the same was true for Vestia.


    In such a case, where they both knew each other¡¯s thoughts, the bet was nothing more than a joke. The only thing that it could achieve was a greater depth of trust between. And maybe let them have the power to order the loser to run some errands, and do some trivial tasks¡­


    Such an obvious trap¡­ He did not know about Cecilia, but Alnea was sure that Yuri could surely see through the trap. He could not explain why she did not stop him from making the bet otherwise. She did not even try to dissuade him. And neither did she warn him. She just said that she believed in him¡­ Well, he believed in her too. He believed that she was just playing along with Vestia.


    But then again, was she not afraid that that Vestia would gain his trust? From how he had seen Cecilia and Yuri act, they surely did not want him to get closer to the blue robed woman from the Erwein Forests. So, the question was, why had they not stopped her? Just because they wanted to embarrass Vestia? Or did they want to see her embarrass herself? Maybe the even hoped that he would allow them to order her around¡­


    He hoped that his thoughts about the two crazy girls were wrong. In any case, whether she won or lost, Vestia would only end up gaining from the bet. And so would Alnea. But no one liked losing. The bet that she had made¡­ It was only after he had gone through all the nine Blood Martial Styles that he understood how difficult it was to master them.


    Yet, it was also because of how difficult the bet was that Alnea became excited. Especially since the bet was about Martial Styles, even if unconventional ones. Besides, he could not disappoint all the people believing in him, could he? Taking deep breaths, Alnea adjusted his Heart to its best state, before plunging himself to practising the Blood Martial Styles.

 Chapter 29: Blood Crystal Martial Styles [Part 2]

    The most basic, and the most important part of practising the Blood Martial Styles were Blood Crystals. Without condensing Blood Crystals, Alnea could not even begin practicing the other Blood Martial Styles. Condensing Blood Crystals was not easy though. In fact, just in terms of danger alone, probably only the detonating his Blood Crystals, or using them to temper his vital organs could be more dangerous than condensing them.


    The process of condensing Blood Crystals itself was not too dangerous though. As long as he followed the instructions of the Martial Style, he should not face any problems, Alnea thought, as he extended the senses of his Spirit into his body. Having spent nearly a year building his foundations with his master, he knew what the different parts of his body were, so it did not take long for him to find his blood vessels. But the red blood cells¡­


    Alnea did not like the vague approach of searching for the red blood cells with the feelings of his Aspects, but he had never heard of blood cells before, let alone some red blood cells. Was his blood not red? Were there any other cells in his blood that were not red? For a moment, he thought of just randomly selecting a cell, and then engraving the Blood Crystal pattern on its surface. But the risks¡­


    In the end, he could only hope that the method mentioned in the Martial Style was reliable. Still, for the things he could control, he made sure to not leave any room for errors, beginning with the choice of Aspects. After taming another Aspect in his recent Wanderings, he had twenty nine Aspects in total. And out of those twenty nine Aspects, the one that had the greatest compatibility with his Heart was the first Aspect that he had tamed. It was also the Aspect with the greatest instincts and emotions. Coincidentally, his first Aspect could also take on the shape of a sword, fulfilling all the necessary conditions.


    Ever so slowly, and ever so gently, Alnea channelled the least amount of Oren that he could borrow from the Oren Sea directly into the largest Aspect Well in his Spirit World. Almost immediately, the golden Aspect, with a dark black core, quickly jumped out of its home and rushed towards his Spirit, ready to protect him from any and all kinds of threats. It did not even urge him to play with it¡­ In times of need, his Aspects never failed him.


    Soothing the agitated Aspect, conveying his thought to the small blob of light¡ªsmall enough for him to barely see its light¡ª Alnea directed it into his bloodstream before shaping it into the form of a sword. His sword. It was still a sword of light though, without any substance. To display its prowess, it needed a real sword. Or at least something that could carry its powers. Something like iron¡­


    Alnea felt a strange sensation being transferred from his Aspect directly into his Spirit¡ªinto his mind. A sensation of being surrounded by countless stars. Stars which were beckoning him, calling him, and offering him all their powers. Some of these stars were weak, old, and on the verge of passing away. But most of these stars were burning as bright as Enn. And they were all waiting for his choice.


    What a strange sensation, Alnea thought, as he chose one of the brightest stars. Right in the next moment, all the other stars disappeared into the void, leaving just the happy thoughts of his Aspect. At the same time, the light of his Aspect also dimmed a little, concentrating all its edge on the body it had found for itself.


    Or at least that was what the Aspect was conveying. Within the senses of his Spirit though, all he saw was the already tiny dot of light becoming even smaller than before, small enough for him to not even notice it anymore. Thankfully, he could still feel his Aspect, or else, he would not even have been able to condense Blood Crystals, let alone master the other Martial Styles.


    ¡­Subduing his errant thoughts into the depths of his Heart, Alnea reached out to the substance that his Aspect had wrapped around, the red blood cell, and began the next step of condensing Blood Crystals. Trying to make it interact with Oren. Indirectly at first, with the help of the Aspect wrapped around it. And it worked, for a while. Or at least that was how it seemed when the Aspect did not reject the Oren that he was pouring into it. It even began to shine as brightly as before.Stolen story; please report.


    Unfortunately, it was not the red blood cell that was reacting to the Oren, but the Aspect itself. Alnea was not too disappointed though. He just withdrew most of the Oren he had channelled into the Aspect, before beginning his second attempt, guiding his Aspect to resonate with the core it was wrapped around. That was how he had found the blood cell in the first place. And yet, that did not work either. Neither did trying to pour Oren directly into the cell. Or wrapping it with Oren¡­


    ¡­What was the problem? He could try the method mentioned in the Martial Style, but that would degrade the quality of the Blood Crystal. And a lower quality Blood Crystal would mean spending more time on upgrading it. Not to mention that he would have to distort a living part of his body¡­ Unless it was a last resort, Alnea did not wish to distort his blood cells. But then, how was he supposed to make his blood cell interact with Oren¡­


    ¡­try to visualise carving the Blood Crystal Pattern described below directly onto the surface of the cell. The better your visualisation, the faster you will be able to make the cell familiar with Oren¡­


    Right, Alnea thought. The Blood Crystal pattern. The complex and intricate pattern. The first time he saw the pattern, he almost thought that it was a Glyph Array, one formed with at least six to ten Glyphs. That was how complex the pattern was. But it was definitely not a Glyph Array. Rather, it looked more like a small part of a large, and infinitely complex sketch. One that contained boundless mysteries¡­ Maybe even the Mysteries of the Origin Sea.


    In comparison, the red blood cell was so small that he had even forgotten about carving the Blood Crystal pattern on its surface. With his attempts of making the cell interact with Oren though, he had gotten more experienced in handling both the Oren, and the cell. Besides, he did not truly have to carve the Blood Crystal pattern on the cell¡¯s surface right away. For the moment, just visualising carving the pattern was enough.


    So, readjusting his Heart, and focussing himself back on the cell, Alnea willed the Oren around the cell to gather and coalesce into a thin needle, thinner than even the cell itself. So thin, that he had to rely on the senses of his Spirit to control the Oren. And when he could not make the needle any thinner, he began trying to carve the Blood Crystal Pattern on the cell.


    In vain, of course. The Oren could not even touch the cell. How could it carve anything on its surface? However, the process of trying to carve the pattern itself was not in vain. As he was controlling the Oren needle to inscribe the Blood Crystal pattern on what he felt was the red blood cell, he felt a strange resistance from the tip of the needle. It was not the resistance met from contact of two different substances¡­


    No, the resistance from something else entirely. It was a resistance from the Concept of the cell itself, and Mysteries that the Blood Crystal pattern carried. Even if the Oren needle could not leave traces of the pattern on the cell¡¯s surface, the cell still could not stand the Concept held within the Blood Crystal¡­ No wonder Bood Crystals were so unstable. Because the blood cells themselves had an intrinsic resistance against becoming Blood Crystals.


    Understandable, in a sense, Alnea thought. After all, the red blood cells all carried a trace of life. Even if it was faint, he could still feel it. Transforming the cells into a Blood Crystal would then be equivalent to taking the life of the cell and converting it into an eternal energy bank. Which living being could accept such a fate?


    For a moment, Alnea wavered, wondering if the Blood Crystals were worth it. Even if he knew that the blood cells were a part of his body, and that they had a limited lifespan, as he stood on the doorway of condensing Blood Crystals, he still could not help recalling the torn, bloodied face of the man he had killed. Was taking any life¡ª


    ¡°¡­I will never let my doubts and insecurities cloud my path¡­ I will never stop moving forward¡­¡±


    It was worth it. As long as it was for the people he loved, everything was worth it. Taking deep breaths, and relaxing himself, Alnea focussed himself back onto the red blood cell. The cell that he was sensing not through his Aspect, but through the Oren needle dancing around in his bloodstream. And the more that the needle danced, the greater his sense of the cell became, until he could sense the needle even after he withdrew his Aspect back into his Spirit World.


    The second step of condensing a Blood Crystal was finished. Next was the step of carving the Blood Crystal pattern on the cell¡¯s surface. It was also the most dangerous step of condensing a Blood Crystal. At the same time, it was also the most time consuming part of the process. Carving such an intricate and complicated pattern without any mistakes¡­


    It was not going to be easy. But he was not afraid. Because he was Alnea Oathkeeper.

 Chapter 30: Fulfilling the bet [Part 1]

    Alnea opened his eyes to his empty, white room. Not white like Yuri¡¯s room had been back in big sis Serena¡¯s mansion, but a normal white, with a hint of yellow and red being scattered all around him. It was quite a large room, almost twice as large as the single rooms of the city, and even had a few furniture, like the small table in a corner of the room, a rack to hold his sword, and the red cushion at its centre.


    The best feature about his room though, was neither the lights, nor all the furniture. Instead, it was the slow, steady stream of energy being released by the floor of his room. It was very faint, so faint that he had not even noticed for the first few days, but it was there, rising from the floor, and seeping into his body, into his Spirit World, soothing his Spirit, helping him maintain a calm and sober Heart.


    In normal times, the energy would just make him feel more comfortable, but when his Heart was disturbed, it would dive into the depths of his Heart, and dig out the memories that could help him the most. Something that he had already experienced quite a few times in the past few days, especially when he was practising the nine Blood Crystal Martial Styles. It was simply a perfect aid to temper his Heart and help him in his other trainings. No wonder Wanderers often scrambled to reserve rooms on the first and second floors¡­


    Pushing himself off the ground, Alnea stretched out his limbs to bring them back to life, before going to the bathroom to freshen up. An attached bathroom that was almost thrice the size of bathroom in the single rooms. It also had some extra amenities. Like the bathtub, a water closet, a sink, and even a separate box that could wash all his clothes for him. Not that he needed it. His robe could clean itself on its own. And he did not trust some Glyph devices with the robes that his master had made for him.


    Of course, none of the objects within the bathroom worked on Glyphs. At the very least, he had yet to see any signs of Glyphs on their surface. Or on anything related to the Lost City for that matter. It was as if the entire city was working on a completely different system. One unique to the Lost City. Just like the Martial Styles unique to the city.


    Then again, the city also had its unique Glyphs and Arcanas. The Blood Crystal Patterns also seemed to have been inspired by some Glyph Arrays. Maybe the Lost City was indeed working on Glyphs. It was just that those Glyphs were hidden beyond his means to observe¡­ waiting to be discovered¡­ to be explored¡­


    Even if that assumption proved to be false, the other possibility would only excite him more than before. Such a fascinating system of harnessing the powers of the Origin Sea¡­ If his Heart had not been firm enough, he might have found himself inadvertently leaning towards this unknown system. Fortunately, his Oaths kept him sane, reminding him of his conviction¡­ of his core¡­ of the path of Wanderers.


    Of course, just because he could not immerse himself in the strange system of the Lost City did not mean that he had given up on his bet. He still placed most of his attention on the Blood Crystal Martial Styles. But the Blood Crystal Martial Styles were not the only things he had to practice.


    Wandering the Origin Sea, Forging his Spirit, tempering his Heart, practicing fighting skills in the mirror world, reviewing his Martial Styles and Arcanas, and practicing his new Martial Styles, his schedule was becoming more and more congested the more he progressed on his path as a Wanderer. And this was just the time spent on his training. He also had to take out some time to go fight in the Arena once a day, eat a meal, and wait for two hours in front of the Blood Hall¡­


    Alnea was so busy, that he did not even had time for himself. And the girls knew it as well. They knew how precious his time was. Especially after they looked through the information of the Blood Crystal Martial Styles. They never had doubts about whether or not they could master the Martial Styles. It was just a matter of when. And that was the problem. Though they knew that the bet was just a farce, they still did not wish to see him lose. Especially to Weina¡­


    For the sake of not wanting to see him follow Vestia¡¯s orders, the girls swallowed their bitterness, and stopped trying to spend time with him. They even encouraged him to squeeze his time to practice more¡­ Just imagining how he had spent his past few days was enough to make his butt feel sore. But the results were just as gratifying as his efforts. Humming to himself with a smile, Alnea quickly freshened up, and walked out of his room.


    ¡°You look happy,¡± Zain said, as he saw him walk out into the main hall of the mansion. ¡°Did you gain something from your practice?¡±


    ¡°¡­You can say that,¡± Alnea said to Zain, glancing towards the doors of the rooms of the girls.


    ¡°Do not bother,¡± Zain said, waving his hand. ¡°I have calculated. They should take at least half an hour more before coming out. That¡¯s why I said that women are troublesome. If we had only men in our team, we would have already entered the Black Desert by now.¡±You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.


    ¡°And become food for the Oren Beasts?¡± Alnea said, shaking his head. ¡°It is better if we wait for a few more people to join our team, and gain some more experience, before venturing into the desert.¡±


    ¡°The best experience that you can get is the experience of the Black Desert¡­ but you are right. We do need more teammates. Why has no one joined the team yet? Are they jealous of my talent?¡±


    ¡°¡­That¡¯s probably the reason,¡± Alnea said, nodding along with the stinky mouth, trying not to get tangled up in his words. ¡°Anyways, I will try to meditate until the girls come.¡±


    Walking to the centre of the hall, Alnea chose a seat, and sat down, closing his eyes to meditate. Unfortunately for him, Zain had no intention to let him be on his own.


    ¡°Do you have to be so desperate?¡±


    ¡°¡­What do you think?¡± Alnea said, without even opening his eyes.


    ¡°You are not going to win the bet anyway.¡±


    ¡°We do not know that.¡±


    ¡°But those are Blood Crystal Martial Styles! Everything else aside, just condensing a Blood Crystal should take you around a week or so. Even if you have half of my talent, you should be able to master only three or four of the Blood Crystal Styles in a week. Mastering nine of them¡­¡±


    Alnea ignored the ramblings of his crazy teammate, preferring to meditate instead. Although he had the help of the strange energy emanating from the floor of his mansion to keep his Heart calm, relying too much on external forces to aid his training was not ideal for his future. So, after learning of the perks of living closer to the ground in the city, every now and then, he would try to meditate and calm his Heart with his own efforts.


    ¡°You are up earlier than usual.¡±


    Alne opened his eyes and saw Vestia sitting across from him, looking at him with a confident smile.


    ¡°Usually, you are the last one to come out of your room, trying to squeeze as much time as you can. Yet, here you are, earlier than everyone else.¡±


    ¡°I was the first one to come to the hall,¡± Zain grumbled, but was ignored once again.


    ¡°Are you finally going to give up?¡±


    ¡°When did I ever say that I was going to give up?¡±


    ¡°¡­You have only two days left.¡±


    ¡°So?¡±


    ¡°¡­If you give up now, I might be willing to be a bit more lenient with you.¡±


    ¡°Why should I give up when I am going to win?¡±


    ¡°Are you sure?¡±


    ¡°Of course.¡±


    ¡°¡­Let us see then.¡±


    Alnea smirked, returning Vestia¡¯s grin with his own. Sometimes, he could not understand what the blue robed woman was thinking. Was she testing his resolve? Or was she really offering him a way to back down? Maybe a mix of both¡­ He would never know. Because he would never agree to her conditions.


    ¡°Are you trying to tempt him again?¡± Cecilia said, as she walked down the stairs with Yuri, looking at Vestia with a frown.


    ¡°Tempt? Am I such a person in your eyes, Cecilia?¡± Vestia said, trying to sound pitiful, but was met with Cecila¡¯s and Yuri¡¯s ruthlessness.


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Absolutely.¡±


    ¡°A vixen.¡±


    ¡°A temptress.¡±


    ¡°No doubt about it.¡±


    ¡°¡­Since you have already taken me as a temptress, then I might as well try to tempt him,¡± Vestia said, dropping her aggrieved look for a grin.


    ¡°¡­Stay away from him.¡±


    ¡°¡­The bet is not over yet, Vestia.¡±


    ¡°It is just a matter of time,¡± Vestia said, still grinning at the girls. ¡°Two more days, and he will be practically mine¡­¡±


    ¡°Keep dreaming,¡± Cecilia said with a snort. ¡°We will see how you laugh when you lose the best.¡±


    ¡°Sure,¡± Vestia said, shrugging her shoulders, before winking at Alnea. ¡°You will not ask me to do anything inappropriate, right?¡±


    ¡°¡­You should have thought about that before making the bet. But rest assured, Alnea is not like you,¡± Yuri said, answering Vestia for him. But she did not forget to give him a glare¡­ What did he do this time?


    ¡°Anyways, it is time for us to leave for the Blood Hall.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s the hurry?¡± Zain said. ¡°It is not as if anyone is going to join us.¡±


    ¡°I think today might be a little different.¡±


    ¡°I agree,¡± Vestia said. ¡°It has been five days since we began recruiting. Those who were collecting information about us should have already collected as much as they could, while those who were waiting for other people to make the first move should not be able to wait anymore. It is time for people willing to join our team to finally show up.¡±


    ¡°What are we waiting for then? Let¡¯s get going.¡±


    ¡°¡­Wait,¡± Alnea said, scratching the back of his head while trying to hide his embarrassment. ¡°I have something to ask before we leave.¡±


    ¡°¡­Keep it short.¡±


    ¡°¡­It is about our bet,¡± Alnea said to Vestia.


    ¡°¡­What do you mean?¡± Vestia said, with a hint of confusion and disappointment on her face. ¡°Are you really giving up?¡±


    ¡°Who said anything about giving up?¡±


    ¡°Then the bet¡ª


    ¡°Of course, it is because I have already mastered all the nine of the Blood Crystal Martial Styles.¡±

 Chapter 30: Fulfilling the bet [Part 2]

    Silence spread in the hall as Vestia and Zain looked at Alnea with wide eyes. Even Cecilia and Yuri looked surprised for a few moments. After all, the Blood Crystal Martial Styles were far too different from the Martial Styles that they normally used, with a high demand for both, talent and accumulation. Mastering all of them¡­


    ¡°¡­I know you must be under pressure, but that does not mean that you should lie, Alnea,¡± Zain said, shaking his head. ¡°You still need to temper your Heart a little more.¡±


    ¡°I am not lying,¡± Alnea said, glaring at Zain, before turning back towards Vestia. ¡°I have mastered all nine Blood Crysal Martial Styles.¡±


    ¡°¡­By mastering, you do not mean just learning them, right?¡±


    ¡°Of course not,¡± Alnea said, shaking his head. ¡°I have truly mastered them. Just not completely. I encountered some bottlenecks which I will not be able to break through in a short period of time. And when we were making the bet, none of us made it clear whether I needed to completely master the Martial Styles, or just partial mastery would do.¡±


    ¡°¡­The degree of mastery you need to win the bet¡­ Is that what you want to ask about?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡±


    ¡°¡­How many Blood Crystals have you condensed?¡±


    ¡°Do you really believe him?¡± Zain said, only to be scolded by Cecilia in the next moment.


    ¡°No one will not treat you as dumb if you keep quiet.¡±


    ¡°Thirty,¡± Alnea said, ignoring the stinky mouth beside him.


    ¡°¡­Thirty?¡± Vestia said in a hesitant, and probing voice.


    ¡°I know that it is not much, but this is the maximum number of Blood Crystals that my body can bear for now.¡±


    ¡°¡­Is that so,¡± Vestia said, swallowing back the words she had planned to say earlier. However, it did not take long for a frown to make its way to her face. ¡°Thirty Blood Crystals is the limit? But that does not make sense. Although you are only at the Fifth Level of¡ª


    ¡°Sixth Level. My Spirit Power finally broke through to the Sixth Level last night.¡±


    ¡°¡­Although you are only at the Sixth Level of the Intermediate Stage, the Blood Crystals are also only of the Initial Stage. You should not have any problems with condensing at least a hundred Blood Crystals. Unless¡­ What is the Grade of your Blood Crystals?¡±


    ¡°They are all stuck at the Perfect Grade.¡±


    ¡°¡­Perfect Grade Blood Crystals,¡± Zain mumbled, ready to give in his own input once again. That was until he saw Cecilia¡¯s glare, and Yuri¡¯s calm, but terrifying gaze.


    ¡°Speaking of their Grades, upgrading Blood Crystals is really too difficult,¡± Alnea said, sighing in disappointment. ¡°I have been trying my best for the past three days, but I have not made any progress. Be it the number of Blood Crystals, or their Grades, all of them are stuck. And I can feel that I will not be able to break through this bottleneck any time soon. If not, I would not have taken the initiative to end our bet two days in advance.¡±


    ¡°¡­If I did not know you better, I would have thought that you were trying to brag in front of me.¡±


    ¡°¡­Is this still called not bragging?¡± Zain complained, but did not dare to say too much.


    ¡°I am not bragging¡­ If you don¡¯t believe me, I can let you verify it yourself.¡±


    ¡°No need,¡± Vestia said, shaking her head. ¡°I believe you.¡±


    ¡°¡­So, is the extent to which I have mastered the Martial Styles enough? Or was the bet for me to completely master all the Martial Styles?¡±


    ¡°Even a vixen like you should not be shameless enough to do something like that,¡± Cecilia said, as if stating a fact rather than asking a question. But she still could not help staring warily at Vestia.


    ¡°Do not worry, Cecilia,¡± Yuri said, still appearing to be as calm as ever. The light shining in her eyes though was telling another story altogether. ¡°Women from the Erwein forests may be annoying, but they know when to admit defeat, do they not, Vestia?¡±


    ¡°¡­I am sad to see that there is so little trust between us,¡± Vestia said in an aggrieved tone.


    ¡°It was you yourself who said that trust is earned, and not given.¡±


    ¡°¡­Did I say something like that?¡±


    ¡°¡­Probably,¡± Alnea said, not daring to contradict Yuri. ¡°At least you did say something about earning our trust.¡±


    ¡°¡­So, have I not earned your trust yet, Alnea?¡±


    This woman¡­ It took her only one sentence for her to direct Cecilia and Yuri¡¯s attention away from herself. The problem was, she never hid her intentions. And yet, everything went according to her expectations¡­ She was too good. It was just that¡­ she always used him as the breaking point. Her manipulations never hurt him, but the two pairs of eyes glaring at him, waiting for his answer, did make him feel awkward.You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.


    ¡°¡­You have,¡± Alnea said, unable to fight against his own conscience. As for Cecilia and Yuri turning their dissatisfied faces away from him, he would just have to find a way to coax them later.


    ¡°I knew you would understand me,¡± Vestia said, flashing her dimples at him, before winking at him¡­ Coaxing the girls was not going to be easy.


    ¡°Well, if it is about trust, then I can say that I am the most trustworthy person,¡± Zain said, interrupting their conversation once again. ¡°I have been guiding all four of you over the past five days, sparing no effort to pass on all my experiences with you¡­ I think I should have earned enough trust to become an official Star Seeker, right?¡±


    Sparing no efforts indeed¡­ Chattering endlessly next to their ears, constantly adding in hints of his greatness and talent in between the experiences he shared with them¡­ For a moment, Alnea might accept that Zain had gained their trust, but he would never admit that the crazy man had helped him, except maybe for sometimes digressing the topic away from himself, saving him from Cecilia¡¯s and Yuri¡¯s glares, or Vestia¡¯s harassment. Crazy as Zain was though, Alnea would also not deny that the man did not have a bad Heart. He was just too self centred and ignorant of everyone else around him. Still, the man did have a sense of loyalty.


    ¡°I lost just because I was a little careless,¡± Zain had said after losing a fight against a Peak Stage False Wanderer of the Lotus clan. He was careless for two more days in a row, before finally defeating his challenger by luck, and regaining some of his losses.


    ¡°See? I told you. A mere Peak Stage False Wanderer is not enough to stop me.¡±


    Of course, Zain also knew why he was being targeted by the Lotus clan. Especially since the Lotus clan had explicitly told him to leave the Star Seekers. They even offered to let him join one of their teams. But Zain refused all their offers and accepted all of their challenges. Most importantly, he never blamed Alnea for his losses. No matter how annoying he was, he did gain their trust, if only a little. The only problem was¡­


    ¡°¡­Let us talk about it after we reach the Blood Hall,¡± Alnea said, dismissing Zain¡¯s question, lest he be smug all the time, and begin talking about his greatness once again, before turning back towards Vestia. ¡°About the Martial Styles¡­¡±


    ¡°Let us talk about the other seven Martial Styles first,¡± Vestia said, flashing her dimples at him once again. ¡°How is your progress in those Martial Styles?¡±


    ¡°¡­Of the remaining seven Martial Styles, the Blood Forging, Blood Muscle Forging, Blood Bone Forging, and the Blood Organ Forging Styles were a bit easier to progress in. I reached the Completion phase in all four of those Martial Styles just this morning. Probably because of the breakthrough in my Spirit Power. As for the rest, I am currently stuck at the bottleneck between Adaptation and Completion phase, but it should not take long for me to break through. As long as I use these Martial Styles in battle¡­¡±


    ¡°No need,¡± Vestia said with a sigh. ¡°Although I knew that you were talented, I still underestimated you.¡±


    ¡°¡­I am not that talented,¡± Alnea said, using his Aspect to hide his embarrassment. At least he tried to. In front of Vestia, his disguise was meaningless. And recently, even Yuri had begun to see through his Aspects¡­ He needed a better Martial Style to hide his emotions.


    ¡°Too much humbleness is just another kind of arrogance,¡± Vestia said. ¡°But you do deserve your arrogance. Of all the Wanderers I know, even including those in Supreme clans, you are the most talented Warrior I have ever seen.¡±


    ¡°¡­Well, he does half of my talent, after all¡­¡±


    ¡°Of course. He is my Alnea, after all.¡±


    ¡°Your friend, not your Alnea.¡±


    ¡°¡­It¡¯s the same thing.¡±


    ¡°It is not. You should not speak of people as objects.¡±


    ¡°Stop changing the topic, Vestia,¡± Yuri said, relieving Cecilia from her embarrassment. ¡°Just tell us, do you accept your loss?¡±


    ¡°¡­Thirty Blood Crystals, all of Perfect Grade, Completion phase in the four Blood Forging Martial Styles, and the end of the Adaptation phase in the rest,¡± Vestia said, turning back towards Alnea with a relieved smile. ¡°When I made that bet, I was doing it for the consideration of your future. All I wanted was for you to show me that you will not be wasting your time with those Martial Styles. And what you have shown is far more than what I expected¡­ Congratulations, Alnea. You have won our bet.¡±


    ¡°Who told you to doubt our Alnea?¡± Cecilia said, snorting at Vestia, before putting on a smile filled with pride. ¡°There may be other Wanderers who have stronger foundations, have better Arcanas and Glyphs, and even better comprehension, but when it comes to Martial Styles, no one can compare with Alnea.¡±


    ¡°First of all, I never doubted him. I was just thinking about what was best for him. More importantly, you are talking as if I lost to you.¡±


    ¡°So what? You lost anyway.¡±


    ¡°So?¡±


    ¡°So, you have to be ready to accept the terms of the bet,¡± Yuri said, grinning for the first time in a while. ¡°Are you ready, Vestia?¡±


    ¡°¡­If it is an order from Alnea, I am ready to accept anything. Even including¡­¡± Vestia trailed off as her blood rushed to her cheeks, forcing her to turn her face away from him. Such an obvious performance¡­ anyone could tell that she was just acting. But that did not stop Cecilia and Yuri from turning stiff. Withdrawing their smile for a frown, the two turned back towards him, and began whispering.


    ¡°¡­He should not¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­I do not think so¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­But his eyes¡­ I have caught him looking at¡­ you know¡­¡±


    When did Cecilia catch him? And what was he looking at that time? Why did he not know anything?


    ¡°¡­After all, he is of that age¡­¡±


    What age?


    ¡°¡­Should we¡­¡±


    Should you what?


    ¡°¡­Poros¡¯ fangs! If I knew something like this could happen, I would never have allowed to let him make that bet!¡±


    ¡°¡­Who knew that a daughter of the Erwein Forest could be so shameless?¡±


    ¡°But the Weina women have always been shameless!¡±


    ¡°¡­Anyways, we have to make sure that we never let the two of them be alone.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. We must¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­I think we should get going,¡± Alnea said before Cecilia and Yuri could think of some ridiculous plans to keep him away from Vestia. It was not as if he wished to be with the blue robed woman, flashing her dimples, and winking at him from time to time¡­ No, for him, no one was more important than Yuri and Cecilia. Except maybe his master.


    In any case, if it could keep the girls happy, he would have no problem in keeping his distance from Vestia. If only she had not been a Star Seeker, that is. Or if his master had not instructed them to interact more with other Wanderers. Like Vestia had said, of all the Wanderers they had met in the city, she was the most trustworthy. Something she had already proven.


    From the very beginning, she had been nothing but helpful to the team. She had even stood against the Lotus clan for them. All just so that she could get to know him better. And to enter the inner city, of course. Regardless, driving her away was not possible at the moment, and would only alienate her more from Cecilia and Yuri. Something that he could not let happen. In the end, he had no choice but to step in himself, and keep the girls from making more troubles by diverting their attention.


    ¡°We do not want to keep our new teammates waiting, right?¡±

 Chapter 31: Kiss and Death [Part 1]

    The Star Seekers did not keep their new teammates waiting for long. Because there were no new teammates waiting for them. The place where they usually sat at was just as empty as ever. In defence of his new would-be teammates, they had just not arrived yet. After all, the time that they had set for receiving Wanderers willing to join Star Seekers was from one hour before dawn to one hour after dawn. Even with the little delay back at their mansion, they had made it to the Blood Hall about a quarter of an hour before their scheduled time.


    ¡°¡­Why do we have to come so early every day?¡± Alnea mumbled, glancing at the city glowing in red.


    ¡°Because of etiquette,¡± Yuri said, with Vestia following right behind her.


    ¡°Time is a very precious resource, Alnea. A fact you must have felt already, especially since you have begun training the Blood Crystal Martial Styles. Sometimes, time can be even more precious than the most precious resources in the world. Losing time¡­ It is considered to be the most wasteful behaviour amongst Wanderers.¡±


    ¡°Then, what we are doing right now, is it not a waste of time?¡±


    ¡°Of course not,¡± Zain said, smirking at Alnea. ¡°By coming here before the appointed time, even after seeing no Wanderer coming forward to join our team, we are sending a signal to other Wanderers that we value them even more than the most precious resources in the world.¡±


    ¡°¡­Then why did you join us on the first day?¡±


    ¡°¡­Because only the weak need to follow these meaningless rituals and etiquettes. The strong make their own etiquette, while the rest follow behind them.¡±


    ¡°¡­Am I still dreaming?¡± Cecilia whispered to Alnea. ¡°Or did he just say something meaningful?¡±


    ¡°¡­I am just as surprised as you are,¡± Alnea whispered back, looking at Zain¡¯s proud face in confusion. ¡°Maybe he hit his head while practising his Martial Styles¡­ Speaking of Martial Styles, how many Blood Crystals have you condensed?¡±


    ¡°¡­Three.¡±


    ¡°Just three?¡±


    ¡°What, do you think that everyone is a monster like you? Condensing three Blood Crystals in five days is already a good start, alright? Why don¡¯t you ask Yuri how many Blood Crystals she has condensed?¡±


    ¡°¡­Why do you two have to drag me in between your arguments?¡± Yuri grumbled but replied to Cecilia¡¯s question anyway. ¡°Seven Blood Crystals¡­ But they are all of the Distorted Grade.¡±


    ¡°¡­Mine too.¡±


    ¡°¡­Is condensing Blood Crystals really so hard?¡±


    ¡°¡­Are you trying to show off again? Hey, what are you laughing at vixen? What about you? How many Blood Crystals have you condensed? And how many days did you take to condense them?¡±


    ¡°¡­I have condensed nearly two hundred Blood Crystals, of which, a hundred are of Initial Stage, and over seventy of the Intermediate Stage, with the rest being of the Advanced Stage. As for their Grade¡­ most of them are of the Complete Grade.¡±


    ¡°¡­Do not be smug. It is only because you have been in the Lost City for a longer time that you have greater amount of Blood Crystals. Give us some time, and all three of us will soon surpass you.¡±


    ¡°Oh, that I have no doubt about.¡±


    ¡°¡­Are you not denying it?¡±


    ¡°Why should I deny it?¡± Vestia said, shaking her head. ¡°You three are indeed more talented than me. It is only natural for you to surpass me.¡±


    ¡°¡­Does that not make you angry?¡±


    ¡°Why would that make me angry?¡±


    ¡°Because we will surpass you.¡±


    ¡°So what if you surpass me?¡± Vestia said, with the end of her lips curving up in a smirk. ¡°You must understand that the path of Wanderers has never been a race. It is just a path that Wanderers walk on at their own pace. Some walk at a slower pace, while others walk at a faster pace. But none of those things matter. On the path of Wanderers, the only thing that matters is how far can you walk?


    ¡°After all, there is a limit to the path of Wanderers. Even if you are always ahead of me, one day, you will reach the end. And so will I. At best, you will reach the end a bit earlier than me, but that will not make much of a difference. Our end will still be the same. So, does it truly matter if you surpass me now? If I stick to my path, and keep walking forward at my own pace, I am sure to catch up to you one day.¡±


    ¡­An end to the path of Wanderers? Was she talking about the Origin Rank, or the Supreme Rank? Probably the latter. After all, no Origin Wanderers had been born yet. For the world, the Supreme Rank was indeed the end of the path of Wanderers. But for Alnea, it was just a beginning. He did not know if he could¡ª


    No, he was sure that he could open the path to the Origin Rank. He had already taken his Oath after all. But what about after that? Would the Origin Rank become the new end, the new limit of the path of Wanderers? Or would there be a realm even above the Origin Rank? The realm of Gods, maybe? Or perhaps¡­


    ¡°Star Seekers,¡± a yellow robed man said, as he walked over towards them. From the first look, the man looked to be a little over twenty years old, but that just meant that the man had reached the end of his maturity. His true age could be anything between twenty to thirty. And the most direct¡ªalthough sometimes inaccurate¡ª way of measuring a Wanderer¡¯s potential was comparing their age with their progress on the path of Wanderers.If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement.


    ¡°Are you here to join Star Seekers?¡±


    ¡°¡­That¡¯s right,¡± the man said, in a voice just as stocky as his body.


    ¡°What is your name? Which clan are you from? How high is your Spirit Power? Can you show us your Blood Card? Wha about¡ª


    ¡°Zain.¡±


    ¡°¡­Let us start one by one. First, can you introduce yourself to us?¡±


    ¡°I am George Endenhill, son of Clark Endenhill, from the Endenhill clan of the Enden Mountains.¡±


    ¡°¡­The Endenhill clan famous for their Earth element Arcanas?¡±


    ¡°¡­That¡¯s the one.¡±


    ¡°But the Endenhill clan already has a great team of its own. Why do you want to join us instead of the team of your clan?¡±


    ¡°¡­Because they are all from the same clan.¡±


    ¡°¡­So?¡±


    ¡°¡­Distributing points between ourselves become hard. And complicated.¡±


    ¡°¡­What about your Spirit Power?¡±


    ¡°¡­Seventh Level of the Advanced Stage.¡±


    ¡°¡­Alright. We understand your situation. Can you leave us with a way to contact you? We will inform you of our decision by tomorrow evening at the latest.¡±


    ¡°¡­Fourth Blood Hall. Seven building to the right. I will be there¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­Thank you for giving us your time, Wanderer George.¡±


    Alnea let out a sigh, as he watched the back of the man disappearing into the dim red light of the city. It looked a bit more hunched than what it had looked like when the man was coming towards them. Probably from the weight of disappointment.


    ¡°He looked like a simple man¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­The men of Endenhill clan are all simple¡­ an oddity amongst Wanderers. But that is also why they are loyal teammates. Unfortunately, they are not very good fighters. And George himself did not seem to have too much potential¡­¡±


    ¡°I could see that¡­ Still, rejecting a simple man like that makes me feel a little awkward.¡±


    ¡°If you do not learn how to say no, then you will have to face a lot of inconveniences in your life.¡±


    ¡°I know. But¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­Then how about you ask the questions next time?¡± Vestia said, with one end of lips curved up in a crooked smile.


    ¡°Me? Why?¡±


    ¡°To learn how to deal with other Wanderers, of course. Is that not why you came to the Lost City in the first place?¡±


    ¡°You came to the Lost City for such a simple thing?¡±


    ¡°¡­But I did not come alone,¡± Alnea said, ignoring Zain as usual. ¡°According to your logic, Cecilia and Yuri should also join me in questioning our would-be new teammates.¡±


    ¡°No, they do not need to join in on the fun this time.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°Because they do not take a step back when facing other Wanderers, especially those who do not show any hostility towards them,¡± Vestia said solemnly. ¡°I have been observing you for a while¡­ All three of you. From what I have seen, Cecilia and Yuri are coping well with the city, never showing any weaknesses. When need be, they can even form a united front to confront other Wanderers. But you¡­


    ¡°Whenever someone confronts you, or shows hostility towards you or the girls, you are quick to respond. In fact, I can even say that you respond to confrontations in an even better way than the girls. Yet, when it comes to dealing with Wanderers who show no hostility towards you or the girls, you suddenly lose all your ingenuity and fierceness. At times, you even show compassion and sympathy for other Wanderers. It is as if you do not know how to react at all.¡±


    ¡°¡­Am I that bad?¡± Alnea said, scratching his head in embarrassment.


    ¡°Honestly, I glossed over a few of your mistakes. In reality, you are worse than what you are imagining right now.¡±


    ¡°¡­Well, you do tend to show sympathy to others.¡±


    ¡°Sometimes, even to your enemies.¡±


    ¡°I never show sympathy to my enemies.¡±


    ¡°¡­Do you remember Roon?¡±


    ¡°¡­That was because he was implicated because of me.¡±


    ¡°The reasons do not matter. Once he chose to stand against us, he was bound to be our enemy. Yet you still tried to save him.¡±


    ¡°¡­I was just trying not to get master involved.¡±


    ¡°Then what about the man you killed last week? The Whitebud heir. He was our enemy and would not have hesitated to kill you if he had gotten the chance. Why did you feel so down about killing him?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s because¡­ I¡­¡±


    ¡°And to girls. You are especially kind to girls. The two vixens from the Yellowbud family were the same. And the vixen in front of us is the same. Even on the Arena, you tend to hit women lighter than men. That¡¯s why I call you a pervert.¡±


    ¡­Was he really a pervert?


    ¡°¡­Although I want to hear about the story of the two Yellowbud girls, let us talk about more important matters now,¡± Vestia said, saving Alnea from his predicament. ¡°Now that Cecilia and Yuri have also confirmed what I was saying, do you recognise your shortcomings?¡±


    ¡°¡­I guess.¡±


    ¡°No guesses, Alnea. Do not try to run away from your fears.¡±


    ¡­The first step of overcoming any weakness was recognising the weakness¡­ That was the first lesson his master had taught him.


    ¡°¡­I am not running. I never run. It was just that I¡­ In any case, you are right. I am not good at dealing with people who are not hostile to me, or the people I wish to protect.¡±


    ¡°¡­I do not know why or how you became like this, but since you already know your shortcomings, are you willing to address them?¡±


    ¡°¡­I am.¡±


    ¡°Good. Then next, you will be the one questioning all the Wanderers who wish to join us. Not only that, but you will also be the one to decide whether they join our team or not.¡±


    ¡°¡­But this is a team. We should make all our decisions together.¡±


    ¡°I have no problems with you making the final decisions. Do you have any problems, Yuri?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Yuri said, shaking her head, ruthlessly ignoring all his pleas, silent or otherwise.


    ¡°And neither do I,¡± Cecilia said with a grin.


    ¡°See, no one has any problems¡ª


    ¡°You did not ask me.¡±


    ¡°¡­It is three to one. Even if you are against this arrangement, we still win three to two.¡±


    ¡°But¡ª


    ¡°It is decided then. You are going decide whether the Wanderers coming to us next will join our team or not. And you will announce your decision right in front of those Wanderers.¡±


    ¡°¡­I remember that I won the bet¡ª


    ¡°Do you want to do right here? In front of everyone?¡± Vestia said, with both her cheeks and ears turning beet red. ¡°But I am not ready yet¡­¡±


    ¡°No, what are you talking about?¡±


    ¡°Did you not ask me to kiss you after won the bet?¡±


    ¡°What? When did I¡ª


    ¡°You pervert!¡± Cecilia said, punching Alnea in the back of his head, before pinching his waist. ¡°I knew that something was wrong¡­¡±


    ¡°No, listen to me¡ª


    ¡°You clearly said it last night¡­ You even held my hand, and¡­ and¡­¡±


    ¡°She is slandering me!¡±


    ¡°¡­Alnea Oathkeeper,¡± Yuri said, finally willing to use their rings. ¡°You are dead.¡±

 Chapter 31: Kiss and Death [Part 2]

    And so, Alnea Oathkeeper experienced his first death. A social death. Not only Cecilia and Yuri, but even Zain and the other Wanderers passing around them all looked at him with weird eyes, as if they were not looking at a human, but an animal. Meanwhile, Vestia kept making a shy, and embarrassed face, adding insult to his injury every now and then.


    ¡°¡­It is not his fault,¡± she said in a trembling voice.


    ¡°See! She is accepting that it was not my fault!¡±


    ¡°I¡­ It was me who held his hands¡­¡±


    ¡°Right, it was¡ªno, wait¡­¡±


    ¡°So, you do admit to holding hands?¡±


    ¡°No, this is a trap. A trap!¡±


    ¡°I¡­ He did not touch my lips either¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­Sister, please stop talking,¡± Alnea said with a tired face. ¡°I will accept your arrangements and will not force you with the bet. Just spare me with my little life.¡±


    ¡°Sister¡­ You are so naughty,¡± Vestia said, blushing even more fiercely than before. ¡°But I like it.¡±


    ¡°¡­Perdia¡¯s shoes!¡± Alnea cursed, as Cecilia pinched his waist, and twisted it, as if she was trying to tear out his flesh.


    ¡°We left you alone these days so that you can concentrate on practising the Martial Styles, and you run around fooling with the vixen? Do you think you have too much time on your hands?¡±


    ¡°¡­When would I even have the time to fool around with her?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. You tell me.¡±


    ¡°¡­Perdia have mercy,¡± Alnea said, understanding the truth about life. Women were unreasonable. Another truth he understood was that Zain was a traitor. The man just stood on the sidelines, watching the show with an amused smile, with no intention of helping him out of his predicament.


    ¡°¡­Yuri, you believe me, right?¡±


    ¡°What do you think?¡±


    ¡°I really did not do anything¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­Let him go, Cecilia.¡±


    ¡°But he¡ª


    ¡°We will talk about this later, back in the privacy of our mansion. Or do you want to let the whole city see our joke?¡±


    ¡°Fine,¡± Cecilia said, letting go of his waist, while glaring at him. ¡°I am keeping my eyes on you.¡±


    Alnea winced as he caressed his waist, wondering why the Glyphs of his robe did not work against Cecilia¡¯s assault. At the same time, he also did not forget to look at Yuri with a smile.


    ¡°I knew you would believe me.¡±


    ¡°¡­This is not over yet.¡±


    ¡°But I really did not do anything¡­¡±


    ¡°Who knows¡­¡±


    ¡°Do you really think I will hold Vestia¡¯s hands, and ask her to kiss me?¡±


    ¡°¡­I still cannot¡ª


    ¡°If there is anyone I would like to kiss, it would be¡ª


    ¡°Shut up,¡± Yuri said before he could finish his words. What he had said though was enough to send them both blushing to their ears.


    ¡°¡­Why are you two blushing now?¡± Cecilia said, glancing at him and Yuri in suspicion.


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing. Anyways, let us set this matter aside for now. We will deal with Alnea and Vestia after return to our mansion. It is time for Alnea to get to work,¡± Yuri said, pointing to the Wandering walking towards them. A green robed man, with his hair tied into a bun on the top of his head, and a thin moustache adorning his face.


    ¡°Greetings, fellow Wanderers,¡± the man said, bowing slightly towards them, more in mutual respect, and in greeting, than anything else. ¡°I hope I am not late.¡±


    ¡°¡­Of course not,¡± Alnea said, putting on the mask of a polite smile, mirroring the mask on the green robed man¡¯s face. ¡°You should already know about us, right?¡±


    ¡°The genius trio who have the highest chances of discovering the legacy of the Lost City in recent years,¡± the man said, nodding at Alnea. ¡°Who in the Lost City does not know about you three?¡±This novel''s true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there.


    ¡°¡­Those are just some rumours. You should not listen to them.¡±


    ¡°Those may be just some rumours, but they still have a grain of truth in them. You three are some of the most talented Wanderers to enter the Lost City in the recent years, no one can deny that.¡±


    ¡°¡­In any case, the team is not just about the three of us. There is also¡ª


    ¡°Lady Vestia,¡± the man said, nodding at Vestia. ¡°I know about her too. And about this gentleman from the Enhall clan. Both of them are famous in their right within the city. Your team¡­ is more famous than you think it is.¡±


    ¡°¡­Since you already know about us, how about you start by introducing yourself?¡±


    ¡°Fair point,¡± the green robed man said. ¡°I am Daz Werner, son of Raine Werner.¡±


    Werner clan¡­ where was the Werner clan from?


    ¡°It is a Mystic clan, calling the Celton Marshes as their home.¡±


    ¡°Where are the Celton Marshes?¡±


    ¡°Focus on the man in front of you.¡±


    ¡°Right,¡± Alnea said, before shifting his focus back to the man in front of him. ¡°Werner clan of the Celton Marshes?¡±


    ¡°Werner clan of the Celton Marshes,¡± the man said, nodding in satisfaction, and pride.


    ¡°Well, Wanderer Daz, why do you want to join Star Seekers?¡±


    ¡°The same reason why Wanderers join any team in the Lost City,¡± Daz said. ¡°To enter the inner city.¡±


    ¡°Does your Werner clan have its own team?¡±


    ¡°¡­It does, but I have a conflict with one of the core figures in the team, so I cannot join them.¡±


    ¡°¡­Have you heard of the conflict we have with the Lotus clan?¡±


    ¡°¡­I have heard some of it.¡±


    ¡°If you join the Star Seekers, you may be implicated in the conflict. Do you still wish to join us?¡±


    ¡°The path of Wanderers itself is full of risks. If we do not dare to move forward in fear of something that might happen to us, then we would not have become Wanderers in the first place.¡±


    ¡°Very well, Wanderer Daz, one last question. What is your Spirit Power, and what is your specialisation?¡±


    ¡°¡­I am at Fifth Level of the Advanced Stage. As for my specialisation, I am focussing on the path of Scholars.¡±


    ¡°¡­Thank you for giving us your time, Wanderer Daz. Unfortunately, you do not match what we are looking for in our teammate. So, I¡ª


    ¡°Is it because of my Spirit Power?¡±


    ¡°¡­That¡¯s part of it. But it is mostly¡ª


    ¡°Peak Stage Wanderers all have their own teams, and stronger Advanced Stage Wanderers have all been snatched up by other teams. The only ones left are some weaklings, or a few outcasts whom no one wants. I am the best you can get.¡±


    ¡°¡­That is for us to judge, Wanderer Daz.¡±


    ¡°¡­Do you think that you can be arrogant just because some people call you a genius? Let me tell you, geniuses never have a good end.¡±


    ¡°¡­Thank you for giving us your time, Wanderer Daz. But you are no longer welcome here.¡±


    ¡°You will regret your decision,¡± Daz said with a snort, before turning around, and walking away.


    ¡°¡­You did a good job, Alnea,¡± Vestia said, flashing her dimples at him, while resting her chin in her palms. ¡°Just try not to be so aggressive next time.¡±


    ¡°¡­He became aggressive first.¡±


    ¡°What else did you expect him to do?¡± Zain said. ¡°You just called him practically useless right in front of his face. Do you expect him to thank you with a smile?¡±


    ¡°¡­Although what Zain said is a bit harsh, there is indeed some truth in it. The man, Daz, came to us with the hope that if he joined our team, he may be able to enter the inner city, only for his hope to be quashed by your rejection. I am not asking you to sympathise with him, but like Zain said, you also cannot expect him to accept your rejection with a smile, right?¡±


    ¡°¡­This is why I did not want to do this,¡± Alnea grumbled.


    ¡°¡­This is for your own good,¡± Yuri said in a calm, and soothing voice. ¡°It will teach you how to hide your thoughts in your Heart.¡±


    ¡°But I already know how to do that.¡±


    ¡°Say that after you learn how to gawk at other girls without giving yourself away.¡±


    ¡°¡­When did I gawk at anyone?¡± Alnea grumbled, trying his best not to look at Vestia, afraid that he might earn another pinch from Cecilia.


    ¡°Anyways, that was a nice start,¡± Vestia said. ¡°Just try to be a little less aggressive when rejecting our next would-be teammates.¡±


    ¡°¡­Why do you assume that I will reject them?¡±


    ¡°Because I do not think anyone of importance will come to us today¡­ Still, the final decision is yours. If you decide that someone is worthy of becoming a Star Seeker, then we will welcome them with open arms.¡±


    ¡°¡­Even if they are not strong?¡±


    ¡°Even if they are not strong.¡±


    ¡°¡­What about girls?¡±


    Silence descended around Alnea for a few moments, before it was broken by a cry of pain.


    ¡°¡­Pervert,¡± Cecilia said, twisting his waist once again.


    ¡°It was just a joke!¡± Alnea said, trying to explain himself, but the girls did not listen.


    ¡°¡­You seem to be very fond of being surrounded by girls,¡± Yuri said, glaring at him with cold eyes, pinching his waist from the other side. ¡°How about now? Do you like it?¡±


    ¡°Joke! Just a joke! I will never let another girl join our team. I don¡¯t want to die yet.¡±


    ¡°¡­This looks like fun,¡± Vestia said, giggling at their antics. ¡°Can I join?¡±


    ¡°Get lost,¡± Cecilia and Yuri said in unison, forcing Vestia away. In the process though, they did not forget to put even more strength behind their pinches¡­


    ¡°It¡¯s going to tear off! It¡¯s going to tear off!¡±


    ¡°There is no need to worry,¡± Vestia said, laughing at his cries. ¡°I have some healing potions, so you can play to your Heart¡¯s content.¡±


    ¡°Traitor!¡±


    ¡°¡­This is so much fun!¡±


    ¡°¡­Women are scary¡­¡±


    It was not until at least a quarter of an hour had passed, and they saw a group of Wanderers coming over, that Cecilia and Yuri finally decided to let go of him. But not before giving him stern warnings.


    ¡°No girls.¡±


    ¡°Or women,¡± Cecilia said, glaring warily at Vestia.


    ¡°As for the rest, you can decide for yourself.¡±


    ¡°¡­What if I am wrong?¡±


    ¡°It does not matter,¡± Vestia said. ¡°We will bear the consequences together. After all, that is what a team is for.¡±

 Chapter 32: Star Seekers [Part 1]

    ¡°Good morning, Wanderer Alnea,¡± said the hundredth man of the day. Or at least that was how it felt to Alnea. On the sixth day, as Vestia had predicted, few people came for the recruitment. Mostly the relatively weaker Wanderers in the city, hoping to turn their fortune around by joining the Star Seekers. Except for a couple of them, all of them were opportunists, like the other Wanderers roaming the streets, just a little stronger than them. None of them could be trusted.


    As for the few who could be trusted, they were not too strong. Like the simple man from the Endenhill clan. Alnea liked how simple the George Endenhill was, reminding him of the time when he also used to be so simple. Unfortunately, George himself was not too strong, and neither did he have too much potential. Even if he stubbornly agreed to accept George into their team, it would only end up hurting George in the long run.


    In the end, Alnea rejected all the Wanderers that came for the recruitment, including the girls. Especially the girls. It did not matter how strong they were, or how trustworthy they seemed. For the sake of his own life, as long as any girl showed intentions of joining their team, he just perfunctorily asked them some questions, and then sent them on their way, earing some breathing space for himself.


    Still, even counting the girls, barely over twenty something Wanderers had come for recruitment the day before. On the last day of their recruitment though, Wanderers had queued up around the area where they usually did the recruitment long before the scheduled time, with even more Wanderers queueing up behind them as time passed by. There were so many Wanderers, that the Wanderers entering the Blood Hall had to squeeze their way in through the stairs.


    Red, blue, green, yellow, white, orange, pink, all sorts of colours kept flashing in front of his eyes, as Alnea kept going through the interviews as fast as he could, rejecting Wanderers, and earning their curses one after another, until he noticed a strange colour flash in front of his eyes. Brown. Not dirt brown, but more like a¡­ glowing brown. That was the only comparison that Alnea could come up with when he saw the man¡¯s robe.


    ¡°Good morning to you too, Wanderer¡­¡±


    ¡°Ralph,¡± the brown robed man said. ¡°You call also call me Ralph Erstone, son of the Erstone clan.¡±


    ¡°Erstone clan¡­¡±


    ¡°A Grand clan,¡± Yuri said, coming to his aid as usual. ¡°And quite a strong one at that. Strong enough to lay claim to an entire Forbidden Area all to themselves. But¡­¡±


    ¡°But what?¡± Alnea said to Yuri, while not forgetting to pay attention to the man in front of him. ¡°It is an honour to have someone from the Erstone clan showing interest in joining our team.¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Ralph said, shaking his head with a smile. ¡°The honour is all mine. After all, just in terms of potential, Star Seekers is indeed one of the best teams in the Lost City.¡±


    ¡°¡­Although Star Seekers does have great potential, but in the end, we are still not some of the strongest teams. There are quite a few teams stronger than our own, like the teams of your clan.¡±


    ¡°¡­A team with all of its members having enough strength to fight, and even defeat Peak Stage False Wanderers cannot be considered to be weak. Especially since only one of your team member is at the Peak Stage, and two are still at the Intermediate Stage. Most importantly, it is not very often that one can see an Intermediate Stage Wanderers killing Peak Stage Wanderers without getting so much as even a scratch.¡±


    ¡°¡­Barely, and that too, with a little external help.¡±


    ¡°¡­Maybe,¡± Ralph said, with some complicated expressions flashing across his face. ¡°But in the end, it is the result that matters, and not the process.¡±


    ¡°¡­Forget about me. Let us talk about you.¡±


    ¡°¡­Fine,¡± Ralph said, nodding in understanding. ¡°What do you want to know about me?¡±


    ¡°¡­First of all, why do you want to join our team?¡±A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.


    ¡°¡­To chase a star,¡± Ralph said with a hint of melancholy in his voice. ¡°To chase my star¡­ Is that not what you established your team in the first place? To find likeminded people to help each other on their paths?¡±


    ¡°¡­I did not think you were there in the Arena that day.¡±


    ¡°I was not,¡± Ralph said, shaking his head once again. ¡°But the words you said still reached my ears¡­ Now, do you understand how much you are underestimating yourselves? Especially you, Wanderer Alnea.¡±


    ¡°¡­Coming back to what I was asking about, this star that you want to chase¡­ why do you think you can chase it only with us? Why did you not try chasing it with the people of your clan?¡±


    ¡°¡­Because the people of my clan can never help me chase the star that I am seeking¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­Wha¡ª


    ¡°Enough, Alnea. Do not ask him about his clan.¡±


    ¡°¡­Why?¡±


    ¡°¡­Since he did not introduce who is father is, it can mean only one thing. That his father has been expelled from his clan. Either because of a mistake. Or because he betrayed his clan. In either case, he would never get any help from his clan.¡±


    ¡°¡­But he did not do anything wrong. Why does he have to bear the price for his father¡¯s sin?¡±


    ¡°If not him, then who will bear it?¡±


    ¡°¡­I knew that Orthodoxies were overbearing, but¡ª


    ¡°If the Erstone clan had been overbearing, they would not have cared enough to send him to the Lost City. But that should be the limit of what they will do for him. They will not ask their descendants to help the son of a traitor. Of course, they will not stop them from helping him either. If he can convince his peers to give up their prejudice, then they will chalk it all up to his ability. They might even accept him back into the clan as one of their own. That is how Orthodoxies usually deal with the progenies of their traitors.¡±


    ¡°But he is all alone¡­¡±


    ¡°Obviously. Or else, he would not have come to us.¡±


    ¡°¡­If everyone in his clan treats him so badly, why even bother introducing himself as a son of the Erstone clan?¡±


    ¡°Because he is a son of the Erstone clan,¡± Yuri said. ¡°Even if he is rejected by everyone in his clan, that is where he has grown up. That is where he belongs. That is where he wishes to return. And most probably, that is what he is chasing after.¡±


    ¡°¡­Will they accept him?¡±


    ¡°¡­His clan must have given him a test. What exactly the test is, I do not know, but it must have something to do with the inner city. As long as he completes the test, they will welcome him back. Of course, he will still face some prejudice, but as long as he works hard, he can return to his clan.¡±


    ¡°Then¡­ Should we¡ª


    ¡°It is up to you, Alnea. You have to decide whether he is trustworthy or not. Besides, the things that I said are just my own predictions. You will have to check them out on your own. Maybe ask Vestia. Although I do not like her, I cannot deny her expertise in gathering information. If things are really as I predicted, she should know a thing or two about him. Be quick though. There are still quite a lot of people in the queue.¡±


    ¡°¡­I hate this job,¡± Alnea mumbled to Yuri, before focussing back on Ralph.


    ¡°Pardon me for getting a little lost there. I have almost understood your situation. There is only one more thing that I need to ask. What is your Spirit Power, and your specialisation?¡±


    ¡°¡­My Spirit Power is at the Second Level of the Peak Stage, so you can consider me as a Peak Stage False Wanderer. As for my specialisation¡­ I have dabbled in all three paths a little, but I am best in the path of Scholars. I have mastered three Intermediate Stage Glyphs, four Advanced Stage Glyphs, and am currently working on my first Peak Stage Glyph. I can also use a couple of Glyph Arrays. In the path of Arcanists¡ª


    ¡°No need,¡± Alnea said, raising his hand to stop Ralph from continuing. ¡°That is enough information for now, Wanderer Ralph. Next, can you wait until I am done with the rest of the Wanderers before telling you about our final decision?¡±


    ¡°¡­So, that means¡ª


    ¡°It means that I am very interested in you, Wanderer Ralph. Whether it is your philosophy, or your strengths, they are a perfect for the Star Seekers. If there are no surprises next, then today, you will leave the Blood Hall as a Star Seeker.¡±


    ¡°¡­Thank you, Wanderer Alnea,¡± Ralph said, with a smile blossoming on his face. ¡°I will not fail your trust.¡±


    ¡°Do not thank me yet,¡± Alnea said, shaking his head. ¡°You have just been shortlisted for now. I still need to go through all the Wanderers behind you before I can make my final decision.¡±


    ¡°I understand,¡± Ralph said, nodding solemnly at his words, before moving towards the side, making way for the Wanderer behind to come forward. ¡°Then I will be waiting for your good news.¡±


    ¡°Thank you for your understanding, Wanderer Ralph,¡± Alnea said, nodding back at Ralph with a smile, before turning back to the Wanderer who had just stepped forward. A green robed woman¡­ It looked like he was going to suffer once again.

 Chapter 32: Star Seekers [Part 2]

    Practice may not bring you to perfection, but it would surely bring you closer to it. That was how the phrase about practice went. And that was what Alnea had always believed. Until he was met with the most unreasonable creatures in the world. Women. He had never felt it before¡ª


    No, he did experience their unreasonableness before, but back then, he used to be even more unreasonable. His Oaths¡­ He was not a kid anymore though. He was a Wanderer, a man who had begun making a name for himself, earning his due respect. He could not afford to be as wilful as he used to be. Except when in front of his master. And maybe when he was alone with Yuri. But only when she was in good mood. Or else, she would become even more unreasonable than him. Especially when she was jealous. As for Cecilia¡­ Forget it.


    Still, barring a few exceptions, he had long lost his qualification to be unreasonable, and get away with it. But the girls sitting next to him¡­ They kept being unreasonable, and acted as if it was their right to do so. Even when he clearly rejected all the girls wishing to join their team, Cecilia and Yuri would still glare at him from time to time, especially when those girls would send him their pleading glances. Or when they would try to make him change his mind with their ¡®offers¡¯. How was it his fault that those girls were so clingy, and refused to leave?


    Alright, maybe it was his fault that he was not ¡®decisive¡¯ enough in his rejections. In his defence though, those girls did not behave aggressively even when he rejected them. They just asked to meet him some time else, or to give them a second chance, all with sad and gloomy look on their faces¡­ No matter how many times he practiced rejecting them, he still could not just simply brush them off. That would have been too rude. And therein lay the source of his problem¡­ And pain.


    Rubbing the part of his waist that Cecilia released, snorting at him in displeasure, Alnea moved on from the woman to the Wanderers behind her. And then, from them to the other Wanderers behind them, swiftly understanding their situation. The girls were of course all rejected by him¡ªa mandate that he could not reject. And even if he could have rejected it, he still would not have done so. Three girls were enough. Those unreasonable creatures¡­


    As for the men, those who looked like they were coming to them for some ulterior motives were all rejected, as were the people who seemed too selfish. Then there were those who were weak, with almost no potential. Such people were rejected just as quickly as the girls. It did not matter what kind of people they were, of if Alnea liked them or not. Weakness was the greatest sin of all. Especially in the world of Wanderers.


    In the end, long after the scheduled time had passed, the only group of people left were a bunch of men who seemed a little trustworthy, with enough potential or strength to enter the inner city. Five men, to be exact. Ralph Erstone from the Erstone clan of the Broken Stone Valleys. Aren Winstoke from the Winstoke clan of the Winstoke plains. Fran Greenspark from the Greenspark clan of Green Lightning Valleys. Norren Redwin from the Redwin clan of the Red Trail Dessert. And Karl Onet from the Onet clan of the Umber Forests.


    A man seeking the recognition of his clan. A man seeking the truth of his sister¡¯s death. A man seeking power to exact his revenge. A man seeking the end of the Wanderer¡¯s path. And a man seeking a way to survive. Five men, each with a story of their own. As for how Alnea knew those stories¡­ He had to admit, Vestia was terrifyingly effective when collecting information. So much so, that she even made him wonder if she knew the colour of his undergarments.


    ¡°¡­Originally, we planned on accepting just two more people today,¡± Alnea said to the five men sitting in front of him. ¡°But you five just happen to fill in each other¡¯s weaknesses, while complimenting each other¡¯s strengths. More importantly, I like your conviction. I like the reason you are fighting¡­ I like the stars you are chasing. All of you are worthy enough to become Star Seekers.¡±


    Including the five of them, their team had exactly ten people. Three more than what he had expected, but within the upper limit of what Vestia had said would be appropriate. Besides, he was not making excuses. The five men did complement each other, and to some extent, even to their team as a whole. Leaving even one out would make it seem as if their team was missing something. Not to mention the similarities in their past¡­


    Such excellent Wanderers, rejected by their peers because of some silly reasons, or prejudices¡­ It was as if they were all destined to be part of the same team. Fate¡­


    ¡°Thank you for your compliments, Wanderer Alnea¡ª


    ¡°There is no need to be so formal, Ralph,¡± Alnea said, waving his hand to stop Ralph from continuing. ¡°From now, we are all teammates. There is no need for wasting our time and energy on needless things. Besides, if we keep using such flowery words, then we will never get anything done. So, if you do not mind, we can just speak casually with each other.¡±


    ¡°¡­Whatever,¡± Fran said, looking a bit disinterested, while the rest just nodded along with Alnea.If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.


    ¡°It¡¯s decided then,¡± Alnea said, glancing over the Star Seekers, both old and new, pausing his gaze on Zain for a bit longer than others. ¡°As a team that has just been established, there are quite a few things that we need to deal with, like deciding our future direction, and our course of action. But first, let me take you to register in the Blood Hall, and become official members of Star Seekers. And yes, Zain, that includes you too.¡±


    ¡°You have not registered yourself with the team yet?¡± Karl said, looking at Zain said in confusion.


    ¡°¡­I was just too lazy to register before,¡± Zain said with haughty expression on his face. ¡°Anyways, registering a week sooner or later does not make any difference.¡±


    ¡­Alnea chose not to blow Zain¡¯s cover for the time being, leading everyone into the Blood Hall instead.


    ¡°Good morning, Wanderer Martha.¡±


    ¡°You again¡­ What is it now?¡±


    ¡°We are here to register our new teammates.¡±


    ¡°¡­Are you going to register them right away? What about testing their trust and loyalty?¡±


    ¡°Trust is earned by trusting others, Wanderer Martha. If I do not even dare to trust them, how can they trust me?¡±


    ¡°¡­Finally revealing your hypocrite colours, are we?¡±


    ¡°Please respect yourself, Wanderer Martha,¡± Yuri said, stepping in before the disgruntled Wanderer could lose control of herself. ¡°And let us be the judge of whether he is hypocrite or not.¡±


    ¡°¡­Forget it. Why do I have to care about ignorant little girls like you¡­ What are you people dazing out for? Are you planning to stand there for the rest of the day?¡±


    ¡°¡­What?¡±


    ¡°Are you dumb? Give me your Blood Cards or get lost and stop wasting my time.¡±


    The five new Star Seekers handed their Blood Cards over to Martha, with Zain following right behind them. Just in case, Alnea took out his own Blood Card too, ready it to hand it over to the grumpy Wanderer before she could find an excuse to scold him. Fortunately, with Yuri by his side, she did not embarrass him too much, and just blandly asked for his Blood Card. She almost looked like a normal Wanderer working in the Blood Hall. Almost.


    ¡°Alright, you are done,¡± Martha said, practically shoving their Blood Cards back into their hands, before waving her hand to shoo them away. ¡°Now, get lost and stop bothering me.¡±


    Thanking Martha once again, Alnea waved once to Tia in the distance, before dragging Cecilia and Yuri out of the Blood Hall. Cecilia kept grumbling, as usual, complaining about how rude Martha was, while Yuri kept thinking in silence. Was she thinking about what Marth had said earlier? Or was she thinking about why Martha behaved the way she did?


    They could not deny the help that Martha had provided them, but they also could not deny the fact that the Wanderer had not told them everything she knew. Was she really trying to help them back then, or was she trying to gain their trust, before executing her plan? If so, what was her plan? Sowing discords? Why would she do that though? They had no enmity with her, and they did not remember offending her either¡­


    Or maybe it was because of how rudely Cecilia and Yuri reacted to her from time to time. But that did not make sense either. Martha had been grumpy from the first time they had met her. Back when they had just come to the city. They had not even known her, and yet, even then, she had tried to sow discord between them. Not to mention the unexplainable tolerance she had for Yuri¡­


    In the end, Alnea just suppressed his useless thoughts back into the depths of his Heart, before leading the five new Star Seekers back to their mansion. But that he suppressed his thoughts did not mean that others also did the same. The moment that they entered the mansion, and sat down in the main hall¡ªthree of them had to sit on the ground, as there were only eight cushions, and Forne would not let anyone sit on its exclusive cushion¡ª Karl could not help asking about Martha¡¯s strange behaviour earlier.


    ¡°¡­Does Wanderer Martha have a grudge against you?¡±


    ¡°¡­There is no grudge per se¡­ She just does not like me. Anyways, no matter what, she has to follow the rules of the city. So, stop worrying about her.¡±


    ¡°But¡ª


    ¡°It¡¯s alright, Karl. I know you like to be cautious, but do not worry. Even if she has a grudge, she cannot act out of the rules. As for making things difficult for us within the rules, as long as we are working together, what are we afraid of?¡±


    ¡°¡­Still, we need to be more careful in the future.¡±


    ¡°¡­That is what we are going to talk about next. But before that, how about introducing ourselves to each other?¡±


    ¡°¡­Introducing ourselves once again is just a waste of time,¡± Fran said, with his face as stiff as ever.


    ¡°No, it is not,¡± Alnea said. ¡°The earlier introduction was just a formality, a test to see if your convictions fit with our team or not. Besides, this time, it will be not just be you introducing yourselves. We will also introduce ourselves. Now, you may say that it is not necessary either. Probably because you heard a few things about us from rumours. Yet, how can you be sure that what you heard from rumours is true? Or even if what I have shown is the extent of my abilities?


    ¡°In a similar fashion, although we know a few things about you, it is limited to the things that you were willing to say earlier in front of everyone. In face of your teammates, you should have a few more things to share, right? Like a bit more details about our strengths. After all, we will be entrusting our lives with each other in a few weeks. Now you tell me, is introducing ourselves a waste of time?¡±


    ¡°¡­That¡¯s a nice way to describe the necessity of introductions¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­Whatever.¡±


    ¡°I do not mind.¡±


    ¡°I would love to introduce myself once again.¡±


    ¡°¡­Just keep it short.¡±

 Chapter 33: Star Seekers [Part 1]

    ¡°Alright then, let me come first, and you just follow my example,¡± Alnea said, nodding at his teammates with a smile. ¡°I am Alnea¡­ Tresting. Son of Raun Tresting. As for my clan¡­ Most of you should have guessed already, so there is no need for me to hide. I do not belong to any clan. And yes, I do have a grudge with the Lotus clan. But you should already know that. After all, we have never tried to hide our confrontations. Yet you chose to team up with me anyway.


    ¡°You should know that by joining Star Seekers¡­ by teaming up with me, you have inevitably offended the Lotus clan, and might even suffer from their calculations in the recent future. Who knows, they might even rope in other clans to plot against us. As people who have grown up in Orthodoxies though, you should have expected such results from the moment you chose to become Star Seekers. Yet you still chose to team up with me. Maybe it was because you had no other places to go, or maybe you just had something to prove. It does not matter.


    ¡°The truth is that I have pulled you into a dangerous situation by just letting your join Star Seekers. I will not apologise to you though. We are not kids anymore. We are Wanderers, and we must be responsible for all decisions. Still, for the trust you showed in by joining Star Seekers, I promise you that until you are a Star Seeker, I will never betray or abandon you. At the same time, I will try to help you chase after the stars you are seeking with all my abilities.¡±


    ¡°¡­Fool.¡±


    Alnea immediately felt two glares land on him the moment he made his promise. Fortunately, with so many people around them, Cecilia and Yuri chose to restrain themselves for the moment, just warning him not to make any more promises. But they made sure to let him know that the matter was not over. Before he could think of a way to handle them though, or continue with his introduction, Vestia stepped in with a solemn tone.


    ¡°¡­Like you said, we are not kids,¡± Vestia said, staring right into his eyes. ¡°We are Wanderers. And we are all responsible for our own decisions. So why should you be responsible for everyone else?¡±


    ¡°¡­This is what I should do.¡±


    ¡°What we should do,¡± Yuri said, allowing Alnea to see one of her rare moments of supporting Vestia. ¡°We are Star Seekers. The emphasis here is not just on Star Seekers, but also on ¡®we¡¯. The only reason we came together to form a team is to help each other. Whether it is to enter the inner city, to chase after stars, or to fight off our enemies, we will do it together. As a team. As Star Seekers.¡±


    ¡°¡­You people are talking too much nonsense,¡± Cecilia said, deciding to make her presence known as well. ¡°The only thing we need to know that is that we are a team, and all those who are against us are our enemies. As long as we beat all our enemies, we will naturally complete all our goals.¡±


    Silence spread for a few moments as everyone digested Cecilia¡¯s words.


    ¡°¡­I cannot argue with that,¡± Ralph said, only for Zain to sneer at him.


    ¡°You still wish to argue with her? It is true that you will not recognise death until you face it¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­I mean, she is not wrong,¡± Karl said, ignoring Zain¡¯s remark. ¡°As long as we beat all our enemies, we will indeed be closer to our goals.¡±


    ¡°¡­I do not even know who my enemies are¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­Let us deal with the enemies in front of us, before searching for new enemies.¡±


    ¡°¡­Anyways,¡± Alnea said, using his Aspects to hide his embarrassment. ¡°I am glad that you joined Star Seekers. And I will make sure that you do not regret your decision.¡±


    ¡°¡­I hope you are right,¡± Fran said in his gloomy voice.


    ¡°¡­Next, let me tell you a bit more about myself,¡± Alnea said, trying not to mind his new gloomy teammate. ¡°I am an Intermediate Stage False Wanderer, walking on all three paths at the same time. As a Warrior, I am proficient in all kinds of Martial Styles, while specialising in using a sword. As an Arcanist, I am proficient in suppressive and field control Arcanas. When it comes to being a Scholar though¡­


    ¡°You must have guessed already that I am not too old. As such, I have not had much time to delve deeper on the path of Scholars, so I am not too proficient in the usage of Glyphs. But rest assured, I have enough experience on the other two paths to match even Peak Stage Wanderers in a one-on-one fight. And I will only get better with time.¡±


    ¡°¡­You are also an Arcanist?¡±


    ¡°That is why I said that you should not trust information about other Wanderers,¡± Alnea said. ¡°Especially the information that they deliberately reveal. Who knows, maybe what I am telling you is still not the complete truth.¡±The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    ¡°¡­Hiding your strength is best way to survive,¡± Karl said, nodding solemnly at his words. ¡°That is the most essential truth of life.¡±


    ¡°¡­I do not know about the truth of life¡­ Forget it. Everyone interprets life in their own way. In any case, that was it from my side. Which one of you will go next?¡±


    ¡°Let me do it,¡± Yuri said, taking the lead before everyone else. ¡°After all, I have the greatest amount of secret to keep. It would not be fair to everyone else if they share all their secrets, and I do not.¡±


    ¡°But you have a reason¡ª


    ¡°The reasons do not matter,¡± Yuri said, shaking her head. ¡°What matters is that I am keeping my secrets from everyone else in the team¡­ Let them hear what I have to say first, and then they can decide for themselves how much they want to share.¡±


    ¡°¡­That sounds fair,¡± Vestia said, nodding in agreement. These two¡­ when did they become so supportive of each other?


    ¡°Due to some reasons, I cannot tell you much about myself. All I can say is¡­ that you can call me Yuri. Like Alnea, I too walk on all three paths. And I am proficient in all three of them. Unlike Alnea though, my field control, and enemy suppressive skills are focussed on the path of Scholars. As an Arcanists, my skills are biased more towards group attacks. As for the path of Warriors¡­ that should be self-evident. I hope that should tell you a bit about myself.¡±


    ¡°¡­Although I would like to know more about you, I also know that all Wanderers have their own secrets,¡± Ralph said, nodding with a solemn face. ¡°Besides, from what you have shared, we can already see your sincerity. There is no need for you to worry¡­¡±


    ¡­What was the irritation that he was feeling in his chest? And why was the brown robed idiot talking so much? Could he not see that he was delaying important matters?


    ¡°¡­Then next¡ª


    ¡°My turn,¡± Cecilia said with a grin, not willing to be left behind him and Yuri. ¡°I am Cecilia Serpia. Daughter of Ionia Serpia¡ª


    ¡°Ionia Serpia,¡± Norren said with a hint of excitement in his voice. ¡°You mean the Serpent Monarch?¡±


    ¡°¡­That¡¯s right.¡±


    ¡°The same Serpent Monarch who killed a Grand Thrall while she was just a Mystic Wanderer?¡±


    ¡°¡­She did kill a few Grand Thralls¡­¡±


    ¡°So, Serena Serpia is your sister?¡±


    ¡°¡­You even know my sister?¡±


    ¡°Know your sister? Who does not know Serena Serpia. Especially after what she did a month ago¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­What did she do?¡±


    ¡°¡­You do not know?¡±


    ¡°¡­We have been training in other Forbidden Areas for a while, so we have been out of touch with the rest of the world¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­You should at least know about the hunt she led in Rianra over half a year ago, right?¡±


    ¡°¡­I did hear some news¡­¡±


    ¡°Alright, Norren, stop teasing us, and tell us the news already,¡± Alnea said, just as eager as Cecilia to know about big sis Serena. ¡°What did big sis Serena do?¡±


    ¡°You¡ªHow can you call her big sis?¡±


    ¡°¡­Do you know the news about big sis Serena, Vestia?¡± Alnea said, shifting his focus to the sole Wanderer specialising in gathering information in their team.


    ¡°I do know about the things that she has done recently¡­ but I did not know that you were so close with her. Or that Cecilia is the second in line to the Serpent Throne.¡±


    ¡°¡­Just tell us the news already!¡±


    ¡°So impatient,¡± Vestia said, clicking her tongue, while smiling at them. ¡°It is said that some Heterodox Wanderers attacked the city that Serena Serpia was supervising around half a year ago. Fortunately, the casualty amongst the civilians was not much, but the same cannot be said about the local branch of the Lotus clan. Apparently, the attack was so sudden, that even with the help of her guards, Serena Serpia could save only a dozen or so Seeds of the branch.¡±


    ¡°We know that already. What happened next?¡±


    ¡°¡­Although, the life and death of the Lotus clan¡¯s Wanderers does not have much to do with Serpia clan¡¯s heir, the city that the Heterodox Wanderers attacked was still nominally under her control. As such, the deaths of those Wanderers should also fall on her shoulders. Of course, the Lotus clan would not dare to trouble the Serpia clan too much for their loss. Going against the Serpia clan for just a few True Wanderers is not worth it. Besides, losing a remote branch did not hurt them much anyway.


    ¡°Still, even if they could not trouble her directly, they could at least spread word about her incompetence. They probably intended to just shame her and make her lose some face. But for Serpians, nothing enrages them more than being looked down upon. So, when Serena Serpia heard of the Lotus clan¡¯s rumours, she began a nationwide hunt in Rianra to wash her shame with blood. Literally.


    ¡°I do not know the details, but according to some rumours, she killed around a hundred True Wanderers, and more than a thousand False Wanderers in the hunt. She even clashed with a Mystic Wanderer and managed to force him out of Rianra. With the help of her guards, of course. No matter how strong she is, she was just a Fourth Stage True Wanderer when she began the hunt.


    ¡°Even considering her failure to kill the Mystic Heterodox Wanderer though, foiling countless ploys of Heterodox Wanderers, washing the entire country in their blood, and also alerting all the nearby countries about the sudden increase in the number of Heterodox Wanderers, all at such a young age, is enough for her to be recognised as the Wanderer with greatest potential in the entire Fifth Sector of the Lighting Region.¡±


    ¡°¡­These are all the things that she did more than half a year ago. What about the things she did a month ago?¡±


    ¡°¡­A month ago, Serena Serpia led her team into the depths of the Grand Chasm, and personally killed a Chaeon Lord, earning herself the title of True Black Serpent,¡± Norren said, with slightly flushed cheeks, and dazed eyes. ¡°At the same time, she was recognised by everyone to be one of the greatest genius of the entire Lightning Region, and the one most likely to reach the Supreme Rank.¡±

 Chapter 33: Star Seekers [Part 2]

    ¡°¡­Supreme Rank,¡± Alnea mumbled, going into a daze for a few moments, trying to digest what he had just heard. It was not that what Norren had said was too unbelievable, but that the news was far more shocking that he had expected it to be. Everything else aside, just how much danger must big sis Serena be putting herself into when confronting a Chaeon Lord?


    And then, there was also the news that Vestia had shared. Hunting down Heterodox Wanderers in Rianra¡­ He already knew that she was going after the Heterodox Wanderers in Rianra, but he did not know that she would be so zealous in her hunt, going so far as to fight against even Mystic Wanderers. Should he say, as expected of big sis Serena?


    The more he thought about what she had done, the more he felt how much she cared for him. At the same time, he also became more worried about her. But¡­ he should believe in her. She was big sis Serena. And he knew how strong she was. Besides, did the news not say that she was fine? She even became the known as the greatest genius of the Lightning Region¡­ As expected of big sis Serena.


    ¡°¡­Wait for me to take that title from you,¡± Alnea mumbled to himself, just as he smiled to himself. He did not forget what he had said to her. That one day, once he becomes strong enough, he would make sure that they never get separated again. Although it was not a promise, he still meant to keep his words with just as much dedication as he kept his Oaths.


    ¡°¡­Thank you for sharing the news, Norren, and Vestia,¡± Alnea said after supressing the waves in his Heart. ¡°I¡ªWe will remember this favour.¡±


    ¡°¡­You are taking things too seriously, Alnea,¡± Vestia said, shaking her head, while flashing her dimples. ¡°It¡¯s just some gossip. Most of the people in the Lost City should know about it.¡±


    ¡°The value of information is never based on how much the information is spread, but on how much the person receiving the information values it¡­ And for us, news about big sis Serena is invaluable.¡±


    ¡°¡­I do not understand,¡± Norren said just as he finished speaking. ¡°If you call her big sis¡­ and Cecilia is the daughter of the Serpent Monarch, then why are you not in the Southern District, with the rest of the Serpia clan? What are you doing here, in the Northern District?¡±


    ¡°¡­We have our own reasons,¡± Yuri said. ¡°Just as you have your own reason of not training in the Red Trail Desert but running almost halfway across the Fifth Sector to come train in the Lost City.¡±


    ¡°¡­That¡­¡±


    ¡°Alright, let us continue with where we had left off,¡± Alnea said, trying to diffuse the sudden onset of the awkward air. ¡°Cecilia, you were introducing yourself¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­Right,¡± Cecilia said, still in a bit of daze from what she had heard about big sis Serena. No matter how annoyed or distant she acted from her sister, they were still sisters after all. Not hearing anything about her for over half a year, only to hear so many shocking news about her one after another¡­


    She was probably even more worried about big sis Serena, than he was. But she was Cecilia Serpia. Stubborn, strong headed, and bursting with self respect. A girl like her would never show her weakness to other people around her. Maybe to Alnea and Yuri. But never to anyone else. Not even if they were in the same team.


    ¡°As I said earlier, I am Cecilia Serpia, daughter of Ionia Serpia, from the Serpia clan of Rianra, and an Intermediate Stage False Wanderer. From my name, you should have already guessed that I am most proficient in close combat Martial Styles. In addition, I am also proficient in single attack Arcanas. If the conditions are right, I can even defeat Peak Stage Wanderers with my Arcanas. Even in normal cases though, my Arcanas would still be enough to take down most, if not all Advanced Stage False Wanderers.¡±


    ¡°¡­No wonder you three have always been together,¡± Vestia said with a complicated expression on her face. ¡°You make just the perfect team together.¡±


    ¡°And now, the ten of us will make the perfect team,¡± Alnea said, earning Vestia¡¯s smile in return. ¡°Alright, who¡¯s next?¡±


    ¡°¡­Zain, Zain Enhall,¡± Zain said, with a haughty expression on his face hiding the excitement of finally getting his own teammates. ¡°Son of Zaen Enhall. From the Enhall clan of Inar. I should be able to reach the Peak Stage anytime now. And I am proficient in all three paths. I can take on any role on the battlefield.¡±


    ¡°¡­Zain,¡± Alnea said, glancing at the white robed man with a sigh. ¡°Be serious.¡±


    ¡°I am serious,¡± Zain said, trying to look and sound as solemn as he could. ¡°Only the mediocre will be bound by norms. A genius like me can take on any role he wishes.¡±Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation.


    ¡°¡­Right, you are the greatest genius. You can do whatever you wish. But can you tell us what you are more proficient in?¡±


    ¡°¡­Well, if you insist, you can say that I am most proficient in casting Arcanas.¡±


    ¡°¡­The Enhalls do have quite a varied collection of Arcanas,¡± Vestia said from the side. ¡°The Enhalls have been¡­ quirky since the Age of Gods. Every once in a while, they will have some eccentric Wanderers amongst their ranks¡­ Anyways, just know that the Arcanists of the Enhall clan have dabbled in all twelve lineages since the Age of Gods. As such, their collection of Arcanas is also one of the most extensive ones. So, it is not an overstatement to say that he is most proficient in Arcanas.¡±


    ¡°¡­That should be enough,¡± Alnea said, trying not to pay attention to Zain, puffing his chest out in pride. ¡°Though we would prefer if everyone told us about themselves on their own, rather than hearing it from others. Alright, who is next?¡±


    ¡°Since the four of you have already introduced yourself, let me be next,¡± Vestia said, glancing at everyone in the hall. ¡°I am Vestia Weina, daughter of Foriana Weina, from the Weina clan of the Erwein Forest. And I am a Peak Stage False Wanderer. In addition, just like the others before me, I also walk on all three paths, though my specialisation is combining the path of Arcanists with the path of Warriors. That is to say, I prefer to use Arcanas while fighting in close quarters with my enemies.¡±


    ¡°¡­Quite an interesting way to fight. Maybe I will try it when I have enough Spirit Power.¡±


    ¡°How about I teach you myself?¡± Vestia said, flashing her smile once again. And for a moment, Alnea almost agreed to her. That was until he felt the cold gazes fall on him.


    ¡°¡­We will talk about this later,¡± Alnea said, turning towards his new teammates. ¡°First, let us complete what we have begun.¡±


    ¡°¡­I am Ralph Erstone, son of the Erstone clan of the Broken Stone Valleys, a Peak Stage False Wanderer. I have dabbled in all three paths a little, but I am best in the path of Scholars. Mostly in Glyphs and Glyph Arrays which can help me trap my enemies.¡±


    ¡°¡­Aren Winstoke, son of Garreth Winstoke. From the Winstoke clan of the Winstoke plains. A Peak Stage False Wanderer. Best at Arcanas which can trap my enemies, and Glyphs which can torture them¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­Fran. Fran Greenspark.¡±


    ¡°¡­Greenspark,¡± Karl mumbled. ¡°You do not mean the Greenspark clan of the Green Lightning Valley, right?¡±


    ¡°¡­There is only one Greenspark clan in the world.¡±


    ¡°¡­Is it true that some of your cities were¡ª


    ¡°That is enough, Karl,¡± Alnea said, shaking his head. He had heard about the tragedy of the Greenspark clan from Vestia. ¡°He will share what he wants to share. There is no need for you to dig into it.¡±


    ¡°¡­I am a Peak Stage False Wanderer, good at defensive Martial Styles, and offensive Glyphs.¡±


    ¡°¡­Next¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­I am Norren Redwin, son of Venrier Redwin, from the Redwin clan of the Red Trail Dessert. I am also a Peak Stage False Wanderer, walking on all three paths at once, but my specialisation in all three paths is the same. I prefer attacking over defending or controlling my enemies¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­Karl Onet, son of Igor Onet, from the Onet clan of the Umber Forests. I am a Peak Stage False Wanderer, walking on the path of Scholars¡ª


    ¡°Scholar?¡± Alnea said, looking at grey robed man in confusion. ¡°Did you not say¡ª


    ¡°Right, I meant Arcanist¡ª


    ¡°Warrior¡­¡±


    Everyone looked at Karl in silence, making him shift uncomfortably on the ground.


    ¡°¡­It is not my fault. You said that we should hide our abilities¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­Even if you hide your abilities, you should do it in way that everyone believes you¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­I am an Initial Stage False Wanderer who has just begun my journey as a Wanderer?¡±


    ¡°¡­Do you think anyone is stupid enough to believe that?¡±


    ¡°No? Then¡ª


    ¡°Just tell us how you want to act in the team in the future, so that we can better arrange our tactics.¡±


    ¡°¡­I want to stay in the back during battles. That should increase my chances of survival.¡±


    ¡°¡­As a scholar then?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s what I was saying in the beginning.¡±


    ¡°¡­You do know some Glyphs, right?¡±


    ¡°Of course. I have mastered thir¡ªone Glyph in total.¡±


    ¡°¡­I do not care how you usually hide your abilities, but if your clumsiness endangers anyone in our team, then I will kick you out of the team. Do you understand?¡±


    Silence spread in the hall along with his words, forcing everyone to look at him with a bit more respect, while Cecilia and Yuri had a hint of pleasant surprise on their faces. For a few moments, Alnea could not understand what they were so stunned for, until he heard his own words.


    ¡­When did he become so domineering? Especially to a timid Wanderer like Karl¡­ On second thought, he had been pretty assertive during the whole conversation, dominating it from the beginning to the end¡­ No, his dominance¡ªhis confidence had not sprouted just after entering the mansion. It was something he had cultivated over the past two days¡­


    All sorts of emotions crossed his Heart, making him feel faint and embarrassed, only for his instincts to kick in, and supress all those emotions. Taking a deep breath, Alnea glanced towards Vestia and found her looking at him with pride teeming in her eyes. As he had thought¡­ He would have to thank her later. But for the moment, he had other important things to do.


    ¡°Now that we have learned a bit more about each other, I think it is time that we move on to what I had mentioned earlier. Deciding the future direction of our team, and how we will go about fulfilling our goals and dreams.¡±

 Chapter 34: Interests and Desires [Part 1]

    ¡°¡­Some of our dreams may not be as easy to achieve as you think,¡± Fran said in his usual hoarse voice. ¡°And some dreams are not something that we can talk about openly¡­ Are you sure that you want to discuss how to help us achieve our dreams?¡±


    ¡°¡­Trust me when I say this, Fran,¡± Alnea said, flashing his teeth in a grin. ¡°None of your dreams can be more dangerous than mine.¡±


    ¡°¡­I know that you are not afraid of danger, or else, you would not have dared to offend an Orthodoxy by yourself. In fact, it is exactly because of your fearlessness that I decided to join your team. But being fearless and being overconfident are two different things.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I have enough ability to back my confidence.¡±


    ¡°¡­I am not worried about you. I am worried about myself. Since we are in a team now, everything you do might affect us as well. Especially within the Black Desert. If you are still so overconfident within the desert, you might lead us to our doom.¡±


    ¡°¡­He does have a point,¡± Karl added. ¡°Overconfidence is not conducive to survival.¡±


    ¡°¡­I will try to restrain myself, and act with more caution.¡±


    ¡°And our dreams,¡± Ralph added from the side. ¡°In a certain way, our dreams can be equated with our conviction. How can we share it with you so easily, let alone ask for your help?¡±


    ¡°¡­I think you may have misunderstood me a little,¡± Alnea said, trying his best to restrain his hands from scratching his head, and look more mature. ¡°I never asked you to share your dreams. I just said that we have to decide our future directions, and how to go about fulfilling our goals and dreams.¡±


    ¡°Is that not the same thing?¡±


    ¡°It is not,¡± Alnea said, shaking his head. ¡°What I wanted to say was that we need to discuss how to achieve our goals in the city, while getting closer to fulfilling our dreams. At the very least, we cannot let our actions in the city take us further from our ultimate dreams. After all, we cannot ignore the bigger picture for some short-term benefits.


    ¡°Besides, we may be a team, but only within the bounds of the Black Desert. When we leave the Lost City for good, we will return to being the strangers that we were. Even if we do maintain good relationship, we might not have the same level of understanding, or cooperation. Maybe, we might even turn against each other for our dreams. If such a case were to happen, how would I be able to help you fulfil your dreams?¡±


    ¡°¡­You are being too pessimistic, Alnea,¡± Vestia said, looking at him with an aggrieved face. ¡°How can you think about me like that?¡±


    ¡°I did not name you¡­ And I was not wrong either.¡±


    ¡°Anyways, I am never going to betray you. And our dreams will not bring us apart either. Maybe, they might even bring us together¡­¡±


    ¡°Let us save the talks about our future to our future selves,¡± Yuri said, while Cecilia glared at Vestia, warning her to not go too far. ¡°For now, don¡¯t you have more important things to discuss, Alnea?¡±


    ¡°Right, the team,¡± Alnea said, turning his attention back to everyone else. ¡°I was about to discuss our future directions with everyone, but Fran, Karl, and Ralph reminded me of something even more important. As a team, the most important thing for us to work together is not just our goals and dreams, but an idea that can make us give up all our differences and come together for our common goal. We already have a common goal, entering the inner city. All we need now is an idea¡ª


    ¡°Chasing after the ¡®Stars¡¯, ¡®Seeking¡¯ the ones that belong to us¡­¡±  Ralph said, stepping in before Alnea could finish speaking. ¡°I think that is good enough of an idea.¡±


    ¡°¡­Although that is indeed an appropriate way to describe us, I would not have said anything if that was enough to bind everyone together,¡± Alnea said. ¡°After all, our goals may be the same, but the ¡®stars¡¯ that we are chasing after are all different. If we are given the choice of completing our goals, or catching our stars, we will choose the stars over our temporary goals any day. Do not deny it. I chose all of you to join the ¡®Star Seekers¡¯ exactly because of the persistence in your Hearts.¡±


    ¡°¡­It looks like I taught him well,¡± Zain mumbled to himself, but loud enough for everyone else to hear. No one paid attention to him though. Especially the five new Star Seekers.


    ¡°¡­So? Do you have the ¡®idea¡¯ that can bind us together?¡± Aren said, with Alnea shaking his head in return.


    ¡°Although I want to say that we can come up with this ¡®idea¡¯ together, in the end, we are Wanderers. No matter how we try to gloss over it, we cannot trust each other¡ª


    ¡°I trust you, Alnea,¡± Vestia said, winking at him, destroying the solemn atmosphere in the hall. ¡°I believe that you will never betray me.¡±


    ¡°¡­Except in some special cases. But those special cases are far and few in our team. Obviously, our team cannot work on just trust. And though the restrictions of the city can stop us from betraying each other, it cannot motivate us to do our best to help each other. Just a simple ¡®idea¡¯, no matter how great it may be, it will not be enough to bring us together.¡±


    ¡°Then why are you talking about it?¡±


    ¡°¡­Since a simple ¡®idea¡¯ is not enough to bind us together, then we will go beyond the scope of just ideas. We will create conditions for us to voluntarily help each other and do our best for the team. And this condition can be created only if we share our interests.¡±


    ¡°¡­Interests?¡± Karl mumbled, while Aren, Norren, and Fran frowned in thought. Ralph, on the other hand, just kept looking at him in silence, waiting for him to continue. As for Zain¡­ Alnea would be happy if he did not make any troubles. Just as he would be happy if Cecilia would not glare at him¡­ How was it his fault that Vestia was smiling at him once again? And what was that light shining light in her eyes¡­


    ¡°That¡¯s right, interests,¡± Alnea said, suppressing his errant thoughts in the depths of his Heart. ¡°Not the traditional kind of interests, but interests as in the benefits we can get. Only if our interests are linked with each other, will we be able to work together for the sake of our team. Only when the benefits of our teammates would bring benefits for us, would we be able to advance as a team.¡±If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    ¡°¡­That does sound reasonable.¡±


    ¡°¡­So many benefits, without any side effects¡­ I think it sounds unreasonable¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­What are you afraid of? We are in a team now. We cannot harm each other even if we want to.¡±


    ¡°¡­I guess there is no harm in trying.¡±


    ¡°¡­Whatever.¡±


    ¡°So, if no one has a problem¡ª


    ¡°I have a problem,¡± Yuri said in a crisp tone, bringing everyone¡¯s attention to herself. At the same time, her words also brought some surprise to everyone¡¯s faces. Especially to Vestia. The amused smile on her face¡­ It was as if she was getting ready to watch a show.


    ¡°¡­Don¡¯t make troubles, please,¡± Alnea said, but got no response. At least not directly through their bond.


    ¡°You talk about linking everyone¡¯s interests together, but people change, Alnea. And so does their interests.¡±


    ¡°¡­I admit that our interests may change with time, but that would take a lot of time. Much longer than what we will spend as a team.¡±


    ¡°¡­For a moment, let us assume that our interests remain the same. And that we have successfully linked our interests. But how can you ensure that the link will stay strong? How can you ensure that none of us will try to advance their interests at the cost of others?¡±


    ¡°¡­We will find a way.¡±


    ¡°How? By reasoning with everyone?¡± Yuri said, shaking her head. ¡°Not everyone listens to reason, Alnea. Especially when they are desperate. And the people you have chosen¡­ they are all desperate.¡±


    ¡°¡­I must say that he does have an eye for people,¡± Vestia said, nodding in support of Yuri. ¡°Out of nearly a hundred people who came to us today, all the people you chose to join our team are so desperate¡­ I think, we can use Desperate Stars as an alternative name for our team.¡±


    ¡°¡­If they had not been so desperate, would Wanderers of their potential have chosen to join our team?¡±


    ¡°¡­Fair enough,¡± Vestia said, shrugging her shoulders, before turning towards Yuri. ¡°Since you have said so much, you must have a solution too, right?¡±


    ¡°¡­There is only one way to ensure that we remain and act as a team,¡± Yuri said, turning her head away from Vestia. ¡°It is also something that every team must have. Something that we have been ignoring until now.¡±


    ¡°¡­What is it?¡±


    ¡°A leader,¡± Yuri said. ¡°Every team must have its leader. Captain, if you may. A person who can lead our team, and ensure its integrity, preventing everyone from sacrificing other people¡¯s interests for their own. For a while, we can do with a central idea, or even without linking our interests, but we cannot do without a good captain.¡±


    ¡°Captain¡­¡± Zain mumbled, while everyone else stared at Yuri in a daze.


    ¡°¡­That¡¯s it?¡± Cecilia said. ¡°You said all those things, just to say that we need a captain?¡±


    ¡°¡­Is that reason not enough?¡±


    ¡°¡­I mean, having a captain in a team is common sense¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­Unfortunately, someone was ignoring that common sense, and going endlessly about other things¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­Well, I can sacrifice myself, and be the captain¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­I was getting to it,¡± Alnea said, ignoring Zain¡¯s mumbled, while doing his best to hide his embarrassment. ¡°But will electing a captain really solve all the things you said?¡±


    ¡°Why not?¡± Vestia said, supporting Yuri once again. ¡°I think it is a great idea. In fact, if I had not been a little distracted with something else, I might even have thought about it myself¡­ Why are you looking at us like that? Did we say something wrong?¡±


    ¡°No¡­ but do we not have a captain already?¡±


    ¡°¡­Are you talking about Alnea?¡±


    ¡°Me? Captain?¡± Alnea said, getting surprised enough to forget even using his Aspects to hide his shock. ¡°When did I become the Captain?¡±


    ¡°¡­They are not wrong, you know,¡± Vestia said, with her eyes getting brighter with every passing moment. ¡°You have been practically leading us for the past two days. So, in effect, you have been acting as our Captain.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s because I was¡ª


    ¡°Do not expose your secret to everyone, fool.¡±


    ¡°¡­I will be more careful.¡±


    ¡°¡­because I was trying to learn more about everyone.¡±


    ¡°And that is how a leader should be. More caring about everyone in his team.¡±


    ¡°¡­Then how about we make him our Captain in both effect, and name?¡±


    ¡°¡­As long as it can increase our chances of our survival¡­¡±


    ¡°I have no problem.¡±


    ¡°¡­Me neither.¡±


    ¡°¡­Well, if it is Alnea, I guess I have no problem either.¡±


    ¡°¡­Were you not planning to become our captain just now?¡±


    ¡°How to say it¡­ He also has half of my talent. That¡¯s enough to become our Captain¡­¡±


    ¡°Then why can you not be our Captain?¡±


    ¡°¡­I have to focus my talent in other areas,¡± Zain mumbled, shifting his eyes across the room to shift the topic, until his eyes landed on Cecilia. ¡°How about Cecilia?¡±


    ¡°What about her?¡±


    ¡°What do you think of her as our Captain?¡±


    ¡°¡­I would not recommend electing a girl as our Captain.¡±


    ¡°Hey, what¡¯s wrong with girls being the Captain?¡±


    ¡°¡­They are more impulsive.¡±


    ¡°¡­And troublesome¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­Another annoying punk,¡± Cecilia said, gritting her teeth, imagining herself to break the teeth of the two annoying men.


    ¡°¡­Anyways, you have not said whether you agree with Alnea as the our Captain or not?¡±


    ¡°¡­If not him, who would I agree to being our Captain? You?¡±


    ¡°¡­It¡¯s not impossible. Maybe you saw my talent¡ª


    ¡°Shut up, Zain,¡± Alnea said, pinching his brows to calm his headache. He had enough things to worry about already, he did not wish to add another man getting close to Cecilia to add to that list. Although he had enough trust in Cecilia, he could not stop himself from feeling jealous. Especially since everything between them was so ambiguous. Not to mention the fact that they had begun to spend less and less time together ever since they came to the Lost City¡­


    Maybe that was why Cecilia and Yuri reacted so much to Vestia¡¯s provocations. Because of jealousy, and the silent fire burning in their chests¡­ Large chests¡­ They had grown much larger in the months that he had not noticed. Even if their chests could not compare to big sis Serena¡¯s, or his master¡¯s, they were only slightly smaller than Vestia¡¯s chest¡­


    Alnea tore his eyes away from the chests of the three girls, while deciding to spend more time with Cecilia and Yuri every day. But that was something he would do later. For the moment, he had something else to do. He already discussed the advantages and disadvantages of being the Captain with Yuri. He was sure that she would make a much better Captain than him, but that might increase her chances of exposure.


    In the current situation, with the entire Lost City focusing its attention on them, it was for the best if he led the team and drew Lotus clan¡¯s frantic revenge. Maybe it would lead them to facing more dangerous in the short run, but in the long run, it would save them from the possibility of facing some Supreme clans. Not to mention that it would also dissuade the other clans from investigating in too much detail. So, even if he did not wish to, he still had to assume his role as the Captain.

 Chapter 34: Interests and Desires [Part 2]

    ¡°¡­Though it looks like I was already doing the work of the team¡¯s captain, since you have chosen to place your trust in me, then I will also do my best to not fail you as your Captain,¡± Alnea said, glancing at everyone in the hall, while putting on a solemn face. ¡°Next, let us get back to what we were discussing. Linking our interests with each other¡¯s.


    ¡°Earlier, I was planning on explaining my idea in detail, but we have already wasted too much time, and there is still so much we have to discuss, so let us skip the unnecessary parts, and let me get straight to the process. We will now each briefly introduce our motivation behind going to the inner city. Keep it short and concise. There is no need to go into details, or expose your secrets, but be honest. That is all I ask. Is that alright with everyone?¡±


    Seeing everyone nod to his question, Alnea nodded back in return, and said, ¡°Let me go first to set an example anyway¡­ The reason I want to go the inner city is because I want to meet with someone. And maybe, to prove myself to that person that I am strong enough to take care of myself¡­ Does everyone understand how to explain their motivation? Good. Then, let us go one by one around the circle, starting from you, Lia.¡±


    ¡°Me? Well¡­ If I have to say it in a couple of sentences like you, then¡­ I also want to prove myself to someone¡­ And I do not want to be left behind¡­¡±


    ¡°Good. What about you, Zain?¡±


    ¡°¡­With my talent, I¡ª


    ¡°Be honest, Zain. That is all I ask.¡±


    ¡°¡­I want to prove myself to everyone in my clan, and to everyone in the city, that I am also a talented Wanderer¡­ That I can also reach the peak on the path of Wanderers¡­¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Zain,¡± Alnea said, nodding at Zain with an appreciative smile, before turning to the grey robed man sitting next to him. ¡°Karl, you know the rules¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­I want to survive¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­That is very vague, Karl¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­Then let me put it in a better way¡­ I want enough strength and means to survive anything¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­That is quite an ambitious aim,¡± Alnea said, nodding in appreciation once again, before turning towards the brown robed man. ¡°Ralph¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­I am not as ambitious as the two of them,¡± Ralph said, shaking his head with a wry smile. ¡°Besides, most of you should have already guessed my intentions. That is right, I want everyone from my clan to recognise me, and welcome me back¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­They will, Ralph. We believe in you,¡± Alnea said in a solemn voice, before turning to the red robed man. ¡°Norren¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­I am not so complicated as the rest of you,¡± Norren said, shaking his head. ¡°I just want to walk as far on the path of Wanderers as I can. And entering the inner city can obviously help me walk further on my path.¡±


    ¡°¡­It is still a worthy goal,¡± Alnea said, not belittling the red robed man¡¯s dreams whatsoever. After all, no dreams were small. Only the effort that people were willing to put behind their dreams differed from person to person. And clearly, the effort that Norren was willing to make for the sake of his dream bordered on the edge of desperation.


    Such desperation¡­ Such dedication¡­ Maybe there were things that the red robed was not willing to tell them. But that was his secret, after all. Alnea did not expect, or even want to know the secret. All he wanted was honesty, which he got. Besides, even if there were no secrets, such dedication alone was worthy of respect. Nodding at Norren in appreciation, Alnea turned to the green robed man next to him.


    ¡°¡­Fran¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­From the look on your faces, some of you must have already guessed my situation,¡± Fran said, in his usual hoarse voice. ¡°That¡¯s right. I am from one of the cities that the Heterodox Wanderers destroyed in the Green Lightning Valley. And unlike the city in Rianra, which had Lady Serena to defend against the invaders, no one was there to protect my city. To protect my family¡­


    ¡°Sometimes, I wonder, if it was Ilea¡¯s blessings, or Inkah¡¯s curse that I survived that day. Nonetheless, since I am alive, I am not going to let my life be in vain. My motivation¡­ I am not as noble or pure as everyone else¡­ I just want power for revenge. And like the buff guy next to me said, the inner city can give me greater strength. That¡¯s it.¡±


    ¡°¡­We are sorry¡ª


    ¡°No need. Just continue as normal.¡±


    Alnea sighed at the cruelty of the world of Wanderers. He did not show any pity to the green robed man though. As someone who had once burned in the flames of vengeance, he knew all too well how it felt like to have others pity on him. Rather than sympathising with the man, he just nodded to show his understanding, before turning towards the pink robed man next to him. That was the best he could do for Fran.Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    ¡°¡­Aren¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­Revenge¡­ I wish I could have that¡­¡± Aren said, going silent for a couple of moments, before continuing with his words. ¡°But I don¡¯t even know what or whom I should direct my revenge at. At this point, I just want to know the truth¡­ Only the inner city can give it to me¡­ And gaining some strength would also help me in what I want to do after understanding what happened back then¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­Planning ahead of what you will do after reaching your goal¡­ It looks like you are more thorough in your thoughts than any of us, Aren,¡± Alnea said, nodding in appreciation once again, before turning to the blue robed woman.


    ¡°Vestia¡­¡±


    ¡°You already know what I want,¡± Vestia said, winking at him, only to be glared at by Cecilia and Yuri, while receiving a helpless smile from Alnea. ¡°Alright, alright¡­ I cannot be too greedy right away¡­ Let us start with smaller goals¡­ How about a promise to let me follow you when you leave the Lost City?¡±


    ¡°No!¡±


    ¡°Absolutely not! No promises!¡±


    ¡°¡­What are you two getting excited for? I just want a promise. It is not like I am snatching him away from you¡­¡±


    ¡°No promises,¡± Cecilia said, still adamantly refusing Vestia, while Yuri regained her composure, staring solemnly at the blue robed girl sitting next to her.


    ¡°Why not?¡±


    ¡°Just because I said so.¡±


    ¡°¡­Can you be more reasonable?¡±


    ¡°¡­Let me do it instead,¡± Cecilia said after some hesitation. ¡°I will promise you instead of him.¡±


    ¡°But I do not want your promise¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­Do not force me, vixen.¡±


    ¡°¡­It is just a promise¡­ It is not as if I can force him to do anything¡­¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s because¡ª


    ¡°Cecilia,¡± Yuri said with a sigh, reminding Cecilia what to say, and what not to say, before turning towards Vestia. ¡°Have you decided already?¡±


    ¡°¡­Can I not?¡±


    ¡°The time is too short¡­¡±


    ¡°And that is one of the reasons why I came to my decision so early,¡± Vestia said, with the edge of her lips curling upwards in a smile. ¡°I have seen the progress he has made, especially in the last two days¡­ A Wanderer with potential is tempting, but a Wanderer with potential who knows how to work hard, and is also smart¡­ Of course, I cannot deny that he has a few little faults. But that is what makes him even more charming, is it not?¡±


    ¡°¡­He is not going to join your clan.¡±


    ¡°I am not asking him to join my clan either,¡± Vestia said, shaking her head. ¡°If my clan had been so domineering, it would have stopped existing long ago.¡±


    ¡°¡­Then what do you want?¡±


    ¡°¡­A backer for my clan.¡±


    ¡°¡­Yours is already one of the strongest Grand clans.¡±


    ¡°So?¡±


    ¡°How can a boy be your backer?¡±


    ¡°¡­He may be a boy now, but he is going to be one of the strongest Wanderers in the future.¡±


    ¡°¡­Are you so sure of him?¡±


    ¡°Are you not?¡±


    ¡°¡­You two¡­ I am sitting right here, you know?¡±


    ¡°¡­I will not give him up.¡±


    ¡°I am not asking you to,¡± Vestia said, shrugging her shoulders. ¡°I am asking for just a promise.¡±


    ¡°¡­When did you notice?¡±


    ¡°Notice what?¡±


    ¡°¡­Forget it, Yuri,¡± Alnea said, stretching out his right hand to hold Yuri¡¯s left hand, asking her to stop speaking, before turning back towards Vestia. ¡°Are you sure that you want just a promise?¡±


    ¡°¡­I am sure.¡±


    ¡°¡­Very well,¡± Alnea said, nodding solemnly at Vestia. ¡°I promise you that I will take you with me when we leave the Lost City.¡±


    ¡°You cannot abandon me after taking me out,¡± Vestia added with wide, innocent, and wary eyes.


    ¡°¡­I never abandon my companions, Vestia,¡± Alnea said, staring directly into Vestia¡¯s eyes. ¡°Never.¡±


    ¡°I know you will not abandon me, Alnea, but you have also seen how your two companions hate me¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­Vixen.¡±


    ¡°See?¡±


    ¡°¡­I promise you that I will not abandon you, Vestia.¡±


    ¡°¡­Thank you, Alnea. And I am sorry¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­It is fine,¡± Alnea said, shaking his head, both to reassure Vestia, and to clear his headache. It looked like not abandoning Vestia was going to be hard. ¡°Although I have known you for only a week or so¡­ If you are sincere enough, a week is enough to earn someone¡¯s trust. And I have seen your sincerity. I have seen how much you trust me. And I have also found myself beginning to trust you¡­ You are worthy enough for me to make a promise for you.¡±


    ¡°¡­I¡­ I am really sorry, Alnea¡­¡±


    ¡°Relax,¡± Alnea said with a sigh, before smiling back at Vestia. ¡°I like you more when you smile.¡±


    ¡°¡­You said the same thing to me too.¡±


    ¡°¡­Because it is true!¡±


    ¡°¡­Then whose smile is better?¡±


    ¡°Yours, of course. No doubt. Nothing can compare to your smile. Not even Orn¡¯s beauty, or Enn¡¯s radiance.¡±


    ¡°¡­You are becoming more and more slick with your tongue.¡±


    ¡°¡­Are you not angry about the promise I just made?¡±


    ¡°¡­A little, but you made the right choice. There was nothing else you could do. Besides, I believe in your judgment. Since you think she is worthy enough for you to take an Oath, there is no need for me to stop you.¡±


    ¡°¡­Thank you, Yuri.¡±

 Chapter 35: Strength and Intentions [Part 1]

    Vestia bit her lips, as she stared at Alnea with a complicated expression on her face. She did not wish to force him into making a promise either. But she had no choice. With how quickly he was progressing, she knew that he was bound to overtake her sooner than later. And with more people joining in their team, the time that she could spend with him would only get shorter.


    Time¡­ It was the greatest enemy of any and all kinds of feelings. Nothing could stand against time, not even the feelings of love, let alone the vague good impression he had of her. Coupled with how quickly he was growing, she knew that she did not have much time before things would get out of her control. So, she had no choice but to forcefully leave an impression in his Heart.


    Manipulating other people¡¯s Heart¡­ That was what the women of the Erwein Forest were best at. As she manipulated Alnea¡¯s Heart though, she could not help feeling a little disgusted with herself. For the first time, she doubted her actions, she doubted her own Heart, wondering if it was worth it¡­ If she could have made a place for herself in his Heart in the normal way¡­ If it was him¡­ If it was the shy and naive boy, then maybe¡­


    There were no maybes. And there were no buts. She had already manipulated his Heart. And with that, she had lost all his trust¡­ Or so she had thought, when she had heard the solemnity in his voice. But¡­ Despite how despicable her actions her, he did not blame her. He did not hold any grudges either. Rather, he took the initiative to comfort her, and even smiled at her. Not the fake kind, but a true smile, from the bottom of his Heart¡­


    ¡°¡­Then I will try to smile more often for you,¡± Vestia said, flashing her dimples at Alnea, while subduing the waves in her Heart, and heaviness in her chest.


    ¡°¡­Next, the only one left is you, Yuri,¡± Alnea said, tearing himself away from Vestia¡¯s enthusiastic gaze. ¡°Why do you want to enter the inner city?¡±


    ¡°¡­To ensure that a certain someone does not get himself in too much trouble,¡± Yuri said, giving him the smile that he wanted. The one that could block out his thoughts and make him fall into a daze for a few moments. ¡°And to make sure that he does not have too many flies around him either.¡±


    ¡°¡­When did the Lost City begin to have flies?¡± Zain mumbled in confusion.


    ¡°¡­Is there anything that anyone else would like to add about themselves?¡± Alnea said, changing the topic away from himself to keep himself from being embarrassed any more than he already was. Thankfully, no one seemed to notice his actions. Or maybe they just did not care, focussing on what he said instead, giving their answers with either a slight shake of their heads, or just a simple silence.


    ¡°No? Good. Then let us get back to the source of our current problem. Finding the strings that can bind us together. Of course, these strings would not be perfect, but we will have to do with it at the moment. And like Yuri said earlier, I will try to ensure that integrity of the strings¡­ of our team, as much as I can.¡±


    ¡°¡­Just get on with it.¡±


    ¡°¡­We believe in you.¡±


    ¡°¡­Alright then, the first string that I want to talk about is strength. Whether it is to prove ourselves to someone, to gain their recognition, to survive, to seek revenge, to find answers, to be with the people we want to be with, or to just keep moving forward, the most essential thing is having enough strength. Only when we have enough strength can we fulfil our goals. So, as long as we can ensure that uniting together can increase our strength, we should be able to achieve a certain level of unity and understanding.¡±


    ¡°¡­Are you talking about increasing our strength as a team?¡±


    ¡°Of course not. That is the basic condition of forming a team, increasing our strength as a whole to deal with different circumstances. If we cannot even ensure something as simple as that, then why would you join our team in the first place? And what would ensure your loyalty to the team? What would make you give your best for the team? No, increasing your strength so superficially is not enough. Instead, what we need is a way to ensure that the more we cooperate, and give our best for the team, the greater the increase in our individual strength should be.¡±


    The more that Alnea said, the more solemn everyone¡ªthe men became. The girls just looked at him with pride on their faces, as if he was not their Captain but their cub¡­


    ¡°¡­An interesting idea¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­If you can really increase our strength¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­I would not mind¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­I think that we should not rely on others to increase our strength¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­ Strength is strength.¡±


    ¡°Still, as Wanderers¡ª


    ¡°Have you never received help from your clan?¡±


    ¡°That was different. They¡­¡±


    ¡°Had an obligation to help you?¡± Fran said, scoffing at Norren. ¡°No one has an obligation to help anyone. They help you because they expect you to help them back in return.¡±


    ¡°So what? Are we not supposed to help our clans when they need it?¡±


    ¡°¡­And are we not supposed to help our team?¡±Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website.


    ¡°¡­But¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­Naive,¡± Aren said, frowning at Norren, before turning back to Alnea. ¡°Can you help us increase our strength?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Alnea said, shaking his head. ¡°I am just an Intermediate Stage False Wanderer, while most of you are Peak Stage False Wanderers. How can I increase your strength?¡±


    ¡°¡­A leader should not make false promises.¡±


    ¡°¡­I never make false promises. Besides, when did I say that I can help you increase your strength? I said that I have a way to increase your strength.¡±


    ¡°¡­What is it?¡±


    ¡°¡­Have you forgotten where we are?¡± Alne said, pointing to the floor below his feet. ¡°We are in the Lost City, a place full of opportunities. Even if we do not consider the Fortune Springs waiting for us to discover in the Black Desert, you have not forgotten about the countless precious resources that we can exchange in the Blood Hall, right?¡±


    ¡°¡­Most of those resources are worthless, meant for newcomers to the city to try their hands,¡± Ralph said, with a hint of disappointment in his voice. ¡°Even Advanced Stage resources would not be of much help to us. Only Peak Stage resources can help us a little, but their price¡­ I am not trying to lower your enthusiasm, but such resources are not something that we can afford even if we pool all our Blood Coins together.¡±


    ¡°Who said anything about Blood Coins?¡±


    ¡°¡­That would be too unfair to you, Alnea,¡± Vestia said, with a complex look on her face. As expected of Vestia. She understood what he wanted to say before he could say anything. Of course, Yuri and Cecilia understood him too. In fact, they understood him before anyone else, and had been glaring at him ever since he proposed his idea, waiting for him confirm their conjecture.


    ¡°¡­This is what I should do as your Captain. Besides, they will be wasted lying by my side anyway. I might as well use it to bind the team together.¡±


    ¡°¡­What are you two talking about?¡±


    ¡°¡­We are talking about the resources that can increase your strength.¡±


    ¡°¡­Although I do not like the idea of something being given to me, I do not particularly mind it either¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­As long as I increase my strength¡­¡±


    Alnea glanced over everyone in the hall, and said, ¡°There are two kinds of resources available in the Lost City. Of them, the ones everyone is more familiar with resources that can be exchanged with just Blood Coins. It just that though these resources can indeed help you increase your strength, their help will be limited and will come with a lot of side effects, not to mention that you can afford those resources on your anyway. No, what I am talking about are the resources of the second kind. Ones that you can exchange only with Medals.¡±


    ¡°¡­Medals?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right, Medals,¡± Alnea said, taking out a Martial Style Medal from his pouch. ¡°Although I have only Low Grade Medals right now, believe me when I say that it will not take me¡ªus¡­ It will not take us long to get Medals of higher Grade. By then, as long as you can contribute enough to the team, you will naturally be rewarded with enough Medals. As for what you can do with those Medals, you do not need me to remind you, right?¡±


    ¡°¡­Rewarding Medals¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­When did earning Medals became so easy?¡±


    ¡°¡­Is it? Why don¡¯t you earn a few yourself then?¡±


    ¡°¡­Do you think that I cannot earn Medal?¡± Zain said with disdain. ¡°I have also earned a few Medals. But I did not like how they looked. And if I broke all the records, then what would the Wanderers who come after us do? For the sake of our future generations, for the sake of our juniors, I finally chose to just go through the motions in the Trials. Or else, with my talent, I would have earned more than a hundred Medals by now.¡±


    ¡°¡­Then you should give me the Medals that our Captain gives you in the future. I will make good use of them.¡±


    ¡°¡­Forget it. It is our Captain¡¯s goodwill, after all. Giving them away would not make me look good. And it would also defeat the purpose of giving out the Medals¡­ I can only wrong myself for the team.¡±


    ¡°No need, no need. I am sure that everyone will understand. And it will also make our bonds stronger too.¡±


    ¡°Huh? Did you say something? Do not distract me. Everyone is discussing something important right now.¡±


    ¡°¡­What about the resources that can be exchanged only with Arcana or Glyph Medals?¡± Ralph said after some thought.


    ¡°¡­Like I said, do not worry. I am holding back now because of the Lotus clan, but when you need those Medals, I will surely get them for you.¡±


    ¡°¡­Even so, are you not going to use those Medals for yourself?¡±


    ¡°¡­Using nine or ten of each type of Medal should be enough for me. I will keep the rest for the team.¡±


    ¡°¡­I can pool in my Medals too,¡± Cecilia added from his side. ¡°Anyways, I have also exchanged all the Blood Crystal Martial Styles, and I do not want to use the resources of the Lost City to blindly increase my strength.¡±


    ¡°¡­Thank you, Lia,¡± Alnea said, hoping that her disdain towards the Medals would not destroy his plan before it could even take shape. Thankfully, the other people were not as disdainful towards the Medals as the three of them were.


    ¡°¡­You certainly deserve to be known as the Wanderers with greatest potential in the Lost City,¡± Ralph said with a sigh. ¡°Maybe it is also the reason why you have such confidence in yourself.¡±


    ¡°¡­This not confidence. This is arrogance.¡±


    ¡°So what?¡± Vestia said, with her lips stretched to their widest, and a dangerous light shining in her eyes. ¡°This is the arrogance that only Alnea can carry.¡±


    ¡°I can be arrogant too!¡±


    ¡°¡­That is certainly not a thing to be proud of,¡± Vestia said. ¡°And I am not talking about the indifferent arrogance you carry. I am talking about the arrogance unique to Alnea¡­¡±


    ¡°You are right,¡± Yuri said, nodding at Vestia, before turning towards Alnea. ¡°As our Captain, you should lead by example. Think twice before saying anything. And try not to be arrogant.¡±


    ¡°But¡­ I like him more this way.¡±


    ¡°¡­Now that I think about it, we really should not be proud of being arrogant,¡± Cecilia said, nodding with a solemn face. Even her voice was solemn, as were eyes. The only problem was¡­ he was never proud to be arrogant. She was.


    ¡°¡­Alnea has never been proud of his arrogance,¡± Vestia said, interrupting his thoughts. And his heart beats. How did she know what he was thinking?


    ¡°And that is also why he looks so charming with his arrogance¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­Let us not talk about unnecessary things,¡± Alnea said, before the girls could into another argument. ¡°Does anyone have any objection with what I said?¡±


    Everyone shook their heads, even Norren. He may have a stubborn Heart, but his Heart itself was set on the path of reaching the peak of Wanderers. With such a great offer in front of him, how could he refuse?


    ¡°Good. Then it is decided that those who make enough contributions to the team can get Tokens as rewards. We still need to decide how to calculate the contributions, and how to set the rewards, but we will do that later. For now, let us come to the second strong I want to talk about. Intentions¡­¡±

 Chapter 35: Strength and Intentions [Part 2]

    ¡°Our intentions are like the bridge between our motivation and our actions. If we can synchronise our intentions¡­¡±


    At first, seeing how easily everyone had accepted the concept of strength as a string to tie them together as a team, Alnea had thought that they would accept the concept of ¡®intentions¡¯ as a string too. It was not until everyone began raising their own objections that he understood how immature his thoughts were. At the same time, he also understood how tough being the Captain was.


    Thankfully, he still had some prestige amongst everyone in the hall. And they could all see that he was trying to do his best for the team, so they patiently listened to him, and offered their own opinions. They even helped him sort out a few details about his earlier plan. It was still rough, with enough room for a few more rounds of polishing, but the basic idea was set. Intentions though¡­


    Unlike strength, making everyone agree to synchronise their intentions was not easy. Except for the girls, of course. Including Vestia. After the promise she made him take, he knew exactly what her intentions were. As long as he did not disappoint her, Vestia was not going to betray him. Cecilia and Yuri, on the other hand, could never betray him. Besides, their intention was the same as his, so there was no room for betrayal anyway. The problem was not with girls, but the men.


    Zain, for instance, wanted everyone to recognise his talent, while Karl just wanted live. One was seeking the eyes of everyone in the world, while the other could not wait to fade away from the sights of those who were after him. He did not tell anyone who exactly he was hiding from, but anyone could see that the intentions of the two were complete opposite to each other.


    Not everyone¡¯s intentions were at odds though. Just like Zain, Ralph too was seeking recognition of other. He too wished to let his fame spread far and wide. Similarly, Aren and Fran were both seething with the thoughts of vengeance. Their desire for power and strength was to fill the emptiness in their Hearts. Unfortunately, though the desire for power in Norren¡¯s and Karl¡¯s Heart was pure, their intentions itself did not match.


    Ten people, with four of them focussing their intentions as one, and the rest of the six having four different intentions¡­ No matter how he looked at it, finding a common point to bind everyone¡¯s intentions together seemed almost impossible. Especially when no one was willing to change their intentions¡­


    In the end, after nearly half an hour of discussion, Alnea decided to just separate everyone into different groups, and let them fulfil their intentions in their own way, while still working in the framework of a team, advancing their interests as a whole. After all, entering the city was not as simple as just completing all the trials, and earning enough points. The final battle at the end¡­


    Although Alnea was sure that after he reached the Advanced Stage, he could easily take out a few Peak Stage Wanderers, the final battle would have more than a hundred Wanderers battling it out for the qualification of inner city. He alone would not be enough to take out so many Wanderers. And neither would Yuri, Cecilia, Vestia, or anyone else in their team for that matter. Even if they acted perfectly as a team, if the rest of the Wanderers teamed up against them, the possibility of fighting enemies more than nine times their own numbers¡­


    If they wished to enter city, then just raising their strength was not enough. They also had to gather information about other Wanderers, gather some allies, negotiate treaties, and maybe even sabotage other people¡¯s trials. Or at least that was what Karl, Aren, and Fran said. And they somehow even earned Ralph¡¯s support. But that was it.


    Alnea himself was not a supporter of sabotaging other people¡¯s efforts for no reason. Unless they provoked him, or the people close to him, he would never bother entangling other Wanderers. And Norren, as a Wanderer striving to reach the peak of his path, also disdained from using such tricks. Surprisingly though, Zain was also much more principled than the other four men. Coupled with the support of the girls, Alnea managed to suppress the idea of sabotaging other people¡¯s trials.


    Still, even if he did not deign on us using such tricks to enter the inner city, there were quite a few things that he had to prepare for. So many things, that he did not even know where to begin. Thankfully, he had Yuri and Vestia with him. With their help, he soon identified the tasks suitable for everyone. Tasks in line with their intentions, and essential for their preparation of entering the inner city.


    ¡°¡­Vestia, try to gather as much information about other teams as you can. You can use Karl¡¯s help if the need arises. I am sure that he will be glad to help¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­Norren, Aren, Fran, Ralph, and Zain, the five of you should venture into the Black Dessert more often. Remember, you will be venturing into the desert to hone your cooperation, not to sabotage other people¡¯s trials. Of course, if other Wanderers come at you on their own, then there is no need to hold back. Just¡­ keep your safety as your priority, and if you can, try to spread the name of our team. To let everyone in the Lost City know that we cannot be trifled with¡­¡±


    ¡°Let me go with them¡­¡±


    ¡°You have other tasks, Lia,¡± Alnea said. ¡°And so do Yuri and I.¡±


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°Compared to the others in our team, our rank in the Arena is too low. If this is allowed to continue, then maybe, when they will be qualified to enter the inner city, we will still be trying to increase our ranks in the Arena¡­¡±


    ¡°It cannot be helped,¡± Vestia said. ¡°You have just come to the Lost City, not to mention that you are not even at the Advanced Stage yet¡­¡±


    ¡°We cannot let an excuse, no matter how reasonable, come in our way.¡±


    ¡°What are you going to do then?¡±


    ¡°Increase our ranks, of course,¡± Alne said, before glancing at Yuri and Cecilia. ¡°For the next month, the three of us will try to raise our ranks as much as we can. We can even try fighting twice or thrice a day. In any case, we must catch up with the rest of the team as soon as possible.¡±


    ¡°Fighting so much¡­¡± Vestia said with a frown, disagreeing with him for the first time in a while. ¡°You do remember that the Lotus clan is after you, right? Or have you forgotten what happened when the last time you fought against three people in a row?¡±


    ¡°¡­I remember everything,¡± Alnea said, recalling the details of the day. ¡°The noise, the blood, the terror¡­ I remember each and every last detail of that day. But that is no reason for me to stop moving forward.¡±


    ¡°¡­The Lotus clan might try to trap you once again.¡±Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.


    ¡°It does not matter. I believe in my team, and I believe in myself. I have already passed my weakest phase. The Lotus clan cannot do anything to me now.¡±


    ¡°¡­What about other clans that might get jealous of you?¡±


    ¡°¡­Still the same thing. I will never stop moving forward, no matter what.¡±


    That was his Oath.


    ¡°¡­It will be dangerous.¡±


    ¡°Dangerous? How much danger can we face in the Arena? Can it be greater than the danger that the five of them are going to face? If I ask them to complete such a dangerous task, but shy away from the first sign of danger myself, how can I be qualified to lead everyone?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s different. They¡ª


    ¡°¡­Forget it, Vestia,¡± Yuri said, with a hint of pride and helplessness mixed in her voice. ¡°When he gets like this, no one can change his mind.¡±


    ¡°¡­Stubborn,¡± Vestia said, putting in dissatisfaction, while Yuri and Cecilia sneered at her.


    ¡°¡­You call this being stubborn? At least he is thinking before taking actions now. Back then¡­¡±


    ¡°Truly worthy of the name Alnea Reckless.¡±


    ¡°¡­That name does suit him a little.¡±


    ¡°¡­I am right here, you know?¡±


    ¡°Of course, we know.¡±


    ¡°We are talking so loudly so that you can hear us in the first place.¡±


    ¡°And hope that you gain some sense.¡±


    ¡°¡­But you are right.¡±


    ¡°At least you did not try to face the dangers all by yourself this time.¡±


    That was because he knew that he was the weakest of them at the moment. Yuri aside, Cecilia had an Oren Beast at the peak phase of its Adolescent Stage fighting by her side all the time. Coupled with her own Arcanas, and superb fighting skills, what kind of danger could she get into? As for Yuri¡­ Alnea did not think there was anyone in the city who could pose a threat to her.


    The same was true for him too, of course. But only if he used the power of his Oaths. The blade of his Oaths¡­ He still remembered its power. The strength that had coursed through his veins. Even if he had not been conscious himself, just his instincts and memories alone had been enough to easily crush a Peak Stage False Wanderer. It was just that the price of using the power of his Oaths was too heavy.


    The nausea and loss of control over himself aside, resonating with his Roots put a great toll on them. It did not matter that his Roots were special. Rather, it was exactly because his Roots were special that they had become so weak and unstable. If his Roots themselves had not been strong enough, then they might even have crumbled under the pressure of resonance.


    Still, as a consequence of resonating with his Roots before his Domain and Heart had become stable enough to handle the resonance, he was forced to stop taking Oaths for a while. It was only recently that he had resumed taking Oaths. And even then, he had to be careful, so as to not take too difficult of an Oath, lest the remaining traces of his last resonance trigger a resonance once again.


    He was not stupid enough to say all those things to Yuri though. So, he could only take advantage of the moment, and say, ¡°¡­That is because I believe in you. And you too, Lia. I believe that when the three of us are together, we can face anything in the world.¡±


    ¡°¡­Why am I feeling so sour all of a sudden?¡± Vestia mumbled.


    ¡°¡­It is called jealousy,¡± Cecilia said, smirking at Vestia.


    ¡°Oh? You seem to be quite experienced with how jealousy feels¡­¡±


    ¡°You¡­¡±


    ¡°Alright, then,¡± Alnea said, interrupting the girls before they could fight once again. ¡°Does anyone have any questions about the tasks that I gave you?¡±


    ¡°¡­You have not made my role in gathering information clear. How am I supposed to help Vestia?¡±


    ¡°Did you not wish to be a little incognito?¡±


    ¡°¡­I did. But¡ª


    ¡°Then this is the perfect task for you. While Vestia will be gathering information, you will follow her from a distance, and try to gather information about the people following her. You may even use your discretion to gather information about other people directly. I know that your role is still a little vague¡­ And not just you. All the tasks that I gave out are a little vague, but bear with them for now. Let us sort out the details slowly, and work together to perfect our team with time, and experience¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­We have no problems.¡±


    ¡°¡­Whatever¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­Thank you for believing in me,¡± Alnea said, nodding at his teammates. ¡°There are still a few things that I need to talk about, but I think that we have had enough discussions today. Let us first digest what we have discussed already, and try to get along with each other more often. It would be even better if we start living together. Unfortunately, this mansion can host only six people at a time, and it has only been a week since I rented it. Letting go of it to rent a bigger mansion right away would be a waste of Blood Coins¡­


    ¡°We can shift into a bigger mansion in the month, but you cannot waste your time till then¡­ How about this, since the five of you will be venturing into the Black Desert on your own for the next month or so, why not rent a mansion together? If you live together, it might help you in building your cooperation and teamwork. Do not worry about Blood Coins. I can lend you some first, and¡ª


    ¡°No need,¡± Ralph said, shaking his head. ¡°Although we cannot quite afford to enjoy the luxuries of the city, we are not so miserable as to not even be able toa afford a small mansion either. It is just that we did not have any reasons to rent a mansion earlier.¡±


    ¡°Good. It is decided then. For the next month, the five you will live together, and try to understand each other¡¯s fighting habits. Be it against Oren Beasts or other Wanderers. Only when you fight together, can you develop enough cooperation and understanding. You can also take Karl and Vestia with you from time to time, and let them get acquainted with the team. Lia, Yuri, and I should join from the next month, when we have caught up with you in the Arena. As for the rest, let us discuss about it next month. Does anyone have a problem with this arrangement?¡±


    Seeing everyone shake their heads in unison, Alnea nodded with a smile, and said, ¡°Since that is the case, let us stop wasting our time, and get straight to work. Ralph, I am appointing you as the temporary leader of your small team. When I am not there, you will lead Norren, Aren, Fran, and Zain. And Zain, try not to clash with the members of your team. Also, when are you going to break through to the Peak Stage?¡±


    ¡°¡­In a couple of days, probably.¡±


    ¡°¡­I have given you your chance to shine. Do not let it go to waste.¡±


    ¡°¡­Stop underestimating me,¡± Zain said with a snort.


    ¡°¡­If you say so,¡± Alnea said, before turning towards everyone else. ¡°Vestia, try to keep your safety as your top priority when you collect information, alright?¡±


    ¡°¡­Are you worried about me?¡±


    ¡°¡­He is worried about you because you are his teammate,¡± Cecilia answered for Alnea, only for Vestia¡¯s smile to widen at her words.


    ¡°I will take that as a yes.¡±


    ¡°¡­Think what you want,¡± Alnea said with a sigh, before turning towards Karl. ¡°I should not have to remind you to be cautious, right?¡±


    ¡°¡­No.¡±


    ¡°¡­If you feel you are in danger, you can ask for Aren¡¯s help. And if you can, help him check out the things he wants to search for.¡±


    ¡°¡­Alright.¡±


    ¡°¡­Does anyone have anything else to say?¡±


    Seeing everyone look at each other, and shake their heads, Alnea smiled and said, ¡°Then that marks the end of the first meeting of Star Seekers. Before everyone leaves though, there is just one more thing I would like to say. Some of you may have been forced by your circumstances to join Star Seekers, while some of you may have joined us just to seek some benefits. It does not matter. You are all Star Seekers now. You are all now part of the same team.


    ¡°I do not care if you do not trust each other. Except for a few people, I do not trust you either. But that does not matter. You are not alone. Not anymore. The days when you used to chase after your ¡®Stars¡¯ all on your own are over. If there is anything that would like to share, if there is anything you need help for, do not hesitate to come to us. Even if the ¡®Stars¡¯ that we are ¡®Seeking¡¯ are different, we will still chase after them as a team¡­¡±

 Chapter 36: Preperation for the second step [Part 1]

    Chasing after Stars¡­ That did not seem like a bad idea. Especially since he was not going to chase after the stars on his own. He had a team, one whose company he had come to enjoy over the past couple of weeks. He may have been a little hesitant about opening up to them at first, but as he spent time with them, he began to understand why his master had insisted that he come to the Lost City and make new friends.


    Even if most of the friends he would make would go on their separate ways after leaving the Lost City, just the experience of opening up to new people, and learning to trust them would still help him in learning more about himself¡­ about his Heart. When it came to leading a team though¡­


    Obviously, Yuri was much more qualified to become their team¡¯s Captain. Even Vestia would probably do a better job than him. At the very least, she would not be hypocritical like him. Asking everyone to share what they had on their mind, only to keep everything that he was struggling with to himself¡­ He did not even share the origin of their team¡¯s name with anyone.


    Star Seekers. Wanderers chasing after ¡®Stars¡¯, ¡®Seeking¡¯ the ones that belonged to them. That was how he had explained the idea behind the name. In actuality, he had borrowed the name from another world, from the group of people who called themselves Starseekers, seeking the stars within themselves, slowly transforming into stars themselves. Though in his defence, Star Seekers was not exactly the same as Starseekers, so he could not be said to be blindly copying the name, like he had done so for himself.


    Names held power, especially when it came from another world. Who knew what kind of curse it could be carrying with itself? Having learned his lesson once, Alnea was not going to repeat the same mistake. Even if it was nominal, change was necessary. As long as it could fight against the curse of name¡­ as long as it could fight against Fate¡­ Was he really fighting against Fate though?


    Star Seekers¡­ Oathkeeper¡­ It was as if he was seeking comfort for everything that had once happened to his namesake. No, not for his namesake. He was seeking comfort for himself¡­ He was running away from himself¡­ from what he had done¡­ from what he could do¡­ He was running away from his¡ª


    ¡°What are you thinking, Alnea?¡± Cecilia said, breaking Alnea away from his thoughts, from the cliff of the abyss that he did not dare to look at.


    ¡°Nothing,¡± Alnea said, forcefully subduing the waves his Heart, as he shoved a spoonful of thick, brownish broth into his mouth, wondering if he had been cutting back on his meditations a bit too much lately. For his Heart to lose control of his thoughts so easily¡­


    ¡°¡­It did not seem like nothing,¡± Cecilia mumbled. ¡°Are you worried about Zain and the others?¡±


    ¡°¡­It would be a lie if I say that I am not worried about them, but this is not the first time they are venturing into the Black Desert so they should be fine.¡±


    ¡°Then why have you been acting so weird recently?¡±


    ¡°¡­Have I?¡±


    ¡°¡­I have not known you for long, so I cannot say for sure, but you have indeed been frowning a lot for the past couple of days,¡± Karl said in a low voice.


    ¡°It¡¯s not just the frown,¡± Cecilia added. ¡°The way you have been phasing out¡­ and the faces that you are making¡­¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong with his face?¡± Vestia said, with her lips curving upwards ever so slightly. ¡°I like the way he looks so serious¡ª


    ¡°Of course, that¡¯s the first thing that would come to your mind. What else could I have expected from a vixen who only thinks about herself?¡±


    ¡°¡­I was just being polite,¡± Vestia said, rolling her eyes at Cecilia. ¡°He has a right to keep his thoughts to himself, you know?¡±


    Pausing for a moment, Vestia turning towards Alnea, and flashed her dimples at him, before continuing where she had left off.


    ¡°Though I would not mind if you shared your thoughts with me.¡±


    ¡°Of course, you would not mind,¡± Cecilia said, glaring back at the blue robed girl. ¡°Why not ask him to also cuddle up with you while you are at it?¡±


    ¡°Here? In front of everyone? Although I would not mind¡­¡±


    ¡°Vixen!¡±


    ¡°Thank you for the complement, little snake.¡±


    ¡°You¡ª


    ¡°That¡¯s enough,¡± Yuri said, glancing between the two girls. ¡°Stop bickering like children. If you two want to fight, you can do so back in our mansion. But while we are in the Blood Hall, try to act like the Wanderers you are.¡±


    ¡°¡­She started it¡ª


    ¡°Cecilia.¡±


    ¡°¡­Fine,¡± Cecilia said, shooting her glares at the blue robed woman, which the latter returned with a smile.


    ¡°You too, Vestia. Since you know how Cecilia will react, why do you have to provoke her in front of other Wanderers?¡±


    ¡°¡­It¡¯s just so much fun.¡±


    ¡°You¡ª


    ¡°You can have your fun when you two are alone. When there are other Wanderers around us, do not let your urges overwhelm your Heart.¡±


    ¡°¡­You were much more fun to talk with the first few times we met,¡± Vestia said, clicking her tongue. Once her eyes met with Yuri¡¯s though, she could only shake her head in resignation. ¡°Fine. I will try not to tease her as often.¡±Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.


    ¡°¡­That will do for now,¡± Yuri said, nodding in satisfaction, before turning towards Alnea.


    ¡°¡­Why are you looking at me like that?¡±


    ¡°What do you think?¡±


    ¡°¡­I did not do anything.¡±


    ¡°That is the problem,¡± Yuri said. ¡°You are their Captain. You should be doing something when your teammates are arguing.¡±


    ¡°¡­It was just some harmless banter.¡±


    ¡°For now. Once we begin venturing into the desert though, even a harmless banter may prove to be fatal.¡±


    ¡°¡­It is not that serious¡ª


    ¡°It is.¡±


    ¡°¡­Even if it is, you can easily shut them up when necessary.¡±


    ¡°But I am not their Captain, you are.¡±


    ¡°¡­Maybe I should have thought a little bit more before agreeing to become the Captain.¡±


    ¡°Stop whining. You are Wanderer now, and not an inexperienced one. It is that time that you grow up.¡±


    ¡°¡­Fine. I will stop them if they cross the line.¡±


    ¡°And complete the rest of your responsibilities as a Captain.¡±


    ¡°¡­And complete the rest of my responsibilities as a Captain.¡±


    ¡°Good,¡± Yuri said, finally allowing a hint of a smile to surface on her face. Once she let go of her emotions though, she could not hide the hint of worry flashing in her eyes. Not that she ever hid her emotions from him. Still, it was rare for her to show her concern in front of other Wanderers.


    ¡°Stop worrying so much, Alnea. You will do just fine.¡±


    ¡°¡­I hope so,¡± Alnea said, as he gulped down the last of the broth from his bowl, before putting away his spoon, and glancing at his teammates with a wide grin. ¡°Is everyone done?¡±


    ¡°Does that even need to be asked?¡±


    ¡°It has been nearly three quarters of an hour since we came to the canteen. Just how much do you think we can eat?¡±


    ¡°Huh? Has it been so long?¡± Alnea said, glancing at everyone¡¯s plate. They were indeed empty. He would never have missed something like that in the Night Canyons. It looked like he was beginning to become a little too comfortable with the city. Even if the city promised absolute safety within its Blood Hall, he could not let himself become complacent. At the very least, he had to maintain a sense of vigilance to not let his instincts become dull, and waste months of his experience.


    ¡°Time sure does fly fast when eating.¡±


    ¡°¡­That¡¯s not how the saying goes.¡±


    ¡°Why are you worrying about something trivial like that?¡± Alnea said, trying to deflect the topic away from himself. ¡°You should be more worried about your appetite. And not just you. I think everyone has cut down on their food lately. Is everything alright? Or is everyone worried about gaining weight?¡±


    ¡°¡­If anyone should be worried about gaining weight, it should be you.¡±


    ¡°What are you talking about?¡±


    ¡°She is talking about how much your appetite has increased recently.¡±


    ¡°Has it?¡±


    ¡°It has, and not just by a small margin.¡±


    ¡°You eat more than me and Vestia, and our Spirit Power is nearly two entire Stages above yours. Where is all the food you are eating even going?¡±


    ¡°Clearly, not his stomach.¡±


    ¡°¡­It must be because of the Blood Crystal Martial Styles.¡±


    ¡°Although the Blood Crystal Martial do indeed have a high demand for energy, you are not the only one practising them.¡±


    ¡°It may be because I am more proficient in them, especially the four Blood Forging Styles¡­¡±


    ¡°Maybe¡­¡±


    ¡°Why are we even discussing about my appetite anyway?¡± Alnea said, smiling awkwardly, as he got up from his seat. ¡°Rather than wasting our time here, we should go back to our mansion to continue our training.¡±


    ¡°¡­Who do you think we have been waiting for?¡± Cecilia mumbled, but did not continue to dwell on the topic. Getting up from her seat, she followed behind Alnea, as did the rest of the Star Seekers, walking out from the canteen, and up the stairs into the main lobby of the Blood Hall. Just as they were about walk out of the Blood Hall though, Alnea stopped in place, as if recalling something, and turned towards his teammates with an apologetic smile.


    ¡°Can you wait for me for a while?¡± Alnea said, scratching the back of his head. ¡°There is still something that I need to attend to in the Blood Hall.¡±


    ¡°Are you going to Wanderer Tia?¡±


    ¡°Tia¡­ the receptionist of the Warrior Hall? How do you know her?¡±


    ¡°Should we not know her?¡±


    ¡°Unless she has connections with your clan¡­¡±


    ¡°Then how do you know her?¡±


    ¡°I have my sources¡­ but that is not what we are talking about right now,¡± Vestia said to Cecilia, before turning towards Alnea. ¡°What are you going to Wanderer Tia for?¡±


    ¡°Who said I was going to Wanderer Tia?¡±


    ¡°Then what are you going to do?¡±


    ¡°¡­Why does it feel like I am being interrogated?¡±


    ¡°¡­Because we are afraid that if left alone, you might do something reckless,¡± Yuri said, not caring if her words would embarrass him in front of everyone. Even though she herself said not to argue in front of other Wanderers¡­ Women really were a bunch of unreasonable creatures.


    ¡°¡­I am just going to exchange for some resources.¡±


    ¡°I thought you were not going to use the ¡®defective¡¯ resources of the city.¡±


    ¡°¡­Not that kind of resources. I want to exchange some resources to help me practise my Glyphs. You cannot expect me to practice all my Glyphs on Glyph Disc, right?¡±


    ¡°You do sound reasonable¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­Should I also exchange some resources to practice my Glyphs?¡±


    ¡°You? Practising Glyphs?¡±


    ¡°Why? What¡¯s wrong with me practising my Glyphs?¡±


    ¡°As an heiress of a Grand clan, you should know how dangerous practising with Glyphs can be. Especially for those who have just taken their first step on the path of Scholars. Unless they are of agile mind, and can quickly adapt to different situations, Wanderers should have an experienced elder supervise their practise. And since you refuse to seek help from your clan in the city¡­¡±


    ¡°Stop talking in circles, and just say what you want to say.¡±


    ¡°Well, since you asked¡­ I think it would be better if you keep yourself restricted to Martial Styles. At least until you are more familiar with your Glyphs.¡±


    ¡°Are you saying that I am a muscle head?¡±


    ¡°I did not exactly say that, but if you insist¡ª


    ¡°Alright, that¡¯s enough,¡± Alnea said, stepping in between Vestia and Cecilia before they could create another scene. ¡°Stop provoking her, Vestia. And you too, Lia. Stop trying to find excuses to fight with Vestia.¡±


    ¡°¡­I was not finding excuses.¡±


    ¡°Have you reached the stage where you can inscribe your Glyphs?¡±


    ¡°¡­No.¡±


    ¡°Then just stay put.¡±


    ¡°¡­Fine.¡±


    ¡°Do you need any help?¡±


    ¡°No. I have already decided what resources to exchange. Just stay here. I will be back before you know it,¡± Alnea said, and rushed towards the counter for redemption of resources before the girls could ask any more questions.

 Chapter 36: Preperation for the second step [Part 2]

    Blood Coins Exchange and Redemption, the counter read, standing just some ten or so metres away from the counter of Medal Redemption. And unlike the latter, which seemed a little desolate, with only the lazy receptionist lying headfirst on the counter, the former had a small queue of Wanderers lining up to exchange blood coins and resources. Mostly resources.


    Unless forced by situation, few if any Wanderers would choose to exchange their personal assets like Oren Stones for Blood Coins. After all, one was a universal currency of the world of Wanderers, while the other could be used only in the Lost City. Maybe he should ask his master for some Oren Stones, or earn some for himself, Alnea thought, as he joined the queue.


    Thankfully, the queue was not too long. There were only some seven or eight people ahead of him, and the receptionist, a man in the red robe of the city, did not seem to be interested in wasting time with the people coming to him. He went through the requests of the Wanderers mechanically, giving a red memory crystal to the people who came to him for the first time, asking them to go back and decide what resources to exchange, while fulfilling the requests of those who knew what they needed.


    ¡°¡­I need some crystalised essence of¡­¡±


    ¡°Forty Blood Coins for a gram¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­Two feathers of Red Tailed Swallow, and Twin Tailed Scorpion¡¯s poison sac¡­¡±


    ¡°Sixty Blood Coins for the feathers, seventy for the poison sac¡­¡±


    Feathers of a bird which liked to bathe in fire, and a poison sac¡­ Quite an unusual combination of materials. Was the man trying to create a Flame Poison? Or was he going to use the feathers to further refine the poison? Maybe the materials were for two different Glyphs¡­ Or even a Glyph Array¡­ Just like how¡ª


    ¡°What do you need?¡± the Wanderer standing behind the counter asked Alnea, as he stepped in front of the man.


    ¡°¡­A ten year old Red Oak¡¯s bark, half a metre. Adolescent Flame Tongued Mole¡¯s claws, two. Half a metre of Adolescent Fire Eating Rat¡¯s skin. Adolescent Red Tailed Scorpion¡¯s blood, two litres. Ornia¡¯s Tears, two drops. An Adolescent Red Tailed Eagle¡¯s feather¡­¡±


    Except for a few neutral materials, and some inhibitors, most of the materials Alnea listed were either tainted by Fire, or the carried its power. Not because he was particularly fond of Fire, of course. Although he liked Fire, he was more in awe of other Mysteries. Like those of Time and Space, or the ever elusive Fate. It was just that the only Glyph he had engraved on his Spirit corresponded to the Mysteries of Fire, making materials carrying other elements and Mysteries useless to him.


    ¡°Fifty Blood Coins for the bark, twenty for the claws, ten for the rat¡¯s skin, twenty for the rat¡¯s blood, hundred for the tears¡­ Three hundred and seventy Blood Coins in total.¡±


    Nodding in acknowledgement, Alnea handed his Blood Card over to the Wanderer, who placed it on a black box, similar to the ones that the other counters had. Except, the box in front of him had an extra attachment to its side. A flat surface, roughly an inch thick, and a little more than a foot wide on each side. And as the Wanderer worked with the black box, the items that Alnea had chosen kept materialising over the flat surface, hovering about half a foot above the table.


    While Alnea was mesmerised by the strange operation of the black box, the Wanderer handling his request grabbed the items hovering in the air before they could fall down, and put them aside, before summoning other items in a similar fashion, until all the items that Alnea had listed out earlier were lined up neatly on the counter.


    ¡°There, all done,¡± the Wanderer said, breaking Alnea away from his thoughts, and handing his Blood Card back to him.


    ¡°¡­Thank you for your help, Wanderer,¡± Alnea said, bowing slightly to the Wanderer, before quickly putting all the items away in his storage pouch, and walking away from the counter, making way for the people behind him.


    ¡°¡­Two fragments of Red Crystal¡­¡±


    Giving one last glance to the strange black box, Alnea turned away from the counter, and headed back to his teammates.If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    ¡°Sorry to keep everyone waiting.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s alright,¡± Vestia said, winking at him with a smile. ¡°Waiting for you is always a pleasure.¡±


    ¡°He was just being polite, you know?¡± Cecilia said with a scoff. ¡°And I have waited for him much longer than you ever can.¡±


    ¡°Huh. So, he made you wait, but did not keep me waiting¡­ I wonder what that means¡­¡±


    ¡°It means that we should head back,¡± Alnea said, as he felt a strange sense of chill climbing up his back. Let alone Cecilia, even Yuri was beginning to glare at him¡­ It was not even his fault. He was just standing there in silence. Why did they always have to drag him into their fights?


    ¡°Unless anyone else has things they need to attend to in the Blood Hall¡­ No? Then let¡¯s head back to our mansion,¡± Alnea said, and walked out of the Blood Hall without waiting for his teammates to respond. Not because he was indulging in his authority as a Captain, but because he simply did not wish to give the girls any chances to create another scene. Especially Vestia and Cecilia. Being a Captain was not going to be easy¡­


    Thankfully, after the scolding that Yuri had given them earlier in the canteen, neither Vestia nor Cecilia seemed to be in interested in going for each other¡¯s throat for the moment. Even Forne seemed to be a little timid for its usual self. Then again, the cat had just had its fill in the Arena about a couple of hours ago. It was only natural for it to be a little lazy for a while.


    The dumb cat did not even deign to walk on its own, preferring just simply lay in Cecilia¡¯s arms for the duration of their trip. It was not until they went back into their mansion that the cat finally jumped down from Cecilia¡¯s arms, and spread its limbs while arching its back, as if preparing to grab its favourite cushion. In vain, of course. They had already wasted too much time earlier in the Blood Hall, and there was nothing left for them to discuss anyway. At least not at the moment.


    And so, while the dumb cat paced around in the main hall, racing with itself, everyone else went directly to their room. Even Cecilia. She was already used to Forne¡¯s antics, and knew that the cat would come knocking on her door when it was bored. Till then, she could use the silence to focus on more important parts of her training. Like Wandering the Origin Sea, or experimenting with her Arcanas.


    Alnea, on the other hand, had his own share of things to worry about. Ignoring the dumb cat, he waved at the girls, and walked into his room, before taking his sword off from his waist and putting it on the rack. An action that he had been repeating for the past couple of weeks. Yet, every time he let his sword leave his side, he could not help feeling a little uneasy. So much so, that as he tried moving towards the cushion in the middle of the room, he almost could not stop his hand from reaching towards his sword.


    Then again, anyone who spent more than half a year constantly defending against the sneak attacks of Oren Beasts every time they went to rest would feel vulnerable without their weapons. And if it was a normal day, he might have given in to his instincts, allowing himself to carry his sword by his side. But it was not a normal day. Nearly twenty days after he had first engraved a Glyph onto his Spirit, he was going to try inscribing it in a near semi-permanent state, effectively taking another step forward on the path of Scholars.


    Laying down a Glyph, however, was not easy. Especially when done with precious materials rife with volatile energy. He still remembered how just a drop of blood from an Adolescent Reaper mixed with some sap from Crown Ancestor Tree had been enough to lay waste to nearly hundreds of metres of forest. Although the materials he was handling were not as volatile, the room he was in was not as large either. Process those materials with his sword by his side¡­


    Even if he had not inscribed any Glyphs on his sword, being constantly infused with Aspects every day had already begun transforming it on an intrinsic level. Not enough to transform it into an Oren weapon, but enough to let it carry some fluctuations unique his Aspects and Roots. Keeping his sword by his side while laying down the Glyph was indeed not a good idea. Though, if he went by that logic, keeping his dagger by his side was not a good idea either. Even the robe he was wearing, and the storage pouch hanging by his side¡­


    What was he thinking? How was he supposed to take out the materials if he did not keep his storage pouch with him? As for his robe¡­ That was impossible. He did not even wish to think about it. No matter how much interference it would create in his practice, he was not going to take off his robe. The dagger though¡­


    Reluctantly hanging his dagger by the side of his sword, Alnea forcefully tore himself away from his weapons, reminding himself that it was necessary precaution. Just like how, out of precaution, he did not start preparing to inscribe his Glyph immediately. Though he had rid himself of the fluctuations of the Origin Sea¡ªmost of the fluctuations of the Origin Sea, he was not ready to practise his Glyphs though. Not yet.


    Taking deep breaths, Alnea closed his eyes, and began meditating, adjusting his Heart, subduing all his unnecessary thoughts. Like the cliff he had faced earlier, or the girls¡¯ chests¡ª


    Once his Heart was Serene, Alnea exhaled a heavy breath, and opened his eyes, shining with a determined light. He knew that the task lying ahead of him was not going to be easy. Especially since the Glyph he had mastered was of the lineage of Destruction. Such Glyphs tended to be volatile on their own, not to mention when inscribed using volatile materials that might increase their instability. But he was ready.


    He was Alnea Oathkeeper, the Captain of Star Seekers. And no one could stop him from chasing after the Star he was Seeking. No one could stop him from completing his Oath and becoming the greatest Wanderer. Not even the Origin Sea.

 Chapter 37: Inscribing a Glyph [Part 1]

    For Wanderers, the Origin Sea was the source of all their powers, and at the same time, it was also the greatest obstacle on the path of harnessing the said powers. From luring them with temptations to obscuring their understanding of its Mysteries and Aspects, even going so far as to urging the powers they already had under their control to backlash against them at the slightest hint of weakness within their Heart, the Origin Sea stopped at nothing to hinder Wanderers from harnessing its powers.


    As someone who had already experienced quite a few of the Origin Sea¡¯s tricks, Alnea naturally knew how dangerous the Origin Sea could be. Especially when Wanderers tried experimenting with unfamiliar powers. Like his father. And though Alnea was not unfamiliar with the Glyph he was going to experiment with, it was the first time he was going to try inscribing it in a semi-permanent state.


    ¡°I am going to begin.¡±


    ¡°¡­Try not to blow up the mansion.¡±


    ¡°It should be able to block an Intermediate Stage Glyph from getting out of control, right?¡±


    ¡°¡­Let us not take any chances. Especially since our new teammates probably do not have Glyph Arrays strong enough to protect against an unexpected explosion of Glyphs.¡±


    ¡°I thought you would be happy if I blow up Vestia by accident.¡±


    ¡°¡­Though I do not like her, I cannot deny her usefulness to the team. Besides, she is not the only new teammate in the mansion.¡±


    ¡°¡­Fine. I will be careful,¡± Alnea said to Yuri, before turning his attention the ring on his hand. ¡°Evi, block all sounds. Even the ones coming from Yuri.¡±


    ¡°It is just a Glyph. What are you getting so nervous for?¡± Evi mumbled, but complied with his instructions anyway, blocking out all sounds from reaching his ear. A function of the ring that Alnea had discovered only recently, after he complained about hearing Cecilia and Vestia argue all day. He had already been having a headache about how to lead the team. Especially since the task he had given to himself had not been going as well as he had expected it to go. Listening to the girls bickering with each other had only irked him even more than before.


    In desperation, he had instinctively asked Evi to simply block out all sounds. A request that he had never expected to be fulfilled. It was the Ring of Fate he was wearing, after all, not the Ring of Day and Night. But it looked like he had underestimated the Divine Treasure once again. Somehow, despite harnessing only on the Mysteries of Fate, Evi had still managed to do as he had requested, bringing him the serenity he needed. Unfortunately, that peace had not lasted for long.


    Not long after learning the new function of the Divine Treasure, Alnea had been forced to take an Oath to never misuse the new function of the ring. It was, after all, a dangerous function that could become addictive. A headache would be the least of his concerns if he ever missed the sound of his enemies sneaking up on him, or some important information that he could have overheard otherwise, just because he did not like the noise.


    After some brief discussion, Alnea and Yuri decided to not use new function of the ring unless necessary. Especially Alnea. Using the ring to aid his meditation was absolutely forbidden. He could block out the sounds when he was Forging his Spirit or training his Martial Styles, but only if he was in a relatively safe place. Like his room. And even then, he could not block out Yuri unless his training needed absolute concentration. Like when experimenting with Mysteries or Glyphs. As he was about to do at the moment.


    Indulging in the absolute silence, Alnea took a deep breath, before taking out all the materials he had prepared. A piece of red bark, a couple of dark brownish claw bones, a piece of skin in a faded red hue, ten vials of dark red blood, two smaller vials each containing a drop of thick viscous liquid glowing in silverish blue light, a slightly larger vial filled with an orangish powder, a couple of thumb sized greenish white crystals, a feather with a red shaft and an orangish vane, and nearly half a dozen other exotic materials, all fascinating in their own rights.If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    It was not as if Alnea had never seen such exotic materials. The Reaper¡¯s blood and the Crown Ancestor Tree¡¯s sap that his master had shown him before were both far more valuable and rarer than the materials resting in front of him. And before he came to the Lost City, he was used to killing Oren Beasts and dealing with their bodies on almost a daily basis. Just a couple of claws and some vials of blood were not enough to mesmerise him.


    No matter how mundane the materials in front of him were though, Alnea did not dare to underestimate their danger. The piece of bark, for example, once infused with the Mysteries of Fire, be it from the lineage of Creation or Destruction, could burn for days at end. Of course, that in itself was not a problem. Rather, it was exactly this property of Red Oak Trees that made it so popular among Wanderers with mastery over Glyphs of the Fire Series. Especially since a sufficiently old tree was capable of withstanding Mysteries of even the Mystic Rank.


    As long as they were handled properly, Red Oak Trees could indeed be considered to be rather superior material for Fire Glyphs. When not handled properly though¡­ With the potential of reaching a terrifying temperature comparable to that of the molten river of fire flowing under the land, even a ten year old Red Oak Tree could explode with a devastating power no worse than that of some Peak Stage False Wanderers.


    Though Alnea himself was not afraid of such an explosion, he could not say the same about the mansion. Not to mention that he was not exactly alone in the mansion either. His conversation with Yuri was not entirely a joke. There really was a chance that he might blow up the mansion, along with Vestia and Karl, if he was not careful. Even if the mansion could subdue the explosion from his failed experiments, it would leave him with endless troubles to deal with. And as the Captain of the Star Seekers, how could he allow himself to cause troubles for his team?


    Fortunately, the other materials he had bought were not as dangerous as the Red Oak Tree. At least not on their own. When combined with each other, those materials could still potentially harness powers comparable to that of some Advanced Stage False Wanderers, but as long as they were properly proportioned, their danger could be easily mitigated. In the end, the only uncontrollable factor was the bark of the Red Oak Tree. So, Alnea left the bark for the end, and began dealing with the other materials.


    Placing the claws in a bowl, he began pounding them with a wide mallet, crushing them into smaller pieces, stopping only when they had turned into a fine powder. Just to be sure, he sifted through the powder with his bare hands, crushing whatever larger pieces of bone fragments that he found. It was not until he did not find any large fragments in three consecutive siftings that he moved on to the next step.


    Picking up two of the vials containing the Red Tailed Scorpion¡¯s blood, Alnea emptied them into the bowl, allowing the blood to seep into the powder, before mixing it with his hands, creating a thick, red paste. Just creating a paste was not enough though. So, he kept stirring the paste in the bowl until it had taken a homogenous texture. Then, and only then, did he empty the bowl on the Fire Eating Rat¡¯s skin, spreading it evenly in a thin layer, before setting it aside to dry.


    Yet, the red paste was just one part of his preparation. There were many other things he had to prepare, many other materials to deal with, most of which required him to use his bare hands. So, while the paste was drying, Alnea went to the bathroom and thoroughly rinsed the bowl, ridding it of any residual paste, before washing his hands and walking back to his seat to continue dealing with the other materials.


    Inscribing Glyphs, at least in a semi-permanent state, stable enough for other people to use it, required three main ingredients. A base, some ink, and a pen or a carving knife. Of the three, he had set the Red Tailed Eagle¡¯s feather to be used as the pen, and the skin he had set aside earlier was going to form the base. It was not yet complete, and needed further processing, but he had to wait for it to dry before he could work on it again, so he proceeded to the next ingredient, and began working on the ink.


    Placing the thumb sized greenish white crystals in the bowl, he began pounding them just like he had pounded the bones earlier, grounding them into fine powder. And just like what he had done with the reddish powder earlier, he sifted through the bowl, making sure that no chunks of the crystals were left behind in the powder.


    Next step, just like how it had been with creating the paste, was to pour blood into the bowl, except this time, instead of two vials, he emptied six of them. Coupled with how small the amount of powder was in the bowl; it was only natural for the resultant mixture to look more like blood than a paste. No, not exactly like blood.


    When stirred with the mallet into a homogenous state, the mixture soon turned into an orangish shade, differentiating it from the Red Tailed Scorpion¡¯s blood. Even the way it smelled was different. Rather than carrying the hot, metallic sensations to his nose, the fumes wafting from the blood made him feel as if he was sitting next to a fire, using its heat to ward off the chill climbing along his legs¡­

 Chapter 37: Inscribing a Glyph [Part 2]

    Alnea tore himself away from his thoughts, subduing them into the depths of his Heart. Fascinating as the liquid was, just like the skin drying off to the side, it was not quite complete. At least not for the purpose he was preparing it for. Though the Red Tailed Scorpion¡¯s blood was indeed a good carrier for the Mysteries of Fire, it was too inert by itself, while the two White Root Crystals that he ground earlier were far from enough to catalyse the blood and make it readily accept the Mysteries.


    Then again, he had never considered to use the White Root Crystals as catalyst. They were there to stabilise the blood, and keep it from exploding. To excite the blood, he had prepared other catalysts. Like the saliva of a Fire Eating Rat, poison of a Flame Tongued Salamander, and fragments of a Red Obsidian. There was just one problem. Just like the blood, the catalysts were also in an inert state. Not as a mistake on part of the Lost City, of course.


    In their native state, the three catalysts that he had bought were far too volatile to be stored safely. And if they could be stored, such volatile materials would not be appropriate for the use of a novice like him. Only when deactivated, could such materials be handled safely. And it was not like reactivating the materials was hard. All he had to do was mix the materials in the blood, and then heat mixture on a low temperature fire.


    Unfortunately, Alnea did not have the means to heat the mixture. At least not in a way that he could control. He could have asked Yuri for her portable stove, but there was no way to control the fire on the stove. And he had no wish of exploding their only means of preparing some decent food in the wild. Fortunately, he had already expected his predicament, and as such, had prepared accordingly.


    After carefully mixing all the catalysts into the bowl, and stirring the mixture until it took on a bright orangish hue, Alnea picked up one of the two vials containing the transparent liquid glowing in a silverish blue light, and brought its mouth close to the edge of the bowl. Then, ever so slowly, he removed the vial¡¯s stopper, allowing the glowing drop of liquid to trickle down from the vial, and slide along the bowl¡¯s wall into the orangish mixture.


    For a moment, nothing happened. Then everything happened at once. Red, green, white, blue, orange, black, purple, all sorts of colours flashed in the bowl, as the mixture began bubbling, and squirming, teetering the verge of almost climbing out of the bowl. Thankfully, the bowl he had used was large enough to keep the mixture from overflowing. As for how long the bowl could do its job¡­


    With how volatile the concoction he had made had become, it was only a matter of time before it would overflow, ruining both the materials and all the preparations he had done, not to mention the damage it would cause to the room. Thus, while the situation was not completely out of control, Alnea quickly picked up the second vial of Ornia¡¯s Tear and brought it over the bowl.


    This time though, he did not lower the Tear slowly into the mixture, as he had done before. Instead, he removed the vial¡¯s stopper while it was still about a foot above the bowl, and tilted it slightly, allowing the drop of glowing liquid within it to fall into the bubbling liquid below with all its momentum. Yet, the reaction that followed seemed to sap all the momentum from the squirming liquid, calming it down. Not completely, of course.


    After the second drop of Ornia¡¯s Tear had done its job, though the concoction was brought back from the verge of overflowing, turning into a greenish black liquid, it had not reverted back to its completely inert state. Some bubbles would pop out from its surface every couple of seconds, releasing greenish fumes from its pockets of air, irritating his nose and tearing up his eyes.


    Still, given his conditions, the greenish black liquid was already the best ink he could concoct. And he had no intention of letting his efforts go in vain. So, while the ink had not evaporated completely, he quickly emptied the bowl in a couple of vials he had prepared in advance. It was only a fraction of the six vials of blood and the other materials he had used, but in between the fumes flowing around his room and the thick layer of sticky black residue along the walls of the bowl, two vials were already a good harvest.


    Done with the most tedious process, Alnea finally allowed himself to relax a little. But not for long. There was still one material he still had to deal with. So, after stretching out a little to get rid of his soreness, he walked into the bathroom to rinse the bowl once again, preparing it for the next material. The bark of the Red Oak Tree. Thankfully, just like the other materials, it was also in an inert state.Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.


    After coming back to his seat, Alnea picked up the bark from the ground, and took out a small knife. Not the Golden Yearning, of course. It was hanging on the rack near the room¡¯s entrance. Even if he had the dagger by his side though, he still would not have used it to deal with the bark. Despite it being in an inactive state, using an Oren Weapon to scratch the bark¡¯s surface was too big of a risk. Similarly, his Carving Knife was not suitable to deal with the bark either. It had been infused with Oren far too many times.


    It was for situations like this, that Wanderers always carried a set of knives to deal with all kinds of materials. The knife he had taken out, for example, was made from the teeth of an Ice Tailed Shark, making it perfect to deal with volatile materials of the Fire element. Even if he used Oren to sharpen the knife, as he scratched the bark¡¯s surface, both the bark and the pieces that he scrapped off of it remained docile as ever, lying quietly inside the bowl.


    After he had scrapped off nearly half of the bark¡¯s surface, Alnea put it away in his storage pouch, before picking up the last two vials of blood and emptying them in the bowl, filling it a quarter way up to its rim. Moments later, the wood shaving in the bowl began soaking up the blood, taking on a darker hue. Or at least some of them did. It was not until he began sifting through the shavings with his hands, changing their positions every couple of moments, that they began to absorb the blood more evenly, turning into a thick slurry.


    A couple of minutes later, when he felt that the wood shavings had become almost indistinguishable from the blood, he poured it over the Fire Eating Rat¡¯s skin that he had set aside earlier, and spread it evenly over the dried skin¡¯s surface, before setting it aside to dry once again. A process that he knew would only take longer than before. So, while the base he had prepared for his Glyph dried, he began cleaning up the mess he made in his room.


    A trip to the bathroom for the dirty bowl and the mallet, a fate shared by the empty vials rolling around in his room, some dusting for the powder and wood shavings scattered around the placed he had worked, and a hard scrubbing for the blood stains his inexperienced hand had left on the ground. Then again, there were many things that he was not experienced in. Like taking care of his mess.


    He could not even remember the last time he had cleared up his mess. But with some persistence, and a desire to stay in a clean room, he finally managed to tidy up his room. The only thing he could do nothing about were the green fumes hovering above his head. Left with no other choice, he had to open the window in his room, and let natural air circulation do its job. For the smell sticking to him though, he could only take a bath.


    A quarter of an hour later, when Alnea walked out of the bathroom, he was greeted with air that was just as fresh as him. Letting out a smile, he closed the window, and sat back on his cushion, before checking the rat¡¯s skin. A little thick and rough, but a little soft to touch. Although not as dry as a scroll, or a wooden table, for his purpose, it was dry enough. After nearly an hour and a half of preparation, he ready to finally inscribe a Glyph for the first time.


    Taking a deep breath, and a few moments to readjust his Heart back to the peak of its Serenity, Alnea picked up the Red Tailed Eagle¡¯s feather, and dipped its tip into the vial of ink he had set aside earlier, before bringing it down to the Fire Eating Rat¡¯s skin, sketching out the Glyph he had mastered. At the same time, he did not forget to channel Oren through the feather into the ink, and the base that he had prepared with over half a dozen materials, priming it to accept the Mysteries he was summoning. And accept, it did. Just not in the way he had expected.


    The moment that Alnea completed the first of his strokes, and was about to proceed to the second one, the materials in the ink and the base that had been barely maintaining a balance reacted with each other and the hint of Mystery that descended on them. In just a fraction of a moment, before he could understand, or even notice what was happening, the Fire Eating Rat¡¯s skin had already burst into flames. It was only when he reflexively retracted his hands that he noticed the flames. But¡­ how?


    He did not remember making any mistakes. Rather, he had followed all the steps exactly according to the example he had read in a scroll. Even the materials he had selected, down to the proportions he had used them in, was the same as that the Wanderer had recorded in his experience. Was there an error in the records? No, if that was the case, then his master would not have given him the scroll. Thus, the question came once again. What exactly went wrong? Where exactly¡­


    While Alnea sat in a daze, protected from the flames by the thorns glowing on his robe, going over everything that he had done after walking into his room, the fire kept increasing in intensity, soon reaching a level enough to excite the potential of the fragments of the Red Oak Tree spread all over the rat¡¯s skin. And so, while he was still lost in his thoughts, several bursts of red light filled his room, shaking his ears, along with the entire mansion.

 Chapter 38: Responsibilities of a Captain [Part 1]

    ¡°¡­You really did blow up the mansion.¡±


    ¡°¡­Technically, I did not blow up the mansion,¡± Alnea said sheepishly, trying to avoid Yuri¡¯s eyes, only to end up looking at Karl¡¯s aggrieved eyes. Even Vestia seemed to have a lot of complaints against him. He did not blame them though. Anyone would have complaints when disturbed in the midst of their training by an explosion.


    Fortunately, the explosion did not hurt anyone. No thanks to him, of course. Surprisingly, the mansion proved to be sturdier than he had thought. Despite the explosion his failure had caused, most of the aftermath was contained within his room. The only thing that managed to escape his room was the light, and¡­


    ¡°At best, I just shook it up a little.¡±


    ¡°¡­You call that a little?¡± Karl said, and pointed to the dust scattered around them in the main hall of the mansion. ¡°This is what a little shake can do?¡±


    ¡°This is nothing. If you look at the mess in my room¡­¡± Vestia trailed off with a pout, before turning towards Yuri. ¡°I thought he was the most stable one among the three of you.¡±


    ¡°¡­You were gravely mistaken then. Though, even by his standard, this is by far the most outrageous thing he has ever done.¡±


    ¡°¡­I joined the team to increase my chances of survival, not to be greeted by explosions in the middle of night,¡± Karl mumbled to himself. ¡°Did I make a mistake?¡±


    ¡°¡­It was not that bad¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­For a moment, I thought that the mansion was going to collapse on top of me.¡±


    ¡°At least you had the chance to think. I was hit by the shockwaves while tempering my Spirit. Even now, I am still suffering from the headache of interrupting my Arcana halfway through. If the defences of the mansion had been any weaker¡­¡±


    ¡°As far as I know, a type D mansion can easily nullify the attacks of average Peak Stage False Wanderers. To cause the mansion to shake so much¡­ What exactly were you doing?¡±


    ¡°¡­Inscribing a Glyph,¡± Alnea mumbled, tearing his eyes away from his two aggrieved teammates. And while he was at it, he did not forget to glance at Cecilia. She had been unusually quiet after learning that the quake she had suffered was his fault. If she was her normal self, she would have long pounced on him, just like cat growling at him by her side. She did not hurt her head in the aftermath of the explosion, did she?


    ¡°What did I tell you before you began preparing to inscribe a Glyph?¡±


    ¡°¡­It was not my fault,¡± Alnea said, trying to defend himself. In vain. Even he did not believe what he was saying. It was definitely his fault. Maybe the spontaneous combustion of the Fire Eating Rat¡¯s skin was indeed not his fault¡ªat least he had yet to find anything wrong with how he had handled the materials¡ª but he could not say the same about the explosion that had happened later.


    ¡°Are you trying to say that the explosion happened on its own?¡±


    ¡°¡­I just followed the instructions¡­¡±


    Though the gap between the eruption of fire, and explosion of the Red Oak Tree¡¯s fragments was only a few moments, it was enough for him to quickly deal with the fire and prevent the explosion. If only he had been attentive enough¡­ If only he had had not been lost in his thoughts. Like he was at the moment. But he could not let the girls know the truth, or they would not let him experiment on his own the next time.


    ¡°¡­You are not thinking about changing the materials and trying again, are you?¡±


    ¡°¡­Absolutely not! What do you take me as?¡±


    ¡°Alnea Reckless.¡±


    ¡°¡­Once again, you have proven yourself worthy of that name,¡± Vestia said. ¡°Are you really not going to think about changing your name?¡±


    ¡°¡­I may be a bit reckless, but I am not suicidal.¡±


    ¡°Say that after you can back up your reckless decisions without relying on the defences of your robe.¡±


    ¡°¡­It is exactly because of my robe that I can be a little liberal with my decisions.¡±


    ¡°¡­Maybe I should ask big sis Nyssa to prepare a normal robe for you once we meet up with her.¡±


    ¡°¡­Alright. It was my fault. I will not do it again.¡±


    ¡°You still do not get the point,¡± Yuri said, shaking her head. ¡°You have already mastered the basic use of your Glyph, and can use it with your Glyph Disc. Inscribing it with other materials is naturally the step that comes next. It is both your right, and your privilege. No one can take it away from you. But that does not mean you play with your life. No matter how many preventive measures big sis Nyssa, or anyone for that matter, takes for you, if you continue with your recklessness, I dare not imagine what might happen to you¡­¡±The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.


    ¡°¡­I will be careful.¡±


    ¡°¡­I have a feeling that your ¡®careful¡¯ is not the same as ours.¡±


    Alnea glanced at Vestia, wondering how he should take revenge on her, only to give up the thought after a few moments. He was indeed in the fault this time. More importantly, from the curve at the end of her lips, she did not seem to be grumpy anymore. Or maybe she never was. He could never tell what the blue robed girl was thinking.


    Of the three, the only girl he could ever read with some accuracy was Cecilia. And from what he knew of her, she should have been berating him. Or arguing with Vestia. At the very least, she should not have been silent. She was never silent. He did not really hurt her, did he?


    ¡°¡­I will really be careful this time.¡±


    ¡°¡­I did not want to do this,¡± Yuri said with a sigh, before taking on a more solemn tone. ¡°You were planning to change the materials, and try again, right?¡±


    ¡°¡­Maybe.¡±


    ¡°You are not allowed to change the materials. The next time you try to inscribe your Glyph, you must use the same materials.¡±


    ¡°But there is something wrong with the materials. If I use the same materials, I am bound to fail.¡±


    ¡°Then you just have to find out what caused you to fail before you can try inscribing a Glyph once again.¡±


    ¡°¡­I followed everything according to the experience recorded in the scroll that master gave me¡­¡±


    ¡°Are you saying there is something wrong with scroll?¡±


    ¡°No, but¡­¡±


    ¡°Are you looking for an excuse, Alnea Oathkeeper?¡±


    ¡°¡­I understand. I will not try inscribing a Glyph until I find out what went wrong with my first attempt.¡±


    ¡°Good,¡± Yuri said, finally dropping her solemn face for a slight smile. ¡°Since you are so confident, you should not mind if I accompany you when you make you second attempt, right?¡±


    ¡°But¡ª


    ¡°Just to remind you, I will be in a normal robe, not one enforced with Glyph Arrays.¡±


    ¡°¡­It will be dangerous.¡±


    ¡°I know. That is why I will accompany you. Oh, and do not think about trying to inscribe a Glyph in secret. Trust me when I say that no matter how much you try to hide it from me, I will know. And once I find out you are trying to break our agreement¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­This is not fair.¡±


    ¡°Life is never fair. Besides, this is the only way you will learn.¡±


    ¡°¡­Fine. You can accompany me when I try inscribing a Glyph again.¡±


    ¡°¡­About that,¡± Vestia said, drawing everyone¡¯s attention to herself. ¡°I would also like witness you inscribe your first Glyph¡­¡±


    ¡°You have not earned that privilege yet,¡± Yuri said, answering for Alnea.


    ¡°As I thought, you still do not trust me¡­¡±


    ¡°We have known each other for less than a month. What trust can there be between us?¡±


    ¡°¡­I thought that we were teammates¡­¡±


    ¡°If you really want us to trust you, then show it with your actions,¡± Yuri said, not bothering to get entangled with Vestia¡¯s tricks. ¡°The day we can let you have our back will be the day¡ª


    ¡°I get my wish?¡±


    ¡°¡­you become one of us.¡±


    ¡°¡­Why are you looking at me like that? Alright, fine. I will try not to play any tricks, and earn your trust in an aboveboard manner. By the way, about the arrangement you made earlier¡ª


    ¡°I have already told you¡ª


    ¡°I know, I know. I do not have that privilege yet. But what about Cecilia? Does she have that right? Will she be joining you two? Or¡ª


    ¡°No,¡± Cecilia said, finally breaking out of her daze. Or maybe she had not really been in a daze. She did respond to her name promptly. And it did not seem as if she had not been paying attention to what they were talking. Most probably, she had just been thinking about something. Though she seemed more worried than thoughtful¡­


    Why did she not share her thoughts with him? She did promise to talk to him whenever something would bother her. Yet, once again, she was keeping everything to herself. Just like how she had tried to keep her worries to herself in the canyons. Though he could not really point his finger at her in that regard. Still, unlike her, he did not become irritated when bothered by problems. And neither did he have any suicidal thoughts.


    Then again, for those who did not know that his master would save him from any and all troubles, most of his actions would seem suicidal. And from an angle, most of his Oaths were akin to him courting death. But Alnea never liked to be reasonable. He had always considered himself to be a selfish man. And as a selfish man, he could not see Cecilia worried. Neither could he accept her not sharing her worries with him. Should he have a talk with her?


    Before Alnea could come to a decision, Cecilia, after glancing at him, turned back towards Vestia with a determined gaze.


    ¡°I will be focussing on my own Glyph during this time,¡± Cecilia said. ¡°And just to be clear¡­ I was fine on my own. Sure, I was a little distracted, but I have not fallen to the point where I would need a vixen¡¯s sympathy.¡±


    ¡°¡­Wait. You were not thinking that I was worried about you, right?¡± Vestia said, with the edge of her lips curving upwards in a smirk. ¡°My apologies for the misunderstanding. I was just trying to rub salt on your wound.¡±


    ¡°¡­I stand corrected,¡± Cecilia mumbled, before letting out a snort. ¡°Once a vixen, always a vixen.¡±


    ¡°¡­Anyways, I apologise once again,¡± Alnea said, using himself to diffuse the fire between Cecilia and Vestia. Or at least postpone it for a while Besides, he did have to apologise. ¡°The explosion may have been an accident, but it was also partly my fault. Thanks to Ilea¡¯s grace, none of us were injured, or I do not know how I would have faced you. Still, after what happened tonight, I do not think that I am worthy of continuing to be your Captain. I¡ª

 Chapter 38: Responsibilities of a Captain [Part 2]

    ¡°Are you trying to run away?¡± Yuri said before Alnea could finish his words. ¡°Are you trying to shirk your responsibilities?¡±


    ¡°¡­I am not shirking my responsibilities, and neither am I running away. I truly do think that I am not qualified to be the Captain.¡±


    ¡°Because of the accident?¡±


    ¡°¡­It was not just an accident. If we had not been in the mansion, but out in the wilderness, with no safety measures, then¡­¡±


    ¡°Then you would not have made the stupid choice of attempting to inscribe a Glyph without complete assurance,¡± Cecilia said, staring at Alnea. ¡°The Alnea that I know would never deliberately put the people around him at risk. Especially not the people whom he had taken a charge to protect and lead.¡±


    ¡°¡­You don¡¯t know¡ª


    ¡°We know better than you think,¡± Yuri said, glancing at Cecilia before turning back to Alnea. ¡°Besides, are you not underestimating us a bit too much? No matter how much commotion your failure caused, it was just an Intermediate Stage Glyph at best. Even if we were to face the aftermath of the explosion head on, do you really think that it would have had any lasting impact on us?¡±


    ¡°Not you or Lia, but Karl¡ª


    ¡°Do not listen to him,¡± Vestia said, sending a glare towards the grey robed man, before turning back to Alnea. ¡°He was just exaggerating a little. At best, we would just have been a little injured. Nothing that a trip to the Blood Hall could not have fixed.¡±


    ¡°But¡ª


    ¡°No buts. You are our Captain, and that is the end of the discussion.¡±


    ¡°¡­You have not even asked Karl¡ª


    ¡°Karl does not have a problem, do you Karl?¡±


    ¡°¡­No.¡±


    ¡°See? He says he does not mind you being our Captain.¡±


    ¡°¡­You practically forced that out of him.¡±


    ¡°Did I?¡±


    ¡°¡­No,¡± Karl said in a solemn voice. Though that was most probably his survival instincts talking. If it had Zain who was asked that question, then his answer might have been a little different. Or maybe not. After a couple of weeks, ignorant as the man was, even he had figured out that it was best not to mess with the girls. Still, the mistake that he had made was not the kind that could be glossed over so easily. As a Captain¡ª


    ¡°I know what you did made you doubt yourself, but that does not mean you should run away from your mistakes,¡± said, not giving Alnea any chance to express his thoughts. ¡°Have you forgotten what big sis Nyssa taught you? Making mistakes is not bad thing. Everyone makes mistakes. It is only when we do not learn from our mistakes that we go astray from our paths.¡±


    ¡°¡­Did she say something like that?¡±


    ¡°¡­She did, and that is not the point here. You know what I am trying to say.¡±


    ¡°¡­Still¡ª


    ¡°Stop squirming like a girl,¡± Cecilia said, reaching out to pinch his waist, making Alnea both relieved, and frustrated. Relieved, because it finally looked like she had returned to her usual self, and frustrated because she was pinching his waist a bit too hard. Enough to make him wince. Why did the Glyph Arrays on his robe always failed to work at times like this?


    ¡°My waist! It hurts! Lia¡ª


    ¡°Will you still quibble?¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t! Stop twisting it! I won¡¯t quibble!¡±


    ¡°Good,¡± Cecilia said with snort, as she let go of his waist. ¡°Since everyone agrees on only you as their Captain, why have you been insisting on this farce? Were you trying to show off your popularity?¡±


    ¡°¡­I just thought that I was not considerate enough to be the Captain,¡± Alnea said, rubbing his waist, trying not to wince, only to be met with Cecilia¡¯s snort once again.This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.


    ¡°If you think that you could have done things in a better way, then just do it in a better way next time. That is what you have always done, right? Always improving yourself, moving forward despite all difficulties. Why are you hesitating so much this time?¡±


    ¡°¡­I have to think about everyone¡ª


    ¡°So, you are indeed just running away from responsibilities.¡±


    ¡°¡­That¡¯s not it. I¡ª


    ¡°What is it then? Why are you refusing to shoulder your responsibilities?¡±


    ¡°¡­I don¡¯t know.¡±


    ¡°Then think about it. Anyways, like the vixen said, you are our Captain, and that¡¯s the end of discussion.¡±


    ¡°¡­You are so unreasonable!¡±


    ¡°And what are you going to do about it? Bite me?¡±


    ¡°¡­You¡­ I will really bite you!¡±


    ¡°Come on then,¡± Cecilia said, extending her arm to Alnea. ¡°Bite me.¡±


    ¡°Do you think I am joking?¡± Alnea said, grabbing Cecilia¡¯s arm. ¡°I will really bite!¡±


    ¡°I always knew you were a pervert.¡±


    ¡°¡­How did I become a pervert?¡±


    ¡°You are threatening to bite my arm. What should I call you, if not a pervert?¡±


    ¡°¡­Fine. You win,¡± Alnea said, letting go of Cecilia¡¯s arm, just as he let out a defeated sigh. Moments later, he glanced at his teammates with a firm expression. ¡°Although my inconsiderate behaviour caused you some inconveniences tonight, I promise you that it will not happen again.


    ¡°Sure, I may fail again. No, I will definitely fail again. And not just once. After all, even Supreme Wanderers cannot guarantee that they will never fail, and I am just starting out on my path. What I can guarantee though, is that I will take enough measures to ensure that my experiments, whether they succeed or fail, will not disturb your rest.¡±


    ¡°¡­Is that all you have to say?¡±


    ¡°¡­What else do you want me to say?¡±


    ¡°What about being our Captain?¡±


    ¡°Does that even need to be said?¡± Alnea said with a grin. ¡°Of course, I am your Captain. Do not think that you can escape my command so easily.¡±


    ¡°¡­I wonder who was just trying to run away from his responsibilities of a Captain?¡±


    ¡°Huh? Is there really someone who would run away from his responsibilities? Such a person must be taught a good lesson. Of course, if he had some valid reasons, like almost blowing up his mansion, or almost disturbing his teammates¡¯ Wanderings, then his behaviour can be excused. Especially if he has already realised his folly, decided to resume his responsibilities. Don¡¯t you think so, Cecilia¡ªwho had been absent minded the whole time, and refused to share her worries¡ªSerpia?¡±


    ¡°¡­Shameless.¡±


    ¡°Thank you for the compliment.¡±


    ¡°¡­It was not a compliment.¡±


    ¡°To me, it was.¡±


    ¡°¡­I am beginning to regret my words.¡±


    ¡°Too late. I am your Captain, and will always be your Captain. And as your Captain, I order you to¡­¡±


    While Alnea was having fun teasing Cecilia, Vestia looked at them in a daze, and mumbled, ¡°That¡¯s it?¡±


    ¡°¡­That¡¯s it,¡± Yuri said, echoing Vestia¡¯s thoughts.


    ¡°¡­That¡¯s all it took?¡±


    ¡°¡­I am afraid so.¡±


    ¡°All those things we said¡­ all that effort¡­ cannot compare to a pinch?¡±


    ¡°¡­Sometimes, it takes an unreasonable person to deal with a person who is refusing to listen to reason.¡±


    ¡°¡­Maybe we should have also been unreasonable. At least we would not have wasted our efforts.¡±


    ¡°¡­I have a hunch that had we been unreasonable, he would have become even more unreasonable than us.¡±


    ¡°So, only she is allowed to be unreasonable?¡±


    ¡°Why, are you jealous, vixen?¡± Cecilia said after she heard Vestia¡¯s words, raising her chin as she did so.


    ¡°¡­Being unreasonable is not something to be proud of.¡±


    ¡°But being reasonable does not seem to work for you.¡±


    ¡°¡­That¡¯s just because¡ª


    ¡°Sorry to interrupt, but if we are done here, then can I go back to my room?¡± Karl said after mustering his courage. ¡°I still have a lot of things I need to do.¡±


    ¡°¡­We have indeed wasted more time than we originally intended, not to mention that it was already late when we convened this urgent meeting,¡± Yuri said, as she turned towards Alnea, not bothering to hide the smirk at the corner of her lips. ¡°What do you think we should do, Captain?¡±


    ¡°¡­You do not have to remind me,¡± Alnea said, trying his best to look compose and mature, like a Captain should. ¡°I was about to get to it.¡±


    ¡°But you looked like you were having fun¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­It is getting late, and we have had a long day. Not to mention the surprises,¡± Alnea said, ignoring Yuri¡¯s smirk and Vestia¡¯s comment, while smiling awkwardly at Karl, before glancing at the girls. ¡°Once again, I apologise for the accident that happened earlier. At the same time, I am also grateful that you still continue to trust me to be your Captain. Believe me when I say this, you will not be disappointed.¡±


    ¡°¡­How can someone be so immature at one moment, yet so reliable in the very next moment?¡± Vestia mumbled to herself, while Yuri and Cecilia smiled at him in pride. Only Karl chose to reserve his opinion to himself. Probably another manifestation of his survival instincts.


    ¡°¡­But that will come later. Right now, I am sure that you would all like nothing more than to return to your rooms, and continue with what you were doing when you disturbed by the explosion, or simply just have some rest. Regardless, continuing to stay here would be meaningless. So, if anyone has something they would wish to discuss, reserve it for the morrow. For now, let¡¯s just go back to our room¡­¡±

 Chapter 39: Searching for answers [Part 1]

    Back in his room, Alnea set the soft, fluffy cushion aside, and sat cross legged on the ground, reflecting upon his mistakes. Though the cushion itself was not at fault, and neither did it hinder his meditation, he could not help but wonder if he had been indulging in luxury a bit too much recently. Three hundred and seventy Blood Coins. Almost four hundred False Oren Stones. All just for his first attempt at inscribing a Glyph¡­


    Alright, maybe four hundred False Oren Stones was an exaggeration. Blood Coins were not exactly equal to False Oren Stones. Sure, the city did give him only a hundred Blood Coins after taking a hundred False Oren Stones as an entry fee, but that entry fee covered much more than just the initial welfare of the city, including the subsidy for canteen. How else could he explain the city allowing Wanderers to eat as much as they would like for just a Blood Coin?


    Then again, the city did have easy access to Oren Beasts roaming out in the desert. It probably bought all the beasts hunted by Wanderers in the desert at a discounted price. Maybe, it even sent some of its guards out periodically, just to hunt some beasts. Regardless, Alnea was sure that a Blood Coin could never be equal to a False Oren Stone. At best, it would have only one tenth of the latter¡¯s value.


    Still, nearly forty False Oren Stones was not a small amount. Especially if he was trying to inscribe just an Intermediate Stage Glyph. The materials he had bought could be used for inscribing even some Advanced and Peak Stage Glyphs. Especially the Red Oak Tree¡¯s bark and Ornia¡¯s Tears. Both were some of the better materials of the False Rank. Consequently, they were also very hard to control. Maybe they were the reason why¡ª


    No, Alnea thought. The bark and the tears were not the problem. He was sure of it. The way he had handled those materials was impeccable. Especially the bark. He knew how dangerous the bark could be if not handled properly, and so, had used only its shavings. They were much easier to control than a whole piece. The only reason why they even exploded was because of the spontaneous combustion of the rat¡¯s skin. On their own, they could have never escaped his control¡ª


    No, Alnea thought once again. Just because the shavings of the bark did not explode on their own from his first stroke did not mean that they would not have exploded by the time he was done with his Glyph. Even if they would have stayed docile until the end, there was no guarantee that they would have remained stable until the Glyph he inscribed wore out. On second thought, maybe the Glyph wearing out would have made the fragments of the bark even more unstable¡­


    He should not have used such a dangerous material in the first place. At least not until he was confident of keeping it stable from all kinds of internal and external stimulations. It was not appropriate for an Intermediate Stage Glyph anyway. What was he even thinking when deciding to use to Advanced and Peak Stage materials for an Intermediate Stage Glyph? That he would become the greatest Scholar¡ª


    Alnea put a reign on his thoughts, taking a moment of calm his raging Heart. Recognising his mistakes was a good start, but he could not let himself flow with his emotions. Especially if they showed tendencies of pulling him into the quagmire of self doubts. He was not the same as he used to be when he had just begun meditating. Back when losing himself to his emotions did not use have any long lasting effects.


    Having tamed over thirty Aspects, and mastered over a dozen Mysteries, including the one corresponding to his Glyph, Alnea was no longer as ¡®immune¡¯ to losing himself to his emotions as he used to be. And he certainly had no intention of repeating the Whitebud patriarch¡¯s mistake. The day of the Spirit Test was still very vivid in his mind. As was the result of losing control of one¡¯s emotions¡­ of one¡¯s Heart¡­


    Heart¡­ A Wanderer¡¯s core¡­ The fulcrum on which Wanderers balanced their conviction and beliefs against their actions¡­ their thoughts¡­ Once, Alnea used to think his master was his Heart. Later, his Heart evolved to include other people. People whom he could trust. People whom he could take his Oath for. And for a long time, that was not a problem. After all, when his Heart had evolved, there were only five people whom he could trust, and care about enough to take an Oath. But¡­


    Zain, Aren, Fran, Norren, Ralph, Karl, Vestia¡­ They were all his teammates, people whom he could trust. Even if that trust was based upon the constraints of the Lost City, it was still a kind of trust. At the very least, it was enough for him to take an Oath for his teammates. Sure, the Oaths he took for them was indirect, but they were still his Oaths. A part of his Roots¡­


    Even if he left the others aside for a moment, what about Vestia? Others may have come to him after he decided to form a team, but the idea of forming a team itself came from Vestia. She was the first one to approach him, and except for some inappropriate advances, she had never shown him any malice. Not to mention that he had also given her his promise. A separate Oath, one taken solely for her sake¡­A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.


    Why did he take that Oath? Why did he promise her? Did he really care about her? Did he subconsciously consider her as a part of his Heart? And what about others? What about his other teammates? Did he consider them as a part of his Heart too? What exactly was his Heart? What was his core? What was he using to balance his thoughts and actions against his conviction and belief?


    ¡­Alnea did not know. Or maybe he knew but did not dare to guess. Matters of Heart could not be handled recklessly. At least not as recklessly as he handled his Oaths. Still, he knew that his master was still his Heart. As was Yuri and Cecilia. And big sis Serena. Even his mother was still as important a part of his Heart as ever. And for the moment, that was enough.


    With his Heart Serene, and his thoughts silent, Alnea began to reflect upon his mistakes once again, the first of which was selecting unnecessarily overqualified materials. For his first attempt at inscription, his priority should not have been to make his Glyph as powerful as he could, but to make sure that he could successfully inscribe a Glyph. Using materials generally used for Advanced and Peak Stage Glyphs to inscribe an Intermediate Stage was an overkill. Maybe even overconfidence¡­


    Still, grave as his first mistake was, it was not the direct cause for his failure. The fragments of the Red Oak Tree exploded only because they were directly exposed to flames. As for the reason why the base of the Glyph spontaneously burst into flames¡­ it was only when he began inscribing the Glyph that the problem occurred. So, it was because he put the ink to the base?


    But whether it was the ink, or the surface of the base, both were made using the Red Tailed Scorpion¡¯s blood. Coming from the same source, even if their end form was different, as long as he did not deliberately manipulate the two to conflict with each other, there should not have been any adverse reaction between them. So, the problem was not with the ink itself, but how he used the ink¡­ Did he somehow overstimulate Red Tailed Scorpion¡¯s blood by using the Red Tailed Eagle¡¯s feather?


    Probably not. Be it the Red Tailed Eagle, or the Red Tailed Scorpion, they were both devolved species, with much weaker affinity to Fire than their original counterparts, resulting in them being a little inert in nature. Though he did use some catalyst to stimulate the blood, he also used other means to keep its activity in check. Even if the problem did originate in the blood, it should not have been because of the feather.


    Still, since Alnea had already thought of it, he made a mental note to verify his guess later, before returning to his earlier train of thought. Where exactly did he go wrong? Was it when he was preparing the Glyph¡¯s base? Or was it when he was making the ink? But he could swear that he followed the exact steps in their preparation as had been described in the scroll¡­ Did he make a mistake when inscribing the Glyph?


    No, Alnea thought. At least not as far he could recall. The Glyph seemed to work perfectly fine when used through a Glyph Disc. Was he supposed to do something different when inscribing it? Was that his mistake? Not inscribing it correctly¡­ Then again, what kind of mistake could he have made in just one stroke? The Glyph base did not even give him the time to react, bursting into flames at the slightest fluctuation of the Mystery¡­


    That was it. How could he forget it? The Mystery. It was not the reaction of the materials with each other that caused them to burst into flames, but the fluctuations of the Mystery that descended on them. Though if that was true, then it would also mean that he had not handled the materials properly. For them to combust so readily¡­ At least part of them should have been left teetering on the edge of instability. Such poor handling¡­


    No, his handling was not poor. There were not many things that Alnea was sure of, but he was confident of his foundations, including basic handling of materials. His master had seen to it, forcing him to hone his skills every day. Even if the materials he had handled were new to him, he was skilled enough to follow the steps mentioned in the scroll down to their very last detail.


    If problem was with how he had handled the materials, then the Wanderer sharing his experience in the scroll should also have failed. Obviously, the Wanderer did not fail. So, there had to be something wrong with the scroll. But the scroll was given to him by his master. It could not be wrong. Unless it was both right and wrong at the same time. Yet, that was impossible. How could something be both wrong and right at the same time¡­


    That is it, Alnea thought, heaving a sigh of relief. Finally, he found the answer to his question. The cause of his failure, and his second mistake. A silly mistake, but a mistake, nonetheless. Next, all he had to do was verify his guess. Though that would mean taking another risk. With standard materials, of course, not the advanced materials he had used for his first attempt. He was not stupid enough to repeat the same mistake.


    Still, before he could verify his guess, he would have to take enough precautionary measures to not disturb his teammates again. He had taken an Oath, after all. Just as how he had promised Yuri that he would invite her to observe his experiment. Even if that promise was not verbal, and had no restriction on his Spirit, he had no intention of going back on his word.


    Though keeping his word was not going to be easy. Yuri would not be so easily convinced with his rhetorics. Not to mention that he was not going to risk her safety on just a guess. That was never an option. And Yuri knew it too. Cunning girl. He would have his revenge one day¡­ For the moment though, he could only wait for Enn to rise before he could confirm his guess through other sources. That left him with nearly four hours¡­ Might as well put that time to better use, Alnea thought. Like enjoying his Serenity¡­

 Chapter 39: Searching for answers [Part 2]

    Not everyone liked peace, but Serenity¡­ There was an inexplicable charm in the calm and peace that came with Serenity¡­ The silence that filled his Heart¡­ Unlike the silence of his Domain and Spirit World, the silence of his Serenity did not make him feel empty or insignificant. On the contrary, it made him feel at peace with himself. It made him feel satisfied¡­ It made him feel addicted¡­


    Alnea reluctantly let go of his Serenity, pulling himself out of the addictive silence. Opening his eyes, he glanced out of the window. The sky was still dark, but the city, as usual, kept shinning in a blood red light, overwhelming the soft rays of Oren trying to make their way to his room. Reading time by just looking out the window was not as easy as it used to be back in Anneve. Not that he needed to know the time accurately.


    Judging by how much the soft rays of Orn were bouncing off the walls of buildings, Alnea guessed that there was around three hours to dawn. Maybe three and a half, if he was favoured by Goddess Ilea. Even if he was lucky though, he still should have spent nearly an hour indulging in his Serenity. An hour, which he could have spent Wandering, or Forging his Spirit. Even playing with his Aspects would have been better than just sitting in silence¡­


    Alnea let out a sigh, as he recognised another one of his weaknesses. He would have never made such a mistake back in the Night Canyons. He had indeed become a little too indulgent in luxury and peace. Even though the Wanderers of the Lotus clan could be just a few hundred metres away from him, keeping an eye on him and his teammates, devising another one of their nefarious schemes, he felt no sense of urgency creeping up on him¡­


    Was it because of the false sense of safety promised by the city? Or the lack of enemies prowling around him at all times, ready to tear into him? Regardless, he could not let himself be indulgent anymore. He could not let the false sense of security deceive him, and eat away at his Heart. More importantly, he could not waste time.


    Coming to a decision, Alnea did not hesitate to unfurl his Spirit, and focus within himself, within the Spirit World connected to his forehead. And with just a little effort, he quickly found the thread connecting his Spirit to his Domain. Wandering the Origin Sea though, took quite a bit of his effort. The assault on his senses aside, coaxing the Aspects to let him Wanderer more than usual was a bit more challenging than he had expected. Thankfully, playful as they were, the Aspects were very understanding of his circumstances, and promised to cut down on the time they played with him by one tenth¡­


    Maybe they were not as understanding. Still, it was a start. Besides, it was not about how much time he spent on his training, but about his attitude towards managing his time. And that, he had already begun changing. With a firm Heart, that was slowly beginning to change without him even knowing about it, Alnea finally returned from the Origin Sea, and began to meditate on his gains.


    Since he did not gain much on his Wandering though, there was not much to meditate about. And he did not intend to waste him time by indulging in his Serenity. So, once Alnea was done sorting his gains, and readjusting his Heart, he began practicing his strokes. Both, with a Carving Knife, and a brush. They were the only things he could practice while waiting for his Spirit Power to recover, after all. Waiting for his Spirit Power to recover¡­


    Alnea paused in his actions, wondering when had he become so dumb? Why did he have to wait for his Spirit Power to recover? Could he not just complete a couple of Oaths to actively recover them? And if a couple of Oaths would not work, he could just take a few more. As long as he was careful enough to not take any dangerous Oaths¡­ That was how he had always recovered his Spirit, had he not? So, why had he not thought about it?


    ¡­Alright, maybe he knew why he had not used his Oaths to recover his Spirit for a while. But it had already been nearly a month since that incident. He should have passed the most dangerous phase. As long as he was not stupid enough to resonate with his Roots once again, he should be fine. At the very least, the few times he did take his Oaths in the past month did not seem to have any lasting effects on him. Taking a few more simple Oaths to recover his Spirit should not be any different¡­


    After some hesitation, Alnea decided to start with the simplest kind of Oaths. Setting a time for himself to practise his strokes. Nothing too difficult. And as he had expected, his Roots were working perfectly fine. So, he began to increase the difficulty of his Oaths, practising multiple Glyphs at a time, all from the lineage of Destruction that he had reserved to learn after completely mastering his first Glyph, while reducing the time he had to complete his Oaths.


    Once again, except for the increasing number of broken fragments of their chains submerging into his Spirit, nothing seemed to change about his Oaths. It looked like his Roots had indeed recovered from the resonance it had suffered. Still, just to be safe, Alnea decided not to increase the difficulty of his Oaths any further. At least not yet. Maybe, after his Spirit Power improved a little more¡­


    After he recovered his Spirit Power, Alnea put away his practising tools, and began a round of Forging his Spirit, only to take his tools out again after his Spirit Power was depleted. Though it was monotonous, the failure he had suffered gave him all the sustenance he needed to keep practising. And before he knew it, the warm rays of Enn were already beginning to shine through the window of his room, bringing him the grace of the God of Action.


    Putting his tools away, Alnea got up from the ground, and stretched out his limbs, shaking away their numbness. His Spirit Power had not recovered completely, but he was not going to use his Spirit right away, so what he had recovered was enough. He could let the rest recover on its own. Not that there was much left to recover anyway. More importantly, since Enn had begun climbing the sky, it was time to meet up with the rest of his teammates¡ªor at least half of them.Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.


    Picking up his sword and dagger from the rack, and strapping them back to his waist, Alnea walked out of his room into an empty hall. The time they had decided to meet was almost upon them, yet none of his other teammates had left their rooms. Not even Yuri and Vestia. Usually, they were always the first ones to come, but¡­


    Then again, after what had happened the night before, he could understand why everyone was late. Had he not been the cause behind everyone¡¯s tardiness, even he might have thought of meditating for a bit longer. Of them all, he was the least qualified to question why they were late. Even if he was their Captain, it did not change the fact that he¡­


    Alnea reigned in his thoughts, subduing them within his Heart, as he walked to the cushions in the centre of the hall, and took his seat. Not to indulge in the luxury, of course. He had already decided to not indulge in any kinds of luxury. At least not for his personal pleasure and convenience.


    It was just that ever since they had begun living in the mansion, sitting on cushions during team meetings had become a habit. If he suddenly chose to sit on the ground, there was a chance that everyone would think he was doing it out of a guilty conscience. And in a way, he did feel guilty about almost blowing up the mansion. But as their Captain, he could not appear to be weak.


    The world of Wanderers¡­ It was a cruel world, where the strong devoured the weak. He did not doubt Cecilia and Yuri, but Vestia and Karl¡­ Unlike the former, the latter had come to him only further their interests. Even if they were his teammates, he could let them think that he was weak. Though it was already a bit too late, he still had time to rectify his mistakes. As long as¡ª


    ¡°What are you thinking?¡± Yuri said, as she took her seat next to him.


    ¡°¡­Nothing,¡± Alnea said, tearing himself away from his thoughts, before subduing them back to the depths of his Heart. ¡°What took you so long?¡±


    ¡°You did not even notice me until I called out to you, and you say that you were not thinking about anything?¡± Yuri said, rolling her eyes at him. ¡°I got a little delayed in the Origin Sea.¡±


    ¡°Did you encounter a Mystery?¡±


    ¡°I did, but it was not the Mystery that delayed me. Somehow, I also attracted an Aspect.¡±


    ¡°The one you have been trying to communicate with it for the past week?¡±


    ¡°¡­That¡¯s the one.¡±


    ¡°It looks like your idea finally worked out.¡±


    ¡°¡­Not exactly,¡± Yuri said, shaking her head. ¡°Had my idea worked, I would have gained its recognition long ago.¡±


    ¡°Then the Aspect¡ª


    ¡°That¡¯s the strange part. No matter what I did, the Aspect had always been hesitant to communicate with me. This time though, I did not even try to reach out towards it. After encountering the Mystery, I was just about head back towards my Domain, when it suddenly contacted me on its own.¡±


    ¡°This just proves that your effort in the past week was not in vain.¡±


    ¡°Maybe,¡± Yuri said, shrugging her shoulders. ¡°With how unpredictable the Origin Sea is, nothing can be said for certain.¡±


    ¡°Everything in the world has an element of uncertainty,¡± Alnea said, with the corner of his lips rising up in a smirk. ¡°It is exactly because we dare to walk on the line between certainty and uncertainty that we can become Wanderers.¡±


    ¡°¡­We will talk about this later,¡± Yuri said, as the rest of the Star Seekers entered the main hall one by one. ¡°You are all late.¡±


    ¡°¡­You were not exactly on time either.¡±


    ¡°Oh? Are you finally going to pick up your responsibility as the Captain, and punish me?¡±


    ¡°¡­Don¡¯t be late next time.¡±


    ¡°Maybe, if you punish me¡ª


    ¡°It¡¯s alright,¡± Alnea said before Yuri could tempt him any further with her words, or Cecilia and Vestia could get into another argument. ¡°Given what happened last night, everyone¡¯s unpunctuality can be excused. But only this time. Everyone¡¯s time is precious. There is so much that we have to do, and so little time¡­ Unless there is a valid reason, everyone should be on time.¡±


    ¡°¡­Understood,¡± Karl said, nodding seriously as he took his seat, only for the solemn air to be broken by Vestia¡¯s playful voice.


    ¡°Your words are my command, Captain,¡± Vestia said, with the edge of her lips curving upwards ever so slightly. ¡°That is what I promised, after all. To listen to all your orders. If you ask me to be on time, then I can only follow your orders. And if you wish, I can even come a bit early. Maybe even¡ª


    ¡°Shut up, vixen,¡± Cecilia said, just as she and the girl she was grumbling at both took their seats. ¡°No one wants to listen to your nonsense first thing in the morning.¡±


    ¡°¡­That¡¯s right. Words like these should be reserved for night, when there are only the two of us. Isn¡¯t that right, Captain?¡±


    ¡°¡­Stop messing around, Vestia,¡± Alnea said, trying his best to ignore Cecilia¡¯s glare. Why did he always have to be blamed for the things he did not even do or said?


    ¡°We are already late as it is. Let us not waste any more time, and get straight to what we have gathered for.¡±


    ¡°¡­As you command, Captain,¡± Vestia said, withdrawing her smile from her face, but not from her eyes. Rather than the playful smile she had earlier though, the light in her eyes felt more like the usual prideful smile Yuri had for him¡­ As he had thought, all girls were crazy. Except for his master, of course. She was omnipotent and omniscient. Everything she did was always right.


    Other than his master, all the girls he knew had some crazy streak within their Hearts. Even his mother. Not that he was complaining about them. Their craziness was what made them who they were. It was also why he liked them so much. Maybe, in a certain sense, he was just as crazy as them, if not more. Vestia though¡­ She was a different kind of crazy altogether. The kind that he least wanted to get in touch with. At least not in front of Yuri and Cecilia. Unfortunately, it was too late¡­

 Chapter 40: Insurance against accidents [Part 1]

    ¡°¡­Let us pick up where we left off last night,¡± Alnea said, tearing his eyes away from the crazy girl in blue robe. ¡°Does anyone have anything they would like to share or discuss?¡±


    ¡°Other than what we discussed last night?¡±


    ¡°¡­If you have anything to add, then sure.¡±


    ¡°There is indeed something I would like to add,¡± Vestia said, dropping her usual craziness for a solemn tone. ¡°After what happened last night, we can all see that experimenting with our Glyphs and Arcanas within the mansion is not safe. Even if the mansion can contain the aftermath of our failure, it might end up disturbing others. On that note, we probably cannot practise our Martial Styles to our Heart¡¯s content either. The disturbance caused by exercising our Martial Styles and Aspects to their greatest strength would not be less what we experienced last night.¡±


    ¡°He already apologised for last night,¡± Cecilia said, furrowing her brows at Vestia. ¡°What else do you want him to do?¡±


    ¡°Him? Nothing,¡± Vestia said, shrugging her shoulders as she pointed at Alnea. ¡°I believe in our Captain. Since he said that he would take preventive measures to not let his experiments disturb us, I am sure that he will keep his words. Everyone else though¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­Are you trying to point your fingers at me, vixen?¡±


    ¡°Do not get me wrong. I am not talking about just you. I am talking about everyone, including myself. After going back to my room last night, I realised that what happened to Alnea can happen to any of us. It is just that he was the first one to have an accident. Fortunately, he had enough means to keep himself safe. If it was anyone else¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­This is why I prefer using Arcanas created by others over creating one myself.¡±


    ¡°¡­You are playing the role of a Scholar right now, Karl.¡±


    ¡°¡­This is why I chose the path of Scholars over the path of Arcanists.¡±


    ¡°¡­The explosion that happened last night was because of Glyph I was trying to inscribe.¡±


    ¡°¡­This is why I always follow the experiences of my predecessors when inscribing my Glyphs.¡±


    ¡°¡­That is what I also did.¡±


    ¡°¡­Can you not finish everything in one go?¡± Karl mumbled sullenly, as Alnea tried to reign in his laughter. The girls, on the other hand, did not seem find anything funny. Or maybe they just did not bother listening to what Karl said, focussing all their attention on the crazy blue robed girl.


    ¡°¡­There is indeed a risk that our Arcanas and Glyphs might get out of control,¡± Yuri said, with a slight hint of frown on her face. ¡°But that is a risk that all Wanderers must live with.¡±


    ¡°You are right. Wanders do indeed have to live risking their lives every day. Be it in the Origin Sea, or in our own world, there are just too many things that can threaten our lives. Yet, is that not why we should always keep looking for new ways to mitigate those risks?¡± Vestia said, raising the corner of her lips ever so slightly. ¡°That is how Wanderers progress. By figuring out solutions to their problems, instead of allowing those problems to perpetuate.¡±


    ¡°¡­Stop going around in circles, and just say it already.¡±


    ¡°Patience, Cecilia,¡± Vestia said, allowing her smile to widen a little more than before. ¡°Patience is a virtue that we must all cultivate.¡±


    ¡°¡­If you don¡¯t stop your nonsense and get to the point, then I will show you a few other things that Wanderers must cultivate.¡±


    ¡°Though I would not mind taking you up on that offer sometime, I am afraid that we do not have the time right now,¡± Vestia said, with a hint of regret on her face and a tinge of reluctance in her voice. Both fake, of course. Manipulating expressions was her forte. Even the way she fought often included misdirecting her opponents¡¯ attention. Adding some fake emotions to her face and voice was not too difficult for her. And she seemed to enjoy teasing Cecilia the most. If left alone¡­


    ¡°Just get to the point, Vestia,¡± Alnea said before Cecilia could fall into Vestia¡¯s trap. ¡°Everyone¡¯s time is precious.¡±


    ¡°But their life is even more precious, is it not?¡±


    ¡°Vestia¡­¡±


    ¡°Fine, fine. I will get to the point,¡± Vestia said, adding, ¡°No one likes play with me anymore,¡± in a grumble, before resuming her solemn face. ¡°As I was saying, if we can minimise the risk we face, then why try to make life more difficult for ourselves?¡±


    ¡°And how do you propose we minimise those risks?¡± Yuri said, withdrawing her frown, along with the rest of her emotions. It looked like she had figured out what Vestia was trying to say, but did not want to take the credit for herself, so she just continued to play along with the blue robed girl.The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.


    ¡°There are many ways to minimise those risk, but for now, we can start with taking precautions and preventive measures when experimenting with our Arcanas and Glyphs.¡±


    ¡°And what about our Martial Styles? Just like you said, if we exercise our Aspects to their full extent, the disturbance caused should not be any less than what we experienced last night.¡±


    ¡°Can we not just restrain our Aspects?¡± Karl said. ¡°That is what we have been doing up until now anyway.¡±


    ¡°We can restrain our Aspects for now, Karl, but can you guarantee that they will never get out of control?¡± Alnea said, answering for Yuri. ¡°What if we get so engrossed with our Martial Styles that we forget about everything else?¡±


    ¡°How can anyone forget about where they are when practising their Martial Styles?¡±


    ¡°It has happened to me,¡± Alnea said, shrugging his shoulders. ¡°And not just once.¡±


    ¡°¡­So, we might experience another explosion in the near future?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry,¡± Alnea said, shaking his head with a wry smile. ¡°I have taken enough measures to ensure that even if I lose control of my Aspects, I will not disturb anyone else, let alone disturb you by just becoming engrossed with my Martial Styles.¡±


    ¡°Then that solves our problems, right? You can just share your preventive measures with us¡ª


    ¡°Unfortunately, the means I used are a little special. Not only is it related to my secret, but it should not work for anyone else either.¡±


    ¡°¡­What are we going to do with our Martial Styles then?¡±


    ¡°That is what I want to know too,¡± Yuri said, turning towards Vestia. ¡°You cannot expect us to give up practising our Martial Styles, right?¡±


    ¡°Absolutely not,¡± Cecilia said, vehemently shaking her head. ¡°Although I should be focussing on my Glyphs for the next few days, I cannot give up on my Martial Styles.¡±


    ¡°No one has to give up on their Martial Styles,¡± Vestia said, mirroring the wry smile on Alnea¡¯s face.


    ¡°Do you have any other solutions?¡±


    ¡°Since I brought up the topic, I naturally have thought up of a solution.¡±


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°Mansion.¡±


    ¡°Mansion?¡±


    ¡°Mansion.¡±


    ¡°¡­Did she hit her head in the aftermath of last night¡¯s explosion?¡±


    ¡°¡­Probably.¡±


    ¡°Maybe this is her retribution for always acting like a vixen.¡±


    ¡°¡­Sorry to disappoint you, but my head is perfectly fine,¡± Vestia said, still with a smile on her face. If only the corners of her lips had not twitched for a moment, she might even have fooled everyone. Except for Cecilia, of course.


    ¡°Then why did you come up with such a stupid suggestion?¡± Cecilia said. ¡°If the mansion would have been enough to stop our rampaging Aspects, it would not have shaken so much last night.¡±


    ¡°¡­I am not talking about this mansion,¡± Vestia said, glancing at the murals in the hall, before turning back to the Star Seekers. ¡°There are many other mansions in the city, some of which come with Glyph Arrays strong enough to contain all out blows of First and Second Stage True Wanderers, let alone the rampaging Aspects and failed experiments of False Wanderers. As long as we have enough Blood Coins¡­¡±


    ¡°There are such convenient mansions in the Lost City?¡±


    ¡°Did you not read the information about the different kinds of mansion in the city?¡±


    ¡°¡­We left it to Alnea.¡±


    ¡°And you did not tell them about it?¡±


    ¡°¡­I forgot,¡± Alnea said, resisting his urge to scratch the back of his head. He was their Captain. Even if he was at fault, he could not appear to be weak¡­ or embarrassed. ¡°It did not seem important back then.¡±


    ¡°¡­In any case, as I was saying, there are all kinds of mansions in the Lost City. We just need to choose one with better protective measures, and all our problems will be solved.¡±


    ¡°¡­Not all problems can be solved by just choosing a better mansion,¡± Yuri said, glancing at Alnea, before turning back to Vestia. ¡°But you are right. We should indeed shift to a better mansion.¡±


    ¡°¡­Another layer of safety measure does sound good,¡± Karl mumbled, before glancing at his teammates. ¡°So, when are we going to shift?¡±


    ¡°¡­Since we are going to shift anyway, we might as well do it today,¡± Cecilia said. ¡°I do not want to restrict myself when practising my Martial Styles.¡±


    ¡°¡­As expected of a Serpia.¡±


    ¡°What? Do you have a problem with what I said?¡±


    ¡°Me? No. But it sure does look like you have a problem with what I said.¡±


    ¡°¡­Are you trying to pick a fight, vixen?¡±


    ¡°Obviously not. I do not want to cause any troubles for our Captain. But if you insist¡ª


    ¡°Stop provoking her again, Vestia,¡± Alnea said, prompting the blue robed girl to glare at him with a pout, while Cecilia put on a triumphant smile. But not for long. ¡°And you put away your smug smile, Lia. We will not be shifting today.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡± Cecilia said, with a hint of dissatisfaction in her voice. ¡°What is the problem with shifting today?¡±


    ¡°¡­The problem is that there are still more than ten days left for the one month period we booked the mansion for to be over. Shifting to a new mansion right away would be a waste of our Blood Coins.¡±


    ¡°¡­Wasting Blood Coins would be better than wasting our time or risking everyone¡¯s safety.¡±


    ¡°¡­You do have a point, but I still think we should not shift right away,¡± Alnea said, nodding at first, before shaking his head. ¡°Do not forget that we are not alone in the city.¡±


    ¡°¡­The Lotus clan¡­¡±


    ¡°It is not just the Lotus clan. In the Lost City, all Wanderers except for those in our team, are our enemies. Not mortal enemies, but enemies, nonetheless. Wanderers who are blocking our path to the inner city, just as we are blocking their paths. And just as we are gathering their information, they are gathering our information, watching every move we make. Rather than randomly selecting a mansion, it would be best if we scout the city first.¡±


    ¡°¡­Tsk. Fine. I can wait for a few more days,¡± Cecilia grumbled, before glancing at Vestia. ¡°If only a certain vixen had not thrown her mind in the sewers, and done her job properly¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­If only a certain snake could stop baring its fangs all day, and actually focus on her training¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­That¡¯s it. Today, I am¡ª

 Chapter 40: Insurance against accidents [Part 2]

    ¡°Right, I almost forgot,¡± Alnea said, interrupting the bickering girls once again, drawing everyone¡¯s attention back to himself. ¡°I have already figured out why I failed last night.¡±


    ¡°Already?¡± Yuri said, raising her brows in question. Not in doubt of his words, of course. Even if he was just using them as an excuse to diffuse the fight between Cecilia and Vestia, Yuri knew that he would not lie about things related to his path. But that did not stop her from questioning him. Or becoming grumpy. After all, unlike what he usually did, he did not share his discovery with her when he made it¡­


    ¡°Then would you care to explain it to us?¡±


    ¡­In his defence, by the time he found the reason for his failure, he was already well into the night. That was the time when Yuri usually Wandered into the Origin Sea, or experimented with her Arcanas. Disturbing her had not seemed like a good idea. Especially since he had already disturbed her once. Not to mention that he did not have time to spare either. Wandering the Origin Sea, indulging in his Serenity¡ª


    ¡°I failed because I followed the instructions in the scroll.¡±


    ¡°¡­Are you still blaming your failure on the scroll?¡±


    ¡°Not exactly,¡± Alnea said, shaking his head, as he heard the disappointment in Yuri¡¯s voice. ¡°There was nothing wrong with the scroll itself. The Wanderer¡¯s experience of inscribing a Glyph was indeed true.¡±


    ¡°Yet you still failed because of the scroll?¡±


    ¡°Yet I still failed because of the scroll.¡±


    ¡°¡­I see.¡±


    ¡°What did you see?¡± Cecilia said, blinking at Yuri in confusion. ¡°How did he convince you with such an absurd excuse?¡±


    ¡°Absurd? Hardly,¡± Vestia said, shaking her head, before flashing her dimples at Alnea. ¡°To find your fault so quickly¡­ As expected of the person I chose.¡±


    ¡°¡­Do you think he will be pleased just because you take his side?¡± Cecilia said with a snort, only for Yuri to shake her head at her.


    ¡°She is right, Cecilia. Alnea is not making an excuse.¡±


    ¡°But¡­ That¡­ How does that make sense?¡±


    ¡°That is the beauty of Scholars,¡± Vestia said. ¡°Nothing they do makes sense, yet they are still called as the Wanderers walking closest to the Origin Sea.¡±


    ¡°¡­Since when did Scholars become the Wanderers closest to the Origin Sea?¡± Cecilia said, becoming even more confused than before. And a bit irritated as well. ¡°Why have I never heard anything about this?¡±


    ¡°Because it never happened,¡± Yuri said, answering for Vestia. ¡°Only some radicals among the Scholars claim to be walking closest to the Origin Sea, but no one pays them any attention. They have not succeeded in letting other Scholars recognise their claims, let alone the rest of the world.¡±


    ¡°That may be so, but those Scholars do have a basis for their claim,¡± Karl said in a low voice. ¡°And what Vestia said was partly true. The path of Scholars indeed does not make sense. But going so far as to say that nothing they do makes sense would be an overstatement.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s because she likes to dramatize everything,¡± Alnea said, shaking his head with a wry smile. ¡°Don¡¯t listen to her. And don¡¯t digress from the topic. You too, Vestia. Don¡¯t make things unnecessarily complicated.¡±


    ¡°¡­As you command, Captain.¡±


    ¡­Although he knew that Vestia was just having fun in her own way, hearing her being so servile and obedient did make him feel a little good about himself. It was as if¡ª


    ¡°¡­In short, the reason I failed to inscribe my Glyph last night was because I followed the experience of the Wanderer in the scroll down to the very last detail.¡±


    ¡°But isn¡¯t that a good thing?¡±


    ¡°It would have been, but only if our circumstances would also have been the same,¡± Alnea said, patiently explaining his reasoning. ¡°Inscribing Glyphs is a very complicated process, one that might fail because of even the smallest mistakes. To ensure their success, Wanderers have to perfect their strokes, carefully study the materials they are using, estimate what their combination would become, and how they would react with the Mysteries being summoned.


    ¡°Or at least that is what everyone thinks. What people often tend to forget is that our world was also born from the Origin Sea. Though it is separated from the rest of the Origin Sea, it is still a part of the Origin Sea. The ground that we stand on, the air that we breathe, even the food that we eat, everything within its boundaries is just an expression of the countless Mysteries of the Origin Sea.Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.


    ¡°It is just that these Mysteries intersect with each other in a very subtle manner, enough to go unnoticed for most of the time. This is where the concept of Origin Grade Arcanas and Glyph Arrays came from. Only Arcanas and Glyph Arrays that are more like an expression of the Origin Sea rather than its interpretation or manifestation are deserving of the title of Origin Grade¡­


    ¡°In any case, as I was saying, everything within the world is an expression of the Mysteries of the Origin Sea. Naturally, that also includes our environment. And though these Mysteries are subtle, hardly interacting with each other, we can still feel their presence. In some cases, we can even feel their interaction with each other. Like change in weather with time, and the difference in climate from place to place.


    ¡°Of course, as I said, these interactions are not enough to affect our usage of Glyphs. And neither are they strong enough to interfere with the Glyphs that we inscribe on Glyph Discs. After all, Glyphs Discs are meant to be used in battles. If they could not even isolate our Glyphs from the fluctuations of Mysteries around us, they would be practically useless. When it comes to inscribing our Glyphs though¡­


    ¡°Let alone isolating our Glyphs from the fluctuations of Mysteries around us, the materials we use to prepare the base and ink of the Glyphs heightens their sensitivity. The better the materials we use, the greater their sensitivity would be. Though that in itself is not a bad thing. Greater sensitivity of materials to Mysteries means greater chances of successfully inscribing our Glyphs, and a greater potential for our Glyphs.


    ¡°However, greater sensitivity of Mysteries also means that the materials would be more sensitive to fluctuations of other Mysteries around us, including those embedded in our environment. Using the experience of a Wanderer inscribing a Fire Glyph in snow capped hills be used to inscribe the same Fire Glyph in a blistering desert¡­ No matter what I did, I was bound to fail from the very beginning.¡±


    ¡°¡­Is inscribing Glyph so complicated?¡±


    ¡°There is a reason why the path of Scholars is called as such,¡± Vestia said, answering Cecilia¡¯s question. Though it was not exactly a question, but more of an exclamation. ¡°Though any Wanderer can become a Scholar, only those with an agile mind can walk far on this path.¡±


    ¡°¡­Are you saying that I am dumb?¡±


    ¡°I did not say anything. But if you insist¡­¡±


    ¡°After all that I said, everyone should understand why I failed last night,¡± Alnea said, cutting off the girls, prompting them to grumble. But that was better than letting them bicker, so he ignored them, and continued with his words. ¡°This is a lesson not only for me, but for everyone. Rather than relying blindly on the experience of our predecessors, we should adapt according to our circumstances. And we should never be overconfident.¡±


    ¡°¡­Indeed,¡± Karl said, nodding solemnly at his words. ¡°Last night¡¯s accident was also a reminder for me. When it comes to saving our lives, no amount of precaution can be enough¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­That too,¡± Alnea said, smiling awkwardly. ¡°Is there anything anyone else would like to add? No? Then that¡¯s it for last night¡¯s incident. Next, Vestia, you should focus on finding a mansion that fits our needs. Take your time. We can afford to wait a little. A few days¡¯ delay in exercising our Aspects would not hurt anyone. If need be, you can even enlist our help, including that of the rest of the Star Seekers, who went into the desert yesterday. Just make sure that what happened last night should not happen again, even by accident.¡±


    ¡°Understood, Captain.¡±


    ¡°Moving on, Karl, I need you to keep an eye on the movements of the Lotus clan, and any potential enemies. See if they have any reaction to what happened last night. But do not take any risks. Like you said, when it comes to saving lives, no amount of precaution can be enough.¡±


    ¡°¡­Understood.¡±


    ¡°As for the two of you¡­ I do not have any specific task for you at the moment. Just be ready to assist Vestia if she asks for your help.¡±


    ¡°Why do I have to¡ª


    ¡°Lia. This is not the time to be wilful.¡±


    ¡°¡­Fine. But if she provokes me¡ª


    ¡°She won¡¯t,¡± Alnea said, glancing at Vestia.


    ¡°¡­Of course, I would never disobey my Captain.¡±


    ¡°¡­Good,¡± Alnea said, trying his best to ignore the dimples flashing in front of him. ¡°That¡¯s it for now. Let us wait for the rest of our team to come back from the desert to discuss what to do next.¡±


    ¡°¡­Are you sure?¡± Yuri said. ¡°Are you not forgetting about something?¡±


    ¡°¡­Did I?¡±


    ¡°¡­You never said what you were going to do.¡±


    ¡°Me? I am going to the Blood Hall to check a few things.¡±


    ¡°Like what materials to buy for your next experiment?¡±


    ¡°¡­That too, but buying materials is only my second objective. And do not worry. I have not forgotten our agreement.¡±


    ¡°¡­Then what else are going to do in the Blood Hall?¡±


    ¡°¡­Check something.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°¡­I am not sure yet,¡± Alnea said, shaking his head. ¡°This is just my guess, but¡­¡±


    ¡°Do you need my help?¡± Vestia said, only to be met with rejection in the very next moment.


    ¡°Not now,¡± Alnea said. ¡°I still am not sure what I am looking for. But I might need your help when I do know what to look for.¡±


    ¡°I am always glad to be of help,¡± Vestia said, flashing her dimples at him, prompting Cecilia to glare him once again. He was already used to it though, so he did not mind. Especially since he got to enjoy the smile¡­


    ¡°Anyways, I am just looking for some rumours, and that too, in the Blood Hall, so I don¡¯t think I will be in any danger.¡±


    ¡°¡­It was fine when you didn¡¯t say it. But now that you said it, why do I feel like you might really end up in a dangerous situation?¡±


    ¡°¡­Given his past, that is indeed a possibility.¡±


    ¡°Should we go with him?¡±


    ¡°That sounds like a good idea.¡±


    ¡°We do need to keep an eye on him to make sure that he does not court any troubles.¡±


    ¡°Or bees.¡±


    ¡°¡­I don¡¯t think there are any bees in the city,¡± Alnea said, only to be ignored by the girls. It was as if they were not even listening to him. Or to reason, for that matter. Then again, what chance could reason stand against the united front of the three girls? Such a rare sight¡­ For the first time in a while, neither Vestia nor Cecilia provoked each other, as they followed him to the Blood Hall with Yuri, protecting him against the dangers of the city. Including that of the bees.

 Chapter 41: Blood Crystal Patterns [Part 1]

    Alnea did not meet any bees on his way to the Blood Hall. Neither did he encounter them within the Blood Hall. Yet the girls refused to leave his side. There were too many bees, they said. That they could come at him anytime. Such clear lies¡­ Even if they were using an excuse to stick to him, they could have used some better ones. Or they could have just asked him. It was not as if he would have refused their request.


    On the contrary, given how fond he was of their company, he would have liked nothing more than for the girls to accompany him. If they could live in harmony, that is. And for some strange reason, though they were lying, they were oddly harmonious at the moment. So, even if he knew that they were lying, Alnea did not question the girls, and let them be. Their presence was not going to affect what he was about to do anyway.


    ¡°Good morning, Wanderer Tia,¡± Alnea said, greeting the cheerful Wanderer. A rather odd sight among the Wanderers working for the Lost City. ¡°I hope you have been doing well.¡±


    ¡°A good morning, it is,¡± Tia said, returning his smile with her own. ¡°It has been a while since you came to me. How have you been?¡±


    ¡°I am good. Thank you for the concern.¡±


    ¡°Concern? No. I was just curious.¡±


    ¡°¡­Still¡ª


    ¡°Look at your solemn face,¡± Tia said, chuckling softly. ¡°I was just joking with you. Of course, I was concerned about you. After all, you are one of the few people I am optimistic about.¡±


    ¡°¡­Playing jokes so early in the morning is not a good habit, Wanderer Tia.¡±


    ¡°Who told you to ignore me for so many days?¡± Tia said, feigning a pout.


    ¡°¡­I will come more often in the future.¡±


    ¡°Good,¡± Tia said, losing her pout for a smile, before donning a solemn face. ¡°So, what is it? What troubles have you encountered?¡±


    ¡°¡­It is not exactly a trouble, and how do you know that I have come to ask something?¡±


    ¡°Is it that hard to guess?¡± Tia said, smiling once again. ¡°How many times have you come to me? And how many of those times were just to greet me? Not that I am complaining. Like I said, you can come to me if you are bothered about anything. Even if I cannot help you directly, I can at least give you some advice.¡±


    ¡°¡­Maybe I should come a bit more often in the future.¡±


    ¡°I certainly would not mind.¡±


    Maybe she did not. But there were others who did mind him coming too often to the Wanderer. Or getting too close to her. So, when Alnea felt a chill climb up his back, he did not dare to waste any more time with useless greetings.


    ¡°There is something that I would like to ask you, Wanderer Tia,¡± Alnea said. ¡°It is about the path of Warriors.¡±


    ¡°Oh? Are you finally asking me about the path of Warriors? How rare¡­¡±


    ¡°Rare? Maybe. But not unexpected,¡± Alnea said. ¡°You should have expected me to come to you. Especially after I told you that I had begun practising the Blood Crystal Martial Styles.¡±


    ¡°I did, but not so soon,¡± Wanderer Tia said. ¡°I thought that you might try to solve your doubts on your own first, and would come to only after you had wasted a couple of months.¡±


    ¡°Since I know that I cannot solve my doubts on my own, why should I ponder over them in vain?¡±


    ¡°It would not exactly have been vain. The experience of trying to solve your problems on your own can help you in the future.¡±


    ¡°But that would have wasted my time. And time is one thing I cannot afford to waste.¡±Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    ¡°¡­You are getting more and more slick with your words,¡± Wanderer Tia said with a chuckle, before glancing at the queue behind him. ¡°I have a hunch that this might take a while¡­ You should move to the side a little, and stop blocking the queue, or I might get scolded later. Also, ask your friends to stop trying to eavesdrop from a distance. If they want to listen, they can just stand with you. I promise not to eat them. At least not until I have cleared all your doubts.¡±


    ¡°¡­Thank you,¡± Alnea said, using his Aspects to hide his embarrassment. In vain, of course. Even Vestia and Yuri could see through his disguise, let alone a True Wanderer. But that did not stop him from pretending. Especially with all the Wanderers around them¡­ Moving to the side, he glanced at the girls pretending to be waiting for him, and beckoned them to come over, before turning back towards Wanderer Tia.


    ¡°¡­For the Aspect Trials, you can go to¡­¡±


    Wanderer Tia guided the Wanderers coming up to her, waiting for the girls to come to him, before turning back towards him.


    ¡°So, what is it? What about the Blood Crystal Martial Styles have been bothering you?¡±


    ¡°¡­What exactly are the Blood Crystal Patterns?¡±


    ¡°¡­You want to know about Blood Crystal Patterns?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡±


    ¡°Unfortunately, I do not have the answer to your question,¡± Wanderer Tia said with an awkward smile. ¡°Even I am confused by the Blood Crystal Patterns. As are other True Wanderers of the city. You may not know, but¡­ In short, just know that no True Wanderer can answer your question. At least none that I know of. If you really have to know about the Blood Crystal Patterns, I suggest you look for a Mystic or Grand Wanderer of your clan. Only they can answer your question.¡±


    ¡°¡­I still want to know what you think of the Blood Crystal Patterns. I have my own conjecture about them, but I need to hear other people¡¯s thoughts before I can confirm my guess.¡±


    ¡°¡­If you insist. But beware. What I am about to say is just my opinion about the Blood Crystal Patterns, and may not be correct,¡± Wanderer Tia said after hesitation.


    ¡°I know.¡±


    Nodding to show her acknowledgement, Wanderer Tia quickly dealt with another Wanderer in the queue, before turning back towards him and the girls.


    ¡°According to my observations and experience, Blood Crystal Patterns are like a set of Glyph Arrays.¡±


    ¡°¡­As I thought,¡± Alnea mumbled to himself. ¡°Are they still incomplete at the True Rank?¡±


    ¡°¡­Indeed.¡±


    ¡°Is there a Mystic Rank version of the Patterns?¡±


    ¡°¡­Not that I know of.¡±


    ¡°What do you think is the purpose of the Patterns?¡±


    ¡°¡­As far as I can tell, the Patterns can store energy. The higher the Rank and Stage of the Patterns, the greater the energy they can store.¡±


    ¡°Energy or Oren?¡±


    ¡°Are they not the same thing?¡±


    ¡°I need to know for sure.¡±


    ¡°¡­Oren then. But like I said, I am just guessing.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s enough,¡± Alnea said, nodding to the Wanderer, waiting for her to deal with another Wanderer, before asking his next question. ¡°You said that the Blood Crystal Patterns are like a set of Glyph Arrays¡­ Which lineages do you think they should belong to?¡±


    ¡°¡­Lineage of the Patterns?¡± Wanderer Tia said, and paused for a few moments, before shaking her head with a wry smile. ¡°Where did you come up with these questions?¡±


    ¡°¡­Isn¡¯t that the first question that should come to mind after assuming that the Blood Crystal Patterns are like a set of Glyph Arrays?¡±


    ¡°¡­If you say it like that, then it makes me look bad,¡± Wanderer Tia said, laughing at herself, pausing for a few moments to guide another Wanderer to her preferred Trial, before turning back to him. ¡°To be honest, I never really put much thought into the Patterns, let alone ponder over their origin. To me, and to most of the other Wanderers coming to the Lost City, they are just another tool for us to gain greater strength. Still, having been in touch with them for over a decade, I can make a guess or two about their nature.


    ¡°Like I said before, the main function of the Blood Crystal Patterns is to store energy¡ªOren in our blood cells. But our body, in its natural state, is not capable of interacting with Oren, let alone store it. Only when we use our Aspects to visualise carving the Blood Crystal Patterns on our blood cells do they gain the ability to interact with Oren. And only the Mysteries of the Life can facilitate such drastic transformation.¡±


    Wanderer Tia paused, performing her duties, before turning back towards him and the girls.


    ¡°In addition, as you progress to higher Stages and Ranks in the Blood Crystal Styles, you will understand that amount of Oren stored and the increase in the size of the Blood Crystals is not proportionate. Especially when the Blood Crystals jump from the False Rank to the True Rank. Just a simple increase in storage efficiency is not enough to explain such a drastic increase in the storage capacity of the Blood Crystals. The Blood Crystal Patterns must have elements of the Space Series from the lineage of Time.¡±


    ¡°The lineages of Life and Time?¡±


    ¡°As far as I can tell.¡±


    ¡°¡­I understand,¡± Alnea said after some thought. He did not immediately ask another question though. Instead, he waited for the queue to thin out a little, and Wanderer Tia to shift her focus back to him, before continuing.

 Chapter 41: Blood Crystal Patterns [Part 2]

    ¡°Is there any connection between the Blood Crystal Patterns and the Blood Glyphs of the city?¡±


    ¡°¡­I said that the Blood Crystal Patterns are like Glyph Arrays, not that they are Glyph Arrays,¡± Tia said, shaking her head. ¡°There is still a difference between the two.¡±


    ¡°What kind of difference?¡±


    ¡°Would you not know it once you purchase some Blood Glyphs?¡±


    ¡°¡­I¡ª


    ¡°Alright, I was just teasing you,¡± Tia said, chuckling at the embarrassed look on his face. Her question had been so sudden, that he did not have the time to use his Aspects. Besides, using Aspects in front of a True Wanderer so blatantly, that too one doing him a favour, was not exactly a good idea. It was just that his image as a calm, composed, mature leader¡­


    ¡°Maybe, if you were still going around crazily challenging the Trials, I would have suggested you to give the Trials of the Scholar Hall a visit. Now though¡­ Since you have given up your previous strategy, how can I force you to take the Trials, and let all your work in the past couple of weeks be in vain?¡±


    ¡°¡­Is it that obvious?¡±


    ¡°Not to most people,¡± Tia said. ¡°Only those who can see your brilliance will find the situation to be a little odd. And even among them, most will dismiss you as being a little cowardly. Yet that is just how arrogant young people are. Confident in themselves, and dismissive of their enemies. If you were up against experienced Wanderers, things might have been different. But for now, you can ignore the other Wanderers, and continue accumulating.¡±


    ¡°¡­I understand,¡± Alnea said, and paused for a few moments, allowing the Wanderer to perform her duties, before continuing. ¡°About the Glyphs¡ª


    ¡°What was the second question that you asked me?¡±


    ¡°¡­Are they still incomplete at the True Rank?¡±


    ¡°There is your answer,¡± Tia said. ¡°Have you ever seen or heard about Glyph Arrays than can work despite being incomplete?¡±


    ¡°¡­No, but¡ª


    ¡°Though the Blood Crystal Patterns are indeed like Glyph Arrays, in that they are a complex set of patterns that can harness the powers of the Origin Sea, the power they harness is not the same. Maybe the Blood Crystal Patterns also employs the Mysteries of the Origin Sea. No, they must employ the use of Mysteries. It is just that they are more subtle than the Glyph Arrays in the utilisation of Mysteries. Not to mention that their focus is storing Oren, not manifesting Mysteries.


    ¡°Besides, unlike Glyph Arrays, whose components are complete in themselves, and can work on their own, the components of the Blood Crystal Patterns are still unknown. Of course, some people suggest the Initial Stage False Rank Patterns are their most basic units, but that theory has its own problems, which you will know once you begin condensing Intermediate Stage Blood Crystals. In short, just know that Blood Crystal Patterns are not the same as Blood Glyphs.¡±


    ¡°¡­Indeed,¡± Alnea said, nodding to the Wanderer, as she continued guiding the other Trialists. From what he had heard, the Blood Crystal Patterns were indeed different from Blood Glyphs. Coupled with everything else that Wanderer Tia had said¡­


    ¡°There is just one more thing I want to ask.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°What are the basic requirements for learning Mystic Rank Blood Crystal Patterns?¡±


    Wanderer Tia paused, and looked at him in silence for a few moments, before shaking her head.


    ¡°There are no Mystic Rank Blood Crystal Patterns.¡±


    ¡°Do we have to join the city to learn them?¡±


    ¡°¡­Even if you join the city, you cannot learn what does not exist.¡±


    ¡°Is even joining the city not enough? Do we have to enter the inner city?¡±


    ¡°Stop with your fantasies. Like I said¡ª


    ¡°The core city?¡±


    ¡°Enough,¡± Wanderer Tia said, staring at him solemnly. ¡°There are no Mystic Rank Blood Crystal Patterns.¡±


    ¡°¡­I understand.¡±


    ¡°¡­My apologies for my outburst,¡± Tia said after a moment of silence, letting out a sigh while she was at it. ¡°I do not know if you heard about it from somewhere, or thought of it on your own, but trust me when I say this, it would not do you any good to keep asking about Mystic Rank Blood Crystal Patterns. If you are not careful, you might even attract some unwanted attention. And not just from your competitors in the city.


    ¡°On the surface, it may seem that the city is safe. That it runs on inviolable rules. But there is much more to the city than you know. The city¡¯s council¡­ the group of Wanderers sitting in the core city, controlling everything that happens in the city¡­ They make their own rules. And if they feel that your presence threatens them¡­ Besides, I was not lying. There are indeed no Mystic Rank Blood Crystal Patterns.¡±You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.


    ¡°¡­I understand,¡± Alnea said, this time with an ever widening grin. ¡°Thank you for clearing my doubts, Wanderer Tia. I already know what I wanted to know.¡±


    ¡°¡­You did not hear a word of what I said, did you?¡±


    ¡°I heard everything loud and clear.¡±


    ¡°Yet you are still going to go after it.¡±


    ¡°After what?¡± Alnea said, blinking to prove his innocence. ¡°I do not understand what you are trying to say.¡±


    ¡°Good,¡± Wanderer Tia said with a smile. ¡°That is the attitude you should have.¡±


    ¡°¡­After all, I have no intention of needlessly risking my life.¡±


    ¡°¡­You are much better than when you first came to the city,¡± Wanderer Tia said, letting out a light laugh, before shaking her head, and waving her hand, shooing him away. ¡°Alright, stop cluttering around my counter. Can you not see how long the queue of people I have to handle has become?¡±


    ¡°Thank you for your guidance, Wanderer Tia,¡± Alnea said, bowing slightly to the woman. ¡°I will come again when I have more doubts.¡±


    ¡°¡­As long as you do not bring me any more headaches,¡± Tia said, rolling her eyes at him, before glancing at the girls. ¡°Do you three have any doubts?¡±


    ¡°¡­No, not at the moment.¡±


    ¡°At least not related to the path of Warriors.¡±


    ¡°Though we might have some questions that need to be answered¡­¡±


    ¡°Indeed,¡± Wanderer Tia said, and turned back towards him, laughing a bit louder than before, showing no intention of helping him out. ¡°May Goddess Ilea be with you, little brother.¡±


    ¡°¡­I am not little,¡± Alnea said, resisting his urge to frown at the Wanderer. She was probably just trying to tease him. In her defence, she did have the right to be a little grumpy. Anyone in her position would have been. Deliberately testing her with his words, prying out the secrets of the city from her mouth, when she was bound by its rules to never reveal its core secrets¡­


    Thankfully, Wanderer Tia was more friendly than other Wanderers, like Wanderer Martha, or he might have had to face more than just a small outburst. After all, the information that he had pried from her was enough for both of them to earn the ire of the city¡¯s council. If the council learned the truth of the matter, that is.


    Composed entirely of the Mystic Wanderers who chose to give up their clans and join the city, the city¡¯s council was responsible for both, regulating and executing the rules of the city. And as the highest ruling authority of the city, the council did not have enough time to pay attention to what a Trialist and one of its employees were talking. Not to mention that they did not reveal much in their conversation anyway. Even if someone reported them, there was not much that the council could do unless they turned themselves in and confessed their crimes. Still, calling him little¡­


    ¡°Of course,¡± Wanderer Tia said, glancing at the girls next to him in amusement. ¡°My apologies. You are indeed not ¡®little¡¯.¡±


    ¡­Maybe, if she had said those words without the smirk on her face, he could have believed Tia for a few moments. He still would have had his suspicions, but he would have given her the benefit of doubt. There was no need to doubt anymore. The Wanderer was not done with her revenge just yet. And he had no intention of letting himself get embarrassed in front of everyone.


    ¡°¡­See you later, Wanderer Tia,¡± Alnea said, and turned around before the Wanderer could say anything else. He did not even wait for the girls. They seemed to be having fun with each other anyway. Might as well leave them be on their own, he thought, as he made his way to the counter for Redemption and Exchange of Blood Coins, only to hear the girls catching up to him in the very next moment.


    ¡°What was that about?¡± Cecilia said, grabbing his hand, forcing him to stop and face her.


    ¡°¡­How would I know?¡± Alnea said, glancing back at Wanderer Tia, and found her guiding other Wanderers with a smile. Not a devious, or a happy one. Just a simple, official smile used to greet strangers. Then again, most of those Wanderers were indeed strangers to her. If not for¡ª


    ¡°¡­Are trying to play dumb?¡±


    ¡°¡­Are you talking about me?¡± Alnea said, turning back to Cecilia in confusion, before finally understanding what she was referring to. ¡°She was still a little grumpy because of what I did earlier. And I did not want to be called little anymore.¡±


    ¡°Who cares what she called you?¡± Cecilia said with a scoff, as she let go of his hand. ¡°Is that even something that we should focus on right now?¡±


    ¡°¡­Then¡ª


    ¡°It is what you said, and how you said those things,¡± Yuri added, putting on a solemn face.


    ¡°¡­Are you talking about the Blood Crystal Patterns?¡±


    ¡°¡­You said that you would just look for some rumours,¡± Cecilia said in a much lower voice than before. ¡°That you were not going to be in any danger.¡±


    ¡°And I was not.¡±


    ¡°¡­Last I checked, making a True Wanderer lose control of her emotions, while standing just two hands away from her, counted as being in danger,¡± Vestia said, with no hint of her usual smile on her face. It looked like her united front with Cecilia had not broken up just yet.


    ¡°¡­She did not lose control. At worst, she was just a little overwhelmed by momentary anger.¡±


    ¡°And that little moment was enough for her to do many things.¡±


    ¡°¡­This is the Blood Hall.¡±


    ¡°¡­Are you going to risk your life on the hope that a Wanderer, lost in the flow her emotions, would observe some arbitrary rules that only those with a sane mind would care about?¡± Yuri said, finally sealing his fate.


    ¡°¡­I am sorry. I did not expect that my questions would¡ª


    ¡°We will talk about this later,¡± Yuri said, glancing at the Wanderers around them. ¡°For now, go finish what you came here for.¡±


    ¡°Didn¡¯t he do it already?¡± Cecilia said, turning back towards Alnea. ¡°Are you going to search for more rumours?¡±


    ¡°¡­Though I would not mind searching for more rumours¡ª


    ¡°I think it would be best if our Captain leaves searching for rumours up to me,¡± Vestia said, finally resuming her smile. Except, this time, her smile looked more like a threat. Clearly, she was not going to take a no for her suggestion. Not even from her Captain. ¡°Unless you want to offend the entire city, including the council. In that case, you can ignore my offer.¡±


    ¡°¡­what I want to know is not something that can be found by just eavesdropping on other people¡¯s conversation. Few, if any of our competitors would know this secret. And those who know it will not dare to reveal it. Even a True Wanderer like Tia was hesitant to talk about it. Walking around in the Blood Hall, hoping to stumble upon this secret, would only be a waste of time.¡±


    ¡°¡­It looks like our Captain is not completely hopeless after all.¡±


    ¡°¡­Besides, you are right. I am indeed not suited to search for rumours. So, if you would not mind, I would like to ask you to¡ª


    ¡°Like I said, this is not exactly the best place or time to discuss our plans,¡± Yuri said, glaring at Alnea. ¡°Stop creating unnecessary troubles, and just go buy the materials you need.¡±

 Chapter 42: Eternal Flame [Part 1]

    Alnea could swear to God, Origin or not, take an Oath even¡ªMaybe taking an Oath would going a bit too far. Just swearing in a God¡¯s name was enough to show his sincerity. And since the Origin Gods had to be respected, he could only swear in the name of other Gods. Preferably some Mystic or True Gods. Though he did not know the name of any True Gods. The weakest Gods he knew of were the Mystic Gods.


    Regardless, it was his intentions that mattered, not the God in whose name he would take his Oath. It was a show of his sincerity, a way to prove his innocence. He, Alnea Oathkeeper, did not like creating troubles. On the contrary, he preferred staying away from troubles. But what could he do if the troubles came running to him on their own? He could not just close his eyes, and pretend that he did not see them, could he?


    On second thought, that was indeed a good idea. If the troubles were not directed at him, that is. Though even if the troubles had nothing to do with him, once the Lotus clan knew about them, they would not let such a chance slip past them so easily. In the end, whether he wanted to deal with them or not, troubles would still come looking for him anyway. Saying that he created unnecessary troubles¡­


    ¡°¡­About the materials, there is something that I would like to ask the two of you,¡± Alnea said, glancing at Yuri and Vestia, who nodded back in return, showing their acquiescence. Vestia even went a step further to put on a smile. And not of the threatening kind. And though Yuri was not smiling, he could tell that she had calmed down, and was in a much better mood than before. Probably because he decided to ask for help rather than trying to do everything on his own. Of the girls, only Cecilia had not given up the frown on her face.


    ¡°Just the two of them?¡± Cecilia said, glancing warily at Vestia. ¡°What about me?¡±


    ¡°¡­Are you sure you want to know the answer?¡±


    ¡°¡­You are an idiot!¡± Cecilia said, pouting in dissatisfaction, before glaring at Vestia. And though the latter did not say anything, the smug smile on her face was enough to tell them what she was thinking. And for the first time, as he looked at the girls, getting ready to pounce on each other, Alnea thought that letting them fight each other every once in a while was not a bad idea. At the very least, it would save him from all kinds of troubles. Except, letting them fight would create its own set of troubles. That too, of the unnecessary kind.


    ¡°¡­Alight, stop glaring at her as if you want to eat her alive,¡± Alnea said, pinching Cecilia¡¯s nose to get her attention. And though she swatted his hand right away, his plan succeeded perfectly. ¡°Would you like to help me out, Lia?¡±


    ¡°¡­Only because you are asking so nicely.¡±


    ¡°Thank you,¡± Alnea said, smiling at the green robed girl. Not to tease her, of course. He did not even do it intentionally. That smile came on its own, as he looked at his first true friend, the girl who had once pulled him out of his despair. She truly did deserve a word of gratitude. No, she deserved much more than just a ¡®thank you¡¯. She deserved the whole world. Unfortunately, he was not strong enough to give her the world just yet. So, he could only opt for the next best thing, and try to keep her smiling, as he worked his way to becoming the greatest Wanderer.


    ¡°As I was saying, I need some help in choosing the materials for my next attempt,¡± Alnea said, tearing his eyes away from Cecilia, and glancing at Yuri and Vestia. ¡°There are just too many materials to choose from, some of which I do not even know about. And I wish to use as few materials as possible, so that I can minimise the chances of errors and mistakes.¡±


    ¡°¡­If you want to use as few materials as possible, then the first thing you need to do is to eliminate all materials with stronger activities, and those incompatible with the desert, as neutralising them might increase the number of materials you need,¡± Vestia said after some thought.


    ¡°Already did,¡± Alnea said. ¡°But like I said, there are just too many materials to choose from. Even after eliminating all the stronger materials, and those incompatible with the desert, there are still nearly a thousand materials related to Fire.¡±


    ¡°How did you choose your materials last time?¡± Vestia said, only to shake her head the very next moment. ¡°Forget it. I already know the answer.¡±


    ¡°¡­I¡ª


    ¡°To help you decide which materials to use, we must first know about your Glyph,¡± Yuri said, saving Alnea from embarrassing himself once again. ¡°Which lineage and Series is it from, what are is its effects, what properties does it have, things like that. Only when we know more about your Glyph, can we help you choose the most suitable materials for your Glyph.¡±You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.


    ¡°That¡¯s easy,¡± Alnea said, giving a grateful glance to Yuri. ¡°My Glyph is called¡ª


    ¡°Stop,¡± Yuri said hurriedly, even raising her hand instinctively, interrupting him from completing his words. ¡°Were you going to reveal what Glyph you have mastered in the Blood Hall?¡±


    ¡°¡­No,¡± Alnea said, glancing at the flow of Wanderers around them. Some of them might be their enemies, and some could be their rivals, but all of them were strangers. Revealing what Glyph he has mastered to so many strangers¡­


    ¡°¡­Stop being so reckless, Alnea Oathkeeper. You are a Captain now.¡±


    ¡°¡­I know,¡± Alnea said, taking a deep breath to rearrange his thoughts, before continuing where he had left off.


    ¡°I was just going to talk about my Glyph in general. Its properties and the like. That should be enough to help us narrow down the list of materials.¡±


    ¡°¡­Just make sure not to reveal any information that might allow others to identify your Glyph.¡±


    ¡°¡­I know,¡± Alnea said, nodding solemnly, before glancing at Vestia and Cecilia. ¡°As you already know, the Glyph that I have mastered is from the Fire Series, deriving its strength from high temperatures. The higher the temperature of the flames it produces, the greater the damage it would be able to incur.¡±


    ¡°High temperatures,¡± Vestia mumbled, shifting her gaze down to the ground, getting lost in her thoughts for a few moments, before raising her head back up to look at Alnea into his eyes. ¡°Just the temperature alone is not enough. Is there anything else you can tell us about the Glyph?¡±


    ¡°¡­It has almost no initial impact, and most of its damage is focussed on sustained burning of targets.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s much more helpful,¡± Vestia said, nodding at his words, before getting lost in her thoughts once again. Even Yuri looked as if she was thinking about what materials he could use. Though she did not need to use the hints he gave to Vestia. Unlike the latter, she already knew what Glyph he had mastered. And so did Cecilia. That was probably the reason why Cecilia became a little agitated when she saw the thoughtful look on Vestia¡¯s face.


    Despite knowing what Glyph he had mastered, Cecilia could only watch helplessly as Vestia, with the help of only a couple of hints, browsed through the various materials in her head, coming up with solutions to his problems in just a few moments. In comparison, Cecilia, with all her advantages, could only sit¡ªNo!


    ¡°Sustained flames and high temperatures,¡± Cecilia said, pretending to be lost in her thoughts, just like Vestia and Yuri. ¡°Almost like an Eternal Flame.¡±


    ¡°¡­Even the weakest of Eternal Flames are of the Mystic Rank,¡± Alnea said, letting out a wry laugh, as Cecilia¡¯s ears were tinted red by the blood rushing to her face. ¡°I may be reckless, but I am not stupid.¡±


    ¡°Shut up!¡± Cecilia said, glaring at him. But that only made her look cuter than before. ¡°Do you want my help or not?¡±


    ¡°I do.¡±


    ¡°Then stop laughing, and let me think.¡±


    ¡°¡­I will try,¡± Alnea said, trying his best to restrain his laughter. In vain. Fortunately, Yuri came to his rescue once again.


    ¡°She is not wrong, you know.¡±


    ¡°Who? Lia?¡±


    ¡°Although you cannot create an Eternal Flame, nothing is stopping you from creating something with a similar effect.¡±


    ¡°¡­If you say it like that, it does sound like a good idea,¡± Vestia said, nodding along. ¡°But we would need to make some tweaks.¡±


    ¡°Of course, that is a given,¡± Yuri said. ¡°Let alone creating an Eternal Flame, even creating its prototype at our level would be nigh impossible. But if he only has to recreate its effects, he can do it with just a good, efficient fuel, that can allow the flames to maintain a high temperature.¡±


    ¡°No, just having high temperature flames would not be enough. He would also have to ensure that the flames do not burn out in a short time. But there is a limit to how much fuel he can use in the Glyph without destabilising its other components. So, rather than being efficient, the fuel needs to be of the regenerating kind.¡±


    ¡°Regeneration would be a little tricky. Especially if he wants to emulate the effects of an Eternal flame. There are only few materials that match those criteria, and none of them are of the False Rank. But you are right. Just an efficient fuel is not enough. We need something more¡­ A type of fuel that can create more of itself. It would be best if the fuel can be produced by heating or burning its source.¡±


    ¡°But he cannot let the flames touch the base of the Glyphs, or the ink, as that would compromise its integrity, and just lead to a repeat of last night¡¯s accident. Maybe if he separated the source of the fuel from the rest of the Glyph¡­¡±


    ¡°Create a small opening for the new fuel to flow into the Glyph¡­¡±


    ¡°So, an insulating container and a filter corresponding to the fuel.¡±


    ¡°Do not forget a secondary fuel to extract the primary fuel from its source.¡±


    ¡°And a retardant to dampen the flame when necessary.¡±


    ¡°Then there is the binder, which can bring all the materials together¡­¡±


    Alnea watched in silence, as Yuri and Vestia continued with their discussion. Even Cecilia, who had originally proposed the idea, could only stare the two girls in confusion. At least Alnea could still understand what they were talking about. The only thing Cecilia understood was that he needed to create flames, and make it reach the level of Eternal Flames¡­

 Chapter 42: Eternal Flame [Part 2]

    There were many strange things in the world that bordered on the edge of fantasies. Some of them were found in the Domains corrupted by the Thralls, like the Chaos Trees of the Abyss or the Purgon Steel of the Purgon Mountains. But those things came into existence because of the corruption brought upon by the Thralls. There were other things, things native to the world, that did not need the help of the Thralls to conceive. Like the Fortune Springs. Or Eternal Flames.


    Born in a manner similar to Fortune Springs, Eternal Flames came in all size and shapes, with no two Eternal Flames having the same colour or behaviour. There were even theories that these flames had a soul of their own. An eternal soul that could never be extinguished. At the very least, no had ever extinguished these flames, not even Supreme Wanderers.


    Fortunately, Eternal Flames were relatively docile, preferring to stay in the place of their birth, rather than roaming around, wreaking havoc on the world. Not that they could have done much damage anyway. Though Wanderers did not have the means to extinguish these flames, they still had the ability to isolate and contain them. Some Wanderers even deliberately hunted these flames to make use of their eternal nature. A dangerous venture, that often resulted in the death of Wanderers.


    To hunt or contain an Eternal Flame, one had to be at least at the Mystic Rank, or even the weakest of the Eternal Flames would be enough to burn them to ashes in a matter of moments. Still, over the years, repeated hunting of the flames, first by the Gods and Origin Beasts, then by other species, including the Wanderers, had caused these flames to go extinct a long time ago, getting lost in the endless history of the world.


    The Origin Sea, however, seemed to have another plan for these flames. In an accident that no one could have predicted, a high Rank Wanderer handling his Glyphs made some mistakes, creating a flame that refused to be extinguished. At least not on their own. For some reasons, unlike the Eternal Flames born naturally, Wanderers a Rank above the artificial Eternal Flames could easily smother them out of existence. There were even cases of Wanderers of the same rank easily subduing these flames, wearing them out with time.


    Regardless, Eternal Flames were still a rare and dangerous construct, that could easily kill hundreds if not thousands of False Wanderers in mere moments. Even their prototypes possessed terrifying powers, requiring Wanderers to reach the True Rank before they could try to contain their wisps. As for creating them, that was a domain exclusive to Wanderers of the Mystic Rank and above. If it was just simulating their effects though¡­


    ¡°You were saying something,¡± Cecilia said, with a smug smile on her face.


    ¡°¡­Thank you for your great idea, Lady Cecilia,¡± Alnea said, staring right back into Cecilia¡¯s green eyes, with a wide smile on his face, before bowing in an exaggeration of Wanderer etiquettes. He was already embarrassed anyway. Might as well be a little more shameless, and drag her with himself to share the embarrassment. After all, that was what true friends did. Help each other in times of their need.


    ¡°It¡¯s good that you know.¡±


    Alnea blinked, and raised his head back up, finding Cecilia looking at him without much change in her expressions. Sure, there was a hint of red on her cheeks, and her smile was a little more restrained than before, but it was far from the embarrassed expression he had imagined. Maybe he had underestimated her shamelessness. Then again, she did have to bear with big sis Serena¡¯s antics for years. It was no wonder that his words alone were not enough to embarrass her. Maybe, if he¡ª


    ¡°That¡¯s it,¡± Yuri said, nodding in agreement with Vestia, as they finalised what sort of materials he could use, before turning towards him, only to find him staring at a blushing Cecilia with a wide grin on his face.


    ¡°¡­Did you listen to what we discussed?¡±


    Alnea paused, and turned back towards Yuri and Vestia, who were glaring at him with a pout on their faces.


    ¡°¡­I did. But¡ª


    ¡°Then what are you still standing here for?¡± Vestia said, not giving him any chance to make excuses for himself. ¡°Go and buy the materials you need so that we can go back to our mansion.¡±


    ¡°¡­I was just about to do that,¡± Alnea said, as he saw the corner of Yuri¡¯s lips curving upwards ever so slightly, breaking his only hope for retreat. A playful Yuri was much worse than either Cecilia or Vestia. Not that he did not like her when she behaved like her age. On the contrary, he preferred a playful and mischievous Yuri over her serious and solemn self. After all, he was the only one for whom she could put down the restraints of her Heart. And he quite liked the idea of keeping a side of her only to himself. Then there was also that unrestrained smile on her face.This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work.


    There was just one problem. When in her mischievous mood, Yuri was often more interested in teasing him than helping him out of his predicament. Especially if it was a problem that he had created for himself. Not to mention that he had also ignored her for a few moments. He was already grateful that she had not taken the chance to embarrass him further. Helping him out¡­


    Subduing his errant thoughts back into his Heart, Alnea walked towards the counter of Blood Coin Exchange and Redemption, while quickly going through all that Vestia and Yuri had discussed, filtering out the materials according to his need. A fuel that can be extracted from its source by flames, a secondary fuel, an insulating container and a corresponding filter, a retardant, a simple base, some ink, and something to inscribe the Glyph. Eight materials in total. Coupled with the restrictions of Eternal Flame¡ª


    Alnea paused in his thoughts, as the information about the Eternal Flames flashed through his mind. Flames that refused to be extinguished¡­ What if they were extinguished? He was not really creating an Eternal Flame, after all. If he made it so that all the energy of the flames concentrated on a point, and burned out in an instant, the resultant outburst would not be less an all out blow of a Peak Stage False Wanderer. And that was with lower quality materials. If he used higher quality materials, like he had used the day before¡­


    ¡°What do you need?¡±


    Alnea blinked, coming back to his senses, noticing that he was already standing in front of the counter, with the Wanderer waiting for his answer. Putting away his somewhat rather immature thoughts into the depths of his Heart for the moment, he quickly recited the materials he had decided upon earlier.


    ¡°¡­A ten year old White Star Tree¡¯s bark, half a metre, a ten year old Black Star Tree¡¯s sap, two vials, an inferior Purple Veined Fire Crystal¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­a hundred and twenty three Blood Coins in total.¡±


    After putting away the materials into his storage pouch, Alnea thanked the Wanderer, and made his way back to the girls, before walking out of the Blood Hall, and back towards his mansion. Or at least three of them did. Since they were out in the city anyway, Vestia decided to scout the city, and look for places where they could rent a new mansion. One that could fit all their requirements.


    ¡°Be careful,¡± Alnea said, as Vestia left their group. ¡°Try not to clash with the Lotus clan, and be on the lookout for any other potential enemies. Also, come back in time, or we will go to the Arena without you.¡±


    ¡°You are forcing me to be in a hurry, Captain,¡± Vestia said, with a smile that seemed like a mix of amusement, satisfaction, and pride. ¡°Don¡¯t worry though. Unlike a certain someone, I much more subtle when searching for clues, or gathering information.¡±


    ¡°¡­For the record, I was not being subtle on purpose to incite Tia into giving me the information I needed. And it worked exactly like I thought.¡±


    ¡°¡­No one is going to be fooled by your clumsy lies,¡± Vestia said, chuckling at his indignant face. ¡°And even if you did incite her on purpose, your method does not seem to have worked exactly as you wished.¡±


    ¡°¡­That¡¯s because she did not have all the information.¡±


    ¡°Do you really think so?¡±


    ¡°¡­Fine. You win,¡± Alnea said, but only because he did not wish to argue needlessly. And he did need her help. ¡°You should already know what I want to check. But as you can guess from Wanderer Tia¡¯s actions, this kind of information can be dangerous. And I do not need it urgently anyway. So, there is no need to deliberately search for it, or provoke any unnecessary troubles. Just help me keep an eye on the information, and inform me when you find something.¡±


    ¡°¡­Huh? Did you say something?¡±


    ¡°¡­Please.¡±


    ¡°Of course, I will help you. You are my Captain, after all. Besides, I am also very interested in the things you mentioned earlier.¡±


    ¡°¡­Be careful, Vestia.¡±


    ¡°I will,¡± Vestia said, returning his concern with a charmingly wide smile. ¡°Do not worry. I am still waiting for you to fulfil your promise with me, so how can I let anything happen to myself?¡±


    Saying so, Vestia turned around, and walked away, while the three of them watched her back in silence.


    ¡°¡­Vixen,¡± Cecilia said after a while.


    ¡°¡­Vixen indeed,¡± Yuri said, concurring with Cecilia, as she saw the dazed look on Alnea¡¯s face.


    ¡°¡­I don¡¯t think she is that bad,¡± Alnea said, tearing his eyes away from Vestia¡¯s back, and glancing at Yuri and Cecilia. ¡°At least she is sincere in her work.¡±


    ¡°¡­That I cannot argue with,¡± Yuri said, nodding in acknowledgement. ¡°She may be a vixen, but she is good teammate.¡±


    ¡°¡­I still don¡¯t like her.¡±


    ¡°¡­Maybe,¡± Alnea said, leaving Cecilia baffled. And though Yuri seemed to understand what he was implying, she had no intention of clearing the confusion. ¡°Let¡¯s stop wasting our time, and go back. We need to catch up with the training we missed last night, or it won¡¯t be us waiting for Vestia in the Arena, but the other way around.¡±

 Chapter 43: Purplebird [Part 1]

    Alnea stood in the Arena, tracing his finger around the edges of his Blood Card, wondering where had he gone wrong? Was it when he became the Captain? Or when he set an unrealistic goal for himself? Though strictly speaking, the goal was not completely unrealistic, he noted, as he glanced at the details on his Blood Card.


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    Seventy three thousand¡­ From a little under a hundred and thirty thousand all the way to Seventy three thousand, his rank in the Arena had indeed made quite a jump in the past month, but it was still short of the goal he had set for himself. Or the girls. Yuri and Cecilia in particular. Their ranks were not much different from his. After all, the time they spent in the Arena, and the number of times they fought was similar.


    Regardless, if they could make a jump of around seventy thousand in the past month by just fighting three to four battles a day, another three to four battles a day should have allowed them to reach their goal. If the progression in ranks was linear, that is. It was not. The more their ranks progressed, the more Arena points they had to earn to progress even further.


    Alnea still recalled how it had taken only ten thousand Arena points for his rank to reach around ninety thousand, yet nearly ten thousand points later, he had still not breached past the seventy thousand mark. Not to mention that the better their rank became, the tougher the opponents they faced, making their battles more exhausting every day.


    Just fighting three to four times a day was already stretching them to their limits. Going further was bound to hamper their daily training. More importantly, just three to four more battles a day was nowhere enough for them to reach their goal. At the very least, they would have had to fight nearly twenty to thirty times a day, spending most of their time in the Arena.


    Anxious as he was, Alnea was not stupid enough to sacrifice everything just to show everyone that he did not overestimate himself. Besides, even if he had made that decision, Yuri and Cecilia would not have allowed him to go through with it. And neither would have Vestia. Even though it was she who was supposed to follow his orders¡­ In any case, his task was bound to fail from the moment it was conceived. Maybe if he had dug for more information, or asked his teammates for their advice, before choosing his goal¡­


    In contrast, the rest of his teammates were progressing very smoothly towards their goals. Especially the five he had asked to venture into the desert. Just listening to the whispers of the Wanderers around him in the Arena was enough to tell him how much his teammates had progressed. Even on the streets, or in the Blood Hall, he could often hear Wanderers gossiping about Star Seekers. And what he could not hear was brought to his ears by Vestia. From information about alliances and conspiracies to something as simple as information about individuals, nothing could hide from her.


    Recently, at his request, she had even begun digging into some legends of the city. With the help of Karl, of course. The invisible man, as Alnea liked to call him, was somehow able to lurk right in plain sight of other Wanderers, and gather all sorts of information. Mostly about who killed whom, who was plotting against whom, and all sorts of conspiracies. It was also why Alnea asked him to help Yuri with her recent investigations.


    In any case, everyone had been doing a perfect job over the past month. Everyone, except him. The goal he had set for himself¡­ Even when he tried his best, he just could not¡ª


    ¡°¡­How many more days is it going to take?¡± Cecilia said, yawning, while stretching out her limbs, with Forne, standing on her small platform, mimicking her actions. ¡°I am getting bored by the Arena now.¡±


    ¡°¡­Say that after you try fighting without Forne¡¯s help.¡±


    ¡°¡­You are saying that as if I can control her,¡± Cecilia mumbled, squatting down to scratch its back. ¡°And don¡¯t you know what will happen if we don¡¯t let her have her fill?¡±This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    ¡°¡­Still, you should try fighting one or two battles by yourself.¡±


    ¡°¡­It¡¯s too troublesome. Besides, they are all just too weak. Even if I fight them, it would not bring me any benefits. Rather than wasting my time and energy, it is better that I let Forne clean them all up for me.¡±


    ¡°¡­Then don¡¯t complain.¡±


    ¡°Why? I cannot even complain now?¡±


    ¡°¡­I am sorry,¡± Alnea said, letting out a sigh after he noticed the irritation in his voice. ¡°I have been a little stressed lately.¡±


    ¡°How about I give you a massage then?¡± Vestia said, winking at him with a smile.


    ¡°If he needs a massage, then I can do it too!¡± Cecilia said, clenching her fists, and waving them in front of his face. Maybe, if it had just been Vestia who had made that offer, then he might have accepted it. But Cecilia¡­


    ¡°¡­Thanks for the offer, but I am fine.¡±


    ¡°¡­Is it because of the battle yesterday?¡±


    ¡°¡­No, that¡¯s just a part of it. But don¡¯t worry. I know that it was not my fault.¡±


    ¡°¡­It¡¯s good that you know,¡± Yuri said. After a slight pause, she added, ¡°What is bothering you then?¡±


    ¡°¡­The one month deadline is approaching¡±


    ¡°So?¡±


    ¡°¡­Ralph and the rest have already begun spreading the name of our team. Vestia has also gathered enough information. Even Karl has gained quite a bit in the past month. Only we¡­¡±


    ¡°We have improved our ranks by nearly sixty thousand places.¡±


    ¡°¡­But that is not enough. The rest of them are all in the top twenty thousand ranks of the Arena. Even Zain, after he broke through to the Peak Stage, has managed to make it to the top thirty thousand ranks. Only we¡­¡±


    ¡°It is not your fault, Alnea. We just started out a little later than others. It is only a matter of time before we catch up with them.¡±


    ¡°That is the problem. We don¡¯t have time¡­ I said that we will catch up with them in a month¡­¡±


    ¡°We are already fighting three battles a day. Sometimes, we even fight four times. And we have never lost. What more can we do?¡±


    ¡°But¡­ I am the Captain. And I am the only one who failed the task¡­¡±


    ¡°It is not just you who failed the task. Cecilia and I failed too.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s because I set the target too high¡­¡±


    ¡°See? Do you not have your answer already? You just set our target too high.¡±


    ¡°¡­That is my fault as the Captain¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­It is your first time leading a team, Alnea. And back then, you were new to the Lost City. It is understandable that you made a mistake in your judgement. I am sure that everyone will understand.¡±


    ¡°¡­Being a leader is tough.¡±


    ¡°Now, do you understand how I felt back in the Night Canyons?¡±


    ¡°¡­I have reasons to believe that you deliberately pushed me to the position of the Captain to take revenge.¡±


    ¡°¡­Guilty as charged,¡± Yuri said, with a radiant smile on her face, charming enough to send him into a daze¡­


    ¡°¡­It is not fair.¡±


    ¡°What is not fair?¡±


    ¡°¡­Nothing,¡± Alnea mumbled, before turning towards Vestia. ¡°Have you made any progress on the things I asked you check, Vestia?¡±


    ¡°¡­I have some leads, but it will take time. Especially if I want to do it without alerting our enemies, or¡­ you know who.¡±


    ¡°Who?¡± Cecilia said, tilting her head in confusion, before turning towards Alnea. ¡°Did you ask her to check something again?¡±


    ¡°¡­It is a secret,¡± Vestia said, giggling at Cecilia¡¯s puffed-up cheeks,


    ¡°A secret of the city,¡± Alnea quickly added before Cecilia could make up some ridiculous stories in her mind, and punish him for his role in those stories. ¡°And a secret that you already know.¡±


    ¡°¡­Are you talking about the¡ª


    ¡°Not here,¡± Alnea said, cutting Cecilia off, before glancing at the Wanderers around them. ¡°This not exactly the place to talk about such things. Especially if those said things can play a pivotal role in whether or not we enter the core city. If you are curious, wait until we go back to our mansion. I will have Vestia brief us on how much she has progressed in her search. But only if you promise not to look into those secrets.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°Because I do not want you to make the same mistake I made a couple of weeks ago.¡±


    ¡°¡­Do you think I cannot do what the vixen is doing?¡±


    ¡°There is no shame in admitting our weakness, Lia.¡±


    ¡°I hate to interrupt, but if you truly want to keep the ¡®secret¡¯ you are talking about as a secret, then you better not discuss it easily. No even in our mansion,¡± Yuri said, bringing everyone¡¯s attention to herself. ¡°We know too little about how the city works. What are the principles through which the different facilities of the Lost City function? Glyph Arrays, or some entirely new power system?


    ¡°If it is Glyph Arrays, then it is fine. But if it is the latter, who knows if someone can use higher authority to take control of our mansion, and listen to our conversations through the walls? Like Alnea said, the secret may very well be the key in determining whether or not we enter the core. Maybe even¡­ The less the people know about it, the better it would be. You can tell us about it when you have uncovered the entire secret, or when the time is right, but till then, you better keep it just between you and Vestia.¡±


    To Alnea alone, Yuri added, ¡°Of course, no one can peep into our conversation, so you can rest assured when talking with me.¡±

 Chapter 43: Purplebird [Part 2]

    ¡°¡­I guess you are right,¡± Alnea said, acquiescing to Yuri¡¯s words, before turning towards Cecilia with a wry smile. ¡°It looks like the ¡®secret¡¯ will have to remain a ¡®secret¡¯ for a bit longer.¡±


    ¡°¡­Fine,¡± Cecilia grumbled. ¡°But I will remember this, ¡®Stingy Alnea¡¯.¡±


    ¡°¡­I will make it up to you after we go back to our mansion, alright?¡±


    ¡°¡­How?¡±


    ¡°¡­Let us keep that as a surprise for now.¡±


    ¡°¡­If this would be anything like your last surprise, then you will be dead.¡±


    ¡°¡­Don¡¯t worry. I have not lived enough yet.¡±


    ¡°Good¡­ Why are you making that face now, Vestia?¡±


    ¡°¡­Cecilia can get a surprise just because you did not tell her the secret. But I am risking my life to get to the bottom of that secret for you¡­ Are you not going to give me anything?¡±


    ¡°¡­Vixen¡­¡±


    ¡°You already know the secret¡­¡±


    ¡°But I did not ask for it.¡±


    ¡°¡­Technically, you did ask for it.¡±


    ¡°But I did it for you. I did it because I did not want to see you getting into trouble,¡± Vestia said, blinking with large, innocent eyes, while ignoring Cecilia¡¯s glares. As for Yuri¡­ she had already given up trying to keep the blue robed girl in line. Instead, she diverted all her attention on keeping him in check.


    ¡°¡­Stop teasing Lia, Vestia.¡±


    ¡°I am not teasing her though,¡± Vestia said. ¡°I truly am asking for my share of reward.¡±


    ¡°¡­Reward?¡±


    ¡°Yes, my reward for gathering information in the past month.¡±


    ¡°¡­But I only have Low Grade Martial Style Medals. Are you sure you want them?¡±


    ¡°Who wants your Medals?¡± Vestia said, glaring at him for a couple of moments, before calming herself, resuming her innocent and aggrieved look. ¡°Did I not tell you back then? I am not interested in the strength that the Lost City can bring me. I am more interested in you¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­We talked over this back then. I even gave you a promise.¡±


    ¡°That you will fulfil when we leave the Lost City. I am risking my life for you almost every day. Should you not give me a few benefits every now and then to help keep me motivated?¡±


    ¡°¡­I will give you your surprise later.¡±


    ¡°¡­I will be looking forward to it,¡± Vestia said, replacing her aggrieved look with a beautiful smile, closed on both sides by her dimples. That was the only thing that made Alnea relax a little. Seeing the smiles of the girls around him. Making them smile though¡­


    ¡°Me too,¡± Yuri said in a tone that refused any and all questions. ¡°I wonder what surprise you will have for me.¡±


    It was difficult, and sometimes, even tiresome. But worth it.


    ¡°¡­Blood Soldier N one three zero six four six eight, and N zero six zero eight four nine nine, come up to the stage.¡±


    ¡°N one three zero six four six eight,¡± Vestia mumbled, before hurriedly glancing around the Arena, as if searching for something.


    ¡°¡­You got it wrong, Vestia. My identity number is N zero six zero eight four nine nine,¡± Alnea said, and waved at the girls, before¡ª


    Stopping in his tracks, Alnea looked back to find Vestia holding his left hand.


    ¡°¡­Be careful, Alnea,¡± Vestia said with a solemn face, before pointing to the purple robed man moving towards the stage. ¡°Your opponent¡­ He is very strong.¡±


    ¡°How strong can someone ranked outside of the top fifty thousand ranks be?¡± Cecilia said with a scoff.


    ¡°Are you three not the same?¡±


    ¡°¡­Can we be compared? We are not in the top fifty thousand because we have not been in the city for too long. If we are given enough time, then let alone the top fifty thousand, becoming one of the top hundred fighters in the Arena would not be too difficult for us.¡±This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    ¡°¡­So? Are you the only ones who have to start from the bottom ranks? Do the other Wanderers begin directly from the top ranks?¡±


    ¡°¡­Okay, maybe he is strong. But I know that Alnea will still win like always.¡±


    ¡°Forget it. We do not have time for this,¡± Vestia said, before turning back towards him. ¡°Your opponent¡­ He is one of the strongest False Wanderers in the city.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Vestia. I have not been just sitting around for the past month either. Normal Peak Stage False Wanderers are not my opponents now.¡±


    ¡°He is not a Peak Stage False Wanderer¡­ He is an Advanced Stage False Wanderer.¡±


    ¡°¡­Then what are you afraid of? Do you think that Advanced Stage False Wanderers can defeat me?¡±


    ¡°You do not understand¡­ He¡­ He is different. If I am not wrong, he is an heir of the Purplebird clan.¡±


    ¡°¡­The Purplebird clan of the Storm Valleys?¡±


    ¡°The Purplebird clan of the Storm Valleys,¡± Vestia said, nodding solemnly.


    ¡°¡­The Serpia clan is not afraid of those purple birds.¡±


    ¡°We cannot bring your clan into this mess, Lia,¡± Alnea said, shaking his head.


    ¡°You still do not understand. This is not about his clan in the first place. He¡­ he has never even thought of relying on his clan. Ever since he has come to the city, he has been building his own forces. His own team¡­ In just two months, he has gathered a team of nine Peak Stage False Wanderers. He has even allied with several other teams and clans. And he did this as just an Advanced Stage False Wanderer. Not to mention his impeccable record in the Arena¡­ People say that he is almost the perfect heir of the Purplebird clan. Such a man¡­ can he be compared with normal Peak Stage False Wanderers?¡±


    ¡°¡­Perfect heir, is it?¡± Alnea mumbled, glancing at the purple robed man, as he stepped onto the stage. ¡°Maybe he is indeed stronger than other Wanderers. But I cannot give up. I have to keep moving forward, no matter what. That is the price I have to pay as the leader of our team.¡±


    ¡°You¡­¡± Vestia trailed off, before letting out a sigh, just as she let go of his hand. ¡°¡­Just be careful.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry,¡± Alnea said, pointing to the golden thorns on his robe. ¡°I will be fine.¡±


    ¡°You do not have to be just fine, you have to win,¡± Cecilia said from the side, patting him on his back. ¡°Go, show that purple bird that it can never threaten the friend of a snake.¡±


    ¡°¡­I will try.¡±


    ¡°That is enough,¡± Yuri said, nodding at him with a reassuring smile. ¡°Just do your best. And if something does happen¡­ I will handle it.¡±


    ¡°¡­I will never let things come to that point,¡± Alnea said, and turned towards the stage, not giving Yuri any chance to speak. At least not out loudly. As for the things she said through their bond¡­ He just ignored them, as he moved towards the stage. Towards the battle that was waiting for him. Though, before the battle, he had to face the guard waiting for him.


    Standing in the middle of the stage, the guard glanced at the Wanderers making their way towards him. Not to judge them, of course. He knew better than to judge people based on just their appearance. But other than observing people, there was not much he could do in the Arena. And if it could also help him in subduing the numbness in his Heart, there was no reason why he should just stand on stage with¡ª


    The guard recognised the two people floating towards the stage the moment his eyes fell on them. That did not happen often. With the flow of the people in the Arena, it would have been a miracle if he knew everyone who came to fight by just their faces. Unless he deliberately spent some time remembering who they were. But not everyone deserved such treatment. The two who were coming towards the stage though, were definitely worth remembering.


    A kid, stumbling his way through the Lost City, dazed and trembling from killing someone for the first time to regularly killing the people on the stage, the transformation of the boy was nothing short of amazing. Yet it paled in comparison to his talent. An Intermediate Stage False Wanderer defeating, and even killing Peak Stage False Wanderers with ease¡­


    Some disgruntled and jealous Wanderers, including the enemies of the boy, were spreading rumours that the boy was relying on the excellent defences of his robe to take down his opponents, but that was just the ramblings of sore losers. The only time the boy had to rely on the defences of his robe was to save himself from his suicidal attacks. Most of the other times, his opponents could not even touch him. The grace with which the boy handled his sword¡­


    Of all the Wanderers that the guard had come across, the kid was definitely one of the most talented. Especially when it came to his fighting talent and instincts. And he had come across quite a few Wanderers, including those from some Supreme clans. Given enough time, the boy was bound to make a name for himself in the world of Wanderers. If he could pass the Trials of the Lost City, that is.


    The Lost City was harsh on its Trialists. Especially so on the Trialists it was more optimistic about. The more exceptional the Trialists were, the harsher the Trials they would have to face. And given how talented the boy was¡­ The guard could not even imagine what kind of Trials the boy would have to face. Of course, the reward for passing such harsh Trials would also be exceptional. But if he were to fail those Trials¡­ If he were to lose himself¡­ The world would lose another genius Wanderer, while the city would gain another miserable worker, toiling away at his tasks, waiting, hoping for Goddess Ilea¡¯s grace.


    Then again, the boy was not alone in his predicament. Maybe the Purplebird heir was not as talented as the boy, but he was not far behind. At the very least, he was one of the most talented Wanderers currently in the city. The Trials he would have to face would not be too much different from the boy¡¯s. Naturally, the result of his failure would also not be much different. Just like the boy, the Purplebird heir was also bound to either leave his name in the world, or become his colleague¡­


    One after another, all sorts of thoughts flashed through the guard¡¯s mind, reminding him of a past he wished to forget. And in his effort to forget those memories, he forgot to reign in his emotions, allowing them to surface to his face. Only for a moment, of course. He was, after all, a veteran officiator of the Arena. Having spent years officiating battles, there were few things that he had not experienced. Just two familiar faces were not enough for him to lose control of his Heart.


    Besides, his Heart may be flawed, but it was still a Clear Heart. If just a memory was enough to cloud up his Clarity, he would not have lived long enough to be hired by the Lost City. Neither would he have escaped from the lures and temptations of the Origin Sea. Still, for the sake of the memory that the boy had induced, the guard decided to be a little wilful.

 Chapter 43: Purplebird [Part 3]

    ¡°This is a free battle,¡± the guard said to Alnea and the Purplebird heir. ¡°But it is still a battle in the end. Although the Arena will try to ensure your life, anything can happen in a battle. If you feel that you are going to be injured gravely, or might die, then do not hesitate to give up. Do you understand?¡±


    ¡°¡­Yes,¡± Alnea said, gripping gripped the hilt of his sword hanging by his waist, before releasing it again, only to grip it again, and repeat the process. Not as a form of exercise, but more as a form of relaxing his nerves. Although his Heart itself was calm, his body was reacting to the pressure released by the purple robed man standing in front of him, on its own. No wonder Vestia had kept warning him time and time again. The man was indeed strong. Stronger than even the Heterodox Wanderers he had met more than a month ago.


    ¡°Once the Arena decides that a battle has been settled, you cannot make any more moves, or you will be disqualified¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­A black robed kid, with a strange sword¡­ I have heard of you,¡± the purple robed man said, ignoring the guard, while smiling nonchalantly at Alnea, as if what was going to happen next had nothing to do with him. ¡°How long has it been since you came to the city¡­ Three weeks? Or is it four?¡±


    ¡°¡­Five,¡± Alnea said, wondering what the man was about to say next. ¡°It has been five weeks since I came to the city.¡±


    ¡°Five weeks¡­ And you have already accumulated enough Points for us to meet in the Arena¡­ How many times did you fight every day?¡±


    ¡°Not much¡­ Just two or three times.¡±


    ¡°¡­No wonder you have earned the nick name of Crazy Challenger and Arena Madman. Some even call you as the Arena Executioner.¡±


    ¡°¡­Those names do not sound very pleasant.¡±


    ¡°No way, who made you kill five people in the Arena¡­ Just be happy that the names are not more hideous.¡±


    ¡°¡­I also know about you¡­ the perfect heir of the Purplebird clan.¡±


    ¡°Am I so famous?¡±


    ¡°¡­Remaining undefeated even in the face of Peak Stage False Wanderers, while being an Advanced Stage Wanderer yourself¡­ You are indeed quite famous.¡±


    ¡°Those are just some empty claims¡­ And even if they were not, those are nothing compared to the feats that you have accomplished, right?¡±


    ¡°¡­Stop being so hypocritical, Ryan Purplebird. I can feel it in your eyes, in the way you move, and in the way you smile¡­ You just want to begin the battle as soon as possible, and prove yourself to be my better, right?¡±


    ¡°¡­I think we have a misunderstanding¡ª


    ¡°Do not make me look down on you, Ryan Purplebird.¡±


    ¡°¡­Being with the Serpia girl has made you more and more like those from her clan,¡± Ryan said, shaking his head, with disappointment written all over his face. ¡°This is not how Wanderers should behave¡­ Have you learned nothing from the Weina girl?¡±


    ¡°Oh, she has taught me many things, including recognising hypocritical people like you.¡±


    ¡°¡­Let me ask you again,¡± the guard said, repeating his question. ¡°Are you two ready?¡±


    ¡°¡­I am.¡±


    ¡°I have always been ready.¡±


    ¡°¡­Do you need me to remind you of the rules?¡±


    ¡°¡­No need.¡±


    ¡°¡­I know that it is probably useless for me to say this, but take it as an advice from a senior Wanderer to a junior Wanderer.  Try not to kill any more Wanderers than you already have. It will only make things more difficult for you down the line.¡±If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.


    ¡­Killing other Wanderers would make things more difficult for him? Was the guard talking about the revenge from other Orthodoxies? Or was he hinting at something else entirely? It could not be problems related to his Heart, right? And it was not as if he had intentionally killed those Wanderers.


    After he had killed the Whitebud heir, he had forbidden himself from using such a suicidal move. The girls had also warned him not to do anything so dangerous anymore. But without taking advantage of his robe, or revealing some of his stronger moves, as his opponents grew stronger, he was finding it harder and harder to win all the battles. In the end, as the battles grew fiercer, Alnea was forced to reveal some of his hidden moves. Even then, there were times when he almost lost his battles. Facing such fierce battles, how could he care about his enemies?


    Every time he fought, he had to fight as if it was his last battle. He had to fight with the intention to kill. That was the only way he could ensure his wins. At best, he could only keep himself from not using any suicidal moves. And if the Arena still failed to stop his attacks in time, how was he to blame for their deaths? Then again, the guard was just trying to help him. There was no need for him to be rude. So, for the moment, Alnea kept his thoughts to himself.


    ¡°¡­I know.¡±


    ¡°¡­Are you assuming that I would lose before we even begin the battle?¡± Ryan said, sneering at the guard. The guard had no intentions of reacting to Ryan¡¯s disrespectful behaviour though. He just let out a sigh, and shook his head, before backing away from the stage.


    ¡°You can start.¡±


    Not caring about what his enemy was doing, Alnea reached out to the Blood Crystals flowing in his blood, fifty in total, all of the Perfect Grade, and urged them make his blood flow faster, all the while urging his Aspects to flow along his veins, and his muscles, relaxing them, preparing them for ¡®Streaming in the Sky¡¯.


    Sky Streaming Style, a Martial Style that he had not used in over a month. And had no intentions of using it anytime soon either. At least not until the Star Seekers ventured into the desert. But when he saw the wings of lightning unfurling behind the Purplebird heir¡¯s back, he knew that he could not hold back anymore. And as he had expected, with a smile streaking across his face, Ryan bent his knees, and lowered his back, before vanishing from the stage.


    Right in the next moment, the man was already behind Alnea, reaching out towards his neck with lightning flickering over the purple claw extending from his hands. Fortunately, his blood, flowing like a river, forcefully stretching out his blood vessels to two to three times their usual size, boosted his reflexes enough for him to react in time. Stepping over the ¡®Skies¡¯ of the stage, he ¡®Streamed¡¯ away from the flash of lightning just before the claws of lightning could reach him. But he did not dare to relax.


    Stepping back onto the ground, he changed his direction, and Streamed through the Sky once again, dodging another¡­ gust of empty air. The attack that he had been expecting, did not come. Because the man with the wings of lightning behind his back, just stood there, looking at him with a mocking smile.


    ¡°¡­I have to say, I am impressed. I did not think that you would be able to dodge my attack. Was that another Martial Style? How many does this makes? Thirty? Fifty?¡±


    ¡°¡­I also did not think that you would just stand there, instead of chasing after me,¡± Alnea said, observing his opponent in detail. The purple robe with the crest of a bird covered in lightnings, the lighting wings, the lightning claws¡­ Purplebird clan indeed. As a clan standing at the apex of all the Grand clans in the Fifth Sector, it was no wonder that just one of its many heirs was so strong. Much better than the heirs of the Lotus clan. But that was to be expected.


    Unlike the declining Lotus clan, the Purplebird clan had both, strength, and an incomparable status. At least within the Fifth Sector, it could be considered as the Lightning clan¡¯s representative. Meeting one of its heirs so early in the Arena, it could only be said that Goddess Ilea was not too happy with him. Had he not made some breakthroughs in the Blood Crystal Martial Styles recently, he might even have given up the battle at the beginning.


    Fortunately, dedicating more than two hours a day just to Forge his body with the Blood Crystals was finally beginning to show its results. The increase in his physical strength aside, the greatest improvement he had made in the past month was the increase in his body¡¯s capacity to handle the energy of the Blood Crystals. And greater energy of his Blood Crystals meant greater control of his blood.


    With the energy of fifty Perfect Grade Blood Crystals, all coursing through his vein, he was able to increase his blood flow, and in turn, drastically improve his reflexes. At least enough for him to use the Sky Streaming Style. The only reason he had not used the Martial Style before was because he did not wish to reveal it to the Lotus clan, or any other potential enemies that might be watching him. Facing the Purplebird clan¡¯s heir though, Alnea decided to finally stop holding himself back.


    ¡°Chase after you?¡± Ryan said, with his smile turning into a smirk. ¡°Why? Just because you dodged my attack?¡±


    ¡°Is that not obvious?¡±


    ¡°¡­Then do you think I should continue pressing my advantage, and take you down in fell swoop?¡±


    ¡°That is how Wanderers usually fight.¡±


    ¡°¡­But would that not be too boring?¡±


    ¡°¡­Being underestimated so much makes me feel a little irritated.¡±


    ¡°What are you going to do about it then?¡±


    ¡°¡­Give you a fight so exciting, that you will regret missing your first, and only chance.¡±

 Chapter 44: Purplebird [Part 1]

    Alnea ¡®Streamed¡¯ through the ¡®Skies¡¯ of the stage the moment that he stopped talking, appearing in front of the purple robed man in the very next moment, unsheathing his sword, revealing its blade covered in a golden and black glow, piercing it towards the purple robed man¡¯s chest as if he was Piercing the Stars. And he almost succeeded in his attack. Almost.


    Using a Sword Martial Style biased towards speed, while Streaming through the Skies at a speed that could not be perceived by naked eyes, he was sure that the purple robed man would not be able to react in time. Unfortunately, his enemy was not just any Wanderer. He was a Purplebird heir. And Purplebirds have always been known for their speed. Not to mention the Martial Style that Ryan was using.


    Visible manifestations of external characteristics, like the wings of lightnings, could be seen only in High Grade Martial Styles and above. Sky Streaming Style, on the other hand, was just an Intermediate Grade Martial Style. No matter how fast it could let him Stream through the Skies, it could not let him reach the speeds of a High Grade Martial Style specialising in speed¡­


    All Alnea saw was a blur, before everything changed. The Star that he was Piercing, was gone, replaced by a few sparks flying in an empty air, while a strange breath crawled up the back of his neck. A breath that he was very familiar with. Cursing the purple robed man in his head, Alnea stomped his feet on the ground, and rushed away from the claws of lightning reaching towards his neck. He was not fast enough though.


    Or at least, not fast enough to completely dodge the lightning flowing around the claws. He could feel the tingling sensation on his neck, turning it stiff, and unnatural. Affecting him, without even touching him¡­ Alnea turned around to look back at the lightning flowing around the purple robed man¡¯s claws. Another High Grade Martial Style¡­


    Ryan Purplebird was strong. Stronger than any Wanderer Alnea had ever fought. Even the Heterodox Wanderers were not worth mentioning in front of him. And he was not even a Peak Stage False Wanderer yet¡­ This was a true genius. His true competition on the path towards the peak of Wanderers. And a man worthy enough for him to give his best.


    Exhaling a deep, and heavy breath, Alnea slowed down the release of energy from his Blood Crystals. They did not have infinite energy, after all. Just brute forcing his Blood Crystals to control his bloodstream was nothing short of wasting what little energies they had. So, to more effectively use his Blood Crystals, he made them all resonate with each other. Through the Blood Crystal Pattern, of course.


    He did not know how the principle of resonation worked. Apparently, it had something to do with the Blood Crystal Patterns being of the same source. In any case, all he knew was that with the help of the Blood Crystal Patterns, the Blood Crystals could form a network within his bloodstream, and restrain the flow of energy, making it more organised, and orderly. And an orderly flow of energy meant much better control over his blood flow. It could even increase his reflexes to another level altogether.


    Unfortunately, in the world of Wanderers, everything came at a price. And the price for better performance of his Blood Crystals was a constant drain on his Spirit Power. Compared to some of the other Martial Styles, the price of Blood Crystal Resonance was not too heavy. But that was in the case that he was not lacking in Spirit Power. Having reached the Seventh Level of the Intermediate Stage just a couple of days ago, he was already at a disadvantage when it came to Spirit Power. Losing more Spirit Power with every passing moment put him at an even greater disadvantage.


    He had no other choice though. Ryan Purplebird was just too fast. He was so fast, that even the combination of Blood Manipulation and Sky Streaming Style was not enough to help Alnea bridge the gap between them. If it was not for his keen senses, and an overly cautious attitude, then he might have tasted the claws of lightning already. But he could not keep on dodging forever.This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.


    Whether it was manipulating his Blood, or Streaming through the Sky, both of them consumed his Spirit Power as if it was water. Not to mention the Spirit Power he had to reserve for his attacks. Even if his Spirit Power had reached the Seventh Level of Intermediate Stage, it could not withstand such heavy consumption. And without his Spirit Power, in the face of Ryan¡¯s speed, he would probably not even have the time to admit defeat.


    ¡­Since his Spirit Power was bound to be consumed sooner than later, Alnea decided to consume it even faster, and increase his reflexes to a higher level. At least it could give him a better fighting chance¡­


    ¡°Interesting,¡± Ryan mumbled, with edge of his lips curling upwards in a smile. In the next moment, he was behind Alnea once again, leaving a trail of purplish lightning on his path. This time though, Alnea was finally able to see his opponent. Only as a blur, but that was enough.


    Pivoting on his left foot, Alnea stomped his right foot on the ground as if he was Streaming through the Skies, while keeping his left foot on the ground at all times, twirling around just in time to catch the lightning claws with his sword. At the same time, the trail of golden and silverish blue light left behind by his sword on its path also clashed with the trail of purple lightning left behind in the air, making it seem as if the Raging Waves of the West were clashing with the Lightning Storm of the East¡­


    With an explosion of silverish blue and purple lights, both Alnea and Ryan were pushed back by a few steps, forcing them to take a moment to regain their balance. The moment they regained their balance though, they rushed towards each other once again. And this time, instead of rushing towards his back, Ryan attacked him from his front, stretching his claws to his face. It was a simple attack, one with no technique, or finesse. But it was a ruthless attack, nonetheless, fuelled by the purple robed man¡¯s speed, and bursting with raw power.


    In response, Alnea just raised his sword, and urged his Aspects to cover its surface, using its face to block the outstretched claws. At the same time, he urged his Aspects to add a little heaviness to himself, increasing his momentum. So, when the claws and the sword clashed, it was the claws that were pushed back. Not by much, but enough for Alnea to gain even more momentum.


    In the next moment, while he was still ¡®Streaming through the Skies¡¯ of the stage, rushing towards Ryan, he rotated his wrists, turning his sword ever so slightly, so that its edge faced towards the purple robed man, before bringing his sword down on the man as if it was not just a sword, but ¡®Meteors Descending¡¯ from the skies. Literally.


    The golden light shining along the edges of his sword all rushed towards its tip, as it descended on the purple robed man with all its mightiness concentrated at one tiny point, leaving behind an illusory trail of fire and destruction in its path. Even if the sword did not have the might of a meteor, it was not something that Ryan could pick with just his empty hand. And he was not stupid enough to do so either. For the first time since their battle had begun, Ryan backed away at his own initiative, looking solemnly at Alnea.


    ¡°I underestimated you,¡± the purple robed man said, before rushing towards him once again, taking advantage of the fact that his sword was still down for the moment. But Alnea himself was not too worried. He just took a step forward, and raised his sword from the ground, as if he was ¡®Raising the Earth¡¯ itself, clashing with the purple light of the lightning with the golden light of his sword. This time though, neither of them were carrying too much momentum, and were thus sent back flying at the same time.


    ¡°You are much stronger than I thought you would be,¡± Ryan said, stretching out his wings to reduce the impact of the clash, and regain his balance. Alnea, on the other hand, flipped in the air, before stabbing his sword into the ground to stop himself from flying out of the stage, and regain his balance.


    ¡°¡­Thank you for the complement.¡±


    ¡°It is hardly a complement,¡± Ryan said, as lightning began to flicker around his body at a much greater intensity, forming the vague shadow of a bird behind his back.


    ¡°¡­Are you finally getting serious?¡±


    ¡°You deserve it,¡± Ryan said, before dropping the solemn look on his face for a grin. ¡°Do not disappoint me, Arena Madman.¡±


    ¡°¡­My name is Alnea,¡± Alnea said. ¡°If you have a hard time remembering it, I can help you by engraving it into your Heart as the name of the first person who defeated you.¡±


    ¡°¡­I just hope that your ability will match your arrogance.¡±

 Chapter 44: Purplebird [Part 2]

    While Alnea and Ryan were trying to find cracks in the defences of each other¡¯s Heart, the bird hanging behind Ryan raised its head towards the clusters of lights floating above their heads, and let out a silent cry, before rushing directly into the purple robed man¡¯s body. At the same time, the shadows under Alnea¡¯s feet began squirming, and shifting, as if they were not shadows but puddles of water.


    Shadow Shift, one of the earliest Arcanas that Alnea had created. Back then, he could manipulate the shadows of just his enemies with the Arcana. It was only after he upgraded the Arcana to the Intermediate Stage that it became much more flexible. It was still a Low Grade Arcana though, and had quite a few glaring flaws. Like the visual impact of breathing life into shadows.


    With such dramatic actions, anyone could see that there was some problem with his shadows. And if he was to use it on the shadows of his enemies, they would become even more wary, and take precautions against their shadows, defeating the whole purpose of the Arcana. Besides, with the speed that the purple robed man possessed, manipulating his shadow was useless. Rather than wasting his Spirit Power, Alnea decided to Shift his own Shadows instead.


    Still, the transformation of his shadow was far too conspicuous for the purple robed man to not notice, just as the transformation of the purple robed into a ¡®Lightning Bird¡¯ was far too conspicuous for him not to notice. Neither of them cared enough to hide their attacks though. Both of them were raring for a direct confrontation. And both of them had already confirmed that their Hearts had not been shaken enough to be broken through with just some words.


    So, both of them simply gave up provoking each other, and just rushed towards their enemies, trying to end the battle as soon as possible. One with lightning covering his entire body, tearing even the resistance of the air apart with just his sheer speed, and the other with his sword covered in the golden, silver, and black glow of his Aspects, and his shadow spreading under his feet, ready to trap the screeching bird.


    The bird was far too fast for the shadow to hold on to it though. It was so fast, that by the time his shadows could react to the bird stepping into their domain, the bird was already in front of him, stretching out is lightning claws towards him once again. This time, towards his chest, right where his heart was supposed to be, making Alnea feel the breath of death once again.


    After all, unlike the lightning bird, which boosted Ryan¡¯s capabilities comprehensively, all that the shadows did was give him more variations of moves, and a possibility to trap his enemy. Earlier, he had barely matched the purple robed man¡¯s speed after exhausting all his means. With Ryan increasing his speed once more, he had almost no chance of keeping up with him.


    Thankfully, although he himself was not fast enough to react to the claws reaching towards his Heart, after months of fighting on the line of life and death, his body itself had become accustomed to dodging attacks on instinct. By the time Alnea noticed the lightning flickering in front of his face, he had already tilted his body towards his right, allowing the tendrils of lightning to just graze past his chest.


    The bird, however, had no intentions of giving up after striking just once. Instead, it moved its wrist, and changed its attack from a stab to a grab. But this time, Alnea was not about to let the bird take advantage of him. While swinging his sword, glowing with golden, silverish blue, and black lights, to clash with the claws, he urged his shadows to wrap around the legs of the bird, and stop it from flying.


    It did not work. The lightning bird¡ªThe purple robed man was far too strong to be held down by just two strands of shadows mustered up so hastily. Still, the shadows were enough to slow him down enough for Alnea to compete with the man head on. And in the matter of strength, he was not about to lose to an Advanced Stage False Wanderer, no matter how strong the latter was.


    Strength¡­ Once, it was his greatest weakness. He had both speed and variations in his attacks. The only thing that had been keeping him from competing with Peak Stage False Wanderers in a head on fight was strength. If only he had enough strength, he would not have had to resonate with his Roots to kill the Heterodox Wanderers, and neither would he have had to rely on suicidal attacks to defeat the Whitebud heir.


    There was nothing he could do about it though. Compared to the Wanderers from Orthodoxies, he had begun laying his foundations at least six to seven years late. Even if he had covered up most of those foundations, some things had to be accumulated over time. Or so he had thought, until he read the instructions of the Blood Crystal Martial Styles. More specifically, the four Martial Styles that focussed on Forging his body.


    Increasing the capacity of his body to carry Blood Crystals¡­ that was just an unintended benefit of the four Martial Styles. From the very beginning, he had been practicing the four Martial Style just to increase his strength. And finally, he was beginning to see its effects.


    Even when the Wanderer he was facing was an entire Stage higher than him, Alnea did not feel as if he was losing in terms of strength. And that was despite the fact the Wanderer was an heir of one of the strongest clans in the Fifth Sector of the Lightning Region. Or that the Wanderer was using both, Martial Styles, and Arcanas, to boost his strength.This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.


    With just his Aspects and Martial Styles, Alnea overwhelmed the purple robed man, easily deflecting his claws away from him, and continued with his swing, creating a Golden Wheel of Death. Or rather, half a Golden Wheel. The Sky Streaming Style was just too overbearing, forcing him to keep moving forward, even as he swung his sword. On the other end, the Martial Style that Ryan was using was also similarly overbearing, forcing him to continue moving forward for a few more steps, leaving behind a trail of lightning behind him, which was abruptly cut off by a Golden Wheel in between.


    Forcefully stopping his advance, Alnea pivoted on his feet, and turned back to face the Lightning Bird, just as the purple robed man turned around to face the mass of squirming shadows. Without any hesitation, the two once again rushed towards each other, clashing in an almost similar manner. And once again, the result was the same. Just the process was a little different.


    Sometimes, Alnea made the first move, predicting Ryan¡¯s position in advance, only for the latter to dodge just in time. At other times, Ryan accurately grasped Alnea¡¯s position, and kept forcing him into embarrassing situations, only for the latter to resolve his predicaments with delicate manipulations of his shadows¡ªeither by delaying the purpled robed man¡¯s moves, or by pulling himself out of the lightning claw¡¯s range.


    ¡­Once, twice, thrice¡­ At some point, Alnea just lost count. He did not know how long he had been fighting. He did not know how many Martial Styles he had used. For a while, he even forgot that they were in the Arena. He just kept fighting, and fighting, and fighting¡­ and laughing. Fighting was so much fun. It was so exhilarating. It was so relaxing¡­ that he forgot everything. Even thinking about which move he should use next. He just let his body decide, and enjoyed every moment of the fight¡ª


    A severe headache hit Alnea, forcing him to his knees. And once he lost his concentration, his shadows also lost their unique breath, transforming back into just normal shadows. He was not the only one to hit the ground though. On the other side of the stage, the purple robed man was also kneeling on the ground, with all the lightning around him dispersing back to where they had come from.


    Right in the next moment, the stage lit up, covering both of them in a barrier of blood red light at the same time, declaring them both unfit to continue the fight. Soon, the guard also came to the stage, and declared the battle as a tie. But neither of them cared about the result. Or their headaches. They just looked at each other and let out a hearty laugh.


    ¡°¡­It was a good fight.¡±


    ¡°¡­I enjoyed every moment of it.¡±


    ¡°Next time, I am going to make sure to engrave my name into your Heart.¡±


    ¡°¡­If only I was a girl, I might have fallen for you,¡± Ryan said, causing them both to burst out into a laughter once again. ¡°We should do this again sometime.¡±


    ¡°Only if you promise not to fall for me.¡±


    ¡°Do not worry,¡± Ryan said, waving his hand. ¡°I am already promised.¡±


    ¡°Then I have to worry even more,¡± Alnea said, laughing once again. ¡°What if your promised comes to find trouble with me?¡±


    ¡°¡­Before that, the girls around you might come to trouble me first,¡± Ryan said, pointing to the three girls in the distance, shouting his name, and waving him to hurry back to them.


    ¡°¡­I can somehow imagine that happening.¡±


    ¡°¡­It is a pity that you already have your team. Or I might have asked you to join mine.¡±


    ¡°Everyone in your team is a Peak Stage Wanderer though.¡±


    ¡°For Wanderers, their Stages and Ranks do not matter, only their strength does¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­I am sorry, but I cannot fail my team.¡±


    ¡°I know,¡± Ryan said, nodding with a smile. ¡°I could tell what kind of a Wanderer you are from our fight. And it is exactly because I know what kind of a Wanderer you are that I admire you so.¡±


    ¡°¡­Are you trying to make me blush? Because it is working,¡± Alne said, laughing in embarrassment. With little to no Spirit Power left, he could no longer use his Aspects to hide his emotions. Or his flush. ¡°Be careful, or the girls might really get jealous of you.¡±


    ¡°¡­Handling three girls at the same time, that is another thing I admire about you.¡±


    ¡°¡­I would rather not be admired for something like that.¡±


    ¡°Alright, the stage is not the place for you to cozy up to each other,¡± the guard said, handing them their Blood Cards back. ¡°Unless you want to continue challenging someone, leave the stage for the next battle.¡±


    ¡­Challenge someone in their state? Alnea did not know about Ryan, but he surely did not have any masochistic desire of getting beaten for no reason. Shoving his Blood Card back into his robe, he limped towards his small platform near the edge of the stage, as the guard called for the next fighters. It was also then, that he noticed how battered he was. Not literally, of course. He did not even have any wounds on his body. After all, none of Ryan¡¯s attacks had hit him in the first place.


    Besides, even if he had been hit, the thorns on his robe would have protected him. No, his battered state did not come from clashing against Ryan, but overuse of his own Martial Styles. But that was a price he was willing to pay for such a hearty fight. Thinking of the exhilaration he had felt during the battle, he could not help turning back towards the purple robed man, only to find him looking back towards him with a grin.


    ¡°Remember to send someone to Peerless Pioneers later,¡± Ryan said. ¡°Although it is a shame that we cannot be in the same team, we can still try to cooperate with each other.¡±

 Chapter 44: Purplebird [Part 3]

    Peerless Pioneers¡­ Was it the name of Ryan¡¯s team? Alnea could understand why the purple robed man would use Peerless in the name of his team, but what about Pioneers? What was he trying to pioneer? Thinking about the complex situation of the city, and the things that he had asked Vestia to investigate, he just nodded back to Ryan, not giving him any definite answers.


    Whether it was from his experience, or from the countless advice he had received, both of them were telling him not to trust other Wanderers easily. Especially when they approached him on their own. Although, from their battle, he could tell that Ryan Purplebird was not the kind of man who would deign to use tricks like the Lotus clan, he could not risk his team on just his feelings.


    As their leader, he was responsible not just for binding the team together, and steering it towards the right direction, but also for ensuring the safety of his Wanderers. Still, cooperating with Peerless Pioneers did not sound like too bad of an idea¡­


    ¡°Finally,¡± Cecilia said, as he returned back to his teammates in a daze. ¡°Took you long enough.¡±


    ¡°¡­It was a long fight,¡± Alnea said, smiling wryly, as the soreness in his muscles began to intensify. Especially in his legs. The Sky Streaming Style¡­


    ¡°¡­I am sorry.¡±


    ¡°What are you sorry for?¡± Cecilia said, staring at him in confusion.


    ¡°¡­I did not win.¡±


    ¡°You did not lose either,¡± Cecilia said, waving her hand to dismiss his worries, before patting his back to cheer him up. ¡°You did a good job showing him how tough the friends of the Snake of Infinity are.¡±


    ¡°Although I usually do not agree with her, this time, I have to say that I am proud to have a friend, and a team leader like you, Alnea,¡± Vestia said, flashing her dimples at him. Just like she always did. Warming his eyes. Her smile¡­ He had to admit, she was beginning to grow on him.


    ¡°Despite being at a disadvantage, you kept pushing him back again and again¡­ Honestly, this was the best battle that I have ever seen.¡±


    ¡°¡­I just did my best,¡± Alnea mumbled, trying not to let his blood rush to his face, but it just would not listen. ¡°I do not even know how I lasted for so long. At some point, I just forgot everything¡­¡±


    ¡°And that is what makes you different from the rest,¡± Yuri said, charming him with her smile once again¡­ Perdia¡¯s boots, when was his Spirit Power going to recover?


    ¡°The way you were smiling while you kept giving your best, not thinking about winning or losing¡­ You were having fun, right?¡±


    ¡°¡­I guess. I have never had a fight like that. One where I can give it my all without thinking about the consequences¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­How about I accompany you to a fight the next time you want to have fun?¡±


    ¡°¡­I want to have fun, not get beaten,¡± Alnea mumbled. Although she seemed harmless, and sickly with her pale skin, he knew the terrifying strength she hid behind her frail appearance.


    ¡°I will go easy on you.¡±


    ¡°¡­Such a fight would be meaningless,¡± Alnea said, shaking his head. ¡°We have almost the same amount of combat experience, so if you fight while holding back, it will not help either of us. But if you do not hold back, then I would just end up getting beaten. In either case, it would not bring me the same thrill I felt fighting the Purplebird heir¡­ Only if I fight someone close to me in strength can I have so much fun.¡±


    ¡°¡­I get it. You do not want me anymore.¡±


    ¡°No! I did not mean that. I¡­¡±


    ¡°Relax,¡± Yuri said with a laugh. ¡°I was just joking.¡±


    ¡°¡­I did not like it.¡±


    ¡°It is rare to see you so drained of your Spirit Power¡­ without your Aspects hiding your emotions.¡±


    ¡°Indeed,¡± Vestia added from the side. ¡°Even on the stage, you were laughing along with the Purplebird heir. I have never seen so many emotions on your face in such a short time¡­¡±Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.


    Vestia paused, and smiled once again, before winking at him.


    ¡°There is no need to worry though. I like you either way.¡±


    ¡­It was what she said that was beginning to make him worry. Thankfully, Cecilia, perceptive as ever, jumped in between him and Vestia before the latter could push him any further, saving him from any more embarrassment.


    ¡°Speaking of laughing with your enemy¡­ what were you talking about with that bird at the end?¡±


    ¡°Nothing¡­¡± Alnea said, wondering if it would have been better if Vestia had kept pushing him. ¡°We were just exchanging pleasantries.¡±


    ¡°¡­Exchanging pleasantries after trying to kill each other for the most of an hour?¡±


    ¡°What do you know?¡± Zain said, sneering at Cecilia, as if trying to provoke her. ¡°This is how men make friends.¡±


    ¡°¡­Is that so?¡± Cecilia said, cracking her knuckles. ¡°Then would you like to make friends with me on the stage too¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­Zain,¡± Alnea mumbled, nodding to the white robed man standing behind the girls, wondering if he had been acting a bit more arrogantly lately. Was it because he broke through to the Peak Stage? Or because of the rumours about him going around in the city? What was it¡­ Right, Zain, the White Arcanist.


    Of the five whom he had asked to venture into the Black Desert, it was undoubtedly Zain who had become the most famous. Mostly because of his endless repertoire of Arcanas, whose number, and prowess had only increased after he broke through to the Peak Stage. It was not for no reason that he had earned a special moniker for himself. But¡­


    Just because he was a little famous, did he think that he had become invincible? Or was it because of the difference of two stages between him and Cecilia? Did he forget that Cecilia also had Forne with her? For a moment, Alnea could think of the possibility of Zain winning against him. But winning against Cecilia¡­ Well, being too arrogant was not good for him. So, for the sake of his future, Alnea decided to not remind Zain of the abyss he was jumping into.


    ¡°When did you come to the Arena?¡±


    ¡°¡­Just as you began fighting.¡±


    ¡°What about the others?¡±


    ¡°They are all resting back at the mansion.¡±


    ¡°Then why are you here?¡±


    ¡°¡­A genius like me does not need rest,¡± Zain said with a solemn face. That was another one of his abilities. Lying with a straight face. Not that he was any good at it. The flush on his cheeks, and the look of pride on his face every time he heard someone mention the ¡®White Arcanist¡¯, was enough to answer Alnea¡¯s question.


    ¡°¡­Then we will wait until you are done with your battle.¡±


    ¡°¡­I am done.¡±


    ¡°Already?¡±


    ¡°¡­Do you not know how long your battle lasted for? Or are you just acting?¡±


    ¡°¡­Right, I almost forgot,¡± Alnea said, leaving Cecilia to deal with the stinky mouth. ¡°After the fight, Ryan Purplebird invited me to cooperate with his team.¡±


    ¡°¡­You did not agree, right?¡±


    ¡°Of course not,¡± Alnea said. ¡°I know when I can be wilful, and I need to assume my responsibility.¡±


    ¡°¡­But you did not reject him either¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­I really miss my Aspects right now,¡± Alnea mumbled. ¡°Let us investigate them first.¡±


    ¡°You mean, let me investigate them first.¡±


    ¡°¡­It is the same thing.¡±


    ¡°So, you agree that two of us can be counted as one?¡±


    ¡°¡­I meant that we should let Vestia investigate his team first, and then decide whether we should cooperate with him or not.¡±


    ¡°¡­Stingy,¡± Vestia said with a pout.


    ¡°This is very important, Vestia,¡± Alnea said, trying to divert the topic away from himself. Besides, he was not lying. What he was going to say was indeed very important.


    ¡°Ryan¡­ He is very strong. His teammates should be strong too. At the very least, they should not be just normal Peak Stage Wanderers. And he has also allied with many other teams and clans¡­ We need to take his invitation very seriously. Even if we do not end up allying with him, we should not make an enemy out of him either. Or else, he will truly become our greatest obstacle in entering the inner city¡­


    ¡°No, he is already our greatest obstacle. Because I am sure that he will never be satisfied with just entering the inner city. He must be aiming for the core city. So, our clash is inevitable¡­ Before we make contact with him again, I want you to investigate everything about his team, about his teammates, and his allies. I want to know their strength, their weaknesses, and anything else that we must take note of¡­ Can you do that?¡±


    ¡°¡­Are you doubting my ability?¡±


    ¡°No, I have never doubted your ability. But I cannot order you.¡±


    ¡°Have you forgotten about our bet?¡±


    ¡°¡­That bet was just a joke.¡±


    ¡°¡­Not to me.¡±


    ¡°¡­You know that I cannot order you around like that, Vestia.¡±


    ¡°Cannot, or will not?¡±


    ¡°¡­You are my friend.¡±


    ¡°¡­Just a friend?¡±


    ¡°¡­A very important friend.¡±


    ¡°¡­I will let you go this time, but I still want my surprise,¡± Vestia said, with a hint of dissatisfaction on her face.


    ¡°And mine too!¡± Cecilia said, finally jumping in between him and Vestia. He was wondering where she had gone, but she came back as soon as the topic shifted towards surprises¡­


    ¡°Do not forget about me.¡±


    ¡­Although making the girls smile was worth the effort, sometimes, it could be even more tiresome than fighting a battle down to the very last drop of his Spirit Power.

 Chapter 45: Leader [Part 1]

    ¡°¡­Don¡¯t worry,¡± Alnea said with a sigh. ¡°I remember everyone¡¯s surprises. Now, can we go back to the mansion?¡±


    ¡°¡­We should indeed go back,¡± Vestia said, nodding along with his words. ¡°With the state you are in now, if the Lotus clan issues a Blood challenge against you¡­¡±


    Everyone fell silent for a few moments, before they nodded at each other, and quickly left the Arena one by one, heading back to their mansions¡ªAlnea and the girls to the mansion that he had rented, and Zain to the mansion he was living in with the four other men in their team, except Karl. Their mansions were in the same general direction, so they walked together most of the way, but when they reached near the Blood Hall, they finally had to separate.


    ¡°Remember to ask everyone to come for a team meeting later today,¡± Alnea said to Zain. ¡°I have some important things to discuss.¡±


    ¡°A team meeting,¡± Zain said with a nod. ¡°Got it.¡±


    Alnea seriously doubted whether the stinky mouth got anything, but his headache, and the soreness of his body which kept increasing with every passing moment, did not give him much choice. Walking all the way from the Arena to his mansion did not help either¡­ It was at times like this, that he missed his master the most. If she was with him, she would just have to wave her hand to carry him all the way from the Arena to his mansion. No, even before that, she would just heal all his pain with her warm and soothing smile¡­ Her healing touch¡­


    Alnea sighed, and glanced at Yuri, trying to ease the sadness within his Heart by looking at her. It helped a little. Especially when she looked back at him in confusion, before flashing her irresistible smile. Still, nothing could replace his master¡­


    ¡°I am going to rest a little,¡± Alnea said to the girls after they entered the mansion. ¡°Let us meet in a couple of hours¡­ Karl should also come back by then. And yes, I remember your surprises. I will give it to you later. Just be patient for now.¡±


    A couple of hours¡­ that should be enough time for him to prepare the surprises for the girls. It would delay the recovery of his Spirit Power, but who told him to run his mouth earlier. Besides, even if he could not recover completely, as long as he could recover a quarter of his Spirit Power, that should be enough for him to go about the day normally. As for the soreness in his body¡­ That was going to stay with him for a couple of days.


    ¡°Forget about the surprise,¡± Yuri said, shaking her head. ¡°Just go have some rest.¡±


    ¡°How can I¡ª


    ¡°It is fine, Alnea,¡± Cecilia said. ¡°We were just joking with you. There is no need for surprises or anything.¡±


    ¡°But¡ª


    ¡°Here,¡± Vestia said, handing him a small vial¡ªbarely as thick as two fingers, and as large as his thumb¡ª from the pouch hanging by her waist. ¡°Drink it before resting. It should help you recover faster.¡±


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°¡­You can think of it as a recovery potion.¡±


    ¡°I have drunk a few of those, back when I was just a Seed,¡± Cecilia grimaced. ¡°They taste nasty.¡±


    ¡°¡­I think I should recover naturally,¡± Alnea said, trying to shove the vial back to Vestia. ¡°Using external help to recover would make me more reliant on them.¡±


    ¡°My recovery potions are different,¡± Vestia said, shaking her head with a smile, refusing to accept the vial back. ¡°Unlike others, I always have my potions sweetened and made in different flavours to suit my taste.¡±


    Sweetened¡­


    ¡°This particular potion is made in the flavour of Harun fruit, an exotic fruit found exclusively in the Erwein Forests.¡±Stolen story; please report.


    ¡°¡­It is not that I want to taste something sweet, but that refusing a present is considered to be ill mannered. And we can rely on some little external help from time to time¡­¡±


    ¡°Right, right,¡± Cecilia said, nodding in agreement, before glancing at Vestia. ¡°That¡­ Can I have one too? I am also very tired and need to recover as soon as possible.¡±


    ¡°You are already at your peak strength.¡±


    ¡°¡­We need to prepare for any eventualities. What if we are attacked by other Wanderers, and I end up using all my Spirit Power in defence, only for more Wanderers to attack us right after? Should I not carry some recovery potions for emergencies?¡±


    ¡°¡­If something as ridiculous as that happens, then you can start praying to Goddess Ilea,¡± Vestia said. ¡°My recovery potions can help in recovering, not instantly recover you to your peak state.¡±


    ¡°¡­It¡¯s just a recovery potion. Can you not just give me one to taste?¡±


    ¡°¡­This is a False Ranked recovery potion, not a Seed Ranked one. Each of these potions cost more than ten False Oren Stones to make. And you want me to give you one for you to just taste?¡±


    ¡°¡­Stingy.¡±


    ¡°¡­If it is that expensive¡ª


    ¡°Even if it is expensive, it is still something that is made to use,¡± Vestia said before he could even complete what he was about to say. ¡°Just keeping it in my pouch would make it feel sad. And you really do need the potion. Did you not call for a team meeting later? Are you going to hold the meeting in your current state?¡±


    ¡°¡­I¡ª


    ¡°Just accept it,¡± Yuri said with a smile. ¡°If I am not wrong, this potion should also help you recover from the fatigue of using your Martial Styles for too long.¡±


    ¡°¡­Then I will not be polite,¡± Alnea said, putting the vial into the fold of his robe. As for his pouch¡­ He had indeed recovered enough Spirit Power to use his pouch, but not enough to waste it on storing the vial into the pouch for just a few moments. ¡°Thank you for the potion, Vestia.¡±


    ¡°What are you thanking me for?¡± Vestia said, waving her hand dismissively, before winking at him. ¡°After all, what is mine is yours.¡±


    ¡­She would never let any chance go, would she?


    ¡°¡­Though, if you really want to thank me, then just smile at me more often.¡±


    ¡°Let us just go back to our rooms,¡± Alnea said, turning away from Vestia. Seeing her pout from the corner of his eyes though, he could not help raising his lips in amusement. Even when she was not smiling, she still looked so¡ª


    ¡°Remember to come back out in two hours.¡±


    Trying to suppress his errant thoughts into the depths of his Heart, Alnea hurriedly rushed to his room before his thoughts could get the better of him, hearing the sounds of laughter behind his back. Vestia Weina¡­ she was a terrifying woman. Shaking his head, he took off his sword, and put it on the rack, before sitting down on the cushion, and taking out the vial from his robe.


    A blue vial¡­ No, the vial, made of glass, had no colour in itself. It was the liquid sloshing within the vial that was giving it the vibrant blue colour. To think that such a small amount of liquid was worth more than ten False Oren Stones¡­ Within the city, that would be equivalent to a hundred Blood Coins. Though he had a hunch that a sweetened recovery potion would be even more expensive¡­


    Removing the stopper of the vial, Alnea took a whiff of the sweet, citrus smell wafting from the vial. Taking a deep breath, he closed his eyes, and poured the recovery potion into his mouth, savouring every drop of its taste. It was mostly sweet, with a hint of sourness hidden along its edges. But that was just the most superficial taste.


    The vibrant blue liquid, sloshing around in his mouth, reminded him of drinking iced Fersun juice in midsummer heat. It reminded him of the harmony between two contrasting feelings, and the joy that lay hidden within that harmony. Most importantly, it reminded him of a lush, vibrant forest¡ª


    No, not remind him. Through some unknown means, the potion was projecting images of a lush, vibrant forest, stretching endlessly in all directions, directly into his mind. And it was not just the forest. There was also the image of a large lake at centre of the forest. A lake so large, that it could not even be called a lake anymore. Maybe a sea¡­


    Erwein Forests. Although the images did not have a label, he was sure that the images flashing in his mind were of the Erwein Forests. Which other forests could the potions made in Erwein Forests make him see? The Origin Forest? Alnea shook his head, as he supressed the irrelevant thoughts, allowing himself to enjoy the warm, soothing sensations washing over his mind, Spirit, and body¡­


    By the time the warm sensations retreated, Alnea was already back to his peak state, both in terms of his Spirit Power, and his body. Even his Heart was more Serene than ever. Maybe the blood red light seeping into his body from the floor had something to do with the latter, but without the potion, he would not have recovered so quickly¡­


    How much time had passed anyway? An hour? Two hours? Or maybe even more? He did not know. The recovery potion had made him forget everything for a while. But its effect was over. And so was his rest. Although he wished to enjoy the warm sensations for a while more, he could not keep the Star Seekers waiting for him. After all, he was their leader. And a leader always had to lead by example.

 Chapter 45: Leader [Part 2]

    Pushing himself off the ground, Alnea stretched out a little to wake up his limbs. After all, no matter how miraculous the recovery potion was, it could not prevent the soreness from sitting in the same position for too long. It was only when he felt the warmth of blood flowing in his limbs once again, that he picked up his sword from the rack, strapped it back to his waist, and walked straight out of his room. One of the only two rooms on the ground floor. The other one belonged to Karl.


    Alnea still could not understand how the girls had not fought for the better rooms on the ground floor. With how Karl was, he would not have complained about living on the first floor. And Alnea himself was fine either way. He even offered to live on the first floor, allowing them to exchange rooms with him. But strangely enough, after glancing at each other, all three of them refused to change their rooms.


    He could never understand what the girls were thinking. Just as he could not understand what he was seeing at the moment. All three girls, along with Karl, were sitting in the hall, meditating in silence. Did they not have their own rooms? Or did they not even bother going back to their rooms?


    ¡­On second thought, it did make sense. Although the girls had recovered their Spirit Power while watching his battle, two hours was not enough for them to expend their Spirit Power in their training, and then recover back to their peak state. Rather than training half-heartedly, the girls had probably just given up training altogether, and chosen to meditate while waiting for him to come back after resting for a while. Even Karl must have made the same choice¡­


    Maybe he should not be so demanding of them all the time, Alnea thought, as he quietly made his way to the centre of the hall, and took his seat between Yuri and Cecilia, without disturbing their meditation. Or he could just enjoy the rare moment of peace. It had been quite a long time since he had seen Yuri and Cecilia¡¯s quiet, meditating face. More than six weeks, to be exact. Or was it seven weeks?


    The Heterodox Wanderers, resonating with his Roots, living with his master, coming to Lost City, fighting in the Arena, completing the Trials, meeting Vestia, creating his own team, becoming the team leader¡­ Everything kept happening so quickly, that he was beginning to lose track of time. When he looked at Yuri¡¯s calm, and peaceful face though¡­ Everything seemed to make sense.


    Smiling to himself, Alnea glanced around the hall in silence. Cecilia, Vestia, Karl, and all the other Star Seekers that had yet to come¡­ All the things that had been worrying him, all his insecurities and confusion, vanished just like that, while all the different parts of the puzzle that had been occupying his mind for most part of the past month fell right into their perfect places.


    ¡°What are you doing?¡± Alnea said to Yuri.


    ¡°¡­Meditating,¡± Yuri said in return, still with her eyes closed. ¡°Are you done recovering your Spirit¡­¡±


    Yuri paused, and opened her eyes, looking back at him with her unfairly charming smile.


    ¡°You have learned how to play pranks.¡±


    ¡°What can I say¡­ I have been taught by the best.¡±


    ¡°Cecilia would be happy to hear that.¡±


    ¡°¡­And she would reward me with another one of her violent pranks. You know who I am talking about.¡±


    ¡°How was your experience with the recovery potion?¡± Yuri said, smoothly changing the topic away from herself.


    ¡°It was¡­ pleasant.¡±


    ¡°Pleasant should be an understatement,¡± Yuri mumbled. ¡°¡­Did you have any weird visions while you were recovering?¡±


    ¡°I would not say weird, but I did have images of the Erwein Forests flashing in my mind.¡±


    ¡°¡­Cunning vixen,¡± Yuri mumbled, with a hint of indignance, and helplessness tainting her voice. ¡°If I had a recovery potion myself, I would never have allowed her to give you the recovery potion.¡±


    ¡°It is fine, Yuri. For me, your smile is my greatest potion.¡±


    ¡°¡­Living with Vestia has made your tongue even more slippery than before.¡±


    ¡°But I am just saying the truth.¡±


    ¡°¡­What do you think about the Erwein Forests?¡±


    ¡°What about it?¡±


    ¡°¡­Is it a good place?¡±


    ¡°It did feel like a warm and safe haven. At the same time, I could also feel the cold, wild aura hidden within the forest and the lake¡­ If it could even be called as a lake.¡±


    ¡°It is a lake,¡± Yuri said. ¡°The Great Erwein lake.¡±


    ¡°¡­That does sound like an apt name,¡± Alnea mumbled, before coming back to his senses. ¡°Anyways, as I was saying, I could feel two different types of air from the forest, but somehow, these two completely opposite types of air were coexisting at the same time, forming a seamless harmony, trying to beckon me to its depths¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­It should be a side effect of the recovery potion. But we cannot rule out Vestia¡¯s manipulation either. Try to be careful¡ª


    ¡°Have you not figured it out already?¡±


    ¡°¡­Figured out what?¡±


    ¡°That I will not leave you, no matter what. Even if Vestia joins us after we leave the city, she would only be following us, and not leading us. There is no need for you to worry, Yuri. Just relax and be yourself. Although I enjoy seeing you become jealous for me, I still like the calm and confident Yuri more. The one who is always ready to face anything in the world.¡±


    ¡°¡­Even I have times when I am not ready¡ª


    ¡°And for those times, I will be by your side. So, just smile like you usually do, and stop worrying.¡±


    ¡°¡­Pervert.¡±


    Alnea did not ask why he became a pervert once again. Asking was meaningless. He just smiled and accepted his new ¡®identity¡¯. In return, he gained one of the most valuable things in the world, Yuri¡¯s bashful smile.


    ¡°¡­How long have you been waiting?¡±


    ¡°Not long. Probably just about two to two and a half hours.¡±


    ¡°¡­Should we wake them up?¡±


    ¡°¡­Let them meditate for a while longer.¡±


    ¡°Right, it is for their own good.¡±This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work.


    ¡°¡­For their own good.¡±


    Smiling, while trying their best not to laugh, and wake up the rest, Alnea and Yuri spent some rare ¡®alone¡¯ time with just each other.


    ¡°¡­Speaking of meditating, I discovered something in my meditation last night.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°¡­You know how my Roots work¡ª


    ¡°By changing Fate.¡±


    ¡°Well, that, but I was talking more about the effects of my Roots.¡±


    ¡°Sharing your senses?¡±


    ¡°¡­Will you let me finish?¡±


    ¡°¡­Sorry. Go on.¡±


    ¡°¡­As I was saying, when I was meditation last night, I thought about my Roots, and how it works. Though, to be honest, I have been thinking about it for quite some time. Especially after I resonated with it a month ago. After I somehow managed to let my Roots act in reverse, and experience what you were going through. That got me thinking. What else is there about my Roots that I do not know?


    ¡°Can I share my senses with more than one person at a time? And if so, how many people can I share my senses with? Can I also let all of them share their senses with me at the same time? And what if I tried to share one person¡¯s senses with another? Will that work? In the end, what exactly are the limits of my Roots? Just how much can I do with the powers I gain by changing Fate?


    ¡°There so many questions that I want to know the answer of¡­ So many mysteries about my Roots that I wish to uncover¡­ Yet, despite all my curiosity, I could only sit in silence, and think, wondering about those questions in my head. I did not even dare to use my Roots. At least not before I could be sure that it had stabilised. You, on the other hand, began taking your Oaths as soon as you came to the city.¡±


    ¡°I¡ª


    ¡°Like I said, let me finish,¡± Yuri said, not allowing Alnea to explain himself. ¡°I am not mad at you for taking Oaths. I was, back when you took them, but not now. I am¡ªwas, just a little frustrated with myself. My Roots are literally about changing fate, just as my conviction is to fight against fate. Yet, I did not even dare to use my Roots, fearing the fate that might befall me. But you¡­


    ¡°Despite carrying a cursed fate, you have never feared fate yourself. You fight¡ªare always fighting against it, never considering what would happen if you failed. And even when you do fail, you always get back up, ready to fight against it once again. Just as you got up after failing to inscribe your Glyph. Others in your place might have taken a few days of rest before trying once again. Some might have even given up on the Glyph that they failed. But not you.


    ¡°You¡­ I saw you experiment with your Glyph. I saw you fail, and then I saw you succeed. And then I saw you go beyond your limits. Even if it was only a partial success, no one can deny that you brought your idea into reality. You created something that even True Scholars find it hard to make. Something that you did not even know existed. And you did it, because you believed in yourself.


    ¡°In contrast, I¡­ I did not even try surpassing myself. Except for when I was worried about you and my family. Yet, both of those times I managed to learn something more about myself, about my Roots. And that was when I realised that I have been wrong all along. I always thought that I need to bring some dramatic changes to other people¡¯s life before I can share my senses with them, but that is not how Fate works. That is not how my Roots work.¡±


    ¡°¡­Have you been experimenting with your Roots?¡±


    ¡°Why? Are you the only one allowed to experiment with your Roots?¡±


    ¡°I did not experiment with my Roots¡­ At least not without master¡¯s supervision. And you know that is not what I meant either.¡±


    ¡°So, you do admit that playing with your Roots, especially after resonating with it, is dangerous.¡±


    ¡°¡­I have been taking precautions.¡±


    ¡°And so have I.¡±


    ¡°¡­I am just worried about you.¡±


    ¡°Now you know how I feel,¡± Yuri said, as the edges of her lips curved upwards ever so slightly. ¡°You do not have to worry though. My name is not Yuri Reckless Faed.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°I mean that I am not stupid enough to play with my Roots.¡±


    ¡°Then what you said earlier¡­¡±


    ¡°I just came up with some possibilities that my Roots can take. For now, I have no plans on acting on them. Given that other things go according to our plans, that is¡­¡±


    Just as how their ¡®alone¡¯ time did not exactly as Alnea had expected it to. Things never went according to plans. That was a truth that Alnea had learned the hard way. Then next, the question was, exactly how and when Yuri was going to use her Roots? And if it would have any impact on her? Had the side effects of her resonating with her Roots already subsided, or¡ª


    ¡°¡­Good morning, Captain,¡± Karl said in a voice so low that Alnea could barely hear him, but still loud enough to bring him out of his thoughts. It was not just him whom Karl alerted though. Both Cecilia and Vestia were also startled out of their meditation by him.


    ¡°Alnea¡­ Are you done resting?¡±


    ¡°¡­How was your experience with the recovery potion? If you like it, I can give you more.¡±


    ¡°Hey, if you have more, then why can you not give me one to taste?¡±


    ¡°Are you Alnea? My recovery potions are just for Alnea to use.¡±


    ¡°Why? Have you mixed something in them? Are you trying to drug him?¡±


    ¡°¡­If I was trying to drug him, I would have done it in private, and not in front of everyone.¡±


    ¡°So, you admit that you are trying to drug him.¡±


    ¡°¡­When did I say that?¡±


    ¡°Tsk¡­ I knew that you could not be up to anything good.¡±


    ¡°¡­Forget it. I will not argue with a little girl like you.¡±


    ¡°Who are you calling a little girl? Do you want to try my fists?¡±


    ¡°¡­Have you thought about it, Alnea? I have more than just recovery potions¡­ Do you want to try them?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t listen to her Alnea. Who knows what she has mixed into her potions¡­ Unless she is willing to let me check them, you should not drink or eat anything that she gives you.¡±


    ¡°¡­Admit it. You just want to taste my potions.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I just want to taste your potions. But only to make sure that you do not make Alnea drink something weird.¡±


    ¡°You¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­Good morning, Karl,¡± Alnea said, not even bothering to stop the girls. They were going to stop when they got tired anyway. ¡°How did you notice me?¡±


    ¡°¡­That is just one of my basic skills of survival.¡±


    ¡°¡­You keep refreshing my views of what basic means. How was your night trip?¡±


    ¡°¡­Eventful,¡± Karl said. ¡°I was almost attacked by more than twenty Wanderers on more than ten different occasions. If not for my excellent stealth skills, I would not have returned safely.¡±


    ¡°¡­Were they attacking you, or were they just glaring at you?¡±


    ¡°Glaring is the first step of attacking.¡±


    ¡°¡­What if it is a surprise attack, or an ambush?¡±


    ¡°A qualified Wanderer should never get surprised or ambushed.¡±


    ¡­Recalling the number of times that he had been surprised and ambushed, Alnea wondered if he could still call himself a Wanderer or not.


    ¡°Anyways, did you check what I asked you to?¡±


    ¡°I did.¡±


    ¡°Did you find anything?¡±


    ¡°¡­Sort of. But I am not sure yet.¡±


    ¡°Then keep looking until you find solid evidence,¡± Alnea said. ¡°What about the things that Aren asked you to check?¡±


    ¡°¡­I looked into them too.¡±


    ¡°And?¡±


    ¡°¡­Things that happen in the Lost City are too messy, but unless they are isolated by the Origin Sea itself, all things must leave some traces in the history of the world.¡±


    ¡°So, you got the information?¡±


    ¡°¡­You can say that. I just do not know if that information that I got is the information that he is looking for.¡±


    ¡°¡­Leave that up to Aren to decide. You just tell him what you know.¡±


    ¡°¡­I do not like these troublesome things anyway,¡± Karl mumbled. ¡°If there is nothing else, I should go back and rest a little.¡±


    ¡°You can rest later. Stay with us for now.¡±


    ¡°¡­Do you have anything else to say to me, leader?¡±


    ¡°It is not just you,¡± Alnea said, shaking his head. ¡°The rest of the team should be coming soon.¡±


    ¡°¡­Is it a month already?¡±


    ¡°There are still a few days left, but¡­ Whether it is you and Vestia, or the five of them, all of you have already fulfilled the tasks that I gave you. And I will not be able to catch up to your ranks in the Arena even if I wait for another month. Waiting for a few more days just to observe the time I set back then does not make any sense.¡±


    ¡°Then¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­It is finally time for us to begin acting together. And by us, I mean all ten of us.¡±


    Alnea paused for a moment to let his words sink in, before continuing.


    ¡°It is time for the Star Seekers to finally begin chasing after their Stars.¡±

 Chapter 46: Rewards [Part 1]

    Star Seekers¡­ Alnea had chosen that name for his team only because the names that the girls were coming up with were too embarrassing to use. Even its philosophy, chasing after the ¡®Stars¡¯ that they were ¡®Seeking¡¯¡­ It was something that he had made up on just a whim. But after more than a month of living as a Star Seeker, of leading other Star Seekers, and watching them chase after their Stars with all their might, he was finally beginning to understand what Star Seekers truly meant to him.


    There was still much that he had to learn though. Things that he could not learn by just training on his own. Besides, he had not lied to Karl. It was indeed time for them to venture into the Black Desert. But before that, there were still a few things he needed to discuss with the rest of his teammates, which was why he had asked Zain to bring everyone over to his mansion. It was just that¡­


    Why was the stinky mouth taking so long? Even considering that they could not act together all the time, and might be roaming the bloody streets of the city, four hours should have been enough for Zain to inform everyone of the meeting. So, did everyone decide to just ditch the meeting together, or did Zain just forget to remind them?


    If he was being honest to himself, Alnea could indeed imagining Zain forgetting things that were not said in his praise. That was just how selective his hearing was. Or else, with his personality, the White Arcanist of the Lost City would have collapsed from peer pressure and isolation long before coming to the Lost City. Thankfully, Zain did not disappoint him too much. He was late by over an hour, but at least he brought everyone with him.


    ¡°You have not begun the meeting yet?¡± Zain said, sitting down next to Karl. ¡°It looks like I made the right decision by coming a couple of hours late.¡±


    ¡­Alnea had to admit. There were things that even he could not predict. Like how he would one day want to beat up his own teammate. Or that instead of him calming down Cecilia, it would the latter calming him down. Zain Enhall¡­ He truly was a talent. A unique talent, the kind of which Alnea had never seen, and wished to never see again. Such a dazzling talent¡­ It was better for other Orthodoxies to have him. As long as they would leave him alone¡­


    ¡°¡­We are sorry for being late, leader,¡± Ralph said, sitting down next to Zain. ¡°We would have come an hour earlier, but Aren was issued a Blood Challenge, so we got delayed for a while.¡±


    ¡°A Blood Challenge?¡± Alnea said, staring solemnly at the pink robed Wanderer. ¡°What was the result?¡±


    ¡°¡­The Arena saved his life, but I made sure that he paid the price.¡±


    ¡°¡­What was the price?¡±


    ¡°¡­His right hand.¡±


    ¡°¡­Why did he issue a Blood Challenge against you?¡±


    ¡°How would I know?¡±


    ¡°¡­Did you not know him?¡±


    ¡°¡­I have never seen the man before in my life.¡±


    ¡°¡­Have you offended anyone lately?¡±


    ¡°¡­I beat up a few people in the Desert.¡±


    ¡°A few people?¡± Vestia said with a smirk. ¡°Has the meaning of ¡®a few¡¯ changed these days?¡±


    ¡°¡­I beat up some people in the Desert.¡±


    ¡°¡­Forget about the numbers, is the term ¡®beat¡¯ enough to describe what you did? Do not tell me that they began calling you the Pink Demon for no reason.¡±


    ¡°¡­Is it not just beating some Wanderers senseless, and bringing them to the territories of Oren Beast, and threatening them with leaving them in front of the Oren Beasts, if they did not answer your questions? Why are you acting shy about something as silly as that? It is not as if the leader does not know about it.¡±


    ¡°¡­I really did not know about it.¡±


    ¡°Huh? Did I not tell you about it before?¡±


    ¡°¡­All you told me was how you earned the monicker of the White Arcanist.¡±


    ¡°Now that you mention it, I did not tell you about that time¡ª


    ¡°Later, Zain,¡± Alnea said, before turning back to Aren. ¡°Are you sure that you have never seen the man before?¡±


    ¡°¡­I am sure.¡±Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website.


    ¡°¡­What about the rest of you? Did you recognise him?¡±


    ¡°¡­He seemed to be from the Bulen clan,¡± Ralph said. ¡°That¡¯s all I could see from his robe.¡±


    ¡°Bulen clan¡­¡± Alnea mumbled. ¡°Has anyone else been challenged recently?¡±


    ¡°No¡­ It was just Aren.¡±


    ¡°¡­So, are there people who do not wish to see you enter the inner city, Aren?¡±


    ¡°¡­I understand,¡± Aren said after a brief moment of silence.


    ¡°Huh? What did you understand?¡±


    ¡°¡­Karl has some information for you,¡± Alnea said, ignoring the befuddled Zain. ¡°Be sure to talk to him later.¡±


    ¡°¡­Got it.¡±


    ¡°¡­And if you need any help, you can come to us any time. That is why we have gathered together as a team in the first place. To help each other.¡±


    ¡°¡­Thank you.¡±


    ¡°¡­If you want to thank someone, then thank Karl, not me,¡± Alnea said, before turning back to the rest of the Star Seekers. ¡°Recently, we have made quite a name for ourselves. And yes, I know this is what I asked you to do. But remember, this is the Lost City. Here, if you wish to climb higher, you must step on others. And if others want to climb higher, they must step on us. After all, there are only so many people who can make it to the inner city.


    ¡°Aren¡¯s Challenge is just a reminder to us. As we show strength that can compete with other teams who are aiming to enter the inner city, the number of people challenging us will only keep growing. And just because Aren easily overcame his Blood Challenge, this does not mean that Goddess Ilea will favour us next time too. Just a few hours ago, I was tired, and completely exhausted from my battle in the Arena, with not so much as even a drop of Spirit Power left in my body. If I had been challenged at that time¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­Even you were reduced to such a state?¡± Karl mumbled. ¡°The Lost City is getting even more dangerous.¡±


    ¡°It is not the city, which is getting more dangerous, but us, who are beginning to grow strong enough to attract those dangers.¡±


    ¡°¡­Zain told us about your battle,¡± Norren said, shaking his head with a sigh. ¡°It is a pity that we missed such a brilliant fight.¡±


    ¡°Indeed,¡± Ralph said. ¡°It is not very often that we can see our Captain use his full strength.¡±


    ¡°¡­You will get the chance soon enough,¡± Alnea said. ¡°Anyways, I was saying that you need to be careful in the coming days. Try not to go out alone. Especially you, Aren and Zain.¡±


    ¡°Huh? Why me?¡±


    ¡°¡­After me and Aren, you are the one who is most likely to get challenged.¡±


    ¡°¡­Are they so jealous of my talent that they will even dare to issue Blood Challenge against me?¡±


    ¡°¡­Let us come back to what I called you here for,¡± Alnea said, ignoring the delusional White Arcanist. ¡°First of all, as your Captain, I failed in accomplishing the task that I set for myself. For that, I would like to apologise to everyone.¡±


    ¡°There are still a few days left¡­¡±


    ¡°Apologising a few days earlier or later would not make any difference,¡± Alnea said, shaking his head. ¡°As I said to Karl before, although there are still a few days left for the month to be over, the five of you have already accomplished what I asked you to do. Vestia and Karl have also collected a lot of useful information. Only I did not accomplish what I said I would. In fact, I am so far away from accomplishing my goal, that I would not be able to complete it even if you gave me another month.¡±


    ¡°¡­It is not your fault, Captain,¡± Ralph said. ¡°You have already done your best. Rather, you have done better than most people would have in your sandals. Even the Purplebird heir that you fought today took more than two months in getting where he is now. Matching his rank in just a little over a month is already very impressive.¡±


    ¡°Comparing myself with others does not make any sense. Besides, it is precisely because I did my best that my mistake is even more grave. As your Captain, I failed to estimate my own abilities¡­ It is fine for now. I only missed to meet the goal I set for myself. But out in the Black Desert, where even a slight mistake could end up being fatal, if I were to misestimate our abilities¡­¡±


    ¡°Huh¡­ I never thought of it that way,¡± Karl mumbled to himself. ¡°So, it seems that my approach of always underestimating my abilities is more conducive for survival.¡±


    ¡°¡­Although you are right, do not forget that the best way of increasing your chances of survival is to increase your strength. And the fastest way of increasing your strength is to enter the inner city. The sooner you enter the inner city, the faster you will increase your chances of survival¡­ Is that not why you joined us in the first place?¡±


    ¡°¡­Maybe,¡± Karl said a little hesitantly. For Karl, that was as good as admitting to what he was saying.


    ¡°Anyways, I apologise for overestimating myself. I understand if some of you are disappointed in me¡ª


    ¡°Things are not so serious, Captain,¡± Ralph said. ¡°You were new to the city back then, so it is understandable if you made a mistake or two.¡±


    ¡°¡­Just be careful next time,¡± Fran said, nodding to show his acquiescence with what Ralph was saying.


    ¡°Indeed,¡± Norren said, nodding along with the rest. ¡°We are only humans, after all. We all make mistakes. And we learn from those mistakes. That is how we progress¡­ More importantly, when are you going to fight me, Captain?¡±


    ¡°¡­I am grateful that everyone is still showing their trust in me. Rest assured; I will never make such a mistake again,¡± Alnea said, nodding solemnly, while a warm current washed over his Heart. ¡°Coming back to what I was saying, since everyone has accomplished the goals that I set for you, it is now time for us to finally begin venturing into the Black Desert as a team. All ten of us.¡±


    ¡°Finally¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­About time¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­With ten people, we should be able to go even deeper into the desert¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­Before we discuss our plans about exploring the Black Desert though, there is just one little thing that we need to take care of first.¡±


    ¡°¡­What?¡±


    ¡°Your rewards,¡± Alnea said. ¡°Since everyone has accomplished their tasks, it is only natural for me to keep my end of the promise and give out your rewards.¡±

 Chapter 46: Rewards [Part 2]

    ¡°Rewards¡­¡± Ralph mumbled. ¡°Are you talking about the Tokens?¡±


    ¡°But we did not do much, did we?¡±


    ¡°It must be because of me,¡± Zain said. ¡°It looks like I cannot conceal my talent anymore¡­ Fine. It is just some Medals anyway. Although they will not help me much, I guess I can accept a few of them to keep our Captain¡¯s face¡­¡±


    ¡°Stop dreaming,¡± Alnea said to Zain. ¡°As Norren just said, except for spreading your names, you have not done much for the team in the past month. Do you think that is enough to earn Medals? Or have you forgotten how hard it is to earn Medals in the Trials?¡±


    ¡°¡­Then why are giving out the Medals?¡±


    ¡°To encourage you, of course. After all, this was your first task. Besides, I am offering only Low Grade Medals for now.¡±


    ¡°¡­Just some Low Grade Medals?¡± Zain mumbled, only to earn everyone¡¯s glare.


    ¡°Are you looking down on Low Grade Medals?¡± Alnea said. ¡°You can give up the reward if you want. But let me remind you, in the future, earning even these Low Grade Medals will not be easy.¡±


    ¡°¡­Who is looking down on the Medals? Even if they are Low Grade, they are still Medals. Who does not know about their preciousness?¡±


    Seeing the stinky mouth being deflated for once, Alnea nodded in satisfaction, before picking up where he had left off.


    ¡°As I was saying, this time, the Medals are more of an encouragement than proper rewards. So, this time, everyone can get a Medal from me. But just this time. The next time you want to earn Medals from the team, you will have to earn it in an institutionalised way.¡±


    ¡°¡­Institutionalised way?¡± Zain said, tilting his head in confusion.


    ¡°It means we will have to exchange our contribution for Medals.¡±


    ¡°¡­Are you selling your Medals for Blood Coins?¡±


    ¡°¡­Let me finish first,¡± Alnea said, trying his best to not lose his patience. Was this how his master felt when he acted cheeky with her? No, he was not as annoying the stinky mouth¡­ Probably.


    ¡°¡­After our last team meeting, I discussed the details of my arrangements with Vestia and Yuri. They pointed out to me that giving out rewards based on just my discretion may make some of you feel dissatisfied with my arbitrariness. To address this issue, we came up with a system of ¡®Stars¡¯ to keep the process of rewarding everyone more transparent and fair.


    ¡°From now on, Vestia will be recording everyone¡¯s contribution to the team, and how well you complete your tasks. Smaller and easier tasks will be marked with one ¡®Star¡¯, while harder tasks can be marked with up to ten ¡®Stars¡¯. And though there will be no upper limit to the number of ¡®Stars¡¯ you can earn by contributing to the team, relatively, earning ¡®Stars¡¯ by contributing to the team will be much harder.


    ¡°In short, the better you perform your tasks, the more you contribute to the team, the more ¡®Stars¡¯ you will earn. And once you have enough ¡®Stars¡¯, you can exchange them with the Medals. As for the exchange rate of the Medals¡­ A Low Grade Medal will be worth ten ¡®Stars¡¯, an Intermediate Grade Medal will be worth fifty ¡®Stars¡¯, a High Grade Medal will be worth two hundred ¡®Stars¡¯, and a Top Grade Medal will be worth a thousand ¡®Stars¡¯.


    ¡°If you have any doubts about what the ¡®Stars¡¯ are worth, or how she will be judging your ¡®Stars¡¯, you can contact Vestia after the meeting for further details. For now, just keep your doubts with yourselves. Next, let us talk about the rewards you will be getting this time. Let me warn you first. Right now, I have only Martial Style Medals with me. If anyone wants Medals of other halls, then you will wait¡ª


    ¡°It is alright, Alnea,¡± Vestia said, taking out a bunch of Low Grade Arcana and Glyph Medals from her pouch. ¡°Although I do not have as many Medals as you do, what I have should be enough to meet the requirements of the team for a while. There is no need for you to change your plans.¡±


    ¡°But they are your¡ª


    ¡°Did I not say it just a few hours ago?¡± Vestia said, winking at him with a smile. ¡°What is mine is yours.¡±The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.


    ¡°¡­I am afraid that we cannot accept your Medals, Vestia,¡± Yuri said, answering Vestia before Alnea could.


    ¡°¡­Even if I am trying to help him?¡±


    ¡°If it was just about helping Alnea, I would not have stopped you,¡± Yuri said, shaking her head. ¡°On the contrary, no one would be happier than me to see you suffer a dumb loss and give all your Medals to Alnea. But this is different. The Medals you are giving to him will be used to reward other members of the team. Although it seems as if you are giving your Medals to Alnea, in essence, you are giving them to the team.¡±


    ¡°So what? Alnea is also giving out his Medals, is he not? Besides, I am also a Star Seeker. Can I not contribute to the team?¡±


    ¡°Exactly. You are contributing to the team. Your Medals will not be sent to Alnea, but to the team as a whole. Of course, we will also mark your contributions. Ten Stars for each Low Grade Medals.¡±


    ¡°You¡­¡±


    Yuri smiled ever so slightly, as if trying to show off her victory, while Cecilia grinned blatantly, taunting Vestia for her failed ploy.


    ¡°¡­Then let us do as Yuri says,¡± Alnea said, trying to diffuse the tension in the air. ¡°I know that you are not very interested in the Medals, Vestia, but I cannot accept them for no reason. Besides, marking the Medals as your contributions to the Team will also be beneficial for you. When you have gathered enough Stars, you can also exchange them for rewards.¡±


    ¡°But like you said, I am not very interested in the Medals¡­¡±


    ¡°Then you can exchange for other rewards. You can think for yourself what reward you want. Just remember, the greater the number of Stars you gather, the greater the reward you can exchange for.¡±


    ¡°¡­Is that so,¡± Vestia said, with her dimples, along with smile, returning to her face. ¡°Then I would like to thank Yuri for helping me stop in time, or I might have lost my chance to earn such a big ¡®reward¡¯.¡±


    ¡°¡­There is no need to thank me,¡± Yuri said in a stiff tone, glaring at him for a moment, before returning to her usual self. ¡°We are all Star Seekers. It is only natural that I help you chase after the ¡®Star¡¯ you Seek. Just a reminder though. Some stars burn brighter than others¡­ Who knows, you might end up burning yourself before you catch up to the Star.¡±


    ¡°¡­I am sure that Alnea will never let me burn. Is that not right, Alnea?¡±


    ¡°¡­Naturally, I will never let my companions get hurt,¡± Alnea said, trying to ignore the cold glares being directed at him. ¡°Alright then, it is time to hand out your rewards. Karl, which Medal do you want?¡±


    ¡°¡­A Martial Style Medal.¡±


    ¡°¡­Were you not going to act as a Scholar?¡±


    ¡°It is precisely because I am a Scholar that I need some handy Martial Styles to cover up my weakness.¡±


    ¡°¡­How many Blood Crystal Martial Styles have you exchanged?¡±


    ¡°¡­What are Blood Crystal Martial Styles?¡±


    ¡°¡­I am asking because I have already exchanged all nine Blood Crystal Martial Styles, and have also practiced all nine of them. If you want, I can recommend you the best Martial Style for your situation.¡±


    ¡°¡­Not many¡­ Just five.¡±


    ¡°¡­Which ones?¡±


    ¡°¡­Blood Crystal Condensation, Blood Crystal Evolution, Blood Forging, Blood Muscle Forging, and Blood Bone Forging.¡±


    ¡°¡­Is this a Scholar? This is clearly a Warrior!¡±


    Alnea ignored Zain¡¯s mumblings, as he took out a Martial Style Medal, and handed it to Karl, before saying, ¡°If you find the Blood Crystal Martial Styles not too hard to practice, then I would recommend you to exchange three more Medals from the team in the future, and then redeem the Blood Organ Forging, Blood Crystal Resonance, and Blood Manipulation from the Martial Style Library. If not, then stop after exchanging Blood Organ Forging.¡±


    ¡°¡­I will consider your suggestion.¡±


    ¡°Alright then, next, Zain. I am assuming you want an Arcana Medal?¡±


    ¡°¡­It is not that I want the Arcana Medal, it is the Arcana Medal which wants me.¡±


    ¡°¡­Here,¡± Alnea said, taking the Arcana Medal from Vestia, and handing it to Zain, before quickly moving on to Ralph. ¡°Which Medal do you want, Ralph?¡±


    ¡°¡­A Glyph Medal.¡±


    ¡°¡­And you, Fran?¡±


    ¡°Glyph Medal.¡±


    ¡°¡­Aren?¡±


    ¡°¡­Arcana Medal.¡±


    ¡°¡­Norren?¡±


    ¡°¡­Martial Style Medal.¡±


    ¡°¡­None of you three want any Medals, right?¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°Then that¡¯s it. Six Medals. Two from me, four from Vestia. That makes it forty Stars for you, Vestia.¡±


    ¡°And twenty for you,¡± Yuri said.


    ¡°¡­There is no need to record my Stars, right? I am the team leader¡ª


    ¡°But you are still a Star Seeker,¡± Yuri said, shaking her head. ¡°Rules of the team applies to everyone, Alnea, even you. Or else, we will be less like a team, and more like your subordinates.¡±


    ¡°I do not see any problem in becoming your subordinate though¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­Fine. Twenty Stars for me, forty for you. Remember to note it down, Vestia.¡±


    ¡°Of course,¡± Vestia said. ¡°I am looking forward to what kind of reward I can get from you.¡±


    ¡°¡­Now that we are done dealing with the reward, let us discuss the Black Desert Trials.¡±

 Chapter 47: Preparing for the Black Desert [Part 1]

    ¡°Black Desert Trials¡­¡± Karl mumbled, with his face distorting visibly, as if he was recalling some painful memories. ¡°Is this what you meant when you said that it was time for us to begin acting as a team, and chase after our stars?¡±


    ¡°What else could I have meant?¡± Alnea said, tilting his head in confusion.


    ¡°¡­So soon?¡±


    ¡°Soon?¡± Cecilia said, staring at Karl with wide eyes. ¡°It has already been more than a month since we came to the city. More than a month!¡±


    ¡°Exactly,¡± Karl said, a little more animated than his usual self. ¡°It has just been a little over a month.¡±


    ¡°¡­He is not wrong, you know?¡± Ralph said. ¡°There is still nearly a year left for you to complete your Quota.¡±


    ¡°Poros¡¯ fangs! You two want us to stay cooped up in the city for a whole year?¡±


    ¡°¡­Not a whole year,¡± Karl said. ¡°A few months should be enough. Say about three months¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­That is until you reach near your one year period?¡± Alnea said, motioning for Cecilia to leave the matter to him, leaving her with no place to vent her dissatisfaction. In the end, she could only pout at him with her puffed up cheeks.


    ¡°Huh? Now that I calculate the time, it would indeed be one year since I came to the city in four months¡­ What a coincidence.¡±


    ¡°¡­A coincidence indeed,¡± Alnea said, before turning to Ralph. ¡°How many times has he been to the Desert with you?¡±


    ¡°¡­He always vanishes when we leave the city.¡±


    ¡°¡­Did you not try searching for him?¡±


    ¡°¡­I think the name you came up for him should answer your question.¡±


    ¡°¡­Karl, why did you join the team?¡± Alnea said to Karl with a sigh.


    ¡°¡­To survive.¡±


    ¡°If you want to just survive, then a Forbidden Area is the last place you should be. Why did you come to the Lost City?¡±


    ¡°¡­Some things are just not under our control.¡±


    ¡°¡­Forget all those things. Just tell me, do you want to enter the inner city or not?¡±


    ¡°¡­That is my only chance of survival.¡±


    ¡°Then why are you so averse to the idea of exploring the Black Desert?¡±


    ¡°¡­I¡­¡±


    ¡°It is true that the city will not ask us to complete our quotas for the Black Desert Trials, but only those who dare to go above their quotas have any chances of making it to the inner city. If you do not even dare to walk into the Desert, how are you going to collect the Trial Points? How are you going to qualify to enter the inner city?¡±


    ¡°¡­I do not know¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­Do you even want to enter the inner city?¡±


    ¡°¡­I just told you, that is my only chance of survival.¡±


    ¡°And yet you are still so hesitant about completing the most basic requirement of entering the inner city¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­That is because¡­ I¡­ The Black Desert¡­ You do not understand¡­¡±


    ¡°What is there to understand? You either come to the Black Desert with us, and fight for a chance of survival, or stay here in the city, and get kicked out after a few months. The choice is yours.¡±This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work.


    ¡°¡­I¡­ I have to enter the inner city¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­What if I give you a way to survive outside of the inner city? Will you still want to go to the inner city?¡±


    ¡°¡­That is not possible.¡±


    ¡°Just answer my questions.¡±


    ¡°¡­I¡­ I am not sure¡­¡±


    ¡°Then make up your mind. If you do not even know the Star that you are chasing after, how can you be a Star Seeker?¡±


    ¡°¡­The Star that I am Seeking¡­¡± Karl mumbled, biting his lips, and closing his eyes to calm himself. It was not until his face, distorted in anxiety and confusion, returned to its normal self, that he let go of his lips, and opened his eyes.


    ¡°¡­I want to enter the inner city.¡±


    ¡°Then are you willing to come to the Black Desert with us?¡±


    ¡°¡­I do not know¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­Oh, come on,¡± Cecilia said, finally unable to hold herself back after seeing Karl¡¯s timid appearance, and slapped his back. ¡°What are you afraid of? Are there people after you? Tell me their names, and their origins. I will deal with them for you.¡±


    ¡°¡­There is no one after me.¡±


    ¡°Then why are you making such a fuss?¡±


    ¡°¡­I just think that we should prepare a little more before going into the desert as a team, or we might end up suffering.¡±


    ¡°¡­Although I cannot understand your fear, I can assure you that there is nothing for you to worry about,¡± Alnea said in a much softer tone. ¡°There are ten of us¡­ And all ten of us can deal with Peak Stage Wanderers on our own. There is nothing that we cannot handle anymore. Even if we incur Ilea¡¯s wrath, and face something that we cannot handle, as a Scholar, it will not be your turn to face those dangers head on. We will be there with you. I will be there with you, charging ahead before anyone else. That is my promise to you as your Captain.¡±


    ¡°¡­I still think that we should prepare a little more. At least, you and Cecilia should break through to the Advanced Stage before venturing into the Black Desert¡­ After all that you have said though, I do not have any other choice, do I?¡±


    ¡°¡­Everyone has a choice, Karl,¡± Alnea said, looking solemnly at the slightly round face of the grey robed man, smiling in helplessness. ¡°We will never force you.¡±


    ¡°But you will stop trusting me¡­ And I still want to be a Star Seeker¡­ I still have to chase my Star¡­¡± Karl said, and paused for a few moments, before continuing. ¡°I have no problems with venturing into the Black Desert. I just hope that everyone will be careful, and do their jobs properly.¡±


    ¡°Do not worry,¡± Zain said, patting Karl on his back. ¡°As the White Arcanist of the Lost City, I will make sure to keep you safe.¡±


    ¡°¡­We will decide our arrangements later,¡± Alnea said. ¡°Before we talk about anything else, let me clarify a few things first. Is there anyone else who does not want to venture into the Black Desert?¡±


    Everyone shook their heads.


    ¡°Good. Then the second thing. Although what Karl said earlier might sound a bit alarmist, but we can never to be too cautious. Especially since we now know at least two groups of people who do not wish to see us entering the inner city. As for the enemies that are hidden in the dark¡­ When we venture into the Black Desert, everyone needs to be on their guard. Make sure to cover up your tracks, and do not leave behind any clues for our enemies to find us.¡±


    ¡°¡­Those are the most basic rules of surviving in the desert,¡± Zain said. ¡°Everyone knows¡ª


    ¡°I am not doubting you, Zain. I am just reminding you. Do not let your guard down, no matter what. Understood?¡±


    ¡°¡­Fine,¡± Zain said, clicking his tongue in an external show of annoyance. Alnea knew his true Heart though, so he did not pursue the matter, and continued with where he had left off.


    ¡°¡­The same is true for the rest of you,¡± Alnea said to the Star Seekers as a whole. ¡°Although I would like to believe in our strength, we never know what kind of danger we may encounter. Always be careful, no matter what. At the same time, I also hope that you will see your fellow teammates as not just your teammates, but your companions, your friends, whom you are willing to share your life and death with.


    ¡°Of course, I do not mean that literally. Trust like that cannot be built in just a month or two. Still, if we end up encountering something beyond our capabilities, I hope that you will give up your prejudices, and help each other out, even at the cost of revealing some of your hidden strength. Do not deny it. I know that all of you have hidden a part of your strength, some more cleverly than others.


    ¡°I am not asking you to share the details of your hidden strength. I just want us to help each other out, without worrying about revealing our strength to each other. Of course, as promised, I will always be there in front of you, but I do not wish to see our companions getting injured, or even dying, just because one or a few of us were too selfish. That is all I am asking. Can everyone do that?¡±


    Everyone looked at each other solemnly, and nodded at each other, before turning back towards Alnea, and saying in unison, ¡°We can.¡±


    ¡°We are Star Seekers¡­¡± Alnea said, trailing off, allowing others to complete his words.


    ¡°We chase after the Stars¡­¡±


    ¡°Seeking the ones belonging to us¡­¡±


    ¡°And we do it together¡­¡±


    ¡°As a team¡­¡±


    ¡°As Star Seekers¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­Now, we can talk about the Black Desert Trials,¡± Alnea said, nodding in satisfaction.

 Chapter 47: Preparing for the Black Desert [Part 2]

    ¡°Vestia, can you briefly describe what the Black Desert Trial entails?¡±


    ¡°¡­The long version, or the short version?¡±


    ¡°¡­The short version would do.¡±


    ¡°Short version, you say,¡± Vestia said, and paused for a couple of moments, before answering his question. ¡°In Black Desert Trials, Wanderers have to go out into the desert, and kill Oren Beasts to earn Trial Points. The stronger the Oren Beast you kill, the greater the number of Oren Beasts you kill, the greater the points you will earn. As for the exact points¡­


    ¡°Oren Beasts at their Infant Stage are worth one point, while those at the initial phase of their Adolescent Stage are worth five points, those at the intermediate phase are worth ten points, those at the advanced phase are worth twenty points, and those at the peak phase are worth fifty points.¡±


    ¡°How are the points recorded? Do we have to bring a certain part of the Oren Beasts back with us to prove that we killed them? What if we drop those parts on our way back? Or what if other teams steal those parts from us? Who will get the points then?¡±


    ¡°¡­How the city records the points is a mystery that has never been solved, and probably will never be solved. In any case, you do not have to worry. The city will know how many Oren Beasts you have killed as soon as you kill them, and record your points based on the contributions you made in the hunt. You do not have to bring the bodies of the Oren Beasts, in parts or whole, back into the city. Unless, of course, you have accepted some hunting missions from the Blood Hall. In that case, you will have to bring back the objects of the mission to earn your rewards.¡±


    ¡°Missions¡­¡± Alnea mumbled. ¡°I saw a counter for Blood Missions before, but never really paid any attention to them. Now, it looks like Blood Missions are also related to Black Desert Trials¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­You do not know about Blood Missions too?¡±


    ¡°What do you mean too?¡± Alnea said helplessly. ¡°I admit that I did not know about the Blood Missions, but I knew about the Black Desert Trials long ago. In fact, you were the one who told me, Cecilia, and Yuri about them. Did you forget it already?¡±


    ¡°¡­I was just caught in your performance for a while,¡± Vestia said, coughing to ease her embarrassment. ¡°What about the Blood Missions? Do you really not know about them?¡±


    ¡°How should I know about them? We knew basically nothing about the city when you met us. And after you met us, we have not bothered much with the Blood Hall, except for going to the cafeteria once a day. When do you think I would have had the time to go explore the Blood Hall, and learn about all its different amenities? Besides, I left you in charge of all our information. I did not hear you mentioning Blood Mission to me even once.¡±


    ¡°¡­I thought you already knew about them,¡± Vestia said, as her embarrassment turned into depression. Even her shoulders seemed to slump a little with self-blame.


    ¡°Alright, it is not entirely your fault. I should have asked you about the missions,¡± Alnea said, waving his hand to dismiss her worries. Though from how quickly she recovered, she may not have been worrying too much.


    ¡°¡­Can you tell me about the Blood Missions now?¡±


    ¡°¡­Blood Missions are basically tasks issued by the Blood Hall, which Wanderers can complete to earn some Blood Coins. These tasks can be anything, ranging from hunting Oren Beasts to even exploring the Black Desert. Though in general, Blood Missions are divided into four types; hunting missions, collection missions, exploration missions, and special missions.


    ¡°Hunting missions, as you should have guessed already, requires you to hunt a certain number of Oren Beasts, and bring back their specified body parts. Even the type of Oren Beasts that you have to hunt are specified in the missions. Although these missions do not pay very well, they are the easiest of the four types of missions. At the same time, there is also no upper limit on either the number of Wanderers taking these missions, or the number of Oren Beasts you can turn in. Mainly because that is where the food in the cafeteria comes from.


    ¡°In contrast, collection missions are a bit more dangerous, and also have an upper limit on the number of Wanderers who can accept them. There is also a requirement on the strength of Wanderers taking these missions. Not to mention the fact that some missions are available only in certain seasons, or time of the year. But that is inevitable. Some resources can be found only at certain time of the year. The only good point about these missions is that pay better than hunting missions.


    ¡°Of course, exploration missions pay even greater. And they are also available throughout the year. But in comparison, they are also much dangerous. Most of these missions are about exploring some of the most dangerous areas in the Black Desert, while a few of them are about exploring the unusual circumstances in the Black Desert. You must understand though, the Black Desert itself is a Forbidden Area. For there to be areas with unusual circumstances within the desert¡­ In short, exploration missions are the most dangerous of all the missions, with greatest rate of casualty.¡±


    ¡°¡­What about special missions?¡±


    ¡°Special missions¡­¡± Vestia said, trailing off with a hint of hesitation. ¡°How to say¡­ they are a little different from other missions. As in, they cannot be accepted at the Blood Hall, and can only be encountered while completing other Blood Missions. It can be any type of missions, be it hunting, or exploration. While executing your missions, if your Blood Card begins to flash, then it means that you have encountered special missions.The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.


    ¡°As for what exactly the special missions are¡­ From the accounts I have heard, every four out of ten special missions are about Fortune Springs, while one tenth are about encountering some relics or ruins from the Age of Gods. As for the rest, they are mix of all sorts of things. But these are all just second-hand accounts, so I cannot be sure of their authenticity.¡±


    ¡°¡­It does not matter,¡± Alnea said, shaking his head. ¡°Since special missions can only be encountered, and not be sought after, there is no use thinking about them. We will know what they are when we actually encounter them. Besides, I do not plan on accepting any missions for the time being. So, naturally, we will not be encountering the special missions anytime soon.¡±


    Alnea paused for a few moments, allowing his words to sink in, before he began addressing the Star Seekers as a whole.


    ¡°Some of you may be confused as to why I asked Vestia to describe the contents of the Black Desert Trial¡­ I did it for only one reason, to bring your attention to the main content of the Trial. Hunting Oren Beasts. Although most of you have ventured into the Black Desert already, there are still four of us who will be new to the desert. Four out of ten¡­ almost half of our team¡­


    ¡°We will try our best to be more cautious, but adjusting to the desert will take time. And in that time, our team will be at its most vulnerable point. Ambushes from other teams, sneak attacks by Oren Beasts, our cooperation, there will be just so much for us to handle with almost little to no experience¡­


    ¡°With our team facing such a predicament, rushing out to challenge other teams, or accepting Blood Missions would not make any sense. So, until the ten of us begin acting like a true team, like the Star Seekers we are meant to be, you will be suspending the task that I gave you last month, and focus on just hunting Oren Beasts to acclimatise yourselves with everyone. Yes, Zain, including you too.


    ¡°You may have developed a certain degree of cooperation amongst the five of you, but with the five of us joining you, cooperating with each other will become much more difficult than before. We will have to begin from scratch, learning each other¡¯s battle habits once again, and adjusting ourselves to those habits in battles. So, for the next period of time, our focus, as a team, will be to increase our teamwork.


    ¡°That brings us to the last thing that I want to talk about. Last month, we did not move in together, because I had already rented this mansion, and we were not going to perform the same tasks anyway. Abandoning this mansion for a larger one seemed like a waste of Blood Coins. But that was the case last month. Things have happened since then, which has forced me to think otherwise. The explosion¡­


    ¡°In any case, like Vestia said, this mansion, and the mansion that the five of you are in, are lacking in defensive and preventive measures. They may keep you safe from other Wanderers, but they cannot defend against the attacks coming from within its walls. Besides, living in the same mansion would be conducive for a better teamwork. Not to mention that the time this mansion was reserved for is about to be up. In short, we are going to shift into a new mansion.¡±


    ¡°A new mansion¡­¡±


    ¡°Finally¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­That does not sound too bad¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­I was beginning to get bored of this mansion¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­More people mean more chances of hiding myself¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­It is too small¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­I do not care either way¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­We can use this chance to have a little exchange¡­¡±


    ¡­There were some weird exclamations mixed in the reactions of the Star Seekers, but all in all, everyone seemed to accept the idea of living together, allowing Alnea to heave a sigh of relief. Although he sounded confident, and firm, his Heart was anything but that. He did not think he was a good Captain. At the very least, he was not as good as Yuri. Even Vestia might have done a better job than him. And so might have Ralph. In the end though, they had chosen him to be their Captain. And he did not wish to disappoint them. Being a good Captain was tough¡­


    ¡°¡­Since everyone agrees with moving in together, then we should do it as soon as possible. Vestia, how many mansions have you found that fit our requirements?¡±


    ¡°Three,¡± Vestia said. ¡°Twenty seven, if you count those in the jurisdiction of other Blood Halls.¡±


    ¡°¡­In the Northern District?¡±


    ¡°In the Northern District.¡±


    ¡°¡­Forget it. Let us stick close to the Sixth Blood Hall. We are more familiar with this area anyway. And there are not too many hostile clans in this area either.¡±


    ¡°Depends on what you define hostile as,¡± Vestia said, chuckling at his words. ¡°Though most of the people keeping an eye on us are indeed from other Blood Halls.¡±


    ¡°¡­Ignore them. Choose the mansion that you see fit. Just make sure that it is not too far away from the Blood Hall.¡±


    ¡°Leave it to me,¡± Vestia said with a grin. ¡°I will choose the best mansion for us.¡±


    ¡°¡­Regarding the Blood Coins¡ª


    ¡°It is alright, Alnea. I can afford spending some Blood Coins. Besides, I have been living in your mansion for the past month. It is only right that I reserve the mansion for the next month, right?¡±


    ¡°¡­Then we will count it as your contribution to the team. One Star for a thousand Blood Coins.¡±


    ¡°No need, Alnea. I¡ª


    ¡°You are contributing to the team, Vestia. And every contribution must be valued. That is the rule.¡±


    ¡°¡­I understand,¡± Vestia said with a helpless smile. Even in her helplessness though, her smile was still beautiful¡­


    ¡°¡­We have already wasted much of our time today,¡± Alnea said, turning back to the rest of the Star Seekers. ¡°Going to the Black Desert now would not make much sense¡­ Let us gather in front of the Sixth Blood Hall on the morrow, one hour before dawn. And if you are unable to make it there on time because of some unforeseeable reasons, then remember to pass on the news¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­It is not my fault that Aren was challenged¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­You should not be challenged twice in a row, right?¡±


    ¡°¡­I¡ªWe will be there, Captain¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­Good. Then that marks the end of today¡¯s meeting. Everyone can go back, and do what you like for the rest of the day. Just remember to come to the Blood Hall on time¡­¡±

 Chapter 48: Leaving the Lost City [Part 1]

    The dim blood red light, rising from the streets, from the buildings, from the city itself, made it seem as if the city was bleeding, slowly drifting towards its death. An illusion, created by the constant battles and deaths in the city. The city itself was eternal. Even if Wanderers stopped coming to the city, it would just become ¡®Lost¡¯ once again, but it would never die. Was that why everyone had named it as the Lost City?


    Lost in his thoughts, Alnea kept staring back into the blood red light, trying to figure out its mysteries, until Yuri leaned into his ears, and said, ¡°Everyone is here, Alnea.¡±


    Tearing his eyes away from the million-year mysteries beckoning to him, Alnea turned back towards the Star Seekers, and gave them a nod, before leading them into the Blood Hall. Technically, it was still night, so Martha had not come to the take over her shift yet, leaving another woman to take charge of her counter. Wanderer Tia was still in the Blood Hall though¡­ How was she always there when he came to the Blood Hall? Did she not need to take rest?


    Waving his hand to greet the red robed woman, Alnea led the Star Seekers directly to the counter of Black Desert Trial. It was a medium sized counter, manned by two women, both with a black box, and a queue in front of them. Of the two queues, one was noticeably longer, while the Wanderers in the other queue had more haggard face, and looked visibly tired. Even without asking Ralph and the rest, Alnea could tell which queue he needed to be in.


    Pausing for a moment, just enough for his thoughts to run on their own, and come to a decision, Alnea took the Star Seekers to stand behind the longer queue. Thankfully, the woman behind the counter was clearing the queue at a relatively quick pace, making them wait for only a sixth of an hour or so.


    ¡°Your Blood Card, please,¡± the woman said to Alnea, with a smile on her face. Her smile was nothing compared to Vestia or Yuri¡¯s smile though. And he had no intention of inviting more trouble to himself. So, he just quietly handed over his Blood Card, waiting for the woman to finish the procedures.


    ¡°It looks like this is your first time taking the Trial,¡± the woman said, glancing at the large string of zeroes on his Blood Card, before placing it on her black box. ¡°¡­You still have around eleven months till your deadline. Are you sure that you want to take the Black Desert Trial now?¡±


    ¡°I am sure.¡±


    ¡°It is your choice,¡± the woman said, shrugging her shoulders, not in the least bothered by what might happen to him in the desert. ¡°Will you be taking the trial as a team, or on your own?¡±


    ¡°Is there a difference?¡±


    ¡°¡­If you take it as a team, then depending on the strength of your team, you will have an extra team quota to meet.¡±


    ¡°¡­I will take it as a team.¡±


    ¡°Will your entire team be participating in the trial, or will it be just a few of you?¡±


    ¡°All of us will be participating in the trial.¡±


    ¡°¡­You should know it already, but just for the sake of formality, I am going to ask you anyway. Do you know how the points are calculated for the Black Desert Trial?¡±


    ¡°I¡­ We do.¡±


    ¡°Very well then,¡± the woman nodded, tinkering with the black box in front of her. ¡°Since it is your first time taking the trial, let me remind you of a few things. Your annual individual quota is ten thousand points, while your annual team quota is hundred thousand points. If you fail to meet these quotas, you will be asked to leave the Lost City.


    ¡°In addition, you will also need to fulfil additional quotas every time you participate in the Trial. Although you will not be asked to leave the city if you fail these additional quotas, you will still have to pay a certain amount of fine. This time, your individual trial quota is fifty points, while your team quota is two thousand five hundred points.¡±


    The woman paused, and retrieved his Blood Card from the black box, before handing it back to him.You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.


    ¡°Your details have been registered. Next, you just need to show your Blood Card at the city gates to leave the city.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Wanderer¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­I will tell you my name if you manage to survive this time,¡± the woman said, and paused for a moment, before adding, ¡°May your Trial be successful, and bring you closer to your goals.¡±


    ¡°¡­Thank you,¡± Alnea said once again, bowing sightly to show his gratitude, before walking away from the counter. He did not go far though. Giving enough space for other Wanderers to go about their business, he kept waiting for the rest of the Star Seekers to complete their registration, which did not take long either. The woman truly was efficient with her job, wasting no time in idle chat, like Wanderer Tia or Martha. But that was to be expected.


    Glancing at his Blood Card, Alnea looked at his rank in the Arcanist and Scholar Halls. It was around ten thousand. That should also be the number of Wanderers registered in the Sixth Blood Hall. Even if only a tenth of them came to the counter of the Black Desert Trial every day, that would still bring the footfall of the counter to around a thousand Wanderers. Dealing with so many people in just a day¡­ Of course, the woman had to be efficient in her job.


    ¡°Is there anything that you still have left to do in the city?¡± Alnea said to the Star Seekers, pocketing his Blood Card back into the folds of his robe.


    ¡°¡­I think I saw¡ª


    ¡°Except for Karl.¡±


    ¡°¡­This is discrimination¡ª


    ¡°No? Good. Let us head to the city gates then.¡±


    ¡°I¡­¡±


    ¡°If there is anyone who would like to say anything, do it so while we are walking.¡±


    ¡°¡­I am beginning to feel as if this is not a very good idea¡­¡±


    ¡°Give it up Karl. You have already registered for the trial. Whether you want it or not, you have to come with us now.¡±


    ¡°¡­If I die, there is no need to send my body back to my clan. Just bury me in the desert¡­¡±


    ¡°No one is going to die, Karl. We are going out just to get used to the desert, and work on our teamwork. We will come soon after completing our quotas.¡±


    ¡°¡­I hope so.¡±


    Alnea shook his head, as he made his way down the stairs of the Blood Hall. The eerie blood red light of the city, giving it an illusion of slow, and painful death, was not helping with Karl¡¯s courage. Still, as he had said, there was nothing Karl could do, except follow them through the dark, dim red streets, as the cold winds of the winter brushed through the cuffs of their sleeves.


    Alnea himself was not bothered much by the cold winds. Then again, not everyone¡¯s robe was luxurious as his. Thankfully, they were all used to the cold, so except for rubbing their hands from time to time to keep them warm, they did not show much of a reaction to the cold. Against the Wanderers huddling on the streets though, especially those who camped near the city gates, none of them could hold back their disdain.


    These Wanderers, with tattered robes, and twisted minds, were all the same as he had seen them when he had entered through the city gates. Cold, and hungry for new prey. Even the city gates, half as tall as the walls of the city itself, with countless figures and symbols carved in its surface, matching perfectly with its arch, telling the stories of a time long past, was the same as he remembered. Beautiful, with a hint of sacredness.


    Dim as the red light of the city was, it could not hide the beauty of the gates. They were almost like a work of art. Almost. If not for the black pillar, similar to the ones next to the gates of the Trial Space in the Blood Hall, near a corner of the gates, the gates truly might have looked perfect. The city surely did have a strange sense of aesthetics.


    Ignoring the hungry eyes being directed at them, Alnea led the Star Seekers to the black pillar, before placing his Blood Card onto the pillar. Almost immediately, lines began to appear on the wall, carving the shape of a door in the gates. No, the door had always been there. It was just that its edges were so seamlessly bleeding into the larger gate, that if he had not activated the gate¡¯s mechanism, he would not even have found the door¡­


    Although it was not the first time he had such clever mechanism, Alnea still could not help but marvel at the craftsmanship of the city. Everything about it was so immaculately detailed¡­ No wonder everyone thought that the city housed a legacy from the Age of Gods. What else could explain such attention to detail? What else could explain the city¡¯s seemingly eternal existence?


    ¡­Why was he thinking about such things though? Suppressing the irrelevant thoughts to the bottom of his Heart, Alnea looked at the door once again. He had thought that the door would be like the other doors in the city, and open on its own. But after revealing its existence, the door just stood there in silence, awaiting his next actions.


    ¡°¡­Just give it a little push,¡± Vestia whispered from behind him. ¡°That is how these doors work.¡±


    Nodding at Vestia to thank her help, Alnea put away his Blood Card, and tried to push the door open, only to be rendered speechless by its ridiculous weight. A little push she said¡­ What could a little push do against a mountain? Even when he put all his weight behind his push, he managed to open only a small slit between the door and the gate¡­ And the door seemed to take over the task from him, widening the slit. Not by much, but enough for him to slip through.


    ¡°¡­See you on the other side,¡± Alnea said to his teammates, as he waved at them with a grin, before stepping out of the city, and into the darkness of the desert.

 Chapter 48: Leaving the Lost City [Part 2]

    The desert, of course, was not completely dark. Just as the sky was not entirely black either. There were some scattered rays of light coming from the east. Signs that dawn was about to arrive. But for the moment, dawn had yet to come. Those scattered rays of light were not enough to drive away the darkness of the darkest time of the day. The dim red glow of the walls behind him though¡­


    Alnea blinked, shifting his gaze down to the sea of sand below him. It was black, as it should have been. The desert was named as the Black Desert for a reason. Except for the dim red light radiating from the city behind him, illuminating a small area around him, including the two guards standing in front of the main gate, most of the desert was enshrouded in the double darkness of the sky and the ground.


    No wonder he did not see anyone coming to the city gates at this time of the day. They were probably waiting for dawn, as any normal Wanderer would. The Black Desert was dangerous enough as it was, there was no need to make it even more dangerous by risking it in darkness. If not for the time he had spent within the Night Canyons, or the confidence he had found in the smiles of the girls, he would have probably begun blaming himself for making the wrong decision once again.


    Fortunately, he was experienced with the darkness, and had many ways to deal with it. Not to mention that the area around the city¡¯s walls was not too dark to being with. At best, it was just a little darker, and a bit more eerie¡­ Calming the waves in his Heart, Alnea took a step to the side, just as the door behind him opened once again. And as he took that step, he could not help noticing the difference.


    The step¡­ It was much harder to take than normal. The ground just fell apart at the touch of his feet, parting ways to welcome its arrival. When he tried to lift his feet though, it became quite reluctant to part with him, sticking to him even after he had lifted his feet. It was only after he used his Aspects to cover the soles of his feet, and push against the sand underneath him, that his steps became a bit more normal.


    So, the question was, what did he wish to expend to walk in the desert? Physical strength, or Spirit Power? Maybe a mix of both would do¡­ Making a mental note to experiment later, Alnea turned around, and saw Cecilia coming out with a grin on her face, completely ignoring the darkness in the distance. She did not even bother with the sand under her feet, casually using her Aspects to strengthen her grip on the ground. As expected of her¡­


    ¡°¡­You should move out of the way before someone bumps in you,¡± Alnea said, turning his gaze back towards the depths of desert, wondering what method he should use to deal with the darkness.


    ¡°¡­Finally,¡± Cecilia said, putting Forne down onto the ground after walking up to his side, and stretching out her limbs. ¡°No more one on one fights. No more just watching from the side¡­ My hands are already starting to itch.¡±


    ¡°¡­Control them for now. There should be no Oren Beasts in this area.¡±


    ¡°¡­That is another part of the trial,¡± Yuri said, stepping to his other side. ¡°Searching for the Oren Beasts hidden in the endless sea of desert. Or in this case, in the endless darkness.¡±


    ¡°¡­The darkness should go away in a while, but we cannot waste our time just standing around till that happens¡­ Who is going to be the scout this time?¡±


    ¡°Not me,¡± Cecilia said, shaking her head. ¡°This time, I want to fight. Up close. Hand to hand. Or hand to claws. Whatever it is. I just want to bash up something with my fists.¡±


    Vestia walked out from the door just as Cecilia was smashing her right fist into her left palm, clamouring about beating up their enemies.


    ¡°¡­I think we should let Alnea decide our roles in the team. That is the role of our Captain, after all.¡±


    Cecilia glared at Vestia for a couple of moments, before letting out a snort, and turning towards Alnea.


    ¡°What do you think, Alnea?¡±


    ¡°¡­You can act as a Warrior. But only if you promise to cooperate with others. Especially Vestia. The two of you will be acting as our primary Warriors, so I need you to stop quarrelling, and focus on keeping our enemies away from our Scholars and Arcanists.¡±


    ¡°¡­Fine,¡± Cecilia grumbled, and turned her head away from Vestia, while Forne began to stretch out its limbs, getting ready for its hunt. Even though it had not been in the wild for a while, the moment it stepped out of the city, it had already sensed the dangers lurking in the darkness. But at the same time, it had also sensed its numerous preys, waiting for it devour, and fill its belly. More importantly, it had helpers by its side. Even if the hunt would be dangerous, it would be much safer than its hunts in the Night Canyons¡­


    That was probably what the dumb cat was thinking. Alnea could tell from the way it licked its lips, and kept mewing, while nudging Cecilia¡¯s legs with its head. It even sent pleading gazes towards him, asking him for help¡­ When did the dumb cat become so smart? Probably from spending too much time with him. Then, should he not charge some fees for making it smart? Like asking it to find some Oren Beasts¡­


    ¡°¡­I want to act as a Scholar,¡± Karl said, creeping up behind him with his special trait of invisibleness. ¡°Just in case you forget¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­I might forget about everyone else, but I will never forget your preference. Do not worry. You can stay at the back, and play whatever role you want. Just make sure to support our Warriors, and ensure that they are not hurt. That is your only task.¡±Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.


    ¡°¡­You can leave the task of protecting everyone to me,¡± Zain said, walking towards him with his raised chin. ¡°The White Arcanist will ensure that no one gets hurt.¡±


    ¡°¡­No,¡± Alnea said, shaking his head. ¡°What you are saying is too vague¡­ and impractical. Instead of stretching yourself out, and becoming practically useless, it would be better if used your Arcanas to support the team. I will leave the decision of who would be in more need of your help to you. After all, only you know your Arcanas best. But in case of emergencies, you will have to listen to my orders. No questions asked.¡±


    ¡°¡­Supporting other people? How could something like that prove¡ª


    ¡°And no useless chattering either,¡± Alnea said. ¡°Although you have become famous recently, it is only because of your large repertoire of Arcanas. No one in the city actually recognises you for your strength, or talent. Maybe if you show your individual brilliance from time to time, people may indeed begin to recognise you for your talent. But there is a limit to what individual brilliance can bring to you. Only when we work as a team will we be able to reach greater heights.¡±


    ¡°¡­Only when we work as a team will we be able to reach greater heights,¡± Ralph mumbled, taking up his position next to Zain. ¡°I hope that the day we Star Seekers reach such heights would not be too far¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­The day will come sooner than you imagine,¡± Alnea said, turning around to nod at Ralph, before turning back towards the darkness.


    ¡°It looks like you are arranging roles for everyone¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­I should have done it earlier, but it is not too late now,¡± Alnea said, still looking towards the depths of the desert. ¡°Do not worry. I have thought about everyone¡¯s specialisations, and their preferences, before deciding their roles in the team.¡±


    ¡°¡­Will everyone agree to it?¡±


    ¡°This is not a question of will, or will not,¡± Yuri answered for Alnea. ¡°If we are going to act as a team, then we must act in an organised manner. Or else, what would be the difference between a team, and a chaotic group of Wanderers?¡±


    ¡°¡­I am not saying that we should not act in roles,¡± Ralph said, with a hint of red on his cheeks. ¡°Just¡­ adapting to specific roles might be a little difficult.¡±


    ¡°¡­How have you been dealing with your enemies the past month then?¡±


    ¡°¡­Everyone just acts on their own. But we have enough understanding with each other to not interfere in our battles.¡±


    ¡°¡­Vestia, next time, remind me to not give out the rewards before checking if everyone has actually completed their tasks.¡±


    ¡°¡­Indeed,¡± Vestia said, narrowing her eyes at Zain and Ralph, making them squirm uncomfortably, before turning back to Alnea. ¡°After I heard that all five of them have gained their own monikers, I thought that they have achieved a certain degree of cooperation¡­ I should have known. Assumptions should never be made on incomplete information. Next time, I will not make such a low level mistake.¡±


    ¡°¡­Mistake?¡± Fran said, walking out of the city, with Norren, and Aren following closely behind him. ¡°¡­What happened in the short time that we were separated?¡±


    ¡°Nothing as such happened,¡± Alnea said, motioning for Vestia and Cecilia to calm down, and let him handle the matter. ¡°We just learned that your cooperation may not be as good as we had imagined it to be. But that is not a problem. We were going to start from scratch anyway.¡±


    ¡°¡­We have enough cooperation.¡±


    ¡°¡­There is a difference between a group of Wanderers fighting side by side, and a group of Wanderers fighting together,¡± Yuri said, shaking her head in disappointment.


    ¡°¡­We managed to do well enough with fighting side by side.¡±


    ¡°This is not a negotiation, Fran,¡± Alnea said, turning towards the green robed man. ¡°This is why we gathered together in the first place. To help each other, to cooperate with each other. I know trusting other people will be a little hard for you. And I am not asking you to trust anyone either. But you should at least trust strength. After all, strength is what you are after, right?


    ¡°¡­So?¡±


    ¡°So, all I am saying is that there is a limit to individual strength. Only if we gather our strength together, can we break that limit, and reach new heights¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­Only the strength you have is true strength. Rest everything is just an illusion.¡±


    ¡°¡­Maybe you are right. But if you do not even try the strength of a team, a true team in every sense of the word, then how can you say that you are doing everything to pursue strength?¡±


    ¡°¡­I will listen to what you say. But I still believe that the strength I have is the only strength I can use.¡±


    ¡°¡­First it was Zain, then Karl, and now him,¡± Cecilia mumbled. ¡°I knew that none of these men are any good.¡±


    ¡°¡­What did I hear?¡± Vestia said, looking at Cecilia in surprise. ¡°You cursed three of our team members, but you left me out? How come? Is it because you are still sleeping, or is it because I am starting to grow on you?¡±


    ¡°¡­It is because you are the worst.¡±


    ¡°¡­Aw, come on. No need to be shy.¡±


    Ignoring the antics of the two girls, Yuri glanced at the indignant and stubborn faces of Fran and Ralph, before turning towards Alnea.


    ¡°¡­Since these people do not understand what a team means, how about we show it to them?¡±


    ¡°¡­Just the three of us?¡±


    ¡°Just the three of us.¡±


    ¡°¡­Then let¡¯s do it,¡± Alnea said, before turning back to the rest of the Star Seekers. ¡°Since you people do not understand the meaning of cooperation, and a team¡ª


    ¡°I do!¡±


    ¡°¡­me too¡­ In fact, I would prefer it if we always acted as a team¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­Then next, let the three of us¡ª


    ¡°I can also help a little.¡±


    ¡°¡­Not now, Vestia. I know that you want to support me, but as the matter stands, only Cecilia, Yuri, and I have any experience in acting as a team. If we carelessly add other people in our plan, then we will not be able to show everyone how a team should be.¡±


    ¡°¡­Then after you show off your teamwork with Yuri and Cecilia, will you work on your teamwork with me?¡±


    ¡°¡­Vixen.¡±


    ¡°¡­Sure.¡±


    ¡°Good. Then go ahead. And remember your promise.¡±


    ¡­When did he promise anything?


    ¡°¡­Vixen, indeed.¡±


    ¡­Ignoring the girls, Alnea turned back towards the men, and continued where he had left off.


    ¡°As I was saying, since you people do not understand the meaning of cooperation, and a team, then next, let the three of us show you the difference between individual strength, and the strength of a team.¡±

 Chapter 49: Teamwork [Part 1]

    ¡°¡­Lia, turn on Dark Sense.¡±


    ¡°¡­What are we searching for?¡±


    ¡°Ignore all the intermediate and advanced phase Oren Beasts unless they come after us on their own. Focus only on peak phase Oren Beasts.¡±


    ¡°Got it.¡±


    ¡°¡­Also, don¡¯t let Forne run around too much, or it might drag us into unwanted trouble.¡±


    ¡°¡­I will try.¡±


    ¡°¡­Yuri, prepare your Glyphs.¡±


    ¡°To bind, to trap, or to kill?¡±


    ¡°¡­To bind.¡±


    ¡°Anything else?¡±


    ¡°There is nothing else I can think of now¡­ Forget it. Act as you see fit. I trust your judgement. Just try to conserve your Spirit Power as much as you can. Since only the three of us will be acting for now, you will be our last back up in case things turn sour.¡±


    ¡°¡­I will make sure nothing happens to either of you.¡±


    ¡°¡­Don¡¯t just worry about us. Think of your own safety too,¡± Alnea said, before turning back to the Star Seekers standing in front of the city gates, staring at the three of them. ¡°As for the rest of you¡­ Just follow behind us, and see for yourself how a team should behave.¡±


    ¡°¡­Right away?¡±


    ¡°¡­In the darkness?¡±


    ¡°Or else? Wait until dawn so that other Wanderers can follow behind us? Why do you think I led you out of the city before dawn?¡±


    ¡°¡­Because you forgot that it was dark outside the city?¡±


    ¡°¡­Stop talking nonsense, and just follow us,¡± Alnea said, and rushed towards the depths of the desert before Karl could say anything else to disturb his rhythm, marvelling at the man¡¯s intuition. Was he a Wanderer or an Oren Beast? Maybe he was using some Arcana or Martial Style to forcefully boost his instincts? If there really was such a Martial Style, then he wanted it too¡­


    Making a mental note of the matter to ask about from his master, Alnea focussed his attention back to the darkness in front of him. This was not the Night Canyons, where they could encounter Oren Beasts every two to three hundred metres. Of course, it did not mean the number of Oren Beasts in the Black Desert was less than the number of Oren Beasts in the Night Canyons. It was just that most of the Oren Beasts in the Black Desert lived thousands of metres under the sands, coming out only in search of food.


    Or for playing, if Oren Beasts even liked playing. Alnea did not know. In any case, the number of Oren Beasts roaming the desert at any given time, although not low, was not very abundant either. Not to mention the fact that the Oren Beasts of the Black Desert rarely ever roamed in groups. Most of them time, they hunted all on their own.


    What Yuri had said earlier, about searching for Oren Beasts being a part of the Black Desert Trial, was not a lie. In fact, for most Wanderers, searching for Oren Beasts was often more difficult than hunting them. Thankfully, the terrain of the Black Desert was not as dangerous, or varied, as the terrains of the Night Canyons. Coupled with the low density of Oren Beasts in the desert, just walking around in search for Oren Beasts did not seem like a good idea.


    Still, they could not just blindly rush into the desert either. Especially under the dark skies of dawn, enshrouding Black Desert in an eerie pitch-black darkness. Even the canyons did not used to be so dark¡­ most of the time. So, just for the sake caution, while Cecilia ran ahead in an inverted ¡®V¡¯ formation, using Dark Sense to probe for enemies, Alnea and Yuri also spread the senses of their Spirit around them, each covering their side of the formation, while keeping an eye out for any sudden attacks from behind their backs.


    Not that they needed to guard their backs. After all, they were not alone. Behind them, the seven other Star Seekers were doing their best to keep up with their pace, while keeping enough distance so as to not interfere with their actions. It was the gap of these fifty metres though, that needed to be guarded the most. A lesson that he had learned the hard way. Back then, the Shadow and Dark Earth Moles¡­


    Focus, Alnea told himself, subduing all unnecessary thoughts to the bottom of his Heart, while urging his Aspects, getting them ready, and be on standby for his call. A call that he did not have to make until Enn¡¯s light finally tore through the darkness, and began illuminating the black sands under his feet. After a while, when darkness had retreated completely, Alnea could not help but ask the girls to stop.A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.


    ¡°¡­Change of shifts,¡± Alnea said. ¡°I will be the scout from now on. Lia, you take my position¡ª


    ¡°It has barely been half an hour since we began running though,¡± Cecilia said, looking at Alnea in confusion. It was only when Alnea pointed at Enn rising from the horizon that she understood why was asking to change shifts. Still, understanding his reason did not mean that she agreed with him. ¡°I can still use my Spirit¡­¡±


    ¡°Which will be of little to no use against the Oren Beasts hiding under the sands. You will only be able to find the Oren Beasts we can see with our eyes, which would take too much of our time. And we also have to hunt Oren Beasts with everyone else, not to mention the quota we have to complete. Unless you want to spend the night in the desert, let us just change our positions.¡±


    ¡°¡­Then do you have any solution for finding Oren Beasts hiding in the sands?¡±


    ¡°Won¡¯t you see it if you let me be the scout?¡±


    ¡°¡­Fine,¡± Cecilia grumbled, as she changed her position with him. ¡°I did not even want to be the scout in the first place¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­Alright,¡± Alnea said, as he reached towards the golden, black, and silverish blue thread connecting his Spirit, and his Spirit World itself, to the Origin Sea. More specifically, to his Domain within the Origin Sea. ¡°Let¡¯s get going.¡±


    It was still a part of the Origin Sea though, so it did not matter.


    ¡°Seeping into the breath of all things alive¡­¡±


    When he sent the summons to the Mysteries of the Origin Sea, they responded to him regardless of where the summons had come from.


    ¡°The grace of almighty in the sky¡­¡±


    Travelling along his Roots, they came his Spirit World, before tearing through the barrier of the worlds, and manifesting around him.


    ¡°I call upon the Lord of Light¡­¡±


    Gathering around his fingers, wrapping around it like the vines on his robe, they made their way up his shoulders, all the way up to his eyes.


    ¡°To grant me the Sense of Light¡­¡±


    And from his eyes, they seeped back into his Spirit, granting him a special sense. Or rather, they gave special properties to his senses. It was as if he could see¡ªfeel everything that the light around him reacted with. Even the things up to five metres under the sands, soaking in the warmth of Enn¡¯s light, could not escape his sight. In places like a desert, or even forests, Sense of Light was simply the perfect Arcana for scouting out his surroundings.


    Or at least, it was the best Arcana that he had. When he had created the Arcana, Alnea had even thought that he might have created his first High Grade Arcana. Unfortunately, the Arcana was still flawed, putting too much burden on his senses, effectively reducing its range to just fifteen to twenty metres around him. Still, to deal with Adolescent Stage Oren Beasts, that range was enough.


    Spreading his enhanced senses around him, Alnea rushed through the desert, combing every inch of the black sand along the way. Sands, reeking of rotten blood, even five metres under the ground¡­ Just how much blood had been spilt in these lands? Just how many years had it taken to create these sands? Just¡­


    Alnea subdued his unnecessary thoughts once again, as he used his special senses to carefully parse through the sands. Although Enn had just risen over the horizon, these sands had already begun to warm up, and shine in the senses of his Spirit. So, the places in the sands which did not light up were far too conspicuous not to notice. The hollow areas under the sands¡­ Were they burrows? Or something else? There was only one way to find out.


    Unsheathing his sword, Alnea urged his Aspects to gather around its blade, and swirl around it, creating several spiralling bands of all sorts of light, before plunging his sword right above the place where the hollow area in the sand was. Of course, his sword was not large enough to reach the hollow, but he was not trying to reach the hollow with his sword anyway. The moment he plunged his sword into the ground, the inertia, along with a little push from his side, forced the spiralling Aspects to rush towards the hollow¡ª


    Alnea pulled his sword out of the ground, and jumped back, signalling the girls to get ready¡ªthough they had already taken their stances, readying themselves for a battle, the moment he had unsheathed his sword¡ª just as the ground before him burst apart into a fountain of sand, flying as high as five metres in the sky. It even had its own special sound effects, the screeching cry of an angry beast.


    Alnea did not have the time, or the leisure to enjoy the special show though. The Oren Beasts that he had just provoked, a two metre large creature, looking like a mix between a mouse and a mole, with a strange pouch on its belly, and sharp claws that extended for more than two tenths of a metre from its paws, was eyeing him with an incomparable hatred. Understandable, considering the large wound on its back, and the fact that the beast must have been sleeping when it was hit by his Aspects. How could anyone be in a good mood after being woken from their sleep with a sneak attack?


    It was just that¡­ Why was the first beast he encountered in the Black Desert a Greedy Sand Mole? He was not afraid of the beast itself. Judging from the size of its tail, less than a metre in length, the beast was probably only at the advance phase of its Adolescent Stage. Maybe at the peak phase at best, if he counted some fortuitous encounters for the beast. That was still not enough to make him worry. But Greedy Sand Mole¡­


    One of the most cunning and vicious Oren Beasts that could be found in deserts, Greedy Sand Moles, thought to be descendants of the Greedy Mouse, were not too much of a threat themselves. As suspected descendants of the Greedy Mouse though, they put their greed above everything else. Even their lives. Him attacking its lair, where it had probably kept all its treasures¡­


    Before Alnea could recall more about the beast, and think of ways to counter it, the mole let out a screeching cry, and spat at him. Alnea, of course, easily dodged the mole¡¯s spit, but it did not matter. The mole¡¯s spit was just the cover. The true attack was the silent wave the beast had released, seeping into his body the moment he dodged the spit. The mole¡¯s Innate Ability of marking something with its life.


    ¡°¡­Perdia¡¯s boots¡­¡±

 Chapter 49: Teamwork [Part 2]

    Alnea cursed his luck, as he saw the mole jump back into the hole it had crawled out of. Beasts who liked to burrow under the ground were always the most troublesome ones to deal with. And if they could also detect his position at any given moment, then they would be nothing short of a nightmare. Fortunately, he still had the Sense of Light, allowing him to easily detect the mole¡¯s position.


    ¡°¡­I am going to force it out once again. Yuri¡ª


    ¡°I am ready.¡±


    ¡°Lia, make sure to finish it one blow, or things will get a little troublesome.¡±


    ¡°Leave it to me.¡±


    Nodding to the girls, Alnea shifted all his attention back to the sands under his feet. Or rather, to the flow of heat in the sands. Unlike the sands, the mole could not absorb heat directly from Enn. It could only slowly adapt to the change in heat of the sands themselves. Coupled with the blood it had lost¡­ it was much colder than the sand it was moving around in, easily giving up its position.


    If left unchecked though, the mole would soon lose the only weakness it was showing. So, without wasting any time, Alnea raised his sword, and rushed after the mole. But just as he could sense the mole¡¯s position, the mole could also sense his position. And for the moment, it had no intention of confronting him head on, swimming in the sands under their feet, preparing to use its second Innate Ability. A result which he did not wish to see. In the end, he could only try to force the mole out through other means.


    ¡°Under the shine of the boundless Night¡­¡±


    Fortunately, he had read enough to know that just like heat, sand could also transmit sound.


    ¡°When the darkness hides under her light¡­¡±


    The sounds would become a little distorted in the process, but the sounds were just a medium anyway.


    ¡°I call forth the sounds of imaginations¡­¡±


    As long as the Mysteries of the lineage of Night reached the mole, it was enough.


    ¡°To lead to Nightmare, and a world of fascination.¡±


    Shrill sounds, even more eerie than the screeching sounds of the mole, escaped from Alnea, and seeped into the sands, making their way to the mole. It did not care though, and kept digging, preparing for its Innate Ability, one that would destroy everything that was above the ground. Even the treasures. Its treasures!


    The precious treasures¡­ They were all above the ground¡­ With the despicable beast which had attacked it so sneakily, seeking to steal its treasures¡­ Its treasures! They were all its treasures¡­ Everything was its treasure¡­ How could it let its treasures be destroyed? That too, with its own attacks? No, it had to save its treasures!


    The beast stopped digging, and frantically clawed its way to the ground, to reach out and grab its treasures¡­ Treasures? Where were the treasures? It must be the despicable beast¡­ The despicable beast! It¡ª


    Ropes condensed out of dense, grey fog, manifested around the mole, and wrapped around its legs, waking it up from the illusion it had been trapped in, while also preventing it from diving back into the sea of black sand. Of course, the rope was not strong enough to completely stop the mole¡¯s movements. It was just an Intermediate Stage Glyph after all, while the mole was an advanced phase beast. Not to mention how frantically the mole was thrashing around, using even its teeth to bite through the rope binding its legs.


    Still, the rope managed to delay the beast for a couple of moments, and those couple of moments were all that Cecilia need. Covering the distance of more than ten meters in just an instant, leaving behind a trail of slithering green lights on her path, she brough her right hand¡ªcovered with red, black, and green scales¡ª down on to the beast¡¯s head before it could even react to her presence.


    In the next moment, blood, mixed with flesh, and juices of the mole¡¯s brain splattered on to Cecilia¡¯s face, as the red and black lights from her hand blasted into the mole¡¯s head. Right in the next moment, the mole also managed to break free from the rope, but it was too late. Its fate was already sealed. Letting out a miserable shriek, the mole turned around to pounce on the only enemy standing next to it¡ªThe author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    Forne landed on the mole¡¯s back, and slapped its head back on to the ground with its paw, before following it up with a few more strikes to end its final struggle.


    ¡°Good job, Forne,¡± Cecilia said, withdrawing her Aspects back to her Spirit World, before petting the dumb cat, who raised its head in pride, and looked at him with a smirk¡­ If the stupid cat had not sucked out the beast¡¯s Fortune when it had jumped out of the sand earlier, making it easier for him to control it with illusion, Alnea surely would have taught the cat a good lesson.


    ¡°You did a good job too, Lia,¡± Alnea said, as he took out a water bag, and a towel from his pouch, handing them both over to Cecilia.


    ¡°¡­It was just an advanced phase beast,¡± Cecilia grumbled, washing off all the blood from her face. ¡°It was not enough for even a warm up.¡±


    ¡°That is because of our teamwork,¡± Alnea said, deliberately raising his voice, so that the other following behind them could also head him. And they did hear him, better than he expected them to. Especially Karl¡­


    ¡°¡­I thought that you were going after only peak phase Oren Beasts,¡± Karl said, glancing at the mole to express the rest of his unsaid words.


    ¡°¡­If only things could always go as we plan,¡± Yuri said, answering for Alnea, as she walked up to the first hole that the mole had crawled out of. ¡°Do you know the basic rules of exploring Forbidden Areas, Karl?¡±


    ¡°¡­There are many rules. Which one are you talking about?¡±


    ¡°¡­We should never leave our back to our enemies under any circumstances,¡± Yuri said, peering into the large gaping hole in an otherwise uniform desert. The desert had its own way of dealing with the aftermaths of the battles though, or it would have long ceased existing under the constant erosion of time, and Wanderers. Even as Yuri was peering into the hole, the desert was trying its best to fill it up, restoring its surface back to its flawless state.


    ¡°¡­Three metres,¡± Yuri said, turning back from the hole towards Karl, and the rest of the Star Seekers. ¡°That is not too deep, but can any of you say for certain that you will be able to find an Oren Beast hiding three metres under your feet? Can you escape a sneak attack launched from under your feet?¡±


    ¡°¡­If we are careful¡ª


    ¡°Do you recognise the Oren Beast we just killed?¡±


    ¡°¡­It is a Greedy Sand Mole.¡±


    ¡°A Greedy Sand Mole¡­ That should be enough to explain my point. The Greedy Sand Mole was hiding right on our path, and consequently, your path too. Now, maybe, the mole was not planning on ambushing us. Maybe, it was just resting. And maybe, just maybe, it would not have done anything when Alnea, Cecilia, and I passed over its hiding place. But with the seven of you following right behind us, can you be sure that it would have kept hiding? And even if you can be sure, do you really expect us to leave our backs to an Oren Beast, which can lay traps under our feet, and blow us all to the sky?¡±


    ¡°¡­I was just asking¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­It is alright, Karl,¡± Alnea said, trying to ease the man¡¯s embarrassment. ¡°Asking questions in itself is not a bad trait. Just, next time, try to think a little more before asking questions.¡±


    Alnea paused for a moment to glance over everyone else. Except for Vestia and Zain, everyone had slightly slushed cheeks, showing just how many of them had questioned his judgment.


    ¡°¡­You may have become Wanderers before the three of us, and have higher Spirit Power than us, but when it comes exploring Forbidden Areas, I can say for certain that we are a lot more experienced than you are. Rather than questioning us about everything we do, you should try learning from our experience.


    ¡°Of course, we are also willing to learn from your experience. After all, you are much more familiar with the Black Desert than us. And it is not just about exploring the Black Desert. Even in other things, like dealing with other people, gathering information, analysing those information, and even something as simple as teamwork, you should try to let go of your prejudices, and learn from each other. That is what is a team is meant for. To help each other.¡±


    ¡°¡­Well said,¡± Vestia said, with a smile spilling pride from its corner. As if it was not him, but she who had said those words. ¡°A team is meant to help each other¡­ Then should we also not help you three out?¡±


    ¡°¡­Did we not discuss it earlier, Vestia?¡±


    ¡°¡­We did, but you have already shown us your teamwork,¡± Vestia said. ¡°From delegating tasks to conserve Spirit Power to scouting, drawing out the beast, trapping it, and then killing it¡­ Your seamless operation has already shown us what proper teamwork can achieve. With so many advantages, and basically no disadvantages, no one should be averse to the idea of working together anymore.¡±


    ¡°¡­You were never against teamwork, so your word does not count.¡±


    ¡°If my words do not count, then what about theirs?¡± Vestia said, before turning towards the rest of the Star Seekers, before asking, ¡°What do you guys think?¡±


    ¡°¡­I was never against teamwork either,¡± Karl mumbled, while Zain, having just recovered from what he had seen earlier, let out snort.


    ¡°If I had been there, then I would have trapped the beast the first time it made its way out of its burrow.¡±


    ¡°¡­This looks exciting.¡±


    ¡°¡­I do not mind trying it out.¡±


    ¡°¡­With the Captain, there should be no problem in coordinating us as a team¡­¡±


    ¡°See?¡± Vestia said, shrugging her shoulders. ¡°Everyone agrees with me.¡±


    ¡°¡­You are not familiar with each other¡¯s abilities yet. If you mess up¡­¡±


    ¡°If you do not even give us a chance, how are we going to familiar with each other¡¯s abilities, and improve our teamwork?¡±

 Chapter 50: Teamwork [Part 1]

    ¡°¡­Fine, you win,¡± Alnea said after a few moments of silene. ¡°Since everyone agrees on working together as a team, then there is no reason for me to refuse. But you must remember, this is not just practice. We are out in a Forbidden Area, surrounded by Oren Beasts, and quite possibly by our other enemies, from all sides. You cannot take this lightly. No matter what the orders I give, you must try to fulfil them to the best of your abilities.¡±


    ¡°Of course,¡± Vestia said, winking at him, while flashing her dimples. ¡°Even if we were not in the desert, I would still have listened to all your orders.¡±


    ¡­Ignoring Vestia¡¯s antics, Alnea turned towards the rest of the Star Seekers, and said, ¡°Do not worry, I will not just blindly impose my will upon you. That is not how a team works. Or at least, I do not wish to lead our team in such a dictatorial fashion. So, here is what we are going to do. From now on, if anyone has any dissatisfaction with my arrangements, you can raise it in front of everyone. But only after I have said everything that I want to say.


    ¡°If, even after hearing all my arrangements, most of you think that your objections are reasonable, then we will change my arrangements accordingly. If not, then everyone will follow my arrangements, while I try to come up with a solution for your problems. Regardless, you must not put the team in danger because of your selfishness. That is the only necessary condition that everyone must agree to before we proceed any further with this. So? What is it? Do you agree with my conditions?¡±


    ¡°¡­You are too soft,¡± Vestia said, shaking her head with sigh, before resuming the grin on her face. ¡°But this is why you are worth it.¡±


    ¡°¡­Sounds fair enough to me,¡± Norren added.


    ¡°¡­I think that following you, my chances of survival can be higher.¡±


    ¡°¡­I can agree to the condition, but you must show me the path to strength that you have been talking about.¡±


    ¡°¡­You will see it soon,¡± Alnea said, nodding at Fran.


    ¡°¡­I never said that I would not accept your arrangements. Just that being ordered around feels a little awkward.¡±


    ¡°¡­You will get used to it soon enough.¡±


    ¡°¡­What are you looking at me like that for?¡± Zain said, glancing around with wide eyes. ¡°Alnea¡­ Our Captain is the only one whose talent is comparable to mine. I am also very confident in his decisions. From the very beginning, I have never opposed him. You were the ones who kept chattering uselessly.¡±


    ¡°¡­He does not seem to be wrong.¡±


    ¡°¡­Since everyone has agreed to it, then let¡¯s get to it,¡± Alnea said, glancing at Enn in the sky, before turning towards the red dot in the distance. ¡°We are just an hour away from the city. If we do not move soon, we might get caught up by other Wanderers.¡±


    Alnea paused, and turned back towards the Star Seekers, before continuing.


    ¡°Like I said before, Cecilia and Vestia, the two of you will acting as our Warriors, spear heading our formation, forming our first line of defence in case of any sudden attacks, while alternating as scouts every half an hour. Yuri, Zain, and I will act as your back up, providing you with support whenever necessary.


    ¡°Ralph and Aren, the two of you will be working together to trap our enemies when we meet them in large numbers. If things get beyond our control though, the two of you will aid the five us to contain our enemies, while we retreat to safety. Norren and Fran, you two can just find the right time and opportunity to launch your attacks. Just be sure not to hit any of us. As for Karl¡­ You can stay at the back, and support us as you see fit.¡±


    ¡°¡­That¡¯s it?¡±If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.


    ¡°¡­I know too little about your abilities to give you any tasks,¡± Alnea said, shaking his head. ¡°Even if I do not know everyone¡¯s details, I still know their general situation, and preferences¡­ Only you, I know nothing about. Even in the Arena, you rarely show any of your strength. I still wonder how you made it all the way to the top twenty thousand ranks. In any case, I cannot give you any responsibility, unless I know that you are strong enough to complete it.¡±


    ¡°¡­I can tell you now.¡±


    ¡°¡­Too late,¡± Alnea said. ¡°I have already given everyone responsibilities that complements the responsibilities of the rest of our teammates. Shuffling their responsibilities to include you in the mix would take too much time. And the only thing we are lacking right now is time. Who knows, there might be Wanderers chasing after our steps right now.¡±


    ¡°¡­Then what should I do?¡±


    ¡°¡­Be our backup,¡± Alnea said after a few moments of silence. ¡°Stay at the back, and ensure that we are not ambushed, while responding to emergencies.¡±


    ¡°¡­Backup¡­ is it?¡±


    ¡°¡­Be warned, the job will not be easy. You will have to guard against both, Wanderers, and Oren Beasts. At the same time, you will also have to rescue those who are in the most dangerous situations. You might even attract that danger to yourself. Not to mention that if there really are Wanderers trying to ambush us, you will become their first target.¡±


    ¡°¡­But you will not let me get hurt.¡±


    ¡°¡­Are finally willing to trust me?¡±


    ¡°¡­I have always trusted you. It is just that¡­ I will be the backup.¡±


    ¡°¡­Good,¡± Alnea said, nodding at Karl with a smile, before turning towards the rest of his team. ¡°Does anyone else have any problems with my arrangements?¡±


    Everyone shook their heads.


    ¡°No? Very well then. Let¡¯s get going,¡± Alnea said, before turning towards Cecilia and Vestia. ¡°Lia, Vestia, maintain the same pace with which we were going at earlier.¡±


    ¡°Got it,¡± the girls said, and pressed their feet into the ground to begin running once again, only to be stopped by Alnea the very next moment.


    ¡°Let me complete what I am saying first,¡± Alnea said, smiling wryly at the girls.


    ¡°¡­Stop nagging, and say it already. My hands are still itchy.¡±


    ¡°¡­Do not stay more than five metres apart from each other. Make sure to scan at least one metre under the sand for any signs of Oren Beasts, or traps. And try not to consume too much of your Spirit Power. At the very least, you must reserve half of your Spirit Power. If your Spirit Power begins to fall below that limit, then immediately exchange your position with me and Yuri.¡±


    ¡°Alright, alright,¡± Cecilia said, waving her hand impatiently. ¡°Anything else?¡±


    ¡°¡­Not to you,¡± Alnea said, before turning towards the rest. ¡°Yuri and I will be following ten metres behind Cecilia and Vestia. Norren and Zain, you two will be five metres behind us. Ralph, Aren and Fran, the three of you will follow ten metres behind Norren and Zain. And Karl, you can decide what distance you want to keep with the rest of us. Just do not let the gap stretch more than twenty metres. Or I might not be able to help you in time.¡±


    ¡°¡­Got it.¡±


    Nodding in satisfaction, Alnea turned back to Cecilia, and said, ¡°Now, we can go.¡±


    ¡°Finally,¡± Cecilia said with a grin, before blasting her Aspects against the ground, pushing herself off into the distance. On the other end, not willing to be left behind by a girl three years her junior, and two entire Stages below her, Vestia too rushed off after her in a similar fashion, catching up with her in just a moment. As for the three metre high waves of sand that they left behind in their wake¡­ What did that have to do with them?


    ¡°¡­Let¡¯s go,¡± Alnea said, rushing after the girls, leaving behind just a faint flash of golden white light around his feet. As for the sands, there was not even so much a tremor in his wake. After all, when running at their speed, there was no need to waste their Aspects just to create a better spectacle. Using just enough Aspects to keep their footing stable was enough.


    And he was not alone in his opinion. Whether it was Yuri, or those who came after him, all of them tried to leave behind as little trace of their presence as possible, not only to conserve their strength, but also to not give their enemies any clues to track them with. All, except Zain.


    Trying to be the most conspicuous, as always, he tried to copy Cecilia and Vestia in his steps. Unlike the girls though, who blasted their Aspects just to launch themselves off to a run, and then controlled their Aspects just like the rest, Zain kept blasting his Aspects with each of his steps.


    ¡°Control your Aspects, Zain!¡± Alnea shouted at white robed man. ¡°Are you trying to lure all the Oren Beasts to us?¡±


    ¡°I¡­¡±


    ¡°Conserve your strength for your Arcanas. We will be encountering our enemies very soon.¡±

 Chapter 50: Teamwork [Part 2]

    Alnea had always believed that he did not have any talent in the field of prophesising or reading fate. Looking at the dust rising in the distance though, coming towards them five different directions, just a few steps after he warned Zain, he began to believe that he might not be completely hopeless in the lineage of Fate. Unfortunately, it was not the time to revel in the discovery of his new talent.


    ¡°Stop,¡± Alnea said, less than one tenth of an hour after they had begun running, raising his hand to signal those in the distance, in case they did not hear his command. ¡°Vestia, identify the enemies. Everyone else, get ready for battle.¡±


    ¡°¡­Sand Eaters,¡± Vestia said after a while, when the enemies finally entered the range of her senses. ¡°Five of them.¡±


    ¡°Sand Eaters,¡± Alnea mumbled, becoming a little confused. Sand Eaters were not supposed to be so aggressive. And they were not supposed to work in group either. Moments later, when he saw the three metre large mounds of sand moving in the desert though, leaving a cloud of sand and dust on their path, he could only subdue his suspicions back into the depths of his Heart, and focus on taking down the beasts first.


    ¡°Lia, Vestia, you two handle the Sand Eaters on the left. Yuri and I will handle the rest. Norren and Zain, back us up. Ralph, Aren, Fran, once we force the Sand Eaters out of the sand, tie them down, and do not let them dive back into the sand. Most importantly, Karl, keep an eye out. I have a bad feeling¡­¡±


    By the time Alnea gave everyone¡¯s instructions, the Oren Beasts were almost upon them, leaving them with barely any time to prepare. Peak phase Sand Eaters then, Alnea mumbled to himself, noting the speed of the Sand Eaters¡­ These cretins were more fitting of the name Sand Swimmers than of Sand Eaters.


    ¡°Now!¡± Alnea said, urging his Aspects, while rushing towards the Sand Eaters, prompting Cecilia, Vestia, and Yuri to do the same. In just a fraction of a moment, golden, silver, blue, black, white, green, red, and all other sorts of colour began blooming around their bodies in different shapes and forms, as they took on their preferred Martial Styles.


    ¡°In the threads, weaving through the worlds¡­¡±


    Alnea, as usual, used one of his Auxiliary Martial Styles, Sand Treader, to gain stable footing, while leaving all his attacks to his sword. It was the best tactic he could think of against enemies like Sand Eaters. Yuri, on the other hand, just covered her feet in bluish white light, and moved over the sand as if she was flowing on ice.


    ¡°Stitching the forces of the world¡­¡±


    On the other end, Cecilia covered her feet in green scales to deal with the cretins, while every step that Vestia took made it look as if she was not walking in sand, but in a shallow pool of water. Without affecting her speed, of course.


    ¡°I summon the essence of the Origin¡­¡±


    Exquisite as their movement was though, it still did not change the fact that there were five Sand Eaters, all at the peak phase of their Adolescent Stage, while of the four of them, only one was at the Peak Stage, standing as the vanguard of Star Seekers. Coupled with the terrain advantage of the Sand Eaters, let alone taking them down, average Wanderers would not even be able to hold back the beasts. Of course, Alnea was not an average Wanderer. And neither were any of the girls.


    ¡°To come, and Shift Gravity.¡±


    Controlling the centre of his gravity to shift towards the Sand Eaters, Alnea accelerated far beyond his normal pace, reaching the Sand Eaters before everyone else. He was not stupid enough to face all five Sand Eaters all by himself though. Not that he could not do so. But there was no need to such risks. He was not alone.


    Five Arrows of Water, one each for a Sand Eater, reached the beasts just as Alnea reached by their side, plunging into the mounds, and hopefully, into the beasts. By the time the arrows reached the beasts though, prompting them to let out a unified cry of pain, he was already upon the mounds, leaving him no time to care for the aftermath of Zain¡¯s arrows.


    Unsheathing his sword in one smooth arc, tracing half a circle with its tip, Alnea brought the blade, glowing in the ¡®Golden Light of Death¡¯, down upon the mound in the centre with all his strength, and weight. He even shifted his centre of gravity back towards to the ground, just to increase the power behind his attack. Thus, the resultant splash of blood, along with the waves of sand rising in the air, with his sword at their centre, was not a surprise to him. The reaction of the beast though¡­Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.


    Instead of retreating away from him, the Sand Eater, another rodent like creature, a little larger than the Greedy Sand Mole they had dealt with earlier, jumped straight at him, baring both its fangs, and its claws. It did not even flinch at the wound on its back. It cried in pain, and even had tears in its eyes, but it did not stop its attack. As if¡­


    The sand in front of him rose up, and solidified into a solid wall, blocking the beast¡¯s charge, giving Alnea enough time to shift the centre of his gravity once again, and pull away from the beast to rush towards the Sand Eater to his right. But that meant leaving just a wall to stop one of the Sand Eaters. In normal circumstances, Alnea would have been confident enough to deal with the other Sand Eater, and then come back to deal with the first one before it could reach Zain and Norren, but something about the beasts did not seem right¡­


    Just to be sure, Alnea pulled out his dagger, ¡®Golden Yearning¡¯, from his waist, and threw it towards the wall in front of him, while activating all four of its Glyph Arrays, using the Oren he had stored in the Oren Storage Array to fuel the rest of the three Arrays. In the next moment, with just a tug from his mind, the dagger flew around the wall, and plunged into the wound he had made on the rodent¡¯s back, while flashing with a golden light.


    What followed next was a cascade of fire, water, and sand, from Fran, Aren, and Ralph, trapping the beast in place. But Alnea still did not let his guard down. The beasts¡­ With a frown on his face, he quickly shifted his attention to the mound was sand that was about penetrate the first line of defence, and move towards the rest of the Star Seekers in the back.


    Gathering his Aspects at the sole of his feet, Alnea blasted himself towards the beast with the Bursting Steps, while also using gravity to pull himself towards the beast. A double reassurance, which almost made him catch up with the speed of Sky Streaming Style. If not for the fact the fact that Sky Streaming Style took too much time to prepare, and was not suitable for close distance movement, he might even have used it directly.


    Fortunately, he reached the mound just before it could move past the first line of defence, stabbing it with his sword as if he was ¡®Piercing the Stars¡¯. In the next moment, the rodent repeated the actions of the first beast, just like how the beasts that the girls were facing were reacting. By rabidly chasing after them, sparing no thoughts about their own lives¡­


    There truly was something wrong with the beasts. Or else, how could the Sand Eaters, known for always prioritising their lives, charge so recklessly? With his mind turning at an ever greater speed, Alnea quickly spread the senses of his Spirit to his surroundings, while stepping on the beast¡¯s face with Bursting Steps to jump in the air. For as far as he could see, he did not find any other suspicious signs. Yet, he was far from relieved.


    Covering the edges of his sword in golden and black lights, Alnea began spinning in mid-air, while repeatedly shifting the centre of his gravity, increasing his spinning speed beyond human means¡ªat least, beyond the means of False Wanderers¡ª creating a Golden Wheel of Death. A true Golden Wheel of Death, that split apart the Sand Eater into two halves, with only a few trails of blood, and flesh hanging between the two halves keeping them from falling onto the ground. But not for long.


    Alnea, as the wielder of the Wheel of Death, landed right in between the two halve of the beast¡¯s body, with blood, and grime covering his face and hands, making him feel a little nauseous. With the threat of some unknown enemies looming upon them though, he quickly forgot about the nausea, and jumped out from the mass of flesh and blood, kicking the two halves of the beast¡¯s body down in the process.


    Landing back on the flimsy, loose black sands, employing the Sand Treader Style to balance himself, Alnea readied himself to charge against the first beast he had left behind, only to see it being held down by ropes of sand and earth, while arrows of fire and ice and rained down upon the beast, ending its life. Even the other beasts, held back by the girls, met a somewhat similar fate, dying at the hands of his overenthusiastic teammates.


    Maybe his teammates were not so unreliable after all, even if they were a little excessive. Given the strange state of the beasts though, he could understand why they were so aggressive¡­


    ¡°Did you see that?¡± Zain said, raising his chin towards the sky. ¡°I used another Arcana today. That makes it the twenty seventh Arcana I have used in the last month. Truly worthy of the name White Arcanist¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­You may have more Arcanas, but my Martial Styles are obviously much stronger¡­¡±


    ¡°Dust Eater¡¯s shit,¡± Zain said. ¡°My Arcanas are obviously the best¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­Stop being delusional¡­¡±


    ¡°Stop it,¡± Alnea said to Zain and Norren, who were grinning at the thought of taking down a peak phase Oren Beast so easily. ¡°We cannot let our guard down yet. Karl, get¡­¡±


    Even before he could say anything, Karl had already closed in towards them on his own, standing in between Fran and Aren. The man¡¯s instinct was keen, as always.


    ¡°¡­Get ready everyone,¡± Alnea said to the Star Seekers. ¡°We are going to have some unexpected guests.¡±

 Chapter 51: No options [Part 1]

    ¡°Unexpected guests?¡± Ralph mumbled, glancing around the desert. ¡°I do not see anyone.¡±


    ¡°Explain it to them, Karl,¡± Alnea said, as he walked towards the beast¡¯s body to retrieve his Golden Yearning. He could have just made it fly back directly into his hands, but using the dagger had already exposed one of the few means he had reserved to use in emergencies. Exposing any more of his secrets would be dangerous. Especially considering the strange behaviour of the beasts¡­


    ¡°¡­Alnea¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­I know¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­Although it might not help, I think I should tell you¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­It is exactly because we do not see anyone that we need to be careful,¡± Karl said, glancing around warily. ¡°How long has it been since we left the city? An hour? And we encounter five peak phase Oren Beasts running straight at us. Let us not mention what the five beats were doing together¡­ Do you not think that we took down the beasts too easily?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s because of our teamwork. Teamwork. Do you understand?¡±


    ¡°¡­Just randomly throwing your attacks at the beasts is not called teamwork. It is called wasting Spirit Power.¡±


    ¡°Mind your words, Onet,¡± Norren said with a frown. ¡°I agree that we might have a few flaws, but that does not give someone like you, who did not even bother making a move, the right to belittle our efforts.¡±


    ¡°¡­When did you¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­Yesterday, when you were recovering your Spirit Power...¡±


    ¡°¡­There is no need to be so aggressive, Norren,¡± Ralph said, waving his hands with a smile to diffuse the tension in the air. ¡°I am sure he did not mean anything.¡±


    ¡°¡­I meant every word that I said,¡± Karl said, sounding uncharacteristically firm, and determined. ¡°The Captain and the girls already had the situation under control. You just had to support them in killing the Oren Beasts. But no, you took it upon yourselves to give the beasts a finishing blow. And you attacked all five¡ªfour Oren Beasts all at once, bombarding the same beasts over and over again, paying no heed to their state, or your own consumption of Spirit Power.


    ¡°What were you trying to do? Competing with each other in who could kill the Oren Beasts first? Is this how you have been exploring the desert in the past month? Just blindly attacking your enemies, and hope that you will win? It is a good thing that I did not come with you, or I would not even have known how I died.¡±


    ¡°¡­We have not tried it yet¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­I know. I was just telling you about it, in case you need it¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­Alright¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­That¡¯s a bit too much, Karl.¡±


    ¡°Is it? Do you see that mound over there? That¡¯s not a mound. It is the body of the Greedy Sand Mole that the Captain dealt with, showing us how a team should act. That is also the place where you all said that you would act as a team. All of you. And this is what you do?¡±


    ¡°¡­This is different. That Greedy Sand Mole¡­ it was just an advanced phase beast. This time, we were facing five peak phase Oren Beasts.¡±


    ¡°So? Last time I checked, you are also five people. And that is not counting the four people who were already doing a good job in containing the beasts. All you had to do was pick one beast. One. If you trusted each other enough, like the leader and the girls trusted each other, and attacked only one Oren Beast each, then you would not have wasted so much Spirit Power. Neither would have made such a loud disturbance. Now, we are just sitting duck, waiting for our enemies¡­¡±


    ¡°It is enough, Karl,¡± Alnea said, returning after retrieving his dagger, while glaring at the girls, who had just kept on watching the show. ¡°Let me handle the rest.¡±


    ¡°¡­Captain, something is not right.¡±


    ¡°I know,¡± Alnea said, nodding to reassure Karl. ¡°For now, just keep an eye out for anything suspicious. And do not stay too far away from the team.¡±Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation.


    ¡°¡­I would not stay away even if you asked me to.¡±


    ¡°¡­As for the rest of you,¡± Alnea said, turning towards the five men, all with varying degrees of flush on their faces. ¡°I think what Karl was trying to say was that you should use your Spirit Power sparingly. Especially when we do not know what our situation is. The beasts¡­ they were clearly agitated by something, behaving more feral than they should. They did not even bother using their Innate Abilities. With the condition they were in, of course, taking them down would feel so easy.


    ¡°Besides, have you not found how strange our current situation is? Encountering five peak phase Oren Beasts so close to the city¡­ Not to mention that with the delays we have faced, other teams should have caught up with us by now. But do you see any Wanderer around us? It cannot be that none of the teams are rushing in our direction, right? You tell me, how often did you encounter other Wanderers in the desert in the past month?¡±


    ¡°¡­Pretty often,¡± Ralph said, when no one else was willing to answer. Not because they were being stubborn, or resisting his words, but because they were ashamed, and finally understood the gravity of the situation. ¡°Even if we did not encounter them, we were able to see them in the distance¡­¡±


    ¡°So? What is the difference now? Why are there no Wanderers around us? Could it be that fewer Wanderers chose to come out today?¡±


    ¡°¡­I¡­ We do not know¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­Although there were only four or five teams registering for the Black Desert Trials back when we were in the Blood Hall, that is because the hall could only accommodate so many Wanderers at once. I am sure that at least thirty to fifty teams should have registered for the Black Desert Trials today. And that is the number only from the Sixth Blood Hall. There are sixty such Blood Halls in the city. Even if we count Blood Halls in just the Northern District, there are still fifteen of them. How many Wanderers should be coming out today¡­ you should be able to make a guess.¡±


    ¡°¡­Are they hiding?¡± Fran said in a low voice.


    ¡°Hiding¡­ Are they not afraid of bringing shame to their clan?¡± Norren said, glancing around with furrowed brows.


    ¡°¡­If all of us die here, who will know what they did?¡± Karl said. ¡°Instead of thinking about how shameful it would be for others, it would be better if you think about how we should deal with our enemies.¡±


    ¡°¡­There is nothing to think about,¡± Fran said. ¡°We will kill all those who come.¡±


    ¡°¡­Leave a few for me. Maybe some of them have the answers to my questions.¡±


    ¡°No worries. As long as I am here, nothing will happen to anyone. I still have countless more Arcanas that I have not shown you yet. Just casually using one of them should be enough to deal with all our enemies¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­These three suicidal freaks,¡± Karl mumbled. ¡°If you want to die, then die on your own. Do not drag everyone with you.¡±


    ¡°¡­Maybe things are not as serious as you think they are,¡± Ralph comforted, before turning towards Alnea. ¡°Since you can recognise that there are enemies around us, you should also have a way to deal with them, right?¡±


    ¡°¡­To be honest, I do not have any way to deal with them either,¡± Alnea said, shrugging his shoulders. ¡°I do not know what means they have used, but our enemies have hidden themselves from us. Right now, there is only two things we can do. Either continue forward, as if nothing has happened. Or go back and accept the punishment for failing the trial.¡±


    ¡°¡­Should we go back then?¡± Ralph suggested, with Karl quickly following up behind him.


    ¡°That sounds like a good idea.¡±


    ¡°¡­What do the three of you think?¡±


    ¡°¡­I do not like the idea of backing away from challenges,¡± Norren grumbled. ¡°But if that is what you decide¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­It¡¯s no use,¡± Fran said. ¡°If our enemies have truly surrounded us, they will never left us go back.¡±


    ¡°¡­We are not too far from the city,¡± Karl mumbled.


    ¡°The moment they made their move, it meant that they were confident that they can keep us in the desert.¡±


    ¡°¡­What about you Aren? What do you think?¡±


    ¡°¡­I think, we should quickly come to a decision, and get moving.¡±


    ¡°What about the three of you?¡±


    ¡°Your decision is my decision,¡± Vestia said, putting back the bottle she had been drinking from back into her bag, before winking at him.


    ¡°Hey, what were you drinking?¡±


    ¡°¡­Just some water,¡± Vestia said. ¡°I was feeling a little thirsty.¡±


    ¡°¡­I am feeling a little thirsty too.¡±


    ¡°¡­This is my special water.¡±


    ¡°Tsk. Stingy.¡±


    ¡°Though if Alnea asked for it¡­¡±


    ¡°No need,¡± Alnea said, shaking his head. Her special water was not something he could afford. ¡°You have not answered my question, Lia.¡±


    ¡°¡­Should you not ask that question to yourself?¡± Cecilia said, glancing at his hands, which kept moving towards the hilt of his sword. ¡°You cannot stop the itch, can you?¡±


    ¡°¡­I do not understand what you are talking about,¡± Alnea said. ¡°Just tell me what you think we should do?¡±


    ¡°You want my opinion? Fine. Let¡¯s go, catch those bastards hiding in the sands, and then beat them up until their own families will refuse to recognise them.¡±


    ¡°¡­Forget it,¡± Alnea said, shaking his head, before turning towards Yuri. ¡°And you?¡±


    ¡°¡­There never was any option to begin with, was there?¡± Yuri said, smiling at him with a mix of pride, and amusement. ¡°In our current situation, we can only either keep moving forward and look for our chances, or just give up and die.¡±


    ¡°¡­Indeed,¡± Alnea said after a few moments of silence, bursting into a laugh, before turning around to face the depths of the black desert. ¡°There never was any option to begin with.¡±

 Chapter 51: No options [Part 2]

    ¡°¡­So, are we going to keep moving deeper into the desert?¡± Ralph said with a little hesitation in his voice.


    ¡°¡­Assume the same formation,¡± Alnea said, not even bothering to turn back towards Ralph.


    ¡°¡­What about me?¡± Karl said, trying his best not to panic.


    ¡°¡­Same as last time.¡±


    ¡°But the enemies¡ª


    ¡°The enemies will be there even if you change your position. It will just be someone else who will have to bear the danger for you. Who do you think this person should be?¡±


    ¡°¡­I¡­¡±


    ¡°I have asked everyone again, and again, about what they want, and what their specialisation is, just so that I can design the most optimum formation for our team. And every time, you chose to not say anything to me. Even just a while ago, when I assigned everyone their positions, I told you that you might have to face more danger than anyone else, but you agreed to me anyway, because you thought you would not face the danger so soon.¡±


    Alnea paused, and glanced at Karl over the back of his shoulders, before continuing.


    ¡°Now, just a while later, when we are faced with danger, you suddenly change your mind¡­ Do you think this is a joke? ¡°


    ¡°¡­No¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­I apologize if I come off as rude,¡± Alnea said, as he turned his gaze back towards the desert in front of him. ¡°But you must understand something, Karl. We are a team. And as a team, we cannot act just to suit the needs of a few individuals. Or that will defeat the whole purpose of a team. Besides, as Wanderers, we should also learn to responsible for our words and actions. Or do you want to be treated as a kid, who cannot be trusted with any responsibilities?¡±


    ¡°¡­You said you will not let me get hurt.¡±


    ¡°¡­And I stand by what I said,¡± Alnea said, turning back towards Karl for a moment, before glancing at the rest of the team. ¡°Not just Karl. Like I said before, when the time comes, I will be the first one running towards the danger. And I will not let any of you get hurt. To do that though, I need you to trust me. All of you. Listen to my orders, and I promise to bring everyone back to the Lost City in one piece. We will even complete the Trial. But only if you listen to me.¡±


    ¡°You are our Captain,¡± Ralph said. ¡°Of course, we will listen to you.¡±


    ¡°¡­I do not approve of you charging into danger all on your own, but I will listen to you.¡±


    ¡°¡­I am not afraid of the danger,¡± Fran said. ¡°But I am interested in the strength of the team that you said earlier.¡±


    ¡°¡­I still have a few things to do after we go back to the city,¡± Aren said, shrugging his shoulders casually. ¡°Looks like there is no other choice, other than listening to you.¡±


    ¡°¡­Like I said, I have never gone against you,¡± Zain said, looking annoyed at the rest of the men. ¡°Come on guys, get yourself together already. If you keep dragging me down like this, you will make me look bad with you.¡±


    ¡°¡­Good,¡± Alnea said, not bothering to ask about the opinion of the girls. It was not worth the embarrassment. Besides, he knew their answer anyway. ¡°Lia, Vestia¡­¡±


    ¡°On it.¡±


    ¡°Keep up.¡±


    Once again, the two girls blasted off into the distance. This time though, they were sensible enough to not create a spectacle. Nodding in satisfaction, Alnea followed behind the girls with Yuri. And soon, everyone was running once again, marching towards the depths of the desert, searching for Oren Beasts, while keeping an eye out for more enemies. None came. At least they did not find any Wanderers. Oren Beasts though¡­


    After the five Sand Eaters, they soon came across a wave of seven Blood Sniffers, one metre large bat like creatures, except they could not fly. Through evolution, mutation, or blessings from the Origin Sea, the Blood Sniffers lost their ability to fly, but in exchange, gained the Innate Ability of Bloody Wings. Channelling the blood that they had stored in a separate dimension within their bodies to the edges of their wings, the Blood Sniffers could launch blades of blood at their enemies.


    Not a very rare, or powerful Innate Ability. Many Oren Beasts had similar Innate Abilities. Like the Wind Blades of the Green Wind Wolves. What set the Blood Sniffers apart from the other Oren Beasts was their second Innate Ability. A rare passive Innate Ability, giving the pseudo bats the ability to sniff blood from as far as tens of kilometres away.Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on.


    Of course, just smelling blood, no matter from how far away it was, could not be considered to be an Innate Ability. The Innate Ability of the Blood Sniffers was to ¡®sniff¡¯ blood, even if their targets were not bleeding. Whether they were bleeding or not, as long as any living being, with blood flowing in their veins, appeared within ten kilometres of the Blood Sniffers, the pseudo bats would be able to ¡®sniff¡¯ them instantly.


    The most annoying part of the Blood Sniffers though, was their Innate Ability of manipulating the blood of their enemies to some extent. It did not do much damage, but the feeling of your blood flowing in reverse, hindering your movements, sure was annoying. It was only because Alnea had already condensed fifty Perfect Grade Blood Crystals, and strengthened his blood and blood vessels that he was relatively immune to bat¡¯s ability. The rest though¡­


    Thankfully, the bats were also a bit agitated, reducing the degree of their cooperation. But they were not completely stupid like the Sand Eaters either. At the very least, they were able to use their Innate Abilities, even if reluctantly. Their enemies were getting smarter¡­ In any case, it was an annoying battle, with Alnea and the girls doing most of the work, and the rest barely contributing anything.


    Surprisingly, Karl took the initiative to participate in the battle, launching a rain of fire to keep the bats in check, while Alnea and the girls dealt with them one by one. And it was not just the battle with the bats. Even in the battles after that, when they faced the Flame Scorpions, or the Red Tailed Snakes, he proved to be more useful than the rest. At least he did not waste his Spirit Power like Zain.


    Gradually though, as Enn kept climbing higher in the sky, and their number of battles kept increasing, the others also began to learn how to judge the timing of their attacks. They did not have perfect coordination, like the girls did with him, but they were improving. There was just one problem. Their Spirit Power was beginning to run out.


    Alnea and Yuri had already exchanged their positions with Cecilia and Vestia to become the scouts of the team, only to exchange their position back after a couple of hours. It could not be helped. The frequency of their battles was just too high.


    From Sand Eaters to Blood Sniffers, and then to Flame Scorpions, Red Tailed Snakes, Dark Earth Worms, Black Tongued Lizards, and even some plant type Oren Beasts like Black Thorned Vines, Blood Sucking Vines, and Black Cactus, all sorts of Oren Beasts kept coming at them every once in a while. And though they won every time, with no one getting hurt in the process, the price they paid was also correspondingly high. Drained, and tired, soon the men began to wonder if they should go back.


    ¡°¡­If you want to die,¡± Alnea replied to their absurd suggestions. ¡°Do you think that a False Wanderer, or maybe even a group of False Wanderers can control so many peak phase Oren Beasts?¡±


    ¡°¡­Are you saying that we are facing True Wanderers?¡± Aren said, emphasising each of his words.


    ¡°Who knows? I would not be surprised even if the one behind the Oren Beasts is a Mystic Wanderer.¡±


    ¡°¡­Are they not afraid of the city?¡± Norren said with a frown.


    ¡°Afraid? Why would they be afraid? Maybe they did some tricks, but they did not attack us directly.¡±


    ¡°¡­Then can we not just go back?¡±


    ¡°¡­Do you think that whoever can control so many Oren Beasts, and direct them towards us, cannot gather a bunch of Wanderers to ambush us?¡±


    ¡°¡­Are we really going to die?¡±


    ¡°¡­No one is going to die,¡± Alnea said. ¡°At least no one amongst us is going to die. I cannot say the same about our enemies.¡±


    ¡°¡­How can you be so confident?¡±


    ¡°¡­How can you not be so confident?¡± Alnea asked back in return. ¡°As Wanderers, who walk on the line of life and death every day, how can you be afraid of a stupid trap like this?¡±


    ¡°¡­Stupid trap?¡±


    ¡°A stupid trap,¡± Alnea said with confidence. ¡°Unlike the traps of the Origin Sea, which we cannot see through without enough Serenity in our Hearts, even kids can tell that we are being led into a trap. You tell me, is it stupid or not?¡±


    ¡°¡­Stupid or not, it is an effective trap,¡± Karl mumbled. ¡°At least it is trap that we cannot avoid.¡±


    ¡°There, that is your answer,¡± Alnea said, with a wide grin on his face. ¡°Since we cannot avoid the trap, we will just keep moving forward.¡±


    ¡°But¡ª


    ¡°No buts. Did I not tell everyone before? No matter what happens, just trust me. I will bring everyone back to the Lost City alive. That is my promise as your Captain. In return, all I want is for everyone to keep moving forward. You can do that, right?¡±


    ¡°¡­Do we even have a choice anymore?¡± Karl mumbled, as if he was dissatisfied with situation. And yet, he was the first to accept his words. Except for Zain, of course. The white robed Arcanist, despite being drained completely of his Spirit Power, was not showing any signs of nervousness, or anxiety. Rather, the moment he heard that their enemy might be a Mystic Wanderer, he became a little too enthusiastic, urging everyone to keep moving forward with Alnea.


    ¡°¡­It is just a Mystic Wanderer,¡± Zain said. ¡°If I had all my Spirit Power, I would have brought him down myself. But¡­ Forget it. I will give this chance to our Captain. Out of everyone present here, only your talent can match me¡­ Do not disappoint me, Alnea.¡±


    ¡­Did the stinky mouth really think that he could deal with a Mystic Wanderer? Or was he just getting delusional because of the pressure? No, Zain was already delusional to begin with. Other than the girls though, he was also the only one to trust him completely. No matter his decision, the man always supported him, albeit with some complaints here and there. Still, no matter how annoying he was, Zain had proven himself to be a man worthy of his trust. A man worthy to be his friend.


    ¡°I will not,¡± Alnea said to Zain, responding to his delusional bragging for the first time in a while. ¡°Trust me.¡±


    After a pause, Alnea turned towards the rest of the Star Seekers, and said, ¡°Now, let¡¯s keep moving forward, shall we?¡±

 Chapter 52: Ambush [Part 1]

    Enn¡¯s grace, carrying all of its warmth, cascaded down to the ground, spreading along the grains of the black sand in an even manner. After all, Enn¡¯s grace did not discriminate. What people often failed to notice though, was that Enn¡¯s grace did not have any bounds either. Normally, that would not have been a problem. On the contrary, with nearly a week left for the arrival of Yul¡¯s month, Enn¡¯s boundless grace was a perfect match for the fading winds of the winter.


    Except, the rules of weather were not so simple. Especially in a place like the Black Desert. Even normal deserts had extreme weather conditions. Coupling those extreme conditions with the black sands of the Black Desert, what was left behind was an open oven, used to cook all the Wanderers misled into roaming its depths. Or at least that was what most of the Star Seekers were feeling like.


    Thankfully, the golden thorns on his robe were doing a perfect job of keeping him cool. Cecilia and Yuri also had similar functions in their robes. And from the smile on Vestia¡¯s face, it looked like she too had not thought much about spending a little fortune to have temperature regulation Glyph Arrays engraved on her robe. The rest of the Star Seekers though¡­


    Except for a couple of special cases, most of them were like abandoned sons of their clans. And those special cases were not doing much better either. In any case, none of them could afford luxuries, such as customising their robes with Glyph Arrays. Things were still fine in the morning, when Enn had just begun showering them with his grace. As the God of Light rose higher in the sky though, his boundless grace became a bit too much for them to bear.


    Even though Alnea himself could not ¡®enjoy¡¯ Enn¡¯s grace, he could still see the air around them shimmering, and wavering with heat. Heat, that the sea of fire in the form of black sand under their feet was releasing. For a moment, he even wondered if the corpses they had left behind in their wake had already been cooked, and could be eaten¡­


    Thinking of corpses, Alnea could not stop himself from looking at the bodies of the ten Red Tailed Snakes, and five Flame Scorpions lying around them. This was already fifteenth wave of attack they had suffered since the morning. And it was the third time that they had been attacked by a group of different Oren Beasts. Third time, that a group of Oren Beasts, who were supposed to be at each other¡¯s throats, joined forces against his team¡­


    It looked like the people behind the attack were getting impatient. A good news, by any sense. After all, the more impatient his enemies were, the greater were the chances of them making a mistake. Except, his team was not doing too great. All of them were exhausted, both physically, and in terms of Spirit Power. And Enn¡¯s boundless grace was not helping them either.


    ¡°¡­We really cannot go on anymore, Captain,¡± Ralph said, taking a swig from his water bag, while wiping his sweat with his free hand. ¡°Our bodies cannot handle it.¡±


    ¡°¡­You mean your body,¡± Zain said, red like a boiled fish, while huffing as if his life depended on it. And maybe it really did. ¡°I am perfectly fine, and can go on for another thousand kilometres.¡±


    ¡°¡­You are looking in the wrong direction,¡± Karl said softly, not willing to waste his energy in talking, but not willing to just listen to Zain¡¯s bragging either. ¡°We really do need some rest, Captain.¡±


    ¡°¡­Are you sure that you want to rest in this desert?¡± Alnea said, sheathing his sword, while wondering how long it would take for the desert to cook the snakes. All the battles were beginning to make him hungry. ¡°Are you not afraid of the enemies lurking behind us to use this chance to ambush us?¡±


    ¡°¡­At this point, I do not even care anymore,¡± Norren mumbled, fumbling in his steps, as he walked towards the body of the Flame Scorpion. He did not dare to lay on the sand. The scorpion though¡­ Allowing himself to fall back first on the Flame Scorpion¡¯s body, he added, ¡°Whoever it is, just get it over with already.¡±


    ¡°¡­This is not the first time you have been to the Black Desert. Why is the heat bothering you people so much?¡±


    ¡°¡­Don¡¯t you know the answer yourself?¡± Ralph grumbled, pointing to the bodies scattered around them, not bothering with his polite tone anymore. ¡°I swear, if we suffer from a few more attacks, we might just complete our annual quota today.¡±


    ¡°¡­We are still quite some distance away from our annual quota,¡± Alnea said, calculating how many points they should have earned. Except for the Greedy Sand Mole, all the beasts they had met with were at the peak phase. Fifteen waves of attack, with an average of seven beasts in each wave¡­ In total, their team should have earned around five thousand Trial Points.


    ¡°You are right though. We did indeed gather quite a lot of points this time. Enough to complete our quota for this trial. Maybe we should thank the people who are behind this for their gifts.¡±


    ¡°Our gifts are not so easy to take,¡± a voice rang out in the desert, startling everyone back to their feet, and sent them scrambling around looking for their enemies.


    ¡°Who is it?¡±


    ¡°Optah¡¯s spit! Can you bastards only dare to hide?¡±


    ¡°I dare you to come out!¡±


    ¡°If you are the blood of your clan, then come out!¡±This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.


    ¡°You¡­¡±


    Unlike the men, who were either cursing their enemies to come out, or glaring into the depths of the desert as if they were looking for their lifelong enemies, the girls were surprisingly calm at the sudden appearance of the voice.


    ¡°¡­Finally,¡± Cecilia said. ¡°Just when I was getting bored of the Oren Beasts, these bastards came to deliver themselves to me.¡±


    ¡°¡­So what if they deliver themselves to you? Do you even have any Spirit Power left to deal with them?¡±


    ¡°¡­Who needs Spirit Power to deal with these bastards?¡±


    ¡°¡­Don¡¯t forget what Alnea said about our enemies. There might be True, or even Mystic Wanderers among their ranks.¡±


    ¡°¡­You are talking as if you can take them out.¡±


    ¡°I cannot, but isn¡¯t Alnea still here? He said he will protect me.¡±


    ¡°¡­He said that he will protect everyone.¡±


    ¡°It is the same thing.¡±


    ¡°¡­You two are a bit too relaxed for people who are getting ambushed,¡± Yuri said, interrupting the banter between the two girls. ¡°But you are right, in a sense. Though there might be True, or even Mystic Wanderers amongst the rank of our enemies, you do not have to worry about them. The most they can do is just send some Oren Beasts our way. As for the ones ambushing us, they are just a bunch of Peak Stage False Wanderers.¡±


    ¡°¡­Even if our enemies are just some False Wanderers, I am in no shape to fight,¡± Vestia said, shrugging her shoulders. ¡°I might as well just sit back, and enjoy the battle.¡±


    ¡°¡­Are you running away, vixen?¡±


    ¡°¡­It is called strategic retreat.¡±


    ¡°¡­Coward,¡± Cecilia said with a sneer. ¡°I knew you could not be trusted.¡±


    ¡°As long as Alnea trusts me, that is enough for me.¡±


    ¡°You¡­¡±


    ¡°Alright, stop it you two,¡± Alnea said to the girls, before turning towards the grey robed man, who had silently slipped next to him at some point. ¡°Karl?¡±


    ¡°¡­I cannot sense them,¡± Karl said, just as the voice rang out once again.


    ¡°What are you traitors getting so excited for?¡± the voice said. ¡°You will all soon bear the retribution for betraying your blood, and siding with the Unfavoured¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­I cannot even sense where the voice is coming from¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­It¡¯s alright,¡± Alnea said. ¡°Earlier, I had thought that our enemies are observing us from a distance, but it looks like I was wrong. They should be using something akin to a treasure or an artifact to hide themselves.¡±


    ¡°Artifact?¡±


    ¡°¡­A weakened version of Divine Treasures.¡±


    ¡°Divine Treasures!¡±


    ¡°¡­Forget what I said,¡± Alnea said, after he saw the shock on Karl¡¯s face. ¡°Think of them as Oren Weapons or Glyph Tools that Wanderers one rank below the rank of the tools can use. With a weakened effect, of course. Still, using an artifact will grant Wanderers power far beyond what they are normally capable of wielding.¡±


    ¡°¡­Artifacts,¡± Karl mumbled. ¡°So, are you saying that they can be right next to us, and we would not know about it until they deliberately reveal themselves?¡±


    ¡°¡­Pretty much.¡±


    ¡°¡­We are all going to die, aren¡¯t we?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t be so pessimistic,¡± Alnea said, patting Karl¡¯s shoulders. ¡°Our enemies are not omnipotent.¡±


    ¡°But we cannot even see them!¡±


    ¡°So?¡±


    ¡°¡­They can attack us however they want, and we will not be able to do anything to them¡­¡±


    ¡°Things are never as simple as they appear to be,¡± Alnea said, shaking his head. ¡°If our enemies had such capabilities, they would not have had to hide themselves for so long and keep sending Oren Beasts to consume our strength. I am guessing that there must be some restrictions on the use of the artifact. Like they cannot attack anyone while using the artifact to hide.¡±


    ¡°¡­Very good observation, Unfavoured,¡± the voice rang out once again. ¡°I must say, I am impressed. Your performance is much better than these traitors. It is a pity¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­You look down on my companions, and yet you do not dare to show your face,¡± Alnea said, shaking his head. ¡°At least all of my companions are willing to face their death head on. What about you? Are you going to keep hiding until we return to the city?¡±


    ¡°¡­Are you still thinking about returning to the city?¡± the voice said, letting out a hysterical laugh. ¡°How naive.¡±


    ¡°Am I?¡± Alnea said with a smile. ¡°You used an artifact to control all those beasts, right?¡±


    ¡°What if I did?¡± the voice said. ¡°Can you do anything about it?¡±


    ¡°You are right. I really cannot do anything about the beasts. Or the artifact. But if I am not wrong, the artifact that you used should be a consumable one. And it should be about to be scrapped.¡±


    ¡°¡­Are you trying to comfort your teammates?¡±


    ¡°There is no need for me to comfort them, because what I am saying is the truth. Your attacks have been becoming more and more impatient, and now you even dare to reveal yourself¡­ You really cannot control Oren Beasts anymore, can you? And even if you can, how long will the artifact last? Once? Twice?¡±


    ¡°Keen observations, a sharp mind, and an even better leadership, not to mention your talent¡­¡± the voice said after a few moments of silence. ¡°You are indeed the Wanderer with the greatest potential in the Lost City. The Rank of True Wanderers should not be your end. Given time, you may even reach the Grand Wanderer Rank. It is pity¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­Are you still trying to disturb my Heart?¡± Alnea said, shaking his head, while showing a look of disappointment on his face. ¡°Give it up. Your game is over.¡±


    ¡°¡­This was never a game to begin with, Unfavoured.¡±


    ¡°¡­Forget it. Will you come out, or should we just go back to the city?¡±


    ¡°Do you think you can return to the Lost City?¡±


    ¡°It is not a question of can, but a question of when.¡±


    ¡°¡­Originally, I did not intend to dirty my hands with your unfavoured blood,¡± the voice said. ¡°However, since you insist, let me send you to Inkah¡¯s Domain with my own hands.¡±


    A bright white light flashed just ten metres away from Alnea, with the wavering air twisting, and deforming around the light, making way for a large white lotus, carrying more than ten Wanderers, floating three to five metres in the air.


    ¡°That is the least I can do to show my respects.¡±

 Chapter 52: Ambush [Part 2]

    ¡°Back!¡± Alnea shouted, jolting everyone out of their daze, prompting them to hurriedly retreat away from the floating lotus, if it could even be called as a lotus. The only thing remotely linking the platform to a lotus was the dangling fence around the platform¡¯s edge, that looked somewhat like the petals of a lotus. And yet, Alnea knew that the platform must be a lotus platform. Because the men on the platform, all thirteen of them, were wearing the emblem of a lotus on their chest.


    ¡°Alnea¡ª


    ¡°Take her with you, Yuri.¡±


    ¡°But¡ª


    ¡°Now!¡± Alnea said. ¡°There are too many of them¡­ We might need to use my backup plan. And if I use the Glyph Token, I cannot guarantee that I can control its power.¡±


    ¡°¡­Be careful,¡± Yuri said, pulling Cecilia away with her.


    ¡°But Alnea¡ª


    ¡°He might use that¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­That?¡± Cecilia looked at Yuri with wide eyes. ¡°You mean¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­There are too many of them.¡±


    ¡°These bastards¡­ Hey, idiot! If you hurt yourself, I will kill you!¡± Cecilia yelled towards Alnea, as she retreated with the rest of the team. The group of Wanderers who had just appeared did not care much about her though, or anyone else in his team for that matter, keeping their eyes fixed only on Alnea.


    ¡°Lotus clan,¡± Alnea said, narrowing his eyes to a slit. As he had thought¡­ Only if he stayed where he was, would the rest of his team have time to retreat to a safe distance. ¡°Finally. Cannot sit still anymore?¡±


    ¡°We should be the ones asking that question,¡± said a white robed man, as he jumped down from the lotus platform, with the rest of the Wanderers soon following behind him. ¡°Do you know how many days we have been waiting for you to come to the Black Desert?¡±


    ¡°¡­If you were missing me so much, you should have just given me an invitation,¡± Alnea said, grinning back at the white robed man. He looked a little more mature than the last Whitebud heir he had met. Still, he did not look too old. Probably around twenty, twenty two years old.


    ¡°How else would I know you were waiting for me?¡±


    ¡°How about I give you an invitation now then?¡± the white robed man said. ¡°Come with us, and we will spare your teammates.¡±


    ¡°¡­Do you think I am a three year old kid?¡±


    ¡°¡­This may be your last chance,¡± the white robed man said, glancing towards the retreating Star Seekers. ¡°Or do you not cherish the life of your companions?¡±


    ¡°¡­I think I am capable enough of saving their lives.¡±


    ¡°¡­Think about it once again.¡±


    ¡°Enough nonsense, Rhaeghar,¡± a red robed man said. ¡°Why are you negotiating with an Unfavoured?¡±


    ¡°He is not worthy of negotiating with us,¡± another red robed man said.


    ¡°I say we just knock the boy down, and kill the rest,¡± added a white robed man.


    ¡°It would be a waste for the girls though¡­¡± a yellow robed man lamented.


    ¡°That Weina¡­¡±


    ¡°The white haired one is not bad either¡­¡±


    ¡°Maybe¡­¡±


    ¡°Do not be careless,¡± a pink robed man scolded his fellow clan members. ¡°Or have you forgotten what happened to Raython?¡±


    ¡°¡­Raython¡¯s case was special.¡±


    ¡°And is that not exactly why we designed this situation?¡±


    ¡°Just look at them.¡±


    ¡°They probably cannot even lift their weapons anymore.¡±


    ¡°If we just¡­¡±


    ¡°Shut up,¡± the pink robed man scolded once again. ¡°Focus on the task.¡±


    ¡°¡­Stop acting like you are our leader, Rana.¡±


    ¡°Elder¡ª


    ¡°All of you, shut up for Quona¡¯s sake,¡± Rhaeghar said, glaring at the Wanderers following behind him, before turning back to Alnea. ¡°As you can see, my companions are not very friendly. And they do not have a good impression of your friends. If you do not come with me quietly, even I am not sure what thy might do to your companions.¡±This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.


    ¡°¡­Are you done with your play?¡± Alnea said, while glancing towards the rest of his team. More than hundred metres¡­ That should be a safe enough distance. Probably. ¡°Can we begin our real conversation then?¡±


    ¡°¡­What do you want talk about?¡±


    ¡°¡­It is not what I want to talk about, but how I want to talk,¡± Alnea said, replying with a grin, before letting his Aspects surge out of his body with all their force, splashing black sand everywhere around him, creating a hazy black cloud of sorts, obscuring him from everyone¡¯s vision.


    ¡°Bastard!¡±


    ¡°Filthy scum!¡±


    ¡°Quick, catch him!¡±


    The Wanderers of the Lotus clan all unfurled their Spirits, trying to catch the figure of the boy they had been ordered to capture. And maybe, if it had been just their sights which the cloud of sand had blocked, then they might even have succeeded. Unfortunately for them, the cloud of sand was not some incorporeal existence like light, or shadows. It had a solid form, and was in a very agitated state, blocking all their probing senses.


    ¡°Spread out!¡±


    ¡°Do not let him escape!¡±


    ¡°I will catch the white haired¡ª


    With a flash of a golden light, Alnea tore through the cloud of black sand, and appeared next to the yellow robed man. The same yellow robed man who had dared to eye Yuri with ill intentions. The same yellow robed man who was pointing fingers at Yuri once again, threatening to capture her. For a person like him, for an enemy, there was no need to hold back.


    Before the yellow robed man could finish his words, or even have a chance to react, Alnea stabbed his dagger, shining in a ¡®Golden¡¯ light, ¡®Yearning¡¯ for his blood, towards the man¡¯s throat, while the man could only stare at his death creeping closer with wide eyes. And it was not just the yellow robed man. The other Wanderers were just as shocked. The seemingly exhausted Wanderer, exhausted enough to not even be able to lift his sword properly, rendered to being nothing more than the boy he was, was somehow moving faster than ever.


    ¡°Erin!¡±


    Just as the golden blade was about to meet the man¡¯s neck though, a curtain of yellowish black light materialised right in front of the man¡¯s neck, blocking the dagger. After all, no matter how distracted or clumsy he was, the yellow robed man was still a Peak Stage False Wanderer. However, it was also exactly because he was a Peak Stage False Wanderer, that he completely lost his bearing when he understood what had just happened.


    A moment¡¯s hesitation and carelessness had made him almost lose his life. And that too, at the hands of a Wanderer two entire Stages lower than him. A Wanderer, who had been fighting Oren Beasts for hours, and by all logic, should have been exhausted to the brink of fainting due to the drain of his Spirit Power. A Wanderer, he had assumed, was at the mercy of his thoughts¡­


    Scared, embarrassed, ashamed, and angry about what had just happened, the man urged his¡ª


    Alnea raised his free hand, and pointed it towards the yellow robed man¡¯s head from an angle which was not blocked by the man¡¯s shield, before releasing a flash of orangish light from his hand, that plunged into the man¡¯s head the very next moment, right before he could urge his Aspects.


    Consequently, the man¡¯s face soon contorted in pain, making him lose his concentration. Only for a fraction of a moment, of course, but that was enough. Pumping more blood into his hand, momentarily increasing his strength, Alnea shattered the fragile barrier in an instant, and plunged his dagger into the man¡¯s throat. Just to be sure, he even twisted his blade before quickly withdrawing, leaving behind a gaping hole in the man¡¯s neck, that kept sprouting blood like a miniature fountain.


    Even so, the yellow robed man did not die immediately. He clasped his neck with both hands, trying to stop his blood from flowing out, while staring at Alnea with all sorts of emotions crossing his eyes. Fear, hate, shame, jealousy, and most of all, unwillingness. An unwillingness to die. He kept struggling, stepping back to create a distance from the boy in front of him, only to stumble on his own legs, and fall¡ª


    ¡°Erin!¡± another yellow robed man yelled, as he appeared next to the bloodied man, catching him before he could fall, just as Alnea retreated back into the cloud of black sands, stomping on the ground to reinforce the fading cloud.


    ¡°Bastard!¡± the yellow robed said, growling at Alnea, while gently lowering the man in his arms to the ground. ¡°Erin!¡±


    ¡°His neck¡­¡± a blue robed man said, appearing next to the two yellow robed men. ¡°Cretes¡¯ beard!¡±


    ¡°Parthal, quick! Heal him!¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Rhaeghar said, placing his hand on the blue robed man¡¯s shoulder, while staring at the black cloud with cold emotionless eyes. ¡°We have our orders. Before doing anything else, we must capture our target.¡±


    ¡°But Erin would not be able to hold on till then!¡±


    ¡°¡­Then let us capture him as quickly as we can. That is the only way we can save Erin.¡±


    ¡°He is just Intermediate Stage brat, for Quona¡¯s sake! Not to mention that he is already exhausted.¡±


    ¡°¡­Is he?¡± Rhaeghar said, glancing between the cloud of black sand, which showed no sign of dissipating, and Erin, lying on the ground, struggling to keep himself from loosing too much blood. He did not say anything else, but his meaning was clear.


    ¡°¡­We have been behind them the whole time. Do not tell me that you have not seen how he always rushed forward in each battle. He is just an Intermediate Stage brat. How much Spirit Power could he have left?¡±


    ¡°We have already lost one of us,¡± Rhaeghar said, glancing at the yellow robed man looking at him with despair, before pointing with his chin towards the group of Wanderers in the distance, who had used the time bought by Alnea to regroup together, and form a basic defensive formation. ¡°We cannot afford to thin our numbers even more before we have captured our target.¡±


    ¡°¡­For Quona¡¯s sake, they are just some exhausted Wanderers. I am sure that ten of us will be enough¡ª


    ¡°An exhausted Wanderer two Stages below us killed¡ª


    ¡°Erin is not dead yet!¡±


    ¡°¡­almost killed one of us in the blink of an eye. What do you think ten of them could do?¡±


    ¡°¡­Are you going to let Erin die just like this?¡±


    ¡°Our orders,¡± Rhaeghra said. ¡°Capture him at all costs. At all costs.¡±


    ¡°¡­Erin is our brother!¡±


    ¡°¡­Then let us capture him as soon as possible, so that we can save our brother.¡±


    ¡°¡­Quona¡¯s jewels! I swear, Rhaeghar, if something happens¡ª


    ¡°If you do not stop wasting time, then something might really happen,¡± Rhaeghar said, tearing his eyes away from Eren, desperately covering his neck. ¡°Let us get this over with quickly, and save our brother.¡±

 Chapter 53: The calm before the Storm [Part 1]

    ¡°¡­How did it feel?¡±


    ¡°¡­Strange,¡± Alnea said, as he stomped on the ground, blasting his Aspects against the sand to send them flying, maintaining the black cloud around himself. ¡°As if I was watching¡ªno, controlling a memory. But it won¡¯t affect me too much. What about you? Is everything on your side ready?¡±


    ¡°¡­Don¡¯t worry about us,¡± Yuri said. ¡°Vestia and I will handle everything on our side.¡±


    ¡°¡­Don¡¯t let Lia get too excited. Unlike us, she is really exhausted.¡±


    ¡°¡­I will keep an eye on her. But she is going to chew out your head when we go back. This is the second time you are keeping her out of a plan, while taking on the most dangerous tasks yourself.¡±


    ¡°¡­It is not my fault this time,¡± Alnea grumbled. ¡°Forget it. I will deal with her when we go back. We don¡¯t have time for this right now.¡±


    ¡°¡­Then let¡¯s begin.¡±


    Almost immediately, Alnea felt the world around him shift¡ªhe was shifting, Alnea reminded himself. Not the world. He was the one who was shifting. More precisely, it was the perspective with which he was experiencing the world that had shifted. And it was not even the first time he was experiencing such a shift. Yet he always made the same mistake. Then again, it was not entirely his fault.


    Although he had experienced the world from Yuri¡¯s senses before, that was mostly in big sis Serena¡¯s mansion, or in the Origin Sea. She had rarely shared her senses with him after leaving Anneve, and definitely not after resonating with her Roots. Experiencing the world from her senses after a gap of over a month felt a little awkward. And the difference in their immediate surroundings was not helping either.


    While the sizzling heat of the desert was the same for both of them, one of them was running in clean, hot air, with barely any sand and dust striking her face, and the other had to face the dark, gritty cloud of black sands, rife with the smell of rotting blood, swirling around him, breaking past the defences of his robe, and into his nose. Not even Yuri¡¯s Roots could keep those strange sensations from him. Especially since he had to divide a part of his attention to control his body.


    That was another function of Yuri¡¯s Roots that Alnea was trying for only the second time. The first time was just moments ago, when he sealed the yellow robed man¡¯s life, only for their connection to break right in the next moment. In his defence, he blamed the nausea of killing someone once again for breaking his concentration. Of course, his unfamiliarity with the new function of Yuri¡¯s Roots was also partially responsible for his failure, but that was not his fault.


    Controlling his body from a distance was just a little too unnatural. It felt as if he was not controlling his body, but a toy. Maybe, if he had had some experience, he might not have let their connection break. No, not might. He surely would not have failed. And he would have been much smoother in his actions. But that would have meant asking Yuri to experiment with her Roots, putting her in risk of destabilising her Roots once again. Alnea could never let that happen.


    Unfortunately, things never went according to plan. The Lotus clan was just too despicable, and ruthless. Thankfully, they were not ruthless enough. Probably because they wanted him alive, not dead, and in an Oren Beast¡¯s belly. Or else¡­


    Just imagining facing around a hundred Oren Beasts all at once was enough to send chills up his back. Though facing more than ten Peak Stage False Wanderers, all at their peak, while they themselves were almost completely exhausted, was not much easier. Even with Forne¡¯s help, fighting back against such a force head on would be just a dream. Not to mention that they could not risk revealing Forne¡¯s true form to anyone else. In the end¡ª


    ¡°Pathetic,¡± Evi had said the moment that Alnea had sent everyone in his team away, preparing to use his last recourse. ¡°Being forced to such a state by just some mere False Wanderers¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­Not now, Evi. I need to deal with our enemies first.¡±


    ¡°It is exactly because you have to deal with your enemies that I must intervene right now. Do not tell me that you are going to use that excuse of a Glyph Token. Do you not know how unstable that is? Do you want to kill yourself with your enemies?¡±


    ¡°¡­My robe should keep me safe.¡±


    ¡°¡­That is why I am calling you pathetic,¡± Evi had said in a gruff voice. ¡°If you keep relying on external help, you will never become a great Wanderer, let alone the greatest one.¡±


    ¡°¡­What other choice do I have?¡±


    ¡°¡­Am I a joke to you?¡± Evi had said, seething with disgust and disdain. ¡°Use my power.¡±


    ¡°¡­Technically, as a Divine Treasure, you are also an external help. More importantly, I do not think that we have unlocked your new powers yet, right?¡±


    ¡°Useless fool. Do you not remember what Yuri said to you yesterday?¡±


    ¡°¡­There were so many things that she said¡­¡±


    ¡°Her Roots! Ask her to use her Roots!¡±


    ¡°¡­How can asking her to share her senses with me¡ª


    ¡°Ask her to control her Roots. Do not let her overwhelm your senses. At least let you keep your control over your body¡ª


    ¡°And then I will control my body, while experiencing the world from her senses¡­¡±


    ¡°Exactly.¡±


    ¡°But that would put her at risk.¡±


    ¡°It has been over a month already. As long as she does not resonate with her Roots, she should not face any problems.¡±


    ¡°Still¡ªIf you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement.


    ¡°What do you think is more dangerous, an unstable Glyph Token with an explosive power of a True Wanderer, or a near negligible risk of destabilising her Roots?¡±


    ¡­Although did not like the idea of putting Yuri at risk, no matter how negligible it might be, the urgency of their situation did not leave them with any other choice. After all, it was not just Yuri he was responsible for. As the Captain of Star Seekers, it was his responsibility to look after the safety of his teammates.


    ¡°¡­Even if I follow your plan, I don¡¯t think her ability is stable enough to use right now.¡±


    ¡°Leave that to me and my sister. We will ensure that your connection is stable. You just make sure to not withdraw from the connection on your own.¡±


    ¡°¡­If you can really do that¡­ then there really might be a chance.¡±


    ¡°Not just a chance. If you fail even after my help, then you do not deserve to be my ma¡ªpartner.¡±


    ¡°¡­Thank you, Evi,¡± Alnea had said, and quickly discussed his plans with Yuri, asking her to get everyone ready for their next action, while he bought them some time. Of course, she did not wish to let him face most of the danger by himself, but they had no other choice. Time was not on their side.


    Even after he had dealt with one of the thirteen Wanderers, their situation had not improved much. Through Yuri¡¯s senses, he saw four of the remaining twelve Wanderers of the Lotus clan surround the cloud of the black sand to prevent him from escaping, while the rest moved towards rest of the Star Seekers in a slow, deliberate pace, giving him enough time to think over his options.


    It was obvious what the Lotus clan¡¯s plan was. Since none of them dared to enter the cloud of the black sand, they could only force him out of it. Was he not trying to protect his teammates by staying behind to face them all by himself? Then they would just have to threaten his teammates, and he would come running out of the cloud on his own. Or so they were probably thinking.


    Though in the panicked eyes of his teammates, their slow, deliberate pace was akin to a reminder of their impending doom. Dealing with ten Wanderers having the battle potential of Peak Stage Wanderers, and a peak phase Oren Beast, with just eight Peak Stage Wanderers¡­ If anyone did not know their situation, then they might think that the Lotus clan was overflowing with arrogance. But the reality was that except for Yuri and Vestia, almost everyone was completely drained of their Spirit Power.


    It was understandable, in a sense. After all, Yuri had special Roots, capable of restoring her Spirit Power through small actions of changing fate. Like killing her enemies. Every time she killed Oren Beasts along the way, part of her Spirit Power was restored by the Mysteries of Fate. Just like how every time they decided to keep moving forward despite all their difficulties, part of his Spirit Power was restored by the chains of his Oaths. Or else, as an Intermediate Stage False Wanderer, his Spirit Power should have been exhausted like Cecilia¡¯s hours ago.


    As for Vestia, she was just clever enough to drink a recovery potion the moment they discovered that might be walking into a trap. Not the kind that he had drunk the day before. That was a very advanced kind of recovery potion, that could completely recover his Spirit Power in a couple of hours. No, she used a slow acting one, the one that would not affect her normal activities. It had some side effects, like a headache, but having a headache and Spirit Power was better than having a headache and no Spirit Power. Especially when surrounded by enemies.


    The rest though, had neither any special Roots, nor any recovery potions. In hindsight, he could have asked Vestia to share her recovery potions with everyone, but the potions were her personal property. That she was willing to lend him one did not mean that he could shamelessly ask her to share them with everyone. Unless she voluntarily offered them, there was nothing he could have done.


    Besides, back then, they knew nothing about their enemies. He did not wish to take the risk of rashly exposing the recovery potion, only for his enemies to learn about them, and become even more cautious than before. A decision, that was finally proven to be correct. If the Lotus clan had learned that they had recovery potion with them, he was not sure what they would have done. Not that what they had already done was not enough to push normal Wanderer to the pits of despair.


    Karl, Zain, Ralph, Norren, and even the two most suicidal members of his team, Aren and Fran, all had become pale from the thought of their impending doom. Even at their peak state, they would have found it hard to face so many Wanderers at once. Especially since all their enemies belonged to the same clan. Their implicit understanding was bound to be much better than what the Star Seekers could gain in a few months, let alone a day. In their current state, completely drained of their Spirit Power, they could only wait for death¡­


    ¡°¡­Is this the end? But I have not even found out who my enemies are¡­¡± Aren mumbled to himself, biting his lips in indignance, before staring at the incoming Wanderers with reddened eyes. ¡°¡­I¡­ I have not avenged her yet¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­At least you know where to look for your enemies,¡± Fran said, laughing hysterically, with tears streaming down his face. ¡°I don¡¯t even where to begin looking for mine.¡±


    ¡°¡­No,¡± Ralph mumbled, hurriedly shaking his head. ¡°I have not returned to my clan¡­ I have not even been recognised by them¡­ I cannot die yet¡­¡±


    ¡°Tion¡¯s beard!¡± Norren yelled, before taking out two short swords from his storage bag. ¡°If I am going to die, then I am taking down at least one of them with me!¡±


    ¡°¡­Optah¡¯s boots! Die if you want but leave me out of it. Do you know how much of a loss it would be for the world if I die young?¡±


    ¡°¡­No, no, no, no, no¡­ I cannot die¡­ I cannot die¡­¡± Karl mumbled incoherently, before turning towards the cloud of the black sand in the distance. ¡°Save me, Captain! You promised me that you would not let me die!¡±


    ¡°¡­Since he made a promise with you, then let me help him keep it for you,¡± Cecilia said, patting Karl¡¯s shoulder with a grin, before stepping forward to face the incoming Wanderers all by herself. ¡°Step back and stay out of my way.¡±


    ¡°Feeling eager to die, are we?¡± Vestia said, with a hint of amusement in her voice, not in the least bothered by the Wanderers coming towards them.


    ¡°¡­Run away if you are not going to help, coward.¡±


    ¡°Like I said, it is a strategic retreat. Strategic retreat. Do you understand?¡±


    ¡°¡­I only understand that you are coward.¡±


    ¡°¡­Stop being stubborn, Cecilia,¡± Yuri said, stepping next to Cecilia. ¡°You do not have enough Spirit Power to take on these Wanderers.¡±


    ¡°¡­You underestimate me too much, Yuri,¡± Cecilia said, shaking her head. ¡°Let me show you what¡ª


    ¡°Ahem,¡± Vestia said, faking a cough to interrupt Cecilia.


    ¡°¡­What now?¡±


    ¡°¡­Although I do not think that I am wrong, I also think that you are right. Even if I make a strategic retreat, I should at least make a few moves before to show what I¡ªwhat the women of the Erwein Forest are capable of.¡±


    ¡°¡­Are you trying to plot something new, vixen?¡±


    ¡°¡­I am not plotting anything,¡± Vestia said, raising her hands to express her innocence. ¡°I just want to help.¡±


    ¡°¡­I do not have time to argue with you,¡± Cecilia said, before turning towards the Wanderers of the Lotus clan, who were almost upon them. ¡°Let me show you what¡ª


    ¡°Wait!¡±


    ¡°¡­What?¡±


    ¡°Just let me do one little trick, and then I will leave everything to you.¡±


    ¡°¡­What are you playing at, Vestia?¡± Yuri said, narrowing her eyes at the blue robed woman.


    ¡°Nothing, really. I just want to do one little trick. Just one. I promise.¡±


    ¡°¡­Fine,¡± Cecilia said, a little annoyed for being interrupted again and again. ¡°Be quick.¡±


    ¡°¡­I hope you will not disappoint me¡­ and Alnea,¡± Yuri added, only for Vestia to flash a confident and reassuring smile.


    ¡°¡­Relax.¡±


    Turning towards the Wanderers of the Lotus clan, Vestia raised her right hand to bring her thumb and middle finger together, before replacing her smile with a smirk, finishing her words by snapping her fingers.


    ¡°I hope you will like my trick.¡±

 Chapter 53: The calm before the Storm [Part 2]

    Ringing like a bell, the sound of Vestia¡¯s fingers snapping with each other spread through the air as wildfire spreads through forests. From the Wanderers around her to the Wanderers of the Lotus clan, and even Alnea¡ªnot through Yuri¡¯s senses, but through his own body¡ª the sound of the snap took barely a moment to reach everyone¡¯s ears, bringing with it a strange kind of silence.


    It was a silence of peace and tranquillity, but at the same time, it was also a silence of chaos and mayhem. In some sense, it could even be considered as the silence of death. Yet, at its core, it was the silence of the wind. The silence of inaction. And the silence before the storm.


    It began with a small gust of cold wind, blowing from the snap of her fingers, that soon clashed against the hot air rising above the scorching black desert, creating a small whirlwind, barely the size of an inch. If the gust of cold wind had been just normal wind, that should have been the end of its story. But it was not. The gust of cold wind was the seed of something much greater. It was the seed of chaos and mayhem. It was the seed of a storm.


    It was only natural then, that the small whirlwind, instead of dying out in the heat of the desert, became even colder than before, clashing with an even greater amount of hot air, creating an even greater whirlwind. And that was just the beginning. Soon, the whirlwind grew from the size of a thumb to the size of a fist, and then to the size of a head. Finally, when the whirlwind grew as tall as Vestia herself, it touched the ground, and became the seed of storm it was meant to be.


    ¡°Wha¡ª


    Everything happened so quickly, that no one, including Yuri, standing right next to Vestia, the Wanderers of the Lotus clan, gearing up to charge at her, or even Alnea, standing the farthest away from her, could react in time. They did not even see the whirlwind forming properly. All they saw was the gravel of sands next to her feet slowly rising in the air, beginning to circle around her.


    They began slowly, the gravels of sand, circling around her like cubs liked to circle around their mother. With the storm getting stronger with each passing moment though, the gravels of sand began to speed up, picking even more of their brethren from the ground. And before anyone knew it, the storm grew large enough to cover Cecilia and Yuri beside her.


    ¡°¡­What is that?¡±


    ¡°Quona¡¯s crown! That¡¯s a storm!¡±


    ¡°She is creating a sandstorm!¡±


    ¡°Is she crazy?¡±


    ¡°How does she still have the Spirit Power to create a sandstorm?¡±


    ¡°Is this the time to ask such questions?¡±


    ¡°Fools! Stop arguing, and stop her!¡±


    ¡°At all costs, stop her!¡±


    They could not stop her. At least not after the storm had grown large enough to include the rest of the Star Seekers. Maybe, if they had not deliberately slowed their steps in order to draw Alnea out, then they might have had a chance of stopping her. Maybe, they might not even have given her the chance to conjure a storm. But there were no maybes. And it was too late. The storm could not be stopped.


    From one metre to two metres, and then to ten metres, the storm grew at an ever-increasing rate, covering all the Wanderers of the Lotus clan before they could even begin trying to stop the storm. Yet the storm still did not stop. It kept growing, and growing until it swept away the small cloud that Alnea had created, enshrouding his body in the cool, raging winds, constantly clashing with the scorching desert under his feet, with neither of them having the intention of giving up anytime soon.


    ¡°¡­When I asked you to create more sand clouds for me to hide and ambush the Wanderers of the Lotus clan, I did not mean a raging cloud like this.¡±


    ¡°¡­I did not think Vestia would do this either,¡± Yuri said. ¡°But the situation does not seem to be too bad. At the very least, the Wanderers of the Lotus clan cannot see us, saving us the effort of rescuing the other Star Seekers every time they are attacked.¡±


    ¡°¡­This situation does not seem to be one sided though,¡± Alnea said, while covering his eyes and nose with his free hand. ¡°We cannot see those Wanderers either.¡±Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.


    ¡°¡­You cannot see them. We can. Or rather, Vestia can. It is her Arcana, after all. Would it not be too ridiculous if she traps herself in a storm, and does not even understand what is going on around her?¡±


    ¡°¡­Are you going to connect to her senses too?¡±


    ¡°¡­Is there any other choice?¡±


    ¡°But then your Roots¡ª


    ¡°I do not have to tell her that this the ability of my Roots,¡± Yuri said. ¡°I can just tell her that I am using an Arcana. The effects are similar anyway.¡±


    ¡°¡­That¡¯s not what I am talking about,¡± Alnea said. ¡°Leaving aside the fact that you need to change someone¡¯s fate before you can connect your senses with them, are your Roots in the state to bear the strain of connecting with more than one person at a time?¡±


    ¡°¡­Why are you so perceptive at times like this?¡± Yuri grumbled. ¡°Do not worry. I know the state of my Roots better than you. It is in a much better state than you can imagine. As for the requirements for activating my Roots, like I said earlier, Fate is not as simple as we understand it to be. It is a little complicated. I do not have the time to explain right now. Just know that I have already taken care of all requirements. You just get ready to deal with the Wanderers of the Lotus clan.¡±


    ¡°¡­Alright.¡±


    In the next moment, Alnea felt his senses shift once again. He was still standing where he was. Even his senses had not changed their positions. At least not by much. And yet, everything seemed to have changed once again. He could see the Wanderers of the Lotus clan, he could see his Star Seekers, he could see Yuri and Cecilia. The thick curtain of darkness formed by the black sand flying around chaotically could no longer block his sight. It was almost as if all the grains of sands had become transparent.


    No, it was not that the sands had become transparent¡­ From the Wanderers of the Lotus clan searching around for Vestia desperately to the panicked Star Seekers retreating under Vestia and Yuri¡¯s guidance, and even the pout on Cecilia¡¯s face, the black sands were observing everything in their domain, and transmitting their records directly back to Vestia¡¯s senses. It was as if¡ª


    ¡°Sharing senses with two peoples at once is much more consuming than I thought,¡± Yuri said. ¡°Although I recovered some Spirit Power along the way, it is by no means enough to support me for long. You have to hurry, Alnea.¡±


    ¡°¡­Don¡¯t worry,¡± Alnea said, while observing the positions of the Wanderers of the Lotus clan. ¡°I may not have much Spirit Power left, but coupled with the reserve of Oren left in my dagger, and the cover of the storm, it should enough for me to take out these Wanderers.¡±


    ¡°¡­Be careful.¡±


    ¡°¡­Yoo too,¡± Alnea said, before rushing towards the Wanderers of the Lotus clan. Two from the Whitebud family, two from the Yellowbud family, three from the Redbud family, three from the Bluebud family, and two from the Pinkbud family. Twelve in total. Thirteen, counting the Yellowbud Wanderer lying in the distance, losing more of his life with every passing moment.


    Coincidentally, the last Yellowbud Wanderer was also the only one to be at a distance of more than three metres from others of his clan. After the ambush he had pulled earlier, his enemies had become more cautious. In the sandstorm though, their cautiousness was not of much use. Even a small distance of less than three metres, when separated by the thick curtains of the black sands, felt like thousands of kilometres.


    Naturally, the Wanderers of the Lotus clan could also see that the situation they were in was not particularly favourable towards them. They did not think that just because their enemies were exhausted¡ªno, they could not even be sure whether or not their enemies were exhausted anymore. Regardless, they could all recall how Alnea had taken down one of them in the blink of an eye. For them, staying together, while watching each other¡¯s backs was the best choice¡­


    ¡°Rana!¡± one of the Yellowbud Wanderer said. ¡°Rana and the others are still back there¡­¡±


    ¡°What?¡± the white robed Wanderer next to him cried out. ¡°I cannot hear you. Say it louder.¡±


    ¡°Rana and the others are all alone¡­¡±


    ¡°You are the only one?¡±


    ¡°For Quona¡¯s sake¡­ I said, Rana and the others are all alone!¡±


    ¡°You want to go home?¡±


    ¡°Enough,¡± Rhaeghar said, using some unknown means to amplify his voice. Even then, those around him could barely hear him. As for the Wanderers that they had left behind in the distance¡­


    ¡°This sandstorm¡­ If we want to capture our target, we must get rid of it. Or else, we will just be sitting prey for the boy. So, for our sake, and for the sake of the brothers we have left behind, we must capture the Weina girl as soon as possible.¡±


    ¡°¡­That bitch¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­If anything happens to Rana¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­It¡¯s all her fault¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­Once we catch her¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­Focus,¡± Rhaeghar said, releasing a white light so bright, that even after passing through the thick black curtain raging around them, the light only seemed to dim slightly in appearance, giving the other Wanderers of the Lotus clan a beacon to gather around. But only for the Wanderers that were near Rhaeghar. Brilliant as the light he had released was, it still could not pass through tens of metres in the raging black sandstorm.


    ¡°You can fantasise all you want after we deal with our enemies. Right now, everyone should focus on only one thing. To capture the Weina girl. The sooner we catch her, the sooner we can end this farce. Now, follow my voice, and keep up with me. If you want, you can even hold hands. But no matter what happens, do not leave your back open. I do not wish to see any more of my brothers die today¡­¡±

 Chapter 54: The Storm [Part 1]

    Alnea sighed with a little disappointment, as he saw Rhaeghar gather the other Wanderers around him, preventing them from scattering around in the sandstorm. He had already expected them to regroup together at one point. After all, they were all Peak Stage Wanderers under the age of thirty, the best of the best False Wanderers in the Lotus clan. Still, he was a little surprised at how quickly they had regrouped.


    Rhaeghar Whitebud¡­ he was a formidable opponent. And an equally formidable leader, even if a little cold blooded. Unfortunately for the man, his plan was bound to fail. Just as the white robed man led his fellow clan members towards the place where he remembered last seeing Vestia at, Vestia herself was leading the Star Seekers away from the path of the Lotus clan¡¯s Wanderers.


    Ignoring the group of eight Wanderers advancing in the sandstorm, Alnea focussed on the four Wanderers who were closer to him. A Pinkbud, a Whitebud, a Yellowbud, and a Redbud. All shining in the glory of their Aspects, frantically shouting into the depths of the storm, searching for others of their clan, while maintaining a shield around their necks, and chests. They were so anxious, that the Redbud Wanderer had even shot a few offensive Arcanas blindly around himself, while desperately warning Alnea not to come closer to him.


    Alnea had never done well with threats though. Not when the Lotus clan had threatened him with his future back when he was just a Seed, not when the Heterodox Wanderers had threatened him with Cecilia, and definitely not at the moment, when the red robed man did not even have anything to threaten him with, except for the name of his clan, and what consequences he might face in the future¡­


    Alnea controlled his body to rush towards the yellow robed man. He did not dare to use his Spirit Power wantonly though, using just pure physical strength, even dropping his body closer to the ground to increase his speed and reach. It was not until the very last moment, when he was just two metres away from the red robed man, that he invoked his Aspects. Even then, he used it only to reinforce his attack, pushing the strength behind the dagger to thrice what he could use normally.


    As for the blade itself, lacking in Spirit Power, he could only use the Oren stored inside the dagger in advance to activate two of its three other Glyph Arrays, just as he slipped the blade into the man¡¯s stomach.


    ¡°Bastard!¡± the red robed man cried, shooting all the Aspects he had gathered in his right hand right towards Alnea. Or at least he tried to do so. The moment he was releasing his Aspects though, the blade stuck in his stomach, flashing in a golden light, increased the pull of the ground on his body, disrupting his aim. Tilting his head towards his left to dodge the blob of red and black light, Alnea pulled his dagger out of the man¡¯s stomach, before quickly retreating, hiding in the black storm around the man.


    ¡°Filthy unfavoured,¡± the red robed man yelled, covering the wound on his stomach with his left hand. ¡°How dare you¡ª


    Alnea interrupted the man by appearing next to him, and slashing his left leg near his thighs.


    ¡°Iona¡¯s tits!¡± the man cursed, limping on his right leg. ¡°Finally showing your true colours¡­ I knew we should have just killed you¡­¡±


    Alnea came out once again, only to retreat after slashing the man¡¯s other leg.


    ¡°Bastard!¡± the man cursed once again, almost stumbling down to the ground. ¡°I dare you to fight me like a proper Wanderer!¡±


    Alne answered the dare by stabbing in the man¡¯s lower back, before retreating once again.


    ¡°Coward!¡± the man cried, more in indignation and unwillingness than in hatred and resentment, as he finally fell to his knees. Probably because the man already knew what his ending was going to be. Maybe, for a moment, he had dreamt that his brothers, that the other Wanderers of his clan would come to save him. That dream had long faded away, leaving just some regrets, and an unwillingness to die so meaninglessly. The man¡¯s Heart was broken. As was the barrier protecting his life.


    ¡°Is hiding all that you can do?¡±


    ¡­Alnea appeared next to the man once again. But this time, his steps were a little more hesitant than before. He had already given four blows to the man. He could not delay anymore. Not only because of his lack of Spirit Power, but also because there were people waiting for him to save them. He had made an Oath¡­ He had made many Oaths. And it was time to fulfil them. No matter what happened, he could not, would not, stop moving forward.


    Trying to calm the waves in his Heart, raging with no lesser intensity than the storm that was raging around him, Alnea stepped forward, and slipped his dagger, strong, and steady, shining in the light of their Glyph Arrays, into the man¡¯s neck.


    ¡°You¡­¡±


    The red robed man grabbed his hand to keep him from retreating immediately, before turning around, as if to say something. All that came out of his mouth though, was some incomprehensible gurgles, as the man choked on his own blood. Still, the man did not hesitate to stare into his eyes. To etch into his Spirit, into his very being, the despair that his deep blue eyes held. And to curse upon him a fate worse than even death¡­This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings.


    Alnea shook his hand free of the man, as he withdrew his dagger from the man¡¯s neck, leaving behind a stream of blood that fell from the man¡¯s neck, and down his robe, all the way to the ground, soaking the sand around the man¡¯s knees into a deeper shade of black. A shade of blood and death, that was fresh enough to remind him of all the people he had killed, whether he had meant to or not. Especially their eyes¡­


    Alnea took a deep breath to suppress his uneasiness before it could sever the connection between him and Yuri once again. At the same time, he reaffirmed his resolve. Although he did not like killing, he would not stop. Flicking his dagger to remove most of the blood flowing along its blade, he rushed towards his next target. The Yellowbud Wanderer.


    From his experience, although Wanderers from the Yellowbud family did not tend to be as impulsive as Wanderers from the Redbud family, they were much easier to agitate than the Wanderers from the Whitebud and Pinkbud families. And an agitated enemy was always much easier to handle than a calm one.


    ¡°Rana!¡± the yellow robed man said, trying pierce through the wall of sand between him and his fellow clansmen. In vain. The wall was too thick. Not to mention that in his frantic search for his clansmen, the yellow robed Wanderer was walking further and further away from them.


    ¡°Will! Querin! Can you hear me?¡±


    ¡°¡­Stop shouting,¡± Alnea said, as he reached close enough for the yellow robed man to hear his voice. ¡°No one can hear you.¡±


    ¡°You¡­¡±


    The yellow robed man turned around, staring at Alnea with wide eyes for a fraction of a moment, before hurriedly swinging his fists, glowing with yellow and red lights, towards the latter¡¯s face. Even with the aid of his Aspects though, the man was still not fast enough to escape Alnea¡¯s eyes. Or rather, the man¡¯s movements could not escape Vestia¡¯s storm.


    Still, even if he saw the man¡¯s movements through Vestia¡¯s help, everything else was up to himself. Like ducking down under the man¡¯s fists, and moving in towards the man, before stabbing his dagger to the side of the man¡¯s chest. He did not even use any Aspects to aid himself. Just his physical strength alone was enough. A physique comparable to Peak Stage False Wanderers¡­


    Alnea had already experienced the benefits of a stronger body in his battle against Ryan Purplebird the day before. The crazy waves of Oren Beasts attacking them throughout the day had confirmed his guess even more. A better physique would not only give him a better foundation, and more options for creating tactics in battles, it could also help him in leapfrogging to challenge stronger enemies. Especially when he was all out of options¡­


    The Blood Crystal Martial Styles were indeed very special. Maybe they truly contained a part of the Lost City¡¯s legacy. The legacy could wait though. For the moment, Alnea had to focus on his enemies. Activating the Glyph Array on his dagger, he yanked it out of the yellow robed man¡¯s chest, slicing him along his ribs, while using his left hand to push the man¡¯s right elbow, forcing the man¡¯s second punch away from his face, before retreating back into the thick wall surrounding the man.


    ¡°Everyone except you is dead.¡±


    ¡°Lies!¡± the yellow robed man yelled, covering the wound on his chest with his left hand, as a hint of blood trickled down the corner of his lips. ¡°How can a filthy bastard like you¡ª


    Alnea swooped in once again, aiming his dagger towards the same position he had attacked earlier, forcing the yellow robed man into a defensive stance. Just as he was about to reach the yellow robed man though, he dropped down onto the ground, and rolled past the yellow robed man, slashing at the back of the man¡¯s knee while he was at it.


    ¡°Do you still think I am lying?¡±


    ¡°Coward!¡± the yellow robed man yelled, buckling down on one knee. ¡°Using such despicable means¡­ You are a shame to all Wanderers!¡±


    ¡°¡­Less than your clan,¡± Alnea said, using the man¡¯s moment of carelessness to stab him below his armpit. This time though, the yellow robed man was careful enough to spot the attack in advance, and rolled away to avoid the attack.


    ¡°A filthy unfavoured like you¡­¡± the yellow robed man mumbled, as he limped back on to his feet. The more he limped though, the more his face contorted in shame and anger. After a few moments, gazing into the storm raging around him, the man finally gritted his teeth, and took out a yellow token from his storage bag, before crushing it in his hands.


    ¡°Let me show you the true might of the ones chosen by the Gods!¡±


    The moment that the man crushed the token, a bright yellow light emerged from his hands, with subtle fluctuations of the Mysteries of the Origin Sea manifesting around him.


    ¡°Let me show you the true might of the Lotus clan!¡±


    The fluctuations of the Mysteries of the Origin Sea soon became substantial enough to gather together and coalesce into the shape of a lotus. A yellow lotus, with hints of lightning and fire flickering around the blades of its petals.


    ¡°Behold¡ª


    Disregarding how low his Spirit Power was running, Alnea invoked lighting into his veins, and rushed to the yellow robed man before the yellow lotus floating in front of the man¡¯s chest could take a complete form, gathering his Aspects along the tip of his dagger, piercing it through the barrier protecting the man¡¯s back as if he was Piercing through the Stars, and slipping it into the man¡¯s heart, stopping from unleashing the wrath of the lotus.


    Although the unstable lotus still burst apart in a flurry of fire and lightning, consuming the yellow robed man, already on the verge of death, at least he managed to stop the lotus from becoming even more powerful, and turning the sandstorm into a firestorm. The firestorm, of course, would not have been enough to break through the defences of his robe. But the robes of the rest of his teammates did not have the same defences as his robe did.


    Had he not stopped the firestorm in time, allowing it to spread to the rest of the Star Seekers¡­ How many of them would have survived?


    No, Alnea said to himself, shaking his head. He would never let anything happen to the people in his team. Not only because of the Oath he had given, but also because of the trust they had placed in him. Because they were Star Seekers, and he was their Captain.

 Chapter 54: The Storm [Part 2]

    Taking deep breaths to calm his Heart, while directing his Aspects to return back into their Aspect Wells, Alnea shifted his focus to his next target. Or at least tried to. Once the thought about his teammates came to his mind though, he could not stop himself from wondering how they were faring against the eight Wanderers¡ª


    Six Wanderers, Alnea corrected himself, as he saw Cecilia and Karl take down a Wanderer each. A Redbud and a Yellowbud. No, not six, but five, he corrected himself once again, as he saw Vestia and Yuri lead the men to surround and kill the last Wanderer from the Redbud family¡­ What was happening? When did Cecilia restore enough of her Spirit Power to expend it so wantonly, using both, her Arcanas, and her Aspects? Was it back when she asked Vestia for ¡®water¡¯?


    ¡­Well, as long as she was fine. Thankfully, she did not let Forne use the power of Fortune, allowing it attack only physically. It reduced the cat¡¯s combat effectiveness by quite a large margin, not to mention that Fortune Devouring Cat were never known for their fighting capabilities anyway. Still, the combination of the dumb cat¡¯s physique and Cecilia¡¯s Arcanas and Martial Styles was not something that an average Peak Stage Wanderer could survive. Especially not a Wanderer severely suppressed by a sandstorm.


    What was happening with Karl though? When did he get so courageous as to take down a Peak Stage False Wanderer all by himself? That too, when he was exhausted¡ª


    So, that was it, Alnea thought. Ever since he saw the Lotus clan¡¯s Wanderers, he had been thinking of all sorts of ways to save his teammates, so he had not paid much attention to Karl¡¯s strange behaviour, attributing it to his anxiousness. As he thought about it once again though, he found that there were indeed many flaws in Karl¡¯s actions. The overly dramatic reactions, the fake tears, and his energetic shouts¡­


    Everything was just an act. From the very beginning, he had never intended to risk his life on just a promise. Or at least that was how things seemed to be. And Alnea could understand the reason behind Karl¡¯s action. As someone who was so paranoid about his survival, how could he let someone else be in control of his life and death?


    It was just that¡­ Where did he get a recovery potion? And when did he take it? Back when Vestia and Cecilia took theirs? Or¡­


    Forget it, Alnea said to himself. They were all Star Seekers. No matter what secrets Karl had, it was not his turn to inquire about them. As long as Karl did not betray them, there was no reason to doubt him. On the contrary, the more reliable Karl could be, the happier he would be. Rather than worrying about him, Alnea was more concerned about the Wanderers of the Lotus clan.


    Last he remembered, the Wanderer from the Whitebud family had gathered everyone around himself, leading them to siege, and capture Vestia. How much time had passed since then? Probably not even a tenth of an hour. And yet, three of those eight Wanderers had already fallen, while the rest were all scattered, lost in the storm like ducklings without their mother. What happened in the time he was dealing with the two Wanderers?


    ¡°That¡¯s another one down,¡± Vestia said, as Norren pulled out one of his short swords from the red robed man¡¯s chest. His hands were shaking, as were his legs. Moving in a raging storm was not easy. Fighting was even harder. Killing someone¡­ Especially when he was already tired beyond his limits¡­ He had probably never been as exhausted as he was at the moment. Still, even as his exhaustion began to overpower his limbs, it could not subdue the light in his eyes.


    ¡°That was¡­ exhilarating!¡±


    ¡°¡­And tiring,¡± Ralph said in between heavy breaths, lying next to the red robed man, with a brown spear lying next to him. ¡°I do not think I can do this again.¡±


    ¡°¡­How many of them are left?¡± Aren asked, panting just as heavily a Ralph, while bleeding even more heavily from a nasty wound on his left arm just below his shoulder. From how charred the skin around the wound was, it looked like the wound came from a Lightning Arrow. Aren, however, paid no attention to the wound, forcing himself to keep standing, clenching the dagger in his right hand with all his strength, preparing himself to meet more enemies.


    ¡°¡­Seven, including two on Alnea¡¯s side,¡± Vestia said. ¡°Zain, help him take care of his wound.¡±


    ¡°No need,¡± Aren said. ¡°I am fine.¡±


    ¡°No, you are not. The potion I gave you can only help you ignore your pain, but it cannot heal your injuries.¡±


    ¡°¡­It is just some a small wound. Right now, taking care of our enemies before you run out of your Spirit Power should be our priority. Or else, none of us will be able to survive.¡±Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    ¡°¡­If you do not take care of your ¡®small¡¯ wound, then you will die from bleeding first,¡± Yuri said, before turning towards Zain. ¡°Help him take care of his wounds.¡±


    ¡°¡­Even I am tired, you know,¡± Zain mumbled, leaning against a brown stick, with a white crystal embedded into its head, complaining about his unfair treatment. He still listened to Yuri¡¯s words though, tearing off his left sleeve to wrap it around Aren¡¯s wound, hoping it would stop the bleeding.


    ¡°¡­Although it is just a flesh wound, being hit by a Lightning Arrow can also damage your nerves. It is best if you get it treated as soon as possible.¡±


    ¡°¡­That does not seem possible right now.¡±


    ¡°¡­Alnea can help you with first aid, but if you want to treat it completely, we will have to go back to the city.¡±


    ¡°¡­Let us talk about that after we deal with our current enemies,¡± Aren said to Yuri, before turning to Vestia. ¡°How long can you maintain the sandstorm?¡±


    ¡°¡­Five minutes. You understand what the unit of minutes mean, right?¡±


    ¡°Everyone who has been to the Lost City should know what minutes mean,¡± Zain mumbled, while the rest frowned at Vestia¡¯s words.


    ¡°¡­Five minutes,¡± Fran said, carrying a green shield in his left arm. ¡°Taking down one already took so much time. We still have to take down seven more¡ª


    ¡°Six,¡± Vestia said, smiling for the first time in a while. ¡°Alnea just took down one more, and is moving towards the last Wanderer on his side¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­We still have five more Wanderers to deal with on our side.¡±


    ¡°¡­Cecilia and Karl each should be able to take down one more.¡±


    ¡°¡­That bastard Karl,¡± Ralph mumbled, as he pushed himself into a sitting position. ¡°He fooled us all.¡±


    ¡°¡­I still cannot believe that he has so much strength left.¡±


    ¡°¡­It is not late for us to be thankful that he has so much strength left. What are you two grumbling about?¡±


    ¡°¡­Even if Cecilia and Karl take care of one more Wanderer each, that still leaves us to deal with three Wanderers,¡± Fran said. ¡°Taking one down with all of our combined strength already took us so long. How are we going to deal with three of them in just five minutes?¡±


    ¡°Four and a half minutes now,¡± Vestia reminded, before letting out a sigh. ¡°It could have been longer if I had not forcefully separated the Wanderers of the Lotus clan.¡±


    ¡°Then we would not even have had any chance to take them down,¡± Yuri said, shaking her head. ¡°Besides, I cannot last longer than you either.¡±


    ¡°¡­Lack of Spirit Power is always a problem for Wanderers,¡± Vestia said with a sigh. ¡°If only we were at our peak, we would not have had to worry about anything. The two of us alone should have been enough to deal with all eight of them. Pity¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­If we had been at our peak, the Wanderers of the Lotus clan would never have dared to come out. But it is indeed a pity. I was looking forward to taking down the Wanderers of the Lotus clan with my own hands.¡±


    ¡°¡­You two have already done enough,¡± Norren said, with slightly flushed cheeks. ¡°Let us do some work too.¡±


    ¡°Indeed,¡± Ralph said, echoing Norren¡¯s words with a sigh. ¡°It is not just the two of them though. Cecilia too¡­ Do not forget that she is just an Intermediate Stage Wanderer.¡±


    ¡°¡­One can tame an Oren Beast two Stages higher than herself, one can control a sandstorm in the Black Desert, and one can connect senses of multiple people with each other¡­ Why are the girls in our team all so strong?¡±


    ¡°¡­Should we ask him to accept more girls into our team after we return?¡±


    ¡°¡­If you are relaxed enough to talk nonsense, then you should have rested enough to face another Wanderer,¡± Yuri said, glaring coldly at Zain.


    ¡°¡­I was just joking.¡±


    ¡°I am not.¡±


    ¡°¡­You should indeed stop lazing around, and get back to work,¡± Vestia added. ¡°Otherwise Alnea will snatch away the only three Wanderers that are left.¡±


    ¡°¡­Is he already done over there?¡±


    ¡°I thought he was moving towards the fourth Wanderer¡­¡±


    ¡°That was about a minute ago. Now, he is rushing towards us.¡±


    ¡°¡­So, he has already taken down five of them?¡±


    ¡°And is still rushing to take down more of them.¡±


    ¡°¡­He is also just an Intermediate Stage False Wanderer.¡±


    Everyone stopped talking for a few moments, and looked at each other in silence. They were all tired beyond their limits. Some of them were even injured to various degrees. Fighting enemies at their peak, while they themselves were completely drained of their Spirit Power was not easy.


    However, none of them had any intention of backing down. Especially when they recalled how shameful their earlier behaviour had been. If they did not do anything, and let their leader snatch all the credit, then maybe, the events that had transpired earlier would stick to them for their entire life, becoming the greatest obstacle on their path of Wanderers.


    ¡°Just like last time?¡±


    ¡°Just like last time.¡±


    ¡°How much time is left now?¡±


    ¡°¡­Three minutes.¡±


    ¡°That is enough.¡±


    Those who were on the ground pushed themselves up, while those who were standing clenched their weapons.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go,¡± everyone said to Vestia in unison. ¡°We cannot let our Captain get the better of us once again.¡±

 Chapter 55: Teamwork [Part 1]

    ¡°Get ready,¡± Vestia said, nodding at the Star Seekers, before closing her eyes to increase her concentration. Controlling the storm¡­ It was not easy to say the least. Especially with the pace it was growing. Initially, she had planted the seed of storm on just a whim. Since Alnea needed the cover of the sands to take down the Lotus clan¡¯s Wanderers, she would give him a cover great enough to take down all their enemies¡­


    Or so she had thought. But things did not go exactly as she had planned. Who knew that the Black Desert¡¯s weather conditions would be so perfect for a storm seed to take root? From the small seed she had planted some mere ten minutes ago to the giant storm spanning more than two kilometres in length, the storm had grown at such a rapid pace that even Vestia herself was having a hard time keeping it in check.


    Three minutes. That was the extent of how long she could control the storm. Not just because of the lack of her Spirit Power, but also because of the lack of her Spirit¡¯s quality. After all, how could just a False Spirit control a storm larger than five kilometres in width. If things reached that point¡­


    No, she had to disperse the storm before then, or it would spiral out of her control, and become a true sandstorm, one that would never stop growing by itself. By then, even if they had dealt with their enemies, none of them would be able to escape their death. Unless some True Wanderers came to their rescue. That too, some of the relatively stronger ones. Those who had command over Mysteries that could rival forces such as an ever-growing storm. But that was just a fantasy.


    Why would some True Wanderers suddenly come to their rescue? She was not stupid enough to think that others would help them out of kindness. And neither did she like to let others control her life. Or else, she would not have come all the way from Water Region to the Lightning Region.


    Others thought that she had come to the Lost City to select a suitable candidate for herself, fulfilling her responsibilities to her clan, but that was only partly true. After all, there were no lack of suitable candidates in the Water Region. Even in the Lightning Region, the Lost City was located in one of its remote corners. Not to mention that until she met Alnea, she had not even tried looking for a suitable partner.


    The true reason she ran away from the Water Region was to run away from the control of her clan. Had she stayed back, it would not have been up to her to choose her partner. Then again, the Lightning Region did not lack in her clan¡¯s presence either. It was only a place like the Lost City, cut off from the rest of the world, forming a system of its own, that she could truly be free from the influences of her clan, and make her own decisions. Or she could just travel to other Domains, just like many of her fellow clanswomen. With her identity though, that did not seem likely¡­


    Just convincing her clan to let her come to the Lost City had already exhausted all her means. Asking them to let her leave the Tes Domain? It was just a fool¡¯s dream. Unless¡­ Vestia smiled as she recalled the promise that she had asked from Alnea. If it was him, maybe¡ªNo, not maybe. He would surely find a way.


    Withdrawing her senses from Alnea, Vestia focussed on her¡ªon their enemies. Of the thirteen Wanderers who had come to ambush them, only five were left. Three from the Bluebud family, one from the Pinkbud family, and one from the Whitebud family, the one acting as their leader. Yet, it was the leader himself, who had fallen back first, retreating on the first sight of trouble. All she did was give him an opportunity.


    The moment that the Wanderer from the Whitebud family noticed the storm bending to her will, separating him from the rest of the Wanderers of his clan, he turned around, and began retreating the same way he had come, shouting for his clansmen to the do the same, asking them to wait for the storm to pass. Unfortunately for the Wanderers of the Lotus clan, his voice was not able to penetrate the storm.


    Of course, the scattered Wanderers were still a force to be reckoned with, especially with the condition that the Star Seekers were in. Without a leader to rally around though, they were not much of a threat. At the very least, the Star Seekers still had a chance against them. A slim chance, but a chance, nonetheless. And a chance was enough for Alnea to create miracles once again.This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source.


    Ignoring the Whitebud Wanderer who was trying to retreat, only to get lost in the storm, Alnea rushed towards the Pinkbud Wanderer, just as Cecilia and Karl took on a Bluebud Wanderer each, leaving the rest of the Star Seekers to deal with the last remaining Wanderer of the Lotus clan. Unlike the trio facing the Wanderers of the Lotus clan on their own though, the rest of the Star Seekers were too battered and exhausted to move against the storm. So, Vestia could only expend a bit more of her Spirit Power to open a path for them.


    However, controlling the storm was not easy. The storm¡­ It was like one continuous gust of wind, that kept flowing in the same direction, albeit a circular one. As such, controlling even a small part of the storm was akin to controlling the entire storm itself. The more she tried bending the storm to her will, the more the storm resisted against her Spirit. Controlling the winds to part ways, and create a path in the storm¡­


    ¡°You have two minutes and fifty seconds,¡± Vestia said, using all of her concentration, and a fifth of her Spirit Power to barely create a path wide enough for two people to walk at the same time. The only relief she felt was that she could let go of the wind she had been keeping at bay from flooding the place the Star Seekers were resting at.


    ¡°Got it,¡± Norren said, spinning the short swords in his hands, before rushing headfirst into the path she had created, with the rest following right after him, each wielding a weapon of their own. Ralph a spear, Fran a shield, Aren a dagger, and Zain a stick that looked more like a staff, the kind that some Arcanists used to increase the power of their Arcanas. Of course, in his state, the staff was good only for bashing against the head of his enemies. Still, it was quite a handy weapon to stun enemies, as proven by Zain in their last battle.


    Unlike the Redbud Wanderer though, the Bluebud Wanderer was not going to be so easy to sneak up to. After all, Wanderers from the Bluebud family were known to be much calmer than their Redbud counterparts. Even if the Wanderer seemed to be a little panicked on the surface, when faced with enemies, he was not going to descend into some incompetent rage. A fact that Vestia had already confirmed from the way the other two Bluebud Wanderers responded to Cecilia and Zain¡¯s attack.


    Rather than hurriedly attacking Cecilia and Zain, or trying to find their way out of the storm, the two Bluebud Wanderers were focussing more on defending themselves, trying to drag out their battle for as long as they could. Probably, just like the Whitebud Wanderer, they too had guessed the truth of the storm. Not that it was going to help them much anyway.


    ¡°Two minutes thirty seconds,¡± Vestia said, as they reached the end of the path she had created, with a wall of raging winds, carrying an inestimable number of black sands, blocking their way forward. ¡°Remember, keeping yourself safe comes before killing the enemy. If you think that you cannot handle the Wanderer, then there is no shame in retreating. Yuri and I will handle the rest for you.¡±


    ¡°But your Spirit Power¡ª


    ¡°Although we are a little exhausted, Vestia and I can still handle a mere False Wanderer,¡± Yuri said, trying not to show her exhaustion on her face, but everyone knew better. Acting as the transit point between the senses of Vestia, Cecilia, Karl, and Alnea, just the amount of stress that her Spirit must be bearing¡­


    ¡°¡­So can we,¡± Norren said, gripping his swords even more tightly, before turning around, and rushing into the storm, with the rest following right behind him.


    ¡°Wait! Why are you rushing first? Optah¡¯s boots! Are you trying to steal my show? Hey, wait for me, damn it!¡±


    ¡°Keep your voice down, idiot. Are you trying to get discovered on purpose?¡±


    ¡°¡­But I was supposed to be first¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­Is that what important right now?¡±


    ¡°But my stage¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­Let¡¯s keep up, or you probably will not even get the chance to perform.¡±


    ¡­Although the Stars that the Star Seekers were chasing after were all different, there was one thing that everyone had in common. A determined Heart. And a drive to prove themselves. So what if they were exhausted? Even if they did not have Vestia and Yuri¡¯s help, they were still no worse than others. They were all a team. And for the first time since they had come together, they were going to prove it with their actions.

 Chapter 55: Teamwork [Part 2]

    Norren charged through the dark storm, not even bothering to enter his Spirit State. With the black sands blocking his senses, it would have only drained his already exhausted Spirit. Besides, Vestia had already pointed the direction that led straight to the enemy. She had also brought them as close to the enemy as she could without alerting the man. Next, he just had to charge at the Lotus clan¡¯s Wanderer, and take him down in a surprise attack.


    Or at least that was the plan. As a Peak Stage Wanderer himself, Norren knew how dangerous a Peak Stage Wanderer at his peak could be to an exhausted Wanderer like himself. Even with his senses blocked by the storm, the Wanderer would still be far too formidable for him take down in his state. Especially since his own senses were also being blocked by the storm.


    Not that he was blaming Vestia. Or Yuri. The two girls had already done much more than what anyone had expected from them. In a sense, if not for the two girls, then they might not even have had a fighting chance against the Wanderers of the Lotus clan. So, when he finally got a chance to prove himself, how could he blame the girls for his own weakness?


    No, Norren was not trying to shirk his responsibility. On the contrary, since he knew his weakness, he was trying his best to make up for it. The last battle had already told him what he was lacking in the most at the moment. Speed. For any sneak attack to succeed, speed was the key.


    So, even if his actions increased his headache, Norren did not hesitate to use the last trickle of Spirit Power that he had just recovered to boost his speed as much as he could. As he rushed through storm of sands though, the faster his speed became, the more he felt the raging winds of the storm battering his body. Not to mention the sizzling sands hitting his face¡­


    Thankfully, Vestia had already brought them quite close to the Wanderer of the Lotus clan, ensuring that he did not have to suffer the torment of having face being picked by countless searing needles for long. Just a few moments after he rushed into the storm, he saw a vague silhouette of a person appear in the curtain before him. Ensuring that his grip around his swords was still as tight as ever, Norren tore through the last layer of curtain separating him and the blue robed Wanderer, before slashing his swords at the man¡¯s neck and abdomen.


    ¡°¡­Finally. About time that someone came to me,¡± the blue robed man said, as two octahedral shields, blue in colour, translucent in shade, and about twice the size of his head, manifested just in time to block the swords.


    ¡°Red robes¡­ The Redwin boy? Although I was expecting someone else, you will have to do for now.¡±


    Norren sighed in disappointment, as he felt the resistance of the shields from his sword. Judging from the thickness and integrity of the shields, they did not look like shields that could have been conjured hastily. Yet, the shields had not appeared until the very last moment¡­


    Understanding that he had fallen into his enemy¡¯s trap, Norren slammed his left foot on the ground, forcing himself to¡ª


    ¡°No, you don¡¯t,¡± the Bluebud Wanderer said, extending a blue rope, condensed entirely from his Aspects, from the cuff of his left sleeve, wrapping it around Norren before he could retreat, tying him up with his arms by his side.


    ¡°You are my way out of this storm. How can I let you go so easily?¡±


    ¡°¡­You sure about that?¡± Norren said, not showing any signs of panic on his face. He did not even struggle to break free, choosing to stand quietly in place, facing the blue robed Wanderer¡¯s inquiring gaze with a smile. ¡°How about we make a bet?¡±


    ¡°¡­I thought that the Redwins were supposed to be¡ª


    Hearing a faint sound of something cutting through the air coming from behind him, Norren ducked down just before a shiny white crystal, attached to the head of a stick about two arms thick, whizzed past where his head had just been, heading straight towards the blue robed Wanderer¡¯s head, only to crash into the translucent blue curtain of light hovering in front of the blue robed Wanderer.


    The crash was not loud, nor did it result in something flashy. Yet, for a fraction of a moment, time almost came to a standstill, as waves after waves of ripples spread out from where the staff met the shield. In the end though, it was still the shield that came out on top. But the staff had done its job, catching the blue robed Wanderer off guard, distracting him long enough for Norren to quickly break free of the rope, and roll back into the thick, dark storm surrounding the blue robed Wanderer.Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.


    ¡°Bastard!¡± Norren cried out towards Zain. ¡°Are you trying to kill me too?¡±


    ¡°Huh? There is no need to thank me,¡± Zain said, using the reactionary force from the shield to withdraw his staff, before retreating back into the storm. Or at least tried to. But how could the Bluebud Wanderer let his only chance of retreating safely from the sandstorm slip past him so easily.


    ¡°Stay here!¡± the blue robed man yelled, bringing his palms near his chest, before slamming them against each other, releasing a wave of blue, green, and purple lights that spread towards the two Wanderers who had just tried to attack him¡­ and three more Wanderers.


    ¡°¡­Idiots,¡± Fran cursed, using his shield to block the wave of light, only to be flung back by a few metres from the force of the impact.


    ¡°¡­Huh?¡± Zain mumbled, ducking down under the wave of light, glancing towards the direction Fran¡¯s voice had come from. ¡°Did someone say anything? No, wait, why does there seem to be one person missing¡­ Don¡¯t tell me someone took on that attack head on?¡±


    ¡°¡­Focus on the man in front of us,¡± Ralph said from the side, using his spear to regain his balance, before rushing towards the blue robed Wanderer. He was still a step slower than Aren though.


    Wielding his dagger close to his chest, the pink robed Star Seeker had been running as low to the ground as he could. So, when the ring of light reached him, he just let himself fall to the ground, using his momentum to roll forward and pass under the wave, before getting back to his feet and stabbing his dagger towards the Bluebud Wanderer¡¯s groin, only for the shield hovering in front of the man¡¯s chest to move on its volition and stop the dagger before it could reach its master.


    ¡°Five of you teaming up against one of me, I must say, you are looking up to me,¡± the Bluebud Wanderer said, paying no attention to pink robed Wanderer retreating away from him. Or the brown robed Wanderer wielding his spear, only to be blocked by his shield, just like rest of the pathetic Wanderers in front of him.


    ¡°If I was ignorant, and did not know of your conditions, I might even have been scared into fleeing.¡±


    Instead of worrying about the Wanderers attacking him, the Bluebud Wanderer leisurely separated his palms, revealing a translucent bluish purple sphere hovering in front of his chest, that thumped like a heart, and expanded like the Wanderer¡¯s greed.


    ¡°But there are no ifs¡­¡±


    Before anyone could react to the sudden appearance of the sphere, it had already expanded to the size of around ten metres in diameter, covering all five Wanderers around him.


    ¡°¡­What is that?¡± Zain said, staring at the faint blue light flickering all around them that even the storm could not swallow.


    ¡°¡­A cage,¡± Fran mumbled, glancing around him in a daze. The storm was still raging as fiercely as ever. He could barely even see Zain¡¯s vague figure. As for the rest¡­ he could only guess their positions through the faint distorted sounds of their voices. Yet, as he felt the familiar feeling wash over him, he knew, that even if he were to try, he would not be able to leave beyond the boundaries of the bluish purple light flickering around them.


    ¡°Give up,¡± the Bluebud Wanderer said. ¡°You cannot escape. And you are in no position to fight. Giving up is your only way of survival. As long as you listen to me, I promise that I will not¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­What is the Bluebud bastard saying?¡±


    ¡°¡­Probably asking us to surrender.¡±


    ¡°Surrender? Is he serious?¡±


    ¡°¡­It looks like it.¡±


    ¡°Should it not be the other way around?¡±


    ¡°¡­Why don¡¯t you go tell that to him?¡±


    ¡°¡­Forget it. It looks like he has a little problem with his head. We better put our efforts into defeating him.¡±


    ¡°¡­He is not as stupid as the last Wanderer.¡±


    ¡°Does that even need to be said? Though, in front of me, all our enemies can only be said to be stupid, still, this Bluebud bastard does have his own strong points,¡± Zain said, and paused for a moment, before continuing. ¡°How much time do we have left?¡±


    ¡°¡­Less than one minute.¡±


    ¡°¡­What are we waiting for then?¡±


    ¡°¡­The signal,¡± Fran said, raising his shield in front of him, while pushing his legs into the ground, taking on a charging stance. He was not finished with his preparations though. There was still something missing. After all, how could a charge without Aspects deserve to be called as a charge?


    Hollowing out his Spirit Power down to its very last drop, Fran gathered what little Aspects he could around his feet, and the centre of his shield. And yet, he still felt that something was missing. That his charge was not ready¡­ Subduing his dizziness, and a headache that threatened to devour him whole, he glanced around himself, and recalled the day¡ª


    Fran finally knew what was missing. So, he did not delay in channelling the fire hidden within his Heart to the shield he was carrying, and letting out a war cry fuelled by his very soul, penetrating tens of metres with his voice, before charging straight towards the Bluebud Wanderer.

 Chapter 55: Teamwork [Part 3]

    ¡°¡­At least give me a heads up before charging!¡± Zain cursed, as he rushed behind Fran, while squeezing every last drop of his Spirit Power to boost his speed and strength. On the other side, after hearing Fran¡¯s war cry, Aren, Ralph, and Norren also began rushing towards the Bluebud Wanderer, reaching the blue robed Wanderer¡¯s side at almost the same time, with barely a fraction of a moment¡¯s difference between their arrival.


    ¡°It looks like you will not understand the gap between us until I beat it into your heads,¡± the Bluebud Wanderer said, shaking his head. From how the shields around him had multiplied in number though, increasing from two to eight, constantly rotating around him, protecting him from all sides possible, it looked like the blue robed Wanderer had never expected them to give up, and was probably using his words to delay their action, while he completed his preparations.


    ¡°Remember, you brought this upon yourselves.¡±


    ¡°¡­Just shut up, and¡ª


    ¡°Blue Lotus Transformation, Third Circle of the First Turn, Blue Lotus Foetus,¡± the Bluebud Wanderer said. ¡°Lightning Paradise.¡±


    It started with a crackle, spreading from the Bluebud Wanderer¡¯s fingers to the ground under his feet, before jumping from the ground to the walls of the translucent bluish sphere right behind him. And though the lightning could not escape pass the walls, it did not stay confined in a place either. No, it spread around the translucent walls like ink spreads on water, dyeing the entire sphere in its bluish gold shade, with a hint of lightning flashing every now and then.


    Yet, the lightning was not done transforming the sphere. After all, with all the lightning confined to the walls, how could the sphere be considered as a paradise for lightning? At best, it could only be a Lightning Cage. For it to become a lightning paradise, it needed something special. It needed a conductor. It needed a trigger. So, the Bluebud Wanderer raised his right hand in the air, before crushing the lotus shaped token in his fist, beckoning the lighting around him.


    ¡°Come,¡± he said. And so, they came. One at first, as if a little hesitant to answer his call, striking the ground next to his feet. After the first lightning bolt answered his call though, two more came to him, rushing to his call like children rushing to their father. Then came four more, disregarding their hesitation for the freedom they were being offered. And once they had a taste of freedom, they could not go back. Eight, sixteen, thirty two¡­


    In the blink of an eye, all the lightning bolts within the sphere lost their hesitation, jumping out of the cage they had been restricted in, to the paradise waiting for them, tasting the freedom they had been promised. Except for a small area near the Bluebud Wanderer, there was not an inch of land they could not reach. And if there was something that hindered their movements, they just blasted their way through. It was, after all, their paradise. A paradise of lightning.


    Unfortunately, wild as they were, lightnings were very short lived creatures. Although the dome, five metres above the ground, constantly kept giving birth to more of their kind, the lightning sphere also had its limits. The more lightning bolts it gave birth to, the less it looked like a lightning cage, retuning to its original shade of bluish purple, until finally, when the last lightning bolt struck the ground, the sphere turned illusory, before disintegrating into countless tiny shards, and fading away in the storm.


    However, whether it was the illusory sphere, or the lightning bolts it gave birth to, they had all completed what they had been summoned for. Trapping the five pathetic Wanderers who had dared to defy his clan, and ravaging them all to an inch before their deaths.


    Battered, with patches of blue and black bruises covering their entire bodies, all five of the stupid Wanderers who had dared to oppose him were lying on the ground, stiff, and paralysed. They were still alive, but they were all probably wishing that they were dead. After all, the pain of being bombarded with hundreds of Golden Lightning of Virtue, even if it was a lesser virtue, was not something that Wanderers in their exhausted state should have been able to bear.


    ¡°¡­Look at what you made me do,¡± the Bluebud Wanderer said, shaking his head with a feigned sigh, and pity, as he dismissed the shields hovering around him. ¡°If only you could have been obedient, you would not have had to suffer so much.¡±


    The Bluebud Wanderer paused for a moment, and glanced around himself, frowning at the storm still raging as strong as ever, before turning towards the pathetic Wanderers lying at his feet with a mocking smile.


    ¡°It looks like your companions have no intention of saving you.¡±


    Shaking his head, the Bluebud Wanderer waved his hand, releasing five clusters of blue light, which soon morphed into ropes as they flew towards the five Wanderers lying on the ground, before tying them up, and dragging them back to his side.


    ¡°Worry not though. I will not let you die so easily. No, death will be too great a reward for you. I have much better plans for you.¡±If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    The Bluebud Wanderer paused, as he felt the wind around him getting noticeably slower, and tame, as the sandstorm itself turned from pitch black to a greyish shade, with much more visibility than before.


    ¡°Well, well, well¡­ Would you look at this? The sandstorm begins to die out the moment I capture you¡­ It looks like your companions do care for you. Unfortunately for them¡ª


    The five Star Seekers opened their eyes at the same time, before jumping on the Bluebud Wanderer in unison. It did not matter if their limbed were tied. Just their mouth itself was enough. Norren, Fran, Ralph, and Zain bit one of the Bluebud Wanderer¡¯s limbs each, using the weight of their bodies to bring him down to the ground, and keep him pinned.


    ¡°What¡ª


    While the Bluebud Wanderer was still reeling with shock, staring at them with wide eyes, and had yet to come to his senses, Aren jumped on him, and bit through his neck, giving the man no chance to make a comeback. Just to be sure, he spat all the flesh and blood in his mouth, before biting down once again. And again. Even when the rope around him disappeared, he did not stop, and kept biting. Again. And again. And again. And again. And¡ª


    ¡°It is enough, Aren,¡± Vestia said, placing her hand on Aren¡¯s shoulder, forcefully pulling him away from the Bluebud Wanderer, staring the clear sky above their head with empty eyes. ¡°He is dead.¡±


    Aren stiffened as he came back to his senses. And along with the return of his senses, also came the understanding of what he had done. The taste of blood in his mouth¡­ The pieces of flesh stuck in his teeth¡­ Shivering, both in fright, and shock, he felt the world around him spin, and slip from under him, as darkness came over mind. But not before he saw the neck of the Bluebud Wanderer, or at least what was left of it. Strips of flesh, and muscles, barely sticking to a jagged bone connecting the man¡¯s head to his body¡­


    ¡°Maybe sleep is better for him¡­¡±


    ¡°Not just for him,¡± Yuri said, glancing at the rest of the five-man squad, all passed out, while still biting on to the Bluebud Wanderer¡¯s limbs. ¡°It is a miracle that they held on for so long.¡±


    ¡°¡­That is the miracle of my potions, alright?¡±


    ¡°¡­It is the people who drank those potions that create the miracle¡­¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s five Innate Breath potions! Five! Do you even know how much I paid for this plan?¡±


    ¡°And whose fault was it that we were forced to fall back to such a plan in the first place?¡±


    ¡°Tsk¡­ You are speaking as if you had a better plan yourself.¡±


    ¡°¡­I am beginning to wonder if we did the right thing¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­What has happened, has already happened. There is no use thinking about it,¡± Vestia said, shaking her head. ¡°Besides, it is not as if they had any other choice. Unless they chose to give up walking further on their paths, they had to do it on their own.¡±


    ¡°¡­I almost made Alnea fail to keep his promise.¡±


    ¡°¡­Is that what you are worried about?¡± Vestia said, before pointing at the men on the ground. ¡°They are going to be pretty sad after they heard your words, you know?¡±


    ¡°¡­If they have time left after being proud of themselves.¡±


    ¡°¡­I can imagine that happening,¡± Vestia said, while chuckling to herself. ¡°Especially Zain¡­ Just the thought of him jumping around with his smug face all day is beginning to get on my nerves¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­He is just a little childish.¡±


    ¡°¡­This is why I like Alnea so much. He is much calmer in things that matters.¡±


    ¡°¡­Just when I thought I was beginning to like you¡­¡±


    ¡°Hey, you can still like me and be my rival, can¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°Stop dreaming.¡±


    ¡°But you and Cecilia get along so well.¡±


    ¡°¡­Cecilia was never my rival.¡±


    ¡°¡­Are you two talking about me behind my back?¡± Cecilia said, dragging her tired body back to their side, with Karl following right in tow, sporting a tired and gloomy look that asked everyone to leave him alone. Still, with the two taking down their enemies, of the Star Seekers, only Alnea was left dealing with the last Pinkbud Wanderer¡ª


    And just like that, the last Pinkbud Wanderer also fell down, just as the last vestiges of the sandstorm settled down, returning the scorching tranquillity of the Black Desert back to itself. For as far as one could see, there was only the calm desert, and the lotus platform in the distance, with the Whitebud Wanderer standing next to it, staring at them coldly, etching their faces into his Heart.


    ¡°¡­You are the only one left, Whitebud,¡± Alnea said, bending down to wipe his dagger on the pink robe of the man lying next to his feet, before standing up once again, doing his best to not show any weakness. ¡°Are you going to fight, or are you going to run away?¡±


    ¡°¡­You are far stronger than the information about you suggests.¡±


    ¡°That is not my fault, is it?¡±


    ¡°¡­Even you team¡­¡±


    ¡°Thank you for the compliment.¡±


    ¡°¡­How much of your strength do you have left now?¡±


    ¡°Enough to deal with you.¡±


    ¡°¡­Do you think I will believe your bluff?¡±


    ¡°Stop speaking nonsense,¡± Alnea said, waving his dagger around. ¡°I am too tired for your games. If you want to fight, then fight. If not, then get lost.¡±


    ¡°¡­Filthy unfavoured, you dare¡ª


    ¡°Are you going to decide, or should I come over to help you?¡±


    ¡°¡­I will remember this disgrace,¡± the Whitebud Wanderer said, enunciating each of his words with hatred, carving the shame into his Heart. ¡°And I will have my vengeance, even if it is the last thing I do in my life.¡±


    ¡°¡­If you come looking for me again, then it will surely be the last thing you do in your life.¡±

 Chapter 56: Aftermath of the Storm [Part 1]

    Alnea did not stop the Whitebud Wanderer from hopping back on to his platform, or urging the artifact. If it was an artifact, that is. Then again, nothing else could explain how the Wanderers of the Lotus clan could follow his team without alerting even Yuri and Vestia. For a moment, he could imagine making mistakes, but those two¡­


    Regardless, Alnea had no intention of stopping the Whitebud Wanderer. After all, from what he had observed, the white robed man could use the artifact only to hide his breath and move in the desert. The Lotus itself did not have any means of attacks. It probably did not even allow the Wanderers aboard its petals to launch any attacks, or the Lotus clan would not have announced themselves before launching their ambush.


    For the moment, the Whitebud Wanderer alone, be it on or off the lotus, could not pose any threats to his team. Unless he called for reinforcements. But that would take time. Going back to the city, even with the aid of the artifact, would take hours. Not to mention the time that the man would waste on explaining the need for reinforcements, and bringing everyone back to the desert. By the time the Lotus clan could come searching for him, his team should already be back in the Lost City. Probably.


    The only way that the man could pose him and his team any kind of threat would be by staying back to fight to the death. With the condition that he and his team were in, they would have to pay a considerable price to take down a Peak Stage False Wanderer in a near perfect condition. So, rather than trying to keep the man in the desert, Alnea watched in silence as the lotus began rotating at an ever increasing speed, with its petals soon turning blurry, blending into the scorching desert around the man. And before he knew it, the lotus had almost vanished from his sight.


    Still, it was not until both the lotus and the Whitebud Wanderer had completely faded away, scurrying into the depths of the desert, that he finally let out a sigh, allowing himself to relax. But not for long. Turning around, he dragged his tired body towards the rest of the Star Seekers. Literally. Even with the chains of his Oaths helping him recover his Spirit Power, such an intense use of his Spirit had left him completely drained. Both in his body, and his Spirit. He could already feel his headache getting worse, and his vision turning dark and blurry. And yet, he could not fall. Not at the moment. Not when his team needed him the most.


    ¡°¡­How are they?¡± Alnea asked, after he somehow managed to drag his body back to the Star Seekers. ¡°Is¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­Don¡¯t worry,¡± Yuri said, shaking her head, while walking up to his side with worried eyes. ¡°Their wounds may look serious, but those are just some flesh wounds. They will get better once we return to the city and have them treated.¡±


    ¡°¡­That¡¯s good,¡± Alnea said, letting go of the final stone in his Heart. ¡°As long as they are fine, that¡¯s good¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­Are you not going to ask how I am doing?¡± Cecilia said from the side, puffing up her cheeks to express her dissatisfaction.


    ¡°¡­How are you doing, Lia?¡±


    ¡°Too late.¡±


    ¡°¡­That is because I knew that nothing could happen to you. We were dealing with just some False Wanderers, after all. How could they ever be able to hurt you?¡±


    ¡°Huh... Don¡¯t think that I will forgive you just because you say some nice things about me.¡±


    Although she said so, Alnea could see her dissatisfaction practically melt away from her face, leaving just a wide, satisfied smile in its place.


    ¡°¡­Then I will ask for your forgiveness once we return to the city,¡± Alnea said, smiling wryly, playing along with Cecilia. ¡°I¡ª


    A sharp pain shot through his back, forcing Alnea to stop talking for a few moments, and take a deep breath. One that almost made it seem as if he was gasping for air¡­ That was already the best he could do though. The pain¡­ it was unlike anything he had ever experienced before. He had borne even greater pain when Forging his Spirit, but that was only for his Spirit. For his body¡­


    Besides, the pain had come so abruptly that he did not have the time to prepare himself. If not for his strong will, and excellent self control, he would not have been just gasping for breath. Not that there was anything wrong with showing his pain in front of his teammates. But with an enemy that could turn invisible, and observe them secretly, how could he dare to show his weakness so openly?


    ¡°¡­I also need to ask your forgiveness,¡± Alnea said, turning towards the Star Seekers still standing. ¡°Because of me, you had to face such a dangerous situation¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­I thought that I would die¡ª


    Cecilia stomped Karl¡¯s foot, forcing him to gasp in pain.


    ¡°You¡­¡±


    Gulping down his words, as he saw Cecilia¡¯s glare, Karl quickly changed his words, and said, ¡°But that was just my imagination. Because I know that you would never let me die in front of you, Captain.¡±


    ¡°¡­Stop bullying him, Lia,¡± Alnea said, earning a few disgruntled snorts, along with the title of ¡®ungrateful idiot¡¯, and a promise of a beating when they returned back to the Lost city¡­


    ¡°Regardless, I¡ª


    ¡°¡­We are a team, Alnea,¡± Vestia said, stopping Alnea before he could say anything else. ¡°We are Star Seekers, Wanderers who help each other chase after the Stars they are Seeking. And if in the process, one of us happen to go against the world, then we will help him fight against the whole world. A mere Lotus clan¡­ It is not worth your apology.¡±


    ¡°¡­Star Seekers,¡± Alnea mumbled, glancing at the men lying on the ground. ¡°Although we have been a team in name for nearly a month, this is the first time that we actually feel like a true team.¡±


    ¡°¡­Like they say, nothing brings a group of Wanderers together better than sharing some life and death experiences.¡±


    ¡°¡­I cannot argue with that,¡± Alnea said, letting out a chuckle, only to force himself to shut up when he felt the pain in his back flare up once again. ¡°Still, I owe everyone an apology. If only I had assessed the situation better, and had not been so selfish and irresponsible in my decisions, then we might not have been forced into such a dangerous situation. If you feel that I do not deserve to be your leader anymore¡­¡±Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators!


    ¡°We can discuss that later,¡± Yuri said, pointing to the men lying on the ground. ¡°Although the wounds they suffered may be just some flesh wounds, some of them may still require some immediate care. Right now, our priority should be bringing them back to the city for treatment.¡±


    ¡°¡­I am afraid that we cannot return to the city just yet,¡± Alnea said with a sigh, as his exhaustion increased by one more layer, infecting even his Heart. ¡°Their situation may be dangerous, but travelling in the Black Desert in our current state will be even more dangerous. For now, our highest priority should be recovering as soon as possible. Only when we have enough strength to protect ourselves can we think of returning¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­I agree with everything that you said, but I still think that we should leave this place as soon as possible,¡± Karl said, with gloom practically seeping out from his body. ¡°Trust me, I would like nothing better than resting myself. And I surely would not like to walk into another trap. But is it really safe here? Even if we ignore the scorching heat, or their injuries¡­ Can we really avoid the attacks of other Oren Beasts and Wanderers by just staying in place? Especially after the commotion we made¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­Although the movements we made earlier were quite loud, no Wanderer or Oren Beast would deliberately move towards a sandstorm¡­ This should be the safest place in the desert¡­ At least for a while. But you are right. Until we are out in the Black Desert, we cannot be really considered to be safe. So, we might need some external help,¡± Alnea said, sighing once again, before turning towards the blue robed woman. ¡°Vestia¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­I do not mind sharing it with you, but¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­With half of us being incapacitated, having just one or two of us recover will not be enough.¡±


    ¡°¡­I do not have an endless stock of potions, you know?¡±


    ¡°Stingy woman,¡± Cecilia said, clicking her tongue in disgust. ¡°It is just some potions.¡±


    ¡°¡­Who was the one who sneakily drank my potion?¡±


    ¡°¡­If it was so precious, you should not have kept it lying around like that.¡±


    ¡°¡­It is my potion. I think I have the right to keep it however I like.¡±


    ¡°¡­Now that I think about it, you clearly said that it was water, and you also knew that I was thirsty. And yet, you so carelessly put in front of me¡­ You were clearly baiting me into drinking your potion¡­ You vixen, what are you planning?¡±


    ¡°¡­How did you stealing my potion become my fault?¡±


    ¡°Stop trying to¡ª


    ¡°That is enough, Lia,¡± Alnea said, shaking his head at Cecilia, signalling her to stop bothering Vestia. ¡°You should have already guessed that Vestia was just shy to share her potion with you directly. There is no need to embarrass her.¡±


    ¡°¡­I am not embarrassing her. But we really do need the potions¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­It is exactly because we need the potions that we must restrain ourselves. Forcing others to hand over things just because we need it¡­ If we really do something like that, what would be the difference between us and those like the Lotus clan?


    ¡°¡­Then what are we going to do?¡±


    ¡°¡­It is not as if there are no other ways to recover our Spirit Power,¡± Yuri said, glancing towards the battered corpses of the Oren Beasts. ¡°We would just have to¡ª


    ¡°My apologies for interrupting, but I never said that I will not share my potions, did I?¡± Vestia said, feigning a hint of anger and dissatisfaction on her face. ¡°Besides, talking about others in a third person perspective right in front of them is bad manners.¡±


    ¡°But you said earlier¡ª


    ¡°I said that I do not have an endless stock of potions, not that I will not share them. No matter what you say, I am also a Star Seeker. One of the very first, in fact. I was there when we came up with the name of our team. And I even contributed my Medals just to deepen Alnea¡¯s image as our Captain in everyone¡¯s Heart. Having invested so much in our team, how can I be stingy with something like potions when everyone¡¯s life depends on it?¡±


    ¡°¡­Are you really willing to share your potions?¡±


    ¡°Of course,¡± Vestia said, flashing her dimples to Alnea, before showing a hint of hesitation on her face. ¡°However, using five potions at once¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­Don¡¯t worry,¡± Alnea said. ¡°We will compensate you for the potion¡ª


    ¡°No need,¡± Vestia said, shaking her head. ¡°The value of each potion in itself is not much. Just ten False Oren Stones, or around a hundred Blood Coins each. It is just that¡­ every potion that we use is one less potion in my stock. And the only place I can replenish my stock is in the Erwein Forests¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­Stop talking around in circles,¡± Cecilia said, furrowing her brows, and waving her hand to express her impatience. ¡°Just tell us whether you are going to share the potions or not.¡±


    ¡°¡­I can share the potions, but I should be able to get something in return, right? That is what a team is, after all. A group of Wanderers gathering together because of their shared interests¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­How much do you want for the potions?¡± Cecilia said, continuing to pressure Vestia. ¡°A hundred Blood Coins? Two hundred Blood Coins?¡±


    ¡°¡­I am not short of Blood Coins¡­ or Oren Stones for that matter.¡±


    ¡°¡­What do you want then?¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s see¡­ How about a day out with Alnea?¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°A day with Alnea,¡± Vestia said, flashing her dimples once again. ¡°Just me and him.¡±


    ¡°Impossible!¡± Cecilia said, unconsciously moving closer to Alnea, trying to pull him behind herself, all the while glaring at Vestia, ready to fight her at any moment. Even Forne, feeling the changes in her mood, arched its back, while hissing at Vestia, warning her to back away. ¡°What are you planning, vixen?¡±


    ¡°¡­I have already told you what I am planning, have I not?¡± Vestia said, replacing her smile with a sad and aggrieved look. ¡°I just want to spend some time with our Captain¡­ Is that too much to ask?¡±


    ¡°You¡­¡±


    ¡°It is alright, Lia,¡± Alnea said, shaking his head, before reaching out to¡ª


    The sharp pain came back as soon as Alnea raised his hands, forcing him to stop in his actions. The pain¡­


    ¡°Not, it is not alright. You don¡¯t know, she¡ª


    ¡°And I don¡¯t want to know either,¡± Alnea said, allowing his hands to return to his side, while trying not to gasp for breaths. ¡°Right now, the most important thing for us is to get back to the city as soon as possible. Besides, she is not asking for too much.¡±


    ¡°Yuri, talk some sense into him!¡±


    ¡°¡­He is right,¡± Yuri said, letting out a tired sigh, while glancing coldly at Vestia. ¡°Right now, agreeing to her conditions is the best choice.¡±


    ¡°But she is a Weina!¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you trust him?¡±


    ¡°I do, but¡­¡±


    ¡°Then that is enough,¡± Yuri said, before turning towards Vestia. ¡°You win this time, but next time, we will be prepared.¡±


    ¡°¡­I just want a day with Alnea,¡± Vestia mumbled, with a hint of loneliness in her voice. ¡°Why do you have to misunderstand me so?¡±


    ¡°¡­Don¡¯t take their words to your Heart, Vestia,¡± Alnea said, shaking his head with a wry smile on his face. ¡°They are just a little shy. In their Hearts, they have already taken you as a friend.¡±


    ¡°We have not!¡±


    ¡°¡­She, a friend?¡±


    ¡°See? Didn¡¯t I tell you so?¡±


    ¡°¡­I do not understand what you are tyring to make me see here,¡± Vestia said, as the grievance on her face melted away to make way for confusion. ¡°But I will believe you.¡±


    ¡°Vixen.¡±


    ¡°¡­Vixen, indeed.¡±


    ¡°¡­It is just their way of accepting you¡­ Anyways, I promise to spend a day with you after we return to the Lost City.¡±


    ¡°¡­Thank you, Alnea.¡±

 Chapter 56: Aftermath of the Storm [Part 2]

    Reaching into the blue pouch hanging by her waist, Vestia took out five vials, similar to the ones she had given him the day before, handing four of them out to the Star Seekers still standing, while keeping one for herself.


    ¡°You should already know how to use the potion¡­¡± Vestia said to Alnea. ¡°Just a reminder. Although the potion can help in quickly restoring Spirit Power and physical strength, it cannot heal your wounds.¡±


    ¡­He had almost forgotten that Vestia could observe everything happening within the sandstorm. And since Yuri had been sharing her senses¡­


    ¡°¡­Wounds?¡± Cecilia mumbled, before turning towards Alnea with worry. ¡°Are you wounded?¡±


    ¡°¡­It is nothing to worry about,¡± Alnea said, turning his eyes away from the girls, while trying not to move too much. The pain¡­ It was only getting worse with every passing moment, spreading from his back to his legs. Even breathing was beginning to become a little difficult. But that was all the more reason why he could not show his weakness. Not while they were still within the Black Desert.


    Probably that was also why Yuri and Vestia had not overreacted yet. Or why Yuri did not resist Vestia¡¯s condition. Whether it was for him, or for the Star Seekers lying on the ground, they really did need to get back to the city as possible. Still, what kind of Arcana had the Pinkbud Wanderer hit him with anyway? And why had its effects not been cleared yet?


    ¡°Just a little scratch.¡±


    ¡°¡­If it was a scratch, the vixen would not have mentioned it specifically¡­ Hey, vixen, don¡¯t you have any healing potions?¡±


    ¡°¡­Healing potions cannot be used with restoring potions, Cecilia,¡± Yuri answered for Vestia. ¡°That is the basic common knowledge that all Wanderers know.¡±


    ¡°Huh? Is that so?¡±


    ¡°¡­It is alright, Lia. I am fine,¡± Alnea said, forcing himself to smile, as he waved his hand to dismiss Cecilia¡¯s worries. ¡°If you don¡¯t believe me, you should at least believe the robe I am wearing.¡±


    ¡°Your robe,¡± Cecilia mumbled, with the worry in her eyes fading away, being replaced with relief. ¡°That¡¯s right. How can you get hurt with your robe¡­ I almost fell for the vixen¡¯s words.¡±


    Cecilia turned towards Vestia with a pout, glaring at blue robed girl as if daring her to a fist fight. Yet, instead of stopping her, Alnea let out a smile. That too, not the fake kind, which he used to reassure the girls, but a true smile that came from within his Heart. Such was the euphoria flowing from his Heart, that not even the pain flowing in his veins could stop it from surfacing on his face. The situation they were in though¡­


    No, Alnea said to himself. Their situation may not be appropriate for a smile, but it was not too grim either. He had, after all, kept his promise. No one had died on his watch. That alone was worth a smile. Besides, after all that he had been through, he had no intention of suppressing his emotions. On the contrary, he treated letting go of his emotions as a reward to himself. A reward for his plan finally succeeding for once.


    The past month¡­ It had been nothing short of a disaster. First failing to complete the goals he had set for himself, and then leading his team directly into the Lotus clan¡¯s ambush the first time they walked out of the city, things had not been going quite like how he had planned for them to go. Even in the Night Canyons, the encounter with the Heterodox Wanderers, and resonating with his Roots had not exactly been a part of his plans. The last thing he needed at the moment was another failure.


    Fortunately, Cecilia did not disappoint him. Though he could not relax just yet. Unlike Cecilia, Yuri was not so easy to fool. Thankfully, aware of how dangerous their situation was, she did not say anything to dismantle his lies. At least not out loud for everyone to hear.


    ¡°¡­How many Blood Crystals did you detonate?¡±


    ¡°¡­I don¡¯t know what you are talking about.¡±


    ¡°¡­Really? Then do you dare to share your senses with me, and let me see for myself?¡±


    ¡°¡­How did you guess it?¡±


    ¡°¡­The way you moved at the end, and the strength you showed¡­ were far beyond the limits of even your peak state. Then there is your wound. Your robe may have cleaned itself up, but I saw the moment your blood burst forth from your back¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­I was hoping that you had not seen that¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­Are you still bleeding?¡±


    ¡°No¡­ The burst of energy quickly sealed up the wounds.¡±


    ¡°And then wreaked havoc inside your body?¡±


    ¡°¡­We have to pay a price for the strength we gain¡­ Especially the strength which we have no control over¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­Had you controlled the Blood Crystals you detonated to spread out, or better yet, lowered the number of Crystals you detonated¡­¡±


    ¡°Then the strength I would have gained would not have been enough to end the battle in time. Even after detonating my Blood Crystals, I still failed to make it in time, and let one of the Wanderers escape¡­¡±If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement.


    ¡°Fool.¡±


    ¡°¡­What?¡±


    ¡°¡­Nothing,¡± Yuri said, and paused for a moment, before continuing. ¡°How bad is your situation?¡±


    ¡°¡­I can hold on for a while.¡±


    ¡°¡­Then hurry up,¡± Yuri said, opening the vial, and downing its contents in a gulp. ¡°We have to return to the city to get you treated as soon as possible.¡±


    ¡°¡­It is not as if we can hurry up our recovery just because we want to,¡± Alnea mumbled, before focussing his attention to the rest of the Star Seekers. ¡°Who is going to take the first watch?¡±


    ¡°¡­The first watch?¡±


    ¡°Of course. You do not expect us to just sit out here, in the middle of the Black Desert, with no one to keep the guard, right? Even if this is safest place in the desert right now, it is still a part of the Black Desert. We can never be too careful. At the very least, one of us should be keeping guard at all moments.¡±


    ¡°¡­That does seem to be the safer option,¡± Karl mumbled, glancing between the girls, before hesitantly raising his hand. ¡°I¡ª


    ¡°Then let me guard first,¡± Vestia said, smiling nonchalantly. ¡°I have already used one recovery potion earlier¡ª


    ¡°So did I,¡± Cecilia added from the side. ¡°I can also take the first watch.¡±


    ¡°But you personally went into battle, while I watched from the side.¡±


    ¡°And created a whole sandstorm to trap our enemies. I am sure that you are more exhausted.¡±


    ¡°Relatively. In terms of amount of Spirit Power, I am sure that I still have more Spirit Power at my disposal right now. After all, I was originally a Peak Stage False Wanderer to begin with. You, on the other hand¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­Don¡¯t be too smug. I will catch up to you soon anyway.¡±


    ¡°I am waiting for the day¡­¡±


    ¡°It is decided then,¡± Alnea said, stepping in between Cecilia and Vestia before they could jump at each other¡¯s throats. ¡°Vestia will keep the first watch, followed by Karl, Cecilia, Yuri, and then me. Let¡¯s limit the watch to half an hour each. In total, everyone will have two hours to rest and recover. That should be enough for us to recover some of our combat power. At least enough to return to the Lost City safely¡­ Probably.¡±


    ¡°See? I told you Alnea would believe in me.¡±


    ¡°¡­He just does not want to see me tired,¡± Cecilia said with snort. ¡°And you never said anything like that.¡±


    ¡°Huh? Did I not? Then would it alright if I say it now?¡±


    ¡°¡­Stop teasing her, Vestia,¡± Alnea said, with his exhaustion leaking into his voice. ¡°The sooner we recover, the sooner we get back to the city, the sooner we can get the rest treated.¡±


    ¡°¡­I will let her go, but only because you are asking me to¡­¡±


    ¡°Who is letting go of whom? Do you dare¡ª


    ¡°Lia¡­¡±


    ¡°Tsk¡­ Fine. I will deal with the vixen when we return to the city.¡±


    ¡°¡­Thank you, Lia,¡± Alnea said, before back turning towards Vestia. ¡°There is one more thing I would like to trouble you with, Vestia.¡±


    ¡°There will be no troubles. As long as it is something you want¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­There is another reason why I asked you to take the first watch,¡± Alnea said, gesturing to the bodies of the Wanderers lying around them. ¡°Since our enemies came out to specifically to ambush us, they should not be carrying anything too precious. Still, they were from an Orthodoxy, even if a declining one. Not to mention that all of them were Peak Stage False Wanderers. They should still have quite a few valuables on their bodies. I hope that you can search their bodies, and collect all their valuable items¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­You want to let a girl like me deal with so many corpses?¡± Vestia said, staring at Alnea with wide eyes, with colour draining from her face.


    ¡°¡­Let me complete first,¡± Alnea said, ignoring Cecilia¡¯s laughter from the side. ¡°After you have collected all their valuables, you will have the first right to choose your share. As long as the value of the items do not exceed one tenth of the entire collection, you can take whatever you want. No one will say anything.¡±


    ¡°¡­But I am not too short of Blood Coins or Oren Stones¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­And I will listen to your arrangements on our day off. The day we are supposed to spend together¡­¡±


    ¡°No¡ª


    ¡°Deal!¡± Vestia said hurriedly, as if afraid that he would take back his words. ¡°I mean, this is what I should do¡­ Everyone is tired, after all. And it is not like I will be doing anything else while keeping a watch, so I might as well deal with the bodies¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­Damn vixen.¡±


    ¡°¡­I am really beginning to doubt my decisions now¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­Stop looking at me like that, will you? It is not as if I am going to eat him¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­I cannot believe anything you say now¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­If you dare to do anything¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­Alright, you three¡­ Stop playing around,¡± Alnea said, stepping in between the girls once again, trying to end the farce as soon as possible. At least before his headache and the pain flowing in his veins could force him to the ground. Although they should be safe for a while, he could not be sure that there were no enemies lurking around. Even if the possibility was small, he could not afford to take the risk.


    ¡°It is time¡ª


    ¡°¡­Who is playing with her?¡±


    ¡°¡­I agree with Cecilia¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­I do not mind playing with you two though¡­¡±


    ¡°Enough,¡± Alnea said, a bit more forceful than before. ¡°Don¡¯t forget that we are still in the Black Desert. If you have the leisure to play around, you better spend your time recovering as soon as possible so that we can return to the city that much sooner. If not for your own sake, then for the sake of our companions waiting for us to bring them back to the city to get them treated.¡±


    ¡°¡­I was not playing around,¡± Cecilia mumbled, puffing out her cheeks in dissatisfaction, before sitting down on the scorching black sand right where she was standing, and downing the contents of the vial in her hand. It was only then that Alnea realised how rude he was. Even if he had reason on his side¡­


    ¡°¡­I am sorry, Lia¡­ I¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­It¡¯s alright. Just don¡¯t shout at me next time.¡±


    ¡°¡­I won¡¯t. I promise,¡± Alnea said, binding himself with another set of chains. Not a very bright idea, considering how he was already on the verge of fainting from exhaustion. Some things though, could not be done according to logic¡­


    ¡°You too, Yuri and Vestia. I promise not to be so rude next time¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­It¡¯s alright, Alnea. I do not mind your tough attitude¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­Unlike the pervert next to me, I would prefer if you would think about the consequences of your actions first,¡± Yuri said. ¡°And I hope you know what action I am talking about.¡±


    ¡°¡­I am sorry¡­ I¡­ It just felt right¡­¡±


    ¡°Forget it. Stop talking so much, and just go rest. You need it more than the rest of us.¡±

 Chapter 57: An unfulfilled Oath [Part 1]

    The Black Desert was one of the three Forbidden Areas of Rianra, pregnant with countless unknown dangers, some even strong enough to claim the lives of Mystic Wanderers. Over its seemingly eternal existence, there were even instances of Grand Wanderers losing their lives in the desert. Yet, it was not as if the desert did not have any rules. As any Forbidden Area would have, the Black Desert also had its own core, the Lost City. Or maybe it was the Lost City which was built on the core of the Black Desert.


    In any case, the Lost City acted as the core of the Black Desert, regulating all its dangers. The closer one was to the Lost City, the less dangerous it would be. Of course, the danger near the edges of the desert was also not high. Probably just enough to kill some inexperienced True Wanderers. As for the areas which could threaten the experienced True Wanderers, and in special circumstances, even some Mystic Wanderers, they were scattered in patches between the Lost City and the edges of the desert.


    Thankfully, the part of the Black Desert that Alnea and his Star Seekers were in was very close to the Lost City. Probably just around fifty to sixty kilometres. After all, though they had left the city before dawn, most of their time had been spent in fighting, rather than travelling itself. So, the greatest danger that they could face at the moment, if any, could only be some lone peak phase Oren Beasts wandering to their location out of pure curiosity. If someone did not play a dirty trick behind the scenes once again, that is.


    Still, it was not as if they had any choice. They truly were not in any condition to move. Especially the five men lying on the ground, and Alnea himself, on the verge of fainting from pain. Both from the burden of his Spirit, and his body. The Blood Crystal Detonation Style¡­ Pulling his five incapacitated team members away from the corpse of the Bluebud Wanderer, Karl, Vestia and Yuri arranged them in a little more comfortable position. Vestia even sprinkled some of her potion on their bruised bodies.


    ¡°Just some trauma medicine,¡± Vestia said. ¡°It should help them ease the pain a little. They still need proper treatment though. The attack they suffered towards the end¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­So, we must return to the city as soon as we can,¡± Alnea said, sitting down on the ground with his back to Aren¡¯s body. ¡°I will give them some first aid after I recover my Spirit Power, but it is only in the city that they can get proper treatment.¡±


    ¡°¡­We know,¡± Cecilia mumbled, with her impatience leaking to her face, as she changed her position, shifting next to him, placing her back against Zain¡¯s body. ¡°Just get meditating already.¡±


    ¡°She is not wrong,¡± Yuri said, as she sat on his other side, placing her back against Ralph¡¯s body. ¡°The sooner you begin meditating, the sooner you will recover, and the sooner we will be able to return to the city.¡±


    ¡°¡­If you two want me to stop nagging, just say so,¡± Alnea said, with a wry smile on his face, just as Karl sat right behind him, with his back against Norren¡¯s body, completing their defensive circle. A perfect formation to deal with any enemies that might come at them, while protecting their incapacitated teammates. Of course, there were a few scenarios that they could not defend against in their current state. Like being attacked from Oren Beasts from under their feet. Or the ambush of another group of Wanderers. Still, given their condition, it was the best solution they could come up with.


    ¡°¡­I will leave the rest to you Vestia,¡± Alnea said, as he opened the vial in his hands, and downed its contents, before closing his eyes. He heard her say something along the lines of how she had his back, but his headache had increased to the point where he could barely maintain his consciousness, so he stopped paying attention to the things happening around him. Instead, he shifted his attention to the cool, refreshing sensation washing over his body and Spirit.


    Unlike the day before, when he had enough leisure to savour the smell and the taste of the recovery potion, this time, Alnea barely even had the strength to drink the potion in the first place. Savouring its taste? Even if he could, the pain flowing in his veins would not have allowed him to do so. The pain was not truly invincible though. Against the cool sensations washing over his body and Spirit, the pain, both in his veins, and his head, slowly retreated, making way for a refreshing sensation of¡­ freedom.


    That was the only thing Alnea could describe what he was feeling. Freedom. Freedom from pain and his worries. From the world around him, and the world within him. Freedom from his own self¡­ Floating amongst the endless forests, swimming in the coolest, and the most refreshing pool, savouring the most exotic fruits¡­ leaving all his worries and burdens behind himself¡­ He was truly free. For the first time in his life, at least since he had laid his Roots, Alnea felt free.


    It was a peculiar feeling, freedom. When he did not have it, he always desired it. Yet when it was finally within his grasp, he missed all the burdens and chains that kept binding him, and weighing him down. At some point in time, his worries and burdens had become an inseparable part of himself, something that he could not do without. But that was to be expected. His Heart¡­Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.


    At the beginning, or at least when he found his true Serenity, his Heart had five cores. Five people who meant the world to him. That was true still. There were only five people who meant the world to him. But maybe, just maybe, his world could be a little bigger than just five people. Maybe, it could also include other people around him. Even if not to the extent it had accepted the first five people, just accepting new people in his Heart itself was a big step forward for him.


    Once, Alnea had envisioned creating a Clear Heart for himself based on his own understanding of Serenity. It would have been hard, maybe even impossible, but he had no choice. His Heart was just too selective. It refused to work for anything but those five people. After he had taken the new step though, opening a crack in his Heart for new people come in, he felt that Clearing his Heart was not going to be as difficult as he had thought it would be.


    As for the freedom he was feeling, it was fun for a while, but that was it. It was not meant for him. So, instead of floating above the forest, he came down to the ground, and began walking. Barefoot, of course, feeling every grain of the soil he was stepping on, tracing his fingers on the barks of the tree he was crossing, gently caressing their leaves.


    It was hard, walking in a forest, with his vision and senses reduced to only a few metres around himself. Not to mention the sudden increase in the weight of the air, pressing down on his shoulders, making it hard for him to walk, all the while giving him hints and suggestions, inviting him back to the sky. Still, he refused. Rather than enjoying freedom all by himself, he preferred facing the weight of the world with the people he loved. He¡­


    ¡°Wake up, Alnea.¡±


    Alnea opened his eyes, while stretching out his hands, feeling much more refreshed than before. At the very least, most of his headache was gone, and so was the pain in his body. He still felt a little weak, with sporadic aches all over his body, but they were more like dull pain from broken muscles, rather than the pin pricking sensations he had been experiencing earlier. He was still not at his best, but it would do.


    ¡°Is it two hours already?¡±


    ¡°Probably,¡± Yuri said, squatting down in front of him, while looking at him with her charming smile, reminding him once again, why he preferred the weight of responsibility over the loneliness of freedom. ¡°If the others also changed their shifts on time.¡±


    ¡°¡­It¡¯s fine,¡± Alnea said, pushing himself off the ground, and stretching out to wake up his limbs. ¡°I have recovered as much as I can anyway.¡±


    ¡°¡­But you have still not recovered completely.¡±


    ¡°¡­The sequela of detonating Blood Crystals is not so easy to recover from,¡± Alnea said with a wry smile. ¡°I should not have any problems in moving around normally though, or even fighting against normal Peak Stage False Wanderers.¡±


    ¡°¡­It is my fault,¡± Yuri said, biting her lower lips, as a haze crossed her eyes. ¡°If only I had¡ª


    ¡°It was never your fault,¡± Alnea said, stopping all his actions to look at Yuri right into her crystal blue eyes. ¡°Detonating my Blood Crystals was my own choice.¡±


    ¡°¡­You don¡¯t know. I¡ª


    ¡°And I don¡¯t want to know either,¡± Alnea said, shaking his head. ¡°I just know that without you and Vestia, I would not have taken down the Wanderers of the Lotus clan so easily. And that is enough for me.¡±


    ¡°¡­But you were hurt. And I¡­¡±


    ¡°You already did the best you could, Yuri. There is no need to blame yourself.¡±


    ¡°¡­No, I did not do my best,¡± Yuri said, tearing her eyes away from him, as hints of guilt and embarrassment began to take over her Heart. ¡°I¡ª


    ¡°Look at me, Yuri,¡± Alnea said, cupping Yuri¡¯s cheeks in his hands, and forcing her to look him into his eyes. ¡°After what you did earlier¡­ the way you shared Vestia¡¯s senses with Lia, Karl, and me, who can say that you did not do your best? Even if you held back a little, it was only because of our circumstances. And it is not just you who held back anyway. Vestia, Karl, Lia, and even me, everyone held back a few things. Especially me¡­¡±


    ¡°No, that¡¯s different. That¡¯s because of the backlash of your Roots¡ª


    ¡°Dealing with the backlash of my Roots, or dealing with the a few Grand and Supreme Wanderers¡­ which one do you think is more difficult? Besides, you do not think that I can only fall back to resonating with my Roots at the slightest hint of some troublesome enemies, right? Or are you truly underestimating me?¡±


    ¡°¡­I¡­¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s enough,¡± Alnea said, dropping the solemn look on his face for a warm smile, while pinching Yuri¡¯s face. ¡°Although I like the troubled look on your face, I like your smiling face even more¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­I almost forgot how slick you have grown these days. No wonder the vixen likes to cling to you so much.¡±


    ¡°Ahem.¡± Alnea quickly withdrew his hands from Yuri¡¯s cheeks, while faking a few coughs. ¡°I think you should get some rest¡ª


    ¡°I have already rested enough.¡±


    ¡°The potion¡ª


    ¡°The recovery potion¡¯s effect has almost worn off. Resting for another half an hour or so is not going to help me much.¡±


    ¡°¡­Alright then. Help me keep watch while I give Aren and others some first aid treatment.¡±


    ¡°¡­You are better at finding excuses now than you were before.¡±


    ¡°¡­I don¡¯t understand what you are talking about¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­Just go treat them, and leave the watch to me.¡±

 Chapter 57: An unfulfilled Oath [Part 2]

    Alnea sighed. Sometimes, he missed the cute and innocent¡ª


    No. Not innocent. Cute for sure. And charming. Mesmerising, even. But Yuri was never innocent. At least not when she was alone with him. Not that he did not like her naughty self¡­


    Alnea tore himself away from Yuri¡¯s charming smile, seemingly teasing him, while pouting at him at the same time, turning towards Aren and then rest, trying his best hide the flush on his cheeks. As for his Aspects¡­ He did not have the luxury of wasting what little Spirit Power he had recovered on hiding his embarrassment. Especially considering the injuries of the men lying in front of him.


    ¡°Hiding in the breath of all things alive¡­¡±


    Though Vestia had already sprinkled some trauma medicine on their bodies, it was not enough to deal with their heavier wounds. Like the wound just below Aren¡¯s left shoulder.


    ¡°Seeking the warmth of her evergreen shine¡­¡±


    The wound itself was nasty to begin with. Being bombarded with thunder had only made it worse. Not to mention all the other wounds on his body.


    ¡°I beseech the seeds hidden in the Origin¡­¡±


    And it was not just Aren. Others had also experienced something similar, if to varying degrees. The only good news was that while the thunder had made their wounds worse, it had also stopped their bleeding. Still, Alnea could not leave them as they were.


    ¡°To bequeath unto my hands the Green Touch of Life.¡±


    Squatting down next to Aren, Alnea pressed his hand, glowing in the green glow of life, onto the latter¡¯s wound, the one just below his shoulders, and urged the Mysteries of Life to breathe some vitality into the incapacitated man¡¯s body. In vain. As his only Arcana which had yet to be raised to the Intermediate Stage, the most that the Green Touch could do was treat the most superficial wound. Like soothing the burns along the surface of their skin. Or barely close the hideous wounds spread all over their bodies¡­


    It took Alnea around a tenth of an hour, and a tenth of what Spirit Power he had recovered to deal with the wounds on Aren¡¯s body. Others were slightly less wounded, requiring both, less time and Spirit Power from his part. Still, by the time he was done with all five of them, roughly a third of an hour had passed away. Along with a third of the Spirit Power he had recovered.


    ¡°Are you alright?¡± Yuri asked, when she saw him faltering in his steps a little.


    ¡°¡­I am fine,¡± Alnea said, waving his hands to dismiss her concerns, while making his way back to her side. ¡°It¡¯s just that I used up too much Spirit Power at once¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­Don¡¯t be too hard on yourself.¡±


    ¡°I was not¡ª


    ¡°Sometimes, you should listen to your own words.¡±


    ¡°¡­They deserved it. Especially since all of this¡­ all of their wounds, could have been avoided. Even if I cannot cure them completely, I should do what I can¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­Just don¡¯t blame yourself.¡±


    ¡°I know¡­ Given our circumstances, choosing other ways to deal with those Wanderers would have only made things worse in the long run. Still¡­¡±


    ¡°Do not worry so much. I am sure they will not blame you either.¡±


    ¡°I hope so,¡± Alnea mumbled, as he plopped down on the scorching hot sand. Unaffected by the heat, of course. Ruthless as the desert might be, its indirect wrath was still no match against the thorns his master had personally sewn into his robe.


    ¡°Should we wake them up?¡±


    ¡°¡­There is still some time before your half an hour is up. But if you do not like spending time alone with me anymore then¡ª


    ¡°That¡¯s not true,¡± Alnea said, hurriedly shaking his head. ¡°I like spending time with you the most.¡±


    ¡°Even more so than with big sis Nyssa?¡±


    ¡°¡­That¡¯s different¡ª


    ¡°See, I knew it. You do not like me anymore¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­I like you still,¡± Alnea mumbled. More so than he could ever describe. Even more than¡ª


    ¡°You have Vestia now.¡±


    ¡°But I still like you more¡­¡±


    ¡°So, you do like her?¡±


    ¡°¡­Let¡¯s go out for a day. When we return to the city¡­ Just the two of us.¡±


    ¡°Like how you will go out with Vestia?¡±


    ¡°¡­Can you not say it as if I am playing with your emotions?¡±


    ¡°But you are.¡±


    ¡°I will be going out with Vestia only because she forced it on me. But in your case, I am asking you to go out with me¡­¡±


    ¡°Like how you will be asking Cecilia later?¡±


    ¡°¡­You know everything, don¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°Not everything¡­ Just you.¡±


    ¡°¡­Fine. You win.¡±


    ¡°I always do,¡± Yuri said, with a radiant smile on her face. ¡°When are we going out then?¡±


    ¡°¡­What?¡±


    ¡°After we go back¡­ When will be going out?¡±Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings.


    ¡°But weren¡¯t you against it just now?¡±


    ¡°I was never against the idea. On the contrary, I quite like the notion of just the two of us spending some time by ourselves. Roaming around the city¡­ Even if it is the Lost City, with the smell of blood pervading every corner of the streets¡­ As long as we are together¡­ Unless, of course, you are against it. If so¡ª


    ¡°I was the one who brought up the idea¡ª


    ¡°Stole the idea.¡±


    ¡°¡­Regardless, why would I ever be against being alone with you?¡±


    ¡°So, when will be going out then?¡±


    ¡°How does tomorrow sound?¡±


    ¡°Then when will go out with Vestia?¡±


    ¡°¡­The day after tomorrow?¡±


    ¡°And Cecilia?¡±


    ¡°¡­The day after that?¡±


    ¡°¡­You sure are a busy man.¡±


    ¡°¡­Not for you¡ª


    ¡°Then you would not mind spending another day with me, right?¡±


    ¡°¡­No.¡±


    ¡°That no was suspiciously slow¡­¡±


    ¡°I would never mind spending time with you¡­ Especially with you¡­¡±


    ¡°It is decided then. Tomorrow, and the third day after, you will be spending your time with me.¡±


    ¡°¡­Just keep it a secret from Lia. And Vestia.¡±


    ¡°So, keep it a secret from everyone in general?¡±


    ¡°Well, if you insist.¡±


    ¡°I insist nothing.¡±


    ¡°¡­Otherwise, they might start asking me to spend another day with them too¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­But I can keep a secret or two.¡±


    ¡°Just like the old times?¡±


    ¡°¡­Just like the old times.¡±


    ¡°I still miss those days sometimes¡­ back when everyone used to be together¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­Are you thinking about Aunt Ciena?¡±


    ¡°¡­A little.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I am sure that she will be safe with the Serpia clan.¡±


    ¡°I know. It¡¯s just that she should be worried sick about me. She never handled pressure well¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­I heard about what happened on the day of your Spirit Awakening Ritual. But like I said, don¡¯t worry. Aunt Ironia will take good care of her.¡±


    ¡°¡­I hope so¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­Are you not worried about big sis Serena?¡±


    ¡°Worried? About big sis Serena? If anyone, it should be the Thralls who should be worried about her. Or have you forgotten how she took on tens of Enthralled Wanderers all by herself?¡±


    ¡°¡­From their description, it may sound like Enthralled Wanderers and Thralls are a little similar, but there is still a fundamental difference between their essence. And their strength. Besides, as a Thrall Domain, the Grand Chasm itself is a very dangerous place. Much more so than any Forbidden Area. Just the chaotic mix of Mysteries lingering in the air¡­ In short, no matter how strong she is, even big sis Serena should be having a hard time in the Grand Chasm.¡±


    ¡°¡­Maybe,¡± Alnea said, staring into the distance. ¡°But I trust her.¡±


    ¡°That is¡ª


    ¡°I trust her, just as how she trusts me to keep Lia safe. Although we did not make a promise, we have an agreement. And no matter what happens, we are going to keep that agreement.¡±


    ¡°¡­You can be so stubborn at times,¡± Yuri said, shaking her head, before losing all the solemnity from her face for a wide smile. ¡°But that is also your charming point.¡±


    ¡°¡­I would rather have my face be my charming point.¡±


    ¡°¡­You are not so handsome yet.¡±


    ¡°¡­I still have room to grow.¡±


    ¡°¡­That reminds me. How long has it been since I last gave you a haircut?¡±


    ¡°¡­Not long enough,¡± Alnea said, backing away before Yuri could get a hold of his hair.


    ¡°Really?¡± Yuri said, chuckling at how he hurried away from her, while following him step for step, dancing around the rest of the Star Seekers. ¡°I think they have grown long¡ª


    ¡°And I think it is time to wake everyone up.¡±


    ¡°¡­If nothing else, you sure have learned how to deal with other Wanderers in the past month.¡±


    ¡°¡­I am still not as good as you though,¡± Alnea said, ensuring to keep a hand¡¯s distance from the girl planning the murder of his hair, while trying to keep his voice as low as he could. ¡°And you do not count among other Wanderers anyway.¡±


    ¡°¡­Are you trying to deflect the topic by making me happy?¡±


    ¡°I am just stating the truth.¡±


    ¡°Then why are you running away from me?¡±


    ¡°¡­I am just trying to keep a watch on all sides.¡±


    Yuri slowed down, before stopping altogether, and muffling her giggles. She could do nothing about the loneliness in her eyes though, or the relief on her face.


    ¡°¡­Are you alright?¡± Alnea said, walking back to her side, and holding her hands. ¡°Is something¡ª


    ¡°I am glad that you are growing up, Alnea.¡±


    ¡°Wha¡ª


    ¡°A little sad that I am losing the naive little boy I once used to know.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t¡ª


    ¡°But relieved that you are finally growing into someone who can share my burdens.¡±


    ¡°¡­I still don¡¯t understand what you are talking about¡­¡±


    ¡°Do you remember the Oath you took for me in the Night Canyons?¡±


    ¡°¡­There are so many Oaths that I took for you¡ª


    ¡°Are you trying to show off?¡±


    ¡°¡­But I can guess which Oath you are talking about.¡±


    ¡°¡­I think it is time.¡±


    ¡°¡­Don¡¯t make it sound so ominous.¡±


    ¡°Do you remember what I once told you about the burdens that I have to carry?¡±


    ¡°¡­Trusting the people¡ª


    ¡°Not that part.¡±


    ¡°Leading armies¡ª


    ¡°Do you see any armies here?¡±


    ¡°Dealing with Orthodoxies?¡±


    ¡°¡­I once thought that I would have to wait until you reach the True Rank, before¡­ But the way you are now, I think you are ready to know a few more things about me.¡±


    ¡°But I already know everything about you.¡±


    ¡°Not everything¡­¡±


    ¡°But I have already seen your memories¡­¡±


    ¡°Which I let you see¡­. I am sorry¡­ And trust me when I say that it hurst me too to keep some secrets from you. But there are some things about me which you are not yet ready to know.¡±


    ¡°¡­It doesn¡¯t matter. Like I said, as long as it is something that bothers you, I will share it with you. And if you don¡¯t share it with me, then you already know what might happen to me. You don¡¯t want the Origin Sea to devour me, right?¡±


    ¡°¡­Threatening me with your own Roots¡­ I have seen shameless people, but none as shameless as you.¡±


    ¡°Thank you for the complement.¡±


    ¡°¡­It was not a compliment.¡±


    ¡°I will take it anyway.¡±


    ¡°¡­Thank you.¡±


    ¡°¡­I don¡¯t understand what you are talking about.¡±


    ¡°¡­Just, thank you,¡± Yuri said, quickly pulling him into a hug, and whispering into his ears, before pushing him away and turning towards the rest of the Star Seekers. ¡°Let¡¯s continue this conversation later. On our day out. For now, it would be best if you wake them up. I do not think that letting our injured teammates bake in the scorching heat of the black desert is a good idea.¡±


    ¡°¡­Fine. But this time, I want to know everything¡­ At least everything that you can tell me, and no more philosophical answers.¡±


    ¡°¡­I may not be able to tell you everything, but I promise to tell you everything I can.¡±


    ¡°¡­That is all I need,¡± Alnea said, before following Yuri, and turning back towards his meditating teammates. ¡°Now, let¡¯s get back to the city, and complete this Black Desert Trial.¡±

 Chapter 58: Rewards[Part 1]

    Soft, silvery lights of Orn cascaded down the dark skies, gracing everyone and everything in their path with her warmth. It did not matter if the ones receiving her love were humans, Oren Beasts, or even just some inanimate objects like the black sands. In the eyes of the Goddess of Night, all were equal. And everyone deserved her love equally. Or at least those who could receive her love and grace did.


    The Lost City, proud and adamant to go its own ways, refused to let the soft light dominate within its territory, using the loneliness, despair, and insanity hidden within its own dim red glow to overpower the love and peace pervading in the air, keeping the Wanderers roaming its streets as vigilant as ever. Just to be sure, it spread the stench of blood in the air to further stimulate the nerves of the Wanderers, as if trying its best to keep them from trusting each other.


    There was no space for peace within the Lost City. Except for when Wanderers were in their rooms and manors, of course. Or when they were in the Blood Hall. Large to the point of absurdity, the Blood Hall, standing taller than even fifteen storeys, was emanating the same red light as the rest of the city. Even the stink it carried was the same. If there was any difference, then it could only be the intensity of the stench and light.


    Such a grand building, enshrouded in such a gloomy light¡­ It almost seemed as if the building was made for Heterodox Wanderers to gather and let loose. Coupled with how gloomy the Wanderers themselves were¡­ And yet, somehow, as soon as the Wanderers came near the Blood Hall, they lost most, if not all of their gloominess. They still remained wary of others, but not to the extent of treating the entire world as their enemies.


    Despite its appearance, the Blood Hall was indeed one of the safest places in the Lost City. Coincidentally, other than the Arena, it was also the only place where Wanderers could get treatment for their injuries. If Wanderers could drag their battered body to the Blood Hall, that is. And had enough Blood Coins to afford their treatment. Unlike the free treatment in the Arena, getting treated in the Blood Hall was expensive.


    So expensive, in fact, that even among those who could afford the treatment, unless absolutely necessary, few ever came for the treatment. As such, when Alnea came in with the Star Seekers, there were not many people in the line in front of him. Only two. One with lacerations across his chest and face, and one with severe burns on his left arm from below the elbow. Probably from their battle in the Arena. And they were all being handled by the lone man behind the counter.


    ¡°¡­torn muscles¡­ three bone fractures¡­ bleeding curse¡­ lack of blood¡­ six hundred and fifty Blood Coins¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­second degree burn wounds¡­ nerve damage¡­ partial left eye blindness¡­ four hundred and thirty Blood Coins¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­Next, let¡¯s see,¡± said the man to Alnea. ¡°Muscle fatigue, loss in blood, and lack of vitality, probably from detonating your Blood Crystals. There is also some strain from overuse of other Martial Styles¡­ but no dark wounds. You can probably recover on your own in a week or so. Do you really want me to treat you?¡±


    ¡°¡­I am not here for myself,¡± Alnea said, pointing to the men lying on the giant makeshift stretcher made from the skin and bones of the Oren Beasts they had killed earlier.


    ¡°Your friends?¡±


    ¡°More than friends¡­ They are my teammates.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s all the same,¡± the man said, waving his hand. ¡°Carrying others, and helping them get treated¡­ How refreshing¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­Just treat them.¡±


    ¡°No need to be so impatient,¡± the man said. ¡°From what I can see, they have been wounded for hours. Waiting a couple more minutes is not going to affect them much.¡±


    ¡°¡­I do not wish for them to suffer any more than they already have.¡±


    ¡°¡­Tsk. Fine. Kids these days have no sense of humour. Anyways, it looks like their wounds are quite heavy. Do you want me to treat them completely, or¡ª


    ¡°I want them to get the best treatment.¡±


    ¡°It is going to be expensive¡­¡±


    ¡°How much?¡±The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    ¡°Let¡¯s see¡­¡± the man mumbled, before squinting his eyes, flashing with green light, at the injured Star Seekers. ¡°Second degree burns all over their bodies, multiple hairline and major fractures, internal injuries, and numerous torn muscles¡­ Where exactly did your teammates get such wounds?¡±


    ¡°¡­In the Black Desert Trials¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­Forget it. It does not matter to me anyway. I just need to treat them¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­How much?¡±


    ¡°¡­Details will be known only after I begin healing them, but it should be around ten thousand Blood Coins. Do you think you can afford a complete treatment?¡±


    ¡°¡­Please start the treatment.¡±


    ¡°Are you sure? Defaulting on payment in the Blood Hall is a very serious offence, you know?¡±


    ¡°¡­You just heal my teammates, and let me worry about how to pay your fees.¡±


    ¡°As you wish,¡± the man said, shrugging his shoulders, before pointing to the empty area next to the counter. ¡°Lay them down over here.¡±


    Alnea glanced at Karl and the girls, only to find them all looking back at him. They looked tired, and exhausted beyond their limits. Especially Karl. He looked as if someone had sucked all his life out of him. Given what they had been through during the day though, his reaction was more than understandable. Even Cecilia, who was usually a ball of energy and enthusiasm, had been quiet for most of the past hour. She did not even bother cursing Vestia when the latter tried to lean on his shoulders, and just offered her own shoulders instead. Though she did glare at him¡­


    Still, no matter how tired they were, for their teammates, they found a pool of untapped strength within themselves once again. Nodding in tacit agreement, they picked up the giant makeshift stretcher, and moved it to the place where the man had pointed out, before stepping aside, making way for the man to squat down and examine Zain and the rest in a more detailed way.


    ¡°How long is it going to take?¡±


    ¡°¡­If I concentrate, then maybe around half an hour,¡± the man said, releasing a white glow from his hand, before placing it on the heads of the injured Star Seekers one by one. ¡°But if you keep talking, then even three hours will not be enough.¡±


    Half an hour¡­ That should be enough, Alnea thought, as he stepped back, and turned towards Karl and the girls. ¡°Stay here. I will be right back.¡±


    ¡°Where are you going?¡± Cecilia asked in a hoarse, and tried voice. ¡°The Lotus clan¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­There will be no Lotus clan involved. I may be reckless at times, but I am not suicidal.¡±


    ¡°Where are you going then?¡±


    ¡°¡­The counter of the Black Desert Trials.¡±


    ¡°¡­If it is because of the Blood Coins, then we can just pool our Blood Coins together,¡± Vestia said. ¡°I am sure that we will have enough¡ª


    ¡°No need. You have already done enough, Vestia.¡±


    ¡°I have just done what I should do as a Star Seeker.¡±


    ¡°¡­Including asking to spend a day with him?¡±


    ¡°¡­We are all humans, after all. Being a little selfish from time to time is fine¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­Forget it. I am too tired to deal with you right now.¡±


    ¡°Then should we¡ª


    ¡°It is exactly because we are a team, that I cannot let you contribute this time, Vestia,¡± Alnea said, shaking his head. ¡°The potions were expedient measures¡­ Things are not so urgent right now. If you keep pouring in your resources into the team without any limits, it will seem as if you are training your subordinates, or as if you are in a cooperative relationship with the team, rather than being a part of the team itself.¡±


    ¡°¡­But that should hold true for you too¡­¡±


    ¡°Of course. And not just me. It holds true for everyone.¡±


    ¡°Why are you insisting on paying for their treatment all by yourself then?¡± Yuri said, staring him into his eyes. ¡°Are you feeling guilty?¡±


    ¡°¡­I am not so fragile anymore, Yuri. Though everyone was pulled into this mess because of me, they were all aware of my feud with the Lotus clan before they joined the Star Seekers. And they were all warned of the danger that they might face. Even back in the desert, I was always the first to rush towards our enemies, and did my best to ensure everyone¡¯s safety. Not to mention how we rushed back despite our own exhaustion and injuries¡­


    ¡°But that is it. Everyone here is a Wanderer. We can all think for ourselves, and take our own decisions. And we must all be responsible for the injuries that we suffer. The fees for their treatment¡­ I am just paying it upfront for them. When they recover, they will have to pay it back to me. And I am sure that they will be more comfortable if I am the only one holding their debts. So¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­Poros fang¡¯s, you can be so verbose at times.¡±


    ¡°¡­I will be right back,¡± Alnea said, smiling at Cecilia¡¯s poor attempt of trying to diffuse the tense air, before walking straight towards the counter of the Black Desert Trial. Somehow, it was even more crowded than usual. Though, on second thought, the crowd did make sense. After all, most of the Wanderers taking the Black Desert Trials left the city in morning, and came back at night. If they could complete their quota, that is.


    Vestia had told him how most people had to venture into the desert for days, maybe even camp out in the open, before they could complete their quotas, and come back to claim their rewards. Thankfully, the process of collecting the rewards itself was not too cumbersome. And the woman behind the counter did not seem very interested in idle talks. Despite there being nearly thirty people in the queue before him, she took only a quarter of an hour to deal with all of them, before finally turning towards him.