The Exalt [Cultivation Fantasy]

'Silver Star'

Oscar obtained his new spell after slowly accumulating his contribution points. After a series of battles, he realized his shortcomings against people who fight from a range and in circumstances when it's impossible to get close. 'Silver Star' was one of the metal element range spells in which the Ein focused into a silver ball and shot out according to the caster's will.

Typically, this spell did not require physical touch as the 'Silver Star' could manifest anywhere around the caster and needed propulsion of Ein to shoot out. Still, Oscar readied his fully extended arm and hand, touching the metal with the tip of his middle finger. Just as he upgraded his 'Silver Lance' with Reis, allowing his 'Shattering Wave' to flow through it, this physical touch had the same purpose.

Oscar stared ahead, leaning his head toward his outstretched arm to aim better. The waters under his feet burst into chaotic swirls, and the Reis traveled up his feet, flowing to his fingertip. Oscar surged the Ein on the 'Silver Star' to shoot it out, simultaneously flooding the Reis into it from his fingertip.

The Ein and Reis, together, fired the 'Silver Star' through the waters. It traveled incredibly fast beyond what the spell normally would have been at Oscar's current Ein. Oscar watched as the 'Silver Star' tore a path towards its target, causing the waters to bubble and ripple around it; he aimed straight for the armored octopus's eye.

The armored octopus reacted fast to the fast-traveling projectile. It whipped one of its tentacles to intercept; the tip of the tentacle lashed and cracked through the waters.

Oscar smiled. If the armored octopus thought one tentacle was enough to deter his attack, it would pay for that arrogance. His 'Silver Star' met against the tentacle, and a large underwater wave exploded from their collision.

In an instant, the armored octopus shook and trembled from the piercing pain on its tentacle. It brought it up to see but let out a loud wail at the sight of its tentacle with its tip missing. The 'Silver Star' floated about in the waters, losing momentum from the clash and dissipating into flakes of Ein.

"Not bad for its first live test," Oscar stretched his fingers, cracking his knuckles. He tested it multiple times against the sparring golems in the Inner Hall and kept it secret from his friends to surprise them. But now, he knew he was correct in choosing this spell rather than the other ones.

In his view, the octopus's torn tentacle tip slowly floated down and disappeared. Oscar formed another 'Silver Star' and readied his aim to shoot. "It's a shame that it wasn't powerful enough to keep going past your tentacle, but what if I take it a step further?"

'Adamasreis'

Oscar's arms and legs gained an incredible physical boost from the stored Reis in his muscles. He didn't use 'Shattering Wave' but just used normal Reis along with his added physical strength. The 'Silver Star' torpedoed faster than before, and the armored octopus could not react in time to defend.

The waters shook from the impact. The 'Silver Star' lodged into the thick carapace covering the octopus's head as cracks spread from the epicenter. The smooth green shell now had an unsightly flaw in it.

Oscar's face darkened at the sight of the cracks. In the end, it wasn't powerful enough to pierce through the thicker parts of the monster, only the more lightly armored tentacle tip. However, that was as expected, and Oscar formed another 'Silver Star' and fired it, followed by another and another.

With cracks spreading and the pain from the 'Silver Stars' increasing, the armored octopus snapped and swung its tentacles wildly to shred Oscar into a red blotch of the Erith Ocean. But it missed Oscar every time because Oscar's Prinstyct and Reis movement worked together.

Oscar burst, speeding through the waters, going from place to place before the large tentacles could reach him. He stopped momentarily when the tentacles relaxed and shot more 'Silver Stars', their silver coats shining like shooting stars through the azure ocean.

This exchange carried on for many rounds. The armored octopus was riddled with cracks, and most of its tentacles had missing pieces of flesh, dyeing the waters around it with its green blood. It wailed and tried to escape by swimming away, descending into the depths.

"Nothing to be done about that," Oscar sighed, and he canceled his 'Silver Star' from forming fully. "I can't be too greedy to give it chase. The priority is to protect the ship."

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His eyes turned to Austin and Mary. The two Exalt Beasts they fought against were wounded like the armored octopus. Oscar moved in to help, and they cinched victory against the beasts in no time and carved out their cores.

Back on the boat, Oscar let out a sigh of relief. He turned to Austin and Mary, who had the beasts' cores in their hands. "Rest up. We don't know what other beasts may try to attack us. Despite the boat having a stealth spell, they can still feel the disturbance in the water."

"They weren't that strong due to these waters being a weaker section, but it may be dangerous if we try to travel further in." Austin cleaned his armament of the gunk.

"But it is strange. Three Exalt beasts coming together like that. They didn't even seem to mind the damage they took until it reached a certain threshold." Mary pondered, but then her attention shifted to a fishing pole placed in her hands. "This is?"

"Switching places. It's your turn." Austin sat down and stared out into the ocean with the same expressionless eyes.

Mary smiled, threw out the line, and sat beside him, whistling while fishing. Sometimes she would catch one and exclaim while boasting about her skills.

Meanwhile, Oscar stared at his hands, recalling the many shots he put into the armored octopus. If his Reis and Ein became more powerful, he was sure it would pierce through the octopus. But this spell showed incredible uses, and Oscar was satisfied with his choice. 'If I went against a person, the spell would shock them with its speed and power.'

No time was better than now to keep training. Oscar formed the 'Silver Star' again, smaller than normal. Next, he tried making multiple at once but found his limit at four small ones.

"This place is cursed." Oscar frowned. The waters trembled again. He dove down to find more Exalt Beasts heading their way. "Austin, Mary. We have our work cut out for us."

The trio fought against the beasts and drove them off. They got to the boat with tired expressions.

Finally, An exhausted pair of Frederick and Emily got out of the waters and lay down on the deck, breathing heavily.

"Anything?" Oscar asked.

"Nothing suspicious," Emily shook her head and drank fresh water. "We searched all over, and the waters don't run too deep in this area, but nothing after an hour of searching the sea floor."

Frederick groaned. "What a waste. What about you three?"

"Waves of Exalt Beasts attacked us. Very strange behavior and in line with what Ms. Raeven told us." Oscar frowned. He couldn't understand why these Exalt Beasts of different species worked together unless a higher, more intelligent Exalt Beast commanded them. But Exalt Beasts with the capability to command multiple species would have to be at least a Marshal Exalt.

With no leads, Oscar crossed off a circle on the map. This place was a bust. Oscar traced his finger toward the next closest circle and checked his compass. "Maybe there is something in the next place."

In another hour, they reached the next area, a lone island. Oscar docked the boat by the shore and got off with a bright expression. Since this place was an island, they did not need to separate but travel as one group. "Stay together and investigate this place."

However, other than a few Exalt Beasts inhabiting the island, Oscar and the others found nothing of worth or suspicion on the island. With another crossed-off circle, Oscar got everyone on the boat and departed for the next location, another empty place in the ocean.

"It's my turn to go with Emily," Oscar left the boat to Frederick, Mary, and Austin. He dove in with Emily, and they slowly descended into shadowy depths, but not as dark as the depths of the Abyss Prison. Several Exalt Beasts were agitated and tried to get close, but Emily displayed her Middle Elite Exalt powers to deter them.

After reaching the sea floor, Oscar searched around with Emily, finding several shipwrecks from a long past. However, he found nothing but seaweed, shells, and other ocean creatures. "There is nothing here."

"How many times do we have to repeat this?" Emily kicked at the sandy floor. "What is happening with these Exalt Beasts?"

"It's about time," Oscar kept track of the time. He sighed and swam up. "We can think more about it after several more places."

Two days passed by in this vast stretch of ocean. Several more places later, Oscar and the crew began to get irritated at the lack of progress in their investigation. Many islands and ocean floors were scraped clean by their scrutinizing hands, and yet nothing to show for it.

Oscar stared at the map in frustration as he crossed off another circle.

"What should we do?" Frederick stared at the map. The number of unsearched circles had decreased, leaving the majority in the deeper sections where more Middle Elite Exalts dwelled.

"It might be risky." Mary chimed in. "Only Emily is a Middle Elite Exalt, so we might not do well."

"Maybe I go it alone," Emily said, but her words prompted Frederick to pull her ear for the first time.

"Don't say such idiotic things. Like hell, I'm letting you go alone." Frederick scolded.

"Ok," Emily pouted, but her eyes were full of softness and delight.

"Hey," Austin spoke. His eyes were fixated on the map.

"What is it, Austin?" Oscar glanced down at the map.

Austin pointed to an island. "This place looks suspicious. Give me the pen."

Oscar gave him the pen and observed as Austin drew several other circles, enveloping the x-marks. The full picture came into view when he finished. Oscar stared agape at the result; the circles drawn by Elizabeth became the centers of Austin's circles, with the x-marks filling everything in them.

However, this island seemed a bit off. It laid on the border of several circles, but not in one.

"Suspicious, isn't it?" Austin tapped the island. "Why is this island so close to circles of incidents yet free."

Oscar nodded. "We have our next destination. If it fails to bear fruit, we'll return to Portland Island and wait for Ms. Raeven."

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