The Exalt [Cultivation Fantasy]

Reaching the point of advancement was always a delight for any Exalt, and Oscar was no exception. The excitement made his body shiver, or perhaps it was due to the weak condition of his muscles from yesterday's ordeal. Either way, he was beyond ecstatic.

'I'm finally here!' Oscar nearly teared up. It had taken him a while to reach this point from when he first became a Lower Elite Exalt. At last, he could join the others in the middle region of Ashen Grove. 'I wonder how Frederick, Emily, and the others are doing? Hopefully, they're alright. Oh wait, I need lots of elixirs. I'll have to ask one of the alchemists back at the base camp.'

The Blue Ocean Pavilion's base camp had stations for alchemists and fabricators to do their work if needed. Some would bring their gathered materials to get new armament or elixirs. A good system to keep the weaker alchemists and fabricators out of harm's way while providing a service to the other students.

People like Oscar and Orden were exceptions who were strong and competent fabricators. Another example was Aurora Bellwood, who had powerful combative abilities and was a genius alchemist. Oscar seemed displeased to deal with alchemists because of their slightly pompous attitude.

"Those snobby dunces…." Oscar whispered.

"Alchemists?" Orden asked.

Oscar glanced at Orden, who stood near the other stone wall. The large man was currently stretching his limbs and joints, showing faint scars looking like something sharp had pierced through them. Recalling yesterday's battle, Oscar frowned, understanding Orden's logic, but hated that he didn't give them a chance.

"I did what I deemed necessary. I won't say sorry for it. In the end, you and I are enemies." Orden popped open another pumpkin juice, downing the entire bottle, spilling some down his chin, an unmannered act. He sat down near his flames and started cooking. "So, alchemists?"

Oscar nodded, and Orden laughed hoarsely.

"Those pinheads. How I wish I could smash their heads in with a hammer." Orden's brash words woke up Austin and Erik.

"Smash who with a hammer now?" Austin glared at Orden with his hand reaching toward his dagger.

"Not any of you. Not yet." Orden scoffed.

The damp, wet sounds under Oscar's steps were strange, and he looked down to see a black liquid spread over as if it had rained down. The black liquid looked familiar, and Oscar remembered what they were.

"Did Drill Worms come in?" Oscar asked.

"Yes!" Erik let out a hot breath from his lungs. "The three of you fell asleep and left him to defend the place! Nice to leave me alone like that!"

"Thanks for that, little guy." Orden expressed his gratitude by passing Erik a freshly made skewer of meat. The wafting smell of the meat made Erik drool, and his plump stomach growled. The bursting juices and sound of sizzling flesh incited his appetite.

"I can't refuse a free meal. But I won't thank you." Erik ate the meat with a frown, but the sounds of his chewing and the speed of his feasting betrayed the delight from his stomach.

Watching Erik's ravenous appetite made Oscar want to join in. He took out morsels of meat from his space pocket and made his own skewers. Everything fell silent within the desolate city of stone except for Erik's chewing.

The air was too awkward between them. Austin did not want to discuss what happened and how a parasitic vine latched onto him. Oscar and Orden glanced at each other from time to time, wary of another battle between them.

The tension continued to build until Gol-4 woke up and levitated toward the group.

"Well, this is an awkward breakfast. How about we start moving? We're close to the exit. Just one more district to go." Gol-4 said.

"That sounds like a good idea." Oscar agreed.

Staying here any longer would make him go insane. Those were Oscar's thoughts as he stood up and put on his bulwark. He missed the feeling of the beating sun and the sight of the beautiful starry night, glittering like jewels, and it was close.

Looking down, Oscar saw his upper body was exposed because his jacket and shirt had been reduced to rags earlier, revealing his rippling muscles and the faint scars from his bout with Orden. His priority changed to a shower and a fresh change of clothes.

"One more. Is there anything dangerous left in this place?" Orden asked.

"Besides the possibility that the exit is closed, probably not. I suspect the Forest Heart Clan didn't have time to modify much of the place to suit their Elite Exalt trials before their mysterious departure, hence the remnants of the war, such as the parasitic vines."

"That's possible. Ashen Grove has many places that cater to Elite Exalts and offer rewards like a prize." Orden said.

Oscar, Austin, and Erik all frowned. They had not found such places, only going to places of antiquity like Oen Fortress and Tectusen. The only rewards they had were the harvested plants, harvested Exalt Beasts, and the golem, Gol-4.

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"I sense some frustration toward me," Gol-4 said. "But follow me, and we can see if there's anything left for us."

Oscar followed Gol-4 with the others, passing by many antiquated stone houses and structures, some built into the cavern walls. All around, the colored crystals lit up the ancient district. He traced his hand over the railings of the wide stone bridge to the last district, passing by a rainbow of colors.

'One more….'

Only one more district remained. A large gate blocked the way to the final stop, and Oscar, impatient for some rest, swung his bulwark, and Orden did the same with his hammer. The gates did not budge, and Oscar's arm trembled from how hard it was.

"Too impatient; let me do it," Gol-4 said.

"You?" Oscar rubbed his wrist. The mysterious Gol-4 continued to showcase his baffling means. The head approached the gate, and a beam of light shot from the center of the gate to the blue glass eyes.

Gears moved, and the gate groaned, opening wide to welcome Gol-4 and the others inside. Oscar wanted to cheer for Gol-4, but the scene in the district shook him and the others. The district had a straight wide open path to its center, a wide open space meant for markets and gathering, where a mass of Grovekeepers gathered, focused on a shining light that flowed up.

Slowly, the Grovekeepers turned their heads toward the intrusive sound of the gate opening. Oscar stared at the hollow eyes of the Grovekeepers. The forest of Grovekeepers started to charge toward them with two Large Grovekeepers in the back.

"Stay on the bridge," Gol-4 directed the group. "That will limit their numbers. Try to tip the large ones over the edge. They're far too troublesome."

"Easier said than done," Oscar frowned.

A hammer whistled and flew right by Oscar's head, bulldozing into the mass, smashing from one Grovekeeper to the next. A path formed in the wake of its destruction, but a large wooden stony hand stretched out and stopped the hammer in its palm. The sound of thunder followed after the hammer deflected back, but not before forcing the Large Grovekeeper to stagger.

"Oscar, can you even fight right now?" Orden asked.

Oscar looked taken aback and put on a wry smile. He felt it the entire time he walked over here and verified it when he attacked the gate. His body was completely spent and needed more time to recover.

"Walking is the only thing I can do right now." Oscar coughed.

"Then leave it to us. This won't take long." Austin swiped his daggers together, inducing bright sparks before darkness enveloped them.

Erik's gauntlets shot ahead and burned the masses of Grovekeepers at the front, and Oscar smiled, seeing his two friends and Orden fight to relieve him.

"That light in the center is quite interesting. It looks like something potent." Gol-4 said.

"Looked like they were worshipping it. We can take a look when we're done." Oscar chuckled.

He walked on the bridge, collecting the cores of the slain Grovekeepers, while everyone else fought fiercely to clear the way. Orden and the others fought well, tossing the Large Grovekeepers off the edge, avoiding a direct confrontation.

Without the Large Grovekeepers as their support, the rest of the Grovekeepers were culled like fields of wheat, and the entire place became a mass of scrap wood. At the end of it, Oscar looked embarrassed as Orden and the others were out of breath and resting on the floor.

"Too…many." Erik wheezed, his belly heaving up and down. Austin remained silent and focused on retaining a breathing routine to recover. Meanwhile, Orden munched on some cooked meat he stowed away.

"A good workout, but what is this?" Orden pointed at the shining box. "What can make all of these Grovekeepers gather around like this?"

The shining box was placed atop a pedestal, releasing a holy light as though it were a sacred object. The strange worship the Grovekeepers gave to it added to the mystery, and Oscar came before it in anticipation with Gol-4 by his side. Carefully, he opened the box and saw eight green seeds.

The seeds resembled that of a sunflower, ordinary in looks, but Oscar felt the immense Ein concentrated within them, far surpassing any elixir he had drunk in the past. Oscar placed the box in front of the others for them to see, and their confused faces told it all.

"What is it?" Orden asked.

"Those are Nydil Seeds." Gol-4 sounded shocked due to his elevated voice.

"Nydil Seeds?" Erik asked.

"These are amazing seeds that can merge with the seeds of other plants to foster faster growth. Some plants that can take twenty years to grow can grow in half the time, depending on the potency of the seed. But it is more useful for your advancement." Gol-4 explained.

The Nydil Seeds were a mass of condensed Ein that hastened plant growth and provided the burst of Ein one may need to advance. Oscar felt a fierce desire for these seeds. They could be the catalyst he needed to advance into the Middle Elite Exalt realm.

"These seeds are just right for you all, meant for Elite Exalts, thanks to the changed laws. You would suffer from ingesting it if it were a higher grade." Gol-4 spun around. "I think an even split is good. Two per person."

"I can't argue against that," Orden reached out and grabbed two of the seeds.

Oscar couldn't fight right now and took his share, storing them. But he and the others were wary of Orden because the agreement lasted until they departed Tectusen. That time was fast approaching, and Orden was a great threat.

Not wanting to get into a pickle, Oscar asked if they could rest longer and the others, even Orden, obliged. After another hour, Oscar finally felt his body had recovered enough. He felt the Ein emanating from his core and picked up Reis from the ground.

However, even with his recovery, Oscar still felt Orden would be a tough opponent when driven into a corner.

'We'll have to run for it when we get out.' Oscar thought as they got up and followed Gol-4 to the exit, a large stairway through the stone cavern leading far up. Oscar's footsteps sounded dull, and he felt them getting heavier with each step up from the inevitable battle. He glanced at Austin and Erik; they nodded to affirm the potential danger.

A blockade of rubble and stone appeared at the end of the stairway, and Oscar cursed. Then a faint glimmer of hope revealed itself as flickers of light shone through the slight openings between the rocks. Orden stepped forward and swung with his Meld Stage hammer, upheaving the blockade and tossing the rubble and stone into the air.

The sunlight shone through with all its majesty, and Oscar basked in its warm embrace. After so long, he finally felt the soft sensation of the tranquil air of Ashen Grove. His eyes squinted after not having seen the sunlight for a while.

"What's this?"

"Who are you?"

Oscar and the others exited Tectusen, only to be met with questions from strangers. The strangers happened to be nearby and rushed over after seeing the stones launched into the air. Oscar cursed his bad luck because these strangers wore the uniforms of the Earth Core Academy.

"Hey, everyone!" Orden shouted.

"Orden?!" The others staggered back from fear, but one gathered his senses and asked, "Who are these people?"

"Blue Ocean Pavilion students."

Oscar, Austin, and Erik backed off from Orden but found themselves surrounded by the enemy.

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