The Exalt [Cultivation Fantasy]

It had been a few hours since he woke up. Oscar ate a hearty meal, courtesy of the spider corpses that ended up in the same tunnel as him. The green blood, foul smell, and eight legs gave off the impression of horrible flavor, but surprisingly, the spiders were delicious, similar to crabs. Immediately, Oscar felt uplifted by the flavor and satisfying feeling in his stomach.

He couldn't eat the spider's white-bone hulls, keeping them away for later as they were good materials for fabrication. Energized and on a full stomach, Oscar wandered around the dark tunnels and caverns under the Central Palace. With a lantern in Oscar's hand and Gol-4 by Oscar's waist, the tunnels were lit with a mix of orange and blue.

"These tunnels are deep and widespread. Are you certain there's no record of these being under the Central Palace?" Oscar asked.

"I am certain. These tunnels came up after the downfall. The Forest Heart Clan laid the trap for you and the others, so they must have put in a way out. Keep on going, and you might find something." Gol-4 replied.

Gol-4's mechanical voice provided some relief to Oscar. If he had been forced to traverse these tunnels alone, he would have probably gone insane or grown more anxious. Gol-4's words gave direction and assurance, although they were mostly theories.

Oscar delved deeper into the network of tunnels. Oddly, the tunnels converged into one large hollow cavern, giving credence to Gol-4's words of a way out. The air of this path was different from the rest. Oscar felt slightly damp and scrunched his nose from a rotten scent, similar to the spiders from earlier.

"What is it, lad?" Gol-4 asked.

Oscar coughed some more. "The smell of those spiders is everywhere, greater than the queen. I thought we had killed all of them."

"Not all of them. The Bone-Leech Tarantulas had a queen and many children. The hatchery must be close by. Our ruckus and killing of her children must have drawn her out to fight personally. This is a good chance. Destroy the eggs, and we can save ourselves a lot of trouble later on." Gol-4 swayed from Oscar's waist.

"What are the odds the exit is also there? From how the Forest Heart Clan have been setting up their tests and trials, I think the odds are in my favor." Oscar said with a weak smile.

As the foul smell became stronger, Oscar tensed up and tightened the bulwark on his arm. He had to be close to the hatchery by now. Then red eyes gleamed in large numbers in front of him. Oscar lit the ground with some special oil, revealing the horrid creatures.

Twenty? Thirty? Perhaps more. Oscar couldn't count all of them. As in any hatchery, the keepers and guardians protected the young and unborn. He knew this was the last of the tarantulas in his way and exploded his Ein outward. After a day of inaction, he needed a good workout.

The army of tarantulas all screeched in a grotesque chorus of drooling maws. Oscar stomped his feet, summoned his deer anima, and rushed in together. In no time, Oscar dismantled and slaughtered the tarantulas with his Eirin Lances. Some tarantulas tried to skitter above and around, but his Eirin Silver Stars pierced through them, dropping them to the floor.

He smiled. A rush of heat welled up from his chest, and his muscles trembled in joy as he continued to fight. Corpses and torn limbs of the tarantulas littered the ground as he breathed out in the sensation of victory.

However, the enjoyment of the battle died down as Oscar looked back once at the fallen tarantulas. Oscar entered past the guardians who failed their duty, feeling some pity for their struggle and failure despite their best efforts. One day, he might be just like them unless he became stronger. He had to become stronger.

"We're here," Oscar sprayed some more oil around, lighting up a hollow chamber. Many eggs around the size of his fist were resting on beds of silky webs. Oscar saw many tiny spiders skittering away from him. Oscar breathed out in exhaustion. He felt tired and a little sad about what he had to do.

"I'm not a fan of doing this, but it has to be done," Oscar circled the hollow chamber and splashed oil around on the eggs. Loud pops never ceased as the eggs burst from the extreme heat. The tiny spiders were drawn to the flames like moths and died in self-immolation.

What a terrible sight. Oscar sat on a boulder, watching the flames engulf the hatchery. He understood they were beasts, and it was either him or them. But he never killed the babies and eggs.

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"Fighting or killing in this way against those who can't fight is horrible," Oscar mumbled.

"It's either you or them. If a beast came to a village, do you think it'll care the way you do? At least you're left with no choice, whereas the beast does it without much thought." Gol-4 levitated off Oscar's waist, reflecting the orange glow of the flames.

The screeches of the baby tarantulas continued to echo as they burned to a crisp. Oscar understood Gol-4's meaning and said, "That's true. But hearing and seeing this doesn't make it any less depressing."

"Weak…." Demon's voice resounded in his head.

Oscar leaped up in shock. 'You can talk to me while I'm awake?'

"I figured it out. It seems I'm growing into more abilities and powers as time passes. Nevermind me. Who cares if they can't fight? An enemy is an enemy. Kill them without remorse, even if it's a child." Demon spoke as if it were the easiest thing to do in the world, sending chills into Oscar's heart.

'Shut up. I don't need you to poison my mind. I'm afraid I'll become more like you.' Oscar gritted his teeth.

"You are me, and I am you. You were happy enough to kill their parents and protectors. Are you feeling bad for the ones you killed? That's sophistry. Don't try to convince yourself that you have no choice and you feel awful for what you do."

"Screw off!" Oscar shouted.

"What's wrong, lad?" Gol-4 tilted his head.

Oscar wiped the beads of sweat from his brow. However, his hands were covered in a cold sweat which added to the mess. "It's alright. I'm fine."

"If you're hallucinating, I suggest getting another rest," Gol-4 said.

"I said I'm fine. Really. Let's keep moving. Everything's been burned down." Oscar smacked his head, hoping Demon wouldn't intrude again. Oscar glanced over the chamber. There was not a single spot hidden, thanks to the flames burning brightly.

He paused at a strange sight. What was it? Oscar drew closer, squinting his eyes to get a better look. Then he felt immense pressure, causing his knees to buckle. A feeling of death and hopelessness filled the depths of his heart. Oscar clutched his chest, unable to control his breathing.

'This feeling…' Oscar remembered this feeling. Back in the sacrificial chamber of the Grovekeepers, Oscar felt the same terrifying presence when the Grovekeepers sacrificed the bear. They awoke something, and it stirred. Now he felt it here.

Focusing his eyes, Oscar stomped closer to the source and found it. A large root protruded out of the rocks. It was deep red and firmly grasped onto the floor. He should have realized the obvious. The tarantulas had not laid a single egg nor spun a web near it.

"Gol-4, what the hell is this root?" Oscar pointed Gol-4's head toward it. "It's the same feeling from the sacrificial chamber. It easily exceeds an Elite Exalt's power. Didn't you say it was impossible with the realm's laws?"

"It should be….Even the forest hearts had degraded from the laws to the point of being weak enough to be destroyed by you. This stumps common sense." Gol-4 fixed its gaze on the red root. "Unless….the divine essence you mentioned."

"The divine essence?" Oscar was confused for a moment. Then he realized Gol-4's meaning, a thunderous boom resounding in his head. "Can the divine essence allow a creature to progress beyond the restrictions?"

"Yes, the divine essence is an object beyond all others, favored by the heavens. It can't grow anymore due to the lack of resources in this realm and is dormant, but a creature near it may have been slowly absorbing the Ein it leaks. The divine essence's Ein countered the restrictions."

"Meaning there is a creature that may be a Knight Exalt or Marshal Exalt." Honestly, it all sounded so farfetched to him. If not for the red root in front of him and the miraculous powers of the divine essence, he would have thrown it aside as a fool's theory.

Oscar dared not to touch the red root, afraid of sparking a response.

"No, this one should only be a Lower Knight Exalt. Even the divine essence has limits in this realm. As I said, it can't grow further in Ashen Grove by itself, and its leaking Ein is only enough for the beast to break the barrier between Elite and Knight Exalt."

"And an advancement needs far more than it can gather from the dormant divine essence at the moment." Oscar finished Gol-4's words.

"Yes. Though, it's probably at the peak of the Lower Knight Exalt realm. I'd tread carefully around it." Gol-4 warned.

"No need to remind me of that," Oscar needed to find a token immediately. He had to warn Celestina and the others about the potential threat, or else everyone would be massacred. He wasn't sure if even Gilbert could hold back the creature.

Slowly, Oscar backed away from the red root and moved on. After a few minutes of searching, he finally found an opening up above. These Forest Heart Clan members were truly harsh. Oscar gripped the chamber walls and climbed up. He curled his body to enter a small hole.

"Here we are," Oscar reached the end of the hole and tapped it. It rang with a metallic clang. Exerting some strength, Oscar punched the metal lid off and closed his eyes from the sudden brightness. He climbed out of the hole, peering around a new room.

Large tapestries lined the walls, depicting a large forest, to which Gol-4 scoffed mechanically. Several tables were neatly placed with nothing on them except for the smooth luster of carved stone. Oscar went excitedly to the several chests placed on the tables.

He got a good haul of armaments, beast cores, materials, and elixirs. Oscar put away his goods with a smile. Sure enough, the Central Palace was a treasure trove.

"Where am I?" Oscar took out the maps drawn under Gol-4's instructions and tried to find his place. He found his room with Gol-4's help and several minutes of searching. "Now I just need to find a damn token and get out of here."

"Or find a stone slab for me to gain information from," Gol-4 added.

"If we find one."

Oscar put away the maps and exited the room with great haste. His feet ran faster than ever before. The dreadful red root still occupied his mind. He couldn't help but feel terrified for the future.

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