The Exalt [Cultivation Fantasy]

Sevan and Adam stepped farther away, their figures growing smaller in the distance. Oscar struggled to get up, his joints creaking and his fingers trembling. The weakness of his body persisted despite the wrappings and bandages covering his injuries. It had been too long since he had been pushed this much in a battle. He almost forgot the feeling of being pushed into a corner, striving for survival against near-impossible odds.

Learn from it. Oscar needed to learn from it. He got to his knees, a self-mocking smile across his face. His eyes fixed on Sevan and Adam, the two figures still walking away. In a forceful shout, he strained himself, trying to stand on his feet. But his body refused to answer, exhausted and battered beyond what he wanted it to do. After a few seconds, Oscar felt like his lungs were about to force their way out of his throat.

"Here!" Avril said. Ein surged and poured out into Oscar's body, a stream of rejuvenating Ein washing over his body and core. Strength returned to him. Cracking his knuckles against the hard volcanic floor, Oscar forced himself up, his legs shaky but stable enough to support him.

"I used two sections on you and one section on Erden. It's not much, but I can help." Avril smiled proudly. "She's burning with anger that she couldn't do anything before. Now is the time to make it right."

"Thank you. Your anima is a lifesaver as always." Oscar put a thumb up in praise and tried to take a step. His vision staggered, and his foot trembled like a newborn pup. Walking would be a chore with the state of his legs. Something bumped right next to him on both sides. Turning both ways, Oscar smiled. Erden held him by the right, while Avril held him on the left.

"You may be part beast now, but I am still far tougher than you," Erden said, his head trembling under Oscar's arm.

Oscar glanced down at Erden's shaky legs and hooves. He knew Erden was forcing himself to stay up. Suddenly, Avril left Oscar's left side, nudged herself between him and Erden, and strained her body. Her shoulders acted as pads for Erden's head and Oscar's arm to rest. She supported both of them with her strength.

"Alright. Lean on me. I'll get you both over there!" Avril said.

Step by step, Oscar followed Avril's pace, matching her small strides. The small steps and weariness of his legs made him feel uncomfortable. However, he mostly enjoyed the long walk, a grin from his bandaged face. He had others by his side. No matter how slow the walk was, he enjoyed each step, feeling lighter each second.

After a few minutes, Oscar reached the small decline down to the ground. A land of ash and soot awaited him as always, steaming with rivers of lava. Down below, Adam and Sevon sat on a large turtle with six legs, watching Oscar and the others walk down. The turtle's shell was black as obsidian, and lines of glowing red, similar to magma, pulsed along its surface. With a dragon's head and six legs extending from its shell, the turtle groaned, a wave of hot air rushing from a mere breath.

"Do you like this creature? It's a mythical Exalt Beast like dragons and phoenixes. It hails from one of the Beast continents and is a close friend of mine. His name is Tort." Sevon smoked his pipe with a proud smile. "We're not ridiculous enough to perform a Soulbond and Blood Transmutation, but we're as close as ever."

Tort groaned again, turned its scaly head toward Oscar and the others, and rolled out his long tongue. Erden tensed up and snorted. The two beasts fought with their eyes, burning each other with their gazes. Ultimately, Tort grunted and turned back, yawning lazily while digging into the dirt. Oscar sensed Erden's anger and competitiveness rising, knowing Tort didn't retreat but lost interest.

"Climb on. It's a few hours to our hideout." Adam said.

Oscar, Avril, and Erden stepped on Tort, who dug deep into the ground to make their climb easier. Sevon nodded and tapped Tort's shell, the ground shaking right after. Tort's legs quaked the earth. Tort left a destructive path behind it as magma sprouted from under its feet.

"I still don't trust you. How do I know if you're not the so-called enemy of Reis users." Oscar held nothing back. He told the truth before, and he would tell it now. "The reasons I'm following you are because you might be the chance we need, and our lives are already in your hands."

"That's enough for now. I didn't lie when I said what we're doing is related to your way home. We don't know exactly who. But the Four Lords are tied to our enemy. It might be one or all of them, but they are our target." Sevon coughed on his pipe and pounded his lungs. He took out two space pockets and tossed them to Oscar and Avril. "Your space pockets."

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"Can't you just let me go home?" Oscar grumbled. Avril and Erden nodded their heads in unison.

"Do you think moving around the many zones and locations of Shattirma is easy? You don't understand. There's one crucial thing needed to move accurately around Shattirma. And that is wealth." Sevon adjusted his pipe, brushing off the ashes on his hair.

"Wealth?" Oscar asked. "What does wealth have to do with it?"

"Shattirma is the nonsensical and wayward half of the world. No matter which rumor is true of its origin, whether it's the site of a massive battle, war, or cataclysm, its fate has long been sealed as the home of the outcasts, criminals, heretics, and losers. Those who don't have a place in Vallen escape out here." Sevon spoke slowly and roughly. His eagle eyes glinted as he killed his pipe. "However, even within the quagmire, systems emerge, and strange cultures develop."

"So you need money to move around Shattirma? Avril and I saw no guards or patrols around the debris and floating rocks to stop us and ask for money." Oscar doubted.

"Sure, anyone can float around endlessly, hoping to get lucky to land on a resourceful land or Vallen. The Four Lords have routes to other civilizations solely because they get the wealth from the Burning Valley and pay their way there. A certainty that they will reach the other side and back. Imagine the cost for a full trip out of Shattirma, guaranteed." Sevon chuckled. "Now, who do they pay? That will be the Pathrisers."

"The Pathrisers? Who are they?" Oscar asked.

"Unique people, born in Shattirma, with a special constitution. It's unknown how, but the Pathrisers find the ones with potential when they are babies and induct them in special training." Sevon put away his pipe. "Shattirma isn't a constant. The lands shift, the gravitational forces change like the season, and the rulers change. The Pathrisers see the paths and know the map even though it changes. Pay them for their services, and they will guide you through the safest, most stable way."

"How much?" Oscar had twenty-six space pockets, twenty-four sitting in Erden's stomach with his dimensional cube. Thankfully, even they couldn't sense what was in a beast's stomach. With this much wealth, maybe he could avoid their plan.

"Far more than you can imagine. Each of the Four Lords spends about thirty percent of their annual revenue on a single round trip for a group of five. And that's just to another place in Shattirma. Imagine the cost of getting out. You might have to clear out an entire treasury of a kingdom for it." Sevon said, his words put a damper on Oscar's bid.

"Are you kidding me?" Oscar grew frustrated.

"No joke. But if you take over all the wealth of the four lords and become its sole ruler for a year or two. It might be enough." Sevon smiled as if saying he got him. "Now, do you understand? That's enough talking for now. When we arrive, you will rest."

Tort's low groans reverberated across his shell, making the ride quite bumpy. Oscar and Avril rested on Erden's side for hours. Oscar recovered the Ein in his body, fully restored to his peak. His attention turned to Sevon and Adam, who were idling around. Could they be trusted? Were the Pathrisers even real?

While the questions swam around in Oscar's muddy thoughts, they finally arrived at Sevon and Adam's base. A large network of ravines appeared before Oscar's sight, filling the ground. Tort dropped into the ravine, causing a rock avalanche, and stomped to a cave.

"This place is nicely hidden and a small distance from one of the major cities," Adam guided Oscar and the others while Sevon went elsewhere. Adam opened a makeshift door to a small room. "The three of you will sleep here."

"Alright. This will do." Oscar closed the door in front of Adam. He had had enough of Adam and Sevon for today. He glanced at Avril, who had slumped into a corner with her head down.

"Are you alright, Avril?" Oscar asked, making his way slowly toward her. He didn't want to agitate her if she was having another episode.

"I'm sorry…it's all because of me we got into this mess. She feels ashamed and promises to do better. She doesn't want to burden Oscar anymore." Avril sighed.

"Is that all?" Oscar sighed and flicked Avril's forehead. Her yelp of pain was followed by her confused expression, a slight tear in her gold eye. "I said not to worry about it. Let's sleep for now."

"Mmm." Avril rubbed her forehead over the facecloth. The room was small but just enough to set two mattresses side by side. Erden rested right by the wall, taking up some space.

Laying on his side, Oscar gulped, staring at the rocky ceiling. Avril was right beside him, just half an arm's length away. He had close contact with her all the time now, but never in a setting like this. Nervous, Oscar turned to Avril. She was also wide awake, her face slightly red. Not alone in his awkwardness, Oscar scratched his nose and said, "Want to read a book?"

"Yes!" Avril shot up from her bed as if waiting for Oscar to say something the whole time.

…….

The next morning, Oscar and Avril stepped out, yawning. Outside, Adam and Sevon greeted them with wide smiles.

"Now that you're up. We have to incorporate you into our plan." Adam smiled, brushing his white hair up with a comb.

"How do you intend to do that?" Oscar asked.

"The way the two of you are now isn't suitable. Both of you have room to grow." Sevon laid out a plate of breakfast. "Eat well because you'll be enduring a hellish training for the next six months."

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