The Exalt [Cultivation Fantasy]

Oscar and Erden entered a large room filled with boiling cauldrons. A strange fog swirled up in the ceiling of the tall walls, not hindering Oscar's vision as he made his way through. He almost called out for Avril until he found her near a cauldron. She was so focused she did not notice or hear his arrival.

'She's so calm at times like this.' Oscar watched her work. Her movements were swift as she dropped in several grade-three herbs, swirled a pure extract from a beast core which she ran through a sieve multiple times, and changed the temperature of the cauldron at varying times. Avril unfurled her scroll and poured straight Ein into the cauldron, an influx that brought the entire solution into her control.

After thirty minutes, she opened the cauldron and poured the solution into a single vial, glowing a bright green. Her lips curled into a bright smile after she tested the solution's purity with a needle. It seemed to be quite satisfactory to her. Oscar smiled at this, also slightly jealous at her talent for alchemy, unlike himself, which Gol-4 always loved to point out.

"A good elixir?" Oscar popped up from behind.

Avril yelped and then smiled back at him and Erden. "When did you get inside? Don't scare me like that!"

"It's almost time. Everyone's gathering in the main hall." Oscar noticed a crate near the table, opened it, and was astonished to see all the glittering cores specially made for golems. An endeavor like this would have required a lot of effort and time. Oscar patted Avril's head; her hair was grown back to normal and braided back with her side hairs and bangs still down. "Thank you. Let's settle this and make our way back to Vallen."

"Let's! She pumps her fist in the air, feeling aflame from the goal nearby. She wants to fight." Avril dragged Oscar and Erden out of the alchemy room and made way for the main hall.

Oscar made Avril slow down. Rushing in was not a good sign. He walked through these halls, which he called home for a year. The great Brightburn Palace was a marvel that funneled water and cooled it while also maintaining an amazing cool temperature against the heat. Oscar recalled the memories of the past year and formed a smile.

"To our Lord and Lady!" One of the palace guards bowed to them and remained bowed until they left the hall. Oscar and Avril glanced awkwardly at each other briefly before turning back forward. He lamented, but he couldn't do anything about the rumors of how he and Avril were husband and wife.

When Avril first changed into her usual blue dress and grew her hair out, everyone from the Azure Sea Company was shaken to the core, especially the ones pursuing her alter ego, Arthur. It took a lot of time, but people started to get used to the sudden switch and regarded them as the Lord and Lady of the Azure Sea Company. What annoyed him more was how Fenu came to Avril and bowed in apology about trying to marry his granddaughter off to him without consulting the main wife.

"No matter how often I tell them not to say it, they can't stop." Oscar groaned. Avril also sighed heavily.

Carrying onwards, Oscar and Avril arrived in the main hall where Adam was waiting with everyone else: Fenu, the division captains, which were expanded to twenty, and other elites. Adam ran up and greeted Oscar with the usual Reis handshake of Ripple Shroud, a terrifying gleeful smile stretched from cheek to cheek.

"Little brother and little sister. It's time to begin." Adam roared in laughter, making some of the attendees shudder in fear.

"Fenu. Bring up our current status. Where are we on everyone in the other outer regions." Oscar sat on the Lord's throne and assumed the role of ruler, an uncomfortable job for a former farmer like himself.

"Yes, my Lord. The civil wars we have influenced in other areas with our resources and hidden soldiers have made great headway in capturing territory from the other Four Lords. They do not send out their forces recklessly but have focused on fortifying their inner regions. Scouts report great ramparts have been built with multiple layers of barriers." Fenu said.

"Cowards hiding within their walls. They are nothing before the might of our Azure Sea Company. I'll tear them apart with my great ruler." Desmond, eager for battle, stomped his foot in the hall with a fierce smile. His confidence grew over the years as Oscar's first captain and as a Greater Knight Exalt.

"Don't interrupt the grand elder, you idiot. You have no place to speak here." Arc Ashwolf shoved Desmond back, and the two stared daggers into each other until Fenu shouted for them to stop.

Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.

"Apologies about their behavior. They are excited about the war ahead. And the new future you will bring to the Burning Valley. Our forces are ready to head out at your command." Fenu bowed.

"Then it is settled. We will set out with an army of divisions one to fifteen. Divisions sixteen to twenty will remain in the city. We do not know if the enemy will strike our base first. Captains! Be with your troops outside. Fenu, look over our supplies. Make sure everything is accounted for." Oscar learned much from the books inside the library, which detailed strategies, tactics, and rulership. He could only achieve the bare minimum so far. Thank goodness he had reliable and skilled subordinates such as Fenu and multiple strategists.

"By your will!" Fenu and everyone shouted with a bow and departed from the main hall to do their duties.

"Little brother and little sister, follow me." Adam pulled them aside to enter a hole in the palace gardens. Inside was Sevon and Tort, the Marshal Exalt Mythical Turtle Beast. Its eyes burned magma red, as did the lines in its shell. It stomped its six feet around to face Oscar and the others.

"Oscar and Avril. The day is here. After this, it's only a matter of accumulating resources from the bountiful place that is the Burning Valley to pay your way home." Sevon spoke from atop the turtle. "We do not know if the New Dawn has called for reinforcements. At most, they will dispatch Marshal Exalts, not King Exalts, to this place. I will go with Adam, and Tort will go with you two. As a mythical Exalt Beast, the Wortortle, Tort is far more powerful than a normal beast."

Erden grunted in disapproval while Tort let out low groans in repetition-like chuckles. Oscar nodded at Sevon and said, "I hope it will be over after this. May luck be on our side."

"We will make our way to you as fast as possible. But the battle on our side will also be harsh. Good luck to you, my little siblings." Adam smiled. "Go crazy and have a good time. Revel in the battle and win."

"Goodbye, Master. I hope to see you later." Avril bowed to Sevon, who laughed and patted her head. Their little group of Reis users huddled and shouted their declaration of victory before parting. Tort and Erden let out beastly growls.

"Tort will follow us from underground. I've never heard of a Wortortle before. How incredible." Oscar remarked on Tort's natural pressure, one that came from a powerful bloodline.

"He's nothing. I will be greater than him. Just wait." Erden didn't hide his jealousy, spitting on the floor. A distasteful action but Oscar let it slide, and it did seem like Tort enjoyed egging Erden on.

"I believe in you. After all, I made it this far. You can do much better than me." Oscar comforted his friend and looked at Avril. "You too. Let's fight well together." After receiving Avril's thumbs-up, Oscar headed for his army, stationed outside the city walls.

A grand display of ten thousand Exalts cheered and shouted the name of Demon after his arrival. The elite officers, strategists, and division captains all bowed before him. Oscar waved his hand for everyone to stop and listen. He spoke loudly and clearly. "Today, we free a Burning Valley from the tyranny of the Four Lords. When I first started the Azure Sea Company, I dreamed of defeating the Four Lords. After two years, here we are now!"

The army cheered.

"If you believe you cannot do it. That you cannot fight. That everything standing in the way horrifies you. Think of only this. Fight for your family." Oscar glanced at Erden. "Fight for your loved ones." Oscar peeked at Avril. "Fight for the people next to you." He gazed across the massive army to the captains, strategists, and Fenu, all wearing the blue armor he designed. He closed his eyes and thought of his friends and family back home. "Fight for your lives and tell yourself you will make it back no matter what. Across the seas of blood, the ravines full of bodies, the murderous faces of the enemies, and the rain of arrows and spells. Fight on and survive!"

Waves of cheers, shouts, and warcries shook the ground and chased away the winds. Oscar pointed his hand outward and shouted, "All forces, move out! We go to war!"

The army drummed and bashed their metal armor. Oscar rode on Erden with Avril and marched with them in the center. According to Fenu, the rebels from the outer regions would start their full-force invasions now and help pressure the inner region. Since they were already in the inner region, they arrived at their first town in a few hours.

Nothing happened. It was a complete ghost town. Oscar suspected a similar trap to the one the Lord of Brightburn used a year ago. Nevertheless, he could not stop. He ordered his army to continue. During their long trek through wide scorched plains, horns blared from the scouts in the distance.

"The enemy?" Oscar gazed at the horizon, ordering his army to stop.

"Lord Demon!" A scout rushed toward him, out of breath and pale. "The armies are coming! The entire Scorchlight City is emptied. Their forces are coming now." As he pointed out, an army appeared over the horizon, many but not comparable to Oscar's, who recruited from a larger pool of people. He was about to command his army to ready for a battle when two more scouts rushed in.

"An army is coming, bearing the mark of the Lord of Ashflame."

"Another army is here. They come with the banners of the Lord of Magmafury."

"Three armies of the other Three Lords?" Fenu shouted. He received the full account from the scouts and relayed it to Oscar. "There are around fifteen thousand total, my Lord."

Three armies descended on him. Oscar didn't expect the three lords, who had a history of fighting and suspecting each other for anything, to come together as an army. Something was amiss, and Oscar knew who was behind it, the New Dawn. Only they could have coerced or bribed the three lords to fight together.

The enemy finally showed his hand. Oscar raised his fist. It was time to repay them for showing themselves. "All forces, defensive formations. Bring out the new weapons."

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