The Exalt [Cultivation Fantasy]

Even with the added speed from eating cores and sharing Ein with Erden, Oscar didn't reach Middle Knight Exalt's peak. Like swimming deeper out in the oceans to find the bottom of the depths, progressing to the next realm got longer and more trying. Even the great Grade Eight Exolsia took years to reach the Greater Knight Exalt's peak from just advancing like his master, Draven, who mentioned he became a Marshal Exalt at around the age of forty and even longer to reach the Greater Marshal Exalt realm.

Oscar expected he'd need a few more years to advance, but the special Ein of the Pools of Ascension forcibly brought him to advancement. He blacked out, woke up, blacked out again, and woke up again. The special Ein was different from the Divine Essence, not filling him with dread or the prospects of imminent death, only a pure, raw power that rippled through his core and his body.

Invigorated and welling up with vitality unlike any he had felt before, his body became so light as if he was a feather. Soft waves churned and washed into his ears at a constant pace, the nice sound of the oceans murmuring like Avril's whispers while cupping his ears, hypnotic and serene to the point he wanted to fall asleep. Oscar sensed it, his body trembling in tandem with the pulsing of the special Ein.

Of all his previous advancements, this one was the least stressful and painful. Only the initial shock of waking up had pained him. Now there was only a comfortable sensation, his mind floating away like the cloud.

'How is Erden doing?' Oscar delved through his connection and entered Erden's mind. Unlike the endless mists from before, clear blue skies expanded, looking over a vast endless plain of grass, all at the same height and swaying under a slight breeze, a perfect paradise for a deer like Erden. His worries went away, and Oscar retreated back to himself, waiting for the Pools of Ascension to finish.

Suddenly, slight beats of discomfort thumped from his chest, each knocks increasing in pain until it pierced from within. Clutching his chest, Oscar assessed it wasn't his heart, which still beat comfortably and painlessly. This pain was coming from somewhere else, and Oscar sensed deeper, realizing it was his core.

Entering his inner world, Oscar was caught off-guard by the outbursts of Ein, flaring from his core. What shook him the most were the cracks forming on his core and the elemental spark of metal. Oscar flashed over to the core and placed his astral hand on it. A searing burn spread from his fingers, eating away at his hand into nothingness, and Oscar had no choice but to retreat, clutching his arm. This change was all wrong. Oscar knew advancing Greater Knight Exalt wouldn't involve the core cracking and burning with unstable Ein.

"What's going on?" Oscar shouted to Demon, his arms raised and palms open, sending out his power. His half of the core was holding on, the Ein forcibly contained.

"The Ein from the Pools of Ascension entered your core and rose you forcibly to the advancement, but even more poured in and started this." Demon relayed. His eyes snapped back to his side of the core after a new crack formed. "I can't hold it back alone. Hurry up and try to contain the outburst from your end. That damned Ancient said to enjoy it, and this happened."

Demon's brazen words would have made Oscar laugh if not for the severity of this situation. If his core exploded, it certainly would not fare well for him. He might lose everything he had worked for in his entire life.

Dashing to the other side opposite Demon, Oscar raised his hands and sent forth his will, all the intent to contain and control his core. As the owner of his core, he naturally had sway over it, but the raging torrent of Ein struggled against his will, bashing to exit his core. Oscar strained his mind, his mental will acting as a dam to hold back the flood.

The rate of the cracks spreading slowed down. Oscar didn't ease up, his brows tensed and his teeth clenching even in his astral form. A single slip-up here from him or Demon could spell the end of the blockade and destroy his core. The only hope lay in the elemental spark in his core. He noticed a while ago that the elemental spark was slowly consuming the special Ein, the cracks healing as fast as they formed. The endless seesaw game of his and Demon's wills against the violent explosions in his core continued. He almost lost his ground at times, and at other times, the special Ein almost withdrew.

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Demon showed signs of exertion for the first time in a while, his eyes wide and nostrils flared. The cracks riddling the core didn't provide any comfort. So many cracks covered his core to let them know it was at its limit, and Oscar clenched his fists and dropped to his knees, trying to hold on for dear life. He prayed and clung to the hope that his elemental spark would pull through.

"Come on, Demon!" Oscar shouted to his alter ego. He didn't know why, but he wanted to shout, and all the idle thoughts went out with his rising roar. His mind was clear and focused on the final push.

"For once, you're the one pulling ahead. Anything you can do, I can do as well." Demon stomped forward, the Ein on his end retreating from the force of his strengthened will.

Finally, the special Ein receded and entered his elemental spark, disappearing as if it had never existed. The cracks cleared away, leaving only a clean surface on a fresh, pristine core like a beautiful glass marble. The elemental spark sent forth waves of Ein that flowed and filled the core before a powerful light exploded, tearing away the darkness of his inner world. Oscar struggled against the light but soon felt its power, and he trembled, for it should have been impossible. The feeling from his core surpassed all of his expectations, and Oscar no longer resisted the light.

Washed away by this light, Oscar waved to Demon, thanking him for keeping his core intact. Demon looked away with no emotion and sat near the core as always. Opening his eyes to the outside world, Oscar clenched his hands and kicked off the ground, bursting from the pools in a spray of red, blue, and yellow streams.

At the same time, Erden shot up from below, roaring into the sky. His Ein coursed across the clouds and breezed over the grassy hills. His appearance surprised Oscar, a most welcome surprise indeed. Erden's antlers had grown larger with more branches. From his back, two new antlers sprouted, resembling a pair of wings, ivory branches that flapped flexibly like a bird's flight. His hooves were larger and harder than before, but the most astonishing was the small pairs of antlers protruding from each of his legs, where the flesh met the hoof.

Only one beast matched Erden's appearance, one of the mythical beasts that lorded over others, a beast from where all deers and stags owed their lineage, the Prielapos, the mythical deer. Erden flapped his new antler wings and soared, dashing across the pool's surfaces with a hearty growl, his joy easily felt from their connection. Oscar held his breath when Erden erupted into flames, hot red fires pluming from the roots of the antlers and the soles of the hooves, a show of his new elemental powers.

'Erden is fire? I thought he would have been the earth element. But this is a nice surprise.' Oscar smiled. He heard a shout from behind and turned to see Avril beelining for him. She knocked her head into his chest and tightened her grasp over his back, her shouts of delight destroying his ears.

"You were in there for a week! I didn't want to worry, but a few days made me nervous. She's so happy to see Oscar and Erden out of the pool and stronger." Avril raised her head, her golden eyes glinting with her smile. "A Greater Knight Exalt! You're both Greater Knight Exalts now. How frustrating. I have to step it up."

"You're a Grade Seven. Your time will come soon. Maybe within the next year." Oscar recalled what the Ancient Metures said about Avril's threads and how her former master should be one of the candidates. There was no doubt that one day, he would meet this other candidate due to Avril. Metures seemed so sure of the threads between people and that two candidates together might be better.

Gazing affectionately at Avril, he caressed her head and said, "It'll all be alright."

Her confused look at his words was quickly replaced by joy when Erden stopped by them, his flames burning brightly. "Erden, you're amazing. You're a beautiful beast."

"What? I wasn't one before?" Erden joked and laughed together with Avril. Oddly, his flames didn't hurt her or Oscar.

"Right. What a wondrous day it is. To think the one from outside would rise to become the Prielapos. Your kin on the other continent will surely welcome you with open arms. Right." Almos's laughter came out in loud snorts.

"But the true surprise is the human." Hons floated over, staring at Oscar questioningly. "His powers have advanced to the Greater Knight Exalt. But that is not all, is it, young human? The Pools of Ascension surely would not be a mere rise in power."

Oscar glanced around, seeing all eyes on him. He scratched his cheek and chuckled. "My core almost exploded, but it changed after I managed to settle it." Oscar summoned his deer anima, and it pranced around.

"H-hey….that anima…." Avril raised a shaky finger. "Aren't you a Grade Four?"

"Was," Oscar stated, putting his hand over his chest. A powerful gleam expelled from his obsidian eyes, and his smile deepened. "I am now a Grade Six Exolsia."

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