The Exalt [Cultivation Fantasy]

Morning dawned, and light began to spill through grated windows, their luminescent beams reflecting off the hard metal floor, appearing like a mini sun etched in the ground. Showered in the light, Oscar woke up from his deep dreams, exhausted and irritated down to his stomach, and wriggled around in his bed, finding no comfort in any arrangement of his arms and legs. He dropped to the cold metal floor and exhaled in distress, cursing inwardly at how not even the cool touch on his cheek failed to clear away the lingering bothersome thoughts, the kind that lingered on his mind after a harsh sleep.

In his dreams, he could see and hear his friends and family's faces and voices, growing more vivid and pronounced with each passing day on the edges of the Farsky Continent. Their dull images stopped fading and became clearer, igniting his desire to return over and over again. The goal was near, but the doors were shut for him, leaving him no other choice other than to stay here.

'Avril.' Oscar thought of one name. She was now in his dreams, like new editions to a book series, constantly filling the ends of his thoughts. He smiled slightly at the thought of her bright smile under the light of her golden eyes, accented by her deep indigo hair. His arms unconsciously tightened, grasping only the air and the metal floor, not the one he desired to embrace. He realized what he was doing and headbutted the floor, knocking some sense into his mind. She wasn't here anymore, at least not until he could finish this war.

'Focus. We're at war. Idle thoughts lead to slow reactions and bad judgment.' Demon spoke, indifferent and direct as ever.

'I know. I know.' Oscar waved off Demon's words and put on his brown robe and armor, his helmet covering his face. He adjusted the armguards and tightened his hands in the gloves, nodding at the perfect fit. Erden woke up from his corner, yawned, and licked his lips. His beast companions greeted him and jumped into his robes, transforming into his smaller form in the air.

The heavy metal door opened, creaking and groaning on the hinges, and he walked through the tight, suffocating hallways and stairs, arriving at the main bridge of Garantulem. The floating, translucent orb in the center reacted to his presence and formed the link of Ein into his chest. Oscar admired Gol-4's ingenuity in having an auto-control function in the plans. He had used it last night to have Garantulem move on its set course without his control, and it had covered a great distance.

"How are the rotations for refilling the Ein?" Oscar asked Uren, who yawned and sipped hot water. The Ein reserves were still at a good ninety percent, enough for them to launch an assault on Hathefin. The only way to restore them was to pour a person's Ein.

"Good. We all woke up in order and emptied our Ein into the orb. This thing doesn't use as much as we thought. It's incredible." Uren answered and started to clean his mace. He looked tense. "According to the charts, we're only a few hours away from Hathefin."

Oscar nodded and stood before the large, circular window, showing the fleet of connected ships, the clouds whistling by, and the stretch of blue sky. He turned to Uren and said, "Garantulem will take care of it. We need to protect it. That is all. Let's assemble. Have everyone get to their stations and be prepared. We're almost upon Hathefin."

Uren put down his cup and rose from his seat. He rushed to a large bell, lifted the metal log next to it, and let go. The metal log hit the bell, and its toll rang through Garantulem several times. In a matter of minutes, everyone gathered on the main bridge except for the citizens who were placed on another level, safe from harm.

Facing them, Oscar was greeted by their salutes and bows of respect, feeling nostalgic at the sight of thousand Exalts paying homage to him. It wasn't long since he left the Burning Valley and his Azure Sea Company, a month. He could see Fenu working away at the piles of papers and scrolls, Desmond and Arc battling it out for every petty disagreement, and the others wanting to speak with him for training and advice.

It was a shame, a true shame, that he could not bring his army with him. Such an endeavor would have been so expensive the Burning Valley would have to be drained down to the last piece of soot. Oscar scratched his helmet in deep pondering, questioning if he could bring these Exalts up to that same level.

"The captain is distracted while the others wait. That is not a good outlook for the battle. Remain focused." Reni started sternly at Oscar and then at the army, who shirked back from her domineering presence. She clicked her tongue and stomped her foot, forcing everyone upright from the sound of the metal breaking under her. "Elias and Hugh have already gone ahead to scout out the city. Everyone must play their part or be killed by the enemy or me."

"YES, COMMANDER!" The grogginess of morning seemed to have been washed away by her threat. Everyone saluted and went to their stations. Some stayed on the main bridge while others traveled outside to other ships.

"Sorry. My mind was elsewhere." Oscar apologized, hitting his chest, his fist over his heart. He didn't know what was wrong with him lately. Often, he felt his mind slipping away and constantly trying to retreat elsewhere in the depths of his memories.

"If you are Oscar Terr, then it's understandable. You've been away from home for twenty years. Even if you've been through various experiences, nothing is like returning home after a long while. The anxiety builds despite the comfort you should be feeling. It's home, yet it'll take time to readjust. For now, focus on Hathefin." Reni spoke and left swiftly afterward, going outside to lead the defenses.

Stolen story; please report.

Oscar rubbed and cracked parts of his neck to relieve the tension. Was that it? Was he too anxious after returning home? Oscar sighed and sat on the chair, overlooking the people and the wide window. He couldn't believe he would be so anxious after returning home, but it appeared to be the case. Oscar wondered how seeing his friends and family would feel after so long. Would he break down in tears? Smile and shout like never before? Or worse…would he have no idea how to talk or express himself?

"Shit…." Oscar leaned back over his chair and closed his eyes to see through Garnatulem. It disturbed the large ocean underneath, white foams along the blue waves mirroring the clouds in the sky above. He smiled under his helmet and decided to leave it later. Right now, this strange all-encompassing view of the land, ocean, and sky from every angle put him at peace.

Hours later, bells and alarms echoed through Garantulem, and everyone rose to action, readying themselves for battle. Through Garantulem's view, Oscar witnessed the city of Hathefin, a port that once belonged to his home but was now overrun and taken by the Undying Flame Sect. The city was larger than Drakken Port but appeared more as a marble of culture than a fortress. The buildings lacked the iron sheen of metallic plates and, instead, had intricate designs accompanied by pillars and sculptures.

Hathefin, a port city that boasted tremendous trade and traffic along the eastern seas, was forcibly taken. Susan mentioned earlier that Hathefin was supposed to support the eastern sea defenses with Drakken Port but was taken quickly, and the fleet there was destroyed.

Oscar had no fear of the enemy. First, they had broken through the blockade over Drakken Port without any casualties or damages to Garantulem, allowing them to remain at full strength. Reni and the other Marshal Exalts could have spearheaded their escape earlier, but at a tremendous cost; they could not protect everyone, even with their awe-inspiring powers. Second, the terrifying enemy fleet that took over Hathefin was surely at the frontlines, far away from here. The fleet stationed here most likely didn't have the deadlier airships that could have inconvenienced Garantulem. Third, even if a Marshal Exalt was stationed here, they could not move against three others, and the other ones that sieged Drakken Port were probably scrambling to catch their heels.

With all these factors in mind, Oscar commanded Garantulem, stationing it out of the range of their weapons. The giant metal fleet stopped to a grinding halt and activated its tri-fold barrier. He raised his hand and stared across the room, seeing the faces of every Exalt here. He could not allow them to die this day. Everyone had to live. Believing in Garantulem, Oscar clenched his fist and commanded all weapons to shoot.

Repeated blows of guns and cannons quaked the air and filled the sky with smog. Their thunderous booms continued like heavy rain on the ground, with barely a pause in between the noise. The side of Garantulem that faced Hathefin fired, then the structure rotated, firing from the fresh guns on the new side toward Hathefin. This downpour never ceased. Garantulem kept spinning as the cannons fired.

Oscar witnessed the continuous bombardment and smelled the fresh scent of fire and ash. These weapons of war were well-suited for sieges and barriers. Gatnons and other ingenious kinds hammered on the city barrier of Hathefin, forcing it to wane and give ground. Strange projectiles stuck on the barriers like spider webs or started to drill slowly, all different kinds of attacks. Reni and the others were also not idle, adding their powers to the siege.

'It's good that these aren't like the usual cannons and use too many resources….' He crafted each weapon himself. Most of them were akin to Gatnons that used the Ein in a concentrated form, while a few used the precious metals they desperately lacked. Garantulem would not have functioned well otherwise.

After a widespread bombardment, Oscar signaled Reni and Elias to enter the flagship. Unlike the enemy, who diverted the minimum resources to keep Drakken Port in check, not fearing their retaliation, Oscar and the rest wanted to conquer and destroy. From the flagship, Reni and Elias passed by Oscar, giving him a quick glance of understanding. He waited for them to enter a strange rod-shaped object and fired it toward the barrier.

'Ercanal-Sevens. Gol-4, you were a madman.' Oscar thought as the rod device, the Ercanal-Seven, formed the links of Ein to merge into the city barrier, but it didn't stop like its previous version. It forced its way through and expanded into a tower that reached the city grounds. Several doors opened on all sides, and Reni and Elias rushed out. Oscar ordered other platoons to enter the Ercanal-Seven, and they spilled out into the city in all directions.

The barrier broke shortly after, and Oscar laid waste to their meager fleet. Reni personally slaughtered the Marshal Exalt stationed here and paraded his corpse for the enemy and allies to see. They found several prisoners to join their forces and looted many more resources for the war effort.

A resounding victory. The first of its kind on the eastern seas.

Oscar breathed a sigh of relief as the forces returned to Garantulem before they destroyed the walls, decimated the roads, and destroyed the very costly portals. His hopes were placed in the idea that the enemy would react strongly and allow an opening for him to break through the frontlines to return home.

……

Within the southeastern headquarters of the invasion front of the Undying Flame Sect and the Scarlet Griffon Empire, several people met to discuss the war.

"We have a new report. The enemy at Drakken Port have somehow broken through our blockade and are heading further south." The general, garbed in scarlet armor and a winged back, glared around the room and spoke grimly.

"Are they insane? They may have three Marshal Exalts, but they surely lost most of their fleet and other forces." An elder from the Undying Flame Sect frowned and stared at the map on the table.

"That's the problem. They took no losses. No survivors on our side either. We only know they're heading south." The general traced his fingers south and stopped at Hathefin. "Hathefin…that is their only option here. They seemed to have found their courage or stupidity." He slammed the table and snarled, "What were the Marshal Exalts stationed there doing? Have they grown complacent from a year of playing around?"

"I assure you, they are on their way south. If the enemy is held up at Hathefin, they will strike from the back." An advisor paled and bowed.

Then, a messenger burst through the door, out of breath and sweating. He bowed and shouted, "Hathefin is lost! The portal has collapsed on our side!"

"What?!" Everyone in the room couldn't believe it. What on earth was going on?

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