The Exalt [Cultivation Fantasy]

"I can't figure it out!" Auren screamed out, his brown eyes bloodshot and his brown hair untidy as if he had just woken up. He squirmed around in his corner of the room, shaking the wall slightly, which forced him to stop, afraid of toppling the entire house. Papers sprawled all over his side, surrounding him. They depicted many formations, some circular, some squarish, but all quite complicated and draining on his mind. Scratching his head, he plopped onto the pages and groaned, cursing at the problem.

"What is it, Auren? Complaining to yourself isn't healthy." Santen said from outside, stretching his long limbs in strange flexible positions near the open entrance. He bent his long neck back until he stared with the fish-like stare upside down, an unsettling gaze to many but full of care to Auren. "You're only sixteen. It's normal for you to be so angsty."

"Lord Draven told me to figure out the best way to improve his Eliren Breaker, but it's sooooo complicated. Who the hell crams hundreds of layers into a single formation and implants it in an eye?" Auren tapped his head, feeling the deep creases that formed on his youthful brow. "My head is burning from even reading them."

"If our lord decided to give this task to you, then it means he knows you can accomplish it." Santen's words trailed on like a low echo. The Third certainly was the most relaxed of all of them.

Auren just grunted at his comment. Out of all of them, he was the only one who understood the intricacies of the formations he received, well aware the others had strengths in other areas. But it compounded the pressure on his shoulders. He was the Sixth and the weakest, possessing superiority only in the mind and knowledge. He sighed heavily. What would he give to be able to fight like Marcus and Lord Draven?

Santen's large hand covered his head, his fingers reaching the back of his neck, and rubbed in a rough yet oddly comforting caress. He seemed to know Auren's thoughts and gave a slight smile full of confidence and warmth. "Each of us has our uniqueness. You have a rare gift that our lord values greatly. Despite all the knowledge stored in your head, you lack the confidence to utilize them. Take your time. No one is rushing you."

"It's as Santen says. Take it slowly and learn. Auren, you are an indispensable part of our group; don't burden yourself by believing you're weak." A raspy voice comforted him. Eve arrived, carrying a basket of fish she got from the nearby shore. Wrapped in bandages, she avoided walking to prevent them from breaking. To move, the strange Second floated to her destinations. Auren was sure she must have been a great beauty in the past, judging from the pair of captivating blue eyes that peeked out from the bandages. It was a shame the New Dawn had captured her and turned her into her current state.

"Eve, are you alright? Don't overdo it." Santen asked worryingly, taking the basket from her.

"It's a nice morning. Auren, why don't you take a break and enjoy the breeze?" Eve coughed, her hoarse, kind words compelling Auren to agree and sit down with her and Santen, who started to cook the fish. She looked around, a hint of worry flashing across her beautiful eyes. "Is Marcus still away with our Lord? They should have finished their business, no?"

"Besides Lordy, why would anyone give a hoot about the First?" Kragg stomped over, knocking down an old, lopsided airship, a beastly look fitting for the wild aura surrounding him. Like a lion's mane, his long hair went prickly as his Ein surged out. He smiled, flashing his canines, and tossed a boar by Santen's feet, the dirt knocking into the fish that was being grilled, ruining them. Santen twitched briefly before a calmness forcefully mellowed out the slight vein that threatened to pop.

"S-sorry! Kragg can be impulsive. Sorry!" Restel stammered out, her collar held by Kragg's hand as if she were a bag. Dangling from his hand with her feet unable to touch the ground, she bowed several times, the shaggy black hair whipping around but still covering her face. Auren felt it was a shame he couldn't see her face, always a mystery since they met. Kragg growled but didn't retaliate against her, keeping her steady in his grip.

"Is the new one still asleep?" Kragg peered inside and scoffed at the Seventh, still sleeping in the bundle of blankets. He sat right next to Auren, the thick odor of blood scrunching his young stomach. Restel coughed and accepted a cup of water from Eve, drinking it underneath her lengthy hair. Kragg slapped Auren's shoulder, a painful yelp resounding in response. "If it weren't for Lordy ordering me not to force you, I would have trained you. All skin and bones! Bah!"

Rubbing his aching shoulder, Auren felt a wash of Ein enter and relax his nerves, a hot breath escaping as his head cooled to a refreshing chill. It came from the spot Kragg had hit. Did he have to mask his kindness with harsh actions? Auren couldn't stop chuckling, imagining Kragg's inner thoughts in the voice of a worrisome older brother. Perhaps a break was what he needed.

"It's as Kragg said. There's no need to worry." Santen slowly roasted the boar in the fire, a few crackles spewing embers as the melting fat dripped onto the red flames. Gulping his saliva, Auren listened to Santen as he said, "We don't need to worry about our lord, and Marcus will never let himself fall."

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…….

"The Reed Cartel. It's not a coincidence they're targeting me." Demon mumbled to himself, taking over control of the Duality clone. He clenched and unclenched his hands and shifted the fake muscles, getting used to the body. Two Lower Marshal Exalts ambushed him above the ravines of the southern borders, a graveyard of bones inhabited by screeching vultures. He spoke louder to them, withholding his Ein and pressure to avoid frightening them away, "Why is the esteemed Reed Cartel targeting me?"

"To not be rude to our esteemed guest, it's because we received word of an unknown Marshal Exalt visiting the Cassidy Auction." The older one replied in a tired tone, his large gray mustache quivering from his lips moving. The skin on his face sagged as if it were melting, and many folds creased along his bald head. "I am Edward Reed, the previous leader of the Reed cartel. It's an honor to meet you."

"And I am Dalin Reed, the current leader. Forgive us for this offense, but we want to discuss business." Dalin, a more youthful version of the old one beside him, bowed elegantly, his mustache still back, and only a few wrinkles adorned his broad features. He tidied his suit and cleared his throat. "Last night, the matriarch of the Cassidys came to our doors and offered us a deal. In exchange for your head, she will wed her descendant to my grandson and give us some of her connections to procure goods."

"Quite a generous deal. I wonder what I had done to incur such rage from her." Demon fiddled with the badge in his pocket. His location had been leaked to them by Charlotte. Ignyres stirred, sending a heated message that reached him, saying that someone was watching from afar. It was a well-hidden presence but not enough to hide from the flaming eyes of the Ancient of Fire. For the past ten years after the tragedy, he often relied on Ignyres' acute senses to avoid danger.

"But I come to you with an offer of my own. Together, we can destroy the Cassidy Auction and execute the harlot who tried to use us. My grandson can still have his prize, and we can take everything." Dalin said.

"And what do I get?" Demon asked.

"I offer you a third of the Cassidy wealth. We can induct you as an honorary family member if you wish to sell your services. A portion of our profits will go to you. Resources will be within your reach. You only need to ask." Dalin opened his arms in a welcoming gesture.

"That's quite an offer. But–" Demon's gaze flickered to the old man, Edward, who hadn't said anything the entire time. Their deal sounded favorable, granting him good benefits. Still, he distrusted how long that offered hand would last. Would he be called a criminal after the death of the Cassidys? He thought of a better scenario and pretended to be brazen, the epitome of stupidity. "I got a better deal from her. If I kill you, I get to marry Charlotte and get half of your wealth. Can you match that?"

"I suppose there's nothing else to be done. Now!" Dalin shouted. Edward snapped his fingers, and the ground trembled, Ein shining in patterns on the ravine, somehow disjointed yet connected in a shimmering formation. Demon had little experience in formations, barely facing them in the war because they were mostly used for the defenses of cities. The rare few with talent in using formations in battle also faced each other exclusively. However, individuals like Gol-4 and Auren were a rarity.

'It's weak. Auren can think of a better formation.' Demon scoffed in the second as the light spilled from above, enveloping him completely. Anyone caught in it would have been burnt or suffered severe injuries if caught off-guard. To make a show, Demon punched out, parting the light with a searing flame that melted part of the ravine, undoing the formation. He pretended to be injured, forcing his calm lungs to breathe heavily.

Edward and Dalin leaped in, melding their animas into their weapons, a scorpion into a blade and an axe in an axe. Like a pair of twins, they coordinated their attacks well, constantly looking for his blindspot. The scorpion blade curled and extended out, piercing his stomach, and blood spewed out. Clutching his wound in fake distress, Demon shouted and slammed his fists into their weapons, careful not to kill them but not wound them severely as well. Blown away, they showed shock in their pale faces as they mustered their Eins together in a frightening blow of lightning and wind, a hurricane of electrical storms.

'Poison?' Demon noticed the bits of electricity crackling in the blood, an insidious poison that turned the blood into a black pulp. The poison didn't affect his Duality clone, but he needed to keep pretending and fight on. Gathering a vortex of flames, he released them into many swirling tendrils as if a strange twenty-fingered hand of fire stretched out behind him. The ground turned scarlet, smoke hissing from the glowing ravine, and the sky churned in a storm of fierce gales and splitting lightning.

Grabbing the shifty scorpion blade that attacked from behind, Demon expelled flames, erupting the fire onto Edward, who protected himself underneath a cloak of chirping lightning. The lightning rebounded onto Demon, who coated himself in a layer of flame. The two elements roared, trying to overwhelm the other, but Dalin stepped in fast and chopped off Demon's arm.

"Bastard! I'll take you with me!" Demon pretended to be angered and burst into flames that expanded outward in all directions, catching the two Reeds in its explosion. All that remained was a charred body that fell to the floor. Demon watched the two approach cautiously, eyeing his space pocket. He canceled his Duality and returned to his body in the northern region.

'They should be celebrating the gains in the space pocket. With the body unrecognizable and burned, they won't suspect a thing.' Demon wondered if his plan would bear fruit. He wounded them slightly to make it more believable, but not enough for Charlotte to move against them. Above the forest, three Lower Marshal Exalts, weary and ragged, stared at the bloodied figure, Marcus, fear but also glee spilling from their gazes as they puffed their chests in pride.

"Funny. How funny." Marcus re-tied his bloody blonde hair, wiped the blood from his face, and clacked his teeth together in a sharp click, audible to even him from afar. His once elegant and stoic tongue loosened to a more primal speech. "It's been a while since I felt this trashy. Good! Good! You've all signed your contracts with death, you bastards." A small black stub protruded from his forehead, extending into a full horn. His dagger was unsheathed. "Let's have some fun!"

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