The Exalt [Cultivation Fantasy]

In the darkness, Demon felt a pulsating distortion washing over him like a wave in the ocean, a magnetic force that crawled along his skin and churned his blood. Metal Ein dove into his pores and seeped inside, wriggling down his veins and reaching his core that spun endlessly in joyful absorption. A reservoir of metal Ein hovered above the core, silver in color and reflecting Ignyres's fiery glow. After several hours, the reservoir went dry, all used up. He drank another vial of grade-four elixir, refilling the reservoir.

'It's here!' At long last, after a decade and a half of isolated training, his core shuddered, bursts of blue Ein erupting along its surface that arced around, their size and length increasing every second. He couldn't delay any longer. Opening ten more elixirs, he poured their contents down his throat and growled, clenching his teeth as small puffs of vapor escaped in drawn-out intervals, his lips clamping shut to prevent the precious Ein from escaping. His advancement had arrived, and he needed every drop.

Oscar always complained about the pain, but there was none for him. Like the eye of the storm, the core rested in the center of a great movement, all the Ein swirling and reaching out to it. One of the veins on his arm popped, and blood splurted out, unrecognizable in the dark cavern. Following that, several more writhed until they burst apart, his body dyed in scarlet, drenched in blood. Contain it. He had to hold back the rampaging Ein, the stragglers too impatient to wait to be absorbed.

Through the link to Erden, he also realized the beast was also undergoing his advancement, their timings quite in sync due to their connection. Anytime the Ein seemed lacking, he drank more elixirs, frowning at the dwindling amount before him. After several days of fighting the rebellious Ein and the ravenous core, Demon found some respite as his body no longer showed signs of struggle. The core hummed a low note like a baritone voice in the chorus while the remaining Ein sparkled and danced to the tune.

Heat welled up in his chest and flowed to his fingertips, a powerful Ein shining out from under his skin. It spilled out from his eyes, ears, nostrils, and mouth, not a shadow remaining in even the smallest crevice of the cavern. The core stopped its rotation and oddly took the shape between a diamond and its former spherical form as if it were stuck, trying to determine which one it wanted to be. The process of Marshal Exalts was to mold the core into the shape of a spoke on a crown, preparing for the advancement to King Exalt, which required bringing the core out, the king's crown.

Now a Middle Marshal Exalt, Demon rose to his feet, the bloody, softened ground sinking under his weight. To avoid being annoyed by their worries, he wiped himself clean, burning away the bloody towels. It had been nearly fifteen years since the successful heist in Belnicce Port. Helen used the connections well. People were more than eager to trade and grant her favorable conditions. The initial boost from the heist, combined with the monthly tributes, bought him all the treasures and resources he needed.

At times like this, he understood why most Marshal Exalts attached themselves to factions and powers. The amount of money and resources would bankrupt anyone for a hundred lifetimes. He wore his armor and deer pelt, feeling it was right. Exiting the cavern, Demon glanced at Marcus, who opened his eyes and quickly greeted him. He sensed the Ein and neared Marcus, nodding in approval, "Have you also advanced, Marcus?"

"A week ago, my Lord. I have waited here since to await your arrival." Marcus bowed and praised, "Congratulations on your advancement, my Lord."

"Any news from the Cassidy woman?" Demon asked, walking away with Marcus following after.

"Leave it. She is not a fool to betray me. What of the others?"

"Restel and Eve are still Lower Marshal Exalts. Auren is stuck in training to advance to Middle Knight Exalt. Kragg, Astrid, and Santen have also advanced but nearly lost control and are currently contained."

"And you have not?" Demon found it strange that Marcus, who contained the most volatile and prideful beast, ignored the outburst of the beast within.

"Perhaps it is due to training next to my Lord. My beastly nature threatened to come out, but the Ein from you dampened its spirits, allowing me to remain sane." Marcus grinned while he praised without shame.

Ignoring the halfbreed's shamelessness, Demon ordered him to check up on the others while he marched out of the tunnels, crawling out of a hole. The sunlight flashed over his face, the first he had seen in years since he secluded himself, his eyes involuntarily blinking to readjust. Uncovering another hole under a metal sheet, he delved deep into the earth, a hammer striking audibly in the otherwise quiet tunnel, metal clanging against metal.

Inside it, he found Hector working his hammer along a long curved metal that glowed bright yellow. His hammer tapped, ringing clearly amid the roaring furnace and the bubbling vat of oil. He was about to strike again when Demon called out, "Hector."

This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

Hector jolted as if struck by thunder, nearly dropping his hammer, but after a series of juggling, he recovered it and clenched the handle harder before slamming it on his workpiece. Sparks spewed out, brightening his fabricator helmet, but Demon could tell the old forger was angered by his intrusion. Stepping to the side, he sat on a stool and watched Hector work, wondering if any of it would stir Oscar. After a final quench, the metal turned black, and Hector tossed it on the anvil, panting heavily.

"Rude bastard! You don't interrupt a craftsman. That's the number one rule!" Hector spat as he took off his helmet, his hair and scruffy beard drenched in sweat and sticking to his skin. His beady eyes widened as he grunted in awe, circling Demon and glancing over his body. He rubbed his scruffy beard and chortled. "Not bad. You're now a Middle Marshal Exalt. You might want to stretch out those legs more. Get adjusted."

"I'm not here for your praise. I've had enough of that today. Our preparations are nearly complete. Do you have it ready?" Escaping the stool, Demon pulled a stoker from the furnace, its tip red and glowing. He traced his finger along its edge, burning gauntlet.

"Ah. That. I was about to put on the finishing touches." Hector lifted the curved metal he had just finished. Hidden in the corner of the smithy was a tall object covered by a long blanket. A single swipe from Hector's hand blew away the cloth and unveiled the object. It was a Sentinel, a powerful golem that wreaked havoc during the last day of the war. "I can understand why your home took several years to create them and only to make them as Knight Exalts. It took over a decade for us to put this guy together."

"I don't care for your complaints. Can it fight?" Demon sized up the golem. It stood at six feet, smaller than its counterparts in the Brilliant Drake Empire. Clad in thick-plated armor, it gave the impression it could endure the most devastating blows.

"I was about to get to you, you impatient brat." Hector lifted the Sentinel and laid it flat on its chest, a section clearly missing from his upper back. The curved metal fitted perfectly into the groove and clicked into place, followed by several clanks from the other mechanisms latching onto it. Standing it up, Hector chuckled and tapped it in a prideful pose. "It's complete. A fully functioning Sentinel that can fight at the Marshal Exalt realm."

"I hope you followed my requests." Demon took out a long spear, the lightning piercer Oscar had taken from the golem in the snow realm. This Sentinel also had that golem's body as the base.

"That's why it took longer. Helen had to lock herself away for months to figure out how to combine the spear-wielding function from your destroyed golem into this one." Hector said, cursing under his breath. "Sentinel, activate!"

The blue eyes of the Sentinel shone from its visor, its limbs moving without a single creak, silent and fast. A flat voice came from within its helmet, "Acknowledged. Hector Brenton." It turned to Demon and bowed. "Master."

"Good. Now wield this and show me." Tossing the spear, Demon stayed back. The Sentinel got accustomed to the spear, swinging it masterfully in graceful yet powerful arcs of trailing lightning. Dust filled the workshop, and Hector ordered it to stop, but his words could not override Demon's orders. Waving his hand, Demon stopped it and turned it off, its eyes dimming into darkness. He stored it in his space pocket and left Hector alone to clean up the mess, ignoring the curses behind him.

'Are you leaving?' Erden asked, still in seclusion. 'I need to adjust to my power, so I can't go with you.'

'It's just a small trip. I do not need your help.' He flew away from Oldeye Island and sped, heading for the city under Aeon Peak, the mountain visible even from afar. Landing on foot, he set out on foot, adhering to the city rules, but the guards simply allowed him past since they knew his figure, their faces paling as he brushed past. In a short trek past the crowds that parted for him, he reached the Cassidy District, the former Reed District now renamed and owned by Charlotte.

None of the Cassidy guards dared to meet him in the eyes, their shoulders trembling as they hurried away from him. He noticed several figures hiding from plain sight, carefully following him, some retreating away to the palace in the center. They had powerful presences, one more Marshal Exalt than before. It seemed the Cassidy Auction benefited well from his purge.

From a distance, a black-haired woman rushed down and quickly bowed, her tidy bun now nearly in disarray, many hairs out of place. Her trembling black gaze met his gaze, fear flashing across her pupils, yet she remained focused on him, a welcome improvement from her subordinates who huddled in fear. In a clear voice, she welcomed him, "I, Charlotte Cassidy, welcome the lord to my humble abode."

"I did not come for your pleasantries. Enjoy your wealth as long as you bring me what I need." Demon slowly grasped his sword, and Charlotte's shoulders quivered.

"C-certainly. I was about to visit you and give you the information you requested." Charlotte drew in a deep breath and exhaled, her complexion improving. She held out a scroll and presented them in front of him. "One has finally emerged from our small continent."

"Truly?" Demon unfurled the document and scanned the contents. For years, he had Auren use his fantastic calculations to predict the emergence of a high-grade Exolsia in the Lunate Continent, constantly feeding off the pages of information on individuals Charlotte had provided. However, all turned out to be duds that inherited their ancestor's poor blood, none mutating into a higher being. But now, he found one.

"They kept her hidden, but when she reached fifteen and was found to be a Grade Eight, they smuggled her out of the continent to train," Charlotte explained.

"At last. I thought the only way was to go on the offensive, but with this, we finally have a justification. Gather more information on her, her friends, her connections, and the powers interested in her." Demon turned without hearing her reply. Confident of his plan, he clenched his fists and readied himself for the battle that would surely come.

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