Timeless Prominence

The next day was supposedly the new initiates’ introduction to the instructors of the Halls. These instructors really spent most of their time innovating for the Halls, and beyond a month of training the new recruits, functioned as simply advisors in the various established members’ pursuits of magic.

However, this important event was somewhat delayed due to the conflict of the prior night. Upon exiting into the northwest mountains again, Rein came upon numerous rows of white and gold tents.

He was beckoned to one of these tents by none other than Chirh. He found himself standing among the members that he had fought yesterday’s battles together.

“You’ve seen those devices spurting out mists of pictures, right?” Chirh could barely contain his excitement as he twitched on his toes. “We’ll need to submit those as proof of our accomplishment. And we’ll receive a reward!”

Suxeire rolled her hazel eyes. “In his six months here, it’s his first time. Truly embarrassing. I, myself, cannot believe I’d be submitting proof alongside him.”

Xeeseir approached and lobbed a metal egg sideways into Rein’s hands.

“Remember,” Xeeseir said in a low tone to ensure the secrecy of his words. “Only envision what you desire to show.” A cheeky grin with a wink. “And nothing else.”

Rein nodded, and turned his focus onto the metal egg. As he stared into the hole at the top of the egg, his vision spun. A blink of the eye, and Rein found himself in a sea of white.

As he focused his thoughts, the mists rolled with colors, twisting the surroundings into the field on which they had battled the four Burning Flesh Inheritance members. It was as if he was watching the whole fight pan out again.

Feeling a slight headache in the center of his forehead, Rein directed the mists to paint their encounter against the rhino and lynx they had first battled in the woods before entering the grass plain. 

Then, the events of his use of the javelins gifted to him by the stocky gray-cloaked Halls member. Heeding Xeeseir’s words, he intentionally ceased his manipulation of the mists before he used his teleportation skill on the javelin.

Normally, this might be suspicious, but at that point in time, Rein was already struggling to stay conscious due to his injuries, thus his vision wasn’t particularly clear anyway. Naturally, the mists that painted that section of the fight, too, roiled about in haziness.

The magic of the vision egg clearly relied on the user’s own vision. Rein made sure to muddle his projected vision, and concealed the events of the teleporting javelin in darkness. Under examination, this could easily be interpreted as a momentary loss of vision of one who had lost too much blood.

If Xeeseir witnessed the teleporting javelin… Well. Seeing as Xeeseir had pointedly informed him to obscure the ending of the previous night, Rein imagined that Xeeseir had no intention of revealing Rein’s origin ability. As for why? Only Xeeseir himself knew. Rein was thankful nonetheless.

Once he stopped transmitting his vision, the device became aware that he was done. When he blinked again, he found himself in his original posture back in the tent with the egg in his hands.

“Won’t someone potentially cheat their contribution?” These devices didn’t seem to have reliable security. Even Rein, a new user, could obscure some information in a convincing manner with just a few words from Xeeseir.

Xeeseir seemed to have experience with these vision eggs before, and had an inkling of Rein’s doubts about the egg.

“Nah.” A shake of the head. “The magics inside rely strongly on the mental vision of events. It’s impossible to make things up. A random object conjured by the mind will stick out like a sore thumb in a true vision.”

As if to demonstrate his point, Xeeseir moved the metallic egg back and forth, causing the light reflection on its metallic surface to occasionally blind Rein’s eyes. “The mind simply isn’t quite capable of crafting the million intricacies of the world in a detailed egg vision.”

“Now, obscuring a few details here and there is rather easy. But obviously, we’re trying to prove our contributions in battle today. The hall is naturally unconcerned with obfuscation. Why would anyone hide their own contributions?” Xeeseir’s laugh was full of mockery.

“You’ve had to use these vision eggs before?” Rein couldn’t help but wonder about Xeeseir’s history.

“Mmmm. I’ve taken jobs as I traveled across the nation. These vision eggs are commonly used.” Xeeseir stopped there, having no interest in elaborating more on his experiences.

They all handed their vision eggs to a gray-robed attendant.

As they left, Chirh thought to add to the conversation. “All our visions will also be compared against each other. It’s quite impossible to fool anyone using these vision eggs in most cases.”

Chirh current tone conveyed his jubilant mood on this day, his normal insecurities completely imperceptible. One would even think him a confident man. Except, Rein knew Chirh would soon revert back to his usual self. He knew that Chirh was only ‘hyper’ today because it was his first time accomplishing anything of note in the Hall of Heroes.

The group split, with Rein, Xeeseir, Dahk and Wilo heading off to attend the introductory procession with their month-long instructors. Rein’s personal opinion of the Hall of Heroes is rather mixed. This halls branch is clearly intentionally taking advantage of the desperate souls willing to sacrifice all to become advancers.

Most of the initiates became nothing but meatbags sent to the western front. At the very least, they had the decency to provide some form of training…

They recognized familiar faces upon joining up with the other new initiates, though many of those faces were filled with puzzlement. Often, their eyes would switch between Xeeseir and Dahk, wondering how in the twelve hells these two were now side-by-side in a cordial manner.

Rein, on the other hand, felt fully content remaining out of the center of attention. It was troublesome enough with Beincen’s unwelcome scrutiny, not to mention, many would soon become aware that he had joined Supreme Jensure’s ‘little party’.

A gray-robed figure led the way. Before they began, the man opened a scroll and announced a decree. “Reminder. It has been decreed that this group of new initiates will only have one month. This is non-negotiable. You may leave the Halls if you so desire, but you will never be able to return again. The overseer has given a simple reason: The battle yesterday has led to chaos in the western wilderness. That is all.”

Although the new initiates seemed fearful of this statement, none left.

Little was said through their short trek. Many seemed lost in thought regarding their lack of preparation time. Rein himself was content hearing the morning sounds of nature, while Dahk and Wilo never seemed like the talkative sort. Xeeseir was thus left moving his legs in a bored daze.

The procession followed a narrow rugged dirt path that climbed upwards, reaching the very top of a mountain that looked to have its top sliced off.

Upon reaching that height, Rein discovered a bowl-shaped area that sunk into the top. Either something large had punctured this crater into the top of the mountain, or perhaps the mountain was but a dormant volcano. 

Rein believed it to be dormant, because the whole bowl was now thoroughly layered with a thick layer of lush green vegetation, surrounding a clear mirror-like lake in the center of the crater that could not be differentiated from the sky.

The group winded down toward the edge of the waters, and finally found themselves in a man-made opening next to the serene and peaceful lake.

A dark-hair woman wrapped in white robes with the freshness of morning dew turned to welcome the new initiates. Her hair glimmered a tinge of brown under the early sun rays as she sternly asked the question, “What do you know of mythology? Of aurae? Of the fallen gods?”

This woman was clearly their instructor. And her question? Perhaps only proper scholars would have an adequate answer.

The instructor did not expect any of the newcomers to provide even a partly satisfactory answer, for she proceeded to answer the question herself without any pause.

“It is said that before the birth of the realm, all was once one. A being called Uni. They were born of the source, and the being that brought order to chaos.”

“Their many limbs each controlled a different aspect of truth. The wind, the sun, and even time itself.”

“Yet, one day, the limbs sensed each other and wondered why they were being controlled. Thus, they split themselves from the mind of Uni, and, together, crushed Uni’s body into the earth itself, fragmenting the body of Uni into a myriad of realms to ensure their own newfound freedom.”

“Each limb grew its own form, and thus rose the gods.” The lady instructor paused, before adding, “Well-- fallen gods now.”

“Such a simple myth. Yet it is the very basis of our understanding of magic. In hindsight, even the terms we use-- aura and aurae-- were derived from this myth.”

“We as beings are capable of magics that control different elements. And the combination, mixture of all these aurae form our individual aura, just as the limbs of Uni together defined the very being of Uni.”

“However, what I will next say may perhaps be a slight interpretation. You would even be justified in accusing me of excessively reading into a myth.”

“Scholars have long determined that aurae is that which creates. And that which can be created by aurae can also house a volume of aurae to a variable degree. One could argue that the tale of Uni, very much implied this fact, for they were described as an orderly being created from the chaos of the source of aurae.” 

“Perhaps, we humans would have advanced much further if the ancient scholar had made that guess much earlier in our history, and not suffered during the Age of Darkness, Age of Beasts, or Age of Chaos.”

Rein wasn’t completely sure what that last point meant. However, he was more than happy to learn of this background of the world he lived in. His half-senior Chenhr very much focused solely on only the ‘necessary’ knowledge that Rein needed to obtain during his six months under Master Yirn.

The lady instructor then brushed a strand of her dark hair behind her ear as she lifted her other arm.

“Now, I’m sure all of you have at least used an advancer art inscribed onto an armament. But magics change over time. They develop.”

She formed a fireball on her palm, and threw it at the ground. The fireball spread slightly, setting aflame the grass in the landing spot. A flick of her sleeves, and the fire vanished.

“That is a simple, ancient form of magic. A simple manifestation of fire aurae from the body.”

She once again, formed a fireball in her palm, but this time, the fireball reduced in size as its color deepened into a crimson, and its flames spun within the fireball in a torrential manner. 

The instructor lopped this new condensed fireball, and when it struck the ground, a small explosion punched a hole into the soil while similarly setting the grass aflame.

“Slightly more advanced ancient magics,” was the instructor’s commentary. “To create this effect, one has to envision the heat collecting in a volcano, ready to burst, and integrate this understanding into the fireball.”

Next, the instructor pivoted to another form of magic. A wave of her palm, and a soft green aurae with a slight hint of wind elemental shift formed into a hawk. The complexity of the magic was apparent, with strings of greenish aurae burrowing into each other, giving shape to the hawk.

As the instructor brought her arm back and forth, the silvery-green hawk followed her motion, flapping its wings to rise, glide, and perform amazing dives from great heights.

“We observe and imitate the hawk, and weave magic to give the spell not just the shape, but also the characteristics of the hawk.” The stern instructor finally leaked a small smile, as with another wave of her hand, the aurae hawk was dyed in flames.

“Now. We combine the characteristics of the hawk with the advanced fireball.” The fiery hawk followed the instructor's guidance as it flew over the new initiates’ head. Rein could feel the condensed heat radiating onto his sweating forehead as the hawk gilded overhead.

Finally, the instructor sharply pointed her hand at the ground, and the fiery hawk dived, accelerating as if to catch prey, and stabbed into the earth before flinging soil with an almighty explosion.

“And that, my dear fledglings, is what we today call a true advancer art. I hope one day, you will show me one of your little creations. Only unique advancer arts deserve a name. Now, for a variation!” A wave of her white sleeves and a man stood forth.

This man opted to demonstrate the advanced fireball art, but his fireball constantly flickered with flares that seemed to lash and whip at the surrounding air.

“My disciple here formed a creed that has an underlying rage. One’s nature can have different effects on the very same advancer arts.”

The man threw the fireball onto the ground. Compared to the instructor lady’s advanced fireball, this disciple’s fireball had a smaller explosion, and yet the flames seemed to spread and radiate outwards in wilder rage.

The lady snapped her fingers and the spreading flames were sucked directly into her white sleeves. The ground was now somewhat charred with the repeated demonstrations of the fire-based art.

“I am a scholar, interested in the delicate and fine control of advancer magic. My disciple is different, his creed belonging to his own self. Thus the difference.”

“Allow me to leave you with this knowledge. Anything that can be observed in nature can be imitated, many combined. Certain interactions are possible, but may never be observed in nature simply because the requirements for that interaction are never met in the natural environment.”

“Good luck!” She singsonged, and abruptly vanished. She never even introduced herself properly.

“Ahem,” the gray-robed figure who had led the group throughout the trek bidded everyone to follow him to the next location, and the procession swindled back out of the mountain crater.

Rein next found himself descending into a valley blanketed with fog. His skin felt warm with moisture, and the trees he was moving past were considerably taller, thicker, and more luscious.

As the ground leveled off, he entered a zone that looked like a wetland farm. Numerous odd looking plants of dangerous bright colors shone on the procession. Finally, they reached a cave with a cerulean stream flowing out from the opening. On top of that opening, were rows upon rows of a terraced mountain farm, once again, filled to the brim with exotic vegetation.

A gaunt man with a messy hair bun stirred soup inside a large chest-high cauldron that simmered above a red and green flame. He wasted no time fulfilling his instructor duties.

He patted his chest. “What is an alchemist? In the advancer world, they are doctors, poison specialists, battle state augmenters, and of course, providers of magical tinctures such as psychedelics helpful in advancing in the magical realm.”

“Perhaps, coming from a mortal world, this may seem confusing. But an advancer’s body has been fully conditioned by the aurae of the world. It is therefore immune to mortal poisons. Higher-realmed advancer bodies even recover limbs by itself.”

“Thus,” he raised a finger. “It is us alchemists, masters of crafting ingenuous mixtures, that can influence such powerful and stable advancer bodies to either go into a deathward spiral. Or return from one.”

The gray-cloaked guide had picked up a tray with finger-sized cups of a thick bloody liquid. The alchemist instructor waited for all the new initiates to have one, before holding up one himself and toasted the crowd and swallowed the small mouthful of liquid.

Rein did the same, and found his body heating up. His ears seemed to pick up sounds he had never heard before. He could hear the quivering jaws of insects that were hidden underground. His vision sharpened as well, and somehow, he found himself seeing through the fog blanketing the valley. His skin raised goosebumps as he felt the most minuscule amount of each new initiate’s breathing through the air.

Yet, after a few heartbeats, Rein heard the simultaneous collapse of nearly all the initiates onto all-fours. Comparatively, his own head and heart only slightly throbbed in discomfort. Looking around him, every single initiate was now sprawled onto the ground. Only him and Wilo remained standing. Even Xeeseir was down on one knee.

Not wishing to stand out, he quickly bent over with his hands on his knees, and did his best to act out shaking legs, a loud choking and vomiting noise before sprawling himself onto the ground. All the while, his jumbled thoughts could only draw the conclusion that his body had irrevocably strengthened after the draconic metamorphose bead had fully melded with his body, if that remnant will’s words yesterday night were to be believed.

This meant that his flesh and bones were now similar to a newborn dragon whelp! It is well-known that beastkin, or demon beasts had significantly stronger and durable bodies.

“Ahahaha!” The alchemist maniacally mocked them all, taking an extra glance at Xeeseir and Wilo, then a suspicious look at the limp Rein. “The body, too, is a cauldron. Its components are normally in balance. But the right poison can temporarily remove those controls to bring forth a burst. Well, with a cost that can be temporary,” he paused. “Or permanent.”

The gray-cloaked man beckoned with his arm for the stumbling crowd to move again. He seemed fearful of the alchemist and was in a hurry to leave.

The alchemist instructor yelled at the leaving  procession, “Oh yes! If any of you find some unique and rare exotic plant out west in the wilderness of the demons and devils, I’ll pay a king’s ransom for it!” He chuckled, taking joy in watching the reeling forms of the new initiates.

“Oh!” The alchemist wasn’t done. “All of you will have no choice but to return with something. Otherwise I will not teach you the very basic necessary skill of crafting a heartblood potion with your enemy’s heartblood! You will not be able to absorb the strength of your enemy!”

That certainly ignited a row of grumbles with the floundering initiates crowd. They knew how important such a skill was. Even those not interested or had the time for alchemy needed to at least learn this. Heartblood is difficult to preserve, and can be stolen if handed over to another person.

Similar to the lady instructor in that crater-capped mountains, this alchemist instructor also did not bother leaving his name.

Rein suspected that these instructors probably found no point in having their name known by the new initiates, most of whom weren’t likely to survive for long…

His guess was likely true, as many of the following instructors that the new initiates visited also did not bother to give their names.

To Rein, many of these other instructors were much of a bore, and not memorable. The words they spoke simply did not pique his interest. More accurately, the knowledge they presented was something that he had long learnt under Master Yirn.

Eventually, the group found himself in an environment with geysers that shot boiling streams to the skies. As he squinted his eyes to see through the steam, he could swear that there were some areas where hints of lava were even leaking up to the surface.

Following a path that went underground, Rein found himself traveling through a tunnel supported by wooden beams that echoed with the sound of hammer on steel. Soon, he entered a large cavern that glowed red with forges.

He could not resist reminiscing about Blacksmith Tiehr, the one who had first enabled him to come this far.

However, his reminiscence was cut short as his eyes met those of Beincen, of House Larne!