Timeless Prominence

The other instructors that Rein picked to attend were the alchemist and Blacksmith Rahr, not that he had any choice regarding the latter given that he had already been accepted as a disciple.

His reason for visiting the alchemist instructor was a result of his observation of Wilo’s poison needles, and also the spring lady’s hints that spatial skills were good for assassinations.

The session was unfortunately a bit of a bore. The unnamed alchemist instructor, instead of doing any mixing with the cauldron, spent most of the time explaining an alchemist’s place in the advancer world.

Supposedly, an alchemist could be a doctor, a poison expert, a potion creator for various enhancements in combat or magic development. He proceeded to explain facets of all of these branching specialties, putting the attendees into a daze within the valley’s haze.

Last of all, the attendees were instructed to memorize and identify various different herbs. “A necessary bore to ensure that one could pick and mix the right ingredients for the right purpose,” as the alchemist put it.

By now, many of the attendees were rather disappointed-- some of them would not be returning. Today’s session certainly did not quite have the half-crazed impact compared to their introductory session the day before.

Rein approached the alchemist instructor. He was here for a rather nefarious reason, but he had to obscure said reason-- finishing off the Rekcen and dealing a blow to Beincen and House Larne! He naturally could not physically fight against a whole house. Thus, he turned to the alchemist.

“Sir. I am interested in becoming a poison expert of sorts,” he said.

“Oh. And why is that, young one? Do not tell me you wish to fall onto the path of a devil?” The alchemist glared at the young man. Many poison experts were devils in the wild west, taking swathes of lives with no regret or retribution.

“Sir. I am Rein, and lost my family to those devils. It is my desire to understand and counter their methods!” Rein exclaimed righteously with a fist pump.

“Rightfully said!” The alchemist beamed before giving Rein a sly wink. “You do need to memorize all these different types of plants first though. Then you need to learn how to identify the nature and potential use of newly evolved types of herbs. Only then can you be of use.”

He slipped a vision egg into Rein’s hands and then brought a finger to his lip to indicate that this was to remain a secret.

Rein was both ecstatic yet disappointed. He needed a type of poison to assassinate Rekcen as soon as possible-- it would be quite some time before he would learn the thousands upon thousands of herbs recorded by the alchemist world.

“Oh yes,” the alchemist had a rather maniacal grin as he added. “I forgot to say this to others, so you can be the first to hear of this. The human body requires balance, especially during recovery. Sometimes, all you need is to inject an unstable… element into a recovering body, leading to unexpected but potentially damaging results. That is what I mean when I speak of the importance of understanding the various combinations of herbs within the cauldron that is like a body.”

Rein was wide-eyed. Did this alchemist see through his intentions? But those last words certainly helped, for Rein immediately thought of the beastkin cores he still carried with him. He could consume these without worry due to his transformed body… but normal humans…?

He smiled. The sparkling sand of beastkin cores… he was curious on the effect of such a material on the human body. The next step was to figure out how to discreetly transfer this sparkling sand through House Larne’s defenses into Rekcen’s recovering body!

Leaving the alchemist’s valley, Rein returned to the geyser area that held Blacksmith Rahr’s forges. He had hoped that the Blacksmith would put him to work, yet instead, he was instructed to inspect various different materials, mostly ores, and identify the type and strength of said material.

Blacksmith Rahr had scoffed at Rein’s dissatisfaction. “Our deal was that you would bring back valuable materials from missions to the dangerous west. Naturally, you need to know what to return with.”

Rein wanted to smack his head against a wall to awaken himself from his whole morning-- apart from the little excitement of figuring out what to poison Rekcen with, he had been memorizing herbs and stones and metals and… He could only sigh.

“Focus on inspecting and identifying these materials, you fool!” Rahr’s booming voice refocused  Rein’s attention. “How am I supposed to craft adequate weapons for the Halls if the materials brought back are nothing more than junk?”

Rein did not even have a chance to work with the other disciples and learn new names before all dispersed for a midday break.

The sun traveled overhead and Rein found himself returning back into the underground labyrinth. His destination? The Hall of Treasure and the Hall of Knowledge.

These two locations were opposite of each other on two sides of the gleaming white tunnel. Both entrances were identical in design apart from the engraving of a spear on the Halls of Treasure gateway, whereas the Hall of Knowledge had an engraving of a round head with beams of light rays radiating outwards as a symbol of enlightenment.

Without hesitation, he chose the Hall of Knowledge first. Rein had to first seek his next step before finding the required materials from the Hall of Treasures.

Turning to his right, Rein found the tunnel widening and increasing in height as if the tunnel was opening like a mouth to wrap itself around the thirty by twenty feet gateway into the Hall of Knowledge.

As for the gateway? It was nothing but a swirling dark vortex. Upon resting his eyes on the gateway, Rein immediately sensed the spatial magics, likely meant to serve as protection, but also increase the space within to contain the knowledge necessary to arm the members of these Halls.

Rein felt a brief burning sensation as he was examined head-to-toe by a row of ten white cloaked silver-plated sentries on two sides of the gateway, before he whirled into the Hall of Knowledge.

After spending some time in the Hall of Heroes, he had come to a certain understanding of these silver-plated sentires. They were long-term survivors of past initiates unable to break through to the higher-realms and were thus artificially augmented to serve as guards for the rest of their lives. Once artificially augmented they would no longer be able to raise their strength.

His vision flashed when he traveled through the portal. Rein found himself in a wholly different environment. He had expected to find himself in another blindingly white stone hall that was common in the Hall of Heroes, yet swiveling his head around, he found himself instead in a significantly warmer setting.

The vaunted maloewood decoration that was so prevalent in the Hall of Heroes’ dining halls made a return. The motifs of humans against demons and devils remained prevalent, carved into the maloewood walls surrounding Rein.

Each image seemed to have its own story. Perhaps a more avid scholar would have wanted to know the tale behind each and every single one of them, but Rein was more preoccupied by other matters.

As Rein stepped forward toward a woman, likely the one in charge of receiving Hall members in the Hall of Knowledge, he found his feet on a new and soft material. The ground itself was fully covered in a silvery silk carpet with no clear discernable pattern in its weave.

The metal orbs of light attached to the maloewood walls casted a warm yellow light onto this silvery carpet, causing the ground itself to occasionally glint a soft golden flash into the corner of Rein’s eyes.

The woman was dressed in a Hall of Heroes robes of a faintest sky-blue tinge. That meant that she had a respected unique role, unlike the many grunts dressed in gray robes that Rein have already encountered many times.

The woman gazed up to welcome Rein, and when their eyes met, the woman’s pupils turned vertical and glowed golden like a beast.

She grinned at Rein, her teeth a row of fangs, an image identical to the dragon the Rein had briefly encountered-- Mystrygon!

The woman’s vertical golden eyes and fanged teeth only flashed for a single blink of the eye, and Rein was certain that it was intentional on the woman’s part.

He had long been aware that the Hall of Heroes absolutely saw hunting and slaying those of dragon descent as a sign of accomplishment. After all, dragons were the origin of all demon beasts. To think that the dragons had managed to sneak a spy into this branch of the Halls…

“Welcome. I am Duzkr, a minor keeper of the Hall of Knowledge.” Her smile no longer revealed any hint of her fanged identity. “I have long waited to guide one such as you.”

Her words were intentionally vague, but Rein knew it was a form of communication to avoid the Hall’s ears. Likely, Duzkr was an ally of Mystrygon, and had long been informed of Rein’s existence.

Yet, how would Mystrygon know that he would enter the Hall of Heroes? This was certainly a point that Rein was unable to figure out.

“My name is Rein. I am just a new initiate. Perhaps you are already aware, but I am here to hunt down the demons and devils that destroyed my hometown, the Golden Desert Town.” This was one of the times that Rein would get to finish his introductory line.

“Well. As a minor keeper, I have the freedom to provide guidance and direction on the sort of knowledge a new initiate might need.” Duzkr stepped out from behind the extravagant maloewood desk, and waved for Rein to follow her. Another soft sky-blue robed Hall's member stepped behind the front desk as replacement.

Rein followed Duzkr through a normal-sized doorway, and the disguised woman led him through multiple identical rooms. Each room was a perfect square layout with shelves of books and scrolls, with the occasional collection of tall leather scrolls carried inside deep-blue-patterned porcelain vases.

Every single room was decorated in a similar fashion to the entrance-- the extravagant maloewood furniture, the silvery silk carpet, the carvings of ancient humanoid races of various sizes and shapes clashing with demons and devils, illuminated by a metal light orb emitting a warm golden glow.

Eventually, the two descended a set of spiral stairs that went farther underground, and Rein instantly understood that more hidden knowledge was likely stored in the lower floors.

After a brief moment of thought, Rein found the vague words that could satisfy his curiosity without sabotaging this hidden dragon lady’s position, even if the walls of these Halls were listening in on their conversation.

“I must express my gratitude that you offered me, a stranger, guidance. After all, you know what they say. The one receiving guidance often gleams some insight into the one providing such guidance.” Rein was obviously hinting at the woman’s secret identity. Though, a bystander would consider such words simply an expression of gratitude.

Duzkr did not immediately reply. She, too, took her time to measure her words. “That is of no importance. After all, any insight you may gain into my mind is irrelevant. As a minor keeper, I have access to the vast information on the Hall’s initiates. The secrets I know of you will pale in comparison to that you glean in me.”

Duzkr’s hushed undertone dragged Rein back from his inner musings. “It is my hope that this will be the start of something special. For you and for us. A minor keeper’s worth is reflected by the benefits those advised by said keepers bring to the Halls.”

Did all these words originate from Mystrygon or Duzkr? Rein had a distinct memory of Mystrygon’s behavior during their short encounter, unique as it were. Some of these words very much sounded like something that that dragon would say-- unless Rein’s impression was inaccurate.

Walking beside the hidden dragon lady, Rein couldn’t help but recall his mortal knowledge of the dragons, which was a mix of both reverence and disdain. There were tales where the dragons served the gods and guided humans. Then, there were tales of dragons hunting humans for sport. Some had even claimed that it was the human’s fear that led to their invented tales of revering the dragons in the first place.

Still. Mystrygon had allowed him to live through their encounter. To Rein, that had to have meant something. 

“Very well. Provide me guidance as you see fit,” he agreed after a short pause.

Duzkr allowed herself a small smile. Initially, she had some concerns regarding her liege’s choice of action. Perhaps, this would not amount to nothing. Their race had long tasted the bitterness of humankind’s craftiness in recent years.

“I am guiding you to a rather forsaken part of the Hall of Knowledge-- a set of rooms filled with history and magical arts of the demons and devils.” They continued down another spiral staircase to a lower floor. By now, they had passed through many rooms, and Rein had naturally memorized their traveled path.

 “After all, was it not you who said that they were your prey? To hunt them, you must know them.” Duzkr dismissed her feelings of connection to her liege as her demeanor achieved a state of aloofness, as befitting a minor keeper of the Hall of Knowledge. Duzkr led Rein down a third set of stairs.

“Do you know the origins of demons?” She questioned the young man following her. Rein gave an affirmative nod, while being increasingly impressed that Duzkr could maintain a perfect facade as she continuously referred to her kin with a negative term.

“I have no doubt that you are at least aware that all demon beasts and their various races are descended from the four origin demons. The phoenix, origin of all bird-like feathered demons. The lapis unicorn, origin of all furred demons. The crystal-carapaced tortoise, origin of armored demons. Last of all, the myriad of dragons. Origin of all scaled demons. Most versatile in nature, transversing the land, the skies and the seas. Once upon a time, the chosen servant of the fallen gods.”

All this, Rein already knew.

“Once, these four origin demons were considered not unlike gods. They were the messengers for gods, and revered by all. But do you know of their fall?”

Now, that would be new information to Rein. “You have my attention,” he spoke, introducing discordance to the soft and rhythmic footsteps that slightly echoed in each room as they leisurely paced down another staircase towards a supposedly ignored room of demonic knowledge.

“When the fallen gods warred amongst themselves and brought onto themselves their own doom, the origin demons naturally thought themselves the ones responsible to return the myriad of realms to the peaceful status quo before the war. After all, they were the servants of the fallen gods.”

“Yet, the demons were born evil, given light by the fallen gods. So humankind discovered it after the fall of the gods. Many modern scholars had questioned as to why the demons were chosen as the servants of gods. Many now believe it was to keep the seed of evil within them dormant.”

To Rein’s amazement, this disguised dragonkind remained perfectly calm and unperturbed as she recounted the supposed history that casted her own kind as evil. Perhaps his encounter with them had been cordial so far, and Master Yirn had influenced his mind, but not even he felt comfortable with the disguised dragon’s words.

“Reveling in their newfound power and position, the demons ignored their spawns’ destructive actions. After all, how were the dragons supposed to govern the snakes, so removed from their lineage as the snakes were? Humans were weak, worthy of nothing more than pigs in a pen. Such was the status quo during the age of demons.”

“But we humans are infinitely creative. It was during this age that the Allfather guided humankind in their rise. He was the one who, through his visions, created the path of advancers, allowing humankind to elevate themselves toward godhood.”

“And so it was that on one crucial day, the Allfather decisively cast down the origin demonic dragon. The dragon’s flesh and bone became nothing but tools for the ascension of the Allfather’s followers. And so ended the age of demons.”

By now, they had descended ten floors underground. Rein found the tale interesting but severely lacking in detail. For one, it did not mention devils. Nor did it bring up the enigmatic figure of the statue at the Hall’s entrance-- Xune.

“We’re here,” Duzkr’s hand signaled Rein to a stop. In front of Rein were display shelves with a slanted backend that made it obvious to a viewer the nature of every single booklet.

Duzkr reached forth with a practiced hand to pick up one such booklet. Resting his eyes upon the cover, Rein saw its title-- The Origin Draconic Arts. Its author? Gent!