Timeless Prominence

Rein had thought that this incident would cause Beincen to return the next day with renewed vengeance. That did not happen. Instead, there was not even a hint of Beincen’s shadow within the Hall of Heroes!

At the end of that week, when the team gathered to remain in touch with one another, Chirh informed Rein that Beincen had entered seclusion to train. Rein now understood that this was just the calm before the storm. Lyne’s actions had made Beincen a far more dangerous foe.

The benefit of this was that Rein no longer had to worry about potential harassment from this specific noble, at least until he entered the western wilderness.

Rein soon achieved major success in the red draconic lightning body-tempering stage, and his whole body had increased another five percent or so in size. That decreased the tempering process to a snail’s pace, seeing as the red lightning now only tingled Rein’s flesh.

He began trying many different approaches and soon discovered one-- immersing himself in a small tub of water. He forcefully and repeatedly ejected a hint of his red draconic lightning into the water, an exhausting task for an upper-inner advancer.

However, he persisted, and eventually, the water contained a concentrated charge that assisted him in maintaining a reasonable progress with his body tempering. He alternated between this bucket and a thick wooden aurae bamboo forest in the Halls’ mountains.

As for why he still remained as an upper-inner advancer? His focus was on the body-tempering art for now. He also needed to maintain his cover-- if he were to become a peak inner advancer too quickly, that may raise suspicions. Those that join this branch of Hall of Heroes are meant to be dreamers struggling to absorb aurae, after all.

Once he had adjusted to his increase in strength from reaching major success with the red draconic lightning, he felt it safe to test out the ‘Frog Leg Release’ skill he had previously gotten from the Pavilion of Arts.

No one had ever successfully executed this skill before. Those that had attempted, including the creator itself, had fractured their own legs in the initial activation of said skill.

The creator’s notes in the booklet had mentioned his inspiration from observing a tree frog, which supposedly could leap fifty times its own body length with only its physical powers. Beastkins are born with much higher physical abilities, and as such, no one has been able to further develop this skill. Rein couldn’t help but wonder how many years this skill might have languished in the inner advancer section.

The thought of further developing this skill came from the spring lady that he still occasionally visited. Many advancers did not bother on developing unique arts, simply opting to adopt well-established advancer arts. The benefit of doing so meant that they had a well-tested and well-explored advancer art. The downside was that all arts had certain weaknesses. A well-known advancer art? That meant many would know its weaknesses.

With regards to the ‘Frog Leg Release’ art, Rein imagined that some advancers must have built upon some scaled-back version of it. It should be possible for a body-temperer to use a version where the aurae circulation and imitation was adjusted to reduce the leaping power to only ten times the body length, instead of fifty times.

However, that would severely weaken the art, since every additional stage of the skill in shell, outer and above would be built on top of the weakened inner stage of the art.

Rein was confident, but still felt some anxiety as he circulated his aurae into the veins, muscles and tendons of his right leg. Though one might think the skill’s name meant to leap with two legs like a tree frog, that was but a misconception. The skill imitated the power generated from a frog’s legs and could be used on a single leg.

In his cave abode, Rein took a deep breath and activated the art in his right leg.

“Fuck!” He swore as his vision spun in the air while his body was like a shooting star, crashing into a cave wall. His body did not stop. The cave wall shattered and Rein found himself tumbling into someone else’s cave abode!

His half-senior brother Chenhr was not wrong. Rein had to admit to himself that he sometimes failed to think things through. He had activated ‘Frog Leg Release’ in just one leg, thinking to test out a short leap. He was sent spinning. Rein now realized that even if he only wished to push off on one leg, he needed to provide some support with the other leg while tightening his frame to stabilize the body.

He stood up gingerly and was relieved to find that his leg was still very much intact. He bounced up and down to check his right leg-- he estimated that he could probably perform this with full power quite a number of times, likely continuously for a minute straight before exhausting himself. If he slightly lowered it, or performed this skill sporadically, he would last much longer. However, he could not lower it too much-- the aurae circulation would require change, and the art itself would no longer be the same if he did so.

The cave wall had been thoroughly shattered, and the inscribed patterns dimmed. The defense had failed to prevent his tempered draconic body, supported by the ‘Frog Leg Release’, from punching through.

A woman’s yelp sounded behind him, and Rein turned his eyes to discover an unacquainted naked lady covering herself as she peered out from the shower room.

“I apologize, noble lady.” Rein could only cough and come up with an excuse. “Someone attempted to cause trouble with me and the wall…”

He sheepishly stepped through the hole and returned to his own cave abode, before putting on his gray Halls robe.

“Miss… I mean-- o great watcher, I need a bit of help with my cave abode…”

He only heard the clucking of a tongue, before a magical scene filled his eyes. The pieces of stone flew into the air and perfectly fitted back together to form the wall. The inscriptions lit up again, before disappearing into the wall as hidden protection.

“Rein. Do not test such skills in your quarters,” the watcher said through Rein’s hood.

“As you say.”

News of this incident spread like wildfire. The lady of that neighboring cave abode had accused Rein of being a pervert attempting to break into her cave abode to peek on her. What could Rein say? He wasn’t about to reveal that he had achieved initial mastery of the ‘Frog Leg Release’.

Suey seemed overjoyed though, now visiting Rein on most nights.

“I’m all yours and none of these women should set their sights upon you!” was what she said while bubbling with mirth.

Lately, they have been playing a game. Rein’s ever strengthening physical body placed Suey in a precarious situation when they engaged in their debaucherous acts.

The minx had to wrap her incomplete watery shell art around her thighs and lower waist to protect herself against Rein’s pummeling. She claimed that this was her ‘favorite’ method of ‘training’. As the night progressed, that water shell would soon begin flickering before eventually shattering into a thousand pieces.

Rein would relentlessly attack her completely vulnerable pleasure tunnel for a few dangerous and powerful thrusts, eliciting squeals that rose to the heavens, before playfully lambasting the kitten for giving in so easily.

Suey would eventually respond with various phrases stating that she had yet to give up, that she would not allow just anyone to ‘have their way with her’, and reactivate her incomplete shell defense.

On a night, Rein had somewhat lost control after Suey could no longer maintain her water shell protection, bringing the minx to a body wrecking release as she, clearly having given in, begged coquettishly for more.

That next morning, the woman collapsed when she attempted to walk, while clutching her crotch with a wince.

Feeling somewhat guilty, Rein fed his kitten a vial of wood aurae that he still had. He was not a healer, but he knew that wood aurae was beneficial to all in recovering their vitality and mild injuries. Luckily, Suey did rapidly recover after demanding Rein to feed her the wood aurae liquid using his mouth...

“I…I never knew from those visions that you could strengthen your body to such a stage… “ Suey muttered as she licked her lips. “I need to find a body-tempering art or I might die in bliss…”

Rein himself wished to find such an art suitable for Suey, but he remembered none suitable for her in the Pavilion of Arts. He would have to slightly hold himself back in the future, especially if he reached the perfect stage of the red draconic lightning stage…

One day, Rein discovered that another noble was working against him-- Supreme Guihnes. Having gained perfect control over the ‘Frog Leg Release’ art in a secluded area at the back of the mountains, Rein had returned to the Pavilion of Arts to seek out more skills. He wished to learn some methods related to assassination, very much aware that his origin ability was perfect for such acts.

He did not have the right to look at more inner advancer arts, but mortal arts are free and readily available to all.

He was, however, blocked by a sky blue-robed middle-aged man.

“Rein of the inner realm. By Supreme Guihne’s command, you are not allowed to enter,” he stated.

“Why…?” This was the first time Supreme Guihnes had directly acted against him!

“No reason,” this minor keeper replied in a harsh tone.

Then , Rein’s savior appeared-- Duzkr.

“Rein is under my tutelage,” Duzkr said. “You have no right to block his progress. Mortal Arts are available to all.”

“Supreme Guihnes has given his orders. As such--”

“Watcher! I seek your judgment!” Duzkr intoned in an ephemeral projected voice that rang in Rein’s ears.

“It’s no use. Supreme Guihn--” The man suddenly discovered his lips sealed.

Rein watched in shock as the sky-blue robes of the man lit up in golden flames and the minor keeper screamed as he tried to remove the robe. Yet, the robe had a life of its own, tightly wrapping itself around the man like a gigantic python, its fire burning the man to ash in a short five breaths.

This was the first time Rein had seen the Halls robe used in such a manner. In order to benefit from the powerful protective inscriptions on the robes, Halls members had to wear this robe most of the time. That also meant that the watcher could pass judgment on all at any time she so desired!

Rein left the Pavilion of Arts with skills relating to flying daggers and flitting needles. He would not be able to use these skills unless he had a large number of weapons to discard. However, these might become increasingly useful in the future if he were to survive until the outer advancer realm, or gain knowledge of more poisons.

As he returned to his cave abode, Rein was surprised to find the watcher engaging him in conversation.

“Rein, of the fallen merchant House Hehr. Do you wish to know why that minor keeper was burned to his very soul?”

“I…” Rein wasn’t sure of how to reply and could only listen. “Yes, I do, respected watcher.”

“I speak to you, as I see potential. However, that potential can only truly be proven if you survive the western wilderness for many months.”

“That man was executed , for he failed to resist the coercion of Supreme Guihnes. This is the Allfather’s will. Those who truly become one of us must understand the Allfather’s will.”

“These are his words. Those who fail to resist coercions must be removed from the Hall of Heroes. A woman who gives in to fear and engage in sexual relations with a powerful man? Such a woman cannot be trusted as a partner or a wife. What man would truly trust such a woman?”

“The opposite, too, is true. A man who gives in to fear easily will undoubtedly perform acts of betrayal, even if unintentionally. Such a man cannot be a trusted husband either, nor a friend.”

“How harsh…” muttered Rein. “We humans can learn, no?”

“Perhaps. However, that minor keeper has been with us for decades. If he has not learned by now, he never will.”

“But consider this, Rein. If a friend of yours cave to the pressure of an influential individual and reveal critical information on you and those close to you, thus leading to their harm or even deaths… would it matter if this was the first time this… ‘friend’ gave in to coercion?”

“The Allfather has lived for many years, encountered many men and women, of various races. He has stated that a woman who cannot resist coercion, especially those of the most intimate acts-- it’s almost guaranteed that such a woman would give in to lesser demands, harming those around her including her children.”

“He has been betrayed by those he thought brothers, traitors who caused the deaths of millions of humans due to their fear of demons in an age where the demons were dominant.” 

“I have seen some women who do so to protect their child…” Rein muttered a retort.

“Hah!” The lady watcher only scoffed. “Some of you men have too much of a softness for women. Tell me, Rein. Would you prefer to endure hardship with your mother, or would you rather she sacrifice herself to such demands?”

Rein knew the answer. He himself would be willing to endure…

“You know the answer, Rein. Harm is not just physical, but also mental. A child under such a woman is highly likely to grow up mentally scarred, making it difficult to comprehend the truth of the world, and rise in their advancer realms. Those children that might have worse childhoods yet they endured alongside their unrelenting mothers and fathers? Steel in their hearts!”

“We cannot be shortsighted. We must be unyielding to each other in the Hall of Heroes. That is how we rose and overcame the dominance of demons and the wickedness of devils! These are the principles of the Allfather.”

Rein processed the watcher’s words. Although he had never met the Allfather, he could already glimpse into the being that he must be. He imagined that if he entered the same room as the Allfather, the very will of the Allfather might crush him to his knees.

“And… Supreme Guihnes…?” Would the watcher punish him for the act of coercion? That was Rein’s query.

“All beings that have gained any degree of strength and influence will undoubtedly exert pressure on others to shape the world around them,” the watcher stated.

“Mothers and fathers might threaten others to give more benefits to their children. Merchants, pulling whatever levers they have to gain more profit. Elders in sects, attempting to apply pressure to competitors, for their own relatives and favored disciples’ benefits.”

“This is the nature of the world. Even a mindless low level beast will growl to protect what it views as its turf.”

“It is the role of the weak to accept losses and search for another doorway to rise to the top. Or cave and become the powerful’s thrall. And so the cycle goes, as the Allfather has preached across eons.”

“Thank you for this knowledge.” That was all Rein could say. For the watcher to speak of the Hall of Heroes’ principles to him-- that meant he had likely entered their eyes.

______________________________________________________________________________

In a hidden room within the Hall of Heroes labyrinth.

“How is that young man with the suspected fiend bloodline?” Overseer Jeahz asked the white-halls-robed woman beside him. This woman sometimes wore gray robes and played the receptionist in the Hall of Heroes entrance.

“We have long lost the ability to understand the various levels of the fiend bloodlines. It is said that back in the ancient era, the fiends had clans, and when two fiends of the same bloodline met, their bloodlines would resonate with each other, and those of weaker bloodline would find themselves feeling subservient.” the watcher said. “We do know he is capable of executing that abandoned complete ‘Frog Leg Release’.“

“At least a top-end fiend bloodline then… It’s been a while since I’ve felt such excitement.” Overseer Jeahz began stroking his goatee in a frenzy.

“However, the young man doesn’t seem to fully resonate with our principles,” the watcher frowned. She was always the first to reach out to those of high potential. The ones that became key members of the branches she had overseen, always accepted her words with a sort of zeal that she had failed to detect in Rein.

“Worry not. He is young and will understand once he sees the treachery of the sects. You and I both know that during the celebratory ceremony for this batch of initiates another week or so, the Great Sects’ representatives will come with a vengeance. They cannot take Supreme Jensure’s head, and they have reservations due to the origin user Xeeseir’s skill. Rein will be their primary target, and their actions will only sway this young man to our beliefs!”