Al, Cesar, Ellie, and Jin returned to the 15th Blood Ring after leaving Kesha near her home.

They left Al's car back home and traveled by foot. Al couldn't say goodbye to his mother as the group was forced to move, avoiding suspicion.

After about a day, they returned to the mountain, which held the 15th Blood Ring inside its base.

They were speaking to the co-captain of the 15th Mortal Seed, Aliyah, and showing her the ciborium they had retrieved from the church. After seeing the events through Ellie's C-stone recordings, Aliyah was very careful in handling the ciborium.

"You guys not only fought against a Dawn-keeper, but you survived and managed to kill it..." Aliyah said with a raise of eyebrows. Even if she and her mortal seed, which consisted of cultivators in the spirit and mental domains, were to face off against a Dawn-keeper, the battle would be incredibly challenging.

Jin swiftly interjected, eager to provide further context. "We only survived because Al annihilated it with a single attack." Aliyah was even more bewildered, as she was well-acquainted with Stubborn Will cultivators such as Al. They were suitable for serving as decoys, but their offensive capabilities were generally lacking.

"Al, how is that possible?" Aliyah asked.

"Could he possibly have a mutation of Stubborn Will? It's not impossible..." Aliyah deliberated studying Al twisted knife.

Al wasn't sure how to answer the question, which prompted Aliyah to let go of the matter. What truly had her attention was the beast the Dawkn keepers seemed to be studying.

"I'll speak to my Captain and see what he says. Meanwhile, it would be best if you rested," Aliyah advised.

After bidding Aliyah farewell, Jin and Ellie turned their attention to Al, who then looked at Cesar, who addressed his phantom seed. "Well, you heard her. Let's rest and regroup before we meet again," he echoed Aliyah's words.

Sluggishly, they made their way towards their housing units for much-needed rest.

Al was back in his housing unit, utterly exhausted. He drifted into a peaceful slumber for the first time in what felt like an eternity. There were no dreams, just a dark abyss where he found solace and rest.

Unfortunately, he was abruptly woken up. "It feels like I only closed my eyes for a few minutes." he groggily said.

"Is it already time to regroup?" Al wondered as he opened the door to an exuberant Cesar. "Wow, you look well-rested for the first time in a long time," Cesar exclaimed.

"Haha, very funny. Get to the point." Al retorted with a hint of annoyance.

Cesar began walking, with Al trailing alongside him. "Did you sleep the entire time? It's been twelve hours!" Cesar exclaimed.

Al shot him an irritated glance, checked the time on his C-stone, and changed his flipped attitude. "Oh! I guess I did sleep that long. Haha. Anyway, where are we going, and where is everyone else?" Al asked as they walked away from the housing unit grounds.

"We're heading to the Exchange Center to meet with Aliyah. She asked me to bring no one else but you. It's a bit strange, right?" Cesar informed him.

"It is a bit strange. I just hope they have something good planned for those damn light acolytes and dawk keepers inside the church. I didn't even get to say goodbye to my mom," Al confessed, his voice wavering slightly.

Quickly, Al changed his mood, regaining his excitement, and asked with a peculiar look, "Do you think Aliyah's Captain will personally meet with us?"

Cesar responded, "Uhh, I am not sure she didn't say, but maybe." Cesar had become keen on Al's strange mood swings due to his habit of suppressing his emotions.

On the Exchange Center's top floor was a room with a dome-shaped ceiling. Inside the room, in its center, was a mesmerizing flow of lava that flowed upward through the ceiling. It defied gravity as it ascended, providing a hot light to the sculptures around the room.

The intense heat emanating from the lava was palpable, causing Al and Cesar to sweat while standing on the room's edge. They could see their reflections on the exquisite obsidian glass floor.

The obsidian walls were decorated with paintings depicting an imposing man in gray and vibrant crimson armor. The man exuded an aura of mightiness, his armor pristine and unblemished. Al recognized the man. His statue was standing in the center of the training fields.

The door to the room opened, and aliyah walked past Al and Cesar. She walked towards a man sitting in deep meditation. The man was seated next to the flow of lava, his body drenched in sweat.

Al couldn't help but marvel at the man's composure, thinking, "I can barely endure the heat from this distance, yet he calmly meditates right next to it."

Cesar shared similar thoughts. Even Aliyah didn't get too close, maintaining a distance. "Captain, I have brought you Cesar and Alexander as you requested," she loudly spoke.

Raul Del Santos slowly opened his eyes and rose from his meditative state. Concluding his meditation, he bowed respectfully to the coursing stream of lava.

To Raul, it had not been a meditation but a fierce battle with the heat itself.

Raul dismissed Aliyah and slowly approached Cesar and Al.

"Congratulations on slaying a Dawn-keeper. It's impressive, given your phantom seed is all in the Physical Domain." Raul validated their potential.

"I examined the ciborium you retrieved. It is a sacred relic of the light acolytes," Raul's voice echoed with a hint of familiarity.

"It possesses a unique quality, acting as a conduit that awakens upon contact with any Will from the energy plane, like Cesar's Wind Will. It swiftly absorbs and transmutes that Will, creating a magnetized field. The light acolytes probably go from church to church, nourishing themselves in these fields."

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Al sensed what the artifact might signify, but the truth was far worse and more intricate than he anticipated. "They're feeding on the Will of their followers, and you're aware of this?" Al exclaimed, his voice filled with intensity.

"We've had our suspicions, of course," Raul responded. "But what does it have to do with us? We are striving for immortality ourselves. Since ancient times, the God Leafs have coexisted with dark and light acolytes. Occasionally, when their numbers become troublesome, we trim them down."

Al's emotions surged, and he took a step forward. "But what about my mom? What about Mark and the innocent people? They don't even know they are being slowly consumed."

After a few seconds, Al was forced back by the increase in heat.

Raul smiled, a touch of nostalgia gracing his features. "Look, Alexander, you have to understand. Even if the truth were presented before the eyes of the so-called innocent, they would still fall to their knees and pray to the power of the light acolytes."

Raul turned around and began walking to the center of the room, "If you were to return to your mother and reveal your awakened Will, she would either bow down before you or flee in fear. It is not a matter of ignorance; it is a matter of choice, and that choice has already been made, consciously or unconsciously."

Cesar observed the frustration flickering in Al's eyes, and while he wanted to offer comfort, Raul's words resonated with him.

Al's breath became calm and relaxed, his mind swirling with thoughts. He took a step and then another as he moved closer to Raul, sweat evaporating from the searing heat. His skin began to blister with each stride, but he endured the agony his Stubborn Will rapidly healed him.

Al found solace in the pain, a tangible release of his anger and frustration. His determination was formidable. Al pressed on, his body healing and flames flickering as his skin repeatedly burst into flames and regenerated.

Drawing near, Al stood face-to-face with Raul. Al's body was engulfed in flames that danced around Al's robe, which was immune to the fire. In a dry and hoarse voice, with a hint of desperation, Al asked, "So you have no intention of helping those people in the church... of helping my mother?"

Raul met Al's gaze. His expression carried limited sympathy. He didn't want to lie to Al. "Perhaps, in another ten years, if they gain too much influence, an Immortal Seed might deal with the issue," Raul admitted.

The truth pierced Al's soul like an arrow.

Al crumpled to his knees, his body transformed into a raging inferno. The flames engulfed him, consuming him. Raul waved his hand over Al, and a small plain knife on his waist absorbed the flames.

Al found himself back next to Cesar, standing by his side. The surroundings remained unchanged.

Raul had resumed his meditative state near the lava stream.

"It's time to leave, Al," Cesar gently urged, his voice carrying a mix of concern and support. Al silently complied, rising to his feet and staring at Raul, who remained locked in a fierce battle of Will with the lava's heat.

Al and Cesar made their way towards the exit, descending the stairs that led them away. An air of uncertainty hung between them as they departed.

As they made their way across the first floor of the Exchange Center, Cesar halted, turning to Al with a suggestion. "Wait, Al, why don't we accept a task for the four of us?" he proposed.

Al narrowed his eyes, a hint of skepticism in his gaze. "Are you serious? You think I'm going to stay here and abandon my mom to her fate just because of what that man said?" Al clenched his jaw and struggled to maintain his composure.

Cesar let out a laugh before responding, his tone laced with understanding. "And do what? We survived purely by luck. You're smart enough to know that we can't do this alone. Heck, even if Ellie, Jin, and I went back with you, we'd likely die." Cesar clarified the position they found themselves in.

Al knew Cesar was correct; he could only lower his head and listen. Suddenly, Cesar grabbed Al's neck, giving him a little shake before saying, "We need a complete team, the best of the best. If we're going to save your mom, we'll need more resources."

Al found himself at a loss for words, overwhelmed by Cesar's words. He hadn't anticipated that the boy he had met months ago would not only risk his life for him but also set aside his ambitions to help him.

"Cesar..." Al said, his voice weak and shaky, but Cesar interrupted him, "Don't even mention it. As you stated earlier, my family lives close to the church, putting them at risk as well."

Al smiled as he followed Cesar to the stand that offered the highest merits for completing a task.

After accepting a handful of tasks that expired by the end of the week, the two set off to find Ellie and Jin, eager to discuss their next steps.

When Jin and Ellie learned of what had been discussed with Raul Del Santos in the top room of the exchange center, they both agreed to Cesar's plan. They were to accumulate resources and find two more cultivators to complete their phantom seed.

Jin focused on the upcoming 301st Mortals Rings tournament, which was decades away. He understood the urgent need to bolster his strength and recognized that completing their phantom seed was the most effective path.

Cesar's plan to travel to the God Leafs Mortal Rings, complete their phantom seed, and return to confront the Dawn-keepers that had nearly killed them made sense to Jin.

On the other hand, Ellie didn't harbor thoughts that extended so far into the future; she was happy to help her team in any way.

After three exhausting weeks of relentless tasks, the four acquired many merits.

They decided to keep the robes Romann had bought for them. However, they dyed them black.

Among their most significant purchases were a scroll and a glass cube filled with water, each costing over a thousand merits.

The final requirement on their checklist was to amass a collection of talismans to enhance their speed and stamina, as their journey was going to be on foot.

The final week arrived, and they diligently worked to complete as many tasks as possible.

They had earned almost enough merits to purchase all the speed and stamina talismans on the first floor of the Del Santos gallery.

Before departing, they rested for a day. Finally, they gathered outside the mountain base of the 15th Blood Ring, their home for almost half a year.

"South, West, North, or East? Pick one," Cesar pointed with his spear. The world stretched out before them, brimming with possibilities.

"Well, I've always dreamt of visiting an Immortal Ring, maybe from the Lightning-stone Leaf," Jin mused.

However, none of them knew exactly where the Lightning-stone Leaf was located. Jin was about to propose a random direction.

Interrupting Jin's musings, Cesar interjected, "I know the location of one Immortal Ring. It belongs to the Blood Leaf." Cesar's words did not shock them.

As their phantom seed's captain, Ceasar had spent the most time with Romann, their teacher.

"Before leaving, Romann told me he would attend to some matters in the Blood Leafs 5th Immortal Ring, located under Lake Huron. Wherever that is."

Ellie stared at Cesar in disbelief. "You're kidding. It's one of the Great Lakes. It's above the state of Michigan," she explained.

Cesar looked at her complexly, scratching the back of his head. Sensing Cesar didn't know where Michigan was, Ellie relented and said, "It's East, Captain. We need to head East."

Cesar's face lit up with enthusiasm as he pointed his spear ahead and exclaimed, "To Michigan, we go!"

However, his momentum was short-lived as Ellie interjected, "East is this direction, captain." Ellie said.

Jin and Al laughed at Ellie's exasperation.

****

A vast underground cave system lay hidden beneath Mammoth Cave in Kentucky. This labyrinthine network extended miles deep into the earth's surface.

Descending further into the depths was a cavernous pocket concealed from the touch of sunlight. Yet, water had found its way, seeping through the cracks and crevices and freezing into ice formations, adorning this subterranean realm with ethereal beauty.