Al was standing in the ashes, for which he was somehow responsible. His gaze dropped to the crimson leather band wrapped around his left wrist. His fingers reached for the map Master Roshan had given him, only to be met with disheartening ashes where it once lay. "It doesn't matter," he reassured himself, brushing off the setback. "I wasn't too far off track anyway."

Al ventured forth in his original direction. Yet, as he trod upon the valley's landscape, an unsettling realization dawned upon him—no astral beings could be seen. Their absence sparked a cascade of questions within his mind.

“Did my astral body return to its place? Was it inverted inside me and now outside of me again? Is that why I can feel again?” Al pondered, his footsteps echoing through the desolate valley.

"Agnethe," Al whispered, the name heavy with regret. He knew he had to face her parents, confess the truth, and shoulder the blame.

Where did he go wrong? Why did things repeat themselves? If he was running in circles, how could he trust himself? The questions echoed through his mind.

"Ellie, Cesar, and Jin... It’s probably best if you move on without me.” The weight of his memories bore down upon him. He repeatedly led those he loved to their demise. Someone like him was more akin to a Devil than a human or Immortal.

"I'm sorry," he whispered into the quiet as if the wind might carry his apology to the land of the dead.

Amidst the hush of his thoughts, Al was abruptly interrupted by the swift passage of six shadows. His eyes tracked their fleeting movement, acknowledging their presence. They noticed him but paid him no mind, their purpose undeterred. It struck him—their trajectory mirrored his own.

A colossal tree loomed minutes later, its girth stretching in countless arm spans. A gaping maw marred its bark, an entrance into its ancient heart. He strode towards the dark maw, peering into its depths. At the bottom, he could see the outline of a tunnel.

With a determined leap, Al descended into the waiting darkness, the cool earth beneath his feet, and ventured along the winding passage.

As Al ventured deeper into the cavernous expanse, he found himself inside a large cavern with a dome, the closest Mortal Ring of the Lightning-stone Leaf. It was a sight to behold, but the astonishing array of animals in robes truly captured Al's attention. Their presence, though remarkable, was not entirely unfamiliar; he knew that animals, too, could cultivate their Will, but he had never encountered so many in one place.

As he surveyed his surroundings, his thoughts turned practical. The memory of facing adversaries unarmed gnawed at him. "I can't afford to be caught defenseless again. It only complicates matters."

Another matter weighed on his mind—the loss of the C-stone bestowed upon him by Godfrey.

Al's familiarity with the intricate design of the Mortal Rings led him to search for a 6-story building shaped like a pyramid. He quickly found it, but the entrance was guarded by a young man cloaked in a brown robe. The man's terms for admission were clear, and Al, without merits or a C-stone to even hold merits, decided to negotiate.

"I don't have a C-stone at the moment," Al began, meeting the man's gaze with unwavering determination, "but if you grant me access, I promise to pay you 30 merits within a week."

A moment of contemplation passed before the man replied, his voice laden with a veiled threat. "I'll let you in for 50 merits," he countered, "and if you fail to uphold your promise, I'll ensure you're forever barred from any facility within the 11th Mortal Ring of the Lightning-stone Leaf."

"We have a deal!" Al agreed without hesitation, mindful of the unforgiving nature of the Mortal Rings. Swiftly, he paid the entry fee with debt, securing passage into the bustling shopping district. Within, he was met with a sight he knew well—a room with four shops positioned in a face-off and one solitary establishment nestled in the far rear.

Turning his attention to the entrance to the next room, Al was met with a similar sight. A void, a dark portal adorned with arcane runes etched along its edges.

With resolute determination, he stepped through, crossing over with remarkable ease. On the other hand, he found himself in a space akin to the previous one, yet it was filled with different vendors offering an array of wares.

Al passed through two more portals, traversing two more rooms until he reached a chamber that, though reminiscent of the prior ones, held a peculiar divergence.

Instead of an entrance to the next room, a set of spiraled stairs winded upwards in a mesmerizing ascent. Intrigued, he ascended the steps to glimpse where they led.

He was met with yet another portal entrance upon reaching the second floor. However, when he stepped through this time, there was a palpable change in the air. Al sensed a sudden pressure, a force that threatened to push him out where he was not in the Mental Domain.

He found himself inside four shops, each offering items distinct from those on the floor below. Curiously, none stocked C-stones, a striking departure from the previous level. After a brief survey, Al retraced his steps, reemerging on the first floor.

Stolen story; please report.

Half an hour passed, and Al emerged from the pyramid building with two C-stones clasped. Their central crystal bore a peculiar shade of brown. Wasting no time, he engaged with one of the C-stones, channeling his Stubborn will into its core.

As he stepped outside the pyramid shop collective, he found himself in debt of 220 Merits, a necessary cost. In addition to the two C-stones, Al purchased the most budget-friendly longsword available.

Next, Al navigated towards the dome's heart, his destination, the Center for Merits and Tasks Exchange. His appearance, marked by the striking contrast of his snowy-white hair against his apparent age, drew the attention of fellow Cultivators.

Al emerged from the exchange center, now carrying a debt of 250 merits. However, he now had a task worth 350 merits upon completion. He made his way out of the Mortal Ring, setting forth to fulfill the task he'd undertaken.

Retrieving his C-stone, Al scrutinized the details of the task. It outlined the target: a dark acolyte, pallid blue skin veiled by a white robe, and in its company, a peculiar hybrid, part bull, part grasshopper. A confident grin played across Al's lips. "Haha, easier than I anticipated," he murmured to himself; longsword in hand, he dashed through the forest.

“Oh, if I did acquire a second Will, would it also be in the Mental Domain like my Stubborn Will.” He pondered as he ran through the spells that belonged to his Stubborn Will.

Al retraced his steps to the scorched earth where he had once been ambushed, a stark reminder of the confrontation. Focusing on the path the white-robed figure had taken in their hasty retreat, Al scrutinized the ground for discernible clues. It had only been a day, and a faint imprint was still visible, reminiscent of a human's foot.

Following the direction indicated by the impression, Al ventured forth, following fragments of a chrysalis-like material that disintegrated at his touch. He proceeded with utmost care, moving in silence, every step deliberate, as he pursued the elusive trail.

As daylight began to dwindle, Al pressed on. Suddenly, the trail seemed to vanish, leaving him at an impasse. “On your right,” Al’s ring, his Stubborn Wills etheric shell, spoke to him. Instinctively, he jumped out of the way as a white spear landed where he was standing.

Reacting with lightning reflexes, Al raised his longsword, scanning the surroundings for any sign of the unseen assailant. A flash of light to his left drew his attention, and he pivoted just in time to deflect another incoming spear.

The impact proved too much for his weapon, shattering it, but not before sending the spear spiraling away.

Seeing Al’s weapon shattered, the attacker exposed itself; it was the white-robed figure that had attacked Al a day ago and was the target of his task.

The dark acolyte moved with uncanny speed, a blur of motion as it closed in on Al, spear poised for a deadly strike. Al's instincts kicked in, and he leaped backward, narrowly evading a direct hit. A shallow cut marred his chest.

The dark acolyte pressed forward in the same breath, spear aimed for Al's heart. However, Al's face broke into a confident smile. With a swift motion, he summoned his Stubborn Will using the spell 'Perfect Revert'. His longsword regenerated into its original state. He thwarted the acolyte's attack with a deft parry, leaving it vulnerable and exposed.

Without hesitation, Al seized the opportunity, his blade cleaving through the air in a single, decisive swing, decapitating the dark acolyte. The creature fell to its knees, unsure how it had lost.

Al looked at his Stubborn Will's etheric shell, his ring, which absorbed the mist that the creature dissipated into. “Not bad,” he said; he hadn’t ever really used his Stubborn Will spells. Midnight-Abyss was so powerful that it made his Stubborn Will's spells almost pointless.

Having completed the task, Al returned to the exchange center. The individual who had sanctioned the task still occupied their position, their astonishment evident upon seeing the white-haired man who had undertaken a task typically meant for a group of six cultivators within the Physical Domain to accomplish it in one day.

Before leaving, Al secured an hour to access the Alchemical labs within the Mortal Ring. Then, he headed toward the pyramid-shaped shopping facility, paying off his debt to the still-bewildered man stationed at the entrance. The unexpected promptness of payment left the man utterly surprised.

With debts repaid and tasks accomplished, a common inquiry arose from each of them: "What's your name?" Al answered, "Alexander Adamos."

With Agnethe's family residing within an Immortal Ring of the Supreme Leaf, Al saw the need to bolster his resources. He had initially purchased two C-stones, harboring an idea he was eager to test.

Next on his agenda was a visit to the Alchemical Labs. He retrieved the second C-stone, carefully nurturing it with what he thought was his second Will. Ascending to the second floor, he entered the room he had secured.

Within, he found a sizable Armillary, accompanied by an intriguing book placed before it. With deliberate care, Al retrieved his second C-stone, placing it in a stone stele positioned beside the Armillary.

As he activated it, the contraption's rings sprang to life, spinning and rotating. The outermost ring displayed a diametrically opposed sun and moon, while the inner rings bore the likeness of celestial bodies.

The armillary seemed to pulse with a newfound vitality, only for the sun to gracefully ascend just above the moon, evoking the essence of a serene sunrise. Soon after, the celestial bodies settled into a state of equilibrium.

Turning his attention to the book before him, Al searched for the page that mirrored the armillary's current configuration. His gaze flitted from page to page, and he realized how time-consuming it was. "Wow, Romann found ours so quickly," he mused in a hushed tone, a note of admiration in his voice. He continued meticulously comparing the illustrations on paper with the physical formation before him.

As the hour drew to a close, Al's persistent search yielded results. He stumbled upon a page that closely mirrored the arrangement of the armillary. The page's title caught his attention: "Heated Will: Classification Common." It provided a detailed description of how this manifestation worked—it was centered around generating heat, effectively increasing the temperature within a defined space. The text even offered guidance on the optimal conditions for cultivation: a brightly lit room but preferably next to a hot flame.

Yet, what truly captured Al's interest was a detail he had heard about before but had never paid much heed to. His eyes locked onto the phrase "Rooted in the energy plane of the Divine Entity Oou." The term "Divine Entity" sparked his curiosity.