On the way to the main camp, Aldon encountered Sylph and Celes. Pulling them aside, Aldon erected a Mana Barrier enclosing them and spoke, “It was late yesterday, and I couldn’t inform you two about the new information that has come to light.”
Taking a deep breath, Aldon revealed the events that occurred yesterday and concluded, “Although Velina is a human, I believe that she can be trusted. The thing that worries me the most is the involvement of the Eye of Eclipse. I take it that you two have heard about them?”
As both Sylph and Celes nodded in affirmation, their faces slowly became somber due to the mention of the Eye of Eclipse. Aldon noticed this and continued to speak, “I am almost certain that the Eye of Eclipse is directly responsible for all the unnatural occurrences happening throughout the Kingdom of Anae. From the information gained from Noah’s memories, I speculate that one of the Fallen Elves of the Eye of Eclipse is responsible for the early destabilization of the Dungeon inside the city of Cartos and the entrapment of Noah’s group. Though there has been no indication of the presence of this mysterious Fallen Elf, keep an eye out for anything unusual in the surroundings.”
After Aldon brought them up to speed, he dispersed the Mana Barrier and, along with Sylph and Celes, continued walking in the direction of the main camp.
Soon, the group of Aldon, Sylph, and Celes appeared in front of Orym’s big tent and entered it.
***
Orym was seated in a chair at a round table in the middle of the tent. He beckoned them over and spoke, “Please, make yourselves comfortable.”
As the group took their seats, Orym exclaimed, “It’s a good thing you all came here! I was just about to call you over. The Kingdom’s scouts are currently escorting all the Empire’s elves here. We can wait for their arrival together.”
Gazing at Sylph and Celes, Orym continued, “I believe that Aldon has revealed the possibility of the Eye of Eclipse being involved in the strange occurrences happening inside the Kingdom. Though I’m still somewhat uncertain regarding their involvement in the destabilization of this Dungeon, what are your thoughts on it?”
As Sylph and Celes shared their views on the subject, the guard outside announced the arrival of the Empire’s elves.
Soon Taeral, along with his Lieutenant, Elmon, entered the tent. The current Taeral emanated an entirely different aura than before! A fresh, huge scar ran down the right of his face, passing through his eye. Though it appeared to be a serious injury, it had already been healed by someone, and he hadn’t lost the function of his right eye. The meek and timid look present in his eyes before the collapse of the Dungeon was nowhere to be found and was replaced by a strong look of determination.
Elmon, on the other hand, appeared to be in a worse shape than his Captain, as he had lost his entire left arm.
Noticing Aldon and Sylph, Taeral sighed in relief and approached them. With a radiant smile on his face, he exclaimed, “I’m truly happy that you both are safe!” Without any warning, he embraced both of them tightly, along with the chairs they were sitting in.
Taken aback by Taeral’s sudden embrace, Sylph turned and patted his back awkwardly. Aldon, on the other hand, was equally ecstatic that his friend was safe and embraced him back. He spoke with a cheerful voice, “I’m glad you’re safe, Taeral!”
While the touching reunion between Taeral and Aldon was going on, another elf entered the tent. It was Julio Ernst, Sylph’s Lieutenant. He knelt on the ground, bowed deeply at Sylph, and spoke hoarsely, “Sorry Captain, I’ve failed you.”
Orym cleared his throat at this point and addressed Taeral, Elmon, and Julio, “I’m glad you are all safe. Please take your seats. We have a lot to discuss.”
Taeral, Elmon, and Julio took their seats and awaited the start of the conversation. Eight chairs were surrounding the round table, and only one of them was empty. It was the chair on the right-hand side of Orym. Aldon, Sylph, and Taeral were seated with their respective Lieutenants at their right-hand side. Aldon glanced at the empty chair and remembered the brave General of the Kingdom of Anae.
Taking a breath, Orym questioned Taeral and Julio, “What happened to you guys after we were separated by the Dungeon’s explosion?”
Taeral took a long breath and began to narrate what had happened to him after the Dungeon’s explosion, “After the Dungeon exploded, I woke up on the banks of a deserted river. With no one in sight, I followed the river upstream and encountered a member of Elmon’s squad. Since I was not accustomed to traveling through a jungle, I was exhausted beyond belief and passed out immediately. When I regained consciousness, Doron, the member of Elmon’s squad, gave me some food and relayed the message he had received from Celes. After resting for the night, we left the river bank to regroup with our squad. Unfortunately, we encountered a colony of Blood Ants on the way.”
Clenching his fists tightly, Taeral continued, “Doron sacrificed himself to give me a chance to escape them. Though I felt horrible, I ran as fast as I could and escaped the colony of Blood Ants. With my mind in chaos, I wandered aimlessly in the jungle. It is a miracle that no Dungeon Beast attacked me then. After a while, I encountered Elmon, who had gathered the remaining members of the squad. Seeing my haggard and lost look, he inquired what had happened to me. I broke down and told him everything: How I left Doron to die to save myself.”
Breathing deeply, Taeral continued, “After placating me, Elmon asked for my further orders. I thought for a while and ordered the squad to move in the direction of Celes’ location.”
Taeral took a sip from the cup of water in front of him and continued, “We traveled through the jungle and encountered various Dungeon Beasts. We were able to defeat all of them with almost no casualties. One particular Beast, the Bloodthirsty Tiger, gave us much trouble. Though we eventually defeated it, it cost Elmon his left arm and was responsible for the scar on my face. On the way, we encountered Celes’ squad and regrouped with them. As the Sun set across the horizon, we also encountered Julio and welcomed him within our ranks. After resting for the night, we encountered the Kingdom’s scouts the first thing in the morning.”
After Taeral finished his narration, everyone turned their attention towards Julio. He responded to the stares in a low voice, “Since my squad was relatively far from the Dungeon when it exploded, we did not scatter, and we regrouped quickly. But after passing the night uneventfully, we had the worst luck and encountered a troop of Bald Monkeys in the morning. These Dungeon Beasts individually possess the prowess of an early stage Realm 5 Mage. My squad was completely wiped out, and I barely made it out alive. After escaping the Bald Monkeys, I hurriedly advanced in the direction of Celes’ location. Just before the Sun set completely, I encountered the group of Taeral and Elmon. I had lost hope that my Captain was still alive and didn’t bother to search for her.” Rising from the chair, he once again knelt before Sylph and bowed his head in apology.
Sylph waved her hand and spoke, “Forget about it. It’s not your fault. Rather, I’m glad that you’re at least alive. Raise your head and take your seat. You’re forgiven.”
As Julio thanked Sylph for her benevolence and sat back in his seat, Aldon took a deep breath and briefly narrated what had occurred to him after the Dungeon’s explosion.
After Aldon completed his narration, Orym shared the events he had experienced after their separation.
When Orym described their battle with the Wyrms, both Taeral’s and Elmon’s jaws dropped in stupefaction, and they were blown out of their mind. Though Julio shared the same expression of amazement, Aldon noticed a hint of doubt and confusion flash in his eyes. This raised some suspicion in Aldon, and he cast a glance towards Sylph. She had also noticed the same and nodded slightly in response.
After Orym had shared everything that had happened, he took a deep breath and disclosed the gnawing suspicion regarding the involvement of the Eye of Eclipse and the presence of Velina, a Human.
Taeral and Elmon were once again shocked by this revelation. Though Julio also mimicked their shocked expression, an unbridled flicker of panic flashed in his eyes. Both Aldon and Sylph noticed this, and their expressions became grim.
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Noticing their grim facial expressions, Orym figured something was wrong, quickly wound up the explanation, and dismissed them.
Aldon and Sylph remained behind as the rest exited the tent.
Once outside the tent, Celes’ eyes fell upon the other members of her squad who were separated from her after the explosion of the Dungeon. Kaitlyn noticed her and rushed to hug her. Tasar, Rascal, and Vulen smiled softly at this, and Rascal spoke cheekily, “So, Lieutenant, what all happened when we were separated?”
Sighing, Celes replied while walking towards Aldon’s tent, “Not here, follow me. I’ll reveal it in detail once we’re inside the Captain’s tent.” Her squad members answered affirmatively and followed her into Aldon’s tent.
***
Inside Orym’s tent, before he could ask why Aldon and Sylph had grim expressions, Aldon activated the magic circles inside the tent and spoke, “We may have a traitor among us.” Sylph nodded and added, “That Julio is acting rather suspicious.”
Orym’s face fell as he spoke, “What should we do now? Should I ask one of the guards to detain him and interrogate him with the Beads of Truth?”
Sylph shook her head and replied, “No. We don’t know if he has an accomplice or two hiding in plain sight. If we blatantly detain him, it’ll raise unwanted suspicion in them. I have a better idea. I can summon and detain him inside my tent without raising any suspicion since I’m his Captain.” Looking at Orym, she continued, “If you can spare a pair of the Beads of Truth for me, I can even interrogate him without raising any suspicion. What do you say?”
Orym cast an inquisitive look at Aldon, looking for his opinion. Aldon shrugged and spoke, “That’s the best plan we have right now. Even I can’t think of a better plan!”
Agreeing to Sylph’s request, Orym took out a pair of Beads of Truth from his storage bag and offered them to her. After she put them in her storage bag, Orym questioned, “You do know how to use them, right?” Sylph smiled and nodded affirmatively.
With nothing more to say, both Aldon and Sylph exited the tent. Before they went their separate ways, Aldon spoke with concern, “Be careful. If we truly are dealing with the Eye of Eclipse guild, we should always be wary at every step of the way.”
Sylph smiled and nodded, “Thank you for your concern, Aldon. I’ll keep it in mind.” She then turned and walked in the direction of her tent.
Trusting Sylph to take care of the matter, Aldon approached a nearby guard and asked him, “Do you know the way to Velina’s tent?” The guard nodded in response and even guided him to her tent.
Aldon thanked the guard and scratched his chin in front of Velina’s tent, hesitant to call her out after what had happened the day before. But, he had made up his mind to apologize and opened his mouth to call her out.
Before words could come out of Aldon’s mouth, Velina popped her head out of her tent and spoke, “Come inside! We can talk more comfortably here.”
Though he was bewildered by her sudden appearance, Aldon nodded in affirmation and entered Velina’s tent. Her tent was quite similar to his and also possessed a few magic circles for providing privacy to those resting inside of it.
Before Velina could even say a word, Aldon bowed deeply and asked for forgiveness, “I’m genuinely sorry for the way I treated you! I was misplacing my anger and frustration towards something else at you. It was not at all fair for you! I’m truly sorry!”
Velina smiled and accepted Aldon’s apology, “Very well. I acknowledge your sincerity, and your apology is accepted. Let’s put this behind us, shall we?”
Aldon wholeheartedly agreed and stood straight. He began to scratch his chin awkwardly as he didn’t know what to do next.
Velina chuckled and gestured him to sit down. After Aldon made himself comfortable, Velina spoke, “I haven’t told you all I know about the Mark of Divinity. Yesterday, I could only answer your questions. Today, I’ll tell you about the abilities of the Mark of Divinity.”
Noticing that Aldon was listening to her keenly, Velina continued, “As I told you yesterday, one can gain various Divine Techniques from their Mark of Divinity. The process to obtain a Divine Technique is by undergoing something called an ‘Initiation Ceremony.’ It is when you infuse huge amounts of Mana into your Mark of Divinity and wait for its approval. If the Divinity present inside the Mark deems you ready to inherit a Divine Technique, it’ll accept the Mana and resonate with your being, and you will enter it. Each God’s Divinity exists as different things. So, nobody can guide you on how to obtain the Divine Technique. The only certain thing to keep in mind is that you have to trust the Divinity completely to even have a chance at obtaining any of its Divine Techniques.”
Velina paused for a breath and continued, “I have only managed to complete one ‘Initiation Ceremony’ successfully. As a result, I have obtained only one Divine Technique. I won’t disclose what it does, but believe me when I say that it possesses a power transcending anyone’s comprehension!”
Glancing at Aldon, Velina exclaimed, “I still can’t believe the mythical Elven Race doesn’t possess any knowledge about the Mark of Divinity.” She continued, “Moving on, I can perceive that you have just recently obtained the Mark of Divinity. What do you feel about commencing your first ‘Initiation Ceremony’ now?” She added, half-jokingly, “For you, obtaining a Divine Technique on your first try may not be impossible, eh?”
Pondering over it, Aldon agreed to Velina’s suggestion, “Alright, I’ll give it a try. You just have to infuse Mana into the Mark of Divinity, right? Here I go...”
Sitting in a meditative pose, Aldon began to infuse Mana from his body into the Mark of Divinity present on his back. He continued to infuse Mana into the Mark of Divinity until he began to exhaust his reserves. Even then, he didn’t doubt Velina’s words and continued infusing the Mana to the Mark of Divinity.
This process of infusing Mana into his Mark of Divinity left Aldon unguarded. Since he had already decided to trust Velina, he had no qualms showing his defenseless state to her. Velina knew this and smiled lightly.
After Aldon infused all of the Mana present inside his body to the Mark of Divinity, he felt a loud ringing sound of wind chimes in his ears. At the same time, Velina was shocked by what was happening. Aldon’s body was glowing slightly as he began emanating a mysterious aura. She cursed under her breath, “Who the actual fuck is this guy!? Is he some sort of a love-child of a God? He definitely appears to be a favorite to them!”
***
Aldon opened his eyes and found himself standing in front of an enormous tree trunk. He looked down and found himself standing on a ground that seemed to spread out to infinity. He noticed that other than the enormous Tree, the ground appeared to be barren, with nothing else growing on it. He then looked directly above his head and found himself standing below an expanse of lush, green leaves.
Innumerable leaves were fluttering in a non-existent wind and were attached to the numerous branches of the Tree. Aldon believed that the Tree extended upwards to infinity, though he lacked any valid reasoning behind his belief.
Looking down at his feet, Aldon could mysteriously perceive numerous branches of the Tree’s roots digging deep into the ground. Again, without any valid reasoning, Aldon believed that the roots of the Tree extended downwards limitlessly.
Looking around him, Aldon discovered that other than the Tree, and the ground upon which he was standing, nothing existed. The rest of the space was a black void.
Aldon noticed another mystical occurrence. Even though no source of light existed in his surroundings, he could clearly perceive the Tree itself. The only thing he could perceive was the Tree. He couldn’t even perceive the color and terrain of the ground upon which he was standing.
While observing all this, Aldon felt the Tree beckoning him over. Even though he was in a completely unfamiliar place, he felt great familiarity from the Tree and trusted it instinctively. Following the beckoning, he started to slowly approach the enormous Tree.
With every step Aldon took, he felt his mind become clear. And when he arrived at the base of the Tree, he could finally, albeit faintly, perceive its prowess and majesty. He understood that it could easily erase him from existence if it wished. This didn’t create a panic in him as he had unwavering and mysterious confidence that it would harm him.
Touching the enormous Tree’s bark, Aldon felt a kind of warmth radiate into his being. A sense of serenity came over Aldon, and he sat down and leaned his back to the Tree.
Looking at the fluttering green leaves, Aldon closed his eyes and quickly fell asleep. This peaceful atmosphere appeared to last for an eternity.
As the branches of the enormous Tree swayed in a non-existent wind, a couple[1] of leaves became detached from the Tree and fell towards the sleeping Aldon.
The leaves traced a mysterious path while falling down. Slowly, one by one, the leaves drifted away from Aldon. Only one of the leaves from the Tree made contact with Aldon in the end. It fell upon Aldon’s chest and glowed brightly.
The leaf quickly turned into a golden liquid and assimilated into Aldon’s body and soul. This process awakened Aldon from his peaceful sleep.
***
Aldon opened his eyes and found himself back inside Velina’s tent. Velina impatiently asked him with a curious look on her face, “Did you obtain a Divine Technique?”
Immediately after Velina asked her question, Aldon felt the information regarding a Divine Technique appear inside his mind.
After comprehending it, Aldon’s jaw hit the ground, and he asked Velina in a quivering tone, “Are all the Divine Techniques this broken!? This Technique is ridiculous! I can’t even believe the full extent of its capabilities!”
***(Footnote)***
[1] Though it is written as a ‘couple’ of leaves, it is actually more than two. (Around 7-8 leaves.)