!!!!! Pr Credits To Draconis & Rota who not only both pred it but improved this ch's quality greatly please rep them. Also Full Credits to Askard who maintains the Information Doc where a majority of spectral regalia information is written please Rep him to ^^!!!
firstly i wanted to apologize again about the late release, i hope you guys can be a bit forgiving since skylers pc broke, :( it isn't anyone's fault. in any case rota was a bit occupied and tried his best but gave me a sort of final edit with some highlighted parts to view/etc, i took this as an opportunity to try and see how well my grammar has improved. There were only a few paragraphs that i got to tinker around with but im happy :3
i hope you all enjoy this chapter as much as the past chapter. i forgot to add "Chapter" in the title of ch 92 so i just went ahead to fix that.
Please Rate/Follow/Favourite/Share/Enjoy ch 93
P.S usually i dont reread a chapter often as i trust my prs, but i feel that they aren't getting enough praise for what they do. When i write i tend to not reread the full chapter and focus on reading smaller portions, but going over the last few chapters i can see that both skyler aka draconis and rota have done an incredible job in adding the correct words and even better choices to certain sentences/paragraphs, i'd appreciate if you guys could reward them with a few rep + ":D
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Kael gazed at Avrin, appearing somewhat stunned at his words. “Master, what do you mean?” Avrin let go of Keal’s shoulder and moved his right hand up to pat his head softly. “Haven't I helped and led you towards a better path? Look to me for a father figure.”
Kael blinked, then smiled warmly as he moved his head back and wiped his tears before nodding. He knew that Avrin as his master wasn't one to show too much emotion. But these words meant that he cared about his disciple. “Yes, Master!”
Avrin nodded to confirm it. Night soon arrived, and the two decided to camp at this location. Avrin was quietly tampering with a simple Void Sphere in his hands, contemplating his next course of action, while Kael was quietly practicing his offensive stance.
“-Tomorrow, I’ll meet Gregson and have him retrieve the admission for me. As for Kael… Hmm. It would be best if he remains away from the capital for a while. I doubt his father will let this pass so easily-”
Avrin decided to enter his inner workings quietly, as he didn't require any sleep. What greeted him was an interesting sight. His body’s particles had adjusted quite well without him noticing. 3% of his body’s particles where now Type 4. Of course, with each particle created with the Type 4 C.Particle, the speed would increase by 0.1%, which was fairly good considering the number he had.
“-Interesting-” Avrin quietly thought as he glanced at a Type 4 particle. It seemed to emit a faint, gentle pulse. This pulse would reveal incredibly thin strands of energy linking across the space between particles before vanishing. But Avrin could feel that these thin strands of energy were helping hold his body together.
“-Did I over think things? Clearly there would be a way to keep my body stable with the more particles I cultivate at higher levels. For now, I'll keep an eye on this. Let me see if I can assist a bit-” While Avrin tended to his own business, Kael had stopped swinging a simple wooden sword that he used his dark matter to manifest.
He wasn’t sweating or lacking stamina, it seemed he was swinging this sword to help keep himself occupied.
“-Will I truly have a better future with master guiding me?-” Kael quietly contemplated. “-No… I can't let him focus too much on me. Master has his own things to worry about. I need to decide my own path like I did with father!-”
Kael quietly thought to himself. With night coming and going, it was Avrin who had awoken to see Kael meditating. “Kael, I'm going to see Gregson. Hopefully, we can both receive admissions to Laymist. I'm quite interested in it.”
Kael opened his eyes, showing a bit of thought. But he quickly interrupted Avrin. “Master, I have something I’d like to ask” Kael quietly stood up, giving a determined look. “Hmm?” Avrin glanced curiously. “Well, what is it?”
Kael shut his eyes for a moment and took a deep breath. “master...I’d like to travel around on my own for a while!” Hearing these words, Avrin’s eyes widened for a moment before words left he's lips. “On your own? Why all of a sudden?”
Avrin, of course, wouldn't let Kael go unless he had a fairly good reason. But he wouldn't force him to stay. After all, he was one for letting people decide their own paths. Although Kael had proven himself able, he had to be cautious with his answer and to whether it would endanger him and his race.
“Master… I don't want to hassle you and follow you everywhere. I am now my own man. I have to find my own way to improve and learn! I promise the next time we meet I won't be weak and will certainly surprise you with my progress!”
Avrin folded his arms and laughed softly. “Haha... with such simple answers, of course, this is the right decision. But I'm still not convinced you’ll be able to look after yourself. You are a trouble maker after all” Avrin spoke, referring to the incident at the village within the Twisting Lands.
Kael reddened a bit and spoke. “M-Master, that was… well…” Avrin began to think, and then spoke. “I can see you will argue with me, and I suppose this will help you grow a bit. Very well. I'll allow you to travel on your own.
But you will travel to the northern continent to meet our brethren. They should be able to assist you and you them, as well as giving you some responsibility.”
Kael happily smiled and nodded quickly. “Yes!! Thank you fath- uh! Master” Avrin smiled warmly at him and nodded. “Hmph! Remember to not reveal your draconian from. If anyone must know, tell either Asura, Erebus, or Eitri, they are trustworthy. Ah! Actually, not Asura. He has a few screws loose for the moment..”
Avrin quietly joked, which made Kael nod with a smile. “Thank you, Master. Umm..” Kael looked around confused. “Give me a moment, Master. I have an idea!” Kael shut his eyes and quietly emitted Nebula Mist around himself.
Avrin looked curiously, wondering what he was planning to do. But while he waited, he emitted his Divine Sense out as he began to hone in towards Gregson's office within the military quarter and soon confirmed he was located within. “-Perfect-” Avrin thought. Two minutes passed and Kael spoke out. “Look, Master! Hah, now I look a bit like you!”
Avrin retracted his sense and opened his eyes to see Kael wearing a similar outfit to him. Of course, with some noticeable differences. “Ah! You rotten brat, you even copied my look!” Avrin shook his head with a grin. “Fine, fine. Kael, I need you to do me a favor when you head to the north and manage to find the others.”
Kael glanced curiously at Avrin as he laughed before giving a serious look. “What is it, Master?” Avrin glanced at the small enchanted sac at Kael’s side and pointed at it. “Give the dark cores and this to Erebus.” Avrin quietly opened the hand pointing at the enchanted sack. A small, purple, crystalline sphere the size of an egg began to form.
Avrin flinched a little, but that was all. He gently tossed the egg-like sphere to Kael. “Inside there is information on how to form a Dark Space. It would be bad to have you extract the information with your current strength, so this sphere must be given to Erebus. And try to explain to him the importance of this. In it has the method for creating the Dark Space as well as information on those cores you have.”
Kael, who had caught the sphere, held it close to his chest. As if it were equal to his life. “Master… such an important thing…” Avrin’s eyes narrowed. “You said you are a man now, correct? This is your first real task, to meet up with your brethren and transport that information sphere. I can't form another for at least 2 days.”
This was something Avrin had seemingly discovered a while back. Once he created an information sphere, the information would seemingly initiate a sort of cooldown, as if willed by a divine force. Avrin felt it was God's way of not giving out his knowledge so freely and improving his race very quickly. Or, in simple terms, cheat.
Kael spoke. “Yes, Master! I'll head out now!” Kael put the sphere in his enchanted sack and then put his hood over his head before looking at Avrin. He then bowed respectfully. “Thank you for everything, Master! I cannot wait to meet with you again and show you how much I have improved.”
Avrin gently brought his hand up and down, as if saying it's ok. “As long as you improve at a fair pace, I'll be satisfied. Do not neglect your training as you travel, you have yet to practice the Dark Space.”
Kael nodded. They bid farewell, and Kael turned into a black blur as he vanished into the forest, heading towards the northern part of the continent where the port was. Avrin knew it would take some time to travel.
A bit after he had left, Avrin frowned. He truly learned a lot after being with Kael. So much so that he had to be careful with the way he treated people. Not all of them are tools for him to use. He would only use those whom he knew were truly deserving of such treatment.
Avrin’s appearance, which had retained its original Spectral look, reverted back to the human appearance of the man he had taken before. Raising his right hand up, the white, metallic mask began to form. But Avrin gazed at it for a moment.
“Well… this is obviously pointless now, isn't it…” Avrin quietly sighed as he looked at the mask. But he smiled. The masked itself signified his entrance into blacksmithing and a joyful part of his life here. Although it wasn't useful for the moment, it still had memories he treasured, as it was one of the only moments Avrin was truly happy here.
He put the mask into his enchanted sack. He was worried that due to him no longer needing it, that if he reabsorbed it, he would forget about its existence for good. It was a momento he would rather keep for the moment.
Avrin’s body turned to dark ash, and within moments, he reappeared within Gregson's office. Of course, Gregson slightly jumped as he gazed at Avrin and spoke. “L-Lord Avrin… please at least use the door. I am not used to your teleportation magic…”
Gregson sighed quietly. He had almost had a heart attack. Avrin glanced at Gregson, who looked at him curiously. “Hmm, you look different. No mask? And-” Avrin cut him off to answer to save time. “A new magic I’ve found. It’s easy to hide my appearance this way, so the mask is no longer needed. It's a shame, considering we discussed it before, heh.”
Gregson softly laughed. He remembered when Avrin had asked regarding it, but he didn't continue further and spoke on. “Then, Avrin. Where exactly is Kael?” Avrin remained quiet for a moment. “He is off on his own journey for a while. I think it will help him grow.”
Gregson reached up, softly rubbing his small beard, and responded. “Well, after what happened, I think some alone time, as well as time to journey out, will do him good. That boy’s strength is remarkable, I think he will be fine. You should open up your own academy and teach!”
Avrin gave a quiet smirk and shook his head as he walked over and took a seat on the chair opposite of Gregson's desk. “One disciple is barely manageable and you want me to open an academy? Hah…” Avrin forced a laugh.
Gregson also laughed as they joked, but he soon cleared his throat. “Speaking of academies, this is for you.” Gregson opened up a drawer and retrieved a small letter with a red wax seal and slid it over the table to Avrin. “Hmm? Is this-” Avrin was interrupted by Gregson, who nodded smoothly.
“Yes, yes. This is the admittance letter to Laymist Academy. I figured you had forgotten it, so I asked Sient for it, who all but gave in after your little show. I'm sure he knows you aren't someone to make an enemy. In any case, Avrin. Why Laymist? Who is it for? It can't be for Kael.”
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Avrin quietly took the letter, gazing at it curiously as he looked at the wax seal which had the insignia of the Levatine family. “I have my own plans.” Avrin spoke. But Gregson knew it was his way of saying don't ask too much. I do what I need to do, and you do what you need to.
“Well, I see. That is fine. But I'll give you a word of advice, Lord Avrin. That Sient, I don't think he will forget this so easily. All he needs to do is inquire as to who used his letter to enter Laymist.”
Avrin quietly sighed. “Yes, that is a problem. But surely the great Lord Gregson has a solution?” Gregson chuckled lightly and shook his head. “If you had asked me earlier, Avrin. But the admittance ended quite a while ago. You can't receive letters until next year, and I'm sure you don't want to wait that long.”
Avrin nodded. “In any case, let me handle that. If the world moved the way we wanted it to, then there would be no bloodshed or inequality. But there will always be obstacles to overcome. This is simply a minor one.”
Gregson couldn't help but agree with Avrin. This was just a realistic issue that was unavoidable. “True. Although I'm quite curious as to what you will lead yourself to. It will appear strange for a man of your age to enter a Branch Academy. Even more so Laymist.”
Avrin snickered to himself as if he had waited for Gregson to say that. “I also had the same thoughts. Until I discovered an interesting variation to this magic.” Avrin stood up and soon the Nebula Mist engulfed him, covering him with a dense purple color that began to shrink down.
His original height of 5’9” shrunk down until he reached 4’10”. The Nebula Mist dispersed to reveal a simple 11-year-old appearance. One couldn’t say he was handsome nor ugly. He appeared to be as average as one could be with short brown hair and plain brown eyes with a slightly tanned appearance.
Gregson had looked with shock as he stood up and placed his hands on the table. “Incredible! I’ve never seen such magic before. To take the appearance of a child… does this mean you're able to achieve eternal youth!?”
Avrin answered simply with a voice that was befitting of his appearance. “Not at all. This is just a simple illusion with a few modifications. Far from eternal youth. You would have to ask someone else for that.”
Hearing Avrin’s answer, Gregson gave a soft sigh of disappointment but then nodded with approval. “Regardless, this is incredible. With such magic, you would be able to accomplish many things. Will you not reconsider assisting me within the military?”
Avrin sighed. “Unfortunately I am not sure what to think of the current situation. Assisting Kael was intended to help bolster my reputation, but these events have led it to silence. I do not think even Sient would dare let this information slip, which means it is between us. I see Laymist as a good opportunity to perfectly achieve a reputation at a fair pace.”
Gregson curiously inquired further at Avrin’s words. “Ooh, indeed. But why Laymist? Surely there are better academies? Why not wait that year and apply to another? This way, I can also assist you instead of using the Levatine admittance letter.”
Avrin shook his head. “Remember, Lord Gregson. I do what I need to, and you what you need to.” Gregson's face paled a little as he nodded. “Forgive me, Lord Avrin. Well then, is there anything else I can assist you with? Being able to help young Kael, who had nothing and turn him into an astounding fighter, you in your own right should be considered a national treasure!”
Avrin laughed softly, which seemed a bit forced with his appearance. Especially now that he was wearing a simple gray robe and hood with a few plain bags and his enchanted sack, which was hidden among them. No one would ever know this person was someone who would one day turn Seleria on its head.
“That's too far. Well, I wanted to thank you again for all this. I suppose you could say Kael had also helped me improve.” avrin spoke honestly while gregson replied, “I could never have expected that a child like Kael, who had nothing, would influence someone as powerful as you, Lord Avrin.”
Avrin gave a simple reply. “Oh, not Lord Avrin for the moment. Herth is what I will be known as. After all, encountering someone who may know me would be troublesome.”
Gregson didn't deny him. It was a valid point. “Agreed.” Avrin and Gregson continued to talk for a half hour before Gregson had his own matters to attend to. He reminded Avrin of Laymist’s location, who then left to make his way towards it.
Gregson had given him a bit more information, telling him that he only had 2 days remaining before Laymist’s year would begin again. Of course, they both know, with Avrin’s ability, it wasn't really an issue.
After Avrin had left using his Dark Step and Divine Sense, he teleported enough to make up for a day’s worth of time and decided to simply walk the rest of the way. “-I still have a day left, so I'll check the nearby village and see if there's anything interesting-”
Casually strolling down a dirt path surrounded by a mass of trees, Avrin had seen few merchant carriages pass him in both directions. Although the majority of carriages were seemingly run down to a fair degree, they seemed to be transporting people. Avrin assumed these would be students making their way to Laymist due to the similar attire a majority of the young children and teenagers wore.
“-This continent is quite large. It would be safe to assume there are at least two billion, if not more, people inhabiting it. Meaning, regardless of Laymist’s reputation, it's most likely the only Branch Academy that students without connections can get into-”
Avrin’s reasons for picking the appearance of an 11-year-old wasn't based on the look itself. It was because it brought about the opportunity to make a name for himself, starting from this so called age, people would consider an 11-year-old as a genius.
If he shows promising potential, they would try their best to establish close ties to a potential genius, that isn't to say avrin was intending to stick out like a sore thumb, sometimes keeping oneself hidden and waiting for the perfect opportunity would be the wisest choice.
Of course, Avrin, after entering Laymist, wanted to lay low for a little and just observe to see how things turn out. If he were to say there wouldn't be trouble, he would be lying. When he was an orphan who had joined the military academy at a young age, he had plenty of troubles and bullies to deal with and did so without mercy to show that he wasn't one to be picked on.
When the sun had begun to quietly reach its peak, signaling the afternoon, Avrin arrived at Furnem village. The village itself seemed interestingly active. Of course, at one glance, Avrin knew why.
There were dozens upon dozens of young individuals from ten to their late twenty’s, as well as carriages. All of them had many looks on their faces as they made their way into the several inns that inhabited the village.
“-This is troublesome-” Avrin had thought, wondering if he would even manage to get a room. Of course, he wasn't too troubled. His main tasks after arriving at this village were two things. First was to check and see what sort of students would be attending, and the second was to find a way to replace his admittance letter.
Avrin wasn't one to draw attention to himself in the open, so he kept to the side after entering the village that was bustling with activity. Merchants here seemed to have arrived much earlier and were now peddling their goods, whether it be equipment or miscellaneous goods. Their mindset was to make a killing and trick these new students.
“Stone Tiger leather set! A very good deal for Uncommon quality! Able to protect you from attacks and even has some resistance to earth magic. I only have 5 left in stock!” Of course, that alone was enough to trick the younger and richer students to flood over with their parents and beg them to buy it. The set itself was okay, but the real winner, of course, was the merchant, who looked as if he were going to cry tears of joy from taking advantage of these students. But of course, the real losers were the parents, who had pale looks and wanted to shoot dagger-like glances at the merchants. If they were not busy scrounging gold from their purses and sacks to pay before the items are sold to another.
Furnem village was larger than the usual village. Using his Divine Sense he could see that there were, at the very least, five-thousand people here. He wasn't proficient enough to tell how many were students, but he could tell that there were many inns. It would be safe to assume this village relied on new students heading to Laymist to make a living.
With his Divine Sense, Avrin was able to tell the location of a less crowded inn near the outskirts of the northeastern border of the village and began to make his way there. He could see the looks of excitement on the faces of everyone.
“Did you hear? I heard Laymist managed to convince and snag some decent talents this year!” A young man in his late teens uttered to another. “Really? Huh, that's awesome. I hope our academy can finally pull through and rival the others!”
Only listening for a moment, Avrin pressed on. He spotted a blacksmith, but it wasn't anything special. He also spotted a general goods store, but he didn't need any supplies. What caught his attention was a bookstore.
“The Sage’s Wisdom?” Avrin quietly uttered out the name of the store. It seemed to have quite a few customers, and Avrin, as he always craves a chance at obtaining a diamond in the rough, decided to go for broke.
After managing to find the Enigma potion at the port city of Rael, he felt that he could find something else. And if he were to find anything, it wouldn't be at a general goods store that sold supplies, nor a blacksmith that seemed casual, but a bookstore that may house something interesting. After all, no one could tell from the outside if a store like this had anything good or not.
As Avrin entered the store, the layout itself seemed quite spacious. Although from outside the building was also quite large, the inside seemed to make good use of the open space. There were several enchanted glass cases laid out on tables in the open while there were books and tomes within shelves placed against walls.
Looking around, he could see a lot of curious children and teenagers admiring and glancing around. One could say that they were here more so to look and window shop rather than buy. But the old man behind the counter didn't seem pressed at all. It was as if he knew there were potential customers in here.
“Hello, I’d like to purchase this book on beginner sword techniques!” A young boy and his father stood at the counter. Behind them, several individuals with their own books were waiting to purchase them.
Avrin walked over towards the more expensive enchanted cases and looked around, but no one really paid attention to him. The reason being it was quite common for the occasional person to admire that enchanted case with dreams of one day reaching a high position in society with enough wealth to casually purchase expensive objects, or in this case books.
“-Trained blacksmithing techniques, Uncommon quality. 100 gold. Hmm, no use to me. Intermediate fire mage spell tome, Rare quality. 500 gold. Also of no use-” Avrin walked onward and glanced around before his eyes spotted a dusty book in the corner of a shelf.
“-Alchemist Manual, Beginner to Intermediate, Rare quality. 1000 gold-” Avrin glanced at it as he began to think quietly. “-The Enigma potion was capable of giving Kael such a significant boost with my assistance. If I am able to concoct something similar one day, then it would be of great use to me as well as my people’s strength-”