Kade returned the cleaning supplies before making his way to the library while carrying two books. He found a spot that looked comfortable and sat down before looking at the books.
The first was named 'Altaris Compendium'. This was the book that Wompus was adamant he read. The second was named 'Comprehensive Altaris Cultivation for Mages'.
While the names were generic, they were certainly fitting. From the thickness of the books and the size of the words, he could tell how much information was packed inside. He had no doubt that reading them would be a slog and could only hope that it would be worth it.
'I'll read two chapters in the Altaris Compendium for one chapter in Comprehensive Cultivation.' It was going to take a while to read these books, but he needed information from both right now. He couldn't wait to finish one before starting the other.
So, after his plans were made, he flipped open the Altaris Compendium and began.
Everything started well as the book mentioned concepts that he was familiar with, but that changed after the first few paragraphs. Then, he understood the reality of his situation. What he had read so far was akin to a children's book in comparison. The sheer amount of jargon that he didn't understand was astounding.
After the first two pages, he realized that these books would be torturous to read. They were massive information dumps with no consideration for the reader.
He pursed his lips in indignation and soldiered on. If he knew that the life of a mage included this shit, he would have just chosen to be a warrior.
...
Kade woke up and wiped the drool from the corner of his mouth as he looked around groggily.
He was still in the library with a book open on his chest. He brushed the book off with a hint of disgust as he sat up and looked out of the window.
He didn't have a great grasp of the time cycle on the base yet, so he referenced his watch and found that it was early morning. He rubbed his eyes before climbing to his feet and heading for the training room.
Thankfully, the doors were left open since he began staying here as there was little hope that he could open them on his own. Entering the room, he found that Wompus was already inside using altaris to engrave the stone floor.
It didn't take much for him to realize that Wompus was creating a more permanent formation for his training. Likely so he could train alone.
They had only known each other for a few days. Not to mention, he was just a young human taking his first steps into a vast new world. The old coot hadn't even accepted him as a disciple officially and wouldn't gain any recognition for his future accomplishments in the field of magic.
He was torn between appreciation and fear. Wompus had to know that he was poor. Which meant that he was either doing this out of the goodness of his heart or with plans to bleed him dry later.
Regardless, he had already started this 'training camp' and couldn't quit now. With that in mind, he took a seat on the mat he had claimed and focused on his breathing.
While Wompus was busy, he planned to work on consolidating the knowledge he absorbed from the books and applying them in his cultivation. Luckily, the contents of both books had some overlap, so he could utilize the knowledge from both at the same time.
He immersed himself into cultivation. The concepts that seemed so complex the night before slowly unraveled with experience. While he didn't notice any benefits, he understood that his technique had improved which would be important later down the road.
"Come, brat. It's time to begin Binal cultivation." Wompus shouted.
Kade snapped out of his meditation and quickly sat inside of the temporary trace that Wompus had created.
Having experience, he no longer needed instruction and immediately began circulating his altaris and injecting it into the formation. Before, it took nearly seven cycles before he managed to achieve a steady stream, but now he managed it by the second cycle.
Once again, he gave it all he had and only stopped when Wompus couldn't hold out any longer. This led him to another question.
"Hey, Old coot. Is there any downside to cultivating all day, every day?" Kade asked while stroking a phantom beard.
Wompus' eyelid twitched as a frown grew "Yes and no. The only downside to mediating to cultivate all day is that you are in one place doing the same thing all day. Your cultivation base would increase rapidly for a period, but your combat and practical skills would stagnate, as would every other aspect of your life. In the end, you would be strong on paper but weak in practice. At that point, someone with a far lower cultivation base but more knowledge and better combat skills could potentially beat you."
Narrowing his eyes, he continued "However, if your cultivation improves too rapidly, such as by relying on external assistance too heavily, then there can be real consequences. Your Altar and channels, like any organ, can be overworked and injured. You also have to worry about impurities building up within your channels and altar. So be careful when relying on things like formations, beast cores, or other tools to boost your cultivation. With the method we are currently using, I help alleviate the build-up of such drawbacks, which is why it is so taxing on someone as strong as I am."
Kade nodded as he mentally noted the information. As expected, continuous cultivation was too good to be true. "I have another question. Is a cultivator's Altar real? Physical, I mean, because I thought it was just a mental manifestation or something. After all, it seems way too big to fit within my body."
Wompus twisted a strand of his beard and smiled "I would call the Altar 'Metaphysical'. It exists both in and beyond reality. Your body contains a physical manifestation of your altar, albeit much smaller. So yes, you do have a physical Altar, and yes, it can be damaged."
Kade rubbed his head and nodded. He wasn't sure that he understood entirely, but he knew that it would all make sense later. For now, just knowing that he had a physical Altar was enough.
For now, he decided to begin his chores. He would have time for more questions later.
Wompus stopped him as he headed for the door.
"I saw that you fell asleep reading the books I gave you, so you probably didn't eat right?" Wompus said as he tossed a thin metal card to Kade "After you finish with your chores, find Graakas and have him take you to the market to get us food. That will be another daily task you have."
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Kade nodded before going about his business.
Five hours later, he went hunting down Graakas, finding him in the library with his head buried in a book.
"Graakas, buddy. What do you say we go get something to eat?" Kade asked enthusiastically.
He hadn't realized how hungry he was until Wompus brought up food earlier. He couldn't help but feel excited at the thought of filling his empty stomach.
Graakas snapped the book shut "I've been waiting. I'll take you to get Yonkel cuisine."
Kades face blanched at the thought. He had been lucky enough that familiar human foods could be found due to the influx of humans joining the faction.
"Ah, maybe I could try that some other time." Kade said as he followed Graakas out of the room "I bet you'd like chicken and dumplings, we should see if we can find that instead."
"Haha." Graakas chuckled and sprouted a grin "You don't get to choose this time. Besides, how can you pass up the chance to expand your horizons by eating some alien food?"
"Uh, easily." Kade scrunched his face in disgust "I'm not into eating juicy bugs and goopy soups."
Graakas turned back with a thick layer of disdain coating his face "You need to stop watching so many movies."
"It's not just movies, Graak. I mean, just take Obruo for example. Four eyes, dark leathery skin." Kade shivered at the thought
"Don't even mention your unruly pet to me." Graakas snorted "You should have left that thing with your human friends. He has made a mess of my home, ripping everything up and pissing on the mess he leaves behind."
"Oh?" Kade raised a brow with a slight grin "You know, human women love dogs. Real chick magnets. Is it not the same here?"
"Pfft, as if that thing can pass as a cute and cuddly lap dog." Graakas' anger was nearly boiling over as he spoke "Sawoor refuses to visit as long as that abomination resides in my house."
"So that was the real issue." Kade nodded knowingly "Well, I'd be angry too, but still, that's no reason to pin the blame on poor Obruo."
Graakas let out a low growl "You know, we aliens of the Yonkel faction do eat odd bugs. Our favorite food, however, is four-eyed dog-like creatures. Perhaps I'll indulge tonight."
"There's no need for that. We will just swing by on our way back and I'll take him to the old coot's place." Kade said dismissively while shrugging
"That might not be a good idea, Kade." Graakas adopted a more serious tone "I know your boorish mannerisms are just part of your personality, and it's respectable to a point because I can tell it's genuine. However, You need to understand that Master Wompus has a high status that deserves a certain level of respect. Even from you."
Kade frowned "That sounded like an insult, and if I cared what you thought, Graak, I might take offense." He chuckled momentarily before continuing "I think you are misunderstanding me though. For some, respect is bowing and flattery. I don't like that. It's disingenuous and I see it as a manipulation tactic to remain in someone's good graces."
"I prefer to be myself and allow my actions to show my respect."
"And have they?" Graakas asked skeptically
"In what way have they not?" Kade questioned "I take all of his lessons as a teacher seriously, I constantly seek to improve myself as any teacher would hope, and I do what he asks of me. All without complaint."
Graakas thought for a moment before speaking "Do you believe that is enough?"
"I do. What else would you have me do? Kneel at his feet every morning?" Kade sneered.
"That's reasonable. Maybe you could start with calling him Master Wompus instead of the insulting 'Old coot'." Graakas returned the sneer.
"Old coot fits him." Kade replied with a shrug "He is definitely eccentric, and I think that's interesting. Far better than some boring sage who speaks in metaphors."
"Pfft, HAHAHA" Graakas's serious demeanor was shattered as he failed to stifle his laughter "I'll agree on you there. Still, just think my words over. Master is understanding, but if it was another of his status and power, you'd have long died a painful death."
"I'll keep that in mind. Though, any person should be able to appreciate my nicknames."
...
Kade returned to the building, which he decided to call 'Coot Manor', with Obruo in tow.
The first order of business was delivering Wompus his dinner and introducing him to the new guest. He quickly made his way to the library and found Wompus as expected.
"Dinner is here, old coot." Kade said as he lifted the bag in his hand "I also brought you a new friend."
Wompus peaked over the book in his hand and raised a wrinkly brow "This is Obruo, the beast from Detrius?"
"Yeah. Graak couldn't handle him anymore. Apparently, the pooch was causing him lady troubles." Kade said with a snicker.
Wompus waved his hand, causing obruo to float over despite the beasts thrashing. He subdued Obruo with ease and began inspecting the canine thoroughly
"Interesting, this is the first time I'm seeing a beast like this." Wompus said with a hint of curiosity "He is certainly a unique creature. Maybe meeting him was a fortuitous event."
"There's no doubt about that." Kade nodded "His loyalty is unquestionable. He already saved my life once, so I consider him worth all the beast cores I have to feed him."
"You've fed him cores? How many?" Wompus asked with surprise.
Kade thought for a moment "Around seven or eight I think."
"Did he go through any changes? An evolution, perhaps?"
Kade shook his head "No. none at all. Kind of disheartening actually."
"Maybe not." Wompus replied with a grin "Regular animals have the potential to evolve into beasts after consuming cores. Sometimes it only takes a few, but it could take more than ten. It all depends."
Kade shrugged "I don't have such high hopes for Obruo. He is a good friend and a loyal companion, so I will continue feeding him regardless of his potential."
Wompus subtly cut his eyes toward the young man for a moment before returning his gaze to the beast. "Then let's say that it was fate that the both of you met."
He waved his hand to release Obruo before briefly petting him. "What did you bring me for dinner?"
"I can't pronounce the name." Kade said as he handed the bag over "Graak picked it."
Peeking in the bag, Wompus smiled "Good choice. That brat knows me well." He waved his hand at Kade "I'll spend some time with my new friend. You should begin your studies."
Kade nodded and returned to his room. With a sigh, he opened the book and began his torture.
...
"Archmage Wompus, my friend!" A thundering voice rattled the few decorations in Coot Manor "I've come to visit!"
"I'm in the training room." Wompus' deep, slightly gravelly voice responded.
A tall, broad man appeared. His skin was dark red, and his irises shined a golden light. Long black tendrils that were braided hung from his head. He wore a black robe with gold embroidery and pale grey accessories.
"Oh, I didn't realize that you were busy." The man said as he laid eyes upon Kade within the temporary trace.
"This doesn't take much of my concentration at this point." Wompus said with a chuckle "Why have you come, Tetron?"
"To catch up, of course." Tetron said with a grin "It's been quite some time since my last visit. Life has become busy with the initiation of Earth and the opening of Detrius."
"As is to be expected. Even I haven't avoided the work that comes with this event." Wompus said, gesturing to Kade.
"I can see that." Tetron said as he observed Kade closely "He seems to have some talent. How fortunate for our Yonkel faction." He said with a light smile.
"It can be." Wompus replied with a sly grin.
Tetron turned his gaze to the wrinkly old man "What do you mean?"
"He isn't a member of the Yonkel faction."
Tetrons' smile warped into a frown. The temperature seemed to rise a few degrees "If he isn't a member of our faction, then what is the meaning of your current actions, Archmage Wompus? We had a deal." His tone was solemn
"We HAVE a deal." Wompus said 'matter of factly' "I have not taken this one as a disciple, as our deal stipulates."
Tetron snorted "You expect me to believe that while you're helping him cultivate with an altaris variant binal formation?"
Wompus shrugged "I'd think that any archmage would assist his grand disciple in such a way."
Tetrons' eyes twitched. His anger grew to the point that Wompus was forced to erect a barrier to prevent the aura from affecting Kade.
"Haaa." With a sigh, Tetrons' anger dissipated. "Are you truly so opposed to my request that you'd stoop to such a level to avoid them?"
"Everyone has their own morals and code. I will not cross mine, even for you." Wompus replied casually.
Tetron shook his head "How do my requests conflict with your morals? I offered to marry my daughter to one of your disciples, and give you the highest position in the council of mages."
Wompus chuckled "Neither of which is a prize. Especially considering the responsibility that comes with them."
"Haaa." Tetron sighed once again. They had gone over this multiple times and he already knew the archmages' reservations.
His gaze flitted between the young human and the two formations in the room. Binal formations weren't cheap. Temporary versions would exhaust the one that formed it and hinder cultivation for a brief period. Physical, permanent versions required a plethora of expensive materials.
They weren't formations that an average mage would have the honor of using. He certainly wouldn't waste the resources on his disciples, and from his knowledge, this was the first time Wompus was doing so.
"Why hasn't this human joined the faction?" Tetron questioned.
"His name is Kade." Wompus said with a scrunched face "And he simply doesn't want to."
Textron's eyes narrowed momentarily before shining like a bright star. "Interesting, and unfortunate. You seem to value this young man greatly, yet you cannot accept him as an official disciple."
"And whose fault is that?" Wompus shouted grumpily while shooting his friend a glare. Why must this insufferable man taunt him so?
Tetron let loose a deep, throaty laugh as he cupped his stomach "That, you know too well. But, what would you say if I, your good friend, was able to convince your grand disciple to join the faction?"
Wompus knit his brows. He knew Tetron well enough to know that despite the man's power, he liked to scheme childishly. It was actually a bit funny considering that, from Wompus's experience, Tetron sucked at crafting schemes.
The more he thought about it, the better his mood became. A small grin formed on his face.
"I certainly wouldn't be opposed to such a development, assuming it was of his own free will. I believe I would crown him as my final disciple." Wompus replied honestly.
Though, he couldn't help snickering to himself. Kade was a stubborn and prideful young man with strong beliefs, and his mannerisms took some time to get used to. He was excited to see how thick Tetron's skin was.
Tetron, on the other hand, had no idea what was going through the old Wompus's head. He was happy to have finally found a soft spot to exploit. Pulling Kade to his side would ensure that Archmage Wompus followed.
Kade had been isolated from the conversation so that he could focus on cultivation and had no idea of the devious scheme that he was soon to be embroiled in.
The lions were stalking their prey with fierce eyes, yet the ignorant gazelle was grazing blissfully. Would the lions successfully feast this day, or would they break their teeth due to miscalculation?