In Lutia, adherence to the oath of silence is requisite across various strata of society. Everyone, from academy students to alumni, guild members, templars, and nobles, is bound by the oath. Yet, notably absent from this clandestine pact are the masses, particularly those inhabiting the lower sectors, who proceed through life ignorant of the truth, naively accepting the “limit” as a natural constraint. Despite the abundance of individuals privy to the truth regarding the limit, the deliberate concealment of such knowledge from the populace persists, with only the highest echelons of society, namely the royals and high dukes, possessing full awareness. Lutia thus emerges as a continent characterized by a labyrinth of secrecy and manipulation, leaving much to be desired in terms of transparency.
Baroness Alicia Ravenborn.
Human rights activist.
Central Kingdom (Lutia). Year 2167.
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After breakfast in the cafeteria the next day, Aodhán and Andrew made their way to the class on herbology and spirit plants. Unsurprisingly, the number of students present in the hall was only a little more than those who’d attended the class on runic theory, as very few people wanted to study plants regardless of their usefulness.
Surprisingly, Imani and Eren were also present, and even now he wasn’t surprised to see her buried in the textbook, furiously jotting down important points like she had a test tomorrow.
He shook his head and reminded himself that he had done the right thing. The {perfect imbuement} technique wasn’t something he could be careless with; it was a legacy he could leave behind for his children if he ever had one.
After watching her for a moment, he returned his attention to the discussion Andrew was having with Azul Fetherson, the girl who occupied the slot above his on the tower leaderboard.
She was beautiful, even now, with her tongue sticking out of her lips and her hair packed in a messy bun. Aodhán shook his head, dispelling the thoughts before they could take root.
“It should be easy for you to create skills then, considering your concept.” Andrew asked, and she chuckled.
“One would think so, but it’s much more complicated. The concept of imagination is rare, and there are only about four known individuals with the concept currently in the Kingdom. Unlike more popular concepts, I have little guidance on how to properly utilize mine, and to be honest, I’m just stumbling around in the dark.”
“I’m sorry about that, but I want to understand how it works.” Andrew pressed. “Do you just imagine things and manifest them into reality?”
“Yes.” She replied smugly. “As powerful as my concept is, though, it's heavily dependent on willpower, and my skills take a large chunk of it every time I use them.” She raised her pen and continued. “For instance, if I want to create a pen, all I have to do is imagine it.”
An exact replica of the pen she held appeared in her other hand the next instant, and Aodhán had to admit that he was impressed. The ability to manifest one’s imaginations and make them a reality was godlike, and it was no surprise that it had such a serious drawback.
Curious, he leaned forward. “Sorry to butt into your conversation, but I’m curious, how much willpower did that cost you?”
The girl hesitated for a moment before she decided that the question didn’t delve too deep into her secrets and responded. “The pen was easy to create, since it’s a relatively small and mundane item, but anything magical or large takes a noticeable chunk of willpower.”
“So, in essence, you’re only limited by your willpower?” Andrew asked.
“For now.” The girl replied with a shrug. “I intend to fix that soon.”
Aodhán nodded; he understood better now. The girl might not have noticed, but when she’d created the pen, he’d sensed her core strain slightly. If, at the 18th tier, she was still straining to create a pen, then the drawback of her concept was really steep.
He tried to imagine how much more powerful she would be if she had access to the well of willpower that he and Daruk had, and it was scary; in fact, it would have made her a champion as she was already fighting four tiers up with her limited willpower.
The conversation brought his mind back to the assignment Valerie Potts had issued, and before he forgot, he quickly submitted it. Their conversation continued for the next ten minutes, but came to a sudden stop when the teacher walked into the room.
It was immediately obvious that she wasn’t a staff member of the academy, judging by the four stripes on her uniform, and just like Aodhán, she had a severe bloodline manifestation.
Vivid green vines had replaced her hair, and her skin had a rough-looking texture similar to bark. Her green pupils were ringed with yellow and orange bands, and a slight haze of verdant energy emanated from her.
The scent of blooming flowers soon filled the hall, and the air became fresher and cleaner, causing most of the students to breathe in deeply and sigh in satisfaction.
“Good morning, students. Welcome to our first lecture on awakened plants and herbology. My name is Gwendolyn Blackwood, and in today’s class, we'll be exploring the existence and usefulness of awakened plants.”
She paused, giving the class enough time to take out their notes before she began. “Awakened plants are divided into four categories, ranging from common, uncommon, epic, and spirit. Unlike the random awakening of humans, plants awaken as a result of their interactions with dense amounts of energy and essences around them, which then transform and imbue the plant with either elemental or conceptual qualities. Or, in some cases, awakened plants emerge as a result of the type of essence prevalent in a certain area. For example, it is not unusual to find a fire orchid growing around a volcano.
It is much more common to find awakened plants in areas with dense amounts of energy and essence, like the upper sectors, but they can also be found in energy-starved regions such as the lower sectors.” She turned towards the screen, which came on to reveal pictures of several mutated plants and trees. “Awakened Plants found in the lower sectors are usually old, having taken centuries to mature and evolve. The most popular examples of such plants are the Areli, which grows at the edge of the 12th sector, and Jorgumien, which grows in the 9th sector.
The Areli was discovered about two centuries ago, when it was still an epic plant, and has been heavily guarded ever since because of the amazing properties of its fruits, which it bears every 75 years.
The Areli fruits are considered extremely potent alchemical resources, steeped in the concept of vitality. The alchemical potions created from these fruits are considered high-grade healing potions, capable of healing even the most dire of injuries in minutes.”
Aodhán took notes as she began to discuss the categories of awakened plants. The pictures on the screen shifted to display a set of blue plants covered in a slight haze of green energy.
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“This is an example of a common awakened plant, and they can be found even in energy-starved sectors. They are almost no different from mundane plants and are usually used in the preparation of herbal teas and spices by individuals above the 25th tier.”
She waved again, and the picture changed, displaying a lager plant about 2 feet tall. The plant barely had a dozen leaves on its entire stem, but they all pulsed with black light, and a shimmering haze of black essence surrounded it.
“This is a shadow lily, an example of an uncommon awakened plant usually found in areas dense with shadow or darkness essence. The difference between uncommon and common awakened plants is simply the density of their auras, which can be observed in the displayed picture.”
The class continued for almost an hour as Gwendolyn detailed the uses of several awakened plants and the differences between their categories.
The major difference, though, she mentioned, was in their auras. Epic-grade plants had a much more compact aura that was usually hard to detect, and spirit plants shielded their aura so completely that they could easily be mistaken for mundane plants.
The only exception were the trees, who blasted their auras like the Areli, bathing their surroundings in their overwhelming vitality.
What surprised Aodhán the most were the benefits of ingesting these plants, which ranged from pathway cleaning to enlightenment, which was only provided by spirit plants.
As the class continued, Aodhán's mind drifted, and he wondered if perhaps there was a plant out there that could cleanse the core itself.
That would be a true game changer, a real cure for the limit, but he knew that if such a plant existed, then it would have been discovered by now. He returned his attention to the class when Andrew asked. “What is the best way to ingest awakened plants?”
“Awakened plants can be ingested raw, but studies have shown that they provide more benefits as potions.” Gwendolyn replied. “That brings us to the end of today's class. You’re to read the texts from pages 14 to 25, where you’ll find a detailed explanation of the delicate process of harvesting awakened plants as well as how best to identify and find them.”
She dismissed the class half an hour later, and Aodhán exited the hall, chatting with Drew, but they’d barely taken more than a few steps away from the hall when their chips flashed with a general message, asking all first-year students to congregate in the orientation hall for a meeting.
Aodhán stilled immediately after he read the message, as he already had an inkling of what the meeting was about. Andrew cleared his throat awkwardly and muttered. “I suggest we find Daruk first.”
Aodhán nodded and sent a quick message to Daruk, but he shouldn't have bothered, as Daruk appeared at the end of the hall a second later, a textbook on courtly affairs tightly clutched in his hands.
“Why’s everyone acting weird? I mean, it’s just a meeting,” he asked as soon as he got close enough to speak without shouting, and Andrew stiffened.
“I’m just as confused as you are.” Aodhán replied with a clueless smile. “But whatever it is, we’ll find out when we get to the meeting.”
Aodhán hated lying, but it wasn’t like he could tell Daruk the truth, and he couldn’t afford to tell Andrew either, not because he didn’t trust him, but because explaining that he’d figured out the limit by himself could indirectly lead to the exposure of his identity.
They arrived at the orientation hall and moved to sit on an empty bench in the middle row. A few professors stood around the stage, and Aodhán saw Rahim conversing with Professor Aleran in hushed tones.
The hall wasn’t exactly silent, but it was so quiet that everyone knew something was up.
“Do you think somebody died?” Daruk whispered as he observed the halls with furrowed brows.
“I don’t know, Daruk; I’m just as clueless as you are.” Aodhán replied, and Andrew murmured. “We’ll find out soon enough.”
Daruk stared at both of them, and Aodhán internally cursed when he suddenly frowned in suspicion. “Nah, you guys know something.”
He smiled conspiratorially and whispered. “Okay, you guys can tell me; I’m good with secrets.”
Fortunately, Professor Dubois arrived in the hall at that moment, saving them from having to answer that question. The other professors stood up in respect as the mythic walked to stand among them like she was an ordinary, advanced-class professor.
Aodhán understood that the presence of the professors was needed to lend the entire ceremony a sort of gravity and weight to help them take it seriously, but Professor Dubois’s presence only seemed to make the students more anxious, and they began whispering to themselves.
Just when he thought things couldn’t get any more serious, principal Zatya appeared in the hall, and a complete silence descended with her presence. Aodhán nervously swallowed as her aura expanded to encapsulate them, and although it did them no harm, it kept him on edge.
The principal observed the students silently, and when her gaze locked with his, she smiled subtly and spoke. “We have gathered you all here because we have something extremely important to share with you concerning the true nature of the limit, but because of its sensitive nature, we cannot pass it along without receiving an oath of silence in return.”
Aodhán held his breath as the principal finished, and as expected, a wave of dissent rose up from the students. A core oath wasn’t something to take lightly, as it involved willingly putting your life, core, and power at risk just to keep a secret.
To make things even more complicated, Daruk was thoroughly against the idea, and he exclaimed. “We are just children; you cannot force us into something as life-threatening as a core oath.”
“We have no intention of forcing anyone.” Principal Zatya spoke up, and although she didn’t shout, her voice suppressed all the others. When silence reigned in the hall once more, she continued. “If you want to leave, you’re free to leave, but know that if you step out of this hall, you’ll be missing out on something of great importance to your advancement. Everyone you see on this stage right now couldn’t have gotten to where they are now without this information, so like I said, we won’t force you, but it’s in your best interest to stay.”
“No, we’re not staying.” Daruk stood up immediately, urging them to go with him, and Aodhán sighed. “Let’s just think about it for a moment.”
“Are you crazy?” Daruk asked incredulously. “Do you both not realize the danger of a core oath? Surely you’re not willing to put your life at risk for information you can get anywhere.”
“You can't, though.” Andrew responded, his expression hard. “I suggest you stay; like the principal said, you'll benefit greatly from it.”
Daruk stared at the both of them in confusion, his gaze darting from one to the other as he tried to understand their lack of hesitation in taking this risk.
Apparently, they knew something he didn't, but before he could ask them what it was once again, the principal spoke. “We know this is not an easy thing to ask any of you, and as much as I would love to give you all a day or two to process this, we do not have the time for that. Let anyone who’s interested in taking the oath make their way to the stage immediately.”
Almost as one, as if they’d been coached on what to do, all the nobles stood up and walked towards the stage.
“Stay and take the oath; you won't regret it.” Andrew said to them as he stood up and walked towards the stage. Some of the commoners exchanged uncertain glances, and a few seconds later, they stood up and joined the nobles, leaving only about a dozen people still sitting.
“Something is wrong with you.” Daruk glared at him. “I’m smart enough to know a scheme when I see it, and I know you realize the danger of taking this oath. What I want to know is why you’re still seated here.”
Aodhán’s gaze locked with that of the principal, and he sighed. “You’re right, I do know something, but I can’t tell you unless you take the oath, but if you do, then I wouldn’t need to tell you anymore.”
Daruk’s eyes widened in shock. “You’re under oath? How? When did this happen?”
“The how and when doesn't matter, but I assure you that you need this information.” Aodhán replied. “I’ve kept so many things from you, but if you take the oath, I'll finally be able to share them with you. I want to share them with you.”
Daruk stared at him for a long moment before he slowly stood up, and together they walked towards the stage. At the end, only two people adamantly refused to take the oath, and they were politely escorted out of the hall.
Principal Zatya waved a hand, and a large blue crystal the size of his head appeared in her hands. She raised the object into the air and said, “This is an oath crystal; you will each touch it and say the words of the oath that I shall give you. Once that is done, we will share the truth with you.”
The students arranged themselves into a queue, starting with Cyrus, and after saying the words of the oath, he walked back to his seat. The queue moved quickly, and fifteen minutes later, it was Daruk’s turn.
He hesitated for several seconds before placing his hands on the oath crystal and repeating after the principal. "I, Daruk Brystion, swear to keep the truth that I learn of this hour a secret, and I shall tell no one who doesn’t already know.”
The crystal flashed, and Daruk grimaced as the oath wrapped itself around his core like metallic chains. He turned, and without a glance in Aodhán’s direction, he walked back to his seat.
Aodhán walked up to the crystal, placed his hands on it, and repeated the words, and although the crystal flashed, no new chains appeared on his core.
He walked back to his seat, and Andrew nodded to him. He nodded back and turned to Daruk, whose gaze remained firmly fixed on the stage. Deciding to let him be, Aodhán turned his attention back to the ceremony, which lasted for another five minutes before principal Zatya returned the crystal to her spatial space.
A sense of anticipation filled the air now that everyone had taken the oath, and a moment later, she began. “The limit is not a natural phenomenon like you believe and can in fact be prevented...
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