Writer Eternal: Lucien survives an assault by the masked killers he thought he left behind. Now, the train approaches its first stop and things do not go as planned.
Chapter 4: The Ten Kingdoms
Lucien awoke after two hours, his body sore with pain. Memories not of his own caused his head to ache with pain. These were the memories of the purple aquatic dragon before it was killed and made a beast spirit. Most memories were that of an Asian dragon that exhaled rivers of purple and maroon flames. In other memories, he was a young man with long dark purple hair slaying demons and humans with a sword.
"You're awake. Good. We've nearly reached Black Canyon City," Xin said as he saw Lucien open his eyes.
"I'm alive," Lucien murmured as the memories stopped. "What happened? Is he dead?"
"No. I assume you missed his vital organs, and the other assassin took them both away. The girl and her group are gone. They are of no consequence," Xin answered.
"And my sword?" Lucien asked and noticed the sheath had no sword inside.
"Destroyed. It looked like a rather old and low-grade magical sword. I must admit, we could have intervened," Xin replied. "However, I wanted to see what you could do. Take this sword as compensation."
"My enemies are too strong. They know I'm on this train line. Who can say this new sword won't shatter tomorrow?" Lucien said as he thanked Xin with a nod and held a longsword.
"I can take you away from here. From this continent. All you must do is ask," Owen said, stunning Lucien.
"How is that possible?" Lucien gasped.
"With this," Owen explained, taking out a clear orb with blood bubbling within. Such a sight sent shivers down Lucien's spine as he could feel a dangerous aura from the blood. "This is a Blood Transport Talisman. Each use consumes one drop of blood. Quite miniscule really, and only requires demon blood no matter how weak. Each use is unpredictable, but always sends a Ranker to a continent not found on the map consisting of ten kingdoms. If you truly want to escape with no traces, this orb is it. I must warn you. You can even appear in the demon kingdom and other dangerous places. Furthermore, communication to this continent is still possible but leaving the ten kingdoms is near impossible without reaching certain conditions."
"I just became a Ranker. I don't even know the cultivation stages or how to progress. Still, I can definitely escape and still contact my family and butler. However, won't you be kicked off the V.I.P. train car once I leave?" Lucien asked.
"That is no issue. We just needed to enter the train incognito and only had to wait until someone vacates a table. Someone already has," Xin said, pointing back at the table the girl's group previously occupied. "As compensation for being exiled to the ten kingdoms, you are given a random cultivation and your Spirit Heart is enhanced. Improving one's Spirit Heart is extremely difficult and a tremendous later on. What do you say?"
"I'll have to confer with my butler and let my family know where I am going," Lucien said, getting up to inform Gerald through his Transmission Talisman. Gerald was alarmed that the killers would go so far as to attempt assassination in the train, and agreed the best course of action was to go to the elusive Ten Kingdoms.
"How are you getting there?" Gerald asked, communicating via telepathy through the Transmission Talismans.
"A Blood Transport Talisman," Lucien answered.
"What? Only the imperial family possess those. It is how they safeguard their lineage should their dynasty be wiped out. Very rarely are those not of the imperial clan in possession of the mystical orb. The blood aside, the orb is the true treasure. These people you befriended are not ordinary. The late imperial emperor and the current emperor have not handed out Blood Transport Talismans in decades. The boy must be a scion of one of the previous dynasties. It is no small wonder they are traveling in secret now," Gerald said, shocked. "The assassins certainly won't find you now."
"Is the Ten Kingdoms really not on the map? Even that of modern Earth in the legends?" Lucien asked.
"Yes. It is completely isolated, like a secluded dimension connected to ours. Every person sent to the Ten Kingdoms is rumored to create a new constellation in the sky in the form of the beast spirit of their Spirit Heart. That aside, it is certainly like a medieval fantasy world. Spells and warrior arts are more abundant, goblins and dragons roam the lands, magical beasts are even more powerful, and the demons rule one of the ten kingdoms. From the annals of a Ranker who returned two years ago and gained fame, the undead are the greatest threat and comprise the human and all magical races. Being an undead is worse than death," Gerald warned. "Your father will have no choice but to train and allow Lucy to become a Ranker. Rankers have extended lifespans and it will take decades for you to return. I've already had two Transmission Talismans made to communicate with yours before you bound it. We'll speak from time to time. Train hard and return. Your family waits for you and I will guard them well."
"Thank you Gerald. You know, you are certainly the most powerful and mysterious Ranker I've ever met," Lucien laughed, Gerald chuckling before the transmission ended.
"Ready?" Owen asked as Lucien sheathed his new longsword and rejoined them.
"Yeah," Lucien nodded, putting away his talisman.
"Good. You must know that many Rankers serve the kingdoms as knights. Warrior arts are popular, but magic spells are the best. If you know any, it will serve you best in the Ten Kingdoms and saves you many, many purple coins. Your new sword is red cloud steel, a rare magical-grade metal found only in the Ten Kingdoms. Learn their ways, their fighting styles for cultivators both Warrior and Magus. Then, find a way to return and take back your life by slaying your enemies. Without power, you will fall to their blades. You've angered them past the boundaries of sanity and fear of imperial retribution. No one but yourself can protect you," Owen warned and held out the orb. "Touch it and you are gone. When the orb is used, all life in the vicinity will not remember you used the orb save the owner. The assassins won't find out where you've gone."
"Thank you. Thank you all," Lucien said and touched the orb. Lucien's eyes widened as a single drop of blood escaped the orb and covered him in a sphere of blood-colored light. Lucien lost consciousness as the orb vanished from the train. His purple Spirit Heart shined within his chest, gaining more vitality and enriched the spirit energy inside his body.
In a dimension isolated from Earth twenty stars formed a new constellation in the night sky. It formed the shape of an Asian dragon, but one star was bright red. It represented the eye of the dragon and shined with nine others. Humans, magical races, magical beasts, demons, and the undead all noticed the appearance of a tenth red star. Howls, roars, screeches, and screams blasted the silent night as the tenth star was an omen of what was to come. Another Ranker from the outside world had come. Not just any Ranker, but the tenth approved by the mysterious force that created their dimension and their very ancestors.
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On a small hill overlooking a large city, the sphere of blood light appeared. From the light came a seventeen year old dressed in a white and black robe with golden leaves on his sleeves and hem. The blood sphere congealed into a drop of blood above the head of Lucien Lei. An image of a white crane shined from the blood and the blood froze into an ice cube, sinking into Lucien's body to grant him affinity to water.
With fire, earth, water, and thunder; it was only a matter of time before Lucien gained the wind affinity to reach the five affinity limit. This limit is implicated on all people who lived the Ten Kingdoms. Lucien was now part of that limit but there were also benefits. Once the limit was reached, they could not be changed or lost. Choosing to master more than one was incomparably difficult but even more rewarding. The people who lived in the Ten Kingdoms would not have to worry about having their futures affected by unforeseeable events once the affinity limit was reached and their path set.
Lucien's body trembled and the purple aquatic dragon spirit and Totem sword came out of Lucien's body. It was as if it were affected by the majestic white aura of the crane spirit. Lucien's affinity to darkness was lost and Lucien's bones and flesh were vitalized and improved. The aquatic dragon spirit was freed of the taint of darkness and its connection to Lucien grew due to his gained water affinity.
Lucien's eyes opened as the dragon spirit and Totem sword returned into his body. He looked around as the ground was razed from where he stood as the crane spirit vanished. Lucien also learned the Slumbering Dragon technique, a battle skill that improves a cultivator's body the more it is mastered. He could even cultivate while sleeping. Lucien was surprised by the sudden changes and noticed the starry night sky
"So this is the Ten Kingdoms. Wow. I've never seen the night sky so clearly. The sky even has red stars and two moons," Lucien sighed with wonder as he gazed at the night sky. A part of him felt at peace, the tensions and fears of the last few hours all gone. He just closed his eyes and enjoyed the gentle breeze. After a few minutes, he opened his eyes and headed toward the village as the first signs of dawn appeared.
"Halt! State your name and purpose," a guard in silver armor warned as he held a hand before a young man wearing a black shirt and pants. Naturally, this was Lucien. He had changed from his robes, folding and storing it in his now two meter hidden storage space within his body. He also stored his spatial ring and had a bag tied to his waist containing only five gold and seventy five silver. He looked ordinary and without any precious items. The only thing really standing out was the sword at his left hip.
"My name is Lucien Salvatore. I just woke up on the hill with no memories of where I was earlier. I strongly believe magic was involved," Lucien said, reciting the excuse mentioned in the journal. Turns out, the Ten Kingdoms was mentioned and that the journal's ancestor once came from there.
"Oh. You must be the last of this month's eighteen outsiders. Only seventeen arrived. One was tracked to wander as the rest still slept, but believed dead. You must be him," the guard nodded, believing it to be true as it was not his first time encountering outsiders. Lucien could hardly believe his luck, but was not foolish enough to correct the guard.
"Well, I did wake up in the middle of nowhere with nothing but my name. I found this longsword in a ruin and bound it," Lucien said, nodding at his sheathed sword. He drew it to reveal a shining black sword with a red hue. The knight's eyes widened upon seeing irregular patterns on the edges and sides of the sword in the form of clouds.
"Red cloud steel, one of twenty magical types of metal found only in the Ten Kingdoms. Not the most powerful or best magic-grade metal, but it is indestructible and ever-sharp. It is a very heavy metal and has a famous history behind it. The fallen giant race used weapons made with red cloud steel to slay dragons before they fell to the undead after they fled to an unknown land. I'm surprised you found such a sword. Treasure it," the knight murmured with slight reverence as Lucien sheathed his sword. "Good. Now, go to the Mercenary Guild where the others are waiting. There is still one group of five left. Join one of the profession guilds. Mercenary Guilds are loyal only to their nation, but the profession guilds are loyal to themselves no matter which of the eight human kingdoms you reside in."
"Profession guilds? Why join the Mercenary Guild too?" Lucien asked.
"You got twenty silver for joining the Mercenary Guild and your party gets to live in your own villa. There are no homes for sales here and the inns cost a fortune. This city is one built in the frontier, magical beasts and other dangers just waiting in the wilderness. The cost of joining a profession guild is also ten silver, so you really only get ten silver. These guilds provide warrior arts and spells for cultivators. If you get famous enough, you'll be included in the next available semi-annual immortal academy and sect recruitment," the knight explained and noticed Lucien's green ring. "Another magical item. Is it a storage or spatial ring?"
"No. It has wind enhancement effects," Lucien said.
"I see. Storage rings are expensive, spatial rings even more so as their storage capacity can be more than fifteen meters and can be bound to the soul to prevent theft. However, the Mercenary Guild can give you a storage ring for two gold. Good luck," the knight smiled and granted him access.
Lucien entered the city and noticed merchants actually selling non-attribute warrior arts or battle skills. Lucien knew three battle skills, two of them for bladed weapons! He could only sigh with relief as each battle skill cost dozens of silvers. He noticed a shop for mages and looked at the spell books in display. He only knew two spells, Fireball and Thorn Blade, and thought it was enough. Battle skills were like martial arts: practice in order to master and perform it quickly and effortlessly. Spells were even more powerful and required even more practice.
"Excuse me," Lucien said to a guard after buying a storage ring for two gold. "Where is the Mercenary Guild?"
"Down two blocks and make a right. It is the largest building and can't be missed," the guard answered, Lucien nodding his thanks before heading down the road. He paused as he arrived before a large building with two black drake statues on either side of the gate. The drakes looked so lifelike and radiated an ancient and powerful aura. Lucien stepped back in fright before realizing they were just statues. As he passed them, he noticed that the drake horns on the wingless European dragons were real. Drakes were lizards large enough to rival some dragons, had dragon blood, and possessed no wings.
"Wow. The wingless dragons of legend really do exist. They're not even true dragons, but they're so impressive. The aura from their horns alone made me sweat," Lucien sighed with praise as he stood before the doors. Finally, he could train like other Rankers and took a path those on Earth did not. Once the day came when he could finally leave the Ten Kingdoms, he would kill the assassins and reunite with his family.