Great Elder Robert arrived at the terrace with his usual peaceful face and his eyes closed. He walked on the terrace with steady steps under Grand Commander Margaret's indifferent stare.
"Robert."
"Maggie."
"Don't call me that." Margaret waved the attendants and guards to leave the terrace. Now the two pillars of the Pavilion were alone.
"What did you call me here for? I...
2022-08-06 03:02:45 +0000 UTC View PostMargaret Ward held some papers in her hand; on one of the papers was Oscar's face. Her grey eyes moved along with the words written down.
"Grade Four. Deer anima. Missions completed." She mumbled as she read through Oscar's records. It was not that eye-popping or incredible record as the person himself was average. But her grey eyes widened, stuck on a particular record. "This…He's been...
2022-08-03 20:11:02 +0000 UTC View PostOscar leaped onto one of the many stages. On the stage was one of the proctors, Knight Exalts, under the command of Margaret Ward. The ones designated to gather new students and the soldiers of the Pavilion's army.
The proctor glanced at Oscar before returning to his indifferent attitude. As more names were called, Oscar stayed still and closed his eyes to enter meditation to bring his bo...
2022-08-01 23:23:14 +0000 UTC View PostThe rampaging Ein within the room started to calm, a sign that the advancement had ended. Sensing this, Frederick rushed into the room and saw Oscar staring at him with a wide smile as he did a while ago. "HAHA. Congratulations, Os!"
Becoming a Middle Apprentice Exalt was a huge achievement. It was the first advancement of every Exalt. A milestone hurdle that made many feel they could kee...
2022-07-31 21:36:18 +0000 UTC View PostOscar lay flat on his back on the floor, having lost the match against Emily. His attacks were stronger than before, but it was still not enough to defeat a Middle Apprentice Exalt. "If I were a Middle Apprentice Exalt, it might have been a different story."
The difference in their Ein was what settled this match. Even though Oscar was redirecting the Reis, Emily went all out and destroye...
2022-07-29 21:12:50 +0000 UTC View Post"HAHAHAHA!" Oscar held his stomach in uncontrollable laughter. He laughed so hard that tears started coming out.
Frederick's face turned a deep shade of red as if he was on the verge of exploding. He almost cried as he rubbed his hand over the fresh lawn. He grumbled as he put away his things. "Laugh it up."
"What happened to you? Your letter said you took a mission with Emily. But ...
2022-07-27 22:06:56 +0000 UTC View PostOscar did not know how to answer the girl before him. He had never been in this situation before. Not only that, she was the princess!
In all his knowledge, there was only one appropriate course of action. He slowly and awkwardly turned back to his open book and started reading again. There was no way she'd make a scene in the library, so he swiftly retreated.
"...." Celestina's eye...
2022-07-25 20:49:08 +0000 UTC View PostAfter finishing his first session of Ein meditation in a long week, Oscar returned to the Outer Hall. The grass's smell, the air's soft breeze, and the bright blue sky contrasted with the bleak prison; it was as if the world was welcoming Oscar back. Oscar continued with a relaxed smile and stopped when he noticed Elder Saul resting on his leaned-back chair.
"Elder Saul. I'm back." Oscar ...
2022-07-23 23:53:11 +0000 UTC View PostSilence.
Utter silence as everyone stared blankly at John and Oscar. Then, the entire cell block erupted into chaos.
"Are you kidding me?!"
"Why was this bastard John chosen?! Let me take this place?!"
The complaints and grievances of the inmates were the loudest this prison had ever been. It was natural since this was an unprecedented event.
"You scum keep ignorin...
2022-07-22 21:50:48 +0000 UTC View PostCovered in bandages, Oscar awoke in confusion.
"This pain~" Oscar clutched his heart, feeling severe pain. He tried to get up, but the pain prevented him from controlling his body.
Oscar lay there, unable to move. There was a soft feeling below him as though he were on a soft bed. With a few more touches, he realized it was indeed a bed.
From the prison cells to the dirty and ...
2022-07-20 19:48:57 +0000 UTC View Post"Reis Awaken" Gritting his teeth, Oscar tried to start the Reis from his feet. Within the sights of 'Reis Awaken', he saw the Reis blend into his body. The force from his legs rebounded back up from the ground with compounded power.
He had to redirect the Reis to his fist. However, before he could start, his body, especially his heart, felt like it was ripping apart. This pain forcibly br...
2022-07-18 19:29:39 +0000 UTC View Post"We're done for the day. Dress your wounds and rest; we will resume early morning tomorrow." Draven disappeared from the room, leaving only a battered body on the floor. It was Oscar.
After the short 15-minute break, he was put through the wringer and fought without end against the Warden. His efforts were like a feather trying to break a rock, as Draven was unmoving and unaffected by any...
2022-07-17 14:30:09 +0000 UTC View Post"Meditation is how Exalts focus to peak into their inner space and feel the Ein around them. It is how they begin the process of absorbing Ein." Draven spoke eloquently like a tenured professor. Every word drew Oscar in out of a yearning to know more. "But people neglect that it can do so much more. Meditation is just a way to focus on yourself. I knew from how you climbed that you realized its...
2022-07-15 21:08:18 +0000 UTC View Post"Climb."
The single word dampened what was left of Oscar's spirits. Oscar scaled the thirty feet long walls up to the exit at the top with his eyes. His face twitched in a mixture of confusion and self-pity.
By this point, any complaints were useless. Oscar knew his master was serious and was always shot down when he tried to complain. With nothing left to do, Oscar stepped right be...
2022-07-13 23:17:33 +0000 UTC View PostStab, Pause, Toss.
Stab, Pause, Toss.
Oscar struggled to repeat these motions. He felt his muscles tearing apart as he trembled more each time he dug. Eventually, he dropped his shovel with his limp arms, unable to move a single inch, slumping down to rest on the ground.
"This is going to take forever. When do I stop?" Oscar barely got his words out from how tired he was. The ...
2022-07-12 00:52:07 +0000 UTC View PostThe guards ruthlessly held Oscar's body. They did not handle him with care, dragging Oscar into a dark room and tossing him on the cold floor before leaving.
Inside, Oscar could not see a single thing. Not a single spark of light could be seen. He tried to struggle and get up, but the guards had bound his hands behind his back.
Suddenly, a snap echoed in this empty room. All around ...
2022-07-09 02:25:03 +0000 UTC View PostOscar rubbed bruised areas of his body to alleviate the pain. The euphoria he felt from eating did a lot to mask the pain. Although it was a pasty mush, it still satisfied his stomach.
But from the corner of his eyes, Oscar noticed an irate John stampeding toward him. Oscar stood up and stared up at the behemoth's eyes. He had kicked the hornet's nest, and it was time to face the conseque...
2022-07-08 17:28:28 +0000 UTC View PostThe Warden of the Abyss Prison was offering to teach him with an outstretched metal hand right before his eyes. Even if it were only for a week, the experience would be invaluable. With no hesitation or contemplation, Oscar grasped the cold hand of the Warden.
"Good. Starting from today, you are my temporary disciple." Draven declared.
"Yes, Master!" Oscar bowed in respect to his ne...
2022-07-06 20:25:38 +0000 UTC View PostThe faint smell of dirt and blood tickled Oscar's nose, slowly waking him up from his blackout. He was still half awake, so he could not see what was happening, but he felt himself being dragged away. Oscar felt his skin scraping off from the collars constantly being tugged.
"Ugh." Oscar hissed from the pain.
The prison guard, who was dragging Oscar, heard him groan. They stopped an...
2022-07-04 22:39:52 +0000 UTC View Post"I am the Warden, Draven Ciaran." His metallic boots clicked sharply on the stone floor. He spoke and moved so elegantly that it was hard to believe he was the brutal warden of this terrifying prison.
Clean black garments covered every part of his body. Heavy black gloves and a black undershirt prevented any skin from being revealed. Even the visor for his sight had a smooth dark gl...
2022-07-01 18:14:33 +0000 UTC View PostFrederick slammed the desk in front of his aunt, Ivanka Klein. The table was made of special wooden material capable of withstanding the impact of Frederick's Exalt power. The table did not break down, but a loud sound like rocks colliding against each other made all the other Judges stop and stare in confusion.
Emily, frowning, stood on the side with her arms crossed and her orange eyes ...
2022-07-01 16:49:58 +0000 UTC View PostFrederick jumped off his seat triumphantly and displayed His Ein as a Middle Apprentice Exalt, staggering Oscar backward. The presence and Ein of a Middle Apprentice Exalt was truly a difference in quality from Oscar's power.
"I'm so hungry." Frederick rubbed his belly and dispersed his Ein. The advancement had sapped him of nearly all his energy, causing his immense hunger.
"Breakf...
2022-06-29 21:03:53 +0000 UTC View PostThe Foundry.
It was the center of weapon forgery and armor in the Blue Ocean Pavilion, where every student and elder came here for the best quality armament. The people who worked in the Foundry and trained in the ways of forging were called Fabricators. Fabricators, like Alchemists, enjoyed a special status amongst Exalts since the services they provided were necessary for Exalts.
...
2022-06-27 19:55:36 +0000 UTC View PostAfter eating and resting, Oscar sat in front of his desk, his hand clutching a pen, writing a letter to Isabella's father, Carlson Thorn. He decided to tell the truth about Isabella turning her back on her home and family. He did not want Uncle Carlson to continue worrying about her and looking for any signs.
As Elder Saul said, it was worse to keep Carlson in the dark and lie when the tr...
2022-06-24 15:49:02 +0000 UTC View PostIsabella always wanted something more in her life. Born in a small village in a faraway corner of the Empire, she was praised for her beauty by others.
There was no doubt that she surely would live well in the future.
That was fine, and she thought it so. But, on the day her mother died, her world changed. She saw her beautiful mother lay still and pale all over. Her mother was know...
2022-06-22 13:49:05 +0000 UTC View Post'It was a long journey.'
It was only a few days, but Oscar felt he had had enough of missions for the time being. The reward was the Ein Amassing Elixir that Oscar craved. Together with the next batch of the free elixir the Pavilion hands out, they should propel him to a Middle Apprentice Exalt.
Next to him, Frederick and Emily were not arguing as they usually do. It seems ...
2022-06-20 14:49:03 +0000 UTC View PostOscar screamed so loud that his throat began to tear itself apart, only to be put back together by the rampaging Night Raptor's blood in his veins. A constant cycle of destruction and reconstruction tortured his body. He could not help but slam into the hard rocks, breaking his bones which healed back together.
It was a horrifying sight to behold. Frederick and Emily nearly gagged from wi...
2022-06-19 02:43:46 +0000 UTC View PostTwo figures enveloped in Ein, accompanied by a deer and dog, clashed with no retreat in their mind.
Greg's face strained with all his emotions, his drive to live. His hand began to glow red as tiny flakes of fire collected into a ball. The spell was 'Combust'; the spell Preceptor Frank showed in his demonstration.
Due to its rocky formation, the caverns were not the optimal place to...
2022-06-18 03:52:03 +0000 UTC View PostEmily tried to calm herself down to no avail. Her frustration increased as she and Samuel fought in a stalemate. Her bruised body had several cuts, and her staff had cracks all over it.
Likewise, Samuel was also in a pretty bad condition. Several bumps and bruises covered his originally attractive appearance. The tiger beside him was also injured. "You can't keep up. Your staff is almost ...
2022-06-18 03:21:52 +0000 UTC View PostIn the depths of the third cavern, Oscar brushed past the several tunnels and boulders; his eyes darted around, searching for a suitable place to hide and bide his time. Then, he spotted a groove in the distance that no one could see unless they stepped inside. Wasting no time, Oscar hid inside.
The inside was damp and uncomfortable, but it was a moment of respite for Oscar, who took the ...
2022-06-18 03:20:54 +0000 UTC View Post