The morning sun had barely risen over Fogbeach when Lassim finished his final preparations to leave the seaside town.
He packed up his few belongings, tipped the innkeeper for his stay, and made his way toward the city’s edge, where he could take off.
His next destination loomed in his thoughts: Blazewind Refuge, a mountain village deep within the Rockfang Range, and a place that, according to the reports, had barely survived the recent turmoil of the sect war.
Blazewind had been marked on his mission list as "high priority," and after reviewing the remaining options, it seemed the most urgent.
Elder Daxian, the village leader, had reported ongoing attacks from abyssal beasts a week ago and was struggling to manage the village and defend it at the same time.
However, despite his formidable strength as a Spirit Ascension cultivator, Daxian was, Lassim had felt a sense of urgency reading the report, a sort of premonition that he should make haste.
Though he was eager to continue refining his own techniques and fighting style, this was still his main duty to fulfill as Sect Master Volten’s personal disciple. Blazewind needed assistance in securing their defenses before more damage could be done.
Only after that, perhaps, could he focus on gaining new insights into more lightning techniques by observing Elder Daxian’s style firsthand.
Lassim reviewed the mission paper from memory one last time to check the direction he needed to head. It described the situation clearly:
~~~
Mission Summary:
Assist Blazewind Refuge in the village defenses. Village defense formations are down and Local families and the workers at the E.S.S. mine are at risk. Evaluate the need for additional sect assistance. Report back using the channel codes.
~~~
Lassim took a breath and activated his [Tempest Steps] technique, feeling the familiar surge of lightning charge through his limbs. With a flash, he shot into the sky, leaving Fogbeach behind as he ascended into the clouds like a lightning bolt.
The journey from Fogbeach to the Stormfang Range wasn’t too long for his current Spirit Ascension level 2 cultivation, but uneventful as he had to travel East and then South-East past the desert.
Lassim moved swiftly, riding the powerful currents of wind high in the sky that seemed to be aiding him and pushing him faster for some reason.
The lightning crackled around his body as the landscape below gradually shifted from sandy beaches to pure, hot desert to then craggy, dried out sections of rock before turning into rugged mountains. Their peaks were dry and warm, not capped with snow.
He made great time, but still a few hours had passed as he crossed some deep valleys and rivers.
While the major battles had ended, these smaller areas adjacent to the major battle points, like the one at Blazewind, were still affected. Blazewind is actually quite close to the place where Lassim previously closed the first portal summoned by the group of 5 Spirit Transcendent level Sun Disciple demon abominations on his mission with the Shadow Sect.
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The fact that the village’s formations were down only made matters worse—as it hinted that there might have been additional unexpected fallout from the battle or possibly escaped abyssal demons.
He thought they got everything back then, but regardless, without their defensive formation active, Blazewind was an open target and the village leader and surveyor of the E.S.S. mine for the sect were probably struggling.
As he flew higher into the mountains, Lassim felt something strange, a subtle disturbance in the fabric of the space around him.
His brow furrowed as he slowed his flight, allowing himself to focus more clearly on the odd sensation.
"[What is that?]" Lassim murmured, closing his eyes briefly. "[Mari, Zaphy, do you feel that?]"
Zaphy’s voice chirped in his mind, energetic as always. "[Oh, I feel it! It’s all… twisty, like someone took the air and knotted it up! We should zap it! Zap it!]"
Marinelle’s voice was calmer, more measured. "[Indeed, that’s a spatial disturbance that I can slightly sense through our bonded senses. We should investigate before continuing to the village.]"
Lassim nodded, already veering toward the source of the disturbance.
As he descended toward the ground, he noticed a narrow cave nestled between two jagged cliffs. The sensation grew stronger as he approached.
He landed silently at the cave’s entrance, his halberd summoned and at the ready. The air beginning to hum and vibrate as he circulated his cultivation. The progenitor marks went into full activation and converted his eyes into their [Spatial Vision] mode right away.
The cave was dark, but his spirit sense and the ability to see the spatial fabric extended far beyond the entrance, allowing him to pick up even the faintest of details. That’s when he noticed the traces of abyssal energy that lingered within as clear as day.
"[It’s definitely a portal,]" Lassim said internally with a thought to his companions, stepping cautiously into the cave. "[A small one, but it’s still active. Looks like this is where the beast assaults they reported are coming from. Did they really only report these as regular beasts and not the abyssal legion’s demons? Odd.]"
He moved deeper into the cave, the air growing colder as he approached the source of the disturbance.
It didn’t take long for him to find it—a swirling mass of dark, corrupted and red energy, barely the size of a human head, radiating with malevolent power.
It pulsed weakly, like a dying star, but Lassim knew better than to underestimate it. Even a small portal could theoretically allow tens of thousands abyssal creatures to slip through, and this one had clearly been doing so for some time.
"[Better close it now, before more slip through,]" Lassim thought, raising his halberd.
He focused on the portal, reaching out with the Space Element covering his hand to sever the twisted connections that held it open. His mastery of the element was still new, but he had learned enough to close small portals like this one with more ease.
With a flick of his wrist and a plucking of specific strings, the spatial threads surrounding the portal snapped, and the swirling energy began to collapse in on itself.
In a matter of moments, the portal winked out of existence, leaving only the faintest trace of abyssal energy behind.
"[Well done,]" Marinelle praised, her voice soft and encouraging. "[That should stop the flow of abyssal beasts for now.]"
Lassim nodded, satisfied with the result. "[It’s a start, but we’ll still need to help the village clear out any remaining creatures. They’ve probably been pouring out of here for days at the minimum. I might have missed this when we passed before, so potentially longer at maximum.]"
He exited the cave and took to the sky once more, the village of Blazewind Refuge became immediately visible in the distance. It was nestled within the embrace of the mountains, but that wasn’t what made it so obvious that it was his destination.
As Lassim approached Blazewind, the first thing he noticed was the wall of lightning that surrounded it from high in the clouds in the sky to all the way down to just outside the gates with surprising precision.
The wall was massive, a constantly striking storm of lightning bolt after lightning bolt with no gaps in between that surrounded the entire village like a living shield.
It crackled with thick lightning mana that affected the balance of elements in the air and caused winds to whip and howl as they crashed around the stone fence that surrounded the village below.
The sight was both awe-inspiring and unsettling—Elder Daxian had clearly poured a tremendous amount of power into maintaining the barrier, but it also spoke to the severity of the situation if he felt this was necessary. The village must be under constant threat with this wall of lightning was the only thing keeping it safe.
Lassim descended slowly, landing just outside the wall’s perimeter. His eyes scanned the barrier, noting the intricate layers of lightning that were layered together seamlessly.
It was a technique unlike anything he had ever seen—far more complex than a simple defensive array as even the way the Lightning was layered and used seemed oddly efficient with how much power it was using. Lassim reckoned he could probably power the entire thing by himself for a few days before needing to stop and meditate; if he knew the technique at least.
He raised a hand, allowing a small spark of his own lightning mana to interact with the barrier. The wall hummed in response, acknowledging his presence but remaining firm.
"[It’s incredible,]" Lassim thought to himself, marveling at the sheer power and control required to maintain such a barrier. "[But it must be draining Elder Daxian to keep this up for so long if it has been active for over a week since I last passed through here.]"
A moment later, a section of the wall parted, the whipping winds caused by the slamming lightning and cracks of thunder calming just enough to allow Lassim entry.
He stepped through, his senses immediately assaulted by the overwhelming presence of abyssal energy that clung to the village like a dark fog.
The village itself was small, with stone houses built into the mountainside and narrow streets lined with carts and stalls.
Miners and cultivators and other residents merely peeked out of their boarded up windows, their faces drawn with exhaustion and worry from what he could see through the gaps.
The atmosphere was tense—despite the protection of the lightning wall, the villagers seemed terrified and tired.
As Lassim made his way toward the village center, he could see even more strain on the faces of the people that dared to still walk the streets at a quick pace or have small stands selling sparse amounts of home grown vegetables or fruits.
Most of them were spirit essence miners and their families it seemed, but when they had last left the village to go mine or accept merchants seemed to have been more than just a day or two.
At the heart of the village stood a tall, but still only two story, building. Its surfaces etched with the familiar lightning sect runes, enchantments and wards.
It was from here that Lassim could tell Elder Daxian maintained the Lightning Wall as his power radiated out from the structure like the center of a storm.
Lassim approached the building, his footsteps echoing against the stone road as he climbed the steps to the entrance.
Two Spirit Growth stage cultivators, both looking weary from standing guard and probably many sleepless nights, nodded in acknowledgment as they recognized his martial attire as a personal disciple from some elder of the sect. But, unaware of who as they opened the doors for him.
Inside, the air was thick with the specific scent of ozone and electricity from Lightning mana, the constant crackle of lightning filling the room as Elder Daxian stood at the center of a large circular array.
Elder Daxian was a lean, sharp-featured man with a mature but youthful appearance, with shoulder-length violet hair that was slightly tousled, as if caught in a constant breeze. His skin had a faint, stormy hue, with mismatched eyes—one a piercing electric blue that flickered faintly with energy, while the other was a soft violet.
His face bore a thin, jagged scar running from the corner of his left eye down to his chin, somewhat altering his otherwise lady-killer style to being much more rugged. Though not old, his features did show slight signs of wear and exhaustion, as there were thick bags under his eyes and his skin looked a bit dry.
He wore the typical elder robes, dark purple with silver lightning-threaded accents, fitted to allow easy movement. Which was useful for the moment as his hands were outstretched, guiding the flow of his mana into the barrier runes.
Sweat dripped down his forehead, but his posture remained strong, his focus unbroken as he used the full remaining power within the Spirit Ascension stage, level 7 cultivation he held.
"Elder Daxian," Lassim said, bowing respectfully as he stepped into the room.
Daxian’s eyes flickered toward him, a spark of recognition lighting in his gaze. "Ah…, Sect Master Volten’s new personal disciple..." His voice was gravelly, the weight of fatigue evident in every word. "You’ve arrived."
Lassim nodded. "Yes, please call me Lassim. I came as soon as I could, though, I apologize as I would’ve visited here first had I realized the situation was so dire. I’ve closed the portal outside the village. It was hidden in a cave, likely where the "beasts" you previously reported were coming from."
Daxian let out a long, relieved sigh, his shoulders sagging slightly. "So that’s where they were coming from… I knew there had to be a source, but I couldn’t leave the village unprotected to investigate."
Lassim stepped closer, his eyes narrowing as he studied the elder’s haggard appearance. "You’ve been maintaining the Lightning wall for nearly two weeks now, haven’t you?"
Daxian nodded grimly. "Yes. Ever since the formations failed, I’ve had no choice. If I let the wall down for even a moment, the foul beasts or, I suppose demons actually, will cause more deaths to us. The villagers… they’re stronger than most of our neighbors due to the E.S.S. mine and extra resources we get here, but not strong enough to fight off what’s been terrorizing us out there."
Lassim frowned, his mind racing as he considered their options. "You’re already drained. How much longer do you think you can even hold on? We need to repair the formations as soon as possible."
Daxian’s eyes darkened. "I know. But I’m no array master, and the one we had here was killed during the first wave of attacks. We’ve sent word to the sect, but you’re the only response we’ve had."
Lassim was a bit annoyed that something as potentially dangerous as a place with an open portal had slipped through the cracks, and even been downgraded to just some random beasts affecting a small village’s barrier.
"I’m going to send a request directly to the mission hall and we’ll get someone here as soon as possible to fix the formations. As soon as I finish that, I’ll see if I can lend you some of my mana to help fuel this thing, so you can relax a little."
Daxian’s expression softened slightly. "That would be a great relief. But I think it’d be best if you instead go and try clearing out the remaining abyssal demons. Even with the portal closed, there are still plenty of them lurking in the mountains nearby. I must warn you though, they’re some sort of special telepathic type.
I’m sorry, but I’m really not sure what kind of demons they are, as I’ve yet to see them with my own eyes. They’ve been making it so hard to sleep, and I believe they have another skill that’s the reason for us being so lethargic and so drained. I’ll trust you to take care of them."