Chapter 155: Into the Realm [1]
"Tell me about the ’fate’ you mentioned."
The word lingered in the air between them.
Cael sat with his back against the railing; his fake blue eyes fixed on Junior.
If Cael recalled correctly, back in the resonance where Dame Valeria Duskbane, the True Iridescent Monarch, met with the Sun Maiden, the Sovereign of Eternal Flames, something important had been said.
[Timeline: Trainee Valeria, Dame Valeria, Lord Valeria, Monarch.]
The Sun Maiden had promised Dame Valeria to give her the Monarch’s Fate. Not to mention, in that same resonance, Dame Valeria asked the Sun Maiden about the pathway too.
Back then, Cael had no idea about these things. The words had meant nothing to him. All he knew was that the pathway gave unimaginable powers.
But now, Junior was talking about fate and the pathway.
Cael wondered if Junior and the Sun Maiden were talking about the same pathway and fate.
The more Cael thought about it, the more it made sense. The pieces were scattered, but they were starting to fit together.
After all, in another resonance, when the Monarch was Trainee Valeria, she was punished for killing another trainee and thrown into a forest.
But Trainee Valeria did not die. She killed a fox by biting it, tearing into its neck with her teeth, and found a ring.
Cael’s eyes widened in realization.
’Was that ring an artifact?’
The thought struck him like a wave.
’Yes. The Sovereign of Eternal Flames said so too.’
His heart pounded against his ribs.
’Holy... if it is true, then without an artifact, even if I find Death Valley, I might have failed.’
The realization settled into his bones, cold and heavy.
He had been planning to enter Death Valley for so long, but he had never considered that he might be missing something essential.
’But then... how did Elowyn gain an artifact?’
Then Cael calmed his thoughts as he stared at Junior.
The blind boy sat across from him, his expression unreadable, his blind eyes turned toward the horizon.
’How did he know about all this? Was it due to the Heavenly Book as well?’
’Is he hiding something?’
Then Cael shook his head. Even if Junior was hiding something, it did not matter anyway. After all, Junior could not harm him. The mana contract would not allow it.
Betrayal was not an option.
Even though Cael thought all of this, due to his skill, Thought Partition, he had analyzed everything in just a few seconds. The skill allowed his mind to split into multiple streams, processing information in parallel.
One stream recalled the resonances. Another compared Junior’s words to the Sun Maiden’s. A third considered the implications.
All of them worked at once.
...
The ship drifted on the calm ocean, its sails catching the gentle breeze. The sun hung overhead, casting golden light across the water’s surface.
Hearing Cael’s question, Junior shook his head and said,
"Well, let’s discuss this after you obtain the artifact."
Cael raised an eyebrow. The answer was not what he wanted. His curiosity burned, demanding more.
Nonetheless, Cael reluctantly nodded, even though he wanted to know more. Junior must have had his reasons.
That said, a question passed through Cael’s mind.
’Are Monarch and Sovereign stages of celestials?’
’Will Junior tell me if I ask this question?’
’But what if he asks me how I know about the Monarch and Sovereign?’
’Scratch that. Are Monarch and Sovereign even related to celestials?’
The questions piled up like stones, each one heavier than the last. Before more could accumulate, Cael deactivated Thought Partition.
Using another skill, Calm Mind, he settled his restless thoughts. The chaos in his head quieted.
Time passed.
The sun climbed higher into the sky, tracing a slow arc across the blue expanse. The waves continued their endless dance against the hull.
Cael received a message in his mind from the Wind Clone about the Mana Strengthening Body Technique Part 2.
This news surprised Cael. He did not know this technique had a second part.
The Wind Clone had memorized all the details and sent that information directly into Cael’s mind.
The transfer was seamless, the knowledge settling into his consciousness like ink spreading through water.
Cael took his time sorting through it. The information was dense, layered with complex instructions and warnings about the dangers of rushing.
He traced each line, each diagram, each note. Still, he was mentally drained by the time he fully understood the technique.
In Mana Strengthening Body Technique Part 1, one had to merge their blood vessels with mana channels to create Mana Veins. A delicate process.
But actually, Mana Veins were not a perfect vessel at all. They were just the first major step toward a perfect vessel.
A foundation. Nothing more.
In Part 2, one had to strengthen their bones by constant mana tempering. It was a painful and self-harming process. Each session would leave microscopic fractures that had to heal before the next.
Repeated over and over, day after day, until the bones were infused with mana, becoming denser, harder.
And that was not all. The technique mentioned that there was also a Part 3, which involved muscles and skin, but there was no information about it.
’So, what I have is only Mana Veins.’
He closed his eyes and let out a slow breath.
And just like that, before they knew it, it was already night.
Under the moonlight on the vast ocean, a ship drifted aimlessly.
Cael and his clones searched for the key to enter the deep.
Junior had already informed them how the deep would open to grant access to the realm.
But all Junior had said was,
"We have arrived at the destination. Stop the engine and wait for nightfall. When the moon is high, the moonlight will guide us to the deep."
Cael did not understand it at all. When he questioned it, Junior replied,
"Don’t worry. You will immediately know when you see it."
But for some reason, Cael had a feeling that Junior was just playing the mysterious guy role.
’Whatever.’
Minutes passed. Cael surveyed the surroundings, his eyes scanning the dark water, his mana senses stretched to their limit.
Then suddenly, the water started to shake.
Yes. The water shook like solid ice. The surface trembled, ripples spreading outward in unnatural patterns.
Cael’s eyes widened as he saw the water within two miles, all around him, shaking like fractured ice plates.
But that was not all.
-BOOM.
A loud sound rang from within the deeps of the ocean. The noise was deep, guttural, like the earth itself groaning.
Cael did not know what had just happened, but a shockwave moved toward the surface, traveling through the water like an echo.
Cael did not hesitate. He used wind to lift Junior and jumped up.
-BANG.
The ship blasted into pieces. Fragments flew in every direction.
Fortunately, the Frostflame Clone helped the Black Lightning Clone by freezing one of the water blocks.
Cael floated in the air, looking down toward the deep.
But due to intense mana fluctuations, he failed to see what was happening below.
That said, Cael used his skill, True Insight of Origin, to gaze upon the deep. The skill pierced through the chaos, through the fluctuations, through the distorted light.
Still, he failed to see what was happening. All he saw was a pillar of light emerging from the deep.
Cael’s eyes widened. He immediately used Teleportation to avoid the pillar of light.
-WHOOSH.
Cael, along with Junior, arrived three hundred meters away from the pillar of light.
But under the watchful eyes of Cael, something incredible happened.
Just as the pillar of light was about to pierce the surface, the water blocks on the surface stopped it. They pressed against the light, holding it back, containing it.
But that was not all. Cael could not sense any mana from the pillar of light. It was there, massive and blinding, but utterly invisible to his mana perception.
Junior, who had been silent until now, spoke with a thoughtful expression.
"Those water blocks can prevent mana senses."
He thought for a moment before continuing.
"If my guess is correct, the reason the Council never found this realm is due to these water blocks. They are acting as a sealing formation."
Cael nodded in understanding.
"I see. So, what now?"
Junior smiled.
"Well, it seems to enter the realm, we need to make a hole in the formation and enter the pillar of light, using moonlight to resist the light pillar."
Cael listened as he took Junior back toward the pillar of light.
"If I am not wrong, once I make a hole in the formation, due to the intense mana concentration, the Council will be notified."
Junior nodded at Cael’s word and said,
"The deep will open for only five minutes. The Council cannot possibly come here at that time. Even if they do, they have no idea how to enter it either."
Junior paused, then continued,
"That said, once the entrance is closed, it might take a few days before it opens again. The deep will only open on a full moon night."
Cael nodded. He stayed silent, his eyes fixed on the pillar of light below.
Then Junior turned toward Cael and asked,
"What’s wrong? Don’t tell me you are scared of the Council?"
Cael was caught off guard by the remark. He shook his head.
"Scared of the Council? Not at all. I have long since started messing with the Council anyway."
He took a long breath and said,
"Let’s do this."
