《Dance with Darkness and Light》


 Chapter 1 - PAPERBACK RELEASE ANNOUNCEMENT

    Hey there, webnovel peeps. :)


    So, at the end of next week, the paperback version of Dance with Darkness and Light Book 1: Re-Origination will release. In order to pay back the community that got me started I''ll release all chapters here until release, and then before release delete them all again.


    Should be about ten chapters a day. I''ll start releasing them later today.


    Peace.

 Chapter 2 - Room Full of Stars

    Once there was a boy, for a certain few, the day of his birth, felt like the whole world stood still. The birth of someone that shall allegedly be king occurred. He was to change the world and bring upon a new age for humanity. Then again, fate is a fickle mistress, like a flame, ungraspable and once you depend on it, you burn.


    From the second grade to the seventh, there was a girl, observing him, but not too much. Apparently though, for both not enough. Because for some reason he was always able to feel her gaze. Yet, he pretended to be oblivious of her and only looked at her, when she was not looking at him. Unbeknownst to him though, she did the same.


    Despite being younger she was tall, even taller than him. She had long blonde hair, fair skin and blue eyes that seemed to emit a silver hue resembling the soothing light of the moon.


    This went on for years, both clearly felt a kind of love for each other. This was something known throughout the worlds as unconditional love of soulmates. It would grow slowly, guarded by time, waiting to bloom at its brightest moment. Yet fate...


    Over all those years - apart from one instance - they had yet even so much as to exchange a word with each other. Then at the end of the seventh grade, tragedy befell that girl. A fierce mix of pain, rage, and utter helplessness overcame him. If it wasn''t for the powerless situation he found himself in, then the mouthful of blood he threw up brought his body functions into disarray.


    Because he was unable to protect his love, he felt too ashamed to face her. Yet he also could not avoid looking after her. When he eventually did, his face sank, his heart pumped wildly and his blood rushed through his body like fire.


    Her impeccable face, beaten black and blue. Her beautiful hair...cut and colored like she was a doll, and most excruciating to him, her eyes. The light that once shone like that of the moon, was almost gone.


    Leaving behind only a faint glimmer.


    When he saw this, it was like someone had stuck a knife in his heart and turned it. Blood gushed out of his mouth once more. At this moment, his body simply broke down, and he fainted where he stood.


    As he awoke from this nightmare a day later, he got news that the girl had actually committed suicide.


    From that day on, the boy changed. His once bright aura became darker. His interaction with his surroundings, tyrannical to say the least. For the rest of his school life, he was nothing more than a vicious beast and after that, not more than thrash to society.


    Thus began the fall of a supposed king.


    He never again felt loved nor did he ever again love in return. What kept him alive all this time, was his parents and vast amounts of hatred burning him inside out. Eventually, his last two anchors also perished. Which only left him with the bitter taste of regret that slowly ate away at his soul.


    Even now, as he was close to reaching his twenty-ninth year on this world. More than ten years after he became a ghost. The people of his past would still uphold his tainted reputation of a troubled teen on a grown man. The irony was that unbeknownst to them, it was then and their families that were tainted by sin.


    By now he had completed his personal mission and was done with this world. To him, there was nothing but cold, dark, emptiness. So he decided to join her once again in death.


    Or so he thought.


    ~~~


    As he awoke from his slumber, he sat on an invisible floor. Yet he was too confused to realize that for now. He was unsure whether he was still alive, or dead as he intended to.


    Then shock was written all over his face. As he looked around, he realized he wasn''t sure where he was. On the surface, it was a vast space without walls or ceiling, apparently limitless. Covered in the darkness of night and enlightened by a variety of colors emanated by the stars.


    He could not shake the feeling that he was not alone. After recollecting his thoughts for a while, he realized that he was indeed not. All around him were ethereal figures resembling humans among other things. Wandering around aimlessly.


    Suddenly, a chuckle came from behind him which was followed by a voice bordering between a teasing and mocking tone. "28 years huh? Longer than usual...".


    The recently departed man instinctively turned around and jumped back into a defensive stance.


    As he looked at the figure standing at most three meters away from him, he saw a human. Different from the others, he was not ethereal nor translucent. It looked like he had a complete living body.


    Seeing the reaction and the way this dead mortal was sizing him up made the figure laugh heartily.


    "There is nothing to fear in death little one." He said.


    "Wh-Who are you and where am I?" He asked with doubt in his eyes.


    "This is the underworld and I''m the lord of this realm. A dedicated servant of the creator."


    "Creator?" The supposed king asked.


    The servant simply ignored his question and kept on talking. "For now, we are the same, in a sense that is. I serve the first of the three, he is considered as the creator. Humans gave him many names across the myriad worlds and the passing of eons. In your world and your time, the most accurate name now would be Men. Although you don''t seem to realize the meaning behind your own words. You truly are his children!" He explained with a solemn look that would have left onlookers in awe.


    "So you are the servant of God?" He asked.


    "Yes and no. Strictly speaking, I am also a god, yet, I will forever serve my maker."


    He said with the hint of a smile dancing on the corner of his lips.


    "You carry the egg of our light, but since you were on Earth no light could reach you to fill up your vessel, thus your soul is a blank sheet. Luckily this is precisely why you can be reborn. In your new life, you will fulfill your fate and become who you were supposed to be!"


    The Lord of the underworld said as he looked at him, but not truly, with some kind of hope in his eyes.


    "W-What!!" The man was overwhelmed and completely befuddled. Yet also sneered as he thought: "Blank sheet? This tainted old thing?! Haha!"


    The Lord of the underworld rolled his eyes, but continued talking, "In your new life, you shall rise like the morning sun and become complete."


    This time the man sneered out loud and lifted his middle finger. "Screw you and your new life! I''m not interested in it. All I seek is to recollect what I lost in life!"


    The servant did not seem to have anticipated that reaction but his face remained calm. He even showed some signs of understanding in his eyes.


    "Don''t fret, there is no need to struggle. We all seek to recollect something of the past, this life of yours though, is insignificant. I have prepared a world and a fetus for you to be reincarnated in. There might be leftover conscious of you within the first few hours after being reborn but then you will fade and become someone else. Upon turning sixteen this person will inherit the most useful of memories of his predecessors. And more as time goes by."


    He immediately burst into a rage.


    "What did you say? Are you fucking serious you piece of shit? Don''t even..."


    "Anyway, enough of this - for now - it is time for your soul to be on its way. Follow the light..." The servant said as the soul of the man was pulled away by a force unseen.


    "NO!...fuck off...never...remember...one day I will make you pay!" He screamed out of his lungs creating some sort of ripple in space, changing his trajectory ever so slightly as he was pulled further away into the endless. Not even able to see the man that stood right in front of him one second ago.


    As out of nowhere, seemingly all-encompassing, the Lord''s voice arose. "For Balance and...hm?

 Chapter 3 - Dead Prince Walking

    The morning sun rose over the kingdom of Ralun, and the dew that covered flora and fauna slowly turned into fog. There was a dark atmosphere looming around the royal palace. The nobles and servants looked dejected. The king himself was in a wrathful state. One second away from mass slaughter. And the queen kept to herself in her quarters.


    Today would be the passing ceremony of the kingdom''s fourth prince, two days ago he died of unknown reasons. Surely suspicion arose within the circles of nobles, but there were neither traces of poison nor any ill magic to be found within the fallen prince. There was no way to give any reason to the prince''s death toward the royal family. Seemingly, the twelve-year-old prince had died of natural causes.


    In another place within the royal court, someone just awoke. The moment he did, he was gasping for air. He tried to move but there was not enough room to do so. He was trapped in what seemed to be a wooden case, and the air was thin in his dark confinement. There was a hoarse "Is that..a¡­" to be heard inside it, "If that''s not one hell of a way to be reborn, in a fucking coffin!!!" The person inside thought to himself half sarcastically, half angered as the rage inside him kept swelling up. Simultaneously, something dark rose within him, oozing its way outside.


    In just minutes, as the darkness and rage inside of him continuously rose, the pressure shook the wooden planks and pulled on its nail. Piece by piece tearing the wood on the coffin apart.


    Once disintegrated, he could move once again but getting used to this worn out and formerly dead body, took a bit of time. What unveiled before his eyes, was the picture of what seemed to be some kind of medieval mortuary.


    "What the fuck is going on here? Didn''t he say something about a fetus that should have been prepared for me?" He thought.


    He left the stench of death behind and exited the room. There he stood, butt-naked with the first whiff of fresh air under his nose, in some hall without any sense of where he actually was. He saw people moving around frantically in the not so far off distance.


    "What''s going on?" He thought to himself, with the urge to see what all the commotion was for. Knowing little of the fact that the servants of the palace had to work ardently to prepare the prince''s passing ceremony. His own actual passing ceremony.


    As he made his way toward the people, a young servant girl turned around the corner walking his way. He was just about to smile as the girl spotted him, dropped the garments she carried and screamed "Whaaaa pervert! Pervert in the halls!"


    Within just a moment''s time, people came and circled him like he was some kind of scoundrel. This just added shock and insult to his confusion.


    In his weakened state, and the darkness still looming inside of him, the anger rose once again. Slowly, killing intent started to seep out toward the crowd as an old man within it muttered.


    "You-Young Prince?! How is this possible?"


    This old man was one of the oldest servants and knew the royal family well, thus he also saw the young prince while he was still alive.


    Naturally, his words caused quite the ruckus within the crowd.


    Still, our now apparently young prince was already a little angered. "Prince huh? Who are you?" He said through gritted teeth and a sharp light flashing through his eyes.


    The old man felt as if a sword was hanging above his neck as cold sweat rolled down his back.


    But he centered himself and said.


    "I''m Bram, one of the oldest servants within this wing of the royal court your highness."


    As he answered, the young prince was looking at the clothes the girl dropped.


    "Young prince! You cannot wear that...get the prince something more appropriate!" The old servant reacted swiftly, proving his experience.


    The prince beckoned with his hand saying. "Nevermind that, linen is just fine, I like to feel the air on my skin. You walk with me! The rest, scatter!"


    As the rest of the servants went back - not knowing if they should proceed to work - the prince made Bram show him the castle and answered the prince''s inquiries.


    So apparently this was the kingdom of Ralun, one nation within the Seven Kingdoms residing on the south-western coast of the Ytolonian Realm. His name was Bazuul and he was currently twelve years old.


    "Bazuul...twelve years old..." He muttered to himself as his lips curled up slightly and his heart rate accelerated in excitement. "Bram, I will take you as my personal servant. As to what you did before, I''m not clear on, but neither do I care."


    "Ye...Yes, your highness!" Bram''s old heart suddenly skipped a beat - this, to him - was a promotion of the ages. Before he was considered an elder-servant of this wing. One that was at most good to delegate between the other servants of the eastern wing. Thus he was well respected by the other servants. Now, however, as the personal servant of the prince, he had the respect and status to stand above all servants and peasants. Even the nobles would have to give him some points of face.


    Suddenly out of nowhere, a tall robed man materialized before the two. Bazuul seemed intrigued. Bram, on the other hand, bowed.


    "This humble servant greets the Magister!" Bram said, which caught Bazuul a little bit off guard, "Magister? So magic is a thing here huh?" He thought and immediately took a better look at the robed man.


    "Magister is it? What can this prince do for you?" Bazuul said with a smile on his face, crossing his arms behind his back.


    To the magister this smile did not seem kind nor benevolent, he felt a cold envelope his body and a seed of fear slightly grew in his heart. "Young prince, how is this possible, you died two days ago. The dead don''t walk unless there is dark magic involved." the Magister asked.


    "You are the Magister, you tell me. How exactly did I die hm?" Bazuul did not really answer but questioned the robed man. From the moment the magister entered the scene, his body seemed to be...scared in a sense, this should be a reflex belonging to the former Bazuul. The magister may act concerned - but considering this feeling he had - his heart should not be true, thus he did not trust him.


    The question, in turn, caught the magister off guard and he said while walking toward Bazuul. "The reason for your death was yet to be found out, young prince."


    "DO NOT take me for a fool, there really would be no use in investigating my death when the passing ceremony was to be concluded today. I may be twelve, but I''m not stupid." He immediately refuted the hot air of an answer he received.


    "Young prince, please don''t make it hard on me, let me make a basic check-up of your body." The magister said with a troubled look in his eyes as he reached for Bazuul''s shoulder.


    The split second before he reached his shoulder, it was as if time stood almost still to Bazuul. Deep within himself, he felt - as always - that he did not want to be touched. Like an automated protective measure, a tiny dark essence oozed out of his shoulder forming a tiny shield.


    "Nobody touches me!" He said in a decisive tone as time went back to normal and the magister - upon touching that black essence - was blasted away from him by immense pressure. Flying until the end of the hall he slammed against the wall. Although the end result looked more like the magister had been integrated into the castle wall.


    This scene shocked Bram and Bazuul equally.


    Bazuul, after the initial shock, unconsciously self-examined himself as cold sweat rolled down Bram''s back. The old man was scared and immediately formed a rule within himself to never offend the young prince. As he watched the young boy in front of him, he also realized that he too did not know what was going on with him or what he did, and how.


    After regaining his composure he coughed twice and said: "Master, that was impressive! Now, where do you wish to go next."


    One had to admit, Bram was truly a well-experienced servant. Just to ease his master''s heart he made it seem like what happened to the magister was nothing to worry about. Bazuul, of course, unbeknownst to him was already twenty-eight years old, which reflected in the light, understanding smile he gave Bram. What in turn, through all this commotion this last hour, made the old servant even more so feel like he could not grasp this twelve years old''s mind.


    "For now I''d like to go to my room first," Bazuul said as he already thought a few steps ahead.


    "Very well, master."


    As they reached the chamber, Bazuul started to realize his status as a prince. Since the so-called door to his room was already bigger in diameter than his former apartment on Earth. Conveniently, since he was assumed dead, there were no more guards stationed in front of his chambers. Making it easy to enter undisturbed.


    Once they walked in, Bazuul was just flabbergasted. This room of his was practically the size and height of his former school gym. Coupled with marvelous architecture all in white stone, also, there was a huge open balcony on which one could see the whole eastern part of the kingdom.


    "Is there anything else you need master?" The old man asked as Bazuul himself looked through the bookshelves of his study. Of course, as it was the study of a twelve-year-old there weren''t that many books on the shelves so he ordered his servant: "Bring me all historical, military and spiritual books you can muster!"


    "Spiritual? Master, I think I can get you basic manuscripts, but one arcane codex alone is far from my reach." Bram answered


    "Arcane codex?" Bazuul thought inwardly. "For now that will be fine." He said to his servant as he settled on his desk with a book about the history of the royal family, ignoring his servant from then on. Bram understood this notion and went on to complete his task.


    An hour after Bram left, the door was slammed open and several guards rushed in. Followed by a highly enigmatic and well-dressed man. According to the book he just read, this should be the current ruler of Ralun, King Varanur Ylvazad III. Father of the dead prince called Bazuul, his "father".

 Chapter 4 - Visit In The Mists

    The moment the six guards noticed Bazuul sitting leisurely in the study, was followed by them surrounding him with their swords unsheathed. As the swords were held at his throat, Bazuul glanced at them indifferently and said: "Nice day isn''t it father?" as he looked toward the king.


    One of the guards roared as he started to swing his sword: "Don''t you dare speak to his highness imposter¡­"


    "HOLD!!" the king said calmly.


    One word was enough to envelop the room and the people within it with his kingly aura. Yet, at the same time, there he was, his dead son in front of him and alive at that.


    "Ho...How is this possible?" King Varanur III stammered.


    "I''m sorry father, I hope my absence did not drag you or mother down," Bazuul said cunningly, making use of his twelve-year-old body and the king''s emotions as a father.


    At this time, the king''s face seemed to be made out of stone¡­


    As the day went by, the passing ceremony was canceled and it was announced to the public that the prince miraculously awoke from what was thought to be death. The people themselves thought that the announcement was vague, but then again, nothing truly would change in their daily lives, dead prince or not.


    ~~~


    "I''m Prince Bazuul Ylvazad, my pleasure...I''m Prince Bazu...I''m the prince of...prince prince prince prince prince¡­Gooosh, I sound like I want a fist in my face!" Bazuul said in anger. Obviously he didn''t like the title.


    A week had passed since the prince had been reinstated as alive. The queen came by a few times and so did the princesses, his brother''s on the other hand, made themselves as thin as air. Which in fact, was rather to Bazuul''s liking. This week he had read almost half of the books Bram brought to him.


    At times, due to the new environment, it was rather hard for him to stay composed. There were just too many things that an earthling like him would stir to the core at this point.


    For example, the world in itself was called Tiamat by the majority of the populous, nothing special right? Well not for Bazuul, he had actually heard that some old civilisation on Earth used to call a precursor of Earth, Tiamat. Information that confused him completely.


    The names of the continents, on the other hand - or as the inhabitants of this world would call it, realms - were as follows. The realm he was on was called Ytolan. Then came Agatha, Aroi, Mu, The Emerald Valley, the north pole called Haibei, the south pole K''Tal and the island nation Atlantis.


    The last one, of course, triggered an immense surge of curiosity in him, but he first had to focus on the ytolonian realm. Since it, in itself, was already vast enough -- considering its mass, and its proportion to the rest on the world map, this world should be about three to five times the size of Earth. Also, there might be the possibility he won''t even have the chance to see most of those places.


    So he focused on the matter at hand, learning the ways of the royal court, trying to find out who killed the former Bazuul, and if this person was still around. Most of all, he had to survive until then.


    Then, there was this darkness within him, the matter with the magister, his rebirth and the lord that identified itself as a servant of the creator in the afterlife.


    He also started to realize the differences between Tiamat and Earth. To him, it felt like the elements and he himself were connected, rooted and one with this world. A touch on the stone ground with his bare feet and he could sense every vibration in his wing for an impressive distance. Where a breeze could sweep his mind away from his body and into the air, the waters enclosed him deep into a world of his own. And the fires - subtly, with every flicker - whispered to him.


    It was late into the night and candlelight still flickered in the study. Bazuul just finished his latest read. He rubbed his eyes, put the book back into the shelf and went to bed. Reading that much in this amount of time strained his eyes a lot, thus he joined the misty land of dreams within breaths.


    But this night, he did not ease into his dreams the way he did into his sleep. It felt like he was being flushed through a tunnel filled with voices unrecognizable. Once he passed the tunnel, he landed in a foggy bright-white empty space that felt like a dream, but not completely.


    "You''ve made it." A voice arose out of nowhere.


    Bazuul looked around trying to find the source of the voice, but everywhere he looked it was all white.


    "Who is there? Show yourself!" He yelled.


    He heard a voice come into existence as a familiar figure materialized in front of him.


    "I am, as always, a servant...but, it is true, it is time to introduce myself."


    "You!!" Just as he was about to roar and jump him, the servant made some hand signs that locked Bazuul''s body completely into place and then went on and said.


    "My name is Velamar, lord of the underworld. I..eh...My task is to administer the logistic difficulties that arise through a constant stream created by Samsara''s wheel."


    Bazuul still enraged and full of hatred toward the servant actually laughed inwardly at the servant''s problem to describe his "task".


    "Bazuul, is it? You think this is funny, do you? Your unwillingness caused you to be reborn into a world and body that were not prepared for you, the consequences of your rebellious nature are once again...unforeseeable. Even your memories remained, do you even realize the severity this creates?" Velamar hurled before his face turned into a pensive frown.


    As Bazuul realized that this servant named Velamar could actually hear his thoughts, and since he himself could not move his body, he started to constantly "lalalala¡­" in his mind to annoy the other one.


    Velamar was still frowning, but witnessing this ones behaviour his lips curled up and a mocking light shone in his eyes as he said.


    "You''re still as unwilling to accept who you are, as you were before, good thing it didn''t harm HER right?


    I won''t bother you anymore, but remember this.


    You are free to do as you wish since your fate has already been decided.


    So, hide who you truly are if it makes you feel good. Fall if you wish, but in the end, no matter how many masks you wear, you will always be you.


    You cannot hide from the light within you!"


    Velamar pointed two fingers outwards and light started to cover the tips of those fingers. Then he touched Bazuul''s forehead with this light and said.


    "This is the key to Akasha, there you will find all you need.


    Begone now!"


    Bazuul was shocked about a few things Velamar said as he was flushed through this tunnel once again, and then, suddenly awoke finding himself in a meditative position.


    After the initial shock subsided he started to contemplate on the things this Velamar mentioned.


    "So I was reborn into a world I wasn''t supposed to...what did he mean with the consequences are once again unforeseeable? Once again?" he thought. Then the memory of her entered his mind, and his oldest demon started to arise within him once again, regret. Once more the darkness inside him grew, trying to find a way out as he gave in to the rage.


    Only to realize the differences between the basic laws of this world and Earth once again. This darkness in him, where on Earth it was merely an emotion affecting him and maybe the people close to him on a spiritual level. Here, on Tiamat, on the other hand, this darkness was alive - trying to leave his body, and looking back to the magister, able to affect the outside world more than just spiritually.


    As he sat still in the position he woke up to, and started to understand this notion, he simply remained unmoved for the rest of the night. Thinking about his past life, only this time, from the outside looking in. He realized that apart from one or two matters that affected his life, the rest was all his fault.


    It wasn''t that there were no people trying to give him a hand after what had happened. He also never denied this helping hand but instead destroyed it. In order to destroy himself.


    At this point, his mind traveled through a lot. But in the end, it would land where it always began each day he woke up and ended when he went to sleep, her.


    One, two, three, four tears rolled down his cheek, he could not see a lot but what he could see was her hair in the wind, those sky-blue eyes, so kind-hearted yet sharp like a knife at times. Her light, soothing and hopeful light like the moon in the darkest of night. He once was the sun and she once was the moon - symmetry created by the heavens, destroyed on Earth.


    A smile appeared on his face, paired with a light chuckle. She died fifteen years ago, yet he still loved her and still held on to her memory like there was no one else. Because to him, it was so.


    As the darkness in him kept growing, deep within, enveloped in this darkness, a grain of light appeared. Slowly growing in size ever so slightly, creating a pool inside of him with two separate sections, one apparently for the light and the other for the darkness.


    Similar to the Yin and Yang symbol on Earth but slightly different.


    "Prince, my Prince are you...what happened to you?!"


    Was what Bazuul heard as he was jerked out his meditative state back into his room, and saw Bram with a frightened expression.


    "I''m fine Bram. What''s with this unsightly expression of yours?" Bazuul said with a slight smile in his eyes.


    "Young master, your face, it''s all black! Everything is bla...what is this stuff" Bram said as he looked at his Master.


    What both didn''t realize, was that after reaching a point of enlightenment the body would reorganize itself into a better state too. So as an after-effect the body will push out a certain amount of impurities. Thus the black ooze all over him.


    His life-vein may not be completely healed, but at least the rest of his body improved.

 Chapter 5 - The Circles Demands

    "Ok Bram, prepare a bath for me, it''s been days anyway," Bazuul ordered his servant.


    "Of course, should I send in a few maids to help?" Bram asked even though he knew full well that his master disliked human touch.


    "No way, bring these instructions to a good tailor and tell him to come to my chambers with the materials on the list," Bazuul said as he stretched himself.


    As Bram observed his little master for a moment, he felt a difference - his eyes seemed to be a bit clearer than before - and his complexion looked like it had lost a bit of the weight it carried before. All in all, his master seemed to be a bit more lighthearted then he did yesterday.


    "Sir Aleoni will be pleased to work for your highness I''m sure," Bram answered as he made his way out.


    On his way to carry out his orders whilst Bazuul lay floating in the water, he passed the main hall and saw a surplus of magister presence. Apparently the Circle - an organization representing all magisters on Ytolan with its roots in Atlantis - were seeking an audience with the king. He paid it no mind since this actually happened a lot.


    Ever since Atlantis landed in the Endless Tides four hundred years ago from outside of the firmament, brought their magic with them and spread it to most of the people on Ytolan. Unknowingly to all, also expanding their influence all over the realm.


    Of course, there were freelance magister but the vast majority was educated and thus bound by the Circle.


    When Bazuul lay in the waters he shut out everything around him, and he slowly fell into his own world. Suddenly, the newly formed pool of darkness and light started to rotate like a plate on a stick. Bazuul slowly balanced this pool and shortly after a light shot through his body, making its way upward. After vanishing in his forehead he felt a pressure between his eyebrows. It wasn''t painful, although it felt like something was about to crack open, the sensation he felt could be best described as releasing.


    As slowly a warm tingling sensation passed the backside of his neck toward the lower parts of his body. Spreading all over, even into the waters. It seemed as if for a second the bath itself was filled with light as it slowly found its way back into Bazuul. This light reflected in his eyes as he opened them. He left the bath afterward and put on some new clothes. Just then Bram came back with a pale expression.


    Without even seeing Bram''s face Bazuul asked:


    "What is it this time Bram?"


    "My prince, the Circle is seeking an audience with the king. They want to investigate your...situation and they want compensation for what happened to the Magister" He stuttered.


    "Mmmh? Compensation? Interesting...so, when is the tailor coming?"


    Bram looked at the twelve-year-old master of his that carried a relaxed and non-committal look on his face.


    Wondering to himself if his master simply did not care or if he, as a twelve-year-old, did not understand the urgency of this matter. Then again he was a prince of a kingdom, even though he laid hands on a magister, it''s not like he was a commoner that could be easily executed. Plus he was only twelve years old.


    "The tailor will need some time, he is currently assembling all materials needed and will be here by the hour." He then said.


    "Good, you may leave for now Bram!"


    "As you wish master"


    For the remaining hour, Bazuul stayed in his chamber, using parts of his knowledge he just acquired in the Akashic library. First, he tried to understand the pool of darkness and light. Yet, for unknown reasons, he could not reach the deeper parts of the library. Thus, he looked for knowledge about the black ooze on his face this morning, its causes, and the meditative state he wanted to re-emulate.


    Since his body was rather weak and his life-vein was damaged by whatever means were used to murder the former Bazuul, he initially tried to use that shield of darkness he accidentally used against the magister.


    In the end, he couldn''t feel or use the darkness at all.


    Now the light aspect was completely different from the darkness. Whilst re-emulating the meditative position he unconsciously used last night, it''s side of the pool illuminated. Warmth and calm spread through Bazuul''s body as his brain felt a tingling sensation and inspiration surged through his mind.


    Suddenly he opened his eyes and looked toward the door as if he was waiting for something. What followed were three knocks and Bram''s voice saying:


    "Master, Sir Aleoni is here and ready to fulfill your request."


    "Come on in then!" Bazuul answered while chuckling.


    After about three hours the deed was done.


    Bazuul sighed loudly and said: "Finaaaally!"


    He was now equipped with a new set of clothing designed to his liking. They were simple and yet elegant. All black linen clothes tailored in a more Earth-like design, coupled with golden colored threads as a contrast. Sir Aleoni also embroidered the top with the ralunian insignia right in front of Bazuul''s heart.


    At about this time a kingly servant knocked and came with orders to escort the prince to the throne room to attend matters at his father''s side.


    Whilst Bram feared for the worst, Bazuul curled up his lips as a light of excitement and anticipation lit up in his eyes.


    "Let''s not make father wait then."


    ~~~


    "Your highness, this matter is rather serious. The elder''s are concerned about it, although the magister did not die, how could a supposedly dead child almost kill a magister. The Circle demands custody of this child for further investigation." A scrawny looking middle-aged man wearing a grey robe with an aloof expression said.


    The king sitting on his throne looked at the grey-robed man and his group Circle magisters in kind.


    "You mean the prince, prince Bazuul to be precise." The king said in askance.


    "That is exact, your highness." The magister said politely but obviously didn''t mean so as the "..your highness" contained some ridicule.


    Varanur actually didn''t mind, with his strength, he could easily kill the five of them with a single slap. So he smiled a little and said.


    "Say it!"


    The magister was actually kind of lost at this moment and looked at the king in askance, saying.


    "Sa..say what, your highness?"


    "Say my name, you dimwit!"


    At this moment the king''s view passed the Circle''s group and looked toward the throne room''s entrance, a dignified and calm light shone in his eyes. The grey-robed magister, on the other hand, burst into a slight fit and yelled: "Preposterous who dares to call I, Darwinius of Elbridge a dimwit, show yourself!!" as he turned to punish the fool.


    Only to realize that his body wouldn''t move as his eyes connected with this so-called fool. It was as if a blade pierced through his eyes, into his soul. Like a sharp piece of ice cutting into flesh leaving behind a burning sensation on the wound.


    Bazuul''s eyes formed a slit and his head slightly tilted toward the right as he passed him and said.


    "Hey."


    "P...prince Bazuul?" The magister stammered as he looked at this domineering child taking leisurely place at the stairs below the king''s throne.


    The king was also a bit shocked, the imposing manner as he entered was as imposing as most princes, still, unlike the once timid Bazuul. What truly befuddled him were the clothes his son was wearing. That simply was not the princely attire of the kingdom, but the cuts and lining, the contrast between black and gold coupled with the sigil of this ralunian kingdom. A mix of elegance and wildness, garnered with the pride of the kingdom, truly a sight to behold.


    Bazuul slowly clapped his hands with a mocking expression. "Good boy! Now tell me, how significant are you to the Circle and how far into Atlantis do your connections reach?"


    The magister composed himself again, although some beads of sweat were already visible on his forehead.


    "That is none of your concern, we will now take¡­"


    "Answer!" Bazuul said in a raised voice as it reverberated through the entire hall, looking more intensely into the magister''s eyes.


    The magister actually flinched, the superiority feeling he once had beforehand as he talked to the king was completely gone now. He, a mighty magister of the Circle, an Elder, actually felt like an ant standing in front of an elephant, awaiting to be stomped.


    "So you are no Atlantis original huh? Not even close...useless! I want to talk to an original and no less, take a pen and a piece of paper to write down this message for me and get it to one of the originals personally. Of high rank at best." Bazuul said after this grey robed magister conveyed it all to him.


    The magister himself felt like a puppet simply doing as he was commanded.


    He came to prosecute a prince and to throw his weight around in a foreign kingdom, but reality had decided to take another path today.


    "Thou, O man, art thy brother''s helper. Let him not lie in the bondage of night.


    Now unto thee, I give my magic. Take it and dwell on the pathway of Light.


    Light unto thee, Life unto thee, Sun may thou be on the cycle above¡­"


    Bazuul took a breath after this and continued.


    "Since you''ve written that down you and your motley crew can see themselves out now!"


    Bazuul said in a tone that was hard to believe that it came from a twelve-year-old boy. The lines he spoke were quoted from a book he once read back on Earth, supposedly from an Atlantean.

 Chapter 6 - The Eastern City

    Darwinius''s body trembled as he could barely control the raging flames inside of him. Yet, his instincts somehow told him to comply with the way of the prince. He was not sure why but felt a deep mysteriousness in this twelve-year-old prince he himself could not see through. He felt threatened too, but the pressure he felt was not the malice of oppression.


    Did he lose face to a child prince of a middling kingdom? Yes!


    Yet, with this kind of encounter, he was sure he had not the foresight nor status to make an executive decision on behalf of the Circle. Thus, he would rather ask for help with the higher-ups, possibly, as the prince wished - an original.


    So, Darwinius and his entourage made their way out of the throne room.


    "Master, are we really going to leave just like this? What about our mission?" One of his apprentices asked.


    "Shut up! Do not speak to anyone about what happened here today, not even a letter, do not even make a sound!" He answered in a heavy and threatening tone as his eyes were locked into the distance, and so it seemed, was his mind.


    They were making way to the Circle HQ in Ralun to use a portal to the Circle''s central hub on the ytolonian realm. Still, traveling back to Atlantis would take at least two months. Then came the procedure of finding an original that would bear a second of his time to look at a cryptic message from a twelve-year-old prince of a middling kingdom. All that would take, with luck, up to six months Darwinius thought.


    Bazuul himself also estimated, depending on the rank and knowledge of the original, that it would take four to six months.


    King Varanur had a complicated look on his face as he observed his son. Now, as a king, he had many sons, and sure, before Bazuul''s death, the other three princes ranked higher in importance for the kingdom. Then came the royal tasks of leading a kingdom, considering it all, the king felt he had failed to see this son''s latent talent before.


    The way he controlled a situation in which he himself, the king, was at lower position whilst sitting on his own throne. Though still a little too rampant but clearly close to the demeanor of himself. For a twelve-year-old prince to be of a mind that could rival that of a king, unthinkable. Although King Varanur still looked like a middle-aged man, he was actually entering the latter half of his second century.


    "Son, I must say, I''m impressed. I can see now, the heaven''s had their reason to give me back my child." The king said in a half serious half comical fashion.


    Bazuul looked this father of his in the eyes but remained silent.


    King Varanur sighed and said: "Fortune and disaster truly go hand in hand."


    Bazuul chuckled as he heard this familiar saying.


    "Talking about fortune and disaster, father, I will go sightseeing the eastern city. Are ralunianthere any special locations I should visit?"


    The eastern city was the oldest part of the empire. For the ancient ralunian people this city was the first step toward becoming an empire.


    Historically it was a treasure and should have been kept like one. But, the reality was that as the empire progressed, the eastern city lost its strategic importance.


    Nowadays the eastern city mostly bore harbor to the poor and criminals.


    Varanur really didn''t have much to pinpoint to beside the basic historical locations and one shop belonging to the royal court. Since he himself - apart from his initiation ceremony - never been to, and never bothered with the eastern city.


    "Either way son, I''ll let the servants prepare an escort for your trip then. I''m sure Shadow will be excited to see you again." he finally added.


    If memory served Bazuul right then Shadow should be his horse, one of the best personally groomed for him.


    "There will be no need for that father." Bazuul seemed adamant about going alone but in the end, his father insisted on at least two guards accompanying him.


    To his surprise, as he reached the gates, he saw the horses ready and prepared for his trip.


    Inwardly, there were slight ripples of shock not noticeable to anyone else. He never rode a horse before, sure, he went on a rodeo-machine a couple of times but this was something completely different.


    He was supposed to be a prince, naturally, he had to be able to ride a horse to some extent. Even though he was only twelve years old.


    Bazuul somehow managed to get on the horse without looking like this was his first time. Still, he was the lead, so it was also him which would determine the pace of the group.


    Slowly, after getting comfortable with the current pace he accelerated. These actions puzzled Bram.


    The two guards - Kadi and Hanzu - were looking at each other with faces full of questions but only shrugged and went on. Bazuul was still considered a good-for-nothing silkpants. Although he was a prince, he was apparently not proficient with the sword, neither did he harbor any intention to become a scholar and so on. His body also always seemed to be weak and sickly, since a young age he''d always been a thin fellow. Plus his facial features were rather delicate for a man.


    Yet the scandals, he invoked with his "banquets" became increasingly harder to cover up.


    Bazuul of course, not only just knew about these scandals, he even remembered them, since it was his former self''s memories. He had to say, for a twelve-year-old to be so frivolous - to tell the truth, he was a scumbag. His death was most likely fully deserved, and hell, Bazuul benefitted from it too, he started to like the air of this world. It felt as if he were unshackled.


    As they finally strolled into the city after three hours, Bazuul got a grip of riding a horse but still found it a relief to free his buttocks of this torture.


    They left the horses at the stall and entered through the gate. The top of the gate read Solgang City, quite obviously the name of this ancient city. Although most people still referred to the four great cities outside the capital to its geographical direction. In this case the eastern city, whose age was evident with one glance. The stone paving on the road was at best uneven and on a multitude of spots non-existent. The buildings were obviously built in an older, more simpler way, also reflecting their ancestor''s lifestyle.


    One could see that the people on the streets and even the merchants were living a hard-working life, that also was adorned with many hurdles. Not long after entering the city Bazuul felt that some with ill intentions already locked their eyes onto him.


    He smiled and his childish face beamed as he suddenly yelled.


    "3..2..1..COME OUT, COME OUT, WHEREVER YOU ARE!"


    His two guards were startled for a moment as they didn''t know what the young prince was on about and even felt their faces reddened from shame.


    Those with ill-intentions, apart from one group - which actually - came out to ''greet'' the young prince, left. The two guards were daunted at this sight.


    This group consisted of three men, the man in the middle bowed courteously and greeted.


    "It is an honor to personally meet you prince Bazuul.


    This humble subject is named Aran, may we change location as to avoid the eyes and ears of the city?"


    As he lifted his head again and made contact with Bazuul''s gaze it felt to him as if the temperature had dropped and immediately avoided his gaze on instinct.


    Centering himself again he awaited an answer.


    Bazuul, on the other hand, simply nodded and gave a sign to show the way.


    Aran led the group to a tavern with a dark interior and static atmosphere. The clients also all seemed shady, which seemed to amuse Bazuul a bit. Seated on the second floor, Aran started saying.


    "Fourth prince, let me be blunt. The reason I''ve brought you here is about the matter of your debts toward Chief Thousand Flowers."Bram stood up with anger written all over his face, but Bazuul beckoned with his hand and proceeded to say, "Is that so, I wonder what uncle is talking about?" with a childish face.


    Aran seemed perplexed looking at this innocent face. If it weren''t for the fact that he himself had been a guest at one of the prince''s events he''d almost believe this act.


    "Prince please do not make this¡­"


    "I thought I told you, what debts are you talking about? Do. Tell!" Bazuul interrupted in a slightly darker but coquettish tone.


    Aran smile froze, usually, he would have wiped the floor with whoever would be in front of him, except for a high profile noble, or in this case royalty. So he laid out all his debts for the services provided, plus interest and some shady agreements made beforehand.


    "Outrages! How dare you assume our young prince would succumb to such profanity!" Bram instantly roared.


    Whilst nodding Bazuul said,


    "I really don''t seem to remember doing those things that uncle said."


    In truth, the debt wasn''t really that much, for a prince that is. In reality Bazuul knew full well that the previous him did agree to all these things. The thing was, Bazuul had a plan, and this situation may work as a conductor to realize this plan. First of all, he wasn''t going to uphold to such disgusting agreement. Second, he meant to find an opportunity to make a name for himself, and third, he realized the movements in the tavern some time ago. It was as if they wanted to play hardball with him. Well fine then, an opportunity presented, hardball it is.


    "But I''d sure like to tell that flowers guy that he can forget about whatever debts he is dreaming about face to face, if it isn''t too much trouble uncle" He added with a switch in his tone and a wink while looking Aran dead in the eyes.


    "Flowers guy?!" He thought in shock. It seemed the prince had gotten an upgrade in arrogance recently.


    Aran was about to burst, but there was a flicker in the young prince''s eyes that left a piercing sensation in his own eyes, which stopped him for a moment. After centering himself he attempted to roar once again but realized that the prince and his entourage had already stood up and were about to walk out of the tavern.


    Meanwhile, Bazuul silently warned Bram to stay alert and get ready.


    "Hold! Stop the prince you fools!" Aran finally roared as his little grey goatee trembled along with his body.


    "You think you can ignore ME brat? A good-for-nothing wastling prince that still reeks of his mother''s milk, dares to ignore me?!" He yelled once again whilst seething in anger.


    Bazuul and his entourage made it just to the door as the other party started to show it''s true face. His guards, of course, were a bit shocked but immediately blocked the way to the prince for the incoming thugs.


    "Bye bye uncle, I''m sure we''ll meet again~," Bazuul said once again in a childish tone and proceeded to run out of the tavern along with Bram. Leaving the two guards to handle the rest.


    To make sure they weren''t followed they kept zigzagging through the eastern city until Bram''s old bones needed some rest. Bazuul was quite content - even though he wasn''t aware of how - the light in him simple took the answers he needed from Aran''s mind. Also, he finally lost his father''s eyes and ears. Equipped with a broad set of inside knowledge about the eastern city''s workings. He started to evaluate and prioritize which locations were needed for him in order to make the biggest impact. Places that were interesting and locations important to that chief Thousand Flowers.


    Even though he knew where he was located, Bazuul intended to poke him a bit at first. Slowly luring him out of his lair, before destroying him in front of some witnesses.


    First though, he wanted to visit two other places. One was a shop belonging to the royal court, and the other a place called The White Crane Pavilion. Apparently, there was a person Aran called old man Fu, and the fear he felt toward this old man...was deep. Which intrigued Bazuul on the other hand.


    Luckily both the shop and the pavilion were close to each other. Aran would certainly come to the conclusion that Bazuul would rush to the shop belonging to the royal court. Thus most likely placing his men around the shop.


    Still intrigued, Bazuul made way to the old man.


    After he eventually reached the pavilion and entered through its gates, a vastly different sight to the city unveiled in front of him. This place was lush in fauna and flora, with beautiful man-made streams of sky-blue water that flowed naturally. The air was so fresh that it truly made one wonder for a moment if you really were in the capital city of the empire.


    The empty field in front of Bazuul made him feel like he was in a mystical asian place with high feng shui. Much like in those old martial arts movies he''s often seen back on Earth. His body and mind relaxed instinctively, he could even feel his organs, and every fiber in his body relax as his mind drifted into the deep.


    "Aaah, the one that cheated death itself." Sighed a voice that came from somewhere in his vicinity. After closer inspection, he eventually made out frames of a silhouette sitting beneath the shade of a tree.


    Bazuul started to walk toward that individual. As he closed in, the figure of a bald man with a long white beard - like those sages in those aforementioned movies - unveiled in front of him. Yet his skin, well...it was more like a young man on the verge of becoming a middle-aged man, and nothing like those sages. Then again, his "father" wasn''t that much different.


    "I hope you understand that what you are about to face is something with considerable risk. You''ve opened a door that is a forbidden domain out of reach for mortals. At the same time, this is also an achievement that is solely credited to you, isn''t it?" He chuckled and opened his eyes, giving the young prince a meaningful glance which the latter wasn''t sure of if it contained pity or ridicule. Or even both.


    Bazuul didn''t show any reaction on the outside but felt puzzled by the words. He did not answer, he just sat down in front of this "old man". After a while, they started conversing. Hours later, the sun slowly started to show its last light of the day, Bram had fallen asleep quite a while ago, yet was still sitting by the side as if silently waiting. Long Fu laughed out loud in a manner not befitting his posture nor speech.


    "If you are prepared to take the risk, then take this manual, it is just a basic training sequence to strengthen your body, but I guess it shall be enough." Fu similarly glanced at Bazuul again directing his hand toward a room of the bamboo mansion.


    Bazuul simply nodded and went there to ingrain this sequence into his body.


    First, he read through the manual a couple of times, then started each sequence separately, learning its right form, posture, and movement. After one set he sat down and visualized the sequences. Then he repeated everything. Only to repeat it again many more times. What a basic body tempering manual could do to the vessel of darkness and light. Who would know the difference?


    Soon the sun greeted the day again. Contend with his nightly achievements he stood up and walked out.


    Fu still meditated beneath the tree, Bram...also meditated. So much so that he became one with the elements, to be precise, the morning dew.


    After waking Bram up and drying himself, they said their goodbyes to old man Fu and made way to the royal shop.


    It was still early in the morning, and the streets weren''t fully lightened yet when Aran''s appointed henchman in front of the royal shop made out two silhouettes walking toward them. One was small, and the other was taller but a bit more hunched over, probably an elder. Which fitted the description of the prince and his servant perfectly. Not yet sure if these were the targets, they held their positions and waited.

 Chapter 7 - The Difference

    As he walked toward the royal shop along with Bram, he already sensed some individuals with malicious intentions lurking in the shadows. As expected, Aran placed some men in front of the shop. The only question left was, were they placed here to scout or to attack?


    Though he was interested to have a real fight like back in the days, and even more so in a world so vastly different. Now was not the time.


    Even if he was content with his cultivation results, he didn''t really understand the extent of his achievements yet. Plus alone against many in a twelve year old''s body, and the old butler, were too many liabilities to test his results. The only sensible option was to rush into the royal shop first and proceed further from there.


    After telling Bram of his intentions, they started rushing toward the shop. This, of course, alerted Aran''s henchmen, so two of them rushed out to block them.


    The first one was careless and was avoided in a way that made the henchmen stumble and eventually fall to the ground, the other one was smarter and blocked the young prince''s path ignoring Bram.


    Bazuul, on the other hand, didn''t decrease his speed - on the contrary - he accelerated. When he was close enough he motioned his body toward the left. The henchman tried to block his advance when suddenly the prince moved toward the right, he quickly tried to adjust and block the path to the right losing his balance on the way.


    Only to realize that this young brat actually faked his motion and was still running toward the left side, this time the henchman couldn''t re-adjust his posture anymore and fell to his left knee. Just as he was about to stand straight again the prince passed him leaving a well-positioned kick in the middle of his leg, breaking his right knee cleanly.


    The henchmen growled in pain, as the others - hidden in the shadows - rushed out toward the prince. Too late though, the prince and his servant already entered the royal shop.


    ~~~


    Inside the shop Bazuul felt excited, the rush he felt was electric, and his kick, it went through that fellow''s knee as if butter. Admittedly, the timing was perfect, because after repositioning himself the henchmen''s knee wasn''t yet fully balanced, thus making it rather easy anyway.


    Still, he was just a kid and even considering the strange pool of darkness and light, and although the body strengthening manual had helped, his life-vein had yet to completely recuperate.


    Before the shopkeeper could even greet the young prince two familiar faces blocked his sight and stood in front of Bazuul. It was the guards he previously left handling those thugs in the tavern. They were mostly unharmed, only a couple of dents in their armor was noticeable.


    "Gentleman, you''ve made it! Good!" Bazuul said with a happy expression. "Prepare yourselves for another battle, after I''ve looked around the shop, we''ll start our¡­" The little prince chuckled "little game."


    The two guards that were about to complain were a bit puzzled. Also, a breath of icy air went down their spine, but they weren''t particularly scared of a battle - on the contrary - but the way the prince spoke and his bearing. What kind of game would this foppish young lord have in mind? From that, slight ripples could be felt that gave a foreboding feeling of something...at least to them, unpleasant.


    After passing the two guards he saw the shopkeeper and his assistant, they bowed before the prince and were about to greet when the latter beckoned and asked for a multitude of things. For example, arcane codex''s, since he had yet to see one, or really understand what they were. Even though he could imagine.


    After rummaging through the shop for about two hours he chose two things. Although not ecstatic, he was quite content. He did at least acquire one chapter of an arcane codex - even if it was not a complete compendium - it was enough to feed his curiosity for the moment. What intrigued him right from the start was other than the yellow-ish tone it held from the passage of time, was a slight, almost indistinct, golden hue. The chapter''s name was.


    [Chapter 3: Cascading Light]


    The other thing he picked was also something mystical to him, a spatial ring. Something he only heard of in asian literature. Since he read a lot of it back on earth he also felt quite familiar with it, so immediately bound the ring by blood.


    Now as a prince such things might be nothing special, but Bazuul would not unnecessarily freeload in the royal court. On the other hand, he also wouldn''t even think to pay for the goods in the royal shops. A tip for the service, and that''s it. First of all, all the goods were practically already his. Second, who could afford to buy - what he "bought" - in the eastern city. In the end, the arcane codex and the spatial ring would only collect dust, or though unlikely, be stolen.


    He checked the spatial ring and was quite astounded by the storage size, it had about three acres. That was an unusual size he recalled, he struck it rich it seemed, in a sense.


    He suddenly felt that Velamar was wrong, and even though the lord of the underworld meant for him to be in another world, he felt he was quite right where he was.


    "Hmph, what a coincidence, I have a pool of light and darkness inside of me and the first chapter of an arcane codex I find is about the light. Plus I find a spatial ring so huge, not even supreme beings in these chinese novels came to possess." He thought sarcastically.


    "Plot armor much?! I wonder what this so-called destiny is about? He then mumbled.


    After he put the chapter of the arcane codex into his ring he went to Bram and his guards to formulate a plan with them.


    "It''s pretty easy, you make sure that nobody comes close to me, while I capture that Aran fellow, then we''ll flee with him as a hostage. Haha!" He said nonchalantly.


    Kadi and Hanzu looked at each other as if they couldn''t believe what they were hearing. They were high ranked knights in the kingdom, so fighting off a couple of thugs wasn''t the issue, especially in a wide and open space. The problem was taking a hostage and then fleeing, it was shameless and disgraceful, even if it was a scumbag. What about the face of the royal family?


    Nonetheless, they were obliged to heed the prince''s words as long as it would not put his life in danger.


    Kadi still felt this was wrong and asked why they couldn''t just defeat them or directly kill them since this attack on the prince would, in fact, be treason.


    "Sure, if you can, then I won''t stop you." He answered with an innocent smile on his face.


    Bazuul pushed the door open and leisurely walked out of the shop with his two guards and Bram behind them, seeing the guards Arans henchmen were a bit set aback but soon recovered and launched an attack.


    Meanwhile, Bazuul chuckled with his arms crossed and then shouted. "How idiotic can someone be to attack a prince in his own kingdom? Even worse, your "business" is based here...hahaha. Guards attack!"


    On the other side, Aran stood on a porch observing the scene and as he heard the prince''s words he yelled in anger. "Do as you wish with the guards, but keep the prince alive. I will enjoy myself with him personally."


    Kadi and Hanzu snorted, who were they, what about our face? They think WE can be disregarded?!


    They unsheathed their swords and met the other parties offensive with an attack, a second later one could hear steel hit the ground followed by two bodies.


    One had a very deep cut mark across his chest and the other lost his right arm. Whilst the latter wept and struggled the other one only struggled for a moment before his body lie there listless.


    Aran frowned for a moment, taken aback by the power and decisiveness with which these guards attacked, but before he could react another five henchmen hit the ground. Within twenty seconds he lost seven henchmen and had thirteen left, worry bloomed in his heart and cold sweat formed at his temples. He roared "What are you idiots doing?! Capture the prince and these so-called honorable knights can''t do shit! FUCK!"


    Bazuul snorted and smiled wryly at the same time and started to move toward Aran at a normal pace. "Now now watch your words old man, or is that your true face? I have to say, you look like a pig."


    Ten steps, ten henchmen left. Aran''s pupils contracted.


    Twenty steps, seven henchmen to go and Aran, out of fear, took a couple of steps back.


    Thirty steps and only four henchmen left. Aran, dazed, felt a grip on his left hand''s wrist.


    "Got you!" Bazuul stood there looking at Aran with a smile on his face as if he was playing catch. At this moment he suddenly felt as if the heavens had given him a chance.


    "Take the prince hostage while his guards handle the rest of the henchman," the heavens said, "this way you can escape, this way, you can survive." they said.


    He shook his arm free and intended to use the momentum to strike the prince''s neck so he could take him hostage without the other party struggling.


    "Ouuh what a great idea, you must be a genius." The prince said in a calm voice.


    Which only enraged Aran more, but before his hand connected with the young prince''s neck he saw a tiny black essence forming in front of the other parties neck.


    Bang!


    "GA-AAAAAH!" Aran screamed, groaned and wept out of pain as his arm hung there like a wet towel. His mind befuddled. "What had happened?"


    But Bazuul saw it clearly, once again - as if he knew - the dark shield formed again and protected him from danger, breaking the bones in Arans arm in the process. As he perceived in his mind''s eye, turning them into dust and shattering his blood-vessels.


    "My, my¡­"

 Chapter 8 - The Invitation

    Three days had passed since this incident and Bazuul was currently being trained in the art of the sword and bow by Kadi.


    He has done just that ever since returning to the castle, being trained in the arts of war, trying to cultivate the light and darkness, educating himself and attending to his special guest in the dungeons.


    In the beginning, he was clumsy with the sword, but still held on and got through the first day. The second day was all the same, but Kadi made a discovery he himself wasn''t sure of - it was more like a hunch at first - but after a while into the training regiment the young prince seemed different. Then came the third day.


    The stress coming from the pressure of being a beginner slowly vanished from his face. His eyes also started to clear up with every strike, no matter if an offensive one or defensive. Until the fires of battle intent from who knows where eventually lit up toward the end of this training session, reflecting in his expression.


    Although Kadi was still easily able to parry all incoming strikes - he, a well-decorated knight - still felt a pressure, one reminiscent of the one on the battlefield. These strikes came in increasingly stronger and a lot more durable, yet it did not seem to tire out this young prince. On the contrary, his facial expression seemed to be one of being in wonder with a tinge of arrogance unveiling on the tip of his curled up lips. Accompanied by his occasional chuckles and even rarer snorts. The idea of tiring out because of these prolonged sets of consecutive strikes seemed to be none of his concern.


    Bazuul, on the other hand, felt like a fire had been lit, more so he felt like he was shaken awake and that feeling like this was what being alive should be. As this fire grew so did his thirst for battle, his sword seemed to be part of his body. At any rate, he at least was able to enter the sword with his mind''s eyes as if it was part of his body. toward the end this fire seemed to slowly play tricks on his mind. He started chuckling in an uncommon fashion, and he really felt that it was a shame that it was Kadi and not someone else he was currently fighting. Preferably an enemy that he could vent on and then cut down.


    Right now, he somehow hungered for slaughter. To let go, break free, burst open and burn the whole city down, but a voice shook him awake...


    "Very good young prince, this will be enough for today! If my memory serves right it will soon be time for your studies." Kadi remarked as he sheathed his sword back into his scabbard.


    "Eeeeeeeh? Is that so?" Asked our young prince and chuckled. He put down the sword and centered himself once again.


    "I guess that''s it for today, see ya tomorrow!"


    After that Bazuul spent two more hours studying the codex.


    At first, he couldn''t make sense of it since he could read the letters but not unlock the full knowledge hidden between the lines. Apparently, there was a process in place on how to activate the arcane codex.


    So he asked Bram if he knew something about it. Bram explained that an arcane codex is always attuned to some attribute. Be it light or darkness, the elements, nature magic and so on and so forth. Also, there were different ranks to an arcane codex and an individual had the have certain qualifications in order to acquire a particular codex.


    For example, doctors would most of the time learn the ways of water-mending in order to use the water elements healing attributes, but not everyone has the qualification to get their hands on a codex of this rank. Not legally that is, but in areas surrounded by a lot of water - like the kal''terran marshlands for example - there was a working-class called the water-benders. They may not be able to heal others, not even allowed to learn how to mend, but with their abilities in the water-element and therefore their control over water, made them a fundamental part of their society, agriculture etc.


    "Of course there are also other arcane codex''s, for example, ancient ones or incomplete ones which have been found in ancient ruins or other mysterious locations such as yours, which can then be bought.


    In order to activate the full knowledge of such an arcane codex, one has to first make sure that one''s body contains the energies of the attribute the codex has been attuned to, and then synchronize them to form a bond of a kind." Bram concluded at the end of his unnecessarily long explanation.


    "Right." Bazuul simply commented and put the codex back into his ring since he wanted to avoid anyone from knowing any of his potential abilities, including his attributes.


    That was yesterday, today he was alone and tried to connect his light-energy with that of the codex. To no avail, it seems that there were other factors that had to be put into consideration. Once again, he put the codex away and thought that he''d visit his guest in order to show his honest intend of hospitality.


    He was just walking down the hall that led to the dungeons when he heard a somehow familiar voice he didn''t really recognize calling out to him.


    "Now, if it isn''t little Zuul, I heard that my little brother caused quite the commotion in my absence."


    Bazuul turned around and saw a tall, dashing guy, clad in exquisitely forged armor and brimming from one ear to another standing not far away from him.


    He eyed him from head to toe, looked at his eyes and thought.


    "Mmmh, if memory serves me right that should be my big brother Kuzan, eldest son of the family, prince of the north. An honest person, a warrior that values honor."


    He sneered


    "I wonder what a guy like him would want with a little brother with such reputation"


    Even an honest person, one that values honor, may eventually fall to the temptation of the throne, so he attached a gentle smile on his face and asked.


    "My, my, if it isn''t my honorable eldest brother, I didn''t realize you returned from your most recent expedition to the north. How was it?"


    Kuzan laughed a bit and said.


    "Just saying hello to my little brothers and inviting them to a meal this evening, just us four brothers, a good meal, and drinks!"


    "Mmph, sure, see you later then big brother."


    Bazuul sneered and said as he turned to enter the dungeons.


    The smile on Kuzan receded and his eyes became firm as he faced Bazuul''s back. Soon after though, a soft smile curled his lips, as he turned around and started walking, he said.


    "You''ve changed little Zuul!"


    Bazuul was just about to close the door to the dungeons when he heard that sentence and simply chuckled as he shut the thick wooden door.

 Chapter 9 - Dungeons and Friends

    Barely recognizable from the main-hall, steps resounded in the hallway that led to the dungeons.


    Kuzan entered the lobby, many servants bowed and officials greeted him as he proceeded to enter the northern wing of the castle.


    "What do you think Bing?" He asked his servant beside him.


    "Eerie, very eerie..." She commented before continuing "Your Highness was shocked when the news of his death was received in the north-front. Even though there was no way we could depend on the eastern prince, him being alive always presented a risk that kept the other two princes in check."


    "His sudden return from the dead balanced that out once more but his cha...he seems different. Something is off!"


    Kuzan nodded.


    "Who knows, maybe being assassinated made him take things more serious. Who knows what dying does to one''s mind..."


    Kuzan suddenly stopped his steps after he heard this, he recognized a figure waiting in front of his chamber.


    "Hello, there big brother," the figure said with a slight smile on his face.


    "Little Liu." He answered with an indifferent face.


    Little Liu was the second oldest prince of the ralunian kingdom. The prince of the west, Aurelius Ylvazad.


    Kuzan proceeded to walk past this little brother of his. Aurelius''s face reddened for a bit but his smile remained.


    "I heard little Zuul is entertaining his guest in the dungeons right now, have you met him already?"


    Liu said in order to get a reaction from his big brother, but his intention bore very little fruit.


    "It is of no concern to us what happens in the eastern city. See you at dinner, little Liu!" He once again said devoid of any emotion and without really answering.


    Aurelius face darkened as his big brother and his servant turned their back on him and walked toward the door of his chamber.


    As Kuzan entered his chamber and finally put down the last piece of his armor, he sat down on the stool in his study.


    "What do you think Bing?" He asked his servant in front of him.


    ~~~


    The door closed and Bazuul walked through the dark and uncanny hallway of the dungeons. Every couple meters he passed another room of confinement, his face remained indifferent as he was surrounded by chilling whispers coming from the cells.


    He reached his destination at the darkest part, unlocked the door, picked up a little stool and entered the cell. Bazuul sat on the stool and looked at the figure that laid there, chained and cowering.


    "Now now, don''t pretend to be asleep old¡­" he paused before the tone in his voice changed "friend." followed by a kick on the unattended and thus, still broken arm.


    Aran cried out loud, drenched in sweat he wailed for minutes and the pain carved out his face into a grimace. Yet his eyes, through all the pain, held on to a tiny flicker of hatred.


    Bazuul stood up, picked up the stool and laughed as he turned around to leave.


    "You really should have someone take a look at that arm of yours," he added as he left the cell snickering.


    He never intended to interrogate Aran, he already stole his memories back in the tavern, there was no need to waste time on him more than occasionally stopping by. Until, of course, some time passed and it would look to his peers as if he had spilled the beans. Then, Bazuul would set him free, right unto his boss''s hands.


    As he returned to his own chamber he started training his body for two hours and then proceeded to cultivate his mind and the ying yang plate for another three hours.


    toward the end a breeze in the air turned into the wind, his mind drifted for a second and he thought of her. For a moment he wondered, what kind of woman she would have become if she would''ve had the chance to grow up. As he thought of a grown-up version of her, the light lit up and filled him with some sort of pride he never felt before.


    The light shot out and enveloped him in it. The vision of her ceased to exist and it felt like he was dragged out into the sky. He then passed the land until he reached a mountain range. The atmosphere here was rather grey and the stone all over was also rather dark.


    Then, barely recognizable, there was a crack at the face of one mountain and his mind entered. A huge cave complex unveiled beneath the mountain. There were even some ruins that must have belonged to a long fallen civilization. The ground was paved and there were some bridges that took one further into the deep, terraces at a higher altitude and more.


    But his mind seemed to be dragged to something. Something hidden in the deepest corners of the complex. Eventually, as he stood in the dark cave and turned another corner, it unveiled itself in front of him.


    A huge crystal, sky-blue in color and emanating a silver hue, resembling the light emanated bythe moon. There was a vibration as if the crystal and he were resonating with each other.


    Reminding him of her eyes that shone in the same light as the crystal. His nose turned sour and the taste on his tongue bitter even though it was just his mind here, and his body was still in his chamber.


    The vibration became stronger and suddenly a familiar voice arose, one, that was never directed at him but very important to him.


    Once more it wasn''t directed toward him but more like he was listening in to one of her conversations.


    The shock sucked out all the air in his lungs and his vision almost collapsed, turning black for a second. His vision then returned but before he had the chance to check the crystal out he was back in his chamber.


    Even after minutes, his breath was still unstable, although at first, he was happy.


    Then he thought, what was this crystal? That voice, was it really her? Where is she then? Is she alright?


    As he began to delve into the things he didn''t understand, anger rose in him and so did the darkness. Slowly clouding his mind, turning anger into rage and even though it was still bright outside, his chamber was layered in darkness.


    At this moment someone knocked on the door and proceeded to enter, it was Bram. "My prince, it is time for dinner with yo¡­" he abruptly stopped, the chamber looked different, and as he looked his master in the eyes, he felt scared and subsequently fell on his butt. What he saw perturbed him, his face carried so much anger, it almost seemed different.


    His eyes...his eyes carried so much killing intend, not even the space between heaven and earth seemed enough to contain it.


    "Is that so? Well then, let''s go!" He said as his voice sounded just as cold and eerie as everything around and about him right now.

 Chapter 10 - Dining with Brothers

    Bazuul and Bram reached the door of Kuzan''s chamber. The guards then made way and opened to the doors.


    He walked in, alongside him was his servant.


    The darkness still loomed wildly inside of him and although both had different expressions, it was clear upon seeing their faces that something was off. Kuzan''s expression also darkened as he wondered what this oppressive feeling was that exuded from his youngest brothers eyes.


    He greeted his brothers and sat on his seat to the east of the round-table. Silent jeers could be heard from some servants to the west and south. Bazuul couldn''t care less.


    Kuzan stood up and everyone turned toward him as he began his opening speech, decorated with little stories of his expedition to the north. He showed the eloquence of the oldest prince in the way he expressed himself both in speech and how he carried his princely being.


    Bazuul, on the other hand, could feel gazes boring into him right ahead but he couldn''t care less.


    They ate a seven-course meal deserving to be served at the royal table of princes, all the while he thought about other things. Kuzan could tell that he wasn''t really here at the moment and that his mind was preoccupied. He could also tell that the second and third prince seemed to have some animosity toward their youngest brother.


    "Interesting," he thought.


    Bazuul still didn''t seem to care at all, but Bram, on the other hand, was having trouble to contain the twitching on the corner of his lips.


    Kuzan decided to once again turn the attention to him and started talking about his expedition before he mentioned the hidden dragon trials and the royal tournament.


    Once again jeers turned toward Bazuul, mixed with a vicious kind of light in their eyes.


    This year, he would be old enough to participate and apparently they had something planned for him. Bazuul yawned with his mouth wide open. What on the surface seemed to be the action of an unknowing fool that lacked vision was, in fact, the effect of a tiring task to contain the darkness from boiling over.


    toward the end, Kuzan reminded.


    "As you know the hidden dragon trial will start in a month''s time, and the royal tournament a week after the trial."


    The latter was a contest where all the younger generations from the Seven Kingdoms would partake in. The oldest princes would automatically qualify and would not need to go through the hidden dragon trials. This was a trial in where all youngsters from twelve to eighteen could take part in and qualify for the royal tournament. Which of course, was an honor for the common folk to manage and would also inadvertently help their families rise to prominence in the future.


    Without even winning.


    For the nobles, on the other hand, it was a true battle on a political and economic scale, and also for the honor of their kingdom and their families.


    One could imagine what it meant for the princes of the Seven Kingdoms.


    "I hope you will all prepare yourself accordingly to represent our kingdom. This year we also need to take extra care since this will be little Zuul''s first time participating."


    Along the jeers, someone wasn''t able to contain his laughter this time.


    Bazuul turned to the servant - apparently, one of the second prince''s - with the darkness finally leaking out of its containment.


    As the anger once more twisted his face his vision swept to his second oldest brother. For a second Aurelius''s heart stopped beating as he was not prepared for this sharp gaze of his formerly timid little brother.


    "You really lack the ability to select good dogs, Aurelius. With all your scheming you dare bring a dog here that unveils all your emotions and plans just by the way he carries himself. Disgraceful!


    You want to become king but you are already a slave to the throne. You grew up in this environment yet lack the vision to see that the one sitting on the throne serves the nation, bound by that throne! Bound, to laugh and smile at those that disgust you! Throwing away your own dignity for political measures."


    Bazuul''s facial expression carried so much disdain and disgust for this brother of his that the room fell so silent, the only thing one could hear was his speech and the dark chuckling that followed.


    The servant''s face already darkened but the second prince''s face was black, his teeth gnashing. Kuzan, on the other hand, was shocked, but not at the way his little brother was talking but by the way he viewed the throne and subsequently the title as King.


    After thinking for a bit he thought that even he may lack some vision in contrast to him.


    Aurelius was just about to retaliate when a fist slammed onto the table.


    "BAZUUL!! HOW DARE YOU TALK TO SECOND ELDEST BROTHER LIKE THAT. APOLOGIZE IMMEDIATELY OR ELSE¡­" The one screaming was the third prince Karon, prince of the south. He was so enraged that his throat and belly were having a shaking contest. He was just about to warn him what would happen if he wouldn''t sincerely apologize but Bazuul simply jeered at him.


    "Shut up! You are nothing more than those servants behind him, a dog and that''s it.


    I''ve noticed your petty little gazes and jeers. You think they give you power, but in fact, they reveal how weak you truly are! Let me tell you, any one person that crosses my path at the trials will squeal like a pig until only silence remains!"


    Bazuul stood from his seat, put his fist into his hand and said.


    "Now then...brothers, see you soon!"


    One could hear the disgust in his voice as he pronounced the word "brothers". He cast the last gaze at Kuzan and left the chamber with Bram.


    Inside a loud laughter echoed through the chamber and also slightly reached the hall only to be answered by a freezing chuckle in the hall that crept it''s way back into the chamber.


    Where Karon simply turned red and almost threw up blood due to the anger, Aurelius froze with the chuckle and remained silent, analyzing, thinking and re-evaluating his coming schemes.

 Chapter 11 - Return to Solgang City

    A week passed since the dinner with his brothers, but even though he was able to lighten up a bit, the darkness was still lingering. Training his body daily and cultivating the plate within him, his life-vein had finally healed completely. Though he made out an oddity, as the essence of either darkness and light grew, so would the edge of the plate. As of now, there was more dark essence and the plate even started to grow upwards.


    Kadi was impressed and a bit scared by the prince''s rapid improvement if he were to be honest, which went as far as a warrior such as him - in the sixth stage of the origin realm - to being forced to use his qi in order to protect himself from injuries.


    As a warrior in the sixth stage of the origin realm, he was one of the ten strongest warriors in the kingdom. This goes to show that the prince was really making huge progress. A month ago he was dead, then he was not, but his body was frail and his life-vein damaged. There was no cultivation to speak of or rather, with such a body, it was impossible. Yet now, Bazuul was already showing signs of stepping into the true qi realm.


    Kadi hadn''t even realized that the prince had entered the cultivation path and reached the qi condensation realm. Let''s not even mention about cultivating to the ninth stage of the foundation establishment realm and making efforts to break through his bodily shackles. Entering a realm where he would finally be able to learn how to use outer qi.


    When had the prince even have the time to cleanse his meridians and step into the condensation realm?


    ~~~


    Back in his chamber Bazuul lay in his bath and slowly drifted into the Akashic library. He was quite excited since this was the first time ever since he entered it once, even though he tried multiple times.


    As his spectral form drifted through he was looking for something that would increase his speed and stabilize his footwork. His idea was to look for something like "Shunpo", an ability from one of his favorite video-game characters back on earth. To his surprise, he actually did find several skills that were part of the so-called shunpo technique.


    One being an offensive skill called [Flash Steps] where one accelerated quickly in order to appear behind its target. The second was a defensive skill called [Mirage] where one evades incoming attacks at high speeds leaving behind a sort of after-image of oneself.


    Contend with his harvest he left the akashic library, also exiting the bath, and would thereon train these two skills the coming four days.


    Four days later.


    He made Bram call Kadi over. Today was the day he would free Aran and deliver him back to the eastern city. Today would be the day he would either apprehend that Thousand Flowers chief or kill him, anything else was not of importance to Bazuul.


    As they stood in front of Aran''s cell in the dungeons he looked inside and couldn''t hold back a slight chuckle. Aran was moaning and sweating profusely from the pain of his destroyed arm. The lack of sufficient food had also caused him to lose weight.


    "My my mister, I don''t know about you but to me, you look horrible, why don''t you just kill yourself?" Bazuul asked mockingly.


    "Right, if it wasn''t for the poison of the Kalmoran cactus you most likely would have, wouldn''t you?" He concluded laughingly.


    The cold laughter of the prince resounded through the dungeons, and if the poison wouldn''t have taken Aran''s will, he would have probably jumped the young tyrant in front of him. Or at least grunted in displeasure, but he was not able to express any sort of emotion and could only rage inside of him. As if caged within himself, whilst also being caged for real.


    Bazuul and Kadi took him out of the dungeon and brought him to the eastern city in a normal looking chariot in order to not cause them any unwanted attention.


    Kadi knocked Aran out cold and both left him in an open place in the city that is well visited by the citizens. Both of them waited in an alley in hopes that Aran''s former henchmen were going to pick him up. Bazuul, on the other hand, made out some crying and laughing noises among others around the corner of the alley and went to take a look.


    He saw two little children, a boy, and a girl, around the age of eight and six and two big man standing in front of them. The little girl was already on her knees and cried, while the boy stood in front of her with a look of hatred in his eyes - more precisely, his eyes were practically burning with hatred - as the two big man stood in front of them and chuckled.


    "Haaah, what a beautiful day hahaha, and what are you fellows playing, may I join in?" Bazuul simply said with a smile on his face and laughter in his voice so as to the get all of their attention.


    The little boy reacted quickly as he saw a boy with his arms crossed and one shoulder leaning against a wall. He looked a bit older than himself and wore clean high-quality garments. Most likely a young master of some big family.


    "Please help us, young master, these baddies have been bullying my family for a long time. Now they want my¡­" He said before he was interrupted by one of the men as he smacked the boy in the face.


    "Quit babbling brat, and you, you better leave before we cut your limbs off. Now come with us little girl, the chief thinks that you have a future¡­" The man said with a disgusting chuckle from time to time.


    Bazuul, seeing this scene in front of him, got angry, and before the thug could finish his sentence he felt an ice-cold pain in his chest area. The thug checked his chest and saw it was full of blood. Before he could react or understand what had happened he dropped to the ground. His eyes were still filled with shock by the horror of not understanding how one died, but he was breathing no more.


    The other one was shocked and unsure what had happened but as his partner fell, his big body revealed that the young noble from before stood behind him with his sword unsheathed and blood covering the blade.


    Bazuul then turned around toward the thug that was left and looked him in the eyes, but the moment he did the previously strong looking bully took a step back, his body slightly trembling.


    "What? Where has your strength gone? You looked so tough when you were standing in front of these kids!"


    Bazuul mocked whilst chuckling.


    "Nevermind"


    Before the goon could react a black blur and the light of a blade glinting in the air passed beside him. Suddenly he looked at the young noble that passed him but his vision was upside down and the next moment he landed on the ground only to see his body also falling to the ground seconds later. He wasn''t even able to do something, neither was he able to feel any pain before he died, only regret was plastered on his face.


    He heard a shriek behind him and turned while whipping his sword clean and put it back into its sheath. It was the girl she was now throwing up and holding her hands in front of her eyes. Apparently unable to bear this scene.


    The boy, on the other hand, while his face was suddenly devoid of all color his eyes shone with a resolute light.


    "Thank you, young master, may I ask, from which family does young master hail?" The boy asked.


    "You will soon know who I am. Now tell me, what happened here exactly?"

 Chapter 12 - A Fish Hunting A Flea, Unaware Of The Hawk

    Through the narration of the young boy, Bazuul found out that the boy was called Yao Ling and his sister Yao Yin. Their family previously owned a little shop - selling fruits and vegetables - but for the last couple of months, the henchman of Chief Thousand Flowers kept causing trouble.


    Slowly business kept getting worse due to them, and after a while, there was essentially no business to speak of anymore.


    One month ago, Chief Thousand Flowers''s henchman came back. This time acting like angels trying to help their family out in troubled times. They offered, that their beautiful mother could work at one of their establishments in order to make ends meet.


    Both immediately declined. In a fit of rage, because he knew what their "work" meant, their father wanted to chase them out. The henchman, therefore, acted offended and attacked him, injuring him severely.


    Then proceeded to take their mother away.


    Life was hard for them this month, while Yao Ling tried to beg for money so he could buy medicine for the injuries their father had suffered. Their father would sadly succumb to his wounds one week later. Leaving these young children to fend for themselves in such a cold world, unaware of what horrors their mother was going through.


    The boy kept explaining and choking up from time to time while his sister couldn''t help herself but cry the whole time.


    "That''s enough!" Bazuul said in a soft but resolute tone while his eyebrows were furrowed and black lines formed on his forehead.


    "Young master, can you ple¡­" The young boy attempted to speak but was interrupted by Kadi.


    "Your Highness, the fish has caught the flea"


    Bazuul looked at Kadi and nodded then turned to face the children once more and said.


    "I have to go now so stay here, things will get chaotic in the city soon¡­" He said and proceeded to walk toward Kadi as he asked. "What is your mother''s name?"


    "Her name is Yao Yu Yan, sir!" He shouted toward Bazuul.


    Bazuul and Kadi then slowly followed the henchman that led Aran to their base, or so Bazuul hoped. Eventually, Aran and the henchman entered a building. It was unknown if this was their headquarters, but the trap had worked just as expected. In Bazuul''s mind where else would they lead the old right hand of their leader?


    "Remember don''t kill too many of them, we will need information from them... also, I feel like slaughtering a lot of pigs myself today. Do not dare to prey on my food!!!" Bazuul ordered Kadi with a dark expression.


    Kadi simply nodded at this with a wry expression.


    His young master''s behavior was changing by the day, just like his skills and battle prowess. For better or worse, only time would be able to tell.


    ~~~


    "Boss, we got him!" said a henchman that had way too many muscles for him to be able to move normally.


    A man sitting behind a desk with a woman on his lap, and his hands seemingly fondling many places at once, reacted to it. As he lifted the uncommonly cut straw-hat adorned with a band of flowers around it on his head, he saw that his former right-hand man was standing before him.


    He frowned while twisting his blonde mustache and shot a cold gaze toward that buff henchman of his.


    "And you bring him here? What if this was a trap? Have you been followed?" He roared as he threw the woman on his lap away and stood up.


    "Uh..u" The muscle-head stuttered for a moment as a glinting light flashed through the air. A dull sound was heard and the henchman fell to his knees, his face still in shock and his eyes looking toward the knife that suddenly stuck in his forehead.


    He then fell face first and was dead, he repeated the same action for Aran, leaving the woman that just recovered screaming and in shock.


    A laughter could be heard but Chief Thousand Flowers was not able to pinpoint its direction.


    "Who the hell dares to¡­" BANG!! And the door at the entrance came flying toward him.


    "A piece of shit like you should shut its mouth when I''m being so gracious as to relieve you of your pitiful life! You disgusting, low-life, parasites!"


    A young but vicious voice entered the room, as two different sets of steps could be heard entering alongside that voice.


    As the dust settled and Bazuul and Kadi became visible to the entourage and Thousand Flowers, his face darkened. It was exactly as he feared when he first saw Aran return. It was a trap set up by this pampered prince. But after a moment a feeling of delight hit him, they actually dared to enter his den with only two men, TWO for heaven''s sake.


    Bazuul looked around, apart from Chief Thousand Flowers there were about forty henchmen in this building. He chuckled darkly and said "Now come on little puppies, let''s take a walk, time to dieee~"


    "Kadi, you hold off Chief Piece of Shit for the time being!" Bazuul ordered.


    "Of course, young master!" He answered.


    Chief Thousand Flowers, though angered by the insults thrown at him, could not help but roar with laughter.


    "Look at them boys, hahaha, one kid and a knight against all of us! Isn''t that funny? Hahaha."


    His henchmen also wore ridiculous faces filled with mocking laughter that was about to break out. Looking at the both of them as if they would eat them up any minute.


    They saw the young prince starting to strongly inhale. Almost as if he had a panic attack, as if the reality of his situation just hit him. They couldn''t help but break out in laughter.


    Suddenly a sort of gurgling noise came from the mouth of the prince, when all of a sudden - ptui - a huge ball of spit arched across the room and landed straight on Chief Thousand Flowers face.


    Silence. Where laughter roared, jeers and sneers, mocking the prince of the kingdom filled the room a moment ago, utter silence was all that prevailed.


    "Headshot" Bazuul said as he made an unfamiliar motion with his hand.


    "Now let''s get out of here and settle this pr¡­" Bazuul said, as he was interrupted by an ear-piercing roar.


    "You disgusting little punk! I will twist your neck personally" He screamed and then dashed forward toward the prince, ripping the wooden table in front of him in two halves.


    His aura expanded as he drew closer to his target, his fist already launching, in order to make this brat spill his guts before he would slowly twist his neck.


    All of a sudden, a figure appeared before the prince and a strong hand wrapped itself around his fist, successfully stopping his attack.


    BOOM


    Yet the force exerted still ripped a huge hole into the wall where the entrance door once was.


    "How cute, an origin realm expert just as yourself Kadi, enjoy yourself for the time being. All you other little faggots, follow me if you dare!" Bazuul hollered and dashed out of the building into the open.


    Many henchmen followed after realizing what the boy had called them, wanting to teach this one a lesson. Roaring as they ran out, before one of theirs, for seemingly no reason at all, fell to the ground.


    They stopped and looked in shock, one of them called out to their fallen brother. He soon realized that there was a tiny opening in his back, and from underneath, a pool of blood slowly formed on the floor.

 Chapter 13 - Dont Fear the Reaper

    They stood there, pale and petrified.


    "Where did that brat go?! FIND HI¡­" The first to regain his composure yelled out. Before he could finish his sentence though, his head flew off into the crowd, as a vast amount of blood sprayed out of his neck. Among the shock even a shriek was discernible.


    "Is that all...you things amount to?" A voice seemingly arose from the void along with a deep laughter. Leaving them even more befuddled than before. As the nerves in the headless body finally stopped working, the body also fell toward the ground. The young prince was revealed behind their fallen friend for all of them to see.


    Shock, and a bit of fear overcame their bodies. Seeing a young child kill so effortlessly, fast and ruthlessly, but also remain calm. It dawned upon some of them that this might be their last day, that not everyone would be able to survive.


    Yet, also anger and hatred filled their eyes. Seeing and feeling this animosity, Bazuul could not help but laugh once again.


    "Well, as the good prince that I am, let me tell you this. If you''re eager to die, then come at me!"


    Even though, at this point Bazuul sounded confident and even more so, cocky. He actually was quite in danger, considering he was fighting almost twenty-five thugs at once, and more were still inside. Also, even though he was rather proficient with the [Flash Steps] skill, he could only create after-images three times with his [Mirage] skill, in a short amount of time. Also, both needed a good amount of concentration at this stage.


    He would also have to rely on Kadi''s sword training and couldn''t just senselessly stomp them due to the energy consumption.


    They ran at him roaring once more, some to the side, so as to circle him, but considering the distance he couldn''t care less. He dashed and hacked off the fastest one''s head. As he landed another one already attacked and successfully stabbed him in the back. Crackling sounds could be heard for a second and the prince suddenly shattered away. [Mirage] in action was almost ethereal in beauty, which stupefied the crowd and the one that had stabbed Bazuul. Then, a dull sound came from the ground.


    "AAARG-AAAH, MY ARM!!!" the one that attacked and stuck his blade in Bazuul''s back screamed. Bazuul, of course, reappeared the second after the attack right beside him and relieved him of his sword...and arm.


    Another attack came, this time from the side, he blocked the blade and changed its trajectory a bit.


    It landed in the neck of the one that lost his arm.


    "You GUYS!!! Aren''t you supposed to kill me? HAHAHA!" Bazuul mocked as he rammed his sword in another guys head as if an uppercut.


    This went on for a while, and Bazuul also had a couple of scratches and cut marks from his opponent''s weapons. On the other hand, they had already lost eleven of their men to this little devil.


    In the meantime, Kadi just blocked off Thousand Flowers attacks. Even though Thousand Flowers was at the origin realm, he was only at the beginning of the first stage. Considering the rift in power each realm created, Kadi, at the third stage would have to be asleep to actually die from these sorts of attacks.


    Thousand Flowers, on the other hand, was getting more and more anxious. His opponent had yet to even move from where he stood, and his attacks seemed to just repel from that guy. Causing some inner injuries to himself. His overly tanned skin slowly turned red from the shame. Anger rose and he yelled to the remaining henchman.


    "What are you idiots doing?! Follow that brat, they are almost out of sight!"


    They immediately ran out of the building and followed the corpses of their fellow thugs.


    "Brat?!" Kadi said for the first time and attacked Thousand Flowers. His fist landed right at Thousand Flowers left temple, blew his ugly hat off, and slammed him into the ground. Disoriented, Thousand Flowers was not completely sure what was happening anymore.


    "Mhpf, unworthy weakling!"


    Kadi turned around and walked with the grace of a knight toward the place the other henchman ran to. Leaving Thousand Flowers on the ground.


    Hearing this Thousand Flowers mind snapped. He couldn''t hold it anymore, as the shame he felt, turned to hatred, which then surged toward in his mind, clouding his senses. He threw up a mouthful of blood, stood up soon after and roared. He looked around, and saw that the cause of his shame was already about a hundred meters away, about to turn around to corner.


    He started to furiously charge toward that target, blade finally drawn. He roared like a wild beast, his eyes bloodshot, glinting with fiery hatred and killing intent.


    ~~~


    Meanwhile, Bazuul killed another five of them but saw about fifteen other thugs closing in, in the distance.


    Some of them had been just normal thugs, others had cultivated for a bit, and some even used low forms of elemental magic, which he was thankful for.


    Learning by experience would always reap a better harvest.


    His lips curled up because he was now - what he would call - slowly entering the zone. The scent of blood and the feeling of a battle of life and death was slowly getting into his head, arousing him and the darkness inside.


    Because of this, he felt an urge, causing him to flash step forward and kill one of them. Then he created a mirage and flash stepped again, making use of the short moment of invisibility created by the mirage. He killed two more henchmen before many could react. After doing so he landed a good ten meters away from them, laughed and started to sing.


    "Ooooh, the time has come, heeeeere but nooow they''re gone~" He sang as he looked at them with an intoxicated smile and arched eyelids.


    They ran toward him, attacking and defending, falling and dying as the fight slowly entered the buzzing market.


    "Seasons don''t fear the reaper. Nor do the wind, the sun or the rain~"


    The other henchman finally reached their partners, from which only remained four. Resetting the number of opponents Bazuul still had to fight back to nineteen.


    "We can be like they are~"


    Screams could be heard from the citizens, that a second ago, were happily buying things at the market. When suddenly a bloody fight burst right onto this peaceful scene, almost crashing into the stands at times.


    Blood lay everywhere, corpses and body parts lingering around.


    Chaos broke out, and the citizens were fleeing and screaming into the distance. Yet, remained close enough to watch this scene unfold. Human nature was still similar, even between worlds.


    "Laaaaaa, la la, la, la, laaaaa, la la, la, la~"


    Kadi also reached his prince and Thousand Flowers was not all too far behind, still charging and roaring like a wild beast. As he reached the spot though, the scene in front of him shook him awake.


    Only five thugs remained and the prince was barely wounded, only his breathing was getting louder. Which, due to the internal injuries inflicted by himself in the fight with that knight, he realized, was also the case for himself.


    He roared again and charged toward the prince, this time Kadi didn''t stop him. As he drew closer to Bazuul which was still fighting the other five, he lifted his sword, channeling enough force into this blow to hack this brat in two.


    As he intended, the sword did hack the boy in two but was soon followed by the sound of glass breaking. Which was thereafter followed by a pain on his side and back.


    After Bazuul evaded the attack through his [Mirage] skill he attempted to fatally wound Thousand Flowers. He slashed his blade toward his side and back with quite some force. Yet, the difference in realms was too high and he only managed to cut him a bit on the surface of his flesh.


    As Thousand Flowers noticed that Bazuul stood behind him, he launched another attack toward him.


    "DIE BRAT!!!" He screamed.


    Luckily, Bazuul was able to block the attack with his sword, but was still sliding a good twelve meters away due to the force exerted by an origin realm expert. His sword had a pretty big dent from that attack, but would have to do for the remainder of this fight.


    At the same time, Kadi had easily disposed of the remaining five thugs, as Thousand Flowers saw this, the desperation in him grew.


    He knew if both joined hands he would have no chance. Hell, the knight was most likely enough to handle him, they were practically toying with him!


    At this moment, he realized a chance he had to grasp at all costs, and dashed to one of the building walls where some of the onlookers were located. Whipped his blade once, killing two in the process and grabbed on to one elderly woman and held his sword at her throat.


    "If either one of you dares to make a move this old hag dies!" He screamed with his eyes still bloodshot and his lips curling up into a fiendish smile. Giving him now, in his desperate state - even more, the look of a maniacally wild beast.


    Seeing this scene unfold, as Bazuul still recovered from the shock on his body from the previous attack, the darkness bubbled up in him. The rage along with the darkness distorted his face and slowly seethed out of him and into the atmosphere.


    The marketplace seemed to slowly lose all of its colors, as Thousand Flowers and Kadi saw this happening. As they felt this ghastly feeling overcome them, they both paled.


    A dark shadow flashed through the air, and Bazuul appeared right beside Thousand Flowers. His gaze piercing into his head, and a sword with a dark aura lifted upwards.


    The sound of air being cut was discernible, as was the sound of something else being cut.


    The arm with which Thousand Flowers held the sword against the elderly woman''s throat, now lay on the ground.

 Chapter 14 - The Darkness Rises

    He screamed and winced at the pain of losing his arm, letting go of the elderly woman and falling to his knees.


    Bazuul, on the other hand, was breathing heavily, his face was pale and he was constantly coughing up clots of blood. He slowly walked toward the elderly woman. Apparently, this one attack where the darkness layered itself around his sword cost him a lot of energy.


    "Go now!" He told her as he helped her stand.


    She was still shaking from the shock and stress but managed to speak.


    "Than..thank you, your highness!" She said full of gratitude as water welled up in her old wrinkled eyes.


    At this moment Thousand Flowers, that was still in immense pain, caught his breath and saw a chance as the prince stood there helping the old woman with his back to him.


    A vicious light glinted in his eyes as he jumped, and attempted to kill that brat with a sneak attack.


    Bazuul was fully unaware, and not in a condition to notice this underhanded move, yet the danger was still closing in. Then he noticed the clamoring from the surrounding people and was about to turn around when suddenly he heard.


    "DIE!! YOU BRAT!!" followed by a sound reminiscent of an explosion, Bazuul was shocked as he turned around. Thousand Flowers was about three meters away from him and was apparently trying to sneak attack him, but just before that lethal punch would have struck him, something blocked the attack.


    A little figure was in the air blocking the punch, the impact ripped his already tattered clothes apart and blood in huge amounts flowed out of this little kid before landing on the ground. His eyes lifeless and his breathing extremely weak.


    Bazuul was shocked to see the child was Yao Ling, the boy that previously tried to protect his little sister, lost his father and had his mother taken away.


    The anger in him rose to heights, heights he had long forgotten existed. This time though, in this world, along the anger rushed the darkness.


    He could not understand, he had yet to save his mother, if she was still alive or able of living. Yes, he had saved him and his sister earlier but still. Maybe he didn''t understand that he would die. Maybe he wasn''t aware of what cultivation meant in this world.


    "KADI!!! TAKE THIS CHILD AND DO EVERYTHING NECESSARY TO SAVE HIM!!" He screamed out as loud as he could, tears slowly welling up in his eyes.


    "Y..your highness, I..I cannot leave¡­" He wanted to answer but was cut off by an eerie feeling and looked up in his young master''s eyes.


    Suddenly, totally calm, too calm, he was interrupted by Bazuul.


    "Kadi, mooove."


    "Y...Yes, of course, my lord." He hastily said.


    His bright amber-colored eyes were completely black as they pierced into Kadi''s. He had this eerie feeling as if death had asked him for a favor, and not only had he thanked him for this opportunity, but also slapped his face. He felt as if he had doomed any chance for a future. So much so, that he even unconsciously called the young prince, lord, as if he were a king or an emperor.


    Even if he knew his prince wouldn''t lash out in this way since he was a broad-minded individual but at this moment this young prince was angered to the extreme. Even Kadi''s senses told him that his life was in danger.


    Meanwhile, Thousand Flowers spat at his fate, not even a sneak attack was working today thus he had already begun fleeing the place.


    "P..ple...e...aaase sa...ve mo¡­.the¡­" The boy said one last time before Kadi took him away, his eyes empty as if no soul was in this young body of a child.


    At this, Bazuul jaw muscles twitched and contracted, the water that slowly filled his eyes left it''s confinement and leaped into the air as if there was no gravity at all. His hands closed into a fist until the flesh around them was completely white, and lifted them to the height of his torso.


    Simultaneously, the sky started to fill with dark clouds, apparently, a storm was coming.


    The rage in him was so uncontrollable that from time to time hiccup sounds could be heard from him accompanied by the flashing lights of thunder going off in the sky above.


    Then, he erupted.


    He roared and roared, so loud, that the whole city and the sky above were filled with it, shocking the clouds as they let go of the rain they held.


    BOOOOOOOM


    Chaos once more broke out as a thick pole of thunder struck right where Bazuul stood. The shockwave shook the ground - the noise - scared every person present, making them know how feeble they truly are.


    "YOUNG PRINCE!!!" Kadi screamed from the top of his lungs.


    Only to see the silhouette of his young master on his knees, slowly lifting himself up. Each move he made, each muscle he moved, accompanied by tiny bzzt sound and a bit of lighting flaring up on his body.


    "COME. HERE. TRAAASH!!!" The figure roared, positioned itself to dash and vanished.


    Bazuul dashed toward the fleeing Thousand Flowers along with thunder, and appeared right in front of him. Seeing this devil and looking him in the eyes, Thousand Flowers had an extremely bad feeling.


    "Now, you die! SCUM!" Was the only thing he heard before a fist landed on his chin and propelled him about three meters into the air. Plus, the electricity entered his body giving him constant shocks and paralyzing his muscles for a bit.


    Bazuul used his [Lightning Steps] skill to reach that vile person that was still mid-air. He cupped his hands and lifted them above his head, unleashing a powerful strike right in Thousand Flowers face. With this, he crashed back onto the ground at an extremely high speed. So much so, that he bounced back into the air once and then landed on his face.


    Yet, the young prince wasn''t done with him. As he landed on the ground he immediately walked up to him and grabbed him at the back of his head. Before he continuously smashed his face into the ground as hard as he could. Even the paving was giving in and broke, much like the bones in his skull, and teeth in his mouth.


    The crowd was shocked at the course of brutality this fight had taken, from beginning till now. They would most likely never witness such a scene again.


    The only sign of life Thousand Flowers was giving of was raspy, high-pitched breathing.


    "What? So you''re still alive huh?!" Bazuul said, but his voice had taken on a darker undertone than previously.


    He grabbed this bag of human trash and lifted him up. Thousand Flowers seemed to not be in a condition to stand, but was somehow pulled back to consciousness as he felt two arms wrapping around his neck exerting a force that would really kill him if he remained passive.


    Cold sweat overcame him, his face and limbs felt cold yet he managed to struggle with the arm that remained. Now, all of a sudden - in front of death, he felt like an innocent little baby, not wanting to take responsibility for the sins he had committed.


    "NO, PLEEEASE!!!" He wailed for one last time.


    Which Bazuul followed with laughter and a mocking, whiny, imitation. "NOO, PLEEEASE!!!


    Bazuul strengthened his grip and made a quick motion to the side. The market was filled with the echo of a snapping "klack" sound that was even discernible through the rain.


    Leaving the citizens that were present with the image of a small boy of about twelve years old, breaking the neck of a strong grown man. A demon, each and every one of them had feared and wished would never cross.

 Chapter 15 - Heavy Rain I

    Since that time, two days ago - when the fourth prince of Ralun, Bazuul - had fought, and killed Chief Thousand Flowers and some of his henchmen. The rain continuously poured down on the kingdom. Its cities were drowned in a melancholic atmosphere ever since, and still the rain poured on and on.


    At this time, Bazuul stood on his balcony in the middle of the rain, observing the scenery and taking in the waters pouring down with a face as if in wonder, a smile on his face and his eyes glittering.


    ~~~


    After the fight, Yao Ling was able to be stabilized and eventually saved. It took a day to uproot all of Chief Thousand Flowers businesses but the deed was done at last. They also found the brother and sister duo''s mother, Yao Yu Yan. Her physical condition was not as bad as the psychological trauma she had suffered. Especially the fact that her husband had died, and her son and daughter had to fend for themselves, made it hard for her to swallow. Yet, it also helped her that she was reunited with her children once more.


    Many citizens were present throughout the whole ordeal and even though the rain kept pouring, they were in an uproar. With smiles plastered on their face, they were singing songs of praise of the little prince that was in charge of their part of the kingdom. The bloody scenes, forgotten as soon as the rain carried the stains away.


    Bazuul remained indifferent to those praises, not indulging in flights of fancy. Cold even, if one were to be honest. Even though his eyes had regained their bright amber color, they seemed empty and devoid of anything that usually reflected in his eyes, even the dots of light seemed to be dull and washed up.


    "Come with me, you will live in one of the rooms in my court for the time being." He said flatly and went into the chariot prepared for him to return home.


    On his way back, he learned that the brother-sister duo was each ten and seven years old respectively. Their mother was twenty-nine.


    "Stay here as long as Yao Ling has recuperated, after that we''ll talk," Bazuul said, and even though what he said was nice, his voice was completely monotone.


    Yao Yu Yan couldn''t wrap her mind around what this feeling or sensation was that came from the prince. This made her somehow uncomfortable yet also not. Timidly she nodded with an "en".


    After they had been accommodated in the eastern wing. Bazuul returned to his chamber to clean himself and rest. He finally breathed out and wanted to take a bath, as his vision started to twist and turn as if he had drunk too much wine. Sweating profusely for seemingly no rhyme or reason he tried to get a hold somewhere when all of a sudden a mouthful of blood gushed out of his mouth.


    The moment after he dropped to the ground, unconscious.


    Meanwhile in the throne-room. Varanur and his wife, A''lora, were happily chatting about the latest news of their youngest son''s exploits in the eastern city. Not even a month ago he had died and they were about to bury him, and now he was not only among the living, but also a textbook prince in their eyes. Pride and gratitude to the heavens filled them, what seemed to have been a disaster, turned out to become their fortune.


    Not that they would have minded if he had remained the good-for-nothing silkpants he was before. He was their son after all.


    The king and queen were still chuckling away as three knocks sounded at the door of the throne-room.


    "Come in!" The king said and a guard entered.


    "Your Highness, something happened to prince Bazuul! As of now, no one is able to get close to him, so the doctors are unable to make a diagnosis." The guard told them with a slightly pale face.


    "WHAT?! WHAT HAPPENED?!" The king hollered immediately.


    "Apparently the prince returned to his chambers and shortly after, the guards heard loud screaming coming from inside. The guards immediately reacted and entered. They found the prince suspended in the air, growling and screaming to a horrific degree, and the whole chamber seemed to be clouded in an eerily dark atmosphere."


    King Varanur''s forehead already formed a black line between his eyebrows and his facial expression sunk the more the guard said. There wasn''t much difference with the queen''s face. Both already unconsciously stood up as the guard narrated what had happened, and as soon as he finished the couple rushed out of the throne-room.


    ~~~


    Bazuul himself seemingly woke up in a space of complete darkness. He looked around, but could barely see his own hands. Standing up he called out, but other than the all-prevailing sound of what could be described as - the sound of a waterfall or heavy rain - that vibrated across this space.


    Not even his voice seemed to be able to reach out far enough.


    Then the volume of the sound seemed to rise, only to abruptly stop. Silence. With his impaired vision and the lack of any noise, he started to lose his sense of orientation.


    "What is this place?" he thought.


    The ground shook, the sound of rumbling and the noise once more entered his eardrums. Only to feel danger the second after. Instinctively, he jumped to the side but something still managed to scratch his right arm.


    Bazuul gritted his teeth and growled.


    "What the...WHO IS THERE?!" SHOW YOURSELF!"


    Out of the vibration came the rumbling again, but this time there were clicking noises that came with it.


    ~~~


    The guards that stood in front of their prince''s chamber were unable to enter, even though the doors were wide open. They could only watch as their prince floated in the air in the middle of this dark atmosphere. Not knowing what to do.


    A roar came from the side, piercing into their ears and the guards turned toward the direction it came from. Only to see their King and Queen rushing toward them.


    "OUT OF THE WAY!!!"


    "Your Highness!" They, alongside the doctor, called out with bits of guilt and helplessness in their expression.


    Both immediately rushed past the guards and in front of the chamber''s entrance. They looked in shock at the image inside. Their son hung there in the air, his face distorted and constantly changing expressions, his chest heaving up and down as if unable to freely breathe.


    The queen called out to her son but nothing other than the almost inhuman sounds answered her calls.


    King Varanur then walked in but the aura instantly attacked him, and he had to coat himself with his qi in order to protect himself. Now able to enter unharmed he could feel this dark aura trying to find a way through his protective barrier. Pressing and letting go, sometimes attacking as hard as a rod, then other times, looking for a crack or entrance like some sort of fluid.


    He looked around for a second and realized that the walls...well, everything inside was slowly corroding in this atmosphere. Even the bright-white stone walls were now tainted in a greenish-black tone. He proceeded to get his son down there, but as he got closer the pressure exerted by the darkness became increasingly stronger.


    He readied himself, but step by step the pressure grew when suddenly a black essence materialized and crashed onto King Varanur.


    BANG!


    The moment this essence touched his aura was like two things that should not co-exist and both forces naturally repelled each other. Thus Varanur was blasted out of the room and slammed into the wall.


    "Dear!!" Queen A''lora called out in worry.


    The wall formed cracks on the point of impact, and a line of blood escaped his lips as his eyes showed a light of weariness but also determination. Varanur stood up after a moment, looked into the room and thought about how he could stop this...whatever it was. Just how would he be able to suppress the dark aura and save the son he had lost not even a month ago.


    The dark aura constantly disintegrated everything within it. Forget about Bazuul''s clothes, even his body began to show wounds and marks.


    Unsure where they came from, even claw marks became visible as blood started flowing out from them.


    Breathing in once, Varanur again entered the chamber. This time he wanted to try to slowly envelop this dark aura and cage it within his own. After that, he tried to push it back and extinguish it. Confident that with late spirit realm cultivation he would be able to do so and help his son.


    He started to expand his aura onto the walls and detach this dark aura from them. Due to the size of the chamber, this in itself was quite the task, but after doing so he expanded his aura onto the floor and ceiling. Connecting all ends of his aura the threshold between darkness and his aura lit up as if indicating that he succeeded in caging this volatile energy.


    Immediately he started pushing it back to its source, Bazuul.


    Understand, that as a spirit realm cultivator of the eighth stage he was already one of the strongest beings in the Seven Kingdoms. Top three to be exact, with only the king of Eras - King Edwin Bender - being at the ninth stage and the patriarch of the Vermillion Sword Sect - mostly known under the name Soundless Zheng - also being at the eighth stage, just like him. All three were closely followed by the kings of both Donar and Lumin.


    So if even he would be unable to do so, he would only be able to supposedly watch this scene go on without being able to help his son. Since the other two King''s kingdoms where rather far away he couldn''t really contact them in time, and even if they were only friendly on the surface. Behind the scenes, the true faces of each of them would show itself.


    After a while of pushing back, the dark aura seemingly took notice of it and started retaliating. Assaulting the barrier, tearing on it as if wanting to rip it apart. Even the King was pushed back two steps by this attack on the qi barrier he created.


    As this went on, Varanur slowly lost his grip on the dark aura as his intestines shook, blood boiled and forehead filled with beads of sweat. He even threw up a mouthful of blood.


    "Your Highness!" The guards and servants called out in shock.


    Knowing that he would not be able to hold on much longer he called out for support.


    "Guards! Come here and lend me your energy, I won''t be able to hold on much longer. Servants, quickly head out and tell all cultivators in the vicinity to support me!"


    The servants immediately ran off in search for more support and the guards - although afraid of this dark aura - entered the chamber. Standing behind their King they started channeling all the qi they had into the ruler of their nation.


    Meanwhile, Kuzan just left his chamber and wanted to head out to the training grounds, alongside him, of course, was his beautiful dark-skinned servant, Bing.


    As they entered the main hall they noticed the commotion caused by the servants and experts of the royal court alike. Running to and from the eastern wing, the exact hallway where Bazuul''s chamber was. Both Kuzan and Bing looked at each other in askance.


    "What did he do again?" He thought to himself.


    "Eric, what is going on here?" He called out to the head of the reception in the main hall.


    As he saw the first prince he immediately stood up in salute and answered whilst stuttering.


    "Prince Kuzan, it''s your bro...Prince Bazuul is in trouble, his Highness and the queen are already there in order to save the little prince. Apparently, his Highness was unable to stem this problem by himself and gave the order that every expert was to come and support his Highness in order to save the prince!"


    Kuzan''s face darkened as he heard this and both him and Bing ran toward Bazuul''s chamber. Yet, before they even reached the chamber they could feel strong winds passing through the hallway, accompanied by growling sounds he couldn''t really identify. Immense amounts of qi were suffused in the air, dipped with something eerie, something Kuzan had never felt before.


    As they reached the entrance of the chamber they saw the state it was in. His father at the forefront, about fifteen experts along with his mother, constantly channeling all they qi into his father, and another ten were on the sides resting in meditation, trying to recover their qi as fast as possible.


    In the air in front of his father was a ball of darkness rampaging around, and even though it was caged one could still feel how vile and volatile this aura was. As he focused on this dark ball his vision shook for a second, he could make out a silhouette. He wasn''t really sure but somehow he knew that this was his little brother.


    He bit his lips and blood flowed out as his eyes turned red.


    He thought of how he had taken care of his cute little brother - which he still saw as an innocent little rascal - when he was still an infant and on. How he had taken care of him all this time and doted on this little brother of his before he had left for the expedition up north four years ago.


    Of how he felt when he heard that his brother had been killed in their own home and how he felt when he heard that his brother was apparently well and alive.


    He only loudly called out once - "BING!" - as he trembled in anger.


    Bing looked to her prince, and was stunned for a second at the image of the prince she served since she was a little girl. Never had she seen him like that, not even on the battlefield when the brothers of their warband fell, no matter how much blood flowed and roused the battle intent of everyone on the battlefield. He was the only one always staying calm and composed.


    Now it looked like even he had his reverse scale.


    Kuzan stepped forward and joined the fray in order to help his parents through this. Lifting his arms and violently channeling everything he had into his father. Inwardly he thought.


    "What is it that you want from my brother! WHAT IS IT?! HUH!" Not even knowing himself who he was complaining to.


    The king himself could breathe out in relieve about all this support as all he really had to do now was to push back the darkness, and had nothing else to worry about anymore. Focusing only on pushing it further back, the results seemed to be really good even though the dark aura still kept on pushing and tearing on the barrier slowly increasing in strength.


    Yet, it still took a full two days to completely suppress the dark aura, exhausting all of them, even those that came later on in the course of these days, let''s not speak about those guards that helped from the beginning. They felt drained to the point where they couldn''t even move their fingers, so much so that they felt like any activity that would require some force would instantly lead to their death.


    What none of them realized was that a book cannot be judged by its cover, and while the darkness was not rampaging anymore on the surface it still did so inside of Bazuul.


    He and the rest breathed out in relief, thinking they had finally succeeded. He caught his still unconscious son and laid him down on the bed as he called for doctors to check on his state.


    King Varanur and some others, among them was also prince Kuzan, also felt that through this whole ordeal, the control of qi over such a long time, constant exhaustion, and meditation, had helped them increase their cultivation slightly. Kuzan even broke through to the fifth stage of the true qi realm in the middle of it, but now he also lay there on the ground unconscious. All this stress and exhaustion had evidently taken a toll on his spirit.

 Chapter 16 - Heavy Rain II

    For what felt like a week, Bazuul had fought for his survival in this eerie dark space. Not that he really knew how much time had passed, but he still guessed it to be somewhere around that.


    The wounds on his body had increased significantly over this time, as the wounds gaped open and blood slowly flowed out without end. His clothes, tattered beyond saving. It was a wonder that his shirt actually still remained on him, as it barely held onto a thread.


    In the exchanges he and...this thing in the darkness had, he had lost miserably. Although he still retaliated, he was not sure if he truly damaged it as he was unable to see much. The dark fiend had already attempted to consume him whole three times, this was the only time Bazuul was sure he had damaged it. The screams coming from it assured him of it. Even more so, when it intensified as he ripped more of it''s "flesh" off every time it tried to swallow him up.


    Bazuul actually chuckled viciously and taunted it.


    "What is it huh?! You scared? Hahaha, then keep on hiding in the dark coward!"


    Again rumbling sounds could be heard in the distance, apparently, it didn''t appreciate the mocking tone of its prey. Another high-pitched sound that burrowed itself into Bazuul''s mind appeared. Bazuul screamed out of pain as blood flowed out his eyes, nose, and ears.


    Once more the clicking noises it made resounded in the distance. Shortly after images flooded Bazuul''s mind, memories of his past life. Memories of how he tormented people, of how he broke them and felt satisfied at that. Images of how he took the hand that intended to help him and crushed it.


    This torture of his past deeds went on when that fiend actually let out a chilling laugh.


    Once more, as it was in the past, the bitter taste of regret seemingly paralyzed Bazuul, his mind, dazed by the shame he put on himself with his bullying. Again, just like back on Earth, the depression in his mind took over. The doubt in him rose, as it whispered to him. It told him that he wasn''t all that, no, it even elaborated. Beneath the layer of pride he displayed, it said, even he himself knew how pitiful he truly was. He was no "King," he was actual thrash.


    Even through the mental torment invoked by that thing in the darkness, a slight rueful chuckle escaped Bazuul. How couldn''t he know what he was, he clearly saw how the people looked at him ever since he was little. Apart from her of course.


    "Her," he thought as the thought of that one person shook him awake.


    He remembered the time, the one interaction he had with her before tragedy swept both their lives away into the abyss.


    It was Halloween, and for some reason he was going crazy once again, tormenting the guy she was with because he used the "trick" on their door, since they didn''t have the money to buy "treats". To be honest, he kind of went out of control and the whole thing almost turned into some form of kidnapping. Yet, it shook him awake when he heard the two little children that were with them cry.


    At this moment he thought. "What the fuck am I doing. It''s Halloween for fuck''s sake."


    He felt so bad at this moment, that he wasn''t sure what to do. Out of instinct, he wanted to give them all the sweets he had gathered this Halloween. Only to realize that he didn''t take part in Halloween this time around. Then he remembered that he had five euros in his pocket and grabbed it. With the intention of giving the little children the money as an apology, he walked toward them.


    At this moment though, she took one step to the side, blocking his path, and stood right in front of him as she looked deep into his eyes and said.


    "Do not touch the kids!" With a tone, he never heard from her before and a resolute light in her eyes. That was the time he realized the force the light of the moon carried.


    Shocked he actually took a step back. While he was a sun, he had taken a dark path, and the silver light of the moon seemed to cleanse that darkness away.


    Back to reality.


    "One simple step for you, one step to change my world!" He thought and laughed out loud.


    "Yes, yes, a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step!" He said out loud and laughed.


    He took one step forward and the light of the moon, her light, reflected in his eyes. As a force and a sense of infallible pride rose in him. Then his storage ring started to shine and he immediately took a look inside.


    The arcane codex page shone in a dazzling bright hue of silver and at once zapped into Bazuul''s mind. All the information he needed unveiled itself in him as if it was always there to begin with.


    At this moment the dark fiend launched his attacks once more but he was able to dodge them before he lifted one of his hands and yelled.


    "CASCADING LIGHT!!!"


    Rumbling and booming could be heard and then Bazuul seemed to be blinded, forced to close his eyes he heard the dark fiend scream and squeal in pain as it sought a dark corner of this space.


    He looked up, and as the codex showed him, a moon had been formed inside of what seemed to be the forming of his own inner world. At least, this was the first part. [Cascading Light] wasn''t a martial skill or such, but a foundation for the dark side of one''s inner world. If, one had this yin and yang plate as a form of dantian. Once more confirming that he seemed to have some kind of plot-armor.


    Velamar apparently had prepared another world and another body for him. Yet, even him - a god - was unable to understand the irreversible truth of his own words.


    "You are free to do whatever you want since your fate has already been decided." One had to say that the individual that came up with this saying was exceptionally smart for a human being on Earth.


    The truth behind it was incomprehensible if one had not personally witnessed it. As it was truly so.


    He was now able to see, inside the dark part of his inner world. Although it was still dark, it was more than enough for him. Revenge for all that torment was finally nigh.


    Bazuul chuckled as if a bit tipsy and said. "You better come out.~ This daddy here has a lot of time to make up to you! Not that I can''t see you. Hahaha!"


    A dark half human, half demon looking figure - with a slightly distorted resemblance to himself - was attached to the dark essence in this space. This was the entity that had attacked him. Had tried to consume him, and dared to make him remember the sins he so strongly regretted.


    He dashed forward accompanied by the brilliant light of the moon. BANG! One punch filled with all the emotions he had felt these seemingly last two days were released upon that fiend as it was blown away screaming.


    The vibrating sound and rumbling alongside the clicking noises intensified and the fiend retaliated.


    An attack that was followed by a sound, it was as if glass had shattered when its attack hit Bazuul spot on. Or not, his [Mirage] technique broke and he appeared beside the fiend, forcefully ripping one of its arms off barehanded.


    The fiend screamed, attempting to escape once more but Bazuul simply dashed along snickering just as chillingly as it did before.


    "No need to run, this is my world, I am the master and as the master, I will take my time to punish you thoroughly!"


    So he did, he constantly punished the dark fiend for the previous attacks and attempts of consuming him whole. He already ripped its arms out for about six times, but each time the arms reconstructed itself at an incredible rate. Three hours had passed since then and Bazuul gradually learned how to control the dark mass around him. Making the very same thing that the dark fiend consisted of his cage or entrapment of sorts.


    Unable to move, caged by its own essence and considerably weakened by the constant regeneration of its broken form it slowly fell into a tranquil state.


    Bazuul then scoffed and said, "Looks like I''ve won!"


    At this, the black fiend started to chuckle with its mouth closed and looked at him with a sort of pity, before it actually started speaking.


    "Won? And what is it that you''ve won? You may have vanquished the darkness inside and taken control over me but...once you face your light...hahaha, unlike me, the light knows no mercy. It is born with the natural conception of justice and the arrogance to think it is always right."


    "Is that so?" Bazuul asked with a questioning smile that exuded a form of mocking disbelieve.


    The fiend scoffed, "Mhpf, wait until it comes to get you and then burn for your own arrogance!"


    ~~~


    Back in the chamber, the doctors were unable to make a satisfying diagnosis.


    Unable to tell the king and the people around what was wrong with his son, Varanur almost broke out in a rage but managed to contain the anger in his heart, before finally chasing them out.


    To their astonishment, Bazuul woke up hours later and stood up, proceeding to walk toward the balcony. Varanur and the others called out to him in delight but received no answer. As he stood there in the rain, a smile was plastered to his face with drool dripping from it. Watching the rain seemingly in wonder, lifting his arms and laughing in an innocent yet maniacal way.


    The people in the chamber felt dejected. After all that had happened this last month. From his death, to his resurrection, him actually training, and the heroic actions taken by him in the eastern city against Chief Thousand Flowers. Their prince had seemingly turned into a vegetable.


    The rain kept pouring down, and the king, queen and their attendants attempted to get him back inside, but to no avail. Each time, he struggled and lashed out at them, leaving many with gaping wounds as if a wild beast had attacked them with its sharp claws.


    Then, he turned quite. Another aura started to envelop him and the people in his chamber retreated in shock, fearing the worst. Yet, this aura was different. It was a silver hue of light, reminiscent of the moon. It just lay there on his surface, not expanding but radiating in a certain frequency.


    Unsure what was going on, cold sweat rolled down Varanur''s back. When all of a sudden, a deep vibration seemed to come out of his son, shaking all of them to the core. They could see their prince standing there still but his form eventually became fuzzy.


    VROOM


    The silverish-aura suddenly began expanding, passing through all inanimate objects, pushing all of them back with extreme force, knocking them all out as they slammed against the wall. Even the rain was pushed aside as the aura further expanded as if the rain was unable to pass through the light.


    This went on for a while until a large part of the castle was covered in that aura before it suddenly exploded. The impact seemed so heavy that even the clouds were pushed away, their destination unknown. Leaving the ralunian kingdom bathing in sunlight and a clear blue sky.


    Bazuul had apparently just left his inner world and was unaware of what had happened outside the last two days. He stood there on the balcony, blinking his eyes for a while, so as to readjust them to the light after two days in almost complete darkness. He turned around only to see his father, mother and his brother Kuzan along with many renowned warriors and attendants of the kingdom laying in his chamber seemingly unconscious.


    "What the¡­" he thought.


    ~~~


    An hour later Varanur and some other people in the chamber regained their consciousness. As soon as the king woke from his stupor his eyes darted toward the balcony were his son last stood. Only to find it deserted. Fear immediately rose inside of him.


    From behind came a light chuckle, "Ahh father, how was your sleep?"


    Varanur and the others that woke up with him turned around and saw Bazuul - brimming with vigor - he sat in his study apparently reading a book.


    "You...you...you little rascal dare mock your father?" He reprimanded falsely, as he was visibly happy that his son seemed to be alright.


    Bazuul laughed once more and said, "Father, you must be jesting. How dare I mock the leader of a kingdom?"


    Queen A''lora dashed toward him and buried her face in his chest as she started crying. Bazuul patted her head as his robes began to soak in rivers of tears, simultaneously he felt warmth in his heart.


    It had been a long, long time since he had felt love and affection from anyone.


    "What happened exactly and why are so many renowned figures and attendants in my chamber?" He asked with a frown.


    Varanur ordered everyone to keep what happened here the last couple of days under wraps and gave them three days of vacation. After everyone left he narrated everything that happened to his son in a serious tone, clearly still shaken by the events. Bazuul was pretty shocked that the forming of his inner world would cause so much trouble in the world outside.


    "Only two days passed?! It easily felt like two weeks in there! What the heck!!" He cursed inside.


    Bazuul equally told him what happened which made Varanur frown even more. He had heard of inner worlds before, but it was a thing of legends. Usually, only a trait possessed by the exalted masters on the realm of Mu. On Ytolan, apart from the elves, people with high cultivation were abundant but rarely anyone proclaimed to have an inner world. Even rare body constitutions were found few and far between, but an inner world compared to that was the difference between heaven and earth.


    The exalted immortals of Mu rarely showed themselves to the outside world. At the same time, no one was allowed - or rather able to enter their continent. Even if someone somehow managed to do so, they would be killed on sight, at least, no one ever returned.


    Thus, the forces on Ytolan that actually knew about that fact, feared and revered those entities. Delivering many offerings once such a being entered the realm or their kingdom, in hopes they could curry favor with them. Even kings and emperors would fawn over them. Luckily the vast majority that bothered to leave their lands remained indifferent to mortal wealth. The majority that is.


    "You definitely have to keep this a secret. Never again tell this to anyone. Your mother will also not divulge this to anyone, not even your brothers." Varanur said in a serious tone, almost commandingly.


    Bazuul snickered before saying, "Of course, of course, father, I will always keep my secrets and just expose bits and pieces depending on the situation," as he looked at his father meaningfully.


    The king nodded at this but soon realized what the underlying meaning behind this way of phrasing was. It clearly meant that even though his son had told him about the inner world, this may only be "bits and pieces" of the whole picture. He had only told them this bit of information in order to calm them due to the overwhelming situation. If the things that occurred in the chamber the last couple of days had not happened, then his son would most likely have kept him in the dark even now.


    Queen A''lora did not leave Bazuul''s side, even after King Varanur left. He carried her to his bed after she had cried herself to sleep. Whereas this whole ordeal may have been at least upsetting to those present and his "family" - he was excited - happy even.


    He sat down with his legs crossed. Meditating on the foundation of darkness he just had created, trying to understand the darkness''s traits and of course, furthering his knowledge of the third chapter from the arcane codex, [Cascading Light].

 Chapter 17 - Meeting of the Silkpants

    Throughout the night Bazuul kept on meditating. He learned that the dark side of his inner world was not yet complete and he still had to form a sun. Something he could not do unless he conquered the light and found the appropriate chapter of the arcane codex he had. So instead of forcing it, he focused on understanding the darkness''s abilities and making them his own.


    Apart from the regenerative traits for his body being really incredible now, they were not as excessive as the ones the fiend inside displayed, but enough for now. There also seemed to be the ability to meld into the shadows. Considering the strong force created if he coated one of his attacks with the dark aura - be it the sword, his fists or whatever he wanted to use - he felt that in the night, he would be almost invincible. At least, no one should be able to truly harm him.


    Before he knew it, the night passed and his mother woke up. He opened his eyes, content with his harvest he stood up and turned toward his mother before saying, "Good morning mother! Have you slept well? How about we eat breakfast together today?" as he smiled from ear to ear.


    Queen A''lora, still drowsy, felt delighted by the idea and seeing her son healthy and well. Warmth spread all over her body from her heart, making her feel comfortable. She simply nodded as if a young maiden.


    He called Bram over and told him to bring the Yao family over to his chamber and that he should have the other servants prepare breakfast for his mother, himself and the family of three.


    "Of course, I will do so immediately," Bram said as he bowed and prepared everything.


    The Yao''s soon entered his chamber, and started to greet Bazuul, but before they could bow he beckoned with his hand.


    "Now, now, don''t stand on ceremony, this is just a normal breakfast isn''t it?" He said with an amiable smile before saying, "This is my mother, Queen A''lora!"


    Yao Yu Yan was shocked and started to kowtow but A''lore picked her up, "Please little sister, you are my son''s guests, there is no need for such things."


    After a while, Yao Yu Yan could relax and have a normal conversation with his mother as they ate. The brother and sister duo ate and played around in his huge chamber not caring for any social etiquette. Bazuul chuckled, yet was also in awe as his eyes filled with deep emotion and he thought, "Kids will be kids alright. After all that transpired, their innocence and naivety still remained intact as if nothing had happened."


    His, and their mother were kind of shocked at the look he gave the two children running and playing around in the chamber. Bazuul was twelve years old and thus of course, also a child. Nevermind the training he had received as a prince, he should not be able to show such an adult, almost parental, expression.


    "Yao Ling, come here for a bit," he said as he waved his hand, "How are your injuries?" He then asked.


    "My body already feels pretty good now, big brother!" His little sister, Yao Yin, held onto the hem of her brother''s garments and nodded. As Bazuul looked at her though she immediately hid behind her brother only taking peaks at him.


    Queen A''lora and Yao Yu Yan laughed merrily at this picture.


    Bazuul, therefore, chuckled, "Good, very good, truly a vital soul! How would you feel about training in martial arts after you have completely recovered?"


    ~~~


    After breakfast Bazuul got himself a new sword and trained with Kadi again, then cultivated afterward, and further studied the state of the Seven Kingdoms after that. It was already evening when he finished and the sky started to darken as Bram knocked on the door and entered.


    "Master, the second young master from the house of Rashad, has come to visit you." He said with a rather...unimpressed expression.


    "Aaah, it''s been a while, well, let him in!" Bazuul answered.


    Karim Rashad was, just like the Bazuul from before, one of the five infamous silkpants of the kingdom. He had a natural tan, was pretty tall for his age and had a slim figure. Rather long-black hair covered his head and part of his face that almost reached his butt, with clear green eyes that pierced through the hair. Also, he was fourteen and would turn fifteen this year, that meant that he was about two older than the prince of the east.


    The house of Rashad, a trade magnate of the ralunian kingdom, had vast connections throughout the Seven Kingdoms and was also one of the richest families in the unions of kingdoms. They traded in almost all branches, be it clothing, horses, ships, and so on. They even owned one of the most famous auction-houses across all the empires. The Hall of Fortune and Fame.


    "Brother, I''m sorry I couldn''t come sooner, how have you been?" Karim almost yelled with a bright smile on his face as he waltzed in with a certain touch of extravagance.


    Bazuul laughed after they greeted each other with a bear hug and said. "Well, you are here now aren''t you? I wonder, what brings you here, is there something this brother can do for you?" He asked with a mischievous smile.


    One has to know, that the old Bazuul sometimes helped him procure certain females he was infatuated with. Much to the dislike of the Bazuul now, through blackmailing the families of these women in the name of the royal family. Truly disgusting to the bone! Considering his past life, how exactly did he deserve to transmigrate into such a person''s body?


    Karim laughed in a strange way, "Brother what do you think of me? I''ve heard about your recent exploits in the eastern city, that''s why I''m here. The brothers and I have arranged a feast for you in the Tavern of Unending Springs." he proceeded to say with a serious face that wasn''t really that serious.


    Bram couldn''t help but roll his eyes as he heard this but kept quiet.


    The Tavern of Unending Springs was a waterhole for the rich in the kingdom, a place commoners or lower ranked nobles would not be able to enter. It offered the best of food, drinks, and women for entertainment in the whole of Ralun. In short, it was the epicenter of decadence. As for the other brothers mentioned, he probably meant the other big silkpants of the kingdom. Eren Stark, Shu Huang, and Krum Ferri.


    "Sounds good, when does the feast start?" Bazuul asked as his eyes glowed and he made an expression that wasn''t akin to his usual self, it was a feverish expression of lust the old Bazuul often carried.


    Karim laughed out loud for a while, "Well, in about an hour!"


    "Good, good, this brother here has the pressing need to relax, it has been too long," Bazuul said while drool almost spilled out of his mouth. "I will immediately change into something more appropriate and then we will head off. BRAM!!! Get me the best garments I have, quick!"


    Bram was rather shocked at the display his young master put on but answered right away, "Of course master, I will bring them here in a second."


    "Hahaha brother, I have to say I''m rather disappointed. As a prince you should have a beautiful voluptuous servant, yet, you have such a wrinkled, old man as a servant. Truly baffling!" Karim said jokingly.


    Bazuul then chuckled and said, "True, true, but he has been serving the royal family for almost fifty years. Thus he commands a lot of respect from the other servants. This way, he always gets the job done in a satisfying way."


    "Satisfying, huh?" Karim said as he looked at him in a strangely whilst chuckling.


    Bram returned with lavish clothes and hung them on the valet stand, then he left the chamber once more.


    Fifteen minutes later Bazuul was clothed in the way of a true silkpants, leaving the buttons open so that everyone would be able to see his naked chest. Thus both Karim and the fourth prince left for the Tavern of Unending Springs located in the central city of the kingdom.

 Chapter 18 - Wine Improves With Age. The Older I Get, The Better I Like It

    Bazuul and Karim sneaked out of the castle so as to avoid the king on sending a troop for protection. Both of them seemingly not noticing that they had been watched the moment they left Bazuul''s chamber.


    Aurelius, stood around a corner watching both of them leave with a cold glint in his eyes. He had hoped that his father''s attempts at saving this little brother of his would fail. That was also the reason why he never even attempted to help his father, mother, and eldest brother. Causing his father, the king, to be highly discontented with both Aurelius and Karon.


    Aurelius was fuming because of this. "Has my father become demented?" He thought.


    Eventually, in the coming fight for the throne, most princes would die anyway. In his mind, he was only trying to weaken the first prince''s position by killing an insignificant silkpants prince. One that had tainted many maidens already, and constantly disgraced the name of the royal family. In his mind there was nothing wrong with that. He was only working toward his future while throwing out the trash.


    One month ago, with the help of a minister, they forced - a now missing maid to poison the food of his youngest brother. As expected, Bazuul Ylvazad, fourth prince of Ralun, died. Only to return from the dead two days later. Not only that, at the dinner of their eldest brother held after his return, he basically spat in his face only to slap it a moment later. Then he killed Chief Thousand Flowers and even uprooted all of his businesses. These businesses, unbeknownst to Bazuul, belonged to the minister that helped him, Minister Kern. Minister of Finance for the western city. Thus he of course also damaged the economic wealth of the western city. Aurelius''s wealth.


    Exasperated, Aurelius had a hard time feeling comfortable these days. But to his delight, he heard his father''s call to assist him in "rescuing" his youngest brother. With no intention of heeding his royal father''s call, he merely sent a guard to get pieces of information on the situation.


    Yet, much to his dismay, his youngest brother came out alive once more. "Was he really human or was he a cockroach? Why wouldn''t he just die and leave him in peace?" he thought to himself.


    The fact that he was now going out and meeting with the other silkpants of the kingdom was the perfect opportunity to finally kill him once and for all. This time he would not stop before he had his head. Immediately he informed his servant to arrange assassins in and outside the tavern.


    ~~~


    Bazuul and Karim paced through the streets of the central city with their horses in the true fashion of domineering young masters. Yet, it still took them thirty minutes to arrive at the Tavern of Unending Springs. The guards at the entrance made way the moment they recognized that a VIP customer had finally returned to receive their service, prince Bazuul.


    "These subjects greet your Highness!" both greeted in unison, ignoring Karim. He didn''t really care, he was used to it by now and it was also to be expected that a member of the royal family outshone the second young master of a merchant family and financial magnate.


    "Catch!" Bazuul said with a smile on his face as he winked with one eye and flicked two gold coins toward them. As one gold coin landed in their hands, their eyes were filled with gratitude. Truly the bearing of a prince, a silver coin alone was already enough to feed their families for two to three days. One gold coin could easily do the same, but for a month.


    "His Highness is magnanimous! These subjects thank your Highness!" they said as they bowed.


    Bazuul and Karim entered and went straight for the gardens their brothers reserved for the feast. The tavern was bustling with rich people and beautiful women entertaining them as the half-naked dancers were performing on the stage. They quickly passed all of this and left the building entering the garden.


    Dim red lights hung everywhere, helping the moon enlighten the scene. The garden was full of many types of flowers, Bazuul and Karim followed the path alongside a little creek toward a table near a small man-made waterfall. There sat three individuals that were accompanied by six stunning women, but two seats were still empty.


    They barely reached the table when one of the silkpants seated spotted them.


    "Aaah look at that. Karim has brought his Highness with him!"


    The others and the women also turned toward the two and greeted them.


    "Welcome your Highness, greetings second young master Rashad!"


    Bazuul laughed and spread both his arms in confidence and said: "Hey, hey, hey brothers, no need to stand on ceremony haha!"


    They proceeded to eat large amounts of dishes, drink good wine, converse about the women they''ve recently conquered and laughed throughout the night when Bazuul suddenly asked.


    "By the way Eren, how is your uncle? It has been a while since I played some tricks on him hic¡­"


    Krum, Shu Huang, and Karim almost choked on their wine while Eren''s face froze for a second. Bazuul was obviously talking about Hanzu that accompanied him with Kadi on his first trip to the eastern city after transmigrating into this world. Hanzu, Hanzu Stark to be exact, was the third in command of the Moon Guard. One of two elite troops in the kingdom, and as the third in command he was also one of the strongest existences in the kingdom.


    All of them thought the same, "Playing tricks on him? On the third in command of the Moon Guard?" Truly, only a prince could be so daring as to play tricks on such a highly respected individual. Even Eren, as his nephew, would receive a heavy beating if he dared not listen to his advice. Much less if he dared play tricks on him.


    "He...he is fine I guess...hic, you should know that he is a martial maniac. Always...hic...training without end. Even my father, the head of our house, rarely gets...hic...to see him nowadays." Eren responded but couldn''t really control his speech as he was already too drunk to do so.


    "By the way brother, this year you will take part in the hidden dragon trials, and possibly in the royal tournament. Are you excited to finally meet your fianc¨¦e? I heard the second princess from the Kingdom of Ibera, though young, is already a country toppling beauty." Shu Huang asked seemingly out of nowhere, and in contrast to Eren, without any hiccups. As if he wasn''t drunk at all.


    Bazuul was stunned for a second not knowing how to answer. "My fianc¨¦e?" he thought. Sorting through the memories of the old Bazuul he realized that was really the case, he truly already had a fianc¨¦e. Apparently, his father had good relations with the late King of Ibera, as such, they agreed on it when both children of them were still growing in the bellies of their mothers.


    "Ha ha...ha, you must be joking brother, how would I care about one maiden when I can have them all," Bazuul answered with an awkward smile on his face. Luckily it was dark enough and the intoxicated silkpants around him were not able to notice this bit.


    One of the female entertainers though, chuckled a bit as if she understood. She had been keeping an eye on him the whole time since he entered with Karim.


    After a couple more rounds of wine, all of them took off and so did Bazuul. Outside, he was not able to find his horse. He licked his lips in anticipation. It was clear that someone was trying to get to him, as no one would dare to even touch the horse of someone from the royal court. As he swayed through the street in the middle of the night, acting as if he was heavily drunk, he could feel a couple of figures following him behind in the shadows. Chuckling in a drunken fashion, he thought, "You wanna play with me? In the dark? Hahaha, hilarious!"


    He entered a dark alley and completely melded in with the shadows, literally become one with them. The followers silently dashed after him only to find the dark alley empty before an ominous chuckle echoed through it.

 Chapter 19 - Redrum, Come And Get Some!

    "How is that...where is he?" A young familiar voice asked which was then followed by an ominous chuckle.


    "Who..who is there? SHOW YOURSELF!!" The young man hollered, but his voice already indicated that a tinge of fear rose in him.


    "Three old men, the woman from the tavern and a prince. Haha, I wonder, where is my horse?" Surged a voice - clearly full of ridicule - seemingly enveloping them.


    The pupils of the young man that spoke before contracted, "They wore black clothes and a mask. How could he know?" He thought to himself. After centering himself he took off the mask and threw it to the side.


    "Well little brother, come on out, and face your dea¡­" The clanging sound of a sword that hit the ground could be heard, followed by the gurgling sound from one of the old man. The prince, Aurelius to be exact, looked toward his partner in crime in confusion. Only to see him fall to his knees a second later and then face first on the ground. From the silence, it was clear that he was already dead. Aurelius took a step back in shock.


    A moment later the head of the other man came flying toward him, the female assassin from the tavern shrieked in shock. The reason wasn''t that one of her elders fell within seconds. But because of the horror she felt when the sanguine fluid sprayed out the elder''s neck, and showered her in his blood.


    "Two dead men, a whore and an idiot prince." Bazuul once more said. The woman fell to her knees and begged for mercy at once. "Mercy? If things would have been different, would you have shown me mercy? What a pity, such a beauty, but her heart has long been rotten to the core." Bazuul mocked.


    She realized that begging wouldn''t save her and stood up to retaliate, but before she could fully stand she felt pain in her chest. She traced her chest with her hand but only found a hole where her heart once was. Just as her elder before, she fell to the ground, lying there lifeless. Bazuul subsequently came out of the shadows and showed himself, looking intensively at his elder brother. Aurelius almost let the water go between his legs, he never saw something like the resurgence his little brother just displayed. He came out of the shadows with his sword in hand, as if the darkness were flames that slowly diminished on the surface of his body.


    The feeling his little brother gave off was unfathomable to him.


    "My prince, I will take care of him. You should take some distance." The third man said.


    At once he turned around to run, fear had overtaken his rational thinking. Because, as far as he knew, his cultivation was far higher than the one of his little brother.


    Bazuul chuckled again and used [Flash Steps] to give chase. Meanwhile, Aurelius reached the end of the alley and turned around the corner, but he only found his little brother standing right in front of him, blocking his path. Bazuul looked at him with his head slightly tilted and a mocking expression of ridicule on his face. He threw something indiscernible in the night toward Aurelius, but as it landed at his feet, Aurelius realized it was the head of the third man.


    "RUDIGER!!!" Aurelius exclaimed. Rudiger Kern, had not only been a confidant of his for years, but also a friend. Always present when needed and completely willing to get his hands dirty. Not only that, he was also Aurelius''s money machine. Minister of Finance in the western-city, Minster Kern. Yes, in fact, and unbeknownst to him, Bazuul had just killed one of the conspirators that had poisoned him.


    Bazuul put his sword back into its sheath and said with faked worry in his eyes.


    "What is it brother, you look scared, is...is that...what is that between your legs brother? It looks wet and sticky!" He questioned whilst chuckling.


    "LITTLE ZUUL, how dare you treat me like this!" Aurelius roared, trying to cover his shame. Never had he felt nor been treated like that.


    "Welcome to the real world big brother. The safety net that is the royal court cannot keep you in your silly flights of fancy out here!" Bazuul answered with a cold smile.


    Aurelius finally had enough, out of rage he dashed and attacked his little brother. He pushed all of his qi into his fist and lashed out. Bazuul, on the other hand, charged both elbows with his qi and used a layer of darkness as a barrier for both of them. He lifted his left elbow to block his brother''s fist. As Aurelius''s fist landed on the underarm side of his brother''s elbow something broke, his fist. He wanted to scream in pain but only a second later the other elbow crashed onto his jaw, also breaking it. He again wanted to cry in pain but all that came out of his mouth was blood and teeth.


    Without waiting Bazuul lifted his right leg, leaned to the left and kicked to the side. Again, the sound of bones breaking clapped like a drum in the silence of the night. This time it was Aurelius''s right knee that broke. He moaned and lost balance, but before he could hit the ground Bazuul grabbed him by the hair and held on to him.


    Actually able to speak a bit in broken language, he begged his little brother for mercy. "Pwease s(t)op, I...I unders(t)and!"


    At this time, seeing his "brother" in pain, the memories ingrained in his body from the former Bazuul made him hesitate and he felt pain in his heart. Bazuul scoffed and thought, "No wonder you died, too soft, too weak. I shed myself from mercy when I slaughtered those five pigs back on Earth."


    When he mentioned those "five pigs", he was, of course, thinking about the ones that raped her back then, cut and colored her hair like she was some doll. Whilst disgracing her until her light broke. After her death, a while passed, and Bazuul recuperated from the shock making it his mission to hunt them down. Never would he let them roam free without suffering from the consequences. Just because the town and the judge wanted to sweep such news under the rug. Because, of course, something like that would never happen in the nice and quaint little town of theirs. Fearing that it would destroy the tourism in the area, they even went as far as to suppress her parents from mentioning it, and if they did they would be fined.


    At this time, back then, Bazuul succumbed to a state so vicious that even when he killed the first, his first kill, he felt nothing. Neither did he throw up, somewhat of a stereotype that did not apply to him. By the fourth, he became so extreme that only torturing them to death, fed his hunger for vengeance...for a while that is. As he did the same with the fourth he relished in the feeling of hearing him beg and whine in pain as he bathed in his blood.


    The police first suspected her father of course, but his alibi was solid and because there was no known connection between both Bazuul and her, no one suspected him.


    After that though, there was nothing left for him, and all he felt was empty.


    Back in the present.


    As he held his brother by his hair he grinned as killing intent seeped out of him. Aurelius couldn''t help but see a devil instead of his once weak and timid little brother. He even wondered if this really was his brother or a demon from another world.


    "Mercy is for those that deserve it, and you do not!" Bazuul said, devoid of any emotion. He then struck his brother in the chest without holding back, a solid punch that snapped two of Aurelius''s meridians. Subsequently, Aurelius threw up at least three mouths full of blood as his eyes lost all color. Barely conscious, he still managed to groan in pain from time to time. Bazuul just kept holding onto his hair as he dragged him back to the alley and threw him to his partners. He then walked away whistling an old song back from Earth and left him lying in his own, and the blood of his companions.


    Back in the castle, he walked around as if nothing had happened. As he passed the door of the throne room he could hear the king roaring in rage. "Outrageous, how dare the crown-prince! Since when does he think to have the audacity to make a decision like that!!"


    "Please calm yourself your Highness, it is not that the crown-prince wants to renege on his father''s promise. It is just that the princess is unwilling to." An unfamiliar voice said. Yet, even among this person''s intention to pacify the king, he was unable to wash that little smirk off his face.


    Bazuul opened the door but before he could enter his father roared once more. "SHUT UP!!!"


    The pressure was so strong that the unknown person was slammed out of the throne room and onto the wall behind Bazuul. A line of blood flowed out of his mouth and as he looked up disdain filled his eyes. Then he noticed someone stood in front of him.


    With a devilish grin on his face, Bazuul looked down on him, he crouched close to him and asked, "And who might you be". The person on the ground, a messenger of the crown-prince of Ibera, felt icy-coldness flow through his spine at this look he was given. There was blood on that youngsters hands, and his eyes were similar to a hungry, almost famished, predator which looked down at its latest meal. Before he could even answer, Bazuul grabbed him by the neck and dragged him back into the throne room.


    "Now, now father, no need to be so rude to a guest. Look at him, he is about to cry from fear! Ha ha ha!" Bazuul than said to his father. Of course, his father, with his cultivation, could easily detect the faint smell of blood on his son and the vicious glint of a feral beast in his eyes.


    "If I may ask, what seems to be the problem, father" Bazuul then asked.

 Chapter 20 - Yao Ling and Elder Fu

    Bazuul had little more than a week time before departing for the hidden dragon trials, which then led to the royal tournament in the kingdom of Donar. Everytime a different kingdom would be chosen, and this time around, the nation also known as the "kingdom bathed in thunder" was selected to test the younger generations.


    Our young prince always loved thunder - because with it came lightning - along with rain, falling snow and mist, thunder was his favorite natural occurrence. He always felt like his instincts were completely awakened in these conditions. Even more so after entering this world and fighting Chief Thousand Flowers. After he was hit by lightning in that fight, he had the feeling that it was a part of him. Everytime he used [Flash Steps] it was embedded by lightning now. Apart from that he wasn''t quite sure how to use it right now, but once he entered the akashic library again, he was sure to find a way.


    For some reason he suddenly thought of old man Fu, and spontaneously planned on visiting him today. He visited the Yao''s first, intending to take Yao Ling with him since he decided to take the martial path.


    "Bram, prepare a chariot, I''ll be going to the eastern city today!" Bazuul ordered.


    "Immediately, your highness!" Bram answered.


    Leaving his chamber he walked across the hall and knocked on their door before entering. Before he could close the door behind him he was jumped and hugged by a little person, Yao Ling as he called out, "Big brother!" with childish smile on her face.


    Bazuul patted his head and asked, "How has your training been so far?" At this Yao Ling looked to the ground and didn''t dare answer. Bazuul scanned the room after seeing this and looked at his mother in askance.


    "Yu Yan greets his Highness, Ling''er has had a hard time adapting to the training regiment."


    Bazuul understood now and chuckled slightly. "That''s natural, he is training with full fledged warriors after all. I believe after a while he will easily adjust." Bazuul said as he once again patted Yao Lings head, and continued saying.


    "Actually I came here to take him with me to a friend of mine if Miss Yao doesn''t mind."


    "Prince Bazuul is our benefactor, of course I wouldn''t dare object!" She answered right away. Bazuul then nodded and took Yao Ling with him.


    As they walked out of the castle Bram already waited in front of the chariot. "After you, master!" He said.


    Bazuul and Yao Ling entered and Bram joined them afterward. Bazuul explained to Yao Ling where they were going and who they were visiting. Yao Ling seemed excited to return to the eastern city after a while but soon turned coy as he heard they were going to visit old man Fu in the White Crane Pavillion. He had heard a lot of rumors about this place and the old man, seeing that many feared the old man Fu, he naturally also felt some dread toward him.


    Bazuul of course understood what he was thinking and tried to comfort him, "No need to worry Yao Ling, Elder Fu is a nice guy, funny even!"


    Yao Ling simply nodded but seemed rather unconvinced leaving Bazuul laughing.


    The chariot halted in front of the White Crane Pavillion and they entered. Yao Ling was baffled at the difference inside in contrast to the rest of the eastern city. He had lived in the eastern city all his life but never witnessed a scene as peaceful as this. It was almost like he had entered a different world. It was a place with lush fauna and streams of glistening fresh water accompanied by a breeze of fresh air.


    Old man Fu just exited the mansion with a teacup in hand as he noticed his visitors. He smiled, put down the teacup and cupped his hands with a slight bow saying. "What honor is it that brings me this young prince here?"


    Bazuul also cupped his hands before answering, "This prince thought of you this morning and wondered how you were doing. Thus I decided to come and visit Elder Fu. I sure hope I didn''t disturb this esteemed elder."


    Elder Fu laughed and waved his hand, "How could that be? An old man like me has no responsibilities and only time."


    Elder Fu, Bazuul, Yao Ling and Bram sat down, drank a cup of tea and conversed about trivial things. After a while Bazuul asked if Elder Fu had some tips on how to train Yao Ling, since he himself was not intelligible enough about the martial path to guide someone.


    Elder Fu looked at Yao Ling and scanned him from head to toe. After a moment he frowned as he rubbed on his white goatee. "Come closer little one." He then said. Seeing that Yao Ling hesitated Bazuul told him that it was alright, as such he walked closer to Elder Fu. He put his hand on his forehead for a moment and then put it back, grabbing the tea cup and taking a sip.


    "Mmmh, interesting, interesting." He mumbled. "This little one has a Spirit Tempest Constitution, meaning he has a high affinity for air-element skills and techniques. A constitution like this is rather rare. I myself have not seen more than five individuals with the Spirit Tempest Constitution in my life. He must have been blessed by Gao on his birth."


    Gao was the deity of wind on Tiamat, he represented the free will of the eternal fire. He was also responsible for the creation of the Tengu race which mostly resided on the realm of Aroi.


    Bazuul, Yao Ling and Bram remained silent and waited for Elder Fu to further elaborate. Yet, the old man simply stood up and went into the mansion. Ling looked at Bazuul with what seemed to be question marks all over his face. Bazuul couldn''t help but lightly laugh, this little boy seemed completely scared, on the other hand, he was brave enough to block one of Chief Thousand Flowers attacks. "Be patient Ling." He just said and the lot of them waited for another while.


    About fifteen minutes later the old man returned with a small book in his hand. He sat down again and started explaining. Apparently, this was a cultivation technique he had that matched Yao Ling''s constitution the most. The cover of the book read [Sky Saint Tactics], Elder Fu handed the book over to Yao Ling and instructed him on a couple of basics before sending him into one of the rooms of the mansion to cultivate.


    Then he looked toward Bazuul, smiled and said, "I suppose you are taking part in the hidden dragon trials and the royal tournament, young prince?"


    "That is correct, are there any instructions this elder can impart me with?" Bazuul answered respectfully.


    Elder Fu then laughed while shaking his head. "This old one has never cared for the matters of this realm. The exile imposed on me will end in two weeks, and I will thereafter return to my homeland. As a parting gift I intend to give this mansion to this young prince in front of me. Of course, most of the books and other things inside will then also belong to you then. What does this young prince think of it?"


    Bazuul was a bit shocked on the inside, but remained calm on the surface. With a pensive look he thought for a while before asking, "How is there anything free in this world, if I may ask, what is the catch?"


    Elder Fu once again laughed but then said with a serious expression, "There is no catch, just remember that I''ve been good to you once you rise like the morning sun!"


    "Very well then, I like this place anyway!" Bazuul answered decisively.


    "Ok I suggest you go prepare yourself before departing in the mansion. Also, you may need this!" Elder Fu said as he summoned a piece of paper with a golden hue before sending it slowly flying toward Bazuul. As he caught the page he looked at it and the old man with a shocked expression.


    "Thank you, I will surely not forget this Elder''s care for this prince!" He proclaimed seriously as he bowed.


    The page read [Chapter 5: Myriad Suns]


    Bazuul quickly vanished inside the mansion in order to dwell on the page and cultivate one more session before he had to depart for the kingdom of Donar.

 Chapter 21 - On the Road

    Bazuul quickly vanished inside the mansion in order to dwell on the page and cultivate one more session before he had to depart for the kingdom of Donar.


    After one whole day, he only managed to understand a tiny part but was unable to unlock the arcane codex. So he went on to further train in what he already had. Namely, [Flash Steps], [Mirage], the darkness and the lightning element he recently acquired. He entered his inner world and completely immersed himself in the cultivation of these and actually made progress. Once more he lost track of time and it felt like almost two weeks had gone by until Elder Fu came in the room and pulled him out of his inner world. Bazuul opened his eyes, looking at the old man at the door.


    "Young prince, two days have passed, it is time for you to return to the castle. Yao Ling has also finished and actually reached the fifth stage of the qi condensation realm!" Elder Fu said with a satisfied expression.


    "Two days again, it seems that time inside the dark side of my world flows differently. One day should be about one week. Unless this is not as rare as I think this should once again be somewhat my plot-armor." Bazuul thought.


    He stood up cupped his hands and thanked Elder Fu. He found Yao Ling and Bram waiting for him outside, with the chariot ready to return home. Before entering the chariot though he turned around and said to Elder Fu, "Thank you for everything elder, I will treat this place well in your absence."


    Elder Fu had his arms crossed behind his back as he chuckled and bowed slightly, "It has been an honor, your Highness. Have fun in the kingdom of Donar!" He turned around and walked back into his courtyard, disappearing inside the bamboo mansion.


    Bazuul smiled lightly and looked up at the sky with a dreamy expression as the wind blew in his black, ear-long hair before he entered the chariot. On his way back he sorted out his accomplishments. He had a slight breakthrough in the understanding of the lightning element, wondering if he could use the lightning in the kingdom of Donar the way he saw in "The Last Airbender" back on Earth. Chuckling as he thought of the shocked expression on his opponent''s faces if he actually managed to direct a thunderstrike toward them. He also strengthened his shadowmelding skill and was now able to create five illusions with his [Mirage] skill. Unexpectedly, he also broke through to the sixth stage of the true qi realm. Now he seemed to have reached the same foundation in cultivation as his eldest brother Kuzan.


    After returning to the castle, he sent Yao Ling back to his sister and mother before also returning to his chamber. Before he could enter though, a servant called out to the prince, telling him that the king wished to see him. So Bazuul left for the throne room, wondering what his father would want from him.


    As he entered the throne room he saw his brothers Kuzan and Karon standing in front of their father as he sat on the throne. Aurelius, of course, was missing. He walked up to the rest with an indifferent expression as his brothers turned around with each different countenance. Karon, even though he kept a normal expression, his eyes betrayed a mix of disdain and fear. Kuzan, on the other hand, looked at him pensively with one of his brows shooting upwards. Since his return, he felt he didn''t know his little brother anymore. Even more so after the incident in his chamber. Also, the state in which Aurelius was, considering his cultivation, left him mystified.


    How powerful had his brother become? In size, he barely reached his chest and he was also rather thin. How could this little, frail looking body contain enough power to destroy someone in the fourth stage of the true qi realm?


    "Brother...father, you have called me. Here I am." Bazuul greeted flatly.


    King Varanur also looked at his son, the air around him seemed once again different than a couple of days ago. "My sons, this time I have called you here to talk about and prepare you for the hidden dragon trials and the royal tournament."


    They listened attentively as their father explained the inner workings in the kingdom of Donar. He gave them information about the princes and princesses of the other kingdoms that would take part in the hidden dragon trials and the royal tournament. Although he wouldn''t have much information about all the commoners, considering the fact that everyone below the age of eighteen could participate, regardless of their abilities. There were still some details on the heirs that came from some of the more prominent families across the Seven Kingdoms. Of course, the members of the royal families would be strong contenders, but he also pointed out the promising talents coming from the common families.


    For example, Karim''s bigger brother, Tarek, just as Kuzan was seventeen. He would most likely reach the royal tournament with his cultivation of the fifth stage in the true qi realm. Even more so since his skillset was specialized in assassination. This way his attacks would always demand his opponent''s full attention or only death would await.


    Fourteen-year-old Shu Huang, one of the silkpants Bazuul frequented with, also had the potential of coming this far. Even though he was a silkpants, his cultivation was at the third stage of the true qi realm. Also, the Huang family, had the inheritance of an ancient cultivation master said to have left for the realm of Mu. Underestimating them would be short-sighted, to say the least.


    Eren''s sister, Emilia Stark, fifth stage of the true qi realm, would also take part this time around. She was eleven the last time and thus couldn''t, now, three years had passed and she was eager to prove herself. Considering that the Stark''s were one of the most prominent warrior families in the ralunian kingdom. Also, her uncle Hanzu, was one of the strongest warriors in the kingdom, it was a given that she would not make it easy on her opponents.


    Apart from the talents in their own kingdom, Varanur also mentioned some prodigies from the other kingdoms. At last, he turned serious as his face hardened and said. "Lastly, there is one more prodigy we have to talk about. Jian Zheng, heir to the Zheng family. I heard he recently reached the seventh stage of the true qi realm, although I cannot confirm this as facts. Considering the Zheng family''s heritage though, this is highly likely. As you know, the Zheng family is the patriarch of the Vermillion Sword Sect. Thus, you have to be prepared, in case you have to face him, be decisive and quick-witted. One stroke of his sword could be your undoing if you underestimate him."


    The more Bazuul heard about this Jian Zheng, the more excited he got, unable to hold the chuckle in him as his eyes formed into a slit.


    This, of course, caught the attention of his brothers and their father. Laughing lightly he said, "My bad, it''s not that I underestimate him. He just sounds so imposing with his name meaning Sword Conqueror, and also belonging to a sword based sect, that I cannot help but become excited."


    All three wondered how he came to the conclusion that his name would mean sword conqueror. Kuzan said nothing as he turned back to his father, Varanur simply nodded and wanted to continue talking while Karon simply scoffed with disdain.


    "Unfortunately, your brother, Aurelius, will not be able to attend the trials and tournament this time, as he fell victim to his own devices. Either way, we have prepared some armor and weapons for you to pick out." As he said that he clapped his hands and ordered the servants to bring a vast selection of them over.


    From all of them, Bazuul picked two sets of armor and a sword. One set of sturdy but light leather armor and a set of white silk clothes which were enchanted with light magic by his father himself. His sword, on the other hand, excited him. It was a one-handed sword but was more than a meter long. Made out of what seemed to be obsidian with a violet hue inside once one imbued his qi into it, leaving behind an ominous feeling.


    The next three days, Bazuul focused on the consolidation of his sixth stage foundation.


    Then a big caravan, led by three elders of the kingdom and one hooded figure, which contained almost all the talents of Ralun began their trip to the kingdom of Donar. The journey there would take about a week, leaving them three days to rest before the trials would begin. This way, they would also have time to acclimate, get to know the foreign kingdom, and maybe even become acquainted with some of the other participants.

 Chapter 22 - A Kingdom Forged by Thunder

    The caravan from the kingdom of Ralun had been moving for almost a week, and they all had witnessed a multitude of sceneries while crossing a majority of the Seven Kingdoms. Many of them for the first time.


    They crossed the borders of Ralun to Eras, traveled from the autumn colors in Ralun to the lush green plains of this kingdom, and finally passed the boundaries of Eras to Donar. From the green plains that extended into the kingdom of Donar another change occurred. Hills and mountains seemingly rose from the surface and were soon the only thing left along with the greying tone in the atmosphere and the thunder from afar.


    Bazuul observed all this from his chariot. The beauty of fall, to the vivid sensation of summer''s end, back to the dark side of autumn, melancholy, left him entranced in a timeless beauty no mortal being could ever replicate. Unlike his brothers, he rarely conversed with the others among the caravan and merely exchanged greetings along the road.


    Atop a hill, they could finally see the gates of the kingdom''s capital, Leizyr. The gates were edged into a wall that resembled a little mountain, which in itself seemed to be merely the foot of the mountain range behind it. Here, the thunder was a constant, crashing into the capital city frequently as if channeled.


    Karon and the crew of commoners he assembled on this trip rode next to the window of Bazuul''s chariot. Bazuul ignored them initially, but Karon could not stand for that, he began mocking and jeering as his crew snickered beside him. Apparently, he had acquired newfound power in masses, a trait of the weak Bazuul thought. He looked this brother of his in the eyes indifferently, and merely honored him with the time it took to pass his gaze onto the commoners next to him. There he remained longer, scanning them from head to toe until he looked them in the eyes meaningfully. They felt a cold spreading around their spines and fear rose in their hearts as they realized they were just commoners. Dispensable, to these princes.


    After a short minute, Bazuul looked back to the city wall as if nothing happened, more so, as if he couldn''t care less. The commoners felt a slight relieve, but Karon felt angered. He was left feeling like a fart in the wind, unsightly and not worth the trouble.


    Karon assumed a high and mighty look as he straightened his back, scoffed, and rode off.


    An hour later the caravan finally reached the gates where they met the groups of the other kingdoms. Lines of city guards stood in front, keeping the order outside the city intact. The kingdom of Lumin, as the closest nation to the capital of Donar, was first and about to enter the city. The kingdoms of Shasta and Eras were second and lastly the kingdoms furthest away, Ralun, Ibera, and Dias. Unlike the rest, the last two seemed to have traveled together, sending a clear message to the others. Even more so considering the latest news concerning Ibera and Ralun cutting of ties.


    Ibera guarded a small part of the Arch of Ruin and made rather small efforts at seafaring, whilst mostly focusing on the trade that their rich lands made possible.


    Lumin was considered a kingdom of fanatics. As the nation bordering the lands of the elves, they worshipped the moon and the elves alike.


    Worshipping another race was exactly what earned them the title of fanatics.


    Donar and Eras were both the largest and strongest kingdoms within the union of Seven Kingdoms. The mountainous region of Shasta was the home of the royal Fujimoto family, and the Zheng family, thus the Vermillion Sword Sect.


    Dias was a strong kingdom of seafarers but geographically, the smallest of all kingdoms.


    Ralun, on the other hand, had similar size and strength as Lumin and guarded most of the Arch of Ruin. The bridge that once connected the realms of Ytolan and Agatha. The now demon infested homeland of the human race.


    Strength wise these kingdoms were ranked in either one of three divisions: a small kingdom, middling kingdom, and high kingdom. Eras and Donar were high kingdoms. Shasta, Ralun, and Lumin were middling kingdoms. Ibera and Dias were small kingdoms.


    On the other hand, one had to acknowledge that strength alone was not everything. Ibera had a lot of economic power, whilst Dias, through their seafaring ways had forged strong ties with the Bora region and the Tengu race from the realm of Aroi. Now that both of them came together implicated a shift in power, since together, they would have enough strength to topple and assimilate a middling kingdom although they would first have to send a request and receive the approval of the Directorate.


    The Directorate was somewhat the leader of the Seven Kingdoms. They were an organization, upholding the laws and regulations created by this union of kingdoms since humanity escaped their shattered homeland. Holding them together and if needed be, sanctioning or punishing offenders. However, if one nation requested to go to war with another, then the Directorate would consult the elders and vote. All the while, considering the bigger picture of the realm, the arguments made by the requesting party, and its impact on the Seven Kingdoms.


    ~~~


    The hooded leader of their caravan turned around and brought order into the ranks. His voice hollered loudly, and everyone was able to hear him clearly. "Listen, everyone! We have finally reached the capital of Donar, Leizyr! After we entered the city, you will all be on your own! This is also part of the trials and apart from prince Kuzan, none, not even the other princes, will enjoy any benefits!"


    One could hear that the leader of the caravan was not a man of many words. Even Ibera and Dias did, as they looked over and started to giggle as if watching a show. At this moment Bazuul had just left his chariot and settled on his horse. With his sword on his back, he made his way to the front of the caravan. The group from Ralun clearly knew that these giggles were directed at them and so their anger rose. Bazuul rode forward, halting for a moment to look toward the direction of the iberan and the diasian crowd with a smirk on his face. Then proceeded to move to the front as if there was nothing of significance to see.


    Ibera and Dias, of course, noticed that subtle taunt but were unaware of who this arrogant brat was supposed to be. They wanted to lash out for a bit before entering the city but gasped along with the ralunian caravan as the leader took the hood off his head. Ignoring the other two kingdoms, he proceeded to say.


    "So be careful everyone and make your families and the kingdom of Ralun proud!"


    It actually was Field Marshal Faolan, the second strongest force in the kingdom of Ralun, leader of the army and most of all, the younger brother of the king. At this moment even the cold Bazuul was quite shocked, even in the memories of the former Bazuul, not once had he seen this uncle of his.


    After realizing that the Guardian of the Arch, the field marshal of Ralun was there, attempts to cause trouble turned into air. These rascals from Ibera and Dias turned silent and as if magic, friendly smiles appeared on their faces. The fiery glow of reverence even glowed in some of their eyes. After all, the ralunians guarded about eighty-five percent of the Arch of Ruin. He - titled the guardian of the arch by the people - and his army, therefore, saved many Iberan people by default. He was in every sense, a legend.


    Finally, order and silence were restored.


    After about another hour, the caravan from Ralun finally and officially entered the city and thus, the hidden dragon trials. Bazuul looked around and saw a city forged by lightning, the forms of the stones and architecture used with it, really made it seem like that. Frequently he saw poles that resembled lanterns back on earth along the streets. As he looked up, it finally dawned on him why the lightning strikes seemed to be channeled into the city. There were four big towers in the city, and on their roofs were metal constructs drawing said thunder strikes in. Bazuul wondered if they had an electrical grid beneath their city and if these poles along the streets would actually turn out to be lanterns.


    As he thought about this, a thunderstrike actually landed about six meters away from him and crashed into the street. A bit shocked, he realized that the towers were not enough to divert all of them. The citizens of Leizyr may not feel threatened by those random lightning strikes, but to outsiders, this alone would obviously harden the trials for many.


    Apart from the black dot on the ground where the lightning strike had landed everything else seemed unharmed. Visibly, the lightning was no problem for the streets of this city, and neither would it for him. After a bit of exploring, he entered a building named the Yamino Inn, booked a room and ordered a warm meal to be brought up to his room. As he paid, the owner, a slim but muscular black-haired young man - about the age of his earth self - handed him the key to his room. Bazuul then went upstairs and entered the room with the same number on the key, room seven.

 Chapter 23 - No Blood Left

    A young female maid knocked on the door; she told him that the meal was ready and that she would leave it in front of the door. Bazuul thanked her and retrieved the dish from outside. It wasn''t anything special, certainly not as fancy as the meals in the palace but good nonetheless. In front of him was a bowl of simple but flavourful noodle soup with tender meat and several vegetables.


    Afterward, he meditated for a bit and upon finishing he realized that it was already about to be evening. He decided to go to bed and wake up early in order to explore the city further.


    He drifted into the misty world of dreams immediately and started dreaming about her. It wasn''t her of old, not the one from Earth, but a version of her as a young woman about sixteen or seventeen years old. Before he could entirely witness her grace though, something interrupted him. A hazy, incomplete projection of Velamar appeared and shattered the dream he was indulging in. For some reason, Velamar seemed unstable, flickering in and out of existence as he said.


    "Lost in the dreams, found in the darkest of streets. Trapped within a mountain of schemes, to muse or to haste, a choice made for eternity it seems."


    After that, Velamar vanished only leaving this cryptic message behind.


    Suddenly a strong force, reminiscent of a tidal wave rolled over Bazuul and pulled him out of his dream world back to the room he rented at the inn.


    Bazuul was perplexed, wondering what this...sort of riddle meant. Yet, he was unable to comprehend the meaning behind it. He couldn''t sleep anymore, and since it was only about to be ten pm, he decided to take a stroll in the city and have a look at the nightlife.


    He left the inn and walked around aimlessly for a while, as a matter of fact, the metal poles were actually lanterns, just as he thought. What led him to believe that this kingdom of Donar, or at least it''s capital city, Leizyr, actually used electricity. Something he never thought he would see in this world. Before long he eventually found a plaza with stands still opened. The square was filled with an abundance of different colored lights and gave him the feeling of being at a funfair ¡ª a stark contrast of the dimly lit streets that depended on the occasional lightning strikes.


    After passing all the stands, he entered a side street that seemed to contain more stands and shops still selling their articles. The way the stands and shops were positioned and the edged buildings formed by thunder reminded him a bit of Diagon Alley from Harry Potter. Actually giving him the feeling of something familiar, a comfortable feeling he had not felt for a while. He eventually entered a shop that focused on inscriptions in the hopes of maybe finding an arcane codex for his thunder attribute.


    He spent about half an hour inside but ultimately, came out empty handed. Slightly dispirited about that fact, he kept on strolling around this Diagon alley-esque side street. After a while, upon passing a dark side alley, his acute hearing made out the sound of metal clashing among other sounds. "A fight?" he thought.


    Both intrigued and interested he entered this dark alley intending to have a look, and maybe even learn something about possible competitors already fighting. He looked around the corner and saw three, for what seemed to be men, clothed in black with masks on, surrounding a young woman he could only see the back of.


    She was rather tall and slender, had straight, back long blonde hair, wore a white robe, and held a crescent-shaped scythe in her hands. For some reason, Bazuul had the feeling that he had seen her before, although he could only see her from behind.


    The two men behind her attacked, and the one in front followed a second later. She lifted her scythe and swirled it at an incredible speed which made the edges of its form became blurred and jumped up. Again, the sound of metal clashing against one another could be heard; apparently, she dodged all three attacks. She even seemed to have slightly wounded one of the men at his shoulder, as a part of his black robes opened and revealed a cut in his flesh and a bit of blood flowing out.


    "Surrender yourself to our master, witch!" One of the men yelled as the one beside him chuckled like a hyena, before attacking once again.


    As she landed on her feet, she turned around to face the other two because they once again attacked, at this time she finally revealed herself to Bazuul. Although it was dark in this alley and he shouldn''t see much, he could see her clearly. At this moment the air inside his lungs left him, his heart seemed to have stopped beating, and his face became pale for a second. Then his heart started pounding again; the sound of his pounding heart seemed immeasurably deep and loud. He could hear it loud and clear, but also feel it throughout his body. It felt like it would make his head explode at any moment. Rage, so strong, unlike anything he felt before manifested inside of him and rose at an extremely fast rate.


    He saw the one that had his shoulder wounded silently approach her from behind in order to initiate a sneak attack while she was preoccupied with the other two.


    "Lost in the dreams, found in the darkest of streets, trapped within a mountain of schemes, to muse or to haste, a choice made for eternity it seems." he suddenly thought, as he remembered the riddle which Velamar left him in his dream.


    Like a vision in his head, his subconscious visualized how the man behind her attacked, and what they or their master would do if they succeeded in capturing her. That was the moment Bazuul snapped. He growled lightly like a wild beast, his muscles, his face, simply every muscle in his body, contracted in a seething rage. He pounced with a hellish scream that echoed throughout the alley and shook everyone''s innards as he vanished in the shadows.


    All of them, also the pretty girl, was shaken to the core. She almost passed out but bit her tongue to stay awake; the other two had the same experience but managed to remain conscious by lightly stabbing their legs. The one initiating the sneak attack though, couldn''t help but throw up a mouthful of blood. All four seemed cautious. They could feel something ominous, something dark, looming in the shadows.


    Drunken laughter echoed through the alley, making them feel as if they dropped into a bath of ice. Then a voice just as dark, surrounded them from all sides and roared. "Nobody touches her! NOBODY! HURTS! HER!!" After that, killing intent that could easily fill the space between heaven and earth rolled over them. Her body shook involuntarily at this since she never felt a killing intent as thick and ferocious as the one she was witnessing. It was so dense that it even became slightly hard for her to breathe. One of the men already fell to his knees and passed out shortly afterward.


    Then a cutting sound was heard right after what felt like the cold sharpness of a sword manifesting behind her. The one that was still able to stand shrieked with a terrified expression. She turned around and found the sight of blood flying in the air. The man with the wound on his shoulder had been cut apart vertically into two halves. Behind him, crouched a barely visible figure with an expression. With a face, seemingly carved out of rage, in his hand, a black blade dipped in blood.


    The figure stood up, and one would assume gravity would drag the flying blood onto the ground, but apparently, the suction force of the blade was stronger. It devoured all the blood in the air and within this dead man''s body before his emptied husk could land on the ground. After it was done the man seemed dry like a mummy, and the blade seemed to glow in a violet hue, as if in delight. Then the young man''s gaze fell upon the man that now stood behind her. The cloaked man could feel death''s cold grasp around his neck and by instinct turned around to run as he screamed.


    "The shadow of the blade will hear of this!"

 Chapter 24 - Youre Mine...

    "Nobody will hear of this!" Bazuul said before he vanished. The assassin that passed out before slowly regained his consciousness. The first thing he saw was one of his partners run away. Then a young man came into view right in front of his fleeing partner. This young man thrust out his sword, and a fist-sized hole appeared in his chest. The young man then proceeded to use the momentum from pushing the sword out of his partner''s chest to turn three hundred and sixty degrees and hack off his head in one motion.


    He just regained consciousness but failed to move his body even an inch. On his knees, he was frozen on the spot. Yet, even in his bewildered state, he could see the sword sucking all the blood - in the air, the body or the head - right toward it where it then vanished into the sword. The head landed somewhat near him, and a large part of the mask chipped off as it landed on the ground. He couldn''t help but look at the head of his partner whose face was directed toward him, revealing a dried up grimace of utter horror.


    Before he could even process what had happened a pair of feet and the tip of the black blade appeared in his view. He looked up and saw the young man stood in front of him. There wasn''t even as much as a droplet of blood on him. Only within his eyes could one find the thirst for more blood. Out of nowhere, his will to survive squeezed out a bit of courage and so did the intent to kill the other party. He attacked from the ground, the tip of his blade launched toward Bazuul''s heart and pierced right into his chest.


    A feeling of relief overcame him. Elated he broke out into a smile but even that stagnated as he could hear the crackling sound of glass breaking. The young man in front of him shattered he was made out of glass and vanished into nothing. Then a sharp pain came from his chest, he looked down and saw the black blade exude from where his heart should be.


    "Is that all you got?" A young but cold voice traveled into his ear.


    Bazuul then poured his qi into the blade, and it began drinking all the blood in this assassin''s body. A trait of the sword Bazuul himself also was previously unaware of. He was quite shocked as the blade did that with the first assassin, but he also found it somehow...attractive.


    The three assassins that seemed so strong and confident before were now only dead, incomplete husks, lying on the ground.


    Bazuul breathed out and tried to regain his calm composure and turned to face her. He couldn''t believe that he would have the chance to finally meet her again after all these years, even more so in another world. The blonde beauty, on the other hand, couldn''t hold it anymore, such a gruesome scene was too much for her young stomach. As such she couldn''t help but throw up little bits of the previous meal and passed out.


    At this, his expression that varied between happiness and melancholy changed. One of his brows arched up as he looked at this scene in disbelief but then couldn''t help but break out into laughter. His heart and body felt light, and he could feel a sensation, a power rise within him.


    He picked her up and vanished into the night. Back in his room at the Yamino Inn he laid her on his bed and put a glass of fresh water to the side. Then he sat down outside his room, right in front of the door and meditated in order to enter his inner world.


    Inside, he could see that, at the side opposite to the moon, there was a tiny golden dot. The sun inside him had started to form even though he had yet to unravel the mysteries within [Chapter 5: Myriad Suns] of the incomplete arcane codex he obtained from elder Fu. Ever since he saw her, he felt different, proud like a king he walked around his inner world. To him, there was nothing to doubt anymore. This energy that had been accumulating within him ever since he saw her, made him feel like that. He released the fifth chapter of the arcane codex from his storage ring, formed two fists and screamed into the sky to release all of his essence into it. He intended to force the mysteries out of the codex. Without any hesitation, full of confidence, he poured all this energy into the codex until it shattered. Golden glyphs remained in the air and shot into his forehead. Just like that, the mysteries within became his.


    As he opened his eyes a light chuckle escaped him. It actually worked. He sat down and rested so as to recuperate some energy. After about an hour he stood up and exclaimed, lifted his arms into the air and opened the two fists into palms. Slowly the sun grew and soon reached its full size. If others had seen this, they would think a monster was in front of them. He simply took what he needed, no need to dwell or to enlighten on the mysteries within the codex. He took them as if they were his. Most of all, he didn''t care about anything anyone would think, to him it was his, so he took it.


    When he left his inner world, he could feel his body refreshed and filled to the brim with energy. Apparently, he was already at the peak of the sixth stage true qi realm. He chuckled lightly, as he felt like cultivation came far too easy for him. As if he didn''t belong in the equation that was needed to calculate the progress of cultivation. He stood up and realized that some sort of golden dust had formed on the surface of his body and clothes. He touched it and instinctively rubbed it with his finger. Out of the dust that was rubbed between his fingers a flame came into existence.


    An "Oooh?" escaped his mouth and he extinguished the flame. That should be some kind of skill from the sun within him. That, he would definitely need to dwell on that later on.


    His spirit sense then traveled into his room, and he saw that the blonde beauty had just woken up but hadn''t touched the water he left her. He knocked on the door, waited for a bit and entered. He looked at her with a complicated and deep look in his eyes. Even though she was clothed completely, she still used the blanket of his bed to cover herself. A light and innocent chuckle escaped him as he saw this and greeted her. He asked her how she felt and if she was alright.


    She felt confused but didn''t say it. The beast that slaughtered these assassins looked similar to him, but yet, completely different. This one in front of her looked innocent, naive and, to be honest, a bit like a handsome little master. Also, he seemed still rather young, about three to four years younger than herself.


    She let down her guard, then they conversed for a bit as she sat on the bed and Bazuul on the floor. So it happened that she was the first princess of Lumin, Elanar. He also introduced himself as the fourth prince of Ralun. He wanted to form a bond with her before he made sure she had kept her memories from Earth. Until then he also wouldn''t reveal his identity from back then, fearing she would think he was crazy or something like that.


    Elanar examined the room and soon discovered the black blade that filled her heart with terrible fear last night. She couldn''t help but shudder and asked shyly while stuttering, "T-this blade...it doesn''t belong to you right? She felt that she seemed too weak with this question and regained her bearings as someone from the "older generation."


    "My cute little brother Bazuul wouldn''t have already killed at such a tender age wouldn''t he?" She asked again in a different tone and changed the way she phrased her sentence.


    Bazuul then lifted himself up, stood in front of her and looked her deep in the eyes. "Of course, those three last night weren''t the first, and they certainly won''t be the last!"


    She was quite shocked at this deep, fiery and slightly sad light in his eyes and froze for a second. Bazuul smiled lightly and reached out toward her with the palm of his hand. He put his hand on her right between her cheek and her neck. Because of this, she froze even more. Before she could react his face got closer to her face, and he said almost whispering, "They wanted to hurt you or even worse, how could I let that happen again? You''re mine, and no one has the right to touch or hurt you! NO ONE!!!"


    She was unable to say anything as she crawled backward on the bed to gain some distance, her face flushed beet red.

 Chapter 25 - ...And Im Yours

    "Of course I''m also yours forev¡­"


    Bazuul kept on talking, but she could suddenly see him twitch as he started stuttering. He stood there frozen as his face became red.


    "What the fuck?! I wanted to take it slow...calm down...calm down dude!" he thought as he could feel her gaze on him. Therefore he also looked at her, but his face turned almost crimson because of this.


    Due to nervousness, he started laughing and mumbled whilst breathing out, "What am I saying? Hahaha." Of course, she was able to hear this and therefore also calmed down. She was about to stomp her feet at his because he truly crossed his boundaries right there. Then again, boys his age would always play pranks on girls. With his blushed face and nervous behavior she actually found that he was rather cute. She assumed the demeanor of an elder sister again and asked him with one brow arched up, and her arms crossed, "Forev...what?" Then she smirked ever so slightly.


    Bazuul felt a little stunned, out of his daze he once again laughed nervously and said, "Please excuse this little brother''s words. Big sis''s beauty shortly entranced me! It won''t happen again." Elanar, still had her arms crossed, but nodded in a - now you know better - fashion.


    After the initial tension slowly subsided, they kept on conversing. Bazuul stomach growled, and of course, he would not let this chance slide. He looked at her slightly ashamed and asked, "Big sis, do you maybe wanna go grab something to eat? Of course, this younger brother will pay for the inconvenience earlier."


    Elanar thought for a minute and nodded but said, "You saved me last night, of course, it is big sisters turn to pay my little hero back!" and then pinched his nose a little.


    Bazuul felt that he was being treated like a little brother. On the other hand, he didn''t care and even cherished it somehow. He would, of course, take everything he could get. Besides, he found it fun and also exciting to interact with her. In her own way, she was kind of a tease. He grabbed his sword, and both went out to the plaza. They both ate a couple of chicken skewers and some sweets afterward.


    Many around them could not ignore the duo, or to be more precise, the blonde beauty beside Bazuul. She wasn''t like the other beauties in the city. Unlike those curvaceous temptresses, she was slender and tall, but her aura and grace eclipsed all illusions of lechery. This did not stop many to think what this little brat was doing with her. Where came his qualifications from, to be in the presence of such delicate charm and elegance? This brat probably still reeked of his mother''s milk!


    At one corner stood a tall young man, he was a little bit more shocked than the rest.


    He thought, "Wow, wow, woooow! This bigger brother has some things to learn from little Zuul! He truly is deserving of the title as number one silkpants in our kingdom. He even managed to get on the good side of one of the Seven Kingdoms five fairies." The person naturally was his eldest brother, Kuzan. After the shock subsided, he went on to take care of his own business since he didn''t intend to disturb his little brother. After all, they were on good terms, and he wasn''t born under a rock either. Even though he had to admit, he was a little envious of his little brother. Who wouldn''t want to spend time with the first princess from the kingdom of Lumin? How many men would actually get the chance in their lifetime?


    Both strolled around the city for a while, visited some shops and didn''t even realize that it was already afternoon. Unbeknownst to them, they had spent almost the whole day together. Bazuul suggested to bring her back to her place where she should be in the safety of her elders. She was the first princess of Lumin, so of course, she wouldn''t take part in the hidden dragon trials and would also be surrounded by the elders of her kingdom. Elanar didn''t deny him his suggestion and led him to the embassy of Lumin''s kingdom. There they stood in front of the embassy gates, looking the other in the eyes. Bazuul smiled lightly and said, "Well then, see you at the royal tournament Elanar." and bowed slightly.


    She didn''t bother the use of her first name, even though it was rather bold of him. She nodded and suddenly hugged him lightly before saying, "See you then little brother. Be careful on your way there." This act stunned Bazuul, and his face turned slightly red again. His heart pounded strongly. He even feared that she would be able to hear it for a moment. When he looked up to her though, he realized that she was already jogging toward the embassy and vanished behind the door.


    Inside, her face also blushed, and she thought, "What was that...why did I do that?"


    After a while, Bazuul escaped his daze and strolled back to his inn happily and full of vigor. All the way back, he even did something he never really did before, not even on Earth, he whistled. In his good mood, he ordered one more meal and ate it downstairs at an empty table. Afterward, he went to bed feeling completely relaxed.


    ~~~


    Nothing significant happened the next day. Apart from cultivating a bit, he simply lay on his bed the whole day and read a book. Of course, he was still quite distracted from what happened yesterday, but it wasn''t necessary for him to adjust his mental state. On the contrary, he fed on that feeling. Now he was really excited to leave a mark in this tournament. To leave a memory in her mind, she would never forget.


    He went to bed early in the evening in order to be ready for the start of the hidden dragon trial tomorrow. Before he drifted into the misty land of dreams he thought about the trials and such. All he knew was that the hidden dragon trial consisted of three separate tests. These trials also differed between regions, so there was really no need to dwell on it too much. All he could count on was himself. In fact, there was only one thing that bothered him a bit. That was his third brother Karon, and these mongrels he had recruited. It wasn''t that he was scared; he actually hoped that his brother would have the guts to attack him within the trials, which was obviously the intention of his. The problem was, would he have the guts.


    That way he would finally be able to teach him a lesson. Along this train of thought, he drifted into his dreams.


    He woke up early in the morning, washed up, put on his clothes and picked up his sword. Then he made his way to the meeting location of the hidden dragon trials, Leizyr''s military training grounds at the northern edge of the city. When he arrived, there were already large masses of other competitors waiting for the organizers. He imagined that the number of people that were already present must be around a thousand or even more. This was really a lot, considering that only the final ten would be able to enter the royal tournament. That was of course if they were still able to. If not, the competitor''s ranking from eleven to twenty would fill these spots. This, of course, would silently endorse vicious tactics and acts from these potential nine competitors.


    "Aaaah, if this isn''t the number one silkpants from the kingdom of Ralun. This elder brother really has a lot to learn!" An unfamiliar voice reached Bazuul from somewhere to his side. He traced the origin of the voice after it ended with a snicker. After a short moment, he saw a young man with covered but still visible disdain in his eyes. From the sigil on his chest, he was able to determine that this youngster came from the seafaring kingdom of Dias. Because he used the term little brother, he also should be a prince. Unless of course, the kingdom of Dias intended to drop all considerations of face. Bazuul wouldn''t care either way, his brows furrowed and he indifferently said, "Ahoy..."

 Chapter 26 - Slapping Faces before the Trials

    As he passed the gate and entered the military training grounds, a vast space unveiled itself behind the walls. With ten elevated platforms in it, each the size of a football field, an area with hundreds of wooden poles, dozens of barracks and a huge mansion, this was still considered only half of the space. The mansion was built in front of the cliff of a mountain. Next to the estate were two huge cave entrances that lead into the cliff, two stone gates adorned the entryway with slightly glowing runes.


    "Aaaah, if this isn''t the number one womanizer from the kingdom of Ralun. This elder brother really has a lot to learn!" An unfamiliar voice reached Bazuul from somewhere to his side. He traced the origin of the voice after it ended with a snicker. After a short moment, he saw a young man with covered but still visible disdain in his eyes. From the sigil on his chest, he was able to determine that this youngster came from the seafaring kingdom of Dias. Because he used the term little brother, he also should be a prince. Unless of course, the kingdom of Dias intended to drop all considerations of face. Bazuul wouldn''t care either way, his brows furrowed and he indifferently said, "Ahoy brother! Regardless of who you are, some things can never be learned!" Then he looked back around the vast space ahead, wondering what the trials would be, not caring for the rascal on the side.


    With that being said, Bazuul indicated that either you had it, or you didn''t and probably that he simply wasn''t good enough. The diasian prince, of course, understood the meaning behind these words. His face already darkened the moment his target greeted him with "Ahoy," the following line, of course, didn''t help. Most of all, now his target acted as if he were air. The people in the vicinity also slowly noticed the rising tension around those two and prepared themselves for a good show.


    "I am Hugo Dias, the third prince from the kingdom of Dias, fifteen years old! Little brother Bazuul should maybe watch his tone and show some respect to his elders!" He said under gritted teeth.


    "Elders?!" Bazuul asked with a contorted face that held a lot of ridicule before breaking out into laughter. After a good while, he looked at him seriously and began saying, "Listen, kid, what elders?! You are just fifteen years old, did your hair even start to grow yet? Get a grip and know your place! You don''t like how I talk? This is how it works here on land! If you don''t like it, then go back home and play with your little ships! Now if that''s all, Hugo!"


    Many among the crowd couldn''t help but chuckle at the vicious tongue of this young ralunian. Others, on the other hand, wondered who this teenager was to have the courage to talk to a prince like that. For he casually slapped his face and then dismissed him as if he was a simple commoner. Karon was also among one of the crowds, but he didn''t intend to help and hid out of sight within the masses.


    Since most of the competitors weren''t princes or even nobles, they always had to be aware of their surroundings. Though, these high-profile individuals would not be able to harm them right here through their elders, but what about within the shadows of the trials? What about after the trials, on their way home? Some already started discussing, "Who is that boy? Does anyone know?" Many questions like these were asked within the clusters of observers. If arrogance had a name, they were convinced that this one here carried it, and they wanted to know which it was.


    An ethereal voice, the voice of a fairy seeped into the ears of Bazuul, Hugo and the crowds around them. "I told you it was useless third prince; this good-for-nothing prince has no manners to speak of!" She said with a tinge of coldness as she walked beside Hugo. The crowd was in awe at her beauty and seemed entranced by her. Her glossy black hair rolled down her curvaceous back, her skin was as white as jade, and her face, adorned by two emerald dots that gazed at the world from above. Though she seemed just as young as this ralunian boy, one could already imagine what kind of beauty would become of her in the future.


    Someone suddenly exclaimed, "That...thats princess Emilia Quintana, the second princess of the oberan kingdom!" Many were still in awe; they had heard a lot about the beauty of this particular princess. As many of them were young man, their instincts kicked in. The feeling to flatter her, to protect her or to conquer her among others rose within their hearts. Yet, before they could feast their eyes further, another voice kicked them out of their dreamy atmosphere.


    "Emilia Quintana, second princess of the iberan kingdom huh? So you are that honorless trash that spits on her father''s grave?" He asked and then looked around for someone whilst yelling, "Could someone here take the trash out? It''s really much too unsightly!"


    "This...this vicious tongue again!" Many onlookers thought to themselves shocked. Then again, others felt angered. They had the thought to teach this boy a lesson, and maybe that way they could get on her good side.


    "BAZUUL, WATCH YOUR TONGUE!" Hugo erupted alongside with Emilia. The latter''s face darkened in a crimson tone, due to the humiliation. Some onlookers now finally identified who this arrogant teenager was, the fourth prince of Ralun, Bazuul Ylvazad. Some well-informed youngsters finally realized what this was about. Hugo and Emilia were ganging up on Bazuul due to the news of them cutting off their marriage. Basically, Ibera had been shamed by their own actions, and because they couldn''t face this humiliation, they ganged up on Ralun with the help of Dias. Thick-skinned indeed!


    Karon naturally still kept mum, hoping that the third prince of Dias would do what he didn''t dare to do openly.


    "Aaah, I see, you have rehearsed this scenario quite a lot. You''re even able to reprimand me simultaneously...hahaha. Now then, piss off back into your corners. The trials should start soon, and I don''t intend to pollute myself with your disrespectful and distasteful kind!" Bazuul continued, ridiculing them further with his mocking tone and savage words.


    Hugo''s face darkened again and again. There was no way for him to irritate this prince in front of him. All he did was continually lose face. Worst of all, in front of the second iberan princess, his dream women. Right now, he was deciding whether to let it go and wait until the trials started, or to attack him now and vent his anger directly. That of course, would immediately disqualify him from the trial. Yet, it was extremely tempting to finally humiliate this brat in front of his former fiance¨¨. Before he could decide though, three knocks shook the ground and the air around them.


    Unbeknownst to most of them, the organizers of this year''s trial had arrived and already stood atop an elevated stage. An elder with grey hair and a long wooden staff stood in front of all the other people on the stage. He looked across the masses and his gaze pressured all these youngsters into silence. He nodded slightly, cleared his throat and started his speech.


    "Welcome, young heroes of the Seven Kingdoms! I will make this short! I''m the judge appointed to oversee these trials by the Directorate, you may call me grand elder Efyr. The ten virtuous men and women behind me are elders from the Directorate and will overlook the trials at any time. The hidden dragon trial itself consists of three tests in total. The first would be the measuring of your cultivation and elemental or magical affinity through the spirit grading stones that were prepared to your right. Due to the difficulty of this year''s trial, everyone below stage three of the true qi realm will be disqualified from going on further but may assist people of their kingdom in the second trial. This would be, the lightning labyrinth within the mountain behind me.


    As you can see, the left hole beside the mansion is the entrance, and the right hole is the exit. Within the labyrinth are many traps and mechanisms, so beware. Of course, there are also treasures hidden within. Exiting from the right hole qualifies you for the third trial, which will then determine the top ten competitors through a skirmish on the ten battle platforms, depending on the remaining challengers.


    Now line up at the spirit grading stones and wait for your turn!"

 Chapter 27 - The First Trial

    Many of the contestants, upon hearing that all under the third stage of the true qi realm were automatically disqualified didn''t even line up. They stood there, merely waiting for the results, hoping to help someone from their kingdom and gain some benefits through that.


    Hugo shot Bazuul one more glance and scoffed. "Well, well, is there even the need for a little boy like you to take the test? I say you should go home and entertain your mother!" Then he walked off laughing as he lined up at one of the lines.


    Bazuul didn''t even care about this taunt and just lined up as well.


    Behind every spirit grading stone stood one of the ten judges, reading out the name, origin, and the result of each competitor that took the test. Bazuul wondered how accurate or detailed the spirit grading stone was. Considering how rare an inner world was on Ytolan among the mortal tribes. He felt reluctant to have it revealed. He wished to stay rather low-key, regardless of the interaction with this diasian prince and princess beforehand. The problem was that, since it was so rare and he was unaware if others had an inner world too, he couldn''t confirm it with the results that came before him.


    Thirty minutes later and he was still waiting, from time to time feeling the gaze of some overconfident prince. At the same time, the judges continuously yelled out results. At certain times, some names would get more attention than others.


    "Shu Huang, thirteen years old from Ralun, the third stage of the true qi realm. Fire element attribute and lower moderate magical affinity. Pass!"


    "Corwin Bender, fifteen years old from Eras, the fourth stage of the true qi realm, earth element attribute and moderate magical affinity. Pass!"


    "Brynja Donarim, sixteen years old from Donar, the sixth stage of the true qi realm, air and lightning element attribute and lower intermediate magical affinity. Pass!"


    This, for example, caused some uproar, and not only because of her cultivation.


    "Stage six at sixteen already, the royal house of Donar isn''t playing around this time." Someone in the lines commented.


    "Right. I heard the current king dotes a lot on the second princess of Donar. Dual elements and lower intermediate magical affinity is extremely talented, no wonder!"


    Understand that magical affinity was ranked into five different classes. It went from no affinity at all to an inferior affinity with which one could only learn low-level spells. Depending on the magical attribute, you could still make a good living as a worker if you weren''t either a warrior or any other person of higher status in society.


    After that came the moderate class and then the intermediate class. In the end, stood, of course, high magical affinity. Each of these rankings was then cut into three different qualities. For example, lower intermediate affinity, intermediate affinity if the base was full, and greater intermediate affinity if it closes in onto the next class.


    "Emilia Stark, fourteen years old from Ralun, the fifth stage of the true qi realm, light element attribute and moderate magical affinity. Pass!"


    This result also turned heads!


    "Fourteen and the fifth stage?!" Someone exclaimed.


    "Impressive!" Another one commented.


    "Hugo Dias, fifteen years old from Dias, the third stage of the true qi realm and inferior magical affinity. Pass!" At this, Hugo once again shot Bazuul a look of triumph, but Bazuul could only scoff at his false pride.


    "Karon Ylvazad, fourteen years old from Ralun, the fourth stage of the true qi realm and lower moderate magical affinity. Pass!"


    "Tarek Rashad, seventeen years old from Ralun, the sixth stage of the true qi realm. Air and fire element attribute and greater moderate magical affinity. Pass!"


    "Emilia Quintana, thirteen years old from Ibera, third stage of the true qi realm, water element attribute, and moderate magical affinity. Pass!" Emilia also shot Bazuul a slight look of disdain as she walked off.


    "Jian Zheng, seventeen years old from Shasta, the seventh stage of the true qi realm, air, earth and light element attribute, and greater moderate magical affinity. Pass!"


    Many turned toward this figure because a lot of them had heard from Jian Zheng before their trip to Donar. This was the figure that was previously the favorite to win the royal tournament. Even though he had to take the hidden dragon trials as he was no prince of Shasta. He was the son of the Zheng family head, the patriarch of the Vermillion Sword Sect. He stood there cold and unemotional as if he himself was a sword. A lot of girls from a common background squirmed at the sight of him and his stoic features. The features of a true warrior. The commotion was abruptly stopped by the announcement from another judge.


    "Ba...Bazuul Ylvazad, twelve years old from Ralun, the sixth stage of the true qi realm. Nature elementalist with darkness and light attributes and intermediate magical affinity. Pass!" The judge announced whilst stuttering slightly.


    Immediately everyone looked at him in utter shock and from the brief silence came commotion, whilst some still stood there with their mouths wide agape. A nature elementalist could use all elements. Even more, if trained well, a nature elementalist could harness the very essence of nature.


    "WHAT THE¡­"


    "HOW!"


    "Twelve years old and at the sixth stage, what a monster!!" Someone said.


    "Not only that, a nature elementalist AND darkness and light attributes, plus an intermediate magical affinity with the age of twelve. This is unheard of! What enormous potential! It looks like we got a dark horse!" Another further indicated.


    Hugo and Emilia both had complex expressions when they heard from Bazuul''s result. Even Jian Zheng was looking at him thoughtfully. A competitive fire lit up in him as he had not thought he would have such a contestant in the hidden dragon trials. Even more so, a twelve-year-old.


    "Ralun isn''t playing around either it seems. They have two fifth stage cultivators and counting in the first prince that''s three sixth stage cultivators so far." Someone pointed out.


    "Right! If this goes on, they may even take half the spots from the hidden dragon trials this time!" Another one threw into the conversation whilst nodding.


    More and more seemed to realize this. With how things stood, the attention of the other kingdoms automatically fell toward the competitors from Ralun. Bazuul, on the other hand, didn''t seem to care for all of this, giving the people around him an aloof impression of him.


    "Idriel Luminair, thirteen years old from Lumin, the fifth stage of the true qi realm, air and light element attribute, and high magical affinity. Pass!"


    Once again a lot of attention was brought up, and many hearts of these young men present started to beat.


    "The third princess of Lumin¡­"


    "High magical affinity!!!" Someone exclaimed in shock,


    Even the young women around, through the jealousy, exclaimed.


    "Waaah, so pretty!"


    Bazuul also looked at her more intensively and thought, "The third princess of Lumin. So this should be her little sister." but in the end, he remained rather indifferent.


    "Hylion Luminair, fifteen years old from Lumin, the sixth stage of the true qi realm, darkness and water element attribute, and higher intermediate magical affinity. Pass!"


    This time it was the hearts of the young women present that started throbbing.


    "Haaa, the people of Lumin truly are heretics, even I feel compelled to sin!" One of the female competitors couldn''t help but say with an intoxicated look in her eyes.


    "Her little brother." Bazuul thought.


    This went on for a while longer. Meanwhile, Shu Huang had come looking for Bazuul. He was quite shocked to find out that someone he thought he knew well still had hidden his abilities to this extent. He was practically able to learn everything he wanted, use every element he wanted to use. Our young prince, on the other hand, felt miffed. So much for staying low-key. He himself was also surprised that all elements were available to him. Then again, where would he find the time to learn them, even if he wanted to.


    As they walked toward the spot where everyone that passed waited for the next trial, they both passed by Hugo once more. This time he wasn''t in the company of Emilia anymore, and his face seemed rather...flushed with embarrassment. He looked toward Bazuul, but his disdain and pride were non-existent.


    Bazuul silently said as he chuckled, "No elemental attributes and inferior magical affinity...let''s not talk about being a prince, even as a worker you''re a failure!"


    Shu, even though unaware of their previous exchange was able to hear this and couldn''t help but laugh out loud.


    Hugo''s expression darkened as a wicked glint appeared in his eyes. His whispers infused with murderous intent. "Wait and see! Inside the labyrinth, I and my fellow diasians will show you our special care! So what if you got potential, what is potential that doesn''t get the chance to be realized?"


    Bazuul snickered slightly, "Mmh, sounds like a feast. I can''t wait!"

 Chapter 28 - The Labyrinth I

    "Congratulations to every one that passed the first trial! Two hundred fifty-three competitors are left to take the second trial; each of you may take up to five people from their respective kingdoms as support." The elder from before announced.


    Bazuul told Shu Huang to look for some people to support him since he intended to go alone. Although many from Ralun came and offered their service to him, he declined them all.


    Half an hour later everyone was settled. The elder saw that there was no movement anymore below the stage and that everyone stood ready. He cleared his throat and unceremoniously declared the start of the second trial saying that they had twelve hours to clear the labyrinth. If they didn''t by that time, then they would automatically be disqualified. He warned them not to roam unnecessarily after the twelve hours had passed, they should wait until a judge picked them up.


    The competitors finally entered and the second trial officially started with this. Some rushed in; others walked in calmly while a few seemed to be prudent. Although they didn''t have the intention to harm others, they felt it was still necessary to be on guard. Bazuul thought the same, but was rather calm on the inside, while his steps looked steady on the outside. A hundred meters in the cave, the first person had not been careful enough, the young man lost his life, electrocuted by a trap. After the initial shock people once again pressed on. The straight path started twisting and curving, offering forks from time to time. Thus the cluster of people within was slowly separated.


    One would think of darkness covering the pathways within, and it seemed it was true. The only source of light was a blue hue of dim glow from a crackling plate on the ceiling every fifty meters. Apparently, even the mountain was attached to the electrical grid Bazuul thought.


    Only three other competitors were still around Bazuul at this point. Two in front and one behind him, he knew neither of them. He didn''t intend to hang around other people and acted as if he was looking for something inside his pocket, letting the one behind him pass. He waited a moment and instantly merged with the shadows; his very essence became one with the surface of the wall. The person that just passed him looked back but didn''t see Bazuul anymore. He rushed to where he last saw him, but there was no trace of Bazuul left anymore. His expression turned serious, and he whistled at the other two that were further ahead.


    "The prince suddenly vanished," he said the moment the other two reached him. "I just passed him a second ago, and he was gone!"


    "How is that possible? How could you be so careless? The prince told us to get rid of him!" One of the two reprimanded.


    "Enough! Both of you go back, Kun, you will take the first path that branches off from here and Yun, you will take the second. I will go on further ahead. He can''t have gone far! The moment you find him use your sound transmitters."


    "Do not forget, this is our initiation into the Fold! The shadow of the blade does not accept failure!" The third man said decisively, making it apparent that he was the leading figure in this group of three.


    Kun hesitated for a bit but reminded him.


    "A-alright but remember to share any treasures you find!!" Thus both Kun and Yun walked back.


    The third young man that remained looked at their backs indifferently as they vanished around the corner.


    Bazuul witnessed this whole scene and felt a cold envelop him. He didn''t expect those three to be after him. He thought they were regular competitors, even more so, the name "the shadow of the blade" was something he just recently encountered. It was only two days ago, when he found her in that alley, cornered by those three thugs. He was still wondering what these guys had wanted from Elanar, and now another three - apparently initiates of the same organization - were after him. He followed their leader for a while, unable to decide whether he should kill him directly or force information out of him. First, he thought he should kill him instantly and hunt down the other two, but after Bazuul thought for a bit, he realized that the leader must have more information than them. Thus he decided to go for the latter.


    Right before the path forked again Bazuul''s sword swung out of the wall and into this guy''s left shoulder.


    He exclaimed in pain before he could see the deep slash. Panic overcame him for a moment, but as a trained initiate of the shadow of the blade he calmed down quickly. Then, Bazuul''s sword lashed out again. This time it was his right calf that suffered a deep gash. Both wounds had blood flowing out at a slow but steady rate. He gritted his teeth in pain and growled out. "Who is there, show yourself if you''re a man."


    A playful chuckle came from beneath him and said. "Well, that''s a problem, I''m but a boy!" Nonetheless, Bazuul came out, out of the shadows on the ground he materialized completely back into his human form. The assassin jumped back in a fright. Due to the shock, his body was in and the scene in front of him he fell on his butt. He shivered as a new form of dread overcame him. Never before had he seen such a concealing technique. Not even from the elders of the fold. Bazuul smiled at him, and the young man on the ground exclaimed. "You?! How is that¡­" before he could finish his sentence Bazuul interrupted him. "So tell me, why are you after me and what is the shadow of the blade?"


    The young man felt startled as he heard this question but eventually kept mum. Bazuul looked at him in ridicule and stabbed him in the stomach. Not deep enough to damage his vitals but just enough to make him writhe in pain. He poured a tiny amount of his qi into his sword and it began feeding on the open wound of a slowly dying youth. As the young man saw this his face turned ghastly pale. He remembered something the elders discussed yesterday. Something about a mission that had gone awry. Three of their silver rank assassins had died, and that wasn''t everything, all the blood in their bodies was gone too. They had been mutilated and sucked dry, leaving them barely recognizable.


    His pupils were saucers as he looked at Bazuul and stuttered, "Yo-you, tw-two days a..go¡­"


    Bazuul interrupted him again, his voice seemed calm but thinking of her and that scene his innards started burning up in anger. A sharp glint slowly manifested in his eyes. "Pleeease, those are old stories, they had it coming, wouldn''t you agree? I mean no one should attack her!"


    Meanwhile, the young assassin tried to crawl away in fear. It seemed to be his only option, as pitiful an idea it was, he still tried. A kick landed on his right rib, and he turned around laying on his back again. Before he could look up the sword smashed into his right leg and pinned him to the ground. Bazuul grabbed him forcefully by the hair, looked him in the eyes and commanded in an impatient voice. "Now, tell me everything!"


    As he looked Bazuul in the eyes a sharp light pierced into him. It hurt in a different way, and he had no choice but to close his eyes for a second.


    "Huh, that''s the same thing I did with Aran back then¡­" Bazuul thought and then started. "So the shadow of the blade is the assassins division of the Fold. The Fold is the governing force in the underworld. Aaaand, you three clowns here take part in the hidden dragon trials because the first prince of Donar wants me dead. I wonder, how did I offend that guy? Please do tell me, Ran, is it?"


    The leader of the assassins was in complete shock his hand grabbed into his pocket and took out small plate like a button. He screamed "Kun! Yun! He is¡­"


    Before he could finish, his head flew off into the distance.

 Chapter 29 - The Labyrinth II

    Bazuul had already wasted two hours in this maze within the mountain yet; he hadn''t found anything of value or challenge so far.


    As for Ran, Bazuul didn''t think about him anymore. It had already been an hour, and he was sure that his corpse had already turned cold. Well, at least his body wasn''t the only one lying there. Kun and Yun would keep him company.


    He raced through the cave-system, creeping within the shadows. To his luck, he wasn''t traveling by foot. Because if he traveled at this tempo, it would be quite risky. Even more so if one considered the dim lighting, marshland, and bog underfoot, also, for some time now, deadly lightning traps had also become a constant. Within other paths he traveled, many corpses lay around those traps, but none piqued his interests.


    Bazuul was eager to find two individuals; both of them had earned themselves the right to be taught a lesson by him. For one, his third brother Karon, and the second would, of course, be Hugo Dias. The latter was too arrogant for his own good, Bazuul felt he had to beat him to a pulp. Karon, on the other hand, his false pride and arrogance coupled with his cowardice could become troublesome for Bazuul''s newfound home, the kingdom of Ralun. It was necessary to...well, also beat him to a pulp.


    The path in front of him kept on twisting and turning but suddenly stopped as he passed the next corner and a vast open space unfolded itself. In contrast to the maze-like paths, this area was rather well lit. Below him, he could make out people standing further away in front of some sort of platform. A sort of stone grave was on top of it.


    He closed in on them as he flowed through the shadows of a naturally formed column.


    To his surprise, among the people there were also a couple of ralunians, such as Tarek Rashad, Shu Huang and of course, his brother Karon. Out of the three remaining commoners he took with him all seemed injured. In fact, apart from Tarek, most ralunians did look like they had been through a couple of battles.


    Hylion Luminair was also there, but his little sister wasn''t with him this time. He currently seemed to be in the process of attempting to open the grave. Bazuul didn''t bother with that for now and lightly chuckled out of the darkness, "Aaah brother, contrary to your companions you look completely fine! I bet you hid well behind them, just like you did before the first trial began!"


    Everyone became alert the moment they heard the chilling chuckle reverberate but were unable to determine from where it came from. Most of them, after all was said and done, started to relax for a bit. They didn''t hide behind someone, and the voice didn''t sound familiar.


    Bazuul fell out of the shadows like a drop of ink and landed on the ground with a splash before standing up. This left the onlookers shocked. Never before had they seen something like this. Before they could think more about it though, the figure started to walk toward them, and it seemed this person was here to cause trouble.


    Finally, they could clearly see who it was. Bazuul Ylvazad from Ralun, the brat with the overbearingly strong talents. That would mean that the brother he was talking about would be the fat prince to their side. Once they realized this, the assemblage of people made some space and prepared to watch a good show.


    Karon could clearly feel the excited gazes from the people around him. Even more so, he could feel the intention with which his little brother came here. He asked whilst almost stuttering, "Little Zuul, what is the meaning of this?"


    Bazuul snickered slightly, "Well, I told you didn''t I? Back at our eldest brother''s dinner, I told you I would make you squeal like a pig!"


    "Bu...but¡­" Karon stuttered, but soon his meaty throat trembled in anger, and he roared, "BAZUUL, HOW ARE YOU TALK¡­" before he could finish his sentence Bazuul appeared in front of him, jumped up and unleashed a powerful cross chop right on his face. Karon landed on his butt, disoriented and wailing in pain when he could suddenly feel himself being carried back up by the hair. He opened his eyes and right in front of him were two orbs of amber looking back. Unable to react with his still befuddled mind a hard fist landed on his face, and he exclaimed in pain.


    "Where is it you get your false pride from huh?!" Bazuul asked as he kept punching into his face. Even Hylion got distracted by the commotion beneath and looked toward them. "How can you call yourself a prince and hide like a coward when others make fun of your little brother?!" He asked again as he kept on punching his face. Karon''s already fat face had grown double the size from the swelling by now. Hylion''s complexion paled as he saw another prince being punched to dust while truly squealing like a pig. It reminded him of his oldest sisters "scolding" when he did wrong. After five more minutes of loving brotherly beatings, Karon''s consciousness faded and his body slumped. Bazuul let go of him, and Karon fell on the floor like a sack of rice.


    Even though - to the people around - it seemed like he was disappointed in his brother, the truth was he didn''t care. Karon was a political enemy so to speak. At least his second and third brother considered him one. Since this was the case, Bazuul would use any small matter to beat on both Karon and Aurelius. No matter what.


    The onlookers felt amused but also a little cold. Luckily they didn''t have such a brother themselves many thought. Bazuul turned toward them and then asked what this grave like thing was all about.


    Shu Huang walked toward Bazuul with the intention of explaining but a voice traveled down from above. "This is not a grave! It''s one of many relics left behind by the lord of the human race! You, as a prince, should have already heard about the "Will of Noxae." That''s what is inside. These vaults are very hard to open, and no one really knows what is inside since each chest holds something different." Hylion said from above as he looked down on the rest. He seemed composed, but his words held a particular touch of aloofness in them.


    Noxae Dei presumably was the savior and creator of the human race. Legends said he had found the spark of humanity by chance, and eventually managed to form human bodies out of the darkness. Thus creating the first humans. Thousands of years ago, when the demon race rose from the depths of the earth and invaded their homeland, Noxae protected and led the survivors of the human race east, toward the realm of Ytolan.


    The mighty empires of Agatha had fallen, and so had the glory of the human race, but their lord had made sure that a seed remained for the future.


    "Noxae?! If I remember correctly nox means night in Latin. So to open it, one would most likely have to use the attribute of darkness." Bazuul thought, then he looked toward Hylion and inquisitively said. "Well, although I''m aware that you hold the attribute of darkness within you, how about this little brother here gives it a try?"


    "Little brother? Darkness?" Hylion thought for a second. He laughed and said, "Right, you are indeed younger than me, your previous display of¡­ let''s say, tender brotherly compassion reminded me too much of my eldest sister. Sure, go ahead! I don''t seem to be able to open it."


    Bazuul nodded and went up to the stairs of the platform toward the will of Noxae. As he reached the top and stood beside Hylion, he said, "How am I reminding you of Elanar? She is a well-behaved and kind girl!"


    Hylion almost choked for a second as he thought, "Well behaved and kind?! Sure, but that can turn into something else within seconds." Afterward one of his brows arched as he inspected the prince in front of him that was even younger than himself.


    Bazuul didn''t bother with the inspecting look Hylion gave him and stepped forward. First, he walked around the relic and examined it thoroughly. It was designed with intricate lines that composed an abstract form of a tree and had twelve black jades embedded on it for what seemed to be apples.


    He touched the relic and could feel it''s even surface that had endured centuries of decay. Hylion seemed perplexed as to why he wouldn''t use his energy to push it open. Instead, he stood there admiring the craftwork. After a while, Bazuul sat down cross-legged in front of it and started meditating with his mind focused on it.


    While channeling the energies of the dark element into the relic Bazuul made out barely recognizable whispers. Not knowing where they came from, he kept on going on with his meditation. Slowly but surely, these whispers became louder and started overlapping each other. Most seemed to entice, one felt like a warning, but he could not make out the words.


    Something within him seemed to explode, and his head had started feeling dizzy. Suddenly he was partially in his inner world, and he could see the dark entity that came into being from his own pains, yell at him. Yet, he was still not able to make out the words and only saw the distressed look on his face.


    Then, all of a sudden, he was back in the physical plane and back to meditating on the relic in front of him. Befuddled about this he opened his eyes breathed in profoundly before exhaling and refocused his mind. He channeled the essence of darkness and enveloped himself and the relic in it. Then he slowly cast the darkness into the beads of black jade that hung like apples on the tree ornament. One jade bead slowly started glowing in a purple hue. Ever so slightly the glow grew in intensity and reached its apex. The second bead followed minutes later. There was the sound of movement on the relic, like the friction created when two stones ground on each other.


    Meanwhile, Hylion had his eyes fixed on both Bazuul and the relic. He wasn''t able to make it glow. On the other hand, he also didn''t have the idea to use the attribute of darkness to open it. The others below the platform were unable to see what was happening but could clearly hear the rumbling up above.


    Bazuul could feel a sort of resistance coming from the relic. It slowly invaded his mind with Bazuul unaware of its intention. He wasn''t the kind to care about things like that. So he let his guard down and let the dark energy enter. Its purpose became apparent the second it entered. The objective of this energy was to play tricks on his mind, slowly engulfing him in visions of his failures.


    A dark chuckle escaped Bazuul, one that resembled the laugh of someone that had drunk too much. Bit by bit the chuckle evolved into a loud, almost maniacal laughter that reverberated in this area within the mountain. Hylion was startled by this, while the others below had similar expressions on them but remained unaware of what was happening. Before they could adjust themselves to this creepy laughter, everything turned silent again. It created an eerie atmosphere among those below when suddenly a voice rose.


    "So, is that what your goal is? To make me crumble and fold with visions of past failures?" Bazuul once again laughed out loud. "Then come on, show me what you''ve got!" Through the anger by being reminded of past losses he poured more and more dark essence into the relic. This essence now engulfed Bazuul and the relic completely creating winds of energy. Instantly three other beads started to glow. Even Hylion that stood meters away had to back off for a bit since the whispers also started to invade his mind, seemingly piercing his brain.


    Hylion stood there looking in astonishment at this sight in front of him. He didn''t think the magical attribute of darkness would be the key, but the effect shown on the relic proved this. He wasn''t even aware the jade beads would start glowing, but he could now see eight purple hues through the dark essence enveloping both the relic and Bazuul.


    As the eighth bead started glowing progress on opening the relic stagnated. Bazuul could feel the will''s attacks increasing, piercing his brain so much so, that blood started flowing out of his nose. He chuckled like a little devil and said, "Awww, is this your last resort? I can feel your defenses slowly breaking!" Unsure whether he could make use of the light of the moon he stalled this idea in the beginning. Now that he was unable to advance further he actually did think he should use it. Still having his eyes closed he lightly whispered "Cascading Light" as he channeled the moon in his inner world, before opening his eyes.


    Inside the storm of dark essence, two orbs of silvery light bore toward the relic. "Show me your will, god!" He said proudly. The word "god" actually held a hint of disdain. "Show me everything!" He yelled all of a sudden. The people below felt a cold tingling down their back. This had been going on for almost an hour now, and they wondered how long this young prince could hold on.


    Even Bazuul, for the first time since entering this world, felt that this was quite difficult. The consumption of energy through maintaining both the essence of moonlight and darkness was tremendous, to say the least.


    Chaotic visions different from the ones before entered his mind. This time it seemed to be moments of Noxae''s life from back when he created the relics. The broken images didn''t show a lot, but he could still make out some concerning emotions from Noxae as he lived through these memories.


    Bazuul snickered lightly and pushed on further. Out of the tide of whispers came a screeching scream and instantly two more beads lit up.


    The more Bazuul pushed the more memories flooded his mind. After a while though, he started wondering if these emotions, especially toward humanity, were emotions their creator, a savior to them, would hold within himself. Through all the images only one time could he feel a minuscule amount of remorse. Bazuul wasn''t aware of who the person was, but Noxae had stabbed the person in the back, killing him. Then, he turned toward the female; this part of the memory seemed damaged or broken as the female was blurry. Yet, the feeling of exhilaration and excitement Noxae felt as he tortured her to death, made it clear what kind of individual he was.


    On second thought, Bazuul wasn''t going to judge. Who knows, maybe the crimes committed, perhaps the pain that came from those crimes triggered this sort of enjoyment in him.


    "Enough already! Break!!" Bazuul roared with unyielding determination. Standing up and still channeling both energies he slowly walked toward the relic. The eleventh bead started glowing slightly, and the whole platform began shaking. A minute later, without much resistance, the twelfth bead glowed. The entire top of the relic started showing cracks before breaking completely. Out of the relic, an ominous glow flowed out. As he reached the relic and looked inside he saw a single page laying there glowing slightly. On the page stood [Chapter 2: Sonata of the Night].


    Bazuul put it into his storage ring before even taking his hand out, to make sure Hylion wouldn''t see.


    He sat down and finally breathed out. This whole ordeal drained him almost completely. His body felt weak, sweat poured out of him, and his head hurt so much that a high pitched beeping sound rang in his ears.


    Above the relic, a formless shadow manifested looking at Bazuul. At least that''s how it felt to him since this figure seemingly had no eyes. It started talking, but behind his voice lingered countless other whispers.


    "You child, have sinned against the Lord, you are dangerous! I shall end your life now!

 Chapter 30 - The Labyrinth III

    The shadow slowly floated toward Bazuul.


    "Sinned?" He asked before breaking out into laughter. Hylion thought Bazuul had become crazy, apparently unable to see nor sense the shadowy apparition in front of them.


    "Believe me, I''m speaking from experience here. Ending my life is harder than it seems!" Bazuul added as the whispers around become louder the closer the figure got. Then it turned into a flash and rushed toward him, entering his body. Before he could react to what had happened his consciousness faded and he dropped on the floor.


    Hylion, still unaware of what was going on stood there stunned. He was unable to make rhyme or reason as to what had happened. He could see that Bazuul''s body twitched from time to time as his skin slowly turned darker.


    The apparition appeared within Bazuul''s inner world and announced proudly. "Within the myriad of options, your fate has already lost all possibility to survive. Yield, and I will make the consumption of your soul less painful. Your body, on the other hand, will make another good avatar for the lord to roam the world and form it to his will."


    A light chuckle traveled through the dark side of his inner world, "Well, then come on then, eat me!"


    The shadowy figure looked around and could see the young prince stand beside another dark silhouette. Slightly bent over, Bazuul provokingly slapped his own behind.


    Unaware of the meaning and disregarding the provoking intent behind it, the apparition raised its elderly voice once more. "Very well, it is good to know when one has reached his limit." It said and started moving toward him. The dark smoky essence around the apparition started expanding and formed a huge mouth with long barbed teeth. Inside the growing maw, a red glowing light shone through the smoke of dark essence.


    "I wonder, where have the whispers gone that surrounded you earlier?" Bazuul asked before he continued. "Have you not noticed that¡­" he began the next sentence and paused shortly as he lifted his hand. "this is my world?"


    The apparition paused its advance for a second, as it realized this anomaly. Nonetheless, a moment later it accelerated its movement toward Bazuul, which could feel suction pulling him toward this maw of shadows. That''s when he began yelling.


    "The second doha of the fifth chapter. Light of the moon, binding the dark, binding all evil in this world. Cleanse this demon and shatter the wicked will grasping onto this tortured soul."


    The moon within his world started growing and its silver light filled the entire space. As the light touched the shadowy figure, fume appeared as it burned away its essence.


    "The light of the traitoress!? Impudence!" It roared half shocked, half angered. "The master will know of your return! Neither you, traitoress, nor your husband is capable of stopping him. We will hunt both of you down and torture you for eternity."


    "What are you yapping about a female traitor? I''m obviously a man. So shut up and yield already! Then I will make sure that, when he consumes your soul, it will be less painful...not." Bazuul said as he appeared in front of him, returning part of the sentence the apparition threw at him earlier.


    Bazuul then stretched both his hands toward the maw of shadows, forcing his will onto it, taking over control of its essence with the assistance of the silvery moonlight. The essence struggled initially but Bazuul used the moonlight to completely subdue it and shatter its will completely. Afterward, he slowly guided the essence toward the resident of the dark side in his world.


    "Consume it and strengthen my world!" He said to his dark side.


    ~~~


    Outside, Hylion was still dazed as he was not sure what had exactly happened. He could see Bazuul''s skin turn darker and black spots slowly spread through his body. So much so, that at one point almost all visible skin on his body had turned black. Eventually, though, it turned back into its normal complexion. Shortly after, Bazuul regained his consciousness.


    Out of reflex, Hylion helped him up. "Thank you, big bro!" Bazuul politely said even though he himself knew full well that there was no need for help. He felt invigorated and extremely powerful after his world had consumed this dark apparition. The dark side of the plate, that made up half of his inner world, grew upwards again.


    "No need to thank me! Are you alright?" Hylion asked.


    "Yes, I feel wonderful. A good beauty sleep is always the most rejuvenating!" Bazuul answered jokingly with a grin on his face that only curled up on one side.


    "Beauty sleep?!" Hylion thought inwardly. Wondering how one could be so shameless as to call a situation like this a beauty sleep.


    "Looks like my third brother has left already." Bazuul casually remarked.


    Karon had left with the help of the three commoners while Bazuul was still in the process of opening the Will of Noxae.


    "Well, I''ll be leaving too. There are still things for me to do. See you later!" He said. Before Hylion could react Bazuul had vanished into the shadows.


    Once again he raced through the cave-system, creeping within the shadows. The path in front of him kept on twisting and turning as he was looking for the other one, Hugo Dias. Unaware of where he was he kept on going further and further. When suddenly another vast space opened up in front of him.


    This time no one was around but there were old structures everywhere. Moss already grew on the old stone bridges and the balconies on the walls of the cave. As abruptly his mind dazed and his body paralyzed in shock. This place reminded him of a vision he once had while cultivating. The winds dragged him off from his chamber and into the cave of a mountain range. Once within this area, the winds pulled him down one of the many paths in here, where he eventually landed in front of a huge blue crystal with a silver hue. Through this crystal, he heard her voice. Giving him hope that she had also been reincarnated into this world.


    With still five hours left, he threw the thought of wasting his time with an insignificant individual such as Hugo away and focused on finding the crystal.


    It took him about two hours but eventually, he did find it.


    As he physically stood in front of the crystal he could feel the might within. It was imbued with the light of the moon. Thus the silver hue. The power that emanated from it, the might of the moon, was one of extreme cold and Bazuul had to rotate the energy of the little sun within him in order to resist.


    Subconsciously. he touched the crystal with his bare hands, and could actually hear and see Elanar. It was just the same as in the vision he had weeks earlier. After finding that he could focus as much as he wanted and was still unable to clearly hear or see her, he stopped.


    He sat beside the crystal and crossed his legs, rotating the energies within him. Slowly drawing the force inside the crystal out and infusing it with his own. As he did that, the light side of his inner world which had yet to react to anything started to grow. Just like the dark side, it first grew outwards before curving upwards. More than two hours passed, the vivid silver hue had vanished and most of the might of the moon did too.


    Bazuul exhaled as he opened his eyes and cold fog left his mouth. The effects of becoming the host of all this energy had been immense. It turned the world he once called a yin and yang plate into a yin and yang bowl. Yet, he still had to convert all of it into his own. Most of the energies he consumed were still laying around within his inner world unattended. Clouding the whole of it with mist much like the time he met Velamar in his dreams after reincarnating.


    Bazuul, not knowing how much time was left, stood up and finally intended to exit the labyrinth.


    Once more he merged with the shadows and raced through the cave system. Every time he came into contact with the ground, walls, or the ceiling the light shockwave somewhat created a map of this labyrinth in his mind.


    It was something he also noticed when he first reincarnated into this world and always thought it was extremely useful.


    By now he, of course, knew that this had to do with his connection to the earth element. Yet, in the beginning, his view inside this labyrinth so to speak, was very limited. Now, on the other hand, it was just the same as outside and a pattern toward the exit became visible to him. These must be the perks of breaking through to the seventh stage of the true qi realm he thought, as he felt fortunate to have found the crystal.


    Like this, he would surely find the exit extremely fast. Filled with anticipation and excitement of passing the second trial made his speed surge to an even faster degree. All the while he passed many other participants. Among the corpses, some were still alive but seemed lost or trapped in their mind and others were too injured to go on further.


    Bazuul was quite shocked at this, what were they thinking of participating in such a trial with such weak fortitude. Losing their minds over a couple of corpses¡­


    ~~~


    Outside, on the military training grounds, the everlasting rumbling of thunder remained unfaced even as the veil of night slowly enclosed the city of Leizyr. In thirty minutes time, the second trial would end. Yet, less than half of the participants were outside, anticipating to finally pass the second trial and advance one more step toward their goal.


    Shu Huang had left the cave almost two hours ago and grew anxious as his friend had not yet emerged from the labyrinth.


    Karon gloated at the thought of Bazuul failing to clear the second trial. Though injured, thanks to his little brother, he intended to keep competing. Luckily for him, the commoners he chose to accompany him in the second trial carried him out of the labyrinth when he was still unconscious. With the help of pills, the swelling on his face had receded and so did the concussion.


    Hylion, on the other hand, was talking to his little sister. Idriel had also passed the second trial and that even faster than her older brother.


    Hugo and Emilia stood together in one group with the other participants of their nations, waiting for the second trial to end.


    Ten minutes passed and Bazuul was still nowhere to be seen.


    Another ten minutes passed and nothing.


    Meanwhile, with each passing minute, Karon''s heart beat faster in excitement.


    Shu Huang, on the other hand, had long become restless. This showed how - in his core - loyal he was toward his friends even though he appeared to be a no good silkpants.


    Suddenly a hand grabbed onto his shoulder which startled him, showing how nervous he really was.


    "My, my, brother Shu, are you waiting for someone? You look terrible." A smug sounding, but familiar voice said from behind.


    Unexpectedly, as Shu Huang turned around, it was none other than Bazuul that stood in front of him.


    Perplexed he exclaimed, "When...How...When did you exit the labyrinth brother?"


    His sudden bellowing also attracted the attention of the other participants. Many unaware of what was going on. Yet others, like for example Karon, Hugo and Emilia felt disgruntled upon realizing that this thorn in their eyes had made it in time.


    Hylion also noticed that Bazuul had returned and simply nodded at him before turning his focus back to his little sister.


    Jian Zhen, much like the others, became aware of Bazuul due to the commotion Shu Huang had created. Whilst looking at him, his face slowly covered in a pensive frown.


    Indifferent to the prying eyes Bazuul answered casually, "I exited the labyrinth just a second ago."


    At this Shu Huang looked at the remaining time and suddenly started pushing Bazuul toward another direction whilst saying, "Then go, go, go! Register yourself to one of the elders, there''s not much time left!"


    Not even a minute after Bazuul registered himself as someone who had passed the second trial the voice of grand elder Efyr from earlier that day reverberated through the military training grounds once more.


    "Congratulations young heroes of the Seven Kingdoms! One hundred and twelve of you have made it out and advanced to the third trial. We have seen the path you took in the second trial. We have also seen the struggles some had within. Some have gained experience, others treasures. Some have gained both, while those that gained nothing, just as those that lost everything, still remain inside! Cherish this moment and engrain the lessons learned in your soul! In honor of the young heroes that have fallen."


    Grand elder Efyr paused at this moment to let his words sink into the young crowd in front of him. Whilst Bazuul wondered why his words sounded so heavy. Personally, he thought the trial was rather easy. On the other hand, not everyone had the luxury of merging with the shadows and thus evading all sorts of traps and tricky mechanisms.


    The voice of the grand elder on the elevated stage rose once more. "You may now go back to your inns or wherever you stay and rest. The third trial will begin at the same time as today, the day after tomorrow. See you then!"


    The moment grand elder Efyr finished, he and the other elders from the Directorate behind him vanished.


    Slowly the military training grounds emptied as more and more participants left. Bazuul and Shu Huang also turned to go back when they suddenly passed a familiar looking young man. It was none other than Hugo Dias. Noticing a gaze locked onto him Hugo looked around and saw that Bazuul looked at him mockingly.


    "I was looking for you and your diasians, yet was unable to find you. I sure hope to receive your people''s special care during the third trial! Bazuul jeered and walked on whilst laughing as he referred to Hugo''s threat before the second trial.


    Hugo gritted his teeth at this ralunian brat''s sarcastic remark. Yet, unable to do anything at the moment, he could only hope that he and his diasian people would be called upon the same battle platform as him. If that would be the case, he wouldn''t mind shutting this annoyance up once and for all. After all, sometimes accidents happen.


    Indifferent to Hugo''s thoughts, Bazuul and Shu Huang had just separated as their inns were in different places of the capital city. As he entered the Yamino Inn he didn''t bother eating anything right now. All he cared about was consolidating his foundation and then getting some well-earned rest.

 Chapter 31 - Shadow of the Blade

    Back in his room at the Yamino Inn Bazuul immediately sat down in order to make use of the vast amounts of moonlight energy laying within his body. Hoping he could create an extremely firm foundation and thus consolidate his recent breakthrough to the seventh rank of the true qi realm.


    After a lot of work, the mist within his inner world had been guided into the core region of the yin and yang bowl. Still, he was unable to transfer large parts, he considered to be the core essence of the crystal''s energy, into it. Thus unable to make it his own. For some reason, it seemed to struggle and resist each time he tried to.


    Bazuul accepted this fairly easily since he had other plans for the rest of it anyway.


    Unbeknownst to him, he had been at work the whole night and dawn was already upon him. Since this was the case Bazuul decided against taking a nap and took a shower to freshen up instead. After doing so he left his room and ate some rather mundane breakfast provided by the Yamino Inn downstairs.


    Meanwhile, the owner of the inn silently cleaned the dishes in the back and kept to himself as per usual. At least that''s what Bazuul thought would happen but the owner with a bleak complexion, a man he didn''t even know the name of yet, suddenly turned around and walked toward Bazuul saying.


    "If I may ask dear customer, which kingdom do you hail from?"


    As the cold voice said by a completely empty gaze reached Bazuul, both shuddered him out of his momentary daze. The contrast between his choice of words and the tone of his voice still perplexed him a little. Remaining calm and collected on the surface he answered naturally.


    "I came here all the way from the coastal kingdom of Ralun in the west."


    The owner simply recognized the answer with an "um" and proceeded with another question.


    "I suppose you are taking part in the hidden dragon trials then, and since you haven''t vacated your room yet I presume you have made it to the third trial?"


    Bazuul nodded with a frown at the crude way this owner expressed himself and simply said.


    "That is correct!"


    After hearing this the owner nodded, gave him a once-over, turned around without a word and resumed cleaning the dishes.


    This action perplexed Bazuul again, especially the slight pause on his sword, but he didn''t want to dwell on it too much. First of all, why look for trouble when it was sure to find him? And second, he was preoccupied with certain plans he had in mind for today.


    Once he had finished his breakfast he departed from the inn with the destination being Lumin''s embassy.


    On the way there he passed the market and "Diagon alley-esque" shopping street he walked through with Elanar. It was for some time now that he could feel the gazes of several individuals locked onto him. Yet, he remained calm. He even slowed down his pace for a bit, from time to time he picked up items that laid on tables outside these shops.


    "Have I offended someone recently?" He thought as he acted like he was scrutinizing the item in his hand further.


    The questions in itself, of course, was ridiculous.


    For one there was the pathetic duo of Hugo Dias and Emilia Quintana. Then he had beaten up his petty older brother Karon. Last but not least, the shadow of the blade!


    He wasn''t particularly sure whether the shadow of the blade had evidence against him because of that night he met Elanar and killed three of their assassins. But they had at least probed him in the labyrinth.


    Considering all this he didn''t think that they were the ones watching him right now. The second trial had only ended about ten hours ago after all. With the size of the labyrinth, he didn''t believe that all dead or stranded participants had been recovered or identified.


    On the other hand, once they did identify their dead potential initiates and see that the wound had similarities with the others he would certainly become their prime suspect and target. Either way, there wasn''t much Bazuul could do about it. Since he couldn''t casually force this potential problem away, he also decided not to further dwell on it.


    After he concluded that it was, just like him, an outsider to Leizyr and not a local snake, he intended to give them an opening and force them to come at him.


    Still walking around the stands and looking at several items being sold for a while he eventually entered a side alley. Only to find himself surrounded in a quiet courtyard at the end of it. He chuckled for a moment and proceeded to say with a wry smile.


    "Ah, I didn''t mean to intrude, seeing how welcoming your demeanors are though, I guess I should make myself at home right?"


    Brimming with the intent to kill, five masked men proceeded to encircle Bazuul. Seeing their clothes and the familiar masks on their faces, Bazuul sighed inwardly at his misfortune. It actually was the shadow of the blade! They had caught up with him extremely fast, considering how little time had passed and the minuscule amount of "proof" they had. Not that an assassins organization would care about proof.


    "Less talking, you have a debt to pay kid!" One of them said with a gruff voice.


    "A debt? I wonder what you mean by that, I certainly borrowed no money from someone and paid for everything." Bazuul argumentatively said as he readied himself to be attacked.


    Another man to the left of him, his voice a lot lighter, but perversely playful, then chimed in.


    "There is no need to play coy, young man. We are talking about the blood debt of course. You see, we''ve lost some brothers recently, and for some reason, their corpses had been stripped clean of all blood."


    Speaking up to here he paused and chuckled just as eerily as the sound of his voice. The sound irritated Bazuul extremely, for some reason he felt abused by it.


    The man then spoke once more.


    "And ...we would really...like...it back." He said in differing cadence as his body bizarrely moved along the rhythm of his voice before his killing intent viciously rose and he pounced toward Bazuul.


    Two others also joined in and attacked Bazuul, thus from three different directions. He was prepared to be attacked for some time now, but what he didn''t factor in was the intense decisiveness to kill in each and every move or strike of an assassin. That was something he didn''t have to bother with the last time due to circumstance.


    Now, on the other hand, he found himself between a rock and a hard place. Three of them were on higher stages in the true qi realm than him. The other two, considering the density of their aura, should be either half step origin realm or at the initial stage. It seemed that this organization really wanted to get rid of him. Which he personally found a little excessive.


    One of the three that were attacking was one of those supposed origin realm cultivators. Causing Bazuul to let out a sigh of relief. If both of them would have attacked together he would''ve really had a problem. But now, he could use those other two true qi realm cultivators to maybe cause some confusion.


    He abruptly dashed out of this encirclement, then stopped, turned around, and dashed back with his sword in hand. The target, a higher stage true realm cultivator, was rather unprepared. He was just about to turn around when he saw the brat they intended to kill, seemingly flee, but before he could completely turn he saw the teenager dashing toward him ready to attack with his sword. As an assassin, he was confident in his agility but this attack came to sudden. Thus he lifted his dagger and also pounced toward his target ready to take a loss in exchange for a kill. The creepy half step origin realm cultivator also joined in to support the other.


    At this exact moment, Bazuul employed his shunpo technique and landed behind the true qi cultivator on the other side. Lightning fast and before the assassin could react the sword pierced his back, through the heart and out of his chest. Pouring some of his qi into the sword, it quickly turned its latest prey into a mummy as it sucked its body dry.


    This scene left the other assassins ghastly afraid as if they had fallen into an icebox. The creepy half step origin cultivator recovered the earliest and yelled as he pounced once more.


    "This is proof enough! Everyone, attack at full force and kill this evil creature for the sake of our fallen brothers!"


    The four remaining assassins leaped the moment they heard the order. At the same moment, the one who ordered them to do so landed in front of Bazuul. His sword was already in full swing with its apparent goal being the youngster''s neck. Not even a second passed and his sword cleanly cut through Bazuul''s neck, relieving his body from the weight of his head.


    With a shocked expression on his face, Bazuul''s head flew in a high arc for a couple of meters before crashing onto the ground and shattered like glass. Leaving the assassins dumbfounded.

 Chapter 32 - Blocked at the Door

    A slight chuckle reverberated through the small courtyard. The assassins, still in full momentum, slightly began doubting reality and thus started to become disoriented.


    They looked around but no trace of the youngster was to be found. This was just far too eerie, even for them. Before they could recover a breeze rose and passed them as it carried the whispering voice of the teenager.


    "An eye for an eye and a head for a head¡­"


    All of them turned around following the direction of the broken gasp of the assassin that supposedly slew their target. Yet, before they could do so, a familiar sound entered their ears. As they finally completely turned around, the head of the half step origin cultivator flew toward them in the same arc as the other head before.


    Then, out of nowhere, before the head could land on the ground. Seemingly all blood within his head and body rushed out and into the blade in Bazuul''s hand.


    Once again another of their brothers had lost his life and was turned into a barely recognizable, dried up husk.


    The silence within the courtyard only prevailed for a couple of breaths.


    "KILL, KILL, KILL! SLAUGHTER THAT KID!!!"


    The remaining half step origin cultivator roared as his whole body trembled with rage. At the same time, the slight openings on his mask revealed bloodshot eyes and signs of foam forming around his mouth. The small courtyard''s atmosphere thickened with killing intent, Only a second later all three remaining assassins started their attack.


    Bazuul was unable to withhold a slight chuckle. Even so, he readied himself for what could be his toughest fight since his reincarnation into this world. With that being said, most likely also the toughest in both of his lifetimes.


    All three simultaneously pounced and kept dashing around him in an eerie rhythm. Sometimes only one would attack, sometimes all three. Their attack pattern seemed completely random to Bazuul. Leaving him unable to truly prepare for when they decided to attack alone, and when to attack together. After having parried seven solo attacks in a row, it was again time to duel with three at a time. As all three started an attacked on Bazuul from three different sides.


    Realizing that they once more failed to hit their target one of them roared as his rage started to cloud his mind and heart.


    Truthfully, Bazuul held himself fairly well, especially if one took into account that he was a young teenager and his enemies grown assassins. Yet, he soon realized that the three assassins attacks became increasingly fierce. They suddenly started attacking without regard to their own safety. Which in turn caused Bazuul to become slightly flustered.


    With the passing of time and increasing fierceness of the fight, several wounds were already visible on Bazuul''s body. Though he was able to pierce one of the true qi cultivators hearts in their last attack. Killing him and leaving only two more targets for him to take care of.


    Still, a second in a fight of life or death meant an eternity. Before he could manage to draw his sword out of the assassin''s chest the origin cultivator appeared behind him with bloodshot eyes and his dagger in full swing.


    Unable to completely dodge the attack, Bazuul was still able to slightly avert the full power of it. The rest of the force crashed into him, causing his innards to churn viciously. The damage and pain from the internal injuries immediately made him spit out blood. It wasn''t the first time he suffered internal injuries but still, never in a fight like that.


    He instantly realized that his chances would only become slimmer from now on and chose to quickly come up with a plan to escape. It wasn''t a foolproof plan, neither was he sure he would be able to pull it off. It was actually more of an experiment but it seemed to be the best plan he had right now.


    Employing the - what he called - gold-dust technique from the sun within him he started to slowly spread it throughout the courtyard. Managing to dodge the incoming attacks he kept on spreading it. With only two charges of his mirage technique left his time ran short, but if everything would go as planned he would only need to use it one more time.


    Unaware of the gold dust all around them due to their bloodlust and rage, the assassins were slowly led toward the further end of the small courtyard. Once more the origin cultivator attacked, at which point Bazuul used [Mirage], then immediately fused the lightning element with his shunpo-technique and dashed toward the alley he came from.


    Turning around at the end of the courtyard he could see the assassins still follow him. With a pale expression, he forced out a smile and said.


    "I vow to you now, we will see each other again!"


    Simultaneously, he lifted his hand and snapped his fingers as they held some of the gold dust within. Embers of blood red flames shot randomly toward several different directions.


    Not even a second later the whole courtyard lit up in a huge pillar of fire. Even though it was the middle of the day it shone like a beacon throughout the city. Surely capturing the attention of many eyes and seemingly burning everything within into crisp.


    As the fire slowly vanished a minute later, the whole courtyard looked scorched with black soot covering the building walls. The same could be said about the origin assassin. The remaining true qi assassin, on the other hand, was completely burned as his body laid there lifeless.


    The severely injured origin cultivator was unable to find any trace of the teenager. He ignored the burn wounds and roared in anger to the high heavens. Moments later an unknown voice rose inside the courtyard.


    "You dare make an attempt on our prince''s life? Blasphemy!"


    Before the last remaining assassin could react an unstoppable force rolled over him and squashed him like a fly. Leaving behind a courtyard filled with silence, scorch marks, several bodies and a spot of gooey meat paste.


    Meanwhile, Bazuul stealthily zigzagged through the masses of people in the shopping district. His complexion paled further due to the loss of blood and his inner injuries.


    He could regularly feel the blood welling up inside of him. Which occasionally almost made him throw up, but up until now, he managed to gulp it back down every time.


    His goal slowly came into sight, the embassy of Lumin. As he closed in on it, the guards in front of the gate took notice of him.


    "HALT!! This area is closed off to the common folk!" One of them yelled as he saw the figure with torn up and ragged clothes full of bloodstains coming toward them. Not even bothering to identify the figure.


    "I''m a friend of your first princess, Elanar. I need to give her something so let me through." Bazuul explained barely conscious anymore.


    "For the last time, scram or else we will have to rough you up!" The same guard warned Bazuul for a second time.


    Seeing that these guards weren''t taking him seriously Bazuul proceeded to inhale a big gulp of air and then shouted out her name.


    "ELANAAAAAAAAAAAAR, IT''S M..."


    "Insolent brat, you will have to learn the hard way!" The other guard reacted in kind to this affront to their masters and gave Bazuul a strong and well-positioned kick to the chest.


    Bazuul flew backward for a couple of meters and landed on his butt. The impact finally caused him to lose control and he threw up an immense amount of blood. Before he could completely realize the situation his vision faded into blackness and he lost consciousness.

 Chapter 33 - Moonlight

    Bazuul awoke hours later in the evening inside a well-decorated room unknown to him. The bed was huge and extremely soft. It was as if he was laying on clouds amidst the sky. The bedsheet felt pleasantly cool and smelled, just like the rest of the room. Fresh with a faint tinge of jasmine in the air.


    "You''ve woken up? How do you feel little brother?"


    A familiar voice traveled the room and into his ears, it was none other than Elanar''s. Bazuul''s mind and facial features blanked for a while before he realized she was also inside the room, sitting by the open study.


    It seemed he was already inside the Lumin embassy. As to how and what had transpired remained unknown to him.


    Elanar saw the confusion on his face, she laid down the pen in her hand, stood up from her desk and walked toward him. She explained that his shouting earlier caught her attention. When she looked out of the window to see what the commotion was about, she saw a roughed up version of him on the ground. Not to mention the immense amounts of blood all around and on him.


    She went on and explained as to how he was then carried inside and how one of the elders fed him a medicinal pill. Apparently, the people from the ralunian embassy had already been informed and should be on their way. Although his body seemed to heal at an above average rate, she told him that he would have to rest for a couple more days due to his injuries. Thus he would naturally be disqualified from the third trial. Finally, she asked him what had happened.


    Bazuul felt something sweet tingle inside his heart and chuckled slightly. Looking at her in his still weakened state, he softly pinched her nose and explained that the rest would not be necessary. That his bodies recovering rate would take care of that.


    Although his recovery rate would not be as insane as that of the dark fiend inside his inner world, but still enough. He thanked her for the pill, as it was the first time he took such a kind of medicine.


    Elanar went from blushing due to his actions to being annoyed that he wouldn''t take her advice. That mixture and him once again crossing his boundaries caused her pride to flare up and she prepared to leave the room.


    A few steps before the door Bazuul mentioned that it was, in fact, the shadow of the blade that had ambushed him. Causing her to freeze in her steps. She turned around and looked at Bazuul in order to find out if it was the truth.


    Bazuul, on the other hand, could only give her a wry smile as he sighed. "Guess they know that I have been the one that killed their men."


    Elanar then walked back toward the bed. Her face was covered in several emotions. Most of all, it seemed, she felt guilty. To Bazuul, on the other hand, seeing these kinds of emotions on her, seemed extremely cute. Almost causing his heart to burst.


    Bazuul then smiled, telling her that it''s not her fault. It was, after all, his choice to help her. He further added several other reasons in order to comfort her.


    "Actually, before I was ambushed, I was planning to come to your place because I got something to give you." Bazuul then explained.


    Elanar felt a bit better now and was quite curious as to what he wanted to give her.


    Motioning for her to come closer, he put his fingers on her forehead and guided some of the remaining moonlight energy inside of him into her.


    Cherishing the feeling of the fresh moonlight energy she was clearly dazed for a second. Then she abruptly opened her eyes and looked onto Bazuul in shock.


    "How¡­" She stuttered before Bazuul interrupted.


    "There is a lot more still waiting to be transferred to you. Maybe you should go to your elders or the guards and tell them to not disturb us for the time being."


    Elanar thought for a bit and once again blushed slightly. It was after all, a bit unbecoming of her to be staying inside a room alone with someone of the opposing gender. Then again, this feeling, this energy, might be crucial for her to breakthrough.


    She recovered the bearing of a princess and abruptly asked him. "Why?"


    "Because it''s yours, to begin with," Bazuul said seriously.


    Even though she didn''t understand what he meant by that, seeing his earnest expression, and of course the benefits she would gain, she nodded in agreement.


    She rushed out of the room and informed the elders to not disturb them. Leaving the elders sitting there with complicated expressions and kind of shell-shocked. This was their first princess after all, should anything untoward happen, the king would not only have their heads but also the heads of their loved ones.


    Elanar then returned to the room Bazuul was in several minutes later.


    Bazuul already sat cross-legged in a spacy area next to a window. Once she entered, he motioned for her to come closer and instructed her how to sit in front of him. After she did so, he said, "Now put your hands out and connect each of your fingertips with mine. Afterward, we will have to adjust and synchronize our breathing."


    Even though she nodded and did exactly as Bazuul instructed, she felt like an oven as her face blushed beet red again. Aware of the fact that he often crossed his boundaries and had touched her a couple of times already. That, after all, was his doing. This time though, it was out of her own volition.


    With a lot of willpower, Bazuul ignored the blush on her face, thus also the wish to further tease her and said.


    "Once we have reached the perfect point of synchronicity, I will send all of the energy into you. When that moment comes - you''ll feel it - completely focus on controlling all the incoming energies inside your inner world and let me do the rest."


    Once again she was shocked at what he said. An inner world was extremely rare and if someone had one, then it was the deepest secret an individual could have.


    Bazuul smiled lightly, lifted one of his hands and said,


    "No worries, all information about you is nowhere, within all the myriads of worlds, safer than with me. May the heavens strike me down if I divulge even a word of it."


    After a moment of hesitation, and after seeing Bazuul casually make a heavenly oath, she nodded. A heavenly oath was, after all, no joke. The lucky ones that broke their oath would simply die. Most though would have their souls shattered, thus forever unable to be part of Samsara''s Wheel.


    Closing her eyes, she put her hands on his and felt several different sensations. One of them was the heat coming from him, as the impression of every ridge on his hand slowly visualized inside her mind. Her heartbeat had long accelerated and her breathing became irregular.


    "Focus!" Bazuul reminded her. Which shook her out of her reverie. Taking a peek at him, she saw that his face had become quite rosy, to say the least. A smile edged around her lips before she took a deep breath and refocused. Slowly both drifted into a higher state and initiated the process of their dual cultivation.


    ~~~


    Meanwhile, Bazuul''s uncle, Field Marshal Faolan. His two brothers, Kuzan and Karon, and some elders reached the entrance to the embassy of Lumin. Their expressions were grim since none of them knew the true condition of the fourth prince.


    The same guards that stood in front of the gate when Bazuul wanted to enter, were still standing guard.


    When they sighted the group that came toward them, both felt quite anxious. They had been informed that a delegation from the ralunian kingdom was on their way. Due to the first princess''s reaction earlier that day, they could also guess the identity of the roughed up youngster now.


    When the group finally stood in front of them, a very familiar and a monument of a figure came up to them and asked with a rugged voice and stern expression.


    "I''ve been informed that my nephew has been severely injured and is currently inside your embassy. If you wish to see another day, I''d advise you to let us trough!"


    Both guards shuddered. Not only because of the intense and oppressive aura. Also not because of the threat to their lives. No. He called that boy his nephew. They knew the identity of this person in front of them. Every warrior within the Seven Kingdoms knew the name and deeds of this legendary figure. The Guardian of the Arch. Field Marshal Faolan, the brother of King Varanur III, the king of Ralun. Which would suggest that teenager was a prince of Ralun.


    Suddenly they could feel trouble ahead of them that would transcend death.

 Chapter 34 - Event Horizon

    The guards, of course, made way and Field Marshal Faolan, accompanied by his entourage of the two princes and three elders passed the gates. The door to the embassy opened when the group just reached the steps. Three elder exited the embassy to greet the group from Ralun.


    "It is quite an honor for the Guardian of the Arch to make a visit himself." The female elder in the middle said. This elder was the character with the highest authority, apart from the members of the royal family, that came along to this trip to Donar.


    "It is also quite the surprise that someone of grand elder Arya''s esteemed position would be attending such an event," Faolan said.


    "Well, since my direct line disciple wished to attend to this times royal tournament for some reason, I myself could also not sit idle." She said with a smile that was clearly suffused with pride when she mentioned her disciple.


    Both groups exchanged some more pleasantries before the third prince of Ralun, Karon spoke up. "Could we cut to the chase, please? How is my dear little brother?"


    Even though the way he spoke and the fact that he cut into the conversation proved to be a lack of etiquette. To the outside, it also seemed to be purely the agitated words of a worried older brother.


    To the ralunians among the two groups, and especially to Kuzan, this was merely a farce Karon used to seem magnanimous. A character like grand elder Arya was, of course, able to sense the subtle changes on their faces. Particularly the first prince''s face had a thick black line between his eyes.


    Grand elder Arya chuckled slightly and said. "Well, concerning that. You may wait in the lounge inside, but your fourth prince is currently not receiving visitors. About his injuries, he was indeed found severely wounded in front of our gates. He had lost quite a lot of blood, but his wounds have been treated, and he is out of danger now."


    "What do you mean our prince doesn''t receive any visitors? This is preposterous!" one of the elders lashed out.


    "What exactly are you trying to do?" He followed up.


    "Calm down Ferra. I believe grand elder Arya will have an explanation." Faolan chimed in.


    Waiting for an answer, Faolan only saw complicated expressions on the grand elder''s and two elder''s faces. Almost a minute of silence prevailed before grand elder Arya, shrugged her shoulders, sighed with a wry smile on her face and said.


    "My disciple and your prince, they...they are currently in closed-door cultivation."


    Another round of silence persisted before Faolan himself asked in befuddlement.


    "They are...WHAT?! What do you mean closed-door cultivation? You don''t mean dual-cult¡­"


    Grand elder Arya interrupted him with a wave of her hand and said seriously. "We are not clear on anything right now, so please don''t indulge in flights of fancy grand marshal."


    All the while, Karon seemed a bit lost as he could not follow the conversation. Though his interest piqued when he heard that his youngest brother might dual-cultivate with the grand-elders disciple.


    He looked around and found that his uncle still seemed a bit shocked. Elder Ferra Yael was seemingly lost in thought, the other elder, elder Delaqoa had a full smile on his face and a rather proud posture. His eldest brother had his face covered in his hands, although a wry smile still managed to peek out between them.


    Disgruntled inside, he realized his younger brother might have hit the jackpot. He knew nothing about the identity of the grand elder''s disciple but considering the grand elder''s status. The disciple had to be just as imposing as the master. What he was sure of was how beneficial it would be to find a suitable partner to dual-cultivate with.


    Again, dual-cultivation was not uncommon, even more so for a prince. Many princes would have several partners, and some would even use these women as vessels to be filled with many precious herbs and medicines before consuming them whole and then discarding their hollow husks. Of course, this principle would work equally so for women. But, having a suitable partner and having them work in tandem, would therefore immensely increase the effects in the cultivation process for both parties. In contrast, any such aforementioned techniques effects, paled dearly if the latter was the case.


    ~~~


    Inside Elanar''s room, both her and Bazuul sat there silently. Immersed in their worlds and the task at hand.


    The core essence of the moonlight inside Bazuul''s world had already begun to transfer toward Elanar''s. More than that, it had formed a sort of bridge. Connecting both worlds and weaving their consciousness into one.


    At first, this process seemed chaotic and out of balance, but much like the stars in the cosmos, both eventually locked onto one another and danced through the empty. The very being of both, their souls, grew exponentially.


    As Elanar fed on the constant stream of moonlight Bazuul provided her, while he feasted on her magnificence, on her presence alone. Subsequently causing the light side of his inner world to - though still inaccessible - grow ever so slightly.


    Together as one, they grew out of their inner world into the empty as their souls became astral forms, much like observable constellation in the sky.


    Turned into constellations, their whole bearing had reached something beyond majesty.


    Soon though, their cosmic forms crashed into one another. Weaving their very soul essence together. They disassembled, collided and reassembled. Each time creating massive explosions in this empty space that held both their worlds, again and again.


    Hours upon hours passed and both did not seem to stop anytime soon. The people inside Lumin''s embassy had already transitioned to the dining room and could feel enormous energy waves flaring up from time to time. Afraid that the eyes of other groups would forget to show restraint after the first wave rolled over them. Grand elder Arya put up several layers of formations to prevent any such cases.


    To be honest, this action was incredibly excessive considering the fact we were talking about two late-stage true qi cultivators, but the energy waves coming from them were the actual cause of this reaction from grand elder Arya. Usually, cultivators would gather the qi of heaven and earth. Depending on their elemental aptitudes the environment for cultivation would change.


    For example, a young cultivator with the fire element would rather cultivate in hot regions containing a lot of qi with a fire polarity rather then wet areas. Another example would be the revered blacksmith of the Vermillion Sword Sect, Huo Jin. An expert of the fifth spirit realm ?¡ª Only three stages below Bazuul''s father, the second strongest person in the Seven Kingdoms. Was said to be cultivating at the same place he would forge the swords and armor for his sect, inside a volcano nearby their domain.


    The same would count for magicians, although not to such extremes since mages rarely trained their bodies.


    Another example, albeit a rare one, would be someone such as Bazuul with an aptitude to all elements. Such a cultivator could be able to gather and condense the very essence of nature and then convert it into qi. Legends say those with this gift would be able to create out of nothing. So far though, records of such feats were far and few.


    The energy waves radiating from the Lumin embassy though were neither.


    Even field marshal Faolan and grand elder Arya, as experienced as they were could only make an uneducated guess that this was an equally legendary form of qi called divine qi. Not daring to speak such thoughts out loud both kept this idea to themselves. Hoping the formations would keep this matter contained to the outside.

 Chapter 35 - Argent Moon - Golden Sun

    Field marshal Faolan and grand elder Arya, as experienced as they were, they had still not adjusted to their instinctual train of thoughts. Even they had trouble resisting this force; if one considered the circumstances and their status, this was a rather peculiar situation. All they could do was hope that the formations would be able to keep these energy waves contained to the outside.


    In the myriad of worlds, mortals were mostly unaware of divine qi, and those that knew about it were unsure whether it was only a legend or in fact real. Such was also the case for the world of Tiamat. Specifically, in the realm of Ytolan, the extent of knowledge toward this subject somewhat lacked substance or was non-existent.


    Yet, the mortal folks on the continent in close proximity to the elven lands were much more prone to believe in the existence of divine qi. Lumin was such a nation, bordering directly at the high wall. Especially them, which had their entire society centered around the worship of the moon goddess, and therefore also the elven culture, had strong feelings about this subject. Which in turn caused many of their neighbors to view them as fanatics.


    The moon goddess created the elves ages ago when Tiamat was still a young pebble tossing about in the great dark beyond.


    Thus the moon goddess would bless the elves and their lands every time both of Tiamat''s moons aligned. Naturally, the majority of cultivators around the borders could feel the intensity of this energy. Which then brought about their belief in divine qi. This did not mean that they knew more about it. Not at all. To them, divine qi just was not a myth whereas other nations remained rather skeptical or ignorant of it.


    ~~~


    The city of Leizyr had long gone to sleep, but both Bazuul and Elanar had still not finished up.


    The night passed, and there was still no sign of them ending their seclusion. Karon, Kuzan and many attendants of the embassy were long unable to take those waves anymore and had fallen unconscious. Even the elders, grand marshal Faolan and grand elder Arya felt the pressure. To them, it started to feel like the air was running thin.


    But because of the formations previously laid out, no one was able to leave nor enter.


    Only after a large part of the day had also elapsed, did the two seemingly awake from their closed-door cultivation. As both opened their eyes, the whole room bathed in a mix of golden and silver light. After both light forms slowly faded away, the two individuals gradually regained consciousness.


    Both of them gazed deeply at each other but remained silent. Their hands, which had only slightly changed positions, unhooked and reluctantly separated.


    The feeling, the atmosphere was completely different from before. The sense of restraint from earlier was entirely gone, and an air of familiarity surrounded both.


    "We should probably take a shower before we go out. Ladies first!" Bazuul said with a slight smile on his face as he lifted himself from the ground and helped her up.


    Elanar also smiled slightly, answered with an "en" and went in first.


    Whilst Elanar washed up and got rid of the impurities on her body, Bazuul observed the progress within him. Once again he had broken through. He had safely adjourned to the eighth true qi realm, at the same time Elanar had broken through to the ninth realm.


    Not only had both sides of Bazuul''s inner world grown, but so had his physical body even if it was just a couple of centimeters.


    He was still locked out of the light''s side of his inner world though. On the other hand, the effects were more than enough to satisfy him. After all, the brighter the light, the thicker the darkness. As a result, the power and his control over the dark side within increased tremendously.


    As he looked around the room, everything seemed slightly different. He could see things without looking at them since he could feel everything around him as if part of his body. Be it the bed, the pillows on it, the wardrobe and the clothes inside, or the desk, it didn''t matter.


    Or to be precise, it did matter, since even the tiniest particles in the air were as if one with him.


    With a thought, he was able to attract whatever was in his sphere or push it away. He seemed to be able to control every object around him as if he was the gravitational center of it all.


    "If I can use this ability on the other competitors in the royal tournament they won''t even stand a chance. Those remaining in the third stage of the hidden dragon trial, however, did not have one before, and now they border at the edge of irrelevance." He thought to himself.


    Just then, Elanar finished up and entered her room again, only to be met with a scene that left her baffled. Her beddings, the chair of her desk, some vases, the water within, even the flowers, and several documents were all freely floating in the air.


    Exiting his reverie, Bazuul realized the scene he unconsciously created and put everything slowly back to where it belonged. Bazuul smiled and said as he passed her, entering the bathroom. "You should also test out the extent of which your abilities have grown."


    ~~~


    Outside the hall leading to Elanar''s room sat four figures, waiting. Grand marshal Faolan, grand elder Arya and two remaining elders had immediately rushed here when the waves and pressure had altogether ceased a moment ago.


    The rest of the people inside the embassy though were still unconscious.


    The noise of a big door opening and closing caught their attention as they focused their gazes toward the hall and the sound of resonating footsteps that traveled their direction.


    Shortly after, both Bazuul and Elanar came in to view walking side by side. All present could feel a particular bearing from the two. An inexplicable affinity surrounded them even though the size difference. It was something about the air around them and the atmosphere they created.


    "Hello uncle, how have you been?" Bazuul said, seeming completely relaxed. "If I may introduce you to the first princess of Lumin, Elanar Luminair." He then added as his hands pointed to his side.


    Before Faolan could completely take everything in Elanar bowed slightly and said, "Greetings uncle."


    Bazuul then also slightly bowed and greeted grand elder Arya thanking her for the help and medicinal pill.


    Both grand marshal Faolan and grand elder Arya looked at each other and found the same helplessness in the eyes of the other. They could feel the meaning behind those two youngsters behavior but didn''t dare ask. This was a matter their parents would have to handle.


    Sometimes you could be old and wise, but maybe precisely for this reason, interpret more into someone''s actions than there was. As for Bazuul and Elanar, they merely meant to be polite.


    "Very well, I''ll have the servants prepare something to eat for the both of you. Once they regain consciousness that is. It has been one night and practically the whole day after all." Grand elder Arya then said to change the subject.


    Both were shocked when they heard that they spent that much time cultivating together. Especially Bazuul was shocked, not only did this mean that the third stage of the hidden dragon trial was starting tomorrow. He had also turned thirteen yesterday.

 Chapter 36 - Belated Birthday Party

    An hour or so passed and everyone slowly started to regain their consciousness. Afterward, the attendants began to prepare a sumptuous meal for the whole embassy.


    Faolan and Arya had long acclimated to the situation and regained composure befitting their status.


    At the table inside the dining room, Faolan stood up to give a toast to his prince and congratulated him for his birthday. His brothers Kuzan and Karon, as well as the elders, followed up closely behind their uncle.


    Bazuul, on the other hand, could feel Faolan''s real intent. Obviously, he intended to be his wingman of sorts and further turn Elanar''s attention toward him.


    Leaving him with the image of a young Faolan strutting around their home city like a silkpants and helping his friends, maybe even Bazuul''s father, picking up young maidens.


    Elanar dazed for a while, "Zuul has actually turned thirteen yesterday?" She thought.


    She hadn''t thought he would have missed his birthday for her. After all, that was the most important day for each individual in the Seven Kingdoms. For Bazuul though, his birthday had no meaning. Not because it wasn''t the actual date of his birthday to him, but because it genuinely had no importance to him. He had not celebrated the day of his birth for almost two decades, and it wasn''t the first time he forgot about it.


    Grand elder Arya, therefore, convinced the ralunian faction to stay the night and have a quaint little birthday party here at their embassy. That way the prince could celebrate his birthday and rest rather close to the military grounds where the third trial would take place tomorrow morning. As they agreed the first meals entered the room and were laid out on the table.


    Drinks were poured, sumptuous meals were devoured, and songs were sung. The party took place almost until midnight. Bazuul, now a little tipsy, entered the room the elders had assigned to him in order to rest for the upcoming trial.


    Late at night, and in deep slumber, Bazuul awoke from the noise of his door opening when a silent whisper entered his ears. "Zuul, are you awake?"


    Bazuul answered a little baffled, "Ela? What..." He attempted to ask her what would bring her here this late at night, but eventually, he just said, "Come in."


    She entered and walked up to him in her, what Bazuul would call, pajamas. In her hands was a barely visible little jade box only discernible by the way it reflected the moonlight. Like it was milk on a silver plate.


    "I wasn''t able to truly thank you before. Now you did this for me and missed your birthday. This is why I decided to gift you something dear to my family." As she referred to his birthday, she opened the box, and a chain revealed itself to him. "This is a family heirloom called Lunari''s Tear. As you can see the stone engraved onto the inside of the crescent moon, supposedly is a tear from our goddess herself. It has several effects; for example, it soothes the mind when troubled, it lights the path in the dark and can even cleanse you to some extent."


    Bazuul was shocked that Elanar would gift him something so precious, especially since it was a family heirloom. On the other hand, he wasn''t too excited about it either. After all, he had gained a far more precious gift ever since he had entered the city of Leizyr.


    He thanked her as she helped him put the chain around his neck but, as he held her hand, also told her that it was not really necessary to give him anything since he already received the best gift he could wish for.


    Elanar blushed but didn''t move, only gazing at Bazuul attentively in this dark room, barely lit by the moonlight shining in.


    Bazuul also observed her for a second as he sat still on the bed. A moment later he softly dragged her to him onto the bed while also letting himself fall on the back.


    They lay there on the bed together, still looking at each other without making any noise, their eyes burned with intensity but eventually, they both innocently fell asleep.


    ...


    Early the next morning, Bazuul awoke from his slumber only to find himself being spooned by Elanar.


    Never would he have thought he would ever be the little spoon, but little did he care to be honest.


    He freed himself as careful as possible so she would not wake up and then took a shower. Afterward, he took the leather armor and light imbued silk shirt he chose from his father''s armory out of his spatial ring and finally put them on. From now on he would take this trial seriously.


    Just then there were three soft knocks on the door which then slightly opened. "Little Zuul are you awake already?" It turned out to be his eldest brother Kuzan that peaked into the room asking for him.


    Bazuul stood in front of the mirror next to the door when the door opened. Hearing his brother''s inquiry, he put his finger on his mouth indicating him to be quiet and pointed behind him.


    Slightly perplexed, Kuzan subconsciously opened the door entirely and looked passed his little brother. Dull as he was early in the morning, he looked at the bed a while before realizing who lay in his brother''s bed.


    Shocked Kuzan began stuttering, "This...I...I have seen nothing!" and then ran out to the hall and away with his face blushed beet red.


    Bazuul chuckled lightly; his eldest brother was rather innocent considering he had already been to war. Plus, his servant Bing, was also quite the beauty. Seeing that they had been in a master-servant relationship for more than ten years, Bazuul assumed that something had to have happened somewhere along the line.


    Yet, seeing his reaction, it didn''t seem to be the case.


    The slight commotion created by Kuzan though woke Elanar up. Without thinking about anything she asked. "What happened? What was that noise?"


    Bazuul walked up to her, as he ran his fingers through her hair he said. "Just a little bird. Rest a little more Ela, I will be going to the third trial shortly, but I reckon I''ll be back soon."


    She agreed with an "en" once again and laid back down on the bed, but only a second later she jumped back up and off the bed. This sudden reaction also startled Bazuul, but before he could ask her what had happened, she too rushed out of his room with her face flushed in a crimson hue.


    At the end of the hall, hiding within the shadows, stood a tall figure in robes, as it observed all that had happened at the door of Bazuul''s room this morning.


    Inside Bazuul''s room...


    Looking at Elanar rushing out like that, Bazuul couldn''t help but laugh out loud. Of course, he could imagine why she reacted like that.


    Soon though his happy expression turned into a frown, he had learned his lesson from life already. Currently, everything was clouded in a shroud of happiness and life was good. Every time this was so in his life before, things rapidly turned awry. Thus he decided to be more cautious from now on.


    He was thinking about the fact that the first prince of Donar had already sent assassins after him, for whatever reason. He didn''t know, but what he knew was that he was on his turf, and had, therefore, be a lot more careful.


    Bazuul left the embassy and shortly after entered the military ground, ready to crush anyone in his path.

 Chapter 37 - The Hidden Dragon Trials Turn...

    Inside the military''s training ground all remaining one hundred and twelve competitors were already waiting. There was a certain pressure in the air, one that had nothing to do with the geographical tropospheric situation in Leizyr. It was the anticipation, the eagerness and also the anxiety emitted by the participants of this last trial. Through that it created this static atmosphere all around them.


    Only about thirty minutes after the last participants had entered, did the ten elders, alongside grand elder Efyr, appear on the same elevated platform as before.


    Once again he stomped his staff against the floor and seemingly cleared out the air before he started saying.


    "Welcome back everyone! The third trial will soon begin, and as previously mentioned, you will fight multiple of your competitors at once on one of the ten platforms ahead. The last to remain at each platform will thus qualify for the royal tournament next week. Each of you will draw a lot, and the number on it will tell you which platform is yours to fight on. As there are one hundred and twelve participants left, eight of the ten platforms will have eleven competitors fighting each other, and the two remaining will hold twelve."


    Grand elder Efyr''s gaze roamed the training grounds, seemingly looking into each and every one competitor before continuing. "Now, without further ado..."


    He said and suddenly threw all one hundred and twelve lots out and high up into the air. Naturally, this created a lot of chaos amidst the challengers of this third and last trial.


    Many jumped around or used some of their skills to be the first ones to catch one of these lots. Others remained where they stood and did nothing. One of them was Bazuul. Seeing some of them around him as they frantically tried to get one of the lots and revealed their abilities made him laugh inside. After all, this was a competition. Making sure your enemies could not even so much as peek into your abilities was vital. Which was apparent, considering the number of gazes he could feel locked onto him.


    This was what made many of those that thought the same as Bazuul disgruntled of course. They had thought they could lay low and observe the strongest competitors first. Of course, one of them was, Bazuul. After all, considering the latent talent he had shown in the first trial, many were eager to get a glimpse at his abilities and maybe gain some advantages through this knowledge.


    Sadly for them, they had been sorely disappointed. Because Bazuul still did not move.


    What most didn''t know was that while they were distracted by grand elder Efyr''s sudden move to throw all the "tickets to their dreams" into the air, Bazuul had already attracted the nearest lot right to him.


    Stuck between his index finger and his thumb, nobody had even noticed. As he slightly lifted his thumb, the tiny paper revealed the number five before it vanished into thin air. Thereafter leaving a small mark on his wrist with five dots, much like a tattoo. Bazuul then crossed his arms and stood still for the remainder of the time.


    Most had already picked up their lot and observed the other participants attentively. Until the end, though, it seemed Bazuul hadn''t moved so much as a finger.


    The very second the last lot was drawn grand elder Efyr instructed them to move on to each of their platforms and await the gong that would signify the official start of the third trial.


    Many were shocked and confused when Bazuul confidently walked toward the fifth platform. "What the...When the f...when did he pick up a lot?!


    I watched him the whole time!!" Some thought.


    Jian Zheng was also among those. He just couldn''t figure out why his heart would always feel uneasy when it came to this, what he considered, young boy. He would be on platform nine, but now he really wanted to be on platform five to appease these feelings of doubt and insecurity.


    As Bazuul stood on platform five he observed the ten youth''s that he would have to defeat. Soon, and although most of gazes on his platform were on him, his eyes were piercing into someone standing the furthest away from him. Ignoring everyone else with a smile on his face and his eyes arched he could not wait for the trial to start.


    On the other end of the platform stood none other than Hugo Dias. The poor fellow thought he would "accidentally" kill this thorn in his eyes today. Yet, the fact was, he didn''t stand a chance even before Bazuul left Ralun and now Hugo was practically a little child to him. Even more so if one considered the fact that Bazuul had broken through three realms since his departure to the hidden dragon trials.


    Hugo was older than him and was only at the third stage of the true qi realm with no elemental nor magical affinity whatsoever. Thus not even fit to carry Bazuul''s shoes anymore.


    Aside from Hugo Dias, he had only heard of one other person among the people on platform five, Brynja Donarim. The second princess of Donar. She was at the sixth stage of the true qi realm with an affinity for the air and lightning element. Plus she only had slightly worse magical talent than Bazuul.


    From the other participant''s aura, he could tell that most of them were around the fourth or fifth stage. Actually, only two on platform five seemed to have reached the bare minimum to participate in the second trial, the third stage of the true qi realm. One being Hugo Dias and the other, looking at his clothes, or lack thereof, a young commoner.


    Immersed in his own assessment of the situation, the gong rang as its vibrations penetrated every pore of the participant throughout all of the platforms.


    The moment this happened many fights across the military''s training grounds broke out. So did also on platform five, and Bazuul was the first to launch his attack.


    He immediately dashed toward Hugo at an extremely high pace. What shocked him was, seconds after he started his attack, before he could reach his target, six of the other challengers also pounced toward him.


    The shock lasted only for a very short time before it turned into a drunken chuckle as his killing intent slowly oozed out of him. As they got dangerously close to him, he apparently vanished into thin air. Or so everyone on platform five thought. Only a second later he appeared beside Hugo, grabbed him by the collar, and smashed his fist into his face a dozen times, also within a second.


    The last hit blasted him out of the platform and down on the floor against a wall. Unconscious he sat there, almost toothless, with a majority of his facial bones broken and, of course, disqualified.

 Chapter 38 - ...Into a Dragons Feast

    Only four seconds.


    It took merely four seconds since the official start of the third trial, and the first participant had already been knocked out of the competition.


    While this was shocking to most of the remaining one hundred and ten still standing, the ones on platform five felt cold sweat creeping down their back. The viciousness of which this third prince from the kingdom of Dias had been disposed of. The exceeding aggressiveness with which that one fist hit his face multiple times, brought upon an uneasy feeling in their hearts.


    Bazuul turned around, his face plastered with a satisfied expression, but unconsciously most on his platform took a step back because of this. Their bodies obviously showed them what their pride would not let them admit, a sense of defeat.


    However, most were definitely not all. One of them actually confidently took a step forward.


    "I have never had any admiration for those that pick on the weak, contrary to your tactic, I believe defeating the strongest ones will bring me the most glory. Now come and face me!" Said the person in a valkyrie-esqe armor with an undertone of prideful disgust. However, one could clearly see the fiery thirst for battle in her eyes as it shone through her helmet. Contrary to the others, the scene with Hugo seemed to have set Brynja''s will to fight on fire.


    Bazuul, on the other hand, barely gave her any attention. He looked at her for less than a second before ignoring her mid-sentence. Just before she finished, Bazuul had already appeared amidst a couple of other competitors still dazed by the previous scene. While he attacked them, of course not as vicious as he did with Hugo, he indifferently said, "Sounds so righteous, but sorry, I don''t hit little girls."


    Meanwhile, the others around him had woken up from their confusion and started to counter-attack.


    On the other side though, Brynja flushed red from anger. "Is he making fun of me? What little girl? Did this little kid just dare to call me a little girl?! No one. NO ONE makes fun of me! This big sister will show you how to behave by leading you to death''s door!" She thought as she started to draw her sword out of the sheath.


    Suddenly, every hair on her body stood stiff. For some reason, she heard a voice whispering into her right ear from behind.


    "Just kidding!" Bazuul said mid-air before slamming his elbow against the back of her neck, causing her to stumble forward and almost falling onto the ground unconscious.


    The intense pain in her neck traveled upwards her brain. The shock caused by this attack had hurt her immensely as even her vision had turned blurry from the shock her body was experiencing.


    As a proud princess and valkyrie though, she was a tough one. Instead of succumbing to the pain and possible damage to her, she swung her sword toward him while she turned around, which in turn, caught Bazuul wholly unprepared.


    Considering this he immediately activated his [Mirage] technique. Brynja, on the other hand, kept attacking full force. To her surprise, Bazuul seemingly made no attempt whatsoever to dodge. Unable to stop her attack, or maybe unwilling, her sword connected right below his ribcage and cut him in half.


    A second later though, Bazuul appeared to be crackling and suddenly shattered like glass. Dazzled by the tiny little particles of glass that previously were Bazuul, suspended in a sunbeam, they glittered in a multitude of colors.


    Unprepared, Bazuul appeared right behind her, and without holding back, he smashed his fist on her back, whilst simultaneously channeling the power of expulsion.


    With a loud but dull noise, Brynja uncontrollably flew down the platform. Admittedly, she looked far less miserable as Hugo did before. However, she still had fallen short in her endeavor to prove herself in the royal tournament.


    After she finally stood up with great difficulty, she realized that she too had been disqualified. Just like the calm before the storm, she was quiet at first, but soon she started to throw a slight tantrum due to the shame. Brynja actually accused Bazuul of not being a true man since all he could do was attack her from behind.


    With his back to her and already embroiled in a skirmish with several others he simply ignored her. Only chuckling inside.


    With time, the number of competitors on platform five slowly decreased. Some attacked randomly, others in pairs while they coordinated their attacks but still weren''t even able to force one technique out of him. Now all the more, did he realize the difference in cultivation realms. Even if their fists and legs were to connect, to say that he would receive damage from it would be an exaggeration. At most, he would feel a little pain. Though pain, to him, was bound to time and thus fleeting in nature.


    In the end, each of them had been knocked out or off the platform by Bazuul personally. The elders, even the disqualified competitors from other platforms, were quite shocked at this. Not only was he dominating everyone on his platform he also made exceedingly quick work of them. As if a dragon suppressing local snakes he trashed them and only ten minutes later one of the two remaining surrendered by his own volition. Thus, only Bazuul and the young commoner with a cultivation of the third stage of the true qi realm remained.


    "Eeh ~ You''re slippery one aren''t you? Not even one attack came from you, from beginning to end." Bazuul said factually. After all, this was the first time Bazuul caught sight of this fellow ever since the beginning.


    "Tell me, where are you from? What''s your name?" Bazuul continued with a slight smirk.


    "Why would I have to tell you anything? Because you''re a prince?" The nameless boy answered suffused with quite a layer of contempt.


    Bazuul slightly lifted his hands and shrugged at this. "Well, it doesn''t matter really, this is a competition after all, not a social to make friends. On the other hand, I can always find out who you are if I really want to, and you can do nothing about it."


    "Yes, as always you people in authority think you can do as you wish. Trash like you disgusts me!" The young boy retorted before he spat on the ground.


    Bazuul wore a slightly ridiculing expression as he said, "Oookaaay? Well, I didn''t mean that, but good to know how you feel, I guess." and somewhat chuckled after that.


    The young commoner was confused because Bazuul stood several meters away from him, yet his voice seemed to come from somewhere else entirely.


    He instinctively looked around him but before he was halfway through a fist hit him full on in the face, which caused him to fly backward a couple of meters before viciously slamming onto the platform floor right in front of Bazuul''s feet. When he looked up toward him though, the illusion shattered. He stood up and saw that the real one was actually located at his previous position, with the same smirk on his face as before.


    It was that sort of smile that he hated the most. Especially when it came from those who thought themselves to be something better, just because of their position in society. Filled with anger, he initiated his attack. He moved his arms in an almost ritualistic fashion before aligning them vertically, shortly after he simultaneously slammed both his fist on the floor.


    This caused the platform to shake slightly, and through Bazuul''s earth elemental perception he could feel the source of it moving toward him. He looked at the ground he stood on, narrowing his eyes as it lay right beneath him, before jumping a step back. Just then, at the moment he landed, a part of the platform shot upwards and seemingly formed a wall. Bazuul immediately straightened his neck back up so as to avoid the edges of the wall to rip his face off. Still, even after he dodged this advance, he was so close to the wall that his nose nearly touched it.


    He took another step back and looked at the wall in awe, but before he could fully admire it, this earthen formation suddenly shot back down. As such, the platform returned to its previous state. When Bazuul looked up again, something else was dangerously close to his face, a fist!

 Chapter 39 - Ten Dragons Emerge

    Naturally, this startled Bazuul quite a lot.


    Since he wasn''t all too efficient with his control over objects around him yet, even more so with living beings that fought back, his only chance was to slow his attack down for a bit.


    Not betting on it though, he let go of his leg muscles and fell toward the floor. Seeing that he actually managed to dodge, he used his arms to stop himself mid-fall and forcefully jolted his legs against the other''s stomach. Which in turn, caused the young commoner to fly upwards in a twenty-degree angle for a couple of meters.


    On the elevated stage of the elders, one of grand elder Efyr''s brows slightly twitched when he saw this. Even he was unaware of why the attack against the fourth prince of Ralun had suddenly slowed down.


    Bazuul did not follow up and waited for the unnamed boy to stand up again. Just as he turned around though, Bazuul appeared right in front of him, gazing deep into his eyes, piercing them with this to Bazuul, unknown light that would reveal any information he wanted of a person. As such, he now acquired all he wanted to know about the boy.


    The pain from both the eyes and his mind, caused the young boy to moan for a bit. As if trying to protect them he held his hands in front of his face. The fact that he fought against this light actually caused blood to flow out his nostrils.


    "Mhm, how tragic." Bazuul casually murmured while the boy still attempted to recover.


    "Anyway, let''s finish this up, I have things to do, and this is starting to become boring." He followed up. Inside him though, his heart started to pound frantically. The fight, but also the memories of the young commoner had stoked the fires of battle in him, nay, his bloodlust. His hands had begun to shake slightly, and his smirk also had changed to some degree. His eyes, it felt to him, began to burn all around the edges of his pupils and his iris, as if a ring of fire.


    The apparent casualness with which Bazuul said those word, of course, angered the youngster. He forcefully ignored the pain and started another barrage of earthen attacks. He even used pebbles as projectiles to shoot at Bazuul in the process.


    Again, Bazuul was not really proficient yet with the powers of attraction and expulsion, but when one considered the opponent''s cultivation base, this much control was enough for him to handle and dodge the earthen projectiles.


    Bazuul dodged all his attacks for a short while before he used [Shunpo] and appeared behind him. He then proceeded to grab him by the neck, lifted him into the and threw him to the side. Before the young commoner could land on the ground, Bazuul viciously kicked him in the ribs, the force of which, ultimately caused him to be catapulted out of the platform.


    "First person to qualify for the royal tournament, Bazuul Ylvazad, fourth prince of Ralun." Grand elder Efyr announced directly. This caused the other competitors still embroiled in the third trial to stop for a second in shock. Yet, it was precisely this second that someone on platform nine took advantage off.


    "Jian Zheng, the young master of the Vermillion Sword Sect, qualifies for the royal tournament! Grand elder Efyr immediately announced.


    Meanwhile, the previously defeated commoner had stood up and looked at Bazuul just as Bazuul looked at him. Naturally, he still wore the smirk he wore in the beginning, though slightly different.


    "They call me the little mole but my real name is Walter, and I grew up in a rural mountain-town in Eras." He said after being defeated. Why he would introduce himself now was unknown, maybe it was his own sense of pride that compelled him to do that.


    "I know!" Bazuul casually answered. His spirit sense entered his storage ring and out of nowhere a tiny vial appeared in his hand. "Here, catch this!" He said as he threw the vial toward Walter.


    Perplexed, Walter looked at the little vile in his hand and Bazuul back and forth. Within was something he had never seen before, thus the confusion.


    Seeing that expression on his face, Bazuul couldn''t help but chuckle, a chuckle which had turned slightly eerie by now. "It''s medicine, for the old lady!" Bazuul silently said, so as to avoid perked ears from listening in.


    "You...How?" Visibly shocked Walter stuttered along, unable to form a complete sentence. His face slowly distorted, not knowing how to face this emotion of gratitude he felt right now. After all, he hated people of higher status for what they had continuously done to his family. Even now, with only his sickly mother and himself left, they were still pestering, trying to push him down when he was already on the ground. Bazuul found his situation quite pitiful, so he gave him one of the many pills he had received on his birthday.


    Plus, when he considered his cultivation of the third stage of the true qi realm, Bazuul was really impressed by his talent and battle efficiency. After all, this fight also gave him a lot of ideas for the future. Creative thinking is one thing after all, but to see such usage of the elements in the flesh was a completely different thing.


    "Nevermind how, just keep it safe until you''ve reached your destination," Bazuul said as he left the platform and shortly after the military''s training ground. Since he had qualified for the royal tournament, those managing the competition would send the required documents to the ralunian embassy. A place, he could finally enter after passing the hidden dragon trials. Luckily he never left anything at the Yamino Inn thus there was also no need to return there.


    With the passage of time, one after the other victorious participant was finally announced.


    "Tarek Rashad, from the kingdom of Ralun, qualifies for the royal tournament!"


    "Corwin Bender, the second prince from the kingdom of Eras, qualifies for the royal tournament!"


    "Idriel Luminair, the third princess from the kingdom of Lumin, qualifies for the royal tournament!"


    "Emilia Stark from the kingdom of Ralun qualifies for the royal tournament."


    "Hylion Luminair, the second prince from the kingdom of Lumin, qualifies for the royal tournament."


    "Derek Engel from the kingdom of Eras qualifies for the royal tournament."


    "Haldur Runeberg from the kingdom of Donar qualifies for the royal tournament."


    "And at last, Emilia Quintana, the second princess of Ibera qualifies for the royal tournament."


    "This concludes the third and last stage of the hidden dragon trials. Congratulations to all that advanced to the royal tournament! Take this hidden dragon trial as a sort of warm-up, and you may surprise your opponents in the upcoming tournament. You may go now and rest. Oh and don''t forget, your documents for the royal tournament will be sent to the embassies of your kingdoms. Good Luck!" Grand elder Efyr said at the end to those that were still present and then vanished.


    ~~~


    Somewhere in a dark alley, stood Bazuul, unable to hold back anymore he released part of the bloodlust he could not contain in his heart, which actually created a slight commotion in this area of the city. Unaware to him though, this also caused a couple of figures that hid in the shadows to scatter in fright.


    After Bazuul finally stabilized the fire in his heart, he made his way to the ralunian embassy.

 Chapter 40 - Inside the Library

    Three days had passed since the conclusion of the hidden dragon trials and the royal tournament was set to begin in five days.


    Deep in the night, somewhere in the royal court of the capital city Leizyr, in a room barely lit by two candles, a young man sat on an exquisitely carved wooden stool. Next to him stood a middle-aged man, and in front of him kneeled three cloaked figures that seemed to melt into the environment from time to time.


    "Your famed shadow of the blade is useless! Losing eleven people to a child that has yet to hit puberty!" The young man roared as he smashed the wrist-rest on his wooden chair into bits and pieces.


    "My lord, please give us another chance. We will send out our top assassins in the capital and definitely succeed this time." Said the man in the middle with a slightly muffled voice.


    "Forget it! I''ll take care of that pest myself! Now get out of my sight!" The young man said.


    The three assassins vanished immediately.


    "Heidr, send a message to Arkenon, I want him to meet me early tomorrow morning." He said while rubbing his glabella.


    "Of course, my prince!" The middle-aged man said and also turned into air.


    ~~~


    At the same time, in the same city, in a room inside the ralunian embassy, Bazuul sat cross-legged on the floor deeply engulfed in his cultivation. The last couple of days, he had sparred a lot and was able to further increase his control over his power of attraction and repulsion. So much so that he could not only make objects or living beings float but also increase the gravitational force of the body in question. Albeit minimal, especially with the resistance of living creatures, but in Bazuul''s mind this ability would only grow stronger with time, and for now, the precise use of it could still decide between a win or a loss.


    By now Bazuul had already begun sparring with much stronger individuals than himself, even with the elders available. Since the others, like for example, his brother Kuzan had almost ceased to be a challenge. As the crown prince, he certainly had one or two trump cards, and this would probably cause Bazuul some trouble, most likely even defeat or outright kill him. Yet, it was completely understandable that he would not reveal this trump card easily. After all, this was just a friendly training match. Also, this wasn''t home, prying eyes would even be within their embassy. There was no need to reveal those unless he was in a life or death situation.


    All the while, Faolan had been watching over his training and gave both Bazuul and Kuzan pointers from time to time. Although he would not admit to it now, but Bazuul''s learning speed and battle sense terrified him, mostly because of his nephew''s young age. He still remembered clearly how he and his big brother were merely in the second and third true qi realm respectively, when they were thirteen ¡ª wasting away on the training ground, swinging their wooden swords against dummies, all day every day.


    In hopes to also gain a better understanding of his abilities, Bazuul drifted into the akashic library.


    This time, Bazuul stood in a sort of foyer. For all, he knew he might have stood there all along when entering the library but simply did not have enough access in the past. As aforementioned, he now stood in the middle of a large lobby, all across the walls were large bookshelves filled with scriptures. Right in front of him was a desk along with three cushioned seats similar in design as one would imagine them on earth. The ceiling, on the other hand, was precisely the same as the whole of the afterworld he entered after his death, littered with the myriad of stars that abound in the great dark beyond.


    The only difference this time was that this room had a sort of cosmic clock attached to the ceiling. Multiple fine cogwheels followed along with certain stars, continually moving in a predetermined rhythm. The whole scene felt entrancing for the onlooker, in this case, Bazuul.


    Breaking free from his reverie, he further looked around and noticed a large mirror the size of a door. Walking to it, he found nothing unusual about it, but the moment he stood still in front of the mirror, it suddenly flashed as if the sun had reflected on it before turning black. Shortly after, white lines formed on it. Randomly at first, they appeared all around its surface. Eventually, though, as the lines became more, clear words started to form until all lines had finally come into view. In relative shock, Bazuul read.


    His heart rate accelerated as he read the "Twenty-eight" after he saw his age now. Apparently, a mere mortal form bound by the feathers of darkness could not fool this mirror. His shock only further increased as he read the next part...


    It seemed Bazuul had the right guess when it came to the mirror. Truly an intriguing artifact.


    This was nothing new to Bazuul, but it was interesting that it would even record such details nonetheless. Eager to find out more, Bazuul continued...


    "Primal Heaven..what the?" He exclaimed. That was, for example, something Bazuul was not yet aware of.


    "Mmh, interesting." He mumbled to himself. He now understood that this "Primal Heaven Origin Return constitution" was what he had always referred to as "the yin and yang plate."


    Not only did he now know the actual name of his inner world or constitution, but also the extent of his training on it and the possible potential such a constitution encompassed.


    Immediately Bazuul went through the bookshelves in hopes to find out more about this discovery.


    ~~~


    Bazuul had dwelled in the library for hours now, and his search for knowledge about the Primal Heaven Origin Return constitution caused him to stumble upon many other things. It created a feeling in him, akin to one back on Earth. Reminiscing to a time when he was scrolling through a wiki page and inadvertently created a plethora of new tabs filled with other topics on that wiki page. Drowning himself in them, consuming knowledge for hours on end.


    In the end, though, he hadn''t found much about his constitution.


    Although through the bits and pieces he found he could slightly grasp the meaning behind the sentence, "As the vessel of darkness and light, he also wields the forces of darkness and light uncontested." It merely meant that his resistance toward incoming forces of darkness and light, be it magic in nature or otherwise, was incredibly high. Still, there were some lines to be drawn. In his case, his constitution was a carrier of darkness and primarily sunlight. Though he had consumed some moonlight before, he could only take a tiny amount and slowly turn it into sunlight. Convert it so to say.


    Being a male human, the action of making his body a carrier of moonlight would potentially cripple him for years or even life. The excessive amount of yin energy would completely invert the flow of qi inside his body, which in turn could simultaneously burst all of his meridians. This brings us to our next point, the interplay of those forces. Sunlight and moonlight were pretty much immune to each other, and could to some extent feed off each other. Lending their counterparts strength. Darkness and sunlight, as was the case with Bazuul''s constitution, could co-exist with each other in its own boundaries but were inherently weak against each other once confronted, which therefore made them evenly matched forces. Darkness and moonlight, on the other hand, was not something that could co-exist. The mere presence of moonlight energies, basically cleansed the area of darkness.


    Thus making the Primal Heaven Origin Return constitution only possible with a male body. As a hypothetical female bearer of this constitution would most likely explode into smithereens shortly after birth due to the in-fighting of these primal forces within one''s body.


    ~~~


    Not even a day had passed since his stint in the library, and he had already found himself meeting with a certain someone somewhere in the city. He had visited Elanar frequently the days before. Obviously, they had cultivated together, eaten out, and even went on a hike. Ever since that phenomenon occurred and both their inner worlds connected via a bridge, they had mutually agreed to be one another''s without really talking about it. Much like in their previous life, yet different.


    It was more of a feeling that could not be grasped, and maybe due to her youthful embarrassment, Elanar didn''t dare to label it as love. It was nonetheless a clear and irrefutable real feeling that could not be denied. A connection unlike any she could claim she had with her family. Obviously almost the same counted for Bazuul.


    This time Bazuul and Elanar had met outside to cultivate together in a particular place they had found on their hike. Bazuul had already told her about his constitution and the mirror inside the library. Thus he suggested that both should attempt to enter the library together.


    After an hour of following the river flowing along the mountain, both ultimately reached the spot.


    Finally, they stood where the river turned into a waterfall, at the edge of a cliff that protruded horizontally out of the mountain. Giving both a splendid view over the whole of the city. The beauty of the constant thunder, mixed with a pallet of grey and anthracite colors was hard to describe to anyone who had not witnessed it. After they had savored this sight for a bit, they sat down and focused on the task at hand. Each entering their inner worlds in close proximity instantly returned the bridge to its full mass rather than the spectral form it had when they were separated from one another. Bazuul and Elanar stepped on it with care from each of their sides before they started advancing, eventually meeting in the middle.


    "Let''s try it!" Bazuul said while holding her hand with a slight smirk on his face.


    As if it could help Bazuul tightened his grip on her hands and then focused his mind before he transitioned over to the akashic library with Elanar still by his side. It became apparent to him that he could take people with him, also, doing so without a hitch. Going by himself or taking someone with him felt no different. Meanwhile, Elanar was unable to hide her flabbergasted expression. The sheer amount of books. The ceiling, filled with stars and the mechanical device which Bazuul called a "cosmic clock" were all things that could easily be imagined, but to see it with one''s own eyes, was vastly different.


    After readjusting her heart, Bazuul led her to the mirror. It flashed the same way as before once she stood in front of it and shortly after the white lines slowly formed into words.


    Elanar grew confused when she read the third line in the mirror. Scared to some extent, even. Bazuul felt the strong beating of his heart almost drowning his hearing.


    Eventually, in order to feel some sort of relieve, she forced Bazuul to stand in front of the mirror. Which in turn caused him to break out in cold sweat by the thought of how to explain...well Earth. After he complied with her request, all he could do was chuckle uncomfortably. He tried to leave out some parts but had a hard time keeping secrets from her with how things stood now. After all, the way she looked at him. The way she manifested herself in front of him after he had let the mirror reveal his information reminded him more of a housewife about to reprimand her husband. The only thing missing was a rolled up newspaper in her hand ready to be smashed on top of his head.


    When he had explained to her the - to him - apparent difference between reincarnation and transmigration, parts of his life, basically everything, she grew even more incensed before finally calming down. She only grew infuriated because he had confirmed her doubt that they maybe had met each other in their previous life. She somehow feared that the way he acted toward her was not because of her now, but because of the one in the past. Eventually, though, she calmed down. Mostly because of how he explained the similarities between the two. As for example, how they had tiny quirks and ticks that were still present on Tiamat. The way she smiled, rubbed her hands when nervous, among other things, and that although she did not remember her past life. Characteristically, there was undeniably a resemblance to the former. Luckily she spared him the question of her death.


    Once all doubts were cleared up, she also felt a tinge of guilt in her heart. After all, unlike Bazuul, she remembered nothing of the past. In order to disperse these thoughts and emotions, both actually skimmed the library for more information about the Jade Empress Eclipse constitution.


    ~~~


    Many hours later, Bazuul laid in his bed back in the embassy. Although it was in the middle of the night, the happenings earlier just would not let his mind rest.


    Now that Bazuul had confirmed that she did not remember her past life, he was kind of torn about her knowing more. Unsure whether he should anticipate her coming off age ceremony or not. Generally speaking, the lord of the underworld Velamar, had said that only the most useful of memories would return, but he had also noted that Bazuul would reincarnate into a prepared fetus. Instead, he had transmigrated into the body of a then, less than agreeable character.


    He had also mentioned that the coming off age ceremony would be at the age of sixteen. Yet still, Elanar had not recovered her past memories. Of course, this could mean several things. One could be that she simply did not have her ceremony until now. Which was unlikely, given that she would turn seventeen in about two months. The second option would be that it was merely a cultural difference, and thus, her coming of age ceremony would be at a later age. Either way, what clearly became apparent to Bazuul was that even a towering figure such as Velamar was unable to control the fate of people. As such, his words had to always be taken as a glass half empty rather than full.


    Following this line of thought, Bazuul suddenly wondered about what would happen on his coming of age ceremony? What exactly would someone like him, who was aware of his past life, remember? A life past his past life?

 Chapter 41 - The Banquet

    Eventually, late in the night, Bazuul fell asleep and the next day rolled in.


    Today the whole embassy of Lumin would come to visit, and the embassy of Ralun would hold a banquet for them in thanks to the birthday party.


    Unlike the birthday party for Bazuul, that was held in a rather small circle of both parties. This banquet would host almost all current residents of both embassies. Royalties, nobles, and commoners alike. Of course, the magnitude of this event raised some eyebrows. Some present even theorized the political undercurrents of this banquet.


    Meanwhile, Bazuul was in the master study with his uncle Faolan, going over the information of the competitors in the royal tournament they had acquired. Obviously, there were some candidates that they had more information on, and on some less. Three other competitors for the tournament were merely known by name and affiliation. Other than that, those three were shrouded in obscurity.


    The first one would be the candidate sent by the Circle, the institution of magicians on the continent of Ytolan. William Sinclair, a sixteen-year-old prodigy of theirs that had already reached the rank of grand magister.


    Then came the duo sent by the Directorate, the political leader of the Seven Kingdoms. A sixteen-year-old boy that went by the name of Horlet Richat and a fifteen-year-old girl named Nazela Amenti. Nothing was really known about them apart from their names and their age. Two names, that caused Bazuul to raise a brow.


    Luckily, information on the other participants was much more transparent.


    For one there would be Hugo Dias''s eldest brother, Massimo Dias. As the crown prince of their kingdom, he was the true heir and thus enjoyed vastly more resources than his other siblings. While Hugo was merely two years younger than his brother, he had only reached the third stage of the true qi realm. Massimo, on the other hand, had long reached the seventh stage.


    Another figure one had to watch out for came from the royal family of Jian Zheng''s homeland, Shasta. That was the first princess, Sawako Fujimoto. At fourteen years old, she had already reached the seventh stage of the true qi realm. Her brother, being three years older, was still stuck at the sixth stage. Emphasizing her talent even more.


    Then came the information about the crown prince of Donar, Eirik Donarim. Of course, since his multiple "bouts of debate" with the shadow of the blade, Bazuul was fully aware of the crown prince''s nature and paid even more attention. Naturally, as part of the royal lineage of Donar, he was attuned to the element of lightning and air and had reached the eighth stage of the true qi realm shortly after turning seventeen.


    Next up Faolan mentioned, Arkenon Luminaire, the older brother of Elanar, was seventeen years old and had an affinity for the element of darkness. He was only a magister since his talent in martial arts was cut short by his rather weak body. Yet, this should not deter caution from this teenager. Highly talented as a magician he was rumored to take on the exams to ascend to the rank of grand magister soon after the royal tournament.


    Other names that were to be watched included, Markus Bender, the crown prince of Eras was at the seventh stage of the true qi realm, and another was Eirik''s twin sister, Ragna Donarim, which was also at the seventh stage of the true qi realm.


    Obviously, Jian Zheng''s name also came up but as Bazuul had already met him before it was rather unnecessary to go into further detail on him. The other participants, apart from Elanar and his brother Kuzan, should not be much of a problem for Bazuul considering the efficiency he had displayed in the sparring battles the last couple of days. At least that was Faolan''s opinion, Bazuul, on the other hand, had even fewer names he registered as...tenacious enough to stand their ground in battle.


    At this time a retinue of Faolan informed both that the embassy of Lumin had arrived at the gates. Bazuul and Faolan went out to receive the guests. After some initial courteous greetings, they led them toward the dining room. Leading the royals of Lumin and their elders to the table both sides took their places. Obviously, Bazuul and Elanar sat next to each other.


    Not a minute later a scowl came from the other side of the table. A tall youth, approximately the age of sixteen or seventeen, was the source of this. To be clear, the first prince of Lumin and Elanar''s eldest brother, Arkenon Luminaire. He found the casualness that everyone portrayed when his dear sister sat next to that youth and the fondness in their eyes ridiculous. He could not accept a brat like that to be associated with his sister, much less a relationship. His sister was the second princess of Lumin and the second-placed of the five fairies in the Seven Kingdoms. He could maybe accept him if they were talking about his third sister Idriel, but only if he actually were eligible for the position as crown prince. Which, as the fourth prince, was certainly not the case.


    "Don''t get your hopes up boy, a little brat like you is vastly unworthy of my sister!" He announced before he continued. "If anyone is worthy of my sister, then it would be someone strong and reliable, with a high position. Someone like crown-prince Eirik. At least he will be the king of Donar one day; also, the kingdom of Donar and Lumin are neighbors. Thus she would remain close to her family. What can you offer on the other hand?"


    Gazing deeply into Arkenon''s eyes Bazuul''s expression darkened at the mention of Donar''s crown prince. Not because of the empty words spewed by Elanar''s brother but because of the affiliation the crown prince had with the shadow of the blade. Hylion''s and Idriel''s expressions also paled at the behavior their eldest brother displayed. After all, this was a banquet held by Ralun for the embassy of Lumin with a lot of prominent figures present from both nations.


    Grand elder Arya was shocked enough to have trouble finding the words to reprimand the first prince of Lumin. Faolan, on the other hand, seemed utterly indifferent, maybe even slightly amused.


    "Brother, please stop, this is no¡­" Elanar tried to pacify her brother, but before she could finish her sentence, Arkenon interrupted. "Silence! This is not up for¡­" Yet, before he could finish his sentence though, Bazuul cut him off in return.


    "Shut up, kid! You should maybe consider who you talk about to whom. Especially considering this beloved crown prince of yours affiliations. Or has the first prince of Lumin already become a pawn of another nation''s crown prince? Pitiful! Do you have any pride or dignity? Considering your behavior that''s not the case but who knows maybe your facial skin is especially thick. Remember this well, because I won''t repeat it a second time. If anything, you can consider yourself lucky today because if you weren''t Elanar''s brother, you would be dead already. Now use your tongue to taste the food rather than spewing nonsense and supporting an ant of no significance." Bazuul didn''t hold back when he struck back with his glib tongue. Of course, he was fully aware what Arkenon was insinuating with his talk about the crown prince, political marriage. Obviously, he would not have any of it.


    "Watch your mouth, brat! Believe me, if we meet in the tournament, I''ll make sure to educate you well. Then you will know who the ant is between you and crown-prince Eirik." Arkenon retorted immediately afterward, slightly shaking in rage.


    At this comment, Bazuul and Elanar couldn''t help but glance at each other and chuckle all so slightly for all to see. This, in return, gave Arkenon a slight feeling of insignificance. It was clear to see by their reaction that his opinion had no weight at all and that he wasn''t given the respect he thought he deserved. He had the feeling that even some commoners were looking down on him right now.


    The reason for this was simple, both were aware that Arkenon was a highly talented magician focused on the element of darkness, and Bazuul, with his particular constitution, had nothing to fear when it came to the aspect of darkness. Certain light attacks, on the other hand, were a different story for now.


    This feeling he got from them, one of a child not taken seriously, enraged Arkenon even more as he readied himself to launch another tirade at his sister and the youth at her side.


    Before he was able to do so though, Bazuul asked Elanar a completely unrelated question. Ignoring her brother, she casually answered, thus taking the wind off of Arkenon''s sail and finally changing the subject.


    About an hour later, the dinner went on peacefully, but after a while, Arkenon left with an elder when he realized that everybody was having a good time, not minding his previous words. Even more so, no one seemed to want to associate with him at this time, not even his siblings. Which irritated him greatly. Especially his sister and that little prince seemed to completely ignore him.


    Even with a tumor such as Arkenon present, the atmosphere had been pretty good. Many people from different social backgrounds and, well, two separate kingdoms had come together to find common ground for discussions about all sorts of things. Be it the cultivation of martial arts or magic, the food they just had, the situation earlier, the royal tournament and so on. This atmosphere, of course, became even more vibrant when the first prince of Lumin, Arkenon left.


    Another hour later, the banquet ended, and Lumin''s delegation left for their embassy.

 Chapter 42 - Meeting the Adversaries

    The next two days before the royal tournament Bazuul immersed himself in sparring to further gain experience and control of his abilities. He also entered the akashic library a couple of times trying to find out even more about his constitution, to no avail. The last day before the tournament, he lazed around and rested his body and mind until eventually adjourning to the misty lands of dreams.


    Several hours later, the first rays of sunlight touched up the horizon.


    Everyone in the ralunian embassy had risen with the sun and prepared to either fill the stands of their faction in Leizyr''s grand arena or in the case of four youngsters, bring glory to their kingdom''s name on the battle platform below.


    Outside the arena. A, to the eye, endless stream of people were on the way to enter the stands. Thus forming the length of a full-grown dragon of lines in front of each entrance. Of course, members of a kingdom''s embassy had a separate entrance to those of ordinary viewers.


    Once inside, a staff member of the grand arena approached the people of Ralun, identified himself and pointed at the four youths consisting of Bazuul, his brother Kuzan, Tarek Rashad and Emilia Stark. "May the four contestants of the royal tournament please follow me."


    Now separated from the rest, the attendant led them through the halls. Finally, he brought the group to the lobby where all the contestants of the royal tournament would wait for the opening ceremony to begin.


    The lobby was rather big and filled with enough seats for all contestants. The ralunians sat down at a table and kept to themselves. Bazuul took notice of the almost decadent extent of preparations made for the royal tournament. Above all, the amount of food and beverages. There was enough to feed a small town for a week. Also inside were most contestants already waiting for the competition to start. Only the faction from Lumin seemed to be missing as of now.


    A shame really, as it was now, these people completely spoiled the food on the table with the atmosphere they had created. Understandably, many were extremely tense and overly excited. Which, in turn, created this dense pressure in the air. Still, this was not the only thing bothering him. The looks he had gotten from some inside the lobby, looks that made him itchy, ready to give out free beatings.


    Through the data he had received from Faolan, he identified these people as crown-prince Alessandro Quintana from Ibera. His sisters Valentina and Emilia Quintana, Massimo Dias, Hugo''s eldest brother and crown-prince their respective kingdom, also joined in. In the end, it didn''t bother Bazuul too much though. After all, he had slandered the iberian royal family and heavily beaten the diasian crown-prince''s youngest brother. How could they not hold a grudge?


    Of course, Bazuul would be happy to oblige and supply them with enough damage to leave a fist-like imprint in their souls.


    On the other side of the lobby, Jian Zheng seemed to be troubled by similar circumstances. From what Bazuul could discern the royal family of Shasta had been keeping a distance to Jian. Going so far as to not even bothering to look at him, which gave them the feeling of being arrogantly aloof. As if indicating that the Vermillion Sword Sect was merely a servant and not worthy of their further attention.


    Bazuul could only sigh inside. In history, this had not really been a rare occasion. Factions that rise equal or even above the power of the sovereign would often be the target of sanctions and oppression. Of course, it was often also this failure to navigate the rising talent of their region, that would lead to the demise of the royal lineage. Even if the faction were loyal, at one point, in order to survive, it would be essentially forced to rebel.


    A few minutes later the contestant from Lumin also arrive. Arkenon immediately led his siblings to the crown-prince of Donar, Eirik Donarim.


    "Brother Eirik, it has been a while," Arkenon said with a smile on his face. "These are my siblings, Hylion, Idriel, and my younger sister Elanar." he continued, putting emphasis on presenting Elanar to him.


    Eirik nodded at the two younger siblings before looking at Elanar, revealing a slight glint in his eyes. "I have heard legends of junior sister''s charm, but one has to see to believe it seems."


    "Your flatter is undeserved, junior sister Elanar greets the crown-prince," Elanar responded normally, but a slight frown began forming on her forehead. She had thought Arkenon would drop this matter after the last three days of heated discussions back at their embassy. Alas, it seemed not to be the case. Miffed she took a look around, in search for a certain someone.


    Meanwhile, Eirik started talking to her again, but after she found the person she was looking for she excused herself and walked away. Hylion and Idriel followed soon after and all three took a seat at the ralunians faction table.


    Eirik''s mouth stopped in its tracks in the midst of talking, he himself, was unable to react in a timely manner to the departure of the woman he fancied. Following her steps merely with his eyes until she reached the table of some foreign faction. Of course, he was already aware as to who they were. He had already sent people after that factions fourth prince two times, but the shadow of the blade had returned with unpleasant results each time. Thus he decided to take matters into his own hands and crush this little pest once and for all.


    Seeing that someone from the table even gave up his seat so she could sit beside him, and the way they interacted soured his mood entirely. He cast Arkenon a grim look and scoffed, while the latter could only smile wryly.


    A quarter of an hour had passed since then and suddenly grand elder Efyr appeared with three youngsters, two boys, and one girl. "Greetings young heroes, the three youngsters behind me are Horlet Richat and Nazela Amenti from the Directorate and William Sinclair from the Circle. All three will also compete in the royal tournament." The grand elder said in an imposing manner.


    "Greetings, grand elder!" The voices of the contestants resounded in the lobby.


    Some in the lobby were visible shocked to find out that there were other contestants they knew nothing about. Mainly the commoners that made it from the hidden dragon trial all the way to the royal tournament. The others from royal families didn''t seem shocked but more so curious about the newcomers. Many males, were fixated on the girl that came with them. Grand elder Efyr introduced her as Nazela Amenti. Some had lost so much control that they almost started drooling while their eyes traveled around her body.


    Bazuul also fixated his gaze toward their direction, while mumbling their names until his lips arched into a smile.


    Elanar noticed his gaze and pinched him.


    Bazuul, therefore, looked her deeply in the eyes for a while. After a couple more breaths, he found that she didn''t pinch him because she was jealous. No, her eyes told him to behave. Which he somehow found extremely cute.


    At this time, both of them were not aware of the show they were putting on with their odd behavior. At least those at their table were to some point aware of the friendship between the two. Still, even some of them found it weird that they would gaze at each other for so long. Especially so close that they should be able to feel the other''s breath.


    Bazuul got slightly closer to her and whispered in her ear, "If you happen to come across one of them from the Directorate, beware of their magic. Most likely they''ll use magic, unlike anything we know of in the Seven Kingdoms."


    At this, Elanar shot him a curious look before she carefully examined the two people he mentioned.

 Chapter 43 - The Royal Tournament Begins

    "My, my, even the second fairy of the Seven Kingdoms is falling for this notorious silkpants from Ralun." The sound of a crisp but cold female voice traveled through the lobby.


    "Un, it would be wise to quickly cut off all relations between the two, Arkenon. Lest you wish your sisters name forever tainted." A male voice said in agreement.


    Naturally, the voices also reached Bazuul, Elanar, and the rest at their table. As both of them followed the origin of these voices, two figures met their gazes. Alessandro and Valentina Quintana, his former fianc¨¦e, Emilia stood next to them. Further away stood Massimo Dias, which had also given him dirty looks ever since he entered the lobby. For some reason, though, he kept quiet but didn''t relent in his "gaze piercing assault." Many could feel the temperature in the hall gradually fall. Obviously, these two were trying to incite trouble before the competition.


    "ELA¡­" Arkenon already strode toward the ralunian table as he prepared to shout but was ultimately cut off by the young men beside his sister.


    "It seems chickens from the same nest are alike. Pitiful, the next as was the last. Though I have to commend you on your guts. Although Arkenon is an idiot, he is still a prince of Lumin. You, on the other hand, are royalty from Ibera. Everyone knows that when it comes to military strength or strength overall for that matter, Ibera is the freeloader of the Seven Kingdoms. So it would be wise to know your place before trying to use others as your puppets." As Bazuul talked, he looked completely relaxed and indifferent, but his voice carried the coldness of the coming winter months.


    The words shocked the people within the lobby. Even grand elder Efyr was slightly taken aback. Though his claims were valid when it came to the Iberan''s strength, it was not really something people would talk about in this setting. There was a sort of decorum that should be upheld between the nations, after all. As for the matter if the first prince of Lumin had a problem with his brain was out of the grand elder''s knowledge. What really shocked him was that the youth had casually slapped the faces of both parties, as if it was nothing to write home about. It felt like it was just another meal for him.


    Many other competitors had also taken notice of this fact. Silently forming a rule as to not engage in a battle of words with this youth.


    Meanwhile, Arkenon had actually begun to have a verbal altercation with the Quintana siblings. By the side, Eirik looked at his friend with twitching brows. Wondering if his friend really did have a problem with his brain. After all, how could those casual words divert his attention so much? Then again, he was at the threshold to become a grand magister, this naturally turned the possibility of brain damage into nothing but air.


    At the same time, amidst the commotion, two figures approached the ralunian table.


    The people around Bazuul locked onto them as they approached, wondering what they wanted. However, both Horlet and Nazela ignored the rest and only looked at Bazuul. "Are you perhaps the one called Bazuul Ylvazad?" Horlet asked bluntly.


    Bazuul was about to speak when another, this time a well dressed, attendant of the grand arena showed up, "Hello young heroes, my name is Tyr Helson, and I''ll be the announcer of the royal tournament." The man seemed to be around his thirties and exuded a charismatic air that captured everyone''s attention. He explained to them how the opening ceremony would be held. Told them by which order they should form a line and said, "Now if you may follow me, the tournament will start shortly."


    As they walked through the long hall, ever closer to the growing light at the end of the tunnel, the noise from the spectators also increased in volume. Tyr stopped right before the end and told them to wait as he entered the grand arena with great fanfare as he leaped onto the battle platform.


    "Ladies and gentlemen, the time has come! From all around the Seven Kingdoms, the heroes of our younger generation have gathered here to prove themselves. Many of them have prevailed through the hidden dragon trials and overcome hundreds of other competitors. Today, they, and all of us, stand here together, friends have been made, alliances for the future have been formed - but surely, each and everyone entertains the idea to outshine their peers. So without further ado, let me introduce the youths that will fight for glory the coming days!"


    The crowd erupted in cheers and applause, even whistles could be heard.


    "First up we have seventeen years old pride of Donar, everyone, welcome the crown-prince of Donar, Eirik Donarim!"


    The spectators once again went wild as the first competitor walked in. The shrieks of young maidens on the stands could be heard clearly.


    "Next up, we have the twin sister and first princess of Donar, Ragna Donarim!"


    Once again, the people went wild.


    This went on time and time again, until at last, it was the competitors from the hidden dragon trials turn.


    Hylion Luminaire was introduced, and similar scenes occurred as before. The same went for Jian, Derek, Haldur, Emilia Stark, Corwin, Tarek, Emilia Quintana, and Idriel.


    "And now, as the last one, one of the youngest competitors in this tournament. With only thirteen years old, welcome the fourth prince of Ralun, Bazuul Ylvazad."


    Bazuul walked out of the tunnel and into the light were the vast arena erected itself in front of him. To the eyes, there was an uncountable amount of viewers in the stands.


    Once on the battle platform, he had a better view of the grand arena as a whole. Each section of a nation was segregated and surrounded by a mass of neutral parties or civilians. At one spot, a wall protruded out of the stands, while it kept the same height as the highest point of the grand arena. Therefore, it broke the flow of the circle of viewers, and once seen, it attracted the attention of each onlooker. At both sides were stairs slowly leading upwards. First came a sort of balcony that had two rows of empty chairs, twelve each, twenty-four as a whole. About ten meters further up was a smaller balcony with six already filled chairs. Considering the fact that he saw his uncle Faolan and grand elder Arya up there. Bazuul concluded that the other four figures should be representatives from the remaining four nations. Even five meters more, at the highest point of the wall, was a throne. Sitting on it was most probably the current king of Donar, Baldr Donarim.


    Once the crowd''s cheers settled down the figure rose from its throne. After a couple of breaths in silence, the king''s rumbling voice like a thunderstorm did the same. "We welcome you to this occasion youngsters. My name is Baldr Donarim, the twenty-sixth king of Donar. Far have you come, especially the ones standing here today that have weathered through the hidden dragon trials. Some of you, We are sure, will come very far in this tournament." The thunderous voice of the kings slightly shook the whole arena, and Bazuul could feel the kings gaze currently rest on him for some reason. After a short pause, the king''s voice rose once more. "To all of you, though, a word of praise. Our eyes have seen your abilities ever since you entered Leizyr. Truth be told, all of you are as impressive as they could come in the younger generations of the Seven Kingdoms. Now, We will not hold you up any further, may all of you gain experience and glory, no matter today''s results."

 Chapter 44 - The First Match

    "Mmph, who do you think looks most promising old friend?" A raspy voice asked among the crowd of representatives.


    "It would be treason to speak ill of my nation''s regent-lord, so of course, it is the light of his highness that shines the brightest among the younger generations." Another man answered with a slight chuckle.


    "Mh yes, Ibera''s young regent-lord does indeed look promising. I guess my nation''s crown-prince and your regent-lord might meet in the grand finals, if not before." The one to initiate the conversation responded to the latter''s comment. His name was Tito D''allegri, Fleet-marshall of the seafaring kingdom of Dias. The other party was Carlo Carval, the grand-marshal of the kingdom of Ibera.


    "But it seems that there are a couple of dark horses among these youngsters," Carlo remarked casually. Unconcerned of the fact if his conversation partner was aware that there were some of them down there that had remarkable control of the energies flowing out of them. Or, to be precise, the lack thereof. Almost hidden, like water behind a dam, but ready at all times to burst forth.


    Grand elder Arya giggled slightly while Faolan was disinclined to give their rambling any attention. Grand elder D''allegri from Ibera noticed the giggles of the grand elder from Lumin and asked. "Grand elder Arya, what say you?"


    ~~~


    Shortly after the king''s speech, another attendant appeared beside Tyr Helson with a little box in his hand that exuded crackling noises. Tyr explained that inside were small marbles with numbers on it, ranging from one to twelve. The contestants that picked the same number would then fight against each other in order. Once all fights had been concluded the four fastest winners today would automatically qualify for the quarterfinals. While the rest would have to fight again tomorrow to reach the next stage.


    After all of them had picked their numbers, it was Bazuul''s turn to pick the last marble inside even though his match-up was already decided by default. Still, he pulled the crackling sphere out and saw lightning in the form of a six trapped within the marble. Thus making his adversary the first princess of Ibera, Valentina Quintana. All the other match-ups in order were as followed:


    The first match-up would be Elanar Luminaire against Emilia Quintana.


    The second match-up would be Kuzan Ylvazad against Derek Engel.


    The third one Massimo Dias against Hylion Luminaire.


    The fourth match was Alessandro Quintana against Tarek Rashad.


    The fifth match would be the first princess of Shasta against the second prince of Eras, Sawako Fujimoto against Corwin Bender.


    The sixth match would, of course, be Bazuul Ylvazad against his previous almost sister-in-law Valentina Quintana.


    The seventh fight would then be Ragna Donarim against Jian Zheng.


    The eighth match-up would be the first prince of Eras, Markus Bender against Emilia Stark from Ralun.


    The ninth round would pit Arkenon Luminaire and Haldur Runeberg against each other.


    In the tenth bout, Eirik Donarim would fight against the third princess of Lumin, Idriel Luminaire.


    Round eleven would have Kojiro Fujimoto match-up against Horlet Richat.


    And the final round would then be between Nazela Amenti and William Sinclair.


    After the initial phase on the platform, only two figures remained while the rest of the competitors had settled on their seats on the balcony. Barely a minute later a venomous giggle passed all challengers and entered Bazuul''s ears.


    "Today might be the day my dear little sister defeats the fairy and takes her title!" It was the older sister of Emilia Quintana, Valentina.


    Bazuul had an expression on his face as if she was stupid when he looked at her. This angered her; after all, she intended to anger him yet instead, it was her that ended up with a handprint on her face. Bazuul was about to open his mouth when a scoff came from the side. Bazuul turned his head and saw Horlet Richat looking at Valentina with eyes that resembled someone looking down on an insect. A mixture of absolute disregard yet full of disgust. One of Bazuul''s brows formed a high arc at this, but he returned his gaze toward Valentina and said.


    "I sincerely wonder if your brain has sustained some serious damage. Either that or you are blind to an incredible extent. After all, that little girl has merely reached the third realm of the true qi realm. Ela, on the other hand, is...nevermind." He stopped his sentence halfway and broke into roaring laughter shortly after. Valentina gnashed her teeth at this. When his laughter ceased though, dark and heavy pressure flowed out of his body and took hold of everyone''s attention around him. His head slightly tilted toward the side and said, not deeming it necessary to look at the person in question.


    "And you. I would advise you to get rid of your flights of fancy about her. Your background, your namesake, I don''t fear it."


    The person in question could feel the pressure on him while Bazuul talked. Worst of all was that the person didn''t even deem him worthy to look at him. But the last sentence shook him and Nazela alike to the core. If he had only mentioned the background, it would not have been something to fret about, but the fact that he mentioned his namesake eluded to more. To something that should not be known by someone other than the grand elders of the Directorate.


    ~~~


    On the stage, both Elanar and Emilia stood in front of each other. Tyr asked them if they were ready, and both answered with a nod. "Ladies and gentlemen, without further ado let the first match of the royal tournament between Elanar Luminaire and Emilia Quintana begins!" Tyr''s voice roared throughout the arena as he addressed the spectators, and the crowd exploded into cheers.


    Amidst the tidal waves of cheers, like islands in the middle of a tsunami stood both of the female competitors.


    Elanar looked at her adversary, and the crowd''s noise sunk into the background as if time had slowed down. For some reason, the sight of this girl struck a nerve even though she had never seen her before. Emilia was about to open her mouth and comment about the scene in the lobby, but before she could do that, her opponent made the first move and dashed toward her. Flustered, Emilia immediately created a water shield around her and prepared another spell to counter her opponent''s advance. At this moment, Elanar appeared right in front of Emilia, and her fist was already in full motion, launching toward her stomach.


    Emilia smirked slightly, confident in the defensive ability of her water shield.


    Only a second later though, her expression changed. Elanar''s fist cut through her barrier like it was wet paper and slammed right into Emilia''s stomach, launching her into the air. Emilia''s eyes bulged as her body lifted upwards, and pain simultaneously traveled through her innards all over her body. Elanar then lifted her right leg vertically and drew a high arc before meeting Emilia mid-air with incredible force. This was enough to blast Emilia down from the platform.


    Yes. Everyone present, be it Tyr, the elders, the spectators or the king. All were stunned into silence. The fight had ended before the cheers of the crowd could completely cease to exist.


    Tyr, dazed and confused, looked at the young female that was currently lying on the ground. At the moment, his mind was not able to process the information his eyes sent him. Only after he felt a person rather close to him stare at him did he regain his focus. Elanar stood there, looking at him rather indifferently.


    "Incredible!" He mumbled to himself before raising his voice to the spectators, "Incredible! Absolutely incredible ladies and gentlemen! Before the match had even really started the opponent was swept off the platform. Please everyone, one round of applause for the first princess of Lumin, Elanar Luminaire.


    The crowd was in the same condition as the announcer, Tyr. They looked dazed at the young girl on the ground before Tyr''s voice dragged them out of their confusion. Merely a second after the announcer''s voice toned down, the crowd''s cheers and rounds of applause erupted once more. Amidst the crowd''s ruckus, Emilia stood up and ran into the hall that led them here earlier, unrestrainedly weeping.

 Chapter 45 - The Tournament in Full Force

    Bazuul chuckled and took a smug glance at the Quintana siblings.


    After the crowd had settled down, there was supposed to be a short pause. Since the first match ended so fast though, it was decided that the second match would start immediately.


    Kuzan and his opponent Derek Engel, stood on the platform eyeing each other, waiting for the announcer to start the fight. Kuzan wore his usual armor and his sword already in hand. His opponent also wore armor with a silver tint and held a golden lance. Almost as if in accordance with his sculptured face, flowing blonde hair, and blue eyes.


    Derek was the third son of an influential family that focused on trading and acquiring ores. The Engel Group was financially the strongest privately owned business in Eras, and therefore also in the Seven Kingdoms. The Engel''s third son was the oddball of the family. Proof of it was not hard to find. Obviously, he was part of the hidden dragon trials and had also made it to the royal tournament. Growing up in a family that valued education and trade skills overall, he chose to go down another road. While his brothers and sister decided to follow in their parent''s path, he sought a different kind of strength.


    Supported by his family''s wealth and his desire for the safety of his strength, he had sweat bullets and sparred arduously against many in Eras. So much so, that the fifteen-year-old had already reached the sixth stage of the true qi realm. Which, in turn, proved to his family that he had the talent to pursue this path. After all, if one were to make comparisons, one only had to take a look at his current opponent. Kuzan was the first prince of Ralun, most likely candidate for the title of crown prince. He was seventeen-years-old, had fought against bandits and beasts in the campaign in the north for almost a year. Yet, he had only reached the sixth stage of the true qi realm.


    "FIGHT!" Tyr called out the long-awaited start of the match.


    Derek immediately dashed toward Kuzan, lashing out with his lance. Seeing this, Kuzan tilted to the side, successfully dodging the attack and swung his sword toward his opponent. Though his opponent managed to parry the sword, both took a couple of steps back. Once they gained some distance from each other, they once again lunged at each other. This kind of fight went on for almost thirty minutes. Even people outside the arena, through the waves of awe and exclamation from the spectators, could make out the shifting tides of the battle. Eventually, though, Kuzan made it out as the winner. Even if they were evenly matched, Bazuul''s oldest brother had been at home on the battlefield for almost a year. This sort of experience and sharpening of instincts could not be simply written off by talent.


    The third match was between Elanar''s little brother, Hylion and Hugo''s eldest brother, Massimo. If one said that this round was long, then it was long, but if one said it was short, it also could have been short. Hylion''s displayed prowess was nothing to scoff at, but the problem was his opponent. Massimo was one stage higher than him in the true qi realm and also had a bear-like frame. It was this burly body that made it difficult for Hylion to inflict damage on him. Eventually, Hylion was thrown off the platform by Massimo.


    After the third match, the announcer finally called for a break, and the many seats in the stand were rapidly left vacant. Some of them had to take some time off in the toilets, while others went and got themselves more snacks and drinks.


    "Will your brother be alright?" Bazuul asked Elanar which sat next to him.


    "En." Elanar answered with a nod before adding, "I suppose he will be disappointed. Not because of his defeat but because he''s disqualified in the first round. Then again, my brother is not the type to mull over such things for a long time." as she looked into the distance.


    Bazuul observed her all the while until a light smile filled with warmth appeared on his face.


    Many of the now twenty-two competitors left on the balcony, not all males but mostly, wanted to approach Elanar and strike up a conversation. Yet, every time they managed to build up the courage, that youngsters gaze beside her always cut their ambition short. Elanar herself felt slightly embarrassed by it at the start, but once she considered how it usually went, she actually felt relieved. After all, people would always crowd up around her, trying to talk to her or bombarded her with questions. In their eyes, shone intentions, she herself had no interest in. While she really wanted to be left alone to her thoughts, within her own world. Bazuul also talked to her, or asked her questions, but most of the time he also kept quiet, thinking about something. She assumed they were the same when it came to this quirk in their personality and shortly looked at him. Only to find him looking at her with a slight smile and genuine warmth in his eyes. She blushed slightly and also smiled. She felt a cozy rush of warmth flow all over her body.


    Many on the balcony, were confused or annoyed by this scene. Even Kuzan felt a bit estranged at this scene, even though there wasn''t much of a scene at all. It was just that there was a kind of domain around them, one all the others didn''t belong to. Also, the atmosphere of their auras was nothing alike people that were candidates in this type of event.


    Tyr suddenly called up the competitors of the match for, Alessandro Quintana and Tarek Rashad.


    Tarek''s abilities were a bit limited in this type of setting since he had been trained in the techniques of an assassin since early childhood. There weren''t any shadows to merge with, no real opportunity for surprise attacks. Either way, though Alessandro was pretty strong and held off considerably against Tarek''s intense rain of attacks toward his vitals, he eventually lost due to the pressure. He may be the regent-lord of Ibera, but he was still but a teenager without nerves of steel, that were tempered by the passage of time.


    This result was also rather shocking to the audience. After all, Tarek was but a commoner fighting against the previous crown-prince now regent-lord of a kingdom. The number of resources committed to both of them by their families was vastly different. Most of all, two out of three Iberan competitors were already out of the tournament. While two out of four ralunian attendees had made it at least to the second round.


    This in itself was a stark contrast between two neighboring kingdoms which had recently developed some slight animosities.


    "The next round will be the first princess of Shasta, Sawako Fujimoto, against the third prince of Eras, Corwin Bender."


    Both walked down the stairs and onto the platform. Many spectators highly favored Sawako to win this matchup. Although Sawako was a year younger than Corwin, she was rumored to be highly talented. Proven by the fact that she had already surpassed Corwin by three stages in the true qi realm. Others on the stands though, argued that one should never look down on the offsprings from Eras. It was not the most powerful nation in the Seven Kingdoms for the heck of it.


    In the end, though, Sawako made a quick example out of him and blasted him off the platform, leaving burn marks on his face. The viewers in the stands and the fellow competitors on the balcony sucked in cold air. Even though she was only fourteen years old, she fought domineeringly and was ruthless to her opponents.


    Markus Bender, his oldest brother worriedly ran down and helped his little brother up, taking him away after giving Sawako a look. Meanwhile, the crowd was in an emotional mix between shock and applause.


    A while later, Tyr called the participants of the sixth match to the platform and his voice rose once again. "Ladies and gentlemen, the fights between the younger generation have been spectacular thus far, but please calm yourself, the sixth match between Valentina Quintana and Bazuul Ylvazad is about to start."

 Chapter 46 - Making an Example

    Bazuul and Valentina walked down the stairs toward the battle platform below. While walking down, Bazuul was calm and relaxed, almost indifferent to his opponent. The same went for the match and the mass of people in the arena. Valentina kept looking toward him before saying, "This aunty here will teach you a lesson today little boy!" while baring her claws.


    Bazuul looked at her with an indifferent expression and turned his gaze back toward the stage. Valentina saw his countenance and flared up inside. The expression he had on his face was no different from the expression one had while looking at an empty bottle. This was the third time in a row now that she had tried to get a reaction from him or stir his heart, but was then met with absolute indifference. In truth, Bazuul just could not be bothered with the rambling of a, to him, insignificant individual. Valentina, on the other hand, thought that he was putting up a front. As the first princess of Ibera, she was groomed to be proud, so naturally, she could not stand for what she perceived to be arrogance toward her.


    "Just you wait, little boy! I will tear that arrogance apart along with that thing between your legs, making you the last living eunuch." She spat out viciously.


    Bazuul once more turned toward her, forming a slight smile on his face before he walked up the battle platform. In fact, this last sentence of her had angered him tremendously, but he still remained calm, waiting to unleash the fire in his heart for the right moment.


    At the seats for the representative of each kingdom, grand marshal Carval''s voice rose in askance. "Old brother Faolan, how do you think this match will conclude?"


    Faolan looked at the person that asked him for a moment. He knew this individual fairly well, although the grand marshal of Ibera was almost forty years younger than him he had gathered many achievements under his belt. One being the fact that he had already reached the third stage of the spirit realm, while he was at the fifth. Even though their two nations were currently on rather bad terms, he wasn''t unwilling two acknowledge him. Yet, in recent times, his opinion on him had changed. He actually had a good impression of him previously, but recent state affairs had caused suspicions about this man''s agenda.


    "My nephew will win fast and with ease," Faolan said confidently.


    Carlo Carval saw that the grand marshal of Ralun wasn''t just saying this for the heck of it and asked. "Oh, how come!"


    "If it were before the hidden dragon trials then¡­" Grand marshal Faolan started when suddenly Tyr Helson''s voice interrupted his sentence.


    "FIGHT!"


    Valentina abruptly attacked Bazuul, actually using her long, claw-like fingernails as a weapon to fight with. He couldn''t be bothered to mind though, he took a step to the side, dodging her first attempt. Without giving his opponent a chance at recovery, he took two steps forward appeared behind her. Then turned his body one-hundred-and-eighty degrees and slammed his elbow into the back of her neck. This caused Valentina to fall to her knees, her mind muddled, and her vision blurred.


    "So, do I understand this correctly. In making me the last living eunuch, as you say, you mean to harm my family''s future?" Bazuul coldly said as his killing intent rose, freezing up Valentina''s soul as his voice crept up into her ears from behind. Instinctively she turned her head, trying to look at the person. Before she could do so, though, she realized that she was unable to control her body.


    "Then, don''t blame me." His cold voice continued.


    Gasps of shock erupted in the stands, caused by the scene in front of them. Currently, the female competitor began to rise into the sky.


    "What a talented youth. Absolutely incredible!" Someone in the stands said.


    "Yes, I think it is unheard of for someone in the true qi realm to be able to fly."


    "It seems the heavens have not forsaken the royal house of Ibera.


    The viewers thought that Valentina displayed her real strength now, though they would soon realize a far more shocking truth. Suddenly, at the peak of her height, Valentina''s body began falling back toward the platform, and eventually crashed right into it.


    Once more, the crowd gasped. Some thought that the youth had maybe not learned how to control her ability yet. Before any more assumption could arise, her body floated upward, only to once again come down crashing. The crowd now finally understood who was, in this case, literally pulling the strings -- causing far more shock to the audience than the previously perceived ability of flight. Valentina, on the other hand, was filled with fear and panic in her mind. Her body was almost shattered, and she was finally able to understand the difference between the two of them. Several ribs of hers were already broken, her left shoulder dislocated, and her hip had also taken some damage. She wanted to give up, but since she was unable to control her body, she was also unable to forfeit. Her very soul nearly crumbled from the fear she felt, from the absolute helplessness caused by not being in control over life.


    Then, as before, she rose upward. A mere second later, she came down crashing again. She resigned herself to it as she watched the floor coming closer. She wanted to close her eyes but was unable to do even that. Her body tilted slightly, and contrary to what she thought would happen, a fist came into view. It slammed right into her face, breaking her nose and two front teeth, blasting her off the stage, and against the wall before she fell to the ground unconscious.


    "The overwhelming winner in this match is the young prince of Ralun, Bazuul Ylvazad!" Tyr announced rather flustered. Not only had this youngster won dominantly, this match also ended rapidly. Most of all, this boy in front of him was the youngest competitor in the royal tournament. Whilst his opponent had been three years older than him. This was truly a shocking scene for him. He would have understood if it was a hard-fought victory, but this was just a one-sided beat down.


    Meanwhile, Valentina had been carried away by the medics team, since she needed medical treatment right away. The crowd was rather silent as of now. Some were too shocked to say anything. Others were worried about this young princess that had taken quite the beating while again others thought that Bazuul had done a bit too much.


    It was these voices of dissent that rose first before many more joined and reprimanded Bazuul''s action. Bazuul himself was baffled for a second. Weren''t these the people that found this type of event entertaining? Weren''t they cheering for the competitor''s to give their all, to fight and make their nations proud? He shook his head and started walking off the stage before breaking into laughter that filled the whole arena.

 Chapter 47 - Contrast in Conduct

    Bazuul walked up to the balcony and sat back on his seat. Some had a rather odd expression on their face when they looked at him. If he could do that to a girl, how vicious would he be to men? Massimo Dias, for? ?example, formed a rule not even to give him the chance to cast whatever magic he had used in that fight. Merely a few were still reserved enough and understood that this was only punishment for constantly talking smack. Would any of them react differently after a while? This had nothing to do with being a man or a woman. This was the responsibility to bear for one''s faults.


    "Was that too much?" He asked while looking at Elanar.


    Elanar had become aware that Bazuul felt a little ashamed of his violent tendencies, back in the akashic library. As to why she was not clear on, neither had she any idea on how he felt this way. Bazuul had lived in a state full of rage and hatred for nearly fifteen years, but after being reborn here, he slowly changed. In truth, he didn''t change much before meeting a certain someone here in Leizyr. Only two months ago he killed many without even flinching in the eastern city. He didn''t mind then, neither had he felt shame -- no, it was the same feeling as when he killed or suppressed others back on Earth, a sense of empowerment.


    "A little extreme, yes, but not too much. She is alive, isn''t she?" She answered as if it were a fact. Since Elanar did not remember anything from Earth and had grown up on Tiamat, she also grew up with the mentality of this world. The Seven Kingdoms especially, were not necessarily a place were the strong bullied the weak, but the weak were undoubtedly suppressed. Also, shedding blood was a common occurrence in everyday life, even for the descendants of royalties.


    Feeling slightly relieved that she didn''t look at him differently, he said with a sigh, "Well, she did threaten to make me the last living eunuch."


    When Elanar heard this, she felt slightly annoyed and said, "Well then you went easy on her! No worries."


    Bazuul felt kind of sweet after talking about it to her, especially the "no worries" made him feel like his chest was about to burst from the light inside. Still looking at each other, a voice suddenly entered their ears. "I think you might have misunderstood me earlier, young prince, I have no interest in your female." Both turned their heads, although Bazuul was already aware who was addressing him again, of course, it was Horlet Richat. Elanar slightly blushed after a person she didn''t know called her Bazuul''s women.


    "That woman''s voice annoyed me, also the punishment dealt was very entertaining. After all," Horlet continued, "the lesser beings around us have to be taught well, don''t you agree?" Bazuul looked at him intensely; for some reason, he didn''t like the guy. He wasn''t sure before why, but he had at least found a clue now. First, he called Elanar his "female," and then called his previous opponent a "lesser being." He did agree that Valentina was someone "lesser" though, but considering the way he called Elanar his "female" Bazuul didn''t think he meant Valentina''s inferior mind when he said that. Disinclined to talk to that guy he turned his gaze back to the battle platform and ignored him; this caused an enchanting giggle to escape the person next to Horlet, Nazela Amenti. Luckily, another "inferior being" helped Bazuul ignore the two of them.


    "What do you mean his female? ARE YOU EVEN AWARE WHO YOU''RE TALKING ABOUT! What even are you? Know your place, or I''ll make you understand your position." Arkenon erupted from the side.


    Bazuul really couldn''t be bothered with them. Elanar also turned her gaze to the battle platform, the blush from before had intensified. This time around it was her that felt ashamed. Once more, her eldest brother was causing a scene. It would be better to focus on the two contestants standing ready on the stage, then on anything else right now.


    After all, the first princess of Donar, Ragna Donarim, and Jian Zheng were going to fight now. The latter being a person nearly everyone had been warned of before departing for Leizyr. A youngster hailed as the only potential swordsman to become as great as his father, a sword saint in the making.


    "FIGHT!" Tyr''s voice reverberated throughout the arena.


    Immediately afterward, the sound of two swords clashing rang through the stands and into the heavens. One sword was emitting crackling noises while lightning traveled on its surface from time to time. While the others, Jian Zheng''s to be precise, was soundless. To the viewer, this match seemed to be a tough one, seeing that both looked to be in a sorry state. Apart from the noise of swords clashing the spectators were silent, they held their breath at the speed and intensity this fight brought with it. Then again, if one looked closely, one would notice that under the sliced up clothing both wore, only one of them had wounds with blood dripping, it was Ragna.


    Every of Jian''s strokes was carried several meters forward by the wind, while Ragna approached her target with incredible speed every time.


    Two people who fought with their swords, but had completely different tactics. While one favored a sword fight in close quarters, the other preferred to keep his distance. This almost cat and mouse play kept going on for nearly twenty minutes. Eventually, though, Jian Zheng disarmed her elegantly and held the tip of his sword on her neck, which gave Ragna no other choice but to surrender. This way of defeating his opponent was in stark contrast to the brutal match before. Therefore the reaction of the crowd was completely different than before, as they broke out into cheers and applause.


    Bazuul had wanted to see Jian Zheng fight ever since his father had warned him and his brothers about the swordsman. Although this match seemed to be a tough one, he had an inkling that Jian had not yet used his all in this match. Even then, Bazuul still felt confident about winning if he had to confront Jian Zheng somewhere along the tournament. Albeit a hard-fought victory, it would be his nonetheless.


    Jian Zheng returned to his seat on the balcony and sat there silently, his opponent, Ragna, was escorted out of the arena.


    There would be a short pause now before the tournament would resume to its eighth match. Another match between two unequal opponents, but it might be an interesting one nonetheless.


    One of them being the crown-prince of Eras, Markus Bender. The other being a young girl from the proudest family of warriors in Ralun, Emilia Stark. As to why this was another match of unequal opponents was easy to explain. Markus was seventeen years old and in the seventh stage of the true qi realm. While Emilia was fourteen years old and in the fifth stage of the true qi realm, the gap in cultivation and age was, in this case, huge. Although, as seen before, in the case of Walter, back in the third stage of the hidden dragon trials, disparities could be overcome.


    Sadly, and to the regret of Bazuul and the other two fellow competitors from Ralun, it was not the case this time around. While Emilia fought valiantly and managed to dish out some damage, the other party was simply too strong. Another contrast to Bazuul''s match was this one too. toward the end of the match, Markus softly pushed her off the stage, therefore winning. He was still full of vitality, but his face was flushed beet red when he watched Emilia''s back disappearing in the hall.


    The crowd once more erupted into cheers and applause, and Markus returned to his seat.


    Even then, three out of four competitors from Ralun had made it to the second round of the royal tournament.

 Chapter 48 - The First Round Concludes

    The ninth match was between Arkenon Luminaire and a commoner from Donar, Haldur Runeberg. The Runeberg was a healthy working-class family that specialized in the business of engraving weapons and armor. Though they could not be considered wealthy, they had plenty nonetheless.


    Haldur impressed the audience with old and rather uncommon magic. Runes spread far onto the platform, each induced with an element, each with its purpose. They were restricting Arkenon''s magic and movement in the process, while Haldur closed the gap between them and attacked melee. Naturally, even the gauntlets he wore were suffused with rune magic.


    Indeed, the constant stream of runes popping up around him and the platform had beauty in it. It almost reminded Bazuul of some sort of light or laser show back on Earth. In the end, and even though it was a close fight, Arkenon overcame his opponent. He did so by casting an impressive trap on Haldur, caging him in a shadow domain until he lost consciousness.


    The staff of the arena worked quickly to repair the damage some of the runes had caused the platform before the next match started.


    The tenth match would be the crown prince of Donar, Eirik Donarim against the youngest princess of Lumin, Idriel Luminaire. Now on paper, this match was also one that was rather unfair toward the young princess. What most did not know, though, was that Idriel was a magician. She did not practice magic in the system provided by the Atlanteans. Much like Haldur before, this was a type of magic passed down through a clan or bloodline. It wasn''t a type of magic one could simply learn.


    "Little sister, I do not wish to harm you, would you please forfeit this match?" Eirik said, trying to sound magnanimous. Truly a testament to his character, perceiving his overbearing arrogance with the sentiment of generosity. Idriel however, did not care for what her opponent wanted. She came to fight and said before abruptly attacking, "Oh, your highness, if you do not wish to fight, then it is you who should surrender."


    Idriel''s scythe clashed with Eirik''s sword right before his neck, startling him. He didn''t think that the little girl would be this battle-hungry. After all, she looked like a beautiful little doll. A little sister one would dote on and take out shopping. Not only was it this contrast that shocked him, but it was also her fighting style. The crowd was equally shocked, looking at it. Somehow she used moonlight magic as conduct for physical battle, infusing herself and her scythe in it. Now usually magic in the moonlight category was soothing and calm, with slight healing or cleansing attributes. Yet, the magic displayed in front of them was completely different. It was offensively highly potent, and extremely oppressive even at a distance. One could only guess how the wielder of this magic would feel.


    This form was an almost feral state known to the Luminaire family as the "Wrath of the Light." As to how this state came to be, and even more so from the soothing magic of moonlight, was not completely clear. It was said that in ancient times, when the beast attacked, and the moon goddess lost everything, she fell into a wrathful state. For the first time then, she wielded her very essence, to slaughter its forces and fight back. As to what happened afterward, and what that beast was, that remained unknown.


    After a long bout, Eirik managed to drag out enough time for Idriel to run out of stamina. He appeared behind her and knocked her unconscious with a slight jab at her neck. He had thus won the match, albeit with rather unhappy murmurs from the crowd of spectators. On paper, Eirik was four years older and three stages higher in cultivation. Yet, all he did was dodge and avoid the fight until the end.


    The next match was between Kojiro Fujimoto from Shasta and Horlet Richat from the Directorate. Due to the names of both candidates from the Directorate, Bazuul assumed that they might actually be from Atlantis. What this meant for the Seven Kingdoms was of no interest to him currently. He wanted to see what a, in his theory, son of Atlantis was capable of. Sadly he would end up disappointed, as Horlet made short of this fight. The fight ended in his victory almost as fast as Bazuul''s match, if not even quicker.


    The same went for the last match of the day between Nazela Amenti and William Sinclair from the Circle. Actually, the last fight turned out to be the quickest of all. Thus concluding the first day of the royal tournament. The king congratulated the contestants that reached the second round and left along with the representatives of the kingdoms. All contestants returned to their prospective embassies and rested. This is where Bazuul, Kuzan, and Tarek then met a downcast Emilia. She felt disappointed and a little ashamed that she had been the only one of four from Ralun, to disqualify. This dent in her pride caused this young, but proud female warrior to be teary-eyed, almost like a puppy that sought for comfort.


    Bazuul nudged Kuzan, trying to hint at him to say something. After all, as one of the oldest among them, and the first prince, this should be his responsibility. Seeing that his brother''s expression didn''t seem all too comfortable, for whatever reason, Bazuul sighed and said. "There''s no need to worry about this loss. If you''re not satisfied, then return it a hundredfold in three years. Now let''s grab something to eat, I''m starving, STAAAARVING I tell ya."


    At dinner, the elders immersed in analyzing the other contestants began preparing their youngsters for the second day.


    Bazuul went to sleep right after dinner, and before he knew, the sun had risen again. The second day of the royal tournament had come faster than expected.


    Bazuul, Elanar, Horlet, and Nazela sat on the balcony since they had won the fastest among the competitors yesterday.


    Which in turn, left the rest to fight another match, to qualify themselves for the quarterfinals against the four sitting above their heads. All eight of them stood on the battle platform, ready to pick another marble, ready to face their next obstacle. Among them was also Bazuul''s eldest brother Kuzan, who hoped that he wouldn''t pick the same number as his fellow ralunian, Tarek.


    Meanwhile, Bazuul was making small talk among the four of them, as he asked the two from the Directorate. "You know, I''ve been wondering. Do you guys have twins? Or is that just a rumor?"


    He didn''t intend to get an answer out of them, but more so meant to tease them. On Earth, it was said that the parents of noble houses on Atlantis always bore twins. This once again was just another way for him to validate his theory about the two. Evident by their perplexed facial expressions, Bazuul had hit a sore spot.

 Chapter 49 - The Quarter-Finals Begin

    The qualification for the quarterfinals had almost taken a day, in the first match Arkenon had won against Massimo. Sawako then defeated Bazuul''s brother Kuzan in a fiery bout that had been considered evenly matched the majority of the fight. Jian Zheng then triumphed over the crown-prince of Donar, Eirik -- and Tarek won against the crown-prince of Eras, Markus Bender. An impressive feat, because he was the only commoner left from the Seven Kingdoms. Even without Bazuul''s suspicions, the pair from the Directorate was not affiliated with any nation. Thus they could not be counted as having any status at all.


    With this, the quarterfinals of the royal tournament officially started. The contestants of the first round already stood on the battle platform, awaiting Tyr''s call. Arkenon looked at the girl in front of him with wary eyes. Nazela''s last opponent was a magician just like himself, yet he was defeated in the blink of an eye. Not only that, there was nothing noteworthy about the match; it was almost like a brawl among common street thugs. At least he had not noticed any use of magic nor martial arts from her. Apart from the fact that she used a physical attack against the magician from the Circle.


    "Ready...FIGHT!" Tyr''s voice suddenly erupted, shortly after the crowd of spectators broke out into roars of anticipation.


    At this moment, Arkenon seemed to weave a spell with his staff, as the moving tip of the stave had a glowing tail of dark magical essence following behind. From time to time, ripples in space, like the blast-wave of an explosion radiated out of him. Then, all at once, his shadow split into three separate forms and encircled Nazela. Due to the gasps from the stands, one could see that this was an astounding feat. Bazuul, on the other hand, was inspired by this spell. He wondered if he could similarly use his dark essence. If he managed to do that, this ability would come in handy in multiple ways.


    The three shadows mounted a synchronized attack, only then, for the first time since the match began, did Nazela move. She dodged one shadow, and the moment she did, it dissolved while the other two stopped moving. It was when Nazela made her first move, that Arkenon felt like something had struck, yet he couldn''t make out from where. It almost felt like a deep wave or vibration had hit his innermost core. Each time, Nazela took another step and touched the ground, another wave hit him. At this time, Arkenon had ceased the movement of his staff, his face contorted and his body looked stiff. It felt to him as if his skull would break under the pressure created any time now.


    Then, Nazela''s voice pierced into his ears, "Oh ~ You poor thing! Look at you. You can barely stand anymore." at this, blood rushed out of his mouth and nose. The waves of her voice were even more volatile than the ones before. Seeing Arkenon''s miserable state, she giggled and said, "Let me release you from your suffering." Arkenon was barely able to look up to her when she had already closed the gap between them. Her fist struck him right below the solar plexus, and another round of waves rampaged through his body. With the untempered body of a magician, the damage those waves did were pretty severe. His body rose into the air from the punch, barely conscious anymore his eyes opened a tiny slit. Only to see the women that did this to him, waiting for him down below with open arms. Eventually, she caught him in her embrace, preventing him from falling to the floor. As her hand crawled through the hair at the back of his head, she whispered to him, "Let your wailing soul rest in the halls for all eternity." before throwing him off the stage.


    Bazuul had a rather serious expression on his face. As he, just like the rest, was unable to figure out what Nazela did to Arkenon. Ultimately, the guy barely moved after casting the first spell and seemingly threw up blood for no reason. Some theorized that the girl was a master in the school of poisons. Bazuul chose not to force an answer right now, figuring out these abilities would also have time for later. Now he needed to focus on the second match that was about to begin. After all, this was a match between Ela and Sawako. Although in his mind, Sawako didn''t stand a chance -- though she might still be strong enough to force Elanar to fight with a certain degree of sincerity.


    "A battle of two first princesses huh? Let''s see how this goes." Someone in the stands said.


    Another agreed, "Mh, from the princess of house Fujimoto previous matches we can tell that she should be in the seventh stage of the true qi realm. She is practically a genius considering her age, plus the flames around each of her attacks are extremely hot. It must be a special kind of flame."


    An old man behind them that didn''t a look like an old man then said, "We have not really seen what the first princess of Lumin can do, or at what stage she''s currently at. Either her first opponent was too weak, and she got lucky, or she is strong enough to toy with her opponents. That still wouldn''t mean that it''s enough to defeat the young Fujimoto though."


    They were still discussing multiple factors and outcomes when their attention was torn toward the platform from Tyr''s call that the match had officially started.


    Yet, even then, both contestants just stood there looking at each other. "Draw your weapon princess of Lumin!" Sawako said.


    Elanar shook her head and said indifferently, "You''re not ready yet for me to draw my weapon."


    "So be it, don''t regret it though," Sawako answered coldly and began attacking.


    Sawako kept on pressing Elanar relentlessly, yet the latter kept on dodging her attacks. Slowly a vexed feeling grew in Sawako''s stomach. Every strike had struck nothing, but air, a change of tactic was the only thing she could do now. Once again, just as before, she attacked head-on. The difference was that she wanted her opponent to believe it was the same pattern of attack as previously. Only to then expand the flames around her fist forward in an attempt to burn the indifference off of her opponents face.


    Right around the time her fist had reached the wanted distance, her opponent suddenly vanished and appeared right beside her. Startled she immediately jumped back, seeing that Elanar''s leg was closing in fast toward her face. Although successful, a scratch with a bit of blood dripping showed on her left cheek. In anger, she lashed out, and a ball of fire traveled the distance in Elanar''s direction. The crowd in the stands gasped as they had not thought that Sawako was still holding back up until now. After all, she had not displayed this feat before now. Elanar didn''t seem to mind all that much though. She changed her stand, crossed her arms around her upper body and face, meeting the fireball head-on. On touch, the fireball went off and exploded.


    Bazuul''s face darkened slightly; he didn''t like to see her in potential danger, even though this was by far a matter of life and death. Even still, he hoped Elanar would stop playing around with the girl, lest she gets hurt a bit.


    Seconds later, the cloud had settled, and the fire vanished, revealing the condition the first princess of Lumin was in. A silver glowing light barrier shone in front of her arms. Apart from her white dress having some burned spots, Elanar seemed completely fine. Her opponent didn''t wait though and launched an attack from below, targeting her legs. Elanar reacted quickly and jumped up. As Sawako slid below her, she said in a sarcastic tone, "A foolish move, elder sister, unless you can dodge mid-ai¡­" Her sentence abruptly stopped as Elanar had viciously stomped one of her feet in Sawako''s face.


    The crowd jumped up in awe, it was a simple move, but amidst the action, rather breathtaking. One second they had thought the first princess of Lumin would be covered in burn marks, only to find out she was fine. The next second, before they could recover, Sawako mounted another attack from below. Only to get her face stuck between a rock and a hard place. Some observant folk now realized that it seemed the first princess of Lumin had been in control of this match all along. Without doing much to boot.


    "It is time to end this, don''t you agree?" Elanar said while Sawako had yet to stand up.


    The little princess from Shasta was incensed and didn''t even answer, slamming both her fist onto the ground. Shortly after, a scar of burning stone ripped open on the battle platform, out of it, flames and almost melted rock lunged toward Elanar. Suddenly, Elanar broke out into shining light. Covered in it, one couldn''t even make out her form anymore. Then, as the light vanished, the first princess of Lumin was gone too. An outcome that left many flabbergasted, even Sawako was confused. A second later though, this bright light broke out right beside her again. Before she could even react, a fist struck her on her right cheek. The power of that strike broke her connection with the ground, pushing her away for a couple of meters. Before she even found her balance again, the light once more appeared behind her. She immediately reacted swinging her in fire covered fist, behind her while she turned. At that moment, another light appeared beside her. Sawako''s face turned pale as she thought, "Dammit, I''ve been tricked!"


    Elanar''s long leg landed on Sawako''s side like a whip and blasted the latter out of the ring.


    Before the crowd broke out into raging applause, some seemed dazed by the fight. Some others were still seeing blue dots from the blinding lights at the end of the battle.

 Chapter 50 - Jian vs Bazuul

    The tournament was put on halt for almost an hour due to the damage this fight had caused the platform. Only after the repairs had been completed could the next two contestants enter the stage.


    Bazuul and Jian Zheng walked down the balcony and up the stage, then they both stood there silently across from each other. Even though the fight had not officially started, both were already entrenched in a battle of aura, stunning the crowd. A current of air surrounded the platform, with the center of it being the eye of the storm.


    "As everyone can clearly see, these two are ready for the battle ahead. Let''s not make them wait, FIGHT!" Tyr said. With this, the eerie silence in the arena broke, and fervent roars and warcries filled it. Only to return to silence a minute later, as the expressions of the crowd were either suffused with awe or confusion.


    All the crowd could see was two youngsters repeatedly turning into blurs only to clash on and on again. Some of the spectators were only able to witness both their forms at the moment of their clash; others could merely see the sparks of the blades clashing. Yet all were able to feel the wild winds created through each impact once they clashed. Before the crowd could even process the previous attack, another happened somewhere else. It was baffling to the viewers to see youngster this skilled going at it this ferociously.


    At this moment, both once more appeared on the stage. Jian Zheng thrust his sword toward Bazuul, and in fact, he was already too close for Bazuul to dodge. Seeing this, Bazuul used his gravitational expulsion to slow down Jian''s advance. He then shifted his position into his favor and diverted the trajectory of his opponent''s sword. Still, a blast of sharp sword breath whipped forward until it crashed into a corner of the platform, cutting a fist-sized part of it cleanly off.


    Jian Zhen stood still for a second, perplexed about what had just happened. "I had him!" he thought, "How did he escape?"


    It was this short second of impassiveness that was enough for Bazuul to successfully attack. Though Jian''s instincts were sharp, and he dodged to some extent, his arm had still received a rather deep cut. He could see a blood trail following Bazuul''s obsidian blade midair from his arm, apparently to no end. Jian reacted quickly and cut off the stream of blood successfully. With this, he was proving his skill in the sword, since only a master-level swordsman was able to cut liquids truly. The cut off trail of blood still followed the sword until it vanished entirely into it. A second later the blade started glowing in an ominous purple light.


    Due to this unsettling feeling, Jian determined that he had to unleash everything now and then. He mounted an attack and slashed Bazuul at the shoulder. Bazuul, on the other hand, ignored his injury and wasted no time, also going to the offensive. Both continuously attacked, parried the opponents attack, or dodged the advance completely. Only from time to time did an attack connect.


    This went on for a while, and the fight went back and forth. Almost half an hour in, both youngsters had seen better days, their clothes were in tatters and their bodies largely covered in wounds.


    Eventually, under the pressure of Jian''s impeccable sword skills, the obsidian sword in Bazuul''s hand gave in and broke into several pieces. The sound of it breaking and the shattered pieces landing on the ground filled the arena. The crowd gasped in shock, as everyone now thought the battle had been decided. Jian wasted no time and mounted another attack, Bazuul lifted what remained of the sword in a defensive stance when suddenly the pieces of Bazuul''s blade began vibrating. Shortly after, they rose from the ground into the air. The vibrations that came out of those pieces was ominous and extremely deep. Deep as in, you could feel its ripples in your organs.


    Suspended in the air, the broken pieces hung there, apparently doing nothing. Jian squinted his eyes as if trying to see through what was happening right now. Suddenly the blade broke out into a piercing wail before seemingly all blood the sword had accumulated gushed out in an explosion.


    The explosion drenched the whole of the arena in blood. The spectators, the nobles and representatives of the Seven Kingdoms, even the king, were covered in this sticky crimson liquid. This seeming explosion of blood created such a force that the impact shoved both Jian and Tyr off the platform. Bazuul somehow managed to stay on it, if anything, he even seemed untouched. As not even a droplet of blood was visible on him. What none had been able to realize, was that while everyone had witnessed the impact and involuntarily bathed in blood. Bazuul, at the center of the blast, had actually received the core essence of the blood within his blade. When Tyr climbed up the stage again and saw Bazuul completely fine, he announced him the winner by default.


    Although, an event like this could not be simply swept under the carpet. Questions would arise, and answers would be necessary. Due to the incredulous amount of blood, and the intense stench it left in the arena, the last match of the quarterfinals had to be postponed to the next day.


    Bazuul wasn''t satisfied with this win, and he walked toward the edge of the stage. Seeing Jian already enter the hallway, he called out to him and challenged him to another duel sometime in the future. Feeling similarly unsatisfied Jian agreed with a simple nod.


    What none realized then and there, was the demise of a blade as legendary as it once was infamous. Its name was Azar, the Maw of the Fiend, and when the sword broke, somewhere, far away from the Seven Kingdoms, it stirred.


    Azar was a blade from a time when humanity was still in its infancy, protected by their deity, who shepherded over them in their homeland, Agatha. Last had it found its use in the great demon invasion over four hundred years ago. Where humanity was nearly wiped out, and their homeland forever lost to the demons. Then already, it was a nameless blade, and just as the loss of its name, was the number of casualties that had fallen prey under its edge.


    As everyone left for their respective embassy, Bazuul had to stay behind and answer some questions due to the incident. The six representatives, among them his uncle Faolan and grand elder Arya stood around him, the king of Donar was also present. Bazuul explained that he barely knew anything about the blade. In fact, he merely picked it up before his trip to this foreign kingdom. Before that, it was apparently collecting dust in their treasury. Even his father, the king, did not have any information about it when he had asked him then. Faolan vouched for that statement, as the blade had been with them even before he had been born.


    The authorities were rather unsatisfied with the answers given but had to let him go under Faolan''s watchful eye.

 Chapter 51 - Blood Essence

    Since nothing came out of the investigation, add to that Faolan''s pressure, even the king of Donar felt disinclined to make a scene out of this. After all, how many unidentified objects had gathered dust in Donar''s treasury? Their claim wasn''t that far fetched, and although the scene was a ghastly one, to say the least, no one could be blamed for it.


    "Let the young prince go, consider this incident as simply a lucky situation for him." The king told his people.


    Faolan nodded toward the king before he and Bazuul left.


    Even though it was still early in the evening, darkness had already shrouded the day. The autumn wind howled through the streets along with the ever-present thunder, a drastic change from the scene on the battle platform merely an hour ago.


    Bazuul stomach growled after they returned to the embassy, intending to fill the hole in it, he walked toward the kitchen. To his surprise, Faolan grabbed hold of him by the collar, told the attendants to prepare something to eat and dragged Bazuul toward his study.


    Unable to put up any resistance, Bazuul looked up with a discontent expression and asked, "What is this?"


    Faolan merely shot him a glance and scoffed. Once in his study, Faolan threw Bazuul onto a seat and sat into his. Silently he observed his nephew for a couple of minutes.


    Faolan finally raised his voice and asked. "What happened down there?"


    "I don''t know, as I''ve said, I don''t know much about the sword," Bazuul answered confusedly.


    "That''s not what I mean. You''re different from before, and I can clearly see your body brimming with vigor ever since the explosion."


    Bazuul''s mind blanked at this and realized what his uncle meant, the blood essence that entered his body. After a moment of silence, this time from Bazuul''s side, he explained to his uncle what had happened.


    "Well, that explains your hunger. Show me your body strengthening technique." Faolan said.


    After doing so, Faolan analyzed the scripture for a while. "Mmmh, I don''t recognize this body strengthening technique, at least it''s not one from our family. Where did you get it?


    "Old man Fu from the eastern city gave it to me," Bazuul answered truthfully.


    Unaware of that person''s identity, Faolan still nodded and said. "Ok, although it''s a lower-ranked one there is some mystery within it even I cannot completely grasp. For now, this will do, but I advise getting a better one once we return home."


    At this time, three knocks came from the door, and the voice of an attendant entered the study, telling them that the food was ready.


    "Go eat something and then cultivate your body strengthening technique. Try to refine some of the blood essences. It should have incredible effects on your body''s constitution."


    Bazuul nodded and left the study, picked up the dish prepared for him and thought, "So the technique old man Fu gave me is a lower-ranked one. Guess I''ll check the library after I''ve filled my stomach."


    Without further ado, Bazuul left for his room after having satiated his hunger and drifted into the akashic library. Once inside, he began reading every book on "body strengthening" he had access to. He found several body strengthening techniques among these books, and the unknown author of these manuscripts even ranked some. Many described the essence and functions of a body strengthening technique, yet while all explanations were similar, they were also completely different from each other.


    As Bazuul understood it, a body strengthening technique was at first an extreme form of bodybuilding. Extreme, in a sense, that it required one to build a solid foundation for every single muscle in your body. One in which every muscle must be of equal balance to the others surrounding it. After reaching that state, it would be time to increase the volume of the vascular body, meaning his veins, arteries, and meridians. While also increasing the intensity of his training. Stretching the tendons and ligaments in his body to the limit. A tenuous and painful procedure that tested the practitioner''s tenacity and willpower. Also, depending on the person''s constitution, one had to find a compatible body strengthening technique.


    From the different depictions and explanations in these books, Bazuul''s mind simplified the knowledge into a simple training regime that seemed to be the basis of all such techniques. Four simple pillars that consisted of ever-increasing stretching and bodybuilding, something that was akin to yoga, and meditation. A symbiosis of these four would transform the body slowly if done right, which was then followed by the growth in the capacity of one''s mind. Obviously, some treasures and resources could help someone overcome those boundaries and therefore forego the struggles and pains. One such example was one recently acquired, blood essence. Apparently, a tiny drop from a strong beast was enough for a cultivator to overcome a realm or at least knock on the door of the next. That merely being effects on one''s cultivation, not the plentiful benefits to the body.


    After that, Bazuul eventually found a technique that aligned well with his constitution called the "Strong as earth, light as air." The moment Bazuul began reading he felt deep respect for the writers skill. It was written almost like a poem, and told of old folklore. Unlike a normal story though, the reader would almost fall into a trance, preoccupied by visions showing the set and sequences of the body strengthening technique.


    Prepared he then left the library and entered the dark side of his domain. To his surprise, he found himself underwater once inside. He swam up to the surface and climbed up the edge of the now large bowl that once was something he called "yin-yang plate." Once up there, he realized that the liquid he was soaked in actually was blood. At this time a bolt shot through his mind before he thought in disbelief, "No way, nooo, no, no, no. Thats...no way. That''s... That''s like...two thousand liters of blood essence! WHAT THE FUCK?!"


    Not only was he once again remembered of his sheer luck ever since transmigrating into this world. Something he saw as a sort of plot-armor, but he was also frightened by the amount of blood essence. After all, how many lives must have been ended by that blade? And how many corpses did it suck dry?


    Suddenly Bazuul''s body began to itch. Slowly this itch increased in intensity until it eventually became unbearable. He growled as these sensations turned into pain. Eventually though, as fast as these sensations came, it also stopped. Bazuul came to the conclusion that this was the effect of the short bath he took in this pool of blood essence. Shockingly, such a short while in it had this kind of effect. Wasn''t the use of such resources to proceed further in one''s body''s cultivation and forego the pain?


    Then, a creepy chuckle escaped him. "Forget about the benefits this has to me. I don''t even know if one person can refine so much blood essence in a lifetime. This is capital! Not only can I sell some, but I can also strengthen the people around me and further bind loyal subjects to me through that."


    Bazuul left his domain and ordered his attendants to bring him all free containers in the embassy, large and small ones. It didn''t matter. After that, he slowly began filling those containers with the blood essence and stored them into his ring. Still, the attendants had to go out, and buy quite a few more pots, bottles and flasks until Bazuul''s domain had been "cleaned up."


    Bazuul then reentered his domain and made himself familiar with his new body strengthening technique. Afterward, he trained with the dark fiend, further increasing his control over his abilities of gravity. Slightly unaware of it, but due to the battle experience gained against Jian Zheng today, and the short bath in blood essence, Bazuul had reached the peak of the eighth true qi realm. Not only that, but his body had transformed from the once rather frail-looking youth to a well-groomed and healthy young man. The vigorous atmosphere around him even had some wild tendencies reflecting his innermost character. All that in about six hours, although to the outside it was merely three hours.


    It was already midnight, so Bazuul didn''t bother with anything else. He drank a glass of water and went straight to bed.

 Chapter 52 - The Semi-Finals Start

    Bazuul awoke by morning and washed up. Before breakfast, Bazuul went to Faolan''s study and met with his uncle. He handed Faolan a vial with a drop of blood and told him about his plan to do the same with some select few. His uncle, therefore, summoned the three elders first. Faolan made the elders that came with them from Ralun swear an oath of secrecy and afterward handed them one vial of blood essence each.


    Ferra Yael, a priestess of the Hall of Ancestry, and Herby Kern, secretary of the Jade Serpent Pavillion, were equally shocked and expressed their gratitude.


    On the other hand, secretary Kern also had mixed feelings about this gift. After all, the fourth prince had killed his second son, the former minister of finance of the western-city. As a loyal subject, he was appalled by the fact his son had joined an assassination attempt on a member of the royal family. Happy this potential calamity to his bloodline had been removed, and grateful the royal family didn''t find fault with him. Nonetheless, Rudiger Kern was still his son. Even more so, a son who''s previous accomplishments had filled him with pride. Also, considering he did not necessarily find fault with Bazuul, after all, the fourth prince merely protected his own life. The situation as a whole still dampened the joy of receiving such a gift.


    The third elder, grand elder Doran Delaqoa, one of three high counselors in the Institute of War, continuously trembled in shock. While blood essence may be extremely rare and shocked all three elders present, Doran had a personal interest in the effects it could bring. His son, Zaim, formerly a highly talented captain of the Sun Guard, had been crippled by an ambush near the Arch of Ruin about three years ago. As it so happened, this drop of blood essence might be the solution to alleviate Zaim''s ailment.


    "Your Highness, grand marshal, this subject has a request." Grand elder Delaqoa said.


    The grand elder explained the situation of his son and, therefore, his request. Faolan knew the story of the Delaqoa family''s former prodigy. He was just about to give his opinion to Bazuul, when the latter said, "That...Yes, of course, but you will have to make him swear the same oath as you did. The same will naturally count for the other two elders if you wish to hold onto it rather than use it."


    Even though Bazuul meant well it would not work that way. Since it in itself caused a slight problem, due to the fact that grand elder Delaqoa had just sworn an oath of secrecy. Therefore, either Bazuul himself or his uncle would need to hand this drop of blood essence to Zaim. Thats why the grand elder returned the drop of blood essence to the young prince.


    After this short interlude, the next group was called into the study. Another group of three entered, this time individuals of the younger generation. Of course, it was none other then Ralun''s contestants of the royal tournament. His brother Kuzan, Tarek Rashad and Emilia Stark, were pressed to swear the oath and instructed to refine the blood essence once they were back home.


    Shortly after breakfast, the embassy made way to the grand arena. The last match of the quarter-finals between Hortlet Richat and Tarek Rashad would be held before the semi-finals would start immediately after.


    Tyr called out the start of the match for one last time in the quarter-finals, and the crowd erupted in fervent roars. Obviously, they favored Tarek to win this match, although Horlet had won far to convincingly before, they also hadn''t seen much of him. Tarek, on the other hand, was a commoner that had made it, against all the odds, this far, which was very appealing to many of them.


    Tarek performed well, even though he was, as before, at an enormous disadvantage.


    It was an almost ludicrous thought actually, for an assassin to fight out in the open, in the light. Yet, Tarek astounded once again with wide flowing acrobatic moves and viciously precise attacks. Eventually, so it seemed, Horlet was forced to reveal his true abilities. He summoned two spectral swords that flew beside him. Tarek managed to hold on for a minute. Eventually, though, he fell to the bombardment of a variety of both physical and magical attacks. Thus, Horlet Richat became the fourth and last candidate of the semi-finals in the royal tournament.


    Dazzled by the display, excited, that they finally knew the last competitor of the semi-finals, the crowd of spectators nearly rampaged through the stands.


    After a short break, the main event of the day was about to start. The king once more held a speech. He retold the stories of past royal tournaments and congratulated the four youngsters for making it this far. After a short pause, and in an effort to spur on the young competitors, the king revealed a football-sized rock in his hand. "The winner of the royal tournament will receive this rare Stone of Divinity." The king said. The audience, everyone within the grand arena, halted their breaths in awe. Slowly the volume along with the number of whispers increased until the grand arena was drowned in an uproar of emotions and exclaims.


    A Stone of Divinity was a magical artifact of unspeakable rarity. Its effects, on the other hand, were the stuff of dreams for every cultivator or magician. In its common form, the size of a pebble, it was already able to help an origin cultivator advance two or three realms with enough time and care. For magicians, on the other hand, it would vastly increase the mana pool of those refining its energy. One could only imagine what kind of an effect a ball sized Stone of Divinity would have. The long term effects were simply said, inconceivable.


    It took some time, but after the endless array of emotions within the grand arena subsided, the first match of the semi-finals would finally begin.


    Both contestants walked up to the battle platform, and the arena filled with cheers and whistles, after all, among the crowd of viewers were many youngsters. The sight of beauties so different from each other literally boiled their blood. One was elegant and gave one the sense of wanting to submit as if in front of a deity. The other was a seductive ice queen that had no qualms in using her curvaceous body to get an advantage. As previously seen in the fight against Arkenon Luminaire, the first prince of Lumin.

 Chapter 53 - Bazuul vs Horlet

    The grand arena was silent, as the crowd was too focused on the match below. There was shock on their faces, some displayed awe, while others worry.


    At this moment, Elanar''s elbow struck Nazela on the temple full force. The strike lifted her off her feet, and she flew back a couple of meters before she harshly landed on the floor.


    Elanar breathed heavily, but her attention remained on her opponent. An opponent that had taken too much time to defeat. An adversary, that to the shock of Elanar, mostly due to her magic, actually had a chance of winning this match. The proof of it was seen on both competitors. Both were bruised up and covered in cuts. Elanar bled out of her ears and nose, her eyes bloodshot.


    Nazela struggled to lift herself from the ground, eventually unable to. Tyr, therefore, announced Elanar Luminaire, the first princess of Lumin, the primary challenger of the grand final. The crowds, of course, cheered her on and celebrated her win. Due to her injuries, Elanar had to be escorted out of the arena to receive treatment immediately. Seeing this, a tiny bit of killing intent erupted within Bazuul. Although he only let it slip outside for a second. It was enough to send an exhausted and injured Nazela unconscious.


    After another short pause, the second match of the semi-finals was about to start. Horlet had recovered his reserves by now. The crowd had been theorizing incessantly who would win ever since the first match ended. The common consensus happened to favor Horlet because he was older, and Bazuul just had his weapon destroyed.


    Bazuul stood on the stage with his eyes closed and a frown on his face. "One had to take responsibility for his acquaintances," he said. Horlet seemed not to catch his meaning, but before he could ask for the purpose, Tyr announced the start of the match.


    Silence prevailed, Horlet naturally awaited an attack, but his opponent still had his eyes closed and stood there completely motionless.


    Annoyed, Horlet made the first move and summoned four spectral swords out of the ether. Finally, it seemed, he revealed the full extent of his magic. At this moment, Bazuul activated the fifth chapter of his arcane codex, [Myriad Suns]. Slowly, he began spreading the particles of his sun as if spores in autumn. Meanwhile, Horlet had already closed the distance, and the blades around him lunged toward Bazuul. Suddenly Bazuul opened his eyes, which drowned the whole of the arena in his killing intent. This caused not only the viewers but also the elders up above to feel startled. Even the king moved to the edge of his seat to have a closer look. His expression at first on of shock, until it turned into an intoxicated smile caused by this assault of famished bloodlust.


    Horlet was young and inexperienced. His advance was therefore stopped by fear and hesitation, his body covered in cold sweat. Bazuul activated his lightning steps technique and appeared behind his opponent. With a little jump to the side, he now stood right next to the still horrified Horlet. Bazuul prepared to strike, covered his fist in darkness, and said: "What? You didn''t really think you wouldn''t have to take responsibility for your fellow Atlantean?" This sent another shockwave through Horlet as his eyes contracted. No one knew about their true identity. This shock washed away the fear, and Horlet instinctively looked towards Bazuul to affirm his ears did not play tricks on him.


    Yet, before his brain could receive the images sent from his eyes, a fist landed on his lower jaw, breaking it. Horlet took to the air and flew for several meters before he crashed onto the ground blood flowing out of his mouth like rivers, along the rivers were several teeth. "No answer huh? So rude! Your parents should have taught you some manners!" Bazuul added.


    To his surprise, this angered Horlet. This anger spurned Horlet''s drive to fight; he manifested four more swords and mounted another attack. Bazuul managed to dodge most attacks, only bleeding on the surface. Still, it became increasingly difficult to evade the attacks of a seventh stage true qi realm cultivator and eight flying swords.


    With no other choice left, Bazuul disregarded his defense and focused entirely on his offensive. He kept on smashing Horlet around the battle platform ruthlessly, all the while spreading the spores of the myriad suns. Eventually, Horlet mumbled something in a rage and lifted his arms. Apparently, he attempted to summon his final attack.


    Everyone in the arena held their breaths. This fight had been one of the most intense so far, and yet, it seemed, the climax had yet to come.


    "Well then, I shall also finish this up!" Bazuul concluded and lifted one arm. A slight smile formed on his face, and he casually snapped his fingers. Out of nothing, relatively similar to what Horlet attempted, a pillar of intense fire manifested itself on the platform and burst up into the sky engulfing both Bazuul and Horlet in it. With a fire so intense that even the viewers had to distance themselves, one could only imagine what those two within were going through. The pillar remained for a couple of minutes, and the screams of agony were clear for all to hear. After the fire finally extinguished half of the arena stood up and exclaimed in shock. Bazuul stood there relatively fine, even his clothes were only slightly burned, but the person he held by the collar was not recognizable anymore. His skin and clothes were so badly burned that they had melted together, where the skin still had color that wasn''t coal black.


    After the initial shock subsided, Tyr returned to the stage and announced Bazuul the winner of the semi-finals. The final candidate in the finals, where he would be matched up against Elanar Luminaire.

 Chapter 54 - A Dream for Many

    Back in Ralun''s embassy, multiple forms of energy, which created several layers of mist floated about in Bazuul''s chamber as he meditated. Today''s match had been a big harvest in many factors. Obviously, the opponent was a skilled martial artist and a highly adept magician. Someone that could defeat him if not taken seriously. Not to the extent of Jian Zheng but strong nonetheless. It was his type of magic. A form of magic he had dwelled on all the way back on Earth. Although the user would summon objects, it was not genuinely summoning magic but ether magic. A revelation to him that roused waves of inspiration within his innermost being. While a summoner''s spells were able to create objects out of nothing, unlike summons created with ether magic, these creations would eventually fade back into the void. Of course, the latter''s invocations could not become a reality altogether, it needed an energy source it could continuously feed off. That''s where the actual difference between the two lied. The former could only fuel itself with its summoner''s magic, while the latter was far more flexible. Legends said that a particular famous pyramid, among many other structures, was created with the help of ether magic back on Earth.


    On his way to the embassy from the arena, Bazuul had taken a detour and checked up on Elanar. Her condition had stabilized, but she still seemed a little weak. Seeing her in this condition hurt him, but at the same time, he felt a sweet current stir inside his heart. It added an incredible cuteness to her charm. Somehow he felt the urge to brew her some tea, tuck her up in bed, and cuddle her to sleep.


    Of course, Elanar had already heard about the match''s result. She felt happy that he had won, and relatively unharmed so. At the same time, though, conflicting emotions troubled her when she thought about the fact that both would have to fight each other tomorrow.


    ~~~


    The sun stood at its highest point, and its rays poured down on the arena, presenting the people within with a rich source of warmth on this late autumn day.


    Bazuul and Elanar sat on the balcony above and watched the ceremony below as they held hands.


    "Ladies and Gentlemen, I welcome each and every one of you. Today is the day where we hold the final match of the royal tournament." The king of Donar started before he went through a detailed road map of each participant this time around. "Look at these two young finalists, and you may see your dreams of old. The dream to stand where these two do today. Who of us has not fought for a spot in this final when young? How many have succeeded? Even I have not." A short pause of complete silence prevailed as the crowd of viewers unconsciously held their breath. "Now to our finalists. An intriguing story, with an even more interesting conclusion. We believe it was the first day the fourth prince of Ralun had entered our capital city. We do not know why, but this young one felt the urge to take a stroll at night."


    At this point, slight waves of shock whipped through Bazuul. Then again, it was after all his son that had caused this incident. Obviously, the king would know about it one way or another. Even the fact that he knew it was his first day in Leizyr made sense after some thought since all kingdoms arrived that day.


    "Eventually, the prince landed in an alley where he found the first princess of Lumin surrounded by three assassins from the shadow of the blade." this revelation caused an uproar among the crowd of spectators. Even Bazuul and Elanar felt the little hair on their bodies stand erect. Completely unperturbed, the king continued, "After the fourth prince disposed of the three assassins, and unaware of who the unconscious woman was, he dragged her back to his inn to let her rest. That was the day these two youths became friends." The king then left out the coming days and immediately jumped to hidden dragon trials. He went over the numeral encounters Bazuul had in the trial, without forgetting to mention the attacks from the shadow of the blade. This disclosure of information rattled the people in the stands. After all, if what the king said was true, then this thirteen-year-old youngster had fought against and killed eleven assassins ¡ª seven of them with higher cultivation, and two of them even a whole realm ahead of him. Even still, the boy stood there in the arena, sound and safe.


    The king let the crowd digest this information before he ensured them that this would not endanger the fourth prince''s safety. Then he went on and led the people present through a narration of his own, detailing the path to the climax of the royal tournament. Today.


    Then for one last time, the king''s voice rose, "Everyone, please welcome Elanar Luminaire and Bazuul Ylvazad!" At this moment both Bazuul and Elanar began walking down the stairs and toward the battle platform where Tyr Helson awaited both of them. Meanwhile, the crowd went wild. People from Lumin and Ralun cheered for the candidate of their nation. Young maidens and men wished both of them the best. Some of these lovelorn young men even threatened Bazuul on the way down. He couldn''t help but shake his head while he chuckled sardonically.


    When both reached Tyr, he asked them if they were ready. When both nodded, his voice rose and reverberated throughout the arena. "Everyone, the moment has come, are you ready?!"


    A mixture of violent tendencies came to life by the rampant stomping of their feet, their expressions filled with ecstasy, and then the crowd''s roars rose in unison. "AH UH! AH UH! AH UH!"


    Once more, Tyr Helson''s voice erupted, "Then let the final match of the royal tournament begin! FIGHT!!!"


    As always, silence prevailed right after the fight officially started throughout the arena. The two youths stood across each other, not uttering a single word and not moving an inch.


    Bazuul crossed his arms and chuckled lightly before opening his mouth. "I surrender!"


    Only the breeze of the wind was perceivable, the spectators stood and sat as they did a second before as if frozen in time. Elanar''s face was as blank as a sheet, and Tyr similarly stood on the stage, his brain unable to currently process the young prince''s words. Elanar regained her composure the fastest and immediately walked toward him, already attempting to convince him to do otherwise. Before she could complete her sentence, though, the crowd gasped and exclaimed in unified shock, "EEEEEH?!"

 Chapter 55 - Back in Ralun

    It was a cold day in the capital of Ralun. The first snow fell by night and covered the kingdom''s cities in white as winter came with the eleventh month.


    The lot that traveled to Donar had returned two days ago and settled down well. The citizens had welcomed them with a parade then, even though their finalist, their fourth prince, had gifted the final victory to the first princess of Lumin.


    Currently, Bazuul slowly rode along the snowy streets of Ralun''s central city atop his horse Shadow. Children played in the streets with the snow as children would. As for the reason he ventured outside into the cold, he was invited to the Hall of Fortune and Fame by a certain friend. Therefore he deliberately chose to leave his warm home and take a break from cultivation.


    Now usually, Bazuul wasn''t the type to focus on such things a lot, he never quite understood the kind of characters categorized as "cultivation-freaks" in novels back on Earth. Neither did he think much of the differences in stages and realms. Sure after a certain extent, the gap became an unscalable wall, but where exactly did that range begin?


    As of today, he knew at least that the fourth stage of the origin realm was within that space known as an unscalable wall...


    Kuzan and Bazuul stood across from each other in a training hall within the palace.


    "Little Zuul, you might wonder why I asked you to spar with me. The reason is simple, there is something I have to show you, and I also need to pay you back for the sparring matches back in Leizyr." Kuzan said.


    Bazuul chuckled lightly while he thought back to the one-sided matches they had in Donar. "Sure thing, big brother."


    Kuzan could see the relaxed expression his little brother wore. It was evident that the latter didn''t think much of it. The first prince also chuckled and removed a ring from his finger. The moment he did immense spiritual pressure gushed out of him and filled the training room. Shocked, Bazuul had to take a step back due to the force Kuzan radiated.


    "You know, I''m sure I wasn''t the only one wearing a restricting artifact at the royal tournament. This, my little brother, is the fourth stage of the origin realm. The reason I''m also showing you this is for you to keep your feet on the ground. Not everything one can see is also the truth."


    Bazuul looked at this brother of his as he could feel his body instinctively tense up. Knowing that he was at a severe disadvantage, Bazuul chose to attack rather than wait for him to fall into a passive position. Activating his [Lightning Steps] and appeared behind Kuzan, his fist already launching at him.


    Less than a blink of an eye before his fist connected, Kuzan disappeared, and Bazuul felt something akin to a sting in the back of his neck before his vision turned black.


    A while later, Bazuul woke up on the floor, not wholly aware of what had happened and how much time had passed. As he sat up, he felt his brother''s presence. He looked toward him and saw that Kuzan just sat there looking back with a self-satisfied smirk on his face.


    ~~~


    Bazuul had finally reached the Hall of Fortune of Fame. Someone came out to greet him, ordered an attendant to bring his horse to the stalls, and led him to one of the private rooms. As said before, Bazuul had been invited to have dinner here and meet some friends. He did not come here to take part in an auction or such. For an auction house to have such private rooms and serve dinner was not the norm, but as an establishment of the scale the Hall of Fortune and Fame had in the Seven Kingdoms, it was a given to serve aristocrats, nobles, and royals in such fashion.


    Voices escaped the room. Apparently, there were already people inside. His entrance disrupted their conversation and attracted their attention to him. Tarek stood up and greeted him, his little brother Karim did the same. Emilia jumped him from the side in a half hug, and her little brother Eren pushed her back before he greeted his old friend. Ironically, the friends he made at the royal tournament, were the elder siblings of his older friends. Shu Huang was also present, Bazuul hadn''t actually seen much of him ever since the former disqualified in the third trial. "Maybe this loss hit him harder than he let on. "Looks like this little Huang has more ambition than his carefree manner gives away." He thought in a chuckle.


    Bazuul took a seat and joined the group. They ate and drank for hours, and slowly their minds became clouded by the food and a drink called Nightshine. It was made with the juice of the mistleberry and mixed with alcohol. The name came from the dark blue color of the mistleberry. They recounted the stories and their experiences in Leizyr, and as their intoxication grew, so did the exaggerations in their adventures. The occasional lightning traps in the second trial became a cave complex akin to a lightning hell. The same went for the streets of Leizyr, and each competitor seemed at least two stages stronger in their narrations. Everything was a bit more dangerous, a little stronger, and certainly much grimmer than it actually was. Then again, maybe that was the case for them, and Bazuul''s experience was just vastly different. After all, the second trial was, apart from opening the Will of Noxae, like a walk in the morning. He had also met with Elanar, something he didn''t think would happen at all. So in the end, while for most competitors, the hidden dragon trials and royal tournament were paved with adversity, for him, it was a joyous time.


    His third encounter with the shadow of the blade had almost been forgotten, drowned by memories and emotions connected to someone else.

 Chapter 56 - There is No Love Like the First

    The next day the group, minus Tarek, met again. This time, one of the silkpants, Krum Ferri, joined them.


    They went out ice skating and spent most of the day on the winter market. Krum and Karim frequently attempted the capture of a young maiden''s heart, while the others indulged in tarts, crepes and mulled wine. Eren and Shu didn''t join those two casanovas; the former was more interested in "protecting" his sister Emilia it seemed. While Shu Huang, on the other hand, appeared utterly uninterested in skirt-chasing, a stark contrast to the memories Bazuul had of him. Hours later, they had walked through the market a couple of times, tasted rare types of chocolate, among other things, bought several items offered at a multitude of stands and watched a play.


    "Guys, how about we return to a room of my Hall of Fortune and Fame?" The previously absent Karim asked with a bright smile as he returned to the group with a young woman by his side.


    Bazuul could only return a wry smile to his old friend. Especially after seeing a disgruntled Krum that came back alone. Eventually, they decided to return to a room inside the Hall of Fortune and Fame at Karim''s suggestion.


    Once again, the group ordered a couple of bottles of Nightshine and several dishes. Karim generously poured the drinks for everyone, especially for the young maiden nestled to his side before there was even food on the table. Bazuul lightly shook his head at this...eager to mingle youth and chuckled again. An action that didn''t go unnoticed this time around. Emilia, who sat next to him, slightly nudged him and teasingly asked with a smile, "What is it, my prince? It could not be that you are possibly jealous of Karim? Or does his Highness miss the warmth of someone else?"


    Her younger brother Eren immediately chimed in and said with a laugh, "Very odd indeed, sister! I only remember this brother of mine with at least one woman by his side, yet lately, I only see him solo."


    "I don''t even know what you''re talking about, Eren," Bazuul said flatly and looked the other way.


    Eren and Emilia tried to repress their laughter at this sight, but the muffled sounds that escaped their hands was no different. "It can''t be you still don''t know, brother? Our prince here has already found a princess. Isn''t that so...Zuuuuul?" Emilia said far more teasingly than before.


    "These siblings¡­" Bazuul thought while trying to ignore them, yet a slight smile still escaped him when he thought of her. When Eren saw Bazuul''s smile and almost "gazing-yearningly-into-the-distance" expression, he immediately started teasing his old friend again. Obviously, Emilia also joined in. Eventually, Bazuul could feel the heat rise on his face, and his complexion slightly turned red. After all, he wasn''t really used to all this. Although it was an old love, he had carried in his heart for a long time. All this clamoring from the friends around him was something he hadn''t experienced as of yet.


    Slowly growing annoyed at the siblings, he was just about to tell them to stop it when knocks resounded from the door of their room, "Your dishes are ready, dear patrons." A young female attendant said as she entered with several waiters and waitresses, each with plates in their hands.


    The group ate merrily and savored the exquisite work of the chef in charge of the Hall of Fortune and Fame''s kitchen. Shu and Krum, in their drunken state, somehow attempted to out-eat each other.


    While all of them enjoyed their food, suddenly some noise came from the hall outside the room. Karim stood up to see what was going on when the door was abruptly shoved open, and Markus Bender, the crown prince of the kingdom of Eras, entered. He took a short look around the room and immediately bolted toward Bazuul''s direction. When Karim saw this and felt this unknown person dash right passed him, his first thought was an assassin had come for the prince. Then, right before he could react, the unidentified young man grabbed the hand of the person next to Bazuul and went down on one of his knees. "Oh Emilia, ever since our match in the royal tournament, I can''t forget about you, your beauty and your grace!"


    This abrupt change in the situation greatly startled and embarrassed Emilia, which caused her to flush beet red. Eren, on the other hand, was outraged but also dazed and unable to utter anything from his mouth. Of course, the others were similarly shocked.


    "The determination in your eyes then, the nerves of steel when we fought, all this, captured my heart. Would you consider this one''s feelings and give me a chance?" Markus went on with his confession.


    Seeing Emilia get her "just-deserts," Bazuul couldn''t help but chuckle and returned the favor from earlier, thoroughly teasing her. He whistled and lightly slapped her shoulder, while Karim and Krum also joined in on the fun.


    Meanwhile, Markus realized the situation he brashly rushed into, he became aware of what he just said in front of all these strangers and blushed slightly. The embarrassment he felt only grew when the others teased her, Emilia, but when he saw the fourth prince of Ralun touch her on the shoulder, his wires snapped. Instead of dealing with his embarrassment, he diverted it towards Bazuul and immediately questioned their relationship but only received a non-commital shrug accompanied by a slightly sardonic smirk.


    Even though Markus should have been aware of this prince''s aggravating nature, he still stepped right into his trap. Obviously he had seen Bazuul in action back in Donar, yet the shame coated in red around his face clouded his rational thought. "Stand up, let us go outside and decide this as men should!" Markus abruptly said as the will to fight shone, nay almost burned in his eyes.


    When Bazuul saw the burly youth''s state, he once more chuckled and decided to play along. He stood up, walked toward Eras''s crown-prince, and said, "Well, let''s go then, recent development surely has given me a reason to vent."


    Rattled by the path this situation took, Emilia, tried to stop both of them, but in the end, both seemed too stubborn to hear her. When she then saw Bazuul''s excited, almost delighted expression afterward, she finally gave up.


    Bazuul told Markus to follow him since he knew a place where they could fight undisturbed, and both directly left. Intend not to let them have their way completely, Emilia went along with Eren in tow. Karim looked at Bazuul and asked if he should join them. As Bazuul looked back and saw Karim, Shu, and Krum eager to help, Bazuul chuckled and told them to stay here and keep the room warm, since he would be back soon.


    "Ahh, my sister truly is a country toppling beauty. Two kingdoms with one stroke¡­" Eren thought to himself.


    The group eventually reached an empty alley five minutes later and began their duel. Markus revealed his real strength, which, unlike in Donar, wasn''t actually at the seventh stage of the true qi realm but somewhere in the early origin realm.


    Emilia''s and Eren''s turned pale at the pressure Markus exuded, but Bazuul remained unperturbed by this new information. He had been in battle with people in that realm a couple of times already, he had been a lot weaker, while his enemies were after his life back then. Thus he remained remarkably calm in this situation. Obviously, Markus noticed this and decided to go all out just in case. Yet, Bazuul rather easily managed to defeat the already flustered Markus with mind games and several other tricks.


    Stunned by this defeat, Markus was on his knees. His eyes looked hollow as he stared into nothing. Bazuul then tapped his shoulder and said after a slight chuckle, "You know, Emilia and me, we''re just friends¡­"

 Chapter 57 - Rion Ebonwillow

    Karim, Shu, and Krum anxiously sat in their room in the Hall of Fortune and Fame, when suddenly they heard loud steps outside their door. More than half an hour had already passed, and the group had yet to return.


    "We should have gone with them," Shu said with a stern expression.


    "Calm down, Shushu, you don''t think something serious will happen? Think about it, would our king really leave one of his princes unprotected? There''s no way!" Karim said, mostly trying to calm himself.


    The door to their room began to move until it opened completely. Eren and Emilia entered the room first. The latter had a deep frown on her forehead, and annoyance was written all over her face. Shu Huang noticed this, and from his position, he could slightly tilt to see outside the room into the hall. What he saw there baffled him, Bazuul and Markus smiled from ear to ear and walked toward the room, arms around their shoulders. Stunned, he readjusted his position and looked at the siblings as if a question mark.


    Karim and Krum were equally shocked after the uncommon duo entered the place.


    Eventually, though, the room''s atmosphere calibrated with the guest their prince brought along. Both their''s and the foreign prince began drinking heavily, discussed random matters, sometimes even talked right passed each other, and then began roaring in laughter, until they had too much. At some point, Markus even openly wept and apologized for his behavior early while hugging Bazuul. Thrown off by this scene, the lot inside the room was shocked. After all, earlier, when Markus was on his knees after the duel, his shoulders were still high enough for Bazuul to lean on as if it was a counter in a bar. Seeing such a big and burly teenager hug Bazuul, accompanied by the occasional tremors caused by his sobs, almost looked an avalanche of muscles and meat had consumed their prince.


    Bazuul, on the other hand, was overcome by a mix of emotions. For one, he was slightly annoyed by being touched and the wetness the other exuded, but he was also amused by it. It seemed accurate that big muscle-heads were incredibly soft-hearted teddy bears.


    The door to the room was knocked, and an attendant of the Hall of Fortune of Fame entered. He excused this disturbance and told Bazuul that his father had sent an escort for him; apparently, he was to return home at once. Bazuul frowned when he heard this. Usually, his father would have the patience to wait, but to even send an escort, there must be an important matter his father had to discuss with him. Bazuul then took his leave and exited the building of the auction house, outside stood an escort of six guards at the ready. The darkness had already overtaken the city, as such, it was even colder than the snow-covered day, but they returned to the castle after a while. Bazuul hoped this matter would settle quickly, now that the alcohol-level started to decrease, he suddenly got in the mood for a bath and his bed.


    Bazuul entered the throne room and saw a robed figure stand below the throne where his father sat.


    "Son, come here. A distinguished figure traveled far to meet you." The king said.


    Bazuul walked up and saw that his father''s expression appeared stern on the outside, but he knew the king was rather relaxed. The fact that an apparently distinguished figure in robes came to meet him piqued his interest. "A little sooner than I calculated." He thought to himself. He could already guess that person''s identity through several things. First would obviously be the robe, but far more intriguing was the fact that the person appeared to be alone, yet Bazuul could detect about five other individuals in some form of stealth. For a second, he felt like teasing his guest slightly but refrained from it. He thought that it was more advantageous to him if the other would not know he was aware of the other guests.


    "Ah, you''ve arrived about a month earlier than I expected," Bazuul said with a friendly smile on his face.


    "Ahai young prince, it seems Elder Darwinius''s description of you is indeed correct, quick-witted, and a glib tongue." The robed figure greeted, put out his hand, and said, "My name is Rion Ebonwillow, sixth master of the fourth circle in Atlantis." Bazuul shook his hand and also introduced himself. The man looked about the same age he was on Earth. On the other hand, his green eyes, and the way the light reflected in it also meant that he could be about fifty. As his name indicated, his hair was black and rather long. The only other feature that stuck out was his crooked nose.


    His introduction itself also held some impact, as he introduced himself as the sixth master of the fourth cycle. Even his father, King Varanur, twitched slightly when he heard this as he himself had not seen a master-level mage. The highest he had seen so far was someone of the grand elder rank. Now, not much was known about the inner workings of the island state Atlantis, but when one considered that this was the first time an almost two-century-old king saw a magician of such rank, proved how incredulous this meeting was.


    "The lines you spoke then, they went along the lines of, "Thou, O man, art thy brother''s helper. Let him not lie in the bondage of night.


    Now unto thee, I give my magic. Take it and dwell on the pathway of Light.


    Light unto thee, Life unto thee, Sun may thou be on the cycle above¡­" weren''t they? If I may ask, where did you hear about that saying?" Rion Ebonwillow asked as he quoted the lines cited to the abbey''s elder, Darwinius by Bazuul.


    Bazuul looked at the magician for a while before he said something. This question was, after all, quite strenuous for him to answer. He couldn''t just go and say he read this line once in a book about Atlantis in a different world.


    "I''m not quite sure myself, but I think it is a line that appeared in a dream. In it was an old man that claimed to come from Atlantis¡­" Bazuul fabricated a dream and explained it in detail for about fifteen minutes. "Seeing someone with ties to Atlantis at a most inopportune time sprouted intentions to use these lines as a sort of bluff and buy some time. Although I hoped for more time, it did work, didn''t it?" He added which followed a laugh. Rion had not said anything for a while, as he seemed quite suspicious of the story this young prince had told him. In fact, if his lord had not shown such interest in these lines, he would most likely believe the tale. "What is it you want to know about my supposed death and resurrection?" Bazuul asked with a calm but rather flat tone. This caught the master-magician off-guard. For a second, he wasn''t even sure what the young prince had meant. A light smile lit up his face, and Rion Ebonwillow''s friendly voice rose again after he had cast off all previous doubt, "No, that''s not it! Who cares about old matters such as this. No. The lord of the fourth cycle has found quite some interest in these lines you call a bluff. He wishes to invite you to his home for further discussions about this matter over a cup of tea. I hope you understand what it means for an outsider to be invited behind the gates of our beloved Atlantis. To the abode of a lord no less."

 Chapter 58 - You Make for the Perfect...

    Bazuul was quite intrigued by this offer since this would be a rare occasion not many, if any, could say they experienced.


    The king interjected the conversation and suggested that his son should have some time to think about it. Meanwhile, he would send a servant to prepare a room for the magician. Rion Ebonwillow agreed and asked the prince to find him once he had made a decision. A moment later, Rion excused himself and left the father-son duo alone in the throne room.


    His father, King Varanur III, had talked with Bazuul and asked him about his opinion on the matter. From the start, although still cautious, Bazuul wanted to go and meet this so-called lord of the fourth cycle. The king did not share the same enthusiasm as his son but also felt his son needed to make his own decisions in order to grow. He gave him some rudimentary parental advice, as parents evidently would, no matter the status in society and dismissed him to his chamber.


    Eventually, Bazuul decided to visit this old lord of Atlantis. It had been late already when he returned home, by now it was in the middle of the night. Thus, Bazuul chose to go to bed and visit the magician tomorrow morning.


    The next day Bazuul woke up early, washed up, ate something, and then visited Rion Ebonwillow. The mage seemed to have awaited the young man as the door to his room was left open. Bazuul greeted his guest and told him of his decision. Rion was clearly happy about the decision the prince had taken and pulled a pinecone out of his sleeve. Although at first sight, it appeared to be a normal pinecone, the purple glow and luster that came from it told another story.


    It was a talisman created by the fourth lord of the cycle to teleport both Bazuul and Rion Ebonwillow back to Atlantis, the latter unceremoniously explained.


    "Well, then let''s go! The day is still young, and the more time we have, the better I suppose, right?" Bazuul said.


    Without much preparation, Bazuul decided that they should both activate the talisman right now. Rion naturally obliged. Instantly the view changed from the room they were in, into that of what appeared to be one of many central places of a big city. Both of them stood on a platform, and his view was filled with structures reminiscent of ancient Greece, yet also fundamentally different. Most striking of all was the color scheme used. While the former''s building was remembered predominately white, on Atlantis, it seemed, they preferred an exotic play with dark and light brown tones.


    Much like Rion Ebonwillow and himself before he assumed, several robed men, some young, others old appeared on the platform before moving on. Rion urged the prince to follow him, and Bazuul did just that.


    The former played the tour guide while en route, and Bazuul found out that they were currently in the outer ring and must first go to a particular teleportation hub to reach their specific destination. Obviously, the way to an individual of such status wasn''t just out in the open, much like the White House back on Earth didn''t entertain an open-door policy for their citizens.


    Even if an almost three-decade-old man resided inside the body of a thirteen-year-old prince, the awe and wonder inside of him, was clearly reflected on his face this time. For how many in both his lives have dreamt of such a chance, to glance upon what surrounded him right now. To his left was the city as they walked down the road, the buildings as said before, were much like those in ancient Greece, just several stories high. To his right was the ocean, known as the Endless Tides, which appeared to be connected to the city, as steps rose out of it and into the city. Mesmerized by this sight, the lions that erected at the steps of the stairs every thirty or so meters, were simply the cherry on top. All of them had the same position as the Sphynx; the only difference to their appearance was the proud face of a lion that looked down on the incoming waves.


    Eventually, they both reached the transportation hub and entered the fourth lord''s mansion. Inside the foyer, a servant welcomed them, which also appeared to be a magician. At this point, Rion Ebonwillow and Bazuul split up and the servant led him through a hall. After a good while, the servant stopped in front of a door and knocked three times. To Bazuul''s surprise, the door opened on its own. Bazuul then entered what most likely was the fourth lord''s study. Once inside, an ethereal voice rose, but he was unable to make out from where "Please take a seat." Much like the voice, a set table manifested from the void, and a stool moved aside, it turned out the chair waited for Bazuul to take a seat. As he sat down, the fragrance of tea entered his nose, which escaped from the pot on the table.


    A moment later, an old, robed man appeared in the seat across the table. Although he didn''t look anything like it, he did remind Bazuul of Dumbledore, or maybe Gandalf. Even if it was just the feeling of an elder magician often depicted as in the characters above, he gave off. He actually looked more like a tanned Saruman if Saruman was a bit obese.


    "Greetings, young man!" The old magician said with a smile on his face. "I have heard great things about you." He added while the pot moved by itself and poured out the tea into both their cups. Steam rose from the cup, and the fragrance hit Bazuul one more time. So much so now, that he could almost taste its sweetness. The lord of the fourth cycle took a sip and nodded toward him as if to tell him to do the same.


    Afterward, both of them had a lengthy conversation. The subjects they discussed were many. For one, the fourth lord wanted to know more about the lines Bazuul once recited. Bazuul, on the other hand, wanted to know more about ether magic, for he thought the set table, the chairs, even the tea, might have been summoned in that fashion.


    Eventually, Bazuul had lost track of time and asked the fourth lord for his name since he didn''t catch it earlier. That''s when a ripple formed inside the room. It was as if something tore at the fabric of reality, slowly the study disappeared and revealed something else.


    Bazuul hung mid-air in a dark room filled with people and for what seemed to be computers with holographic touch-displays. After a couple of breaths, his mind recovered from his stupor, and he made out the venerable elder, who stood next to three other magicians. They were in a conversation when Bazuul heard the fourth lord say, "This is an intriguing constitution this welp has there."


    At this point, Bazuul was quite aware of the situation, the fact that they knew about his constitution, was only the answer as to why, but couldn''t ultimately help him. Enraged, he lashed out, "Hey! What the fuck is this old man?!"


    The group of four reacted to his roar and looked toward him. Then a smile crept up the old wrinkled face of the fourth lord, and he said, "Ohh, has his Highness finally awoken from his slumber! And with quite the temper if I may add." The other three chuckled when one of them said, "Well, he did crawl out of one of those savages. Therefore he is also nothing but a beast."


    "Quite so, yes!" The fourth lord said in approval before he returned his attention back to Bazuul. "What was it you last mumbled?" He asked while his fingers fiddled with his beard. "Ah, yes, my name, was it?" He added before an eerie giggle escaped him. "My name is Lir-Thuthelus Richat, as you already know, I''m the lord of the fourth cycle¡­" Bazuul''s eyes contracted in shock when he heard that last name while this devious elder paused to create some suspense. "And you, my dear little prince, might make for the perfect slave."