Chapter 1 Part 1 of 2 (Patreon)

Chapter: A Higher Stage

Erik jumped to the side, Rugrat fired through the opening. The creature was slammed backwards with the shot, a tombstone floating above it.

Erik sighed and released the power running through his body. The walls of the room they had been fighting in broke apart and fell away into the floor, revealing an arena around them. A new version of the training dungeons. In attendance there was only Lee Perrin and their guards.

Erik checked his stats and recent gains from the fighting at Kushan

==========

588,045,746,157,831/1,168,160,000,000,000,000,000 EXP till you reach Level 105

==========

==========

Name: Erik West

==========

Level: 104

==========

Race: Human-?

==========

Titles:

From the Grave III

Blessed By Mana

Dungeon Master V

Reverse Alchemist

Poison Body

Fire Body

Earth Soul

Mana Reborn IV

Wandering Hero

Metal Mind, Metal Body

Sky Grade Bloodline

==========

Strength: (Base 90) +88

==========

1958

==========

Agility: (Base 83) +120

==========

1218

==========

Stamina: (Base 93) +105

==========

3267

==========

Mana: (Base 317) +134

==========

4700

==========

Mana Regeneration (Base 340) +71

264.04/s

==========

Stamina Regeneration: (Base 162) +99

59.52/s

==========

Damn that is a lot of zeroes.

“Heard you ran into some Avegaaren Students the other day.” Lee Perrin stood, walking towards them, as Erik drank from his Canteen.

“We did?” Rugrat asked, getting off George’s back as he transformed into his demi-human form and stretched.

“The group of five, that defeated Aziri.”

“Ahh, well now I know why they were surprised I didn’t know who they were and didn’t bow or scrape for them.” Erik wiped his mouth with the back of his hand.

“Might that have something to do with your increased use of my training arena?”

Erik shrugged.

Lee stood in front of them. “I hear that two fleets have set out to hunt down the remaining dragons?”

“Probably to provide support. The Mission Hall put a large bounty on the heads of the dragons, dead or alive. Every Hero is going to be running over to claim a part of the resources,” Erik said.

“I never realized how strong a Ravager or Devourer could be. It was just like you said. Aziri seemed to blend into the elements, with them becoming an extension of himself.”

“To have that sort of control though.” Erik shook his head.

“A Ravager becomes a Devourer when they have cultivated their primary element to the Celestial Grade. Unlike creatures and people in the Ten Realms, a Ravager has to figure out their own path to utilize that power, they don’t have elemental cores.”

“But they do have a bloodline?” George asked.

“Correct, some will have some latent memories through their bloodline that can assist them, most don’t. Many are killed by the elements they consume. It would be like tempering without healing concoctions and instead of the cultivation following a set path, you have to create the path, the changes to their bodies. Many are mutated by the elemental influx.”

“Hmm, so they have greater flexibility to the alterations made to their body, but very few make it through the process. That makes it seem like humans, when we cultivate there is a plan within our bodies, like mana and the elements know what changes to make?” Erik asked.

“Ah, well the Ten Realms was created to train us. Wouldn’t it make sense for them to give us a path?”

Rugrat grunted. “They’re not exactly giving out cultivation manuals.”

“No, but I think that’s intrinsic to the Ten Realms it must be teaching our bodies if not our minds how to deal with increased amounts of mana and elements in our bodies.”

“Sounds rather mysterious.” Erik raised an eyebrow.

Lee smiled. “I went to the Ninth Realm and heard a great number of things, but I wasn’t able to enter Avegaaren.”

Rugrat stepped forward. “Do you really think that we have a chance?”

“I think both you and Erik might. You have the raw power.”

George tilted his head to the side.

“I still have much to teach you. You have mastery in one element, but you haven’t cultivated it to the peak, and although you unlocked your bloodline, you haven’t cultivated your mana nearly enough. While Avegaaren might teach you a lot, I don’t think there is anywhere in the Ten Realms with the ability to increase someone’s cultivation as fast as Alva,” Lee said.

“That Ninth realm spear user at Kushan had the same cultivation as me. But he was so much stronger. Did he have a secret cultivation art? Formations?”

“No, their trick is much harder to learn and use than that.” Lee turned to Erik. “Avegaaren trains the strongest fighters in the Ten Realms. Never underestimate a student from Avegaaren. Cultivation is rarely what they rely on to win their battles. Also it seems almost suitable as I have run out of things to teach you and you’re making connections I haven’t made before such as elemental resonance.” Lee smiled. “You have trust in one another, and you have rudimentary ability, but you have become reliant on a great number of things and I’m not enough of a teacher to teach you. The teachers I would send you to pale in comparison with those in Avegaaren in terms of combat.”

“Before we jump to the Ninth Realm, which’ll cost us a whole Celestial mana stone, we should talk to Egbert. We have information from across the realms, surely we can learn from that.”

“Things like fighting are hard to learn from books, but that would be a good place to start. I have another class. I’ll see you all later.”

George scratched his head while Rugrat frowned, chewing on his lip.

“Come on, he’ll be hiding in the library,” Erik said.

***

Egbert was attired in neon flamingos and a deep blue shirt with a fedora and red shorts, sitting in a beach chair with a coat rack next to him with his cloak on it, and a stack of books at his side.

The only window in the room looked out of the library tower across Alva’s bustling living floor.

Erik knocked on the door as Egbert raised a finger, finishing his paragraph and putting in a marker.

“What are you three doing breaking into my tower of solitude for?”

“Had a question for you.” Rugrat glanced around the room, unsure of where to stand. There were full book shelfs that had turned into teetering towers on the floor.

Erik navigated the room carefully, catching a pile of books that started to tile dangerously. He held onto it, making sure it would remain standing before moving again.

“You know of Avegaaren?” Rugrat continued.

“Yes, the academy of the Ninth Realm. Most accommodating people. You get to the Ninth Realm by completing the Eighth Realm Trial directly, or by finding your ‘why’, then you can use a totem to gain access to the floor. Children are not allowed to be born in the realm. Only people with a reason for ‘why they fight’ may enter the realm. To join the academy you need to challenge one of the ten thousand people in your grade—broken down by age to gain attendance. Crafters—”

“Woah, woah, okay, calm it down, just wanted to know if you’d heard of the place, wanted to know if you think we can train to the level of people from Avegaaren with the information we have.”

“Ah.” Egbert nodded knowingly.

“Some inner competitiveness? Well, yes, you could, if we have a few hundred years. They not only have information in books, they have people who have actually done the things in the books. Reading about it is one thing, doing it, that is another matter.”

Erik and Rugrat shared a look.

A book tower collapsed. Everyone looked at a wincing George.

“Sorry.”

“No worries.” Egbert waved his hand, using a spell to put the books back into an equally unstable arrangement. “I actually wanted to propose that we send some people to the Ninth Realm and as our resident realm scouts, I can’t think of two that would be better suited.” Egbert smiled.

Erik raised his eyebrow. “I sense you want more than just us moving around the Ninth Realm.”

“Well, as a purveyor of fine books”—his arms encompassed the room—“I am always interested in information and the more information we have the faster our students can progress. While we might be a few centuries behind Avegaaren in terms of information, if we were to have two fine students that kept meticulous notes, it wouldn’t be so hard to bridge the gap, then we would only require the practical experience.”

Erik glanced at Rugrat who shrugged.

“What else do you have to do except to play emperor? You can train, fight to your heart’s content and your lives won’t be on the line, you can finally learn how to use your powers to their limit.”

“Seems that this Tenth Imperium holds the reins of Avegaaren, recruit from there at the least, possibly control it.”

“From my own sources and Elan, he is such a resourceful fellow, the Tenth Imperium is an institution that might be as old as the Realms. You know their connection to the Associations and the Mission Hall. They are the only group with a force in the Tenth Realm. I’m not sure for what purpose, but it seems that there is fighting to be had in the Tenth Realm.”

“What makes you think that.”

“‘Why do you fight?’ The Eighth Realm Trial, only if you fight will you reach the Ninth Realm. It is clear that they want people that will fight. It is why the strongest crafters remain in the Seventh Realm.”

“What are they fighting?”

“Well we don’t know about Ravagers and Devourers, but it’s clear their students do, with how they dealt with Aziri.”

“But…” Erik frowned. “Wait, Ravagers are just mutated mana beasts, right?”

“Ravagers might have similarities with beasts in the Ten Realms, but they are not from it. Tread carefully with the Tenth Imperium, we have less answers and more questions regarding them.”

***

Rugrat, Erik and George walked in silence up the street towards their home. Storbon, scanning around them.

“Don’t feel bad about wanting to go to the Ninth Realm,” George said. “Lee was right, I need to train more and get stronger. I talked to Davin already, being another Fire element beast he’s in the same way. I’m looking forward to training with him.”

“Thanks.” Rugrat patted him on the shoulder. “You can still come with us up there.”

“All of the training equipment is here, and it costs a Celestial mana stone to get there, bit rich for my blood right now. I still need to work off the other stone.” He smiled as they reached the front door.

“How are we going to tell Momma?” Erik asked.

“Tell me what?” she said, opening the front door.

“If we should call you Mayor Rodriguez, or not.” George grinned. “Ow!” A spoon appeared and disappeared in short succession, leaving him holding his head.

“That’s Momma to you! Delilah and I were going over plans and started making dinner. Go and get cleaned up, you smell like the training arena and Egbert’s books! Storbon, if you think I’m going to let you hide in your barracks instead of having a warm meal you’re sorely mistaken, in you get!”

“She was always the match maker among our friends,” Rugrat muttered to Erik as they got into the entry hall.

“Should’ve listened to her about my exes.” Erik grinned.

“What are you two muttering about!” Momma said, Storbon entering behind her.

“Nothing. Hey, put the spoon away!” Rugrat yelped as it passed his defense and smacked him on the shoulder. She walked past and back towards the kitchen. “And you can tell me what you were supposed to over dinner!”

“Yes, Momma,” Rugrat, George and Erik chorused, walking up the stairs.

“Bathroom in the back left!” Erik yelled back down to Storbon.

“Thanks!”

***