Chapter 22 - One Journey Ends, Another Begins

Book 3 – Chapter 22

Authors Notes======

Special Long chapter to end book 3! Woohooooooooooo! :D

p.s. it’s not proofread, my editor won’t be able to PR it for a few hours, so comment if you see any mistkaes ;)

HUGE thanks to my newest Patreon's Mitchel and Keaton Your support is why I can continue to write.

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Dale tucked his blade into the scabbard he set across his back, following Jerah out of the store. He made a mental note to return and get a set of rapiers before he left. Dale had only ever practiced his Time Art with a rapier or with his hands and wasn’t sure if he could use it with the giant claymore he now owned. Still, he didn’t regret his purchase, the large and somewhat unwieldy weapon already felt like a part of him.

The faint whispers Dale had heard in his mind had faded recently. Dale wasn’t sure why and didn’t pay it much notice, but he was interested in where they had originated from. Every time he had tried to focus on the quiet words that sometimes appeared in his head, they seemed to fade into his consciousness. He mentally shrugged, feeling he would find out eventually.

Jerah marched proudly over to the Nobles Square's Core Seller’s Shop. The shop, officially known as the Gubiel Core Shop, sold all assortments of Monster Cores, as well as powerful Monster Core armor.

Armor made from Monster Cores were Ranked similar to Ranked weapons. From Rank 1, which held the armor of legends, all the way to unranked armor, which would barely be of use in a high level battle.

Ranked armor is very different from normal armor. While normal armor can be over an inch in thickness and weigh enormous amounts, filled with metal, Ranked armor was usually very thin and flexible. Ranked armor could absorb enormous amounts of force and protect a user’s body, keeping them safe and sound.

Dale decided that, now that he had sufficient funds, he was going to buy a set of Ranked armor to go with his Ranked weapon. An extra layer of defense would be immensely useful for him when he trained against various beasts.

Jerah walked into the shop with Dale, looking around. The shop was roughly the same size as the weapon shop they had just left. Large stands of armor were set around, giving off faint auras. Dale looked around in awe. He quickly entered his Perfect Balance mode, feeling the forces of the world as he walked. Dale could sense the energy inherent in each and every suit of armor that lined the shop.

He looked over a huge set of red plate armor. The armor emanated the feeling of an ancient and powerful fire dragon, fiery rage blasting forward. His eyes moved in to a set of blue chain mail. Immediately Dale sensed the energy of a huge giant azure scaled snake, energy crackling. This scene repeated itself over and over as Dale came into contact with and sensed the energy inherent in each suit of armor.

This Core Shop was very different from the weapon shop they had just visited. While the weapon shop had displayed unranked weapons in the front, in the Core Shop they placed powerful Ranked armors towards the front, displaying the wealth and power of the shop.

In the back of the shop sat a middle-aged man. He was balding and had a small grey goatee. The man smiled at Dale when they made eye contact. Dale walked over. Jerah came with him, his eyes glued to the magnificent armors set around them.

“We are here to purchase Monster Cores for cultivation.” Dale said, looking at the middle aged man.

“Ah welcome laddie. We have all types of powerful Monster Cores here. What level Cores do you be searching for?” The middle aged man asked, nodding at him. He apparently didn’t care how young Dale was and continued on as if he were an adult.

“Silver level Monster Cores, as well as Gold level Monster Cores will work just fine.” Dale said.

The middle-aged man’s eyes bulged for a brief moment before he said,

“Ah, I see, I see. If it’s Silver Cores, we have around a hundred in stock. Gold Cores, however, are much more rare. We have three in stock as of now.”

Dale nodded. It was to be expected, he thought. Many people were interested in quickly increasing cultivation and absorbing energy from a Monster Core could provide large boosts of energy.

“I’ll take all of the Silver Cores and the three Gold Cores as well.”

The middle-aged shopkeeper gave him an odd look as he pulled out a good sized chest covered in mysterious symbols. It was about half the size of Dale.

“This is a Core forged chest. In here lie 103 Silver Cores.”

He pulled out a smaller chest, virtually identical to the previous one, but much smaller.

“In here are the three Gold Cores we have. Each one of these has been cut from the bodies of extremely powerful monsters. An Eight tailed fox, a Black Dragon, and a Corridor Serpent.”

“Altogether, the price for all of these would be… 1.8 million gold.” He looked at Dale somewhat dubiously, not believing he would buy all of them. 1.8 million gold was a great deal of money, even for a rich noble child.

Dale looked at Jerah for confirmation. Jerah nodded, agreeing with the price the middle-aged man offered. It was a fair price.

Dale turned back and said, “Alright! I’ll take them all.” He brought out two of his 9 remaining Onyx Cards, handing it to the shopkeeper. The shopkeeper stared at the card for a moment before testing it with his Aura. After finding that it was authentic, he smiled and handed the two chests over to Dale and Jerah. Dale set the larger one down, stacking the smaller one on top of it. The shopkeeper turned around and slid the Onyx Cards away into one of his pockets, bringing up yet another small chest.

He grabbed several other cards from the chest, handing them to Jerah.

In the Under Cave, large sums of money are exchanged using specific cards. An Onyx Card is worth 1,000,000 gold. However, there are cheaper denominations than this. A Gold Card is worth 100,000 gold, and a Silver Card is worth 10,000 gold.

The shopkeeper handed Dale back 2 Gold Cards, giving him his change. He smiled back at Dale, eager to sell to the rich young noble.

“Is there anything else milord requires?” He said respectfully, treating Dale like a valued customer.

Dale looked out at the various sets of armor, looking for one that would fit his small frame. Most of the armor here was built for adults, and Dale hadn’t fully grown yet. Buying a set of armor that wouldn’t fit him for years was pointless.

“Do you have any armor that would fit me?” He asked, looking at the shopkeeper. Dale didn’t have high hopes.

The shopkeeper surprised him, however,

“Actually, yes! Most of the armor here, as you can see, is built for people with a larger frame. However, I do happen to have a special set of Growth Armor! Specifically, an Ancient Tortoise Shell Growth Armor. The armor itself is dormant till a user bonds it to him using his Aura. The armor will grow with the user, becoming stronger and stronger. However, because of the small size of this armor, practically no one is willing to buy it.” The shopkeeper shrugged, continuing to explain the armor to Dale.

“The stronger one’s Aura is, the more powerful the defense of this armor will be. It acts like a reinforcer, letting you greatly reduce the power of incoming attacks.”

The shopkeeper went into the back room of his shop and quickly returned, bearing a small set of armor in his hands. Dale looked at it, noting that it was indeed smaller than the surrounding armor. The armor was a light grey, made up of a long rubbery looking substance. The chest piece was very similar to a turtle shell. It looked like it would fit near perfectly on his frame. Dale looked at it, trying to sense the forces inside of it, but felt nothing but a strange emptiness. He felt like he wouldn't be able to sense anything unless he touched the armor physically.He turned to look at the shopkeeper, asking,

“What Rank is it? And how much are you selling it for?” Dale was curious to the price and wanted to know how powerful the rank of this armor was.

The shopkeeper licked his lips nervously, replying,

“This armor is considered unranked due to its unique growth nature. However, the armor will grow in strength with you and will mirror your power in the future. Legend had it that Growth Armor can even reach the level of Rank 1 if a sufficiently powerful user has wielded it his entire life.”

The shopkeeper continued talking,

“As for the price, I am selling this piece of armor for 7 million gold and not a bit less.”

“WHAT?!” Jerah came sputtering over, furious. “7 million gold would get us a nice set of Rank 3 armor with money to spare! Yet this trash is not even ranked and you expect us to pay so much for it?!” Jerah looked enraged, the veins in his head pulsing. If he had been a fully-grown adult, it may have even looked intimidating.

“That is the price that I will sell it for and nothing else. It cost me that much just to acquire it, and I will not sell for a loss.” The middle-aged shopkeeper seemed supremely unperturbed at that moment, all of his precious nervousness vanishing into determination.

Jerah turned around, muttering darkly. Jerah was already irritated that Dale had spent so much money on a sword at the other shop, one that wasn’t well researched, and now the armor shop wanted a ridiculous amount for yet another little known piece of gear.

Dale looked at it, greatly intrigued. The cultivation supplies he had purchased would last him quite a while. It was a known fact that while cultivating with Monster Cores would speed up your cultivation, you could not absorb more than 10 Cores in a month. Otherwise it would damage ones future growth, making one dependent on Monster Cores to gain strength.

With the supplies he currently had, he felt that he would be good for at least a year or two. Therefore, he had no need for a large supply of money and was willing to spend it on anything that caught his fancy particularly well.

Dale had faintly heard of Growth Armor before, knowing simply that it grew in strength with its user. To be able to purchase his own set right now, however, was quite intriguing for him.

Dale considered it for a moment, weighing his choices. He decided,

“Alright, I’ll take it.” Dale withdrew his 7 remaining Onyx Cards from his money pouch. All he had left was various low level Monster Cores and 2 Gold Cards.

Jerah threw up his arms, shaking his head and muttering darkly.

The shopkeeper broke out in a huge smile, quickly accepting the Onyx Cards. He handed Dale the set of armor, giving him a free Storage Pack to place the armor and chests in.

A Storage Pack was a backpack that could store much more than its size. Created by master smiths that trained in a Space Art, they were often used when one traveled great distances and needed to carry supplies. The Pack Dale received could hold the same amount as a small closet. He quickly packed his gear into it, getting ready to leave.

Jerah finished looking around the shop as well, not finding anything that piqued his interest. He just wasn’t the type that enjoyed battle. Jerah much preferred discovering new mines and organizing large expeditions or operations than physical training.

Dale and Jerah left the store, returning to the center of the Noble’s Square. Dale decided to purchase a pair of rapiers for practice from the weapon shop before they left. He had Jerah stay in the square while he ran into the store, quickly grabbing a pair of Rank 5 Rapiers for 20,000 gold.

As Dale returned back outside, heading to the center again, he noticed that Jerah had been surrounded. A small group of Noble youths stood around him, quietly talking. Jerah was looking back and forth at them nervously, proud and refusing to give in but becoming more and more nervous.

Jerah’s eyes latched on to Dale and he frantically waved, calling Dale over. The youths surrounding Jerah turned to look at Dale, their eyes spelling his death if he walked over.

A cold smile appeared on Dale’s face as he stepped forward, walking towards Jerah. One of the youths broke off from the small pack surrounding Jerah and intercepted Dale.

The youth looked to be around 15 or 16, with blonde hair and a stocky build. He glared at Dale and yelled,

“This business involves our Claire family. Take your leave unless you want to be crippled.” The youth stared arrogantly at Dale, daring him to refuse.

Dale looked at him for a second, his eyes completely flat. Then, for an extremely brief and contained moment, Dale drew some of the energy from his still forming Dragon Sea, sending its Aura into his eyes.

The youth stepped several steps backwards instantly, falling down on his back in his terror to escape. He stopped moving suddenly, confused. For a split second, he had felt like a massive monster had been standing in front of him, about to destroy him. However, when he looked up, all he saw was Dale’s small figure continuing to walk forward.

The youth yelled out, still partially confused, an Iron Aura starting to cover his body

“Stop! Don’t say I didn’t warn you!” he kicked out his leg, aiming to smash into Dale’s chest and send him flying.

Dale continued walking forward, drawing energy from his Steel Core. He slapped his hand out, slapping against the incoming kick and smashing into the youth’s leg. The blonde youth was sent flying, crashing into the group that had surrounded Jerah.

Dale walked forward, his eyes filled with cold anger.

The youths surrounding Jerah had all turned to face Dale, anger filling their eyes as well. Several Iron and Steel Auras popped up, covering the group as Dale neared. A battle was mere seconds from breaking out when, abruptly, a calm voice called out.

“What do you think you are doing, surrounding my nephew?” A familiar voice cried, walking forward. Dale recognized the figure from the days when he had first met Jerah, remembering the powerful Black Gold Commander he had battled against to prove his worth. Reger Var walked up next to Jerah and stood, staring at the surrounding youths as if daring them to attack him. An overwhelmingly strong Black Gold Aura poured out of him, oppressing the Steel and Iron Auras of the youths.

“Nothing sir, we were just talking.”

“We uh we…”

“Just messing around senior.”

The youths all bowed to Reger, desperation apparent in their faces as they pled to him. They paid absolutely no attention to Dale.

Reger looked down at them, anger apparent in his eyes,

“Leave. And if you do anything to my family member again, I will not let off in one piece.”

The surrounding youths fled in terror, running from the square.

While all of this had been happening, all the Nobles in the square had stopped to watch, not forming a circle, but still watching as events developed. None of them had stepped forward to help, none wanting to anger either side. Only someone from one of the Six great houses would dare bully someone else from the Six great houses.

Dale walked up next to Jerah, asking him what happened.

Jerah responded,

“They surrounded me when you left to go into the weapon shop.” He said, shaking his head,

“My level of cultivation is low, so they thought they could bully me. It’s because of the fact that my father announced our Onyx Mine discovery. The Claire Family has become even more active against our family, trying to weaken us however they can. Those guys wanted me to tell them everything I knew about the mine.” He said, continuing.

“I told them nothing and said I was leaving, but they wouldn’t let me. So, I just waited for you to arrive Dale, knowing you could take care of them.” He gave him an appreciative nod.

Dale looked around, noting the several Var family guards. He said to Jerah in a low voice,

“Why didn’t your guards do anything? Why are they even following you if they won’t do their job?” He looked around again, confused.

Jerah shook his head, “The house guards are not allowed to directly participate if it’s someone from the Claire family. Unless they instigate violence first, we absolutely cannot provoke them at this time. The Claire Family is just waiting for a justifiable reason to attack us.”

One family could battle against another family legally in the City-State of Delica. However, they must have a justifiable and proven reason. If they simply attacked without cause, they would be severely punished by the ruling council of Delica. Even more so for the Claire Family, seeing as they had a member on the ruling council.

Reger spoke up then,

“It’s pathetic what the Claire Family will do to try to provoke our family.” He nodded at the direction the youths had fled to,

“Once we finish establishing the Onyx Mine in the market, they won’t even have a chance to cause us any trouble. Till then, we’ll just wait.” He looked at Dale then, a sparkle in his eyes.

“I heard from a little birdie that you are off to the Taron Academy, Dale.” He smiled widely,

“My old instructor still teaches there, believe it or not! Make sure you drop by and tell old Instructor Warren that Reger greets him!”

Dale nodded and agreed, promising to convey his greetings. Reger continued speaking,

“It’s actually a good thing you are leaving the city for a while Dale. The Claire Family is set on teaching you a lesson and it wouldn’t exactly be safe if you stayed around. The sooner you get out, the better.” He gave a brisk nod,

“Continue your training. I can personally state that the Taron Academy will be a wealth of knowledge and experience for you. The only reason I am a Black Gold Commander is because of that school. Learn well Dale!” Reger turned to leave. He walked over to talk to some of the Var guards, gathering them up.

Jerah stood next to Dale, preparing to leave the square. He looked at Dale quietly, watching as Dale double-checked all of his gear.

Dale had told Jerah that he was going to head out after he finished purchasing supplies and gear. Now that Dale had a weapon, cultivation supplies, and a fine set of armor, he was prepared to travel to the Taron Academy and see what they could teach him.

Dale looked up at Jerah and smiled, a boyish grin covering his face.

“I’ll see you in a year!” He said, sticking his hand out.

“Yeah you will! Make sure to get a lot stronger!” Jerah grabbed his hand, shaking it tightly. In the short amount of time that the two boys had been together, they had already formed a close bond, each regarding the other as a close friend and brother.

“Same to you Jerah!” Dale grinned happily. The time he spent with Jerah the past several weeks as well as the time he spent training had been extremely enjoyable. Dale had also recently gained a love for dancing and planned on practicing his technique when he joined the Academy.

Dale stepped back, brining out the tablet David had given him. He held it in his hands, feeling the solid weight of the rock. He looked around again, taking in the sights of Delica one last time. He gave Jerah a confident nod and broke the tablet, shattering it in his hand.

Immediately, motes of light surrounded Dale, transporting him thousands of miles away to a powerful new city and an even stronger school…

Bristia Continent, Shade Enclave – Moradonya

Myra stood up, exiting her meditation excitedly. She had just finished consolidating her strength, having reached the peak of the Silver Core level. Her cultivation had rapidly increased as practiced the new Arts the Shades taught her. Her Ice Arts were very compatible with her current body and soul.

She was slowly starting to prepare to break through, hoping to reach the Gold Core level at an unheard of young age. She had been training non-stop over the past many weeks, completely focused on gaining strength. Myra wasn’t sure why she concentrated so much on becoming stronger, however, and felt as if something was off.

When she had first woken up in the Shade Enclave, Myra had retained her human side, remembering all of her human memories and still considering herself a human.

However, the longer she remained in Moradonya, the less and less she considered herself a human. She felt as if she was slowly losing control of herself, as if someone or something was replacing her. However, when she spread out her senses, she sensed nothing out of the ordinary, and found nothing particularly strange with her body.

Myra walked over to the side of her room, quickly changing into a clean pair of clothes. She had been mediating straight for a week and desperately wanted to take a bath, despite the fact that Shades rarely sweat.

She heard a sudden knock at her door, sounding off as a quiet pounding. Myra walked over, curious to see who would disturb her while she was in meditation.

Commander Oryx, her teacher and the man who had saved her, stood in the doorway, an odd look on his face. He looked at Myra proudly, having sensed her level of cultivation strength. He knew she was close to breaking through and would be a powerful asset in retaking Moradonya.

He looked at her and said,

“Myra, today I’m here to introduce you to your new teacher. I myself cannot always remain here and am sent on various missions by the organization I am a part of. Your new teacher is also a member of our organization and will able to personally teach you.” Commander Oryx turned, motioning for her to step out into the hallway.

An ancient looking Shade stood there, wrapped in dark leather robes. He smiled at Myra, gesturing politely,

“I am Commander Seif and will be your new teacher. I would also like to welcome you to our organization, Midaynta. It’s always a pleasure to see new recruits.” He smiled at her kindly, his eyes becoming deep pools of moonlight that glowed faintly.

Myra bowed politely and said,

“The pleasure is mine, Commander. When do we begin training?”

The ancient Shade smiled,

“Right now.”

Chel Continent, The Dead Lands

Feng crawled to his feet, standing up again to face down the cruel monsters he fought. He stood, surrounded by the bodies of hundreds of beast warriors, as he launched himself forward and attacked yet again. His blood crazed eyes glared out, daring the remaining beast men to attack him.

Feng was currently standing in a large cavern. Several hundred beast men had also been standing in the cavern, forced to fight against Feng by several watching Drakes. The Ancient Drake that ruled these Drakes was watching as well, its eyes locked on to Feng’s scale covered body. Standing next to the massive Ancient Dragon was a figure wearing dark grey leather armor, with bandages wrapped around his hands. A black enamel mask covered his face, with a large number 3 carved into it.

The beast men, however, had had enough and many turned to flee, refusing to obey the commands of the Drake that commanded them. To fight against Feng was certain death, but if they ran, they might be able to escape.

Feng launched himself towards the beast men, slicing forward with the reptilian tail that emerged from his body. Scales covered him, offering a protective sheen as he slaughtered the remaining beast warriors. His Overlord Flame Art allowed him to cover his body in flames and detonate these flames as he neared an enemy, causing the last beast warriors to explode with fire as they died, burnt to a cinder.

A quiet clapping sounded out as the man wearing the dark mask stepped forward. He spoke out then, a raspy voice filling the air,

“Excellent youngling! You have the potential to become strong in this world.” He nodded at Feng.

“I will train you myself to ensure that your growth does not stumble.” The masked figure vanished, reappearing next to Feng almost instantly. A tyrannical Aura emanated from his body as he stood next to Feng, the very air of the cavern itself shaking. The Drakes that had watched the struggle between Feng and the beast warriors turned away, overwhelmed by the Aura.

Feng gritted his teeth and kept standing, refusing to bow before this old monster. He kept his eyes focused on the three carved in the man's mask, and managed to keep his feet.

The masked figure seemed to smile behind his mask, offering his hand to Feng.

“I am known among my brethren as Tre.” He shook Feng’s hand, an overwhelmingly powerful Draconic and fiery Aura spreading outwards.

“Welcome to Numbers, oh young disciple of mine.”

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