Chapter 6: Invitation
The gleaming essence stone rapidly grew dim before the light completely faded away. It now resembled a normal gray stone. The old man fell silent in thought while staring intensely at the now defunct stone. This… I haven't seen this before when testing a child… Was it caused by excessive drain? If so, what caused it, and where did the essence go? He looked up at Damon and fired off several questions. "Boy, have you already awakened your Arcane Node? Or do you have an innate constitution? Or have you cultivated the physical path? Now that I look at you closely, your body does indeed look quite sturdy…"
Feylis approached Damon and began inspecting him from up close. He even squeezed his arms and shoulders, his eyes gleaming as he felt the dense, tempered muscle beneath his fingers.
"Sir, this is my first time experiencing magic, and I have no idea what an innate constitution or physical path is," responded Damon awkwardly, as the old man touched him. Inwardly, he was just as confused as Feylis.
What was that? I was hoping for it to light up as Feylis said. Instead, it became a regular stone. What happened to it? Did I somehow absorb the energy contained within? Or did it just dissipate? Damon did not notice any subtle sensations within his body due to his shock at seeing the red color fade, instead of brightly lighting up. He was simply not prepared for such a reaction.
"If that is so, it is most likely an innate constitution that allows you to absorb essence directly into your body. Depending on what exact kind of constitution, it can greatly aid in one or both of the cultivation paths. Cultivation is the study and exploration of the very essence of reality. There are two cultivation paths: the arcane path and the auric path. The arcane path utilizes external arcane energy, or internal arcane power, to manipulate reality and form magic, usually in the form of an element such as fire or water. The general title for these cultivators is Arcon. The auric path utilizes the body to absorb auric energy from the environment and convert it to aura. Using aura, they strengthen their physique and also imbue it into their weapons. They are known as Auron." The old man gave a basic explanation of the cultivation world.
Two cultivation paths? There is only the arcane path and the auric path? What happened to the mind path? Did I stumble on an extinct ancient legacy? If so, should I continue to keep it a secret? Damon thought to himself.
"Where are my manners? All this time has passed, and I have yet to introduce myself. I am Feylis Murlox." The old man introduced himself to Damon.
"And I'm Raina. Raina Murlox." The delicate-looking girl from the morning interjected from the side and walked in front of Damon, holding out her soft and slender hand while smiling gently.
"Nice to meet you, I'm Damon. Damon Fletcher," replied Damon as he lightly grasped the girl's hand.
"The pleasure is all mine. I am 13 years old. How old are you? Your hands are very rough. What happened to them? Grandpa told me that rural villagers need to toil day in and day out just to get by. Is that true?"
"Enough, Raina. You can get to know him later. Now, Damon, the reason we held this little performance is because we wanted to see if any of you children had the potential to become an Arcon. Presently, my granddaughter and I are on our way to the Arcane Tower of Argent Flame. They will start recruitment for new apprentices next year, and the criteria for acceptance are an affinity to any elements, along with an age restriction between 10 to 16. Would you be willing to accompany us on our journey? The path of cultivation is arduous, demanding, painful, and dangerous at times, but it will allow you to witness breathtaking spectacles, experience mysterious events, and command impressive might. You will come to learn the secrets of reality, extend your lifespan to hundreds, maybe even thousands, of years, and you could even one day be the king of a country if you so wished. This could all be yours if you are determined and fortunate enough. So, what say you?" Feylis passionately coaxed Damon.
"I did not reveal any affinity to arcane energy. Would I still be accepted by the Arcane Tower?" Damon remained unconvinced.
"Yes! You must have an innate constitution; it is the only explanation. This is even rarer than a high affinity to an element. There is absolutely no doubt you will be accepted. You may even be allotted extra resources and nurtured by the Adepts as a future elder of the tower!" persuaded Feylis fervently. He was the only one who knew that bringing in promising new apprentices to the tower would grant a reward. Although having given up on his personal aspirations of advancing higher in cultivation, his granddaughter was quite talented in the arcane arts, and he put all his hopes on her. There could never be enough resources when it came to cultivation.
I'm not sure why Feylis is so determined to take me with him, but I can use this opportunity to my benefit as well.I must accept their offer and travel to this Arcane Tower. Only then will I find the answers I am searching for. Damon thought inwardly. Outwardly, he remained a bit reserved and slow to decide. "Well… I do live alone… and I am a bit interested in exploring the world outside, so…"
"Great! It's settled then. We shall depart immediately!" Feylis smiled so wide his eyes became hidden between his wrinkles.
"Wait! I haven't received permission to go yet! Father, please, I really want to try and become accomplished in a life of magic! I promise I will work hard and not bring shame to you. Please allow me to go as well!" Jon begged his father, the village chief. The chief contemplated while stroking his beard for a while before saying, "Son, let's discuss this further tonight in our home."
Hearing those words only prompted Jon to grow more desperate, pleading more urgently than ever. All this while, he had continuously sneaked glances at Raina with the corner of his eye, indicating his desperation was not due to fascination with the arcane arts.
"I would also like some time to pack and prepare for your journey ahead, if that is possible," Damon remarked.
"Of course! That is no issue, we have plenty of time. The journey to the tower will take a bit under half a year, and they won't be starting the recruitment process until after the winter snow melts. How about we set off tomorrow morning?" asked Feylis.
It was currently halfway through autumn, so the recruitment wouldn't start until four to five months later. After agreeing to meet at the village entrance in the morning, Damon took his leave and immediately returned home. Before he left on the journey, there were a few things he needed to do. The first thing was to pack his belongings, as this adventure would not be easy, requiring him to spend long stretches outdoors.
Afterward, he had to clean up the secret cave chamber and extract as much Mindsoul dew as he could into the several vials he owned. The storage pouch had contained many crystalline vials, but they were all empty, the original contents most likely used by his Master when recovering from his injuries. There were also several notes detailing his Master's adventures and cultivation insights, along with one small sword. The sword was only one foot long, with a double-edged blade and a curved crossguard, whose ends pointed toward both the blade and the hilt. It was uniform in color, a shimmering gold. It was a weapon not meant for wielding, but specially designed for mind cultivators. The materials used were especially receptive to mental power, allowing for a steady and continuous injection of mental power, even from a distance.
Most importantly, he had to visit his parents' graves one last time to bid them goodbye. He had been visiting them frequently throughout the past four years, making sure the site did not become overgrown or neglected. He would also need to organize for someone to continue to do so after he left, but that could wait for the morning.
Finally, he had to wipe out the bandits who attacked the village four years ago. After raiding the village, the bandits had settled on a nearby mountain. They continued to periodically wreak havoc in nearby villages, with nobody capable of stopping them. As they had settled down in one location, it made it all the more simple to track them down.
Damon opened up the closet in his house, the same one he had previously hidden in. Inside, he found an old wooden bow, a quiver filled with poorly fletched arrows, and a bundle of cloth. The bow was leftover from his father's younger hunting days and was still usable after he had replaced the string. The poorly fletched arrows were his own creation; he had watched his father craft arrows when he was younger and managed to imitate him, albeit crudely.
Damon slung the bow across his chest and attached the quiver to his waist. As he picked up the bundle of cloth, several objects fell out. He looked down, his eyes growing warm and gentle. There was a jadeite button threaded through a hemp necklace, a wooden sparrow sculpture, and a metal badge. These were all keepsakes of his past: from his mother, his father, and the one who abandoned him, respectively. He placed the items back in the cloth, bundled it up, and placed it within his shirt. Although he had already embarked on the path of cultivation, he could not bring himself to discard these items. They were the only lingering attachments he had to his mortal life.
Damon let out a small sigh before collecting some spare clothes, along with some bedding, wrapping them all up in a large blanket. He placed it inside a straw bag before slinging it over his shoulder. It was time to head for the cave and proceed with the second agenda on his list.
Damon arrived at the cave and picked up the storage pouch sitting on the table. Infusing power into the pouch allowed one to activate it, allowing items to be placed inside and withdrawn. When activated, it also gave a brief mental visualization of what was contained. He filled the numerous vials with Mindsoul dew until the pool had shrunk down to the depth of a puddle. As Damon meticulously cleaned up the hidden cave, all the items strewn about the cave disappeared into the pouch one by one. He even pried off the glowing stone from the ceiling.
There was no longer anything remaining apart from the table and the bucket. The space inside the pouch was not infinite, but it had more than enough room to fit in all the belongings Damon had packed earlier. He decided to leave them out as he couldn't use the pouch in front of others yet. The cloak found alongside the skeleton was already stored in the pouch. He withdrew the cloak and put it on, pulling the hood over his head. This cloak had the special ability to suppress or hide his mental power levels when he channeled power into it. Hence, he could control whether he would look like an ordinary mortal or a cultivator in the senses of others.
"The Mindsoul dew has been accumulating for thousands of years, if not longer. It is pretty much the liquefied form of mental energy. That should be more than enough to support my future cultivation of the Mindspire Tempering Sutra. Now, I have to go say my goodbyes to my parents."
Damon descended the mountain once more, heading toward the burial grounds at the back of the village. As twilight had already settled, the atmosphere was very eerie and gloomy. Damon, however, did not fear the darkness and walked unhesitatingly to the two mounds where his parents lay. He knelt down in front of the graves and remained motionless for a long while before prostrating himself. As he reminisced about his entire childhood, he left his final message.
Thank you, Mother and Father, for the 10 years of happiness you gave me. Although I was an adopted orphan, you loved and cared for me as though I were your own child. Even in your last moments, you protected me. I will never forget it. Now, I must go and eliminate the ones who took you away from me. Afterward, I will be leaving on a long journey to tread my path of cultivation. I don't know when I'll be back, but I will continue to keep you in my heart. Love, Damon.
By the time Damon rose from his curled-up posture, the night had grown much darker and colder. His face mirrored the undertone of the night, but the raging fire in his eyes grew hotter than ever. The time to get his revenge had finally arrived. He had been training so hard for the past few years, just for this moment. The scene of his parents' death flashed past his eyes, along with the lifeless faces he had cried above when he saw them after the bandits had left. As the wrath suppressed deep inside him roared to life once more, he began to walk away from his parents' graves. It was time to complete his last agenda.