《The Exalt》Act 1: Blue Ocean Pavilion - Chapter 35: No Step Duel
Advertisement
"Meditation is how Exalts focus to peak into their inner space and feel the Ein around them. It is how they begin the process of absorbing Ein."
Draven spoke eloquently like a tenured professor. Every word drew Oscar in out of a yearning to know more.
"But people neglect that it can do so much more. Meditation is just a way to focus on yourself. I knew from how you climbed that you realized its other uses."
Oscar nodded, "It was as if I could see inside my body. Every blood vessels, muscle fibers, and organs were visible. It was a unique sensation."
"That period of rest did well for you. Meditation is merely hyper-focus. Its effects vary on what we are focusing on. Meditate and focus on your ears; you will hear farther than ever. Meditate on the skin and feel every little stimulus."
Oscar grew excited. He never thought meditation could have such a profound, broad use.
"Reaching the twenty feet mark is not bad, but you're still not putting it all together."
"Put it together?"
"What have you discovered and learned during your time digging and climbing? Combine all of that to escape."
Oscar learned only two things: the flow of power and body meditation. But he arrived at the point of meditation because using the flow was impossible during the climb.
"I do not understand. How can I keep my power flowing through momentum on this rigid wall."
"Use meditation to detect the flow. You've used it to calm your body, but you do not see the intricacies within" Draven jumped down and landed next to Oscar, who stepped back in surprise.
Without a word, Draven moved to the wall and began to climb. He had to show Oscar how it was done. Whether or not it was helpful was up to Oscar.
Starstruck, Oscar refused to blink to capture every movement. Master was mind-blowingly fast as if he was flying up.
His Master's hand seemed to caress the wall and stick tight like a lizard to advance upward. Oscar could see the tiny movements his master made.
Oscar started to climb. He entered a state of meditation. Once again, the surreal sight of his body filled his vision.
'Find the flow.' Oscar scanned every inch of his body, but he could not catch anything special or related to the flow.
He strained himself to keep searching until he coughed out some blood. Similar to meditating for Ein, overdoing it led to consequences.
Back on the ground, Oscar reviewed his mistakes and cleared his head to make another attempt.
'Look deeper within. What is my body doing?'
Right as his hands and feet made contact, Oscar entered meditation. His body was in flux, as if waves and ripples were shaking the ocean.
'So that's why.'
Though he was balanced on the ground, his positioning on the walls caused an imbalance. It may have looked fine on the surface that he was making the correct movements, but it was a mess internally.
The very process was fascinating. The power ran amok and dispersed in any random places. Oscar wondered whether he could climb up twenty feet in such a sloppy state.
'How do I maintain solidity when hanging off the wall?'
Oscar did not move a single finger; he was still at the starting point of the climb. His head was hung down in thought, piquing Draven's interest.
'What is he up to?' Even the powerful Warden was confused at Oscar's inactivity.
Oscar made a move if it could be called that. His hand moved up only about the length of a fingernail.
Advertisement
Then after another period of inaction, his hand moved again only slightly. It was awkward as Oscar's left hand, and foot was still firmly holding on while the right hand and foot were stiff in mid-air.
'This boy…' Draven knew what Oscar was doing, but he never expected this. 'The flow cannot travel if the body cannot maintain its form. He's moving in the same motion for climbing but in slow steps to constantly adjust.'
It was as Draven thought. Oscar, at each stop, found the proper muscle to utilize, the appropriate amount of strength, and the best position.
'With the shoveling, I could control the flow with proper form that went along. During climbing, I was able to use meditation before every step. By using meditation, I can find the proper form to allow my strength to flow to each next move.'
A maddeningly slow process. It was the only way Oscar knew for sure he could comprehend the answer.
'He is not the fastest nor the most talented, but he is smart and persistent.'
Eventually, Oscar's hand and foot reached the safe spots to hold on. His left side started to move very slowly and with pauses.
This went on for an hour until he finally reached his limits.
"Do you need a vial? I did say I would not give you any more, but you've already grasped the core of this lesson."
However, Oscar shook his head in refusal.
"Forgive me, Master. I need to finish this, or else it wouldn't be real training. There's no point if I don't reach the end." Oscar was stubborn and meditated to recover his body's condition.
Draven nodded and went back to observing. Even near the end, this youth did not succumb to temptations like most criminals.
Oscar restarted his climb. His hands were faster than last time. He had a good understanding of how his body needed to move without the need to meditate each time.
He only meditated at the times when he had to recover.
At the twenty feet point, Oscar looked up and surpassed his previous limit. He pulled his entire body past it. There was now five feet away from the surface.
The warm light of the torches tickled his cheeks. He felt the cleaner, salty air of the caverns intoxicate his nose and lips.
'Don't stumble here!' Oscar refused to be distracted. He held it together and crawled upwards.
A hand popped out of the hole and stuck itself to the surface, not letting go. Under Draven's watchful gaze, Oscar pulled himself out of the hole and lay on the floor like a dead man.
"HAHAHAHA!" Oscar could not contain himself and bellowed in laughter.
Clap Clap
Draven applauded Oscar. Seeing the boy struggle and finally overcome was a rare sight for him in this prison.
"You have successfully climbed up. In no less than a full day, that is worthy of praise. Come with me." Without notice, He held onto Oscar's shoulders, and they vanished from the cavern.
The sudden bright light stung Oscar's eyes. The long time in the dark caverns had made his eyes sensitive to any light source. He finally got a clear look around after some time.
"A training room?"
The place was almost identical to the private training rooms in the Outer Hall. However, this room was five times as big. It was hard to believe there was a room this big.
"Let's get you out of those bands."
With a wave, the bands clicked open and fell down. Oscar's arms and feet ached and gave off a cool, refreshing feeling in the wake of freedom.
Advertisement
'I feel like I can fly.' His body felt extremely light, yet he felt strength welling up inside. However, his Ein was still restricted by the band on his neck. Realizing he was wasting time, he quickly turned to Draven.
"Master!" Oscar bowed and waited for Draven to give the next instructions. He had five days left.
"How astute. It makes me happy to see someone with manners and decency. For the next five days, you will be fighting me."
Oscar looked surprised, but then a wide smile blossomed across his face. There was nothing better than this.
"I will do as you command."
"That's shocking. You didn't complain or whine this time."
"It's because I'm excited."
"Excited?" Draven tilted his head in confusion.
"Yes. I can't wait to see how much stronger I've become and get used to this body. Also…."
"Also?"
"I've been wanting to get some payback for your unreasonable spartan training."
Oscar took up a stance with a smile and fierce eyes.
Draven laughed uncontrollably for the first time in a while. All pretenses of poise and etiquette went down the drain. He clutched his stomach from how hard he laughed.
"You're a crazy kid. But I admire your courage. Very few would talk to me like that. Payback? Very well, try and get your punches in."
He walked until he was right before Oscar and sliced his hands through the air, making two long cuts on the floor behind their feet.
"Your goal is to force any part of me behind my line while ensuring you don't go behind yours. This is the No Step Duel."
Unlike Oscar, Draven remained still with his hands behind his back. His figure wrapped in an air of oppression and confidence, forcing Oscar to hunch slightly.
The overwhelming pressure did not lessen Oscar's smile. Draven was the perfect opponent to test his new limits.
"Begin."
Oscar was not polite and let loose a powerful punch.
CRACK
A loud sound. Oscar felt the strength contained within his fist. It was overwhelming. He thought of how devastating it would be if infused with Ein.
Even more shocking was his Master. The blow had no effect; not a single inch of his body moved or recoiled. In fact, his fist was reeling from the pain. Just how tough is his Master's defense?
"That was a beautiful punch. You were serious and didn't hold back." Draven lifted his hand and clenched it hard. "But it was only that. All looks and no essence." His fist rammed into Oscar's face like a steel ball.
The helpless Oscar flew past his line and smashed into the wall at the far end of the room as a long arc of blood spurted out.
Cough Cough
"This monster!" His cheek was bruised black, and a line of blood fell from his lips.
"What's wrong? You said you wanted to see how much stronger you've gotten and how you wanted to bash me?" Draven spoke like a ruffian or a thug. The previous well-mannered Warden was no longer there. The thrill of a fight made Draven drop his mask of elegance.
"Tough luck, kiddo. You're in for a long session of pain. I will be with you every moment of it."
Oscar limped back to his spot and tightened his stance. "Again!"
Draven unleashed another straight punch, but Oscar was able to put his guard up in time. But the Warden's strength was too much as Oscar was forced back.
He was slammed to his back and sent rolling away past his line. His arms had two large bruises on them. Draven held back to prevent any bones from breaking, but it did not prevent bruising.
His arms trembled while pulling himself up. The previous attack weakened his arms severely.
Still, Oscar returned to his spot to resume. His eyes stared unwaveringly at Draven.
"AGAIN!"
This boldness was met with an iron fist.
Every time he was blown to the wall, slammed to the floor, or sent rolling away, Oscar would get back up to start again.
"It's time for a break." After several beatings, Draven paused their duel.
Oscar fell to the floor, planting his face on the surface. The pressure and power behind his master's punch were far more tiring than digging and climbing.
'It's…not over.' Oscar dozed off to sleep, using the last of his energy to make a statement.
"You realize it's only a 15-minute break?" Draven shook his head. Oscar was in for a rude wake-up.
…….
In the Neptune Archives, there were far fewer students than before. Most students decide that missions and training are more important than reading a few months into their first year.
The ones who stick around are usually book-lovers or knowledge cravers. That is why the Neptune Archives is a peaceful place to relax without being bothered.
"Hoh, you've already finished the entire section on various ores. If it were not for your status, I would recommend you be a librarian here."
The elderly librarian woman that Oscar was acquainted with spoke to a girl with long silver hair that went far down to her thin waist. Her lips were slightly pale but charming combined with her dazzling emerald eyes.
"We don't need to worry about status here. But I am sorry to say I would humbly reject your offer. My training is far more important." Celestina Lovre Dragnar, the princess of the Brilliant Drake Empire, spoke respectfully to the old librarian.
"That is true. Your talents will carry you far. There is no need to be stuck in such a position like this old lady."
"You jest. I admire you for your diligent work and being a fellow lover of books."
"Hehe, you're making this old elder blush."
Celestina and the librarian shared a round of small laughter.
"By the way, where is that boy?" Celestina looked around.
"A boy? What boy?"
The princess was asking about a man? This came as a shock to the librarian, who saw this princess coldly rejecting the talented Gilbert. It was quite the scene in front of the Archives.
What sort of man was she interested in?
"This person is also almost here every day like me. He had black hair and black eyes."
"Oh! You must be talking about Oscar!" The librarian's eyes shined with joy.
"Is that his name?"
"Yes. Oscar is an avid reader of everything here. He's one of the few that goes into the literature section to read stories. Often, he brings me a cookie or snack."
The librarian thought fondly of Oscar. Any lover of books was not a bad person in her opinion.
However, it was odd that the princess asked about him. To the librarian's knowledge, there should not have been any interactions between them.
"The literature section? Where is that? I'll start there." Celestina smiled brightly that the librarian felt her withered heart jolt. This princess had a deadly effect on people.
Advertisement
ALL HOLLOW
The Teir, a tiny machine powered by long-lost magic, has predicted the end of the world. Only two students from a prestigious university can stop it by mastering that same magic. Malou Lamaire’s biggest secret is that she can use what little magic is left in the world, but then she uncovers a plot to steal the Teir. So she steals it first and goes on the run to protect it from those who wish to use its power for their own gain. Gavriel Eng, her willing accomplice, is accustomed to running from his secrets, but he can’t run from his true identity any longer. Not when it requires him to seek an ancient, dangerous magic to make his own—and he’s not the only one on the hunt for it, either. Their combined power is the key to rooting out an evil that defies the laws of life and death—and their failure means the end of everything.
8 192Alviona (undergoing Rewrite).
This fiction is going to undergo severe Editing and a Rewrite over next few months. Here is what it hopes to accomplish: 1) Fix the glaring issues from Style in every chapter 1-31 (Dialogues, POV switches and Head-hopping too much) 2) Add some new chapters in and justify the development between Sofia and Anita 3) Remove the info dumps and make it more organic 4) Finalize the genres that this fiction belongs to 5) Create warning in the synopsis relating to the contents of the fiction. 6) Overhaul and show what Mira's view on Alviona is (slowly) 7) Introduce new characters 8) Show chapters the way they were intended, as clues apparently were not visible at all! 9) Make Alviona a bit more serious. 10) Make me (Author) enjoy reading my own work more (yes! :)) Hi. I have been gone for quite a long while. With heart surgery and such that has happened two months ago, I had not had a chance to log on RR due to being hospitalized. I had some other issues that the admins were kind enough to deal with on this fiction. It's good to see everything in one piece. The synopsis has been removed. Chapter 1 should be coming out sometimes before christmas. A lot has changed. I hope for the better. Instead of edits, I have re-read every single chapter and found it to be unsatisfying. A lot did not make sense and unless you have previously speculated what Alviona is, many things she does won't fall into pieces. Well then, time to address all of this. Ladies and gentlelmen, this fiction is undergoing a full scale re-write. While the characters and developments stay the same, it's being done differently. So much that the world should feel darker as it should have been. For those who have stuck around and know the story: Awesome. I worked hard on this, and hope that you will like my re-write. For thos that are new: Welcome. Give me some time, as I am super sluggish. I don't know much time is some time, but I gurantee chapter 1 will be up before Christmas. This said, again, thank you and know that I am back. And that this fiction will be completed. AT ANY COST. I will update synopsis after I post chapter 1. I might post Alviona (revised, as this current one is far too.... simplified, watered down, and dissapointing version of it) seperately. Those that want this, here. But I don't want to add chapter 40. It won't make sense without the backup and world-building of re-write. It will piss myself off. Now then, let's write hm? *This beautiful piece of art is provided by Charee from DeviantArt* https://www.deviantart.com/chalii
8 387The Grand Cultivator of Unusual Means Solves a Murder
Feng He finds his world spiraling out of control, and somehow ends up in his favorite novel? And to make things worse, the character he takes over dies! What can he do? I have had a technical error and have lost over 10k words and almost 4 chapters worth of work. I lost everything up to the middle of the chapter I last published. This has broken me to the point of no return and I will be dropping this story. My mind can not overcome this lost. I am sorry for those who enjoyed the story. I will be starting a new story and will be using a different writing program and hopefully will be able to no have this happen again. Thank you for your support. Lan Li BxB Has some gore (COVER IS A PLACE HOLDER WHILE I DO THE ART MYSELF. THE ORIGINAL ARTIST CAN BE FOUND HERE: https://m.weibo.cn/u/1764472957?uid=1764472957&luicode=10000011&lfid=1076035845511408#&gid=1&pid=1 PLEASE SUPPORT THE ORIGINAL ARTIST!)
8 109That Guy Is Boring
Welcome dear Players!Those lucky enough to hear this message will now be transported to the Chessboard. Try to survive and reach the end of the game unharmed. As a gift from the Administration, you will not have to worry about the dangers of the Game for the first two days. Remember, The System of the Ancients was not meant to be fair, so expect to find injustice.Have fun and try not to die too quickly! [before reading] -> This novel is the English version of an Italian one. Some details may have been lost in translation.
8 146Fairy | The Seven Deadly Sins | Estarossa, Zeldris, Meliodas X Reader
[Name] [Last Name]. One of the strongest beings in the fairy realm. If she really tried then she could tsnad her ground in a fight against Meliodas, the dragon sin of wrath. (Y/N)'s a fairy who had been captured by corrupt goddess'. They had riped off her wings and totured her. One day when (Y/N) was just about ready to give up, the area she had been in was being raided by demons. More precisely, Estarossa and a group of demons.This is when Estarossa brought her in, showing the demon king to her. For some odd reason the demon king took a liking to her. He granted her demon like abilities. When (Y/N) met the ten commandment's, she wasn't seen as one of the ten commandments, more as a helper. During her time with slaying and killing goddess', she started to develop feelings for three specific brothers, little did she know that they all had loved her as well.Things are going great until one of (Y/N)'s lovers seems to be a traitor. She ends up joining him and helping him end the holy war. Things are going fine, the demon race being sealed for about 3,000 years old until they get realeased. What will happen once (Y/N) meets these two other lovers of hers? Will she stay with the traitor or will she stay with the ones still loyal to the king?
8 83Information Technology and Services - Decipher Credit
Decipher Credit is the ultimate place for complete lending services online. You can increase sales, speed up the underwriting process, and also improve efficiency using our services to drive revenue and delight borrowers.
8 120