A road of arched pillars stood along the pathway to a large building. It was a large castle of great oak wood reaching ten stories tall, giving off an ancient and imposing aura—the headquarters of the Alchemist's Guild branch in Tufall.

Two rows of guards were lined on the sides of the path. They looked intimidating and powerful, far different from the gate guards. These were the select chosen by the Alchemist's Guild to protect this important place.

Their armor was made of white steel with gold linings. The weapons they carried were large spears in their hand and short swords on their belt.

They stared at the young Oscar but turned away after sensing he was only a Middle Apprentice Exalt. He was no threat to these guards who were Elite Exalts.

"The Alchemist's Guild is incredibly powerful to have guards like this. I wonder how much their salary is? Perhaps, being a guard could be a choice if I can't graduate from the Pavilion in time."

While thinking of his future career, Oscar walked toward the entrance. The lobby was full of activity and people; some looked like merchants and stragglers like Oscar. The majority had a badge on their chest with multiple stars.

Most had one or two stars etched on them, while only a few had three stars. They were all alchemists who were here for practice and other alchemy business.

"Excuse me." Oscar walked up to one of the receptionists, who was organizing some documents.

Noticing Oscar's figure, the receptionist put on his welcoming smile and greeted him.

"Welcome to the Alchemist's Guild in Tufall City. How may I be of assistance?"

"I want to purchase a membership with the Alchemist's Guild." Oscar said.

The receptionist showed a little bit of doubt as he eyed Oscar's rough clothing and unkempt black hair. Of course, Oscar did not have the time to tidy himself up and immediately went to Tufall.

However, as a professional, the receptionist shook off his doubt and continued to smile.

"Of course, you can purchase a membership. It requires a fee of two gold coins." He wondered if this boy had the capital.

"Two gold coins?!" Oscar nearly yelped.

Hearing Oscar's shout of shock, the receptionist shook his head and said, "If you do not have the money, then please step aside unless you have further business here."

In the end, this bumpkin came here without knowing anything. Did he think the membership would be free? The Alchemist's Guild was not some charity.

Betraying the receptionist's thoughts, Oscar rummaged in his pouch, took out two gold coins, and placed them on the counter to the surprise of the receptionist.

"Here are two gold coins. How does the process work? Do I get a membership now or later?" Oscar bombarded the receptionist with questions.

The receptionist asked Oscar to settle down and turned his attention to the gold coins. He picked them up and checked them out; these were legitimate.

"Cough. I'm sorry for rushing without confirming you could pay." The receptionist apologized. It was not a good look for the Alchemist's Guild if he was rash and upset a customer.

"Please put a drop of blood on this token. If you are capable of Ein, please infuse it into the token."

Oscar received a large bronze coin-like object the size of his palm. He bit his thumb and marked it with his blood. Next, he surged his Ein from within into the bronze token.

The blood and Ein disappeared into the bronze token, giving off a little glow.

"Now it is tied to you, and no one else can use it as if it was theirs. Thank you, and we appreciate your decision to be a member."

"Wait. I still need to know what benefits a member gets and how I can upgrade the membership."

"Oh, forgive me for forgetting. As a member, you are entitled to a certain discount on items from our certified alchemists. If you have a specific request for an elixir, you can skip ahead of the queue of lower-ranked members and non-members."

"That's incredible!" Oscar never learned this in the Pavilion because no one ever told him, and he didn't have much interest in those fields.

'In the future, I need to cover all bases, or else I may miss out on other opportunities.'

While Oscar was occupied in his thoughts, the receptionist continued, "To upgrade your membership, you need to pay more money, obtain a recommendation from an alchemist or another member, or have rendered good service to the Guild."

"Service?"

"Whether it's giving rare materials to us or helping the Guild out in a time of need. Sometimes, the Guild may post a mission that rewards a member rank up."

"I can sell materials to the Alchemist's Guild? I've already sold what I had to Sara's Elixirs. Is there a difference?" Oscar was confused.

"You can sell to the Guild and other alchemists without issue. What I meant by giving rare materials is donating them. If you willingly give up a rare material to the Alchemist's Guild, it may warrant a membership upgrade."

Oscar thanked the receptionist for his time and left. He was deep in thought while walking back through the line of guards.

"Is it worth giving rare materials for free for an upgrade in membership? If needed, I could take it to an alchemist and make a special request with the rare material."

Giving up precious materials to get better membership would have been foolhardy to Oscar before. But after learning of the benefits, it may be worth it.

But there was no use thinking about it now. Oscar did not have any rare materials. Perhaps, he'll decide when the opportunity arises.

"Next stop is the Fabricator's Guild."

For some odd reason, the two guilds were located on opposite ends of the city. The Alchemist's Guild was in the northern district, while the Fabricator's Guild was in the southern district.

Minutes later, Oscar arrived in front of the Fabricator's Guild. His eyebrow rose almost comically at the disparity between this place and the Alchemist's Guild.

It was a one-story building of black stone but was ten times wider than the Alchemist's Guild. There was no brilliant arches or well-paved path. It had a rough and rustic look.

The guards surrounded the facility. They were clad in black armor with silver lining and wielded large polearms with a short ax on their side.

Their power did not lack against their counterparts in the northern district.

No matter what, Oscar felt there was a discrete competition between the fabricators and alchemists, whether it was the style of their buildings, the armor of their guards, and their general disposition. They were complete opposites.

Inside was a similar sight of many people running amok. Despite their differences, the fabricators followed the same system as the alchemists. Many of the people were clothed in the fabricator's uniform with their unique helmets and a badge signifying their rank.

Oscar went to the worn-down stone counter where a fabricator was waiting.

The process to acquire a membership was not different, but Oscar painfully paid three gold coins instead of two.

Exiting the Guild, Oscar looked into his nearly empty wallet pouch, containing only a few silvers, almost about to cry.

"I hope these memberships are worth it…." He grumbled.

Hours later.

Oscar made it back to his original campsite. He repitched his tent with great effort and sat down to cook a meal. The sizzling meat in the pot above the campfire invigorated Oscar's body.

The tiredness washed away from Oscar's body, which got its needed energy, and he was ready to resume his tiresome training.

Taking up a stance, Oscar released a punch. His veins popped out on his face from using 'Ein Awaken', and his fist sounded like it was cutting through the air.

This continued for the rest of the day until the night sky revealed itself. It was too dangerous to train while surrounded by the bleak darkness.

"There's something wrong." Oscar sat in his tent with a doubtful face. "No matter how much I train in 'Ein Awaken', it feels out of place. It's like missing the last step."

Oscar tried to remember his feeling when he accomplished 'Reis Awaken'. That feeling of imminent death had made his entire being synchronize in thought and emotion.

He punched out again, but it was still lacking.

"Looks like I have no choice. When I trained with Master, we sparred countless times for me to get the hang of it. But it was the moment he tried to kill where I broke through."

Silence ensued as Oscar weighed his options. But he soon scoffed at himself.

"If I'm not willing to risk it, then why am I here? I can't help Frederick if I'm a coward. I can't defeat Phillip if I run away." Oscar slapped his face to gather courage for himself.

Tomorrow, he will fight with his life on the line.

…….

Triton's Hold

It is the center of the Blue Ocean Pavilion. The heart. The main palace.

It is where all important decisions are made regarding the Blue Ocean Pavilion and its future.

Within its hallowed halls were elders walking slowly and respectfully. This was not a place for them to flaunt their power but rather show a submissive demeanor. The founder once resided here, and they must pay homage.

In one of the rooms on the second highest floor, Margaret Ward sat silently with a stone face.

Her bright purple hair was neatly placed behind her, with no hair out of place. Her grey eyes shone with a powerful gaze that could suck in a person's soul.

"Sorry, I'm late." Great Elder Robert Levitt entered with a small smile.

"A great elder should be punctual." Margaret's brow scrunched in annoyance.

"Oh? But I am earlier than the others. So there is no issue there."

Robert opened his eyes, revealing the odd pair of blue and red eyes. He never opened his eyes unless it was serious. Whatever was taking place here was critical.

"Draven will never show up unless he wants a fight."

"Cough! Can we not mention him? It's stressful being near him." Robert sighed.

"As the top leaders of the Blue Ocean Pavilion, shouldn't you all get along?" A voice intruded into the room.

John Williams, who had a white fan in his hands, stood at the open door. He stepped inside and closed the door shut behind him.

"We greet Vice Pavilion Master."

Margaret and Robert stood and bowed to John.

"No need to be like this in private. All of you are my seniors who I admire." John scratched his cheek in embarrassment.

"That may be so, but your rank as Vice Pavilion Master demands respect from all of us." Margaret slightly scolded John for his lackadaisical attitude.

"Indeed, with your talent, it's only a matter of time before you surpass us. I remember when you were just a student. The most talented one we've ever seen." Robert added in praise.

"Former most talented. We have the heavens to thank for a person with a Grade Nine Exolsia Core in our Pavilion and Empire."

"The boy, Gilbert Lockwood? Indeed he is impressive raw material, but he is still quite unruly from what I've observed." Robert sighed at the folly of youth. From the reports, Gilbert was always at the center of some conflict or mess.

"We were all like that when we were young. Though I suspect Grand Commander Ward was always serious." John joked.

Margaret snorted. "If the boy, Lockwood, needs some discipline, send him to me. I'll make sure he never steps out of line."

John shook his head. "No, no. Let him be. After all, he needs to experience things for himself to grow and mature. But let's get to the main topic."

The atmosphere in the room tensed immediately. The three had severe expressions on their faces.

"The opening of the Ashen Grove will happen in the coming years. We've canceled all international competitions with other factions to hide our strength." John said.

"It seems they also had the same idea. Everyone doesn't want any information of their strength leaking out before the Ashen Grove opens." Robert sighed.

"My informants report that they are spending vast fortunes to strengthen their students like we are. They've even contacted the Guilds to try to get their aid." As Grand Commander, Margaret had a network of spies and informants in other places.

"The Guilds are neutral. Their influence spans many Empires. They won't jeopardize their standings with others to favor one. They'll provide whatever they're paid to provide." John scoffed.

"Should we try hiring wanderers?" Robert suggested.

"No." Margaret shut that down. "They are useful as mercenaries, and some are strong Exalts, but wanderers have no affiliation. Some are former students, but they have no loyalty to us. I do not believe they will work well with our students."

John tapped his finger on the table in thought. "You're right. The risk is too large for such a critical time. Keep your tabs on the other factions, Grand Commander. Great Elder will continue aiding the education of our students. Now…."

…….

Deep in the spires of the Abyss Prison, Draven was humming to the tunes of tortured prisoners.

"Those fools are probably still talking. I was right not to come."