《The Exalt》Act 1: Blue Ocean Pavilion - Chapter 333: Isaac Stonewell
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Gol-4, or rather Isaac, started to tell his past.
Thousands of years ago, perhaps 8000 years ago, in a small village, Isaac was born to a simple blacksmith, not a fabricator, but one of the common people. He spent his younger years by his father's side and crafted tools such as sickles, shovels, and horseshoes for the townspeople.
He enjoyed those days. Smithing was straining and hard work, which didn't deter him. Isaac proved himself different from the other children, always spending his days hammering and tinkering with tools in his father's shop. He always loved seeing his stern father smile whenever he successfully crafted a tool.
His mother passed away when he was four, so he and his father had always been together. Father and son worked with each other, teaching and learning.
Those times were truly peaceful and gratifying.
Even if he never became an Exalt, Isaac was content to live in the shop and carry on his father's trade. That was until he learned about the existence of Fabricators from a passing Exalt, a wanderer. From the wanderer, he learned about how Exalts had fabricators who created incredible weapons and armor using all kinds of amazing ores he had never heard of.
Slowly, the desire grew in Isaac's heart. He wanted to be a fabricator. A whole new world of blacksmiths had opened up to him, and he cried out in yearning. His father didn't share the same enthusiasm and warned him sternly not to hold high expectations. They were commoners, and the world of Exalts was endlessly cruel.
However, fate had other plans for Isaac. As known to all, an Exolsia Core became easily detectable with a special testing crystal when one reached the age of fifteen. A stronger testing crystal could be used if one had the connections and the wealth. As a commoner, Issac had none of these and had to wait for his time.
Isaac counted down the time until he became fifteen and when the selection process would begin. His father brought him to the nearby city where the main faction at the time, the Walsh Academy, was taking in new students for the new year.
Like Oscar's Blue Ocean Pavilion, the Walsh Academy was a major power on the Farsky Continent with two King Exalts at the forefront. Unlike the Blue Ocean Pavilion and the others, which were tied to their respective empires, the Walsh Academy was a standalone power that imposed itself over various kingdoms and empires.
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All the rulers paid homage to the might of the Walsh Academy and sent their best and brightest to the academy, hoping some of their people would become powerful and influential officials within it. All in all, around ten kingdoms and empires swore allegiance to the Walsh Academy.
Facing the officials of this proud and powerful academy, Isaac grew nervous and forgot to breathe. He hoped within his heart that he would be accepted and become a fabricator. He wasn't prepared for what came next when he placed his hand on the testing crystal. No one was ready for it.
The testing crystal shone with the fiercest light anyone had ever seen that day, a brilliant silver gleam representing only one thing. Isaac was a Grade Eight Exolsia, one of the highest prodigies since Grade Nines were too rare. The faces of the officials could only be described as lost in awe and shock.
Like falling down a hole only to land on a mountain of gold, Isaac couldn't believe it. No one could believe it. A commoner with no pedigree from a line of ordinary blacksmiths possessed the core that would ignite jealousy even in the royals.
After a heartfelt farewell to his father, Isaac traveled with the officials and other new students, arriving at the Walsh Academy after a few days. Over those days, everyone fawned over him, which made him uncomfortable since all he had known was his father's roughness. To make the most of it, Isaac asked about fabricators and received many answers pointing to how they were expert craftsmen.
Isaac wished the airship would go faster to see the great forges and anvils he had heard of. The Walsh Academy was unlike any place he had ever been to. Rather than say it was a simple academy, it was a sprawling metropolis of all manners of spires, palaces, and houses. All of the new students were greeted with fanfare and with welcoming arms.
Of course, Isaac couldn't just get to the fabricators first. He needed to awaken his core, an easy task with his Grade Eight Exolsia. To his relief, his anima formed into the shape of a hammer, the most popular for potential fabricators. With the hammer in hand, Isaac rushed to the fabricator district of the Walsh Academy, a section filled with flames, smoke, and the sounds of hammers.
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The first times he worked with the roaring furnaces, hammered on ores he had never seen, and processed materials from beasts, Isaac felt the happiest he had ever been. His progression as an Exalt was quick and without issues, thanks to his determined mind and talent. His skills as a fabricator grew, and he became one of the best young fabricators in the academy.
People gathered around him as Isaac continued to become more influential. Others wanted his armaments. Isaac never stopped working, giving his all to every armament he created. He led the Walsh Academy's fabricators to victory against their bitter rivals, the Skyfall Pavilion, a rival faction that ruled over the other half of the continent.
Indeed, Isaac's life became full of victories and accolades. Everywhere he turned, people stared with respect and awe. Royals and nobles sent him many requests for engagement and marriage to create ties to him and his bright future. Isaac decided not to accept the engagements, wanting to forge his own future.
A very, very strange choice to make when at the end before the end of his life, he had a harem of twenty wives and sired many children. He started the Divine Stone Clan from his promiscuous desires, marrying many of his female companions he met and grew close with, but that's too far ahead. Back to his days at the academy, his life continued, from the meager Apprentice Exalt to an Elite, and finally a Knight Exalt in which he had a revelation.
He grew tired of creating armament after armament. It was still endearing work but slowly lost its charm unless he had newer materials and ores. Within this slump, he found his new passion, golems. Golems required much work from both fabricators and alchemists.
Isaac believed golems to be the future. Exalts will always be important, but golems could offer much to this world. So, he delved into the creation of golems, studying and creating the greatest works. The only problem was the lack of an alchemist who shared his grand vision for golems, a person who could create the artificial cores needed for his golems to reach the apex.
Having no choice, Isaac turned away from fabrication to learn alchemy, leaving everyone else dumbfounded. Golems were useful soldiers, and everyone held pride in the ones they created. None, however, shared Isaac's vision for what they could become.
He toiled for years, starting from nothing. Many alchemists jeered and laughed at him. A fabricator learning alchemy? How ridiculous and a waste of time. Ignoring the insults, Isaac forged ahead. It was slow and hard. Years seemed to become an eternity as Isaac learned and grew. Finally, he emerged as a fine alchemist, specializing in the artificial cores needed for golems.
When he became a Marshal Exalt, Isaac created his greatest work, the Chronem. History books may have etched out his name, but his creations lived on. The Chronem became a revolutionary golem in which the ancestors could pass down their teachings and continue to support the Walsh Academy. Though the resources to create one would drain several empires.
After all of this, Isaac finally reached the King Exalt realm, becoming one of the leaders of the Walsh Academy. He created armies of golems to help the Walsh Academy in their war against the Skyfall Pavilion. His fighting abilities were not weak. He strode into battle with his hammer and led his golems to break through their defenses.
With his achievements, Isaac became the head dean of the Walsh Academy, renaming it the Divine Stone Clan. His numerous children held high offices in various kingdoms, marrying into their royal families to form ties. Thus, the Divine Stone Clan became the sole power of the continent.
Throughout the years, he never stopped working on his golems, refining them and making them more potent and varied. His wonderful creations caught the eyes of outside powers who wanted his secrets. Isaac didn't hoard the schematics, selling them to others,
This was his golem revolution. Spreading his teachings and ideals everywhere around the world was his victory. Though, he kept the most important ones to himself. His Divine Stone Clan had become more powerful, and he enjoyed his life together with his rather large family.
Isaac looked at all he had done with satisfaction. Leaving his Divine Stone Clan behind, Isaac entered seclusion to go beyond the King Exalt realm.
The Primaere Realm awaited him.
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