245. Path to Essence’s Ascension

  The next day arrived.

  Clanking and slashing reverberated from the training ground.

  Zetius lunged with his empyrion-spatha at the empress.

  Unarmed, she veered off, her boots painting scorch marks on the floor from the friction heat. She recoiled, the concrete crushing beneath her heel.

  “Focus!” Aurora bellowed and dashed.

  Zetius swung his blade in panicked retaliation. Sweat beads flew from his dewy skin.

  Aurora spun on her heel into the perfect dodge. Zetius’s blade struck air. Her speed was incomprehensible to his naked eye.

  Zetius retreated, his blade arcing left and right, hitting nothing.

  Gaining ground, she wove her palms, deflecting Zetius’s relentless attacks.

  Zetius swung at her waist and faded. She slid across the floor, bypassing his blazing cut.

  “Crap!” Zetius gulped. She was already inside his guard, well within her striking reach. His only advantage, the sword's length, was gone.

  Immediately, she jabbed.

  Zetius blocked with his blade, and his arm felt the weight of it all.

  The shock jarred his grip, as if he’d tried to block a wrecking ball.

  Another jab arched through the air. His instinct alarmed, Zetius wriggled out of the way.

  He dodged? Aurora’s lips parted slightly. “Fascinating!”

  Zetius’s mind entered a state of zen; his entirety, mind and body, concentrated on her every movement.

  She performed three consecutive attacks, and Zetius kept his guard up until the last one.

  His fingers had lost their strength now, his flaming sword hanging by the arc of his thumb.

  Aurora snapped the blade out of his hand. The empyrion-spatha dissolved into thin air.

  I’m dead! Zetius’s eyes widened. Her palm pierced through the air toward his sternum.

  Then—

  Her finger stopped, a hairbreadth away from his throbbing chest.

  Everything ceased, as though time itself had frozen over.

  Zetius collapsed to the ground, gasping profusely for air. His throat and lungs burned with pain, his muscles clenched hard.

  “Breathe, breathe…” Aurora crouched, brushing his back tenderly as she studied his dusky face. “It seems you have forgotten to breathe.”

  Zetius couldn’t speak; he coughed violently between hyperventilating. Tears streamed from his eyes.

  “Breathe, my disciple,” Aurora comforted him.

  Glowing leaves drifted through the air and swarmed around his body, mending his injuries. Her captivating eyes remained fixated on his face as it regained its natural colour.

  The damaged concrete floor began to shift and repair itself. Scorch marks, scratches, and cracks became less conspicuous.

  After a few moments, the rejuvenation process finished, easing his pain. Zetius felt a sense of relief; his breath became steady.

  “I feel like I was dying…” Zetius shifted and collapsed onto the floor, lying flat, his back feeling the cold concrete. He let out a soft exhale.

  Aurora chuckled. “Great work, Zetius. You did well keeping up with my speed. I noticed you lasted almost sixty seconds this time. You’ll last much longer if you learn how to manage your breathing technique.”

  “Trying to defend against your attacks is already a taxing task,” Zetius admitted.

  “Don’t you worry. Your growth is far exceeding my expectations,” Aurora said, standing in full grace. She removed the clip from her hair, letting it cascade down. It whipped around slightly before drifting on the gentle breeze. She was even more ethereal and divine now.

  “Your words are too kind, Empress.” Zetius beamed.

  In silence, she sat on the ground next to him, hanging an arm over her knee.

  “Given years, I can see your potential to rival your former master, even surpassing him if I’m being optimistic,” she said.

  Her gaze grew distant, sweeping over the weapon racks, the sparring golem, and the catering station. “But, I doubt—” The words stuck in her throat.

  “We don’t have that luxury of time, right?” Zetius said, his voice soft.

  “You caught on quickly.” Aurora praised the man, and he just chuckled.

  “So… your Empyrion has ascended to Epic-tier now, from the look of it,” she said.

  “You noticed it without an Epopteia ritual?” Zetius turned his head, blinking in surprise.

  “Of course, I do.” Aurora tucked a stray lock of hair behind her pointed ear. “The Epopteia spell was invented about 200 CE. What do you think arcanists in the past used to cultivate and gauge their arcane progression?”

  “That makes sense…” Zetius mumbled, more to himself.

  “Naturally, essence classification and identification were very inconsistent under arcane rule. Gregorius was the first to observe this.” Aurora explained, her tone even.

  Zetius listened intently; he loved to listen to her when she rambled about things.

  “The funny part of history,” she chuckled, “is that the inspectors who gauged essence back then had to physically watch arcanists perform their arcane abilities and manually assign the tier to those essences. They couldn’t have done anything except measure the arcane ability of other arcanists, so they complained to Celestius Gregorius.”

  “Well, that sounds like an awful task.”

  “Right? I couldn’t blame them, either,” Aurora said. “Society at times can be driven by complaints.”

  “On that note, how do I ascend my Empyrion further, Empress?” Zetius asked, genuine curiosity in his eyes. It was the same burning passion she always saw — unyielding and bright.

  That earned him a surprised glance from the empress. “Never beating around the bush, I see… Very well. Since you asked, I must give you a proper answer. For a Mythic-tier Empyrion, you must first acquire the technical knowledge of immortal fire.”

  “Immortal fire?” Zetius rolled to face her properly, his expression brightening.

  “Certainly. There is one in the sky.” She paused intently.

  “The sun?” he blurted.

  “You’d be correct! Starting from the fundamentals, you must disregard combustion and learn about nuclear fusion.”

  The author's tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

  “Awwwww… Nuclear fusion is a whole different branch entirely.” Zetius collapsed back onto the floor, wincing at the mental struggle. It was another Mt. Olympus to climb.

  “Hehe. I hope you don’t give up now,” Aurora giggled through her fingers.

  Noticing a dim aura around his body, Aurora instructed flatly, “Rest for the day. Your mana has been almost exhausted.”

  Zetius extended his trembling finger skyward, and a leaf landed on his skin. He felt the warmth before it dissolved into his body.

  He found it strange that the rejuvenation chamber had this subtle wind that blew the healing leaves around. It was a mesmerising sight.

  “Speaking of which, Empress. About Cartier’s report…” he began, his words reluctant.

  “About the split moon?” Aurora asked, raising her brow.

  “Yes.”

  “I believe her. And if we confirm this theory, it might lead to Ignius and perhaps a way to prevent the sixth apocalypse altogether." Aurora flicked her ring and scrolled through a feed of data. “Everything is in motion. You shall not worry about it now.”

  “That’s great to hear.” Zetius watched his chest rise and fall, slow and controlled.

  “I guess I should have told you sooner. Your request to visit Solis Aeternum is granted,” Aurora said with a flicker of smugness.

  “Empress?” Zetius’s mouth formed a letter O. Cubie will be thrilled to hear this! He felt giddy energy returning already.

  She nodded twice. “As much as I want to keep you in my sight, I also feel like confining you in this place can be demoralising at times. This place is far from a vibrant holiday.”

  “What about Germund?” he pressed, despite the hesitation on his face.

  “Germund and other places are off-limits. I can’t have you running off everywhere,” Aurora replied in an instant. She glanced at him from under her eyelids. “Why?”

  “Hmm…” How should I say this to the empress? I just want to see Frain… and Lupus and everyone. I know, it’s stupid to still chase her ghost, but… I still care about her deeply.

  While Zetius was searching for a convincing reply, the sound of the door creaked open and interrupted his train of thought.

  The shuffling of garments as they marched inside, but not a single sound from their footsteps, was something Zetius recognised right away.

  Arc boots. Shadowbringers’s. Zetius looked up at the source.

  “Jovian,” Aurora greeted. She was already on her feet with her customary refinement, exchanging an arm shake with the Celestius of Sagittarius.

  “You’re up early as always, Empress.” Jovian smiled, showing all his teeth.

  “It’s dawn already?” Aurora gasped, touching her forehead.

  “Hello there, Zetius.” Jovian waved his hand. Instantly, his smile turned awkward.

  “Celestius Jovian…” Zetius performed the courtesy greeting with a reluctant grin, although he wasn’t sure he should respect the man after what he’d done.

  Zetius turned to the empress. “We simply lost track of time.”

  “You two have been training since last night?” Jovian creased his forehead, incredulous.

  “It was exactly midnight up until a few minutes ago. Go rest, Zetius. I’ll have to speak with the Lord of the Shadowbringers regarding today’s demonic uprising summit,” Aurora instructed, gently squeezing his shoulder.

  With humility, Zetius bowed to both of them before stepping out of the training chamber. He dragged his feet across the carpet. His limbs felt heavy after all this time.

  Funny how my body began to feel tired after my mind realised that fact. He chuckled to himself as he exited, shutting the door behind him.

  “Yo, Zetius!” Ziyue was leaning against the wall, her arms crossed. She lazily raised her hand to wave at him.

  “Ziyue?” Zetius blurted. He studied her closely. She looked so different now.

  First, her two-toned hair was absent; she had dyed it jet black and let it cascade down to her collarbone with an inward curl. Then he noticed she wore a stylish black corset top with loose lacing, a double line of expensive golden buttons, and a waist-length half-cape.

  Oh! He quickly averted his eyes, blushing at her exposed bosom. They were indeed very large, usually concealed under her oversized cloak.

  “Well?” Ziyue narrowed her eyes.

  “You look nice. Nice outfit,” he said awkwardly.

  “Thanks. Seems like it’s going to be a long discussion.” She glanced at the closed doors. “Want to go out for a walk?”

  Abruptly, she leaned closer as Zetius stumbled back almost in sync.

  “I’m stinky, Ziyue,” he warned.

  But she didn’t heed his words. She stopped inches from his chest and sniffed. “Nope, it’s not that kind of stinky, which means you’ll come with me.”

  “Wait—” Before he could protest, she had already taken his wrist and was striding off.

  They found themselves on a bench in the royal garden, watching the dawn break. The atmosphere was quiet and undisturbed by the castle staff.

  The gentle breeze swept through the grand vista, rustling the flower beds and low hedges arranged in elegant, curved patterns. Each patch was adorned in the alternating vibrant colours of different floral species.

  The lush air filled Zetius’s lungs, refreshing him to the point that he had forgotten he hadn’t slept last night. Neither had the empress.

  “So, I’ve heard…” Ziyue was the first to break the silence. “About her…”

  Zetius grunted softly, chewing on his lip.

  “Are you alright?” she asked. She kept searching his eyes, but he couldn’t meet hers.

  Zetius scoffed. “I’m fine, Ziyue. Do I look depressed to you?”

  Sensing his hostility, she raised her palms in defeat. “Alright, alright.”

  “So…” Ziyue tried again. “How have you been doing? One does not simply receive training from the Astral Empress Aurora Vere Borealis herself.”

  “Quite a mouthful there.” Zetius turned, his lips curling up at her exaggeration.

  “Come on, tell me. I’m curious,” she said, and they locked eyes. The light filtered through her big amethyst irises, so dazzling and beautiful.

  Zetius blew out a breath. “It’s not easy. Her teaching is challenging at every twist and turn. But I’ve learned great arcane artes from her.”

  With his arm extended, dull silver scales slithered out and enclosed it fully. “This is Artimas.”

  Ziyue’s hand touched his, exploring its intricate armour. “This arc gauntlet looks expensive.”

  “It’s not for sale.” He chuckled, and she leaned even closer, eagerly inspecting the red markings on his upper arm. He could smell her mystical, alluring perfume.

  She smells so nice. He swallowed at the thought.

  “Although it comes with the prerequisite that I have to perform the Omit casting technique.” Zetius closed his eyes, summoning his blazing sword.

  “So, that’s quite… a long sword,” Ziyue whispered. There was a change in her tone, which he couldn’t quite describe.

  “It’s not that long. About one and a half metres,” he corrected, watching his blade flickering.

  Delicately, Ziyue ran her fingernail along the writhing edge. The smell of burnt nail pierced his nose.

  “It’s hot!” he snapped in panic, dismissing his blade and arc gauntlet.

  Gently, he caressed her palm. It was cold. “Gaia, why would you do that?” he chided, mustering his remaining mana and casting a healing spell.

  A green aura flashed. Zetius massaged her hand as the red skin mended. “You don’t feel pain?”

  Ziyue wore an unwavering smile. “Of course, I feel the pain. I just don’t whine about it.”

  “You’re cold, too,” Zetius remarked. He hadn’t realised it, but she had been staring at him all this time.

  Before he knew it, his chest was thumping strongly, and he felt heat run up his cheeks.

  Unflinching, Ziyue crept closer, her inviting lips parted. “You know what isn’t cold?”

  “What?” Zetius shuffled back, his head pressed against the side rail.

  “This,” she whispered, licking her lustre lips. That was when he understood the word he’d been searching for. Her tone, her gesture, her voice… it was pure seduction.

  Naturally, he felt a surging bulge in his groin. He didn’t fight it; instead, he shut his eyes hard.

  Until he felt a calloused palm wrap around his mouth. The skin was rough and unpleasantly coarse.

  “Found you two,” the deep, female voice followed.

  “Ewww!” Ziyue jumped away, virtually gagging. She stuck her tongue out, trying to wipe it off with her napkin as if she’d just kissed something foul.

  “Hey,” Astrid greeted with a small wave, her towering height cast a big shadow over both of them.

  “What the hell, Astrid? That’s nasty!” Ziyue blurted.

  “I washed my hands.” Astrid crossed her arms in defence. On second thought, she held out her palm and inspected it with uncertain eyes. Maybe I forgot…

  Still processing it all, his eyes rapidly blinked. “Umm… What are you doing here?” Zetius eventually asked the full-armoured lady, wearing a grumpy face.

  “What are you doing here?” she countered, looking down her nose at them.

  “We were just talking!” Zetius blurted, shrugging it off.

  “Yeah, don’t butt into other people's conversations!” Ziyue whined, pointing her finger at Astrid.

  “That’s rich coming from you,” Astrid smiled victoriously. “See? I successfully snuck up on you, Ziyue. Your assassin sense is lacking. You'd better practise harder.”

  “Really? I’m done arguing with you.” Ziyue averted her face, throwing her hands in the air.

  “Nice outfit, by the way. Perfect for courting men,” Astrid commended, her words dripping with sarcasm.

  “Ladies…” Zetius interjected firmly, “Let’s not fight. We’ve got the summit to attend, haven’t we?”

  Fortunately, they both listened to him. Must have been some arcane power in my husky tone, he thought.

  “Yeah, that’s why I’m fetching you both,” Astrid shrugged. “It starts in five.”

  “Fine…” Ziyue groaned.

  “Let’s!” Zetius rose up to his feet and offered his palm toward the moody lady.

  “Let’s,” Ziyue took it and smiled.

  Thus, the party left the peaceful garden behind and headed for the main hall for the demonic infestation summit.