Epilogue: Behind the Scenes

  A playful fawn frolicked in a forest clearing while its parents grazed nearby in the tall grass. Above them, a deafening boom rang out in the skies. The fawn immediately panicked, rushing to its mother’s side and then sneaking a glance up. Two white streaks shot through the clouds, and then vanished just as quickly as they had appeared.

  Hikari and Fabian flew through the clouds without uttering a single word to each other. They headed north, following the Great Mountainvein River. After traveling for half a day, they veered to the east and flew for several hours. Their robes whipped from the wind blasting into them as they moved.

  A while later, they slowed down and came to a halt above a small hill carpeted with peach blossoms. They landed in a glade at the top of the hill and then set up a stately rectangular table, along with luxurious chairs, before sitting down opposite one another.

  Hikari withdrew an intricate tea set and began brewing some tea. The sweet scent of peaches fused with the mellow fragrance of the bitter tea leaves, infusing the area with a calming aroma.

  They handed Fabian an ornate teacup before taking a sip of their own. Fabian tasted the tea, warmth spreading through his body. A shiver ran down his spine as goosebumps rose on his arms. He had long since reached a realm where ordinary heat and cold no longer touched him. He had not felt a true chill in decades. He had not even realized the chill buried in his bones until the tea began to melt it away.

  “Hikari, what is this tea? Its effects are quite astounding.”

  Hikari took another sip and then gently placed their cup down. “It’s called the Springroot Tea. It’s a concoction I created, which includes 24 different types of materials. The most important are the Springfever Flower and the Heavenmarrow Root.”

  Fabian gasped while in the middle of drinking the tea and ended up choking. However, he still forced the tea down his throat before erupting into a coughing fit. “Those are fourth-tier materials! How could you waste them on tea?”

  “Although they are precious, even Grandmaster Malazar has yet to discover a method to craft a potion out of them. Instead of wasting away in storage, I made this tea. This tea sharpens the senses and clears impurities built up through cultivation. Though the effects are minuscule, they accumulate over time.”

  “I see. If Grandmaster Malazar hasn’t come up with a formula, no other Potioneer nearby will be able to. Speaking of, will he be attending this meeting as well?”

  “No. He sent word that he is currently formulating a new recipe and is unable to leave his Tower. Instead, he will be sending his Deputy.”

  “Both Grandmaster Malazar and Godric won’t be attending. Will this not offend the emissary from the Court?”

  “Unfortunately, there is nothing we can do about it. We can only hope that our attendance is enough.” Hikari poured more water into the teapot and began steeping some more tea.

  Fabian stroked his bushy beard as he mused. “Well, even I can’t look down on that Gabriel fellow from Argent Flame. I guess it shouldn’t be too bad.”

  “Yes, and Astra from Auxiliary Paths is nothing to scoff at either. Though she is not powerful, her talents in Runeology are unmatched. Even among the Runemasters of the wider continent, few would match her.”

  “True. Very true. I guess we’ll have to wait and see. The meeting will be held in two days?”

  “That’s correct. We’ve arrived earlier than expected, so we can just meditate until everyone arrives.”

  Hikari and Fabian continued to converse until they finished the tea. Afterward, they both closed their eyes and sank into a deep meditative state. Though seemingly defenseless, an invisible dome of arcane power encompassed the glade, shielding them from unwanted gazes and sudden attacks.

  Around two days later, Hikari and Fabian opened their eyes at the same time and glanced up into the sky. A massive flying vessel approached before halting a fair distance away. After a few minutes, a streak of silver light left the ship and stopped above the glade.

  Gabriel, clad in elaborate silk robes, hovered above as he bowed his head slightly toward the clearing. In his vision, it was empty, but he knew that wasn’t the case.

  “Seniors, I have arrived. Please allow this junior to enter.”

  Hikari and Fabian exchanged glances, and then Hikari waved their hand. The air above them rippled, and Gabriel floated down. He landed next to them and took a seat at the table.

  “Greetings, seniors.”

  “Welcome, Gabriel. How are things over at Argent Flame? I trust that fellow cultivator Godric is well?” Hikari greeted Gabriel.

  “Yes, Senior Hikari. Tower Master Godric is occupied with developing a new combat technique and is unable to attend the meeting. This lowly junior has brazenly stepped up to fill in his spot, instead. Please forgive my transgression.”

  Fabian chuckled. “Gabriel, no need for such formalities between us. Save it for when the Court emissary arrives.”

  “Yes, Senior.”

  The three exchanged some more polite words before sinking into silence. Not long after, a lone figure appeared in the distance as they leisurely flew through the skies. After a while, they arrived and landed in the glade without asking permission first. It was a young woman whose plain features were offset by the arrogance in her gaze. Colorful silk wrapped around her petite body, a stark contrast to her messy black hair.

  “Hikari. Fabian. Gabriel. It’s been a while.” Her voice was infused with arrogance as she sat down opposite Gabriel and nodded toward the three cultivators.

  Fabian’s eyelid twitched as he glared at the woman. However, he just snorted and then looked away.

  “Greetings, Astra.” Gabriel smiled softly and nodded back.

  “Welcome, Astra. How is Grandmaster Malazar doing?” Hikari greeted her with indifference.

  “Master Malazar is well. He is currently in seclusion as he tries to figure out a recipe for a new type of potion to increase the chances of advancing from the Circuit Completion realm to the Inner Fortress realm, so I came instead.”

  “I see, that would be a very difficult task. Only an accomplished Potioneer such as Grandmaster Malazar would be able to succeed.” Hikari nodded in understanding.

  This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

  Astra smiled as though she herself had been complimented, but her eyes remained dispassionate and haughty. “So, where is the emissary from the Court? Have I arrived too early?”

  Fabian furrowed his brows and opened his mouth to rebuke this disrespectful and imperious junior when someone interrupted him from behind.

  “Worry not, young friend. I have arrived and need not keep you waiting.”

  Everyone jumped to their feet as they turned in the direction of the voice. Their expressions ranged from surprise and shock to wariness and vigilance.

  Standing at the center of everyone’s attention was a man clad in elegant and stylish amber robes with his hands clasped behind his back. A large smile sat on his stiff face and made him immediately unsettling. The gentle breeze stirred his short brown hair.

  “This is not the welcome I expected, but an interesting one nevertheless.” His unnatural smile further extended into a sinister grin, sending chills down everyone’s backs.

  Gabriel’s pupils constricted as he took a step back. An ominous feeling filled his mind, one that seemed to blacken the skies and darken the surroundings. Every fiber of his being screamed at him to flee and hide from the man standing in front of him, yet he forced himself to stand his ground.

  “Ah, you must be the emissary from the Court. To whom may I owe this pleasure?” Hikari was the first to compose himself. He addressed the man.

  The sinister grin vanished instantly, and his wooden expression returned. “I am Orion. You must be Hikari from Violet Mist?”

  “Indeed, Senior Orion.” Hikari nodded and began introducing the others. “This is fellow cultivator Fabian from Lunarsol. This is Gabriel from Argent Flame, and this is Astra from Auxiliary Paths. Unfortunately, their Tower Masters are preoccupied with important tasks and are unable to attend. Please forgive us.”

  “No need for such politeness. And I am no senior, you may just call me by my name. Whether Godric or Malazar is here or not is of no major importance. It is only a brief introductory meeting.”

  “What is the final decision of the Court? Have there been any changes to the plan?” Fabian hurriedly asked, a cold light flashing in his eyes.

  “The Court has ruled in favor of your coalition of Towers. The Assembly has outlived its usefulness. There will be no changes.”

  “There is no point in keeping them around. They have their hands on too many resources, after all. So, how will we proceed?” Astra scoffed as she thought about the Assembly. Her Arcane Tower of Auxiliary Paths was at odds with them as they competed in the aspects of potioneering, runeology, forging and tinkering. The Assembly was actually ahead of them in forging and tinkering, much to her chagrin.

  “The original plan was to wait for Argent Flame’s elites to return from their deployment to the Southern Wilderness. When are they scheduled to return, Gabriel?” Hikari asked.

  “The deployment will end in a decade. The plan was to attack once they returned, prior to the opening of the new demi-plane. However…”

  “It has been revealed that the demi-plane will be opening in around three and a half years.” Fabian finished Gabriel’s sentence.

  “That means the plans need to be altered slightly, yes?” Orion asked indifferently.

  “Yes. We will send in our strongest Initiates into the demi-plane using the slots given by the Assembly. They will annihilate the Assembly’s apprentices inside it and seize as many resources as possible for the war to come. After the demi-plane closes, we will launch the war and begin our offenses. Even though the Argent Flame won’t be able to provide much assistance at the beginning, the war will not end so quickly. They should be able to return before the peak.” Hikari explained the altered plans to Orion.

  “That seems fine. The Court will not change its stance. Now that we’ve discussed this, I will take my leave. I have other matters to attend to. We will reconvene and meet before the opening of the demi-plane.”

  Everyone got up and bowed slightly as Orion stood up and soared away at a leisurely pace. A strange, melodic hum drifted down from the skies as he disappeared into the horizon.

  “What an arrogant man. Are all people from the Court like this?” Astra snorted once she could no longer see Orion.

  “Enough, Astra. Since the plan has been confirmed by the Court, we shall go back to our respective forces and prepare. Make sure to inform Godric and Grandmaster Malazar of the changes.” Hikari instructed Astra and Gabriel.

  “Yes, Senior.”

  “Fine.”

  After exchanging their final pleasantries, everyone departed in different directions. Gabriel flew back to his flying vessel at a slow pace as he mused over his earlier feelings.

  “That man… Orion… There’s something off about him. We need to watch more than just the Assembly.”

  Deep within the Verdant Sigil Castle, Kaspar sat at a large desk with a solemn expression. Laid out in front of him was a letter and a small, ornate storage pouch.

  Knock. Knock.

  The sound of knocking rang out, yet Kaspar’s face did not change. Without looking up from the letter, he told them to enter.

  Magnos and Tidus walked into his study, immediately turning serious after seeing Kaspar’s frown.

  “Senior, why have you called us?” Magnos greeted him respectfully.

  “First, you two should take a seat across from me.”

  The two sat down in the soft, velvety chairs facing Kaspar and then waited in silence for his instructions. After several more minutes, Kaspar let out a long sigh and waved his hand. The letter in front of him flew over and landed on the desk between Magnos and Tidus.

  “Read this.”

  Magnos and Tidus both focused intently on the letter, and after a few minutes, shock and anger flashed across their faces.

  “Is this true?” Magnos asked with his eyes wide open.

  “Senior, how did you come across this information? Did you plant a spy deep into one of the Towers?” Tidus asked with a frown.

  “Yes, it is true. And no, I did not plant a spy.”

  “Then where did you get this letter?” Magnos stabbed down at the parchment with his index finger.

  “It flew into the castle on its own. I do not know where it's from, nor did I manage to find any clues on its sender.”

  “How do you know it’s true, then? How can we trust it?”

  “Because the plants I have grown in various locations of our territory, especially near the borders, confirmed such movements. War is definitely coming.”

  Magnos and Tidus sank into silence as they brooded over the information contained in the letter. The Tower Coalition’s plans lay bare before them, complete with a timeline.

  “That’s not all.”

  Kaspar waved his hand again, and the storage pouch flew over and landed in Tidus’s palm.

  “Senior, this is...?”

  “Go ahead and open it.”

  Tidus channeled his arcane power into the pouch, and his eyes bulged out. He withdrew a gray stone with veins of glimmering purple light running through it.

  With a trembling voice, he asked, “Is this not Thunderfall Clay? How…”

  “Yes, that is Thunderfall Clay. The last material you needed for your advancement into the Inner Fortress realm.”

  “Senior… How can I thank you enough?” Tidus stood up on his shaking legs and began to bow toward Kaspar, only to be stopped by his next words.

  “I didn’t obtain this myself. It came with the letter.”

  Tidus straightened his back, looking back and forth between Kaspar and the stone in his hand. “Who could have possibly sent the letter? How did they know of my needs? What are they planning?”

  Magnos looked at Kaspar again and finally understood why his usually stoic Senior Brother looked so grave. “It’s like they know everything… About the Towers, and about us.”

  “Yes. That’s the conclusion I arrived at as well.” Kaspar spoke so softly that his words came out as a whisper. “I do not yet know their intention, but they are currently assisting us. We should learn who is behind this if we can, but preparing for the war comes first.”

  The three sat in pensive silence as dark clouds gathered over Verdant Sigil Tradehaven.

  olume 1: A Psion's Path is completed! I hope you enjoyed the background scenes of the higher realm cultivators!

  Volume 2: Battle of the Demi-Plane will begin with the next chapter :)