The Exalt [Cultivation Fantasy]

"Go to the opposite side. I'll charge ahead and draw its attack," Oscar gripped his buckler and moved ahead; his eyes met against the indifferent crystal eye of the Crystal Guardian as if it were goading him to give it a try. His feet stomped as though Oscar was carrying a mountain.

"Are you going to be alright?" Serena's hands were trembling while gripping her axes and her eyes reflected her worry. "We can face it together. I'm sure it can work."

Oscar stopped and turned to Serena with a powerful gaze that made her trembling stop. He let out a light sigh. "What if we both get put out of commission? The most surefire way to win right now is for one of us to handle the final blow while the other moves in for the kill. And the one with the greatest odds of withstanding it is me. You don't have any defensive abilities."

Serena looked down, ashamed of her weakness, and clenched her teeth in frustration. She didn't like to leave it all to Oscar because she didn't want to be some helpless person that was carried through, and she didn't want him to get hurt badly. However, that single look in Oscar's eyes showed he wouldn't let her be in that position and to leave it to him.

"Why are you so…." Serena mumbled as she stepped away from Oscar and went around the room. The Crystal Guardian had paid her no heed as it stared down at Oscar, who stared back. Her green eyes never left Oscar's figure the entire way around to the opposite side of the grand hall.

'Protecting me in the lava chambers, dodging with me in your arms, and now taking on this hulk alone. You're such an idiot.' Serena could feel her heart beating so fast she could barely breathe. Her cheeks flushed red and hot. She raised her hand and shouted, "You can count on me! But don't get too hurt!"

Oscar nodded and drew in a deep breath. He closed his eyes and focused every fiber of his being and Ein.

His blue Ein burst all over him in a raging inferno swirling around him.

The Adamasreis covered his hands and feet.

Oscar had brought forth all the Reis and Ein he could muster. Blood spilled down his nose, but he paid no heed, only letting out a warcry in a last charge against the imposing Crystal Guardian. The blue deer anima also came out and lifted Oscar on its back.

The Crystal Guardian reacted with a low hum that filled the grand hall. It wasn't loud, but the noise was immutable. Its crystal eye began to glow with rays of light that centered and focused on it; the Ein building in it was increasing to incredible levels.

Serena's eyes twitched as she desperately tried to keep calm and maintain her composure, but her fingers were pale from gripping her axes too hard, and her lips bled from how hard she bit them. Her shoulders trembled, but her feet remained still. 'Believe in him! Don't ruin the opportunity he's working so hard to give. Wait.'

She could not afford to be reckless during this final moment.

The deer anima stomped and bolted into the air with a mighty push from its hooves. Oscar's face was still like a statue, waiting for the Crystal Guardian's retaliation.

The crystal eye let out a blinding radiant light because it reached its maximum output. An immense and powerful shockwave of light spewed out of the crystal eye like an explosion. This light was the final attack of the Crystal Guardian, a modified version of its light beam that spread across everything in its sight.

Oscar roared as the light was right before him.

'Ripple Shroud'

The technique he learned from Draven after a cruel training session in the deep waters finally revealed itself. The technique spread the Reis all over Oscar before releasing it in a shockwave all over Oscar. This mini-shockwave of Reis clashed against the Crystal Guardian's burst of light.

The light waned back for a tiny fraction of a moment but soon overcame the 'Ripple Shroud' to swallow Oscar. However, Oscar expected all of this; the 'Ripple Shroud' was only to alleviate a bit of the light's power so the rest of his defenses could have a better chance.

'Ein Awaken' 'Steel Scales'

Oscar placed as much of his body behind his small buckler, scrunched up like a ball. His skin became clad in steel created from Ein and further refined by the use of 'Ein Awaken'. The buckler glowed like the azureiron in the hot furnace with the immense amount of Ein poured into it.

'Edureisclad'

Reis settled under his' Steel Scales' in a thick layer on his hands and feet. This defensive technique of Adamsreis had done well to help Oscar withstand the heat of molten armaments, and now it would be put to the test here.

The light engulfed the steeled Oscar. Oscar didn't let out any shouts of pain to not distract Serena; he needed to preserve through this. He felt the overwhelming light act like countless molten needles that tried to shave and stab away at him. His 'Steel Scales' began to crack, but Oscar kept pouring his Ein in to repair it.

However, his struggle ended as the 'Steel Scales' broke apart, and he was blown back by the powerful blast of light.

"You damned construct!" Serena was seething, and her face was like a hungry tiger ready to pounce on its prey. The Crystal Guardian turned to face her, but no light came from its eye, which was dimming fast. "You're out of Ein! You dare do that to Oscar!"

'Tidal Surge'

'Tidal Edge'

A large torrent of water covered Serena as two crisscrossing streams flowed around it. She swung her spinning axes on the dammable Crystal Guardian with all her might, creating a shockwave and sound blasting all over the grand hall. The eye was harder than the other crystals, but Serena's attack was immensely powerful, and the waters broke apart the crystal, spewing and flooding into the Crystal Guardian's head.

The Crystal Guardian made creaking and sounds of gears stopping as its head slumped down like a defeated boxer. Water flowed out of the eyehole in its head as if it was crying about its defeat.

Serena didn't care about the defeated Crystal Guardian, not even smiling or putting up her fist in triumph. She quickly ran past the construct to Oscar. "Oscar!"

Oscar was breathing out of control. He was on his back with his head supported by leaning against the pillar. "You did it."

"Oscar." Serena ran ahead and was aghast at his wounds. There were several burn marks over Oscar, and his clothes were nearly torn to shreds. "Are you ok?"

"Just fine. My defenses held on long enough, so there's not too much damage. But I can't move because I used up too much. I'll need to recover.." Oscar was struggling to stay awake.

Then a large door appeared at the other end of the grand hall. It opened with a bright light shining, not allowing any to see through it.

"That should be the exit. Let's go." Oscar tried to move but lost balance and felt something soft under his head.

"Rest." Serena caught Oscar and let him lie down, placing his head on her lap. She smiled and put her cool hands on his face, cooling him down. "There's no rush. We still have some time. Don't wreck yourself anymore."

Oscar tried to move to no avail; he was too tired, but Serena's soft lap acted as an alluring pillow, allowing his head to sink in. Her cold hands were like a refreshing cold towel on a hot summer day, and the flowery scent from her body was soothing and hypnotic. His eyes slowly closed as he fell into sleep.

Serena smiled; her fingers carefully tidied up Oscar's hair, giving him a clean look. She took her wing hairpin and put it on his hair to keep it from scattering around. Her mouth trembled before giggling uncontrollably at Oscar's current look with her hairpin.

She looked at Oscar's nearly torn body and blushed at the abs showing along with the toned muscles on his arms and chest. She nearly had a nosebleed from seeing such an exciting sight, but she frowned at the horrible scar on his left side.

"What have you been through to get something like that?" Serena looked down at Oscar with a sad face, thinking that it was weird he was a Grade Four and yet this powerful. Of course, he had to have been through a lot to get to this stage. She sighed and took out a handkerchief to clean his face.

Later, Oscar finally woke up.

"What is this?" Oscar felt his hair was weird and placed his hand to feel it. He felt something and pulled it out to see Serena's wing hairpin. "Were you playing around with my hair during my sleep?"

Serena chuckled and took back her hairpin, putting on her wavy red hair. She winked at him and said, "I made your hair look better for a moment. Here's a clean uniform; I got it from the previous area."

Oscar rubbed his temple in stress and quickly hid to change without Serena seeing. He went through the shining door with Serena, and they found themselves in the safe zone they had been in before. The houses, the meadows, the pond, and the streams were the same as before.

Oscar checked his scroll and found that he was at 9600 points while Serena was at 9700.

They had done it. It was a complete victory.

Serena was shivering in delight but kept a cool face as if to say it was only natural.

Oscar looked around and saw that it was around mid-afternoon. It was time to leave the safe zone. "I'll be leaving the safe zone. So I guess this is goodbye."

Serena turned to Oscar with an unwilling gaze. "Can't we go the same way?"

Oscar laughed and said, "Do you want to fight?"