The Exalt [Cultivation Fantasy]

Alone in the private forging room, Oscar packed up his things but glanced back at the furnace. Unless he committed a crime, there was no way for him to return to the Abyss Prison. Or was that what his master wanted? His feet shuddered at the thought, and he shook his head. That could not be what was required.

Then the door to his room opened, and a fabricator walked in, surprising Oscar, who knew no one could barge in a room once it was in use. The fabricator wore the same uniform, and Oscar could tell she was a woman from her figure, which was all normal, but his eyes nearly fell off the socket as his mind exploded with the force of a thousand thunders. On the uniform, around the chest, was a badge with two hammers and four stars.

The intruder was a four-star fabricator, a legendary creator of grade-four armaments meant for Marshal Exalts. To Oscar's knowledge, there were only a few such individuals in the entire Brilliant Drake Empire. First was the branch head of the Fabricator's Guild in the empire, the Arcsmith Brumdo Firehand; the second was the royal artificer, Helmuth Reignn; and the third was the person in front of him, the forgemaster of the Foundry, Rosett Evergold.

"I greet the forgemaster." Oscar knelt and bowed his head. For fabricators, the higher ranked deserved more respect for their prowess and talent. He wondered why she was here in his room.

Rosett, the forgemaster, did not respond to Oscar but went around and picked up his finished dagger armament, gleaming as she turned and flipped it around. Oscar remained silent with his head bowed down, scared of what she might say.

"This dagger is not bad. You refined the materials to be high in purity and bound everything together with a formation that is wholly your own, which matches both you and the dagger." Rosett said as a matter of fact. The dagger wasn't something to be in awe over, but not something that was lacking. "Some fail because their formations are laid without considering the materials, or fail because they were too preoccupied with the materials than themselves."

Oscar heard her steps get closer until they stopped before him, but he did not lift his head.

"That maniac taught you well. Rise." Rosett said.

Oscar got up and stared into the black glass visor of the forgemaster. He calmed his breathing and licked his dry lips. "Why does the forgemaster come to see me?"

Rosett did not respond and grabbed Oscar.

Her grip was terrifying and strong, and Oscar knew there was no possible way to resist; despite his physical power, it was nothing compared to a Marshal Exalt. Suddenly, Oscar was carried out of the room and threw a large silo of black smoke. In the next instant, he was outside the Foundry and within the column of black smoke that fed in the dark cloud above.

His body nearly snapped from the speed of Rosett's flying, almost comically being like a puppet being pulled by the strings. At least the glass visor provided his eyes cover from the winds, allowing him to see. But he saw they were fast approaching a large lake of water.

"Wait!" Oscar shouted to deaf ears. But he took a freefall into the waters, still dragged by Rosett at astonishing speeds that the waters soon became dark. Her Ein wrapped around them, forming a protective barrier against the waters so Oscar could breathe.

Then, it hit him. This is how he was meant to come to the Abyss Prison, and a curse came out of his mouth toward his master, who arranged for all this. His eyes turned toward Rosett, wondering what the forgemaster and the Warden's relationship was.

They tore through the dark waters until they landed on a terrace. Oscar gasped and felt relieved it was over.

"Madman!" Rosett shouted.

Clap Clap.

"Master."

His master, Draven, slowly approached; his metal shoes clacked on the terrace floor. He had not changed a single bit, maintaining the air of elegance. Oscar wanted to go to him, but his arm was still in Rosett's vice grip.

"The forgemaster of the Foundry has arrived at last. With my disciple in tow. Thank you." Draven took out a teapot and set up a table.

"Thank you? Thank you?!" Rosett's voice grated on Oscar's ears; it was from her teeth grinding. "Do you know what you've done to this poor lad?"

"I only asked you to fetch him for me, not to make complaints. Leave." Draven's voice grew deeper, and he took a step forward.

"Boy." Rosett pulled on Oscar, making him face her. Her voice contained a hint of worry as her hand grasped him gently. "Do you understand the mess your heart is in?"

"Is it that bad?" Oscar felt a harsh feeling in his heart after using the full output of his Reis but didn't think the situation was grave. So grave that the forgemaster was warning him.

"It's horrible." Rosett shook her head. "It may be fine now as an Elite Exalt, but it will definitely be fatal when you become a Knight Exalt. With the added physical boost of being a Knight Exalt, the Reis you can generate will burst your heart like a bubble."

"Master?" Oscar gazed at his master in shock.

Draven sighed. "I started studying Reis when I was in the Elite Exalt realm, and it took a maddeningly long time to get to the point of using it properly and molding my Adamasreis, which is still incomplete. But I didn't experience that discomfort."

"Because you know your body was ten times stronger than most! Also, this student has been using it so early. Is he nothing more than an experiment for you to try your insane Reis theories on?" Rosett's Ein burst while she still grabbed onto Oscar, who went pale.

The Ein of a Marshal Exalt made the waters tremble, and several movements swirled about in the black waters; creatures were retreating away.

"Calm down, Rosett," Draven said her name, which he hadn't done in a long time.

Rosett's Ein calmed down, and she removed her helmet. She had a high nose bridge, thin lips, pink hair tied in a single braided bun, and a pair of yellow eyes. Her cheek had a scar, but that only added to her beauty. "You…."

"I have my own plans for that eventuality. You don't need to worry." Draven came closer, and Oscar could tell he was tired despite the tri-horned helmet he wore.

"No!" Rosett brought Oscar in closer, hugging him close.

Oscar blushed because he could feel a softness, despite the fabricator's uniform, near his face. He tried to push himself away, but her arms were strong and sturdy.

"Don't interfere between my disciple and me," Draven stomped his foot.

"You're going to make him undergo the same thing you did." Rosett's yellow eyes gleamed with a chill. The air seemed deathly chill as they stood in a standoff.

"Excuse me." Oscar finally got his words out. "What are you talking about?"

As he said that, he could feel the forgemaster loosen her hold on him, and he managed to get his face out of that softness and saw her beautiful face right in front of him.

"Do you know why the Pavilion Master sent your master here? I'm sure you noticed how insane he is." Rosett said.

Within Rosett's arms, Oscar nodded. From the very start of their training, he noticed the odd behavior of his master. Though Draven seemed stable for the most part, Oscar could tell there was much stewing within him. "Sometimes, but I thought that was just how he is. For the most part, he's a good master."

"See?" Draven said with pride. "My disciple understands best. Now let him go."

But Rosett ignored Draven, focusing on Oscar. "Your master used to be a better person. He was still weird because he always covered his face, but he was normal like others."

"Is that true?" Oscar never thought his master had a time when there wasn't this weird presence around him.

"But then, he delved into Reis, and in the gambit to save his heart with a horrific technique, he became that walking madman in front of us." Rosett sighed.

Oscar didn't know why but he could see hints of tears near the corner of her eyes.

"If you go through the same thing, you may become as mad as he is. He seems fine right now, but you don't know the disasters he caused in the past." Rosett's eyes widened and turned to the side, and she was stricken back into the waters.

A hand grabbed Oscar and held him to the terrace. It was his master.

"Master," Oscar said. It was his master who attacked the forgemaster.

Draven didn't talk but let go of Oscar and turned around. "Let's go."

"Master. Is what the forgemaster said true?" Oscar didn't go and stood up firmly. But his legs were shaking from the fear of angering his master.

Draven turned back and approached like the steps of a grim reaper. Oscar could feel his heartbeats pound like hammers as fear gripped him. As Draven's hand reached out, Oscar did not turn away but faced him. "I trust you, master."

The hand paused for a moment, and Draven chuckled, lifting the heavy atmosphere. He patted Oscar's head. "It is true. I am nothing but a mad beast wearing the skin of a human. But soon, I will become nothing more than a beast."

A beast? Oscar stared at his master. His master was not a beast, at least not in Oscar's eyes. Even though the training was torturous and there were strange moments, his master had not done anything wrong but helped him. "You're wrong. You're my master, not a beast."

"Hahahaha." Draven laughed. "Good disciple. Let me tell you the truth. The technique I used to solve the issue with my heart had horrifying side effects. However, a part of the reason for this result was because of my own shortcomings. It's a risk, but you can do better than me."

Oscar fell silent.

"I disagree." Rosett forced her way in. "Let him live on as an Exalt without Reis."

"He made the resolve a while ago, and how can he compete against the rest if he doesn't have Reis?" Draven said.

The air trembled between them as the tension mounted.

Before any more arguing could continue, Oscar shouted, "Excuse me!"

Draven and Rosett stared at Oscar.

Feeling the sharp gazes of two Marshal Exalts, Oscar coughed and gathered his thoughts. With a clear pair of obsidian eyes and a smile, Oscar said, "Let's leave this topic for later."

"What?" Rosett was shocked.

"Heh." Draven understood immediately.

Oscar sighed. "I am not a Knight Exalt yet, and Reis is already a part of who I am. I would like to ask, will I die in the Elite Exalt realm?"

"No," Draven answered. "As Rosett said, your heart hurts more, but it can still handle your Reis right now, even to the peak of the realm and perfect Adamasreis if you achieve it."

"Then let's put this matter on hold until I reach the Greater Elite Exalt realm. For now, why did you want me to come here, master?"