Chapter 52: Divided Destinies(1)

Prince Aethelgard and Arthur trudged deeper into the jungle. The sheer scale of the environment was humbling; ancient ferns towered like palm trees, and massive mushrooms created canopies over their heads. Compared to the colossal flora, they felt no larger than ants crawling through a giant’s garden.

Suddenly, Aethelgard threw his arm out, signaling Arthur to halt. A sound like rushing wind—fast and heavy—was approaching through the dense foliage. Without a word, the Prince dragged Arthur off the overgrown path and forced him down into the thick underbrush behind a massive fallen log.

Aethelgard quickly unbuckled a pouch at his waist and pulled out a smooth, white sphere etched with intricate black runic patterns.

He squeezed the ball, and instantly, the black markings liquefied and expanded, spreading outward to form a perfect, invisible dome that enveloped them. The artifact completely masked their presence, aura, and scent from the outside world.

Seconds later, the ground began to tremble. Crashing through the undergrowth, a magnificent—and terrifying—beast lumbered into view. It was a Crimson Terror-Bear, standing fifty meters tall. Its fur was the color of fresh blood, radiating intense heat, and a single, jagged black horn spiraled from its forehead like a spear.

Aethelgard’s eyes widened behind his veil. He recognized the species from the royal archives. "A Crimson Terror-Bear," he whispered, barely audible. "I thought this species went extinct a thousand years ago. What is it doing here?"

The revelation struck him hard. "This secret realm... I assumed it was maybe five or eight hundred years old. But if a creature from the pre-Caligo era is alive here, this realm is well over a millennium old."

The massive bear paused, sniffing the air intently, its snout twitching toward the east. It seemed to lock onto a scent and began to lumber in that direction with determined strides.

Aethelgard’s jaw set in concentration as he watched the bear move. An idea formed, and his eyes sparked with greed and excitement. He turned to Arthur, keeping his voice low.

"Arthur, listen to me. I’ve read that the Crimson Terror-Bear has a singular, obsession-level favorite food: the honey of the Celestial Sun-Bee. Those bees haven’t been seen in ages either, but the bear’s presence confirms the hive is nearby."

He continued, his excitement building. "The bear’s thick, magically imbued fur makes it immune to almost all poisons, which is why it can raid the Sun-Bee hive despite their potent venom. And that honey... it is the purest form of condensed mana-nectar in existence. Consuming it would purify our mana channels and strengthen the foundations of our bodies exponentially."

Arthur’s heart pounded. He needed to get stronger, and fast. The Royal Academy—the most prestigious institution in the empire, connecting prodigies from all kingdoms—was set to open soon.

Entrance was restricted to third-rank prodigies. While some exceptional second-ranks were admitted, they needed immense family influence and terrifying combat strength to back it up.

Arthur knew he likely wouldn’t reach the third rank before the term started, but if he could solidify his second-rank foundation to an extreme degree, he might still stand a chance. This honey was the perfect catalyst.

He nodded firmly at the Prince. "Let’s do it, Your Highness."

"But that doesn’t sound right. Are you seriously planning to steal the honey?"

"Who said I was going to steal it?"

"You are, of course."

The two youths began to tail the massive beast, carefully maintaining their distance under the cover of the Prince’s stealth artifact.

***

Meanwhile, deep underground, Kael and Princess Vespera were navigating a narrowing, uneven tunnel. The path was rugged and sloped downward, forcing them to hunch over slightly to fit.

Eventually, the cramped tunnel opened up into a massive, circular underground cavern. The chamber was humming with activity. Several other tunnels converged here, and dozens of cultivators from various guilds and factions were already present, having arrived via different routes.

In the center of the circular room, standing near the edge of a steep drop-off, was a tall youth with long black hair tied back, wearing elaborate, royal-looking robes. A formidable, long-bladed sword was sheathed across his back.

He turned as Vespera entered the cavern. When his eyes landed on the veiled Princess, his face lit up with genuine joy and relief. He rushed forward, bowing deeply before her.

"Princess Vespera! I am overjoyed to see you unharmed," he exclaimed. "I was worried when I realized we had been separated. It is a relief to find you here."

As he straightened up, he noticed Kael standing directly behind Vespera. The youth’s expression immediately hardened. He drew his long blade, leveling the tip squarely at Kael’s throat.

"And just who are you?" the youth demanded coldly, glaring at Kael. "What are you doing with the Princess? Step away from her immediately, low-born scum."

Behind her veil, Vespera’s eyes flashed with irritation at his arrogant behavior, but she suppressed her anger. The young man was Lord Valerius, her betrothed. His family controlled forty percent of the kingdom’s territory, and his father commanded the most powerful royal army. That was the sole reason for the engagement; Valerius himself possessed only a mid-grade warrior body and lacked significant talent.

Before the tension could escalate further, a middle-aged man in dark, flowing robes with a silver monocle over one eye stepped into the center of the room, clapping his hands to get everyone’s attention.

He pointed toward the far wall of the cavern, where a colossal, imposing door made entirely of ancient, weathered bronze was embedded in the stone.

"You all see it," the robed man announced, his voice echoing in the chamber. "We have all arrived here through different paths, but our destination is the same: the treasures hidden beyond this door."

He walked closer to the artifact. "This is the Gate of Elements. As you can see by the inscriptions, it requires the simultaneous infusion of mana from six different elemental mages to activate the unlocking mechanism."

He scanned the crowd. "I am a Wind Mage. We need five others. Is there anyone present with different elemental affinities willing to cooperate? The rewards inside will be substantial."

Vespera turned away indifferently; as a Weapon Master, she had no affinity. Kael and Valerius also showed no interest; both were warriors.

One by one, five cultivators stepped forward from the crowd, revealing distinct elemental affinities: Water, Earth, Lightning, Wood, and Metal.

They walked up to the bronze gate, which was etched with six different hand-shaped indentations. Each cultivator sliced their palm, placing their hand onto a specific elemental symbol and letting their blood and mana flow into the door.

The heavy bronze gate shuddered and began to groan, slowly grinding open.

The crowd watched with bated breath, excitement rippling through the cavern. But Kael stared intently at the line of five mages. He felt a strange sense of familiarity nagging at the back of his mind as he looked at the sixth, empty handprint.

Just as the fifth mage finished, a final figure emerged from one of the darkest entry tunnels. He was draped in a black hood, and his face was obscured not only by the hood but also by a terrifying, featureless black mask. His hair was stark white. He exuded an aura of profound, chilling mystery.

The hooded figure ignored everyone in the chamber, walking with purpose straight to the gate. He sliced his palm without hesitation and pressed his hand firmly onto the sixth, final indentation—the symbol representing the Fire element.

As soon as his mana connected with the gate, a blinding flash of red light erupted from the bronze. The massive door rumbled open with a deafening boom, revealing a dark, ancient passageway leading further into the unknown.

Excitement erupted in the cavern, but Kael felt a cold shiver run down his spine. He couldn’t shake the feeling that he had encountered this masked, mysterious figure somewhere before.

[If you’re enjoying the novel, don’t forget to leave a Power Stone and vote!

Your support means a lot and motivates me to keep writing. Thank you for reading!]