“I’ll let him know discreetly.” The waiter smiled and cast a side-eye at Erik, seeming curious.
Delilah quietly pulled out a formation that would show an illusion over their mouths, so nobody could read their lips and would stop their conversation from reaching others.
She saw a similar formation in Erik’s hand; he activated it and placed it in his pocket.
“I wonder if he knows who you are, Teacher.” A playful smile rose on Delilah’s face.
“Hmm.” Erik made a noise in his throat, raising an eyebrow. He read the menu, not caring to join Delilah’s sharp tongue.
“Teacher, how was the Sixth Realm?” Delilah watched Erik closely.
His eyes stilled, seeing memories instead of the menu in front of him. His eyes flicked up to her before he took a deep breath and lowered the menu.
“The Sixth Realm is filled with academies based upon super dungeons. The planet is broken into two parts: the academies and their training grounds. The academies compete on the surface for fame and fortune, and they wage secret, hidden wars within the dungeons for resources. The people there are powerful. The members of the academies are no weaker than the elites of the Alvan army, and their genius students could have the strength of our special team members—maybe higher. They have all condensed their mana cores, with some reaching the Liquid Mana Core stage. Body Cultivation falls behind, but there are many with Body Like Stone, and Experts have Body Like Iron.”
“So, we beat them in Body Cultivation,” Delilah said.
“Having a higher cultivation in one area is far from ‘beating’ them.”
Delilah winced. The academies had to have tens or hundreds of thousands of students, sometimes millions; their techniques and combat ability had to be much higher.
“We don’t focus on our power in a one-on-one basis but our many fighting as one.”
Erik’s words calmed and reassured her. His eyes were like clear water, soothing her soul, and she nodded.
“Those with the greatest aptitude might pass higher into the Seventh Realm. One in ten thousand makes the marks to get higher training and lessons. Their power is hard to understand. Many of them fight in competitions, and their abilities in their given craft or fighting ability are the highest. Those who reach level sixty can enter the Seventh Realm, but they will not be held as geniuses, getting the resources and support of forces in the Seventh Realm.”
“Why are so few people allowed in the higher realms?” Delilah asked.
Erik’s brows pinched together, and he glanced over to the side.
“The Fourth Realm is a barrier, and the Seventh Realm is as well. The Fourth Realm is a competition grounds; the Fifth is where the winners are sorted. In the Sixth, they’re groomed, and in the Seventh, well, rarely do people come down from the Seventh Realm. People ascend to the Seventh Realm, never to return.” Erik’s eyes flicked to hers. A chill came over her. “It is said that the people in the Seventh Realm can’t return to the lower realms because of mana deprivation.”
“Mana deprivation?”
“The Seventh Realm is the start of the Sky realm. Have you studied the books we have on mana gathering?”
“I have. There are the three primary stages: Vapor, Mist, and Mana Drop or Liquid. Then the core stages: Vapor Mana Core, Mist Mana Core, Liquid Mana Core, Solid Mana Core. Then the Mana Heart,” Delilah said.
“What is the greatest issue of increasing one’s Mana Cultivation?”
“Mana. One needs an incredible amount of mana to increase their overall cultivation.”
Erik nodded. “That is part of it. Not only does one need mana, they need a high mana density.” He pulled out a bag of saline solution and held it up. “Think of the saline solution as mana and the bag like your body.”
He pulled out a bucket of water and put the bag in the water. “What happens cultivating our mana as we go up realms?”
“The higher the realm, the easier it is to condense mana in our bodies as the mana is more concentrated and of higher purity,” Delilah said.
“Like how this water is around the bag of saline here; everything is in balance. Now, what if we absorb more mana than can be found around us?” Erik poked holes in the saline bag underwater.
“It is harder to increase our cultivation,” Delilah said.
“Right.” Erik lifted the saline bag out of the bucket. As the first holes were revealed, saline began to spill out. As more holes were revealed, saline spilled out faster.
“If we have reached a point where the density or pressure of mana inside our bodies is higher than the mana pressure outside of our bodies, then we would start leaking pressure, like how this bag is leaking saline all over the place. If we go to a higher realm, though”—he put the bag back in the water and squeezed it; it drew water in through the holes—“then our bodies are like a vacuum, dragging in more mana from around us.”
Delilah stared at the bucket, her mind turning into a buzz.
“On one side, Mana Cultivation is a chore. On the other, it accelerates rapidly so that one’s cultivation will soar,” she said in a low voice.
“The density and purity were nearly ten times stronger from the Third Realm to the Fourth Realm. What must it be from the Sixth to the Seventh? If someone with a high mana density inside their body were to go to a lower realm and not be able to contain all of their mana?” He raised his saline bag. It was draining faster than before as there was more water and saline in it.
“Then it starts to drain out fast.”
It all disappeared into his storage ring, and a smile appeared on his face. “Unless the bag, or person, can be reinforced.”
Delilah was quiet for some time. “Body Cultivation?” she whispered.
“I think so. Body Cultivation is about altering our bodies with the mana and power of the Ten Realms, increasing the strength of the container and our control over attribute mana. The two are clearly linked.” Erik’s eyes shone.
Delilah snorted upon seeing that look. “It seems you found a new challenge for yourself, Teacher.”
His grin widened, and Delilah noticed someone coming over.
“Mister West.” Kyle bowed deeply to Erik.
“No need for that.”
“You saved me and my family, sir. It’s not something we’ll forget easily,” Kyle said solemnly.
“Right time, right place,” Erik said.
“It’s good to see you, sis.” Kyle turned to Delilah with a tired smile before it got awkward.
“You too! You’re always working,” she complained, standing and hugging him.
“Hey, just doing my tests so I can get into the Sky Reaching Restaurants. Trying to make manager!”
“Then I’ll have to go to some other realm to get your soup dumplings?”
“Well worth the trip.” Kyle laughed. “You have a good lunch. See you later!”
“Bye, Kyle,” Delilah said, and Erik waved.
“So, what should we eat?” Delilah asked.
“Anything but soup. Gets up in my beard, turns into a mess.”
“Yeah, your hair got a little long,” Delilah said.
“I need to get it trimmed a bit. Look like I was on a remote island for some years.” Erik grinned.
Delilah shook her head, smiling.
“So, dating anyone? Or aren’t you interested in that?” Erik asked. “I’m not really one to give advice—bad with relationships, just ask my ex-wives. One plus is I never have to hear about them again in the Ten Realms. Though you’re young. You should go for it. Work isn’t everything.”
“Teacher!” Delilah sputtered.
“What? Shouldn’t I want what is best for my student?” Erik asked innocently.
“Y-you!” Delilah didn’t know what to say.
“Come on, look, aren’t the Silaz boys both good candidates? I could put in a good word? Storbon is a good and strong boy too. Think of him as my own boy. Glosil is too serious, doesn’t seem your type. Yao Meng? He’s a good guy and funny.
What about Gong Jin? He just got command of his own special team, and he’s the tough, reliable sort with a heart of gold,” Erik quickly rattled off.
Delilah closed her eyes, her lips moving. She shook her head as unwanted images and thoughts filled her mind. “Teacher,” she hissed in a low voice, cutting him off. She took a breath and glared at him. “I am not interested in anyone right now,” Delilah said forcefully.
Erik saw no malice in her expression. It was the look of someone who cared deeply. “Delilah, I am just your teacher, but you’re like a daughter to me. Don’t hold back your own life for your job. I have done it before, and I threw myself completely into my work. I don’t blame anyone but myself, but looking back, I wish I had taken those opportunities, that time I needed to explore my options, to try out a relationship.”
Delilah was stunned as she sat back and thought about his words. The waiter came back over, and they quickly ordered. Delilah felt as if she were in a haze, focusing on his words. She seemed to return to reality when the food arrived. She found her eyes had fallen on a group of soldiers marching around the dungeon headquarters.
“Alva’s population has grown rapidly in a short period of time. Our external branches have nearly doubled in size since Rugrat and you left. With our foundations, we have absorbed all these people seamlessly. Though war is coming with the Willful Institute, I know there is no turning back now. I am worried about the price we will need to pay and what the outcome will be.”
“Good,” Erik said.
Delilah looked at him with more questions.
“A good leader leads from the front; a great leader leads from the front and plans for the future. Every movement now, they ready their next moves and create new paths.” Erik sat back.
“With this war, the Adventurer’s Guild will be revealed to have a power behind them, at the very least. At the most, Alva itself might be revealed. We have grown our strength in the darkness. If we are attacked and under siege from every side, we can retreat into the depths of Alva. We have been stockpiling resources for years; we have training floors and dungeons. In Alva, people have reached level sixty. Who says we can’t train people to level seventy or one hundred? Completely cultivate the body and one’s mana with enough time?”
Even if they know where Alva is, they will have to dig through kilometers of rock and break through multiple defenses. If we retreat from the main living floor and moved into the lower floors, then it would take decades, if not centuries, for our enemy to even reach us.” Erik’s words left a heavy silence in the room.
“What if we win?” Delilah asked.
“We sell the cities we capture. We don’t need them. The resources and promises we can get in exchange for them are worth much more. We recover and ready ourselves, train until we have forces to infiltrate the Seventh Realm. We learn about the Seventh Realm. We push forward, striving up through the realms. Unravel the mysteries of the Ten Realms—why are we here, what are the Ten Realms? What is at the peak of the Ten Realms? Who made this place? For what purpose?” Erik’s words grew faster, and his eyes shone brighter.
Delilah’s heart sped up, and her hands tightened in excitement.
Those same questions had crossed her mind before, though she had dismissed them as questions she would never learn the answers to. What if we can make it to the Tenth Realm? Then what? What would we see?
“As a leader, our responsibility is simple. Listen to the needs of our people, plot a path for the future, and if anyone dares to hurt those under our command or under our protection, we make sure that they never threaten their lives ever again. Even if we have to go up against the strongest sect, the most powerful beast—even the Ten Realms itself—we will fight for them with everything at our disposal. That is our oath. That is our purpose.”
“Attacking one of our adventurer teams—they didn’t attack the Adventurer’s Guild, they attacked Alva,” Delilah said.
Erik nodded.
“They nearly killed Domonos and tore him apart. They stepped on our necks across the realms. They attempted to kill you and Rugrat. Killing our people was the last straw. Now our strength has reached this point. If we do not attack, then we could lose our people’s confidence. If we are attacked, it is okay to wait, but we must never forget.”
Delilah’s fury built in her stomach, anger that made her muscles tense. She also felt fear and despair, as she knew that in any war, there were casualties on both sides.
“Right now, we can only increase our abilities and prepare for whatever our future is,” Erik said quietly.
High Elder Cai Bo wore gauze clothes that made her look mystical as she surveyed the city outside of the window. She examined her reflection in the glass, seeing the iron-crafted Willful Institute medallion on her chest.
“Henghou City wouldn’t have reached its current state without your efforts, High Elder Cai Bo.” A plain-looking man entered the room. He clasped his fists and bowed to her as the doors closed behind him.
He looked to be in his early forties. His movements were elegant, and he wore a fine set of armor that didn’t seem to have joints and flowed together as if it were a second skin.
“Low Elder Kostic.” Cai Bo’s voice came out with a pleased tone. “Please rise.”
She turned from the window and moved to a desk that stood in front of the low elder and sat down easily. “I have received alarming reports that our root sect’s tributes have decreased.”
Kostic’s face turned dark as he waited on her.
“It seems that many are handing over the minimum required resources.” Her voice was light, but the pressure in the room seemed as heavy as the tower they were in.
The Willful Institute was spread over three realms, with outposts in the Fifth Realm. Being spread so far apart, they had been given a large level of autonomy. Competition was seen as a great motivation; the strongest would rise and get more resources. Those who gave more resources, the best geniuses, they would be rewarded with more slots for progression in the future and greater training arts and advanced items from the higher realms. Factions went against one another, but it mattered little as long as strong people were pushed higher.
With fewer resources, the geniuses in the higher realms couldn’t advance, and the sect would stagnate. What mattered was the power of their strongest members. They had been able to get people into the Sixth Realm, and there were even some members in the Seventh!
“Do they not acknowledge their position? I will go down there and deal with them personally to make sure they remember!” Low Elder Kostic said.
Cai Bo raised her hand lightly, stalling Elder Kostic.
“It is only a few of the sects that have slowed their contributions. Make a note of those that are meeting the minimum requirements. If they are not paying me, are they increasing their payments to others?” Cai Bo’s words were light, but there was a coldness to them.
If they dared to pay other elders before her, they would learn that she was not someone to be forgotten. If their contributions dropped, it must be because they are paying off other elders, increasing their power. Did they think her blind?
“Should I check which elders have been away for training in seclusion recently?” Elder Kostic hinted.
Smart. If they could see who was hiding in seclusion, hoping to use their extra resources to gain more power to take over his position or gain more followers, he could restrict their power. This way, he would find out who was going against him.
“It is always good to know the location of all our elders…for safety reasons.” Cai Bo’s eyes flashed.
Kostic bowed deeply and backed away.
“I heard that your grandniece was able to progress into the Fourth Realm,” Cai Bo said.
Kostic stopped, and a wide smile appeared on his face. “It was only by High Elder Cai Bo’s teachings that my little niece was able to reach the Fourth Realm. It is my hope that she can repay your kindness in the future tenfold,” Low Elder Kostic said gratingly.
&nbs
p; “They call her Mistress Mercy, do they not?” Elder Cai Bo asked.
“A playful moniker from the lower realms,” Kostic said with a laugh.
“How are you related?”
“She is my sister’s granddaughter, thus the different last name. I was interested in supporting her after hearing her exploits.”
“Interesting. Still, there are many enemies of the sect who we might need your grandniece’s talents for. There is a good position for those who can make the enemy reveal their secrets.”
“If you are ever in need of her talents, I am sure she would be most pleased to serve.” Low Elder Kostic’s expression was cold. The corner of both their mouths lifted slightly.
“Make sure she doesn’t fall behind in her training.” Cai Bo turned away from Elder Kostic and stood. As she walked to the window, Low Elder Kostic bowed and backed out of her office. The doors opened and closed behind him. High Elder Cai Bo continued to look over Henghou, focusing on her empire.
Something was happening. She could feel it through the network she had created; oddities were appearing.
12
Chapter: Alva’s Technology Sector
Rugrat reached Jia Feng’s office. The older lady was putting some books into her storage ring as he arrived.
“Rugrat! Good to see you. Do you mind if we walk and talk? I have to head to a class I’m teaching,” she said as she checked the notes and information on her desk before walking around it.
“That would be fine with me. Had too many meetings in stuffy rooms and around desks.” Rugrat laughed.
Jia Feng smiled, her eyes shining. The corners of her eyes showed laughter lines. “Perfect!”
Rugrat opened the door for her and followed after.
“Taran told me about the idea you had with the applied side of things. I think it is a great idea to have teachers on the academic side who have not only been taught the different theories and ideas but have used their knowledge in a practical way. ‘Applying’ it to their everyday lives.”
Sixth Realm Part 2: A litRPG Fantasy series (The Ten Realms Book 7) Page 13
