Chapter 48: Arrival of the Towers

  An Initiate traveling to the Mission Hall from his dorm room witnessed a strange scene. Up ahead, a tall, lean man tiptoed past, peeking over his shoulders with darting eyes. The Initiate retreated and skirted around the unfamiliar man, unwilling to approach anyone acting suspiciously.

  The strange man was Damon. He clutched his identity badge tight to his chest as he slowly made his way through the Academy. His steps were so light and quiet, he was almost skulking down the road. He peeked left and right incessantly, not inconspicuous in the slightest.

  All other cultivators immediately gave Damon a wide berth upon noticing his shifty actions. The disaster was still fresh on their minds, so everyone was currently incredibly wary of individuals who acted abnormally.

  Within his identity badge were the merit points Damon had just received from Alan. It was a whopping 1,500 points. From his experiences at the Mess Hall, he knew the value of a merit point was around the same as a first-tier essence stone. This meant he had received 1,500 stones.

  Though Damon could now gather that amount after a few months of selling spell scrolls, it was still a significant sum for an Initiate. Also, the fact that it was merit points, instead of essence stones, had additional benefits. Some resources could only be exchanged within the Academy with points and were unavailable in the Pavilion or any other stores.

  Slowly, but surely, Damon made his way through the Academy until he finally reached the entrance to the Trade Hall. He had even managed to arrive here without attracting any untoward attention. He stood up tall, straightening his robes as a smirk played on his lips. He felt quite satisfied with his stealthy performance.

  A young lady who looked to be around 20 years old was slumped over a wooden counter. She had a brunette bob cut, wearing completely verdant robes that covered her figure. She lay her head on her arms, unwilling to muster any energy. She had been working at the Trade Hall for years, yet this was the first time she had ever spent her days bored.

  The Trade Hall had managed to escape unscathed from the recent calamity. Fortunately, not a single one of the nightmarish monsters had appeared here. Therefore, the Trade Hall was intact and running their operations as usual. However, the number of apprentices coming to exchange for resources had dwindled, causing the majority of the Hall’s staff to be temporarily dismissed. Even with the reduced crew, the amount of work for the remaining personnel was not enough to fill their days with bustle.

  Haa… The lady had her face planted between her outstretched arms, her forehead resting against the countertop. Warm air from her sigh caused a thin veil of condensation to form on her face, tarnishing her friendly countenance with a frown. The moisture would affect the powder she applied whenever she worked. She pulled out a small wooden box with a mirror fixed inside the lid and began applying a fresh layer of powder.

  As she brushed some white powder on her cheek, she noticed something peculiar out of the corner of her eyes. There was a head poking horizontally around the doorframe. It peeked inside, carefully glancing at every section of the Hall. The head retracted back out of view, before a young man entered through the open door, heaving a large sigh of relief.

  The handsome stranger’s bizarre antics aroused her curiosity. Who is this good-looking young man? What is he trying to do? Why does he look so reassured after scrutinizing the Hall’s interior?

  The man approached her. He was tall, the outline of his broad shoulders and lean physique half-showing through his loose robes. Her heart fluttered when she got a closer look at his face. He had appeared somewhat handsome from a distance, but she had been mistaken. He was not just somewhat handsome. His face was a literal work of art.

  He had a small, sharp nose, and his high brows enclosed the deep and mysterious blue sea contained within his bright eyes. His chiseled jawline framed his face, glowing with a blinding radiance. His long, glossy black hair, partially pinned up in a bun, flowed down his straight back, swaying with every step of his long legs.

  Her legs quivered, and saliva rapidly built up in her mouth. She swallowed it back repeatedly until her stomach started screaming at her in protest. A searing pain settled in the lowest pit of her stomach, as though she had swallowed a lump of hot coal. She looked away due to the fierce grimace she was making. She couldn’t let this perfect man see her like this. She ran away.

  Damon had confirmed that Claire was not present in the Hall before entering. He was pleasantly surprised to see it so peaceful and quiet, and approached the closest attendant, who was leaning comfortably against a wooden counter. However, he had only made it halfway across the floor when she suddenly sprinted away, running through a corridor and rounding the corner while sliding along the smooth stone ground.

  What… Just happened?

  Damon stopped and stood in the center of the Trade Hall, staring dumbfoundedly as his hand reached out toward where the lady attendant had disappeared. He retracted his hand before rubbing his face with it.

  Is it my face? Do I look that scary?

  At this moment, a small man, only reaching Damon’s chest, ran over from a different section of the Hall.

  “Welcome to the Trade Hall! Please accept my apologies regarding my colleague. I am not sure what came over her. Maybe she ate something bad for lunch. How may I assist you?”

  Damon looked down at the small man. He had short black hair slicked back with grease. He wore completely verdant robes, but this one had golden threads embroidered in specific places, making it subtle yet distinguished. He also radiated the power of a Disciple.

  Ahem. Clearing his throat, Damon forgot about the previous encounter and focused on the task at hand. “Greetings. I am Damon, from the Runeology department. I have received a substantial amount of merit points, and I was hoping to exchange them for some resources.”

  Love what you're reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on.

  The small man accepted the identity badge from Damon and placed it against a round, stone-like tool. The flat surface then displayed his basic information, along with his total merit points. The man gasped in shock at the number shown.

  The man’s face lit up with a bright smile as he promptly guided Damon to a private room. With graceful movements, he presented him with a cup of fragrant tea, alongside some delicious refreshments.

  After the man finished serving the refreshments, he sat down opposite Damon and asked, “What is it that you were looking to trade for, Sir Damon?”

  Sir Damon?

  Damon was momentarily taken aback by the way the Disciple addressed him. However, he quickly got over it and replied, “I was hoping to find any resources that are related to the mind. Calming, healing, damaging. Do you have anything like that?”

  “The mind, huh? Hmm… I’ll have to check the internal catalog since it’s a very unique request. Please give me a moment.”

  The man took out a communication orb and whispered into it. Moments later, it shook again, as it shone with a bright light.

  “Unfortunately, we only have a single material that could be considered to be related to the mind. It is a box of incense carved from a type of second-tier essence wood. It has calming effects and is useful during meditation. Is that something you were after?”

  A calming effect? I won’t know if it will work without directly testing it. Damon squinted while rubbing his chin.

  “Indeed, that is an item I am after. How many points will that be? Also, I didn’t catch your name earlier, Sir..?”

  “My name is Gale. No need for the Sir, just call me Senior Brother Gale. The box of incense contains enough to last you for a year, if you only use them occasionally. It is 500 merit points.” Gale smiled broadly.

  What? 500 points for some calming incense? That’s crazy! Damon gasped before quickly closing his mouth. His widened eyes returned to normal, as though he had not expressed his shock a moment ago.

  “I see. That’s an acceptable price. I will take it. I’m also looking to trade for some Elixirs of Passage Formation and some potions to help me advance quickly in my cultivation, enough to get me all the way to the mid stage in three months. How much are those? I am willing to use essence stones to cover additional costs.” Damon spoke with a neutral tone.

  Gale listened to Damon’s request, his head tilted slightly. Damon’s voice was tranquil, yet it was unmistakably quivering with every word.

  “Elixirs of Passage Formation… Unfortunately, those are only given out as a reward for meritorious deeds and cannot be exchanged. For the cultivation resources, how many would you like? With the remaining 1,010 points, you should be able to purchase 20 vials of Arcane Development Potions. That will likely get you to the mid stage within three months, but I would recommend you purchase at least 25 or 30 just in case. For an additional five, you will need to supply 2,500 first-tier essence stones, or 5,000 for 10.”

  An enormous void appeared in the room. It was so large that it was drawing in the pointed stare of Gale. It was Damon’s mouth. He quickly raised his dropped jaw, returning to normal. However, his eyes remained wide open as he stared at Gale.

  “Ahem. Sir Damon, perhaps you haven’t heard about the exchange rate before coming here. Although the value of merit points to essence stones is approximately equal, we do not allow the exchange of points for essence stones. Conversely, we do accept essence stones to be traded in for merit points, but the exchange rate is 10 to one. I advise that you purchase the 20 vials with 1,000 merit points, and then purchase the rest you need from the Pavilion in East Tradehaven directly. It will likely save you several thousand stones.”

  Gale squinted as he glanced at Damon up and down. Damon no longer looked like the privileged son of an esteemed high-ranking cultivator from the Academy. Now he resembled a miserly mortal man counting every last copper coin while haggling with a stall owner. With raised eyebrows, he presented Damon with his best possible option. Afterward, he sighed and shook his head. He had wasted his time with this boy.

  “I see… Okay, I will do as you say…” Damon’s shoulders drooped down as he slumped against the chair he was seated on. He stared blankly at the ceiling of the private room as he saw an illusion of his merit points disappearing before his very eyes.

  Damon exited the Trade Hall, looking completely different from the person who had entered. His entire body was sagging down, each step slow and heavy. Mumbling to himself incoherently, he walked back toward his home. Passing cultivators continued to evade him.

  Soon, he arrived back at his private villa and collapsed into the soft blankets covering his bed. After lying down face-first in the furry warmth for a few minutes, he finally jumped up filled with renewed energy. Though he gasped for breath as the thick fur blankets had stifled his breathing.

  “I don’t have time to mope! These 20 vials should be enough to get me to mid stage in time for the Convergence! If not, I’ll just have to buy some more from the Pavilion. The incense needs testing as well.”

  Damon surged with motivation as he energetically set down his supplies atop a desk. He needed to return to his regular schedule of cultivation and crafting scrolls. With just three months, he had no time to waste. His eyes glinted as he looked forward to the upcoming tournament.

  Three months later, a large number of mortal civilians, random independent cultivators, and visiting cultivators stood on the plains just outside the main gate into East Tradehaven. They stood behind a massive coalition of black robed cultivators from the Academies, their sleek black materials and verdant lining rippling in the wind. It was as though the land was covered in a black carpet.

  The atmosphere was taut like a bowstring, only broken by the occasional hushed whispers. Everyone’s eyes were set on the horizon, awaiting the arrival of the Towers. Within the black sea of cultivators, a small boy bounced up and down. He was trying to glimpse past the taller apprentices surrounding him. His face was flushed with excitement, his wide eyes gleaming with anticipation. This was Dylan.

  From next to him, Samantha looked down at the adorable boy with a small smile. They had become quite close in the recent months. She glanced back up at the sky when an uproar broke out near the front. Several cultivators levitating above the group berated everyone for being noisy and shushed them, returning the tense silence to the surroundings.

  In the far distance, three tiny dots appeared in the sky. They rapidly grew bigger as they approached. There were three wooden ships, soaring through the scattered clouds. The majestic hulls were covered in endless glowing runes. They were larger than even the trade vessels used by the Pavilion.

  At the peak of each ship's mast, enormous flags unfurled to show three distinctive images. One was a silver flame burning around a black stone spire rising out of molten rock, the second was lightning flashing through a cloud of thick fog, and the last depicted a solar eclipse: a large black circle with radiant yellow light encircling it and a string of brilliant beads cascading down the middle.

  The three Towers had arrived.

  Tournament Arc! The Crucible Convergence will be the final Arc of volume 1!