Chapter 109: You Shall Reach The End

Commander Yseult’s voice continued falling like a dirge from the heavens,

“In the past, mortals were not given Lumina Pools; that distinction was left for heroes and Angels, and all races were given Lumina Arts. With these Arts, mortals could grow stronger, their spirits sharper, and their souls deeper. All races celebrated the gifts from the gods and daemons, but we were unaware that these gifts came with thorns.”

The Commander smiled, “You know, in many parts of the world, even in this small oasis you battle upon. The people often collect small animals for the purpose of food and festivities. Still, meat is expensive to the common folk, and they can only buy the animals as infants, and they would take care of them. Often the entire household would contribute part of their meal to this animal, and it would grow fat and be loved, its fur gleaming.” Turning to Elias, “Do you know why I told you this?”

Elias frowned, his eyes gleaming, and he spoke, “The reason behind your words is plain, Commander, the animals are fattened, and when the time is ripe, they are butchered for their meat. I assume the Lumina Arts given by the gods and daemons offer the same promises.”

The Commander chuckled, “Your wit remains sharp, Elias. And yet, for a long time, we mortals did not know this truth, because Lumina Arts are also practiced by the gods and the daemons. Yet, a question needs to be asked: What is Lumina Arts? Can you take a guess, Elias?”

Closing his eyes, Elias went through his memories. Perhaps he may have come across Lumina Arts, but he could not tell with mortal eyes, and then his eyes widened when the memory of the giant entered his mind and the way his mist had combusted every time. Elias had previously thought this was the power that a Mist Phantom had, but perhaps it was more.

The Lumina Art of the man could have affected his mist and caused those explosive detonations.

“Ah, I see you have guessed it.” Commander Yseult nodded, “The silver mist of the Mist Phantom is a direct path to the Lumina Pool of a Siphon, and unlike you, most mortals are not blessed with Talents or Titles, and cannot express their Lumina in other forms, then Lumina Arts breach their barrier.”

Elias shuddered as his eyes turned towards the three objects on the icy altar, and he began to see the reason why the Commander had said this was to be the most important choice he would make in his life.

“Before the fall of the gods and daemons, the Lumina Arts were not complete. We gained longevity and wisdom, but not power. Our Lumina had no foundation for growth, not until the first Ascendant and the first Calamity seized the first Fragment of Divinity from the Daemon Azazael. But these are knowledge that do not concern you as of yet.”

Commander Yseult gestured as another part of the icy ground rippled and rose. This time it did not create an altar but a lifelike representation of the leader of the cannibals that Elias had been fighting.

“For most of the races on Trion, Lumina Vein Arts are the methods used to refine and circulate Lumina through their veins and pools, and often these Arts comes with various benefits, like the explosive effect of the Flesh Mauler’s mist, for others, it could be poison, frost, the effects of these Arts are nearly limitless, and it is the reason why a Siphon can only be regarded as a true powerhouse upon reaching the level of a Mist Phantom. Without Talents, a powerful Lumina Vein Art could more than serve the Siphon.”

Elias’ eyes shone with expectation, and with the Commander’s beckoning gesture, he spoke, “Commander, I would assume that the hidden condition for the Fury Forge level is to begin practicing Lumina Art before I reach the Mist Phantom stage?”

The Commander cocked her head to the side, “You are both right and also wrong. While it is encouraged to begin practicing an Art at the stage of Mist Phantom, in the various Ascendant and Calamity Houses, even mortal children practice a Lumina Art, as they have higher stages of Siphon, which helps them find the unique points within their bodies that are needed for their future cultivation.”

She paused for a moment, and when she spoke next, her voice echoed like thunder in Elias’s mind, and he knew that he would never forget these words,

“Like the gods and the daemons of old, the Noble Houses do not tell the masses the whole truth. These are not mere arts; they are living inheritances born from dead gods and daemons forged in the God-Death War. They rewrite Lumina itself, carve impossible pathways in the body and the soul, and let the practitioner touch forbidden concepts. Growth is not linear, instead you grow into the Scripture.”

She pointed towards the giant, “A Flesh Mauler can be weak or strong, and you faced an average opponent, but he was such a challenge because the Art he practiced is rather powerful, even though it is unwieldy. For a majority of Siphons, they would never explore the true power of their Art because they do not understand what they wield, and they never would.”

Her eyes went distant, “The heroes of the past fought to give power and knowledge to mortals, and now, we have become like the gods, no, we are now worse. Because we no longer have anything to fear and we now eat our own.”

She became silent for a while, and Elias did not speak, knowing that whatever was on her mind was not something he was worthy of as of yet to know or understand, even though it felt as if he was rushing headfirst into it.

Her silver eyes were distant, and Elias briefly wondered if time had truly stopped out there in the world or something else was happening, and while his mind was going through this mental gymnastics, the voice of the Commander returned,

“A Lumina Vein Art is not complete without its Core. Yet these cores are hidden in the depths of the Noble Houses Vault, most are left to rot so that true power is withheld from the masses, and only the Lumina Art is shared, and yet these Siphons would never fully gain the power of their art.”

She pointed towards the icy altar, “These are the cores of three special Lumina Art that I have taken great pains to gather from all corners of the planet… and beyond, Elias, and there is one thing I can promise, they may not be the absolute best that could be found in this world, but they are at the peak, and you shall make the choice that would define your future when you select your Lumina Art.”

She pursed her lips, “I wanted ten selections, but I had to make do with what I had. Although I paid dearly for one of these Arts, I think it would be worth it.”

Turning towards Elias, she brought her hands and placed them on his face, and Elias was lost in the glow of her eyes.

“You have come so far, Elias. In truth, you were never meant to love past this day. Your void incursion was the entirety of your purpose, but you have impressed me, and I want to see how far you can reach. How far can you go, child?”

Elias spoke slowly and kept his eyes on her own, “To the end, Commander, I will reach the end.”

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