Chapter 110: You Now Peak Behind The Curtains

Commander Yseult smiled, “I ask much of you, and for that I would give you much in return.” She brought down her arms, and Elias missed the warmth of it on his face.

The Commander had told him that he was drawn to her divinity, and Elias wondered if there were not other things that were also drawing him towards her.

“If you are going to be choosing a Lumina Art, then it is right that I teach you the essentials of the Art.”

With a gesture, the body of the giant transformed into a tablet, and runes began to appear upon it.

There should be no way Elias should have understood what these runes meant, but he did. The first rune read, Common Grade Art.

The forefinger of the Commander touched the tablet, beside the first rune, “A common grade Lumina Vein Art is the most numerous in this world. It is not because they come from lesser concepts, but due to the fact that their breathing patterns and circulation cycles are basic. The benefits they have to the bodies are slight, and most common grade Arts would never have used past the Fury Forge Stage.”

She folded her hands, “Yet do not look down on a common grade art, the Flesh Mauler you fought used a Common Grade Art, and yet see how explosive his powers were, although his state was heightened due to the appetites of his tribe, but that is not the issue here. These are the Arts most are condemned to practice and can be found easily across Trion in vast numbers.”

She pointed to the next runes, “These are Mystic Grade Arts, and the gap between a mystic grade art and a common one is vast. If that Flesh Mauler had used a Mystic Art, you would not have lasted a minute.”

Noticing Elias disbelieving gaze, another piece of the icy ground rose up and took the shape of a man whose skin had been peeled off, exposing his muscles, bones, and all of his internal organs,

“Mystic Grade Arts do not just contribute to the understanding of Lumina; they also reshape veins.”

Elias watched as subtle changes began to happen to the muscles and veins of the man, under the control of the Commander.

It was as if his veins were forming runes, his muscles becoming formations, and his bones, pillars.

The commander tapped a section of the statue’s spine, and flames erupted from the statue’s right hand. She made another adjustment, and it transformed into poison. She continued doing this, showing endless variations.

“Most Mystic Grade Arts offer faster recovery, elemental affinity, and even rare effects like Curse Resistance. These arts are guarded jealously, traded in blood, and in the entirety of Stormfall, there are barely a hundred Mystic Grade Arts within; perhaps there are more hidden, I have not bothered to check. We Ascendant Candidates usually disdain the mystic grades because most times it is hard to find the right Lumina Art that does not clash with our talents.”

She saw the question in Elias’ eyes, and she nodded, “Yes, every Ascendant Candidate has a talent; it has been agreed that it is this talent that allows us to resonate with a Fragment of Divinity.”

“These changes by the Mystic Grade Arts, are they permanent?” Elias asked.

“In most cases, yes.” The Commander replied, “A Siphon may practice different common grade arts, but the moment they start using a mystic grade art, they are bound for life by it. Although it is possible to cleanse the body of the traces, you have seen the changes that it does inside the body; such an effort would require near total destruction of the body. Usually, only Mist Phantoms and above fight for the chance to possess a mystic grade art.”

She paused for a while as if allowing Elias to digest her words before gesturing towards the third rune,

“Now, this is where the great divide begins to happen… Earth Grade Arts. The gap between the Common grade arts and the Earth Grade Arts is as vast as the divide between oceans. And these are the Arts most favoured by Nobility and Ascendant Candidates.”

She gestured to the statue of the skinless man, and Elias could see more pronounced changes happening under the skin, as the body grew taller, and the muscles thickened, with the veins now glowing as if they no longer held blood but flames.

“An Earth grade art carries all the advantages of a Mystic grade art, but it deepens them, pushing the boundaries of the bodies, and they are often tied to specific elements, and the highest levels of Earth grade arts are even tied to concepts… If the Flesh Mauler you fought had been using an Earth-grade art, you would not even know when you died. If there had been a talented Fury Forge with an Earth-grade art among the Flesh Eaters, they would have also killed you. You are fast, but not faster than a fireball that can melt Profound Metal travelling at three times the speed of sound.”

Elias swallowed. He could as well imagine the sight of such a thing, and he wondered how he could defend himself against such an attack. His swarm seemed to be holding off well against physical and elemental attacks, but he was well aware that the swarm had told him they could be killed, but it would take a while for them to recover. He assumed that flames that could melt Profound Iron with ease could kill his swarm.

“Now, we come to what is known as the final and highest grade of Lumina Vein Arts, and these are the Heaven Grade Lumina Vein Arts.”

The statue of the man shattered and did not scatter as Elias had expected, instead, but hovered in the air, still holding the general shape of a man, and Elias’s eyes widened when he realized that he was looking at layers deeper than the bones and muscles, but the Commander was beginning to show him what was at the fundamental core of a person, the smallest units in their bodies.

“To most in this world, Heaven Grade Arts are legends, and it is usually practiced by kings and queens, powerful heroes, and Angels of my standing. I practice a Heavenly Grade Vein Art, and when I was a Wisp, I could have eradicated you, just as easily as you did those cannibals.” The Commander cocked her head to the side, “It also helps that I was seeded with this Art when I was in the womb, and my emergence killed my mother… but those were different times then, and we were at war, a weak baby would not have survived an hour, and my father made the call.”

Something about the ease with which the Commander was speaking these words made a chill run down Elias’s neck, and he wondered when the lines between teaching and other matters he was not to know about yet began to blur.

The Commander shook her head, “Anyway, these four grades of Lumina Vein Arts, and you will undoubtedly learn more about them going forward, but for now, we are here to place the core of the Lumina Art of your choice into your Wisp, where it would merge with your soul and body, and so, as you practice, your Lumina Vein Art would be complete.”

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