The Martial Unity

STEP

They landed atop Mt. Vanfeiger.

It was a mountain at the center of a barren desert in South Kandria, devoid of too much activity and life. The area was as desolate as it was serene.

"Huff…" Rui heaved a sigh as he quickly consumed a light rejuvenation potion, restoring his expended stamina.

He gazed at the Monastery of Mysteries.

"We will secure the area, Your Highness," Master Zentra calmly remarked. "Not that it is required, but nothing can be allowed to disturb your audience with the personage that awaits you."

"…Understood."

"Break a leg, my friend!" Master Iskan slapped him on the shoulder, leaving him a bruise as he walked away.

PAT

Master Vericita smiled warmly as she reassured him with a hand on his head. "Good luck, my child."

She, too, stepped away.

"You don't need luck," Master Ceeran smirked. "If it's you, you are able to make your own, am I wrong?"

Soon enough, he was alone before the giant structure.

His heart felt heavy.

A profound sense of power radiated from within the monastery.

A Realm of power that he had come to recognize.

It was a Realm of power that seemed to bend the world itself.

A power that bent heaven and earth itself.

His Martial drive stirred.

His hunger stirred.

The void in the depths of stirred.

"I want this power…" A single whisper escaped his mouth.

Feeling such power only brought about greater clarity in his heart.

Was he going to sit on a throne and play Emperor while such godly power awaited him?

Determination flashed in his eyes.

"No."

with a determined

have time

CLACK

Mysteries opened before he could reach

The monastery was hemispherical.

also

all

A man.

No.

Rui's eyes narrowed.

Not a man.

A Sage.

Rui could feel it.

strange sensation that

his finger on it,

Heavy.

on the world around them. It weighed down on space and time itself, almost generating a gravitational field by virtue of the weight

He didn't understand.

didn't understand this power that he deeply

Sage was lying down on the ground, relaxed. His hands supported his head as a cushion while his legs stretched out, intertwined in a rather relaxing sleeping

fluffy single-piece garb, a fusion between

switch back

him instantly,

The Sloth Sage.

to do. The meeting was too important to act without carefully considering

ain't that deep,

remark escaped from the Martial

his mouth hadn't

"Huff…at my age, even getting up can

His mouth didn't move.

Rui could hear

'How?' Rui's eyes widened.

Sloth Sage peered at him with

of Mysteries manifests thought as sound

His mouth hadn't moved.

now, you're hearing my thoughts," The Martial Sage smiled lazily. "Convenient, isn't it? I love this place because I'm too

widened with shock as his thoughts manifested into sound, reaching

effect gets stronger the closer you get

at him

snorted lazily. "I won't tell anyone about the depraved thoughts and

head, heaving a

STEP

the world around

dome of the

was a sight that he had

His Mind Palace.

He literally shook on the spot, bewildered at how his Mind Palace

Sage slowly shifted his head, resting in his hands, around as he gazed at the sight that emerged before him with interest. "I had read that you