The Exalt [Cultivation Fantasy]

Frederick slammed the desk in front of his aunt, Ivanka Klein. The table was made of special wooden material capable of withstanding the impact of Frederick's Exalt power. The table did not break down, but a loud sound like rocks colliding against each other made all the other Judges stop and stare in confusion.

Emily, frowning, stood on the side with her arms crossed and her orange eyes narrowed. She did not lose her bearings like Frederick, but she felt the court's decision was unwarranted.

A guard approached to take Frederick and Emily away for causing a disturbance; this offense was even more severe for taking place in the Record Hall. However, Ivanka waved her hand to stop the guard. From what she knew about the case, it was a done deal that Samuel and Austin would be sent off to the Abyss Prison.

The scene of these two coming straight to her in anger was unexpected. Wait, two? Ivanka finally noticed that Frederick's friend, Oscar, was missing. Ivanka felt suspicious of what had happened. Her usual proper and mannered face fell into a frown. "Where's your friend, Oscar?"

Frederick yelled, "They dragged him away in chains. I demand they drop their idiotic decision and release him."

Emily clasped Frederick on his shoulder to stop his outbursts; the other Judges were staring at them coldly now for their disturbance. She explained what happened in the courtroom.

As she heard more and more of what happened, Ivanka knit her brows in frustration. As a Judge, she always upheld the values of truth and a code of conduct; sending Oscar to the Abyss Prison disagreed with her views. Ivanka sighed as her shoulders dropped from her powerlessness and said, "I can't help him."

"Aunt!" Frederick was shocked his by-the-books aunt would say such a thing.

"It is the decision of the court." Ivanka shook her head. "I cannot go against the elders."

Ivanka knew what Frederick was going through and tried to calm him down, "Staying here and yelling at me is not productive. I need you to think about this."

Frederick and Emily clenched their hands. The Blue Ocean Pavilion had truly gone overboard. The guard stepped in between them, no longer wishing to allow this scene to continue. Since the judge gave her statement, these students had nothing else to argue.

"A moment." The Great Elder Robert appeared out of thin air.

"Great Elder!" Ivanka and the guard got out of their seats and onto their knees.

Robert nodded to Ivanka and turned to Frederick and Emily. The two students refrained from showing proper respect and stared vehemently at Robert.

"You!" Ivanka was angry at their impulsiveness, especially her nephew. They could suffer harshly for this attitude towards an elder.

"It's fine." Robert stopped Ivanka from scolding them. "These two are angry for the sake of their friend. I will allow this slight. But, only this one time." Robert did not release pressure, but Frederick and Emily could not help but feel they were at death's door, like a silent void ready to swallow them.

Ignoring the pale faces of Frederick and Emily, Robert explained, "You are correct. In normal circumstances, Oscar should have been forgiven and freed of any charges. But there was a special request."

"A request?" Frederick and Emily were taken aback, while Ivanka was stunned.

The Blue Ocean Pavilion kept a neutral stance on all matters that did not pertain to the Pavilion's goals. There should be no reason for Oscar to be singled out and discriminated against.

"Great Elder, when did the Pavilion take private requests to change its rules?" Ivanka tried to hide the anger in her tone, but a little bit leaked out, making her voice hoarse.

"You're sending Oscar to that hellhole for a week because someone wanted you to?" Frederick was not as adept as his sister in quelling his harsh tone. Emily forced him back before he did anything he might regret.

"Great Elder, may we know who made the request?" Emily asked as she figured there was no use in arguing the decision. Whoever made the request was powerful enough to make these elders break the rules. But she needed to know the person's identity; perhaps they could convince them or take revenge.

Robert sighed, "You all speak as though this will be a tragedy. Have you never considered that this may be a boon to the young boy?"

"A boon?" Frederick, Emily, and Ivanka said in unison. How can the Abyss Prison, known for its cruelty and misery, be a reward to Oscar?

Robert shook his head. "I cannot explain it to you. But know that this is in Oscar's best interests." His body disappeared, leaving only the echoes of his last words.

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Everyone left behind could only stare blankly, trying to understand what Great Elder Robert was saying.

…….

In the Outer Hall of the Blue Ocean Pavilion, Elder Saul tended to the grass and flowers; his hands quick and precise as they clipped off some misshapen petals and uneven growth. There was no disturbance in the air, not even a tiny breeze. Yet, Elder Saul stopped his hands and spoke out, "What is it?"

Behind him was Great Elder Robert, who was just at the Record Hall. His blue and red eyes were open in admiration and respect. He had put his all into trying to sneak up on Elder Saul but failed. Robert bowed in reverence. "Per your request, Oscar has been sent to the Abyss Prison for a week."

"Good." Elder Saul did not speak further and went back to maintaining his garden.

Robert did not want to continue disturbing this elder, but he could not resist the burning question he had. Similar to how Frederick and Emily behaved.

"Why? Why did you want to send the child there?" He asked solemnly, not wanting to incur this elder's wrath. He did not know where Saul came from. He only knew that even the Pavilion Master, the legendary King Exalt, one of the two in the Brilliant Drake Empire, regarded Saul as his superior.

Elder Saul did not stop gardening and only responded flatly, "The boy needs it. He's quite an interesting lad. The experience he gains there would be invaluable."

Snip

One of the flowers was plucked out and discarded with the other defective ones. Elder Saul did not elaborate any further to Robert.

Robert did not like the ambiguous answer Saul had given him. As a powerful Marshal Exalt, he felt he was being treated like a child; it had been a long time since becoming an Exalt that he experienced this. He put those rippling feelings away and bowed in farewell, disappearing like the wind.

Elder Saul plucked another flower out and stared intently at it. "He's not there yet."

…….

The Abyss Prison.

The place stood as an opposing symbol for all the majesty and grandeur of the Blue Ocean Pavilion. There were no hopes, dreams, progress, or individuality. In there, everyone was regarded as nothing but a lowly prisoners; all of them outcasts with nothing to look forward to except the confines of their cell.

Oscar, Samuel, and Austin were dragged in chains toward a large lake, but it was so vast that it wasn't an exaggeration to call it an ocean. The blue waters stretched to the horizon and from left to right.

"Move on." The guard rattled his chains to get his attention. They had a schedule and would prefer not to be held up.

Oscar looked at his bindings, wondering why this was happening. The collar on his neck was heavy and tight, making him gasp when breathing. The cuffs on his hands and legs were also heavy and tight.

He could barely stretch his hands apart and take only short steps forward. Chains connected all the cuffs and the collar. It was so constraining that Oscar desperately tried to stretch his body to no avail.

"It's useless; those chains inhibit your Exalt powers." The guard thought Oscar was struggling to break them, his face full of pity.

To the side, Samuel begrudgingly walked forward with an unwilling look. He could not scream because of his bound mouth. However, rather than Oscar, his hatred was directed at Austin.

Austin was unbothered by Samuel's hostility. His feet were slow but consistent. He had accepted his punishment and was prepared to see it through. His mind focused only on revenge against Frederick.

They arrived at the lake shores. The waves were low and slowly flowing and receding on the smooth sand. Under the light of the two suns, the waters seemed to glimmer like the stars.

Oscar was absorbed in its beauty, tasted the salty air, and licked his lips, feeling uplifted. But he did not let down his guard. The Abyss Prison was supposedly here; there was no possibility that this view was a good thing.

A moment later, the waters trembled. The waves became more turbulent, crashing onto the shoreline with tremendous force. Before their eyes, the water parted to create a path down into the depths.

"Inside." The guard pushed them to walk onto the newly created pathway down. The path was a road that extended down. It led deeper into the depths, further below the surface.

Oscar's feet crushed onto various seashells and corals; the ground underneath felt dry, despite being underwater just a few moments ago. To the side, various creatures sawm around. The creatures were bigger and more menacing than the usual sea creatures–some had tentacles with sharp fangs protruding from each orifice, and others had great teeth and metallic scales.

These were all Exalt Beasts, not any weak ones either. The feeling these beasts gave off made Oscar tremble like an ant before a human.

Oscar progressed further into the path until the waters turned dark, obscuring the once clear waters. The guard tapped his trident on the ground; it glowed, providing a beacon for Oscar and the others to cling to.

The ground below them was desolate. It did not have any colorful shells, corals, or seaweed like the ground near the surface. It was simply devoid of any life but the bones of various creatures.

The sheer size of some of the bones made Oscar and the others take a step back. Oscar could see this was a rib bone, but it was about the size of five of him.

What could have killed this great creature? As Oscar thought this, the ground shook. A loud, bellowing wail resounded through the waters. He huddled near the guard by the beacon trident.

Oscar could not see anything outside the beacon as it could only illuminate a short circle around them. But he could tell something was swimming in the dark, unfathomable waters.

The waters swirled but did not splash out onto them. Whatever parted the waters were still in effect. However, none of this made Oscar feel safe.

"AH" Samuel shouted in fear, despite his mouth being bound. Everyone looked where Samuel was staring, and their faces paled. It was a large circle, glowing like a full moon above the night, completely dull and white, but it was also moving.

"Is that an eye?" Oscar said.

"Quiet!" The guard was also pale, and his face was full of sweat. The creatures of the deep were horrifying and powerful. The creature observed them for a little more but lost interest and left. Its dull-white eye faded into the darkness.

Meekly, they continued their walk. Along the way were more bones, but the experience with the creature made it all seem tame.

Finally, A large tower with dim lights circling its great walls came into view. It was completely black, as if made of obsidian. The tower's top was a jagged, sharp spire. Each part of it had black spikes protruding out.

The dark, ominous gates opened to grant them entry. They had no choice but to enter or be left behind in this crushing darkness.

The inside was also barely lit, but Oscar saw someone step up. He was wearing jet-black clothing and a horned helmet. On his chest was the symbol of the Pavilion but inverted upside down.

"Welcome to the Abyss Prison. I am the Warden, Draven Ciaran."

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