LEVEL 0 IMMORTAL

Lord Protector Calyx turned to his brother, and Veyris noted silently that his face was older than he remembered, and his eyes were harder. But there was something in them that had not been there before, something that might have been anticipation.

"My city is a strange place, Veyris, and even though you have seen just the surface does not mean you understand it all. I know you want to probe the secrets about what lies below the ground, but you are going about it in the wrong manner, because I knew what was coming, long being warned about it."

Dropping this bombshell, Calyx walked toward the window that showed him the lights of the lower districts, and he could easily see the walls he had raised there that cut through his beautiful city like a scar, although he did not need eyes when he could feel it with his connection with the earth. "By the blood of the fallen gods, I did not want you in my city when this opportunity arose, but Fate is a fickle bitch, and I know that more than anyone, you have a nose for benefit."

"An opportunity." Veyris’s voice was flat, although his mind was beginning to tense up.

Calyx looked at him and smiled, then he hesitated before he said,

"The young need to be tested, brother, and there are many talents in this city who have never been blooded, too many around me with noble blood who think that the power they were born with is enough, that they do not need to earn it. The old ways are dying, and the young do not understand what it costs to be a Siphon."

He turned back to Veyris, and there was a light in his eyes that had not been there before. "My city need power, and I have been placed between a rock and a hard place. The monsters here are either too weak or too strong, but with this...." he gestured towards the wall, "This is not a disaster. This is a gift."

Veyris felt something cold settle in his chest. "A gift."

"For once, I have all the Guild Grandmasters in agreement and even Commander Yseult sees the opportunity here. The Academy has already sent word that they will be participating." Calyx smiled, "A portion of the lower districts have been sealed, and those creatures are contained. What remains is a testing ground where the young can show what they are made of."

Veyris’s eyes tightened, "Is it because these monsters do not have Lumina in their bodies?"

Calyx glanced at his brother for a moment before he drew out a vial of ash inside his storage ring and with a gesture a bowl of stone rose up from the ground and he poured some of the ash upon it. He sent the bowl flying towards Veyris, who took it and then pinched the ash between his fingers, and looked at Calyx with questions in his eyes.

"These are the remains of the creatures?" he asked and Calyx nodded, then Veyris frowned, "Why are you showing me this?"

Calyx sneered, "Your insistence on protecting your hide may be your downfall one day Veyris, let down your barrier and allow that ash to touch your Lumina," then he smiled, "Unless you think I want to poison you, then by all means don’t bring down your barrier."

Veyris looked at his brother for a moment, and then golden sparks emerged from the hand holding the stone bowl, and the innate barrier that all Void Sentinel had was quietly withdrawn from his hand and he touched the ash.

At first he did not detect anything, but then underneath his skin Veyris felt tingles as if he was being shocked and the Lumina flowing through his hand began to rotate faster as if they had been energized but the ash he was holding vanished before he could confirm what these changes were.

Curious, Veyris directly poured the remnants of the ash on his palm, and then he was able to sense the movements of his Lumina more clearly, but like snow left inside the sun, the ash evaporated on his palm.

He was silent for a few moment and then he looked at his brother, "Is this ash doing what I think?"

Calyx laughed, "These creatures are not giving out Lumina when they are killed but they do something better, they directly increase the manipulation and understanding of Lumina inside the body. It means that skills and legacies can be quickly trained and mastered. Now, do you understand what this means?"

Veyris shivered, "Have you tested the efficacy of this ash?"

Calyx nodded, "Of the hundred enforcers that responded to the call to exterminate these creatures, only one survived, an old Siphon, at the peak of Mist Phantom level with just two Lumina Pools and a practicing a Mystic Grade Art, and yet he broke through to Amber Exile with these qualification after fighting for just a few hours."

Veyris frowned, while it was technically possible for a Siphon with such an abysmal qualification to reach Amber Exile, it was also extremely unlikely, especially when you place age into the equation, but if this ash was able to generate such sparks of inspiration inside the bodies of Siphons, then it was extremely valuable.

"What are your plans for this brother, and why did you tell me the truth?" Veyris asked, a bit in surprise.

"Hiding the truth from you would not work for long and beside, I have great plans for this city, and you would soon hear about these changes very soon."

Veyris sighed, "You are informing me because even if I know the truth, I cannot spread word of it to the palace. Let me guess, the teleportation portal is closed."

Calyx eyed him as if he was a fool, "What do you take me for brother? After living with you for twenty years, don’t you think I would have learned the best way to handle you? No, locking away the teleportation nexus would be useless against you, instead I will appease your greed. The young ones below Mist Phantom level would tackle this problem, and when they are done, we would end it all, and you will get to keep five percent of all the ash recovered."

Veyris sucked in his breath, "That is a very generous offer, but you need something from me as well, don’t you?"

Clapping his hand, Calyx gestured to the city below him, "The Guilds are already organizing expeditions. The Academy is sending its best. Even the Commander has promised a prize, something from her own collection, what is missing is the only resources that the palace can give." Calyx’s voice was almost eager now, the voice of a man who had found a game worth playing. "The young ones will fight and prove themselves. And the ones who survive will be stronger for it, and such strength demands recognition."

Veyris stared at his brother. He had known Calyx was stubborn and extremely smart under the gruff exterior he had, but he had not known the depths of his brother’s ambition.

"What would you do with this recognition? There is hardly any worthy place for you to spend them."