Regaleon: The Forgotten Knight

A series of muffled explosions echoed through the cavern, one after another, in rapid successions.

BOOM! BOOM!! BOOM!!!

Their combined force sent ripples racing across the Essence Pool and caused the translucent mist surrounding it to part like a vast curtain of smoke being drawn aside.

For a brief moment, the obstruction disappeared. And through that fleeting interval of clarity, both Aelric and Sylveris could finally see the seven Awakeners clearly.

Sylveris immediately gasped, her silver eyes widening as she stared at the strange formations glowing across each person’s chest.

She didn’t understand what those intricate patterns represented. To her, they simply appeared to be another peculiar phenomenon brought about by the breakthrough. Perhaps it was some indication that the group had already crossed another threshold in their cultivation.

Whatever the case, it certainly looked important.

She wasn’t the only one who noticed them as Aelric saw them as well. Unlike Sylveris, however, he understood exactly what they meant.

Upon knowing that, relief immediately washed through him.

Although he had remained outwardly calm throughout the process, he had been keeping a close watch on the seven cultivators ensuring that nothing could go wrong. And seeing those patterns was proof that the first major stage had been completed successfully.

Yet his relief lasted only for a moment. His emerald eyes narrowed the next instant when he observed the stage formations on Aureleah and Regaleon.

The former possessed a peculiar darkness that seemed to consume the surrounding radiance, while the latter seemed almost incapable of maintaining a fixed configuration.

Aelric’s gaze lingered particularly on Regaleon as he pondered within himself. Before he could pursue the thought any further, however, the mist that had been blown apart suddenly began flowing back together.

It moved from every direction, as though an invisible hand were pulling the scattered veil back into place. And within seconds, the seven cultivators vanished behind it once again.

The brief window of clarity was gone.

Aelric remained silent. Despite the fleeting nature of what he had seen, his mind continued to dwell upon those peculiar formations. His brows furrowed as he contemplated their implications, especially Regaleon’s.

Something about that manifestation didn’t feel right. Or perhaps right wasn’t the appropriate word; rather, it simply felt unfamiliar.

He had seen countless cultivators throughout his years in the Nether Lands. He had witnessed strange Soul Essences, peculiar cultivation paths and bizarre manifestations that would have left ordinary practitioners speechless.

Yet Regaleon’s Aether was unlike anything he could immediately recall.

Aelric’s eyes narrowed further as he continued ruminating over the matter for several moments, completely absorbed in his thoughts.

Sylveris, standing beside him, didn’t notice his preoccupation because her sole attention remained fixed upon the mist...

Meanwhile, after the explosions subsided, the seven cultivators continued with their cultivation.

Of everyone present, Veyrath could arguably be considered one of the luckier ones because his Secondary Aether Veins were located within a Prime Organ, his lungs.

Although that could hardly be considered a safe location, it was considerably less problematic when compared to the locations of some of the others.

Kaeloris, for instance, had to proceed with extraordinary caution.

Just like Veyrath, the failed Gnost possessed Secondary Veins within a Prime Organ. Unfortunately for him though, that organ happened to be his brain.

The brain was arguably the most delicate and intricate organ in the human body. It governed thought, memory, perception and countless other functions essential to life.

For someone like Kaeloris, whose entire path revolved around knowledge and intellect, it was hardly surprising that his Secondary Veins would be hidden there. But it also meant that his breakthrough was considerably more dangerous.

If Veyrath had to be careful, then Kaeloris had to be exceedingly careful.

The first Secondary Vein he awakened was located within his temporal lobe, the region associated with memory, comprehension and the processing of sensory information.

One wrong movement could have catastrophic consequences. In fact, Essence Deviation would almost be considered a mild consequence compared to what might happen if he damaged the surrounding tissue.

At best, Kaeloris might suffer severe memory impairment. At worst, he could potentially lose control of his own mind and become insane.

Yet, thankfully, the awakening of his first Secondary Vein proceeded without incident. But that small victory did not mean he could relax.

There were still numerous dormant Veins scattered throughout his temporal lobe and across the rest of his cerebrum. And every single one had to be awakened...

Compared to Veyrath and Kaeloris, Valmyr had it considerably easier.

His Secondary Aether Veins weren’t concentrated within a single Prime Organ. Instead, they were distributed throughout his body.

Some were located within his arms, others within his legs and a few even stretched across his torso.

Thus, in a relative sense, the failed Vanguard had been blessed with a considerably safer configuration.

The first Secondary Vein he discovered was located within his right hand and it had required considerably less effort and conscious control to awaken.

The process was still dangerous, but compared to trying to manipulate Aether within one’s brain or lungs, Valmyr’s task was almost leisurely.

Moreover, he wasn’t the only one enjoying such an advantage as Caelestra was also benefiting from the relative simplicity of her Secondary Veins.

Unlike warriors, scholars or practitioners whose paths demanded enormous quantities of Aether, merchants were not traditionally associated with either physical combat or intellectual exertion.

Consequently, Caelestra’s Secondary Veins were located within a comparatively mundane Prime Organ, her intestines.

At first glance, the connection between the intestines and the Merchant’s Path seemed utterly absurd. But cultivation wasn’t always based on literal functions as there were also philosophical associations.

The intestines were responsible for extracting what was useful from what had been consumed, separating nourishment from waste.

Merchants, in much the same way, were practitioners of acquisition, refinement and value extraction. In other words, they took resources from one place, transformed them through trade and exchanged them for something of greater value.

In that peculiar philosophical sense, the connection wasn’t as strange as it initially appeared...

Vaelorin’s situation, however, was considerably more complicated.

His Secondary Aether Veins were located in the same Prime Organ as Veyrath, his lungs. But that wasn’t his only Prime Organ as the failed Pyromancer possessed another, his stomach.

For that reason, his situation was somewhat comparable to Kaeloris’. Any slight mistake could result in internal rupture, organ failure, or an uncontrolled Essence Deviation.

Vaelorin had therefore decided to follow the safest approach.

He would first awaken the Veins within his lungs. It is only after he completed that task would he turn his attention toward those hidden within his stomach.

Even Vaelorin himself wasn’t sure whether he should praise himself for possessing such an unusual constitution or curse his luck for having two Prime Organs to worry about...

On the other hand, Aureleah’s situation was even more complicated.

Like Vaelorin, she possessed multiple Prime Organs. The first Secondary Vein she discovered was located within her bosom, an unexpected location.

Even Aureleah herself hadn’t anticipated it. Yet what could she do? She could only grit her teeth, metaphorically, considering her current state, and continue.

Thankfully, or perhaps unfortunately, her second Prime Organ was her lungs. And that one was considerably less surprising.

For a path that demanded enormous reserves of Aether and placed extraordinary emphasis on explosive movement and sustained physical performance, the lungs were an exceptionally common Prime Organ.

In fact, if seven out of every ten cultivators claimed that their lungs were among their Prime Organs, few scholars would find the statistic particularly shocking.

But Aureleah didn’t stop there. She possessed a third Prime Organ which happened to be her hands and feet.

Valmyr’s body could be considered fortified, built for strength and endurance, but Aureleah’s was different. Her physique was optimized for precision, deftness and swiftness as every part of her body seemed suited toward the Assassin’s Path.

And that wasn’t all.

The silver-haired Assassin possessed an astonishing number of Prime Organs, five in total.

Considering the fact that every member of the group already regarded Aureleah as a genius among talents, perhaps it shouldn’t have been surprising.

Still, even by her standards, such a configuration was extraordinary...

And finally, there was Regaleon, the Forgotten Knight himself.

Of everyone present, the silver-haired Knight’s situation was perhaps the strangest and that was particularly ironic considering his supposedly low-tier Soul Essence.

His configuration was every bit as arduous as Aureleah’s, despite the fact that Regaleon possessed none of her renowned talent.

Even Regaleon himself knew that he wasn’t some monstrous genius as he had never possessed the kind of extraordinary aptitude that people like Aureleah seemed to exhibit naturally.

Yet here he was, with his body revealing a configuration that demanded almost the same degree of caution as hers.

There was nothing he could do about it. Whether it was a blessing or a curse, this was simply the body he had been given.

And so, like the others, he continued to awaken his hidden Veins one by one...

The first successful breakthrough had an unexpected effect upon the group; it gave them confidence.

Their first dormant Veins had been awakened without catastrophe and that success subconsciously reassured them.

They remained cautious, of course, but their movements gradually became more assured as the understanding of their own bodies deepened.

And with every successful awakening, the process became slightly more familiar.

One after another, dormant Aether Veins began to open; some with difficulty and some with surprising ease. Some accompanied by tiny internal tremors and others by violent bursts of energy.

But they continued regardless...