House of Amarin

"Have you ever tried going in?" Lia asked as the trio were heading towards the Soulbound Sect's primary location in their separate space.

"Yeah," Erias nodded in answer, "Didn't get far before being noticed and had to run away! What I do know is that it's layered, like an onion. Stinks like one, too!"

"It doesn't have a smell," Somia interjected, but Erias just rolled his eyes.

"It does feel unnatural. That is what I meant… Anyway! I don't know what it will be like, but I do know it has 14 layers to it!"

"What? Really?" Lia gawked as it was not something she expected.

"Yep! We are at the 14th one right now! This is the biggest! It is the buffer zone between No-Space and the Soulbound Sect. They get their power from here, and mostly, it is nothing but a vast field of energy, getting constantly diluted from the core region we are coming from."

"I always argued it has slices and not layers." Somia quickly added, but Erias wasn't even bothering to acknowledge it.

"The main thing is that they have 12 Supreme Elders, and they have their personal provinces inside! Each is different, and each is like its own world. We need to get to the one who goes by the name of Che. He is the 'leader' of the Supreme Elders, and his realm is closest to the deepest part… where their Master is situated."

"Do we know his name?"

"Lumamon. I learned it from the Claw's, but I never saw him before. At least… not in person. But I once met his gaze; he had only one eye left, but that one… One simple glance... For a brief moment, it almost killed me. I felt my soul tremble and crack; if not for my quick reflexes, I am sure it would have been splintered. I don't know what kind of power he has, but I can't stand up to him." As he was explaining it, his voice was grave and somewhat troubled… but defiant. "But, if I learned anything, it's that nothing can stand up to nature and its cataclysms. Whit, what I am about to unleash has to be something he will feel!"

"Agreed." Somia nodded without fear in her voice, "By my calculations, this can be extremely catastrophic. Probably world ending."

"What about… Meriath?" Lia asked, gulping when hearing her assessment.

"We will see," Somia answered, looking at her with one eye. "With the Soulbound Sect around, we are dead either way!"

"True… and if it works, the Golden Claw is still there to deal with!" Lia groaned, rubbing her forehead.

"Yes." Erias whispered, his voice stony and ruthless, "The problem is, they are even more insidious and hiding so deep I couldn't uncover their real motives… but they will act when we don't really count on it… I have no plans for them. We will have to improvise!"

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……

"She has slipped to the other end."

"Don't tell me she, too, died? What is up with these Amarins?!"

The two voices, talking via their telepathic connection, belonged to the ethereal wolf and Swimmy, hiding inside the secret realm of the Golden Claw.

"I already informed the Sect Master." The wolf continued, "She said we should wait."

"Fuck… I have been waiting for thousands upon thousands of years! I am going insane here! There is a limit to what a unique wonder like me can spend in hibernation! Give me some stimulation already! Let me go out! Let me join the fight and kill some Soulbound idiots!"

"Okay."

"Huh?" He asked back, freezing in place, not expecting her to actually agree to it.

"The Sect Master has a new plan. She is already in a conscious state with the rest of the council in the Sea of Souls. She notified me that the girl had been fished out by Erias, which means she would have a remade body. The new plan is simple… waiting and assisting. When the Soulbound Sect falls, it will be chaos, and it will be when we all return… without anyone noticing."

"I don't really care about that… but… can I truly go out? Have some… fun?" Swimmy asked again, feeling like he was being played for a fool.

"Yes. You can join the war effort and kill anyone you like, but don't let them discover your origin!"

"I can be really persuasive, you see! Ahahahaha! Finally!"

Before the wolf could say anything, Swimmy was already flying out from the river, transforming into his human form and exiting the realm, wasting no time. It was like he got pardoned and got set free after a long time… which was very close to the truth.

"We just need to make sure the Realm doesn't fall apart…" Th wolf whispered to herself, reappearing in the depth of one of the giant pillars, standing before two rings lying in an open jewelry box. Just from their shapes, it was clear they were remaining two Realm Keys in the hand of the Golden Claw.

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……

Entering the Soulbound Sect was not the hard part. Navigating it was what proved to be a problem, a different beast altogether. When the trio reached the boundary and entered, they knew not where they would land. The scenery changed instantly after the feeling of their essence being transferred away.

A moment later, they were standing before a tall, dark red mountain while dry, hot air blew through between them. It had multiple holes on its surface, while narrow footpaths were leading towards all of those. Turning around and glancing toward the horizon, it was nothing but a flat, empty, rocky desert with the ground below their feet dry and cracked open.

"The air here is heavy… Extremely heavy…" Somia murmured, and true enough, this place felt not just hot and dry but filled with the elements of the earth and fire. Something that would not bother a Soulbound cultivator, but as they had their bodies, it was unmistakable.

"Don't let it show!" Erias warned them via his soul, his words echoing in their minds, "Or we get discovered real quick!"

"Is this some type of defense?" Lia asked, as he was the most affected by it but kept acting ordinarily.

"Could be." Somia nodded, but before they could discuss it further from one of the holes, a woman appeared, wearing yellow robes. Her long, white hair was tied into a braided ponytail as she floated down quickly, followed by many others emerging, looking at the uninvited guests cautiously.

"Let me talk." Erias nodded at them as they stood still, waiting to see what would happen next.

"What are you doing here?" The woman asked, landing a few meters before them, far enough to give herself time to dodge if something happened.

"My bad." Erias smiled, but it was laced with a hint of mockery, showcasing his rank, power, and confidence. "We entered the wrong place."

"Are you here to gobble us up? Think again; the Sect rules are strict! If you try it, the Sect Master himself will punish you and devour your souls! Until we have chosen a new candidate for a Supreme Elder, replacing our fallen ruler, you are not permitted to cross our boundaries! Not until you are invited in!" She added quickly, clearly thinking about whether that was the case. Of course... if someone would barge in, the Sect Master would do nothing if he gained a powerful follower out of it... everyone knew that.

"As I said… my bad." Erias kept up his smile, letting a bit of his aura leak, masked by Kyaranin's soul energy.

"Supreme Elder Kyaranin's people?" She flinched, her eyes becoming a bit more friendly but also more paranoid. Now, she was glancing behind her shoulder towards the mountain and the increasing number of disciples appearing and watching. "She didn't send here anyone since the death of Master Loonah."

"Until now." Erias continued, capitalizing on the new information, already coming up with a plan from the little nuggets of information they received.

This was a layer that currently lacked its leader for real. Not because they were away but because she was dead. It was in the middle of a crisis as it either gained a new Supreme Elder from its surviving members or some other upstart from maybe another faction would devour them up and establish their own lineage. No wonder they were so tense and thought Erias came here to do just that… but the moment he showed Kyaranin's essence, the opposing party seemed to relax a little.

Watching her reaction told Erias that she thought that one of her rivals invited them here. A connection to Kyaranin's faction... As both were old Elders, they knew each other from before the fall. It made sense in her mind. It was less likely for someone from Kyaranin's side to do harm to them and instead try to keep an original faction going instead of raising another one comprised of newcomers, people recruited into the fold after the fall of the Six Sects.

"What is your name?" The woman asked, now furrowing her brows.

"I joined after the fall; that is why you don't know me." Erias quickly explained, knowing what she must be thinking about, "But I'm not here on behalf of anybody. I am here because of my Master's orders. My name is Eri, an Elder."

"Never saw an elder with your strength." She countered as she herself was at the rank of Grand Elder… and the man before her felt just as strong… if not even more robust.

"Let's just say Lady Kyaranin entrusted me with a special role. Hm?"

"I see." She nodded, not prying further; instead, she looked at Somia and Lia with questioning gazes.

"These are my disciples, Soso and Ail. You are?"

"Grand Elder Shila. One of the last two. The other one is Grand Elder Qima, up in his cave. We were promoted before our Master left for the invasion."

"As you are the one greeting us, Grand Elder Shila, I'd like to ask you to lead us to your abode. So we can… talk." Erias leaned forward with a slight bow, giving a kind of smile that made Shila's eyes flash.

She was already thinking about what this could mean… in her head, she was sure that these three were sent here to help establish the next Supreme Elder. Even though it would put the one who achieved it in debt to Kyaranin, it was a great opportunity. Now, she was glad it was her who came down greeting them and not her rival. This could turn out to be the chance she was waiting for.

"Follow me then!" Shila chuckled, but before she could fly up, Erias raised a hand.

"Can we walk?"

"Huh?" She stopped at once, feeling dumbfounded.

"I'd like to go on foot, experience this land. Take in the… scenery, if you will."

"I see." Once again, her mind had already drawn a conclusion. She was thinking that her guest surely wanted to feel the strength that remained here and the power of her opposition. Living inside the Soulbound Sect was always about schemes and ploys… the Grand Game to rise to the top… and right now? She felt she was dealt the best hand. "Then… this way!"

With a smile, she was leading them silently while through her soul, she was giving orders to her own people to show themselves and look powerful. She wanted her side to be the one the newcomers would favor... it was a chance she wasn't letting go now!

While they were ascending the mountain, heading towards the top where Shila's abode was, Lia couldn't help but send a thought over to her ancestor.

"Ail? Really? Couldn't you come up with something better?"

"I was in a rush, okay? I don't see you doing it better."

"Okay, okay, it just sounds so lame…"

"Deal with it, girl, I am improvising here!"

"It went better than expected." Somia joined in, walking at the back, surveying the mountain calmly and remaining unbothered.

"What are the plans?" Lia asked while looking into one of the caves they passed, seeing four meditating souls, probably in control of some bodies far away on Meriath. The thought made her almost lash out, but it reigned in her emotions before anyone noticed it.

"Civil war," Erias answered quickly. "Multiple Supreme Elders are dead… Their factions are trying to reestablish themselves. It is best to sow some inner chaos and make a ruckus! If we are lucky, they go at each other and make it easy for us to slip deeper in and initiate their downfall!"

"I'm in!" Lia laughed inside, her eyes flashing dangerously, "I am up for a little bit of mischief~!"

"Don't worry, I heard about your exploits~!" Erias answered with a chuckle, "I'll let you be a Misfit soon enough!"

Corty

For those of you who follow my Steel & Mana story, early access has become part of my Patreon's 1$ tier. Saturday's chapter is already up, for example. So, if you sign up, you can now read ahead in both House of Amarin and Steel & Mana before they go live.