Path to Transcendence

The three of them quietly made their way to the station. Julius didn’t know what was happening outside of the ward, he didn’t see or hear anything. It was odd, nobody was coming to check on their Patriarch. Admittedly, there weren’t many combatants on the estate, but Julius still expected some like Samuel or others to investigate.

However, there was no noticeable attempt to help the three of them out. The fact that someone who had access to the property’s wards had betrayed them plus that nobody was coming to help, was a troublesome sign. This was all looking very shady.

That said, Julius didn’t understand enough about the political environment of the family to make any speculations.

The way to the emergency teleportation was too quiet, there wasn’t a single sound except for the shuffling of their feet. The station was set up beneath the dining room, in a hidden underground chamber.

Edwin moved a large shelf that covered up the entrance to the chamber. However, Julius got that feeling again, the one he got earlier when walking back to his room. Using [Spatial Perception] he tried to see beyond the door but due to his overuse of the skill or something else blocking it, he couldn’t see what was behind it. He quickly placed his hand on Edwin’s, who was about to open the door.

“I can’t see what’s inside. Something feels off.” Julius said.

Surprisingly, Edwin looked at Julius and seriously contemplated what he just said. It seemed like Edwin trusted Julius’s judgment and took his words to heart.

“We don’t have many other options.” Edwin finally said.

“I know that, but if it's a trap, we don’t need to waltz right into it,” Julius argued.

“You’re right. Edwin, you should hide yourself, while Julius and I enter, you come in from behind. If someone is waiting for us, they might just think it is the two of us.” Lukas said from behind Julius.

Edwin thought about it and nodded his head, quickly disappearing from view. Lukas summoned his golden barrier again and put his hand on the door then opened it.

Inside, was a dark space that had a glowing platform in the center of it. Julius nervously looked around and scanned the surroundings with [Spatial Perception]. It seemed like the skill worked again once he got inside.

Before he could even react, a wall of blue flame smothered the golden barrier. Julius could feel the intense heat from inside, roasting him like a chicken in the oven. The barrier that had held against all the assassin's attacks earlier was now showing signs of cracking at the edges.

The wave of fire finally let up and Julius saw several figures standing in front of a platform. He didn’t immediately recognize any of them, except for one. The man standing directly in the middle was Samuel. The same man who was at his baptism and who was supposedly a loyal member of House Hyperius.

It seemed he no longer felt that way.

Lukas didn’t look that surprised, only angry and disappointed.

“Samuel,” Lukas said quietly while staring directly into his eyes.

“I’m sorry, Lukas. We received an offer from Duke Greyson that guarantees House Hyperius’s safety. But it came with one condition” Samuel apologized.

“What was it? To slit your own family’s throat in their bed?” Lukas needled at Samuel.

Samuel shook his head. “Don’t be like that. You know that the house comes before everyone, even you.”

“Yes, but we don’t sell out each other,” Lukas said.

“What did you expect? We are stranded in the middle of the ocean and there’s blood in the water. Everyone is coming after us to get a piece of our flesh. If we don’t do something House Hyperius won’t survive. This was the only way.” Samuel said heatedly.

“No. It was just the easiest way.” Lukas said disappointedly.

A flash of guilt went across Samuel’s face. “You’re right. It was the easiest choice, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t the best one.”

As Lukas and Samuel went back and forth, Julius took a look at the other figures in the room with them. Now that he was looking closer, there were half a dozen of them. He spotted a man and a woman who he thought were present at his baptism as well. This meant that Samuel wasn’t just doing it alone, others in the house went along with this plan too.

He also vaguely sensed Edwin. It was always hard to track Edwin when he hid, but Julius was so familiar with his presence that he could still feel a wispy aura sneaking its way to the platform.

Lukas is distracting them so that Edwin has time to prepare the transport, Julius thought. It wasn’t a bad idea, so far it was their only chance out of this mess.

Julius could feel the pressure exuding from the other figures, they were all on par with Samuel. Furthermore, Samuel was a Tier 5, a strong one at that. So that must’ve meant that they were potentially facing six elite Tier 5’s.

Lukas was their only Tier 5 combatant. Edwin was only a Tier 4, and Julius was a Tier 1 who was physically and mentally spent, as well as having practically no mana. Even though Lukas was renowned for his ability to fight beyond his tier, fighting six-on-one while protecting a child was too tall a task.

It was looking bleak and Lukas seemed to understand this as well.

His uncle looked at Julius with calm eyes. “Go,” he said softly.

Julius knew better than to argue and ran directly to the side of the room.

They don’t know about Edwin yet, I just need to make it to the platform.

All of a sudden, Julius felt a mountain crash over his back. Turning back, he saw his uncle shrouded in a golden aura, radiating immense heat and light. It was on a whole other level than when he was fighting the assassins. The pressure from his uncle physically affected Julius, and by the looks of it, the enemies were taking it even worse.

Julis knew Lukas had been holding back for his sake, but it was astounding to see his uncle show his true strength. The strength that had protected House Hyperius for years. The might of a Tier 5 with a perfect sun affinity.

This was the power of those at the top of the continent, the power that Julius sought.

Lukas and three of his opponents were in the air trading attacks back and forth, while the others on the ground were sending their own techniques at Lukas. They were trying to corral him and box him in. But Lukas was too fast and too skilled.

They were moving so fast to Julius’s eyes, that it looked like they were teleporting from place to place in a flash of light. Julius couldn’t even see their figures anymore just a zipper of light dancing across the chamber. He could only tell which one was Lukas based on the golden-colored light. Several attacks managed to get near, but whenever that happened a golden barrier would erupt around him, protecting Julius.

Lukas was still protecting Julius, even as he was fighting six Tier 5 opponents. It was unbelievable.

Taking one last glance at the fight going on, Julius took off toward the platform. His legs were barely functioning at this point, even with Julius constantly infusing his legs with life mana. He promised himself that if he survived this, his first priority would be to learn a proper healing skill.

Edwin should have been close to finishing the preparations by now. And by the looks of things, his uncle was more than occupying his opponent’s attention. They were too busy trying to not die than to worry about a Tier 1 child.

Julius ran in the direction he felt Edwin and felt the teleportation runes start to hum with mana. It seemed that Edwin had started it up. Julius stopped next to the still invisible Edwin and took the time to catch his breath, pumping his body with as much life mana as he could. It was the only mana he had left but it was too slow to heal his injuries, only staving off the worst of his exhaustion.

Unfortunately, it seemed like that also got the attention of the enemies. A massive lance of blue ice crashed into the platform, shaking the intricate circuits being formed by the teleportation runes.

Another lance followed directly after it. However, this time Edwin decided to reveal himself and intercept the ice lance.

Shadow mana was not good for direct confrontations, it was for evading and misdirection. Regardless, Edwin used his body to deflect the lance away from the runes. He was unable to handle the force of the attack and was thrown off to the side.

Still, that didn't stop Edwin from getting back up and deflecting another lance of ice. The woman who was sending the lances was still busy fighting Lukas and her main focus was on his uncle, dodging thick pillars of light trying to spear her out of the air. It was the only reason, the teleportation circle wasn’t broken yet.

Finally, Julius felt the mana settle down and realized it was ready to be activated. Samuel, while fighting Lukas seemed to sense this as well. Therefore, he took his attention away from the fight and launched a rotating spike of dark red mana at the platform.

Taking advantage of his distraction, Lukas was able to land a hit on Samuel’s shoulder, severing his entire left arm.

However, the damage was done. Edwin was busy blocking the ice lances with everything he had and the attack landed directly onto the runic formation, cracking and shattering some of the links.

Yet, in a twist of fate, it was also the trigger to activate the circle.

Julius saw the panicked look on Edwin’s face as he was trying desperately to get to Julius’s side. However, he was too late. The formation was activated and Julius felt the mana release in a massive explosion.

In an instant, Julius was enveloped within the mana and was gone in the next.

Whatever damage Samuel did to the transportation runes, must’ve caused the formation to malfunction. Julius felt the formation grab him, twist him into a tiny ball, and shove him into a blender.

He felt his skin was ripped apart and his bones were crushed into dust. He was absolutely sure that being transported was not supposed to hurt this much. It wasn’t like he was instantaneously transported to another location either. He stayed stuck within a void for what seemed like an eternity, unable to see or hear anything. Even [Spatial Perception] said there was nothing around him. The only thing he had to keep him company, were sensations of pain and his thoughts.

Julius didn’t know what happened to Lukas or Edwin. The worry he felt exceeded the pain he was in. The hopeful side of him believed that they would be alright, but the rational side of him spoke of a different outcome. As strong as Lukas was, the enemies would whittle him down like a pack of wolves until he ran out of mana or made a mistake.

His thoughts turned into despair at the injustice of his situation. It seemed whenever he got close to people they were always taken away from him. It was always something that was outside his control.

His mother, father, and sister were killed by a drunk driver. His grandfather had died of cancer. Now his new family was likely killed due to the machinations of a powerful ducal house. He never had the chance to save them, because he was powerless. He was always either unable to or too weak to save them.

Never again. I will never be powerless to save another person I care about again.

His old world didn’t have magic, but this one did.

Julius swore that one day he would become powerful enough that he could control his fate. He wouldn’t let it steal any more of his loved ones away.

That was his vow.

He would transcend fate.