Elias and Yui soon reached the clan's hall, a large, imposing structure made of white stone surrounded by tall exterior walls. A crowd had gathered outside, pressing against the gates in a desperate attempt to enter. The air was filled with shouts and pleas as people tried to push their way through, but some people in white robes guarded the entrance and remained firm, their faces stern as they held the crowd back.
Only those wearing the white robes of the clan, marked with the cloud emblem, were allowed inside. The cultivators' eyes widened slightly when they saw Elias and Yui approaching, and they quickly stepped aside, opening the heavy doors to let them pass.
"Why can they pass and not us?" someone from the crowd shouted angrily, their voice rising above the others.
Yui's eyes filled with sadness as she looked at the crowd outside the gates, especially when she noticed the children among them. Their frightened faces and desperate pleas tugged at her heart.
"We need to seek shelter, too! Just because we are not cultivators and not part of the clan doesn't mean our lives are worth less!" a woman cried out, her voice sharp with panic.
"Please, have mercy! Let us in! Or at least my child" a man begged, his hands clasped together as he looked up at the guards, hoping for a shred of compassion.
The cultivators remained silent, their expressions unyielding as they closed the gates again, shutting out the growing desperation.
"If only we could help them..." Yui whispered, her voice barely audible, filled with regret.
Elias didn't respond. He simply pulled her along, his expression cold and distant, as if he had already shut himself off from the chaos around them.
Inside the clan's central building court, they were met with a different kind of turmoil. Cultivators rushed around, their faces grim as they shouted orders and tried to organize defenses.
"Quickly, gather more supplies! Send weapons and extra arrows to the North gate! Those unawakened guards will get us some time!" barked a man in a white robe, his voice strained and urgent.
"Has anyone merged with a rank 2 Foggy Trap manifestation? We need to set traps at the East gate!" another man yelled, his voice carrying through the crowded hall.
The sound of footsteps and the smell of sweat and fear hung heavy in the air. The atmosphere was tense and suffocating. In many ways, this place was even more chaotic than the streets outside.
But it was understandable. Most civilians outside might not grasp the true terror of the approaching aether beasts, thinking they could find safety by hiding in their homes. The clan members, however, knew better. They understood that these beasts were not something to be trifled with, and mere walls would not keep them at bay.
As they were rushing through the hall, Yui suddenly spotted a familiar figure. It was Ray Xiawen. Upon seeing each other, they sighed.
"I am going to send Elias to the warehouse. I will come back afterward for war preparation." Yui said, her voice trembling slightly.
"Of course...Take care, wife." Ray Xiawen replied, his expression darkening as he looked at Elias.
Yui gave him a weak smile before turning to Elias. "Let's go."
As they walked away, Ray Xiawen watched them leave, his gaze lingering on Yui's back for a moment.
Yui led Elias to a large warehouse near the main building, nestled within the clan's heavily fortified outer wall. The warehouse was a massive structure, its wooden beams and thick stone walls giving it an air of sturdy reliability.
The place had been hastily prepared, with servants setting up makeshift beds from straw and thin blankets. The atmosphere inside was tense, but there was a sense of order compared to the chaos outside.
As they entered, Elias noticed that the warehouse was crowded with people, mostly women and children, but also a few elderly clan members.
The space was dimly lit by lanterns hanging from the ceiling, casting long shadows across the room. The floor was clean, and the air smelled faintly of wood and the food supplies stored in the far corner. Stacks of sacks filled with grains and barrels of water were piled high, ready to sustain them if the siege lasted longer than expected.
The warehouse was heavily guarded. Several clan members, clad in white robes and bearing the clan emblem, stood at various points around the perimeter, their eyes sharp and alert. The guards held their weapons close, ready to respond at a moment's notice.
Yui led Elias to a group of children gathered on the floor, sitting on the makeshift beds. Their faces were pale with fear, and some clung to each other for comfort. The adults nearby did their best to reassure them, but their voices were tinged with anxiety.
"Don't worry," one of the adults said, his voice trying to sound confident but failing. "It's just a few beasts. Our patriarch is a rank 4 cultivator, and we have many rank 3 elders. We'll be fine. Just stay calm."
Elias recognized some of the children—they were in the same class as him. Most of them were unawakened or only a little older than Elias.
"You'll be safe here," Yui said softly, kneeling beside Elias. "The clan is especially protective toward children. I can't stay, though. They need all available cultivators for the battle."
Elias remained silent, his expression blank. He didn't seem particularly concerned about the situation. Sighing, Yui gave him a tight hug before standing up to leave.
"Be safe, my child," she whispered before turning to join the other cultivators preparing for the battle.
Elias watched her go, his face still showing no emotion.
.
.
.
.
.
As night fell, the warehouse grew quieter, the only sounds being the occasional whimper from the children and the murmured reassurances from the adults. Despite their training to become future cultivators, the children were still scared. The thought of being attacked by beasts was terrifying.
Elias, however, wasn't stressed about the potential danger because even if he wanted to, he couldn't feel fear of death like others did.
While the others tried to sleep, he sat in a corner, away from the group, practicing his control over his strength. He had just ascended to rank 2, and getting used to his increased power took time.
He practiced with some wooden planks he had found, trying to fine-tune his strength. Sometimes, he applied too much force, causing the planks to splinter or even explode in his hands, sending bits of wood flying.
Other times, he barely touched them, yet they broke apart like fragile glass. But Elias was patient, and he continued practicing through the night.
The next morning, the warehouse was still dimly lit, with only a few shafts of sunlight managing to pierce through the small gaps in the walls. The air was still heavy with the lingering tension from the night before.
Elias hadn't slept at all, but he didn't feel tired. His focus had been on mastering his strength, and now that he felt more in control, he decided to turn his attention to something else.
Reaching into his robe, Elias pulled out a map he had kept hidden. It was detailed and carefully drawn, showing the entire region near the town, including the surrounding forests, mountains, and the river that cut through the land.
More importantly, it marked the locations of various beast territories in red ink, with notes on the different species and their characteristics.
Elias unfolded the map and spread it out on the floor in front of him, his eyes scanning the familiar lines and markings. He knew this map well, and he would be stupid if he didn't study it in advance. However, he still always kept one on him in case.
Elias studied the map carefully, his eyes scanning the details. "The nearest beast territory is the forest of Brume Swarmers" he muttered to himself. "They'll be the first to reach us. Judging by the distance, they should arrive in a couple of hours. That means the battle will start soon."
He thought about the Brume Swarmers and quickly concluded. "They won't be a problem for cultivators. They're weak and can't even pierce the skin of a rank 2 cultivator. Their manifestations are mostly focused on communication among their own and confusion. They usually prey on non-awakened humans or animals, so they're not a threat for now. But if some evolved into Murk Skulkers, things could get complicated."
Beasts, like manifestations or cultivators, could evolve depending on their acquired manifestations. However, their evolution was more akin to manifestations, following predetermined paths. In short, for them to evolve and increase in rank, they would need to acquire a specific manifestation.
For instance, a rank 1 Brume Swarmer could evolve into a rank 2 Murk Skulker, a rank 2 Brume Skulker, or even a variant like the rank 2 Foggy Skulker upon acquiring the right manifestation. This means that some beasts always possess a specific manifestation essential for their evolution, as it is the key to their advancement.
"Those evolved forms can be a pain," Elias thought, "but they're not too dangerous. Even the Foggy Skulker, a rarer variant, relies on numbers to overwhelm its enemies."
Swarm-type creatures like the Foggy Skulker were dangerous primarily because of their sheer numbers and rapid breeding rates. These smaller beasts dominated territory by overwhelming opponents, and within a swarm, individual creatures might not share identical manifestations. This diversity in abilities made them especially dangerous as a group.
However, rank wasn't the only factor when it came to determining a single beast's strength, but it was still significant. A beast's rank primarily determines how many manifestations it can possess, which is calculated by squaring its rank.
For example, a rank 1 beast could have one manifestation, while a rank 2 beast could have up to four (2x2). At the highest levels, a rank 9 beast could potentially wield 81 (9x9) manifestations.
Moreover, higher-ranked beasts were generally stronger, smarter, and more physically resilient, giving them a considerable advantage in battle.
Elias then continued to carefully examine the map, focusing on each species of beast marked in red. He went over their strengths, weaknesses, and the manifestations they were known to possess. His eyes moved steadily across the detailed drawings and notes, absorbing the information.
After a long moment, he finally put the map away. He then took out a little bottle in which a gray flame burned with a faint light.
"I refrained myself from merging with this manifestation earlier because I didn't know if it would have been useful in my first disaster. But it seems like that caution was unnecessary," Elias thought as he carefully uncorked the bottle.
The moment the bottle was opened, the gray flame inside flickered wildly, as if sensing freedom, and immediately tried to escape by floating away. But before it could, Elias's hand moved with lightning speed, his grip firm and unyielding. He ruthlessly took control of the flame, bringing it close to his aperture.
"This will be my first manifestation."