Valcroy and Erik immediately focused their attention on the Maiden of the Star, putting aside everything else. The sudden influx of information they had received from her had given them a wealth of knowledge about Lorein—its plants, its abyssal creatures, and much more. They now understood many aspects of the realm's past peace and its current state and everything it had in between. However, despite all this knowledge, one crucial question remained unanswered: "What are we supposed to do with all this knowledge?" What was all of this for?
This question might have occupied their thoughts if the Maiden hadn't quickly provided an answer.
"The Lords have betrayed the Dream Star, and justice must be exacted upon them. Thy purpose is to hunt the Abyssal Lords and recover the shards of the Dream Star. Only with the might of the Dream Star can this realm be cleansed of the Abyss. To this end, I stand by thy side and will help thee in forging thy path."
Silence*
Both of them stared at the Maiden, hoping she was joking, but her solemn expression told them otherwise.
"That's..." Valcroy's voice faltered as he struggled to find the right words. He still vividly remembers the battle between two Demi-Lords, he saw it up close so how could he not, each attack capable of leveling countless stars. And now they were being told to face such opponents? They were just human—though, were they still? Regardless, they knew they wouldn't stand a chance against these beings. They couldn't even withstand a single breath from one of them, let alone fight them. This was just an impossible task, setting them to failure from the beginning.
Sensing their growing unease, the Maiden continued. "Before thou canst confront the Abyssal Lords, thou must first seeketh and recover the fragments of the Dream Star. Lorein hath identified eighteen such fragments thus far, each guarded by a corrupt being within this realm."
She gestured and different beings, scenes of them roaming the realm, appeared before them, two of them which Valcroy recognized, but the rest were unfamiliar.
"These corrupted beings, once noble Starbornes, have become vessels for the fragments, now twisted by the Abyss's dark energies. To reach the Abyssal Lords, thou must hunt down these corrupted guardians and reclaim the fragments they possess."
Valcroy and Erik exchanged uncertain glances. The task ahead seemed daunting, but at least they didn't have to immediately face those unbeatable Abyss Lords who defied all logic.
Erik suddenly interrupted her as a thought was gnawing at him.
"What do you mean when you are addressing Lorein? Is it a sentient being?" He tried to be as formal as he could.
The Maiden's gaze remained steady, her eyes reflecting the flickering light of the Dream Star. "Lorein itself is not a sentient being, but it doth embody a will—a consciousness that guideth its existence and evolution. It is the will of the realm, a force that sustaineth balance and order."
She paused, her tone growing more solemn. "Only the Maidens of the Star can commune directly with this will. They are chosen to channel and comprehend the realm's desires, serving as intermediaries betwixt Lorein and those within its bounds."
Erik nodded, prompting the Maiden to continue. She did so, saying, "Thou art not yet strong enough to confront even a common Shard Bearer of this realm. Thy current might falleth far short of what is required for the trials that lie ahead."
She let her words sink in before continuing. "When thou reachest the zenith of thy world's intermediate realm, then—and only then—shall Lorein commence its transformation. This transformation shall not only grant thee the means to master the ways of the Dreamweavers and Abysswalkers, but shall also alter thy very essence, aligning thee with the true power required to face the trials that await."
Both Valcroy and Erik nodded, remembering the war they had witnessed, where even the foot soldiers possessed strength equivalent to a master realm expert of Avaloria. They couldn't help but wonder how such a powerful world had ended up in its current state just because one being vanished. More questions began surfacing, but they pushed them aside as the Maiden's voice continued.
"To avoid complications in thy transformation, thou must first achieve a perfect inner change. This is essential to align thy essence with the trials that lie ahead."
With a deliberate gesture, she waved her hand, and a faint, shimmering aura enveloped them. "To guide thee on this path, thou must train in accordance with these principles."
In an instant, a training manual materialized within their minds, its presence felt as a sudden influx of knowledge and instruction. The manual contained detailed guidance, techniques, and rituals necessary to achieve the inner change required for their transformation.
"Hold fast to this training," the Star Keeper instructed, "And steel thyselves well. Only then shalt thou be ready to face the trials that await."
Both of them closed their eyes, focusing on the manual in their minds. Erik found a silver-colored book hovering in a myriad-colored sea where the black miasma used to be. Valcroy, who hadn't unlocked his inner vision, could only perceive the information being fed into his mind. If he could see inside, he would have found it difficult to locate the book, as it was pitch black, blending into the black miasma.
Before they had the chance to read further into the manuals, the Maiden's voice interrupted their concentration.
"The Pathfinder shall return thee and remain with thee henceforth, granting thee passage into Lorein whenever thee require."
Valcroy quickly opened his eyes and saw the whale before him, but before he could react, it entered his body like water. He raised his eyebrows in surprise, not expecting it, but after feeling no discomfort, he let it be. He then remembered something he wanted to ask: "What does 'Last of the Undying' and the Abysswalker mean?"
But all he received in response was a smile from the Maiden as his vision blurred. Before he could do anything, they were sent out of the hut. A voice echoed in their minds, revealing the name of their first adversary: "Dorian, the Tormented."
---
Erik and Valcroy exchanged glances, then looked at the spot where the puddle had been—it was now gone. The infected stood next to them, but something was different about it. However, the duo were too absorbed in their own thoughts to notice. With their connection to it severed, the infected left the tunnel of its own accord. The next time they met, they wouldn't be able to recognize it.
After standing there for a long time, Erik finally moved, bringing along a dazed Valcroy, who was still struggling to believe that Lorein was real.
"Let's go," Erik said as he walked out. Once outside, the first thing he did was check the time. He had no idea how long they had been in Lorein or in that strange hut—each place was more surreal than the last.
He saw the sun directly overhead, indicating it was around noon. They hurried to the last secret tunnel and used it to enter the city. Of course, they had to use the invisibility talisman to avoid the guards, but they weren't much of a problem.
Without bothering to interact with anyone, they headed straight to the Crucible, eager to examine the new manual they had been given. Upon reaching the Crucible, they separated and began meditating. Valcroy's main benefit from this trip was that, thanks to the method provided by the Maiden, he could now meditate for 10 minutes with full concentration—a significant achievement in itself.
He also discovered why his thoughts had been so scattered, and why he had struggled to focus. It was because his body was adjusting to the essence of the Abyssalborne, or Abyssal Kin, whose very nature was inherently unstable. This instability was also why they were known as the maddened Abyssalborne or Abyssal Kin—a true race of the Abyss. (A/N These two names will keep on interchanging but both mean the same)
Now sitting cross-legged, Valcroy began circulating the miasma, according to the manual. He still needed to temper his muscles, but the method described in "the Abyssal Transmutation" manual differed from what he had been using before. In the previous method, he had been instructed to target one muscle at a time, tempering it to perfection before moving on to the next. But this manual instructed him to spread the miasma throughout his entire body, like an ocean wave sweeping over everything in its path.
Valcroy was confused by this new approach but decided to give it a try. He knew he wouldn't die because of Tiamat's Curse, which he called the Revitalizing Aura previously. As long as he didn't die instantly, any wound he received, no matter how severe, would heal.
However, he didn't know why it was called a curse. He hadn't asked the Maiden about it, partly because he forgot and partly because the information she had given them included a brief introduction to Tiamat's Curse:
Tiamat's Curse: A force of ancient power, revered and feared alike. It holds the ability to mend any wound, cure any ailment, and restore a body teetering on the edge of oblivion, as long as the spark of life endures. So long as death has not claimed them in full, the curse can draw one back from the very brink, defying the grasp of the heavens and bringing them back from the cusp of death itself.
Valcroy couldn't understand why such a blessing was called a curse. He and Erik were unaware of the cost of using Tiamat's Curse; otherwise, they would have understood why it was deemed a curse rather than a blessing. The Star Maiden had deliberately withheld this information, sensing that their current mental state was not strong enough to handle it and that it might hinder their progress.
Putting these thoughts aside, Valcroy followed the manual and spread the miasma throughout his body, flooding every muscle with it. Wherever the miasma passed, it left behind only destruction. If anyone could have seen Valcroy at that moment, they would have thought he had fully become an Abyssal Kin. His entire body was emitting black miasma, which reacted violently with the ambient mana, causing reddish flames to form around him, giving him an enigmatic and ominous aura.
However, his shriveled body told a different story. Every muscle in his body was reduced to ash by the corrosive miasma. Just when it seemed as though he was finished, Tiamat's Curse activated, flooding his body with life force, accelerating healing, and forging his muscles anew—an upgraded version of his previous self.
While chaos reigned on Valcroy's side, something completely different was happening on Erik's side.
After receiving the "Dreamforge" manual, Erik delved deeply into its contents, starting with the first chapter—the only chapter accessible at the moment. The manual began by instructing him on how to forge his muscles using the Dream energy. Dream energy was an enigma of its own; it didn't have the corrosive properties of the Abyssal Miasma, the nourishing qualities of Tiamat's Curse, or even the same characteristics as normal mana, which typically nourished muscles when used for tempering.
It was something entirely different. Just from its name, Erik knew it wouldn't be easy. When he read how to forge his body using this manual, he felt as though it was messing with him.
"Forge by dreaming of the body of the Serpent of the Deep?"