Brutus, noticing the heaviness in Kaelen's voice, responded instantly. "Done." The playful tone was gone, replaced by sober efficiency. "What's the matter, little Kaelen?"
Kaelen first walked closer to Ethan, his steps measured. He murmured, almost to himself, "A soul body, huh?" He looked the boy up and down, a new, profound respect in his gaze. "Kid, you're lucky. Of all the times, I had to be the one recruiting. And I'm not sure if you knew about your soul body and refused the Moraves and the Illusionists' temple for this reason. Smart move, by the way."
"Thank you, sir," Ethan replied, his face a mask of polite confusion while internally his mind screamed, "Am I fucked?"
Kaelen then replied to Brutus, his voice sharp and decisive. "Thank you, Brutus. You've done me a favor, but you'll have to do another for me. Keep the matter of both their uniqueness a secret from the Order... I don't want them ending up like me. We can discuss compensation later."
Brutus replied with a greedy, knowing chuckle. "Of course... hehe."
Kaelen turned fully to face Ethan and Alan, his posture straight, his expression solemn. "I am Kaelen of the Aeltic Order. Space Affinity and holder of the 6th Soul Body, 'The Void'." He let the title hang in the air for a moment. "I need the two of you to become my students."
He then looked directly at Ethan. "I'll explain, and Ethan, you can relax. I can see how calculating you are. You're exactly like my first student; that's the primary reason I accepted you. Unfortunately, I didn't notice your soul body at the temple, and even after Brutus mentioned it, I still can't sense it. But Brutus is never wrong."
He began his explanation, his voice taking on the tone of a lecturer. "The ascendant power of this world is deeply tied to the soul and is the foundation for advancement. Separate from your innate affinity to an element, we have something called Battle Physiques, which are divided into two forms. The Soul Body, and the Elemental Body—or Bloodline Body, since its manifestation is rooted in the bloodline you carry." He gestured to Alan. "And that's for you, Alan.
The Soul Body, on the contrary, is not tied to a bloodline. It is attached to an individual's personality, and its manifestation is unique to that individual. There has never been a record of two Soul Bodies holding the same ability. Elemental Bodies are rare, but Soul Bodies are legends."
"My Soul Body has one effect, and it's passive," Kaelen continued. "It doesn't enhance my active combat ability, but it drastically improves my capacity to consume and process knowledge, making me the youngest ascendant to reach the Mystic Rank in the space of 20 years."
His expression grew grim. "Elemental Bodies are rare but not as rare as Soul Bodies. If the higher-ups found out you possess potential like this, they would bind you with a soul oath you could never break, forcing you to work for the Aeltic Order forever." He said this with a deep frown. "There's nothing wrong with working for the Order, don't get me wrong. But I believe freedom equals true growth." He finished with a wistful expression.
"Now, I'm allowing both of you to grow freely. I have a Soul Body, and my first student has a Lightning Elemental Body like yours, Alan. That's why I took an interest in you. But you, Ethan... I totally didn't notice. And I'm now sure the reason for that is your Soul Body is ranked far higher than mine, to not be sensed even in its Unawakened state. But since there's very little information on Soul Bodies in the first place... I'm making speculations."
He looked at them both, his gaze intense. "So, I'll ask again, since we can't spend too much time here, please understand that you can refuse this offer. Will you be my students?"
Alan was already nodding vigorously, his eyes wide with awe and excitement. But Ethan stood still for a long moment, his mind analyzing every word, every nuance of Kaelen's offer. He saw no deception, only a rare and genuine offer of protection and guidance. Finally, he bowed to Kaelen. "I will." "Not like I had a choice anyway."
For the first time since Ethan had met him, he saw a gentle, genuine smile on Kaelen's face, one that looked as if the man had finally found a measure of peace.
Then, Kaelen shocked both students. He turned and bowed deeply to the empty air. "Lord Brutus... I've been in the Order for 60 years now, and my interests are the Order's interests. I swore not to harm the order, and I swear on my runes to keep those words. These kids... they are my redemption. My chance to see the world through them. Keep this secret for me, and I swear to do one thing you ask of me, without question or hesitation, in addition to the compensation we'll agree on."
Ethan could almost feel a smile forming on Brutus's non-existent face. The silence stretched, thick with the weight of the vow.
"Hmnnnn... Kaelen, this is a huge favor," Brutus's voice echoed, thoughtful and slow. "I can agree. But I don't need compensation... I want something else." A sly, knowing tone crept back into his voice. "And it's not from you... hehe."
Kaelen's brow furrowed, the solemnity of the moment broken by a flicker of impatience and concern. He reached into his robe, retrieving a simple silver pocket watch. He clicked it open, glanced at its face for a brief moment as if checking the time for some appointment, and then snapped it shut, tucking it away. The gesture was habitual.
"I don't understand," he said, his voice firm, cutting through Brutus's cryptic tone. "Please make your intentions clear, Brutus. A vow is a serious matter, and I have offered you one. If it is not compensation and it is not a task for me, what do you want? Speak plainly."
The air in the pocket dimension seemed to grow still.
"Very well, little Kaelen. Plainly, then." The voice was no longer that of a teasing uncle, but of an ancient, formidable intelligence.
"You're offering me a single, unconditional favor from a Space Mystic Rank. A valuable currency, indeed. But you've been in the Mystic Rank for 50 years without advancement... honestly, there's very little you can do for me while you're in this rank, not worth a favor like this."
The voice focused its attention, and Ethan felt an invisible, weightless gaze settle upon him like a spotlight.
"My price is not from you, Kaelen. It is from him."
Ethan's blood ran cold.
"Your soul body, like Kaelen said, might just be stronger than Kaelen's, and that's worth something to me," Brutus intoned. "Ethan Alerion. I wish to place a... marker upon your soul. It's not a contract, it's just a simple, unique coordinate that I, and only I, can read."
Kaelen took a sharp step forward. "Brutus! That is—"
"It is not an anchor!" Brutus's voice boomed, silencing Kaelen's protest.
"It grants me no power over him. It gives me no access to his mind or his measly essence. It will not hinder his growth or reveal his secrets. It is merely a... bookmark. So that I may always find him, no matter where in the vastness of reality he may wander."
Your new student is... he is the strangest thing I have sensed in a millennium. I wish to observe. I wish to see what becomes of him. That is my price. His permission to be... interesting to me."
All eyes turned to Ethan. The choice, impossibly, was back in his hands.
Kaelen looked at him, his expression a turbulent mix of outrage at the audacity of the request and a grudging understanding of its nature. It was, as Brutus said, not a chain. But it was a spotlight from a being of immense power, one he could never escape.
"Well, boy?" Brutus's voice was calm, expectant. "Will you allow this old artifact, satisfy his curiosity? My cooperation regarding your true nature hangs in the balance."
Ethan's mind, which had been a whirlwind since arriving in this world, went utterly still.
He looked at Kaelen, who gave a minute, almost imperceptible shake of his head. "He doesn't want me to accept, hmmnnn... I wouldn't accept either, but you'd think they were playing good cop, bad cop at first..... does this mean he really just wants to protect me from a the soul oath thing?
Beneath the warning, Ethan saw something else. Kaelen would not make this decision for him.
Next, he thought about the sealed layers of Leo's essence and his second affinity silent, right beneath the seal holding it back. He was already a huge secret wrapped in itself. What was one more? A spatial coordinate... It was a risk, a colossal one. But Brutus had power, and power, even as a silent observer, could be a shield as much as a threat. And it would secure Kaelen's vow, a mentor who was his ticket to growing peacefully.
He met the unseen gaze, his voice steady despite the tremor in his hands. "Sir Brutus, I'm sorry I have to decline your offer, but if you'd allow me to make a suggestion, sir."
A profound silence filled the room, and then a single, shimmering point of silver light, no larger than a grain of sand, descended from the ceiling. It hovered before Ethan's chest for a moment, pulsing with a gentle rhythm.
This time Brutus' voice came from the shimmering silver light." Hmnnn, guts.... could kill you sometimes, you know, I expected you to think about declining my request, but to speak it to me that's something I never expected. Then you go on to offer me a suggestion. You interest me, boy, speak."
Ethan took a deep breath.
"I've been in a lot of crazy things for one day, but honestly, I'd never imagine speaking to a glowing little light." Trying his hardest not to let his stupid thoughts show on his face, he spoke with all the respectfulness he could muster.
"Sir, I'd like to offer you one favor when I reach the same rank as my master, just like you said, sir, I might be worth something, and I promise you I'm worth more than just entertainment."
"Child .... I will praise potential, but I won't tolerate you speaking words you don't know the gravity of!!!!!" Brutus replied angrily, but Ethan persisted
"Sir, I know what my words mean!!!!, but I swear on my name, I'll do anything you ask of me, it's a bet on my potential like you said." Gritting his teeth, Ethan spoke as Brutus' initial shout rattled his brain for a moment.
Through this whole place of events, Kaelen didn't speak even once; he only stood with his cane in front of him, listening and watching his new student with a faint smile on his lips every time Ethan spoke
"Hmmnnn, even when facing this amount of pressure, you still didn't back down, nice .... nice " Brutus whispered, His playfulness returning to his voice as the light floated slowly around Ethan. "I'll keep your secret; you can't stay any longer. You owe me now, child. Now, go. Your new life awaits."
The heavy door at the end of the room slid open with a deep grind, revealing a corridor lit by soft, ambient light. The conversation was over.
"Kaelen, standing to the side, asked Ethan and Alan to walk in first before him. Just before the trio made their way into the door, they heard Brutus' voice from behind
"One more thing, children, I never play with entertainment. Both of your students must rank top 10 in their tournament when they break into the soul-born Rank, or he..he... you'll owe me 10,000 elemental stones in addition to what you already owe."
"That's for the smug smile you had while your student was talking to me."
Kaelen's shoulders slumped slightly, but the smile didn't quite leave his face as he followed his new students into the corridor, the door sealing shut behind them.