Mysterious Pendant

The Capital city was shrouded in a thick veil of clouds, but as the sun began to rise, the clouds slowly dissipated, making way for the magnificent rays of sunshine that illuminated the entire city.

The morning was simply breathtaking, as the sun's radiance brought to life the vibrant shades of the cityscape, casting a warm and welcoming aura over the Capital.

A group of Commoners huddled together on the streets, surrounding an Imperial guard adorned in glistening golden armour. They whispered in hushed voices pointing at the parchment gripped by the guard.

The guard who had an air of superiority wafting around him, stood on a high raised wooden platform and scanned the crowd gathered below him with his keen and alert eyes.

After making sure that there were no troublemakers amidst the group, he gracefully unrolled the parchment, holding it up for all to see.

"Pay your respects to the Imperial Order!"

The guard's voice boomed across the square, commanding attention and respect as the locals gathered around him quickly dropped to their knees on the slick cobblestone pavement.

Some muttered curses under their breath, blaming the guard for enforcing order after a night of heavy rain that left the ground soaked and muddy. Their neatly washed clothes were getting stained by the grime and dirt accumulated by the rainwater.

"Ahem."

Before vocalising the Imperial order, the guard cleared his throat, his back straight and rigid with reverence. His voice, when he finally spoke, was laced with deference and respect, conveying the weight and importance of the mandate he was about to deliver.

"Adhering to the centuries-old tradition, the Imperial Family has decided to host the Phoenix Festival on the day of the next full moon. All the loyal subjects of the Emperor, who have reached maturity this year, are hereby ordered to gather at the 'Flaming Nest Coliseum'.

"Join us in celebrating the strength and resilience of our empire and the mythical creature that embodies it."

Wide-spread murmurs broke out in the city square as people started to buzz with excitement. Parents wished for their children to be successful in sensing their mana cores while those hot-blooded youths clenched their fists harder, determined to walk the arduous path of cultivation and rewrite their destiny.

Similar scenes could be seen playing out in every corner of the vast Capital City as ordinary folks and nobles alike scuttled around in palpable excitement in preparation for the upcoming festival.

Looking at the ordered chaos ensuing in the streets from his table where he was having his breakfast, Raymond appeared deep in thought.

He had heard and read about this time-honoured tradition where the Heaven's Door was activated for all the commoners to start their cultivation journey.

He would often ask his grandfather or father to bring him to the festival grounds only to be refused each time.

"Master! We must attend this festival!"

Jasmine's voice was filled with delight, as she pulled him out of his reverie.

"Why? Haven't you seen it enough times already?"

Even though he used to ask his father to bring him to the festival, that was back when he was a kid. To the present day Raymond it didn't have as much significance as it did before.

"Well, this time is different because I am going to see it with you."

Jasmine's voice was filled with earnestness as she tried to convey how much it meant for her to see the festivities with her master.

Feeling influenced by her infectious enthusiasm, Raymond nodded his head.

"Alright! But we will go in the evening, I don't want to watch a bunch of folks going through Heaven's Door all day long."

He added at last trying to keep her excitement in check with a touch of reality.

It wasn't all that great simply looking at people going through Heaven's Door hoping that a genius would emerge from the throngs of commoners.

It would be considered fortunate if someone like that appeared even once a decade.

It all came down to ancestry in the end. The more talented and powerful your parents were, the more chance you had of being assessed with an exceptional talent for cultivation.

And considering how the empire strictly regulated the cultivation resources and didn't allow the commoners to rise above the Martial Master level, it would be up to fate if some heaven defying genius appeared among them.

"Fine!"

Jasmine said, suppressing her excitement. To her, it was fun to watch people go through a range of expressions every time someone went through the door.

As Jasmine stared into her master's bored face, she relented. She knew that the morning events might not interest him as much, but at least the evening events would be more entertaining.

In the evening, the younger generation of noble families would gather to showcase their powers through duels, each trying to outshine the other. Jasmine was excited to see these displays of strength and skill, and she hoped that her master would enjoy them too.

"How about we take Sister Becca with us? It will be more fun with her around!"

Jasmine suggested, patting herself on the back mentally for coming up with that idea.

Raymond considered it for a moment, looking at Jasmine's hopeful face he smiled and answered.

"Sure! Let's invite her. She might enjoy the festivities."

"Really? Thank you, Master!"

Jasmine hugged his hand happily, unable to contain her excitement. Luckily, the ground floor, which housed the canteen, was empty since it was still early in the morning, so no one heard her cheerful outburst.

"I will quickly inform Sister Becca and see if she is okay with it."

Giving a quick peck on his cheek Jasmine hurried off towards the stairs leading to the second floor. A small smile played on Raymond's lips as he watched her skipping happily.

It hasn't even been a few minutes before he heard a series of hurried footsteps from the stairs.

-Clomp! -Clomp!

-Clomp! -Clomp!

Raymond raised his eyebrows when he saw Jasmine descending the stairs with a frown etched on her face.

"What happened, Jasmine?"

"Master, Sister Becca is not opening the door."

Jasmine said in a panic. Looking at her worried face Raymond shook his head.

"Relax, Jasmine. Either she is sleeping or cultivating. Why are you getting so worked up?"

Jasmine felt somewhat relieved hearing her master's calm voice. She had been worried about Sister Becca ever since last evening when she saw her going to the room with a blank look on her face. For some reason, it gave her a bad feeling.

But Raymond's words made sense, and she nodded in agreement. "You're right, Master. Maybe I'm overthinking it. I'll check on her later."

Raymond smiled at her and patted her head. "Good. I will be in the room if you need anything."

After saying his piece Raymond went back to his room. He finally remembered what he was missing. He had almost forgotten to check his necklace and its contents.

He had been too lazy due to the rainfall or else he would have checked it yesterday.

He closed the door behind him and climbed onto his bed, carefully taking off the necklace from around his neck, he traced his fingers over it as he examined it thoroughly.

Several rings interlocked together to give a chain-like pattern to the necklace with an intricate pendant hanging from it. The pendant had a beautiful black gemstone embedded in it, making the silver coloured necklace even more exquisite.

Raymond liked the contrast formed between the silver and black colour. The gemstone radiated a slight hint of warmth from it giving off an arcane vibe.

He concentrated fully on the gemstone and its warmth when suddenly visions of what was inside the pendant appeared in his mind.

"Nice!"

Raymond exclaimed, seeing the wonders of this mysterious necklace. Apart from containing a vast space inside this necklace could also be operated with his thoughts alone.

He didn't need to use his meagre amount of mana every time he wanted to take something out. Raymond was getting more and more impressed by the necklace. It was probably the most precious thing in his possessions right now.

He was thrilled at the thought of filling every corner of the space inside with all kinds of exotic treasures and artefacts.

Most importantly he would be able to keep all of his belongings inside it without having to carry it around.

After admiring the necklace for a bit more, Raymond took out the pile of gold coins scattered inside the space and dumped it on his bed.

Without wasting a second, he quickly got to counting the coins. More than two hours passed as Raymond was immersed in counting.

"Phew! 100243 coins, that's enough for one lifetime."

Raymond breathed out after he was done counting. If he didn't buy anything excessive, then he could lead the rest of his life without having to worry about money problems.

But he knew it wouldn't last for long if he had to buy spells and other cultivation resources for Jasmine.

Cultivation was costly.

He also wanted to find a cure for his mana core. He might be strong now, but that didn't mean he was not bothered about his condition.

Just like every other teenager in this world he too wanted to shoot fireballs from his hands and summon clouds and rain with a thought. Even if he wasn't a teenager anymore that desire didn't die out in the least, it became even more prominent when he watched Jasmine making progress in her cultivation.

His father had spent a fortune acquiring pills and medicines of all kinds trying to fix his core. Even with his well-established connections all over the Continent, he was unable to find anything remotely helpful in fixing his mana core.

Raymond could only guess how much difficult it was going to be if he wanted to start his cultivation.