Xander and Vastarael's Conversation

It took only five days for Vastarael to get his bearings straight.

Vastarael stood alone in the center of the frozen training field, his body finally at peace after hours of intense effort. It had taken five days for him to regain control over the wild, untamed power of his Ascended form.

The explosive strength and overwhelming speed he had experienced earlier had left him off balance. But thanks to the calming techniques his mother, Lysameria, had drilled into him since childhood, he had managed to steady himself.

The Plenituse Techniques were a gift from his mother's lineage, a set of principles that guided the user toward harmony between mind and body. They weren't aggressive or flashy, unlike most combat arts. Instead, they relied on gentleness, focus, and introspection, an art of temperance amidst chaos.

Vastarael had only begun to truly understand the First Plenituse Technique, which focused on the foundation of calm. This technique was unique to his bloodline, adapting to each practitioner's strengths, weaknesses, and innate potential. For Vastarael, the technique had revealed itself as an intricate dance between his physical movements and his essence.

It didn't suppress his power but instead taught him how to guide it, like a river flowing through carefully constructed channels rather than bursting its banks.

He only needed to be an Ascender for him to learn a little about the First Plenituse Technique. And there were three more techniques to go.

Hours of breathing exercises, precise movements and focusing his thoughts into stillness had brought him back under control. His sapphire coated bones no longer moved with chaotic force but with deliberate precision. He could summon sapphire when needed but keep it restrained when unnecessary.

Each technique in the Plenituse set was deeply personal. It wasn't a rigid form of training but a fluid philosophy, evolving based on the user's needs and understanding.

Vastarael's journey with the First Technique had already revealed the vast potential within him, and he knew that the deeper he delved into it, the more his body and essence would transform.

As the sun dipped below the horizon, Vastarael sat on a frost-covered boulder, gazing at the empty expanse of the training field. Despite the progress he had made, he couldn't help but feel the weight of everything he still had to learn.

His thoughts drifted to his Sapphire Augmentation. The sheer power of his sapphire-coated body was immense, but it lacked finesse. He needed to test its limits, to understand how far he could push it before it broke... or before he broke under the strain.

Then there was Circlecraft, a skill that had grown exponentially with the unlocking of his Second Star. Earlier in the day, he had accidentally unleashed a Second Star Water Circle while practicing, and its strength had startled even him.

He needed to refine this, to ensure that he didn't accidentally overdraw his essence or destroy his surroundings with an unstable circle.

His Rune Drawing, too, demanded attention. It wasn't just about summoning or speaking runes anymore. As an Ascender, his ability to draw and anchor them had grown. The runes now pulsed with a life of their own and he knew there were advanced forms of rune-crafting waiting for him to discover.

And then there was his weapon mastery.

The Plenituse Techniques, though rooted in calm and control, had an intrinsic connection to combat. The First Technique had already begun to shape how he wielded weapons, allowing him to flow with them rather than forcing his will upon them. He needed to integrate this newfound understanding into his combat style, to see how it synergized with the raw power of his Ascended form.

Finally, there was his body itself.

Ascension had amplified everything. His speed, strength, endurance, even his instincts. But it also meant his body was no longer what it used to be. The sapphire-infused bones and heightened reflexes demanded a new way of thinking, a new approach to combat and movement.

It was like being reborn into a stronger, faster version of himself, but one that required careful adjustment to avoid self-destruction.

Vastarael sighed, running a hand through his white curls as he stared at the frosted horizon.

"This is going to take forever," he muttered to himself, though there was a glimmer of determination in his golden eyes.

He rose to his feet, rolling his shoulders as the familiar weight of his sapphire-coated body settled comfortably around him. Every step forward, no matter how small, was still progress.

His gaze drifted toward the training dummies at the edge of the field, and a small smirk tugged at his lips.

'Might as well start with what's right in front of me.'

With that, he called forth a sapphire shard, its glowing surface floating in front of him. He unleashed it towards the training dummy, causing a shockwave to come out of it, obliterating the entire row of training dummies and part of the icy ground.

'Huh. At least it does the work.'

"Hey there. I didn't expect you to be here so soon."

Vastarael looked up from where he sat. Xander Fedres approached, his armored boots crunching softly against the icy ground. His strong build, marked with the pride of the Fedres military lineage, cast a shadow over the training field. Without waiting for an invitation, Xander plopped down beside him, stretching out with an air of camaraderie.

"I needed some quiet," Vastarael replied, brushing frost off his shoulder. "Why are you out here? I thought you were having one last party with your 'army' before the journey tomorrow."

They could both hear a lot of cheering from the camp, showing how much of a great time they were having.

"Tomorrow's journey," Xander said, crossing his arms behind his head. "It's been on my mind. You know, that bridge we're heading to, longest one in Erna Isles. It's the perfect spot for an ambush."

"Agreed," Vastarael replied. "The Krepsunas will be there. It's the best chokepoint for them to attack. We'll need to strategize carefully. Thankfully, we got that covered."

Xander nodded, though his eyes seemed to linger on something beyond the practicalities of tomorrow's travel. He hesitated for a moment before clearing his throat.

"Speaking of tomorrow, there's something else I've been thinking about. Something... or rather someone."

Vastarael raised an eyebrow, a knowing smirk tugging at the corner of his lips.

"Go on."

"It's Phaenora," Xander admitted, his voice lowering. He leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees. "I've been watching you two. All the... interactions."

"What about them?"

"Don't 'what about them' me," Xander retorted, narrowing his eyes. "She's all over you. Aitting on your lap, flirting every chance she gets, and let's not forget how you let her call you 'baby boy' without batting an eye. I mean, what are you two? Are you together or not?"

Vastarael chuckled, shaking his head.

"We're not a couple, if that's what you're asking."

Xander gave him a disbelieving look.

"You're telling me she's not your woman after everything I've seen?"

"It's not that simple,".Vastarael said, leaning back against the boulder. "Phaenora is... complicated. She's my guardian in many ways, but now that she has a physical form, things are... different. Her teasing is just part of who she is. I don't let it distract me."

They didn't know that she was an Omniscient. Vastarael told them that she was a guardian Dynasty Richinaria gave her since he was young. Now that he became an Ascender, she gained a physical form.

"That's what I don't get," Xander said, throwing his hands up. "How do you stay so calm? She's all over you, Vastarael. I don't know how you're not losing your mind. If it were me—"

"You'd be a wreck."

"Exactly!" Xander exclaimed. "I mean, come on. She's tall, gorgeous, and let's not even talk about her assets. Every guy in the camp is either jealous of you or terrified of her."

Vastarael shrugged, "I've had practice dealing with her antics. Besides, I think you're underestimating how much she enjoys pushing boundaries just to see how far she can go."

Xander shook his head, still in disbelief.

"I'll give you that. She's a handful, but she clearly cares about you. And then there's Peccavi... what's his deal? That woman practically worships you."

"She's loyal. Sometimes overly so, but I can trust her when it matters."

Xander sighed, leaning back to look at the now approaching stars.

"You've got a strange group around you, you know that? Phaenora, Peccavi, Elyonari... even Farrynelle's a bit intense. And then there's you, the 'Prince of Beauty,' somehow keeping all of this together."

"It's not easy. But... they're my team, my allies. I trust them, even if we don't always see eye to eye. Also, were the children of Nexuses. We all have a lot in common."

Xander glanced at him thoughtfully.

"Still, it must be nice to have someone like Phaenora in your corner, even if she drives you insane. She's... something else."

"That she is."

The two of them sat in silence for a moment, the cold night air settling around them. Vastarael did not have a lot of pleasant conversations with men, even his brother Leon.

To his younger brother, Vastarael is... a legend, a role model. His parents don't compare him to Vastarael but he usually feels like he's... not enough.

But as a good brother, Vastarael began to teach Leon a little about combat for a while. They used to have a good relationship going on.

But talking to another member of a Dynasty in the same situation and life as he was felt... fulfilling.

"You ready for tomorrow?" Xander asked finally, his tone more serious.

"No, I'm not. Xander, a little advice. Prepare for the worst. I mean it."

"I know," Xander said, standing up and dusting off his armor. "Because something tells me that bridge is going to test all of us. And I'm glad you're leading the way. I'm going back to the party. You coming?"

He shook his head as he see the three moons coming to view. This was the first time the sky was so clear that he see the moons.

But this time, one of the moons was not destroyed. No one knows what destroyed one of the moons, not even his parents, considering how old they are, but it wasn't in this era.

"I'll stay here for a bit. I need to calm myself for tomorrow."

"Alright."