The Final Ashfield

Chapter 11: Sanctum Chamber Emergence [Part 1]

A week had passed since the boys had first begun their training with the entity. 

They hadn’t made much progress since. The concept of Sanctum Pressure and the Chamber system was still a mystery to them. 

–

"AHHGGHHH?!?!?!?!" Jace screamed in frustration, furiously scratching his head. "Why can't I get it right?!?!?!?" 

Aleximus ignored him, staring at his palm with intense focus. 

That feeling… He recalled, thinking back to when he had forced the rocks to fall on Hatagi after their momentary suspension in the air. 

If I could just access that feeling again…

He sighed quietly and stood.

"Come on dummy." 

He beckoned Jace over as he stood making his way into the forest.

Jace raised his brow in surprise. "You wanna go again? Aren't you pushing yourself too hard?" 

He walked on. 

"You idiot. It's precisely why I'm going back. We only have a few more weeks until the Dwanivit competition. We still don't know what Hidemi's training entails and worse, we can't grasp Sanctum energy!" 

Jace groaned slightly and then followed Aleximus. 

..............................................................................

[Xastol City]

Hisagi chewed his thumb. 

A mistake had been made. It would be too shameful for anyone to see him right now. His hammer, as well as a now cooled crumpled ball of iron, were sprawled out on the floor. 

“Tch! I was careless…” 

He bent over, picking up the hot metal. 

Twinkling Pleortierite. 

An A-tier metal that most Sanctum blades are forged from. Normally it’d be used for Dwarves during the Dwanivit competition but his grandfather Dwygrand approached him with the ore, telling him it was imperative to win the Dwanivit. 

THOOP

The Twinkling Pleortierite went straight into the garbage. The fine metal was now a useless clump of melted iron.

He sat on his bed, eyes twitching as his chest heaved up and down. Behind him sat a bag.

He was angry. Not just about the Pleortierite, but his father.

Just a month or so ago, he had planned to make his father proud during the Dwanivit, and now…

“DAMN IT!!” he yelled, kicking his bed leg. 

“NGH–!” He flinched, grabbing his leg and hopping up and down. “OUCHHHH!!!!!!” 

His face flooded red. He was supposed to be calm, cool, and collected. 

He pouted sadly rolling on the floor and gave and laid completely still.

His hammer had fallen to the floor after he'd kicked the bed.

Father…

It has been a gift commemorating the moment Hatagi had smithed Sparkling Cryomondine. 

His father had been very proud, patting him on the back.

◇"You're much better than Ivan's brat!! HAHA!"◇ He would often say.

Hatagi waited a moment and then picked himself up, grabbing the hammer once again. 

Only 2 pieces left… I'll make it count! He assured himself, gripping the Hammer and removing another piece of Twinkling Pleortierite from the bag.

He raised his hammer once more.

THOOM!!

..............................................................................

[Weeping Forest]

"Urgh…!" Aleximus flew back into a tree. His wooden sword on the ground. 

The entity stood again, in front of the boys releasing a heavy amount of pressure.

Jacender collapsed on his knees in front of the entity. His sword slipping out of his hand.

Aleximus glared furiously, 

Damn it! He's not even attacking us… there has to be something… Something he's doing that I'm just not getting!!

"Hmm…" the entity stared. "It seems your trigger still hasn't been pulled…" 

"...Trigger?" Jace rose slowly, exhausted. 

Damn it, Aleximus! You brought us out here just to kiss the ground! He thought frustratedly.

"Yes. Normally, the day a child reaches 11 years old, the Sanctum Chamber emergence process begins.

"At that age is when a child's body begins to mature and open up to Sanctum energy. Think of it as puberty." 

Aleximus listened intently.

"But, how is Hidemi's chamber open when he's around our age as well?" 

The entity sat down on his throne. 

A small rabbit sat near the entity's feet.

"The blacksmith boy, yes? Worry not. I don't recall never saying that reaching the age requirement was the only way to do so. In fact, there is a method commonly used by trainers in this world."

He picked up the rabbit as he spoke.

"A method…?" Jace murmured.

 "Sanctum Emergence." He said, releasing a ripple of energy through his palm and through the little rabbit's skin. 

The rabbit jumped out of his hand, zooming past Jacender with ease.

"W-Woah!!!" 

"The process is made possible through an Assault of Sanctum energy towards the target's Sanctum core– their heart." 

Aleximus slowly realized. "You mean…?" 

"Yes. Unlike the evolution your body goes through once reaching 11 years of age, this process forcibly opens up your chambers by subjecting you to Sanctum Pressure. This makes your adaptation to the power easier." The entity smiled, perching his elbow on the armrest of his seat and staring straight at the boys.

So back then… That's what it was?! Aleximus recalled the moment he had yelled at Hatagi, sending a ripple of energy through the air. 

Jacender was quick to understand as well.

"But Aleximus was able to do it back then. Why not now?!" 

"The power you released was a short burst of what you're capable of. You were exposed to a magical power directly. That can further heighten your evolution. In your case, you need only tap into that power once more."

Jacender shook his head. "But we've been going through your pressure test for a while now! So why—!!" 

He realized.

"I see." Aleximus chuckled. "The only difference is that your energy doesn't have any 'killing intent'. So that's what this pressure test has been about. You want to see if we're prepared to risk our lives to get stronger, yes?"

The entity's face contorted into a sinister smile. 

"That is correct." 

"Ordinarily, you need just be subjected to a strong Sanctum pressure to open it, but you have felt first hand the overwhelming power of someone only at the 3rd level and almost had your emergence. But you couldn't adapt fast enough." 

Aleximus narrowed his eyes brooding over what he knew was about to happen.

"So we will only have a reaction to that same pressure, huh? Explains why you're asking if we're ready to die…" 

"You're a real jerk, you know that?" Aleximus bent down, picking up his sword.

Jace's eyes twitched as he clenched his fist. "Tsk. Friggin' bastard…" 

"If that's all it was…" he started, grabbing his sword as well, "... Then you should've said so."

They both approached slowly. 

Ever since then… Aleximus steeled himself, thinking about holding Anna and his promise to her.

Jacender thought about parting with his uncle and his goal to remove his codex. Ever since then…

"I'VE BEEN PREPARED TO RISK EVERYTHING!!!!" They both lunged, roaring at the entity.

The entity's aura spiked becoming more sinister and darkness fell upon the region of trees once again. "Good…" 

"... Make sure to steel yourself." 

KA~THWOOM!!

..............................................................................

[An Underground Cave]

The cave's heat was intense. 

A handful of dwarves were in the background, mining away at the cave's walls with pickaxes. 

Banderd sat at a desk with plans of the cave and the hauls of the excavation near him in a huge pile.

He sweated through his tank top, taking a swig of his canteen."Tsk. Damn it, hurry up!!" He yelled, throwing the bottle at the ground.

"How mean, fufu" a voice jeered from the shadows.  "You're not even paying them. Tsk, Tsk. Slave labor is a very serious thing you know?"

Banderd turned around carefully to make sure no one was hearing. 

"Are you insane?! If you're caught here…–"

"I see The Zogno Fluorite is coming along nicely." The voice interrupted, uncaring.

Banderd clenched his fist. 

Asshole.

"We're working as fast as we can. It isn't like you haven't made it easy on us." Banderd grunted. 

"Hmph! Is that sarcasm I sense, Bando?" The voice teased.

That's not my name. Banderd thought aggravatedly.

"I will be watching, Bandered." 

The voice warned him. "You have 3 weeks left. I hope you don't disappoint." 

His voice vanished and echoed into the darkness. 

"...." Banderd exhaled aggressively.

"HURRY UP, YOU IDIOTS!!" He screamed at the dwarves again to alleviate some of his stress.

Clasping his hands together and facing them upwards, he stared forward broodingly.

"I'm so close… So close…" 

..............................................................................

[Aleximus's Mind]

I can't see or hear anything…

Even the sensation of his feet on the ground seemed non-existent. As if walking on clouds without having a foothold or clear direction. 

And what a frightening feeling it was. 

It's oppressive… So much so… I-I can't breathe!!

Hid breathing speed increased. 

"Huff… Huff… A..AHHCKG…!!" 

He inhaled for air, but none came. 

"AGHHRKGHKHHH!!!!!"

The words of the entity resounded throughout his head.

◇"Steel yourself."◇

"Damn it, I'm not dying here!!" He closed his eyes.

Focus!! I can't be getting scared here. What can I do? What can I do that'll get me out of this?!

The pressure suffocated him, drowning out his inner voice…

But it illuminated a familiar feeling.

Hatagi's oppressive aura.

"...!! That's it!!" Aleximus realized, locking onto the feeling. 

Light flooded into the darkness.

…

Aleximus opened his eyes slowly.

"Where…?" 

He was in the Ash Tree Forest. The moon's light shone on the area, opening a path in the tree as if to lead him somewhere. 

A familiar voice laughed dauntingly.

“It’s a slow and steady torture that’ll eat away at your body until you wish for death, kid! And once that happens…I’ll kill your sister in front of you before you pass on and gouge out your brother’s heart!! Kekekeke!!!”

Aleximus twitched at the voice. "It can't be…" 

He ran towards the source of the voice.

His face flushed with anger alongside the veins riddled throughout his neck and temple.

TAP TAP TAP

He ran through the opening of the trees.

It was almost like a spotlight. 

The moon shone of him, illuminating his figure, Hatagi's figure, and one more.

Anna's body in his own arms.

His thoughts drowned out in a conflict with his overwhelming emotions. 

Into nothingness.

..............................................................................

[Jacender's Mind]

Jacender stared blankly at the golden valley in front of him. 

Each blade of grass shining from the sun rays glowed brightly enough to trick the eye into seeing gold.

"...?" He looked around.

Stuck in the ground, scattered throughout the field were an endless field of swords. 

Each different shapes, hights, sizes, and colors. 

Jacender scratched his head with both hands, confused and frustrated. "Arghh!!!" 

"Where the hell am I, you snakelike bastard?!?!?!" He yelled, letting his voice resounded into the distance. 

The last thing he remembered was the overbearing pressure emitted from the entity.

…

He walked around a bit, looking for someone and occasionally trying to pull out a sword.

Both were to no avail and he was quick to give up.

"Tsk! Let me outta here, YOU BASTARD!!!!" He roared, falling on his back and looking up at the sun.

… Am I dead? He thought worriedly, shivering. 

"No way. I couldn't have died that fast, right?" He asked himself sweating nervously. 

"DAMN IT, ANSWER ME!!!"

WHOOSH

A ripple of wind blew through the field, lifting up the swords.

"H-Huh?" 

Jace got to his feet quickly. 

What…

His eyes widened at the sight. 

A mass of air spun around the valley, encircling him at the center.

… The hell?!?!?!?

FWROOOO~OOOOSHHH!!

"Aw, Come on!!" He tried looking for a way out, turning his head side by side frantically. "Gimme a break!!" 

Where'd this friggin tornado come from?!

He noticed a dark shape isolated ahead of him in the area.

What's that?

"Please be a way out!!" He ran towards it, hopeful.

The tornado seemed to close in on Jim, chasing him as it's walls narrowed.

The distance between Jace and the dark shape shortened as well until he was able to see what it was. 

It was a black and red Manor with gold gates. 

"!!" Jace exclaimed.

There was a figure at one of the windows. 

It was too dark to see the person but he was sure someone was there.

"HEY!! PLEASE LET ME INNNNN!!!!" He screamed.

There was silence. 

He reached the gates, grabbing the openings and shaking hard. 

"HEY!!! I KNOW YOU CAN HEAR ME YOU BASTARD!!!!" 

The tornado got closer. It would be on him in less than 5 seconds, shredding him apart.

"...." 

CLANG!!

The gates began to open.

"A-Alright!!" Jace beamed. 

One of the hinges broke off and the gate flew into his face. 

KLANK!!

Blood flew out of his mouth, knocking him down. "FUC–"

"–Inside quickly, Jace."

!! Huh?!

The voice seemed to know him. 

He ran inside the gates and through the double door entrance of the manor before the tornado could touch him. 

He jumped in, crashing on the floor. 

The doors closed right behind him. 

"Huff… Where… am I?" 

He looked up at his surroundings, seeing a chandelier coming out from the ceiling, emitting light.

In front of him was a imperial staircase, bridging off to the left and right from the first set. 

He looked up and around the staircases, fearfully.

He had great reason. 

Hundreds of figures on the staircase in the shadows gazed at him. 

Their blue eyes being the only things he could see. 

"...Welcome."

He whipped his head in front of him on the first platform. 

It was the figure he saw earlier.

This time, the light let his body be seen.

He had nearly a full head of red hair, with the exception of a quarter of black hair occupying his front bangs. 

His eyes seemed tired, yet fierce and strong. His muscles popped through his gray short sleeved compression shirt, and his strong legs through his shirt. 

It was casual wear. Almost as if at home with all the figures in the manor.

"W-Who are you!?" Jace stood trying to reach for his wooden sword but stopped, realizing it wasn't with him. 

"..." The man hesitated.

"Runnulf! You have let the boy in our sacred place! If he isn't worthy…" one of the shadows spoke.

"Calm yourself, Vincent." The man spoke, fixating his eyes on Jacender. 

Runnulf? Jace realized. 

Where have I heard that name before?!

"He is worthy. After all…" the man named Runnulf began. 

Jace thought back to his first encounter with the entity. 

◇“Ah… Thank you, my friend. If you had not alerted me of our friends here… well it would have been quite the shame to lose the chance to speak to the sons of Runnulf and Kazumi.”◇

No way…

"He is my son." 

《Chapter 12: Sanctum Chamber Release [Part 1]》