Chapter 1: The Top

Sitting beside a stone table, on top of a small balcony with two pots of green brown plants at its corners as lively decoration, two women tranquilly viewed the vast desert landscape while sipping drinks from plain clay cups.

The larger middle aged woman, sitting on the left of the stone table, had a military haircut and wore military uniforms with folded sleeves. Her dark complexion was brimming with vitality and her black eyes seemed deep as an abyss. Now and then, she stroked her brown short hair, just because she liked the prickly sensation in the palm of her hand.

The shorter young looking maiden, sitting on the right of the stone table, was adorned by an entirely different, more refreshing set of attire. An azure veil concealed the top half of her face, exposing only the edge of her little nose, along with the snowy hue of her impeccable smooth skin. Flowing white hair with blue luster draped over her shoulder, revealing from behind an alluring white nape. Her bare feet leaned tightly on one another and to the side, as if they were not used to ever being apart. From her ankles up to the thin, shining strap around her neck, a light dress in all the colors of the sea flaunted her exquisite figure.

“General Beking!” A stern, disciplinary voice sounded from outside the room connected to the balcony.

The middle aged woman, General Beking of the Golden Desert Fort and its highest authority, rested her clay cup on the stone table. Her serene countenance turned strict. “You may enter, Lieutenant General Hasil”. She spoke in a rather deep voice.

Soon after, the sound of hurried steps crossed the entrance to the room and proceeded straight to the small balcony. A lean army man, not taller than a twelve year old child, appeared and saluted toward General Beking before being giving the signal to stand at ease. As for his attitude for the young maiden, Lieutenant General Hasil’s head was stiff as it can be to avoid the slightest, unintentional glance at her, as if such act without permission it would cost him his eyes.

“Your return is a bit early than anticipated, Hasil, should I assume something unexpected occurred?” General Beking asked, giving the impression that she already guessed the answer.

“Your intuition is sharp as always, General”, Lieutenant General Hasil said respectfully and a tad bitterly. “Actually, if you had not sent me to the Grand Abode, our two factions would have probably learned of this news last”.

“Is that so ... Then I gather Rijok failed, am I correct? Answer me in details”. Maybe it was due to General Beking’s guess and maybe not, but after hearing her, the young maiden shifted slightly in her seat as though she suddenly felt uncomfortable.

“Exact Information about what took place is still being compiled, General. What I can tell you is what I found out in the Grand Abode before Archbishop Silternjan asked for my leave”. Lieutenant General Hasil explained before narrating his experience in one breath. “As you know, a while ago a Cardinal, accompanied by two youngsters, a postulant and His Young Eminence Hein Zein Har, descended for the Event in Demirva Ridge. While the Cardinal remained with the Archbishop in the Grand Abode, the Sister who accommodated and took care of the two youngsters at the beginning of their stay, Sister Beatriz, led the two to the ridge. What followed next in the Grand Abode, at nineteen twenty eight, precisely a hour and seventeen minutes ago, the Archbishop’s Sky Splitter aircraft returned with the group of three. His Young Eminence was being supported by Sister Beatriz. From the way he looked, it seemed that he sustained some serious injuries in the ridge, despite the presence of Sister Beatriz. When the Cardinal saw that he was furious, if it was not for the urging of the little postulant and his concern for His Young Eminence’s health, who knows what sort of penance would have been forced upon the Sister”.

“A mere postulant was able to sway a Cardinal’s temperament?” A soft, sweet voice said with a hint of astonishment, as the young maiden spoke for the first time.

“I also find it inconvincible”. General Beking said. “Hasil, are you certain the postulant was a new convert of the Holy Palace and nothing more? Were there any indications of some other status that postulant should had have?”

“I made attempts to investigate, but the hospitality Archbishop Silternjan extended me did not allow me to explore the matter deeply. I reckon that before he attended the Cardinal, Archbishop Silternjan’s demeanor toward the girl was particularly courteous, more so than he had been toward His Young Eminence or the Cardinal himself”.

“Mm...” The young maiden ruminated. “Elder sister Beking, do you possibly have the same idea as me?”

“Hamumni”, General Beking referred to the young maiden as well as turned her head to Lieutenant General Hasil. “That little postulant is probably the direct line progeny of either someone close to His Holiness that was sent to be cultivated in the Holy Palace, or even a new celebrant of The Almighty”.

“If that is the case, General, should we not inform the Planetary Battalion? A new power suddenly siding with Luminous Church might require alterations to the agreement of the General of the Armies, His Holiness and the rest...” Lieutenant General Hasil pointed out.

“Yes, do so after you finish the report. Hamumni, do I have your approval?”

“I concur with whatever elder sister has in mind”.

“Then it’s settled. Finish with explaining the cause of Rijok’s failure and get to it”.

“Yes, General. Actually, about Rijok, what I know is what Sister Beatriz told me. While leading our two brigades, Rijok, the Blessed Army’s and the Violet Scaled Troops’ representatives formed cooperation for finding the sole perfect dark attribute’s essence. They eventually besieged the human mercenary in possession of the perfect dark attribute’s essence, but before obtaining it and before the Luminous Church’s group arrival, Sinister Chain intercepted them. The events that followed are somewhat hard to believe. In his dying moments, the mercenary who had the perfect dark attribute’s essence chose to consume it. However, instead of dying from the unrefined attribute’s essence he actually absorbed it, not only making a breakthrough in his bodily refinement technique to the second realm right after, but also gaining sufficient insights into the dark attribute to easily kill five out of the five powers’ delegates, and withstand and even counter the assaults of Sister Beatriz!”

Hearing what ended up transpiring beneath the noses of them leaders of the five powers; both General Beking and Hamumni exuded menacing fluctuations.

“You mean to say that there is out there a new noteworthy expert with too many foreboding qualities and a sore spot for the five powers?” General Beking clenched her fist. “A rebel with the making of Ascended Elite?!” The gravity of the news far surpassed the rage she felt for losing talents like Colonel Rijok and Cattelin.