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The Exalt - Act 4: Fallen Heaven - Chapter 739: The Convergence
🕑 Added 2024-06-23 21:58:57 +0000 UTCOscar struggled to stay awake and tried to scream, but he drowned in the pure Ein of the Convergence. He sought solace in the deep recesses of his mind and found none. Retreating in his inner thoughts only replayed his biggest mistakes, the tragedies of the deaths and losses in his past. Rather than peace, it flared up his anger that swelled and rushed in his veins, and at that moment, something in him snapped. Oscar willed himself wide awake, letting out a muted roar. He refused to relent and give in. The pain was nothing compared to what he had suffered all those years ago and what he could suffer later if he didn't earn this power.
His core thumped like a heart and spun as it collapsed within itself, gathering into a fine point and merging with his elemental spark of metal. The procession into King Exalt started, light and Ein pouring out of his orifices. He had assumed the only way to become a King Exalt was to use an Imperial Jewel like the one he found in the frozen realm and gifted to his master, Draven, during the war. But once he learned about Fallen Heaven, he realized its true importance. Rather than the treasures that could be found and the chance to slaughter and loot many others from all over Talos, the true value of Fallen Heaven was the Convergence.
The Convergence brought forth a wellspring of incredibly potent Ein that flooded the dark tower and possessed the same potential as an Imperial Jewel. Any Greater Marshal Exalts still alive would absorb a glob of that Ein and undergo the advancement into King Exalt. The greatest part was the certainty of success. The Convergence allowed anyone down to the lowest grade Exolsia to become King Exalts. Thus, it was recorded that the era after Fallen Heaven and the Great Scouring of Talos be known as the Age of Kings, the dawning of a new generation of the highest number of King Exalts.
Though the chances of success should be guaranteed, Oscar knew that wouldn't be true in his case. Everyone else needed only one concentrated lump of the Convergence Ein. But Metures had gathered dozens, perhaps hundreds of them, into this pool around him–all for the sake of elevating him not just to a King Exalt but to integrate the power of an Ancient in his fleshy, human form. Metures mentioned it was highly possible he might die during the process, and it showed in the pain that suffocated his organs to the point of turning into mush. Oscar squirmed and writhed, unable to open his eyes. However, his ears worked well, hearing the Ancients conversing outside.
"The dark tower steals the vital Ein directly from Talos' core and pours it in here. The Convergence…is the agonizing torture of our world." Metures said almost in a grim tone, almost mournful and human.
"What purpose do those cretins have for that? The world benefits from the influx of King Exalts that help to keep our people's fire burning. They also want Talos, so why? Drawing our beloved world toward death faster is foolish." Ignyres asked.
"The Caerulumen have finally succeeded in intruding here. However, they cannot act yet. One move of their befouled Ein will trigger Talos's response." Metures coughed and gasped in slow wheezes like metal scraping. "With the Ein of the Convergence, of Talos's life itself, for their advancement, they will be able to carry on and fight in our world, free of consequences and repercussions. And the Great Scouring below will leave a weakened world, ready for them to conquer. Puppets of the Caerulumen, enticed by Lockwood, are already below, waiting for their true masters. All of this…I have watched and have been unable to interfere."
"And where are the others? Okeanes? Tectones? Illumines? Shadres? Xures? Thunderes?" Ignyres's voice crackled.
Metures became silent and then sighed, "The first few openings were tolerable. But each time after when the Convergence robbed Talos of life and Ein, in every aftermath, one of us gave their life to provide for our dying world. Shadres of Darkness died, Illumines of Light became the second, and then Thunderes of Lightning. Now, the Convergence is too powerful. Xures and Okeanes will give their lives and ensure Talos can survive long enough."
Oscar couldn't believe what he was hearing and felt sad, his tears unable to spill out of the blaring Ein that poured from his eyes. The sacrifices and hidden battles of the Ancients had saved them, protected them, and prolonged their existence for countless years. He could only live his life thanks to them. What sort of torment did Metures experience as his fellow Ancients died one by one while he sat here, unable to help? Hearing the truth, he gnashed his teeth and swore in his heart that he wouldn't allow their sacrifices to be wasted. While they made mistakes, such as in Volten's case, they suffered the same as others. He clamped his mouth tightly and endured in silence, letting the burning Convergence Ein settle in.
"Yes. That is the way, Oscar. Now, be prepared. Receive the essence of an Ancient. Be metal." Metures spoke clearly.
Oscar grunted as a sharp pain struck his chest as if a spear had pierced him directly in the heart. Another two impaled his lungs. It carried on until every organ in his body had been struck except his brain. Then, what felt like needles pierced every inch of his bones. Oscar reeled and screamed in the burning agony spreading throughout his body from a foreign substance, something seeping in and burying itself in every fiber of his body and embedding itself in his marrow. He couldn't even scream or breathe, feeling death approaching. A final spike pierced his head, straight in his brain, and he lost all semblance of thought, having only one.
'Hold on, Avril. I'll live. I'll survive and come straight to you.' Oscar promised as the floating pool of Convergence Ein grew smaller, all of it condensing inside him.
…….
Auren understood now why the Ein matrix of the dark tower had been set up in such a complicated configuration. His masterful eyes watched the intricate nodes shifting and turning, drawing in an incredible amount of Ein out of what rested below, which he could only guess to be Talos itself, for no other source could provide it. Below his feet, globs of the purest and most unique Ein he had ever laid eyes on seeped past the floor and floated up, reminding him of the bubbles children often played with. One by one, the Greater Marshal Exalts, including his Lady and others, absorbed the Ein and were engulfed in bright pillars that rose to the sky.
'We can't stop the others from advancing. Darn it.' He considered the idea of interfering with the enemies' advancements but saw others try it out and fail to break through the pillars of Ein that acted like barriers, securing a safe transition. Above on the disks, the newcomers, the Caerulumen, sat and invoked their advancement. His prided mind, capable of calculating all the possibilities, failed to come up with an answer to the question of victory. The one shot they had was to kill Gilbert before it all started, but they failed in that due to the titan's interference. Lysander had no chance against all of the Caerulumen together, especially once they all became King Exalts.
'We'll have to kill off any of their supporters during this time. The less we have to fight, the more that can focus on the Caerulumen.' He came up with a plan but lacked the people to act on it. For better or for worse, their side held the vast majority of Greater Marshal Exalts. A hatch flung open, blown off the hinges and clanged on the floor. Auren turned toward it and saw Marcus stepping out with Eve in his arms, wrapped in fresh bandages. It seemed the barrier that prevented them from running down still allowed people to climb up. Kragg came up next, carrying Restel. Astrid swept up and landed on a patch of ice.
"Everyone!" At first, he was glad. But Auren turned to shock and realized something was very off. The Convergence should have affected all Greater Marshal Exalts; everyone was forced to undergo the advancement, willing or not. Yet his brothers and sisters were not caught in the pillars of Ein and even made it up here during the Convergence. "Wait. Wait." He scratched his head, unbelieving the possibility just calculated in his mind, the harrowing possible truth.
"Your guess should be the truth." Marcus grinned and patted Auren's head before greeting the others. "I am glad to see the two of you safe, young master and young lady."
"Hold on!" Auren gripped Marcus's wrist and glanced at the others. "You're all…don't me that's the truth. Please." He pleaded because he refused to believe, but the evidence of their presence here crushed him.
"We're failures, little brat," Kragg said with a low grunt. "Failures for a reason despite our strength."
"It's alright, Auren." Eve rubbed and pinched his cheek, giving a gentle smile. "We were prepared for it since the start. We never told you because you deserved better."
"S-Sorry…." Restel hid her face behind her long, shaggy hair, sounding ashamed.
"Now you see why I was so desperate?" Astrid scoffed. "It's inevitable and cursed. That is our fate. We can never be King Exalts. Our powers end here. The Convergence appears to understand that."
"But there's a silver lining here. We're the only ones with the strength of Greater Marshal Exalts still able to fight right now." Marcus clenched his hands, now turned into black, scaly claws. "Safeguard the others, Auren. We shall cleanse this place of our Lord's enemies and pave the path for his arrival."
Auren couldn't speak and only watched as his brothers and sisters of different experiments rushed in and slaughtered the other Marshal Exalts, leading some of their forces in a great massacre, overwhelming all others. Seeing this, he shed many tears and muttered, "You liars…."
