The Exalt Cultivation Fantasy

Act 1: Blue Ocean Pavilion - Chapter 30: Initiation

Act 1: Blue Ocean Pavilion - Chapter 30: Initiation

The Warden of the Abyss Prison was offering to teach him with an outstretched metal hand right before his eyes. Even if it were only for a week, the experience would be invaluable. With no hesitation or contemplation, Oscar grasped the cold hand of the Warden.

"Good. Starting from today, you are my temporary disciple." Draven declared.

"Yes, Master!" Oscar bowed in respect to his new master.

Oscar's manners and etiquette as a student pleased Draven, who regarded those factors highly. He took Oscar's pickaxe and went toward the wall. "First, I'll teach you to mine this place properly."

"Master?" Oscar was confused. He thought his master would teach him some techniques or fighting styles. Instead, he was supposed to learn how to mine. How was this supposed to help him?

"No questions. Watch closely." Draven disregarded his new disciple's skepticism and breathed in.

Oscar waited, but the Warden stayed motionless. His wait lasted short as he saw Draven twitch slightly. The next moment, the pickaxe was swung with tremendous force and shattered a large portion of the tunnel, creating much headway.

Oscar nearly fell from the tremors with a shocked expression.

"Did you see?" Draven put the pickaxe down in front of the stunned Oscar.

"Master....what did you do?" Oscar asked in wonder.

"What did you see?" Draven repeated his question, putting his two fingers before Oscar's eyes, almost poking into them.

"Master?" Oscar trembled in fear.

"If you could not see anything, then those eyes are useless. I will take them out to rid my disciple of his problems."

He had suspicions about Draven's mental state, but this action solidified his belief. His master was crazy. Oscar desperately wished to run, but there was nowhere to hide from him, and he agreed to this training.

This Warden was a madman, just like the prisoners he watched.

"What....did....you....see?" Draven paused between each word in a more threatening tone.

Not wasting a single moment, Oscar spat out, "I saw you take a deep breath, ready yourself, and put all your power into one strike." The terrified and flustered Oscar was relieved of the pressure when Draven withdrew his hand. Oscar let out a sigh of relief.

His short respite was cut off when a fierce chop to his head made him yelp out in pain. It was Draven who struck him.

"That's obvious. I was asking if you saw what I did in each step."

"I don't know, Master." Oscar rubbed his aching head tenderly.

"Good!" Draven gave him a thumbs up. "If you could see, then there would be no need for me to teach you."

Oscar was aggrieved at Draven's bizarre words. No one would expect the answer to be 'I don't know', and no one would give that as an answer. This Warden, Draven, was truly insane and eccentric. Oscar believed all the years in this deep prison had addled Draven's brain.

"Did you just insult me?"

This question pierced straight into Oscar's heart, chilling it to ice. He only had a thought for a moment, but this Warden somehow knew.

"You wear too much of your thoughts on your face, eyes, and breath. I have much work to do on you before the end of your sentence." Draven sighed dramatically with his hand over his heart.

Oscar prostrated himself to Draven, attempting to appease the Warden's irked mood.

"I have a month until Austin comes out. I need to get as far ahead of him as I can. Once he's out of the picture, I'll deal with Samuel." Frederick said seriously.

"Hey, that tiger bastard is mine." Emily spoke rebukingly to Frederick. She did not want her target to be taken away.

"It'll be whoever gets to him first."

Emily redid her ponytail; the orange hair reached down to her shoulders. It was shorter than before because she had cut it earlier to relieve some frustration.

Emily resolved to make the people involved in this farce of a trial pay, whether it was the Great Elder Robert or the mysterious person who requested Oscar's incarceration. She would make them apologize. Her first target was Samuel.

Frederick shut his mouth upon Emily's stern gaze. It was hard to talk with this woman without Oscar to mediate. Frederick became unenthusiastic, remembering Oscar's plight. His best friend was locked away in that horrible prison. "I wonder how Os is doing...."

"It's only a week. Have faith in him. He survived those grievous wounds; he's surprisingly stubborn despite his relaxed look."

Frederick understood Emily's words. He had noticed those qualities in Oscar from the first time he saw him during the enrollment trial.

"You're right. Let's get back to training. It'd be embarrassing to waste a week while Oscar's in prison." Frederick jumped to the middle of the room and egged Emily on for a battle.

"Someone is being disrespectful right now." Veins popped on Emily's face from Frederick's bold goading. She bolted toward Frederick with a vicious smile.

.......

The loud ringing of a bell awoke Oscar. His body felt lighter than yesterday, but the hunger was worse. The wounds had closed up, and his sore muscles recovered. Although he couldn't use his Ein, his body was still an Exalt's body with good basic recovery capabilities.

The other prisoners finally awoke with lazy expressions. All of them glanced up at the opening in the ceiling, waiting for something. Oscar knew what they were waiting for.

Rations fell through the hole, piling in the middle, signaling the start of the brawl. The crucial moment had come. Oscar also scrambled for the rations for the sake of any tiny portion.

The other prisoners noticed the newcomer's bold approach and swung their fists toward him. To their confusion, Oscar diverged from his straight course and went around, avoiding confrontation. His destination was plain to see. Serge and Gritz were shocked as Oscar got behind John and swung his chain-ridden hands to the hulk's back.

"URK." John groaned in pain from Oscar's unexpected attack. He was so focused on the rations and thought so little of the beaten boy that he neglected to pay attention.

Taking advantage of the moment, Oscar dove past him to the rations. He tore open one of the rations and brought a whole handful to his mouth, swallowing it instantly without chewing.

"You bastard!" John brought his mighty arms to Oscar's exposed back, slamming his chest and face to the floor.

Gritting his teeth, Oscar took another handful and shoved it in his mouth. This act infuriated John more, and he started beating him more.

"Spit it out!" He kicked Oscar's stomach, but Oscar clenched his mouth shut with his hands to stop anything from spilling out.

John howled in anger.

Oscar rolled away to the cell bars under the dazed eyes of the other prisoners. Boris laughed like a maniac at the comedy that occurred.

Someone finally got the better of John and made him lose out. The other prisoners had already gotten their portions and ate them without reserve.

John looked down at his hand. He was only able to grab half of his rations. The other prisoners took some of his while he was distracted by Oscar. His face contorted and twisted in rage, the veins popping on his brow. He saw the boy, Oscar, catching his breath near the cell entrance.

With heavy steps, John moved toward Oscar. He will not let this boy be cocky. He will teach him a lesson and beat him to an inch of his life.