Chapter 105: Jarnolsen Abyss

Two days later, Carelan Mountain Pass,

Howard and Barabin waited by a large well that seemed to expand endlessly into the earth. Carter had told both of his students to meet him outside today. Barabin, for the first time in years, felt like a young child waiting for his parents to feed him his breakfast.

"Carter is a good man, Howard. He's just a little rough around the edges." Barabin crossed his arms and looked at his right and left hand. Carter had told him to hold two buckets of blood in order to strengthen his resistance to his cravings.

The Aresoul had done a large 360 to get Carter to leave. A few soldiers rushed to get him a bucket, while others ended up giving their blood. Carter was simply too powerful for any of the members of the Aresoul Royal Brigade in the Sixth Station.

The Aresoul numbered their Cities from one to twenty with the twentieth city being the strongest. Thus, even if they prayed to defeat Carter, not even Respell would be able to hold a candle to him. The true leaders of the Aresoul lived close to an area called the Jarlonsen Abyss, which bordered the end points of the open Furnace. It was there that the entire world curved, and only those on the S rank could truly explore it's mystical boundaries.

Two Founders had just returned from exploring the Jarlonsen Abyss, and had met with Carter all night. For the first time in a long time, they seemed completely lucid and afraid. Barabin couldn't help but shake his fear that something terrifying had happened.

"Well good morning. Howard," Carter climbed up from out the entrance of the well and smiled. "It's been a long time since I had a student with as much talent as yourself. Barabin, here, could barely hold a candle to your current self at his age!"

"Do you really have to say that in front of me?" Carter took a deep breath and shook his head. The amount of reverence and awe he felt for Carter were mostly dwarfed by the shame he made him feel. "How about you tell us how the meeting went?"

"Founder Aristo and Pamala said they found five new nations living on the vertical plains of the Jarlonsen Abyss. Apparently, one nation there is so powerful the two Founders almost died running into students from their Nation."

"I don't get it," Howard couldn't understand how living in the Jarlonsen Abyss would benefit a nation. Since the Furnace was technically the core of the surface, wouldn't living higher up reduce the amount of Ki they could absorb? "Why live higher up, haha? Isn't the Ki on the Furnace floor the strongest?"

"It's probably not," Barabin shook his head. "The reason why Jarlon Valley is so special is because its mountains are the closest to the center of the core. You probably felt a little difference there right?"

"He's right," Carter seemed unnaturally serious, but still drank water from a bucket before he replied. "The Core's Center has the strongest levels of Ki. Apparently, some of the races are naturally birthed with the ability to use Ki to walk on the curvature of the Furnace."

"This is terrible news. Their strongest men have well passed the S rank threshold. Founder Aristo wants to find all the Original Founders to send a team to explore the Jaarlonsen Abyss. Apparently, three of the five nations are at war, and once one of them wins they will most likely try to conquer the entire Furnace. " Carter sighed and gently placed his bucket down on the well. "This also means Barabin, Annibell, Relsan, and the student of mine he stole will have to come along."

"What, you mean leave students in charge of the Branches?" Barabin laughed, sweat dripping down his pours, as he felt an intense craving for the blood in his hands. "We just got the unclaimed shrines. We should be celebrating, and not worrying about some random, new nations."

"I'd like to be in charge. I have two girlfriends now," Howard said with a big smile. "However, if you leave, Barabin, who will train me?"

"How bad is it?" Barabin's body began to tremble from the smell of blood. "How powerful are these nations?"

"Currently, we judge from the F rank to the S rank, however, above the S rank there would theoretically be the SS rank and the SSS rank and above that the G rank. We'd estimate their strongest warriors are nearing the peak of the G rank," Carter finally couldn't take it and tossed his bucket to the side. "We'll be completely decimated if the war ends. We're hoping to form an alliance with the three nations."

"However, it gets worse. The strongest of these nations has got its hands on a portal maker. During the competition, do you remember the Varlen talking about a great, powerful race coming to attack?"

"You mean in five years?" Howard said while raising his eyebrows. "Of course we remember! However, if it's so nice where they live, why would they even bother coming down here?"

Howard remembered Jsak mentioning a need for an alliance, but he was sure they didn't know about Earl's inheritance, nor the monster living in the entrance to Jarlon Valley. Even now, he still felt fear thinking about the ebbing and flowing dark ki extending out from that clifface. It felt like the entire world could get swallowed by a single motion of that individual's hand. When he met the Ghost Authoritarian, his stomach had hurt endlessly. However, he also felt terrified to tell anyone about it.

If he told Carter, he might go and break into Jarlon Valley only to be killed. For some reason, Howard didn't trust anyone when it came to dealing with that monster besides himself. It felt like it was intertwined in some part of him deep inside, and he had to slaughter it or he'd have no path to the future.

"Howard, go run 5000 laps around that mountain, and then try and pick it up," Carter handed Howard a bucket who seemed completely taken back by Carter's request. "If you can't do it in an hour, I'll throw you somewhere, okay?"

"A mountain? You think I can pick that up?"

"No talking back! Figure it out! Use a pole or something!" Carter slammed his foot into the ground, and grabbed Barabin's arm. "Barabin, you do the same but with a larger mountain! Run 100,000 laps around it in the next hour."

"Carter, do we stand a chance?" Barabin sighed and placed down the blood buckets and walked over to his side. "What do you think of Howard? Will he help?"

"The demon king used to live on Jarlonsen Abyss, and apparently reached the peak of the G rank before something there made him split his power to his children. Whatever it is, it's terrifying. Barabin, I know you don't like blood, but you need to get to the SS rank as soon as possible. You and Howard are the only ones that can level up quickly! You might be a worse student than Howard, but I'll have no trouble smacking you in the face if you turn evil!"

"You know I can't," Barabin dropped the buckets and shook his head. "I can't ever go back to that place."

"Then we're doomed to put all our eggs in Howard's basket," Carter watched Howard run loop after loop around the mountain, and shook his head. "He's not even in the B rank yet!" Carter sighed and looked over at Monica and Reece training with his three strongest students. The two Founders, behind them, were still talking and trying to formulate a plan. "For the next year, we're going to have to crush him with the hardest training. If he doesn't reach the A rank, I'm going to shove blood down your mouth and make your wife the one to do it." Carter shook his head and tapped Barabin on the shoulder.

"Now, I have one more thing to tell you. It's going to take a while, alright?"