Act 1: Blue Ocean Pavilion - Chapter 317: Palace's Outer Halls

Act 1: Blue Ocean Pavilion - Chapter 317: Palace's Outer Halls

The wide halls of the temple, otherwise known as the central palace, were enchanting. The grandness of its architecture and the vivid engravings everywhere made Oscar think an expert craftsman carefully carved, chiseled, and shaped every single inch of the palace. The amount of time and effort to have created this place was beyond Oscar's understanding.

But not beyond Gol-4's. Oscar took out the familiar golem's head. Gol-4 woke up from its version of slumber and acted strangely. Instead of the usual outburst when it woke up, Gol-4 moved its eyes slowly and took in the beautiful hallways of antiquity. Oscar must have imagined it. He could have sworn he saw a hint of emotion flicker in Gol-4's mechanical face. That was impossible.

"Are we...in the central palace?" Gol-4 levitated out of Oscar's hand, rotating around slowly until it came face to face with Oscar. "Is this truly the central palace?"

"Yes. We finally reached it." Oscar answered. "The outside is covered in vines and lichen, but the interior is amazing. What kind of place was this in the past? How was it even conquered?"

Oscar didn't stop searching around for a token as he conversed with Gol-4. While he was curious about the history of this place, his mission remained to find a token and defeat as many of the enemies as possible. So far, the halls seemed endless. There were no signs of a token or doors, leaving him and Gol-4 to wander.

"How deplorable! The grand central palace, the center of the Divine Stone Clan's presence and power! All were reduced to naught but a wretched place overrun by the Forest Heart Clan's taint. Tragic beyond belief." Gol-4 said in a mechanical rant. "The halls look alright, but who knows what their poisonous hands have done to it."

"Sorry about your masters' home, but I need information," Oscar explained everything about the outer halls and sanctum.

"The central palace was set up with twisting corridors and strange pathways. Built by great crafters in the past. It encompasses a total of 300,000 rooms." Gol-4 informed.

"300,000 rooms?!" Oscar exclaimed. The central palace was indeed large. With so many rooms, going through the entire palace would be foolhardy.

"Yes, the palace is large. What other place would suit the Divine Stone Clan? The sanctum you mentioned should be where the Great Hall used to be. As for the outer halls, the Forest Heart Clan must have divided up the wards into three and set up barriers to separate the realms. If you can find a keystone slab left behind, I can learn more."

Oscar stopped. There was no use in wasting his Ein and Reis to keep running around. Retrieving a piece of blank paper and pen from his space pocket, Oscar turned Gol-4 around and asked, "Can you think of a map of the central palace and tell me?"

"That has been so long ago. My memories may be lacking in that regard. Besides, I am only a treasury golem. There's not much to my functions other than information about treasures and resources." Gol-4 shook its head. Oscar was unconvinced.

"Come on. I don't know what your goal is. I know you wanted to go with me for a reason and not Celestina. If I'm going to be of any help to you, then you should help me." Oscar turned Gol-4 to see his face. "Even if your supposed goal of seeing what became of the Divine Stone Clan is true, I can't do that unless you give me a map."

"...." Gol-4 went mute.

Oscar rubbed his forehead in frustration. He needed Gol-4's help, or else his time in the central palace would be harder. His attention was caught by the sounds of other steps tapping away in the halls. Due to the hall's marbling and large frames, sounds traveled far and clearly. Oscar tensed up, tied Gol-4 to his hip, and charged toward the source of the footsteps.

Judging from the sound, it was only one person. Friend? Enemy? The only way to find out was to meet them in person. Oscar suspected it might be an enemy and readied himself with the flow of Ein. His deer anima dipped its body lower to the floor, ready to pounce on his enemy.

Turning a slight corner, Oscar saw a person wearing a light-green uniform, a color representing the students from the Thousand Storm Palace. Since he was in the same place as him, he had to be a Middle Elite Exalt. The stranger seemed to have been waiting for him as well with his anima, a spear.

Without much motion or warning, the stranger thrust his spear several times, all within a fraction of a second of each other. Oscar was still far away, so the blade never reached him, piercing the air. Oscar was no fool. He felt his hair flowing back from a breeze and halted his steps. Behind his raised bulwark, Oscar endured several blades of winds slicing and crashing into him with a powerful impact.

'Not bad. His Anima is a Grade Four, same as mine. But he's older and has the experience.' His bulwark and deer anima was enough for anyone, including his opponent, to figure out his main focus as a melee fighter. Oscar peered from behind his bulwark. The opponent didn't make a single move, waiting for Oscar's response.

Oscar went through several options in his mind. The opponent was not as progressed as Regis from the Undying Flame Sect. He didn't need to go all out against him and risk being out for a whole day. Considering the small difference between him and the opponent, Oscar lifted his arm and released a Silver Star.

The Silver Star exploded in tiny shrapnels, scattering everywhere. His opponent was caught off-guard and wrapped himself in an armor of wind, a cyclone shaped to fit a man. Oscar did not let up. More of his Silver Stars flew from his fingertips. None of them exploded because Oscar infused Shattering Wave only into the first one.

With Gol-4's instructions and descriptions, Oscar drew an expansive detailed map of the entire palace, using multiple pages for each of its layers. Its many twisting corridors, stairs, hallways, rooms, and more were drawn and labeled. It was an incredible collection of maps. Oscar tapped a certain large hallway near the edge of the palace by the walls. This resembled where he was.

"If your map is correct and the Forest Heart Clan didn't scramble the insides, we're here, and a stairway to a theater is this way." Oscar followed the map and ran ahead, not seeing anyone else along the way. This long corridor stretched all around the palace.

Oscar stopped in front of a large stone door with engravings of mountains carved within. He pushed it open and stepped inside. The room had a large stage, stone benches lined up, able to seat thousands, and crystal chandeliers radiating a soft light.

"UOOH!"

A shout resounded from the ceiling, and Oscar snapped his head up, shocked beyond belief. Was it really happening so soon? He gripped his bulwark and summoned his anima.

The vent shaft in the ceiling rattled, and the shout echoed from it. A large man dressed in the black uniform of the Earth Core Academy fell and landed on his knee. Oscar recognized the voice, the brown hair, and the imposing figure.

"Orden Aesn."

"Oscar Terr?" Orden lifted his head and let out a bellowing laughter. "It's been one or two weeks? I see Gol-4 is strapped to your waist."

Oscar didn't waste a moment and rushed in with Eirin Lances. Orden's hammer immediately melded with his anima and rushed in as well. Oscar and his deer anima exchanged several blows with Orden, employing everything he learned from sparring against Demon. One of his kicks swerved and slipped past Orden's guard and forced the giant back several steps.

"Seems you've mastered your movements." Orden cracked his neck. "Funny how you can do all that in a week or two."

"You've also gotten stronger. Your movements have improved. Didn't you say you weren't much of a fighter?" Oscar sighed. Orden used to use his brawn for power and his hammer to move him. In the span of one or two weeks, the giant made noticeable improvements in flexibility, movement, and power control.

"Not much to say here. I'm just a genius." Orden bragged.

Oscar's Ein rose as he smiled fearlessly. Orden smiled back and unleashed his Ein. Oscar froze and turned to the side, as did Orden. One of the doors opened. A beautiful woman with white hair and red eyes strode inside. Her eyes went bloodshot, and her lips curled into a devious smile.

"Seriously?" Oscar cursed.

"I've been waiting for this moment." Maia's Ein burned through the air, accompanied by the hissing of her snake anima, wrapped in flames. "Let's see you escape now."

"This looks fun. Let me join in."

Oscar couldn't believe what was happening. Why was everyone gathering here now? First him, then Orden, Maia, and now this stranger. A person was on the stage, humming and fanning herself.

"Hmm, Maia Claude, Orden Aesn, and someone from the Blue Ocean Pavilion. Interesting. I haven't gotten to meet anyone from the Pavilion because the Thousand Storm Palace went into the opposite portal." The woman flipped her head back, whipping her sky-blue hair behind her back. Her teal eyes shone with interest.

"I am Gail Wunther. Nice to meet you."

Oscar's gaze went from Maia to Orden to Gail. This was bad.