Citadel of the Six Of Swords, within the dark tower.

  Footsteps echoed in the vast, scarcely lit hallway of the third level. Councilman Silas wore a solemn look as he approached his private quarters. His gaze was cold and unreadable. When he neared the door, a voice called to him.

  “Lord Silas.”

  The old man with a long and sunken face paused, then half-turned. Behind him was the council’s most trusted advisor. The blind lady's white garment graced the floor as she approached him with unhurried steps.

  With hands tucked into the sleeves of her garment, she bowed reverently.

  Silas raised his chin slightly. “Mary Magdalene. Speak.”

  Mary kept her head bowed. She said, “Preparations for the ritual are complete.”

  Hm… Silas remained silent for a moment. He pushed the heavy door and motioned for her to follow. Despite her blindness, she could perceive the world without issue.

  The man's private quarters opened up to both of them. Silas immediately took off his dark robe and approached the pool of water in the very center of the room. He shut his eyes, then inhaled deeply. As cold breath escaped his lips, he stepped into the water, then slowly sank.

  Mary Magdalene stood in complete silence till she heard the surface of the water break.

  “Shall I inform the others?” She asked.

  Councilman Silas settled at the edge of the pool and wiped the water from his face. He responded with a gruff, “Not yet. I would rather not poke their excitement. You know how impatient they can get.”

  “Perhaps,” Mary spoke with a measured tone, “It is you who is hesitant?”

  Silas turned his head abruptly, causing the piercing on his face to wobble.

  “Is that what you think?” His expression quickly grew into scorn. “There are two Paragons in the city! Is it not better to wait till one of them is gone before doing something so… abominable?!”

  Mary Magdalene lowered her head. Her gentle voice seemed to contain a hint of sorrow as she said, “Perhaps you're right.”

  Silas clicked his tongue.

  “We are not doing something so discreet as simple magic, Magdalene. We are taking the souls of tens of thousands for heaven's sake. Sometimes, I wonder if this is the right path…”

  Mary Magdalene frowned. She took gentle steps forward and looked down at him. Silas tilted his head to see her properly.

  “Are you having doubts?” She asked in her gentle voice, one that seemed to be able to temper storms.

  Silas didn't respond for a moment. The water rippled around his arms, forming patterns that he trailed with his gaze. Then, he sighed.

  “I would be lying if I said I wasn't.”

  “Ah,” Mary Magdalene’s lips parted slightly. “Good to know.”

  Her hands finally slid out from the sleeves of her robe. In her right palm was a black orb swirling with bluish specks of stardust. She held the strange orb over the Councilman’s face and declared, “You will begin the ritual tonight.”

  Silas seemed to freeze for a moment. His eyes reflected the swirling orb and he repeated in a daze, “...ritual tonight…”

  Mary retracted her hands, satisfied. She deftly slid them into the sleeves of her white garment as she asked, “Lord Silas, would you like me to inform the others of the finished preparations?”

  Silas’s sunken face now bore no traces of hesitation. He nodded with strange intensity. “That's right. Tonight, we take the final step towards glory.”

  The lady beamed with a smile. She gave a bow, then turned around to leave. As she approached the door, she paused for a moment, then said, “The intruder has been captured, by the way.”

  “Good. They can bear witness to the birth of a new Paragon.” Councilman Silas nodded as he sank once more, into the comfort of the warm water.

  …

  On the Knuckleback,

  Esau and Micheal stared at the ebbing seawater, which had returned to its usual state. The latter asked with flickering eyes, “That was Saturn?”

  “Sure was.” Maddy placed both hands on her hips. Her gaze fell on the Pillager, and she explained, “How d’you think she earned that name, eh? She’s known for spendin’ an uncommon stretch o’ time beneath the waves, long enough t’ rattle yer nerves.”

  “Saturn of the Deep…” Esau muttered, eyes flashing with strange admiration.

  Micheal's brows knitted in confusion. “Wait, she seems to be a Radiant like me. How come she's able to breathe in the depths?”

  Maddy couldn't resist laughing. She patted the boy a little too hard on the shoulder, and he swayed.

  “Sorry, sorry. It’s just odd hearin’ ye compare a Paragon’s existence to regular Blessed like us. They’re in a world o’ their own. The first mate can turn into true lightning, ye know? So… there’s plenty o’ ways for Saturn t’ survive down there.”

  Esau shot Micheal a pitiful look. “Your imagination is lacking.”

  “Hey!” Micheal exclaimed. “It's not my fault for not being frequently exposed to powerful figures.”

  “You are right that they are powerful figures.” Esau nodded in thought, causing Micheal and Maddy to give him strange looks. Unaware of their stares, he continued, “Which brings me to wonder why the first mate and that Saturn lady aren't part of Valkara's council.”

  Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

  “That's right!” Micheal suddenly understood the boy. “I heard the Six of Swords consist of Luminaries only. Wouldn't it make more sense for a Paragon to be one of them? The other day, the local guards tried arresting the first mate. Are they not on good terms?”

  He looked at Maddy, and the lady chuckled softly.

  She shook her head and answered, “A complicated sort o’ thing, ye could say.”

  “Complicated relationship with a Paragon?” Esau raised a brow. “What right do they have? Do they not grasp the gap between strengths?”

  Maddy stepped forward. Her tiny shirt swayed in the wind, revealing a tempting amount of cleavage that stole a gawk from Micheal. Leaning over the starboard, she exhaled deeply and said, “The Six o’ Swords’re a special sort o’ case.”

  “How come?” Esau pursued.

  Maddy answered with a shrug, “They are all Nulls.”

  Esau’s jaw dropped instantly. He couldn't help raising a palm to his mouth.

  “The Void Ascent? All six of them?”

  “Aye.” Maddy affirmed. Then, she smiled and said, “Surprisin’, eh? Nulls’re rare as pearls t’ begin with. Findin’ any above the Vestige grade’s even harder. But here we are, sailin’ under six Null Luminaries. D’you see it now?”

  Esau nodded, although his expression stiffened with strange hostility.

  “Handling two or three Null Luminaries isn't a problem for any Paragon. But taking on six is a different matter entirely.”

  Listening to both of them, Micheal couldn't help but scratch his head. He finally decided to ask.

  “Are Nulls that terrifying?”

  Maddy and Esau turned their heads simultaneously. The bronze-skinned sailor whistled loudly and said, “From what I know, Null Luminaries’ve got three fixed tricks, not countin’ whatever abilities they had before or any Derivatives that branch off ’em. First, they can slip intangible, dodgin’ near any physical strike. Second, they can corrode an’ slowly erase whatever they lay a hand on. An’ third… they’ve got that strange knack for defyin’ space.”

  “Defying space?” Micheal expressed his puzzlement.

  Esau helped her out, “They aren't bound by the laws of space. Up can be down, down can be side. They can grab you from a baffling distance away, or extend the gap between them and others.”

  Micheal blinked a few times. After a while of contemplation, he exclaimed, “Basically, you cannot harm them, yet they are well equipped to harm you!”

  “True as tide!” Maddy winked. “’Course, a Paragon’s got even stranger an’ stronger abilities up their sleeve. Most o’ ’em start ignorin’ the bloody physical limits by that point. But ye never know what wicked Derivatives folk’ve picked up. So aye, Odin’s far stronger than any one o’ ’em on his own, but there’s still reason t’ keep wary.”

  Micheal nodded a few times. Then, he tapped his lower lip and asked, “Derivatives? What's that?”

  Esau shot him a disdainful stare, almost as if condemning Micheal's severely lacking knowledge in such aspects.

  “Don't give me that look!” The older boy protested, earning a laugh from Maddy. “You don't seem to understand that this isn't common information. I haven't lived my entire life exploring the mysteries of the realm, nor am I someone of royal descent. In fact, in the world of commoners, I consider myself quite knowledgeable!”

  “Is that so…” Esau wasn't convinced. He exhaled and explained, “In regards to the Blessed, there are fixed abilities for each Ascent— which everyone refers to as the ‘Umbrella Slate’. Furthermore, within an Ascent, there are also fixed abilities for each grade.”

  He paused to give Micheal a deep stare. “Do you understand?”

  “Of course! I know that much!”

  Esau nodded tersely. “In other words, every Radiant at the Seeker grade has access to the same magic. The same is for Dreamers, Ushers, Vessels and other Blessed.”

  Micheal's lips twitched at the ends. He muttered under his breath, “I just said I know that much…”

  The little boy, however, continued, “This stops at the Luminary grade. Luminaries start to possess Derivatives, which, as the term suggests, are distinct applications of their magic. What it means is that they can start creating branches of the fixed abilities on the Umbrella Slate”

  “As for Deviations, it begins only at the Paragon grade. This allows Blessed to completely deviate from the Umbrella Slate, and manifest abilities that depend on their own interpretation of the Ascent.” The boy glanced around, seemingly in search of a proper example.

  He pointed to himself and Maddy, who watched him explain with an amused smile.

  “Assume we're both from the Mind Ascent, and we are both Paragons. We both can't always have the same interpretation of the Ascent. And so, while I might suddenly manifest the power to merge minds together, she might exhibit the power to bring forth whatever she imagines into reality.”

  Micheal's eyes lit up. He said with a newfound understanding of the realm’s magic distribution, “I get it now. The power to manifest whatever one imagines? That's simply ridiculous!”

  “By the way, both abilities are actually on the Umbrella Slate for Visionaries.” Esau added.

  Micheal's mouth hung open for a few heartbeats. Having such powers? He knew what he would do instantly.

  Imagine thousands and thousands of Gold Royals! I'll be rich forever! He thought with glee.

  Then, he frowned.

  Actually, Esau might be right that my imagination is lacking… I think, at such a level, one barely cares about material possessions… Micheal shook his head, criticizing his childish reasoning.

  Who could blame him? He had spent a great deal of years struggling to earn a measly amount of Bronze Moppets.

  “Anyway,” Maddy said at that moment, “We’d best start preparin’ to head back t’ sea. If there’s anythin’ ye fixin’ to buy in the city, do it ’tween today and tomorrow.”

  “Alright,” Esau and Micheal nodded together.

  …

  When night fell, First-mate Odin reluctantly rolled out of bed. His body felt heavy, having slept the entire day. His feet pressed against hardwood as he trudged over to a coat rack beside the table.

  He slipped into his favorite coat, hiding away his defined muscles.

  Then, with a yawn, Odin stepped out of his room. In the narrow passageway of the living quarters, his eyes immediately fell on the messy-haired second mate.

  “Odirov?” He picked his ear. “Where the hell have you been?”

  Second-mate Odirov had his arms folded as he leaned against his room's door. The spectacularly handsome fellow shrugged his shoulders with a smile.

  “I've been around.”

  Walking past the tall lad, Odin gave him a deep stare. Then, he yawned once more and said, “Tell the captain I'm off to see Saturn.”

  “Sure.” Odirov answered.

  Odin soon arrived on the lower deck. He waved languidly to the sailors who greeted him and quickly left the Knuckleback. The moon had risen to its peak in the sky, giving the water a bluish sheen.

  This indolent Paragon ascended the gangway of the most terrifying pirate ship in all the Five Seas. The sailors of the Pillager halted their work when he stepped foot on the ship.

  Hushed whispers broke out all around him.

  “It’s the Stormbringer, it is.”

  “He here t’ see the cap’n?”

  “Someone fetch the mates, quick now!”

  Odin’s gaze swept over their faces. Unlike the Knuckleback crew, these weathered men and women were dressed more crudely. However, there was something about their collective appearance that seemed uniform and tidy.

  Odin said nothing as he made his way to the captain's cabin, which sat right behind the main deck. Ignoring the looks the sailors gave him, he pushed open the door without bothering to knock.

  The captain's cabin was lined with shelves on both sides. In it were books of all kinds, as well as a broken compass; The skull of an ümadi; A crude weapon that seemed like two metal tubes smelt together, and other such strange items.

  A desk was positioned close to the window, and behind it sat a lady. The lady had a head of thick, yellow hair that was braided at the sides, while the rest fell down her back in curls. Her face was strangely small, defined by freckles and thin, blood-red lips.

  Her piercing brown eyes betrayed decades of experience.

  She wore a thick, red robe with blue fur at the sleeves and hem.

  Odin’s lips curled slightly. He could never get over her appearance, always having the urge to tease. Saturn was a beauty, no doubt. However, her face and stature could be likened to that of a child, even though she was a few years older than he was.

  The captain of the Pillager raised her head briefly, before returning her gaze to the large map on the desk. She dipped her quill in ink and carefully crossed out a few places on the yellowing surface.

  Sighing, Saturn rose from her chair and walked to the shelf on the left. She fished out a book and flipped through with unwavering focus.

  For a moment, there was silence in the cabin.

  Odin watched her with an amused smile, before shutting the door with his leg. Then, he walked forward, grabbed the book from her hands and carefully returned it to the shelf.

  As he did that, his left hand raised her chin, and she stared at him with overly stern eyes.

  “Haven't I taught you to treat visitors better?” Odin said softly.

  He lowered his head, intending to kiss her, but she quickly raised a palm to his mouth.

  Saturn shook her head, despite her eyes flickering with need.

  “Please don't. I would hate for Adeline to come breaking down my door. And don't say ‘she's not going to find out’. Do not test a woman's intuition.”

  Odin’s head jerked backwards and he let out a hearty laugh.

  “Alright then,” He patted her head instead.

  Saturn's eyes turned stern once more. “That's all I get?”

  “What?” Odin was baffled. “You just said—”

  “Oh, shut up.” She shoved him off and angrily walked back to her desk.

  What the hell did I do? Odin groaned and shook his suddenly throbbing head. He exhaled and approached her desk.

  Staring at the map, he asked, “Still searching for the Glass City?”

  Saturn sighed tiredly. She nodded, saying, “I've chased after every sighting, yet it seems like the damn city keeps changing locations. I mean, how hard is it to find an entire city under the sea?”

  Odin could understand her frustration. The Knuckleback had been searching for Orion’s Torch for a long time as well, and the treasure seemed hell-bent on crushing their hopes.

  Odin smiled and said, “Well, we only lose if we give up. Besides, why are we Adventurers if we can't enjoy the thrill of the search?”

  Saturn raised a brow. “I'm a pirate.”

  “Yeah, right.” Odin chuckled. “Anyway, I needed to see you at least once. Our ship will be leaving in a few days.”

  Saturn toyed with her left braid for a moment. She pursed her lips and said, “Is that so… well, I suppose I should thank you for holding the storms since you arrived in Valkara.”

  “What?”

  Saturn gave him a strange look. “You've been holding the storms, haven't you? That's why it hasn't so much as rained these past few days.”

  Odin’s eyes slowly narrowed.

  “I— I haven't…”

  At that moment, the world seemed to close in on the Stormbringer. Moonlight filtered in through the window, casting a deep shadow across his face.

  “Say, Saturn, is it possible for Radiants to draw energy from the weather?”

  The lady nodded slightly, although her face squeezed into a frown. “It's possible, although it's quite risky, even for me. Is something wrong?”

  Odin slowly raised a palm to his face, as pieces of information flashed across his mind.

  The strange sound those in the Middle Ring spoke of. The freshly burnt forest on the Upper Ring. The stench in the dark citadel.

  “How devious.” He muttered, before bursting into slithering streaks of lightning.