Malikai walked pass one floor after another as he moved upwards. The layout of the stairs and stone paths which lead to floors was practically the same on every level.
Some levels had various defensive measures which protected and isolated their respective floors from the external world while others didn't.
When he reached the library located on the second highest level he stopped just before the stone path began.
Using his right index finger, he drew a single Rune in the air before him. Even though it was a just a single Rune, it was as complex as a Runic Array, and was three-dimensional in nature, reflecting the image of a man holding a woman's hand as they orchestrated and bore witness to what appeared to be the birth of a multitude of Cosmos.
Malikai then focused his Spirit on the Rune and channeled Mana into it.
The Rune began to release a resplendent blue light as he applied Mana to his voice and spoke in the Ancestral Tongue of the Elves, "Malikai Hightower The World Destroying Sprite".
A blue Runic Array then appeared beneath his feet and started to rotate.
Soon after, Malikai vanished from that place and reappeared inside the library which was located within many defensive Runic Arrays, Constructs and Artifacts.
The process he just underwent was the only method to gain entry into the library as the various defensive measures were virtually impenetrable if one did not have the attack power or strength of Cosmic Spirit Level Entities.
Once inside he walked toward a desk located in the middle of the huge library which had many books stacked on it.
He sat in the chair behind the desk and picked up one of the many books already sitting on the desk.
The book was several inches thick, about a foot long, and 8 inches wide. It was titled A Comprehensive Text Of All Currently Known Origin Symbionts.
He then opened the book to the index page of Divine Tree subsection of the Plant section before he flipped through to the page regarding the All-Encompassing Divine Tree.
[ {All-Encompassing Divine Tree}
Also known as {The Hearth of Eternal Wisdom and Light}
This tree at its peak has an impenetrable defense and has the peak of all healing properties. It is considered the representative of the tree sub-branch of the plant system Origin Symbionts. It creates a field of Fantasia that promotes both the health and growth rate of all plant-life and most other beings with the exception of a rare few.
It has sentience and can distinguish between friend and foe even when not contracted.
It manipulates all forms of Aria.
As it grows it can use its root system to record knowledge of its environment. Using this ability it may plant its roots within an object and analyze it, using the runes or Runic Arrays within to better its understanding of Aria.
It is also highly capable of preforming numerous area-of-effect and crowd control type attacks.
It can absorb, refine, and store all elemental forms of Mana, Star Qi, and Fantasia.
These trees are birthed by the cosmos themselves; born with the ability to connect with the cosmos once they achieve the Supercluster Realm.
The tree possesses the ability to fuse with its contractor on a relatively high level even when compared to other Origin Syms, it can perform a complete fusion if it and its contractor achieve the necessary compatibility, strength, and comprehension of Aria.]
Malikai closed his eyes in contemplation after reading this passage. He then continued to flip through the book to study more Origin Symbionts in order to better understand their abilities and think more about possible plans for his and Alyssa’s future growth and development.
He continued his reading for a short span of time before stopping.
There was a silver ring sitting on the table which he picked up.
He drew three head-sized runes in the air before him after he stood up from the chair.
All three Runes were three-dimensional in nature.
The first was a brown mountain which continuously expanded and contracted. The second was a shield of rainbow-colored light which rotated at high speeds, horizontally across from the mountain.
And the third was a bag which seemed to hold unstable region of isolated space within where time ceased to flow, which was located above the other two Runes, forming something of a pyramid.
He focused his spirit channeling Mana into the Runes causing a series of blue lines to connect them.
He placed the ring in the center of the of Runic Array before he bit his right index finger and flicked the drop of blood which formed onto the ring, his wound healing with several blinks of the eye.
The blood bonded itself to the ring as the Runic Array was compressed and imprinted upon the ring. The ring then began to release a bright light and absorb a large amount of the ambient Mana for several moments before gradually settling down to release a dense amount of Mana.
Once it was settled, Malikai reached out his left hand and the ring floated towards him.
He grabbed it and placed it on the middle finger of his right hand.
He then began to walk throughout the library, which was full of row after row of towering bookshelves and numerous tables.
The bookshelves were full of scrolls, bone books, hardcover books, and paperbacks, while the tables were full of maps and opened books and scrolls.
When he passed certain books and maps and sometimes even entire bookshelves or tables, he would reach out his right hand and channel Mana into the ring causing it to glow in blue light.
The objects would then vanish from the room appearing in the isolated region of space contained within the ring now donned on his finger.
He soon walked throughout the entire Library and finished collecting items.
"Return," he said into the void and once more appeared outside the library.
He then returned to the ground level, before heading down the spiral staircase leading further down.
This staircase led to a single level. All of the underground levels required one to first physical walk down to this basement type room, before engaging the Teleportation Runic Array Located here in order to reach the lower levels. Said lower levels being independent caverns being mostly sealed off from the external world through the Use of Runic Arrays.
This level was completely empty, and its floor was covered in a singular Runic Array which covered 1/2 of the entire area.
Alyssa was already standing in the center of the Array, her tied in a single long braid draped over her left shoulder.
Her arms were crossed against the front of her body as she tapped her right foot.
"You took too long. At this rate, we'll have to go to the warehouse in the morning before breakfast since it'll take a while for us to finish up in the armory." She spoke without turning around.
"Fine." He replied before walking to stand opposite her.
They then worked together to create a two-layered Runic Array.
The layers were identical circles perpendicular to the ground. The runes in the center of the arrays were identical to the rune Malikai had drawn to get into the library. They were surrounded by various three-dimensional weapon-type runes which glowed in different colors and gave off various auras.
Malikai and Alyssa then channeled Mana into the Arrays, causing the Arrays to rotate in opposite directions as they slowly began to merge. Their merging caused the space in the area to become unstable. After the Arrays merged completely, they formed a double-sided Spatial gate leading to the armory.
The two stepped into the Spatial Gate from opposite directions.
After they stepped through the Gate it winked out of existence behind them.
As soon as they arrived inside the armory, they felt a massive increase in the density of both Mana and Star Qi. It was so dense in fact, that due to their low level of cultivation they were stunned for a few seconds before they managed to regain their ability to think or move, even after they had prepared for the increased density of Mana and Star Qi.
They looked one another over and proceeded to walk deeper into the armory while glancing at everything they passed by as it was only one of the few times that they had come to this level as it took a large quantity of Origin Force and a high understanding of complex runes to unlock the restrictions on The Armory and teleport inside, this being a result of Runic Arrays populating The Land of Twin Sprites which increased spatial restrictions.
They passed a multitude of weapons of different varieties and many forging materials, kilns, and cauldrons. They saw many bows, swords, blades, staffs, daggers, shields, war hammers, and axes.
They collected everything that they came across that was deemed useful to them now or would be in the short-to-medium term as they were leaving tomorrow and would not return for many years.
They were able to take whatever they wanted because this mountain and everything contained inside now belonged to them or had been created for them, the same applied to the lake and surrounding forest which they had inherited as an estate upon birth.
This was part of a long-standing tradition as the Hightower Bloodline was prone to giving birth to twins, and at least one pair every generation contracted with the Twin Cosmos Creating Sprites.
It was intended to ensure every pair of such twins was given the necessary resources to properly develop independently of any internal conflicts or power struggles the family experienced.
Furthermore, each such pair of twins was endowed a title as both a pair and individually by the family. Collectively the two were known as The Twin Sprites of Cosmic Order, Alyssa was known as The World Creating Sprite, and Malikai was known as The World Destroying Sprite, this being due to both their innate affinities and talents as well as their styles of combat.
As they continued to collect items, they eventually came across a circular ash grey shield with a one-meter diameter located at the armory's center.
The edges of the front of the shield were lined with numerous Runes forming a Runic Array centered around a magnificently complex Rune located in its center. The Rune in the center looked identical to the Hightower Family's Cosmic Divination Tower with the only difference being three pairs of angelic wings which encompassed it.
The shield floated above the altar in the middle of The Armory. It was the only item which surrounded in restrictions. It was surrounded in multiple barriers of light one of which isolated in another space. Even when isolated in another space it released an aura of suppression and might.
Both Alyssa and Malikai came to a brief pause and gazed upon the shield with mixed feelings.
They then walked up to the 10-step altar with slow steps before bowing towards the shield.
This shield was one of their family's Guardian Treasures and was a Spiritual Weapon which had reached the Cosmic Realm. It was created by one of their ancestors.
His name was Christoph Azaleus Hightower, and he was a famous Runic Blacksmith and Warrior who had vanished when fighting against a powerful foe. His shield had been severely damaged and was the only remnants of his existence outside of a few other treasures.
As it was a Spiritual Weapon1A weapon which due to special circumstances has developed a higher level of sentience and has begun to develop, or already completed, its own Spirit. it had returned alongside his other equipment to the family through a Spatial Gateway opened with the power of The Cosmic Divination Tower (another of his Treasures) and slowly healed itself through the absorption of Divine Materials and Origin Forces.
As they reached altar silver Fantasia seeped out of the barriers surrounding the Shield. The energy condensed into the form of a female angel. She had three pairs of fully extended pure white feathery wings. Each wing was two meters long and stirred the Mana and Star qi surrounding her into chaotic swirls.
She was around 1.8 meters tall and wore a steel gray suit of armor which consisted of; a Valkyrie-style helmet, knee-high battle boots, a knee-length battle skirt, a form-fitting breastplate which left gaps for her wings, shoulder pauldrons, gauntlets, a shield identical to the one above the altar was attached to the back of her right gauntlet, and she held a book within her left hand with had a picture of The Cosmic Divination Tower between three pairs of angelic wings. Under the armor she wore a pure white lace dress without sleeves which reached to her knees and left her fair arms otherwise exposed to the air. Her breastplate possessed the same image as the book she held in her hand.
Her eyes were pure gold, and her platinum white hair was tied into two French braids. Both braids hung over her shoulders from opposite sides. She had a small, upturned nose which made her appear somewhat delicate.
"Hello, you smelly brats." She said with a small giggle, causing her armor to clink lightly and her braids to sway.
"Your excellency Virgo." "Hello you old hag"
"What is it you two have come for this time?" Virgo asked her gaze moving between the two.
"We are leaving tomorrow and do not know when we will be returning. We expect to require your power at various occasions before we return." Malikai offered.
"And despite my distaste for both your attitude and the way you look at my brother, I know it would be for the best if we brought you along." Alyssa responded when Virgo turned her gaze upon her.
Despite him trying to maintain an impassive expression the corners of his eyes ever so slight narrowed and his brow furrowed before snapping back into place.
"Makes sense," Virgo nodded and understanding with a small smirk before continuing on to ask, "Who's traveling with you?"
"Quentin and several others." Malikai stated before his sister could continue running off at the mouth.
"Which one of you wants to form the Runic Bond2A bond a cultivator forms with a Runic or Spiritual Item allowing the cultivator to fully unleash the item's power and preventing others from using the item at all without the Cultivator's permission. The bond is similar to the contract between a Demonic Beast and a Cultivator. There is a limit to the forms, and number of Runic Treasures one may form a bond with, and said bond also strains both the mental and physical aspects of an individual to maintain. ?" Virgo asked as her eyes once more moved across them both.
"I do. Besides the fact that I am most suited for it, I don't you getting involved with my brother any more than necessary." Alyssa immediately spoke up.
Virgo smiled deviously as she responded, " Are you sure? Due to your low cultivation realms, the process has a high element of danger and whoever goes through it will experience an excruciating level of pain. Despite even your level of talent3 talent here refers to the inherent strength, tenacity, and overall expansiveness and capacity of ones Runic Pathways (Meredians - The thing upon which Inherent Runic Arrays are typically imprinted and through which Origin Forces flow) , tenacity, and force of will, while you will no doubt survive, it will be far from easy." Virgo said before her spiritual body walked to the top of the altar and stepped into the space below her physical body.
Virgo's words caused Malikai to step forward as he cast a glance at Alyssa.
"We both know I should be the one she bonds with. Calm down and stop letting your emotions get the best of you." He spoke with something of a scolding tone as he began to ascend the alter.
"Malikai, that's not true. I would never let my emotions cloud my mind to such a degree. We both know I am more suited for a Runic Bond with her Virgo if we go by both affinity and combat style, I am more suited to the task." Alyssa responded.
"Your body is not nearly as capable as my own of bearing the Burden of the Runic Bond. And I will have no trouble developing a combat style suited to utilizing Virgo's power." Malikai said as he continued up the altar's steps.
"Why are you being so adamant?" She asked even though she anticipated his answer because of their mental connection.
The altar began to release in steel gray light as magnificent Runes appeared on its surface. The barriers surrounding Virgo disappeared one after another and the sense of pressure released from the shield began to increase exponentially.
"Why are you asking a question you already know the answer to?" Malikai reached the final step as he shot back.
In the ensuing silence he took the final step and reached the top of the altar and reached forward with his right hand, placing it upon the last barrier surrounding Virgo which possessed a diameter of 100 meters.
