Chapter 21: Verdant Sigil Tradehaven

  On a vast and serene river, blanketed by a layer of drifting fog, a lone canoe glided through the water. Atop this canoe, a cloaked man sat upright. He had smooth, light-toned skin, well-defined features, and long, flowing black hair partially pinned up in a bun. This was Damon Fletcher. He had sailed down the Great Mountainvein River for the past month, stopping periodically only to rest. The canoe was being propelled forward by his mental power. Although not moving at an incredible speed, it was much faster than walking through the forest terrain.

  Damon had not encountered any obstacles or dangers during the month of journeying since the battle with the Channel Weaving Disciple. Ever since he had passed the border of the Mugthorne Kingdom, he had felt much safer. It had been quite peaceful, a mixture of his daily cultivation exercises and poring over the new books he had acquired. Harboring severe injuries to his Arcane Node, he was unable to practice his spellcraft; therefore, a majority of his time was spent sailing toward his next destination.

  The tranquility surrounding Damon was suddenly broken as a large shadow loomed in behind him through the haze. Having experienced similar situations quite often, he directed his small boat toward the side. The river, wide enough that neither bank could be seen from the center, could accommodate large trade vessels, traveling back and forth between multiple territories, establishing many trade routes.

  These large boats were one of the major factors underlying the foundation of the Verdant Sigil Assembly’s rise as the foremost power in the surrounding region. As an association founded on commerce, they recruited a substantial number of independent cultivators to join their military and guard organizations. Some of these cultivators were even trained for sales, appraisal, or management if they possessed the necessary skills. The Verdant Sigil Assembly was based in the Verdant Sigil Tradehaven, a monumental city-state positioned at the intersection of four kingdom borders.

  As the silhouette of a large trade ship approached from behind, Damon noticed it was slowing down to match his current speed. None of the vessels that had passed him before had even displayed a pretense of acknowledging his existence. He gazed up toward the vessel where he spotted a figure curiously looking down at him from the railings.

  “Fellow cultivator, are you headed in the direction of Verdant Sigil Tradehaven?”

  “Indeed, my destination is the Verdant Sigil Tradehaven. Have you a need for my assistance, sir?”

  “No, no! You are mistaken, my friend. I am the captain of this vessel. We serve the Verdant Sigil Pavilion, the trade organization established by the Verdant Sigil Assembly. It has been a boring few days of travel, as we did not pick up many travelers during our journey this time. I was wondering if you would like to step aboard to converse and discuss the path of cultivation if we were headed in the same direction.”

  Damon was surprised to hear this response. He only had the arcane power levels of an early stage Node Awakening Initiate, as well as the bearing of an independent cultivator. He had not expected the captain of a vessel working for the Verdant Sigil Assembly would take interest in him at all.

  Although Damon was wary of the unknown man, he was confident that he would be able to detect any dangers through his Mindsense. Taking this as a prime opportunity to learn more about the city-state, while also hiding from any potential future dangers, Damon replied, “If you are willing to have me on board, it would be my pleasure.”

  The man let a rope ladder down the side of the vessel for Damon to climb up. Damon clung to the ladder before placing his small boat away in his storage pouch. While he climbed to the top, he spread out his Mindsense to ascertain his safety. Seeing no obvious dangers, he jumped nimbly over the railing and then scrutinized his surroundings. There were not many people on the deck of the ship, only the man from earlier and a few other sailors manning the helm and the sails to keep the ship moving.

  “Friend, I am Igor. As I mentioned earlier, I am the captain of this trade vessel. Along with trade, we are also involved in ferrying passengers between different port cities. This time, however, we have only picked up mortal passengers and hence the cause of my boredom. Although there are a few other cultivators from the Verdant Sigil Pavilion, they have a propensity to seclude themselves in their cabins during the trip and don’t emerge unless there is danger afoot.”

  Igor was a short man with a large belly. He was middle-aged and had a thick bushy beard. He was wearing loose leather garments rather than the robes commonly seen worn by cultivators. He was giving off the power level of a late stage Node Awakening Initiate.

  “Nice to meet you, Igor. I am Damon. As you can see, I have only just stepped on the arcane path; thus, I do not know how many insights I may possess regarding cultivation.”

  “It is a pleasure, Damon. Regardless of your insights, we can pass our time through baseless conversation and gossip as well. It will take another week or so to arrive at the Tradehaven, so it will be great to have a drink. Come, I have a few jars of Mysticflame Brew. It is made from first-tier materials, and it will even slightly boost your cultivation. It is also delicious and addictive.”

  The two men entered the captain’s cabin located on the stern of the ship. After sitting at a table, Igor poured a clear, ruby-colored liquid into two mugs, handing one to Damon. This being his first time trying alcohol, Damon was slightly hesitant, but witnessing Igor down his entire mug in one go convinced him to give it a try. The taste of the beverage really was quite delicious. With a hint of sweetness and spiciness, it left behind a pleasant aftertaste while a comfortable warmth cascaded down his gullet and settled within his stomach. Focusing on this feeling, he could detect the liquid slowly dissipating into strands of arcane energy and being absorbed by his body as it was being digested. When he was young, he had previously heard his parents mention the effects of alcohol, yet this Mysticflame Brew did not cloud his mind nor impair his judgment. He did not know if the alcohol concentration contained within was meager or if his mind cultivation prevented the impediment of his consciousness.

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  “Brother Igor, this Mysticflame Brew truly is extraordinary. I have never tasted such a delicate yet strong flavor. The effect of the drink is also quite good, slightly increasing my cultivation. Such a refreshment must be quite valuable and precious. Is it a good idea to share this with me?”

  “Hahahaha! No need to be so courteous! Although this brew is indeed quite costly, I only drink it on special occasions and only with others. What is the point of cultivating so relentlessly if you can’t even relax once in a while? Sharing a drink with friends is my only hobby outside of cultivation. Worry not, the position I have at the Pavilion pays me enough stipends to be able to occasionally splurge on such things without setting back my advancement by much.” Igor chortled out loud while rubbing his belly contentedly.

  “Then I must extend my thanks to you for providing me with such fortunes, Brother Igor. Though I do not possess any similar mystical consumables, I do have jerky I made from first-tier essence beasts. The taste is acceptable and can be a good complement to the beverages.” Damon thanked Igor and produced a few pouches filled with glistening, dark red jerky.

  “Oh! The meat of first-tier essence beasts is also quite precious. Although usually only useful for physical cultivation, the taste is generally better than normal animals. It will be a fitting snack for our drinking session!”

  The two men harmoniously clinked their mugs together, laughing as they conversed and snacked on the jerky. They first made light conversation about random rumors and recent affairs. Eventually, they moved on to the topic of cultivation insights.

  “Brother Damon, your insights into the path of cultivation are definitely not as shallow as you insinuated. I had not expected you to have such deep understanding and extensive knowledge at your young age. Are you affiliated with a large power?” Initially expecting the cultivation discussion to be one-sided, Igor was pleasantly surprised by the different outcome. This led him to believe Damon had to be an apprentice of a tower or academy of an association.

  “Brother Igor, I am not affiliated with any association. In fact, I am currently traveling to the Verdant Sigil Tradehaven to try my hand at joining one of their organizations.”

  “Interesting. If that is the case, then you must have an independent cultivator Master or have come across some sort of small inheritance. Do not be alarmed. I am not interested in such inheritances of the Node Awakening realm. I have taken quite a liking to you in this short time, and I would be willing to recommend you to the Pavilion if you are interested. If not, I can write you a referral letter to take to one of the other organizations run by the Assembly. That should help expedite the recruitment process and give you a higher chance.” Igor had seen distrust and wariness flash in Damon’s eyes, with his expression growing slightly cold. He understood Damon must have experienced adversity during his earlier years and had lingering trauma. Hence, he alleviated his concerns and then extended a helping hand.

  Realizing that Igor had seen through him completely, Damon became somewhat embarrassed. Although he had experienced much in his life already, he was still inexperienced compared to the well-traveled Igor. Slightly flushed, he replied, “Brother Igor, I apologize for my earlier reaction. I would be extremely grateful if you could write me a referral letter. Although I am slightly interested in joining you at the Pavilion, I am more focused on learning than commerce. Do you have a suggestion as to which organization is the best to apply to?”

  “It is of no consequence. Though it is a shame I can’t continue to travel with you during my tasks, it is better for you to pursue your own path. Hmm… If it is learning you seek, I believe the Verdant Sigil Military Academy or the Verdant Sigil Arcane Academy is your best bet. Though they are both training combatants, they will provide more opportunities for further learning. However, this path is more dangerous; the missions you receive will sometimes require you to place yourself in peril.” Igor contemplated for a while before coming up with two suggestions.

  “What is the difference between the Military and Arcane Academies?”

  “The Military Academy specializes in training Auron, whereas the Arcane Academy specializes in training Arcon.”

  “Auron? The physical path? I did not realize the Assembly was nurturing body cultivators as well,” Damon replied in surprise.

  “Yes, though the Assembly is predominantly filled with arcanists, I know that there are also several Circuit Completion Adepts of the physical path. They have a mixture of both paths to enhance their combat strength.”

  “I see… How fascinating. I have yet to meet an Auron.”

  “It is because Auron have become far less commonly seen since ancient times when Arcon came to be. Prior to the emergence of Arcon, the physical path was the only path to pursue. It is said that during this period, the resources of the continent dwindled due to having too many cultivators of a singular path.”

  Damon nodded in understanding. That makes sense. So does that mean the mind path came before the physical path? That must be why Master Silas did not recognize the arcane path when we met Feylis. Just what kind of era did Master live in?

  “What happened next, Brother Igor? How did the Arcon become the dominant power?” asked Damon.

  Igor continued to explain, “When the Arcon started developing, they had plentiful resources for their path available and were able to advance quickly to higher realms. During combat, warriors have incredible speed and strength, but they are limited to close-range attacks, at least during the lower realms. The durability of their bodies also varies from person to person. Due to this, Arcon, with their incredible firepower and long range, were able to overthrow the supremacy of the Auron. Since then, the number of physical path cultivators has diminished until now, where they are rare to come across.”

  Like this, Damon and Igor began a new topic of discussion. This conversation carried on until deep in the night, when they finally retired to their respective sleeping chambers. Upon awaking, the two would meet again to resume their previous night's discussions. This continued for over a week, when they finally arrived at the destination.

  Standing upon the bow of the ship, Damon beheld the enormous stone wall encompassing the entire river and extending even further. As they approached closer, the wall shrouded the sky. The entirety of his vision was filled with just this wall. The colossal wall was made out of dark stone blocks the size of a house. Each stone block had a large glistening rune carved into it, glowing with multicolored lights. These runes were linked together, forming a net of light which extended further past the wall and into the sky, encompassing the entirety of the city. A low hum could be heard from these runes.

  Just the wall alone was already so monumental, even grander and larger than the Arcane Tower Damon had seen before. He was in awe at the sight of the defenses. How will the city look, within these mighty walls?

  Sighing in wonder, Damon exclaimed, “This must be Verdant Sigil Tradehaven.”