Once they arrived at the resting area, everyone found their place. The room was simple, filled with couches and zafus. There wasn't much entertainment in this world; most of the people spent their time either cultivating or preparing for the next battle.
Ash casually flopped onto a couch, resting his head on Nyssari's shoulder, his usual nonchalance hiding the turmoil within him. Everyone settled in, and after a few moments, Thaeon opened his mouth to speak—but Nyssari beat him to it.
"Who are you?" she asked, pointing at Jest, who had taken a seat next to Thaeon.
Jest hesitated before answering, his voice meek. "M-my name is Jest..." He gave a simple, almost awkward response.
"Just... Jest?" Selvira raised an eyebrow, clearly intrigued.
"Relax, would ya?" Thaeon said with a chuckle, wrapping an arm around Jest's shoulders. "He's Jest from the small world we visited for the past 13 years."
The princesses nodded in understanding, then Velric spoke, his eyes studying Ash with a new curiosity.
"So, you're our little brother, huh? Nice to meet you for the first time. I'm your third brother, Velric."
"And I'm your fourth brother, Thaeon."
Ash nodded, his usual calm demeanor returning. "I'm Ash, as you've probably heard before. Nice to meet you."
After a brief moment of pleasantries, Thaeon smirked. "I hear you're pretty impressive. Tell me, what was your talent assessment?"
Ash shrugged casually, "Just elite. Nothing too much."
The room fell into silence.
Velric and Thaeon exchanged glances, eyes wide with disbelief. Even Jest looked at Ash strangely. 'Even my talent assessment was higher than his...' Jest thought to himself, remembering his Transcendent ranked talent.
"Haha, little brother, quit joking! Even though this is our first time meeting, we are blood!" Velric said, laughing heartily. He couldn't imagine that anyone from the Neyru bloodline would have elite talent, not with their lineage.
"He isn't joking, little brother," Ary chimed in, her voice calm and assuring.
"Right, Ash has elite talent.... but a perfect foundation," Nyssari added, her tone serious. "The test was obviously broken, though. Little Ash here has already achieved something none of us did before." She smiled proudly, ruffling Ash's hair again. "He's already at the Early Spiritual Foundation realm at the age of 13!"
"Not only that, just a month ago he slayed a Domain Forging Devil," Selvira added with a sly grin.
Ash, however, remained nonchalant, eyes closed, as if the praise didn't faze him. Nyssari continued to ruffle his hair, amused by his lack of reaction.
"WHAT?!" Both princes exclaimed,
Seeing that Ash was indeed at the Early Spiritual Foundation realm shocked both Velric and Thaeon, but this revelation brought about another question.
"Right... the Devils, fill us in on the situation," Velric said, his voice grim.
At the mention of the word "situation," Ash perked up, opening his eyes for the first time in the conversation. For the past couple of months, they had been either fighting or resting, so Ash hadn't had the chance to fully grasp how everything had escalated. He was keen to learn about the war's progression and his role in the bigger picture.
Ary exhaled slowly, her face tense as she began to recount the events. "It started about a year ago," she began. "Everything was going as usual. The peak talents of the Empire had just broken into the Body Tempering Realm, and Father was already making preparations for them. Then suddenly, the world's barrier was attacked by these devils... As you know, the situation outside of Neyru is a bit tricky, so the information on other races are limited."
Ash nodded slightly, his eyes narrowing in thought. Ary's words painted a picture of a world already in turmoil.
"After months of defending, we finally attempted to take the initiative," Ary continued. "Everything was going well at first. That is, until General Thalan and Captain Silverleaf were ambushed. They lost their lives in the attack. The devils used the teleportation formations to come directly here... and the war truly began."
Ash processed the information in silence. The tragedy of losing General Thalan and Captain Silverleaf was news to him. However, the losses, the sudden attack, and the overwhelming power of the devils made him realize just how unprepared they had been for the sheer scale of the invasion.
Ary finished her summary, but the weight of the words lingered in the air. The room fell silent as each person reflected on the grim reality they now faced. After several moments, Ash began to think deeply. His current strength, though impressive, was far from enough. He needed to get stronger if he was going to have any hope of keeping up with the ever-escalating threats facing Neyru.
He glanced at his system window, examining his task list. He had completed nearly everything on the list—except for one key task: Achieving Domain Forging Cultivation.
'I need to reach it fast,' Ash thought, his resolve hardening. His eyes darkened as he thought of what lay ahead. He couldn't afford to be weak—not when so many lives depended on his strength.
'I can't wait to unlock my bloodline...' he mused, the thought lingering in his mind. 'Then my race.....' He couldn't wait to fully unleash his true potential and talent onto this world. For the past 3 years since he's been awakened, he has been like a handicapped person.
As the conversation shifted, Velric sighed deeply, the gravity of the situation pressing on him. "Yes, this is tricky... and our big brothers needs us immediately. Those damn Ilyron Dominion cultivators laid an ambush for us."
"Indeed," Nyssari added, her voice serious. "But what's the deal with Jest? What makes him special?"
Thaeon, with a proud smile, patted Jest's back. "Well, he awakened a Fragmented Concept. And his talent? It's Transcendent!"
At this revelation, everyone in the room, even Riya, turned their attention toward Jest. The atmosphere changed immediately—what Thaeon had said was no small thing. Fragmented Concepts were something heard of only in myths, at least to the siblings. The concept of Fragmented Concepts was so rare, it was almost considered a legend among the higher-ranking cultivators.
Riya smiled as she sensed the importance of the moment.
[My, my, Master, this kid will have a bright future... as long as he lives to see it.]
Ash, intrigued by this development, quietly asked, 'Hm? Are Fragmented Concepts that special?'
[Well, not necessarily. Once you see more of the world, you will meet tons of people with concepts. However, when you awaken a Fragmented Concept, it's a bit different. Concepts, in themselves, are a different ball game of power. But once you awaken one, it becomes tethered to you, much like your innate abilities. This offers the opportunity for a person to essentially become that concept.]
Ash's mind raced as he processed this. 'When you say become the concept... Do you mean...'
[Exactly. You will become a conceptual existence—a being whose very nature is tied to that concept.] Riya's voice was calm, yet laden with knowledge.
The concept of Fragmented Concepts was groundbreaking for Ash. The idea that someone could not only awaken a fragment of a concept but eventually become that concept entirely was awe-inspiring. He couldn't help but wonder what kind of potential Jest could unlock. If this was truly as rare as it seemed, Jest's future might be brighter than anyone had imagined.
As Ary continued, her voice breaking through Ash's contemplation, she looked at Jest with newfound respect.
"This is indeed great news! We'll need to inform Father and Mother right away. The other talents have already begun cultivating, so Jest needs to catch up."
Hearing this, Velric stood up, nodding in agreement. "I'll go immediately."
Before Velric could continue, there was a soft knock at the door. The door creaked open, and a butler stepped inside, bowing respectfully.
"Princesses and Princes, His and Her Majesty have requested your presence. Also, bring him along." The butler gestured toward Jest, who sat quietly beside Thaeon.