Echoes of Revelry

Elissa sipped the last drop from her tenth cup of wine, her gaze sweeping across the room as the spiritual Gala drew to a close. 

Asoto' and Goeh remained engrossed in their conversation, their Tonovian words sounded muffled groans to her. Meanwhile, Robert held court, narrating the city's creation with fervor. A small cluster of spiritual representatives hung on his every word.

With a snap of her fingers, Elissa summoned a hovering sphere bearing yet another bottle of wine. She dismissed it with a wave, issuing a directive, "No more for me. Let Robert and Asoto' know I enjoyed the evening." As the obedient bot glided away, Elissa caught Robert's eye, who gently nodded his head towards as if wishing her a goodnight.

The obedient bot affirmed her words before gliding away, leaving Elissa to traverse the tables towards the exit. Her eyes caught Yulia engaged in conversation with another woman, prompting Elissa to quicken her pace. 

The air outside the cathedral hummed with the lingering energy of the Gala. Not trying to have Yulia try to persuade her to join her Hidden Hand, Elissa made her way toward the exit, her steps purposeful.

The cobbled road that led to the cathedral was on the outskirts of New Ark City surrounded by lushes' greenery, a diminutive black owl frolicked with a yellow cat and a white snake in the fading daylight. Elissa was still reeling from the amount of wine she had drank, the same thought kept resurfacing "How did the Law of 7 find its way inside such a material city?" quickened her pace.

"Come on, Butler, we're leaving," Elissa called out to the owl. At her command, the playful trio of strange animals disbanded, and Butler, the black owl, gracefully soared toward her. Elissa hopped onto a sleek silver sled, the handrail warm beneath her touch, from the waning sun. Butler perched itself on the railing.

"Take me back to H.E.R.O.'s tower," she instructed the levitating sled, which responded by lifting off the ground and ascending into the twilight sky. 

The fading day painted the heavens above New Ark City in hues of orange and red. Elissa soared through the cityscape, the wind tousling her hair, lost in her thoughts as the city lights began to twinkle below.

"Red Queen... how can a mortal grasp the intricacies of the Law of Seven so profoundly?" she mused to herself before posing the question aloud. "Butler, what do you know about the Rosy-Cross and Hero Red Queen?"

As the sled streaked through the evening sky, the black owl perched on the rail turned its keen eyes toward Elissa and spoke. "The Rosy-Cross is a resurgence of an esoteric order from the old world. Hero Red Queen serves as their representative, a legendary Hero in her own right. At the age of 22, she formed a plethora of High-Entropy Alloys, pivotal in fortifying all of New Ark City." Butler's mechanical gaze held a hint of reverence as it shared the information.

Intrigued by this glimpse into Red Queen's legacy, Elissa probed further, "Butler, what do you know about the Law of Seven?" 

The black owl shifted its gaze to the setting sun, taking a moment before responding, "The Law of Seven is a metaphysical concept that describes phenomena associated with vibration, such as octaves and the visible colors in the electromagnetic spectrum." Elissa sighed, her disappointment evident. Softly, she whispered, "That's the result of it, but nice try."

Quickly the sled approached the highest structure in New Ark City dropping Elissa on the first floor. Elissa made a beeline for the elevator 450th floor, home to A.R.M. (A Real Man), the machine god governing New Ark City. 

As the elevator ascended, memories of her first-time entering H.E.R.O Tower bubbled to the surface, prompting a laugh to escape her lips. "How could I have been so slow? The moment I lost the crystal containing Ragjiel's Immortal spirit was none other than when Al and I first took this elevator."

As the elevator continued its ascent, Elissa's thoughts had come to a conclusion. "The only individuals with access to the crystal were Hero Death Mark, Carlinn, or Yulia. If anyone would seek to save Ragjiel, it had to be his teacher, Taczlopalic. Meaning, one of those three is actually him in disguise." The puzzle pieces fell into place, and Elissa's determination grew with each passing second as the elevator reached its destination.

Stepping onto the bustling 450th floor, Elissa couldn't help but marvel at the flurry of papers and conversations among the ordinary people who played crucial roles in running New Ark City. 

A whispered, "I wonder what all the buzz is about," escaped her lips. She navigated her way to the main office where A.R.M. resided. 

To her surprise, the door was already ajar. As Elissa entered, she found A.R.M., the imposing 7ft figure with red skin and black hair, standing next to Loh' Pohlieus a Tonovian, slightly taller with blue skin and white-grayish hair. 

The contrast between A.R.M., and Loh', highlighted the diversity of the city. The duo stood side by side, their silhouettes framed against the room's glass wall, which unveiled the breathtaking skyline of New Ark City.

 "Good evening, Elissa. Did you enjoy the Spiritual Gala?" A.R.M. inquired without turning to face her. Approaching them slowly, Elissa responded with a warm smile, "Yes, I sure did. I came here to ask if you can get me in touch with the Rosy-Cross."

A.R.M. turned to face Elissa, his eyes glinting with curiosity etched on his features. His figure seemed to tower with strength against the backdrop of the city. "I'll arrange a meeting between you and Red Queen but if you don't mind me asking, since when have cultivators been interested in Christian mysticism?" His voice resonated with a commanding strength and depth that echoed through the room.

Elissa bowed in gratitude before laying out the reason behind her request. "I've narrowed the identity of Taczlopalic to 3 people. I'm actually embarrassed I didn't notice it sooner, but Hero Death Mark, Carlinn Ioannis, and Sofia Yulia Novikov— one of them is our guy." A.R.M.'s brows furrowed slightly.

Loh' Pohlieus, standing beside A.R.M., turned towards him with a heavy sigh after absorbing Elissa's revelation. The weight of her words hung in the air, and a moment of tense silence settled in the room.

A.R.M. turned away from Elissa, his gaze fixed on the city's skyline, his expression grave. "This comes to us at a really bad time. An anomaly has been detected far in the Mid Atlantic Ocean." The artificial god paused making Elissa ponder if such a being could feel stress and anxiety.

A.R.M. looked at the floor before adding. "Whatever it is, it's of incredible size and slowly moving towards us. On the west, after Al killed the Church of the New Light's Exarch, our Heroes stationed out there have been in constant skirmishes with the church." Elissa's eyes widened with concern, the actions of Al her student where now becoming a burden to their hosts.

Elissa contemplated for a moment, her mind wrestling with the gravity of the situation, before asserting, "As soon as Al exits the cultivation room, we will make things right with the church. The Exarchs and saints may despise us, but cultivators have long co-existed with Light Acolytes."

A.R.M. expressed his thanks before acknowledging, "I was really hoping this worry of yours and Al's was nothing but wild speculation." He continued "It would be unfortunate if any one of those three turned out to harbor ill will towards the city that accepted them so graciously." Though his voice retained its powerful tone, a hint of pity was intertwined within.

Loh' Pohlieus suddenly interjected, "It's only expected for a rushed garden to have weeds take root. As for you, Elissa, I assume you want to meet with the Rosy-cross to get closer to Hero Death Mark. This means you've already investigated Carlinn and Yulia?" 

Elissa smiled at Loh's perceptiveness but clarified, "Yulia, yes, but Carlinn, no. I'm supposed to meet with him in a month." Loh's expression softened.

A.R.M. concluded the conversation, stating, "Perfect, then in one month's time I will arrange a meeting with you and the Rosy-cross. I and my fathers are thankful for everything Al and you have done." After his final words, Elissa exited the room.

Meanwhile on the 12th floor of H.E.R.O Tower Al was seated in the same spot within the cultivation room for the past four months, his mind operated like a sharp blade, focus honed solely on his breath. 

Each inhale fueled the engine of his Will, converting breath into a waterfall of Heat Will. Al had already broken into the Mental Domain once with his Stubborn Will. His previous experience accompanied by the refined atmosphere of the designed cultivation room flooded his body with Heat Will.

His exhales produced twin flames, as if his insides were a blazing inferno. As time progressed, Al's eyes began to weep boiling blood. However, his Stubborn Will proved indispensable, swiftly regenerating any damage inflicted upon his internal organs by the searing Heat Will. 

In a matter of weeks, because of his reckless cultivation style Al's body, became progressively saturated with his Heat Will. Slowly it was building up into a relentless force seeking to breach his brain and break down the doors of the Mental Domain.