Selyra stood at the door, her golden robes billowing gently in the morning breeze.
She turned. "Come on. Let's begin your training. You'll need it now more than ever."
The intricate weave shimmered in the light, ethereal threads shifting like starlight trapped in silk. She raised an eyebrow at his rumpled appearance.
"Breakfast," she said simply.
Moments later, they moved through the sect's walkways toward the dining area. Whispers trailed in their wake as disciples, outer and inner, caught sight of the fabled 'Fairy Selyra' walking with the unknown newcomer.
Adrien ignored them, still mentally processing the encounter with the so-called young master last night.
He'd defeated the attacker easily, but it raised questions, about power, about his place, and about how quickly he needed to adapt.
After a quick breakfast of broth, steamed rice, and preserved fruits, Selyra led him to a secluded cliffside courtyard framed by cherry trees and overlooking a sweeping sea of clouds. It was breathtaking.
Selyra's quarters were on another level. It looked like a whole mansion, surrounded by intricate gardens, reinforced walls, and quite the view to boot. She had a large training courtyard to herself and an indoor training room to boot.
She drew her weapon, a slender rapier of moon-forged Aether glass. It was longer than most rapiers Adrien had seen before, yet it moved like liquid light in her hands.
She barely spoke before lunging forward, a blur of motion.
Adrien barely dodged in time, the wind from her strike slicing the air with a sharp hiss.
"This is toned down," she said, smiling. "Don't disappoint me."
They clashed, again and again. Adrien focused, channelling every ounce of muscle memory and instinct into defending, parrying, and when he could, striking. Her speed was blinding, but her technique, refined. And what surprised her was Adrien's own.
He lacked polish, sure. But his movement was precise, his sense for combat innate. When she disarmed him the first time, it was with a flicker of surprise.
"For someone without formal training, you're quite decent," she murmured, retrieving his sword and tossing it back to him.
They paused, both breathing heavily.
"Where did you learn?"
Adrien shrugged, wiping sweat from his brow. "Instinct, I guess. Trial by fire. But I need more. I don't know anything about this world. Not even how your strength system works."
Selyra blinked. She stared at him as though he'd declared the sky was made of tofu.
"You—" she began, then stopped, composing herself. "You truly are ignorant of the Dream Paths?"
He nodded, sheepishly.
She sighed, walking over to sit on a nearby stone bench. The wind rustled her robes, golden silk catching flecks of sunlight.
"Then listen well, Adrien Cortez. I won't repeat myself."
She began.
"In this universe, strength is cultivated through Dream Arts. The foundation is the Dream Core, a seed of power that resides in your spirit. Everyone has one, some are born awakened, others must awaken it themselves. Around this core, you build your strength. Through Dream Ascension Arts, you temper your body, mind, and soul to ascend in Tiers.
There are nine tiers of Mortal Ascension, then you begin stepping into the Mythic realms—each more powerful than the last. But tier alone isn't everything. Skill, combat intuition, technique—they all matter."
She twirled her rapier lightly in her fingers.
"There are also Weapon Arts, paths for mastery with a blade, spear, staff, or any weapon. They work hand-in-hand with your Dream Core's development. Then there are Crafting Arts—focused on forging, alchemy, and enchantments. Vital to any powerful sect."
Adrien nodded slowly, absorbing each word.
"Now," Selyra continued, eyes gleaming. "This world, Twilight Lotus, is a 5th Tier cultivation realm. Governed by our Moonlight Sect, it's neutral ground for many races. Here, factions send their prodigies to rise in power."
She tapped her chest lightly.
"I am an Asura, the strongest race in the wider universe. Our bloodlines grant us speed, strength, superior control over aether, solid minds and spiritual acuity unmatched by most. You will find that Asuras dominate most of the leadership positions in the universe and also dominate in the majority of secondary professions. There are seven races in the wider universe. The other major races are Elves, Asuras and Demons. These usually produce the strongest beings in existence and they have the most influence.
Sith, Dwarves, Humans and the Fae are on the lower end of the spectrum but not inherently weaker.
Power in the universe comes from world control. The higher the tier of the world under your control, the more resources you command. And resources mean cultivation, advancement… power. You can find out about the details and the dynamics between them in the sect library. You can also read about secondary professions if you want to learn one."
Adrien sat quietly. It was a lot to take in.
"So why are you mentoring me?" he asked finally.
Selyra gave him a long look.
"Because you're an anomaly. You arrived here through a rift that should've shredded your soul. And yet, you're fine. You fought off an inner disciple without training. Your swordplay is… promising. And—" she narrowed her eyes, "you're from a place I've heard lots about. A complete mystery."
Adrien stiffened.
"You said you'd tell me about it."
"I said you'd find out soon. And you will, don't keep bothering me about it. But for now," she rose and tossed him a training manual. "Study this. Tomorrow, we see if you can draw out your Dream Core. If you can't, then none of this matters."
She turned, her golden robe trailing like fire behind her.
"Rest. You'll need it."
Adrien stared at the training manual in his hands, heart pounding.
'A proper manual?' Tomorrow, everything would change.
...
Adrien stood at the edge of the courtyard, dressed in his crisp black sect robes, the Moonlight Sect's insignia etched subtly in silver thread over his chest.
Selyra stood across from him, her gold robes shimmering as they caught the light, like liquid sunlight dancing with every shift of her form.
Her rapier, thin and elegant, rested in her right hand with a grace that spoke of countless battles. When she moved, she blurred. Her figure flickered, here and there, impossible to follow.
"You're slow," she called out from behind him.
Adrien turned, breathing hard, sweat already forming despite the crisp air. "You're cheating."
She chuckled, the sound melodic and light, before vanishing again. "I'm restraining myself. Be grateful."
With a flick of her wrist, she appeared again, this time before him. The tip of her rapier hovered inches from his throat. He could barely register the motion.
"Again," she said.
He attacked, drawing his blade and going for a clean diagonal slash. She parried it effortlessly and stepped to the side. Yet, her face didn't show disdain—there was something else.
"Your form… it's not unrefined," she murmured. "Clumsy, but not without potential. Who taught you?"
"No one," Adrien replied between pants. "Just… played around."
She blinked. "You're saying you've never studied swordplay before this?"
He shrugged. "Video games, maybe. Some fencing basics I saw online, once."
Her rapier lowered slightly, her brows drawing together. "That makes no sense. Your foundation isn't terrible. It's instinctive, like your body understands movement even if your mind doesn't yet grasp it."
She walked past him, tapping her blade against his shoulder. "Alright. That's enough playing around. Sit. You need context before I break you in half tomorrow."
They settled on a stone bench near the edge of the field, a quiet part of the sect gardens nestled in a crescent of white trees. Selyra leaned back, her rapier resting across her lap.
"You've got no idea how any of this works, do you?"
Adrien scratched his cheek. "Not really. Just what the system store showed me. Dream Core. Weapon Arts. Dream Ascension… stuff."
She let out an exasperated sigh. "What hole did you crawl out of? No sect, no clan would send someone this ignorant here…"
He looked away. "I'm not from here. I told you. I was pulled through a rift. Earth."
She studied him again, but said nothing of Earth. Instead, she tapped the hilt of her sword.
"Fine. Listen closely. I'll go over the basics. Don't forget a single word."
She drew a diagram in the dirt with her sword's tip.
"First, every cultivator builds their strength through three primary paths. Weapon Arts, your chosen style of combat. Dream Ascension Arts, used to raise your base physical and metaphysical strength, and to feed your Dream Core. And then there's Crafting Arts, a branch of the secondary professions, alchemy, blacksmithing, enchantment, etching, and so on. Not as flashy, but vital."
"Each cultivator must develop a Dream Core," she continued, drawing a spiral shape. "It's your centre, your anchor in the Aether. Cultivation is the process of feeding that core, refining it, and using it to shape your path."
Adrien frowned. "Why dream path? Why not just 'soul' or 'mana'?"
Selyra's gaze turned skyward, contemplative. "Because this universe was shaped from the dreaming of ancient beings.
The oldest races believe all power stems from intent, will, and the 'dream' of existence. The stronger your will, the stronger your core. It is said the first person to ascend did so by visualisation, and there is no better form of visualisation of theories you have never seen than through dreams. And what is that term, Mana?"
She shifted topics.
"Now… the races. You've seen a few already, but you don't understand the politics. As I said there are seven major races in the universe.
The Asura, my people, are the strongest in terms of raw combat prowess. We were born from war. We're fast, sharp, and devastating."
She moved to the next symbol. "Then there are the Elves, masters of elemental magic and long, range combat.
The Fae, tricksters and illusionists, extremely powerful in mental and spatial arts. Dwarves—weak physically, but the greatest craftsmen in the known worlds."
"Humans," she said with a tilt of her head. "Adaptable, unpredictable, often underestimated. Demons, brutal and efficient.
Their cultivation paths often revolve around sacrifice and dominance. And finally, the Sith, masters of shadows and curses. They don't often show themselves in the open. There are very few of them in the sect, less than five."
Adrien listened intently, absorbing it all.
"The Moonlight Sect governs this world, Twilight Lotus," she said. "It's a fifth-tier world, rich in Aether. Each sect here holds dominion over various worlds. Families and clans send their youth to sects based on politics, favours, and raw talent. Sect power equals influence. Influence equals access to better cultivation resources."
"Higher-tier worlds are the prize," she added. "Whoever governs them, governs vast veins of Aether, rare materials, and ancient relics."
She turned to him, eyes sharp. "You, a random nobody, have no backer, no clan, no race ties. That makes your presence here… unusual. You should've died in the rift."
Adrien lowered his head. "But I didn't."
"No, you didn't," she agreed, rising. "Maybe that's worth investigating."
She extended a hand. "Enough talk. Let's see if you can still move. Time to spar again."
Their blades clashed again, but now Adrien moved with more purpose. He wasn't just swinging blindly, he was adapting. Testing.
Selyra narrowed her eyes, her movements just a breath faster. Not enough to overwhelm, but enough to push him.
"Better," she said as he blocked a thrust. "But you hesitate."
He parried, then lunged. She sidestepped smoothly and flicked his blade aside.
"Still too slow."
They moved for hours. By the time the sun was past its peak, Adrien collapsed backward, panting, his body trembling from exertion.
Selyra didn't mock him. She stood over him, her silhouette outlined by the sun. "Not bad, Adrien. You may not belong here… but maybe the universe isn't done with you yet."
He grinned up at her, coughing. "I'll take that as a compliment."
She rolled her eyes. "Don't."