The Evernon Saga - The Journey Of Ascension, A Struggle For Godhood.

Damond then concealed his Aura once more, causing the ice covering their surroundings to recede back to him, without melting. It seemed that this ice couldn't melt, for when all the ice was gone, not a single drop of moisture was left. Everything was as it was, and Reginald's hands were no longer frozen to the table. Upon being released, he kneaded his wrists, grimacing.

"It is just my Aura being Frost-aspected due to my affinity with the element of Ice, I honestly never understood the Royal Army's need for fancy names. And you, Reginald, you were in the Late stage of Tier 1 the last time I saw you, 90 years ago. And since then you've only risen to the peak of it in all this time? A pity, and you were one of the brightest heads among all the young Warriors that I have ever seen." lamented Damond.

"Yes, while I was one of the most intelligent, and was more proficient at perception and comprehension, the barrier for Tier 2 has eluded me all this time. I'm afraid that by now the potential from my youthful years is spent, and that rising to Tier 2 is nigh impossible." g.r.o.a.n.e.d Reginald.

"In any case Reginald, what is your position in the Royal Army like these days?"

"That's technically classified, but since you are a former senior of mine, I can tell you a little bit: I assist the new generations as they come."

Nodding slowly, Damond now had a vague idea of Reginald's situation and current posting.

"What is the status and strength of The Square Table? And what of the Royal Army itself, have there been any changes?"

Upon hearing this, Reginald took a moment to gather his thoughts before replying.

"Three out of four of the members of The Square Table have changed, the seats of the Sword, Spear and Hammer, have all changed. The three former members of the seat all vanished in the same night, with each having left behind a farewell note. Their destinations were not listed. The new seats belong to my generation, and although they are the youngest and perhaps also the most imm.a.t.u.r.e, rash seat-holders in Nashya's history, their strength is real. I have seen it, for despite their young age of less than 70 years, they are all at the very peak of Tier 4, Level 119. All three of them look like they are in their twenties, in other words, very youthful."

Damond nodded, gesturing for Reginald to continue.

"The Royal Army itself, has had a complete overhaul due to the three new seat-holders, who are all very close comrades. Any votes amongst The Square Table are immediately dominated by them, 3:1. Below the Table, are the new 3 High Generals of the army. Below them are the 12 Generals, instead of the 5 from before that you knew, all of the Tier 2 standard. The aforementioned 3 High Generals are the direct and only apprentices of The Square Table seat-holders and are all of the Tier 3 standard, in varying stages, with the lowest being the middle stage of Tier 3. There were supposed to be four High Generals, but Bertholdt adamantly refuses to take a disciple. He claims that there are no Warriors currently worthy to be his successor."

Damond's eyes widen in surprise.

"Bertholdt?! That decrepit thing is still alive? Is he even still at the peak of Tier 4?"

"Yes, he has not entirely begun his descent into old age and fragility yet. In fact, he fought the three new seat-holders to a standstill. The new seat-holders were beaten and exhausted, but Bertholdt wasn't doing any better. He may have the advantages of strength, intuition, and a vast ocean of battle experience, but his body's endurance can't keep up with him anymore..." reported Reginald sorrowfully.

"Sigh....I guess Bertholdt the Behemoth will be no more soon."

"Regrettably so...he has been stuck at the peak of Tier 4 for 350 years, unable to break the barrier to becoming a Tier 5 Demigod. If he were able to do so, his youth could have been partially restored."

Standing up, Reginald bows respectfully, clasping his fists in front of him once more.

"General Frost, it has been an honor being able to meet you once more. I must be on my way soon, to return to the Capital and inform them that there is indeed a batch of potential Warriors here. Thank you for your hospitality, and the tea was wonderful."

As Reginald turned away and took his first step, an ever-so slight chill permeated the air.

"Not a word of the two boys, Sergeant Reginald, or you will regret it."

"Yes Sir."

....

Meanwhile,

"Hurry your asses up you lousy sea- er... land dogs!" bellowed Joseph

"YES CAPTAIN!" wailed William and Magnar.

After the herald's announcement of the Royal Army selection exam, the duo had been especially fired up and even asked Joseph if he could make their job harder for them. In response, he switched their positions. Magnar had to handle the work that required speed and dexterity, and William was made to do as much of the heavy-lifting as he could do.

Essentially, both were put into the opposite of their element.

Thanks to this, they gained Experience at a rapid rate. The strenuous exertion in the chill that crept into their bones more and more with each passing day, in addition to the absence of breaks, made for a very challenging situation for the two young aspiring Warriors. They worked for most of the day and sometimes even the whole night, after the day the herald came. Joseph made it a habit to entertain the boys and give them difficult and menial tasks or challenges to do. In the early mornings the sailors would be given the day off, whilst William and Magnar did all the unloading, courtesy of Joseph.

In truth, he was also able to discern their Status and Levels.

Seeing such abnormal numbers actually blew his mind the first time he met them, leading to him taking great interest in nurturing and ever-so slightly bullying these boys.

Joseph began to make them sail with him and the crew at dusk, even during the worst of storms. The conditions in such situations were horrible. Visibility was minimal due to relentless torrents of frigid rain, they were plagued by hunger, thirst and exhaustion, and had to keep their balance on the boat's wet and slippery deck while on choppy waters. Through this, William and Magnar learned to endure, and knew what it meant to suffer and toil, all for one's living.

For a material gain.

Over time, they also developed a splendid sense of balance, earning them a title that Joseph and the crew call having earned their 'Sea Legs'. They got along well with the crew, and were called the 'little brothers' of everyone there. These were tiresome, but fruitful, and blissful days.

....3 months later, with 3 months left till Reginald's return...

On a chilly early-winter morning, Joseph called William and Magnar to the beach at dawn. He then instructed them to follow him, and proceeded to walk over to the opposite end of the docks. The two noticed that a reasonably large rowboat, with two pairs of oars, was docked and floating on the waves serenely. Joseph got in and seated himself, with the boys doing the same. Joseph pointed to a small, nearby island and declared that that, was their destination.

William and Magnar's jaws almost hit the floor of the rowboat. That island was at least a league away! William began tentatively,

"Captain..."

"Aye?"

"You can't be serious..."

"Pardon me, say that one more time?"

"N-nothing...Captain."

"Then get to rowing, and stop whining!"

...

By the time they reached the island, the sun was high in the sky. It was not noon yet, and the warmth the sun offered to their skin was only superficial. Deep within their flesh they were still rather cold. William and Magnar were quite exhausted from all the non-stop rowing that they had to do to get to the island, and were glad to finally have a break.

Joseph, on the other hand, was refreshed after having taken a nap.

After pulling the rowboat onto the beach, William and Magnar walked over to the rock that Joseph was already sitting on. He sat there in silence, with his eyes closed, as if waiting for something. They tried to probe Joseph with questions, but to no avail.

They soon decided to roam around the small island, which was in fact deceptively small from afar, being perfectly circular with a length of approximately a kilometer. It was a strange island, with very little greenery, and a nonsensical number of palm trees for how small the island was.

However, the most unbelievable aspect of all, was that the trees had grown very closely together. They resembled a bundle of firewood, but made of whole trees. The island's shape could be compared to a key, with a larger circular portion of a diameter of around 200 meters, dense with plant life, extending and thinning out along a b.a.r.e stretch of 800 meters, with only an ovular stretch of sand and the sea around it in sight.

Suddenly, Joseph's eyes snapped open. With this, came a mysterious force that spread out well past the boundaries of the island, pressing down on everything around him. William and Magnar felt the exact same pressure that they felt upon angering Joseph the first time they met him. It made their thoughts and movement sluggish, and instilled in them an indescribable sense of fear, as if they were in mortal danger.

Breaking out in cold sweat, and feeling like their limbs were made of lead, William and Magnar even found standing a challenge. To them, it felt like they had a massive mountain on each of their shoulders, attempting to force them to their knees.

Suddenly, Joseph's voice thundered across the island, with such force that it even created waves that went against the waves coming to the island.

"Return to where I am! The one who arrives first gets slightly better treatment!"

Those words were deafening for William and Magnar, regardless of the fact that they were hundreds of meters away. In fact, while Joseph was speaking, they couldn't hear anything else in the world for those few seconds. As the difficulty of Joseph's order dawned on them, their expressions grew increasingly grim.

The reward, on the other hand, piqued their interest as well as a sense of foreboding.

After making brief eye contact and seeing the fire in each other's eyes, the duo silently decided to race back to Joseph. Upon taking their first step, however, they realized that this would be a lot tougher than they thought. After all, William's face was already in the sand, as he couldn't keep himself up during the phase of his gait where he only had a single foot on the floor, and crumpled to the ground under Joseph's pressure immediately. Magnar managed to stop himself, albeit barely.

After a brief moment of thought, Magnar's eyes lit up and decided to slide his feet forward, one at a time, shuffling his way forward slowly, but surely, in the direction of Joseph. William and Magnar knew instinctively where Joseph would be, for it was in his direction, that their bodies were screaming at them not to go towards. Wherever they felt the most uncomfortable, is where he'd be!

William barely managed to stand up once again, seeing Magnar having accomplished about 20 meters through shuffling. William then sat down and thought carefully about what the best course of action would be.

...

Back at Joseph's rock,

"Hmm, shuffling eh? Not the prettiest or smartest way, but it works. Magnar is the hardworking, earnest type after all. And William...seems to be considering his options. A good start, but can you think of a path quickly enough? Magnar will get here eventually..." murmured Joseph thoughtfully as he sat on his rock. Joseph was currently sensing where they were based on the pressure that he exerted. Using it, he could feel every surface, and nook and cranny that was encompassed by his pressure, as well as every movement.

Joseph reached into an inner pocket of his overcoat and took out a pipe. He began to stuff it slowly, and leisurely, without a single care in the world.

...

Magnar had shuffled a total of 100 meters now, with around 400 meters left. By now, he could see Joseph in the distance. This gave him hope. However, he glanced frequently back at William with a puzzled expression, wondering if he had given up, but that wasn't the William he knew.

William suddenly stood up, brimming with confidence. He had a smile on his face and a glow in his eyes. Instead of facing Joseph's direction, he shuffled slightly towards the water's edge. The pressure lessened, but he didn't like the efficiency of this strategy. Therefore, he decided to test his theory.

He laid down on the sand, and turned his body one whole revolution towards the water, in the opposite direction from where Joseph was. William's eyes lit up, for this required next to no effort at all! He braced himself and began to turn his body at an ever-increasing speed towards the water's edge. Magnar happened to turn back around, only to see this. His jaw dropped in slow motion as an expression of bewilderment spread across his face.

Joseph as well, was shocked, having dropped some of his stuffing for his pipe without noticing, upon sensing William's actions.

"W-what is that boy doing?..."

However, there was only one thought going through William's head.

If you can't solve a problem in life, sometimes you just have to roll with it!