Within days, the Voyager Association Colosseum was transformed into a bustling staging ground.
Expedition banners were raised, cargo was stacked high, and dozens of Seeker teams scurried between shipyards and briefing tents.
Kai stood quietly next to his teammates as William paced before them.
"You're Bronze Seekers now," William said. "Which means you've got two choices: play it safe, or step into the unknown."
Rin crossed his arms. "We're going."
Lila hesitated, biting her lip. "You think Astraea is worse than the Trial by Mercy?"
William grinned. "You survived the Trial. Now you're going to learn what it means to be a Seeker."
Kai remained silent, still weighing the cost of his last battle.
William softened. "Kai."
Kai met his eyes.
"Take this personally," William said. "Because the ones who take it personally are the ones who come back stronger."
Elsewhere, expedition teams from across the world gathered.
Team Obsidian – battered but alive, led by Kieran Duskbane, now sporting a faint scar across his cheek.
Team Astral – their leader, Solene, leaned on her staff, eyes sharp despite the exhaustion.
Other squads whispered about new alliances, rumors of dangerous terrain, and talk of possible relics and ancient Muti yet undiscovered.
In the Seeker barracks that night, Kai's team gathered around the table.
"I heard Astraea has relics from before the First Voyagers," Lila said.
"Nothing we've ever seen," Aria added, excitement flickering beneath her exhaustion.
Rin adjusted his gloves. "And beasts."
Kai finally spoke. "And opportunities."
They all looked at him.
"You're not backing down?" Aria asked.
Kai shook his head. "I didn't come this far to watch from the sidelines."
William, listening from the doorway, grinned.
The winds of change were here.
And beyond the horizon, Astraea waited.
The harbor was unlike anything Kai had seen.
Five colossal ships, each bearing the insignia of the Voyager Association, stood ready. Ropes snapped in the wind, and Seeker banners whipped like war flags. Hundreds of Seekers loaded cargo, adjusted equipment, and reviewed expedition maps.
Kai's team stood at Dock 4 beside their designated vessel—the Silver Crest, captained by Master Lalia herself.
"About time you showed up," Lalia said with her usual soft smile. "We've got a continent to chart."
Aria blinked. "You're our captain?"
Lalia giggled. "Did you think I was just here for tea and cookies?"
The team stood stunned.
William approached behind them. "Don't underestimate her. Lalia could drown an army with a frown."
Kai quietly stared at the ship, focusing on the horizon.
Master Elric, along with the other Masters and President Johnny Joah, stood atop the harbor's grand balcony overlooking all.
"This expedition," Johnny announced, "marks a turning point in our history."
He gestured beyond the sea. "Astraea awaits—uncharted, untamed, and dangerous. Return not just as Seekers—but as pioneers."
As the ships prepared to depart, Seekers exchanged final words.
Kieran of Team Obsidian stood silently on the deck of the Iron Leviathan.
Dante Vireo stood quietly with his own squad, hands behind his back, eyes on the sea.
Solene stood tall, her Radiance Muti glowing faintly.
Each of them knew—this wasn't just another mission.
It was history.
Later, on the Silver Crest, as the wind filled the sails, Lalia called to the crew.
"Hoist the colors! Cut the lines!"
The ships groaned as they broke from the docks.
The city cheered from the shoreline.
Kai stood at the bow, the ocean wind in his hair, eyes fixed on the horizon.
Aria stood beside him, smiling. "Scared?"
Kai shook his head. "Not anymore."
Rin and Lila joined them.
And slowly, the fleet of Seekers vanished beyond the horizon, headed toward the mysterious continent of Astraea.
The next morning, thick mist rolled through the Ember Isles as Kai and the team wandered the village streets.
Locals avoided them, eyes downcast, while Ashen Blades patrolled like kings.
"Feels more like a prison than a village," Rin muttered.
Aria nodded. "No one's smiling."
Kai's eyes were drawn to the center of the village, where a broken statue of a Seeker stood. Its arms were shattered, and scorch marks scarred its base.
Lila read the faded plaque. "Dedicated to the First Seeker Captain of the Isles… before the Ashen Blades."
Kai's hand brushed the stone.
He felt it.
Faint traces of old Bodhi Muti—deep beneath the earth.
Later, at the tavern, William sat with the team, drawing a crude map on the table.
"The Ashen Blades control the villages, trade routes, and even the underground ruins. No one sails past these islands without paying them."
Kai asked, "Why hasn't the Association stopped them?"
William's eyes darkened. "Because they know how to stay quiet. And the Association doesn't send help unless it's 'worth it.'"
Rin leaned back. "Classic."
Lalia entered, whispering to William. He nodded.
"We got clearance," William said. "The volcano's old ruins are partially accessible. We'll 'survey' them as part of our expedition."
Aria raised a brow. "They're letting us in?"
William smirked. "They think we'll run once we see what's inside."
That evening, by the docks, Kai stood watching the lava flows in the distance.
Vayne appeared beside him silently.
"You've got the look of someone searching," Vayne said, voice smooth but sharp.
Kai didn't respond.
Vayne's smile widened. "You'll find nothing but fire and ashes here, Seeker."
With a flick of his fingers, embers swirled into the wind.
Kai's gaze never left the volcano.
Deep down, he knew.
This wasn't just another island.
This was fate.
The team gathered at dawn beneath the crimson glow of the Ember Volcano.
Ashen Blades stood guard, sneering as they opened rusted iron gates leading to the mountain's depths.
"You've got till nightfall," one of them warned. "We don't drag corpses out after dark."
William simply grinned. "Charming."
Kai adjusted his gloves, eyes fixed on the stairs spiraling downward into the volcanic tunnels.
Lila whispered, "I've got a bad feeling."
Rin replied, "It's not just you."
The tunnels were alive.
Pulses of geothermal energy flickered along the walls, and old Seeker markings lined the cavern, most of them eroded or burned.
Kai stepped forward first.
His Spectral Muti flickered instinctively. Faint echoes of past Seekers, long gone, haunted the stone.
Aria ran her hand along the markings. "Some of these symbols… they're older than the Association."
William nodded. "Welcome to the truth. Seekers weren't the first."
They pressed deeper, encountering collapsed bridges, molten rivers, and scattered remnants of Seeker camps reduced to ash.
Kai paused near a ruined stone tablet, recognizing the faint imprint of the Bodhi Lotus.
His heart skipped.
A monk's prayer was inscribed beneath it, barely legible.
"The flame must never consume the root."
Before he could process it—
The cavern shook.
Lava burst through cracks.
And from the molten flow emerged three figures cloaked in tattered Ashen Blade insignias.
"Didn't think you'd actually make it," said one, cracking their knuckles. Their bodies shimmered with Infernal Muti — a hybrid of Fire and Abyssal energy.
William drew his blade lazily. "And here I was hoping we'd get some exercise."
Kai's fists tightened.
Lila's eyes narrowed.
Rin's Viatra flickered.
Aria's lightning sparked at her fingertips.
The first true battle of the Ember Isles had begun.
The molten glow of the cavern painted the Ashen Blade assailants like demons risen from the lava.
Kai stepped forward, eyes steady. "We're not here for you."
The lead attacker grinned. "Good. We're here for you."
In an instant, they lunged.
Combat erupted.
Kai engaged the leader directly, exchanging heavy, flame-imbued punches. His Martial Muti combined with flickers of Bodhi Muti, producing golden lotus patterns with every block and strike, but his control remained shaky.
Aria dashed around the battlefield, crackling with electricity.
Lightning Veil: Second Surge.
Her movements became streaks of light, intercepting incoming flame blasts with well-timed counters.
Rin, calm and collected, activated Viatra — First Stage, his eyes sharpening as he manipulated gravitational pulls mid-battle.
He redirected falling debris to slam into one of the attackers, sending them sprawling.
Lila remained defensive at first, using precise Water Muti streams to divert molten blasts, but when cornered, she displayed her new training.
Vitalis Martial Style — Ripple Palm.
Her palm strike sent one of the Ashen Blades crashing against the cavern wall, stunned.
William, leaning against a pillar, watched. "Not bad for rookies."
The lead Ashen Blade snarled, flames flaring wildly. "You don't belong here."
Kai's body ached, but his gaze remained firm.
With a sharp exhale, he activated Bodhi Muti: Lotus Step, closing the gap instantly, landing a glowing fist into the attacker's stomach.
A shockwave of spiritual and physical force sent the leader flying into the cavern wall.
The remaining enemies scrambled, retreating into the molten shadows.
Kai's team stood victorious but breathing hard.
William clapped. "Now that," he smirked, "looked like Seekers."
Kai glanced again at the faint Bodhi Lotus symbols on the walls.
The flame must never consume the root.
Somehow, he knew—the real trial hadn't even begun.
The team caught their breath as the echoes of the battle faded, leaving only the crackling of molten rivers and distant rumbles of the volcano.
Kai wiped blood from his lip, staring at the glowing lotus etched faintly into the stone floor.
Aria approached him, electricity still flickering off her. "That wasn't normal fire."
Rin nodded. "Abyssal influence."
William knelt beside the ancient markings, tracing the lines with a finger. "This isn't just a ruin." He glanced up. "This is one of the First Grounds."
Lila blinked. "Like, from the early Seekers?"
William nodded. "Older."
Deeper in, the cavern opened into a vast underground temple.
Massive stone statues, worn by time, lined the chamber. Murals depicting Seekers wielding strange, hybrid Mutis covered the walls.
Kai stepped closer to one of the murals.
A familiar figure, robed and crowned with a radiant lotus, stood at the center.
It matched the Bodhi lotus style perfectly.
His breath caught.
"This is…"
William confirmed it. "A Bodhi Seeker."
The others turned.
"Bodhi Muti users existed before the Association," Rin muttered.
Kai's heart raced. His memories of training alone, piecing together the fragments of Bodhi, now seemed less like invention—and more like rediscovery.
Lila pointed to another mural.
It depicted two Seekers standing against a colossal abyssal beast, their Mutis blending martial and elemental powers.
Aria squinted. "Their moves… look like what we've been learning."
William's smile faded. "The Trial by Mercy isn't just a tradition. It's an echo."
A deep tremor shook the temple.
Molten cracks split the ground.
From the far end of the temple, Vayne and the Ashen Blades emerged.
"You weren't supposed to find this," Vayne said, his aura flaring with Infernal Abyssal Muti.
He wasn't alone. Beside him stood a hulking, cloaked figure with a monstrous aura.
William's eyes narrowed. "That's not just an Ashen Blade."
The cloaked figure removed their hood, revealing a mutated Seeker—half-human, half-abyssal.
Kai's body tensed.
The real battle was about to begin.
Vayne stepped forward, molten embers swirling around him like a crown. His body shimmered with Infernal Abyssal Muti, darkened flames licking his arms and twisting unnaturally.
Kai's fist tightened. "That's not just fire."
The monstrous Seeker beside Vayne spoke with a distorted voice. "No… it's devotion."
The corrupted aura it emitted felt suffocating—half-Seeker, half-shadow. Its body was fused with abyssal matter, giving it a grotesque, armor-like form that pulsed with eerie, rhythmic energy.
William stepped ahead. "Careful. That thing is closer to a Voidspawn than a human."
Without another word, Vayne launched forward.
The battle erupted.
Rin activated Viatra — First Stage immediately, his eyes glowing faintly as he manipulated gravity to pin two of the lesser Ashen Blades.
Aria, her Lightning Veil sparking wildly, engaged Vayne directly.
Her punches collided against his flame-forged fists, sending shockwaves through the entire temple.
Vayne laughed mid-clash. "You call that lightning?"
He unleashed Infernal Surge, a combination of Fire, Abyssal, and Martial Muti, sending Aria crashing into a stone pillar.
Lila, gritting her teeth, shifted tactics.
Vitalis Martial Art: Waterlock Bloom, combining her water control and healing instincts, trapped one of the Ashen Blades in a sphere of pressurized water.
William chuckled. "They're learning."
Kai stared down the monstrous hybrid.
The creature stepped forward, cracking the ground beneath it.
Kai's Bodhi Muti flared faintly.
Spectral Muti: Lotus Mirage — Kai split into three flickering projections.
The creature ignored the fakes and aimed directly for Kai, sensing his true presence.
Their clash echoed.
Kai's fist met the creature's corrupted claws.
Yet with every impact, Kai felt the abyss clawing at his soul.
The monster whispered, "You, too, could become more."
Kai's eyes widened.
Before he could process it, the hybrid slammed him against the mural of the Bodhi Seeker, cracking the ancient stone.
Rin shouted, "Kai!"
At the same time, Aria stood against Vayne, pushing her body into the Second Surge of her Lightning Veil.
Veins of pure electricity danced along her arms.
Vayne grinned. "Good."
He revealed his trump card.
Infernal Cloak — an advanced hybrid Muti combining Fire, Abyssal, and Abyssal Martial, enveloping him in molten armor and abyssal tendrils.
The ground melted beneath him.
"Now," Vayne said, stepping forward. "Let's burn."
Kai struggled to his feet, golden aura flickering.
Vayne's molten aura churned like a living storm. His Infernal Cloak radiated oppressive heat, each step causing the stone beneath him to crack and melt.
Aria's breathing quickened. Sweat beaded on her brow, but her gaze sharpened.
"Don't hold back now," she muttered to herself.
With a shout, she surged forward.
Lightning Veil: Third Surge.
Her body glowed with radiant arcs of electricity as she propelled herself at impossible speed.
Their clash shook the cavern.
Fist met fist, lightning racing along streams of molten rock, causing the very walls of the cavern to hum with energy.
Vayne countered with savage precision, every strike of his combining devastating martial techniques with Infernal Abyssal power.
Above them, streaks of blue lightning and blackened flames spiraled, turning the temple chamber into a battlefield of chaos.
Across the chamber, Kai stood bloodied against the cracked Bodhi mural.
The abyssal hybrid stalked toward him.
"You are wasted on them," it rasped. "Join us. Become more."
Kai's mind flickered with memories—days alone in the jungle, the whispers of the monks, and the moment he first forged his Bodhi Muti.
"I've already chosen my path," he whispered.
Bodhi Muti — Lotus Bloom Form (Partial).
His aura shifted, golden light unfurling like petals.
Martial Muti fused with his Spectral and Elemental flows, creating radiant, spiraling patterns with every movement.
The hybrid lunged.
Kai stepped forward.
Bodhi Style: Eightfold Turning Palm — a technique blending redirection and pure force.
Kai redirected the monster's abyssal strike and countered, slamming it into the cavern floor, shaking the entire ruin.
Rin, watching mid-battle, muttered, "He's advancing."
Meanwhile, Lila weaved between falling debris and molten streams, supporting Aria with precise strikes and water barriers.
Vitalis Martial Art: Dew Blossom Counter — every parried blow returned to Vayne with twice the force.
Yet Vayne grinned, unfazed.
"You're stalling," he said.
Aria gritted her teeth.
She unleashed a desperate combination.
Lightning Veil: Chain Breaker Form — lightning snapped from her fingertips, binding Vayne's limbs with electric tendrils.
With a roar, she launched a final strike.
Vayne broke free mid-attack, catching her fist.
Infernal Surge Overload — his aura exploded outward, knocking Aria and Lila against the far wall.
Smoke and dust filled the chamber.
Kai saw his friends fall.
His heart pounded.
He couldn't hesitate.
Bodhi Muti: Lotus Ascendant — Stage One.
Golden petals swirled around him.
His body moved on instinct, glowing strikes deflecting the hybrid's relentless barrage.
William, from afar, whispered. "He's tapping into it."
Kai's strikes fused his Martial, Spectral, and Elemental Mutis into seamless combinations, countering abyssal attacks with fluid, glowing techniques.
The hybrid stumbled.
Kai followed up.
Solar Ring Break — a palm strike infused with solar-like energy cracked through the hybrid's corrupted armor, sending it flying.
Yet his breathing was ragged. His body was barely holding together under the pressure.
Aria, recovering, saw Kai glow amidst the chaos.
"Kai…" she whispered.
Vayne, unfazed, raised his hand.
The lava below began to surge.
The cavern was collapsing.
William called out, "You need to end it. Now!"
Kai gritted his teeth.
With one final breath, he entered the lotus stance.
Bodhi Style: Sutra of the Flame Lotus.
A radiant lotus manifested beneath his feet.
The hybrid charged.
Kai released the technique, unleashing a massive burst of golden aura that engulfed both the hybrid and the molten flows, stabilizing the cavern temporarily.
The hybrid lay unconscious.
Vayne's smile faded.
The team, bruised and battered, regrouped behind Kai.
Aria smirked. "Took you long enough."
Lila groaned. "Remind me to never sign up for volcano missions again."
Rin's eyes flickered. "It's not over."
The volcanic tremor grew stronger.
Vayne grinned wickedly.
"You've seen nothing yet."
The final phase of the Ember Isles trial was upon them.
The ruined temple trembled under the weight of Muti clashing.
Vayne's Infernal Cloak pulsed like a living flame, abyssal tendrils spiraling around his molten armor. His heat warped the very air.
"You kids don't know real power," Vayne sneered, lunging toward Aria.
Aria gritted her teeth, forcing herself beyond exhaustion.
"Lightning Veil — Third Gate: Thunderclap Pulse!"
Her aura erupted into a chaotic web of lightning, flashing around her limbs like wild, untamed bolts. Every step she took left charred impressions in the stone. With a fierce cry, she launched herself forward, matching Vayne blow-for-blow.
Their fists collided, thunder and flame roaring with every strike.
Rin, noticing the shifting battlefield, activated Viatra — Second Stage. His irises deepened into the swirling black-red pattern, revealing pressure points on Vayne's armor.
"Aria!" Rin called out. "Target the base of the tendrils!"
Aria smirked mid-combat. "Got it!"
Across the temple, Kai stood locked against the abyss-corrupted hybrid.
It grinned at him with twisted satisfaction. "You're close, aren't you? To becoming like us."
Kai wiped blood from his chin, golden aura flaring.
Bodhi Muti — Lotus Guard.
A faint lotus pattern shield enveloped his forearms, deflecting the creature's abyssal claws.
But Kai felt it—the weakness in his control.
Each activation strained him. His breathing became ragged.
He flickered behind the monster with Spectral Step, only to be caught mid-attack.
The creature snarled, "You're gifted… but undisciplined."
With monstrous strength, it slammed Kai into the temple floor, fracturing the ancient stone.
Kai coughed violently but forced himself to stand.
Lila, on the defensive, created layered water barriers, but the molten blasts melted through them.
"I can't hold it!" she cried.
William stepped in, dashing through the collapsing walls of water with dream-like speed.
"Abyssal Requiem — First Verse: Hollow Waltz."
Reality warped briefly. In a blur, William displaced the enemy attacking Lila, leaving it frozen mid-motion as if caught between dimensions.
"You've still got work to do," William said, smiling. "Trust your training."
Lila's eyes widened, but then nodded. "Right!"
She tapped into the movement drills Elric forced on her.
Vitalis Martial Art — Twin Streams Form.
Water and life-force fused, allowing her to deflect and redirect the molten attacks with fluid grace.
Back at the center—Vayne's cloak began to mutate.
His flames turned black, spiraling wildly.
"Infernal Abyss: Worldflame Mantle," Vayne declared.
The entire chamber ignited, molten rivers breaking free and flooding the arena.
Kai forced himself upright, glancing at the rising tide.
"We can't outlast this," Rin muttered.
Kai's eyes dimmed for a moment, remembering Elric's words:
"Control isn't about forcing the world to bend… it's about finding where it already flows."
Kai clenched his fists.
His aura flickered between gold and pure white.
He entered Bodhi Muti — Lotus Breach, an imperfect state between base Bodhi and full Sage Mode.
His blows began striking the molten flow directly, hardening parts of it with each impact.
"You're shaping the lava," Aria realized.
Kai didn't answer.
He moved instinctively.
Meanwhile, Rin's Gravitum subtly shifted the rivers' courses, minimizing damage.
Lila healed Aria mid-battle, creating opportunities for her to unleash a devastating counter.
"Third Gate: Lightning Tiger's Descent!"
Aria's lightning shaped into a beast that crashed into Vayne's molten armor, staggering him.
Kai's body screamed in pain, but with one last breath, he drove a Lotus Breach Palm into the ground.
The molten rivers redirected entirely, forcing the abyssal flames back toward Vayne.
With the combined strength of the team, Vayne's cloak shattered.
The corrupted hybrid roared and vanished into the collapsing ruins.
Vayne fell to one knee, defeated.
Silence.
The team stood, battered, soaked in sweat and blood, but victorious.
William smirked. "Now that… was legendary."
As the dust settled, Kai collapsed to one knee.
But for the first time since the Trial by Mercy—
He smiled.
A slow silence drifted over the scorched ruins of the temple.
Steam rose from the cooling lava. The tremors had stopped. Even the oppressive aura that had hung over the Ember Isles seemed to thin, replaced by a strange serenity.
Kai sat slumped against a broken pillar, arms limp, clothes scorched and torn. His breathing was heavy, but steady.
Aria limped over, collapsing beside him.
She nudged his arm gently. "Still breathing, Sage Boy?"
Kai cracked a tired grin. "Barely."
Rin stood with his arms crossed, Viatra fading from his eyes. "You overdid it again."
Lila, drenched in sweat and covered in dust, dropped beside them with a dramatic sigh. "I don't know if I want food, sleep, or a bath more."
William approached slowly, his coat fluttering as the last embers died out.
"You survived. I'm actually impressed," he said. "That wasn't just a win. That was a statement."
He looked at Kai. "Elric's gonna be proud."
Kai's face darkened slightly. "I couldn't hold Sage Mode. Not for long."
"You weren't supposed to," William said. "What matters is you used it when it counted. That's progress. Not perfection."
He turned to the rest of the team. "Get some rest. The Ember Isles are yours now."
Later, as the sun rose, the village gathered for the first time without Ashen Blades patrolling their homes.
The islanders watched in stunned silence as the Seekers stepped into the square.
An elder approached, offering Kai a pendant carved from cooled volcanic stone.
"From the old Seeker who defended us… to the new ones."
Kai accepted it with both hands, bowing in respect.
That night, gathered around a campfire near the beach, the team finally let themselves relax.
"Where to next?" Aria asked, gazing into the fire.
William glanced toward the horizon. "The Ember Isles were just the beginning."
He pulled out a scroll, old and half-burnt. "There are rumors of a new continent. Untouched, unclaimed. Closer to the Dark than anything else in the world."
Lila's eyes widened. "That's… not on any official map."
"It wouldn't be," Rin said. "Not if it's real."
Kai leaned back, looking up at the stars.
A new continent. New threats. New answers.
The fire crackled as if answering the call.
They weren't just rookies anymore.
They were Seekers on the edge of something far bigger than they'd ever imagined.
And the story… was just beginning.