CHAPTER 94: VAULT OF SCARLET STARS!

The key pulsed in Albedo’s palm and he felt it continuously tremble as well, as if tugging at him to use it, to turn and open the dimensional vault.

He pressed the key forward into the air itself. Immediately, the space in front of Albedo shuddered, lines of scarlet light erupting outward and with a groan like the opening of ancient iron doors, a rift split open.

"Wow," Albedo muttered as he saw through the rift. What lay beyond was a galaxy, an endless cosmos.

He could see countless stars shining all across the sky, many of them pulsing faintly in various colors, some blue, others gold, and many of the crimson as if representing blood.

Each star had its own aura. Some twinkled silently, almost unable to be sensed, while others radiated with oppressive tyrannical power, and each star pulsed with a magnetic pull.

Albedo stepped forward without hesitation. The world around him warped, the garden fading as the galaxy swallowed him whole. While he couldn’t see a floor anywhere, he was stepping on solid ground as he walked around.

The key itself had dissolved into motes of scarlet light in his hand, absorbed into the vault itself.

"...So this is your collection," Albedo murmured under his breath, eyes sweeping across the astral expanse.

It was beautiful, but also suffocating. Every star held a presence. Every glimmer of light felt like it watched him in return, sizing him up.

One star pulsed brighter than the rest, a golden flare burning directly ahead, radiating warmth.

Instinctively, Albedo drifted toward it, and as he approached, the star expanded, its light breaking apart into thousands of motes until an object revealed itself from within.

It was a book that was held with dark leather that had silver threads running across it. The cover of the book was a sigil of a dragon devouring its own tail. The moment it appeared, words etched themselves in the air beside it, glowing faintly like constellations rearranging into script.

"Dragonflow Codex – A Amethyst Rank technique on the circulation of mana through the mana veins, modeled after the breath cycles of dragons. Increases stability and expands reserves when mastered."

Albedo looked at it. The book was useful. Amethyst rank was undoubtedly better than anything Elara would have, but it wasn’t for her, it didn’t match her supportive style and that would cause more problems down the line.

He turned away and began moving through the galaxy, checking various stars. Each of the stars called out in a different way, and he checked as many as he could, but none of them were perfect for Elara.

One star flared as he neared. This time, what emerged was not a tome but a weapon.

Twin daggers, curved like crescent moons, their blades forged of a material darker than shadow, with veins of pale violet running along the edges.

The air around them seemed to distort, warping like heat haze. Again, the constellations rearranged into words:

"Blades of the Silent Crescent – Daggers of the Moon Assassins. Their edge cuts mana itself. Wielders vanish in shadow."

A dangerous treasure. His eyes flicked briefly, imagining what Kaela and her assassins might make of such a weapon, but he didn’t take it. If Seraphyne found it necessary to give them these weapons, she would.

He continued onward and found various different treasures, many of them were quite cool. Like a sword built from the bones of a Chimera, or a vial of powerful blood, and a harp whose sound could cut through souls.

However, of the various techniques he spotted, none of them were particularly right for Elara, so he continued onward, and after a long search, he finally found something promising.

It was a star pulsing with soft emerald light, far less radiant than the others, but it held a gentle, soothing aura as if it was patiently waiting for him to call out to it.

Drawn forward, Albedo reached out. The star flared open, dissolving into a shower of green motes that circled around him like falling leaves in a spring breeze.

From within emerged a book, simple in shape, bound in bark-like leather that pulsed with faint veins of living ivy. As the object fully formed, constellations shifted in the void above, spelling words in soft green light:

"Nature Blossom – A Star Rank Technique. Allows manipulation of nature’s force, summoning protective barriers, healing, buffing, sensing environmental changes, and scouting through plant life. Strengthens the body and enhances natural regeneration greatly. Made for Supportive Combatants & Scouts!"

Albedo’s eyes lingered on the glowing script as he read it, Perfect.

Elara was after all, a supportive battler. She would never be the hard carry, instead standing behind and supporting with buffs and heals. This technique was high ranked, which would improve her training speed and overall strength.

This technique was precisely what Elara needed to thrive as one of his allies, without being shackled to passivity.

Albedo exhaled quietly, hand brushing against the tome’s cover. It hummed faintly, like the sound of wind through trees, and then dissolved into motes of light that merged into his palm, leaving behind only the knowledge of its existence.

Once he collected the book, he turned away from the galaxy’s treasures, and the vault confirmed his selection, rippling in acknowledgement as the various stars all around Albedo dimmed one by one until all of them disappeared.

Then, the world folded in upon itself and in the blink of an eye, the galaxy collapsed into darkness, and Albedo felt himself pulled backward.

The garden returned around him. The cool early air brushed his skin, fragrant with faint lavender and earth. The rift sealed shut behind him with a groan of ancient doors, leaving nothing but silence in its wake.

Albedo flexed his fingers once, the key reappearing in his hand.

Across the courtyard, leaning against a stone pillar with her glass of crimson liquid in hand, Seraphyne’s eyes glowed like twin rubies. She had been waiting.

She studied him with an amused curve of her lips, "Well? Did you find what you were looking for, mon cher?"

Albedo gave a slight nod. "I did. A technique called Nature Blossom." He said, walking up to Seraphyne and handing her the key, which she collected with a smile.

When she heard the technique’s name, her expression sharpened, as if remembering old memories from the older days.

"Nature Blossom

..." she repeated, voice low, reverent. "It has been centuries since I’ve heard that name."

Albedo’s silver gaze fixed on her, "You know it’s origin?"

Albedo would’ve though she just found it somewhere and collected it like various other treasures, but it seems that wasn’t actual the case

Seraphyne’s smile softened, touched with something rare, nostalgia. "It was crafted during the waning years of the Elven Golden Age by one of the more powerful Elves."

She paused, eyes distant, as if recalling an age long gone, "The technique was thought lost after the fall of Evervale’s second dynasty. I had found it once during my travels, but its a diminished version. The actual technique is God-level, that one is just scraps of its true power."

"It seems the old days was quite brutal, there hasn’t been a complete fall of a Kingdom or Empire in ages," Albedo said.

"But of course, back then, it was war, everywhere across the world. Empires fell and rose continuously, some land became so degraded by war they were uninhabitable." Seraphyne said, thinking back to her past.

"While this age is certainly safer on average, the lack of constant battle combined with...other factors, has certainly led to the degradation of the average power level. However, I think it’s a fair tradeoff. I’d of loved to grow up in an era like this," Seraphyne said, thinking back to her sister.

Seeing Seraphyne so reminiscent, Albedo left quietly, allowing her to think while he headed to meet Elara.

He walked through the streets and headed to the Pantheon’s East District, a place which was much quieter than Noble Districts, filled with average merchants, craftsmen and common families trying to eke out their lives.

Ahead, a modest wooden sign swung gently in the breeze:

Vance Remedies

The small shop was nestled between a tailor’s and a spice vendor, its windows lined with neatly arranged jars of herbs, powders, and glass tinctures that glimmered faintly in the sunlight.

The faint, earthy scent of medicinal roots and crushed petals carried into the street, familiar and comforting.

Albedo pushed the door open, the bell chiming softly as he stepped inside. Shelves lined with carefully labeled ingredients filled the space, and in the center stood a woman behind the counter.

She looked up at him immediately.

Her features were sharp, though softened by age, with auburn hair streaked faintly with silver and tied into a bun.

Her forest-green eyes were steady, carrying the same clarity and quiet strength Albedo had seen in Elara’s gaze. She was wiping her hands on an apron, the motions practiced, but when she noticed him her expression shifted to polite curiosity.

"Welcome to Vance Remedies," she said warmly, "What are you looking for today?"

Albedo paused for only a heartbeat, then inclined his head respectfully.

"I’m looking for Elara,"