Kairos had predicted that he will go missing if he activates any grand magic and garner the interest of the southern mage countries.
He left a few sachets and pouches containing contingency plans.
Following one of these messages, Tommy arrived at Avalon leading the Snowdrifts months ago.
At that time, Tommy had nervously returned home, not knowing what awaits him.
He knows that he could bring the army this close to Avalon precisely because of his father.
Tommy's identity and lineage had been checked since he invoked the promotion trial using the name Styrkur of Avalon.
Nevertheless, when the army reached the doorsteps of Avalon, Tommy did not expect his father to rush out miles to await him.
His mind had turned blank on seeing that lone figure on horseback at the horizon. His heart pounded frantically as he spurred his mount forward.
It had been so many years that he had forgotten. There is still someone at home waiting for him. He is not an orphan.
Even before Tommy reached his father, he jumped off his mount and ran forward.
Similarly, the man who looked like an older, larger, wizened version of himself did the same and held his arms out.
Their embrace was straightforward and honest.
Neither had expected that the first meeting after so many years would pass speechlessly.
Both had imagined innumerous conversations and questions to be said during the reunion, but nothing could match the physical contact that proved that everything is real.
Droplets of hot tears fell onto his cheeks silently.
Some of it his own, some fell onto his face.
A second, trembling, embrace gripped him from behind, took him unaware. The person nestled against his back felt much smaller than his father, but the warmth was no less.
The silhouette he saw wasn't a lone figure, but two people longingly together for their child.
"Welcome home, son."
At the end only three words summarised all the years of love and concern.
Both parents have plenty of questions for him. Where had he been all these years? How had he lived alone?
When they sat down as a family, Tommy realised how frail his mother had become.
Asdis Styrkur, a woman of great beauty yet in her late thirties, his mother already looked like she is in her fifties.
The tight grasp on her cloak, her pale complexion, and constant shivering caused his heart to wrench.
Losing her son had worn her down over the decade.
The northerners belong to five main tribes that are rich in culture, consisting of the Aesir tribe, Vanir tribe, Devas tribe, Asura tribe, and the Shakya tribe.
His mother is a pure-blooded Aesir, and the race most resilient against the cold. Yet she shivers at the slightest wind.
Tommy carefully looked at his father, Sidd Styrkur.
The man had fared no better, the haggardness on his face had set into his skin as deep wrinkles. Tommy's eyes became moist uncontrollably.
His father is the Knight of the Lake, the best warrior Logres had to offer!
Moreover, Tommy knows he had the lineage of Shakyamuni, a Sramana, from his father.
Sramana are a people who devote themselves to toils and labours, seeking enlightenment through extreme exertion.
While over the years the practice had become more moderate because of Shakyamuni, the hardiness of the Sramana remained in their bloodline.
To become the best fighter of the north is testament of the toughness that endured over the generations.
Yet this great warrior has been reduced to a shell of his former self.
He found out later on that because Logres had fallen, they couldn't send out many people to look for Tommy and so for many years, only his father, mother, and a small handful of family servants continued looking for him.
They had travelled all across Gaia, sometimes even passing by Saint City.
Unfortunately, their photos of Tommy were far too different from the state he arrived at Saint City. Moreover, the orphanage he settled in was situated in Rutea Village, a place that despite being only around three days away from Saint City is too small and shabby that even their neighbours hardly hear of them.
Seeing his parents' health dwindle because of him turned his unhappiness into anger.
A kind of madness threatened to overtake him.
Just like how Relestia faced her own inner demons, every cultivator must walk the same path where their conscious question themselves.
Should they fail, they will walk down the path of madness and destruction, and if they succeed, they will reaffirm their Martial Way and touch upon new heights.
A fire burned in his eyes as he searched for a way to return his heart to calmness.
Who is at fault for their plight?
Is it his own inability to find his parents? Perhaps the bandits that separated their family? Or maybe the great distance that made it impossible for them to reunite earlier?
No, even before that, finding out who or what to blame, will it make his parents healthier or turn back time and return the ten years that was lost?
Tommy chided himself, and the fire of rage in his eyes dimmed as he looked towards finding a solution.
The ten years lost cannot be returned, but it can be replaced.
Cultivators cultivate the Ki in their bodies to harness enough power so that they can push their physical prowess beyond the limits. The reason each cultivator seeks this power varies wildly, including for fame and fortune to simple revenge.
Seeking longevity is too a reason.
In fact, it is one of the most common reason that people want to become cultivators and cultivators want to become stronger.
The helpless regret that invoked a nigh-uncontrollable anger in him started fading away.
He has a way. That means all the problems are no longer problems.
When met with something unacceptable, his reaction is to burst through it with brute force and that had always been his preferred method.
If that does not work, he has his brothers to fall back on.
Only, this time, it is his family's matters and he wanted to resolve it on his own.
This time, his inner demons were dealt with because he found a way out. It even benefited him with accepting new thoughts and ideas to handle similar problems in the future. But this does not mean everything is over.
Far from it. When the time comes where there are no solutions in a dire situation, Tommy will meet his own Trial of the Heart Demon and his Dao Heart will be questioned.
He turned towards his parents, placing a hand on each of their arms.
Then with a brilliant smile on his face, he sent his Origin Energy into their bodies.
All at once both his father and mother turned radiant. They felt a strong energy carouse in their veins.
All at once his mother stopped shivering. She even pulled off her cloak after a while claiming that the heat is becoming unbearable.
When Sidd heard that, he ignored the strange bubbling warmth that is healing his tired body and held his wife fast as tears fell openly.
He may had scoured the world for his missing son but watching his wife getting sicker by the day is more than any man could tolerate.
What happened to Asdis is similar to the condition Jim's mother suffered from in the past, an over-abundance of yin accumulating in her body.
Her worrying had damaged her vitality and the endless frost around Avalon had seeped into her bones.
Fortunately, the cure to Jim's mother, Lyla Hope, has the same recipe for Tommy's mother Asdis Styrkur. A good dose of Origin Energy.
But to fully pluck out the root of her illness she has to practice the Origin Cultivation Method herself.
Fortunately, they are prepared for this. To make the Snowdrifts into a proper guild, they needed their own Cultivation Method.
The Origin Cultivation Method – Basic Series, Intermediate Series, and the three types of Advance Series is made for this purpose showing just how long-ago Kairos had made plans to promote them.
Cultivation methods are simply ways to refine different types of Ki. When two clashing types meet in the Dantian, the cultivator risk dropping a rank or losing all their cultivation.
The Basic Series is to introduce Origin Energy to cultivators and mitigate the danger of switching to a different cultivation method.
The Origin Energy is the source for all energy forms found within the body and naturally assimilates and coexist with any type of Ki.
Those who practice the Origin Cultivation Method can refine Ki using the Origin Energy instead of drawing from the Heavenly Energies. Of course, the latter is still a choice.
Kairos' Starfire Array or Nine Heavens Frost Array helps him develop fire and ice Ki to be stored within his Dantian.
On the other hand, using Origin Energy directly is just as feasible. Not just Ki, it can be used as replacement for mana, soul energy, or simply any kind of energy a living being can harness and to greater potency because it is a higher form of power.
There are other benefits as well.
The Origin Energy is an activated form of the life energy found within every cell in the body. A person has roughly 37 trillion cells, and each is an energy source for the Origin Cultivator. By refining Origin Energy, the cultivator will not only progress much faster, but he will also have far more life force than his counterpart.
In the Snowdrifts, the Origin Cultivation Method had been reworked into six categories.
On Gaia, cultivation methods, combat arts, even equipment and pills are rated under four tiers, Heaven, Earth, Xuan, and Huang. Each tier is further classified into Peak, Mid, and Entry level.
The Basic Series it can be considered a Peak Huang cultivation method at most.
Normally, one part Origin Energy is enough to replace fifteen parts Ki, but the Basic Series can only replace five parts of Ki as it is not meant for combat, nor does the Snowdrifts want an introductory manual to be capable of doing so.
Five times sounds plenty but unfortunately because it is a form of life energy it has abysmal regeneration speed not unlike how slow a wound will mend. Compared to Ki that can recover swiftly like stamina, it is indeed inferior to directly using Ki.
This limits the Basic Series to improving the cultivator's vitality and increasing their lifespan. Of course, the ability to use Origin Energy means they can also direct life energy directly to any injuries they sustained and thus become more resilient, or they can use it to help others just like what Tommy did.
Unfortunately, for a guild to properly function, having an incomplete version is insufficient.
The Intermediate Series is a minor upgrade that increased the potency to the usual fifteen times of Ki. This gives it the minimum needed to use Origin Energy directly for combat. At this stage, the Origin Cultivation Method could be considered complete, only that it lacked the specialisations and advantages of other cultivation methods. It will at most fall into the second-tier category of Earth, between Mid and Entry level.
The Advance Series, on the other hand, is Heaven Titan tier, or even higher.
It remedies the previous versions with three combat types, the Art of Defence, the Art of Offence, and the final secret version – the Art of Stealth.
Each grants the practitioner a unique advantage.
The Art of Offence takes advantage of the Northern Star Array's attribute that amasses Origin Energy from all parts of the body into each attack, granting far more offensive power than the other series.
The Art of Stealth does not use any runes, but is instead accompanied by two movement techniques, the Ice Walk – a hallucinatory movement technique that could confuse enemies – and the Mirage Steps – an illusionary movement technique that can alter what is perceived.
The final, sixth category is the customised version that needs Kairos to personally create for each cultivator.
At this stage, the main objective is to improve the user's talents according to his interests.
A person who loves something might not be good at it, but with this cultivation method, he will slowly become better and better at the art.
Of course, if this is the only benefit, it will be undermining the Origin Cultivation Method's potency.
The customised version aims to strengthen each of a cultivator's 37 trillion cells, turning each of them into powerful energy sources and eventually granting him nearly limitless energy and an inhuman regenerative ability.
At the same time, the cells are tempered from inside out with the Origin Cultivation External Art, quickly granting a greater physical strength not unlike External Cultivators.
Now, not only will the cultivator recover faster from injuries, but he will also be much harder to be wounded.
Yet even this is far from what the cultivation method can do.
With over 37 trillion energy sources, the Dantian no longer needs to function as storage, but can turn into a Ki dispatchment centre. No longer will the cultivator need to worry about having clashing types of Ki stored in one place, allowing one to use opposing combat arts.
The potency of the customised version is... immeasurable.
Kairos and his brothers can use Origin Energy for combat and outlast typical cultivators. Their lifespan is far longer compared to even those higher ranks than they are. Their life force is so abundant that it makes them so resilient that when Kairos suffered injuries that would be lethal for another, he can still run around Axis Mundi fighting off his enemies like it was nothing.
Yet...
When Kairos made plans to make the Origin Cultivation Method available for others, no one in the Snowdrifts disagreed.
While the purpose is to make their guild more established, to give up on the secrets of the Origin Energy only for a simple trade for manpower and resources is a terrible investment.
Anyone would know the benefit of keeping such a trump card in secret.
The leaders of Snowdrifts agreed because of one thing, the devils sealed within Gaia will burst out soon.
Four years ago, they were given a warning from the guardian dragon Thrym that they only have one to five decades left of peace. If going for the minimum, then there is only six years left now.
Moreover, knowing that the devils could influence beasts and people outside of their prisons, it is entirely possible that the seals could could be broken earlier.
Tommy handed his parents the basic and intermittent manuals. They would be able to pick one of the advancements after they had mastered both.
"Mom, dad, I have something that can help improve your health. Especially for mom, it will help you recover from all the damage your body had accumulated over the years from the chill.
Asdis and Sidd smiled brightly when they took the brand-new manuals without much thought. For the two who just got their son back, anything he gives are treasures, but with one look they can tell that the item is mass produced.
Moreover, didn't the boy said that these are practiced for good health?
"Oh my, you've grown to be such a caring boy," Asdis said holding the book tightly.
Even if this is one of those workouts exercise popular with the old ladies and gentlemen, she will still put her heart into learning it. After all this is the first gift from her son.
Sidd was not as enthusiastic about the healthy lifestyle booklet. He did not pick up the manual from the table, only smiled at Tommy happily. To see his family whole again was enough.
Looking at his parents' reactions, Tommy could guess their thoughts and said, "Mom, dad, take a look at the manuals first."
"Okay, okay. If you say so."
The two reluctantly picked up the books given to them.
Origin Manuscript – Basic Series.
A plain and overly common cover. Even the cultivation method's name is ordinary.
They flipped to the very first page. There they saw... an introduction.
"....."
Almost all cultivation methods start straight to the point with the cultivation incantation and the correct meridian pathways for a single cycle.
But not here.
Tommy's parents looked blankly at the page then at their child.
This format.
Proper title, chaptering, referencing and dated.
It screams out only one thing. Fresh graduate from school.
Tommy understood everything the moment he saw their expressions and smiled sheepishly, "Mom, dad, you have to read what it says."
The two relented to their child's insistence and studied this newly minted exercise manual.
The first sentence was enough to draw their full attention.
'From one source came about all thing, the same is true for the energies in our body.'
Immediately absorbed, they quickly got to the next sentence, and the one after that.
This cultivation method teaches them how to harness the life force found ubiquitously in the body and grants them something called the Origin Energy.
Reading about the Origin Energy and its miraculous uses, they looked at each other and saw the astonishment in the other's eyes.
If this manual is honest, then like Tommy said, the aching pain in their bodies from years of neglect can fully recover.
But what they read next was enough to convince them that they had yet been shocked enough.
"D... doubling lifespans?" Sidd asked, not noticing his voice had gone up two octaves.
"Isn't this extraordinary?!" Asdis said with eyes sparkling, her voice filled with a kind of pride.
Not just increasing a decade or two, but doubling?
Spirit fruits and pills that could increase the life expectancy by a year or two is enough to sell for a fortune. They fetch such a handsome price because each time a cultivator breakthrough to the next major rank, they are slowly becoming a higher lifeform and their lifespan will greatly increase. The ones who seek after these are the very rich and powerful.
Many cultivator families stock up on such thing, because even if they cannot use it now, there might come a time such items will be needed.
Those from the lower realm, Axis Mundi, obviously do not have the background to understand the value of such a cultivation method. After all, no matter advancing from Circle 1 to Circle 9, the mages would not have increased life expectancy, and the same goes for the Aura Knights, and the gnomish and dwarven warriors.
With this cultivation method, the Snowdrifts could earn very big favours if they played their cards properly.
Of course, Sidd told Tommy his thoughts about this.
In return, Tommy was honest about the current crisis that the world is face. They could not afford to capitalise on the Origin Cultivation Method at this point. Not when Gaia is on the brink of extinction, and no one is aware.
On hearing about the sealed devils in their world, the two expressed that it sounded unbelievable. When Tommy told them that he had joined a group called the Snowdrifts and they are trying to fight those monsters, his parents did not know how to react.
Tommy thought about it for a moment, then said, "I know that our Gaia being a sealing stone for a plethora of devils sounded ridiculous. However, the fact that they exist is a fact."
"Even if it's true, why do you have to be the one that stop the devils?"
"Dad... I am also a warrior. Just like you, dad. I cannot hide behind while others die helplessly. Besides, I won't be alone. We are pretty strong you know?"
The warrior Sidd fell sullen. His son had finally returned, yet in just six years, the world might end?
Asdis chewed on her lips nervously, not knowing what to say. Her fists had already been clenched white.
Sidd looked at her and promised, "I'll look after our son."
She nodded but remained silent.
Tommy placed a palm on both his parents' hands reassuringly then softly whispered, "Aetnaeus, come forth."
A tall metallic armour stepped out from Tommy's body like a spectre. It bowed respectfully and remained silent, waiting for instructions.
"Our son is a spirit contractee!?"
The elementals are spirits of nature and can pass through most materials unhindered. These beings are powerful controllers of the elements and could aid a cultivator in combat.
Having a contract with them is any cultivator's dream.
Tommy did not hesitate and explained to the elemental about his purpose, "Aetnaeus, connect me to the Spirit King if you will, please."
"Certainly, young master."
Swiftly, a spatial wormhole opened in the tent they are in, and a massive figure looked over from the beyond.
"Speak," a booming voice commanded.
"King of spirits, I am Tommy Styrkur, and these are my parents," Tommy greeted.
The grand being nodded, "I know of you, friend of the Great One. Why have you summoned me?"
Tommy paused to collect his thoughts, then said, "As your majesty knows, Kairos formed the guild, Snowdrifts, to deal with the devil invasion nigh on our heels. Right now, we ran into a lack of certain resources, and Avalon could help us remedy this. I implore you, King of the elementals, help us convince them of the importance of our cause."
The Spirit King looked oddly at Tommy then asked, "Is the threat of the devils not of suffice import?"
"The humans now have never faced a devil invasion before and lacked awareness. Even I, had I not seen those unholy abominations personally, I would never understand the eternal damnation that we all face."
The Spirit King fell silent, then nodded, "I understand. All humans on Gaia that met a devil or its damned incarnation before had fallen. All, except the Great One and your group. I shall aid you in bringing the others into the circle. How may I help?"
Tommy's eyes brightened. If the Spirit King is willing, then many things will become easy.
He quickly perked up and said, "For a start, there are some people we need to talk to that needs your majesty's aid to convince. My parents are high-ranking officials of the lost Logres Kingdom. They retreated to Avalon after an uprising. While they lack the warriors that Snowdrifts do, they have weapons, armours and food that we need if we want to meet the devils and their armies in battle."
The Spirit King nodded again, "Arrange for me to meet with the ruler of Avalon."
With that said, he greeted goodbye to Tommy and his parents before closing the wormhole.
The tent fell silent.
The previous doubts had been washed away. If the danger is enough to rouse a great existence like the Spirit King, it is enough to engulf them all.
Sidd quickly made his decision to stand alongside his son.
He got up to his feet and clapped Tommy on his back, "If you are looking to convince the ruler of Avalon to release his resources, I have a way."
Tommy looked at his dad. His bright eyes clearly showing how extremely reliable he felt his father is right now.
Sidd did not wait and explained, "Marry the princess!"
Tommy's newly developed trust cracked like an eggshell dropped against the floor.
He looked at his mother for help.
The woman smiled brightlyat the suggestion, "Yes! You should marry our princess!"