The Forsaken Heir's Ascension

Chapter 2: The Cave of The Great Sage

Chapter 2: The Cave of The Great SageAlex woke up in a dark cave, with only a faint beam of light coming from a slit in the roof. As his eyes adjusted, he realized the cave was large enough for a grown man to stand upright. The cold, stony floor and jagged walls gave the place a rugged, eerie feel.

Where am I? he wondered. Then the memories came flooding back—and he began to cry. His little sister ,only three years old, had died. He sobbed uncontrollably until exhaustion overcame him and he drifted into sleep.

Hours later, hunger and thirst overtook him. He

"Hello. This is the year 3150. I found this cave after being poisoned by a Red Snake. Its venom can only be treated using the golden fruits of the Old Mother Tree. I located the tree, but it was only 500 years old. At that age, it can only prolong life for a few years using its leaves.

I have one year left. The poison has spread throughout my body and will reach my heart soon. People call me "The Great Dark Sage" for I have mastered the dark element. I tried to fuse the Red Snake's poison with my elemental power but failed.

To whoever finds this book—I have left instructions to complete the merging of Red Snake poison with the dark element.

First, you must remake your body's constitution. Eat the leaves of the plants near the lake, then drink its water.

Warning: Do not eat more than two golden-veined leaves—you could die. (Oh, I guess I already did that, huh?)" Alex muttered aloud, realizing what had caused his earlier agony.

"Repeat the process after five days, for a total of three times.

Do not attempt this if you're older than ten years. It will kill you.

Once the process is complete, take four golden fruits from the tree and the vial from the desk drawer.

Here comes the crucial step: drink one drop of the Red Snake poison. When you feel the poison reaching your heart, eat one fruit. Repeat this four times.

Alex was only seven years old now. His first goal was to find his father. After eating the golden fruits and washing himself, he rested on the bed. Once he had regained some strength, Alex returned to the small cave where he had first woken up. There, he found the ring his father had always worn.

The ring was dark gold with a black gem, and the letter "V" was inscribed on it. Alex knew that his father had inherited the ring from * "his" father before he died. As Alex picked it up, golden letters emerged from the ring and floated in the air before him:

"Son, I'm truly sorry for leaving you alone in this world. I wasn't able to protect Anna, but I'm grateful I was able to protect you.

My son, you must be strong—strong enough to survive this cruel world. Live a long and happy life.

Anna and I will be watching over you. Goodbye, my son."

Alex fell to his knees and began to cry. After five minutes, he wiped away his tears and said with determination, "I will become the world's strongest sage. I promise you, Father. I will take revenge on those beasts—I'll erase them from the earth."

He stood up and returned to the large cave. There, he began eating the golden-veined leaves near the lake. He ate only two and drank some water, but nothing happened for half an hour. Impatient, he ate three more leaves and drank again—and then it began.

The pain was unbearable—bone-crushing. Alex struggled to remain conscious, but after an hour, the pain overwhelmed him and he passed out.

He woke up to moonlight shining through the crack in the cave ceiling. His body was covered in dried blood and sticky black tar. He walked to the lake and washed himself, then returned to the cave room.

Looking for something to wear, he found nothing. With no choice, he remained naked. He noticed that his body had changed—it was no longer thin and fragile. His muscles were more defined, and he had grown taller.

Alex began reading the books about the dark element. He knew he had an affinity for it due to his Veylor family bloodline, though he had never practiced it before. As he flipped through the pages, he found basic information about elemental power.

Humans have elemental power within their blood. Elemental energy is absorbed through the lungs and enters the left side of the heart. From there, it travels throughout the body and merges with the blood. Once the elemental power reaches every part of the body, it strengthens muscles, bones, and organs. The remaining energy returns to the right side of the heart and forms a circle. Each type of elemental energy creates its own circle.

A beginner elemental has one circle. A master has three. A grandmaster has six. Nine circles make a saint. Twelve circles make a sage. If one surpasses this level, they become a great sage.

Most people have an affinity with only one element. Some have two. Rare individuals may have three or even four.

To begin cultivation, one must sense the element they are attuned to in the air and guide it into their lungs.

Following the instructions of the sage, Alex sat on the bed and began breathing in and out slowly. Due to the extremely high concentration of dark elemental energy in the cave, he was able to sense the element within a day and started circulating it through his blood vessels.

After another day, a blurry circle began to form in the right side of his heart. After five days of continuous practice, Alex successfully formed his first circle.

He had become a beginner elemental.