As morning broke over the desert kingdom, Ethan and his team arrived at a specific location on the southern side of the vast sandy expanse. The sun had just begun its ascent, casting long shadows across the dunes and painting the sky in hues of orange and yellow.
The surroundings were eerily empty, with no desert villages or even cacti to break the monotony of the sand. It was mostly barren land, stretching endlessly in all directions.
But there was one anomaly in this emptiness: an ancient, tall, and wide pillar. Half of it was buried deep in the sand below, and it leaned slightly backward, as if tired from standing for centuries.
Although it looked quite old, its durability seemed intact. Still, it felt quite ordinary, with nothing particularly special about it at first glance.
"You sure this is the entrance?" Ethan asked, his voice filled with a hint of doubt as he scanned the area around them.
Gareth, whose ghostly figure was floating in the air, nodded. "Yes, I made four pillars of entrance and placed them in different kingdoms. Although the one in the Church Kingdom has been destroyed, the other three remain," he explained.
"Let me just open it. Follow me into the pillar," Saying so, Gareth's figure floated toward the entrance and then passed inside it, as if he got absorbed by the pillar itself. His form shimmered for a moment before disappearing completely.
"Who are you talking to?" Violet asked, her brow furrowed in confusion. She looked around, trying to see who Ethan might have been addressing.
The same confusion was palpable on the others' faces as well, their gazes locked on Ethan, waiting for an explanation.
"You'll know soon enough. Follow me," he replied with a firm voice, leaving no room for further questions. He walked forward, stepping purposefully toward the giant pillar.
Once he was standing in front of the giant pillar, he carefully raised his hand and touched the edge of the pillar. Somehow, his hand got past its surface like it was hollow, sinking into the stone as if it were water.
With a deep breath, Ethan took another step forward, his whole body disappearing into the pillar as if getting absorbed by it.
Violet, Cassandra, and the others were momentarily surprised by the sight but decided to follow anyway, their trust in Ethan overriding their hesitation.
Cassandra was the first one to enter after Ethan, followed by Violet, then Emma, then Sylvania, and lastly Belta. Each of them stepped forward and disappeared into the pillar, one by one.
For a second, empty darkness enveloped their sight, followed by the sudden bright light of morning. It wasn't harsh like in the desert kingdom but refreshing like the sunlight of spring. The air was crisp and clean, filled with the scent of blooming flowers.
All of them instinctively squinted their eyes and then slowly opened them, immediately greeted by a vast landscape that took their breath away.
The landscape was like a huge, never-ending garden with lush green grass, colorful flowers, and majestic trees of all kinds. But the most eye-catching thing was the huge palace-like tower a few hundred meters away from them.
It was tall and majestic, mysterious yet divine, ancient yet well-crafted and magical.
The tower seemed to reach toward the heavens, its spires gleaming in the morning light, and its walls adorned with intricate carvings that seemed to shift and change as they watched.
And finally, their eyes landed on an old man standing in front of them, a few meters away, stroking his beard with a satisfied smile.
He looked more alive and real than before, like a real human, not so ghastly. Since his other part of his soul was inside the Tower of Heaven, and once he entered here again, they both merged, giving him a more lively appearance.
His eyes twinkled with wisdom and kindness, his posture straight and confident.
"I guess I should introduce myself to you ladies. I'm Gareth, teacher of the hero Reinhard," he said, not giving an over-the-top introduction. Just mentioning being the teacher of the hero was more than enough to establish his importance.
Just as he expected, a look of pure surprise and joy fell over everyone except Ethan. Even Cassandra, who rarely showed expression, had her eyes wide and her mouth slightly parting. The name of the hero Reinhard was legendary, known throughout the world as the savior who had defeated the Demon King centuries ago.
As her lips moved to say something, Gareth stopped her with a gentle raise of his hand.
"I know what you want to ask. No, I'm not alive. I'm just a fragment of soul and will left by the real Gareth," he said with a light smile, his voice warm and reassuring.
"Me and Ethan met quite a while ago. There were some conditions that he needed to fulfill to enter here," he said, turning around and pointing at the tower and landscape with pride.
"Tower of Heaven, my ancestral inheritance," he said, his voice filled with reverence and nostalgia.
"Tower of Heaven? An inheritance this big? It feels like another world in itself," Emma said, her voice filled with wonder. Her wide eyes reflected the breathtaking scenery in front of her, as if trying to capture every detail of the magical landscape.
"Yes, Belta is surprised beyond belief as well. How can someone make something like this? Are you a god by chance?" Belta asked, her voice trembling with equal astonishment. She reached out as if to touch the air, as if testing whether this place was real or just an elaborate illusion.
Gareth couldn't help but laugh out in amusement, the sound warm and genuine. "It's not even close to being a world. Maybe if you gain knowledge of the space element, you might be able to make something like this yourself. It's more of a stealth type killer move. Once you are here, it's almost impossible to find you via any means. Even divination barely works," he explained, caressing his beard thoughtfully.
"Besides, I did not make it. It's an ancestral inheritance. Several generations of my ancestors made it. I just modified the way to enter and claim this inheritance. And I'm passing it onto Ethan. In the future, he might do so himself to choose a future successor," he added, giving them some insight into the significance of what they were experiencing.
At that moment, Ethan came forward with an apologetic look on his face. His shoulders were slightly slumped, and his eyes showed genuine remorse.
"By the way, I'm sorry everyone that I hid this from you all. There shouldn't be much secrets between friends," he said in a low tone, his voice filled with sincerity.
"There's no need, Ethan. Besides, you told us now. It didn't make much difference," Violet immediately replied, forgiving him on the spot. She offered him a reassuring smile, her eyes softening with understanding.
Besides, she had her own share of secrets after all. The weight of her own hidden knowledge made it impossible for her to hold anything against him.
"I should be the one apologizing here, not only you but everyone else as well. That I have a constellation and I'm using its rewards to increase my growth constantly," she thought to herself, feeling guilty.
Similar thoughts were in Sylvania and Emma's minds as well.
"Enough chit chat, you all. Look, I'm not gonna give you all false expectations. This inheritance is solely dedicated for someone with an affinity with the light element and a righteous aura," he said, looking directly at Ethan.
"In short, Ethan," he added, making it clear who he was addressing.
Ethan already had a righteous aura, but after going through his second awakening, he realized that he had also gained an affinity with the light element as well. It was one of the best combinations one could have
"Ahem... That's why, although this inheritance will surely help you, it won't increase your strength much," Gareth said, his tone gentle but firm. He didn't want to give them false hope about what they could gain from this place.
"It's okay, Master Gareth. Anything is better than nothing," Cassandra added with her expressionless face, not feeling down at all. Her practical nature accepted the reality of the situation without disappointment.
At that moment, Gareth let out another loud chuckle, his eyes twinkling with mischief and excitement.
"That's the spirit, kids! Although I did not mention one thing, this inheritance might not suit you, but it also has knowledge, and knowledge is power," he said in a high energetic tone, his enthusiasm infectious.
"I'll be your mentor, whether it's combat, weapon mastery, refinement techniques, magic formula knowledge, or anything else. You can count on me. The tower has many monsters imprisoned that you can test your limits by fighting them as well," he offered, his chest puffing out with pride at the resources he could provide.
With that, he turned around, ready to go. "Follow me into the tower," he said, gesturing for them to come along.
"What about King Abdul? He would be worried if we don't return," Sylvania whispered lightly, her brow furrowed with hesitation.
"Don't worry, I have already informed him that we won't return for a month, and besides, we can leave and enter any time we want," Ethan replied in a whisper as well and starts following Gareth towards the Tower of Heaven.
Sylvania and the others nodded, following behind him in a line, their hearts filled with anticipation for upcoming days in tower of heaven.