Preparation I

"Thank you for taking care of me, I'll be going now."

Ace bowed slightly to one of the people who took care of him.

"Don't worry about it, but it is impressive on how fast you heal your wounds. Normally even for a peak Minor Saint the strain that's put into your spirit and body will take three months to heal completely, but seeing how you healed up in two weeks I am truly surprised."

The beautiful lady who was wearing a white spoke as she laughs gleefully. She spoke to Ace with ease and carefreeness as she acted on her own.

Hearing the words he was told Ace could only scratch the back of his neck and showed a smile.

Ace said his thanks to the reception and some of the doctors who took care of him while he was out of it and left through the main entrance of the Palace of Healing.

However, as he was just about to pass through the main entrance he seemed to remember something and stopped his steps for a while.

"Is there any problem? Is your wound not fully healed yet?"

The lady who saw him off saw Ace's weird actions and could not help but ask if anything was wrong with his wounds, after all, she came here to see if there's nothing wrong with this weird patient of theirs.

Three stab wounds on the abdomen, broken ribs, ruptured blood vessels and unstable spirit. These are the complications the Palace of Healing people were presented when Ace was brought to their doorstep by the eccentric but handsome observer.

"Oh it's nothing, I'm just feeling out my body. I feel light for some reason, did you guys give me a wonder drug or something like that? I feel extremely good right now."

He playfully asked. The lady he was speaking to nod her head before saying.

"The observers seem to have given you one. Take care of yourself now."

Many thought that Ace will become a cripple after seeing the ruptured veins but thankfully the observer seems to have given him a pill before taking him to the Palace of Healing.

Ace left this time for real and as he was walking he observed the translucent board in front of him. His name and the other list were eyes especially eye-catching but the thing that he took note of was to things.

First would be that on the last of the list there was a note that says, [Demonic Trial Started], even now he has yet to know what kind of trial it is but he knew that it will surely be troublesome like the hidden trial of the extra job.

Second would be the stored experience that numbers at five million. Yes, it was weird and Ace still could not believe his eyes as he stared at the current five million stored experience points.

'The pill they gave me this healed my veins and almost destroyed body. I'm happy about the experience and all but, I think I would have healed even without the pills.'

He murmured to himself as Ace walked down the mountain where the Palace of Healing is located. No matter what he got Ace was thankful the only thing he wanted to know was the unknown possibilities.

Curiosity is something that all humans have, if they do not know what is beyond a door they open it so they can see for themselves and Ace is not different than them.

The only that is slightly different is that the door he has to open is designed with prickly thorns that may harm him and even kill him because of deadly poison. It took him a lot of time before he could reach the end of the mountain and by the time that he did Ace had already poured most of his points to his own level.

'Ding… character leveled up.'

He was only able to level up once but it was nice enough that he was able to reach the sixth level of Minor Saint before he can go out. However, he was not satisfied with his current cultivation.

He used almost half of the five million stored experience points just now just to reach the sixth level and for him to reach the next level he will need another three million experience points.

Thinking about his priorities Ace went to the Alchemist Association first before going to his house. From what the lady in the Palace of Healing has said Rea should be taking care of the million designated orders so it would be for the best for him to go there first and see how she is doing.

The sun was still high up as it was nearing the twelfth hour of the day, it was supposed to be hot but Ace walked casually as if he felt nothing.

While walking many disciples saw him and when they did they would go and talk to themselves as if they were chitchatting something that is targeted at Ace.

He was not able to hear it but the talks were about his current achievements and how he is a crazy but admirable warrior. Fighting without holding anything back and facing off against those who are far stronger than him in cultivation, his name was actually becoming to become famous for good reasons.

Before, his name would be more infamous than admired. A demon who picks on the weak, a coward who uses lowly schemes to buy off the observers.

However, this time it was different, he was still called a demon but his name carried a different meaning than before, he was still feared yet he is also respected by those above and below him in the rankings.

As of now, the name Ace was already associated with a demon but because some calls him the child of the heaven because of how fast he improves his name was slightly altered to match the current times and his new moniker was the Heavenly Demon.

It's a name that Ace did not want but got anyway, his new moniker sprouted out of nowhere but it was well accepted and in the past couple weeks he's not the only one who got a new name because even Altair got one and that is, Shadow of Death.

Wearing a skull as a mask while oozing with the aura of death many were starting to fear Altair for a good reason.

It took a while but Ace finally stood in front of the association. Entering without hesitation Ace went to find Rea so he followed the flow of heavenly essence.

When concocting a pill the flow of flames and the flow of heavenly essence becomes one, if one stagnates everything is over in result of this fusion if another alchemist focuses enough, he or she will be able to trace the trace of energy.

Ace walked inside the emptied area of the association, the usual smell of pills hundreds of herbs were nowhere to be found. Ace followed the trace of heavenly essence and after some time he was led to the second floor, in front of a two-meter door.

The sculptures on the surface of the wood was a beautiful and awe-inspiring flame of unknown origins, from what the sculpture conveyed the flames were burning a cauldron with the world and a fighting dragon and tiger was inside this cauldron.

Ace wanted to open the door but just before he was about to touch the surface of the door he heard a melodious voice coming from inside.

"Ace is that you? If you are here for the pill concoction then you don't have to worry, I will be taking care of the entire stock this month so just wait two days before we leave."

It was Rea, but it was also not Rea. The voice was pleasant to the ears and did not hold any trace of arrogance behind it, surprised by this Ace was left with his mouth wide open in front of the door he wanted to say something but Rea beat him to it.

"I will be coming out after a day, the entire one million pills are about to be completed. I only need a little time to prepare myself before we head out, I already accepted the mission and registered the names of those who will join us in the mission."

Rea's pleasant voice once again sounded out, by now Ace was thinking that something was weird. Ace chose to heed Rea's words so he turns around and chose to head back but before he truly leaves he left a few words to Rea.

"I don't know what happened to you but, good luck."

With that, Ace went to his own house.

***

I want to write a dungeon novel, I'll just make an announcement if I'll really make one.