This story is entirely fictional.
The Kingdom of Marbious.
Though Marbious was far stronger than the other four realms, it remained a peaceful land. For many years the king of Marbious had kept himself hidden from public eyes for some reason, and the day-to-day running of the realm was handled by his younger brother.
One ordinary day, the gravity within the capital suddenly intensified. A chill of fear washed through everyone—what could have caused such an abrupt surge in gravitational force? At that very moment, through the main gate fluttered a small black bird that entered the city.
Everyone's eyes widened at the sight of the bird. But on the faces of the four generals and Marbious's current commander, something different bloomed: a quiet smile. The five of them bowed from the waist and paid their respects to the bird.
The crowd in the palace were not ordinary people either. Some were honored dignitaries of the realm; others were among the kingdom's wealthiest. Before anyone could say a word, Commander Daniel spoke.
"You will accept our honor, Black Phoenix God."
At the commander's words everyone understood why gravity had suddenly surged a short while ago.
"How are you, Daniel? It's been many years. I am well, Phoenix God. How are they? How have they been? When will they return to Marbious? Have they said anything?" — Daniel asked.
"Hm. I have come for them today. They will arrive among you very soon." The bird continued. "And I have a talisman for you." With that, Daniel received a paper letter propelled by gravitational force. "My master told me to deliver this to you, then leave. My duty is done; I must go." The Black Phoenix Bird condensed into a ball of flame and turned to ash. As it departed, the gravity returned to its normal softness.
Commander Daniel opened the letter and read. A joyful smile spread across his face as he absorbed the news.
Marbious held countless secret treasures, but the most valuable among them was the Essence Stone. Ancestors of Marbious had protected this stone for generations.
The reason for guarding it so fiercely was simple: the stone was immensely powerful. "It is an Ancient Red Essence Stone from another era. If someone were to fully possess all of its power, they would become a being of immeasurable strength." Yet until now no one had been able to hold the stone's power—not even partially for meditation. The stone's nature was peculiar: while it could greatly empower someone, if a weaker cultivator attempted to absorb even a fragment of its power, the stone would instead absorb that cultivator's energy.
Because of this, weaker cultivators never even considered stealing it.
The Essence Stone was so potent that no one had ever successfully absorb(ed) it. Merely meditating beside it could grant a small, effortless increase in level. But if a low-level cultivator tried to take the stone's power, the stone would simply devour their entire energy.
Long ago, someone left this stone in the kingdom and declared before departing that its true owner would one day return to take it. Centuries flew by, but the true owner had yet to come.
Now, speaking of power: if we talk about cultivators, on the planet Brenas there are seven cultivation ranks:
1. Darning Bronze Level
2. Maosenis Procton Level
3. Earth Realm Master Level
4. Celestial Master Level
5. Supreme Celestial Level
6. Legendary Marshal Level
7. Divine God Realm Level
Although these are the main cultivation levels, there are some sub-levels and special tiers that will be mentioned later. In Brenas, the more one cultivates, the greater one's power grows.
Another day—Gohan woke at dawn and stood by the window to gaze at the outside. His mother came up behind him, hugged him, and kissed his forehead. "Get up, freshen yourself, eat, and you'll go into town with your father," she said.
Gohan smiled and replied, "Alright." Matin left early that morning for the market to purchase some necessities. After returning home and eating, he and Gohan set out to stroll around the city. Father and son roamed many places that day; Matin told Gohan about his life—where he had grown up and where he had studied.
After a long day of wandering, father and son returned home. Gohan fell asleep quickly from exhaustion. That night Matin told Mahira, "Next week we will go to Marbious." Mahira only gave a slight smile and said nothing.
Seven days later...
At thirteen, everything had changed. Daniel had made the kingdom far more splendid than before. The old guards were gone; all were replaced by new ones. Gohan felt as if he were dreaming—he had never seen such a magnificent royal palace. Excited, he asked, "Mother, will we live here from now on?" His mother replied, "Yes, my child. We will live here from now on."
At the main gate of Marbious stood a forty-year-old man, a thirty-five-year-old woman, and a child of about fifteen. "Who is requesting entry at the gate?" asked the guard.
"Yes, we wish to meet Commander Daniel. Please allow us an audience." The guard replied, "I am sorry. No one is allowed to enter the palace without permission."
The man smiled slightly. "That's fine—do your duty. But we are very close to the commander; please let us inside or call him for us." The guard hesitated for a moment, then said, "Alright. I will inform the palace."
In the council hall Commander Daniel was sitting when a guard ran in and saluted. "Commander Daniel, a man and a woman with a child have come to see you. They claim to know you."
"Very well. Bring them in," Daniel said. The guard led them through the palace gate into the council chamber. Everyone turned to look at Matin; at once they all rose to greet him. The guard wondered why everyone greeted him so respectfully.
"Rise—how have you been? We haven't seen you in years," Daniel called, embracing Matin as tears welled in his eyes. "How are you, my brother?" he cried, half laughing through sobs. The four generals remained standing in their salute. Matin addressed them, "You all did well holding your responsibilities in my absence. For that, I thank you."
First General Demodis stepped forward. "My lord, we have missed you greatly. During your absence we have handled every problem." Second General Enderson added, "My lord, by your decree we never allowed the poor and helpless to be harmed; we will continue thus." One by one, they finished speaking.
Matin looked to the guard who had escorted him and said, "Do not be afraid. Do your duty—there is nothing to fear. Anyone in your place would do the same; I would have done the same." The guard trembled and begged forgiveness. Matin smiled gently and said, "It's alright. Go."
"My lord, you should have said earlier and we would have brought a carriage for you." (Demodis)
"There was no need. Gohan and I walked while sightseeing," Matin replied.
When Demodis heard Gohan's name he turned and saw the small fifteen-year-old boy beside Matin. All eyes brightened upon seeing the boy. Daniel embraced him and said, "How are you, Gohan? I am your uncle Daniel." Gohan offered only a shy smile.
Demodis hugged Gohan and murmured, "Your face resembles Jiowan's." Tears formed in Demodis's eyes—he thought back to the past, wondering if things might have been different had he been more careful. "I know you treated Jiowan like your own son," Matin said to him. "Forget what has happened. Do not dwell on the past. Think of the future." Demodis sighed and said, "Yes, my lord."
To be continued...?
This story is entirely fictional.