The Exalt [Cultivation Fantasy]

Every so often, a hunting event is held for the nobles. The adults go off to hunt Exalt beasts while the children try to hunt normal animals.

The lockdown and his family's attitude toward him made Frederick rebellious. Instead of the clean look he always had, he purposely dressed messily and acted without care.

His family tried numerous times to correct his behavior but yielded no result. However, they still brought him out for this hunting event. They hoped he would act serious amongst his peers.

But Frederick defied their wishes.

On one of the tables, he had put his feet on the table and leaned his chair back while mindlessly munching on an apple. He ignored the harsh whispers of the others around him with a scowl.

Suddenly, Frederick got up from his seat. His eyes, full of yearning, and his heart, rapidly beating.

A pitiful figure of a girl came into sight. Her light-brown eyes no longer contained the hopeful and cheerful glow she once had. She wore a gray dress that dulled the vibrant colors of her teal hair.

"Teresa." In the half-year since the ceremony, Frederick thought about Teresa every day. To see her in this condition was heartbreaking.

"Frederick. It's nice to see you." Teresa gave a weak smile. There was a reddish tinge to her eyes.

"Teresa, have you been crying? Is everything ok?" Frederick asked worryingly.

Tears began to well up. Teresa hurriedly wiped them off. After the ceremony, she was shunned by her family, and she felt so alone.

"I tried writing letters to you and Gilbert, but none of you responded." Teresa choked on her words.

"My family isolated me away and prevented me from replying. I got every one of your letters. I'm sorry I could not reply." Frederick apologized.

"It's fine. Maybe Gilbert had the same issue." Teresa held on to the hope that Gilbert was still her friend. The one she loved wouldn't abandon her like this.

"Frederick….Do you know why I'm here today?" Teresa's face cracked.

"No…." Frederick grew increasingly worried for Teresa. Her behavior was very erratic.

A light breeze blew over, making some of Teresa's hair get in her face. But she didn't bother to correct her hair and answered, "My father said I have to find a potential husband."

"What?!" Frederick shouted and clenched his hands. How dare he treat Teresa like some doll?

"He said this hunting ground is the perfect chance to make a relationship."

"So….are you going to do it?" Frederick asked anxiously.

"I will try to ask Gilbert….He's still our friend, and I love him."

Frederick felt his heart sting. He hoped she would say it was him, but no matter what, he was the second fiddle.

"I'll cheer you on." He said with a sad smile.

"Thank you." Teresa felt a little better as the two chatted up like old times.

Later, the camp exploded into a commotion. Frederick and Teresa went to the source of the commotion and found Gilbert surrounded by his peers.

The daughters of nobles were fawning over him and trying to grab his attention. Gilbert smiled handsomely back to them, making their faces red and joyfully screaming.

Teresa's face scrunched up in jealousy. She was the one who loved him before all of this fame. All these noble daughters used to ignore him or snicker at him.

She was confident he would know who was there for him.

"Gilbert!" Frederick bulldozed his way past everyone and faced his friend.

"Frederick. How've you been?" Gilbert gave a bright smile.

His smile and the tone of his speech were no longer like the Gilbert of the past. Even to Frederick, his friend, his voice and smile were almost robotic, as if they were part of a routine.

"Gilbert. I missed you!" Teresa said affectionately. Her haggard face had a hint of liveliness to it.

"I missed you two as well. I've been so busy lately. What's up?"

Teresa fidgeted a little; she was nervous and embarrassed to say it. But a soft pat on her back caught her attention. It was Frederick who gave her an encouraging look.

With the push from her friend, Teresa stepped closer to Gilbert and asked, "Could we meet later tonight at 6 pm? There's a nice grove in the south. I want to talk."

The words meekly left her mouth. It was the best she could muster.

Gilbert stared at Teresa and nodded, making her face brighten up.

"I'll see you later then!" Teresa happily skipped off while Frederick sighed but eyed Gilbert with a pleading look. Please make her happy.

The hunt was underway. It lasted for the entire day into the late afternoon before the night settled in. There were campfires where the meats of the hunted beasts and animals were being cooked.

Frederick did not participate in the festivities. He was by the river, brooding about Teresa confessing to Gilbert. He was happy for her but also sad it wasn't him.

The conflicting emotions made his stomach sick, so he stepped out to take a breather.

Hours passed, and the festival was still ongoing. It was 8 pm.

Frederick returned to the campsite but froze when he saw Gilbert at the center of attention, treated like a king and laughing alongside the others. Where was Teresa?

He combed the entire campsite but could not find a trace of his crush. There was only one place she could be, the grove.

With hastened steps, Frederick arrived at the grove but could not find her.

"Where are you? Teresa!" His voice echoed through the grove, but no reply came. He searched for a while until he found a ripped part of a gray dress. With the cloth as a clue, he bolted in the direction it was placed.

Finally, he found her.

"Teresa!" Frederick shouted.

"Frederick…." Teresa's current appearance shook Frederick. Her face was riddled with tear marks, and her hair was a complete mess. Her gray dress was ragged, and her body was laden with slight cuts.

"Teresa, what happened? Are you hurt?!"

"No." Teresa shook her head. "I didn't pay attention to where I was going and ran into several branches."

Frederick stepped closer to talk to her. His eyes widened, seeing where they were. Teresa was standing on the edge of a cliff; any wind or misstep could send her down to a gruesome death.

"Teresa." Frederick extended his arms and moved slowly forward. "Come to me. It's dangerous there."

"Frederick….Gilbert, he…." Teresa started tearing up again.

"Gilbert? What did he do to you? Did he say no?" Frederick asked with rage in his voice.

"He didn't even show up…." Teresa laughed pitifully at herself.

The truth was unbelievable. Teresa cherished Gilbert since they were young, and Frederick thought they were best friends. But to not even show up….

Frederick could not form any words.

"I'm tired, Frederick. I hate this. Why am I going through this? What did I do to suffer like this?!" Teresa shouted in desperation, pleading for someone to give her an answer. Why did her life take such a turn?

"Teresa….Come with me. I can take care of you." Frederick inched closer, not wanting to agitate her. The fact she came here was very alarming.

"What good is that? I'm nothing but a burden. No one wants me."

"That's not true. You're special to me! I love you!" Frederick shouted with all his heart, hoping to get through to Teresa. He finally confessed his love to her. The feelings he had for her were on full display.

Teresa's face was almost comical, like a deer caught in the headlights. She had no idea how to respond. The two were silent for a while as the wind blew.

The next moment, she let out a soft giggle.

"You love me?"

"I always have. Ever since we met." Frederick's eyes had a deep resolve in them.

Teresa cried and wiped her tears. "Thank you. I'm sorry, I never realized. Thank you for being with me all these years."

"We can be together for more years later. Please come here." Frederick was anxious.

It was silent for a moment, then Teresa sighed.

"I'm sorry. You deserve better than a girl who never understood you. You deserve someone who loves you. Goodbye, Frederick." Her lips formed a bitter smile, one that sent a feeling of helplessness in Frederick's heart.

"Don't!"

Frederick sprinted.

Teresa leaned back and threw herself down the cliff.

"Teresa!!!" Frederick tried to catch her, but his hands could not reach her. He watched in despair as Teresa fell.

Her body crashed onto the rocks below, becoming a bloody mess of flesh and blood.

Frederick stared blankly at the gory scene. Tears started to drip and wet the ground.

"AHHHHHHHHHHH!" A piercing cry of panic, grief, and despair echoed through the ravine. His tears overflowed down to the rocks below.

"Teresa, why? I would have supported you for the rest of our lives." The tears wet the dirt into mud. Frederick's heart was filled with despair and anguish.

From the depths of that darkness came rage and hate.

"Who did this? Who?" Frederick, short of breath, kept mumbling to himself.

"Gilbert….GILBERT!" The rage swelled like a storm in the ocean, driving the tides. Frederick seethed as he repeated Gilbert's name.

He stomped his way back, eventually reaching the grove.

There Frederick saw a figure waiting. Gilbert.

"Frederick." Gilbert waved hello.

With heavy steps, Frederick charged and punched Gilbert right in the nose. Blood splurted out from Gilbert's nose like a waterfall.

"Bastard….bastard. You know how Teresa feels about you. You know how she's suffered. But you betrayed her. Why are you here now?" Frederick roared.

"I'm sorry. I lost track of time when I was with the others." Gilbert stood up and cracked his nose into place.

"Lost track of time? Were those sons and daughters of other nobles more important than Teresa or me? They didn't care about you when you were a mere sickly child."

"I don't want to talk about this. Where's Teresa?" Gilbert asked.

"She's dead…." Frederick was barely able to say these words.

"Dead?" Gilbert was stunned.

"Yes, dead. She waited hours for you, and you never showed. She was ready to pour her whole heart for you, and you threw it in the trash. Teresa jumped off a cliff because of you!"

Frederick punched at Gilbert again, but Gilbert caught his wrist.

"I'm sorry she's dead. But that is not my fault." He said with a straight face.

"Bastard!" Frederick tried to free himself, but Gilbert's grip was incredibly strong. He could feel immense strength in Gilbert's hand. How did this sick and weak Gilbert become so strong?

"I'm not the same Gilbert who needed your protection. Don't think you can just hit me. I'm stronger now."

"I thought of you as my friend, even a brother. I protected you because I wanted to. Does our friendship mean so little to you? Did Teresa mean nothing to you?"

Frederick tried to punch with his other hand, but his eyes saw a large shadow come closer.

BANG

Gilbert punched Frederick, dropping him to the floor.

Frederick's choked from the blood clogging up his nose. His legs were shaking, and he was unable to get up from his brain being rattled around.

"You guys were there for me when I was sick. But that doesn't mean I'm obligated to stay with you forever. I will soar higher and become the strongest Exalt in history. Teresa was unfortunate, but I cannot be tied down."

Gilbert wiped his nose and tidied his clothes. He left, leaving Frederick stunned on the floor.

"Bastard. You traitor." Frederick stumbled to his feet and stared at Gilbert's retreating figure in the campsite direction. "I'll kill you! I'll kill you!"

…….

Oscar and Emily did not know what to say. Frederick's story was sad and infuriating. Neither of them could understand the emotions Frederick had gone through.

"After that, I was dragged back home before I could cause a bigger scene. I spent so many days just being beaten down to quell my anger. But I could never forget. I acted out more and became more playful."

Frederick drank some water before continuing, "I came to the Blue Ocean Pavilion, hoping to catch a moment to kill Gilbert and make my family feel regret. That was how it was supposed to be."

"But then I met you, Oscar."

"The way you passed the trial and your persistence made me curious. I approached you with a passing interest, but I felt really happy talking with you. As a Grade Four, you didn't back down but fought back. It was fascinating. I wanted to be your friend."

Oscar was conflicted about Frederick's praise. On the one hand, it was great to receive a compliment, but on the other, it was almost like a farewell speech.

"That's why I have to say goodbye."