Episode 12 Part 1 - Sign-ups

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Thank you guys for reading, voting, commenting! It is because of you that Aethernea managed to reach 10k reads and even climb to #42 in Fantasy! Thank you very much! ❤️

As a reward for reaching such high numbers, I released two longer episodes today.

Also, I want to give a huge thank you to imposeidonsdaughterRedixl, and chowsey for sharing Aethernea with their friends. You guys are the real MVPs ❤️ Thank you so much!

Previously on Aethernea

Servants of the Rroda mansion are shocked that Kiel brought a girl home and misunderstood their relationship. Kiel finishes packing. Elaru casts a Cleansing spell on him to avoid him having to take a shower. She Accelerates into the air and activates the Eternal Beacon to teleport them to Ashar.

* * * 


A moment later, Kiel and Elaru landed back to the ground gracefully. However, the ground they landed back on was not the same land from which they jumped.

They were standing on a large circular podium made out of black jade upon. Countless symbols were carved on it, and the carvings were filled with a glowing ink.

The podium was large enough to fit several houses. It made one feel insignificant.

From the edges of the podium, spread a sea of purple crystals. Layers upon layers of crystal formations grew around the podium.

It was a gorgeous sight, full of flickering and reflecting lights. Each time someone new appeared out of thin air, the magical carvings on the floor would light up briefly as if welcoming the travelers back home.

Elaru was quick to put her beacon back into her bag before she tugged on Kiel's hand and led him towards a large gateway. Although no one would be brazen enough to try robbing her in the presence of Peacekeepers, letting people see her Eternal Beacon would be asking for future trouble.

For Kiel, this was his first time seeing the famous gate of Ashar. He was dazed, looking around with interest. He didn't even question Elaru's usage of Acceleration before they teleported, nor did he notice they were still holding hands.

Kiel looked at the few dozen Peacekeepers guarding the Gate. They were spread around the gate in a circle, standing watch like statues. Their uniforms were white with golden embroidery. They wore a few pieces of light armor, coated to be gold in color, which seemed to be more decorative than practical.

Kiel looked up to the clear sky. He could clearly feel an invisible, restrictive barrier enveloping the Gate like a dome. It prevented the people from exiting or entering the Gate as they pleased. Everyone needed to follow a set path when entering or exiting so that they could be inspected and charged fees.

Kiel looked back towards the gateway in front of them. The white marble gate, 10 m in circumference, was the only way in and out of the barrier. As Kiel looked out of the gate, he noticed the world beyond the gates was a bit blurry, and it glittered. His mana sense told him that there was a dense layer of mana in between the gates, but that shouldn't have caused his vision to blur.

No one stopped them as they made their exit. Only those who wished to enter needed to pay fees.

As they passed through the gateway, Kiel felt a strange sensation, like he passed through the surface of a soap bubble. What was that?

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