Their awkward conversation eventually ended with Jay leaving and his father getting back to trying to address the clan's major issues.

The conversation weighed heavily on Jay, the potential implications of moving the clan outside the mountain for the first time in hundreds of years was huge and he could tell that many things were going to change.

He decided to talk with his uncle Jovos, the current vault keeper. The vault keeper was another position that was typically handed down through the main family, with the main responsibilities being making sure anything and everything to do with the vault was in order.

As the vault contained the family's treasures and secrets, it was an extremely important position. Jay's uncle was the vault keeper and was very close with him.

Jovos was the most skilled swordsman in the clan and Jay would frequently spar with him as no one else could match his skills.

Recently the gap between their skills had become razor-thin. Their every spar had become closer and more uncertain.

He made his way to the back of the hall and through a long corridor. As this route headed deeper into the volcanic mountain, he could feel the heat get warmer and warmer. Eventually, he reached the end where large black stone doors four times his height were sealed shut.

The stone doors were engraved with countless patterns and designs which depicted strange circles and waves flowed between the two doors.

In front of the massive doors was a man who was sitting on an old wooden seat. At first sight, you could almost mistake him for a ruffian.

Unlike the clean-shaven, well-built, and dressed clan leader, this man instead sported a black scruffy beard, a round face and body, as well as plain clothes he likely had for several years. He still possessed the pitch-black eyes that were a characteristic of the clan.

"Uncle!" Jay called out, alerting the half-awake vault keeper.

"uhh Huh? Oh, Jay your here" He perked up and answered groggily.

After they greeted each other, Jay told his uncle about what his father had said. His uncle was someone he trusted dearly, having taught him swordsmanship since he was young and nurturing his talent led to them spending a lot of time together, almost as much as with his uncle's real son Isiah!

"Hmmm" Jovos murmured.

"This is bad, my brother was always a stickler for the rules, so to see him make these kinds of decisions must mean the situation is extremely dire"

"Do you know any possible reason for why our swordship industry hasn't been doing so well?" Jay asked. He thought that if he could figure out the cause, he could come up with a better solution than uprooting the entire clan.

"There are many things to consider. First, do you know why swords are so prevalent in this day and age?"

"It's because of the armor, isn't it? When the human race left earth tens of millennia ago, projectile, nuclear, and laser weapons were most commonly used because they caused so much damage. But when more exotics were found, armor made with even cheap exotics were resistant to most forms of damage"

"Exactly. After nuclear warfare was banned by the Galactic Council due to their reckless destruction, projectile and laser weapons significant dropped in usage not only because of cheap powerful armor but also because they were useless against people gifted with Chaos"

Jay nodded, this was common knowledge that all humans knew.

"This is where swords came in, they too can be made with exotic alloys, and due to their relative abundance, many people like to use them instead. It's not like projectile and laser weapons have lost their place in battle, but swords have a unique advantage"

"So what's the reason we aren't selling any swords?" Jay asked.

Jovos rubbed his beard.

"There are two possible reasons. Either the swords aren't needed anymore - possibly due to the lack of war or battles, or there is a better alternative on the market."

"We've sold our swords for hundreds of years, yet only now there might be a competitor?" Jay remarked, puzzled by the situation.

"Our clan doesn't have much contact with the outside, so it's difficult to assess the market. While our swords are indeed powerful, they are expensive. If anyone else has a better deal, our customers would drop us immediately."

Jay realized the hole his clan had dug for itself. The lack of sufficient contact with the outside severely hindered them from adapting to external changes. While they had not felt the effects of it for hundreds of years, it was only a matter of time before they would feel it, and that time was now.

"There's a new expedition coming up soon, they generally only go sightseeing but perhaps you could join and try to understand what going on" His uncle Jovos suggested.

'That's right! The faster we understand the problem, the quicker we can fix this!' Jay thought.

Perhaps it was because he promised his father he would become the clan advisor, but he felt extra motivated to help out his clan. But this didn't hinder his competitive spirit.

"Well, while I'm here let's have a spar! I'll beat you this time"

"You can try" His uncle Jovos smirked while grabbing two wooden swords from under his seat and throwing one to Jay.

When they sparred, they both used Chaos. Unlike his brother the clan leader, Jovos was not gifted with exceptional Chaos. His ability to manipulate it as well as increase its intensity was limited, just like Jay's.

This reason, alongside the fact that a specially made volcanic rock mixture was used to fortify the vault entrance area, was why Jay and his uncle would spar here often without the worry of anything being damaged.

They both took a few paces back. Jay breathed concentrating on his mind. Chaos was extremely difficult to control, it was inexplicably linked to his mind, and his weak ability to use it required him to reach an elevated state of mind.

As Jay controlled his breathing, his vision and senses sharpened. He took a stance with his sword by his side, assessing his uncles' stance and any weakness he showed.

But before he could make the first move, his uncle suddenly dashed towards him.