[Tian] 1:10 (Patreon)

MY EYES OPEN.

For defeating Galgom in battle, you are awarded a level in your Class!
- Lost Soul Level 2 advances to Lost Soul Level 3.

For aiding the Keepers of the Grove in their rebellion, you have been rewarded with a Class advancement!
- Lost Soul Level 3 becomes Soul Seeker Level 3.
- One who has tapped into their Aspect, seeking out their path, setting out on a journey to become something more.

The words echo in my head as I sit up abruptly. My sleep is disrupted. I do not rub my eyes, but I blink the bleariness away, only for it to be replaced with pain. A sore feeling runs through my body. I want to give myself a massage, however I do not know where to start.

I collapse back down on the mattress, heaving a sigh. I may have overestimated myself… again. Not only does my physical body ache— my mind, my core, and my meridians are all overcome with a burning sensation. I pushed myself too hard. That battle was far too intense. I fumbled for my bag of holding, producing a single, thin root of rebirth. It is the only one I have left.

“Should I…?” I pose the question to no one but myself. It will be enough to heal myself entirely. However, that is something that can happen naturally with time. “No, it is a waste.” I grip the root of rebirth and stuff it back into the bag of holding.

I get to my feet, choosing to meditate away the pain. No cycling. Expending no Qi. I simply breathe deeply. I am not sure how much time passes before I open my eyes. It is only when I feel relaxed I pull up my mark.

Tian
Race: Ren
Class: Soul Seeker Level 3
Feats:
- Void Walk
- Ray of Esh
- Dual Core

I killed Galgom. The Elocunive told me I defeated him. I even leveled up and had a Class change. Now, I have a new Feat called Dual Core. “Does it have something to do with Aspects?” I murmur, placing a hand on my chin. “Such as Kalmat’s Aura?”

There is a lot to investigate. A lot for me to look into. For starters, I do not know the secrets behind Galgom’s supposed immortality. Was he even immortal? I do not think so. My punch completely obliterated him. All that hot air and nothing behind it. I shake my head.

I have met plenty of young men who behaved the same way Galgom did. Arrogant men. Those who are considered masters at their age. Arrogant young masters, if you will.

Dismissing the Mark of the Elocunive, I get to my feet and ready myself for the day. Once I am fully dressed, I head for the door and pause right as my hand hovers over the doorknob. I hear noises seeping in from the outside. Conversations. Loud chatter. “Are they really still going?” I murmur and push the door open.

Indeed, I find myself standing in a busy hall. There is a kind of party being thrown. Celebration. Of course. Galgom is dead. The evil tyrant ruling over them has been slain. And the one who did that was—

A hand spins me around as I walk past a group of dancers. I look down at the boy who grabbed me. Seiled beams up my way, before opening his mouth and unleashing a deluge of words.

“X...z….p...x...z...a!”

I do not understand him. I gesture at my ears, trying to remind him that my universal translator broke during the battle with Galgom. He nods with alacrity and points at a tall figure protruding from the crowds. I see Beihal standing to the side, taking a large gulp from a mug before slamming it on a table. He bellows, and those around him cheer.

A few faces stare at me, whispering something I cannot understand as I make my way towards Beihal, followed by Seiled who is practically bouncing on his feet. The bulky man faces me and blinks. I hesitate, not really sure how to act now. A broad smile spreads across his face as he wraps an arm around my shoulder.

I stare at him, puzzled. Did not expect that. I imagined him to be somewhat reticent— he had previously been rather cautious of me. The sudden, drastic change is not what I thought would happen.

I shift uncomfortably, pulling myself away from Beihal. He seems to get the hint, and looks over at Seiled as the boy drones on. Nodding, the bulky man pulls out a universal translator from his pocket and hands it over to me.

I gratefully accept it and latch it onto my ear.

“—can you understand us?” Seiled asks, looking up at me with round eyes.

“I can.” I offer him a smile. “Thank you.”

He wipes at his forehead, sighing in relief. “Finally! Now, come—”

Seiled drags me across the room, away from Beihal and down a hallway. I spot Nindran just before I enter the corridor. She is surrounded by both men and women. Her hand is raised, showing off words on a translucent screen.

She is marked now, too, I observe. The azure-haired woman did deal with an Esh all by herself. And she did help me defeat Galgom. So, it makes sense that she would be awarded a Class.

Not that she is being any way secretive about it. I almost feel my lips curl up. That zeal— that excitement— reminds me of myself when I first became a Cultivator. She notices me just as I seep down the hallway. She flashes me a grin and waves, and I return a small nod.

“Where are we going, Seiled?” I ask the boy as the noise in the background turns muffled.

“Come, he’s just over here.” He gestures for me to hurry. I raise a brow. I realize where we are going a moment after.

We turn a corner and reach a doorway. Seiled pushes it open, holding it for me to enter. I step into the dimly lit room, occupied only by three individuals. Keshiy stands up as she sees me, although Nelrel barely bats an eye in my direction.

“T-Tian,” the orange-haired woman says rather mutely.

I greet her back, glad that she has not undergone a complete reversal in her personality. I give Nelrel a courteous bow, before turning my attention to the man lying in the bed. Kalmat sits up and groans as he tries to meet my gaze.

“Glad to see you are well, Kalmat.”

He rubs at his head, as if he has a headache. Not like his entire body is wrapped in bandages. Just his head hurts. I almost smirk at that.

“Thank you, Tian,” he manages to get out. “I… heard about what happened.”

Taking a seat next to him, I cross my legs and face him. “Yes,” I say, no point in being obtuse, “I slayed Galgom.”

I am not sure what to expect from him. Whether he will react in awe, envy, or indifference. It seems Kalmat does not know how to react, either. He lets my words sink in, soaking it into his mind more than he did whenever he awoke.

“That’s…” Kalmat trails off. Finally, he rests a hand on my shoulder. “Good job.”

“I do not think I could have done it without you,” I say truthfully. Raising my hand, I show him my mark.

Keshiy gasps when she sees it, but Nelrel snorts. “Did you think she killed Galgom and got nothing from it?”

“I-I just thought—”

The pair have a short exchange as Kalmat eyes my new Feat. “Dual Core?” He rubs at his chin.

“Yes.” I draw my hand back, and the words vanish. “It seems I tapped into my Aspect, somehow— during the battle with Galgom. Combined with my own cultivation techniques, I defeated Galgom.” I raise my head, eyeing his reaction. “It is interesting, is it not?”

“It is interesting,” Kalmat agrees. “I have not heard of someone unlocking their Aspect so abruptly before.”

“Perhaps it has something to do with the way my core works? The way Qi functions?”

“Possibly.” He leans back on his bed. “Dual Core… does this mean you can materialize your Aura, too?”

“I saw something of the like when defeating Galgom.” I clench my fist. Opening my falm, I spread my fingers so I can see Kalmat between their gaps. “I am interested in learning more about this Aspect, Kalmat. You are the only Bladewielder I know of.”

“Are you asking me to teach you?”

I lower my hand. “Of course,” I say and bow my head, pressing my hands together. “I am willing to offer you a trade. I have some herbs. Medicine from my world which can heal you fully in a mere moment.”

Kalmat waves a hand off. “Save it for yourself, Tian.” The man rests his head on his pillow. “Nelrel will have me up and recovered in a day. And as for your request—” He copies my gesture and puts a fist against his palm. “I would be more than delighted to teach the liberator of Utana.” He pulls back and smiles. “I just ask that you be a little more casual with us. That’s all. There’s no need to be so formal with your allies.”

Blinking, I look Kalmat over. Then I let out a light laugh. “That’s not how you offer a salute. That’d be disrespectful to any elder who sees that.”

I converse with Kalmat for a little longer, with Seiled occasionally joining in, until I feel the descending claws of Keshiy’s jealousy tighten around me. I decide to take my leave, then.

Seiled leads me out of the room, back to the main hall. It is emptier, now. Quieter. The celebration that lasted a day is finally coming to a close. Only a few individuals remain. One of them is the overeager girl who skips my way.

“Tian! Tian! If it ain’t the liberator of Utana!” Nindran comes to a halt right next to me. She nudges a sputtering Seiled aside. “Hey— wanna see something cool?”

I cock my head. “If it is the Mark of the Elocunive, I noticed that earlier.”

“Aw… I didn’t get to break the news myself.” She pouts momentarily. “No one’s excited for me, y’know? So, I thought you would. Since we fought together, and all…”

Seiled butts in. “Yeah, well, maybe if you didn’t tell everyone about it seventeen different times, we wouldn’t be so tired of hearing it!”

“C’mon, squirt. You know you’re just jealous.” She gives him a teasing grin. He growls.

I stop mid-step, turning to Nindran with a half-smile. “Do you wish for me to act like I am otherwise clueless, Nindran?” I ask her. “Would that satisfy you?”

The azure-haired woman pauses. She scratches the back of her head. “Maaaybe?”  Then she nods to herself. “Actually, probably. It depends on how good your acting is. Also— is this humor I’m sensing from you, Tian? Did killing Galgom infect you with something?”

Shaking my head, I continue for the familiar, nearly-hidden stairway in the corner of the room.

“Not gonna stay and celebrate just a little bit?” Nindran leans on my shoulder, raising a drink I did not even realize she had in her hand. She winks at me. “It’s a party, y’know?”

“I will pass, for now.” I lightly shrug her off. “I am interested in excavating the ruins of the outpost.”

“Why’s that?” Nindran gives me a perplexed look. “Seiled here, and that baldy Beihal, already brought back most of the destroyed Esh.”

“Beihal’s not bald,” Seiled snaps.

“He literally is, kid.”

The boy scowls, folding his arms. He ignores Nindran and focuses his attention on me. “There isn’t much for you there, Tian. We took most of everything back.”

“I am more interested in what there is not.” My eyes narrow. Galgom is dead. I saw him die. But if he can regenerate, or something like that… it is better for me. That battle we had pushed me to my limit. I am not averse to fighting him again.

“Something wrong, Tian?” Nindran quirks a brow.

I steel myself, stopping the excited trembling. More than just testing myself in an intense fight, if he really is immortal, I can force him to tell me his secrets. Otherwise, killing him was almost a waste.

“I wish to investigate,” I tell a half-truth. “There must be a way Galgom came to this world. Even if he is dead, this is simply one of his many outposts. He must have many more— and I am sure there has to be some kind of map here which can lead us to the others. Perhaps there will be some information on how to cross worlds if I dig deep enough.”

I am not afraid of the Keepers of the Grove knowing my reason for aiding them. I have already told Kalamt. The issue is the dissonance that comes from them knowing I am not pleased to have killed Galgom. I prefer for him to be alive. To learn from him, even if I have to force it out of him.

“I’m a lil’ tired, but I guess some fresh air won’t do me any harm, right?” Nindran follows me as I make my way up the stairs.

Seiled pipes up next to her. “You’ll just drag us down. I bet you don’t even know how any of the En or the Esh works!”

“You don’t needa place a bet, kiddo.” She grins and shoots him a thumbs-up. “You’re definitely right.”

He opens his mouth to sputter, and I let out a snort. Nindran snaps her gaze back at me. “Hey, ya really got a sense of humor now, don’t ya?”

I refuse to respond. We reach the top of the stairs, and just as I am about to push the door open, Seiled warns me.

“Just so you know, everyone in Thornthistle knows who you are, now. They were out in the streets, shouting your name.”

I shrug and step out. “We just have to be discreet, then.”

Sure enough, the door creaks out as I walk out into a side street. It is bright out. True day has returned. Both Rubrum and Caerulum are up in the sky. And it will remain this way until Rubrum sets once more.

I hear the chantings— the shoutings which Seiled mentioned just moments before. I cannot make out the distinct sounds. Especially since my universal translator cannot pick it out without getting closer. Both Seiled and Nindran pause as I continue. I glance back at them, frowning, puzzled, until a loud enough scream is translated to me.

“—Thornthistle is under attack! The Esh are attacking the city!”

I pause. And grin. So, he’s alive?

Author's Note:

Same thing as before, will have edits as my editor looks over it. Some minor edits from last chapter. None you won't notice.