"How long is he gonna stay in his room?" Ouro asked Sophia, who stood guard with unwavering patience.
"He is reviewing the contents of the book. There are over ten thousand pages detailing the history and descriptions of artifacts the Iron Tortoise sect has encountered since its inception. It will take time to find what he is looking for." Sophia maintained her seiza pose outside his door, her gaze fixed on the serene garden since Soloman entered his room three days ago. Her hair, tied in a ponytail, flowed listlessly, and her phoenix eyes glistened with determination.
Trays of food sat beside her, untouched. The gentle sounds of wind chimes and the rhythmic strike of the shishi-odoshi near the garden waterfall were her only companions for the past few days. The vibrant evergreen trees swayed in the breeze, creating a beautiful mosaic of dark hues interwoven with silver filaments. The view illustrated the contentment in her heart, despite the long, lonesome wait.
"My sister received a response from the sect this morning. They want us to return as soon as possible… They want to speak with Soloman." Ouro's voice carried a tinge of regret, breaking her from her reverie.
"I see… thank you. I will inform him once he's finished." She nodded slightly, then heard the screen door slide open behind her. Soloman stood in the doorway, a five-o-clock shadow darkening his face, and let out a long, deep yawn, wincing as he blocked the light he hadn't seen in three days.
"I'm gonna take a bath." Without acknowledging his surroundings, Soloman walked straight to the bathhouse with a glazed expression.
He discarded his dirty clothes and entered the cleaning station, then the hot spring, completely unaware of the person following close behind him.
…
"Awww… That hits the spot." He let out a loud, comforting groan, basking in the spirit springs that rejuvenated his stamina. His cheeks flushed from the heat as he sat in silence, reviewing the intense conversation he had with Priscilla over the last three days.
{What about this one? Anklet of Serenity; it says here it gives the wearer the means to teleport through spirit veins.} Priscila pointed at the page in the book she was holding up for him to see.
[I don't think so. My world doesn't have spirit veins for it to work on. Besides, it says here that the wearer can teleport the body only. I was fully clothed.] He waved off the idea, his frustration evident.
[What about this one, Statue of Waning Stars?]
{Hmm, can't be. You have to be a Dao Immortal to shatter the void and connect to a world you've been to before. Did you have a cultivator in your world to your knowledge?} Priscila asked as she was flipping through the pages.
[No…ugh… We have been at this for days. It might not have been an artifact that brought me here.] Soloman scratched his head in frustration, feeling the weight of their fruitless search.
{It's only been half an hour in the real world. Aren't you giving up too quickly?}
[Time difference aside, we've looked over three thousand items that have teleport or space attribute listed in the descriptions. The only useful thing we found was a storage bag recipe. Gonna use it, yeah, but it's not what we are trying to look for.] He lay flat on the 'Thought Box' floor in resignation, the cool tile surface offering little comfort.
[…Hey Priscila.]
{What?} She continued flipping through the pages, determined to find an answer.
[Why did you recreate my office in here? Don't you find it boring?] He looked around the meticulous recreation of his old office, his eyes lingering on familiar items.
{I like it, seeing where you once lived and what you are vying for. Don't you feel more at ease here than in a recreation of some hotel room?} She put down her book and observed Soloman rummaging about the area, her gaze softening.
[…I do. Ah, here we go. It was this little contraption that caused this fiasco.] Soloman threw down the file of schematics of the trinity cage used in the perpetual energy project, a mix of pride and frustration in his voice.
{What is it?} She tried to grab the file to peruse, but it was out of reach for her small stature.
{Mmmm…Mmmmm! I can't reach it.} She leaned as much as she could, stretching her arms to no avail. Soloman snickered, watching her flounder about.
He rested his head on his hand, reminiscing about the past as he pushed the file closer. [It's a machine I designed to use the earth's magnetic field to generate near limitless power to help in the fight against the AOE.]
…
{It says something about it being in two parts. Where's the other part?} She started lifting papers around, trying to find the missing piece.
[It's not a mechanical part. The other piece comes from my lab assistant Susanna Long. Her family donated a historic heirloom passed down through their history.] He started fanning the papers to pass the time.
{What did you say it was?} Her eyelids drooped in disbelief.
[An old thing my assistant donated, a family heirloom of some kind.]
{Old… heirloom in your scientifically advanced machine?}
[Yes, a trinket. Had some unusual properties that made the whole thing work.] Soloman retorted in a frustrated tone.
{Soloman, really? Some dusty old trinket from your assistant's attic powering the world?} Priscila's voice dripped with sarcasm.
{Wait… how?} Priscila's eyes widened as she started to connect the dots.
[Yes, but it's just a green oblong rock that glowed slightly, my… assistant…]
[No… you don't think?] He grabbed a pen and paper to start sketching, as the realization dawned on him.
{Well, isn't that just fantastic? We've been tearing our hair out for days, and the answer was right under your nose. Typical.} Priscila leaned closer, her excitement mixed with a sardonic edge.
[I guess so. It makes sense now. That rock must have come from this world or another similar to it.] Soloman's mind raced as he sketched the object in question furiously.
{Look at the screen, genius, is that it?} Priscila pointed with her thumb to the summoned screen that replayed his memories.
[Yes, that's it! The trinity cage and the artifact together… it must have created a portal or a wormhole that connects these domains together.] Soloman's voice was filled with a mix of excitement and disbelief.
{It seems so worn and misshapen. I can barely make out the silhouette of the jade lion,} she said, squinting to discern any recognizable shape in the jade green oblong blob.
[You can make that out? I didn't believe Susanna when she said it was a lion,] he replied, squinting at the screen from the other side, trying to see the lion she mentioned.
{It looks… familiar… hold on,} she murmured, starting to rummage through papers while chanting, "jade lion, jade lion."
[Are you onto something?] he asked, his curiosity piqued.
{Jade Lion… Jade Lion… Jade Lion… Ah! Found it! I found it!} she exclaimed, jumping around with a bright, childlike smile.
[What is it? What did you find?] he joined in her excitement.
{Gaia Core Seed,} she pointed at a faded, tattered page.
[It doesn't look anything like a lion. And the description reads as the seed for world perpetuity. What does that even mean?] he questioned, puzzled.
{I don't know, but look at the history portion,} she urged.
[…I can't read it. It's too archaic for the translation matrix to decipher,] he admitted.
{Says here, an old cultivator named Shīzi zōng máo, which means Lion Mane, took ownership of the 'Gaia Core Seed' when it first bloomed. To ensure ownership of the seed, he used all of his lifespan and cultivation to shape it into a lion!} Her face beamed as the dots connected.
[That's incredible. Why would he do that, though?] he wondered aloud.
{Pride, perhaps. But now we know what to look for,} she said confidently.
[Indeed, this also proves the theory about dimensional migration. Man, I love it when evidence supports theories,] he said, thrilled.
{This is great news. We know somehow this thing is related to dimensional travel. We just need to find it again,} she said, determined.
[Exactly, we just need to… find… that seed. Oh… ooh~,] he trailed off, pointing at the screen displaying his memories, realizing a new problem.
{Ah… perhaps it came with you, when you fell?} she hastily scrolled through screens to find the eventful fall that eventually allowed them to come together.
[No way that we wouldn't have noticed inside of a hole in the ground.] he lethargically stated with a crestfallen visage.
{Don't give up, Rey. Maybe there are journals of Shīzi zōng máo somewhere.} she gently shook his body to snap him out of his haze.
[…]
[…yeah, can't give up. Thanks, Priscila.] He gently patted her head to assure her, which always made her squirm in delight.
{Off to the capital we go! And we need to get those cores out of the worms' bodies to sell and give me some extra energy to solidify my avatar to the outside world.}
[I understand the last part, but what's with the capital remark?]
{The royal library is the largest in the world, so our chances of finding clues are higher there. And there are auction houses and lots and lots of snacks.} her eyes sparkled at the mentioning of snacks.
[I think that's your real reason.] He chuckled as he booped her nose.
[Alright, it's decided we are off to the-]
"Capital, huh? I wonder how long it will take to get there, or more importantly, how much it will cost to do anything." He sighed, contemplating another journey and the logistics involved. The stress of another foreign travel pressed on his shoulders.
"I've been doing nothing but reading since I got here." He splashed his face with the hot spring water, hoping to clear his muddled thoughts. The warmth soothed him as he walked over to the screen door to fetch clean clothes. The steam rose around him, creating a momentary veil of tranquility.
"What's in the capital, Soloman?" Sophia asked, her silhouette framed in the doorway. The sudden appearance startled him, breaking his brief moment of peace.
"Sophia?! What are you doing here?" He reeled back, heart pounding at the sight of her standing behind the screen.
"In order to protect you from sudden attacks, it's best I stay close by at all times," she answered in her usual taciturn manner.
"I don't—"
"And if you are traveling, having someone close who can communicate with the sect would be beneficial to you."
"Suppose so… Did the sect ask you to do this?" He cocked an eyebrow in suspicion. The idea of being watched and protected was unsettling and something felt off about her suggestion.
"… The sect sent a message earlier stating that they need to speak with you, but if you plan to travel soon, having me relay messages would be most efficient, right?" Her silhouette cocked its head, mirroring the suggestive tone of her voice. The logic was sound, but something still felt off.
"It would be, but first, can you leave the changing area so I can finish up?" He asked with a defeated wry smile. Hearing the screen door close, Soloman finished clothing himself, the warmth of the bath fading as his thoughts became muddles once more. Returning to his room, he was unsurprised to see Sophia kneeling in the middle of his room.
"So you understand that I don't have any current intentions of going back at this time, right? Meaning that you'll be cut off from your friends if you choose to follow me." His voice was calm, but there was an underlying tension.
"Of course, all cultivators at some point journey out to gain worldly experience. Joining you is no different than what will happen soon anyway." She passed over some freshly brewed tea. The aroma filled the room, adding a false sense of normalcy to the conversation.
"Thanks. What did the sect want really, anyway? Some spiel about being covert when going out or exposing the sect by proxy?" He smelled the tea, enjoying the aroma while subtly using his E.Y.E.S. (Enhanced.Yield.Electron.Spectrometer.) to check for added chemicals. A habit formed anytime a sense of ulterior motives was felt.
"Most likely. Our accomplishments are already known across the continent." She sipped her tea, gazing out at the garden scenery. The serene view contrasted sharply with the underlying tension in the room.
"Including the Feral Worms?"
"Most certainly. The Iron Tortoise Sect needs to account for the use of the golden flare being launched."
"What a pain." He moaned, slouching his shoulders feeling bothered by unneeded problems.
"But that's not why you are choosing to leave, right? The library is just some excuse you are using, valid or not." She looked back with a knowing smile.
"Our lie is going to be exposed soon."
"…By the other teams, you mean?"
"If our team saw the flare, so did the others. The fact they didn't show up before or after leaves a gap that neither of us can account for. Thankfully, I don't think Olivia or her team will expose anything." Soloman rubbed the rim of his tea cup as he leered at the waterfall, the sound of rushing water filling the silence between them. A looming problem that would lead him in hailstorm of questions and possible attacks weighed on his mind.
"However, there is one question I have for you, Sophia." He asked with a sharp undertone, glancing at her without turning his head. The shift in his tone was subtle but significant.
"What would that be?" She kept a poker face, even against Soloman's change of attitude, as she sipped her tea. Her calm demeanor was unshaken, a stark contrast to the inner turmoil she felt as a cold sweat dripped along her back.
"Why are you really tagging along, if the sect didn't order you to? What's your true motive?"
"…Hmm…I want to observe you." She slightly tilted her head, her eyes narrowing as she chose her words carefully. The distant sound of the shishi-odoshi seemed to amplify the tension. Each thunk of the bamboo striking the stone sent a small jolt in her nerves, unconfident if or when Soloman would retaliate.
"What is there to observe from a mortal like me that would benefit you more than a lecture at home? Surely the event in the forest wasn't what pushed you to excommunicate yourself."
"Correct, the event in this forest is not what brought me to affirm my belief to follow you." She straightened her back, slowly moving her hand closer to her sword. The gesture was subtle but significant, a reminder of the potential danger she felt when placed in front of the person who can kills tens of people silently and return to the sect smiling.
"This forest?" He fixed his posture, leaning closer to the table, his eyes boring into hers to catch any subtle changes in her expression.
The intensity of his gaze was matched by her calm resolve. The leather strap of her sword dripped from the sweat of her palms as the muscles in her legs clenched to pounce away and run the moment he made move.
"…I was instructed to ensure the mission in Reed Village was completed without any civilian casualties." A drop of sweat rolled down her face as she tentatively responded, the memory of the bandit camp's silent execution with cruel methods flashing in her mind. The weight of her words hung heavily in the air, each one a reminder of the stakes involved.
...
"Reed Village… Mmm… So you were there… for how long?" His eyes sharpened upon hearing that he was exposed during the bandit slaughter, the burden of his past habits weighing on him still.
The memory of the cold, calculated decisions he made flashed through his mind, a reminder of the man he once was. He wondered if he could ever truly escape that part of himself. The reckless naive belief that Aria would keep her word came to bite him in the end.
"From the beginning. The real reason I am choosing to follow you is to learn the way of the blade, to master how you manipulate light and shadows." Her eyes quivered as she saw his face slowly become more cold and detached. "And to help you against the darkness within yourself." Her voice was steady as the grip on her sword, not fully knowing on how he will react being told he was exposed.
…
"…Fine. Having you around would be convenient at night or when scouting against other cultivators." He dropped the tension in his tone and body and returned to his casual self as if it was all a play.
…
"Uhm, when are we leaving?" She clasped her cup tightly, her mind racing with thoughts of the danger he placed himself in by directly speaking to the elders and becoming a key figure in the fabricated story.
"Tonight. We need to go back to the forest to retrieve the cores from the worms to get some money for the three of us to journey with. Get your things in order before we leave, Sophy." He lightly patted her shoulder as he went back to his bed as his mind raced with alternate plans and contingencies.
"Sophy? …hold on, three?" Her eyes widened as she turned towards the bed, only to find him already asleep.
_______________________________________________________________________________
As the tapestry of stars twinkled in the inked sky, the trees swayed hypnotically, the cold wind passing through and spreading the scent of damp earth and cedar in the air. The chirping of nocturnal birds echoed, joined by the insects' symphony and the rustling of tree leaves. An ethereal black orb glided briskly through the forest.
Soloman's figure emerged from the tree line as the cloaking device's power drained, panting heavily as he leaned against a nearby tree for a brief respite. His white lab coat was stained with dirt, blood dripping from his leg, and his breath came in ragged gasps. Sophia clung to his shoulder, her own breaths labored as she glanced behind them, ensuring no one was following.
The forest seemed to close in around them, the shadows deepening as the night grew colder. Soloman's mind raced, calculating their next move. He couldn't shake the memory of the confrontation at the guest quarters.
"How on earth did they know about us leaving?" His jaw clenched as he recalled the chaos. The frustration and confusion gnawed at him not knowing how their plans were exposed.
"You are not going anywhere, Soloman! You are coming with us!" Illia had drawn her sword, its blade shimmering with a faint yellow light, blocking his path at the sect gate.
"Soloman, come back to the sect with us first, then you can continue with your plans," Ouro tried to mediate, seeing his sister's hostility.
"I have no obligation to adhere to YOUR sect summons. I have my own reasons and goals, so move…or be moved." Soloman had stood his ground, his voice unwavering.
"Sophia, why are you allowing this?" Andre's voice was tense, almost pleading. "He can be better protected at home than going out on his own."
"He won't be alone. I shall be near to guide him through his journey, and Illia, you are aware of why he is doing this, don't you?" Sophia had turned to Illia, her calm demeanor contrasting with the tension in the air.
Illia bit her lower lip, struggling with the internal conflict resounding in her mind. Her eyes narrowed, and she raised her sword high. "Even still, I will have you both return with me bloody or clean. Spectral Sword Shield!"
A myriad of phantom blades materialized, swirling around her in a deadly dance. The air crackled with energy as the blades formed a barrier, covering the gate and fence-line, obstructing any path forward. The sword qi permeating the air stifled everyone's breathing, the sheer intensity of it making their lungs feel like they were filled with razors.
"Moved it is. Sophy brace yourself!" Soloman had grabbed her by the hip and threw a makeshift flash grenade in Illia's direction.
BANG
"Ah, fuck my eyes!" Illia's eyes burned with fury as she wiped away the tears caused by the flash. She swung her sword in a wide arc, sending a wave of energy that sliced through the air towards Soloman and Sophia. Soloman, with Sophia already in his arms, barely managed to dodge, pulling her close as the energy blast scorched the ground where they had stood.
"Stay close!" Soloman shouted, his voice barely audible over the ringing in their ears. He activated the camouflage cloak, blending into the shadows as they moved.
Illia's phantom blades swirled around her, creating a vortex of deadly steel. She advanced with relentless precision, her movements fluid and controlled. Each step she took was accompanied by the hum of her sword qi, the air around her crackling with power.
Sophia, sensing the danger, summoned her own abilities. She extended her hand, and a barrier of shimmering light formed around them, deflecting the incoming blades. The barrier flickered under the strain, but it held firm.
"Fuck!" a stray phantom blade gouged a strip of flesh on his leg.
"Soloman, we need to find a way out of here!" Sophia's voice was strained, her concentration focused on maintaining the barrier.
Soloman's mind raced. He knew they couldn't keep this up for long. He scanned the area, looking for an opening. His eyes fell on a narrow path leading deeper into the forest. "This way!" he shouted, pulling Sophia towards the path.
Illia, realizing their intent, intensified her assault. She raised her sword high, and the phantom blades converged into a single, massive blade of energy. With a fierce cry, she brought it down, aiming to shatter Sophia's barrier.
The impact was devastating. The barrier cracked and splintered, but it held just long enough for Soloman and Sophia to dive into the narrow path. The massive blade of energy crashed into the ground behind them, sending a shockwave that shook the trees and scattered debris.
Breathing heavily, Soloman and Sophia scrambled to their feet and continued running. The forest closed in around them, the shadows providing cover as they fled. Illia's enraged shouts echoed in the distance.
Soloman shook his head, banishing the memories to focus on the present. The urgency of grabbing the worm cores to fund their journey pushed him forward. Straightening up, he met Sophia's gaze with renewed determination.
"We need to keep moving," he whispered, his voice barely audible over the forest's nocturnal symphony. "We're not safe yet."
Sophia nodded, her grip tightening on his shoulder. Together, they pushed forward towards the forest clearing.