In the midst of a dense, humid jungle, a group of three visibly injured young people were running at full speed, glancing back sporadically with expressions full of apprehension. Leading the group was Chen Ming, who had an open wound on his shoulder and a vertical cut that was dripping blood down his left cheek.
"Does anyone sense any enemies nearby?!"
With a shaky voice, Chen Ming asked as he looked at the young people in the back. One of the youths, who had short black hair with interspersed white streaks, quickly replied in a broken voice.
"I can't sense anyone within three kilometers!"
"Let's hide."
Chen Ming spoke quickly in a serious tone as he scrutinized their surroundings. After a few seconds, Chen Ming spotted some trees in the distance that more or less suited his needs, so he quickly headed there.
"Follow me."
...
Upon reaching the area, Chen Ming quickly brought his hand to his cheek and, using the blood that was dripping, hurriedly drew some runes on the trees. Immediately after, Chen Ming took a stone about two meters wide and placed it in the center of the trees where he had drawn the runes, using more blood to draw another set of runes on the rock.
Once he finished drawing the runes on the rock, Chen Ming performed six hand signs using both hands, then quickly placed his hand on the rock and sent all the remaining "spiritual energy" he had left.
Almost instantly, the blood on the rock and the trees emitted a faint glow and then began to fade, turning into small red dots that gathered in the center. Soon, the entire area was covered by a kind of reddish mist, which quickly disappeared.
"This will hide us for a few seconds…" Collapsing beside the rock, completely exhausted, Chen Ming spoke in a weak voice.
"Young master… are you alright…?" At that moment, one of the youths, who had long, dark blue hair, spoke up, unconcerned about the hole in his left forearm.
"I just overdid it a bit. I'll be fine." Chen Ming replied between heavy breaths, his face showing an incredibly bitter expression.
Although they had managed to enter the garden using an improvised illusion formation, the five Revealed-level cultivators they encountered on the other side were more than they could handle.
The fight was incredibly tough, leaving them with two dead and the rest gravely wounded—injuries that could very well cost them their lives now that their storage rings had stopped working, leaving them without any pills.
"Let's rest for an hour. Then we'll move again." After a few more heavy breaths, Chen Ming turned to look at his companion and spoke solemnly.
"Understood…"
The young man with long dark blue hair and the one with black and white hair nodded as they tried to catch their breath. Letting himself fall to the ground, Chen Ming looked up at the sky, which was beginning to darken, with a complex expression.
It was obvious that this ruin was nothing but a trap—one that had ensnared the crème de la crème of the young generation of the galaxy. Among them was the one rumored to be a second Sigrún Eldurdóttir, Erik, his good friend.
(I hope Erik can survive… If we could reunite, with his talent in alchemy and artificery and my formations, our chances of surviving would be quite good…)
Staring blankly at the sky, Chen Ming reflected with a somewhat bitter smile on his face. Although Erik was an absurd genius beyond all logic, he was still practically a child at barely thirty years old. A desperate situation like the one they were facing could very well overwhelm him, and the world might lose a genius who could change the galaxy forever.
After a few seconds, Chen Ming shook his head and sat cross-legged, then closed his eyes and focused completely on recovering as much as possible in the short hour his formation would last. He and his companions were tired, hungry, and wounded, so they needed every last ounce of strength they could gather in order to try to survive.
…
…
…
"Here's the water."
As Zoe set the burning crucible down on the stone table in the center of the magic circle, Elara returned carrying a barrel full of water and announced with a smile. Erik turned to look at her, grateful.
"Thank you, Elara. Leave the barrel nearby."
Elara quickly nodded and set the barrel down near Erik, who began channeling his mana into the circle drawn on the table. Soon, Zoe and Elara could see the magic circle drawn in chalk start to glow faintly, at which point the red-hot liquid in the crucible began to change subtly.
After a few seconds, a glassy layer began to form on top of the hot liquid, which Erik quickly picked up with the help of a bamboo stick, then dropped it into the barrel of water. Almost hypnotized, Zoe and Elara watched Erik's methodical, repetitive movements. After a few minutes, Erik commented in a calm tone.
"It's ready. Now we'll pour it into the mold."
"Leave it to me."
Snapping out of her brief trance, Zoe quickly replied in a serious tone as she took the bamboo tongs she had used to bring the crucible. Arranging several carved stone molds in a straight line on the table, Erik spoke in a calm voice.
"Try to do it slowly and steadily. Even if it spills, keep your movements slow."
"I understand." With a focused expression, Zoe tipped the crucible and poured the molten liquid into the molds without spilling a single drop.
"Great control."
Erik praised as Zoe set the crucible back down on the table. A small smile appeared on Zoe's face, and she soon commented, resting her left hand on the hilt of the katana hanging at her waist.
"Stability is an essential part of swordsmanship."
"Are we done?" Elara asked as she looked at the water barrel. Erik nodded and replied.
"Basically. Now we just have to remove the slag and let it dry. We'll use it tomorrow."
"That was quite a bit easier than I expected…" Zoe commented as she looked at the molds. Erik smiled and said, as he glanced at the smelting furnace where he had the iron.
"If you know the right refining circle, it's actually pretty simple. Falamite is so common that the method for refining it was perfected and simplified a long time ago."
"I see…" Elara murmured quietly, then looked at Erik and asked. "And what are we going to do with what's in the other furnace?"
"That part is even easier—you just have to pour it into molds, and you can use mana." Erik replied in a calm tone. Elara quickly picked up one of the stone molds on the table and said.
"Leave it to me, then."
"You can't use the stone ones." Erik quickly said as he took the mold from Elara's hands and pointed to a small box in the distance filled with fine sand.
"It's better to use sand."
"Hehe, sorry."
Elara apologized, a bit embarrassed, then reached out and created an arm of fire to pick up the crucible. After marking a square in the fine sand with the mold, Elara carefully poured the molten metal.
"Well, now all that's left is to prepare the molds for the cauldron." Erik said as he stretched a little. "Tomorrow we'll make [True copper] and officially start working on the cauldron. So for today, get some rest. I'll wake Frank in a couple of hours for his watch."
"Let us help with the molds." Elara quickly said in a calm but firm tone. Zoe added in a similar tone.
"Yes. You've barely slept at all because of us. At least let us help with this."
"Well, if you insist." Erik said, looking at the two girls with a smile. "Though it's nothing special. Just a few clay molds and some wood carvings to make sand molds."
"It doesn't matter. We want to help." Elara replied with a smile. Erik chuckled a bit and said.
"Alright, then. Let's get started."
As Erik explained how to do it, Zoe and Elara began to work with focused expressions, wanting to get it right on the first try. After failing a couple of times, the girls were able to relax a little and started working more calmly as Erik's explanations faded. This gave way to a peaceful conversation in which everyone avoided mentioning the ruin or their current situation, not wanting to spoil the moment.
Meanwhile, Hiyori lay down a few meters away, crossing her front paws and resting her head on them. The beautiful fox spirit remained calm, occasionally glancing at the dragon in Erik's lap, with a bit of incredulity still shining in her eyes. She still found it hard to believe that such a scene was possible, but since she wanted to keep living for a long time, Hiyori soon closed her eyes and stopped thinking about anything at all.
…
…
…
"Zoe, it's time."
Before the first rays of sunlight appeared, Hiyori gently nudged Zoe, who was sleeping on a woven bamboo mat, waking her up immediately. After rubbing her eyes a bit, Zoe thanked the spirit quietly, but in a humble and respectful tone.
"Thank you for waking me, Hiyori-sama."
"Don't mention it." Hiyori replied casually and started walking toward the exit.
Picking up her katana, which she had left to the side, Zoe got up and carefully walked toward the door, making sure not to wake the sleeping Elara. Using water from a barrel near the door, Zoe washed her face and then went out to relieve Erik from his watch.
As she stepped out of the cabin, Zoe saw Erik not far from the campfire, sitting behind a stone table, sewing what looked like sheets of paper with a bone needle. At the same time, what appeared to be crystal hands were scooping pulp from a wooden basin of water, then spreading it onto a flat rock.
Using another rock of similar size, but with a magic circle drawn on it in chalk, Erik's dragon spirit pressed the pulp. After a few seconds, the dragon lifted the rock, revealing a smooth, dry sheet of paper, which she cut to make perfectly uniform before placing it on the table next to Erik. After watching the process for a few seconds with a surprised expression, Zoe approached Erik and asked.
"Good morning, Erik. Are you making paper?"
"Good morning, and yes." Erik replied, turning to look at Zoe. "We need them to record data about the basilisk. Besides, I feel uncomfortable without a notebook to write things down so I don't forget them, so I decided to make one while I was on watch."
"I see…" Zoe commented softly as she watched Erik easily sewing the pages together to make a notebook.
"Let's leave it here for today, Ebonique." Turning to look at Ebonique, Erik said as he made the last stitch in the paper. The dragoness quickly nodded and, setting the stone aside, replied in a calm voice.
"Alright."
At that moment, Kaiser and Tiberius emerged from among the trees, which startled Zoe. The beautiful swordswoman immediately put her hand on the hilt of her katana, but seeing that they were Erik's pets, she let out a sigh of relief. The wolves quickly ran over to Erik, wagging their tails excitedly, so the star-haired boy set his improvised notebook aside and began petting them.
"It looks like they found them. Well done." Erik commented, satisfied, as he sent a good amount of mana to the wolves. Curious, Zoe asked as she watched the pair of wolves.
"What did you send them to do?"
"To look for sleeping animals."
Erik replied calmly, which surprised Zoe a bit. Although she had realized long ago how intelligent the wolves were, following such an abstract order wasn't something a normal magical creature could easily do.
"…Erik, can I ask what species your wolves are?"
"They're mystical wolf pups." Erik replied in a calm tone, once again surprising Zoe, who couldn't help but murmur to herself with a hint of disbelief.
"Mystical wolf pups…?"
"Well, it's time to get moving." Before Zoe could get lost in her thoughts, Erik stood up and said in a calm tone. Then, the star-haired boy looked at the fox spirit and asked with a smile.
"Hiyori, could you stay here with Elara while we're gone?"
"Leave it to me." Hiyori replied quickly in a calm and elegant voice, which once again surprised Zoe.
"Then I'll leave it to you." Erik said with a smile, then looked toward a small clearing in the distance and added.
"I'm going to train for a while, and then we can head out." Looking at Zoe again, Erik asked.
"Could you wake the others, Zoe?"
"Of course…" Zoe replied, her voice a little distant. Erik nodded in satisfaction and, after saying goodbye, walked with the wolves and Ebonique towards a nearby clearing to practice his bio-mystic technique.
For her part, Zoe watched the enigmatic star-haired young man and the pair of wolves following him, her expression full of questions. After a few seconds, Zoe turned to look at her contracted spirit, and after hesitating for a moment, she gathered her courage and asked respectfully.
"Hiyori-sama, if it's not too much trouble… May I ask why you're so 'attentive' with Erik?"
"Little Zoe, in life there are things better left unasked, and this is one of them." Hiyori replied in a calm and elegant voice, watching Erik practice his bio-mystic technique in the distance.
Surprised and confused by the answer, Zoe bowed slightly to Hiyori, then walked toward the cabins to wake the others, her expression filled with even more questions.
Meanwhile, Hiyori let out a heavy sigh. Although she had some ideas, and she knew the young man was a unique rarity—especially after what she had seen when they saved Frank—she still couldn't understand why someone like the dragoness was so attached to him.
While someone as unique as the star-haired young man would certainly be valuable to someone like her, Her Excellency Ebonique Nox was someone at the top—an Eternal, and one of the most feared among them.
So, no matter how special the boy was, it was hard to see how something like that would lead an Eternal to act the way she did. Among the Eternals, there were probably only one or two who would be so 'free' and 'unconcerned.'
(Could it be that Her Excellency Ebonique Nox was influenced by Her Excellency Ignis Caelestis? I've heard they are close…)
With her head full of questions, Hiyori gave one last glance at Erik and the dragoness before turning around and heading to the earthen house where Zoe and Elara were sleeping.
…
After 30 minutes, Erik stopped practicing his bio-mystic technique, a slightly confused expression on his face. Somehow, he felt that the Myst was transmitting too many modifications to the technique, especially regarding the flow of mana in his body.
This strange event led Erik to reconsider an idea he had barely explored about his bio-mystic technique. The technique depended greatly on the environment, and the changes the Myst transmitted were meant to help him make the best use of the environmental conditions.
If that were true, then the reason behind the large number of changes today was due to a sudden shift in the environment, which could be either good or bad. But one thing was certain: such changes in the technique—especially such abrupt ones—couldn't come out of nowhere, especially since he was still an Ascended. Something was happening, and he'd better hurry to figure out what it was.
Walking back toward the camp, where the others were gathered around the campfire, Erik noticed that the young people were eating what looked like fruit. At that moment, Elara noticed Erik returning, so she quickly took a bamboo basket she had woven herself, with some fruit inside, and offered it to him as she greeted him.
"Good morning, Erik."
"Good morning."
Taking what looked like an apple from the basket—one of the fruits Frank and Zoe had brought back from their exploration—Erik replied with a smile. After taking a bite of the apple, Erik looked at Zoe and Frank and spoke in a serious tone.
"Now we're going to check the sleeping animals the wolves found. Although I'll mainly be the one taking notes, I'll try to explain everything as clearly as possible so you can do it on your own later."
"Understood," Zoe and Frank replied in unison as they stood up. Meanwhile, Erik turned to look at Elara and said.
"We'll be gone for about two hours. In the meantime, Kaiser will go hunting, and Hiyori will stay here with you."
"Alright." Elara replied calmly. "I'll use the time to make some charcoal, weave a few more baskets, and prepare some clay containers."
"Perfect." Erik nodded, satisfied. After grabbing the notebook and a couple of charcoal pencils, he looked at Zoe and Frank and gave the order to head out.
"Let's go."
…
…
…
Doing their best to keep up with Erik's agile movements through the dark jungle, Frank and Zoe exchanged slightly surprised looks. They thought they were already good at moving around the area, but it turned out they were just a couple of novices compared to the star-haired boy. After a few minutes, Tiberius, who was leading the way, finally stopped.
Placing his hands on Tiberius's fur, Erik quickly signaled for his companions to gather around him as he looked toward a huge fallen log in the distance. As soon as Frank and Zoe reached Erik's side, Tiberius's shadow stretched out greatly, eventually covering them.
"Let's move carefully."
At that moment, the young people heard Erik's voice almost as if he were whispering right next to their ears—something they quickly recognized as a 'sound transmission.' After nodding, the two of them followed Erik closely as he led them around the log, soon reaching one end, which allowed them to see inside. There, curled up like a ball, slept a snake about ten meters long.
Quickly, Erik took the newly made notebook from the back of his pants and began jotting down data while Zoe and Frank watched his actions closely, not wanting to miss a thing. Meanwhile, Ebonique, who was hiding in Erik's hair, looked at the snake with mild curiosity, wondering whether, since it was a snake, it might help them understand the basilisk or not.
***
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