Things were comfortable with Katherine. It felt like getting together for dinner with a good friend that ended with incredible sex. The physical side of things was excellent, and the empathic link he felt during the activity only made things better. The pair shared their pleasure, and Nil had never enjoyed such an electric sensation before. It was one of the reasons why he struggled to end things with her. At the same time, he worried that the connection would give her the ability to peek into his mind.
The fact of the matter was that Nil didn’t trust Katherine. It wasn’t just her commitment to the police force that concerned him, but also her powers as a mind mage. He couldn’t shake the thought of how things had gone during their ‘first date.’ The more he thought about it, Nil couldn’t help but wonder whether she had used her magic to influence his decision to join the police force. The fact that he didn’t join the Metropolitan Police meant that it was unlikely, but the ‘what if’ lingered at the back of his mind. Andrew called her a honey pot, but Nil didn’t quite understand the concept.
Nil didn’t particularly want to give up the benefits of the friendship, but he knew that he needed to get out of the situation for the sake of his quest. As his father said, it was also the right thing to do. As a result, Nil was glad when the perfect opportunity offered itself the following morning over breakfast.
“I got a job offer,” Katherine said, putting down her fork. They had spent the night at the ludus and then gone out for pancakes at a local brunch restaurant. She had just polished off her eggs benedict while Nil worked on his second stack of pancakes.
“That didn’t take long,” Nil commented, failing to veil his surprise. “Where is it? Private security or intelligence.”
“I can’t say.”
“So it's an intelligence agency.”
Katherine smiled but didn’t confirm or deny it. “Good package. Great perks. New ludus. Perks for the family.”
“That sounds great!” Nil exclaimed, taking Katherine’s hand and squeezing it. “Congratulations. I’m happy for you.”
“I haven’t accepted it yet,” she said. Katherine smiled, but it didn’t carry to her eyes.. “The job involves a move. An intercontinental move.”
“Oh. What about the job offer from the Nexus?”
“It's still there, and the pay isn’t too different.”
“But working in intelligence is closer to what you wanted to do,” Nil commented.
Katherine nodded. “If I were to accept the role, whatever we have going between us can’t progress any further. Even if the distance wasn’t an issue, the job means anyone I’m with can’t be working for a competing agency or organization. That includes the Nexus. So, the friends-with-benefits thing would need to end too.” She paused, looking into Nil’s eyes. “What do you think?”
“I think you should go for it,” he replied without hesitating and immediately saw disappointment on Katherine’s face. “I can tell your heart isn’t in working for the Nexus, and I don’t want to get in the way of pursuing your ambitions. In fact, nobody should. Your personal contentment is the most important here. So, if we need to part ways or downgrade our relationship to just friends, I’m okay with that.”
“You really think I should take it?”
Nil nodded. “You sound far more enthusiastic about it than you do working for the Nexus.”
“I want to do something that prioritizes our world’s personal interests instead of that of the multiversal good or what the Control Worlds want,” Katherine said. “Their version of the bigger picture and the greater good differs vastly from ours. The Nexus wants to maintain balance and ensure we continue producing more Summoned for them. Our progress and stability aren’t important to them. They might even be against it since it might imbalance the power dynamics.” She paused, eyes scanning their surroundings. It was a busy weekend morning and most of the neighboring tables were three or more drinks into the bottomless drinks that came with the brunch menu. “If I accept this role, it will be after I see this leg of the Nexus quest through.”
“I think we have enough for the Nexus to be satisfied,” Nil said nonchalantly as he returned to his food. “I just planted another bug, and I think Andrew is getting just what we need.”
“I’m surprised they haven’t found the first. You’d think a company dealing in the dangerous bullshit they do and the illegal stuff, they’d have better security.”
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“I think Andrew is just that good. He’s been sharpening his skills for quite some time working—” Nil caught himself. He had never told Katherine about time in the Pits or Andrew’s history working for them. Nil doubted the illegal fighting organization’s security was better than that of Symbiotech. If Andrew could safely infiltrate them and steal data, he was sure the man could do it with the likes of Symbiotech. They were much smaller than Arthurtech or Garuda Systems who had personal armies and, apparently, giant teams dedicated to cyber security. “—on tech for all kinds of clients and has tested it extensively. He’s so good, Andy might as well be a Summoned already.”
“I’m not going to ask for the details for the sake of plausible deniability, but you two should know that you’re playing with fire.” Katherine leaned closer and continued with her volume so low Nil could barely hear her over their noisy neighbors. “Symbiotech might be small, but given the coverups they’ve pulled off and how scared the captain was, there might be powerful figures behind them. If people find out about your involvement in whatever fate awaits them, you could be making enemies of powerful Summoned and arena fighters too. I hope you’re not planning anything that might expose—”
“The less you know, the better.” Silence followed the interruption. As Katherine sat back in her chair, Nil caught a glint of pink in her eyes. He hoped it was to scan for eavesdroppers and not targeted at him. The pair returned to their meals and drinks. It was no longer a comfortable silence. It was apparent that something between them had changed. “So? What now?”
“I guess we finish our meals, go back to yours, and enjoy a little more time together. Then, we continue as normal until you finish the current leg of your quest. My rewards are tied to your success.”
“I didn’t think you’d want to spend any time with me after this,” Nil said.
“Why wouldn’t I?” Katherine asked. “You’re a good friend and a decent guy.” Her lips spread into a mischievous smile. “And, we’re pretty good together. There’s no reason we shouldn’t have fun using whatever time this has left.”
“I suppose you’re right.”
Nil planned on returning Meatball to his core on returning to the room. The Ironroot Whelp didn’t seem to like being touched by anyone but him, or her human spending time with others. He half expected her to have made a mess of the room but found her still sleeping. Much to his surprise, newly sprouted foliage filled the stone trough. Nil recognized some straight away from the time spent in his late mother’s garden. Others were new and alien and emitted faint arcane colors.
Energy Instinct detected a variety of energies radiating from them. As Nil approached, his heart skipped a beat. It was Qi. Meatball’s internal magic had somehow changed the seedlings into magic-producing plants.
No. I saw her eat most of the seeds.
They had changed during their journey through her digestive tract. It meant he had found the means to bring magic into the otherwise barren world. Nil immediately decided to keep his mouth shut about the topic and hoped Katherine wouldn’t figure out what had happened. The previous evening’s discussions suggested that she didn’t know the first thing about Qi or cultivation. She avoided quests that took her to such worlds since she hated how they practiced the rule of the strong and the saving-face culture.
Nil didn’t plan to tell Layla about it either. He trusted her, but some of Shina’s claims felt true. The Nexus and Control Worlds didn’t want his Earth getting access to unadulterated magic. Nil wasn’t sure whether it was because they didn’t trust their kind or it was a means of control. He wouldn’t blame them if it were the former. Historically, his people’s first instinct with new scientific discoveries had been weaponizing them and dominating their lesser-developed neighbors. It wouldn’t surprise Nil if the multiversal powers had concerns of the same happening on seed worlds. He had no plans to share the discovery. Instead, he hoped to find a way to cultivate on Earth without relying on pills.
“I can’t believe you already have a spirit companion,” Katherine commented, kneeling in front of the trough. She carefully reached over Meatball and stroked the luminous plants. “I’ve wanted a familiar or some sort of companion forever, but equipment and spell tomes end up consuming almost all of my surplus earnings.”
“What kind of beast would you ideally like to get?” Nil asked, hoping she wouldn’t bring up the subject of the bioluminescence. The shattered zones all had similar plant life. Several organizations and governments have tested them for magic and tried to extract their properties but failed.
Katherine shrugged. “Ideally, something that can act as the vanguard or hold my opponents’ attention long enough for me to use my more powerful spells. They take forever to cast, and I only get to use them if I catch my target by surprise or successfully capture them in an illusion first. It's a tough decision, and the options are endless. Hopefully, I’ll get a soul weapon when I’m Silver Realm, and that’ll increase my earning potential. The new sub-ability will help confirm my decision.”
The random eggs alone were more than Nil could afford. He imagined a spirit companion, familiar, or summon that fit Katherine’s requirements would prove incredibly expensive and require months, if not years, of saving. Unlike him, most Summoned needed to regularly spend vast quantities of Schema Credits on weapons, armor, and alchemical creations to recover their magic. Now that he had access to the space, Nil intended to invest in the curative products and burn ointments once the Moon Emporiums welcome pack ran out. But it was still less than what Katherine and Susan needed to spend.
Meatball didn’t stir. The pair took it as an opportunity to indulge in each other for an hour. Then Katherine departed, and Nil dedicated the rest of the day to exercising and cultivation. After the usual warm-ups, he returned to his room and cultivated the remains of the Body Pill. A trickle radiated from the newly sprouted flora as well. Absorbing them into his system was a challenge, and the tiger had an even harder time weaving through the reeds. It wasn’t just the underwater weeds that limited its movements. Rocky obstacles also got in the beast’s way, slowing its progress.
The Qi circulating through Nil’s body slowed to an amble, but he felt a tiny mote of energy gathering just under his navel. It was a deep red and wispy, but it was there. Nil felt proud as shivers pulsed through his body. He had done it. He was a cultivator and had Energy Instinct’s new abilities to thank for it.