“The Nexus and Schema didn’t bring my world power seeds,” Iris explained once they were back in Master Seer’s manor. “My people already had Qi when they found us. Our use of it wasn’t great, but it was enough to hold back the Scourge. They called us a Beacon World and sent us Summoned to help eliminate the terraformer Cursed Ones and eliminate Agents of the Scourge.
“It took my people a few decades to be declared a Seed World. We’ve been completing quests for the Nexus and earning resources for our world. The Nexus has been sending us to protect Wells of Power as the local forces either build fortifications or learn to harness its power. I think they expect the same of us, and that's why I’m here. They want us to learn to make the most of our wells and prepare to ascend to the status of Control World.”
Iris took the lead once they were in the kitchen. She butchered the quarter-meter-thick leaf slab like it was a piece of blue-fin tuna. She removed the outer layers, separated the ‘meat’ into long strips, and then prepared thin slices. Meanwhile, Nil boiled a pot of water at her request, and she carefully blanched each piece. The green became more vivid. Iris moved the pieces to an ice tray straight away.
“Are you sure it's okay for you to tell me all of this?” Nil asked, helping Iris dig out a giant stone basin. “Master Seer—”
“Watcher says a lot of things. The Nexus didn’t instruct us not to discuss our homeworlds with people we encounter. It can’t be a big deal.” Iris moved the cooled pieces into the basin and conjured her arms. She used them to slowly grind their stolen prize. Meatbal squeaked, sounding amused. She had already finished her first chunk of stolen leaf and was now working on the second. “Anyway. One of the things we’re trying to get for my world is a Seed of Yggdrasil. There is a rumor that it might be one of the prizes in the Cleansing.” She paused. “What’s with the face?”
Nil struggled to conceal his surprise. “I wasn’t aware you knew about Watcher or were going to be in the Cleansing.”
Iris grinned. “There is a lot you don’t know. I got my ticket just before coming to Ashe Falls. The Nexus wants me to ensure the Scourge teams don’t win and succeed at reclaiming their world. Watcher is helping me prepare for the job in the same way you are.”
Now that they weren’t sparring or busy avoiding attention, Nil got a clear look at Iris’s conjured arms with Energy Instinct. They were similar to his energy weapons, made of a similar destructive power. The shell that contained the Source and gave it shape was different. It felt as if her technique gave the wild power another form that was more stable and inert. It was more than standard shaping.
“We’re both on the same side, then,” Nil stated.
“For now,” Iris replied. “I like you but I won’t hold back if I meet you in the Cleansing. Seed of Yggdrasil or not, my family and people need this victory.”
“That makes us rivals then.”
“It doesn’t have to be that way.” Energy flowed from the Source Arms into the green. The chunks of leaf softened and slowly started breaking down, forming an almost luminous paste. “My alchemy isn’t as good as that of a specialist, but it's enough to get the most out of Ashe’s leaf. Her Qi is now ours to cultivate.”
“If you already had Qi, what did the Schema bring you?” Nil asked. “Was it just resources?”
“We knew how to use our world’s energy, but that doesn’t mean our methods were efficient or we were any good at it. The Nexus gave us knowledge. They showed us how to refine our cultivation, made our techniques better, brought in spirit companions, and taught the talented artisanal techniques.” When Iris finished, the contents of the basin were smooth and resembled mochi but glowed a vivid green. The energy that followed the luminous veins was now equally distributed throughout the mixture. She divided the contents into two and shoveled one half into a noodle bowl. “Focus on cultivating and slowly draw the energy out of each mouthful.”
“It won’t have the same euphoric effect as the leaf fall, will it?”
Iris’s eyes narrowed. “I may have signaled my interest and openness to your advances. That doesn’t mean I’ll use alchemy to lure into bed. There is no honor in it, and it's not the warrior’s way.”
“I didn’t mean any offense by it,” Nil said. “It's not every day magic leaves rain from a tree big enough to cover an entire planet. And then a warrior woman you barely know whips together a meal rich with magic. I’m not questioning your integrity. It's just a matter of adjusting to cultural differences.”
“I suppose that’s fair.” Iris nodded. “No offense taken. The fact that your world’s women don’t lay out their intent and interests as openly is a shock to me. It just makes everything so much easier and clear.”
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“For the record, I’m very much not available for any form of sexual or romantic relationship at this time. I’m happy with my current partner.”
“We need to finish the bowl before the Qi diffuses and returns to Ashe. Enough talk. Consume.”
It was the deepest conversation Nil and Iris had ever shared, and he came away with it understanding the woman better. As he dug into the luminous, gelatinous mixture, he was glad to have laid everything out on the table. It eased the tension a fair deal and left Nil feeling more comfortable. He only wished they’d had the conversation months ago.
Iris arrived at Ashe Fall when Nil was almost halfway through his time there. Master Seer had sent him to the port to fetch her. It was the first time Nil got a chance to see vessels come through the ward gate and descend through the perfect circular openings in the canopy. The flight of the living vessels and the glimpse of the colorful cosmos beyond was a sight Nil never expected to forget.
The Mangrove Tiger Cultivation Technique was straightforward and widely known but effective. As Nil absorbed the world tree’s rich energy, he felt the imagined feline struggling against the honey-like fluid circulating through his channels. It almost felt as if dense leaves had rained on the river within and were causing clogs at junctions and turns. It took significant effort to break through them and continue moving the energy through his body.
Might has progressed to Bronze 7!
Finesse has progressed to Bronze 8!
Spark has progressed to Bronze 9!
It was like consuming several pills from Moon Rabbit Emporium at once. Instead of slowly absorbing the energy, his body seemed to take it as a shot of caffeine. Nil’s insides burned, and it felt as if his circulatory system was going to rip itself apart. He still enjoyed the feeling. The sensation made him think of getting struck by a lightning bolt but then making the energy his own instead of crumbling under it.
Something also clicked inside the Source Gauntlets but no flashes or epiphanies came with it. Nil couldn’t exactly put his finger on the change, but it almost felt as if the scarred soul weapon seed was using the world tree’s energy to fix the last of the damage it suffered because of Symbiotech.
When Nil cultivated, his mental image involved a sphere made of the same metal of burnt black and chrome that formed the gauntlets. It hovered in his core where the river’s waters collected and swirled, and the tiger rested between laps. Vines and fibrous extensions from the surrounding mangrove forest seemed to wrap around the sphere. A glowing pink bud broke free, and Nil couldn’t tell whether it came from the vegetation or the Source Gauntlets’ heart.
“How do you feel?” Iris asked.
“Incredible.” Nil gasped, struggling to contain the energy and assimilate it. He could feel the ground under him and the sky above. For a moment, he felt like a tiny fragment of a giant hole, and then it was all gone. The gauntlets claimed the energy, and the bud grew.
When Nil felt a change, he manifested the soul gauntlets. The burnt black receded from the gem’s edges. And spread around the back of his hands. He also sensed that the weapon’s energy storage capabilities doubled. He sensed nothing different about the gems’ amplification ability, but it was still a big change that would make his life significantly easier.
“Thank you,” Nil said after the overwhelming cocktail of stimuli passed. “Why, though?”
“Why I shared my ill-gotten gains with you?”
Nil nodded.
“The Cleansing might put us on opposing sides, Godpuncher Nil, but in the greater scheme of things, we’re allies. Ensuring the Scourge doesn’t succeed is more important than either of us succeeding.”
“That is—” Nil struggled to find the correct phrase. He didn’t want to say something that would give Iris the wrong idea. Nil’s mind regarding Selia and the ‘invitation’ hadn’t changed. His desires for the future significantly outweighed short term fulfilment. “—mighty honorable of you.”
Iris bowed her head, smiling. She got to scrubbing the stone basin straight away. Thick green fibers stuck to the bottom. “You flatter me.”
“Let me know if I can do anything for you,” Nil replied. He helped with washing and putting away the bowls and the other equipment she had used.
“You know what I want.” Iris’s playful grin suggested it was her attempt at flirtation.
“I meant more along the lines of getting Andrew to make you something nice.”
“I already have a quest involving a soul weapon and access to a soulsmith with far more experience. Andrew might be talented, but he’s far too green.” Iris took Nil’s bowl. “You have a couple of months to think this over. There is no pressure. I enjoy our friendship in its current form too.”
“I have another proposal. We won’t be allies in the Cleansing. However, we’re fighting for the same purpose. If I encounter you while you’re engaged with the Scourge Champions, my companions and I will lend a hand to ensure they’re dispatched swiftly.”
“That’s a generous offer. If the Scourge functions the same way as they have in the past, then we’ll need all the help we can get. There will be two squads of eight, and they have no qualms about working together until all other competitors are eliminated.
“Meanwhile, Seed World teams are rarely united. They’ll function in three-to-fives, and even then, in-fighting isn’t uncommon. It seems many don’t prioritize team events or invest time, energy, and funds into a permanent team.”
“I’m also guilty of that. My companions and I all rose through the Death Gauntlet. We’ve trained together but never fought as one in the arena.”
“That is a major disadvantage and not just against the Scourge and the Void,” Iris stated. “My allies and I managed to get all the tickets available to our world. We’ll be working as two teams of four but plan to provide as much assistance to the other as possible. They’re all family or brothers and sisters in arms. I suggest you find a way to rectify the problem.”
“Thanks, Iris. I’ll keep that in mind.”