Ju slowly opened his eyes in an unfamiliar room. Although it was not large, it was elegantly designed. Oak-paneled walls loomed around him, and a thick, heavy plaster ceiling rose above, its intricate carvings shining under the sunlight from the windows.
A rich, crimson blanket lay beneath Ju's inert body. It was expertly made, and the teenager felt so much comfort as he snuggled in deeper on the small bed, looking around.
Two tapestries hung on the walls like shrouds, depicting battle scenes between ancient essence artists and sacred beasts. A slight fruity scent lingered in the room. Any time Ju took in the smell, he felt his spirit uplifted, and the essence in his body stirred up a bit.
Ju struggled to get up as he examined his body. He was without cloth except for a piece of linen that wrapped his loin. But that was the least of his troubles as he quickly checked his spirit nodes.
“Hopefully, the damage was not so much.”
Thankfully, his Spirit nodes were relatively fine and stable, but the impurities had increased significantly. The pure essence he once had from the tempering formula was now almost completely tainted with black.
“But the fourth node. This is great.”
However, to his surprise, Ju discovered that his fourth node was already loosening.
Just as Ju observed his body further, he sensed another presence in the room. Master Pike came in, wearing his usual long robe. He did not look as ruffled as before the confrontation with the silver-horned snake.
Instead, Master Pike had the calm, assured aura of a powerhouse. The Essence artist has a small smile as he stared at Ju.
“You had quite an adventure, young lad. You were unconscious for three whole days. I even thought you would pass away at some point.”
Ju remained silent, but Master Pike did not seem to mind as he was already getting used to Ju's temperament.
“Before we start talking about major matters. I want you to recap what happened when you and your group entered the cave.”
Ju pondered and briefly explained what transpired in the snake lair. He explained how Aron and Zabel turned on them, murdering Oberon and Tylen, and how he could ambush Zabel and blackmail Aron into releasing some of the eggs.
“Humph! That sly wreath, Aron. I should have killed him the first time I saw his sorry figure. Heaven knows where he was able to find a teleportation talisman.”
“May I ask what that is?” Ju was always eager for knowledge.
Ju was confused. Since he was in a good mood, Master Pike cleared his doubts.
“A teleportation talisman is a powerful item usually said to be created by behemoths at the fifth rank and above. This talisman has a spell infused within it; by setting a marker on location, someone in a faraway place can immediately be transported to that location, provided the array has not been tampered with. Even though I have not encountered a teleportation talisman, it's interesting how Aron got one; I guess his origins go far deeper than I expected.” Master Pike said in a strange tone,e a bit envious that Aron could get such an item.
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However, Ju’s mind was preoccupied with something else.
“Aron had escaped.”
This meant that Ju had an irreconcilable enemy out there in the world. Aron had also seen Moonflower, another fact that distressed Ju greatly. But for now, there was nothing he could do, the young boy thought bitterly to himself.
“One of the eggs you managed to salvage turned out to be that rare variant, the one that cost the Mother Snake so much time to be able to lay. Who knows, if I managed to nurture it well enough, I might have a companion as powerful as its parent.” Master Pike said excitedly.
Even with his mental fortitude, Ju was stunned. But that was not all.
“With my permission. You would be able to enter the meditation room once.”
If the first reward made Ju, the second practically sent his heart soaring.
Countless times, he had thought about the meditation room and its benefits, thinking that he would finally be able to get there with little effort. Although he almost died, for the young boy who had once risked his life for a bowl of water, being in a dangerous life-and-death situation was not that much of a price to pay.
“Thank you.” He told Master Pike
“Also… your face and skin is quite something. When I decided to clean you up, my mind was puzzled. To think someone could have this sort of body in the wastelands of all places. The more I know about you, the more surprises there are.” Master Pike said with a strange look in his eyes.
Ju felt a bit uncomfortable under Master Pike's scrutinizing gaze. That sort of gaze made him want to cover his appearance at all costs. The young boy looked around but did not see his cloak.
As if reading his mind. Master Pike.
“I already got rid of that awful clothing; a maid would bring you food, a fresh pair of clothes and your reward, and then you can be on your way. Go to the meditation room anytime you like and give them this.”
“I would give you four spirit stones for all your troubles.” Master Pike continued calmly.
Even with his mental fortitude, Ju was stunned. But that was not all.
“With my permission. You would be able to enter the meditation room once.”
If the first reward made Ju, the second practically sent his heart soaring.
He had thought about the meditation room and its benefits countless times, and now he was offered the opportunity on a platter. Although Ju almost died, for the young boy who had once risked his life for a bowl of water, being in a dangerous life-and-death situation was not that much of a price to pay for an increase in strength.
“Thank you. ” The teenager always made sure to show his appreciation when it was due.
Master Pike nodded.
“Also… your face and skin is quite something. When I decided to clean you up, my mind was puzzled. To think someone could have this sort of body in the wastelands of all places. The more I know about you, the more surprises there are.” Master Pike said with a strange look in his eyes.
Ju felt a bit uncomfortable under Master Pike's scrutinizing gaze. That sort of gaze made him want to cover his appearance in the mining area at all costs. The young boy instinctively looked around but did not see his cloak.
As if reading his mind. Master Pike.
“I already got rid of that awful clothing. A maid would bring you food, a fresh pair of clothes and your reward, and then you could be on your way. Go to the meditation room anytime you like and give them this.”
The Essence artist tossed a blue-green token; Ju caught it and noticed its unusual marking and how cool it was to touch.
“You are a good kid. Keep working hard, and maybe you will have a chance to form a spirit source.”
After saying this, Master Pike did not wait for Ju to reply before he left.