Slifer barely made it through the portal, feeling the phantom beast's ghastly roar vibrating behind him as part of it got severed by the closing portal. Landing clumsily in his courtyard, he looked dishevelled and far from the composed master he usually was.
"Master!" Caelum exclaimed, getting to his feet in a hurry. “The Disciple Selection Ceremony has already begun.”
Slifer quickly adjusted his robe and cleared his throat, trying to regain his usual air of mystery. "Ah, yes, I had almost forgotten about the Disciple Selection Ceremony," he replied nonchalantly, waving his sleeve to summon his sword from the storage ring.
“Let’s get going then.”
But before Slifer could jump on his sword, Caelum hesitantly interjected, "Master, I…I need your help."
Slifer gave him a questioning look, this was the first time any of his disciples had directly asked for his assistance, normally they would do anything they could to keep him out of their business.
Looking visibly uncomfortable, Caelum continued, "Someone has… poisoned my mother, and I've had no luck finding the antidote."
Slifer's eyes narrowed at this. Was someone targeting Caelum's mother to get to him... and ultimately to me? He pondered the possibility, compared to original Slifer, Caelum had no enemies.
Now he faced a crucial decision: ignore his disciple and go to the Disciple Selection Ceremony to fulfill the System’s mission or aid his disciple, potentially failing the mission. Slifer wrestled with his thoughts. What would the System do if I fail the mission? he wondered.
No, I won't be like their original master. If Caelum's mother dies because I didn't help, I'll never forgive myself, Slifer nodded to himself, making up his mind.
"What is the poison, and what is the antidote?" Slifer finally asked.
Caelum's face lit up with a flicker of hope, he hadn’t been sure if his master would care to help him. "The poison is called Cultivator's Bane, and the antidote... it's the Essence of Dawn," he replied.
Essence of Dawn? Let’s hope the System has it…at a cheap price. Slifer quickly opened the system panel.
Shop Cards Cultivation Methods Treasures Pills & Elixirs Mystic Techniques Martial Techniques Bloodlines & Ancestries Constitutions Spirit Roots Beasts & Familiars Create
Slifer picked the ‘Pills & Elixirs’ option and began scrolling through the list of items, each sounding more extravagant than the last. If only this System had a search feature.
After a few moments, he finally stumbled upon the Essence of Dawn elixir.
Name Essence Of Dawn Type Elixir Rank Heaven Description Able to counteract Heaven Rank poisons, restoring vitality and purging toxins. Widely known as the antidote for the Cultivator's Bane Cost 2000 Karmic Credits
Two thousand karmic credits? That's daylight robbery! Slifer's heart sank at the sight of the price, but he couldn't let Caelum down. He wasn’t dumb enough to buy the elixir, at least, not until he confirmed the poison himself. Not wasting two thousand credits only to find out she needs a good nap!
Meanwhile, Caelum watched his master, slightly puzzled by Slifer's strange behaviour. He often caught his master spacing out, followed by random nods or shakes of the head, sometimes accompanied by strange expressions.
"Cough... We'll get going as soon as Val arrives," Slifer announced suddenly, snapping Caelum out of his thoughts.
Caelum nodded, feeling a wave of relief. Maybe there's hope for Mother after all, he thought, watching his master expectantly.
But then, something unexpected caught Caelum's eye. "Master, what is that?" he asked, pointing behind Slifer.
Slifer turned to look over his shoulder and his face drained of colour. Clinging to him was a miniature version of the phantom beast he had encountered in the void realm. Its form was smoky, almost ethereal.
Every instinct in Slifer screamed for him to run, but he held his ground. The Critical Block card had yet to activate. If I startle it... He remained as still as possible, wishing that he had already entered the Nascent Soul realm so he wouldn’t need to breathe.
"Just... stay calm, Caelum," Slifer whispered, his voice barely concealing his own unease. How did this thing even attach itself to me? And more importantly, how do I get rid of it without getting us both killed?
The little phantom beast cooed innocently, its eyes wide with curiosity as it gazed at Slifer. The unexpected child-like behaviour of the creature caused Slifer to ponder. Could this be a youngling of the phantom beasts? A memory flashed through his mind - the moment he had escaped through the portal, a part of the large phantom beast was cut off. Could that be how they reproduce? he wondered, intrigued by the possibility.
Insight!
Ding! Congratulations You Have Discovered A Higher Being You Have Gained 10 Karmic Credits Increase Your Relationship With The Being To Take It As A Disciple Minimum Requirement: 80% Current Progress: 10%
Interesting. It has a relationship requirement for discipleship. Slifer recalled that Val had no such requirement, but that could perhaps be due to Val already meeting the requirement. He then turned his attention to its cultivation realm.
Name N/A Species Void Being Realm Late Core Formation Realm Known Techniques N/A Known Affiliations N/A Disposition N/A
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The little being's cultivation level stunned him – Late Core Formation Realm from birth? That's higher than Val's initial level, he mused, impressed. Good thing I didn't startle it. A Core Formation attack would have definitely triggered the Critical Block card.
Noticing Caelum's bewildered gaze, Slifer composed himself and casually remarked, "Oh, this little fellow? Just a… friend I thought Val might like."
Caelum nodded, though clearly unsure about his master’s unexpected companion.
Their conversation was interrupted by the sound of Val's familiar roar.
“Master! Master is back!”
The dragon called out as it descended from the sky, landing with a heavy thud, her gaze immediately focusing on the little phantom being.
The creature, sensing the dragon’s Nascent Soul aura, hid behind Slifer, its body trembling in fear. Slifer, with a gentle smile, carefully picked up the phantom beast, its form phasing in and out of tangibility. "Look, Val, what your master has brought you," he said, extending his hand towards her.
Ding! Void Beings have a high mental defence making them almost impossible to tame Warning: You are at risk of being enslaved Hint: Eliminate the threat
"..."
Enslaved? Slifer made sure to stay still, worried any sudden movement would trigger the ticking time bomb.
"Val love gifts."
Val sniffed the beast with her enormous snout.
“Gift smell nice.”
The creature let out a whimper of fear, shaking uncontrollably, its instincts screaming at it to escape.
Don't explode, don't explode, Slifer prayed.
Just when he thought the phantom being was going to retaliate with a mind attack, Val opened her mouth wide and, in one swift motion, swallowed the little beast whole.
Slifer stood there, mouth agape, a mix of shock and disbelief on his face. Well, that was unexpected... he thought, slightly taken aback by Val's straightforwardness. He remembered the phantom beasts had a phasing ability, he didn't think Val would deal with it so...easily.
Caelum, too, looked startled, his eyes wide as he processed what just happened. I guess that's one type of gift to get... his thoughts trailed off, he had thought his master had brought Val a friend, not a snack, however, this did fit more with his master’s character.
Slifer continued to watch as Val finished consuming the phantom beast, she then turned to him and thanked him for the "gift."
"I'm glad you liked it, Val."
So much for having a Void Realm disciple, Slifer thought, feeling slightly deflated even though he knew that his little dragon just saved his life.
I should probably give her an actual reward...
Ding! Congratulations Your Soul Bond Creature Has Devoured A Unique Being Gaining Trait From Being Randomizing... Trait Acquired: Phase Ability - Allows the user to phase for 30 seconds with a cooldown of 60 seconds. Current Progress: 10%
Slifer's eyebrows shot up in surprise. Phase ability, huh? he mused, feeling better already. Just like the flash.
His attention shifted to his status as more notifications popped up.
Ding! New Passive Skill Acquired: Void Being Aura
* Decreases likelihood of detection in the Void Realm.
* Imposes a 5% debuff on lower realm beings.
* Provides 50% protection against Mind Control below the level of the Immortal Realm.
Slifer's eyes brightened as he read the description of his new passive skill. Void Being Aura, huh? That's actually quite handy. The thought of returning to the Void Realm was still unappealing, but with this new ability, it seemed a bit less daunting.
And that mind control protection could come in handy too. A chill ran down his spine as he kicked himself for not buying some protection earlier. Credits be damned, skimping on protection never ends well…wow I sound just like my dad.
Shaking his head, he focused on the few options he had. The plan was to get Val to fly us to the village but… Slifer decided that using the improved Dimensional Slide technique to teleport directly to Caelum's village was the best course of action. I can save Caelum’s mother and still make it to the Disciple Selection Ceremony in time.
"Val, head back to the ceremony and tell them I'll be there soon," he instructed.
"But why Master call Val then tell Val leave?" Val looked down at him with big, sad eyes.
"I wanted to give you that... snack."
A friend, a snack. To a beast, what's the difference? Slifer shook his head.
Val's gaze didn't waver. "Can Val come too?" she asked, her attempt at persuasion sounding more like a threat due to her enormous, intimidating presence.
"Your mission is just as important, if not more," Slifer replied, tying to appease the little dragon’s big pride. However, seeing her still pouting, he added, "I promise, Val. I’ll be back soon, and then we can go on trips together, alright?"
Reluctantly, Val nodded, her massive wings beginning to flap. "Okay, but Val miss Master," she said before soaring into the sky.
Caelum couldn’t help but feel a bit awkward watching the exchange. His master's soft spot for Val was no secret among the disciples, but he had never seen Slifer so openly affectionate with the baby dragon. It was a side of his master that rarely anyone saw.
Slifer turned to Caelum, no sign of the gentleness present on his face. "Alright, let's save your mother and then find you a new junior brother… or sister."
"But Master, how will we get there in time?" Caelum asked, he wasn’t sure how fast Ascendant cultivators could travel but crossing such a large distance in such a short time and back seemed quite optimistic.
“Leave that to me.”
I didn’t think I’d be doing this again…especially so soon. With a frown, Slifer executed a tearing motion with his hand, opening a portal.
Caelum's eyes widened in surprise. I had no idea Master had such an ability. He realized how little he actually knew about his own master.
"Get in," Slifer instructed, gesturing towards the portal.
----------------------------------------
Slifer exhaled a sigh of relief as they arrived outside Caelum's village home. The journey had been smooth, thankfully. If we got stuck in that void realm again, I'd probably lose my mind... or worse, end up playing a never-ending game of hide-and-seek with those phantom beasts, he thought wryly.
Using his spiritual sense, Caelum had provided a mental image of his home, it was similar to sending a photo via a phone. The image was clear enough for Slifer to successfully open a portal directly to their destination.
As they approached the familiar door of his childhood home, Caelum felt his heart rate increase. With a trembling hand, he knocked on the weathered wood. The door creaked open, revealing a middle-aged man whose face showed signed of fatigue and sadness.
For a moment, the man stared blankly, but recognition soon dawned in his eyes. "Caelum!" he exclaimed, his voice broke. As he stepped forward, tears began to spill down his cheeks, and he pulled Caelum into a hug, clutching onto him as if he were a lifeline.
Caelum’s eyes misted over and he held back a sob as he wrapped his arms around his father.
"Your mother... she's..." Caelum's father pulled back slightly, his body shook as he looked into his son's eyes.
"I know, father. I am here now. Everything will be alright." Caelum gently placed his hands on his father's shoulders, offering a reassuring squeeze.
Turning slightly, he gestured towards Slifer. "Father, remember my master? He's come to help us with mother's situation."
Upon recognising Slifer, the middle-aged man immediately dropped to his knees, pleading. "Oh Lord Immortal, please save my wife."
Slifer, caught off guard by the man's actions, quickly helped him to his feet. "It is not appropriate for the father of my disciple to bow to me like this," Slifer said, feeling a bit awkward in the situation.
But Caelum's father shook his head, his eyes filled with desperation. "I would do anything to save her, immortal."
Feeling uneasy under the weight of the man’s expectations, Slifer’s gaze wandered around the room, that was when he noticed a portrait hanging on the wall – an older man who bore a striking resemblance to Caelum and his father.
A sharp pang of memory hit Slifer, and he clutched his head, momentarily disoriented.
“M-master, is everything okay?” Caelum stepped forward.
Slifer forced a chuckle, waving his hand nonchalantly. "Oh, it's just a small headache, nothing to worry about," he said, brushing off his disciple’s concern.
I've seen this portrait before... must be from when the original Slifer took Caelum as his disciple, Slifer reasoned, trying to shake off the sinking feeling in his gut.