Less than eleven hours remained for the end of the second test for the disciples of the evil sect. At that moment, in an isolated area with little vegetation and plants, the wall of a stone mound moved slowly and silently. Soon, an opening small enough for a person to pass through appeared, and humans emerged cautiously, their eyes filled with fear.

Three of them carefully surveyed the surroundings, full of concern, when a new tremor in the earth made them turn in fright. It was the whale, unable to pass through the same path, having to open a hole several times larger.

When everyone emerged, they dared not move without the leader's permission. The whale looked around, concentrating. The sound of a muffled snore could be heard nearby; a few meters away, a beastly mountain of flesh slept. Its body was covered with plants and dirt, and around it, on the ground, there was a strange variety of scarlet plants.

'He must have been sleeping for hundreds of years and won't wake up if we don't disturb him,' said Zane in through their minds, placing Mira on his shoulder. She gently activated her mental power, now much more controlled, creating a violet veil around everyone.

'This divine beast is in the sixth level of the Heaven Stage Realm. It's much more powerful than the others around, so they won't invade its territory easily. Ants like us can benefit with caution.'

Everyone took careful steps around the vegetation. There must be some opportunity waiting to be discovered there. Of course, they couldn't get too close to the divine beast. As weak as they might be, it could still sense them.

The whale observed the surroundings and thought about the next steps, but couldn't find anything that caught its attention. Until Zanou, thoughtful, spoke mentally.

'I... can I take one of these plants to examine closely?'

'Hm?' A very old memory seemed to light up in the minds of Zane and Gael.

It was a boy half their age, running through the forest and smiling. They had already tried to shoo him away, but he insisted on following them. At that time, they were 14 years old and extremely excited to start cultivating for real next year.

The dream of flying through the skies and controlling fire and elements filled the mind of a newly reincarnated youth from the earth. They were innocent and wanted to find some beasts to fight and train, seeking excitement in the forest. But their younger brother wouldn't leave them alone, and that prevented them from going too far, fearing he might encounter something dangerous and Zanou would get hurt.

After many attempts, including curses and rough treatment, that kid didn't back down. So, they accepted their fate and focused on playing with their brother on the outskirts of the forest. Zanou didn't play like normal children; he loved searching for new plants, researching them in books, and then trying to do something with them.

Zane, coming from the earth, had played many games and knew exactly that Zanou was destined to become an apothecary or alchemist in that Universe. However, he knew that for this, he would need access to many books and technical knowledge. Alone, it would be impossible to get anywhere, and they were just simple country folks. Even in the capital where they lived, there was no alchemist guild or anything similar. Their poor brother, in a few years, would have no opportunity, and even with talent and determination, without a lucky break, nothing would happen.

But on that day in the forest, young Zane just played with his smiling brother and forgot about everything. It was a peaceful and happy day, marked by the innocent smile of his younger brother.

Back in the present, the whale's face didn't change, and they only replied mentally: 'What do you know about plants? What do you intend, wasting our time?'

Zanou looked at the ground and the plants for a few moments, seemingly recalling some memories. Then, he replied: 'In the small village where I was born, there was an old alchemist, my grandfather. From the moment I was born until I was fifteen, I studied with him and learned a bit. I consider myself just a little above an apprentice, but I'm very curious and have some ideas when I feel these plants that I've never seen before.'

Zane and Gael sighed mentally; he really never lost his love for these things. And he was fortunate enough to reincarnate with an alchemist grandfather—something very strange must have happened for him to reach the point he is now.

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The whale's response was curt. 'Even a useless one can have their moments. Be quick.'

A gleam appeared in Zanou's eyes, and immediately, Zane and Gael overlaid that look with that of the child in their memories.

'Pifff... we're getting too emotional,' Zane couldn't help but comment, trying to push away those strange feelings.

Zanou carefully picked a few-inch herb and examined it calmly, smelling it, sensing its Qi, its life force. After a few minutes, he seemed to have some certainty about something.

'This... is just a simple herb that grows anywhere,' Zanou mentally mumbled, then nodded to himself. 'It seems that the earth here is infused with a different energy. And these herbs mutated, completely adapted and fused with the earth.'

Zane and Gael nodded in satisfaction; their little brother had always been smart when it came to studying this kind of thing. He had the same compulsion as Zane for other avenues.

Then, they spoke dryly. 'So what?'

'Um... Maybe if we use these plants, extracting their essence close to the earth, we can blend in like them. And move more easily, I guess...' Zanou murmured uncertainly.

'Hm? And how are you going to separate that? Extracting the essence from plants is something crucial for an alchemist, but the energy that mutated them came from infernal laws. It's much more powerful than common things.'

Zanou turned to them, looking into the whale's eyes and clenching his fists. 'I... If you give me some time, I'm confident I can figure it out! I know this plant very well, despite everything.'

Langrum and Mira, who had been silently watching the two and knew they were conversing mentally, were suddenly shocked. For a brief moment, shorter than a second, a faint smile appeared on the face of the whale, who was always impassive and unreadable when it came to Zanou.

It was very quick and subtle, so much so that Zanou didn't notice. Then, the whale turned around and saw a small mound nearby. 'Collect enough quickly. I'll create a cave and give you a chance.'

***

Half an hour passed, and inside a small cave, fire runes flickered and trembled in the meticulous attempt to process an herb. Soon, the herb turned black and became ashes, sharing the same fate as dozens of others.

The whale sighed, and Zanou heard that sigh clearly, shivering. He was a complete failure. Even though he had studied alchemy for almost fifteen years, he completely abandoned it and never thought about practicing it again. Soon, his already scarce skills rusted completely.

'From what I understand about alchemy, his flame is at the right temperature not to burn this level of plant,' Zane mentally commented.

'Hm... I can sense the residue of the herb's natural Yang. And it seems to have received a very abrupt Yang surge from the fire. It's like he's trying to cook and fry at the same time, and he's not used to both methods together,' Gael tried to explain what he felt.

Zanou then murmured mentally. 'Sorry... I've never done this on my own before.'

Gael seemed to piece things together. 'You trained with someone else, and you shared the tasks?'

Zanou then subtly looked at the ground and nodded. 'Yes... I had a childhood friend who studied with me.' Then, a bloodthirsty glint escaped from his eyes. 'But, after an incident, she and I gave up on alchemy.'

'Hm... is that childhood friend one of your furnaces, by any chance?' The whale spoke nonchalantly, and Zanou awkwardly nodded in confirmation.

'I understand. You were born with a natural talent for fire in a family with an alchemist. And you still wasted the opportunity given by the heavens...' The whale's words were harsh and full of ridicule. 'Did you really think becoming a wicked cultivator was the best path? Old Dyen must have already realized that you no longer had a great life force; you would be dead very soon because of how useless you are.'

Zanou lowered his head even further, well aware of his situation. Then, the whale spoke, almost sighing: 'There seems to be something more to this... you really like that childhood friend of yours, huh?'

Soon, they could feel Zanou's heart beating a bit faster, subtly confirming. Then, the whale, now with Gael in control, continued with bloody words. 'Let me clarify something. You didn't destroy your village and enslave her, along with several other women, because you were rejected, right?'

Zanou trembled, feeling his skin burn in the face of the bloodthirsty presence, and quickly said, 'No, sir. It's just that... my grandfather... he liked... younger girls... my mother and father knew well. And even the whole village knew, but he was the only alchemist, and they couldn't go against him.' Zanou's eyes seemed to burn, remembering painful things.

'My grandfather lived in a huge building. I always heard rumors that young girls disappeared in the city until the day Lyra, who was a disciple of my grandfather, like me, disappeared. I searched with all my might... and I found her... in an underground basement, along with a dozen women hidden by my grandfather.' Zanou clenched his fists.

'Then, the opportunity came with that old Dyen. At that time, he infiltrated the village, trying to steal pills. I met him, and even knowing my fate, I did what I had to do. And I took all the captive women with me to the sect.'

The whale seemed thoughtful. 'This seems like a good path for him. We've disciplined him enough to stop acting like a young master. Now, we just need to give him a path to follow. He still loves alchemy and has a companion.' Gael commented to Zane, thinking about the change Zane underwent after meeting Mira. Making Zanou become a better person shouldn't be much different.

'A lot of work for this brother of... well, let's get him back on track. That way, we can depart without leaving worries behind.' Zane said without much emotion. 'But what about our current problem? He can't do what he set out to do.'

Gael then chuckled lightly. 'Hm? It's not a lack of skill in him. The problem right now is a lack of motivation. He has no more life force; his woman is with old Dyen, and he hasn't had a day off with us. Watch me.'

The whale then spoke mentally to Zanou. 'Alright, my pet is very emotional and lonely. We'll get Lyra and the others away from the old man. She's your age, right? She should still be able to cultivate. We can drag her along a bit. A good pet will only grow healthy if he is happy, after all.'

Zanou's heart started beating like a drum, leaving Zane astonished.

Gael nodded in satisfaction; Zanou only wanted to live with that girl. But his life was never easy, and with the encouragement of memories from his past life, he ended up following the same villainous path as them instead of seeking another way out. Now that they are giving him a chance, and Zanou has already understood the true potential that this whale had, his world seemed to light up.

'But for that, you have to show that it's worth it. You have another thirty minutes to complete the herb processing.' The whale added and turned away.

Then, they approached Mira's side, who was focused on using her mental technique to cover up disturbances in the cave.

'This is ridiculous. Do you think everyone is as emotional as you? It's not a miracle; if he can't do it, he can't.' Zane said sarcastically. Too bad he would bite his tongue very soon.

In just fifteen minutes, the scent of a red liquid that looked like blood filled the cave. It was a complete success.