Arson sat on the rooftop of the BHC warehouse and contemplated what he wanted to do with the little time he had before he had to return to Endless. One thing above all else pushing to the front of his mind on repeat, the Coveted marital status in his Overlay impossible to ignore.
Odd sensations had been coming through their connections, and though Troy was used to Arson sending her energy, the weaker of any Cultivation couple feeling this was common. The feeling of vitality Arson felt recently from Troy had been part of the reason why Arson had believed he may be able to defeat or capture the demon without the use of any absurd plans.
“Was it all that absurd though?
Arson puzzled over what had gone wrong the day prior during their first attack on the demon world, realizing that Mr. Kim had more of a grudge with Arson than he’d originally surmised after talking with Xani.
Mr. Kim had foiled their attack on the large robot, and as if to make matters worse, Anastasia showed Arson footage of a plague swarm of demonic crows had exited the dump scattering in all directions across Maelstrom, almost the direct moment after Arson and the wolf had been knocked from the sky.
Arson felt good about winning the stadium competition, but wasn’t even able to experience the same level of excitement over the accomplishment or even visit the coliseum they were finishing due to the rules.
No contender in the tournament was allowed to have any knowledge about the stage or coliseum set up. This was to ensure that no-one got an edge on their competitors and that another terrorist level attack did not gain traction or cause another delay to the realm layer’s largest event.
So rather than be able to complete the setup with his friends, he sat in wait. Lost in thought, his mind pulled him toward his other list of worries.
Currently Khalif, Oscar, and Micro were investigating the trial entrance to see if the trial had even spawned correctly. After Jade had finally calmed down, she told Arson that his bloodline creation would need time to charge, which was why the pocket of empty space he’d been inside had been empty. The pyramid would now charge, and its additional features would become active.
Meanwhile Xani was remotely communicating with Anastasia to see about the dense wall of transformative runes, constantly shifting on the backside of the pyramid. Arson was also interested in what would be found there, but knew that his list of unanswered questions was becoming unending.
He pulled free the chest he’d managed to grab from the preliminaries. The secret reward had been something he’d believed he’d be unable to achieve, but still managed to manifest.
He looked over the dump, while running his fingers across the smooth metal of the chest. A thumbprint lock sat positioned at the center of the chest's face, and for the first time since he’d gotten it, he wondered what was inside.
As Arson didn’t need money as he once had, nor did he need access to resources or information, the contents of the chest had been pushed to the back of his mind like a passing thought no more significant than what he wanted to eat for lunch that day. Now though, Arson needed a distraction, unluckily for him the moment he pressed his thumb to the chest, he was given more than he asked for.
A hiss of released pressure came from the chest as its lid lifted open slightly. Arson was able to feel the expelling of ambient mana used to preserve items from large to small, the runes used to direct the mana toward stability rather than destruction visible to Arson.
He momentarily wondered why he was now able to see the tiny runic symbols that fluttered through the mana that drifted by him. Not knowing if this was an effect of the runic systems used on the chest, or if his ability to recognize runes in their natural form was increasing with day to day practice.
Moving past the oddity mentally, Arson lifted the lid. At the same time in the periphery of his vision he saw something he couldn’t ignore.
What the…
Arson’s gaze shot back out toward the edge of the restored areas of the dump around the BHC warehouse. A familiar face there that Arson hadn’t seen since the preliminaries for the tournament of scions was making her way toward a blue zone Arson was very familiar with.
Not wanting to lose track of the young woman, Arson quickly opened up the chest, and grabbed the egg inside, giving the shifting colored object a strange look in curiosity as he jumped from the roof, a new notification popping into his view for him to read while he chased the quickly moving young woman down.
*Egg of Eternal Infancy: This egg's power is truly dependent on the individual it finds itself attached to. No, this is no mere dragon, phoenix, or even titan egg, but that of a non ethereal elemental.
Based on the mana of the user, this elemental will embody the purest form of all elements found within its link's cores. This process is incredibly painful, and though it does not have a time restriction to be completed, the elemental's birth will not commence until each of the various manas have been ingested.
Estimated time for completion: 1-21 days. The process begins once the surface of the egg makes physical contact with the user's skin, and requires a continual flow of mana to be completed.*
Arson glanced at the egg once more, before he shrugged and tucked the tennis ball sized egg under his arm, quickly pulling a set of loose bandages from a first aid kit held within his spacial inventory, and tied the egg to himself as he ran. A subtle itching began, but Arson was able to ignore it for the time being and focused on the individual he had yet to determine was an intruder or an interested party.
Many individuals from the slums had begun to try and explore the dump since Lane filmed him and the Builders sparring with one another, among a few other random training exercises, but this was the first time Arson had seen an obvious scion. Nobles stood out to Arson, and he had to ignore his mind's perception of how he was most likely seen to be as flamboyant now that he too was considered a scion.
Not that I would trade my crown for anything, but you know, Maiden, you really know how to make life difficult.
After a while longer of sprinting Arson found a young woman standing there, the name, Chozen Lilith Crown floating above her head. She stood with her back to Arson, staring at the first suit of living armor Arson had ever lost too. The memory of him and Troy being forced to flee filling his mind momentarily, before he decided not to linger too long on thoughts that twisted his guts, mind and heart to dwell on even for the briefest of moments.
“You going to go in or just stand here,” asked Arson from a distance. Arson knew from his closed eye dominion that the girl was alone, but was still on high alert. Mr. Kim’s last engagement made Arson weary of any unfamiliar faces, and until the dangerous business man was dealt with, Arson wouldn’t lower his guard.
“By the maiden!” The young woman jumped, and turned around all at the same time, Arson obviously scaring her. He found her surprise amusing and smiled at her in an attempt to show that he wasn’t there to harm her in any way.
“You a believer? You would need to be, running through a dangerous place like this all by yourself,” stated Arson simply. Chozen looked between him and the living armor suit. Both targets apparently carried the same level of threat in Chozen’s eyes from her apprehensive glances in either direction.
“I am a believer, and for you to speak as if you are as well surprises me considering the demons I’ve encountered within this place,” said Chozen. Arson nodded, knowing that his home was a volatile place to experience.
“So why are you here then?” asked Arson. His eyes narrowed and he noticed after a quick scan with his Overlay that the young woman had her level increased significantly since the last time they’d encountered one another.
“I… I… am here to help out in the restorative efforts of a group that is supposed to live nearby called The BlackHole Conglomerate,” answered Chozen shakily. Arson tried to ignore what he felt was most likely a lie, but the longer he stared her down the more confidence in her response she seemed to gain.
“Hmm is that so, well then why did you go past their entire set of facilities and are now sneaking through one of their many training grounds?”
“It's umm not your business, but regardless I wanted to make sure they weren’t actually a shady organization first before I decided to completely give aid. Many of the entities in my own realm are picture perfect above ground, only to be farms for innocent souls below ground,” stated Chozen with such confidence that Arson nodded, coming to believe the young woman was truly there to help, and not for yet another unexpected saboteur mission. He wasn’t entirely convinced that she wasn’t another of Mr. Kim’s spies, but had no details proving otherwise.
“I see, well then, go on…” Arson gestured toward the Living Armor behind her and watched as her eyes went wide for the second time.
“Go in there? I don’t even know what this place is. How can I trust that you aren’t sending me to my death?”
Arson shrugged, “It's not a safe place to be, and by the look you were wearing as I approached, you already know that, don’t you?”
The question’s answer was implied, and Arson tried not to smile when the girl nodded and looked slightly dismayed at her current situation.
“Look, I’m not here to give you a hard time, but sneaking through my mother’s backyard and acting as if I’m the criminal in this situation is laughable,” said Arson. He noticed the glance she took toward the Career Criminal brand on his neck and Arson couldn’t help but chuckle internally.
Man… and when I was beginning to have hope that you weren’t one of those…
Arson knew that his appearance came with many potential assumptions that could be easily made after a single look, but hadn’t been too affected recently by his disheveled hair and criminal brand.
“I’m sorry but my life has shown that trust requires far more than just a few short words to be a reality. It takes action,” said Chozen, gesturing for Arson to go inside one of the many seemingly oddly placed empty fields held within the extremely large dump.
“Oh spark no! I haven’t been in there since I was seven and honestly feel I need far more training,” admitted Arson. The young woman’s face screwed up in disbelief. She mouthed the word, you, with a pointed finger at Arson and he merely shrugged.
“Go in and find out for yourself if you don’t believe me. It's not like I benefit if you go in there and lose your life. Aren’t you some kind of foreign royalty? Me and mine don’t need that kind of spotlight put on our activities whether we are, as you said, a picture of perfection or a farm of souls,” said Arson.
“Why would you let me go in here otherwise? You are my competition for the tournament of scions, I couldn’t see a better opportunity for you to get rid of me than this,” stated Chozen still apprehensive to enter, not truly aware of what she may be about to partake in.
“I don’t see the point of doing anything that isn’t challenging, and you have, from what I can see by your level, gained a lot in a very short time. Do you expect me to believe you haven’t already experienced what this place has to offer?” said Arson waving his hands around himself, trying his best to scratch at the itch that grew beneath his armpit.
Not painful yet, but we will see.
Chozen nodded at him.
“I’d be lying if I said I hadn’t, but what that has to do with an ancient armor probably worth more than this entire realm just sitting out in the open for all to see—“
“Nothing. It's a training tool, and its value before the BlackHole Conglomerate began to reclaim this area was nothing. It is still so dangerous to encounter for most that it is seen as valuable as having a herd of inedible wild animals making a den in unexplored regions around your home, without a need for it, it has no value,” cut in Arson. He tried to keep the edge from his voice, but the itching grew more and more intense by the breath.
“Well you said you like a challenge, so why not go in with me?”
Arson opened his mouth to once more reject entering the area, but then thought to himself a moment, closing his mouth as he contemplated.
“How about this, we both go in, and the first one of us to either land a blow on the armor or be struck loses, and has to answer any and all questions honestly,” said Arson with a smile. Chozen glanced between the armor and him once more before returning a smile of her own.
“You're on!”
…
Lane and Jasmine were so busy with what they’d been instructed to do that both young women were completely exhausted. Luckily for them, Autumn had already put in the ground work for a small spa to be built into the forest near to the BHC warehouse.
The pair lay in tubs made of marble, with runic formations designed by Xani to draw in heat from the land and air around the tubs. These formations directly interacted with runes used to draw in moisture to fill the tubs consistently from the air as well, forming natural hot tubs that bubbled with enough pressure to massage the body and relieve tension.
“How long have we been in here again,” asked Lane.
“I don’t know, and I don’t care!”
Jasmine was beyond tired and her mood supported her current state, agitated, and frustrated.
“Come on, don’t be like that. We have a lot going for us right now, can you imagine how the grand opening of this place is going to be? It could potentially even overshadow the coliseum’s completion inside our own realm,” stated Lane, her eyes low as a fortnight’s worth of hard work melted off her body like ice touched by spring’s bloom.
“Not like any of that will matter if our super-powered friends leave our mortal butts behind. I’m so bloody tired all the time I’m starting to believe that I’ll need to become a cultivator to even be able to handle all the work Arson gives us,” said Jasmine angrily, her voice muffled by bubbles and water.
“Yeah, I hear that. I sometimes worry I’m not enough for the guild and our friends, then I look at what I’ve already accomplished, I wouldn’t trade this life for anything, but don’t get me wrong I see your point," said Lane with a frown. BHC workers roamed about the area, serving food to the limited number of guests they’d invited to test the spa’s limited attractions. Autumn had merely set up the lush gardens that encompassed the spa’s entire layout,. A beautiful canopy above each tub woven to allow sunlight to drift in, creating a soothing and pleasant environment.
Jasmine stayed silent stewing in her thoughts, honestly worried for the first time in her life that she wasn’t enough for the job at hand. She’d also come a long way, and much of her own efforts often went unseen by the rest of her friends, but the slack they left behind for her to pick up was growing almost as quickly as the rest of their efforts. It wasn’t until Lane spoke up once more that she realized she had so much more growing to do.
“I guess all we can do now is become Cultivators, I’ve been too afraid to ask Jade, but I guess I have to get over my fears and buck up, right? What did Arson always used to say, Mind, Body, Soul, just gotta start from the basics I guess, even Jade wasn’t a Cultivator when she was born and—“
“Lane, you are a sparking Genius. We are practically living with the future Mother Nature of our own realm. Why didn’t I think of that myself?” roared Jasmine, splashing water everywhere as she sat up immediately. Lane looked over at her in surprise and sat up slowly.
“I was only kidding, I don’t think Jade has time for something like—“
Jasmine was on her feet and climbing out of the luxurious tub, looking around frantically, as if she would catch Jade flying casually through the air in the distance. Now talking to herself as she organized her thoughts. Lane seeing the intensity of the young woman’s excitement jumped up knowing that if she didn’t she would be left behind, her friend already running off, half naked and muttering to herself.
“Geez, Jazz! Wait for me, woman!”