Chapter 32: Photo

After discovering the matching aspect traces between Nox and the evolution elixir, Ain didn’t deliberate on its significance for long. Since Wailing Revenant’s Tears was custom-made for Nox, similar aspect traces didn’t seem implausible. The secret was likely in the Spirit Cultivator Tome. Hence, he didn’t mind his temporary ignorance.

The last curiosity in the evolution elixir was its unknown grade. It’d been the same for the Puppet Command Token. From Cyberspace, he learned that aside from their ranks, artifacts, equipment, and elixirs were further classified by grades. The three grades he discovered were Common, Excellent, and Superior, each successive grade higher in quality and value.

The healing pills and antidotes he’d consumed earlier were Common-grade elixirs.

Considering all this, Ain supported a strange look, “The Puppet Command Token and the Wailing Revenant’s Tears must have a higher grade than Superior.”

Better items were naturally more valuable. A copper ring couldn’t compare to a gold ring, and Common-grade items were naturally inferior to Superior-grade items. Just with these two artifacts, his net worth might be greater than expected, which unnerved him a little. Especially since he’d been almost robbed of them.

“I have to be more careful.” Ain decided. Turning to the expectant Nox, he said, “This evolution elixir will help you evolve to Ancient. It’s late now so let’s wait until tomorrow.”

“Wooo…” Nox’s body deflated like a leaking balloon. Its eyes remained glued to the Wailing Revenant’s Tears as he set it aside.

Ignoring its antics, Ain moved onto the new quest.

[Quest: The Anticipated Power-Up]

[Description: With Arcane Heart University’s imminent recruitment, what can you achieve with a Rank-0 Spirit Pet? Before the recruitment, evolve Nox to Ancient and strengthen it to Rank-1.]

[Reward: Heavenly Whispers x2]

“The reward is two Heavenly Whispers this time. I’ll have five in total after this quest.” He mused hopefully. Every addition of Heavenly Whispers inched him closer to his goal.

As this was already his fourth quest, Ain began identifying some patterns.

“First, I can’t intentionally trigger these quests; however, their objectives always align with my plans.”

“Second, the reward is always Heavenly Whispers, though the quantity may vary.”

“Third, the quests can offer hints to aid in completing the objectives.”

“Altogether, as I’d learned before, Wisdom Root’s Quest ability serves to guide me. It also allows me to obtain Heavenly Whispers to use Heavenly Secrets.” Ain neatly concluded, organizing his thoughts to gain further insight into Wisdom Root. Quests were integral to achieving his goals.

He committed this idea to heart and continued clearing the storage ring. As he was inspecting the ensuing items, Ain’s eyes gradually widened in shock. The two items before him devastated his financial values.

First was a simple cashcard, a gray card loaded with starcoins, indispensable for anonymous trading. Upon scanning it with his hololink, his account balance suddenly soared to one million! This cashcard was valued at one million starcoins!

Mind-blown by the staggering starcoins, the second item, a pouch with 50 aether crystals, failed to faze him. However, as this was already his second set of aether crystals, Ain curiously searched them on Cyberspace, causing his already dazed heart to shake even further, as if struck by lightning. Thunder seemed to reverberate in his mind.

“O-one aether crystal… is one million starcoins?” He muttered in disbelief, staring at the small pile of clear crystals. He’d ignored precious diamonds to clamor over cheap glass! With seven from before, this pile of aether crystals was valued at 57 million starcoins! This was an amount he didn’t dare to imagine, despite becoming a spirit master!

The Starcoin was Dawnstar Federation’s official currency. However, it was only a standard for the mortal society. What promised true universal value for spirit masters were aether crystals. Aether crystals could be directly absorbed by spirit masters, or used in alchemy, spell arrays, artifacts, equipment, and to fuel mechanics and technology.

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Rank-1 served as a transitory phase, where starcoins still held some relevance. However, past that, only aether crystals reigned supreme.

Nox, sensing Ain’s great shock, glanced over curiously but turned away soon after. The scene failed to rouse its interest. Or rather, it failed to overcome its attraction for the evolution elixir.

“Wait… so that fat bastard was trying to scam a million starcoins from me?” Ain’s face suddenly scrunched up. The chubby innkeeper wanted one aether crystal for a night’s rest! Moreover, he was likely behind the robbery as well.

“I’ll definitely settle the score one day.” He steeled his resolve. The chubby innkeeper couldn’t be weak since he’d colluded with the thin man. Ain would remember this matter.

He sighed to clear his thoughts before glancing at the final images on the storage ring’s holographic grid. He said, “The last two items seem to be papers…”

Tapping the images, two pieces of paper appeared in his hand. One was a handwritten letter, and the other was a colorful photo. The vibrant photo naturally drew his gaze first.

Viewing the picture, Ain’s initial curiosity gradually morphed into a stunned silence. His grip on the letter loosed as it fluttered onto the white bed sheets, laying there neglected. Moments later, his lips pursed and eyes watered. He felt a lump in his throat, suppressing his sniffles with myriad emotions.

The photo depicted a lush garden with verdant flowers, inspiring a tranquil vivacity. Standing amidst this picturesque scenery were several individuals, with festive smiles and refined graciousness, gathering around a white-haired old man. This old man’s appearance was ordinary, yet his hazy gray eyes depicted a starry brilliance. With an amiable smile gracing his wrinkled face, he exuded an otherworldly bearing, like a celestial banished to the mortal world.

Of the individuals surrounding the old man, two were extremely familiar to Ain. He’d walked alongside them, conversed with them, received guidance and gifts from them.

They were Sage and Livia.

Possessing the familiar elegant charm, they were smiling with a gentle demeanor, standing to the left of the old man. However, what truly elicited Ain’s emotions were the two individuals on the old man’s right, a man and woman. The man was smiling spiritedly, with sharp azure eyes and hair with a similar hue, his arm wrapped across the woman’s shoulders. The woman, on the other hand, appeared calm and affectionate, with long jet-black hair and obsidian eyes.

Strikingly, there was a toddler in her arms, with similar jet-black hair and eyes, smiling happily at the camera. Gazing at the man and woman, Ain faintly realized their identities. In his heart, his own visage overlapped with the two, displaying a vast resemblance.

Memories are anchors for emotion, connecting the heart and mind. Without memories, he’d never truly longed for kinship, only yearned for what could’ve been. His curiosity was an obsession for the past since the future held no regard for him. Yet now, gazing upon these familiar yet unfamiliar faces, Ain felt something surge inside him. This single picture became a memory, anchoring vast emotions he’d never realized existed.

“Mother… father…” He squeezed out with choking emotions. Past memories still void, this picture unraveled his heart to reveal a desire for kinship, an innocent yearning for one’s parents.

“Wooo…” Sensing Ain’s emotions, Nox hopped into his arms and attempted to brighten his spirits. It poked at him with tiny extensions, morphing into irregularly comical shapes. In doing so, it unexpectedly found these actions familiar, as if it’d done this before, yet couldn’t recall anything.

Ain dejectedly stared at the photo for nearly ten minutes, his mind whirling through the cosmos for an answer. Where were his parents? What happened back then? These questions remained unanswered.

However, Sage and Livia’s actions were finally comprehensible. Their encounter wasn’t a coincidence. It was all deliberate. Their kindness and compassion, their care and concern; they were all genuine. Sage and Livia were undeniably related to his parents. But why not reveal this connection? What was the reason for their silence?

As Ain’s thoughts churned, a couple sentences from Sage suddenly became conspicuous, appearing at the forefront of his mind.

Ain, knowledge is precious, but it can also be burdensome. It is not good to set your horizons so high at this stage. You will naturally encounter this information once you are prepared for it.

These were Sage’s words following Ain’s inquiry about this realm in which they resided. He believed he’d already understood those words, but their true intent was only now perceived.

“Uncovering the past now won’t do me any good. When I’m strong enough, the veils will naturally be lifted.” He murmured softly. This was Sage’s answer for the silence.

“In the end, I need to become stronger, whether it be to use Heavenly Secrets, or to bear the weight of my past.” Thinking this far, Ain was unexpectedly refreshed. Some doubts were resolved, and he’d discovered another avenue to accomplish his goal. This new avenue was to search for the individuals in the photo.

Aside from his parents, Sage, Livia, and the old man, three other individuals were present in the picture. A red-eyed man with a buzz-cut, a beautiful woman with flowing blonde hair, and a slim man with long sharp ears and platinum-blonde hair. Ain thoroughly memorized their appearance, identifying the sharp-eared man as an elf.

In the slum, myths and legends regarding elves, dwarves, demons, and angels often circulated. They were commonly portrayed in various entertainment outlets as well. Livia had also mentioned elves living on the Regal Plane, the largest landmass in this realm.

That was a direction worth considering in the future.