Chapter 62: Crystal Hearts

As the morning sun cast its light across the woods, Darius stood with his messy black hair stirred by a breeze, his azure eyes fixed on the last motes of light being absorbed into the Immortal Beast Codex.

"I wonder what type of environment it will generate? Might provide me some hints."

Darius honed his focus on the Codex, his vision plunging into the vast dark void within the Immortal Treasure. There, alongside the miasmic cloud produced by the swamp-roach, resided a new cloud about the same size—a swirl of white with a tinge of gold.

'Well, at least it doesn't have the same tendencies as little sister,' Darius thought, delving deeper into the cloud. He was instantly stunned by what he found. 'So, this is what you're into.'

Crystals, treasures, and shiny trinkets lay in giant heaps as far as the eye could see. In the center, the small lightning weasel sat dejectedly amid its hoard.

'Sorry, little friend, but for now, they're all illusions,' Darius chuckled, watching the creature's hopes of a vast new treasure horde vanish as it pouted.

The beast turned its turquoise eyes toward Darius. 'Said others. Alone, Neko,' its thoughts reached him in a voice that was oddly high-pitched yet deep.

'That's surprising, you could actually understand me. Yes, there are others, but they aren't here right now. I'll take you to meet them soon.' Darius moved closer, projecting his body and sitting before the beast. 'What manner of beast are you? What is your kind called?'

The weasel cocked its head, seeming to ponder, then suddenly darted around Darius like he was a tree, scrambling up to his shoulder before responding, 'Alone, Neko. Neko is Neko.'

Furrowing his brow, Darius asked, 'You're alone? Meaning you're the only one like you?'

Shaking its head, the weasel began to scratch and burrow into Darius's hair. 'Neko is Neko.'

With his head being nudged repeatedly, Darius kept his composure and pressed further, 'Has Neko ever met or seen another Neko?'

Pausing, the beast poked its face out of Darius's hair, furrowed its brows briefly, then shook its head. 'Alone, Neko.'

'Okay, Neko' Darius smiled, lifting the beast from his head. 'Do you know you're a very special mana-beast?' He set Neko down in front of him. 'Neko, what do you want? What does Neko want more than anything in the world?'

Its turquoise eyes glowed as it responded instantly, 'Hearts!'

Darius's eyes widened briefly, 'Why do you want these hearts?'

'Tasty, Neko!'

Darius rolled his eyes, 'Another weirdo.'

'Hearts, shiny! Hearts, pretty! Hearts, crunchy!' The weasel bounced excitedly as it expressed its desires, casting a brief glance toward the illusionary crystals scattered around and snorting dismissively.

'Oh, hearts—you mean crystals?' Darius manifested an illusion of a beast crystal in his hand. 'This is a heart?'

'Heart, tasty!' Neko bobbed his head, drooling in anticipation.

Darius chuckled and dismissed the crystal illusion. 'In the future, Neko, let's call them crystals, okay? I don't think Haku would appreciate you talking about eating hearts.'

'Haku?' In an instant, the weasel appeared on his shoulder. 'Haku, tasty?'

'I'd wager not. Besides, he's your new brother, not food.' Darius stood up. 'Wait here a moment; I'll summon you outside.'

The beast tilted its head, lost in thought, when suddenly Darius disappeared. Startled by the unexpected sensation of slowly floating to the ground, Neko's eyes widened in surprise, a small smile escaping its mouth as it descended.

Darius's mind withdrew from the Codex, he opened his eyes and smiled. "What an interesting beast! I wonder if it can evolve?"

Just as he was about to summon the weasel, Darius's arm glowed momentarily. To his astonishment, Neko popped his head out of the Codex for a second, and scampered back onto his shoulder, chirping, 'Moment, Neko.'

"How did..." Darius's eyes widened as he quickly scanned both the weasel and the Codex, searching for any differences from the Swamp-Roach or potential flaws or damage that might have resulted from Neko's earlier attacks.

'Hungry, Neko,' the weasel's words rung in Darius's mind, sniffing intently inside his ear and scratching at his cheek.

Glancing sideways at the beast, a sudden idea struck Darius. "Neko, I have a deal for you. Do you understand what a deal is?"

This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.

Unfazed by the question, Neko continued his sniffing and digging, replying simply, 'Trade?'

"Yes! Smart Neko." Darius shifted Neko to his other shoulder. "Now pay attention, this is very important."

Neko perked up, twisting to face Darius directly.

Darius crossed his eyes to meet Neko’s gaze. "Do you know that I have an actual mountain of crystals, not like those fake ones?"

Neko scurried onto Darius's head, peering down into his eyes as he held them open. 'Trade?! Trade, Neko?'

With a look of mild annoyance, Darius said, "Yes, trade, Neko. But you have to do two things for me, and I will give you hearts—I mean, crystals."

In a flash, Neko scampered down Darius and stood before him, rearing back on his hind paws. 'Tell, tell,' he urged.

Darius fixed a serious gaze into Neko's turquoise eyes, his voice firm. "Only enter or exit the Immortal Beast Codex when I tell you to." He gestured to the vambrace. "When you exit as I command, I'll give you a crystal; and when you return on command, you'll get another."

Neko squinted momentarily, then declared, 'Neko is Neko.'

Darius noticed the fierce independence and pride in Neko’s eyes and was inwardly impressed, though he maintained a neutral expression. "Your freedom will be restricted, yes. But you won't need to hunt for food, and I will provide you with crystals while you're inside the Codex. You'll also have plenty of free time within the Beast-Farm."

'Farm, Neko?'

"It's where your brother and sister are right now, a vast expanse of land, safe from any dangers. It's also where I keep my mountain of crystals." Darius's voice rose with excitement as he revealed his full hand.

Neko furrowed his brow, turned in place a few times, then finally stopped and faced Darius, decisively stating, 'Trade.'

"Good, good, good! Remember, if you break this deal, no crystals for you. And don't think I can't keep you locked down if you misbehave." Darius's tone was firm but fair. "But know this, Neko, if you listen and show your loyalty, you'll never go hungry. Plus, I'll help you discover more about what you are. Who knows? There might even be a pretty lady Neko out there." As he spoke, he reached into his pouch and pulled out a pulsing, nearly flawless, 3rd stage purple beast crystal, with tiny arcs of electricity visibly swimming within it.

'Neko?' Neko's gaze fixed on the crystal, his response drawn out as drool formed at his mouth.

"Consider this a celebration of our new beginning. Take this and enter the Codex. I'll be traveling for a few more days, and then we will visit the Vault."

As his eyes remained glued to the shining crystal, Neko absent-mindedly murmured, 'Vault?'

Darius tossed the crystal to Neko, who caught it with both tiny hands, rolling onto his back and holding it above him. "The Vault is the name of your other new home. You'll see it soon. Now, back into the Codex."

In a flash of purple lightning, Neko streaked into the Codex, disappearing into its surface with a ripple.

"Wasn't even listening," Darius chuckled to himself. Touching the Brooch of the Star-Baron on his shoulder, his form shimmered into the larger guise of the elder Xue Feng.

His aura shifted, settling into the warm glow of a Tier 3 fire knight. "So far, this has been a fortuitous trip; let's hope this luck continues."

As the day's sun hung settled in the sky, the Grand Elder of the Ling Xu sect continued his journey through the woods, the vibrant life of the forest stirring around him. Heading in the direction of the human city and a potential lead to solving his bottleneck.

----

Inside the mage tower of Rancito Cordoba, the air buzzed with the energetic movements of its inhabitants. The Great Hall was an expansive chamber, its walls lined with shelves overflowing with ancient tomes. Enormous portraits of illustrious mages from the past adorned the walls, each frame steeped in history and magic.

Above, the ceiling soared, hosting an intricate orrery where glowing orbs floated, their movement mimicking the celestial dance of stars, casting a breathtaking light across the room.

Apprentices and seasoned mages moved swiftly, their robes whispering along the marble floors, weaving through the busy hall like bees in a hive, each engrossed in their scholarly pursuits.

At a desk nestled among the rows of towering bookshelves sat a young man, still in his teens. His bushy brown hair stood up in unruly patches, a stark contrast to his pale skin, which was dotted with a constellation of freckles across his nose.

Engrossed in a large tome, he turned the pages slowly, each letter shimmering with its own light, casting flickers that danced across his focused expression.

As he read, a tiny flame danced at his fingertips, held aloft with a casual flicker of control. Suddenly, a booming voice from behind startled him, causing the flame to leap and singe his finger. "Crelos," it thundered.

"Ouch, flamin'—" Crelos hissed, quickly popping the burnt digit into his mouth. Turning around, he faced the imposing figure of Solomon Brundy, his large frame nearly filling the space behind him. "Mmm, yes, Master?" Crelos asked, trying to mask his discomfort with a mix of respect and mild irritation.

"Pack your things, we are going to be making a trip, we leave tomorrow," Solomon announced abruptly before turning to stride away.

Crelos, caught off guard, quickly snapped his book shut and with a flick of his wrist, the tome vanished into the pouch at his side. "A trip, Master? To where?"

Since his time in Fang Root Forest, Crelos's aura had visibly strengthened. His fire aura now pulsed with the power of a Tier 3 inceptor mage, reflecting the significant growth in his magical abilities.

"That idiot brother of mine has decided to take a wife, we will be attending the wedding," Solomon declared, his voice tinged with annoyance.

"But Master, doesn't your brother live in the territory of Morla? That's on the other side of the world," Crelos complained, his mind swirling at the thought of such a lengthy journey.

Solomon stopped and turned to Crelos with a look of disappointment. "Just go pack your things. The tower Master has been gracious enough to send us himself."

"Yes, Master." Crelos quickly bowed and then hurried off in the opposite direction from Brundy.

As Crelos made his way through the grand hall, he caught the eyes of various mages; some glanced cautiously, others stared openly. "You'd think they'd get over it by now," he muttered under his breath.

Whispers fluttered through the air from the mages he passed, the words "prodigy" and "bad omen" occasionally reaching his ears.

When Crelos returned to the tower four years ago, word of his master's death—and the death of everyone else but him—spread like wildfire. Being the sole survivor had cast a shadow over him, but the situation worsened when Rainslif declared the incident taboo to discuss.

On another occasion, during a different mission, his team suffered severe casualties with all survivors injured, except for him. It was after this incident that the nickname "bad omen" began to cling to him.

'One day, you'll all be too scared to even breathe behind my back,' Crelos thought bitterly. Just before exiting the hall, he flared his aura, startling an apprentice who had been staring at him.

With a self-satisfied smile, Crelos quickened his pace toward his quarters. Meanwhile, his master exited the other side of the hall, his expression stern and thoughtful.

His steps deliberate, Solomon began the slow ascent up the tower, navigating through its expanding labyrinth like passages. After a long climb up a winding staircase, he finally arrived at the top, standing before a door. He paused, then called out, "Master Adept Crowley?"

"You may enter, Brundy," came the calm voice of Crowley from within the room. Solomon stepped into the vast space, instantly greeted by sunlight and the sounds of buzzing insects, chirping birds, and the rich, earthy smell of various blossoms. The room was a sprawling indoor garden, a sanctuary of greenery and vibrant flowers.

As Brundy's gaze wandered, he spotted a particular row of flowers where Rainslif Crowley knelt in the midst of them. Dressed in black trousers and a white dress shirt with rolled-up sleeves, Crowley wore gloves and was busy digging in the dirt.

Walking over to Rainslif, Brundy initiated the conversation with a boisterous cheer. "Everything's ready for the trip!"

Rainslif paused, looking up with interest. "And why have you decided to take Crelos?"

Caught off guard for a moment, Brundy’s voice carried a hint of embarrassment as he explained, "The boy's thirst for knowledge is immense, but his will is weak, and his morals cloud his reason. I intend to make him understand the cruelties of reality."

Rainslif thought for a moment before nodding. "Make sure nothing jeopardizes the mission."

"I know my place, Master Adept, and I will not fail," Brundy smiled confidently.

Rainslif handed Brundy two scrolls he summoned, his grip firm on the last one. "These will take you to your destination and back," he explained, not letting go of the scroll. Locking eyes with Brundy, he added sternly, "If you fail, you're on your own." With those final words, he released the scroll and turned back to his gardening.

Brundy recoiled slightly from Rainslif’s pupil-less eyes, feeling the immense mana pressure behind them. He walked out of the garden, the weight of the encounter pressing down on him. As he closed the door behind him, his jovial facade momentarily slipped, revealing a flash of devilish rage before he quickly recomposed himself with a practiced smile and began his descent.

"I'm sorry, dear brother, you should have stayed a bachelor as I advised," Brundy chuckled, his steps echoing through the narrow hallway as his fiery Tier 4 aura filled the space. 'I'm just half a step from ascending. Once I return and claim my reward, nothing will stand in the way of me getting my own tower!' His thoughts igniting his eyes for a moment, then fading slowly like the light at dusk as he strode away.