“Jade level dungeons test your mental fortitude. Amber level dungeons test your physical capabilities. Sapphire level dungeons test your spirit. These first three stages of a cultivator's development are considered the fundamental introduction to cultivation and the first step toward true immortality.” Lena began with the tone of an elder.

“Few sects seek glory beyond the comfort of jade level dungeons in this era, but the ancient sects of distant lands still continue to leave their marks as history is written.”

“That makes sense.” Micro nodded.

“And Ruby comes later...?”

The next three stages are Emerald, Ruby, and Cerulean.” Lena continued.

“Emerald dungeons test your skills against various beings. Monsters, beasts, legendary creatures...”

Lena's eyes glowed for a moment as she thought of the challenges which lay in emerald level dungeons, but she continued as Micro looked at her with curious eyes.

“Ruby dungeons test your ability to survive the natural world.” She said with a hushed voice.

“Many consider this to be the greatest obstacle of all the dungeons, for there is no end to the challenges you may face.”

“The natural world?” Micro repeated.

“So, the world is in the dungeon?”

“The many forces of the world, yes.” Lena explained.

“The heat of a volcano, the wind of a hurricane, the darkness of the ocean's depths... Such trials have made even the strongest cultivators of legend whimper like feeble children. They are neither cruel nor kind, as some dungeons are. They are impartial and unforgiving.”

“I'll try to get a little stronger before I enter one of those.” Micro frowned, then nodded his head as he reflected on her lecture.

“Red means stop most of the time anyway. I'll be careful.”

“But what about the cerulean level dungeons?” Micro then asked.

“What challenge would come after defeating monsters and the entire world?”

“I know little of what lies beyond the cerulean stage.” Lena replied.

“But cerulean level cultivators know a struggle I cannot fully grasp. A cerulean level dungeon challenges one with the greatest possible foe.”

“Who?” Micro asked.

“The original cultivator? The Dungeon's creator?”

“Yourself.” Lena answered simply.

“A cerulean dungeon's trial requires a cultivator to overcome both their greatest weaknesses, as well as their greatest strengths.”

“I'd have to fight myself...” Micro wondered for a moment.

“I wonder if I'd win.”

“I hope you find out one day, honourable young master of the Truck Sect.” Lena said.

“I'd be offended if any other cultivator with a mere Amber Core spoke so lightly of such matters, but I've seen the impossible become possible on several occasions in my time with you already. I can not help but to watch your journey with undue optimism.”

“Thanks, Lena.” Micro said. He was about to ask Lena more about dungeons, but he suddenly felt a strong gaze directed at him from the blue pixie on his shoulder.

“Hmm...” Blue sighed, staring at him with an uncertain look.

“Are you okay?” Micro asked.

“It's nothing...” She mumbled in reply.

“I was wondering if we were about to die in a ruby level dungeon.”

“Why would that happen?” Micro asked in surprise.

“Indeed...” Blue replied, nodding slowly.

“Just warn me if you get any sudden urges.”

“Umm... Okay...” Micro tilted his head and shrugged.

“Are we there yet?” Kolt suddenly shouted, having fallen behind Lena, Micro, and Kira by quite a few paces.

“He's much weaker than his sister.” Lena remarked, stopping to turn around.

“Or is it that she is stronger than the average mundane child? Hmm...”

“Do your best, Kolt.” Micro called back.

“I can carry you if it gets too hard to keep up.”

“We're already moving so slowly.” Lena sighed.

“I was also wondering why we were walking so slow.” Kira added, her innocent voice making its way back to her brother like a poison arrow.

“You!” Kolt fumed, but he was too short of breath to shout while moving.

“It'll take him a while to take your place as sect leader.” Blue chuckled.

“I'm the one... who made you... learn about energy...!” Kolt panted angrily at his sister while she waited for him to catch up.

“Show some... respect!”

Micro hid his mouth with his hand as he chuckled at the frustrated child, and an idea suddenly came to him. He opened up the pocket where Trill continued to sleep with a grumpy expression still on his face and called out to the pixie.

“Excuse me, Trill.” He said, stirring the pixie from his indefinite nap.

“What?” Trill replied with a long yawn.

“Can you sit on Kolt's shoulder and help him with his energy... issues?” Micro asked.

Trill crawled out of his pocket and looked at Blue with one eye still closed. Blue nodded expressionlessly, and Trill hung his head and sighed.

The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

“Of course.” Trill mumbled as he flapped his wings. In a moment, he had landed on the startled Kolt's shoulders.

“Wha-” Kolt mumbled in shock, but he was suddenly overwhelmed by a rush of energy originating from the yellow pixie.

“He can't take much.” Trill reported as he curled up in the matted fur of the garment draped over Kolt's shoulders.

“I can probably do this in my sleep.”

“Wow!” Kolt shouted, turning to face the pixie.

“Thanks, I feel like I'm-”

“In my sleep, I said.” Trill interrupted him.

“Sleep.”

Trill closed his eyes and immediately began to sleep, though Micro confirmed he was continuing to channel a small amount of energy into Kolt from his perch on the boy's shoulder. Kolt jumped up and down excitedly, testing the limits of his new stamina.

“I'm not tired at all!” Kolt celebrated as Lena watched with wide eyes.

“Such utilization of a pixie may be thought of as a magician's cheap trick, but I can't argue with the results.” Lena said.

“I'm tempted to forget the countless headaches pixies have caused me in my many years...”

Micro looked carefully at the energy filling Kolt's body, and confirmed that it was still flowing independently of the boy's will, travelling through the natural pathways in his body and ultimately escaping through his pores. However, the energy was more than potent enough to slightly accelerate the natural processes of healing in Kolt's body.

“Don't just enjoy the energy, Kolt.” Micro said, catching the boy's attention.

“What do you mean?” Kolt asked while flexing the muscle in his arm, causing Kira to roll her eyes.

“Get used to how it feels.” Micro explained.

“Pay attention to it. Trill can't stick to you forever.”

“Trill is its name?” Kolt mumbled.

“Trill is a pixie.” Micro explained.

“Pixies and cultivators don't always get along, so be careful who you talk to about them. I think they're nice though...”

“Nice? Maybe.” Blue shrugged.

“Fun? Usually.”

“Usually?” Micro asked.

“The fairies eat up all the fun around them.” Blue replied bitterly.

“They chew it up, and all they spit out is pretentious tripe.”

“Are fairies real?!” Kira cried out.

“Pixies, and now fairies?! Mother wouldn't believe me if I told her...”

“Steer clear of fairies.” Micro quickly added.

“They're a lot to deal with.”

“Oh... Okay.” Kira nodded, her excitement slightly deflated.

~

The group continued to walk, their pace quickened by Kolt's sudden increase in stamina, but evening had soon come once again.

“I'm not tired, but how much longer do we have to walk?” Kolt complained as they rested by a fire beneath a tree.

“I want to go fight that monster soon. Walking is boring.”

“Me too...” Micro sighed.

“But there are no roads, and I'm the only truck on this world as far as I know.”

“Truck?” Kira asked.

“What's that?”

“It's a vehicle with four wheels that people drive around where I'm from.” Micro replied.

“There are lots of different kinds of trucks. There are cars, planes, and other vehicles too. But trucks like me are definitely the most efficient and reliable.”

“You don't have four wheels though...” Kira whispered in confusion, looking at Micro's feet.

“This isn't my original body, unfortunately. I'm getting used to it though.” Micro said, tapping himself on the chest as if to comfort himself.

“My soul belongs in a truck on another world.”

“Woah...” Kira mumbled, looking into Micro's eyes intently.

“You're from another world? Which one?”

“It's called Earth.” Micro replied.

“Do you know it?”

“Doesn't that mean dirt?” Kira asked with an eyebrow raised.

“Your world is named after dirt?”

“What is your world called?” Micro asked, somewhat embarrassed by her question.

“It's called the world...” She chuckled.

“Why call it anything else?”

“But don't you confuse it with other worlds?” Micro asked.

“I only live on one.” Kira said, beginning to laugh.

“You're funny.”

“Thanks, Kira.” Micro smiled.

The fire they sat around crackled softly while the moon rose over the horizon. Lena and Blue were quietly meditating, causing the occasional wave of energy to fill the air like a breeze. Kolt felt compelled to join them after learning that they were actually getting stronger by sitting quietly, but he soon fell asleep with Trill still nestled in his dirty clothes.

Kira's mind was still racing with the stories Micro told, and she still felt ready for anything as energy flowed through her as if it had always been natural to her.

“You're sure you aren't uncomfortable?” Micro asked as Kira sighed at the stars.

“That's a lot of energy to suddenly have in you.”

“It feels wonderful.” Kira replied.

“And it makes the world look so bright. Even at night, everything is so...”

“It's beautiful, I know...” Micro added, joining her in watching the stars, mindful of the energy flowing through the air.

“Wait, I almost forgot. You said you were a vehicle in a past life?” Kira returned her attention to Micro with wide eyes.

“Until a few weeks ago, yes.” Micro replied.

“Although it feels like I've been on this world for a lot longer than that.”

“What do you mean?” Kira asked with her head tilted.

“Are trucks bad at keeping track of time?”

“Time passes by a lot faster in some dungeons.” Micro explained.

“I wonder how long I spent pushing a rock in that first dungeon... My time on my original world feels short compared to that. Oh well...”

“That sounds really boring...” Kira said with a sympathetic tone.

“It was a nice experience overall.” Micro chuckled.

“You can meet some interesting people in dungeons.”

“Hmm...” Kira crossed her arms for a moment, deep in thought.

“I can't imagine a person with four wheels.”

“A vehicle isn't a person.” Micro corrected her.

“Apparently I have a soul because of how much my driver cared for me. I think that makes sense. He had a heart big enough to share...”

Kira nodded slowly, then reached down to grab a twig which was sticking out of the fire. She blew the small flame at its end out, then held it out to Micro.

“Here.” She said, pointing at the dusty ground next to him with her other hand.

“Draw a truck.”

“Oh, I'll try.” Micro said, taking the stick.

He held the stick awkwardly, trying to recall the way the old man held a pen when writing. He made several lines in the dust to practice until a clear image of the picture he wanted to draw appeared in his mind. Kira watched with excitement and confusion as the picture gradually took shape.

Micro drew two wheels beneath a box-like body, then a window in the door. He drew several boxes in the bed of the truck, then leaned back and looked down at his work with a smile.

“This is what it looks like from the side.” He explained, pointing at the picture with the stick.

“The driver sits in there, and you can put whatever you like in the back, as long as it isn't too heavy.”

“Wha...” Kira marvelled for a moment.

“How does it move? Are carriages meant to be pulled?”

“There's an engine in there.” Micro replied, pointing at the bottom of the cab.

“You put fuel in the tank back here, and the engine makes everything move.”

“Is it magic?” Kira asked with wide eyes.

“Not at all.” Micro laughed, then pointed at the fire.

“You see how the fire makes lots of smoke when it burns? The engine burns fuel, and the energy which it releases makes you move.”

“A chariot of fire...?!” Kira marvelled.

“That's amazing!”

“I think so too.” Micro smiled.

“I want to ride one!” Kira shouted, causing Kolt to stir in his sleep.

“Where can we find an engine of fire?!”

“I'm the only truck on this world, as far as I know. There aren’t even mechanics here…” Micro replied sadly.

“You could ride on my shoulders, but I don't think it would be the same...”

“Oh...” Kira sighed.

“Do you think you could make one?”

Micro's expression hardened as he locked eyes with Kira. She leaned backward as his aura flickered, but her curiosity grew as his expression deepened. She patiently waited for a reply, and Micro finally spoke.

“I think I could...!”