It didn't take long after leaving the teary eyed craftsman in the clothing shop behind for Micro to confirm that his new outerwear was indeed noteworthy to the general public. Many of the non-cultivators immediately took note of Micro and his disciples when they came into view, but the cultivators present in the villages offered a variety of expressions, ranging from amused laughter to outright disbelief.

With Lena walking imposingly alongside him, nobody dared voice their opinions of Micro, but their stares began to annoy Lena. She turned to see Micro with an awkward look on his face.

“Are you not enjoying your newfound popularity?” Lena asked, her sarcasm obvious even to Micro.

“It's not quite what I'm used to.” Micro replied.

“How do people normally react to you?” She asked.

“Well, recently...” Micro recalled.

“Most people think I'm cute, and the word nostalgic comes up a lot.”

“Cute and... nostalgic...?” Lena repeated with an eyebrow raised.

“Not many my age are still running.” Micro replied somberly.

“That sounds lonely.” Kira commented.

“I didn't feel anything like that at the time, but looking back on it now...” Micro said, his voice quieting as he looked back on his life.

“I guess it felt like having a big family. There were less of them after a while, and they were mostly gone before I knew it. Seeing them rusted out in fields with no tires...”

Kira reached out to grab Micro's hand as his expression darkened.

“The lament of an old farm tool...” Lena nodded.

“Truly fascinating...”

“Old?” Kira asked.

“He doesn't look that old.”

“This body is less than a month old, I think.” Micro replied.

“My soul was taken from my body recently, by a goddess called Nora.”

“Woah...” Kira gasped.

“Why did she do that?”

“She was trying to help some magicians summon a hero to fight cultivators, but I showed up instead.” Micro explained, lowering his voice as Guran's ears began to twitch.

“She also sent a dog's soul by accident recently. I think she might be a little bit clumsy.”

“Getting called clumsy by the likes of you would probably do some damage.” Blue chuckled from his pocket.

“She's strong though.” Micro added.

“It'll take me a long time to learn to make a road between worlds like she can.”

“That's-” Kira began to reply, but an intense flash of light suddenly filled the cloudy afternoon sky.

The sun had been mostly obscured by soft white clouds for most of the day, but purple flashes of lightning filled the sky, followed by unnaturally large crashes of thunder which seemed to split the sky.

“Shield yourselves!” Lena shouted, ushering them beneath the cover of a restaurant's overhanging roof.

The storm of purple that filled the sky sent the village into a frenzy, and Micro felt hopeless as he hid with Lena and the children. Guran had disappeared from view almost instantly after the first crash, and most villagers had soon found buildings in which to hide themselves.

“That's not normal...!” Micro shouted nervously over the large crashes, but he was even more surprised when the noise suddenly stopped and the clouds were swept away, revealing a clear blue sky.

“I guess that's a first for you.” Blue mumbled calmly.

“What was that?” Micro asked with wide eyes.

“What else could be so annoying?” Blue scoffed.

“Cultivators.”

“Cultivators did that...?” Micro whispered, turning to Lena.

“Can you do that?”

Lena walked timidly back to the street, looking around at the sky with glowing eyes. She sighed in relief, and Micro realized she had been just as nervous as any non-cultivator in the area.

“There are realms of power beyond our comprehension.” Lena stated with a reverent tone.

“Their battles appear as forces of nature to mortals who dwell far beneath them.”

“They live in the sky?!” Micro gasped.

“That's...”

“To those whose battles scar the world in such a way, there is little difference between the oceans’ depths and the heavens' heights. Their existence defies the common sense of lower beings...” Lena explained with a somewhat bitter expression.

“It is rare to witness, but it is not unheard of. I expect this will stir up the capital for a while, though it doesn't concern us at the moment, probably...”

“It's rude of them to make so much noise.” Micro added as Lena's voice trailed off. He looked at Kolt and Kira, and was surprised to find them looking calmer than Lena.

“Are you both okay?”

“Mother said lightning like that happened when the gods drank too much wine...” Kolt replied, his voice growing quieter as he recalled his mother.

“It happens sometimes...”

“You've seen such an event more than once before?” Lena asked with a raised eyebrow.

“A few times a year, mostly in winter.” Kira replied.

“But, it was actually cultivators? Humans can do that?”

“Interesting...” Lena nodded.

“For such a thing to be commonplace here...”

“I see you are all in good health.” Guran suddenly announced, appearing from behind a fruit stand.

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“Shall we continue on?”

“What do you know of the battles waged in the heavens above us?” Lena asked him with a harsh tone.

“I've heard nothing of this from the empire.”

“I know only the sights and sounds of their battles, as anyone here would.” Guran said, bowing as he often did while he spoke.

“We are a humble sect of Amber Core cultivators. Forgive my ignorance.”

“Hmm...” Lena smirked, her eyes glowing.

“I suppose an answer worth finding is one worth hiding.”

“Your questions are most welcome here.” Guran replied sharply, glancing up while maintaining a deep bow.

Micro looked at the two cultivators for a while, wondering what thoughts were hidden behind their complicated expressions, but he had encountered no such situations in all his time as a truck. Noticing the discomfort around his core increasing, he sighed, accepting that he was out of his depth, and waved to Guran and Lena.

“I do have a favour to ask of your sect, so I would appreciate it if we could get some food and go.” Micro said with a sharper tone than he had intended. He smiled, wondering if he'd learned to speak in such a way from the cultivators he'd met recently.

“Of course.” Guran nodded.

“You expressed a desire for baked goods flavoured with honey. There is a rather popular bakery just up the road from here.”

“What road?” Micro sighed, looking down at the bumpy dirt trails which had formed naturally beneath the feet of the villagers over time.

“Excuse me?” Guran asked, confused by the question.

“I believe you will enjoy the delicacies prepared there.”

“It's nothing. Let's eat.” Micro shook his head.

Guran frowned, but disregarded the remark. He then led them on to a small wooden building where the smell of fresh bread filled the air. Micro looked around and saw shelves full of baked goods of various shapes and sizes, but didn't have time to greet the old lady working there before he had been presented with a platter with several buns by Guran.

“Oh, thanks.” Micro said as he scooped one up and took a bit of it with his Spirit Taste Skill active.

The first taste to fill his mouth was honey, but it was not a familiar taste. The distinct flavours of the honey buns he ate by the dozen at Kel's temple were nowhere to be found. Rather, the story of the honey in the bun he now ate began to unfold in his mind. An image of the hive where the bees busily worked appeared in his mind, followed by the scent of a field full of flowers.

“I see...” Micro mumbled as he took another bite.

“I've never seen sparkling flowers like those...”

Lena's ears perked up at his words as Kolt and Kira reached for the platter of buns.

“Flowers that sparkle, you say?” Lena asked.

Guran frowned at Micro's remark, but returned the platter to him as he finished his first bun.

“A field of purple flowers, but they glow like stars at night...” Micro said after taking another bite.

“Glowing purple flowers-” Lena began, then suddenly snatched the buns from the children's hands before they could take a bite.

“Huh?” Kolt blurted out as he realized what had happened.

Kira looked in confusion at Lena, but held her tongue as Lena's expression grew darker.

“What do you-” Guran stammered.

“Tricky little legless reptiles.” She said to Guran coldly. Though she didn't unleash any of her aura in the presence of a non-cultivator, the old lady quickly went pale and backed out of the room in a hurry.

“I don't know what you-” Guran said hurriedly, but Lena continued.

“Honey made from the nectar of a field full of those wretched plants, cultivated atop a natural energy vein.” Lena said, staring at Guran with disgust with glowing eyes. She then turned to Micro.

“Dream-catchers are a popular flower among those who seek a deeper state of meditation, but there are ways to diversify their effects on the mind.” She explained as Guran's voice finally failed him.

“The nectar of those purple flowers, when infused with energy and processed naturally by bees into honey, makes an excellent poison.”

“Poison?!” Micro gasped, holding his hands nervously over his stomach.

“Fear not.” Lena reassured him, her stern gaze still digging into the fidgeting Guran.

“In small doses, its effects are lessened, but it has a distinct quality.”

“What does it do?” Micro asked.

“In simple terms, it could be called a potion of truth.” Lena sighed.

“Feeding such a thing to unwanted guests as a means of ensuring they are unable to hide anything from their hosts... How petty...”

“I... I assure you...” Guran mumbled, sweat pouring down his face.

“Dont, I mean...”

“Oh, just be silent.” Lena sighed, releasing her hostile demeanor to the surprise of all in the room.

“We have business here, and we will see to it. I doubt there's a dessert in this town free of some devious concoction anyway.”

“I will- That is...” Guran nodded.

“Indeed, then- Umm, this way...”

“Micro.” Lena called quietly before he followed Guran.

“These people would poison you as soon as greet you. Remember that.”

“Does that mean they want to be friends?” Micro asked.

“You're thinking more like a cultivator now.” Lena grinned.

“As little as the respect of this treacherous sect is worth, you'll earn it in little time with such an attitude.”

“Hmm...” Micro thought for a while, then nodded and continued after Guran with his disciples.

“I'll keep that in mind.”

~

Micro, Kolt, and Kira remained hungry for the rest of their walk, but the awkward air around Guran made it difficult to ask him for anything, and Micro was already feeling light headed after eating two poisoned honey buns, though he was still content with how they had tasted.

The villages they passed through seemed much quieter after the awkward confrontation at the bakery, and those who remained in sight were careful not to look in the direction of Micro's party. They finally came to the outermost stone wall of the sect's temple, and a large wooden gate opened in time for them to walk straight through.

“Wait here a moment, please...” Guran mumbled, then walked quickly around the corner of a small building and out of sight.

“This is a nice yard.” Micro remarked.

The courtyard was similar to the place where Micro, Kel, and Tae had entertained their guests from the Sparrow Sect, decorated with neatly trimmed trees and elegantly carved statues. Another similarity to the Fire Mountain Turtle Sect's courtyard was the large number of young cultivators meditating and sparring here and there.

“There's a lot of young people with Amber Cores here.” Micro said quietly to Lena.

“Could Kel’s sect become this strong?”

“The leader of your friend’s sect possessed only a Jade Core, which would make it impossible for him to instruct his disciples in its acquisition.” Lena replied.

“Although your friend, the young master of the sect, certainly seemed capable of reaching greater heights.”

“How do sects get stronger if the sect leader is stuck at a certain core level?” Micro asked.

“Azar was much younger than you, but he had the same level core. Yahari looked young too, but she was even stronger.”

“You refer to the Cerulean Imperial Envoy by her given name, do you?” Lena whispered, shaking her head.

“Azar is certainly strong, though his motivations elude me now… To answer your question, age is not an indicator of strength. Time itself does not make one strong.”

“So even Jade level cultivators like Kel could make his sect an Amber or a Sapphire level sect?” Micro asked excitedly.

“In such a case, they rarely would.” Lena replied.

“It is rare for a disciple to surpass their master, of course. In all the realms of cultivation you will encounter, you'll find it rarer still for a young cultivator to accidentally achieve the Amber Core stage with the help of a pixie.”

“I wonder why that's so rare...” Micro said, looking around at disinterested disciples training nearby.

“There was certainly a time when more cultivators would risk their lives to push their limits, but now it seems we have grown content to sharpen ourselves against those who we deem our equals, rather than seeking out greater challenges.” Lena explained thoughtfully.

“Ura said something similar.” Micro replied.

“Ura...?” Lena frowned.

“The Guardian of the Fire Serpent Art Dungeon.” Micro explained.

“She said cultivators don't do as much as they used to. Something about potential...”

“Ah...” Lena sighed, lowering her eyes with an air of shame.

“I suppose the guardians would know best what has become of our kind.”

“I wonder what they would think of magicians...” Micro wondered as a familiar face came into view at the opposite end of the courtyard.