Travel, Longing Nature (1)

The darkness turned into a rare yellow as Heian Ciemnosc could only see as if he were in the middle of a hurricane's eye. Only there was no gap in the center when looking directly up, only more twirls and strange smoke, slowly becoming thinner and from yellow to golden. Ultimately, Heian Ciemnosc's darkest eyes saw everything turn into a wall of goldish smog before he recuperated his senses and felt his body again.

“Heian Ciemnosc! Heian Ciemnosc!!” Suddenly, Heian Ciemnosc recuperated senses of his body, such as hands and feet, lifting the former to feel ‘real’ but still filled with goldish smog. Heian Ciemnosc heard Sara’s voice shout inside his inner self, alert and worried sick. “Heian Ciemnosc, respond to me! What is it?! Where were you? I couldn’t see anything, hear nothing! Heian Ciemnosc!!”

“Heian Ciemnosc?” And then, before Heian Ciemnosc least expected it, he reappeared where he had stepped off from the platform. He was in front of his Eternal Return Team and the Yuns. He was closer to Yun Nitu, who stood up from her sitting cross-legged position and looked at him with a slight frown and wide-open eyes.

“...” Heian Ciemnosc felt his eyes clearing up despite the goldish smog no longer blocking his view. Its last strands on his body were dragged back to the platform’s side, caressing his shoulders one last time before dropping him and returning to the rest. Heian Ciemnosc looked up and saw Yun Nitu’s concern turn into flamboyant cheer and joy as her eyes traveled to his lifted arms.

“My- this… I am resonating with it so much! What is it?!” Yun Nitu walked forth and tremblingly took the item on Heian Ciemnosc’s forearms with gentle touches as if she was afraid to break it and take it away from Heian Ciemnosc. But when she held it with her fingertips, Heian Ciemnosc did nothing. She took the item in his hands and raised it to her chest height to observe it.

It was a stick. It had the length of half an arm, and it radiated heavy vitality. It had nothing worth noticing. Only its verdant aura that didn’t diminish nor seemed about to dissipate stood from other sticks… Heian Ciemnosc looked at it before staring at Yun Nitu, whose eyes seemed to think of many things altogether.

“I’m sure you’ll find something worth using that,” Heian Ciemnosc said. Yun Nitu smiled and narrowed her eyes, bathing in joy as she returned her child-like eyes to Heian Ciemnosc and stored the stick in a select Covert Space bag among the others. She unhesitatingly threw her arms forth and lunged at his chest. Heian Ciemnosc felt the gratitude in her tight embrace before she held his shoulders. “Thank you, Heian Ciemnosc! I don’t know for sure yet. But this should be really helpful to our Sects! Thank you.”

“Thank you, thank you, thank you…” Yun Nitu treated Heian Ciemnosc like a kiddo as she started smooching his face everywhere but near his mouth and eyes. She planted little kisses and rubbed his back as if dealing with a baby. Suddenly, Yun Tang made his presence known with a ‘uh’ coming from his mouth as Yun Nitu stopped and placed her right palm on Heian Ciemnosc’s forehead.

“Come, you too, Yun Tang,” Yun Nitu turned to the tower and said. Yun Tang tilted his head and looked perplexed. But he still stepped forth and… aimed at Heian Ciemnosc. Heian Ciemnosc felt threatened. His darkest eyes trembled! Instincts kicking in, Heian Ciemnosc felt his whole being in danger as he tried to escape Yun Nitu’s grasp, but her enhanced Neutral Energy was too powerful!

“Come here, mwa mwa…” Yun Tang terrified Heian Ciemnosc. Soon, the tower eclipsed Heian Ciemnosc, and with Yun Nitu’s victorious, proud smile, she watched as terror spread! Today… Heian Ciemnosc’s dignity was violated.

After getting rid of the terrible times, Heian Ciemnosc returned to lead the main group. He greeted each of his Team members and talked a little to them. He wasn’t sure if he should speak to them about his experience, but he felt no need. It was… something he couldn’t explain, to the point he didn’t know if he would ever understand it. He started feeling small before the ‘true’ world…

“Sara, I’m here… Sara…” Heian Ciemnosc talked to his inner being but didn’t immediately find Sara, who was just exposing herself to him in his inner being as she does whenever there’s an alarming situation. He sent a part of his consciousness into his inner self and searched for her. When he did, she was… sobbing with tears spilled on her face, holding her knees and facing him with her back.

“Eeewwh, mmm~!” Sara lifted her head after Heian Ciemnosc encircled her. Her eyes looked hurt, and her mouth trembled. Heian Ciemnosc felt his heart clenching and aching as he hurried to hold her ball-body. Her folded legs pushed on his torso, but she was so small and short that his long arms had enough room to embrace her even tighter.

“I… I…” Sara tried to speak, but her emotions were too much. It was Heian Ciemnosc’s first time seeing her like this, and he felt an unknown need to protect her, which he hadn’t had the time to feel with any other person. It was always either too late, too sudden… or he was the one in need.

“I couldn’t do anything… I couldn’t see or hear, I- woooo- mf- wooooo!” Sara cried, speaking into his shoulder as she sobbed more than before. Heian Ciemnosc could feel all those terrible, high-up emotions from her and felt affected by them, too.

“I’m sorry, but I didn’t know it would’ve happened.” Heian Ciemnosc caressed the back of her head with his loving, pale hands. Sara seemed to calm down by a small margin, but his touch worked. Thus, Heian Ciemnosc continued comforting her until she was pausedly sobbing. She sounded adorable but still hurt simultaneously, sending twinges to his heart.

“Mmm… mf- mmm~... more… mnn… more…” Heian Ciemnosc retracted his head and let Sara look up, wondering what he was doing. She still needed spoiling! But then, her mouth was torn open by his as he kissed her. Sara felt her body relaxing and her breathing restored as she lightly begged for more. Her eyes closed, looking vulnerable. As Heian Ciemnosc continued, he held her safely, letting Sara feel protected. She muttered again, “...more!”

… Time passed. Heian Ciemnosc led the main group for another 5 days. Thus, a week had passed since they started walking into the Semi-Space. They’ve already found a treasure other than the coffin, and as for the other Teams— their survival was unknown. Nevertheless, the group didn’t face troubles anymore. After the initial 2 days with casualties, things settled down, and everyone seemed to find a method to survive by helping each other out.

But they were still sought after by some ghosts, even after the first 2 days. Heian Ciemnosc would have to constantly backtrack and stop the group for a few minutes to check things. He had to resolve momentaneous but perilous situations. One time, he walked to a terror-stricken young woman looking down at an open tile from the platform floor.

There was a head, looking at her from below, with a size of 10 adults’ torsos and pupils and irises bizarrely small compared to its eyes. It was made of meat, rotten but red, and had definite, detailed facial features. Even Heian Ciemnosc was momentarily paralyzed, and only when he broke another tile, far from the head, and used it to whack-a-mole it down to cover the gap did he and the young woman feel safe.

During the following hours, the young woman was sick, and she had to be carried on a stretcher with cohesion pills since her physical body was still fine, and it would only be affected after it was too late. Heian Ciemnosc’s alchemy pills were enough to help even peak Third Step cultivators ease their mental state, let alone Second Step or Mythical realm cultivators.

Additionally, Heian Ciemnosc broke into the Breaking Point realm 4th stage while walking. He didn’t need meditation or sit down, for he was Heian Ciemnosc and had perhaps the sturdiest, most flawless cultivation path of all. Of course, he had to wait until he was in a ‘safe’ area so that he wouldn’t invite ghosts with whatever gap they had in their strange rules.

Heian Ciemnosc led the group without additional troubles, although Yun Nitu continued to chat with him whenever she had that chance. The others didn’t follow beside them and obediently stayed behind, letting the big bosses handle the danger ahead before warning them. Heian Ciemnosc felt, as strange as it seemed, his cultivation base increasing a little.

The Breaking Point realm only required a cultivator to break through stages by ordinary cultivation. Alchemy products, flora, and alternative cultivation methods would speed things up, but that was only natural. What mattered in this realm was to coalesce the acquired might before gaining tremendous power in the Light/Dark realm. To Heian Ciemnosc, that was effortless and unnecessary.

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However, he still had to reunite enough Neutral Energy to breakthrough. Thus, his more expansive storage and quality dark Neutral Energy proved their worth again, requiring Heian Ciemnosc to accumulate perhaps 4 times what a Light/Dark realm cultivator needed to break into the 5th stage.

The group became used to the Semi-Space, but that didn’t mean they didn’t fear the ghosts. The head that visited the young woman that one time was only one of the many situations where Heian Ciemnosc felt his skin boiling without heat or coldness, in danger, where only he could do anything towards it. He couldn’t rely on anyone, even if he were to go outside, and could ask for any expert to aid him.

In a way, he felt alone and thrilled to be the one and only person to understand this.

The group didn’t dare to take their Fighters or any other item from their Covert Space bags, for that matter. Heian Ciemnosc didn’t need to advise them, as their fear took over their stupidity, and they remained sharp-minded. Time passed, and everyone walked with ease as they thought about the smooth sailing trip yet perilous events they’d gone through in the last 5 days.

While they felt a little proud of having survived them, they were too afraid for their lives to die like this in a desolate place like this. Their mentality remained up, and they watched out for each other until Heian Ciemnosc finally stopped, and his voice echoed throughout the group after entering a safe area for a few minutes.

“Stop here, I’ve found something else.” Heian Ciemnosc lowered his arm and looked back at his Eternal Return Team before staring at Yun Nitu. She nodded at him, and Heian Ciemnosc nodded in return before facing the left side again. He looked at the goldish smog and paused, entering his inner being. “Sara, I’m going again.”

“Okay…” Sara floated with her whole body stretched in the endless, pure darkness. Her fingers constantly locked behind her back, making her look newly shy and adorkable. Heian Ciemnosc’s inner self’s body came close and pulled her shoulders towards him.

“Oi…” Sara exclaimed cutely. Heian Ciemnosc ignored it and spoke as his darkest eyes closed and his beating heart resonated within her body. “Don’t fret. Even if I’m in danger, I won’t die or suffer like a coward. Make sure to act if needed, but only if it isn’t dangerous to you. Alright?”

“Mn…” Sara meekly nodded, her head remaining low as she enjoyed Heian Ciemnosc’s body through his clothes’ fabrics. Heian Ciemnosc nodded and cupped her face before delivering a breathtaking kiss to her.

…Step, step, step… Heian Ciemnosc walked forth after returning from Sara. He stepped into the goldish smog. At this moment, Ruo Wei stood up and shouted with her tomboyish, low tone. “Be careful there!”

“... Don’t worry, I won’t miss Beto’s return to tell him how many times I’ve seen you naked outside the showers.” Heian Ciemnosc stopped before turning his head and devilishly saying with a smile. Ruo Wei’s face distorted, and her neck ate her chin as she insulted left and right. “¬|#€@€|2·!%//&$$!!!”

Heian Ciemnosc ignored the cute tomboy and continued walking into the goldish smog. He departed with a smile on the left corner of his mouth. His Team members cleverly chose to say nothing while Cara flirtatiously glanced at Ruo Wei after she fumed and returned with the others. The Yuns blinked, speechless at these happenings, before joining Heian Ciemnosc’s Team with the rest of their people.

… Heian Ciemnosc had already exited the goldish smog and seemingly entered a new location. Unlike before, where he walked on a smaller platform, surrounded by golden and a paradise-like scenery worthy of being called an image from heaven. Heian Ciemnosc was surrounded by just blue. If there were clouds, then this would be the sky, without a doubt.

‘But this isn’t the outside world. There are no portals interconnected for better traffic flow between them… Why would there be a sky? Can there even be a sky? If this is another ‘scene’ I must go through… will I go there after walking, or do I need to fall? And… if I fall… will I proceed… or fall from a real sky?’ Heian Ciemnosc felt startled out of nowhere. His thoughts weren’t forced or stimulated in any way. He became terrified as these notions came from the bottom of his heart, nothing else.

Wong. Budu! Woooooooooooong~~.

A ripple echoed from below. Heian Ciemnosc looked down, only to see an instantaneous wave form from suddenly nowhere and only encompass 1/30 of this place surrounding his direct line of sight. Heian Ciemnosc frowned, barely catching the event with his innately superior senses.

Then, a sound akin to a bell twinkling echoed, and Heian Ciemnosc felt like the place he was at was deciphered detailedly. He could see every composition… of whatever the world, a Semi-Space, and possibly a Dimension could be formed of. Heian Ciemnosc suddenly had a strange thought. Was he looking at the concept of laws, reality… and nature?!

But before he could delve into this, the bell-like sound ended. Unbeknownst to only Heian Ciemnosc, the sound didn’t even last half a second, but he felt as if everything around him became different for hours. He even saw everywhere around him, intending to engrave it into his mind.

“!” Everywhere around Heian Ciemnosc’s surroundings rippled again, only once, but this time, from the bottom to the top. Heian Ciemnosc’s darkest eyes watched with trembling, widened darkest eyes as it happened. The world seemed to turn blurry, and all thoughts were moved. Heian Ciemnosc felt like his head was empty, but not from his thoughts and emotions being erased. Instead, he was given a sensation akin to floating in water, only his skin coming up and down the surface felt real.

Yet, the platform Heian Ciemnosc stood on remained unmoving, and he used it as his focus to maintain control and stability. Unfortunately, the platform started vanishing like a mirage that never existed. Heian Ciemnosc didn’t need to look around to realize everything else was suffering the same fate as the platform. Everything… except for him.

“...!” The platform was gone, but Heian Ciemnosc could still feel something and yet not at the same time, supporting his body in midair. He didn’t move a millimeter, and his body had the same pose, but even the blue far away was as if dragged into a corner, erased from his knowledge and sight.

Heian Ciemnosc shut his darkest eyes, letting something else become his focus. But whenever he thought of something, it was washed away.

His Mommy? Disappeared, just like she did when she faltered. Women? All of them were washed away by the unknown. Himself? He couldn’t even form a hem of his clothes. His companions? The things he’s created? Weapons? War instruments? Alchemy? Fauna? Nothing remained more than a millisecond before dissipating. Nothing could become Heian Ciemnosc’s focus, and he couldn’t even focus on himself to begin with. What could he grapple on to hold himself in the air? To survive? To continue… this journey?

“Strange…” Voices- no, a voice spread into Heian Ciemnosc’s head, through his ears, from the outside.

Heian Ciemnosc opened his darkest eyes, feeling he had shut them so tight they hurt. It was nearly impossible for Heian Ciemnosc to hurt himself with such silly methods as this one. If it made him uncomfortable, it should’ve been because he was far too harsh on himself just now.

“!” When Heian Ciemnosc opened his eyes, he found a… persons…? Staring at him just a few meters before him. On a second note, Heian Ciemnosc realized it was 2… strange people. They had humanoid bodies, and their proportions were equal to a Human’s. But they had no sexual differentiation. Both were completely smooth from the back and front, not even having pectorals, biceps, or faces even… Their entire heads were an eye. They had no eyelids and looked at Heian Ciemnosc with an exaggerated tilt.

They were separated by a couple meters from each other, lined up in a perfect line in front of Heian Ciemnosc. The one on his right tilted to the right, and the one on his left tilted to the left. Somehow, Heian Ciemnosc felt they were the same person, but their actions were different and were also clearly separated. So 2 persons. Heian Ciemnosc’s head started aching as several senses confirmed him that they were... all of those.

“...” Heian Ciemnosc, of course, didn’t talk as he looked at his surroundings once he managed to look away after pulling half his willpower into the table. His darkest eyes strangely relaxed as he found… that he was standing on a moving, waving ocean! It was endless! The water was a powerful, obscure blue. It moved despite Heian Ciemnosc and the strange 2-1 people standing atop it.

Swaaash, swooooosh~~... splatter, putong! Swaaaaaasshhh.

Heian Ciemnosc could feel his feet wet and caressed by the passing, smooth waves. They weren’t taller than a couple feet, and while Heian Ciemnosc couldn’t tell what the tranquil surface would look like, everything seemed serene and still.

“!” Just as Heian Ciemnosc’s eyelids nearly fell heavily, he snapped them open and looked at the 2 before him. He remembered their voice. It came from only one person, but they had no mouths, and that wasn’t a Soul message. Yet, it sounded like several people talked simultaneously, male and female, with and without distinction. What’s more, their previous appearance was gone, and 1 of them seemed male and the other female with how one’s arms had more volume and defined muscle while the other became slender, and their creamy white skin smoother.

“Aahh… You have… our permission to speak. Go- talk, now. Talk, talk.” The entity said. They looked at Heian Ciemnosc with their head-sized eyeballs. Heian Ciemnosc looked at them, unsure of how to move and respond. He closed towards them and analyzed their bodies, but all they did was stand straight and look at him with lifeless pupils and irises.

“I’m… Heian Ciemnosc, what’s your name?” Heian Ciemnosc cautiously introduced himself before asking. The eyeballs nodded and lifted their left and right arm, respectively, to hold air before their heads. They stared at Heian Ciemnosc and commented. Its multiple voices sounded into his ears like a lover’s whisper, up close despite standing 3 meters away from him. Clear and audible. Its voice was low, somewhat hushed, and intrusive altogether.

“Ghost of Travel… It’s Ghost of Travel. You, Heian Ciemnosc, you. Have been before. You were seen… That is strange. Meant to look, not to be stared… Strange is. Who you are is not it. You are unknown. You don’t know, do you?” The entity strangely spoke, making Heian Ciemnosc frown. Not because he couldn’t understand but because his overly evolved subconscious seemed to catch their meaning.

…