Chapter 52: Chance Encounter

While racing through the forest, trees passing as a blur, Adam was almost half asleep. He did not need to think but keep running as his senses were alerted to anything of interest, which was little until he reached his next prey. But as he had wiped out most of them yesterday, he seemed to be mostly collecting herbs. Then breaking the monotony of trees and more trees, he came across a shrine.

Rays of afternoon sunshine illuminated the green moss of the steps leading up to the shrine. But, the nearer he got to the shrine, the more a strange fog suffused the air, bringing the scent of garroo and frankincense. Was the shrine still in use?

He felt watched as he walked past the ornate lamps outside the red gate to the shrine. Then, he entered another place; it was a dusty study with someone sitting at a desk, scratching ink into sheaves of parchment. He recognized the figure from somewhere. It seemed to be an illusion of some kind, though evidently a very powerful one, as he could not communicate with his AI counterparts.

Walking closer to the figure to try and discern what they were writing and who they were. He noticed for the first time the silver mask of the kitsune clan lying in front of the figure on the table. The air seemed to vibrate around him like a swirling vortex, unwieldy in its form. It did not allow him to approach further, so he strained to see what may be written on the paper and wished Libby was here to scan it for him.

What he could see was that the ink scratchings were, in fact, blood being etched into the parchment and definitely some type of symbol work. However, it did not look anything like any he had seen. This was not surprising, as his knowledge of the myriad of symbols in existence was small was an exaggeration.

He tried to remember a few of the symbols but thought Libby would only laugh at his attempts. This was frustrating. Why, if someone was trying to deliver a message to him, did they not make it more plain? Especially if it were a powerful spirit.

Ultimately, he gave up and made to leave when he noticed the figure at the table was turning as if in slow motion to look at him. At this point, he was catapulted by the illusion back to reality, finding himself at the shrine gate. On trying to enter again, he found no obstruction but also no vision. He looked around the old shrine but found it in disuses and of little interest.

Strangely when he recounted what he had seen to Libby, she had not sensed anything happening. Though when she checked his memories, she was able to obtain images of far greater clarity than his ramblings. They were few, but she promised to try and see if she could decode them.

Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.

He wondered though at the meaning of it all. Was it a summons to return to Earth? From some god-like entity?

Meanwhile, Bai Bo-Xue was on his way to Weihou to visit his brother, the magistrate. He had brought the usual niceties, homecooked dishes, and herbs that Bai Zhoo could not obtain easily.

Bai Bo-Xue, in turn, looked forward to delicious dishes, not least the dish of satisfaction he intended to receive at his brother’s embarrassment.

Sitting at one of Weihou’s top restaurants Bo-Xue sat relaxed, facing his brother. Bo-Xue, of course, had thought of many ways to bring up the void wars in conversation but try as he might, his brother blocked him at every turn. He was an excellent Marjong player.

In the end, Bo-Xue, cheeks flushed red from wine and inpatients, blurted out, “I have much news of the void wars from a close informant of mine. A person who has returned from the frontlines alive and unscathed.”

Bo Zhoo sipped his wine before he replied in measured tones, “To come back alive is a miracle indeed; to come back unscathed is troubly so.”

His brother’s deliberate ribbing made Bo-Xue, pull himself up, getting many a look from guests at other tables. Then, he sat down as quickly, in rage. “I tell you it is truth. He has brought with him several non-magic orphans from the war.

“Brother, I have no doubt your words are anything but godly perfection. But seriously, let us talk about other things, such as father’s well-being,” said Bo Zhoo, smiling in he hoped a placatory manner. His brother, unfortunately, was much too much fun to rile.

At this point, Bai Bo-Xue pulled out a silk cloth bag and slid a large beast core onto the table. Then sat back in and waited for his brother’s reaction; it was well worth savoring.

His brother blinked, palmed the core shrewdly, and placed it under his sleeves.

“Bai Bo-Xue, which have much to speak about. Let us adjourn to my house. Where we can speak more of father”, Bai Zhoo said hurriedly. Bo-Xue did not like to see the core disappear from his possession but was full of glee to see he had won this round.

Adam decided he must go further afield to find cores or give up altogether and just make do with the slow process of obtaining energy from those he already had.

He decided to head further, using his energy senses. Beasts of higher levels congregated in higher mana areas. This was because they themselves produced higher levels but also because they needed higher levels to sustain them. So he headed further and further afield following the mana readings like a hurricane chaser following the telltale signature of a storm.

It paid dividends as he reached a valley some fifty miles from the village. When he stopped and looked with normal vision at his surroundings, he noticed the trees were different here, old and knarled reaching up to the sky like dead men’s fingers. The air also smelled different here, of damp and brackish waters. There was indeed something here, and now he was not surprised that despite traveling a further ten miles than previously, he had found no other prey. Libby informed him that it was a Wendigo.