Chapter Text
Let’s think about it again tomorrow.
…Or so he thought.
Because now Jing Yuan is wide awake while staring at the wooden ceiling. The soft glow of the lamp created a serene atmosphere that is perfect for resting both body and mind. Unfortunately, although his body has gone slack and comfortable on the bed, his mind makes a whirring noise because of all his thoughts.
Sigh.
Finally giving up on trying to sleep, Jing Yuan dragged his body away from the soft bed. He walks closer to the window and sits on the chair facing the darkness outside.
Right after he sat on the chair, a beautiful tea set adorned with a bright yellow ginkgo leaves pattern appeared on the table. Jing Yuan observes the tea set with fascination for a bit longer before pouring himself a cup of tea. Its smell instantly makes him relax and his chaotic mind calm. He can feel his stiff muscles unwind and the thought of lying down and just sleeping is so tempting. For a moment, the whirring wheels inside his head stopped.
When he opened his eyes again, the hardness behind his gaze disappeared, instead, only a small, comfortable smile presented itself on his face. The reflection staring back at him lost its gloominess and only its relaxed self remains.
Feeling that his head had finally cleared, Jing Yuan stared at the darkness outside and dove deep into his own thoughts.
After completing the first mission, he finally realized how dangerous the deal he had accepted was. Moreover, with the fact that Yaoshi Themselves promised that he won’t die, every danger will only make him suffer. Take the unexpected second shard incident as an example.
The Aeons sure had told him that the same thing won’t happen again, but who can guarantee that? None. That’s why he needs to be more prepared, if only to lessen the risk.
“First, I need to check my body.”
He got up from the chair and walked toward the middle of the room. Then, he sat cross-legged and closed his eyes.
A moment later, Jing Yuan channeled his energy to every part of his body, outside and inside. He was examining his body condition, also the changes the Aeons said had been made to his body. It was a familiar thing, he did this every morning in the Luofu. However, the easy examination that should have ended after no more than five minutes stretched longer than he expected. When he reopened his eyes, his body was drenched in sweat.
“This is...” he gulps, staring at his shaky hands with wide and twinkling eyes. “Incredible.”
The Aeons’ words about modifying his body weren’t just about making him stronger than he already is, but much much stronger. On the outside, there’s a thin layer of shield protecting him. Now, almost nothing can leave a wound on his body easily. Then, there’s also a more complex protection inside. In the middle of his chest, there’s a hollow blackness which he suspects as the bowl Yaoshi mentioned. Around the bowl—or the vessel, Jing Yuan chose to call it—was another shield. But this shield was much thicker, formidable, and appeared in an eerie purple-black color. So different from the transparent one that surrounds his body and organs. Jing Yuan had poked around the shield curiously, but unfortunately, he couldn’t uncover any of its mysteries. Granted. It was the shield made by the Firmament Arbiter Themselves. What can he uncover from it as a mortal?
Moving from the shield, the mara inside his body was interestingly coiled around his heart. The bright yellow leaves contrast beautifully with the beautiful brown. Inside his heart was a golden mark with an intricate pattern. It was a pact, a contract made between Lan and him. Jing Yuan was familiar with this one. However, different from the pact he made with Lan to become general, this mark bore a symbol resemblance to Lan’s bow. In the middle of the bow was a golden light ready to be launched.
Then, there’s a faint purple energy he felt in his body. He can’t pinpoint its exact location, but he knows that this energy was there. When he focused on one of the Aeons’ powers, this energy was wriggling behind him, just outside of his line of sight. From the corner of his eye, he could see purple hue moving and wriggling ever excitedly. Unfortunately, when he turned around, it disappeared without a trace.
Jing Yuan spends fifteen more minutes to search for the purple energy in his body. When it yielded nothing, he gave up.
All in all, the realization that he’s not his old self, not the ordinary long-lived mortal of Xianzhou Luofu, finally settled in his mind. From outside, Jing Yuan is still Jing Yuan. Most would not be able to spot the difference between his old and new selves. But if he were to meet one of his closest acquaintances, no doubt that they would be shocked by the changes. He’s curious how they would react to his new self, but he also doesn’t want them to know about his new self.
Sigh.
It was a dilemma.
Jing Yuan shakes his head. He should stop thinking about negative things. It seems that the mara does not only make his emotion more unstable, but also makes him easily think about negative thoughts.
To distract his mind from any more negativity, Jing Yuan got up and summoned his guandao, Starfall Reverie. He flicked his wrist left and right, feeling the familiar feeling of the weapon that had accompanied him his whole life.
He lifts Starfall Reverie with one hand, holding it by the middle of the long wooden base, and gives the air one large swing.
Jing Yuan nodded. This, too, feels familiar. Comforting.
Then, he put his other hand to grip the wood, shifting the one originally there lower and positioned the new hand to grip the end of the wood, right below the blade. He starts his practice by swinging it up and down, cutting the air in half, and ending it with a twist before delivering a downward slash to the innocent floor below.
For a moment, he stopped moving. His chest heaving roughly, excitement floods his mind in a rush. His grip on his guandao tightened, and a bright smile stretched handsomely on his sweaty face. Then, moving his foot slightly to get a comfortable stance, he starts practising stabs, cuts, and more swings.
Once he started training, it was easy for Jing Yuan to be caught in a trance. He did not even realize a moon-shaped golden trace appeared from his swings. This one… it was different from the usual golden shadow produced by Starfall Reverie. It started small, just some light particles that disappeared in the blink of an eye. But, as more time passes, the light stayed longer and longer. Finally, on the final swing, a beautiful golden crescent moon graces the room with its magnificent beauty. And only at this moment does Jing Yuan realized the new—beautiful—addition to his martial arts.
“Huh-what! What is that?”
It’s gone right before he can comprehend what it was. But Jing Yuan is sure he saw something. So, to make himself more certain, he does what most sane person will do, repeating the movement. Sure enough, the golden crescent moon was there, sparkling beautifully as if stars were scattered on its surface. It was beautiful, so breathtaking and stunning.
He swings Starfall Reverie a few more times.
He had heard of this, the glimmering stars on the blade’s afterimage. His master, Jingliu, had it—before the mara claimed her. She said that only those who stand on the pinnacle of martial arts have it. Each person’s form was unique. She said it was tied to one’s soul or something like that. Jing Yuan can’t quite remember. His master told him this when he was just a young brat starting sword training under her. When he asked again much later, she told him that she would only explain after Jing Yuan caught up to her, which never happened, and he lost her forever.
He did search for information in his spare time, but there’s almost nothing of value that he could find. The only thing he found was a simple note.
“The pinnacle of martial arts was not something that could easily be reached by mortals. But to those who stood at the top, receiving the Aeon’s gaze and Their blessing would not just be a mere dream. This blessing was special, tied to the soul and unique to only one individual.
“However, not all those who stood at the pinnacle of martial arts would have the honor to receive it. For the Aeons are fickle and so picky. But those who were lucky to get the blessing, are all martial artists who gazed the mortals from heaven.”
— Noma, Wandering Shadow Master
The note he found, however, gave no more information than what he already knew. It’s disappointing, but that’s all he managed to find.
Jing Yuan stares at the glimmering gold the whole time before it disappears. His attention was completely locked on this.
His crescent moon... it was different from his master’s. Jingliu’s wasn’t littered with countless stars like his, and hers wasn’t gold either. Instead, snowflakes appeared each time she swung her sword. The temperature also dropped along with the chill it brought.
If Jing Yuan’s was like the sun, full of warmth, Jingliu’s was the biting cold of winter, hers offer nothing but coldness that freezes you from the core.
It’s still beautiful, though. Jing Yuan mused.
He continued his observation of his crescent moon that was slowly dissipating into thin air. Even after spending nearly an hour swinging his guandao to recreate it, he isn’t able to extract any more information from it.
Should I ask Lan or Nous? He entertained the thought, but he shook his head and dismissed the idea. He shouldn’t be so ready to ask the Aeons about every question he had. He should look for the answer first, and if, after all his effort, it still bears nothing, he can ask Lan or Nous later.
Satisfied with his decision, he decided to put this matter aside. He let Starfall Reverie back to the subspace and then, scanned the room. This time, the bookshelf caught his attention. It hosts some scrolls. He hadn’t had time to check it because of the mission and what happened after. Now, when he has nothing to do and has specific information to find, why not check it out?
Just like almost everything in his room, this bookshelf was a carbon copy of what he had at home, made from oak, dark brown in color, and with an intricate pattern on every corner.
From afar, the bookshelf looks simple, but when you look closer, you will find many small patterns on its surface. There’s also Jing Yuan’s name, carved by Yanqing’s inexperienced hand when he was just a small child. He chuckled as he traced his name on the wood, imagining Yanqing’s face when he tried so hard to write Jing Yuan’s name correctly.
Pulling himself from the nostalgia, Jing Yuan pulls one scroll out of the stack on the shelf and starts reading. Unfortunately, this one was not of the information he sought after. This was of the Luofu’s history, highlighting what important events happened in what year. Jing Yuan put it back.
Then, he pulled another. Not his intended one either, and surprisingly not something so important he would normally put in his bedroom. However, after reading it, he remembers why he put it here. It was a report of Yanqing’s first day as Cloud Knight. Memory worth keeping. Still, he put it back.
After that, he pulled another, another, and another. Still, every time he found nothing and nothing. Even until the last scroll was put back, no information about the crescent moon was present.
Sigh.
He knows it won’t be easy, so no need to be discouraged.
For now...
Jing Yuan eyed his bed. He nodded.
Yes. Time to sleep.
｡°
Stellaron Hunter ship
Kafka and Elio were locked in a heated debate—if you would call one because none raise their voices and their tone was laced with chuckles and mild irritation—about Irontomb, the new Lord Ravager that was going to destroy the universe once it was born.
Blade knew of its existence, but he couldn’t care less about what’s currently happening in the cosmos. Elio hadn’t shared the script concerning Irontomb with them. It means that Stellaron Hunter's involvement was unnecessary in this case. Moreover, Irontomb’s demise has already been determined by Fate.
However, it seems that something unexpected has happened.
According to Elio, Irontomb’s birth was fated to fail. This bringer of destruction will meet its end in the hand of our beloved Trailblazer and his friends. The combined strength between Astral Express, Amphoreus, Herta Space Station, and other powerful forces in the cosmos was destined to stop the disaster that was going to sweep the entire universe into chaos.
That’s how it's supposed to happen. But now, Elio called them to talk about the possibility of Irontomb’s fate straying from its predetermined path.
“Something outside of Fate’s gaze had successfully squeezed its way into Irontomb’s destiny,” Elio started. His cat form sat calmly on the coffee table in front of the other Stellaron Hunters. “Currently, nothing is known about this unexpected factor or the effect it would create. It could make Irontomb weaker, or making it more powerful and dangerous. I’m afraid there’s a huge chance that this variable will make the Astral Express and the alliance fail to kill Irontomb.”
Kafka hummed, sitting more comfortably on her chair. “Do we really know nothing about this sudden variable?”
Elio shook his head. “No.” Then, he turns Silver Wolf, asking her if she was able to try hacking into Amphoreus, as this place, at least, wasn’t yet a real planet before one of Them set Their gaze on it. Of this, Elio was certain.
“I’m not sure if I’ll succeed, but I’ll try.” Silver Wolf got up and walked back to her room.
Following her departure, Elio told Sam to continue resting and not to take part in this mission. In the end, it was only him, Kafka, and Elio left in the room. The two of them were locked in a discussion about what or who may intervene in the script, and how they would react to this. All the while, Blade was half-listening. He doesn’t care much about this world after all. His sole purpose of joining Stellaton Hunter was to die. Especially now, when the only one left keeping him tied to the past had disappeared.
Turning his eyes away from Kafka and Elio, Blade looked at the big nebula in front of him. The giant cloud was yellow in color, some parts of it appeared in a darker contrast than the others, brighter yellow reminiscent of the gingko leaves. Inside the cloud, countless white and blue stars were visible from his place.
Yellow and white... It reminds him of Jing Yuan.
Blade closed his eyes. He had been thinking a lot about Jing Yuan these past years.
Jing Yuan... The only one left among them five. He’s the only one whose life hasn’t gone astray because of that incident. The only one left who stood tall against the flow of time. The keeper of their past and the only bridge left between Blade and the memory five of them shared.
But now...
He sighed.
He opened his eyes, gaze locked at one particular star inside the yellow cloud—the star was white, so bright, just like Jing Yuan’s hair. Like Jing Yuan’s smile. Bright and beautiful.
Jing Yuan wasn’t supposed to die. It wasn’t in the script. His death was not written in the script.
Back then... When Phantylia infiltrated the Luofu, Blade agreed to play according to the script because he knew that Jing Yuan wouldn’t die. Jing Yuan, the only one among them five, is much more resilient than anyone he has ever known. Phantylia alone, one which have less than half her power at that, won’t be enough to kill him. Although Jing Yuan looks frail because of his meticulously crafted reputation, he’s far from weak. As much as he hates to admit, Blade trusts Jing Yuan’s strength.
At first, everything went according to the script. He even had time to spend with the only friend he had in the Luofu, the General himself.
Blade chuckled. How funny. The Luofu’s General spent time drinking tea with the very criminal he caught less than twelve hours ago.
Of course, when he sneaked inside Jing Yuan’s quarter, he didn’t forget to mention this. Earning a chuckle from his white-haired friend. Meanwhile, Blade sneered at Jing Yuan’s amused expression. After that, Jing Yuan welcomed him with a smile and invited him to a tea.
That night, before the finale of the Luofu script, they spent time together with Jing Yuan’s beloved tea set between them. In front of him, Jing Yuan was talking. There was a smile in his voice, and when Blade looked at him, Jing Yuan’s eyes were closed, tea cup hovered close to his chest. He was telling him about his days—ordinary and unimportant things he did—about Yanqing, about Fu Xuan—the Luofu’s Master Diviner, Blade had a thought that Kafka would be happy to meet her—or, with careful approach, about Dan Feng, about the past, about that incident that made him like this.
With Blade, Jing Yuan very seldomly talk about the past, though Blade knows that he always recall it in the quiet hum of the night, when he’s alone and lonely.
Blade, on the other hand, talked about the past like it was a disaster, the end of the world, the apocalypse. Well, for him, it truly was a disaster. He talked about it with so much venom and words as sharp as a knife.
He can’t forget the pain he felt that night, when the Abundance power flowed through his veins and claimed him as Their own. Blade lost himself in pain, screaming loudly and begging to be killed. I don’t want to live like this! He remembered the first thought he had since it changed him.
After thinking like that, the next thing he remembered was the pain of his body being cut and cut and cut. He remembered Jingliu looking at him like he’s a sinner, like he shouldn’t be touching what shouldn’t be touched. He remembered her sword, the very sword he spent night after night crafting, cutting and chopping his body into countless tiny pieces like he’s nothing but a pig to be slaughtered, to be killed. But every time, Blade will wake up again and again. And Jingliu will start killing him again and again.
In the end, when she stopped attacking him, Blade was no longer his former self. That night, Yingxing was gone, and in his place, Blade was born. Forged by hatred for the Abundance, but also for two people who should pay after changing him into a monster.
For years, he hunted Dan Feng’s reincarnation, searched for Jingliu’s traces, and occasionally stopped by the Luofu to see how Jing Yuan is faring. He was wanted in the Luofu, so he could only move under the cover of the shadow. When night had fallen, sometimes, he would invite himself into Jing Yuan’s bedroom to have a late tea time with him.
Even with their messy past—and loads of hatred in his being—it was surprising that they still got along quite well, considering that Blade’s hatred was not only directed toward Dan Feng and Jingliu, but also to Jing Yuan, who was also a victim in this tragedy that had befallen them.
Now that he thinks about it again, he had never been kind to Jing Yuan at every meeting. Always snapping at him every time he talked about the past, sneering at him when he looked like he was tired of living, or lunging every sharp word he could because of the past, because Jing Yuan came far too late, because among them, Jing Yuan is the only one not swallowed up by sorrow. (Only now, when Jing Yuan had gone, did Blade dare to admit that Jing Yuan was also drowned by his own sorrow. He grieved in his own way, keeping his sadness in check because of the turmoil and chaos of the Luofu at that time.)
Though he couldn’t remember it clearly, there are still bits and pieces of his past roaming the front of his memory.
One of them was Jing Yuan frantically running and giving orders to the remaining Cloud Knights while wiping away his tears. Then, him kneeling in front of the prison bars, crying and making a promise that he would keep him alive and free. Then, when he was set free, Blade remembered the somber expression on Jing Yuan’s face. It set something inside him. Before he could process what it was, the him in his memory spat some hurtful words to the only person left among them five.
“How lucky, huh, Jing Yuan. Now you will be the General, while I was banished from my home because a mad bastard put a curse on me!”
“Everyone hailed you as hero! How funny! Hahaha! You are not a hero. You failed to save those who matter. Her! Me!”
“Ha! Jing Yuan. JING YUAN! Don’t think that you’re innocent. It’s also your fault I’ve become like this! You, of all people, Jing Yuan, should have known what Dan Feng was going to do! You’re smart! There’s no way you don’t know. There’s no way you can’t predict it! But you ignore it because you also want him to succeed. But look what he did! If only you stop him back then… If only…”
“Why are you looking at me like that? Don’t cry like you’re the FUCKING VICTIM!”
Hordes of unwanted memories made him clench his fist. These unpleasant memories always made something inside him ache, his dead heart thudding painfully inside his ribcage.
Then, the flow of memories changed its course and showed him the recent memory of Jing Yuan falling lifelessly from the sky.
At that last fight, the finale of the script, Blade’s condition was fortunately much better than he expected, the mara not acting up severe enough for him to ask Kafka for help.
He watched their fight from afar, noting how Dan Feng’s reincarnation was using a part of his ancestor's power. He’s weaker than Dan Feng. He remembered thinking like that. Then, he swept his gaze to the other people on the field, stopping only on Jing Yuan’s back. Reminiscing that even after hundreds of years, he still looked as strong and reliable as ever.
For the remainder of the time, Blade just stood there with his gaze locked on Jing Yuan’s back. He’s not worried. No. Jing Yuan won’t die. There’s no point in worrying. But he can’t help the nervousness that slipped into his being when Jing Yuan’s body was lifted off the ground. The urge to cut down Phantylia right there and then was so strong, its roar so deafening, he almost couldn’t catch what Kafka was saying beside him.
Kafka reminded him again about the script, and that nothing will go against it. Thanks to her, Blade stopped from jumping into the fight.
When Jing Yuan’s body fell after being stabbed by Dan Feng’s reincarnation—he remembered himself swearing, cursing Dan Feng’s reincarnation and vow to stab him in the chest again in the future, at least twice—he couldn’t take his eyes away from Jing Yuan’s fallen body. He might only fall for a few seconds at best, but for Blade, it was an eternity. The memory of Jing Yuan’s limp body falling was still etched in front of his eyes, in the far front of his frayed memory.
He remembered feeling relieved when Dan Feng’s reincarnation caught him, ready to turn around and check on him later when the night sky had fallen on the Luofu.
However, before he could do that, the panic and frantic expression on Dan Feng’s reincarnation glued him on the spot. Not only that, when the Lady Healer arrived—purple hair and green eyes, much like her—the sea of panicked people surrounding Jing Yuan dispersed.
She plopped down beside him, checked his pulse, and went completely still.
Then, she checked again, putting her chubby fingers on Jing Yuan’s neck. Less than ten seconds later, she snatched Jing Yuan’s other hand and checked his pulse again. And moved away again, but to Jing Yuan’s chest, right on top of his heart. All the while, her expression changing from panic, frantic, tears falling endlessly, before despair taking hold. Then, horror filled her gaze—filled Blade’s chest, accompanying his heart that was beating frantically, chanting no, no, no way!—before crying even harder.
Her body bent above Jing Yuan’s chest, hands tight on his shoulders before shaking them violently. Even from his distance, he can hear her voice filled with despair and desperation, “General! Wake up! WAKE UP! WAKE UP! PLEASE!”
From his place, hidden away behind all the grieving people around Jing Yuan, Blade could feel his breath leaving his body. His eyes are still locked on Jing Yuan’s still form, mind still chanting nonono, it’snotrealit’snotrealit’snotreal. Because this can’t be real. Why is Jing Yuan so still? Why won’t he move? The floor was too dirty for someone of such high caliber like him!
Blade wanted to call out to him. To tell Jing Yuan to move! To shout at him to wake up! To sit up, to tell everyone that he’s fine! That he’s still alive and tell them not to worry, that Phantylia’s attack was nothing.
But... there’s nothing.
No matter how long Blade waited and prayed to whatever Aeon out there, Jing Yuan’s body was too still.
He’s not moving!
Even when Kafka dragged him away, Blade still couldn’t believe that Jing Yuan—Jing Yuan!—is dead. Even when night had descended, Blade still believed that everything was just a nightmare. That he will wake up tomorrow and see that irritating face of the General of the Luofu when he sneaked into his room at night.
Unfortunately, that was just his wistful thinking. Because the next day, he wake up with the reality that Jing Yuan is gone. Dead.
The fact sent him into madness, the mara spiked uncontrollably, clouding his mind and judgement. There’s only one thing on his mind. He needs to kill, kill, and kill.
It had taken Kafka days to stabilize his condition. When he came back to his sense, the funeral had passed and they’re back on their ship. When Blade confronted Elio about Jing Yuan’s death, he shook his head. Saying that his death was unfortunate and unexpected. But no one can do anything about it, because reviving the dead wasn’t something one could do, not even the Aeon can do it. It goes against Fate.
His words plunged him deeper into despair. It takes a lot of time for Blade to be able to go back into action. Even now, years after Jing Yuan’s death, Blade still can’t take his mind away from the memory. He never thought that he would lose Jing Yuan, not even once. He’s the only one who stands tall against time after all.
But now... how laughable.
Blade was the one who wanted to die so badly, but in the end, he ended up being left alone again.
“-de. Blade!”
Elio’s sudden call pulled his attention away from his memory. He turned his gaze away from the nebula and locked eyes with Elio.
“What is it?”
“We will partake in the war. Yes, I did say that our participation was unnecessary, however, we need to know as to what it is that is disrupting the flow of fate.”
Blade nodded. So, it’s decided. “Just tell me what I have to do.” With that, he turned and walked out of the room, leaving Kafka and Elio to discuss their strategy.
On his way back to his room, Blade’s eyes once again caught the nameless nebula. Its bright yellow-almost-golden clouds once again remind him of Jing Yuan’s eyes. So bright, attractive, and breathtaking. Even after being lost in them each time he visited him, Blade still couldn’t get enough of looking at his eyes.
It was so beautiful.
His eyes. Jing Yuan’s.
｡°
The Atlas
“Nice timing. Come here.”
Jing Yuan just turned a corner when he met Nanook’s golden eyes.
“I greet the Ruin Author,” he greets Them respectfully, though there’s strain in his voice. Granted. The Destruction had just been declared enemy by the Luofu following Phantylia’s attack and, of course, his death.
They only nodded at his greeting and floated back to where They came from. Jing Yuan follows closely behind.
Silence filled the room between Jing Yuan and the Aeon, and he had no desire to whisk it away. Instead, he turned his attention from the Aeon’s back and looked to his surroundings.
The corridor he took this time was an unfamiliar one. After spending a few days in his room to practice, Jing Yuan decided to once again roam around the ship. Different from his first exploration, the ship now started to look like a place inhabited by the living. There are more decorations, art pieces from famous painters around the cosmos, common and strange plants (e.g. mripea), strange machineries, and comfortable rooms to just sit around and relax. Then, there’s also green houses, each housing different types of plants, and also the kitchen, with its varieties of vegetables, herbs, meat, and drinks.
When he followed Nanook turned a corner, a different kind of room greeted him. There are big machineries ahead of him. Each of them faced the opposite wall from where he stood.
“What is that?” he asks curiously.
“Snatcher.” was Nanook’s short answer. “Used to grab Akivili’s shard we found stranded in the cosmos,” They explained.
Jing Yuan nodded. He had asked Lan about this, whether it’s only possible to find the shard in a planet or somewhere inhabited by living beings. The question comes from his curiosity, but also because he thought that there’s no way the shards could only be found on planets. And he still remembered the Aeons mentioning picking Akivili’s shard like it was some rock They found on the side of the road. There’s a huge chance that some of Their shards are floating carelessly among the debris in the cosmos.
“Has it ever been used before?”
He walked closer to one of the Snatchers. Curiously, Jing Yuan ran his palm on the cold metal. It was sturdy, and there’s a sense of reliability on it, like he could trust it to get him anything he wanted.
Nanook hummed behind him. When he turned to face Them, They looked at him with a deep gaze. Molten gold eyes caught the pair of gold and red, and Jing Yuan was unable to look away. Their gaze was thoughtful at first, then, They chuckled in amusement.
What? A question Jing Yuan asked with his confused expression.
“You felt it, don’t you, Jing Yuan?”
Jing Yuan tilted his head, a brick of confusion added to the pile. “Whatever do you mean?”
Nanook shifted his gaze to the machine beside him, eyes locked onto Jing Yuan’s hand still touching the Snatcher. “When you touch it, you feel something,” They said, more statement than question.
Jing Yuan nodded nonetheless. “Hm... Does feeling like this machine is reliable and that I can trust it to get anything I want count?”
Nanook smiled, satisfied. “Seems that your body modifications have brought you farther from the mortal realm.”
At the mention of his body modification, Jing Yuan freezes. The other three Aeons had apologized to Jing Yuan about it, but Nanook only looked at him dead in the eye and said that it was necessary. No one brought it up again. And Jing Yuan also thought that this matter was over. He still doesn’t like the fact that They modified his body without his permission, but at least, he also started to understand Them. This step was necessary in Their eyes. To handle an Aeon remnant, a normal mortal body won’t be able to endure. This is why he doesn’t react emotionally toward Nanook’s words.
“What does that mean?” he asks, instead. Being resurrected from dead was already making him doubt whether he’s still human or not, but now, Nanook said he was walking farther from the mortal realm? That means he’s still human, right?
“This machine... it was created specifically to pick Akivili’s shard. You already know about it. To handle Aeon’s power, even if it was just a speck of the whole thing, another Aeon’s power was needed. Thus, the main ingredient used to create Snatcher was imbued with Aeon’s intent.”
Jing Yuan turned his attention back to the machine beside him.
“What you felt when you touched it was the intent imbued by one of us. Because the intent was given directly by an Aeon, no ordinary mortal would be able to feel it. The most they could think about was that this by no means was an ordinary machine.” Then, They turned to stare at Jing Yuan. “Now, you understand, don’t you, Jing Yuan? You’re finally walking away from the mortal realm.”
The satisfied smile Nanook gave him was unexpectedly so grating on his nerves.
“I...” He can’t just say that he doesn’t like what They’re saying, right? But... “I’m not quite sure that me not being mortal anymore is a good thing.” Because if he’s not mortal, what is he now? A being completely cursed by the Abundance? Without a single chance to die?
“Why not?” Their tilted head told him that what he was saying was something They couldn’t understand. “Mortal is shackled by many things. By being one, your growth will one day halt, either by an external factor or because you have reached the limit of your life. Long-life is no different. Because in the end of the day, you’re just mortals with longer lifespan.
“By shedding your status as mortal, on the other hand, allows you to achieve more things in the world. Isn’t that good?”
“…”
For a moment, Jing Yuan let Nanook’s words echo in his mind. As much as he despises Them, what They said has its own merit.
It’s true that every mortal live with their own limit, the most common of them are time. Even for the long-life of the Xianzhou, time is still their biggest enemy. That’s why his ancestor made the mistake of receiving the Abundance’s curse in order to achieve immortality.
However, there’s also a great point in becoming mortal. Their limited time made them cherish each second of their life. They enjoy everything to the fullest because of who knows if they can enjoy the same thing for a second time? Their limited time also teaches them about the limitation of time itself. Because they don’t have an unlimited lifetime, they can choose to try their best in life, or just enjoy the passage of time in peace.
In the end, because of their limited time, their choice is also limitless.
“I believe that I’m still a mortal,” Jing Yuan said. He’s born mortal, so he will die as one.
Nanook said nothing and only looked at Jing Yuan’s eyes. Five seconds later, They turned Their attention toward the door and motioned Jing Yuan to walk out of the room.
Except for the sound of Jing Yuan’s footsteps, silence took over the corridor he walked in.
When Nanook motioned him to turn right, he followed Their instruction without question.
They’re now in another unfamiliar corridor. Jing Yuan looked around the walls on either side. While the one of his left is bare of any decorations, there’s a big screen on his right. A picture of a bluish-white rock grabbed by Snatcher caught his attention.
“Is that...”
Nanook nodded. “Akivili’s shard. Sometimes, we are able to come across one. At times like these, we should take it immediately, lest it be taken by someone else or fall into one of the countless planets. When that happens, it becomes quite difficult to get it back.”
The Akivili’s shard in the screen was so different from the ones he had seen. Instead of the four-edged shard with magnificent beauty, the one on the screen looked like an ordinary rock, but instead of black, its color was bluish white.
“Why does it look so ordinary?” Aside from its unique color, it doesn’t look that impressive.
Nanook chuckles. “Sometimes, the shards would look no different from ordinary rock, just a bit more good-looking.”
Good looking... He turned his attention back to the shard in the screen. Good looking, huh? The way Nanook describes it... “Heh!” It makes him want to laugh. A good-looking rock! Oh, Lan!
“So, don’t be surprised when it doesn’t look like what you expect.”
They resume their walk. Just like before, Jing Yuan was quiet. Instead of focusing on Nanook on his shoulder, his eyes trailed around the walls of the corridor they’re in. Besides the screen, there’s also some portraits—13 in total—on the wall. He observes each one. Although he doesn’t recognize anyone in the portraits, one of them caught his attention.
“Who is this?” He stopped in front of the portrait. It was of a young man, a smile plastered on his face, and his eyes were so black that Jing Yuan thought he was looking at the abyss. He wore a black and green robe and a black pointed hat. His posture was straight, and the aura of nobility leaked out of the painting like it was the most natural thing.
“...I don’t recognize him.” Nanook shook Their head.
Jing Yuan nodded. It was within expectation. Not everyone can grab the Aeon’s attention.
After staring for five more seconds, he turned his attention back to the corridor. Nanook was saying something beside him, telling Jing Yuan to turn right at the fork ahead.
The room he visited next had already had an occupant.
“Hello, Jing Yuan.” It was Lan.
“Greetings, Reignbow Arbiter,” he said respectfully.
Lan nodded and gestured for him to come inside.
When Jing Yuan stepped inside, he was instantly greeted by various kinds of weapons.
“Welcome to the armory.” Nanook’s flat voice faded into the distance as Jing Yuan took sight of many weapons inside. He walked towards one of the tables. Laying on top of it were daggers in various shapes. He picked one and lifted it to take a closer look, examining it more closely.
“What an exquisite dagger.”
He may have never done blacksmithing his whole life, but Jing Yuan can appreciate a good weapon when he sees one. And this dagger was one of them. The blade was made from rengnetite, a rare material which could only be found on a planet called Lexiar.
This specific mineral has the best durability compared to the others of its kind. When made into weapon, there’s a unique glint every time there are eyes staring, as if saying hello and flaunting its own uniqueness.
Unfortunately, the combination of its rare existence and even rarer blacksmith capable of handling it, made weapons crafted from rengnetite become so rare, and if you’re lucky to find one in the market, it will fetch a really high price. If Jing Yuan doesn’t already have Starfall Reverie, he will be tempted to actually buy one. He even visited the planet where the rare sword was auctioned. For all his long life, it was the fifth time Jing Yuan saw a rengnentite-made weapon.
“I also think that rengnetite is a good material.” Lan nodded. “However, rengnetite isn’t the only good material used to create all the weapons here.” Jing Yuan turned to look at Them. “Each weapon in this place, Jing Yuan, was created from materials no less unique than rengnetite. For example, these arrows. It was created from rajouna ore that could only be found in the middle of the Bharam nebula. As for this sword, it was made from the bone of a space-dweller species called Ouroboros. You have free access to use them however you want.”
Jing Yuan stares at the countless precious weapons in the armory. It’s one of the supports. He nodded to himself.
“Thank you.”
He will make sure to use them to his heart’s content.