Chapter 11: Understanding Kaijin
“Hey, I’m gonna go sit over there for a bit,” Zhen Liu said while pointing at the pillar he crawled out of, “I think I need to reset a rib or two. Tell me when Nepherage comes back, kay?”
“Oh? Uh, sure…okay,” Alicia said hesitantly. She was a bit nervous of being separated from one of her rescuers, but she got the feeling she should match Zhen Liu’s casualness.
“Cool.”
Zhen Liu made his way to the cover of the pillar and sat down in the shaded alcove his body had made earlier. Closing his eyes, Zhen Liu began to focus inward and examined his formula foundation.
As his formula came into view, Zhen Liu noticed a strange golden thread stretching outward from it and towards the direction that Nepherage was currently fighting.
“Ah-ha, I was right! We are connected!,” Zhen Liu thought to himself, “Wonder if I can…”
Zhen Liu began to try and mobilize his aether to interact with the golden thread. Once his aether made contact with the thread, a flood of information overcame him.
“Huh…that’s…a lot.”
When Zhen Liu summoned (created?) Nepherage, a mental and spiritual connection was established between the two of them. While he wasn’t a hundred percent sure what this connection meant, the formula he accidentally cultivated didn’t come with any instructions, he could infer a few things as well test out some things.
Much like how he could check on his own cultivation progress, he could also see Nepherage’s cultivation. However, there was a very strange addition to it.
He could see the traditional formula diagram that would serve as the central foundation of her cultivation along side the rings of power associated with it. However, there were also these weird motes of light orbiting around them.
“So not only is she a Fifth Ring Aether Acolyte, but the formula she is cultivating is known as [Lava Maiden Revelry]. That explains some of the arts she used…now what’s up with these light motes?”
Zhen Liu touched at one of the light motes, curious to see what would happen if he did.
“And…poke!”
The mote of light exploded in a shower of light and energy, only to reform seconds later into an illusion of Nepherage. The illusionary Nepherage then proceeded to perform the [Landslide Kick] art that she had used earlier. In fact, it looked like a perfected version.
“Huh…so all of these motes are aether arts? Does that mean Nepherage can only use these arts or are these arts made from her learning them? Wonder if I can actively change them then,” Zhen Liu mused.
As he mused, a strange pulse of energy suddenly reverberated in the space he was in. A feeling of triumph and joy mixed with a tinge of bloodlust came over him as the pulse passed through him.
“Oh! So I can feel what she’s feeling emotionally,” Zhen Liu concluded.
{Mission Complete. Returning to Kaijin Lord’s side.}
“And I can hear their thoughts. Neat. Better disconnect and go meet with her in person. I think I have to…think it?”
Zhen Liu focused his thoughts on returning to his own formula diagram and body. As quickly as he was sent Nepherage’s foundation when he interacted with the thread, he was back to staring at his own foundation.
Seeing that he had returned his own body, Zhen Liu pulled his focus outward, opened his eyes and made his way out of the alcove.
“I am back,” Zhen Liu said as he made his way back to where Alicia was just standing.
Evidently, she was a bit preoccupied staring in the direction of where Nepherage and Fergus were currently fighting.
“Heyo?”
“Huh? Oh! You’re back.”
“Yes, I am.”
“Set your ribs okay?”
“Yeah, it was just the one it turns out.”
“My Lord.”
As Zhen Liu and Alicia were sharing small talk, Nepherage had returned from her battle with Fergus. Once she had caught their attention, Nepherage immediately took a knee. She looked like a demonic knight waiting for her liege.
Now that she was closer, Zhen Liu could feel the happiness radiating off of her.
“So it’s clear that you won the fight,”Zhen Liu stated, “What happened to Fergus?”
“The one called Fergus will no longer be a problem for you or the young lady. I have the trophy to prove it.”
“Trophy?”
Nepherage stood back up and reached for something behind her. Zhen Liu and Alicia stares on with curiosity as they tried to figure what she had brought back.
“Here it is my Lord,” Nepherage said with pride.
“Oh dear heavens”
“Gah, Severed head and spine!”
Dangling by the hair in Nepherage’s hand was the severed, bloody head of the once infamous Fergus von Blüt. Judging by the long bit of spine attached to the bloody stump that was his neck , Nepherage had decided to rip his head off as opposed of using a clean cut.
“What’s that liquid leaking from his… everything?,” Zhen Liu asked while gesturing to the greyish-white liquid streaking down Fergus’ mouth, eyes, ears and nose.
“His brain matter,” Nepherage stated matter-of-fact, “I liquidized his brain.”
“Well that’s-”
“Blargh.”
Evidently, the sight of seeing Fergus’ head was a bit much for Alicia, Nepherage explaining what the stains were was her absolute limit. She proceeded to throw up all over Zhen Liu’s shoes.
“Sorry,” Alicia apologized as she wipes the vomit off her lips, “Not used to seeing such a gruesome sight.”
“It’s cool,” Zhen Liu said while scraping the vomit off of his shoes, “Things happen.”
“If that will be all my Lord,” Nepherage interjected, “I shall now take this opportunity to rest.”
“Huh? Oh sure”, Zhen Liu approved.
With a nod of her head, Nepherage suddenly turned into a shower of aether. The aether then whirled in the air for a bit until gathering around Zhen Liu’s wrist. The aether then transformed into an ornate red jade bracelet.
The severed head she was holding lamely dropped on the ground now that she wasn’t there to continue holding it.
“Huh,” Zhen Liu went as he inspected his new accessory, “Wasn’t expecting that.”
“Where’d the demon warrior go? Is she dead?”, Alicia asked. Even though she had saw what happened, she couldn’t understand any of it.
“No, she’s just sleeping,” Zhen Liu assured, “Pretty sure if we need her again she’ll come.”
“Oh. Okay then.”
“Yeah…,” Zhen Liu said while scratching his head, “Oh I just realized I don’t even know your name.”
“I’m Zhen Liu,” he said while putting his arm forward for a handshake.
