“How do you know about my home world? I don’t remember ever telling you about it.” I already knew the answer to my question, but I wanted to double check.

Jing shrugged. “I’m not sure, I think I may have inherited some of your memories.”

A screen had popped up back when I got the Bring Forth skill. It told me Jing would inherit my knowledge of the local language.

My best friend from my old world, Brian, had told me all about this. Some people yearned for deep conversations because they were starved of them. I was the opposite. Brian had been shoving deep conversations down my throat since elementary school. If I heard one more “deep” conversation I might just throw up.

According to him, language contained a huge amount of knowledge. Knowing the definitions of words opened entire new ways of thinking. Learning a language gave her the knowledge associated with that language. Along with inheriting my definitions of the words “earth”, “car”, and “computer”, she also inherited my memories of those words. Learning my definitions for words gave her fuzzy versions of my memories.

“What are you talking about?” said Hui Ming. She didn’t know about the other world.

“I’ll explain later,” I turned back to Jing, “why do you think Dao is from that world?”

“A bunch of things. Quirks in his movement. The way he stared at Hui Ming’s maid uniform…”

“My what?” Hui Ming asked. Her hands folded over her black dress with white frills.

I hid my face behind my hands, this time in shame. I cleared my throat. “It doesn’t matter right now.”

Jing continued, “I also did some research on him beforehand. The way he took power is suspicious. He couldn't have done it without an extra ability. It’s possible he had a ridiculous number of connections. But, it’s more likely he has an information gathering ability. Although if he does, it isn't too powerful.”

“How do you know how powerful his ability is?”

“I can estimate the strength of his ability with how quickly he takes over. But it’s kinda inaccurate.”

“Can you draw a portrait of him for me?” I asked.

“Yeah, but this would be a better way to do it.” She held a seed in her palm. It expanded into a clump of vines. Each vine was thin as thread. They layered on top of each other, forming the rough shape of a male face. It became more defined until it became a recognizable face.

It was the same guy I’d seen break the door to this building, but I didn’t recognize it back then.

It took me a while to make the connection from the face to the person. “Ah, that guy.” He was from my class, but not Brian or anybody I knew well. I almost didn't remember his name, Mark. I don’t remember much about from class, but he either acted aloof or introverted. It was hard to tell the difference. But how did Jing piss him off so bad he kicked down the door? “Wow, you couldn’t have treated him better?”

“Sorry father, it was stressful.”

“Please try to make peace with him. Don’t give him information about me until we determine whether he’s hostile or not.”

Jing had mentioned him probably having an information gathering ability, confirming my fears. If both me and Mark had gotten abilities, the others did as well. I was most afraid of somebody going berserk with an invincible ability.

Information type abilities could be annoying. I couldn’t know which information gathering ability he had. I could only hope he couldn’t read my mind. Even if he wasn’t an enemy, I would hate being around somebody who could read my mind.

But there was nothing I could do. I didn’t know where he was, his attitude towards me, or anything else. “Thanks for the information. I should get back now. Don’t mess around too much and remember to pay your taxes.”

“Yeah, yeah. Whatever you say,” she grumbled. She got up from her chair and plopped down on my lap. I jerked back, almost falling out of my chair.

“Wha- Jing!” I complained. At first, her legs felt like a flat surface. Then I felt a particular pattern form through the robes. The pattern changed again.

“What?” Jing said. More. Information. ? Jing was controlling the skin on her leg to spell words.

Ah. So Jing wanted to be safe and not say certain things aloud. I thought it was unnecessary. I didn’t think Mark would be an enemy, but you can never be too careful.

I Controlled the skin on her palms to write out a string of words. We carried out two conversations at the same time, one through speech and one through touch. I had a hard time keeping both conversations at the same time. Jing held up the spoken side of the conversation while I nodded along. We spoke about everything that had happened to me up to this point. I told her everything I knew about Mark, which wasn’t much.

“Oh, I almost forgot,” I said aloud, stopping our other string of communication. “What are your people doing on my property?”

“They’re harvesting weed.”

“Um, ok. Please take them off when you have the chance. I’d rather not have them running around there.”

She nodded. I rushed back to my garden. Nobody had attacked when I was gone. I sighed in relief. I spent the rest of the day patching up my garden and creating pills. Jing and Hui Ming returned home and we had dinner together. They left after eating.

I felt a tug at my eyes and went to sleep.

-

I woke up to a flood of glaring light pouring into my room. Two suns hung in the night sky. They illuminated their surroundings with twice the ferocity of the real sun.

Jing burst into my room. “Are you alright?” She calmed down when she saw me looking out the window, unharmed.

Neither sun was real, but their brightness was enough to make most people look away. I stared at them, ignoring the blinding light. My improved eyes could withstand this and much more.

The “suns” were giant balls of fire. A person stood in the center of each of them, emitting the flames. They hovered in the sky far away from me, but I still felt the heat on my skin. They were far more powerful than the elder I had fought before.

They’re after me, aren’t they.

One out of five Prolong slots left!

A blue window popped up.

I swallowed and used Identify on Jing. Three boxes were pressed against her hip. They were the Prolonged seeds I had given her days ago. Two were Protects and the other was a Twentytacle trap. Two more Prolonged seeds were on Hui Ming.

All the seeds I had given Jing were present, so Hui Ming must have used one. She was a sixth stage cultivator with a strengthened body. There wasn’t much that could push her to use a Protect seed.

A tremor ran through my stronghold. Jing stepped back, hands quivering. I was spewing an oppressive aura, far stronger than those of cultivators. Not once had I been angry since I arrived here three months ago, but now...

I had always been leaking a calming aura. It made the area around me feel like a peaceful forest. Others would unknowingly feel calmer around me. I never realized having this aura because of its weak effect. It was this tiny aura that swelled and exploded out in a current of pure maliciousness.

Did these people think I’m harmless because I never acted? I sit behind a counter selling pills. I hold myself back so I don’t disrupt the city’s precarious balances of power. I confine myself to my house and avoid trouble.

Must I brandish my power to keep these people away? This is the question that had bothered me since I first opened my shop. The kitty brothers came into my shop and treated me with contempt. It was only until Hui Ming used her power did they retreat. This happened again in the food court. Hui Ming always followed me about, so I always left the power displaying to her.

I never acted because I tried to keep my ability a secret, but I also never acted because I didn’t want to.

But these people forced my hand. They sought to kill my family. They sought to kill Hui Ming, who had followed by my side for most of the time since I got here. Though I didn’t know her very well, we cared for each other. She was family.

Strong winds blew through my garden, created by the heat from the two "suns". Strangely, I couldn’t hear the rustling of the leaves in my garden. Feeling my anger, my plants stood rigid, unmoved by the wind.

“Where is Hui Ming.”

“S-she’s out buying weapons.” Jing could be counted as one of my plants too, but her reaction was different. She took a step back, and then stepped forward again. She rocked between her instincts to run and her desire to protect me.

“Shit shit shit. How am I going to dig myself out of this? Oh yes. I’ll kill those people first. Yes.”

“Father!” she cried, “You’re not being yourself. Calm down!” She overcame her instinct to run and grabbed my arm.

I had been living my peaceful life, looking forward to the next day. Why did they have to interrupt me?

Hui Ming was being attacked, but I couldn’t go help her. These people out my door were after me. They would follow me if I ran to Hui Ming, which would put her in even more danger. I had to save her, but I couldn’t leave either. I might be able to get rid of the people outside then go to Hui Ming, but she might be dead by then. It felt like an invisible pressure had wrapped around my heart. My mind was clouded by anger, confusion, and indecision.

I had to get rid of them fast and then go save her. It was my best bet and there was no time to waste. “Sorry Jing. I’ll be out for a moment. ”

“Is big sis in trouble? I can help too.” Her hands tightened around my arm.

Of course! Jing could help. How did that slip my mind? “This is an order,” I said to Jing, “Find and rescue Hui Ming. I’ll come as soon as I take care of the people outside.”

ple outside.”