The Uncharted Wilderness. ?????????????????????

Many questioned how the seasons worked in the Uncharted Wilderness. Did it rain all year long like tropical rainforests that never died? Or do the Spirit Beast inhabiting the land roam happily, adapting to the heat of summer and the chill of winter? The answer? Well, it depends. The Uncharted Wilderness may be mystical, but it wasn’t immune to nature. Often times, the northern and southern poles of the unexplored land would experience heavy snowfalls all throughout the year, barring a few exceptions.

Howling wind, akin to that of chilling cries of wraiths, dominated the frosty white land. Massive blizzards continued to pile on by the day while hails of ice dropped like spears. It wasn’t a place where life could thrive, and yet, if one were to squint, they would see billowing smoke and vibrant amber light in the distance.

Amidst these inhumane weather, there was a colossal castle, protected by the devastating environment by a tremendous barrier of light. Snow foxes leapt out from their burrows interested in testing the effectiveness of the thin layer of protection, only to be melted away within seconds. It was quite bizarre. The structure stood there as if conjured from a fairy tale of princes and princesses, its strong and brick walls holding firm while its inhabitants nestled safely away from the adverse weather.

Just like its exterior, the inside of the castle was overly magnificent. There were glass chandeliers and towering sculptures that could only be crafted by some of the world’s best stone masons. Decadent cutlery and fine grape wine, which shouldn’t survive such drastic temperatures, decorated the dining tables making it much more luxurious that it should have been. It was paradise… At least that was what Junius had thought.

[Junius, you have failed me.] An authoritative voice echoed out in the basement of the castle, where two men stood side by side.

Junius’ eyes were looking at his shoes while both his hands were tied behind his back. The World Serpent, Ao, kept his face neutral, not showing any emotion whatsoever. He may be a jester at times, but in front of the Black Sphere that dictated his organisation's every move, Ao would always display the dignity of a Nine-Coloured Noble Beast.

“It’s all my fault, Allfather! Please punish me as you fit!” The viridian-haired young man instantly dropped to his knees, kowtowing to the orb of darkness. He didn’t even bother to prepare a defence. Junius had failed the Allfather, and there was no point in coming up with excuses.

[Your mistake this time is quite significant, Junius…] The voice continued. [Not only did you force us to move to implement Phase Four immediately, but we also had to lose one of our Payircis prematurely. It was even a rare Mind-Element Payirci… You do know that we only have four of them left, right? And all for what? A younger brother that doesn’t even want to follow you home?]

“Allfather! Please punish me!” Junius remained to kneel. Even a blind person could tell that the Vaishya had messed up.

[Junius… It really is a shame...] The Allfather sighed. [You have contributed so much to the Black Masks. You’re smart, talented and even capable of handling things that Brahmins would struggle with. However, you do have one drawback, and that is your undying love for your family...]

Hearing that, Junius felt his heart dive deeper into his chest. How was the Allfather going to punish him? Even if he were to be sentenced to death, Junius would feel no fear. However, if the Allfather wanted to kill Shin or Shia or anyone in the Awter Clan… Just the thought of it brought the man to his knees and tears to his eyes.

Then, there was silence. The Allfather didn’t say anything, Junius didn’t dare to open his mouth, and Ao stood there without any care in the world. Eventually, someone had to break the knife-cutting tension, so finally, the Darkness Sphere said:

[Junius, based on your contributions thus far, I can waive the death sentence. However, you cannot go unpunished. The Black Masks are an organisation where merit is rewarded, and failure is penalised. So, I give you this sentence. Two hundred kilometres from here, there is a rocky canyon. There, one of the Empyrean Wonders of the World, the Tree of Illusions, lay hibernating. I want you to go in alone and get seeds from a Soul Tree, a lesser version of the Empyrean Wonder and report back to me.]

Junius jolted his head up and stared at the orb. He couldn’t believe his ears. ‘That’s… all?’

[I see that you don’t understand the true nature of the Tree of Illusions...] The Allfather mused, mildly entertained by Junius’ confusion. [Ao, explain it to him.]

“Ha!” The World Serpent bowed before turning to the stunned youth. “The Tree of Illusions is an Empyrean Wonder that uses the Mind-Element, stronger than anything else in the world. No one had ever seen it before because anyone who got near, no matter how mighty they were, would go mad instantly. Many Spirit Saints and Primordial Beasts, the strongest entities in the world, have attempted to find the Tree of Illusions but they almost always never came back.”

A flash of understanding flickered through Junius’ eyes as he turned back to the Black Sphere in the centre of the chambers. He was being sent on a suicide mission...

[I’m not asking you to find the Tree of Illusions, but its watered down cousins, the Soul Trees. Nonetheless, it still is a dangerous mission, so take it as a method of tempering yourself.] The Allfather nonchalantly said. [Only those with a prime heart and unwavering desires would overcome the temptation to fall into madness. Should you prove yourself to be worthy, the Tree of Illusions will reward you accordingly. I hope you wouldn’t let me down, Junius.]

“Ha! I live and die by the Allfather’s grace!” Junius replied with great fervour. At the very least, he wasn’t going to be sent on a mission to eradicate Shin.

As the youngster left the room, Ao’s serene expression finally fell through. Turning to the Black Sphere, the World Serpent said: “Allfather.”

With Junius gone from the chambers, the Black Sphere pulsated twice before turning into a puff of dark smoke. The atmosphere instantly became sinister and grim, as if Mistress Death herself had descended upon the mortal plains. The black smog condensed slowly until eventually, a hooded humanoid figure took shape. The man’s face was covered in dark smoke so no one could truly see his face and his four limbs that protruded out of his robes were wrapped in jet-black bandages.

Ao’s lips curved upwards as he folded his arms in akimbo. If any of the Nine Coloured Noble Beasts, particularly Momo, saw this haughty attitude, the World Serpent would be hunted down to the end of the world. Still, the blue-haired man didn’t care.

“You’re really pampering him,” Ao said, his tone wasn’t strained at all. It was as if he was talking to a friend than a superior. “Sending him to the Canyon of Illusions as punishment… It looks like you’re trying to train him, rather than penalise him.”

“You’re one to talk… The face you had when you rescued him from the Payirci… I didn’t know a hundred thousand-year-old beast like you could possess such feelings for a human.” The Allfather in his Umbral Human form chuckled.

“Tskkk… Your omniscience is really getting on my nerves.”

“Keke, all powers come at a price.” Placing his hands behind his back, the Allfather looked to the exit. “We’re short of manpower. Or to be more precise, we lack talent. Junius is a rare talent that can be groomed for us in the future. We can’t go throwing our best gems away because of one or two mistakes that they make. An army that kills its best officers would never become a wholesome army.”

“Just say that you like the kid.” The World Serpent scoffed, pouting his lips and furrowing his brows. The Allfather gave such a long-winded explanation when it all boils down to one simple fact.

“Well, I would be lying if I said I didn’t.” The hooded man said. “Either way, we still have to punish him. Keep an eye on him, would you? If he dies, so be it. But if he succeeds...” The Allfather pushed his hood down before turning back into the Orb of Darkness. [If he gets the seeds, let him run this region. Let him develop it according to the plans for Phase Five.]

The World Serpent was taken back for a moment. Letting a Rank 40 Spirit Spectre run an entire region when most Brahmins didn’t have that luxury? Even nepotism had its limits. Still, Ao obliged. “Will do.”

[Good…] The pulsating in the Dark Sphere slowly faded away, and the Allfather’s voice could no longer be heard in the remote castle dungeons.

‘Junius. Oh, Junius.’ Hiding his wicked smile, Ao slowly ascended the stairs, cracking his hands in the process. ‘Will you be a phoenix that rises from the ashes? Or another footnote in the long history of mankind? I can’t wait to find out...’

❖❖❖

The Himmel Empire. Highgarden Duchy.

Days passed since Shin broke through into the Spirit Spectre realm. The affair didn’t generate much of a buzz. Regular citizens continued on with their lives, pushing on one day at a time. High Society, on the other hand, was thrown into an absolute frenzy. Right after Kanari had promoted into the Spirit Spectre realm in the Estrella Region, Shin quickly spectacularly followed suit. He skipped two ranks and instantly triggered the attempt to bypass the first barrier of mortality.

While many would stagnate at the peak of Rank 39 for extended periods of time, Shin decided to break all sorts of conventions and enter the Spirit Spectre realm directly. For those that knew how difficult it was, for those who were still struggling at Rank 39… It was a direct slap in their face.

Naturally, Shin didn’t care about what others felt. As long as they weren’t bothering him or the ones he loved, there was no need to mind the fingers of envy. That was the general approach that Shin had once he reached the Spirit Spectre realm. So, it made his current jittery state, dressed up in a luxurious tuxedo and polished crocodile shoes, all the more entertaining to watch.

Seated next to him was a bewitching young maiden. Her shining black hair was kept up in a Gibson Tuck, held together by an emerald jade hairpin. Lightly painted with rouge, the young maiden’s face bloomed in brilliant red radiance, which complemented her breathy crimson silk robes. Stifling a laugh, Kanari placed her hands over Shin’s and said: “Relax, you’ve met my parents before! You know how they are!”

“Yeah, I’ve met them, but never in this context!” Shin couldn’t hide his nervousness. Just like any other child, Kanari was the love of the Highgarden Duchess and Duke. There were even plans for Kanari to initiate the inheritance process once she graduated from Imperius Academy, Yet, because of Shin, the husband and wife wouldn’t get to meet their cherished child for almost five years. No parent, no matter how understanding, would be pleased with that fact.

“Hehe, don’t worry about it!” Unlike Shin, Kanari was having fun, witnessing this whole ordeal pan out. Placing her chin on the man’s shoulders, Kanari whispered into his ear. “If they really object, we can just elope. Find a place where no one knows us and live out our lives forever after as farmers. Don’t you think that’s kind of romantic?”

“It could be...” Shin’s tense face eased up a little. Wouldn’t it be perfect if everything could be forgotten? If all of the suffering and pain he sustained never existed? The massacre of the Awter Clan, the Black Masks, all of the deaths in the world… If Shin could just let it all slide and live the rest of his life tending to cows, how good would that be? However…

“But that’s just a pipe dream. You know that right, Kanari?”

“Yeah.” Locking her hands through the gap in Shin’s arms, the young maiden nuzzled her nose on Shin’s lean biceps. “We still have so much to accomplish, so much to finish...”

“Right…” Shin shrugged Kanari away to free his right arm. Then, he wrapped it around the young girl’s thin shoulders, bringing her closer to him. “By the way, before we leave for the Lantis Republic, I want to make one more stop. This time, a little west.”

“... Ariel, right?” It didn’t take Kanari much time to guess Shin’s motives.

“And Lily, yes.” Shin didn’t deny it. “I have been avoiding this issue for five years now. Before, when I was without power and influence, the Frie Clan would never accept me to step foot on their mountain. Now that I’ve got both, perhaps their minds would have changed.” After the death of Ariel, the orphans’ strongest ally, the First Elder, had turned heel on them and barred them from ever coming back. Five years had passed since then. Although Shin didn’t know what exactly happened after they left the west, he had heard some whispers.

“I won’t ask you to accompany me, but I hope that you’ll understand my decision.”

“...” Kanari didn’t look all that thrilled. How could she be? The man she loved was about to return to the place where his one true love resided. Still, Kanari wasn’t the type of girl that would restrict Shin’s movements. Sighing, she replied: “No, I should follow you. I want to see the place where you grew up. The places you stayed, the people that influenced you growing up… Everything. Also… I think that I should at least pay my respects to Ariel.”

Kanari felt terrible for ‘stealing’ Shin away. The young man had been devoted to Ariel for years now and was still determined to become a Spirit Immortal just to meet the deceased girl one more time. It was perhaps the most touching love story that Kanari had ever heard. However, Kanari couldn’t lie to her own feelings. She wanted to be with Shin, so she chased him. It was as simple as that.

“Kanari… Thank you...” Shin held onto the maiden’s hands and stared right into her ruby-coloured eyes. Kanari did the same. Their eyes interlocked, a magnetic force started to pull their two lips together bit by bit. They had forgotten their motives for coming to this resplendent room in the first place. All that they could think of were their two marvellous faces. Unfortunately, before they could reach the final stretch...

“*Ahem!*.” A dry cough brought the pair out of their trance and quickly separated their two faces. A gorgeous black-haired lady, accompanied by one of the suavest gentlemen that Shin had ever laid his eyes on, entered into the chambers. The woman had an impish smile, with her four fingers covering her mouth. On the other hand, the man wore an expression of steel, his muscles bulging out from his tuxedo with a tinge of wrath.

Almost kissing the girl just seconds before her family entered the room? It really was the worst way to meet a girl’s parents...