Past and Present Life IV

They say that an average human forget 70 percent of new information within a day, and maybe 90 percent of it within a week. It is with this reason we seek to preserve instances of time. Be it writing, paintings, photographs and multitude of recorders to capture moments of time everyone knew would be forgotten.

It is sad that with the advancement of technology that we have become busy and complain about not being able to record precious moments when we should be busy living those moments. Or maybe we have just forgotten to live in a moment. Maybe that 70 percent includes that ability to remind ourselves to live and enjoy in a moment. After all, we are all wired to forget.

But what about a tree? Specifically a cotton tree outside a school campus. Just how many generations of cicadas has it listened to? And how many leaves did it scatter to the ground and how many sweepers had it seen to clean its dried leaves? Just how many students had taken shed underneath its branches. Be it rainy day when someone forgets to bring their umbrella or be it sunny day when pairs of younglings choose to eat their packed lunches and feel its cool breeze.

If this tree has its own thoughts, it probably have had withered for having seen too much. If it has its own feelings, it probably have had gone numb for having spent years of these humans and hear their goodbyes decades later.

Too numb it no longer care. Too numb that it did not even feel a scratch when a boy forcefully chiseled and carved his feelings on its branch. Too numb to care that the boy and his companions are now being reprimanded for their mischievousness.

“This is a school. This is where you prepare for your future. This is where we prepare you for your future. Do you think your parents brought you here so you could play? You should all focus on your studies.” It’s a sunny afternoon and an old principal came to lecture a class after having been informed that more and more students are skipping their classes.

*Yawn

An uninterested fourteen year old boy yawned ignoring the principal and his classmates. Even in the middle of the lecture, he is still daydreaming. Earlier, he climbed a cotton fruit tree to observe a cicada singing to the melody of nature and having satisfied his curiosity, he tried to drill his initials and the initials of his soon-to-be girlfriend unto the tree using a nail he picked while walking to school today.

The old principal noticed the boy who just yawned and slowly walked towards his seat.

“When you all grow up, you will all get jobs. And there are things you need to learn even if it’s just feeding chickens. Right Mr. La?”

The boy was surprised when he heard his last name. He did not even realize that the principal is standing beside him. He scratched his head then blankly looked around.

“Even that girlfriend of yours, when you grow up, you’ll find someone better and forget about her. So focus on your studies, OK? You think she’s your world but no. You think those feelings would last but no. Those infatuations will all come to end. You might even come to a point you wish you’ve never develop feelings or have fallen for her so focus on what’s important, your studies, OK?”

“What if I can turn back time so I can keep falling in love with her?”

(Ha ha ha ha!)

“You stupid brat!”

*Arghhh

The principal could no longer control himself and pinched the boy’s ear.

Later that afternoon, the boy opened his phone and read his inbox.

(I heard you want to turn back time and keep falling love. You’re so cheesy. Don’t tell anyone I’m your girlfriend.)

*Thunder

Clay opened his eyes as he was woken up from his dream by a loud thunder.

Two months had passed and he had restrained his cultivation and experienced being mortal again. Ever since he broke through to Core Formation, he felt his Dao Powers had transformed him into an entity to this day he cannot explain. He has this feeling he will turn into a beast similar to when he installed beast cores to his body. He achieved his Dao Powers using an unconventional method and he has yet to know whether this has a detrimental effect on him so to observe his body, he sealed his cultivation temporarily.

Clay had been used to waking up and having a morning or evening tea before a lush greenery but now the landscape had been turned into tall buildings and infrastructures.

Two months ago, a High Elven named Binur bailed him out and brought him to a hotel within a city and he has been living here since. Every day, a language tutor would come to visit him and teach him the current dialect. From time to time, the tutor would as well teach him the basics of operating technology and today was the last day.

He went to sleep and did not expect he would have a dream about his life during his early adolescence back on earth. Technically it was not a dream as it was his actual life back then but in that dream, he felt like he was the tree.

Clay sat down on the bed. He is contemplating how he ended up on this luxurious hotel. He still have no idea how long had he been in seclusion or rather he is still in disbelief as when he tried to search the history of this planet, results suggests that more than 100 thousand years have already passed which means he is more than 100 thousand years old which is mystifying as he had not age one bit.

He does not know if the information is reliable but from what he has read, history is divided into four eras namely The Kulfagar Invasion, The Great Retreat, Rimar Era, and lastly Liom Era.

There is another version of history written by Watersmen. It is still the same 4 eras but the names are different. They call it Exodus I, Exodus II, Era of Flame Emperor, and Liom Era.

The timelines are the same and they are both referring to the period during the Kulfagar Demon Invasion then followed by the period when they migrated back to their ancestral lands after the death of the space beasts, then two thousand years after that, the planet became officially affiliated with Nazarak Galactic Empire. Then twenty thousand years after that, the planet had been involved with a Galactic War and it was that time when a Divinity expert claimed to be the protector of the planet. That expert called himself Flame Emperor Rimar.

The planet experienced peace for around 50 thousand years before it got involved again with another Galactic War but this time, a sword master rose to protect the planet. He is called Liom of Ukacha.

It is still unclear if the Rimar mentioned was the same Rimar he taught back at Cheaneya village and when he read Liom, he was reminded with the first rebirther he met at Crescent Moon Sect then disappeared later. If only the records would say that Liom is a Water Dao practitioner, he might think it is the same person but the descriptions were pertaining to a Sword Master.

Clay took a bath and after grooming himself, he stepped outside the hotel.

Similar to his previous life, this planet has its own Stagnation Laws. In fact if there is no presence of Mana, he would be convinced he is living on the same planet on the same universe like his previous life.

Despite the pouring rain, he took a cab and instructed the driver to an address where Binur lives and after a few minutes, he was dropped in front of a humongous complex center.

Clay opened his umbrella to protect himself from the rain as he approached the guards.

“Clay Endremilas. I wish to seek audience to Elder Binur.”

“Your appointment is tomorrow but follow me, please.” The guard responded with a wry smile.

Clay silently followed the guard. He finds it fascinating that even after a hundred thousand years, he would still encounter arrogant Elves. Even the tutor who regularly came to teach him, sometimes he would still feel that disdainful look during his language lessons.

“This is as far as I can take you.”

“I thank this senior for his time.”

Clay saluted with his fist and entered a large training room that looks like dojo.

*Clank

*Clank

Clay heard metallic sounds as he stepped inside the room. There are currently two blinded folded Elven fighting at the center of the hall and not far from them is another two Elvens observing their fight and one of them is Elder Binur.

*Hya

*Clank

Clay took off his shoes and walked towards the two Masters sitting on a Seiza position.

“I hope my arrangement was not lacking in any way.”

Clay was standing behind the two masters and when heard Binur speak, he sat on his knees as well.

“It’s bothering me because I have nothing in return to repay this Elder’s kindness.” After responding, Clay can’t help but notice a change in the room’s atmosphere. He just arrived yet trouble seems to greet him.

He had restricted his cultivation but his senses had not dimmed one bit. He may have had gone into seclusion for a hundred thousand years but to him, it felt like only a year had passed so the massacre he did at Mage Baum’s Tower is still fresh in his mind. Instinct is telling him that both Binur and his Companion is about to launch an attack.

From another person’s perspective, the two looks like Core Formation experts but like him, they are capable of hiding their cultivation as well. Clay had already seen Bimur’s real strength two months ago and Clay does not need to activate his Godly Eyes to tell that Bimur’s companion is another Peak Nascent.

*Mrghhh

Binur cleared his throat then said, “It has been 33 thousand years since the inheritance of Flame Emperor had been relocated. The last Sleeper revealed herself 5 thousand years ago and it was a brutal fight and I hope that history will not repeat itself.”

Clay finally understood what was going on. He is being suspected of being a Sleeper which he has no clue of what they do or what they are.

He had already experienced the strength of Battle Suits two months ago and he is confident he can defend or even kill the two with his Dao Powers but there is no reason to fight. Besides, the fact that he was allowed to live peacefully for two months is already a clue that they did not want to eliminate him which means he just needs to clear his identity.

Clay wanted to release a portion of his aura but he is positive that the moment they feel the slightest ripple of energy from him will result in a fight.

He was calm and took a deep breath.

“I don’t know what Sleepers are or do but I can promise to not create any disturbances. What happened two months ago was a misunderstanding and if I had any intentions, then I could have had killed them and hidden myself.”

“And it is for that reason we have chosen to place our trust.”

Clay noticed Binur’s hand move.

*Cling

Like coin that was tossed, a spatial ring was tossed towards Clay.

“There is an academy southwest called Grizzly School. They are in need of a Dao practitioner to tutor a few young talents. I have already arranged your identity. By then, you can decide your future.”

Clay inspected the ring but he did not find anything valuable aside from a purple card and another ID. He wanted to decline but the other master has yet to lower his guard. He has no time to think of an excuse and can only accept. “I am ignorant and unfamiliar with many of this world’s technology but at least show me the acceptable level of Dao a teacher must have.”

As soon as Clay finished his sentence, Clay felt the other master moved and within an instant, a sharp sword is touching the skin of Clay’s neck.

A slight push would have had decapitated Clay but he was still calm. Like Binur, the other master is a sword practitioner and blade just now was imbued with Sword Dao. Clay was unfazed and disregarded the threat.

He was hoping Binur would instruct the two blind-folded students to display their Dao Comprehension but he did not expect the other master to move. Nevertheless, he was still composed and since he did not feel any murderous intent, he allowed the blade to touch his skin.

After a few seconds when the blade was retracted, Clay stood up and saluted with his fists.

“Thank you for enlightening this junior and I will take these masters’ kindness to heart.” He said with a slight bow then turned around and walked towards the door.

A minute after Clay stepped out, Bimur’s companion spoke.

“He did not seem dangerous at all. Are you sure he can manifest Dao and did not rely on items to knock the armored guards unconscious”

“I had the area investigated and only found damaged spatial rings so I cannot tell what magic items he used. The surveillance videos did not show him using any weapons and I don’t know how he did it but his blood test shows patterns of Fire Dao. Anyway, Central command already approved of his release as long as he does not cause any disturbances.”

“And why exactly did they allow him to live?”

“When he surfaced, there was no spatial distortion at all. Not even a magnetic field distortion from the 2nd Subspace. I had all the nearby satellites checked for any malfunctions and three psychiatrists observed him and even genealogy test and we still cannot prove or find anything of him being a Sleeper aside from him having no identity but the most intriguing is that he is only a Core Formation expert. There is no way he could have had survived the tearing of subspace.”

“What happened to killing would have been safer?”

“Unlike us, he is a full fledge Dao practitioner and someone wants to borrow his strength.”

Meanwhile, Clay took another cab and watched the pitter patter of the rain on the window.

“I guess I don’t have the worst of luck.” He thought to himself. Many times he had wanted to go out and retrieve his spatial ring which he dropped at the ocean but he was unsure if he will be allowed to fly freely. Had he actually gone out, then he may have really been further suspected as Sleeper.

He did place a mark on the ring using his Qi but it felt like the ring was swallowed by a whale and it has been moving since. He just hopes he can retrieve it before someone does.