Elder Ramus stood at the door, holding it open. Clearly waiting for me to go in first.
I stepped inside, eyes immediately drawn to the center of the room where an unassuming table sat, surrounded by unscrolled parchments scattered like someone had rifled through them in a hurry.
A couple of glowing orbs floated quietly in the corners, casting an eerie light across the space. Jars lined the hastily built shelves, some filled with plants in unnatural colors, others containing masses of discolored flesh and meats I couldn't begin to identify.
A real mad lab.
The door shut softly behind me.
"Sit down, please," Elder Ramus said, his tone even, almost too calm. He moved toward one of the shelves.
I took a seat at the table, trying not to let the tension in my chest show. My breath hitched anyway.
He pulled a jar from the shelf. Something was floating inside, suspended in a thick, murky liquid. As he approached and sat across from me, I finally got a good look at it.
A small, wriggling purple worm. It didn't look like much. Just a few legs, glossy black eyes, but if Ramus was presenting it, there was no way it was normal.
"Your ability allows you to connect with creatures, correct?" he asked, voice still unnervingly calm.
I wasn't ready to give anything up just yet. I shook my head. "First, I want the rewards. Access to the Essence Realms."
I didn't know exactly what I'd find there, but at the very least, it might help me with my next goal. Maybe I'd gain some wielding capability like Synthia… or maybe something more, true manipulation of the energy itself.
"Peter, I don't have the au—"
"Then I refuse to reveal anything more." I cut him off. I was already starting to suspect his claims about authority were just smoke. He'd handed Asmund a token without hesitation, not to mention how casually he admitted me after the exam to a core disciple.
A moment of silence passed before Elder Ramus reached into his coat and casually tossed a wooden token across the table. I caught it on reflex.
"That'll grant you access to any lower Essence Realm chamber," he said with a smile. "Now, onto business."
I glanced at the worm which was still very much alive, still writhing, and clearly aware it was trapped. It pushed against the glass with a kind of desperate intelligence, as if it knew it was being observed.
'Careful what you say. This guy's giving off a lot of energy,' Luna warned.
I drew in a slow breath, keeping my tone even. "What is this thing?"
Ramus tapped his finger against the table five times, rhythmically, before leaning forward. "This little beast is cute, isn't it?"
"Uh… sure."
"Yes," he said, smiling faintly, "but its power is quite useful. It's a parasite. Latches onto a spiritual being, binds to the nexus, and drains them dry until there's nothing left but a husk."
He leaned back in his seat like he'd just described a nice bottle of wine or his plans for dinner.
'Useful'. That was the word he chose for a thing that eats cultivators from the inside out. I guess assassination tools weren't anything new in war, so I shouldn't be shocked but...
"Aaaand you want me to… fuse with it?" I asked cautiously.
He picked up the jar, ignoring my question. The worm inside spun lazily as he twirled it in his hand. "Not exactly. First—" his eyes met mine "—I want to observe you. See how your power moves. Then, I'd like to see it in action. If I can figure out how to develop something similar myself…"
"More rewards?" I interjected.
He gave a small nod. "Sure."
Then he stood and moved behind me. His presence wasn't explosive but heavy, like a giant was approaching. A constant, quiet pressure.
I felt his palm press gently against the small of my back, and despite his calm demeanor, I couldn't stop the flicker of panic inside me. I could tell ,if he wanted to, he could break me with a whisper. My choices felt… limited.
"Circulate the power, please, Peter," he said softly.
I obeyed, calling forth the Beast Force and slowly allowing it to course through my Grand Channel.
"Interesting… I see you weren't lying about your 'new' cultivation method," Elder Ramus said, his voice calm and unreadable.
I kept circulating the energy, tracing it through the usual pattern around my body until something felt off. A subtle, unnatural wiggling beneath my skin. It started at my wrist, Luna's resting place, and was quickly followed by a familiar burning sensation.
The same one I'd felt when I almost died.
'Luna?'
'Something entered you… it's moving with your Internal Force.'
I froze inside, but kept my face steady. The sensation of her roots expanding through my body wasn't painful, exactly but "uncomfortable" didn't even begin to cover it.
'What do you mean?' I asked, though I already feared the answer.
'It's the same glow as that worm.'
My thoughts ground to a halt. He couldn't have. Had he slipped it in during the contact? I didn't even feel it. If it wasn't for Luna...
The shock made me falter and I lost control of the circulation for just a second.
"Hm? Something wrong, Peter?" Ramus asked casually. No shift in tone. No reaction.
"N—no," I said quickly. "Didn't you want to observe me using my power too?"
'Got it,' Luna said. 'I've wrapped it up in my roots. What do I do with it?'
Killing it while it was inside me? That sounded like a bad idea. Who knew what kind of toxic fluid might spill into my body if it died here.
'Can you move it somewhere safe?'
'How safe is it to plug up your blood vessels or the Grand Channel?'
Good question. Luna's roots ran through my veins and cultivation structures. Blocking them might kill me just as easily as the parasite.
'Just hold it for now if you can. Don't do anything to it yet.'
"Yes, I did want to see more," Ramus said, voice still smooth, still in control. "But it seems… if even the Ancestor Statue couldn't identify your energy, there may be no way for me to grasp it. Not without…"
He trailed off, but turned away and walked back to his seat without asking for further demonstrations.
I glanced at the door.
Could I make it in time? Probably not. He could fly and I didn't even know what kind of surveillance he had over this place. This was his domain. If I tried to run, I imagine he'd easily find a way to drag me back.
"Peter."
My eyes snapped back to the man who had just implanted a parasite in my body.
He sighed and scratched the back of his head. "I apologize. These times are… desperate. And I can sense you're not being entirely honest with me."
I gave him a weak smile. "We all deserve our secrets, sir. I'm sure even you have a few."
He nodded. "Of course. But in the spirit of sharing—" his tone softened into something almost friendly "—I'll admit I haven't been completely honest with you either."
Was he already going to reveal it?
"That worm isn't just for poisoning spiritual creatures. It has a… unique interaction with humans. Its secretion affects the mind. Makes us more compliant. Honest. Willing to answer questions."
I forced myself to maintain a steady expression. "Okay," I replied, trying to sound curious instead of alarmed. "Why tell me that? You want me to try and mimic its ability?"
I kept my gaze fixed on the table, carefully avoiding his eyes. He had at least centuries of experience over me. One wrong twitch and he'd see right through me.
'You've still got a charge of toxin left, right?'
Luna stirred. 'Yeah. A little more than one dose's worth, so I can make it more potent.'
I took a deep breath. All I needed was to get him close then pray it'd be enough to finish the job.
'Maybe just play along,' Luna suggested. 'He's after knowledge and your secrets, not blood.'
Ramus's voice cut back in. "How old are you?"
"Eighteen," I answered automatically.
"Your name?"
"Peter."
"Where are you from?"
My lips parted then froze. I struggled for a believable answer.
Ramus repeated, more firmly. "Where are you from?"
"I don't know," I said slowly. "Far away from here."
That answer seemed to satisfy him, at least for now. He paused, clearly thinking.
'You might be right, Luna,' I thought. 'But what if he takes drastic action? Tries to dissect the Beast Force? Or the Precursor Energy? The problem is I don't know his intentions.'
'Then I'll be ready. Just be careful,' she warned. 'And don't hold back. If it comes to it, use everything.'
I stayed still, wary of channeling even a flicker of power. Anything he picked up on could expose my intent. But deep down, I was already steeling myself to do my worst, to kill the elder.
"Fine. You had two energies before," Ramus continued, voice steady but probing. "What are they?"
"Beast Force is one," I said. "It allows me to communicate with at least one creature. I've never tried it with anyone besides Luna."
"And the other?"
I hesitated. "It's… difficult to explain."
"Try."
I furrowed my brows, putting on a convincingly troubled expression. "It would be easier to show you."
"If it's that bar—"
I shook my head. "No. It's not just the barrier. You'll need to examine me directly to understand."
He gave me a long, curious look. Then finally, he asked, "Is it safe?"
"Of course."
He stood and approached slowly.
'Ready?' I asked.
'Ready,' Luna replied.
I activated my Precursor Sense. He gave no reaction, probably since he knew it was part of the power already. Plus my 'honesty' of promised safety. He stepped around behind me again and I felt his hand press gently against my back.
"I'll show you how it enhances control," I said calmly, even as I began charging attacks in both hands.
"Control? Couldn't you have jus—"
I turned quickly, my right arm swinging over his left, which was still resting on my back.
Please let these people not have a ridiculous level of Body Refinement. Even the Starborn girl could be killed by my technique despite her overwhelming power.
"ARGH!"
He yanked his arm away, but it was too late. Luna had already injected every drop of the potent toxin into his bloodstream. "You!" His voice cracked, and I saw the inky black veins begin to spread up his arm.
I raised my hand to follow up immediately. If I gave him even a moment to recover, he might shut the poison down somehow. I needed to pressure him and every second counted.
From my left hand, each fingertip fired a sharp air lance, invisible and silent, aimed straight for his head.
"HOW DAR—!" he roared, throwing up a hand.
A shimmering barrier formed just in time, and my projectiles shattered harmlessly against it like mist.
He swung his hand and my heart skipped a beat. I didn't have an enormous amount of combat experience, but lately, it felt like when someone like him so much as waved hello, it was time to panic.
I pumped Internal Force into the bangle on my wrist. A fiery red barrier flared to life just as I was ripped from the chair and hurled backward.
The shield shattered instantly on impact. Wood splintered around me as I crashed through the cabin wall and landed in the grass outside, dazed and bruised, a gaping hole left in my wake.
Groaning, I pushed myself to my feet and summoned my Spiritual Weapons.
A hit like that and I was probably done with no barrier. But if I gave him a chance to recover, it would be over anyway. I had to finish this now.
Ramus stumbled out of the cabin, one arm braced against the wall, his breath coming in shallow gasps.
I hurled a small spiritual object at him, not to harm, but to distract.
He grimaced, raising his good arm as another barrier flickered into existence. I could see it though, his complexion, a story of his draining energy. The toxin was speeding through his bloodstream with every beat of his heart, and the battle was only helping it.
The projectile bounced harmlessly off the barrier, but it gave me the moment I needed.
I surged forward, unleashing another barrage of air lances, each one slicing through the air like invisible daggers. The strain was immediate. My vision blurred, my control slipping, my head growing foggy under the pressure.
"Stop, Peter," he gasped, voice ragged. The fight was leaving him.
But I didn't stop. I couldn't. Not until I was sure.
There wouldn't be another opening. Luna wouldn't be able to make another toxin in time if he recovered. And even if I escaped, could I survive long enough to get away?
Maybe this wasn't necessary. Maybe I was going too far. But I didn't let myself dwell on it.
I stepped in and threw a punch, shattering the barrier and followed it with a brutal kick to his side.
He crumpled into the wall he'd been using for support, his body slamming into the wood with a loud crack, leaving it dented and splintered from the impact.
Without hesitation, I threw myself on top of him, unleashing everything I had. My vision tunneled. The world narrowed to black, red, and the man beneath me. Nothing else existed.
'Peter!' Luna's voice cut through the haze.
I stopped, panting hard, my chest heaving. The world slowly came back into focus. All that remained beneath me was a shattered, bloodied husk. A man who once held the power and authority of an Elder. A figure who stood above most of this world's cultivators… reduced to a pulp of flesh.
'He had no more power in him,' Luna said softly.
I exhaled, staggering back and collapsing to my knees, the weight of it all pressing down.
Elder Ramus was dead.