Chapter 16: The Road to Whispering Hollow
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Zhan Xi'an's gaze flickered toward the street beyond the alley's mouth.
"You heading to Nova Gate Station?"
Lei Feng nodded, brushing dust from his shoulder.
"Yeah. Planning to head toward Whispering Hollow."
Zhan Xi'an's brow lifted in interest.
"Whispering Hollow, huh?" he mused, voice laced with approval.
"That place is full of dense energy, home to lots of low-tier magic beasts. Not too dangerous, but definitely not a walk in the park either. It teaches you to listen... beyond your ears."
He slid his sword back into its silver-lined scabbard with a satisfying click.
Lei Feng glanced at the blade.
"Why carry that openly? Don't you have a spatial pouch or something more convenient?"
Zhan Xi'an looked down at his sword before chuckling.
"Convenience isn't everything. I'm a Magus and a Swordsman. Why hide that? My path is my own, and I don't veil it for anyone's comfort."
There was something oddly liberating in his words—like a person long freed from the chains of expectation.
"Besides," he added with a shrug, "a visible blade makes people think twice before crossing me."
Lei Feng smirked.
"Makes sense."
He turned toward the street and gave a nod.
"Thanks again… really. I owe you one."
Just as he took a step forward, Zhan Xi'an matched his pace.
Lei Feng raised an eyebrow.
"You following me now?"
Zhan Xi'an smirked.
"Relax. I'm heading to Nova Gate too. Catching a transport to the Drifting Cloud Range—got some serious training to do before the Rising Star Tournament."
Lei Feng's eyes widened slightly.
"Oh You're entering that?"
Zhan Xi'an nodded.
"Of course. How else would I meet Ling Mei in person?"
Lei Feng stood still, his expression betraying both shock and curiosity.
Zhan Xi'an laughed softly.
"Hey, don't get the wrong idea. I don't fight for recognition. But to walk my path, I'll have to step over a few stars."
Lei Feng stared at him, awe mixing with something deeper—like inspiration.
"You're already this strong… but you still want to grow?"
Zhan Xi'an's face softened, his voice distant.
"Power isn't a finish line. Compared to true strength, I'm still just dust in the wind. If I stop, I'll be blown away. So I'll keep climbing, step by step—until the world itself has to make room for me."
The weight of his words hung in the air. There was no awkwardness, just the quiet of understanding.
Lei Feng lowered his gaze. The trio he had faced today—he had been powerless against them. Yet Zhan Xi'an stood as an unmovable force between them and the world.
He clenched his fists lightly. One day, I'll stand like that too.
The two continued walking, heading toward Nova Gate, leaving behind cracked stone, bruised pride, and the early stirrings of a bond forged in humiliation and power.
---
The scent of oil, ozone, and faint mana filled the air as the duo stepped from the narrow alley into a wide, bustling avenue.
The noise hit them all at once—soft hums of mana engines, the whoosh of bikes cutting through air tunnels, and the murmur of voices blending into the mechanical rhythm of the city.
Then they saw it.
The Nova Gate towered before them like a technological fortress.
Massive white obsidian walls stretched upward, reinforced with shimmering mythsteel veins. Floating above the gate, glowing cerulean runes spelled out "Transit Nexus Nova Gate", while banners of mana-cloth fluttered, displaying real-time maps of nearby routes, cities, and outposts.
Transparent skyways looped overhead, with mana-powered cars and cargo drones zipping across magnetic rails. A spiraling tower to the left housed levitation elevators, carrying passengers and goods between the underground tracks and elevated platforms.
Neon lights wrapped the structure, pulsing rhythmically like a heartbeat.
"Whoa," Lei Feng whispered, eyes wide as a sleek black car glided into the upper garage. Its surface gleamed like obsidian dipped in starlight, shifting subtly under the overhead glow.
"A mana-fueled car!" Lei Feng muttered, awe in his voice—like a child spotting a dragon for the first time.
Zhan Xi'an raised an eyebrow.
"Of course. What else would it run on?"
Lei Feng hesitated.
"Aren't there gas-powered ones too?"
Zhan Xi'an chuckled, a dry, amused sound.
"Gas tech? That's ancient history. After the Arcotech Revolution, everything changed. Sir Arco J. Lucas reshaped the world—mana engines, data networks, transportation grids... everything."
Lei Feng's smile faltered. Another layer of this world I never learned about. I'm just scratching the surface.
He turned back to the car, eyes lingering on its sleek frame, hovering wheels, and exhaust vents etched with runic glyphs.
"That model," Zhan Xi'an said casually, "is an Arcotech Magi-X 600. Built-in Hyperdrive, magi-core propulsion. It can even cross minor spatial rifts if connected to a runic grid."
Lei Feng nodded slowly, trying to seem unimpressed.
"So, Arcotech is basically the backbone of everything? Even the internet's called ArcoNet?"
"You don't sound like you're from around here," Zhan Xi'an remarked, his tone light but sharp.
Lei Feng stiffened, caught off guard.
"W-What? Nah. Just had a... secluded upbringing. Off-grid. You know." He gave a weak chuckle and cursed his lack of knowledge inwardly. Next time I reincarnate, let me inherit someone smarter.
Zhan Xi'an smirked.
"Live freely. Don't be bound by where you're from—only by where you're headed." He swept a hand toward the station.
"This world's too vast for chains—ignorance, pride, or fear."
The words hit deeper than Lei Feng expected—simple yet profound.
"You're really something, Zhan Xi'an," Lei Feng murmured, a smile tugging at his lips.
Zhan Xi'an turned away, his blue eyes already distant.
"Time waits for no man." With a graceful stride, he moved toward the eastern gate. Without a backward glance, he was gone.
Lei Feng exhaled. The silence left behind felt louder than words.
He wandered through the plaza, hands in his pockets, absorbing the sight of floating cargo haulers, automated security drones, and even old-fashioned carts pulled by rune-horned beasts. Here, tradition and technology coexisted in harmony.
---
"Hey, friend. Looking for a ride?"
The voice was warm, friendly, with a seasoned edge.
Lei Feng turned. A blue cruiser sat parked beside a quiet lane. Leaning against the open door was a middle-aged man, wearing a clean white shirt tucked into dark slacks. Round glasses rested on a calm face, framed by a neat beard, his black hair streaked with silver.
"I'm headed to Whispering Hollow," Lei Feng said cautiously.
"You're in luck!" The man grinned. "I'm an independent driver, not part of the Nexus Transport Guild. No long queues, no tickets."
Not with the Transport Guild? Lei Feng narrowed his eyes. Sounds too good to be true... but this is how people get kidnapped.
"System," he whispered in his mind, "scan him."
Ding!
> Name: Lee Brian
Race: Human
Status: Awakener
Level: 20
Class: Geomancer
Level 20? At his age? Lei Feng looked him over again. No threatening aura, no pressure—just calm. Maybe low talent, or could no longer level up because of some old injury, hence why he ended up as a driver.
Lee Brian smiled knowingly.
"Don't overthink it. I get that look a lot." He tapped the dashboard. "I'll take you for 8,000 credits. Cheaper than the 10k official route."
Lei Feng paused, considering. Then nodded.
"Deal."
He climbed in. The door hissed closed. The mana engine hummed to life, and the cruiser lifted smoothly off the ground.
Lei Feng grinned—eyes shining.
"Hold on," Lee Brian said with a grin. "First time?"
Lei Feng nodded, eyes wide.
"Yeah."
"Then you're in for a ride."
The cruiser tilted forward—then surged.
In an instant, they accelerated—smooth and silent—cutting through the transit lane like a comet across silk. The platform beneath them vanished in a blur. Air whistled softly around the car's aura-shield, parting like waves. Neon signs flickered past—ads for armories, food stalls, scroll vendors—warping into streaks of color in the rearview mirror.
Lei Feng pressed his face slightly against the window, grinning like a child on his first rollercoaster. The Nova Gate was already shrinking behind them, a colossal crown of glowing towers, flickering lights, and floating roadways fading into the blue haze of mana exhaust.
Above, hovercars zipped across crimson sky lanes, their riders mere silhouettes against the glowing sky-veil. Birds soared in lazy arcs, trailing after merchants beneath the Bridge.
And then—quiet.
As the cruiser passed the last arcane toll gate, the city dissolved into mist and memory. Towers gave way to rolling hills of silvergrass. The sky, once full of noise and light, now stretched wide and open—endless.
The road beneath them was woven stone and stardust, smooth and ancient, gently pulsing with runes. Mana-lanterns floated at intervals, casting shifting golden glows across the landscape.
"Is it always like this?" Lei Feng asked, his eyes never leaving the window.
Lee Brian smiled without looking over. "It's always like this... the first time."
The cruiser picked up speed again, weaving through winding paths and rising ridgelines. Wind streamed past them in ghostly whispers. The engine was nearly silent, its mana pulses syncing to the natural ley lines in the land. Everything felt alive—road, wind, car—even the silence.
The last signs of civilization flickered away behind them—no buildings, no mana-towers, no transit drones.
Only open skies. Whispering Hollow waited ahead, hidden among distant mountains veiled by morning fog.
Lei Feng leaned back in his seat, eyes shining.
This is it. No more walls. No more chains.
Just the wind. Just the world.
And for the first time since awakening in this foreign body, he felt it—not fear, not confusion, but freedom.
And hope.