Footsteps echoed through the corridors that multiplied like veins.
In the tunnels, each section expanded for tens of meters in width, consistent with the size of the creature that lived within. With no wind to guide him or cracks to let in light, Noah had to rely on the system's instructions while the echoes of his own walking confused his sense of direction. The air was heavy, but it caused him no reaction. Due to the passage of time, moisture condensed into drops that sometimes dripped around him. He always looked, remaining motionless for a moment, even though he never found anything. Perhaps from being used for a long time, the earth bore the marks of the beast's passages in many places, making it smooth and easy to traverse. However, in some spots, such markings were absent, and Noah didn't understand why the system had led him to places where this was so obvious.
— Are you sure the egg is around here?
[...Of course, don't worry.]
Without any markings, rocks protruded from the floor, walls, and ceiling, making the path more consistent with the environment of an underground tunnel. Would it be strange to say he found this less frightening than the place he was in moments before? Noah didn't think so. Having evidence of the half-dragon's passages was what truly made his heart pound whenever drops fell to the ground. He feared that something else might lurch from the darkness to envelop him, even though he rationally knew he was on a supposedly safe path. To his eyes, it was as clear as a bright sunny day, even before the appearance of the bluish tips that began to glow nearby, illuminating the path ahead. At some point in the new environment, he even stopped caring about the drops.
— Is this the place? — he asked, standing before a hole that opened up in the ground.
The system confirmed, and Noah obviously doubted it. There was a continuation of the path on the other side, he could see, because there the crystals shone with greater clarity and in greater numbers. However, the lack of signs of the half-dragon's passage through the area made it difficult to believe those words. The strange, reddish-orange light on the floor below, not blue like the others that were common in that place and which also shone down there, though their glow was dimmed, struck him as odd. It was strangely warm. And, after all, what kind of mother would stay away from her own child, even if they were in the same place? The silence weighed even on his thoughts and, shaking his head, he laughed at his own joke.
I should have thought that through better...
Noah leaped down into the crater, trusting in the resilience of that body and in the fact that he could see the bottom of the fall.
To his surprise, there was no impact. He had already tested some of his new abilities while running through the labyrinths; his speed was truly incredible. However, that fall had still seemed a bit dangerous; he was prepared to get a little hurt or perhaps feel some pain. But nothing? It was better than he had imagined.
Getting up, he froze. The creature rose with majesty, revealing an incandescent body whose feathers burned with flames. The heat seemed to penetrate his eyes and take form, enveloping her like a reddish-orange fire. That was no dragon, let alone a simple egg. To his dismay, his dreadful fear was realized, and another being that could kill him with a single movement or glance revealed itself as a resident of this place.
— Is that... a phoenix?
[Certainly.]
— Certainly... Does this look like an egg to you?!
[...You didn't specify from which being.]
— From which being—! Wait! She has an egg here too? And you brought me to this damned place?! Do you want me to die, is that it?!
The answer was slow to come, as if laden with reluctance, but it served to calm him.
[She is also dead.]
Frozen, Noah rethought his next move. He had been about to kneel to try and beg for forgiveness if he had the chance, but it seemed that wouldn't be necessary.
Two legendary creatures in the same place, and both dead... How big of a coincidence is this? Is that even possible...? He looked at the system, suspicious. Of course not...
If he asked, he wouldn't get any answers, so should he just accept it? He didn't want to, but right now, did he have any other choice? The answer came with a bitter taste in his mouth.
He circled the creature, avoiding getting too close due to the intense heat it emanated. Behind it, crystals of different colors caught his attention.
— What are those things?
They seemed special, with some of them reminding him of the shining stones that had begun to light the tunnels, and they emanated a certain amount of Qi. Maybe they were valuable? In any case, Noah had nothing but the filthy clothes he wore, so he decided it would be better to take them.
[That is the currency of cultivators, Qi crystals.]
—...Store everything in the inventory.
The entire pile disappeared.
For those things, if he tried hard enough, Noah could come up with excuses for them being there. Since it was something used by cultivators, one could assume that perhaps some of them had dared to come to this place to face the creature and, in doing so, their belongings were left behind. But he didn't dwell on it. He didn't want to, only to feel worse in the end, having to deal with the idea that he might be being used and manipulated.
He sighed, putting his thoughts aside.
Huh? A sword..?
Swallowing hard, Noah slowly approached the black hilt embedded in the phoenix's back. The heat pressed against him, but it didn't hurt. Was it because he had cultivated, or because he had used dragon's blood as a foundation? He suspected it had made him stronger and more resilient than normal cultivators. He wasn't sure. Perhaps that pressure was just a form of defense she had left behind to protect what she guarded under her wings, not to kill, but rather, to drive away potential predators and dangers. In fact, it faded after a while, but the natural heat of the creature's body persisted.
Argh!
As he touched the object, Noah felt his hands burn. He checked, but found no wound, only a redness that was slowly fading. Turning back to the hilt, he prepared to try again. He knew that anything capable of wounding a phoenix had to be incredibly valuable and powerful. Despite the pain, it would be worth the effort.
He needed to be fast, so he prepared himself. With his feet positioned, he sighed. He gripped the hilt, and then pulled with all his strength. The result wasn't much, but it was something. For the first time in this world, he found himself sweating. However, he couldn't enjoy the sensation of the drops running down his face or body, because they evaporated as soon as they left his pores.
Just a little more..., he told himself.
The sword came free with a strangely displeased sound, the momentum sent him sprawling. It was long, longer than Noah had bothered to notice, and more beautiful too. Its blade shone as it seemed to absorb the remaining blood that covered it.
Is this a... vampire sword?
While examining the dark blade that reflected his eyes, irises and pupils both red, differing only in their shade, he noticed an obvious change he hadn't seen before.
— Was this caused by my cultivation? I remember they were supposed to be blue and red, right?
After the system's confirmation, he set the thought aside. One shade of red reminded him of the half-dragon's eyes, triggering small, uncontrollable tremors. The irony was that his eyes were similar because he himself had found the idea of having cat or snake-like eyes interesting during the creation of his new body... If he could change them now, he would.
He turned back to the phoenix after storing the sword in the inventory. How hungry could that sword be? No blood seemed to be left. Though hesitant, he reached for the flaming feathers and pushed them away from the wound. He thought it might be a good idea to use the blood of another mystical creature to strengthen himself. However, the mere brush of his palm sent him to his knees, breathless and weak, his body boiling from within.
What is this...?!
His vision strobed, brief, blinding moments of clarity amidst an unfocusable blur. The pain was unbearable. Without him even having to try to absorb it, as if it were alive, the scalding Qi coursed through his entire being, leaving deep marks, transformations.
— Like a serene mirror, I reflect the perfect duality of the universe... — he said, struggling to recite the first mantra out loud. — Where in each opposite lies the path to balance.
Thus, I breathe in tranquility,
I vibrate with the harmony of contrasts,
And renew myself in every moment.
With each new breath, I dance where the darkness embraces the light and the light softens the shadows.
In the sacred circle, I find the eternal flow
That unites calm and action, peace and movement.
The heat receded and his mind began to calm.
— Balance... — he murmured, putting an end to his agony.
With no strength to do otherwise, Noah let himself give in, falling to the ground. His heavy breathing felt hot, perhaps hotter than it should, as if he were exhaling scalding steam.
— What happened...? What was that reaction?
[Your body went into overload, isn't it obvious?]
— Obvious..?
[It's not advisable for humans, especially weak ones, to absorb the blood of such strong creatures.]
[...And you did it twice in a row with different specimens...]
— I see, I was too hasty...
Those words sounded strange to him, causing Noah to sink into thought once more. After all, the system itself had induced him to do the same with the half-dragon's blood without mentioning any potential side effects. Was his haste really to blame, or was there something more? A limitation at play... But what would be the cause? If its goal was to make him stronger, why would it limit him when faced with such an opportunity? He would like to understand.
— Oh, and thanks for the warning. It was very helpful, — he said, his tone ironic.
[You're welcome.]
He tried to get up, and failed. He didn't have the strength to keep his legs straight or even push himself up with his hands, so he had to use the sword as a crutch to take the first step. With the phoenix and its egg already in the inventory, Noah focused on finding an exit from the hole, one he wouldn't have to jump to reach. He found none, so he had to wait until his body decided to cooperate. It took three attempts and a period of rest so long he gave up on counting before he finally managed it.
— This time, this is really the right direction, right?
[...Yes...]
He felt no confidence in the system's words.
[But... why don't you take a bath first...?]
His mouth opened, but nothing was said. He considered it for a moment, then agreed with a silent nod. He wanted to get rid of the repulsive odor that enveloped him.
What was once irrelevant, uneven and treacherous terrain, had become a bigger problem than Noah expected. Dodging rocks that jutted from the ground like stakes, slopes, or sudden drops had all been easy, but now it had become a challenge that demanded time and effort. The difficulty intensified when the ground became a solid floor of bluish crystals, treacherous and slick beneath his unsteady feet.
— At the next corner on the left... — he sighed in relief, the end was in sight.
[...The next one.]
He said nothing, holding himself back. But his mind wasn't as strong.
Damn it...
Noah cursed the system several times, until at last, he saw the true end in the distance.
— No more jokes this time, I hope.
There was no response.
— I'll take that as a yes...
Far beyond the pain, it was the weakness of not even being able to walk that bothered him most. Slipping from the weakness in his legs irritated him. There were only a few steps left to reach the spring, and yet it seemed like an eternity.
— Is there anything I can do to heal faster? Would refining my body one more time solve the problem?
[Body Refinement isn't magic.]
With one eyebrow raised, Noah's face made it clear what he was thinking.
[...You get the point.]
[It won't solve all problems; it might even aggravate some.]
[But there is something, a healing pill.]
— I was referring to something that was viable now, — he sighed.
[A pill...?]
Something appeared in mid-air, small and greenish with five clouds drawn around it. He reached out, struggling to grab it while fighting to keep his balance. His knees buckled and the impact sent a reaction spreading through his entire body like a lightning bolt, making everything shudder.
— You did that on purpose, didn't you?
Lifting the pill, Noah noticed the faint, sweet scent mixed with herbs and realized that just the scent alone was enough to lessen the intensity of most of his pain. He considered putting it in his mouth, but he didn't have time.
[Warning!]
[Using pills to heal in cases like this is not recommended.]
—...Even the pill could worsen the physical stress? — he supposed.
[Yes.]
Having stored the sword, he moved on, keeping the pill nearby and using it only to suppress the pain. His steps were lighter and easier to take, and that was what Noah really wanted. The environment could no longer bring him down.
Then, turning the corner, he came upon a spring of crystalline water so clear it seemed to shine, as if emitting its own light apart from the crystals around it. He checked the surroundings to make sure there was nothing else in the place and approached as he removed his clothes.
His jump splashed water everywhere.
First, he washed off the excess blood and impurities that covered him, and then, with the pill beside him, he rested, releasing all the air held in his chest.
A very short time had passed from his perspective, and yet it had been enough for him to witness so many incredible things. Frightening, yes, many of them were indeed horrifying. But incredible.
Looking at his reflection in the water, he wondered what his next steps would be.
Change takes time and, apparently, the freedom I was promised won't come so easily...
Sighing, he decided he would figure it out after he managed to leave this forest, his only and current goal.
The warmth of the spring enveloped him, bringing a lightness that allowed his mind to clear amidst the waters. Noah found himself immersed in a gentle warmth where nothing else mattered.