Chapter 16: Opportunity Within The Folktale

Vouvik was hesitant to answer. He figured Zax would not be satisfied with forfeiting the assignment just like that.

He sighed.

Yes, the lad had hid from them a depth that he cannot fathom. However, as a mercenary and also a junior, it was still accurate to categorize him as “Greenhorn”, even if not outloud.

“To decipher this type of chips you need an A class processor. I used the violet stone in the communicator to bypass the encryption, as much of it as I could”. Shouva replied.

The communicator ... Zax learned about the device on his journey with the party. Only Fengar and Vouvik had ones. Apparently, they are not uncommon, but good ones with proper range to work outside of cities or clans are extremely rare and expensive.

The mentioned violet stone ... yes, it was just the same as Laivien’s, a fragment of some other violet stone that was split apart and put as the nucleus of the communicator, as well as the said processor.

According to Fengar, the larger the original piece of the violet stone, the wider the communicator’s range would be.

Lastly, the communicator’s design, with a tiny stone being its most essential part, is more like that of a jewelry. To activate it, soul energy need to be channeled into it and as the formations printed on the violet stone do their thing, the operator must select one of the several functionalities. Naturally, the higher the class of the communicator, with D being the lowest and S being the highest, the more functions it has.

“If only that wretched woman dropped her communicator along with her spatial ring...” Fengar mumbled to himself at the side and the rest just ignored him.

“Shouva is studying with soul arts. Prior to you joining us, her proficiency was the best in our party”. Vouvik was already inwardly at loss with the new recruit’s capabilities.

It was not that he knew about Zax’s extraordinary soul, but at this point he chose to give him the benefit of the doubt.

“By ‘soul arts’ you mean soul techniques and formations?” Zax inquired, a bit covetously.

Much like in Kingdom Earth, if a cultivator wanted to get his or her hands on Martial techniques and formation without spending Splinters, the only way to do so was hiring oneself to influential organizations or families.

Cultivators who appreciated their freedom, such as mercenaries, were affable toward the former.

With that in mind, Zax quickly calmed his excitement even before getting answered. For someone like Shouva, even with the financial support of her father, she could, at best, acquire Intermediate grade soul techniques and formations for her studies.

“Yes”. Vouvik said.

“Then ... can I take a peek at your selection?” Zax turned his head to Shouva. “Of course, I’ll pay!” He added adamantly.

Beginner grade or Advanced grade, since his affinity to all matters of the soul was high and, moreover, since he was invited to observe Grandmaster Kartion’s development of the Seven Stages Of Bodily Refinement’s next stage, Zax sought any material with regard to the soul to broaden his horizon.

“Obsoletely not! You saved father and me, Zax. I don’t have much, but if you are interested in soul arts, you can freely revise my scrolls”. Shouva could not bear taking any more from Zax than he already had to pay...

“Nonsense, Shouva, I obtained sufficient amount of Splinters from that Golden Desert Fort’s woman-”

“I won’t accept your money! Father”, Shouva stubbornly insisted and extend her hand to Vouvik.

While Fengar paid no heed to the conversation, Vouvik had preferred that his daughter will not frivolously throw around her precious scroll. Then again, it was Zax she wanted to share her studies with...

Vouvik retrieved from his spatial ring three sealed boxes and gently lowered them on the ground with his mist energy in front of his daughter.

“This one has techniques, this has formation and the biggest is my meager oeuvre and articles of renowned soul cultivators that expound on their achievements in the field”. Shouva explained and whether Zax meant to borrow her scrolls now or in some later date, she presented her entire collection for him to do whatever he wanted.

Zax stared at Shouva and scolded himself for being insensitive toward her when he woke up, even though he is recuperating and his head still hurt. “I also like to study soul techniques and formations, how about we exchange our knowledge when all of this would be over?”

“Ah ... Yes!” The change in temperament, as well as the unexpected offer, cheered Shouva.

Simultaneously, Vouvik and Fengar once more felt intrigued, this time about what level of soul proficiency Zax have and kept from them.

“Good. Now then, what info did you find in the chips?”

Shouva was about to open her mouth and answer, when she suddenly halted, recalling what they learned from the chips and how it was not her place to discuss this highly classified and dangerous discovery before her father, the leader of the party, will personally divulge in his own words.

Vouvik opened. “The Golden Desert Fort managed to intercept a transmission of someone in the higher ups of the Mercenary Association. From the partial bits of information we have, it’s concerning an old folktale of Demirva Ridge. I do not know how confident the Mercenary Association about the legitimacy of that old folktale or why those people are so certain that such thing will occur, but if the Golden Desert Fort is also steadfast on not missing the opportunity...”

A pondering countenance formed on Vouvik’s face. For a moment, the initial shock of finding out the Mercenary Association’s real intention in this time’s High Rankers trials’ assignment resurfaced and made his heart palpitate.

He composed himself and continued. “The folktale tells about a celestial event that succeed the creation of the wraiths by God Demirva. According to it, every unkown number of centuries, for an undetermined passage of time, God Demirva’s divinity is weakening and as a result the terror of the wraith in the ridge subsides as they enter a deep slumber. Those who lived by the ridge for all these hundreds of years, say that during this time the ridge is in its safest, whether underground, above ground or in the sky, anyone can cross the continent at ease. However, in the folktale there is a verse ‘Deep in their kip, lost souls are most vulnerable. The dark sleep is the dawn of Immortals’”.

“Immortals...” Zax’s gawked as he uncontrollably repeated.

Regardless of in what contents the word was used, on the Martial path, no matter which cultivator heard it; his or her heart will shake, for this was the highest state of Martial ascension!

“D-Do you know what the verse means?” Zax asked.

“That we are their ... the Martial Association’s, the Golden Desert Fort’s scapegoats!” Fengar snorted from his corner, angry and discontent.