Chapter 23: Top Twenty

“Death”. When the word finally uttered from Zax’s mouth, it became a dogged echo in the unbending atmosphere Gid Chu laid out. “Recently I detect the recurrence of dark clouds hovering above my head, and you know what, senior Gid? Always, when they come, I feel my familiarity with the concept a little bit growing, and always, when they pass, they are followed by marvelous changes”.

Zax evoked in his mind all of his near death experiences since arriving to Ercas Mir. Not all were remunerative as he recounted them, but those that really pushed him to “the edge of the wooden board”, sooner or later, intentionally or not, ensued indispensable reimbursements for his Martial path.

“I can get along with your plans, but, and forgive this junior for his rudeness, I intend to live a long and prosperous life. So whatever task that requires betting and sacrificing for the ‘greater good’, ‘better future’ or whatever else you have in mind, count me out”. He had enough stupidity to lead him astray and back and it was about time to tune down his recklessness. Taking risks was acceptable, perhaps unavoidable, but unless he is in an impasse, not blindly.

That aside, he already did have irreconcilable enmity with two high command members from the five powers and was with mind to kill members of the Blessed Army for the smallest grievance, should they cross him.

“Let’s hope it won’t come to it”. Gid Chu dissolved the stiffening, malicious atmosphere; only thoughts of the five powers could have breed in him, and smiled. Placing his cup on the saucer, he motioned with his hand and an emerald bottle of wine appeared in his hand, out of his spatial ring. Using his Sublime Soul Sense he telekinetically like retrieved from the kitchen’s cabinet two same looking cups as the coffee cups. “Since all been cleared, all for both of us to reach an understanding, we should drink to our pact”. He removed the cork and poured the red liquid to both cups before serving one to Zax.

“This is Blood Red Grapes wine!” The scent aroused nostalgic memories of his time in the first Savage Cave and the story of how three Supreme Rulers symbolize their brotherhood and sisterhood unification before all of Kingdom Earth.

By Zax’s reaction Gid Chu could guess the latter part of what he was thinking. “You know why we picked Blood Red Grapes? Experts of high class family in our home below the ground consider Blood Red Grapes wine as the best ‘poor man’s wine’ because after fermentation even mid class and low class people who don’t cultivate can drink it, if they can afford it. Like this we could reach the cultivators’ population who often drink it more than any other wine and the non cultivators’ population who break open a bottle only at the most special of occasions”.

Zax accepted his cup and said nothing about Gid Chu’s reasoning. He did not remember anyone in his family ever drinking Blood Red Grapes wine, special occasion or not. Maybe since the time of the Supreme Rulers’ pact to his childhood and today, mid class and low class citizens of Kingdom Earth, at a point, resigned themselves to the more affordable selection... ?

Finishing their cups, Gid Chu forced the cork back on the bottle and returned it to his spatial ring. “Our custom is for every cause for celebration we drink one cup”. He did not resume drinking his coffee. Its flavor and the wine’s do not mix well. “You know the truth about the five powers on this planet and the three powers commanding them from space. Do you want to know now their purpose? What takes them so long to excavate?”

Unlike the coffee, Zax’s taste buds were more inclined toward the sweet with sharp spiciness wine, so much that he slightly regretted the one cup rule. “What resources there are in Ercas Mir and New Earth that they are after?”

“Many, yet all they can do without but one, their main goal, the inheritance of a super expert”.

TUMP!

Zax’s heart beat in his chest while his mind reeled by a turmoil startling thoughts. No. He did not consider the nearly at his grasp Legacy Of The One’s Path, left by the expert claimed to be at the pinnacle of Immortality, being the attraction of the apparently alien invaders. How many years passed since the expert was subdued by the Core of the Plain that made this planet? He could not imagine even those unaffected by the flow of time waiting so long. ‘It can’t be, they don’t know about Legacy Of The One’s Path. It was the five powers who discovered the planet, and they are led by Martial Mortals. Worst case scenario the Immortals behind them should only be aware that there is some Immortal’s inheritance on this planet and nothing of its content’.

While every instance of shock that accompanied this lengthy sitting seemed long and laborious, for someone like Zax it was as fleeting as a blink of an eye. Even his physical reactions were gone before a drop of sweat could form on his temples. Nevertheless, he was sitting in front of a no lesser expert, which he only managed to deceive due to his cultivated control over his body.

“A super expert? Another Immortal?” He kept his pretense.

Gid raised his hand for a pause. “The inheritance of an Immortal, that’s all we ... she knew. The leaders of the five powers personally examined everything found in the excavations and the Immortal powerhouses will get involve only after the inheritance, or a specific part of it, will be discovered. So we can only assume they are still searching and can just look onto the places they excavate at”.

“Senior Gid, the Immortal’s inheritance, is it possibly that it’s at the Savage Caves?”

“Earthly Crater, Down Ocean, Demirva Ridge, Northern Trident Peaks, third Savage Cave ... these are the most probable places where the inheritance might be located. But at the same time, these places are the most dangerous on Earth”. After exhibiting full transparency, even as his mood became pleasant again, Gid Chu chose to refer to the planet as it was for their ancestors and not by the name the five powers gave it. “Some are occupied by Overlord Deformed Beings and the rest are a basin of natural disasters. The leaders of the five powers are careful and patient with those places; however they clearly evaluated each of their steps. The expeditions they send, particularly to Down Ocean, may progress slowly but they got a steady pace”.