Sky's stomach still felt a bit off, but he supposed it was to be expected. As they walked, he began to notice the changes in the environment. The trees were larger, and the leaves were a deep green. The ground was soft and spongy, almost like moss, and the air was thick and humid. He wasn't sure how long they had been walking, but it felt like hours.
"Are we there yet?" He asked Avis.
"Patience is a virtue, my boy," Avis said without looking back.
Sky sighed and continued to follow behind Avis. His stomach growled, reminding him that he hadn't eaten anything since his little "meal.". He was beginning to regret not catching more of those creatures.
Suddenly, Avis came to a stop and turned to face Sky. "We're here." He said simply.
Sky looked around, but he didn't see anything that indicated he was back in society. "Where is it?" He asked, confused.
"Where is what?"
"I thought you were taking me to a town or something?"
Avis laughed before saying, "We're nowhere close to civilisation, so don't even think about it."
"What about a house, stores, people!?" He exclaimed.
"What need do we have for such things?" Avis asked. "Everything we need is right here."
Avis looked towards a small opening, and Sky followed his gaze. A blue shimmering light was glowing and changing from one moment to the next. 'Is that a lake?' He thought.
"Come, I'll show you around," Avis said as he began to walk towards the light.
Sky hesitated for a moment before following behind Avis. As they got closer to the light, Sky began to make out figures moving around in it. They seemed to be swimming, but he couldn't be sure.
"That's a spirit pond," Avis said, gesturing towards the blue light. "It's where you will go when you're utterly exhausted. Whether broken bones or chunks of skin are missing, this lake will heal you much faster than the system ever could."
A dinging noise resounded between the both of them, following a message prompt.
"Version 2.1 of the Soul System will have improved features!"
"Well, you're at version 2.0 right now, so stop yapping your mouth. I'm talking to the zombie here."
Avis said, annoyed. "Anyway, as I was saying," Avis continued. "The spirit pond is a very important place for us. You should never take your time here for granted."
With that, Avis turned and began to float away, leaving Sky standing there alone.
He looked around one last time before following behind Avis. He had a feeling that his life was about to get a lot more interesting from here on.
A steep cliffside could be seen in the direction they were walking. The wall itself was jagged and would be a very painful climb. Something that caught Sky's eyes was a dark opening eight meters from the ground.
"It's a cave," Avis said, answering Sky's curiosity.
"Is that where we will be sleeping then?"
"I will be," Avis smirked, "and you can too, as long as you can climb up there yourself. I've exhausted my limited power, so make yourself useful."
Then, Avis floated into the cave, leaving Sky at the bottom of the cliff face. Sky looked up at the cave and sighed. "Damn you, Avis." He muttered before starting to climb up the cliff side.
The process was slow but easier than Sky expected. During the climb, a glowing piece of plantation drew Sky's eye towards it. The unusual purple petals shaped as stars and the lines of etherical energy enchanted him. "What kind of flower is that?" he whispered to himself, admiring the delicate petals. The more he looked at it, the more drawn in he was. The etherical lines were like the ones he saw in his mind space, where he could see ether. These lines, although faint, had a slight silver shimmer.
He snapped out of his daze when he realized he had reached the top. He looked into the cave and saw Avis asleep on a bed of leaves.
"Hey," He spoke softly, not wanting to startle Avis awake.
"Hmm?" Avis muttered.
"I'm up here."
"Oh, good boy~," Avis said sarcastically, now more awake. "Come on in. I'll show you where you can sleep. Oh wait. No, I won't." he then went back to sleep.
Sky walked into the cave. It was small, only a few meters deep, and there was a pile of leaves already packed at the end of the cave, which was surprising considering they couldn't have gotten here through natural means. Something brought the compact leaves into this cave, and it definitely wasn't Avis.
"What was that glowing plant on the cliff-side?"
Avis's eyes fluttered open, and looked surprised for a second before smiling with what were probably heinous thoughts.
"Oh, that? I'll tell you in the morning." He said in a sing-song voice.
"Is it related to the silver lines I saw?"
"You saw those too, huh? Interesting." Avis said, looking thoughtful. "That's you passive skill, right?"
"Yeah, I think so. I was able to see them after cultivating the ether in my mind space."
Avis sighed before answering, "They're called ether-lines. They are like rivers of etherical energy that flow throughout the world. The lines are what guide the ether."
"Can I use ether? I think I'm supposed to manipulate ether that is stored within me, but whenever I try, it doesn't budge."
"Well, ether can be used for all sorts of things. Some people use them to power spells, and others use them to make weapons or armour. There are all sorts of uses for ether. Also, manipulating ether isn't an easy task. I want to tell you more, but I can't because of the restriction, so go to sleep and lets have a productive day tomorrow."
Sky was about to say something, but he decided to leave it be for now. He was genuinely curious about ether, but he was also quite tired. Rather than sleeping, however, he began to breathe. Focusing on his breath, he followed the warmth from his heart to his limbs and back to his core. As he focused, he began to visualise the ether-lines Avis mentioned. Little by little, faint, almost nonexistent lines began to surface, making themselves known. They looked just like the rivers running through his body. He was so focused on the streams that he didn't realise the sun had already risen. He only realized it when he felt a tug on his foot.
"Come on; I want to show you something," Avis said, motioning for Sky to follow him.
"What is it?"
"Do you always question everything?"
"It seems I do," Sky chuckled.
Sky followed Avis out of the cave. Once outside, Avis floated towards the glowing plant from before. While Avis was floating, he looked strained in thought. 'How did he already draw his etherical pathways? Drawing your pathways should be more complicated than that. Is it his experience from his previous life or the blessing of ether? What the hell is going on with this guy?' Avis shook out of his thought process and gestured his rounded body towards a glowing figure.
"This is what I wanted to show you." He said, gesturing to the plant. "This is a flower touched by ether. Touched is a loose term. Rather, it is capable of absorbing ether from the atmosphere.".
"It's beautiful." Sky said, admiring the purple petals.
"They are quite rare~." Avis teased. "Now, before we begin our hunt, I want you to eat this thing."
"Eat it? Why?"
"No need to be so concerned, my dear boy~. You're going to eat a single petal every day. This plant you admire so much grows a petal a day if multiple go missing, so don't be too concerned."
"But why would I eat it in the first place?"
"It helps you to develop your core. The place that stores ether in your body. If you want to be able to use the lines, you're going to need to get used to the effects of ether."
"Alright, alright." Sky mumbled as he ate the petal. It tasted sweet, like a mix between honey and lavender. He felt a warmth spread through his body and felt more energetic.
"How do you feel?" Avis asked, looking at Sky intently.
"Woah~, I feel great! My fatigue feels washed away."
"Good, good," Avis said, nodding his head. "Now then, let's go on our little adventure, shall we?"
Avis turned away and looked almost fearful. 'He absorbed the whole thing?'.