"A Horror..." Spark shuddered slightly.
'Just how scary are these creatures, to name them Horrors...? Talk about inscribing fear in ignorant Cultivators...'
Joey then looked at Spark with a solemn expression. All the festive mood he had before has dwindled into stern graveness.
Not a trace of it was left on his countenance. Spark even thought his face paled a bit in these couple seconds.
His low voice echoed in Spark's ear.
"Spark... promise me. If you ever come across a behemoth or god forbid, a Horror in this lifetime. Promise me to drop all things and run as fast as you can... It doesn't matter if you overtrump it by a realm... It doesn't matter how good the situation looks. Just. Run."
His voice shaked a little, even though he wanted to sound as calm as possible. This was the most serious face from Joey that Spark had ever seen.
He had a terrible hunch that Joey might have even talked from his own experience.
He nodded in acknowledgement and they both fell into uncomfortable silence.
...
The two ended their conversation on a strange, somber note and went outside the kitchen to join the others.
Jessie, Sona and Robert clad the floor in bedding, leaving the tired and exhausted kids to their makeshift beds for the night.
The pillow fight seemed to have drained all their energy and the young eyelids were weighed down into the deep, soft embrace of sleep.
Jessie removed a couple of moonstones, dimming the light of the main room to a comfortable hue. She felt like removing every stone wouldn't be appropriate, lest one of the kids associated their current situation with the horrid, cold and lightless prison chambers underground.
Luckily, everybody fell asleep without problems, Lily and Kiana included.
Spark snatched two Moonstones from the counter and put them into his pockets.
"Rest is yours."
"Yeah."
Now that everybody has been taken care of, the attention fell back to Joey and Spark who quietly sat at the counter.
"Just what did you discuss to laugh and scream so maniacally from time to time?" Jessie scolded the two while shaking her head when she occupied the seat next to Joey.
But when she saw her husband's paleness and the stern expression trying to form into a cordial smile, she noticed the somber mood laying heavily in the air and kept quiet.
Joey awkwardly laughed and succinctly replied in his best effort to sound cheerful.
"Haha... Just some stupid jokes, it's no matter."
Robert and Sona also wanted to know, judging by their raised eyebrows and questioning looks.
"And ... Ehat is this fragrant smell?" Robert asked further.
"Ahh- Just some flowers." Spark indifferently responded while lifting a white cloth in the air.
"We just had some important things to share," Joey openly said while giving Spark a thoughtful glance.
'He is dead serious... Well, not that I planned on fighting such invidious terrors anyways. I'll take your advice to heart, Joey... These so called Horrors better stay a good distance away from me. I don't have a death wish after all.'
Sona didn't question them any further, but reminded in a non-hurried tone.
"Well, okay... Son, we should also slowly head back. It's getting late."
"You're right. Let's get going." Robert agreed.
Spark nodded in acknowledgement. The most pressing business was handled. It was time to rest.
"...Bro— Piggyback."
Kiana who stood hand in hand with Sona, subconsciously blurted out her desire in a half-sleep state.
Her straight brown hair swayed in the air due to her groggy, unstable head movements.
"Hmm?" Spark raised his eyebrow at the quiet whisper of his sister.
Her eyes seemed to open a little before scrunching back to their original slit as she reiterated her demand more clearly this time around. She wasn't going to budge.
"Piggyback..."
Spark sighed, but then chuckled. The anxious cribbles in his heart due to the conversation with Joey blew away. How could he deny such a simple request...?
He situated her on his back with a huff and carried her little body the same way he did with Leonard.
He didn't have this kind of experience in his past life because he was a single child without any younger or older siblings. And strangely enough, it felt very peaceful... Like something he had desperately needed more than a dozen years ago, in the darkest chapters of his life.
Kiana snuggled her face into his back in comfort and embraced his sides tightly. Spark even thought he could feel her face forming into a grin at some point.
Looking up, he saw the adoring gaze his parents gave him when they saw how he treated his sister, even after the amnesia. Noticing the meaningful intent the silent stares contained, an unconscious smirk appeared on his face.
'Ah ... What to do... This is not so bad after all.'
"See you tomorrow Joey, Jessie."
Spark bowed lightly and after he bade them farewell, they headed for the door. Exiting the door frame, the blue shine of the moonstones in his pockets illuminated a couple steps in front of him beautifully.
Robert and Sona were just behind him when the tavern door opened up once again.
"Ah- wait. Spark I forgot to give you something."
It was Joey who came out the door with curious items in his hand.
Joey rushed through the doorframe and halted in front of him before handing Robert a bundle of textbooks, seeing how Spark's hands were already preoccupied with his sister. It consisted of about a dozen books, with the uppermost title being The Great Beast Encyclopedia.
"Ignorance is bliss, until you're in trouble," he said and added, "These are all the text books I thought you might find useful. I bought them over the years and now they just collect dust in a corner, so they might aswell be in your hands. "
"I know them all by heart, so no need to give them back either." Joey assured with a thumbs up.
"Some of the knowledge pertained is quite extensive, but at the same time not too vapid!"
Spark widened his mouth in suprise and nodded in acknowledgement.
'What a thoughtful person...' he silently complimented.
This was exactly what he needed. He planned to find a library of sorts to catch up on all kinds of information in the next days, but it seemed he could postpone that trip for a while.
"That's very considerate of you, thank you."
Joey shook his head, "No need. That's the least I could do. Stay safe!"
Joey waved all four of them goodbye again.
"He seems to be quite fond you." Sona commented her thoughts in passing while they were walking back to their house.
"He's just thinking too much."
"Just look at all these books," Robert lifted the bundle in the air, "There's quite a lot. And you also got a share of the moonstones!"
"He truly is a nice guy... altough I've met Joey just two days ago, I've come to the understanding that he is a generous and cordial person. He had been a vital help to the kids."
"The rumors seem to be right then." Robert chuckled a bit while inspecting the bundle of books.
"Although it appears like you played a big role in it too."
Spark smiled kindly and repositioned his sister comfortably on his back.
"I did nothing grandiose," he repeated with a quiet chuckle.
"Son ... altouzgh I know you lost your memories, you seem to have changed."
Robert honestly revealed his thoughts with a complicated face all of a sudden.
"And Sona told me earlier that you were bent on becoming a Cultivator."
Spark stayed silent. His father was right. No matter how mature the original Spark had been, he couldn't have acted with the wit and involvement Théo had.
He was awfully aware of the nonchalant attitude he had about the apparent 'memory loss' , but he couldn't bring himself to act like a lost sheep.
So he acknowledged his father's words without adding anything else.
"You're right ... I might have changed, and yes, that is my decision."
The worrying expression on his mother didn't stay hidden in the dark when she heard his blatant agreement. The dim blue light of the moonstones captured her mouth curving downwards.
"Son, you want to be a Cultivator and your mother and father will support you, but... can't you at least wait until you get healthy again?"
Spark halted in the middle of the road when his mother mentioned this problematic demand. Silent seconds passed before he shook his head in denial.
"No. Sadly, I don't think I can ..." he said with an obscured meaning that only he was privy to, before reasoning, "If I miss the opportunity now, it might be too late in the future."
It was impossible for him to change back, and impossible to not proceed with his plans.
Procrastination was, after all, not a trait he tolerated— neither a habit he planned to make his own.
The rest of the road was traversed with few words and lots of unspoken thoughts.
* * *
At the same time a figure draped in the dark shadows of the night kicked the door off the handle of a dilapidated building in the slums. He angrily rummaged through the room until he found a secret entrance beneath an unassuming couch.
He vanished into the depths of the Earth and it wasn't long before he resurfaced with bloodthirsty coruscating eyes which shone menacingly in the dark.
"The useless dog went ahead and died, leaving nothing but a mess... This idiot should've just taken my techniques and pleaded for eternal allegiance..."
"FUCK!" he suddenly shouted out, letting his curse echo through the cold darkness.
"Gone, gone, gone! The girl, the Pill, the Crystals, Herbs and even the fucking Ape! GONE!"
A fist filled with deep malice striked against the outer wall of the building and broke it apart.
"I'll have to fix this then...."
"The one responsible will have to pay with his dog life." he coldly spat out before melting into obscuring night.
***
The sun crept up the jagged, snow-riddled mountains of the East and illuminated the slums in its golden rays.
It was the time where birds woke up and let this fact be known to all, by singing harmonious spring melodies and spinning meandering curves and flips in the air.
The next day had begun, and the inhabitants of the outskirts began to wake up. Life here was different compared to the slums on the outer edges of the settlement.
It was more stable, amicable and functioning. The local baker began mixing doughpastes in his modestly sized wooden shop and slided them into an old-fashioned stone furnace. A wonderful smell penetrated the corner of the street where the bakery was situated.
A similar sight could be observed at several places in the outskirts, be it workers who had to leave early in the morning or small merchants and tradesmen arranging their merchandise before the customers arrived.
Usually, this daily routine on the marketplace was accompanied by a placid and light atmosphere, but since the incident happened two days ago, the marketplace had a very gloomy, almost tangible feeling to it.
It had moved from its initial spot, which was quite close to Monsoon City's East-Sided Gate, to another place a couple blocks away.
Those buildings affected by the flood were already under reconstruction, all thanks to the financial help of the City Lord, Orald Lumber, and the injured people who could be healed, had magically recovered due to the curative powers of the Healer-Squad.
But just as closed wounds leave scars, the inhabitants of the outskirts were still griefing for the dead and were still anxious for the future. Their safety was compromised two days ago and another attack from the invidious Water Bandit can't be ruled out.
Such reasoning left the marketplace quieter and emptier than usual, since many merchants from Monsoon City hid in the safety of the walls. And who could blame them for that?
The real culprit, or cause of the tragedy was much more inexplicable and mysterious than some Water Bandit, but there was only one person who knew of that fact. And he... He would gladly keep his mouth shut tight to not end up in the crossfire.
Huff Huff Huff
Sweat pearled from Spark's body onto the grass below as he finished his last set of Push-Ups. As an early bird himself, he woke up at sunrise and started a rigorous training regime he copied from one of the books he managed to browse before going to sleep last night.
'How to build a strong, glossy, brilliant physique with 10 groundbreaking methods.'
Cringing at the title first, he then felt compelled to skim through its contents and was left in awe at the meticulously devised training regime it offered.
Apparently, even the most mundane books on Body Cultivation had more depth to them than he could have ever imagined.
Actually, it was not too much of a surprise, if you considered that the practice of Cultivation was the most supreme goal of every human being on the face of the planet.
That is why almost every person in the Outskirts that Spark has met since his reincarnation had a degree of fitness to them. Even his parents did!
Simple training was not enough to enter the Body Foundation Realm of course, but it was a much needed part of the process.
Spark decided that he would need to build a proper habit of training, coupled with painstaking, arduous exercises to build his strong, glossy and brilliant physique.
Uhm, well... to reach the Body Foundation Stage.
His body right now, was a far cry from that.
He had planned to ask Joey for further information today, but before that, there were also other things to deal with.
Wiping his wet body with a towel after a short shower he jumped out of the bathroom and put a piece of rye bread coated with a swipe of butter into his mouth.
He seated himself on the cotton-plushed couch and browsed through a specific book that Joey had handed to him the night before.
'The Encyclopedia of Spiritual Herbs.'
Leafing through the thick book page by page, it took him a while to find all five Lesser-Tier Herbs and the single Normal-Tier Herb in his possession. Due to the invariable fact that Alchemy was infinitely far removed from his skill-set, he decided to limit himself to memorization of each herb's effect and preparation method.
Luckily, the preparation of each individual herb was quite simple. Two of the Lesser-Tier Herbs were suitable for a medicinal bath, while the other two could be ingested raw or even better, be prepared into a tea. The last herb could be processed into a wound-mending ailment when ground to a paste.
The Normal Tier Herb 'Lymaniacal Ladder', however, could only realize its full potential after having its burgeoning fruits exposed to high temperates, like boiling water, which was also the safest method to not risk spoiling the precious plant.
The interesting name 'Ladder', it owed to the incremental partitions of its lilac fruits rising into the air like a ladder. It truly had a curious appearance!
The effects of the herbs weren't outrageously fantastic according to the book, but it was definitely a perfect supplement for Mana.
And Spark was no Cultivator yet. He was a mundane human, so this herb was an incredible tonic for his still growing body.
He would absorb and save all the innate energy the herbs contained deep inside his flesh and bones, nurtured with time.
All joints, tendons, fascia and fibres would bathe in the vibrant undulation of Mana and slowly but surely, to reach a higher density and perfomance.
Joey has left him with at least one Herb of each type, which was most likely his intention.
'Exactly what I needed! I need to introduce and expose this body to Mana as often as possible!'
Knowing what to do now, Spark wasted no time. It was not his nature to be miserly when it benefitted his health and well-being, so he fired up the hearth and threw a charred metal pot into the rising flames. The sooted pot was filled to the brim with clear water.
While waiting for it to boil, he looked at the bundle of books Joey prepared for him. He didn't inspect every book yet, as he got stuck on the 'catchy' title of the Body-Building textbook, but he would do it now, with the sunlight aiding his sight.
There were books like;
'Geography of the Zoenig Empire'
'How to build a strong, glossy, brilliant physique with 10 groundbreaking methods.'
'Basic introduction of Intelligent Native Races'
'Spiritual Herb Encyclopedia'
'The Great Beast Encyclopedia'
'15 Tips to be a Successful Cultivator'
'Charme: How to influence people with Charisma.'
'Collection of valuable Minerals, Stones and Natural Treasures.'
'Alchemic; Information on the most Heavenly Pills'
'Look Strong, Be Strong, Newest Cultivator Fashion'
'How to gain Wealth with ten Easy Tips'
'Anatomy of the Cultivator'
'Enter the Body Foundation Stage in 7 Days!'
...
Spark almost spat out the water he leisurely sipped when he saw the titles of some of the books.
'Body Foundation Stage in 7 Days?'
'Joey... Did you obtain this at a bazaar?'