"My name is Ivy, and I'm the queen of the spirits." She says as she gently smiles at Jacob.
Jacob stares at Ivy's chest. 'woah look at those jugs, they are almost as big as my mother's.' Jacob thought.
"Umm, Jacob are you okay?" Ivy asks.
"Yeah I was.....thinking about melons." Jacob responds.
'Melons???' Ivy thought to herself, confused by Jacob's response.
"Uh...you said your name was...what again?" Jacob asked trying to change the topic before it continued any further.
"Ivy."
"Right, nice to meet you Ivy."
"You too Jacob."
"Your name is really cool, it sounds exotic." Jacob smiles as he says this.
"Do you even know what the word exotic means?" Ivy asks while raising an eyebrow.
"No." Jacob replies, his face having lost it's smile.
"Then why did you just say... you know what? Nevermind."
"Umm, Ivy what is this place?"
"This right here is my precious nursery." Ivy replies with a smile.
"Oh, so it's a garden. But why are there so many animals here?" Jacob asks looking at the rabbits and deers in the vicinity.
"They are all spirits, that have found their way back to me."
"I see, they seem rather subservient to you, are you perhaps some sort of queen?"
"Like I said before, I'm the queen of the spirits." Ivy replies.
The spirit rabbits take notice of Jacob and rush to him. Jacob senses this and readies himself for a fight. One of the rabbits then jumps on Jacob and rub it's neck with his.
"huh?" Jacob confused by this gesture is then jumped on by the other rabbits which seems to want to play with him.
After a few moments pass Jacob laughs loudly as he enjoys playing with the rabbits.
'Well this is a great surprise. The rabbits are the most sensitive to one's true nature. So for them to not only approach Jacob, but to respond so favourably to him.' Ivy thought while smiling at the sight of Jacob playing with the rabbits.
"You're really something else Jacob" Ivy absentmindedly remarks.
"huh? what did you say?"
"I'm saying that since you've already passed the first test we might as well continue with your training." She says this as she approaches Jacob.
Jacob gets up and asks with a confused expression "First test?"
"Jacob, give me your hand." Ivy says this as she stretches out her hand. As Jacob stretches out his left arm his abruptly stopped by Ivy.
"No Jacob, the bandaged one."
Ivy then unwraps the bandages and sees that Jacob's entire arm is pith black.
*winces* "That's quite the burn you have there."
"Yeah my grandpa said it will take time for my arm to completely heal."
"Did he now? well this simply will not do." Ivy then places her hand on top of Jacob's.
"RESTORE" Ivy says this as a faint green glow covers Jacob, Jacob's burns on his arm then fade away.
"Woah, my arm is completely healed. you're amazing Ivy l, even my grandpa couldn't heal this."
"Well, I am more skilled than Nicholas."
"hmm, who's that?"
"Your grandfather." Ivy replies as she gets up and leaves.
"Follow me Jacob."
"Okay, but where are we going?"
"The cave of wonders."
"The cave of wonders? I've read of it. It's supposedly one of the most difficult places to find and it's filled with riches beyond one's wildest dreams."
"Yeah I don't know about riches but it's a really wonderful place and it's my favourite hangout spot and also just happens to a place filled with high quality aether."
"Aether?"
"it's the highest form of nature energy, Jacob."
"Oh, I see."
"In order avoid backlashes from sage mode you are going to have to get used to absorbing aether."
"But what's so special about aether?"
"Aether is the highest and purest form of nature energy but it's also the second highest form of spirit energy. Those able to use Aether energy have far greater strength and potential than those who don't."
"Second highest? what's the highest form?"
"Celestial energy of course."
"Oh yeah. completely forgot about that."
Ivy smiles "Up to now you've been absorbing energy recklessly and that's what's been causing the backlashes. So you are going to filter out all other impurities and absorb aether only."
"What!? but then..."
"Don't worry Jacob, unlike celestial energy, Aether exists everywhere."
Oh, well that's a relief. so what do I have to do to filter out the impurities.?"
"You'll see."
"How much do I have to filter out?"
"Based on your current skills, 95%."
"ehh!? Are you saying out of all the nature energy I absorbed, only 5% of it was Aether."
"Precisely." Ivy replies shortly as they arrive at a tunnel like entrance.
Jacob looks at the tunnel way and sees crystal shards glowing in varying colours.
"Come Jacob, time is of the essence."
Ivy and Jacob enter the cave.
"You have got to be kidding me?" Jacob comments as he is currently standing out in an open field filled with lush green grass.
He looks at Ivy. " Really? An open field? in a cave? HOW!?" He then looks up and sees a clear blue sky. "How is there even a sky in here, we're in a cave, right?"
"Are you done?"
"Yeah."
"Here eat this." Ivy gives Jacob a strange glowing fruit.
"What's this?"
"A fruit that will help with filtering out the impurities." She says as she sits down.
Jacob then takes a huge bite and chews.
"Alright Jacob, think of things that calm you, that give you a sense of joy." Ivy says this as Jacob lies down and places his head on her lap.
Series of memories involving Melissa and Lucy then flash repeatedly in his memory. He gently smiles at this. As the memories play one after the other, the memories then shift as they play ones of food only. At this Jacob grins and even says the word "chicken" out loud.
Ivy then places her hand on Jacob's forehead. This causes Jacob to activate sage mode.
"It seems he has an affinity for the main elements especially in air." Ivy's eyes then glow.
"He can use the multiplier technique to increase his abilities by 50 times and his maximum potential is 1000. So my hunch was right after all, His body only accepts Aether for the multiplier technique." Ivy says as she remembers when she mentioned that Jacob could only absorb 5% of Aether energy in his body.
Jacob's memories then shift to his more recent experiences. He remembers the girl he saved from the demonic bear. He then recalls the fight between him and Kalen. The black sword then makes an appearance. The memories then suddenly shift back and forth between the sword and a pitch black hole.
As the shift occurs the hole gets closer and closer until it sucks Jacob in. Jacob then finds himself in a dark room and the only light s he sees is illuminating the sword that is currently floating.
As he approaches the sword he notices that it's linked to a sort of green treasure chest. The sword is linked to the chest by a glowing green chain that is at the hilt.
As he examines the chest he is shocked as the chest is actually mostly covered by chains that seem to be coming from every direction. As he examines further he notices a peculiar and rather thin keyhole. As he tries touching the chest, a man's voice suddenly calls out to him.
"Jacob, it's not yet time, there is still much to be done."
"Much to be done? what are you talking about? who are you anyway!?" Jacob shouts.
"That's quite obvious, no." The voice replies.
"What? what is that suppose to mean?"
"Don't worry yourself. Time will answer all of your questions including the ones about the mark."
"Mark? wait do you mean...?"
"I'm afraid we must cut this conversation short, but as a gift for having made it here. You will have free reign over the sword."
Jacob's vision darkens, His body is then pulled out of the dark room. As this is happening, Ivy on the other hand is infusing Jacob with her energy to try and calm down Jacob who's currently sweating profusely and fidgeting as his energy is running rampant causing shockwaves.
"Damn, it's not working." A glowing crest then appears on the back of Ivy's hand.
"REVIVE" As Ivy says this she then suddenly collapses.
As she wakes, she finds herself in the same dark room Jacob was in earlier. But this time there is a mirror behind the chest and the sword. Ivy approaches the mirror. As she looks into the mirror, her eyes widen with shock.
She sees the image of a man standing there with his back facing her. The man is wearing a long dark green coat with an infinity emblem patched on the back of the coat. The man turns and faces Ivy. As their green eyes meet, Ivy reels back in shock.
"What is this?..... Jacob? is that you?" Ivy asks.
"Well in a sense, him and I are one." Jacob answers calmly.
"That's impossible, it can't be, when I'm talking to you, it's as if I'm talking to....." Ivy says this as she begins to sweat nervously.
"I get that a lot, but don't feel threatened, I mean you no harm, but I do have a request."
"yeah, wh-what is it?" 'Okay Ivy, don't upset him, his very presence is so overwhelming. Comparing my power to his, it's like comparing a grain of sand to a black hole, I can't tell how strong he really is.
"Please guide and protect me."
"huh?"
"It's precisely as you heard, I wish for you to guide and protect me."
"Okay. But if I may be so presumptuous?"
"Go on."
"What are you?"
"I'll give you a simple answer, I am both Jacob's past.....and future."
"What?"
"Consider me Jacob's true self."
Ivy then looks at the chest. "What's in the chest?"
At this Jacob goes silent.
"Don't concern yourself with the chest, little girl." Jacob says this as he narrows his eyes at Ivy. Ivy feels an overwhelming pressure that makes her fall on all four limbs.
Jacob noticing this reigns in his aura. "Oops, Sorry about that but you really don't need to know. So don't ask, alright?" Jacob says this with a rather cheery demeanor.
Jacob then offers his hand, Ivy reluctantly takes it and pulls herself up. As she gets up she realizes something.
"Wait weren't you in the mirror?"
"I was but now I'm not."
"Right." Ivy says. 'To think, Jacob has this kind of power, it's beyond absurd.' Ivy thinks.
"Ivy, right?"
"Yes."
"Please, do take care of me, I'm rather looking forward to the journey that lies ahead." Jacob says this as the scenery suddenly changes into a flower field which enhances the beauty of the sweet smile Jacob gives Ivy.
Ivy involuntarily blushes at this sight. 'His aura is suddenly so soothing, it's as if that terrifying aura from earlier never existed to begin with.' Ivy thought.
"It seems our time is up."
"what?" Ivy says as she wants to see Jacob's radiant smile a bit longer.
"Goodbye for now, Ivy." Jacob says as he snaps his fingers.
Ivy wakes up only to see Jacob (young Jacob) looking at her with concern.
"Are you okay Ivy? you've been asleep for a while now."
"Oh no, I'm absolutely....." Her mind suddenly flashes with images of the older Jacob.
"....fine, what about you?"
"Me? I'm more than fine in fact I'm really happy."
"Oh? and why is that?" Ivy asks as she smirks at Jacob's enthusiasm.
"Because of this!" Jacob shouts as the black katana materializes in his right hand.
Ivy's eyes widen in shock.
"Isn't this amazing, for some strange reason Im able to summon the sword at will now."
'Is that not the sword I saw when talking to the other Jacob!? what could this mean?' Ivy thought.
She then suddenly remembered what the older Jacob told her. " I am both Jacob's past....and future." The word future repeatedly played in her head.
'Oh, that's what he meant.' Ivy thought as she looked on at Jacob who was excitedly swinging his sword in the distance.