Chapter 108: Forging and Breaking
Inside the Farm, Haku stood in his beast form, his eyes locked onto Neko with a hint of anticipation.
Neko sat across from him on his haunches, front paws pressed tightly to his chest as his eyes squeezed shut. After a few tense moments, they suddenly snapped open as he let out a triumphant squeak. 'Truth!'
"Yes!" Haku barked, his tail swishing as he shot to his feet. "That's right. I have to admit, you're faster than I thought. Only a month, and you're already this far."
Between them, runes were etched into the dirt. With a quick swipe, Haku erased it and began scratching new ones.
'Haku, Big Brother okay?'
The ember-fox paused, then gave a lighthearted chuckle. "Of course! As long as you can still feel your connection to him, you've got nothing to worry about. You might not fully get it yet, but big brother has more knowledge in his head than any book. If anyone can get out of trouble, it's him."
With a confident grin, he gestured to the new runes. "Now, try these ones."
Neko studied the markings, his eyes narrowing in concentration as he swayed side to side. After a moment, he suddenly burst forward, barking, 'Neko not stink!' Lunging at Haku in a blur.
Standing nearby, Glabe watched the playful wrestling match between the two beasts with a smile. Just behind him, in a open field, Crelos waved his red robe to distract Tem, skillfully dodging her attempt. Spinning away, he left young Jass blinking, her multi-colored eyes struggling to keep up.
Some of the children chased after Crelos while the others cheered wildly. Tem managed to circle around, slipping behind Crelos's legs just as he tried to dodge Kilt's charge. The sudden stumble sent him crashing backward, Kilt landing square on his chest with Crelos surrendering dramatically, "Alright, you got me! The criminal's caught by your powers of justice!"
"Yeah!" The kids cheered as he flopped defeated, exaggerating by releasing a playful puff of aura that made a comical toot.
Laughing, the children piled on top of him, chanting, "Stinky human, stinky human!"
Glabe's gaze had long shifted to the game of chase, a small smile still lingering. "He's not bad."
"Surprised me too."
"The fuck—?!" Glabe nearly leaped out of his skin, finding Haku and Neko now sitting beside him, also watching.
Haku's grin widened, his tail thumping the ground. "Took a bit, but they're pretty fond of him now."
'Me too! He gives hearts!' Neko added, sparks crackling across his fur as he bounced in place.
Glabe watched the pair beside him for a moment before shifting his eyes back to the children's game. Silence settled between them until he finally asked, "Do you think it's right to make them fight?"
"Yes," Haku answered instantly, his tone firm. "Darius would never put them in danger—at least, not any they won't be able to handle. You don't know him like I do." He glanced at Neko, his smile softening. "Big brother's going to turn these kids into monsters. So don't worry."
'Monsters! Monsters!'
Glabe's eyes lingered on the children, a strange sense of peace washing over him. "Monsters and gods, huh?"
"Gods?" Haku's ears twitched curiously.
"Nothing," Glabe said, brushing a hand over his scarred ear. A small smile tugged at his lips. 'A broken god is still a god, isn't it?'
"Do elves worship anything? Any gods, or maybe some sacred rocks?"
Glabe squinted. "No... no rocks. But yes, we follow seven gods—spirits of the ancient forests scattered across Gaia."
"Wait, you worship trees?" Haku suddenly recalled every time he'd relieved himself against one, his ears flattening awkwardly.
"Not the trees themselves," Glabe corrected calmly. "The spirit of the ancient forests."
Neko had already lost interest in the conversation, darting off to play with the children.
"Your home is actually one of them," Glabe added.
"Fang-Root?" Haku tilted his head.
Glabe nodded proudly, chest swelling. "Ama Tsisqua' Utana is her true name. Translated to common it means, Great Oak of the People. I've always wanted to see her beauty, you should feel honored to call her woods home."
Shrugging, Haku stretched, "well, if you follow my brother, you'll definitely see it. Even if you don't follow him, he can eventually get you there," Haku offered. "Darius mentioned some possible elf city hidden within Fang-Root. Maybe you could join them."
Glabe fluidly adjusted his green hair to cover his ear, his smile forced. "Maybe…"
Haku noticed the elf's odd habit, rolling his eyes. 'Even elves are strange. Maybe only animals are sane.' His gaze shifted to Neko, who was now running in circles around Crelos's waist as the mage danced awkwardly. Haku's ears went flat, 'nevermind.'
"You should know," turning his head to the three buildings. "My brother's gonna change the world. Not for people like you…" He let a small, toothy smile cross his face. "Not even for these kids."
He stood up, shaking his body and fur before sauntering toward the group. "He'll do it because they took something from him—something that can't be replaced. He would've stayed hidden, waited until it was safe for everyone... but that's not an option anymore."
Suddenly, Haku's dark blue flames roared to life, engulfing his body as he grew, horns blazing. Now towering at five meters, he loomed over Glabe. "If it comes down to it, could you kill your own? What will you do if our goals clash with your people? Will you hesitate?"
Haku's fiery gaze bore into Glabe. "If so, then ask for that trip to Fang-Root as soon as possible. And just so you know, if Darius asked me to burn down Fang-root, and turn every living, breathing thing inside of it to ashes..." His aura erupted violently, reducing Glabe's view of him to little more than glowing eyes within a storm of dark fire.
The flames snuffed out just as abruptly, leaving Haku back in his animal form. "Good talk." Trotting off, he left Glabe in stunned silence.
Watching him go, the elf raised his eyebrows slightly. 'Brothers, huh?' Looking down to his hand, he clenched it slowly. His gaze then shifted to the towering Pagoda, his face void of emotion. "Burning Fang-Root... why not?"
With that, he turned toward the children, absently rubbing his scarred ear, his steps steady.
----
Earlier, back within Agarttha, Darius floated in a tranquil sea of swirling elements. Each one taking on physical form, encircling him in perfect harmony. Above, the ley-lines had shifted, their twisting forms now resembling coiling dragons staring down at him, their jaws stretched wide, eager to merge with his aura.
His body glowed like a precious gem, his crystal skeleton faintly visible through his lightly tanned skin, creating an mystical presence that merged with his tattoos. The runic lines on each glowed intensely, raw mana seemingly taking on the tangible forms of fire, water, earth, wind, and lightning as it danced across his skin.
His twelve major meridians, appearing as starlit pathways wove through his muscled frame, pulsing steadily. Darius's presence at this moment was that of a god descending upon the world, radiating an otherworldly brilliance that compelled even the wildlife of Agarttha to gather and observe, as if drawn by the sheer force of his cultivation.
Concealed among the creatures, his body reduced to a root clinging to a shadow-hare's body, Barrond watched Darius intently, his thoughts racing. 'He moved the convergence site, I've never seen anything like this… there were others that— no.... we'll have to rethink everything.'
As all life within the Subterranea Glade gathered near, a phenomenon unseen in any realm was nearing completion within Darius's dantian.
His consciousness sat calmly in the lotus position, his gaze locked on the fruit of his efforts, ready to perform the final step of his breakthrough into the second layer.
'My Arcane Sanctum is almost complete.'
Below him, the faint outline of a mystical formation emerged—a five-element yin-yang symbol.
'Fire as yang, water as yin, with wind resting within fire, and earth within water. Lightning binds all in balance. Activation through Fortification—only earth remains.'
Beneath him, the mystical symbol was almost finished. The yang side blazed with ruby-red fire, its edges flickering, housing a vibrant sphere of swirling green air that pulsed gently at its core.
On the opposite side, the yin side shone deep blue, a roiling pool of water flowing calmly but with depth. Within it sat a plot of dull yellow earth, solid yet malleable, with small ripples traveling its surface. The water's edges faded into indistinct, mist-like strands that formed its boundary, perpetually merging with the flames next it.
Encircling everything was a thin, erratic border of purple lightning. It crackled softly, arcs of energy jumping between the elements.
Suddenly, Darius's gaze fixed on a empty corner of his dantian, his focus narrowing to a single concept: Fortification.
Surrounding the solidifying Arcane Sanctum, a massive five-point formation blazed with golden light. Four points already anchored the space, their lines extending toward the edges of his dantian like eager tendrils, waiting for the final piece.
Darius's will tightened, pulling the lines of the formation toward the unfilled corner. Profound runes manifested in the empty space, igniting like a burning fuse, each glowing symbol carrying the essence of the cycle's principles—Activation, Propagation, Transformation, Assimilation, and finally, Fortification.
Throughout this process, Darius found himself in awe of the profound nature of the cycle. He discovered endless connections and examples of how it manifested in the natural world, each realization more intricate than the last. What truly astonished him, however, was how this cycle also extended to intelligent life.
He drew inspiration from his previous life's world of Penglai and the origin myth of the human race. According to the legends, the goddess Nuwa had used heavenly qi to mold the first humans from nine-colored spiritual clay found at the base of Mt. Kunlun. She summoned a heavenly tribulation to breathe life into the clay, marking the initial spark of human existence—Activation.
As humans thrived, their numbers grew rapidly, spreading across the vast expanse of Penglai. They moved beyond the lands of their birth, seeking new horizons in search of resources, survival, and opportunity—Propagation.
But mere expansion wasn't enough. To endure in Penglai's harsh and wild environments, humans needed to adapt to each new realm they occupied. Darius recalled the diverse peoples he had encountered in his past life: dark-skinned, light-skinned, even green-skinned, all shaped by their surroundings to become resilient, each embodying Transformation.
With adaptation achieved, humanity was finally able to survive more securely. As they established stability, the focus shifted to community, culture, and richer interactions with both the world and one another—Assimilation.
"Then came the moment humanity could stand tall, as proud inheritors of Nuwa's will." The golden threads pulsed with each word, responding to the weight of his realization. "Nations were born, dynasties rose as cultures flourished," he continued, feeling the final surge of mana flowing into the last corner of his formation. "But to truly set their place in a world of immortals…"
The threads tightened, their glow intensifying as they locked towards the final shape of a five-pointed star.
"They had to gain strength. Humanity as a whole, took to the path of cultivation," his voice rising with the final surge of energy, completing the massive array that surrounded the five-element yin-yang symbol as the last word left his lips like a decree to the universe.
"Fortification."
The massive array erupted with blinding light, the five-element yin-yang symbol igniting at it's center. The sound of the formations activation echoed like thousands of horns blaring in unison, the vibrations overwhelming him. The light engulfed him, forcing his consciousness to retreat, now centered back within his body as the surge of energy overtook him, drowning his senses.
Barrond, still disguised as a small root, felt the sudden shockwave. His tiny form tensed, wooden eyes widening. "What in Gaia's name…!"
From Darius, beams of light burst forth, first from his eyes, then expanding until his entire body radiated mana. The five-colored aura enveloping him turned golden, the shift sudden and forceful, the energy surging upward like a column into the cavern's ceiling.
Barrond's form trembled, his voice low and filled with awe. "A true phenomenon…"
Then it came—the chime, a single, heavy note that reverberated across Gaia. The subterranean glade stilled in reverence, every living creature frozen in place.
Barrond's rooted eyes closed as he whispered, almost as if in prayer, "Gaia speaks..."