-"Terraforming a planet would normally take decades."-Ruan Mei spoke from experience.-"I hope you don't plan to waste so much time, Yue."
~"Of course not. Accelerating time is not an issue, as I'll be bringing Terra into my world. The problem is what will you do. For me, it's not an issue to age a hundred, if not more, years, but what about you? All of you are not old enough to disregard such a long time."
-"I'll be there with you. It'll be a good time to focus on researching Aeons."-Ruan Mei looked at me with a smile.
-"Same. While I don't want to dissect you like Mei, I certainly want to see the end of the old world that I always wanted to correct."-Kal'tsit spoke in a tone that left no room for discussion.
-"I don't care about a hundred years if I can spend them with you."-Aranyani continued the series of declarations.
-"I just want to help. Hundred years is indeed a little long, but nothing to me as a Sui."-Shu also expressed her opinion.
~"I won't stop you then."~I shook my head in a slight exasperation.~"Mei, if you want to research Aeons, then come with me."
-"Hmm? What do you plan to do?"
~"Two things. First, another revival. As for the second... Sigh. It's time to face the past, at least partly."
-"When will you do so?"
~"Revival will take place tomorrow. The second thing now."
-"Then give me a few minutes to finish everything here, and we can go."
~"Sure."
-"Your Majesty, would you mind giving me a second?"-Shu asked me on the side.
~"Ask anything you want. Also, just call me Yue. You are a sister of people dear to me, so I want to befriend you if that's possible."
-"Good. I wanted to ask what will you do about my sisters."
~"Can you be more precise?"
-"Will you marry them? Do you truly love them, or is it just physical or bloodline action? Will you care for them?"-Shu asked calmly, hiding great pressure behind her eyes.
~"Yes, I plan to marry all my lovers. I do think we share love despite starting from mere attraction, but I'm not good at naming my feelings. I care for them, and I'll make sure they are safe and happy as long as I exist and beyond."
-"..."-Shu looked at me intently when I spoke, and after I finished, she remained silent for a while, speaking after thinking.-"Then I'll bless you all. Please care for them."
~"I will, but why don't you just stay here to also keep an eye on them?"
-"I'll stay. After Terra is terraformed, I won't be needed there much, so why not find another work."
~"You are more than welcome to join Hold."
-"Then please take care of me."
~"Likewise."
-"Do you mind me staying where my sisters are?"
~"Well, they stay in the inner Palace most of the time. Allowing you there is not impossible, but..."
-"I see. Then I'll contact my sister first and then think what to do."
~"Thank you for your understanding."
After talking with Shu for a while, I somewhat understood her character, and I found it to my liking. She was somewhat awkward with the words but spoke calmly and always thinking about her statements. She also put emphasis on Karma, trying to seed as much good Karma as she could. This resulted in her being caring and empathetic, always seeing good in others.
We talked until Ruan Mei wished her matters. As Mei and I went our way, Shu messaged her sisters to meet in the restaurant I recommended to her.
At the same time, in the Far East, Cellinia and I were also talking about Terra and her hometown as we waited for Kaguya's return.
-"It's good to hear that Terra will stop being a wasteland."-Cellina spoke after hearing about terraforming.
~"I'll be going there in the near future. Do you want to go with me? Visit some places and people?"
-"I'm worried about Lappland, but I also want to leave her behind after escaping that place."-Cellina showed a tangled expression.
~"I think you should go and talk with her. While you have closed that chapter of your life, she is your friend."
-"Sigh. What troubles me is how Lappland is."
~"It's not like any of us is perfect. She might be a little 'intense', but you still worry about her, don't you?"
-"You are right, I'll meet with her."
We talked a little more about Cellinia's friends from Siracusa, and soon, we heard a knock on the door.
~"Enter."
-"I apologize for making you wait, Your Majesty."-Kaguya bowed to me after entering.
-"Yes... I'm sorry, I mean, I apologize, Your Majesty."-Haruhime also entered and bowed to me despite still being afraid.
~"I don't mind. Were you able to accomplish everything you wanted to?"
-"Yes, I not only avenged myself but also helped my friends."
~"Good to hear that. The Far East will enter a period of changes in the future, becoming a vassal of Hold. If you want, I can make you representative."
-"I'm thankful for your thoughts, but I plan to stay by Lady Artemis' side in the future."
~"So be it. Are you ready for the trip back?"
-"Yes."
~"What about you, little Haruhime?"
-"Yes..."
~"Then let's get going. This time, we will teleport back to the outskirts of Orario and enter the city to make our return known."
Cellinia and Kaguya nodded and stood up.
After gathering what was left in our rooms, I did as I said, and moments later, we stood on the plain with Orario visible on the horizon. Letting out Elun'dris and two other Sabercats, I signaled to the girls to mount them. Haruhime rode together with Kaguya because she was too small to ride alone.
As we approached Orario, we could see the commotion occurring in front of the gates. Someone must have mistook us for wild monsters, and the panic quickly spread among those wanting to enter the city. The guards also reacted, preparing to fight, but luckily, they noticed us on the backs before the combat happened.
-"Stand down!"-Shouted the captain of the guard before turning to me and saluting.-"Your Excellency Yue."
~"I apologize for the commotion. You don't have to worry about Sabercats. They won't attack unprovoked."
-"No, It's us who should apologize for causing problems."-Capitan waved his hand, flustered.-"Welcome back to Orario, Your Excellency. Please, we'll make way for Your Excellency's entourage."
He signaled to his subordinates to open the gate and make people go out of the way. After passing through the gate, we went directly to Hold's Fortress, returning to Hold without wasting any more time.
-"So, what is your plan?"-Ruan Mei asked me as we walked through the Palace halls.
~"You know about my research into the power that nourishes [Yggdrasil], the [Void]. I tried every way that came into my mind to interact with this power, but it was all for naught."
-"Yes, I heard about your little failure spree from Herta. I also read your notes. They are quite intriguing, though they lay outside of my arena of expertise, so I didn't delve into the subject much."
~"I planned to give up on this project, but it suddenly reacted when I was in Yomi. I can't leave hidden danger in the heart of Hold, so I decided to use a drastic measure to touch upon that [Void]."
-"So what is that measure? Don't build tension."
~"I'll empower [Yggdrasil] to strengthen its connection to [Void]. That way, I should be able to get my foot in the door to start working on [Void]."
-"Understandable, but why do you describe this as 'drastic'? Something that you can call drastic worries me slightly."
~"[Yggdrasil] was created by using the Power of Ordination on myself, strengthening my Spirit origin. To empower it further, I need even greater power than part of my Path."
-"So you need a whole new Path."
~"Exactly. For better or worse, there is a Path that fits [Yggdrasil] perfectly."
-"Abundance."
I nodded.
-"Are you sure?"
~"Yes. My discomfort and disgust toward Yaoshi and her Path are nothing compared to the safety of my world, which holds everything important to me."
-"If you say so."
In silence, we finally arrived at the foot of [Yggdrasil]'s form in Hold. There, people who shared a past with Abundance, such as Jingliu, Fu Xuan, and others from Xianzhou Alliance, waited for us.
-"Master."
~"Sorry to call you here so suddenly."
-"We don't mind, but can you tell us what's going on?"
~"I'll call you here to enforce the rules of your Xianzhou Alliance if such a need arises."
-"What do you mean, Yue?"-Feixiao was the one who reacted most intensely to my words.
~"Excuse me this time, but I think that explanations won't help us on this issue."~After ignoring Feixiao's gaze, I turned around and spoke toward an empty space.~"Do you agree to help me?"
~"Affirmative."~Nous was the first one to show THEMSELF
~"I don't like to leave hunts unfinished."~Lan also appeared after my call.
~"You are too impulsive."~Tesminus admonished me for what I plan to do after showing up.
~"That might be, but if I want to move forward, this is the safest choice."
~"You'll lose something. Blessing of Abundance is not an easy burden to carry."~Terminus warned me.
~"I've made my choice."
Hearing my decision, Terminus closed her eyes. After a while, she nodded, but it was apparent that she didn't agree with me taking risks.
~"Let's go then."
I walked forward and opened a portal to the part of my world that I tried my best to erase.
When I was turning into Spirit, I discarded my body and spirit that housed my connection to Paths of Abundance and Permanence. Now, I needed to take back my body for Abundance to be part of myself once again.
We emerged from the portal in a small realm that was sealed from the rest of my world. That whole realm was covered in lush greenery, being the perfect representation of the word 'wild'. Wherever you look, either monstrous animals or enormous plants would be visible. But the most striking element of that image only shows when any fight occurs.
When a deer-like beast had its head ripped off by a giant carnivorous plant, rather than falling dead, it continued walking. Within mere moments, its head had regrown as if nothing had happened.
-"This is?"-Jing Yuan asked after seeing this place.
~"Let's just call this place Realm of Abundance, a place where only life thrives."
-"Fascinating."-Ruan Mei looked around and quickly started to record data.-"This is the purest manifestation of Abundance that can exist. Simple will for everything to live."
~"You can gather data, but don't be in the way of others, Mei."
-"Don't worry, I know how to behave."-Mei gave me a dry look before busying herself with setting up the testing apparatus.
~"Let's not waste more time."
I instantly found out where my body was and took us there. What appeared before us was a giant nine-tailed fox lying in a clearing. Despite enormous Life Energy emanating from it, everyone could see that it wasn't alive. It was overgrown with roots and vines that pulsated with energy. This fox was the hearth of this whole realm.
~"How do you plan to do it?"~Terminus asked after looking around.
~"Talk with Yaoshi and figure out the rest later."
~"Don't sound promising."~Lan commented.
~"Opinion. Yue attempts to do something unprecedented. We can't predict what can happen, and as such, we can't make solid plans."~Nous backed me up.
~"I have prepared some precautions if anything goes awry. I cast a seal upon myself that will react to any interference into my mind. It will cut off my ego from the outside world, preventing the worst outcome."
~"But whatever wanted to influence you will be left with your unconscious form."~Terminus scoffed.
~"That's why I need your help. Lan will be able to keep Abundance at bay while you, Terminus, will have to handle Ordination. Nous have to assist me in taking over the Abundance."
~"And those hunters are to deal with what power is left in you."~Lan finished my explanation.~"Can they manage?"
~"Don't worry about that. They are more than capable of dealing with me if I were to not use my Aeonic powers."
~"If you say so."
~"But that still only deals with how to attract Abundance onto you. What about the rest of the process?"~Terminus continued asking.
~"I'll use [Yggdrasil] to absorb it. What comes next depends on some things I don't have control over, nor can I test."
~"Sigh. Next time, inform me before taking action so I can prepare."
As asking more questions would be meaningless, everyone got ready while I approached the fox. Stopping before its snout, which was bigger than me, I placed my hand on it, and instantly, my consciousness started being pulled inside. Allowing myself to be dragged, I entered a small mental space where Yaoshi resided.
~"So you came."~Yaoshi spoke with her usual motherly gaze directed at me.
~"Yes."
~"Good. Allow me to give you one last warning. The same as an Aeon forges a Path, a Path also forms an Aeon. By taking Abundance from me, you'll inherit my will that builds that Path, the will that, in turn, will try to mold you into a second Yaoshi."
~"I'm aware of that, and I'm prepared."
~"Then let it be the last Blessing from me. Blessing to one who is my child."~Yaoshi floated before me and kissed my forehead.
When she separated her lips from me, she turned into motes of pure Abundance that flew into me. Shaking my head, I internally commented about definitely not being her child, but I didn't dwell on this issue long as, in the next moment, I felt my awareness sinking into darkness. Then, I started what others would consider an out-of-body experience. I could 'see' everything because I was still connected to my world and [Yggdrasil], but as I was separated from my main avatar.
When I was adapting to the strange situation, I noticed that the fox lying before me also started to turn into motes of pure Abundance, flowing into my avatar, drowning it in enormous power. It quickly turned into a cocoon around my avatar, and as I felt Nous started to guide the rampaging Abundance into [Yggdrasil], I also started to work from the other side, channeling the Abundance to fuse into [Yggdrasil].
During the process, I took great care never to absorb Abundance into myself, as if Yue, only combining it with [Yggdrasil] and, by extension, into the world. This way, the will inscribed into Abundance won't influence who I am but will be part of my power by proxy, as [Yggdrasil] is part of me, not myself.
As everything was slowly stabilizing and began to look as if there would be no troubles, the cocoon surrounding my avatar broke, revealing what was hidden inside.