Born from the elements themselves were the Spirit Kings of the Spirit World.
Fire Spirit King, Water Spirit King, Earth Spirit King, Metal Spirit King, Wood Spirit King, Wind Spirit King, Lightning Spirit King, Yin Spirit King, and Yang Spirit King; These were the 9 kings themselves.
However, Spirit Kings weren't personages that entered the Real Plane often. They usually preferred remaining in an ethereal state, melded with the elements they embodied.
But the Wood Spirit King was always different. Each generation of Wood Spirit King would be born with an eccentric personality. Acacia, the Wood Spirit King that preceded Sylvanus, was a man who loved adventure.
He took it upon himself to change the stereotype the Spirit Kings set. He entered the Real Plane and explored every inch he could.
During this exploration was when he met Sylvanus.
As for Sylvanus, his quirk was…
Atlas quickly went into the Tower Shop and made a few purchases. At the same time, a green runic circle appeared around Artemia as she summoned Sylvanus from the artifact.
The duo already moved far away from the main group. Because the current space was extremely expansive, they were easily able to find a secluded area to continue their conversation.
And since Artemia felt an unknown sense of pride when she showed off in front of Atlas, she was naturally willing to show him how the artifact worked.
As she stood, the green runic circle around her body began to rotate, filling with mysterious runic patterns that flaked off the ground and floated into the air like off-colored and inverted plum blossoms.
Atlas gradually began to understand how the artifact worked. It wasn't just a work of refining, but a combination of refining and formation arts. And judging by the incomprehensible runes floating in the air, it was an extremely complicated formation as well.
After an incense stick of time, the process came to an end. With a bright flash of light, the entire spectacle disappeared at once. What was left in its place was a shining green light about the size of a palm.
"Brat, how dare you summon this King again?! Didn't I already tell you I want to rest for at least another hundred years?! Quickly put me back!"
A slew of curses left the shining green light the second it appeared. If one was able to look past the glamorous light, one would be able to see the chubby body of an old man.
He had a long beard that flowed down his front, scraggly and unkempt hair, and the overall demeanor of a beggar. However, his fat body which seemed to have already eaten all the delicacies of the world begged to differ.
Regardless of how his appearance presented him, his tongue surely was that of a sailor. With Artemia ignoring his demands, the curses flying out of his mount became dirtier by the second.
At least, until he was hit in the face with a large jug.
"Oi, what the hell is this?! Who is this disrespectful brat? Get the fuck out of my sight!"
Atlas rolled his eyes and grabbed the jug, ripping open its lid.
"Shut up and drink, old fogey."
Artemia's eyes widened in shock. The first thing Atlas said upon meeting an existence of such high stature was a rude remark?! Even if the Spirit King was sealed and working for the Tatsuya Clan at the moment, his status hadn't deteriorated!
Even when Artemia requested his help, she was forced to provide him with a large number of wood-attributed resources in exchange. Her demeanor in interacting with Sylvanus was of the utmost respect.
Hearing Atlas's words, Artemia almost directly passed out. Of all people, she would never expect the usually stale and old-fashioned Atlas to pull such a stunt.
"S-senior! Don't mind his—" Artemia tried to quickly cover Atlas's mistake, but she was interrupted before she could even speak.
"Hahahahaha! Boy, I don't know who you are, but you've got good taste!"
Sylvanus directly grabbed the jug that was many times larger than his body. His qi moved and tilted it, allowing the reddish-purple liquid within to fall into his mouth.
"Haaaaa~!" Sylvanus let out a sigh of contentment. It had been many years since the last time he had a good drink.
"That bastard Alaric won't even let me drink in peace! Always spouting bullshit about how I'd corrupt his daughter. Pah! What corruption? Can't he see that his daughter is even more of a man than him?!"
Sylvanus complained endlessly as he drank. To this, Atlas could only smile. Right, the quirk that Sylvanus was born with, he was a hopeless alcoholic.
After the first jug, Sylvanus drank three more large jugs of wine that Atlas provided. This amount far exceeded the limits of what his small body should've been able to handle, but his fat stomach didn't even become a bit bigger!
Atlas finally let out a sigh of relief. Now that Sylvanus had his fill of liquor, communicating would be far easier.
"Boy, I like you. You're a good seedling. Tell me what you want and this King will grant it!"
Atlas didn't even think about the offer. Sylvanus became benevolent when he was drunk, but he'd never be able to follow through on the promises he made.
"I once visited an old pawn shop on Blossom Road."
Atlas spoke the sentence off-handedly. Considering their current conversation, it had no meaning at all.
But the instant Sylvanus heard it, his pupils dilated into dots, his drunkenness evaporating completely.
"And? What's that have to do with me?" He asked gruffly. His tone wasn't anywhere near the jovial one he used before.
But Atlas was unfazed. He spoke with an imperceptible smile.
"Ah, nothing of note. However, that pawn shop owner had quite the interesting store of liquor."
"And among them?" Sylvanus asked in anticipation.
"Mystical Illusionary Dew Wine."
Sylvanus' face paled. His chubby body flew back in the air as if he'd just met a ghost.
After all, he had!
"You…you…you…!"
He couldn't formulate a sentence. There were many who knew the story of the pawn shop on Blossom Road. It was a code used by avid alcoholics to distinguish each other and understand each other.
Although the code wasn't anything profound, was there a need for that? It was merely created so that alcoholics could freely speak about fine wines and liquors without being persecuted in public.
After all, back then was wartime. Drinking was an activity that became sacred for soldiers. To drink fine wine another day meant to live another day. The wine that wasn't consumed was poured out to honor those who couldn't drink with them.
Alcoholics weren't shunned, but those who drank for pleasure without care for worldly wars were shunned and outcasted.
The pawn shop on Blossom Road was a place where these shunned alcoholics would gather. As for the bartender, it was Sylvanus himself.
As a member of their group, he set up a place for them to be free of oppression, a place where all precious wines and liquors could be drunk for the right price.
As for the wine mentioned at the end of the code?
That was something only his close friends knew. Answering the second question correctly was proof of ties thicker than blood.
But Mystical Illusionary Dew Wine wasn't the answer to that code.
Mystical Illusionary Dew Wine was a wine Sylvanus had only been able to taste once. It left such a heavenly sensation in his body that he never forgot it for a day, making it his life's goal to drink another sip.
To speak this wine's name in front of him without knowledge about it was a sin. Many people had died under Sylvanus' hand for doing so.
But there was only a single person who ever dared to mock him so. There was only a single person who knew the second answer to the pawn shop on Blossom Road code.
This person was his most trusted brother.
And because of a Heavenly Oath they swore together, they were never allowed to spread this code to anyone else.
Essentially, there was only a single person who ever existed who was able to speak this code.
Yet, in front of Sylvanus' eyes was a boy no older than 18. A boy with little cultivation who hid behind a mask.
How could such a boy…be aware of a secret only known to a man who had been wholly erased from history?