*ok, maybe I'm pushing it with the content here, but I sort of want everything within the game to be handled until this point, so I'm doing these 'filler' episodes or stuff to keep the original timeline going as well with what it had to. Some things are bound to happen no matter what. Also, bit of a shorter chapter today since I'm not feeling it at all. Let me know what you think. Peace out and Deus vult*
Mark was alone in his room, the memories of his heartfelt poem lingering around the room, seeping into the sheets as he lied down on the bed, staring at the ceiling. Sleeping was somewhat straining, more so than usual. The shadows grew longer, fiercer, the fresh memories of the otherworldly sight plaguing his thoughts.
"I should strive to sleep. From what I know, we'll stop on the Luofu once more. I guess this is where Stelle will handle those heliobi, then we'll surely go to Penacony. Since we'll stop here, I could use some training within reality to aim and do something interesting. After all, I did try some crazy stunts with my energy in the Simulated Universe."
His eyes closed once more, feeling heavy, but the horrific sights were unextinguishable. His heart picked up the pace, seeking to adapt to his worries, to the natural answer that his body felt; it was fight or flight, but he felt like running away from that universal freak.
The sand in time's hourglass was stuck, dripping slowly, bit by bit, one moment after another, freezing the more it dragged on. Mark's night was restless. The blanket was against him, that which had once protected him from the horror creatures in his mind that were a threat in his childhood, now futile against the incarnation of something far more sinister, something born of his own mind and the will of strange objects that are cancers to the worlds they settle in.
"Ah, fuck it!" he groaned, standing up at once. He walked to the parlor of the Express, the only place he could think of in that moment. Perhaps it was his own need for a safe haven that kept taking him to where Himeko usually resided.
Empty was the room, lacking its usual warmth. He simply searched around for someone, but none was there. Instead, he watched the stars, staring out through the windows. Countless sparks of all intensities spread out before his very gaze, putting down their lives to bestow upon him light.
"God, this sure is beautiful," he whispered, forgetting everything for a second. He just stood there, silent, contemplating the world. Perhaps, somewhere in that vast space, there would be a way for him to return home. He did doubt it, but hope wouldn't die within him, no matter how insane the odds were.
Seeing as sleep was avoiding him for the night, Mark made his way to the training room, but not before going to his room to grab his trusty metal pipe. He had given it a good clean in the past, since it had some grime piled up from smacking one too many mara-struck soldiers. He held it firmly, walking silently to not wake up the others. Inside the room, he simply settled on the floor, placing the pipe in front of him.
"So, I should do something like this, just like in the simulations," he whispered, reaching out towards it. Subtle but still visible, a thin string of energy moved out from his hand, searching around with wiggling motions. It dashed ahead, gripping the pipe with eagerness, cutting the connection to Mark. Instantly, the pipe had a faint glow around it, barely noticeable, but it increased as Mark could feel it connect to his body, energy moving into it.
"Now, I should be able to just," he muttered, letting his hand fall. With just his mind, he could make it move and float around, dashing through the room. He had trained with it for a pretty long time during his mastery of energy usage, yet it was pretty straining when doing it in the real world. Back there, he could use his energy as he pleased, while in the real plane, resources were limited, and his body couldn't take too much.
"I guess I can use it as a form of special technique when needed, but for now I can't do too many practical things. Maybe I could give training with Yanqing a try and join the club of people who managed to beat him," he chuckled, imagining how a fight would go. Sure, he had trained already, but not in real conditions where his body would feel the fatigue. He was like a trainee, used to technical knowledge but lacking experience.
"Well, that would be one way to do it," he mumbled again, making the pipe come to him. It dashed straight at him, no hesitation, only to stop as he leaned on his back and caught it.
"Good, reflexes still work. I need to pay attention. I'm going to Penacony after this one, and from what I recall and feel, the area is one of the oddest places yet."
He tried to recollect some bits of information that were caught from trailers. The knowledge gotten ahead of time did wonders sometimes, putting less of a strain on him. Still, it was lacking in more areas than one could think. The planet of festivities, as it was called, had been a prison before. It was also closely related to memoria—some weird material that he didn't fully comprehend. One single thought cluttered his mind, pushing it back to the brink of insanity. He refused to acknowledge it.
His fist clenched around the pipe, holding it firmly, seething with unspoken frustration. With a heavy sigh, he lessened his hold, allowing it to rest on his shoulder, propped against his neck. The metal was cold, a perfect contrast to his skin. Inching closer, the fatigue began weighing significantly on him, lulling him gently to sleep. Despite sitting, he just embraced it, his head propped against the metal.
Hours passed, and his phone received notifications; the sound was so familiar and foreign at once. It had been far too long since he last heard it. They were messages from the others, talking about meeting in the parlor to warp to the Xianzhou.
"I'll be right there," messaged Mark, standing up at once. He ran to the bathroom to get himself prepared as decently as he could before meeting up with everyone. In his rush, he had snatched the pipe along.
"Good morning," said Stelle, chuckling as she saw how the pipe was basically glued to him.
"Mornin'," replied Mark, his voice a bit grumpy. His hand reached for the back of the neck, massaging firmly. Everyone had gathered, waiting for the warp.
"Are you ready for one last stop before we head to Penacony? We happen to have some extra time on our hands before the festivities begin," said Himeko, sipping on her coffee as usual. The smell permeated the air—a strong yet pleasant scent.
"I see. Well, I'll probably try to get some loose ends tied a little before we get to Penacony," chuckled Mark, giving his pipe a spin that came easier than expected.
"Just don't forget that we'll be here for a few days, alright?"
He nodded, already thinking about training and hopefully finding a way to further strengthen his body. Perhaps he'd have to look in what traces of Abundance were left within himself since something weird had happened. That Path was cleared and modified by the Light within, turning into something completely new.
"Get ready, then. We're about to warp," reminded Himeko, taking a seat and making herself comfortable. Mark settled down as well, the gears in his mind turning at fine speeds.
Blitz, and it was over; the Xianzhou was close once more. Mark went to his room to get dressed in his new clothes, which he didn't bother to take after his sleep in the training room. Sword strapped to his back, he made his way out, pacing quickly with a single destination in mind—the Seat of Divine Foresight.
To Mark's success, the General was there, something that seemed to be a rare occurrence with how much he has on his plate.
"Heh, nice to see you, General. How have you been?" asked Mark, cheerful as he saluted, his right hand rising while he bowed his head slightly.
"It appears that we have guests of the highest regard here. To what do I owe the pleasure?"
His answer was friendly, fit for him. For a moment, the piles of documents were nothing but a distraction on the desk, even if Mark was the actual disturbance in there.
"Oh, it's nothing much, General. I'm just in pursuit of some physical training, and what better place than this one? After all, you know of my past... endeavor, let's call it. I just need to get stronger... within limits, of course."
The General nodded, looking at him with a sharp gaze that sought to analyze everything.
"You seem different from back then. It's like you spent countless years training. It's seen in your posture and the way you walk. What were you up to during the short time we've been apart?"
Mark chuckled, noticing the curious smile on the General's face. It was an expected reaction, so Mark went with the simple truth.
"Oh, I just trained for a couple of years in a simulated world. Nothing much, really. The issue is that I need normal training now, something to help my body become stronger and act better. I got the reflex down, but I also need increased physical abilities to better utilize what I have."
Jing Yuan offered a tiny smirk, glad to see that Mark was doing better. After the events that had transpired before his very eyes, seeing the young man strive to better control himself and understand the depth of his own strength was pleasant.
"If you wish, I could talk with Yanqing to aid you with training. I believe the two of you will get along well," said Jing Yuan, crossing his arms. He was just as carefree looking as usual, but as far as Mark knew, his choices always had more depth to them. Perhaps he just wanted someone loyal to keep watch over him in case something was wrong.
"I understand, and thank you, General. I'm sure we'll get along and have quite some fun training for a while. I'll be here for a few days only, so I'd rather just be taught some specific regimes to further help me even when I'm not present on the Luofu."
With that, his plan was set in motion, and training was soon to begin. Mark had a somewhat decent physical state, or at least that's what he believed. He forgot that he was up against being that lived for hundreds of years while he was a simple guy.
"Wait, I'm not a simple guy... hell, never mind, I can't use the energy from the Stellarons since it would render my training useless. I need my basics increased to further abuse the extra power."
He sighed, trying to come to grips with the fact that he was in for something rather interesting and tiring.