When Nelel Returned with a Cloak for Zenith, she nearly dropped it as she looked at him. "Ah!! What happened? Your bleeding all over" She cried out.
Zenith's bandages had been stained with blood, having pushed himself a bit. It was better to hide some things from Nelel, more so the items he had put in a leather pocket hanging on the side of the wheelchair.
"I guess my wounds opened again. It's okay, though. We can continue the walk if you would like " Zenith spoke without much care.
"No, no, no!" she replied. "We need to head back and get you cleaned up. I'm sorry I was gone for so long you must have been in a lot of pain." She rushed over and began to move the wheelchair at a fair pace back towards the direction of their home.
"Things happen; it's okay. I think I'm healing a bit better as I grow " He spoke wanting to reassure her. Nelel looked a bit teary-eyed as she was a bit too sensitive regarding Zenith.
Zenith couldn't help but quietly sigh at this girl's care towards him. He couldn't blame her though he had grown under her care as well and would be like a little brother to her.
"This is the limit of what I could achieve. Any more without strengthening my physical body and cultivation and next time I might implode, I cant take risky steps like that again, I have to hope that I'm lucky enough not to encounter those situations."
By the time Jagartha had returned a half-day later, Zenith had been cleaned up and was with new bandages. He was within the library looking over a sizeable detailed map that was a few decades old and also quite rare.
"Eh, you're here again?" Jagartha spoke after entering the library, looking a little haggard and pale. Zenith turned to look at her and could see her exhausted expression. "A lot must have happened: how is my little brother?"
Zenith knew that he had a brother if it were a sister the blessing radiance would have a more red-radiance like a phoenix. Jagartha seemed a little surprised.
"you knew? Hmm. Nelel I bet" She grumbled then walked over to take a seat. She used a walking stick to make her way around and sit on a fur made couch. "Healthy. did you....see what-"
Her words had been cut short as Zenith replied without lifting his head. "Yes, he is lucky. I hope those experts didn't cause to much trouble" Jagartha, blinked and looked up towards him, her brows twitching after she heard Zenith speak. "How did you know about them?"
The experts that had shown up after Zeniths little brother's birth and had been cleaned. They were incredibly respectful and promised great resources. Usually, people like that would be forceful with their methods, but they seemed to treat the village with respect and didn't seem to dare cause trouble.
The head villagers were afraid they would have no say and couldn't refuse any of the experts and that trouble would brew if they dared disrespect them but that never seemed to happen. The experts seem to act as if treading on eggshells.
"That's good. I'm glad that things went smoothly" Zenith spoke then began to roll up and pack up the map, before turning his wheelchair and rolling towards the room's exit.
"Every day, I talk to you, I feel you become stranger and stranger... I understand you have been reincarnated but..." Jagartha should have been happy to have such a knowledgeable being on her side, but she couldn't help feel a bit regretful to some degree. After all, no matter how she looked at it, he was still just a little injured boy.
"You don't need to worry about me. I have my methods. Speaking of which. I will be attempting some things in private I hope you and Nelel won't disturb me. "
His childish tone tender and soft still odd for someone to get used to. Jagartha sighed to herself. After all, he was right; she would have to bear with it; this wasn't a feeling that could easily be removed or fixed.
"Nelel and I will tend to some chores then. Tomorrow I'm be returning to the village to check on Little Leonin; he has become the hot topic of the village, the other tribes have rushed to send greetings and form partnerships, there is even talk of forming a super tribe."
Zenith stopped moving the moment he heard that name. "What did you say his name was?" Zenith turned back to look at her. Jagartha suddenly looked up and replied. "Huh? Oh, they decided to name him Leonin. It just popped into his mothers head, and your father agreed."
Zenith remained silent for a moment before turning back. "Oh, I see. well then Leonin it is" He then made his way out, but his mind had a complicated feeling. "Coincidence?..."
After Zenith entered into his room which had a simple, well-made bed as well as a table with some documents written in English that others couldn't understand and some books.
He stood up after the wheelchair was beside the bed and carefully walked to sit on the edge of the bed. He shut his eyes and gave a soft sigh "Leonin, huh..." He spoke the name again.
Zenith began to remember some encounters he had with Leonin or more so someone else he knew with that name. Before the catastrophe, Leonin was a supreme divinity, known as the Inferno divinity he and Zenith clashed several times over treasures and issues.
They had built a massive grudge of irritation. Yet, when the time came after Zenith had been ambushed by three opposing Supreme Divinity's who channelled their power together, it was Leonin who Blocked the Hit for Zenith to escape.
It was that day that Zenith decided he had, had enough of this fighting. Leonin's action and death made Zenith realise whether enemy or not this entire conflict was pointless.
"In this Life I owe him, let him learn the techniques from his former self" He spoke. Zenith decided to pass on the techniques of Leonin. Afterall Zenith had all his memories and understanding thanks to that wish.
With that said, Zenith moved his right hand's index finger to which the three items in the side pocket of the wheelchair appeared, with some movements of his hand the vial opened, and a drop of golden liquid came out.
Zenith then closed his right hand into a fist to which the leaf was crushed by soul force, squeezing it until a white yet greenish glowing drop of liquid was formed.
Zenith combined both that drop of liquid as well as the drop of golden liquid together, a heavy aura fluctuated in the room as if there was a minor quake, but it lasted a single moment.
Zenith then moved the new drop of mixed gold, white and green together towards the Earthen eye, covering it in that liquid. There was a sweet aroma and some steam that began to emit.
Afterwards, Zenith willed the crushed remnants of the leaf towards the earthen eye and covered it. Strangely enough, the remnants reacted, and the veiny lines seemed to cover the pebble-shaped object.
The remnants appeared to come alive and renew and regrow around it until the earthen eye was utterly green with veiny white lines that pulsed back and forth.
Zenith willed the odd object towards a clay plate onto the nearby table. The steam that began to emit had a strange aura, and it didn't dissipate. Instead, Zenith gathered it all and began to breathe it in.
This sweet, gentle aroma entering his body began to fuse carefully with his skin and organs; the damage and burns he was born with were healing bit by bit and didn't seem to be returning.
He also understood a method for cultivating. Considering that he could place and will Aether from that space hidden within his soul. He could condense and grow a soul core as large as he wanted and as pure as he wished to as opposed to growing one in his body.
After all, if an expert grew a soul core to large in their body, it would make it harder to defend against more powerful experts. Thus they were stuck with a fair-sized soul core at the peak level trying to make it as pure as they could, but that had limits which was the apex of the supreme divinity realm.
Zeniths idea was if he could grow a pure enough and large enough soul core that when condensed and broken into that pure liquid how potent of a tempering would his body gain. This fascinating fact was something that made him giddy.
Having stored Aether inside that space, he willed his Soul power to begin condensing it. Though this move began to cause, wounds to appear on his body but at the same time the steam he breathed in was healing these wounds acting as a counterbalance.
With this fact, very soon, a small dot half the size of a grain of sand was formed floating in that void. From there, Zenith began to adjust his soul power carefully. He would feed that soul core Aether at a rate at which his body and the healing could easily handle which would be automatic.
This core would take plenty of time to grow, but it was the best he could do right now. It also meant that when people looked at him unless they were a god, they wouldn't be able to see inside that space. To anyone else, he would be a common cripple and not a threat. That was just how he liked it until he could adequately protect himself.
Zenith though didn't stop with just a simple automatic feeding process. He carefully adjusted a rhythm in his soul force. It looked to be a transparent greyish mist of light that was beating and squashing the Aetheric mist until it dissipated the majority of it.
Still, if one looked closely, they would see some tiny remnants floated towards the half grain-sized soul core.
This Aether was as pure as it could get refined by his soul force. He didn't want impurities causing issues later on. He had to try and do many things in his past life to purify his soul core and remove impurities, so to him the earlier he could do it the better. Since he had such a powerful soul, he sure as hell wouldn't waste it.
While the steam began to cover the room emitting from the veiny covered earthen eye, Zenith laid on his bed and began to regulate his breathing. His body was still mortal by all means so he needed rest. There was only so much he could do.
News of the Newborn Leonin had travelled further and further, going as far as reaching towards the estate where Zeniths mother was kept. Her father was sitting in a luxurious office, speaking with two individuals.
"Assassination is impossible?....damnit all..." He smashed his hand onto the wooden desk causing it to crack heavily.
"Estate Lord this is out of our hands, even the Emissary has shown interest in this young child if we dared try anything all of us would be wiped out and that's by the other forces let alone the Emissary." A short-haired man with a sharp look who wore a red cloak and combat attire spoke up as he sat opposite of Zeniths grandfather.
"Is there truly no way then? " he spoke nervously unsure of what to do, suddenly the other man who wore simple attire who seemed well taught spoke up.
"Estate lord, you may be overthinking things, considering the relationship the chief has with your daughter I'm sure old feelings would stop him from causing issues. if that young son of heaven grows up, what care does he have for past matters regarding his father's last wife?"
Zeniths grandfather spoke after careful consideration. "yes you're, right considering I hadn't caused issues for those tribes before or attacked them, there is no reason for them to give me problems." he seemed to clarify.
The assassin looking individual remained silent after all he wasn't an expert in these matters. Meanwhile, the scholar replied. "Correct, if that young one were to grow and attack us without proper justification or even with the excuse of avenging his father's honour for his past wife it would seem ridiculous there is a fair chance that other forces might get afraid and intervene."
The estate lord began to ponder carefully trying to think of something after all words were just words, he needed a shield of sorts, that was until he suddenly remembered his so-called grandchild. "There is still that kid he shares blood with the tribe and us, the perfect shield."