Luocha raised an eyebrow but shook his head. "I guess every master from Xianzhou wears a blindfold now," he mused quietly. He then refocused, stabbing his rapier into the ground, and a healing domain spread outward. With a swift motion, he drew some blood, and the injured thugs began to heal rapidly, though the phantom pain left them writhing on the ground in agony.
Neither Gestalt nor Luocha seemed fazed by the sight. One was the blindfolded perpetrator who caused the damage, and the other, a well-traveled merchant, had witnessed many strange things in his journeys. They turned away and continued their path, crossing through a dense forest before finally arriving at the edge of a vast ocean. However, for those with a discerning eye, the terrain surrounding the ocean was fractured and disordered. The land bore signs of great force as if something massive had reshaped it, and at its center was the deep expanse of the ocean.
"Isn't this...?" Luocha began, recognizing the place.
A voice called out from nearby. "You're finally here." It was sharp, cutting through the stillness. "And... who is this that you've brought with you?" The woman, standing with an air of sharp coldness, turned her gaze to Gestalt, who remained remarkably calm despite her imposing presence.
"Jingliu, I've finally found you," Luocha said, nodding in acknowledgment. "This is Gestalt, someone from the Xianzhou. He's also interested in the crash site of Xianzhou Daiyu." He gestured toward Gestalt's beacon, which displayed a marker pointing to their current location.
Jingliu's sharp eyes narrowed as she studied Gestalt. "Someone from the Xianzhou? And you brought him to me?" she said, an ice sword suddenly forming in her hand.
"Don't be alarmed, Jingliu. He lost contact with the Xianzhou long ago and lost his memory while working somewhere else." Luocha understood her reaction. The Xianzhou hunts her, so anyone from the Xianzhou is likely a hunter coming for her.
"He is correct, Miss Jingliu. My presence here is merely by the will of my employer. I see no purpose for us to fight." Hearing Luocha and Gestalt's words, she calmed down and dispersed her sword, though still vigilant toward Gestalt.
"So, what brings you to Thalassa and here to this location?" Luocha, trying to lighten the mood, asked Gestalt.
"As per my employer's words: 'Unusual activity has been recorded near this site—sudden rising tides and a giant vortex forming.' I am merely here to get a closer look, though if something of interest appears, I may stay to view the amusement." Gestalt put down his backpack and retrieved several pieces of equipment, and, as per Herta's instructions, his body moved on its own, as if possessed.
Even blindfolded, his body seemed to remember the exact location of certain equipment. He collected earth samples, set probes to record tectonic activity, and observed if the readings matched the ocean's surface movements.
Both Luocha and Jingliu watched in curiosity but did not forget their original mission. They bid farewell to Gestalt and walked along the beach to get near the wreckage of the Xianzhou Daiyu.
"Hmm, none of the readings show any sign of abnormality, yet the ocean seems to move violently—curious," Gestalt said unconsciously, writing down his findings before lowering his blindfold to calm the growing voices.
Hours passed with Gestalt absorbed in his work, and before he realized it, the sun was setting. Several times, he had to lift and lower his blindfold to readjust between reading the data and calming his mind.
"Oh my, I seem to have been greatly absorbed." Gestalt decided to leave the equipment running and return the next day to check for any significant changes that might have occurred while he was away.
He also set up a camera to record the ocean and began to leave for the day. But as he rose and walked away, something caught the corner of his eye.
A small part of the ocean seemed to have turned into a frozen lake. Sensing great excitement if he investigated, he abandoned the idea of returning to the hotel and went closer to the frozen lake.
"Hmm?" After running across the great beach and hearing a fight up ahead, the warrior spirit inside him ignited. Hours after being holed up only using his brain, his physical body was now itching for a fight.
Upon reaching the fight, he heard several footsteps. Most were rough footsteps that produced sharp sounds at four different points upon hitting the ice. But among them were two familiar footsteps: Luocha's leather boots and Jingliu's light steps.
"Get rid of her quickly, and we'll easily take care of the blondie!" Seemingly the leader of the wingweavers commanded, shooting several sharp feathers at Jingliu, yet all missed their mark.
Luocha seemed to be surrounded by four wingweavers, which he could barely fend off. But Jingliu, who was fighting 20 at once, seemed to be in a better situation as she dispatched several with swift motions.
"Quite rude to have a big fight without inviting me!" A fully-formed Ōdachi made of imaginary elements appeared in Gestalt's hand.
The Ōdachi was decorated with several ornaments that hung on the golden guard, and extending from the guard upward was a decoration of a dragon head holding the blade in its mouth.
Gestalt crouched down and dashed toward the closest enemy.
Before the wingweavers could react, the one who crossed paths with Gestalt was sliced apart, his upper torso spinning in the air.
"Apologies, I must admit being uninvited to a fight might cause chaos, and that is my exact intention." A wide grin formed on his face. It had been a while since he participated in a bloodbath.
"Fuck, I'll handle this new bug. Hold until reinforcements arrive!" The giant wingweaver in the air flew in front of Gestalt. "Stay out of this battle or taste the wrath of the Abundance."
"I apologize, but I cannot leave new acquaintances behind, so I kindly wish to give you my best."
Before the wingweaver could react, Gestalt exploded into motion, a blur of speed. He swung his Ōdachi upward, aiming for the leader's torso. The wingweaver managed to block with its talons, but the force of the blow sent it staggering back, its wings flapping to regain balance.
"You think your speed can match mine, insect?" the wingweaver hissed, launching itself back into the air, sharp feathers flying toward Gestalt in a deadly barrage.
Gestalt sidestepped with grace, spinning his blade in fluid arcs that deflected the feathers, each strike precise. "Is that all? I was hoping for something more entertaining." His voice dripped with amusement as he dashed forward again, this time aiming to ground the wingweaver.
Nearby, Luocha, who was fending off four attackers, saw Gestalt's battle with the leader but couldn't afford to look away from his own situation. "Gestalt's holding his own... but this isn't looking good," he muttered to himself, pushing back the wingweavers with defensive slashes from his rapier.
Jingliu, meanwhile, danced between her twenty opponents like a ghost. Each swing of her ice sword left a trail of frozen blood and falling feathers as she dispatched her foes with deadly precision. Even with their numbers, the wingweavers struggled to land a blow on her. She was relentless, swift, and cold, her blindfold only adding to her mysterious deadliness. "Don't let up!" she called to Luocha, noticing the pressure he was under.
"We won't need to," Luocha replied as he dispatched one of his attackers with a well-timed stab, green energy radiating from his rapier as he healed his own wounds.
The wingweaver leader, now enraged by Gestalt's taunts, summoned a gust of wind with a powerful flap of its wings, knocking Gestalt back several paces. "Enough!" it bellowed, diving toward Gestalt with deadly intent.
But Gestalt stood firm, his Ōdachi glowing faintly as he prepared for the next strike. "I haven't even started," he said, voice low and filled with exhilaration. As the wingweaver leader descended upon him, Gestalt spun his Ōdachi in a circular motion, creating an arc of golden light that seemed to hum with power. In one swift motion, he swung upward, meeting the wingweaver's charge head-on.
The sound of the clash echoed across the beach, and for a moment, everything seemed to freeze. The wingweaver leader staggered back, stunned, blood seeping from a deep gash across its chest. Gestalt landed gracefully, barely fazed, his eyes behind the blindfold alight with the thrill of battle.
The remaining wingweavers hesitated, glancing nervously between their fallen leader and the Xianzhou swordsman who seemed to revel in the chaos.
Jingliu, having dispatched most of her attackers, glanced over at Gestalt with an appraising look. "Impressive," she muttered under her breath.
The wingweaver leader, now on the ground and bleeding heavily, glared at Gestalt with fury. "You think this is over? More will come. You can't win!"
Gestalt simply grinned wider, raising his blade once more. "Perhaps not, but I don't fight to win. I fight for the thrill. Now... come at me."
The wingweaver leader's wings trembled as it fought to stay upright, its talons digging into the ground, trying to maintain control. "You madman," it hissed through labored breaths, eyes burning with hatred. "What kind of fool fights only for the thrill?"
Gestalt chuckled softly, his stance relaxed but his eyes sharp. "A fool, perhaps, but one who enjoys every moment of it." He rolled his shoulders, his Ōdachi gleaming in the dying light, its blade reflecting the chaos around them. "Besides, isn't that why we're all here? You came for the hunt. I came for the dance."
The wingweaver, snarling, flexed its wings and prepared to take to the air again. "You don't understand the true stakes here. This is bigger than any of you bugs." It beat its wings once more, rising just a few feet off the ground before Gestalt's eyes flashed with renewed interest.
"Then enlighten me," he replied, his tone mockingly polite. "Perhaps it will make this fight more interesting." He flourished his sword, watching the wingweaver carefully. Despite its injuries, the leader's strength hadn't waned, and he could feel the tension in the air.
Before the leader could respond, another barrage of feathers whizzed through the air, aimed at Gestalt's legs. He leaped back just in time, narrowly avoiding the sharp projectiles. The leader used the distraction to dive forward, its claws slashing toward him with deadly speed.
Gestalt responded in kind, his Ōdachi meeting the talons with a ringing clash. Sparks flew from the impact as the two forces collided in midair. The ground beneath them cracked under the pressure of the battle, and the tension mounted as both combatants pushed against one another, neither willing to back down.
"I admire your tenacity," Gestalt said, grinning as the wingweaver's beak snapped just inches from his face. "But you'll have to do better than that."
With a swift twist of his body, Gestalt broke the deadlock and landed a powerful blow to the wingweaver's shoulder, sending it crashing into the sand below. It groaned in pain, wings folding awkwardly as it struggled to rise.
Luocha, still battling his own foes, stole a glance at Gestalt's ongoing duel. "He's really going for it, isn't he?" he muttered to himself, deflecting a strike and countering with a precise thrust that sent another wingweaver to the ground.
"I hope he doesn't overdo it," Jingliu said coldly, cutting down her last opponent with an icy slash, leaving only a trail of feathers in her wake. She turned, her blindfold hiding her gaze but her posture showing readiness for more. "There's still the matter of reinforcements."
Just as she spoke, the wind shifted, and the sky darkened further. From the horizon, a massive shadow loomed—reinforcements, just as the wingweaver leader had promised. Dozens of additional wingweavers were approaching, their forms dark and swift against the fading twilight.
Gestalt laughed, his eyes widening at the sight of the incoming army. "It seems the real fun is about to begin."
Luocha frowned, quickly finishing off the last of his attackers. "Gestalt, we need to regroup. We can't take on all of them alone!"
Gestalt ignored him for a moment, staring at the incoming horde as if mesmerized. He sheathed his Ōdachi momentarily, only to unsheathe it with a deliberate, measured motion. "Regrouping sounds prudent," he finally said with a grin. "But wouldn't you agree that this is quite the opportunity for a bit more fun?"
Jingliu stepped beside him, her ice sword gleaming in the dim light. "You're reckless, but not entirely wrong," she admitted.
Before Gestalt could respond, a wave of fatigue washed over him, and he staggered to the ground.
"Huff, huff, it appears I overdid myself, haha."
Jingliu, who had heard Gestalt's clashes, judged that he was a master like her. His mastery over the blade was on par with hers, but the strength behind those precise strikes seemed weaker than it should have been.
The attacks he performed required strength above his current level to avoid damaging his body, and to attain such mastery, one would need to be familiar with the blade, swinging it over and over in different ways.
Such rigorous activity would naturally strengthen the body to keep up, but his weak body contradicted his mastery.
"Strange. Are you stuck with a disease to the point of such weakness?" she asked.
"Haha, something similar, yes. My body is in a state of weakness that I am unable to cure quickly. Please let me recover for a moment." But before he could continue talking, Gestalt felt a warm sensation enter his body.
"There, you should be able to move now," Luocha, who was holding a talisman, said as he healed Gestalt.
"Well, no rest for the wicked." Gestalt rose with newfound vigor.