Chapter 52: Legacy of Fire and Illusion

Chapter 52: Legacy of Fire and Illusion

Under the cover of night, Haku and Darius stood before the unearthed remains of Shattyr. The area was dimly lit by a strange combination of colors: the cool blue of Haku's ghost-fire and the still-warm, red glow of Shattyr's body. 

 Darius knelt beside the remains, examining them closely. "You really lucked out, Haku. Your elements align, and even though he's not a close species match, a half-step humanoid is a major find, better than anything I've managed."

Haku watched him with a solemn expression. "He was a wise and formidable mana-beast, or so he seemed. I'll make sure I break through to honor his memory."

 "You've got more to do than just break through, or did you forget?" Darius's tone carried a hint of irritation.

"No, I didn't forget... wait, forget what?"

"You promised to avenge his herd. You do realize this is more than just a simple promise," Darius pointed out sharply.

Haku bristled, "Of course! It was a solemn vow, between men... well, between beasts."

Darius shook his head, sighing. "Normally, yes, it would just be words—bound only by your morals and choices." He stood, facing Haku squarely, his gaze piercing, causing the large fox to sit reflexively.

"Unfortunately, the Celestial Beast Soul Mantra binds you more tightly than mere words could. Your Karma is crucial to your cultivation, it's influenced significantly by your actions and your words. What if you fail to fulfill your promise? Consider the implications of your vow. Did you even think this through when you agreed to become an avenger?"

Haku paused, the reality of the situation dawning on him as a chill ran down his spine. "You're right, Big Brother. I didn't think it through. But we'll grow strong enough to fulfill that vow, and he shared his memories with me—I know their scent and faces."

 Darius walked over and motioned for Haku to lower his head, then gently placed his hand on the fox's forehead and closed his eyes. "Are you sure these were his only intentions? Did you check for anything else he might have imprinted?"

Haku's silence was heavy with shame as he kept his head bowed, unable to meet Darius's gaze.

"I thought so," Darius said as he opened his eyes, a note of frustration in his tone. "You're not experienced enough to be cautious yet. Fortunately, he didn't leave anything harmful. There's some mana left, but it's beneficial."

Raising his head, his eyes bright, Haku replied, "See? There was nothing to worry about. He wasn't tricking me."

Darius flicked Haku in the chest, a stern look on his face. "You're missing the point again, Haku. There are always multiple variables you have to consider, what if those knights and mages are already dead? Or what if we never find them?"

Haku paused, his head tilting in confusion before dropping slightly, "I... I don't know."

"Exactly. Your Karma could suffer, and your cultivation could be at risk because of a promise made without foresight. You swore to kill them, when you could have just vowed to try. Intent matters, Haku, as do your words."

Unable to find the words to counter, Haku knew Darius was right. His ears drooped, and all he could manage was a quiet, "Sorry, Big Brother."

Darius's expression darkened further, his concern palpable. "Just remember what I said," he began, his tone heavy, "for now, we focus on what's in front of us. We'll handle this revenge business when we're stronger."

He turned to Shattyr's remains, his movements deliberate. Placing one hand on his pouch and the other on the body, he absorbed the large Volcanic-Ram into it.

"Let's get out of this swamp," Darius said, his voice tinged with urgency. "Lead the way."

"Yes, Big Brother."

The pair—a beast and a human—moved swiftly through the night, their steps quick as they headed towards the Vault, each step echoing Darius's somber mood.

----

Darius and Haku reached the Vault entrance after an hour of silent travel. Haku could feel the tension from Darius; his mood was noticeably sour, a familiar sight since the day their lives had dramatically changed.

 Since that day, Darius's changes had been small and gradual, but Haku still noticed them. He had become increasingly cautious, especially concerning the Vault. During their travels, he insisted on setting up permanent portals whenever they ventured far, frequently reminding Haku that getting lost was something he wouldn't allow to happen again.

Haku vividly remembered the unsettling feeling he'd experienced when he first woke from his injuries four years ago. The thought that stepping out of the Vault would lead them to an unknown location had shaken him deeply, and he knew the impact was even more profound for Darius.

 After ensuring their surroundings were secure, Darius and Haku approached the Vault entrance, set within a massive rock split down its center as if cleaved by a giant blade. The area was dotted with similar giant stones, nestled among the trees of the dense forest.

 Stepping through the starry portal, Darius broke the silence. "Start meditating on your cultivation. Get familiar with the process of breaking through to the second stage. I'll be back shortly."

Haku, puzzled, reverted to his ember-fox form. "Where are you going?"

"I'm heading to the beast-farm. I picked up a beast egg in the graveyard, one of those swamp-roaches. I'm planning to hatch it and raise it."

Haku's tail wagged excitedly. "Are we getting another brother?! Or maybe a sister? Though a fish-bug sister might not be so appealing." His wild imagination began to race, until Darius cut in.

"It's not a sibling, Haku. It's just a weapon to use in the future." Darius turned, walking toward the door. "Start your meditation and focus. Thinking about this will only distract you."

Darius's cold tone chilled the air, causing Haku to lower his gaze and sit quietly. He closed his eyes, drawing deep breaths to calm the swirl of emotions, his tail losing its fervor.

'No more attachments, this beast will be a trump-card, nothing more.' Darius walked across the All-Room, its vast, almost round space lined with grey stone walls, floor, and ceiling, all bare and echoing the room's emptiness. He reached the 6th wooden door along the perimeter, opened it and stepped through.

 'I still can't believe how big this place is.' The area stretched out before him, an expanse of rolling fields bordered by dense forests, with a crystal-clear stream slicing through the middle. The sunlight here always held a magical quality, seemingly untouched by the passage of time. Darius wandered over to a curious boulder that protruded from the ground near the entrance.

 Laying his hand upon the stone, Darius closed his eyes. 'I finally have a beast, so I need to decide on a day/night cycle. I don't need to change the terrain..." 

Touching the stone triggered a mental image of its capabilities. Darius remembered his initial discovery of this feature, a surprising accident that revealed the stone's functions. The farm could not only mimic various terrains like deserts, mountains, or even a frozen tundra, but also replicate different environmental time zones from across Gaia. This feature was crucial for creatures sensitive to specific climates, allowing sections of the farm to independently simulate the unique light cycles and weather conditions of various regions. The expanse of the farm, a vast 100 square kilometers, allowed for considerable diversity in these settings.

Darius had started to question the origin of this Vault even more after he discovered all of these features, including the All-Room, the beast-farm, the preservation abilities of the resource room. Even the portal abilities of his signet, were all treasures kingdoms, even 9th tier mages and knights would kill for. 

Another of these treasures, was a vast map of Gaia, mounted prominently on the wall within the third room of the Vault—a space dedicated to the private collections of knowledge from the Valdene family. This map, almost considered complete by Gaia's standards, detailed nearly sixty percent of the supercontinent with remarkable precision. When Darius first discovered this artifact, it not only showed the location of the estate on the southeastern side of the continent but also, to his surprise, highlighted another function once they stepped out and returned to the Vault. This revelation came as a shock; after setting up an entrance upon their initial departure, the map highlighted that they had traversed nearly to the opposite edge of Gaia, now positioned in the northwestern part along a formidable mountain range known as the Spine of Arkor.

Darius kept his hand on the stone, pausing briefly before making his selection. As he did, the light in the farm dimmed to match the morning sun's rise. 'Morning at the estate, Tilly should be making...' His thoughts trailed off as he abruptly shook his head, setting his jaw firmly and his eyes narrowing.

 Darius strode to a spot between some trees at the field's edge, eyeing the shaded area. 'This should stay dark enough.' His aura surged, humming with vibrant yellow earth mana as he started pounding the ground beneath him, each punch echoing through the quiet of the field.

 Loud booms echoed across the farm as Darius's punches sent earth and debris flying. He relentlessly deepened the hole with each forceful strike. After a series of explosive impacts, he paused to assess his work. 

 Leaping out of the freshly dug pit, he nodded in satisfaction. "This should be enough," he remarked, glancing at the 10-meter-deep excavation. "Now, time for some water."

 Glancing towards the crystal clear stream weaving through the field, he strode to a nearby large oak tree and seized a thick branch, as robust as a man's thigh. With a sharp, echoing snap, he broke it from the tree.

 Forcing the branch to dig in behind him, Darius gouged a trench from the newly dug pit to the stream. His immense strength made the task seem effortless, the branch slicing through the soil as if it were mere sand.

Once completed, Darius discarded the branch. The water from the stream surged eagerly into the trench, rushing toward the pit.

 "Shouldn't take long, then I can get you set up," Darius remarked, pressing one hand against his magical pouch. With a faint glow, the opaque egg appeared in his other.

He walked over to the filling pit, thinking out loud. "I should probably set up a few arrays just in case, and I'll need to develop a taming spell," he mused, eyeing the flowing water. "Now, which technique should I alter?" His mind raced through the possibilities.

 Standing above the pit, Darius observed the water filling it quickly. "I have no intention of teaching you anything, so I don't need to raise your intelligence," he stated plainly.

He gave the egg a final glance before tossing it into the rising waters. "With your species' remarkable ability to thrive in any environment, monitoring you shouldn't be necessary. Keep it simple," he concluded.

 Walking into the woods, Darius quickly emerged carrying a large stone above his head. "That should be enough," with effortless precision, he hurled the stone into the air. It landed with a solid thud, perfectly positioned at the edge of the stream, effectively blocking the trench and halting the flow of water.

 Sitting at the edge of his new hatchery, Darius used his keen eyesight to watch the egg settle at the bottom. "Simple... simple... wait," he muttered, suddenly leaping to his feet, eyes wide. "I have another chance!" He glanced down at the bottom of the pit and pressed his pouch, summoning the skeleton of the third stage Ash-Viper. "You have no idea how grateful to you I am right now," he said to the egg, "you earned this."

Darius chuckled as he tossed the three-headed skeleton into the water. It descended slowly, eventually coming to rest beside the beast egg. Seating himself at the pit's edge, Darius fixed his gaze on the scene below. "You know, this isn't my first life. Before I came to this world, I was known as Xue Feng, and I was always captivated by the complexity of formation arts."

 Darius's aura flickered with a deep red as he sketched a simple yet intricate formation in the air, the marks and sigils suspended, unfamiliar to any found in Gaia. "I eventually became the most renowned formation master of my era. And that's not just boasting," he declared, his focus unwavering as the formation took shape.

Finishing his work, the beautiful circular formation flared briefly before dissolving into the air. "But there was always one formation I could never truly master. Heck, I couldn't even break through the intermediate stage. That thing almost gave me a heart-demon."

 "The Illusionary Realm Matrix."

Darius glanced at the egg resting in the water below as he spoke, his voice carrying a mix of reverence and a touch of frustration. "This formation, it's ancient, well-known across many sects for its potential. It's said that at its mythical pinnacle stage, it can weave illusions so real they can alter reality itself."

He paced slightly, hands behind his back, his gaze still fixed on the egg. "For eons, not a single soul has reached that pinnacle stage. Its reputation suffered because of this, many deeming it a wasted technique, only good for taming low intelligence beasts because of how simple the first layer is."

Stopping at the edge of the pit, he continued, "Most masters only manage the second layer, using it to set basic trap formations. It's effective, but it's not even close to what the matrix could ultimately do if someone could just..."

Darius let out a soft chuckle, the corners of his mouth twitching upwards as he addressed the egg, "You see, it became a basic tool for beast tamers. They use it to replace the presence and affection of a beast's parents, fostering a bond. Simple, effective, but far from what it was meant for."

Darius paused, his expression intense as he pondered the possibilities. "Given the relatively straightforward nature of the runic systems here, there's a chance I could adapt this formation using mana, shaping it into an array. The essence of this Illusionary Realm Matrix lies within the Dao of Illusion—progressing through it requires discerning truth amidst the deception, ultimately grasping the true Dao of Illusion, which intertwines with life itself." His voice carried the cadence of a lecturer, a familiar habit igniting as he delved deeper into his area of expertise.

 Darius continued, the pace of his speech quickening with his growing excitement. "That's always been the stumbling block. Once you've cultivated the Dao of illusion, it becomes the equivalent to denying your own Dao to comprehend this truth."

He leaned in, his voice intensifying, "But theoretically, if I were to adapt this using the principles of mana instead of qi, the foundation is already embedded in reality!"

 As Darius's words faded into the silence of the pit, he settled into the lotus position and closed his eyes. He murmured to himself, "Not sure how long this will take to hatch, but getting the imprinting right from the start will increase the odds of success. Should I just focus on the first layer for now?"

In the tranquil expanse of the Beast-farm, Darius embarked on a silent endeavor to adapt another technique from Penglai for use in Gaia. Meanwhile, unnoticed, a faint stream of dark green and brown miasma began to seep from the Ash-Viper's bones, the sinister colors melding into the egg as it absorbed the essence, its surface slowly darkening.