Chapter 9: Failure is a step to success

In a cave so dark that it was impossible for a normal or poorly cultured person to see beyond the tip of their nose.

The breaths of troubled breathing became more and more noticeable.

"Raaah, this damn Child! How the hell am I supposed to be able to achieve this? "

Although Kazu's words are ungrateful, he didn't care at the moment.

Eight days had passed since Seis had introduced him to the concept of affinity.

During that period, he had spent most of the time indoors without feeling a hint of progress.

Although Kazu was diligent and patient, he was still human, so he also sometimes felt exasperated at the slowness the culture imposed.

After this childish reaction, the boy regained his composure, ready to start a new attempt.

Suddenly a glow came to illuminate the darkness, but it wasn't Kazu's fault.

Inside the cave several small flowers growing on the rocks suddenly began to glow with a purple glow.

Its plants were called the luminous bellflower and were of little use in cultivation. The peculiar scene created by his latest left Kazu in awe for a moment.

[Seis should enjoyed this scene, purple is her favorite color after all…]

"Why the hell is that the first thing I think of?! "

"Luminous campanulas! "

Kazu turned in the direction of the voice to see a boy barely older than Seis had an ecstatic expression.

The elated boy did not even pay attention to her presence.

"What is so special about this? "

The young boy who first noticed Kazu's presence who had been in the shadows until then, almost jumped.

"Ahahah, sorry I didn't notice that there was someone here already. "

Kazu rolled his eyes before sighing.

"That's not what I asked you ! "

With Kazu's firm tone, the face of the boy who was a mortal showed some concern.

"His plants may not have any particular effect. It only grows next to another much more precious one with medicinal properties. "

Kazu smiles.

"The bluish Arabis. To find it you just have to go back to the first luminous bellflower. Easy to do ,since as her plants reproduce and propagate the spacing until them increases to two meters and then stops propagating.

If we go back to where they are most densely peupled we find the origin and the Arabis bleautre. Simple, right? "

" You knew it... "

" Come ! "

Kazu urged the mortal hesitant to follow him. Just like Kazu had said the bellflowers were more and more gathered as the two boys advanced.

Eventually the two got to a point where there were so many of them that the ground was littered with them. Displaying an even more remarkable spectacle than the one that had left Kazu thoughtful.

As the mortal's mirth reached its height Kazu, remained stoic.

When the two had reached the most densely populated point by the canapulas they found only a roughly dug hole in the center.

"She… has already been taken."

Kazu laughed at the mortal's bewildered expression.

" Well yes ! It can't be that easy to find treasure. When the bellflowers have already spread to this point you can be sure that someone has already taken it.

After all although the first needs the second to start growing. She continues to do this even after the Arabis was collected. "

Although Kazu's knowledge is still far from that of Seis. He was more educated about the culture than most of his fellow citizens. This was another avenue for improvement that he had dug out due to his inability to grow his culture at the time.

Unlike the amused Kazu, the mortal was annoyed. It was information he had hardly obtained. In his eyes he had found a deep secret. He had never been willing to reveal it to Kazu and was planning to mix lies and truth to deceive him who had already witnessed his joy. But he didn't expect this boy to know as much if not more than he did. For him the chances were already lost but against his expectations Kazu had then offered to accompany him which he did without complaint.

Now he had to face another disappointment.

"How am I going to be able to help Grandpa without the herbal medicine?" "

Kazu nonchalantly placed his hands behind his head.

"You know, it's not the only herbal around. There are many more common. And although their effect is less important if your grandfather's condition is not hopeless, I seriously doubt they are not enough. "

Kazu was sure of it. Unlike the cultivator the mortals were fragile but in return the diseases that affected them were much easier to treat than that of the Essentialists. It was generally very easy to deal with them.

"No, that won't be enough. Grandfather has already been particularly weakened by his attempt to break into the realm of spiritual forming. "

"Is your grandfather an Essentialist?" What kind of fool try to break into the realm of physical molding at such a late age? It is a basic realm that must be broken through young. After 20 years there is hardly any chance of entering the realm of physical molding. And after 30 years it is the same for that of spiritual forming. "

"I won't allow you to insult my grandfather! He had no choice. He had to try this. Otherwise he couldn't have done anything against Xiao Lin's men determined to loot the family store. "

"Again, this idiot of the Xiao clan ! And in the end what happened? The store was looted, I guess? "

The boy nodded sullenly as Kazu eyed him thoughtfully.

[In the end they lost their shops and the old man's health declined. Desperate attempts know me. I wonder if mine looks so useless and silly from an outside point of view]

"Sucks to be weak, doesn't it? This helplessness, I hate it! "

The young mortal who had tears in his eyes as he thought of his grandfather and their shops, looked doubtful as he looked at Kazu.

"You can't do anything to help your old man and neither can you do anything against Xiao Lin. "

The young boy wanted to fight back but there was nothing he could say. Kazu's words were relentless but truthful. Although his grandfather is lucky enough to have a 1-star martial physique. Not all of his descendants were fortunate to inherit it. He was no exception.

"All the weak can do is usually rely on the stronger. For my part, I have to lean on a boring kid. As for you, I guess you have no choice but to rely on me. "

"Huh? "

The mortal's eyes sparkled as he looked at Kazu but it was incomprehension that covered his features.

" Will you help me ? "

Kazu nodded his only response.

"I don't think you can do anything against Xiao Lin. "

Kazu's satisfied expression took a 180 ° turn as he grabbed the young mortal.

"That's how you thank my goodwill, bastard. "

"Wait, I didn't mean to be disrespectful but, Xiao Lin is a prodigy. "

" Bullshit ! There is no prodige only in the realm of physical molding at fourteen ! "

[I start to talk like her. I really need to spend less time with this girl.]

"Alright, alright, will you let go of me? "

Kazu let go of the mortal before starting to turn back.

But contrary to his expectations, the latter does not follow him.

Contrary ,he could see that the latter had sunk deeper into the cave and was even starting to climb a wall.

"There it was, in fact it hadn't been taken. "

The young boy tried to reach a flower with a bluish hue located high up.

Kazu's face took on a frightening shade.

"Be careful, it's not ..."

Before Kazu's words reached the young mortal. The latter's hands had already encountered the dummy plant. In contact with it, the petals of the latter retracted to make room for a tail.

In the next instant a giant snake with an all-black body swooped towards the mortal.

"Autumn wave palm! "

Kazu who had traveled the distance as fast as he could did not hesitate to trigger his most powerful skill but this only had the effect of pushing back a little the snake whose width was five to six times his and whose length exceeded 60 meters.

But it was enough for, than his head to hit a wall disorienting the latter for a moment.

At the same time the young boy who had narrowly escaped instant death fell to the ground. Kazu who received it shortly after grabbed this one before run off.

In this world it was not just the Essentialists who enjoyed extraordinary strength. Some animals were like humans capable of absorbing essence and thus undergoing extraordinary growth. This snake was one of them. Such a creature had differents names, but they were often referred to as demonic beasts. Since the older generation saw it as an evil scourge.

Demonic beasts were classified into 9 grades which corresponded to the different cultivation realm. If an Essentialist of rich skill and sufficient culture surpassed a demonic beast of the same rank, most of them did not.

Kazu who still had not reached 5th level of physical molding, was not the match for this snake at the top of Rank 1.

So it didn't take long for the latter to come to his senses and chase the two boys away.

The snake's movements were so fast that it only took a fraction of a second to catch up with Kazu.

But while the latter thought he was lost mechanically placed his arm in front of him. A moderate glow emanated from his hand. The light might not have been very intense. But in this dark cave she shone with a thousand fire.

The snake, which because of its living conditions was particularly sensitive to light, stopped its course. It didn't take more for Kazu to start off again. It wasn't stop until he see the entered the cave and saw the outside light emanating from it that the young man regained his composure.

[It's okay he won't come so far.]

"You really are the last of the morons!" I had told you, however, that it couldn't be so easy to collect a rare plant. Like everywhere, this cave has its own ecosystem. The Campanulas take advantage of the Arabis to grow, and the jet black snake exploits the collection of the latter to bait prey. "

The lack of response to his sermons, attracted Kazu's attention shifted to the boy he had been carrying on his back until then.by putting it on the ground he could see that the latter's skin had taken on a purplish color.

"He was poisoned. "

[But when? ... Yes! That's when he touched the snake's tail. This must contain small amounts of toxin sufficient to kill a mortal. Shit!]

"Hey, hold on! "

Kazu's encouragement did not reach the boy who had already sunk into unconsciousness.

Kazu who didn't know what to do, saw the image of Seis appear.

"Seis, Are there some things you can do to help him?! He was poisoned ... "

The young Essentialist shook her head confirming Kazu's apprehension.

"It's pointless. It is already too late. "

-Frace, crash

Kazu hammered his fist a few times on the ground before his hand was held back by Seis.

After an exchange of looks Kazu sighed.

"You really are an insufferable kid. I still have the right to lament. Especially after having failed so miserably again.

"Every Essentialist's journey is littered with failure. It is by learning from them that one is able to succeed. "

"Ahaha, you are always equal to yourself Seis. "

Kazu stood up before staring at the cave one last time.

"But you're right, there's no point in complaining. All I can do is seek strength again. "

[It's still far too early for me to have any real influence. But one day, I swear I'll be able to avoid that sort of thing.]

Without another word Kazu left the cave leaving behind the inert body of the young mortal.

Although he knew Seis couldn't be far away during the snake assault. No reproach came from Kazu's mouth. He was beginning to have some understanding of the young girl. And he was sure that if it had been possible for her to act, she would have.

The truth was, the boy must have been too far out of her reach

and she probably couldn't find a way to help the boy without kill him.

After all, even the aftermath of a distant attack was enough to kill a mortal.

It was the fragility of their existence, in this world.