System's Serendipity(?)

Chapter 73

System's Serendipity(?)

It was done, Leo sighed.

He'd gathered all the materials necessary for the longhouse, and they all stood assembled within the expanse of the fantastic wood, waiting to be ushered into a proper shape. All he had to do was close his eyes, 'imagine' the longhouse, and a blue outline would appear in front of his eyes, ready to be plopped down.

Per his suspicions, the thing was massive--it was larger than the entire camp, and he quickly realized he'd have to expand eastward at least fifteen yards in order to plop down the building. The outline itself, though, was different than he expected. Instead of a very simple, straightforward longhouse from his memory, that mostly consisted of four walls and a thatched rooftop and was mostly made for the size rather than the appearance, this one definitely wasn't like that.

Though it was long, and it had four walls, it was decorated--it had a pair of terraces on either side, arched entrance, several dozen individual rooms alongside a massive dining hall that doubled as potential sleeping quarters for the animals. It had several attics with windows jutting from the rooftops, and though it wasn't the most beautiful or the most elegant by any means, it was still far from being as simple as he expected it to be. 

Even if Leo never explicitly mentioned it, Lu Yang read the subtext and disappeared soon after breakfast, likely heading over to the garden with a few animals. It has been three days since he'd come, and Leo enjoyed having someone to talk to that was closer to him in life's experiences, likely even bounding him by many years. 

He slowly started chopping trees with precision, clearing up enough space and even moving the mud huts a bit further inward. He wasn't going to destroy them immediately as he wanted to see whether anyone would use them even with the longhouse there. It didn't take longer than a couple of hours to clear just enough room and space.

Leo took a deep breath and distanced himself slightly before positioning the blue overlay perfectly... and plopping it down. 

Winds were roused from the ether as the pieces of timber began to appear from thin air, shooting into the ground. Unlike the mud huts that appeared whole, the longhouse was being 'built' piece by piece. Strips of wood fit together perfectly, nailed and assembled, walls arising and forming rooms, floors being laid down... 

Though it was built 'piece by piece', as it were, it all still went by in a flash, perhaps four or five seconds at the most. Within the span of a couple of breaths, the clearing was gone, in its stead a behemoth towering at just shy of thirty feet. It was breathtaking, watching it become, and even more so bearing witness to it.

Leo didn't have too much time to ponder on, however, as his vision was quickly flooded by screens. He let them all flash into existence and slowly began reading through them, one by one, expectant of rewards. 

[Congratulations (not you) on constructing the longhouse!]

[Now the animals will no longer need to suffer the circumstances of the mud huts!]

[Due to the exemplary speed of gathering materials, extra rewards have been generated!]

[...]

[Favorability with most animals in the forest: +30]

[You have been taught <Quelling Soul Art>]

[<Quelling Soul Art> -- three layers; mastering the first layer makes you immune to all Illusions; mastering the second layer makes your Soul impervious to most Soul Arts; mastering the third layer allows you to calm and quell anyone and everyone else, irrespective of the source of their turmoil. You may not share this art with anyone; if you do, both you and that person will be forced to forget it]

[...]

[You have been given: 3x <Root-Washing Pill>; note, a person may only consume up to 2 Pills in their lifetime]

[You have been given <False Phoenix Fire>]

[<False Phoenix Fire> -- constructed by the obsessed vultures of the forgotten arts, it aims to imitate one of the most primordial flames of the world. Though it fails spectacularly, it is still a marvel of its own right. Can be used in forging items or concocting pills, but requires inordinate Mastery of Controlling Fire. Otherwise, it can spin out of control and burn everything]

[You have been given: a set of kitchen appliances. Though rudimentary and basic, all items are self-cleansing, and when used will ensure the highest quality of work, even if you by yourself cannot achieve it. Can be shared with others and will maintain the effects]

[You have been given: Blueprint for the <Wooden House>]

[<Wooden House> -- a house of simple make and design. Requires: 200 pieces of timber, 20 pieces of stone, 10 pieces of iron ingot, 400 pieces of either reed or straw]

[You have been given +10 Years of Cultivation]

[Congratulations on reaching Peak Foundation Establishment; breaking into the Core Formation Realm requires you to shatter the foundation within your dantian and reforge it into a Core. The quality of the forged Core determines your future cultivation potential]

[...]

[You have been given extra rewards: <Core-Forging Pill>, <Simple Mind-Scrying Art>, and <Basic Qi Pill> x10]

[<Core-Forging Pill> -- consume when breaking through to the Core Formation Realm. Ensures forging of a quality Core]

[<Simple Mind-Scrying Art> -- mastering it allows you to vaguely discern intentions of others, if they can be read]

[...]

[A follow-up quest has been generated: return to the Well and discover the history behind it.]

[Time Limit: N/A]

[Reward: Unknown]

[Congratulations and good luck!]

Leo took a deep breath and sat down onto the ground. While the animals, curious and excited, converged toward the longhouse and began exploring, he examined the litany of items that appeared at his feet as well as in his mind. 

The one that stood out by far the most was the phoenix fire--or, well, a failed ersatz of it. It was wild and roaring, yet it did not burn anything around it. Its golden hue was close to the color of the sun, its flaming edges lined aggressively with scarlet red. Though it seemed 'quaint', it also looked like it could tear down the entire forest into ash overnight. 

Leo discreetly hoped that Lu Yang would know what to do with the damn thing, as he could not well enough keep it inside his robes with the rest of the items. He also mildly regretted rejecting the man's spatial ring as it would come in handy at the moment.

Besides the fire, there was a set of the familiar Basic Qi Pills, three Root-Washing Pills, and a new one--Core-Forging Pill. It was too fateful to call it serendipity at this point; just as he reached the Peak of Foundation Establishment Realm, set to cross over to the next one, a perfect pill for it seemed to have been randomly generated by the system. It truly felt as though it was rearing him and raising him to become something specific in the future. As for what... he did not know. 

He set aside all the pills and looked inward to the arts that he had learned. Both seemed rather mind-bending, and he was uncertain of the potential consequences of mastering them. However, at the same time, he was also suspicious of the wording itself--it was just vague enough that it could really mean that the arts had potential to do all those things... on people weaker than him.

Regardless, he would study them as he did other arts he had, and hope that the system was rewarding him with things that were at least useful.

It wasn't long before Lu Yang returned from his little gardening expedition, stopping in front of the longhouse with a strange look in his eyes.

"I did a bit of building when you were away," Leo had already constructed a perfect lie... but as it was remarkably dumb, he hoped that Lu Yang wouldn't probe any further. 

"Yes, I see," the older man said, looking toward him. His eyes were smiling yet not, and Leo could seldom keep himself from looking away in embarrassment. "Quite... impressive."

"Well, we all have a hidden talent or two."

"Most certainly."

"Speaking of hidden talents," he quickly shifted the conversation away, pulling up his arm and pointing at the smoldering fire resting neatly at his palm. "Any chance you're either a forger or an alchemist?"

**

Just about a million thoughts were summoned inside of Lu Yang's mind, but were all blown away by the visage of the flame. It was beautiful, intoxicating even, unlike anything he'd ever seen in his life. Even though he'd been tempered with years of experience, he felt his heart greed and yearn, and his fingers tremble briefly with excitement. He quelled it all immediately, however, understanding that he wouldn't so much as take a step forward before being ripped to pieces by the surrounding animals. 

"What is that?" he queried, swallowing a knot in his throat.

"False Phoenix Fire," Leo replied rather casually, as though he were talking about the most ordinary flames in the world. "I'm not much of a forger or an alchemist, so I merely use it for warmth and light. As an added caveat, it requires a rather high mastery of controlling flames. So, I was hoping you were good at either of the two things." 

"I've dabbled," Lu Yang replied rather humbly. More than that, he was his Clan's main forger, and even had the ability to forge Sky-Tier Weapons and Items. Even so... "Not nearly enough to be able to control that fire, however."

"Ah, shame. I guess we can use it as an oil lamp for the time," Lu Yang felt a bubbling surge of anger for a moment that he quickly suppressed, only his eyebrows twitching in response.

There was seldom a Soul in not just the Lower Ashlands, but on the entire continent who could casually proclaim that they'd use Mythical Flames as an oil lamp. Whether it was ignorance or purposeful egging, Lu Yang didn't know. Even if he wasn't entirely certain where the flames would rank, they'd be near the top--possibly among the top five most coveted Mythical Flames. And yet, they were being used as a 'light'. 

"Anyway, pick a room," Leo pointed at the other phenomenon that he clearly wasn't supposed to question. "There should be plenty. Ah, but the one with the terrace is mine."

"Thank you," Lu Yang said, sighing. 

It was pointless, trying to understand this place--that was the conclusion he came to after three days of living here. Things simply... happened. If he were to be shocked by every little thing, he'd be spending days perennially short of breath. It was the Nameless Forest, and it was Leo. Two unknowable variables that shattered his worldview. 

"How long am I allowed to stay?" it was a question that he knew he had to ask, but feared asking. It wasn't as though he could return to his former life--either his enemies thought he was dead, or, worse yet, that he had escaped, and they were searching for him. He'd realized he wasn't strong enough yet to endure the falling sky. For now, his family was safe--and they'd remain so for a long time. If he could...

"For however long you want," Leo spoke the quelling words so calmly, so disinterestedly, almost as though they were already supposed to be understood. Yet, to Lu Yang, they were a calming lullaby. He was a man without a home, without a name, and without a family. And he imposed himself upon this place, took everything it would offer without giving anything in return, only to be further welcomed. "Oh, please. You won't become teary-eyed, too? What is it with people weeping at the barest sign of kindness? Would you rather me tell you that you ought to pack your bags and leave the forest by nightfall?"

"U-uh, no, of course not."

"Then stuff whatever bubbling gratitude you are suffering from deep within, just say simple 'Thank you', and go pick a room." 

"... thank you," Lu Yang smiled and bowed--not too deeply, however, as, by now, he'd picked up on the fact that Leo was... different. 

Had he not known any better, he would boldly proclaim that he man was not of this world. He did not care for seniority, for customs, for traditions, for anything, really. It was as though he lived beneath a completely different set of norms, and, by some invisible magic, he compelled those around him to do the same. 

Normally, this sort of grace--if it ever was even extended to begin with--would result in a generational debt. Not only would Lu Yang himself spend a lifetime trying to pay back the favor, but so would his children and his grandchildren. Who offered a heavenly home so calmly and indifferently? Perhaps there was only him. 

"You're doing it again," Leo grumbled, glaring at him.

"Allow the old man a few moments of respite, at least," Lu Yang chuckled, standing up. "It is not often that we are graced with warmth, Se--Leo. I have imposed upon your home, and I shall selfishly continue to do so. Please, should there ever come a time you need me, you need only call my name."

"Really? Only that?"

"Only that."

"Okay. Lu Yang."

"Yes?"

"For the love of all that is holy, just go and pick your damn room." 

"Ha ha ha, very well. I shall do so." 

Lu Yang felt his lungs breathe freely, and his feet lose the lead-suffused, invisible weights. It was as though he was sprung back to his youth, where his heart and soul were worry-free, and every day was merely another opportunity to learn, explore, and understand. The unrestrained feeling, much like many other things in this place, was effortlessly intoxicating. Dangerously intoxicating.