The dust of the withered flower scattered into the air, carrying with it the last trace of that moment.
Aleph said nothing more. He simply let his hand fall slowly. The golden-green light that had surrounded him moments earlier vanished as quickly as it had come.
"Was that... Was that real?" Gongshu murmured, his eyes still wide as he took a step toward him.
Aleph didn't reply. He simply stared ahead, no visible emotion, as if what he had just done meant nothing at all.
"Interesting." Welt thought, crossing his arms. "The energy reaction was nearly identical to the one recorded from the Ambrosia Tree... What caused these changes in you, Aleph?"
Gongshu nodded, still in shock.
"There's something about you I don't understand, kid... but what matters now is that we can move forward. And after what just happened, I'd say you saved us quite a bit of trouble." Gongshu tried to laugh, but the sound was lost in the tense air.
He activated the Changing Screen.
A soft hum filled the hallway as the device lit up, slowly spinning in place.
Within seconds, the group was transmuted into energy and transported to the other side.
...…
They reappeared on a platform suspended within a massive open-topped container. From there, they ascended a metal staircase that clanged with every step.
Gongshu stepped ahead with excitement.
"We're almost there! The most precious object of the Craft Commission, the—!"
He froze.
The group, upon reaching the top, understood instantly.
The Creation Furnace stood before them... or what was left of it. The majestic structure, adorned with ancient carvings and surrounded by intricate jade pipes, was completely covered in twisted black roots with golden glimmers and an eerie glow. In the center, jutting out from an open cavity at the bottom of the furnace, was a giant, pulsing cocoon with a wet, fleshy texture.
"That..." Tingyun said, stepping back. "Is not good."
"This... doesn't look good at all." Welt muttered. "Get ready."
The cocoon opened with a squelching sound.
A roar ripped through the air. The Ebony Stag of Abundance burst forth violently, its golden eyes blazing with a furious urge to destroy the intruders. Its body was a grotesque amalgam of what seemed to be wood and blackened flesh, its antlers shaped like golden roots with jet-black tips as sharp as daggers. Its breath reeked of wet earth and rot.
"What the hell...?" March 7 exclaimed, nearly dropping her camera as she stared into its eyes.
The creature charged.
...…
The group sprang into action.
Aleph advanced without waiting for orders. Using Bufudyne, he conjured a bat and delivered a sweeping strike powered by a slicing San, hurling the first summoned minions like mere trash.
Welt covered the left flank with precision as gravitational force crushed everything in its path.
March 7 froze as many as she could, and Stelle smashed them apart with a devastating blow.
But...
The problem quickly became apparent.
"It won't stop!" Stelle shouted.
Every time a wound opened on its flesh, the stag regenerated instantly. Deep gashes sealed as if they'd never existed. The icy blasts forced it back, but its bark-like flesh realigned itself. It was useless. Any damage they inflicted was undone within seconds, while the creature summoned more and more minions. An endless swarm.
Aleph stepped back, panting. Not from physical exhaustion, but something heavier, more internal. His chest felt… overloaded.
[Vi: 80 - 85]
"This has got to be a damn joke..." he muttered, tightening his grip.
"What's going on, Burroughs?"
[Master, do you know why it's not recommended to raise too many stats all at once? It's due to bodily adjustment—your system needs time to adapt to the abrupt change caused by your latest insane upgrade. Please try to be more careful with that in the future. The only upside here is that you favor balanced stats—otherwise, the change could've hit much harder.]
"This isn't going to work." Welt said sternly, taking out three enemies at once. "We need to fall back."
"What?! But we just started—!" March 7 yelled.
"Listen to Welt, March." Aleph said, lifting her up.
"H-Hey! Where do you think you're putting your hands, you idiot?!" March shrieked as he carried her like a princess.
Stelle growled as she followed.
"Is there even anything worth grabbing?" The boy asked nonchalantly.
"...If you weren't carrying me right now, I'd be punching you in the face, Idiot-leph."
The group began retreating, forced to flee by the enemy's brutal regeneration.
...…
Once at a safe distance, Gongshu leaned against a wall, gasping.
"That... that was ridiculous. I've never seen anything heal like that!"
"It's unlikely that regeneration is coming from within." Welt said, stepping closer, brows furrowed. "It must be drawing energy from somewhere."
Aleph looked up while rubbing his cheek, marked by a slap.
"Hmph." March 7 crossed her arms and looked away from him.
"Roots." he said quietly. "If it's feeding off the furnace, there might be more roots channeling energy from outside—we just need to follow them to find the source."
Gongshu blinked, then quickly nodded.
"Yes... yes, of course! There are two places where the energy system converges with the furnace core. If something's channeling energy in, it must be from there!"
The master prepared to activate the Screen, a new destination already in mind.
"Let's go! No time to waste!"
Aleph lingered for a moment, staring at the place. The stag still stood there in front of the Furnace, its expression unreadable. Only when Stelle gently touched his arm did he start moving again.
.....
The Shifting Screen flickered before emitting a surrounding green light.
The feeling of dematerialization was brief—a tingling in the bones and skin… then nothing. Within seconds, the group rematerialized in an auxiliary chamber.
They had arrived at one of the maintenance channels connected to the energy system of the Furnace of Creation.
The place reeked of dampness, rust, and a sickly sweetness that chilled the blood. The roots of the Ambrosia Tree crawled along the walls like pulsating black veins, and at the center—as they suspected—a mesh of dark stems coiled tightly around one of the energy terminals.
"Confirmed." murmured Welt gravely. "It's draining the core. That regeneration is coming from here."
March 7th raised her bow.
"So what now? Do we rip them out, freeze them, or just sic Stelle on them?"
"No." Aleph replied, stepping forward. "If we pull them out like regular plants, they'll grow back. We need to kill the root."
Without another word, he raised his hand. Zan manifested as a blade of wind that sliced through the thickest part of the web. Then, with a smooth motion, he cast Mazan, sweeping the structure.
The roots screamed. Yes—screamed—as if alive and aware.
The entire room trembled for a moment, then fell into silence. Aleph took a few more steps, his expression twisting in disgust as he watched the roots begin to regenerate. He placed his hands on them; the plants blackened, withering as their life was siphoned away.
Stelle frowned. Once again, that glint of green-gold light. No matter how many times she saw it, it always gave her that same... strange feeling.
"Aleph, since when can you control Wind?"
Aleph didn't answer. He just stared at the terminal, watching the dust fade away, unmoving, saying nothing. He looked almost indifferent. But Welt was watching him out of the corner of his eye.
There was something off about that stillness. He'd need to find a chance to speak with Aleph alone—ask him what really happened during that interrogation with Kafka.
If it weren't for the current crisis… they might've already been talking.
…...
With the first node disconnected, Gongshu transported them to the second.
This place was worse.
A narrow hallway, the walls seemingly torn open by force—roots sprawling through like invasive parasites.
There, they found more enemies: Mara-Infested Soldiers, their bodies twisted, faces nearly unrecognizable beneath the roots and scraps of armor.
"Ugh, these guys again!" March 7th shouted, eyebrow twitching. "Let's go!"
The fight was quick.
Aleph snapped his fingers, and icy spears burst from the ground, suspending the Infested in midair. Stelle rushed forward and shattered them.
There were still more. Aleph said nothing.
He didn't cheer.
He just kept attacking—silent, precise, with steps that felt almost automatic.
"When did he start fighting like this...?" Stelle thought, slamming one of the last enemies.
At last, with the minions eliminated, they reached the next network of roots.
This time, Aleph didn't wait for a signal.
He raised his hand, fingers tense, and the Wind of Garu spiraled forth, draining the roots of their life before reforming in his hand as a glowing sphere.
The plants' wail of pain echoed again—louder this time. Much louder.
"That's it." Welt lowered his staff. "Now we've got a chance."
Despite his words, Welt's attention never left Aleph.
His demeanor, his expression... were starting to resemble someone Welt once knew—a resemblance that was becoming increasingly disturbing.
"Let's head back to the Furnace." Gongshu said, already preparing the Screen.
…...
Upon reappearing in the Furnace of Creation sector, the atmosphere had changed.
The furnace's roots were dimmer than before, writhing like they were clinging to a life slipping away. The remnants of the cocoon the Deer had emerged from had begun to wilt.
There it stood the black Deer of Abundance, waiting on the upper platform—its skin cracked, its breath labored. It looked far more vulnerable now.
"This is our moment." said Welt.
"Time for round two!" March 7th shouted.
Aleph closed his eyes, took a breath… and this time, when he opened them—
"Let's hunt this bastard."
A look—like that of a predator locking onto prey—settled on his face.
[New Mission]
*************
The change was palpable.
The open cocoon, once pulsating, now glowed with a dim hue, like a lamp on the verge of going out. The roots around it were slightly dry, cracked like old wood.
The air no longer vibrated with that invisible threat… but something was still there.
A deep sound cut through the silence. A roar.
The black deer of Abundance burst violently from the center of the opened cocoon. Its body looked unstable, flesh throbbing as its golden antlers flickered, and its steps were a little less steady than before.
It looked absolutely furious… For some reason, Aleph felt the urge to mock it, but held it back easily.
"RoooooAAARGH!"
The deer charged with fury, eyes locked solely on Aleph.
Welt noticed it.
"Is it… chasing him?" he asked aloud.
"Of course it is." Tingyun replied. "Those of Abundance can smell the strongest life force… and Aleph is practically radiating one that dwarfs ours."
"…Are you saying it sees Aleph like… high-grade fertilizer?" March 7th asked, shaken and a bit scandalized by the idea.
Stelle's eyes narrowed as she stared at the deer with growing intensity.
Aleph barely reacted. He simply raised his fists.
"Let it come. Some ugly thing living on borrowed time thinks it can take me down that easy?"
The first clash was brutal.
The ground shook when the deer lunged at Aleph, who barely managed to dodge by a hair.
But before he could counterattack, floral minions began to sprout from the ground. Twisted creatures, halfway between vines and bone beasts.
"Not again!" March 7th shouted as she began firing ice arrows rapidly.
But it wasn't necessary. They soon turned to ash.
It was Stelle who stepped forward.
Her stride was steady. The Spear of Preservation appeared in her hand, wreathed in flames. Her gaze was focused and slightly annoyed.
With a sweep of her spear, the fire spread. The minions burned, letting out horrible screeches.
One by one, they fell. Without them, the deer stopped regenerating as effectively.
Welt moved in parallel, raising his staff.
"He won't escape." His voice echoed with power as he created a black sphere tinged with red, slamming the deer into the ground with a heavy thud. "Neutralized."
The deer shrieked. It stomped its hooves against the ground, trying to rise, but it was useless.
Aleph took a deep breath.
The air around him grew dense. His body glowed with a faint golden aura, an echo of the energy he had absorbed from the tree. He propelled himself forward with brutal force. Every step left a crater. Every movement tore through the air.
"Time to return the favor." he shouted, leaping at the deer.
Welt dropped the gravity field.
With a punch, Aleph knocked it down.
With another, he left it reeling.
He grabbed its body with both hands, pressing his palms against the beast's chest. His expression remained mostly blank, but there was something else—a hint of satisfaction, like a hunter with his helpless prey at his feet.
The thrill of a successful hunt.
"Rest in peace, stubborn bastard."
The deer's life energy began to flow into Aleph, mercilessly drained. The creature screamed, tried to resist, but it was too late. Its body crumbled as the boy tore away what little remained.
The deer exploded in a rain of golden dust.
The motes fell slowly, touching the ground and vanishing like dead fireflies.
The Furnace of Creation was free. The roots around it no longer moved. They were dry, inert.
For a moment, there was only silence.
Gongshu dropped his tools and fell to his knees with force, as if he had just witnessed a miracle.
"At last… at last!" he sobbed, hugging the furnace like an ancient idol. "My precious Furnace! My beautiful boy, you've been returned to me!"
March 7th murmured.
"Is this… normal?"
"No, but don't stop him." Welt replied, arms crossed. On some level, he understood the man—and on another, he had acquaintances even worse than Gongshu when it came to their love for tools and artifacts.
Tingyun covered her mouth to keep from laughing.
And Aleph simply watched in silence.
He just looked at his hand, where a few golden motes still lingered. They crumbled between his fingers, with a barely audible whisper.
"Bloom, huh…"
[Vi: 85 - 100]
*******
The group took a moment to rest in front of the now purified Furnace of Creation.
The faint glow emitted by the furnace seemed to soothe even the heartbeats of those around it.
Welt looked up, as if contemplating something for a few moments.
"General Jing Yuan once said the Ambrosia Tree was an unfathomable celestial blessing… At first glance, that stag may have seemed like an ordinary living creature." he remarked, though it sounded more like a reflection than a statement. "But its ability to heal such grave wounds in an instant… I think I finally understand why the Xianzhou chose to follow the Hunt to eradicate Abundance."
His eyes shifted to Aleph, who looked uneasy as he nibbled on a sandwich.
"…If immortal beings were allowed to extend their branches and roots throughout the universe, entire ecosystems would collapse. No wonder the people of Xianzhou keep wandering the stars, never settling on a single planet."
March 7th frowned.
"What do you mean by that?"
"The stag wasn't a monster because of its power." Welt said in a grave tone. "It was a monster because of what it represented. A being that doesn't know how to die, that refuses to cease existing… it can keep growing, overflowing, consuming everything around it without ever knowing when to stop. The universe would be far more terrifying if that philosophy became the norm."
"You're a visionary, Mr. Yang. It's a shame that our ancestors—the Elixir Seekers—couldn't see the hidden curse eight thousand years ago…"
Gongshu, standing beside the furnace, nodded firmly. His eyes were clouded with a strange emotion, a blend of regret and curiosity.
"Who knows, maybe some of them rejected the Plague-Maker's supposed gift. But how could an entire civilization resist the temptation of immortality?" he said, his tone solemn. "Their bodies change, twist, regenerate… but their minds break. They stray so far from the end that they lose sight of the beginning. Many of them were once wise. Scholars. Healers. Some even heroes… but not anymore. There's nothing left of them now."
Gongshu rested a hand gently on the furnace.
"The wise choose a short life full of meaning. Fools… seek empty eternity. It's rather curious, isn't it?" He frowned as he dusted off his robes. "In Xianzhou, they mourn having strayed, seduced by Abundance… That's why they chose to walk the Path of the Hunt. Perhaps it's not too late for redemption."
...…
While the others talked, Aleph had stepped away. The furnace's light still flickered behind him, its glow faintly reflected on the metal of his gauntlet.
It began to vibrate.
An incoming message.
[Tingyun – 6 new messages]
With a sigh, he opened the chat, already regretting having given her access.
[Tingyun: "Did you see the golden fruits from the stag?"]
[Tingyun: "I saw them once in an old book… they said it granted eternal life."]
[Tingyun: "They withered when it died… a shame, isn't it?"]
[Tingyun: "Weren't you tempted?"]
[Tingyun: "Not even a little?"]
[Tingyun: "Aleph… you're there, right?"]
[Tingyun: "Aleph."]
[Tingyun: "Aleph."]
Aleph didn't reply.
He closed the messaging app and slowly lowered his arm, not bothering to respond.
He looked at his hand—the same one that had touched the roots, that had absorbed the creature's life. He could still feel the faint tingling, like the energy was just beneath his skin.
A golden flower had bloomed there, only to die seconds later.
His fist clenched.
And in his mind, a single thought floated.
"Who decides what blooms… and what must wither?"
[Essence Consumed: ??? Stars (Makoto Yuki)]
[Blessing of Thanatos]
...…
It wasn't long before the group began to move again. They advanced toward the sector connecting to the Alchemy Commission, but were greeted by two sparking automatons, both of their bodies covered in blackened branches and deformed plating.
"Watch out!" March 7th shouted.
The enemies rushed forward, but this time Aleph didn't move immediately.
He just stared at them.
His expression wasn't angry, not even irritated.
It was sheer indifference.
As if the mere act of fighting again—against this kind of opponent—bored him beyond words.
"…Enough already." he muttered.
Where was the thrill of the Hunt?
He raised his hand, channeling the pure cold of winter.
"Bufudyne."
A spear of ice pierced the first automaton, freezing it in place as it was swiftly swallowed by frost.
With a slow turn, Aleph raised his bat—now crackling with electricity—and slammed it into the frozen enemy.
The explosion shattered the automaton into a thousand pieces. The second rushed toward him, but by then, Welt and March 7th had already regained the initiative and quickly brought it down.
...…
In front of the entrance to the Alchemy Commission, the group came to a halt.
Gongshu didn't follow.
"This is where I leave you." he said, his tone more somber than before. He removed his gloves and tucked them into his robe. "You've done more than I expected… more than many in this commission would achieve in a lifetime."
His gaze swept over the group, lingering a bit longer on Welt Yang, to whom he gave a respectful nod.
"Be careful, dear friends… You're no longer just fighting catastrophe, but the deepest desires of those who've forgotten how to die."
He turned slowly, but before walking away…
…he looked once more at Aleph.
The young man walked at the front, silent. At his side, Stelle still clutched a piece of his coat, unwilling to let go.
And then, almost like a fleeting thought, Gongshu murmured:
"…Could it be him?"
A Dweller of Abundance?
********
Shortly after parting ways with Gongshu, the group's phones began to ring.
Stelle frowned at hers. The screen blinked with a notification, and when she opened it, her expression changed.
"Dan Heng?" she murmured, drawing everyone's attention. Even Aleph looked up.
The group gathered around as she read the messages.
[Dan Heng: "I left the Express. Where are you? Are you okay?"]
[Stelle: "What? Did something happen on the Express? Why did you leave?"]
[Dan Heng: "The Express is fine. I left on my own. As for why… well, that's a long story. I'm currently with a Knightess in Cloudford."]
March 7th let out a squeal as she read the message. She quickly pulled out her phone and, with inhuman speed, began typing.
[March 7th: "No... No way. Spring has finally come for Dan Heng!"]
[Dan Heng: "...I don't know what that means, and I don't think I want to. Anyway, what's going on over there?"]
[Stelle: "We're at the Alchemy Commission. By the way, we captured Kafka… though she escaped later."]
[Dan Heng: "Kafka? What about her partner? Was he there?"]
[March 7th: "No, he wasn't."]
[Dan Heng: "I see. You all need to be careful and…"]
[March 7th: "Though he did show up later to take Kafka back. Apparently, Aleph fought him."]
[Dan Heng: "…Are you all alright? Is Aleph…?"]
[March 7th: "Alive. A bit dumber than usual. But he's okay."]
[Dan Heng: "Don't stray too far. I'll try to shake the Nimbus Knights off my trail. As soon as I can, I'll steal an Astral Skiff and head your way."]
[Dan Heng: "…And tell Aleph to be ready."]
March 7th swallowed hard and turned to Aleph, who looked rather indifferent.
She shook her head. Poor guy. He still doesn't know what Dan Heng's scoldings are like.
*******
The group descended the stairs of the Commission. Each step echoed strangely.
There were no sounds beyond the wind and the gentle lapping of water at the docks.
Bodies were scattered across the floor.
Nimbus Knights, possessed by Mara, and creatures that March 7th described as "metallic white wolves with luxury toy legs" and black armor with glowing green highlights.
Aleph, for his part, didn't say it aloud, but he thought the wolves looked like they were cosplaying Dan Heng.
Welt knelt beside one of the bodies. Upon examining it, he noticed it was twitching slightly.
"Looks like we're late. Fu Xuan must've been here long before us."
"While we were dealing with the mess at the Artisanship Commission, it seems the Grand Diviner found some of her own trouble…" Tingyun murmured, brushing dust off herself.
Stelle approached one of the barely-moving bodies.
Its eyes, barely visible through the shattered visor, looked dull and desperate. Golden roots and flowers sprouted from its mouth.
"They're… still alive?" March 7th whispered, chills crawling up her spine.
"No." Welt replied. "That's not what I'd call alive."
*******
They kept going down the stairs.
Further ahead, they heard voices.
A soft, melodic female voice…
"There, there… no more pain. No more cold. No more weakness. You're returning to your ideal form. Soon… you'll feel better than ever."
A wounded Knight lay on the ground. A raposian woman—elegant, beautiful, dressed in a refined green outfit—gently stroked his forehead.
The group approached.
Upon seeing them, the Knight's eyes widened in horror.
"Run! She's a Disciple of Sanctus!"
The woman sighed, tired.
"So indiscreet… and I was just getting to the best part."
The Knight's body began to convulse. Golden roots burst from his chest. His scream was sharp, raw with pain.
"Kill me! Kill me before… before I lose control!"
But it was too late.
In seconds, he was just another Possessed. His face was hidden beneath his helmet.
But judging by the way the roots burst from his body… it wasn't a pretty sight.
"How disappointing." the Disciple murmured in a melancholy voice. "Memories fade so quickly… Mortal minds are so fragile. Just another common soldier instead of a proper Disciple."
She turned to them.
"Oh, more material. Or perhaps… volunteers?" she said with a charming smile. "Is this really the best Jing Yuan and Fu Xuan could muster? Mere mortals and a pet fox? The degeneration of the Xianzhou runs deeper than I thought."
From the shadows, the armored wolves emerged.
They were too many. Way too many.
"Let's go get them." Stelle said, her bat already in hand.
"Do they ever shut up? Not everyone enjoys listening to their dumb, cliché monologues." Aleph muttered in a low voice, cracking his neck as he summoned an ice bat. "Mazan."
A sharp gust of wind tore through the wolves—several were cleaved in two, while others dodged, losing limbs in the process.
...
As they fought, the Disciple strolled calmly among them, not engaging directly.
"Tell me... why did you come here? Don't say it's for justice or altruism..." she chuckled, her eyes fixed on Aleph. "Every traveler who comes to Xianzhou seeks the same thing. Eternity. To be redeemed by the Ambrosia Tree—the gift of Abundance."
March 7th fired a frost arrow that pierced two beasts.
"We're not here for anything of yours." she growled.
"Oh, but you should be."
The Disciple's voice turned more seductive.
"I can give you a life without pain, without fear, without end. Isn't that what all short-lived beings dream of?"
Welt tightened his grip on his staff.
Stelle didn't answer, but her frown deepened in disgust.
And Aleph…
He just stared at her silently.
But his expression had changed. No longer indifferent.
Cold fury.
"…We've barely just met, and hearing you speak already makes me sick to my stomach." His words came out low but heavy with loathing and contempt.
The Disciple turned to him, intrigued.
"And you? Hmm... how strange you are. You resemble them so much, and yet… you're different. Maybe you could—"
"No. Shut the hell up."
With a Zio, electricity crackled around his bat.
The Disciple let out a soft laugh.
"Oh… so you are going to show me your true selves? Perfect."
She placed a hand on her chest.
And then… something began to change.
A dense energy enveloped her, green and gold, radiating from her body.
Her dress fluttered, despite the still air.
Soon, a golden light enveloped her, and glowing flowers bloomed from her skin.
When the light faded, her form had completely transformed.
Still graceful and unnaturally alluring, her body was now encased in an armor of metal and bark, perfectly contoured. A white opera mask covered her face, its expression frozen in joyous delight.
Two long blades extended from her forearms.
"Tch." Aleph clicked his tongue before lunging at her.
**********************************************************************************************
The next chapter will probably have an Omake!
By the way, how did your pulls go?
I tried pulling for Acheron, but my luck is terrible. 30 pulls (I'm broke, don't judge me).
And… well, let's just say I now have an E5 Linx, when she was E0 before the banner.
Anyway, I'm already working on the next chapter.
If all goes well, it should be ready by this time tomorrow or the day after.