Chương 103: Friends and Vines

A full year had passed since Joe returned to active duty on the integration competition board.

He pulled up the leaderboard, scanning how close they were now to breaking into the top ten: Integration Leaderboard World Ranked 1: 23, 000, 800 World Ranked 2: 12, 500, 000 World Ranked 3: 9, 300, 500 World Ranked 4: 8, 100, 600 World Ranked 5: 6, 850, 120 World Ranked 6: 6, 670, 300 World Ranked 7: 6, 600, 600 World Ranked 8: 6, 410, 000 World Ranked 9: 6, 320, 200 World Ranked 10: 6, 180, 230 (Thropia 12: 3, 640, 120) He'd managed to gather over three million points, a total that finally quieted the constant buzzing of clans and hangers-on.

They had been relentless with questions. Which competition are you joining next? Do you think you can win? What else can we do to help? It had been tiresome to say the least. But their rapid climb toward the top ten left everyone stunned into silence. Even Joe was surprised by how many wins he'd stacked up. Still, he'd noticed a strange pattern. The other top scorers seemed to be avoiding him. Ever since that treasure hunt where he'd crossed paths with some of them, not a single challenge had come his way.

He couldn't quite work out why. Didn't they care about Thropia clawing its way into the top ten? Or maybe they were deliberately moving their focus to other worlds, letting him rise unchecked. He shrugged, unsure. His communicator blinked.

"Hey, Sarah, what's up?"

"Joseph Caldwell! You missed Kai's birthday… again! What am I going to do with you?" Ah shit.

"Sorry, I've been a little busy. Have you seen our new ranking?"

"Stop changing the subject. I expect you and Corel here within the hour. No excuses. And by the way, we've got a new group of refugees arriving today. They said they know you. The Aur Garde Fern."

"Aur Garde Fern? What do they look like?" Joe asked, trying to place the name.

"Yellow skin, big eyes, antennae."

"Oh! Was it Tevenny? Was she in a wheelchair?"

"No, but a young girl mentioned her sister being in one. Well, as long as you know them, it's fine. When you arrive, I'll pick up Corel, and you can talk with your… female friends." Sarah's voice carried just the right amount of bite.

"Seriously, do you ever hang out with any guys? I'm starting to think you're secretly a Playboy. Should I be worried?" Joe groaned. She had a point.

'kakakakakaka,' Uriel cackled in his head.

"I swear it wasn't on purpose. I am a clean, pure, untouched boy."

"Mmmhmm. That's not what I heard…" Sarah let the words hang.

"Wait… heard? What did you hear?" Panic edged his voice. No way she knew about him and…

"Not telling. See you soon." She hung up, leaving him staring at the dead communicator.

"I'm never kissing anyone ever again," he vowed.

'Kakakakakakaka.' When Joe arrived in Heliopolis, Sarah teleported Corel away before he could even speak. Left standing alone in the array chamber, he barely had time to sigh before one of the guards approached.

"Progenitor," the man said with a bow.

"I was told to guide you to the visitors' room."

"Thank you, my good man. Lead on." The guard escorted him to a large hall filled with Aur Garde Fern. Lines of them sat at desks, filling out forms and answering questions. The sight struck Joe as oddly familiar, like an airport check-in back before the system, complete with ID checks and interviews. He chuckled as he was guided into a smaller side room. Inside, only ten Aur Garde Fern waited. Joe recognized four immediately. He stepped forward, moving into the greeting stance.

"Tevenny, Shanna, and.. Erm," he cursed inwardly, unable to recall the sister's name.

"Valeri," she supplied with a small nod.

"And these are our brothers, Dru and Garlavo." The two offered a polite greeting pose, which Joe returned once more.

"Pleasure to meet you all," Joe said warmly.

"I was surprised to hear you'd chosen our world. I thought you had an agreement with one of the top ten?" Tevenny's expression hardened.

"We decided to consider other options. The top ten worlds have grown… overbearing. Ruthless in how they eliminate others. We no longer felt safe joining them." Joe nodded. That was an understatement. Only twenty-seven worlds remained in the integration, and each month that number fell lower. It was likely why the number one-ranked world had gone quiet in competitions. They no longer needed points, just the elimination of rivals.

"I'm glad you're here," Joe said.

"And I hope we won't face the same troubles that destroyed so many others."

"Thank you, Feormere. But you don't have to be so formal with us." Tevenny tilted her head, antennae twitching.

"Speaking of… I still haven't met your bonds. Are they here? I would love to meet my future sisters."

"I'm glad to see you still have your sense of humour," Joe replied once he'd recovered.

"Sense of humour?" Tevenny glanced at her sister, then back to him.

"I'm deadly serious, Feormere. You've done for me what no one else could. I owe you my life." Even seated, she managed a deep bow, but was soon wracked with coughs. Joe lifted his hands quickly.

"Please, don't overexert yourself. I'm glad you're well. And I apologize again for being unable to return your generous offer. But I must go… my bond is calling, and I cannot keep her waiting." With that, Joe slipped away at a sprint, silently grateful Sarah had whisked Corel off beforehand. After he left, Tevenny leaned toward Valeri.

"That was fun. I can't wait for the future." Her antennae danced like they were celebrating. Joe decided on a small detour before rejoining the others. It had been too long since he'd enjoyed a proper game of Go, so he made his way to a quiet park in northern Heliopolis. There, as he hoped, sat the old Korean woman, teaching a pair of children the finer points of Go. Joe smiled as he watched her laugh softly, guiding their small hands across the board.

He checked his storage ring; three bags of Dasik were still left. He really needed to commission another batch before he ran out. When the children scampered off, he stepped forward. The old woman looked up at him with the same disdain she always reserved for his presence. He gave her his brightest grin and sat across from her without a word. He enjoyed testing her patience; usually, she lasted about two minutes before her temper frayed.

This time, though, he slid a small plate onto the table, laying out four Dasik sweets. Her eyes lit up despite herself, and Joe's grin widened. Bribing elders was far too fun. He set down his own Go pieces and placed his opening move. Barely ten minutes later, Joe cradled his head in defeat. She was simply too good. Every time he thought he saw an opening, she shifted tactics and crushed him completely.

She reminded him of those old martial arts masters from films, quiet and unassuming until they unleashed a beating on the cocky young challenger.

"Well, I guess I still have a lot to learn," he admitted in Korean, then brightened with an idea.

"Eun-Ae, would you like a translation skill? It would let you talk with the children here."

"One of those fancy machines?" she scoffed, eyeing him with suspicion.

"Bah. I don't need your charity. You want me to go easy on you next time? If so, pup, you're barking up the wrong tree!"

"I would never dream of asking anything in return," Joe replied with a grin.

"I'm exceedingly rich, after all. Consider it a gift for teaching me not to underestimate my elders." He placed a translation crystal on the board in front of her. She eyed it warily, too proud to ask how it worked.

"Pick it up and think about absorbing it into your hand," he explained. She snatched it up with a scoff.

"Another of your magic tricks? I don't believe in magic, I tell ye! If you're trying to pull a fast…" She broke off mid-word as the crystal melted into her palm. Her eyes glazed as the knowledge of the skill flooded her mind. Joe knew the skill would take time to settle. He set an entire bag of Dasik on her plate and gave her a bow.

"Until next time," he said before vanishing. With some time to spare, he visited a little sweets shop, not far from the park. Handing over a bag of Dasik as a sample, he placed an order: one fresh bag to be delivered to the old woman in the park every month for the next ten years. The shopkeeper agreed eagerly, smiling as her daughter darted about her feet.

"Your order will be filled every month. Thank you for the tip, the rumours of your generosity are true," she said with a wink. Joe returned the gesture with a dashing smile, ignoring the stares of two other women in the shop as he turned to leave. The author's content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

"Mummy, mummy! I'm going to tell Daddy you winked at the pretty man!" Joe laughed aloud as he disappeared from sight. Joe leaned back with a full stomach as Sarah, Hakeem, Kai, Shaznin, Nadine, and Vanessa all fixed their stares on him and Corel.

"Corel still insists there's nothing to talk about. But I can smell it!" Sarah declared, springing to her feet.

"I'll uncover the truth sooner or later. Mark my words!"

"Sarah, maybe lay off the alcohol. You've got work tomorrow," Kai commented.

"Bah! I have work every day. Don't take their side." She swung back toward Corel, eyes wide and pleading.

"Just give me a hint, okay? I swear I won't tell a soul. What does his…"

"Heeyy!!" Joe and Kai shot up at once, cutting her off before she could ask a wholly uncalled-for question no one wanted to hear.

"What? Why so jumpy? I was only kidding. Kai's…" She didn't get to finish as Kai scooped her up and vanished from the room, no doubt to sober her up quickly. Joe gave Corel his best, told you so, look before sinking back into his seat. She ignored him, serene as ever, still insisting there was nothing to discuss.

"Anyway," Hakeem said, breaking the awkward silence.

"While Sarah clears her head, I need a favour."

"A favour? Sure, what's up?" Joe asked.

"You still have your mini-map skill, right? I just picked my second profession, and I need help locating something. How far does your map cover?" That cryptic line piqued Joe's interest. He leaned forward, eyes sparkling behind his sunglasses.

"Wait, first you've gotta tell me what profession you picked." Hakeem sighed.

"He picked Cartographer," Nadine cut in with a huff.

"I told him to choose a proper crafting profession, but noooo, he refuses to do anything that isn't fighting!" Her tone carried the weight of long-standing sibling exasperation. Hakeem shot her a sharp look that said this was not the first time she'd voiced the complaint. Joe chuckled.

"I like the choice. A lot. Wait… does that mean you've got a map now?" Hakeem gave a nod and sent Joe a party invite, which he accepted with a mental click.

"And you got the party skill? Nice!" Joe pushed his focus into the party screen that popped up and shared his map with Hakeem. These days, it hardly qualified as a mini-map anymore; it sprawled across more than half of Thropia, and he had to zoom out for a long moment just to see it all.

"Dude, holy shit man. How much travelling do you do? This is nuts," Hakeem mumbled as he scrolled through Joe's map, hands sweeping across the vast landscape.

"It's gonna take me a while to draw this out. Sis!" He turned to Nadine.

"How much parchment do you have? I think we'll need at least ten by fifteen metres."

"I've got that. We can set it up in the spare room beside the dining hall," Nadine said, already on her feet.

"You can actually draw maps?" Joe asked, genuinely intrigued. His mini-map was useful, sure, but the idea of seeing it spread across an entire wall made him grin.

"Yeah, though this'll take me about a week," Hakeem said.

"And this is only half the world? Any idea what's past that ocean to the east?"

"No clue. When I hit the shore, I couldn't see anything but water. Didn't have time to explore," Joe replied with a shrug.

"Well, let's get started then. Honestly, I think I could gain ten levels just drawing this out. Oh, and about that favour I mentioned. Have you heard anything about the Seven Wonders of the World?"

"Seven Wonders of the World?" This was the second time that phrase had come up in the past year.

"Yeah. Specifically, the Temple of Artemis and the Lighthouse of Alexandria," Hakeem said as they moved to the next room, where he was planning to set up the map.

"You boys keep talking, I'm taking Corel on a tour," Vanessa cut in, looping her arm through Corel's and whisking her away before she could protest.

'Have fun,' Joe pulsed.

'I will.'

"I'm staying," Nadine announced, pulling a massive table from her storage ring and setting up the workspace for Hakeem's map.

"I got some intel that the system has designated hidden gates for the Wonders," Hakeem continued.

"Seven gates now exist, each filled with unknown treasures and opportunities. That's why I need your help finding them. I figured maybe you've spotted something on your travels."

"That sounds a lot like an inheritance gate," Joe mumbled.

"Inheritance gate?" Hakeem asked.

"What's that?" Joe thought back. Had he ever explained where he'd gotten Jingu Bang? Maybe not. He pulled the staff from his storage.

"It's where I got this. It was the Monkey King Inheritance Gate."

"That place you met Gao?"

"Yeah! Damn, that was a long time ago. But that sounds just like what you are describing. Maybe these seven wonders are all inheritance gates. Legendary gear, maybe even unique skills."

"That would be amazing! I want to come!" Nadine said, practically bouncing with excitement.

"Don't get ahead of yourself," Hakeem warned.

"We still have to find them first. We don't even know where to start." Joe tilted his head.

"How did you ever find out about these anyway?" Joe asked. Hakeem let out a long sigh.

"I heard about what happened in Rarohenga. Devotion was the one who found the Hanging Gardens of Babylon. That was the first of the Seven Wonders."

"And you trust this information?" Joe frowned, the memory of that city and its needless deaths still sharp.

"The guy's surrounded by fanatics."

"He's got proof," Hakeem said grimly.

"I saw it. Sarah did too. He has the title and a legendary sceptre." Joe nodded slowly. It explained why Devotion's strength had always felt out of place, even without a bloodline to bolster it.

"Forget him for now," Hakeem said, as Nadine handed him a large roll of parchment for the map.

"Go check on Corel, before Vanessa corrupts her." Joe blinked.

"Wait… what do you mean by corrupt?" It took a full day before Joe found out what Hakeem had meant. The answer arrived in the form of an ambush. Nadine, Vanessa, and Corel cornered Joe in the halls of a large building in Heliopolis. They'd decided to stay a week, giving Sarah time to breathe, and apparently, to plot out how to find out what was really going on between Corel and him. Joe stopped short, eyeing the three women with suspicion.

"Ladies? How can I help you?" He instinctively stepped back.

"Vanessa was just explaining one of your human customs," Corel said, a dangerous glint in her eye.

"Human custom?" Joe echoed, retreating another step. The three mirrored him, keeping the distance constant.

"Yes," Vanessa said with a sly grin.

"What custom would that be?" Joe asked carefully. He tried to back up again, but Vanessa darted left while Nadine slid right, boxing him in against the corridor wall.

"Yes," Vanessa said sweetly.

"The one every boy must endure before he is accepted by his big sisters." Joe's stomach dropped. He knew exactly what she meant. He cursed Hakeem under his breath for ever introducing this dangerous woman into his life. There was no escape, so he lowered his head in resignation and accepted his fate. A day later, Joe sat glaring daggers at Hakeem, who was hunched over the enormous map sprawling across half the room. The parchment stretched nearly five metres now, alive with holographic detail.

Mountains jutted skyward, rivers gleamed with faint light, and even the forests shifted as if the wind stirred their leaves. Hakeem's cartography skill turned the entire thing into a living holotable, and Joe couldn't deny it was breathtaking. Still, his mood simmered. His so-called 'rite of passage,' courtesy of Vanessa, had left him more than a little irritated. He pushed himself to his feet to get a closer look… Pain lanced up his arm. Both his mana bars bottomed out in a violent rush.

And Joe collapsed to his knees, clutching his spasming arm as something pressed against his skin from the inside. A vine, forcing its way out of the void.

'Rel! Another vine's coming, help!' he pulsed, panic flooding his mind as he fell face-first onto the floor.

"Dude! What happened?" Hakeem shouted, racing over.

"Don't touch!" Joe gasped, every word strangled through clenched teeth as agony surged through him. The door slammed open, and Corel rushed in.

'I'm here. What do I do?'

'I need to get outside. Now. Before I destroy the place,' Joe pulsed, barely hanging on. Corel snapped ropes from her storage, looping them around him without laying a hand on his skin. In moments, she had him bundled and was dragging him through the halls, heedless of the floor scraping beneath him.

'Thanks,' he managed, just before the pain peaked. Outside in the open air, the vine tore free. A massive white tendril unfurled from his elbow, writhing like it had been waiting all this time to breathe. Joe glimpsed the gathering crowd at Hakeem's door, their hushed whispers carrying through the yard. The vine flailed gently, rocking his body as if testing the world around it. Minutes crawled by before Joe felt the pressure shift, before he sensed the moment the vine was ready to detach.

Joe raised his trembling hand and gripped the vine. With a soft pop, it detached from his arm, and he guided it down to his leg. The skin of his leg burst out in a shower of sparks and blood and shuddered violently, before reforming with the vine embedded at its core. When the glow faded, he slumped back, breath ragged. Corel and Sarah were the first to approach.

"Are you okay?" Corel asked gently. Joe nodded, though exhaustion dragged at every muscle. The pain he could handle, but the sudden draining of both mana bars always left him hollow, raw. One more left, he thought. His arms and legs were now filled with that strange white substance, new pathways weaving through him. All that remained was his torso and head. He shivered at the thought. What if the vine erupted through his skull? Would he even survive that? He hoped that his torso would be the last vine.

He bit down on a mana pill, forcing strength back into his system as Sarah muttered, "That was terrifying." She winced at her own words.

"Sorry… It's just seeing that vine, it was hard to focus on. What is it?"

"No idea," Joe admitted. He had guesses, once. But with every additional vine that fused with his body, those guesses slipped further away. All he knew was that it made him stronger. Even now, his balance was off, one leg subtly stronger than the other. Soon, at least, that imbalance would vanish. Corel crouched beside him, pressing her forehead against his.

'I'm worried.'

"I'm sorry. I'm sure it'll be okay once it's finished," Joe said.

"What is finished?" Sarah asked. Joe only shrugged, unable to explain. A sharp thud rocked his chest as Corel's fist slammed against him. She pulled away, turning her head so he wouldn't see the tears streaking her face, but he caught the glimmer of them, and guilt twisted inside him. He was hurting her without meaning to, and he had no answers to ease her fear. He forced himself upright and caught her before she could leave, pulling her into his arms.

"Rel, wait. I… I believe it will be okay. I'm strong. I'm not going anywhere."

"You can't promise that," she whispered, shoving him back. Her voice cracked as she wiped at her cheeks.

"I've lost everyone. My family. My clan. All of them ripped away. I can't lose you as well…" The last words were so quiet he almost didn't hear them. What could he possibly say to that? Joe sat frozen, words caught in his throat. But then he straightened, forcing steel into his voice.

"I promise you. Whatever this is, whatever's happening to me, I won't let it beat me. I'll overcome it. I swear." Corel's eyes lifted to his.

"You have to," she whispered.

"I will," he said, meaning every syllable.

"You better," she murmured, sliding forward to embrace him. He held her tight, as if he could shield her from every loss she feared. Sarah, standing silently to the side, didn't dare intrude on the moment.

"If you don't," Corel said against his chest, "I'll find you, wherever you end up. And I'll make you pay." Joe managed a small laugh, though the weight in her tone was anything but playful.

"That won't happen. I'll solve this. I'll figure it out and put it to rest."

"You better," she repeated. Her fingers trailed along his cheek, and for a moment, he was lost in the moon's glimmering in her eyes. The glimmer turned to sparkles, and he gazed deep into her eyes, watching as a faint red started to spread across the moons. Without a word, he swept her into his arms and turned sharply.

"Sarah, we need a private room. Now." She laughed at first, thinking it a joke, but when she saw the panic in Joe's eyes, her smile faltered.

"We have spares upstairs. Second door on the right. But what…?"

"There's no time!" Joe blurted, already sprinting after her directions as Corel pressed her lips to his in a fevered kiss. He staggered up the stairs, her teeth sinking into his shoulder when he tried to calm her, her hands tearing at his clothes. He burst into the room Sarah had pointed out and set Corel on the bed. She tried to press an aphrodisiac pill against his lips, but this time he caught her wrist and shook his head.

"No more pills. If we do this, we do it properly." Her teeth bared as she bit his hand hard enough to draw blood, but when their eyes locked, she gave the faintest nod. That was all it took before her mouth was on his again, and he surrendered to the fire consuming them both. Sarah froze in the doorway for a heartbeat, rooted by the sheer intensity of what she was witnessing. Her face flushed crimson, and only after far too long did she stumble back, shutting the door in haste.

Heart pounding, she fled down the stairs, trying to make sense of the heat still lingering in her chest. Kai intercepted her, frowning at the noise echoing from above.

"What's going on? What is that sound?" Sarah placed a hand on his shoulder, leaned in, and kissed his cheek, a mischievous smile tugging her lips.

"They're… occupied," she said sweetly.

"Passionately." Kai's stunned expression only made her grin wider.