Chương 82: Why Body Why

Joe was currently visiting New Eden, and quickly found the task both tedious and annoying. He wanted to leave as soon as possible. At the moment, he sat reading a report written by one of the New Eden Pillar's secretaries. It detailed communications received from the Relashra Pillar, recorded movements of Pathfinder, nearby Volduran settlements, and a list of missing personnel from New Eden. Honestly, this was the best part of his visit so far.

Just him, quietly reading information they were actually willing to share. They'd also given him a request for pills and any spare equipment he had acquired. While the city now had their own alchemists, their pill production speed was laughably slow compared to Joe or Corel. Joe quickly discovered the reason: his profession was an anomaly. It used nature energy to create pills, whereas the other alchemists relied on standard mana, far more draining and inefficient by comparison.

Once again, Joe found himself grateful for his absurd luck in gaining a bloodline and nature-based profession. But the real reason Joe wasn't enjoying New Eden had nothing to do with logistics or paperwork, it was the people. They were simply annoying. He'd been dragged into a room to meet the new Pillar owner the moment he arrived. The man was aged, with a long white beard, and the meeting had started off fine, until it didn't.

The old man quickly began making demands, talking about how Joe was one of the "stand-out humans" in their world and needed to "lead by example." He went on about how Joe should be doing more to protect the cities, help coordinate resistance against the Voldura, and even started pushing the idea of creating a world government to advise all the Pillars. Joe had tolerated his ramblings for as long as he could, then space-jumped out of the room and went to find someone less irritating to talk to.

He flatly refused to ever speak to that old man again. Unfortunately, the city mayor wasn't much better. After a brief introduction, he began making similarly veiled demands, though phrased as polite requests. Joe knew a demand when he heard one, and ended that conversation just as abruptly. He was almost ready to leave New Eden for good. Then a familiar face appeared, someone he could tolerate, and convinced him to stay a bit longer. That's how he ended up here.

Now, everything had to go through the pillar secretaries first before reaching him. In his opinion, they were a hundred times better to deal with. His conversations became more laid back, and best of all, he no longer felt like he was being talked down to by people who assumed he owed them something just because they said so. Joe looked up as he finished reading the report and was greeted by the smiling face of Cassie, one of the pillar secretaries.

"I'll take that, sugar," Cassie said as he handed her the report. She gave him a wink before it disappeared into her storage.

"That's the last of them. I just received a memo from True Eden. The Divine Sword has returned and… would like to know if you want to join them for dinner." Joe groaned. After the parade of people he'd dealt with over the last two days, facing Malcolm wasn't exactly high on his list. He had no personal grudge against the Divine Sword, other than the fact that the man insisted everyone call him that.

Still, ever since the relationship between New Eden and Heliopolis had soured, Joe had naturally sided with his friends and avoided Malcolm whenever possible. He was just about to politely decline when Cassie beat him to it.

"I responded that though you'd have loved to join them, you are currently heading to a prior engagement and send your regrets," she said with a mischievous grin.

"Thank you, Cassie. You truly are too good for these people," Joe replied with his best seated bow.

"Pleasure's mine. Now, I assume you will be leaving quickly and quietly? Take this before you go… and remember, you're welcome here anytime, sugar." She passed him a small disc, gave him a lingering look, then ducked out of the room. Joe poured some mana into the disc. It was an information disc. A map appeared, marking a house in the city, and a list of three female names who resided there. He coughed suddenly as Veda's claws dug into his shoulder.

"Hey, I had no plans to accept her offer," he said quickly. A moment later, Veda retracted her claws and gave him a light slap on the back with her tail. He chuckled as he stood and activated Space-Jump. He reappeared just outside the city and pulled out his skyboat. One more destination remained before he set his sights on the Relashra Pillar. The boat launched forward, and Joe turned toward Kunlun, vanishing into the sky at blinding speed. Joe had zero regrets about his pilfering during the Askari quest.

His new skyboat was insanely fast, so he tossed the other two into his storage ring and forgot about them. What should've been a two-day journey from New Eden to Kunlun now took just a few hours. Even better, the skyboat had a movable steering panel, meaning Joe could sit comfortably and use Nature's Flourish while flying. Multitasking had never been so effortless. His mini-map had also expanded significantly, now covering a significant portion of the continent he inhabited.

Joe had been off the radar for the past month because he'd discovered a particularly handy Gate that turned out to be an excellent training ground. The twenty days he spent inside it had paid off, he'd gained ten levels in both of his classes and twelve in his profession. that brought him to level 111 in both classes and level 114 in his profession. By the time he was done with the Gate, he had over 400 free stat points to spend.

He dropped one hundred into agility, one hundred into his new hidden stat Aura Power, and dumped the rest into strength. When he pulled up his stat screen, even he had to admit, his new numbers looked very impressive. Stats Strength: 2746 (200) Agility: 3752 (620) Vitality: 3838 (520) Endurance: 3706 (200) Wisdom: 4196 (60) Intelligence: 5282 (80) Luck: 208 Hidden Stat: Dao Knowledge - 1938 Hidden Stat: Aura Power - 300 Free Points: 0 System Credits: 500, 943, 210 He smiled.

He now had his first stat over five thousand. His strength still needed a lot of improvement compared to all his other stats, but overall, he was satisfied. The biggest surprise had come when he dropped 100 points into Aura Power. Like the first time he'd dumped a large chunk of points into Dao knowledge, Joe had forgotten what could happen when he let free points build up. He blacked out for a full day after adding them to Aura Power.

The result, though, was nothing short of incredible, but it came with an unexpected system message. System Message Aura Power has reached the max for your current grade. Please Evolve to increase the stat any further. So, with 300 points in Aura Power, he was now capped until his next evolution. That also explained why he hadn't gained any additional Aura Power stats from recent level-ups. He shuddered at the thought of wasting future stat points on a capped hidden stat.

For the first time, he actually thanked the system… well, kinda. About an hour from Kunlun, Joe was abruptly yanked from his Nature's Flourish practice as pain tore through his manaless left arm. It was unlike anything he'd felt before. He barely managed to pull his sky boat into its storage ring, much to Veda's shock, before blacking out and plummeting into the grasslands below. His body slammed down with a thunderous crash, earth and stone erupting on impact.

Veda reacted just in time, cushioning her landing slightly with mana. She rushed to Joe's side, but sprang back in alarm as a massive white vine burst from his elbow. It swung wildly, destroying the mana in the air and earth around them. All Veda could do was stand back and watch as the vine thrashed uncontrollably, dragging Joe's unconscious body along with it. The chaos continued for nearly an hour before Joe stirred. As he regained consciousness, the vine gradually calmed.

He sat up slowly, his entire body aching, his eyes bleary with pain. Both his mana bars were completely empty. He instinctively reached for his left arm, pressing gently against the muscle, only then noticing the thick vine dangling from his elbow.

"What the fuck is that?" he mumbled, instantly regretting speaking as another wave of pain surged through him. He groaned, barely clinging to consciousness. This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

"Joseph, are you okay?" Veda called out, her voice cracking. Joe spotted the small red serpent lying just out of reach. She was eyeing the strange vine dangling from his arm with unease.

"Yeah, just sore and in pain and wishing I was dead. I'm fine," he said with a wry smile. The smile didn't last… more pain surged through him as he shut his eyes tight. [Sorry, it's hard to speak] - Joe. [How long was I out for?] [An hour, maybe more. Can you move that thing?] - Veda. Joe turned his attention to the vine and tried to move it with his mind, the same way he moved the vines with his Farmer skills. Nothing happened. [No. It's like it's not even a part of me,] - Joe.

He regretted the words the moment they left his mind. Veda's expression darkened. Joe sighed and stared at the vine, trying to recover as best he could, which was nearly impossible with both his mana bars empty. He needed to act, or he'd be stuck here indefinitely. Taking a steadying breath, he reached across with his right hand and began probing at his left arm. Veda tensed as she watched, ready for anything. He started at his shoulder and worked down to his forearm. The difference was immediately apparent.

His left arm was noticeably heavier. The muscle felt denser, more solid somehow. He still had full control over it. Curious, he balled his fist and slammed it into the ground with all the strength he could muster. The ground exploded beneath him. The force launched him backwards, flinging him nearly a hundred feet through the air.

"Okay… that was a stupid idea," he groaned, rolling back into a sitting position. Veda approached, shaking her head in exasperated dismay. Still, it hadn't been a complete waste. He'd confirmed the difference between his arms. The left was stronger. Heavier. Faster. But without mana, he couldn't activate Mana Sight to inspect it further. Even though the skill didn't consume mana, it required at least some in his system to trigger.

He closed his eyes, trying to use his senses to feel the vine directly, but again, there was nothing. No presence. No connection. It was as if the vine existed separately from him. With nothing else left to try, he decided to touch the vine directly. The moment his fingers made contact, a sudden surge erupted from deep within the void. The vine detached with a squelching pop, springing out of his arm entirely. He was left holding the limp thing in his right hand. He had no chance to react before it exploded.

The blast tore through his hand and arm with savage force. Joe flung his head back, avoiding the brunt of the detonation, but Veda had a full view of what happened next. The white explosion didn't disperse. It hovered, swirling around his ruined arm, before suddenly being sucked into the wound. Then the impossible occurred: the torn flesh froze mid-bleed, and the blood and tissue that had been flung into the air rushed back into place. His arm rapidly reformed, whole and unblemished. The vine was gone.

"Aaahhh!" Joe yelled, collapsing onto his back and clutching his completely healed-arm. He blinked in shock as the pain vanished, replaced by an almost eerie calm. He sat up slowly, inspecting his arm with growing confusion.

"What the hell happened?" he asked aloud, glancing at Veda. She stared at him, the horror plain on her serpent face.

"I think it's inside your arm," she said grimly. A wave of nausea rolled over Joe at the thought. But before he could spiral, a small flicker of mana appeared in his bars. His eyes widened in relief. He quickly popped a mana pill into his mouth, watching in satisfaction as his mana began to regenerate. He activated Mana Sight and Dao Sight, turning his gaze to his right arm. There it was… exactly what he feared. The vine was nestled inside, nestled within the structure of his right arm.

And that arm was now completely void of mana. He raised both arms and tried to cast Mana Blast. His right arm remained inert. Nothing. Not even a spark. He was about to let out a curse when something unexpected happened, his left arm exploded with mana. The skill burst out, arcing into the forest and blowing apart a cluster of trees.

"What the fuck," he exclaimed, staring at his left arm in disbelief. That wasn't supposed to happen. His left arm was no longer manaless. Intricate white lines now traced through the limb, reaching all the way up to his shoulder before fading as they branched out into his torso. He activated Mana Sight again, inspecting more closely. His mana didn't avoid the vines, it flowed with them. They weren't annihilating the mana anymore. Instead, they shaped it. Directed it.

As he studied further, it was like watching dozens of glowing threads dancing along a route, highway… no, not a highway. A pathway. Dozens of tiny lights, roaming along a clear, defined structure inside his arm. System Message Congratulations Progenitor. You have begun your Cosmic Body Metamorphosis. You are currently at 15%. Once you reach 100%, your body will be morphed into a Cosmic entity. Good Luck Joe stared at the notification.

"Are you okay?" Veda asked, now by his side. Joe reached out to pat her, only for her to flinch and pull away. He lowered his hand, his expression falling.

"Sorry. Yeah, I'm fine now. Look, my arm has mana again," he said, waving his left arm lightly. Veda glanced at it, then at his right arm. Joe gave a small shrug.

"Guess they swapped." He said, lying. He winced internally. Was that the first time he had lied to Veda? It was, he knew. But Veda had changed since their return from the Gate and the Askari quest. She was hiding something, he could feel it. Something had happened to her while he was away. But he didn't press. He was too afraid to ask, and instead pretended not to notice the shift in her.

"It should be fine once the vine finishes… whatever it's doing," he said quietly. Then, with a groan, he rose to his feet and flexed his aching limbs. He pulled out his roll of mana controlling gauze and wrapped up his right arm.

"Let's get to Kunlun before it gets dark." He pulled out his skyboat, and they both jumped aboard. The journey resumed. But the silence between them felt heavier now, thick with unspoken questions neither of them were ready to voice. When they reached Kunlun, Joe slipped back into his usual self, and thankfully, so did Veda, as they made their way toward the city pillar to meet their friends. Esha, Samira, and Gao were waiting for them.

"Where is your Voldura?" Esha asked.

"She is training with a friend," Joe replied, clearing his throat.

"By friend, he means Princess Rose," Veda added dryly. Joe shot her a withering look.

"She is off-world? Wow," Samira said, glancing up at the sky. It struck Joe how strange that once would've sounded. Now, hopping between worlds felt normal, like living in some twisted sci-fi fantasy.

"Do you know when she will be back?" Esha asked. Joe raised an eyebrow at her. She was acting differently. What had he missed over the last two months?

"I'm not sure. She's on a quest, blah blah, you know the drill," he said.

"Why are you so interested? Normally, you'd just swear and complain and not care."

"I'm trying to show more interest, Farmer. We barely see you anymore," Esha replied, glancing at Gao, who smiled at her.

"When she gets back, be sure to bring her here. There are things we women would like to discuss." Joe vowed to keep Corel far away from Esha once she was back.

"Sure," he lied.

"You all look like you've improved since the last I saw you. Your Auras feel strong. What level are you now?"

"140 and 100," Esha said, slapping him on the shoulder.

"140 and 121," Gao said.

"138 and 92," Samira finished. Joe gave a low whistle. Their progress was impressive. All three looked taller, stronger, and even more striking since advancing to E-grade, though Esha still had a face that could make a baby cry, he thought amusingly. Mostly because she never smiled, and constantly scowled. Veda gave him one of those looks she reserved for moments when any moderately attractive woman was nearby.

"I'd ask you your level, Farmer. But just looking at you, I'd rather not know. Again, it feels like you are ten times stronger somehow. How do you improve so much but still fall behind us in levels?" Esha asked. Joe shrugged.

"Luck, mostly. That and a killer skincare routine." Esha laughed, shaking her head.

"I would like to know your level," Gao said. With a wave of his hand, Joe brought up his status, revealing only the parts he was comfortable sharing. All three peered at the floating screen.

"Two classes?" Gao said in shock. Esha punched Joe while Samira groaned, throwing her hands up and walking away. Joe smiled in victory.

"So, I'm heading to the Relashra pillar to help with the siege. What are your plans?" Joe asked.

"We've signed up for the next integration competition," Samira replied.

"Now that we're filling all the spots, we can send seven people instead of five. That number should keep going up the more active we are. New Eden is setting up a system so we all get a fair go at entering the competitions." Joe nodded. Cassie had mentioned something like that to him earlier.

"I was in New Eden earlier today. One of the secretaries gave me a communicator; they said they'd reach out if there's a competition they need help with. I was planning to keep a low profile, though. Still got that damn bounty on my head."

"So you're hiding, Farmer?" Esha laughed.

"That's fine. Let the women handle the heavy lifting while you play hide-and-seek."

"Speaking of hide-and-seek." Joe grinned.

"I'm planning something just like that when I help at Relashra. Some Guerilla warfare, so to speak." Esha and Samira shared a look with Gao.

"Are you sure you should be helping… the Voldura? We can't openly support your actions. Tension between the two races is still on a knife-edge," Gao stated. Joe hated politics, but he understood why no one else had offered any help. Even if Clan Relashra had nothing to do with the abductions, they were still Voldura. And wounds took time to heal.

"If anyone complains, just blame me and my unpredictability. I understand you have responsibilities. But I can't just stand by as Corel loses the last members of her Clan. She would never forgive me." They all nodded in understanding. Joe could see the hesitation in their eyes. They wanted to help, but couldn't. That was enough for him.

"Oh, I almost forgot," he pulled out the envelope the Grosii had given him regarding Pathfinder, and handed it to Gao.

"I've already read it, but it might be helpful to you guys. When you are done, could you send a copy to Heliopolis? Just in case."

"We will," Gao said, already flipping through the pages.

"Great. Now, before I go, I need to restock on pills and food, so ladies, can I borrow a park nearby?" Joe asked with a wide smile. Joe spent the next full day in a park in central Kunlun, cooking and crafting pills. His activities attracted attention. Using his nature skills created quite a spectacle, especially now that his power had grown so much with the hidden grade. He was able to produce two common mana pills and two common healing pills per minute.

His progress was such that he'd even started making uncommon mana and healing pills at a rate of one every three minutes. Still, he hadn't yet reached the level where he could produce the magic variants Corel had mastered. He missed having his Seeker around; she'd churn out pills like a machine, always focused, always so driven. Honestly, she was better at it than he was. And he missed her smile… He shook his head, pushing the thought aside.

Once his storage was packed to the brim with cooked meat and uncommon pills, Joe handed over all his common ones to Esha and Gao, telling them to distribute them however they saw fit. After spending one more day in Kunlun, he finally set off toward the Relashra Pillar. Before he left, Gao contacted them in secret, letting them know help was on the way.