Chương 22: Foreign Essence

Time until next Elemental Storm: To be Announced Needs a bit more blue, Ethan thought as he shook the water bottle. More droplets of food dye went into it, and the colour shifted more towards what the potion on Unimart looked like. The one on the shop looks a bit milky, maybe I should add that. He grabbed the carton from the kitchen table, mixing in just enough that the liquid wasn't transparent enough. An hour had passed with him trying to recreate the look of the potion, and this was his best attempt.

The rest were flushed down the drain. Ethan let out a sigh. Xillian might've known how to do this better than him, but Ethan didn't want to give him any more information than he already had. [[Personal Messsages] Obvo Wooliath: Have you retrieved the potion yet? Obvio Wooliath: Hello? We had a deal, human, tell me if you're backing out. Obvio Wooliath: This is your last reminder. If you don't have the potion within the hour, I'll take my business elsewhere. Ethan Collins: Sorry! Lost the potion somewhere in my house. Found it now, let's meet up in the Mirage Hotel nearby?] This'll have to do, Ethan admitted as he brought the potion outside. He would've picked a fancier looking bottle to hold the liquid, but he didn't have the time, so it went in a plastic water bottle. The Mirage Hotel was thankfully close to the Gala, and so was Obvio. The Worin looked wary and annoyed when he approached the foot of the massive building, one clenched hand over a satchel.

He held out the other short furry hand and spoke.

"Potion." Ethan slowly brought out the plastic water bottle, and he saw the expression on the Worin's face turn.

"Is this some kind of joke?"

"N-no, this is the potion," Ethan admitted. Come on, idiot, you've been telling lies all night. One more won't hurt! Obvio clearly didn't believe the lie, but Ethan couldn't let him walk away.

"Just drink it. You can test it for poison if you want." He did just that. Taking the potion in one hand and scanning it with some kind of Skill that made his eyes glow.

"This has nothing in it."

"It just looks like that," Ethan lied.

"Try it, you'll see it works." At the same time, Ethan was scanning the Worin head to toe for any injuries. If he wanted to sell this, he'd need to make sure he healed everything he could. Torn muscles in the hands. Internal bleeding elsewhere. I'll need some death essence to break the clot that's forming over the right ribs… He noted down in his mind. Obvio popped open the cap of the water bottle, offering a small swig to Ethan first as a test.

Tasting the bland watered down milk reminded Ethan that he maybe should've given some consideration to the taste. Screw it, if he's accepted everything else so far why would he stop at this? After he confirmed it wasn't dangerous, Obvio took a small sip himself. Alright, time to get to work. Tendrils of life force escaped from Ethan's body to dig into Obvio's. He was wondering if he would meet resistance on the way, but it seemed to work out fine.

He brought the life force towards the torn muscles, and layered it over them like he would his own. The muscles moved under the Worin's skin and adjusted back into their usual place. More life force patched up the cracked bones across his left forearm and fingers, and Obvio's eyes widened as he drank the rest of it. The surprise thankfully stunned him long enough for Ethan to sneak the death essence under his skin. Only, when he tried to push it through the Worin's skin like he had the life, it stopped.

Ethan tried a few more times to bash the death essence against the skin, but that only made Obvio scratch the fur there. I can't bring harmful essences through their bodies? It made sense, he supposed. Else, Ethan would've just sent a bullet of death essence straight to the brains of monsters, killing them instantly. Instead, he brought out more life force, and used it rapidly clear up the internal bleeding as much as he could.

Muscles knit back together, small bones snapped into place, and Obvio let out a satisfied sigh once the process was complete.

"It worked…" the Worin said, flexing his fingers.

"I was keeping myself going with my Talent, but… it really worked." A smile spread across his lips, and he let out a light chuckle. Ethan found himself smiling too, watching the Worin hop around. When he was done, Obvio grabbed Ethan's hand and shook it.

"Thank you, human!"

"Haha, you're welcome." Obvio opened his satchel, where two rolled up scrolls lay, and handed one to Ethan. The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there.

"That is one of the two maps I found. I promise you no one has taken a look at it, so you will find the shrine still open for you," Obvio explained. Ethan thanked him, and Obvio left with newfound energy. With warmth and pride still blooming in his chest, Ethan went back to his hotel room and threw the 'potion' bottle into the trash, ignorant of the consequences of his actions.

Tsk, what was that skill he used? Virzol watched as that meek human, Ethan Collins, entered back into his hotel room. He'd spotted him walking around with a shady Heelx around the Gala, trying to barter for items for his survival. That had pinged as slightly odd, but half the richly sponsored Trial Goers were doing the same, so it didn't stand out much. But there was something in the way that the human boy carried himself that made him suspicious. He wasn't showing off his Talent proudly, but it was unlocked.

And after scanning that and his essences, Virzol only grew more sure that the man was their culprit. Blood and bone essence, and a Talent for healing in battle. His actual talent, or just a cover for what he really manipulates? What are you, Ethan Collins? He'd shadowed the man throughout the Gala, and found him thoroughly unimpressive. He was nothing more than a third-rate Trial Goer, and completely contradictory for his Talent. Or so he would present himself as.

Talents were reflections of the personality, which came from the soul. And Ethan Collins' had none of the brashness of a berserker, nor the confidence of a man who could heal his deadly injuries. That meant the polite facade he was putting on in front of others was just that, a facade. Virzol decided to test out his theory by tripping a waiter in front of the man. Ethan only took a glancing cut from the attack, but under Virzol's vision, he watched the man heal up the wound in less than a second.

A fresh Trial Goer with a newly awakened Talent and no history, displaying this kind of skill? He hadn't even left a scar, as far as Virzol had seen. There was no doubt in his mind afterwards that Ethan Collins was his man. Regrettably, even that didn't mean Virzol could arrest him. He'd used his Talent internally, with no visible essence that Virzol could detect or record. But if he used it out in the open, with witnesses to corroborate it, even Virzol could take him in.

And if he were to bring in someone who the Gods wanted, there was a sizable promotion waiting in there for him. He was sure the Starlaws would find an apt punishment for a life essence user, whether that be servitude or death. Wrapping up the Gala took most of Virzol's attention at the end of the night, and he thought he had plenty of time to catch Ethan in the act in the future. That was his mistake, because that very night the human did use his skill, only Virzol had missed it.

Some part of him wanted to ignore the details and drag him in anyways, but he couldn't do that. It wasn't right, it wasn't just, and it wasn't what the GPA stood for. Instead, he slid down the parapet wall of a small building roof, grunting in frustration at the missed opportunity.

"Yes, Ethan Collins, human. I want the details of his party," Virzol told one of Captain Monoduva's aids through his phone. They sent over the details in his personal messages, and he read through it. Penny Lovelace and Jeffrey Winslow… He swiped away the screens and stood back up. It didn't matter if he had a little hiccup tonight. Sooner or later, Ethan Collins would slip up again, and he'd be there to put the cuffs on him himself.

[The Elemental Storm of Lightning approaches. Ear-piercing thunder and blinding light will strike every corner of the realm of Skiland. The only recourse for Trial Goers is to find and complete a Shrine of Earth.] [Time until next Elemental Storm: 6 Days and 23 Hours] Ethan woke and swiped away another new notification. Some part of him was still asleep, and it begged Ethan to ignore the words. The same time limit? Could've given us some more atleast… He said as he readied himself for the trek ahead.

He felt naked without armour on, but he couldn't just keep wasting credits on equipment that would keep breaking. Better to save up for something self-repairing instead. Ethan spent a little longer cleaning up than he would've normally, and headed out towards the Arch they were meeting at. There, he found the rest of his team in much more adventurous gear. They had chestplates, scarves, gloves and leather protecting them. Jeffrey stepped in front of Ethan, his armour clinking as he approached.

"The map?"

"Morning to you, too," Ethan replied dryly. Ethan gave it over, and Jeffrey squinted. The map was the same kind of model as Ethan's old one, but it actually showed a map of the first realm with directions to the shrine. Ethan could spot the forest he'd started in, even if it was no bigger than a dot. Next to it was the first village he'd found, and a thumbnail away was Ashenai, where he'd come in through the Arch. The first realm is huge… Ethan realized.

"The shrine's near the Stormlands. Closest Arch we can teleport to is Wheelwind village," Jeffrey said. The other party members closed in around him.

"Could also go through Ashenai. I'd take firestorms over getting my ears blown out by lightning," Bradley told him.

"Should've stuffed your ears with wax like we told you, babe," Penny chimed in.

"I thought we'd be out of there within the day!" Bradley fired back.

"Ashenai would add too much time. We're not wasting any more than we have to," Jeffrey closed down the argument.

"Actually, I… I can't teleport to Wheelwind," Ethan finally spoke up. The group turned to him.

"What are you on about, lad?" Jeffrey asked.

"I haven't been to the Stormlands yet. I can't teleport there…" Ethan admitted.

"Hah! Guess that settles that, doesn't it? Don't get too down Jeffrey, we'll see plenty of lightning once the storm approaches," he said, patting him on the back. But Jeffrey looked down at the map, as gears turned in his head.

"That'll add a lot of time to our trip," He then turned back to Ethan.

"What say we just buy the map off ya instead? That way, neither of our time is wasted."

"What?" Ethan replied, confused. The Trial had barely started, and Jeffrey was kicking him out of the party.

"That's so rude! Jeffrey, what are you thinking?"

"Oh, say it doesn't make sense. He gets his money's worth for the map, and we get to save time."

"And what about him clearing the shrine? They say you need a party, everyone knows that! It's all they'll talk about on the forums."

"And if they're talking, he won't take long to find another one, will he?" Jeffrey said. Between it all, Ethan found himself speechless. Was he supposed to beg for his place on the team? That sounded more pathetic than just letting them go. But thankfully, he didn't need to say anything, Bradley talked for him.

"Nah, you're wrong on this, Jeffrey. Man's done loads for us with just this, and he'll make a strong fighter. We wouldn't be doing right if we just left 'em here," he said, his face unusually serious. Penny stood by him, her arms crossed. Jeffrey must have realized he'd be losing three teammates instead of one, so he raised his hands in defeat.

"Fine, the boy can stay. But we're breaking for only half the usual time," he said, before pushing past the group and into the Arch. Ethan stood there feeling like he should've said more.

"Don't mind him. He might sound like a stink, but he'll warm up to ya soon, babe," Penny gave a reassuring smile. Ethan flashed an awkward one back to her, and they joined Jeffrey in the Arch. The portal felt like nothing as usual, and they walked through the village as the Monte'jerbans shouted motivation at them. Bradley drunk it all in, Emma looked bashful, and Jeffrey and Mia barely glanced towards the dwarves. Only Penny shouted thanks back to them, waving her hands.

When they reached the edge of the dome, it slid open for them, and the team bared their weapons immediately at what was behind. A star-speckled panther.