Chapter 54

  Tethers of Neverwhere (II)

  [Congratulations, Host, on creating 'Tethers of Neverwhere' Special Art]

  ... Wait, that's actually kind of... cool?

  [...]

  [Tethers of Neverwhere]

  [Type: Special Art]

  [Rank: low-Heaven Tier]

  [Host Comprehension: None (Fails to meet minimum requirements)]

  [...]

  [Masters of sword ordinarily shine as bright as a collapsing star, shadows only ever cut with the edge of their blade. It is nigh impossible for the child of Dao of Sword to hide from anything, much less the origin they are chasing, but the art allows one to temporarily become mundane. It becomes impossible for anyone under the Void Transformation Realm to take notice, and even those above can only do so through special physiques, artifacts, arts, or exceptionally gifted Divine Sense. Ordinary sub-Void formations and arrays become merely vistas to visit and not much else. Can be used to sneak through ancient machinations of the hidden realm and even cheat one's way into places they would not be allowed to enter. It, however, comes at a great cost, as it consumes inordinate amounts of Qi; those of ordinary talent and means are perhaps better off never learning it]

  [...]

  [Creation Points Value: 500(0) / 100]

  [Comprehension Difficulty: ???]

  [...]

  [Creation Bonus: New 'Minor' Trait unlocked, +1% to Body Purification]

  [Host Body Purification Progress: 15%]

  [Minor Trait Unlocked: Indescribable (Common)]

  [Indescribable: others become more doubtful of their assessment of you]

  [...]

  Sheesh, that's... bulky.

  I actually wasn't expecting any reward 'cause, you know, I didn't exactly earn the points I spent, so getting anything in return was nice. Of course, both rewards were more like giving a 12-year-old socks or a sweater for Christmas--in some ways, it'd have been better to get them nothing, right?

  I'm not speaking from personal experience. My grandma did not buy me sweatpants for Christmas three years in a row. No sir.

  Anyway, truth be told, I'm a bit... scared. Why? Because of those question marks littering the 'Comprehension Difficulty' label. I mean, I have more faith in Long Tao than most other things, but, ultimately, he's still just starting out. What if it's not so much in comprehension, but what his body allows him to comprehend? I'd notice, for instance, that his comprehension of both previous arts--Heart-Stitching Art as well as Spirit Stone Augmentation one--hasn't moved an inch in months.

  Stolen novel; please report.

  Haah, whatever. If I don't have faith in him, then this whole thing may as well collapse.

  I quickly transcribed the entire method onto paper and rolled it into my robes; unlike with Dai Xiu, with whom I decided to take a slow, staggered approach as she grew stronger, for Long Tao... well, just let him be. Give him stuff and see what happens.

  Hopefully, the result of me 'wasting' a freebie on a cloaking art will be him delivering me some rare herbs and spices. That's right, spices. You thought I was gonna say rare cultivation methods and resources? Yeah, right.

  Give me spices! Give me chili, give me salt, give me cumin, give me pepper--give me goddamn anything so I don't have to eat another pound of water-cooked, plain rice ever again! I'm seeing white grains mocking me in my dreams, man! I can't, not anymore. I'm a man of modern comforts, and though I can live with most of them being majorly denied... food, oh, how I miss the sensation of my lips and tongue burning, and me swearing I'd never eat anything as spicy ever again all whilst all holes on my face start leaking liquid...

  ...only to do it literally the next day.

  Khm.

  I descended and noted that nobody was together. Dai Xiu was currently cultivating, Long Tao was... I dunno, he seems to be daydreaming. Light was also doing something in silence in the other corner; poor Xi Zhao sat stiff and awkward between all of them, uncertain as to what the hell was happening, and Hua... well, he was probably off measuring or building. Now that we had yet another permanent guest, lodging was actually becoming a bit tight, as both Light and Xi Zhao would have to sleep here for the time being.

  "Long Tao, come with me," I called him out, rousing him from whatever fantasy he was living. He seemed a bit annoyed as he stood up, but at least he followed me without an outward protest.

  Look, this was pointless, okay? Others will follow and hide and spy, and they will learn that I gave him some art to study. But I at least have to pretend...

  "I was dreaming of being massaged by a beautiful jade beauty, Master."

  "You're fourteen," I said. "The only beauty you should be dreaming about is the beauty of a good night's sleep."

  "..."

  "Anyway, here," I said, taking out the tome and handing it out unceremoniously. "Don't share it, don't leak it, don't question it. I have no answers."

  "What do you mean...?" he quizzed as he took the tome and opened it, reading through it slowly. He closed it right after the first page, his eyes shifty and strange and bemused and a million other things as he examined me. "Hm."

  "..."

  "Interesting."

  "It's not."

  "Of course," he nodded. "Just pure coincidence."

  "All things in life are."

  "... may I share one such coincidence, too?" he asked.

  "Will I get migraines because of it?"

  "Let's find out. The Antechamber."

  "... what about it?"

  "It was, uh, what's the word... familiar."

  "..." Wait a second. What kind of familiar? The 'I saw it once in my previous life' or 'I fathered seventeen children in it in my past life'?

  "My father taught me about it."

  "This father of yours must have been a legendary immortal... to know so many things."

  "Just an average farmer."

  "Aha."

  "The original purpose of the Antechamber was to purify the other Qi and accelerate the cultivation of such... creatures. Perhaps, among us dwells a guest who would majorly benefit from, uhm, experiencing the beauty of such a place." Why do I feel like one of those guys from spy thrillers set in the Cold War era that constantly speak in riddles for no goddamned reason?

  I mean, it wasn't really a riddle--he's just saying that the Antechamber was built (and from the looks of things, by him) to grow Demonic Qi-based... things? And Light, being a freakin' inheritor of all things, would feel like she was in heaven while in there.

  "Hm. The world is vast and full of coincidences." I played along; it was actually kind of fun, you know? Did make me feel a little bit like a spy... "Speaking of such, should you ever find yourself... elsewhere, I ask that you look out for some things."

  "Only in limited amounts, I hope; carrying back anything of true value could not be hidden."

  "Hm? What? No, I don't want artifacts or methods or special flowers or whatever. Spices."

  "... e-eh?"

  "Chili, cumin, pepper, salt, anything that can make that raw nothing that we call food actually edible! Please! If you see me as a human being at all, please!"

  There was silence between us, and all that respect that seemed to momentarily appear in his eyes... yeah, well, it was gone. He just sighed, stuffed the tome into his robes, turned around, and... left.

  Wow.

  That... hurt.