Cultivation Through Artifacts

*Gulp!*

With a single swallow, Khal ate the pill and leaned back onto the tree behind him. At first, he didn’t feel anything special, but as time flowed in silence suddenly a strange sensation appeared throughout his whole body that slowly turned the pain inside his bones and muscles into a pleasant one.

“So this is what an Emerald Marble could accomplish? Such a powerful pill!” thought Khal with awe as he closed his eyes and inspected his insides.

The broken rib bones around his lungs slowly moved like they were pushed and pulled on strings and melted back to their original place, while the muscles inside his body also started to stop twitching. All this happened in a short span of time while Khal felt nothing more but pleasant sensations all over his body!

“Haha! See? I told you this pill will help you recover in no time at all.” laughed the man next to Khal as he stood up crossed his arm before his chest.

“Yeah… You were truly right.” Khal was surprised and stunned by the effect of the pill and lifted his gaze only to see the man grinning at him widely, showing his snow-white teeth.

Before, he had no time to inspect the man because of the pain he felt, but now that he felt like a newborn baby again he could finally take a proper look.

The man before him was in his late twenties. He had long black hair that reached almost the middle of his neck, while on his face a small beard was fully in view. His honey-brown eyes showed confidence while his smile made one’s mind to feel at ease. He was wearing a black robe with a crimson red pattern all over it, indicating that he was not from Moon Academy, but from somewhere else.

“Here, let me help you.” smiled the man as he extended his hand toward Khal to help him stand up.

“…”

Glancing at the palm that was showing assistance Khal thought for a small while but still decided to stand up on his own. It wasn’t because of rudeness or anything special, but simply because his pride didn’t let him. He was saved yes, but now that he was doing perfectly fine it would feel wrong for him to accept the man’s help once again.

“Thank you for your help. How can I call you?” asked Khal as he patted the dust off his clothing after he stood up.

“The name is Moras,” answered Moras as he pulled his hand back and watched Khal’s figure.

“So it’s Moras.” nodded Khal and making sure he was clean lifted his gaze, “Then Moras, thank you again for your help. How can I repay you?”

Surprised by Khal’s serious attitude, Moras couldn’t find the words he wanted to say next so stayed silent and started to ponder. Only after a small while later did he open his mouth and ask, “How about you help me kill a few creatures?”

“…”

“Huh?”

Khal upon hearing this looked astonished not quite believing what he just heard. He was saved from a creature that could hunt anyone on or below the Fifth Stage, got a miraculous pill that restored his health and repaired the broken bones inside his body and he asked to help him kill creatures as repayment? Did he heard it wrong or did this man went out of his mind?

To make it sure he didn’t hallucinate things and heard it right, Khal raised his left eyebrow slightly and asked, “Umm… Say that again?”

“Haha! You heard it right. Just simply help me kill a few creatures and we are equal.” laughed Moras happily as his eyes turned into a shape of a crescent moon.

“…”

Even after hearing Moras say the same thing as before, Khal could hardly believe it. Just who in their right mind saves someone just to ask them if they could help them hunt creatures instead of money or something even valuable? No one, right?

“Are you sure about this? Just now, I was almost killed by a creature and I needed your help to survive. Maybe I can’t give you money right now, but I will definitely give it to you if you give me enough time.”

“No, I don’t need money.” Moras soon his head gently as he said that, showing that he discarded Khal’s idea quite seriously.

“Then how about items? Or are you truly happy with my help alone?” asked Khal as his face showed a bit of confusion mixed with his surprise.

“Yes, I just need your help and nothing else.” grinned Moras once again, showing that he had no hidden motives at all.

Watching Moras before him in silence, Khal could just sigh helplessly and ask, “I see. Then tell me the details. What kind of creature do you plan to kill?”

“Haha! That’s what I like to hear!” smiled Moras and raised his index finger, “It is nothing special at all. The creature I want to slay is called Diamond Beetle, a beast that resides on Moon Mountain.”

The name Diamond Beetle wasn’t new for Khal either. It was a Beast that was on the Second, but sometimes on the Third Cultivation Stage and occupied the bottom of Moon Mountain in great numbers.

However, even though they were low in Cultivation Stage, their defense was top-notch. Thanks to the exoskeleton on their bodies that was almost as hard as diamond, not even creatures on the Fourth Cultivation Stage had what it took to damage them, let alone kill them.

“And you want me to help slay such a creature that not even that spider would have had the chance to kill? I told you, I am on the Second Cultivation Stage,” told Khal with shock.

“I know and I don’t want you to be the one to kill it. The only thing you need to do is to distract its attention while I get close to it.”

When Khal heard this his eyebrows involuntarily raised and surprise appeared in his eyes, “Wait, you are that strong? What Cultivation Stage are you on?”

“Oh, me? I’m currently on the Fourth Cultivation Stage.”

“…”

***

While Khal set off toward Moon Mountain with Moras in the hope to slay a few Diamond Beetles, Liza was calmly sitting on the shore of a beautiful and crystal clear lake.

She was sitting in a lotus position with her delicate eyes gently closed, while the air around her gently twisted and turned in a mysterious manner.

As time flowed slowly while only the lake’s gentle tide could be heard, Liza, with her eyes still closed, slowly stood up and put both of her hands next to her waist.

*Freeze!*

Dropping the temperature below zero almost in an instant, a sword made out of jade ice materialized in her clenching grasp while a small crimson luminance was visible around its edge.

“…”

*Swish!*

*BOOM!*

With a speed that was almost invisible to the bare eye, Liza swung her sword drawing a crescent line in the air, causing the lake’s surface to split open and forming a huge explosion in the middle of the lake.

“Still not enough? It seems I truly need a weapon associated Talent to bring out its full potential.” murmured Liza with visible disappointment in her voice as she opened her eyes slowly.

However, if anyone would have seen this sight, especially Janna, they would have dropped to their knees because of pure fear alone. Just now, Liza did something that wouldn’t have been achieved in normal means; she just used one of the most powerful and most protected Secret Arts of the Silvercut Family, Heaven Slash!

But even though that she somehow accomplished to use it, it was apparent that she was only able to achieve 60% of its full potential. But that 60% alone was already perfect because once again, it would have been impossible for normal people to learn such a powerful Secret Art just by a single glance. 

Yet, Liza not only did copy it, but she also successfully utilized it up to its 60% potential! It was crazy… no, it was madness itself!

“Well, much better than nothing.” sighed Liza and turned around, only to find Jane standing not far away from her in silence.

“She was able to enter Fairy Island without my permission?” thought Liza with surprise, but as she thought about it, it was only natural for teachers to enter their student’s room space without permission.

As she thought about this she smiled and with her hands cupped before her chest she bowed politely.

“Master, how can I be a help to you?”

Jane who stood there from the very beginning and saw everything from start to finish, a brilliant light appeared deep in her eyes and vanished the very next second.

“I just came to check on you, but as I can see you are perfectly fine,” said Jane calmly as she walked next to Liza’s side and gazed at the lake in silence that was still in turmoil because of the previous attack.

Raising her gaze, Liza looked at her teacher in silence and waited patiently for her to continue. She knew that if a powerful expert like her master decided to come here wasting her precious time, it was definitely for a cause and not for a simple check on.

Silence filled the place and when the raging water finally calmed down, Jane turned her strict gaze at Liza and opened her mouth.

“What is your relationship with Khal Nevio?”