NOVPUB[Well, I think this is the first time any of us had ever slept inside of a host while possessing them,] Razorstella pointed out to Screamira, Blazejudicator and Nepherage. [So... how’d y’all manage to adapt? I was not expecting being able to participate in the dreams though.]
[It was... honestly kind of nice,] Screamira admitted. [Shark boy ended dreaming about the beach and his wife to be. They were very cute towards one another.]
[Well, that’s adorable,] Razorstella agreed. [My guy just started dreaming about donuts.]
[What about you two, Blazejudicator, Nepherage. Anything interesting in the land of dreams?]
[I would share it, but it appears our lord is about to have a confrontation with that Kaijin blooded woman.]
[Oooh! Let’s watch.]
________________________________________
When Zhen Liu lost contact with one of his phantom zakos, he immediately sent a few more in the same direction to figure out what had gone wrong. As he would find out later that same evening, it turned out to be a lot.
Not only had this strange eel woman manage to capture one of his intangible zakos, but she somehow had managed to extract information out of it. It wasn’t via something as silly as torture or through the use of Anima Power. Instead, she did something Zhen Liu never even attempted to do before.
She coated her hand in [Chaos] and started extracting the memories directly from the zako.
This would normally be a very bad thing to happen to Zhen Liu, but he managed to use his remote connection with the other zakos to forcibly change the captive zako back to a marble. Granted, he didn’t know he could do this until this moment happened.
Up until that point, he figured his abilities were a one way activation road. Regardless of this discovery though, he still needed to confront the woman who almost exposed him...and not give away that it had almost happened.
<<I don’t recall sharing such information to the public, so how did you come to find out about my speciality?,>> Zhen Liu asked with a cool tone of voice, as if his secrets was being exposed without his knowledge.
<<From Matriarch Zhen Xun Tian, of course,>> Terra answered without missing a beat. <<She actually bragged about you and your cousins as well. Zhen Feng, if you’d like, you can take a look at the recipe books we keep about Undertow cuisine. It might serve you well.>>
At this invitation, Zhen Feng actually got up from his seat and was about to leave.
"Oooh! That sounds-!"
"Ah bababa, you sit here with me for the time being" Zhen Hai said as he grabbed Zhen Feng’s arm and pulled him back to his seat. Zhen Hai had a feeling that something interesting was going to happen, and he didn’t want to be an awkward third wheel.
<<Of course it was her...what else did she say?>>
<<I heard that you’re not only a master manipulator of puppets, but that you make aether puppets yourself. That they’re more life-like than most people and they’re made from the most unusual of materials, right?>>
’Oh yeah, sure. Ask something like that after almost extracting the memories from one of zakos,’ Zhen Liu thought to himself while maintaining a polite yet friendly demeanor.
<<So I’ve been told, but I’m not that impressive.>>
"Seriously?," Zhen Hai and Zhen Feng simultaneously asked in an incredulous tone of voice.
To Zhen Hai and Zhen Feng ears, this question sounded a bit like flirting, while the answer sounded a bit like humble bragging. While this was very likely to be a bias opinion based on the fact Zhen Liu had charmed multiple different women the last few times they went out, it probably didn’t help that Terra had this sweet smile on her face when she asked. That and because, as they were speaking, they still had two of Zhen Liu’s puppets shoved into their souls.
...
[Did...did the director say that because he’s trying to throw this girl off of our scent or because he actually thinks we’re not that impressive.]
[The former.]
[Ah, of course.]
[You...you do realize that he would never actually bad mouth us, right?]
[I do...it’s just nice to re-confirm it.]
...
In Zhen Liu’s eyes though, this just reminded him that eels were sorta of like snakes. Granted, sea snakes were already a thing, so the analogy was a bit redundant.
<<Oh come now. I’m sure your puppets are much more impressive than you let on,>> Terra continued to flatter. <<Mind letting me see them?>>
<<That...>>
Normally, this would’ve been the perfect way for Zhen Liu to exit from the situation and prevent a possible breach in his secrecy. Unfortunately, he was around family when the situation presented itself.
"Ooooh, do it, do it!"
"Come on, Xiao Liu! Now’s a good time to show off!"
<<It sounds like your cousins want you to prove yourself. Wouldn’t want to disappoint, right?>>
’...these motherfuckers...’
<<Fine,>> Zhen Liu agreed. <<But I’m going to need more room.>>
<<Understandable. We can use the old training grounds.>>
...
Isekai Rule#112-Conditional
Just like your previous life, family will either be your greatest ally or your worst enemy.
Familicide is always a last resort.
Usually.
...
One short walk to a questionable looking training ground later...
<<What the fuck...>>
<<Well, this courtyard is definitely bigger than the training area we have at home...feels weird though. Like...the aether feels off. Actually, the area here feels like those attacks we had to deflect when we first arrived here.>>
’Huh...need to get an area like this installed back home...’
Like any good castle, the [Storm Castle] had a massive training courtyard where knights, soldiers and other castle denizens could use to polish up their martial skills. However, that was where the similarities end.
A majority of the training areas in Valresta usually have a little something extra to help increase the aether concentration in them, in order to better facilitate their cultivation progress.
These extras ranged from complex arrays to materials that are known to boost cultivation progress in specific areas.
The training courtyard in [Storm Castle] however was...different.
<<What you’re all feeling is ambient [Chaos],>> Terra explained. <<The materials in this courtyard was designed not with aether cultivation in mind, but [Chaos] cultivation. As such, it actively repels aether and makes the area feel "off", as you say.>>
<<There’s that word again...>>
<<What the hell is [Chaos]?>>
’Oh...right.’
Evidently, when Zhen Liu and the kaijin forcibly possess his cousins, he kept having them mess around their memories in regard to [Chaos]. But now, he had no choice to let them in the know...partially at least.
Granted, Terra was taking care of that bit of information for him...and showing off a bit by displaying what appeared to be visible [Chaos] surrounding her hand.
<<[Chaos] is a power that can be considered the antithesis to aether, but at the same time, it can enhance it. As such, while it can be used to enhance the power of aether arts, it can also be used defend against them with incredibly high efficiency. It’s part of the reason why we people of Undertow were able to stay down here for so many centuries.>>
<<Defend against...hold up...>>
At this exact moment, Zhen Hai and Zhen Feng stared in Zhen Liu’s direction, while the latter did his damnedest to look away and pretend he wasn’t noticing them. If looks could burn holes, he’d have four of them in his head by now.
<<I’m actually surprised neither of you know what [Chaos] is, since it appears your family showcases some surprising mastery over it. Especially your matriarch and your cousin here who is pretending to be deaf,>> Terra observed while gesturing to the aformentioned cousin, Zhen Liu.
<<Uh huh...>>
<<That is to say, you two aren’t bad at it either. Your miles ahead most of our regular mercenaries.>>
<<Yeah...wait, what?>>
<<But we’re not here to showcase your abilities in regards to [Chaos],>> Terra continued. <<We’re here to see if your cousin is as masterful of a puppet master as your family says he is.>>
Having said this piece, Terra made her way over to one of the sparring area of the courtyard and took on a fighting stance.
<<Uh...what are you doing?,>> Zhen Liu asked.
<<I know from history that you warriors of the Zhen Clan tend to believe that the best way to understand someone is through an exchange of fists. Isn’t that still the case?>>
<<Err...>>
The branch clan scions were technically raised on completely different traditions, so they had no idea whether or not Terra was telling the truth in regards to this statement. That stated, Zhen Liu wasn’t one to turn down a challenge...usually.
<<Wait...so you want to throw down with one of my puppets? Is that how you want to determine my skills?>>
<<Would you prefer it if I threw down with you? I don’t think that’s reflective of your skills though...is it?>>
<<Fair point.>>
...
’Alright...who wants to go?’
