NOVPUB[I don’t get it.]
[Huh? Don’t get what, Springerdermain?,] Frosttusk asked.
[Why is the ringmaster and the ringmistress acting like they’re not gonna be in contact with each other still? They’re literally connected the same way we are.]
[Ah, well...]
[It’s because there’s a difference between being physically present in someone’s life and being a spiritual connection,] Hurricroak interrupted. [I suppose we can’t really tell the difference since we’re more like the latter than the former. That and we’ve basically been around each other since the moment of creation. Literally.]
[I don’t see how that’s relevant.]
[Imagine if you weren’t able to physically stop, say...Razorstella from cutting someone’s face open over an innocuous comment,] Frosttusk suggested to the springy kaijin. [But you were still able to feel and see all that.]
[What the fuck?]
[Oh...now I get it.]
[Why does that example make you understand romance?!,] Razorstella asked in mock offense.
...
Their conversation took a pause as Zhen Liu and Jin Fang continued to watch as the people of Undertow approached Tortallion’s statue in a ritualistic manner, offering prayers and strange looking flowers that somehow grew in the darkness of the [Abyssal Lands]. In this moment, Zhen Liu couldn’t help but to wonder if this was how deified mortals formed back in his old world.
But after this momentary thought passed through his mind, he brought his focus back to the immediate conversation. 𝔫𝔬𝖛𝖕𝔲𝖇.𝖈𝖔𝖒
Namely, the Kaijin that will be acting as he security detail and teachers while down here in the [Abyssal Lands]...and their unexpected recruit.
"Where are the Neo Storm Knights anyways?
"I think they’re...wait, aren’t you connected to them? Can’t you just use that to find them?," Jin Fang asked, unaware of the real reason for Zhen Liu’s question.
"I can," Zhen Liu nodded. "But I was actual trying to see if you can do it too. You’re also connected but you’re not used to do this as much as I am."
"Ah...let me check then..."
Unlike Zhen Liu who had months of experience when it came to communicating with the kaijin via their connection to his soul and had learned all sorts of weird tricks using it, Jin Fang had only been connected like this to the Neo Storm Knights for only a few days at best. However, she had Zhen Liu teaching her what it’s like so she wasn’t completely in the dark when it came to communicating with the kaijin beyond the physical.
She was just navigating in the dim light, which was why she had to place her fingers to her temple in order to concentrate on this bond. Once she did though, she managed to get a clear first person view on what her three bonded kaijin were doing.
"Woo...how the heck do you manage to do this with more than one kaijin?," Jin Fang asked while sounding woozy.
"It’s either because I’m built differently or because of the formula I’m practicing."
...
<=It’s honestly both.=>
...
"You manage to lock in on them yet?"
"Let’s see…"
Initially, Jin Fang saw nothing but the darkness created from her eyes being closed. However, as she focused her mind on the connection between herself and the kaijn, two points of view appeared in the darkness.
In these points of view, she could see Slug-at-arms and Shellvalier through each other’s eyes. Evidently, they were in the Storm Castle’s armory in order to pick out shields.
[What do you think about this shield?]
[I don’t know…hold it up so I can swing against it.]
[Hell yeah.]
And possibly breaking them in the process.
"Well, it appears Slug-at-arms and Shellvalier are poking through the Storm Castle’s armory," Jin Fang first reported.
"Is...is that a good idea?"
"It should be fine...it looks like Slug-at-arms is just picking out a shield with Shellvalier’s approval."
"Is...is the latter throwing punches against these shields as a means of testing their toughness?"
"Got it one."
"Huh..."
This situation was kind of weird to Zhen Liu, since he was used to being the one to relay information about the kaijin to others and not the other way around. Having Jin Fang relay the weird activities of the kaijin was refreshing but...off.
He wasn’t sure why though.
"By the way, how do you get used to seeing two different points of view at once? This is dizzying."
"The trick to that is to just focus on one kaijin if they’re both in the same room. It lessens your ability to see things, but it prevents that dizzying effect."
"That...seems obvious, now that you mention it."
"Honestly, you’d be surprised how many obvious solutions bypass your thoughts when you have multiple voices in your head."
...
[Was that a jab at us?]
[To be fair, the amount of times we have offered to eat someone as a resolution to a conflict is disturbingly high...]
[Pfft! We’re not mortal, it’s not cannibalism.]
[I’m prescribed to the school of sentience is cannibalism.]
[This is a weird conversation.]
...
"Well, enough about the slug and shrimp," Zhen Liu continued his conversation with Jin Fang while ignoring the commentary in his head, "what’s going on with Wavebreaker?"
"Ah yes, the latest in a long line of unusually shapely lady Kaijin," Jin Fang teased. "I have to ask, do you do that on purpose or..."
"Gonna be honest, not really," Zhen Liu admitted. "I just...go with the flow."
"And the flow is feminine?"
"I guess?," Zhen Liu weakly answered while recalling a lot of myths involving literal mothers of chaos. "Either way, what’s our resident shark woman up to?"
"Alright, alright, let me see," Jin Fang trailed off as she refocused her mind.
The points of view from Slug-at-arms and Shellvalier disappeared as Jin Fang readjusted her mind and focused on only one connection. Once again, a new point of view appeared in her vision. Unlike last time though, it wasn’t a necessarily peaceful sight.
From this new perspective, Wavebreaker’s perspective, Jin Fang could see that the shark woman kaijin was currently locking blades against a certain woman that carried the blood and legacy of an electric eel kaijin. Neither side had employed their personal weapons/[Astra], opting to use training swords instead, but it was no less intense than real combat.
"Hmmm. It appears that Wavebreaker is in the middle of sparring against Terra," Jin Fang reported, prompting Zhen Liu to show a surprised expression.
"Oh? Who’s winning?"
"Neither. They’re surprisingly even."
"Good to hear."
Having confirmed the status of all of the kaijin, Jin Fang dismissed the viewpoint in her eyes and opened them in order to bring her attention back to the present. Once she did, she was surprised to find Zhen Liu presenting her with a flower.
Her favorite flower from Stampeding Bison, no less.
"Xiao Liu! When did you-"
"Would you believe me if I said that I had Logos and Pathos set up a greenhouse inside the Library to grow fruits, flowers and vegetables?"
"Normally, I’d say no," Jin Fang teased. "But seeing is believing, isn’t it?"
"It is."
...
=Wait, when did we do that?=
<Oh right, I guess I didn’t tell you about it, but remember when the Library got all whacky and it manifested a bathhouse?>
=Yes...=
<Little after that, I tried to see if we could recreate that but with more control on the settings, so I made some...additions.>
=What kind of additions-wait, how the fuck did you manage to set these up without me noticing?=
<Oh, easy, I built them in the unconnected wing that manifested a while back.>
=Beg your fucking pardon?!=
...
"You know…I think I’m going to miss this the most while I’m here."
"Me spoiling you and surprising you whenever I get that chance?"
"No, just…you."
"Same…"
This sounded unnecessarily sappy to most outsider observers, but there was a very good reason for this melancholy feeling.
Zhen Liu and Jin Fang had only been dating in recent times, but the two of them had been by each other’s side since childhood.
So the idea of being separated for an extended period of time like this was... unusual to them.
Hell, even when Zhen Liu was out and about, he and Jin Fang knew that the latter would have to just go to the [Library of Nowhere] to have a direct line to Zhen Liu’s side.
But now, due to various circumstances out of either’s control, they were going to be separated from each other for quite some time.
"So...you got any idea how long you think you’ll be down here?"
"Well...the Kaijin and the council both think that’s it’s inappropriate for me to remain an Aether Master any longer, so they’re going to give me access to some medicines that my...mother... apparently had made for me centuries ago. They said they wouldn’t feel safe until I was at least an Aether Lord, an Aether King ideally."
"Phew...that’s...a tall order."
"It is, but...I think I’ll be able to do it before you know it."
"I should hope so."
"That said, try not to get more fiancees in your life before I’m back. Alright?"
"I make no promises."
Bam!
"Hey!"
"You’re terrible..."
And with that last exchange, the outing came to an end.
As well, as was the last day of the Zhen Clan’s stay in Undertow.
