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Chapter 57 - Team
🕑 Added 2024-10-26 17:42:35 +0000 UTC66th of Season of Air, 57th year of the 32nd cycle
“Here it comes,” Dandelion flew up from the pit in the furthest corner of the upper tunnels.
The shaft was a spiraling tube as wide at the cave was tall, and an infuriated, butt-burned frostworm was slithering up it, a dozen yards behind its smiling human tormentor.
Newt and Everlast were ready for it, and as expected, the giant, third realm worm immediately focused on Newt’s fiery aura. In a well practiced way, Newt jumped out of its path, and landed on its back when the frostworm smashed into the cavern wall.
Newt stabbed with his spear, sending two winding lines of flame up its shaft at the same time. The flames met at the spear’s tip just as it plunged into the fold between the chitinous plates. Newt felt his spear sink into the softer flesh, and the worm trashed as Magmin Flames ravaged its body.
Newt jumped away, but after some more twitches and squirming, the frostworm went still.
“I… killed it?” Newt’s voice shook with surprise, then he jumped, pumping the air with his fist. “I killed it!”
“Yes, yes, good job,” Dandelion deadpanned. “Grab the stingers while Everlast checks whether its core is still intact.”
Newt focused his third eye on the frostworm’s midsection, but the ice infused with spiritual energy and thick plates of chitin blocked his perception.
“I have explored a portion of the fourth floor,” Dandelion said as Newt and Everlast got to work. “I spotted seven fourth realm frostworms, and two dozen third realm ones. I retreated when I caught the air of a fifth realm one, so we will have to move with great care down there.
“Good news is I confirmed the ice jade marrow’s location, and neither the fourth nor the fifth realm monsters are anywhere near it. The bad news is that I will probably need a whole day to fish out the worms and clear a path, which might alert the elder worm, and if that happens we will lose our prize altogether.”
Newt considered the matter in the ensuing silence. Dandelion said Newt had to make the decisions first and explain his reasoning so that the inexperienced youth could practice decision-making.
“I think we should go down and head straight for the ice jade marrow. It would be best if we could get there stealthily, and let Senior Apprentice Sister Everlast mine the ice jade while we keep guard, since she is faster and more precise than you are, Senior Dandelion.”
Everlast nodded in agreement, and Dandelion spoke.
“But,” he dragged out the word, and Newt considered the flaws of his plan.
“We will be in serious trouble if the frostworms find us. They can surround us, block our escape path, and that might be the end of us. Maybe it’s not worth the risk?” Newt was uncertain whether Dandelion was hinting at the major flaw of his plan, or if there was an even bigger issue he was unsure about.
“While that is correct, we have an immediate problem with your plan. Everlast and I can shield ourselves from the glacial spiritual energy with water-aligned techniques and blend in. You, however, have to keep yourself warm through flames, and the disturbance in spiritual energy will probably draw the more sensitive, meaning higher realm, frostworms to check what is happening.”
Newt stopped himself from saying he could handle the environment without Magmin Scales. The notion was foolish, as the frigid environment would encase him in ice in a matter of minutes.
“But you have a solution?” Newt said, seeing Dandelion was not worried.
“Yes.” Dandelion nodded. “You go guard the door with Puresnow, while Everlast and I handle the middle portion of this warren.”
Newt’s eyes went wide with shock. He could not believe Dandelion would abandon him just like that. His wounded face must have stirred Everlast’s compassion, because the woman spoke up on his behalf.
“Dandelion, all Everfrost Palace disciples have enchanted robes for low temperatures, much more extreme than this cave.” She blushed, seemingly regretting she had opened her mouth. “If Newstar wishes to wear my gear, I will let him borrow it.”
Newt bobbed his head up and down with zeal. “Thank you, of course I will wear it.”
The next moment, Everlast drew a sparkly white gown from her spatial pouch, and Newt clamped his mouth shut.
“I have to wear a dress?” he said finally.
“No. Nobody is forcing you to do anything,” Dandelion was perfectly indifferent, but then again, he was not the one who would suffer wearing a fluffy dress full of sparkling gems. “And if it helps, I have worn much more ridiculous things than that dress when I had to.”
That statement drew Newt’s and Everlast’s attention and piercing gazes, but the former sect master remained relaxed, untouched by their curiosity.
“Can I tie it around myself or carry it like a cloak?” Newt’s dubious tone grew weaker and weaker as Everlast shook her head.
Two minutes later, Newt almost looked like he was heading for a high society event, if not for the fact that he wore the dress over his robes.
“It looks good on you,” Dandelion said with a perfectly straight face. “Seems like a new fashion trend, warrior’s robe beneath a fancy dress, you are prepared for everything life throws your way. You just need to find a booth—”
“Shut up,” Newt grumbled, then his eyes went wide, and he turned to Everlast and offered a deep bow. “Thank you, Senior Apprentice Sister, I will keep it safe and return it to you in one piece.”
“You should at least have the decency to wash it,” Dandelion grumbled, and Everlast struggled not to laugh.
“Are you done yet?” Newt muttered through a sigh.
“Not even close, but I will hold back.” Dandelion cleared his throat. “Newstar, dear, white is not your color, it makes your butt look like a balloon.”
Everlast snorted while digging into the frostworm’s flesh, and Newt facepalmed.
“There. That was my last remark about your dress-sense.”
“Maybe if you twirled around a bit.” Surprisingly, Everlast took the chance to poke fun at Newt before deflating. “The core is gone, I’m afraid.”
She got up from the frostworm’s carcass, the few specks of gore freezing and falling off her sword and clothes.
“We should go down without wasting time, and, Dandelion,” she glanced at the former sect master. “You should help with the frostworm slaying. We are past training, and we should focus on stealth and quickly dispatching the monsters so they don’t alert the others.”
Dandelion hesitated and looked at Newt with a perfectly straight face. “What do you think, Newstar?”
“I would appreciate the practice, and we all know I could use it, but Senior Apprentice Sister Everlast is right, finishing the job safely is more important than training.”
Dandelion seemed disappointed, but nodded after several moments of consideration.
“All right, here we go.”
The team encountered their first obstacle on the very first step. Newt slipped and fell. Without fire melting the ice as he stepped on it, the frozen cavern floor had become a giant skating ground.
Dandelion helped Newt up.
“Everlast, could you carry our princess here?”
“We can just tie some ropes or fine chains around his shoes. It’s a cheap trick our first realm disciples use when heading out. It sounds silly, but it gets the job done.”
Another few minutes passed, and Newt was in a sparkly dress, his shoes made of rope, and he felt like he had walked out of a strange fairytale. The getup, regardless of how bizarre it looked, solved the problems of supernatural cold and treading ice.
“Are we ready?” Newt asked, and Dandelion rubbed his chin.
“We need to make you a horned helmet to complete the set.”
“Cut it out,” Everlast said. “You’re beating a dead gastonia.”
Then she turned towards Newt and nodded. He walked ahead, the weakest and most unsteady of them. Half way down the giant spiraling shaft, Dandelion took point and then disappeared, while Everlast watched over Newt.
“Sorry for causing trouble,” Newt whispered. “But I want to be there if something happens, and this plan is risky, a lot of things could happen.”
“You’re no trouble. I’m confident Dandelion can handle whatever comes our way, as long as the fifth realm frostworm doesn’t appear.”
“And if it does?”
“And if it does, you are seventeen years old, and maybe you should be up there, watching the entrance with Puresnow.” Newt tensed at the words, but Everlast kept talking. “But I won’t force you, nor will Dandelion. I think he tried to talk you out of joining, but I believe you have the right to risk your life, and this section of the burrow is definitely lethal for all of us.”
Everlast gave Newt a nervous smile. “One wrong step, one mistake, and we’re gone. But that is what separates great cultivators from the rest; honing yourself, pushing your limits, and proving to yourself that you are brave, and that risking death while struggling to earn and achieve more beats not taking any chances and wasting away as a mediocrity.”
