Chapter 358 The Real Test Begins

Jyu'so nodded as he removed his shadowy hand away from the boy. The shadows pulled back into him and he nodded at Gorrum, standing up.

"We cannot do much more now. It seems like he's met with one of the old Saviors. All we can do now is wait for him to wake up." Jyu'so told Gorrum. Gorrum followed the Elder out of the room and shut the door behind him. Jyu'so made his way straight to the kitchen, fixing himself some tea.

"And what should we do then?" Gorrum asked.

"You want some tea, Gorrum?" Jyu'so asked.

"I wouldn't mind." Gorrum answered.

"Oh," Jyu'so raised his eyebrows. He turned to pull another cup out while shadows readied the teapot filled with water for boiling. "You're usually cautious about tea given I've tricked you many times over the years. What's the occasion now? Stressed for the boy?"

Gorrum didn't answer for awhile. The Shadowy hand lit the fire and set the teapot on top of it while it's master turned to face Gorrum.

"What can he learn from me, Elder?" Gorrum asked. "I've been placed elsewhere but asked to come here to aid you. What can I do that nobody else can?"

"You forget you wield one of the legendary weapons forged by Asura. One of many god weapons graced to be in the presence of the people. Lord Asura could've given the weapon to anyone yet he gave it to you, himself." Jyu'so reminded Gorrum.

"You possess a god weapon. And it just happens to be that Lady Hydran shall call the Silver Savior to the Sea where the Merfolks reside and request help from him. He shall wield Hydrosphere and descend into the Myriad Sea.

"You need to teach him how to wield a god weapon. Such weapons are extremely powerful and they take time to become one with. If you can teach the Silver one how to do such a thing, I will have less to worry about." Jyu'so explained.

"Isn't Hydrosphere the Trident of Lady Hydran? He'll be essentially using a trident. I don't know how to use a trident."

"Do not worry Gorrum." Jyu'so turned to watch the teapot hiss as if on signal. The Shadowy hands pulled the teacups and dropped some bags into the teacups. They poured the boiling water and mixed. A shadowy hand picked the teacup and plate up and handed it to Gorrum, who took it. Jyu'so turned, teacup and plate in hand as he stirred the tea.

"The weapon shall change forms. I have a feeling Lady Hydran will make sure of it." Jyu'so told him.

"How can you be so sure? Lord Asura gave me a set of short swords. What if the weapon is something I'm unfamiliar with working with?" Gorrum asked.

"You shall find out in due time. Let's drink the tea while we wait for the boy."

"You chose to. Just like you chose to chase after Lee Seng Chang even though you clearly knew it was an illusion. You chose to do all of the things yourself. Why?" The woman asked. She stepped away from the table and wandered closer to Keng.

"Well…." Keng began. "I just want to see him again. That's all."

"Yet you dilly-dallied and wasted precious time when you could've came straight here to me, an ex-member of the Saviors and clashed steel against steel." She tossed a pair of daggers at him. It clattered and skidded to a stop near his feet.

"Where's your resolve, Savior? Bear those daggers and fight me. Show me your resolve or you'll waste all of our time." The woman's form glowed and white tattoos flew across arms. A pair of glowing white swords appeared in her hands as she took a stance.

She dashed at him without waiting for him to grab the weapons. She was faster than he expected. He couldn't grab the daggers in time and dodged the X-cross attack.

The daggers clattered off to the side as gusts of wind rippled from her speed. She barraged him with more attacks as he could only dodge them. She managed to hit him in spots he thought he could dodge. He couldn't understand how she was doing it.

'Maybe it's her magic?' Keng thought as he leapt away as she did another X-cross attack. Wind billowed out as she took stance, again. She wasn't talking now, only focused on the battle.

Keng noticed the daggers behind her. He would have to make some sort of bold move to secure them if he wanted to fight her.

'Daggers aren't really good at blocking.' Keng thought. His form ignited as silver energy lit him up. He could feel the cuts disappearing. She didn't react to it. She dashed straight for him.

Keng dodged left, watching her start another X-strike. She pivoted at the last moment, swinging straight into him.

A strong gust of wind slammed against him, sending him tumbling backwards. Keng was sure now. She definitely was using wind. The woman kept her swords at her sides as she watched Keng slowly get up.

A gust of wind shoved the daggers over to Keng.

"Fight me. Don't avoid me. You'll just die at this rate. Don't tarnish the Savior name." The woman raised her swords and took her stance. Keng grabbed the Daggers. They were exactly like the picture door he went through.

The woman didn't wait for him after she watched him grab the daggers. She flew at him, sending a barrage of attacks his way as he was forced to dodge.

"Show me what you're made of!" She shouted. Keng bobbed and weaved through her attacks, feeling wind slash at him when he thought he cleared the attacks. The woman didn't give him any time to respond.

'How am I supposed to attack? She's not letting up!' Keng wondered what he was gonna do. He continued to dodged and try a few swings himself, but she was always prepared. She always pressed forward while Keng moved backwards.

'What am I supposed to do? I don't have gravity at my disposal so I can't temporarily shove her away and get the upper hand.' Keng panicked. Without Lee Seng's power, what was he gonna do?

The woman found an opening and immediately took it. She pierced him, watching Keng realize what just happened.

"Stop using him as an excuse for the fight." She told him. She pushed the sword deeper, more blood splattering as blood poured out of his mouth. He looked at her as her fiery eyes burned into his skull. "When you fight, you fight with the idea ingrained in your head that you have your partner.

"But in reality, you don't always have him around to help you. He isn't in the picture, Savior. Don't ignore that fact. I don't know what happened to him but I know you and him aren't together right now.

"If you want to do him a favor, become strong enough to protect him from whatever is keeping you away from him. If you can't do that," she leaned in closer. "You don't deserve to stand by his side."

She pulled the sword out and watched as Keng dropped onto the floor. He clutched his wound as it shut. She ignored his blood dripping into a pool at her side as she continued to study him.

"I thought you might've thought about it while you took your time, so I assumed you gathered some resolve, but maybe I was wrong." She flicked the blood off her sword and shook her head.

"You don't even know what I'm thinking." Keng retorted. She scoffed at him. She instantly appeared with the sword connecting with his neck. Blood started to trickle as Keng's eyes grew wide.

"You may look like an adult but you have a child's way of thinking. You wear your emotions on your face. The way you try to avoid me, the way you talk - I know them well." She pulled the sword away as he lashed out at her. She quickly moved out of the way as Keng flailed his hands around in the air.

"You don't know me! You don't know what I've been through, okay?!?" Keng shouted. He pounded his chest as he looked at her. "Everyone thinks I'm a failure because I couldn't even take over my vessel! Now I forcefully was removed from him and I'm forced to be here. What do you know?"

Keng but his lips as he hung his head low. The woman understood very well what he was going through. She had gone through something similar and let out a sigh.

"This is why they put me in the test." She sighed. Her swords disappeared as she moved over towards the kid. He lashed at her but she quickly disarmed him and pulled him in for a hug.

"Stop!" He cried. "Don't!" She let out a soft smile and caressed the back of his head. Keng tried desperately to get out of her hug. She held him tightly and continued to hold him until he didn't fight it anymore.

"It'll be fine, Savior. I understand what you're going through. Trust me. I've been there. Forced to be away from the person you deeply care about. The person you're so closely connected to. The emotions will pass. The memories will stay forever, but it's what you do after you've let it all out."