Chapter 53 (LIII) The Pill

"I don't want it..." Jackson said flatly.

"Oh, come on, it's a gift; what's the harm? I can't believe you're acting like this after everything!" Elissa exclaimed, throwing her arms out, trying to draw his attention.

"What do you expect me to say? Nothing you Guardians do is ever out of the kindness of your heart." He replied, ignoring her as he continued to walk through the jungle.

"Oh, come on, you know we're not bad people!"

"I don't care. I can't trust a single word out of your mouth." Jackson turned to face the floor guardian, "So unless you have any further business with me, I'd appreciate it if you left."

"Fine, fine, but you're missing out!"

"I doubt it." Jackson turned and kept moving, leaving the floor guardian to float in the distance.

"Well, you're gonna miss out on this!"

"What is it?" Jackson asked, stopping in his tracks as he heard a loud crashing sound behind him.

"It's a present for you, silly human!"

Jackson rolled his eyes and sighed, "What is it?" He asked again, growing impatient.

"It's a surprise, but I'll give it to you anyway." The floor guardian giggled, "Just follow me."

She flew past him, floating down the path and over to a clearing where a small wooden box was resting on a stone slab. She turned around and threw her arms out, presenting it to Jackson with a large grin, "Ta-da!!!!"

He shook his head, sighing as he approached the small box. The lid was carved with intricate, beautiful flowers blossoming. He leaned over, picked up the box, and ran his fingers along the wood, feeling the smoothness of the carving.

"Don't break it," Elissa warned as he lifted the top of the box to see a small black sphere inside.

"What in the world is this?" He wondered, lifting the object out of its container and examining it closely.

"It's a very rare item; it's known as a Growth Pill."

"A growth pill!!?" Jackson repeated, holding the small orb between his thumb and forefinger, "Why would the Guardians want me to have this?"

"I knew you would buy one here soon; otherwise, why would you have bought the Ho'Kikomo Fruit?" Elissa questioned, staring at him with sparkling eyes and a bright smile as Jackson glared at her.

"What's the catch..?"

"No catches, no tricks. Just take it and use it soon. Your fruit only has a few more days until it's ripe; if you wait too long after that, you'll miss your chance, and you'll have to get another."

"Fine..." Jackson agreed, placing the tiny ball in his pocket before turning to leave.

"A little appreciation wouldn't hurt!" Elissa chided, leaning forward as she floated in the air, pulling her eyelid down with her finger and sticking her tongue at him.

"I already told you, I don't owe you anything!"

"You sure about that?"

Jackson stopped and turned, looking up at the floor guardian, who was smiling at him.

"I'll be waiting." She winked as a portal appeared around her, slowly disappearing with a grin, "And I'll be watching how well you handle it, don't disappoint!"

Jackson stared blankly as the floor guardian disappeared, "..."

He continued to stare into space, lost in thought, before finally shaking himself out of the trance, placing the pill in his Gobbii Bag, and looking around the clearing.

'This isn't that bad a spot, actually…' Jackson thought, looking around before nodding and calling out to Khione.

He set the tent, lit a fire, and sat down, taking a sip from a canteen filled with water and eating a piece of dried meat and giving some to the kitten, who gobbled it up and ran inside the tent and started cleaning herself.

He stood, stretching before consulting his minimap for a water source. After a bit of searching, he found one and headed through the jungle to it.

He knelt next to the stream and scooped some of the clear, cold liquid into his canteen, filling it halfway before filling a large pot from the running water. He then carried it back to his camp, setting the pot on a tripod, and stoked the fire under it.

After a while, the pot began boiling, and he added the contents of his pack, including vegetables he had collected from previous floors.

While his stew slowly cooked, Jackson grabbed his swords and began practicing the techniques described in the 'Swift Phantom of the Twin Moon Assassin' Skillbook.

He started with the basic attack, a powerful downward strike with both blades. After a few dozen attempts, he felt confident enough to move on and attempt the next skill.

The technique was a series of quick slashes, each ending with a thrust.

His swordplay was precise, fluid, and fast, making him look almost like a blur as he moved through the forms. His movements were so graceful that they seemed to defy physics.

After a half hour of practice, he took a moment to stretch, seeing the flashing notification and opening it:

[New Martial Artes Detected!]

[Creating New Martial Arte Skill: Swift Phantom of the Twin Moon Assassin]

[Rank: S]

[Mastery: 1%]

[Type: Twin Blades]

[A Martial Arte utilizing two swords that can combine and transition fluidly between a deadly broad sweeping movements and a flurry of rapid attacks.]

He dismissed the notifications smiling, choosing to begin practicing abilities from the 'Timeless Rage of the Meteor Behemoth' Skillbook.

Unlike practicing with his weapons or the WarFrame, the Meteor Behemoth Skillbook required Jackson to meditate and look within himself.

He closed his eyes and focused on his breathing, slowing his heart rate and calming his mind. He tried to find the center of his being, the part of him that was not afraid, angry, sad, happy, excited, anxious, or any other emotion.

He let go of all of those feelings, and eventually, he reached a calm place. He opened his eyes and gasped, looking around at the familiar grotto from his childhood, and saw the familiar blue sky above him and the sun shining brightly.

He was in the middle of a clearing in front of his grandmother's rock and looked around in amazement; he could feel the grass beneath his feet, the wind blowing against his skin, and the warmth of the sunlight.

In the distance, he heard the sound of a bird chirping and the rustle of leaves as a breeze blew through the trees.

"JACKSON!!!" A young voice shouted behind him, startling him.