The Transcendent broke upon the spatial nodes to open a portal back to the main camp. She brought them all back to the main military camp, everyone except the spirit hunter group. A woman joined them, particularly because the Transcendent woman claimed she knew why chains of dungeons had manifested in their city all at once.
While the men returned to ensure safety, the woman was to be briefed by the Transcendent to learn more about the debacle.
On the other hand, Agnes remained silent throughout. After a momentary lapse in her aura, it had completely stilled, as though a turtle had retreated into its shell. He had asked her if she was all right, but she only nodded until her "Master" called her up.
"By the way, young man," the Transcendent woman said as she was leaving, her eyes locking onto him. "While I admire your drive to help during the dungeon break, you were asked to rejoin the main camp two days ago."
Gale raised an eyebrow. "And?"
Agnes' master smiled, though there was something in it that he couldn't quite read. "The commander in charge is probably unaware, but you are not to be pushed around. We'll meet again..."
With that, she disappeared, taking Agnes with her.
Gale remained glued to the spot, staring blankly at where she had vanished. Although the woman had given him no reason to worry, he couldn't help but feel that something else was brewing.
As far as he suspected, she wasn't the Transcendent overseeing the trial grounds. Did she come especially for Agnes?
No, Agnes had told him that her master did not care about her all that much.
Something more, then, he thought. Perhaps to fix the trials or maybe to find the lost items she had tasked her disciple with retrieving.
He felt a chill down his back and hurried to his lodging. The house was locked as he had left it; the strips of runes were sufficient to protect against tampering, though it seemed like there had been some interference. However, the tamperer had been so delicate that he could barely notice.
He went inside the guest house to find nothing missing, everything was as he had left it. Still, he scrutinised every part of the building and the rune formations before finally concluding that nothing had been tampered with. Only then did he close his eyes and let himself drift into his soul domain.
Gale found Dawn and Jenni at the top of the tower, the adept studying the stele his master had gifted him, while Dawn kept her company.
"Do you two want to get out?"
"Huh?" Jenni broke out of her studying with a completely oblivious expression. "When did you..."
"Everything's taken care of?" Dawn asked.
"Mostly," he sighed.
She frowned but didn't question anything yet.
"You cannot keep me here," she said.
"Or else what?" He was having so much fun poking her.
"I'll destroy your soul," she claimed.
"Could you even put a dent in it?" he smiled.
She was about to punch the stele but, remembering how much there was to learn from it, she turned to punch the wall of the tower instead. It only hurt her fist. "Fuck!"
"I'll dirty your soul," Jenni said next.
Gale's eyes widened. "Are you suggesting..."
"I'll poop in your soul," Jenni said, glaring at him.
Gale took a step back in fear. "You're a silver ranker; you don't need to."
"I'll still do it..." Jenni was adamant.
Dawn burst into laughter, the loudest Gale had ever heard from her. "You two belong together," she said, laughing hysterically.
"Well, that is a sight to behold," Gale muttered, watching her smile so brightly.
Jenni nodded in agreement.
Dawn blushed instantly. "So, should I prepare for the ceremony?" she asked.
Gale thought for a moment, then cast Jenni a look. "If she agrees..."
"What ceremony?" Jenni asked.
"You have learned knowledge I do not allow others to access," Gale said. "And you've also learned some of my secrets, which I'm not ready to disclose outside. A concession needs to be made."
"That doesn't explain the question," Jenni said, feeling excited once more. "You're not planning one of those sketchy soul brandings, are you? I warn you, I won't give in to enslavement."
"Nothing sketchy like that," Gale chuckled.
Dawn cleared her doubts before he could tease her further. "It is only a formal ceremony to bind you two into the relationship of master and disciple."