Chapter 1795 How Dare You
STEP
They landed atop Mt. Vanfeiger.
It was a mountain at the center of a barren desert in South Kandria, devoid of too much activity and life. The area was as desolate as it was serene.
"Huff..." Rui heaved a sigh as he quickly consumed a light rejuvenation potion, restoring his expended stamina.
He gazed at the Monastery of Mysteries.
"We will secure the area, Your Highness," Master Zentra calmly remarked. "Not that it is required, but nothing can be allowed to disturb your audience with the personage that awaits you."
"...Understood."
"Break a leg, my friend!" Master Iskan slapped him on the shoulder, leaving him a bruise as he walked away.
PAT
Master Vericita smiled warmly as she reassured him with a hand on his head. "Good luck, my child."
She, too, stepped away.
"You don't need luck," Master Ceeran smirked. "If it's you, you are able to make your own, am I wrong?"
Soon enough, he was alone before the giant structure.
His heart felt heavy.
A profound sense of power radiated from within the monastery.
A Realm of power that he had come to recognize.
It was a Realm of power that seemed to bend the world itself.
A power that bent heaven and earth itself.
His Martial drive stirred.
His hunger stirred.
The void in the depths of stirred.
"I want this power..." A single whisper escaped his mouth.
Feeling such power only brought about greater clarity in his heart.
Was he going to sit on a throne and play Emperor while such godly power awaited him?
Determination flashed in his eyes.
"No."
He stepped forth with a determined gait.
He didn't have time to waste.
CLACK
The giant gate of the Monastery of Mysteries opened before he could reach them, closing behind him when he entered.
The monastery was hemispherical.
It was also almost empty.
Devoid of all but one.
A man.
The hemispherical dome of the monastery disappeared.
What appeared in its place was a sight that he had grown extremely familiar with over time.
His Mind Palace.
"Wha-" He literally shook on the spot, bewildered at how his Mind Palace manifested in reality around them!
"...Oh?" The Martial Sage slowly shifted his head, resting in his hands, around as he gazed at the sight that emerged before him with interest. "I had read that you had mastered the Mind Palace technique to an extraordinary degree, but this..."
The Martial Sage's murmur trailed off as he squinted at a particular sight with sharpened eyes.
It was the street that John Falken had lived on back on Earth.
"...Where is that?"
"Nothing!" Rui squelched as he quickly thought about something; the scene changed.
The man turned to Rui with interested eyes.
A certain realization had dawned on him.
"...I see that there's more to you than meets the eye."
"This is unfair!...Your Sagehood," Rui complained, hastily adding the honorific at the end.
The Sloth Sage smiled lazily. "I suppose it is. You have my apologies. Here, I'll let you get a glimpse of my mind."
WHOOSH!
Rui's eyes widened as the world changed.
Suddenly, he was in the sky.
An empty blue sky.
The only thing he could see was a light cloud. It expanded, slowly encompassing him in its warm embrace.
It was soft.
It was serene.
The very sight of it made him feel relaxed.
Its touch made him feel sleepy.
It made for soul satisfaction.
He felt like lying down and sleeping forever.
Why bother with building a faction?
Why bother searching for the Divine Doctor?
Why bother with...Project Water?
His soul shook at that thought.
BADUMP!
His heart began beating faster and faster.
Every cell in his body shook with power.
His eyes lit up with rage as he glared at the floating cloud.
It was the Martial Embodiment of the Sloth Sage.
"How dare you?" Rui's tone grew murderous. "How dare you make me question my Martial Path?!"